What is a good moveset for Darkrai?
If you have a good competitive moveset for Darkrai,post an answer below and upvote the best ones. Movesets for its pre-evolutions, if any, can also be shared on this thread.
Be sure to includefull set details in your post, e.g. items, abilities, natures and EVs. Some detail, including the intended game mode for your set, is also appreciated.Access the full list of guidelines here.
Darkrai Pokédex and learnsetfor reference.
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Darkrai @ Choice SpecsAbility: Bad DreamsEVs: 6 HP / 252 SpA / 252 SpeTimid Nature-Dark Pulse-Thunderbolt/Thunder-Ice Beam-Focus Blast/Hidden Power [Fighting]
546.75 S.Attack…. That is just insane! Most people expect to be put to sleep by Darkrai so they switch in a sleep talker or use a Pokemon with Taunt, they will get a nasty surprise when they get a load of Specs boosted Attacks from a base 135 S.Attack stat!Dark-pulseisSTABand get great coverage in Ubers.Thunderboltiscoveragebut if you expect or are using Kyogre give himThunderfor some more power.Ice-beamis great Ubercoverage.Focus-blastis for powerfulcoveragebut if you are concerned about the accuracy useHidden-power(Fighting)instead. This set gives yousuper-effective coverageover 491 Pokemon! Including almost every Pokemon in Uber! (Reshiram is neutral to it).
Darkrai @ Salac BerryAbility: Bad DreamsEVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 SpeTimid Nature- Dark Pulse- Focus Blast- Nasty Plot- Substitute
SubSalac Darkrai, AKA The Win Button. The idea is that you come in on something that Darkrai threatens, thus forcing a switch. On the switch you use Substitute, and while you have your Substitute up you can sweep, but should it fade keep replenishing it until the Salac Berry kicks in, and you know have a Darkrai at +1 Speed and +2 Special Attack, only stopped by Blissey/Chansey, and priority moves, so try to make sure you clear the field of anything such as Xtrmekiller or Scizor before setting up with Darkrai. Otherwise, you are free to sweep your heart out with the amazing coverage provided by Focus Blast and Dark Pulse. If you don’t like the low accuracy/PP of Focus Blast, Hidden Power [Fighting] is acceptable, but won’t hit quite as hard.
So, Darkrai is pretty good in Ubers. Though the Dark Void nerf made it less used in Ubers. There are a few things around this, but it’s not easy. First set, we have the classic Z-Hypnosis Darkrai.
Darkrai @ Psychium ZAbility: Bad DreamsEVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 SpeTimid Nature- Hypnosis- Nasty Plot- Dark Pulse- Focus Blast / Sludge Bomb
This has a 40% chance to fail. First turn, use Z-Hypnosis to put the opponent to sleep and get a speed boost. Then, whether they switch out or not, use Nasty Plot. You now have +2 Sp. Atk and +1 Speed. Dark Pulse is for your main STAB. Focus Blast is for other Darkrai, while Sludge Bomb is for unboosted Xerneas.
Now, here’s my second set for Darkrai. Sub-Nasty Plot.
Darkrai @ LeftoversAbility: Bad DreamsEVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 SpeTimid Nature- Substitute- Nasty Plot- Dark Pulse- Focus Blast / Sludge Bomb
This is similar to the last set. First turn, use Substitute and hope they don’t attack you. Then, use Nasty Plot to boost your Sp. Atk. Dark Pulse is STAB. Focus Blast and Sludge Bomb are for the same purpose as last set.
Physical Darkrai?!
Darkrai @ Muscle BandAbility: Bad DreamsEVs: 6 HP / 252 Atk / 252 SpeJolly Nature-Sucker Punch-X-Scissor/Brick Break-Rock Slide-Swords Dance/Dark Void
Anyone else notice that this guy has base 90 Attack? Or were you too distracted by that 135 S.Attack? HisPhysicaloffense is pretty good.Sucker-punchisSTABandpriority.X-Scissorcan be useful inUbersif you are afraid that yourPsychic typefoe is not going to use an attacking move whileBrick-breakprovides always goodcoverageandscreenbreaking.Rock-slideiscoverageespecially overBugtypes.Swords-danceis forboostingwhileDark-voidisstatus.
Darkrai @ Psychium ZAbility: Bad DreamsEVs: 60 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 192 SpeTimid NatureIVs: 0 Atk- Hypnosis- Spacial Rend / Ice Beam / Psychic / Sludge Bomb- Dark Pulse- Nasty Plot
Immediately use Z-Hypnosis, to try to get the target to sleep. That will enable you to get at least one nasty plot off (unless they have a lum berry). Then you can start sweeping.
Darkrai @ Leftovers / Life Orb / Focus SashAbility: Bad DreamsEVs: 4HP / 252 SpA / 252 SpeTimid Nature- Dark Void- Dark Pulse- Dream Eater- Focus Blast / Hidden Power [Fighting] / Ice Beam
Darkrai @ LeftoversAbility: Bad DreamsEVs: 252 HP / 126 SpA / 126 SpeMild Nature- Dark Void- Substitute- Calm Mind- Dark Pulse
You can sweep anything that dark is effective against if you use Dark Void to put it to sleep, and then use Substitute and spam Calm Minds until it wakes up, and then you use Dark Pulse.
Darkrai: The most annoying Pokemon you will ever encounter. Even more annoying than Psycho Shift Cresselia. Somehow…
Darkrai @ Big RootAbility: Bad DreamsEVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 SpeModest Nature- Dark Void- Dream Eater- Nightmare- Dark Pulse / Shadow Ball
Basically, he’s made for screwing people. I have more rage quit victories than actual victories because of Darkrai and only Darkrai. I have proven this set over and over again.
I would say that this is pretty good (this is the first time I’ve done this so lay off a little bit)
Darkrai @ Zoom LensAbility: Bad DreamsEVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpDQuiet Nature- Dark Void- Nightmare- Dream Eater- Brick Break / Focus Blast / Power-up Punch
Dark Void is the key move of this set. 80% accuracy which is higher than Hypnosis (60%) and Sing (55%). The Zoom Lens, however, gives it even more accuracy, pretty much meaning it gets them to sleep every time.
Nightmare coupled with Bad Dreams can do some serious accumulative damage.
Dream Eater is a means to heal yourself from the previous attack (if there was one most likely will be) and does serious damage at 90 base power.
Brick Break / Focus Blast / Power-up Punch are just in case a Dark-type comes along, as Psyychic doesn’t affect Dark and Dream eater is Psychic-type move.
So there is my moveset, which is pretty handy.
Constructive criticism would be appreciated.
Gen 7 / 8
Darkrai@Wide Lens/ Big RootAbility: Bad DreamsEVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 SpeTimid/ Modest Nature-Dark Pulse-Dream Eater-Hypnosis-Nightmare
(Hypnosis has 10 more Accuracy than Dark Void, and on top of that, Darkrai already has increased Accuracy due to Wide Lens. Feedback is appreciated.)
Gen 9 Monotype Choice Attacker
Darkrai @ Choice Scarf / Choice SpecsAbility: Bad DreamsEVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 SpeIVs: 0 AtkTimid Nature- Dark Pulse- Sludge Bomb- Psychic / Ice Beam- Trick / Focus Blast
Well, Darkrai is allowed in Gen 9 Monotype and is decent there, so here is the standard choice item set it uses. Dark Pulse is Darkrai’s only good Special Dark STAB, with having a 20% chance to flinch opposing Pokemon. Sludge Bomb allows Darkrai to hit Fairy-types such as Iron Valiant, Azumarill, Clefable, Grimmsnarl, and Enamorus super effectively. Psychic gives Darkrai a coverage move to hit Fighting-types such as Iron Hands, Great Tusk, Okidogi, Sneasler, Zamazenta, and Kommo-o super effectively. Ice Beam can be used instead to hit Dragon- and Flying-types such as Landorus/Landorus-Therian, Gliscor, Kommo-o, Garchomp, and Dragonite super effectively. Trick allows Darkrai to screw up its defensive checks by giving them a Choice item to lock them into one move. Focus Blast is an option to let Darkrai hit Dark-types such as opposing Darkrai, Kingambit, Ting-Lu, and Chien-Pao super effectively. Choice Scarf allows Darkrai to serve as speed control for Dark teams, while Choice Specs give immediate power to Darkrai’s attacks.
Darkrai @ LeftoversAbility: Bad DreamsTera Type: DarkEVs: 160 HP / 212 Def / 12 SpA / 124 SpDModest Nature- Dark Void / Hypnosis- Nasty Plot- Dark Pulse- Will-o-wisp
Hypnosis can be used in place of dark void, but either way sleep control is nice, especially with bad dreams.nasty plot boosts your main damage output, dark pulse, with stab and a nice flinch chance. will-o-wisp is useful for breaking physical walls or just for dealing constant chip damage, while increasing your survivability through the attack drop.
