Analysis GP Queue

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Semi-Official Other Metagames Analyses
approved by The Immortal
parts of the OP stolen from scpinion

This is a megathread for analyses for other metagames not already in official C&C, be it because they're not close enough to standard metagames, not popular enough, or anything else. Please make sure to read this entire post before contributing. While contributing is for anybody, I recommend only contributing for metagames you're well-educated in.

In the future, there is a chance we will add analyses for current/past OMotMs.

Grammar-Prose Queue

1v1

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Almost Any Ability
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Anything Goes
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Balanced Hackmons
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Mix and Mega
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STABmons
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Main Goals
There are two main goals of this project.
  1. Archiving useful analyses for the respective metagames we're writing about.
  2. Raising the popularity and communities of various OMs.
If you have any questions, then ask away. Have fun!

Keep in mind that any exceptional contributors have their analyses count towards getting the Ladybug badge (
), or the Community Contributor (
) badge if said contributors already have a badge.
 
Last edited:
I'll be taking Dragonite

QC [2/2]
Overview

A great movepool with options such as Dragon Dance, Extreme Speed, and Earthquake makes Dragonite an excellent sweeper and Revenge Killer. Access to Multiscale pre-Mega Evolution as well as good bulk allows Dragonite to set up relatively safely, which further improves its excellent attack stat. Dragonite's decent Dragon and Flying typing gives it STAB on Aerilate Extreme Speed and lets it take on top metagame picks like Golisopod and Primal Groudon. On top of that, Dragonite many coverage options that it can use to bpyass any given answer. However, its mediocre speed leaves much to be desired before boosting, even with Extreme Speed's priority, and a 4x weakness to ice forces it to switch out against the likes of Weavile and support Arceus. It also often has just too little power, leaving a bit short of crucial KOes and giving it difficulty wallbreaking.

Extreme Speed Sweeper
Dragonite @ Pinsirite
Ability: Multiscale
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature / Adamant Nature
- Extreme Speed
- Dragon Dance
- Earthquake
- Return / Stone Edge

Set Comments

Moves
Extreme Speed is the crux of this set, giving Dragonite a powerful, Aerilate boosted priority stab move with which to clean and revenge kill. Dragon Dance lets Dragonite boost its Attack and Speed, turning it into a powerful sweeper and letting it pick off Pokemon with its coverage. Earthquake hits the Rock-, Electric-, and Steel-type Pokemon that resist Flying-type attacks such as Arceus-Rock and Magearna for Super Effective damage. Return is a more powerful STAB move that gives Dragonite some crucial KOes at +1, such as Garchomp and Xerneas. Stone Edge, meanwhile, hits Zapdos and other Flying-type Pokemon for super effective damage, stopping them from blocking a sweep.

Set Details

Pinsirite gives Dragonite the ability Aerilate as well as useful boosts to Attack and Speed, making it the best Mega Stone for Dragonite to hold. Multiscale allows Dragonite to safely set up before Mega Evolving as long as it is at full health, while Aerilate turns Dragonite's Normal-types moves into Flying-type moves and boosts their power, giving Dragonite a pair of highly spammable STAB moves in Return and Extreme Speed with which to sweep. 252 Speed EVs and a Jolly Nature maximize Dragonite's speed, allowing it to speed tie other Dragonites as well as outspeed Absolite Darkrai, Tapu Koko, and standard Geomancy Xerneas at +1 Speed. The 252 Atk EVs maximize Dragonite's damage output, making it hot as hard as possible. Adamant is another option to make Dragonite even stronger and harder to switch into, but generally isn't worth the loss in speed.


Usage Tips

Dragonite is best saved for a late game sweeper, where it can sweep weakened teams after a Dragon Dance boost. However, don't be afraid to use it before then; it isn't worthwhile to sack important team members to revenge KO something like Pheromosa when Dragonite could do it without even taking damage. Keep Stealth Rocks off the field whenever possible so that Dragonite can take advantage of any opportunities to safely set up and sweep. Even at low HP , however, Dragonite can be an extremely threatening sweeper, so don't write it off after a bit of damage.

Team Options

Defoggers such as support Arceus, Zapdos, and Skarmory are extremely handy to keep multiscale intact for a sweep and to let Dragonite switch more easily post mega. Meanwhile, hazard setters such as Deoxys-Speed, Primal Groudon, and Blissey are also useful to gain key KOs on Pokemon such as Lunala while pressuring switchins like Zapdos. Other Aerilate Pokemon, such as Zygarde and Cobalion, are handy to wear down shared checks and counters and potentially overwhelm them. Ice type switchins such as Arceus-Water, Suicune, and Scizor are also good teammates, as they can come in on those attacks for Dragonite. Pivot Pokemon such as Zapdos, Pheromosa, and Tapu Koko are also useful to safely bring Dragonite in on things it beats; it shouldn't come in on even resisted hits, as weak attacks still break Multiscale.

Strategy Comments

Other Options


Salamencite is a perfectly viable replacement to Pinsirite, particularly on teams that already have two Pinsirite Pokemon, but provides somewhat worse stat boosts. While the bulk may be helpful in living hits post-Mega Evolution or for setting up more, additional attack is generally more important. A bulky set with Roost over Return can allow Dragonite to grab multiple boosts with the protection of Multiscale, but has less overall utility. Various coverage options such as Thunder Punch for and Pinsirite Steel-types, Thunder for Skarmory, or Superpower to OHKO Arceus-Rock are all decent options, but are generally inferior to the moves listed above. Should bulky support Pokemon be an issue, Facade is an option to turn burns from a crippling blow into a benefit, but it is much less powerful than Return if Dragonite is not statused. Outrage is a secondary powerful STAB move that can pick off many Pokemon, but is usually redundant coverage alongside Flying and allows Fairy-type Pokemon to trap and KO Dragonite; Dragon Claw may also be used, but while it doesn't lock you in it also loses most of Outrage's benefits.
Protect is a nich option that lets Dragonite sweep even through Weavile, but has no other use and only allows for a 50-50.

Checks and Counters

[Bulky Flying Resists]: Pokemon such as Zapdos, Pinsirite Steel-types, and Arceus-Rock can take both Dragonite's Aerilate attacks and it's coverage before crippling or KOing it in return.

[Ice Type Attacks]: Ice type moves from pokemon such as Kyurem-Black, Weavile, and Support Arceus hit Dragonite 4x super effectively, doing heavy damage or KOing even through Multiscale.

[Stealth Rocks]: Stealth Rocks negate Multiscale, decreasing Dragonite's setup chances significantly. In the mid game, they also prevent Dragonite from freely revenge killing, and may make it prey for faster extreme speeders such as Zygarde.

[Bulky Tanks]: Extremely bulky Pokemon, such as Suicune, Mandibuzz, Lugia and Yveltal can take Dragonite's hits and retaliate with their own attacks, whittling down Dragonite or taking it out with Foul Play. While the lack of resistance hurts switchin chances, these pokemon can switch in anyway if need be.

[Faster Fairy Types]: Psychic Terrain blocks priority, aiding Tapu Lele's teammates and giving it switchin opportunities, while the Pokemon itself can hit Dragonite extremely hard with a STAB Moonblast. Xerneas, meanwhile, can OHKO Dragonite with a Choice Scarf Moonblast, while Tapu Koko resists Extreme Speed and can bluff Pinsirite or pivot to a better answer.
Mix and Mega Dragonite is ready for GP.
 
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I'll be taking Dragonite

QC [2/2] GP [1/1]
Overview

A great movepool with options such as Dragon Dance, Extreme Speed, and Earthquake makes Dragonite an excellent sweeper and revenge killer. Access to Multiscale pre-Mega Evolution as well as good bulk allows Dragonite to set up relatively safely, which further improves its excellent Attack stat. Dragonite's decent Dragon / Flying typing gives it STAB on Aerilate Extreme Speed and lets it take on top metagame picks like Golisopod and Primal Groudon. On top of that, Dragonite's many coverage options let it bypass any given answer. However, Dragonite's mediocre Speed leaves much to be desired before boosting, even with Extreme Speed's priority, and a 4x weakness to Ice forces it to switch out against the likes of Weavile and support Arceus. It also often has just too little power, leaving a bit short of crucial KOs and giving it difficulty wallbreaking.

Extreme Speed Sweeper
Dragonite @ Pinsirite
Ability: Multiscale
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature / Adamant Nature
- Extreme Speed
- Dragon Dance
- Earthquake
- Return / Stone Edge

Set Comments

Moves
Extreme Speed gives Dragonite a powerful, Aerilate-boosted priority STAB move with which to clean and revenge kill. Dragon Dance lets Dragonite boost its Attack and Speed, turning it into a powerful sweeper and letting it pick off Pokemon with its coverage. Earthquake hits the Rock-, Electric-, and Steel-type Pokemon that resist Flying attacks such as Arceus-Rock and Magearna for super effective damage. Return is a more powerful STAB move that gives Dragonite some crucial KOs at +1, such as on Garchomp and Xerneas. Stone Edge, meanwhile, hits Zapdos and other Flying-type Pokemon for super effective damage, stopping them from blocking a sweep.

Set Details

Pinsirite gives Dragonite the ability Aerilate and useful boosts to Attack and Speed, making it the best Mega Stone for Dragonite to hold. Multiscale allows Dragonite to safely set up before Mega Evolving as long as it is at full health, while Aerilate turns Dragonite's Normal-types moves into Flying-type and boosts their power, giving Dragonite a pair of highly spammable STAB moves in Return and Extreme Speed with which to sweep. 252 Speed EVs and a Jolly Nature make Dragonite as fast as possible, allowing it to Speed tie with other Dragonite and outspeed Absolite Darkrai, Tapu Koko, and Geomancy Xerneas at +1 Speed. The 252 Attack EVs maximize Dragonite's damage output, making it hit as hard as possible. An Adamant nature is another option to make Dragonite even stronger and harder to switch into but generally isn't worth the loss in Speed.


Usage Tips

Dragonite is best saved for late game where it can sweep weakened teams after a Dragon Dance boost. However, don't be afraid to use it before then; it isn't worthwhile to sacrifice important team members to revenge KO Pokemon like Pheromosa when Dragonite could do it without even taking damage. Keep Stealth Rock off the field whenever possible so that Dragonite can take advantage of any opportunities to safely set up and sweep. Even at low HP, however, Dragonite can be an extremely threatening sweeper, so don't write it off after a bit of damage.

Team Options

Defoggers such as support Arceus, Zapdos, and Skarmory are extremely handy to keep multiscale intact for a sweep and to let Dragonite switch more easily After Mega Evolving. Meanwhile, entry hazard setters such as Deoxys-S, Primal Groudon, and Blissey are also useful to gain key KOs on Pokemon such as Lunala while pressuring switch-ins like Zapdos. Other Aerilate Pokemon, such as Zygarde and Cobalion, are handy to wear down shared checks and counters and potentially overwhelm them. Ice type switchins such as Arceus-Water, Suicune, and Scizor are also good teammates, as they can come in on those attacks for Dragonite. Pivot Pokemon such as Zapdos, Pheromosa, and Tapu Koko are also useful to safely bring Dragonite in on pokemon it beats; it shouldn't switch in on even resisted hits, as they still break Multiscale.

Strategy Comments

Other Options


Salamencite is a perfectly viable replacement to Pinsirite, particularly on teams that already have two Pinsirite Pokemon, but provides somewhat worse stat boosts. While the bulk may be helpful in living hits post-Mega Evolution or for setting up more, the additional Attack is generally more important. A bulky set with Roost over Return can allow Dragonite to grab multiple boosts with the protection of Multiscale but has less overall utility. Various coverage options such as Thunder Punch for Pinsirite Steel-types, Thunder for Skarmory, or Superpower to OHKO Arceus-Rock are all decent options, but they are generally inferior to the moves listed above. Should bulky support Pokemon be an issue, Facade is an option to turn burns from a crippling blow into a benefit, but it is much less powerful than Return if Dragonite is not statused. Outrage is a secondary powerful STAB move that can pick off many Pokemon but is usually redundant coverage alongside Flying and allows Fairy-type Pokemon to trap Dragonite and KO it; Dragon Claw may also be used, but while it doesn't lock yDragonite into it, it also loses most of Outrage's benefits. Protect is a niche option that lets Dragonite sweep even through Weavile but has no other use and only allows for a 50/50.

Checks and Counters

Bulky Flying-Resistant Pokemon: Pokemon such as Zapdos, Pinsirite Steel-types, and Arceus-Rock can take Dragonite's Aerilate attacks and its coverage before crippling or KOing it in return.

Ice-type Attacks: Ice-type attacks from Pokemon such as Kyurem, Weavile, and support Arceus hit Dragonite 4x super effectively, dealing heavy damage or KOing even through Multiscale.

Stealth Rock: Stealth Rock negates Multiscale, decreasing Dragonite's setup chances significantly. In the mid-game, it also prevents Dragonite from freely revenge killing, and may make it prey for faster Extreme Speed users such as Zygarde.

Bulky Tanks: Extremely bulky Pokemon, such as Suicune, Mandibuzz, Lugia and Yveltal, can take Dragonite's hits and retaliate with their own attacks, whittling down Dragonite or taking it out with Foul Play. While the lack of resistance hurts switch-in chances, these Pokemon can switch in anyway if need be.

Faster Fairy Types: Psychic Terrain blocks priority, aiding Tapu Lele's teammates and giving it opportunities to switch in, while it can hit Dragonite extremely hard with a STAB Moonblast. Xerneas, meanwhile, can outspeed Dragonite with a Choice Scarf and OHKO it with Moonblast, while Tapu Koko resists Extreme Speed and can bluff Pinsirite or pivot to a better answer.
Kris this is ready for upload.
 
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I'll be taking wishiwashi Magearna, please
Copyediting
QC [2/2] GP [0/1]

Overview

Magearna is blessed with the excellent Fairy/Steel typing, granting it 9 resistances and two immunities. This is further boosted by good defensive stats, letting it pivot into and wall common attackers such as Weavile, Kyurem-B, and Hoopa-U. Magearna also has a good special movepool which gives it excellent neutral coverage and access to Volt Switch to freely bring in frail Pokemon or activate Regenerator. This is backed further by a good Special Attack allows it to deal solid damage even when not invested. However, Magearna's weakness to Fire- and Ground-type attacks is exploitable due to their commonality, while Magearna’s lack of direct recovery sometimes forces it to switch out on things it walls.

RegenVest Pivot
Magearna @ Assault vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
- Volt Switch
- Fluer Cannon
- Flash Cannon
- Aura Sphere / Focus Blast

Set Comments

Moves

Volt Switch allows Magearna to switch out, letting it steal momentum from any switchins. This also allows it to prevent the opponent from hitting whatever pivots in, gain momentum, and as activate Regenerator to heal Magearna. Fluer Cannon is the most powerful STAB move Magearna gets; since Magearna is constantly switching, the drop in Special Attack is largely a nonissue. Flash Cannon, meanwhile, is a secondary STAB move to wear down opposing Pokemon and doesn't require Magearna to switch. Aura Sphere hits Steel-types such as Ferrothorn that resist both Fairy- and Steel-type attacks reliably, while Focus Blast is a more powerful option to deal more damage to those Steel types at the cost of accuracy.

Set Details

252 HP EVs in conjunction with 252 Special Defense EVs and a Calm Nature maximizes Magearna's Special Defense, allowing it to better take neutral hits. The 252 HP EVs also increase Magearna's physical walling capabilities, allowing it to check weaker attackers and take mixed attackers such as Keldeo more easily. Assault Vest gives a 50% boost to Special Defense, further increasing the number of attacks Magearna can switch in on at little cost thanks to the lack of status moves. Regenerator is chosen as it heals Magearna every time it switches, letting it check things throughout the match and making up for its lack of recovery.

Usage Tips

Magearna is a safe pivot into many offensive Pokemon, so aggressively use it to scout sets unless you need it at full HP to check something like Hoopa-Unbound. If you don't know what move to pick, it's usually safe to click Volt Switch to gain momentum. If possible, you should keep spikes off your side of the field to allow Magearna to heal. Should Magearna be low on HP, switch it in and out on things it beats even if you don't need to do so to let it recover. It's often better to pivot out, but don't hesitate to hard switch and prevent Magearna from being damaged, such as when facing a physical attacker like Mega Metagross.

Team Options

Defoggers such as Skarmory, Zapdos, and Tapu Fini are handy to keep spikes off the field and allow Magearna to do its job. Other pivots such as Zapdos and Landorus-T, meanwhile, can form a powerful momentum core with Magearna; both take on Ground-type Pokemon, while the latter can use Regenerator to form switching loops with Magearna. Physical walls such as Skarmory, Buzzwole, or Hippowdon are useful to take those attacks, while Magearna can switch in on special attackers in return. Fire-type switchins such as Flash Fire Skarmory and Buzzwole are handy to take on those attacks for it; they also can handle Magearna's Ground-type weaknesses and lower physical bulk. Flying-types such as Zapdos and Dragonite can take those attacks for Magearna, while it can take Ice- and Rock-type moves in return.

Strategy Comments

Other Options

A physically defensive spread is also viable as it can better take on Kyurem-B and Weavile, however, it is generally inferior to the specially defensive spread as Magearna is much more adept at checking special attackers as Fire and Ground type attacks are much more commonly physical, and Magearna can suddenly take on the majority of special attackers in the meta with investments. Shadow Ball hits Mega Metagross and Doublade, preventing them from switching in freely on Magearna's Attacks, but the former is often better targeted by Volt Switch. An offensive Tinted Lens set can use Fairum-Z or Choice Specs to deal heavy damage but comes at the cost of its excellent pivoting abilities.

Checks and Counters

Trappers: Trappers such as Magnet Pull Heatran and Dugtrio can prevent Magearna from switching and deal heavy damage to it, KOing it after a bit of chip damage. While they don't like to switch into Magearna's attacks, Magearna cannot do anything to prevent the KO once they are in.

Super Effective Moves: While Magearna is bulky, it only heals 33% on switchout and nothing elsewhere, so even moderately powerful Fire- and Ground-type attacks from Pokemon such as Dragonite can wear it down.

Spikes Setters: Spikes deal 25% damage on switchin, largely negating the healing effects of Regenerator. While this doesn't directly win, it makes it very easy to wear Magearna down with another Pokemon, so Pokemon such as Ferrothorn are a major threat.

Electric Immunities: Electric immune walls such as Volt Absorb Toxapex or Skarmory can take Magearna's hits and steal momentum. Offensive Ground-types, meanwhile, can do the same while forcing Magearna out with Super Effective attacks but must be weary of its other moves.

Tinted Lens Wallbreakers: Pokemon with Tinted Lens like Hoopa-Unbound can largely ignore resistances, allowing them to lure in and KO Magearna.

Mixed attackers: Mixed attackers such as Keldeo, Tapu Koko, and Hoopa-Unbound prevent Magearna from doing its job as a special tank by hitting it on the opposite defense.
AAA Magearna is ready for GP.
 
I'll be taking wishiwashi Magearna, please
Copyediting
QC [2/2] GP [1/1]

Overview

Magearna is blessed with the excellent Steel / Fairy typing, granting it nine resistances and two immunities. This is further boosted by good defensive stats, letting it pivot into and wall common attackers such as Weavile, Kyurem-B, and Hoopa-U. Magearna also has a good special movepool, which gives it excellent neutral coverage and access to Volt Switch to freely bring in frail Pokemon or activate Regenerator. This is backed further by a good Special Attack stat that allows it to deal solid damage, even when not invested. However, Magearna's weakness to Fire- and Ground-type attacks is exploitable due to their commonality, while Magearna’s lack of direct recovery sometimes forces it to switch out on Pokemon that it walls.

RegenVest Pivot
Magearna @ Assault vest
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
- Volt Switch
- Fleur Cannon
- Flash Cannon
- Aura Sphere / Focus Blast

Set Comments

Moves

Volt Switch allows Magearna to switch out, letting it steal momentum from any switch-ins. This also allows it to prevent the foe from hitting whatever pivots in, gain momentum, and activate Regenerator to heal itself. Fleur Cannon is the most powerful STAB move that Magearna gets; since Magearna is constantly switching, the drop in Special Attack is largely a nonissue. Flash Cannon is a secondary STAB move to wear down opposing Pokemon and doesn't require Magearna to switch. Aura Sphere hits Steel-types that resist both Fairy- and Steel-type attacks reliably such as Ferrothorn while Focus Blast is a more powerful option to deal more damage to those Steel-types at the cost of accuracy.

Set Details

252 HP and Special Defense EVs in conjunction with a Calm Nature maximize Magearna's Special Defense, allowing it to better take neutral hits. The 252 HP EVs also increase Magearna's physical walling capabilities, allowing it to check weaker attackers and take mixed attackers such as Keldeo more easily. Assault Vest gives a 50% boost to Special Defense, further increasing the number of attacks Magearna can switch in on at little cost thanks to the lack of status moves. Regenerator is chosen as it heals Magearna every time it switches, letting it check Pokemon throughout the match, as well as making up for its lack of recovery.

Usage Tips

Magearna is a safe pivot into many offensive Pokemon, so aggressively use it to scout sets unless you need it at full HP to check something like Hoopa-U. If you don't know what move to pick, it's usually safe to click Volt Switch to gain momentum. If possible, you should keep spikes off your side of the field to allow Magearna to heal more easily. Should Magearna be low on HP, switch it in and out on things it beats, even if you don't need to do so to let it recover. It's often better to pivot out, but don't hesitate to hard switch and prevent Magearna from being damaged, such as when facing a physical attacker like Mega Metagross.

Team Options

Defoggers such as Skarmory, Zapdos, and Tapu Fini are handy to keep Spikes off the field and allow Magearna to do its job. Meanwhile, other pivots such as Zapdos and Landorus-T can form a powerful VoltTurn core with Magearna, as both take on Ground-type Pokemon, while the latter can use Regenerator to form switching loops with Magearna. Physical walls such as Skarmory, Buzzwole, and Hippowdon are useful to take those attacks, and Magearna can switch in on special attackers in return. Fire-type switch-ins such as Flash Fire Skarmory and Buzzwole are handy to take on those attacks for it; they can also handle Magearna's Ground-type weaknesses and lower physical bulk. Flying-types such as Zapdos and Dragonite can take those attacks for Magearna, while it can take Ice- and Rock-type moves in return.

Strategy Comments

Other Options

A physically defensive spread is also viable, as it can better take on Kyurem-B and Weavile; however, it is generally inferior to the specially defensive spread, as Magearna is much more adept at checking special attackers, because Fire- and Ground-type attacks are much more commonly physical, and Magearna can take on the majority of special attackers in the meta with investment. Shadow Ball hits Mega Metagross and Doublade, preventing them from switching in freely on Magearna's attacks, but the former is often better targeted by Volt Switch. An offensive Tinted Lens set can use Fairum Z or Choice Specs to deal heavy damage but comes at the cost of its excellent pivoting abilities.

Checks and Counters

Trappers: Trappers such as Magnet Pull Heatran and Dugtrio can prevent Magearna from switching and deal heavy damage to it, KOing it after a bit of chip damage. While they don't like to switch into Magearna's attacks, Magearna cannot do anything to prevent the KO once they are in.

Super Effective Moves: While Magearna is bulky, Regenerator only heals 33% per switch-out and nothing elsewhere, so even moderately powerful Fire- and Ground-type attacks from Pokemon such as Dragonite can wear it down.

Spikes Setters: Spikes deals 25% damage on the switch in, largely negating the healing effects of Regenerator. While this doesn't directly win, it makes it very easy to wear Magearna down with another Pokemon, so Pokemon such as Ferrothorn are a major threat.

Electric-immune Pokemon: Electric-immune walls such as Volt Absorb Toxapex and Skarmory can take Magearna's hits and steal momentum. Offensive Ground-types can do the same while forcing Magearna out with Super Effective attacks but must be wary of its other moves.

Tinted Lens Wallbreakers: Pokemon with Tinted Lens like Hoopa-U can largely ignore Magearna's resistances, allowing them to lure in and KO Magearna.

Mixed Attackers: Mixed attackers such as Keldeo, Tapu Koko, and Hoopa-U prevent Magearna from doing its job as a special tank by hitting it on the opposite defense.
GP check implemented, ready for upload.
 
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I just checked and don't have any analyses in WIP, so I'll be taking Skarmory if that's alright.
Grammar Ready, QC [2/2] GP [0/1]
Overview


Thanks to its excellent Steel / Flying type, Skarmory can check many common threats and has few exploitable weaknesses – both of which can be covered with abilities. Skarmory's ground immunity lets it avoid Spikes and switch freely into Earthquake, while multiple viable abilities with different weaknesses keep the foe guessing as to how to hit it. A good support movepool, in combination with an excellent defense stat, allows it to reliably wall physical attackers and manage hazards throughout the match, while an immunity to Toxic prevents it from being worn down easily. However, a Skarmory's low HP and Special Defense stats leave it vulnerable to special attackers, while Skarmory's Steel typing lets it get trapped by Magnet Pull.

Physically Defensive
Skarmory @ Shed Shell / Leftovers / Rocky Helmet
Ability: Fluffy / Flash Fire
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Impish Nature
- Roost
- Brave Bird / Iron Head
- Whirlwind
- Defog / Stealth Rock / Spikes

Set Comments

Moves

Roost is a source of active recovery for Skarmory, letting it stay healthy throughout the match. Brave Bird gives Skarmory a bit of offensive presence and lets it do something versus Taunt and Magic Bounce, while Iron Head is another option to do more against Rock-type Pokemon but is weaker otherwise. Whirlwind phazes out setup sweepers and prevents Skarmory from being setup bait for Pokemon that can take its uninvested STAB attacks. Defog clears hazards for Skarmory's team and allows for free switching. Stealth Rock allows Skarmory to punish the switches it causes and lets it slowly wear down foes with Whirlwind. Spikes may be run over Stealth Rock to better wear down grounded switch-ins, but isn't as reliable as Stealth Rock at dealing damage and doesn't affect many defoggers and so is usually only advisable on teams that already have Stealth Rock.

Set Details

248 HP EVs alongside 252 Defense EVs maximize Skarmory's physical bulk and allow it to take as many hits as possible, which Fluffy further increases by halving the damage of contact moves. Shed Shell prevents Magnet Pull Pokemon such as Heatran and Victini from trapping Skarmory and taking it out. Flash Fire is another option to take on Fire-type Pokemon such as Entei that try to take advantage of Skarmory's weakness and offers Skarmory more freedom in item choice. Leftovers gives Skarmory passive recovery and makes it better at its job, but lets some archetypes remove it outright and is generally less useful on Fluffy sets, while Rocky Helmet is a workable alternative to Leftovers to further annoy contact attackers.

Usage Tips

Switch Skarmory liberally into most physical attacks, as it takes very little from them and can use the free turns to recover, manage entry hazards, or chip the opponent's team. Avoid Pokemon that use physical attacks that do not make contact, particularly Hoopa-U and Kyurem-B, as they can ignore the boosts from Fluffy. Keep Skarmory at high health whenever possible, as many physical attackers such as Terrakion can do heavy damage –especially after a boost. Skarmory is a great answer to the physical half of volt-turn cores and is almost impossible to wear down no matter the power because it takes 1/8 damage from U-turn, so regularly switch it into those attacks for the team should the need arise. Avoid getting Shed Shell knocked off, as Skarmory may then be trapped by Magnet Pull Pokemon such as Heatran and prevented from doing its job. Bring Skarmory directly in on entry hazard setters that it beats to Defog, as switching into Stealth Rock greatly pressures it.

Team Options

As Skarmory is a physical wall, specially defensive Pokemon such as Meloetta, Chansey, and Magearna make good teammates. Should Flash Fire not be run, Fire-type switch-ins such as Tapu Fini, Flash Fire Ferrothorn, and Toxapex are needed due to Skarmory's 4x weakness to Fire-type moves, while Electric-type answers such as Landorus-T, Ferrothorn, and Zygarde are useful to take those attacks for Skarmory. Magic Bounce Pokemon such as Chansey pair well with Skarmory, as they take hazard control pressure off of Skarmory and reflect back Taunt. Ground-weak Pokemon such as Heatran, Toxapex, and Magearna appreciate Skarmory's immunity to those attacks. Fire-weak Pokemon such as Magearna and Doublade also pair well with Flash Fire Skarmory, as it can take on threats such as Entei and Marowak. Pokemon weak to physical attacks such as Hoopa-U and Chansey are good teammates for Skarmory as it covers those weaknesses.

Strategy Comments

Other Options


Prankster Skarmory can use priority Taunt, Defog, and hazard setting to better control the battlefield, but is much easier to take out. Intimidate may be run over Fluffy to better check physical attackers that do not make contact and effect Mold Breaker attackers such as Mega Gyarados, but doesn't block damage as well. Toxic is a decent option over Brave Bird to annoy some switch-ins such as Zapdos but is unreliable with the prevalence of Poison Heal and makes Skarmory even more prey to Taunt and Magic Bounce. Unaware Skarmory with Whirlwind serves as an excellent physical setup check. Volt Absorb allows Skarmory to check Electric-type Pokemon such as Zapdos and annoy Magearna but is generally less useful of an immunity than Fire.

Checks and Counters

Magic Bounce and Taunt: Magic Bounce reflects both entry hazards and Whirlwind, leaving Skarmory with little options due to Brave Bird's lacking power off of Skarmory's low attack stat. While Skarmory can Defog against Magic Bounce, it cannot against Taunt, and Magic Bounce users can set up freely without wasting turns using Taunt.

Special Attackers: Skarmory has a low special defense stat, letting even weak special attackers bypass it. Scald and Volt Switch in particular are troubling, as very little likes risking a Burn and Volt Switch can wear down switch-ins.

Magnet Pull: Magnet Pull prevents Skarmory from switching out of an unfavorable matchup, allowing it to get KOd before doing its job. While Skarmory can carry Shed Shell or use Whirlwind on a predicted switch to rack up damage, these Pokemon can remove Skarmory and leave its teammates vulnerable to strong attackers.

Super-effective attackers: Super Effective attacks, particularly Fire-type moves, can usually easily KO Skarmory. Fire-type attacks are boosted by Fluffy, letting them do even more to it, while Fusion Bolt doesn't make contact and bypasses it in that way.

Mold Breaker: Mold Breaker ignores abilities, so users of this can bypass Fluffy on all attacks. While this doesn't outright beat Skarmory, it makes its job much harder.
AAA skarmory is ready fo GP.
 
Mega Metagross if you please.
E: QC [3/3] GP [0/1] Grammar Ready

Overview

Mega Metagross is blessed with great Attack and Speed stats, making it a powerful sweeper. Tough Claws boosts most of Mega Metagross's physical moves, further increasing its damage output; in conjunction with a good movepool, this allows it great freedom in the move it sketches and lets it pick and choose among what few counters it has. A good Steel / Psychic typing offers it many chances to switch in and a resistance to common priority such as Extreme Speed, while decent defenses let it live even super effective coverage without being KOed. However, Mega Metagross back by weaknesses to common types such as Dark-, Fire-, and Ground-type attacks. It suffers greatly from four moveslot syndrome, which prevents it from operating at its theoretical potential, and faces competition from other popular Megas such as Pinsir and Gyarados.

Physical Attacker
Metagross @ Metagrossite
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Meteor Mash
- Thunder Punch / Zen Headbutt
- Ice Punch / Zen Headbutt
- Shift Gear / Bolt Strike / V-Create

Set Comments

Moves

Meteor Mash is Metagross's most powerful STAB move, breaking almost anything that doesn't resist it. Thunder Punch hits Water-type Pokemon that can switch into Meteor Mash such as Suicune as well as taking on Celesteela. Ice Punch clocks Landorus-T and Garchomp, allowing Metagross to bypass them while sweeping; it also hits Ground and Flying types somewhat harder than Meteor Mash. Zen Headbutt is a secondary STAB move that hits Pokemon such as Rotom-W that resist Meteor mash without being weak to coverage, and lets Mega Metagross fish for flinches to beat counters with. Shift Gear boosts Mega Metagross's Attack and Speed, turning it into a terrifying sweeper for free on forced switches and weak Pokemon. Bolt Strike, meanwhile, is a more powerful version of Thunder Punch that lets Mega Metagross OHKO Pokemon such as Skarmory and Slowbro at +1. V-create is an option to hit Steel-type Pokemon hard and is stronger than any of Metagross's other moves, but cannot be repeatedly used and leaves Mega Metagross vulnerable to trapping or revenge killing.

Set Details

252 Speed EVs and a Jolly nature maximize Mega Metagross' speed, allowing it to Speed tie other base 110 Speed Pokemon such as Latios and outpace anything slower, including major metagame threats such as Garchomp and Kartana. 252 Atk EVs maximize Metagross' damage output and make it hard to switch into. Tough Claws boosts the damage of Mega Metagross' contact moves, making it harder to wall, while Clear Body is used pre-mega evolution to ignore stat drops such as Intimidate and Sticky Webs.

Usage Tips

When fighting versus offensive teams, keep Mega Metagross around until the late game whenever possible so it can pull off a sweep. Use Mega Metagross liberally versus stall and balance teams to wear down its checks and counters throughout the match. If the foe has Sticky Webs on the field and you cannot sweep outright, or multiple Intimidate users, it can sometimes be beneficial not to Mega Evolve and retain Clear Body, but the loss of power is very noticeable. If sketching a coverage move such as Bolt Strike, try not to reveal it the first time an answer such as Slowbro comes in, as they may be scouting for that move and be more cautious with it in the future. Don't switch Mega Metagross in regularly, as while it very bulky it has no recovery and is vulnerable to being worn down.

Team Options

Hazard setters such as Ferrothorn and Skarmory to wear down switch-ins and help Mega Metagross break walls, allowing it to break stall and balance teams reliably. Other powerful wallbreakers such as Tapu Lele and Kartana are useful to wear down shared checks and counters such as Celesteela. Trappers such as Dugtrio and Magnezone also pair well with Mega Metagross, as they can remove bulky resistances such as Celesteela or Mega Scizor for it. Slow pivots such as Rotom-W and Landorus-T are handy to bring in Mega Metagross safely on things that it beats, like Clefable and Venusaur. Status Absorbers such as Chansey and Clefable are also good teammates, as they can take Will-o-Wisps and Scalds for Mega Metagross.

Strategy Comments

Other Options


Heavy Slam is another option to hit hard right off the bat, but is switch-in bait for heavy Pokemon such as Celesteela and doesn't add any coverage. Swords Dance is a decent Sketch option to make Metagross immensely threatening, but outspeeding faster Pokemon such as Pheromosa is generally more important. Bullet Punch can be used to give Mega Metagross a way of revenge KOing faster foes, particularly on Sword Dance sets, but 110 base Speed is usually enough for most purposes and Metagross needs the coverage.
Hammer Arm and Earthquake can both be used to hit Steel-type Pokemon without sketching V-Create, but are weak and easy to wall. Power Whip may be used to hit Water-type Pokemon hard while covering Quagsire, but is weaker and cannot take out Celesteela; Grass Knot does a similar job while freeing a sketch move. Sketching a recovery move can be handy on balance teams for more longevity and switch-in opportunities, but Metagross usually prefers coverage or setup. U-Turn is a decent sketch move to wear down switch-ins and gain momentum, but does little damage and is usually suboptimal compared with hitting switch-ins super effectively.

Checks and Counters

Bulky Water-type Pokemon: Bulky Water-type Pokemon such as Slowbro or Suicune resist Meteor Mash, allowing them to pivot into Mega Metagross. They can then proceed to Burn Metagross with Scald or heal, often with Regenerator. Quagsire in particular is annoying, as it is also immune to Metagross's Electric-type coverage and can ignore any boosting, but even it may be worn down into KO range.

Burns: Burns halve Mega Metagross's Attack and damage it each turn, allowing it to be checked by far more Pokemon. It also makes it especially more difficult for Mega Metagross to deal with Transform Pokemon or Unaware.

Bulky Steel-type Pokemon: Bulky Steel-type Pokemon such as Celesteela and Scizor can take on Mega Metagross with ease. Metagross's only response is to use V-create, which doesn't let it defeat Heatran and forces it to switch out afterward.

Faster Pokemon: Any Pokemon with a higher base Speed stat, such as Greninja or Pheromosa, can take out Mega Metagross without being damaged. While Mega Metagross can often take a hit and KO in return, or use Shift Gear to outspeed, these Pokemon still greatly decrease its effectiveness.

Priority: While Mega Metagross's excellent bulk lets it live most priority moves, string attacks such as Bisharp's Sucker Punch or Azumarill's Aqua Jet can take it out after it has been injured setting up and can hit first no matter how many Shift Gears Metagross has used.
Sketchmons Mega Metagross is ready for GP

I just checked and don't have any analyses in WIP, so I'll be taking Skarmory if that's alright.
Grammar Ready, QC [2/2] GP [1/1]
Overview


Thanks to its excellent Steel / Flying typing, Skarmory can check many common threats and has few exploitable weaknesses, both of which can be covered with abilities. Skarmory's Ground immunity lets it avoid Spikes and switch freely into Earthquake, and its multiple viable abilities with different weaknesses keep the foe guessing as to how to hit it. A good support movepool, in combination with an excellent Defense stat, allows it to reliably wall physical attackers and manage entry hazards throughout the match, and an immunity to Toxic prevents it from being worn down easily. However, Skarmory's low HP and Special Defense stats leave it vulnerable to special attackers, and Skarmory's Steel typing lets it get trapped by Magnet Pull.

Physically Defensive
Skarmory @ Shed Shell / Leftovers / Rocky Helmet
Ability: Fluffy / Flash Fire
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Impish Nature
- Roost
- Brave Bird / Iron Head
- Whirlwind
- Defog / Stealth Rock / Spikes

Set Comments

Moves

Roost is a source of active recovery for Skarmory, letting it stay healthy throughout the match. Brave Bird gives Skarmory a bit of offensive presence and lets it do something versus Taunt and Magic Bounce Pokemon, while Iron Head is another option to do more against Rock-type Pokemon but is weaker otherwise. Whirlwind phazes setup sweepers and prevents Skarmory from being setup bait for Pokemon that can take its uninvested STAB attacks. Defog clears entry hazards for Skarmory's team and allows free switching. Stealth Rock allows Skarmory to punish the switches it causes and lets it slowly wear down foes with Whirlwind. Spikes may be run over Stealth Rock to better wear down grounded switch-ins but isn't as reliable as Stealth Rock at dealing damage and doesn't affect many Defoggers and so is usually only advisable on teams that already have Stealth Rock.

Set Details

248 HP EVs alongside 252 Defense EVs maximize Skarmory's physical bulk and allow it to take as many hits as possible, which Fluffy further increases by halving the damage of contact moves. Shed Shell prevents Magnet Pull Pokemon such as Heatran and Victini from trapping Skarmory and taking it out. Leftovers gives Skarmory passive recovery and makes it better at its job, but lets some archetypes remove it outright and is generally less useful on Fluffy sets, while Rocky Helmet is a workable alternative to Leftovers to further annoy contact attackers.

Usage Tips

Switch Skarmory liberally into most physical attacks, as it takes very little from them and can use the free turns to recover, manage entry hazards, or chip the opponent's team. Avoid Pokemon that use physical attacks that do not make contact, particularly Hoopa-U and Kyurem-B, as they can ignore the boosts from Fluffy. Keep Skarmory at high health whenever possible, as many physical attackers such as Terrakion can do heavy damage, especially after a boost. Skarmory is a great answer to the physical half of VoltTurn cores and is almost impossible to wear down no matter the power because it takes 1/8 damage from U-turn, so regularly switch it into those attacks for the team. Avoid getting Shed Shell removed, as Skarmory may then be trapped by Magnet Pull Pokemon such as Heatran and prevented from doing its job. Bring Skarmory directly in on entry hazard setters that it beats to Defog, as switching into Stealth Rock greatly pressures it.

Team Options

As Skarmory is a physical wall, specially defensive Pokemon such as Meloetta, Chansey, and Magearna make for good teammates. Should Flash Fire not be run, Fire-type switch-ins such as Tapu Fini, Flash Fire Ferrothorn, and Toxapex are needed due to Skarmory's 4x weakness to Fire-type moves, and Electric-type answers such as Landorus-T, Ferrothorn, and Zygarde are useful to take those attacks for Skarmory. Magic Bounce Pokemon such as Chansey pair well with Skarmory, as they take entry hazard control pressure off of Skarmory and reflect back Taunt. Ground-weak Pokemon such as Heatran, Toxapex, and Magearna appreciate Skarmory's immunity to those attacks. Fire-weak Pokemon such as Magearna and Doublade also pair well with Flash Fire Skarmory, as it can take on threats such as Entei and Alolan Marowak. Pokemon weak to physical attacks such as Hoopa-U and Chansey are good teammates for Skarmory, as it covers those weaknesses.

Strategy Comments

Other Options


Prankster Skarmory can use priority Taunt, Defog, and entry hazard setting to better control the battlefield but is much easier to take out. Intimidate may be run over Fluffy to better check physical attackers that do not make contact and affect Mold Breaker attackers such as Mega Gyarados, but it doesn't block damage as well. Toxic is a decent option over Brave Bird to annoy some switch-ins such as Zapdos but is unreliable with the prevalence of Poison Heal and makes Skarmory even more prey to Taunt and Magic Bounce. Unaware Skarmory with Whirlwind serves as an excellent physical setup check. Volt Absorb allows Skarmory to check Electric-type Pokemon such as Zapdos and annoy Magearna but is generally less useful of an immunity than Fire.

Checks and Counters

Magic Bounce and Taunt: Magic Bounce reflects both entry hazards and Whirlwind, leaving Skarmory with little options due to Brave Bird lacking power off of Skarmory's low Attack stat. While Skarmory can Defog against Magic Bounce, it cannot do so against Taunt, and Magic Bounce users can set up freely without wasting turns using Taunt.

Special Attackers: Skarmory has a low Special Defense stat, letting even weak special attackers bypass it. Scald and Volt Switch in particular are troubling, as very little likes risking a burn and Volt Switch can wear down switch-ins.

Magnet Pull: Magnet Pull prevents Skarmory from switching out of an unfavorable matchup, allowing it to get KOed before doing its job. While Skarmory can carry Shed Shell or use Whirlwind on a predicted switch to rack up damage, these Pokemon can remove Skarmory and leave its teammates vulnerable to strong attackers.

Super Effective Attackers: Super effective attacks, particularly Fire-type moves, can usually easily KO Skarmory. Fire-type attacks are boosted by Fluffy, letting them do even more to it, while Fusion Bolt doesn't make contact and bypasses it in that way.

Mold Breaker: Mold Breaker ignores abilities, so users of this can bypass Fluffy on all attacks. While this doesn't outright beat Skarmory, it makes its job much harder.
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Mega Metagross if you please.
E: QC [3/3] GP [1/1] Done

Overview

Mega Metagross is blessed with great Attack and Speed stats, making it a powerful sweeper. Tough Claws boosts most of Mega Metagross's physical moves, further increasing its damage output; in conjunction with a good movepool, this allows it great freedom in the move it sketches and lets it pick and choose among what few counters it has. A good Steel / Psychic typing that gives it a resistance to common attacks such as Extreme Speed offers it many chances to switch in, and decent defenses let it live even super effective coverage without being KOed. However, Mega Metagross is held back by weaknesses to common types such as Dark, Fire, and Ground. It suffers greatly from four-moveslot syndrome, which prevents it from operating at its full potential, and faces competition from other popular Megas such as Mega Pinsir and Mega Gyarados.

Physical Attacker
Metagross @ Metagrossite
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Meteor Mash
- Thunder Punch / Zen Headbutt
- Ice Punch / Zen Headbutt
- Shift Gear / Bolt Strike / V-Create

Set Comments

Moves

Meteor Mash is Metagross's most powerful STAB move, breaking almost anything that doesn't resist it. Thunder Punch hits Water-type Pokemon that can switch into Meteor Mash such as Suicune as well as taking on Celesteela. Ice Punch clocks Landorus-T and Garchomp, allowing Metagross to bypass them while sweeping; it also hits Ground and Flying types somewhat harder than Meteor Mash. Zen Headbutt is a secondary STAB move that hits Pokemon such as Rotom-W that resist Meteor mash without being weak to coverage and lets Mega Metagross fish for flinches to beat counters with. Shift Gear boosts Mega Metagross's Attack and Speed, turning it into a terrifying sweeper on forced switches and weak Pokemon. Bolt Strike, meanwhile, is a more powerful version of Thunder Punch that lets Mega Metagross OHKO Pokemon such as Skarmory and Slowbro at +1. V-create is an option to hit Steel-type Pokemon hard and is stronger than any of Metagross's other moves, but cannot be repeatedly used and leaves Mega Metagross vulnerable to trapping or revenge killing.

Set Details

252 Speed EVs and a Jolly nature maximize Mega Metagross's Speed, allowing it to Speed tie with other base 110 Speed Pokemon such as Latios and outpace anything slower, including major metagame threats such as Garchomp and Kartana. 252 Atk EVs maximize Metagross's damage output and make it hard to switch into. Tough Claws boosts the damage of Mega Metagross's contact moves, making it harder to wall, while Clear Body is used pre-Mega Evolution to ignore stat drops such as Intimidate and Sticky Webs.

Usage Tips

When fighting versus offensive teams, keep Mega Metagross around until the late-game whenever possible so it can pull off a sweep. Use Mega Metagross liberally versus stall and balance teams to wear down its checks and counters throughout the match. If the foe has Sticky Web on the field or multiple Intimidate users, and Mega Metagross cannot sweep outright, it can sometimes be beneficial not to Mega Evolve and retain Clear Body, but the loss of power is very noticeable. If sketching a coverage move such as Bolt Strike, try not to reveal it the first time an answer such as Slowbro comes in, as they may be scouting for that move and be more cautious with it in the future. Don't switch Mega Metagross in regularly, as while it very bulky it has no recovery, and is vulnerable to being worn down.

Team Options

Entry hazard setters such as Ferrothorn and Skarmory wear down switch-ins and help Mega Metagross break walls, allowing it to combat stall and balance teams reliably. Other powerful wallbreakers such as Tapu Lele and Kartana are useful to wear down shared checks and counters such as Celesteela. Trappers such as Dugtrio and Magnezone also pair well with Mega Metagross, as they can remove bulky Steel-resistant Pokemon such as Celesteela and Mega Scizor for it. Slow pivots such as Rotom-W and Landorus-T are handy to bring in Mega Metagross safely on Pokemon that it beats, like Clefable and Venusaur. Status absorbers such as Chansey and Clefable are also good teammates, as they can take Will-O-Wisp and Scald for Mega Metagross.

Strategy Comments

Other Options


Heavy Slam is another option to hit hard right off the bat but is switch-in bait for heavy Pokemon such as Celesteela and doesn't add any coverage. Swords Dance is a decent Sketch option to make Metagross immensely threatening, but outspeeding faster Pokemon such as Pheromosa is generally more important. Bullet Punch can be used to give Mega Metagross a way of revenge KOing faster foes, particularly on Sword Dance sets, but base 110 Speed is usually enough for most purposes and Metagross needs the coverage.

Hammer Arm and Earthquake can both be used to hit Steel-type Pokemon without sketching V-create, but they are weak and easy to wall. Power Whip may be used to hit Water-type Pokemon hard while covering Quagsire but is weaker and cannot take out Celesteela; Grass Knot does a similar job while freeing a sketch move. Sketching a recovery move can be handy on balance teams for more longevity and opportunities to switch in, but Metagross usually prefers coverage or setup. U-Turn is a decent sketch move to wear down switch-ins and gain momentum, but it does little damage and is usually suboptimal compared with hitting switch-ins super effectively.

Checks and Counters

Bulky Water-type Pokemon: Bulky Water-type Pokemon such as Slowbro and Suicune resist Meteor Mash, allowing them to pivot into Mega Metagross. They can then proceed to burn Metagross with Scald or heal, often with Regenerator. Quagsire in particular is annoying, as it is also immune to Metagross's Electric-type coverage and can ignore any boosting, but it can be worn down into KO range.

Burns: Burns halve Mega Metagross's Attack and damage it each turn, allowing it to be checked by far more Pokemon. It also makes it especially more difficult for Mega Metagross to deal with Transform Pokemon or Unaware.

Bulky Steel-type Pokemon: Bulky Steel-type Pokemon such as Celesteela and Scizor can take on Mega Metagross with ease. Metagross's only response is to use V-create, which doesn't let it defeat Heatran and forces it to switch out afterward.

Faster Pokemon: Any faster Pokemon, such as Greninja and Pheromosa, can take out Mega Metagross without being damaged. While Mega Metagross can often take a hit and KO in return, or use Shift Gear to outspeed, these Pokemon still greatly decrease its effectiveness.

Priority: While Mega Metagross's excellent bulk lets it live most priority moves, priority attacks such as Bisharp's Sucker Punch and Azumarill's Aqua Jet can take it out after it has been injured after setting up and can hit first no matter how many Shift Gear boosts Metagross has accumulated.
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[QC 3/3] Quantum Tesseract/InfernapeTropius11/nv [GP 0/1] x

ya boi
[OVERVIEW]

With access to Blue Orb, Mix and Mega fixes Golisopod's major issues and turns it into an extremely effective tank that can absorb physical hits while dealing major damage in return. With a new ability in the form of Primordial Sea, it allows Golisopod to switch in to other Red Orb users such as Primal Groudon, Raikou, Togekiss and Volcarona very easily. Golisopod's Bug/Water typing allows it to go up against many Psychic-, Dark and Fire-type Pokemon. In addition to that, it can learn a lot of priority moves, making Golisopod an extremely effective revenge killer. On top of that, it can recover its health with Leech Life, increasing its durability even further. Sadly, Golisopod's few faults are major enough to keep it from being extremely good, as it is weak against Flying-type moves, which allows Aerilate users like Dragonite, Zygarde, and Lucario to easily revenge kill Golisopod with Extremespeed. Adding to that, Golisopod is extremely slow outside of priority moves, which forces Golisopod to almost always go second.



[Blue Orb Attacker]
Golisopod @ Blue Orb
Ability: Emergency Exit
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Def
Adamant Nature
- Aqua Jet
- Leech Life
- Liquidation
- Toxic / Swords Dance

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Aqua Jet is a STAB priority move that allows Golisopod to pick off weakened opponents. It is also boosted by Primordial Sea, making it a really powerful priority move. Leech Life gives Golisopod a reliable recovery along with a powerful Bug-type move that puts a dent on Dark- and Psychic-type Pokemon like Cresselia, Weavile, and Hoopa-U. Liquidation is the main STAB Water move, allowing Golisopod to hit Rock-, Ground- and Fire-types like Primal Groudon, Arceus-Rock, Terrakion, Arcanine and Archeops extremely hard under heavy rain. It's also the move that Golisopod uses the most, simply due to the sheer power it has. under Heavy Rain. Toxic can be used to cripple opponents who can take on Golisopod, such as Zapdos and Dragonite. Swords Dance turns Golisopod into a terrifying sweeper, as it can easily get KO's on the opponents even with Aqua Jet due to the sheer power increase.

Set Details
========

Blue Orb is used to give Golisopod a +50 Attack boost and Primordial Sea while getting rid of Emergency Exit. 252 Attack EVs with Adamant Nature maximizes Golisopod's damage output. 248 HP EVs allows Golisopod to always survive certain attacks, such as Zapdos's Thunderbolt and many Aerilate Extremespeeds.


Usage Tips
========

Golisopod should be saved until its checks and counters like Dragonite, Genesect, Zygarde, and Zapdos are gone, so it can safely come in and punch holes in the opponents team. It can also come in early to cripple the opponents team with its powerful moves, allowing a sweeper like Dragonite or Zygarde to come in and win the match. Usually though, try to send in Golisopod when there is no Stealth Rock, as it hinders Golisopod's survivability and try to keep Golisopod alive until the opposing Primal Groudon is gone, as it is an excellent counter to Primal Groudon if there is Heavy Rain. It forces Primal Groudon to switch out, which allows Golisopod to get a free Swords Dance in. It can also get off huge damage on the incoming Pokemon with Liquidation if it doesn't resist it. It can also can take on Cresselia thanks to Primordial Sea and Golisopod's Bug typing. Cresselia can't restore its health as much in the rain, allowing Golisopod to keep attacking it with Leech Life until it can KO.


Team Options
========

Together with Primal Groudon, Golisopod form an incredible core that allows safe switch ins while having double weather to halt momentum. Primal Groudon can check Genesect and halt the momentum of Electric-types like Zapdos, and Tapu Koko, while Golisopod can clean more efficiently with Stealth Rocks support. In addition, Golisopod can check other Ground-types such as opposing Primal Groudon, Hippodown, and Arceus-Ground for Primal Groudon to come in safely. Hazard Removers like Skarmory, Zapdos, and Arceus are also appriciated, since Golisopod can come out safely and increase its survivability. Pokemon like Zapdos, Pheromosa and Tapu Koko can also bring in Golisopod safely with their pivot moves, allowing Golisopod to force the opponent to switch out to use Swords Dance or get some recovery with Leech Life. Weavile can check Aerilate users like Genesect, Dragonite, Zygarde, Lucario, and Archeops that would otherwise threaten Golisopod. Golisopod can check physical walls like Skarmory and Cresselia in return. Other Aerilate checks such as Arceus-Water, Arceus-Ground and Zapdos allows Golisopod to come out safely once the Aerliate users are gone.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

First Impression is a good STAB priority move that allows Golisopod to deal massive damage to Dark- and Psychic-types first turn. However, it can only be used the first turn Golisopod is on the field, making it situational and either Toxic or Swords Dance should be considered first. Bulk up can also be used to increase Golisopod's Defense along with it's Attack. Although this sounds nice in theory, Golisopod would rather appreciate the Attack boost more, since often it won't be stick around. Golisopod can also run Ice Beam with a Brave Nature can be used to hit Aerilate users like Dragonite, and Zygarde super effectively, however it lacks the special attack to utilize this effectively. Lastly, Sucker Punch is an another alternative priority move which allows Golisopod to strike first, however, it still cannot beat other Extremespeed users and is generally very underwhelming.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Aerilate Pokemon:** Aerilate users such as Genesect, Dragonite, Salamence, Gyarados, and Zygarde can melt through Golisopod's high defense with Aerilate Extremespeed, while Golisopod can't do much in return without getting KO'd. In addition to that, almost all Aerilate users can switch into Golisopod and safely set up in front of it, making them extremely dangerous.

**Red Orb Users:** Pokemon like Primal Groudon, Raikou, Volcarona and Togekiss can block out Primordial Sea, forcing Golisopod to either use Bug-type moves or switch out. Golisopod can try to use Toxic to wear them down, but if it doesn't run Toxic, there's not much else it can do.

**Bulky Water-types:** Pokemon like Toxapex, Primal Kyogre, Arceus-Water, and Gyarados can all survive a few hits from Golisopod and either OHKO or cripple it with Toxic. Toxapex is especially an annoying counter, because it is immune to Toxic, can remove Swords Dance boosts with Haze, and can either poison it or burn it with Scald.

**Stealth Rock:** Stealth Rock hinders Golisopod's overall survivability, as it doesn't allow Golisopod to come in freely and revenge kill something.

**Electric-types:** Electric-type pokemon like Zapdos, Tapu Koko and Raikou can check Golisopod efficiently. Zapdos can survive a Liquidation + Aqua Jet from Golisopod and 2HKO it in return, Tapu Koko can OHKO Golisopod with Thunderbolt, while Raikou can act as a soft check with Desolate Land.

**Physically resistant Pokemon:** Pokemon who resist Golisopod's Water-type moves like Kartana and Zygarde-C can setup infront of Golisopod can sweep from there, While Golisopod can only try to put a dent on them before getting KO'd.

Mix and Mega Golisopod is ready for GP.
 
nv I'll be taking Arceus ghost now; also, please remove Kyurem-B from analysis list.
E: QC [2/2]

Overview

Arceus-Ghost's great defensive typing lets it check top metagame picks such as Pheromosa and leaves it with few exploitable weaknesses, while high defensive stats afford it many chances to set up or Recover health. Its great movepool lets it run multiple sets effectively, which means that it partners well with other physical sweepers due to its ability to destroy walls with the powerful Neverending Nightmare. Arceus-Ghost also has a decent speed tier lets it outspeed many unboosted threats. However, a reliance on multi-turn and single use moves leaves the offensive set extremely vulnerable to skilled predictions, and its lack of multiple solid resistances prevents it from having any truly great matchups.

Swords Dance
Arceus-Ghost @ Ghostium-Z
Ability: Multitype
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Shadow Force
- Swords Dance
- Extreme Speed
- Earthquake

Set Comments

Moves

Shadow Force is Arceus-Ghost's most powerful STAB move, hitting anything that doesn't resist for solid damage on the second turn and boosting Neverending Nightmare to an amazing 190 BP. Neverending Nightmare is Arceus-Ghost's most powerful attack, allowing it to KO bulky Pokemon such as Zapdos or Ghost resistances such as offensive Yveltal at +2 Attack. Swords Dance boosts Arceus-Ghosts Attack, allowing it to deal heavy damage to the entire metagame, and Extreme Speed picks off weakened or frail threats such as Pheromosa while letting Arceus-Ghost chip Pokemon such as Genesect or Dragonite. Earthquake hits Primal Groudon while also dealing decent damage to most Normal-type Pokemon. Brick Break is an alternate option to hit Pokemon such as Blissey harder but has less overall use.

Set Details

252 Speed EVs and a Jolly Nature allow Arceus-Ghost to speed tie other Arceus forms as well as outpace many slower threats such as Lucarionite Tapu Lele Hoopa-U and Pinsirite Genesect. 252 Attack EVs maximize Arceus-Ghosts damage output and ensure it hits as hard as possible. 4 Defense EVs ensure that Genesect's Download boosts its Special Attack, decreasing the damage dealt by its Extreme Speed, and Ghostium-Z allows Arceus-Ghost to turn Shadow Force into a powerful Neverending Nightmare with which it can wallbreak.

Usage Tips

Be careful when using Neverending Nightmare, as it has only 1 pp and is required for Arceus-Ghost to take on walls such as Zapdos. While Arceus-Ghost is an excellent Pheromosa check, be cautious switching it in as it can be easily worn down by U-turn and entry hazards. Keep Arceus-Ghost from taking chip damage wherever possible, as while it is bulky it needs all the setup opportunities it can get. It is generally efficacious to save Arceus-Ghost for the late game so it can pull a clean sweep, but if you have other sweepers available do not hesitate to use Arceus-Ghost to break holes in the opponent's team. When feasible, remove Normal-type Pokemon before attempting to sweep, as they can block Neverending Nightmare and take advantage of Shadow Force's charge turn to cripple Arceus-Ghost.

Team Options

Mega Gengar is a great teammate for Arceus-Ghost, as it can trap and KO annoying Normal-type Pokemon such as Blissey. Attackers that appreciate Arceus-Ghost Pheromosa-checking abilities, such as Kartana and Manaphy, also enjoy having it as a partner; in return, they can wear down bulky walls. Fairy-type Pokemon like Xerneas and Tapu Lele are handy to take on bulky Dark-type Pokemon, especially Yveltal and Mandibuzz, that try to wall Arceus-Ghost. Status clearers and absorbers, such as Blissey and Manaphy, pair well with Arceus-Ghost to discourage and cure burns. Other physical attackers such as Dragonite are helpful to wear down shared checks and counters such as Mandibuzz.

Support Arceus
Arceus-Ghost @ Spooky Plate
Ability: Multitype
EVs: 248 HP / 244 Def / 16 Spe
Bold Nature
- Judgment
- Recover
- Will-O-Wisp / Toxic
- Defog / Focus Blast

Set Comments

Moves

Judgment is Arceus-Ghost's most powerful special STAB move, doing decent damage to most of the metagame. Recover restores Arceus-Ghost's HP, keeping it healthy throughout the match to check Pokemon such as Dragonite or Extreme Killer Arceus. Will-O-Wisp allows Arceus-Ghost to cripple physical attackers such as Garchomp and Lucario, preventing them from taking out Arceus with their powerful attacks. Toxic, meanwhile, puts foes on a timer and allows Arceus-Ghost to take on other support Arceus forms.Defog removes hazards from the field, allowing Arceus-Ghost's teammates to freely pivot and preserving Multiscale on Dragonite or Lugia, while Focus Blast allows Arceus-Ghost to hit the Normal-type Pokemon such as Extreme Killer Arceus that are immune to Judgment as well doing more damage to Steel- and Rock-type Pokemon.

Set Details

248 HP EVs alongside 244 Defense EVs and a Bold Nature improve Arceus-Ghosts defensive prowess, allowing it to wall most physical attackers; the HP also provides a status and entry hazards number. Physical Defense is used over Special Defense to better let Arceus-Ghost check common attackers such as Dragonite. 16 Speed EVs allow Arceus-Ghost to outspeed fully invested neutral nature base 90 Speed Pokemon, particularly Primal Groudon.

Usage Tips

In the early game, Arceus-Ghost should attempt to spread status as much as possible to wear down the opposing teams and hopefully cripple switch-ins before they Mega Evolve with Sablenite and obtain Magic Bounce. Use this Pokemon to aggressively switch and remove hazards, as it beats most setters and has difficulty switching in on the things it wants to check with them up. Once Arceus-Ghost's type is revealed, it acts as a deterrent for High Jump Kick throughout the game, so it may be advantageous not to bring it in and thus avoid losing momentum to U-turn. While Arceus-Ghost is weak to Dark-type attacks, access to Will-O-Wisp allows it to cripple most Pursuit trappers such as Alolan Muk, so it doesn't need to greatly fear them coming in. Judgment can OHKO some frail attackers, particularly Kartana and Pheromosa, so don't bother crippling them with Will-O-Wisp.

Team Options

Dark-type switch-ins such as Mandibuzz and Togekiss are handy to prevent them from knocking out Arceus-Ghost; Alolan Muk is particularly useful due to its ability to trap Hoopa-U with Pursuit. Status answers such as Blissey and Togekiss are helpful to increase Arceus-Ghost's longevity and punish Toxic spam. Ghost-type answers such as Alolan Muk and Blissey are handy to take on Pokemon such as Lunala and offensive Arceus-Ghost for this set, as they hit it for massive damage. Fighting-type Pokemon such as Terrakion and Keldeo pair well with Arceus-Ghost, as it struggles greatly with Blissey.

Strategy Comments

Other Options

Stealth Rock may be run over Defog on the support set should entry hazard removal be available elsewhere, but Stealth Rock setters are generally more common than defoggers. A Calm Mind set with Judgment and Recover can be used as a sweeper thanks to the excellent coverage granted by Ghost- and Fighting-type attacks, but it hits little super effectively. Ice Beam on the support set may be used to better check Dragonite, while Recover may be run on the offensive set to allow for more setup opportunities, but the loss of coverage or priority is a major downside. Spooky Plate on the Swords Dance set allows for another Z-Move on the team, but there are few other viable users and Arceus-Ghost greatly appreciates the extra power. Shadow Claw over Shadow Force is a niche option to prevent the foe from pivoting between immunities, but the loss of power is extremely noticeable in wallbreaking and Neverending Nightmare Stone Edge is an option on the Swords Dance set to hit Mandibuzz and Yveltal, but does not beat either without rocks or chip damage and is thus suboptimal.

Checks and Counters

Normal-type Pokemon: Normal-type Pokemon such as Arceus are immune to Shadow Force, Judgment, and Neverending Nightmare, restricting Arceus-Ghost to weaker coverage options. In particular, Shadow Force's charge turn allows them to either gain a free turn or switch in without needing prediction.

Dark-type Pokemon: Dark-type Pokemon such as Yveltal and Mandibuzz resist Arceus-Ghosts STAB moves, allowing them to switch in and use their powerful Dark-type STAB moves to KO Arceus-Ghost. Some of them can be taken out by a +2 Neverending Nightmare, however, so they must be careful.

Faster Attackers: Faster Pokemon not vulnerable to Extreme Speed such as Mega Gengar, Tapu Lele, and Kartana can move before Arceus-Ghost and take out weakened version before they can react. While they cannot switch in and chip damage is often required to KO, they cut short Arceus-Ghost's sweep with no counterplay bar switching.

Bulky Walls: Extremely bulky neutral walls such as Skarmory, Zapdos, and Hippowdon can live even +2 attacks and either phaze or status Arceus-Ghost. The defensive set often cannot touch them as well, and the common Sablenite will reflect its status. Should they not carry that or not have Mega Evolved, however, they must beware Toxic or Will-O-Wisp, and some will fall prey to the sheer power of offensive sets.

Status: Status cripples Arceus-Ghost, preventing it from doing its job. A burn on the offensive set prevents it from KOing any answers, while Toxic puts both sets on a timer and damages their effectiveness. Paralysis, meanwhile, ruins the excellent speed tier Arceus possesses and prevents it from reliably recovering off health.
Ready for GP
 
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QC [3/3] Grammar Ready GC (0/1)
Togekiss​
Overview:

Togekiss has a very diverse movepool, including diversity in both offensive and status moves, which in turn allow for both an impressive neutral coverage and a wide variety of support roles. It also a solid typing in Fairy / Flying, giving it an important immunity to Ground, a less important one to Dragon, and many resistances, including one to Fighting. In addition, it can become Fairy / Fire with a water immunity thanks to a Red Orb, turning it into a big stallbreaker with a resistance to Ice.
120 base Special Attack guarantees that Togekiss will not be extremely passive when attacking. 85/95/115 bulk pre-mega is enough to make sure Togekiss takes at least one hit, and most often two, allowing it to effectively be a supporter. Togekiss will always be weak to Rock types, meaning Archeops and Terrakion will always stop Togekiss, thanks to its 80 base speed. Electric types easily break Togekiss's natural Flying type, making Sablenite Togekiss a momentum sink against Tapu Koko and other fast Volt Switch users.


Sablenite Support

Togekiss @ Sablenite
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 248 HP/8 Def/252 SpDef
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
-Dazzling Gleam/Air Slash
-Roost
-Toxic/Thunder Wave
-Defog/Heal Bell


Move Details:

Dazzling Gleam is Toekiss's primary STAB move, hitting Dragon, Dark, and Fighting types super effectively from a base 140 Special Attack.. Air Slash is Togekiss's secondary STAB to compliment Thunder Wave, but it other wise not great compared to Dazzling Gleam. It is moderately powerful Flying attack, hitting Bug and Grass types for SE damage, while hitting Fire types neutrally. However, Dazzling Gleam is the better attack most of the time.
Recovery is also important here, and the best choice is Roost, healing half of Togekiss's health. Thunder Wave helps slow down offense such as Mimikyu, Cobalion, and Dragonite. Thunder Wave can be used well by the Air Slash flinch chance, or from moderately fast teammates. Toxic wears down bulkier threats that Togekiss cannot handle on its own.
Heal Bell is very nice support for the whole team, ridding them of their status, with Togekiss being one of the best users. Defog is an important support move, removing hazards when needed.

Set Details:

Togekiss's bulk is increased by 50 for both defenses, skyrocketing it to 85/145/165 upon Mega Evolving with Sablenite, leaving it free to use the great amount of support options it has to offer. The EVs are set up to maximize bulk on the special side of the spectrum, which lets it take on Support Arceus, Hoopa-Unbound, and Keldeo extremely well. Bold Nature with 252 Defense EVs is just as viable, however, letting it take on Dragonite, Garchomp, and physical Arceus (among other physical attackers) far better.

Usage Tips:
This set is best used reactively, being switched in on incoming Fighting, Ground, or Dragon moves, and using that opportunity to Mega Evolve. Then Togekiss should either poison or simply attack the opponent, depending on the situation. Togekiss is typically bulky enough to also take several attacks, especially the side that it's invested in. After Mega Evolving, you can also use this to freely switch in on incoming Toxics, punishing the user heavily.
Regardless of investment, Togekiss cannot handle Glalite users, so don't leave it in against them unless you have to. It also struggles against Electric types.

Team Options:

Heal Bell support is appreciated by a number of physical sweepers, including Gyarados, Terrakion and Weavile, who simply cannot function with any status.
Togekiss appreciates Electric resists, meaning Primal Groudon serves as a good partner. Primal Groudon also hates Toxic Spikes, along with other hazards. and benefits from having a bouncer that can also remove them.
Ground types such as Hippowdon, Gliscor, and Garchomp can take Rock and Electric attacks, and usually force out the attacker.
While anything weak to Stealth Rocks also shares a weakness to Togekiss, Weavile and other speedy sweepers like not having to deal with chip damage every time they come in. Pivots appreciate this quality of Togekiss especially, as they can fall back on Togekiss when needed, as well.
Steel types such as Magearna and Arceus-Steel provide Togekiss with an important Ice switch in, blunting the blows from threats such as Weavile and Kyruem. Excadrill in particular has a great type to deal with all of Togekiss's weaknesses, and can take them out with either an Iron Head or an Earthquake. However, do be wary that is not meant as a wall for Togekiss, as a wise prediction can severely hurt it.



Red Orb Support

Togekiss @ Red Orb
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 248 HP/8 Def/252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
Flamethrower
Morning Sun/Roost
Dazzling Gleam/Toxic
Heal Bell/Defog

Move Details:

Flamethrower is reliable STAB, and you should never leave home without it. Recovery depends on preference. Morning Sun heals more in Desolate Land, but Roost has more PP, and is more reliable in rain. While Dazzling Gleam can be used as another STAB source. the slot can also be filled with a status move, both of which benefit Togekiss greatly in hampering an opposing team.
Toxic is a good move to wear down bulky walls, especially Primal Groudon, who otherwise has little to fear from this set. Heal Bell restores the status of the whole team, which is incredibly valuable for keeping the team healthy. Defog removes pesky hazards from your side of the field. The status move in slot 2 can also be replaced by another support move, if needed.
The last 2 slots are fully open to a support move, including whatever you didn't use in slot 2. Thunder Wave can also be used in the third or fourth slot to slow down fast attackers that Togekiss and its teammates might struggle with otherwise.

Set Details:

Red Orb Togekiss can assume a more supportive role on a team, as 85/115/115 bulk, along with the unique Fire/Fairy typing, gives it opportunities where it otherwise wouldn't. Notably, it walls Golisopod without coverage, Manaphy, and Weavile, both of which are threats to many teams.
Togekiss also gains a newfound Fire typing, which, when coupled with Desolate Land, allows Togekiss to wall both Water and Ice types with ease, and removes a weakness to Electric, allowing Togekiss to support the team better against them.
EVs are made to maximize Special Defense, which is better for taking on opposing Red Orb users and Special Arceus, while still having enough natural bulk to shrug off Weavile.
A physically defensive variant can also be used, but cannot withstand powerful special attackers like Tapu Koko and Raikou anymore, in exchange for withstanding some-ate sweepers better.

Usage Tips:
Thanks to being Desolate Land Fire type, and having good defenses, Togekiss can shrug off weaker Ice and all Water attacks, both of which give Togekiss an opportunity to Nasty Plot, support the team, or heal, giving it the opportunity to inflict major damage to the opponent or to disrupt the opponent's efforts to inflict status on the team.
Like most Red Orb mons, be wary of anything that could be a Blue Orb that's switching in. Dazzling Gleam will dent a good chunk of the neutral ones, so that's often the go-to option.
If you find yourself going to 40% or lower, you should heal with Morning Sun or Roost to sustain Togekiss longer.
Togekiss is an ideal switch to Golisopod, Keldeo, and Manaphy alike thanks to the Red Orb, in addition to other Blue Orb threats like Primal Kyogre and any other Blue Orb Water types they might have. As such, you can use this as a Water type counter. Red Orb Togekiss also scares out Blue Orb Steel types such as Skarmory and Scizor, so use this to force them out.
Togekiss functions as more of a check than a counter to Blue Orb Water types, as they can simply switch back in and summon their rain. As such, Blue Orb users are best worn down by Dazzling Gleam, if Togekiss has it.

Team Options:
Hippowdon, Gliscor, and Garchomp remain very good choices to absorb Rock type attacks and retaliate against them. They also appreciate the shield from opposing Water types such as Manaphy, and the easy guard against Weavile.
Blue Orb Steel types such as Skarmory and Scizor help nullify Togekiss's weaknesses on the Fairy side, and can form a Red/Blue Orb core with Togekiss, allowing you to wall both kinds of weather users with ease, and potentially giving your team the upper hand.
Red Orb Togekiss likes having Giratina-Origin, among other Primal Groudon answers. Giratina can also Defog away Stealth Rocks that would otherwise hurt Togekiss significantly.
Both Zygarde and Dragonite appreciate the Weavile counter greatly, but beware that they share a Rock weakness with Togekiss, which can potentially cause issues.

Other Options:
Togekiss can also hold Salamancite, which compliments it rather well, allowing it to focus on either speedy or bulky offense with Nasty Plot/Hyper Voice/Dazzling Gleam/Roost, or can be used to support the team.
Nasty Plot is an option if you wish to go for a more offensive role with Togekiss. You should shift EVs from Special Defense into Special Attack and run Modest Nature if you decide to run Nasty Plot, particularly on a Red Orb set.
As a result, Togekiss becomes a very strong and bulky attacker.
Seismic Toss is consistent damage on a Sablenite set, which can be beneficial against certain threats such as Cresselia.
Aura Sphere, Shadow Ball, and Flamethrower can also be used on the Sablenite supporting set to remove a counter
from play, such as Heatran with Aura Sphere, Offensive Celesteela and other Fighting neutral Steels with Flamethrower, and Gengar with Shadow Ball.

While Roost is more reliable, Wish allows you to help a weakened member, giving it new life. Protect compliments Wish nicely, allowing for guaranteed healing.
Encore can be used on any support set to discourage sweepers from setting up in front of Togekiss.
Tailwind can help set up a sweep from a teammate, but requires either another attacking move or support move to be sacrificed, which is undesirable.



Checks and counters:
[Blue Orb users] Blue Orb Steel types such as Skarmory and Scizor do very well against all Togekiss variants, blocking Flamethrower, and then attacking Togekiss with their Steel attack of choice. Primal Kyogre can either force Togekiss to switch or get KOed with a combination of Calm Mind and Thunder. Red Orb variants are obviously forced out.

[Poison types] Poison types can easily switch in on Dazzling Gleam and Toxic, but need to be careful of Thunder Wave, Air Slash, and Flamethrower on the Red Orb variants.
Of these, Nihilego is the best at countering Togekiss, as even a +2 Flamethrower or Solar Beam from Red Orb variants merely dents it, while it 2HKOes at worst with Power Gem or Sludge Bomb.
Toxapex can poison Red Orb variants and stall them out with ease, but Sablenite variants need to be worn down.

[Primal Groudon] Primal Groudon does well against all variants, particularly if it knows Swords Dance, hitting all of them with Stone Edge, and having the option to use Ground moves on Red Orb variants.

[Steel types] Sablenite Togekiss has trouble against steel types, such as Excadrill and Metagross, who can switch in on Togekiss's STABs, and retaliate with a steel attack. They do fear Flamethrower, however.

[Heatran] Heatran serves as a hard counter to all Togekiss variants, taking little damage from everything besides Aura Sphere, outspeeding all three, and taking them down with Flash Cannon, and can deal heavy damage to Red Orb Togekiss with Earth Power, too.

[Rock types] All Togekiss variants are OHKOed by strong Rock attacks such as Terrakion and Archeops's Stone Edge, but some of them struggle switching in against Dazzling Gleam.

[Electric Types] Electric types such as Raikou and Tapu Koko have no problem forcing out Sablenite Togekiss, but struggle against Specially Defensive Red Orb variants. Raikou can get around this with Calm Mind, however.
Mix and Mega Togekiss is now ready for GP.
 
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[QC 3/3] Quantum Tesseract/InfernapeTropius11/nv [GP 1/1] Kris
DONE

ya boi
[OVERVIEW]

With access to Blue Orb, Mix and Mega fixes Golisopod's major issues and turns it into an extremely effective tank that can absorb physical hits while dealing major damage in return. With a new ability in the form of Primordial Sea, Golisopod can switch into Red Orb users such as Primal Groudon, Raikou, Togekiss, and Volcarona very easily. Golisopod's Bug / Water typing allows it to go up against many Psychic-, Dark-, and Fire-type Pokemon. In addition to that, it can learn a lot of priority moves, making it an extremely effective revenge killer. Golisopod can also recover its health with Leech Life, increasing its durability even further. Sadly, Golisopod's few faults are major enough to keep it from being extremely good, as it is weak to Flying-type moves, which allows Aerilate users like Dragonite, Zygarde, and Lucario to easily revenge kill Golisopod with Extreme Speed. On top of that, Golisopod is extremely slow outside of its priority moves, which forces it to almost always go last.



[Blue Orb Attacker]
Golisopod @ Blue Orb
Ability: Emergency Exit
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Def
Adamant Nature
- Aqua Jet
- Leech Life
- Liquidation
- Toxic / Swords Dance

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Aqua Jet is a STAB priority move that allows Golisopod to pick off weakened foes. It is also boosted by Primordial Sea, making it a really powerful priority move. Leech Life gives Golisopod a form of reliable recovery along with a powerful Bug-type STAB move that puts a dent in Dark- and Psychic-type Pokemon like Cresselia, Weavile, and Hoopa-U. Liquidation is the main Water-type STAB move, allowing Golisopod to hit Rock-, Ground-, and Fire-types like Primal Groudon, Arceus-Rock, Terrakion, Arcanine, and Archeops extremely hard under Primordial Sea. It's also the move that Golisopod uses the most due to the sheer power it has under Primordial Sea. Toxic can be used to cripple foes that who can take on Golisopod, such as Zapdos and Dragonite. Swords Dance turns Golisopod into a terrifying sweeper, as it can easily KO foes even with Aqua Jet due to the Attack increase.

Set Details
========

Blue Orb is used to give Golisopod a +50 Attack boost and Primordial Sea while getting rid of Emergency Exit. 252 Attack EVs with an Adamant nature maximize Golisopod's damage output. 248 HP EVs allow Golisopod to always survive certain attacks, such as Zapdos's Thunderbolt and many Aerilate Extreme Speeds.


Usage Tips
========

Golisopod should be saved until its checks and counters like Dragonite, Genesect, Zygarde, and Zapdos are gone, so it can safely come in and punch holes in the opposing team. It can also come in early to cripple the opponent's team with its powerful moves, allowing a sweeper like Dragonite or Zygarde to come in and win the match. Usually though, try to send in Golisopod when there is no Stealth Rock on your side, as it hinders Golisopod's ability to stay alive and try to keep Golisopod alive until opposing Primal Groudon are gone, as it is an excellent counter to Primal Groudon if there is heavy rain. It forces Primal Groudon to switch, which allows it to get a free Swords Dance in. It can also deal huge damage on to the incoming Pokemon with Liquidation if it doesn't resist the move. It can also can take on Cresselia thanks to Primordial Sea and its Bug typing. Cresselia can't restore its health as much in the rain, allowing Golisopod to keep attacking it with Leech Life until it can KO.


Team Options
========

Together with Primal Groudon, Golisopod forms an incredible core that allows safe switch ins while having double weather to halt momentum. Primal Groudon can check Genesect and halt the momentum of Electric-types like Zapdos and Tapu Koko, while Golisopod can clean more efficiently with Stealth Rock support. In addition, Golisopod can check other Ground-types such as opposing Primal Groudon, Hippodown, and Arceus-Ground for Primal Groudon to come in safely. Entry hazard removers like Skarmory, Zapdos, and Arceus are also appreciated, since Golisopod can come out safely and stay healthy longer. Pokemon like Zapdos, Pheromosa, and Tapu Koko can also bring in Golisopod safely with their pivot moves, allowing it to force the foe to switch out to use Swords Dance or to get some recovery with Leech Life. Weavile can check Aerilate users that would otherwise threaten Golisopod like Genesect, Dragonite, Zygarde, Lucario, and Archeops. Golisopod can check physical walls like Skarmory and Cresselia in return. Other Aerilate checks such as Arceus-Water, Arceus-Ground, and Zapdos allow Golisopod to come out safely once the Aerilate users are gone.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

First Impression is a good STAB priority move that allows Golisopod to outprioritize and deal massive damage to Dark- and Psychic-types. However, it can only be used the first turn that Golisopod is on the field, making it situational, and either Toxic or Swords Dance should be considered first. Bulk Up can also be used to increase Golisopod's Defense along with its Attack. Although this sounds nice in theory, Golisopod would rather appreciate the Attack boost more, since often it won't be able to stick around. Golisopod can also run Ice Beam with a Brave Nature hit Aerilate users like Dragonite and Zygarde super effectively; however it lacks the Special Attack to utilize this effectively. Lastly, Sucker Punch is another alternative priority move, which allows Golisopod to strike first. It still cannot beat other Extreme Speed users, however, and is generally very underwhelming.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Aerilate Pokemon:** Aerilate users such as Genesect, Dragonite, Salamence, Gyarados, and Zygarde can melt through Golisopod's high Defense with Aerilate Extreme Speed and Return, while Golisopod can't do much in return without getting KOed. In addition to that, almost all Aerilate users can switch into Golisopod and safely set up on it, making them extremely dangerous.

**Red Orb Users:** Pokemon like Primal Groudon, Raikou, Volcarona, and Togekiss can block out Primordial Sea, forcing Golisopod to either use Bug-type moves or switch out. Golisopod can try to use Toxic to wear them down, but if it isn't running Toxic, there's not much else it can do.

**Bulky Water-types:** Pokemon like Toxapex, Primal Kyogre, Arceus-Water, and Gyarados can all live a few hits from Golisopod and either OHKO it or cripple it with Toxic. Toxapex is especially an annoying counter because it is immune to Toxic, can remove Swords Dance boosts with Haze, and can either poison it or burn it with Scald.

**Stealth Rock:** Stealth Rock hinders Golisopod's overall ability to live, as it doesn't allow Golisopod to come in freely and revenge kill something.

**Electric-types:** Electric-type Pokemon like Zapdos, Tapu Koko, and Raikou can check Golisopod efficiently. Zapdos can survive a Liquidation and Aqua Jet from Golisopod and 2HKO it in return, Tapu Koko can OHKO Golisopod with Thunderbolt, and Raikou can act as a soft check with Desolate Land.

**Physically Defensive Water-resistant Pokemon:** Pokemon that resist Golisopod's Water-type moves like Kartana and Zygarde-C can set up in front of Golisopod can sweep from there while Golisopod can only try to put a dent on them before getting KOed.

Kris Mix and Mega Golisopod is ready for upload.
 

dhelmise

everything is embarrassing
is a Site Content Manageris a Battle Simulator Administratoris a Top Social Media Contributoris a Community Leaderis a Programmeris a Community Contributoris a Top Contributoris a Top Smogon Media Contributoris a Top Dedicated Tournament Hostis a Smogon Discord Contributor Alumnus
Social Media Head
This may not be the place for this, but there's not actually any way to get to the OM analyses from the OM hub as you can see in this screenshot. The "analyses" button appears on the actual analyses themselves, but not on the main page. Also, how do you get to any of the hubs from the front page?
The main page issue is out of my hands, but ill fix the other thing in a little bit.
 
Stealing Tapu Fini
E: Writing [QC 2/2] [GP 0/1]
Overview

Tapu Fini's excellent Water / Fairy typing lets it take on common metagame picks like Keldeo, Hydregion, and Weavile. Its good defensive stats let it take most neutral hits and wall multiple Pokemon per match, and a solid support movepool which includes Nature's Madness and Taunt allows it to function in multiple roles. However, Tapu Fini's lack of recovery forces it to use abilities such as Poison Heal to restore health, and its low offenses allow setup sweepers such as Snorlax to take advantage of the defensive set. It also faces competition from other bulky Water-type Pokemon such as Manaphy and Suicune, which makes it reliant on its Fairy typing and movepool to stand out.

Defensive Poison Heal
Tapu Fini @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Protect
- Nature's Madness / Moonblast / Taunt
- Defog / Haze / Whirlpool

Set Comments

Moves

Scald is a reliable Water STAB move with a 30% burn chance, dissuading physical attackers such as Kartana and allowing Tapu Fini to fish for chip damage, while Protect lets Tapu Fini recover HP with Poison Heal safely and scout for dangerous moves. Nature's Madness removes 50% of the foe's health, allowing Tapu Fini to deal heavy damage to any switch-in. Moonblast is a secondary STAB option to hit Pokemon that resist Water-type attacks such as Dragonite and Mega Gyarados; Taunt is another option that prevents status moves, allowing Tapu Fini to block entry hazards more directly and prevents Pokemon such as Snorlax from setting up on it. Defog clears entry hazards for the team and allows Tapu Fini to switch without being crippled by passive damage. Haze clears stats boosts even through Magic Bounce and Substitute, allowing Tapu Fini to check setup sweepers such as Suicune and Gyarados. Whirlpool traps foes and allows Tapu Fini to wear them down with Nature's Madness, Scald burns, and Whirlpool's own passive damage.

Set Details

Maximum investment in HP and Defense makes Tapu Fini as bulky as possible and allows it to take on physical attackers such as Terrakion and Victini. Toxic Orb is the chosen item to badly poison Tapu Fini and thus activate Poison Heal, which restores 12.5% of Tapu Fini's health every turn while poisoned, makes up for its lacking recovery, and allows Tapu Fini to function as a status absorber.

Usage Tips

In the early game, pivot Tapu Fini into things that it walls to gain momentum, and then fire off a Scald or Nature's Madness to cripple the switch-in; because Poison Heal is passive, Tapu Fini doesn't have to waste turns recovering off damage. Protect is a great way to help Tapu Fini regain HP and scout the foe's moves, particularly vs choiced threats, but be wary of the foe using the free turn to switch, set up, or set entry hazards. Avoid switching Tapu Fini directly into support Pokemon like RegenVest Manaphy or Toxapex until after its Toxic Orb activates, as Knock Off and status will cripple it for the entire match. When possible, keep entry hazards off the field when possible, as Poison Heal recovery is slow; switch Tapu Fini into entry hazard setters that it beats such as Skarmory so it can Defog directly. Haze has very high PP, so use it freely on setup sweepers even if they only have a single boost.

Team Options

As Tapu Fini is reliant on its Toxic Orb to function, slow pivots such as Magearna and Meloetta are handy to bring it in to activate it safely. Electric-type walls such as Volt Absorb Toxapex, Ferrothorn, and Landorus-T are useful to prevent threats such as Thundurus from overly taking advantage of Tapu Fini. Steel-type Pokemon such as Skarmory and Doublade also pair well with Tapu Fini; they cover its troublesome weaknesses to Poison- and Grass-type attacks from Pokemon such as Kartana, while Tapu Fini can take on Fire- and Fighting-type Pokemon such as Keldeo and Entei in return. Hazard-weak Pokemon such as Kyurem-B and Alolan Marowak appreciate Tapu Fini removing Stealth Rocks with Defog. Tapu Fini is one of the best answers to Mega Gyarados on stall, so Pokemon such as Chansey that Gyarados enjoys setting up on appreciate Tapu Fini's support.


Stallbreaker Poison Heal
Tapu Fini @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
EVs: 252 HP / 200 Def / 52 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Taunt
- Scald
- Moonblast / Nature's Madness
- Calm Mind / Whirlpool

Set Comments

Moves

Taunt prevents the foe from using Status moves, allowing Tapu Fini to avoid phazing, hazing, prevent recovery, block ability change and prevent hazards from going up. Scald is a reliable Water STAB move with a 30% burn chance, which allows Tapu Fini to better take on physical attackers such as Mega Metagross that can ignore the boosts to Special Defense. Moonblast is a secondary STAB move with extra power and good coverage against Dragon-type Pokemon such as Hydregion, but is less spammable thanks to its lack of burn chance. Nature's Madness removes 50% of the foe's health, allowing Tapu Fini wear down even bulky walls such as Chansey and hit switch-ins such as Desolate Land Heatran hard. Calm Mind boosts Tapu Fini's Special Attack and Special Defense, allowing it to deal solid damage with Scald and Moonblast to most targets and potentially sweep. Whirlpool is another option to trap foes and KO them with Nature's Madness; it also deals solid damage every turn to aid in stalling out recovery.

Set Details

52 Speed EVs allow Tapu Fino to outspeed max Speed Victini at -1, as well as everything slower such as Suicune and Skarmory; 128 Speed EVs can be run to outrun uninvested base 100 Speed Pokemon such as Mew, but comes at the cost of significant bulk. The other EVs are placed in HP and Defense, alongside a Bold nature, to allow Tapu Fini to better take on physical attackers since it cannot boost that stat. Toxic Orb + Poison Heal restores 12.5% of Tapu Fini's health every turn, allowing it to stay healthy throughout the match, and preventing it from being statused.

Usage Tips

Use Scald liberally in the early game to spread burns to switch-ins such as Xurkitree and Suicune. Switch in on passive Pokemon that Tapu Fini defeats such as Toxapex and Skarmory and proceeed to pressure the foe's team, and if you suspect the foe of having a phazing move use Taunt to keep your boosts. When possible, Calm Mind on something Tapu Fini forces out such as Buzzwole, as Tapu Fini needs to be near full hp to defeat foes such as Hoopa-U. Despite its primary function, Whirlpool set does not always need to trap; if the foe has a super effective Pokemon such as Thundurus on their team, it is often beneficial to use Nature's Madness to weaken it and then defeat it the second time it comes in. Tapu Fini defeats most other Poison Heal Pokemon, particularly Suicune and Zygarde, and thus can be used to heavily pressure teams that rely on them.

Team Options

Fast offensive Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Genesect and Mega Alakazam appreciate Tapu Fini's ability to take on walls such as Toxapex and Chansey for them, while Wallbreakers such as Hoopa-U and Mamoswine pair well with Tapu Fini, as they break down holes and cause switches for Tapu Fini to take advantage of. Pokemon that can remove Desolate Land Fire-types like Heatran and Chandelure, particularly Dugtrio and Tyranitar, are useful to allow Tapu Fini to cleanly sweep, while pivots such as Magearna, Genesect, and Tapu Koko can bring Tapu Fini in on things it beats.

Strategy Comments

Other Options


A Regenerator set is usable to also give Tapu Fini more active recovery and free a moveslot from protect, but it has to switch out frequently and cannot absorb status. A more offensive spread on the Calm Mind stallbreaker lets Tapu Fini beat some unaware Pokemon and sweep with fewer required boosts, and greater speed investment may be run on both sets to outpace Pokemon such as Suicune or Bisharp should the team require it; however, the loss of bulk is highly noticeable. Toxic on the stallbreaker set allows it to cripple Regenerator Pokemon that can pivot out of Whirlpool such as Meloetta but cannot effect Magearna and takes away Tapu Fini's best way to deal damage.

Checks and Counters

Electric-types: Electric-type Pokemon such as Xurkitree and Thundurus hit Tapu Fini super effectively and deal heavy damage. While they cannot switch in regularly, they force out Tapu Fini and can deal heavy damage to its teammates.

Grass-types: Grass-type Pokemon resist Scald and can hit back with super effective Grass-type attacks or cripple Tapu Fini with Leech Seed. Ferrothorn and Amoongus, in particular, are annoying, as they can also easily take Moonblasts and annoy Tapu Fini with entry hazards or remove its boosts with Clear Smog.

Wallbreakers: Powerful wallbreakers such as Tinted Lens Hoopa-U, Kartana, and Choice Band Kyurem-B can defeat even Tapu Fini. Tapu Fini can deal heavy damage to them should they attempt to hard switch in, but they force it out and remove boosts it has accumulated.

Taunt-immune phazing: Any phazing that bypasses Taunt, such as Clear Smog or Magic Bounce Roar can remove the boosts of the Poison Heal set. Amoongus and Magic Bounce Suicune, are particularly annoying, as they resist Tapu Fini's attacks.

Chip Damage: Poison Heal recovery is rather slow, so chip damage from weak attacks or entry hazards makes it much harder for Tapu Fini to do its job. Constant damage such as Leech Seed or a burn on the switch-in, in particular, negate Tapu Fini's recovery entirely and prevent it from recovering off any damage from the attacks it takes.
AAA Tapu Fini is ready for GP
 
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OM

It's a starstruck world
is a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnus
Intense Weavile analysis is intense asf


QC: 3/3 GP: 0 / 1

Last QC Implemented, currently in copyediting phase

Taking out of hide tags for quoting purposes

Overview

Weavile has the niche of being the best Ice-type Pokemon in the metagame. Being a powerful physical attacker, Weavile can outspeed most of the metagame after mega evolution and thanks to Refrigerate and its ability to learn Fake Out and Feint, Weavile has the great ability to out-prioritize many Pokemon, such as Extreme Speed Dragonite and Zygarde. Not only that, but Weavile also has good offensive typing, hitting most of the metagame for neutral damage.This and its state as a powerful physical attacker, it can force many switch-ins when out on the field. However, as the definition of a glass cannon, Weavile doesn't have many switch-in opportunities, on account of being both extremely frail and weak to entry hazards such as stealth rock. Weavile tends to be held back by its poor learnset, however since Ice is such an anti-meta type due to little preparation for it, it sometimes doesn't matter.

Glalitite Weavile
Weavile @ Glalitite
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 Attack / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Fake out
- Feint
- Return
- Low Kick / Throat Chop


Set Comments:

Moves:

Fake Out is a key move for Weavile, allowing it to deal free damage on opponents, as well as breaking Mimikyu's disguise + Dragonite's Multiscale. It also allows it to revenge kill boosted sweepers such as Dragonite and Zygarde. Another great move for Weavile, Feint allows Weavile to beat out slower Pokemon using extreme speed, as well as out-prioritizing most other moves. With a refrigerate boost, Weavile's Return is a huge threat to any Pokemon that doesn't resist it. It's your basic high powered STAB move of choice on this set. Another good move that can be used on Weavile is Low Kick since it provides good coverage and knocks down bulky steel types that resist your refrigerated moves such as Arceus-Steel, Kartana and Dialga, as well as opposing Weavile. + Arceus-Rock. Finally, Throat Chop is the best Dark STAB move for Weavile.

Set Details:

Glalitite is really the only item you want to use on Weavile in Mix and Mega. Giving +40 attack, +20 Speed and Refrigerate, it transforms Weavile into a monstrously powerful revenge killer. Going back to Refrigerate, the ability turns all of Weavile's Normal-type moves Ice-type and gives it a 1.2x multiplier. This allows Weavile to spam a high powered Ice type return, as well as having STAB priority in Fake Out + Feint. 252 attack EVs allow Weavile to hit as hard as possible, while 252 Speed EVs coupled with a Jolly nature allows Weavile to hit 427 speed, outspeeding key threats such as Metagrossite Mimikyu, Pinsirite / Salamencite Dragonite and Absolite Tapu Lele.

Usage Tips:

Due to Weavile's extremely frail state and inability to usually switch-in safely, it's best pivoted in and used as a revenge killer when Pokemon are weakened. Going off of this, Weavile's high speed and access to high priority moves allow it to revenge kill threats such as Dragonite, Zygarde and Hoopa-Unbound. However, since Weavile is unable to switch-in freely, it's best to use slow pivots such as Zapdos and Scizor to get it in safely.
Make sure that Entry hazards, especially Stealth Rock are off the field. Having them on the field limit Weavile's switch-in opportunities to a maximum of 4.Finally, since you want to mega evolve as fast as possible with Weavile, use Fake Out to get a safe mega evolution turn.

Team Options:
Red Orb users such as Primal-Groudon, Raikou and Togekiss make for good partners to Weavilefor their ability to check bulky steel and water types such as Arceus-Steel, Suicune and Manaphy. Primal Groudon is recommended because it also does the key job of setting Stealth Rock, allowing Weavile to revenge kill. On the other hand, hazard removers, specifically Arceus-Ground are great team members for Weavile as they get rid of the dreaded Stealth Rock. Arceus-Ground is reccomended specifically for it's ability to handle most steel types.Another good team member for Weavile is Venusaurite Zapdos, being able to stall out most of its weaknesses. It also works as a good slow pivot for Weavile, using Volt Switch to get Weavile in. Other slow pivots such as Scizor are also good teammates for Weavile, weakening the opponent's Pokemon, then allowing Weavile to come in safely off of the U-turn / Volt Switch. A faster pivot, Tapu Koko makes for a great partner to Weavile because of its ability to safely check water types such as Suicune or Manaphy, and using Volt Switch to get out quickly. Finally, Pokemon such as Golisopod are good team members because they appreciate Weavile's Revenge killing skills, and ability to take down Pokemon like Dragonite and Zygarde.

Strategy Comments:

Other Options:

Swords Dance can be used to boost Weavile's attack to even higher stages, but it misses out on the coverage Throat Chop / Low Kick gives it. Pursuit could be used instead to allow Weavile to trap Pokemon and net a KO / get free damage off. Double Edge could also be used over Return, however, it's recoil means that Weavile's survivability goes down even further. Finally, Knock off is a possible option for Weavile to take off Uber tiered Pokemon's items. However, it's extremely unreliable, and much weaker since Mega stones don't activate the 1.5x multiplier.

Checks and Counters:
**Steel-Type Pokemon:** Steel Type Pokemon such as Celesteela, Arceus-Steel and Magearna are good pokemon to deal with Weavile since not only do they take minimal damage from its STAB attacks, they threaten to KO back with their STAB moves. However, they must be weary of Low Kick. Additionally, Celesteela doesn't usually worry about Low Kick, resists Ice Type move with Venusaurite and threatens to KO with Heavy Slam / Flash Cannon.
**Water Type Pokemon:** Water Type Pokemon such as Manaphy, Suicune or Arceus-Water resist Weavile's attacks, allowing them to stall it out.
**Fire Type Pokemon:** Fire Type Pokemon not only resist and easily KO Weavile with their STAB moves, they're a prominent force in the metagame because of the Red Orb. Examples are Red Orb Togekiss and Red Orb Raikou.
**Bulky Venusaurite Users:** Any Pokemon that uses Venusaurite can usually take on and KO Weavile since Ice type moves are its main way of dealing damage. (I.e. Zapdos and Celesteela)
**Faster Pokemon:** Pokemon such as Pherosoma, +1 Dragonite, Choice Scarf Xerneas and Kartana can take advantage of Weavile's frailty and OHKO easily with most moves.
**Bulky Pokemon:** Anything that can really live one of Weavile's hits and attack back can usually deal with it. Pokemon such as Arceus and Tyranitar can take a return / Throat Chop / Low Kick from Weavile and threaten to KO back with Extreme Speed / Stone Edge, respectively.
**Stealth Rock:** Again, since Weavile is weak to rock type moves, Stealth Rock shortens it's lifespan by quite a lot, limiting Weavile to a maximum of four switch-in opportunities. Not only that, but most Pokemon that set Stealth Rock can easily beat Weavile. (i.e Arceus-Rock, Tyranitar)
Mix and Mega Weavile Analysis is ready for GP.
 
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May I take Mega Charizard Y?
E: QC [3/3] Written GP [0/1]
Overview

An excellent ability in Drought powers up Fire-type attacks and turns Mega Charizard Y into a powerful attacker while allowing it to take on many Water-type Pokemon and alongside a sky-high Special Attack allows it to deal with many common walls as well as OHKO almost all offensive threats. A decent Fire / Flying typing grants it resistances to common types such as Fairy and Steel, while an excellent co mega-evolution in Mega Charizard X makes it highly unpredictable - particularly at team preview - as Rock-type Pokemon are the only reliable answers to both. Its solid movepool, which includes high-powered attacks that take advantage of its ability such as Blast Burn, Flamethrower, and Solar Beam, allows Mega Charizard to hit most Pokemon for heavy damage. However, its only decent Speed stat allows many fast threats and all Choice Scarf users to outspeed it, while a low Defense stat stops it from reliably getting off hits versus faster Pokemon. Its weaknesses to Electric and Rock allow Pokemon such as Tapu Koko and Crustle to take it out, further decreasing its ease of use.

Sun Attacker
Charizard @ Charizardite Y
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Blast Burn
- Solar Beam
- Ancient Power / Will-o-Wisp
- Air Slash / Flamethrower

Set Comments

Moves

Blast Burn is Charizard's most powerful Fire-type attack, allowing it to take out most Pokemon in a single move, but stops Charizard from moving should it fail to KO. Solar Beam, meanwhile, is a powerful coverage attack that hits the Rock- and Water-types such as Mega Gyarados that resist Fire-type attacks. Ancient Power hits opposing Fire-type Pokemon, particularly other Mega Charizards, for solid damage, and allows Mega Charizard Y to potentially take them on. Will-O-Wisp cripples physical attackers and does damage every turn, allowing Mega Charizard to break Sturdy and avoid low KO chances. Air Slash allows Charizard to fish for flinches in the hopes of beating Pokemon such as Crustle and Golem, while Flamethrower is a secondary Fire-type attack that lets Mega Charizard Y wear down bulky foes such as Umbreon into Blast Burn KO range and to reliably break Substitutes.

Set Details

252 Speed EVs and a Timid nature maximize Charizard's Speed and allow it to outspeed top Pokemon such as Kyurem-B, Tapu Lele, and Mimikyu, while 252 Special Attack EVs increase Charizard's damage output and allow it to hit as hard as possible. Modest is another option to increase Mega Charizard's power, but making the most of its Speed tier is generally more advantageous. Drought summons harsh sunshine, which boosts Mega Charizard Y's Fire-type attacks and weakens Water-type attacks from Pokemon such as Greninja.

Usage Tips

Pick Mega Charizard Y when you predict your opponent to send out slower offensive Pokemon such as Tapu Lele or Magearna. Unless the coverage also hits super effectively, Fire-type attacks are generally more powerful even versus resistances such as Gyarados so ensure you have a good reason to use those moves. Avoid clicking Blast Burn freely, as Substitute users such as Whimsicott or Pokemon with surprise bulk investment can take advantage of the free turn provided.

Team Options

Pokemon that can take on Chansey, such as Swords Dance Kartana and Psyshock Tapu Lele, are handy to take that on and prevent it from being safely chosen to wall Mega Charizard Y. As Mega Charizard has a mediocre Speed Tier, fast Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Garchomp and Mega Metagross are handy to take on threats like Mega Pinsir and Choice Scarf Kyurem-B. Mega Gyarados is a good partner as it takes on Pokemon such as Kyurem-B, Golem, and Crustle; in return, Charizard handles the likes of Mega Venusaur and Mega Sableye. Electric answers such as Donphan, Golem, and Garchomp are useful to take on Pokemon such as Magnezone and Tapu Koko that will otherwise OHKO Charizard.

Strategy Comments

Other Options


Bulkier spreads can be used to live specific attacks such as Kyurem-B's Outrage but come at the cost of power or outspeeding top picks such as Tapu Lele. Such spreads may also run Counter to take out the faster attackers it now survives, but faster Pokemon usually lack the bulk to survive Mega Charizard's attacks. Roost allows Mega Charizard to recover off of weaker attacks, particularly alongside Will-O-Wisp. Focus Blast is a secondary option to allow Mega Charizard Y to hit Heatran, but is otherwise inferior to the above options. Overheat is another option that has similar power to Blast Burn but lacks the immobile turn; however, the decrease in Special Attack means that Mega Charizard Y often still will not be able to KO Pokemon that survive. Dragon Pulse hits Dragon-type Pokemon such as Mega Charizard X and Garchomp hard and prevents them from walling Mega Charizard Y.Substitute may be used to avoid status moves such as Toxic and Leech Seed, but Charizard's already mediocre bulk is greatly harmed should they be able to break it.

Checks and Counters

Rock Type Pokemon: Rock type attacks hit Mega Charizard Y 4x super effectively, allowing even weaker users to take it out. To make matters worse, users can often live a hit to KO in return like Golem or Crustle. Nihilego, in particular, is annoying, as it easily outspeeds and OHKOes both Mega Charizard X and Mega Charizard Y and thus doesn't risk a 50-50 at team preview.

Faster Pokemon: Charizard's Speed tier is merely decent, allowing many fast Pokemon such as Tapu Koko and Mega Pinsir, as well as nearly every scarfer, to outspeed it; this can allow them to get off a hit and potentially KO Mega Charizard Y without needing to take a powerful sun-boosted Fire-type attack.

Super Effective attackers: Pokemon with Rock-type attacks can take out Mega Charizard Y, as it's 4x weakness means that the attack doesn't even need to be STAB. Electric moves need to be slightly stronger, but Mega Charizard Y isn't particularly able to survive them either. Pokemon that can survive to get off an attack such as Magenzone don't even have to outspeed Mega Charizard Y in order to KO it.

Fire-resistant Pokemon: Pokemon that can take Mega Charizard Y's main STAB move, such as Dragonite, Mega Charizard X, and Heatran, greatly decrease its effectiveness, as Mega Charizard's coverage options are significantly weaker and easier to wall.

Chansey: Thanks to its excellent special bulk, Chansey fears none of Mega Charizard Y's attacks and easily walls it while wearing it down with Toxic and Seismic Toss.
1v1 Charizard is ready for GP
 
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