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-
Sturdy
- OHKO moves will fail.
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Magnet Pull
- Prevents Steel-type Pokémon from switching. Increases the chance of encountering a Steel-type Pokémon in the wild.
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Level 100 Statistics (see level 5, 50, 100)
|
Min- |
Min |
Max |
Max+ |
| HP |
70
|
- |
281 |
344 |
- |
| Atk |
70
|
158 |
176 |
239 |
262 |
| Def |
115
|
239 |
266 |
329 |
361 |
| SpA |
130
|
266 |
296 |
359 |
394 |
| SpD |
90
|
194 |
216 |
279 |
306 |
| Spe |
60
|
140 |
156 |
219 |
240 |
Overview
Magnezone's main niche in Ubers is its Steel-type trapping ability. Much like in OU, there are many Dragon-type sweepers in Ubers who appreciate the removal of Steel-types who impede their sweeps, and the fact that far fewer Steel-types in Ubers carry Ground-type attacks coupled with the fact that the use of Shed Shell is all but nonexistent, Magnezone can often open up massive holes in your opponent's team. Also, its unique defensive typing grants it resistances to many popular attacking types in Ubers, including Dragon-, Steel-, Bug-, Ghost-, and Dark-types, as well as the famous BoltBeam combination. Magnezone isn't without its weak points, however. It is very slow without a Choice Scarf and it is weak to the common Fire-, Ground-, and Fighting attacks that a lot of Ubers sweepers tend to carry. It also does not have any recovery outside of Rest to help it stand up to repeated hits. However, while Magnezone may sometimes be overlooked in the Ubers environment, it is certainly not to be underestimated.
Magnezone may seem like an odd choice for a slot on an Ubers team, but in reality that is not so. Magnezone has very good and numerous resistances to Dragon-, Dark-, Ghost-, Ice-, Electric-, and Normal-type attacks, making it very easy to switch in. Furthermore, Magnezone's base 130 Special Attack stat means that it can hit as hard as, if not harder than, the monstrous attackers in Ubers play. It also has a unique role in the ability to trap Steel-types, making it a very good check to Scizor, Forretress, Bronzong, and Metagross. Choice Specs tops it all off, bringing Magnezone's Special Attack stat all the way up to 591, making it a great hole-puncher and Steel trapper.
Magnezone's Thunder is extremely powerful and will likely OHKO or 2HKO any Pokémon who does not resist it. For example, Palkia, Mewtwo, Lugia, and specially defensive Forretress are all always OHKOed after SR damage. Because of Thunder's low accuracy, however, it is strongly recommended to have Kyogre on your team to boost Thunder's accuracy to 100%, making attacking much easier. Hidden Power Ice always OHKOes Garchomp and Rayquaza as well as dishing out well over 50% damage to Max HP Groudon. Thunderbolt is an alternate attack just in case weather conditions are not favorable for usage of Thunder, such as in sunlight. Explosion allows Magnezone to pick off Blissey and Latias, but an OHKO is not guaranteed without a little prior damage. Flash Cannon is an alternative move to use over Explosion, but its only real use is to deal heavy damage to Tyranitar.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
Max Special Attack is needed to do as much damage as possible with this set. 48 Speed EVs allows Magnezone to outrun most Scizor; that way it can fry the Steel Bug with Thunder before it can escape with U-turn or KO Magnezone with Superpower. The rest of the EVs go into HP for some nice bulk. Mild is the recommended nature if you're using Explosion, but if not, Modest is the preferred nature so as to not needlessly lower Magnezone's defenses.
Groudon and Garchomp are both immune to Thunder, Magnezone's main attack, and can either OHKO it with Earthquake or set up for a sweep (both of them need to watch out for Hidden Power Ice, however). A defensive Kyogre is capable of handling Garchomp and Groudon with ease, as Kyogre can take most of their attacks and can OHKO back with Surf. Rest + Sleep Talk Kyogre with Calm Mind can also use Blissey (who walls this Magnezone) as mere setup fodder, as well as countering Darkrai and most Mewtwo quite effectively. Kyogre also provides valuable rain support, which aids Magnezone greatly by making its Thunder 100% accurate. Latias can also switch in on Ground-type attacks from Garchomp and Groudon with ease, and is capable of OHKOing both with Dragon Pulse and Grass Knot respectively. Latias also counters most Palkia sets quite decently, and benefits from Magnezone removing enemy Steel-types. Choice Scarf Garchomp also benefits from the absence of Steel-types, and is capable of checking Palkia, Darkrai, Mewtwo, Latias, and opposing Garchomp thanks to its powerful STAB Dragon-type moves. Wobbuffet can't really be countered; however, using mixed attackers or status moves, such as Toxic, are helpful and weakening it to the point where it can no longer handle Magnezone.
Magnezone's good defenses and impressive slew of resistances allow it to become quite a good user of Reflect and Light Screen. Although this set may seem to be outclassed by Bronzong, who has Levitate and better overall defenses, Magnezone has resistances to Ghost-, Dark-, and Electric-type attacks, giving it additional opportunities to come in and set up. Magnezone also packs an all-important ability to trap Steel-types, allowing Magnezone to do much more team supporting for your sweepers than just setting up dual screens.
Reflect and Light Screen are on the set for obvious reasons; the 8-turn boost to defenses can really aid your sweepers in doing their jobs. Thunder is a very strong STAB move that does significant damage to anything that does not resist it, notably OHKOing Skarmory and 2HKOing Forretress and Scizor after Stealth Rock damage. Hidden Power Fire is the preferred option in the fourth moveslot to allow Magnezone to KO Steel-types in the sunlight (Since it lowers Thunder's accuracy to 50%), but Explosion is another option to instantly remove a problem Pokemon and get in one of your sweepers in for free. If you don't have a need for Explosion, Thunderbolt can provide a reliable way of finishing off weakened Steel-type Pokemon. It can also be used over Thunder if your team does not have rain support, but the power drop is noticeable.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
The EVs are very straightforward. 48 Speed EVs allow Magnezone always to outrun 8 Speed Scizor, allowing it to deliver a fatal Thunder or Hidden Power Fire before the metal bug U-turns out to safety or uses Superpower in an attempt to KO Magnezone. Maximum HP is required so that Magnezone can take hits more easily while setting up. The remaining EVs go into Special Attack, backed with a Modest nature to give Magnezone enough power to kill enemy Steel-types.
Magnezone focuses on assisting the team more than sweeping, so the best teammates for this set are sweepers than can abuse the dual screens and the removal of the foe's Steel-type Pokemon. The best choices by far for this role are offensive Dragon-types, as they can usually come in on most, if not all, of Magnezone's weaknesses, and can just spam their STAB moves with no repercussions thanks to the lack of Steel-type Pokemon on the enemy's side of the field. Rayquaza, Salamence, Latios, Latias, and Giratina-O are the best choices, since they resist all of Magnezone's weaknesses and have enough power and bulk to easily set up under the protection of the Reflect and Light Screen, which will often spell death for your opponent.
This very similar to the Choice Specs set, but instead Magnezone attempts to beat a few of its counters with Magnet Rise. By using Magnet Rise, Magnezone gains an immunity to Ground-type attacks for five turns. When Groudon or Garchomp, two of Magnezone's biggest counters, switch in on Magnet Rise, they will often be unable to touch Magnezone, allowing it to OHKO and 2HKO Garchomp and Groudon respectively with Hidden Power Ice. Thunder is once again present as a powerful attack to hurt anything that does not resist it. Explosion is still an option to cripple Blissey, Latias, and Wobbuffet switch-ins. Substitute can be used over Explosion to ease prediction, guard against status, and to possibly get a free hit on an incoming switch-in to Magnezone. Toxic is also useful as it hinders Latias and Giratina-O as they attempt to set up as well as crippling Lugia and defensive Groudon.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
There are three possible items for this set. Life Orb grants Magnezone the most power for its attacks, but the recoil detracts from its ability to switch in, especially if Substitute is being used. Magnet still gives a nice boost to Thunder, and helps keep Magnezone's health intact while possibly letting Magnezone bluff a Choice item. Expert Belt is usable since it increases damage output on targets weak to Magnezone's attacks without the recoil backlash, but Pokemon neutral to Magnezone's attacks will not suffer quite as much damage.
Any of the teammates for the Choice Specs set work just as well with this one since they run into trouble against similar threats. However, a notable offensive teammate that works really well in tandem with this set is Swords Dance Garchomp. Garchomp really appreciates Magnezone's ability to trap and KO Steel-type Pokemon as well as weakening opposing Garchomp and Groudon, making it much easier for Garchomp to sweep. Magnezone is also a pretty hard counter to most Lugia sets, and it can give its life to KO Latias with Explosion. Both of these Pokemon can revenge kill Garchomp easily, so having them removed is very beneficial to the land shark. Garchomp can also come in on Fire-type attacks thrown at Magnezone, and it easily uses Blissey as set-up bait.
Magnezone can easily use a Choice Scarf to remedy its middling Speed. Although it may seem inferior to Choice Scarf Magneton since Magneton, with its higher Speed, can revenge kill Darkrai and Shaymin-S, Magnezone is much bulkier. For example, many things that would only 3HKO Magnezone, 2HKO Magneton, such as Choice Scarf Palkia's Spacial Rend. If your team does not care about Darkrai or Shaymin-S, then Magnezone is definitely worth considering as a Choice Scarf user.
Thunder is the main attacking move on this set, severely punishing anything that is not a Ground-type or Blissey. Hidden Power Ice complements Thunder quite nicely, forming a pseudo BoltBeam combination, which is unresisted in Ubers except by opposing Magnezone and Shedinja. It also allows Magnezone to check non-Choice Scarf Garchomp and Swords Dance Rayquaza, as Magnezone can outspeed and OHKO both with Hidden Power Ice (Magnezone also resists ExtremeSpeed in Rayquaza's case). Hidden Power Ice also allows Magnezone to inflict heavy damage to Groudon. Hidden Power Fire is an acceptable alternative if one does not want their ability to hurt Steel-types compromised by Thunder's accuracy being slashed by sunlight from Groudon. Thunderbolt is best in the third moveslot so Magnezone can still use a reliable STAB attack in case the weather is not suited for using Thunder. Flash Cannon is another viable option since it provides decent neutral coverage, its main use being to hit Tyranitar for super effective damage, who otherwise takes little from Magnezone's moves. Explosion rounds out the set quite nicely, taking out many special walls that Magnezone has trouble with at the cost of its own life. For example, Explosion deals 81.75% - 96.32% to 4 HP / 252 Defense Calm Blissey, meaning that with a little prior damage she will be OHKOed, which is great for opening up a sweep for one of your other Pokemon. Explosion also always OHKOes Latias after Stealth Rock damage, which is a great way to take out these otherwise problematic Pokemon.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
The EVs are pretty standard for a sweeper set. Max Speed with a Speed boosting nature is necessary for Magnezone, as it can outpace all base 110 Speed Pokemon. Max Special Attack is obvious so that Magnezone can hit as hard as possible. A Hasty nature is chosen over Timid to provide more power for Explosion.
Although this Magnezone still likes the teammates mentioned in the Choice Specs set, more entry hazard support in the form of Stealth Rock and Spikes will be appreciated to help make up for this set's reduced power. Dialga shares weaknesses with Magnezone, but it is a reliable user of Stealth Rock that appreciates having Steel-type Pokemon removed, clearing the way for it to do major damage with its STAB Dragon-type moves. Froslass and Deoxys-S are both reliable users of Spikes, and the latter can also use Stealth Rock effectively.
Other Options
Magnezone does have some other moves available to it. Hidden Power Ground allows Magnezone to hit Dialga for super effective damage, but otherwise it has little use. Thunder Wave makes up for Magnezone's low Speed by paralyzing enemy Pokemon, which in turn can benefit your teammates. Charge Beam has low Base Power, but may boost Magnezone's Special Attack, which can be of some use for sweeping combined with Substitute. It does not really sweep in the traditional sense, but Magnezone can easily switch in on Choice-locked Scizor or Jirachi and set up a Substitute, for example. It can then accumulate boots with Charge Beam behind a Substitute until the enemy's Steel-type has fainted, and then Magnezone can possibly KO another Pokemon if it still has a Substitute up or a Salac Berry Speed boost. Mirror Coat is somewhat usable to help make dealing with Scarf Dialga and Heatran in the rain easier, but otherwise its usefulness is limited.
Checks and Counters
Groudon and Garchomp take no damage from Electric-type attacks and will easily OHKO Magnezone with Earthquake. They both need to avoid switching in to Hidden Power Ice, however. Specially defensive Tyranitar can also destroy Magnezone with Earthquake, while only really fearing Flash Cannon. Blissey with Seismic Toss can handle anything except Explosion. Non-Choiced Dialga variants equipped with Fire-type attacks can also lure in Magnezone, outspeed, and destroy it. Opposing Magnezone can also trap your Magnezone and KO if the enemy Magnezone has Hidden Power Fire. Choice Scarf Heatran also makes Magnezone shiver, as it can outspeed Magnezone and smash it with Fire Blast or Earth Power.
Anything faster than Magnezone who carries a super effective attack or that can set up on it poses a good option for eliminating Magnezone. The best choices for this are Mewtwo, Darkrai, Choice Scarf Palkia, and Choice Scarf Dialga, as none of them are weak to Magnezone's Thunder and can all either OHKO it or set up on it (although Darkrai and Mewtwo won't want to switch in).