SM979
dank memes
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ORAS gifted Steelix with a Mega Evolution, granting it better Attack, Defense, and Special Defense stats. Most notable is its sky-high base 230 Defense stat, tying with Mega Aggron's. Mega Steelix faces hefty competition from Mega Aggron, which is an arguably better tank due to its ability, Filter, but it does have more special bulk than Mega Aggron as well as a stronger Earthquake and a far better defensive typing before it Mega Evolves. Mega Steelix's fantastic defensive typing in Steel / Ground gives it a plethora of resistances and two immunities. Mega Steelix, however, misses out on the passive recovery that Leftovers would give it. Despite that, Mega Steelix is still a good Pokemon, having access to amazing STAB attacks such as Heavy Slam and Earthquake as well as great utility moves including Stealth Rock and Roar, although it misses out on Thunder Wave, which Mega Aggron gets. Mega Steelix deals with common UU Pokemon such as Raikou and Jirachi, and it walls the well-known VoltTurn combination, being immune to Volt Switch and resistant to U-turn.
Tank
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name: Tank
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Roar / Toxic
move 3: Heavy Slam
move 4: Earthquake
ability: Sturdy
item: Steelixite
evs: 252 HP / 56 Def / 200 SpD
nature: Impish
Moves
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Thanks to Mega Steelix's massive Defense stat and great defensive typing, it gets many opportunities to set up Stealth Rock at no cost. Roar is a reliable phazing tool that forces out the opposing Pokemon, racking up Stealth Rock damage on the opponent's team. Dragon Tail is always an option over Roar but is less reliable since Fairy-types are immune to it, it is only 90% accurate, and it does not bypass Substitute or Protect. On the other hand, Toxic can be used to cripple walls such as Vaporeon, Suicune, Swampert, and Alomomola. Heavy Slam is a great option for Mega Steelix, as most of the time it will be at full power due to Mega Steelix's substantial weight, while Earthquake is a more reliable STAB option. Both Heavy Slam and Earthquake are boosted by Sand Force.
Set Details
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252 HP EVs, 56 Defense EVs, and an Impish nature guarantee that Mega Steelix will survive a Life Orb-boosted Flare Blitz from Jolly Darmanitan while hitting a jump point in Defense. The remaining EVs are placed into Special Defense, making it easier for Mega Steelix to take special attacks.
Usage Tips
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After setting up Stealth Rock, use Mega Steelix's fantastic physical bulk to take hits and retaliate with strong STAB attacks. Use Roar to rack up as much entry hazard damage on the opposing side as possible, weakening the opponent's Pokemon and making it easier for one of yours to clean up late-game.
Team Options
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Specially bulky Pokemon such as Blissey, Florges, and Aromatisse are good teammates for Mega Steelix because they form a great defensive core with it and make up for its lack of recovery with Wish. Bulky Water-types such as Vaporeon, Slowking, and Alomomola provide great synergy with Mega Steelix, as they resist the Fire- and Water-type attacks that often come its way, and Mega Steelix is immune to the Electric-type attacks that could be coming their way; Vaporeon in particular can Baton Pass Wishes to Mega Steelix to guarantee it receives them. Grass-type Pokemon such as Roserade and Chesnaught can deal with the bulky Water-types that Mega Steelix has a hard time with and can also set up Spikes. Alakazam and Crobat are good partners for Mega Steelix because they can deal with the Fighting-type Pokemon that threaten it. Spinblockers such as Chandelure and Trevenant are great partners for Mega Steelix because they prevent the success of Rapid Spin. Finally, Hippowdon can be chosen as a partner because it sets up sand, which activates Mega Steelix's Sand Force. Keep in mind, however, that both Mega Steelix and Hippowdon are bulky Ground-types that serve a similar function; both set up entry hazards and phaze out opposing Pokemon, and they have little to no synergy with each other.
Other Options
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Gyro Ball is an option over Heavy Slam due to Mega Steelix's abysmal Speed, but it is generally inferior because it has fewer PP. Stone Edge and Rock Slide are both viable options to hit Flying-type Pokemon for super effective damage.
Checks & Counters
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**Bulky Water-types**: Bulky Water-type Pokemon such as Mega Blastoise, Vaporeon, Suicune, Swampert, and Alomomola take minimal damage from Mega Steelix and threaten it out with Scald.
**Rapid Spin Users**: Rapid Spin users such as Mega Blastoise, Starmie, Forretress, and Donphan can get rid of Stealth Rock and take pitiful damage from Mega Steelix's attacks.
**Rotom-H**: Rotom-H is immune to Earthquake, is 4x resistant to Heavy Slam, and can OHKO Mega Steelix with Overheat.
**Strong Special Attackers**: Nidoking, Starmie, and Chandelure are all great examples of special attackers that can OHKO Mega Steelix. They do, however, have trouble switching into it.
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