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Other Viable Megas
- Thread starter thedotwalks
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True but unfortunately all mega were selected by popular choice, rather than who actually need one. We did get a few who are popular who needed one.
Mawile, Ampharos,Medicham,Pinsir ect.
They didn't have a poll or anything; it was all Gamefreak's choice.
175 SP.A - Mediocre. I remember doing a calculation on how powerful it its. Its ridiculously weak. Like...
- Megazam Modest Psyshock120 x 493 = 59.160
Seriously, I can't even begin to explain how low this is.
- Gen 5 Starmie LO Surf
299 x 189 = 56.511
As low as it is, Starmie is a pokemon who have almost half the offensive power of Megazam, showing how much of a difference that Items and BP could make
Another one
- Gen 5 Kingdra Draco Meteor
289 x 210 = 60690
Considering that most of the time, you have one shot to attack before switching out, Megazam offense REALLY did not stacks well compared to a pokemon who already exist two gens ago.
And for sake of comparison lets compare it to Mega Kangaskhan, who have 217 Base Attack and nobody gives a shit because Gamefreak happen to write 125 and give it an ability:
Mega Kang Return
349 x 229 = 79921
It stomps
150 SPE - Overkill, we are talking about "only Tornadus -T, Greninja and Aerodactyl is outsped" level here. Thats WAYYYY overkill
Also Gen 6 is, overall, MUCH weaker than Gen 5. We are talking about a metagame where Latios risks getting 2 hit KO by a Not Very Effective move by a support pokemon. Gen 6 might have tons of ridiculous sweeper, but its not as retarded as Rain Boosted Hydro Pump - The Show
Wait, so Alakazam's attacks aren't that powerful, you say. However, "We are talking about a metagame where Latios risks getting 2 hit KO by a Not Very Effective move by a support pokemon…", so Alakazam's attacks would obviously be more potent in this meta, correct?
This meta is more powerful than Gen 4, and Mega Alakazam offensive power is roughly Gen 4 level(Its like.... 3% stronger than Timid LO Alakazam with Modest). It should be noted that Mega Zam still mostly loses to everything that gives it problem 2 gens ago, and its strictly worse than Vanilla Alakazam with Magic Guard which is introduced in Gen 5, so the idea that Mega Zam would be broken if it arrives earlier is questionable in many ways
How about this gen? Yeah, its still terrible comparatively especially when Mega Zam is on the same group as Mega Evo who have completely ridiculous offense(see: M Charizard, M Lucario, Kang)
P.S. The support pokemon who 2HKO Latios is Choice Specs Politoed.
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Regarding Mega Alakazam
252+ SpA Mega Alakazam Psychic vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Mega Charizard Y: 180-213 (60.4 - 71.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Life Orb Deoxys-S Psycho Boost vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Mega Charizard Y: 212-251 (71.1 - 84.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
I think this is probably the strongest argument against ever using it on a team. Mega Alakazam and Deoxys-S have near identical bulk, are Psychic types and both can outspeed nearly everything. Deoxys-S can outspeed more things however, like scarfed/+1 100s, while having much better coverage and being able to run a mixed set. Unless a compelling argument can be made for Trace or against Life Orb recoil, Mega-Alakazam just seems like an inferior Deoxys-S.
252+ SpA Mega Alakazam Psychic vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Mega Charizard Y: 180-213 (60.4 - 71.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Life Orb Deoxys-S Psycho Boost vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Mega Charizard Y: 212-251 (71.1 - 84.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
I think this is probably the strongest argument against ever using it on a team. Mega Alakazam and Deoxys-S have near identical bulk, are Psychic types and both can outspeed nearly everything. Deoxys-S can outspeed more things however, like scarfed/+1 100s, while having much better coverage and being able to run a mixed set. Unless a compelling argument can be made for Trace or against Life Orb recoil, Mega-Alakazam just seems like an inferior Deoxys-S.
I don't think it was strictly based on popularity because many fan favourites didn't get mega evolutions.
In gen 5, it was a rain nuke and a team supporter by introducing permanent rain. This was the big reason, why Politoed was S-rank last gen, because it instantly made things like Torn-T and Keldeo insanely OP.
Anyway, to be on topic, I feel that the megas of Medicham, Heracross and Gardevoir are much more promising than before. Medicham is just insanely hard-hitting; with proper prediction, it will kill something on the switch-in, of which there are like two or three remotely safe ones. With M-Lucario gone, its main competition is gone, and while it really wants STAB priority, it still has the same speed as Charizard-Y. A great move to use on a M-Medicham is Baton Pass - while passing nothing might appear strange, it actually serves to keep your momentum and even lure out things Medicham hates, like Aegislash, and Pursuit-trap them. Bisharp is an excellent partner for Medicham, as the two together are walled by nothing in the game, and with Ghosts and Psychics dispatched, you're free to spam your overpowered STAB, if you're not worried about it missing.
I do think, people are finding out, how effective a well-used M-Gardevoir can be. Being an actually resembling a special sweeper Fairy is a rare thing, but Will-o'-Wisp is one of its strongest traits. Steel-types and Chansey are the only safe switch-ins to your usual Hyper Voice / Psyshock / Focus Blast sweeper set, and with WoW, it's very easy to bait the from miles away telegraphed Steel switch-in and cripple it, making it a non-issue for anything else Steel-weak on your team. Aegislash is still a big problem, from which you have to switch out no matter what, but a burned Aegislash can only use Shadow Ball and it gets worn down, especially with LO, making it much easier to check. Again, Bisharp is a very good partner here to check Aegislash (the burn helps Bisharp avoid a OHKO from Sacred Sword from non-LO Aegislash) and special walls.
It's been said a page before me in this thread, but M-Heracross is intensely anti-metagame. It's one of the very few things, that can break a Deosharp core all by itself - it OHKO's Deo-D with Pin Missile, limiting it to effectively one hazard only, while Close Combat and Earthquake handle Bisharp and Aegislash.
It's also to note, all of these are (as of January's stats) just directly below OU-range, and with M-Lucario and Genesect gone, I see them being quite viable in OU.
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You know, you were factoring normal Pinsir and not Mega...because bug doesnt resist bug
Sorry, forgot about Normal Pinsir being just Bug.
For the record, the calc with Mega Pinsir is:
- 252+ Atk Mega Heracross Pin Missile (5 hits) vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Mega Pinsir: 125-150 (45.9 - 55.1%) -- approx. 74.6% chance to 2HKO
For me, the most terrifying Mega right now has to be Pinsir. Its Ability and Speed make it a top-notch threat, and although it dislikes SR, it can still get over it in its vanilla form. Moxie can even allow it to nab an attack boost before it goes Mega, screwing you up even more.
Mega Mawile is really strong offensively, but lacks defensively and its Speed is just as low as ever. Depending on Sucker Punch that much is dangerous, and it puts a big dent to Mawile's potential.
Mega Venusaur is a great tank, yes. Its amazing defenses, remarkable Ability and good recovery in the form of Leech Seed, Giga Drain and Synthesis are very good. However, it lacks offensively, and unlike its vanilla form it can't take advantage of boosted Growths. Setting up a Sub ruins all defensive variants, while the bulky Special Attacker set is kinda mediocre.
Mega Charizard's real power lies in its unpredictability. Putting aside the insane idea that someone would dare to run Charizard with its Stone, Mega Charizard is just as powerful as a Mega should be, but the huge difference between its two formes make it really hard to outpredict and counter. A wrong move can easily cost you your wall, as you see your Blissey roasted or your Rotom eating a Solarbeam. Apart from that, though, Charizard still maintains it x4 SR weakness, meaning that sending it out while rocks are up don't function well for it, even if you run X, because it needs to evolve first. Yes, Charizard has received a huge boost from the last Gen, but it still has all of its old flaws, and as such I wouldn't consider it Uber material.
Mega Mawile is really strong offensively, but lacks defensively and its Speed is just as low as ever. Depending on Sucker Punch that much is dangerous, and it puts a big dent to Mawile's potential.
Mega Venusaur is a great tank, yes. Its amazing defenses, remarkable Ability and good recovery in the form of Leech Seed, Giga Drain and Synthesis are very good. However, it lacks offensively, and unlike its vanilla form it can't take advantage of boosted Growths. Setting up a Sub ruins all defensive variants, while the bulky Special Attacker set is kinda mediocre.
Mega Charizard's real power lies in its unpredictability. Putting aside the insane idea that someone would dare to run Charizard with its Stone, Mega Charizard is just as powerful as a Mega should be, but the huge difference between its two formes make it really hard to outpredict and counter. A wrong move can easily cost you your wall, as you see your Blissey roasted or your Rotom eating a Solarbeam. Apart from that, though, Charizard still maintains it x4 SR weakness, meaning that sending it out while rocks are up don't function well for it, even if you run X, because it needs to evolve first. Yes, Charizard has received a huge boost from the last Gen, but it still has all of its old flaws, and as such I wouldn't consider it Uber material.
122 special attack is pretty good for a wall.
Sucker Punch can be played around but Mawile is still really hard to switch into. There's also Sub sets that make it even more dangerous.
I've actually seen some guys run it as a bulky SD set, which is actually very strong. It's afraid of the burn and flying types, yeah, but that's about it. It still has its fantastic recovery, and ends up having pretty good coverage. Many flying types wall it, but that's what the rest of your team is for.
Has anybody considered trying out Mega Abomasnow with four attacks and playing it like Crumbler Aegislash? Take this set for example:
Abomasnow @ Abomasite
Quiet
Snow Warning
252 Sp. Atk/252 Atk/4 HP (0 Spd IVs)
-Blizzard
-Ice Shard
-Earthquake
-Giga Drain/Energy Ball/Wood Hammer
Ice/Grass/Ground coverage is really good and smacks things with Blizzard. Things that aren't outright KOed by Blizzard can be either picked off by Ice Shard or caught with one of Aboma's coverage moves on the switch, putting it in KO range. Earthquake hits Bisharp, non-Balloon Heatran, Charizard-X and Aegislash while your Grass STAB of choice (listed in order of longevity to power) hits Pokémon like Manaphy, Tyranitar and Rotom-W. With a bit of prediction Abomasnow becomes a potent holepuncher and wallbreaker (a role that it's passive hail only helps it in achieving), and gives you a fantastic Rotom check. Of course, it has problems with staying in and is forced out easily, but Ground, Water and Electric are common enough types that Abomasnow can come in on them and fire off an attack. What do you guys think?
Abomasnow @ Abomasite
Quiet
Snow Warning
252 Sp. Atk/252 Atk/4 HP (0 Spd IVs)
-Blizzard
-Ice Shard
-Earthquake
-Giga Drain/Energy Ball/Wood Hammer
Ice/Grass/Ground coverage is really good and smacks things with Blizzard. Things that aren't outright KOed by Blizzard can be either picked off by Ice Shard or caught with one of Aboma's coverage moves on the switch, putting it in KO range. Earthquake hits Bisharp, non-Balloon Heatran, Charizard-X and Aegislash while your Grass STAB of choice (listed in order of longevity to power) hits Pokémon like Manaphy, Tyranitar and Rotom-W. With a bit of prediction Abomasnow becomes a potent holepuncher and wallbreaker (a role that it's passive hail only helps it in achieving), and gives you a fantastic Rotom check. Of course, it has problems with staying in and is forced out easily, but Ground, Water and Electric are common enough types that Abomasnow can come in on them and fire off an attack. What do you guys think?
Mega-Abomasnow is centainly one of the worse Megas. Fire, Fighting and Rock attacks are not very uncommon and flying moves are spammed this metagame almost everywhere. It can take the hail almost only for itself and if it goes down early, your team will be damaged by Hail unless they have Overcoat or Ice Typing.
I see no use other than on Trick Room Teams at most.
I see no use other than on Trick Room Teams at most.
Also because it has Snarl it can lower SpAtk. by 1 so Electric type movers are slightly weakened.
Mega Alakazam is in no way a downgraded version of regular 'Zam. Sure: it loses Magic Guard. But, then again, Magic Guard's main purpose for Alakazam in competitive play was to keep its sash in tact. I mean, sure: it gives Alakazam a few damageless switches, but the thing about it is that, either way, Alakazam is so frail that it really doesn't want to be taking a hit anyway. This is why Mega Alakazam is really on par with its base form: it comes in, is immune to stealth rock damage and weather damage for the turn it comes in (not that it makes much difference, but you never know) and then mega evolves, gains another amazing ability in Trace which lets it come in again with ease (e.g. gaining Flash Fire from Heatran and taking a Lava Plume/Fire Blast, or maybe Water Absorb from Vaporeon and eating up its Scald or something) and then deal truckloads of damage to the opposing team. The most scary thing for an opponent is when it gains, say, Adaptability from Crawdaunt, or maybe Manectric's Lightningrod on the turn it mega evolves and gets a special attack boost from its Volt Switch/Thunderbolt. The great thing with that is that it can now outpace nigh anything and completely wreak the opposing team, and Megazam can also 2HKO all Blissey variants with its STAB Psyshock - something which only Life Orb variants of normal Alakazam could do. That's the great thing about it, as it meant that Alakazam all of a sudden gains a more useful ability, instead of keeping its old one (which has limited use as it is) and having to decide whether to sacrifice a Focus Sash for that extra bit of power that it so desperately needs. And the fact that that it has already high power means that it can become terrifying when it gets an ability which leads to a boost, such as Adaptability from Crawdaunt, Lightningrod from Manectric, Flash Fire from Heatran (for Hidden Power Fire variants), or maybe even the rare Download from Porygon2 or Storm Drain from Gastrodon or something.
Rotosect
Banned deucer.
Aboma is in no way one of the worst megas. It is by far the most specialized one as it plays as a Trick Room sweeper, but the issue here is the lack of truly great TR setters rather than Aboma itself.
Hail is also extremely useful to break Focus Sashes and Sturdy, a nice bonus given that most of them are immune to Sandstorm.
I think Mawile is one of the most threatening megas in the game. It's attack is just monstrous with Huge Power. The Sword Dance set is a little susceptible to Wisp and Substitute attackers but the SubPunch set, with Substitute/Play Rough/Sucker Punch/Focus Punch is just golden. Substitute also allows it to reduce Sucker Punch mind games and with Focus Punch, Heatran can't do anything to it after a Sub is up. Mawile forces so many switches that getting a Sub up is not hard.
Mawile also doesn't really need the +2 from Swords Dance to threaten most pokemon, as even physical walls such as Gliscor and Quagsire are 2HKO'd by Play Rough after Stealth Rock damage, and even Hippowdon has a good chance of dying after Rocks.
Mawile also doesn't really need the +2 from Swords Dance to threaten most pokemon, as even physical walls such as Gliscor and Quagsire are 2HKO'd by Play Rough after Stealth Rock damage, and even Hippowdon has a good chance of dying after Rocks.
Mega Man's not that great of a Special Attacker since it can't hold a Life Orb or Specs. It's a decent pivot/revenge killer if you find time to MEvo it.
Yep. I've noticed that he's one of those megas that's really, really hurt by the fact that he needs to take a turn to evolve. He doesn't have it as bad as Absol, but it's still a real bummer.
On the other hand, Mega Heracross has shown to be a pleasant surprise for me. Hits like a truck and has fantastic coverage. While he gets utterly gutted by quite a few pokemon in the higher tiers, especially Talonflame, very few of them can safely switch in on him. He suffers a bit from 4MSS, and definitely needs to be part of a team built around his strengths; but with the right support, he's an absolute monster.
Another problem aboma has is its mixed stats, so it doesn't hit as hard as some of the other megas, even if it's spamming 110/120 base power STABs. If it focused on being one or the other, it would've probably been a lot better.
Even in doubles on a trick room team it still needs a lot of support to work.
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