[OVERVIEW]
Sweeping in from the skies, Mega Salamence shows massive improvement over its base forme! The biggest factor in Mega Salamence's rise to stardom is its excellent ability, Aerilate, which gives it a powerful 30% boosted Flying-type STAB move when using Double-Edge, Return, or Hyper Voice. Mega Salamence has an excellent stat distribution as well, being extremely fast and powerful, and thanks to its great Defense stat and its non-Mega ability Intimidate, Mega Salamence actually takes physical hits better than notable walls such as Skarmory! Finally, Mega Salamence's movepool perfectly complements its offenses, as it has access to great coverage moves such as Earthquake and Fire Blast and useful non-attacking moves such as Dragon Dance, which turns Mega Salamence into a dangerous sweeper that can bust through weakened walls, and Roost, which gives Mega Salamence effective staying power.
Mega Salamence may be an extremely dangerous Pokemon, but it is also very well prepared for in Battle Spot Singles. Along with a 4x weakness to Ice, which is exploited by popular offensive Pokemon such as Mamoswine and Greninja and defensive Ice Beam users such as Suicune, Porygon2, and Cresselia, Mega Salamence is also easily worn down by the common Rocky Helmet and Double-Edge recoil. Furthermore, there are other powerful Mega Pokemon that give Salamence serious competition, such as Kangaskhan, Gengar, Blaziken, and Charizard, which makes Mega Salamence lose some of its appeal. Overall, Mega Salamence is an extremely dangerous Pokemon, but it will need adequate team support in order to overcome its major problems.
[SET]
name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Double-Edge
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Roost / Substitute / Fire Blast / Draco Meteor
item: Salamencite
ability: Intimidate
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Double-Edge is Mega Salamence's 156-Base Power STAB move, seriously wounding any Pokemon that doesn't resist it. Dragon Dance turns Mega Salamence into a ferocious sweeper, boosting the power of its Double-Edge to astronomical levels and allowing it to outspeed even Choice Scarf Garchomp. Earthquake is the perfect coverage move for Double-Edge, hitting Steel-, Rock-, and Electric-types that resist Double-Edge, mainly Aegislash, Tyranitar, and Raikou.
The last slot can be a bit tricky to choose, as Mega Salamence has plenty of viable options. Roost takes advantage of Mega Salamence's excellent Defense, giving it more chances to set up a sweep later by healing Double-Edge's recoil and other residual damage. If you're more worried about status, Substitute can protect Mega Salamence from getting its sweep ruined by Thunder Wave or Will-O-Wisp users such as Thundurus, Klefki, and Rotom-W. Substitute even blocks stat drops, which is great against Intimidate and Rock Tomb users. Facade lets Mega Salamence sweep after getting hit by Will-O-Wisp from Pokemon such as Rotom-W and Mega Sableye.
On the more offensive end, Fire Blast can be used to hit Steel-types that aren't weak to Earthquake, such as Skarmory, Ferrothorn, and Scizor. Flamethrower is also a reasonable choice if you prefer accuracy over power, but note that it misses out on OHKOing Mega Scizor and Skarmory won't be in KO range after Double-Edge. If you're more worried about physical walls in general, Draco Meteor is a great option for slamming Hippowdon and defensive Mega Charizard X. If you especially have problems with Zapdos, Mega Salamence can even use Outrage, which 2HKOes Zapdos and OHKOes Dragonite after a Dragon Dance. Finally, if Double-Edge's recoil damage is undesirable, Return is a fine option. Just note, if you opt to use Return over Double-Edge, that Return loses a significant number of KOs compared to Double-Edge.
Set Details
========
Mega Salamence uses a simple physical attacking spread, maximizing Attack and Speed for the best sweeping capability. The choice of nature is trickier. Adamant Mega Salamence has an easier time grabbing KOs with an extra powerful Double-Edge, most notably getting a potential OHKO on Azumarill and a 2HKO on Suicune, while still outspeeding important Pokemon such as Garchomp. However, if you are willing to sacrifice the extra power, Jolly becomes a reasonable alternative, allowing Mega Salamence to outspeed potential revenge killers such as Raikou, Thundurus, and Latios. Finally, if you are running Fire Blast or Draco Meteor, a Naughty or Naive nature is preferred, as Mega Salamence's physical bulk is too good to ignore.
Usage Tips
========
It may be tempting to set up Dragon Dance right away, but this will usually only result in Mega Salamence getting KOed early. It's best to use Dragon Dance later in the game, when checks such as Suicune, Porygon2, and Cresselia are in KO range of a boosted Double-Edge and when Mamoswine in particular is taken out, as it threatens Mega Salamence with its priority Ice Shard. Once you feel that Mega Salamence is primed for sweeping, you'll need to find a low-risk Pokemon to set up on. Good targets include physical attackers such as Landorus-T, Excadrill, and Mega Blaziken, as well as Choice item users locked into moves Mega Salamence resists or is immune to, such as Garchomp locked into Earthquake and Azumarill locked into Waterfall.
When Salamence is primed to attack, you'll usually want to Mega Evolve it. However, Mega Evolution isn't always needed as soon as possible, because of non-Mega Salamence's ability Intimidate, which can save your team from getting swept. Therefore, keeping Salamence in its base forme is a great idea if you plan on double switching Salamence, especially if Stealth Rock is off the field.
Finally, while Mega Salamence is an incredibly dangerous Pokemon, it also has bad matchups against prominent defensive Pokemon such as Suicune, Porygon2, and Cresselia. If you feel like the opponent's team is too well guarded against Mega Salamence, feel free to bench it for that match.
Team Options
========
Mega Salamence is very vulnerable to common walls such as Suicune, Porygon2, Cresselia, Zapdos, Hippowdon, and—if lacking a Fire-type attack—Skarmory, so using teammates that threaten defensive foes is a good idea. Substitute + Toxic Aegislash is a great Porygon2 lure that deals with Cresselia and happens to resist all of Mega Salamence's weaknesses. Quiver Dance Volcarona, Calm Mind Raikou, and Calm Mind Sylveon are special sweepers that defeat a lot of physical walls that trouble Mega Salamence. Serperior may share Mega Salamence's weakness to Ice, but it puts a great deal of offensive pressure on Hippowdon and Suicune. Stealth Rock support from the likes of Hippowdon, Tyranitar, and Swampert can also wear down these defensive threats, putting them in 2HKO range of Mega Salamence's Double-Edge.
Offensively, Mamoswine, Greninja, and Weavile are massive problems for Mega Salamence due to their fast Ice-type STAB attacks. Porygon2 does a great job of handling Greninja and Mamoswine as long as it avoids Knock Off, while Blaziken can switch into predicted Ice-type attacks and slam their users with its Fighting-type STAB moves. Conkeldurr also does a good job of forcing these Pokemon out due to its decent bulk and STAB Drain Punch and Mach Punch.
Because Mega Salamence may have to be benched more than you like, consider a backup Mega Pokemon that can handle Pokemon that trouble Mega Salamence. Mega Gengar is an excellent example, using Shadow Tag and moves like Taunt and Destiny Bond to take care of common walls. Mega Tyranitar's excellent bulk and interesting typing give it an edge over Cresselia, Porygon2, and Zapdos, and it can even use Taunt to cripple them further. Mega Venusaur is immune to Toxic and can take Ice Beams fairly well, and it can potentially outstall threats with Leech Seed or put foes to sleep with Sleep Powder.
[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Double-Edge
move 4: Earthquake / Roost / Hyper Voice
item: Salamencite
ability: Intimidate
nature: Naive / Rash
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Mega Salamence's good base 120 Special Attack is perfect for catching physical walls off guard. Draco Meteor is Mega Salamence's main attack, dealing a ton of damage to common physically defensive switch-ins such as Hippowdon, which is put in the KO range of Double-Edge after this, Zapdos, Rotom-W, Landorus-T, and bulky Thundurus. Fire Blast takes care of Steel-types, roasting Ferrothorn, Scizor, and Skarmory and 2HKOing Aegislash and Mega Mawile. Flamethrower can be used for better accuracy, but note that Mega Salamence loses the 2HKO on Aegislash and the chance to OHKO Skarmory. Double-Edge still deals plenty of damage even without Attack investment, allowing Mega Salamence to be an offensive force even after Draco Meteor's Special Attack drop. Double-Edge also ensures that Azumarill and Sylveon won't wall Mega Salamence.
The last moveslot can contain a variety of moves. Earthquake smashes Heatran and prevents Raikou from setting up on Mega Salamence after Draco Meteor is used. Roost sacrifices coverage for more staying power, which is especially useful if your opponent sets up Stealth Rock. Hyper Voice is a low-risk STAB move that has the awesome bonus of hitting through the Substitute of prominent Pokemon such as Gliscor. Finally, Stone Edge gives Mega Salamence a chance at KOing Zapdos after a hit from Draco Meteor.
Set Details
========
Mega Salamence should focus on maximizing its Special Attack and Speed so it can have the best possible offensive presence. Mega Salamence's nature should be either Naive or Rash because lowering Mega Salamence's only acceptable Special Defense is better than lowering its fantastic Defense. Naive gets Mega Salamence the Speed boost it needs to outspeed Raikou, Adamant Mega Salamence, and Latios, all threats Mega Salamence likes to damage. On the other hand, Rash makes Draco Meteor even more powerful.
Usage Tips
========
The early-game is when Mega Salamence often does its best. Use Draco Meteor and Fire Blast to hit unsuspecting walls, potentially letting you gain control of the match early. Hyper Voice may seem like a good move to use early-game, but it reveals your surprise early without a big hit, so only do this against more offensive teams or in the mid-game. If you see Fairy-types on your opponent's team, consider using Double-Edge as you predict them to switch in, or use Fire Blast to grab a OHKO on Mawile switch-ins.
This Mega Salamence focuses far more on opening up holes for your sweepers rather than attempting to sweep the opposing team as a whole. Because of this, feel free to sacrifice Mega Salamence once it has done its job. Also note that its base forme can get great mileage out of Intimidate before Mega Evolving. Non-Mega Salamence has base 110 Special Attack as well, so if your opponent's remaining Pokemon are slower than Salamence, feel free to pick them off with Salamence before Mega Evolving if you feel that Intimidate still has some utility.
While this Mega Salamence set focuses on breaking down walls that sweeper sets have trouble with, Porygon2 and Cresselia are still huge problems for this set, so feel free to bench Mega Salamence if Team Preview isn't looking healthy for Mega Salamence.
Team Options
========
Stealth Rock support from bulky users such as Tyranitar, Hippowdon, and Swampert is highly recommended, as with Stealth Rock set, the switches Mega Salamence forces will create even more offensive pressure on the opposing team.
Because Mega Salamence is all about opening up new sweeping opportunities, it's best to pair it with sweepers such as Scizor, Tyranitar, Gyarados, Blaziken, and Talonflame, which like physical walls such as Hippowdon, Skarmory, and Zapdos weakened or KOed.
Note that some walls such as Cresselia and Porygon2 can still tank Mega Salamence's attacks, so preparing for them is a good idea. Substitute + Toxic Aegislash is a great partner, as it deals with Cresselia and makes for an excellent Porygon2 lure. Dragon Dance or Taunt Tyranitar can be a huge pain for them, and neither of them likes dealing with Swords Dance Scizor with Roost or Knock Off. Ferrothorn is a nice, bulky alternative that can support Mega Salamence with Leech Seed and Thunder Wave, especially if it manages to paralyze mixed Blaziken or Mega Lopunny.
[SET]
name: Toxicmence
move 1: Toxic
move 2: Substitute
move 3: Roost
move 4: Double-Edge / Return
item: Salamencite
ability: Intimidate
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
This set is based around using Mega Salamence's good bulk to surprise its usual checks. Toxic does a great job of crippling common defensive switch-ins such as Cresselia, Porygon2, Zapdos, and Hippowdon, and it also forces Suicune and Rotom-W to use Rest earlier than they want to. Substitute is important to prevent Salamence from getting crippled by status moves and makes Mega Salamence much harder to revenge kill in general. Roost gives Mega Salamence much-needed staying power and reduces its 4x Ice-type weakness to 2x on the turn it's used, giving Mega Salamence the potential to outstall Porygon2, Cresselia, and Zapdos!
The last slot is for Mega Salamence's offensive option. Double-Edge may seem like an odd move to use on a more defensive set due to the recoil, but it still packs a good punch thanks to its high Base Power and this Mega Salamence is less vulnerable to recoil thanks to Roost; however, if you're still worried about the recoil, Return is a reasonable alternative, exchanging brute force for even more staying power.
Set Details
========
Mega Salamence will usually want maximum HP investment to take Ice Beams and physical attacks. Maximum Speed with a Jolly nature allows Mega Salamence to outspeed Raikou, which often carries Hidden Power Ice, and at least Speed tie with opposing Mega Salamence.
Usage Tips
========
Against teams that have obvious Salamence checks that you'll want to lure out, you'll usually want to use Substitute against threats Mega Salamence scares out, such as Mega Blaziken, Choice-locked Ground-types, and Grass-types. This keeps the rest of the set shrouded in mystery, giving Mega Salamence a better chance to Toxic its targets.
When facing certain status targets such as Porygon2 and Cresselia, you'll be faced with a bit of a mind game if you want to stall them for more damage: whether to use Substitute against their status moves or Roost against their Ice-type attacks. It can be risky, but stalling them with Toxic damage can open up holes for sweepers. Regardless of the risk, this Salamence set is built to last, so only sacrifice it when it could open up the potential for a sweep.
Team Options
========
Because this Mega Salamence is a great lure, using Pokemon that appreciate walls such as Porygon2 and Cresselia being taken care of is highly recommended. Great teammates to consider include Greninja, Swords Dance Talonflame, physical Blaziken, Sand Rush Excadrill, Mamoswine, and Azumarill.
Because Flying-type attacks are Mega Salamence's only means of attacking, Steel-types such as Mega Mawile, Heatran, Skarmory, and Klefki are far bigger problems than usual. Additionally, the bigger focus on defense means that Sylveon and Azumarill present more problems than usual. Finally, Suicune is still fully capable of walling Mega Salamence with Rest. Mamoswine is an excellent teammate against Mega Mawile, Klefki, and Heatran and appreciates Porygon2 and Cresselia being crippled. Excadrill provides similar benefits but also has a STAB Iron Head to take out Sylveon. Gliscor also does fairly well against Klefki and Mega Mawile and outspeeds Heatran; however, Fire-type attacks do plenty of damage to it. A Heatran of your own does a great job of taking care of most Steel-types as well. Rotom-W does a great job against Heatran and Azumarill and can use Will-O-Wisp to cripple Mega Mawile in emergencies. If you aren't as concerned about Azumarill and Suicune, Rotom-H does an admirable job as well, taking care of Mega Mawile and more safely being able to Trick Sylveon a Choice Scarf. Finally, if you are especially worried about Suicune, Pokemon such as Calm Mind Raikou, Serperior, and Breloom are good teammates.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Thrash is a decent alternative to Double-Edge, losing the recoil but instead locking Salamence in. Moxie can be used to let Salamence get a free Attack boost before it Mega Evolves, but Intimidate is usually better for giving Mega Salamence more setup opportunities. Finally, a set with Choice Scarf and Moxie makes Salamence a unique revenge killer, but it has severe problems with Fairy-types, making other revenge killers a better choice most of the time.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Defensive Ice-type Move Users**: Porygon2, Cresselia, Zapdos (with Hidden Power Ice), Suicune, and Mega Slowbro all survive a +1 Double-Edge and can severely damage Mega Salamence with Ice Beam. However, those that don't run Rest must be wary of the Toxic set.
**Fast Special Attackers**: Greninja, Mega Manectric, and, if Mega Salamence hasn't Mega Evolved yet or has an Adamant nature, Latios can all revenge kill Mega Salamence before it sets up Dragon Dance. Focus Sash Greninja in particular can even revenge kill a boosted Mega Salamence!
**Mamoswine**: Mamoswine gets hit hard by Mega Salamence's STAB attacks, but it can easily pick off a weakened Mega Salamence with Ice Shard. Choice Scarf sets can outright outspeed and OHKO Mega Salamence with Icicle Spear, which not even Substitute can save it from.
**Weavile**: Weavile can't take a hit from any of Mega Salamence's attacks, but it outspeeds Mega Salamence and can OHKO it with Icicle Crash, and it can revenge kill weakened boosted ones with Ice Shard as well.
**Mega Mawile**: Mawile takes a ton of damage from Earthquake and Fire Blast, but it can use Intimidate to switch in on a setup move or Double-Edge and OHKO with Play Rough after Mega Evolving.
**Will-O-Wisp**: Most Will-O-Wisp users, such as Rotom-W, Rotom-H, and Mega Sableye, take a huge amount of damage from boosted attacks but can cripple Mega Salamence if it isn't carrying Facade or Substitute.
**Thundurus and Klefki**: Even bulky Thundurus and Klefki take a lot of damage from Mega Salamence, but they can use their priority Thunder Wave to stop a Mega Salamence sweep, and both happen to resist its main STAB attack.
Sweeping in from the skies, Mega Salamence shows massive improvement over its base forme! The biggest factor in Mega Salamence's rise to stardom is its excellent ability, Aerilate, which gives it a powerful 30% boosted Flying-type STAB move when using Double-Edge, Return, or Hyper Voice. Mega Salamence has an excellent stat distribution as well, being extremely fast and powerful, and thanks to its great Defense stat and its non-Mega ability Intimidate, Mega Salamence actually takes physical hits better than notable walls such as Skarmory! Finally, Mega Salamence's movepool perfectly complements its offenses, as it has access to great coverage moves such as Earthquake and Fire Blast and useful non-attacking moves such as Dragon Dance, which turns Mega Salamence into a dangerous sweeper that can bust through weakened walls, and Roost, which gives Mega Salamence effective staying power.
Mega Salamence may be an extremely dangerous Pokemon, but it is also very well prepared for in Battle Spot Singles. Along with a 4x weakness to Ice, which is exploited by popular offensive Pokemon such as Mamoswine and Greninja and defensive Ice Beam users such as Suicune, Porygon2, and Cresselia, Mega Salamence is also easily worn down by the common Rocky Helmet and Double-Edge recoil. Furthermore, there are other powerful Mega Pokemon that give Salamence serious competition, such as Kangaskhan, Gengar, Blaziken, and Charizard, which makes Mega Salamence lose some of its appeal. Overall, Mega Salamence is an extremely dangerous Pokemon, but it will need adequate team support in order to overcome its major problems.
[SET]
name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Double-Edge
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Roost / Substitute / Fire Blast / Draco Meteor
item: Salamencite
ability: Intimidate
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Double-Edge is Mega Salamence's 156-Base Power STAB move, seriously wounding any Pokemon that doesn't resist it. Dragon Dance turns Mega Salamence into a ferocious sweeper, boosting the power of its Double-Edge to astronomical levels and allowing it to outspeed even Choice Scarf Garchomp. Earthquake is the perfect coverage move for Double-Edge, hitting Steel-, Rock-, and Electric-types that resist Double-Edge, mainly Aegislash, Tyranitar, and Raikou.
The last slot can be a bit tricky to choose, as Mega Salamence has plenty of viable options. Roost takes advantage of Mega Salamence's excellent Defense, giving it more chances to set up a sweep later by healing Double-Edge's recoil and other residual damage. If you're more worried about status, Substitute can protect Mega Salamence from getting its sweep ruined by Thunder Wave or Will-O-Wisp users such as Thundurus, Klefki, and Rotom-W. Substitute even blocks stat drops, which is great against Intimidate and Rock Tomb users. Facade lets Mega Salamence sweep after getting hit by Will-O-Wisp from Pokemon such as Rotom-W and Mega Sableye.
On the more offensive end, Fire Blast can be used to hit Steel-types that aren't weak to Earthquake, such as Skarmory, Ferrothorn, and Scizor. Flamethrower is also a reasonable choice if you prefer accuracy over power, but note that it misses out on OHKOing Mega Scizor and Skarmory won't be in KO range after Double-Edge. If you're more worried about physical walls in general, Draco Meteor is a great option for slamming Hippowdon and defensive Mega Charizard X. If you especially have problems with Zapdos, Mega Salamence can even use Outrage, which 2HKOes Zapdos and OHKOes Dragonite after a Dragon Dance. Finally, if Double-Edge's recoil damage is undesirable, Return is a fine option. Just note, if you opt to use Return over Double-Edge, that Return loses a significant number of KOs compared to Double-Edge.
Set Details
========
Mega Salamence uses a simple physical attacking spread, maximizing Attack and Speed for the best sweeping capability. The choice of nature is trickier. Adamant Mega Salamence has an easier time grabbing KOs with an extra powerful Double-Edge, most notably getting a potential OHKO on Azumarill and a 2HKO on Suicune, while still outspeeding important Pokemon such as Garchomp. However, if you are willing to sacrifice the extra power, Jolly becomes a reasonable alternative, allowing Mega Salamence to outspeed potential revenge killers such as Raikou, Thundurus, and Latios. Finally, if you are running Fire Blast or Draco Meteor, a Naughty or Naive nature is preferred, as Mega Salamence's physical bulk is too good to ignore.
Usage Tips
========
It may be tempting to set up Dragon Dance right away, but this will usually only result in Mega Salamence getting KOed early. It's best to use Dragon Dance later in the game, when checks such as Suicune, Porygon2, and Cresselia are in KO range of a boosted Double-Edge and when Mamoswine in particular is taken out, as it threatens Mega Salamence with its priority Ice Shard. Once you feel that Mega Salamence is primed for sweeping, you'll need to find a low-risk Pokemon to set up on. Good targets include physical attackers such as Landorus-T, Excadrill, and Mega Blaziken, as well as Choice item users locked into moves Mega Salamence resists or is immune to, such as Garchomp locked into Earthquake and Azumarill locked into Waterfall.
When Salamence is primed to attack, you'll usually want to Mega Evolve it. However, Mega Evolution isn't always needed as soon as possible, because of non-Mega Salamence's ability Intimidate, which can save your team from getting swept. Therefore, keeping Salamence in its base forme is a great idea if you plan on double switching Salamence, especially if Stealth Rock is off the field.
Finally, while Mega Salamence is an incredibly dangerous Pokemon, it also has bad matchups against prominent defensive Pokemon such as Suicune, Porygon2, and Cresselia. If you feel like the opponent's team is too well guarded against Mega Salamence, feel free to bench it for that match.
Team Options
========
Mega Salamence is very vulnerable to common walls such as Suicune, Porygon2, Cresselia, Zapdos, Hippowdon, and—if lacking a Fire-type attack—Skarmory, so using teammates that threaten defensive foes is a good idea. Substitute + Toxic Aegislash is a great Porygon2 lure that deals with Cresselia and happens to resist all of Mega Salamence's weaknesses. Quiver Dance Volcarona, Calm Mind Raikou, and Calm Mind Sylveon are special sweepers that defeat a lot of physical walls that trouble Mega Salamence. Serperior may share Mega Salamence's weakness to Ice, but it puts a great deal of offensive pressure on Hippowdon and Suicune. Stealth Rock support from the likes of Hippowdon, Tyranitar, and Swampert can also wear down these defensive threats, putting them in 2HKO range of Mega Salamence's Double-Edge.
Offensively, Mamoswine, Greninja, and Weavile are massive problems for Mega Salamence due to their fast Ice-type STAB attacks. Porygon2 does a great job of handling Greninja and Mamoswine as long as it avoids Knock Off, while Blaziken can switch into predicted Ice-type attacks and slam their users with its Fighting-type STAB moves. Conkeldurr also does a good job of forcing these Pokemon out due to its decent bulk and STAB Drain Punch and Mach Punch.
Because Mega Salamence may have to be benched more than you like, consider a backup Mega Pokemon that can handle Pokemon that trouble Mega Salamence. Mega Gengar is an excellent example, using Shadow Tag and moves like Taunt and Destiny Bond to take care of common walls. Mega Tyranitar's excellent bulk and interesting typing give it an edge over Cresselia, Porygon2, and Zapdos, and it can even use Taunt to cripple them further. Mega Venusaur is immune to Toxic and can take Ice Beams fairly well, and it can potentially outstall threats with Leech Seed or put foes to sleep with Sleep Powder.
[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Double-Edge
move 4: Earthquake / Roost / Hyper Voice
item: Salamencite
ability: Intimidate
nature: Naive / Rash
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Mega Salamence's good base 120 Special Attack is perfect for catching physical walls off guard. Draco Meteor is Mega Salamence's main attack, dealing a ton of damage to common physically defensive switch-ins such as Hippowdon, which is put in the KO range of Double-Edge after this, Zapdos, Rotom-W, Landorus-T, and bulky Thundurus. Fire Blast takes care of Steel-types, roasting Ferrothorn, Scizor, and Skarmory and 2HKOing Aegislash and Mega Mawile. Flamethrower can be used for better accuracy, but note that Mega Salamence loses the 2HKO on Aegislash and the chance to OHKO Skarmory. Double-Edge still deals plenty of damage even without Attack investment, allowing Mega Salamence to be an offensive force even after Draco Meteor's Special Attack drop. Double-Edge also ensures that Azumarill and Sylveon won't wall Mega Salamence.
The last moveslot can contain a variety of moves. Earthquake smashes Heatran and prevents Raikou from setting up on Mega Salamence after Draco Meteor is used. Roost sacrifices coverage for more staying power, which is especially useful if your opponent sets up Stealth Rock. Hyper Voice is a low-risk STAB move that has the awesome bonus of hitting through the Substitute of prominent Pokemon such as Gliscor. Finally, Stone Edge gives Mega Salamence a chance at KOing Zapdos after a hit from Draco Meteor.
Set Details
========
Mega Salamence should focus on maximizing its Special Attack and Speed so it can have the best possible offensive presence. Mega Salamence's nature should be either Naive or Rash because lowering Mega Salamence's only acceptable Special Defense is better than lowering its fantastic Defense. Naive gets Mega Salamence the Speed boost it needs to outspeed Raikou, Adamant Mega Salamence, and Latios, all threats Mega Salamence likes to damage. On the other hand, Rash makes Draco Meteor even more powerful.
Usage Tips
========
The early-game is when Mega Salamence often does its best. Use Draco Meteor and Fire Blast to hit unsuspecting walls, potentially letting you gain control of the match early. Hyper Voice may seem like a good move to use early-game, but it reveals your surprise early without a big hit, so only do this against more offensive teams or in the mid-game. If you see Fairy-types on your opponent's team, consider using Double-Edge as you predict them to switch in, or use Fire Blast to grab a OHKO on Mawile switch-ins.
This Mega Salamence focuses far more on opening up holes for your sweepers rather than attempting to sweep the opposing team as a whole. Because of this, feel free to sacrifice Mega Salamence once it has done its job. Also note that its base forme can get great mileage out of Intimidate before Mega Evolving. Non-Mega Salamence has base 110 Special Attack as well, so if your opponent's remaining Pokemon are slower than Salamence, feel free to pick them off with Salamence before Mega Evolving if you feel that Intimidate still has some utility.
While this Mega Salamence set focuses on breaking down walls that sweeper sets have trouble with, Porygon2 and Cresselia are still huge problems for this set, so feel free to bench Mega Salamence if Team Preview isn't looking healthy for Mega Salamence.
Team Options
========
Stealth Rock support from bulky users such as Tyranitar, Hippowdon, and Swampert is highly recommended, as with Stealth Rock set, the switches Mega Salamence forces will create even more offensive pressure on the opposing team.
Because Mega Salamence is all about opening up new sweeping opportunities, it's best to pair it with sweepers such as Scizor, Tyranitar, Gyarados, Blaziken, and Talonflame, which like physical walls such as Hippowdon, Skarmory, and Zapdos weakened or KOed.
Note that some walls such as Cresselia and Porygon2 can still tank Mega Salamence's attacks, so preparing for them is a good idea. Substitute + Toxic Aegislash is a great partner, as it deals with Cresselia and makes for an excellent Porygon2 lure. Dragon Dance or Taunt Tyranitar can be a huge pain for them, and neither of them likes dealing with Swords Dance Scizor with Roost or Knock Off. Ferrothorn is a nice, bulky alternative that can support Mega Salamence with Leech Seed and Thunder Wave, especially if it manages to paralyze mixed Blaziken or Mega Lopunny.
[SET]
name: Toxicmence
move 1: Toxic
move 2: Substitute
move 3: Roost
move 4: Double-Edge / Return
item: Salamencite
ability: Intimidate
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
This set is based around using Mega Salamence's good bulk to surprise its usual checks. Toxic does a great job of crippling common defensive switch-ins such as Cresselia, Porygon2, Zapdos, and Hippowdon, and it also forces Suicune and Rotom-W to use Rest earlier than they want to. Substitute is important to prevent Salamence from getting crippled by status moves and makes Mega Salamence much harder to revenge kill in general. Roost gives Mega Salamence much-needed staying power and reduces its 4x Ice-type weakness to 2x on the turn it's used, giving Mega Salamence the potential to outstall Porygon2, Cresselia, and Zapdos!
The last slot is for Mega Salamence's offensive option. Double-Edge may seem like an odd move to use on a more defensive set due to the recoil, but it still packs a good punch thanks to its high Base Power and this Mega Salamence is less vulnerable to recoil thanks to Roost; however, if you're still worried about the recoil, Return is a reasonable alternative, exchanging brute force for even more staying power.
Set Details
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Mega Salamence will usually want maximum HP investment to take Ice Beams and physical attacks. Maximum Speed with a Jolly nature allows Mega Salamence to outspeed Raikou, which often carries Hidden Power Ice, and at least Speed tie with opposing Mega Salamence.
Usage Tips
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Against teams that have obvious Salamence checks that you'll want to lure out, you'll usually want to use Substitute against threats Mega Salamence scares out, such as Mega Blaziken, Choice-locked Ground-types, and Grass-types. This keeps the rest of the set shrouded in mystery, giving Mega Salamence a better chance to Toxic its targets.
When facing certain status targets such as Porygon2 and Cresselia, you'll be faced with a bit of a mind game if you want to stall them for more damage: whether to use Substitute against their status moves or Roost against their Ice-type attacks. It can be risky, but stalling them with Toxic damage can open up holes for sweepers. Regardless of the risk, this Salamence set is built to last, so only sacrifice it when it could open up the potential for a sweep.
Team Options
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Because this Mega Salamence is a great lure, using Pokemon that appreciate walls such as Porygon2 and Cresselia being taken care of is highly recommended. Great teammates to consider include Greninja, Swords Dance Talonflame, physical Blaziken, Sand Rush Excadrill, Mamoswine, and Azumarill.
Because Flying-type attacks are Mega Salamence's only means of attacking, Steel-types such as Mega Mawile, Heatran, Skarmory, and Klefki are far bigger problems than usual. Additionally, the bigger focus on defense means that Sylveon and Azumarill present more problems than usual. Finally, Suicune is still fully capable of walling Mega Salamence with Rest. Mamoswine is an excellent teammate against Mega Mawile, Klefki, and Heatran and appreciates Porygon2 and Cresselia being crippled. Excadrill provides similar benefits but also has a STAB Iron Head to take out Sylveon. Gliscor also does fairly well against Klefki and Mega Mawile and outspeeds Heatran; however, Fire-type attacks do plenty of damage to it. A Heatran of your own does a great job of taking care of most Steel-types as well. Rotom-W does a great job against Heatran and Azumarill and can use Will-O-Wisp to cripple Mega Mawile in emergencies. If you aren't as concerned about Azumarill and Suicune, Rotom-H does an admirable job as well, taking care of Mega Mawile and more safely being able to Trick Sylveon a Choice Scarf. Finally, if you are especially worried about Suicune, Pokemon such as Calm Mind Raikou, Serperior, and Breloom are good teammates.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
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Thrash is a decent alternative to Double-Edge, losing the recoil but instead locking Salamence in. Moxie can be used to let Salamence get a free Attack boost before it Mega Evolves, but Intimidate is usually better for giving Mega Salamence more setup opportunities. Finally, a set with Choice Scarf and Moxie makes Salamence a unique revenge killer, but it has severe problems with Fairy-types, making other revenge killers a better choice most of the time.
Checks and Counters
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**Defensive Ice-type Move Users**: Porygon2, Cresselia, Zapdos (with Hidden Power Ice), Suicune, and Mega Slowbro all survive a +1 Double-Edge and can severely damage Mega Salamence with Ice Beam. However, those that don't run Rest must be wary of the Toxic set.
**Fast Special Attackers**: Greninja, Mega Manectric, and, if Mega Salamence hasn't Mega Evolved yet or has an Adamant nature, Latios can all revenge kill Mega Salamence before it sets up Dragon Dance. Focus Sash Greninja in particular can even revenge kill a boosted Mega Salamence!
**Mamoswine**: Mamoswine gets hit hard by Mega Salamence's STAB attacks, but it can easily pick off a weakened Mega Salamence with Ice Shard. Choice Scarf sets can outright outspeed and OHKO Mega Salamence with Icicle Spear, which not even Substitute can save it from.
**Weavile**: Weavile can't take a hit from any of Mega Salamence's attacks, but it outspeeds Mega Salamence and can OHKO it with Icicle Crash, and it can revenge kill weakened boosted ones with Ice Shard as well.
**Mega Mawile**: Mawile takes a ton of damage from Earthquake and Fire Blast, but it can use Intimidate to switch in on a setup move or Double-Edge and OHKO with Play Rough after Mega Evolving.
**Will-O-Wisp**: Most Will-O-Wisp users, such as Rotom-W, Rotom-H, and Mega Sableye, take a huge amount of damage from boosted attacks but can cripple Mega Salamence if it isn't carrying Facade or Substitute.
**Thundurus and Klefki**: Even bulky Thundurus and Klefki take a lot of damage from Mega Salamence, but they can use their priority Thunder Wave to stop a Mega Salamence sweep, and both happen to resist its main STAB attack.
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