A Guide To Mega Evolution

Valmanway

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Mega Garchomp and Mega Gardevoir by Aragorn the King


So this article will be about the Mega Evolutions of Pokemon, how the Mega Evolution plays differently from its original form, which form is better and why, which sets to use, and if the original form is still worth using over its Mega Evolution.

Introduction:

Pokemon X/Y brought us the power of Mega Evolution, which has made some Pokemon much more viable in OU, while it was simply equipment added to strength for others. But either way, Mega Evolution has certainly become a very significant and almost centralizing aspect in the metagame, and it's very easy to see why. With several Pokemon being top tier threats that happen to be Mega Evolutions, such as Mega Charizard X, Mega Sableye, Mega Alakazam, and Mega Metagross, it's all too clear that Mega Evolutions have really defined the metagame. But Mega Evolutions aren't flawless, as they do have two restrictions that prevent them from becoming broken. First, you're only allowed to have one Mega Evolution on your team. This means you can't have a whole team of Mega Evolutions sweeping your opponent; you have to decide which of the Mega Evolutions you want on your team, and then you have to stick with it the whole match. And second, a Mega Evolution can't hold an item, since they're already holding their Mega Stone, so no Choice Band for Mega Scizor, no Life Orb for Mega Charizard X, and no Black Sludge for Mega Venusaur. This guide will hopefully give you some insight on how every Mega Evolution fares in OU, as well as seeing if Mega Evolution makes a bad Pokemon worth using.

Mega Venusaur:



Pros:
  • Great 80 / 123 / 120 defenses, as well as a respectable base 122 Special Attack
  • Has a good defensive presence thanks to a good typing, Thick Fat removing two weaknesses, and a Toxic immunity
  • Has several methods of regaining health, so it has good longevity
  • Has a good 122 base Special Attack to hit hard with if needed

Cons:
  • Needs a turn to Mega Evolve, so it can't switch into Fire- and Ice-type moves straight away
  • Limited recovery
  • Weak to Flying- and Psychic-type moves
  • Defensive set is very passive

Mega Venusaur is such a good tank thanks to its typing, as it not only blesses it with a Toxic immunity, but it also grants it resistances to Fighting-, Water-, Electric-, Grass-, and Fairy-type moves, and Thick Fat rids it of its Fire and Ice weaknesses. This, combined with its respectable 80 / 123 / 120 defenses, lets it easily wall some big names in OU, including Keldeo, Azumarill, Weavile, Landorus-T, and Mega Manectric. Its movepool is also good, with useful tools like Knock Off, Synthesis, Sleep Powder, and Leech Seed, as well as more offensive moves like Giga Drain, Sludge Bomb, and Earthquake to avoid being too passive.

Sadly, Mega Venusaur has plenty of flaws keeping it at bay. Much like most other Mega Evolutions, Venusaur needs to find the opportunity to Mega Evolve, but this weighs especially against Mega Venusaur due to its multiple weaknesses and weaker defenses before Mega Evolving. Even after Mega Evolving, Mega Venusaur still has to deal with its flawed recovery, since Synthesis is drastically nerfed when in the rain or sand and Leech Seed is a slow process, meaning its staying power is limited. Its weaknesses to Flying- and Psychic-type moves leaves it open to Mega Alakazam, Hoopa-U, Latios, Talonflame, Tornadus-T, Mega Gardevoir, and Mega Medicham, making it easy to find an answer to her. Finally, its defensive set is very passive, since nearly every Steel-type can get a free switch and do as they please.

Is The Original Still Worth Using?: Venusaur can be used as a Chlorophyll sweeper, and it's actually not bad at what it does. Having good defenses, decent power, usable movepool, and Growth can make Venusaur a powerful sweeper. The only real flaws here are its lack of good sun setters for teammates, as Mega Charizard Y can't hold a Heat Rock and everything else has no business setting up sun in OU, and being easily revenge killed by Talonflame. Regular Venusaur isn't going to be a common sight, but it does have its uses. Limited uses, but uses nonetheless.

Mega Charizard X:



Pros:
  • One of the most powerful Dragon Dancers in OU
  • Has a unique Fire / Dragon typing that provides near perfect neutral coverage
  • Has several good sets that function differently from each other
  • Tough Claws makes up for the lack of an item

Cons:
  • Has a 4x Stealth Rock weakness before Mega Evolving, and a 2x weakness after
  • Loses immunity to Spikes and Ground-type moves

Where do I even begin with this one? Mega Charizard X has so much to offer; nearly perfect neutral coverage in its dual STABs, setup moves in Dragon Dance, Swords Dance, and Tailwind, recovery in Roost, and an immunity to burns. its stats are also very good, with base 130 Attack and base 100 Speed to sweep teams after a boost, and 78 / 111 / 85 defenses give it some setup opportunities. It's true that Mega Evolutions can't hold items, but Tough Claws gives it a huge power-up, so it can pack one hell of a punch. But its defensive set is nothing to scoff at either, as it can use Will-O-Wisp to burn would-be switch-ins like Azumarill, Tyranitar, Landorus-T, and Mega Altaria.

Mega Charizard X certainly sounds like a menace, but it has some serious shortcomings that prevent it from completely dominating OU. For one, its Stealth Rock weakness limits its switch-in opportunities, especially before Mega Evolving while it's 4x weak to Rock, and its vulnerability to Spikes and Ground-type moves after Mega Evolving make this problem worse, so a hazard remover and an answer to Ground-types is mandatory when teambuilding.

Mega Charizard Y:




Pros:
  • Has Drought to make Fire-type moves hit exceptionally hard
  • Can wallbreak teams fairly easily with one of the highest Special Attack stats in the tier
  • Has good coverage options in Solar Beam and Focus Blast
  • Drought temporarily removes Water weakness

Cons:
  • Has a 4x weakness to Stealth Rock
  • Lacks a stat boosting move for Special Attack
  • Drought is temporary, and will nerf any Water-types on your team

While not quite as popular as Mega Charizard X, Mega Charizard Y is still quite the threat to face in battle. Thanks to Drought, Mega Charizard Y has an intimidating offensive presence, especially when backed by base 159 Special Attack and Fire Blast; even most Pokemon that resist Fire-type moves will lose large chunks of their health. Drought also has the benefit of reducing the power of Water-type moves, thus temporarily removing its Water weakness, so Pokemon that would normally threaten Mega Charizard Y, such as Keldeo, Azumarill, and Manaphy, will miss out on would-be OHKOes. Solar Beam and Focus Blast are great coverage moves, threatening the Water- and Rock-types that would threaten Mega Charizard Y, respectively.

Mega Charizard Y is not without its faults, though. First, it has a 4x Stealth Rock weakness to constantly worry about, meaning hazard removal support is absolutely mandatory. Second, it lacks a move to boost its Special Attack, so if it can't 2HKO a wall that has recovery, then he'll get stalled out. And third, Drought is temporary, which means it'll lose its use for Solarbeam, its Fire-type moves will see a noticeable drop in power, and it'll be weak to Water-type moves again.

Is The Original Still Worth Using?: Charizard has no practical use over anything available in OU. If you wish to succeed in OU, either use the Mega Evolution or just stay away.

Mega Blastoise:



Pros:
  • Mega Launcher makes moves like Dark Pulse, Aura Sphere, and Water Pulse very powerful
  • Mega Launcher Dark Pulse gives it a niche as a Rapid Spinner that can hit Ghost-types super effectively
  • Has well rounded offenses and defenses
  • Has a good typing

Cons:
  • Lacks recovery of any kind
  • Has a low Speed stat, often taking a hit before delivering one

Mega Blastoise is an interesting case, as it seems to have the makings of a truly good Rapid Spinner. Between its great 135 base Special Attack and rather impressive 79 / 120 / 115 defenses, it's quite clear that it can take a hit and retaliate hard. Sadly, the problem with using it is its lack of any form of recovery. It can take hits pretty well, but having no form of recovery is a painful sight, especially when looking at those solid defenses. Its vulnerability to burns and Toxic don't help the cause either, and being vulnerable to every hazard is even worse.

But despite all this, Mega Blastoise still has some usefulness on teams, since it can tank hits well and OHKO the likes of Bisharp, Excadrill, Talonflame, and Terrakion, and can threaten walls such as support Tyranitar, Ferrothorn, Heatran, Hippowdon, Landorus-T, Latias, Gliscor, and Skarmory. Its resistances to Ice-, Water-, Fire-, and Steel-type moves are also very convenient, and its niche as a Rapid Spinner that can beat out most Ghost-types isn't unnoticed.

Is The Original Still Worth Using?: Blastoise has no practical use over anything available in OU. If you wish to succeed in OU, either use the Mega Evolution or just stay away.

Mega Beedrill:



Pros:

  • Has an amazing base 145 Speed to sweep and a massive base base 150 Attack to hit with
  • Adaptability makes its STABs very powerful
  • Powerful U-turns let it hit hard and retreat

Cons:

  • Poison / Bug coverage is awful, forcing to use weak coverage moves in Drill Run and Brick Break
  • Nonexistent stats before Mega Evolving and horrible defenses regardless force Mega Beedrill to run Protect and waste a moveslot
  • Being forced to use U-turn makes Stealth Rock a huge problem
Mega Beedrill is quite possibly the very personification of "kill or be killed". First, Mega Beedrill boasts a sizable base 150 Attack, which is already rather impressive, but also comes packed with Adaptability, making its STABs Poison Jab and U-turn into 160 BP and 140 BP attacks, respectively. U-turn is especially notable in this case, as not only is Mega Beedrill the strongest user of it, but it also makes Mega Beedrill difficult to hit for slower Pokemon. Speaking of its Speed, it rests at a very impressive base 145, meaning even speed demons like Mega Manectric and Mega Lopunny fail to keep up.

Though this offensive ability seems phenomenal at first, it's flaws are gaping. While its Adaptability attacks are naturally powerful, Poison/Bug coverage is easily walled by Steel-types, meaning it must run either Drill Run or Brick Break to threaten them, both of which are somewhat weak moves. Mega Beedrill also has to deal with mediocre Speed before Mega Evolving, and its pitiful defenses aren't improved after Mega Evolving either, leaving it vulnerable to bulky attackers. But the final nail in the coffin is how often if switches, leaving vulnerable to all hazards, including a weakness to Stealth Rock.

Is The Original Still Worth Using?: Beedrill has no practical use over anything available in OU. If you wish to succeed in OU, either use the Mega Evolution or just stay away.

Mega Pidgeot:



Pros:

  • Excellent base 121 Speed to outpace many unboosted Pokemon, as well as a decent base 135 Special Attack to deal damage
  • No Guard allows Mega Pidgeot to use Hurricane with no worries of missing
  • Has a passable movepool that includes Heat Wave, U-turn, Roost, and Work Up

Cons:

  • Has severe competition from Tornadus-T, as it has several similar qualities, but Tornadus-T doesn't have as much of an opportunity cost
  • Weak to Stealth Rock
  • Outran by several common Mega Evolutions, as well as some other non-Mega Evolutions, such as Weavile and Sand Rush/Swift Swim sweepers

When looking for sweepers, Mega Pidgeot usually isn't the first to come to mind, but is still one that can easily sweep unprepared teams. Mega Pidgeot's biggest quality is its ability to fire off perfectly accurate Hurricanes thanks to No Guard, which is often the reason why people use it in the first place, as having a reliable 110 BP move makes up for its base 135 Special Attack which is middling without an item to boost its power. But Mega Pidgeot also has some tools to make its job easier, such as Heat Wave to threaten Steel-types, U-turn to maintain offensive momentum and punish switches, Roost to heal off any damage received, and even Work-Up to do a little wallbreaking in the case of emergencies as well as make late-game sweeps a bit easier.

Of course, Mega Pidgeot gets stiff competition from opposing sweepers and revenge killers due to their greater natural Speed, such as Weavile, Mega Manectric, Mega Lopunny, and Mega Alakazam. Being weak to Stealth Rock is also pretty bad when repeatedly revenge killing and U-turns, as it cuts down on Mega Pidgeot's valuable switch-in opportunities. Mega Pidgeot also faces fierce competition from Tornadus-T, which has the same Speed tier, much greater power thanks to a Life Orb, doesn't cost the team its Mega Evolution, and can actually threaten Rock-types with its Fighting coverage. While perfectly accurate Hurricanes with No Guard are a nice luxury, a little rain can make this happen as well, making Mega Pidgeot's place in OU somewhat niche.

Is The Original Still Worth Using?: Pidgeot has no practical use over anything available in OU. If you wish to succeed in OU, either use the Mega Evolution or just stay away.

Mega Alakazam:



Pros:
  • Base 150 Speed is one of the highest natural Speed stats in the game, and base 175 Special Attack is incredible
  • Trace can copy abilities and allow safe switch-ins, gaining immunities or resistances to attack types, or power up its moves
  • Passable movepool with good coverage

Cons:
  • If it fails to KO the opponent, it may get KOed due to bad defenses
  • Very predictable
  • Vulnerable to priority

Mega Alakazam is a very potent threat in OU, and should never be taken lightly. For one, Mega Alakazam has one of the highest base Speed stats in the game, as well as a monumental base 175 Special Attack, thus posing a threat to offense. Trace is the real selling point though, as it allows Mega Alakazam to revenge kill, sweep, and possibly even switch into Pokemon in ways that would otherwise be impossible, or at least very dangerous. For example, Mega Alakazam can switch into Heatran's Fire-type moves by copying Flash Fire and revenge kill Excadrill by copying Sand Rush. Its movepool, while small, is just enough to threaten the tier, with Psyshock to wear down special walls, Focus Blast to bust down Dark-, and Steel-types, Shadow Ball to threaten Psychic-types, and Encore to cripple setup sweepers and walls.

Sadly, losing Magic Guard to ignore passive damage like Toxic and Stealth Rock is a shame, and having to stay in a turn to Mega Evolve is a gamble, since if Mega Alakazam fails to KO its target, then it has to take a hit, and its bad 55 / 65 / 95 defenses usually fail it unless taking resisted hits. A vulnerability to priority makes these meager defenses even more exploitable, with good examples being Talonflame, Bisharp, and Choice Band Scizor; it's worth noting that the latter two carry Pursuit, so they can potentially trap Mega Alakazam. Mega Alakazam is also fairly easy to read, as it's one set has little variation to it, so approaching it isn't a strenuous challenge when you have a counter.

Is The Original Still Worth Using?:

While Mega Alakazam is the better of the two by a good margin, regular Alakazam is still a very viable Pokemon. Base 120 Speed is very good, base 135 Special Attack with a Life Orb lets it hit slightly harder than Mega Alakazam, and Magic Guard is incredibly useful for keeping its health up by ignoring Life Orb recoil and hazards. The Focus Sash set also benefits greatly from Magic Guard, as it lets Alakazam revenge kill very reliably.

Mega Slowbro:



Pros:

  • One of the physically bulkiest Pokemon available in the game
  • Great resistances to Fighting-, Fire-, Ice-, Water-, and Psychic-type moves
  • Has a high base 130 Special Attack stat to not be complete setup bait
  • A wide movepool that includes good moves like Scald, Psyshock, Slack Off, Calm Mind, Flamethrower, Ice Beam, and Trick Room

Cons:

  • Base 80 Special Defense is only passable at best, as powerful special attackers can easily take advantage of it
  • Shell Armor is a nearly useless ability
  • Weak to Electric-, Dark-, Ghost-, and Bug-type moves
  • Is one of the slowest relevant walls in OU, which leaves it outran by nearly everything, even most opposing walls

When looking for physical bulk, Mega Slowbro is one of the first Pokemon to come to mind, and for good reason. Mega Slowbro is one of the most physically bulky Pokemon in the game, as it sports a respetable base 95 HP and a monumental base 180 Defense; that can reach up to 504 Defense with max investment! As if this weren't enough physical bulk, Mega Slowbro has Slack Off for good recovery and comes packed with great resistances to Fire-, Ice-, Fighting-, Water-, and Psychic-type moves, letting it tank a wide array of physical sweepers and even some wallbreakers. But Mega Slowbro isn't just a punching bag that winds up being setup bait, as it sports a hefty base 130 Special Attack to defend itself with, as well as some great offensive options like Calm Mind, Psyshock, Scald, Flamethrower, Ice Beam, and Grass Knot.

But while Mega Slowbro is a spectacular physical wall, its meager base 80 Special Defense leaves it targeted by special attackers. Mega Slowbro is also weak to some common offensive types like Electric, Dark, Ghost, and Bug, several of these offensive types usually being used by special attackers. While Shell Armor has its uses with setup sets, critical hit immunity is a negligible and often forgotten quality, which also makes approaching Mega Slowbro somewhat easy compared to some other walls. But perhaps the biggest flaw is just how slow Mega Slowbro is, as even though this poor Speed has its uses on Trick Room teams (and it can set up Trick Room on its own), outside of such teams, Mega Slowbro is almost always being outsped by offensive Pokemon with few exceptions, and even most defensive Pokemon can outrun it.

Is The Original Still Worth Using?:

Mega Pinsir:



Pros:
  • Has one of the highest Attack stats in the game
  • Aerialate powers up Return and Quick Attack
  • Has good coverage options with Earthquake and Close Combat
  • Has great bulk to set up
Cons:

  • Has a 2x Stealth Rock weakness before Mega Evolving, and a 4x weakness after
  • 105 base Speed isn't slow, but it's slower than many common sweepers
  • Has common weakness in Fire, Ice, Electric, and Flying

Mega Pinsir is one of the most fearsome sweepers to face, and is a threat that teams must have an answer to. Sporting a massive 155 base Attack and having access to Swords Dance is such a beautiful combination, and that decent 105 base Speed lets it outrun some pretty dangerous threats, such as Landorus, Garchomp without a Choice Scarf, and Charizard. Its power is further boosted by Aerialate, which acts as a Life Orb for Normal-type moves and changes them to Flying-type moves, so factoring STAB and Aerialate, Quick Attack is now a 72 BP priority attack to sweep offensive teams, while Return becomes an amazing wallbreaking move backed by a whopping 199 BP! As if that wasn't enough, it also gets Earthquake to deal with most Rock- and Steel-types that would hope to switch into a Flying-type move.

However, its Stealth Rock weakness is an ever looming problem that desperately requires Rapid Spin/Defog support, since losing half its health with every switch-in severely restricts its opportunities to set up. It also has some Speed problems, since, despite 105 being a decent Speed tier, there are faster sweepers that can take a Quick Attack and OHKO it back, such as Mega Diancie, Choice Scarf Landorus-T, Mega Manectric, Choice Scarf Tyranitar, and Raikou. Furthermore, its defensive typing also leaves it with some nasty Fire, Electric, Ice, and Flying weaknesses, and despite gaining some pretty solid defenses, they won't hold when taking hits backed by STAB.

Is The Original Still Worth Using?:

Absolutely not. Regular Pinsir may have Moxie and Mold Breaker, but these are far from worth giving up Mega Pinsir. Its Speed is rather bad, and Choice Scarf sets are stopped fairly easily with Fairy-types running around. You COULD fake a player out and pretend that you have Mega Pinsir when yoy actually have another Mega Pokemon, such as Gyarados or Scizor, but such a tactic can easily backfire. Honestly, just use Mega Pinsir.

Mega Gyarados:



Pros:
  • Has a different typing from its regular form, creating mindgames before Mega Evolving
  • Has an excellent 155 base Attack and usable base 81 Speed
  • Has Mold Breaker to ignore certain abilities
  • Having Intimidate before Mega Evolving can create more setup opportunities

Cons:
  • Has multiple weaknesses, including a Stealth Rock weakness before Mega Evolving
  • Mindgames before Mega Evolving can backfire
  • Faces competition from Mega Tyranitar and Mega Charizard X

Mega Gyarados is one of the bulkiest Dragon Dance sweepers in the game, and hits quite hard as well. Thanks to 95 / 109 / 130 defenses, Mega Gyarados can easily find the chance to set up a Dragon Dance or two and proceed to sweep with a massive 155 base Attack stat and decent base 81 Speed. Mega Gyarados is different from most other Mega Evolutions for two reasons. First, Mold Breaker lets it act more freely, such as using Earthquake to ignore Levitators and ignoring Unaware to threaten Quagsire and Clefable. And second, Mega Gyarados is one of the few commonly seen Mega Evolutions that has a type change from its original form, meaning you can create mindgames before Mega Evolving, so you can possibly trick the enemy into using Earthquake when you still have a Flying typing, Mega Evolve to get rid of your Rock weakness, etc... Plus, Gyarados can run Intimidate before Mega Evolving, which can provide safe setup opportunities against a wide variety of physical attackers.

But when looking into Dragon Dancers, it has a good deal of competition, since Mega Altaria has a better defensive typing and recovery, while Mega Charizard X has both more Speed and Tough Claws. Attempting to play mindgames can also work against you, such as Conkeldurr counter-predicting you and going for Thunder Punch instead of Drain Punch. The Dark typing leaves it with three additional weaknesses, two of which replace resistances to Fighting- and Bug-type moves, meaning Pokemon like Azumarill, Keldeo, and Mega Altaria give it a hard time.

Is The Original Still Worth Using?:

Regular Gyarados may not be as good as its Mega Evolution, but it's still plenty viable when you already have a Pokemon that Mega Evolves on your team. Intimidate and the ability to hold Leftovers means that Substitute and support sets do better in the long run, carving a niche of sorts over its Mega Evolution. Offensively, Moxie Gyarados can surprise opponents that expect Mega Gyarados, and is still a fairly viable threat. But if you can, it's greatly advised to just use Mega Gyarados over the original.

Mega Aerodactyl:



Pros:
  • Has Tough Claws to power up its good coverage options, which include Fire Fang, Aqua Tail, and Iron Head
  • Very high base 150 Speed after Mega Evolving, and base 130 Speed before

Cons:
  • Has several exploitable weaknesses, including a Stealth Rock weakness
  • Most moves powered up by Tough Claws have low power to begin with, including Aerial Ace as it's only good Flying-type move
  • Has lackluster defenses before Mega Evolving

Mega Aerodactyl's worth in OU is questionable at times, but rest assured, Mega Aerodactyl can do its job just fine. What first catches the eyes of many is its blistering 150 base Speed, which lets it outspeed a wide variety of sweepers and revenge killers, such as Tornadus-T, Weavile, Mega Manectric, Mega Sceptile, and Mega Beedrill. Tough Claws is also a very useful ability to have, giving Mega Aerodactyl a usable Flying-type move in Aerial Ace, as well as powering up most of its good coverage moves, such as Aqua Tail, Iron Head, and Fire Fang.

Unfortunately, Aerodactyl still has some major issues that hinder its performance. First off, being weak to Stealth Rock is never a good thing, and having weaknesses to Water-, Steel-, Ice-, and Electric-type moves leaves it with few safe switches, and having some rather mediocre bulk before Mega Evolving makes getting a chance to Mega Evolve challenging at times. While Tough Claws powers up some of its coverage options, they're generally not too strong to begin with, such as the elemental fangs and Aerial Ace, and some of its strongest moves, such as Stone Edge and Earthquake, aren't powered up, limiting its power somewhat.

Is The Original Still Worth Using?:

Some people could argue that regular Aerodactyl still has some merit to being used, but this is very limited use, mind you. Aerodactyl can work as a Focus Sash suicide lead that can lay down Stealth Rock and Taunt the opposing lead. However, the suicide lead is used purely for the surprise factor, as regular Aerodactyl should never go offensive, whether or not your team already has a Mega Evolution. Besides, Aerodactyl can't really leave much of an impression after fainting, as it's easy to remove hazards. Unless you want to surprise some people, just use Mega Aerodactyl.

Mega Ampharos:



Pros:
  • Has excellent neutral coverage with its STABs alone
  • Has great bulk for taking hits
  • Has an incredible base 165 Special Attack to hammer foes with
  • Has a niche as a powerful Trick Room sweeper
  • Is the slowest user of Volt Switch, which can create some advantageous switches
Cons:
  • Has miserably low Speed, both before and after Mega Evolving
  • Has several commonplace weaknesses
  • Has a very situational ability
  • Very one dimensional, as it lacks recovery and only has Agility as a boosting move

Mega Ampharos has a tough time standing out in OU, and it's pretty easy to see why. Its low Speed is simply atrocious, both before and after Mega Evolving, meaning it's always going last against teams with any kind of Speed; even some defensive Pokemon such as Chansey, Sylveon, and Clefable can outspeed and threaten it. Its defensive typing leaves it with four weaknesses to Ground, Dragon, Ice, and Fairy, meaning teams almost always have a way to easily threaten Mega Ampharos out. Mold Breaker, while allowing it to hurt Pokemon with Volt absorb and Lightningrod, has no use anywhere else, meaning it's often without an ability. Finally, Ampharos is a very one dimensional Pokemon, as its all-out attacker set is its best chance at threatening teams, and even though it has Agility, it has to run a Timid nature just to match Choice Scarfed base 76's, and you have to factor in the loss of power when running a Timid nature, especially considering the fact that Mega Ampharos can't hold an item, such as a Life Orb.

But it would simply be a false statement if you said Mega Ampharos doesn't have some positives that can allow it to survive in OU. While very slow, it more often than not can live a hit and retaliate accordingly, and being the slowest Volt Switcher in the game usually guarantees safe switches for teammates. Offensively speaking, Mega Ampharos has an incredible 165 base Special Attack, as well as excellent neutral coverage with just its STABs alone, with only Excadrill, Magnezone, and Ferrothorn resisting the coverage, all of which are promptly taken care of by Focus Blast. Due to its terrible Speed, it makes for a fairly good Trick Room sweeper, as it can easily threaten offensive teams with high power and good bulk.

Is The Original Still Worth Using?:

Ampharos should only ever be used for its Mega Evolution. Regular Ampharos has very little to no place in OU, and should never be used on a serious team.

Mega Scizor:



Pros:
  • Has great power and very solid defenses
  • Has a great defensive typing with only one weakness
  • Has useful moves, such as Roost, Swords Dance, and Defog
  • Technician makes up for the lack of strong STAB attacks, and provides a very power priority move
Cons:
  • Is drastically hindered by burns
  • Has very few coverage options
  • His only weakness is a 4x weakness to Fire, a common offensive type

Mega Scizor is one of the more threatening Mega Evolutions that OU has to offer, and has many qualities that let it excel in OU. First, its stats are exceptional, with what seems like buffs everywhere, from getting 150 base Attack, to getting 140 / 100 defenses, to getting 75 base Speed, Scizor got a well rounded buff to its stats. Its excellent defensive typing of Bug / Steel grants it a plethora of resistances at the cost of one weakness, granting it a good amount of matchups. Mega Scizor also has a method to preserve its excellent bulk in Roost, a way to increase its already destructive power to insane levels with Swords Dance, and can support its team with Defog, so Mega Scizor has a lot of flexibility. Mega Scizor has a good STAB in Bullet Punch which is powered up by Technician, as well as coverage moves in Knock Off and Superpower to hit a wide variety of Pokemon.

However, Mega Scizor does have difficulty setting up when the opponent still has a Fire-type and/or a means of inflicting burns, and with Gengar, Rotom-W, Keldeo, Slowbro, Heatran, and both Mega Charizards as common as they are, Mega Scizor will need a good deal of team support. Mega Scizor also lacks any good STAB attacks outside of Bullet Punch and U-turn, somewhat limiting its effectiveness. Defensive sets are also very passive considering the lack of coverage, with notable setup sweepers including Mega Charizard X, Manaphy, Excadrill, Keldeo, and Talonflame.

Is The Original Still Worth Using?:

Scizor is a Pokemon that's completely outclassed by its Mega Evolution, though still has its uses on a team. For example, if your team already has a Mega Evolution, then Scizor can still be a good choice, since it can run most sets that Mega Scizor can, and unlike Mega Scizor, can use a Choice Band for immediately powerful attacks. But if your team lacks a Mega Evolution when you decide to add Scizor to it, then unless you want to use the Choice Band set, you really should just use Mega Scizor.

Mega Heracross:



Pros:
  • Has one of the highest Attack stats in the game resting at base 185 Attack, as well as some of the strongest STABs to use it with
  • Has solid 85 / 115 / 105 defenses to tank hits
  • Skill Link makes Pin Missile, Rock Blast, and Bullet Seed into both powerful and reliable attacks
  • Has Swords Dance to more easily wallbreak
Cons:
  • Has common weaknesses to Fire-, Fairy-, and Flying-type moves, with the latter being a 4x weakness
  • Speed decreases after Mega Evolution
  • Is very vulnerable to burns

When looking for a wallbreaker to add to the team, Mega Heracross is the first, or at least one of the first, Pokemon that comes to mind, and this is for a few good reasons. First and foremost, Mega Heracross has even more Attack than Deoxys-A, sitting at a gargantuan base 185, which is always the eye catcher for people just learning about it. To go along with that incredible power, Mega Heracross also has rather impressive bulk combined with several resistances, allowing it to take a few hits before going down. With Skill Link, Mega Heracross is able to use Pin Missile over Megahorn and Rock Blast over Stone Edge, both of which are stronger and more accurate than the moves that they replace. As if this wasn't enough, Mega Heracross also has access to Swords Dance, thus diminishing any hopes at walling it without using someone with Unaware. All of this makes Mega Heracross one of the most feared wallbreakers in the entire game, and is one of the reasons that stall teams don't do too well these days.

But Mega Heracross has some very fatal shortcomings that prevent it from being a top tier threat. Being weak to Flying-, Fire-, Fairy-, and Psychic-type moves can really downplay its solid defenses, and with the likes of Talonflame, Latios, Mega Diancie, and Charizard as common as they are, Mega Heracross will often be forced out, which means hazards are an issue. Losing out on Speed after Mega Evolving can also affect its performance, as Mega Heracross fails to outspeed the likes of Gallade, Gardevoir, and Medicham even before they Mega Evolve, as well as Mega Altaria, Mega Venusaur, Hoopa-U, and Gyarados, all of which can threaten Mega Heracross nicely. While its Attack is massive, Will-O-Wisp and Scald are massive problems, since a burned Mega Heracross is a useless one.

Is The Original Still Worth Using?:

Whenever I mention that Mega Heracross is vulnerable to burns, some people may be annoyed by the fact that I never mentioned Heracross having Guts before Mega Evolving. This is because it wouldn't make sense to bring up Gut since Mega Heracross doesn't get this ability, which might confuse some readers. Anyways, Heracross can use Guts as its ability to punish those that throw burns around recklessly before it Mega Evolves, so it can hit noticeably harder than Mega Heracross. Guts is the reason why some people choose Megahorn and Stone Edge over Pin Missile and Rock Blast, respectively, as Heracross getting burned isn't all that bad. This power even tempts people to use a Toxic Orb set, as it acts as a nice status absorber as well as a powerful wallbreaker, though this set has situational use.

Mega Houndoom:



Pros:

  • Has a high base 115 Speed is great to outrun some common sweepers
  • Fire / Dark provides good neutral coverage
  • Immune to burns
  • Has useful moves like Taunt, Nasty Plot, Will-O-Wisp, and Destiny Bond to provide unique support
Cons:

  • Weak to several common offensive types, including Fighting, Rock, Water, and Ground
  • Somewhat frail, especially with a Stealth Rock weakness
  • Base 90 Speed before Mega Evolving is only useful for outrunning walls and most wallbreakers

Mega Houndoom is one of those risky Pokemon to use nowadays, as it has some great qualities but also some flaws that can't be overlooked. For the positives, Mega Houndoom sits at a very comfortable base 115 Speed, allowing it to outpace the base 110s that frequent the metagame, such as Mega Metagross, Latios, Gengar, and Mega Gallade, but also outruns some Pokemon above the base 110 threshold, like Thundurus and Serperior. Mega Houndoom also carries a unique Fire / Dark STAB combination, letting it super effectively damage sweepers and walls alike, with notable examples including but not being limited to: Ferrothorn, Latios, Mega Metagross, Mega Scizor, Gengar, Mew, Skarmory, Slowbro, Jirachi, and Klefki. This typing also gives it a slight advantage defensively, as it's immune to burns and Psychic-type moves, and resists Fire-, Ice-, Steel-, Ghost-, and Dark-type moves, potentially giving it an opportunity to Mega Evolve or set up against weaker attackers. Aside from its STAB attacks, Mega Houndoom also has access to Taunt to cripple walls, Will-O-Wisp to threaten physical switch-ins, Destiny Bond to potentially remove a counter, and Nasty Plot to crush walls.

While its offensive potential can seem very threatening, it has some serious flaws that keep it from being a relevant threat. While its defensive typing brings it unique benefits, it also burdens it with some crippling weaknesses, namely to Water-, Ground-, Fire-, Rock-, and Fighting-type moves, so Pokemon like Mega Altaria, Azumarill, Keldeo, Tyranitar, and Garchomp easily revenge kill Mega Houndoom. 75 / 90 / 90 defenses are rather middling, so Mega Houndoom can only switch into resisted attacks, but a Stealth Rock weakness makes switching in even more challenging. Finally, Houndoom has horrible stats before Mega Evolving, namely its awful 70 / 50 / 80 defenses and lacking base 90 Speed, meaning it not only must be switched in carefully, but also must be switched in against something it both outspeeds and KOes.

Is The Original Still Worth Using?: Houndoom has no practical use over anything available in OU. If you wish to succeed in OU, either use the Mega Evolution or just stay away.

Mega Tyranitar:



Pros:

  • Has gargantuan 100 / 150 / 120 defenses to set up with, making it the bulkiest Dragon Dancer in OU
  • Sand Stream gives it a way to wear down walls and gives it 50% more Special Defense
  • Dark / Rock STAB coverage is decent, despite being resisted by most Fighting-types
  • Has nifty resistances to Flying-, Normal-, Dark-, and Ghost-type moves, as well as a Psychic immunity
  • Good coverage moves in Ice Punch, Fire Punch, and Superpower to take out certain key threats with

Cons:

  • Rock / Dark leaves it weak to Fighting-, Ground-, Fairy-, Bug-, Water-, Grass-, and Steel-type moves
  • Base 71 Speed is very slow before boosting, and can't outrun base 135s and up even after one boost

Mega Tyranitar is a Pokemon with a lot of problems, but can demolish teams when given the right support. Mega Tyranitar has amazing 100 / 150 / 120 defenses, making it the bulkiest Dragon Dancer in OU, and having useful resistances to Flying-, Normal-, Ghost-, and Dark-type moves and a Psychic immunity can make setting up even easier. The sand caused by Sand Stream gives it 50% more Special Defense, making its defenses ludicrous, and can also chip away at the health of most Pokemon, making it harder to wall. Its STAB coverage is pretty solid, and its good coverage moves in Ice Punch, Fire Punch, and Superpower make it even harder to wall.

But Mega Tyranitar is heavily outclassed as a Dragon Dancer for several reasons. While its defenses are titanic, its 4x weakness to Fighting-type moves combined with its weaknesses to Ground-, Water-, Grass-, Bug-, Fairy-, and Steel-type moves dramatically devalues its bulk. Base 71 Speed makes it the slowest of all the viable Dragon Dancers in OU, as Mega Tyranitar fails to outspeed Pokemon with at least base 135 SPeed even when it's at +1.

Is The Original Still Worth Using?: While most Mega Evolutions are superior to their original forms, Tyranitar is one of the exceptions to this pattern. Its ability to hold items makes all the difference, since Smooth Rock lets it provide more turns for sand for Excadrill and the rest of its team, Choice Scarf acts as a useful revenge killer, and a Choice Band lets it bust down walls without needing to set up. So long story short, yes, Tyranitar is plenty usable.

Mega Sceptile:



Pros:

  • Has an incredible base 145 Speed, as well as 110 / 145 mixed offenses to compliment it
  • STAB Leaf Storm gives it a great revenge killing tool, with other notable moves including Dragon Pulse, Giga Drain, Earthquake, and Focus Blast
  • Lightningrod gives Mega Sceptile punishes the use of Electric-type moves

Cons:

  • Base 145 Special Attack isn't all that high without a boost, so Leaf Storm is the only way for it do deal sizable damage when the foe isn't weak to its coverage, and there's a large number of Pokemon that can resist Leaf Storm
  • Vulnerable to some priority moves like Ice Shard and Talonflame's Brave Bird

Mega Sceptile is one of the few sweepers in OU that doesn't fear Prankster Thunder Wave, which is a huge niche. This is thanks to its ability Lightningrod, which lets it freely switch into Electric-type moves, including Volt Switch, thus posing a threat of sorts to VolTurn cores. But Mega Sceptile isn't just an Electric absorber, as it has some traits that make most other sweepers envious, such as a massive base 140 Speed to outrun Mega Manectric and Mega Lopunny with, as well as a powerful STAB in Leaf Storm for that extra musclepower needed to revenge kill or KO a wall. Its other moves include STAB Giga Drain to attack and heal, STAB Dragon Pulse for coverage and the ability to hit Dragon-types, and Focus Blast and Earthquake to hit Steel-types, and also has respectable 110 / 145 offenses to use these moves with.

However, Mega Sceptile has some rather glaring flaws for a sweeper. For one, its lack of powerful STAB attacks outside of Leaf Storm means it doesn't hit as hard as one might think, since Leaf Storm's side effect kills momentum whether the opponent's Pokemon was KOed or not. It's also vulnerable to Talonflame, which is already a huge problem for a sweeper, but is also easily threatened by Ice Shard, which is a fairly common sight given Weavile's popularity.

Is The Original Still Worth Using?: Sceptile has no practical use over anything available in OU. If you wish to succeed in OU, either use the Mega Evolution or just stay away.

Mega Swampert:



Pros:

  • The bulkiest Swift Swim user in the game
  • Has Ice Punch and STAB Earthquake unlike most other Swift Swim users
  • Ground typing protects it from Electric-type moves like Thunder Wave and Volt Switch
  • Can threaten Tyranitar and Hippowdon nicely regardless of weather
  • Is one of the few Swift Swim users to be able to set up Rain Dance safely

Cons:

  • Lacks a boosting move outside of Power-Up Punch
  • Doesn't get the Swift Swim boost before Mega Evolving, thus delaying a sweep
  • Faces competition with other Swift Swim sweepers due to opportunity cost

Mega Swampert is one of those Pokemon that does its job well, but just doesn't do it as well as others. For the positives, Mega Swampert is easily the bulkiest of the Swift Swimmers, boasting meaty 100 / 110 / 110 defenses, as well as a nice defensive typing that lets it resist Rock-, Fire-, Steel-, and Poison-type moves, as well as provide it with an Electric immunity. This immunity is a huge niche over most other Swift Swimmers, since it prevents Thunder Wave Klefki and Thundurus from acting as checks. Mega Swampert also has a massive base 150 Attack to throw around, and good STAB attacks in Earthquake and Waterfall, as well as a good coverage move in Ice Punch, gives it great coverage. Finally, Mega Swampert is capable of beating out Tyranitar and Hippowdon, two of the biggest problems for rain teams to face, and can do so even in the sand.

As for the negatives, lacking any means to raise its power outside of the meager Power-Up Punch means walls can potentially stall out both Mega Swampert and the rain, which is a problem that Kabutops doesn't face thanks to Swords Dance. Mega Swampert also requires a turn to Mega Evolve before it can abuse Swift Swim, potentially making Mega Swampert dead weight if it fails to Mega Evolve in time. Finally, Mega Swampert has to deal with opportunity cost when facing teambuilding issues. For example, Mega Medicham is a great Mega Evolution for rain teams, and other Swift Swimmers can be used alongside Mega Medicham, something Mega Swampert can't offer.

Is The Original Still Worth Using?: Swampert has no practical use over anything available in OU. If you wish to succeed in OU, either use the Mega Evolution or just stay away.

Mega Gardevoir:



Mega Gardevoir

Pros
  • Insanely powerful
  • Great three-move coverage
  • Can beat potential checks and counters with Taunt and Will-o-Wisp
  • Can use Trace before mega evolving to its benefit

Cons
  • Relatively slow
  • Very physically frail

Mega Gardevoir’s Hyper Voice is incredibly strong; it 2HKOs almost every Pokemon that doesn’t resist it. Thankfully for Gardevoir, only three types resist Fairy-type moves, and one of them, Poison, is hit super effectively by Mega Gardevoir’s other STAB move: Psyshock. In tandem with Taunt, Psyshock actually allows Gardevoir to beat Chansey, one Pokemon who can comfortably take a Hyper Voice. The other two types that resist Gardevoir’s Hyper Voice are Steel and Fire, and the former is hit super-effectively by Focus Blast. Additionally, before mega evolving, Gardevoir’s ability is Trace. Trace can be used to switch Gardevoir in on a Pokemon with a beneficial ability, such as Intimidate, Water Absorb, and Flash Fire, and benefit from them. Lastly, Gardevoir is able to beat Pokemon who wish to OHKO it with Sucker Punch by using Will-o-Wisp. With flawless three move coverage, in addition to the utility provided by Taunt, Will-o-Wisp, and Trace, it’s easy to argue that Gardevoir is one of the hardest Pokemon to switch into and counter.

Despite being so good on paper, Mega Gardevoir has two major flaws that prevent it from being dominant in OU. The first of these flaws is its terrible physical bulk. Mega Gardevoir’s 68/65 physical bulk is beyond salvageable. Resisted physical hits often will 2HKO. Gardevoir’s second major flaw is its mediocre Speed. It’s outsped by almost every notable attacker in OU, and almost all of the ones that don’t outspeed it speed tie with it. Gardevoir’s two flaws show why it isn’t that effective against offense; it’s easily revenge killed by faster physical attackers such as Terrakion, Garchomp, and Talonflame. None of these threats stand a chance switching in, but if given a free switch, they will destroy Gardevoir.

Is the Original Still Worth Using?

Non-mega Gardevoir is a very niche Pokemon in OU. Its Moonblast is significantly weaker than Mega Gardevoir’s Hyper Voice, and so it seems useless. However, the ability to use a Choice Scarf makes it worth a team slot on select teams. With a maximum of 328 Speed, Mega Gardevoir is the fastest unboosted Fairy-type in the tier. Thus, Pokemon weak to Fairy such as Terrakion and Keldeo never have to worry about being revenge killed by a Fairy. However, Scarfed Gardevoir reaches 426 Speed, and so is able to revenge kill these Pokemon, as well as everything up to Mega Manectric. Mega Gardevoir is significantly better than Gardevoir. But if your team requires the support of a Fairy-type revenge killer, look no further than Gardevoir.
 
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Valmanway

My jimmies remain unrustled
is a Smogon Media Contributor Alumnus
Should I have each section of a Pokemon be done in paragraphs or in bullet points with a short paragraph? So the bullet point presentation would be something like this:

  • Mega Venusaur is one of the bulkiest tanks in the tier
  • Mega Venusaur has a good defensive presence with a good typing and Thick Fat removing two weaknesses
  • Mega Venusaur has several methods or regaining health, so she has good durability and longevity
And then I'd go into specifics about Mega Venusaur's role in OU in a short paragraph. Does that sound better than writing a long paragraph or two per Pokemon? I've never written an article for Contributions before, so I don't know if I should make it detailed or generalized.
 

Ender

pelagic
is a Contributor Alumnus
My personal suggestion is to make it paragraph form, but separate your walls of text into individual shorter paragraphs. I would also recommend doing a bullet outline first before writing because that helps to maintain focus, especially when you're writing a long article like this one. What you have for Mega Venusaur currently is very long, dense, and unappealing to the first glance. If it was broken down into smaller chunks, it would be more appetizing to read. You could also make subtitles for each paragraph if you wish, as they would help the reader orient themselves and also help you keep your writing tight. A lot of writing a successful article is aesthetic appeal; you have to make sure not only that your information is accurate and insightful, but also that your presentation is coherent and easy to understand.
 
Regular ampharos can be substantially more powerful holding a choice specs( Mega ampharos is 471 sp. atk, specs ampharos is 541). Plus, it outspeeds azumarill by 5 points, which is especially helpful considering most azumarill users would expect the mega version and go for play rough instead of aqua jet, only to be demolished. Normal ampharos has its uses, albeit situational ones.
 

Holiday

on my best behavior
is a Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Smogon Media Contributor Alumnus
Yeah I mean I can help with some parts of this article if you need it, especially with the new Megas.
 

Valmanway

My jimmies remain unrustled
is a Smogon Media Contributor Alumnus
Whoops, my bad. I'll get working on this tomorrow.
Yeeeeeah... that didn't work out.

I have plenty of free time on Saturday, so I'll put this to rest then. I apologize for the significant delay on this, and thank you for your immense patience.

*Edit

Sorry, Saturday was a whirlwind kind of day. I'll get to work right now, but probably won't be done until Sunday night.
 
Last edited:
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Valmanway

My jimmies remain unrustled
is a Smogon Media Contributor Alumnus
A lot of stuff irl. I've been slowly chipping away at this, but things keep popping up here and there and distracting me. But I'll get things done by the end of Sunday, I swear. Sorry again.


antoedit: no problem dude, irl is way more important, just let me know if anything comes up, i can get you a co-writer
 
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Valmanway

My jimmies remain unrustled
is a Smogon Media Contributor Alumnus
Mega Sableye:



Pros:

  • Magic Bounce reflects various status moves, such as Toxic, Will-O-Wisp, Stealth Rock, Spikes, and Taunt
  • One of the very few viable spin blockers in OU
  • Solid 50 / 125 / 115 defenses with only one weakness
  • Has a wide movepool, such as Knock Off, Recover, Will-O-Wisp, Foul Play, and Calm Mind
  • Prankster before Mega Evolving lets it overcome its bad Speed even during the turn it Mega Evolves, thus making it hard to approach

Cons:

  • While it only has one weakness, Fairy-type move are very common
  • Having poor stats and lacking Magic Bounce before Mega Evolving limits its opportunities to safely switch in
  • Very slow once Mega Evolved

In this offensively oriented metagame with wallbreakers and stallbreakers around nearly every corner, you would think stall teams went extinct, but Mega Sableye is one of the big reason why stall teams still see success. First and foremost, Magic Bounce blocks all sorts of moves that would trouble stall teams, such as Stealth Rock, Taunt, and Toxic, which is already enough to make it a key Pokemon. But its defensive presence outside of Magic Bounce is still respectable, since it has good 50 / 125 / 115 defenses and a Dark / Ghost typing, giving it another unique niche as a bulky spin blocker. Mega Sableye's movepool is also great with good options in Knock Off, Will-O-Wisp, Recover, and Foul Play, for defensive sets, and can even use Calm Mind and Shadow Ball for a more offensive approach. Since Sableye has Prankster before Mega Evolving, it can use the increased priority as it Mega Evolves to either burn a would-be check or counter or set up Calm Mind quickly, making it hard to approach Sableye early in the battle.

As indestructible as I've made Mega Sableye out to be though, it does have some big chinks in its armor. For one, nearly every Fairy-type can beat it one-on-one, since they resist its Dark-type moves and can hit it super effectively with their Fairy STABs. Sableye also has very poor stats all around before Mega Evolving, making it a challenge to switch Sableye in. Once Mega Evolved, nearly every relevant Pokemon in the tier can outrun Mega Sableye, even sluggish Pokemon like Conkeldurr, Mega Ampharos, and Dragalge can outrun it.

Is The Original Still Worth Using?: Sableye's worth in OU is really hard to justify, since its niche is so tiny. All it does is act like Mega Banette without being a Mega Evolution, using Prankster with Taunt and Will-O-Wisp, and it isn't even good at that much. Mega Banette has all of these moves and more, and despite needing Protect, can still do its job better than Sableye. Trust me when I say the only kind of Sableye you should be using is Mega Sableye.

Mega Aggron:



Pros:

  • Base 230 Defense and base 140 Attack make Mega Aggron a powerful tank
  • Filter can allow it to live even a super-effective physical hit or two
  • Steel typing brings multiple resistances, including a Poison immunity
  • Very wide movepool

Cons:

  • Lacking reliable recovery outside of Rest holds it back greatly
  • Base 80 Special Defense is subpar at best, leaving it open to special attackers

If stats alone were what made a Pokemon good, Mega Aggron would be top tier, but it has some crippling flaws that keep it from excelling. Its most crippling flaw by far has to be its only recovery move being Rest, which dramatically limits what it can and can't take on. This weighs heavily against its ability to tank hits, since there are a whole slew of defensive Pokemon with recovery, which can make it hard to justify using Mega Aggron over its competition. Its base 80 Special Defense also requires a majority of the EVs used, and it can still fail to take continuous special attacks due to its lack of good recovery.

While its longevity isn't that great and it does poorly against special attackers, it still acts as a phenomenal answer to physical attackers thanks to its titanic base 230 Defense stat. Its Steel typing grants it multiple resistances and a Poison immunity, and while its weaknesses are usually easy to exploit, Filter alleviates this somewhat; to put this into perspective, a +2 Excadrill can't guarantee an OHKO even after Stealth Rock damage with Earthquake thanks to Filter. But Mega Aggron wouldn't be a tank without an offensive presence, and its base 140 Attack and good moves in STAB Heavy Slam, Earthquake, Avalanche, Fire Punch, and Rock Slide let it hit hard, and it can even use Thunder Wave to mess up its counters.

Is The Original Still Worth Using?: Aggron has no practical use over anything available in OU. If you wish to succeed in OU, either use the Mega Evolution or just stay away.

Mega Medicham:



Pros:

  • Huge Power and base 100 Attack give it one of the highest Attack stats in the game
  • Useful offensive moves like Fake Out, Ice Punch, Thunder Punch, and Zen Headbutt
  • STAB High Jump Kick is walled only by the bulkiest of walls

Cons:

  • Is very frail, only resists two types, and has three weaknesses
  • Is slightly inconsistent due to High Jump Kick's side effect when it misses, hits Protect, or fails to hit a Ghost-type
  • While base 100 Speed is enough to outrun walls, it's glaringly slow in the face of sweepers
  • Completely helpless against Mega Sableye and fares poorly against bulky Psychic-types

Mega Medicham is easily one of the hardest hitting wallbreakers available in OU, and for good reason. Huge Power on top of base 100 Attack effectively gives Mega Medicham up to 656 Attack, easily topping the likes of Mega Heracross and Diggersby, but this alone isn't the secret to Mega Medicham's success in OU. High Jump Kick is what truly makes Mega Medicham so difficult to switch into, as even defensive titans like Hippowdon and Garchomp fail avoid the 2HKO from this monstrous STAB attack. But Mega Medicham has other useful moves in its arsenal, such as STAB Zen Headbutt for those that resist Fighting, Ice Punch to OHKO Gliscor and Garchomp and at worst 2HKO Landorus-T, Thunder Punch to threaten Slowbro and OHKO Gyarados, and Fake Out to safely Mega Evolve and chip away at the opponent's health.

While Mega Medicham crushes balance and defensive teams, it fares rather poorly against offensive teams due to its base 100 Speed, which, while is very useful for defensive and tankish Pokemon that dont invest much in Speed, lets dozens of Pokemon outrun and pressure it. This flaw is made much worse when factoring in Mega Medicham's mediocre 65 / 85 / 85 defenses, its weaknesses to Flying-, Fairy-, and Ghost-type moves, and very few resistances. High Jump Kick also doesn't come without a price, since Mega Medicham loses half of its health if the opponent uses Protect or is a Ghost-type, and a 10% chance of missing makes using it a gamble each time. Finally, bulky Psychic-types like Mega Slowbro and Mew, both of which can potentially burn it, and Mega Sableye in particular is immune to both of its STABs and shrugs off all its other moves, making it the best Mega Medicham switch-in.

Is The Original Still Worth Using?: Medicham has no practical use over anything available in OU. If you wish to succeed in OU, either use the Mega Evolution or just stay away.

Mega Manectric:



Pros:

  • Base 135 Speed is incredible for a sweeper
  • A paralysis immunity lets it sweep without worrying about Thunder Wave
  • Intimidate possibly gives it an opportunity to safely Mega Evolve, and adding STAB Volt Switch makes for a great combo to wear down offensive teams with
  • Has useful Electric, Steel, and Flying resistances

Cons:

  • Base 135 Special Attack can be lacking at times with no move to increase power
  • Is vulnerable to entry hazards since it switches often with Volt Switch
  • Is very predictable since it only works with one set
  • Ground-types are immune to Volt Switch, hit Mega Manectric super effectively, and most don't take too much damage from its coverage moves

In such an offensively oriented metagame, Mega Manectric truly shines as an offensive threat. This is due to a lot of factors, but the greatest factor is its excelent base 135 Speed, allowing it to outrun threats like Alakazam, Tornadus-T, and Weavile, making it hard to revenge kill before taking a hit. Unlike most other speedy Pokemon though, what can make Mega Manectric so hard to approach is its defensive qualities, those being Intimidate and its Electric typing. The former allows Mega Manectric to weaken physical attackers and possibly get an opportunity to Mega Evolve, and also compliments Volt Switch beautifully. The latter provides useful resistances to Electric-, Steel-, and Flying-type moves, allowing it to stomach attacks like Talonflame's Brave Bird, Mega Metagross's Iron Head, and Thundurus's Thunderbolt just as examples, and it also provides a paralysis immunity, which is a godsend for anything with Speed.

Thankfully, Mega Manectric has some pretty big flaws that prevent it from being too powerful. Its base 135 Special Attack seems appealing at first, but not being able to boost its power at all, be it with an item or move, leaves a lot to be desired. Since Mega Manectric is constantly switching around with Volt Switch, entry hazards tend to wear it down very quickly, and adding that to its middling 70 / 80 / 80 defenses means that without Rapid Spin or Defog support, Mega Manectric has a fairly short lifespan. But perhaps its biggest flaw is its predictability, since it only has one viable set, meaning nearly every special wall in the game. In particular, most Ground-types have a field day with Mega Manectric, since they render Volt Switch useless, can easily take advantage of its Ground weakness, and are typically bulky enough to take a hit or two from its coverage moves.

Is The Original Still Worth Using?: Manectric has no practical use over anything available in OU. If you wish to succeed in OU, either use the Mega Evolution or just stay away.

Mega Sharpedo:



Pros:

  • 140 / 110 mixed offenses are good for cleaning teams
  • Strong Jaw gives it a powerful STAB Crunch and Ice Fang
  • Getting to +1 Speed with Speed Boost makes Mega Sharpedo and amazing late-game cleaner

Cons:

  • Due to its frailty and underwhelming initial Speed, running Protect is mandatory, which takes up a moveslot and can make it predictable
  • Mega Sharpedo is relatively useless until late game as it can't muscle its way past healthy Pokemon
  • Only gets one chance to abuse Speed Boost, and is hard to justify using when lacking said boost

Mega Sharpedo is a Pokemon that looks great on paper, but just falls short of being even just good. The only real reason to use Mega Sharpedo is because of Speed Boost, since it can take advantage of Speed Boost before Mega Evolving to sweep teams late-game, letting it outspeed a wide variety of sweepers without the need for paralysis support. This Speed is complimented by its passable 140 / 110 offenses, good moves in Hydro Pump, Poison Jab, Crunch, and Ice Fang, and ability Strong Jaw after Mega Evolving to power up the latter two moves, making Mega Sharpedo attacks deceptively powerful.

But Mega Sharpedo is as high-risk as they come, since it has several very glaring flaws. Mega Sharpedo's stats outside of its mixed offenses are rather lacking, as it's very frail even after Mega Evolving and base 105 Speed is only so good without a Speed Boost, meaning Protect is absolutely mandatory. But being forced to run Protect not only means you forgo a whole moveslot that could have gone to a coverage move, but it's also very easy to play around, since the opponent can get a free turn to set up or switch out. The worst part is once Mega Sharpedo is forced out, it loses its increased Speed and can't get it back on its own, meaning it will only ever pull off a successful sweep when the opponent's team is either severely crippled/weakened or when all threats are removed, meaning Mega Sharpedo can only be properly used very late-game.

Is The Original Still Worth Using?: Sharpedo has no practical use over anything available in OU. If you wish to succeed in OU, either use the Mega Evolution or just stay away.

Mega Camerupt:



Pros:

  • Base 145 Special Attack is great, especially with Sheer Force powering up its moves
  • 5 resistances, an Electric immunity, and a burn immunity
  • Functions well as a late-game Trick Room sweeper

Cons:

  • Has pitiful Speed outside of Trick Room
  • Is weak to Water- and Ground-type moves, the former being a 4x weakness
  • Special walls give Mega Camerupt trouble since it lacks a good boosting move
  • Frail before Mega Evolving

Mega Camerupt seems like a terrifying wallbreaker at first, but it has far too many crippling flaws to really justify using over other options. For one, its mediocre defenses before Mega Evolving make it difficult to safely switch in, and its abysmal Speed make it nearly impossible to attack before being attacked. Mega Camerupt's defensive typing is also questionable, as even though it gets several resistances, its two weaknesses are to Water- and Ground-type moves, the former being a 4x weakness. Despite having a massive base 145 Special Attack and Sheer Force, Mega Camerupt can't really OHKO much if Fire Blast is resisted, which wouldn't be too much of a problem if not for its middling defenses and awful Speed, so it desperately needs support to not only wear down foes with hazards and possibly extra prior damage, but it also needs support to make up for its pitiful Speed. All of these flaws make Mega Camerupt too risky to use without a good deal of knowledge and skill.

But even though Mega Camerupt is heavily outclassed by most wallbreakers, that isn't to say it's entirely useless, as it does well as a Trick Room sweeper. With base 20 Speed, Mega Camerupt can "outslow" everything in the tier and sweep whole teams when Trick Room is up, solidifying a niche in a niche yet unprepared for playstyle. Its typing also gives it some useful resistance, such as Fairy, Fire, and Steel resistances, and provides it with Electric and burn immunities, letting it take hits if absolutely needed after Mega Evolving. And while its power fails to OHKO walls, Mega Camerupt's Fire Blasts are very capable of OHKOing many offensive Pokemon that don't resist it thanks to Sheer Force, and requires little support to break down offensive teams when under Trick Room.

Is The Original Still Worth Using?: Camerupt has no practical use over anything available in OU. If you wish to succeed in OU, either use the Mega Evolution or just stay away.

Mega Altaria:



Pros:

  • Has good stats all around, allowing it to run many sets
  • Pixilate lets it deceptively hard
  • Has 7 resistances and a Dragon immunity, letting it take hits fairly easily
  • Has a wide movepool, with offensive options including Dragon Dance, Return, Hyper Voice, Earthquake, and Fire Blast, and defensive/supportive options being Heal Bell, Roost, and Cotton Guard

Cons:

  • Has a Stealth Rock weakness, weaker defenses, and lacks the Fairy typing before Mega Evolving, limiting its opportunities to Mega Evolve
  • Mediocre offenses for a Mega Evolution, leaving its coverage moves fairly weak and relying on Pixilate STABs to deal any real damage
  • Is weak to Ice-, Steel-, Poison-, and Fairy-type moves
  • Is outsped fairly often before setting up a Dragon Dance, and is outsped by most Choice Scarf users even after a boost

Mega Altaria is a jack-of-all-trades kind of Pokemon, having several sets that can catch the opponent off guard, and isn't particularly shabby in each set either. Mega Altaria's mixed 110 / 110 offenses may seem underwhelming at first, but Pixilate and Dragon Dance make up for it, the former granting Mega Altaria powered-up STABs in Return and Hyper Voice and the latter making sweeps easier to pull off. Mega Altaria also has two useful coverage moves in Earthquake and Fire Blast, allowing it to hit most Steel- and Poison-types for good damage. Its respectable 75 / 110 / 105 defenses are also quite good, and with 7 resistances, a Dragon immunity, Heal Bell, Roost, and Cotton Guard, Mega Altaria can effectively pull off bulky and defensive sets.

But Mega Altaria has a tough time switching in before Mega Evolving, as regular Altaria's defenses aren't as good, it's weak to Stealth Rock, and it lacks the Fairy typing its Mega Evolution carries, which can limit its opportunities to safely Mega Evolve. But even after Mega Evolving, it has weaknesses to Ice-, Fairy-, Poison-, and Steel-type moves, leaving itself open to some big names in OU, such as Weavile, Mega Metagross, Gengar, and Azumarill. 110 / 110 offenses are also very poor outside of its Pixilate-boosted STABs, especially since it can't hold a boosting item, severely limiting the power of its coverage moves, and even its STABs can be somewhat underwhelming when faced with bulker foes. As for its Speed, base 80 Speed is rather mediocre before getting a Dragon Dance boost, and is still outsped by some Pokemon even after a boost, such as Mega Manectric, Mega Lopunny, and most Choice Scarfers.

Is The Original Still Worth Using?: Altaria has no practical use over anything available in OU. If you wish to succeed in OU, either use the Mega Evolution or just stay away.

Mega Banette:



Pros:

  • Has several moves that are effected by Prankster, including Destiny Bond, Will-O-Wisp, Taunt, and Thunder Wave
  • Base 165 Attack is massive, which makes its Knock Offs powerful even without investment

Cons:

  • Has a severe case of four moveslot syndrome, since it needs Protect due to its bad bulk and lack of Prankster before Mega Evolving and usually needs Knock Off to avoid being too passive
  • Lacks a powerful Ghost STAB, forcing it to rely on Knock Off for power
  • Any offensive sets are generally useless due to its bad defenses and Speed, limiting its effectiveness

Mega Banette is one of those Pokemon that, while severely outclassed by most other options, does still have a niche of sorts. Mega Banette's base 165 Attack is gargantuan even compared to most Mega Evolutions, and its Knock Offs are quite powerful, so it isn't easy switching into it. But it's its access to Prankster that gives it its actual niche in the tier, as it has access to some very useful moves, namely Will-O-Wisp, Taunt, Thunder Wave, and Destiny Bond, with extra emphasis being put on the latter move, as Mega Banette is the only Prankster user in the game with access to Destiny Bond, which is a fairly big niche on its own.

Sadly, Mega Banette has far too many shortcomings to really justify using it over other options. Its base 165 Attack is quickly devalued by the fact that it lacks any powerful and reliable STAB attacks, with Phantom Force being a two-turn attack and Shadow Claw only being a little stronger than Knock Off. Lacking Prankster before Mega Evolving means it will usually be outsped before Mega Evolving, and its mediocre defenses usually won't hold even against moderately powerful attackers, so it's forced to run Protect, but this creates four-moveslot syndrome, which really limits it to only two of its Prankster moves. Any offensive sets would also do poorly due to its poor stats outside of Attack and lack of powerful moves, so it's really limited to just Prankster sets.

Is The Original Still Worth Using?: Banette has no practical use over anything available in OU. If you wish to succeed in OU, either use the Mega Evolution or just stay away.

Mega Absol:



Pros:

  • 150 / 115 mixed offenses are great, especially with base 115 Speed to outrun a good deal of the metagame
  • Magic Bounce protects it from status moves and reflects hazard setting moves
  • Has good STAB attacks in Knock Off, Sucker Punch, and Pursuit, as well as good coverage moves in Superpower, Fire Blast, and Ice Beam
  • Can use Swords Dance to perform late-game sweeps, and can use Baton Pass to let a teammate clean up

Cons:

  • Very slow before Mega Evolving and frail even afterwards, so finding the chance to safely Mega Evolve is hard
  • Is fairly easy to revenge kill
  • Easily checked by most Fighting- and Fairy-types
  • Using any move that doesn't deal damage runs the high risk of getting KOed by an attack

Mega Absol is a powerful monster at first glance, boasting great power, high Speed, and a good movepool, but ultimately falls short in practice. 150 / 115 mixed offenses are spectacular for any offensive Pokemon, which is made even better with a sweet base 115 Speed stat to sweep with, letting it effectively pull off late-game sweeps. These offensive stats are complimented by having particularly useful STABs in Pursuit to trap foes, Knock Off to deal big damage and remove items, and Sucker Punch to potentially revenge kill and get a safe chance to Mega Evolve, as well as great coverage moves in Fire Blast, Superpower, and Ice Beam to hit a wide variety of threats. Its access to Swords Dance and Baton Pass is also pretty big, since it can either pull off a sweep on its own or help a teammate do the sweeping for it. But the biggest draw is its access to Magic Bounce, protecting it from moves like Thunder Wave, Will-O-Wisp, and Roar, as well as punishing any attempts by the opponent to setting up hazards.

But there are two huge flaws that hold it back from being a dominant threat: its bad bulk and vulnerability to Fairy-types. The former flaw is perhaps its biggest, as it prevents Mega Absol from finding safe switch-in opportunities even against resisted hits due to its terrible bulk, which is made even worse due to its abysmal Speed before Mega Evolving. Mega Absol can't even find the room to run Protect, since it needs all the coverage it can get on the all-out attacker set and would be too passive if running the Swords Dance set. But using Swords Dance and Baton Pass is almost as risky, since giving the opponent a free turn could mean Mega Absol has to take a hit, limiting its setup opportunities. Its inability to threaten most Fairy-types is also a big problem, since being checked by the likes of Keldeo, Azumarill, Clefable, and Mega Diancie can easily kill momentum.

Is The Original Still Worth Using?: Absol has no practical use over anything available in OU. If you wish to succeed in OU, either use the Mega Evolution or just stay away.

Mega Glalie:



Pros:

  • 120 / 120 mixed offenses are good, and base 100 Speed outruns basic walls
  • Has powerful moves powered up by Refrigerate, namely Double-Edge and Explosion
  • Has good moves like Ice Shard for priority, Earthquake for Steel- and Fire-types, and Freeze Dry for Water-types

Cons:

  • Has a bad time against offense due to its middling Speed, bad bulk, and multiple weaknesses, including a Stealth Rock weakness
  • Relies on Refrigerate to deal any noteworthy damage

Mega Glalie normally wouldn't be worth adding to a serious OU team, since 120 / 120 mixed offenses aren't very good for a Mega Evolution, but having access to Refrigerate Explosion is its saving grace. With Refrigerate Explosion, Mega Glalie has the strongest move available in OU, capable of OHKOing most offensive Pokemon, even those that resist Ice, and can greatly damage a wall to make a sweep easier for a teammate. But Mega Glalie isn't just about blowing up as soon as it hits the field, as it also carries Double-Edge in its movepool, as even though it isn't even half as powerful as Explosion, it's still a powerful move that isn't easily switched into. Mega Glalie also comes with Ice Shard to get the jump on weakened foes, letting it bypass its Speed to Mega Evolve a bit more safely. But Mega Glalie can hit some Pokemon that resist its STABs with moves like Earthquake and Freeze Dry, the former for Steel- and Fire-types and the latter for Water-types.

But Refrigerate Explosion is really the only notable thing it has going for it, and its flaws weigh heavily against it. For one, while base 100 Speed is good for outrunning most defensive Pokemon, it pales in comparison to most of the tier's offensive Pokemon and their Speed stats. To make this worse, Mega Glalie's stats are underwhelming in every department before Mega Evolving, its meager 80 / 80 / 80 defenses aren't improved on at all after Mega Evolving, and Ice-types have some of the worst weaknesses in the game, making Mega Glalie only really useful against defensive teams. While Refrigerate gives Explosion and Double-Edge a huge boost, it does nothing for Ice Shard and its coverage moves, leaving them with rather underwhelming power.

Is The Original Still Worth Using?: Glalie has no practical use over anything available in OU. If you wish to succeed in OU, either use the Mega Evolution or just stay away.

Mega Metagross:



Pros:

  • Has superb stats all around, with no stat going to waste
  • Has a multitude of resistances
  • Tough Claws effectively gives Mega Metagross a free Life Orb on direct attacks
  • Has a wide movepool, with notable moves including Meteor Mash, Zen Headbutt, Bullet Punch, Grass Knot, Hammer Arm, Earthquake, Ice Punch, and Pursuit
  • Can sweep teams with Agility

Cons:

  • Has low Speed before Mega Evolving, leaving it vulnerable for a turn
  • Weak to Fire-, Ground-, Dark-, and Ghost-type moves
  • Has a severe case of four moveslot syndrome

Mega Metagross seems like one of the most threatening Pokemon in the game just on paper, and it mostly holds true in practice. Mega Metagross's stats are amazing all around; with 145 / 105 mixed offenses, 80 / 150 / 110 defenses, and a crucial base 110 Speed, no stat really goes to waste here. Its amazing offenses are made even greater with Tough Claws, powering up many of its many moves, including Meteor Mash, Bullet Punch, Zen Headbutt, Pursuit, Hammer Arm, Grass Knot, Thunder Punch, and Ice Punch. While it's only means of raising its power comes from the iffy Hone Claws, an Agility set is more than viable, allowing it to slice through weakened teams like a hot knife through butter. Meanwhile, Mega Metagross has a great defensive typing to compliment its bulk, granting it 9 resistances and a Poison immunity, including a Stealth Rock resistance, giving it many setup opportunities.

There aren't any flaws that are exactly gaping, but it does have its fair share of problems. For one, Metagross is only at base 70 Speed before Mega Evolving, meaning it's almost always outsped by anything with relative Speed, leaving it open to attack before it gets an attack off if it lacks Bullet Punch. Its typing may be good, but being weak to Fire-, Ground-, Dark-, and Ghost-type moves can make the former problem easier to exploit. But its biggest flaw is its case of four-moveslot syndrome, since it has so many moves that take out certain threats, yet it can't carry all of them at once, limiting how well it can perform a sweep.

Is The Original Still Worth Using?: Metagross is usually being used as Mega Metagross, but there does exist a non-Mega variant of Metagross in the form of an Assault Vest set. With an Assault Vest on top of its naturally good bulk, Metagross acts as an effective check to some noteworthy Pokemon, such as Clefable, Mega Alakazam, and Mega Gardevoir. Its lack of recovery makes it hard to use, and it only really has one chance to beat something, but Assault Vest can work if a Mega Slot is already being taken.

Mega Latias:



Pros:

  • Has excellent 80 / 120 / 150 defenses and 6 resistances
  • Base 110 Speed is high, and base 140 Special Attack is powerful after a Calm Mind boost
  • Levitate protects it from Spikes and Ground-type moves
  • Has a wide variety of moves to use, such as Psyshock, Stored Power, Dragon Pulse, Thunder Wave, Roost, Reflect Type, and Roar

Cons:

  • Weak to Dragon-, Fairy-, Ice-, Dark-, Ghost-, and Bug-type moves
  • Reflect Type is only useful when Mega Latias is faster then the opponent or when used on the switch
  • Calm Mind sets are helpless against Dark-types, particularly Pursuit trappers

Mega Latias has the raw bulk and even the power to be either a sweeper that can take a few hits or a wall that can hit back hard. Defensively, Mega Latias already has impressive 80 / 120 / 150 defenses to tank attacks with, but it also comes packed with 6 useful resistances, a Ground immunity thanks to Levitate, Roost for longevity, Roar to shuffle the opposing team, and Reflect Type to more easily wall even some Pokemon that would otherwise counter it, which can make it a hard nut to crack. Offensively, base 140 Special Attack and base 110 Speed are already good, but Mega Latias also has Calm Mind to sweep teams in conjunction with Stored Power. This means it needs little else in terms of offense, so it can run other moves to support itself better, such as Substitute to protect from status, Roost for recovery, and Reflect Type to get more setup opportunities.

But while Mega Latias has few flaws, these flaws are pretty major. For one, it carries 6 exploitable weaknesses, the biggest weaknesses being to Fairy-, Ice-, and Dark-type moves. These weaknesses alone leave it weak to big names like Weavile, Bisharp, Clefable, Azumarill, Mega Diancie, Hoopa-U, Mega Altaria, Mega Gardevoir, Mega Gyarados, and many more. You could say Reflect Type variants can beat some of these Pokemon, but that's only assuming Mega Latias is faster than the opponent or is used on a predicted switch, as it must use a turn to change its type and still has its current type until it uses Reflect Type, making it harder to use that it would seem. Finally, Calm Mind variants rely solely on Stored Power for damage, which makes it helpless against Dark-types, particularly those with Pursuit, as well as Unaware Clefable completely ignoring its stat buffs and threatening it with Moonblast.

Is The Original Still Worth Using?: Latias is arguably a better Pokemon when not Mega Evolving, but that argument can go either way. For the pros, Latias has the luxury of fitting Healing Wish into its moveset, giving weakened teammates a second chance to do their job in a battle. This move, along with its 80 / 90 / 130 defenses, are what set Latias apart from Latios, who otherwise outclasses Latias. For the cons, Latias is still considered a weaker Latios, even with Healing Wish, due to its lesser power, and in a metagame where offense is king, having less power is often more of a hindrance than less bulk is, putting it at a huge disadvantage. But overall, if you see a regular Latias in a battle, then you likely have to take its presence seriously.

Mega Latios:



Pros:

  • 130 / 160 mixed offenses are great, and base 110 Speed lets it pull off a sweep
  • Has 6 resistances and 80 / 100 / 120 defenses to take a hit or two
  • Great STAB attacks like Draco Meteor and Psyshock can be hard to wall, and it gets good coverage moves like Surf and Earthquake
  • It can set up with Calm Mind and heal with Roost

Cons:

  • Has multiple weaknesses, most notably Dark, Fairy, and Ice weaknesses
  • Is generally outclassed by regular Latios in terms of power
  • Opportunity cost is very high

Mega Latios is one of the very few Mega Evolutions where it's overall weaker than its original form, but it's not as though Mega Latios on its own is weak, as it does have some strong qualities to it. Mega Latios boasts good 130 / 160 mixed offenses, so it can either be a mixed attacker with Earthquake or a pure special attacker with moves like Draco Meteor, Psyshock, and Surf, and having a good base 110 Speed makes its offensive presence better. It's no slouch defensively either, boasting solid 80 / 100 / 120 defenses, Levitate for a useful Ground immunity, 6 very useful resistances, and Roost to keep itself alive; Mega Latios is arguably better at using Calm Mind than its regular form thanks to the increased bulk, and has much more immediate power over Mega Latias, so there's some justification to using Mega Latios.

The problem with Mega Latios isn't that it's bad, it's just that there's rarely ever a real reason to use it over regular Latios at the cost of the team's Mega Slot. Latios has the ability to use items, such as Life Orb to actually outdamage Mega Latios on the special side and deal nearly just as much damage on the physical side, and Choice Scarf to catch normally faster foes off-guard and cripple walls with Trick, while the only benefits Mega Latios brings is increased bulk, lacks Life Orb recoil, and... uh... not powering up Knock Off? This wouldn't be such a big deal if not for the fact that you're giving up the ability to use other Mega Evolutions like Mega Diancie and Mega Lopunny by using Mega Latios, and its lack of dramatic improvement over regular Latios makes it really hard to justify using.

Is The Original Still Worth Using?: Absolutely. Latios has a lot of variety in OU, ranging from sets that use Defog, Calm Mind, Choice Scarf, and even Reflect and Light Screen, so it's both splashable with its team's needs, and each set is powerful in its own right. It boasts access to one of the strongest Draco Meteors available in OU on top of STAB Psyshock to threaten special walls, and having a respectable base 110 Speed to sweep with, making it an offensive monster. If you're looking for offensive Dragon-types, Latios should be at or near the top of the list.

Mega Lopunny:



Pros:

  • Base 136 Attack and base 135 Speed let it sweep fairly easily
  • Resists Rock-, Bug-, and Dark-type moves
  • Normal/Fighting coverage in Return and High Jump Kick is almost unresisted thanks to Scrappy
  • Has several moves available for use, such as Fake Out, Encore, Baton Pass, Power-Up Punch, and Ice Punch

Cons:

  • Is somewhat frail, and the Flying, Fighting, Psychic, and Fairy weaknesses don't help
  • Bulky Pokemon that can hit back are a problem, particularly bulky Fairy-types
  • Pokemon with Protect can potentially cause Mega Lopunny to lose half its health

In such an offensively oriented metagame, Mega Lopunny has a great time in OU for several reasons. Most notably, Mega Lopunny's STAB coverage combined with Scrappy gives it nearly perfect neutral coverage, with the only exception being Shedinja, and combined with base 136 Attack, base 135 Speed and a powerful STAB in High Jump Kick, Mega Lopunny has pretty intimidating power for something so fast. While base 105 Speed before Mega Evolving is middling, Fake Out makes this a non-issue, as it will flinch the opponent and let Mega Lopunny safely Mega Evolve, making Mega Lopunny one of the few Mega Evolutions that has no problems with Speed before Mega Evolving. Its other moves are also capable of shutting down possible counters, which include Encore, Baton Pass, Power-Up Punch, and Ice Punch. It's not exactly meant for bulk, but it has very handy resistances to Dark-, Rock-, and Bug-type moves, letting it take less damage from Sucker Punch and Stealth Rock.

Thankfully, Mega Lopunny isn't without some exploitable flaws. For one, it's weak to Fighting-, Flying-, Fairy-, and Psychic-type moves are problematic, especially since the latter three types resist High Jump Kick. Which leads me to the next big flaw, that being bulky resistors of High Jump Kick are capable of walling and threatening Mega Lopunny if it lacks the appropriate move, with notable examples including Unaware Clefable, Gliscor, Slowbro, and Mega Venusaur. High Jump Kick is also a risky move on its own, as failing to land the move, whether it simply misses or if the opponent uses Protect, will cost Mega Lopunny half of its max HP, giving it somewhat shaky matchups against Pokemon it would otherwise have an advantage against, such as Heatran and Ferrothorn.

Is The Original Still Worth Using?: Lopunny has no practical use over anything available in OU. If you wish to succeed in OU, either use the Mega Evolution or just stay away.

Mega Garchomp:



Pros

  • Great mixed offense stats
  • Very bulky
  • Has useful resistances to Stealth Rock and Rock- and Fire-type moves
  • Immune to Electric-type moves, like Thunder Wave

Cons

  • Loses Speed after Mega Evolving
  • Weak to three common attacking types: Fairy, Ice, and Dragon
  • Very specialized; can only have one role without being outclassed

Mega Garchomp boasts insane mixed offenses and defenses and an ability that augments the power of its Ground- and Rock-type moves under the sand by 30%. It is able to terrorize teams with sand-boosted Stone Edges and Earthquakes coming off of a base 170 Attack, and threaten physical walls thinking that they can tank them with Fire Blast or STAB Draco Meteor coming off of a base 120 Special Attack. Because of Draco Meteor’s Special Attack drop, Mega Garchomp is often forced to switch out during battle. However, this isn’t too much of an issue, due to its adequate defensive typing that gives it a resistance to Stealth Rock, as well as an immunity to Electric-type moves, including Thunder Wave. It also resists Fire-type moves, which allows it to check Mega Charizard-Y, a Pokemon that threatens sand teams by changing the weather to sun.

Mega Garchomp has some key flaws that prevent it from being a dominant force in the OU metagame. First of all, upon mega evolving, its Speed stat gets reduced by 10. Thus, it’s unable to outspeed and damage some key threats that its base form can, such as Kyurem-B, Mega Gardevoir, and Mega Medicham. Additionally, while its typing gives useful resistances to Fire- and Rock-type moves and an immunity to Electric-type moves, it also gives it weaknesses to three common attacking types in OU: Fairy, Dragon, and Ice. Thus, it’s rather easy for it to be revenge killed. Latios and Mega Gardevoir are just a few of the Pokemon able to seamlessly revenge kill it.

Is the Original Still Worth Using?

All things considered, Mega Garchomp is a threatening Pokemon in OU. However, its biggest flaw is that it lacks the potential to be as versatile as its base form. The ability to use any item desired, as well as being able to outspeed many more Pokemon, is what makes Garchomp generally superior. Garchomp is able to run a Stealth Rock lead set that uses a Focus Sash to guarantee its effectiveness, a Choice Scarf set using its great Speed and power to revenge kill common threats, such as Mega Charizard-X, a Swords Dance set that uses a Lum Berry and high Speed to sweep weakened teams, and a physically defensive set that handles Pokemon like Talonflame by abusing its ability, Rough Skin, as well by holding either a Rocky Helmet or Leftovers.

Mega Gallade:



Pros:

  • Base 165 Attack is massive, and base 110 Speed can let it sweep
  • 65 / 95 / 115 defenses are respectable and can let it live a neutral attack or two, especially special attacks
  • Close Combat and Zen Headbutt are strong STAB attacks, with good coverage moves including Ice Punch, Knock Off, and Shadow Sneak
  • Swords Dance turns Mega Gallade into a wallbreaker on top of a sweeper

Cons:

  • Low Speed before Mega Evolving leaves it open to attacks
  • Mega Slowbro and Mega Sableye don't care for either of its STABs and can burn it
  • Needs support to beat out Fairy-types, and must carry Knock Off to threaten most Psychic-types

Mega Gallade seems like an absolute monster to face and would probably be a monster too, but certain metagame trends hold it back from being top tier. Boasting a massive base 165 Attack as well as a key base 110 Speed, Mega Gallade already looks fierce from the get-go, but having STAB Close Combat gives it a very powerful STAB attack to throw around. Other moves include STAB Zen Headbutt to hit Poison-types, Knock Off to hit Psychic-types and provide good neutral coverage with Close Combat, Ice Punch for Flying-types, and Shadow Sneak can surprise faster Pokemon and possibly KO them if they're weakened. But the real draw is Swords Dance, which allows it to bust down even some of the sturdiest of walls that lack a resistance. It's even doing adequately in terms of bulk, thanks to decent 65 / 95 / 115 defenses to at least let it take special attacks, as well as giving it resistances to Fighting- and Rock-type moves.

But here's where the metagame trends really hurt Mega Gallade. Most notably, Mega Sableye is the hard counter to end all hard counters, thanks to its typing giving it immunity to both of Mega Gallade's STABs, Recover to heal off the damage from its weak coverage moves, and Will-O-Wisp to cripple it. It's also easily revenge killed by Talonflame even before a Swords Dance, often being forced out and forced to give a free turn to the opponent. Its STABs are also the main way it deals damage when Swords Dance isn't available, so Fairy-types resisting Close Combat and Psychic-types resisting both of its STABs can make its life in OU rough.

Is The Original Still Worth Using?: Gallade has no practical use over anything available in OU. If you wish to succeed in OU, either use the Mega Evolution or just stay away.

Mega Diancie:



Pros:

  • 160 / 160 mixed offenses are spectacular, and base 110 Speed lets it sweep
  • 50 / 110 / 110 defenses are solid for such an offensive Pokemon, and having 5 resistances and a Dragon immunity greatly help
  • Diamond Storm can provide extra physical bulk, making it harder KO, and moves like Moonblast, Earth Power, and Psyshock make it even harder to wall
  • Rock Polish can make it nearly impossible to outspeed Mega Diancie, while Calm Mind lets it power through walls
  • Magic Bounce protects it from status moves and prevents entry hazards from being set up

Cons:

  • Protect is frequently taking up a moveslot due to having such poor Speed before Mega Evolving
  • Weak to Water- and Ground-type moves, and is 4x weak to Steel-type moves
  • Bulky walls, particularly Steel-types, can usually wall non-Calm Mind variants

Mega Diancie is a Pokemon with a plethora of good qualities mixed with few yet big flaws. 160 / 160 mixed offenses are the eye-catcher right off the bat, as being able to go mixed with such high offenses isn't something to be taken lightly. These offenses are complimented excellently by its key base 110 Speed to sweep teams with, Rock Polish to outspeed the likes of Serperior, Starmie, Alakazam, Tornadus-T, Weavile, and even Sand Rush Excadrill, and Calm Mind to improve its already great offensive presence as well as give it extra special bulk, giving it a good deal of versatility with its sets. Its offensive movepool consists of Diamond Storm for a powerful physical STAB that can also raise Defense with each use, Moonblast as a generally good special STAB, Earth Power to hit Steel-types, and Psyshock to hit Poison-types, making Mega Diancie rather hard to wall. But Magic Bounce is frequently the reason why it's chosen as the team's Mega Evolution, since immunity to moves to Thunder Wave, Will-O-Wisp, Toxic, Roar, and Encore makes it harder to force out, and being able to punish the opponent setting entry hazards simply by being on the field is huge.

Mega Diancie's flaws are few, but they hold a good deal of weight behind them. For one, Protect is often used on non-setup sets, since its poor base 50 Speed before Mega Evolving combined with its weaknesses to Water-, Ground-, and Steel-type moves means Pokemon like Bisharp, Garchomp, Heatran, Keldeo, and Manaphy can easily outspeed and KO Diancie before it gains its Speed from Mega Evolving, and some of them can even predict the Protect and set up on it. Some bulky Steel-types are generally great answers to non-Calm Mind variants of Mega Diancie lacking Hidden Power Fire, with Mega Scizor, Ferrothorn, and Skarmory being good examples, and the former two can actually OHKO with their Steel-type moves since Mega Diancie is 4x weak to Steel.

Is The Original Still Worth Using?: Diancie's role in OU isn't particularly notable when not Mega Evolving, but it does have a good niche for a Trick Room setter, that being its ability to wall Talonflame while also having surprising utility. Diancie has a unique combination of qualities for a Trick Room setter, such as access to moves like Stealth Rock for entry hazard support and Explosion to soften the opponent and provide a safe switch to a teammate, Diamond Storm to threaten Talonflame directly, and has useful resistance to Flying-, Fire-, Dark-, Bug-, and Normal-type moved while also having a Dragon immunity. All of this makes Diancie a solid teammate for Trick Room teams; it's just a shame that the playstyle itself is kind of shaky and generally unused, otherwise Diancie would possibly be more known.

Conclusion:

Mega Evolutions are, have been, and likely always will be one of the most relevant forces in OU that everyone must put into consideration when team building. Whether you're preparing your team to take on Mega Evolutions or trying to fit that one Mega Evolution you really want onto your team, Mega Evolutions are a huge element in teambuilding and competitive battling alike, so knowing the ins and outs of how each Mega Evolution works will hopefully improve your experience with them.
 
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Valmanway

My jimmies remain unrustled
is a Smogon Media Contributor Alumnus
Will have this done by the end of Sunday.

*Edit

Sigh. Make that Tuesday...

*Edit2

Was preoccupied near the end of the day, but I'll finish Mega Diancie and the conclusion very soon.
 
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Okay, this is my first QC, so please excuse me if I fuck up in anyway :x just a reminder, that if I didn't mention a Mon, I thought it was fine as is.
Mega Sableye:

Magic Bounce reflects various status moves, such as Toxic, Will-O-Wisp, Stealth Rock, Spikes, and Taunt
Include Thunder Wave, Spore, Leech Seed, Toxic Spikes, Encore and Whirlwind. These are all relevant moves in the current meta game, that magic bounce reflects.

Has a wide movepool, such as Knock Off, Recover, Will-O-Wisp, Foul Play, and Calm Mind
I would include shadow ball and dark pulse as relevant stabs. Snarl, as it has been used since Mega Sableyes conception, by CleanerThanRotom-W who utterly destroyed ladder, as it allows for STAB and SpA drops oncommon special switch ins to reduce they attack output and even provide set up chances. Next include Fake Out, which has seen usage on a fair number of teams that don't need the set up sweeping abilities of calm mind, but rather the support it provides, which fake out gives immediate by providing a free Mega verse any match up. Finally I would include Metal Sound, as it effectively allows Sableye to bounce back any attack it opponent wants to dish out, straight back at them with a 1.5 boost to the damage it received.

Mega Aggron:

Very wide movepool
Seems odd that you would mention the relevant moves within Sableges large Move pool and not Aggron's, especially when it's just as vast and diverse as Mega Sableye.

When going through your Cons, I also noticed there was no mention of Aggrons terrible spped tier, which leaves it suspectable to always taking a blow before making its move. This sound defentietly be included, as one predicted switch from a Zam or if it gets weakened, can mean that it will fail to accomplish anything before it dies.

Mega Medicham:

Useful offensive moves like Fake Out, Ice Punch, Thunder Punch, and Zen Headbutt
Bullet Punch should be mentioned here, as its featured regularly on Medicham to finish off mons like Tornadus-T, after a high jumjump and to also straight kill diancie.

STAB High Jump Kick is walled only by the bulkiest of walls
This is kind of wrong, in the sense that Medicham is only walled by things that resist both its STABs and coverage and not be 2hkod. No matter how Bulky a Mon is, if it doesn't resisting or immune to Medicham STABs, its dying or getting 2hkod. Walling medi doesn't mean being the bulkiest Mon, it simply means having the right typing and investment to take hits.

Mega Manectric:

Base 135 Speed is incredible for a sweeper
A paralysis immunity lets it sweep without worrying about Thunder Wave
I wouldnt call Manectric a Sweeper, as it's more suited for the titles of offensive pivot, revenege killer and late game cleaner. Seeing as its main roles on any team is to wear down your opposition Pokemon by pivoting around, providing safe switch ins for breakers to net a kill and sweepers to set up, revenge killing weaken mons and close out a game once the opposing team has had its main checks anand counters to mane removed and weakened. little definition of the term sweeper for you off Bulba:
"Sweeper refers to a Pokémon set that is intended to knock out opposing Pokémon in succession, usually through the assistance of positive stat changes. Commonly branched into the categories physical sweeper, special sweeper, and mixed sweeper, depending on its stats and damage-dealing moves."
Mane really doesnt have the ability to do this and is hence forth why I don't think you should list it as one here and I wuld suggest putting late game cleaner instead.

Mega Altaria:

Has a wide movepool, with offensive options including Dragon Dance, Return, Hyper Voice, Earthquake, and Fire Blast, and defensive/supportive options being Heal Bell, Roost, and Cotton Guard
Refresh should be included here, as it caters to Altaria self sufficiently sweeping, due to the increases number of pp it gets when compared to heal bell, which is more suited for helping the team as a hole then just its self. I would also include Facade, as its the primary move used on the cutting gaurd set and sees usage on other DD sets, due to its ability to get burn from mons like Talonflame and keldeo and get stronger. I also think Double Edge is worth noting, due to its absurd power to break thing apart such as it 2hkoing quagsire.

Mediocre offenses for a Mega Evolution, leaving its coverage moves fairly weak and relying on Pixilate STABs to deal any real damage
I honestly disagree with there being a problem relying on its immensely powerful STAB due to the,thcalimed lack of support of it coverage moves.Look at it this way, the only things it doesnt hit super effectively are Poison, Fire and Steel which its coverage in Fire Blast and Eq, hit all three for super effective damage and in most cases remove Pokemon with these typyings. Which is perfect and all it really needs to do to complete it role as a supporting move, so that you can freely spam that powerful stab. Would honestly change this last part, as mentioned it has the ideal support to make spamming its powerful STAB completely viable.

Mega Bannete:

Has a severe case of four moveslot syndrome, since it needs Protect due to its bad bulk and lack of Prankster before Mega Evolving and usually needs Knock Off to avoid being too passive
Going to disagree with the need for protect, as I don't believe it's a must at all. Mega Bannete does not need protect to work efficiently as seen in this video here where he effectively pulls off Mega Bannete without the use of protect due to the combination of invested bulk and access to priority allowing it to pick off opponents for a free Mega.

Just wanted to add that I think it's access to STAB priority in Shadow Sneak and also having another strong prioirty in Sucker Punch should be mentioned, as there both good ways to get around its terrible speed and hit for some respectable damage.

Mega Absol:

Has good STAB attacks in Knock Off, Sucker Punch, and Pursuit, as well as good coverage moves in Superpower, Fire Blast, and Ice Beam
I recommend you include Iron Tail, as it allows Mega Absol to deal with common fairy types that would usually switch into it like Clefable.

Mega Gallalie:

I would include in your cons how predictable it is, as it only has one viable set which consists only of Ice and ground coverage.

Mega Latias:

Has a wide variety of moves to use, such as Psyshock, Stored Power, Dragon Pulse, Thunder Wave, Roost, Reflect Type, and Roar
I would recommend including Thunderbolt and Icebeam, as theyre the most commonly seen moves used for coverage atm.

Reflect Type is only useful when Mega Latias is faster then the opponent or when used on the switch
This isn't actually entirely true, as Mega Latias can actually live a crunch from Scarf tar and proceed to change itits type to match tars and live the next hir and recover off. This can also be done against weavile assuming your at full and probably other mons.

Mega Latios:

Latios has a lot of variety in OU, ranging from sets that use Defog, Calm Mind, Choice Scarf, and even Reflect and Light Screen
Just a small nitpick, but I would add in Choice Specs, which I know Leftiez is a big fan of, as it utterly destroys teams not expecting it. Latios can also use sets like 3 attack recover, 2 attack recover+defog and 3 attack defog, obviously these are more sub genres for lack of a better word of set overviews, but they might be worth mentioning if you can fit it in.

Mega Loppuny:

Has several moves available for use, such as Fake Out, Encore, Baton Pass, Power-Up Punch, and Ice Punch
I would include Iron Tail, as it gives a nice way to lure in and super effectively
Hit fairies like Clefable, which often times when they come in on a return and expect to heal up, means a dead Clefable.

Is The Original Still Worth Using?: Lopunny has no practical use over anything available in OU. If you wish to succeed in OU, either use the Mega Evolution or just stay away
This isn't a big deal cause its so unbelievably niche, but user: chimpact has used both in tour scene and ladder to some success a regular Loppuny. I'm not too familiar with the set and how it works, other then its role is to cripple mons, which its ability to do so is greatly enhanced thanks to people believing that it's regular Mega and going about it thinking its mega. I won't say this is a must or anything, cause like I said it's super niche, but if you ever find time to talk to chimp about it and get his opinion, it might be worth a cool mention.

Mega Gallade:

Close Combat and Zen Headbutt are strong STAB attacks, with good coverage moves including Ice Punch, Knock Off, and Shadow Sneak
I really don't agree with the mentioning of shadow sneak here, as Gallade much-much rather prefers Knock Off or Ice Punch, as they actually allow them to remove things that would other wise wall it or cause it a great amount of grief. Sneaks niche is so small on a Mon that's already p niche and I would say outclassed, that its just overall not a great choice at all.

Mega Diancie:

Diamond Storm can provide extra physical bulk, making it harder KO, and moves like Moonblast, Earth Power, and Psyshock make it even harder to wall
Psyshock is like close to none existent when it it comes to people using it on Diancie. Arguably it does have a Niche in checking Venu and Amoong, but the fact is that these things can get rocked by Diamond storm or Hidden Power Fire if there not carefully and get too low. These moves also provided way more versatility then these select few mons. Moving on I think Hidden Power Fire should be included as one of the things that makes it hard to wall, as kt effectively lures in and removes normal fine switch ins, in Scizor, Defensive skarm, ferro and so on.
 

rs

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Hi n_n Thanks to Snowy. btw for helping me with the other half of this, it was a pretty big task.

Mega Venusaur:
  • Mention that Mega Venusaur has the flexibility to actually run a move that hits those Steel-types that think they get a "free" switch-in to Mega Venusaur, even on Defensive sets (Ferrothorn, Magnezone, Jirachi, Scizor, etc), the move being Hidden Power Fire over Leech Seed, Knock Off, etc of course.
  • "...Mega Gardevoir, and Mega Medicham, making it easy to find an answer to her". idk if its a GP thing but Mega Venusaur should be classified as an it :^).
  • I would probably mention that Mega Venu is pretty susceptible to status, since it checks a pretty big portion of the tier that carry status moves/moves that spread status (Will-O-Wisp, Thunder Wave, Scald users ~_~) like Keldeo, T-Wave Clefable, Rotom-W, etc
Mega Charizard X:
  • Mention that it has some pretty great coverage moves to hit some of its common checks/counters, like Heatran with Earthquake or Iron Tail to hit Mega Altaria.
  • Although it does get access to these coverage moves, mention that it has a slight case of 4 move slot syndrome, since the Dragon Dance set would most likely have to get rid of Roost for a coverage move, which obviously decreases its overall longevity.
Mega Charizard Y:
  • Mention that its susceptible to being revenge killed easily because of its rather average Speed stat (outpaced by almost all common Choice Scarf users or the likes of Thundurus, Mega Diancie, Lati@s, etc), worse typing than Mega Charizard X, and lowly 78 HP / 78 Defense stats.
Mega Blastoise:
  • Even though its already mentioned in the 'Pros' section, I would probably mention again in the 2nd paragraph how it gets past some of the walls that most Water-types can't (Mega Launcher boosted moves, immediate power with a high SpA stat, etc).
  • "..its niche as a Rapid Spinner that can beat out most Ghost-types with a Mega Launcher-boosted Dark Pulse isn't unnoticed"
Mega Beedrill:
  • again idk if its a GP thing but it bothered me :^) "Has an amazing base 145 Speed to sweep and a massive base base 150 Attack to hit with"
  • Mention that its susceptible to any kind of Priority move (KO'd by Bisharp's Sucker Punch, KO'd by Azumarill/Diggersby priority moves after 1 turn of Stealth Rocks) and also susceptible to potential Pursuit users that it can't do much to such as Mega Metagross or Bisharp (Sucker Punch mindgames in mind)
  • Also mention that it does get access to Knock Off, which is helpful at any time for its teammates.
Mega Pidgeot:
  • idk if its worth mentioning but I'd think about mentioning that Hurricane is a hax inducing move that's extremely annoying (30% chance to confuse opponent)
Mega Alakazam:
  • Mention that its potentially one of the best cleaners in the game due to its fantastic coverage and very high Special Attack and Speed stats.
  • "The Focus Sash set also benefits greatly from Magic Guard, as it lets Alakazam revenge kill very reliably without having to worry about getting OHKO'd by a priority move"
Mega Slowbro:
  • "Shell Armor is a nearly useless ability". Though I wouldn't call it completely useless, since getting critted in a Calm Mind War is not the best thing to happen, I would just say something like "Loses a better ability in Regenerator upon Mega Evolving"
  • You also forgot to fill in "Is The Original Still Worth Using?:" section n_n
Mega Pinsir:
  • Make a quick mention about Close Combat in the paragraph, you mentioned Earthquake but not CC
  • I'd probably also mention that it has access to Feint for things like Talonflame
Mega Gyarados:
  • I'd mention that loses the better ability upon Mega Evolving (Intimidate), as if you're forced to switch-out it'll be harder to set-up late in the game when the foe is at their regular attack stat and not sitting at a -1 attack from Gyarados' Intimidate
Mega Aerodactyl:
  • When you're mentioning its Speed, mention that with it and Mega Zam, it outspeed the whole unboosted tier.
  • I'd mention that with Mega Aerodactyl being a Rock-type and Sand being so prevalent in the current OU metagame, more likely than not it can usually gain a nice 50% Special Defense boost from the likes of Tyranitars and Hippowdons running around
Mega Ampharos:
  • Looks fine
Mega Scizor:
  • I'd mention that not only does it have great defensive typing, but also offensive typing as well
  • Mention that it provides a slow U-turn to bring in teammates safely as well, just like Mega Ampharos
Mega Heracross, Houndoom, TTar:
  • all look fine :]
Mega Sceptile:
  • Mention that it has a great match-up against Offense, outspeeding the majority of the unboosted tier, has great STABs in a tier where Dragon-types are on almost every team, coverage in Earthquake, Focus Blast, etc.. and decent power in both Attack stats.

Mega Swampert:
  • Mention Low Kick or Superpower as an option for coverage (usually used on a 4-attack set if Politoed is on the team), Low Kick beating Tyranitar and others without the unappealing Attack and Defense drop while Superpower providing more immediate power
Mega Gardevoir:
  • Looks fine :]
 

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