-D-rank on VGC viability rankings
It's okay Mega Sceptile, daddy loves you
Overview
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-ORAS seriously gifted Sceptile with a Mega Evolution, greatly increasing its viability
-145 base Speed allows it to outspeed many key threats like Mega Salamence (which it checks!)
-Lightning Rod = hahaha Thunder Wave immunity!
-It's frail, so... Good luck taking hits
-Attacks tend to suffer from low Base Power, undermining its impressive 145 base Special Attack
-Weakness to Fairy and 4x weakness to Ice seriously hurts it, especially since it struggles to break past common Fairy-types like Sylveon.
Special Attacker
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name: Special Attacker
move 1: Giga Drain / Leaf Storm
move 2: Dragon Pulse
move 3: Detect
move 4: Quick Guard / Focus Blast
ability: Overgrow
item: Sceptilite
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Modest
Moves
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-Giga Drain and Dragon Pulse are your preferred STAB attacks; Giga Drain covers Water-types and helps to recover some of your HP, while Dragon Pulse is slightly stronger STAB that allows it to check Dragon-types like Hydreigon and Mega Salamence.
-Leaf Storm is also viable over Giga Drain to deal more damage, although it will force you to switch out and/or lose any Lightning Rod boosts you have acquired.
-Detect is Detect; Sceptile learns it so you use it instead of Protect because of Imprison
-In the last slot, Quick Guard enables Sceptile to block moves like Fake Out and Talonflame's Brave Bird; Mega Sceptile's high Speed helps it to block Fake Out as it's faster than just about every Fake Out user and both moves have +3 priority. Focus Blast, however, enables it to land a super-effective hit on Steel-types like Heatran and Ferrothorn. Be aware that although Quick Guard can be used consecutively without failing, it will still reduce the odds of Detect succeeding when used.
-Hidden Power Fire can get a more reliable hit on Ferrothorn; Earthquake covers Heatran more reliably than Focus Blast but physical attacks are weak coming off of Mega Sceptile.
Set Details
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-Modest nature preferred over Timid; it still outruns positive-natured base 120s even with Modest and nothing above that is common enough to justify running a Timid nature. (Talonflame beats it regardless, don't bring it up)
-You know how Mega Sceptile takes hits? It doesn't, so just max out Special Attack and Speed. Nothing else is useful.
Usage Tips
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-You should try to have Mega Sceptile sent out closer to the late game. At this point, your opponent's team has been worn down a bit, making it easier for Mega Sceptile to clean up.
-You should try to nab Lightning Rod boosts whenever possible. If you expect the opponent to use an Electric-type move like Thunder Wave, Thunderbolt, or Discharge, (and you have already Mega Evolved Sceptile) switching Mega Sceptile in allows it to nab a +1, significantly helping it to do more damage.
-You can switch Sceptile (Mega Evolved or not) in on Water-type attacks, but other than that (and the aforementioned Electric-type moves) it is not advised to hard switch into Mega Sceptile due to its frailty.
Team Options
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-Discharge users allow Mega Sceptile to easily nab Lightning Rod boosts even in the absence of opposing Electric-type moves; good users include Zapdos, Raikou, Thundurus, and Rotom.
-Prankster Thunder Wave also allows Mega Sceptile to nab said Lightning Rod boosts, and, unlike Discharge, is guaranteed to give Mega Sceptile the boost before it attacks. Users include Thundurus, Meowstic-M, and Klefki. However, be aware that this acts as a double-edged sword as while Mega Sceptile is on the field, you cannot use Thunder Wave on your opponents.
-Teammates who benefit from Lightning Rod's redirection will want to be partnered up with Mega Sceptile; think Milotic, Gyarados, and Suicune. These Water-types can also tank the Ice-type moves that Mega Sceptile despises.
-Although running Focus Blast helps Mega Sceptile to deal with some Steel-types, others like Mega Mawile and Aegislash don't care about it. You will want to have Fire-types like Heatran and Rotom-H as teammates as they can handle Steel-types easily; in addition, Mega Sceptile handles Ground- and Water-types for them and Fire-types resist Fairy-type attacks.
-Mega Sceptile really hates Fairy-types, so use Pokemon that can beat them. Heatran, Aegislash, and Gengar are good examples.
Other Options
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-Let me find something in Mega Sceptile's nonexistent movepool to list here
-Mega Sceptile has Bulldoze! Speed control options, right? Okay, but seriously, if you're looking for a speed control 'mon, you're looking at the wrong Pokemon.
-It has Leech Seed, but it's really not bulky enough to take advantage of it.
Checks & Counters
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**Typing Advantage**: Fairy-types like Sylveon and Gardevoir are the most immediately obvious examples of this as Mega Sceptile can't do much to them and they OHKO, but in general, anything that can take a hit and hit it super effectively will do Mega Sceptile in.
**Speed**: While outspeeding Mega Sceptile without an item is a difficult task, anything with powerful priority or a Choice Scarf eats Mega Sceptile for breakfast. For example, Talonflame and Landorus-T give it a hard time due to priority Brave Bird and Choice Scarf U-turn, respectively.
**Speed Control**: While Mega Sceptile is immune to one form of speed control, namely Thunder Wave, other forms give it a headache. Set up Trick Room or Tailwind and opposing Mega Sceptile become useless until they wear off. Even Bulldoze can cripple it by reducing its Speed, and if Icy Wind doesn't OHKO Mega Sceptile, it will at least leave it severely incapacitated due to a combination of reduced Speed until switching out and incredibly low HP.
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