QC [3/3] (p2, Gary, DennisEG )
GP [1/1] (Kris)
[OVERVIEW]
* Mega Alakazam is one of the fastest Pokemon in the tier, only being outsped by Pheromosa and some Choice Scarf users.
* Very high Special Attack allows for late-game sweeps, including against weather teams due it gaining Trace after Mega Evolution.
* Using Psychic-, Ghost-, and Fighting-type moves, it has excellent coverage
* Moves such as Taunt and Encore equip it with utility and the ability to deal with stall and setup sweepers.
* Magic Guard pre-Mega Evolution can be used to avoid entry hazard damage or absorb status.
* It has weak defensive stats, is prone to priority and spammable attacks such as U-turn and Knock Off.
[SET]
name: Special Sweeper
move 1: Psychic
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Substitute / Taunt
item: Alakazite
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
=======
* Psychic is Mega Alakazam's only STAB move and hits very hard off of its base 175 Special Attack.
* Shadow Ball has great coverage, and it can wear checks down, hitting everything bar Dark- and Normal-types for neutral damage and dealing super effective damage to opposing Ghost-types such as Alolan Marowak, Mimikyu, as well as dangerous Psychic-types such as Tapu Lele.
* Focus Blast hits Dark- and Steel-types super effectively, which either resist or are immune to Psychic.
* Substitute both prevents status and eases predicting by absorbing attacks while evading Sucker Punch.
* Taunt prevents the foe from using status moves, such as Thunder Wave, recovery moves, and setup moves, and is an option against stall.
* Hidden Power Fire punishes Bug- and Steel-type switch-ins such as Mega Scizor and Ferrothorn.
* Calm Mind boosts its Special Attack and Special Defense against weaker special attackers such as Mantine and Toxapex and can end the game unexpectedly for the opponent.
* Signal Beam OHKOes non-HP invested Hoopa-U after Stealth Rock and hits Dark-types too, barring Mandibuzz and Sableye.
* Dazzling Gleam is a safer coverage move to deal with Dark-types such as Weavile, Greninja, Hoopa-U, weakened Tyranitar, and +1 Mega Gyarados and deals noticeable damage to Mega Sableye.
Set Details
========
* Maximum Special Attack investment is needed to let Mega Alakazam hit as hard as possible with Psychic and its coverage moves.
* Timid is the preferred nature, as it allows Mega Alakazam to outspeed the whole unboosted metagame bar Pheromosa, and lets it Speed tie with Mega Aerodactyl.
* It also outspeeds Choice Scarf users and Pokemon with a +1 Speed boost with base 83 Speed or lower such as Hoopa-U and Mega Gyarados.
Usage Tips
========
* Mega Alakazam fits on balance and hyper offense teams as a sweeper that also has the potential to deal heavy damage.
* Weaken the opponent's team to the point where only Mega Alakazam's coverage moves have to be clicked, e.g like with entry hazards such as Spikes and Toxic Spikes.
* Due to its frailty, Mega Alakazam has to be played cautiously. Checks must be worn down either by the use of teammates or by Mega Alakazam itself to allow it to sweep late-game.
* Make sure priority users and faster Pokemon are KOed before sending Mega Alakazam in, and keep Mega Alakazam at near-full health, since it struggles to take hits at all.
* Only let Mega Alakazam take weaker special hits, such as Scald from Toxapex.
* Only Mega Evolve when necassary, as Magic Guard prevents residual damage and can absorb status.
* Psychic Terrain keeps it safe from priority moves and boosts Psychic-type attacks.
Team Options
========
* Means to deal with Steel types that like to switch into Alakazam are needed, so Steel-resistant teammates like Alolan Marowak, Heatran, and Electric-types such as Magnezone that can trap Steel types are great.
* Rocky Helmet Garchomp and Landorus-T punish physical attackers with priority moves and checks like Scizor, and they can set up Stealth Rock or pivot into Celesteela and Ferrothorn.
* Fighting-types like Keldeo and Buzzwole deal with specially defensive walls such as Chansey and Blissey and check Dark-types such as physical Hoopa-U, Weavile, and Tyranitar, which either have priority moves or need to be hit with Focus Blast; Dugtrio can trap and eliminate weakened Dark-types.
* In return, Dark-types that weaken or remove opposing bulky Psychic types like Pursuit trappers, help bring them in KO range of Mega Alakazam.
* Fairy-types help against Dark-types; Tapu Fini has good defensive capabilities and can dent Steel-types with Nature's Madness.
* Heavy-hitting wallbreakers such as Buzzwhole, Tapu Bulu, Hoopa-U, and Choice Specs Tapu Lele are appreciated to soften up the opposing team.
* Together with Tapu Lele, it forms a Psychic-type spam core in Psychic Terrain, boosting the attack Psychic while protecting it from priority moves.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* Encore locks Pokemon into Sucker Punch or their setup or recovery move.
* Hidden Power Ice deals with Ground- and Flying-types like defensive Landorus-T and Garchomp after some prior residual damage.
* Psyshock hits Chansey and Blissey harder.
* A Modest nature lets Mega Alakazam hit 399 Speed and can be used if necessary for a power boost. However, Choice Scarf users and setup sweepers like Hoopa-U, Xurkitree, Buzzwole, +1 Mega Gyarados, and Mega Aerodactyl outspeed it. Nevertheless, outspeeding as many Pokemon as possible should be preferred.
* Non-Mega Alakazam can be used with a Life Orb and a similar moveset, but it gets outsped by checks like Weavile, Greninja, Tapu Koko, other Mega Alakazam, and Tornadus-T and has even lower defenses while not being significantly stronger. If used, a Knock Off set has great utility to cripple checks like Chansey; that way, Psyshock 2HKOes it.
* A Focus Sash set can make Alakazam a decent revenge killer with Thunder Wave as an emergency break for setup sweepers, but it doesn't hit as hard and has the same problems as the Life Orb set.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Steel-types**: Mega Scizor and Assault Vest Metagross can switch into Mega Alakazam and Pursuit trap it. Choice Scarf Jirachi annoys it with U-turn gaining momentum and Iron Head to revenge kill it. Specially defensive Jirachi can capitalize on it multiple times, force a switch and gain momentum every time it switches in, while Magearna, especially Assault Vest likes to pivot into Mega Alakazam and use Volt Switch, but can't take too many repeated hits. Celesteela can also switch into any attack from Alakazam and can proceed to use Leech Seed, and then Protect and gain its health back or deal massive damage to Alakazam with Heavy Slam. Skarmory, Ferrothorn, and Klefki can switch into Psychic and Shadow Ball and proceed with setting up entry hazards, attacking with Gyro Ball, Iron Head, or using Thunder Wave.
**Dark-types**: Tyranitar and Bisharp force Mega Alakazam into risky situations with Focus Blast, Hoopa-U can take any hit bar Signal Beam after Stealth Rock, and Mandibuzz walls it and needs to be hit with Dazzling Gleam on the switch-in.
**Psychic-types**: Specially defensive Jirachi, Mew, Celebi, and boosted Reuniclus are hard to break and can wall Mega Alakazam.
**Priority**: Bullet Punch from Scizor, Water Shuriken from Ash Greninja, Ice Shard from Weavile, and Shadow Sneak from Mimikyu deal heavy damage; Mega Alakazam has to be kept at very high HP to take any of these hits.
**Pursuit**: Pursuit coming from Dark-types, Scizor, and Metagross, or any other Pokemon with a decent Attack stat can take Mega Alakazam out unexpectedly when switching out.
**Faster Pokemon**: Pheromosa and Choice Scarf users such as Tapu Lele, Landorus-T, and Jirachi can take a hit and hit back, or OHKO with U-turn in case of a physical Choice Scarf user.
**Chansey and Blissey**: These two take any hits from Alakazam, and only Psyshock and Focus Blast do noticeable damage.
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