Zam's frailty isn't necessarily detrimental to its use of Magic Guard - it means it gets a free LO and 4 subs guaranteed if it can get a free switch. Being able to come in on Burn/Poison is also very useful, as last gen a sub+3 atks set would often run out of health before being able to break anything significantly. The added usefulness of Psychic attacks in this meta also gives him some usage potential, which is nice.
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Alakazam
- Thread starter Emperor
- Start date
Well LO Psycho Shock to Standard G4 Blissey
39.9% - 47.1%
Chansey ?
29.8% - 35.1%
No reason to use Psycho shock(btw why would you use psycho shock on anything anyway ?). psycho shock is just a zen headbutt with special attack and we all know 80 base wont be enough to break Blissey's defenses.
Not to mention like gengar Hippowdon OF ALL THING Wall him completely(LO Timid)
With Scizor still in the meta i dont see how alakazam will become prominent this gen. I mean, you might say he has massive power but his power is much lower than Latios that has frankly rather dissapointing Firepower as of now.
Heck zam(with LO i assume) is beaten by dory too(big reason i dont use fast fragile mon this gen).
But i admit, back then, LO zam is very great.
39.9% - 47.1%
Chansey ?
29.8% - 35.1%
No reason to use Psycho shock(btw why would you use psycho shock on anything anyway ?). psycho shock is just a zen headbutt with special attack and we all know 80 base wont be enough to break Blissey's defenses.
Not to mention like gengar Hippowdon OF ALL THING Wall him completely(LO Timid)
With Scizor still in the meta i dont see how alakazam will become prominent this gen. I mean, you might say he has massive power but his power is much lower than Latios that has frankly rather dissapointing Firepower as of now.
Heck zam(with LO i assume) is beaten by dory too(big reason i dont use fast fragile mon this gen).
But i admit, back then, LO zam is very great.
No, I didn't really. Magic Guard and LO help 'Zam hit rediculously hard without recoil, allows switch ins to status, negates hazzard damage etc. This means he has numerous options to switch in and whomp something before either switching out or taking a hit. How is that not helping it? Just because its not using it to abuse Burn Orb and set up or something like that doesn't mean its useless.
Pretty much hit the nail on the head.
Anyway, I think 'Zams frailty is being very much overexaggerated. I mean, I know its got the defenses of sheet of paper, but it can pretty much come in on any fighting move bar CC, and most Special attacks provided they're not choiced. Everybody seems to think that it will die to a Farfetch'd Air Slash or something, which is a product of probably just hearing how frail it is and not actually using it.
With SS up there's a chance to 2hko with SR, and if you have any layers of spikes up then you're pretty much sealing the deal.
Nobody said it's an advantage, but it's not a disadvantage either since it allows outspeeding of revengekillers.
How about this moveset:
Alakazam @Light Clay
Moves:
~Reflect
~Light Screen
~Counter
~Psychic/Psycho Shock
Nature: Timid
Ability: Synchronize/Inner Focus
EVs: 252 HP, 4 Sp Atk, 252 Spe
Under a Reflect and with the HP EVs, Alakazam can take a Bullet Punch/Pursuit from a Scizor (Just hope it doesn't use U-turn) or any a Pursuit from a Tyranitar and KO them back with Counter, while at the same time supporting the team with Dual Screens, and thus getting by some of its usual counters. Still, I doubt it will take something like an Outrage from Haxorus, screens or no screens, but that is what switching is for. One more thing, Spiritomb walks all over this set.
Alakazam @Light Clay
Moves:
~Reflect
~Light Screen
~Counter
~Psychic/Psycho Shock
Nature: Timid
Ability: Synchronize/Inner Focus
EVs: 252 HP, 4 Sp Atk, 252 Spe
Under a Reflect and with the HP EVs, Alakazam can take a Bullet Punch/Pursuit from a Scizor (Just hope it doesn't use U-turn) or any a Pursuit from a Tyranitar and KO them back with Counter, while at the same time supporting the team with Dual Screens, and thus getting by some of its usual counters. Still, I doubt it will take something like an Outrage from Haxorus, screens or no screens, but that is what switching is for. One more thing, Spiritomb walks all over this set.
The best advantage I can think of is that Payback's power is going to be reduced in almost every case due to a lower Speed stat. Notably, Conkeldurr, but that's for another thread.
Just to note, as soon as spooky manor is out...so is magic guard alakazam.
http://www.serebii.net/games/hiddenabilityaccess.shtml
So yeah just figured I'd post that here
http://www.serebii.net/games/hiddenabilityaccess.shtml
So yeah just figured I'd post that here
i'd like to second this. alakazam is released as far as i know
Alakazam I think will find a niche in OU as a check to the plethora of fighting types as well as an elite stallbreaker. With a Life Orb+4 attacks it can wreck shit up. Hell, you could give it taunt as well.
OR sub + 3 attacks allows you to take hits while also getting perfect coverage in three moves.
I wonder how this set I've been using on DW to break stall would work:
Alakazam @ Life Orb
Magic Guard
Timid
252 SpA/ 252 Spe/ 4 Hp
Taunt
Psyshock
Focus Blast
Shadow Ball
Alakazam @ Life Orb
Magic Guard
Timid
252 SpA/ 252 Spe/ 4 Hp
Taunt
Psyshock
Focus Blast
Shadow Ball
UU?!
PO's Official (Up-to-date) DW OU Rankings:
# 23 -
UU?!!!
Alakazam not only breaks Stall, but if you give him a Focus Sash, he's a "Get Out of Jail Free" Card. Opponent's Dragonite's at +6 (doesn't matter how he got there) but if his Multiscale is broken, it's goodbye via HP Ice.
I'm actually quite excited for Magic Guard Alakazam being officially released. He's probably not going to take OU by storm, but I could see him being quite effective there thanks to the beauty of recoil-less Life Orb. Him moving up to UU is almost a given, though.
Yeah that was my bad. I was doing a Bulk Up Conkeldurr calc before & forgot to change the stat boosts back. (I'm not used to this new calc I'm using)
Timid Life Orb Alakazam Psyshock vs Max Def/Sp.Def Calm Blissey: 53.46% - 62.83%
Yeah it does plenty. Sorry about that. ^^;
Timid Life Orb Alakazam Psyshock vs Max Def/Sp.Def Calm Blissey: 53.46% - 62.83%
Yeah it does plenty. Sorry about that. ^^;
