I think I agree with you. Mega Ampharos has enough power that going uninvested doesn't hurt it much and it really needs the bulk to survive without recovery beyond Rest. It's going to be taking hits left and right being a bulky pivot. Agility Ampharos is still awesome though as an offensive set.
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Pokémon Ampharos
- Thread starter doughboy
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What about adding Espeon as the final slot? Magic bounce would bounce back hazards and Taunts which would almost ruin this(Tho maybe he uses Espeon idk)Tho This is my first gen being competitive so it wouldby surprise me if I was completely wrong
Sylveon > Florges in every possible way. Even in appearance (seriously wtf is with those eyebrows?).
Mega Ampharos
Galladium
Banned deucer.
I meant Draco Meteor.
Sylveon is OU, Florges is UU. Sylveon may be better, but that's why it isn't allowed in MAmphy's tier.
I will spare you the lengthy analysis, as you have done much of that already. I just wanted you to be aware, as i have not seen it mentioned yet, that a timid agility Mega Ampharos is STILL FASTER than Mega Gengar. What this means is, provided with the agility and some health investment, Mega gengar cannot beat Mega Ampharos EVEN with dazzling gleam (which does about upwards of 60% with hp investment, 70+ without). So Mega Ampharos succesfully evades the trap (provided mega ampharos still retains at least 80% of it's health). This basically means that Ampharos is a better candidate as a bulky sweeper than some of your other options such as mega aggron, who suffer notably from carrying stat reducing moves for coverage (superpower).
This isn't really relevant, since Mega Gengar was banned from OU months ago.
While true, being able to outspeed Base 130's is an important tier, able to outspend Greninja, Landorus, Thundurus, Keldeo, Terrakion, Mega Pinsir (forces Quick Attack over Earthquake). It's bulky enough to take their best option using only HP investment, and its natural Sp. Attack is enough to beat them. It can even set up Agility on some of them.
0 SpA Mold Breaker Mega Ampharos Thunderbolt vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Thundurus: 181-214 (60.3 - 71.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Life Orb Thundurus Hidden Power Ice vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Mega Ampharos: 153-182 (39.8 - 47.3%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252 SpA Life Orb Thundurus-T Hidden Power Ice vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Mega Ampharos: 172-203 (44.7 - 52.8%) -- 22.7% chance to 2HKO
Thundurus loses one on one even with LO, and even Therian can't guarantee the win, since it loses Volt Absorb to Mold Breaker.
0 SpA Mold Breaker Mega Ampharos Hidden Power Ice vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Landorus: 324-384 (101.2 - 120%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 SpA Life Orb Sheer Force Landorus Earth Power vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Mega Ampharos: 421-499 (109.6 - 129.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO
Both get the OHKO, but Landorus becomes manageable if it HAS to use Earth Power to not die. Becomes irrelevant if Ampharos has an Agility boost.
0 SpA Mold Breaker Mega Ampharos Thunderbolt vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Greninja: 398-470 (139.1 - 164.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO
0 SpA Mold Breaker Mega Ampharos Focus Blast vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Greninja: 354-418 (123.7 - 146.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 SpA Life Orb Greninja Ice Beam vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Mega Ampharos: 304-359 (79.1 - 93.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Greninja can't manage a OHKO without hazards, and Ampharos has an option if it changes types for the SE attack.
0 SpA Mold Breaker Mega Ampharos Thunderbolt vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Mega Pinsir: 330-390 (121.3 - 143.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 Atk Mega Pinsir Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Mega Ampharos: 238-282 (61.9 - 73.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Aerilate Mega Pinsir Quick Attack vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Mega Ampharos: 46-55 (11.9 - 14.3%) -- possible 7HKO
252 Atk Pinsir Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Mega Ampharos: 204-242 (53.1 - 63%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Pinsir needs Max damage rolls and SR to win, and even without Mega Evolving, T-bolt is still a 2HKO.
0 SpA Mold Breaker Mega Ampharos Thunderbolt vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Keldeo: 326-386 (100.9 - 119.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 SpA Choice Specs Keldeo Secret Sword vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Mega Ampharos: 199-235 (51.8 - 61.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
With SS being its strongest option, even Specs Keldeo is checked by Mega Ampharos
0 SpA Mold Breaker Mega Ampharos Focus Blast vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Terrakion: 292-344 (90.4 - 106.5%) -- 37.5% chance to OHKO
252+ Atk Life Orb Terrakion Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Mega Ampharos: 296-351 (77 - 91.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Checks LO Terrakion, especially with Spikes or at least SR
Granted, it can't consistently beat them all without Wish support, but Ampharos is more than effective enough to check a lot of fast threats in the current Meta game. I left out EVs beyond HP to show how versatile you can be investing. You can forgo a coverage move for Agility to outspeed unbolted opponents and clean up, Sp. Attack to net a few more KOs, or either defensive stat to better check the aformeated threats, maybe even counter some of them, like Keldeo.
252 SpA Choice Specs Keldeo Secret Sword vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Mega Ampharos: 144-171 (37.5 - 44.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
Mega Ampharos is a surprisingly bulky and effective attacker against quite a few of the higher viability offensive threats, if you can spare your Mega slot.
why does it say drago pulse?
N's are expensive
Splitting your EVs in that manner is a bit ineffective. Since Cotton Guard does so much for Physical Defense, you could go full Special Defense. Also, your nature should usually buff a stat with investment.
That said, Cotton Guard Mega Ampharos seems a bit inefficient. Since it lacks even Passive recovery from Leftovers, Passive Damage and Status can wear it down quickly.
Its bulk is worth playing off of, but more for finding switch in chances as an attacker than a wall.
I run a bulky Ampharos as support for Keldeo and part of my Fairy-Steel-Dragon core
Maybelline (Ampharos) @ Ampharosite
Ability: Static
EVs: 252 HP / 144 SAtk / 64 SDef
Modest Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Focus Blast
- Dragon Pulse
- Volt Switch
EVs are to survive Greninja's Ice Beam after SR and KO with the appropriate coverage move. This thing can check a pretty good number of Pokemon on HP investment alone, and breaks at least a few bulky Mons from S and A ranks.
- Mega Pinsir
- Thundurus-I
- Keldeo
- Terrakion
--252+ Atk Life Orb Terrakion Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Mega Ampharos: 296-351 (77 - 91.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
- Mega Char-Y (bar the rare Dragon Pulse)
--252 SpA Mega Charizard Y Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 64 SpD Mega Ampharos in Sun: 135-160 (35.1 - 41.6%) -- guaranteed 3HKO (Earthquake without investment achieves nothing more)
- Unboosted Bisharp
--252+ Atk Life Orb Bisharp Sucker Punch vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Mega Ampharos: 175-207 (45.5 - 53.9%) -- 38.7% chance to 2HKO
- Non-EQ and non-AV Tyranitar
--252+ Atk Tyranitar Stone Edge vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Mega Ampharos: 177-208 (46 - 54.1%) -- 96.9% chance to 2HKO after sandstorm damage
- CB Talonflame
252 Atk Choice Band Talonflame Brave Bird vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Mega Ampharos: 102-121 (26.5 - 31.5%) -- guaranteed 4HKO
144+ SpA Mold Breaker Mega Ampharos Thunderbolt vs. 196 HP / 0 SpD Talonflame: 492-582 (142.1 - 168.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO
-Unboosted Dragonite (MB ignoring Multiscale)
--252+ Atk Dragonite Dragon Claw vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Mega Ampharos: 284-336 (73.9 - 87.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
- SpD Heatran
--4 SpA Heatran Earth Power vs. 252 HP / 64 SpD Mega Ampharos: 142-168 (36.9 - 43.7%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
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I quite like using screens with ampharos, even if it's just one. If you invest in one defence you can patch up the other with the screen, and even without investment you hit hard due to its high special attack.
Ah, thanks. I'll try another spread then. Maybe I'll use thunder wave instead of cotton guard.
I use Mega Ampharos as a lead, with a bold nature and 252 HP ev's to let it survive a dragon claw from a Mega Charizard X (Assuming it hasn't used dragon dance, if you lead with ampharos) and 252 SpA ev's to turn around and OHKO it. Mega ampharos has probably one of the strongest Volt Switches, and his slow speed lets him sponge attacks and switch out to another pokemon to finish it up.
The only thing that gives my mega ampharos trouble is excadrill.
The only thing that gives my mega ampharos trouble is excadrill.
The big problem with that is Lando-Leads, which can alter your playstyle-- forcing you into HP Ice, which lets for a predictable switch. Most things that Resist HP Ice will in turn not fear Mega-Amphy, as now the opponent has revealed a solid core against Mega-Amphy, and you have to predict around him switching Lando in and out.
Mega-Amphy just does best in UU-- though this problem still affects AV Donphan and Krook leads as well, both gaining in popularity lately.
See above-- as Lando is running rampant in ORAS right now to soft counter so many new physical threats, and Greninja is running around to check Mega-Salamence and CroBro. Most things that give Mega-Salamence trouble give Amphy trouble, and Lando and Greninja aren't uncommon leads, and both have U-turn as well as super effective attacks, making them kinda hard to predict before your Amphy falls.
I hear that, but if you see Lando/Greninja on the enemy team, the logical thing to do would be not start Ampharos. Regardless, a Greninja's Life Orb Ice Beam will only do 79.1 - 93.4% against a 252 HP MegaAmpharos. Also a defensive LandoT will not be able to KO Ampharos either (A Special or Physical Attacker would unless running a bulky set on Amph). Both of those pokemon are OHKOd and I think more valuable as pivots and revenge killers for your opponent to risk leaving in and losing on the first turn.
So are those the only 2 threats to MegaAmph? Because if they are, they are not that big.
no, but they are annoying and they are everywhere. And they are counters to Lead Ampharos, as you discussed. If not a lead, then all that's needed is them eliminated.
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