[OVERVIEW]
Audino sports impressive bulk before Mega Evolving and even better bulk after Mega Evolving, making it the bulkiest Pokemon in the tier. Its bulk allows it to fulfill many offensive and defensive roles on a team. Its offensive set has Fire Blast, Surf, and Psychic as good coverage alongside Mega Audino's Fairy-type STAB move. The physically defensive set can wall many unboosted physical attackers such as Hariyama, Archeops, and Kangaskhan, while the specially defensive set can wall powerful special attackers such as Samurott, Magmortar, and Pyroar a lot easier. Audino has Regenerator before Mega Evolving, which can allow Audino to stay healthy throughout the match; however, the Fairy typing it gains from Mega Evolving makes it the best answer to Knock Off in the tier. Defensive sets are easy setup bait, meaning that any attacker with a boosting move such as Fletchinder or Lilligant can overpower Audino. The defensive sets also get shut down very easily by Taunt, preventing Audino from ridding the team of status or providing Wish support. Lastly, its Speed stat leaves much to be desired as it is part of the most crowded Speed tier in the current metagame.
[SET]
name: Defensive Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Dazzling Gleam
move 3: Wish / Rest
move 4: Protect / Sleep Talk / Fire Blast / Heal Bell
ability: Regenerator
item: Audinite
evs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpA
nature: Bold
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Calm Mind boosts allow Mega Audino to hit harder and further set up on special attackers as well. Dazzling Gleam offers the most coverage for a mono-attacker set. Wish offers a means of recovery but leaves Mega Audino prone to status whereas Rest renders any status condition useless and heals Mega Audino back up to full after setting up. Protect secures Mega Audino recovery from Wish while scouting the foe's moves. Sleep Talk takes advantage of sleep to either set up faster or deal damage, while Fire Blast offers a way of getting past Steel-types, such as Ferroseed, Klinklang, and Mawile, while also hitting Poison-types harder than Dazzling Gleam. Heal Bell augments Audino's longevity, allowing it to get rid of status conditions that would threaten it out; the move also works well in tandem with Wish.
Set Details
========
248 HP EVs minimize Stealth Rock damage while maximum Defense EVs augment Mega Audino's physical bulk, allowing it to take on a plethora of physical attackers such as Tauros and Kangaskhan. A Bold nature further bolsters its bulk. Regenerator allows it to be a pivot early-game and remain healthy throughout the match.
Usage Tips
========
Early-game, Audino can be used as a bulky pivot into weak attacks, especially from defensive Pokemon, such as Regirock, Lanturn, and Quagsire, as well as status moves, keeping itself healthy through Regenerator and being able to heal off any status condition with Rest or Heal Bell later on. Holding off for as long as possible on Mega Evolving allows Audino to regain health with Regenerator and more reliably pass a Wish to a teammate. Audino's natural bulk prior to Mega Evolving is usually enough to be able to pass Wishes against common defensive Pokemon, such as Vileplume, Regirock, and Claydol. If Audino only runs Dazzling Gleam, it can be easily stopped by Steel- and Poison-types, such as Klinklang, Mawile, Garbodor, and Muk, so it should not set up before those are gone. Use Calm Mind against Pokemon that cannot 2HKO Mega Audino, such as Regirock, Prinplup, Sneasel, and Hariyama. Use Rest or Wish when Audino is low on health, then proceed to use Sleep Talk or Heal Bell to continue setting up.
Team Options
========
Offensive Fire- and Fighting-types, such as Magmortar and Sawk, can dispatch of Steel-type Pokemon that threaten Mega Audino, such as Mawile and Klinklang. Fighting-type teammates also constantly pressure opposing Poison-types, gradually weakening them for Mega Audino. The previously mentioned Fighting-types also have access to moves such as Earthquake and Zen Headbutt, allowing them to lure in and dispatch of Poison-type Pokemon such as Garbodor and Muk. Bulky Calm Mind users, such as Uxie, Xatu, and Musharna, also pressure the opposing Steel-types, constantly whittling down one another's checks with Mega Audino. Defensive Ground-types, such as Quagsire and Rhydon, can take out opposing Poison- and Steel-types, such as Garbodor, Mawile, and Klinklang. Offensive Bug- and Dark-types, such as Scyther, Vivillon, Sneasel, and Malamar, can take out other Calm Mind users that can defeat Mega Audino in a Calm Mind war due to Psyshock, such as Uxie and Musharna. Ferroseed can take on both Poison- and Steel-types attacks aimed at Mega Audino and stack entry hazards, allowing Mega Audino to sweep in the late-game with fewer Calm Minds. Defensive Poison-types, especially Garbodor and Weezing, can take on powerful physical hitters, weaken them with Rocky Helmet and Will-O-Wisp respectively, and lay Toxic Spikes that will allow Mega Audino to stall out other Pokemon due to its massive bulk. Losing Regenerator after Mega Evolving makes Audino easier to be worn down by entry hazards; Pokemon such as Mantine, Pelipper, and Claydol can help clear the field of entry hazards, allowing Mega Audino to reliably switch into more offensive threats, such as Kangaskhan, Malamar, and Archeops.
[SET]
name: Offensive Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Dazzling Gleam
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Psychic / Surf
ability: Regenerator
item: Audinite
evs: 172 HP / 252 SpA / 84 Spe
nature: Modest
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Calm Mind increases Mega Audino's Special Attack and Special Defense. Dazzling Gleam is the most reliable STAB move to sweep with. Fire Blast is used to defeat Steel-types that would otherwise force Mega Audino out, such as Klinklang and Mawile. It also hits Vileplume and Tangela considerably hard, and they can do little back after a Calm Mind boost. Surf hits Fire-types that take little damage from Dazzling Gleam and Fire Blast, such as Fletchinder and Pyroar. However, Psychic hits Poison-types such as Weezing, Garbodor, and Muk that threaten Mega Audino out. Grass Knot allows Mega Audino to nail Quagsire while also retaining coverage on Pokemon such as Rhydon and Regirock.
Set Details
========
252 Special Attack EVs and a Modest nature maximize Mega Audino's damage output. 84 Speed EVs are used to outspeed up to uninvested base 60 Speed Pokemon, which includes Weezing, Sliggoo, Gourgeist-XL, and Vileplume, while the rest are placed into HP to further increase Mega Audino's bulk. Regenerator is the best ability prior to Mega Evolving, allowing Audino to keep itself healthy if it takes damage too early in the match.
Usage Tips
========
Mega Audino's low Special Attack and Speed force it into predicting faster switch-ins, such as Klinklang, Mawile, and Pawniard, and hitting them with the appropriate coverage move in order to defeat them. Lacking a reliable means of recovery also means that offensive Mega Audino should be used mid-game to take out opposing Steel- and Poison-types, opening up sweeping opportunities for teammates that appreciate those threats gone, such as Vivillon, Sawk, and Mawile. However, Audino can use its natural bulk and access to Regenerator to pivot in and out early-game if needed. Mega Audino's natural bulk allows it to take several weaker attacks, especially from defensive Pokemon such as Xatu, Vileplume, and Weezing; if opposing wallbreakers have fainted, Mega Audino can manage to sweep late-game with just a few Calm Mind boosts. Speed creeping can allow Mega Audino to outspeed quite a few Pokemon, such as Muk and Regirock, meaning if weakened it can find opportunities late-game to use Healing Wish and prepare a sweep for a teammate.
Team Options
========
Defensive Water / Ground types, such as Quagsire, can defeat both Steel- and Poison-types that threaten Mega Audino, such as Klinklang, Mawile, and Muk. Psychic-types, such as Mesprit, Uxie, and Jynx, appreciate having Mega Audino weaken Steel-types, and they can easily defeat Poison-types that threaten Mega Audino, such as Garbodor and Muk. Bulky Psychic-types, such as Uxie and Musharna, form a great duo of Calm Mind users with Mega Audino, constantly pressuring one another's checks and counters, such as Klinklang and Mawile. Offensive Bug-types such as Scyther and Vivillon appreciate having Steel- and Poison-types weakened and are able to defeat bulky Calm Mind users, such as Musharna and Uxie, that could win a Calm Mind war against Mega Audino. Offensive Dark-types, such as Sneasel and Liepard, can threaten out bulky Calm Mind users. Offensive Steel-types such as Klinklang, Mawile, and Pawniard put a lot of pressure on the same Steel-types that Mega Audino can lure in and defeat. Offensive Fighting-types, such as Sawk and Primeape, can take out Steel-types for Mega Audino and also appreciate its ability to lure in and defeat Poison-types, especially Vileplume.
[SET]
name: Specially Defensive
move 1: Wish
move 2: Protect
move 3: Heal Bell
move 4: Knock Off / Dazzling Gleam
ability: Regenerator
item: Leftovers / Audinite
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
nature: Careful / Calm
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Wish replenishes Audino's health and can be passed to a teammate fairly easily. Protect allows Audino to reliably heal itself back up with Wish, scout for Choice-locked moves, or stall for Leftovers recovery. Heal Bell keeps your team free of status conditions. Knock Off gets rid of items from defensive Pokemon that don't threaten Audino, such as Ferroseed, Vileplume, and Regirock. If Audinite is used, Dazzling Gleam allows Mega Audino to deal damage and not be completely shut down by Taunt. Encore is also an option that takes advantage of setup sweepers trying to boost on Audino.
Set Details
========
Maximum HP and Special Defense EVs and a Careful nature maximize Audino's bulk. Careful is used over Calm for the extra damage on Knock Off, while Calm should be used over Careful for extra damage on Dazzling Gleam if Audinite is used. Regenerator keeps Audino healthy and allows it to pass a Wish to a teammate while also regaining health itself. Leftovers offers passive recovery and augments Audino's longevity; however, Audinite allows Audino to gain an immense amount of bulk and a secondary Fairy typing at the cost of Regenerator. Investing 48 Special Attack EVs is an option that allows Mega Audino to 3HKO Malamar, making it impossible for it to set up on Mega Audino.
Usage Tips
========
Switch into other defensive Pokemon, such as Vileplume and Regirock, to reliably get off a Heal Bell or pass a Wish. Even when fully invested in Special Defense, Audino takes huge chunks of damage from powerful special attackers, such as Magmortar, as well as Psychic-types that hit on the physical side with Psyshock, such as Jynx. Keeping entry hazards off of your side of the field allows Audino to switch into special attackers such as Samurott and Mesprit with more ease as well as be able to reliably continue its Wish passing.
Team Options
========
Audino's bulk and support moves, especially Wish and Heal Bell, make it a good fit on bulkier teams, or even stall teams, that can afford to have reliable switch-ins to most situations and thus take advantage of Audino's ability to replenish their health. Entry hazard stackers, such as Garbodor, Weezing, and Ferroseed, increase Mega Audino's ability to stall out opposing Pokemon, and they appreciate the Heal Bell and Wish support in return. Bulky Psychic-types such as Musharna and Uxie can switch into Fighting-type Pokemon that threaten Audino and defeat them with their Psychic-type STAB moves. As Magmortar and Pyroar are some of the few special attackers that can 2HKO Audino, a Fire-type check, such as Mantine and Hariyama, can pair up well with it. Rapid Spin users, such as Claydol and Kabutops, make for good teammates, as they can clear the field of entry hazards and potentially set up their own. Almost all offensive Pokemon can benefit from having their status condition healed or health replenished, especially Pokemon that resist Fighting such as Scyther, Exeggutor, and Mesprit.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Healing Wish can heal up a weakened sweeper or wallbreaker; however, it sacrifices Audino and its impressive bulk, which is arguably better than Healing Wish's utility. With its bulk, it can reliably use Heal Bell and Wish multiple times throughout the match. Audino can also be a bulky pivot with Thunder Wave, allowing it to take on a lot of offensive threats such as Archeops, Sneasel, and Tauros. Unfortunately, Audino is already pressed for moves and cannot fit Thunder Wave into its moveset as a result. Draining Kiss can be a nice alternative over Dazzling Gleam, as it offers another form of recovery and delays the use of Rest, but it is significantly weaker than Dazzling Gleam. Hyper Voice is also a nice STAB option that doesn't leave Mega Audino walled by Fire- and Poison-types. Encore is also an option on the Calm Mind sets that can force out setup sweepers trying to boost alongside Mega Audino.
Checks & Counters
===================
**Steel-types**: Steel-types such as Klinklang, Mawile, and Pawniard can set up on the defensive sets and easily 2HKO Mega Audino, although they have to watch out for Fire Blast, as it hits hard even without investment.
**Poison-types**: Poison-types such as Garbodor and Muk resist Mega Audino's Fairy-type STAB moves and can 2HKO it with Gunk Shot. If it runs Psychic, however, Mega Audino can 2HKO Garbodor by hitting it on the switch.
**Calm Mind Users with Psyshock**: Psychic-types, such as Uxie, Mesprit, Xatu, and Musharna, can boost along Mega Audino with Calm Mind and proceed to defeat it with Psyshock.
**Powerful Special Attackers**: Pokemon such as Life Orb Magmortar can 2HKO most variants of Mega Audino and regular Audino with their STAB moves. However, Calm Mind Audino running Surf can defeat Magmortar.
**Powerful Physical Attackers**: Pokemon such as Choice Band Sawk and Zangoose can 2HKO any variant of Mega Audino. Sawk's Fighting typing leaves it weak to Mega Audino's Dazzling Gleam, though, so it can only defeat Mega Audino if Mega Audino switches into its attacks.
**Curse Quagsire**: Quagsire's Unaware ability allows it to tank Mega Audino's hits while setting up its own Curse boosts and healing back up with Recover. However, Mega Audino can nearly OHKO Quagsire if it runs Grass Knot.
**Taunt**: Taunt users, such as Archeops, Samurott, and Pyroar, can stop the defensive sets from setting up or healing and proceed to slowly whittle them down. Nonetheless, Calm Mind Audino has the power to defeat them, especially if it gets a Calm Mind boost before getting Taunted.
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