Magmortar (NU Analysis) [Uploaded]

Honko

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http://www.smogon.com/dex/dp/pokemon/magmortar/

[OVERVIEW]

Magmortar is one of the most dangerous Pokemon in NU. Its Fire Blast is the second strongest special attack in the tier (behind only Typhlosion's fully-powered Eruption), and it can back that up with fantastic coverage moves in Thunderbolt and Focus Blast that make it extremely difficult to switch into. However, Magmortar can sometimes be tricky to fit onto teams due to two issues: its Stealth Rock weakness and its lower Speed than other Fire-types. Being weak to Stealth Rock means it requires more support than other wallbreakers like Medicham and Magneton, and, although its Speed isn't terrible, being slower than Charizard and Typhlosion makes it a less effective check to Pokemon like Jynx and Haunter. On the other hand, none of those other Pokemon bring Magmortar's combination of power and coverage to the table. So long as Magmortar's team is built to compensate for its weaknesses, it is one of the best Pokemon in the tier.

[SET]
name: Wallbreaker
move 1: Fire Blast
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Hidden Power Grass
item: Life Orb / Expert Belt
ability: Flame Body
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Unparalleled power and coverage make Magmortar a fantastic wallbreaker. Life Orb STAB Fire Blast coming off Magmortar's base 125 Special Attack is almost impossible to switch into without a resistance. Thunderbolt really sets Magmortar apart from other Fire-types by allowing it to 2HKO Water-types such as Slowking and Politoed. Focus Blast has a good chance to OHKO Regirock that don't invest in Special Defense; it also helps achieve 2HKOs on specially defensive Lickilicky and Cradily, which Fire Blast can't quite muster. Hidden Power Grass rounds out Magmortar's coverage, allowing it to beat the occasional Whiscash or Gastrodon as well as giving it a more accurate option for finishing off weakened Rock- and Ground-types.

[ADDITIONAL SET COMMENTS]

Life Orb gives this set its devastating power, most importantly by powering up Fire Blast against neutral targets. Expert Belt is a viable alternative that allows Magmortar to take better advantage of its decent special bulk without getting worn down too quickly by Life Orb recoil on top of Stealth Rock damage. Expert Belt still gives Magmortar a moderate boost to its coverage moves, but it's a good idea to compensate for the loss of power by either switching to a Modest nature or having a teammate set up Spikes in addition to the usual Stealth Rock. The lack of recoil damage also makes Magmortar's set slightly harder to guess, but don't count on consistently bluffing a Choice item, as Expert Belt is fairly common and expected on Magmortar.

Substitute and Taunt are both viable alternatives over either Focus Blast or Hidden Power Grass. Substitute punishes switches, especially sacrifices intended to get a revenge killer in. On the other hand, Taunt prevents opposing walls from healing, which can allow Magmortar to win one-on-one against passive walls that could otherwise attempt to stall it out such as Lickilicky and Hypno. Both moves also protect Magmortar from status effects. If you use Substitute, then Expert Belt and Leftovers become better items choices, as the combined residual damage from entry hazards, Substitute, and Life Orb would severely shorten Magmortar's lifespan.

Specially defensive Psychic-types such as Slowking, Hypno, and Grumpig are Magmortar's most common switch-ins, so Pursuit Skuntank is an ideal teammate thanks to its ability to trap and remove them. Like most Fire-types, Magmortar greatly appreciates Rapid Spin support, so either Hitmonchan or Sandslash is also a good addition to the team. If you're building an offensive team, adding another Fire-type such as Charizard or Typhlosion is a popular choice, as they greatly appreciate Magmortar's ability to break through common counters; just make sure you have a solid answer to opposing Tauros and Floatzel, as they can outspeed and OHKO both of your Fire-types.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Fire Blast / Flamethrower
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Hidden Power Grass
move 4: Flamethrower / Focus Blast / Overheat
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Flame Body
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

The power and coverage that make Magmortar such a good wallbreaker also make it an effective revenge killer and late-game sweeper when equipped with a Choice Scarf. Magmortar's Fire Blast is powerful enough to OHKO most offensive Pokemon that don't resist it, especially if you can keep Stealth Rock up. Thunderbolt gives Magmortar great coverage against Water- and Flying-types, most notably allowing Magmortar to revenge kill Charizard after a couple of rounds of Life Orb recoil. Hidden Power Grass covers Rock- and Ground-types, including Dragon Dance Whiscash and Rock Polish Rhydon. In the last moveslot, Focus Blast maximizes Magmortar's coverage, allowing it to OHKO Rock Polish Regirock and deal more damage to most Normal- and Fire-types. However, being locked into a 70% accurate move that a lot of common Pokemon resist isn't ideal, so running a second STAB move is also an option that gives Magmortar flexibility in choosing between power and accuracy depending on the in-game situation. The 100% accurate Flamethrower is a great option to have in order to safely revenge kill or sweep against weakened foes without worrying about an untimely miss. On the other hand, Overheat provides extra single-turn power that allows Magmortar to reliably OHKO some important targets that Fire Blast can't quite guarantee without prior damage, including Tauros, Medicham, and Skuntank.

[ADDITIONAL SET COMMENTS]

With maximum Speed investment, Magmortar ties with +2 positive-natured Pokemon with base 50 Speed such as Timid Sunny Day Vileplume and Jolly Rock Polish Regirock. It also outspeeds common base 80 Speed Choice Scarf users such as Medicham and Gardevoir as well as slower Rain Dance sweepers such as Modest Gorebyss and Adamant Relicanth.

As with pretty much any set that any Fire-type in NU runs, this set appreciates Skuntank's support in removing bulky Psychic-types such as Slowking and Grumpig. Rapid Spin support is also crucial in allowing Magmortar to switch in multiple times to revenge kill opposing threats. It can also allow Magmortar to use its bulk to pull off a late-game sweep even if the opponent has a faster Choice Scarf user. For example, Choice Scarf Manectric deals slightly more than 50% to Magmortar on average, while Magmortar can OHKO back with Fire Blast. If you can keep Magmortar healthy by keeping Stealth Rock off the field, it can shake off a hit from Manectric and continue with a sweep, but if it's taken a couple of rounds of Stealth Rock damage, Manectric will be able to KO it. Hitmonchan is a great option; in addition to spinning, it pressures Lickilicky and Regirock, lures and weakens Slowking with Thunder Punch, and benefits from the same Skuntank support that helps Magmortar sweep.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
====================
Magmortar can run a terrifying Choice Specs set that 2HKOes literally everything in NU except Grumpig and Flareon. It's harder to fit on teams and use successfully than other sets, though, because it requires excellent prediction and teammates that can reliably keep entry hazards off the field in order to be effective. A Sunny Day set with Solar Beam is also an option, but it's less useful on Magmortar than other Fire-types because Magmortar already has Thunderbolt for Water-types.

Earthquake is Magmortar's best option against opposing Fire-types other than Charizard, making it a decent option on a mixed Life Orb set; even without any Attack investment, it OHKOes opposing Magmortar, Typhlosion, and Ninetales after Stealth Rock damage. Magmortar can theoretically go fully physical with its decent base 95 Attack and a nice movepool that also includes Flare Blitz, Thunder Punch, Low Kick, and even Mach Punch, but it's noticeably less powerful and doesn't really do anything better than its special attacking sets. Belly Drum is an entertaining option for those who feel adventurous, as Magmortar actually has higher Attack than Charizard and still outspeeds most of the same Choice Scarf users after a Salac Berry boost. However, like Belly Drum Charizard, it needs a perfectly orchestrated opportunity to set up that is difficult to actually pull off with any consistency even with a fully dedicated team, and Magmortar's lower Speed and lack of a Ground immunity make that opportunity even more difficult to create.

Checks and Counters
====================
Specially defensive Grumpig isn't even 3HKOed by any of Magmortar's attacks and can cripple it with status, although it lacks recovery and therefore can't counter Magmortar indefinitely if Stealth Rock isn't up. Specially defensive Hypno and Gardevoir are potential counters that can stall Magmortar out with Wish and Protect once they're in, but if Stealth Rock is up, Life Orb-boosted Fire Blast has a decent chance to 2HKO them as they switch in. All three of these Psychic-types are very vulnerable to being trapped by Skuntank, which is a common teammate for Magmortar, so they must be played cautiously.

Slowking and Politoed can check Magmortar, as they can switch in on Fire Blast while still retaining enough HP to survive a Thunderbolt on the next turn, but they lose if Magmortar uses Thunderbolt on the switch. Ninetales can switch in for free on Fire Blast, set up with Nasty Plot while surviving a hit from Focus Blast or Thunderbolt, and OHKO Magmortar with +2 Hidden Power Rock, but it will lose if it gets hit by Focus Blast, Thunderbolt, or Earthquake as it switches in. Specially defensive Camerupt and Flareon are uncommon sights in NU, but they both counter Magmortar quite effectively unless it carries Earthquake. Specially defensive Cradily and Regirock can sometimes force Magmortar out, despite being weak to Focus Blast, because Magmortar must risk Focus Blast's accuracy twice in a row to KO them and they can threaten to OHKO back with Rock Slide in case of a miss. Specially defensive Lickilicky similarly forces Magmortar to either rely on good fortune or switch out; unless Magmortar consistently hits its Focus Blasts or gets a lucky Special Defense drop or burn, Lickilicky can stall out Fire Blast's and Focus Blast's PP with Wish and Protect. Finally, many faster Pokemon can revenge kill Magmortar, especially physical attackers such as Tauros, Floatzel, Dodrio, and Pinsir.
 
Last edited:

Oglemi

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Ya I got nothing to add except maybe a general mention of SpD Regirock and Cradily in Checks and Counters, since unlike with Tbolt for the bulky Waters, Mag is forced to rely on Focus Blast in those situations which is Undesirable
 

GP 1/2
remove add

[OVERVIEW]

Magmortar is one of the most dangerous Pokemon in NU. Its Fire Blast is the 2nd second strongest special attack in the tier, (comma) only behind Typhlosion's Eruption at full power (behind only Typhlosion's full-powered Eruption), and it can back that up with fantastic coverage moves in Thunderbolt and Focus Blast that make it extremely difficult to switch into in Thunderbolt and Focus Blast. However, Magmortar can sometimes be tricky to fit onto teams due to two issues: its Stealth Rock weakness and its lower Speed than other Fire-types. Being weak to Stealth Rock means it requires more support than other wallbreakers like Medicham and Magneton, and, although its Speed isn't terrible, being slower than Charizard and Typhlosion makes it a less effective check to Pokemon like Jynx and Haunter. On the other hand, none of those other Pokemon bring Magmortar's combination of power and coverage to the table. So long as the team around it Magmortar's team is built to compensate for these its weaknesses, Magmortar is one of the best Pokemon in the tier.

[SET]
name: Wallbreaker
move 1: Fire Blast
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Hidden Power Grass
item: Life Orb / Expert Belt
ability: Flame Body
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Unparalleled power and coverage make Magmortar a fantastic wallbreaker. Life Orb STAB Fire Blast coming off Magmortar's base 125 Special Attack is almost impossible to switch into without a resistance Fire-resistant Pokemon. Thunderbolt is what really sets Magmortar apart from other Fire-types by allowing it to 2HKO Water-types such as Slowking and Politoed. Focus Blast has a good chance to OHKO Regirock that don't invest in Special Defense, and also helps achieve 2HKOs on specially defensive Lickilicky and Cradily, (comma) which that Fire Blast can't quite muster. Hidden Power Grass rounds out Magmortar's coverage, allowing it to beat the occasional Whiscash or Gastrodon, (comma) as well as giving it a more accurate option for finishing off weakened Rock- and Ground-types.

[ADDITIONAL SET COMMENTS]

Life Orb gives this set its devastating power, most importantly by powering up Fire Blast against neutral targets. Expert Belt is a viable alternative that allows Magmortar to take better advantage of its decent special bulk without getting worn down too quickly by Life Orb recoil on top of Stealth Rock damage. Expert Belt still gives Magmortar a moderate boost to its coverage moves, but it's a good idea to compensate for the loss of power by either switching to a Modest nature or having a teammate set up Spikes in addition to the usual Stealth Rock. The Expert Belt's lack of recoil damage also makes Magmortar's set slightly harder to guess, but don't count on consistently bluffing a Choice item, as Expert Belt is fairly common and expected on Magmortar.

Substitute and Taunt are both viable alternatives over either Focus Blast or Hidden Power Grass. Substitute punishes switches, especially sacrifices intended to get a revenge killer in. On the other hand, Taunt prevents opposing walls from healing, which can allow Magmortar to win 1-on-1 one-on-one against passive walls such as Lickilicky or Hypno that could otherwise attempt to stall it out such as Lickilicky and Hypno. Both moves also protect Magmortar from status effects. If you use Substitute, Expert Belt and Leftovers become better items choices, as the combined residual damage from entry hazards, Substitute, and Life Orb would will severely shorten Magmortar's lifespan.

Specially defensive Psychic-types such as Slowking, Hypno, and Grumpig are Magmortar's most common switch-ins, so Pursuit Skuntank is an ideal teammate for its ability to trap and remove them. Like most Fire-types, Magmortar greatly appreciates Rapid Spin support, so either Hitmonchan or Sandslash is also a good addition to the team. If you're building an offensive team, adding another Fire-type such as Charizard or Typhlosion is a popular choice, as they greatly appreciate Magmortar's ability to break through common counters; just make sure you have a solid answer for to opposing Tauros and Floatzel, as they can outspeed and OHKO both of your Fire-types.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Fire Blast / Flamethrower
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Hidden Power Grass
move 4: Flamethrower / Focus Blast / Overheat
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Flame Body
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

The power and coverage that make Magmortar such a good wallbreaker also make it an effective revenge killer and late-game sweeper when equipped with a Choice Scarf. Magmortar's Fire Blast is powerful enough to OHKO most offensive Pokemon that don't resist it, especially if you can keep Stealth Rock up. Thunderbolt gives Magmortar great coverage against Water- and Flying-types, most notably allowing Magmortar to revenge kill Charizard after a couple of rounds of Life Orb recoil. Hidden Power Grass covers Rock- and Ground-types, including Dragon Dance Whiscash and Rock Polish Rhydon. In the last moveslot, Focus Blast maximizes Magmortar's coverage, allowing it to OHKO Rock Polish Regirock and deal more damage to most opposing Normal- and Fire-types. However, being locked into a 70% accurate move with a lot of common resistances that is resisted by a lot of common Pokemon isn't ideal, so running a second STAB move is also an option that gives Magmortar more flexibility in choosing between power and accuracy depending on the in-game situation. The 100% accurate Flamethrower is a great option to have in order to safely revenge kill or sweep against weakened foes without worrying about an untimely miss. On the other hand, Overheat provides extra single-turn power that allows Magmortar to reliably OHKO some important targets that Fire Blast can't quite guarantee without prior damage, including Tauros, Medicham, and Skuntank.

[ADDITIONAL SET COMMENTS]

With maximum Speed, Magmortar ties with +2 positive-natured Pokemon with base 50 Speed, (comma) such as Timid Sunny Day Vileplume and Jolly Rock Polish Regirock. It also outspeeds common base 80 Speed Choice Scarf users such as Medicham and Gardevoir as well as slower Rain Dance sweepers such as Modest Gorebyss and Adamant Relicanth.

As with pretty much any set that any Fire-type in NU runs, this set appreciates support from Skuntank to remove removing bulky Psychic-types such as Slowking and Grumpig. Rapid Spin support is also crucial in allowing Magmortar to switch in multiple times to revenge kill opposing threats. It can also allow Magmortar to use its bulk to pull off a late-game sweep even if the opponent has a faster Choice Scarf user. For example, Choice Scarf Manectric deals slightly more than 50% to Magmortar on average, while Magmortar can OHKO back with Fire Blast. If you can keep Magmortar healthy by keeping Stealth Rock off the field, it can shake off a hit from Manectric and continue with a sweep, but if it's taken a couple of rounds of Stealth Rock damage, Manectric will be able to KO it. Hitmonchan is a great option; in addition to spinning, it can pressure Lickilicky and Regirock, (comma) and lure and weaken Slowking with Thunder Punch, and it also benefits from the same Skuntank support that helps Magmortar sweep.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
====================
Magmortar can run a terrifying Choice Specs set that 2HKOes literally everything in NU except Grumpig and Flareon. It's harder to fit on teams and use successfully than a non-Choice other sets, though, because it requires excellent prediction and teammates that can reliably keep entry hazards off the field in order to be effective. A Sunny Day set with Solar Beam is also an option, but it's less useful on Magmortar than other Fire-types since because Magmortar already has Thunderbolt for Water-types.

Earthquake is Magmortar's best option move against opposing Fire-types other than Charizard, making it a decent option on a mixed Life Orb set; even without any Attack investment, it OHKOes opposing Magmortar, Typhlosion, and Ninetales after Stealth Rock damage. Magmortar can theoretically go fully physical with its decent base 95 Attack and a nice movepool that also includes Flare Blitz, Thunder Punch, Low Kick, and even Mach Punch, but it's noticeably less powerful and doesn't really do anything better than its special attacking sets. Belly Drum is an entertaining option for those who feel adventurous, as Magmortar actually has higher Attack than Charizard and still outspeeds most of the same Choice Scarf users after a Salac Berry boost. However, like Belly Drum Charizard, it needs a perfectly orchestrated opportunity to set up that is difficult to actually pull off with any consistency, even with a fully dedicated team, and Magmortar's lower Speed and lack of a Ground immunity make that opportunity even more difficult to create.

Checks and Counters
====================
Specially defensive Grumpig isn't even 3HKOed by any of Magmortar's attacks and can cripple it with status, although it lacks recovery and therefore can't counter Magmortar indefinitely if Stealth Rock isn't up. Specially defensive Hypno and Gardevoir are potential counters that can stall Magmortar out with Wish and Protect once they're in, but if Stealth Rock is up, Life Orb-boosted Fire Blast has a decent chance to 2HKO them as they switch in. All three of these Psychic-types are very vulnerable to being trapped by Skuntank, which is a common teammate for Magmortar, so they must be played cautiously.

Slowking and Politoed can check Magmortar, as they can switch in on Fire Blast while still retaining enough HP to survive a Thunderbolt on the next turn, but they lose if Magmortar uses Thunderbolt on the switch. Ninetales can switch in for free on Fire Blast, set up with Nasty Plot while surviving a hit from Focus Blast or Thunderbolt, and OHKO Magmortar with +2 Hidden Power Rock, but it will lose if it gets hit by Focus Blast, Thunderbolt, or Earthquake as it switches in. Specially defensive Camerupt and Flareon are uncommon sights in NU, but they both counter Magmortar quite effectively unless it carries Earthquake. Specially defensive Cradily and Regirock can sometimes force Magmortar out despite being weak to Focus Blast, (comma) because they force make Magmortar to rely on hitting two 70% accurate Focus Blasts in a row and threaten to OHKO back with Rock Slide in case of a miss. Specially defensive Lickilicky similarly forces Magmortar to either rely on good fortune or switch out; unless Magmortar consistently hits its Focus Blasts or gets a lucky Special Defense drop or burn, Lickilicky can stall out Fire Blast's and Focus Blast's PP with Wish and Protect. Finally, many faster Pokemon can revenge kill Magmortar, especially physical attackers such as Tauros, Floatzel, Dodrio, and Pinsir.
 
Last edited:

Honko

he of many honks
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Implemented, thanks. I left out a few changes that I disagreed with, but I did the rest. Ready for the next check.
 

GatoDelFuego

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Honko great work

REMOVE CHANGE COMMENTS

[OVERVIEW]

Magmortar is one of the most dangerous Pokemon in NU. Its Fire Blast is the second strongest special attack in the tier (behind only Typhlosion's fully-powered Eruption), and it can back that up with fantastic coverage moves in Thunderbolt and Focus Blast that make it extremely difficult to switch into. However, Magmortar can sometimes be tricky to fit onto teams due to two issues: its Stealth Rock weakness and its lower Speed than other Fire-types. Being weak to Stealth Rock means it requires more support than other wallbreakers like Medicham and Magneton, and, although its Speed isn't terrible, being slower than Charizard and Typhlosion makes it a less effective check to Pokemon like Jynx and Haunter. On the other hand, none of those other Pokemon bring Magmortar's combination of power and coverage to the table. So long as Magmortar's team is built to compensate for its weaknesses, it is one of the best Pokemon in the tier.

[SET]
name: Wallbreaker
move 1: Fire Blast
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Hidden Power Grass
item: Life Orb / Expert Belt
ability: Flame Body
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Unparalleled power and coverage make Magmortar a fantastic wallbreaker. Life Orb STAB Fire Blast coming off Magmortar's base 125 Special Attack is almost impossible to switch into without a resistance. Thunderbolt really sets Magmortar apart from other Fire-types by allowing it to 2HKO Water-types such as Slowking and Politoed. Focus Blast has a good chance to OHKO Regirock that don't invest in Special Defense; it also helps achieve 2HKOs on specially defensive Lickilicky and Cradily, which Fire Blast can't quite muster. Hidden Power Grass rounds out Magmortar's coverage, allowing it to beat the occasional Whiscash or Gastrodon as well as giving it a more accurate option for finishing off weakened Rock- and Ground-types.

[ADDITIONAL SET COMMENTS]

Life Orb gives this set its devastating power, most importantly by powering up Fire Blast against neutral targets. Expert Belt is a viable alternative that allows Magmortar to take better advantage of its decent special bulk without getting worn down too quickly by Life Orb recoil on top of Stealth Rock damage. Expert Belt still gives Magmortar a moderate boost to its coverage moves, but it's a good idea to compensate for the loss of power by either switching to a Modest nature or having a teammate set up Spikes in addition to the usual Stealth Rock. The lack of recoil damage also makes Magmortar's set slightly harder to guess, but don't count on consistently bluffing a Choice item, as Expert Belt is fairly common and expected on Magmortar.

Substitute and Taunt are both viable alternatives over either Focus Blast or Hidden Power Grass. Substitute punishes switches, especially sacrifices intended to get a revenge killer in. On the other hand, Taunt prevents opposing walls from healing, which can allow Magmortar to win one-on-one against passive walls that could otherwise attempt to stall it out such as Lickilicky and Hypno. Both moves also protect Magmortar from status effects. If you use Substitute, then Expert Belt and Leftovers become better items choices, as the combined residual damage from entry hazards, Substitute, and Life Orb would severely shorten Magmortar's lifespan.

Specially defensive Psychic-types such as Slowking, Hypno, and Grumpig are Magmortar's most common switch-ins, so Pursuit Skuntank is an ideal teammate thanks to its ability to trap and remove them. Like most Fire-types, Magmortar greatly appreciates Rapid Spin support, so either Hitmonchan or Sandslash is also a good addition to the team. If you're building an offensive team, adding another Fire-type such as Charizard or Typhlosion is a popular choice, as they greatly appreciate Magmortar's ability to break through common counters; just make sure you have a solid answer to opposing Tauros and Floatzel, as they can outspeed and OHKO both of your Fire-types.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Fire Blast / Flamethrower
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Hidden Power Grass
move 4: Flamethrower / Focus Blast / Overheat
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Flame Body
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

The power and coverage that make Magmortar such a good wallbreaker also make it an effective revenge killer and late-game sweeper when equipped with a Choice Scarf. Magmortar's Fire Blast is powerful enough to OHKO most offensive Pokemon that don't resist it, especially if you can keep Stealth Rock up. Thunderbolt gives Magmortar great coverage against Water- and Flying-types, most notably allowing Magmortar to revenge kill Charizard after a couple of rounds of Life Orb recoil. Hidden Power Grass covers Rock- and Ground-types, including Dragon Dance Whiscash and Rock Polish Rhydon. In the last moveslot, Focus Blast maximizes Magmortar's coverage, allowing it to OHKO Rock Polish Regirock and deal more damage to most Normal- and Fire-types. However, being locked into a 70% accurate move that a lot of common Pokemon resist isn't ideal, so running a second STAB move is also an option that gives Magmortar flexibility in choosing between power and accuracy depending on the in-game situation. The 100% accurate Flamethrower is a great option to have in order to safely revenge kill or sweep against weakened foes without worrying about an untimely miss. On the other hand, Overheat provides extra single-turn power that allows Magmortar to reliably OHKO some important targets that Fire Blast can't quite guarantee without prior damage, including Tauros, Medicham, and Skuntank.

[ADDITIONAL SET COMMENTS]

With maximum Speed investment, Magmortar ties with +2 positive-natured Pokemon with base 50 Speed such as Timid Sunny Day Vileplume and Jolly Rock Polish Regirock. It also outspeeds common base 80 Speed Choice Scarf users such as Medicham and Gardevoir as well as slower Rain Dance sweepers such as Modest Gorebyss and Adamant Relicanth.

As with pretty much any set that any Fire-type in NU runs, this set appreciates Skuntank's support in removing bulky Psychic-types such as Slowking and Grumpig. Rapid Spin support is also crucial in allowing Magmortar to switch in multiple times to revenge kill opposing threats. It can also allow Magmortar to use its bulk to pull off a late-game sweep even if the opponent has a faster Choice Scarf user. For example, Choice Scarf Manectric deals slightly more than 50% to Magmortar on average, while Magmortar can OHKO back with Fire Blast. If you can keep Magmortar healthy by keeping Stealth Rock off the field, it can shake off a hit from Manectric and continue with a sweep, but if it's taken a couple of rounds of Stealth Rock damage, Manectric will be able to KO it. Hitmonchan is a great option; in addition to spinning, it pressures Lickilicky and Regirock, lures and weakens Slowking with Thunder Punch, and benefits from the same Skuntank support that helps Magmortar sweep.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
====================
Magmortar can run a terrifying Choice Specs set that 2HKOes literally everything in NU except Grumpig and Flareon. It's harder to fit on teams and use successfully than other sets, though, because it requires excellent prediction and teammates that can reliably keep entry hazards off the field in order to be effective. A Sunny Day set with Solar Beam is also an option, but it's less useful on Magmortar than other Fire-types because Magmortar already has Thunderbolt for Water-types.

Earthquake is Magmortar's best option against opposing Fire-types other than Charizard, making it a decent option on a mixed Life Orb set; even without any Attack investment, it OHKOes opposing Magmortar, Typhlosion, and Ninetales after Stealth Rock damage. Magmortar can theoretically go fully physical with its decent base 95 Attack and a nice movepool that also includes Flare Blitz, Thunder Punch, Low Kick, and even Mach Punch, but it's noticeably less powerful and doesn't really do anything better than its special attacking sets. Belly Drum is an entertaining option for those who feel adventurous, as Magmortar actually has higher Attack than Charizard and still outspeeds most of the same Choice Scarf users after a Salac Berry boost. However, like Belly Drum Charizard, it needs a perfectly orchestrated opportunity to set up that is difficult to actually pull off with any consistency even with a fully dedicated team, and Magmortar's lower Speed and lack of a Ground immunity make that opportunity even more difficult to create.

Checks and Counters
====================
Specially defensive Grumpig isn't even 3HKOed by any of Magmortar's attacks and can cripple it with status, although it lacks recovery and therefore can't counter Magmortar indefinitely if Stealth Rock isn't up. Specially defensive Hypno and Gardevoir are potential counters that can stall Magmortar out with Wish and Protect once they're in, but if Stealth Rock is up, Life Orb-boosted Fire Blast has a decent chance to 2HKO them as they switch in. All three of these Psychic-types are very vulnerable to being trapped by Skuntank, which is a common teammate for Magmortar, so they must be played cautiously.

Slowking and Politoed can check Magmortar, as they can switch in on Fire Blast while still retaining enough HP to survive a Thunderbolt on the next turn, but they lose if Magmortar uses Thunderbolt on the switch. Ninetales can switch in for free on Fire Blast, set up with Nasty Plot while surviving a hit from Focus Blast or Thunderbolt, and OHKO Magmortar with +2 Hidden Power Rock, but it will lose if it gets hit by Focus Blast, Thunderbolt, or Earthquake as it switches in. Specially defensive Camerupt and Flareon are uncommon sights in NU, but they both counter Magmortar quite effectively unless it carries Earthquake. Specially defensive Cradily and Regirock can sometimes force Magmortar out, despite being weak to Focus Blast, because Magmortar must risk Focus Blast's accuracy twice in a row to KO them and they can threaten to OHKO back with Rock Slide in case of a miss. Specially defensive Lickilicky similarly forces Magmortar to either rely on good fortune or switch out; unless Magmortar consistently hits its Focus Blasts or gets a lucky Special Defense drop or burn, Lickilicky can stall out Fire Blast's and Focus Blast's PP with Wish and Protect. Finally, many faster Pokemon can revenge kill Magmortar, especially physical attackers such as Tauros, Floatzel, Dodrio, and Pinsir.

2/2
 

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