Windsong
stumbling down elysian fields
Magneton
(QC 3/3 - Fried_Rhys, pkgaming, Zephyr)
(GP 2/2 - Calm Pokemaster, Oglemi)
[Overview]
<p>Although RU lacks the vast amount of Steel-types found in OU and even UU, Magneton still fits comfortably into the tier, being able to pair well with the many hard-hitting Flying-, Grass-, and Normal-type Pokemon and trap and eliminate problematic foes such as Durant, Ferroseed, and Aggron. It also received a huge boon this generation with the advent of Eviolite, which significantly boosts Magneton's defensive prowess and turns it into quite the solid tank. Magneton's useful resistances are the icing on the cake, allowing it to switch into many common metagame threats and overall pose as a solid offensive and defensive threat to many teams.</p>
[SET]
name: Steel Killer
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Magnet Rise
item: Eviolite
ability: Magnet Pull
nature: Modest
evs: 168 HP / 252 SpA / 88 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set functions similarly to that of Magneton's older brother Magnezone in OU, switching in on the many Steel-types that are incapable of touching Magneton, setting up a Substitute, and then removing the said Steel-type while keeping the Substitute intact. Thunderbolt is the obligatory STAB of the set, hitting a fair amount of RU relatively hard, as it comes off of Magneton's remarkably high base 120 Special Attack (which is the highest of any Electric-type in RU, incidentally). Hidden Power Fire is the best option for a Hidden Power, not only since Magneton has a pretty limited moveset and because it allows Magneton to quickly remove Steel-types without them setting up. Magnet Rise rounds off the set, protecting Magneton from random Earthquakes and allowing it to beat Steelix and Probopass, both of which commonly carry Earthquake or Earth Power.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The listed EVs allow Magneton to outspeed uninvested base 80s, which include threats that it is capable of 2HKOing with Thunderbolt, such as Altaria. Max Special Attack is a given, enabling Magneton to hit a wide range of threats very hard with STAB Thunderbolt, even those which resist it; the remaining EVs are pumped into HP to give Magneton solid bulk overall, especially with Eviolite. Despite having a pretty barren movepool, Magneton still possesses some solid options that it can use over the main moves on this set. Flash Cannon can work well over Magnet Rise if you want to hit bulky Ground-type Pokemon, although you will lose the ability to beat Steelix and Probopass. Other Hidden Power types are also options, but this will leave Magneton vulnerable to being set up on by the threats which it is supposed to be trapping and easily beating, such as Ferroseed. Finally, slightly faster EV spreads are also viable, such as the fourth generation standard of 108 HP / 252 SpA / 148 SpA, which outspeeds everything up to max Speed Adamant Torterra. However, there really aren't that many things that are really important for Magneton to outspeed, and a slower, bulkier spread is thus generally more efficient.</p>
<p>This set pairs well with basically anything that likes having bulky Steel-types removed. This list includes Honchkrow, which is incapable of breaking through many common Steel-types with its most common set, Lilligant, which appreciates having bulkier Steel-types gone, and Porygon-Z, which is capable of mowing through the opponent's team by spamming Tri-Attack provided all opponents packing a resistance have been removed. Magneton also synergizes very well with other space hard-hitting Normal-, Flying-, and Dragon-type Pokemon, all of which benefit from having bulky Steel-types removed and have excellent defensive synergy with Magneton.</p>
[SET]
name: SubCharge
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Charge Beam
move 3: Thunderbolt
move 4: Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Fire / Hidden Power Ice
item: Eviolite
ability: Magnet Pull
nature: Modest
evs: 96 HP / 252 SpA / 160 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set takes a more offensive spin from the standard Steel Killer set, having the goal of actually sweeping through a portion of the opponent's team rather than just trapping and removing opposing Steel-types. Though at first glance Magneton appears to be outclassed by Pokemon such as SubCharge Rotom, the ability to set up on trapped defensive Steel-types which are incapable of breaking its Substitutes, the numerous resistances offered by its typing, and good mixed defenses thanks to Eviolite are huge advantages.</p>
<p>Charge Beam and Substitute form the crux of this moveset, allowing Magneton to set up on basically all of the Steel-types in RU that are incapable of breaking its Substitutes, which ends up being quite a few common Pokemon thanks to Eviolite. Thunderbolt is Magneton's strongest reliable STAB as well as coverage option, hitting significantly harder than Charge Beam. It's also worth noting that even a resisted Thunderbolt hits harder than a neutral Hidden Power.</p>
<p>As with many Electric-types common in RU, Magneton has a relatively shallow movepool and is thus heavily reliant on Hidden Power for additional coverage; choosing which Hidden Power to use depends on what Magneton is attempting to sweep through. Hidden Power Fire lets Magneton handle opposing Steel-types such as Ferrothorn, Steelix, and opposing Magneton, since none of them are hit very hard by its other moves. Hidden Power Ice ensures that Magneton isn't walled by Gligar and Altaria, although of the two, only Gligar is really a threat to Magneton's sweep, since even an unboosted Thunderbolt handedly 2HKOes most Altaria. Hidden Power Grass might be the undisputed best Hidden Power option in most situations though, as it allows Magneton to power through bulky Ground- and Water-types that it can't touch with Thunderbolt and Hidden Power Ice, such as Quagsire and Lanturn.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>160 Speed EVs allow Magneton to outpace positive-natured base 50s, most notably Aggron. Max Special Attack is a necessity, as Magneton needs it to break through tanks such as Unaware Clefable and Unaware Quagsire; on an offensive set like this one, having max Special Attack is generally the most efficient. The remaining EVs are placed in HP, giving Magneton reasonably bulky Substitutes, especially when paired with Eviolite.</p>
<p>Magneton appreciates Trick support from Pokemon such as Porygon-Z and Rotom-A, as those two lure Steel-types in reasonably well, and Magneton can set up on Choice-locked Steel-types with incredible ease. For example, trapping a Choice-locked Probopass, Ferroseed, or even Magneton is essentially the equivalent of a free +6 Special Attack boost.</p>
<p>As with any other set, Magneton pairs best with Pokemon that appreciate having bulky Steel-types removed from the picture. This includes Lilligant, Honchkrow, Porygon-Z, and essentially anything that's hindered from blasting away with powerful STAB attacks when Steel-types are around the corner. However, since the goal of this set is to sweep through at least a few Pokemon, it appreciates having certain Pokemon removed before it attempts a sweep. Specifically which Pokemon are best removed depends on what Hidden Power Magneton is using.</p>
<p>If Hidden Power Ice is used, Magneton will appreciate having Pokemon immune to Electric-type attacks and either neutral to or resisting Ice-type attacks removed. Since the main three Pokemon that fall under that category are Lanturn, Quagsire, and Camerupt, Pokemon that are capable of eliminating those three with ease, such as Lilligant and Rotom-C, pair well with Magneton. Sets packing Hidden Power Fire are checked by essentially anything immune to Thunderbolt and neutral to or resisting Fire-type attacks, since an unSTABed Hidden Power Fire doesn't hit hard enough. Because of this, Dugtrio makes an excellent partner for Magneton, being able to remove bulky Water-types that resist Thunderbolt, such as Lanturn, as well as Camerupt. Magneton using Hidden Power Grass are the hardest to check, as they are walled only by other Magneton and Steel-types. Thus, they need little team support; Dugtrio and offensive Fire-types such as Moltres can be useful teammates though.</p>
<p>Finally, it's worth mentioning that Unaware Quagsire and Unaware Clefable must be removed before attempting to sweep with SubCharge Magneton, especially if Magneton isn't carrying Hidden Power Grass. Pokemon with strong Fighting-type moves, as well as special attackers in the case of Quagsire, are remarkably good at breaking these two Pokemon, and thus pair well with Magneton. These Pokemon include Gallade, Porygon-Z, and Rotom-A.</p>
[SET]
name: RestTalk
move 1: Discharge
move 2: Hidden Power Fire
move 3: Rest
move 4: Sleep Talk
item: Eviolite
ability: Magnet Pull
nature: Modest
evs: 252 HP / 248 SpA / 8 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Magneton received a godsend this generation in Eviolite, which heightens its relatively unimpressive 50 / 95 / 75 defenses to the level of much bulkier Pokemon at the cost of being forced to run Eviolite as an item. This is a huge benefit, making more defensively oriented trapper sets easily viable. Magneton's typing also offers it some extremely valuable resistances to common Normal-, Flying-, and Grass-type attacks, allowing it to thoroughly wall many common attackers in the RU metagame.</p>
<p>Discharge and Hidden Power Fire are the two best offensive options for this set, allowing it to trap and remove Steel-types just like the other sets. However, Discharge is the better option over Thunderbolt here, since Magneton is capable of forcing many switches with its ability to switch in and wall many common threats, and none of its switch-ins particularly like being paralyzed either.</p>
<p>The set is rounded off by Rest and Sleep Talk, which, when combined with Eviolite, turn Magneton from a slightly bulky Pokemon with some survivability into a monster of a tank, which is capable of walling some of the strongest attackers in the RU tier. In fact, Magneton can take hits all day long from offensive threats such as Honchkrow, Braviary, and even most Rotom and Rotom-A. However, the new sleep mechanics do hurt this set a little, since they allow things to force Magneton out on the second turn of sleep and thus reset the sleep counter.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Sadly, although it gains a significant amount of longevity from Rest and Sleep Talk, Magneton has to sacrifice some of its offensive prowess. This is primarily because it cannot run a third offensive move, allowing practically all bulky Ground- and Rock-types to completely wall it. This is especially a large vulnerability on more balance-oriented teams, where this Magneton set usually finds its place, since Pokemon such as Claydol and Sandslash can freely set up Stealth Rock and use Rapid Spin against Magneton. Dugtrio is also capable of switching into Magneton easily. Thus, Pokemon such as Lilligant and Sceptile pair very well with Magneton.</p>
<p>RestTalk Magneton fits best on more balanced or defensively-oriented teams that have trouble taking Ice-, Flying-, Grass-, and Normal-type moves and also need a way to remove Steel-types for sweeping without any obstruction. Providing Magneton with Heal Bell or Aromatherapy support will also be extremely helpful due to the sleep mechanics of this generation. In addition, Magneton forces a lot of switches with ease due to its ability to switch in on and thoroughly wall many common attackers, thus allowing it to rack up a lot of entry hazard damage.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Volt Switch
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Flash Cannon
move 4: Hidden Power Fire / Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Grass
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Magnet Pull
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Despite Explosion being thoroughly nerfed this generation, Magneton can still pull off a solid Choice Scarf set that isn't outclassed by any other Electric-types in RU due to it having the highest Special Attack out of any Electric-type in the tier and an amazing ability in Magnet Pull. Combined with a decent base 70 Speed, a Choice Scarf turns Magneton into a viable revenge killer that can also trap all of RU's common Steel-types.</p>
<p>Since Magneton functions primarily as a revenge killer, Thunderbolt fits onto the set as the primary STAB option, with Volt Switch being the best secondary option for its ability to scout switch-ins and pivot accordingly. Flash Cannon is essentially a filler move, hitting some bulkier Rock-types for solid damage and providing a secondary STAB option. Finally, Hidden Power Fire, Hidden Power Ice, or Hidden Power Grass can be used in the last slot, rounding off Magneton's type coverage relatively well.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Although Magneton is significantly slower than Manectric, Rotom-A, and Galvantula, the three main other Electric-type Pokemon in RU which commonly use Choice Scarf sets, Magneton is still fast enough in order to outspeed pretty much everything important in the tier. This includes basically everything up to +1 neutral natured base 80s, most notably +1 Altaria, +1 Feraligatr, and Scarfed neutral natured base 80s and below. If outspeeding those Pokemon is not necessary, an alternate spread of 28 HP / 252 SpA / 228 Spe is viable since it outspeeds every unboosted Pokemon in RU up to Swellow, and gives Magneton slightly more bulk.</p>
<p>Sadly, Choice Scarf Magneton is extremely easy to check and set up against. This is primarily because Electric- and Steel-type moves are resisted by a huge amount of common Pokemon in RU, many of which fear very little from switching into Magneton. Because of this, pairing Magneton with Pokemon capable of taking out bulky Water- and Ground-type Pokemon is an excellent idea, and Lilligant, Sceptile, and most Grass-types partner with Magneton well for precisely this reason.</p>
<p>Choice Scarf Magneton is also an excellent partner for many highly offensively oriented Pokemon that appreciate free switches and appreciate bulkier Steel-types being gone. These include Honchkrow, who can take advantage of the momentum gained from Volt Switch to grab free Substitutes, and Swellow, which forms a deadly combination with Magneton between U-turn and Volt Switch. The two of them also share excellent defensive synergy with Magneton. Finally, as always, Magneton makes an excellent partner with Porygon-Z and Lilligant, eliminating bulky Steel-types which plague them both.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Sadly, Magneton has a relatively shallow movepool, and most of its other sets are better pulled off by other Electric-types. However, it does have a few options available to it. First off, Magneton can pull off a gimmicky dual screens support set. However, in order for this to be effective, Magneton must use Light Clay over Eviolite, which makes it significantly less bulky. In a similar vein, Magneton can run a solid rain support set with Damp Rock and Thunder, but as mentioned earlier, it loses a huge amount of bulk when it forgoes Eviolite. Discharge is usable on all of the sets over Thunderbolt, though Magneton loses the ability to 2HKO some Altaria. Finally, Toxic can be used to cripple special walls such as Cryogonal and Claydol, which are capable of completely walling most Magneton sets.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Similarly to Wobbufett and Dugtrio, Magneton is often impossible to ''counter'' in the traditional sense, since more often than not it is simply switching in on Steel-types and beating them. Thus, it's usually more efficient to check or revenge kill Magneton than directly counter it. Most bulky Ground-, Grass-, and Electric-type Pokemon, such as Claydol, Lilligant, and Rotom are all capable of accomplishing this feat and setting up against most Magneton. In addition, depending on what Hidden Power type it is running, more offensive Magneton sets are easily countered by bulky Ground-, Dragon-, or Steel-types (including even opposing Magneton!). However, be wary, as the Pokemon that Magneton is often paired with to remove Steel-types can abuse the appearance of some Ground-types in order to set up easily.</p>
<p>In general, most Pokemon with reasonable Special Defense can handle Magneton extremely well, even if they don't resist any of its main STABs. For example, Cryogonal is capable of completely walling most sets, even having Haze to wipe away the boosts from Charge Beam. Specially defensive Clefable, especially Unaware variants, is also capable of handling pretty much any set; Lanturn and Unaware Quagsire can also do pretty much the same.</p>
<p>Finally, Magneton has several common and easily exploitable weaknesses, most notably to Fire-, Ground-, and Fighting-type attacks. This allows Pokemon such as Entei, Krookodile and Gallade (along with most other bulky Fighting-types, such as Eviolite Gurdurr) to easily take out Magneton. Finally, Gardevoir is able to Trace Magnet Pull and trap and beat Magneton with Focus Blast or Hidden Power Fire.</p>