[OVERVIEW]
Magnezone is a powerful special attacker in Battle Spot Singles, boasting the typing and power to function as an effective wallbreaker. Its Electric / Steel typing allows it to check bulky Water-types such as Suicune and Rotom-W and gives it a secondary STAB that allows it to threaten Ground-types such as Garchomp and Landorus-T without the need for Hidden Power Ice. This typing also lets it Magnezone check Fairy-types such as Sylveon and Gardevoir while giving it numerous resistances, making it easier for Magnezone to find opportunities to switch in. Analytic helps Magnezone capitalize on switches as well, allowing it to maintain momentum for its team while exerting great offensive pressure. Access to Sturdy allows Magnezone to function as a revenge killer without requiring a Focus Sash, despite its low Speed, and the immunity to OHKO moves also makes it one of few Moody Glalie checks that don't fear Sheer Cold. However, Magnezone's low Speed makes it easy to wear down, since it will often be attacking after the foe, making it prone to being revenge killed. While few Pokemon can safely switch into Magnezone, its typing also leaves it weak to common threats such as Garchomp, Landorus-T, Blaziken, Mamoswine, and Talonflame. Magnezone's movepool is also very shallow with few options outside of STAB moves and Hidden Power, so it has difficulty breaking through threats such as Swampert and Rotom-H that typically don't mind Magnezone's moves.
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Flash Cannon
move 3: Volt Switch
move 4: Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Fire
item: Choice Specs
ability: Analytic / Sturdy
nature: Modest
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Thunderbolt is Magnezone's strongest STAB move, offering great neutral coverage and consistent power. Flash Cannon gives Magnezone a secondary STAB attack that allows it to threaten Ground-types that could otherwise safely switch into Magnezone while also hitting Fairy-types harder. Volt Switch provides momentum and gives Magnezone the ability to function as a pivot, and due to its low Speed, it can be used to bring in a teammate safely. Hidden Power Ice gives Magnezone a better way to hit Garchomp, Mega Salamence, and Landorus-T on the switch, though it relies greatly on prediction or Sturdy, since they can all threaten to OHKO Magnezone with Earthquake. Hidden Power Fire is an alternative on teams that want a reliable answer to Ferrothorn and Scizor, and it is Magnezone's only way of hitting the former, while Hidden Power Ice isn't necessary to hit anything that its STAB moves can't.
Set Details
========
Choice Specs allows Magnezone to function as a wallbreaker, dealing huge damage to anything that doesn't resist its STAB combination. Maximum Special Attack and Speed investment with a Modest nature allows Magnezone to hit as hard as possible and outspeed Bold Suicune and fast Azumarill, while the leftover EVs are placed in HP. Magnezone can move all Speed investment into HP, since it often won't outspeed offensive threats anyway, though doing so puts Magnezone at risk of being outsped by a fast Azumarill. If you're running Hidden Power Fire, this can also allow Scizor to outspeed and KO Magnezone with Superpower. An alternative EV spread of 4 HP / 4 Def / 248 SpA / 4 SpD / 248 Spe should also be used with Hidden Power Fire to avoid wasting EVs.
Analytic is the preferred ability to boost Magnezone's power, since it will often move after the foe, and also allows it to effectively punish switches. However, Sturdy can let Magnezone function as an emergency check to a wider variety of threats such as Talonflame and Low Kick Greninja, which otherwise beat it. Sturdy is also the preferred ability with Hidden Power Ice in order to effectively lure Garchomp, Landorus-T, and Mega Salamence and eliminate them.
Usage Tips
========
Magnezone is best used early-game to break through bulkier Pokemon such as Cresselia, Suicune, and Rotom-W with its powerful STAB moves. Magnezone is particularly effective as a lead against teams that lack Ground-types or Thundurus-T, since this makes it easier for Magnezone to Volt Switch out and capitalize further on switches with Analytic. Common Ground-types such as Garchomp, Landorus-T, Hippowdon, Mamoswine, and Swampert are popular leads, though, so be careful leading Magnezone if you see one of them at Team Preview. If running Sturdy and Hidden Power Ice, Magnezone can surprise the former two, though otherwise consider leading something other than Magnezone or even benching it. Magnezone is difficult to switch into for many teams, though after it locks into a move, the opponent can more easily take advantage of it. Recognizing when it's safer to simply use Volt Switch or switch out directly is important, since both of its STAB moves lure in many dangerous threats once it locks into a move.
Team Options
========
Magnezone is commonly paired with Dragon-types such as Mega Salamence and Garchomp, since it can safely switch into Fairy-types and Ice-type moves. Mega Salamence in particular appreciates a teammate that can handle Thundurus, while Magnezone appreciates Mega Salamence's ability to switch into Fire-, Fighting-, and Ground-type moves. Cresselia also pairs well with Magnezone thanks to its ability to switch into Ground-types such as Landorus-T and Garchomp that beat Magnezone and threaten them with Ice Beam. Sturdy variants also benefit from Lunar Dance to bring Magnezone's HP back up if Sturdy is broken at any point. Azumarill also threatens Ground-, Fire-, and Fighting-types that trouble Magnezone, while Magnezone can reliably switch into Electric-, Poison-, and Grass-type moves for Azumarill. Gengar can switch into Ground- and Fighting-type moves aimed at Magnezone, while Magnezone handles Psychic-type moves aimed at Gengar. Mega Gengar can also trap and remove special walls that Magnezone can't beat, such as Chansey, though Mega Evolving also removes Gengar's ability to switch into Ground-type moves. Physical attackers such as Blaziken and Mega Kangaskhan benefit from Magnezone's ability to safely deal with physical walls such as Cresselia and Suicune, and they also appreciate having a slow Volt Switch user to bring them in safely. Magnezone also pairs well with common U-turn users, notably Landorus-T for its ability to switch into Ground-type moves and threaten Fire-types. Magnezone's ability to threaten bulky Water-types and switch into Ice-type moves helps Landorus-T as well.
[SET]
name: Assault Vest
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Flash Cannon
move 3: Volt Switch
move 4: Hidden Power Fire / Hidden Power Ice
item: Assault Vest
ability: Analytic / Sturdy
nature: Modest
evs: 252 HP / 180 SpA / 76 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Thunderbolt is Magnezone's strongest reliable STAB move, providing great coverage and consistent power. Flash Cannon functions as a secondary STAB move to deal with Fairy-types and hits Ground-types that otherwise can freely switch into Magnezone. Volt Switch allows Magnezone to pivot and maintain momentum for its team, and due to its low Speed, it will often move after the foe, which can help it bring in a teammate safely. Hidden Power Fire hits Ferrothorn and Scizor, which is useful on teams that struggle with them, though Hidden Power Ice is an alternative option that hits Garchomp, Landorus-T, and Mega Salamence harder.
Set Details
========
Assault Vest allows Magnezone to function as a bulky pivot, checking special attackers such as Mega Gardevoir and Rotom-W more effectively. The given EVs guarantee that Life Orb Thundurus will never KO with a combination of Thunderbolt and Focus Blast, allowing Magnezone to more safely deal with offensive Thundurus variants. The remaining EVs are placed in Special Attack, and a Modest nature is used to boost Magnezone's damage output further. Analytic allows Magnezone to take advantage of its low Speed and punish switches, letting it pivot in and out with Volt Switch while still dealing a lot of damage. While Assault Vest already helps Magnezone's special bulk, Sturdy is still useful for letting Magnezone survive physical attacks such as Earthquake and retaliate with an attack of its own.
Usage Tips
========
Assault Vest Magnezone is a bulky pivot, so it should be used to switch into special attackers such as Thundurus and Sylveon thanks to its increased Special Defense. Magnezone needs to stay healthy to check Focus Blast Thundurus, so if this is something that Magnezone's team is weak to, try to avoid letting Magnezone take any damage. Magnezone can also only survive one Focus Blast, so be careful if you think Thundurus might use Focus Blast as Magnezone switches in. Magnezone often forces switches due to its high power, so using Volt Switch is often very safe if the opponent lacks any Ground-types or Thundurus-T. However, Assault Vest Magnezone doesn't lose as much momentum as Choice Specs variants if it doesn't use Volt Switch, so using another move is often not too risky. Bluffing Choice Specs is also an effective approach that can allow Magnezone to surprise foes that think it's locked into a move; for example, using Hidden Power Fire on Ferrothorn.
Team Options
========
Dragon-types such as Mega Salamence, Garchomp, and Dragonite appreciate Magnezone's ability to safely switch into Fairy-types and common Ice Beam users, and they all greatly benefit from having a teammate capable of checking Thundurus with ease. Magnezone also offers the utility of a slow Volt Switch and appreciates Mega Salamence's ability to cover Magnezone's weaknesses to threats such as Mega Blaziken, Mega Heracross, and Volcarona. Levitate Pokemon such as Gengar and Latios cover Magnezone's Ground-type weakness, while Magnezone can reliably switch into most of the types that trouble them, notably Psychic- and Fairy-type moves, respectively. Both Gengar and Latios can also check Fighting-types for Magnezone, while Mega Gengar in particular can also trap and eliminate special walls that completely stop Magnezone, such as Chansey, at the cost of Levitate. Fire-types such as Blaziken appreciate Magnezone's ability to switch into bulky Water-types such as Suicune and Rotom-W, though this compounds a Ground-type weakness and Magnezone can't reliably beat common Flying-types such as Talonflame and Mega Salamence without Sturdy. Bulky Water-types such as Suicune and Slowbro are effective partners that can check Ground-types such as Garchomp, Landorus-T, and Hippowdon that Magnezone usually doesn't want to deal with, while Magnezone can handle Electric-types like Thundurus and Grass-types such as Serperior. Landorus-T can form a VoltTurn core with Magnezone thanks to its ability to switch into Ground-types that Magnezone has trouble with while also providing Intimidate support to help Magnezone take physical hits better. Meanwhile, Magnezone deals with Suicune and Rotom-W for Landorus-T and shrugs off Ice Beam from the likes of Cresselia.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Other Hidden Power types can be used to hit specific threats if Fire- or Ice-type coverage isn't necessary, such as Hidden Power Ground for Heatran and Hidden Power Grass for Swampert. However, they're often less useful than Hidden Power Fire or Hidden Power Ice and should only be considered on teams that struggle with these threats. Substitute can take advantage of the many switches that Magnezone forces, giving it protection against Pokemon such as Garchomp that otherwise outspeed and easily OHKO it. Magnezone can use a Custap Berry with Sturdy in order to surprise foes with one last hit before it goes down, possibly getting a KO in the process. Thunder Wave is another option with Custap Berry as a last resort to help a teammate deal with a faster threat, though emergency paralysis is usually done better by Thundurus.
Mirror Coat in combination with Sturdy can surprise special attackers that otherwise beat Magnezone, such as Volcarona, Heatran, and Hydreigon. A more bulky approach with Assault Vest is also viable so that Magnezone isn't taking too much damage in the process. However, Mirror Coat is somewhat reliant on its surprise factor to be useful, and Magnezone has trouble giving up any of its moves for it. Magnet Pull is Magnezone's least useful ability, since trapping Steel-types doesn't provide as much utility as Analytic or Sturdy, but the ability to trap Scizor, Ferrothorn, and Skarmory can be useful on teams that struggle with them. Choice Scarf can be used to function as a revenge killer, though this gives up a lot of Magnezone's power, since it makes less effective use of Analytic. Choice Scarf Magnezone with a Timid nature can outspeed everything up to positive-natured base 115 Pokemon, which include Adamant Talonflame. Air Balloon is situational, though being able to avoid damage from a Ground-type move can force Garchomp or Landorus-T to switch out or hit Magnezone with a resisted move.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ground-type Moves**: Magnezone's 4x weakness to Ground-type moves makes Ground-types such as Garchomp, Hippowdon, Swampert, and Landorus-T effective answers to it. Hydreigon also commonly runs Earth Power and resists Electric-type moves, while offensive Porygon2 occasionally runs Hidden Power Ground and can handle any of Magnezone's moves.
**Fire-types**: Fire-types such as Blaziken, Volcarona, Heatran, Talonflame, and Rotom-H resist Flash Cannon and outspeed Magnezone, OHKOing it with their respective Fire-type moves. Specially defensive Heatran in particular can shrug off most attacks from Magnezone, while Magma Storm variants can also mess with Sturdy. Rotom-H resists Electric-type moves as well, so Sturdy variants don't give it any trouble unless Magnezone runs Mirror Coat. However, Blaziken and Talonflame must be especially wary of Sturdy, since they both risk being KOed by Magnezone.
**Fighting-type Move Users**: While most Fighting-types can't switch into Magnezone directly, they can all threaten to OHKO Magnezone with their respective STAB moves. Mega Lucario, Mega Lopunny, Mega Heracross, and Breloom are all options that outspeed and OHKO Magnezone. Conkeldurr is outsped by Magnezone, though it often runs Assault Vest to handle special attacks and can still beat Sturdy Magnezone with Mach Punch. Low Kick Greninja can also take down Magnezone, and Focus Blast users such as Thundurus and Gengar beat Choice Specs variants.
**Special Walls**: Magnezone has no way to deal with Chansey or Blissey, which can easily heal any damage Magnezone does while slowly bringing it down with Seismic Toss. Specially defensive Mega Venusaur and Ferrothorn can also deal with Magnezone, though the latter must wary of Hidden Power Fire.
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