Medicham


Overview
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Say hello to Medicham, a Pokemon that has suffered in the lower tiers of competitive battling in the past but has received new hope for its existence in OU due to its Mega Evolution. It has a fantastic ability, Pure Power, which doubles its Attack stat, boosting it to an equivalent of base 249 with a positive nature and maximum Attack investment. Additionally, Mega Medicham is the fastest user of Pure / Huge Power and Medicham also has a good movepool that allows it to annihilate any type of foe. Unfortunately, it does suffer from four-moveslot syndrome, and its type coverage moves are generally lacking in Base Power aside from High Jump Kick, which has its own downfall in unreliability. Medicham also has very poor bulk and has susceptibility to all most all forms of priority and it competes with other physical Mega Evolutions like Mega Mawile and Mega Heracross. Still, Medicham is a powerful physical attacker worthy of a spot on any offensive team.

Physical Attacker
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name: Physical Attacker
move 1: High Jump Kick
move 2: Zen Headbutt
move 3: Fire Punch / Ice Punch
move 4: Substitute / Fake Out
ability: Pure Power
item: Medichamite
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly / Adamant

Moves
========
Mega Medicham boasts one of the highest Attack stats in the game and a fantastic base 100 Speed to back it up, which Azumarill, Kyurem-B, and Mega Mawile lack. This set is built to simply use all that power to its fullest potential. High Jump Kick is used because it's Medicham's strongest physical STAB move. While it is powerful, don't be reckless with it, as a Ghost-type switch-in, miss, or well-timed Protect can be costly. Fire Punch is used to annihilate Aegislash, which otherwise gives Medicham problems, as well as to incinerate Scizor. If hitting Gliscor, both Landorus formes, and Dragonite (as well as hitting Garchomp more reliably) is a concern for your team, Ice Punch is the best way to deal with them.

Zen Headbutt is a great secondary STAB move for Medicham and it also allows Medicham to hit physically defensive Mega Venusaur, which normally take very little from Medicham's attacks. It also lets Medicham beat defensive Fairy-types such as Clefable and Sylveon and deal good damage to Azumarill. For the last slot, Substitute can be very useful to ease prediction as well as keeping Medicham from being crippled by status. Fake Out is also a good option for repeated chip damage, a guaranteed flinch against a big threat, breaking sturdy or focus sashes, and granting you the ability to safely Mega Evolve. If you want, you can also use a set with High Jump Kick, Zen Headbutt, Fire Punch, and Ice Punch for maximum coverage.

Set Details
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Medichamite is essential for the all-around massive stat boosts achieved by the Mega Evolution. A Jolly nature gives Medicham the maximum Speed possible to help ensure it outspeeds and ties with important targets, including the Mega Charizards, Excadrill, Kyurem-B, and Landorus-T.

Usage Tips
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Mega Medicham is basically a nuke, but it has trouble switching into battle, so your team should have ways to bring it in safely, such as U-turn or Volt Switch users. Successfully setting up a Substitute is instrumental to doing heavy damage with Mega Medicham since you don't have to predict as much; Medicham can attack much more freely when it doesn't fear a potential OHKO in return. Setting up a Substitute on the prediction of a Ghost-type switch-in or faster Fighting resist is key. Mega Medicham can deal the maximum amount of devastation to enemy teams if you're setting up a Substitute when you predict the enemy to switch out into another Pokemon or hitting a predicted switch in for the most possible damage.

Team Options
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Good teammates for Mega Medicham are Pokemon with access to U-turn or Volt Switch because it doesn't like hard switching into attacks due to its frailty. Among Pokemon found on VoltTurning teams, Scizor is a great partner because Mega Medicham takes care of many checks to Scizor. Rotom-W is a great Volt Switch user that is capable of stomaching attacks from common priority users that want to pick off Mega Medicham and retaliate by crippling it with a burn. Mid- to late-game sweepers such as Lucario or Terrakion are great teammates for Mega Medicham because they can sweep with ease after Mega Medicham has already broken down the opponent's walls. If Fire Punch is used, a Pokemon that beats Gliscor and Landorus-T such as Rotom-W is mandatory and if Ice Punch is used, a Pokemon that beats Aegislash like Bisharp is also mandatory. Even if Fire Punch is used, however, alternative and more reliable ways of beating Aegislash is advised.

It should be noted that Mega Medicham is average speed-wise, making it vulnerable to revenge kills from faster threats. A good way to amend this somewhat (at least for grounded threats) is by pairing it with a Sticky Web user; Smeargle and Shuckle are good users depending on the team. Another way of getting around the speed problem is by using Prankster Thunder Wave Thundurus; not only is Thundurus naturally quick and can outrun and KO some of Mega Medicham's most common checks, but it can also use its priority Thunder Wave to slow down absurdly faster threats for Mega Medicham to pick off. Together, both Mega Medicham and Thundurus make a devastating offensive combination, only stopped by their frailty.

Other Options
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Thunder Punch can be used to hit Slowbro, Azumarill, and Gyarados, but using this move sacrifices more useful type coverage or the ever-useful Substitute. If you really want to use Mega Medicham as a sweeper, interchange the third or fourth moveslot for Bulk Up. The Defense boost from Bulk Up is a waste, but achieving over 900 Attack is something that even some of the best physical sweepers with Swords Dance can only dream to have. Your opponent will also usually expect Mega Medicham to be a wallbreaker instead of a sweeper.

Checks & Counters
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**Slowbro**: Slowbro completely stops Medicham, taking next to nothing from all of Medicham's attacks and using Regenerator to heal off the damage it takes. However, while Thunder Punch is rare, it will let Medicham easily defeat Slowbro.

**Ghost-types**: Aegislash can also come in on any move except for Fire Punch and either threaten to either KO Medicham or use King's Shield to lower its Attack. Gengar naturally outruns Mega Medicham and can OHKO with its STAB Shadow Ball, but can't switch into Zen Headbutt or the elemental punches or risk being OHKOed. Their Ghost typings also greatly limits High Jump Kick, making use of said move extremely risky.

**Common Priority Users**: Talonflame can revenge kill Medicham with a priority Brave Bird, but it doesn't like switching into any attacks besides Fire Punch at all. Likewise, Scizor, Bisharp, and other common priority users can pick off a slightly weakened Medicham as long as it isn't protected by Substitute.

**Faster Pokemon**: Strong Choice Scarf users can revenge kill Medicham, as long as Medicham doesn't have a Substitute up, pack certain priority attacks, or is supported by Sticky Web. Such examples of this include Landorus-T, Excadrill, Gardevoir, and Kyurem-B. Naturally faster Pokemon such as Greninja, Gengar, and Latios also apply.
 
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I want QC opinion as well as this, but do you think Medicham merits a Choice Scarf set as well?
 
I also say remove Fake Out from sets and details. There is simply no point in doing pitiful damage (even with mega medichams attack) for one flinch that
-takes up a moveslot
-can only be used at the beginning
-provides next to no damage
-is completely useless against ghost-types
-the flinch does not benefit your team at all. Does it help anyone on your team sweep? no, the damage is too low.

So the real question is, the only actual benefit is ease in prediction mega evolving, but you just need to come in on something you threaten. why else would medicham go in on something anyway? it is like wasting a moveslot on a guaranteed mega, which any decent player can do themself. either come in on something you threaten or bullet punch out something weak etc, but i feel like its disadvantages far outweigh its merits, especially when bullet punch would be a much more valuable in almost all ways. after it is used, it is useless. i could really go on for ages, but this is just my opinion. At the very least, remove the slash and mention it at the very bottom of set details. It also doesnt help muhc in revenging as bullet punch is almost universally better
 

Halcyon.

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Choiced Fighting types aren't very effective at the moment, especially since they gained a new resistance and Ghost is now a much more viable type in general. This is especially true for Medicham, since its main STAB option causes it to lose 50% of its health if it misses. This came up when I wrote the preview, and QC decided that Scarf Medicham simply wasn't deserving of a set. It is good OO material though, imo, especially since it can bluff the Mega slot.
 
Yeah, no to Choice Scarf. Mentioning it in OO is fine.

Also, I would remove Fake Out as well. Bullet Punch and Substitute are miles better and more reliable. The former gives reliable revenge killing means and additional coverage, particularly hitting Fairy-types, whereas Substitute works well on Medicham due to the number of switches it typically forces. I mean, Medicham can only switch in so much to use Fake Out effectively (it's still piss weak).
 

alexwolf

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Fake Out goes out of the main set asap. Also, i prefer Sub > Bullet Punch because it makes Mega Medicham much harder to play around.
 

PK Gaming

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If hitting Gliscor, Landorus-I, Landorus-T, or Garchomp is ever a concern for your team, Ice Punch is your best way to deal with them.
Garchomp is OHKOed by Hi Jump Kick, so should change this sentence something along lines of this: If hitting Gliscor, Landorus-I, Landorus-T, or Dragonite (as well as reliably hitting
Garchomp) is ever a concern for your team, Ice Punch is your best way to deal with them.
In Mega form, Pure Power boosts your attack stat to a heart-attack-inducing base 249. An attack stat this high is only rivaled by pokemon such as Mega Mawile, LO/CB Kyu-B, and CB Azumarill. Mega Medicham is the fastest of these.
It's probably more accurate to list the actual attack stat; It only has base 249 attack if it's Adamant.

Don't forget to remove Fake out from the Overview.

Your Usage tips & Team Options could use some serious work.
Mega Medicham's incredible attack stat and broad move pool make it an outstanding wall breaker.
Mega Medicham's excellent speed stat and access to priority paired with its attack stat can also let it function as a powerful late-game cleaner.
These are facts, not tips. They don't really help the reader.

Here are a couple of things you could tell the reader:
1. Mega Medicham is basically a nuke, but it has trouble switching into battle, so your team should have ways to bring it safely (U-turn, Volt Switch, etc).
2. Successfully setting up a Substitute is instrumental to doing heavy damage with Mega Medicham since you don't have to predict your moves (handy if they switch into a Ghost type or a faster Fighting-type resist). If it can't do that, you should tell the reader that Mega Medicham is forced to bluff an attack in order force a switch (and if your opponent sees through that, you'll waste HP.)
3. I would emphasize that Mega Medicham is at it's strongest if you're predicting switch ins, because a wasted turn can cost you a KO. I'm not joking, there are times where I would predict every switch in and get 2-3 KOs with Mega Medicham alone, and other times where I would mess up and never get the opportunity to do anything. Now prediction is just glorified guess work, but common sense can help you to a certain extent; You always have the advantage while attacking, so there's no need to make extravagant plays unless its absolutely necessary. Mega Medicham faster than every wall, so using HJK on the obvious switch to Gliscor is perfectly acceptable.
TL;DR: Prediction against Fighting resists & Ghost-type switch ins is key.
Good teammates for Mega Medicham are any pokemon that appreciate/need Mega Medicham's physical wall breaking capabilities.
A good teammate is a Pokemon that benefits Mega Medicham primarily, not the other way around! Like I said in the tips section, Mega Medicham has trouble switch into battle, so Volt Switch / U-turn Pokemon work great here. Of these Pokemon, Scizor is a cool partner because Mega Medicham is capable of beating virtually every Scizor check. Rotom-W should also get a mention by virtue of being into the priority moves that plague Mega Medicham, such as Brave Bird from Talonflame.
Gourgeist is problematic for Mega Medicham because it can live a Pure Power-boosted Fire Punch and burn you in return.
Gourgeist switches into anything that isn't HJK, it gets completely massacred. It's not worth mentioning. Sableye on the other hand, is cable of switching into Zen Headbutt & HJK, and has access to priority WoW.

You need to specify that Choice Chandelure can check Mega Medicham (otherwise its beat down by Zen Headbutt)

Landorus-T & Gliscor need to be mentioned as checks.
Azumarill resists all of Mega Medicham's moves except Zen Headbutt and can OHKO with Play Rough.
Azumarill is 2HKOed by Hi Jump Kick and takes significant damage from Zen Headbutt. It's a pretty shaky check.

2 questions for the QC team:
1. Jolly > Adamant? The drop in power is noticeable, but always being able to outspeed +base 90s seems more important imo.
2. Ice Punch > Zen Headbutt? The secondary STAB is nice, but Ice Punch always lets you beat Landorus-T (who usually switches in for the HJK and switches for the coverage move) and Dragonite.
 
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ginganinja

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@ PK I am inclined to slash Ice Punch before Zen headbutt mostly because im seeing Landorus-T and Gliscor more than Mega Venu and Tenta, but I suspect it might be one of those slashed moves that just come down to what is more common in the metagame at that time your reading the analysis.

Thanks! The changes are made but what does this mean?

Rotom-W should also get a mention by virtue of being into the priority moves that plague Mega Medicham
Prolly means that Rotom-W resists both Bullet Punch (from Scizor, Mega Scizor and Lucario) and Aqua Jet (Azumarill) which are frequently used to shut down a more frail sweeper such as medicham
 

ShootingStarmie

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I'd mention in the Overview that Ghost types are more common than ever, making it harder to just recklessly spam Hi Jump Kick. I'd also mention that it requires heavy prediction to be used to it's fullest potential.

For the Team Options section I'd include late game sweepers like Lucario and Terrakion, to clean up late game after Medicham has wall breaked. I'd also mention that Medicham is very prone to priorty, so good checks to common priority users (Talonflame, Scizor, etc) are good teammates, making Heatran and Garchomp nice partners.

Everything else looks fine. Once you've updated these I'll look at this again and I'll probably stamp
 
I'd mention in the Overview that Ghost types are more common than ever, making it harder to just recklessly spam Hi Jump Kick. I'd also mention that it requires heavy prediction to be used to it's fullest potential.

For the Team Options section I'd include late game sweepers like Lucario and Terrakion, to clean up late game after Medicham has wall breaked. I'd also mention that Medicham is very prone to priorty, so good checks to common priority users (Talonflame, Scizor, etc) are good teammates, making Heatran and Garchomp nice partners.

Everything else looks fine. Once you've updated these I'll look at this again and I'll probably stamp
All of these changes have been made but, as for, "requires heavy prediction..." isn't that part of the reason you choose Substitute, if the prediction isn't very easy; otherwise, I understand what you're saying. Perhaps I should say something like, "If not running Substitute, Mega Medicham requires a very heavy amount of prediction to be used to its fullest potential"?
 

alexwolf

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Zen Headbutt is also the only move that can 2HKO physically defensive Clefable. Imo, both Ice Punch and Zen Headbutt are equally useful, so it's a really trivial thing that i would leave up to the writer. And yeah, i agree with Jolly > Adamant.

Edit: Zen Headbutt 2HKOes Jellicent too.
 
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You should mention ThunderPunch in OO for hitting Slowbro, Gyarados, and Azumarill.

Also when you say what Fire Punch hits, a lot of those Pokemon will take a lot of damage from HJK anyways (still worth listing though), and you mention Aegislash last. Aegislash should be the primary thing talked about under Fire Punch, since that is what you are really using Fire Punch for.
 
You should mention ThunderPunch in OO for hitting Slowbro, Gyarados, and Azumarill.

Also when you say what Fire Punch hits, a lot of those Pokemon will take a lot of damage from HJK anyways (still worth listing though), and you mention Aegislash last. Aegislash should be the primary thing talked about under Fire Punch, since that is what you are really using Fire Punch for.
Well I really wasn't saying it in any order really but I will be sure and do this.
 

PK Gaming

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Well, there's still a bit more that needs to be done before I can stamp this.
Access to Bullet Punch can make it a very potent revenge killer.
I wouldn't say that. It's a decent revenge killing tool, but it's still pretty weak. It's mostly used for picking off weakened threats.
Its best set-up move is Bulk Up. The attack boost is much appreciated, as always; although, the defense boost is a waste.
The defensive boost is not a waste. The issue is that sometimes, it isn't enough, and Mega Medicham has trouble setting up Bulk Ups. (it's always attacking)
Due to Mega Medicham being prone to being killed by priority, pokemon such as Heatran and Garchomp make good partners.
Eh, your line of thought doesn't really make sense to me. Heatran can take an Ice Shard, Bullet Punch & ExtremeSpeed, but it's weak to Aqua Jet and Mach Punch. Garchomp doesn't even resist priority. Your Rotom-W entry is good enough, imo.

Your usage tips section is still seriously lacking. Just copy the 3 points I gave you, and integrate them into your usage tips section. Everything else is good though. Change those things and you can consider this stamped.
 
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Well, there's still a bit more that needs to be done before I can stamp this.

I wouldn't say that. It's a decent revenge killing tool, but it's still pretty weak. It's mostly used for picking off weakened threats.

The defensive boost is not a waste. The issue is that sometimes, it isn't enough, and Mega Medicham has trouble setting up Bulk Ups. (it's always attacking)

Eh, your line of thought doesn't really make sense to me. Heatran can take an Ice Shard, Bullet Punch & ExtremeSpeed, but it's weak to Aqua Jet and Mach Punch. Garchomp doesn't even resist priority. Your Rotom-W entry is good enough, imo.

Your usage tips section is still seriously lacking. Just copy the 3 points I gave you, and integrate them into your usage tips section. Everything else is good though. Change those things and you can consider this stamped.
Ah, tyvm. So it wasn't just me that thought the Garchomp recommendation for a partner was strange haha. I will make the changes shortly.

EDIT: The changes have been made.
 
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I'm not an expert at fairy types, but this is me trying.

Sylveon@Choice Specs, Modest, Pixilate
Moonblast/Dazzling Gleam/Double Edge/Detect
252HP/252SPATK/4SPdef

He/She is supposed to Attack, through attacking directly, and through special attacks, giving him the purpose of breaking through the lines, whilst taking a few hits, destroying some of the opposition which you can get with attacking (This might destroy medicham)
 
I'm not an expert at fairy types, but this is me trying.

Sylveon@Choice Specs, Modest, Pixilate
Moonblast/Dazzling Gleam/Double Edge/Detect
252HP/252SPATK/4SPdef

He/She is supposed to Attack, through attacking directly, and through special attacks, giving him the purpose of breaking through the lines, whilst taking a few hits, destroying some of the opposition which you can get with attacking (This might destroy medicham)
...

no.

Why would you run effectively 3 STABs and Detect, 1 of the STABs being physical on a Specs Sylveon...
 
Remove "Medicham boasts a mega evolution," just start off by saying "Mega Medicham has one of the highest..." and that's fine enough.

Remove Zen Headbutt on the set and make a mention in the set comments that it lets you beat physically defensive Mega Venusaur. Both Tentacruel and specially defensive Mega Venusaur are 2HKOed by HJK with Stealth Rock in play. Ice Punch is absolutely 100% mandatory. It helps you defeat Gliscor, Landorus-T, Lati@s, Garchomp, Dragonite, Togekiss, and probably more. There's no reason for Zen Headbutt other than hitting defensive MVenu harder, who is easy to deal with anyway with teammates, and probably Azumarill, but it's still not OHKOed by Zen Headbutt and HJK 2HKOes it anyway. Gyarados is another target, but it's still hit for massive damage with -1 HJK and its mega form is OHKOed. Chandelure's another target, but it's not that relevant. So again, remove it and mention it in the comments. I talked with QC and they agreed.

I'm sure all of Genesect, Scizor, and Ferrothorn are obliterated by HJK already, so don't mention them when talking about what Fire Punch is nice for. Add Trevenant and Gourgeist in there, though.

Talk about Substitute before you mention Bullet Punch due to the moveset order.

Remove Landorus-T and Gliscor from the counters section, as that won't be true. You should add strong Choice Scarfers that aren't completley vulnerable to Bullet Punch.

I think that should suffice. QC 2/3

edit: Okay, slash it after Ice Punch. Forgot about Jellicent actually.
 
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