Metagame Mega Evolution in Sun & Moon

[Siggu]

"But what about av tangrowth with earthquake?"
Tangrowth can eat poop. Intimidate is a thing of beauty.
-1 0 Atk Tangrowth Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Manectric-Mega: 116-138 (41.2 - 49.1%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

There are two problems with that matchup.

1) If there are Rocks, Manectric is an unreliable switchin, as Overheat does not OHKO:

-1 0 Atk Tangrowth Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Manectric-Mega: 114-136 (40.5 - 48.3%) -- 67.6% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252 SpA Manectric-Mega Overheat vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Assault Vest Tangrowth: 212-250 (52.4 - 61.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

2) Even without rocks on Manectric's field, it cannot reliably 2HKO a healthy AV Tangrowth with Overheat. Or, at least, not as reliably as Tangrowth can 2HKO it:

-2 252 SpA Manectric-Mega Overheat vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Assault Vest Tangrowth: 106-126 (26.2 - 31.1%) -- guaranteed 4HKO

OVERALL: +0 and -2 252 SpA Manectric-Mega Overheat vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Assault Vest Tangrowth: 316-372 (78.2 - 92%) -- 31.3% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock (The numbers are not exact as I used a 195 BP Overheat to mimic the halved SpA on the second move, but they have an error margin of less than 10 HP)

 

[Marigold]

There are two problems with that matchup.

1) If there are Rocks, Manectric is an unreliable switchin, as Overheat does not OHKO:

-1 0 Atk Tangrowth Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Manectric-Mega: 114-136 (40.5 - 48.3%) -- 67.6% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252 SpA Manectric-Mega Overheat vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Assault Vest Tangrowth: 212-250 (52.4 - 61.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

2) Even without rocks on Manectric's field, it cannot reliably 2HKO a healthy AV Tangrowth with Overheat. Or, at least, not as reliably as Tangrowth can 2HKO it:

-2 252 SpA Manectric-Mega Overheat vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Assault Vest Tangrowth: 106-126 (26.2 - 31.1%) -- guaranteed 4HKO

OVERALL: +0 and -2 252 SpA Manectric-Mega Overheat vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Assault Vest Tangrowth: 316-372 (78.2 - 92%) -- 31.3% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock (The numbers are not exact as I used a 195 BP Overheat to mimic the halved SpA on the second move, but they have an error margin of less than 10 HP)

I agree that manectric is not a switch-in for tangrowth (no electric type is tbh). However, it's almost always going to be tangrowth coming in on megaman, so it will probably have to eat a...
252 SpA Manectric-Mega Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Assault Vest Tangrowth: 54-65 (13.3 - 16%)

and then a...
252 SpA Manectric-Mega Overheat vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Assault Vest Tangrowth: 212-250 (52.4 - 61.8%)

...then tank one eq and retaliate with...
-2 252 SpA Manectric-Mega Overheat vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Assault Vest Tangrowth: 106-126 (26.2 - 31.1%)

= 91.9 - 108.9%

And this is assuming tangrowth isn't worn down at all prior. If rocks are on the field, this sequence is a guaranteed dead tangrowth. The idea that manectric can muscle through av tangrowth, a chief electric check used on offense, makes for a massive threat to offensive archetypes, though dropping all of koko's rather underutilized versatility sucks.

 

[Leo]

I agree that manectric is not a switch-in for tangrowth (no electric type is tbh). However, it's almost always going to be tangrowth coming in on megaman, so it will probably have to eat a...
252 SpA Manectric-Mega Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Assault Vest Tangrowth: 54-65 (13.3 - 16%)

and then a...
252 SpA Manectric-Mega Overheat vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Assault Vest Tangrowth: 212-250 (52.4 - 61.8%)

...then tank one eq and retaliate with...
-2 252 SpA Manectric-Mega Overheat vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Assault Vest Tangrowth: 106-126 (26.2 - 31.1%)

= 91.9 - 108.9%

And this is assuming tangrowth isn't worn down at all prior. If rocks are on the field, this sequence is a guaranteed dead tangrowth. The idea that manectric can muscle through av tangrowth, a chief electric check used on offense, makes for a massive threat to offensive archetypes, though dropping all of koko's rather underutilized versatility sucks.

In a real game scenario you would have to win a 50-50 with Overheat because the Tangrowth player could just switch out into a Fire resistance (let's say Zygarde) and then go back in after Regen and beat a -2 Mane 1v1. Even if you won that 50-50 the Tangrowth player can switch out after the Overheat and gain momentum because a -2 Mane isn't doing anything. And then between regen and pivoting Tangrowth gets back to a high amount of health and switches into Mane for the rest of the game. While most of these 50-50s are in favour of the Mane player, this just shows how Mega Mane doesn't reliably break Tangrowth and can be played around with smart pivoting and kept at bay for the whole game. At least that's how I see it, maybe I'm missing something I'm not that good at theorymoning lmao

 

[Toshiro46]

I agree that manectric is not a switch-in for tangrowth (no electric type is tbh). However, it's almost always going to be tangrowth coming in on megaman, so it will probably have to eat a...
252 SpA Manectric-Mega Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Assault Vest Tangrowth: 54-65 (13.3 - 16%)

and then a...
252 SpA Manectric-Mega Overheat vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Assault Vest Tangrowth: 212-250 (52.4 - 61.8%)

...then tank one eq and retaliate with...
-2 252 SpA Manectric-Mega Overheat vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Assault Vest Tangrowth: 106-126 (26.2 - 31.1%)

= 91.9 - 108.9%

And this is assuming tangrowth isn't worn down at all prior. If rocks are on the field, this sequence is a guaranteed dead tangrowth. The idea that manectric can muscle through av tangrowth, a chief electric check used on offense, makes for a massive threat to offensive archetypes, though dropping all of koko's rather underutilized versatility sucks.

What Tangrowth is going to stay in after the first Overheat, though? Your Manectric is at -2 and poses no real threat to most pokes anymore, so the Tang player can just switch out to a fire resist or decently bulky neutrality and get a free turn of set up on the now -4 Manectric.

He can't muscle through if he can't do anything afterwards. Your only really choice after the first Overheat is to volt switch out, because its too easy for them to gain momentum afterwards if you don't.

Edit: Scarf Nihilego asked in the Metagame Discussion thread which unreleased megas would have the biggest impact. Personally, I'm looking forward to Mega-Altaria.

Good DD users are getting rarer and rarer in the meta as CharX loses viability and Zygarde runs other sets, which leaves a notable niche for it to step into. And this mon is anti-meta af.

Dragon/Fairy is a great STAB combo that's resisted by just a few steels in the meta - Megas Scizor, Mawile, and Metagross (and their type-counterparts of Forretresslol, Magearna, and Jirachi), Ferrothorn/Kartana, Excadrill, and Magnezone. Unfortunately for them, it gets earthquake and flamethrower, which means the number of mons that can comfortably take attacks from it shrinks down to 1-2, depending on which move it uses. Hell, it can even forgo Dragon STAB and run both of them. It probably should, really, as there's only 1-2 mons that get hit harder by Dragon STAB than by Fairy STAB or its coverage.

DD/Ground/Fire/Fairy hits pretty much everything as hard as you could want, so after 1-2 boosts it really only has one reliable check - Mega Scizor, which 2HKOs with Bullet Punch and is 2HKOd by flamethrower in return.

Basically only one thing in the meta particularly wants to take hits from it and that's hit plenty hard by flamethrower anyway, so it can't switch in and has to be full health. There's also Mega Venusaur, I guess, but that just means there's a limit of one mon on a team that can take hits.

 

[Marigold]

What Tangrowth is going to stay in after the first Overheat, though? Your Manectric is at -2 and poses no real threat to most pokes anymore, so the Tang player can just switch out to a fire resist or decently bulky neutrality and get a free turn of set up on the now -4 Manectric.

He can't muscle through if he can't do anything afterwards. Your only really choice after the first Overheat is to volt switch out, because its too easy for them to gain momentum afterwards if you don't.

If Manectric forces tangrowth out, then it's a free volt switch afterwards and it dented tangrowth significantly even after regenerator, giving offense a lot of momentum because the opposing wall is weakened and manectric dictates the switch-in matchup. This is pretty much the definition of an offensive pivot. The pressure that manectric puts on offense is great, and tangrowth is just a solid example of that.

 

[Toshiro46]

If Manectric forces tangrowth out, then it's a free volt switch afterwards and it dented tangrowth significantly even after regenerator, giving offense a lot of momentum because the opposing wall is weakened and manectric dictates the switch-in matchup. This is pretty much the definition of an offensive pivot. The pressure that manectric puts on offense is great, and tangrowth is just a solid example of that.

Unless they switch into a ground type, or better yet an alowak, in which case you now have to find a mon to take a STAB boosted Flare Blitz/Fire Punch/Shadow Bone. Or maybe they switch into SubCoil Zygod, which can now set up Sub because -4 HP Ice doesn't even break it.

Sure, you might dictate the switch in match up, but that doesn't change the fact that you give the opponent a free turn to do whatever the hell they want while you -4 volt switch out. Not exactly gaining momentum.

 

[Marigold]

Unless they switch into a ground type, or better yet an alowak, in which case you now have to find a mon to take a STAB boosted Flare Blitz/Fire Punch/Shadow Bone. Or maybe they switch into SubCoil Zygod, which can now set up Sub because -4 HP Ice doesn't even break it.

Sure, you might dictate the switch in match up, but that doesn't change the fact that you give the opponent a free turn to do whatever the hell they want while you -4 volt switch out. Not exactly gaining momentum.

"unless they switch into a hard counter that is made specifically for fast electrics"
(Almost) everything has a hard counter, and odds are that if their switch-in for manectric is tangrowth, they don't have marowak-a as they'd just throw that in instead. Saying koko has hard counters in hippowdon and marowak-a doesn't detract from it being a premier offensive pivot, as it forces these checks to come in and get worn down from hazards + u-turn, then regain momentum with a favorable switch-in. That is the job of an offensive pivot.

Manectric still pushes the matchup in its favor as the opposing risks losing tangrowth, or making a predictable switch to a ground type to abuse regenerator. A great partner (and the most splashable one in the tier at that) in lando-t with hp ice can handle all of your said switch-ins to a -2 manectric. It's important to not theorymon in a vacuum and assume that manectric has zero teammates, because if we did, we'd consider koko as a B tier mon.

 

[Selihido]

What Tangrowth is going to stay in after the first Overheat, though? Your Manectric is at -2 and poses no real threat to most pokes anymore, so the Tang player can just switch out to a fire resist or decently bulky neutrality and get a free turn of set up on the now -4 Manectric.

He can't muscle through if he can't do anything afterwards. Your only really choice after the first Overheat is to volt switch out, because its too easy for them to gain momentum afterwards if you don't.

Edit: Scarf Nihilego asked in the Metagame Discussion thread which unreleased megas would have the biggest impact. Personally, I'm looking forward to Mega-Altaria.

Good DD users are getting rarer and rarer in the meta as CharX loses viability and Zygarde runs other sets, which leaves a notable niche for it to step into. And this mon is anti-meta af.

Dragon/Fairy is a great STAB combo that's resisted by just a few steels in the meta - Megas Scizor, Mawile, and Metagross (and their type-counterparts of Forretresslol, Magearna, and Jirachi), Ferrothorn/Kartana, Excadrill, and Magnezone. Unfortunately for them, it gets earthquake and flamethrower, which means the number of mons that can comfortably take attacks from it shrinks down to 1-2, depending on which move it uses. Hell, it can even forgo Dragon STAB and run both of them. It probably should, really, as there's only 1-2 mons that get hit harder by Dragon STAB than by Fairy STAB or its coverage.

DD/Ground/Fire/Fairy hits pretty much everything as hard as you could want, so after 1-2 boosts it really only has one reliable check - Mega Scizor, which 2HKOs with Bullet Punch and is 2HKOd by flamethrower in return.

Basically only one thing in the meta particularly wants to take hits from it and that's hit plenty hard by flamethrower anyway, so it can't switch in and has to be full health. There's also Mega Venusaur, I guess, but that just means there's a limit of one mon on a team that can take hits.

Altaria's typing is great, admittedly, but its stats hold it back (especially since it's a mega and can't use life orb or anything). It has a small niche but I don't see it being very good. I hope I'm proved wrong though; I've always enjoyed altaria.

 

[Siggu]

As much as I'd like Mega Altaria to be viable, it could be borderline unviable as pretty much everything it hates is commonplace, if not more common than in ORAS.

 

[Vengeance417]

As much as I'd like Mega Altaria to be viable, it could be borderline unviable as pretty much everything it hates is commonplace, if not more common than in ORAS.

Yeah, there's a ton in this metagame that absolutely murder it. Depending on the set and coverage moves it's running, Mega Metagross, Mega Mawile (EQ is a roll to OHKO at +1, but if it has Intimidate pre-mega, neutral EQ won't kill), defensive Landorus-T, Scarfed Tapu Lele, Tapu Fini, Toxapex, Celesteela, Mega Scizor, Skarmory, Clefable, Amoonguss, Magearna, and Ferrothorn all check/counter Mega Altaria, and that's just mons are in the S/A ranks. Other mons include Excadrill, Jirachi, Nihilego, Mega Venusaur, Quagsire, and Slowbro (Mega) to name a few others.

This gen has way too many common threats for Mega Altaria to succeed in OU imo.

 

[Toshiro46]

Altaria's typing is great, admittedly, but its stats hold it back (especially since it's a mega and can't use life orb or anything). It has a small niche but I don't see it being very good. I hope I'm proved wrong though; I've always enjoyed altaria.

It does have lackluster stats, but that's made up for with Pixelate and fantastic coverage otherwise as well as Dragon Dance.

I don't know, it just seems like a really fun mon to try out in this meta, but all these steels (even if it does deal with them well) and the pixelate nerf don't help. We'll see.

 

[Selihido]

It does have lackluster stats, but that's made up for with Pixelate and fantastic coverage otherwise as well as Dragon Dance.

I don't know, it just seems like a really fun mon to try out in this meta, but all these steels (even if it does deal with them well) and the pixelate nerf don't help. We'll see.

Sure, it'll be fun. I really want it to be viable but I just don't think the meta will be kind to it. It does have coverage to deal with steels but I just don't think it'll be enough. We'll see!

 

[OldAmberPlays]

With Flamethrower, EQ, Return/Frustation/Body Slam and Dragon Dance, Altaria can do the job quite efficiently as far as I know.

0- SpA Altaria-Mega Flamethrower vs. 248 HP / 128 SpD Scizor-Mega: 224-264 (65.3 - 76.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

0- SpA Altaria-Mega Flamethrower vs. 252 HP / 168 SpD Ferrothorn: 196-232 (55.6 - 65.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
+1 252 Atk Altaria-Mega Earthquake vs. 92 HP / 0 Def Mawile-Mega: 240-284 (90.9 - 107.5%) -- 81.3% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock

0- SpA Altaria-Mega Flamethrower vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Kartana: 600-708 (231.6 - 273.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO

I'm praying for the miracle that Altaria can br good once again in OU. I love the King DDD set.

 

[nameless90]

0 SpA Altaria-Mega Fire Blast vs. 248 HP / 128 SpD Scizor-Mega: 304-360 (88.6 - 104.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock

0 SpA Altaria-Mega Fire Blast vs. 92 HP / 0 SpD Mawile: 278-328 (105.3 - 124.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO
0 SpA Altaria-Mega Flamethrower vs. 92 HP / 0 SpD Mawile: 226-268 (85.6 - 101.5%) -- 50% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock

0 SpA Altaria-Mega Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 168 SpD Ferrothorn: 264-312 (75 - 88.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

The power difference between Flamethrower and Fire Blast is quite noticeable ===> I think Fire Blast in > than Flamethrower bar in the case of the Heal Bell set. In that case Flamethrower is more suited than Fire Blast thanks to the better PP.

 

[ChrystalFalchion]

If you're running Fire Blast or Flamethrower run a Naïve or Naughty nature so it still hits hard. I think DD + 3 Attacks would be its best set, maybe with Double-Edge instead of Return (144 power vs 122).

252+ Atk Pixilate Altaria-Mega Double-Edge vs. 252 HP / 216+ Def Landorus-Therian: 183-216 (47.9 - 56.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Pixilate Altaria-Mega Return vs. 252 HP / 216+ Def Landorus-Therian: 154-183 (40.3 - 47.9%) -- 55.9% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock

+1 252+ Atk Pixilate Altaria-Mega Return vs. 248 HP / 192 Def Tapu Fini: 220-259 (64.1 - 75.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+1 252+ Atk Pixilate Altaria-Mega Double-Edge vs. 248 HP / 192 Def Tapu Fini: 259-306 (75.5 - 89.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock and 1 layer of Spikes

 

[OldAmberPlays]

If you're running Fire Blast or Flamethrower run a Naïve or Naughty nature so it still hits hard. I think DD + 3 Attacks would be its best set, maybe with Double-Edge instead of Return (144 power vs 122).

252+ Atk Pixilate Altaria-Mega Double-Edge vs. 252 HP / 216+ Def Landorus-Therian: 183-216 (47.9 - 56.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Pixilate Altaria-Mega Return vs. 252 HP / 216+ Def Landorus-Therian: 154-183 (40.3 - 47.9%) -- 55.9% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock

+1 252+ Atk Pixilate Altaria-Mega Return vs. 248 HP / 192 Def Tapu Fini: 220-259 (64.1 - 75.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+1 252+ Atk Pixilate Altaria-Mega Double-Edge vs. 248 HP / 192 Def Tapu Fini: 259-306 (75.5 - 89.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock and 1 layer of Spikes

Without Roost, Double-Edge will kill Altaria faster. Return should be the best one without Roost.

 

[ChrystalFalchion]

Fair enough. Can't wait to use Mega Pidgeot in UU (if they ever get the usage stats sorted that is) it was awesome there before it got banned.

Think Mega Tyranitar would be viable?

 

[Six Trails]

Think Mega Tyranitar would be viable?

In OU? If I had to guess: no. Even regular Tyranitar is on a decline this generation, and Mega Tyranitar doesn't really do anything that base Tyranitar doesn't already. Base Tyranitar also can actually use its item slot for something useful like Smooth Rock, Leftovers, or Chople/Shuca Berry. In terms of an offensive Dragon Dancer, Pokemon like Gyarados or even Zard-X would likely be preferred. I don't see any reason for it to be used (also, FWIW, every time I used it last gen it was always very underwhelming).

 

[Vengeance417]

What's everyone's opinion on Mega Latias?

In the current meta, it would have a lot of hardships going for it. A lot of the tops threats such as Megagross, (Ash) Greninja, Mega Mawile, Ferrothorn, and even Ice Punch Medicham on the switch give Mega Latias a ton of issues. I don't see Stored Power sets performing well, unless it runs T-bolt alongside it, in a meta where Megagross quad resists it and Greninja, especially Battle Bond sets, are immune to it.

I can see BoltBeam being quite decent. It gives Mega Latias a way to OHKO Banded Zygarde (SpDef lives but is still 2HKO'd) and Landorus-T without having to use something like Draco Meteor, and T-bolt can let it dent Celesteela and Tapu Fini, especially if it has a CM boost or two. Other than that, I feel Mega Latias would be way too pressured by the current meta to perform very well compared to other megas, especially when you could just run a Latios on the team and save your mega slot.

 

[Toshiro46]

In OU? If I had to guess: no. Even regular Tyranitar is on a decline this generation, and Mega Tyranitar doesn't really do anything that base Tyranitar doesn't already. Base Tyranitar also can actually use its item slot for something useful like Smooth Rock, Leftovers, or Chople/Shuca Berry. In terms of an offensive Dragon Dancer, Pokemon like Gyarados or even Zard-X would likely be preferred. I don't see any reason for it to be used (also, FWIW, every time I used it last gen it was always very underwhelming).

Well, it's in the same place as mega garchomp; there's no way for it to even be attempted in UU because TTar is OU.

But still Mega TTar is insanely bulky, for instance if you fully invested into even mixed bulk, under sandstorm it ends up with something like 404/429/429 bulk, which is absolutely insane.

 

[Vengeance417]

Well, it's in the same place as mega garchomp; there's no way for it to even be attempted in UU because TTar is OU.

But still Mega TTar is insanely bulky, for instance if you fully invested into bulk, under sandstorm it ends up with something like 404/429/429 bulk, which is absolutely insane.

Yeah, but then what does Mega T-Tar even do with a bulky set that a regular T-Tar set with a Shuca Berry/Chople Berry/Smooth Rock/Leftovers can't? Suddenly, all that extra bulk means nothing without the aid of an actual item. Sounds like a waste of a mega slot.

 

[Martin]

Yeah, but then what does Mega T-Tar even do with a bulky set that a regular T-Tar set with a Shuca Berry/Chople Berry/Smooth Rock/Leftovers can't? Suddenly, all that extra bulk means nothing without the aid of an actual item. Sounds like a waste of a mega slot.

Mega TTar has a few things over base Tyranitar; the added speed is actually really important for Dragon Dance variants because it allows it to outpace things like Greninja and Tapu Koko at +1, which is really important because that is a big part of why DD regular Tar is hot garbage because it means that it has a much easier time cleaning up versus offense as a result whilst still being able to fall back on the added bulk it has to often set up to +2 versus bulkier teams once its checks are removed.

Speaking of the added bulk, do not undersell just how massive this increase is even without reliable recovery. I'm just going to do a bulk comparison to Regular Tyranitar and a few other Pokemon to show you what I mean:

Assuming the sandstorm that Mega Tyranitar summons is still in effect, Mega Tyranitar has a 25.14-31.25% increase in physical bulk and a 13.41-16.95% increase in special bulk. Just to put how completely fucking insane this thing's bulk is into perspective, fully specially defensive Mega Tyranitar is 93.70% as bulky as 4 HP/252 SpD Blissey, whereas fully physically defensive Mega Tyranitar is 27.35% more bulky than physically defensive Skarmory and 14.36% more bulky than fully physically defensive Tangrowth. While it would certainly appreciate reliable recovery on bulkier sets, it is more than enough of an increase to offset the lack of Leftovers recovery sufficiently (similarly to Eviolite Chansey) and giving it a solid reason to be used over support variants of Tyranitar on sandstorm teams which lack a mega (not to mention the mega turn works in its favor in the lead matchup vs. rain) whilst allowing offensive variants to achieve a number of feats which base Tyranitar simply can't short of spending its item slot on type resist berries at the cost of power (which MegaTar somewhat makes up for in comparison with boosts to all its stats), such as avoiding the OHKO from adamant Lando-T and removing the KO rate from Alolan Wak's Bonemerang.

Bulk calculations and damage calcs so that you know I'm not pulling the stuff I've typed above out of my arse

Bulk calculations:
Uninvested physical bulk comparison: ((341*336)/100)/((341*256)/100)=1.3125 (31.25% increase)
Uninvested special bulk comparison under Sandstorm: ((341*(276*1.5))/100)/((341*(236*1.5))/100)=1.16949152542 (16.95% increase)

Max HP/Max+ Def bulk comparison: ((404*438)/100)/((404*350)/100)=1.25142857143 (25.14% increase)
Max HP/Max+ SpD bulk comparison under sandstorm: ((404*(372*1.5))/100)/((404*(328*1.5))/100)=1.13414634146 (13.41% increase)

Fully SpD MegaTar vs. 4 HP/252 SpD Blissey comparison under sandstorm: ((404*(372*1.5))/100)/((652*369)/100)=0.93700433936 (6.30% decrease)
Fully PhysDef MegaTar vs. fully PhysDef Skarmory comparison: ((404*438)/100)/((334*416)/100)=1.27354905573 (27.35% increase)
Fully PhysDef MegaTar vs. fully PhysDef Tangrowth comparison: ((404*438)/100)/((404*383)/100)=1.14360313316 (14.36% increase)

Comparative damage calculations:
252+ Atk Landorus-Therian Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tyranitar-Mega: 272-324 (79.7 - 95%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Landorus-Therian Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tyranitar: 360-426 (105.5 - 124.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO

252+ Atk Thick Club Marowak-Alola Bonemerang (2 hits) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tyranitar-Mega: 248-292 (72.7 - 85.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Thick Club Marowak-Alola Bonemerang (2 hits) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tyranitar: 320-380 (93.5 - 111.1%) -- approx. 75% chance to OHKO

While variants other than Dragon Dance were seldom seen in OU last generation, Mega Tyranitar had defensive and non-DD offensive sets listed alongside DD on its BSS analysis with Mega Tyranitar sitting at the same rank as its non-mega counterpart on the viability rankings, and Mega Tyranitar has the potential for similar sets to start seeing usage this gen. (Keyword: potential; I'm not psychic: I can't see what'll be dominant in the future, and it isn't wise to dismiss such possibilities (regardless of how unlikely) before it is released).

 

[Siggu]

Seeing at how underwhelming support Tyranitar is this gen, Dragon Dance Mega Tyranitar could be the preferred choice in that rare moment you wanted to run Tyranitar. Especially now that there's no Pheromosa to Hi Jump Kick it even at +1.

 

[ChrystalFalchion]

Seeing at how underwhelming support Tyranitar is this gen, Dragon Dance Mega Tyranitar could be the preferred choice in that rare moment you wanted to run Tyranitar. Especially now that there's no Pheromosa to Hi Jump Kick it even at +1.

Maybe not, but some day Mega Lopunny is coming back, and that still outruns TTar at +1 and OHKOes with High Jump Kick.

 

[6ft Torbjorn]

Bulk calculations and damage calcs so that you know I'm not pulling the stuff I've typed above out of my arse

Bulk calculations:
Uninvested physical bulk comparison: ((341*336)/100)/((341*256)/100)=1.3125 (31.25% increase)
Uninvested special bulk comparison under Sandstorm: ((341*(276*1.5))/100)/((341*(236*1.5))/100)=1.16949152542 (16.95% increase)

Max HP/Max+ Def bulk comparison: ((404*438)/100)/((404*350)/100)=1.25142857143 (25.14% increase)
Max HP/Max+ SpD bulk comparison under sandstorm: ((404*(372*1.5))/100)/((404*(328*1.5))/100)=1.13414634146 (13.41% increase)

Fully SpD MegaTar vs. 4 HP/252 SpD Blissey comparison under sandstorm: ((404*(372*1.5))/100)/((652*369)/100)=0.93700433936 (6.30% decrease)
Fully PhysDef MegaTar vs. fully PhysDef Skarmory comparison: ((404*438)/100)/((334*416)/100)=1.27354905573 (27.35% increase)
Fully PhysDef MegaTar vs. fully PhysDef Tangrowth comparison: ((404*438)/100)/((404*383)/100)=1.14360313316 (14.36% increase)

Comparative damage calculations:
252+ Atk Landorus-Therian Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tyranitar-Mega: 272-324 (79.7 - 95%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Landorus-Therian Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tyranitar: 360-426 (105.5 - 124.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO

252+ Atk Thick Club Marowak-Alola Bonemerang (2 hits) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tyranitar-Mega: 248-292 (72.7 - 85.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252+ At Thick Club Marowak-Alola Bonemerang (2 hits) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tyranitar: 320-380 (93.5 - 111.1%) -- approx. 75% chance to OHKO

--

While variants other than Dragon Dance were seldom seen in OU last generation, Mega Tyranitar had defensive and non-DD offensive sets listed alongside DD on its analysis with Mega Tyranitar sitting at the same rank as its non-mega counterpart on the viability rankings, and Mega Tyranitar has the potential for similar sets to start seeing usage this gen. (Keyword: potential; I'm not psychic: I can't see what'll be dominant in the future, and it isn't wise to dismiss such possibilities (regardless of how unlikely) before it is released).

But yeah, Mega Tyranitar seems to have a good niche here, and might be what TTar needs this gen. 164 base attack is nothing to sneeze at, and having bulk like that is going to put a bit of a sting on teambuilding. Throw in the SR; pursuit trapping and various forms of coverage it has, and you have a VERY strong wallbreaker that I believe can more then thrive in this meta (ESPECIALLY with the lack of hazard control atm). Then again, the lack of recovery and unforgiving weakness spread is going to bite it quite harshly...

EDIT: Put dashes so the drop down would behave itself