Meloetta (BW Revamp) [QC 3/3] [GP 2/2]

Halcyon.

@Choice Specs
is a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnus

Meloetta

[Overview]

<p>Meloetta is a Pokemon that is sure to keep its opponents on their toes. There aren't many Pokemon that can boast being able to change into a completely different Pokemon with a single move, and Meloetta is able to make great use of its ability to do this. This is especially effective because many of Meloetta's counters, such as Blissey, Chansey, and Tyranitar, are beaten by Meloetta-P. But Meloetta's effectiveness doesn't stop with a mixed set. Thanks to its naturally high special defense and HP and its expansive movepool, Meloetta is able to run effective Calm Mind, all-out attacker, and specially defensive sets as well. Its Normal typing might seem useless at first, but the Ghost immunity that comes with it makes Meloetta a great counter to the likes of Gengar and Alakazam. To top it all off, Meloetta is gifted with one of the best abilities in the game: Serene Grace. This means that its Psychic, Shadow Ball, and Focus Blast all have twice the chance to lower Special Defense and it can support the team with a 60% paralysis chance Thunder.</p>

<p>However, Meloetta's Defense is lacking, its low Speed means that it will have trouble against faster offensive teams in its Aria forme, and it has to waste an entire moveslot and turn to switch into its Pirouette forme. The turn it uses to set up can be costly, as it means that you won't be able to hit opposing Pokemon with the appropriate coverage move on the switch. And because Relic Song is a Normal-type move, the forme change can be blocked by Ghost-types, giving them a free switch-in and losing momentum for Meloetta. However, these flaws are dwarfed by the sheer versatility and power that Meloetta can bring to the team.</p>

[SET]
name: Relic Mixed
move 1: Relic Song
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Thunder / Shadow Ball
move 4: Hidden Power Ice / Psychic / Ice Punch
item: Expert Belt / Life Orb
nature: Naive
evs: 56 Atk / 252 SpA / 200 Spe

[Set Comments]

<p>Few Pokemon can run a mixed attacker set as effectively as Meloetta. Relic Song allows Meloetta to change into its Pirouette forme, a Normal / Fighting type with base 128 Attack and Speed. Common switch-ins to Meloetta, such as Blissey, Chansey, and Tyranitar, are destroyed by a STAB Close Combat from Meloetta-P. Conversely, Pokemon such as Skarmory, Landorus-T, and Gliscor that switch in on Meloetta-P might find themselves on the wrong end of a Thunder or Hidden Power Ice. Furthermore, one cannot ignore the importance of shifting from a merely decent base 90 Speed into a blazing fast base 128 Speed. Changing into Meloetta-P as the opponent sends in a faster Pokemon&mdash;such as Choice Scarf Tyranitar or, if it runs Ice Punch, Choice Specs Latios or Calm Mind Latias&mdash;can turn the tide of a match. In fact, one of the biggest draws of the relic mixed set is its unrivaled ability to apply pressure to the opponent. With the constant fear of Meloetta changing formes, the opponent will have to choose between sending in Tyranitar to take a Hidden Power Ice or Landorus-T to take a Close Combat. The mind games that Meloetta creates give its user a major advantage. It is also important to note that prediction is key when using this set. Using Relic Song on a switch can be an effective way to keep momentum without actually switching; however, using Relic Song when the opponent stays in can be costly, as the opposing Pokemon can take advantage of Meloetta being in the wrong forme.</p>

<p>Close Combat is a useful move for late-game cleaning and is Meloetta-P's main STAB move. It smacks Pokemon such as Tyranitar and Blissey, which are full stops to Meloetta's Aria forme. Meloetta's coverage moves really come down to what your team needs. Thunder is an amazing option for Meloetta in the rain, as Serene Grace doubles its paralysis chance to 60%. This allows Meloetta to support the team while also keeping on the offensive. Thunder can even keep Latios and Latias, common switch-ins to Meloetta, at bay, because they fear the paralysis that might come with taking a hit. On the other hand, Shadow Ball can hit Celebi, Latios, and Latias on the switch for decent damage, and the 40% chance of lowering their Special Defense can come in handy to prevent them from Life Orb stalling Meloetta or trying to set up on it. The final moveslot largely determines what Pokemon Meloetta can KO and how it goes about doing so. With Hidden Power Ice, Meloetta can lure and OHKO Landorus-T and Gliscor, regardless of what forme it finds itself in. This can later clear the way for Meloetta-P to clean with Close Combat. Psychic is a secondary STAB option for Meloetta, hitting Tentacruel, Breloom, and Gengar for super effective damage. Finally, Ice Punch is a decent option to help Meloetta-P clean late-game. After a Relic Song, Choice Specs Latios, Calm Mind Latias, Landorus-T, and Gliscor will all be OHKOed by an Ice Punch coming from Meloetta-P. The choice between Hidden Power Ice and Ice Punch comes down to whether letting Meloetta wallbreak or clean up is more important to the team.</p>

[Additional Comments]

<p>In order to effectively use Meloetta, it's important to know exactly how to play it, as it is used differently than one might expect. At the beginning of the match, Meloetta is going to spend most of its time in its Aria forme blasting holes in the opponent's team with powerful Life Orb-boosted special attacks. This might even enable it to feign the Calm Mind set, which could be used to Meloetta's advantage later by allowing it to surprise the opponent by transforming. Then, in the later stages of the game, Meloetta should transform and clean up with Life Orb-boosted STAB Close Combat. The only time using Relic Song is advisable early- or mid-game is when a switch to a dedicated special wall is obvious, i.e., a switch to Blissey, which can be smashed by Close Combat. This is why Meloetta appreciates entry hazard support so much. It will be forcing switches and bursting holes in the opponent's defenses, so the extra damage will tend to rack up. It also makes it easier for Meloetta-P to sweep late-game once everything has been weakened by multiple switch-ins to Spikes and Stealth Rock.</p>

<p>Meloetta's EVs let it outspeed Adamant max Speed Landorus-T in its Aria forme and Alakazam and Dugtrio in its Pirouette forme. Special Attack is maxed and the leftover EVs are placed in Attack because max Attack isn't as necessary as Special Attack, as Meloetta will be in its Aria forme more often. U-turn is a decent option to use, as it lets Meloetta switch formes and then grab momentum and also hits possible checks such as Latias for super effective damage.</p>

<p>Meloetta appreciates entry hazard support, so Pokemon that can set both Spikes and Stealth Rock generally make excellent partners. This includes Skarmory and Forretress, the latter of which also provides spinning support. Ferrothorn gets specialmention because it not only sets up entry hazards but also works very well on rain teams, where Meleotta fits perfectly to use Thunder and support the team with paralysis. In the same vein, Politoed makes a good partner simply because it can provide the rain support that Meloetta needs. Latios and Latias can be very troublesome for Meloetta, as they resist Close Combat, Psychic, and Thunder and can do serious damage with Draco Meteor or set up with Calm Mind. Because of this, Tyranitar works well with Meloetta, being able to Pursuit trap both. However, Meloetta doesn't appreciate the added damage that comes from Sand Stream, as it is already taking Life Orb recoil. Scizor can also work well with Meloetta—especially on rain teams—and has the added bonus of U-turn, which can force more switches and wear down the opponent more easily. Because Meloetta has to change formes to effectively hit both physically and specially, it isn't the most efficient wallbreaker. Pokemon like mixed Salamence, Kyurem-B, and Hydreigon can all break down defensive cores much more easily, so their support is much appreciated. Pokemon that appreciate Tyranitar being taken out also make great partners, as Meloetta can easily lure it in and dispose of it with a Life Orb Close Combat. This includes Latios, Latias, U-turn Celebi, and rain Pokemon in general. Finally, while Meloetta's special bulk is impressive, its Defense is rather lacking, so physical walls such as Landorus-T make great partners. Landorus-T, like Scizor, can provide U-turn support as well.</p>

[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Psychic / Psyshock
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Shadow Ball
item: Leftovers
nature: Modest / Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[Set Comments]

<p>At first, one might think that the role of Calm Mind sweeper is better handled by Reuniclus or Jirachi; however, Meloetta has quite a few advantages that distance itself from these other Pokemon. Meloetta was practically made for a Calm Mind set with its already amazing base 128 Special Attack and Special Defense combined with an interesting typing that lets it set up on common special attackers such as Alakazam and Gengar. It doesn't have four-moveslot syndrome like Jirachi does, as Psychic / Psyshock, Focus Blast, and Shadow Ball are all Meloetta needs to succeed. While Reuniclus has Magic Guard and Recover to keep it going, Meloetta has a much better Speed and isn't walled by Sableye because it can run Shadow Ball effectively. Meloetta also has the highest Special Attack of all common Calm Mind users, meaning that after a boost, it hits its opponents hard.</p>

<p>The choice between Psychic and Psyshock depends on what your team struggles with most. Psychic is preferred because it is more powerful and has an increased chance of lowering the opponent's Special Defense. However, Psyshock can hit Blissey and other Calm Mind Pokemon harder, so it can be used. Choosing Psyshock does leave Meloetta out of luck against certain defensive Pokemon such as Hippowdon though, as Focus Blast only has a 30% chance to 2HKO specially defensive Hippowdon at +1 and it can simply Whirlwind Meloetta out. Focus Blast lets Meloetta hit Tyranitar and OHKOes all variants at +1. It also hits Steel-types, such as Ferrothorn and Heatran. The combination of Meloetta's Speed, bulk, and power make it an excellent check to many slower, bulkier teams, as it can boost to +1 or +2 and then sweep. Pokemon such as Jellicent, Ferrothorn (without Leech Seed), Forretress, and Celebi (without Perish Song), are all setup bait for Meloetta, as it can usually grab one or two Calm Mind boosts on them.</p>

[Additional Comments]

<p>Thunder can be used over Shadow Ball, as it hits Jellicent even harder than Shadow Ball and Meloetta sets up on Gengar regardless. It also get an increased chance to paralyze opponents thanks to Serene Grace, which comes in handy against offensive teams. However, this requires Politoed to provide rain support. It also means that Latios, Latias, and Celebi will now wall Meloetta. Signal Beam is another option over Shadow Ball, as it does much more damage to Celebi, which is useful because it prevents Celebi from stopping a sweep with Perish Song. It also deals comparable damage to Latios and Latias; however, it leaves Meloetta more vulnerable to Jellicent, and losing out on the 40% chance for a Special Defense drop that comes with Shadow Ball is unfortunate. Hyper Voice is an alternate STAB option over Psychic. Its Normal typing gives Meloetta decent neutral coverage, but it does miss the super effective coverage that Psychic gives on Pokemon such as Keldeo and Tentacruel.</p>

<p>Meloetta does very well against slower, bulkier teams. However, it does struggle to deal with offensive teams, so faster, hard-hitting Pokemon such as Keldeo and Terrakion make fine partners. Because Meloetta lacks any form of recovery outside of Leftovers, Wish support can be useful to make sure it is able to stay around all match. Jirachi can provide said support and also set up Stealth Rock. Like any sweeper, Meloetta appreciates as much entry hazards support as it can get, so Stealth Rock and Spikes setters such as Skarmory, Forretress, and Ferrothorn work very well with Meloetta. These Pokemon in particular work well with Meloetta, as they cover its lackluster Defense, protecting it from physical attackers.</p>

[SET]
name: All-Out Attacker
move 1: Psychic / Psyshock
move 2: Focus Blast
move 3: Signal Beam
move 4: Thunder / Hyper Voice
item: Life Orb
nature: Modest
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[Set Comments]

<p>Meloetta can opt to use an extra move instead of Calm Mind to give it the coverage its expansive movepool can provide. Its main STAB move is very important because it dictates what will counter it. Psychic is the stronger of the two, and it has a nifty 20% chance to lower an opponent's Special Defense, but it leaves Meloetta walled by Blissey and Chansey. Psyshock can deal more damage to both of these Pokemon, but it leaves Meloetta vulnerable to physical walls such as Landorus-T and Gliscor. Focus Blast beats Tyranitar and Steel-types such as Ferrothorn, Heatran, and Skarmory if Meloetta lacks Thunder. Unlike the Calm Mind set, Signal Beam is the preferred option to hit Psychic-types as Meloetta can't boost to beat Celebi. Signal Beam might not hit Latios or Latias as hard as Shadow Ball, but it can easily 2HKO Celebi. The last slot largely depends on what move was chosen in the first slot. If Psychic was chosen, then Thunder is strongly recommended to hit Jellicent, which otherwise takes little-to-no damage from any of Meloetta's other moves. If you can't afford to save a teamslot for Politoed or prefer Psyshock, then Hyper Voice is the better option to take out Gliscor, Hippowdon, and Landorus-T, which can easily tank a Psyshock.</p>

[Additional Comments]

<p>Meloetta has decent Speed, but it isn't enough to effectively deal with offensive teams, so paralysis support is always welcome. This will let it use its coverage and power more easily. No matter what moves Meloetta chooses, it all always be walled by something, so its teammates need to cover those weaknesses. Depending on its moveset, Pokemon that can beat Blissey, Chansey, Hippowdon, Landorus-T, Gliscor, Jellicent, and Gengar are going to be needed. Mixed Jirachi fits the bill, being able to beat all of these Pokemon bar Jellicent. If Thunder is used, then Politoed is a necessary teammate. However, Tyranitar can be useful to Pursuit trap Jellicent and Gengar. Breloom gets special mention, as it can beat Blissey and Chansey with Mach Punch and also beat Jellicent and Hippowdon with Bullet Seed. Entry hazard setters are also appreciated, as they can aid Meloetta in sweeping, especially because Meloetta is a Pokemon full of surprises and forces a lot of switches. U-turn is an option over Signal Beam to help grab momentum and hit Latios and Latias on the switch, making them easy prey for Pursuit trappers, but it is a waste of Meloetta's coverage and Special Attack. Hidden Power Ice can hit Landorus-T, Gliscor, and Hippowdon, but it isn't a very powerful option and usually other moves are more useful.</p>

[SET]
name: Specially Defensive
move 1: Perish Song
move 2: Psyshock
move 3: Thunder Wave
move 4: U-turn / Focus Blast
item: Leftovers
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD

[Set Comments]

<p>Although its appearance might suggest otherwise, Meloetta is surprisingly bulky. With base 100 HP and 128 Special Defense, it has enough bulk to take onslaughts from common special attackers such as Alakazam and Gengar. With its interesting typing and access to Perish Song, Meloetta is also one of the best counters to Reuniclus in the game. When considering Meloetta as a special wall, one must understand the advantages that it has over other standard walls such as Jirachi, Blissey, Chansey, and Celebi. The first is Perish Song, which lets it scare out setup sweepers such as Calm Mind Jirachi and Latias. The second is that it hits surprisingly hard even with no investment due to its impressive base 128 Special Attack. Psyshock gives Meloetta a move to hit Gengar and Calm Mind Keldeo, making it one of the few special walls that can take down Calm Mind Keldeo itself. Thunder Wave is yet another useful support move, providing paralysis support for the rest of the team and crippling special attackers such as Alakazam and Latios. In the last slot, U-turn can be useful, as Meloetta tends to force out special attackers and U-turn prevents it from killing the team's momentum. It also prevents Meloetta from being trapped by Wobbuffet, Gothitelle, and Dugtrio after using Perish Song. However, using Focus Blast instead means that Meloetta won't be completely walled and subsequently Pursuit trapped by Tyranitar.</p>

[Additional Comments]

<p>Meloetta has several other support options to choose from, but has only four moveslots to put them in, making most of them inferior. Heal Bell can be a useful option over Thunder Wave to keep Meloetta and the rest of the team status-free, but usually paralysis support is more useful and other Pokemon fill the role of cleric better than Meloetta due to its lack of recovery. Light Screen can also be used, but Meloetta already has great Special Defense and doesn't really need the boost. Meloetta also doesn't get Reflect, so it can't support the team with dual screens. Toxic can also be used to wear down opposing walls, but Meloetta can't really Toxic stall very well because it can't recover damage taken. While Meloetta does have great special bulk, its physical bulk isn't nearly as good, so physically defensive teammates such as Landorus-T and Skarmory make excellent partners, covering the threats that Meloetta can't. Because Meloetta has no recovery, Jirachi makes a good partner as it can pass Wishes.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Meloetta can run a decent Substitute + Calm Mind set with Psychic and Focus Blast, but this is usually done better by Jirachi and Latias and Calm Mind Meloetta needs to play to its advantages if it wants to separate itself from other Calm Mind users. A Choice Specs set with Psychic / Hyper Voice / Shadow Ball / Focus Blast seems effective, as base 128 Special Attack is impressive and Meloetta's Speed is high enough to support it. However, locking Meloetta into any of those moves is undesirable, as they all have types that are immune to them. A mixed set with Relic Song and Work Up can boost both of its attacking stats, but Meloetta already has to waste a turn to switch formes, so finding an additional turn to boost is difficult and usually isn't worth it. Physically, Meloetta can use a Hone Claws set that can switch to Meloetta-P and then boost its attack to sweep. It can also use a Relic Song set with three physical attacks and play exclusively as Meloetta-P. However, Meloetta still has to use up one of its moveslots and a turn to even transform into Meloetta-P in the first place, meaning it usually isn't worth it.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Because of the sheer versatility of Meloetta, there aren't really any Pokemon that can be considered counters to it. However, once the set is revealed, it is much easier to check. For the mixed set, if Meloetta lacks Ice Punch, Latios and Latias can check it, as they don't take much from Hidden Power Ice and resist Thunder, though they do fear the paralysis. Ghost-types such as Jellicent and Gengar can prevent Meloetta from changing formes, as they are immune to Relic Song. However, Jellicent has to watch out for Psyshock and Thunder, and Gengar has to watch out for any Psychic STAB. If the Calm Mind set lacks Signal Beam, it can be stalled out by Perish Song Celebi. Blissey and Chansey can Toxic stall the Calm Mind and all-out attacker sets, as it takes several boosts to be able to 2HKO them with Focus Blast. Scizor can threaten any set with U-turn and can pick off Meloetta after it has been weakened with Bullet Punch. Fast physical attackers, such as Choice Scarf Salamence, can effectively revenge kill Meloetta when it is holding a Life Orb, as this takes away from its already lacking physical bulk. Specially defensive Jirachi can paraflinch any of Meloetta's sets but has to watch out for Meloetta's own Thunder.</p>

[Overview]
  • Very Unpredictable
  • Nice movepool
  • Forme switch
  • Excellent bulk as well as aggressive Special Attack / Attack depending on your forme
  • One of the best offensive counters to Zam / Gengar
  • Struggles a bit with its low physical defence
  • Low Speed in Aria forme makes it hard to rip through offensive teams, while Pirouette needs to waste a moveslot to actually shift forme
  • SO CUTE OMG
  • PS! Mascot =]
[SET]
name: Calm Mind + 3 Attacks
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Psychic / Psyshock
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Shadow Ball
item: Leftovers / Life Orb
nature: Modest / Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
  • Hits like a fucking truck when you get that Calm Mind boost off
  • Really nice coverage between Psychic / Focus Blast / Shadow Ball
  • Shadow Ball is for Lati@s and Celebi, which are super common
  • Focus Blast is "duh' for hitting steels as well as smoking Tyranitar.
  • Threatens balance (or "slower") teams quite well due to having fewer options at revenging it. Meloetta can be very difficult to wall due to its nice coverage
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
  • Thunder is nice with Rain support cos fuck yea 60% para chance. It hits the ghost types (ergo you would use if over Shadow Ball) however leaves you helpless against Celebi, Latios, and Latias.
  • Signal Beam is an excellent alternative for Shadow Ball, if you particularly despise Celebi, and quickly want to eliminate it before a potential Perish Song. You do miss out on Jellicent, as well as getting slightly less damage on Latios and Latias overall, and Shadow Ball's 40% chance of an SDef drop usually makes it a better option, but Signal Beam is still always there for the alternative.
  • Hyper Voice I guess as a nice STAB move option over Psychic. You get nice neutral coverage but miss out on the super-effective coverage that Psychic gets (ie hitting Keldeo is pretty neat).
  • Excels against slower teams so paralysis support would be very helpful. Including speedy mons such as Keldeo, Terrakion or Landorus-I can give you more punch against some of the offensive teams.
  • SR + Spikes support is always nice
[SET]
name: Specially Defensive
move 1: Perish Song
move 2: Psyshock
move 3: Thunder Wave
move 4: U-turn / Focus Blast
item: Leftovers
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]
  • its a bulky mofo
  • Good special wall
  • Perish Song lets it cockblock Reuniclus, and Jirachi, as well as other special sweepers
  • Your draw over Chansey, Celebi and Jirachi is a) Perish Song and b) hitting very hard with no investment. 128 base SpA just hurts
  • U-turn is nice for avoiding Goth / Wobb / Dug after you Perish Song, which might try and trap you. it also gets the better matchup after you Perish Song, and you can try and dodge Tyranitar. If Tyranitar really is a concern tho, Focus Blast should deter it from casually switching in.
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
  • Heal Bell, Light Screen, or heck, maybe Teeter Dance if you want to get crazy could be used, but Meloetta is pretty strapped for moveslots as it is, so both of them are lesser options.
  • Toxic is an ok choice over Thunder Wave if you really want to cripple a wall of something switching in
  • Its a win condition, pure and simple. You would use this set on defensive teams and use mons such as Skarmory / Landorus-T or something to take the physical hits Meloetta cannot. Wish support is also really useful to Meloetta, as it lacks recovery of its own, so a Jirachi could work ok.
[SET]
name: Relic Mixed
move 1: Relic Song
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Shadow Ball / Thunder
move 4: Psychic / Hidden Power Ice
item: Life Orb / Expert Belt
nature: Naive
evs: 56 Atk / 252 SpA / 200 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
  • Relic Song gives you a 20% chance at sleeping something but crucially allows you to switch into Pirouette forme, giving you excellent attack power, as well as speed, while losing your massive special bulk, and high special attack stat.
  • Close Combat is your main spamming move when in Pirouette forme, as it gains STAB while threatening Tyranitar when in Aria forme
  • Shadow Ball hits ghosts such as Gengar and Jellicent, which is crucial since ghost types can "forme block" Meloetta by being immune to Relic Song thus preventing it from switching
  • Last slot really depends what you want. Psychic offers you a STAB non switching move in Aria Forme to hit the many fighting types in the tier, while HP Ice nails Landorus-I, Landorus-T, as well as dragon types such as Garchomp and Dragonite
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
  • Thunder again, is an option over Shadow Ball, but it misses out on hitting Celebi (which would wall you otherwise). It is useful for paralysing the opponents team I guess, but you need rain support to really spam it. It does hit Skarmory tho, which could prove to be troublesome otherwise.
  • U-turn is an excellent option. Due to Meloetta's high speed in Pirouette forme, you can Relic Song a switch, forme change, hopefully get a sleep out of it, and then U-turn the switch, giving you a momentum advantage. It also hits Latias, Latios and Celebi very hard, the only downside is that it costs a moveslot (ie no Psychic / HP Ice) and thus places more emphasis on getting into Pirouette forme as quickly as possible.
  • Set plays differently than you might expect. Usually you abuse your Aria forme as much as possible, using Psychic and Shadow Ball to great effect, (potentially bluffing a CM set) weakening the opponents team. Late game, you Relic Song, giving you a large speed boost, and its then that you spam Close Combat, attempting to clean up and go for game.
  • Partners obviously include pokemon that set up Stealth Rock / Spikes which aid it in sweeping
  • Paralysis support is always welcome to cripple any scarfers that might try and shut you down when you are in Pirouette forme.
  • Physically defensive pokemon are rather nice since Aria Forme is rather vulnerable to physical attacks. Landorus-T is a good example of a mon that assists Meloetta in this regard, setting up Stealth Rock, and being a good check to most forms of Terrakion, until Meloetta can find the time to Relic Song and defeat all non scarf ones.
  • Meloetta sorta lacks perfect wallbreaking potential, since it needs to switch formes to hit hard from its other attacking stat. Powerful Mixed sweepers such as MixMence break down walls (and steel types which Meloetta dislikes) aiding you in your attempt at a late game sweep.
  • Despite you having access to Shadow Ball, Ghost mons will always be a bitch. CB Tyranitar is an ok option (despite the sand it brings) since it can trap and kill Latias, Latios, Celebi, Slowbro, and Jellicent which all deter you form spamming CC with Pirouette forme
[SET]
name: All Out Attacker
move 1: Psychic / Psyshock
move 2: Focus Blast
move 3: Signal Beam
move 4: Thunder / Hyper Voice
item: Life Orb
nature: Modest
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
  • Meloetta can forgo Calm Mind and run an all out attacking set, designed to get maximum coverage, while packing as much power as possible
  • Psychic and Psyshock decide whether you want to beat Blissey or not. Psyshock also comes with the downside of being weaker against more physically bulky pokemon.
  • Signal Beam is recommended to OHKO SDef Celebi after SR, which Shadow Ball cannot do. It also hits Latios, Latias and Starmie pretty hard
  • The choice between Thunder and Hyper Voice will often depend on if you picked Psychic or Psychock. If you went with Psychic, Thunder is heavily recommended to nail Jellicent and other ghost pokemon, as well as spreading that 60% paralysis chance. Thunder does require rain support form Politoed otherwise you are stuck with the weaker Thunderbolt, which also lacks the large paralysis chance that Thunder has. If you went with Psyshock, Hyper Voice is recommended to take out those physically bulky ground types, that Focus Blast doesn't handle. Gliscor and Hippowdon are the important ones, that otherwise threaten to be a pain, while Psyshock handles Specially Defensive Jellicent. The downside is that physically defensive Jellicent will win, and Sub Disable Gengar will also be a hassle if you run with Hyper Voice.
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
  • Paralysis support again is welcome on Meloetta, so it can use its impressive coverage and attack power to great effect.
  • Meloetta will always be walled by something, depending on its move selections, so teammates for handling Jellicent, Gengar, Blissey Chansey, Hippowdon, and Gliscor are all welcome, as depending on what it uses, it will struggle against some of these. Politoed is the recommended support if you choose to go for Thunder, while Tyranitar is useful for trapping Jellicent and Gengar with Pursuit. powerful fighting types will defeat Blissey and Chansey, and Breloom gets a special mention for hitting Hippowdon and Jellicent with its Bullet Seed attack , as well as threatening Blissey and Chansey.
  • U-turn (maybe over Signal Beam) and Hidden Power Ice (for ground types): U-turn + HP Ice + SR has like a 50% shot at a OHKO - Not BAD
  • Hazard support is again, always welcome.
[Other Options]
  • Sub CM
  • Choice Specs
  • Hone Claws / Work Up
  • Relic Song + 3 physical attacks
[Checks and Counters]

Not much directly counters Meloetta, but CM Latias and Sub Calm Mind Jirachi can try and give it a go. Specially Defensive Jirachi can ParaFlinch CM, while either Chansey / Blissey or certain physical walls can try and beat Calm Mind depending on whether Meloetta runs Psyshock or Psychic. Priority from Scizor can pick off Meloetta from low health, and in general fast, physical scarfers such as Salamence, and Terrakion threaten Meloetta due to its rather lacking physical defence. Ghost types can threaten to shut down Relic Song Mixed, as they block Relic Song and also discourage it from spamming CC
 
Last edited:

ginganinja

It's all coming back to me now
is a Community Leader Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a CAP Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnus
Quick Pointers (since I never stopped testing Meloetta)

-Move Relic Mixed to #1 set, simply because its as good as CM, and gets more usage.
-Relic Mixed should have Thunder slashed before Shadow Ball, and HP Ice slashed before Psychic (imo). I also prefer non LO recoil options, because its got (despite what it appears), decent bulk, which lets it survive the odd hit or 2. LO means you have no chance at surviving anything p much, although I could be convinced if someone posted calculations where the Power Boost is most helpful.
-I don't even like running LO on CM. Meloetta has no recovery, and CM is best used against defensive teams...... which abuse Sand A LOT. This means your taking 16% a turn which wears you down a lot. If you wanted a Power Boost, then id pick like a type boosting plate on something you needed the power for, or an expert belt or something, but I wouldn't run LO when you can be played around easier.
 

Halcyon.

@Choice Specs
is a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnus
As I was writing this up, I was wondering if it would be ok to add Ice Punch as a third slash after Psychic. With Ice Punch, it can revenge kill Latios and Latias (Relic Song + Ice Punch is a guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock). This is important because CM Latias is one of the better counters to Meloetta (at least, the mixed set), and Latios is a common check to Meloetta-P. Hidden Power Ice is, admittedly, good for Landorus-T, but Ice Punch still 2HKOs, so it isn't going to switch in on you anyway, and if Landorus-T switches in after a KO on Meloetta-P, then you already got a kill and can just switch out. I don't know, I think it deserves a slash. But I want to know what QC thinks.

As a side note, this should be written up by the end of the weekend.
 

ginganinja

It's all coming back to me now
is a Community Leader Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a CAP Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnus
I have no real objection to you mentioning Ice Punch now since you have fairly good logic. Just be aware that you NEED to be in step forme to use it. For reference, this is how the set works (or basically, how I play it...)

O.k, for the early game, you are a wallbreaker. You bring it in, you abuse your high powered special attacks, and you try and get as much damage as you can on those fighting resists. Then, lateer in the game, you bring it in, you use Relic Song, and "clean" with STAB CC. This is why Ice Punch is ok in that in step forme when cleaning, its amazingly good, but during the early game, your shit (well ok less than stellar is more PC), so thats the trade off your looking to make.

Hit me up with a VM or something when this is written up, and ill give this a detailed look, since with the possible exception of shrang, im prolly the QC member with the most experience in using this thing.
 

Halcyon.

@Choice Specs
is a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnus
Yeah, I made a team with mixed Meloetta around May with a few friends, and we played it exactly like that, as an early-game wallbreaker and a late-game cleaner. We ended up testing Ice Punch to good results, which is why I wanted to slash it. I'll be sure to mention how to play with Meloetta in the AC. And I'll also PM you when this is done. Thanks Ginga.
 

shrang

General Kenobi
is a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnus
Just one important thing to note on the Relic Mixed set, is that you need to mention the major attraction of it (in my opinion at least), is Meloetta's ability to force a switches by going into a forme that defeats the switch-in. For example, you are in against Landorus-T. Your opponent needs to guess whether you're going to use Hidden Power Ice and go into their Tyranitar, or you're going to change formes as they switch in Tyranitar and stare down Meloetta-P and STAB Close Combat. Is their Jellicent switch-in about to get wrecked by Thunder, or are they going to let you spam Relic Song and other moves? It's a bit like using Volt-turn with one Pokemon (although it obviously is not as easy as just saying that). Your opponent is constantly guessing on whether you're going to switch formes or smack you with an attack that beats you. I think you really need to emphasise this point. Otherwise, everything else looks good, just add what I just said in and I'll approve.
 

ginganinja

It's all coming back to me now
is a Community Leader Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a CAP Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnus
-Overview

This is especially effective because many of Meloetta's counters are beaten by Meloetta-P.
Mention specifics because just off the topic of my head, Celebi and Latias (two of the more common checks and counters), don't mind taking a Close Combat to the face, and can follow up with Psychic STAB of their own hitting Meloetta-P's Fighting type.

-Also mention that switching forme is can be "spinblocked" in that a switch to Jellicent on a predicted Relic Song would block you from changing.

Ghost types will almost always be a problem for Meloetta, even when running Shadow Ball, as they can prevent it from changing formes and wall it when in Pirouette forme. Latios and Latias are also troublesome, since they resist Close Combat, Psychic, and Thunder, and can do serious damage with Draco Meteor or set up with Calm Mind. Because of this, Tyranitar works well with Meloetta, being able to Pursuit trap Ghosts, but realistically has to be wary of Focus Blast from Gengar and Will-O-Wisp from Jellicent. Scizor can also work well with Meloetta, and has the added bonus of U-turn, which can force more switches and wear down the opponent more easily.
This potentially needs to be reworded. As it stands, Meloetta is one of THE best offensive Gengar counters in the game, and can 1v1 both Gengar, and Jellicent, with Thunder. With that said, Pursuit support is rather nice, because it really appreciates Latias / Latios eliminated. Personally, I never enjoyed Tyranitar support, because I found Sandstorm + Life Orb far too crippling to Meloetta, and prefered support from Jirachi and Scizor but w/e. Mention having a solid U-Turn / Bullet Punch switch in, because Scizor likes to switch in a fair bit. Thunder will deal truckloads, but you still need a good switch to it in general. I also found mons that appreciate Tyranitar being eliminated, as even a LO Close Combat from Aria forme utterly devastates Tyranitar so IDK, might be something nice to mention.

But choosing Psyshock does leave Meloetta high and dry against certain defensive Pokemon like Landorus-T, since Shadow Ball and Focus Blast won't be hitting it very hard even at +1.
+1 252+ SpA Meloetta Psyshock vs. 200 HP / 244 Def Landorus-T: 181-214 (49.05 - 57.99%) -- 58.98% chance to 2HKO
Potentially reword this, since im my experience, I would simply Shadow Ball the Landorus-T switch (or Psyshock) twice, then set up a Calm Mind and one shot it after the residual damage. Regardless, claiming that its "high and dry" against Landorus-T when it can actually 2KO it after a CM potentially needs a little bit of rewording. Might just be me tho.

-Move Specially Defensive to the bottom set. Its viability is VERY suspect now that Perish Song SDef Celebi is so common and heavily competes with it.

U-turn is an option over Signal Beam to help grab momentum and still hit Celebi, but it is a waste of Meloetta's coverage and Special Attack.
In general, I agree, but I listed it in AC for one reason and one reason only: It allows you to U-Turn a Lati@s switch, and go to Tyranitar, Scizor, Scarf Jirachi, or anything else that can force Lati@s out so that its no longer a threat. Mention this use plz as its the entire reason its received a mention.

In fact, most fast physical attackers, such as Choice Scarf Salamence, can effectively revenge kill Meloetta.
Scarf Salamence actually fails to OHKO after Stealth Rock so maybe mention it revenges the Life Orb sets, since the Calm Mind set (with leftovers), actually has enough bulk to take the odd hit at high health.

I really don't have much to nitpick tho, you did an amazing job, and ill approve after you fix / respond to my changes.
 

Halcyon.

@Choice Specs
is a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnus
Just one important thing to note on the Relic Mixed set, is that you need to mention the major attraction of it (in my opinion at least), is Meloetta's ability to force a switches by going into a forme that defeats the switch-in. For example, you are in against Landorus-T. Your opponent needs to guess whether you're going to use Hidden Power Ice and go into their Tyranitar, or you're going to change formes as they switch in Tyranitar and stare down Meloetta-P and STAB Close Combat. Is their Jellicent switch-in about to get wrecked by Thunder, or are they going to let you spam Relic Song and other moves? It's a bit like using Volt-turn with one Pokemon (although it obviously is not as easy as just saying that). Your opponent is constantly guessing on whether you're going to switch formes or smack you with an attack that beats you. I think you really need to emphasise this point. Otherwise, everything else looks good, just add what I just said in and I'll approve.
Ok, I added a bit about that to the overview.

-Overview



Mention specifics because just off the topic of my head, Celebi and Latias (two of the more common checks and counters), don't mind taking a Close Combat to the face, and can follow up with Psychic STAB of their own hitting Meloetta-P's Fighting type.

-Also mention that switching forme is can be "spinblocked" in that a switch to Jellicent on a predicted Relic Song would block you from changing.



This potentially needs to be reworded. As it stands, Meloetta is one of THE best offensive Gengar counters in the game, and can 1v1 both Gengar, and Jellicent, with Thunder. With that said, Pursuit support is rather nice, because it really appreciates Latias / Latios eliminated. Personally, I never enjoyed Tyranitar support, because I found Sandstorm + Life Orb far too crippling to Meloetta, and prefered support from Jirachi and Scizor but w/e. Mention having a solid U-Turn / Bullet Punch switch in, because Scizor likes to switch in a fair bit. Thunder will deal truckloads, but you still need a good switch to it in general. I also found mons that appreciate Tyranitar being eliminated, as even a LO Close Combat from Aria forme utterly devastates Tyranitar so IDK, might be something nice to mention.



Potentially reword this, since im my experience, I would simply Shadow Ball the Landorus-T switch (or Psyshock) twice, then set up a Calm Mind and one shot it after the residual damage. Regardless, claiming that its "high and dry" against Landorus-T when it can actually 2KO it after a CM potentially needs a little bit of rewording. Might just be me tho.

-Move Specially Defensive to the bottom set. Its viability is VERY suspect now that Perish Song SDef Celebi is so common and heavily competes with it.



In general, I agree, but I listed it in AC for one reason and one reason only: It allows you to U-Turn a Lati@s switch, and go to Tyranitar, Scizor, Scarf Jirachi, or anything else that can force Lati@s out so that its no longer a threat. Mention this use plz as its the entire reason its received a mention.



Scarf Salamence actually fails to OHKO after Stealth Rock so maybe mention it revenges the Life Orb sets, since the Calm Mind set (with leftovers), actually has enough bulk to take the odd hit at high health.

I really don't have much to nitpick tho, you did an amazing job, and ill approve after you fix / respond to my changes.

Alright, I made all these changes.

Thanks guys, let me know if there's anything else I need to change!
 

GatoDelFuego

The Antimonymph of the Internet
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Community Leader Alumnusis a Smogon Discord Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnusis a Top Smogon Media Contributor Alumnus
I guess I've just become the "long analysis checker guy"

@Halcyon.

REMOVE CHANGE COMMENTS

[Overview]

<p>Meloetta is a Pokemon that is sure to keep its opponents on their toes. There aren't many Pokemon that can boast being able to change into a completely different Pokemon with a single move, but and Meloetta is able to make great use of it. This is especially effective because many of Meloetta's counters, such as Blissey, Chansey, and Tyranitar, are beaten by Meloetta-P. But Meloetta's effectiveness doesn't stop with a mixed set. Thanks to its naturally high special defense, HP, and expansive movepool, Meloetta is able to run effective Calm Mind, all-out attacker, and specially defensive sets as well. Its Normal typing may seem useless at first, but the Ghost immunity that comes with it makes Meloetta a great counter for the likes of Gengar and Alakazam. To top it all off, Meloetta was gifted with one of the best abilities in the game: Serene Grace. This means that its Psychic, Shadow Ball, and Focus Blast all have twice the chance to lower Special Defense. It can also support the team with a 60% paralysis chance Thunder.</p>

<p>However, its Defense is lacking, and its low speed means that it will have trouble against faster offensive teams in its Aria forme, while it has to waste an entire moveslot and turn to switch into it's Pirouette forme. The turn it uses to set up can be costly, as it means that you won't be able to hit opposing Pokemon with the appropriate coverage move on the switch. And because Relic Song is a Normal-type move, a forme change can be blocked by Ghost-types, giving them a free switch-in and losing any momentum for Meloetta. But these flaws are dwarfed by the sheer versatility and power that Meloetta can bring to the team.</p>

[SET]
name: Relic Mixed
move 1: Relic Song
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Thunder / Shadow Ball
move 4: Hidden Power Ice / Psychic / Ice Punch
item: Expert Belt / Life Orb
nature: Naive
evs: 56 Atk / 252 SpA / 200 Spe

[Set Comments]

<p>Few Pokemon can run a mixed attacker set as effectively as Meloetta. Relic Song allows Meloetta to change into its Pirouette forme, a Normal-/Fighting-type with base 128 Attack and Speed. Common switch-ins to Meloetta are destroyed by a STAB Close Combat from Meloetta-P, such as Blissey, Chansey, and Tyranitar. Conversely, Pokemon such as Skarmory, Landorus-T, and Gliscor that switch in on Meloetta-P may find themselves on the wrong end of a Thunder or Hidden Power Ice. Furthermore, one cannot ignore the importance of shifting from a merely decent base 90 Speed into base 128 Speed. Changing into Meloetta-P as the opponent sends in a faster Pokemon&mdash;such as Choice Scarf Tyranitar or, if it runs Ice Punch, Choice Specs Latios or Calm Mind Latias&mdash;can turn the tide of a match. In fact, one of the biggest draws to the Relic Mixed set is its unrivaled ability to apply pressure to the opponent. With the constant fear of Meloetta changing formes, the opponent will have to choose between sending in Tyranitar to take a Hidden Power Ice or Landorus-T to take a Close Combat. The mind games that Meloetta creates gives its user a major advantage. It is also important to note that prediction is key when using this set. Using Relic Song on a switch can be an effective way to keep momentum without actually switching; however, using Relic Song when the opponent stays in can be costly, as the opposing Pokémon can take advantage of Meloetta being in the wrong forme.</p>

<p>Close Combat is useful move for late-game cleaning, and is Meloetta-P's main STAB move. It smacks Pokemon such as Tyranitar and Blissey, which are full stops to Meloetta's Aria forme. Its coverage moves really come down to what your team needs. Thunder is an amazing option for Meloetta in the rain, as Serene Grace doubles its paralysis chance to 60%. This allows Meloetta to support the team while also keeping on the offensive. Thunder can even keep Latios and Latias, common switch-ins to Meloetta, at bay, because they fear the paralysis that might come with it. On the other hand, Shadow Ball can hit Celebi, Latios, and Latias on the switch for decent damage, and the 40% chance of lowering their Special Defense can come in handy to prevent them from Life Orb stalling Meloetta, (RC) or trying to set up on it. The final moveslot largely determines what Pokemon Meloetta can KO and how it goes about doing so. With Hidden Power Ice, Meloetta can lure and OHKO Landorus-T and Gliscor, regardless of what forme it finds itself in. This can later clear the way for Meloetta-P to clean with Close Combat. Psychic is a secondary STAB option for Meloetta, hitting Tentacruel, Breloom, and Gengar for super effective damage. Finally, Ice Punch is a decent option to help Meloetta-P clean late-game. After a Relic Song, Choice Specs Latios, Calm Mind Latias, Landorus-T, and Gliscor will all be OHKOed by an Ice Punch coming from Meloetta-P. The choice between Hidden Power Ice and Ice Punch comes down to whether letting Meloetta wallbreak or clean up is more important to the team.</p>

[Additional Comments]

<p>In order to effectively use Meloetta, it's imprtant to know exactly how to play it, and it is used differently than one might expect. At the beginning of the match, Meloetta going to spend most of its time in its Aria forme blasting holes in the opponent's team with powerful Life Orb-boosted special attacks. This might even fein the Calm Mind set, which could be used to Meloetta's advantage later when it surprise the opponent by transforming. Then, in the later stages of the game, Meloetta should transform and clean up with Life Orb-boosted STAB Close Combat. The only time using Relic Song is advisable early or mid-game is when a switch to a dedicated special wall is obvious, i.e., a switch to Blissey, which can be smashed by Close Combat. This is why Meloetta appreciates entry hazard support so much as much as it does. It will be forcing switches and bursting holes in the opponent's defenses, so the extra hazards damage will tend to rack up. It also makes it easier for Meloetta-P to sweep late-game once everything has been weakened by multiple switch-ins to Spikes and Stealth Rock.</p>

<p>Meloetta's EVs let it outspeed Adamant max Speed Landorus-T in its Aria forme, (RC) while also outspeeding Alakazam and Dugtrio in its Pirouette forme. The leftover EVs are placed in Attack, because max Attack isn't as necessary as Special Attack, as you'll be in Aria forme more often. U-turn is a decent option to use, as it can let Meloetta switch formes and then grab momentum while also hitting possible checks like such as Latias for super effective damage.</p>

<p>Meloetta appreciates entry hazard support, so Pokemon that can set both Spikes and Stealth Rock generally make excellent partners. This includes Skarmory and Forretress, the latter of which also provides spinning support. Ferrothorn gets special mention since because it not only sets up entry hazards, but also works very well on rain teams, and where Meleotta fits perfectly into rain teams because it allows it to use Thunder and support the team with paralysis. In the same vein, Politoed makes a good partner simply because it can provide that rain support that Meloetta needs. Latios and Latias can be very troublesome for Meloetta, since as they resist Close Combat, Psychic, and Thunder, (RC) and can do serious damage with Draco Meteor or set up with Calm Mind. Because of this, Tyranitar works well with Meloetta, being able to Pursuit trap both. However, Meloetta doesn't appreciate the added damage that comes from Sand Stream, as it is already taking Life Orb recoil. Scizor can also work well with Meloetta—especially on rain teams—and has the added bonus of U-turn, which can force more switches and wear down the opponent more easily. Because Meloetta has to change formes to hit both sides of the defensive spectrum, it isn't the most efficient wallbreaker. Pokemon like mixed Salamence, Kyurem-B, and Hydreigon can all break down defensive cores much more easily, so their support is much appreciated. Pokemon that appreciate Tyranitar being taken out also make great partners, since as Meloetta can easily lure it in and dispose of it with a LO Close Combat. This includes Latios and Latias, U-turn Celebi, and rain Pokemon in general teams. Finally, while Meloetta's special bulk is impressive, its Defense is rather lacking, so physical walls such as like Landorus-T make great partners. Landorus-T, like Scizor, can also provide U-turn support as well.</p>

[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Psychic / Psyshock
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Shadow Ball
item: Leftovers
nature: Modest / Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[Set Comments]

<p>At first, one might think that the role of Calm Mind sweeper is better handled by Reuniclus or Jirachi; however, Meloetta has quite a few advantages that distance itself from these other Pokemon. Meloetta was practically made for a Calm Mind set with its already amazing base 128 Special Attack and Special Defense combined with an interesting typing that lets it set up on common special attackers like Alakazam and Gengar. It doesn't have 4MSS four-moveslot syndrome like Jirachi does, as Psychic / Psyshock, Focus Blast, and Shadow Ball are all Meloetta needs to succeed. And while Reuniclus has Magic Guard and Recover to keep it going, Meloetta has a much better Speed stat, and isn't walled by Sableye because it can run Shadow Ball. Meloetta also has the highest Special Attack of all common Calm Mind users, meaning that after a boost, it hits its opponents hard.</p>

<p>The choice between Psychic and Psyshock depends on what your team struggles with most. Psychic is preferred because it is more powerful and has an increased chance of lowering the opponent's Special Defense. However, Psyshock can hit Blissey and other Calm Mind Pokemon harder, so it can be used. But choosing Psyshock does leave Meloetta out of luck high and dry against certain defensive Pokemon such as Hippowdon, since as Focus Blast only has a 30% chance to 2HKO specially defensive Hippowdon at +1, and it can simply Whirlwind Meloetta out. Focus Blast lets Meloetta hit Tyranitar, (RC) and OHKOes all variants at +1. It also hits most Steel-types, such as Ferrothorn and Heatran. The combination of Meloetta's Speed, bulk, and power make it an excellent check to many slower, bulkier teams, since as it can boost to +1 or +2 and then sweep. Pokemon such as Jellicent, Ferrothorn (without Leech Seed), Forretress, and Celebi (without Perish Song), are all setup bait for Meloetta, as it can usually grab one or two Calm Mind boosts on them.<p>

[Additional Comments]

<p>Thunder can be used over Shadow Ball, since as it hits Jellicent even harder than Shadow Ball, (RC) and Meloetta sets up on Gengar regardless. It also get an increased chance to paralyze opponents thanks to Serene Grace, which comes in handy against offensive teams. However, this requires Politoed to provide rain support. It also means that Latios, Latias, and Celebi will now wall Meloetta. Signal Beam is another option over Shadow Ball, as it does much more damage to Celebi, which is useful because it prevents it Celebi from stopping its a sweep with Perish Song. It also deals comparable damage to Latios and Latias; however, it leaves Meloetta more vulnerable to Jellicent, and losing out on the 40% Special Defense drop that comes with Shadow Ball can be disappointing. Hyper Voice is an alternate STAB option over Psychic. Normal gives Meloetta decent neutral coverage, but it does miss the super effective coverage that Psychic gives it on Pokemon such as Keldeo and Tentacruel.</p>

<p>Meloetta does very well against slower, bulkier teams. However it does struggle to deal with offensive teams, so faster, hard-hitting Pokemon such as Keldeo and Terrakion make fine partners. Because Meloetta lacks any form of recovery outside of Leftovers, Wish support can be useful to make sure it is able to stay around all match. Jirachi can provide said support while also setting up Stealth Rock. Like any sweeper, Meloetta appreciates as much entry hazard support as it can get, so Stealth Rock and Spikes setters such as like Skarmory, Forretress, and Ferrothorn work very well with Meloetta.</p>

[SET]
name: All-Out Attacker
move 1: Psychic / Psyshock
move 2: Focus Blast
move 3: Signal Beam
move 4: Thunder / Hyper Voice
item: Life Orb
nature: Modest
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[Set Comments]

<p>Meloetta can opt to use an extra move instead of Calm Mind to give it the coverage its expansive movepool can provide while also hitting as hard as possible. Its main STAB move is very important, because it dictates what will counter it. Psychic is the stronger of the two, and it has a nifty 20% chance to lower an opponent's Special Defense, but it leaves Meloetta walled by Blissey and Chansey. Psyshock can deal more damage to both of these Pokemon, but it leaves Meloetta vulnerable to physical walls like Landorus-T and Gliscor. Focus Blast beats Tyranitar and Steel-types like Ferrothorn, Heatran, and Skarmory if you lack Thunder. Unlike the Calm Mind set, Signal Beam is the preferred option to hit Psychic-types since it Meloetta can't boost to beat Celebi. Signal Beam might not hit Latios or Latias as hard as Shadow Ball, but it can easily 2HKO Celebi. The last slot largely depends on what move was chosen in the first slot. If Psychic was chosen, then Thunder is strongly recommended to hit Jellicent, which otherwise takes little-to-no damage from any of its Meloetta's other moves. If you can't afford to save a teamslot for Politoed, or prefer Psyshock, then Hyper Voice is the preferred option to take out Gliscor, Hippowdon, and Landorus-T, which can easily tank a Psyshock otherwise.</p>

[Additional Comments]

<p>Once again, Meloetta has decent Speed, but it isn't enough to effectively deal with offensive teams, so paralysis support is always welcome. This will let it use its coverage and power more easily. No matter what moves Meloetta chooses, it all always be walled by something, and its teammates need to cover those weaknesses. Depending on its moveset, Pokemon that can beat Blissey, Chansey, Hippowdon, Landorus-T, Gliscor, Jellicent, and Gengar are going to be needed. Mixed Jirachi fits the bill, being able to beat all of these Pokemon bar Jellicent. If Thunder is used, then Politoed is a necessary teammate. However, Tyranitar can be useful to Pursuit trap Jellicent or Gengar. Breloom gets special mention, as it can beat Blissey and Chansey with Mach Punch, (RC) and also beat Jellicent and Hippowdon with Bullet Seed. Entry hazard setters are also appreciated, since as they can aid Meloetta in sweeping, especially since because Meloetta is a Pokemon full of surprises factor and forces a lot of switches. U-turn is an option over Signal Beam to help grab momentum and hit Latios or Latias on the swicth, making them easy prey for Pursuit trappers, but it is a waste of Meloetta's coverage and Special Attack. Hidden Power Ice can hit Landorus-T, Gliscor, and Hippowdon, but it isn't a very powerful option and usually other moves are more useful.</p>

[SET]
name: Specially Defensive
move 1: Perish Song
move 2: Psyshock
move 3: Thunder Wave
move 4: U-turn / Focus Blast
item: Leftovers
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD

[Set Comments]

<p>Although its appearance may suggest otherwise, Meloetta is surprisingly bulky. With base 100 HP and 128 Special Defense, it has enough bulk to take onslaughts from common special attackers such as Alakazam and Gengar. With its interesting typing and access to Perish Song, Meloetta is also one of the best counters to Reuniclus in the game. When considering Meloetta as a special wall, one must understand the advantages that it has over other standard walls such as Jirachi, Blissey, Chansey, and Celebi. The first is Perish Song, which lets it scare out other setup sweepers such as Calm Mind Jirachi and Latias. The second advantage to using Meloetta is that it hits surprisingly hard even with no investment due to its impressive base 128 Special Attack. Psyshock gives it a move to hit Gengar and Calm Mind Keldeo, making Meloetta one of the few special walls that can take down Calm Mind Keldeo itself. Thunder Wave is yet another useful support move, providing paralysis support to the rest of the team and crippling special attackers such as Alakazam and Latios. In the last slot, U-turn can be useful, as Meloetta tends to force out special attackers, (RC) and U-turn prevents it from killing the team's momentum. It also prevents Meloetta from being trapped by Wobbuffet, Gothitelle, or Dugtrio after using Perish Song. However, using Focus Blast instead means that Meloetta won't be completely walled and subsequently Pursuit trapped by Tyranitar.</p>

[Additional Comments]

<p>Meloetta has several other support options to choose from, but has only four moveslots to include them, making most of them inferior options. Heal Bell can be a useful option over Thunder Wave to keep Meloetta and the rest of the team status-free, but usually paralysis support is more useful and other Pokemon fill the role of cleric better than Meloetta due to its lack of recovery. Light Screen can also be used, but it Meloetta already has great Special Defense, and it doesn't really need the boost. It Meloetta (strangely) also doesn't get Reflect, so it can't support the team with dual screens. Toxic can also be used to wear down opposing walls, but Meloetta can't really Toxic stall very well because it can't recover damage taken. While Meloetta does have great special bulk, its physical bulk isn't, so physically defensive teammates such as Landorus-T and Skamory make excellent partners, covering the weaknesses to the team that Meloetta can't. Because Meloetta has no recovery, Jirachi makes a good partner as it can pass Wishes to it.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Meloetta can run a decent Substitute + Calm Mind set with Psychic and Focus Blast, but this is usually done better by Jirachi and Reuniclus, and Calm Mind Meloetta needs to play to its advantages if it wants to separate itself from these Calm Mind users. A Choice Specs set with Psychic / Hyper Voice / Shadow Ball / Focus Blast seems effective, as base 128 Special Attack is impressive, and its Speed is high enough to support it. But locking it Meloetta into any of those moves is undesirable, since as they all have types that are immune to them. A mixed set with Relic Song and Work Up can boost both of its attacking stats, but Meloetta already has to waste a turn to switch formes, so wasting an additional turn to boost isn't worth it. On the physical side, Meloetta can use Hone Claws set that can switch to Meloetta-P and then boost its attack to sweep. It can also use a Relic Song set with three physical attacks and play exclusively as Meloetta-P. But However, Meloetta still has to use up one of its moveslots and a turn to even transform into Meloetta-P in the first place, meaning it usually isn't worth it.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Because of the sheer versatility of Meloetta, there aren't really any Pokemon that can be considered counters to it. However, once the set is revealed, it is much easier to check. For the mixed set, if Meloetta lacks Ice Punch, Latios and Latias can check it, since as they don't take much from Hidden Power Ice and resist Thunder, though they do fear the paralysis. Ghost-types like Jellicent and Gengar can prevent Meloetta-P from changing formes, as they are immune to Relic Song. However, (AC) Jellicent has to watch out for Psyshock and Thunder, and Gengar has to watch out for any Psychic STAB. The Calm Mind set can be stalled out by Perish Song Celebi so long as it lacks Signal Beam. Blissey and Chansey can Toxic stall the Calm Mind and all-out attacker sets, and it takes several boosts to be able to 2HKO with Focus Blast. Scizor can threaten any set with U-turn, (RC) and can pick off Meloetta after it has been weakened with Bullet Punch. Fast physical attackers, such as Choice Scarf Salamence, can effectively revenge kill Meloetta when it is holding a Life Orb, as it takes away from its already lacking physical bulk. Specially defensive Jirachi can paraflinch any of Meloetta's sets, but has to watch out for Meloetta's own Thunder.</p>


1/2
 
Last edited:
GP check. Good job on writing this. Only repeated thing I noticed was spaces getting eaten in random places, which is weird but I think probably a problem with whatever you're writing in and copypasting from.
Additions in Blue
Subtractions in Red
Comments in Purple
[Overview]

<p>Meloetta is a Pokemon that is sure to keep its opponents on their toes. There aren't many Pokemon that can boast being able to change into a completely different Pokemon with a single move, but and Meloetta is able to make great use of it its ability to do this. This is especially effective because many of Meloetta's counters, such as Blissey, Chansey, and Tyranitar, are beaten by Meloetta-P. But Meloetta's effectiveness doesn't stop with a mixed set. Thanks to its naturally high special defense, (remove comma) and HP, (remove comma) and its expansive movepool, Meloetta is able to run effective Calm Mind, all-out attacker, and specially defensive sets as well. Its Normal typing may might seem useless at first, but the Ghost immunity that comes with it makes Meloetta a great counter for to the likes of Gengar and Alakazam. To top it all off, Meloetta was is gifted with one of the best abilities in the game: Serene Grace. This means that its Psychic, Shadow Ball, and Focus Blast all have twice the chance to lower Special Defense. (remove period) It and it can also support the team with a 60% paralysis chance Thunder.</p>

<p>However, its Meloetta's Defense is lacking, and its low speed Speed means that it will have trouble against faster offensive teams in its Aria forme, while and it has to waste an entire moveslot and turn to switch into it's its Pirouette forme. The turn it uses to set up can be costly, as it means that you won't be able to hit opposing Pokemon with the appropriate coverage move on the switch. And because Relic Song is a Normal-type move, a the forme change can be blocked by Ghost-types, giving them a free switch-in and losing momentum for Meloetta. But However, these flaws are dwarfed by the sheer versatility and power that Meloetta can bring to the team.</p>

[SET]
name: Relic Mixed
move 1: Relic Song
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Thunder / Shadow Ball
move 4: Hidden Power Ice / Psychic / Ice Punch
item: Expert Belt / Life Orb
nature: Naive
evs: 56 Atk / 252 SpA / 200 Spe

[Set Comments]

<p>Few Pokemon can run a mixed attacker set as effectively as Meloetta. Relic Song allows Meloetta to change into its Pirouette forme, a Normal-/Fighting-type Normal / Fighting type with base 128 Attack and Speed. Common switch-ins to Meloetta are destroyed by a STAB Close Combat from Meloetta-P, such as Blissey, Chansey, and Tyranitar (add comma) are destroyed by a STAB Close Combat from Meloetta-P. Conversely, Pokemon such as Skarmory, Landorus-T, and Gliscor that switch in on Meloetta-P may might find themselves on the wrong end of a Thunder or Hidden Power Ice. Furthermore, one cannot ignore the importance of shifting from a merely decent base 90 Speed into a blazing fast (or some other adjective-y thing you prefer) base 128 Speed. Changing into Meloetta-P as the opponent sends in a faster Pokemon&mdash;such as Choice Scarf Tyranitar or, if it runs Ice Punch, Choice Specs Latios or Calm Mind Latias&mdash;can turn the tide of a match. In fact, one of the biggest draws to of the Relic Mixed relic mixed set is its unrivaled ability to apply pressure to the opponent. With the constant fear of Meloetta changing formes, the opponent will have to choose between sending in Tyranitar to take a Hidden Power Ice or Landorus-T to take a Close Combat. The mind games that Meloetta creates gives give its user a major advantage. It is also important to note that prediction is key when using this set. Using Relic Song on a switch can be an effective way to keep momentum without actually switching; however, using Relic Song when the opponent stays in can be costly, as the opposing Pokémon Pokemon can take advantage of Meloetta being in the wrong forme.</p>

<p>Close Combat is a useful move for late-game cleaning, (remove comma) and is Meloetta-P's main STAB move. It smacks Pokemon such as Tyranitar and Blissey, which are full stops to Meloetta's Aria forme. Its Meloetta's coverage moves really come down to what your team needs. Thunder is an amazing option for Meloetta in the rain, as Serene Grace doubles its paralysis chance to 60%. This allows Meloetta to support the team while also keeping on the offensive. Thunder can even keep Latios and Latias, common switch-ins to Meloetta, at bay, because they fear the paralysis that might come with it taking a hit. On the other hand, Shadow Ball can hit Celebi, Latios, and Latias on the switch for decent damage, and the 40% chance of lowering their Special Defense can come in handy to prevent them from Life Orb stalling Meloettaor Meloetta or trying to set up on it. The final moveslot largely determines what Pokemon Meloetta can KO and how it goes about doing so. With Hidden Power Ice, Meloetta can lure and OHKO Landorus-T and Gliscor, regardless of what forme it finds itself in. This can later clear the way for Meloetta-P to clean with Close Combat. Psychic is a secondary STAB option for Meloetta, hitting Tentacruel, Breloom, and Gengar for super effective damage. Finally, Ice Punch is a decent option to help Meloetta-P clean late-game. After a Relic Song, Choice Specs Latios, Calm Mind Latias, Landorus-T, and Gliscor will all be OHKOed by an Ice Punch coming from Meloetta-P. The choice between Hidden Power Ice and Ice Punch comes down to whether letting Meloetta wallbreak or clean up is more important to the team.</p>

[Additional Comments]

<p>In order to effectively use Meloetta, it's imprtant important to know exactly how to play it, and as it is used differently than one might expect. At the beginning of the match, Meloetta is going to spend most of its time in its Aria forme blasting holes in the opponent's team with powerful Life Orb-boosted special attacks. This might even fein enable it to feign the Calm Mind set, which could be used to Meloetta's advantage later when by allowing it to surprise the opponent by transforming. Then, in the later stages of the game, Meloetta should transform and clean up with Life Orb-boosted STAB Close Combat. The only time using Relic Song is advisable early early- or mid-game is when a switch to a dedicated special wall is obvious, i.e., a switch to Blissey, which can be smashed by Close Combat. This is why Meloetta appreciates entry hazard support so much. It will be forcing switches and bursting holes in the opponent's defenses, so the extra damage will tend to rack up. It also makes it easier for Meloetta-P to sweep late-game once everything has been weakened by multiple switch-ins to Spikes and Stealth Rock.</p>

<p>Meloetta's EVs let it outspeed Adamant max Speed Landorus-T in its Aria forme while also outspeeding and Alakazam and Dugtrio in its Pirouette forme. The Special Attack is maxed and the leftover EVs are placed in Attack, (remove comma) because max Attack isn't as necessary as Special Attack, as you'll Meloetta will be in its Aria forme more often. U-turn is a decent option to use, as it can let lets Meloetta switch formes and then grab momentum while also hitting and also hits possible checkssuch checks such as Latias for super effective damage.</p>

<p>Meloetta appreciates entry hazard support, so Pokemon that can set both Spikes and Stealth Rock generally make excellent partners. This includes Skarmory and Forretress, the latter of which also provides spinning support. Ferrothorn gets special mentionbecause mention because it not only sets up entry hazards, (remove comma) but also works very well on rain teams, where Meleotta fits perfectly to use Thunder and support the team with paralysis. In the same vein, Politoed makes a good partner simply because it can provide that the rain support that Meloetta needs. Latios and Latias can be very troublesome for Meloetta,as Meloetta, as they resist Close Combat, Psychic, and Thunder and can do serious damage with Draco Meteor or set up with Calm Mind. Because of this, Tyranitar works well with Meloetta, being able to Pursuit trap both. However, Meloetta doesn't appreciate the added damage that comes from Sand Stream, as it is already taking Life Orb recoil. Scizor can also work well with Meloetta—especially on rain teams—and has the added bonus of U-turn, which can force more switches and wear down the opponent more easily. Because Meloetta has to change formes to effectively hit both sides of the defensive spectrum physically and specially (defense is not a spectrum, there's just physical defense and special defense, two points), it isn't the most efficient wallbreaker. Pokemon like mixed Salamence, Kyurem-B, and Hydreigon can all break down defensive cores much more easily, so their support is much appreciated. Pokemon that appreciate Tyranitar being taken out also make great partners,as partners, as Meloetta can easily lure it in and dispose of it with a LO Life Orb Close Combat. This includes Latios (add comma) and Latias, U-turn Celebi, and rain Pokemon in general. Finally, while Meloetta's special bulk is impressive, its Defense is rather lacking, so physical walls such as Landorus-T make great partners. Landorus-T, like Scizor, can also provide U-turn support as well.</p>

[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Psychic / Psyshock
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Shadow Ball
item: Leftovers
nature: Modest / Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[Set Comments]

<p>At first, one might think that the role of Calm Mind sweeper is better handled by Reuniclus or Jirachi; however, Meloetta has quite a few advantages that distance itself from these other Pokemon. Meloetta was practically made for a Calm Mind set with its already amazing base 128 Special Attack and Special Defense combined with an interesting typing that lets it set up on common special attackers like such as Alakazam and Gengar. It doesn't have four-moveslot syndromelike syndrome like Jirachi does, as Psychic / Psyshock, Focus Blast, and Shadow Ball are all Meloetta needs to succeed. And while While Reuniclus has Magic Guard and Recover to keep it going, Meloetta has a much better Speed and isn't walled by Sableye because it can run Shadow Ball effectively (or some other adverb / change you like better; Reuniclus could technically run Shadow Ball too, but for whatever reason (I think because of its Speed meaning it would get worn down too easily or Recover having more utility, but it's been a while since I played OU) can't use it as effectively on its Calm Mind set). Meloetta also has the highest Special Attack of all common Calm Mind users, meaning that after a boost, it hits its opponents hard.</p>

<p>The choice between Psychic and Psyshock depends on what your team struggles with most. Psychic is preferred because it is more powerful and has an increased chance of lowering the opponent's Special Defense. However, Psyshock can hit Blissey and other Calm Mind Pokemon harder, so it can be used. But choosing Choosing Psyshock does leave Meloettaout Meloetta out of luck against certain defensive Pokemon such as Hippowdon,as Hippowdon though, as Focus Blast only has a 30% chance to 2HKO specially defensive Hippowdon at +1, (remove comma) and it can simply Whirlwind Meloetta out. Focus Blast lets Meloetta hit Tyranitar and OHKOes all variants at +1. It also hitsSteel-types hits Steel-types, such as Ferrothorn and Heatran. The combination of Meloetta's Speed, bulk, and power make it an excellent check to many slower, bulkier teams,as teams, as it can boost to +1 or +2 and then sweep. Pokemon such as Jellicent, Ferrothorn (without Leech Seed), Forretress, and Celebi (without Perish Song), are all setup bait for Meloetta, as it can usually grab one or two Calm Mind boosts on them.<p></p>

[Additional Comments]

<p>Thunder can be used over Shadow Ball,as Ball, as it hits Jellicent even harder than Shadow Balland Ball and Meloetta sets up on Gengar regardless. It also get an increased chance to paralyze opponents thanks to Serene Grace, which comes in handy against offensive teams. However, this requires Politoed to provide rain support. It also means that Latios, Latias, and Celebi will now wall Meloetta. Signal Beam is another option over Shadow Ball, as it does much more damage to Celebi, which is useful because it prevents Celebi from stopping a sweep with Perish Song. It also deals comparable damage to Latios and Latias; however, it leaves Meloetta more vulnerable to Jellicent, and losing out on the 40% chance for a Special Defense drop that comes with Shadow Ball can be disappointing is unfortunate. Hyper Voice is an alternate STAB option over Psychic. Normal Its Normal typing gives Meloetta decent neutral coverage, but it does miss the super effective coverage that Psychic gives it on Pokemon such as Keldeo and Tentacruel.</p>

<p>Meloetta does very well against slower, bulkier teams. However (add comma) it does struggle to deal with offensive teams, so faster, hard-hitting Pokemon such as Keldeo and Terrakion make fine partners. Because Meloetta lacks any form of recovery outside of Leftovers, Wish support can be useful to make sure it is able to stay around all match. Jirachi can provide said support while also setting and also set up Stealth Rock. Like any sweeper, Meloetta appreciates as muchentry much entry hazards support as it can get, so Stealth Rock and Spikes setters such as Skarmory, Forretress, and Ferrothorn work very well with Meloetta. (do these hazard setters work particularly better than others or are there specific threats that entry hazards help it take out (even something like on the last set where you said that hazards help it sweep late-game and are useful because it forces a lot of switches)? that should be mentioned as otherwise there's no reason to mention hazard setters because, like you said, this is true of all sweepers)</p>

[SET]
name: All-Out Attacker
move 1: Psychic / Psyshock
move 2: Focus Blast
move 3: Signal Beam
move 4: Thunder / Hyper Voice
item: Life Orb
nature: Modest
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[Set Comments]

<p>Meloetta can opt to use an extra move instead of Calm Mind to give it the coverage its expansive movepool can provide while also hitting as hard as possible (it would hit harder if it boosted with Calm Mind). Its main STAB move is very important, (remove comma) because it dictates what will counter it. Psychic is the stronger of the two, and it has a nifty 20% chance to lower an opponent's Special Defense, but it leaves Meloetta walled by Blissey and Chansey. Psyshock can deal more damage to both of these Pokemon, but it leaves Meloetta vulnerable to physical walls like such as Landorus-T and Gliscor. Focus Blast beats Tyranitar and Steel-types like such as Ferrothorn, Heatran, and Skarmory if you lack Meloetta lacks Thunder. Unlike the Calm Mind set, Signal Beam is the preferred option to hit Psychic-types since as Meloetta can't boost to beat Celebi. Signal Beam might not hit Latios or Latias as hard as Shadow Ball, but it can easily 2HKO Celebi. The last slot largely depends on what move was chosen in the first slot. If Psychic was chosen, then Thunder is strongly recommended to hit Jellicent, which otherwise takes little-to-no damage from any of Meloetta's other moves. If you can't afford to save a teamslot for Politoed, (remove comma) or prefer Psyshock, then Hyper Voice is the preferred better option to take out Gliscor, Hippowdon, and Landorus-T, which can easily tank a Psyshock.</p>

[Additional Comments]

<p>Once again, Meloetta has decent Speed, but it isn't enough to effectively deal with offensive teams, so paralysis support is always welcome. This will let it use its coverage and power more easily. No matter what moves Meloetta chooses, it all always be walled by something, and so its teammates need to cover those weaknesses. Depending on its moveset, Pokemon that can beat Blissey, Chansey, Hippowdon, Landorus-T, Gliscor, Jellicent, and Gengar are going to be needed. Mixed Jirachi fits the bill, being able to beat all of these Pokemon bar Jellicent. If Thunder is used, then Politoed is a necessary teammate. However, Tyranitar can be useful to Pursuit trap Jellicent or and Gengar. Breloom gets special mention, as it can beat Blissey and Chansey with Mach Punchand Punch and also beat Jellicent and Hippowdon with Bullet Seed. Entry hazard setters are also appreciated,as appreciated, as they can aid Meloetta in sweeping, especially because Meloetta is a Pokemon full of surprisesand surprises and forces a lot of switches. U-turn is an option over Signal Beam to help grab momentum and hit Latios or and Latias on the swicth switch, making them easy prey for Pursuit trappers, but it is a waste of Meloetta's coverage and Special Attack. Hidden Power Ice can hit Landorus-T, Gliscor, and Hippowdon, but it isn't a very powerful option and usually other moves are more useful.</p>

[SET]
name: Specially Defensive
move 1: Perish Song
move 2: Psyshock
move 3: Thunder Wave
move 4: U-turn / Focus Blast
item: Leftovers
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD

[Set Comments]

<p>Although its appearance may might suggest otherwise, Meloetta is surprisingly bulky. With base 100 HP and 128 Special Defense, it has enough bulk to take onslaughts from common special attackers such as Alakazam and Gengar. With its interesting typing and access to Perish Song, Meloetta is also one of the best counters to Reuniclus in the game. When considering Meloetta as a special wall, one must understand the advantages that it has over other standard walls such as Jirachi, Blissey, Chansey, and Celebi. The first is Perish Song, which lets it scare out other setup sweepers such as Calm Mind Jirachi and Latias. The second advantage to using Meloetta is that it hits surprisingly hard even with no investment due to its impressive base 128 Special Attack. Psyshock gives it Meloetta a move to hit Gengar and Calm Mind Keldeo, making Meloetta it one of the few special walls that can take down Calm Mind Keldeo itself. Thunder Wave is yet another useful support move, providing paralysis support to for the rest of the team and crippling special attackers such as Alakazam and Latios. In the last slot, U-turn can be useful, as Meloetta tends to force out special attackers and U-turn prevents it from killing the team's momentum. It also prevents Meloetta from being trapped by Wobbuffet, Gothitelle, or and Dugtrio after using Perish Song. However, using Focus Blast instead means that Meloetta won't be completely walled and subsequently Pursuit trapped by Tyranitar.</p>

[Additional Comments]

<p>Meloetta has several other support options to choose from, but has only four moveslots to include put them in, making most of them inferior options. Heal Bell can be a useful option over Thunder Wave to keep Meloetta and the rest of the team status-free, but usually paralysis support is more useful and other Pokemon fill the role of cleric better than Meloetta due to its lack of recovery. Light Screen can also be used, but Meloetta already has great Special Defense, (remove comma) and it doesn't really need the boost. Meloetta also doesn't get Reflect, so it can't support the team with dual screens. Toxic can also be used to wear down opposing walls, but Meloetta can't really Toxic stall very well because it can't recover damage taken. While Meloetta does have great special bulk, its physical bulk isn't nearly as good (or another description you think is more accurate), so physically defensive teammates such as Landorus-T and Skamory Skarmory make excellent partners, covering the weaknesses to the team threats that Meloetta can't. Because Meloetta has no recovery, Jirachi makes a good partner as it can pass Wishes to it.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Meloetta can run a decent Substitute + Calm Mind set with Psychic and Focus Blast, but this is usually done better by Jirachi and Reuniclus (correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure I remember SubCM Reuniclus getting rejected a while back because it's too slow and has to give up Recover or any semblance of coverage), (remove comma) and Calm Mind Meloetta needs to play to its advantages if it wants to separate itself from these other Calm Mind users. A Choice Specs set with Psychic / Hyper Voice / Shadow Ball / Focus Blast seems effective, as base 128 Special Attack is impressive, (remove comma) and its Meloetta's Speed is high enough to support it. But However, locking Meloetta into any of those moves is undesirable, as they all have types that are immune to them. A mixed set with Relic Song and Work Up can boost both of its attacking stats, but Meloetta already has to waste a turn to switch formes, so wasting finding an additional turn to boost is difficult and usually isn't worth it. On the physical side Physically, Meloetta can use a Hone Claws set that can switch to Meloetta-P and then boost its attack to sweep. It can also use a Relic Song set with three physical attacks and play exclusively as Meloetta-P. However, Meloetta still has to use up one of its moveslots and a turn to even transform into Meloetta-P in the first place, meaning it usually isn't worth it.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Because of the sheer versatility of Meloetta, there aren't really any Pokemon that can be considered counters to it. However, once the set is revealed, it is much easier to check. For the mixed set, if Meloetta lacks Ice Punch, Latios and Latias can check it,as it, as they don't take much from Hidden Power Ice and resist Thunder, though they do fear the paralysis. Ghost-types like such as Jellicent and Gengar can prevent Meloetta-P Meloetta (if they are too threatened by Meloetta-notP to switch into it ignore this, but Meloetta seemed more general and they can block both forme changes) from changing formes, as they are immune to Relic Song. However, Jellicent has to watch out for Psyshock and Thunder, and Gengar has to watch out for any Psychic STAB. The If the Calm Mind set lacks Signal Beam, it can be stalled out by Perish Song Celebi so long as it lacks Signal Beam. Blissey and Chansey can Toxic stall the Calm Mind and all-out attacker sets, and as it takes several boosts to be able to 2HKO them with Focus Blast. Scizor can threaten any set with U-turnand U-turn and can pick off Meloetta after it has been weakened with Bullet Punch. Fast physical attackers, such as Choice Scarf Salamence, can effectively revenge kill Meloetta when it is holding a Life Orb, as it this takes away from its already lacking physical bulk. Specially defensive Jirachi can paraflinch any of Meloetta's sets, (remove comma) but has to watch out for Meloetta's own Thunder.</p>


GP: 2/2
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 1, Guests: 0)

Top