Overview
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With a unique typing and nicely distributed stats, Meloetta once again finds itself in the OU metagame. Meloetta's Normal / Psychic typing and mediocre defense really hurts its viability in a metagame where Dark-types are a dominant force. However, Meloetta can easily switch in on any Ghost-type and beats it thanks to its Ghost immunity. A base 90 Speed and no form of priority can really hurt Meloetta sometimes, as Flying-type priority is very common in the OU metagame. However equip Meloetta with an Assault Vest, and you'll have a strong special attacker that can also take strong special attacks. It can also beat strong special attackers such as Mega Charizard Y, Thundurus, and Keldeo, or even special Aegislash in a one-on-one situation, something that other special attackers can only dream about.
Assault Vest Attacker
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name: Assault Vest Attacker
move 1: Psyshock
move 2: Hyper Voice
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Shadow Ball / Thunderbolt
ability: Serene Grace
item: Assault Vest
nature: Modest
evs: 136 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpD / 112 Spe
Moves
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Psyshock is something that makes Meloetta stand out from other specially based Assault Vest users; it's not only a good STAB attack, but it also hits the opponents Defense stat instead of their Special Defense, making it a good move to use when Meloetta's trying to beat Pokemon like specially defensive Mega Venusaur and other Assault Vest users. Physical defensive versions of Mega Venusaur cannot switch in on Psyshock but can beat Meloetta if they get in unharmed. Hyper Voice is Meloetta's other STAB attack and while it doesn't hit anything for super effective damage, Hyper Voice hits hard. It's also a sound move, meaning that it hits Pokemon behind Substitute, allowing Meloetta to beat Substitute users such as Kyurem-B. Focus Blast gives Meloetta a chance to beat Steel-types who resist both of Meloetta's STAB attacks, but what is even more crucial is that it gives Meloetta a nice way of hitting the opposing Dark-types. Neither Tyranitar or Bisharp dare switch in on Meloetta as Focus Blast will outright OHKO them. Be aware that if it misses, they will OHKO Meloetta with their STAB attacks. Focus Blast also makes sure that Meloetta isn't setup bait for Ferrothorn or Heatran. Shadow Ball gives Meloetta the ability to beat Ghost-types which could otherwise switch in for free on Hyper Voice thanks to their immunity. It also allows Meloetta to beat almost every Aegislash set, a very common Pokemon. Thanks to Serene Grace, Shadow Ball also has a nice 40% chance of lowering the opponent's Special Defense, forcing the opponent to either switch out or risk getting KOed during the next turn. Thunderbolt is another option if one would prefer Meloetta to handle bulky Flying-types such as Skarmory or Mandibuzz better than Ghost-types. Thunderbolt also has the chance to paralyze the opponent, most likely crippling them for the rest of the match. U-turn is another nice option to both scout out potential checks and grab offensive momentum.
Set Details
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Assault Vest is the crucial item for Meloetta's bread and butter set. Without any form of recovery outside of Leftovers, Assault Vest becomes the best option. While equipped, Meloetta is extremely bulky on the special side, only having a 30% chance of getting 2HKOed by Mega Charizard Y's Fire Blast in the sun and only getting 3HKOed by Modest Landorus's Earth Power, which isn't something many other offensive Pokemon can brag about. The EV spread is a combination of power and bulk. Maximum Special attack investment and a Modest nature make sure Meloetta can 2HKO or OHKO most of the metagame. 112 Speed EVs are used in order to outspeed and OHKO Jolly Mega Tyranitar and Adamant Bisharp with Focus Blast. Bisharp still has Sucker Punch, however meaning it comes down to a mindgame between Sucker Punch and Knock Off. 136 HP EVs gives Meloetta extra bulk and a Stealth Rock number, making sure that Meloetta can switch in as many times as possible, while also reducing damage from poison and burn. The last eight EVs are put into Special Defense in order to boost Meloetta's special bulk even further.
Usage Tips
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Meloetta's sky-high Special Defense enables it to shrug off any weak special attack, which gives it plenty of switch-in opportunities. Meloetta is also able to beat almost any special attacker in the tier in a one-on-one situation. Try to avoid getting caught by Dark-types, as they will outright OHKO Meloetta if it misses Focus Blast. They can also catch a fleeing Meloetta with Pursuit if you predict incorrectly. Any Aegislash that lacks Iron Head is a free switch-in for Meloetta, as it cannot beat Meloetta without it. However, Meloetta should also watch out for SubToxic set Aegislash, as it can Toxic stall Meloetta until it faints with the combination of King's Shield and Substitute. Entry hazards and passive damage such as sandstorm or poison will wear Meloetta down rapidly, as it has no way outside of a Wish pass to regain its health. Therefore, avoid switching in too many times on entry hazards.
Team Options
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When it comes down to team support, a good Dark-type check is almost mandatory. Terrakion laughs at Dark-types thanks to its ability Justified, giving it an Attack boost every time it takes a hit from a Dark-type attack, and can retaliate back with STAB Close Combat. Keldeo can also work as it also enjoys weakened walls that it can break past with ease. Fairy-types such as Azumarill, Mega Mawile, or Clefable can also work as Dark-type checks. Meloetta really likes entry hazard support too. Skarmory can lay down Stealth Rock and check Dark-types due to its good physical bulk. Spikes are also very important as they can provide 2HKOs on Pokemon such as Chansey and Sylveon and even turn 2HKOs into OHKOs. Skarmory and Ferrothorn can all lay down both Spikes and Stealth Rock while keeping them on the field with ease thanks to their good natural bulk. Pivots such as Mega Scizor, Landorus-T, and Rotom-W are all Pokemon that can all scout the opposing team and get a safe switch-in for Meloetta, while also helping you regain any lost momentum. Sweepers in general pair really well with Meloetta as they can clean through weakened teams. Pokemon such as Calm Mind Keldeo, Mega Tyranitar, Bulk Up Talonflame, and Mega Pinsir are some examples of sweepers that can set up and finish off weakened teams.
Other Options
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A set with Relic Song, Zen Headbutt, Shadow Ball, and Close Combat with a Naive nature and an EV spread of 48 Atk / 252 SpA / 208 Spe can be used if you would rather use Meloetta's alternative form, but it struggles to be really effective in the OU metagame. Life Orb gives Meloetta even more power than Assault Vest and lets Meloetta break through even the toughest walls such as Chansey, Sylveon, and Assault Vest users more easily, but there's no other use for that extra power. The the best way to use Meloetta is as a special tank, as there are better all-out special attackers then Meloetta. Leftovers can also be used over Assault Vest if your team has problems keeping entry hazards off your side of the field as the passive recovery will help Meloetta switch in more often, but this will really reduce Meloetta's special bulk and will now lose most one on ones against Pokemons such as Mega Charizard-Y, Landorus, or Thundorus. Dazzling Gleam is an option if you want something to hit both Dragon- and Dark-types for super effective damage, but swapping it out for Focus Blast leaves Meloetta really weak to the most important Dark-types, Bisharp and Tyranitar, as it can cannot OHKO them. A Calm Mind set can be used, but Meloetta has a hard time setting up and it's better to attack right off the bat. Grass Knot is an option to consider if you want to break past both Suicune and specially defensive Hippowdon, as it 2HKOes them both. Choice Specs hits even harder than Life Orb and when combined with Trick, Meloetta can cripple something once it has lost the need for the item anymore. Hidden Power Fire is another option if Meloetta needs a way of getting past Scizor, but Focus Blast is generally better as Meloetta can eventually wear it down. Thunder is an option over Thunderbolt if you're using a rain team, as it has greater power and a 60% paralysis chance thanks to Serene Grace.
Checks & Counters
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**Special Walls**: Special walls such as Chansey, Sylveon, and Clefable can switch in on Meloetta with ease. Chansey fears nothing from Meloetta, while Sylveon only fears Psyshock if it hasn't invested in Defense. Clefable can switch in on Meloetta and start setting up Calm Mind while Meloetta can at best 3HKO Clefable back.
**Dark-types**: Dark-types such as Bisharp and Tyranitar only fear Focus Blast, but if it misses, it's game over for Meloetta as they will outright OHKO it with their STAB attacks. Be careful, as Bisharp has access to both Sucker Punch and Pursuit, making it a mindgame about whether Meloetta can switch out or not.
**Steel-types**: Just like Dark-types, Steel-types only fear Focus Blast as they take very little damage from Meloetta's other attacks. Mega Scizor can force Meloetta out as long as it's above 60% health, as otherwise Meloetta can 2HKO it with a combination of Shadow Ball and Focus Blast. Focus Blast also helps Meloetta to scare away Ferrothorn which otherwise just uses Meloetta to stack entry hazards.
**Revenge Killers**: Pokemon like Talonflame, Mega Scizor, Mega Mawile, and Bisharp can all finish off Meloetta with their strong physical priority attacks. Faster physical Pokemon like Garchomp, Mega Pinsir, and Terrakion all outspeed Meloetta and can finish it off with their strong STAB attacks.
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With a unique typing and nicely distributed stats, Meloetta once again finds itself in the OU metagame. Meloetta's Normal / Psychic typing and mediocre defense really hurts its viability in a metagame where Dark-types are a dominant force. However, Meloetta can easily switch in on any Ghost-type and beats it thanks to its Ghost immunity. A base 90 Speed and no form of priority can really hurt Meloetta sometimes, as Flying-type priority is very common in the OU metagame. However equip Meloetta with an Assault Vest, and you'll have a strong special attacker that can also take strong special attacks. It can also beat strong special attackers such as Mega Charizard Y, Thundurus, and Keldeo, or even special Aegislash in a one-on-one situation, something that other special attackers can only dream about.
Assault Vest Attacker
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name: Assault Vest Attacker
move 1: Psyshock
move 2: Hyper Voice
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Shadow Ball / Thunderbolt
ability: Serene Grace
item: Assault Vest
nature: Modest
evs: 136 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpD / 112 Spe
Moves
========
Psyshock is something that makes Meloetta stand out from other specially based Assault Vest users; it's not only a good STAB attack, but it also hits the opponents Defense stat instead of their Special Defense, making it a good move to use when Meloetta's trying to beat Pokemon like specially defensive Mega Venusaur and other Assault Vest users. Physical defensive versions of Mega Venusaur cannot switch in on Psyshock but can beat Meloetta if they get in unharmed. Hyper Voice is Meloetta's other STAB attack and while it doesn't hit anything for super effective damage, Hyper Voice hits hard. It's also a sound move, meaning that it hits Pokemon behind Substitute, allowing Meloetta to beat Substitute users such as Kyurem-B. Focus Blast gives Meloetta a chance to beat Steel-types who resist both of Meloetta's STAB attacks, but what is even more crucial is that it gives Meloetta a nice way of hitting the opposing Dark-types. Neither Tyranitar or Bisharp dare switch in on Meloetta as Focus Blast will outright OHKO them. Be aware that if it misses, they will OHKO Meloetta with their STAB attacks. Focus Blast also makes sure that Meloetta isn't setup bait for Ferrothorn or Heatran. Shadow Ball gives Meloetta the ability to beat Ghost-types which could otherwise switch in for free on Hyper Voice thanks to their immunity. It also allows Meloetta to beat almost every Aegislash set, a very common Pokemon. Thanks to Serene Grace, Shadow Ball also has a nice 40% chance of lowering the opponent's Special Defense, forcing the opponent to either switch out or risk getting KOed during the next turn. Thunderbolt is another option if one would prefer Meloetta to handle bulky Flying-types such as Skarmory or Mandibuzz better than Ghost-types. Thunderbolt also has the chance to paralyze the opponent, most likely crippling them for the rest of the match. U-turn is another nice option to both scout out potential checks and grab offensive momentum.
Set Details
========
Assault Vest is the crucial item for Meloetta's bread and butter set. Without any form of recovery outside of Leftovers, Assault Vest becomes the best option. While equipped, Meloetta is extremely bulky on the special side, only having a 30% chance of getting 2HKOed by Mega Charizard Y's Fire Blast in the sun and only getting 3HKOed by Modest Landorus's Earth Power, which isn't something many other offensive Pokemon can brag about. The EV spread is a combination of power and bulk. Maximum Special attack investment and a Modest nature make sure Meloetta can 2HKO or OHKO most of the metagame. 112 Speed EVs are used in order to outspeed and OHKO Jolly Mega Tyranitar and Adamant Bisharp with Focus Blast. Bisharp still has Sucker Punch, however meaning it comes down to a mindgame between Sucker Punch and Knock Off. 136 HP EVs gives Meloetta extra bulk and a Stealth Rock number, making sure that Meloetta can switch in as many times as possible, while also reducing damage from poison and burn. The last eight EVs are put into Special Defense in order to boost Meloetta's special bulk even further.
Usage Tips
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Meloetta's sky-high Special Defense enables it to shrug off any weak special attack, which gives it plenty of switch-in opportunities. Meloetta is also able to beat almost any special attacker in the tier in a one-on-one situation. Try to avoid getting caught by Dark-types, as they will outright OHKO Meloetta if it misses Focus Blast. They can also catch a fleeing Meloetta with Pursuit if you predict incorrectly. Any Aegislash that lacks Iron Head is a free switch-in for Meloetta, as it cannot beat Meloetta without it. However, Meloetta should also watch out for SubToxic set Aegislash, as it can Toxic stall Meloetta until it faints with the combination of King's Shield and Substitute. Entry hazards and passive damage such as sandstorm or poison will wear Meloetta down rapidly, as it has no way outside of a Wish pass to regain its health. Therefore, avoid switching in too many times on entry hazards.
Team Options
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When it comes down to team support, a good Dark-type check is almost mandatory. Terrakion laughs at Dark-types thanks to its ability Justified, giving it an Attack boost every time it takes a hit from a Dark-type attack, and can retaliate back with STAB Close Combat. Keldeo can also work as it also enjoys weakened walls that it can break past with ease. Fairy-types such as Azumarill, Mega Mawile, or Clefable can also work as Dark-type checks. Meloetta really likes entry hazard support too. Skarmory can lay down Stealth Rock and check Dark-types due to its good physical bulk. Spikes are also very important as they can provide 2HKOs on Pokemon such as Chansey and Sylveon and even turn 2HKOs into OHKOs. Skarmory and Ferrothorn can all lay down both Spikes and Stealth Rock while keeping them on the field with ease thanks to their good natural bulk. Pivots such as Mega Scizor, Landorus-T, and Rotom-W are all Pokemon that can all scout the opposing team and get a safe switch-in for Meloetta, while also helping you regain any lost momentum. Sweepers in general pair really well with Meloetta as they can clean through weakened teams. Pokemon such as Calm Mind Keldeo, Mega Tyranitar, Bulk Up Talonflame, and Mega Pinsir are some examples of sweepers that can set up and finish off weakened teams.
Other Options
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A set with Relic Song, Zen Headbutt, Shadow Ball, and Close Combat with a Naive nature and an EV spread of 48 Atk / 252 SpA / 208 Spe can be used if you would rather use Meloetta's alternative form, but it struggles to be really effective in the OU metagame. Life Orb gives Meloetta even more power than Assault Vest and lets Meloetta break through even the toughest walls such as Chansey, Sylveon, and Assault Vest users more easily, but there's no other use for that extra power. The the best way to use Meloetta is as a special tank, as there are better all-out special attackers then Meloetta. Leftovers can also be used over Assault Vest if your team has problems keeping entry hazards off your side of the field as the passive recovery will help Meloetta switch in more often, but this will really reduce Meloetta's special bulk and will now lose most one on ones against Pokemons such as Mega Charizard-Y, Landorus, or Thundorus. Dazzling Gleam is an option if you want something to hit both Dragon- and Dark-types for super effective damage, but swapping it out for Focus Blast leaves Meloetta really weak to the most important Dark-types, Bisharp and Tyranitar, as it can cannot OHKO them. A Calm Mind set can be used, but Meloetta has a hard time setting up and it's better to attack right off the bat. Grass Knot is an option to consider if you want to break past both Suicune and specially defensive Hippowdon, as it 2HKOes them both. Choice Specs hits even harder than Life Orb and when combined with Trick, Meloetta can cripple something once it has lost the need for the item anymore. Hidden Power Fire is another option if Meloetta needs a way of getting past Scizor, but Focus Blast is generally better as Meloetta can eventually wear it down. Thunder is an option over Thunderbolt if you're using a rain team, as it has greater power and a 60% paralysis chance thanks to Serene Grace.
Checks & Counters
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**Special Walls**: Special walls such as Chansey, Sylveon, and Clefable can switch in on Meloetta with ease. Chansey fears nothing from Meloetta, while Sylveon only fears Psyshock if it hasn't invested in Defense. Clefable can switch in on Meloetta and start setting up Calm Mind while Meloetta can at best 3HKO Clefable back.
**Dark-types**: Dark-types such as Bisharp and Tyranitar only fear Focus Blast, but if it misses, it's game over for Meloetta as they will outright OHKO it with their STAB attacks. Be careful, as Bisharp has access to both Sucker Punch and Pursuit, making it a mindgame about whether Meloetta can switch out or not.
**Steel-types**: Just like Dark-types, Steel-types only fear Focus Blast as they take very little damage from Meloetta's other attacks. Mega Scizor can force Meloetta out as long as it's above 60% health, as otherwise Meloetta can 2HKO it with a combination of Shadow Ball and Focus Blast. Focus Blast also helps Meloetta to scare away Ferrothorn which otherwise just uses Meloetta to stack entry hazards.
**Revenge Killers**: Pokemon like Talonflame, Mega Scizor, Mega Mawile, and Bisharp can all finish off Meloetta with their strong physical priority attacks. Faster physical Pokemon like Garchomp, Mega Pinsir, and Terrakion all outspeed Meloetta and can finish it off with their strong STAB attacks.
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