[SET]
name: Trick + Iron Ball
move 1: Trick
move 2: Meteor Mash
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Stealth Rock / Ice Punch
item: Iron Ball
nature: Adamant
evs: 236 HP / 252 Atk / 20 Spd
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set is Metagross's best shot at smashing through its main counters, specifically Rotom-A, Bronzong, and Skarmory. Metagross will almost always lure these Pokemon out when it shows its ugly face, and can utilize Trick in order to cripple them with an Iron Ball. A Pokemon that would normally be immune to Ground-type moves becomes susceptible to them when tricked an Iron Ball, and their Speed is cut in half. Metagross can abuse this by using Earthquake on a tricked Rotom-A and Bronzong, which will OHKO the former and deal massive damage to the latter, completely crippling it. Skarmory will retain a neutrality to Earthquake however, courtesy of its Flying-typing. The goal of this set is to reliably remove the aforementioned Pokemon from battle, so sweepers that have difficulty with them can run through your opponent's team uninterrupted. Trick is obviously the main move for this set, and means that Metagross can also Trick around Choice items, should Rotom-A be carrying one, further crippling the opponent. Meteor Mash is Metagross's most powerful move, and will dent all Pokemon that don't resist it, thanks to Metagross's colossal Attack. Earthquake provides excellent coverage with Meteor Mash, and is the move that Metagross relies on to bring down Rotom-A and Bronzong. The last slot can be used to set up Stealth Rock, should your team lack another Pokemon to set it up. Ice Punch is another option for additional coverage, and is Metagross's best move against Gliscor and the Dragon-types with a quadruple weakness to Ice. Since Metagross can easily sponge Outrage from Dragon-types, it's a nifty move to snipe them down while they're locked into it.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The Speed EVs allow Metagross to outrun Pokemon with a base Speed of 115 , such as Starmie. They also let Metagross outspeed the standard Ferrothorn when it is still holding its Iron Ball. Metagross's Attack is maximized in order to deal as much damage as possible, and the rest of the EVs are dumped into HP to provide bulk. The last moveslot is very flexible, and can be tailored to bring the most utility to your team. Hammer Arm is Metagross's best move against Ferrothorn, since it's one of the few Pokemon that can wall Metagross without being crippled by Iron Ball. Bullet Punch lets Metagross bypass its awful Speed while it still holds Iron Ball, and lets it pick off threats such as Terrakion and Gengar. Pursuit can be used to trap fleeing Ghost- or Psychic-types, such as Gengar or Latios, and ThunderPunch can be used solely for Gyarados, who resists Meteor Mash and is immune to Earthquake.</p>
<p>As far as teammates go, it's obvious that the best Pokemon to pair with Metagross are those that benefit from the removal of Rotom-A and Bronzong, and the crippling of Skarmory. Gyarados is an excellent example, since it can freely set up Dragon Dances without worrying about being revenge killed by Rotom-A. Mamoswine is another example, as it is walled by both Rotom-A and Bronzong, who resist its STAB combination. Haxorus and Landorus both benefit from Skarmory being crippled, and can proceed to heavily damage it with Earthquakes of their own. However, there are certain Pokemon that Metagross is unable to handle. Bulky Steel-types such as Ferrothorn (should Metagross lack Hammer Arm), Forretress, and Scizor can come in on Metagross and begin to set up. Bulky Water-types, such as Gastrodon or Jellicent, can shrug off Earthquake, heal themselves with Recover, and proceed to burn Metagross and wear it down. An offensive Rotom-A of your own with Hidden Power Fire can take down many of these Pokemon, and has excellent defensive synergy with Metagross. A Tinkerbell Celebi set (again with Hidden Power Fire) can accomplish the same thing.</p>
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