Mix & Mega Suspect Coverage: Red Orb

By Slither Wing. Released:2024/06/24
« Previous Article Next Article »
Mix & Mega Suspect Coverage: Red Orb Art

Art by Kiwi.

Introduction

Mix and Mega is an Ubers-based Other Metagame where an old friend has been brought back into the spotlight: Mega Evolution! In this metagame, all transformation items can be used on any permitted Pokémon to grant them modifications such as increased stats, different abilities, and even new typings, with the user undergoing the same changes as the original user of said item while also removing the limit to how many Pokémon you're allowed to Mega Evolve. For example, if a Dragonite was given the Altarianite to hold, it now has the option to transform into "Mega" Dragonite, granting it the same stat boosts that Mega Altaria gains, a new ability in Pixilate, and a new Fairy typing to replace its secondary typing similarly to how Altaria sheds its Flying typing upon Mega Evolving, turning Dragonite into a Dragon- and Fairy-type. Additional items such as the Primal Orbs, the Sinnoh stones, the Rusted Shield, and the Ogerpon masks are also permitted, granting matching stat buffs, abilities, and type changes.

Red Orb has been one of Mix and Mega's most controversial and influential options ever since the Teal Mask DLC thanks to its offensive prowess combined with solid defensive utility. Offensively, it grants the holder a whopping +50 Special Attack, a newly granted 50% damage bonus thanks to its newfound typing granting STAB on Fire-type moves, and an additional 50% damage increase thanks to Desolate Land. During the early days of the Teal Mask DLC, there were two particular Red Orb users that were wreaking havoc: Jolteon and Enamorus. With both having access to what are effectively 225-Base Power Weather Balls during a time the metagame was lacking in reliable special walls, there was no stopping them from tearing through teams, and just a little less than two months later, both were restricted from holding transformation items as a result of their overbearing Red Orb sets. However, despite the attempt to hinder Red Orb's influence, users quickly found other Red Orb users to replace Jolteon and Enamorus that could also make use of its immense power. This power combined with the defensive utility in a Water immunity and a valuable resistance to Fairy meant that new Red Orb users were as meta defining as before, being both powerful wallbreakers and answers to the combination of Pixilate + Extreme Speed, which is one of the most common revenge killing tools. However, Red Orb is not without flaws. For one, it's an item that grants no Speed increase, leaving common users outsped and revenge killed by anything running key Stones such as Metagrossite or Lucarionite. Secondly, while a newly granted resistance to Fairy is appreciated, it also leaves them more vulnerable to Ground, which is one of the most common offensive types. With all these powerful traits along with receiving a high score on the latest tiering survey, as well as community calling for action, the Mix and Mega council decided to suspect test Red Orb to see if it indeed was too much for the meta to handle.

Sets

Landorus
  • HP89
  • ATK155
  • DEF110
  • SPA165
  • SPD80
  • SPE101

Ever since its Hisuian cousin got restricted, Landorus quickly rose from being the underdog to being one of the premier Red Orb users. It has an excellent STAB combination in Ground and Fire and checks Altarianite Regieleki, one of the most common Pokémon in the tier. Having access to STAB-boosted Earth Power means that common counterplay to Red Orb users such as Eternatus and opposing Red Orb users is negated, since they can't reliably tank Earth Power, while U-turn can ease the prediction game and let Landorus generate momentum for its team. Landorus's naturally good matchup into Defog users such as Corviknight and Mandibuzz makes it an excellent Stealth Rock setter, but it also makes great use of Rock Slide to blow up would-be checks such as Ho-Oh and Dragonite pre-Mega Evolution. Landorus's overall versatility combined with its excellent offenses makes it a force to be reckoned with, although not one without flaws. Most notably, its Speed tier holds it back, as a mere base 101 Speed means that both Eternatus and various Arceus formes have an easy time outspeeding it, on top of other staples like Metagrossite Urshifu-R naturally outspeeding it and threatening an OHKO onto it.

Lugia
  • HP106
  • ATK120
  • DEF150
  • SPA140
  • SPD154
  • SPE110

Another notable Red Orb user that has risen in popularity since its introduction in the Indigo Disk DLC, Lugia stands out as one of the deadliest setup sweepers thanks to its absurd bulk, reliable recovery, and ability to beat opposing Calm Mind users one-on-one thanks to Psychic Noise. Weather Ball helps tear through Steel- and Dark-types such as Solgaleo, Corviknight, and Mandibuzz, while Psychic Noise helps debilitate other checks such as various Arceus formes while also dealing with Eternatus. A solid Psychic / Fire typing lets Lugia also serve as a stalwart wall against common threats such as Urshifu-R, Hisuian Arcanine, and non-Crunch Metagrossite Solgaleo sets. Despite its monstrous bulk, Lugia's still vulnerable to residual damage, be it from entry hazards due to losing its Flying typing or Toxic from the likes of Eternatus and Galarian Slowking, leaving it easily overwhelmed alongside repeated attacks from opposing team. Ho-Oh also serves as a major roadblock, as it can use Whirlwind to stop any Calm Mind shenanigans while also ignoring Psychic Noise thanks to Regenerator.

Raging Bolt
  • HP125
  • ATK103
  • DEF111
  • SPA187
  • SPD89
  • SPE75

When it comes to immense damage numbers, there's no better candidate than Raging Bolt, boasting an insane base 187 Special Attack. Combine this with Electric-type STAB to gain the ability to blow away foes that can take on Weather Balls such as Arceus-Water and Ho-Oh, and you've got one of the strongest wallbreakers the metagame has to offer. Thunderclap helps make up for its mediocre Speed to pick up KOs on Urshifu-R and non-Red Orb Lugia. Calm Mind can make it even more threatening, letting it either threaten KOs on various Arceus formes after slight chip or powering up its Thunderclap, making it even harder to revenge kill, while Draco Meteor can pick up surprise KOs on foes like Eternatus and Arceus-Dragon. The Speed investment lets Raging Bolt outpace uninvested Solgaleo and Lunala, allowing it to either threaten to set up with Calm Mind or simply blow them up with Weather Ball. Despite its great bulk, it is still very slow by Mix and Mega standards, meaning that faster foes that can slot Ground-type moves such as Arceus-Ground, Iron Boulder, and Landorus can easily ruin its day. A crippling weakness to entry hazards also makes it very hard to get in, since it appreciates keeping its HP to make use of its bulk.

Pro Ban Arguments

The immense power that Red Orb gives means that there are a lot of strong users available to use, and while only some were highlighted here, a case could be made for other users such as Raikou, Thundurus, and even Azelf. The sheer number of strong options means that there is a large constraint in building, as accounting for some users could mean that others could simply be too overwhelming, and the lack of reliable special walls in the tier means that players are required to dedicate a lot of resources in order to be able to handle some of the top Red Orb users. Red Orb users also require different counterplay compared to normal breakers, as Blue Orb users are simply not strong enough to handle rain-boosted Weather Balls repeatedly, and the added Fire typing means that all users gain a crucial resistance to Fairy, giving -ate Speed users such as Altarianite Regieleki, Dragonite, and Hisuian Arcanine a harder time revenge killing them. Overall, common Red Orb users simply require too many resources for the player to handle reliably, and with such differing counterplay, you're forced to give up other matchups in order to not potentially fold to another less common user.

Anti Ban Arguments

Despite its excellent offenses, Red Orb is one of the few offensive items that do not grant any Speed, meaning that dedicated Red Orb users are prone to being outsped and KOed by a lot of common threats such as various Arceus formes, offensive Eternatus, and Metagrossite users such as Urshifu-R and Solgaleo, to name a few. While defensive counterplay is scarce, it isn't nonexistent, as both Arceus-Water, Ho-Oh, and defensive Eternatus are able to handle a large majority of common Red Orb users while also providing utility elsewhere, meaning that they aren't deadbeat picks. As a defensive Stone, Red Orb is also very useful, providing an immunity to Water and granting various resistances, which makes defensive picks such as Red Orb Hippowdon viable and additionally helps against strong wallbreakers such as Urshifu-R and Barraskewda. In short, Red Orb as a stone is very high risk but high reward with such strong wallbreakers, and having defensive counterplay to both previously mentioned Water-types as well as common Altarianite users could be seen as a plus on top of that.

Final Thoughts

Red Orb was banned from SV Mix and Mega a mere three hours after the voting process was live, reaching 16 ban votes out of 26 eligible voters, with notably zero users voting Do Not Ban before the ban occurred. With the suspect test concluded, it was clear that Red Orb was seen as too limiting to account for and that the tier was not capable of containing it. Steel-types such as Magearna and Solgaleo are likely to start rising in usage again, as the former pesky Red Orb users are no longer there to hinder them. Blue Orb users such as Archaludon, Zapdos, and potentially Urshifu-R may also see an increase in usage, as there is no longer a way to nullify the heavy rain created from the Blue Orb, letting them fire off powerful Electric- and Water-type moves without fear. Common Red Orb checks such as Dragonite and Ho-Oh are unlikely to see a decrease in usage, as they were already staples, and they will most likely continue to influence the meta.

HTML by Steorra.
« Previous Article Next Article »