OU Spotlight: Mega Manectric

Introduction

Introduced to the Pokémon franchise in Generation III, Manectric never made it into the OU tier until now, as it was plagued by a sparse movepool, faced stiff competition from fellow Electric-types such as Jolteon, Raikou, and Electabuzz, and had below-average stats. In RSE, the first generation Manectric was released, it was confined to UU, and even there it faced fierce competition from Electabuzz, which had a better movepool that consisted of coverage moves such as Cross Chop, Fire Punch, Psychic, Ice Punch, and Thief as well as a better Special Defense stat that allowed it to switch into Water- and Electric-types more easily. Thus, Manectric's niche there was a Special Attack-boosting set utilizing Petaya Berry as well as Crunch, which was its biggest advantage over Electabuzz.

In DPP, the introduction of Flamethrower and Overheat into Manectric's movepool meant it had a newfound niche as a special sweeper with Life Orb or Choice Specs, and it could use Switcheroo to cripple the foe if using the latter. However, things were still looking down for Manectric, as it was still outclassed by Jolteon and Raikou, and as a result it still didn't make the cut into OU.

In BW, things were still pretty much the same for Manectric. The addition of Volt Switch meant Manectric could be a decent pivot—however, Jolteon and Raikou received this gift as well, dooming Manectric to obscurity once again. In RU, Manectric was a great user of Choice Scarf, as its naturally high base Speed stat put it above +2 Omastar and +1 Liligant, allowing it to revenge kill them. In both RU and UU, Choice Specs and Life Orb were used.

The tide turned in XY, with the new generation gifting Manectric with a Mega Evolution, transforming it from a mediocre, niche Pokémon into a true speed demon. Possessing an anti-offense base Speed stat of 135 alongside a good base 135 Special Attack and Intimidate, Mega Manectric found its home quickly in the OU tier as one of the best offensive pivots out there, capable of outspeeding and threatening many common offensive Pokémon. The advent of ORAS did not dampen Mega Manectric's viability whatsoever, as the rises of Manaphy, Tornadus-T, Mega Scizor, Mega Metagross, and Weavile solidified Mega Manectric's niche even more. Offensive teams also became very common—the kind of teams Mega Manectric fits best on and fares well against.

Manectric's Qualities

When looking at Mega Manectric's stats, you will probably first notice its stellar base 135 Speed. Such a high Speed stat allows Mega Manectric to be a godsend against offensive teams, as it can outpace and KO many common offensive threats, such as Weavile, Talonflame, and Tornadus-T. As a pivot, Mega Manectric can make full use of Intimidate, which allows it to switch in against and adequately threaten quite a few physical attackers, particularly Talonflame, a Pokémon that proves very troublesome for the offensive teams Mega Manectric fits on. Its pivoting ability is further cemented by its access to Volt Switch, allowing it to gain crucial momentum for its team, especially because Mega Manectric forces many switches. The combination of Volt Switch and Intimidate is also notorious, as it allows Mega Manectric to pivot into a physical attacker it can beat easily, such as Talonflame or Mega Pinsir, force it out, and use Volt Switch on the Pokémon forced to come out, gaining momentum from there. Last but not least, Mega Manectric can bypass Steel- and Grass-types such as Scizor and Serperior via its Fire-type coverage in the form of Overheat and Flamethrower.

However, Mega Manectric's defenses leave a lot to be desired. Even though its Defense is somewhat patched up by Intimidate, it still fails to take repeated punishment from physical attackers, and it goes without saying that Mega Manectric fails to switch in easily against special attackers such as Slowbro, Celebi, and Keldeo. Because of the constant pivoting, Mega Manectric is also worn down very easily by entry hazards. Defenses aren't the only thing lacking about Mega Manectric—its offensive movepool is quite sparse, as Electric, Fire, and Ice coverage is very bland, so Mega Manectric lacks the utility or coverage options required to circumvent the likes of Hippowdon, Mega Charizard X, and Clefable.

Playing with Mega Manectric

Manectric @ Manectite
Ability: Lightningrod
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Overheat
- Hidden Power Ice

Mega Manectric is quite a straightforward Pokémon due to its sparse movepool, and as such it really only has one set. Thunderbolt is the main STAB move, boasting good PP and power and netting a neutral hit on the likes of Rotom-W, Mega Diancie, and Volcarona should revenge killing them be necessary. Volt Switch procures invaluable momentum and is particularly good in tandem with the many switches Mega Manectric forces. Overheat roasts Steel- and Grass-types, such as Ferrothorn, Scizor, and Celebi. In many cases, it is preferred over Flamethrower, not only because of the hit-and-run nature of this set (for example, using Overheat and then retreating with Volt Switch), but also because it OHKOes Mega Metagross, Excadrill, and Ferrothorn, whereas Flamethrower does not. However, if consistency is valued over raw power, Flamethrower is a viable option. Hidden Power Ice rounds off the coverage nicely by targeting Ground- and Dragon-types such as Gliscor and Mega Altaria. However, it is still pretty weak, as it only has 60 Base Power and does not get STAB bonus, and as a result it fails to 2HKO the likes of Hippowdon, Latios, and Mega Altaria. Such an EV spread is standard, with a Timid nature required to outpace the likes of Talonflame, Weavile, and Tornadus-T.

During the early stages of the match, it is most effective to use Mega Manectric as a hit-and-run attacker. Use Intimidate and its coverage moves to force switches, pivot with Volt Switch, and when needed launch the occasional Thunderbolt or two. Because of Intimidate, Mega Manectric can pivot into attackers that it can beat easily, such as Talonflame, Tornadus-T, and Mega Metagross, soften the blow with Intimidate, and then either outright KO the Pokémon or use Volt Switch as the foe switches out, gaining momentum. However, as a result of Intimidate, Mega Manectric must watch out for Bisharp, which gains an Attack boost due to Defiant and can deal great damage with Sucker Punch. It must also keep an eye out for faster Pokémon such as Mega Beedrill, as they can revenge kill Mega Manectric when weakened. Be sure to also remember that Mega Manectric's Hidden Power Ice is relatively weak, failing to OHKO Garchomp and Gliscor and 2HKO Mega Altaria and Hippowdon, so make sure that these threats are adequately weakened before attempting to finish them off with Mega Manectric. During the late-game, clean up the weakened team with Mega Manectric, utilizing its great Speed stat.

Playing against Mega Manectric

Mega Manectric definitely has its shortcomings, and there are numerous viable Pokémon capable of threatening it. Specially bulky Pokémon are capable of absorbing most hits that Mega Manectric dishes out due to their natural bulk and the fact that Mega Manectric is not particularly powerful. Such examples include Assault Vest users such as Conkeldurr, Raikou, and Goodra, which can easily tank any given hit from Mega Manectric and retaliate with a move of their own. The likes of Chansey, which completely walls Mega Manectric due to its impeccably high Special Defense, Celebi, which can use Recover to stall out Mega Manectric's Overheat and set up with Nasty Plot, and Clefable, which avoids the 2HKO from Thunderbolt if running 84 Special Defense EVs, can use Mega Manectric as setup fodder for Calm Mind, and can heal off any damage sustained with Soft-Boiled. Ground-types are a pain for Mega Manectric to deal with as well, as they can hit it for super effective damage, and many of such Ground-types, such as Gliscor and Garchomp, are not OHKOed by Hidden Power Ice. The likes of Quagsire, Seismitoad, and Hippowdon are particularly problematic, as they both are not 2HKOed by Hidden Power Ice and in turn deal immense damage with their Ground-type STAB move. In a similar vein, Dragon-types resist both Mega Manectric's Electric- and Fire-type attacks, and many of them are bulky enough to take Hidden Power Ice. Such examples include Mega Altaria, Latios, and Kyurem-B, and all of them possess reliable recovery to take repeated punishment from Mega Manectric easily. Mega Venusaur has Thick Fat, essentially providing it with a neutrality to Mega Manectric's Fire- and Ice-type coverage, and it resists Thunderbolt as a result of its typing. Mega Venusaur can then KO back with Sludge Bomb or recover its health with Giga Drain or Synthesis. Tyranitar has good Special Defense due to the sand it whips up, meaning Thunderbolt does very little, and in turn Tyranitar can set up Stealth Rock or KO Mega Manectric with Stone Edge or Earthquake.

Due to the hit-and-run nature of Mega Manectric, it is easily worn down by entry hazards, especially considering that it will be using Volt Switch a lot. Mega Manectric is also quite predictable, as it realistically has only one viable moveset due to its sparse movepool. Last but not least, faster Pokémon such as Mega Alakazam, Mega Sceptile, Mega Aerodactyl, Sand Rush Excadrill, Choice Scarf Keldeo, Choice Scarf Garchomp, and Choice Scarf Landorus-T can easily revenge kill Mega Manectric when it has been weakened.

Fitting Mega Manectric on a team

Mega Manectric fits well on offensive teams due to its high Speed and momentum-gaining ability with Volt Switch and Intimidate. It pairs well with Pokémon that can beat Ground- and Dragon-types. Weavile is a prime example for many reasons: firstly, if running Pursuit, it can get rid of bulky Psychic-types such as Latios and Celebi easily; secondly, it has both has Ice Shard to revenge kill faster Pokémon such as Choice Scarf Garchomp and Mega Sceptile and Knock Off to get rid of Keldeo's potential Choice Scarf; and lastly, it greatly appreciates Mega Manectric's ability to gain momentum and check the likes of Keldeo, Azumarill, Skarmory, and Mega Scizor. Bisharp can also Pursuit trap bulky Psychic-types such as Latios, deter the use of Defog via Defiant, and deal with specially defensive Pokémon such as Chansey, Clefable, and Celebi. Keldeo is another good teammate, as it not only beats Ground-types such as Hippowdon but also deals with Bisharp, which benefits from Intimidate, as well as numerous Mega Manectric checks such as Tyranitar, Excadrill, Chansey, and Kyurem-B. Landorus-T forms a dual-Intimidate VoltTurn core with Mega Manectric, can set up Stealth Rock, and is immune to Ground, the only type Mega Manectric is weak to. Pokémon that can get rid of entry hazards are good teammates, and therefore the likes of Starmie, Excadrill, and Latios should be considered. In particular, Latios is immune to Ground, handles most Dragon-types such as Kyurem-B, and deals with Mega Venusaur, Conkeldurr, and Hippowdon. Tornadus-T forms another VoltTurn core alongside Mega Manectric, checking Mega Venusaur, and it is also immune to Ground. When forgoing Heat Wave, Tornadus-T appreciates Mega Manectric's ability to handle Skarmory, Mega Scizor, and Ferrothorn. Breloom beats Ground-types with ease, breaks past numerous specially defensive Pokémon such as Heatran, Clefable, and Chansey, and appreciates Mega Manectric's pivoting capabilities. Breloom, Tornadus-T, and Mega Manectric form a particularly potent combination.

Get Out There!

While Mega Manectric is definitely not the strongest Mega Evolution in OU, it has a solid niche as an offensive pivot capable of dismantling offensive teams and checking a few top-tier threats as well. While Mega Manectric is a Mega Evolution, meaning that it comes with a certain opportunity cost, its positives definitely outbalances its flaws, making it a solid team member. Go ahead and try it out; you won't be disappointed!

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