Technically a double post, but idc cause its cool.
Marcargo
Magcargo @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Flame Body
Tera Type: Grass
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Recover
- Will-O-Wisp
- Power Gem
- Stealth Rock/Lava Plume
I've been using magcargo specifically on a stall team, and its been decent. Now, how did I come across magcargo? Well, it is one of the highest defense mons with access to recover that is not on the Stall VR. I'll discuss what magcargo can do.
Firstly, and this is the main reason why I used it, magcargo is a flame body user that no fire type wants to switch into. It can also do well against ghold as it always lives a make it rain and recover off the damage, with lava plume always 2hit ko'ing offensive ghold. This means that magcargo can spread burns quite reliably as no mon really wants to switch into both power gem and will-o-wisp. For reference, cinder takes 67% min from power gem, and bulky gouging takes 40% min (which is a mon it can wall) while more offensive gouging takes 47% min. This is huge, with reliable status being something that stall teams do struggle a bit with as only really clod can do something similar.
Secondly, it is one of the best walls to adamant choice band gouging in sun. It is now mostly a gimmick set, but it can still break through an stall opposing team. Dondozo is 2hit ko'd by it, but magcargo? Well, I'll show the calc.
252+ Atk Choice Band Protosynthesis Tera Fire Gouging Fire Raging Fury vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Magcargo in Sun: 122-144 (37.6 - 44.4%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
Yes, magcargo can comfortably take two gouging fire tera fire raging furies, something that dondozo cannot do.
252+ Atk Choice Band Protosynthesis Tera Fire Gouging Fire Raging Fury vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Dondozo in Sun: 252-297 (50 - 58.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
This is big for stall teams, as magcargo can recover off the damage until sun runs out, forcing them potentially into using e-quake, which is a lot more wallable by dondozo. If its not adamant, well magcargo can 3 comfortably (and like a 0.1% chance to take four) and power gem it, doing considerable damage to it.
Now, originally I had stealth rocks on magcargo, but I also had them on blissey and it worked a lot better there. Lava plume is a lot better as it can not only do decent damage to opponents, but has a nasty 30% burn rate too, making magcargo excellent at spreading burns.
Overall, while I wouldn't necessarily recommend using magcargo at all, it is a mon that can put in work. It's slightly more bulky than moltres, and can reliably spread burns to everything that isn't garg, clefable and gliscor, which I specifically have teammates that help with these mons. I have had fun with this mon and it hasn't been absolute doo doo, so I'll consider that a win.
Also, tagging Magcargo in this to see the glory.
Marcargo
Magcargo @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Flame Body
Tera Type: Grass
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Recover
- Will-O-Wisp
- Power Gem
- Stealth Rock/Lava Plume
I've been using magcargo specifically on a stall team, and its been decent. Now, how did I come across magcargo? Well, it is one of the highest defense mons with access to recover that is not on the Stall VR. I'll discuss what magcargo can do.
Firstly, and this is the main reason why I used it, magcargo is a flame body user that no fire type wants to switch into. It can also do well against ghold as it always lives a make it rain and recover off the damage, with lava plume always 2hit ko'ing offensive ghold. This means that magcargo can spread burns quite reliably as no mon really wants to switch into both power gem and will-o-wisp. For reference, cinder takes 67% min from power gem, and bulky gouging takes 40% min (which is a mon it can wall) while more offensive gouging takes 47% min. This is huge, with reliable status being something that stall teams do struggle a bit with as only really clod can do something similar.
Secondly, it is one of the best walls to adamant choice band gouging in sun. It is now mostly a gimmick set, but it can still break through an stall opposing team. Dondozo is 2hit ko'd by it, but magcargo? Well, I'll show the calc.
252+ Atk Choice Band Protosynthesis Tera Fire Gouging Fire Raging Fury vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Magcargo in Sun: 122-144 (37.6 - 44.4%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
Yes, magcargo can comfortably take two gouging fire tera fire raging furies, something that dondozo cannot do.
252+ Atk Choice Band Protosynthesis Tera Fire Gouging Fire Raging Fury vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Dondozo in Sun: 252-297 (50 - 58.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
This is big for stall teams, as magcargo can recover off the damage until sun runs out, forcing them potentially into using e-quake, which is a lot more wallable by dondozo. If its not adamant, well magcargo can 3 comfortably (and like a 0.1% chance to take four) and power gem it, doing considerable damage to it.
Now, originally I had stealth rocks on magcargo, but I also had them on blissey and it worked a lot better there. Lava plume is a lot better as it can not only do decent damage to opponents, but has a nasty 30% burn rate too, making magcargo excellent at spreading burns.
Overall, while I wouldn't necessarily recommend using magcargo at all, it is a mon that can put in work. It's slightly more bulky than moltres, and can reliably spread burns to everything that isn't garg, clefable and gliscor, which I specifically have teammates that help with these mons. I have had fun with this mon and it hasn't been absolute doo doo, so I'll consider that a win.
Also, tagging Magcargo in this to see the glory.
set. EVs outspeed jolly 
, also catches 
, 
, and 
, although none of those are particularly common, and avoid 2HKO from 
unboosted dark pulse after rocks and leftovers recovery, with the rest given to physical bulk. Traps many physically defensive/attacking staples like 
, 
, 
, 
, even 
if you switch into it as it iron defenses and thus they think they can get away with staying in. Tera fairy gives it a much easier time against 
, 
, and 
/
has become a favorite breaker of mine on webs. Rarely do people expect the immediate firepower it has, and after webs it can be EV’d to outspeed everything below base 130 speed (this set outspeeds base 110s like 
). I honestly don’t remember what the 64 HP EVs did, but this thing has carried many games for me.
(av) aren't hit super effectively, but are nonetheless covered by this move, though tera stellar might be required to seal the deal)
(
aren't hit super effectively, but are nonetheless covered by this move, though you will need tera stellar to actually do >40% to them, once)
(with e.belt, takes equal dmg from either this or cc)
Bisharp @ Eviolite
hurricane still 2hkos even uninvested, and you can't even pray for a miss while in rain; steam eruption handily 2hkos it though) (it's also worth noting that your otherwise newfound water weakness is made irrelevant due to water absorb, and you now even resist rocks so you don't need boots as much after all!), and even stopping random twaves/nuzzles from crippling you. Which leads me to the next point:
basically all the fat grasses that wall the above set ( 
but it can still take on the mantle of taking on a variety of water, grass and electric type threats for the playstyle, while being able to switch into specs dracos at least twice (and one more time if you commit to tera fairy). 
). So yeah, the possibility of electro shot-less 
99% of the time, this is the ONE 1% where this mon is superior at the role, primarily due to the strong passive healing granted by the rain as well as the immunity to the rain boosted water type moves. Tera dark flips the script vs stored power 