Other XY OU Viability Ranking Thread (V2) (Last update on post #5189)

[Karxrida]

Alright, I'm just gonna pop in and say that the Mega slot argument is pretty damned ridiculous. If you're using a specific mega, you're using it for the specific strengths it provides for your team. I'll use Mega Manectric as an example since that's the topic right now. There is no opportunity cost in using Mega Manectric as a pivot in your mega slot because no other mega does the job better. Sure, Charizard, Pinsir, or Venusaur are generally better than Mega Man, but not as pivots. You don't just slap a mega on your team because it's a mega, you put it there because of the things it does for your team.

Also, I support Mega Manectric's move to A-. I honestly cannot see where demotion arguments are coming from. What you guys don't seem to understand is the difference between offensive and defensive pivots. Mega Manectric is the former. Blistering Speed, great Special Attack and coverage, and Intimidate make Mega Manectric excellent at applying offensive pressure to a team and it's very easy to take advantage of with Volt Switch. If you play it correctly, it won't have to take hits. It seems really clear that people arguing for a drop either haven't used Mega Man or don't know how to use him correctly.

It's not ridiculous if the Mega is outclassed by something else that isn't a Mega. Why is Blastoise lower than Excadrill? Because Excadrill is a better spinner, can run several sets like Scarf, Assault Vest, and Sand Rush, and lols at stuff like Sturdy and Levitate when it has Mold Breaker.

Yes, because acting as a glue that can hold any balanced team together is totally not worth the megaslot.
The excellent coverage, above average damage output, blazing speed and the momentum mega manectric grabs is just not worth it

Rotom-W does the exact same thing, but has better bulk, can fit onto more teams, isn't dead weight against Stall, and can actually switch into shit.

Rotom-W has coverage issues with just T-Bolt/Discharge and Hydro Pump, while Lum Berry users completely shit all over Rotom-W. Also, Scarf? That makes it extremely easy to switch into, being locked into a single move, as well as losing the bulk it wants to have.
Rotom-H isn't all that good in OU anyway, its STABs being resisted by Garchomp, a really common OU Pokémon (as you know). That, and Rotom-H can't learn Flamethrower if you want a more reliable move, which Mega Manectric does get.


Rotom-W hates having its precious Lefties knocked off, while Mega Manectric activates Bisharp's Defiant. Both aren't really good to use to check Bisharp. Besides, by virtue of its slow Volt Switches, Rotom-W will have to endure more and more damage, while having no reliable form of recovery. Considering the power-oriented metagame we're in, that's not exactly a plus on Rotom-W's side.

Rotom-W can live without Lefties because it usually runs Pain Split, and can Burn Bisharp instead of LOL INTIMIDATE THE DEFIANT SWEEPER. It's still a better check.

Because there is just one mega allowed on a team every mega not only faces competition in its role but also competition in simply beeing a mega. If I have just one slot i want to use it as well as possible, get the most benefit from it and imo the benefit you have by using Mega Man over another volt turner is fairly small compared to the benefit you get from other megas. Mega Man doesnt only compete with other Volt turners but also with other Megas for a slot and if you look on how much better he is compared to other volt turners and on how much worse he is compared to other megas he is just second choice at most.

If Mega Man was far better in any way compared to other volt turners he might be worth it but imo thats not the case. Raikou and the others are almost, if not just as good as he is.

As stated by Baharoth here, Raikou does the same thing as Mega Manectric except better because:
1.) It can run Assault Vest
2.) It can run Air Balloon
3.) It can run Specs
4.) It can run Calm Mind
5.) It's not frail (90/75/100 Defenses are better than 70/80/80 Defenses)
6.) Extrasensory means Mega Venu doesn't cockblock you
7.) It doesn't take up your Mega Slot

 

[Karxrida]

Is Bisharp that overrated in this forum that "can't come in on Bisharp" is now grounds for downgrading a pokemon to C rank?

And it's not like Bisharp can come in on Manectric, either.

Bisharp so so be S-Rank
It is when you give an already good mon a free boost and it buttfucks you 6 ways to Sunday. Also;
252 SpA Mega Manectric Thunderbolt vs. 32 HP / 0 SpD Bisharp: 204-240 (73.1 - 86%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Mega Manectric Flamethrower vs. 32 HP / 0 SpD Bisharp: 272-320 (97.4 - 114.6%) -- 81.3% chance to OHKO
252 SpA Mega Manectric Hidden Power Ice vs. 32 HP / 0 SpD Bisharp: 45-53 (16.1 - 18.9%) -- possible 6HKO
252 SpA Mega Manectric Volt Switch vs. 32 HP / 0 SpD Bisharp: 159-187 (56.9 - 67%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Unless you predict PERFECTLY like the-bumper-car said, you're kind fucked.
Also fix the format thingy it wouldn't let me unbold my text.

 

[Ninja Charizard]

Bisharp so so be S-Rank
It is when you give an already good mon a free boost and it buttfucks you 6 ways to Sunday. Also;
252 SpA Mega Manectric Thunderbolt vs. 32 HP / 0 SpD Bisharp: 204-240 (73.1 - 86%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Mega Manectric Flamethrower vs. 32 HP / 0 SpD Bisharp: 272-320 (97.4 - 114.6%) -- 81.3% chance to OHKO
252 SpA Mega Manectric Hidden Power Ice vs. 32 HP / 0 SpD Bisharp: 45-53 (16.1 - 18.9%) -- possible 6HKO
252 SpA Mega Manectric Volt Switch vs. 32 HP / 0 SpD Bisharp: 159-187 (56.9 - 67%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Unless you predict PERFECTLY like the-bumper-car said, you're kind fucked.
Also fix the format thingy it wouldn't let me unbold my text.

You give the good mon a free boost if, and only if, you are stupid enough to switch into it. Otherwise it's a non-issue.

It`s not like you are ever bringing Manectric in other than in a U-Turn or revenge kill, anyway.

 

[Kyuzeth]

Rotom-W does the exact same thing, but has better bulk, can fit onto more teams, isn't dead weight against Stall, and can actually switch into shit.

Rotom-W has to endure many hits, being slower, while Mega Manectric can just get outta there without taking any damage at all while still leaving physical attackers crippled merely by switching in and out. For ANY pivot, prediction is needed.

Rotom-W can live without Lefties because it usually runs Pain Split, and can Burn Bisharp instead of LOL INTIMIDATE THE DEFIANT SWEEPER. It's still a better check.

I'll give you that Rotom-W is a better check, but still far from optimal.

As stated by Baharoth here, Raikou does the same thing as Mega Manectric except better because:
1.) It can run Assault Vest, but its physical bulk is still average.
2.) It can run Air Balloon
3.) It can run Specs, but being an Electric-type with rather average coverage and locked into one move plain sucks.
4.) It can run Calm Mind
5.) It's not frail (90/75/100 Defenses are better than 70/80/80 Defenses), but you're not keeping Intimidate in mind. Raikou isn't exactly physically bulky, either.
6.) Extrasensory means Mega Venu doesn't cockblock you, but you just switch into a more appropriate check/counter
7.) It doesn't take up your Mega Slot, but that can be said for EVERY Mega Pokémon. Mega Pokémon are designed to fit onto teams and are typically chosen to suit one's team. Sure, Raikou allows for a different Mega to be used, but that's not always an issue if the Mega Pokémon is essential to its team.

Just being able to hold items may make Raikou more versatile, but it's only a better pivot against special attackers. Assault Vest Raikou has much lower power and is a lot slower, while having average coverage. Extrasensory is useful for Mega Venusaur, but Mega Manectric just Volt Switches the fuck outta there and has something else handle Mega Venusaur. Raikou and Mega Manectric have their own things they can check more efficiently than the other and just because Raikou checks ITS selection, doesn't automatically make it better than Mega Manectric. They each excel at doing their specific tasks, but as an offensive pivot Mega Manectric is generally the better choice.

 

[Ninja Charizard]

Also correct me if I'm wrong, but does Raikou get any fire move? That means a lot.

Having 115 speed instead of 135 is also pretty big. Manectrc take Greninja down without taking damage, for example.

 

[Liarliarpantsonfire]

Also correct me if I'm wrong, but does Raikou get any fire move? That means a lot.

Having 115 speed instead of 135 is also pretty big. Manectrc take Greninja down without taking damage, for example.

No it can't, as Greninja outspeeds before Manectric has Mega Evolved.

 

[Sergeant Spooky]

Bisharp so so be S-Rank
It is when you give an already good mon a free boost and it buttfucks you 6 ways to Sunday. Also;
252 SpA Mega Manectric Thunderbolt vs. 32 HP / 0 SpD Bisharp: 204-240 (73.1 - 86%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Mega Manectric Flamethrower vs. 32 HP / 0 SpD Bisharp: 272-320 (97.4 - 114.6%) -- 81.3% chance to OHKO
252 SpA Mega Manectric Hidden Power Ice vs. 32 HP / 0 SpD Bisharp: 45-53 (16.1 - 18.9%) -- possible 6HKO
252 SpA Mega Manectric Volt Switch vs. 32 HP / 0 SpD Bisharp: 159-187 (56.9 - 67%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Unless you predict PERFECTLY like the-bumper-car said, you're kind fucked.
Also fix the format thingy it wouldn't let me unbold my text.

Volt-Switch is almost always Mega Man's safest option. Bisharp switches into a volt-switch, loses half of its health and then in comes Keldeo/Chesnaught/Conkeldurr/whatever to force you out. I'd not call this masterful prediction on the Mega Man user's part.

You also risk being outright OHKoed by Flamethrower/Overheat, or losing 3/4 of your health to Thunderbolt. I know Bisharp is good but it's not sweeping any team at ~20% health unless it's comprised solely of frail, non-dark resist sweepers. Basically the only move that doesn't cripple Bisharp is HP Ice. The only time you'd ever really have to "predict PERFECTLY" is when you're in front of Garchomp/Lando-T and still haven't mega evolved.

You're only getting a defiant boost on the turn Manec MEvolves (3/4 of its moveset cripples you,) if Mega Man is switching in to Bisharp (you are fighting a dumbass,) or when you predict they're switching in Mega Man and you switch Bisharp in (YOU are the one predicting perfectly.) I'm seriously not seeing why Bisharp is such an enormous issue for Mega Man, I mean you need to play a bit more carefully but it's not like you need masterful prediction.

 

[Kyuzeth]

No it can't, as Greninja outspeeds before Manectric has Mega Evolved.

Manectric DOES outspeed and OHKO if it's already Mega, however.

 

[Baharoth]

Even though you may have that opinion, but I think we've wasted enough forum space refuting your opinions with facts as to why Mega-Man deserves a better rank.

What facts? Stop beeing ridiculous plz you didnt refute anything so far. Simply ignoring the competition from other megas is not an argument and I didnt realy see any other arguments here. Basicly the only things he has over other volt switch users is a fire move, intimidate and higher speed. The first isnt realy needed for a offensive pivot as he can simply volt switch out if he cant dmg the opponent, Intimidate barely compensates its low bulk and the high speed is 1. not that important as there arent many mons between Raikou and Mega Man and 2. the others can simply use a scarf. Face it, the few perks Mane has arent worth the trouble in OU. Just because some people here think he deserves A- doesnt mean that he will get it.

 

[DoABarrelRoll]

Mega Man is partially outclassed by Rotom-W as a scouter (it wishes it had Hydro Pump, LEVITATE, and a good special defense stat) and partially outclassed by (offensive) Zapdos, which also has access to Defog and Roost, as a hole puncher. However, Mega Manectric combines the two roles, and that's something you need to account for.
However, unlike Zapdos and Rotom-W, Mega Man has no way to get past any ground-type pokemon, especially those with investment in Special Defense. Also, I don't get how is Mega Manectric's attacking power so "beautiful" when FUCKING MODEST LO ELECTIVIRE hits harder. (Yeah, I get Electivire is crap outside of SmashPass, but it shows how weak Mega Man is). Zapdos is immune to Earthquake, can use Defog and remove the Stealth Rock a lot of Ground-types have access to, and can hit them hard with LO HP Ice, which is much stronger than Mega Man's. Rotom-W has Levitate, and while Excadrill can get past it, the same can't be said about other ground-types. Rotom-W can also KO them with a Hydro Pump, something Mega Manectric can only dream of.

Mega Manectric just does not hit hard enough, cannot get past any Ground-type Pokemon and is very frail on the special side. Keep Mega Manectric B

Now, i'd like to nominate Staraptor for B rank. Reckless Brave Bird and Double-Edge hit like a truck. In fact, Reckless Staraptor has the strongest Brave Bird in the entire game, even if you count Ho-oh. That power is enough to KO Mega Zard Y and Landorus in one shot. Thundurus loses against Scarf variants, and even Deoxys-D might have problems walling it. Remember Staraptor has access to Defog too, so it can at least remove those entry hazards with a bit of prediction.

 

[Ninja Charizard]

No it can't, as Greninja outspeeds before Manectric has Mega Evolved.

Again, a non-issue. Almost every Manectric team I see leads with it, to mega evolve right away and start grabbing momentum.

 

[jbtc10]

Again, a non-issue. Almost every Manectric team I see leads with it, to mega evolve right away and start grabbing momentum.

The reciprocal is also true however; most teams with Greninja on it lead with Greninja, which can get damage off on it early to make it even more frail and even has a small chance to OHKO with Hydro Pump (which is probably a bad idea to try, but still).

 

[Sergeant Spooky]

However, unlike Zapdos and Rotom-W, Mega Man has no way to get past any ground-type pokemon, especially those with investment in Special Defense.

Except it can OHKO Lando-I, Lando-T after rocks, Excadrill, and Garchomp after rocks and a small amount of prior damage. And before you stick assault vest on them remember that now Zapdos and Rotom-W can't KO them, either.

Also Mega Man is B+ in the VR thread.

 

[Ninja Charizard]

Mega Man is partially outclassed by Rotom-W as a scouter (it wishes it had Hydro Pump, LEVITATE, and a good special defense stat) and partially outclassed by (offensive) Zapdos, which also has access to Defog and Roost, as a hole puncher. However, Mega Manectric combines the two roles, and that's something you need to account for.
However, unlike Zapdos and Rotom-W, Mega Man has no way to get past any ground-type pokemon, especially those with investment in Special Defense. Also, I don't get how is Mega Manectric's attacking power so "beautiful" when FUCKING MODEST LO ELECTIVIRE hits harder. (Yeah, I get Electivire is crap outside of SmashPass, but it shows how weak Mega Man is). Zapdos is immune to Earthquake, can use Defog and remove the Stealth Rock a lot of Ground-types have access to, and can hit them hard with LO HP Ice, which is much stronger than Mega Man's. Rotom-W has Levitate, and while Excadrill can get past it, the same can't be said about other ground-types. Rotom-W can also KO them with a Hydro Pump, something Mega Manectric can only dream of.

Mega Manectric just does not hit hard enough, cannot get past any Ground-type Pokemon and is very frail on the special side. Keep Mega Manectric B

Now, i'd like to nominate Staraptor for B rank. Reckless Brave Bird and Double-Edge hit like a truck. In fact, Reckless Staraptor has the strongest Brave Bird in the entire game, even if you count Ho-oh. That power is enough to KO Mega Zard Y and Landorus in one shot. Thundurus loses against Scarf variants, and even Deoxys-D might have problems walling it. Remember Staraptor has access to Defog too, so it can at least remove those entry hazards with a bit of prediction.

Can you name those ground pokemon for me? The ones I know in OU are all OHKOd by HP ice, or in Excadrill's case, by flamethrower. The only relevant one is Hippo, which can't switch into Manectric many times, and is not OU anyway so it's not a common threat.

 

[Salemance]

Can you name those ground pokemon for me? The ones I know in OU are all OHKOd by HP ice, or in Excadrill's case, by flamethrower. The only relevant one is Hippo, which can't switch into Manectric many times, and is not OU anyway so it's not a common threat.

Its sad when one of the best walls is not something to prepared for...damn the usage stats xD

Mega Man is partially outclassed by Rotom-W as a scouter (it wishes it had Hydro Pump, LEVITATE, and a good special defense stat) and partially outclassed by (offensive) Zapdos, which also has access to Defog and Roost, as a hole puncher. However, Mega Manectric combines the two roles, and that's something you need to account for.
However, unlike Zapdos and Rotom-W, Mega Man has no way to get past any ground-type pokemon, especially those with investment in Special Defense. Also, I don't get how is Mega Manectric's attacking power so "beautiful" when FUCKING MODEST LO ELECTIVIRE hits harder. (Yeah, I get Electivire is crap outside of SmashPass, but it shows how weak Mega Man is). Zapdos is immune to Earthquake, can use Defog and remove the Stealth Rock a lot of Ground-types have access to, and can hit them hard with LO HP Ice, which is much stronger than Mega Man's. Rotom-W has Levitate, and while Excadrill can get past it, the same can't be said about other ground-types. Rotom-W can also KO them with a Hydro Pump, something Mega Manectric can only dream of.

Mega Manectric just does not hit hard enough, cannot get past any Ground-type Pokemon and is very frail on the special side. Keep Mega Manectric B

Now, i'd like to nominate Staraptor for B rank. Reckless Brave Bird and Double-Edge hit like a truck. In fact, Reckless Staraptor has the strongest Brave Bird in the entire game, even if you count Ho-oh. That power is enough to KO Mega Zard Y and Landorus in one shot. Thundurus loses against Scarf variants, and even Deoxys-D might have problems walling it. Remember Staraptor has access to Defog too, so it can at least remove those entry hazards with a bit of prediction.

Seconding this cause it hasn't happened yet and has been brought so many times now....

 

[DoABarrelRoll]

Can you name those ground pokemon for me? The ones I know in OU are all OHKOd by HP ice, or in Excadrill's case, by flamethrower. The only relevant one is Hippo, which can't switch into Manectric many times, and is not OU anyway so it's not a common threat.

+1 Landorus-I is not OHKOed by HP Ice. The rare Choice Scarf sets win.
Landorus-T with a bit of special defense investment wins. Scarf Lando-T craps on Mega Manectric.
Choice Scarf Excadrill OHKOes with Earthquake, which Zapdos laughs at, while Assault Vest variants can take even an Overheat, and -2 Manectric is setup bait.
MegaChomp, ScarfChomp and bulkier Garchomp sets beat Mega Manectric.

Of course, with a bit of prior damage Manectric gets the win (watch out for Choice Scarf users), but remember Excadrill and Garchomp don't really care about Stealth Rock, which is much harder to keep on your opponent's side with Defog running rampant.

 

[jbtc10]

Special Hippo can switch in plenty of times, KO's with EQ and can set up Rocks basically for free.

252 SpA Mega Manectric Hidden Power Ice vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Hippowdon: 120-142 (28.5 - 33.8%) -- 97.3% chance to 4HKO after Leftovers recovery

But yes, most other grounds are swiftly KO'd with either HP Ice or Overheat/Flamethrower.

 

[Baharoth]

Not that it realy matters but Hippo is quite common higher up the ladder, he is so high in the viability ranking for a reason. And with a little sdef investment, doesnt even have to be fully specialy defensive, it can wall of Mega Man for all eternity. However, nailing ground types with HP ice isnt a unique trait of Mega Man, every volt switcher can do that. And regarding Flamethrower, the only thing its realy needed for is Ferrothorn, everything else takes decent damage from Electric/Ice coverage and Raikou gets Aurasphere to deal with Ferro. As well as Extrasensory for Mega Venu.

 

[Ninja Charizard]

Not that it realy matters but Hippo is quite common higher up the ladder, he is so high in the viability ranking for a reason. And with a little sdef investment, doesnt even have to be fully specialy defensive, it can wall of Mega Man for all eternity. However, nailing ground types with HP ice isnt a unique trait of Mega Man, every volt switcher can do that. And regarding Flamethrower, the only thing its realy needed for is Ferrothorn, everything else takes decent damage from Electric/Ice coverage and Raikou gets Aurasphere to deal with Ferro. As well as Extrasensory for Mega Venu.

Sure, but then don't come and say that Manectric is walled by every ground pokemon when that's not the case (you didn't do that, but my post was a reply to the other guy who did).

But yeah, Hippo is megaman's hardest counter. It is the reason my UU team has an easier time dealing with Manectric than my OU team. The uu team has hippo. Though it is completely crushed by megaman if hippo goes down. This is a pokemon who doesn't belong anywhere but in OU.

 

[Sergeant Spooky]

+1 Landorus-I is not OHKOed by HP Ice. The rare Choice Scarf sets win.
Landorus-T with a bit of special defense investment wins. Scarf Lando-T craps on Mega Manectric.
Choice Scarf Excadrill OHKOes with Earthquake, which Zapdos laughs at, while Assault Vest variants can take even an Overheat, and -2 Manectric is setup bait.
MegaChomp, ScarfChomp and bulkier Garchomp sets beat Mega Manectric.

Of course, with a bit of prior damage Manectric gets the win (watch out for Choice Scarf users), but remember Excadrill and Garchomp don't really care about Stealth Rock, which is much harder to keep on your opponent's side with Defog running rampant.

+1 Lando beats all of Zapdos, Rotom-W and Mega Man but at least you can actually get an attack in with Mega Man. AV Lando-T beats 4/0 Zapdos with Stone Edge (before you even try, 252 HP / 252 SpA is an awful EV spread for LO Zapdos.) AV Exca can take a Heat Wave too, and put a big dent in Zapdos with Rock Slide. Garchomp beats Zapdos because it's faster and Stone Edge KOs after rocks.

Yes, scarfed ground types with Earthquake can beat Mega Man but it's a very far cry from "Mega Man has no way to get past any ground-type pokemon." It's just completely false.

-2 SpA sucks but same thing happens with Draco Meteor, which is a very good move.

 

[Kyuzeth]

Not that it realy matters but Hippo is quite common higher up the ladder, he is so high in the viability ranking for a reason. And with a little sdef investment, doesnt even have to be fully specialy defensive, it can wall of Mega Man for all eternity. However, nailing ground types with HP ice isnt a unique trait of Mega Man, every volt switcher can do that. And regarding Flamethrower, the only thing its realy needed for is Ferrothorn, everything else takes decent damage from Electric/Ice coverage and Raikou gets Aurasphere to deal with Ferro. As well as Extrasensory for Mega Venu.

You're forgetting the common Mega Scizor, a threat Mega Manectric can deal with much more easily than Raikou, as Bullet Punch won't be doing much to it and Mega Manectric forces it to switch because of Flamethrower/Overheat, as well as the lesser common regular Scizor.
Coming back on one of your earlier posts, Aura Sphere is rarely worth it on Raikou, as it's forced to go Rash and get outsped and shat on by Landorus-I and Garchomp, so Aura Sphere's pretty bullshit and is never worth giving up the Speed on.

Besides, the same threats you've mentioned that beat Mega Manectric usually beat Raikou as well, especially Assault Vest and Specs Raikou locked into an Electric-type move. Mega Garchomp's also OHKOed by Mega Manectric's HP Ice after switching in to 2 layers of Spikes. As Mega Manectric works really well on hazard stacking teams due to it forcing switches by crippling physical attackers with Intimidate, this alleviates the issue of beating some Garchomp variants (not Scarf, as that obviously beats Mega Manectric and Bulkchomp, which can most of the time take HP Ices, but still has to watch out if 2 layers are up, while if Mega Manectric isn't at full health, it won't OHKO with Earthquake).
Due to Raikou's bad physical bulk, it can't take on any of these at all without Air Balloon, though LO or Specs HP Ices do deal with Garchomp most of the time (again, not Scarf). With Air Balloon, it's also significantly less powerful than Mega Manectric, so Garchomp can just resort to Dragon Claw/Outrage to deal with it.

 

[Baharoth]

More easily, yes. But Raikou takes very little dmg from BP (<30%) and does lots of dmg with Thunderbolt, a fire type move isnt needed here, its convinient sure but nothing more.

Regarding the second half, thats more of an argument against Mega Man than anything else. If basicly everything that stops Raikou stops him as well, whats the reason to rank him higher or even use him over Raikou? He outspeeds Greninja after mega evo as well as Dragonite/Gyara at +1 and he has a effective move against Ferrothorn. Raikou somewhat compensates the latter with Extrasensory to kill Venu. Manes downsides are the lack of an item and the fact that he needs a mega slot. Unless you can add a significant amount of things to the list that Mega Man can do and Raikou cant, I realy dont see any reason to promote him anywhere close to A-.

Oh and regarding Dragonite/Mega Gyara, Mega Man cant beat either unless they have taken 20-30% prior dmg.

 

[Kyuzeth]

More easily, yes. But Raikou takes very little dmg from BP (<30%) and does lots of dmg with Thunderbolt, a fire type move isnt needed here, its convinient sure but nothing more.

Regarding the second half, thats more of an argument against Mega Man than anything else. If basicly everything that stops Raikou stops him as well, whats the reason to rank him higher or even use him over Raikou? He outspeeds Greninja after mega evo as well as Dragonite/Gyara at +1 and he has a effective move against Ferrothorn. Raikou somewhat compensates the latter with Extrasensory to kill Venu. Manes downsides are the lack of an item and the fact that he needs a mega slot. Unless you can add a significant amount of things to the list that Mega Man can do and Raikou cant, I realy dont see any reason to promote him anywhere close to A-.

Oh and regarding Dragonite/Mega Gyara, Mega Man cant beat either unless they have taken 20-30% prior dmg.

I've already stated Mega Manectric always works with a hazard stacker, so with SR up Mega Gyarados is beaten by Mega Mane on the turn that it Mega Evolves and with Multiscale broken, it's OHKOed by HP Ice. What's even more of note is that Mega Manectric still outspeeds +1 Mega Gyarados and Dragonite. Considering running Jolly just for Mega Mane is stupid and these two Pokémon want all the power they can get, Mega Manectric beats them with hazards. Raikou is outsped, on the contrary, and demolished by Earthquake, while Mega Manectric can also Volt Switch out to a more appropiate killer, leaving them Intimidated and perfect for teammates to clean up. AV and Air Balloon Raikou fail to OHKO without maximum hazard support because of its lacking power, so overall Mega Manectric is a much safer bet against these two. Mega Gyarados is a really prominent threat in current OU, so that's one reason why Mega Manectric works so well.
The part with Garchomp illustrates that Mega Manectric functions optimally with hazard support, which is a staple on VoltTurn teams considering it forces many switches when partnered with something like Lando-T. Among all Garchomp sets, only ScarfChomp can reliably beat Mega Manectric, while Raikou is a lot riskier to run, as not only is it massacred by Scarf like Mega Manectric, but Air Balloon and AV Raikou are weaker and cannot OHKO the lesser relevant Mega Garchomp and Bulkchomp, while Mega Manectric can with hazards (I'm not even going to stress the obvious again).

If you seriously think Raikou completely outdoes Mega Manectric, then I highly suggest using Mega Manectric and adding it onto a team that creates and maintains offensive pressure. Mega Manectric does so unlike any other Pokémon in OU, while Raikou has multiple sets to use and its versatility in SETS is what makes Raikou perform different roles. It cannot multitask with one set like Mega Manectric can.

 

[Tressed]

Regarding the second half, thats more of an argument against Mega Man than anything else. If basicly everything that stops Raikou stops him as well, whats the reason to rank him higher or even use him over Raikou? He outspeeds Greninja after mega evo as well as Dragonite/Gyara at +1 and he has a effective move against Ferrothorn. Raikou somewhat compensates the latter with Extrasensory to kill Venu. Manes downsides are the lack of an item and the fact that he needs a mega slot. Unless you can add a significant amount of things to the list that Mega Man can do and Raikou cant, I realy dont see any reason to promote him anywhere close to A-.

Couple things, really.

1. Overheat. Right off the bat, it gives Manectric the ability to deal with Excadrill, Ferrothorn, Breloom, Magnezone, and probably some other things that I can't remember and probably aren't too important. These are pretty important, though. Raikou gets Extrasensory, sure, but Venusaur isn't a very good switch in to either of them in the first place since it has no passive recovery and gets worn down by Volt Switch and switching in and out.
2. Intimidate. Raikou might be bulkier specially and can use Assault Vest, but Manectric is bulkier physically with Intimidate. Electric typing isn't a very good typing specially defensively since no one uses Flying or Steel special moves, but physical Flying and Steel types are quite dangerous atm, where Electric typing is a major plus. Intimidate helps Manectric grab momentum as well, it can force out physical attackers with the stat drop and capitalize with a Volt Switch.
3. Speed. 135 is just awesome. 115 is quite good as well, don't get me wrong, but 135 outspeed basically every relevant Pokemon in OU, barring Deoxys-S (M-Aerodactyl and M-Alakazam too, I guess, but they aren't exactly common). Outspeeding Greninja by itself is reason enough to give Manectric a shot, but it also outspeeds Crobat and Weavile, who are both usable, as well as nailing every Pokemon that tries to outspeed base 115s and 130s, such as Automize Aegislash, DD, and RP Tyranitar.

So yeah, there are a few things that Manectric has advantages over Raikou for. I figure that they're two sides of the same coin, really, but Manectric does have a few advantages that make it worth B+, maybe. It certainly shouldn't be lower than Raikou, who's a very solid B Rank itself.

 

[Baharoth]

252 SpA Mega Manectric Hidden Power Ice vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Dragonite: 272-320 (83.9 - 98.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 SpA Mega Manectric Thunderbolt vs. 32 HP / 0 SpD Mega Gyarados: 242-288 (71.3 - 84.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock

He gets Dragonite after SR, against Mega Gyara there is a chance that Gyara lives EVEN after SR.

252+ SpA Raikou Thunderbolt vs. 32 HP / 0 SpD Mega Gyarados: 236-282 (69.6 - 83.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock

252+ SpA Raikou Hidden Power Ice vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Dragonite: 268-316 (82.7 - 97.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock

Scarfed Raikou can bascily do the same here. And plz drop that "he beats it with x layers of Spikes on the field" Its ok to assume SR but beeing able to do something after SR and 2 or 3 layers of Spikes is not a good argument.

And I am not saying that Raikou completely outdoes Mega Manetric, on the physical end Mega Mane is better than Raikou thats self evident. The point is that this is NOT enough to justify an A- ranking compared to Raikous B rank. You guys want to promote him to A- so its your turn to offer reasons for that, reasons that make him that much better than Raikou that he deserves beeing 2 ranks higher than him. So far I ve seen 2 things he can do better (outspeeding Geninja and Dragonite/Gyara and beating Ferro) is that it? If there is more, go ahead and tell me, if not I will stick to what I ve said earlier, B is fine for Mega Man, leave him there.

@ Blacklight I already mentioned Ferro, Exca is often scarfed so Mega Man has some trouble here, Breeloom takes lots of dmg from HP Ice, no need for Overheat and Magnezone is hardly relevant in OU. Intimidate is a thing certainly, as i said, against physical stuff Mega Man is better, against special stuff Raikou is. The speed argument basicly revolves around Greninja, Dragonite and Gyara so thats nothing new you brought up here. I ve mentioned all that already.