Introduction
When Mawilite was released, I could only think of one thing: how Aberforth, one of the Ubers Room Owners, would be absolutely elated. After all, he successfully fought tooth and nail to keep Mega Mawile out of D Rank last generation. Following this excitement-by-proxy, I began devising how to use Mega Mawile in Ubers. At first glance, it seems that Magearna completely overshadows Mega Mawile due to its access to semi-reliable recovery in Leftovers and Pain Split, Heart Swap to maul all Xerneas variants, and superior bulk. However, Mega Mawile has access to a few things Magearna does not - namely, the ability to annoy support Primal Groudon and support Arceus formes with Toxic (shoutouts Contact) and the ability to pivot out of unfavourable matchups with Baton Pass. It also has Sucker Punch, which, in my eyes, is not as important as Toxic and Baton Pass; however, it does let Mega Mawile revenge kill extremely weakened setup sweepers such as Rock Polish Primal Groudon, as well as Choice Scarf Lunala and Mewtwo. These advantages were sufficient enough for me to decide to actually attempt a Mega Mawile build. It probably has some problems, as Mega Mawile is not easy to build around; this is why I posted it here, so Fireburn can respond with helpful suggestions and get a free couple of likes in the process.
Peak
This team fared far better on the Ubers ladder than my last attempt. Having two Pokemon with phazing moves against a low ladder that spams Thimo's Baton Pass team is very helpful.
Team
Aberforth (Mawile) (M) @ Mawilite
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 248 HP / 16 Atk / 244 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Iron Head
- Play Rough
- Toxic
- Baton Pass
At first glance, Mawile seems like a worse Magearna that takes up your Mega slot. To some extent, this is correct. Magearna's function is very similar to that of Mawile's, and one could argue that Magearna is a superior Xerneas and non-Heat Wave Yveltal check due to its access to Pain Split, ability to hold Leftovers, and superior special bulk. Importantly, Heart Swap allows Magearna to be a more reliable answer to Z-Geomancy Xerneas; Mega Mawile can check it, but I need to play around it quite carefully. However, Magearna lacks both Toxic, which is extremely annoying to support Arceus formes that would otherwise be able to come in for free and set up on or PP stall Mega Mawile, and Baton Pass, which allows Mega Mawile to pivot out of the obvious Primal Groudon switch-in. Intimidate is the pre-Mega ability because it can be quite clutch. If I double switch wrong and I end up encountering a Groudon, at least its attacks will be a bit weaker so I can scurry away and send in an actual check.
The EVs are the same as those used in ORAS because any deviation makes Mawile worse at doing its job. 16 Attack EVs with an Adamant nature OHKOes regular Special Attack Geomancy Xerneas after Stealth Rock. The defensive investment lets it survive any of 184+ boosted Xerneas's attacks after two rounds of Stealth Rock, and 252+ boosted Xerneas's attacks after one round... most of the time. 84 Attack EVs could work, but then 184+ Xerneas has a chance to blow past it with Focus Blast or Hidden Power Ground if Mawile switches into Stealth Rock more than once and 252+ just mauls it. Life Orb Yveltal is too much of a threat for 252+ Xerneas to be particularly common, but I don't think the risk is worth taking.
Groudon-Primal @ Red Orb
Ability: Desolate Land
EVs: 252 HP / 176 SpD / 80 Spe
Careful Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Precipice Blades
- Lava Plume
- Roar
Defensive Primal Groudon completes my team's Xerneas backbone. Stealth Rock and Precipice Blades are both givens. Lava Plume is chosen over Toxic because I really do not enjoy being completely walled by Celesteela, Ferrothorn, and most anything that floats. The burn chance is always nice, too! Roar phazes setup sweepers, like Xerneas, as well as opposing fast Primal Groudon and Mega Salamence that get too greedy. I run enough Speed creep to outspeed most other defensive Primal Groudon and base 90s that run Speed EVs amounting to a single digit. You might think it's really dumb to run Speed creep on a Pokemon with Roar. This is probably true, but beating opposing phazers is quite funny. This Primal Groudon does not like Ho-Oh very much, but I think I have just enough means of dealing with it on this team for this Primal Groudon devoid of a Rock-type move to breath more easily.
Kyogre-Primal @ Blue Orb
Ability: Primordial Sea
EVs: 252 HP / 188 Def / 68 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Ice Beam
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
Defensive Primal Kyogre beats defensive Arceus-Ground, which is everywhere in this day and age, soft checks Ho-Oh and Mega Salamence and is my go-to switch-in when Mega Mawile successfully pulls off a Baton Pass against Primal Groudon. This spread barely outspeeds standard Rock Polish Groudon and will never die to a +1 Mega Salamence's Double Edge at full health if hazards aren't up. Burns aren't as great this generation, but Scald is still an effective deterrent against physical attackers. Ice Beam removes Mega Salamence and Zygarde. Rest and Sleep Talk are, unfortunately, obligatory on defensive Primal Kyogre. Sleep absorbers aren't that important, but you never know if you are going to face one of the four or so people that still uses a sleep move on Darkrai.
Arceus-Dark @ Dread Plate
Ability: Multitype
EVs: 244 HP / 4 Def / 8 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Judgment
- Recover
- Refresh
Arceus-Dark improves my team's matchup against stall somewhat and provides it with a Psychic immunity, an extra Dark resistance, and a crucial Ghost resistance. It checks most Yveltal, which relieves Mega Mawile of some of the slack, stops my team from getting stomped by Swords Dance Arceus-Ghost, and is an emergency Salamence check. Arceus-Dark's severe weakness to every Fairy-type ever is mitigated by Mega Mawile and Primal Groudon, so this drawback being covered made it an easy choice. This team really needs an actual "sweeper", so I decided to run a Calm Mind set. Calm Mind helps Arceus-Dark sweep, or at least severely dent, the opposing team, with its dangerous Dark-type Judgment, while Recover keeps it alive and Refresh stops it from being status bait. I like running maximum Speed on my Arceus formes, but I imagine a bulkier spread that beats maximum Speed Yveltal would also work. The defensive investment ensures the two or three Genesect that roam Ubers matches do not get an Attack boost. Yes, I know that Choice Specs Genesect is the one on the analysis, as it is not complete garbage, but please name me one time when your 12xx or first-round opponent did not bring Choice Scarf Genesect.
Giratina-Origin @ Griseous Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 Atk / 240 Def / 16 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Defog
- Shadow Force
- Shadow Sneak
- Dragon Tail
I really needed an Extreme Killer Arceus check, and Giratina-O does a decent job of checking it. Giratina-O also provides my team with a much-needed Ground immunity, another check to Primal Groudon, the sheer utility of Defog, and priority that ensures my team is not too weak to Mega Gengar or Deoxys-A outside of Psychic Terrain. I use the physically oriented Defog set here, as I like having an extra user of phazing moves and I find it more consistent than the Hex set in general. I also sorely need priority, and this is my best option. Running Sucker Punch on Mega Mawile over Toxic and changing this to a Hex set can work, but I don't like how inconsistent Sucker Punch is. The added weakness to Fairy-type moves is somewhat unpleasant, but I think my team can handle them well enough. You're basically forced to run this if you want a Defog user but your Arceus slot is gone anyway.
Mewtwo @ Life Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psystrike
- Focus Blast
- Ice Beam
- Taunt
My team is rather slow and not particularly offensively overwhelming; it relies on passive damage and Toxic for the most part. Mewtwo provides some immediate offensive presence, extra stallbreaking capabilities thanks to its access to Taunt, and the ability to somewhat easily break through specially bulky Pokemon with Psystrike. Base 130 Speed is also really nice, as it lets Mewtwo revenge kill maximum Speed Jolly Mega Salamence that have not gotten the opportunity to boost, Speed tie with Mega Gengar, and outspeed maximum Speed support Arceus formes and Taunt them. Mewtwo, along with Giratina-O, can also soft check Mega Lucario, which is a little bit annoying. Focus Blast ensures Mewtwo is not complete bait for opposing Arceus-Dark and Ice Beam hits the aforementioned Mega Salamence and Yveltal that dare to switch in.
Exportable
Conclusion
At the end of the day, maybe Magearna would, overall, work better. However, building around Mega Mawile was interesting, as it forced me to work around the fact that my Mega slot was unavailable. Mega Mawile for C- Rank!
Thanks for reading.
When Mawilite was released, I could only think of one thing: how Aberforth, one of the Ubers Room Owners, would be absolutely elated. After all, he successfully fought tooth and nail to keep Mega Mawile out of D Rank last generation. Following this excitement-by-proxy, I began devising how to use Mega Mawile in Ubers. At first glance, it seems that Magearna completely overshadows Mega Mawile due to its access to semi-reliable recovery in Leftovers and Pain Split, Heart Swap to maul all Xerneas variants, and superior bulk. However, Mega Mawile has access to a few things Magearna does not - namely, the ability to annoy support Primal Groudon and support Arceus formes with Toxic (shoutouts Contact) and the ability to pivot out of unfavourable matchups with Baton Pass. It also has Sucker Punch, which, in my eyes, is not as important as Toxic and Baton Pass; however, it does let Mega Mawile revenge kill extremely weakened setup sweepers such as Rock Polish Primal Groudon, as well as Choice Scarf Lunala and Mewtwo. These advantages were sufficient enough for me to decide to actually attempt a Mega Mawile build. It probably has some problems, as Mega Mawile is not easy to build around; this is why I posted it here, so Fireburn can respond with helpful suggestions and get a free couple of likes in the process.
Peak
This team fared far better on the Ubers ladder than my last attempt. Having two Pokemon with phazing moves against a low ladder that spams Thimo's Baton Pass team is very helpful.
Team
Aberforth (Mawile) (M) @ Mawilite
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 248 HP / 16 Atk / 244 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Iron Head
- Play Rough
- Toxic
- Baton Pass
At first glance, Mawile seems like a worse Magearna that takes up your Mega slot. To some extent, this is correct. Magearna's function is very similar to that of Mawile's, and one could argue that Magearna is a superior Xerneas and non-Heat Wave Yveltal check due to its access to Pain Split, ability to hold Leftovers, and superior special bulk. Importantly, Heart Swap allows Magearna to be a more reliable answer to Z-Geomancy Xerneas; Mega Mawile can check it, but I need to play around it quite carefully. However, Magearna lacks both Toxic, which is extremely annoying to support Arceus formes that would otherwise be able to come in for free and set up on or PP stall Mega Mawile, and Baton Pass, which allows Mega Mawile to pivot out of the obvious Primal Groudon switch-in. Intimidate is the pre-Mega ability because it can be quite clutch. If I double switch wrong and I end up encountering a Groudon, at least its attacks will be a bit weaker so I can scurry away and send in an actual check.
The EVs are the same as those used in ORAS because any deviation makes Mawile worse at doing its job. 16 Attack EVs with an Adamant nature OHKOes regular Special Attack Geomancy Xerneas after Stealth Rock. The defensive investment lets it survive any of 184+ boosted Xerneas's attacks after two rounds of Stealth Rock, and 252+ boosted Xerneas's attacks after one round... most of the time. 84 Attack EVs could work, but then 184+ Xerneas has a chance to blow past it with Focus Blast or Hidden Power Ground if Mawile switches into Stealth Rock more than once and 252+ just mauls it. Life Orb Yveltal is too much of a threat for 252+ Xerneas to be particularly common, but I don't think the risk is worth taking.
Groudon-Primal @ Red Orb
Ability: Desolate Land
EVs: 252 HP / 176 SpD / 80 Spe
Careful Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Precipice Blades
- Lava Plume
- Roar
Defensive Primal Groudon completes my team's Xerneas backbone. Stealth Rock and Precipice Blades are both givens. Lava Plume is chosen over Toxic because I really do not enjoy being completely walled by Celesteela, Ferrothorn, and most anything that floats. The burn chance is always nice, too! Roar phazes setup sweepers, like Xerneas, as well as opposing fast Primal Groudon and Mega Salamence that get too greedy. I run enough Speed creep to outspeed most other defensive Primal Groudon and base 90s that run Speed EVs amounting to a single digit. You might think it's really dumb to run Speed creep on a Pokemon with Roar. This is probably true, but beating opposing phazers is quite funny. This Primal Groudon does not like Ho-Oh very much, but I think I have just enough means of dealing with it on this team for this Primal Groudon devoid of a Rock-type move to breath more easily.
Kyogre-Primal @ Blue Orb
Ability: Primordial Sea
EVs: 252 HP / 188 Def / 68 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Ice Beam
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
Defensive Primal Kyogre beats defensive Arceus-Ground, which is everywhere in this day and age, soft checks Ho-Oh and Mega Salamence and is my go-to switch-in when Mega Mawile successfully pulls off a Baton Pass against Primal Groudon. This spread barely outspeeds standard Rock Polish Groudon and will never die to a +1 Mega Salamence's Double Edge at full health if hazards aren't up. Burns aren't as great this generation, but Scald is still an effective deterrent against physical attackers. Ice Beam removes Mega Salamence and Zygarde. Rest and Sleep Talk are, unfortunately, obligatory on defensive Primal Kyogre. Sleep absorbers aren't that important, but you never know if you are going to face one of the four or so people that still uses a sleep move on Darkrai.
Arceus-Dark @ Dread Plate
Ability: Multitype
EVs: 244 HP / 4 Def / 8 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Judgment
- Recover
- Refresh
Arceus-Dark improves my team's matchup against stall somewhat and provides it with a Psychic immunity, an extra Dark resistance, and a crucial Ghost resistance. It checks most Yveltal, which relieves Mega Mawile of some of the slack, stops my team from getting stomped by Swords Dance Arceus-Ghost, and is an emergency Salamence check. Arceus-Dark's severe weakness to every Fairy-type ever is mitigated by Mega Mawile and Primal Groudon, so this drawback being covered made it an easy choice. This team really needs an actual "sweeper", so I decided to run a Calm Mind set. Calm Mind helps Arceus-Dark sweep, or at least severely dent, the opposing team, with its dangerous Dark-type Judgment, while Recover keeps it alive and Refresh stops it from being status bait. I like running maximum Speed on my Arceus formes, but I imagine a bulkier spread that beats maximum Speed Yveltal would also work. The defensive investment ensures the two or three Genesect that roam Ubers matches do not get an Attack boost. Yes, I know that Choice Specs Genesect is the one on the analysis, as it is not complete garbage, but please name me one time when your 12xx or first-round opponent did not bring Choice Scarf Genesect.
Giratina-Origin @ Griseous Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 Atk / 240 Def / 16 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Defog
- Shadow Force
- Shadow Sneak
- Dragon Tail
I really needed an Extreme Killer Arceus check, and Giratina-O does a decent job of checking it. Giratina-O also provides my team with a much-needed Ground immunity, another check to Primal Groudon, the sheer utility of Defog, and priority that ensures my team is not too weak to Mega Gengar or Deoxys-A outside of Psychic Terrain. I use the physically oriented Defog set here, as I like having an extra user of phazing moves and I find it more consistent than the Hex set in general. I also sorely need priority, and this is my best option. Running Sucker Punch on Mega Mawile over Toxic and changing this to a Hex set can work, but I don't like how inconsistent Sucker Punch is. The added weakness to Fairy-type moves is somewhat unpleasant, but I think my team can handle them well enough. You're basically forced to run this if you want a Defog user but your Arceus slot is gone anyway.
Mewtwo @ Life Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psystrike
- Focus Blast
- Ice Beam
- Taunt
My team is rather slow and not particularly offensively overwhelming; it relies on passive damage and Toxic for the most part. Mewtwo provides some immediate offensive presence, extra stallbreaking capabilities thanks to its access to Taunt, and the ability to somewhat easily break through specially bulky Pokemon with Psystrike. Base 130 Speed is also really nice, as it lets Mewtwo revenge kill maximum Speed Jolly Mega Salamence that have not gotten the opportunity to boost, Speed tie with Mega Gengar, and outspeed maximum Speed support Arceus formes and Taunt them. Mewtwo, along with Giratina-O, can also soft check Mega Lucario, which is a little bit annoying. Focus Blast ensures Mewtwo is not complete bait for opposing Arceus-Dark and Ice Beam hits the aforementioned Mega Salamence and Yveltal that dare to switch in.
Exportable
Aberforth (Mawile) (M) @ Mawilite
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 248 HP / 16 Atk / 244 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Iron Head
- Play Rough
- Toxic
- Baton Pass
Groudon-Primal @ Red Orb
Ability: Desolate Land
EVs: 252 HP / 176 SpD / 80 Spe
Careful Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Precipice Blades
- Lava Plume
- Roar
Kyogre-Primal @ Blue Orb
Ability: Primordial Sea
EVs: 252 HP / 188 Def / 68 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Ice Beam
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
Arceus-Dark @ Dread Plate
Ability: Multitype
EVs: 244 HP / 4 Def / 8 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Judgment
- Recover
- Refresh
Giratina-Origin @ Griseous Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 Atk / 240 Def / 16 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Defog
- Shadow Force
- Shadow Sneak
- Dragon Tail
Mewtwo @ Life Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psystrike
- Focus Blast
- Ice Beam
- Taunt
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 248 HP / 16 Atk / 244 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Iron Head
- Play Rough
- Toxic
- Baton Pass
Groudon-Primal @ Red Orb
Ability: Desolate Land
EVs: 252 HP / 176 SpD / 80 Spe
Careful Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Precipice Blades
- Lava Plume
- Roar
Kyogre-Primal @ Blue Orb
Ability: Primordial Sea
EVs: 252 HP / 188 Def / 68 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Ice Beam
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
Arceus-Dark @ Dread Plate
Ability: Multitype
EVs: 244 HP / 4 Def / 8 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Judgment
- Recover
- Refresh
Giratina-Origin @ Griseous Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 Atk / 240 Def / 16 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Defog
- Shadow Force
- Shadow Sneak
- Dragon Tail
Mewtwo @ Life Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psystrike
- Focus Blast
- Ice Beam
- Taunt
Conclusion
At the end of the day, maybe Magearna would, overall, work better. However, building around Mega Mawile was interesting, as it forced me to work around the fact that my Mega slot was unavailable. Mega Mawile for C- Rank!
Thanks for reading.
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