Overview
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Thanks to its excellent ability in Sheer Force and its dual STAB moves gaining wonderful coverage that is only resisted by a few Pokemon, Mega Camerupt is a fearsome wallbreaker that is insanely difficult to switch into. It also has solid bulk that is backed up by a unique typing that offers only two weaknesses in exchange for five resistances and one immunity; its typing also allows it to be one of the best stops to Volt Switch users not named Rotom-W. However, Mega Camerupt is extremely slow, meaning it will almost always be hit by something before it actually attacks. Furthermore, it is worn down especially quickly because of its lack of Leftovers or any other type of recovery. Mega Camerupt's low Speed also prevents it from being an excellent stallbreaker because it's unable to do anything when weakened. This is really tough in general for Camerupt unless Trick Room is set, but that's not a common playstyle and its timespan is too short. A 4x Water weakness holds Mega Camerupt back because there are a plethora of Water-types in the tier, and due to its horrible bulk pre-Mega Evolution, it is hard to effectively switch directly into many attacks.
Standard
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name: Standard
move 1: Fire Blast
move 2: Earth Power
move 3: Ancient Power
move 4: Will-O-Wisp / Stealth Rock / Toxic
ability: Solid Rock
item: Cameruptite
evs: 168 HP / 252 SpA / 88 Spe
nature: Modest
Moves
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Fire Blast is the move that Mega Camerupt should primarily be using, as it's insanely powerful and can dent even Pokemon that resist it. Earth Power is the secondary STAB move that provides fairly good coverage all around and is boosted by Sheer Force; it is also difficult to switch into. Ancient Power hits various Flying-types, such as Gyarados, Dragonite, Talonflame, and Charizard. Will-O-Wisp hurts Latias and Rotom-W switch-ins and can wear down or cripple Pokemon so that Mega Camerupt can blast through them at a later time. Stealth Rock can be used to wear down foes as they switch in, but Mega Camerupt should not be your team's primary entry hazard setter. Toxic hurts Latias and Rotom-W switch-ins more than Will-O-Wisp; however, it's not as useful as Will-O-Wisp and cannot be used to help soften blows. Substitute is also an option to set up on forced switches, though with how quickly Mega Camerupt is worn down, this is unadvised.
Set Details
========
Solid Rock isn't really useful in many scenarios, but it's simply better than Camerupt's other pre-Mega Evolution abilities, which also have little use. Sheer Force, the post-Mega Evolution ability, boosts the power of Fire Blast and Earth Power to soaring heights. Cameruptite is the best item choice, as it allows Camerupt to Mega Evolve and gain bulk and power; any other item makes Camerupt unviable and useless. 88 Speed EVs allow Mega Camerupt to outspeed Slowbro and smack it with Earth Power, while the rest is invested into Special Attack and HP. A Modest nature is chosen because Camerupt doesn't require a Timid nature, while a Quiet nature is unadvised because then Mega Camerupt cannot outspeed Slowbro. Running Mega Camerupt on a Trick Room team could be useful; if this is the chosen option, then a moveset of Fire Blast / Earth Power / Explosion / Ancient Power with 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD, a Quiet nature, and 0 Speed IVs is advised.
Usage Tips
========
Mega Camerupt is fairly simple to use: Mega Evolve as early as possible and launch off powerful attacks. Mega Evolving as early as possible is truly a priority, as Camerupt is pretty terrible pre-Mega Evolution. Spamming Fire Blast is often Camerupt's safest route, as it hits the widest portion of the metagame and is Camerupt's strongest move. Earth Power must be played a bit more cautiously, as Flying-types and Pokemon with the ability Levitate are common in OU. Mega Camerupt should only use its last move on predicted switches, never when it's against a foe, because it'll want to be spamming its attacks while possible. Mega Camerupt is a heavy hitter and switcher; a lot of Pokemon force it out, so be sure to play cautiously. The only time you can play Mega Camerupt recklessly is when spamming Fire Blast, otherwise, playing safe is key. Mega Camerupt should always be brought in with a U-turn, Volt Switch, or Baton Pass, as it's very unsafe to switch in directly. Relying on Mega Camerupt's teammates to stomach hits and weaken foes is the key to success, as using Camerupt as a sole Pokemon will result in failure. Finally, Mega Camerupt should always be used as a semi-wallbreaker, not a full one, as it's too slow to fulfill this role.
Team Options
========
Rotom-W stands out as a partner because it resists Water- and Ground-type moves, appreciates Mega Camerupt's ability to handle Grass-types in return, and can also bring Camerupt in safely with Volt Switch. Ferrothorn can set up entry hazards and has excellent synergy with Camerupt. Landorus-T is immune to Ground-type moves and is able to set up Stealth Rock, along with being able to pivot into Camerupt with U-turn and provide Intimidate support. Latios and Latias also make for good partners because they're able to switch into Water-type moves with ease. Togekiss can lure in Rotom-W and OHKO it with a +2 Dazzling Gleam, thus making it a good partner; the two share wonderful synergy as well. Pursuit from the likes of Tyranitar and Bisharp to trap and eliminate Latias is useful. Rotom-W checks such as Latias are also useful for their ability to remove one of Mega Camerupt's prime counters. Trick Room in general is a very good method of supporting Mega Camerupt, which has a base 20 Speed stat and is fully able to abuse it. Some good Trick Room setters include Slowbro, Porygon2, Diancie, Cresselia, and Celebi. Trick Room wallbreakers including Dragalge, Crawdaunt, and Exploud are also good partners on Trick Room teams. Fighting-types, namely Terrakion, are useful partners because they can break through Chansey and weaken foes with a strong Close Combat. Ice-types, such as Weavile and Mamoswine, are also able to weaken Chansey and beat the Dragon / Flying types that resist Camerupt's STAB moves. Tentacruel is a good partner because it has decent synergy with Camerupt, can remove Spikes, which Camerupt hates, and is able to beat Calm Mind users that Camerupt struggles against. In return, Camerupt is able to take on Electric-type Pokemon. However, a Flying-type or Levitate user must be added to this core because the two share a Ground weakness. Raikou is a useful partner because it is able to pivot into Camerupt via Volt Switch and break through Water-types.
Other Options
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Flamethrower is a usable option over Fire Blast for accuracy, but the raw power Fire Blast provides is much more useful even with a chance to miss. Similarly, Lava Plume should not be used because Sheer Force takes away its secondary effect and Flamethrower then effectively outclasses it. Explosion hits extremely hard and can dent practically everything; however, it comes at the expense of Camerupt's HP. When running Mega Camerupt on Trick Room teams, a set of Sunny Day / Fire Blast / Earth Power / Solar Beam can be used to smack Rotom-W as they switch in and amp up Fire Blast's power. Other than these few options, nothing particularly stands out as a good option for Mega Camerupt.
Checks & Counters
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**Special Walls**: While Camerupt is insanely strong, it just can't break through everything. The main special walls that can stop Camerupt are Latias and Chansey, which can switch into any of Camerupt's attacks and threaten it in return through various means, such as a Draco Meteor from Latias or Seismic Toss + Toxic stall from Chansey.
**Water-types**: All Water-type Pokemon, such as Rotom-W and Keldeo, are massive threats because Camerupt is 4x weak to their STAB attacks.
**Ground-types**: Ground-types, such as Garchomp, specially defensive Hippowdown, Landorus-T, and specially defensive Gliscor, are usually able to dent, if not KO, Camerupt. However, Ground-types don't usually resist Camerupt's STAB attacks and are thus a lot harder to switch into Camerupt with.
**Powerful Attacks**: Attacks from various different Pokemon, such as Latios, Mega Gallade, and Terrakion, are able to weaken Camerupt quite easily. But, once again, they're unable to switch into Camerupt directly.
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Thanks to its excellent ability in Sheer Force and its dual STAB moves gaining wonderful coverage that is only resisted by a few Pokemon, Mega Camerupt is a fearsome wallbreaker that is insanely difficult to switch into. It also has solid bulk that is backed up by a unique typing that offers only two weaknesses in exchange for five resistances and one immunity; its typing also allows it to be one of the best stops to Volt Switch users not named Rotom-W. However, Mega Camerupt is extremely slow, meaning it will almost always be hit by something before it actually attacks. Furthermore, it is worn down especially quickly because of its lack of Leftovers or any other type of recovery. Mega Camerupt's low Speed also prevents it from being an excellent stallbreaker because it's unable to do anything when weakened. This is really tough in general for Camerupt unless Trick Room is set, but that's not a common playstyle and its timespan is too short. A 4x Water weakness holds Mega Camerupt back because there are a plethora of Water-types in the tier, and due to its horrible bulk pre-Mega Evolution, it is hard to effectively switch directly into many attacks.
Standard
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name: Standard
move 1: Fire Blast
move 2: Earth Power
move 3: Ancient Power
move 4: Will-O-Wisp / Stealth Rock / Toxic
ability: Solid Rock
item: Cameruptite
evs: 168 HP / 252 SpA / 88 Spe
nature: Modest
Moves
========
Fire Blast is the move that Mega Camerupt should primarily be using, as it's insanely powerful and can dent even Pokemon that resist it. Earth Power is the secondary STAB move that provides fairly good coverage all around and is boosted by Sheer Force; it is also difficult to switch into. Ancient Power hits various Flying-types, such as Gyarados, Dragonite, Talonflame, and Charizard. Will-O-Wisp hurts Latias and Rotom-W switch-ins and can wear down or cripple Pokemon so that Mega Camerupt can blast through them at a later time. Stealth Rock can be used to wear down foes as they switch in, but Mega Camerupt should not be your team's primary entry hazard setter. Toxic hurts Latias and Rotom-W switch-ins more than Will-O-Wisp; however, it's not as useful as Will-O-Wisp and cannot be used to help soften blows. Substitute is also an option to set up on forced switches, though with how quickly Mega Camerupt is worn down, this is unadvised.
Set Details
========
Solid Rock isn't really useful in many scenarios, but it's simply better than Camerupt's other pre-Mega Evolution abilities, which also have little use. Sheer Force, the post-Mega Evolution ability, boosts the power of Fire Blast and Earth Power to soaring heights. Cameruptite is the best item choice, as it allows Camerupt to Mega Evolve and gain bulk and power; any other item makes Camerupt unviable and useless. 88 Speed EVs allow Mega Camerupt to outspeed Slowbro and smack it with Earth Power, while the rest is invested into Special Attack and HP. A Modest nature is chosen because Camerupt doesn't require a Timid nature, while a Quiet nature is unadvised because then Mega Camerupt cannot outspeed Slowbro. Running Mega Camerupt on a Trick Room team could be useful; if this is the chosen option, then a moveset of Fire Blast / Earth Power / Explosion / Ancient Power with 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD, a Quiet nature, and 0 Speed IVs is advised.
Usage Tips
========
Mega Camerupt is fairly simple to use: Mega Evolve as early as possible and launch off powerful attacks. Mega Evolving as early as possible is truly a priority, as Camerupt is pretty terrible pre-Mega Evolution. Spamming Fire Blast is often Camerupt's safest route, as it hits the widest portion of the metagame and is Camerupt's strongest move. Earth Power must be played a bit more cautiously, as Flying-types and Pokemon with the ability Levitate are common in OU. Mega Camerupt should only use its last move on predicted switches, never when it's against a foe, because it'll want to be spamming its attacks while possible. Mega Camerupt is a heavy hitter and switcher; a lot of Pokemon force it out, so be sure to play cautiously. The only time you can play Mega Camerupt recklessly is when spamming Fire Blast, otherwise, playing safe is key. Mega Camerupt should always be brought in with a U-turn, Volt Switch, or Baton Pass, as it's very unsafe to switch in directly. Relying on Mega Camerupt's teammates to stomach hits and weaken foes is the key to success, as using Camerupt as a sole Pokemon will result in failure. Finally, Mega Camerupt should always be used as a semi-wallbreaker, not a full one, as it's too slow to fulfill this role.
Team Options
========
Rotom-W stands out as a partner because it resists Water- and Ground-type moves, appreciates Mega Camerupt's ability to handle Grass-types in return, and can also bring Camerupt in safely with Volt Switch. Ferrothorn can set up entry hazards and has excellent synergy with Camerupt. Landorus-T is immune to Ground-type moves and is able to set up Stealth Rock, along with being able to pivot into Camerupt with U-turn and provide Intimidate support. Latios and Latias also make for good partners because they're able to switch into Water-type moves with ease. Togekiss can lure in Rotom-W and OHKO it with a +2 Dazzling Gleam, thus making it a good partner; the two share wonderful synergy as well. Pursuit from the likes of Tyranitar and Bisharp to trap and eliminate Latias is useful. Rotom-W checks such as Latias are also useful for their ability to remove one of Mega Camerupt's prime counters. Trick Room in general is a very good method of supporting Mega Camerupt, which has a base 20 Speed stat and is fully able to abuse it. Some good Trick Room setters include Slowbro, Porygon2, Diancie, Cresselia, and Celebi. Trick Room wallbreakers including Dragalge, Crawdaunt, and Exploud are also good partners on Trick Room teams. Fighting-types, namely Terrakion, are useful partners because they can break through Chansey and weaken foes with a strong Close Combat. Ice-types, such as Weavile and Mamoswine, are also able to weaken Chansey and beat the Dragon / Flying types that resist Camerupt's STAB moves. Tentacruel is a good partner because it has decent synergy with Camerupt, can remove Spikes, which Camerupt hates, and is able to beat Calm Mind users that Camerupt struggles against. In return, Camerupt is able to take on Electric-type Pokemon. However, a Flying-type or Levitate user must be added to this core because the two share a Ground weakness. Raikou is a useful partner because it is able to pivot into Camerupt via Volt Switch and break through Water-types.
Other Options
########
Flamethrower is a usable option over Fire Blast for accuracy, but the raw power Fire Blast provides is much more useful even with a chance to miss. Similarly, Lava Plume should not be used because Sheer Force takes away its secondary effect and Flamethrower then effectively outclasses it. Explosion hits extremely hard and can dent practically everything; however, it comes at the expense of Camerupt's HP. When running Mega Camerupt on Trick Room teams, a set of Sunny Day / Fire Blast / Earth Power / Solar Beam can be used to smack Rotom-W as they switch in and amp up Fire Blast's power. Other than these few options, nothing particularly stands out as a good option for Mega Camerupt.
Checks & Counters
########
**Special Walls**: While Camerupt is insanely strong, it just can't break through everything. The main special walls that can stop Camerupt are Latias and Chansey, which can switch into any of Camerupt's attacks and threaten it in return through various means, such as a Draco Meteor from Latias or Seismic Toss + Toxic stall from Chansey.
**Water-types**: All Water-type Pokemon, such as Rotom-W and Keldeo, are massive threats because Camerupt is 4x weak to their STAB attacks.
**Ground-types**: Ground-types, such as Garchomp, specially defensive Hippowdown, Landorus-T, and specially defensive Gliscor, are usually able to dent, if not KO, Camerupt. However, Ground-types don't usually resist Camerupt's STAB attacks and are thus a lot harder to switch into Camerupt with.
**Powerful Attacks**: Attacks from various different Pokemon, such as Latios, Mega Gallade, and Terrakion, are able to weaken Camerupt quite easily. But, once again, they're unable to switch into Camerupt directly.
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