[OVERVIEW]
In Doubles OU, while Mega Charizard Y is one of the top three Mega Pokemon, is one of the best Pokemon in the metagame, and can fit easily on most teams, Mega Charizard X serves as more of a niche option and needs heavy team support to work at its best. One of Mega Charizard Y's key selling points is Drought, which gives it excellent utility as a weather setter and, more importantly, complements its already powerful Special Attack by providing a 50% damage boost to its Fire-type moves, which lets its Heat Wave take huge chunks of HP out of any opposing Pokemon that does not resist it. What Mega Charizard X brings to the table is the fact that it is a physical setup sweeper that is immune to burns, though its typing is also very useful, as it reduces Charizard's 4x Rock-type weakness to a 2x weakness, removes its Electric- and Water-type weaknesses (though Drought reduces the Water-type weakness on Mega Charizard Y as well), and gives it a neutrality to Fairy despite it being a Dragon-type. Mega Charizard X also has a very useful surprise factor, as opponents may find their typical Charizard counters, such as Electric-types, ineffective against Mega Charizard X. However, Charizard does have its share of problems, notably its middling Speed when compared to threats such as Mega Diancie and Mega Metagross. Mega Diancie in particular is common and powerful, which forces Charizard teams to play extra carefully. Charizard also has weaknesses to a few common offensive types, with Mega Charizard Y being weak to Electric-, Rock-, and Water-type moves and Mega Charizard X being weak to Rock-, Dragon-, and Ground-type moves. In addition, Charizard does not take neutral hits particularly well, meaning that you have to be careful when bringing Charizard on to the field. Mega Charizard X also has the unfortunate issue of having its best attack, Flare Blitz, wear it down quickly due to recoil.
[SET]
name: Sun Attacker
move 1: Heat Wave
move 2: Solar Beam
move 3: Protect
move 4: Overheat / Focus Blast
item: Charizardite Y
ability: Blaze
nature: Modest
evs: 248 HP / 64 Def / 88 SpA / 108 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Heat Wave provides Mega Charizard Y with a reliable STAB attack, and because it is a spread move boosted under the sun, it allows Mega Charizard Y to deal massive amounts of combined damage against the opposing team. Solar Beam hits the Water- and Rock-type Pokemon that resist Heat Wave for super effective damage. Protect allows Charizard to scout for moves, block Fake Out and status inflictions, and stall out opposing field conditions. Lastly, Overheat provides Charizard with a "nuke" option, as it is able to deal huge damage against even Pokemon that resist it. Focus Blast is an alternative move that provides coverage against Pokemon that can take Charizard's other attacks with ease, such as Heatran and Tyranitar.
Set Details
========
248 HP EVs and 64 Def EVs allow Mega Charizard Y to always survive a Return from Adamant Mega Kangaskhan. 108 Speed EVs ensure that Charizard always outruns maximum Speed Breloom, as well as other positive-natured base 70 Speed Pokemon, which allows it to KO Breloom before being hit by Spore. The remaining EVs are dumped placed into Special Attack to hit as hard as possible. 248 HP EVs are the most EVs possible that still allow Charizard to switch in on Stealth Rock twice, though Stealth Rock is incredibly rare in Doubles OU. Alternative spreads include the traditional 252 SpA / 252 Spe with a Timid or Modest nature, though that spread is not very effective in the current metagame, and another spread of 248 HP / 144 Def / 8 SpA / 108 Spe, which allows Charizard to always survive a Rock Slide from an Adamant Landorus-T and have a 50% chance to OHKO back with Overheat.
Usage Tips
========
Mega Charizard Y is an incredibly simple Pokemon to use; generally, the hardest part of using it is finding the right time to get it onto the field. However, once Mega Charizard Y is in, the goal is to spam Heat Wave until something on the opposing side forces Charizard out, as a sun-boosted Heat Wave takes large chunks of HP out of both opposing Pokemon, assuming that neither foe resists it. Coverage options are used when needed, though you should be careful when using Solar Beam if the opposing team has a sand or rain setter, as Solar Beam takes two turns to charge instead of one without sun. Overheat should only be used when you desperately need something KOed or if you are okay with switching Charizard out immediately afterwards. Use Protect when needed, such as to scout for an opposing weather setter to switch in before you Mega Evolve Charizard. During weather wars, it is a generally good idea to keep Charizard in the back to switch in once the opposing team has already set their weather, as Charizard can then come in to negate it.
Team Options
========
Venusaur is an excellent partner for Mega Charizard Y due to Chlorophyll doubling Venusaur's Speed under sun, and they cover each other's weaknesses well. Venusaur can switch in on most common Electric-type attacks easily, and under the sun it can outspeed and deal heavy damage to a lot of common Water-, Rock-, and Ground-type Pokemon. It also has access to Sleep Powder, so it can act as a buffer against Trick Room teams, which give Mega Charizard Y trouble. Heatran enjoys using sun-boosted Heat Waves and, together with Charizard Y, creates a devastating offensive force under the sun. Aegislash is an excellent partner for Mega Charizard Y, as it is an excellent check to Rock-types (namely Diancie), works well against Trick Room and all other manners of speed control, and also has access to Wide Guard, which helps Charizard against Diancie and Rock Slide users. Scrafty is a good partner due to its access to Intimidate, which helps versus physical attackers, as well as being able to work effectively against Rock-types apart from Diancie. Terrakion is also a good partner, as it can break past the likes of Heatran, Kangaskhan, and Tyranitar with ease, and its own Water-type weakness is mitigated by Drought. Both Rhydon and Rhyperior make for good partners for Mega Charizard Y, as they both have access to Lightning Rod to redirect Electric-type moves from Charizard and are able to beat common Charizard checks, particularly Diancie, with ease. Cresselia is a good option due to its bulk and access to Icy Wind and Tailwind, both of which alleviate Mega Charizard Y's issues against fast Pokemon. Calm Mind Cresselia also enjoys Drought, as Moonlight recovers more HP in the sun. Latios also pairs well with Mega Charizard Y and can support it with Tailwind. Landorus-T can support Mega Charizard Y thanks to its ability to beat threatening Rock-types, access to a fast pivoting move and Intimidate, and immunity to Electric-type attacks. Charizard appreciates Wide Guard, with the most noteworthy user being Aegislash. Lastly, Quash / Will-O-Wisp Sableye is a fun partner for Charizard, as Quash allows Charizard to move ahead of Pokemon that can otherwise beat it and OHKO them with Overheat, and Will-O-Wisp can severely cripple physical attackers, which affords Charizard more room to operate, as it then does not have to worry as much about physical attacks.
[SET]
name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Flare Blitz
move 2: Dragon Claw
move 3: Protect
move 4: Dragon Dance
item: Charizardite X
ability: Blaze
nature: Adamant
evs: 48 HP / 216 Atk / 16 Def / 228 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Flare Blitz is Mega Charizard X's strongest attack and can OHKO most of the metagame after one boost. Dragon Claw is a safe move to use if your opponent's team is already weakened, and unlike Flare Blitz, it doesn't have recoil, allowing Mega Charizard X to stick around longer. Protect allows Mega Charizard X to scout for moves, block Fake Out and status inflictions, and stall out opposing field conditions. Dragon Dance boosts Mega Charizard X's Attack and Speed, making it very threatening.
Set Details
========
With 48 HP EVs and 16 Defense EVs, Mega Charizard X can survive Adamant Landorus-T's Earthquake after factoring in spread damage. The Speed investment allows it to outspeed fully invested, positive-natured Deoxys-A at +1, and the rest of the EVs are placed into Attack. An Adamant nature is used over Jolly, as Dragon Dance makes up for the initial loss in Speed.
Usage Tips
========
The key to using Mega Charizard X is to find a free turn to set up a Dragon Dance before proceeding to break apart the opposing team. Free turns can be found against Electric-types and certain Water-types; for example, both Swampert and Keldeo can deal massive damage to Mega Charizard X, but Suicune struggles to dish out relevant damage to it. A useful thing to remember is that most people assume Charizard will be holding Charizardite Y, so use that to your advantage, such as by setting up on Wide Guard users. Generally speaking, it is best to keep Mega Charizard X in the back until its checks and counters have been weakened or KOed and it is able to set up and clean the rest of the opposing team. Saving it for later also maintains the mind game as to whether it's Mega Charizard Y or Mega Charizard X.
Team Options
========
Clefairy, Jirachi, and Amoonguss are all viable users of Follow Me or Rage Powder and can drastically ease Mega Charizard X's setup; Jirachi can also offer speed control with Thunder Wave, Clefairy can bolster Charizard's Defense thanks to Friend Guard, and Amoonguss can help it set up Dragon Dance with Spore support as well. Aegislash is an excellent partner for Mega Charizard X, as it is an excellent check to Rock-types (namely Diancie), works well against Trick Room and all other methods of speed control, and also has access to Wide Guard, which helps Charizard out against Diancie and Rock Slide users. Scrafty is a good partner due to its access to Intimidate, which helps versus physical attackers, as well as its ability to work effectively against Rock-types besides Diancie. Terrakion is also a good partner, as it can break past the likes of Heatran, Kangaskhan, and Tyranitar with ease. Both Rhydon and Rhyperior make for good partners for Mega Charizard X, as they both have access to Lightning Rod to redirect Thunder Wave away from Charizard and are able to beat common Charizard checks, such as Diancie, with ease. Cresselia is a good option due to its bulk and access to Icy Wind and Tailwind, both of which alleviate Mega Charizard X's issues against fast Pokemon. Landorus-T can support Mega Charizard X thanks to its ability to beat threatening Rock-types and its access to both a fast pivoting move and Intimidate, though it has to be careful about using Earthquake, as Mega Charizard X is not immune to Ground-type attacks. Charizard appreciates Wide Guard support, with the most noteworthy user being Aegislash. Defiant and Competitive users such as Bisharp and Milotic can make for good partners for Mega Charizard X by discouraging opponents from bringing in Intimidate users. Bisharp also works well against common Trick Room setters and can put opposing Pokemon that survive a +1 Flare Blitz into KO range thanks to its powerful Sucker Punch. Milotic does a good job at breaking past bulkier Rock-types thanks to its Water typing, and it also beats Heatran, which otherwise walls Mega Charizard X with ease. Shaymin-S is also a great partner, as it easily breaks past bulky Water-, Rock-, and Ground-types and is great at creating free turns with Air Slash. Water-types such as Keldeo and Azumarill also help to beat Heatran as well; Keldeo can also use Quick Guard to spare Charizard from Prankster Thunder Wave from Thundurus-I.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
On Mega Charizard Y, Fire Blast can be used over Overheat, as it still hits really hard and does not drop Charizard's Special Attack, though it is slightly weaker and has shakier accuracy. Flamethrower can also be used to get around Wide Guard, and it deals significant single-target damage without any of the drawbacks of Overheat or Fire Blast, but it is quite a bit weaker than both. Sunny Day and Tailwind are also interesting choices on Mega Charizard Y; Tailwind makes up for its mediocre base Speed, and Sunny Day provides a way to punish Politoed switch-ins. On Mega Charizard Y, Hidden Power Ground can be used to hit Heatran more reliably than Focus Blast does but has almost zero utility outside of that. Mega Charizard X can run Earthquake so that it is not hard countered by Heatran. Fire Punch can be used over Flare Blitz if you do not want to deal with the recoil, but it is much much weaker. Roost can be used for longevity on either Mega Evolution; it is particularly helpful on Mega Charizard X due to the recoil from Flare Blitz. Will-O-Wisp is also an option to punish certain switch-ins, but it is not a very reliable option.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Offensive Typing Advantage**: Mega Charizard Y suffers from limited coverage, which lets certain foes such as Latios and Hydreigon switch in and hit it back with minimal risk. Heatran can easily switch in and set up on any Charizard lacking Focus Blast or Hidden Power Ground. Mega Charizard X suffers from the same issues, but unlike Mega Charizard Y, it does not have as much freedom to run coverage moves, so it is easily hard countered by Pokemon such as Azumarill and Heatran.
**Opposing Weather**: Politoed completely shuts down Mega Charizard Y, weakening its Fire-type STAB attacks in addition to rendering Solar Beam virtually useless. Tyranitar can easily switch in on Mega Charizard Y, lacking Focus Blast. Mega Charizard X has a slightly better matchup versus opposing weather setters, though both rain and sand force it to rely on Dragon Claw.
**Speed**: Faster Pokemon such as Terrakion, Deoxys-A, Choice Scarf Landorus-T, and Mega Diancie can outspeed and deal massive damage to both Charizard formes, if not outright OHKO them. Maximum Speed Mega Kangaskhan outspeeds standard Charizard and deals massive damage to both formes as well, and Sucker Punch lets it pick off weakened Charizard if it fails to OHKO it. Talonflame can always outrun both forms of Charizard and dish out massive damage. Weather sweepers such as Ludicolo and Excadrill can outrun and OHKO Charizard in rain and sand, respectively.
**Speed Control**: Trick Room lets slow opposing Pokemon such as Rhyperior, Mega Camerupt, and Mega Ampharos outrun and deal massive damage to, if not OHKO, both Charizard formes. With Tailwind support, Pokemon that would normally be beaten by Charizard, such as fast Rhyperior, are able to outspeed and KO it. Neither forme wants to be hit with Thunder Wave.
**Utility Moves**: Although it's uncommon, Stealth Rock severely reduces Mega Charizard Y's staying power, taking just shy of 50% of its HP every time it switches in. Encore can lock Mega Charizard X into Dragon Dance, forcing it to either switch out or stall out. Wide Guard prevents Mega Charizard Y from spamming Heat Wave, which is what it will normally be doing.
In Doubles OU, while Mega Charizard Y is one of the top three Mega Pokemon, is one of the best Pokemon in the metagame, and can fit easily on most teams, Mega Charizard X serves as more of a niche option and needs heavy team support to work at its best. One of Mega Charizard Y's key selling points is Drought, which gives it excellent utility as a weather setter and, more importantly, complements its already powerful Special Attack by providing a 50% damage boost to its Fire-type moves, which lets its Heat Wave take huge chunks of HP out of any opposing Pokemon that does not resist it. What Mega Charizard X brings to the table is the fact that it is a physical setup sweeper that is immune to burns, though its typing is also very useful, as it reduces Charizard's 4x Rock-type weakness to a 2x weakness, removes its Electric- and Water-type weaknesses (though Drought reduces the Water-type weakness on Mega Charizard Y as well), and gives it a neutrality to Fairy despite it being a Dragon-type. Mega Charizard X also has a very useful surprise factor, as opponents may find their typical Charizard counters, such as Electric-types, ineffective against Mega Charizard X. However, Charizard does have its share of problems, notably its middling Speed when compared to threats such as Mega Diancie and Mega Metagross. Mega Diancie in particular is common and powerful, which forces Charizard teams to play extra carefully. Charizard also has weaknesses to a few common offensive types, with Mega Charizard Y being weak to Electric-, Rock-, and Water-type moves and Mega Charizard X being weak to Rock-, Dragon-, and Ground-type moves. In addition, Charizard does not take neutral hits particularly well, meaning that you have to be careful when bringing Charizard on to the field. Mega Charizard X also has the unfortunate issue of having its best attack, Flare Blitz, wear it down quickly due to recoil.
[SET]
name: Sun Attacker
move 1: Heat Wave
move 2: Solar Beam
move 3: Protect
move 4: Overheat / Focus Blast
item: Charizardite Y
ability: Blaze
nature: Modest
evs: 248 HP / 64 Def / 88 SpA / 108 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Heat Wave provides Mega Charizard Y with a reliable STAB attack, and because it is a spread move boosted under the sun, it allows Mega Charizard Y to deal massive amounts of combined damage against the opposing team. Solar Beam hits the Water- and Rock-type Pokemon that resist Heat Wave for super effective damage. Protect allows Charizard to scout for moves, block Fake Out and status inflictions, and stall out opposing field conditions. Lastly, Overheat provides Charizard with a "nuke" option, as it is able to deal huge damage against even Pokemon that resist it. Focus Blast is an alternative move that provides coverage against Pokemon that can take Charizard's other attacks with ease, such as Heatran and Tyranitar.
Set Details
========
248 HP EVs and 64 Def EVs allow Mega Charizard Y to always survive a Return from Adamant Mega Kangaskhan. 108 Speed EVs ensure that Charizard always outruns maximum Speed Breloom, as well as other positive-natured base 70 Speed Pokemon, which allows it to KO Breloom before being hit by Spore. The remaining EVs are dumped placed into Special Attack to hit as hard as possible. 248 HP EVs are the most EVs possible that still allow Charizard to switch in on Stealth Rock twice, though Stealth Rock is incredibly rare in Doubles OU. Alternative spreads include the traditional 252 SpA / 252 Spe with a Timid or Modest nature, though that spread is not very effective in the current metagame, and another spread of 248 HP / 144 Def / 8 SpA / 108 Spe, which allows Charizard to always survive a Rock Slide from an Adamant Landorus-T and have a 50% chance to OHKO back with Overheat.
Usage Tips
========
Mega Charizard Y is an incredibly simple Pokemon to use; generally, the hardest part of using it is finding the right time to get it onto the field. However, once Mega Charizard Y is in, the goal is to spam Heat Wave until something on the opposing side forces Charizard out, as a sun-boosted Heat Wave takes large chunks of HP out of both opposing Pokemon, assuming that neither foe resists it. Coverage options are used when needed, though you should be careful when using Solar Beam if the opposing team has a sand or rain setter, as Solar Beam takes two turns to charge instead of one without sun. Overheat should only be used when you desperately need something KOed or if you are okay with switching Charizard out immediately afterwards. Use Protect when needed, such as to scout for an opposing weather setter to switch in before you Mega Evolve Charizard. During weather wars, it is a generally good idea to keep Charizard in the back to switch in once the opposing team has already set their weather, as Charizard can then come in to negate it.
Team Options
========
Venusaur is an excellent partner for Mega Charizard Y due to Chlorophyll doubling Venusaur's Speed under sun, and they cover each other's weaknesses well. Venusaur can switch in on most common Electric-type attacks easily, and under the sun it can outspeed and deal heavy damage to a lot of common Water-, Rock-, and Ground-type Pokemon. It also has access to Sleep Powder, so it can act as a buffer against Trick Room teams, which give Mega Charizard Y trouble. Heatran enjoys using sun-boosted Heat Waves and, together with Charizard Y, creates a devastating offensive force under the sun. Aegislash is an excellent partner for Mega Charizard Y, as it is an excellent check to Rock-types (namely Diancie), works well against Trick Room and all other manners of speed control, and also has access to Wide Guard, which helps Charizard against Diancie and Rock Slide users. Scrafty is a good partner due to its access to Intimidate, which helps versus physical attackers, as well as being able to work effectively against Rock-types apart from Diancie. Terrakion is also a good partner, as it can break past the likes of Heatran, Kangaskhan, and Tyranitar with ease, and its own Water-type weakness is mitigated by Drought. Both Rhydon and Rhyperior make for good partners for Mega Charizard Y, as they both have access to Lightning Rod to redirect Electric-type moves from Charizard and are able to beat common Charizard checks, particularly Diancie, with ease. Cresselia is a good option due to its bulk and access to Icy Wind and Tailwind, both of which alleviate Mega Charizard Y's issues against fast Pokemon. Calm Mind Cresselia also enjoys Drought, as Moonlight recovers more HP in the sun. Latios also pairs well with Mega Charizard Y and can support it with Tailwind. Landorus-T can support Mega Charizard Y thanks to its ability to beat threatening Rock-types, access to a fast pivoting move and Intimidate, and immunity to Electric-type attacks. Charizard appreciates Wide Guard, with the most noteworthy user being Aegislash. Lastly, Quash / Will-O-Wisp Sableye is a fun partner for Charizard, as Quash allows Charizard to move ahead of Pokemon that can otherwise beat it and OHKO them with Overheat, and Will-O-Wisp can severely cripple physical attackers, which affords Charizard more room to operate, as it then does not have to worry as much about physical attacks.
[SET]
name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Flare Blitz
move 2: Dragon Claw
move 3: Protect
move 4: Dragon Dance
item: Charizardite X
ability: Blaze
nature: Adamant
evs: 48 HP / 216 Atk / 16 Def / 228 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Flare Blitz is Mega Charizard X's strongest attack and can OHKO most of the metagame after one boost. Dragon Claw is a safe move to use if your opponent's team is already weakened, and unlike Flare Blitz, it doesn't have recoil, allowing Mega Charizard X to stick around longer. Protect allows Mega Charizard X to scout for moves, block Fake Out and status inflictions, and stall out opposing field conditions. Dragon Dance boosts Mega Charizard X's Attack and Speed, making it very threatening.
Set Details
========
With 48 HP EVs and 16 Defense EVs, Mega Charizard X can survive Adamant Landorus-T's Earthquake after factoring in spread damage. The Speed investment allows it to outspeed fully invested, positive-natured Deoxys-A at +1, and the rest of the EVs are placed into Attack. An Adamant nature is used over Jolly, as Dragon Dance makes up for the initial loss in Speed.
Usage Tips
========
The key to using Mega Charizard X is to find a free turn to set up a Dragon Dance before proceeding to break apart the opposing team. Free turns can be found against Electric-types and certain Water-types; for example, both Swampert and Keldeo can deal massive damage to Mega Charizard X, but Suicune struggles to dish out relevant damage to it. A useful thing to remember is that most people assume Charizard will be holding Charizardite Y, so use that to your advantage, such as by setting up on Wide Guard users. Generally speaking, it is best to keep Mega Charizard X in the back until its checks and counters have been weakened or KOed and it is able to set up and clean the rest of the opposing team. Saving it for later also maintains the mind game as to whether it's Mega Charizard Y or Mega Charizard X.
Team Options
========
Clefairy, Jirachi, and Amoonguss are all viable users of Follow Me or Rage Powder and can drastically ease Mega Charizard X's setup; Jirachi can also offer speed control with Thunder Wave, Clefairy can bolster Charizard's Defense thanks to Friend Guard, and Amoonguss can help it set up Dragon Dance with Spore support as well. Aegislash is an excellent partner for Mega Charizard X, as it is an excellent check to Rock-types (namely Diancie), works well against Trick Room and all other methods of speed control, and also has access to Wide Guard, which helps Charizard out against Diancie and Rock Slide users. Scrafty is a good partner due to its access to Intimidate, which helps versus physical attackers, as well as its ability to work effectively against Rock-types besides Diancie. Terrakion is also a good partner, as it can break past the likes of Heatran, Kangaskhan, and Tyranitar with ease. Both Rhydon and Rhyperior make for good partners for Mega Charizard X, as they both have access to Lightning Rod to redirect Thunder Wave away from Charizard and are able to beat common Charizard checks, such as Diancie, with ease. Cresselia is a good option due to its bulk and access to Icy Wind and Tailwind, both of which alleviate Mega Charizard X's issues against fast Pokemon. Landorus-T can support Mega Charizard X thanks to its ability to beat threatening Rock-types and its access to both a fast pivoting move and Intimidate, though it has to be careful about using Earthquake, as Mega Charizard X is not immune to Ground-type attacks. Charizard appreciates Wide Guard support, with the most noteworthy user being Aegislash. Defiant and Competitive users such as Bisharp and Milotic can make for good partners for Mega Charizard X by discouraging opponents from bringing in Intimidate users. Bisharp also works well against common Trick Room setters and can put opposing Pokemon that survive a +1 Flare Blitz into KO range thanks to its powerful Sucker Punch. Milotic does a good job at breaking past bulkier Rock-types thanks to its Water typing, and it also beats Heatran, which otherwise walls Mega Charizard X with ease. Shaymin-S is also a great partner, as it easily breaks past bulky Water-, Rock-, and Ground-types and is great at creating free turns with Air Slash. Water-types such as Keldeo and Azumarill also help to beat Heatran as well; Keldeo can also use Quick Guard to spare Charizard from Prankster Thunder Wave from Thundurus-I.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
On Mega Charizard Y, Fire Blast can be used over Overheat, as it still hits really hard and does not drop Charizard's Special Attack, though it is slightly weaker and has shakier accuracy. Flamethrower can also be used to get around Wide Guard, and it deals significant single-target damage without any of the drawbacks of Overheat or Fire Blast, but it is quite a bit weaker than both. Sunny Day and Tailwind are also interesting choices on Mega Charizard Y; Tailwind makes up for its mediocre base Speed, and Sunny Day provides a way to punish Politoed switch-ins. On Mega Charizard Y, Hidden Power Ground can be used to hit Heatran more reliably than Focus Blast does but has almost zero utility outside of that. Mega Charizard X can run Earthquake so that it is not hard countered by Heatran. Fire Punch can be used over Flare Blitz if you do not want to deal with the recoil, but it is much much weaker. Roost can be used for longevity on either Mega Evolution; it is particularly helpful on Mega Charizard X due to the recoil from Flare Blitz. Will-O-Wisp is also an option to punish certain switch-ins, but it is not a very reliable option.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Offensive Typing Advantage**: Mega Charizard Y suffers from limited coverage, which lets certain foes such as Latios and Hydreigon switch in and hit it back with minimal risk. Heatran can easily switch in and set up on any Charizard lacking Focus Blast or Hidden Power Ground. Mega Charizard X suffers from the same issues, but unlike Mega Charizard Y, it does not have as much freedom to run coverage moves, so it is easily hard countered by Pokemon such as Azumarill and Heatran.
**Opposing Weather**: Politoed completely shuts down Mega Charizard Y, weakening its Fire-type STAB attacks in addition to rendering Solar Beam virtually useless. Tyranitar can easily switch in on Mega Charizard Y, lacking Focus Blast. Mega Charizard X has a slightly better matchup versus opposing weather setters, though both rain and sand force it to rely on Dragon Claw.
**Speed**: Faster Pokemon such as Terrakion, Deoxys-A, Choice Scarf Landorus-T, and Mega Diancie can outspeed and deal massive damage to both Charizard formes, if not outright OHKO them. Maximum Speed Mega Kangaskhan outspeeds standard Charizard and deals massive damage to both formes as well, and Sucker Punch lets it pick off weakened Charizard if it fails to OHKO it. Talonflame can always outrun both forms of Charizard and dish out massive damage. Weather sweepers such as Ludicolo and Excadrill can outrun and OHKO Charizard in rain and sand, respectively.
**Speed Control**: Trick Room lets slow opposing Pokemon such as Rhyperior, Mega Camerupt, and Mega Ampharos outrun and deal massive damage to, if not OHKO, both Charizard formes. With Tailwind support, Pokemon that would normally be beaten by Charizard, such as fast Rhyperior, are able to outspeed and KO it. Neither forme wants to be hit with Thunder Wave.
**Utility Moves**: Although it's uncommon, Stealth Rock severely reduces Mega Charizard Y's staying power, taking just shy of 50% of its HP every time it switches in. Encore can lock Mega Charizard X into Dragon Dance, forcing it to either switch out or stall out. Wide Guard prevents Mega Charizard Y from spamming Heat Wave, which is what it will normally be doing.
[OVERVIEW]
- gets 2 megas: charizard y which is a top 3 mega in doubles ou, and charizard x which is an okay setup attacker and exists primarily for fan service
- zard y has drought which gives it a key niche in being a weather setter that doesnt suck and also turns it into a ridiculously strong special attacker -> sun-boosted heatwaves are taking a large chunk from anything that doesnt resist it
- zard x looks badass, but more importantly is a physical sweeper that is immune to burns, and more importantly removes zards 4x rock weakness, its electric weakness, it's water weakness (though drought sort of does this on zard y), and is a dragon type that's not weak to fairy and ice type attacks, though it does add on a ground weakness
- not a fan of opposing speed control like twind or trick room
- completely dicked by mega diancie
- 100 spe is not what it used to be
- Y is weak to electric, rock, and water types; Z is weak to rock, dragon, and ground. all of those are p common offensive types
- mega diancie exists (diancie will be a recurring theme throughout)
- ZARD Y IS BETTER
- Zard x is hurt by having its best set a DD set and that its best move is suicidal
[SET]
name: SUN ATTACKER
move 1: Heat Wave
move 2: Solar Beam
move 3: Protect
move 4: Overheat / Focus Blast
item: Charizardite Y
ability: Blaze
nature: Modest
evs: 248 HP / 64 Def / 88 Spa / 108 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
- Heat Wave is a reliable STAB move that is also spread, and backed by a sun boost it can quickly rack up massive amounts of damage against the opposing team
- Solar Beam so zard doesn't get shutdown by water-types that arent named politoed
- Protect because doubles reasons
- Focus Blast is mainly for hitting Heatran and tyranitar
- Overheat hits everything else obnoxiously hard
Set Details
========
- HP + Def always lives Adamant Kangaskhans return
- HP also lets zard switch in on rocks 2 times if someone ever brings them
- Speed outruns positive max 70's -> Breloom and that one dude who has jolly bisharp
- Rest in special attack to hit hard
- Modest for more damage and because timid would be useless
- Alternative spread of 252 Spa / 252 Spe with a timid / modest nature can be used but isn't as effective in 2015
- Alternative spread of 248 HP / 144 Def / 8 Spa / 108 Spe always lives an Adamant Landorus-T's Rock Slide and has a 50% chance to OHKO it with Overheat
Usage Tips
========
- come in and start using heat wave on everything in your way
- use coverage when needed, for instance solar beaming that rotom-w before it tbolts you or focus blasting that heatran
- only use overheat when you desperately need something dead and are okay with switching out afterwards
- protect when you need to: scout, let a partner finish something off, waste turns to stall out field conditions or rack up chip damage to get something into ko range
- best to keep zard in the back during weather wars to get it in when the opp has their weather up so you can negate it
- be careful solar beaming against teams with politoed since if it switches in you're dicked
Team Options
========
- chlorosaur x chary otp: gets 2x speed under sun, readily absorbs electric type moves, good vs rain, checks water, ground and rocks, has sleep powder to help vs trick room
- aegislash for trick room check, rock check, wide guard, dicking diancie which technically falls under rock check
- fighting-types like scrafty are good partners because intimidate helps versus physical attackers, as well as being able to work effectively against rock types not named diancie, terrakion is also a good partner as it can break past the likes of heatran, kangaskhan, and tyranitar with ease, and its own water weakness is mitigated by drought
- rhydon / rhyperior have access to lightning rod to redirect electric type moves from zard as well as being able to beat common zard checks (like diancie) with ease. zard beats grass types for them, and drought helps reduce that water weakness /sorta/
- Lando-t -> intimidate + diancie
- speed control homies: latios, cresselia
- Heatran loves it some sun-boosted heatwaves
- wide guard user: technically you can use like conkeldurr and hitmontop, but aegislash is a thing
- Quash / WoW Sableye; quash because char y can take chunks without having to worry about being outrun and wow because it likes crippled physical attackers
[SET]
name: DRAGON DANCE
move 1: Flare Blitz
move 2: Dragon Claw
move 3: Protect
move 4: Dragon Dance
item: Charizardite X
ability: Blaze
nature: Adamant
evs: 48 HP / 216 Atk / 16 Def / 228 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
- Flare Blitz is Zard X's strongest attack and at +1 will force any unprepared opponent to pick a god and pray
- Dragon Claw is a secondary STAB move and works out fine if your opponents team is already weakened, and unlike flare blitz it doesn't have recoil, allowing Zard X to stick around longer
- Protect because doubles reasons
- Dragon Dance because setting up and instilling the fear of god into your opponent is half the reason to use Zard X
Set Details
========
- HP + Def always lives adamant landorus-T's earthquake factoring in spread
- Speed outruns Deoxys-A and things at that speed tier at +1
- Rest in attack to hit as hard as possible
- Adamant over Jolly because you're going to be using Dragon Dance
Usage Tips
========
- find a free turn, set up, blitz through the blood of your enemies
- said free turns can be found via: electric types, certain water types (dont try this vs swampert or keldeo, but suicune aint doing shit), fairy types not named Diancie or a mega mawile being used by a particularly brave opponent
- most people assume anyone using a zard is going to be using Y, so use that to your advantage, such as setting up on wide guard users
- protect when you need to: scout, let a partner finish something off, waste turns to stall out field conditions or rack up chip damage to get something into ko range
- best to keep zard in the back to 1) maintain the mindgame as to whether or not it's zard y or x, 2) weaken the opposing team so that zard can clean up easier, 3) find the opportune time to come in and start dancing
Team Options
========
- follow me users to ease the whole "setup and sweep" process -> amoonguss and jirachi are the best choices as they both help vs diancie
- aegislash for trick room check, rock check, wide guard, dicking diancie which technically falls under rock check
- fighting-types like scrafty are good partners because intimidate helps versus physical attackers, as well as being able to work effectively against rock types not named diancie, terrakion is also a good partner as it can break past the likes of heatran, kangaskhan, and tyranitar with ease, and its own water weakness is mitigated by drought
- rhydon / rhyperior have access to lightning rod to redirect t-waves from zard as well as being able to beat common zard checks (like diancie) with ease. zard beats grass types for them.
- lando-t-> intimidate + diancie
- speed control homies: latios, cresselia
- wide guard users: see above
- bisharp -> defiant discourages intimidate
- shaymin-s breaks past bulky waters, rocks and ground types and is great at buying free turns with air slash
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
- Fire Blast hits really hard without the 2x drop of overheat on zard Y
- Roost for survivability, is also helpful on X because that thing is about as self-destructive as a 60's era rock star
- hidden power ground: more reliable than focus blast versus heatran but that is literally the only reason to use it
- Will-o-Wisp because sometimes a switch to a check is /that/ obvious
- Tailwind to make up for that mediocre base speed stat
- Earthquake on X so heatran doesnt just sit in front of it and laugh though the 4mss is real
- Fire Punch in case you dont want that recoil though it is sooooo much weaker lmao
Checks and Counters
===================
**Offensive Typing Advantage**:
- limited coverage lets certain things switch in and hit it back with minimal risk, such as certain dragons such as latios and hydreigon. Heatran can easily switch in and set up on any charizard lacking focus blast
- zard x suffers the same issues but unlike zard y it doesnt have as much freedom to run coverage moves: notable hard counter: azumarill and heatran
**Opposing Weather**:
- politoed can just switch-in on zard y whenever it wants, tyranitar can as well if it doesn't have focus blast
- zard x is forced to use dragon claw as its primary attack versus rain and sand as flare blitz does a pittance to toed and tar
**Speed**:
- MEGA DIANCIE
- faster pokemon such as terrakion, deoxys, scarf landorus-t, and latios can outspeed and deal massive damage to both forms, if not outright ohko
- max speed kangaskhan can outspeed and deal massive damage to both forms as well, and sucker punch lets it clean up the turn after if it fails to get the ko
- talonflame can always outrun both forms of zard and do massive damage
- weather sweepers such as ludicolo and excadrill can outrun and ohko charizard in their respective weather conditions
- MEGA DIANCIE IS FASTER THAN ZARD
**Speed Control**:
- Trick Room lets mons such as rhyperior, mega camerupt, and ampharos outrun and deal massive damage (if not ohko) to both forms of charizard
- Tailwind lets more pokemon outrun charizard that it would normally beat such as fast rhyperior
- Thunder Wave, neither set wants anything to do with that move unless it's being used on their opponent
**Utility Moves**:
- Encore can lock zard x into dragon dance forcing it to either switch out or gut it out
- Wide Guard prevents zard y from spamming heat wave
- stealth rocks are uncommon but really reduce the staying power of charizard
- gets 2 megas: charizard y which is a top 3 mega in doubles ou, and charizard x which is an okay setup attacker and exists primarily for fan service
- zard y has drought which gives it a key niche in being a weather setter that doesnt suck and also turns it into a ridiculously strong special attacker -> sun-boosted heatwaves are taking a large chunk from anything that doesnt resist it
- zard x looks badass, but more importantly is a physical sweeper that is immune to burns, and more importantly removes zards 4x rock weakness, its electric weakness, it's water weakness (though drought sort of does this on zard y), and is a dragon type that's not weak to fairy and ice type attacks, though it does add on a ground weakness
- not a fan of opposing speed control like twind or trick room
- completely dicked by mega diancie
- 100 spe is not what it used to be
- Y is weak to electric, rock, and water types; Z is weak to rock, dragon, and ground. all of those are p common offensive types
- mega diancie exists (diancie will be a recurring theme throughout)
- ZARD Y IS BETTER
- Zard x is hurt by having its best set a DD set and that its best move is suicidal
[SET]
name: SUN ATTACKER
move 1: Heat Wave
move 2: Solar Beam
move 3: Protect
move 4: Overheat / Focus Blast
item: Charizardite Y
ability: Blaze
nature: Modest
evs: 248 HP / 64 Def / 88 Spa / 108 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
- Heat Wave is a reliable STAB move that is also spread, and backed by a sun boost it can quickly rack up massive amounts of damage against the opposing team
- Solar Beam so zard doesn't get shutdown by water-types that arent named politoed
- Protect because doubles reasons
- Focus Blast is mainly for hitting Heatran and tyranitar
- Overheat hits everything else obnoxiously hard
Set Details
========
- HP + Def always lives Adamant Kangaskhans return
- HP also lets zard switch in on rocks 2 times if someone ever brings them
- Speed outruns positive max 70's -> Breloom and that one dude who has jolly bisharp
- Rest in special attack to hit hard
- Modest for more damage and because timid would be useless
- Alternative spread of 252 Spa / 252 Spe with a timid / modest nature can be used but isn't as effective in 2015
- Alternative spread of 248 HP / 144 Def / 8 Spa / 108 Spe always lives an Adamant Landorus-T's Rock Slide and has a 50% chance to OHKO it with Overheat
Usage Tips
========
- come in and start using heat wave on everything in your way
- use coverage when needed, for instance solar beaming that rotom-w before it tbolts you or focus blasting that heatran
- only use overheat when you desperately need something dead and are okay with switching out afterwards
- protect when you need to: scout, let a partner finish something off, waste turns to stall out field conditions or rack up chip damage to get something into ko range
- best to keep zard in the back during weather wars to get it in when the opp has their weather up so you can negate it
- be careful solar beaming against teams with politoed since if it switches in you're dicked
Team Options
========
- chlorosaur x chary otp: gets 2x speed under sun, readily absorbs electric type moves, good vs rain, checks water, ground and rocks, has sleep powder to help vs trick room
- aegislash for trick room check, rock check, wide guard, dicking diancie which technically falls under rock check
- fighting-types like scrafty are good partners because intimidate helps versus physical attackers, as well as being able to work effectively against rock types not named diancie, terrakion is also a good partner as it can break past the likes of heatran, kangaskhan, and tyranitar with ease, and its own water weakness is mitigated by drought
- rhydon / rhyperior have access to lightning rod to redirect electric type moves from zard as well as being able to beat common zard checks (like diancie) with ease. zard beats grass types for them, and drought helps reduce that water weakness /sorta/
- Lando-t -> intimidate + diancie
- speed control homies: latios, cresselia
- Heatran loves it some sun-boosted heatwaves
- wide guard user: technically you can use like conkeldurr and hitmontop, but aegislash is a thing
- Quash / WoW Sableye; quash because char y can take chunks without having to worry about being outrun and wow because it likes crippled physical attackers
[SET]
name: DRAGON DANCE
move 1: Flare Blitz
move 2: Dragon Claw
move 3: Protect
move 4: Dragon Dance
item: Charizardite X
ability: Blaze
nature: Adamant
evs: 48 HP / 216 Atk / 16 Def / 228 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
- Flare Blitz is Zard X's strongest attack and at +1 will force any unprepared opponent to pick a god and pray
- Dragon Claw is a secondary STAB move and works out fine if your opponents team is already weakened, and unlike flare blitz it doesn't have recoil, allowing Zard X to stick around longer
- Protect because doubles reasons
- Dragon Dance because setting up and instilling the fear of god into your opponent is half the reason to use Zard X
Set Details
========
- HP + Def always lives adamant landorus-T's earthquake factoring in spread
- Speed outruns Deoxys-A and things at that speed tier at +1
- Rest in attack to hit as hard as possible
- Adamant over Jolly because you're going to be using Dragon Dance
Usage Tips
========
- find a free turn, set up, blitz through the blood of your enemies
- said free turns can be found via: electric types, certain water types (dont try this vs swampert or keldeo, but suicune aint doing shit), fairy types not named Diancie or a mega mawile being used by a particularly brave opponent
- most people assume anyone using a zard is going to be using Y, so use that to your advantage, such as setting up on wide guard users
- protect when you need to: scout, let a partner finish something off, waste turns to stall out field conditions or rack up chip damage to get something into ko range
- best to keep zard in the back to 1) maintain the mindgame as to whether or not it's zard y or x, 2) weaken the opposing team so that zard can clean up easier, 3) find the opportune time to come in and start dancing
Team Options
========
- follow me users to ease the whole "setup and sweep" process -> amoonguss and jirachi are the best choices as they both help vs diancie
- aegislash for trick room check, rock check, wide guard, dicking diancie which technically falls under rock check
- fighting-types like scrafty are good partners because intimidate helps versus physical attackers, as well as being able to work effectively against rock types not named diancie, terrakion is also a good partner as it can break past the likes of heatran, kangaskhan, and tyranitar with ease, and its own water weakness is mitigated by drought
- rhydon / rhyperior have access to lightning rod to redirect t-waves from zard as well as being able to beat common zard checks (like diancie) with ease. zard beats grass types for them.
- lando-t-> intimidate + diancie
- speed control homies: latios, cresselia
- wide guard users: see above
- bisharp -> defiant discourages intimidate
- shaymin-s breaks past bulky waters, rocks and ground types and is great at buying free turns with air slash
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
- Fire Blast hits really hard without the 2x drop of overheat on zard Y
- Roost for survivability, is also helpful on X because that thing is about as self-destructive as a 60's era rock star
- hidden power ground: more reliable than focus blast versus heatran but that is literally the only reason to use it
- Will-o-Wisp because sometimes a switch to a check is /that/ obvious
- Tailwind to make up for that mediocre base speed stat
- Earthquake on X so heatran doesnt just sit in front of it and laugh though the 4mss is real
- Fire Punch in case you dont want that recoil though it is sooooo much weaker lmao
Checks and Counters
===================
**Offensive Typing Advantage**:
- limited coverage lets certain things switch in and hit it back with minimal risk, such as certain dragons such as latios and hydreigon. Heatran can easily switch in and set up on any charizard lacking focus blast
- zard x suffers the same issues but unlike zard y it doesnt have as much freedom to run coverage moves: notable hard counter: azumarill and heatran
**Opposing Weather**:
- politoed can just switch-in on zard y whenever it wants, tyranitar can as well if it doesn't have focus blast
- zard x is forced to use dragon claw as its primary attack versus rain and sand as flare blitz does a pittance to toed and tar
**Speed**:
- MEGA DIANCIE
- faster pokemon such as terrakion, deoxys, scarf landorus-t, and latios can outspeed and deal massive damage to both forms, if not outright ohko
- max speed kangaskhan can outspeed and deal massive damage to both forms as well, and sucker punch lets it clean up the turn after if it fails to get the ko
- talonflame can always outrun both forms of zard and do massive damage
- weather sweepers such as ludicolo and excadrill can outrun and ohko charizard in their respective weather conditions
- MEGA DIANCIE IS FASTER THAN ZARD
**Speed Control**:
- Trick Room lets mons such as rhyperior, mega camerupt, and ampharos outrun and deal massive damage (if not ohko) to both forms of charizard
- Tailwind lets more pokemon outrun charizard that it would normally beat such as fast rhyperior
- Thunder Wave, neither set wants anything to do with that move unless it's being used on their opponent
**Utility Moves**:
- Encore can lock zard x into dragon dance forcing it to either switch out or gut it out
- Wide Guard prevents zard y from spamming heat wave
- stealth rocks are uncommon but really reduce the staying power of charizard
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