[OVERVIEW]
Magneton is a great special wallbreaker that utilizes its blend of offensive and defensive capabilities to generate momentum for offensive teams. Magneton's rare Steel typing gives it a wide array of resistances that enable it to check Pokemon like Skuntank, Vileplume, Jynx, and Regirock and Cradily lacking Earthquake. Not only this, but Magneton's shockingly high base 120 Special Attack paired with an almost unresisted STAB combination means it trades well against these Pokemon while pressuring switches with ease. Since these traits are usually enough for Magneton to function, its moveslots and abilities are flexible enough to cover weaker matchups.
However, Magneton isn't completely immovable and has its share of offensive shortcomings. Magneton's low base HP means it can take a sizable chunk of damage even from offensive Pokemon with attacks it can resist, and the same can be said for defensive Pokemon with Seismic Toss like Dusclops and Lickilicky. Magneton's base 70 Speed allows it to outpace a majority of defensive Pokemon, but it's slow compared to other mid-Speed wallbreakers in the tier such as Hitmonchan, Gardevoir, and Medicham, meaning it isn't hard to offensively check.
[SET]
Name: Substitute Attacker
Move 1: Thunderbolt
Move 2: Flash Cannon
Move 3: Hidden Power Ground / Magnet Rise
Move 4: Substitute
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Magnet Pull / Sturdy
Nature: Modest / Timid
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Substitute allows Magneton to create momentum against common defensive cores by capitalizing on switches and blocking status while also scouting for potential coverage options against Pokemon it can usually wall. Flash Cannon is a secondary STAB option that provides solid coverage with Thunderbolt, hitting Grass-types like Vileplume and Cradily as well as Ground-types like Nidoqueen and Sandslash while also dealing great damage to Regirock. Hidden Power Ground lets Magneton hit opposing Electric-types such as Manectric, Ampharos, and opposing Magneton, and it can hit Nidoqueen harder than Flash Cannon for better pressure. Magnet Rise is an option over Hidden Power Ground to wall Ground-types and other Pokemon that carry Earthquake to provide coverage for Magneton such as Regirock, Cradily, and Meganium, giving it the opportunity to create more Substitutes.
Magnet Pull allows Magneton to trap opposing Magneton and potentially OHKO it with Hidden Power Ground, but Sturdy can be used in its place to prevent Gardevoir from using Trace on Magnet Pull to trap Magneton. A Modest nature gives Magneton a better general damage output and lets it consistently 2HKO specially defensive Regirock with Flash Cannon, while a Timid nature can help it get a potential jump on neutral-natured Hitmonchan, Poliwrath, and Meganium.
Team Options
=========
Bulky offense teams appreciate Magneton's ability to break through defensive cores while providing its own defensive utility, turning its defensive traits into offensive momentum after Skuntank Pursuit traps or Vileplume and Jynx put a Pokemon to sleep. Slowking fits well with Magneton, reliably switching into Magneton's offensive checks such as Hitmonchan, Charizard, and Medicham while also spreading paralysis with Thunder Wave that Magneton can take advantage of with Substitute. Regirock can also switch into Charizard and spread paralysis while additionally providing Stealth Rock support and being a reliable Tauros switch-in. In turn, Magneton switches into Grass-type moves that threaten both of these Pokemon. In order for Substitute Magneton to set up, it appreciates Pokemon that can lure in its common entry points in Skuntank, Vileplume, and Articuno. Grass-types such as Cacturne, Shiftry, and Meganium are all able to draw in these Pokemon, while Pursuit-weak Pokemon such as Slowking, Drifblim, and Gardevoir tend to draw in Skuntank. Finally, Magneton appreciates teammates that can check opposing offensive teams that can overwhelm Magneton, such as Hitmonchan, Tauros, and Floatzel for reliable speed control and solid power.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Choice Scarf allows Magneton to revenge kill any unboosted Pokemon outside of Electrode while having decent defensive utility as a Choice Scarf user and a good STAB combination for late-game cleaning, but Magneton isn't an effective user of it because it's outsped by every other common Choice Scarf user and more vulnerable to getting trapped by opposing Magneton, making it prefer the defensive utility of Leftovers without having to Choice-lock. Other Hidden Power types such as Ice, Water, and Grass can be considered for Ground-types such as Gligar, Camerupt, Quagsire, and Gastrodon, but these Pokemon aren't common enough to warrant a moveslot compared to Hidden Power Ground. RestTalk allows Magneton to absorb sleep moves from Vileplume and Jynx reliably and gain recovery, yet Magneton is put into a difficult position by relying on the randomness of Sleep Talk to call its STAB moves, and it lacks offensive pressure compared to standard Magneton sets. Life Orb or Choice Specs can be used for a slight boost in power, but Magneton's initial power without boosting items is already sufficient. Metal Sound allows Magneton to break through bulky targets that can stall it out, such as bulky Meganium and Lickilicky, and it can force switches to spread entry hazard damage on the opposing team.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ground-types**: Specially defensive Nidoqueen is a common check to Magneton due to its bulk that lets it take Flash Cannon and Hidden Power Ground decently, and it can have coverage against Magnet Rise variants with Flamethrower or Fire Blast. Other common Ground-types such as Sandslash and Gligar can find entry on Thunderbolt but get 2HKOed by Flash Cannon. Gligar, however, gets the jump on Magneton while recovering damage it takes from Flash Cannon with Roost. Other Ground-types such as Camerupt, Quagsire, and Gastrodon are the most formidable Magneton checks in the tier, with typings that allow them to resist Flash Cannon and have a secondary STAB move for Magnet Rise Magneton, although these Pokemon are more difficult to fit onto teams.
**Fighting-types**: Hitmonchan, Medicham, and Poliwrath can serve as good offensive checks to Magneton, as even Choice Scarf Magneton can be outsped by Choice Scarf Hitmonchan and Medicham or hit by super effective STAB priority moves in Mach Punch and Vacuum Wave. However, these Pokemon take heavy damage from Magneton's Thunderbolt, usually limiting their entry to revenge killing. Cacturne, Shiftry, and Jynx can also run Fighting-type coverage in Focus Blast, Superpower, or Low Kick to prevent Magneton from walling them.
**Electric-types**: If Magneton lacks Hidden Power Ground, it finds itself lacking coverage for opposing Electric-types in the tier, which naturally pack coverage for it. Ampharos's special bulk lets it comfortably take Magneton's attacks while packing a Focus Blast that OHKOes it. While Manectric and Electrode have less bulk, they can also situationally find entry on Magneton's attacks and KO it with Flamethrower and Hidden Power Ground, respectively.
**Special Walls**": Some special walls that are neutral to Magneton's STAB combination like Lickilicky, Hypno, and Porygon2 can stall out Magneton, forcing it to rely on Flash Cannon's Special Defense drop, and favorably trade with it if they're carrying Seismic Toss.
**Trapping**: Magneton's Steel typing allows opposing Magnet Pull Magneton to trap and OHKO it if they're carrying Hidden Power Ground, and Gardevoir can use Trace on Magnet Pull to trap Magneton and OHKO it with Focus Blast or Hidden Power Ground.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/amity.619555/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/stories.400664/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/vivalospride.151509/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-blue-banana.649096/
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