[SET]
name: Trick + Iron Ball
move 1: Trick
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Meteor Mash
move 4: Explosion / Stealth Rock
item: Iron Ball
ability: Clear Body
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 HP / 236 Atk / 20 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Trick is one of Metagross’s best weapons to disable bulky Pokemon such as defensive Rotom-A, Skarmory, and Zapdos. Nothing in the game enjoys losing its item for an Iron Ball: Flying-types and Pokemon with Levitate despise being hit by Ground-type attacks, Spikes, and Toxic Spikes, offensive Pokemon are outsped by most of the metagame and gain a useless item, while defensive Pokemon lose their Leftovers. Earthquake pairs fantastically with Trick, as Metagross pressures many of its walls by outspeeding them and potentially 2HKOing them with a now super effective Earthquake. It also makes Metagross an excellent Jirachi check, as, if Metagross hits defensive Jirachi with Trick, it now outspeeds it and, even if it does get paralyzed, passively heals itself for most of the damage Iron Head does.
Meteor Mash is a great option to pressure Pokemon such as Latias, Tyranitar, and Gengar, as Metagross can only disable one Pokemon with an Iron Ball and still needs to pressure foes not hit hard enough by Earthquake. Explosion is another great option to take out bulkier Pokemon not hampered as much by Trick such as Hippowdon and Swampert, but Metagross can maximize its utility by setting up Stealth Rock as well, as it often can both disable a Pokemon with Trick and set it up.
Set Details
========
Metagross uses maximum HP EVs to survive various attackers such as Latias, Tyranitar, and Jirachi before it uses Trick and almost maximum Attack EVs to 2HKO Zapdos and Rotom-A and potentially 2HKO Skarmory with Earthquake after it uses Trick on them. The Speed investment allows Metagross to outspeed Starmie and Azelf after it uses Trick on them. Metagross typically uses at least 136 Attack EVs and an Adamant nature to 2HKO Zapdos and always break Suicune’s Substitute with Earthquake, but it can also invest in its bulk to survive more attacks. Some examples include 40 Defense EVs to survive Dragon Dance Gyarados' +1 Earthquake after two rounds of Stealth Rock and 56 Special Defense EVs to live Flygon’s Life Orb Fire Blast after a layer of Spikes and Stealth Rock. Should Metagross be required for pivoting purposes, a spread of 252 HP / 64 Atk / 20 Def / 152 SpeD / 20 Spe offers a comfortable switch-in to Latias's Draco Meteor and check to Dragon Dance Tyranitar, as it survives +1 Tyranitar Earthquake and OHKOes Tyranitar back after Stealth Rock.
Metagross can also use Trick with other detrimental items. Some examples include Flame Orb to ruin most physical attackers and chip defensive Pokemon such as Skarmory and Hippowdon (alongside Refresh to heal the burn if it can’t use Trick), Toxic Orb to poison bulky Ground- and Water-types, and Lagging Tail to make even the most boosted of Pokemon move second. However, none of these items are quite as effective as the Iron Ball.
Usage Tips
=======
Metagross typically tries to use Trick as soon as possible, as it is slower than the entire tier before it gives away its Iron Ball. While Metagross can wait for a better target, the advantage of neutering any foe and potentially gaining a useful item often outweighs the benefit. Opponents often switch their best Metagross check into it first anyways, while Metagross enjoys regaining its Speed so it can pressure Pokemon such as Clefable and slower Tyranitar. Metagross also should avoid Knock Off at all costs before it uses Trick; in DPP, Trick fails if either the user or the target is affected by Knock Off.
Before it uses Trick, Metagross should try to bluff having a more useful item. This is especially important against slower foes it threatens out such as Tyranitar, as it may try to absorb the Iron Ball and hit Metagross hard instead of switching to a good target. Metagross should also try to avoid taking too much damage switching in, as it often acts as a utility check and needs as much health as possible to survive strong attacks. If Metagross gains a detrimental item after it uses Trick, such as Black Sludge or a Choice item, it may be best to hold onto it so it can Trick it away later to a better target. Finally, note that Iron Ball disables Magnet Rise, meaning Magnezone cannot trap Metagross as long as it is at decent health.
Team Options
========
Trick + Iron Ball Metagross is fantastic on both bulkier teams as a way to open up bulky Pokemon and on more aggressive teams as a utility check. One of its best partners is Choice Scarf Flygon, as not only is it a great failsafe but also really enjoys being able to hit bulky Flying-types with Earthquake, often 2HKOing physically defensive Skarmory. Other synergetic partners include offensive Suicune, Swampert, and Latias, as these Pokemon all resist Fire, enjoy Skarmory being disabled, and Suicune and Swampert additionally enjoy Metagross disabling Electric-types like Rotom-A and Zapdos. Metagross is also an excellent teammate for Spikes users such as offensive Skarmory, Roserade, and Froslass, as Trick forces Flying-types and Levitate Pokemon to take Spikes damage. It also provides a utility check against offensive threats such as Dragon Dance Dragonite, Flygon locked into Outrage, and Dragon Dance Tyranitar for these often frail Pokemon. Other than these, Metagross generally acts as a support on more bulky offense style teams—it enjoys backup against offensive Dragon-types like Choice Specs Latias, so Steel-types such as offensive Empoleon, Jirachi, Scizor, and Tyranitar are great teammates. Jirachi and Tyranitar can even have a Lum Berry to more easily switch into Breloom's Spore and Rotom-A's Will-O-Wisp, respectively. It enjoys partners such as Gengar and Latias to switch into Ground-type moves; Gengar is especially a good partner because it enjoys Skarmory and other Steel-types neutral to Focus Blast such as Scizor and Forretress being disabled.
Trick + Iron Ball Metagross is also a good choice on hyper offensive teams with a bulkier set to enable sweepers that need luck to get past Skarmory. The additional bulk lets these teams get a stronger answer to Latias using Draco Meteor, as Tyranitar is often frail on these teams. The most prominent of these are Dragon Dance Tyranitar, Gyarados, Dragonite, and Swords Dance Gliscor. Swords Dance Gliscor in particular is a good partner, as it can drop the otherwise less useful Thunder Fang for the more generally powerful Sky Attack or Night Slash. Tyranitar can use a Pursuit set to take advantage of Rotom-A instead of using a Dragon Dance set. Other good teammates include Scizor, Azelf to get Stealth Rock up immediately, and Dragonite.
name: Trick + Iron Ball
move 1: Trick
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Meteor Mash
move 4: Explosion / Stealth Rock
item: Iron Ball
ability: Clear Body
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 HP / 236 Atk / 20 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Trick is one of Metagross’s best weapons to disable bulky Pokemon such as defensive Rotom-A, Skarmory, and Zapdos. Nothing in the game enjoys losing its item for an Iron Ball: Flying-types and Pokemon with Levitate despise being hit by Ground-type attacks, Spikes, and Toxic Spikes, offensive Pokemon are outsped by most of the metagame and gain a useless item, while defensive Pokemon lose their Leftovers. Earthquake pairs fantastically with Trick, as Metagross pressures many of its walls by outspeeding them and potentially 2HKOing them with a now super effective Earthquake. It also makes Metagross an excellent Jirachi check, as, if Metagross hits defensive Jirachi with Trick, it now outspeeds it and, even if it does get paralyzed, passively heals itself for most of the damage Iron Head does.
Meteor Mash is a great option to pressure Pokemon such as Latias, Tyranitar, and Gengar, as Metagross can only disable one Pokemon with an Iron Ball and still needs to pressure foes not hit hard enough by Earthquake. Explosion is another great option to take out bulkier Pokemon not hampered as much by Trick such as Hippowdon and Swampert, but Metagross can maximize its utility by setting up Stealth Rock as well, as it often can both disable a Pokemon with Trick and set it up.
Set Details
========
Metagross uses maximum HP EVs to survive various attackers such as Latias, Tyranitar, and Jirachi before it uses Trick and almost maximum Attack EVs to 2HKO Zapdos and Rotom-A and potentially 2HKO Skarmory with Earthquake after it uses Trick on them. The Speed investment allows Metagross to outspeed Starmie and Azelf after it uses Trick on them. Metagross typically uses at least 136 Attack EVs and an Adamant nature to 2HKO Zapdos and always break Suicune’s Substitute with Earthquake, but it can also invest in its bulk to survive more attacks. Some examples include 40 Defense EVs to survive Dragon Dance Gyarados' +1 Earthquake after two rounds of Stealth Rock and 56 Special Defense EVs to live Flygon’s Life Orb Fire Blast after a layer of Spikes and Stealth Rock. Should Metagross be required for pivoting purposes, a spread of 252 HP / 64 Atk / 20 Def / 152 SpeD / 20 Spe offers a comfortable switch-in to Latias's Draco Meteor and check to Dragon Dance Tyranitar, as it survives +1 Tyranitar Earthquake and OHKOes Tyranitar back after Stealth Rock.
Metagross can also use Trick with other detrimental items. Some examples include Flame Orb to ruin most physical attackers and chip defensive Pokemon such as Skarmory and Hippowdon (alongside Refresh to heal the burn if it can’t use Trick), Toxic Orb to poison bulky Ground- and Water-types, and Lagging Tail to make even the most boosted of Pokemon move second. However, none of these items are quite as effective as the Iron Ball.
Usage Tips
=======
Metagross typically tries to use Trick as soon as possible, as it is slower than the entire tier before it gives away its Iron Ball. While Metagross can wait for a better target, the advantage of neutering any foe and potentially gaining a useful item often outweighs the benefit. Opponents often switch their best Metagross check into it first anyways, while Metagross enjoys regaining its Speed so it can pressure Pokemon such as Clefable and slower Tyranitar. Metagross also should avoid Knock Off at all costs before it uses Trick; in DPP, Trick fails if either the user or the target is affected by Knock Off.
Before it uses Trick, Metagross should try to bluff having a more useful item. This is especially important against slower foes it threatens out such as Tyranitar, as it may try to absorb the Iron Ball and hit Metagross hard instead of switching to a good target. Metagross should also try to avoid taking too much damage switching in, as it often acts as a utility check and needs as much health as possible to survive strong attacks. If Metagross gains a detrimental item after it uses Trick, such as Black Sludge or a Choice item, it may be best to hold onto it so it can Trick it away later to a better target. Finally, note that Iron Ball disables Magnet Rise, meaning Magnezone cannot trap Metagross as long as it is at decent health.
Team Options
========
Trick + Iron Ball Metagross is fantastic on both bulkier teams as a way to open up bulky Pokemon and on more aggressive teams as a utility check. One of its best partners is Choice Scarf Flygon, as not only is it a great failsafe but also really enjoys being able to hit bulky Flying-types with Earthquake, often 2HKOing physically defensive Skarmory. Other synergetic partners include offensive Suicune, Swampert, and Latias, as these Pokemon all resist Fire, enjoy Skarmory being disabled, and Suicune and Swampert additionally enjoy Metagross disabling Electric-types like Rotom-A and Zapdos. Metagross is also an excellent teammate for Spikes users such as offensive Skarmory, Roserade, and Froslass, as Trick forces Flying-types and Levitate Pokemon to take Spikes damage. It also provides a utility check against offensive threats such as Dragon Dance Dragonite, Flygon locked into Outrage, and Dragon Dance Tyranitar for these often frail Pokemon. Other than these, Metagross generally acts as a support on more bulky offense style teams—it enjoys backup against offensive Dragon-types like Choice Specs Latias, so Steel-types such as offensive Empoleon, Jirachi, Scizor, and Tyranitar are great teammates. Jirachi and Tyranitar can even have a Lum Berry to more easily switch into Breloom's Spore and Rotom-A's Will-O-Wisp, respectively. It enjoys partners such as Gengar and Latias to switch into Ground-type moves; Gengar is especially a good partner because it enjoys Skarmory and other Steel-types neutral to Focus Blast such as Scizor and Forretress being disabled.
Trick + Iron Ball Metagross is also a good choice on hyper offensive teams with a bulkier set to enable sweepers that need luck to get past Skarmory. The additional bulk lets these teams get a stronger answer to Latias using Draco Meteor, as Tyranitar is often frail on these teams. The most prominent of these are Dragon Dance Tyranitar, Gyarados, Dragonite, and Swords Dance Gliscor. Swords Dance Gliscor in particular is a good partner, as it can drop the otherwise less useful Thunder Fang for the more generally powerful Sky Attack or Night Slash. Tyranitar can use a Pursuit set to take advantage of Rotom-A instead of using a Dragon Dance set. Other good teammates include Scizor, Azelf to get Stealth Rock up immediately, and Dragonite.
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