art by Daylight
So cut the headlights, summer’s a knife
I’m always waiting for you just to cut to the bone
Devil’s roll the dice, angel’s roll their eyes
And if I bleed, you’ll be the last to know
[SET]
name: Substitute + Baton Pass Wonder Guard
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Baton Pass
move 3: Scald / Steam Eruption
move 4: Gastro Acid / Taunt / Recover
item: Leftovers / Shed Shell
ability: Wonder Guard
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
in-battle alt: Mega
[SET COMMENTS]
High Speed, an immunity to paralysis, and a good typing make Wonder Guard Mega Manectric a highly effective Substitute + Baton Pass user. The combination of Substitute and Baton Pass allows Mega Manectric to support its teammates by giving them a safe turn to set up, use a utility move, or fire off a powerful attack. Scald has a high chance to OHKO standard Primal Groudon, guaranteed after Stealth Rock. Alternatively, Steam Eruption always OHKOes Primal Groudon and also OHKOes standard Mold Breaker Mega Diancie after Stealth Rock, but has much lower PP and imperfect accuracy. Gastro Acid is extremely useful thanks to Mega Manectric's high Speed tier, neutralizing slower Mold Breaker users that don't carry a Ground move, such as Mega Rayquaza without Precipice Blades, Mega Latios, and Arceus. Taunt is an alternative that allows Mega Manectric to force out Prankster Giratina and support Wonder Guard users trying to phaze Manectric with Whirlwind. Leftovers keeps Mega Manectric healthy and allows it to make more Substitutes over the course of a game. If greater resilience against Shadow Tag users like Choice Scarf Primal Groudon and Choice Specs Mega Mewtwo Y is desired, Shed Shell can be used alongside Recover in the final moveslot. However, Substitute + Baton Pass Mega Manectric appreciates the passive recovery Leftovers provides and dislikes the loss of momentum from taking a turn to use Recover.
Wonder Guard Mega Manectric's Ground weakness—and thus, Fissure weakness—means it should nearly always be paired with both a Wonder Guard teammate that isn't weak to Ground—such as Mega Audino or Primal Kyogre—as well as a Flying-type teammate—such as Mega Rayquaza or Yveltal. Choice Band and Choice Specs variants of Mold Breaker Mega Rayquaza are particularly notable teammates, as they appreciate Mega Manectric's Substitutes in addition to being useful teammates versus Fissure users. Mega Manectric also appreciates teammates like Prankster Giratina and—though they're difficult to accommodate on most team structures—physically defensive Poison Heal users like Mega Slowbro and Mega Gyarados for their ability to defensively check Mold Breaker Primal Groudon. Similarly, Mega Manectric appreciates teammates like Huge Power Mega Gyarados, Refrigerate Mega Abomasnow, and Imposter Chansey for their ability to revenge kill Primal Groudon. Pursuit trappers like Mega Gyarados and Yveltal also double as checks to Prankster Giratina. Mold Breaker Primal Groudon itself also makes an excellent teammate, as it appreciates the opportunities Mega Manectric's Substitutes give it to either setup a Shell Smash or fire off a Choice Band boosted V-Create. Most Shell Smash Mold Breaker sweepers—especially frail ones like Mega Gengar and Mega Diancie— similarly appreciate Manectric's Substitutes to ease their setup and defend them against revenge killers like -ate Speed users and Choice Scarf Imposter users. No Guard users such as Mega Mewtwo Y and Mega Lopunny synergize with Mega Manectric, as they give it abundant opportunities to use Substitute thanks to the pressure their OHKO moves exert. Symbiotically, No Guard users appreciate Mega Manectric's Substitutes themselves, as they grant No Guard users a free turn to disrupt the opposing team with Gastro Acid or Sing and ease their matchup against -ate Speed users and Pursuit trappers.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Thanks to its high Speed and notoriety as a Wonder Guard user, Mega Manectric can effectively make use of No Guard alongside Sheer Cold or Fissure, Zap Cannon, and some combination of Inferno, Gastro Acid, Stealth Rock, and Sing. Additionally, although it suffers from four-moveslot syndrome, a support Wonder Guard set with Defog and Aromatherapy is also a viable option for Mega Manectric. Mental Herb and Lum Berry are alternate item options that can allow Manectric to Baton Pass a Substitute versus Encore and sleep-inflicting opponents, respectively. Air Balloon is a fringe option that alleviates Mega Manectric’s weakness to Fissure. Finally, Manectite grants Mega Manectric an immunity to Trick. However, all of these item options are almost never worth giving up the utility Leftovers or Shed Shell provide.
Glare is a useful option to hinder opposing sweepers and, unlike many Glare users, Mega Manectric can use it without fear of a Magic Bounce switch-in thanks to its Electric typing. Dark Void is another disruption option, though unlike Glare, a timely Magic Bounce switch-in can turn Mega Manectric into a sleeping momentum sink. Nuzzle is another alternative to Glare that affects Magic Bounce users, but has a worse matchup versus most Wonder Guard users. Destiny Bond is an option that takes advantage of Mega Manectric's high Speed stat and frailty to take a surprise KO against attackers like Huge Power Mega Mewtwo X and slower Choice item Mold Breaker users. Stealth Rock and other entry hazards are options, though Mega Manectric is a noticeably less effective entry hazard setter as compared to other Substitute + Baton Pass Wonder Guard users like Xerneas and Mega Gardevoir due to its inability to force out common Magic Bounce users like Giratina. Magic Coat can be used to reflect entry hazards, sleep moves from Mold Breaker users, and Sing, Gastro Acid, Taunt, and Spider Web from No Guard users. Finally, Sheer Cold can be used to bluff No Guard sets and deter Prankster Giratina from switching in.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ground-type Coverage**: Mega Manectric's frailty means its vulnerable to being OHKOed by Ground-type coverage from foes such as Thousand Arrows Huge Power Mega Mewtwo X, Earth Power Protean Mega Latios, and Earth Power Wonder Guard Mega Gardevoir. Additionally, Mega Manectric is vulnerable to the somewhat uncommon, but very dangerous, Fissure. However, niche Destiny Bond Mega Manectric variants are often able to force a trade in a bad matchup.
**Primal Groudon**: Despite usually carrying Water coverage, Mega Manectric is extremely vulnerable to Primal Groudon's powerful Ground attacks. In particular, Choice Scarf + Shadow Tag Primal Groudon sets can trap, outpace, and OHKO Mega Manectric with Thousand Arrows if it isn't already behind a Substitute. Additionally, Choice Scarf + Mold Breaker Primal Groudon can also surprise KO Mega Manectric in a one-on-one scenario.
**Prankster Giratina**: Prankster Giratina is entirely unthreatened by any Mega Manectric not carrying Taunt and can force it out with Encore or Curse. Furthermore, Giratina's Will-O-Wisp can limit Mega Manectric's ability to create Substitutes over the course of a game.
**Trick**: Trick users can hinder Mega Manectric for the entirety of the game, either with Black Sludge limiting its ability to create Substitutes or Choice items forcing it to relinquish momentum.
**Taunt**: Despite usually carrying Scald, Taunt still leaves Mega Manectric unable to support or maintain momentum for its team.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Daylight, 562267]]
- Quality checked by: [[berry, 226455], [Mbouchon, 515077]]
- Grammar checked by: [[UT, 523866]]
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