[OVERVIEW]
Fairy
========
* Magearna's ability to be both an offensive threat and a defensive tank makes it easily fit onto almost every Fairy team.
* Its Steel / Fairy defensive typing is amazing, being immune to Poison and also taking neutral damage from Steel-type attacks, and supports its already impressive bulk.
* Its great Special Attack stat and signature move Fleur Cannon make Magearna a powerful wallbreaker that can take out almost anything that doesn't resist Fairy.
* Magearna's Soul-Heart ability helps to mitigate Fleur Cannon's downsides and allows it to potentially snowball out of control, as it gains boosts whenever a foe faints.
* It also has access to setup moves in both Shift Gear and Calm Mind, which synergize well with Soul-Heart, making Magearna a very potent sweeper.
* With Volt Switch, Magearna can even function as a pivot, taking advantage of its offensive and defensive stats to force switches and gain momentum.
* An amazing movepool gives Magearna important coverage options in Thunderbolt, Aura Sphere, and Focus Blast.
* Thanks to being able to viably run three very different sets, Magearna's unpredictability makes it difficult to reliably check.
* A lack of reliable recovery options holds Magearna back, as it can find itself easily worn down as it switches into many attacks.
* Magearna's Speed is subpar and leaves it outsped by many offensive threats and much more easily checked.
* While the Steel typing brings many resistances, it also reinforces a weakness to Ground- and Fire-types such as Excadrill and Mega Charizard Y that can be difficult for Fairy teams to take on.
[SET]
name: Assault Vest Pivot (Fairy)
move 1: Fleur Cannon
move 2: Volt Switch
move 3: Aura Sphere
move 4: Flash Cannon
item: Assault Vest
ability: Soul-Heart
nature: Modest
evs: 200 HP / 12 Def / 252 SpA / 44 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Fleur Cannon is Magearna's strongest move, dealing great damage to anything that doesn't resist it, but it drops Magearna's Special Attack, which can leave Magearna vulnerable.
* Volt Switch is used for momentum, as Magearna can pivot into special attacks and then Volt Switch to bring in a teammate with its low Speed.
* Aura Sphere lets Magearna hit Steel-types such as Heatran and Excadrill.
* Flash Cannon is a more reliable STAB attack that hits Fairy-types such as Clefable especially hard. After a Soul-Heart boost, it can even easily threaten Mega Venusaur for a 2HKO.
Set Details
========
* The EV spread and Modest nature give Magearna great bulk, able to survive Choice Scarf Excadrill's Earthquake, while also maximizing its damage and letting it still outspeed Skarmory and Mantine.
* Assault Vest allows Magearna to survive many special attacks including even Landorus's Earth Power, giving it the chance to often net a surprise KO.
* Soul-Heart gives Magearna Special Attack boosts if a foe faints, letting it apply even more pressure.
Usage Tips
========
* This Magearna is best used as a pivot by using its amazing typing and great special bulk to switch into attacks.
* Magearna can generally just use Fleur Cannon freely, as it can pivot out with Volt Switch right away afterwards, mitigating the effect that the Special Attack drops would otherwise have.
* Because Magearna so easily forces switches, it should use Volt Switch often to gain momentum and switch into an appropriate answer.
* Volt Switch is especially good for pivoting out of incoming walls hoping to eat a Fleur Cannon, as going to a stallbreaker or setup sweeper can greatly pressure the opponent.
* Be careful of Ground-types and other Electric-immune Pokemon that want to block Volt Switch. Fleur Cannon can deal significant damage to them and wear them down quickly.
* This set's low Speed makes it difficult to maximize use of Soul-Heart, so don't try to sweep with Magearna. Instead, use Soul-Heart to apply even greater pressure to the opponent and don't hesitate to Volt Switch when at +1 or even +2.
* Be careful to protect the health of Magearna in certain matchups. It must be at full HP to guarantee survival against Choice Scarf Excadrill and Landorus, so make sure to lure and remove them before Magearna takes unwanted damage.
Team Options
========
* Most Fairy teams will enjoy Magearna being able to switch into special Steel-type attacks with ease.
* Tapu Bulu greatly appreciates having this set as a teammate, as Assault Vest Magearna lures in Landorus and can OHKO it with Fleur Cannon. After Landorus is taken out, Tapu Bulu can outright sweep Ground teams.
* Tapu Koko can form a great VoltTurn core with Magearna, as they can pivot into each other with Volt Switch easily. In addition, Tapu Koko appreciates Magearna luring in Choice Scarf Excadrill, as it can pressure Steel teams with Volt Switch after it's been taken out.
* Foul Play Klefki, Babiri Berry Clefable, or Babiri Berry Togekiss is needed to check Mega Scizor, which easily sets up on this set.
* Klefki can also improve Magearna's survivability with dual screens. In addition to this, it sets Spikes, which Magearna can take advantage of by forcing switches and pivoting out with Volt Switch.
* In addition to checking Mega Scizor, Clefable can also set up Stealth Rock to pressure the opposing team as Magearna forces switches.
* Z-Belly Drum Azumarill can find more chances to set up with Magearna pivoting into it. Magearna's ability to wear down checks can also make Azumarill's sweep easier to pull off late-game.
* Healing Wish Gardevoir supports Magearna well, as it can heal a weakened Magearna and allow it to further harass the opposing team. Furthermore, it can use Psychic to check Poison-types such as Toxapex and Mega Venusaur.
* Togekiss is another option for its utility in being Ground immune and able to Defog layers of Spikes that punish Magearna for pivoting.
[SET]
name: Choice Specs (Fairy)
move 1: Fleur Cannon
move 2: Aura Sphere / Focus Blast
move 3: Volt Switch / Thunderbolt
move 4: Flash Cannon
item: Choice Specs
ability: Soul-Heart
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Fleur Cannon is the main wallbreaking attack and can OHKO many threats including even Hippowdon after one layer of Spikes damage. However, it often forces Magearna to switch out after due to Special Attack drops.
* Aura Sphere takes on many Steel-types such as Ferrothorn and Heatran, able to at least 2HKO almost all of them with no problem.
* Focus Blast is a much more powerful alternative that is capable of OHKOing Heatran and even 2HKOing Mega Scizor but is very inaccurate, making it less reliable.
* Volt Switch pressures Water- and Flying-types such as Toxapex and Skarmory and helps gain momentum when Magearna switches out.
* Thunderbolt can be used instead of Volt Switch for more power, but the utility of Volt Switch is often preferred.
* Flash Cannon is a STAB attack that can OHKO almost every Fairy-type and even 2HKO Mega Venusaur after one layer of Spikes damage, and it can also be used to sweep slower teams.
Set Details
========
* The EV spread and Timid nature make Magearna as strong and as fast as possible, outspeeding Adamant Bisharp and Mega Scizor.
* An alternative spread of 200 HP / 12 Def / 252 SpA / 44 Spe with a Modest nature can be used to make Magearna bulkier and slightly more powerful, able to always survive Choice Scarf Excadrill's Earthquake while still outspeeding Skarmory and Mantine. However, the greater Speed of the main spread is often preferred.
* Choice Specs makes Magearna a threatening wallbreaker and gives it enormous immediate power that combines well with Fleur Cannon.
* Soul-Heart helps offset Fleur Cannon's Special Attack drops and makes it difficult to defensively check Magearna once it's gotten even one KO.
Usage Tips
========
* Magearna should be brought in early-game to wallbreak as much as possible to support its team.
* Fleur Cannon can be spammed fairly liberally thanks to its amazing power that outright OHKOes almost any Pokemon that isn't a wall that doesn't resist it.
* However, watch out for Fleur Cannon's Special Attack drops, which can leave Magearna as setup bait for a threat such as Z-Conversion Porygon-Z.
* Against more offensive teams without bulky Pokemon, take advantage of Soul-Heart's boosts to potentially use Fleur Cannon more than once to great effect without needing to switching out.
* Be careful of Pokemon with recovery such as Gastrodon, as Fleur Cannon's Special Attack drops can make it difficult to actually break them if they heal as they're hit.
* Volt Switch can let Magearna chip at its checks to take out later while also gaining momentum. Be mindful of Electric-immune Pokemon that can block Volt Switch, though.
* Flash Cannon and Aura Sphere are mainly used for coverage, but they can also be great tools for sweeping. For example, Fairy teams have almost no check for Choice Specs Magearna when it's getting boosts with Flash Cannon.
Team Options
========
* Klefki and Clefable are great teammates because they can set Spikes and Stealth Rock, respectively, to weaken foes and bring them into range of Fleur Cannon. They can also both check Mega Scizor, which can come in after Magearna has used Fleur Cannon to set up.
* Stallbreakers such as Tapu Fini and Clefable are great teammates that can Magearna can pivot into with Volt Switch as walls such as Chansey try to check it.
* Tapu Koko can set Electric Terrain to boost Magearna's Electric-type attacks and can also pivot into Magearna with its own Volt Switch after baiting in Pokemon such as Mega Venusaur.
* Setup sweepers such as Mimikyu and Z-Belly Drum Azumarill greatly appreciate having Skarmory and other checks worn down by Magearna.
* In return, Azumarill can even use Knock Off to remove Eviolite from Chansey, putting it into 2HKO range of Focus Blast.
* Mimikyu on the other hand can support Magearna by taking out bulky Psychic-types that wall it, such as Mew and Jirachi.
* Choice Band Tapu Bulu can form a wallbreaking core to pressure many defensive teams alongside Magearna, as they can take out each other's checks with great ease.
[SET]
name: Shift Gear (Fairy)
move 1: Shift Gear
move 2: Fleur Cannon
move 3: Aura Sphere
move 4: Thunderbolt
item: Fairium Z
ability: Soul-Heart
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Shift Gear boosts Magearna's Speed significantly, allowing it to outspeed everything up to Choice Scarf Garchomp and potentially sweep.
* Fleur Cannon is Magearna's strongest STAB attack and lets it get past bulkier Pokemon such as Tapu Bulu and Lanturn that could otherwise stop Magearna's sweep, though it does drop Magearna's Special Attack on use.
* With Fairium Z, Twinkle Tackle is a wallbreaking attack without Fleur Cannon's downside that can help get a Soul-Heart boost to start sweeping.
* Aura Sphere is used to let Magearna take on Steel-types and deals massive damage after even just one Soul-Heart boost.
* Thunderbolt provides great coverage with Magearna's attacks and hits Pokemon like Skarmory, Celesteela, and Toxapex that would otherwise wall Magearna.
Set Details
========
* Maximum Speed invesment and a Timid nature make Magearna as fast as possible, and maximum Special Attack investment makes it as strong as possible.
* Soul-Heart gives Magearna Special Attack boosts that let it easily sweep after getting even one KO.
* Fairium Z gives Magearna a Twinkle Tackle with 195 Base Power, which can help get a Soul-Heart boost.
Usage Tips
========
* This set should almost always be saved for late-game when its checks have been weakened, as taking damage early-game can potentially prevent Magearna from pulling off a sweep.
* Use Magearna's wide range of resistances and great bulk to find opportunities to set up safely against Pokemon like Alolan Muk that cannot touch it.
* Most of the time, Magearna should use Twinkle Tackle after Shift Gear to get an early Soul-Heart boost and power up its Fleur Cannon. If Magearna hasn't boosted with Shift Gear yet, be careful of using Twinkle Tackle's only shot against Substitute users such as Zapdos and Mega Alakazam.
* Against balance teams, it may be better to save Twinkle Tackle for walls such as Zapdos that Magearna would otherwise have difficulty getting past.
* Magearna can also start its sweep by revenge killing a weakened foe for a Soul-Heart boost, which can make Magearna difficult to check.
* Make absolute sure that Magearna is not paralyzed, as losing its Speed makes it difficult to pull of a sweep and very easy to offensively check.
* If Magearna is unlikely to pull off a formal sweep, it can also be used to take out threats for its teammates. For example, if Mega Venusaur has been weakened even slightly, a Twinkle Tackle as it switches into Magearna can put it into range of Fleur Cannon.
Team Options
========
* Although they share the same typing, Klefki is one of Magearna's best teammates because it provides dual screens support, Spikes, and Prankster Thunder Wave, helping Magearna easily set up and sweep.
* Wallbreakers such as Tapu Koko and Tapu Bulu can set up Magearna for an easier sweep by weakening its many checks. Tapu Koko is also a great pivot that can easily bring in Magearna with Volt Switch. Tapu Bulu is also notable for being able to pressure Ground teams that Magearna has trouble with and can set Grassy Terrain to support it.
* Belly Drum Azumarill can pair very nicely with Magearna because most teams will run out of checks after stopping one of them, allowing the other to set up and clean. Azumarill also easily sweeps many Fire and Ground teams, both of which Magearna has a lot of trouble with.
* Stallbreakers such as Togekiss, Tapu Fini, and Clefable can help take out walls such as Chansey that Magearna cannot beat. Clefable can also set Stealth Rock to make sweeping easier.
* Gardevoir is a more niche teammate that can use Healing Wish to give Magearna a second chance to sweep.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Fairy
--------
* The Shift Gear set can choose to use Dazzling Gleam over Fleur Cannon and Focus Blast over Aura Sphere alongside Fightinium Z. While this makes Magearna much weaker against defensive teams, Dazzling Gleam's lack of any drawback makes it more reliable against offensive teams. Fightinium Z gives an All-Out Pummeling of 190 Base Power, which makes Magearna able to sweep Steel teams more easily. However, Fleur Cannon is simply more useful in most matchups, and Aura Sphere's accuracy makes it more valuable than Focus Blast as well.
* Magearna can run Trick Room to sweep fast teams, but this is much more difficult to pull off than Shift Gear and several walls still underspeed Magearna.
- Hidden Power Fire can be used over Flash Cannon on the Assault Vest and Choice Specs sets to seriously threaten Steel teams by targeting Mega Scizor and Ferrothorn for great damage. However, its coverage is much worse and has minimal usage outside of this matchup.
* Ice Beam is a tempting option for the famous BoltBeam coverage to make Flying and Ground teams much easier to take on but is rarely more useful than Flash Cannon, and Aura Sphere is needed to hit Steel-types.
* Air Balloon can be used on the Shift Gear set to set up on Pokemon locked into Ground-type attacks, but losing the power of Twinkle Tackle makes this difficult to justify.
* A Calm Mind sweeper set can be used to boost Fleur Cannon and make it check almost every wall. However, it's often too slow to fit on teams, as it requires more support, and Magearna's lack of reliable recovery makes it difficult to use.
Checks and Counters
===================
Fairy
--------
**Fire-types**: By virtue of their typing, almost all Fire-types can easily beat Magearna by resisting its STAB attacks and having a super effective STAB move against it. Alolan Marowak in particular not only resists both of Magearna's STAB attacks but is also immune to all of its common coverage.
**Chansey**: Chansey outright walls every Magearna set and can easily switch into it even after Soul-Heart boosts. It can then freely set up Stealth Rock or slowly wear down Magearna with Seismic Toss.
**Special Walls**: Most special walls such as Mew and Zapdos can switch into unboosted Fleur Cannon, although some like Toxapex and Ferrothorn should be careful of the coverage Magearna often runs.
**Ground-types**: Most Ground-types such as Landorus and Excadrill can easily OHKO offensive Magearna sets and can stomach unboosted Fleur Cannon as well.
**Steel-types**: While they do have to be careful of Aura Sphere, Steel-types take minimal damage from Magearna's other moves. Celesteela walls all non-Choice Specs sets, and bulky Mega Scizor can not only always switch into Magearna but also easily set up on it as well.
**Faster Pokemon**: Magearna's Speed when unboosted is quite poor, allowing faster Pokemon such as Tapu Koko and Hydro Vortex Manaphy to revenge kill it relatively easily.
Fairy
========
* Magearna's ability to be both an offensive threat and a defensive tank makes it easily fit onto almost every Fairy team.
* Its Steel / Fairy defensive typing is amazing, being immune to Poison and also taking neutral damage from Steel-type attacks, and supports its already impressive bulk.
* Its great Special Attack stat and signature move Fleur Cannon make Magearna a powerful wallbreaker that can take out almost anything that doesn't resist Fairy.
* Magearna's Soul-Heart ability helps to mitigate Fleur Cannon's downsides and allows it to potentially snowball out of control, as it gains boosts whenever a foe faints.
* It also has access to setup moves in both Shift Gear and Calm Mind, which synergize well with Soul-Heart, making Magearna a very potent sweeper.
* With Volt Switch, Magearna can even function as a pivot, taking advantage of its offensive and defensive stats to force switches and gain momentum.
* An amazing movepool gives Magearna important coverage options in Thunderbolt, Aura Sphere, and Focus Blast.
* Thanks to being able to viably run three very different sets, Magearna's unpredictability makes it difficult to reliably check.
* A lack of reliable recovery options holds Magearna back, as it can find itself easily worn down as it switches into many attacks.
* Magearna's Speed is subpar and leaves it outsped by many offensive threats and much more easily checked.
* While the Steel typing brings many resistances, it also reinforces a weakness to Ground- and Fire-types such as Excadrill and Mega Charizard Y that can be difficult for Fairy teams to take on.
[SET]
name: Assault Vest Pivot (Fairy)
move 1: Fleur Cannon
move 2: Volt Switch
move 3: Aura Sphere
move 4: Flash Cannon
item: Assault Vest
ability: Soul-Heart
nature: Modest
evs: 200 HP / 12 Def / 252 SpA / 44 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Fleur Cannon is Magearna's strongest move, dealing great damage to anything that doesn't resist it, but it drops Magearna's Special Attack, which can leave Magearna vulnerable.
* Volt Switch is used for momentum, as Magearna can pivot into special attacks and then Volt Switch to bring in a teammate with its low Speed.
* Aura Sphere lets Magearna hit Steel-types such as Heatran and Excadrill.
* Flash Cannon is a more reliable STAB attack that hits Fairy-types such as Clefable especially hard. After a Soul-Heart boost, it can even easily threaten Mega Venusaur for a 2HKO.
Set Details
========
* The EV spread and Modest nature give Magearna great bulk, able to survive Choice Scarf Excadrill's Earthquake, while also maximizing its damage and letting it still outspeed Skarmory and Mantine.
* Assault Vest allows Magearna to survive many special attacks including even Landorus's Earth Power, giving it the chance to often net a surprise KO.
* Soul-Heart gives Magearna Special Attack boosts if a foe faints, letting it apply even more pressure.
Usage Tips
========
* This Magearna is best used as a pivot by using its amazing typing and great special bulk to switch into attacks.
* Magearna can generally just use Fleur Cannon freely, as it can pivot out with Volt Switch right away afterwards, mitigating the effect that the Special Attack drops would otherwise have.
* Because Magearna so easily forces switches, it should use Volt Switch often to gain momentum and switch into an appropriate answer.
* Volt Switch is especially good for pivoting out of incoming walls hoping to eat a Fleur Cannon, as going to a stallbreaker or setup sweeper can greatly pressure the opponent.
* Be careful of Ground-types and other Electric-immune Pokemon that want to block Volt Switch. Fleur Cannon can deal significant damage to them and wear them down quickly.
* This set's low Speed makes it difficult to maximize use of Soul-Heart, so don't try to sweep with Magearna. Instead, use Soul-Heart to apply even greater pressure to the opponent and don't hesitate to Volt Switch when at +1 or even +2.
* Be careful to protect the health of Magearna in certain matchups. It must be at full HP to guarantee survival against Choice Scarf Excadrill and Landorus, so make sure to lure and remove them before Magearna takes unwanted damage.
Team Options
========
* Most Fairy teams will enjoy Magearna being able to switch into special Steel-type attacks with ease.
* Tapu Bulu greatly appreciates having this set as a teammate, as Assault Vest Magearna lures in Landorus and can OHKO it with Fleur Cannon. After Landorus is taken out, Tapu Bulu can outright sweep Ground teams.
* Tapu Koko can form a great VoltTurn core with Magearna, as they can pivot into each other with Volt Switch easily. In addition, Tapu Koko appreciates Magearna luring in Choice Scarf Excadrill, as it can pressure Steel teams with Volt Switch after it's been taken out.
* Foul Play Klefki, Babiri Berry Clefable, or Babiri Berry Togekiss is needed to check Mega Scizor, which easily sets up on this set.
* Klefki can also improve Magearna's survivability with dual screens. In addition to this, it sets Spikes, which Magearna can take advantage of by forcing switches and pivoting out with Volt Switch.
* In addition to checking Mega Scizor, Clefable can also set up Stealth Rock to pressure the opposing team as Magearna forces switches.
* Z-Belly Drum Azumarill can find more chances to set up with Magearna pivoting into it. Magearna's ability to wear down checks can also make Azumarill's sweep easier to pull off late-game.
* Healing Wish Gardevoir supports Magearna well, as it can heal a weakened Magearna and allow it to further harass the opposing team. Furthermore, it can use Psychic to check Poison-types such as Toxapex and Mega Venusaur.
* Togekiss is another option for its utility in being Ground immune and able to Defog layers of Spikes that punish Magearna for pivoting.
[SET]
name: Choice Specs (Fairy)
move 1: Fleur Cannon
move 2: Aura Sphere / Focus Blast
move 3: Volt Switch / Thunderbolt
move 4: Flash Cannon
item: Choice Specs
ability: Soul-Heart
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Fleur Cannon is the main wallbreaking attack and can OHKO many threats including even Hippowdon after one layer of Spikes damage. However, it often forces Magearna to switch out after due to Special Attack drops.
* Aura Sphere takes on many Steel-types such as Ferrothorn and Heatran, able to at least 2HKO almost all of them with no problem.
* Focus Blast is a much more powerful alternative that is capable of OHKOing Heatran and even 2HKOing Mega Scizor but is very inaccurate, making it less reliable.
* Volt Switch pressures Water- and Flying-types such as Toxapex and Skarmory and helps gain momentum when Magearna switches out.
* Thunderbolt can be used instead of Volt Switch for more power, but the utility of Volt Switch is often preferred.
* Flash Cannon is a STAB attack that can OHKO almost every Fairy-type and even 2HKO Mega Venusaur after one layer of Spikes damage, and it can also be used to sweep slower teams.
Set Details
========
* The EV spread and Timid nature make Magearna as strong and as fast as possible, outspeeding Adamant Bisharp and Mega Scizor.
* An alternative spread of 200 HP / 12 Def / 252 SpA / 44 Spe with a Modest nature can be used to make Magearna bulkier and slightly more powerful, able to always survive Choice Scarf Excadrill's Earthquake while still outspeeding Skarmory and Mantine. However, the greater Speed of the main spread is often preferred.
* Choice Specs makes Magearna a threatening wallbreaker and gives it enormous immediate power that combines well with Fleur Cannon.
* Soul-Heart helps offset Fleur Cannon's Special Attack drops and makes it difficult to defensively check Magearna once it's gotten even one KO.
Usage Tips
========
* Magearna should be brought in early-game to wallbreak as much as possible to support its team.
* Fleur Cannon can be spammed fairly liberally thanks to its amazing power that outright OHKOes almost any Pokemon that isn't a wall that doesn't resist it.
* However, watch out for Fleur Cannon's Special Attack drops, which can leave Magearna as setup bait for a threat such as Z-Conversion Porygon-Z.
* Against more offensive teams without bulky Pokemon, take advantage of Soul-Heart's boosts to potentially use Fleur Cannon more than once to great effect without needing to switching out.
* Be careful of Pokemon with recovery such as Gastrodon, as Fleur Cannon's Special Attack drops can make it difficult to actually break them if they heal as they're hit.
* Volt Switch can let Magearna chip at its checks to take out later while also gaining momentum. Be mindful of Electric-immune Pokemon that can block Volt Switch, though.
* Flash Cannon and Aura Sphere are mainly used for coverage, but they can also be great tools for sweeping. For example, Fairy teams have almost no check for Choice Specs Magearna when it's getting boosts with Flash Cannon.
Team Options
========
* Klefki and Clefable are great teammates because they can set Spikes and Stealth Rock, respectively, to weaken foes and bring them into range of Fleur Cannon. They can also both check Mega Scizor, which can come in after Magearna has used Fleur Cannon to set up.
* Stallbreakers such as Tapu Fini and Clefable are great teammates that can Magearna can pivot into with Volt Switch as walls such as Chansey try to check it.
* Tapu Koko can set Electric Terrain to boost Magearna's Electric-type attacks and can also pivot into Magearna with its own Volt Switch after baiting in Pokemon such as Mega Venusaur.
* Setup sweepers such as Mimikyu and Z-Belly Drum Azumarill greatly appreciate having Skarmory and other checks worn down by Magearna.
* In return, Azumarill can even use Knock Off to remove Eviolite from Chansey, putting it into 2HKO range of Focus Blast.
* Mimikyu on the other hand can support Magearna by taking out bulky Psychic-types that wall it, such as Mew and Jirachi.
* Choice Band Tapu Bulu can form a wallbreaking core to pressure many defensive teams alongside Magearna, as they can take out each other's checks with great ease.
[SET]
name: Shift Gear (Fairy)
move 1: Shift Gear
move 2: Fleur Cannon
move 3: Aura Sphere
move 4: Thunderbolt
item: Fairium Z
ability: Soul-Heart
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Shift Gear boosts Magearna's Speed significantly, allowing it to outspeed everything up to Choice Scarf Garchomp and potentially sweep.
* Fleur Cannon is Magearna's strongest STAB attack and lets it get past bulkier Pokemon such as Tapu Bulu and Lanturn that could otherwise stop Magearna's sweep, though it does drop Magearna's Special Attack on use.
* With Fairium Z, Twinkle Tackle is a wallbreaking attack without Fleur Cannon's downside that can help get a Soul-Heart boost to start sweeping.
* Aura Sphere is used to let Magearna take on Steel-types and deals massive damage after even just one Soul-Heart boost.
* Thunderbolt provides great coverage with Magearna's attacks and hits Pokemon like Skarmory, Celesteela, and Toxapex that would otherwise wall Magearna.
Set Details
========
* Maximum Speed invesment and a Timid nature make Magearna as fast as possible, and maximum Special Attack investment makes it as strong as possible.
* Soul-Heart gives Magearna Special Attack boosts that let it easily sweep after getting even one KO.
* Fairium Z gives Magearna a Twinkle Tackle with 195 Base Power, which can help get a Soul-Heart boost.
Usage Tips
========
* This set should almost always be saved for late-game when its checks have been weakened, as taking damage early-game can potentially prevent Magearna from pulling off a sweep.
* Use Magearna's wide range of resistances and great bulk to find opportunities to set up safely against Pokemon like Alolan Muk that cannot touch it.
* Most of the time, Magearna should use Twinkle Tackle after Shift Gear to get an early Soul-Heart boost and power up its Fleur Cannon. If Magearna hasn't boosted with Shift Gear yet, be careful of using Twinkle Tackle's only shot against Substitute users such as Zapdos and Mega Alakazam.
* Against balance teams, it may be better to save Twinkle Tackle for walls such as Zapdos that Magearna would otherwise have difficulty getting past.
* Magearna can also start its sweep by revenge killing a weakened foe for a Soul-Heart boost, which can make Magearna difficult to check.
* Make absolute sure that Magearna is not paralyzed, as losing its Speed makes it difficult to pull of a sweep and very easy to offensively check.
* If Magearna is unlikely to pull off a formal sweep, it can also be used to take out threats for its teammates. For example, if Mega Venusaur has been weakened even slightly, a Twinkle Tackle as it switches into Magearna can put it into range of Fleur Cannon.
Team Options
========
* Although they share the same typing, Klefki is one of Magearna's best teammates because it provides dual screens support, Spikes, and Prankster Thunder Wave, helping Magearna easily set up and sweep.
* Wallbreakers such as Tapu Koko and Tapu Bulu can set up Magearna for an easier sweep by weakening its many checks. Tapu Koko is also a great pivot that can easily bring in Magearna with Volt Switch. Tapu Bulu is also notable for being able to pressure Ground teams that Magearna has trouble with and can set Grassy Terrain to support it.
* Belly Drum Azumarill can pair very nicely with Magearna because most teams will run out of checks after stopping one of them, allowing the other to set up and clean. Azumarill also easily sweeps many Fire and Ground teams, both of which Magearna has a lot of trouble with.
* Stallbreakers such as Togekiss, Tapu Fini, and Clefable can help take out walls such as Chansey that Magearna cannot beat. Clefable can also set Stealth Rock to make sweeping easier.
* Gardevoir is a more niche teammate that can use Healing Wish to give Magearna a second chance to sweep.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Fairy
--------
* The Shift Gear set can choose to use Dazzling Gleam over Fleur Cannon and Focus Blast over Aura Sphere alongside Fightinium Z. While this makes Magearna much weaker against defensive teams, Dazzling Gleam's lack of any drawback makes it more reliable against offensive teams. Fightinium Z gives an All-Out Pummeling of 190 Base Power, which makes Magearna able to sweep Steel teams more easily. However, Fleur Cannon is simply more useful in most matchups, and Aura Sphere's accuracy makes it more valuable than Focus Blast as well.
* Magearna can run Trick Room to sweep fast teams, but this is much more difficult to pull off than Shift Gear and several walls still underspeed Magearna.
- Hidden Power Fire can be used over Flash Cannon on the Assault Vest and Choice Specs sets to seriously threaten Steel teams by targeting Mega Scizor and Ferrothorn for great damage. However, its coverage is much worse and has minimal usage outside of this matchup.
* Ice Beam is a tempting option for the famous BoltBeam coverage to make Flying and Ground teams much easier to take on but is rarely more useful than Flash Cannon, and Aura Sphere is needed to hit Steel-types.
* Air Balloon can be used on the Shift Gear set to set up on Pokemon locked into Ground-type attacks, but losing the power of Twinkle Tackle makes this difficult to justify.
* A Calm Mind sweeper set can be used to boost Fleur Cannon and make it check almost every wall. However, it's often too slow to fit on teams, as it requires more support, and Magearna's lack of reliable recovery makes it difficult to use.
Checks and Counters
===================
Fairy
--------
**Fire-types**: By virtue of their typing, almost all Fire-types can easily beat Magearna by resisting its STAB attacks and having a super effective STAB move against it. Alolan Marowak in particular not only resists both of Magearna's STAB attacks but is also immune to all of its common coverage.
**Chansey**: Chansey outright walls every Magearna set and can easily switch into it even after Soul-Heart boosts. It can then freely set up Stealth Rock or slowly wear down Magearna with Seismic Toss.
**Special Walls**: Most special walls such as Mew and Zapdos can switch into unboosted Fleur Cannon, although some like Toxapex and Ferrothorn should be careful of the coverage Magearna often runs.
**Ground-types**: Most Ground-types such as Landorus and Excadrill can easily OHKO offensive Magearna sets and can stomach unboosted Fleur Cannon as well.
**Steel-types**: While they do have to be careful of Aura Sphere, Steel-types take minimal damage from Magearna's other moves. Celesteela walls all non-Choice Specs sets, and bulky Mega Scizor can not only always switch into Magearna but also easily set up on it as well.
**Faster Pokemon**: Magearna's Speed when unboosted is quite poor, allowing faster Pokemon such as Tapu Koko and Hydro Vortex Manaphy to revenge kill it relatively easily.
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