Funbot28
Banned deucer.
[OVERVIEW]
With a great defensive and offensive typing, solid base stats, and a handful of moves to take advantage of, Magearna is widely considered as one as the most versatile threats in the Mix and Mega Metagame and is therefore a common sight. It's Fairy / Steel typing enables it to resist types such as Psychic, Flying, Ice, and Fairy, allowing it to check a wide arrange of offensive threats in the tier, with the most notable being Tapu Lele, Xerneas if carrying Heart Swap, non-Red Orb Darkrai, and opposing Magearna. Adding on to this, the additional bulk and useful abilities that stones such as Manectite and Pinsirite provide enable Magearna to check a wider arrange of threats such as Kartana, Arceus-Ground, Zeraora, and Altarianite Zygarde. It's supportive movepool is also noteworthy, where moves such as Pain Split, and Volt Switch enables Magearna to both sustain it's health while simultaneously providing useful cleric and momentum support respectively as well. Access to Shift Gear as well as powerful physical moves in Return and Explosion also enables Magearna to employ a setup Shift Gear set in combination with Pinsirite, further enhancing it's versatility as an offensive threat. The utility behind Pain Split also enables Magearna to distinguish itself from other Pinsirite Steel-types such as Metagross and as it enables it to setup against defensive Pokemon such as Blissey and Arceus Ground. However, supportive Magearna sets can be stopped cold by the omnipresent Primal Groudon as not only can it resist both it's STAB moves, but also can prevent it from pivoting by blocking it's use of Volt Switch. Magearna can also struggle to check powerful attackers such as Lucarionite Terrakion, Entei, Necrozma-DM, and Lucarionite Zygarde, necessitating additional support from it's team to properly account for the aforementioned threats. It's lack of reliable recover can also hamper Magearna's ability to stay healthy throughout the course of a match. Pain Split can be taken advantage of by the foe to recover their own health, making it an unreliable move.
[SET]
name: Manectite Pivot
move 1: Fleur Cannon
move 2: Hidden Power Fire
move 3: Volt Switch
move 4: Pain Split
item: Manectite
ability: Soul-Heart
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Fleur Cannon enables Magearna to threaten a majority of the metagame that does not resist it, such as Zygarde, Terrakion, and Darkrai. However, the drop in Special Attack often forces Magearna out after each use. Hidden Power Fire is mainly employed to OHKO Kartana, as well as deal damage to Pinsirite Magearna without forcing it out. However, it can also be useful in damaging opposing Magearna. Volt Switch provides crucial momentum and enables Magearna to safely bring it's teammates in thanks to it's rather low Speed tier. Pain Split enables Magearna to recover off it's health against large HP targets such as Blissey, Primal Groudon, and Arceus Ground. Heart Swap can be run over Hidden Power Fire if Kartana is adequately checked on a team as it allows for Magearna to better check other Pokemon that may attack if from the special side, such as Calm Mind Arceus and Xerneas.
Set Details
========
Max HP and Defense investment with a Bold nature is important in allowing Magearna to check the likes of Kartana, Altarianite Zygarde, and Zeraora. Manectite provides Magearna with a great post-mega ability in Intimidate, enabling it to check a variety of physical threats in a pinch. It also provides it a boost in it's Special Attack and both of it's defenses, enabling it to dish out a higher damage output while also turning it into a respectable defensive pivot as well.
Usage Tips
========
When facing a team with an opposing Primal Groudon, it is best advised to not try and pivot against an opposing threat as Primal Groudon acts as one of the most reliable Magearna switchins in the metagame. Therefore, Magearna can either opt to chip offensive Primal Groudon variants greatly via a powerful Fleur Cannon or elect to either double switch immediately into a partner that can check Primal Groudon or recover off it's own health via Pain Split if Magearna has been severely weakened previously. While Intimidate and Magearna's great physical bulk can enable it to check the majority of physical attackers in the tier, Magearna must be cautios when switching into the likes of Terrakion and Zygarde as both threats often carry Lucarionite, boosting their STAB attacks to the degree that can potentially heavily damage Magearna as a result. Scouting for such variants is strongly advised beforehand in order to preserve Magearna's health as much as possible. Pain Split is best utilized when Magearna is at a low amount of health, where checks such as Blissey and Arceus Ground can provide it a great amount of recovery as they attempt to switch into it. Magearna often is forced to pivot out after each use of Fleur Cannon due to the drop in Special Attack, usually in the form of Volt Switch. Therefore, it should choose each use of it's STAB wisely in order to prevent threats to take advantage of it. Fleur Cannon can damage other Ground types enough such that double switching may not be optimal. Examples include Toxic Spikes teams, which can force Arceus-Ground to take an effective minimum of 15% damage. As such, double switching should only be advised against Primal Groudon as this is the most risky situation to double.
Team Options
========
Partners that can handle Primal Groudon are extremely important, as Magearna often enables it to come in frequently. Therefore, teammates such as Mandibuzz, Primal Kyogre, Arceus-Ground and Giratina-Origin can be important to pair with Magearna. Mandibuzz also deserves a special mention as Magearna can aid it in checking Fairy-types and can form a VoltTurn core with it to provide as much momentum to their teammates. Checks to physically offensive threats such as Terrakion, Altarianite Zygarde, and Entei can be important as they can otherwise overwhelm Magearna. Notable partners include Lunala and Primal Groudon, where the ladder deserves a special mention as it can also provide Stealth Rock support and help Magearna wear down its checks. Offensive partners that can take advantage of Magearna's pivoting capabilities such as Terrakion, Tapu Lele, and Kartana can also be beneficial, as Magearna can often enabling them to come in safely multiple times throughout the match and thus aid them in wallbreaking. Specially defensive walls such as Blissey and Gyaradosite Toxapex can help Magearna handle threats such as Tapu Lele, Lunala, and Darkrai, relieving pressure when trying to take them on. Arceus Ground can also cause a nuisance to Magearna as it can usually switch into Fleur Cannon if it's at relatively high health and proceed to use Magearna as setup fodder. Teammates such as Arceus Water, Slowbro, Golisopod, and Pinsirite Entei are great partners as a result.
[SET]
name: Pinsirite
move 1: Shift Gear
move 2: Return
move 3: Substitute / Explosion
move 4: Pain Split
item: Pinsirite
ability: Soul-Heart
nature: Adamant
evs: 116 HP / 252 Atk / 140 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Shift Gear enables Magearna to turn into a potent setup sweeper, providing it enough Speed after one boost to outspeed almost the entire unboosted metagame. Return is a powerful and reliable STAB move after mega evolving, and due to the metagame's lack of Flying resistances, enables Magearna to deal greats amount of damage to the majority of unboosted targets. Substitute can be a great way for Magearna to punish switchins such as Arceus Ground, Landorus, and certain Primal Groudon variants and turn them into setup fodder after mega evolving. This combined with Pain Split can enable Magearna to cause a nuisance to the majority of defensive walls in the metagame that can damage it directly with significant damage. Explosion provides Magearna a nuke option that can deal immense amounts of damage to even the most sturdiest of walls, especially after a setup boost. It also enables Magearna to provide momentum for its teammates as well. Heal Bell is a great alternative that can enable Magearna to setup without the fear of status abusers such as Toxapex and Aggronite Mew. Pain Split provides a semi-reliable recovery option that can let Magearna setup against the likes of Blissey and Arceus Ground, granting it many more setup opportunities.
Set Details
========
140 EVs are placed into Speed to enable Magearna to outspeed Diancite Terrakion and below after one setup boost. The rest of it's EVs are allocated towards Attack and HP with an Adamant nature to enhance it's wallbreaking and bulk respectively. Pinsirite not only provides Magearna with an amazing ability in Aerilate and a boost in Attack, Speed, and both it's defenses, but also grants it an additional Flying typing.
Usage Tips
========
The type change that is involved with Magearna's mega evolution can be extremely crucial in securing a sweep in many cases. Therefore, it is best advised to hold up mega evolving until situations where Magearna can utilize the type change to lure it's common checks, such as Zapdos and Zeraora, and provide it a free opportunity to setup without repercussion, especially when facing teams carrying threats such as Arceus Ground, Kartana, and Pinsirite Metagross. Substitute should be used to prevent free switch-ins from Pokemon like Primal Groudon or Victini, who will need to use Overheat or V-Create respectively in order to break Substitute, weakening them for teammates to take advantage of. Explosion can be used in scenarios where Magearna is worn down immensely and can prevent being revenge killed or can also be utilized to cripple checks to it's partners and provide momentum simultaneously. Pain Split can be used strategically to cripple common switchins such as Primal Groudon, Zapdos, and Aggronite Mew if Magearna has already been worn down previously.
Team Options
========
This variant of Magearna can be often be placed on offensive teams due to the role compression it provides by acting as a setup sweeper that can also check threats such as Tapu Lele, Landorus, and Calm Mind Arceus Ground. Primal Groudon pairs excellently with Magearna, providing Stealth Rock support while also checking threats such as Entei, Zeraora, and Manectite Magearna, enabling Magearna to secure a sweep more securely. Other offensive partners such as Terrakion, Lunala, Tapu Lele, and Zygarde can aid Magearna in wearing down it's checks and help it force a win condition. They also appreciate it's ability to utilize Explosion to wear down their own appropriate checks. Entry hazard removal or dissuasion can be much appreciated due to Magearna's tendency to be worn down rather quickly. Therefore, partners such as Mandibuzz, Lunala, Arceus Ground, and Sablenite users such as Blissey and Slowbro can be quite effective. Blissey is noteworthy, as it can also provide support to Magearna via Wish, Heal Bell, or Healing Wish, enabling more chances to sweep.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Sablenite Magearna can also be used as a great specially defensive wall that can also annoy status spreaders as well. However, this set does not see as much success due to it struggling to bypass common hazard setters such as Primal Groudon and Terrakion, making the set quite uncommon as a result. Latiasite variants can also also utilize both a pivot and bulky Calm Mind + Pain Split set to great success, being able to counteract checks such as Arceus Ground, Landorus, and Mamoswine and utilize them as setup fodder after mega evolving. However, such sets are generally outclassed by both Manectite and Pinsirite variants of Magearna due to their ability to better handle a wide array of threats. Manectite variants can also employ a Calm Mind + Pain Split set, utilizing Fleur Cannon and Thunderbolt as it's coverage options in order to turn Magearna into a potent bulky setup sweeper. Such sets should utilize an EV spread of 252 HP / 212 Def / 44 SpA with a Bold nature to enable Magearna to still check threats such as Kartana and Diancite Terrakion. Cameruptite can also be used in conjunction with either Trick Room or Calm Mind + Pain Split to enhance Magearna's wallbreaking capabilities, abusing it's wide array of Sheer Force boosted coverage moves in Ice Beam, Thunderbolt, Focus Blast, Flash Cannon, and Shadow Ball to deal a great amount of damage to the majority of the metagame. However, such sets struggle to perform with the abundance of offensive threats in the metagame, making it harder for Magearna to properly setup and output damage. Blue Orb can also be considered, enabling Magearna to effectively check Fire-types such as Ho-Oh, Victini, and Entei. Although, Magearna still struggles to handle most Primal Groudon variants, leaving other Blue Orb carriers such as Buzzwole and Golisopod to be preferred in the majority of cases.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Primal Groudon*: Primal Groudon is one of the most common and effective Magearna checks in the metagame, resisting both of it's STAB attacks and preventing it from gaining momentum via Volt Switch and can threaten to OHKO it in return. However, certain offensive variants of Magearna such as Pinsirite can effectively wear down Primal Groudon immensely, dissuading it from coming in as frequently.
**Steel-types**: Threats such as Aggronite Mew and opposing Magearna can check it quite well and threaten to heavily wear down Magearna or utilize it as setup fodder.
**Arceus-Ground**: Arceus Ground can check Manectite variants of Magearna relatively well, switching into Magearna's moves at high health and proceed to either revenge kill it or utilize it as setup fodder via Calm Mind. However, it is important to note that Arceus Ground can easily be used as setup fodder for Pinsirite sets if lacking Will-O-Wisp.
**Setup Sweepers**: Teams with offensive cores such as Lucarionite Terrakion, Pinsirite Entei, or Metagrossite Kartana can potentially overwhelm Magearna through their stat boosts, and since Magearna's recovery in Pain Split is unreliable. However, none of the aforementioned threats can switch into Magearna comfortably.
**Fire-types**: Ho-Oh, Entei, and Victini can all threaten to OHKO Magearna through their STAB attacks and can easily come in against it's STAB moves.
**Electric-Types**: Zapdos and Zeraora can cause a huge nuisance to Pinsirite variants of Magearna, switching into it's Flying-type STAB with ease and proceed to offensively check it through their own STAB moves. However, Zeraora can easily be overwhelmed if it repeatably switches into Return due to it's lack of recovery.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Funbot28, 255984]]
- Quality checked by: [[Quantum Tesseract, 297239 ], [In The Hills, 324242 ], [Chazm, 376369]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]
Last edited by a moderator: