Mega Blastoise
Pre-Mega Stats: 79 HP / 83 Atk / 100 Def / 85 SpA / 105 SpD / 78 SpePre-Mega Abilities: Torrent, Rain Dish
Mega Stats: 79 HP / 103 Atk / 120 Def / 135 SpA / 115 SpD / 78 Spe
Mega Ability: Mega Launcher
Blastoisinite: 0 HP / +20 Atk / +20 Def / +50 SpA / +10 SpD / 0 Spe
Useful moves (Alphabetical order)
Aura Sphere
Dark Pulse
Dragon Pulse
Hydro Pump
Ice Beam
Protect
Shell Smash
Substitute
Water Pulse
Water Spout
Yawn
Advantages and Disadvantages
- Access to Shell Smash makes Mega Blastoise a menacing setup sweeper with its good special attack stat and consistent STAB in Water
- Blastoisinite's increased defenses makes setup quite easy against passive foes such as Corviknight and Forretress. Even against stronger foes such as Mega Greninja, it is likely that Mega Blastoise can get a Shell Smash off.
- Wide coverage options makes checking Mega Blastoise rather difficult for most teams, especially if they're unable to offensively pressure it.
- High damage after Shell Smash can pave the way for other offensive threats such as Garchomp and Kingambit.
- Poor speed tier makes Mega Blastoise reliant on Shell Smash to do anything major, especially if not running utility moves such as Yawn.
- Defense drops from Shell Smash makes Mega Blastoise prone to revenge killing via priority, such as Fake Out Mega Lopunny and Sucker Punch Kingambit. Some faster foes such as Unburden Sneasler, Choice Scarf Meowscarada, and Ditto, may also revenge-kill Mega Blastoise.
- Mega Blastoise is rather one-dimensional and suffers from four-moveslot-syndrome. It may not have the coverage to break through every one of its checks.
Offensive Shell Smash (Blastoise-Mega) @ Blastoisinite
Ability: Mega Launcher
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid or Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Shell Smash
- Water Pulse / Hydro Pump / Water Spout
- Dark Pulse / Aura Sphere
- Ice Beam / Dragon Pulse / Dark Pulse
This is the most simple and effective way of using Mega Blastoise. Shell Smash is self-explanatory. Water Pulse is Mega Blastoise's most consistent STAB option, and unlike Surf it has the small confusion chance as a bonus. Hydro Pump is less consistent but notably more powerful, allowing Mega Blastoise to rip apart bulkier teams faster. Water Spout is the extreme option due to its reliance on Mega Blastoise being healthy, but can be absolutely devastating if pulled off successfully. Mega Blastoise has a lot of coverage options it can pick from, depending on what its team needs the most. Dark Pulse destroys Slowking, Slowbro, and Mega Starmie. Aura Sphere blows pasts Archaludon and Hisuian Goodra. Ice Beam removes Dragon- and Grass-types such as Dragonite and Mega Meganium. Dragon Pulse hits Dragon-types harder however, notably shredding Mega Feraligatr and the niche Appletun. A Timid nature allows Mega Blastoise to outspeed Choice Scarf Serperior, although a Modest nature can be preferred to increase Mega Blastoise's strength:
- Modest +2 Water Pulse has much higher odds to OHKO max HP Kingambit.
- Modest +2 Hydro Pump has much higher odds to OHKO max HP Mega Floette, and offensive Hisuian Samurott after Stealth Rock.
- Modest +2 Water Spout (150 BP) has much higher odds to OHKO max HP Slowbro after Stealth Rock, and guarantees an OHKO on Mega Starmie.
- Modest +2 Aura Sphere gives Mega Blastoise a chance to OHKO fully specially defensive Hisuian Goodra.
- Modest +2 Ice Beam guarantees an OHKO against offensive Toxicroak.
Ability: Mega Launcher
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 248 HP / 64 SpA / 196 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Shell Smash
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam / Aura Sphere / Dark Pulse / Dragon Pulse / Protect
- Substitute / Yawn
This variant of Mega Blastoise improves its trading capabilities against threats such as Mega Charizard X and Excadrill. It also allows for easier setup opportunities against weaker foes. This can be done by simply having more bulk to setup with, or using Substitute against those that rely on status conditions, such as Slowbro, Vaporeon, and the niche Garganacl (if you count Salt Cure as a status condition). Substitute is also handy for Sucker Punch Kingambit. Alternatively, Mega Blastoise can use a Yawn + Protect combination to setup on the aforementioned offensive threats once they've been put to sleep. Protect also helps against Fake Out Mega Lopunny. It is also possible to continue running the standard 3A moveset the previous set runs. The given bulk allows Mega Blastoise to survive +2 Mega Charizard X's Dragon Claw, Mega Charizard Y's Solar Beam, and prevents Slowbro's Body Press from breaking Mega Blastoise's Substitute. The Speed EVs allow Mega Blastoise to outspeed uninvested Garchomp. The remaining special attack EVs ensure physically defensive Corviknight is OHKOed by +2 Hydro Pump.
Using Mega Blastoise and Teammates
Mega Blastoise can find setup options against passive foes such as the aforementioned Corviknight and Forretress. It is not recommended to setup on heavy hitters such as Mega Lucario and boosted Mega Lopunny, as this is insanely risky and will probably result in Mega Blastoise dying instead. If using the Substitute variant though, this number of setup fodder options increases. Try to spot which foes rely on status to make progress and surprise them with Substitute. Mega Blastoise fits on bulky offense and hyper offense teams that appreciate its heavy hitting capabilities, both with and without Shell Smash.
Ground-types
These two are the best Ground-types the tier has to offer. They both handle any Electric-types that may pressure Mega Blastoise, such as Raichu and Mega Manectric. They are both able to setup Stealth Rock to assist Mega Blastoise's sweep, while Excadrill can notably remove Stealth Rock via Rapid Spin. It can also break past Rotom-W thanks to Mold Breaker. Garchomp on the other hand, can be a fearsome offensive partner to Mega Blastoise, taking advantage of the specially defensive walls it lures in such as Toxapex.
Steel-types
All of these Pokemon are able to take advantage of the Grass- and Dragon-types that Mega Blastoise may bring in, such as Mega Meganium and Hisuian Goodra. Tinkaton can notably break past these Dragon-types due to it being Fairy-type, offers utility in Stealth Rock, Encore, and Thunder Wave, and can be an offensive partner with Swords Dance. Scizor, despite being locked out of its Mega forme, can still put in the work, pressuring offensive threats such as weakened Sneasler and Dragapult that Mega Blastoise may not want to deal with. Aegislash notably takes advantage of Mega Chesnaught and Mega Venusaur, offering similar offensive synergy like Tinkaton. Finally, Kingambit makes for a fearsome late-game cleaner after Mega Blastoise's onslaught thanks to Supreme Overlord. Should be noted that Excadrill also shares a lot of these qualities as these guys too, making it an exceptional partner.
Fairy-types
Similar to Tinkaton, who is actually a Fairy-type now that I mention it, they can all handle the incoming Dragon-types that may want to switch into Mega Blastoise before it sets up. Hatterene is able to deny hazards going up thanks to Magic Bounce, while offering Nuzzle support and a means of breaking past Toxapex. Sylveon can offer both Wish and Heal Bell support to allow Mega Blastoise to setup multiple times in a match. Slurpuff offers Sticky Web support to allow Modest variants of Mega Blastoise the ability to outspeed everything.
Checks and Counters
Due to Mega Blastoise's wide coverage options, it does not have many direct counters. Some of these checks may also be circumvented via Substitute or even Yawn in some cases. However, 4MSS is a major issue for Mega Blastoise, so it is not completely impossible to handle.
Bulky Water-types
All of them are able to shrug off boosted attacks from Mega Blastoise, and remove boosts via Haze, phase Mega Blastoise away, take out Mega Blastoise after the defense drops, or pivot out into a revenge killer respectively. Araquanid can tank a hit and threaten to OHKO back similarly to Azumarill, but it can also setup Sticky Web before Mega Blastoise sets up, meaning it is unable to outspeed certain foes such as Dragapult and Mega Greninja.
Other Water-type resists
Similarly, these can all possibly survive Mega Blastoise's coverage moves and threaten it in some way. Colbur Berry Slowking and Galarian Slowking may also fit into this role. There are also very specially defensive tanks that may be able to eat a hit from Mega Blastoise, such as Florges, Mega Floette, and even Snorlax, but these are inconsistent checks. Should be noted that while it does completely fold to Ice Beam, Mega Victreebel's Innards Out deals enough recoil to make Mega Blastoise extremely susceptible to priority, if not killing it outright.
Priority
Due to the defense drops, Mega Blastoise may find itself being sniped after taking down a foe, by something with priority, such as Fake Out and Mach Punch Mega Lopunny or Extreme Speed Dragonite. Klefki's Prankster Thunder Wave is also a huge nuisance for Mega Blastoise. Other priority users such as Palafin and Mega Lucario may work but being resisted is not ideal.
Faster foes
+2 Speed is fast, but having 78 base Speed holds Mega Blastoise back. Choice Scarf Meowscarada can outspeed even Timid Mega Blastoise after a boost and OHKO with Flower Trick. Ditto may have potential to reverse sweep without proper imposter-proofing. Unburden Sneasler is another foe who can outspeed, but it needs to be either Focus Sash, or Fake Out + Normal Gem to actually check it. Other Choice Scarf users such as Greninja, Serperior, and Garchomp, can outspeed Modest variants of Mega Blastoise.
Sun
While technically not a check, Sun causing a reduction in Water-type moves can serve as a soft check to Mega Blastoise, and allow certain threats such as Venusaur to outspeed Mega Blastoise thanks to Chlorophyll.
Should be noted that Mega Blastoise is not a one-time only threat, and has the potential to switch in and out repeatedly to setup and sweep. Therefore, all of these options are prone to being taken advantage of if predicted correctly.
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