[SET]
name: Protective Pads Wallbreaker
move 1: Double Iron Bash
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Thunder Punch
move 4: Thunder Wave / Toxic
item: Protective Pads
ability: Iron Fist
nature: Adamant
evs: 44 HP / 252 Atk / 212 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
With a huge base Attack stat, extremely powerful Iron Fist boosted STAB move in Double Iron Bash and solid coverage, Melmetal is an extremely powerful wallbreaker that can at times be difficult for teams to deal with offensively, thanks to its enormous natural physical bulk and few weaknesses. Notably, its physical bulk allows it to stomach even rather powerful super effective physical hits, such as Choice Band Krookodile's Earthquake. Double Iron Bash is by far Melmetal’s best STAB move, 2HKOing at worst all but the most bulky neutral targets, with even physically defensive Tangrowth being 2HKOd after entry hazards. Earthquake hits opposing Melmetal, Aegislash, and Mega Manectric, as well as OHKOing Zeraora that may try to pivot on it. Thunder Punch deals with most Double Iron Bash resistant Pokemon Earthquake does not already, namely Urshifu-R, Skarmory, Slowking, Moltres and Celesteela. Finally, Thunder Wave allows it to attempt to paraflinch down checks like Skarmory or Buzzwole with Double Iron Bash and paralysis. However, Double Iron Bash has only 8 PP, meaning even if it does flinch past a check, it may not have enough Double Iron Bashes to still be effective against everything else. Thunder Wave can, however, be replaced with Toxic in order to also cripple and weaken Thunder Wave immune checks such as Rotom-W, Rotom-H, Swampert, and physically defensive Hippowdon. Protective Pads is the only worthwhile item on this set, allowing Melmetal to avoid being punished by the myriad of Rocky Helmet users like Skarmory and Tangrowth and contact punishing abilities like Moltres's Flame Body for using Double Iron Bash, keeping it alive for much longer while allowing it to still wallbreak effectively. The given EV spread allows it to outspeed uninvested Aegislash, hitting it with an Earthquake before it can attack or use Substitute. It also lets Melmetal outspeed Hippowdon and Rhyperior, stopping them from hitting Melmetal with an Earthquake before Melmetal can clobber them and, in the former's case, give Melmetal a chance to flinch it down with Double Iron Bash.
Melmetal fits best on bulky offense and balance teams, with a preference to the former due to the easier time those archetypes have fitting pivots to aid Melmetal. Teammates that benefit from Melmetal’s ability to break down walls like Mega Altaria, Amoonguss, Slowking, Assault Vest Tangrowth and defensive Dragonite make for great partners, so consider pairing it with Dragon Dance Mega Altaria, Urshifu-R and Zarude. Melmetal itself greatly appreciates pivot move users like Rotom-W, Scizor, Zeraora, Rotom-H and Swampert, as they help Melmetal get in and start wreaking havoc against typical checks to these Pokemon like bulky Grass types and Mega Altaria. Additionally, they allow Melmetal to come in without taking unnecessary chip from other Pokemon, letting it preserve its valuable HP and more easily check Pokemon like Mega Altaria and Nihilego. Special mention is given to Zeraora, who can get Melmetal in more frequently on many of the aforementioned walls of the tier thanks to Volt Switch and several of those Pokemon being common checks to Zeraora. It also threatens Skarmory, can lure and weaken Swampert with Grass Knot for Melmetal, and can threaten Pokemon that may revenge kill Melmetal such as Urshifu-R, Moltres, Primarina and Keldeo. Sweepers such as Mega Altaria and Salamence also enjoy these walls being weakened. Melmetal appreciates teammates who can deal with faster special attackers, so Pokemon like Slowking, Amoonguss, and Assault Vest Tangrowth are good options. Slowking in particular deals with almost every relevant Fire-type, and can use Teleport to get Melmetal in safely, with specially defensive sets additionally pivoting on Choice Specs Primarina. Hazard setters like Swampert, Nihilego, Hippowdon and Skarmory are welcome partners, with their entry hazards allowing Melmetal to 2HKO physically defensive Tangrowth, as well as pressure Skarmory and Rotom-W for Melmetal later.
[SET]
name: Protect + Toxic
move 1: Protect
move 2: Toxic
move 3: Double Iron Bash
move 4: Earthquake / Thunder Punch
item: Leftovers
ability: Iron Fist
nature: Careful
evs: 32 HP / 116 Atk / 252 SpD / 108 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
This set is more focused on using Melmetal to check things defensively, crippling defensive checks and increasing its longevity, while still being quite powerful. Protect + Toxic allows it to cripple certain checks like Rotom-W, Buzzwole and Hippowdon, as well as stall for Leftovers recovery and poison turns, giving Melmetal significantly more longevity and somewhat offsetting its weakness to Rocky Helmet and contact punishing abilities, but not completely. Notably, it can act as a check to Mega Altaria, taking every move comfortably, while maintaining an offensive profile, unlike Skarmory or Celesteela. Earthquake hits Aegislash and other Melmetal, allowing it to act as a decent check and status absorber to the former, but Thunder Punch when combined with Double Iron Bash hits more Pokemon for neutral or better, though this set will struggle to break through typical Thunder Punch targets like Skarmory and it can stall out the remainder with Protect + Toxic anyways. The given EV spread allows it to survive mixed Dragon Dance Mega Altaria's Fire Blast as a 3HKO and survive non Life Orb Offensive Buzzwole's Close Combat, both after Stealth Rock, as well as outspeed uninvested Hippowdon, with the remaining EVs put into Attack to maximise Melmetal's firepower.
Teammates that appreciate a defensive check to Mega Altaria and Nihilego that can still put out some damage appreciate this set. It fits best on balance and bulky offense teams as those teams have the most options to support it like pivots to bring it in when it's not very useful defensively, check wallbreakers that might abuse it like Urshifu-R and Rotom-H, and help further chip down Melmetal checks that have been poisoned by Toxic, while said teams enjoy the role compression this set can provide while not being passive. Pokemon that deal with strong Fighting-type wallbreakers are great partners, making Amoonguss, Mega Altaria, Salamence and Tapu Bulu good to pair with Melmetal. In particular, Tapu Bulu's Grassy Terrain pairs very well with this set, making Melmetal far harder to take down with Earthquakes from the likes of Krookodile and Swampert. This lets Melmetal stall them out with Toxic more, as well as giving it an additional source of passive recovery. In return, Melmetal covers common Pokemon like Mega Altaria and Nihilego that would otherwise overwhelm or threaten Tapu Bulu, while spreading Toxic and breaking down walls that trouble Tapu Bulu like Mega Altaria, Amoonguss and Salamence. Additionally, checks to faster Fire types like Moltres and Rotom-H are welcome, so Pokemon like Nihilego, Swampert and Rhyperior are good to pair with Melmetal. Finally, while Melmetal can cripple many of them with Toxic, it does still appreciate Pokemon that deal with certain physical walls like Skarmory, Tangrowth, Hippowdon, and Buzzwole, so partners like Primarina and Moltres can go a long way.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Choice Band propels Melmetal’s damage output to absurd heights, allowing Superpower to 2HKO both Rotom-W and Rotom-H and its Double Iron Bash to 2HKO Tangrowth without Stealth Rock, but without Protective Pads, this set is extremely prone to being punished by Rocky Helmet and Flame Body. Assault Vest can improve Melmetal's low Special Defense and allow it to come in more comfortably on mixed Mega Altaria and Dragon Dance Salamence, but suffers issues with contact punishing and chip damage from entry hazards like Spikes to the point where the additional bulk is usually negated, and it cannot pressure defensive checks with status moves. Combine all this with the rather small list of additional relevant 2HKOs avoided and the fact it survives the attacks without Assault Vest anyways, it simply isn’t worth it, and Protect + Toxic sets are generally preferred due to their improved longevity and ability to cripple checks. Ice Punch can hit Gligar, who otherwise totally walls Melmetal, but is otherwise hard to fit. Protective Pads can run both statuses on one set to cripple both its sets of defensive checks instead of having to choose between them, but this means dropping one of its coverage moves, forcing it to rely on Double Iron Bash flinches or waiting for Toxic to wear them down.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Physically Defensive Walls**: Melmetal can struggle to break past physical walls like Skarmory, Tangrowth, Hippowdon, and Gligar. The former three can take most Melmetal's attacks and retaliate with super effective moves or Knock Off, respectively. However, they should be aware of status and paraflinches. Gligar is by far the best Melmetal counter, since it's immune to both Thunder Wave and Toxic and can Roost off any damage before Melmetal can attack, avoiding flinches from Double Iron Bash.
**Bulky Water-types**: Rotom-W and Swampert resist Melmetal’s Double Iron Bash, and resist/are immune to all of Melmetal’s coverage options bar Thunder Punch and Earthquake respectively, which does middling damage to Rotom-W. In return, Rotom-W can retaliate with a Will-O-Wisp or do a decent chunk with Hydro Pump, and Swampert can do a large chunk of damage with Earthquake. However, specially defensive Swampert still takes a fair amount of damage from Double Iron Bash, meaning it will be worn down quickly over repeated switch-ins, though physically defensive sets will fare much better. Alomomola eats every hit as a 2HKO and can retaliate with Scald or a Knock Off, threatening a burn or removing Melmetal's rather crucial item respectively, and heal off chip damage with Regenerator or Wish+Protect. Most bulky Water-types fear Toxic, however, and some will struggle significantly more with Protect+Toxic Melmetal.
**Fire-type Pokemon**: Fire-type Pokemon like Moltres, Rotom-H and Volcanion are problematic for Melmetal to deal with. Rotom-H resists or is immune to every attacking move Melmetal has, cannot be paralyzed, and can threaten Melmetal with Overheat, but is dependant on the unreliable Pain Split for recovery, and Toxic annoys it significantly. While Thunder Punch will take out offensive Moltres with minimal chip damage and do large damage to bulky ones, Moltres is perfectly capable of taking every other move Melmetal runs. Volcanion cannot safely switch into Earthquake or Thunder Punch, but can threaten Melmetal with its super effective STAB or set up Substitute as Melmetal switches.
**Knock Off and Burn**: Melmetal is highly reliant on its item regardless of set, meaning Knock Off can be crippling to Melmetal. For instance, if it loses Protective Pads while there is a Rocky Helmet Pokemon or other contact punishers are still alive, Double Iron Bash becomes a risky move to click and Moltres becomes a much more intimidating switch in to Melmetal. Burn from Scald or Will-o-Wisp from Pokemon Melmetal might check or attempt to beat, such as Calm Mind Primarina and Rotom-Wash respectively, will also weaken it significantly and wear it down. Knock Off and burn is even more crippling to Protect + Toxic Melmetal as the recovery Leftovers provides is crucial to the set, and both negate this recovery. Notable Knock Off users include Tangrowth, Scizor, Zeraora and Nihilego.
**Faster Special Attackers**: While Melmetal's physical bulk is incredible, its special bulk is overall average, leaving it vulnerable to revenge killing by the likes of Moltres, Rotom-Heat, Primarina and Mega Manectric. It is also weak to some common coverage moves Pokemon from Mega Altaria and Salamence, so these Pokemon can do in a pinch too. However, Protect+Toxic Melmetal can sometimes cause problems as it is bulky enough to survive most of these attacks, like Choice SpecsPrimarina's Hydro Pump, and retaliate in a pinch, so special attackers need to be careful if they run into that set.
**Buzzwole**: Defensive Buzzwole sets are able to flat out wall Melmetal aside from status, but Buzzwole's offensive variants can also take any one hit and retaliate with a Close Combat, with Life Orb Buzzwole's Close Combat standing out as one of the few physical moves able to OHKO Melmetal, while non Life Orb Buzzwole only need minimal chip to OHKO anyways. It's also faster than Melmetal, meaning Melmetal cannot rely on Double Iron Bash flinches to win. It needs to be wary of Thunder Wave for the same reasons as defensive sets, however.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Niadev, 282732]]
- Quality checked by: [[Pubo, 535121], [Arishem, 546157]]
- Grammar checked by: [[username1, userid1]]
name: Protective Pads Wallbreaker
move 1: Double Iron Bash
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Thunder Punch
move 4: Thunder Wave / Toxic
item: Protective Pads
ability: Iron Fist
nature: Adamant
evs: 44 HP / 252 Atk / 212 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
With a huge base Attack stat, extremely powerful Iron Fist boosted STAB move in Double Iron Bash and solid coverage, Melmetal is an extremely powerful wallbreaker that can at times be difficult for teams to deal with offensively, thanks to its enormous natural physical bulk and few weaknesses. Notably, its physical bulk allows it to stomach even rather powerful super effective physical hits, such as Choice Band Krookodile's Earthquake. Double Iron Bash is by far Melmetal’s best STAB move, 2HKOing at worst all but the most bulky neutral targets, with even physically defensive Tangrowth being 2HKOd after entry hazards. Earthquake hits opposing Melmetal, Aegislash, and Mega Manectric, as well as OHKOing Zeraora that may try to pivot on it. Thunder Punch deals with most Double Iron Bash resistant Pokemon Earthquake does not already, namely Urshifu-R, Skarmory, Slowking, Moltres and Celesteela. Finally, Thunder Wave allows it to attempt to paraflinch down checks like Skarmory or Buzzwole with Double Iron Bash and paralysis. However, Double Iron Bash has only 8 PP, meaning even if it does flinch past a check, it may not have enough Double Iron Bashes to still be effective against everything else. Thunder Wave can, however, be replaced with Toxic in order to also cripple and weaken Thunder Wave immune checks such as Rotom-W, Rotom-H, Swampert, and physically defensive Hippowdon. Protective Pads is the only worthwhile item on this set, allowing Melmetal to avoid being punished by the myriad of Rocky Helmet users like Skarmory and Tangrowth and contact punishing abilities like Moltres's Flame Body for using Double Iron Bash, keeping it alive for much longer while allowing it to still wallbreak effectively. The given EV spread allows it to outspeed uninvested Aegislash, hitting it with an Earthquake before it can attack or use Substitute. It also lets Melmetal outspeed Hippowdon and Rhyperior, stopping them from hitting Melmetal with an Earthquake before Melmetal can clobber them and, in the former's case, give Melmetal a chance to flinch it down with Double Iron Bash.
Melmetal fits best on bulky offense and balance teams, with a preference to the former due to the easier time those archetypes have fitting pivots to aid Melmetal. Teammates that benefit from Melmetal’s ability to break down walls like Mega Altaria, Amoonguss, Slowking, Assault Vest Tangrowth and defensive Dragonite make for great partners, so consider pairing it with Dragon Dance Mega Altaria, Urshifu-R and Zarude. Melmetal itself greatly appreciates pivot move users like Rotom-W, Scizor, Zeraora, Rotom-H and Swampert, as they help Melmetal get in and start wreaking havoc against typical checks to these Pokemon like bulky Grass types and Mega Altaria. Additionally, they allow Melmetal to come in without taking unnecessary chip from other Pokemon, letting it preserve its valuable HP and more easily check Pokemon like Mega Altaria and Nihilego. Special mention is given to Zeraora, who can get Melmetal in more frequently on many of the aforementioned walls of the tier thanks to Volt Switch and several of those Pokemon being common checks to Zeraora. It also threatens Skarmory, can lure and weaken Swampert with Grass Knot for Melmetal, and can threaten Pokemon that may revenge kill Melmetal such as Urshifu-R, Moltres, Primarina and Keldeo. Sweepers such as Mega Altaria and Salamence also enjoy these walls being weakened. Melmetal appreciates teammates who can deal with faster special attackers, so Pokemon like Slowking, Amoonguss, and Assault Vest Tangrowth are good options. Slowking in particular deals with almost every relevant Fire-type, and can use Teleport to get Melmetal in safely, with specially defensive sets additionally pivoting on Choice Specs Primarina. Hazard setters like Swampert, Nihilego, Hippowdon and Skarmory are welcome partners, with their entry hazards allowing Melmetal to 2HKO physically defensive Tangrowth, as well as pressure Skarmory and Rotom-W for Melmetal later.
[SET]
name: Protect + Toxic
move 1: Protect
move 2: Toxic
move 3: Double Iron Bash
move 4: Earthquake / Thunder Punch
item: Leftovers
ability: Iron Fist
nature: Careful
evs: 32 HP / 116 Atk / 252 SpD / 108 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
This set is more focused on using Melmetal to check things defensively, crippling defensive checks and increasing its longevity, while still being quite powerful. Protect + Toxic allows it to cripple certain checks like Rotom-W, Buzzwole and Hippowdon, as well as stall for Leftovers recovery and poison turns, giving Melmetal significantly more longevity and somewhat offsetting its weakness to Rocky Helmet and contact punishing abilities, but not completely. Notably, it can act as a check to Mega Altaria, taking every move comfortably, while maintaining an offensive profile, unlike Skarmory or Celesteela. Earthquake hits Aegislash and other Melmetal, allowing it to act as a decent check and status absorber to the former, but Thunder Punch when combined with Double Iron Bash hits more Pokemon for neutral or better, though this set will struggle to break through typical Thunder Punch targets like Skarmory and it can stall out the remainder with Protect + Toxic anyways. The given EV spread allows it to survive mixed Dragon Dance Mega Altaria's Fire Blast as a 3HKO and survive non Life Orb Offensive Buzzwole's Close Combat, both after Stealth Rock, as well as outspeed uninvested Hippowdon, with the remaining EVs put into Attack to maximise Melmetal's firepower.
Teammates that appreciate a defensive check to Mega Altaria and Nihilego that can still put out some damage appreciate this set. It fits best on balance and bulky offense teams as those teams have the most options to support it like pivots to bring it in when it's not very useful defensively, check wallbreakers that might abuse it like Urshifu-R and Rotom-H, and help further chip down Melmetal checks that have been poisoned by Toxic, while said teams enjoy the role compression this set can provide while not being passive. Pokemon that deal with strong Fighting-type wallbreakers are great partners, making Amoonguss, Mega Altaria, Salamence and Tapu Bulu good to pair with Melmetal. In particular, Tapu Bulu's Grassy Terrain pairs very well with this set, making Melmetal far harder to take down with Earthquakes from the likes of Krookodile and Swampert. This lets Melmetal stall them out with Toxic more, as well as giving it an additional source of passive recovery. In return, Melmetal covers common Pokemon like Mega Altaria and Nihilego that would otherwise overwhelm or threaten Tapu Bulu, while spreading Toxic and breaking down walls that trouble Tapu Bulu like Mega Altaria, Amoonguss and Salamence. Additionally, checks to faster Fire types like Moltres and Rotom-H are welcome, so Pokemon like Nihilego, Swampert and Rhyperior are good to pair with Melmetal. Finally, while Melmetal can cripple many of them with Toxic, it does still appreciate Pokemon that deal with certain physical walls like Skarmory, Tangrowth, Hippowdon, and Buzzwole, so partners like Primarina and Moltres can go a long way.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Choice Band propels Melmetal’s damage output to absurd heights, allowing Superpower to 2HKO both Rotom-W and Rotom-H and its Double Iron Bash to 2HKO Tangrowth without Stealth Rock, but without Protective Pads, this set is extremely prone to being punished by Rocky Helmet and Flame Body. Assault Vest can improve Melmetal's low Special Defense and allow it to come in more comfortably on mixed Mega Altaria and Dragon Dance Salamence, but suffers issues with contact punishing and chip damage from entry hazards like Spikes to the point where the additional bulk is usually negated, and it cannot pressure defensive checks with status moves. Combine all this with the rather small list of additional relevant 2HKOs avoided and the fact it survives the attacks without Assault Vest anyways, it simply isn’t worth it, and Protect + Toxic sets are generally preferred due to their improved longevity and ability to cripple checks. Ice Punch can hit Gligar, who otherwise totally walls Melmetal, but is otherwise hard to fit. Protective Pads can run both statuses on one set to cripple both its sets of defensive checks instead of having to choose between them, but this means dropping one of its coverage moves, forcing it to rely on Double Iron Bash flinches or waiting for Toxic to wear them down.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Physically Defensive Walls**: Melmetal can struggle to break past physical walls like Skarmory, Tangrowth, Hippowdon, and Gligar. The former three can take most Melmetal's attacks and retaliate with super effective moves or Knock Off, respectively. However, they should be aware of status and paraflinches. Gligar is by far the best Melmetal counter, since it's immune to both Thunder Wave and Toxic and can Roost off any damage before Melmetal can attack, avoiding flinches from Double Iron Bash.
**Bulky Water-types**: Rotom-W and Swampert resist Melmetal’s Double Iron Bash, and resist/are immune to all of Melmetal’s coverage options bar Thunder Punch and Earthquake respectively, which does middling damage to Rotom-W. In return, Rotom-W can retaliate with a Will-O-Wisp or do a decent chunk with Hydro Pump, and Swampert can do a large chunk of damage with Earthquake. However, specially defensive Swampert still takes a fair amount of damage from Double Iron Bash, meaning it will be worn down quickly over repeated switch-ins, though physically defensive sets will fare much better. Alomomola eats every hit as a 2HKO and can retaliate with Scald or a Knock Off, threatening a burn or removing Melmetal's rather crucial item respectively, and heal off chip damage with Regenerator or Wish+Protect. Most bulky Water-types fear Toxic, however, and some will struggle significantly more with Protect+Toxic Melmetal.
**Fire-type Pokemon**: Fire-type Pokemon like Moltres, Rotom-H and Volcanion are problematic for Melmetal to deal with. Rotom-H resists or is immune to every attacking move Melmetal has, cannot be paralyzed, and can threaten Melmetal with Overheat, but is dependant on the unreliable Pain Split for recovery, and Toxic annoys it significantly. While Thunder Punch will take out offensive Moltres with minimal chip damage and do large damage to bulky ones, Moltres is perfectly capable of taking every other move Melmetal runs. Volcanion cannot safely switch into Earthquake or Thunder Punch, but can threaten Melmetal with its super effective STAB or set up Substitute as Melmetal switches.
**Knock Off and Burn**: Melmetal is highly reliant on its item regardless of set, meaning Knock Off can be crippling to Melmetal. For instance, if it loses Protective Pads while there is a Rocky Helmet Pokemon or other contact punishers are still alive, Double Iron Bash becomes a risky move to click and Moltres becomes a much more intimidating switch in to Melmetal. Burn from Scald or Will-o-Wisp from Pokemon Melmetal might check or attempt to beat, such as Calm Mind Primarina and Rotom-Wash respectively, will also weaken it significantly and wear it down. Knock Off and burn is even more crippling to Protect + Toxic Melmetal as the recovery Leftovers provides is crucial to the set, and both negate this recovery. Notable Knock Off users include Tangrowth, Scizor, Zeraora and Nihilego.
**Faster Special Attackers**: While Melmetal's physical bulk is incredible, its special bulk is overall average, leaving it vulnerable to revenge killing by the likes of Moltres, Rotom-Heat, Primarina and Mega Manectric. It is also weak to some common coverage moves Pokemon from Mega Altaria and Salamence, so these Pokemon can do in a pinch too. However, Protect+Toxic Melmetal can sometimes cause problems as it is bulky enough to survive most of these attacks, like Choice SpecsPrimarina's Hydro Pump, and retaliate in a pinch, so special attackers need to be careful if they run into that set.
**Buzzwole**: Defensive Buzzwole sets are able to flat out wall Melmetal aside from status, but Buzzwole's offensive variants can also take any one hit and retaliate with a Close Combat, with Life Orb Buzzwole's Close Combat standing out as one of the few physical moves able to OHKO Melmetal, while non Life Orb Buzzwole only need minimal chip to OHKO anyways. It's also faster than Melmetal, meaning Melmetal cannot rely on Double Iron Bash flinches to win. It needs to be wary of Thunder Wave for the same reasons as defensive sets, however.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Niadev, 282732]]
- Quality checked by: [[Pubo, 535121], [Arishem, 546157]]
- Grammar checked by: [[username1, userid1]]
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