Credit to Zdrup and Barry!
[Overview]
<p>Metagross stands tall in OU thanks to its great typing, good overall stats, and monstrous Attack and Defense. Metagross is also diverse, with options ranging from Choice Band or Choice Scarf sets, providing Stealth Rock support, and even mixed attacking. Metagross hasn't recieved any new tricks in this generation except for Psyshock and Hone Claws, only the latter being somewhat viable. One of Metagross's most powerful weapons, Explosion, has had its power halved, which seriously hinders it. With the addition of Excadrill and Jellicent, and the increase in popularity of Pokemon like Rotom-W and Gliscor, Metagross can be checked easily. However, it is still a very solid Pokemon overall with the ability to check many top threats in OU.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Meteor Mash
move 2: Hammer Arm
move 3: Bullet Punch
move 4: Pursuit / Zen Heabutt / Trick
nature: Adamant
item: Choice Band
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With an amazing base Attack stat and good overall bulk, Metagross is a perfect Pokemon for a Choice Band set as it lets it hit very hard without any need to set up. Meteor Mash is a powerful STAB move that, despite low accuracy, is the best option for Metagross. Hammer Arm hits almost everything Earthquake would hit for super effective damage but has the advantage of punishing Air Balloon holders, most notably Excadrill and Heatran, for switching in. Bullet Punch is the best move Metagross has to bypass its low Speed and allows Metagross to revenge kill dangerous Pokemon that would otherwise destroy it, such as Terrakion. The last slot depends on what one wants or needs Metagross to do. Pursuit is the best option as it capitalizes on Metagross's almost unique ability to avoid a 2HKO from Choice Specs Latios's Draco Meteor and threaten to OHKO it, whether or not Latios chooses to switch out.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The nature and EV spread emphasize Metagross's ability to hit as hard as possible, while maintaining very good bulk. The first three moves are almost mandatory and the only move one should consider replacing is Pursuit. With the numerous Fighting-types around, Zen Headbutt is a very useful move to carry and it has the added benefit of hitting threats such as Thundurus and Volcarona much harder. Trick is a great weapon against stall teams as the Choice Band will cripple any defensive Pokemon. Considering that Gliscor is a common switch-in to Metagross, the possibility to cripple it with Choice Band and another Pokemon with Toxic Orb is a major consideration to take into account when picking the fourth move.</p>
<p>Even though Choice Band Metagross is very powerful, very defensive Pokemon can still take one or two hits and either try to status Metagross or set up on it. Some examples are Skarmory, Jellicent, and Gliscor, which can take everything Metagross throws at them and set up entry hazards, burn it, or proceed to KO Metagross with Earthquake, respectively. However, they are all crippled by Trick. Faster hard-hitting Pokemon with super effective attacks, such as Landorus and Volcarona, can often threaten Metagross but have trouble switching in. Gyarados deserves a special mention; it can switch into anything Metagross throws at it - Choice Band included - and proceed to set up.</p>
<p>Taking into account the Pokemon Metagross has troubles breaking, Starmie is a great teammate; it has great Speed and amazing coverage, hitting all of the aforementioned threats for super effective damage. Latios is another good teammate that, when holding Choice Specs, will hit almost every Pokemon for major damage. It also attracts Pursuit users, such as Tyranitar and Scizor, so with good prediction, one can double switch Metagross into those Pokemon to threaten a KO. Finally, even though its Steel typing means Stealth Rock isn't a problem, Spikes will hinder Metagross's ability to switch in often. Therefore, Rapid Spin support is welcome. The aforementioned Starmie can perform this role, although that would require either a lack of recovery or limited coverage. Excadrill and Forretress are other options, with the former being able to threaten the opponent thanks to its great Attack stat, and the latter being able to set up entry hazards that help Metagross break the opponent's team. However, both have some problems: Excadrill, like Metagross, has troubles getting past Skarmory and Gliscor, and Forretress shares a crippling Fire-type weakness.</p>
[SET]
name: Stealth Rock
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Meteor Mash
move 3: Hammer Arm
move 4: Bullet Punch
nature: Adamant
item: Leftovers / Air Balloon / Occa Berry
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Metagross was a very popular lead in the previous generation, and for a good reason. It could set up Stealth Rock effeciently with its great bulk and typing, and then proceed to dish out massive damage with its giant Attack stat. However, leads were made redundant in the new generation due to Team Preview. However, Metagross still makes a great candidate for setting up Stealth Rock and performs well as an all-out attacker afterwards. After setting up Stealth Rock, Metagross makes a potent physical threat, with a variety of attacks at its disposal. Meteor Mash is Metagross's primary attack, and has nice Base Power and STAB. Its sub-par accuracy is a drawback, but is compensated for by a chance to raise Metagross's attack by one stage. Meteor Mash is generally used for neutral coverage, as the only notable Pokemon that takes super effective damage from it is Tyranitar. Hammer Arm may seem like a strange choice, but it is necessary for OHKOing threats such as Excadrill and Heatran. They are OHKOed with Earthquake, but Air Balloon is a common item for both of these Pokemon. The latter must be hit as it switches in, because it can OHKO Metagross with Fire Blast. Bullet Punch rounds off the set, and provides Metagross with useful priority which can pick off weakened Pokemon. The choice of items is tricky. Leftovers can be used to provide a form of recovery, which can come in handy, while Air Balloon makes Metagross temporarily immune to Ground-type attacks. This can be useful against Pokemon such as Gliscor, Excadrill, and Landorus. An Occa Berry is also viable, which lets Metagross survive a Fire Blast from Heatran and OHKO back with Hammer Arm.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>252 EVs in HP makes Metagross very bulky, while 252 EVs in Attack with an Adamant nature allows Metagross to make use of its giant Attack stat and hit hard. A Lum Berry can alternatively be used as Metagross's item to prevent it from being crippled by status moves, most notably Will-O-Wisp, Sleep Powder, or Spore. Earthquake can be used instead of Hammer Arm, which also lets Metagross nail Fire-type Pokemon—most of which can OHKO it—as they switch in. Hammer Arm is the preferred option, however, as it allows Metagross to KO Excadrill and Heatran even when they have an Air Balloon. Ice Punch is an option which lets Metagross deal massive amounts of damage to Gliscor, who can otherwise wall it with its massive Defense stat, and use Taunt to prevent it from setting up Stealth Rock. ThunderPunch is also an option and can be used to hit problematic Water-types such as Jellicent and Gyarados for massive damage.</p>
<p>Pokemon with high Defense stats and resistances to Metagross's attacks are problematic. Skarmory and Forretress are perfect examples. Both can shrug off any of its attacks, and set up entry hazards against it. The former can use Taunt to stop Metagross from setting up Stealth Rock, while the latter can simply use Rapid Spin to get rid of entry hazards. Magnezone can trap and kill both of these Pokemon, while Heatran can eliminate them with super effective STAB Fire-type attacks. Excadrill can deal massive damage to Metagross with Earthquake, but is OHKOed in return with Hammer Arm. Metagross can beat Excadrill if it uses Air Balloon and switches in safely, though. Gliscor can wall Metagross with its great Defense, Taunt it to stop Stealth Rock being set up, and set up on it with Swords Dance. Metagross can run Ice Punch to KO it, but if it doesn't, any bulky Water-type can scare it away, such as Suicune, Jellicent, Vaporeon, or Rotom-W. Most strong special attackers can hit Metagross's weaker Special Defense for high damage. Bulky Water-types in particular are problematic because they resist Metagross's primary STAB attack. Rotom-W is a notable example because it resists Meteor Mash, and is immune to Earthquake thanks to Levitate. It also has a Hydro Pump which can be boosted in rain. Heatran is in the same boat as Rotom-W thanks to its 4x resistance to Meteor Mash and ability to OHKO Metagross with a super effective Fire Blast. Blissey can wall any special attacker with its immense HP and Special Defense stats, making it a good teammate for Metagross. Sweepers that enjoy having Pokemon weakened by Stealth Rock make good partners for Metagross. Dragonite and Salamence work because they can set up with Dragon Dance, and can switch in against super effective attacks aimed at Metagross, while Metagross does the same for them, being able to switch in on Ice- and Dragon-type attacks.</p>
[SET]
name: Agility
move 1: Agility
move 2: Meteor Mash
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Ice Punch / ThunderPunch / Zen Headbutt
nature: Jolly
item: Life Orb / Air Balloon
evs: 52 HP / 252 Atk / 204 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Metagross's coveted Steel-typing, decent bulk, and a jaw dropping Attack stat allow it to run a highly effective Agility set. Since Metagross already forces out a large number of Pokemon, it will usually have no problems grabbing an Agility boost. After a boost Metagross will outspeed most Pokemon, with the exception of a few Choice Scarf users, and can easily devastate entire teams by itself. Meteor Mash is the preferred STAB move due to its high Base Power and slight chance of boosting Metagross's Attack stat by one stage. Earthquake has excellent coverage and does massive damage to most Pokemon resisting Meteor Mash, most notably Fire-types such as Infernape. The last move depends on what your team has covered. Ice Punch allows Metagross to deal with Gliscor, while ThunderPunch prevents Gyarados from cutting Metagross's sweep short. Zen Headbutt can be used to take down Fighting-types such as Conkeldurr and has a 20% chance of a flinch, but is usually inferior to the other options.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread is straightforward: 252 Attack EVs take advantage of Metagross's massive Attack stat and maximizes its damage output. 196 EVs in Speed combined with a Jolly nature allows Metagross to outspeed base 100 Speed Pokemon and Landorus with a Choice Scarf after an Agility. The remaining EVs are put into HP to give Metagross a little extra bulk. An Adamant nature can be used to allow Metagross to hit harder. However, the ability to outspeed base 100 Speed Pokemon with a Choice Scarf is valuable, making Jolly the preferred nature. Leftovers can be used as an alternative to give Metagross a little recovery and increase its survivability. A Lum Berry can also be used to prevent Metagross from being crippled by status moves. Hammer Arm can be used in the place of Earthquake to KO Pokemon using an Air Balloon such as Heatran and Excadrill, both of which beat Metagross otherwise. However, it lowers Metagross's Speed stat by one stage.</p>
<p>Skarmory is a problem for Metagross with its huge Defense stat and typing. It can take anything that Metagross throws at it, and set up entry hazards. Teammates such as Thundurus and Magnezone are welcomed because they can hit Skarmory with a super effective Thunderbolt. The latter can also trap Skarmory and guarantee a kill unless Skarmory holds Shed Shell. Excadrill is also problematic for Metagross, because it resists Metagross's attacks except for Hammer Arm, and can avoid Earthquake with an Air Balloon. Excadrill can outspeed Metagross at +2 Speed in the sand with Sand Rush and KO it with Earthquake. Heatran can check Excadrill provided it has an Air Balloon itself. It also makes a solid Skarmory counter. Defensively, Gliscor and Skarmory can easily counter Excadrill. If Metagross does not have ThunderPunch, it will run into trouble against bulky Water-types. However, if it doesn't carry Ice Punch, then Gliscor can wall it. Ferrothorn can be used to counter bulky Water-types, while any Water-type Pokemon can check Gliscor, because of its low Special Defense and weakness to Water-type attacks.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Meteor Mash
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Ice Punch
move 4: Trick / Pursuit
nature: Jolly
item: Choice Scarf
evs: 72 HP / 252 Atk / 184 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Choice Scarf is rather uncommon due to Metagross's low Speed stat, but that doesn't mean it isn't effective. Because it is so unexpected, it allows Metagross to function as a great revenge killer. With a Choice Scarf, Metagross can outspeed Choice Scarf Tyranitar, as well as Pokemon with 115 base Speed such as Starmie and Raikou. Meteor Mash is Metagross's primary attack, due to its high power, STAB, and the chance to raise Metagross's Attack stat one stage. Earthquake compliments Meteor Mash nicely, as it allows Metagross to hit Fire- and Steel-type Pokemon for massive damage. Ice Punch is primarily for Gliscor, which likes to switch in against Metagross. Metagross can KO Gliscor, if it hits it with Ice Punch as it switches in. Ice Punch also hits common Dragon-type Pokemon such as Latios, Latias, and Dragonite hard. Trick rounds off the set, allowing Metagross to cripple Pokemon that switch in to wall it—namely Skarmory, Forretress, and Ferrothorn—by giving them a Choice Scarf, whereas Pursuit can be used to trap and kill Latios, Latias, and Ghost-types such as Gengar.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Choice Scarf Metagross outspeeds Choice Scarf Tyranitar as well as base 115 Speed Pokemon with 184 EVs in Speed and a Jolly nature. 252 EVs in Attack allow Metagross to hit hard, while the remainder of the EVs are put into HP to make it bulkier. Although it lowers its Speed by one stage, Hammer Arm is still an option which will hit Pokemon that escape the KO from Earthquake with Air Balloon, namely Excadrill and Heatran. The Speed drop is worth the KO, as Metagross will most likely switch out afterwards. ThunderPunch can be used to hit Water-type Pokemon hard, as most of them will have an easy time switching in against Metagross's other attacks. Zen Headbutt can also be used for a form of secondary STAB, and KOing Conkeldurr. Skarmory, Forretress, and Ferrothorn can switch in on any of Metagross's attacks, and set up entry hazards, however, none of these Pokemon will enjoy being crippled by a Choice Scarf. Excadrill can outspeed Metagross while sandstorm is in effect, and KO it with Earthquake, although it has to be wary of Trick or Hammer Arm while switching in. Strong special attackers such as Rotom-W and Heatran can be annoying for Metagross, making Blissey an excellent partner. Blissey can keep Metagross healthy with Wish too.</p>
[SET]
name: Mixed
move 1: Meteor Mash
move 2: Hidden Power Fire
move 3: Grass Knot / Psychic
move 4: Ice Punch
nature: Brave
item: Expert Belt / Life Orb
evs: 252 Atk / 148 SpA / 108 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Mixed Metagross may seem ridiculous at first because of its much higher Attack stat, but it actually has a very usable base 95 Special Attack. This set aims to lure in counters to standard physical Metagross and catch them off guard with special attacks. Meteor Mash is still Metagross's primary attack, due to its high base power and STAB. It has good neutral coverage, and can smash Pokemon such as Blissey, which can take any special attack with ease. It also helps Metagross feign being purely physical, and lures in common counters. Metagross can OHKO Scizor and Specially Defensive Forretress with Hidden Power Fire after Stealth Rock and one layer of Spikes damage, and 2HKO Ferrothorn and Skarmory. All of these Pokemon are normally solid switch-ins to Metagross, and are easily disposed of by mixed variants. Grass Knot can 2HKO most bulky Water-type Pokemon, which normally laugh at Metagross. Notable examples are Jellicent, Suicune, Slowbro, and Milotic. However, Rotom-W and Vaporeon take pathetic damage from Grass Knot, due to their lower weights. Grass Knot can also hit Hippowdon and Swampert for around 80% damage. Psychic can be used instead of Grass Knot, allowing Metagross to 2HKO Rotom-W and OHKO Conkeldurr. Grass Knot is the preferred option though, as it hits a wider range of Pokemon. Ice Punch nails Gliscor, which can otherwise switch in safely against mixed Metagross. Gliscor is KOed by any of Metagross's other attacks, followed by Ice Punch. It also provides super effective coverage against Dragon-type Pokemon, which can take a Hidden Power Fire or Grass Knot with ease. An Expert Belt is used to provide a power boost on super effective attacks. It also helps to fake a Choiced set, and lure in Pokemon which Metagross can surprise kill. A Life Orb can be used for a damage boost on all attacks, regardless of whether they are super effective or not, but the 10% recoil is a drawback worth noting.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>252 Attack with a Brave nature allows Metagross to KO Gliscor with Ice Punch after it has been hit by any other attack. 148 EVs in Special Attack grant Metagross the OHKO Scizor and Forretress after Stealth Rock and one layer of Spikes damage with Hidden Power Fire, while 2HKOing Ferrothorn and Ferrothorn. 108 EVs in Speed allows Metagross to outspeed maximum Speed Wobbuffet. An Air Balloon is viable, allowing Metagross to avoid Ground-type attacks temporarily, but the damage boost from Expert Belt or Life Orb is signifigant, making them the preferred options. Hammer Arm is an option, but it is outclassed by Hidden Power Fire because it can hit the likes of Forretress and Skarmory for massive damage. The only advantage that Hammer Arm has over Hidden Power Fire is OHKOing Heatran. Earthquake can be used to hit Fire-type Pokemon such as Heatran and Volcarona hard, as Metagross is OHKOed by them, and can't touch them with its other attacks. Bullet Punch can be used if your team needs priority, but is generally too weak, and Metagross prefers having as much coverage as it can.</p>
<p>Because mixed Metagross aims to lure standard Metagross's counters, it has fewer counters than purely physical Metagross has. Strong special attackers still pose a threat. Even though most of them will have trouble switching in, as Metagross will likely have a super effective attack for them, but if they switch in safely, they can hit Metagross for massive damage. Rotom-W is an example of this. It can almost OHKO Metagross with Hydro Pump, but it is 2HKOed by Psychic. Heatran can switch in on any of Metagross's attacks barring an Earthquake or Hammer Arm and OHKO it with Fire Blast. Volcarona is in the same boat as Heatran as it can take any attack Metagross throws at it and set up with Quiver Dance. Excadrill OHKOes Metagross with Earthquake, but has trouble switching in, fearing attacks such as Hidden Power Fire, Hammer Arm, and Earthquake. Good teammates are ones that can handle strong special attackers such as Rotom-W, and ones that can check Fire-type Pokemon such as Heatran and Volcarona. Blissey can take basically any special attack, and can wear them down with Seismic Toss and Toxic. Blissey can also provide Wish support and Aromatherapy support for Metagross, which greatly benefits it. Gliscor makes a good teammate to counter Excadrill, which troubles Metagross. Skarmory, Forretress, and Gliscor are some of the Pokemon that make Metagross's life difficult, and Pokemon that can really benefit from their removal also make good teammates. Strong physical attackers are a good example. Conkeldurr can set up with Bulk Up and sweep when Pokemon that normally wall it are eliminated. Choice Band Haxorus can hit extremely hard right off the bat, without being stopped by Skarmory or Gliscor.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>ThunderPunch can be utilized to hit bulky Water-types hard. Gyarados and Jellicent are notable examples, both of which can be problematic otherwise. Hone Claws is Metagross's only method of boosting its already massive Attack stat to even higher levels. It also boosts its Accuracy, which is great for Metagross because it compensates for the low accuracy of Meteor Mash, its primary attack. While it does sound promising, it boosts too slowly, and Metagross generally isn't fast enough to sweep. Bulldoze is an interesting new attack that lowers a Pokemon's Speed stat when it is hit by it. This could be useful to slow down Pokemon that switch into Metagross, and allow it to outspeed them when it normally wouldn't. However, this is outclassed by Agility, because it gives Metagross a permanent Speed advantage. It could be useful for luring in a troublesome Pokemon, and then switching to something that can beat it with its Speed stat lowered. Refresh can be used to rid Metagross of any status and prevents it from being crippled. Magnet Rise makes Metagross immune to Ground-type attacks for 5 turns, and could assist it in beating Excadrill and Gliscor, providing it carries Hammer Arm and Ice Punch respectively. A Dual Screens set is viable thanks to Metagross's tremendous physical bulk, but its average Special Defense lets it down. Deoxys-S outclasses Metagross because of its blazing Speed and access to Spikes as well as Stealth Rock. Toxic can be used to cripple the bulky Water-types that Metagross lures in, such as Jellicent, Gyarados, and Politoed.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Heatran can switch to any of Metagross's attacks barring Hammer Arm (and Earthquake if its Air Balloon isn't intact) and roast it with its powerful Fire-type attacks, which Metagross can't stomach due to its average Special Defense stat. Rotom-W acts similarly to Heatran, with a 4x resistance to Meteor Mash and immunity to Earthquake (no Air Balloon required). It targets Metagross's weaker Special Defense stat with its powerful attacks, and is even more of a threat in the rain. Many other special attackers pose a threat to Metagross. Thundurus can zap Metagross with its Nasty Plot boosted STAB Electric-type attacks. Politoed induces permanent rain, meaning its STAB attacks are boosted, and deals massive damage to Metagross. Although Metagross resists Latios' STAB attacks, it can still hit Metagross with hard with attacks such as Hidden Power Fire, Surf, and Thunder. Life Orb variants will be more threatening than Choice-locked variants, because Metagross will usually switch into Latios on a predicted Dragon-type attack, which it resists.</p>
<p>Ninetales can be problematic. It induces Drought, which exposes Metagross's Fire-type weakness. This is a great boon for Fire-type Pokemon in general. Jellicent resists Meteor Mash and can burn Metagross with Will-O-Wisp. Skarmory stops Metagross cold with its amazing Defense and typing. On top of this, Skarmory is resistant to Metagross's dual STABs and immune to Earthquake. It can also use Metagross as set-up bait for entry hazards. Despite having to be wary of Ice Punch, Gliscor can easily switch in on Metagross with its high Defense stat, heal off any damage it recieves with Poison Heal, and hit Metagross with a super effective Earthquake. Excadrill can stop Metagross with STAB Earthquake, incredible Speed in the sand, and an amazing Attack stat. However, it is fragile, and cannot switch into many of Metagross's attacks.</p>
[Dream World]
<p>Metagross's Dream World ability is Light Metal, which reduces the damage Metagross suffers from Grass Knot and Low Kick. This is generally useless and should never be considered over Clear Body.</p>
