Pokémon Metagross

[Clone]

approved by alexwolf

Metagross​

Base Stats:

Normal: 80 / 135 / 130 / 95 / 90 / 70
Mega: 80 / 145 / 150 / 105 / 110 / 110

Abilities:

Clear Body: Prevents stats drops (doesn’t apply to self-inflicted ones i.e. Hammer Arm)
Light Metal: Halves Weight
Tough Claws: Contact moves receive a 33% boost

Usable moves (STABs Bolded):

Meteor Mash
Zen Headbutt
Ice Punch
Thunder Punch
Earthquake
Bullet Punch
Hammer Arm
Grass Knot
Stealth Rock
Hone Claws
Pursuit

Overview:

Metagross received a godsend with his new Mega Evolution. His lowest stat, speed, was given a much needed boost to base 110, which is one of the fastest speed tiers in OU. Additionally, he got a great ability in Tough Claws, which boosts his contact moves by 30%, powering up both Meteor Mash and Zen Headbutt, as well as most of his other contact moves such as Ice Punch, Hammer Arm, and Grass Knot. With great 80 / 150 / 110 bulk and defensive typing in Steel / Psychic, Metagross is ready to dominate OU once again with powerful Tough Claws boosted moves coming off of a scary base 145 attack stat. This, combined with the aforementioned bulk and speed, makes for a deadly wallbreaker that every team should prepare for.

Potential Movesets:
​

Physical Wallbreaker:
Metagross @ Metagrossite
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Meteor Mash
- Ice Punch / Bullet Punch
- Zen Headbutt
- Hammer Arm / Earthquake

Once Mega’d, Metagross has the same speed as the Lati twins, as well as great bulk behind it. This set aims to capitalize on this new speed by providing great coverage and power to make for a speedy Pokémon capable of decimating both offensive and defensive threats. Meteor Mash is the main STAB move, bolstering a good 90 base power with a decent 20% chance of raising his attack stat one stage, which only makes him scarier. Zen Headbutt is the other STAB move of choice, hitting the likes of Keldeo, Venusaur, and even Gengar super effectively, as well as having a nifty Flinch chance. Ice Punch is the best coverage move, as it hits the Lati twins, Lando (T), and Garchomp, while Earthquake hits things like Heatran and Magnezone, as well as other steel types. Pursuit can be used if the Lati twins are annoying, as Megagross makes an excellent switch in to non HP Fire variants and forces them out.

Rock Polish:
Metagross @ Metagrossite
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 80 HP / 252 Atk / 176 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Rock Polish
- Meteor Mash / Iron Head
- Zen Headbutt
- Hammer Arm / Earthquake / Ice Punch

The speed EVs outpace neutral natured base 100s post mega. Rock Polish boosts Metagross's speed to insane levels, to the point where only jolly Excadrill under sand can outspeed him. Meteor mash is the main STAB as its tough claws boosted and has a nifty chance to raise his attack. Zen Headbutt is used to hit most things that resist Meteor smash neutrally, while also gaining important coverage against fighting and poison types. Hammer arm is the best coverage move, as it hits every steel type while also gaining a Tough Claws boost. Earthquake can be used instead to hit opposing Metagross super effectively, while also getting super effective coverage against electric and fire types should they pose a problem. Ice punch can be used if Gliscor, Garchomp, and Landorus t are problematic for your team.

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Any good sets posted here will be added to the OP. Use this thread to talk about Mega Metagross to your hearts content. Teammmates, moves, team archetypes, etc. Just remember to stay on topic and try to avoid one-liners. Discuss away!

 

[Sanger Zonvolt]

Any thoughts on an Agility set for sweeping? Something along the lines of:

Metagross @ Metagrossite
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Agility
- Meteor Mash
- Zen Headbutt
- Earthquake / Ice Punch / Pursuit

Pretty simple: set up Agility (which makes you much faster than a lot of the meta) then proceed to take things out. It also lets you run a positive attack nature for a little more power as well. Only tradeoff is that it needs more team support to get past some threats that the wallbreaker set cares less about since you really only get 1 coverage move unless you drop as STAB

 

[Ze Diglett]

Any thoughts on an Agility set for sweeping? Something along the lines of:

Metagross @ Metagrossite
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Agility
- Meteor Mash
- Zen Headbutt
- Earthquake / Ice Punch / Pursuit

Pretty simple: set up Agility (which makes you much faster than a lot of the meta) then proceed to take things out. It also lets you run a positive attack nature for a little more power as well. Only tradeoff is that it needs more team support to get past some threats that the wallbreaker set cares less about since you really only get 1 coverage move unless you drop as STAB

This set definitely deserves a spot in the OP IMO, I've run it with great success in the early OR/AS meta. The only thing I would say is to slash the coverage moves over Zen Headbutt rather than Earthquake, since Metagross typically needs coverage more than a secondary STAB option and Earthquake hits many common Steel, Water, Electric, and Fire-types that otherwise wall it.

As for my thoughts on the mega as a whole, it'll definitely bring Metagross back from the trenches of UU. It combines power, speed, and bulk into one neat little package. On top of that, it has a beastly defensive typing, with a whopping 9 resistances and an immunity with only 4 weaknesses. And at what cost? Your mega slot and an alternative LO/Choice Band set, the latter of which doesn't even matter because MegaGross already hits harder on top of the defense and speed buffs it already has, and it doesn't have to worry about LO recoil or being locked into one move. MegaGross will definitely solidify Metagross's position in OU once again.

 

[Albacore]

I see a lot of Ice Punch on MMeta but I honestly have no idea why... The only thing you actually hit is Lando-T which you already considerably wear down (especially given that Clear Body blocks Intimidate), and you miss out on coverage on stuff like Slowbro, Ferrothorn, Starmie, Skarmory, etc... IMO it's just inferior to the likes of Hammer Arm, Grass Knot, HP Fire and Bullet Punch (which doesn't provide any coverage but does let you chip away at weakened foes).

The best set overall in terms of coverage would probably be something along the lines of Meteor Mash / Zen Headbutt / Grass Knot / HP Fire I reckon.

 

[Clone]

I see a lot of Ice Punch on MMeta but I honestly have no idea why... The only thing you actually hit is Lando-T which you already considerably wear down (especially given that Clear Body blocks Intimidate), and you miss out on coverage on stuff like Slowbro, Ferrothorn, Starmie, Skarmory, etc... IMO it's just inferior to the likes of Hammer Arm, Grass Knot, HP Fire and Bullet Punch (which doesn't provide any coverage but does let you chip away at weakened foes).

The best set overall in terms of coverage would probably be something along the lines of Meteor Mash / Zen Headbutt / Grass Knot / HP Fire I reckon.

It also hits the likes of chomp, Lati@s, DNite, Megamence (this one is really big btw), and Thundy. It's definitely worth the slot if you need to hit these threats.

As for the other moves, Hammer Arm is decent on a bulky set I guess, along with Bullet Punch, but the Jolly Wallbreaker set I posted doesn't like the speed drop one bit. And honestly MM / EQ / ZB / IP is perfectly good coverage, only really missing out on Skarm and steels neutral to EQ.

HP Fire & GK definitely work on a mixed set. Post the set here and I'll add it to the OP. Idk the calcs so I'll leave the spread up to you.

Sanger Zonvolt optimize the EV spread a bit for the agility set and I'll add it to the OP. Max speed isn't needed imo, and the bulk from HP investment can help against priority. Something that outspeeds, say, Scarf Base 110s seems perfectly acceptable to me, seeing as the only other notable things are sand Exca and rain mons.

 

[Celticpride]

I see a lot of Ice Punch on MMeta but I honestly have no idea why... The only thing you actually hit is Lando-T which you already considerably wear down (especially given that Clear Body blocks Intimidate), and you miss out on coverage on stuff like Slowbro, Ferrothorn, Starmie, Skarmory, etc... IMO it's just inferior to the likes of Hammer Arm, Grass Knot, HP Fire and Bullet Punch (which doesn't provide any coverage but does let you chip away at weakened foes).

The best set overall in terms of coverage would probably be something along the lines of Meteor Mash / Zen Headbutt / Grass Knot / HP Fire I reckon.

Clear Body goes away when you Mega Evolve, and Lando-T switches in more often after that happens. There is some merit to running it, especially with all the Dragons running around. I actually don't understand HP Fire on Meta:

180 SpA Metagross Hidden Power Fire vs. 252 HP / 168 SpD Ferrothorn: 164-196 (46.5 - 55.6%) -- 16% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

You've got to commit significant EVs to even have a hope at 2HKOing Ferro, and I don't think it will even make a dent in Skarm and the like. Hammer Arm is much better for Steels in general:

252 Atk Tough Claws Metagross Hammer Arm vs. 252 HP / 88+ Def Ferrothorn: 212-250 (60.2 - 71%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

 

[Ze Diglett]

I see a lot of Ice Punch on MMeta but I honestly have no idea why... The only thing you actually hit is Lando-T which you already considerably wear down (especially given that Clear Body blocks Intimidate), and you miss out on coverage on stuff like Slowbro, Ferrothorn, Starmie, Skarmory, etc... IMO it's just inferior to the likes of Hammer Arm, Grass Knot, HP Fire and Bullet Punch (which doesn't provide any coverage but does let you chip away at weakened foes).

The best set overall in terms of coverage would probably be something along the lines of Meteor Mash / Zen Headbutt / Grass Knot / HP Fire I reckon.

Well, I personally run Ice Punch to take out Dragons that otherwise threaten my team, though I was considering running Thunder Punch for a long time to hit Water-types and certain Flying-types.
Also, HP Fire only seems remotely useful if you're running Mega Mixgross, since it requires some serious SAtk investment to do any damage, even coming off of a respectable 110 Special Attack. Grass Knot at least gets boosted by Tough Claws, which is more than can be said for HP Fire.

 

[alexwolf]

Ice Punch is great to check one of the most threatening Pokemon in OU, Mega Salamence, a Pokemon that Mega Metagross is one of the best offensive answers to. Also, i don't like Hidden Power Fire, it's too weak, can't even 2HKO Skarmory and Ferrothorn. I would much rather use Hammer Arm, which easily 2HKOes Ferrothorn and eventually beats Skarmory, after enough Speed drops to be slower than it so it can't use Roost. And of course, Hammer Arm also covers other Steel-types that EQ would and HP Fire does jack shit to, such as Bisharp, Magnezone, and Excadrill, all Pokemon you don't want to give free turns to.

 

[Blizzardhail]

Agility set is bad. Only Talonflame and Greninja can outspeed and OHKO M-Metagross but even then you can't guarentee them dead due to their typings and ability respectively.

 

[Albacore]

And of course, off all the things to forget about I forget about MMence... yeah, on second thoughts, Ice Punch actually seems good atm so that MMence doesn't use you as setup fodder.

Blizzardhail you're completely forgetting stuff like Weavile, Starmie, everything in the crowded base 110 speed tier which you don't have to win ties with anymore, all the faster new megas like Beedrill and Sceptile, scarfers like Latios and Keldeo that have been popping up, and the fact that you can now afford to run a lot of bulk so as to switch into threats better. Also, outspeeding Greninja is a pretty massive deal imo. Agiligross is definitely a good set.

 

[Celticpride]

Agility set is bad. Only Talonflame and Greninja can outspeed and OHKO M-Metagross but even then you can't guarentee them dead due to their typings and ability respectively.

There's a lot of Scarfers you also outspeed at +2. Lando-T is obvious, but Scarf Latios is on the rise along with a few others. You also avoid the whole group of base 135-150 speed Megas revenging you.

 

[DracoNinja]

I've been trying out Gravity Mega Metagross+Sticky Web for some time, it's pretty fun when it works especially when people forget that Gravity forces all flying and levitating pokemon to be grounded and pokemon like Skarmory and Rotom-W can all be KO'd by an EQ. Also grounding everything means your opponent will definitely get a speed drop from Sticky Web and this forces revenge-killing Metagross to be out of the picture.

Probably one of the best partners with Mega Metagross is strong water-types, especially Greninja since they break down bulky grounds which Mega Metagross has problems with, as well as others that can deal with Bulky Waters such as Mega Slowbro/Alomomola

Agility Metagross is pretty ok as a lategame sweeper imo but I think base 110 speed is usually enough to just clean weakened teams and the extra moveslot can be used for extra coverage.

 

[Blizzardhail]

There's a lot of Scarfers you also outspeed at +2. Lando-T is obvious, but Scarf Latios is on the rise along with a few others. You also avoid the whole group of base 135-150 speed Megas revenging you.

Scarf Latios can't touch you and you shouldn't try to even pull off a Agility sweep without getting rid of Landorus-T if you don't have Ice Punch. I'm on a phone now so I can't calc what Indimidated Ice Punch does to Landorus-T. Anyway I feel that Mega-Metagross shouldn't waste a moveslot on Agility when it already has 110 speed, a pretty good speed tier.

 

[Celticpride]

Scarf Latios can't touch you and you shouldn't try to even pull off a Agility sweep without getting rid of Landorus-T if you don't have Ice Punch. I'm on a phone now so I can't calc what Indimidated Ice Punch does to Landorus-T. Anyway I feel that Mega-Metagross shouldn't waste a moveslot on Agility when it already has 110 speed, a pretty good speed tier.

Actually, now that I think about it, the Agility set outspeeds every SSer and Sand Rush Excadrill at +2. So Agility can give it and edge against those teams. It can probably afford to run Adamant and still outspeed everything.

 

[Ze Diglett]

Agility Mega-Metagross is arguably one of the best win conditions in the entire tier right now, rivaling the strength of M-Salamence (debatable, considering M-Mence is hands-down Ubers material, but still). Its beastly physical bulk combined with its defensive typing and respectable Special Defense lets it find many opportunities to set up, and once it does, it outspeeds literally the entire metagame and hits like a truck. Not to mention, Agility MegaGross can afford to run a bulkier spread and an Adamant nature, which lets it hit harder than the standard wallbreaker set and have an easier time setting up. Sure, it suffers from a case of 4MSS, but this is true for all varieties of MegaGross. While 110 Speed is certainly good, it still gets outsped by many threats like Greninja, certain varieties of Gengar, and too many scarf users to count, which is why it can't effectively sweep without Agility.
How's that for a lazy reply?

 

[Blizzardhail]

Actually, now that I think about it, the Agility set outspeeds every SSer and Sand Rush Excadrill at +2. So Agility can give it and edge against those teams. It can probably afford to run Adamant and still outspeed everything.

You can't do anything to SSers except maybe Kabutops and most Excadrill carry Air Balloon

 

[Clone]

Metagross-Mega @ Metagrossite
Ability: Tough Claws
EVs: 228 HP / 252 Atk / 28 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Rock Polish
- Meteor Mash
- Zen Headbutt
- Ice Punch / Earthquake

Been messing around in the calculator and came up with this spread. Id like a few opinions on this before I add it to the OP. 28 Speed EVs outspeed scarfed base 110s after a rock polish w/ an adamant nature. rest gos into HP for bulk.

Other benchmarks:
116 EVs outspeed positive base 100s post mega
176 EVs outspeed neutral base 100s post mega
188 EVs outspeed jolly excadrill post mega

84 EVs outspeed uninvested base 80s (few more to creep)
172 EVs outspeed uninvested Lando T

Im thinking 116 might be the best option, as it gives a good speed number post mega should you not be able to get off a Rock Polish. 84 and 172 also seem like decent numbers should you be worried about things before you get the mega off

 

[Blizzardhail]

Also I think yore missin the point of sweeping. You're supposed to sweep after you get rid of scarfers and threats, not before. Metagross is in no way outsped by Gengar unless it's scarfed and you can't beat Greninja even if you run Agility due to it's typing. I addressed the scarfer point earlier. Without agility allows you to run things like Thunderpunch which can help you deal with Bulky waters or even Grass Knot, which is boosted by Tough Claws

 

[Celticpride]

You can't do anything to SSers except maybe Kabutops and most Excadrill carry Air Balloon

Some Exacdrill carry Life Orb instead, the most recent usage stats favor Life Orb by 10% over Air Balloon.

0- SpA Tough Claws Metagross Grass Knot (60 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Omastar: 292-344 (103.9 - 122.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO
0- SpA Tough Claws Metagross Grass Knot (60 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Kabutops: 292-344 (111.8 - 131.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO

252+ Atk Metagross Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Excadrill: 390-460 (108 - 127.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ Atk Tough Claws Metagross Hammer Arm vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Excadrill: 518-610 (143.4 - 168.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO

0- SpA Tough Claws Metagross Grass Knot (80 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Mega Swampert: 264-312 (77.4 - 91.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Mega Swampert Earthquake vs. 200 HP / 0 Def Metagross: 282-332 (80.3 - 94.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ Atk Tough Claws Metagross Meteor Mash vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Kingdra: 122-144 (41.9 - 49.4%) -- 85.5% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Tough Claws Metagross Hammer Arm vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Kingdra: 181-213 (62.1 - 73.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252+ SpA Life Orb Kingdra Hydro Pump vs. 200 HP / 0 SpD Metagross in Rain: 286-339 (81.4 - 96.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

You line up well against a lot of Rain sweepers well. Kingdra has to be Specs to beat it, and you can still dent it and even beat it if it's LO Kingdra. Also, I know you're thinking it, why use Hammer Arm and Agility on the same set? It's more than doable, Mega Scizor does a very similar thing with Superpower and Swords Dance. Meteor Mash/Hammer Arm/Grass Knot/Agility beats basically every weather sweeper once set-up.

 

[Blizzardhail]

Some Exacdrill carry Life Orb instead, the most recent usage stats favor Life Orb by 10% over Air Balloon.

0- SpA Tough Claws Metagross Grass Knot (60 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Omastar: 292-344 (103.9 - 122.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO
0- SpA Tough Claws Metagross Grass Knot (60 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Kabutops: 292-344 (111.8 - 131.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO

252+ Atk Metagross Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Excadrill: 390-460 (108 - 127.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ Atk Tough Claws Metagross Hammer Arm vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Excadrill: 518-610 (143.4 - 168.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO

0- SpA Tough Claws Metagross Grass Knot (80 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Mega Swampert: 264-312 (77.4 - 91.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Mega Swampert Earthquake vs. 200 HP / 0 Def Metagross: 282-332 (80.3 - 94.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ Atk Tough Claws Metagross Meteor Mash vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Kingdra: 122-144 (41.9 - 49.4%) -- 85.5% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Tough Claws Metagross Hammer Arm vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Kingdra: 181-213 (62.1 - 73.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252+ SpA Life Orb Kingdra Hydro Pump vs. 200 HP / 0 SpD Metagross in Rain: 286-339 (81.4 - 96.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

You line up well against a lot of Rain sweepers well. Kingdra has to be Specs to beat it, and you can still dent it and even beat it if it's LO Kingdra. Also, I know you're thinking it, why use Hammer Arm and Agility on the same set? It's more than doable, Mega Scizor does a very similar thing with Superpower and Swords Dance. Meteor Mash/Hammer Arm/Grass Knot/Agility beats basically every weather sweeper once set-up.

Where are you going to run Grass Knot if you use Agility? M-Metagross needs Zen Headbutt to get past things like Keldeo. You can't run Grass Knot, Ice Punch, Earthquake and Hammer Arm all in one moveslot

 

[alexwolf]

Also I think yore missin the point of sweeping. You're supposed to sweep after you get rid of scarfers and threats, not before. Metagross is in no way outsped by Gengar unless it's scarfed and you can't beat Greninja even if you run Agility due to it's typing. I addressed the scarfer point earlier. Without agility allows you to run things like Thunderpunch which can help you deal with Bulky waters or even Grass Knot, which is boosted by Tough Claws

First of all, it's not easy to eliminate Scarf users and fast threats, unless you have a trapper. So, a late-game sweeper able to outspeed every single scarf user and fast threat has lots of merits. Second, Greninja takes a shitload from Earthquake, so it's not an unlikely scenario to be worn down to the point where EQ can OHKO. Specifically, Adamant EQ does 63% miimum, which means that after two LO rounds and SR damage, Greninja has a very big chance to be OHKOed. And if the opponent doesn't send Greninja at all just to check Mega Metagross late-game, then you just have one less threat to worry about during the game.

As for which spread i would use on Agility Mega Metagross, i would use enough Speed to outrun Jolly Excadrill in sand. With all those powerful and crazy fast attackers we got in ORAS, it's obvious that offensive and balanced teams will need some speedy scarfers, tons of priority, or weather abusers to keep them in check, so Excadrill seems like a really good way to combat all those offensive threats, and always outspeeding it is really important. Mega Metagross could even use Jolly + 252 Speed EVs, because 110 Speed is a really important benchmark.

 

[Ash Borer]

Megagross at +2 with 0 speed investment still outspeeds scarf Mienshao

Agility sets are good at late game sweeping because they can afford a lot of defensive investment, dont use them as inferior 4 attack set that lacks its fourth attack. It's a non-traditional kind of sweeper because normally you should be just outspeeding and killing everything but Metagross' defenses let it beat some attackers that it cant OHKO, so its more effective than it seems as an agility sweeper.

 

[Blizzardhail]

snip

Many people are pairing up M-Metagross with trappers though.
Anyway one of my main points is that M-Metagross really wants to use the coverage moves it misses out on by using Agility. Different moves allow it to beat different would be checks. A side effect of this is that M-Metagross does worse against Stall.

 

[Tralf]

Can mandibuzz be viable as a check for megagross?

 

[RoyalDispenser]

Can mandibuzz be viable as a check for megagross?

Can't switch in.

252+ Atk Tough Claws Metagross Ice Punch vs. 248 HP / 136+ Def Mandibuzz: 200-236 (47.2 - 55.7%) -- 19.1% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Tough Claws Metagross Meteor Mash vs. 248 HP / 136+ Def Mandibuzz: 178-211 (42 - 49.8%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
^ Don't forget he can get a boost from that

I find ferrothorn to be good at leech seed stalling metagross.
252+ Atk Metagross Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 88+ Def Ferrothorn: 87-103 (24.7 - 29.2%) -- possible 5HKO after Leftovers recovery

Sure he has fire punch but I doubt that's viable.