Metagross (DONE)
QC: 3/3 (sparktrain), (HeaLnDeal), (cbrevan)
GP: 2/2 (Snobalt), (GatoDelFuego)
Okay, my first analysis! Wish me well.
[OVERVIEW]
Mega Metagross is one of the most fearsome threats in the CAP metagame. Its wonderful defensive typing gives it a massive nine resistances, including Fairy, as well as an immunity to Poison. Furthermore, its monstrous base 150 Defense and 110 Special Defense stats give it a major amount of bulk. Its offensive STAB combination is great, with Steel and Psychic working well together and threatening Fairy-types. In addition to this, Mega Metagross has a huge base 145 Attack stat and a good base 110 Speed stat. Its movepool perfectly complements its great power, and Tough Claws boosts the power of many of its moves. Mega Metagross can serve two roles on a team; it can be used as a strong wallbreaker or a speedy late-game sweeper. Either way, it can take down many powerful threats in the CAP metagame, such as Mega Altaria and Clefable, and it also can use its amazing movepool to deal with potential threats, such as Colossoil and Heatran. However, Mega Metagross is greatly hampered by four-moveslot syndrome, as it wants to fit all of its moves to take on all of its checks, but it simply cannot. For example, if Mega Metagross does not run Hammer Arm, Ferrothorn can severely wall it, and if Grass Knot is not there, then Mega Slowbro can also completely wall Mega Metagross.
[SET]
name: All-Out Attacker
move 1: Meteor Mash
move 2: Zen Headbutt
move 3: Bullet Punch / Grass Knot / Ice Punch
move 4: Hammer Arm / Earthquake
item: Metagrossite
ability: Clear Body
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
=======
Meteor Mash is Mega Metagross's strongest STAB attack, which allows it to get past anything that does not resist it. Zen Headbutt takes down Fighting-, Ghost-, and Poison-types, OHKOing Mollux, and 2HKOing physically defensive Tomohawk and Rotom-W. Bullet Punch revenge kills weakened Pokemon and allows Mega Metagross to be used late-game to clean up. It OHKOes Stratagem after Stealth Rock and also has perfect accuracy. Grass Knot can 2HKO Mega Slowbro and 3HKO Slowbro, which otherwise wall Mega Metagross. It also generally does good damage against heavy Pokemon, which are fairly common in the CAP Metagame. Ice Punch OHKOes most Landorus-T sets and 2HKOes physically defensive variants. Ice Punch also OHKOes all variants of Gliscor with a little prior damage. Hammer Arm is the preferred move in the fourth moveslot, as it deals great damage to Steel-, Dark-, Rock-, and Ice-types. Earthquake deals with some common Pokemon such as Heatran, Plasmanta, Mollux, and opposing Mega Metagross.
Set Details
========
A Metagrossite is required for Metagross to Mega Evolve. Maximum Attack and Speed EVs are for Mega Metagross to be a potent and fast attacker. A Jolly nature is recommended for a chance to outspeed or Speed tie any of the common base 110 Speed Pokemon such as Latios, Gengar and Mega Gallade. An Adamant nature, however, can also be used, as Mega Metagross gains a significant amount of power, and can get a guaranteed OHKO on Colossoil with Hammer Arm. Clear Body helps with any Intimidate or Sticky Web drops before Mega Evolving.
Usage Tips
========
This set is best used as a powerful wallbreaker, preferably early- and mid-game. It can check many common threats due to its bulk and favorable typing, so it can be used as a generally safe safe switch-in to many Pokemon. These qualities also allow it to stay in and punch holes in the opposing team for a while before going down. Avoid careless switches against Pokemon such as Mollux and Colossoil, as they can either OHKO Mega Metagross or put a massive dent in its health before it even starts attacking, which can severely limit its longevity.
Team Options
========
Azumarill is a great team member for Mega Metagross, as it deals with Talonflame and Colossoil, both of which can do massive damage to Mega Metagross. Colossoil takes care of Mollux if Mega Metagross isn't running Earthquake and also if Trick Room is up. Colossoil also appreciates Mega Metagross's ability to take on Fairy-types. Stratagem is a wonderful partner too, as it can eliminate Mollux with Earth Power and also OHKO Pyroak (Mega Metagross's ultimate counter) with Ancient Power or Paleo Wave after Stealth Rock. Stratagem, on the other hand, really appreciates Mega Metagross weakening Pokemon so that it can easily clean up late-game. Keldeo performs well with Mega Metagross, as it eliminates some of Mega Metagross's counters, such as Colossoil and Bisharp, while Mega Metagross protects it from any Fairy-, Flying-, or Grass-types. Stealth Rock users are appreciated, such as Tomohawk, as they further improve Mega Metagross's wallbreaking capabilities, and allow it to get some crucial OHKOs, such as against Stratagem with Bullet Punch.
[SET]
name: Rock Polish
move 1: Rock Polish
move 2: Meteor Mash
move 3: Zen Headbutt
move 4: Hammer Arm / Earthquake / Ice Punch
item: Metagrossite
ability: Clear Body
nature: Adamant
evs: 228 HP / 252 Atk / 28 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Rock Polish is required for Mega Metagross to gain a major amount of Speed, and a +2 boost will ensure it outspeeds the vast majority of Pokemon in the CAP metagame. Meteor Mash is a great move to take out any Rock-, Fairy-, or Ice-type Pokemon, such as Sylveon and Mega Diancie. Meteor Mash also does good damage against neutral targets. Zen Headbutt is used to take out Fighting-types such as Tomohawk and the Poison-types that Mega Metagross walls. The flinch chance can also prove helpful. Hammer Arm is the preferred move in the fourth moveslot, taking out Steel-types and Dark-types such as Colossoil and Ferrothorn, as well as hitting any other Ice- and Rock-types. However, the Speed drop can be counterproductive with Rock Polish, hampering Mega Metagross's late-game sweeping capabilities. Earthquake is another solid option with great coverage, hitting Pokemon such as Kitsunoh, Heatran, Ferrothorn, and opposing Mega Metagross, and it has no negative drawbacks unlike Hammer Arm. However, Earthquake is not boosted by Tough Claws. Ice Punch is also an option, hitting Landorus-T and Dragon-types hard, but it should not be used for hitting Cyclohm due to Cyclohm's massive base 115 Defense and access to Static, as well as the lower Base Power of Ice Punch. In fact, Ice Punch is a 3HKO after Leftovers against physically defensive Cyclohm.
Set Details
========
Metagrossite is required for Metagross to Mega Evolve and gain power, Speed, and bulk. 252 Attack EVs are required so that Mega Metagross can have as much power as possible and fulfill its role as a late-game sweeper. 28 Speed EVs are required to outspeed Choice Scarf base 110 Speed Pokemon in the CAP metagame such as Latios, Gengar, and Kitsunoh after a Rock Polish boost. It is not required to put any more EVs into Speed because hardly any viable Pokemon are faster than +2 Mega Metagross. The remaining 228 EVs are put into HP so that Mega Metagross can be as bulky as possible. However, an alternate EV spread of 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe with a Jolly nature can be used to allow Mega Metagross to take on Pokemon such as Keldeo and Charizard late-game without a boost, which can be crucial, while sacrificing some bulk and attacking power. An Adamant nature is required to OHKO Colossoil with Hammer Arm and generally have much more power. A Jolly nature is not needed, as the Rock Polish boost will let Mega Metagross outspeed almost everything fast in the CAP metagame anyway. Clear Body is a handy ability to have before Mega Evolving, preventing stat drops from Intimidate and Sticky Web.
Usage Tips
========
This set is a late-game setup sweeper, but it one of its main niches is that it can be also used effectively early-game as a wallbreaker. However, Wish support is often recommended to bring it back to full health and allow it to start its role as a late-game sweeper. Mega Metagross should also be used once most or all of its checks and counters are gone, as once it has gotten a boost, it would kill momentum to switch out and try setting up again, as the opponent would know that you would try to set up. To set up, Metagross should be brought in on a Pokemon that will force the opponent to switch Pokemon so it can Mega Evolve, use Rock Polish, and then proceed to outspeed and hopefully sweep everything.
Team Options
========
As with many late-game setup sweepers, Mega Metagross's main checks and counters need to be eliminated for it to effectively clean up. Therefore, Stratagem is a great team member, as it deals with many of Mega Metagross's checks and counters. Earth Power has a 30% chance to OHKO physically defensive Cyclohm after Stealth Rock, and Earth Power will OHKO Choice Specs Cyclohm and Heatran after Stealth Rock. Stratagem will also OHKO Pyroak with Ancient Power or Paleo Wave after Stealth Rock and OHKO Bisharp with Vacuum Wave. Azumarill can be a good team member, as it takes down Talonflame, Colossoil, and Stratagem with Aqua Jet. Electric-types can deal with Talonflame, which can tear through Mega Metagross's health with Flare Blitz. Rotom-W and Cyclohm can also deal with Mega Slowbro, which severely walls Mega Metagross.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
========
A Hone Claws set is viable, as it boosts Mega Metagross's Attack and reduces the chance of Meteor Mash and Zen Headbutt missing. Hone Claws can also put much more pressure on defensive teams, as the time spent not attacking by the opposing team can be used to boost, and the other team will have a hard time trying to deal with a +2 or +3 Mega Metagross. However, Hone Claws only boosts Attack by one stage, and acquiring multiple boosts will not be easy. In terms of moves, Pursuit is a viable option, as Pursuit can do good damage against Latios and Latias, as well as generally hitting any foe before they switch out. Thunder Punch is an option, hitting any Flying- or Water-types (such as Skarmory), although Ice Punch is a better option to hit some other Flying-types and many other types as well, and bulky Water-types are not too common in the CAP metagame. Substitute can be used for avoiding a painful Sucker Punch from Colossoil and Bisharp. Substitute can be useful on a Hone Claws set, giving Mega Metagross some free turns to boost, but it limits Mega Metagross's coverage to just two moves, and it should not be used on a Rock Polish set, as Mega Metagross only needs to use Rock Polish once.
Checks & Counters
========
**Pyroak**: Pyroak is the ultimate counter to Mega Metagross. It laughs at any attack Mega Metagross could possibly run while 2HKOing it with Lava Plume. In addition to Pyroak's great bulk, it also has Synthesis, allowing it to reliably heal itself instantly.
**Cyclohm**: It might seem like Earthquake can demolish Cyclohm, but this is not true. Earthquake is only a 3HKO to physically defensive Cyclohm, while Cyclohm can 2HKO Mega Metagross with Fire Blast. Earthquake is a 2HKO on Choice Specs Cyclohm, but Cyclohm can OHKO back with Fire Blast. Cyclohm also has a great recovery move in the form of Slack Off, which also greatly aids its ability to check Mega Metagross. However, Cyclohm relies on the low-accuracy Fire Blast to check Mega Metagross.
**Mega Scizor**: Mega Metagross can't really do too much to Mega Scizor. Hammer Arm has a 78.9% chance of 3HKOing Bulky Mega Scizor while Earthquake has a 88.9% chance of 4HKOing Bulky Mega Scizor. Mega Scizor can set up with Swords Dance and Roost off the damage, and after two Sword Dance boosts, a Knock Off will OHKO Mega Metagross, not to mention that the next Pokemon after Mega Metagross will have to deal with a boosted Mega Scizor. However, only a Swords Dance set can actually easily take down Mega Metagross; Knock Off is a 3HKO without any boosts even with full Attack investment, and Mega Metagross is initially faster than Mega Scizor. However, Hammer Arm does reduce Mega Metagross's Speed.
**Bulky Ground-types**: Bulky Ground-types such as Garchomp, Hippowdon, Gliscor, and especially Landorus-T can destroy Mega Metagross if it doesn't run Ice Punch, which most Mega Metagross don't have, or in the case of Hippowdon, Grass Knot. Choice Scarf Landorus-T has a 50% chance of OHKOing with Earthquake, while Garchomp, Hippowdon, and Gliscor can all 2HKO with Earthquake. However, Mega Metagross can 2HKO Choice Scarf Landorus-T and most Garchomp variants with Ice Punch.
**Faster Fire-types**: Choice Scarf Mollux, Choice Scarf Heatran, and Talonflame can all outspeed and revenge kill Mega Metagross. Choice Scarf Mollux will outspeed and destroy Mega Metagross with a Fire Blast or Eruption. However, Mega Metagross will OHKO with either Zen Headbutt or Earthquake otherwise. Heatran has a very similar case with Mollux, except that Earthquake is needed to take it down. The best move Mega Metagross has to take down Talonflame is Zen Headbutt, which is a 2HKO, while a Choice Band Flare Blitz will OHKO Mega Metagross. However, with Stealth Rock, Zen Headbutt will be an OHKO.
**Status Effects**: Status effects, especially paralysis and burns, can badly cripple Mega Metagross. Paralysis inducers, such as Thunderus, Clefable, and Revenankh, can greatly hamper Mega Metagross's ability to handle offensive threats and leave it very vulnerable to being revenge killed. Burn inducers, such as Mega Sableye and Scald users, can severely neuter Mega Metagross's ability to wallbreak.
**Slowbro and Mega Slowbro**: Slowbro and Mega Slowbro can check Mega Metagross very well if Mega Metagross does not run Grass Knot, which is a rare choice. Meteor Mash is a pitiful 6HKO on physically defensive Slowbro, while Slowbro can either spam Scald or Fire Blast and heal up with Slack Off. Meteor Mash is a puny 7HKO on Mega Slowbro, which can set up with Calm Mind, heal itself with Slack Off, and become a powerful tank. However, Grass Knot does 3HKO Slowbro and 2HKO Mega Slowbro.
**Colossoil**: On the all-out attacker set, if Mega Metagross is not running Hammer Arm, Colossoil will OHKO with Earthquake, while Sucker Punch can do a good deal of damage (64.4% to 76.4%). However, Hammer Arm is common on Mega Metagross, which is an OHKO on Colossoil. In addition to this, Colossoil can only 2HKO Rock Polish Mega Metagross.
**Bisharp**: Bisharp is a problem if Mega Metagross lacks Hammer Arm, as Sucker Punch and Knock Off both 2HKO it, while Mega Metagross's Earthquake has a slim 18% chance to OHKO Bisharp.
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