Metang (NU Analysis) [GP 0/2]

Oglemi

Borf
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http://www.smogon.com/rs/pokemon/metang

[Overview]

An amazing typing, decent stats, and a colorful movepool give Metang a lot of reasons to be used in NU. As one of the few Steel-types in NU, Metang has a tight grip on a niche as a defensive Pokemon that can take on a large swath of dangerous Pokemon through typing alone. While Mawile can take on physical threats a bit better thanks to Intimidate and has access to Baton Pass, Metang can take on special attackers much more capably and has Explosion in its back pocket. A lack of recovery is Metang's main downside, but don't let that discourage you from choosing this hunk of metal for your team.

[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Meteor Mash
move 2: Toxic
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Protect / Reflect / Explosion
item: Leftovers
ability: Clear Body
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 100 Def / 156 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

By virtue of its great typing and decent defenses, Metang makes a good blanket check in NU and this set strives to make the most of that fact. With the given EV spread, Metang has just enough special bulk to avoid a 2HKO from Seadra's Hydro Pump and enough physical bulk to avoid a 2HKO from non-Choice Band Hitmonchan's Sky Uppercut. With this set, Metang excels at tanking weaker attacks and dishing out attacks right back, although against stall teams most of Metang's damage is going to come from Toxic. Earthquake and Toxic pair well with Metang's signature move Meteor Mash, dealing decent damage or crippling most of the Pokemon that Metang will switch into or vice versa. The last slot determines if you would rather Metang take on a more supportive or offensive approach for your team. Protect allows Metang to stall for Toxic damage and Leftovers recovery while scouting the opponent's Choice Band user's next move. Reflect and Light Screen double Metang's respective defenses, as well as its teammates', allowing for easier switches and giving Metang the ability to more easily one-on-one certain attackers like Golbat, Raticate, and Chimecho. Explosion is what really separates Metang from Mawile, and with it Metang can take out a lot of very dangerous sweepers or troublesome walls in one turn, such as Huntail, Kingler, and Dewgong.

[ADDITIONAL SET COMMENTS]

Either defensive stat can be invested in more robustly depending on your team's needs and what you want Metang to be able to do. A specially defensive spread is something Metang vastly outshines Mawile in, and such a spread really makes use of Metang's awesome array of resistances, in particular to Grass-, Ice-, and Psychic-type attacks. Just be aware that 60/80 special defenses are still not very impressive and Metang will crumble to the stronger special attackers in the tier like Plusle, Pikachu, and Huntail. If you really want to make sure Metang will stick around for the whole match, RestTalk can be used in the last two slots to greatly increase Metang's longevity. Unfortunately, this removes the one key aspect that makes Metang so menacing offensively, Explosion, thusly leaving Metang very vulnerable to a few set up sweepers such as Mawile and Kingler.

Metang fits best on balanced teams that need it to check a large array of Pokemon and provide chip damage for a sweeper to come in and clean up later in the match. In order to function at peak efficiency, Metang needs teammates to soak up the Ground- and Fire-type attacks that are going to be aimed its way. Pelipper in particular is a stellar partner to pair up with Metang as they cover each other's weaknesses fairly well. A specially defensive teammate that has little trouble with Electric-type attacks such as Bellossom and Whiscash can help complete the core. In return for covering its weaknesses, Metang is one of the best checks to the offensive Flying- and Normal-types in the tier and fears little from Choice-locked Rock-type attacks. A sweeper that can make use of the hole Metang's Explosion will leave in the opposition is needed to get the most out of this set. Raticate, Pupitar, and Huntail are prime examples as it's likely your target with Explosion will be a bulky Water-type and they function best with it removed from the game.

[SET]
name: Agility
move 1: Agility
move 2: Meteor Mash
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Explosion
item: Leftovers
ability: Clear Body
nature: Adamant
evs: 152 HP / 252 Atk / 104 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

While definitely not as potent as its older brother AgiliGross in OU, Metang is a very capable late-game Agility sweeper in its own right in NU. A good array of resistances and decent bulk mean Metang has little trouble setting up Agility in comparison to more fragile sweepers like Dragon Dance Pupitar, and should things go wrong Metang packs an emergency button in Explosion to almost guarantee at least one KO against the opponent. Meteor Mash + Earthquake give Metang the best possible two-move coverage with only Pelipper and Shedinja resisting the combination in NU.

[ADDITIONAL SET COMMENTS]

The EV spread is designed to give Metang just enough Speed to outspeed Raticate (the fastest unboosted Pokemon in NU) after an Agility, with the rest of the EVs pumped into HP to give Metang as easy a time setting up and buffering it against Mach Punch from Hitmonchan. If you feel you won't need Explosion in the last slot, there are a few options to consider in its place. Toxic is the most prominent, as it is Metang's only true hope of ever breaking Sableye. Rock Slide complete's Metang's stellar coverage and knocks out Pelipper and Shedinja. Sludge Bomb or Shadow Ball can be used if you really want to ruin a Tangela's or Chimecho's day, respectively. Lastly, Reflect, Light Screen, or Refresh could be used to try and sustain Metang's sweep.

This set works best as a late-game breaker, but can also see use as a mid-game breaker if you're goal is to lure in a certain threat and knock it out with Explosion. In either scenario, Sableye is a Pokemon that absolutely must be crippled or eliminated before Metang can do much work against the opposition. Crippling Sableye with Toxic early in the match with a lure like Toxic Hitmonchan can allow Metang to break through it later on. If using Metang on a hyper offense team, simply busting through Sableye with a special attacker like Seadra or Flareon is another option. Other hefty Pokemon like Wailord and Pelipper are other major roadblocks to a successful sweep from Metang, making a teammate like Bellossom and Dewgong could partners to pair up with Metang.

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Meteor Mash
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Explosion
move 4: Toxic / Sleep Talk
item: Choice Band
ability: Clear Body
nature: Adamant
evs: 132 HP / 252 Atk / 124 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Metang is a capable user of Choice Band despite facing some stiff competition from similar users such as Graveler, Piloswine, and Mawile. The selling points of Metang as a Choice Band user are its awesome typing, decent STAB move, and access to Explosion. With this set, Metang is able to switch into and force out dangerous threats such as Pidgeot and Raticate and threaten the opponent with a very powerful Meteor Mash or coverage option. Earthquake gives Metang the best possible coverage alongside its STAB move, leaving only bulky Water-types such as Pelipper and Wailord able to switch into this set without much fear outside Explosion, as even maximum Defense Sableye is 2HKOed by Meteor Mash. The last slot is largely filler and depends on what specific threats you'd like Metang to handle. Toxic is Metang's best weapon against the threats it cannot 2HKO without having to resort to Explosion, but will cause you to have to immediately switch Metang out. Sleep Talk will allow Metang to absorb a Sleep Powder from Bellossom and Venomoth and still be able to fire off strong hits, albeit at the risk of using Explosion in an untimely manner.

[ADDITIONAL SET COMMENTS]

The EV spread gives Metang enough Speed to outspeed minimum Speed base 60s like Whiscash and Wailord. The rest of the EVs are pumped into HP and Attack to make Metang as tanky as possible. Sludge Bomb is an acceptable replacement in the last slot to specifically take out Tangela without having to resort to Explosion. Rock Slide is also acceptable if you feel Pelipper is dangerous enough to warrant it. This set thrives as a hit-and-run attacker, making Pokemon that can switch into Fire- and Ground-type attacks very good teammates. Pelipper is a standout example as it takes on both admirably. Other Pokemon to consider are late-game sweepers that will appreciate the holes in the opponent left by Metang. Agility Hitmonchan, Dragon Dance Pupitar, and Choice Band Raticate are all great choices and pair well with Metang.

[Other Options]

Metang has access to both Rain Dance and Sunny Day, which along with its good typing, defenses, and access to Explosion, all come together to make Metang a very capable weather supporter should your team need it. In the same vein, Metang can make a decent dedicated dual screen supporter. Both sets are a little risky, however, considering there are very few turns left after the initial set up and the turn needed to switch out or use Explosion. Psych Up is a neat tool to steal boosts from threats such as Bulk Up Hitmonchan and Calm Mind Sableye, but Metang is a bit slow to make the most of it. Despite Metang's low Special Attack, Hidden Power Grass is a decent option to surprise Relicanth and Whiscash with. Finally, Metang is one of the very few Pokemon with access to Pursuit in NU, but without STAB Metang just doesn't have the Special Attack stat to make use of it.

[Checks and Counters]

Whiscash is probably the best all-around switch-in to Metang as it resists Meteor Mash and takes little from Metang's other coverage moves save for Explosion or the very rare Hidden Power Grass, and in return Whiscash can nail Metang with a STAB super effective Earthquake. Sableye is probably the next most reliable switch-in, as it fears nothing from most Metang apart from Toxic or a Choice Band-boosted Meteor Mash. Sableye also has the perk of being immune to Explosion. Shedinja gets a special mention as it is typically immune to everything on Metang's sets but needs to watch out for Toxic. Wailord and Pelipper are very sturdy switch-ins and resist Meteor Mash, but they need to be cautious of Explosion. Huntail and Seadra can also easily tank a Meteor Mash and blow through Metang with Hydro Pump. Torkoal and Flareon are capable switch-ins to Meteor Mash and annihilate Metang with Fire Blast, but they have a tougher time switching in due to their weakness to Earthquake. Lastly, most strong special attackers will break through Metang easily enough, notably Pikachu and Plusle also resist Meteor Mash should the need arise and easily 2HKO with Thunderbolt.
 
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i think an agility set would be worth listing over dual screens, since metang can hit the majority of the tier neutrally for decent damage. clear body gives it a good niche over other physical attackers, meaning that mawile is not a good check. sludge bomb can be used to hit tangela/bellossom too so you don't have to blow up on them.
 
I'd consider Light Screen mentions alongside Psych Up on the standard defensive set, since it yields less conditional special bulkiness w/out investing that doubles as team support. Psych Up mostly just reinforces Metang's match-up vs.Chimecho, tho that's obviously pretty significant.

Also p.sure Whiscash qualifies as a Ground-type not hit by Mash, so I'd possibly mention it there rather than alongside bulky Water-types in C&C x_x
 

Disaster Area

formerly Piexplode
Note with just 140 EVs in HP it can survive a rain-boosted Surf from Huntail, and 68 HP / 252 SpDef (probably could optimise with natures considered etc) allows it to survive a boosted hydro pump every time. 104 Spe is all that's needed to outspeed the whole metagame after an agility by the way.
 
Stalk/toxic should go on CB set over shadow ball for sure, does not ever need that.

I think it should be Toxic + Tect/boom + MM + EQ. I'd probably never drop EQ on tang.
 

Disjunction

Everything I waste gets recycled
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mm / eq / tox are all mandatory I think on defensive. tect should be first slash and then boom slashed after. on one random team I ran protox boom mm but I think that was far more team specific than what needs to be mentioned in an analysis.

I'm not adamant about it, but I do think full phys def is a good set too. It has a couple notable advantages over maw, being clear body (for opposing maw), eq making it arguably more threatening, more phys bulk not factoring in intimidate for those situations where a mon can come in on you, and taking neutral from fighting. I just mostly don't like the idea of putting on a flying resist that's 2hko'd by murkrow's hp ground.

The EV spread gives Metang enough Speed to outspeed minimum Speed base 60s like Chimecho.
You got the evs right, but Chime is base 65 lol (on cb set)
 

frenzyplant

Inertia is a property of matter.
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1/2 :)

add remove (comments)

[Overview]

An amazing typing, decent stats, and a colorful movepool give Metang a lot of reasons to be used in NU. As one of the few Steel-types in NU, Metang has a tight grip on a niche as a defensive Pokemon that can take on a large swath of dangerous Pokemon through typing alone. While Mawile can take on physical threats a bit better thanks to Intimidate and has access to Baton Pass, Metang can take on special attackers much more capably and has Explosion in its back pocket. A lack of reliable recovery is Metang's main downside, but don't let that discourage you from choosing this hunk of metal for your team.

[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Meteor Mash
move 2: Toxic
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Protect / Reflect / Explosion
item: Leftovers
ability: Clear Body
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 100 Def / 156 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

By virtue of its great typing and decent defenses, Metang makes a good blanket check in NU, (comma) and this set strives to make the most of that fact. With the given EV spread, Metang has just enough special bulk to avoid a 2HKO from Seadra's Hydro Pump and enough physical bulk to avoid a 2HKO from non-Choice Band Hitmonchan's Sky Uppercut. With this set, Metang excels at tanking weaker attacks and dishing out attacks right back, although against stall teams most of Metang's damage is going to come from Toxic. Earthquake and Toxic pair well with Metang's signature move Meteor Mash, dealing decent damage or crippling most of the Pokemon that Metang will switch into or vice versa. The last slot determines if you would rather Metang take on ("is determined by if you would rather Metang take" or "determines whether Metang takes" make a bit more sense to me here) a more supportive or a more offensive approach for your team. Protect allows Metang to stall for Toxic damage and Leftovers recovery while scouting for the opponent's (you could avoid the double possessive here with "opposing" or "foe") Choice Band user's next move. Reflect and Light Screen double Metang's Defense and Special Defense, respectively, respective defenses, (optional; a bit more precise, but adds some comma awkwardness) as well as its teammates', allowing for easier switches and giving Metang the ability to more easily one-on-one beat certain attackers like Golbat, Raticate, and Chimecho one-on-one. Explosion is what really separates Metang from Mawile, and with it Metang can take out a lot of very dangerous sweepers or troublesome walls in one turn, such as Huntail, Kingler, and Dewgong.

[ADDITIONAL SET COMMENTS]

Either defensive stat Defense or Special Defense (arguably HP is a defensive stat) can be invested in more robustly depending on your team's needs and what you want Metang to be able to do. A specially defensive spread is something Metang vastly outshines Mawile in using, and such a spread really makes use of Metang's awesome array of resistances, in particular to Grass-, Ice-, and Psychic-type attacks. Just be aware that 60/80 special defenses are still not very impressive and Metang will crumble to the stronger special attackers in the tier like Plusle, Pikachu, and Huntail. If you really want to make sure Metang will stick around for the whole match, RestTalk can be used in the last two moveslots to greatly increase Metang's longevity. Unfortunately, this removes the one key aspect (you could use either "one" or "key", they repeat each other a little) that makes Metang so menacing offensively, Explosion, thusly leaving Metang very vulnerable to a few set up setup sweepers such as Mawile and Kingler.

Defensive Metang (unless you'd use all Metang sets on balance teams for this reason) fits best on balanced teams that need it to check a large array of Pokemon and provide chip damage for a sweeper to come in and clean up later in the match. In order to function at peak efficiency, Metang needs teammates to soak up the Ground- and Fire-type attacks that are going to be aimed its way. Pelipper in particular is a stellar partner to pair up with for (or "Pokemon to pair up with") Metang, (comma) as they cover each other's weaknesses fairly well. A specially defensive teammate that has little trouble with Electric-type attacks such as Bellossom and or Whiscash can help complete the core. In return for covering its weaknesses, Metang is one of the best checks to the offensive Flying- and Normal-types in the tier and fears little from Choice-locked Rock-type attacks. A sweeper that can make use of the hole Metang's Explosion will leave in the opposition is needed to get the most out of this set. Raticate, Pupitar, and Huntail are prime examples, (comma) as it's likely your target with Explosion will be a bulky Water-type and they function best with it removed from the game.

[SET]
name: Agility
move 1: Agility
move 2: Meteor Mash
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Explosion
item: Leftovers
ability: Clear Body
nature: Adamant
evs: 152 HP / 252 Atk / 104 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

While definitely not as potent as its older brother sibling (optional; brother's used in some older analyses, but i think this is a logical extension of the "don't use he or she for Pokemon" rule) AgiliGross in OU, Metang is a very capable late-game Agility sweeper in its own right in NU. A good array of resistances and decent bulk mean Metang has little trouble setting up Agility in comparison to more fragile sweepers like Dragon Dance Pupitar, and should things go wrong Metang packs an emergency button in Explosion to almost guarantee at least one KO against the opponent. Meteor Mash + and Earthquake give Metang the best possible two-move coverage, (comma) with only Pelipper and Shedinja resisting the combination in NU.

[ADDITIONAL SET COMMENTS]

The EV spread is designed to give Metang just enough Speed to outspeed Raticate (the fastest unboosted Pokemon in NU) after an Agility, with the rest of the EVs pumped into HP to give Metang as easy a time as possible setting up and to buffer buffering it against Mach Punch from Hitmonchan. If you feel you won't need Explosion in the last slot, there are a few options to consider in its place. Toxic is the most prominent, as it is Metang's only true hope of ever breaking Sableye. Rock Slide complete's completes Metang's stellar coverage and knocks out Pelipper and Shedinja. Sludge Bomb or Shadow Ball can be used if you really want to ruin a Tangela's or Chimecho's day, respectively. Lastly, Reflect, Light Screen, or Refresh could be used to try and sustain Metang's sweep.

This set works best as a late-game breaker, but it can also see use as a mid-game breaker if you're your goal is to lure in a certain threat and knock it out with Explosion. In either scenario, Sableye is a Pokemon that absolutely must be crippled or eliminated before Metang can do much work against the opposition. Crippling Sableye with Toxic early in the match with a lure like Toxic Hitmonchan can allow Metang to break through it later on. If you're using Metang on a hyper offense team, simply busting through Sableye with a special attacker like Seadra or Flareon is another option. Other hefty Pokemon like Wailord and Pelipper are other major roadblocks to a successful sweep from Metang, making a teammate (maybe characterize this with how they could take care of Wailord or Pelipper?) like Bellossom and or Dewgong could partners good to pair up with Metang. (or "meaning a teammate like Bellossom or Dewgong could partner with Metang", or similar)

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Meteor Mash
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Explosion
move 4: Toxic / Sleep Talk
item: Choice Band
ability: Clear Body
nature: Adamant
evs: 132 HP / 252 Atk / 124 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Metang is a capable user of Choice Band despite facing some stiff competition from similar users such as Graveler, Piloswine, and Mawile. The selling points of Metang as a Choice Band user are its awesome typing, decent Steel-type STAB move, and access to Explosion. With this set, Metang is able to switch into and force out dangerous threats such as Pidgeot and Raticate and threaten the opponent with a very powerful Meteor Mash or coverage option. Earthquake gives Metang the best possible coverage alongside its STAB move, leaving only bulky Water-types such as Pelipper and Wailord able to switch into this set without much fear outside Explosion, as even maximum Defense Sableye is 2HKOed by Meteor Mash. The last slot is largely filler and depends on what specific threats you'd like Metang to handle. Toxic is Metang's best weapon against the threats it cannot 2HKO without having to resort to Explosion, but using it will cause you to have to ("require you" could be a less wordy way to say this, although not by much) immediately switch Metang out. Sleep Talk will allows Metang to absorb a Sleep Powder from Bellossom and Venomoth and still be able to fire off strong hits, albeit at the risk of using Explosion in an untimely manner.

[ADDITIONAL SET COMMENTS]

The EV spread gives Metang enough Speed to outspeed minimum Speed base 60s like Whiscash and Wailord. The rest of the EVs are pumped into HP and Attack to make Metang as tanky and strong (? if you're including offensive ability in "tanky", maybe use "bulky and strong") as possible. Sludge Bomb is an acceptable replacement in the last moveslot to specifically take out Tangela without having to resort to Explosion. Rock Slide is also acceptable if you feel Pelipper is dangerous enough to warrant it. This set thrives as a hit-and-run attacker, making Pokemon that can switch into Fire- and Ground-type attacks very good teammates. Pelipper is a standout example, (comma) as it takes on both admirably. Other Pokemon to consider are late-game sweepers that will appreciate the holes Metang leaves in the opponent's team (or "opposition" or the like) opponent left by Metang. Agility Hitmonchan, Dragon Dance Pupitar, and Choice Band Raticate are all great choices and pair well with Metang.

[Other Options]

Metang has access to both Rain Dance and Sunny Day, which along comes together with its good typing, defenses, and access to Explosion, all come together to make Metang a very capable weather supporter should your team need it. In the same vein, Metang can make a decent dedicated dual screen screens supporter. Both These sets (unless you're considering "weather supporter Metang" as one set) are a little risky, however, considering there are very few turns left after the initial set up setup and the turn needed to switch out or use Explosion. Psych Up is a neat tool to steal copy boosts (optional, it's more precise but a bit of a pedantic distinction) from threats such as Bulk Up Hitmonchan and Calm Mind Sableye, but Metang is a bit too slow to make the most of it. Despite Metang's low Special Attack, Hidden Power Grass is a decent option to surprise Relicanth and Whiscash with. Finally, Metang is one of the very few Pokemon with access to Pursuit in NU, but without STAB, (optional comma) Metang just doesn't have the Special Attack stat to make use of it.

[Checks and Counters]

Whiscash is probably the best all-around switch-in to Metang, (comma) as it resists Meteor Mash and takes little damage from Metang's other coverage moves save for Explosion or the very rare Hidden Power Grass, and in return Whiscash can nail Metang with a STAB super effective Earthquake. (for an OHKO, 2HKO?) Sableye is probably the next most reliable switch-in, as it fears nothing from most Metang apart from Toxic or a Choice Band-boosted Meteor Mash. Sableye also has the perk of being immune to Explosion. Shedinja gets a special mention as because it is typically immune to everything on Metang's sets but needs to watch out for Toxic. Wailord and Pelipper are very sturdy switch-ins and resist Meteor Mash, but they need to be cautious of Explosion. Huntail and Seadra can also easily tank a Meteor Mash and blow through Metang with Hydro Pump. Torkoal and Flareon are capable switch-ins to Meteor Mash and annihilate Metang with Fire Blast, but they have a tougher time switching in due to their weakness to Earthquake. Lastly, most strong special attackers will can break through Metang easily enough; (comma to semicolon here, or make it a new sentence) notably, (comma) Pikachu and Plusle also resist Meteor Mash should the need arise for them to switch into it (is this what you mean?) and easily 2HKO Metang with Thunderbolt.
 

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