[OVERVIEW]
In a metagame swarming with Dragon-types like Mega Charizard X, Kyurem-B, Dragonite, and Garchomp, and Dark-types like Mega Gyarados, Mega Sableye, and Mega Tyranitar, Mega Altaria's bulk in conjunction with its Fairy / Dragon typing gives it an edge over these Pokemon. In addition, access to setup moves like Cotton Guard, and reliable recovery in Roost means that it can take on physical attackers like Mega Heracross, Mega Pinsir, Victini, and Sawk. The change of type it undergoes upon Mega evolution also helps it play mind games with some Steel-type Pokemon like Choice Specs Genesect. And it can do all this while slowly whittling away at other non-Rest Stall Pokemon Mega Slowbro and Umbreon by using Toxic and Roosting till the opposing Pokemon eventually runs of health. All of this makes Mega Altaria some of the more consistent anti-metagame Pokemon. But it is not without its flaws; the sheer number of Fairy-types like Togekiss, Sylveon and Mega Diancie, and the sheer number of special attackers like Porygon-Z, Greninja, and Meloetta, with no meaningful way to counter and/or defeat them, severely restricts its usage. Furthermore, being a passive Pokemon, it is an easy bait for other faster tactics based on moving first, like Jumpluff and Whimsicott.
[SET]
name: Stall
move 1: Cotton Guard
move 2: Toxic
move 3: Roost
move 4: Hyper Voice
item: Altarianite
ability: Pixilate
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 72 Def / 168 SpD / 16 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
========
- Cotton Guard is aimed at increasing the survivability against physical attackers like Mega Gyaradoas, Mega Charizard X, Dragonite, and non-Ice Punch Mega Metagross, by increasing its Defense stat.
- Toxic immediately starts whittling at Pokemon health and, thus, pressures Pokemon like Mega Charizard X and Victini to start trying to KO Mega Altaria.
- Roost helps in recovering health lost while setting up against Pokemon like Dragonite and Mega Heracross.
- Hyper Voice helps Mega Altaria not be completely be a stall Pokemon by letting it attack Pokemon like Taunt Mega Gyarados, Mega Sableye. It also helps in mounting pressure over opposing stall Pokemon like non-Rest Mega Slowbro and Gastrodon after poisoning them.
EVs
========
The defensive EVs let non-Mega evolved Altaria live upto 3 Sludge Bombs from uninvested Mega Venusaur, while the Defense investment gives it the best chance to beat Pokemon like Mega Charizard X, Dragonite, and notably Victini. The 16 Speed EVs is to outspeed 252 Speed EVs invested base 50s, Donphan being chief among them.
Strategy & Support
========
- Against Mega Venusaur, don't mega evolve. This gives it the best chance to stalling out, and eventually beating, Mega Venusaur.
- Against physical attackers, always start with Cotton Guard. And then, according to the HP percent, use Roost if Mega Altaria is at 60 percent or less, or use another one if otherwise. Try to conserve and pace your usage of Roost so that you can have them and use them at the most pressing times.
- Against Ice-type move carrying Steel types like Ice Punch Mega Metagross or Ice Beam Genesect, predict in the first turn whether they're gonna use the Ice-type attack or the Steel-type attack. Your entire match might be dependant on that first move after getting matched up, so choose carefully.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
- A physical set with Dragon Dance, Earthquake, Frustration or Giga Impact, and Roost can also be used to lure some Pokemon like Meloetta and Manaphy. The opportunity cost of not having stall sets is a big drawback here.
- Confide is also a decent option to beat some special attackers like Choice Scarf Porygon-Z, Mega Charizard Y and Mega Gengar.
- Fire-type moves like Fire Blast or Heat Wave can also be used to have better chances against Ice-type Protean Greninja, and Steel-types like Mega Mawile, Mega Metagross.
- However on the last two points, having to forego Toxic is huge since this gives it a sizable disadvantage against Pokemon like Victini, and having to forego Hyper Voice is a huge opportunity against common occurence like Taunt Mega Gyarados and non-Moonblast Whimsicott.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Special Attackers**: With Pokemon like Porygon-Z, Manaphy, and Meloetta in the mix, and with no solid option to counter them, Mega Altaria starts off very disadvantaged against these and many other similar special attackers.
**Fairy-types**: Togekiss and Sylveon pose a direct threat to . In addition to them
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[username1, userid1]]
- Quality checked by: [[username1, userid1], [username2, userid2], [username3, userid3]]
- Grammar checked by: [[username1, userid1], [username2, userid2]]
In a metagame swarming with Dragon-types like Mega Charizard X, Kyurem-B, Dragonite, and Garchomp, and Dark-types like Mega Gyarados, Mega Sableye, and Mega Tyranitar, Mega Altaria's bulk in conjunction with its Fairy / Dragon typing gives it an edge over these Pokemon. In addition, access to setup moves like Cotton Guard, and reliable recovery in Roost means that it can take on physical attackers like Mega Heracross, Mega Pinsir, Victini, and Sawk. The change of type it undergoes upon Mega evolution also helps it play mind games with some Steel-type Pokemon like Choice Specs Genesect. And it can do all this while slowly whittling away at other non-Rest Stall Pokemon Mega Slowbro and Umbreon by using Toxic and Roosting till the opposing Pokemon eventually runs of health. All of this makes Mega Altaria some of the more consistent anti-metagame Pokemon. But it is not without its flaws; the sheer number of Fairy-types like Togekiss, Sylveon and Mega Diancie, and the sheer number of special attackers like Porygon-Z, Greninja, and Meloetta, with no meaningful way to counter and/or defeat them, severely restricts its usage. Furthermore, being a passive Pokemon, it is an easy bait for other faster tactics based on moving first, like Jumpluff and Whimsicott.
[SET]
name: Stall
move 1: Cotton Guard
move 2: Toxic
move 3: Roost
move 4: Hyper Voice
item: Altarianite
ability: Pixilate
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 72 Def / 168 SpD / 16 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
========
- Cotton Guard is aimed at increasing the survivability against physical attackers like Mega Gyaradoas, Mega Charizard X, Dragonite, and non-Ice Punch Mega Metagross, by increasing its Defense stat.
- Toxic immediately starts whittling at Pokemon health and, thus, pressures Pokemon like Mega Charizard X and Victini to start trying to KO Mega Altaria.
- Roost helps in recovering health lost while setting up against Pokemon like Dragonite and Mega Heracross.
- Hyper Voice helps Mega Altaria not be completely be a stall Pokemon by letting it attack Pokemon like Taunt Mega Gyarados, Mega Sableye. It also helps in mounting pressure over opposing stall Pokemon like non-Rest Mega Slowbro and Gastrodon after poisoning them.
EVs
========
The defensive EVs let non-Mega evolved Altaria live upto 3 Sludge Bombs from uninvested Mega Venusaur, while the Defense investment gives it the best chance to beat Pokemon like Mega Charizard X, Dragonite, and notably Victini. The 16 Speed EVs is to outspeed 252 Speed EVs invested base 50s, Donphan being chief among them.
Strategy & Support
========
- Against Mega Venusaur, don't mega evolve. This gives it the best chance to stalling out, and eventually beating, Mega Venusaur.
- Against physical attackers, always start with Cotton Guard. And then, according to the HP percent, use Roost if Mega Altaria is at 60 percent or less, or use another one if otherwise. Try to conserve and pace your usage of Roost so that you can have them and use them at the most pressing times.
- Against Ice-type move carrying Steel types like Ice Punch Mega Metagross or Ice Beam Genesect, predict in the first turn whether they're gonna use the Ice-type attack or the Steel-type attack. Your entire match might be dependant on that first move after getting matched up, so choose carefully.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
- A physical set with Dragon Dance, Earthquake, Frustration or Giga Impact, and Roost can also be used to lure some Pokemon like Meloetta and Manaphy. The opportunity cost of not having stall sets is a big drawback here.
- Confide is also a decent option to beat some special attackers like Choice Scarf Porygon-Z, Mega Charizard Y and Mega Gengar.
- Fire-type moves like Fire Blast or Heat Wave can also be used to have better chances against Ice-type Protean Greninja, and Steel-types like Mega Mawile, Mega Metagross.
- However on the last two points, having to forego Toxic is huge since this gives it a sizable disadvantage against Pokemon like Victini, and having to forego Hyper Voice is a huge opportunity against common occurence like Taunt Mega Gyarados and non-Moonblast Whimsicott.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Special Attackers**: With Pokemon like Porygon-Z, Manaphy, and Meloetta in the mix, and with no solid option to counter them, Mega Altaria starts off very disadvantaged against these and many other similar special attackers.
**Fairy-types**: Togekiss and Sylveon pose a direct threat to . In addition to them
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[username1, userid1]]
- Quality checked by: [[username1, userid1], [username2, userid2], [username3, userid3]]
- Grammar checked by: [[username1, userid1], [username2, userid2]]
