[SET]
name: Assault Vest
move 1: Fleur Cannon
move 2: Ice Beam / Energy Ball / Iron Head
move 3: Hidden Power Fire / Focus Blast
move 4: Volt Switch
item: Assault Vest
ability: Soul-Heart
nature: Calm
evs: 248 HP / 72 Def / 188 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
=========
Fleur Cannon is a crucial, powerful STAB move that hits hard neutrally, catching all sorts of offensive Pokemon like Mega Lopunny, Tapu Koko, Greninja, and Mega Medicham all in one slot. Ice Beam is a surefire way to OHKO Landorus-T and Gliscor that also pressures the likes of Serperior and Zapdos. Energy Ball can be used to snipe the likes of Mega Swampert switching in as well as Seismitoad and Gastrodon. Iron Head is a good option for more efficiently trading damage with opposing Assault Vest Magearna and Tapu Lele, as well as pressuring Calm Mind Clefable. Hidden Power Fire takes chunks out of Ferrothorn and Mega Scizor and OHKOes Kartana, while Focus Blast can do this as well as 2HKO Heatran at the cost of poor accuracy. Volt Switch allows Magearna to take a hit and safely bring in offensive teammates, additionally keeping up the pressure if it catches a switch.
Set Details
========
The physical bulk investment allows Magearna to survive a +2 High Jump Kick from Hawlucha at full health, additionally being useful for taking Psyshock from Tapu Lele, with the rest of the EVs pooled into Special Defense to maximize its bulk. If running Iron Head, use a spread of 248 HP / 224 SpD / 36 Spe with a Sassy nature; the Speed allows it to get the jump on uninvested Clefable.
Usage Tips
========
Magearna can be thrown into special attackers like Ash-Greninja and Mega Alakazam early-game, threatening them out and bringing in wallbreakers with Volt Switch. Magearna has a tendency to give free setup opportunities to the likes of Mega Charizard X and Volcarona, especially so after using Fleur Cannon, so make sure not to leave it in and pivot out as much as possible if your answers to them have been taken out of commission. In certain other matchups, Magearna's great bulk gives it plenty of opportunities to favorably trade, surviving Earthquake from defensive Landorus-T from full and comfortably surviving Mega Lopunny's High Jump Kick. Watch out for Protean variants of Greninja, as they can use Tectonic Rage to remove Magearna immediately, Hidden Power Fire to weaken Fleur Cannon, and Spikes to block Volt Switch.
Team Options
========
This set fits best on fast-paced offense teams, acting as a short-term blanket check to special threats and providing safe pivoting. Landorus-T is the traditional complement to Assault Vest Magearna, as it's essentially Magearna's physical counterpart in that it temporarily checks physical attackers like Mega Charizard X and Excadrill, also working together with Magearna to handle Mega Mawile and Choice Scarf Kartana and providing more momentum with U-turn. Frail attackers like Mega Medicham, Ash-Greninja, and Mega Lopunny are the prime beneficiaries of Magearna's slow pivoting, as they struggle to switch directly into attacks. Other pivots like Tapu Koko and Rotom-W are able to work with Magearna to keep up momentum, with Tapu Koko posing an offensive threat and both checking Ground-types for Magearna. Choice Scarf users like Landorus-T and Kartana act as an extra safety net against Mega Alakazam + Tapu Lele teams, ensuring that even when Magearna is overwhelmed, Mega Alakazam can still be revenge killed. Considering the amount of Pokemon that Magearna is tasked with handling, it can become overwhelmed quite quickly, so Victini makes for a good teammate because it shares key resistances, such as to Psychic, Ice, and Grass.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/zinnias.569291/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/diyusi.519886/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/adorluigi.528364/
[SET]
name: Utility
move 1: Fleur Cannon / Ice Beam / Flash Cannon
move 2: Pain Split
move 3: Heart Swap / Heal Bell / Thunder Wave
move 4: Volt Switch
item: Leftovers / Fairium Z
ability: Soul-Heart
nature: Calm
evs: 248 HP / 72 Def / 188 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
=========
Fleur Cannon is a great option to hit neutrally and compress different targets into one slot, also being an excellent candidate for a Z-Move to hit hard without the drawback. Ice Beam prevents specially defensive Gliscor from switching in and is better for dealing with Serperior and Tapu Bulu, with the downside of not being able to threaten Kyurem-B. Flash Cannon is good for Fairy-types like Mega Mawile and Clefable while still being a good, more spammable, neutral option. Pain Split is Magearna's method of recovery, allowing it to heal off chip damage and sit on the likes of Chansey. Heart Swap allows Magearna to flip the script on bulky setup sweepers like Reuniclus, Mega Latias, and Cresselia by stealing their boosts, threatening the opposing team with a boosted attack as they switch out. Heal Bell is a great support option to clear status from teammates, such as a paralyzed Tornadus-T and Rest Seismitoad. Thunder Wave irritates plenty of switch-ins like Heatran, Jirachi, and Volcarona and is especially potent against Mega Alakazam, essentially taking it out of commission in one turn.
Set Details
========
The physical bulk investment allows Magearna to survive a +2 High Jump Kick from Hawlucha at full health, with the rest of the EVs pooled into Special Defense.
Usage Tips
========
Be careful of Magearna's HP, as Pain Split is quite an unreliable method of recovery, and Magearna is liable to being chipped down easily by attacks. For the same reason, make sure to keep Spikes off of the field at all times. Heart Swap has half the PP of Calm Mind, so, if possible, it's optimal to use it after multiple opposing boosts to ensure that Magearna won't be stalled out of them. Pain Split can be essentially blocked if the opponent switches in a Pokemon at low health, so if they have a suitable candidate, it can be better to attack instead to finish it off or pivot out with Volt Switch.
Team Options
========
This set is more tailored towards teams ranging from balance to stall, typically acting as a secondary check to Pokemon alongside its utility duties. Seismitoad has good defensive synergy with Magearna, as Seismitoad can check Heatran, and its Water Absorb works with Magearna's Dark resistance to handle Ash-Greninja as a team effort. Additionally, Heal Bell variants of Magearna can wake Seismitoad up from Rest. Wish support from the likes of Chansey and Clefable can decrease the burden on Magearna's Pain Split and prevent it from being worn down as easily. Toxapex and Kommo-o check the likes of Mega Charizard Y and Volcarona and appreciate Magearna being able to handle Psychic-types like Mega Alakazam and Tapu Lele as well as Kyurem-B. Chansey takes the pressure off of Magearna when it comes to handling many special attackers, but it notably cannot safely handle Tapu Lele and can lose to bulky setup sweepers like Calm Mind Reuniclus, which is why Heart Swap Magearna benefits it a lot as a teammate. Tornadus-T can add to the pivoting core with U-turn and helps to handle threats like Kartana and Mega Medicham. Gliscor has a helpful immunity to Ground and can check the hugely threatening Heatran for Magearna, with Magearna handling Ice-types like Kyurem-B and Weavile in return. Mega Latias complements Magearna perfectly, taking on Fire- and Ground-types like Victini and Gliscor while relying on Magearna for Dark- and Ice-types like Ash-Greninja, Weavile, and Kyurem-B.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/zinnias.569291/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/diyusi.519886/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/adorluigi.528364/
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Confide has more PP than Heart Swap, meaning it can better go the distance against Calm Mind users and not be stalled out of PP. Normalium Z can be paired with Heal Bell or Confide to provide a consistent way for Magearna to heal itself to full. Explosion can be used on Assault Vest sets to take a chunk out of Volcarona and quickly get in another teammate. Shuca Berry can be used alongside Ice Beam to allow Magearna to remove Landorus-T, Garchomp, and Gliscor or let it get a turn of free setup. A spread of 248 HP / 176 SpA / 84 Spe can be used on Assault Vest sets to pose more of a threat in exchange for some of its bulk, with the Speed EVs allowing it to outspeed uninvested Mega Scizor and the rest dumped into HP and Special Attack. Choice Scarf is another option, allowing Magearna to lure Ground-types with Ice Beam and act as a revenge killer and somewhat fast pivot. Iapapa Berry can be used on Calm Mind sets with three attacks, making Magearna harder to trade damage with and giving it extra longevity. Custap Berry can also be used on these sets to give Magearna opportunities to take extra damage or an additional KO by surprise. Substitute can be used with Calm Mind to block status attempts like Toxapex's Scald and Ferrothorn's Thunder Wave as well as Leech Seed from Ferrothorn and Celesteela.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fire-types**: Both Mega Charizard formes, Heatran, Volcarona, and Victini are all immensely threatening to Magearna, with Mega Charizard X and Volcarona being able to set up on it. Heatran must be wary of Focus Blast and All-Out Pummeling variants of Magearna, and Mega Charizard formes can be bowled past by offensive Magearna variants once it gets going.
**Ground-types**: Seismitoad and Gastrodon can check most Magearna variants and block Volt Switch and threaten it with Earthquake; however, Energy Ball can turn the tables on them. Excadrill is similarly good at this, sporting a resistance to Fairy, though it should be wary of Focus Blast and Hidden Power Fire. The rare Mega Camerupt is notable for its great matchup against Magearna, massively threatening it and not being threatened much at all upon switch-in; however, it comes with the unfortunate downside of having a Mega Camerupt on your team. Specially defensive Gliscor can take advantage of non-Ice Beam Magearna for setup with Swords Dance and can threaten it with Earthquake, and Landorus-T and Garchomp can threaten Magearna if they're able to get in safely.
**Passive Damage**: Magearna is particularly vulnerable to Spikes due to its often-unreliable methods of recovery, compacting with chip damage from attacks and making it worn down much faster. Leech Seed from Ferrothorn and Serperior is ruinous, whittling down Magearna and preventing it from making much progress. Burn from Toxapex and Slowbro's Scald and Rotom-W's Will-O-Wisp cancels out Magearna's Leftovers and cuts into its longevity.
**Steel-types**: Mega Scizor is threatened very little by Magearna variants lacking Hidden Power Fire and can set up on it with Swords Dance. Jirachi can defensively answer any Magearna set handily and threatens to chip it down while staying healthy. Ferrothorn can annoy Magearna with Leech Seed and Gyro Ball, though it needs to be careful of Focus Blast and Hidden Power Fire variants. Offensive Magearna sets can be stopped by opposing defensive Magearna, with opposing Assault Vest variants being able to chip them down with Iron Head or Hidden Power Fire and opposing utility sets can handle them with Heart Swap and Thunder Wave.
**Special Walls**: Chansey can take most of what Magearna can throw out with ease, chip it down with Seismic Toss and, it with Thunder Wave, though it doesn't have a consistent way to stop Calm Mind + Pain Split sets from bowling it over. Calm Mind Cresselia can set up in front of Magearna and batter it with Psyshock. Toxapex can handle defensive Magearna sets and Shift Gear variants lacking Electrium Z. Though not entirely mainstream, Mega Venusaur is a perfect defensive answer to Magearna that can threaten it with Leech Seed and Knock Off.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/zinnias.569291/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/diyusi.519886/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/adorluigi.528364/
name: Assault Vest
move 1: Fleur Cannon
move 2: Ice Beam / Energy Ball / Iron Head
move 3: Hidden Power Fire / Focus Blast
move 4: Volt Switch
item: Assault Vest
ability: Soul-Heart
nature: Calm
evs: 248 HP / 72 Def / 188 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
=========
Fleur Cannon is a crucial, powerful STAB move that hits hard neutrally, catching all sorts of offensive Pokemon like Mega Lopunny, Tapu Koko, Greninja, and Mega Medicham all in one slot. Ice Beam is a surefire way to OHKO Landorus-T and Gliscor that also pressures the likes of Serperior and Zapdos. Energy Ball can be used to snipe the likes of Mega Swampert switching in as well as Seismitoad and Gastrodon. Iron Head is a good option for more efficiently trading damage with opposing Assault Vest Magearna and Tapu Lele, as well as pressuring Calm Mind Clefable. Hidden Power Fire takes chunks out of Ferrothorn and Mega Scizor and OHKOes Kartana, while Focus Blast can do this as well as 2HKO Heatran at the cost of poor accuracy. Volt Switch allows Magearna to take a hit and safely bring in offensive teammates, additionally keeping up the pressure if it catches a switch.
Set Details
========
The physical bulk investment allows Magearna to survive a +2 High Jump Kick from Hawlucha at full health, additionally being useful for taking Psyshock from Tapu Lele, with the rest of the EVs pooled into Special Defense to maximize its bulk. If running Iron Head, use a spread of 248 HP / 224 SpD / 36 Spe with a Sassy nature; the Speed allows it to get the jump on uninvested Clefable.
Usage Tips
========
Magearna can be thrown into special attackers like Ash-Greninja and Mega Alakazam early-game, threatening them out and bringing in wallbreakers with Volt Switch. Magearna has a tendency to give free setup opportunities to the likes of Mega Charizard X and Volcarona, especially so after using Fleur Cannon, so make sure not to leave it in and pivot out as much as possible if your answers to them have been taken out of commission. In certain other matchups, Magearna's great bulk gives it plenty of opportunities to favorably trade, surviving Earthquake from defensive Landorus-T from full and comfortably surviving Mega Lopunny's High Jump Kick. Watch out for Protean variants of Greninja, as they can use Tectonic Rage to remove Magearna immediately, Hidden Power Fire to weaken Fleur Cannon, and Spikes to block Volt Switch.
Team Options
========
This set fits best on fast-paced offense teams, acting as a short-term blanket check to special threats and providing safe pivoting. Landorus-T is the traditional complement to Assault Vest Magearna, as it's essentially Magearna's physical counterpart in that it temporarily checks physical attackers like Mega Charizard X and Excadrill, also working together with Magearna to handle Mega Mawile and Choice Scarf Kartana and providing more momentum with U-turn. Frail attackers like Mega Medicham, Ash-Greninja, and Mega Lopunny are the prime beneficiaries of Magearna's slow pivoting, as they struggle to switch directly into attacks. Other pivots like Tapu Koko and Rotom-W are able to work with Magearna to keep up momentum, with Tapu Koko posing an offensive threat and both checking Ground-types for Magearna. Choice Scarf users like Landorus-T and Kartana act as an extra safety net against Mega Alakazam + Tapu Lele teams, ensuring that even when Magearna is overwhelmed, Mega Alakazam can still be revenge killed. Considering the amount of Pokemon that Magearna is tasked with handling, it can become overwhelmed quite quickly, so Victini makes for a good teammate because it shares key resistances, such as to Psychic, Ice, and Grass.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/zinnias.569291/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/diyusi.519886/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/adorluigi.528364/
[SET]
name: Utility
move 1: Fleur Cannon / Ice Beam / Flash Cannon
move 2: Pain Split
move 3: Heart Swap / Heal Bell / Thunder Wave
move 4: Volt Switch
item: Leftovers / Fairium Z
ability: Soul-Heart
nature: Calm
evs: 248 HP / 72 Def / 188 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
=========
Fleur Cannon is a great option to hit neutrally and compress different targets into one slot, also being an excellent candidate for a Z-Move to hit hard without the drawback. Ice Beam prevents specially defensive Gliscor from switching in and is better for dealing with Serperior and Tapu Bulu, with the downside of not being able to threaten Kyurem-B. Flash Cannon is good for Fairy-types like Mega Mawile and Clefable while still being a good, more spammable, neutral option. Pain Split is Magearna's method of recovery, allowing it to heal off chip damage and sit on the likes of Chansey. Heart Swap allows Magearna to flip the script on bulky setup sweepers like Reuniclus, Mega Latias, and Cresselia by stealing their boosts, threatening the opposing team with a boosted attack as they switch out. Heal Bell is a great support option to clear status from teammates, such as a paralyzed Tornadus-T and Rest Seismitoad. Thunder Wave irritates plenty of switch-ins like Heatran, Jirachi, and Volcarona and is especially potent against Mega Alakazam, essentially taking it out of commission in one turn.
Set Details
========
The physical bulk investment allows Magearna to survive a +2 High Jump Kick from Hawlucha at full health, with the rest of the EVs pooled into Special Defense.
Usage Tips
========
Be careful of Magearna's HP, as Pain Split is quite an unreliable method of recovery, and Magearna is liable to being chipped down easily by attacks. For the same reason, make sure to keep Spikes off of the field at all times. Heart Swap has half the PP of Calm Mind, so, if possible, it's optimal to use it after multiple opposing boosts to ensure that Magearna won't be stalled out of them. Pain Split can be essentially blocked if the opponent switches in a Pokemon at low health, so if they have a suitable candidate, it can be better to attack instead to finish it off or pivot out with Volt Switch.
Team Options
========
This set is more tailored towards teams ranging from balance to stall, typically acting as a secondary check to Pokemon alongside its utility duties. Seismitoad has good defensive synergy with Magearna, as Seismitoad can check Heatran, and its Water Absorb works with Magearna's Dark resistance to handle Ash-Greninja as a team effort. Additionally, Heal Bell variants of Magearna can wake Seismitoad up from Rest. Wish support from the likes of Chansey and Clefable can decrease the burden on Magearna's Pain Split and prevent it from being worn down as easily. Toxapex and Kommo-o check the likes of Mega Charizard Y and Volcarona and appreciate Magearna being able to handle Psychic-types like Mega Alakazam and Tapu Lele as well as Kyurem-B. Chansey takes the pressure off of Magearna when it comes to handling many special attackers, but it notably cannot safely handle Tapu Lele and can lose to bulky setup sweepers like Calm Mind Reuniclus, which is why Heart Swap Magearna benefits it a lot as a teammate. Tornadus-T can add to the pivoting core with U-turn and helps to handle threats like Kartana and Mega Medicham. Gliscor has a helpful immunity to Ground and can check the hugely threatening Heatran for Magearna, with Magearna handling Ice-types like Kyurem-B and Weavile in return. Mega Latias complements Magearna perfectly, taking on Fire- and Ground-types like Victini and Gliscor while relying on Magearna for Dark- and Ice-types like Ash-Greninja, Weavile, and Kyurem-B.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/zinnias.569291/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/diyusi.519886/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/adorluigi.528364/
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Confide has more PP than Heart Swap, meaning it can better go the distance against Calm Mind users and not be stalled out of PP. Normalium Z can be paired with Heal Bell or Confide to provide a consistent way for Magearna to heal itself to full. Explosion can be used on Assault Vest sets to take a chunk out of Volcarona and quickly get in another teammate. Shuca Berry can be used alongside Ice Beam to allow Magearna to remove Landorus-T, Garchomp, and Gliscor or let it get a turn of free setup. A spread of 248 HP / 176 SpA / 84 Spe can be used on Assault Vest sets to pose more of a threat in exchange for some of its bulk, with the Speed EVs allowing it to outspeed uninvested Mega Scizor and the rest dumped into HP and Special Attack. Choice Scarf is another option, allowing Magearna to lure Ground-types with Ice Beam and act as a revenge killer and somewhat fast pivot. Iapapa Berry can be used on Calm Mind sets with three attacks, making Magearna harder to trade damage with and giving it extra longevity. Custap Berry can also be used on these sets to give Magearna opportunities to take extra damage or an additional KO by surprise. Substitute can be used with Calm Mind to block status attempts like Toxapex's Scald and Ferrothorn's Thunder Wave as well as Leech Seed from Ferrothorn and Celesteela.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fire-types**: Both Mega Charizard formes, Heatran, Volcarona, and Victini are all immensely threatening to Magearna, with Mega Charizard X and Volcarona being able to set up on it. Heatran must be wary of Focus Blast and All-Out Pummeling variants of Magearna, and Mega Charizard formes can be bowled past by offensive Magearna variants once it gets going.
**Ground-types**: Seismitoad and Gastrodon can check most Magearna variants and block Volt Switch and threaten it with Earthquake; however, Energy Ball can turn the tables on them. Excadrill is similarly good at this, sporting a resistance to Fairy, though it should be wary of Focus Blast and Hidden Power Fire. The rare Mega Camerupt is notable for its great matchup against Magearna, massively threatening it and not being threatened much at all upon switch-in; however, it comes with the unfortunate downside of having a Mega Camerupt on your team. Specially defensive Gliscor can take advantage of non-Ice Beam Magearna for setup with Swords Dance and can threaten it with Earthquake, and Landorus-T and Garchomp can threaten Magearna if they're able to get in safely.
**Passive Damage**: Magearna is particularly vulnerable to Spikes due to its often-unreliable methods of recovery, compacting with chip damage from attacks and making it worn down much faster. Leech Seed from Ferrothorn and Serperior is ruinous, whittling down Magearna and preventing it from making much progress. Burn from Toxapex and Slowbro's Scald and Rotom-W's Will-O-Wisp cancels out Magearna's Leftovers and cuts into its longevity.
**Steel-types**: Mega Scizor is threatened very little by Magearna variants lacking Hidden Power Fire and can set up on it with Swords Dance. Jirachi can defensively answer any Magearna set handily and threatens to chip it down while staying healthy. Ferrothorn can annoy Magearna with Leech Seed and Gyro Ball, though it needs to be careful of Focus Blast and Hidden Power Fire variants. Offensive Magearna sets can be stopped by opposing defensive Magearna, with opposing Assault Vest variants being able to chip them down with Iron Head or Hidden Power Fire and opposing utility sets can handle them with Heart Swap and Thunder Wave.
**Special Walls**: Chansey can take most of what Magearna can throw out with ease, chip it down with Seismic Toss and, it with Thunder Wave, though it doesn't have a consistent way to stop Calm Mind + Pain Split sets from bowling it over. Calm Mind Cresselia can set up in front of Magearna and batter it with Psyshock. Toxapex can handle defensive Magearna sets and Shift Gear variants lacking Electrium Z. Though not entirely mainstream, Mega Venusaur is a perfect defensive answer to Magearna that can threaten it with Leech Seed and Knock Off.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/zinnias.569291/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/diyusi.519886/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/adorluigi.528364/
Last edited:
