How's Goodra against Mega-Alakazam?
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XY UU Viability Ranking Thread
- Thread starter Limitless
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How's Goodra against Mega-Alakazam?
252+ SpA Mega Alakazam Psyshock vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Goodra: 241-285 (62.7 - 74.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
nope
Yeah Mega Alakazam might get the boot. Anyways, Goodra definitely deserves a ranking in the A range but I don't have way too much experience with it.
Actually... That would be Charizard's Modest Specs Sun-boosted Solar Power Overheat... If only this was possible to be related to anything anymore... I liked Specs Zard in 5th Gen OU on my funsies teams....
252+ SpA Choice Specs Solar Power Charizard Overheat vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Blissey in Sun: 535-630 (74.9 - 88.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ SpA Choice Specs Kyogre Water Spout (150 BP) vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Blissey in Rain: 517-609 (72.4 - 85.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
In any case, Nape should def be A+ due to the reasons ppl have already said. Nd MegaZam will most probably be banned, ye.
I haven't used a rain team myself, but I've come up against a few recently, and I have to say that Goodra is a massive addition to the playstyle. Its bulk lets it come in and set up rain dance reliably to support the myriad of swift swimmers in the tier like Kingdra and Kabutops. Goodra can also use rain+rest as a full restore and be difficult for stall to wear down. Add in priority rain setter/Hurricane user Tornadus, an electric type like Raikou or Mega-Amphy to spam perfect Thunders, a few swift swimmers to abuse boosted water attacks, and you can build a pretty good rain team with Goodra. I just think this should be considered when ranking the big silly dragon.
This is all Theorymon from me at this point, but Volc and Doublade look like a match made in heaven, I will be testing this "Core" idea here shortly
Reserved for results:
Reserved for results:
That qualification is actually for strongest "one turn" move. Charizard doesn't qualify because he needs something to set up sun for him. Moreover, Blast Burn is stronger, I believe. Not that any of this is relevant, but UU DOES have #2 and #4, with Darmanitan's Flare Blitz and Victini's V-Create.
WreckDra I'm curious how they operate as a core. Care to elaborate?
I think mega Aero will move to A+ with the new drops because it checks all of the new drops really well. It destroys volc with stone edge, resisting both its stabs, a really reliable check. Sd luc is checked comfortably because it resists extreme speed and can kill with aerial ace/EQ. Its stabs prey on blissey and goodras weak defence aswell as taking out mega zam easily with outspeed it, this thing's viability has risen a lot.
I also can see gligar moving up to B+. Checking sd luc well is a huge boon for defencive teams because most luc's go for crunch for their coveredge. It has always been good, but now that it checks on of the top threats it is quite a bit better.
I also can see gligar moving up to B+. Checking sd luc well is a huge boon for defencive teams because most luc's go for crunch for their coveredge. It has always been good, but now that it checks on of the top threats it is quite a bit better.
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One pokemon is not nearly enough to move what is otherwise a poor pokemon up so many ranks. Considering every other fighting type has access to knock off or hits gligar on its weaker Sp Def, or just U-turns out, it is an extremely poor trade-off walling one poke when other pokemon of that type laugh in your face. (Actually I forget, toxicroak doesn't often run knock off, so you get 2 fighting pokemon walled while the rest cripple you. Still a dud trade off). All the other issues that plagued gligar in gen V still apply as well, so it isn't just about what it walls either.
I'm honestly stunned anyone in their right mind brought up gligar as a serious check to lucario. I won't comment on it being broken, since it does need some help to set-up + other far more reasonable checks, but if people seriously suggest such a poor mon as a worthy check, that's a problem.
Gligar's not bad right now at all. This just gives it more of a niche. Even without Eviolite, it's not 2HKOed by CB Heracross or Mienshao, and physical attackers that aren't too strong. It does indeed beat Lucario now, as well as physical Infernape and lots of other things. It's a solid Defogger that gets many opportunities, doesn't lose momentum with U-turn, and has a good defensive typing.
252+ Atk Choice Band Heracross Stone Edge vs. 252 HP / 204+ Def Gligar: 126-149 (37.7 - 44.6%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Reckless Mienshao High Jump Kick vs. 252 HP / 204+ Def Gligar: 135-159 (40.4 - 47.6%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252 Atk Choice Band Reckless Mienshao High Jump Kick vs. 252 HP / 204+ Def Gligar: 135-159 (40.4 - 47.6%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
Gligar is not a poor mon at all wtf. Access to defog and stealth rock, insane defence with eviolite, a great stop to cb hera aswell as all the other fighting types in the tier and acces to reliable recovery with roost and u-turn to keep momentum it is actually very legit. And saying that it dies to knock off is just stupid, first of all the primier physical wall in the tier is hit super effectively by knock off and gligar can still go head to head with the fighting types withought its eviolite (also chansey loses its eviolite with knock off in OU and its still the preimier special wall, don't give me this knock off crap). It can keep momentum with u-turn and now that it checks sd luc and physical nape just adds to its niche. Its already B and I think B+ is fine for it with the new additions.
Thats why you run Gligar with Aromatisse, who takes the Knock Offs like the lil champion fairy that she is ;o
Gligar isn't as foolproof of a Fighting-type counter as he used to be, but if you run it with other shit to take Knock Offs, it's still more than capable of carrying its own weight. Cmon people.
Blissey isn't really an issue. Pretty much any STAB fighting attack can ohko especially with hazards in play.
When the hell did gligar move from C- to B?!?
Fine, I retract some of my point then, though I most certainly did not say gligar dies to knock off, since cripple =/= death. despite my retracted point, I still don't believe its that great a check as I consider LO regenerator > CB reckless for mienshao (less power for more momentum) and SD hera > CB hera (because of stall mons/stall teams).
Chansey is an irrelevant example due to not being allowed in the tier. Swamp Link's point is valid enough though on the calcs, so I apologize for that.
As for defog capabilities, I do give it that due to limited/transfer shenanigans distribution. Losing immunity due to move illegalities hurts though, and there's still quite a number of mons that can easily come in when it tries to defog only to reset hazards straight back in its face (which is a lot more of a serious issue than people give credit for). Based on the recommended moves, I'm also seeing a fair bit of 4MSS too. Defog, EQ and Roost all seem to be mandatory, alongside U-turn for pivoting. No Taunt or Toxic means anything that resists/immune to EQ or is bulky enough sets up in your face.
But then it can just u-turn out to a check, if it could do everything by itself it would be ranked S?
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I agree with all of this, more so the Mega Aero part. It's gonna be so useful with all these extremely dangerous new threats running around. Meag Alakazam now has a reason to run Timid, to speed tie Jolly Mega Aero. Visa Versa's also true, but none of that will be the case once Zam gets the boot like it should.
I've done several matches right now, so it's time to speak my mind about the new drops.
Infernape -> A+ | I can't see Infernape anywhere else in the tier. It's got a great mix of speed, power and versatility that help it fit onto any kind of team. It's not only the speediest Scarfer in the game, but flamin' ape can pull off a mixed LO set, Swords Dance and Nasty Plot sets, has access to priority and gets some really good moves to complement it, such as U-turn for scouting and Mach Punch as a priority move to pick off weakened threats. Close Combat and Fire Blast leave some huge dents in non-resistors, but generally few things like to come in on Infernape. The reason why I'm placing it in A+ and not S, is because it somewhat suffers from 4MSS; if it doesn't run Flare Blitz, for example, Florges can wall most Infernape variants. Beside that, however, Infernape is still incredibly solid and has carved its name into the UU metagame. Infernape for A+ Rank.
Alakazam -> A+ | Alakazam's once again the greatest revenge killer in the game thanks to Magic Guard, which makes it not give a single shit about hazards or status damage at all, combined with 135 Special Attack and 120 Speed. Sash allows our 'stached friend to at least dish out one or two hits - hard hits at that. Special walls, such as Blissey and Florges, don't trouble it at all thanks to Psyshock. Shadow Ball and Focus Blast give it sufficient coverage, while it can use HP Fire to easily remove Forretress or Taunt to shut walls down. It has a pretty good LO attacking set as well that exchanges longevity for power, but is just as good. Unfortunately, we're talking about Alakazam here with its nonexistent physical bulk and low special bulk; 55/45/95 is nothing to write home about. Its Psychic-type renders it susceptible to Pursuit and, more notably, Sucker Punch from Honchkrow and Mega Absol. These negatives aside, Alakazam definitely belongs in the higher ranks of the UU metagame for the many things it excels at. Alakazam for A+ Rank.
Mega Alakazam -> S | Bro4lyphe. If Alakazam is great, then Mega Alakazam is ridiculous. What makes our ultra-intelligent friend so great is how flexible it can be with just its one set; it is granted this flexibility by its Ability of Trace. The amount of befitting Abilities that Trace can copy make an absolute monster out of Mega Alakazam. Here are a few examples:
- Sheer Force from Nidoking, Nidoqueen and non-Scarf Darmanitan amps up all of its moves; for this reason, Psychic can be used alongside or over Psyshock as a general destroying move. Sheer Force Psychic is just scary coming from this thing.
- Regenerator from Slowbro, Mienshao and to a lesser extent Slowking gives Mega Alakazam the ability to restore a chunk of its health, really useful for this offensive powerhouse.
- Natural Cure traced from Blissey and Roserade makes it so that Mega Alakazam couldn't give less of a shit about status. Switchin' and bitchin'.
- Adaptability from Porygon-Z turns Psyshock and Psychic into explosive cannonballs and grant Mega Alakazam another way to rip the tier apart.
- Download from Porygon-Z can possibly grant it a Special Attack boost, providing Pory-Z has 4 EVs in Defense. A +1 Modest Mega Alakazam... s'gotta hurt.
- Analytic from Porygon-Z just makes it so that something dies if coming from a switch-in.
These are only a few examples, but all illustrate how monstrously dangerous Mega Alakazam can be. Now, what else contributes to its success? Why, 175 Special Attack and 150 Speed. It hits the same Speed as Mega Aerodactyl, but can easily afford to run a Modest nature because of this, just like how Mega Aerodactyl almost always goes Adamant if offensive. To make my point, Modest Mega Alakazam hits harder than Timid LO Alakazam. Yeah, Make of that what you will. Still, no Pokémon is without its flaws and Mega Alakazam can't escape this fact, either. Its Defense, while bolstered to a much better 75, is still kind of low and renders Mega Alakazam very susceptible to Scarfers. The same typing flaws from its regular Forme apply on this guy, too. Admit it, though, with those stats, such a flexible and useful Ability and dat beard, you just can't go wrong with Mega Alakazam. Mega Alakazam for S-Rank.
Blissey -> A/A+ | Oh hello, Blissey, you irritable pink blob of doom and demise. Yep, it's here to stay in UU with little sister Chansey ruling OU. That said, Blissey does its job really well in UU, making special attackers cry for days on end and supplying its own team with Heal Bell, Stealth Rock and, most importantly, Wish support. With Wishes ranging from 325 to 357 HP, Blissey has the capacity to heal almost any Pokémon to full health with these monstrous Wishes. Sadly, Blissey's only worthwhile means of offense is Seismic Toss, so it's complete and utter Taunt or setup bait for other Pokémon. Sableye is a full-on counter with Prankster Taunt and its immunity to Seismic Toss. Nevertheless, Blissey is still a stellar supporting Pokémon and a nice asset to UU. Blissey for A/A+ Rank.
- Sheer Force from Nidoking, Nidoqueen and non-Scarf Darmanitan amps up all of its moves; for this reason, Psychic can be used alongside or over Psyshock as a general destroying move. Sheer Force Psychic is just scary coming from this thing.
- Regenerator from Slowbro, Mienshao and to a lesser extent Slowking gives Mega Alakazam the ability to restore a chunk of its health, really useful for this offensive powerhouse.
- Natural Cure traced from Blissey and Roserade makes it so that Mega Alakazam couldn't give less of a shit about status. Switchin' and bitchin'.
- Adaptability from Porygon-Z turns Psyshock and Psychic into explosive cannonballs and grant Mega Alakazam another way to rip the tier apart.
- Download from Porygon-Z can possibly grant it a Special Attack boost, providing Pory-Z has 4 EVs in Defense. A +1 Modest Mega Alakazam... s'gotta hurt.
- Analytic from Porygon-Z just makes it so that something dies if coming from a switch-in.
These are only a few examples, but all illustrate how monstrously dangerous Mega Alakazam can be. Now, what else contributes to its success? Why, 175 Special Attack and 150 Speed. It hits the same Speed as Mega Aerodactyl, but can easily afford to run a Modest nature because of this, just like how Mega Aerodactyl almost always goes Adamant if offensive. To make my point, Modest Mega Alakazam hits harder than Timid LO Alakazam. Yeah, Make of that what you will. Still, no Pokémon is without its flaws and Mega Alakazam can't escape this fact, either. Its Defense, while bolstered to a much better 75, is still kind of low and renders Mega Alakazam very susceptible to Scarfers. The same typing flaws from its regular Forme apply on this guy, too. Admit it, though, with those stats, such a flexible and useful Ability and dat beard, you just can't go wrong with Mega Alakazam. Mega Alakazam for S-Rank.
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I've done several matches right now, so it's time to speak my mind about the new drops.
Infernape -> A+ | I can't see Infernape anywhere else in the tier. It's got a great mix of speed, power and versatility that help it fit onto any kind of team. It's not only the speediest Scarfer in the game, but flamin' ape can pull off a mixed LO set, Swords Dance and Nasty Plot sets, has access to priority and gets some really good moves to complement it, such as U-turn for scouting and Mach Punch as a priority move to pick off weakened threats. Close Combat and Fire Blast leave some huge dents in non-resistors, but generally few things like to come in on Infernape. The reason why I'm placing it in A+ and not S, is because it somewhat suffers from 4MSS; if it doesn't run Flare Blitz, for example, Florges can wall most Infernape variants. Beside that, however, Infernape is still incredibly solid and has carved its name into the UU metagame. Infernape for A+ Rank.
Alakazam -> A+ | Alakazam's once again the greatest revenge killer in the game thanks to Magic Guard, which makes it not give a single shit about hazards or status damage at all, combined with 135 Special Attack and 120 Speed. Sash allows our 'stached friend to at least dish out one or two hits - hard hits at that. Special walls, such as Blissey and Florges, don't trouble it at all thanks to Psyshock. Shadow Ball and Focus Blast give it sufficient coverage, while it can use HP Fire to easily remove Forretress or Taunt to shut walls down. It has a pretty good LO attacking set as well that increases longevity for power, but is just as good. Unfortunately, we're talking about Alakazam here with its nonexistent physical bulk and low special bulk; 55/45/95 is nothing to write home about. Its Psychic-type renders it susceptible to Pursuit and, more notably, Sucker Punch from Honchkrow and Mega Absol. These negatives aside, Alakazam definitely belongs in the higher ranks of the UU metagame for the many things it excels at. Alakazam for A+ Rank.
Mega Alakazam -> S | Bro4lyphe. If Alakazam is great, then Mega Alakazam is ridiculous. What makes our ultra-intelligent friend so great is how flexible it can be with just its one set; it is granted this flexibility by its Ability of Trace. The amount of befitting Abilities that Trace can copy make an absolute monster out of Mega Alakazam. Here are a few examples:
- Sheer Force from Nidoking, Nidoqueen and non-Scarf Darmanitan amps up all of its moves; for this reason, Psychic can be used alongside or over Psyshock as a general destroying move. Sheer Force Psychic is just scary coming from this thing.
- Regenerator from Slowbro, Mienshao and to a lesser extent Slowking gives Mega Alakazam the ability to restore a chunk of its health, really useful for this offensive powerhouse.
- Natural Cure traced from Blissey and Roserade makes it so that Mega Alakazam couldn't give less of a shit about status. Switchin' and bitchin'.
- Adaptability from Porygon-Z turns Psyshock and Psychic into explosive cannonballs and grant Mega Alakazam another way to rip the tier apart.
- Download from Porygon-Z can possibly grant it a Special Attack boost, providing Pory-Z has 4 EVs in Defense. A +1 Modest Mega Alakazam... s'gotta hurt.
- Analytic from Porygon-Z just makes it so that something dies if coming from a switch-in.
These are only a few examples, but all illustrate how monstrously dangerous Mega Alakazam can be. Now, what else contributes to its success? Why, 175 Special Attack and 150 Speed. It hits the same Speed as Mega Aerodactyl, but can easily afford to run a Modest nature because of this, just like how Mega Aerodactyl almost always goes Adamant if offensive. To make my point, Modest Mega Alakazam hits harder than Timid LO Alakazam. Yeah, Make of that what you will. Still, no Pokémon is without its flaws and Mega Alakazam can't escape this fact, either. Its Defense, while bolstered to a much better 75, is still kind of low and renders Mega Alakazam very susceptible to Scarfers. The same typing flaws from its regular Forme apply on this guy, too. Admit it, though, with those stats, such a flexible and useful Ability and dat beard, you just can't go wrong with Mega Alakazam. Mega Alakazam for S-Rank.
Blissey -> A/A+ | Oh hello, Blissey, you irritable pink blob of doom and demise. Yep, it's here to stay in UU with little sister Chansey ruling OU. That said, Blissey does its job really well in UU, making special attackers cry for days on end and supplying its own team with Heal Bell, Stealth Rock and, most importantly, Wish support. With Wishes ranging from 325 to 357 HP, Blissey has the capacity to heal almost any Pokémon to full health with these monstrous Wishes. Sadly, Blissey's only worthwhile means of offense is Seismic Toss, so it's complete and utter Taunt or setup bait for other Pokémon. Sableye is a full-on counter with Prankster Taunt and its immunity to Seismic Toss. Nevertheless, Blissey is still a stellar supporting Pokémon and a nice asset to UU. Blissey for A/A+ Rank.
I would definately put blissey in A+. It just has ridiculous HP, awesome special bulk and an insanely good support moveset which make it one of the best if not the best addition to stall/semi-stall/balanced in the tier. It may have cons in losing to the ghosts, dying to hera and mien and other fighting types aswell as having subpar defence, but this thing is actually insane. This thing is actually just so specially bulky and with super reliable recovery, access to stealth rock, super huge wishes (biggest in the game) and heal bell as well as a super relaible damage output in seismic toss, this thing is just plain awesome and a bitch to take down.
I was advocating it for A or A+, but the fact that physical attackers are all over the place and Infernape, Mienshao and Lucario are all common, kind of wears it down. A+ suits it well, though. Just watch out for dangerous Fighting-types.
Ok... why are people saying Blissey for A+...
It's not "the perfect special wall" anymore, as if it ever was. Stop talking about physical Fighting-types, it's not supposed to wall those, just as the aforementioned Gligar is not going to be walling Specs Empoleon.
See: Blissey may be the "standard" special wall but it faces direct competiton with Florges. Florges may not be as bulky, but it can hit back with a pretty strong Moonblast, and most importantly, IT'S NOT A NORMAL TYPE. Theres a reason Florges invests so much in defense, and that's because to walls many Fighting types like Heracross to an extent Blissey never can. Just because of how they both play you should be comparing them instead of talking about the obvious
It's not "the perfect special wall" anymore, as if it ever was. Stop talking about physical Fighting-types, it's not supposed to wall those, just as the aforementioned Gligar is not going to be walling Specs Empoleon.
See: Blissey may be the "standard" special wall but it faces direct competiton with Florges. Florges may not be as bulky, but it can hit back with a pretty strong Moonblast, and most importantly, IT'S NOT A NORMAL TYPE. Theres a reason Florges invests so much in defense, and that's because to walls many Fighting types like Heracross to an extent Blissey never can. Just because of how they both play you should be comparing them instead of talking about the obvious
Idk where you are trying to go with your arguments, but Blissey can simply do everything Florges can except from walling fighting types, and also Blissey has a better defensive movepool than Florges has like thunder wave, softboiled and stealth rock. Blissey also has seismic toss which is better than moonblast over time, except against ghosts which can suck as Sableye is the most common one, but dealing 100 hp everytime its not bad for a defensive pokemon at all. Blissey also beats every single special attacker in uu as long its not something like np lucario which beats both anyway. I cant see how Florges is better than Blissey, but they are very comparable and both are excellent mixed walls, but Blissey is way more versatile than Florges is, also in the metagame now as it is Blissey performs better in dual cores than Florges due to Volcarona, nidos, Roserade and megazam. Being a normal type might not wall much, but it has insane hp and much better ability, but also being more versatile and fitting defensive cores better than Florges do, but is also a much safer pokemon overall to wall strong special attackers.
Not arguing that at all. I was just saying Blissey shouldn't be expected to take those attack where Florges for the most part can so the comparison was pointless
The Florges fighting resistance being amazingly useful is the biggest myth in the whole of UU. Pitiful physical defence uninvested, heavily investing in physical defence kills a lot of its ability as a special wall and to top it off most fighting types worth a damn have a way round it.
Alright, my two cents here.
Infernape: A+
There are no safe switch-ins to the LO mixed set, meaning you are going to often have to sac off something and bring in a check. This means that every time Ape gets a safe switch, it is going to contribute assuming you predict correctly. However, Infernape also shines with its versatility, as it can easily be a dedicated lead, a full physical wallbreaker, or a scarf revenge killer. This makes predicting Infernape's attack even harder, and switching in all the more difficult. I feel that all of these pros are easily enough to warrant Ape in A+.
Volcarona: A
Yeah, the thought of Volcarona in UU last generation may have seemed a bit ridiculous, but it's here now, and we have to deal with it. Needless to say, it is very difficult, because very few Pokemon can take any of Volcarona's hits at +1, barring dedicated special walls such as Blissey and AV Snorlax. Plus, given its moderate bulk, setting up a QD shouldn't be hard, assuming you don't try to set up on Aerodactyl. Plus, there are many variations on the classic Volcarona set, such as a Roost variant, a ChestoRest variant and a Sub + QD set. However, I do not feel this 'mon quite deserves the elite tier of A+ rank, due to its counters (rock types, scarf Mirnshao), its serious 4MSS (can't run coverage and recovery) as well as its 4x rock weakness. Nevertheless, Volcarona is one of the biggest threats in the meta, and is definitely deserving of rank A.
Alakazam: A+
Wowie, what a wallbreaker. And a fast one at that- base 120 outruns non-Scarf Mienshao, Infernape and Galvantula just to name a few threats. However, as said before, Alakazam has potent offensive power to back up its speed, possessing powerful Psychic STAB off a very high base 135 SAtk, which is enough to put a serious dent in anything that isn't a pink blob. Combine that with perfect unresisted coverage in Shadow Ball, Focus Blast and Dazzling Gleam, and you have one of the best Pokes in the tier. And, just as the icing on the cake, its ability Magic Guard makes it immune to things such as hazards and Poison damage. And while its nonexistent bulk and one-dimensionalness keeps it out of S rank, anything lower than A+ is a crime against humanity.
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Mega Alakazam: S
I really don't feel like restating what others have said already, so I'll keep it short and concise. Honestly, Mega Alakazam is, bar none, the most threatening offensive Pokemon in the tier right now. Why you may ask? Well, look no farther than base 175 SAtk and base 150 SPD. This means that Mega-Sam is hitting the highest speed tier in UU, only speed tying with Aerodactyl. Plus, that SAtk stat means that this thing can leave massive dents in even the sturdiest of walls. However, the main reason that this thing is so scary, is its new ability, Trace. The amount of beneficial abilities that can be traced is RIDICULOUS. Want examples? Bring Mega-Zam in on a safe switch against a Nido. Trace Sheer Force. Yeah, now they're in trouble. Or, maybe you come in on P-Z and snag Adaptability. Yeah, enjoy taking Psychic now. Honestly, I could not find a reason to put Mega-Zam anywhere other than with the best of the best in S Rank.
There are no safe switch-ins to the LO mixed set, meaning you are going to often have to sac off something and bring in a check. This means that every time Ape gets a safe switch, it is going to contribute assuming you predict correctly. However, Infernape also shines with its versatility, as it can easily be a dedicated lead, a full physical wallbreaker, or a scarf revenge killer. This makes predicting Infernape's attack even harder, and switching in all the more difficult. I feel that all of these pros are easily enough to warrant Ape in A+.
Yeah, the thought of Volcarona in UU last generation may have seemed a bit ridiculous, but it's here now, and we have to deal with it. Needless to say, it is very difficult, because very few Pokemon can take any of Volcarona's hits at +1, barring dedicated special walls such as Blissey and AV Snorlax. Plus, given its moderate bulk, setting up a QD shouldn't be hard, assuming you don't try to set up on Aerodactyl. Plus, there are many variations on the classic Volcarona set, such as a Roost variant, a ChestoRest variant and a Sub + QD set. However, I do not feel this 'mon quite deserves the elite tier of A+ rank, due to its counters (rock types, scarf Mirnshao), its serious 4MSS (can't run coverage and recovery) as well as its 4x rock weakness. Nevertheless, Volcarona is one of the biggest threats in the meta, and is definitely deserving of rank A.
Wowie, what a wallbreaker. And a fast one at that- base 120 outruns non-Scarf Mienshao, Infernape and Galvantula just to name a few threats. However, as said before, Alakazam has potent offensive power to back up its speed, possessing powerful Psychic STAB off a very high base 135 SAtk, which is enough to put a serious dent in anything that isn't a pink blob. Combine that with perfect unresisted coverage in Shadow Ball, Focus Blast and Dazzling Gleam, and you have one of the best Pokes in the tier. And, just as the icing on the cake, its ability Magic Guard makes it immune to things such as hazards and Poison damage. And while its nonexistent bulk and one-dimensionalness keeps it out of S rank, anything lower than A+ is a crime against humanity.
I really don't feel like restating what others have said already, so I'll keep it short and concise. Honestly, Mega Alakazam is, bar none, the most threatening offensive Pokemon in the tier right now. Why you may ask? Well, look no farther than base 175 SAtk and base 150 SPD. This means that Mega-Sam is hitting the highest speed tier in UU, only speed tying with Aerodactyl. Plus, that SAtk stat means that this thing can leave massive dents in even the sturdiest of walls. However, the main reason that this thing is so scary, is its new ability, Trace. The amount of beneficial abilities that can be traced is RIDICULOUS. Want examples? Bring Mega-Zam in on a safe switch against a Nido. Trace Sheer Force. Yeah, now they're in trouble. Or, maybe you come in on P-Z and snag Adaptability. Yeah, enjoy taking Psychic now. Honestly, I could not find a reason to put Mega-Zam anywhere other than with the best of the best in S Rank.
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