[QC Checks: Kreme / Bouff / Nuked]
[GP Checks: marthaa / A Cake Wearing A Hat]
[OVERVIEW]
Yanmega carves a niche in the UU tier as a decent wallbreaker due to the combination of its high Special Attack, good offensive typing, and ability in Tinted Lens making it fairly hard to switch into. Due to the aforementioned factors, Yanmega is capable of threatening a number of staples on balanced and defensive teams such as Amoonguss, Gliscor, Mantine, and Mega Steelix. While not the best defensively, its typing does allow it to switch into Ground- and Fighting-type attacks from the likes of Swampert and Heracross. However, Yanmega's typing leaves it 4x weak to Stealth Rock, meaning that teams using it must have good, consistent forms of entry hazard removal. Its typing also leaves it weak to common attacking typings in Electric, Fire, Ice, and Flying. Yanmega's poor defensive presence is made worse by its lackluster bulk, which prevents it from stomaching non-resisted attacks and leaves it rather susceptible to priority moves from the likes of Azumarill and Scizor. Despite Yanmega's high Special Attack, it has a hard time breaking through special walls like Alolan Muk and Blissey. While base 95 Speed is by no means bad and allows Yanmega to outpace foes such as Krookodile, Rotom-C, and Moltres, it unfortunately leaves Yanmega outsped by common Pokemon such as Hydreigon, Infernape, and Latias. Finally, Yanmega faces tight competition from other wallbreakers such as the aforementioned Hydreigon and Latias due to them being easier to use and fit on teams.
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Bug Buzz
move 2: Air Slash
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Giga Drain
item: Choice Specs
ability: Tinted Lens
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Bug Buzz is Yanmega's strongest STAB move, threatening to 2HKO certain Bug-resistant foes such as Gliscor, Mega Steelix, and Stakataka due to Tinted Lens while also threatening Dark- and Psychic-types such as Krookodile and Necrozma. Air Slash pairs well with Bug Buzz, nailing Fighting-types such as Breloom, Infernape, and Heracross on top of hitting foes that are 4x resistant to Bug Buzz like Doublade and Moltres harder. U-turn allows Yanmega to pivot out of unfavorable matchups and generate momentum for a teammate. Giga Drain gives Yanmega a minor form of recovery that also threatens foes such as Swampert, Hippowdon, and non-Sap Sipper Azumarill. Sleep Talk is an alternative to Giga Drain that allows Yanmega to absorb sleep-inducing moves from the likes of Amoonguss, Breloom, and Smeargle and not be rendered helpless; however, it offers little use outside of this and isn't the most consistent.
Set Details
========
The investment in Speed and Special Attack in tandem with a Timid nature serves to maximize Yanmega's offensive presence while also allowing it outspeed Pokemon in the base 92 Speed tier and below. Choice Specs increases Yanmega's damage output, making it a much more effective wallbreaker. Tinted Lens is the preferred ability, since it prevents Yanmega from being forced out by foes that resist its STAB moves.
Usage Tips
========
Above all else, Yanmega should refrain from switching in if Stealth Rock is up on its side of the field; doing so will cause Yanmega to lose 50% of its HP, preventing it from wallbreaking as effectively and leaving it in range of priority moves like Bullet Punch from Choice Band Scizor. Due to Yanmega's below average defenses and poor defensive typing, it should avoid switching directly into strong, neutral attacks. It can, however, be brought in on predicted Grass-, Ground-, and Fighting-type attacks. Yanmega should generally be using Bug Buzz due to Tinted Lens making it more spammable, but it should opt to use its other attacks if it predicts a Pokemon that is 4x resistant to Bug-type moves to switch in. U-turn should be used sparingly, since its only use is allowing Yanmega to pivot out of specially bulky Pokemon that it cannot break through such as Blissey and Porygon2 if it predicts them to switch it.
Team Options
========
Teammates that can provide entry hazard removal such as Gliscor, Rotom-C, and Tentacruel are a necessity, since Yanmega is 4x weak to Stealth Rock. Tentacruel comes with the advantage of not removing any potential entry hazards that Yanmega's team may set up while also being able to set Toxic Spikes to wear down Yanmega's grounded checks. Due to the number of switches Yanmega can force, entry hazard support from the likes of Mega Steelix, Necrozma, and the aforementioned Tentacruel is also appreciated, as the entry hazards punish defensive Pokemon that attempt to switch in. Physical wallbreakers such as Azumarill, Alolan Marowak, and Heracross can tear through a lot of the specially defensive Pokemon that Yanmega struggles with, and in return, Yanmega breaks through Amoonguss, Gliscor, and Quagsire for them. Pursuit trappers such as Alolan Muk and Krookodile can trap and weaken special walls that Yanmega tends to bait in such as Blissey and certain faster threats like Latias. In return, Yanmega deals heavy amounts of damage to Pokemon that they have difficulty breaking such as Mega Aggron and Mega Steelix. Additional users of U-turn and Volt Switch such as Hydreigon, Infernape, Rotom-C, and Mega Manectric can make for good teammates, since they complete a VoltTurn core with Yanmega and keep offensive pressure going on opposing teams. Late-game sweepers such as Stakataka and Belly Drum Azumarill profit immensely from the pressure that Yanmega places on common defensive Pokemon like Amoonguss and Quagsire that would otherwise put a damper on their attempts at sweeping.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
A Speed Boost set using Protect, Bug Buzz, Air Slash, and Giga Drain with a Life Orb and a Modest nature can be used to turn Yanmega into a late-game sweeper that can become rather annoying for teams to stop. Using a Modest nature over Timid on the Choice Specs set may seem appealing, since this makes Yanmega a more potent wallbreaker, but this causes Yanmega to be outsped by Pokemon such as Heracross and Nidoking. Yanmega has access to other coverage moves such as Ancient Power and Psychic, which can prove useful for luring in foes like Moltres and Nidoqueen, respectively, but they offer very little over any of its other moves outside of this.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Stealth Rock**: If Stealth Rock is up on Yanmega's side of the field, it loses 50% of its health upon switching in, which prevents it from freely pivoting and wallbreaking as effectively.
**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Special walls such as Alolan Muk, Blissey, Porygon2, Snorlax, and Sylveon give Yanmega trouble, since they aren't 2HKOed by either of its STAB moves and can either wear Yanmega down with Toxic or KO it with their respective STAB moves. Furthermore, almost all of them boast some form of recovery.
**Faster Pokemon**: Yanmega's merely decent Speed tier leaves it outsped and revenge killed by faster threats such as Hydreigon, Mega Manectric, Nihilego, and Infernape.
**Priority**: Yanmega is threatened by super effective priority moves from the likes of Lycanroc-D and Mega Abomasnow as well as by stronger, neutral priority moves from Pokemon such as Azumarill, Crawdaunt, and Scizor if it has taken enough prior damage.
[GP Checks: marthaa / A Cake Wearing A Hat]
[OVERVIEW]
Yanmega carves a niche in the UU tier as a decent wallbreaker due to the combination of its high Special Attack, good offensive typing, and ability in Tinted Lens making it fairly hard to switch into. Due to the aforementioned factors, Yanmega is capable of threatening a number of staples on balanced and defensive teams such as Amoonguss, Gliscor, Mantine, and Mega Steelix. While not the best defensively, its typing does allow it to switch into Ground- and Fighting-type attacks from the likes of Swampert and Heracross. However, Yanmega's typing leaves it 4x weak to Stealth Rock, meaning that teams using it must have good, consistent forms of entry hazard removal. Its typing also leaves it weak to common attacking typings in Electric, Fire, Ice, and Flying. Yanmega's poor defensive presence is made worse by its lackluster bulk, which prevents it from stomaching non-resisted attacks and leaves it rather susceptible to priority moves from the likes of Azumarill and Scizor. Despite Yanmega's high Special Attack, it has a hard time breaking through special walls like Alolan Muk and Blissey. While base 95 Speed is by no means bad and allows Yanmega to outpace foes such as Krookodile, Rotom-C, and Moltres, it unfortunately leaves Yanmega outsped by common Pokemon such as Hydreigon, Infernape, and Latias. Finally, Yanmega faces tight competition from other wallbreakers such as the aforementioned Hydreigon and Latias due to them being easier to use and fit on teams.
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Bug Buzz
move 2: Air Slash
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Giga Drain
item: Choice Specs
ability: Tinted Lens
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Bug Buzz is Yanmega's strongest STAB move, threatening to 2HKO certain Bug-resistant foes such as Gliscor, Mega Steelix, and Stakataka due to Tinted Lens while also threatening Dark- and Psychic-types such as Krookodile and Necrozma. Air Slash pairs well with Bug Buzz, nailing Fighting-types such as Breloom, Infernape, and Heracross on top of hitting foes that are 4x resistant to Bug Buzz like Doublade and Moltres harder. U-turn allows Yanmega to pivot out of unfavorable matchups and generate momentum for a teammate. Giga Drain gives Yanmega a minor form of recovery that also threatens foes such as Swampert, Hippowdon, and non-Sap Sipper Azumarill. Sleep Talk is an alternative to Giga Drain that allows Yanmega to absorb sleep-inducing moves from the likes of Amoonguss, Breloom, and Smeargle and not be rendered helpless; however, it offers little use outside of this and isn't the most consistent.
Set Details
========
The investment in Speed and Special Attack in tandem with a Timid nature serves to maximize Yanmega's offensive presence while also allowing it outspeed Pokemon in the base 92 Speed tier and below. Choice Specs increases Yanmega's damage output, making it a much more effective wallbreaker. Tinted Lens is the preferred ability, since it prevents Yanmega from being forced out by foes that resist its STAB moves.
Usage Tips
========
Above all else, Yanmega should refrain from switching in if Stealth Rock is up on its side of the field; doing so will cause Yanmega to lose 50% of its HP, preventing it from wallbreaking as effectively and leaving it in range of priority moves like Bullet Punch from Choice Band Scizor. Due to Yanmega's below average defenses and poor defensive typing, it should avoid switching directly into strong, neutral attacks. It can, however, be brought in on predicted Grass-, Ground-, and Fighting-type attacks. Yanmega should generally be using Bug Buzz due to Tinted Lens making it more spammable, but it should opt to use its other attacks if it predicts a Pokemon that is 4x resistant to Bug-type moves to switch in. U-turn should be used sparingly, since its only use is allowing Yanmega to pivot out of specially bulky Pokemon that it cannot break through such as Blissey and Porygon2 if it predicts them to switch it.
Team Options
========
Teammates that can provide entry hazard removal such as Gliscor, Rotom-C, and Tentacruel are a necessity, since Yanmega is 4x weak to Stealth Rock. Tentacruel comes with the advantage of not removing any potential entry hazards that Yanmega's team may set up while also being able to set Toxic Spikes to wear down Yanmega's grounded checks. Due to the number of switches Yanmega can force, entry hazard support from the likes of Mega Steelix, Necrozma, and the aforementioned Tentacruel is also appreciated, as the entry hazards punish defensive Pokemon that attempt to switch in. Physical wallbreakers such as Azumarill, Alolan Marowak, and Heracross can tear through a lot of the specially defensive Pokemon that Yanmega struggles with, and in return, Yanmega breaks through Amoonguss, Gliscor, and Quagsire for them. Pursuit trappers such as Alolan Muk and Krookodile can trap and weaken special walls that Yanmega tends to bait in such as Blissey and certain faster threats like Latias. In return, Yanmega deals heavy amounts of damage to Pokemon that they have difficulty breaking such as Mega Aggron and Mega Steelix. Additional users of U-turn and Volt Switch such as Hydreigon, Infernape, Rotom-C, and Mega Manectric can make for good teammates, since they complete a VoltTurn core with Yanmega and keep offensive pressure going on opposing teams. Late-game sweepers such as Stakataka and Belly Drum Azumarill profit immensely from the pressure that Yanmega places on common defensive Pokemon like Amoonguss and Quagsire that would otherwise put a damper on their attempts at sweeping.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
A Speed Boost set using Protect, Bug Buzz, Air Slash, and Giga Drain with a Life Orb and a Modest nature can be used to turn Yanmega into a late-game sweeper that can become rather annoying for teams to stop. Using a Modest nature over Timid on the Choice Specs set may seem appealing, since this makes Yanmega a more potent wallbreaker, but this causes Yanmega to be outsped by Pokemon such as Heracross and Nidoking. Yanmega has access to other coverage moves such as Ancient Power and Psychic, which can prove useful for luring in foes like Moltres and Nidoqueen, respectively, but they offer very little over any of its other moves outside of this.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Stealth Rock**: If Stealth Rock is up on Yanmega's side of the field, it loses 50% of its health upon switching in, which prevents it from freely pivoting and wallbreaking as effectively.
**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Special walls such as Alolan Muk, Blissey, Porygon2, Snorlax, and Sylveon give Yanmega trouble, since they aren't 2HKOed by either of its STAB moves and can either wear Yanmega down with Toxic or KO it with their respective STAB moves. Furthermore, almost all of them boast some form of recovery.
**Faster Pokemon**: Yanmega's merely decent Speed tier leaves it outsped and revenge killed by faster threats such as Hydreigon, Mega Manectric, Nihilego, and Infernape.
**Priority**: Yanmega is threatened by super effective priority moves from the likes of Lycanroc-D and Mega Abomasnow as well as by stronger, neutral priority moves from Pokemon such as Azumarill, Crawdaunt, and Scizor if it has taken enough prior damage.
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