Steeling the Spotlight: A look into Mix and Mega's Top Typing

Magearna is a powerful wallbreaker with an amazing defensive typing in Steel / Fairy that allows it to easily exploit momentum in common teams and break them rather quickly. Not only that, but Magearna can also run an extremely solid defensive pivot set that allows it to compress many roles to check the likes of Lunala and other Magearna. With Cameruptite, the combination of Calm Mind and Pain Split gives Magearna the ability to use a wide variety of targets as setup fodder, such as neutral support Arceus, Mew, Pinsirite Steel-types (Cobalion and Magearna specifically), Zapdos, and Skarmory. The wide variety of targets that Magearna can set up on and the incredible damage output that Magearna can push through make it one of the best stallbreakers in the metagame, as it is able to shorten games very quickly due to how it excels when its checks have been worn down. Sablenite Magearna, on the other hand, is annoyingly tough to take down and has the ability to slowly chip at Primal Groudon and various other Ground-types, so that later during the game it can pivot freely. This makes it particularly great for forcing targets to switch into hazards like Stealth Rock and Toxic Spikes, as it can then proceed to wear down the Ground-type much faster. This in combination with the wide range of special threats it checks that would usually be a nightmare for teams (for example, Darkrai) makes Sablenite Magearna one of the best role compressors in the metagame.

• Necrozma-Dusk-Mane @ Solganium Z
• Ability: Prism Armor
• EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
• Adamant Nature
• - Swords Dance
• - Earthquake
• - Sunsteel Strike
• - Rock Polish

As one of the few Pokémon in Mix and Mega that can viably run a Z-Move, Necrozma carves a spot for itself as an extremely powerful setup sweeper. While it isn't the fastest Pokémon around, it's extremely difficult to outpace after a Rock Polish, and Swords Dance + Searing Sunraze Smash allows it to play mind games with and potentially even beat some of the bulkiest Steel-resistant foes in the metagame, such as Skarmory and Zapdos, if it gets a free turn while they switch. Necrozma's Steel / Psychic typing makes it an ideal check to many offensive Pokémon such as Tapu Lele, which means it has no shortage of setup options, while Prism Armor allows it to easily take weak super effective hits such as Altarianite Zygarde's Thousand Arrows and KO in return.

• Mew @ Aggronite
• Ability: Synchronize
• EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
• Impish Nature / Bold Nature
• - Will-O-Wisp / Whirlwind
• - Soft-Boiled
• - Defog / Stealth Rock
• - Iron Head / Psychic

Aggronite Mew is arguably the most solid Psychic check in the metagame, ignoring the likes of Tapu Lele and Necrozma-Dusk-Mane through Filter. Its access to Will-O-Wisp allows it to cripple many common physical threats in the metagame, such as Kartana and -ate + Extreme Speed Zygarde. The opponent also has to play a guessing game with how to deal with Mew, as it can run multiple different Mega Stones that require different checks and counters, making it easier to force targets out before it Mega Evolves. This role compression, as well as access to a pivoting move in U-turn and a large support movepool that includes Defog, in particular makes Aggronite Mew one of the best glues for a balance team that has Dark-type Pokémon well-checked.

• Kartana @ Metagrossite
• Ability: Beast Boost
• EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
• Jolly Nature
• - Leaf Blade
• - Sacred Sword
• - Swords Dance
• -Return / Smart Strike

Kartana is a strong late-game cleaner with a relatively high Speed stat, capable of outspeeding most of the metagame. Being a Steel-type, its -ate resistances are fantastic, making it a tough Pokémon to take down through priority. A high Attack stat of 191 boosted with Tough Claws can also make Kartana a pain to switch into when Flying-types have been worn down. Unfortunately, this desire for wearing things down means needing hazards, meaning Kartana is not always consistent. However, its capability of swiftly changing the tide of a game can make it a valuable asset to many offensive teams.

• Metagross @ Pinsirite
• Ability: Clear Body
• EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
• Adamant Nature
• - Return
• - Meteor Mash
• - Explosion
• - Stealth Rock / Bullet Punch

Mix and Mega has only a bare handful of offensive Stealth Rock users, and fewer still that are better than Metagross. Unlike most Stealth Rock users, Metagross has the bulk to generally last for three or more turns on the field, which allows it to set Stealth Rock and still go on to KO a target. Explosion also allows it to stop slower Defoggers, which is essentially every one of them other than Arceus; it outpaces standard Zapdos, Mandibuzz, Skarmory, and Gliscor, as well as most niche picks. Even if your team has Stealth Rock covered, however, Metagross's excellent stat spread and solid Steel / Flying typing allow it to function as a potent offensive tank, and one that is highly effective against Sticky Web teams both before and after its Mega Evolution thanks to Clear Body and Pinsirite. It can come in, check or pick off a threat, and then use Explosion on the switch-in after it gets weakened to cripple another Pokémon or even just discourage setup.

• Buzzwole @ Aggronite
• Ability: Beast Boost
• EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
• Impish Nature
• - Roost
• - Bulk Up
• - Lunge / Iron Head
• - Earthquake / Drain Punch

Buzzwole makes use of its high physical bulk alongside Aggronite's gifts of a Bug / Steel typing and the ability Filter to wall almost the entire metagame; after a Bulk Up, even extremely powerful super effective moves such as Entei's Sacred Fire have difficulty beating it, to say nothing of neutral attacks from Pokémon such as Zygarde. The only neutral physical attacker that can reliably take out Buzzwole is Lucarionite Terrakion, and even that must rely on Taunt predictions or risk fainting in the process, since Buzzwole can negate most forms of physical setup with Bulk Up and Lunge. It also has the offensive power to threaten mixed or special breakers, such as Overheat Primal Groudon and Magearna, with Earthquake.