Top 10 Titans of Generation 8 Mix and Mega
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Art by Zephyri.
Introduction
Generation 8 has been an experience like no other. We've seen Pokémon cut for the first time ever, witnessed DLC make drastic changes to the Pokédex mid-generation, and have even seen this generation's main mechanic, Dynamax, banned. Throughout all of these unprecedented events, many Pokémon have risen and fallen while others have stayed strong throughout the entire generation. DLC added another level of complexity, disrupting the metagames multiple times with the sudden addition of new threats. All of these things have to be considered when rating the impact Pokémon had in this generation and subsequently which Pokémon are the Top 10 Titans. In this series of five installments, we will be ranking the Top 10 Titans of each major Other Metagame (OM). Each Titan was nominated and then voted on in this thread in the Other Metagames forum, with the top ten making the final cut.
Other Metagames is a group of formats that fall outside of Smogon's official tiering. These formats involve a single change such as Almost Any Ability allowing Pokémon to choose their ability or NFE restricting the pool of available Pokémon. The major OMs that will be featured in this series are Balanced Hackmons, Almost Any Ability, Mix and Mega, NFE, and STABmons, which are all perma-ladder formats that have been featured in the OM Circuit this entire generation.
The fourth metagame in this series is Mix and Mega, the metagame that allows any Pokémon to use any Mega Stone without the usual limit of one Mega Evolution per battle. When that Pokémon then Mega Evolves, it undergoes the same stat modifications that the original user of that Mega Stone does, along with gaining the Mega's ability and any type changes that the Mega Evolved forme has compared to the base species. Pokémon that are too strong with Mega Stones are restricted from holding them, which adds an extra level of variety to the metagame. Threats like Lunala and Ho-Oh still run free in the metagame while facing off against Mega Evolved threats like Metagrossite Kartana and Sablenite Slowbro. Let's take a look at which Pokémon were a cut above the rest!
10
Zacian making the list is no surprise; it's been an absolute beast in every metagame it has touched. While it was banned early in the generation, it was unbanned at the start of DLC1. Once it was freed, it made a huge impact on the metagame immediately with Choice Band, Life Orb, and even Leftovers sets, all of which were popular and had different counterplay. Pokémon like Ho-Oh, Manectite Magearna, and Sablenite Slowbro were nearly required on teams to switch into this monster, and the most reliable offensive checks to it were Metagrossite Kartana and -ate Speed revenge killers like Regieleki. Zacian was not perfect however; while Choice Band and Life Orb sets were amazing at wallbreaking, they were very vulnerable to chip damage, and Leftovers sets often lacked enough power to wallbreak. Zacian was eventually banned via suspect during DLC2, but its impact on the metagame was seen throughout its reign of terror.
9
Arcanine may have only been prominent up until the DLC2 metagame, but during that time, it was the face of Mix and Mega. While not the strongest attacker or the best defensive Pokémon, Arcanine's niche as the only -ate Speed user in the metagame made it one of the easiest Pokémon to put on any team. Pixilate Extreme Speed heavily pressured the majority of offensive threats, making Arcanine easily the strongest revenge killer in the tier. It could run Howl sets to maximize its offensive capabilities or opt for immediate damage with Double-Edge. Toxapex was the most common switch-in and usually was a hard counter to Arcanine, while Stealth Rock was the other bane to its existence. Arcanine often struggled in longer games and required strong entry hazard control from Corviknight and Excadrill, but it was easily one of the most important Pokémon for an early generation team.
8
Ho-Oh gained a massive buff this generation with the introduction of Heavy-Duty Boots. Mega Stones being by far the most common item shapes the metagame in two key ways that both favor Ho-Oh. First, Knock Off is non-existent, as it is weak against Mega Stones. Second, due to the lack of Leftovers, Heavy-Duty Boots and a Regenerator Mega Stone, entry hazard damage and other passive chip is very prevalent in the metagame. Ho-Oh was able to define a clear niche as a bulky Pokémon that stayed relatively healthy throughout games with Regenerator, and with Sacred Fire and Toxic, it was great at spreading status as well. Offensively, Curse and Choice Band sets were great, and even defensive sets were threatening due to its naturally high Attack. Ho-Oh was amazing at blanket checking huge portions of the metagame, including Regieleki, Pheromosa, Solgaleo, and Xerneas. Ho-Oh was arguably the most splashable Pokémon in the tier, as it could fit on nearly any build, which is what makes it the #8 titan.
7
Solgaleo seared its way to the #7 titan spot once it was allowed to hold Mega Stones at the start of the DLC2 metagame. With 780 BST and a plethora of Mega Stones it could run, Solgaleo made an immediate impact. Metagrossite was the most prominent set, with Tough Claws, amazing coverage, and 137 Speed turning Solgaleo into an incredibly potent attacker with insanely high bulk and an amazing defensive typing to boot. While Solgaleo had amazing coverage, it couldn't run all of its coverage at once, especially if it wanted to run Morning Sun. Depending on whether it ran Crunch or Wild Charge, Pokémon like Ho-Oh, Sablenite Slowbro, and Lunala were strong checks to it. Later in the generation, Calm Mind sets with Cameruptite and occasionally Latiasite and Venusaurite became common and added another level of difficulty to checking Solgaleo. Solgaleo's impact can be connected to the fall of prominent -ate Speed sweepers like Zygarde and Dragonite who previously dominated the metagame. With such a potent offensive presence and splashability, Solgaleo is undoubtedly one of the biggest threats of the later half of the generation.
6
Mew's road to becoming the #6 titan came with a few twists and turns. Mew was prominent in pre-DLC and DLC1 metagames largely due to its Sablenite Cosmic Power set, which was a very potent setup sweeper that could auto-win against a large amount of teams. Its most consistent checks were Toxapex, Lunala, and Mold Breaker Toxic. On top of that, it also had bulky Calm Mind sets that featured Scald to check prominent threats like Excadrill and Rhyperior while also threatening to burn physical attackers and walls. These two sets had fairy different counterplay, which made Mew difficult to account for in games until you knew which set you were facing. After DLC2's release, Sablenite Mew fell off in favor of Manectite Mew, which was a great blanket check to physical attackers. At times, it also ran Slowbronite in order to check metagame threats like Urshifu. While Mew became less of a potent threat once its snowballing sets fell out of favor, its defensive sets were still very strong, and Mew remained popular throughout the rest of the generation.
5
Urshifu-S was introduced in DLC1 and marked a new era for Mix and Mega: the rise of Fighting-types. Historically, Fighting-types in Mix and Mega have been weak due to the prevalence of -ate Speed, which typically doubled as strong Fighting-type checks. However, Urshifu-S changed that with its overwhelmingly powerful STAB attacks, coverage, and stats. Almost nothing in the metagame could switch into this beast bar Altarianite Hippowdon, Manectite Magearna, and some Slowbronite users, while most teams only had -ate Speed to revenge kill it. For a little while, Urshifu-S had a huge strangle hold on the metagame until it was restricted from holding Mega Stones. In that time, it changed the perception that Fighting-types couldn't be powerful in Mix and Mega.
4
The metagame really geared up for Magearna's return at the start of DLC1, and it did not disappoint. While its offensive sets, Pinsirite and Cameruptite, had fallen out of favor due to removed moves and general metagame shifts, its defensive sets were still very potent. Manectite providing Intimidate on top of Magearna's solid bulk made it a fantastic blanket check for physical attackers like Urshifu-S and Zacian-H. Once DLC2 released, it became an even more potent wall, as Pokémon like Dragonite and Zygarde rose to the spotlight. Magearna's defensive sets were still difficult to switch into, and Volt Switch allowed it to generate momentum. While Manectite Magearna was its primary set throughout the generation, Calm Mind sets did see some use with Venusaurite and occasionally Cameruptite. Pinsirite Magearna did return late in the generation with a set that historically was seen as a low ladder meme: Shift Gear Last Resort. While on the surface this set can seem gimmicky, it was a potent sweeper, as the type change from Pinsirite and its natural bulk made setting up fairly easy, and +1 Attack Last Resort was incredibly difficult to wall. The unpredictability of facing Magearna was one of the most impactful things about it and helped it land the #4 slot.
3
Regieleki jolts into the #3 spot due to its blazing fast Speed, literally. Extreme Speed combined with Altarianite gave Regieleki the coverage it always deserved, and with a huge boost to both of its offensive stats, it was a potent mixed attacker. Having an unmatched Speed tier and Volt Switch meant that Regieleki could pivot on basically any offensive threat and deal massive damage to them or threaten to KO opposing -ate Speed users like Zygarde and Dragonite with its own Extreme Speed. Regieleki was so potent that it almost necessitated the use of a Ground-type to stop it from endlessly pivoting and gaining momentum. Ground-types were able to stop it from pivoting, but given most had no recovery, they weren't good long term checks and most faltered after just a few encounters with Regieleki. Due to this, teams had to find a secondary way to check Regieleki, usually with a bulky wall like Ho-Oh. Walls like these were prone to being KOed by Explosion, which was a strong tool to open up holes for other attackers. On top of being difficult to switch into, Regieleki offered valuable support with Pixilate Rapid Spin, which made it a great way to keep entry hazards off the field. Regieleki warped the DLC2 metagame around it dramatically and is largely the reason most other -ate Speed users fell from the spotlight.
2
Lunala was one of the most defining Pokémon in pre-DLC Mix and Mega, with both offensive and defensive sets majorly shaping the metagame. Defensive sets were fantastic at checking Pokémon like Arcanine and Zeraora and blocked Rapid Spin from Latiasite Excadrill. While defensive sets were great, Lunala truly shined offensively. Calm Mind sets had very little counterplay, with Gyaradosite Toxapex and Sablenite Mandibuzz being two of the few reliable checks. The most popular way of defensively checking Lunala was using Sablenite Corviknight to U-turn into an offensive check like Lucarionite Hydreigon, but this strategy came to a crashing halt when it was discovered that Corviknight's U-turn was not strong enough to break Leftovers Lunala's Shadow Shield. This realization quickly took the metagame by storm and restricted Lunala's counterplay even more, which is a big part of what led to its ban. Lunala was unbanned like many other Pokémon at the start of DLC2 and gained a new tool in Meteor Beam. Meteor Beam became the primary Lunala set, as it allowed it to break Ho-Oh and more easily damage Blissey. Though this new set was more powerful than Lunala's past offensive sets, Lunala never returned to the metagame defining threat it once was due to the power creep and prevalence of Blissey. Lunala's impact in the DLC2 metagame may be lessened, but it is still a huge threat and is able to sweep unprepared teams with ease. Despite falling from the throne, Lunala's impact this generation was undeniable, which is what lands it as the #2 titan.
1
Eternatus was an absolute behemoth in Mix and Mega. Even without Mega Stones, Eternatus became the biggest threat in the metagame due to its amazing stats and typing. In the pre-DLC metagame, Eternatus used offensive sets with either Metronome or Life Orb to break past threats, and when combined with poison from Sludge Bomb, there's very little that could switch into it. Sablenite Gastrodon and Venusaurite Corviknight were the best attempts at walling Eternatus, while offensive Pokémon like Altarianite Arcanine could revenge kill it if it was chipped. Eternatus was swiftly banned through a suspect test and wouldn't be seen again until DLC2. Once DLC2 marked the release of a plethora of new threats, Eternatus was unbanned alongside a few other Pokémon. This time around, Eternatus had more competition for top threats, and while it was still insanely good, it remained under the radar for a bit as a broken threat and was a vital check to multiple strong attackers. Eventually, as some Pokémon such as Zacian and Urshifu-S were banned, Eternatus crept its way back onto people's radar, as it still had very few checks like Blissey and Metagrossite Solgaleo. Eternatus was suspected yet again, though this time it was a much more contentious suspect test. The suspect test did end with Eternatus being banned again and cemented its legacy as the only Pokémon suspected and banned twice in the generation. Its legacy and impact are what makes Eternatus the #1 Titan for Generation 8 Mix and Mega.
Conclusion
Generation 8 Mix and Mega was a very different experience to earlier generations. The removal of Red Orb and Blue Orb from the concept and the lack of massive threats like Arceus and Primal Groudon shaped a much different path for this metagame right off the bat. Things like -ate Speed that were insanely prevalent in previous generations fell to the side in the DLC2 metagame as Solgaleo and Ho-Oh became prevalent, while things that were previously considered unviable like Fighting-type sweepers came to the forefront of the metagame. With the metagame flipped on its head, it was a great experience to see what Pokémon stood out as titans. Honorable mentions like Melmetal, Kyogre, and Zeraora terrorized the metagame at respective times, twice in Melmetal's case, and yet they couldn't stand up to the aforementioned titans. As we close out the generation, we look back on it with a lot of appreciation for the titans that helped shape this generation into such a unique experience, and look forward to what Generation 9 has to offer.
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