In-battle formes
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| HP: | 70 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Attack: | 70 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Defense: | 115 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sp. Atk: | 130 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sp. Def: | 90 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Speed: | 60 |
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Overview
Magnezone's near-exclusive access to Magnet Pull gives it a very unique and valuable niche in the OU metagame as a trapper and eliminator of Steel-types such as Ferrothorn, Mega Scizor, Skarmory, and Celesteela. It also functions as a solid revenge killer with Choice Scarf, being able to check a number of dangerous Pokemon like Kartana, Mega Scizor, and weakened Celesteela. However, its lackluster Speed stat, even with a Choice Scarf, means that it typically struggles to retain its utility after it has trapped what it aims to trap; it is often forced to take a hit before it can attack with its other sets and doesn't have recovery to offset this damage. Its good set of resistances is somewhat undermined by its weakness to three common types in Ground, Fighting, and Fire, which makes it easy for dangerous Pokemon like Mega Lopunny, Landorus-T, and Mega Charizard X to KO and leaves it unable to safely trap Heatran and Excadrill.
Substitute Z
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Moves
Substitute is mainly intended to take advantage of Celesteela using Protect, but it is also nice for when other Steel-types give Magnezone a free turn or when you are unsure about which attack to choose, especially since the likes of Ferrothorn and some Mega Scizor variants are unable to break it easily. Thunderbolt can be used in conjunction with Electrium Z in order to OHKO Pokemon like Celesteela or offensive Heatran after Stealth Rock. Flash Cannon can be used in conjunction with Steelium Z over Electrium Z to get a KO on incoming Landorus-T, Garchomp, Tapu Koko, and Mega Latios with Stealth Rock up. Hidden Power Fire is utilized in order to trap and eliminate Ferrothorn and Mega Scizor.
Set Details
The EVs are straightforward, boosting Magnezone's damage output while making it as fast as possible, allowing Magnezone to outrun Pokemon such as uninvested Landorus-T, Mega Scizor, Suicune, and specially defensive Heatran. A Modest nature is used in order to maximize damage output. This allows Magnezone to always KO offensive Heatran after Stealth Rock and almost always do so against Shift Gear Magearna if using Electrium Z. Additionally, Modest nature assures an OHKO on offensive Landorus-T from full and almost always OHKOes Garchomp, defensive Landorus-T, or Mega Latios after Stealth Rock if using Steelium Z. The only reasons to use Timid are assuring Magnezone outruns bulky Landorus-T and Choice Band Tyranitar, but you lose out on most of the KOs Magnezone gets with Steelium Z and Electrium Z, and Magnezone simply doesn't stay in on these Pokemon unless a Substitute is up, so this is rarely worthwhile. On the topic of the aforementioned items, Steelium Z is used when you do not truly need to OHKO Steel-types like Celesteela and Heatran, and would prefer to enable Magnezone to eliminate incoming offensive pivots. Electrium Z is used when your focus is solely is upon abusing Magnet Pull to the best of Magnezone's ability. An EV spread consisting of 136 HP / 24 Def / 156 SpA / 192 Spe can be run to take a +2 Sucker Punch from Mega Mawile after Stealth Rock damage.
Usage Tips
The goals of this set are to eliminate any Steel-type that Magnezone may encounter and do as much damage as possible when not facing a Steel-type. Moreover, utilization of Substitute to make Magnezone less prediction reliant is key, and this should be kept in mind when trying to make the most use of Magnezone in battle. Substitute is also useful when you expect the opponent to use moves such as Protect, Sucker Punch, and Leech Seed. It is best to bring Magnezone into battle when you expect a vulnerable Steel-type like Ferrothorn, Mega Scizor, or Celesteela to come in. Alternatively, if they manage to get in, switching Magnezone in to trap them is a good idea if you believe they will stay in.
Team Options
Pokemon that abuse the removal of opposing Steel-types, particularly Celesteela, Skarmory, Mega Scizor, and Ferrothorn, are generally ideal. The best abusers of this tend to be strong physical attackers like Mega Pinsir, Tapu Bulu, Kartana, and Landorus-T. Alternatively, Pokemon that simply do not fare well against Steel-types such as Tapu Lele, Mega Latios, and Mega Diancie can all work well alongside this variant of Magnezone. Finally, if you are using Steelium Z as your item, then you should put specific emphasis on luring in Landorus-T, Garchomp, and Gliscor when building. Fire-types like Heatran and Rock-types like Tyranitar or Mega Tyranitar take advantage of this. On the contrary, if you are using Electrium Z, then the same can be said for removal of Celesteela and integrating Pokemon that benefit from it, such as the aforementioned Tapu Lele and Mega Latios, into to your team.
Choice Scarf
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Moves
Thunderbolt is Magnezone's primary STAB move to use against Celesteela and Skarmory. When foes that are resistant or immune to it are eliminated, it can do a decent amount of damage thanks to Magnezone's stellar Special Attack. Hidden Power Fire is very important in disposing Ferrothorn, Kartana, and Mega Scizor. Flash Cannon provides a neutral hit against Ground-types while doing a significant amount of damage to Tyranitar, Tapu Bulu, and Tapu Lele. Volt Switch completes the set to allow Magnezone to keep up momentum provided, of course, it isn't used against an opposing Ground-type. Volt Switch is a great move to use in the event that you predict a foe that resists Electric will switch into Magnezone such as Tangrowth or Mega Venusaur. Thunder Wave can be used over Thunderbolt to cripple and emergency check foes it can't immediately threaten, such as Mega Latias, Mega Alakazam, Serperior, and Victini.
Set Details
A Timid nature with a Choice Scarf helps Magnezone reach 360 Speed to outspeed Kartana and everything up to Serperior. 4 HP and 4 Defense EVs allow Magnezone to live an unboosted Sacred Sword from Kartana from full HP after Stealth Rock damage. Magnet Pull is the preferred ability to prevent opposing Steel-types from switching out of Magnezone as well as assisting in fulfilling its role.
Usage Tips
Choice Scarf Magnezone isn't an excellent revenge killer; however, it should be seen as a Pokemon that can trap and dispose of Steel-types such as Ferrothorn, Kartana, and Mega Scizor. There will be circumstances where locking onto Thunderbolt isn't optimal, as it draws in Ground-types such as Landorus-T and Garchomp. For circumstances such as this, Flash Cannon is the recommended move to lock Magnezone onto. Thanks to Magnezone's solid typing, it can be used in emergency situations to take a hit for its teammates. Magnezone's typing is solid against threats such as Mega Diancie, Tapu Bulu, and Tapu Lele, though be aware of their coverage moves such as Earth Power, Superpower, and Focus Blast, respectively. Magnezone's underwhelming Speed tier does put it to failure against threats such as Greninja, so bear this in mind when seeking out teammates.
Team Options
Defensive Landorus-T is one of Magnezone's greatest partners. On top of having a Ground-type immunity to switch into Earthquake, Landorus-T has Intimidate and U-turn to help further check opposing Pokemon. In best-case scenarios, defensive Landorus-T can be used in a dire emergency versus Kartana to weaken its Attack with Intimidate, U-turn into Magnezone, and secure Kartana's demise thanks to Magnezone's Magnet Pull. Stealth Rock also draws in Defog variants of Skarmory and Mega Scizor onto the field, since Landorus-T has an insignificant threat level against them. Swords Dance Gliscor is a notable teammate as it appreciates Magnezone trapping and removing troublesome Steel-types like Celesteela, Mega Scizor, Skarmory, and Swords Dance Kartana, the latter of which can easily overwhelm Gliscor and the balance teams it is commonly found in. Magnezone being slower than threats such as Greninja, Tapu Koko, and Mega Alakazam leaves it and its teammates needing Pokemon that can effectively tackle faster Pokemon without many issues. A great example of a Pokemon that can handle Greninja and Mega Alakazam effectively is Assault Vest Magearna, which has excellent typing and great special bulk while sporting Volt Switch to help with momentum and STAB Fleur Cannon to discourage Ground-types such as Landorus-T and Garchomp from switching into it to block Volt Switch. Assault Vest Tangrowth is a solid example that can handle most variants of Greninja and Tapu Koko. Thanks to its pure Grass typing, Tangrowth can also withstand Ground-type attacks aimed at it. Choice Scarf Magnezone does lack a significant amount of power, but trapping Steel-types can help certain wallbreakers create massive dents in the opponent's teams. Kyurem-B and Manaphy greatly appreciate the removal of Ferrothorn and Kartana. Mega Diancie, Mega Latios, Calm Mind Clefable, and Tapu Bulu are Pokemon that support Celesteela and Mega Scizor being eliminated as well.
Choice Specs
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Moves
Thunderbolt is Magnezone's most reliable STAB move, letting it successfully trap the likes of Celesteela and Skarmory while still hitting walls that don't resist it hard. Hidden Power Fire is key for trapping Ferrothorn and Mega Scizor. Flash Cannon lets Magnezone heavily punish Ground-type switch-ins, such as Landorus-T, Garchomp, and Gliscor; it also throttles Tapu Bulu, which is usually a solid answer to Electric-types. Finally, Volt Switch lets Magnezone pivot out against Grass-types that can avoid a 2HKO from Flash Cannon, such as Tangrowth, Assault Vest Amoonguss, and Mega Venusaur. Volt Switch can also generate as well as maintain momentum.
Set Details
Magnet Pull lets Magnezone fulfill its role as a trapper, enabling it to remove and KO the likes of Ferrothorn, Mega Scizor, Celesteela, and Skarmory. Choice Specs gives Magnezone immediate power behind its moves, notably taking Celesteela and Ferrothorn down more quickly, as the former could potentially beat Magnezone in a one-on-one situation between Leech Seed and Protect if healthy, whereas the latter could otherwise stack layers of Spikes against it. Maximum investment in Special Attack alongside a Modest nature allows Magnezone to hit as hard as possible, most notably having a chance to 2HKO Tangrowth and Mega Venusaur after Stealth Rock. 252 Speed EVs let it tie with opposing Modest Magnezone while still getting the jump on several important foes, such as Mega Scizor and most Tyranitar. A Timid nature could be used to outrun Landorus-T with little Speed investment and Adamant Tyranitar with maximum Speed investment, but these two are somewhat rare, making the trade-off more often than not suboptimal while losing out on potentially 2HKOing Tangrowth and Mega Venusaur. An EV spread consisting of 136 HP / 24 Def / 156 SpA / 192 Spe can be run to take a +2 Sucker Punch from Mega Mawile after Stealth Rock damage.
Usage Tips
Try to put your opponent into a position in which Magnezone can trap the Steel-types it should, namely Celesteela, Mega Scizor, Ferrothorn, and Skarmory. Switching into Magnezone as you expect them to go into their Steel-type is a solid option; similarly, sacrificing an expendable Pokemon to entry hazards or a predicted attack from one of these Steel-types can let Magnezone come in freely. Magnezone can switch into the likes of Clefable and Ferrothorn without getting punished provided they lack Knock Off, so try to take advantage of these Pokemon to switch Magnezone in. However, be careful not to leave it low on HP. When Magnezone is on the field, opponents could attempt to pivot a Ground-type in to block its Volt Switch; under these scenarios, hitting the likes of Landorus-T, Garchomp, and Gliscor with a Choice Specs-boosted Flash Cannon is more often than not the best bet. If your opponent's team lacks a Ground-type or if their Ground-type has already been taken down, spamming Volt Switch can be a great idea on something Magnezone forces out, as it is surprisingly strong after Choice Specs is factored in. After Steel-types have been successfully trapped and removed, Magnezone can act as a regular wallbreaker.
Team Options
Partners that appreciate certain Steel-types trapped by Magnezone are great choices. Strong Psychic-types such as Mega Alakazam and Mega Latios are arguably two of the Pokemon that benefit the most from Ferrothorn, Mega Scizor, and Celesteela being out of the equation, as Mega Alakazam doesn't appreciate taking a Bullet Punch and has some trouble overcoming Celesteela, while Mega Latios can't really break the aforementioned Pokemon without resorting to Hidden Power Fire for Mega Scizor and Ferrothorn or the very odd Thunderbolt for Celesteela. Kartana also notably appreciates Mega Scizor, Celesteela, and Skarmory getting trapped and KOed, and the same applies to the likes of Mega Pinsir, Tapu Lele, and several others. Pivots that can bring Magnezone in are appreciated, especially those that can bait Steel-types in. For instance, Ash-Greninja can force Ferrothorn in, which gives Magnezone a free switch in, putting a lot of pressure on Ferrothorn's player; of course, Ash-Greninja also appreciates Ferrothorn getting trapped, and Magnezone acts as a decent pivot to most Grass-types that take it on. Clefable is also a solid partner, as it can keep Magnezone healthy with Wish and lure the Steel-types Magnezone likes to trap in, most notably Ferrothorn and Skarmory, as well as Mega Scizor and Celesteela. Knock Off users can remove Skarmory's Shed Shell, allowing Magnezone to trap it.
Other Options
Assault Vest is an option if you're desperate for compression, but is often an inferior method of using Magnezone as it needs a lot of power to reliably trap some of the defensive Steel-types and a Choice Scarf to effectively trap Swords Dance Kartana. Chople Berry can be used to check Psychic-type Focus Blast users like Alakazam and Tapu Lele as well as trap the extremely rare fast Superpower Mega Scizor, allowing Magnezone to either eliminate them with one of its attacks or cripple them with Thunder Wave.
Checks and Counters
Ground-types: Ground-types are immune to Thunderbolt and Volt Switch. Landorus-T, Garchomp, Gliscor, Mega Swampert, and Excadrill are significantly faster than Magnezone and OHKO with Earthquake, with the latter two also resisting Flash Cannon. While less common, Gastrodon takes pitiful damage from anything that Magnezone can throw at it.
Fire-types: Heatran doesn't appreciate switching into Thunderbolt, but it OHKOes all variants of Magnezone with Magma Storm or Earth Power. Volcarona and Mega Charizard X easily use Magnezone for setup after it traps something; Mega Charizard X resists every move that Magnezone packs, allowing it to set up with ease, whereas Volcarona resists everything other than Magnezone's Electric-type coverage and is extremely dangerous to give setup opportunities due to its very limited counterplay.
Fighting-types: Mega Medicham and Mega Lopunny are significantly faster than Magnezone and OHKO with High Jump Kick. Mega Heracross also achieves an OHKO with Close Combat.
Chansey: Chansey takes pathetic damage from anything that Magnezone can throw at it and can use the switch that the Magnezone player is forced to make to utilize any of its support options.
Credits
- Written by lydian, Colonel M, Finchinator, and Martin
- Quality checked by Subject 18 and Gary
- Grammar checked by P Squared and CryoGyro
