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Mega Garchomp and Mega Gardevoir by Aragorn the King
So this article will be about the Mega Evolutions of Pokemon, how the Mega Evolution plays differently from its original form, which form is better and why, which sets to use, and if the original form is still worth using over its Mega Evolution.
Introduction:
Pokemon X/Y brought us the power of Mega Evolution, which has made some Pokemon much more viable in OU, while it was simply equipment added to strength for others. But either way, Mega Evolution has certainly become a very significant and almost centralizing aspect in the metagame, and it's very easy to see why. With several Pokemon being top tier threats that happen to be Mega Evolutions, such as Mega Charizard X, Mega Sableye, Mega Alakazam, and Mega Metagross, it's all too clear that Mega Evolutions have really defined the metagame. But Mega Evolutions aren't flawless, as they do have two restrictions that prevent them from becoming broken. First, you're only allowed to have one Mega Evolution on your team. This means you can't have a whole team of Mega Evolutions sweeping your opponent; you have to decide which of the Mega Evolutions you want on your team, and then you have to stick with it the whole match. And second, a Mega Evolution can't hold an item, since they're already holding their Mega Stone, so no Choice Band for Mega Scizor, no Life Orb for Mega Charizard X, and no Black Sludge for Mega Venusaur. This guide will hopefully give you some insight on how every Mega Evolution fares in OU, as well as seeing if Mega Evolution makes a bad Pokemon worth using.
Mega Venusaur:
Pros:
Cons:
Mega Venusaur is such a good tank thanks to its typing, as it not only blesses it with a Toxic immunity, but it also grants it resistances to Fighting-, Water-, Electric-, Grass-, and Fairy-type moves, and Thick Fat rids it of its Fire and Ice weaknesses. This, combined with its respectable 80 / 123 / 120 defenses, lets it easily wall some big names in OU, including Keldeo, Azumarill, Weavile, Landorus-T, and Mega Manectric. Its movepool is also good, with useful tools like Knock Off, Synthesis, Sleep Powder, and Leech Seed, as well as more offensive moves like Giga Drain, Sludge Bomb, and Earthquake to avoid being too passive.
Sadly, Mega Venusaur has plenty of flaws keeping it at bay. Much like most other Mega Evolutions, Venusaur needs to find the opportunity to Mega Evolve, but this weighs especially against Mega Venusaur due to its multiple weaknesses and weaker defenses before Mega Evolving. Even after Mega Evolving, Mega Venusaur still has to deal with its flawed recovery, since Synthesis is drastically nerfed when in the rain or sand and Leech Seed is a slow process, meaning its staying power is limited. Its weaknesses to Flying- and Psychic-type moves leaves it open to Mega Alakazam, Hoopa-U, Latios, Talonflame, Tornadus-T, Mega Gardevoir, and Mega Medicham, making it easy to find an answer to her. Finally, its defensive set is very passive, since nearly every Steel-type can get a free switch and do as they please.
Is The Original Still Worth Using?: Venusaur can be used as a Chlorophyll sweeper, and it's actually not bad at what it does. Having good defenses, decent power, usable movepool, and Growth can make Venusaur a powerful sweeper. The only real flaws here are its lack of good sun setters for teammates, as Mega Charizard Y can't hold a Heat Rock and everything else has no business setting up sun in OU, and being easily revenge killed by Talonflame. Regular Venusaur isn't going to be a common sight, but it does have its uses. Limited uses, but uses nonetheless.
Mega Charizard X:
Pros:
Cons:
Where do I even begin with this one? Mega Charizard X has so much to offer; nearly perfect neutral coverage in its dual STABs, setup moves in Dragon Dance, Swords Dance, and Tailwind, recovery in Roost, and an immunity to burns. its stats are also very good, with base 130 Attack and base 100 Speed to sweep teams after a boost, and 78 / 111 / 85 defenses give it some setup opportunities. It's true that Mega Evolutions can't hold items, but Tough Claws gives it a huge power-up, so it can pack one hell of a punch. But its defensive set is nothing to scoff at either, as it can use Will-O-Wisp to burn would-be switch-ins like Azumarill, Tyranitar, Landorus-T, and Mega Altaria.
Mega Charizard X certainly sounds like a menace, but it has some serious shortcomings that prevent it from completely dominating OU. For one, its Stealth Rock weakness limits its switch-in opportunities, especially before Mega Evolving while it's 4x weak to Rock, and its vulnerability to Spikes and Ground-type moves after Mega Evolving make this problem worse, so a hazard remover and an answer to Ground-types is mandatory when teambuilding.
Mega Charizard Y:
Pros:
Cons:
While not quite as popular as Mega Charizard X, Mega Charizard Y is still quite the threat to face in battle. Thanks to Drought, Mega Charizard Y has an intimidating offensive presence, especially when backed by base 159 Special Attack and Fire Blast; even most Pokemon that resist Fire-type moves will lose large chunks of their health. Drought also has the benefit of reducing the power of Water-type moves, thus temporarily removing its Water weakness, so Pokemon that would normally threaten Mega Charizard Y, such as Keldeo, Azumarill, and Manaphy, will miss out on would-be OHKOes. Solar Beam and Focus Blast are great coverage moves, threatening the Water- and Rock-types that would threaten Mega Charizard Y, respectively.
Mega Charizard Y is not without its faults, though. First, it has a 4x Stealth Rock weakness to constantly worry about, meaning hazard removal support is absolutely mandatory. Second, it lacks a move to boost its Special Attack, so if it can't 2HKO a wall that has recovery, then he'll get stalled out. And third, Drought is temporary, which means it'll lose its use for Solarbeam, its Fire-type moves will see a noticeable drop in power, and it'll be weak to Water-type moves again.
Is The Original Still Worth Using?: Charizard has no practical use over anything available in OU. If you wish to succeed in OU, either use the Mega Evolution or just stay away.
Mega Blastoise:
Pros:
Cons:
Mega Blastoise is an interesting case, as it seems to have the makings of a truly good Rapid Spinner. Between its great 135 base Special Attack and rather impressive 79 / 120 / 115 defenses, it's quite clear that it can take a hit and retaliate hard. Sadly, the problem with using it is its lack of any form of recovery. It can take hits pretty well, but having no form of recovery is a painful sight, especially when looking at those solid defenses. Its vulnerability to burns and Toxic don't help the cause either, and being vulnerable to every hazard is even worse.
But despite all this, Mega Blastoise still has some usefulness on teams, since it can tank hits well and OHKO the likes of Bisharp, Excadrill, Talonflame, and Terrakion, and can threaten walls such as support Tyranitar, Ferrothorn, Heatran, Hippowdon, Landorus-T, Latias, Gliscor, and Skarmory. Its resistances to Ice-, Water-, Fire-, and Steel-type moves are also very convenient, and its niche as a Rapid Spinner that can beat out most Ghost-types isn't unnoticed.
Is The Original Still Worth Using?: Blastoise has no practical use over anything available in OU. If you wish to succeed in OU, either use the Mega Evolution or just stay away.
Mega Beedrill:
Pros:
Cons:
Though this offensive ability seems phenomenal at first, it's flaws are gaping. While its Adaptability attacks are naturally powerful, Poison/Bug coverage is easily walled by Steel-types, meaning it must run either Drill Run or Brick Break to threaten them, both of which are somewhat weak moves. Mega Beedrill also has to deal with mediocre Speed before Mega Evolving, and its pitiful defenses aren't improved after Mega Evolving either, leaving it vulnerable to bulky attackers. But the final nail in the coffin is how often if switches, leaving vulnerable to all hazards, including a weakness to Stealth Rock.
Is The Original Still Worth Using?: Beedrill has no practical use over anything available in OU. If you wish to succeed in OU, either use the Mega Evolution or just stay away.
Mega Pidgeot:
Pros:
Cons:
When looking for sweepers, Mega Pidgeot usually isn't the first to come to mind, but is still one that can easily sweep unprepared teams. Mega Pidgeot's biggest quality is its ability to fire off perfectly accurate Hurricanes thanks to No Guard, which is often the reason why people use it in the first place, as having a reliable 110 BP move makes up for its base 135 Special Attack which is middling without an item to boost its power. But Mega Pidgeot also has some tools to make its job easier, such as Heat Wave to threaten Steel-types, U-turn to maintain offensive momentum and punish switches, Roost to heal off any damage received, and even Work-Up to do a little wallbreaking in the case of emergencies as well as make late-game sweeps a bit easier.
Of course, Mega Pidgeot gets stiff competition from opposing sweepers and revenge killers due to their greater natural Speed, such as Weavile, Mega Manectric, Mega Lopunny, and Mega Alakazam. Being weak to Stealth Rock is also pretty bad when repeatedly revenge killing and U-turns, as it cuts down on Mega Pidgeot's valuable switch-in opportunities. Mega Pidgeot also faces fierce competition from Tornadus-T, which has the same Speed tier, much greater power thanks to a Life Orb, doesn't cost the team its Mega Evolution, and can actually threaten Rock-types with its Fighting coverage. While perfectly accurate Hurricanes with No Guard are a nice luxury, a little rain can make this happen as well, making Mega Pidgeot's place in OU somewhat niche.
Is The Original Still Worth Using?: Pidgeot has no practical use over anything available in OU. If you wish to succeed in OU, either use the Mega Evolution or just stay away.
Mega Alakazam:
Pros:
Cons:
Mega Alakazam is a very potent threat in OU, and should never be taken lightly. For one, Mega Alakazam has one of the highest base Speed stats in the game, as well as a monumental base 175 Special Attack, thus posing a threat to offense. Trace is the real selling point though, as it allows Mega Alakazam to revenge kill, sweep, and possibly even switch into Pokemon in ways that would otherwise be impossible, or at least very dangerous. For example, Mega Alakazam can switch into Heatran's Fire-type moves by copying Flash Fire and revenge kill Excadrill by copying Sand Rush. Its movepool, while small, is just enough to threaten the tier, with Psyshock to wear down special walls, Focus Blast to bust down Dark-, and Steel-types, Shadow Ball to threaten Psychic-types, and Encore to cripple setup sweepers and walls.
Sadly, losing Magic Guard to ignore passive damage like Toxic and Stealth Rock is a shame, and having to stay in a turn to Mega Evolve is a gamble, since if Mega Alakazam fails to KO its target, then it has to take a hit, and its bad 55 / 65 / 95 defenses usually fail it unless taking resisted hits. A vulnerability to priority makes these meager defenses even more exploitable, with good examples being Talonflame, Bisharp, and Choice Band Scizor; it's worth noting that the latter two carry Pursuit, so they can potentially trap Mega Alakazam. Mega Alakazam is also fairly easy to read, as it's one set has little variation to it, so approaching it isn't a strenuous challenge when you have a counter.
Is The Original Still Worth Using?:
While Mega Alakazam is the better of the two by a good margin, regular Alakazam is still a very viable Pokemon. Base 120 Speed is very good, base 135 Special Attack with a Life Orb lets it hit slightly harder than Mega Alakazam, and Magic Guard is incredibly useful for keeping its health up by ignoring Life Orb recoil and hazards. The Focus Sash set also benefits greatly from Magic Guard, as it lets Alakazam revenge kill very reliably.
Mega Slowbro:
Pros:
Cons:
When looking for physical bulk, Mega Slowbro is one of the first Pokemon to come to mind, and for good reason. Mega Slowbro is one of the most physically bulky Pokemon in the game, as it sports a respetable base 95 HP and a monumental base 180 Defense; that can reach up to 504 Defense with max investment! As if this weren't enough physical bulk, Mega Slowbro has Slack Off for good recovery and comes packed with great resistances to Fire-, Ice-, Fighting-, Water-, and Psychic-type moves, letting it tank a wide array of physical sweepers and even some wallbreakers. But Mega Slowbro isn't just a punching bag that winds up being setup bait, as it sports a hefty base 130 Special Attack to defend itself with, as well as some great offensive options like Calm Mind, Psyshock, Scald, Flamethrower, Ice Beam, and Grass Knot.
But while Mega Slowbro is a spectacular physical wall, its meager base 80 Special Defense leaves it targeted by special attackers. Mega Slowbro is also weak to some common offensive types like Electric, Dark, Ghost, and Bug, several of these offensive types usually being used by special attackers. While Shell Armor has its uses with setup sets, critical hit immunity is a negligible and often forgotten quality, which also makes approaching Mega Slowbro somewhat easy compared to some other walls. But perhaps the biggest flaw is just how slow Mega Slowbro is, as even though this poor Speed has its uses on Trick Room teams (and it can set up Trick Room on its own), outside of such teams, Mega Slowbro is almost always being outsped by offensive Pokemon with few exceptions, and even most defensive Pokemon can outrun it.
Is The Original Still Worth Using?:
Mega Pinsir:
Pros:
Mega Pinsir is one of the most fearsome sweepers to face, and is a threat that teams must have an answer to. Sporting a massive 155 base Attack and having access to Swords Dance is such a beautiful combination, and that decent 105 base Speed lets it outrun some pretty dangerous threats, such as Landorus, Garchomp without a Choice Scarf, and Charizard. Its power is further boosted by Aerialate, which acts as a Life Orb for Normal-type moves and changes them to Flying-type moves, so factoring STAB and Aerialate, Quick Attack is now a 72 BP priority attack to sweep offensive teams, while Return becomes an amazing wallbreaking move backed by a whopping 199 BP! As if that wasn't enough, it also gets Earthquake to deal with most Rock- and Steel-types that would hope to switch into a Flying-type move.
However, its Stealth Rock weakness is an ever looming problem that desperately requires Rapid Spin/Defog support, since losing half its health with every switch-in severely restricts its opportunities to set up. It also has some Speed problems, since, despite 105 being a decent Speed tier, there are faster sweepers that can take a Quick Attack and OHKO it back, such as Mega Diancie, Choice Scarf Landorus-T, Mega Manectric, Choice Scarf Tyranitar, and Raikou. Furthermore, its defensive typing also leaves it with some nasty Fire, Electric, Ice, and Flying weaknesses, and despite gaining some pretty solid defenses, they won't hold when taking hits backed by STAB.
Is The Original Still Worth Using?:
Absolutely not. Regular Pinsir may have Moxie and Mold Breaker, but these are far from worth giving up Mega Pinsir. Its Speed is rather bad, and Choice Scarf sets are stopped fairly easily with Fairy-types running around. You COULD fake a player out and pretend that you have Mega Pinsir when yoy actually have another Mega Pokemon, such as Gyarados or Scizor, but such a tactic can easily backfire. Honestly, just use Mega Pinsir.
Mega Gyarados:
Pros:
Cons:
Mega Gyarados is one of the bulkiest Dragon Dance sweepers in the game, and hits quite hard as well. Thanks to 95 / 109 / 130 defenses, Mega Gyarados can easily find the chance to set up a Dragon Dance or two and proceed to sweep with a massive 155 base Attack stat and decent base 81 Speed. Mega Gyarados is different from most other Mega Evolutions for two reasons. First, Mold Breaker lets it act more freely, such as using Earthquake to ignore Levitators and ignoring Unaware to threaten Quagsire and Clefable. And second, Mega Gyarados is one of the few commonly seen Mega Evolutions that has a type change from its original form, meaning you can create mindgames before Mega Evolving, so you can possibly trick the enemy into using Earthquake when you still have a Flying typing, Mega Evolve to get rid of your Rock weakness, etc... Plus, Gyarados can run Intimidate before Mega Evolving, which can provide safe setup opportunities against a wide variety of physical attackers.
But when looking into Dragon Dancers, it has a good deal of competition, since Mega Altaria has a better defensive typing and recovery, while Mega Charizard X has both more Speed and Tough Claws. Attempting to play mindgames can also work against you, such as Conkeldurr counter-predicting you and going for Thunder Punch instead of Drain Punch. The Dark typing leaves it with three additional weaknesses, two of which replace resistances to Fighting- and Bug-type moves, meaning Pokemon like Azumarill, Keldeo, and Mega Altaria give it a hard time.
Is The Original Still Worth Using?:
Regular Gyarados may not be as good as its Mega Evolution, but it's still plenty viable when you already have a Pokemon that Mega Evolves on your team. Intimidate and the ability to hold Leftovers means that Substitute and support sets do better in the long run, carving a niche of sorts over its Mega Evolution. Offensively, Moxie Gyarados can surprise opponents that expect Mega Gyarados, and is still a fairly viable threat. But if you can, it's greatly advised to just use Mega Gyarados over the original.
Mega Aerodactyl:
Pros:
Cons:
Mega Aerodactyl's worth in OU is questionable at times, but rest assured, Mega Aerodactyl can do its job just fine. What first catches the eyes of many is its blistering 150 base Speed, which lets it outspeed a wide variety of sweepers and revenge killers, such as Tornadus-T, Weavile, Mega Manectric, Mega Sceptile, and Mega Beedrill. Tough Claws is also a very useful ability to have, giving Mega Aerodactyl a usable Flying-type move in Aerial Ace, as well as powering up most of its good coverage moves, such as Aqua Tail, Iron Head, and Fire Fang.
Unfortunately, Aerodactyl still has some major issues that hinder its performance. First off, being weak to Stealth Rock is never a good thing, and having weaknesses to Water-, Steel-, Ice-, and Electric-type moves leaves it with few safe switches, and having some rather mediocre bulk before Mega Evolving makes getting a chance to Mega Evolve challenging at times. While Tough Claws powers up some of its coverage options, they're generally not too strong to begin with, such as the elemental fangs and Aerial Ace, and some of its strongest moves, such as Stone Edge and Earthquake, aren't powered up, limiting its power somewhat.
Is The Original Still Worth Using?:
Some people could argue that regular Aerodactyl still has some merit to being used, but this is very limited use, mind you. Aerodactyl can work as a Focus Sash suicide lead that can lay down Stealth Rock and Taunt the opposing lead. However, the suicide lead is used purely for the surprise factor, as regular Aerodactyl should never go offensive, whether or not your team already has a Mega Evolution. Besides, Aerodactyl can't really leave much of an impression after fainting, as it's easy to remove hazards. Unless you want to surprise some people, just use Mega Aerodactyl.
Mega Ampharos:
Pros:
Mega Ampharos has a tough time standing out in OU, and it's pretty easy to see why. Its low Speed is simply atrocious, both before and after Mega Evolving, meaning it's always going last against teams with any kind of Speed; even some defensive Pokemon such as Chansey, Sylveon, and Clefable can outspeed and threaten it. Its defensive typing leaves it with four weaknesses to Ground, Dragon, Ice, and Fairy, meaning teams almost always have a way to easily threaten Mega Ampharos out. Mold Breaker, while allowing it to hurt Pokemon with Volt absorb and Lightningrod, has no use anywhere else, meaning it's often without an ability. Finally, Ampharos is a very one dimensional Pokemon, as its all-out attacker set is its best chance at threatening teams, and even though it has Agility, it has to run a Timid nature just to match Choice Scarfed base 76's, and you have to factor in the loss of power when running a Timid nature, especially considering the fact that Mega Ampharos can't hold an item, such as a Life Orb.
But it would simply be a false statement if you said Mega Ampharos doesn't have some positives that can allow it to survive in OU. While very slow, it more often than not can live a hit and retaliate accordingly, and being the slowest Volt Switcher in the game usually guarantees safe switches for teammates. Offensively speaking, Mega Ampharos has an incredible 165 base Special Attack, as well as excellent neutral coverage with just its STABs alone, with only Excadrill, Magnezone, and Ferrothorn resisting the coverage, all of which are promptly taken care of by Focus Blast. Due to its terrible Speed, it makes for a fairly good Trick Room sweeper, as it can easily threaten offensive teams with high power and good bulk.
Is The Original Still Worth Using?:
Ampharos should only ever be used for its Mega Evolution. Regular Ampharos has very little to no place in OU, and should never be used on a serious team.
Mega Scizor:
Pros:
Mega Scizor is one of the more threatening Mega Evolutions that OU has to offer, and has many qualities that let it excel in OU. First, its stats are exceptional, with what seems like buffs everywhere, from getting 150 base Attack, to getting 140 / 100 defenses, to getting 75 base Speed, Scizor got a well rounded buff to its stats. Its excellent defensive typing of Bug / Steel grants it a plethora of resistances at the cost of one weakness, granting it a good amount of matchups. Mega Scizor also has a method to preserve its excellent bulk in Roost, a way to increase its already destructive power to insane levels with Swords Dance, and can support its team with Defog, so Mega Scizor has a lot of flexibility. Mega Scizor has a good STAB in Bullet Punch which is powered up by Technician, as well as coverage moves in Knock Off and Superpower to hit a wide variety of Pokemon.
However, Mega Scizor does have difficulty setting up when the opponent still has a Fire-type and/or a means of inflicting burns, and with Gengar, Rotom-W, Keldeo, Slowbro, Heatran, and both Mega Charizards as common as they are, Mega Scizor will need a good deal of team support. Mega Scizor also lacks any good STAB attacks outside of Bullet Punch and U-turn, somewhat limiting its effectiveness. Defensive sets are also very passive considering the lack of coverage, with notable setup sweepers including Mega Charizard X, Manaphy, Excadrill, Keldeo, and Talonflame.
Is The Original Still Worth Using?:
Scizor is a Pokemon that's completely outclassed by its Mega Evolution, though still has its uses on a team. For example, if your team already has a Mega Evolution, then Scizor can still be a good choice, since it can run most sets that Mega Scizor can, and unlike Mega Scizor, can use a Choice Band for immediately powerful attacks. But if your team lacks a Mega Evolution when you decide to add Scizor to it, then unless you want to use the Choice Band set, you really should just use Mega Scizor.
Mega Heracross:
Pros:
When looking for a wallbreaker to add to the team, Mega Heracross is the first, or at least one of the first, Pokemon that comes to mind, and this is for a few good reasons. First and foremost, Mega Heracross has even more Attack than Deoxys-A, sitting at a gargantuan base 185, which is always the eye catcher for people just learning about it. To go along with that incredible power, Mega Heracross also has rather impressive bulk combined with several resistances, allowing it to take a few hits before going down. With Skill Link, Mega Heracross is able to use Pin Missile over Megahorn and Rock Blast over Stone Edge, both of which are stronger and more accurate than the moves that they replace. As if this wasn't enough, Mega Heracross also has access to Swords Dance, thus diminishing any hopes at walling it without using someone with Unaware. All of this makes Mega Heracross one of the most feared wallbreakers in the entire game, and is one of the reasons that stall teams don't do too well these days.
But Mega Heracross has some very fatal shortcomings that prevent it from being a top tier threat. Being weak to Flying-, Fire-, Fairy-, and Psychic-type moves can really downplay its solid defenses, and with the likes of Talonflame, Latios, Mega Diancie, and Charizard as common as they are, Mega Heracross will often be forced out, which means hazards are an issue. Losing out on Speed after Mega Evolving can also affect its performance, as Mega Heracross fails to outspeed the likes of Gallade, Gardevoir, and Medicham even before they Mega Evolve, as well as Mega Altaria, Mega Venusaur, Hoopa-U, and Gyarados, all of which can threaten Mega Heracross nicely. While its Attack is massive, Will-O-Wisp and Scald are massive problems, since a burned Mega Heracross is a useless one.
Is The Original Still Worth Using?:
Whenever I mention that Mega Heracross is vulnerable to burns, some people may be annoyed by the fact that I never mentioned Heracross having Guts before Mega Evolving. This is because it wouldn't make sense to bring up Gut since Mega Heracross doesn't get this ability, which might confuse some readers. Anyways, Heracross can use Guts as its ability to punish those that throw burns around recklessly before it Mega Evolves, so it can hit noticeably harder than Mega Heracross. Guts is the reason why some people choose Megahorn and Stone Edge over Pin Missile and Rock Blast, respectively, as Heracross getting burned isn't all that bad. This power even tempts people to use a Toxic Orb set, as it acts as a nice status absorber as well as a powerful wallbreaker, though this set has situational use.
Mega Houndoom:
Pros:
Mega Houndoom is one of those risky Pokemon to use nowadays, as it has some great qualities but also some flaws that can't be overlooked. For the positives, Mega Houndoom sits at a very comfortable base 115 Speed, allowing it to outpace the base 110s that frequent the metagame, such as Mega Metagross, Latios, Gengar, and Mega Gallade, but also outruns some Pokemon above the base 110 threshold, like Thundurus and Serperior. Mega Houndoom also carries a unique Fire / Dark STAB combination, letting it super effectively damage sweepers and walls alike, with notable examples including but not being limited to: Ferrothorn, Latios, Mega Metagross, Mega Scizor, Gengar, Mew, Skarmory, Slowbro, Jirachi, and Klefki. This typing also gives it a slight advantage defensively, as it's immune to burns and Psychic-type moves, and resists Fire-, Ice-, Steel-, Ghost-, and Dark-type moves, potentially giving it an opportunity to Mega Evolve or set up against weaker attackers. Aside from its STAB attacks, Mega Houndoom also has access to Taunt to cripple walls, Will-O-Wisp to threaten physical switch-ins, Destiny Bond to potentially remove a counter, and Nasty Plot to crush walls.
While its offensive potential can seem very threatening, it has some serious flaws that keep it from being a relevant threat. While its defensive typing brings it unique benefits, it also burdens it with some crippling weaknesses, namely to Water-, Ground-, Fire-, Rock-, and Fighting-type moves, so Pokemon like Mega Altaria, Azumarill, Keldeo, Tyranitar, and Garchomp easily revenge kill Mega Houndoom. 75 / 90 / 90 defenses are rather middling, so Mega Houndoom can only switch into resisted attacks, but a Stealth Rock weakness makes switching in even more challenging. Finally, Houndoom has horrible stats before Mega Evolving, namely its awful 70 / 50 / 80 defenses and lacking base 90 Speed, meaning it not only must be switched in carefully, but also must be switched in against something it both outspeeds and KOes.
Is The Original Still Worth Using?: Houndoom has no practical use over anything available in OU. If you wish to succeed in OU, either use the Mega Evolution or just stay away.
Mega Tyranitar:
Pros:
Cons:
Mega Tyranitar is a Pokemon with a lot of problems, but can demolish teams when given the right support. Mega Tyranitar has amazing 100 / 150 / 120 defenses, making it the bulkiest Dragon Dancer in OU, and having useful resistances to Flying-, Normal-, Ghost-, and Dark-type moves and a Psychic immunity can make setting up even easier. The sand caused by Sand Stream gives it 50% more Special Defense, making its defenses ludicrous, and can also chip away at the health of most Pokemon, making it harder to wall. Its STAB coverage is pretty solid, and its good coverage moves in Ice Punch, Fire Punch, and Superpower make it even harder to wall.
But Mega Tyranitar is heavily outclassed as a Dragon Dancer for several reasons. While its defenses are titanic, its 4x weakness to Fighting-type moves combined with its weaknesses to Ground-, Water-, Grass-, Bug-, Fairy-, and Steel-type moves dramatically devalues its bulk. Base 71 Speed makes it the slowest of all the viable Dragon Dancers in OU, as Mega Tyranitar fails to outspeed Pokemon with at least base 135 SPeed even when it's at +1.
Is The Original Still Worth Using?: While most Mega Evolutions are superior to their original forms, Tyranitar is one of the exceptions to this pattern. Its ability to hold items makes all the difference, since Smooth Rock lets it provide more turns for sand for Excadrill and the rest of its team, Choice Scarf acts as a useful revenge killer, and a Choice Band lets it bust down walls without needing to set up. So long story short, yes, Tyranitar is plenty usable.
Mega Sceptile:
Pros:
Cons:
Mega Sceptile is one of the few sweepers in OU that doesn't fear Prankster Thunder Wave, which is a huge niche. This is thanks to its ability Lightningrod, which lets it freely switch into Electric-type moves, including Volt Switch, thus posing a threat of sorts to VolTurn cores. But Mega Sceptile isn't just an Electric absorber, as it has some traits that make most other sweepers envious, such as a massive base 140 Speed to outrun Mega Manectric and Mega Lopunny with, as well as a powerful STAB in Leaf Storm for that extra musclepower needed to revenge kill or KO a wall. Its other moves include STAB Giga Drain to attack and heal, STAB Dragon Pulse for coverage and the ability to hit Dragon-types, and Focus Blast and Earthquake to hit Steel-types, and also has respectable 110 / 145 offenses to use these moves with.
However, Mega Sceptile has some rather glaring flaws for a sweeper. For one, its lack of powerful STAB attacks outside of Leaf Storm means it doesn't hit as hard as one might think, since Leaf Storm's side effect kills momentum whether the opponent's Pokemon was KOed or not. It's also vulnerable to Talonflame, which is already a huge problem for a sweeper, but is also easily threatened by Ice Shard, which is a fairly common sight given Weavile's popularity.
Is The Original Still Worth Using?: Sceptile has no practical use over anything available in OU. If you wish to succeed in OU, either use the Mega Evolution or just stay away.
Mega Swampert:
Pros:
Cons:
Mega Swampert is one of those Pokemon that does its job well, but just doesn't do it as well as others. For the positives, Mega Swampert is easily the bulkiest of the Swift Swimmers, boasting meaty 100 / 110 / 110 defenses, as well as a nice defensive typing that lets it resist Rock-, Fire-, Steel-, and Poison-type moves, as well as provide it with an Electric immunity. This immunity is a huge niche over most other Swift Swimmers, since it prevents Thunder Wave Klefki and Thundurus from acting as checks. Mega Swampert also has a massive base 150 Attack to throw around, and good STAB attacks in Earthquake and Waterfall, as well as a good coverage move in Ice Punch, gives it great coverage. Finally, Mega Swampert is capable of beating out Tyranitar and Hippowdon, two of the biggest problems for rain teams to face, and can do so even in the sand.
As for the negatives, lacking any means to raise its power outside of the meager Power-Up Punch means walls can potentially stall out both Mega Swampert and the rain, which is a problem that Kabutops doesn't face thanks to Swords Dance. Mega Swampert also requires a turn to Mega Evolve before it can abuse Swift Swim, potentially making Mega Swampert dead weight if it fails to Mega Evolve in time. Finally, Mega Swampert has to deal with opportunity cost when facing teambuilding issues. For example, Mega Medicham is a great Mega Evolution for rain teams, and other Swift Swimmers can be used alongside Mega Medicham, something Mega Swampert can't offer.
Is The Original Still Worth Using?: Swampert has no practical use over anything available in OU. If you wish to succeed in OU, either use the Mega Evolution or just stay away.
Mega Gardevoir:
Mega Gardevoir
Pros
Cons
Mega Gardevoir’s Hyper Voice is incredibly strong; it 2HKOs almost every Pokemon that doesn’t resist it. Thankfully for Gardevoir, only three types resist Fairy-type moves, and one of them, Poison, is hit super effectively by Mega Gardevoir’s other STAB move: Psyshock. In tandem with Taunt, Psyshock actually allows Gardevoir to beat Chansey, one Pokemon who can comfortably take a Hyper Voice. The other two types that resist Gardevoir’s Hyper Voice are Steel and Fire, and the former is hit super-effectively by Focus Blast. Additionally, before mega evolving, Gardevoir’s ability is Trace. Trace can be used to switch Gardevoir in on a Pokemon with a beneficial ability, such as Intimidate, Water Absorb, and Flash Fire, and benefit from them. Lastly, Gardevoir is able to beat Pokemon who wish to OHKO it with Sucker Punch by using Will-o-Wisp. With flawless three move coverage, in addition to the utility provided by Taunt, Will-o-Wisp, and Trace, it’s easy to argue that Gardevoir is one of the hardest Pokemon to switch into and counter.
Despite being so good on paper, Mega Gardevoir has two major flaws that prevent it from being dominant in OU. The first of these flaws is its terrible physical bulk. Mega Gardevoir’s 68/65 physical bulk is beyond salvageable. Resisted physical hits often will 2HKO. Gardevoir’s second major flaw is its mediocre Speed. It’s outsped by almost every notable attacker in OU, and almost all of the ones that don’t outspeed it speed tie with it. Gardevoir’s two flaws show why it isn’t that effective against offense; it’s easily revenge killed by faster physical attackers such as Terrakion, Garchomp, and Talonflame. None of these threats stand a chance switching in, but if given a free switch, they will destroy Gardevoir.
Is the Original Still Worth Using?
Non-mega Gardevoir is a very niche Pokemon in OU. Its Moonblast is significantly weaker than Mega Gardevoir’s Hyper Voice, and so it seems useless. However, the ability to use a Choice Scarf makes it worth a team slot on select teams. With a maximum of 328 Speed, Mega Gardevoir is the fastest unboosted Fairy-type in the tier. Thus, Pokemon weak to Fairy such as Terrakion and Keldeo never have to worry about being revenge killed by a Fairy. However, Scarfed Gardevoir reaches 426 Speed, and so is able to revenge kill these Pokemon, as well as everything up to Mega Manectric. Mega Gardevoir is significantly better than Gardevoir. But if your team requires the support of a Fairy-type revenge killer, look no further than Gardevoir.
Mega Garchomp and Mega Gardevoir by Aragorn the King
So this article will be about the Mega Evolutions of Pokemon, how the Mega Evolution plays differently from its original form, which form is better and why, which sets to use, and if the original form is still worth using over its Mega Evolution.
Introduction:
Pokemon X/Y brought us the power of Mega Evolution, which has made some Pokemon much more viable in OU, while it was simply equipment added to strength for others. But either way, Mega Evolution has certainly become a very significant and almost centralizing aspect in the metagame, and it's very easy to see why. With several Pokemon being top tier threats that happen to be Mega Evolutions, such as Mega Charizard X, Mega Sableye, Mega Alakazam, and Mega Metagross, it's all too clear that Mega Evolutions have really defined the metagame. But Mega Evolutions aren't flawless, as they do have two restrictions that prevent them from becoming broken. First, you're only allowed to have one Mega Evolution on your team. This means you can't have a whole team of Mega Evolutions sweeping your opponent; you have to decide which of the Mega Evolutions you want on your team, and then you have to stick with it the whole match. And second, a Mega Evolution can't hold an item, since they're already holding their Mega Stone, so no Choice Band for Mega Scizor, no Life Orb for Mega Charizard X, and no Black Sludge for Mega Venusaur. This guide will hopefully give you some insight on how every Mega Evolution fares in OU, as well as seeing if Mega Evolution makes a bad Pokemon worth using.
Mega Venusaur:
Pros:
- Great 80 / 123 / 120 defenses, as well as a respectable base 122 Special Attack
- Has a good defensive presence thanks to a good typing, Thick Fat removing two weaknesses, and a Toxic immunity
- Has several methods of regaining health, so it has good longevity
- Has a good 122 base Special Attack to hit hard with if needed
Cons:
- Needs a turn to Mega Evolve, so it can't switch into Fire- and Ice-type moves straight away
- Limited recovery
- Weak to Flying- and Psychic-type moves
- Defensive set is very passive
Mega Venusaur is such a good tank thanks to its typing, as it not only blesses it with a Toxic immunity, but it also grants it resistances to Fighting-, Water-, Electric-, Grass-, and Fairy-type moves, and Thick Fat rids it of its Fire and Ice weaknesses. This, combined with its respectable 80 / 123 / 120 defenses, lets it easily wall some big names in OU, including Keldeo, Azumarill, Weavile, Landorus-T, and Mega Manectric. Its movepool is also good, with useful tools like Knock Off, Synthesis, Sleep Powder, and Leech Seed, as well as more offensive moves like Giga Drain, Sludge Bomb, and Earthquake to avoid being too passive.
Sadly, Mega Venusaur has plenty of flaws keeping it at bay. Much like most other Mega Evolutions, Venusaur needs to find the opportunity to Mega Evolve, but this weighs especially against Mega Venusaur due to its multiple weaknesses and weaker defenses before Mega Evolving. Even after Mega Evolving, Mega Venusaur still has to deal with its flawed recovery, since Synthesis is drastically nerfed when in the rain or sand and Leech Seed is a slow process, meaning its staying power is limited. Its weaknesses to Flying- and Psychic-type moves leaves it open to Mega Alakazam, Hoopa-U, Latios, Talonflame, Tornadus-T, Mega Gardevoir, and Mega Medicham, making it easy to find an answer to her. Finally, its defensive set is very passive, since nearly every Steel-type can get a free switch and do as they please.
Is The Original Still Worth Using?: Venusaur can be used as a Chlorophyll sweeper, and it's actually not bad at what it does. Having good defenses, decent power, usable movepool, and Growth can make Venusaur a powerful sweeper. The only real flaws here are its lack of good sun setters for teammates, as Mega Charizard Y can't hold a Heat Rock and everything else has no business setting up sun in OU, and being easily revenge killed by Talonflame. Regular Venusaur isn't going to be a common sight, but it does have its uses. Limited uses, but uses nonetheless.
Mega Charizard X:
Pros:
- One of the most powerful Dragon Dancers in OU
- Has a unique Fire / Dragon typing that provides near perfect neutral coverage
- Has several good sets that function differently from each other
- Tough Claws makes up for the lack of an item
Cons:
- Has a 4x Stealth Rock weakness before Mega Evolving, and a 2x weakness after
- Loses immunity to Spikes and Ground-type moves
Where do I even begin with this one? Mega Charizard X has so much to offer; nearly perfect neutral coverage in its dual STABs, setup moves in Dragon Dance, Swords Dance, and Tailwind, recovery in Roost, and an immunity to burns. its stats are also very good, with base 130 Attack and base 100 Speed to sweep teams after a boost, and 78 / 111 / 85 defenses give it some setup opportunities. It's true that Mega Evolutions can't hold items, but Tough Claws gives it a huge power-up, so it can pack one hell of a punch. But its defensive set is nothing to scoff at either, as it can use Will-O-Wisp to burn would-be switch-ins like Azumarill, Tyranitar, Landorus-T, and Mega Altaria.
Mega Charizard X certainly sounds like a menace, but it has some serious shortcomings that prevent it from completely dominating OU. For one, its Stealth Rock weakness limits its switch-in opportunities, especially before Mega Evolving while it's 4x weak to Rock, and its vulnerability to Spikes and Ground-type moves after Mega Evolving make this problem worse, so a hazard remover and an answer to Ground-types is mandatory when teambuilding.
Mega Charizard Y:
Pros:
- Has Drought to make Fire-type moves hit exceptionally hard
- Can wallbreak teams fairly easily with one of the highest Special Attack stats in the tier
- Has good coverage options in Solar Beam and Focus Blast
- Drought temporarily removes Water weakness
Cons:
- Has a 4x weakness to Stealth Rock
- Lacks a stat boosting move for Special Attack
- Drought is temporary, and will nerf any Water-types on your team
While not quite as popular as Mega Charizard X, Mega Charizard Y is still quite the threat to face in battle. Thanks to Drought, Mega Charizard Y has an intimidating offensive presence, especially when backed by base 159 Special Attack and Fire Blast; even most Pokemon that resist Fire-type moves will lose large chunks of their health. Drought also has the benefit of reducing the power of Water-type moves, thus temporarily removing its Water weakness, so Pokemon that would normally threaten Mega Charizard Y, such as Keldeo, Azumarill, and Manaphy, will miss out on would-be OHKOes. Solar Beam and Focus Blast are great coverage moves, threatening the Water- and Rock-types that would threaten Mega Charizard Y, respectively.
Mega Charizard Y is not without its faults, though. First, it has a 4x Stealth Rock weakness to constantly worry about, meaning hazard removal support is absolutely mandatory. Second, it lacks a move to boost its Special Attack, so if it can't 2HKO a wall that has recovery, then he'll get stalled out. And third, Drought is temporary, which means it'll lose its use for Solarbeam, its Fire-type moves will see a noticeable drop in power, and it'll be weak to Water-type moves again.
Is The Original Still Worth Using?: Charizard has no practical use over anything available in OU. If you wish to succeed in OU, either use the Mega Evolution or just stay away.
Mega Blastoise:
Pros:
- Mega Launcher makes moves like Dark Pulse, Aura Sphere, and Water Pulse very powerful
- Mega Launcher Dark Pulse gives it a niche as a Rapid Spinner that can hit Ghost-types super effectively
- Has well rounded offenses and defenses
- Has a good typing
Cons:
- Lacks recovery of any kind
- Has a low Speed stat, often taking a hit before delivering one
Mega Blastoise is an interesting case, as it seems to have the makings of a truly good Rapid Spinner. Between its great 135 base Special Attack and rather impressive 79 / 120 / 115 defenses, it's quite clear that it can take a hit and retaliate hard. Sadly, the problem with using it is its lack of any form of recovery. It can take hits pretty well, but having no form of recovery is a painful sight, especially when looking at those solid defenses. Its vulnerability to burns and Toxic don't help the cause either, and being vulnerable to every hazard is even worse.
But despite all this, Mega Blastoise still has some usefulness on teams, since it can tank hits well and OHKO the likes of Bisharp, Excadrill, Talonflame, and Terrakion, and can threaten walls such as support Tyranitar, Ferrothorn, Heatran, Hippowdon, Landorus-T, Latias, Gliscor, and Skarmory. Its resistances to Ice-, Water-, Fire-, and Steel-type moves are also very convenient, and its niche as a Rapid Spinner that can beat out most Ghost-types isn't unnoticed.
Is The Original Still Worth Using?: Blastoise has no practical use over anything available in OU. If you wish to succeed in OU, either use the Mega Evolution or just stay away.
Mega Beedrill:
Pros:
- Has an amazing base 145 Speed to sweep and a massive base base 150 Attack to hit with
- Adaptability makes its STABs very powerful
- Powerful U-turns let it hit hard and retreat
Cons:
- Poison / Bug coverage is awful, forcing to use weak coverage moves in Drill Run and Brick Break
- Nonexistent stats before Mega Evolving and horrible defenses regardless force Mega Beedrill to run Protect and waste a moveslot
- Being forced to use U-turn makes Stealth Rock a huge problem
Though this offensive ability seems phenomenal at first, it's flaws are gaping. While its Adaptability attacks are naturally powerful, Poison/Bug coverage is easily walled by Steel-types, meaning it must run either Drill Run or Brick Break to threaten them, both of which are somewhat weak moves. Mega Beedrill also has to deal with mediocre Speed before Mega Evolving, and its pitiful defenses aren't improved after Mega Evolving either, leaving it vulnerable to bulky attackers. But the final nail in the coffin is how often if switches, leaving vulnerable to all hazards, including a weakness to Stealth Rock.
Is The Original Still Worth Using?: Beedrill has no practical use over anything available in OU. If you wish to succeed in OU, either use the Mega Evolution or just stay away.
Mega Pidgeot:
Pros:
- Excellent base 121 Speed to outpace many unboosted Pokemon, as well as a decent base 135 Special Attack to deal damage
- No Guard allows Mega Pidgeot to use Hurricane with no worries of missing
- Has a passable movepool that includes Heat Wave, U-turn, Roost, and Work Up
Cons:
- Has severe competition from Tornadus-T, as it has several similar qualities, but Tornadus-T doesn't have as much of an opportunity cost
- Weak to Stealth Rock
- Outran by several common Mega Evolutions, as well as some other non-Mega Evolutions, such as Weavile and Sand Rush/Swift Swim sweepers
When looking for sweepers, Mega Pidgeot usually isn't the first to come to mind, but is still one that can easily sweep unprepared teams. Mega Pidgeot's biggest quality is its ability to fire off perfectly accurate Hurricanes thanks to No Guard, which is often the reason why people use it in the first place, as having a reliable 110 BP move makes up for its base 135 Special Attack which is middling without an item to boost its power. But Mega Pidgeot also has some tools to make its job easier, such as Heat Wave to threaten Steel-types, U-turn to maintain offensive momentum and punish switches, Roost to heal off any damage received, and even Work-Up to do a little wallbreaking in the case of emergencies as well as make late-game sweeps a bit easier.
Of course, Mega Pidgeot gets stiff competition from opposing sweepers and revenge killers due to their greater natural Speed, such as Weavile, Mega Manectric, Mega Lopunny, and Mega Alakazam. Being weak to Stealth Rock is also pretty bad when repeatedly revenge killing and U-turns, as it cuts down on Mega Pidgeot's valuable switch-in opportunities. Mega Pidgeot also faces fierce competition from Tornadus-T, which has the same Speed tier, much greater power thanks to a Life Orb, doesn't cost the team its Mega Evolution, and can actually threaten Rock-types with its Fighting coverage. While perfectly accurate Hurricanes with No Guard are a nice luxury, a little rain can make this happen as well, making Mega Pidgeot's place in OU somewhat niche.
Is The Original Still Worth Using?: Pidgeot has no practical use over anything available in OU. If you wish to succeed in OU, either use the Mega Evolution or just stay away.
Mega Alakazam:
Pros:
- Base 150 Speed is one of the highest natural Speed stats in the game, and base 175 Special Attack is incredible
- Trace can copy abilities and allow safe switch-ins, gaining immunities or resistances to attack types, or power up its moves
- Passable movepool with good coverage
Cons:
- If it fails to KO the opponent, it may get KOed due to bad defenses
- Very predictable
- Vulnerable to priority
Mega Alakazam is a very potent threat in OU, and should never be taken lightly. For one, Mega Alakazam has one of the highest base Speed stats in the game, as well as a monumental base 175 Special Attack, thus posing a threat to offense. Trace is the real selling point though, as it allows Mega Alakazam to revenge kill, sweep, and possibly even switch into Pokemon in ways that would otherwise be impossible, or at least very dangerous. For example, Mega Alakazam can switch into Heatran's Fire-type moves by copying Flash Fire and revenge kill Excadrill by copying Sand Rush. Its movepool, while small, is just enough to threaten the tier, with Psyshock to wear down special walls, Focus Blast to bust down Dark-, and Steel-types, Shadow Ball to threaten Psychic-types, and Encore to cripple setup sweepers and walls.
Sadly, losing Magic Guard to ignore passive damage like Toxic and Stealth Rock is a shame, and having to stay in a turn to Mega Evolve is a gamble, since if Mega Alakazam fails to KO its target, then it has to take a hit, and its bad 55 / 65 / 95 defenses usually fail it unless taking resisted hits. A vulnerability to priority makes these meager defenses even more exploitable, with good examples being Talonflame, Bisharp, and Choice Band Scizor; it's worth noting that the latter two carry Pursuit, so they can potentially trap Mega Alakazam. Mega Alakazam is also fairly easy to read, as it's one set has little variation to it, so approaching it isn't a strenuous challenge when you have a counter.
Is The Original Still Worth Using?:
While Mega Alakazam is the better of the two by a good margin, regular Alakazam is still a very viable Pokemon. Base 120 Speed is very good, base 135 Special Attack with a Life Orb lets it hit slightly harder than Mega Alakazam, and Magic Guard is incredibly useful for keeping its health up by ignoring Life Orb recoil and hazards. The Focus Sash set also benefits greatly from Magic Guard, as it lets Alakazam revenge kill very reliably.
Mega Slowbro:
Pros:
- One of the physically bulkiest Pokemon available in the game
- Great resistances to Fighting-, Fire-, Ice-, Water-, and Psychic-type moves
- Has a high base 130 Special Attack stat to not be complete setup bait
- A wide movepool that includes good moves like Scald, Psyshock, Slack Off, Calm Mind, Flamethrower, Ice Beam, and Trick Room
Cons:
- Base 80 Special Defense is only passable at best, as powerful special attackers can easily take advantage of it
- Shell Armor is a nearly useless ability
- Weak to Electric-, Dark-, Ghost-, and Bug-type moves
- Is one of the slowest relevant walls in OU, which leaves it outran by nearly everything, even most opposing walls
When looking for physical bulk, Mega Slowbro is one of the first Pokemon to come to mind, and for good reason. Mega Slowbro is one of the most physically bulky Pokemon in the game, as it sports a respetable base 95 HP and a monumental base 180 Defense; that can reach up to 504 Defense with max investment! As if this weren't enough physical bulk, Mega Slowbro has Slack Off for good recovery and comes packed with great resistances to Fire-, Ice-, Fighting-, Water-, and Psychic-type moves, letting it tank a wide array of physical sweepers and even some wallbreakers. But Mega Slowbro isn't just a punching bag that winds up being setup bait, as it sports a hefty base 130 Special Attack to defend itself with, as well as some great offensive options like Calm Mind, Psyshock, Scald, Flamethrower, Ice Beam, and Grass Knot.
But while Mega Slowbro is a spectacular physical wall, its meager base 80 Special Defense leaves it targeted by special attackers. Mega Slowbro is also weak to some common offensive types like Electric, Dark, Ghost, and Bug, several of these offensive types usually being used by special attackers. While Shell Armor has its uses with setup sets, critical hit immunity is a negligible and often forgotten quality, which also makes approaching Mega Slowbro somewhat easy compared to some other walls. But perhaps the biggest flaw is just how slow Mega Slowbro is, as even though this poor Speed has its uses on Trick Room teams (and it can set up Trick Room on its own), outside of such teams, Mega Slowbro is almost always being outsped by offensive Pokemon with few exceptions, and even most defensive Pokemon can outrun it.
Is The Original Still Worth Using?:
Mega Pinsir:
Pros:
- Has one of the highest Attack stats in the game
- Aerialate powers up Return and Quick Attack
- Has good coverage options with Earthquake and Close Combat
- Has great bulk to set up
- Has a 2x Stealth Rock weakness before Mega Evolving, and a 4x weakness after
- 105 base Speed isn't slow, but it's slower than many common sweepers
- Has common weakness in Fire, Ice, Electric, and Flying
Mega Pinsir is one of the most fearsome sweepers to face, and is a threat that teams must have an answer to. Sporting a massive 155 base Attack and having access to Swords Dance is such a beautiful combination, and that decent 105 base Speed lets it outrun some pretty dangerous threats, such as Landorus, Garchomp without a Choice Scarf, and Charizard. Its power is further boosted by Aerialate, which acts as a Life Orb for Normal-type moves and changes them to Flying-type moves, so factoring STAB and Aerialate, Quick Attack is now a 72 BP priority attack to sweep offensive teams, while Return becomes an amazing wallbreaking move backed by a whopping 199 BP! As if that wasn't enough, it also gets Earthquake to deal with most Rock- and Steel-types that would hope to switch into a Flying-type move.
However, its Stealth Rock weakness is an ever looming problem that desperately requires Rapid Spin/Defog support, since losing half its health with every switch-in severely restricts its opportunities to set up. It also has some Speed problems, since, despite 105 being a decent Speed tier, there are faster sweepers that can take a Quick Attack and OHKO it back, such as Mega Diancie, Choice Scarf Landorus-T, Mega Manectric, Choice Scarf Tyranitar, and Raikou. Furthermore, its defensive typing also leaves it with some nasty Fire, Electric, Ice, and Flying weaknesses, and despite gaining some pretty solid defenses, they won't hold when taking hits backed by STAB.
Is The Original Still Worth Using?:
Absolutely not. Regular Pinsir may have Moxie and Mold Breaker, but these are far from worth giving up Mega Pinsir. Its Speed is rather bad, and Choice Scarf sets are stopped fairly easily with Fairy-types running around. You COULD fake a player out and pretend that you have Mega Pinsir when yoy actually have another Mega Pokemon, such as Gyarados or Scizor, but such a tactic can easily backfire. Honestly, just use Mega Pinsir.
Mega Gyarados:
Pros:
- Has a different typing from its regular form, creating mindgames before Mega Evolving
- Has an excellent 155 base Attack and usable base 81 Speed
- Has Mold Breaker to ignore certain abilities
- Having Intimidate before Mega Evolving can create more setup opportunities
Cons:
- Has multiple weaknesses, including a Stealth Rock weakness before Mega Evolving
- Mindgames before Mega Evolving can backfire
- Faces competition from Mega Tyranitar and Mega Charizard X
Mega Gyarados is one of the bulkiest Dragon Dance sweepers in the game, and hits quite hard as well. Thanks to 95 / 109 / 130 defenses, Mega Gyarados can easily find the chance to set up a Dragon Dance or two and proceed to sweep with a massive 155 base Attack stat and decent base 81 Speed. Mega Gyarados is different from most other Mega Evolutions for two reasons. First, Mold Breaker lets it act more freely, such as using Earthquake to ignore Levitators and ignoring Unaware to threaten Quagsire and Clefable. And second, Mega Gyarados is one of the few commonly seen Mega Evolutions that has a type change from its original form, meaning you can create mindgames before Mega Evolving, so you can possibly trick the enemy into using Earthquake when you still have a Flying typing, Mega Evolve to get rid of your Rock weakness, etc... Plus, Gyarados can run Intimidate before Mega Evolving, which can provide safe setup opportunities against a wide variety of physical attackers.
But when looking into Dragon Dancers, it has a good deal of competition, since Mega Altaria has a better defensive typing and recovery, while Mega Charizard X has both more Speed and Tough Claws. Attempting to play mindgames can also work against you, such as Conkeldurr counter-predicting you and going for Thunder Punch instead of Drain Punch. The Dark typing leaves it with three additional weaknesses, two of which replace resistances to Fighting- and Bug-type moves, meaning Pokemon like Azumarill, Keldeo, and Mega Altaria give it a hard time.
Is The Original Still Worth Using?:
Regular Gyarados may not be as good as its Mega Evolution, but it's still plenty viable when you already have a Pokemon that Mega Evolves on your team. Intimidate and the ability to hold Leftovers means that Substitute and support sets do better in the long run, carving a niche of sorts over its Mega Evolution. Offensively, Moxie Gyarados can surprise opponents that expect Mega Gyarados, and is still a fairly viable threat. But if you can, it's greatly advised to just use Mega Gyarados over the original.
Mega Aerodactyl:
Pros:
- Has Tough Claws to power up its good coverage options, which include Fire Fang, Aqua Tail, and Iron Head
- Very high base 150 Speed after Mega Evolving, and base 130 Speed before
Cons:
- Has several exploitable weaknesses, including a Stealth Rock weakness
- Most moves powered up by Tough Claws have low power to begin with, including Aerial Ace as it's only good Flying-type move
- Has lackluster defenses before Mega Evolving
Mega Aerodactyl's worth in OU is questionable at times, but rest assured, Mega Aerodactyl can do its job just fine. What first catches the eyes of many is its blistering 150 base Speed, which lets it outspeed a wide variety of sweepers and revenge killers, such as Tornadus-T, Weavile, Mega Manectric, Mega Sceptile, and Mega Beedrill. Tough Claws is also a very useful ability to have, giving Mega Aerodactyl a usable Flying-type move in Aerial Ace, as well as powering up most of its good coverage moves, such as Aqua Tail, Iron Head, and Fire Fang.
Unfortunately, Aerodactyl still has some major issues that hinder its performance. First off, being weak to Stealth Rock is never a good thing, and having weaknesses to Water-, Steel-, Ice-, and Electric-type moves leaves it with few safe switches, and having some rather mediocre bulk before Mega Evolving makes getting a chance to Mega Evolve challenging at times. While Tough Claws powers up some of its coverage options, they're generally not too strong to begin with, such as the elemental fangs and Aerial Ace, and some of its strongest moves, such as Stone Edge and Earthquake, aren't powered up, limiting its power somewhat.
Is The Original Still Worth Using?:
Some people could argue that regular Aerodactyl still has some merit to being used, but this is very limited use, mind you. Aerodactyl can work as a Focus Sash suicide lead that can lay down Stealth Rock and Taunt the opposing lead. However, the suicide lead is used purely for the surprise factor, as regular Aerodactyl should never go offensive, whether or not your team already has a Mega Evolution. Besides, Aerodactyl can't really leave much of an impression after fainting, as it's easy to remove hazards. Unless you want to surprise some people, just use Mega Aerodactyl.
Mega Ampharos:
Pros:
- Has excellent neutral coverage with its STABs alone
- Has great bulk for taking hits
- Has an incredible base 165 Special Attack to hammer foes with
- Has a niche as a powerful Trick Room sweeper
- Is the slowest user of Volt Switch, which can create some advantageous switches
- Has miserably low Speed, both before and after Mega Evolving
- Has several commonplace weaknesses
- Has a very situational ability
- Very one dimensional, as it lacks recovery and only has Agility as a boosting move
Mega Ampharos has a tough time standing out in OU, and it's pretty easy to see why. Its low Speed is simply atrocious, both before and after Mega Evolving, meaning it's always going last against teams with any kind of Speed; even some defensive Pokemon such as Chansey, Sylveon, and Clefable can outspeed and threaten it. Its defensive typing leaves it with four weaknesses to Ground, Dragon, Ice, and Fairy, meaning teams almost always have a way to easily threaten Mega Ampharos out. Mold Breaker, while allowing it to hurt Pokemon with Volt absorb and Lightningrod, has no use anywhere else, meaning it's often without an ability. Finally, Ampharos is a very one dimensional Pokemon, as its all-out attacker set is its best chance at threatening teams, and even though it has Agility, it has to run a Timid nature just to match Choice Scarfed base 76's, and you have to factor in the loss of power when running a Timid nature, especially considering the fact that Mega Ampharos can't hold an item, such as a Life Orb.
But it would simply be a false statement if you said Mega Ampharos doesn't have some positives that can allow it to survive in OU. While very slow, it more often than not can live a hit and retaliate accordingly, and being the slowest Volt Switcher in the game usually guarantees safe switches for teammates. Offensively speaking, Mega Ampharos has an incredible 165 base Special Attack, as well as excellent neutral coverage with just its STABs alone, with only Excadrill, Magnezone, and Ferrothorn resisting the coverage, all of which are promptly taken care of by Focus Blast. Due to its terrible Speed, it makes for a fairly good Trick Room sweeper, as it can easily threaten offensive teams with high power and good bulk.
Is The Original Still Worth Using?:
Ampharos should only ever be used for its Mega Evolution. Regular Ampharos has very little to no place in OU, and should never be used on a serious team.
Mega Scizor:
Pros:
- Has great power and very solid defenses
- Has a great defensive typing with only one weakness
- Has useful moves, such as Roost, Swords Dance, and Defog
- Technician makes up for the lack of strong STAB attacks, and provides a very power priority move
- Is drastically hindered by burns
- Has very few coverage options
- His only weakness is a 4x weakness to Fire, a common offensive type
Mega Scizor is one of the more threatening Mega Evolutions that OU has to offer, and has many qualities that let it excel in OU. First, its stats are exceptional, with what seems like buffs everywhere, from getting 150 base Attack, to getting 140 / 100 defenses, to getting 75 base Speed, Scizor got a well rounded buff to its stats. Its excellent defensive typing of Bug / Steel grants it a plethora of resistances at the cost of one weakness, granting it a good amount of matchups. Mega Scizor also has a method to preserve its excellent bulk in Roost, a way to increase its already destructive power to insane levels with Swords Dance, and can support its team with Defog, so Mega Scizor has a lot of flexibility. Mega Scizor has a good STAB in Bullet Punch which is powered up by Technician, as well as coverage moves in Knock Off and Superpower to hit a wide variety of Pokemon.
However, Mega Scizor does have difficulty setting up when the opponent still has a Fire-type and/or a means of inflicting burns, and with Gengar, Rotom-W, Keldeo, Slowbro, Heatran, and both Mega Charizards as common as they are, Mega Scizor will need a good deal of team support. Mega Scizor also lacks any good STAB attacks outside of Bullet Punch and U-turn, somewhat limiting its effectiveness. Defensive sets are also very passive considering the lack of coverage, with notable setup sweepers including Mega Charizard X, Manaphy, Excadrill, Keldeo, and Talonflame.
Is The Original Still Worth Using?:
Scizor is a Pokemon that's completely outclassed by its Mega Evolution, though still has its uses on a team. For example, if your team already has a Mega Evolution, then Scizor can still be a good choice, since it can run most sets that Mega Scizor can, and unlike Mega Scizor, can use a Choice Band for immediately powerful attacks. But if your team lacks a Mega Evolution when you decide to add Scizor to it, then unless you want to use the Choice Band set, you really should just use Mega Scizor.
Mega Heracross:
Pros:
- Has one of the highest Attack stats in the game resting at base 185 Attack, as well as some of the strongest STABs to use it with
- Has solid 85 / 115 / 105 defenses to tank hits
- Skill Link makes Pin Missile, Rock Blast, and Bullet Seed into both powerful and reliable attacks
- Has Swords Dance to more easily wallbreak
- Has common weaknesses to Fire-, Fairy-, and Flying-type moves, with the latter being a 4x weakness
- Speed decreases after Mega Evolution
- Is very vulnerable to burns
When looking for a wallbreaker to add to the team, Mega Heracross is the first, or at least one of the first, Pokemon that comes to mind, and this is for a few good reasons. First and foremost, Mega Heracross has even more Attack than Deoxys-A, sitting at a gargantuan base 185, which is always the eye catcher for people just learning about it. To go along with that incredible power, Mega Heracross also has rather impressive bulk combined with several resistances, allowing it to take a few hits before going down. With Skill Link, Mega Heracross is able to use Pin Missile over Megahorn and Rock Blast over Stone Edge, both of which are stronger and more accurate than the moves that they replace. As if this wasn't enough, Mega Heracross also has access to Swords Dance, thus diminishing any hopes at walling it without using someone with Unaware. All of this makes Mega Heracross one of the most feared wallbreakers in the entire game, and is one of the reasons that stall teams don't do too well these days.
But Mega Heracross has some very fatal shortcomings that prevent it from being a top tier threat. Being weak to Flying-, Fire-, Fairy-, and Psychic-type moves can really downplay its solid defenses, and with the likes of Talonflame, Latios, Mega Diancie, and Charizard as common as they are, Mega Heracross will often be forced out, which means hazards are an issue. Losing out on Speed after Mega Evolving can also affect its performance, as Mega Heracross fails to outspeed the likes of Gallade, Gardevoir, and Medicham even before they Mega Evolve, as well as Mega Altaria, Mega Venusaur, Hoopa-U, and Gyarados, all of which can threaten Mega Heracross nicely. While its Attack is massive, Will-O-Wisp and Scald are massive problems, since a burned Mega Heracross is a useless one.
Is The Original Still Worth Using?:
Whenever I mention that Mega Heracross is vulnerable to burns, some people may be annoyed by the fact that I never mentioned Heracross having Guts before Mega Evolving. This is because it wouldn't make sense to bring up Gut since Mega Heracross doesn't get this ability, which might confuse some readers. Anyways, Heracross can use Guts as its ability to punish those that throw burns around recklessly before it Mega Evolves, so it can hit noticeably harder than Mega Heracross. Guts is the reason why some people choose Megahorn and Stone Edge over Pin Missile and Rock Blast, respectively, as Heracross getting burned isn't all that bad. This power even tempts people to use a Toxic Orb set, as it acts as a nice status absorber as well as a powerful wallbreaker, though this set has situational use.
Mega Houndoom:
Pros:
- Has a high base 115 Speed is great to outrun some common sweepers
- Fire / Dark provides good neutral coverage
- Immune to burns
- Has useful moves like Taunt, Nasty Plot, Will-O-Wisp, and Destiny Bond to provide unique support
- Weak to several common offensive types, including Fighting, Rock, Water, and Ground
- Somewhat frail, especially with a Stealth Rock weakness
- Base 90 Speed before Mega Evolving is only useful for outrunning walls and most wallbreakers
Mega Houndoom is one of those risky Pokemon to use nowadays, as it has some great qualities but also some flaws that can't be overlooked. For the positives, Mega Houndoom sits at a very comfortable base 115 Speed, allowing it to outpace the base 110s that frequent the metagame, such as Mega Metagross, Latios, Gengar, and Mega Gallade, but also outruns some Pokemon above the base 110 threshold, like Thundurus and Serperior. Mega Houndoom also carries a unique Fire / Dark STAB combination, letting it super effectively damage sweepers and walls alike, with notable examples including but not being limited to: Ferrothorn, Latios, Mega Metagross, Mega Scizor, Gengar, Mew, Skarmory, Slowbro, Jirachi, and Klefki. This typing also gives it a slight advantage defensively, as it's immune to burns and Psychic-type moves, and resists Fire-, Ice-, Steel-, Ghost-, and Dark-type moves, potentially giving it an opportunity to Mega Evolve or set up against weaker attackers. Aside from its STAB attacks, Mega Houndoom also has access to Taunt to cripple walls, Will-O-Wisp to threaten physical switch-ins, Destiny Bond to potentially remove a counter, and Nasty Plot to crush walls.
While its offensive potential can seem very threatening, it has some serious flaws that keep it from being a relevant threat. While its defensive typing brings it unique benefits, it also burdens it with some crippling weaknesses, namely to Water-, Ground-, Fire-, Rock-, and Fighting-type moves, so Pokemon like Mega Altaria, Azumarill, Keldeo, Tyranitar, and Garchomp easily revenge kill Mega Houndoom. 75 / 90 / 90 defenses are rather middling, so Mega Houndoom can only switch into resisted attacks, but a Stealth Rock weakness makes switching in even more challenging. Finally, Houndoom has horrible stats before Mega Evolving, namely its awful 70 / 50 / 80 defenses and lacking base 90 Speed, meaning it not only must be switched in carefully, but also must be switched in against something it both outspeeds and KOes.
Is The Original Still Worth Using?: Houndoom has no practical use over anything available in OU. If you wish to succeed in OU, either use the Mega Evolution or just stay away.
Mega Tyranitar:
Pros:
- Has gargantuan 100 / 150 / 120 defenses to set up with, making it the bulkiest Dragon Dancer in OU
- Sand Stream gives it a way to wear down walls and gives it 50% more Special Defense
- Dark / Rock STAB coverage is decent, despite being resisted by most Fighting-types
- Has nifty resistances to Flying-, Normal-, Dark-, and Ghost-type moves, as well as a Psychic immunity
- Good coverage moves in Ice Punch, Fire Punch, and Superpower to take out certain key threats with
Cons:
- Rock / Dark leaves it weak to Fighting-, Ground-, Fairy-, Bug-, Water-, Grass-, and Steel-type moves
- Base 71 Speed is very slow before boosting, and can't outrun base 135s and up even after one boost
Mega Tyranitar is a Pokemon with a lot of problems, but can demolish teams when given the right support. Mega Tyranitar has amazing 100 / 150 / 120 defenses, making it the bulkiest Dragon Dancer in OU, and having useful resistances to Flying-, Normal-, Ghost-, and Dark-type moves and a Psychic immunity can make setting up even easier. The sand caused by Sand Stream gives it 50% more Special Defense, making its defenses ludicrous, and can also chip away at the health of most Pokemon, making it harder to wall. Its STAB coverage is pretty solid, and its good coverage moves in Ice Punch, Fire Punch, and Superpower make it even harder to wall.
But Mega Tyranitar is heavily outclassed as a Dragon Dancer for several reasons. While its defenses are titanic, its 4x weakness to Fighting-type moves combined with its weaknesses to Ground-, Water-, Grass-, Bug-, Fairy-, and Steel-type moves dramatically devalues its bulk. Base 71 Speed makes it the slowest of all the viable Dragon Dancers in OU, as Mega Tyranitar fails to outspeed Pokemon with at least base 135 SPeed even when it's at +1.
Is The Original Still Worth Using?: While most Mega Evolutions are superior to their original forms, Tyranitar is one of the exceptions to this pattern. Its ability to hold items makes all the difference, since Smooth Rock lets it provide more turns for sand for Excadrill and the rest of its team, Choice Scarf acts as a useful revenge killer, and a Choice Band lets it bust down walls without needing to set up. So long story short, yes, Tyranitar is plenty usable.
Mega Sceptile:
Pros:
- Has an incredible base 145 Speed, as well as 110 / 145 mixed offenses to compliment it
- STAB Leaf Storm gives it a great revenge killing tool, with other notable moves including Dragon Pulse, Giga Drain, Earthquake, and Focus Blast
- Lightningrod gives Mega Sceptile punishes the use of Electric-type moves
Cons:
- Base 145 Special Attack isn't all that high without a boost, so Leaf Storm is the only way for it do deal sizable damage when the foe isn't weak to its coverage, and there's a large number of Pokemon that can resist Leaf Storm
- Vulnerable to some priority moves like Ice Shard and Talonflame's Brave Bird
Mega Sceptile is one of the few sweepers in OU that doesn't fear Prankster Thunder Wave, which is a huge niche. This is thanks to its ability Lightningrod, which lets it freely switch into Electric-type moves, including Volt Switch, thus posing a threat of sorts to VolTurn cores. But Mega Sceptile isn't just an Electric absorber, as it has some traits that make most other sweepers envious, such as a massive base 140 Speed to outrun Mega Manectric and Mega Lopunny with, as well as a powerful STAB in Leaf Storm for that extra musclepower needed to revenge kill or KO a wall. Its other moves include STAB Giga Drain to attack and heal, STAB Dragon Pulse for coverage and the ability to hit Dragon-types, and Focus Blast and Earthquake to hit Steel-types, and also has respectable 110 / 145 offenses to use these moves with.
However, Mega Sceptile has some rather glaring flaws for a sweeper. For one, its lack of powerful STAB attacks outside of Leaf Storm means it doesn't hit as hard as one might think, since Leaf Storm's side effect kills momentum whether the opponent's Pokemon was KOed or not. It's also vulnerable to Talonflame, which is already a huge problem for a sweeper, but is also easily threatened by Ice Shard, which is a fairly common sight given Weavile's popularity.
Is The Original Still Worth Using?: Sceptile has no practical use over anything available in OU. If you wish to succeed in OU, either use the Mega Evolution or just stay away.
Mega Swampert:
Pros:
- The bulkiest Swift Swim user in the game
- Has Ice Punch and STAB Earthquake unlike most other Swift Swim users
- Ground typing protects it from Electric-type moves like Thunder Wave and Volt Switch
- Can threaten Tyranitar and Hippowdon nicely regardless of weather
- Is one of the few Swift Swim users to be able to set up Rain Dance safely
Cons:
- Lacks a boosting move outside of Power-Up Punch
- Doesn't get the Swift Swim boost before Mega Evolving, thus delaying a sweep
- Faces competition with other Swift Swim sweepers due to opportunity cost
Mega Swampert is one of those Pokemon that does its job well, but just doesn't do it as well as others. For the positives, Mega Swampert is easily the bulkiest of the Swift Swimmers, boasting meaty 100 / 110 / 110 defenses, as well as a nice defensive typing that lets it resist Rock-, Fire-, Steel-, and Poison-type moves, as well as provide it with an Electric immunity. This immunity is a huge niche over most other Swift Swimmers, since it prevents Thunder Wave Klefki and Thundurus from acting as checks. Mega Swampert also has a massive base 150 Attack to throw around, and good STAB attacks in Earthquake and Waterfall, as well as a good coverage move in Ice Punch, gives it great coverage. Finally, Mega Swampert is capable of beating out Tyranitar and Hippowdon, two of the biggest problems for rain teams to face, and can do so even in the sand.
As for the negatives, lacking any means to raise its power outside of the meager Power-Up Punch means walls can potentially stall out both Mega Swampert and the rain, which is a problem that Kabutops doesn't face thanks to Swords Dance. Mega Swampert also requires a turn to Mega Evolve before it can abuse Swift Swim, potentially making Mega Swampert dead weight if it fails to Mega Evolve in time. Finally, Mega Swampert has to deal with opportunity cost when facing teambuilding issues. For example, Mega Medicham is a great Mega Evolution for rain teams, and other Swift Swimmers can be used alongside Mega Medicham, something Mega Swampert can't offer.
Is The Original Still Worth Using?: Swampert has no practical use over anything available in OU. If you wish to succeed in OU, either use the Mega Evolution or just stay away.
Mega Gardevoir:
Mega Gardevoir
Pros
- Insanely powerful
- Great three-move coverage
- Can beat potential checks and counters with Taunt and Will-o-Wisp
- Can use Trace before mega evolving to its benefit
Cons
- Relatively slow
- Very physically frail
Mega Gardevoir’s Hyper Voice is incredibly strong; it 2HKOs almost every Pokemon that doesn’t resist it. Thankfully for Gardevoir, only three types resist Fairy-type moves, and one of them, Poison, is hit super effectively by Mega Gardevoir’s other STAB move: Psyshock. In tandem with Taunt, Psyshock actually allows Gardevoir to beat Chansey, one Pokemon who can comfortably take a Hyper Voice. The other two types that resist Gardevoir’s Hyper Voice are Steel and Fire, and the former is hit super-effectively by Focus Blast. Additionally, before mega evolving, Gardevoir’s ability is Trace. Trace can be used to switch Gardevoir in on a Pokemon with a beneficial ability, such as Intimidate, Water Absorb, and Flash Fire, and benefit from them. Lastly, Gardevoir is able to beat Pokemon who wish to OHKO it with Sucker Punch by using Will-o-Wisp. With flawless three move coverage, in addition to the utility provided by Taunt, Will-o-Wisp, and Trace, it’s easy to argue that Gardevoir is one of the hardest Pokemon to switch into and counter.
Despite being so good on paper, Mega Gardevoir has two major flaws that prevent it from being dominant in OU. The first of these flaws is its terrible physical bulk. Mega Gardevoir’s 68/65 physical bulk is beyond salvageable. Resisted physical hits often will 2HKO. Gardevoir’s second major flaw is its mediocre Speed. It’s outsped by almost every notable attacker in OU, and almost all of the ones that don’t outspeed it speed tie with it. Gardevoir’s two flaws show why it isn’t that effective against offense; it’s easily revenge killed by faster physical attackers such as Terrakion, Garchomp, and Talonflame. None of these threats stand a chance switching in, but if given a free switch, they will destroy Gardevoir.
Is the Original Still Worth Using?
Non-mega Gardevoir is a very niche Pokemon in OU. Its Moonblast is significantly weaker than Mega Gardevoir’s Hyper Voice, and so it seems useless. However, the ability to use a Choice Scarf makes it worth a team slot on select teams. With a maximum of 328 Speed, Mega Gardevoir is the fastest unboosted Fairy-type in the tier. Thus, Pokemon weak to Fairy such as Terrakion and Keldeo never have to worry about being revenge killed by a Fairy. However, Scarfed Gardevoir reaches 426 Speed, and so is able to revenge kill these Pokemon, as well as everything up to Mega Manectric. Mega Gardevoir is significantly better than Gardevoir. But if your team requires the support of a Fairy-type revenge killer, look no further than Gardevoir.
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