[Balanced Hackmons] Mega Slowbro [QC 1/3]

Subjugator

Banned deucer.
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approved by unfixable​
[OVERVIEW]

- Mega Slowbro is a decent -ate check.
- It is used in a defensive manner, defeating most -ate users with Soundproof.
- Mega Slowbro is a fantastic pivot in the Balanced Hackmons metagame, because of its low speed, it can gain momentum with slow switching moves.
- Mega Slowbro's high physical bulk lets it check physical threats such as Mega Mewtwo X, Primal Groudon, and Mega Rayquaza.
- With Soundproof, Mega Slowbro becomes an instant -ate checks by tanking physical -ate attacks due to its high bulk, and they typically don't carry Special Attacks other than Boomburst.
-Mega Slowbro has a lack of an offensive presence, so it cannot do much direct damage to the opponent. It's special attack is high enough to deal decent damage, but it is not powerful enough to get past walls.
- Mega Slowbro, while having superb defense, has a dwindling Special Defense stat, and significant investment is needed to help it stomach special hits.
- Mega Slowbro's typing leaves gaping weaknesses to Dark and Ghost types, and with Dark-types such as Mega Tyranitar and Yveltal and Pokemon carrying Ghost coverage like Mega Gengar and Mega Mewtwo Y lurking about, Mega Slowbro can find itself forced out commonly.
- Mega Slowbro also has weaknesses to Bug and Electric types, and both are sometimes used as switching moves.

[SET]
name: (Mega Slowbro) Soundproof
move 1: Scald / Perish Song
move 2: Volt Switch / Parting Shot
move 3: Recover
move 4: King's Shield / Thousand Waves
item: Leftovers / Safety Goggles
ability: Soundproof
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 180 Def / 76 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

- As a Pokemon with sky-high defense, Mega Slowbro would be a good user of Soundproof. Mega Slowbro is physically bulky enough to take hits from -ate users such as Mega Diancie and Mega Rayquaza.
- Thousand Waves works well in conjunction with Perish Song and Soundproof, letting Mega Slowbro trap and defeat Pokemon.
- Scald is preferable over Steam Eruption due to it having more PP, although Steam Eruption can be used if you prefer the extra boost of power.
- Burns can bolster Mega Slowbro's defense even higher, cripple walls, and defeat Shedinja.
- Steam Eruption, on the other hand, while having less PP, can deal significant damage to threats such as a -1 Mega Gengar and Mega Tyranitar.
- Volt Switch can be used to pivot out.
- Parting Shot also can be used to switch out, and lowers the opponent's strength at the cost of dealing no damage and being blocked by Magic Bounce and other Soundproof users, backfiring on Imposter users.
- King's Shield is what allows Mega Slowbro to severely weaken physical sweepers if timed right.
- Recover is to help Mega Slowbro stay healthy throughout the match.
- Perish Song in conjunction with Soundproof inevitably forces the opponent to eventually switch out, forcing out a wide variety of opponents.

Set Details
========

- With Soundproof, Mega Slowbro now no longer fears Boomburst, a move many -ate users carry.
- EVs allow Mega Slowbro to always survive a Jolly Protean Mega Mewtwo X's Bolt Strike, and then pivot out, use Scald, or use Recover to use King's Shield on the following turn.
- The spread also maximizes Mega Slowbro's ability to survive physical hits, while also giving it some special bulk when needed.
- The Special Defense EVs mean that if no hazards are in place, Mega Slowbro can survive a Pixilate-boosted Techno Blast from a Mega Diancie with 4 Special Attack EVs.
- A Bold Nature is chosen over a Calm Nature to help Mega Slowbro take as many -ate boosted attacks as possible.
- If Spore is a problem, Mega Slowbro can utilize Safety Goggles to safely switch-in to Registeel, Arceus, and other users of Spore.
- Leftovers gives Mega Slowbro consistent recovery.

Usage Tips
========

- Perish Song is used to force out setup sweepers, while Soundproof leaves you immune to the effects of it.
- King's Shield can be used to scout for possible coverage moves, and cripple Physical Attackers.
- Volt Switch and Parting Shot allow Mega Slowbro to achieve a slow switch and gain momentum.
- Steam Eruption is used against walls and attackers that cannot hurt you to fish for burns and deal decent damage.
- Mega Slowbro is best used to be pivoted in to -ate users such as Mega Diancie, Kyurem-Black, and Mega Rayquaza. Mega Slowbro is immune to Boomburst, and is generally bulky enough to withstand physical hits.
- It is wise to scout to see if the opponent's -ate users carry Techno Blast instead of Boomburst, as this can lure and defeat Mega Slowbro quickly.
- It is not the best at taking on threats that are not -ate users or physically oriented attackers, so keep this in mind when facing strong special attackers.
- Mega Slowbro cannot reliably switch-in to Refridgerate Kyurem-Black because of Bolt Strike. Because of this, it should be brought in on it without a switch.

Team Options
========

- Mega Slowbro pairs well with Pokemon that have high Special Defense, as they can help stomach special hits that Mega Slowbro hates. Meanwhile, Mega Slowbro complements them with its high defense.
- One Pokemon that comes to mind is Giratina. Mega Slowbro can switch into Pixilate users like Mega Diancie.
- Registeel is neutral to many of Mega Slowbro's weaknesses and is bulky enough to tank hits that hit Mega Slowbro for super-effective damage. Mega Slowbro also covers Registeel's Fire and Fighting weaknesses well.
- Mega Audino is a good partner, because it is immune to Ghost attacks and resists Dark moves, making it a good check to Protean Mega Mewtwo Y, Mega Gengar and Mega Tyranitar.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

- Simple is a good ability on Mega Slowbro because it can attempt to use boosts to either drastically raise its bulk or power. Calm Mind could be used in conjunction with Simple to attempt to slowly accumulate boosts and even sweep. However, this is rather gimmicky, and many premier offensive threats are still capable of dealing damage to Mega Slowbro, even at +1.
- Unaware is an option to check setup sweepers, notably physical. On the other hand, Mega Slowbro is not specially bulky enough to take on special setup sweepers such as Tail Glow Mega Rayquaza and Shell Smash Mega Gengar.
- Fur Coat can turn Mega Slowbro into a battle-ready counter for most physical sweepers as it becomes virtually impervious to any physical attack, and checking dangerous threats such as Mega Mewtwo X and Regigigas.
- Mega Slowbro can opt to carry Slowbronite, as it notably reduces damage from Knock Off and can help it stand a better chance against Trick Users.
- Poison Heal is another option, as it protects Mega Slowbro from status, and gives it reliable recovery.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Techno Blast**: Mega Slowbro relies heavily on Soundproof to check -ate users, as it takes no damage from Boomburst. Techno Blast, however, is a move sometimes used by -ate users to bypass Soundproof. Mega Slowbro's lacking Special Defense means that it cannot comfortably take -ate boosted Techno Blasts.

**Setup Special Sweepers**: Special Setup Sweepers such as Mega Gengar, Tail Glow Mega Rayquaza, and Quiver Dance Arceus find ease breaking through Mega Slowbro unless it carries Unaware. Even then, all three mentioned Pokemon are capable of dealing massive amounts of damage to Mega Slowbro, even when unboosted. However, Perish Song will force these Pokemon to end their setup.

**Special Attackers**: While Mega Slowbro hates setup special sweepers particularly, Special Attackers in general give Mega Slowbro a lot of grief. Mega Mewtwo Y, Dialga, Kyurem-White and Xerneas all make quick work of Mega Slowbro.

**Mega Gengar**: Mega Gengar can threaten Mega Slowbro with its super-effective Judgement, which would dispatch Mega Slowbro very quickly. However, Scald can sting if Mega Gengar has used Shell Smash, and Perish Song can force it out eventually.

**Dark Types**: Mega Tyranitar, Yveltal, and Mega Gyarados all do massive damage to Mega Slowbro, particularly with Knock Off, but Mega Tyranitar is hurt badly by Steam Eruption, and Yveltal and Mega Gyarados both need to fear a burn unless they have Poison Heal.
 
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that lenny avatar is disgusting

Some formatting things you can fix up while you wait for checks: decapitalise "Name:", put a space before and after your moves slashes, change your EV spread formatting to 252 HP / 176 Def / 80 SpD, and put a space between every line of "=======" and the following paragraph so the dex's markdown works properly. I'll see what I can do about getting you some QC checks
 
That's a pretty sick avatar, baconbagon just has bad taste. I apologize for the long wait, our QC members thought another one was already working on it but he couldn't finish due to irl issues.

Overview
  • I wouldn't say that Slowbro is the best ate check, as it is reliant on its ability and there are other options that don't die as easily to coverage.
  • Remove the part about using Perish Song in the second bullet, it's not really a defining part of Slowbro
  • "Mega Slowbro is a fantastic pivot in the Balanced Hackmons metagame" Explain here that Mega Slowbro's low Speed lets it gain momentum easily with a slow switching move.
  • Give examples of physical threats Slowbro can check, like PDon and MMX and specify that 'high bulk' refers to Slowbro's Physical bulk
  • Explain in the fourth bullet point that Slowbro tanks Physical attacks from -ate users due to its high physical bulk, and they typically don't carry Special attacks other than Boomburst.
  • I'd edit the 2nd last bullet to say that Slowbro has enough SpA to deal decent damage, but doesn't have enough to get past walls.
  • Talk about Slowbro's typing. It is weak to Dark and Ghost, which are big weaknesses because Dark types like TTar or Yveltal and Ghost coverage like on MGar or MMY is everywhere. Also Bug and Electric are sometimes used as pivot moves. Also talk about its resistances (mainly Fighting and Fire) and how they help it wall common threats
Set
  • Replace Steam Eruption with Scald. Scald has more PP, so it can be used without reservation to try to burn walls. Mention Steam Eruption as an alternative option in Set Comments or OO. You may want to check with other QC members before doing this though because Steam Eruption can get some 2hkos/kos like on -1 Mega Gengar or Mega TTar.
  • Maybe add Thousand Waves as an option over King's Shield or mention in OO as it works well with Perish Song and SProof letting you trap and kill things.

  • I wouldn't say that Slowbro-Mega has a great defensive typing. As I mentioned above Dark and Ghost aren't weaknesses you want to have in the current metagame.
  • Talk about how burn can help Mega Slowbro better take physical hits and cripple walls and kill Shedinja
  • Mention that Parting Shot is also blocked by Soundproof users and thus Imposter
  • I'm a bit confused about the EV spread here. You say there is enough defense investment to tank a Protean MMX Bolt Strike, but it still does 70-80 which is a pretty arbitrary number. Also only 76 SpD EVs are needed to survive 4 SpA Pixie Plate Techno Blast from MDiancie, not 80.
  • It's pretty obvious but talk about how Leftovers benefits MSlowbro in the set details.
Usage Tips
  • Mention that Perish Song is used to force out set up sweepers
  • Talk about how King's Shield can be used to scout for coverage or weaken Physical Attackers.
  • Mention that Volt Switch/Parting Shot are used to gain momentum when a switch is predicted or to let another Pokemon safely come in.
  • Talk about how Steam Eruption is used against walls and attackers that can't hurt you to fish for burns and deal a little damage.
Team Options
  • Change the line about Registeel resisting MSlowbro's weaknesses. It only resists Bug and Grass, two of the more minor ones. Instead say it is neutral to them and has enough bulk to tank moves that hit MSlowbro super effectively. Remove the line about Registeel putting the opponent to sleep as Spore isn't common on Registeel and it doesn't help solidify Registeel's role as a potential teammate since any other Pokemon could do the same. Also you can say that Slowbro covers Registeel's Fire and Fighting weaknesses well.
  • Add MAudino as another team option. MAudino is usually a good stop to Dark and Ghost attackers that give MSlowbro trouble like Protean MMY and TTar because it is immune to Ghost and resists Dark.
Other Options
  • I'd include Poison Heal as another option. It keeps MSlowbro free from status and gives it another source of recovery.
  • Mention Slowbronite as an alternative item. It helps MSlowbro take Knock Off with less damage and protects it from Choice item Trick, which is occasionally run with -Ate.
Checks and Counters
  • Add Dark types as counters. Yveltal, MGyarados, and TTar all do lots of damage with KOff, especially if they have Shift Gear. TTar takes lots of damage though from Steam Eruption and the first two need to watch out for burns unless they are Poison Heal.
QC[1/3]
Edit: Also for formatting, there should be 8 equal signs below 'Moves', 'Set Details', 'Usage Tips', and 'Team Options', 13 below 'Other Options', and 19 below 'Checks and Counters'.
 
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Okay, now I have made the changes.

bacon edit - you realise that "add to Set Comments or OO" doesn't mean slash on the main set, right

Sub edit- ok now I removed it from the main set. I looked it over again and so far, I think it's good.
 
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Subjugator

Overview
• I would not describe Mega Rayquaza as a physical attacker. Remove that mention
• in the line about investment, say "significant investment or an ability like Soundproof that negates common special moves" or something like that
• remove mmy mention in the line about ghost coverage

Set 1: You need to change some stuff here. First of all, reorder the section so that the descriptions match the order in which moves are positioned. In addition, I would remove King's Shield from the main set but leave its description here. Finally, I don't really understand the positioning of Scald, as I don't see it and Perish Song as interchangeable. Make of that what you will, but I think Perish Song should definitely be the primary slash.

Mention that Soundproof also makes it immune to Parting Shot in the description of Soundproof itself. I would also advise adding a mention of Slowbronite as an item to weaken Knock Off and prevent Trick/Switcheroo. (edit: just saw that you have this in OO. You can pick where you want it to be)

Usage Tips: Put Scald in here somewhere. Add Imposter as a listed means of "scouting" for Techno Blast. In the line about Bolt Strike, say that you can scout to see if it even has Bolt Strike, since it doesn't always. Add a bullet point here about Thousand Waves being useful to trap and PP stall Imposter Chansey, especially if Parting Shot is used over Volt Switch.

Team Options: You need to be more specific. Say specific high SpD Pokemon like Fur Coat Chansey or Assault Vest + Regenerator users.

Other Options: Simple is just really awful and Calm Mind is outclassed anyway, so remove that point. Also elaborate a bit more about the Poison Heal set. I think it would be best to describe a set similar to that which Kyogre currently runs.

C&C: say -ate users "such as Mega Rayquaza, Kyurem-White, or Mega Diancie"; change the "special attackers" point to "special wallbreakers" so it's not as redundant and get rid of the mentions of Xerneas and Kyu-W in this bullet point as I don't feel they fit very well; merge Mega Gengar into the special setup sweepers point; say in the Dark-types one that they do not counter as well with Knock Off if Slowbro holds Slowbronite

good start qc 2/3
 
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