Overview
########
Mega Gallade is an offensive terror with base 165 Attack and 110 Speed, as well as a wide support and offensive movepool. Mega Gallade gains the ability Inner Focus which allows it to attack through a Fake Out, beating Kangaskhan. Base 68 HP / 95 Def / 114 SpD, while respectable, isn't enough to tank repeated hits, and he is bogged down by the fact that he's sporting a weak base 80 Speed before Mega Evolution. His great STAB types allow him to take out common threats such as Kangaskhan and Amoonguss, but is completely walled by Pokemon such as Aegislash and Cresselia. His movepool comes in handy here, with Stone Edge for Flying-types and Knock Off for Ghost- and Psychic-types.
Mega Attacker
########
name: Mega Attacker
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Zen Headbutt
move 3: Ice Punch / Knock Off
move 4: Protect
ability: Justified
item: Galladite
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly
Moves
========
Close Combat is Gallade's hardest-hitting STAB move, dealing high amounts of damage with any neutral hit and KOing almost anything hit super effectively. Zen Headbutt takes out Fighting- and Poison-types and hits foes such as Mega Charizard Y neutrally which Close Combat cannot. Ice Punch is a great coverage move, used to deal with Dragon-types as well as Flying-types and Ground-types, particularly Mega Salamence and Landorus-T. Knock Off hits Aegislash, Cresselia, and other Psychic-types super effectively. Protect is obligatory to avoid damage from moves, as well as giving Gallade an opportunity to safely Mega Evolve for the Speed boost.
Set Details
========
Galladite lets Gallade Mega Evolve, turning him into the offensive terror that he is. Full Attack and Speed investment with a Jolly nature allows Mega Gallade to maximize damage output as well as Speed tie with other base 110 Speed Pokemon and outspeed things below, such as Terrakion. Justified is useful before Mega Evolving for switching into a Dark-type move, particularly Knock Off.
Usage Tips
========
While Mega Gallade does have Inner Focus, make sure you think out how you lead with it, as it can fend off a Fake Out but will be slower on the crucial turn one, sporting the risk to take too much initial damage. Close Combat, while being the move of choice for dealing the most damage, will stack defense drops after several uses, making Mega Gallade very vulnerable to priority and faster threats.
Team Options
========
Mega Gallade enjoys Pokemon that will alleviate its struggle against Cresselia, Aegislash, and Sylveon. Bisharp will take care of all three as well as deter Intimidate users from trying to weaken Mega Gallade. Suicune, and bulky Water-types in general, will get rid of Talonflame and Landorus, two threats to Mega Gallade. Rotom-A formes and Tyranitar take on Talonflame. Ghost-types such as Aegislash and Gengar beat out opposing Ghost- and Psychic-types, while Mega Gallade takes out Dark-types for them. Gallade also functions well with Heatran, which alleviates Gallade's Fairy weakness and deals with Aegislash. Use Quick Guard users such as Terrakion to protect Mega Gallade from Talonflame's Brave Bird and Thundurus's Thunder Wave.
Supporting Attacker
########
name: Supporting Attacker
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Zen Headbutt / Knock Off
move 3: Wide Guard / Quick Guard
move 4: Icy Wind / Trick Room
ability: Justified
item: Focus Sash
evs: 132 HP / 196 Atk / 180 Spe
nature: Adamant
Moves
========
Close Combat gives Gallade reliable STAB damage output. Zen Headbutt gives Gallade another strong STAB move as well as a way to KO Amoonguss, Mega Venusaur, and other Fighting-types. Knock Off helps damage Aegislash and Cresselia, two common threats that plague Gallade. Wide Guard shields both Gallade and its partner from incoming spread attacks, while Quick Guard protects Gallade's side of the field from priority attacks and priority status. Icy Wind and Trick Room both provide a means of speed control; the choice of which is determined by what supports your team better.
Set Details
========
The EV spread allows Gallade to outspeed Bisharp and Mega Lucario after Icy Wind and OHKO maximum HP Mega Kangaskhan, with the rest of the EVs put in HP. The spread lets Mega Gallade survive a Mega Kangaskhan's Return after an Intimidate drop. Focus Sash helps extend Gallade's longevity which is otherwise hampered by Gallade's low defenses and the defense drops it suffers from using Close Combat. If running Trick Room the EV spread should be changed to 252 HP / 196 Atk / 60 Def. Brave or Adamant with 0 Speed IV both work, with Adamant being the nature of choice for semi-Trick Room teams. Gallade has bulkier options with spreads such as 252 HP / 100 Atk / 156 Def with an Adamant or Brave nature to survive Mega Kangaskhan's Returns. Sitrus Berry is the item of choice for this spread, but if it's already being used it can be replaced with Safety Goggles or Rocky Helmet.
Usage Tips
========
Close Combat undermines any defensive investment Gallade has, so use it cautiously if you wish to keep Gallade alive. Wide Guard supports teammates such as Mega Charizard Y against Landorus-T and other Rock Slide users, which gives Gallade's partner safe plays. Remember to use speed control; Trick Room depends on your team, but once in a position to attack after using Icy Wind or Trick Room you can follow up with Close Combat. This Gallade set works best as a lead to support and apply offensive pressure at the same time.
Team Options
========
Using Gallade with Pokemon that are commonly the fodder of spread or priority moves (respective to which Guard move you're running) such as Mega Metagross and Mega Charizard Y is opportune to let them set up or attack for free. Togekiss makes for a good partner, as Gallade can deal with Steel-, Poison-, and Rock-types and use Wide Guard against Rock Slides, while Togekiss can redirect attacks to allow Gallade to support with speed control or attack. Amoonguss likes Trick Room being up alongside Gallade to Spore foes freely while Gallade protects against things such as Talonflame and Prankster Taunt with Quick Guard.
Other Options
########
Gallade has a surprisingly good support movepool with Will-O-Wisp, Feint, Taunt, and Encore, but it struggles to find a moveslot for them and usually ends up being outclassed in that role by other Pokemon such as Gengar with Taunt and Will-O-Wisp and Whimsicott with Taunt and Encore. Gallade has access to a great boosting move in Swords Dance but lacks the bulk to make the setup worth it. Drain Punch is an alternative to Close Combat on bulkier builds, but it lacks the power to OHKO Mega Kangaskhan, one of the main reasons to use Gallade. Kee Berry is surprisingly useful on the supportive attacker set with the right spread, but this is only advised when Item Clause is giving you issues with using Sitrus Berry. Rock Slide and Stone Edge are useful for dealing with Mega Charizard Y, Zapdos, and Thundurus, as well as other Flying-types. The choice between either comes down to whether you prefer spread damage or power.
Checks & Counters
########
**Fairy- and Flying-types**: Gallade in general has a hard time dealing with threats such as Sylveon, Mega Mawile, and Talonflame.
**Intimidate**: While Gallade can pack the coverage to deal with Intimidate users, the Attack drop from Intimidate seriously irritates Gallade.
**Status**: Burn, paralysis, and sleep all stop Gallade dead in its tracks.
**Speed Control**: Trick Room, Tailwind, and Icy Wind take away Mega Gallade's main draw, its Speed.
**Faster Threats**: Choice Scarf users, Talonflame, and Mega Salamence can outspeed and do a lot of damage to or KO Gallade.
Last edited:
