

Name: Medicham
Type: Fighting / Psychic
Ability: Pure Power / Telepathy (DW)
Base Stats: 60 / 60 / 75 / 60 / 75 / 80
MEvo Type: Fighting / Psychic
MEvo Ability: Pure Power
MEvo Base Stats: 60 / 100 / 85 / 80 / 85 / 100
Level up, egg, and tm learnset is ongoing
Notable moves:
High jump kick
Zen Headbutt
Psycho Cut
Fire punch
Ice Punch
Thunder punch
substitute
bulk up
baton pass
magic coat
Rock slide
Low kick
Reversal
Bullet punch
Medicham for a long time has been a very decent physical attacker. With pure power, and high jump kick it does a LOT of damage, typically what you want out of a physical attacker. But, in general its strengths stop there. Medicham is pretty slow, and a lot of the time needed a scarf to function. Medicham is quite frail and has a typing that doesnt grant a myriad of resistances, so switching in is challenging. Finally, despite a solid movepool, and good STAB moves medicham could still be walled. Despite these limitations, medicham was still a big threat in its tiers for the past few generations. This generation medicham received a mega evolution and a damn good one. 100 base attack with pure power is quite literally the vert strongest unboosted/unchoiced attack in pokemon, achieving 598 with max investment and neutral nature, making titans such as Deoxys-A, Mega Mewtwo X, and Kyurem-Black look weak. Not only that, but medicham got an upgrade where it need it most. Its speed is now at a good base 100, allowing it to function much better without a scarf. Finally increased bulk is only helpful for medicham who now finds a couple more situations to switch in. So just what does medicham have that sets it apart from competition?
Sub-attacker Medicham
Medicham @ Medichamite
Evs: 4 Def / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Nature : Jolly
- Hi Jump Kick
- Substitute
- Ice punch / Fire Punch / ThunderPunch / Psycho Cut
- Ice punch / Fire Punch / ThunderPunch / Psycho Cut
With a obscene attacking stat after Pure Power, passable bulk, a fantastic STAB move, and good speed MegaCham is no joke. However, despite these merits, only decent speed, and less than impressive defenses leave MegaCham wide open for eager switch-ins, and revenge kills. MegaCham lacks a means of boosting speed, and thus a boosting set is mostly worthless when so much of the OU metagame can outspeed and revenge kill you. Further still, using a mega stone prevents a scarf or band set, and finally, a 4-move all-out attacking set struggles to be useful when many immunities and viable switch-ins to MegaCham’s moves exist, and after scoring a kill with no sub up, revenge killing is easy. MegaCham’s best option is therefore as a sub-attacker. With fantastic attack and STAB in Hi Jump Kick along with 100 base speed, there will be guaranteed switch-outs, and this is when the substitute comes in. Instead of Hi Jump Kick outright and risking hitting something that you don’t want to hit, such as a ghost type, a sub allows you to ease prediction and force the opponent to take your very best attack while breaking the sub, or switch to something else while you retain your substitute advantage. HJK and Substitute are pretty much necessary, as MegaCham’s HJK is undeniably the strongest attack any Pokemon in the current OU metagame will face. The final two moveslots are for coverage. The elemental punches or a dual STAB are viable and powerful: ThunderPunch makes Slowbro and Jellicent weep, while Fire Punch is nasty against Aegislash. Ice Punch takes care of Latios, Gliscor, Landorus-T and a number of strong defensive flying Pokemon. Psycho Cut is a solid, perfectly- accurate secondary STAB move that can take a big bite out of anything it hits neutrally where HJK can’t, and a number of poison types who can tank hi jump kick. Other options include Zen Headbutt if you feel lucky, Bullet Punch for priority, and Rock Slide which can hit some Pokemon harder than elemental punches, such as.. volcarona or moltres. The selection of your coverage moves should revolve around what your team is like. If you lack Fire Punch you are walled by Aegislash, and a number of other steel types can stand up to you such as scizor; if you lack Ice Punch, Gliscor and Landorus-T have no trouble against you. However, if your team does not struggle against one of these particular threats then it is ideal that you take up another coverage move so that MegaCham is only walled by what your team fears not. In summation, MegaCham with a substitute up is a fierce wall-breaking killer that can achieve the coverage it needs to beat a lot of Pokemon -- but it can’t beat everything, so insert it on teams that need the wall breaking, and it’ll take care of threats you need it to.
Here are some calculations to demonstrate MEdicham's wall breaking ability, and how with the right moveset if it forces a switch, or gets a sub up something is going to die, making it a worthy pokemon.
252 Atk Pure Power (custom) Ice Punch vs. 252 HP / 255+ Def Celebi: 196-232 (48.51 - 57.42%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252 Atk Pure Power (custom) Psycho Cut vs. 120 HP / 0 Def Conkeldurr: 398-470 (104.46 - 123.35%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 Atk Pure Power (custom) Hi Jump Kick vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Donphan: 225-265 (58.59 - 69.01%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252 Atk Pure Power (custom) Ice Punch vs. 252 HP / 252 Def Multiscale Dragonite: 224-264 (58.03 - 68.39%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Pure Power (custom) Hi Jump Kick vs. 252 HP / 48+ Def Ferrothorn: 492-578 (139.77 - 164.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 Atk Pure Power (custom) Fire Punch vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Forretress: 312-368 (88.13 - 103.95%) -- 25% chance to OHKO
252 Atk Pure Power (custom) Hi Jump Kick vs. 252 HP / 84 Def Gastrodon: 433-510 (101.64 - 119.71%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 Atk Pure Power (custom) Ice Punch vs. 244 HP / 40+ Def Gliscor: 396-468 (112.5 - 132.95%) -- guaranteed OHKO
-1 252 Atk Pure Power (custom) ThunderPunch vs. 88 HP / 4 Def Gyarados: 440-520 (124.64 - 147.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 Atk Pure Power (custom) Hi Jump Kick vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Hippowdon: 228-268 (54.28 - 63.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Pure Power (custom) ThunderPunch vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Jellicent: 246-290 (61.04 - 71.96%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Pure Power (custom) Hi Jump Kick vs. 252 HP / 108 Def Jirachi: 318-375 (78.71 - 92.82%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
-1 252 Atk Pure Power (custom) Ice Punch vs. 248 HP / 172 Def Landorus-T: 336-396 (88.18 - 103.93%) -- 25% chance to OHKO
252 Atk Pure Power (custom) Hi Jump Kick vs. 224 HP / 252+ Def Skarmory: 201-237 (61.46 - 72.47%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Pure Power (custom) Fire Punch vs. 255 HP / 252+ Def Aegislash: 148-176 (45.67 - 54.32%) -- 52.34% chance to 2HKO
252 Atk Pure Power (custom) Psycho Cut vs. 120 HP / 0 Def Conkeldurr: 398-470 (104.46 - 123.35%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 Atk Pure Power (custom) Hi Jump Kick vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Donphan: 225-265 (58.59 - 69.01%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252 Atk Pure Power (custom) Ice Punch vs. 252 HP / 252 Def Multiscale Dragonite: 224-264 (58.03 - 68.39%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Pure Power (custom) Hi Jump Kick vs. 252 HP / 48+ Def Ferrothorn: 492-578 (139.77 - 164.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 Atk Pure Power (custom) Fire Punch vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Forretress: 312-368 (88.13 - 103.95%) -- 25% chance to OHKO
252 Atk Pure Power (custom) Hi Jump Kick vs. 252 HP / 84 Def Gastrodon: 433-510 (101.64 - 119.71%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 Atk Pure Power (custom) Ice Punch vs. 244 HP / 40+ Def Gliscor: 396-468 (112.5 - 132.95%) -- guaranteed OHKO
-1 252 Atk Pure Power (custom) ThunderPunch vs. 88 HP / 4 Def Gyarados: 440-520 (124.64 - 147.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 Atk Pure Power (custom) Hi Jump Kick vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Hippowdon: 228-268 (54.28 - 63.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Pure Power (custom) ThunderPunch vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Jellicent: 246-290 (61.04 - 71.96%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Pure Power (custom) Hi Jump Kick vs. 252 HP / 108 Def Jirachi: 318-375 (78.71 - 92.82%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
-1 252 Atk Pure Power (custom) Ice Punch vs. 248 HP / 172 Def Landorus-T: 336-396 (88.18 - 103.93%) -- 25% chance to OHKO
252 Atk Pure Power (custom) Hi Jump Kick vs. 224 HP / 252+ Def Skarmory: 201-237 (61.46 - 72.47%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Pure Power (custom) Fire Punch vs. 255 HP / 252+ Def Aegislash: 148-176 (45.67 - 54.32%) -- 52.34% chance to 2HKO
N/A. Medicham sits at a solid 100 base speed, and can OHKO a boatload of pokemon. This means that if medicham gets the momentum it needs, that is, a relatively safe switch in, it is going to kill something, or force a switch. Once medicham gets that sub up, if it has the right moves it 2HKOs anything. Your best bet is to roar out its substitute, attack it with some faster that can bear a hit, or most practically wall it due to its moveslot limitations. Mega medicham cant throw every attack onto its sets, so something is going to wall it. AEgislash walls non fire punch variants, slowbro walls non thunderpunch variants, mega venusaur does not struggle against non psychoc cut variants, and finally landor-therian is a safe bet against those who lack ice punch. Spiritomb and sableye are immune to both STAB moves and take neutral damage from elemental punches, although sableye is 2HKO'd it can break the sub with foul play and use priority Will-O-Wisp to cripple medicham. Spiritomb is bulky enough to take a number of ice punches and hit back with a strong shadow sneak or shadow ball. However, not all teams carry these pokemon, and even if you do, figuring out what coverage moves medicham has are challenging. Despite this mega medicham can be revenge killed as there exist a number of pokemon that can take a hit, break the sub, and then die allowing for a revenge kill. Mega gengar is fully capable of this, and any scarfer can also do the job, though mega gengar traps and kills medicham. Other ways to beat it are bring in a faster volt switcher/u-turner that can break the sub, then switching into something that can take the hit. Beware of a smart opponents who predict your tactic and blast whatever you bring in with the right move.
Final Thoughts
By the calculations given, medicham is probably the most potent wall breaker in OU. It requires no set up, 2HKOs just about anything and is not slow. It's also not particularly vulnerable to a switch in that could outspeed it because of the substitute either.
What other sets Could Megacham run?
Is it Outclassed by other wallbreakers perhaps?
Is u-turning, prediction, and other tactics a viable way to play around mega cham if you lack a counter?
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