My power is building... overflowing!
[OVERVIEW]
Mega Audino is one of the bulkiest Pokemon in the tier, which, in combination with its unique defensive typing, makes it almost impossible to take down quickly. It is also the only viable Wish user available because of these traits, completely outclassing other potential users. Regenerator in particular allows it to pivot very effectively in the early-game to support teammates, especially in combination with other support moves such as Heal Bell and Encore, without being worn down unless Mega Evolving is necessary. Mega Audino's bulk and vast movepool allow it to fill a number of roles effectively, making it not only an excellent cleric but also a defensive wincon with Calm Mind or even an offensive lure and pivot using its wide special coverage. Its Fairy typing and lack of removable item also make it the most reliable switch-in to Knock Off and Trick throughout the match, a highly useful attribute for defensive teams. This also allows it to deal with most Dark-, Dragon-, and Fighting-types well, such as Shiftry, Sliggoo, and Hariyama, provided it doesn't attempt to switch into the latter's STAB attacks before Mega Evolving.
While Mega Audino has a large number of unique and highly useful attributes, its lack of immediate offensive power and speed can make it easy to exploit depending on its moveset. Setup sweepers can capitalize on sets without Encore or Toxic, Steel- and Poison-types can wall sets that lack coverage, and Toxic completely shuts down most sets without Heal Bell or Rest. Overall, once Mega Audino has been sufficiently scouted, it becomes a lot easier to deal with if appropriate checks are preserved throughout the game.
[SET]
name: Defensive Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Dazzling Gleam
move 3: Wish / Rest
move 4: Protect / Sleep Talk
item: Audinite
ability: Regenerator
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 208 Def / 48 SpA
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Calm Mind turns Mega Audino into a highly effective wincon by boosting its Special Attack and Special Defense. After a few boosts, it becomes practically unbreakable with special attacks and a big threat to teams once Pokemon that resist Fairy are removed. Dazzling Gleam is Mega Audino's best STAB attack and hits the majority of foes for neutral damage without having anything immune to it, unlike Hyper Voice. It also lets Mega Audino check Fighting- and Dark-types, such as Hariyama, Shiftry, and Malamar, without having to boost its stats, giving it decent early-game utility. The combination of Wish + Protect provides Mega Audino with reliable recovery while also letting it heal its teammates throughout the match, again making it useful before it attempts a sweep. However, Rest + Sleep Talk can be used instead to make Mega Audino less vulnerable to status and more of a dedicated wincon than a supportive pivot. Fire Blast is an option to prevent Mega Audino from being walled by common Steel- and Poison-types, but using it in one of the latter two slots drastically reduces the reliability of Mega Audino's recovery, and generally the move is used better on other sets.
Set Details
========
48 Special Attack EVs give Mega Audino an 87% chance to 3HKO specially defensive Malamar so it doesn't have to use Calm Mind to stop Malamar from using RestTalk. The remaining EVs and Bold nature are used to make Mega Audino as physically bulky as possible to prevent its sweep from being interrupted by powerful physical attackers such as Kangaskhan and Tauros. Regenerator should be the pre-Mega ability so that Audino can pivot in and out of the match more effectively before deciding to set up for a sweep, letting it provide more consistent Wish support.
Usage Tips
========
Early in the game, Audino can be used effectively as a physical pivot, switching into attackers such as Shiftry and Piloswine, making the most of its immunity to Knock Off's effect and damage boost, and using Wish to either heal its teammates or provide them with safe opportunities to switch in they would not normally have. Regenerator's passive healing lets Audino take weaker attacks and provide Wish support indefinitely, so it should not Mega Evolve early unless it has to. However, for example, if the opponent is threatening to clean up with Malamar, Audino should Mega Evolve so that it can deal with it. Mega Audino can still be used well as a physically defensive pivot after Mega Evolving, but it is more susceptible to being worn down by repeated attacks if it attempts to support its teammates with Wish rather than heal itself.
Mega Audino should not attempt to sweep with Calm Mind until Poison- and Steel-types that threaten it, such as Steelix and Garbodor, have been removed, as it lacks the power to beat them without a coverage move even after several boosts. Mega Audino can set up on many Pokemon until it reaches +6 Special Attack and Special Defense, but it usually shouldn't attempt this, as the chances of being hit with a critical hit increase the longer it stays in, and due to Wish's delayed nature, it may be difficult to salvage the sweep after this. If RestTalk is the chosen healing method, Mega Audino can also set up against Pokemon that would normally use Toxic to beat it, such as Mantine and Lanturn. It can also be used as a status sponge for your team in the early-game, dealing with threats such as Rotom and Mismagius instead of providing Wish support.
Team Options
========
Attackers with strong Ground- and Fire-type coverage, such as Rhydon and Magmortar, are highly useful for breaking through the Poison- and Steel-types that can prevent Mega Audino from sweeping. Specially defensive teammates that lack reliable recovery also appreciate Mega Audino's physical bulk and Wish support. Mantine is an especially good partner for this set, as it can also deal with most Steel- and Poison-types using either Scald or a powerful Hydro Pump, provided these foes don't hit it with Electric-type coverage on the switch. Camerupt similarly deals major damage to Steel- and Poison-types while also providing Stealth Rock and status support. If Wish and Protect are used, Heal Bell support is necessary. Otherwise, Mega Audino is completely shut down by Toxic, being forced to heal more often instead of boosting and never being able to become a substantial threat. Lanturn and Musharna are solid choices that can also deal with threatening foes such as Magmortar and Muk. Toxic Spikes completely cripple Calm Mind Mega Audino, so using a grounded Poison-type to absorb them is also mandatory. Skuntank can do this while dealing with Calm Mind Psychic-types that could boost alongside Mega Audino and beat it with Psyshock, such as Musharna and Xatu. Vileplume and Garbodor are other options to provide more backup against physical attackers, with the latter also providing Spikes support. Weezing can also be a good teammate due to its ability to take on many physical attackers that could otherwise force Mega Audino into healing instead of boosting, and it highly appreciates Wish and Heal Bell support from Audino, but it can't absorb Toxic Spikes.
[SET]
name: Offensive Pivot
move 1: Calm Mind / Healing Wish
move 2: Dazzling Gleam
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Surf / Thunder Wave / Psychic
item: Audinite
ability: Regenerator
nature: Modest
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Calm Mind is used to increase Mega Audino's offensive power and prevent it from being revenge killed by special attackers, and it only needs to be used once for this set to become a significant offensive threat. Healing Wish is an alternative option that lets Mega Audino sacrifice itself to fully restore a teammate, and this set makes good use of the move due to its ability to force switches, with opponents often assuming a defensive set is being used and switching to a threat that can break through it. Dazzling Gleam is a decent, reliable STAB attack that can deal significant damage after a single boost and has good overall neutral coverage. Fire Blast deals heavy damage to usual responses to defensive sets, such as Steelix, Ferroseed, and Vileplume, OHKOing them after one or two Calm Mind boosts. Surf is an excellent additional attack that gives Mega Audino perfect neutral coverage and hits certain targets that could otherwise exploit it, such as Rhydon, Magmortar, Ninetales, and Charizard, making it quite difficult to wall outside of dedicated specially defensive Pokemon. Thunder Wave is a useful support option, paralyzing faster foes that might switch in to break through a defensive set, such as Swords Dance Samurott. This can make them fodder for a teammate such as Abomasnow or Aurorus. Psychic is another coverage option that more reliably deals with Poison-types, such as Garbodor and Weezing, being useful on sets that lack Calm Mind to boost Fire Blast to similar levels of power against them. Grass Knot is an excellent niche option for luring in and removing Quagsire, which can stop other setup sweepers on your team, such as Barbaracle and Samurott, with Unaware.
Set Details
========
Maximum Speed investment is used to outspeed Rhydon, Weezing, and uninvested Malamar and Garbodor sets, letting Mega Audino hit them hard after a boost as they expect to outspeed it. The rest of the EVs are put into Special Attack alongside a Modest nature to give Mega Audino as much immediate power as possible. A bulkier spread of 168 HP / 252 SpA / 88 Spe can be run to still outspeed uninvested Weezing and Sliggoo, but Audino's high Base HP means that this doesn't increase its bulk too much, and Weezing's tendency to run Speed EVs generally makes this a moot point. Regenerator should be used is the pre-Mega ability so that Audino can pivot into enemies and use its support moves more reliably before Mega Evolving.
Usage Tips
========
Offensive Mega Audino should be used as a lure that draws in its usual checks, such as Steel- and Poison-types like Steelix and Weezing, and either hitting them with Fire Blast on the switch or using Calm Mind to set up and hit them harder on the following turn. These targets usually do not expect to be threatened by Mega Audino and thus can be outright KOed quite often as they try to hit it with their own STAB attacks. While Audino can attempt to pivot throughout the game, using Thunder Wave to paralyze threats early on, it's often more effective for it to Mega Evolve immediately so that it can draw in responses as soon as possible, opening up the way for a sweep for a teammate before the opponent realises Mega Audino's strategy. Healing Wish should be used in the late-game to give a sweeper such as Swords Dance Scyther another chance at securing a victory or to give a wallbreaker such as Abomasnow another chance to break through the opponent's defensive checks. Due to the Speed investment, Mega Audino can usually use this move against defensive Pokemon such as Lanturn and Mantine without risk of being KOed by a surprise attack. This set lacks significant defensive investment and thus should not be switched into strong attacks before Mega Evolving or be expected to avoid 2HKOs from attacks such as Samurott's Hydro Pump thereafter.
Team Options
========
Any Pokemon that appreciates the removal of Steel- and Poison-type Pokemon will highly appreciate this set as a partner. Pokemon that like Fire-types being removed, such as Will-O-Wisp users like Rotom and Mismagius, also appreciate this set if it runs Surf. Scyther, Tauros, and Pinsir particularly love Rhydon and Steelix being lured in and removed by the appropriate coverage moves, and being able to either set up and sweep or make the most of a strong STAB attack against a defenseless team. Likewise, Fighting-types such as Hariyama and Hitmonchan appreciate Poison-types being removed, while Psychic-types such as Musharna and Mesprit enjoy the removal of Steel-types. The latter can also form Calm Mind cores with Mega Audino that can wear down bulky defensive Pokemon throughout the match. Slow, powerful attackers such as Abomasnow and Aurorus can capitalize on Mega Audino's ability to reliably pull off Thunder Wave against powerful attackers like Sceptile and highly appreciate its ability to restore them fully with Healing Wish, as do other Pokemon with issues against residual damage, such as Rock Polish Torterra.
[SET]
name: Mixed Defensive Pivot
move 1: Wish
move 2: Protect
move 3: Heal Bell / Fire Blast / Encore
move 4: Dazzling Gleam
item: Audinite
ability: Regenerator
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 128 Def / 128 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
The combination of Wish + Protect allows Audino to keep itself healthy throughout the match and to provide recovery for its teammates, both before and after Mega Evolution. Heal Bell makes Audino less susceptible to Toxic and lets it act as a dedicated cleric for its teammates, allowing them to play more offensively against the opponent's status users that can't threaten it otherwise, such as Lanturn. Fire Blast can be used to prevent Mega Audino from being completely walled by Steelix as it completes its Wishing responsibilities, although it does significantly less damage without any offensive investment. Encore is also a good option for locking down setup sweepers that may try to capitalize on Audino's passive nature, such as bulky Swords Dance Charizard and Scyther, providing its teammates with opportunities to switch in or providing itself with more opportunities to support them with Wish. Finally, Dazzling Gleam is a consistent STAB attack that prevents this set from being completely blocked by Taunt and allows Mega Audino to deal with Dark- and Fighting-types more effectively.
Set Details
========
The EV spread gives Mega Audino a good amount of mixed bulk to tank attacks with, avoiding the 2HKO from both Samurott's Hydro Pump and Tauros' Rock Climb after Stealth Rock. 48 SpA EVs can be used to ensure Dazzling Gleam 3HKOes Malamar, but extracting these EVs from either defensive stat allows small chances for the previously mentioned 2HKOs to occur. A spread of 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD with a Calm nature can be used to better deal with Life Orb Magmortar and specially offensive weather sweepers such as Omastar and Exeggutor, in addition to boosting special attackers such as Nasty Plot Ninetales if Mega Audino uses Encore. Regenerator should always be used as the pre-Mega ability on this set, as Audino is likely to forgo Mega Evolution until absolutely necessary so that it can pivot in and out of weaker attackers more reliably.
Usage Tips
========
The aim of this set is to switch into the opponent's attacks throughout the game, tank them, and follow up with a suitable support move depending on the needs of the team at the time. Wish can be used in the early-game to give Audino's teammates opportunities to switch in that they would normally lack, or it can be used in the late-game to simply restore their health after they have taken a powerful attack. Audino should switch in when it gets a chance against defensive Pokemon if it runs Heal Bell so that it can remove status from teammates and ensure that defensive cores on a team can avoid being worn down by burns/poison and so that offensive Pokemon can remain unhindered by burns or paralysis. Encore should be used to provide Audino's teammates with setup opportunities against foes locked into exploitable moves, such as Stealth Rock and Substitute, usually needing to use Encore on the same turn as the opponent uses these setup moves due to Audino's low Speed stat.
Team Options
========
Pokemon that lack reliable recovery and are vulnerable to status highly appreciate Audino's ability to support them with Wish and Heal Bell. Generally, this set is most useful to fully defensive teams that require reliable healing and status removal for all teammates, so defensive Pokemon such as Weezing and Steelix are good teammates that also provide good defensive synergy. Assault Vest users such as Hariyama and Magmortar also appreciate this support, as do general tanks such as Piloswine that are susceptible to stallbreakers like Rotom and Mismagius. Setup sweepers appreciate Audino's ability to lock down defensive responses with Encore. In particular, Double Dance Rhydon can take on Steel- and Poison-types easily with its powerful STAB attacks and can capitalize on Encore with its variety of setup options. Musharna also appreciates Heal Bell support from Audino, as this allows it to use Synchronize to inflict status on opponents that try to use moves such as Toxic to prevent it from sweeping, before coming back healthy in the late-game to complete the sweep.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Thunder Wave, Healing Wish, Trick Room, Knock Off, Toxic, and Yawn can all be used on the defensive pivot set in the third slot, but they have less general utility than the options selected. Draining Kiss can be used over Dazzling Gleam, allowing Mega Audino to spend fewer turns using Wish or Rest to heal itself, but the lack of power is very noticeable even at +6, and even more so if Calm Mind is not being used alongside it. It can actually be PP stalled quite easily on boosting sets because of its low power. Hyper Voice is an alternative STAB attack that boasts greater power than Dazzling Gleam, has the ability to bypass Substitutes, and allows the defensive Calm Mind set to eventually break through Fire-types such as Magmortar and Poison-types such as Garbodor and Weezing. However, it lacks the super effective coverage that Dazzling Gleam provides against Dark- and Fighting-types, and it is completely blocked by Ghost-types, making it a poor choice for a mono-attacking set without dedicated Pursuit support. Audinite is absolutely mandatory as the item for all sets due to the extra bulk, attacking power, and Fairy typing that Mega Evolution provides, not to mention the utility that Audino gets from shifting playstyles so dynamically. Leftovers can be used on the pivot set to prevent Audino from being worn down so quickly by entry hazard damage as it pivots around, but it's never worth the drawbacks of having a worse STAB option, significantly worse general bulk, and weakness to Fighting-type attacks. In NU, there is no opportunity cost for using Mega Audino as your Mega Evolution of choice due to its complete lack of competition.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Steel- and Poison-type Pokemon**: Steel- and Poison-type Pokemon, such as Steelix and Garbodor, can easily switch into Mega Audino's main attack, even after multiple boosts due to its lack of raw power, and threaten to 2HKO with their own STAB attacks. Skuntank is neutral to Dazzling Gleam but has good special bulk, can use Taunt to prevent Mega Audino from boosting or using support moves, and threatens to 3HKO with Poison Jab. However, these threats may take significant damage from a boosted Fire Blast or Psychic.
**Setup Sweepers**: Mega Audino has no way to deter other setup sweepers outside of the rare Encore, and Pokemon with access to both Calm Mind and Psyshock, such as Mesprit and Xatu, can boost alongside Mega Audino and KO it by hitting its unboosted Defense stat. Musharna can also break through it easily with Calm Mind and Stored Power, while Swords Dance users such as Samurott and Charizard can similarly break through Mega Audino without too much trouble after a boost or two. However, Speed-boosting sweepers can be crippled with Thunder Wave if they are played recklessly.
**Taunt and Encore**: Mega Audino relies on its non-attacking moves to be an effective pivot and wincon, for the most part, and Taunt users such as Pyroar, Mismagius, and Weezing can outspeed it and shut it down completely. Mega Audino can similarly be forced out by using Encore on a move like Protect or Heal Bell, with threats such as Liepard turning it into a setup opportunity for a teammate, provided they can avoid switching into an attack.
**Toxic Spikes**: Mega Audino requires multiple turns to act as a wincon in the late game, or to act as a defensive response to powerful attackers, and Toxic Spikes completely ruin any longevity it has. The best-case scenario is that Mega Audino is forced to waste a turn every time it switches in using Heal Bell or risk being worn down to the point of being KOed. Garbodor, Weezing, and Roselia can all set the entry hazard while forcing Mega Audino out, although they should be careful for boosted Fire Blasts. Rest sets cope much better with this hazard, however.
**Quagsire**: Unless Mega Audino chooses to run Grass Knot, Quagsire usually walls it due to the low power of its STAB attack and Unaware's ability to ignore Calm Mind boosts, although it is 3HKOed by a fully invested Dazzling Gleam. It can usually take a hit, use Toxic, and either stall Mega Audino out with Recover or attempt to boost itself with Curse, and it can also switch into Thunder Wave with ease.
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