[OVERVIEW]
Mega Blastoise's access to a combination of Shell Smash, Mega Launcher, and strong coverage options allow it to break through the vast majority of the metagame once boosted, making it one of the most threatening wallbreakers and set-up sweepers. After using Shell Smash, Mega Blastoise outspeeds the entire unboosted metagame. On top of this, only a few prevalent Choice Scarf users, such as Ditto and Greninja are capable of outspeeding and revenge killing Mega Blastoise. Despite its wallbreaking capabilities, Mega Blastoise can often struggle to find OHKOs on common Pokemon such as Toxapex, Ferrothorn, and Assault Vest Tangrowth. As a result of this, it is reliant on reliable entry hazard support from its teammates in order for it to effectively sweep. This drawback means that Mega Blastoise is generally limited to hyper offense teams which can provide it with reliable hazard support from Mew, which allows it to sweep unimpeded. On top of this, after using Shell Smash, Mega Blastoises defenses are significantly diminished, meaning it is much easier to revenge kill with the abundance of priority in the metagame, such as Extreme Speed from Zygarde, Fake Out and Quick Attack from Mega Lopunny, and Sucker Punch from Bisharp.
[SET]
name: Shell Smash
move 1: Shell Smash
move 2: Hydro Pump
move 3: Dark Pulse
move 4: Ice Beam
item: Blastoisinite
ability: Rain Dish
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
========
Hydro Pump acts as a strong general attack for Mega Blastoise. Despite the lower accuracy and not being boosted by Mega Launcher, Hydro Pump is generally preferred over Water Pulse as, after it has used Shell Smash, it has a much better chance to OHKO Pokemon such as Clefable and Corviknight, while also guaranteeing the OHKO and Shift Gear Magearna. Hydro Pump is also Mega Blastoise's best option to hit Tapu Fini, which is one of the best answers to it. Dark Pulse allows Mega Blastoise to break through bulky Water-types such as Slowbro and Toxapex, whilst also providing it with a more accurate way of dealing with threatening Pokemon such as Mega Metagross and Aegislash. Ice Beam is what enables Mega Blastoise to overwhelm the common Grass- and Dragon-types in the tier, such as Tangrowth and Tapu Bulu as well as Hydreigon and Zygarde. Aura Sphere is an alternative option that allows Mega Blastoise to beat both Ferrothorn and Chansey much more easily. However, it is typically not preferred as it is very difficult to justify over Mega Blastoises other options. This is due to Ferrothorn being easily worn down into range of Mega Blastoise's other attacks, and how easy it is to exploit Chansey with common Mega Blastoise teammates such as Bisharp and Substitute Zygarde. Rain Dish is the prefered ability prior to Mega Evolving as it offers some situational recovery if it were to switch into Pokemon such as Pelipper in the rain. While a Modest nature would allow Mega Blastoise to more easily overwhelm its checks, Timid is generally preferred due to it enabling Mega Blastoise to outspeed Choice Scarf Kartana.
Usage Tips
========
In order for Mega Blastoise to effectively sweep, it is important that sufficient entry hazards are set before it looks to set-up. Having both Stealth Rock and multiple layers of Spikes allows Mega Blastoise to OHKO Pokemon which would otherwise interrupt its sweep, such as Toxapex and Assault Vest Tangrowth. It is also important to be wary of letting Mega Blastoise be worn down if the opposing team has any priority. While it can stomach most non-super effective hits before it Shell Smashes, being weakened makes it substantially easier to revenge kill and as a result, it is usually preferable to bring Mega Blastoise in after a teammate has fainted, as opposed to bringing it directly into an attack. When using Mega Blastoise, being patient when looking for set-up opportunities is key, as it will often only get a single opportunity to sweep once it has used Shell Smash due to how much more difficult it is to find set-up opportunities once it has been weakened.
Team Options
========
Mew makes a fantastic teammate for Mega Blastoise, as it is one of the most reliable leads available to the hyper offensive teams Mega Blastoise is most commonly seen on. This is extremely important for Mega Blastoise, as with Stealth Rock and multiple layers of Spikes set, it is able to break through Pokemon such as Toxapex, Assault Vest Tangrowth, and Seismitoad, which can otherwise put a stop to its sweep. Pokemon such as Zygarde and Magearna are all great options to use alongside Mega Blastoise as they share similar checks in Tangrowth, Chansey, and Toxapex. Pairing these Pokemon together means it is much easier to overwhelm the Pokemon which can prevent them from sweeping through teams. Strong priority options are essential when using Mega Blastoise, as it is a prime target for opposing Ditto. Pokemon such as the aforementioned Zygarde, as well as Bisharp, also make for great teammates because of this. Another option is to use Mega Blastoise alongside dual screens support from Grimmsnarl, as this further increases its set-up opportunities while also making it much more difficult to revenge kill.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
While options such as Rapid Spin may seem tempting, they are typically much worse than the standard set and are not worth running over it.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Tapu Fini**: Tapu Fini completely walls Mega Blastoise and does considerable damage back to it with Moonblast due to Shell Smash dropping Mega Blastoise's Special Defense.
**Revenge Killers**: After using Shell Smash, Mega Blastoise's defenses are greatly diminished, meaning it is susceptible to being revenge killed by strong priority attacks such as Extreme Speed from Zygarde,, Quick Attack and Fake Out from Mega Lopunny, and Sucker Punch from Bisharp and Mega Mawile. The hit to Mega Blastoise's defenses also leave it vulnerable to the few Choice Scarf users which can outspeed and OHKO it after it has boosted, such as Greninja and Ditto.
**Chansey**: Chansey can easily wall non-Aura Sphere variants of Mega Blastoise and beat it with a combination of Toxic and Seismic Toss before it can raise its Special Attack enough to overwhelm it.
**Select Specially Defensive Walls**: Pokemon such as Gastrodon, Toxapex, Assault Vest Tangrowrth, and Assault Vest Magearna can all take hits from Mega Blastoise after it has used Shell Smash and threaten to remove its boosts, cripple it with status conditions, or kill it thanks to its weakened defenses. However, all of these Pokemon must be completely healthy in order to take a hit from Mega Blastoise and can be otherwise overwhelmed thanks to Dark Pulse's flinch chance.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Jho, 208105]]
- Quality checked by: [[SputnikGT, 475916], [Jordy, 395754], [Guardsweeper, 360582]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]
Mega Blastoise's access to a combination of Shell Smash, Mega Launcher, and strong coverage options allow it to break through the vast majority of the metagame once boosted, making it one of the most threatening wallbreakers and set-up sweepers. After using Shell Smash, Mega Blastoise outspeeds the entire unboosted metagame. On top of this, only a few prevalent Choice Scarf users, such as Ditto and Greninja are capable of outspeeding and revenge killing Mega Blastoise. Despite its wallbreaking capabilities, Mega Blastoise can often struggle to find OHKOs on common Pokemon such as Toxapex, Ferrothorn, and Assault Vest Tangrowth. As a result of this, it is reliant on reliable entry hazard support from its teammates in order for it to effectively sweep. This drawback means that Mega Blastoise is generally limited to hyper offense teams which can provide it with reliable hazard support from Mew, which allows it to sweep unimpeded. On top of this, after using Shell Smash, Mega Blastoises defenses are significantly diminished, meaning it is much easier to revenge kill with the abundance of priority in the metagame, such as Extreme Speed from Zygarde, Fake Out and Quick Attack from Mega Lopunny, and Sucker Punch from Bisharp.
[SET]
name: Shell Smash
move 1: Shell Smash
move 2: Hydro Pump
move 3: Dark Pulse
move 4: Ice Beam
item: Blastoisinite
ability: Rain Dish
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
========
Hydro Pump acts as a strong general attack for Mega Blastoise. Despite the lower accuracy and not being boosted by Mega Launcher, Hydro Pump is generally preferred over Water Pulse as, after it has used Shell Smash, it has a much better chance to OHKO Pokemon such as Clefable and Corviknight, while also guaranteeing the OHKO and Shift Gear Magearna. Hydro Pump is also Mega Blastoise's best option to hit Tapu Fini, which is one of the best answers to it. Dark Pulse allows Mega Blastoise to break through bulky Water-types such as Slowbro and Toxapex, whilst also providing it with a more accurate way of dealing with threatening Pokemon such as Mega Metagross and Aegislash. Ice Beam is what enables Mega Blastoise to overwhelm the common Grass- and Dragon-types in the tier, such as Tangrowth and Tapu Bulu as well as Hydreigon and Zygarde. Aura Sphere is an alternative option that allows Mega Blastoise to beat both Ferrothorn and Chansey much more easily. However, it is typically not preferred as it is very difficult to justify over Mega Blastoises other options. This is due to Ferrothorn being easily worn down into range of Mega Blastoise's other attacks, and how easy it is to exploit Chansey with common Mega Blastoise teammates such as Bisharp and Substitute Zygarde. Rain Dish is the prefered ability prior to Mega Evolving as it offers some situational recovery if it were to switch into Pokemon such as Pelipper in the rain. While a Modest nature would allow Mega Blastoise to more easily overwhelm its checks, Timid is generally preferred due to it enabling Mega Blastoise to outspeed Choice Scarf Kartana.
Usage Tips
========
In order for Mega Blastoise to effectively sweep, it is important that sufficient entry hazards are set before it looks to set-up. Having both Stealth Rock and multiple layers of Spikes allows Mega Blastoise to OHKO Pokemon which would otherwise interrupt its sweep, such as Toxapex and Assault Vest Tangrowth. It is also important to be wary of letting Mega Blastoise be worn down if the opposing team has any priority. While it can stomach most non-super effective hits before it Shell Smashes, being weakened makes it substantially easier to revenge kill and as a result, it is usually preferable to bring Mega Blastoise in after a teammate has fainted, as opposed to bringing it directly into an attack. When using Mega Blastoise, being patient when looking for set-up opportunities is key, as it will often only get a single opportunity to sweep once it has used Shell Smash due to how much more difficult it is to find set-up opportunities once it has been weakened.
Team Options
========
Mew makes a fantastic teammate for Mega Blastoise, as it is one of the most reliable leads available to the hyper offensive teams Mega Blastoise is most commonly seen on. This is extremely important for Mega Blastoise, as with Stealth Rock and multiple layers of Spikes set, it is able to break through Pokemon such as Toxapex, Assault Vest Tangrowth, and Seismitoad, which can otherwise put a stop to its sweep. Pokemon such as Zygarde and Magearna are all great options to use alongside Mega Blastoise as they share similar checks in Tangrowth, Chansey, and Toxapex. Pairing these Pokemon together means it is much easier to overwhelm the Pokemon which can prevent them from sweeping through teams. Strong priority options are essential when using Mega Blastoise, as it is a prime target for opposing Ditto. Pokemon such as the aforementioned Zygarde, as well as Bisharp, also make for great teammates because of this. Another option is to use Mega Blastoise alongside dual screens support from Grimmsnarl, as this further increases its set-up opportunities while also making it much more difficult to revenge kill.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
While options such as Rapid Spin may seem tempting, they are typically much worse than the standard set and are not worth running over it.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Tapu Fini**: Tapu Fini completely walls Mega Blastoise and does considerable damage back to it with Moonblast due to Shell Smash dropping Mega Blastoise's Special Defense.
**Revenge Killers**: After using Shell Smash, Mega Blastoise's defenses are greatly diminished, meaning it is susceptible to being revenge killed by strong priority attacks such as Extreme Speed from Zygarde,, Quick Attack and Fake Out from Mega Lopunny, and Sucker Punch from Bisharp and Mega Mawile. The hit to Mega Blastoise's defenses also leave it vulnerable to the few Choice Scarf users which can outspeed and OHKO it after it has boosted, such as Greninja and Ditto.
**Chansey**: Chansey can easily wall non-Aura Sphere variants of Mega Blastoise and beat it with a combination of Toxic and Seismic Toss before it can raise its Special Attack enough to overwhelm it.
**Select Specially Defensive Walls**: Pokemon such as Gastrodon, Toxapex, Assault Vest Tangrowrth, and Assault Vest Magearna can all take hits from Mega Blastoise after it has used Shell Smash and threaten to remove its boosts, cripple it with status conditions, or kill it thanks to its weakened defenses. However, all of these Pokemon must be completely healthy in order to take a hit from Mega Blastoise and can be otherwise overwhelmed thanks to Dark Pulse's flinch chance.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Jho, 208105]]
- Quality checked by: [[SputnikGT, 475916], [Jordy, 395754], [Guardsweeper, 360582]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]
Last edited:
