[overview]
**Draft Order**: Round 2 onwards
**Price Range**: 16-17 points
**Overview**: Mega Charizard X is an incredible offensive powerhouse thanks to its fantastic STAB combination, Attack stat, and ability Tough Claws. It is capable as a setup speed-boosting sweeper with Dragon Dance and also a potent Wallbreaker with Swords Dance, increasing its value to a team in ability to both sweep and break its foes down. Additionally, its wonderful bulk, defensive typing, and access to Roost allow it to stay healthy throughout a game and give it a chance to break down bulkier foes with Toxic and Will-o-Wisp. While it is amazing at spreading punishment around its foes, Mega Charizard X requires support to maximize its potential. A crippling weakness to Stealth Rock, especially before mega evolution demands entry hazard removal support from teammates, and it still can find itself exiting the field early after accumulating too much residual damage from Flare Blitz recoil and foes holding Rocky Helmet.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Dragon Dance Sweeper**: Dragon Dance, Flare Blitz, Dragon Claw (or Outrage), and a filler coverage move that best hits your foes team. Roost can maintain health if extra coverage is unneeded, and what more do you need? Plug and play and this set basically plays itself.
**Wallbreaker**: Swords Dance can be used to power through the bulkiest foes on slower teams with Mega Charizard X's STABs.
**Defensive**: Mega Charizard X can leverage its great bulk and typing to annoy its foes with Will-o-Wisp, phaze them with Dragon Tail, and stay healthy with Roost.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Flare Blitz, Fire Punch, Dragon Claw, Outrage
**Setup Moves**: Dragon Dance, Flame Charge, Swords Dance
**Utility Moves**: Defog, Dragon Tail, Roost, Toxic, Will-O-Wisp, Brick Break, Substitute
**Coverage**: Crunch, Earthquake, Thunder Punch, Iron Tail, Steel Wing, Rock Slide
Niche Moves
========
**Overheat**: Mega Charizard X's base 130 Special Attack stat allow it to surprise physically defensive checks attempting to switch into it and smack them with a strong special move.
**Belly Drum**: Belly Drum can be used to blow through slower teams at the cost of half of Mega Charizard X's health, but is highly risky due to increased chance of being revenge KOed, and is generally only possible when hazards are removed from your side of the field.
**Tailwind**: Tailwind is a niche option that can allow Mega Charizard X to outrun significantly faster foes and choice scarf users to avoid being revenge KOed.
Draft Strategy
========
Mega Charizard X is a fantastic offensive piece to a draft that is flexible as an early game Wallbreaker and a late-game cleaner. While it has plenty of raw power baked into its kit, it enjoys having partners that can give it space to set up to enhance its flexibility - good Choice item users make great partners in this regard. Additionally, it demands teammates to free the field of entry hazards, as it is 4x weak to Stealth Rock prior to mega evolution and also vulnerable to all forms of hazards once it mega evolves.
**Entry Hazard Control**: Mega Charizard X sports a crippling 4X weakness to Stealth Rock prior to Mega Evolution, and becomes susceptible to all forms of hazards after it mega evolves. Teammates to remove entry hazards make good teammates, comfortably via Defoggers like Tornadus-Therian and Rotom-W and Spinners like Excadrill.
**Fast offensive partners**: Mega Charizard X's Speed is good but not great, leaving it unable to catch many faster foes and Choice Scarf users even after a Dragon Dance. Faster partners and Choice Scarf users like Greninja, Kartana, and Azelf can cleanup many weakened teams that Mega Charizard X is unable to.
**Wallbreakers**: In similar vein, Mega Charizard X needs its checks weakened or removed to facilitate a Dragon Dance sweep. Strong Choice attackers or other Wallbreakers like Tapu Koko, Nidoking, and Landorus-Therian are all capable of weakening foes in order to give it the space to sweep.
**Hazard Setters**: The addition of hazards to the opponent's side of the field greatly improves Mega Charizard X's sweeping capabilities. Setters like Landorus-Therian, Roserade, and Nidoqueen can reliably set up hazards to improve its sweeping chances.
**Healing Wish**: As Mega Charizard X can incur massive recoil damage from recoil and entry hazards, a second chance to sweep with Healing Wish from teammates like Mesprit or Shaymin can be a powerful option to close out games.
Checks and Counters
========
**Residual Damage**: Mega Charizard X has limited options to protect itself from entry hazards, toxic damage, sand, or foes carrying Rocky Helmet, leaving it vulnerable to quickly rack up residual damage especially if it is attacking with Flare Blitz. Roost can mitigate some of this chip damage, but comes at the steep cost of momentum and ability to generate offensive pressure.
**Bulky Water-types**: Water-types force Mega Charizard X to either lock in to Outrage or attack with weaker moves like Thunder Punch and Dragon Claw, enabling them to check it better. Tapu Fini and Azumarill are especially effective checks to it as they are immune to Dragon, and other bulky Water-types like Suicune and Swampert can be a nuisance to it as well.
**Other Physical Walls**: Physical walls and Intimidate users can usually switch into Mega Charizard X once and annoy it with status or their super-effective moves, with the likes of Landorus-Therian, Hippowdon, and Rhyperior being able to do this.
**Faster Attackers**: Mega Charizard X must be on the field to boost its speed with Dragon Dance or Flame Charge, leaving it especially vulnerable to being knocked out by faster attackers such as Latios, Mega Diancie, and Greninja.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/diviniya.618293/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/odinrm.613514/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.400000
**Draft Order**: Round 2 onwards
**Price Range**: 16-17 points
**Overview**: Mega Charizard X is an incredible offensive powerhouse thanks to its fantastic STAB combination, Attack stat, and ability Tough Claws. It is capable as a setup speed-boosting sweeper with Dragon Dance and also a potent Wallbreaker with Swords Dance, increasing its value to a team in ability to both sweep and break its foes down. Additionally, its wonderful bulk, defensive typing, and access to Roost allow it to stay healthy throughout a game and give it a chance to break down bulkier foes with Toxic and Will-o-Wisp. While it is amazing at spreading punishment around its foes, Mega Charizard X requires support to maximize its potential. A crippling weakness to Stealth Rock, especially before mega evolution demands entry hazard removal support from teammates, and it still can find itself exiting the field early after accumulating too much residual damage from Flare Blitz recoil and foes holding Rocky Helmet.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Dragon Dance Sweeper**: Dragon Dance, Flare Blitz, Dragon Claw (or Outrage), and a filler coverage move that best hits your foes team. Roost can maintain health if extra coverage is unneeded, and what more do you need? Plug and play and this set basically plays itself.
**Wallbreaker**: Swords Dance can be used to power through the bulkiest foes on slower teams with Mega Charizard X's STABs.
**Defensive**: Mega Charizard X can leverage its great bulk and typing to annoy its foes with Will-o-Wisp, phaze them with Dragon Tail, and stay healthy with Roost.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Flare Blitz, Fire Punch, Dragon Claw, Outrage
**Setup Moves**: Dragon Dance, Flame Charge, Swords Dance
**Utility Moves**: Defog, Dragon Tail, Roost, Toxic, Will-O-Wisp, Brick Break, Substitute
**Coverage**: Crunch, Earthquake, Thunder Punch, Iron Tail, Steel Wing, Rock Slide
Niche Moves
========
**Overheat**: Mega Charizard X's base 130 Special Attack stat allow it to surprise physically defensive checks attempting to switch into it and smack them with a strong special move.
**Belly Drum**: Belly Drum can be used to blow through slower teams at the cost of half of Mega Charizard X's health, but is highly risky due to increased chance of being revenge KOed, and is generally only possible when hazards are removed from your side of the field.
**Tailwind**: Tailwind is a niche option that can allow Mega Charizard X to outrun significantly faster foes and choice scarf users to avoid being revenge KOed.
Draft Strategy
========
Mega Charizard X is a fantastic offensive piece to a draft that is flexible as an early game Wallbreaker and a late-game cleaner. While it has plenty of raw power baked into its kit, it enjoys having partners that can give it space to set up to enhance its flexibility - good Choice item users make great partners in this regard. Additionally, it demands teammates to free the field of entry hazards, as it is 4x weak to Stealth Rock prior to mega evolution and also vulnerable to all forms of hazards once it mega evolves.
**Entry Hazard Control**: Mega Charizard X sports a crippling 4X weakness to Stealth Rock prior to Mega Evolution, and becomes susceptible to all forms of hazards after it mega evolves. Teammates to remove entry hazards make good teammates, comfortably via Defoggers like Tornadus-Therian and Rotom-W and Spinners like Excadrill.
**Fast offensive partners**: Mega Charizard X's Speed is good but not great, leaving it unable to catch many faster foes and Choice Scarf users even after a Dragon Dance. Faster partners and Choice Scarf users like Greninja, Kartana, and Azelf can cleanup many weakened teams that Mega Charizard X is unable to.
**Wallbreakers**: In similar vein, Mega Charizard X needs its checks weakened or removed to facilitate a Dragon Dance sweep. Strong Choice attackers or other Wallbreakers like Tapu Koko, Nidoking, and Landorus-Therian are all capable of weakening foes in order to give it the space to sweep.
**Hazard Setters**: The addition of hazards to the opponent's side of the field greatly improves Mega Charizard X's sweeping capabilities. Setters like Landorus-Therian, Roserade, and Nidoqueen can reliably set up hazards to improve its sweeping chances.
**Healing Wish**: As Mega Charizard X can incur massive recoil damage from recoil and entry hazards, a second chance to sweep with Healing Wish from teammates like Mesprit or Shaymin can be a powerful option to close out games.
Checks and Counters
========
**Residual Damage**: Mega Charizard X has limited options to protect itself from entry hazards, toxic damage, sand, or foes carrying Rocky Helmet, leaving it vulnerable to quickly rack up residual damage especially if it is attacking with Flare Blitz. Roost can mitigate some of this chip damage, but comes at the steep cost of momentum and ability to generate offensive pressure.
**Bulky Water-types**: Water-types force Mega Charizard X to either lock in to Outrage or attack with weaker moves like Thunder Punch and Dragon Claw, enabling them to check it better. Tapu Fini and Azumarill are especially effective checks to it as they are immune to Dragon, and other bulky Water-types like Suicune and Swampert can be a nuisance to it as well.
**Other Physical Walls**: Physical walls and Intimidate users can usually switch into Mega Charizard X once and annoy it with status or their super-effective moves, with the likes of Landorus-Therian, Hippowdon, and Rhyperior being able to do this.
**Faster Attackers**: Mega Charizard X must be on the field to boost its speed with Dragon Dance or Flame Charge, leaving it especially vulnerable to being knocked out by faster attackers such as Latios, Mega Diancie, and Greninja.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/diviniya.618293/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/odinrm.613514/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.400000
Last edited:
