[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 and Belly Drum, 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. However, with the proper support, Mega Charizard X is a devastating offensive threat that can easily get too hot for its foes to handle before it is too late.
[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. What more do you need? Plug and play and this set basically plays itself.
**Wallbreaker**: Swords Dance or Belly Drum are 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, Dragon Claw, Outrage
**Setup Moves**: Dragon Dance, Swords Dance
**Utility Moves**: Defog, Dragon Tail, Flame Charge, 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.
Common Items
**Charizardite X**: Unfortunately Charizard is not as all-powerful as Rayquaza, and must hold the Charizardite X item in order to mega evolve.
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.
**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 Weavile, Nidoking, and Landorus-Therian are all capable of weakening foes in order to give it the space to sweep.
**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.
Checks and Counters
**Residual Damage**: Mega Charizard X has no way 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.
**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/user2.200000
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user3.300000
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 and Belly Drum, 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. However, with the proper support, Mega Charizard X is a devastating offensive threat that can easily get too hot for its foes to handle before it is too late.
[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. What more do you need? Plug and play and this set basically plays itself.
**Wallbreaker**: Swords Dance or Belly Drum are 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, Dragon Claw, Outrage
**Setup Moves**: Dragon Dance, Swords Dance
**Utility Moves**: Defog, Dragon Tail, Flame Charge, 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.
Common Items
**Charizardite X**: Unfortunately Charizard is not as all-powerful as Rayquaza, and must hold the Charizardite X item in order to mega evolve.
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.
**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 Weavile, Nidoking, and Landorus-Therian are all capable of weakening foes in order to give it the space to sweep.
**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.
Checks and Counters
**Residual Damage**: Mega Charizard X has no way 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.
**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/user2.200000
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user3.300000
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.400000
Last edited:
