Mega Evolutions in XY UU

[Arkian]

kokoloko said that I could make this

Art by Sephirona
​

Hello to all UUers! While OU has some of the better Mega Evolutions like Mega Venusaur and Mega Pinsir, UU isn't far behind in some excellent Megas of its own. You all can use this thread to discuss everything about UU's Mega Evolutions. In the OP, I'll briefly mention what each Mega Evolution does in UU, and then leave the rest of the discussion to you guys! Without further ado, lets begin.

Before we jump into what each Mega Evolution does, let's refresh our memories on the mechanics of Mega Evolution:

1. In order to Mega Evolve, a Pokemon must be holding its own Mega Stone and the player must click on the "Mega Evolve" button prior to making their move.
2. There can only be ONE Mega Evolution per team.
3. Mega Evolving occurs first in a battle unless the opposing player switches out; in that case, your Pokemon will Mega Evolve right after the opponent's Pokemon is sent out.
4. On the turn of Mega Evolution, a Pokemon's Speed stat will be that of its original form, and its Mega Evolution's Speed will take its place in the following turn. This also means that Mega Banette's Prankster ability will not occur on the turn it Mega Evolves, but rather on the following turn.
5. A Mega Stone cannot be Knocked Off or Tricked.

Now that we know the mechanics, let's take a brief look at what each Mega Evolution does:

Name: Abomasnow
Type: Grass / Ice
Ability: Snow Warning
Stats: 90 / 132 / 105 / 132 / 105 / 30

viable sets

Abomasnow @ Abomasite
Ability: Snow Warning
EVs: 56 HP / 200 Atk / 252 SAtk
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Spd
- Blizzard
- Giga Drain
- Ice Shard / Substitute
- Earthquake

Other Viable Options
SubSeed
SubPunch

Mega Abomasnow is a fairly niche Pokemon in UU. While its bulk is nice and its attacking stats are above average, it just doesn't have the sheer utility that some other Mega Evolutions bring with them. Its ability is troublesome for many teammates, especially with the weather nerf, and and Speed is downright awful. Its typing leaves it exposed to common Fire- and Fighting-type attacks, and even on Trick Room teams, it faces stiff competition from the likes of Mega Ampharos, which has more power, more useful ability, and a better defensive typing. Unfortunately, I really don't think Abomasnow is a good Mega Evolution to use in UU.

Name: Absol
Type: Dark
Ability: Magic Bounce
Stats: 65 / 150 / 60 / 115 / 60 / 115

viable sets

Absol @ Absolite
Ability: Justified --> Magic Bounce
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 Atk / 4 SAtk
Hasty Nature
- Swords Dance
- Sucker Punch / Knock Off
- Play Rough / Psycho Cut
- Fire Blast / Night Slash

Absol @ Absolite
Ability: Justified --> Magic Bounce
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Nature: Hasty / Naive
- Sucker Punch
- Play Rough / Superpower / Psycho Cut
- Fire Blast / Ice Beam
- Night Slash / Knock Off

Other Viable Options
Baton Pass
Pursuit

Mega Absol is definitely a force to be reckoned with in UU. It sits at an awesome Speed tier, even outspeeding the likes of Latias with its base 115 Speed. Its excellent 150 / 115 mixed attacking stats compliment its Speed very well. Absol is mainly seen running a killer Swords Dance set with a strong priority STAB in Sucker Punch to abuse as well. This is especially effective because it has the Magic Bounce ability, which lets it avoid Will-O-Wisps and Thunder Waves and cripple the Pokemon that tried to use it instead. Magic Bounce also makes it much easier for Mega Absol to use Sucker Punch, since the opponent is most likely to attack. It also gets perfect coverage with Sucker Punch, Play Rough, and Fire Blast. Unfortunately, Absol's defenses are pathetic, making it very hard to set up a Swords Dance. Substitute users can easily work around Sucker Punch and defeat Absol, and while its offenses are really high, it faces trouble from common walls such as Hippowdon and Mega Aggron. Furthermore, Absol can't use Knock Off in conjunction with Play Rough, which is a major drawback. Despite that, Mega Absol is a fearsome sweeper with almost all the tools it needs to succeed in UU.

Name: Aerodactyl
Type: Rock / Flying
Ability: Tough Claws
Stats: 80 / 135 / 85 / 70 / 95 / 150

viable sets

Aerodactyl @ Aerodactylite
Ability: Unnerve --> Tough Claws
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Stone Edge
- Aerial Ace
- Aqua Tail
- Hone Claws / Roost / Earthquake

Other Viable Options:
Defensive

Mega Aerodactyl is the fastest legal Pokemon in UU barring Ninjask, which when combined with an excellent base 135 Attack stat, makes it a potent physical attacker. Aerodactyl's ability, Tough Claws, is also useful for boosting the power of its main STAB in Aerial Ace, as well as coverage moves such as Aqua Tail. Mega Aerodactyl also has a nice defensive typing with okay bulk, letting it function as a nice supporter with access to moves such as Taunt, Roost, and Defog. Unfortunately, its moves have a relatively low Base Power, even with the Tough Claws boost and its bulk isn't enough to cut it for a defensive Pokemon. Furthermore, Aerodactyl's only boosting move is Hone Claws, and while it is nice for boosting the accuracy of Stone Edge, it is a mediocre boosting move overall. It also doesn't get access to Brave Bird and is walled by common walls such as Mega Aggrona. Despite that however, Mega Aerodactyl makes for a good wallbreaker mid-game, as well as a potent cleaner late-game once walls and Choice Scarf Pokemon are gone.

Name: Aggron
Type: Steel
Ability: Filter
Stats: 70 / 140 / 230 / 60 / 80 / 50

viable sets

Aggron @ Aggronite
Ability: Sturdy --> Filter
EVs: 16 Def / 248 HP / 244 SDef
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Thunder Wave / Earthquake / Toxic
- Heavy Slam
- Dragon Tail / Roar

Aggron @ Aggronite
Ability: Sturdy --> Filter
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SDef
Careful Nature
- Curse
- Iron Head
- Rest
- Sleep Talk

Other Viable Options
Toxic
RestTalk + Dragon Tail

Say hello to what I believe to be the best Mega Evolution in UU: Mega Aggron. This thing is just so hard to take down, with an unbelievable base 230 Defense stat (which ties with Shuckle!) and Filter ability. Its Special Defense, while mediocre, can be gotten around thanks to its Steel typing and Filter ability with heavy investment. Mega Aggron makes an incredible partner for many of UU's common walls and tanks, such as Florges, Vaporeon, Zapdos, etc. Aggron can reliably set up Stealth Rock multiple times in a match and doesn't give a fuck about Latias, the most common Defogger in the tier. Its base 140 Attack stat is nothing to scoff at either, letting it deal heavy blows to many offensive Pokemon. It is also a great Knock Off absorber, beating down some of the more common users such as Tornadus-T. Unfortunately, Aggron doesn't have any recovery aside from RestTalk, and sometimes, its Special Defense is just not enough to cut it. But honestly, that's what Aggron's teammates are for, as it is very easy to WishPass to Aggron and the tier has two excellent special sponges in Chansey and Florges. Mega Aggron is definitely a defining force in today's metagame, and is an excellent addition to stall teams.

Name: Ampharos
Type: Electric / Dragon
Ability: Mold Breaker
Stats: 90 / 95 / 105 / 165 / 110 / 45

viable sets

Ampharos @ Ampharosite
Ability: Static --> Mold Breaker
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef
Modest Nature
- Volt Switch
- Thunderbolt
- Dragon Pulse
- Heal Bell / Focus Blast

Ampharos @ Ampharosite
Ability: Static --> Mold Breaker
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SDef
Nature: Bold
- Volt Switch
- Dragon Pulse
- Rest / Heal Bell
- Sleep Talk / Toxic

Ampharos @ Ampharosite
Ability: Static --> Mold Breaker
EVs: 248 Spd / 252 SAtk / 8 SDef
Modest Nature
- Agility
- Thunderbolt
- Focus Blast
- Dragon Pulse

Ampharos @ Ampharosite
Ability: Static --> Mold Breaker
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SDef
Nature: Calm
- Volt Switch
- Dragon Pulse
- Heal Bell
- Thunder Wave / Toxic
Other Viable Options
Rain Dance

Mega Ampharos is a very nice tank in today's metagame, absorbing hits from common Pokemon such as Mega Manectric, Mega Houndoom, and Zapdos and delivering them back thanks to a strong base 165 Special Attack stat. Mega Ampharos is a prime candidate for Trick Room teams, as it uses its horrible base 45 Speed to its advantage, but it does face some competition from Mega Abomasnow. Agility is another tool it has in its arsenal to fix its Speed issues. Unfortunately, Ampharos's Electric / Dragon typing is kind of awkward, and leaves it overshadowed by Mega Manectric and Latias, since they have similar defenses (Mega Manectric thanks to Intimidate) while being much faster. Furthermore, Ampharos has no recovery aside from the unreliable RestTalk, which is not good for a tank. Despite that, Ampharos offers unique traits to teams that desire a powerful tank that beats the likes of Rotom-H and Zapdos.

Name: Banette
Type: Ghost
Ability: Prankster
Stats: 64 / 165 / 75 / 93 / 83 / 75

viable sets

Banette @ Banettite
Ability: Frisk --> Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SDef
Careful Nature
- Knock Off / Shadow Claw
- Will-O-Wisp
- Taunt
- Destiny Bond

Other Viable Options
Protect
Phantom Force

Mega Banette is another one of those niche Mega Evolutions in UU. Its Prankster ability makes it a great disrupter since it also has access to moves such as Will-O-Wisp, Taunt, and Destiny Bond. Unfortunately, Banette's Prankster ability doesn't activate on the turn it Mega Evolves, and because of its frail defenses, it will most likely be left crippled or even outright KO'd. This forces you to run Protect, but Mega Banette already has an extreme case of 4MSS as it is, and running a move like Protect will just further burden it with that. Its base 165 Attack stat, while high, is kind of wasted thanks to Banette's pathetic movepool. Mega Banette should be left as a disrupter and last-ditch effort to stop boosting sweepers such as Haxorus, and even then, Mega Banette has some glaring flaws that prevents it from doing that effectively.

Name: Blastoise
Type: Water
Ability: Mega Launcher
Stats: 79 / 103 / 120 / 135 / 115 / 78

viable sets

Blastoise @ Blastoisinite
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 SAtk / 252 HP / 4 SDef
Modest Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Water Pulse / Hydro Pump / Scald
- Dark Pulse
- Aura Sphere / Ice Beam / Roar

Other Viable Options
Dragon Pulse

Mega Blastoise is unarguably the best Rapid Spin user available in UU. While Defog seems to outclass Mega Blastoise, Spike-stacking and Sticky Web teams just adore its support, and Blastoise itself makes great use of both entry hazards thanks to its excellent base 135 Special Attack stat. Furthermore, Blastoise gets access to Mega Launcher, which boosts the power of Blastoise's most common coverage moves, Aura Sphere and Dark Pulse, as well as one of Blastoise's main STABs, Water Pulse, by 1.5x. Dark Pulse is especially very useful as it lets Blastoise get past every spinblocker in the tier. Blastoise's respectable 79 / 120 / 115 defenses are also nothing to scoff at, letting it act as an effective tank that is made even better thanks to its Water typing. Unfortunately, Mega Blastoise faces the problems that every other defensive Mega Evolution in UU does: no access to reliable recovery. This is a major drawback to Blastoise as it can usually only spin once in the game, which teams can take advantage of by setting up late-game hazards. Furthermore, Blastoise is susceptible to every single entry hazard, especially Toxic Spikes, which is an undesirable trait for a spinner to have. Despite that, Mega Blastoise's utility is invaluable to many teams, which guarantees that it will remain in high demand.

Name: Houndoom
Type: Dark / Fire
Ability: Solar Power
Base Stats: 75 / 90 / 90 / 140 / 90 / 115

viable sets

Houndoom @ Houndoominite
Ability: Flash Fire --> Solar Power
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 Atk
Hasty Nature
- Nasty Plot
- Fire Blast
- Dark Pulse
- Destiny Bond / Hidden Power Grass / Sucker Punch

The given EV spread should only be used with Sucker Punch, otherwise, use 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe with Timid.

Other Viable Options
Taunt
Sunny Day
Solar Beam

Mega Houndoom is undoubtedly one of the best offensive Pokemon in UU right now, and it isn't hard to see why. With high base 90 / 140 / 115 offensive stats and an excellent offensive typing, Mega Houndoom is one of the premiere wallbreakers in UU. It has access to Nasty Plot and Sunny Day, both of which boost its offenses to untouchable levels (the latter thanks to Houndoom's ability, Solar Power). Mega Houndoom is one of the few Pokemon that can reliably get past the likes of Reuniclus and Mega Aggron, some of the top defensive threats in today's metagame. Unfortunately, Mega Houndoom lacks coverage, as it needs the sun up to use Solar Beam, and without the latter, it struggles greatly with every bulky Water not named Jellicent or Slowbro. Its defenses, while not bad, aren't that great either, especially if it's using a Sunny Day set, in which Solar Power greatly decreases its longevity. Houndoom is also susceptible to one of the most common priority moves in UU: Crawdaunt's Aqua Jet. Despite these setbacks, Mega Houndoom is a true force to be reckoned with and nothing to take lightly in the current UU metagame.

Name: Manectric
Type: Electric
Ability: Intimidate
Stats: 70 / 75 / 80 / 135 / 80 / 135

viable sets

Manectric (M) @ Manectite
Ability: Lightningrod --> Intimidate
EVs: 24 SDef / 252 Spd / 252 SAtk
Timid Nature
- Volt Switch
- Thunderbolt
- Overheat / Flamethrower
- Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Grass

Other Viable Options
Bulky Set

Mega Manectric is one of the best pivots available to the UU tier. Its high base 135 Special Attack and Speed stats combined with Intimidate and a STAB Volt Switch means that it is fairly easy for it to gain offensive momentum. Manectric also has excellent coverage moves in Flamethrower/Overheat and Hidden Power Ice. Manectric can act as an excellent late-game cleaner, or it can be used to pick apart walls and tanks mid-game and gain momentum via Volt Switch while weakening physical blows with Intimidate. Thanks to the new mechanics, Manectric doesn't even get paralyzed, which would otherwise cut down on one of its biggest boons. Unfortunately, with the Hidden Power nerf, it cannot deal with Mega Ampharos, Latias, and Hippodown that well, and is sometimes a bit weak compared to some of the other Megas. Despite that, Mega Manectric is still one of the better Mega Evolutions in UU.

So here were my brief descriptions on each Mega Evolutions. If you think I missed something, feel free to let me know via VM or just post in this thread. Also feel free to submit your own sets/EV spreads.

Anyway, what Mega Evolutions are you liking in UU? Why is that so? What checks/counters these Megas? Feel free to discuss all this and more, but be sure to remain civil and respectful ^.^

 

[Swamp Link]

For Absol, the only two Pokemon that resist Dark and Fairy (Klefki and Mawile) are OU, so it gets perfect coverage with just Sucker Punch and Play Rough. It's a shame that Knock Off is incompatible, but you can make do with Night Slash, and it's fairy effective. An All-Out Attacking mixed set is good too.

With regards to Aerodactyl, its main STAB is still Stone Edge, even with Tough Claws Aerial Ace is weaker. Hone Claws Aerodactyl was actually a pretty potent cleaner in my experience, though, because it did hit really hard. Also, it gets access to Aqua Tail, which beats Hippowdon. I would swap that mention for Mega Aggron or Swampert or something. I've liked this set on it:

Aerodactyl @ Aerodactylite
Ability: Unnerve
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Stone Edge
- Aerial Ace
- Aqua Tail
- Hone Claws / Roost

These are the most powerful/useful coverage options on it, and the fourth slot can vary depending on whether you want a mid-game pivot and wallbreaker with longevity or a late-game sweeper.

 

[ScraftyIsTheBest]

Mega Houndoom is a seriously underrated threat right now. The NP set is quite beastly, and with Houndoom's mix of great power, speed, and coverage, it has no trouble trying to sweep a team. Fire / Dark coverage is very good, and if you manage to nab a Flash Fire boost from Houndoom before evolving, all you have to do is spam Fire Blast and watch the opposing team crumble. Nasty Plot, Fire Blast, and Dark Pulse provide everything Houndoom needs; and the fourth moveslot can be whatever you really want; Destiny Bond is fun to take something down with Mega Houndoom if it is about to be finished, Sucker Punch is cool priority, and HP Grass can provide a good way to smack something like Quagsire. It's a great Pokemon, and although it may have been initially seen as underwhelming, it's actually really good. It's not really necessary to make use of Solar Power, since Houndoom's power and movepool provide it more than enough to wreck in UU. I highly recommend trying Mega Houndoom; you won't be disappointed.

Mega Manectric has also been a very useful asset to a lot of my teams. I run the moveset it used to run back in BW RU, except of course without a Choice item. Intimidate is a very good ability, and Manectric does make pretty good use of it. It hits very hard with STAB Thunderbolt and good coverage in either Flamethrower or Overheat while checking physical attackers like Mienshao. Its high Speed and Special Attack along with Volt Switch make it a really good pivot; it can check threats, gain momentum, and in general also serve as a neat revenge killer and sweeper. The only real issue I've had with Mega Manectric was that some common threats wall it, especially depending on which Hidden Power it runs, but aside from that it's been very useful.

I have been able to use Mega Aggron effectively even outside of stall teams, as even on bulky offense it's provided me a solid defensive backbone. Mega Aggron+Florges is an incredible defensive core; they have great defensive synergy, and between the two, you can keep a lot of threats in check. Mega Aggron can support the team with Stealth Rock and Thunder Wave, and Florges's access to Wish and Aromatherapy ensure that Aggron stays healthy. I don't have much else to say, but Mega Aggron is just incredible and has been a go-to physical wall for me.

Mega Abomasnow isn't as good as the other Mega Evolutions but it has its niches, its bulk is pretty good and Ice / Grass is a very good offensive typing, Blizzard and Wood hammer hit very hard off of Abomasnow and it has nice coverage options like Earthquake so it can hit things very hard. Of course it has a couple of flaws but it has its uses regardless.

 

[Kingpoleon]

I have only really used Blastoise as a mega, so I'll only post my thoughts on it.
People re using Water Pulse. Never do this. Always go for Hydro Pump. 90 vs. 165. Pretty obvious choice here. Anyway, this thing does only what it's supposed to. No more, no less. If you want a pivoting Mega use Manectric. It hits harder, seemingly. Do not overestimate it if you are using it. If you are against it, do not underestimate it.

 

[Swamp Link]

Well the thing with Water Pulse vs. Hydro Pump is that Water Pulse has the same base power as Surf after Mega Launcher. Surf vs. Hydro Pump is often a matter of preference on Water-types, and considering that Mega Blastoise is a slower, bulkier attacker, Water Pulse may well be better if you want. Also, strictly by the numbers, Water Pulse will be stronger than Hydro Pump on average (90 > 110*.8).

 

[Aragorn the King]

You are aware Hydro Pump is boosted by Mega Launcher, right?

Nope:

The Ability affects the following moves:
Water Pulse
Aura Sphere
Heal Pulse
Dark Pulse
Dragon Pulse

Only Pulse/Aura moves get boosted, unfortunately.


To prove my point:

252+ SpA Mega Blastoise Hydro Pump vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Mew: 204-240 (59.8 - 70.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock

252+ SpA Mega Blastoise Mega Launcher Hydro Pump vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Mew: 204-240 (59.8 - 70.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock

 

[effyouzion]

Mega Ampharos is pretty incredible. He's just as bulky on the special side as mega Venusaur, an S-rank mon in OU, and carries a very useful set of resistances (flying, fire, water, grass, 4x electric) that match up perfectly with a physically bulky mon that can take earthquakes and ice beams. He can be a status absorber with rest talk, and with his slow volt switch he's perfect for letting a powerful but frail mon like Hawlucha come in safely. He's not weak either; even with minimal investment you will still take a nice chunk out of everything not named Chansey or Dusclops.

I've used mega Ampharos teams to get into both the top 50 of OU and the top 10 of UU and I've been impressed. He definitely needs more love.

 

[TM13IceBeam]

I have only really used Blastoise as a mega, so I'll only post my thoughts on it.
People re using Water Pulse. Never do this. Always go for Hydro Pump. 90 vs. 165. Pretty obvious choice here. Anyway, this thing does only what it's supposed to. No more, no less. If you want a pivoting Mega use Manectric. It hits harder, seemingly. Do not overestimate it if you are using it. If you are against it, do not underestimate it.

Scald is arguably more useful as the effect it leaves (burn) is much more crippling to a poke than confusion. The diff is only 10 bp, but Blastoise isnt netting any more kills with water pulse.

 

[EonX]

Ok, going to post a couple of Mega sets. You can put them in the OP if you want Rohail . Your call:

Manectric (M) @ Manectite
Ability: Lightningrod --> Intimidate
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 SDef
Timid Nature
- Volt Switch
- Thunderbolt
- Overheat
- Hidden Power [Ice]

What I believe to be the best set Mega Manectric has in UU right now. If you want an offensive Mega, I can't really say enough good things about this one. It just brings so much to the table. It has great base 135 Special Attack and Speed stats, Intimidate, Volt Switch, good coverage, a reliable cleaning move, and Lightningrod before MegaEvo. Volt Switch + Intimidate is amazing. It lets Manectric pivot into many physical attackers and switch back out to a better response while stacking damage on them. Thunderbolt is pretty strong off of base 135 Special Attack and Manectric has the Speed (base 135) to clean up with late-game. Overheat seems a little odd, but thanks to Volt Switch, Manectric can afford to use the extra power with little cost except for when you need it during a late-game sweep. HP Ice rounds off the set by nailing the likes of Noivern, Hydreigon, and weaker Grass-types that Manectric can't afford the use of Overheat on. It's a great all purpose offensive Mega that can also provide defensive support thanks to Intimidate + Volt Switch. Flamethrower is obviously usable over Overheat if you want a more reliable late-game sweep. HP Grass is available if you just have something against Swampert and Gastrodon (and Rhyperior too I guess)

Aggron @ Aggronite
Ability: Sturdy --> Filter
EVs: 16 Def / 248 HP / 244 SDef
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Thunder Wave
- Heavy Slam
- Dragon Tail

This is a Mega Aggron set that's more suited to balanced and bulky offense teams. Quite simply, Mega Aggron dgaf about any physical attacker that lacks super effective STAB moves. Pair it with a Wish user such as Florges or Vaporeon and it just won't die. It has amazing defensive synergy with Zapdos and Latias, two of the most versatile Pokemon in the tier that can either allow you to create a defensive backbone or just give them something to reliably fall back on in most situations. Mega Aggron can easily setup Stealth Rock on more than one occasion. Thunder Wave is what makes this set so useful on non-stall teams, allowing slower threats become incredibly dangerous. Heavy Slam with STAB and 140 base Attack is nothing to be triffled with considering Aggron is a heavy mofo. Dragon Tail is nice to scout out how the opponent wants to play against Aggron, thus giving you the chance to predict a switch in later in the match to gain momentum. For example, if the opponent sends in Darmanitan the first time, it is likely this will happen again, so you can double switch into something like Vaporeon or Slowbro. The EV spread hits a quick boost point in Defense with the remaining EVs going into special bulk to handle most neutral special attacks.

These two are definitely my favorites so far. They have some of the best versatility in use among the available Megas and they're quite easy to fit onto quite a few teams (especially Aggron)

 

[ryan]

It's worth noting that Mega Aerodactyl's bulk goes beyond its stats. I haven't used it in UU, but I've used it on a team in OU as a Flying check because it's one of the few Pokemon with the typing to take on all of Mega Pinsir, Talonflame, Tornadus-T, etc. Its typing and access to reliable recovery with Roost are both huge things in its favor as a bulky pivot. On top of that, its blazing Speed allows it to run a lot of defensive investment. It literally only needs 16 Speed EVs to outrun base 105 Speed Pokemon (in OU, this means Mega Pinsir; in UU, it means Mismagius and Mienshao), 44 Speed EVs to outrun base 108 Speed Pokemon (all the musketeers, as well as Infernape which will hopefully be relevant in UU soon), and only 60 Speed EVs to outrun base 110 Speed Pokemon (Latias and Froslass). It actually doesn't need any Speed investment whatsoever to outrun base 100 Speed Pokemon—that's how incredibly fast it is.

The closest comparison to bulky Mega Aerodactyl I could make would be one to Crobat. They have similar defensive stats, with Mega Aerodactyl coming in at 80/85/95 bulk and Crobat at 85/80/80 bulk. Mega Aerodactyl is actually bulkier both in terms of pure stats and in terms of what kind of EVing they can run because Crobat is slower and needs more investment to outrun shit. Both have access to a fast Taunt, Roost, Toxic, and Defog, and both have strong offensive moves. In fact, Mega Aerodactyl's Aerial Ace is only slightly weaker than Crobat's Brave Bird.

0 Atk Tough Claws Mega Aerodactyl Aerial Ace vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Mew: 109-129 (31.9 - 37.8%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Stealth Rock
0 Atk Crobat Brave Bird vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Mew: 118-141 (34.6 - 41.3%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Stealth Rock
(these calcs were done with no investment to show difference in power, and I realize that these scenarios will pretty much never happen)

But it also has access to STAB Stone Edge, Tough Claws-boosted Aqua Tail and Fire Fang, and Earthquake.

I really need to try this guy out in UU already, but it does face a dickload of competition from Crobat, simply because most of the strong birds are either banned in UU (Staraptor) or OU by usage. Crobat's ability to check Fighting-types is generally valued much more. However, Mega Aerodactyl can at least attempt to take on scary Fire-types in UU, such as Mega Houndoom, Darmanitan, and Victini. It just needs to dodge coverage from the second two and not switch into a +2 Dark Pulse from the former.

Anyways, Mega Aerodactyl isn't bad at all. People just use it poorly. Like I've seen it used as a Hone Claws sweeper, and that's just not going to work well at all.

Also, Mega Aerodactyl was a great SD Diggersby check.

0 Atk Tough Claws Mega Aerodactyl Aqua Tail vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Diggersby: 272-320 (87.4 - 102.8%) -- 56.3% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock

RIP.

 

[Petrico94]

As soon as one mega gets banned, the next one fills its place. It's like how Medicham had little point in OU because Lucario was still taking over after Kangaskhan had left.

 

[Demoness]

Yeah, I agree with Treecko. Mega Aerodactyl should not be seen as a sweeper (even though he has the stats to do it) because IMO, that is just a waste of his talents. The better way to use him is as an offensive pivot / revenge killer that you can tailor with specific moves to cover Pokemon that trouble your team, and be able to stay alive throughout the match due to Roost. Also, no generic 252/252 spreads for Mega Aero please. At most, you want to run enough speed to outrun Mega Manectric, and put the rest in bulk.

 

[Schpoonman]

The three best Megas are, far and away, Blastoise, Aggron, and Manectric. Even without reliable healing Aggron is impossibly sturdy. The SpDef set is a small nightmare for teams lacking a significantly powerful breaker. Blastoise comes close to redefining what it is to be a bulky attacker (he's doing in UU what Assault Vest Conkeldurr is doing in OU), Mega Launcher makes his coverage damn strong while 79/120/115 defenses are pretty fucking incredible on something that hits as hard as he does. Mega Manectric, while not terribly useful against defensive teams due to a lack of power, is absolutely horrifying for offensive teams. Coverage between Thunderbolt/Volt Switch, Flamethrower/Overheat, and Hidden Power Grass/Ice makes switching in a bitch of a task while he's running circles around your team and shrugging off physical hits thanks to Intimidate. Losing Lightningrod kinda sucks, but again, Intimidate can make your life a lot easier against some of the scarier threats of the tier like Hawlucha, Crawdaunt, and Heracross.

 

[mertyville]

Blastoise can shine in this tier because nothing resists its coverage moves. Ghost typs won't even think about switching in to spinblock fearing Dark Pulse. It is definitivly one of the top Megas. But I believe Houndoum is currently the most dangerious one, though I hate to say that since it is the most boring Mega. It is more powerful than its Life-Orb Counterpart and is fast as well. It can boost its insane Special Attack, which makes it one of, if not, the special sweeper in UU.

 

[Pipotchi]

It's worth noting that Mega Aerodactyl's bulk goes beyond its stats. I haven't used it in UU, but I've used it on a team in OU as a Flying check because it's one of the few Pokemon with the typing to take on all of Mega Pinsir, Talonflame, Tornadus-T, etc. Its typing and access to reliable recovery with Roost are both huge things in its favor as a bulky pivot. On top of that, its blazing Speed allows it to run a lot of defensive investment. It literally only needs 16 Speed EVs to outrun base 105 Speed Pokemon (in OU, this means Mega Pinsir; in UU, it means Mismagius and Mienshao), 44 Speed EVs to outrun base 108 Speed Pokemon (all the musketeers, as well as Infernape which will hopefully be relevant in UU soon), and only 60 Speed EVs to outrun base 110 Speed Pokemon (Latias and Froslass). It actually doesn't need any Speed investment whatsoever to outrun base 100 Speed Pokemon—that's how incredibly fast it is.

The closest comparison to bulky Mega Aerodactyl I could make would be one to Crobat. They have similar defensive stats, with Mega Aerodactyl coming in at 80/85/95 bulk and Crobat at 85/80/80 bulk. Mega Aerodactyl is actually bulkier both in terms of pure stats and in terms of what kind of EVing they can run because Crobat is slower and needs more investment to outrun shit. Both have access to a fast Taunt, Roost, Toxic, and Defog, and both have strong offensive moves. In fact, Mega Aerodactyl's Aerial Ace is only slightly weaker than Crobat's Brave Bird.

0 Atk Tough Claws Mega Aerodactyl Aerial Ace vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Mew: 109-129 (31.9 - 37.8%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Stealth Rock
0 Atk Crobat Brave Bird vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Mew: 118-141 (34.6 - 41.3%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Stealth Rock
(these calcs were done with no investment to show difference in power, and I realize that these scenarios will pretty much never happen)

But it also has access to STAB Stone Edge, Tough Claws-boosted Aqua Tail and Fire Fang, and Earthquake.

I really need to try this guy out in UU already, but it does face a dickload of competition from Crobat, simply because most of the strong birds are either banned in UU (Staraptor) or OU by usage. Crobat's ability to check Fighting-types is generally valued much more. However, Mega Aerodactyl can at least attempt to take on scary Fire-types in UU, such as Mega Houndoom, Darmanitan, and Victini. It just needs to dodge coverage from the second two and not switch into a +2 Dark Pulse from the former.

Anyways, Mega Aerodactyl isn't bad at all. People just use it poorly. Like I've seen it used as a Hone Claws sweeper, and that's just not going to work well at all.

Also, Mega Aerodactyl was a great SD Diggersby check.

0 Atk Tough Claws Mega Aerodactyl Aqua Tail vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Diggersby: 272-320 (87.4 - 102.8%) -- 56.3% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock

RIP.

Really interesting post! Do you think mega aerodactyl should steer away from investing in attack if he is running a crobat-esque support set? When fully invested he hits pretty damn hard considering he can afford to run an adamant nature also. Just wondering if you had discovered any decent defense values to reach that allows you to avoid 2hkos.. although I guess a good number of 2hkos can also be achieved just due to roost removing that electric weakness..

Also I did some calcs and you can get a set that outspeeds Mega Manectric and also avoids the ohko from thunderbolt:
Jolly | 132 Hp / 128 Atk / 112 SpD / 136 Spe

If you switch into thunderbolt you can ohko with earthquake after stealth rock, and if mega manectric switches in to try and kill you you can 2hko with either -1 eq from full hp, or you can 2hko with stone edge as long as stealth rock is actually up- alternatively you can just roost off the thunderbolt damage due to outspeeding and losing the electric weakness. I wouldn't say the matchup becomes an easy win at all for aero because you still might be crippled by the 10% paralysis chance or by a crit if trying to roost off the damage, and ideally you would have to run earthquake to deal with it.. but it means you can lure in a mega which usually counters you whilst defogging or taunting, and beat it in theory- although I guess mega manectric isnt going to switch into mega aerodactyl unless he is sure you are going to roost/defog/taunt. I will try it out though before I try and say this spread is particularly good or not. But it has enough attack to do what it needs to do, for instance ohkoing specially defensive rotom-H 75% of the time without stealth rock with stone edge and probably some other things too (lol)

 

[NotBruceWayne]

Mega Abomasnow is definitely the least viable of the available Megas. Yes, Ampharos is also a slow sack of balls, but it has all those resistances and that unique Electric/Dragon typing. Mold Breaker allows it to hit through Volt Absorb and Sturdy too iirc making any attack a "safer" choice.

Manectric has been pretty damn common as its a really good pivot / revenge killer with that 135 Speed. Shame that HP has been nerfed. It cant hit stuff like Flygon as hard as it used to.

Houndoom is definitely a top tier threat. It hits like a truck and has coverage moves for most of its common switch ins. Some carry Sunny Day which I think is a waste of a moveslot as MegaDoom's defenses aren't exactly great. 75 / 90 / 90 defenses aren't exactly terrible but with weakness to Mach Punch and Aqua Jet, I think Doom is better off nuking pokemon right off the bat. It is worth noting that it gets Sucker Punch letting it go mixed and giving Doom some priority and now Destiny Bond too via breeding.

 

[1withthebutterfly]

I've done a decent chunk of testing with Mega-Banette recently, and I've gotta disagree on some points. M-Banette definitely does not need Protect to safely Mega Evolve, just smart prediction on the user's part. I will readily admit that he's dead weight before you manage to Mega Evolve him, but once he has Prankster active he can really mess around with the opponent's team. I've been using this set, and having a lot of success with it;

Banette @ Banettite
Ability: Frisk
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SDef
Careful Nature
- Knock Off
- Will-O-Wisp
- Taunt
- Destiny Bond

Maximising Banette's defences gives him a few opportunities to safely switch in and Mega Evolve, especially against Pokemon like Chansey, Florges and Empoleon. Once it's transformed, it's got a plethora of support options to suit the situation. His pseudo-physical bulk with Will-o-Wisp let M-Banette take hits that, by rights, it shouldn't be taking.

252 Atk burned Krookodile Knock Off vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Mega Banette: 126-148 (37.9 - 44.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252 Atk Life Orb burned Mienshao Knock Off vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Mega Banette: 114-135 (34.3 - 40.6%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252+ Atk Life Orb Adaptability burned Crawdaunt Knock Off vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Mega Banette: 244-289 (73.4 - 87%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Are these fights going to work out in M-Banette's favour? No chance, but the fact that it can take a Super-Effective Knock Offs from some of the most powerful attackers in the tier and cripple them in the process, ready to switch out and do some more work later in the battle lend some credence to its utility.

Against less threatening attackers, M-Banette is free to spread burns, force out support Pokemon and deal out pretty substantial chunks of damage with Knock Offs coming from 403 attack. The biggest draw to M-Banette is the Priority Destiny Bond, which is undoubtedly its most attractive feature. Boosting sweepers can tear straight through a stall team if they start getting momentum, especially things that boost incidentally; Download Porygon-Z or Moxie abusers, for example. M-Banette is a last minute panic button, able to solve any one problem for you. UU isn't Priority central like OU is at the moment, most of these ridiculously threatening pokemon are going to be attacking you through sheer speed, so M-Banette's Destiny Bond is quite reliable. Whether its to stop a runaway sweeper, or to crack a boosting juggernaut in the last spot, M-Banette can be relied upon to assassinate a pokemon of your choice.

But, regardless of that big spiel, M-Banette has a lot of flaws. It is slow, and it is pretty frail. It has no native recovery, and its vulnerable to every entry hazard. Actually mega evolving it can be very difficult to do, especially against aggressive/HO style teams. A lot of games, you're going to be trading your mega for one of their pokemon and nothing more. Sometimes not even that. M-Banette is a powerful tool, but its a tool with a lot of drawbacks. I don't know if M-Banette has a place on offensive teams, and I do know that its fighting M-Aggron and M-Blastoise for slots on defensive ones, but it has its merits. M-Banette is currently ranked B- in the viability thread, and I believe that may be underselling it somewhat. By how much I'm probably not qualified to guess.

 

[Kushalos]

For Absol, the only two Pokemon that resist Dark and Fairy (Klefki and Mawile) are OU, so it gets perfect coverage with just Sucker Punch and Play Rough. It's a shame that Knock Off is incompatible, but you can make do with Night Slash, and it's fairy effective. An All-Out Attacking mixed set is good too.

With regards to Aerodactyl, its main STAB is still Stone Edge, even with Tough Claws Aerial Ace is weaker. Hone Claws Aerodactyl was actually a pretty potent cleaner in my experience, though, because it did hit really hard. Also, it gets access to Aqua Tail, which beats Hippowdon. I would swap that mention for Mega Aggron or Swampert or something. I've liked this set on it:

Aerodactyl @ Aerodactylite
Ability: Unnerve
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Stone Edge
- Aerial Ace
- Aqua Tail
- Hone Claws / Roost

These are the most powerful/useful coverage options on it, and the fourth slot can vary depending on whether you want a mid-game pivot and wallbreaker with longevity or a late-game sweeper.

Dont forget to slash Earthquake with Hone Claws and Roost, cause it is his hardest hitting option for steel types like Metagross, Jirachi and Magnezone!

 

[Arkian]

Alright I've updated the OP to include a few viable sets. If you feel that one of my sets could be better (especially the EV spreads), then feel free to post about it. Also, I'm willing to take your own sets and include them in the OP as long as I deem them viable for the metagame.

That's a really interesting point Treecko, I've updated Mega Aero's description to include that. If you can contribute what the set would look like though, it would be swell, since I have never used defensive Mega Aero for myself.

 

[Kushalos]

Also here are two sets for other Mega Evolutions:

Houndoom @ Houndoominite
Ability: Flash Fire --> Solar Power
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Nasty Plot
- Fire Blast
- Dark Pulse
- Hidden Power [Grass]

This beast got me to #1 on the UU ladder and ScraftyIsTheBest stated, Mega Houndoom is a seriously underrated Mega. The main issue normal NP Houndoom had in gen 5, it's base 90 speed stat, is now boosted to an incredible base 115, allowing it now to even outspeed top threats like Keldeo and Latias. Not only that but it received a base 140 special attack from Arceus! The only pokemon that is able to take on Mega-Houndoom 100% of the time would be Chansey, while the rest of the tier gets shit on by his amazing dual STABs. Hidden Power Grass takes care of pokemon that dont die to a +2 Dark Pulse, like Swampert, Gastrodon and specially defensive version of Rhyperior, its also its strongest option for Keldeo, who resists his dual STABs. Destiny Bond could also be used in the last slot in case you didnt manage to set up and need to take something out like a Curselax that got too many boosts, although Taunt prevents you from being phazed out and chansey from recovering.

Abomasnow @ Abomasite
Ability: Snow Warning
EVs: 56 HP / 200 Atk / 252 SAtk
Quiet Nature
IVs: NaN Spd
- Blizzard
- Giga Drain
- Ice Shard/Substitute
- Earthquake

Ah, Abomasnow. This is probably my favorite mega in UU. Its power and coverage is amazing and if you use it in the correct way, Abomasnow will work wonders for your team. Blizzard is the most powerful Ice move Snow has at its disposal, and will destroy even pokemon that resist it. Giga Drain is a reliable STAB that will also allow you to heal yourself throughout the battle. The decision to use Ice Shard or Substitute is a toss-up, Ice Shard allows you to pick off weakened opponents and Substitute eases prediction. Earthquake is there to hit all the Fire and Steel-types that resist his dual STAB.
Maximum special attack investment for the most powerful Blizzard and a Quiet Nature, cause Abomasnow works the best when its on a Trick Room-team(although not required). 200 attack EVs ensure that you get a 2HKO on max HP Metagross with Earthquake after hail damage and it OHKOs Noivern with Ice Shard this way, while the rest of the EVs are in HP for more bulk.

 

[Sergeant Spooky]

Mega Houndoom is seriously good. +2 Dark Pulses and Fire Blasts have good coverage and hurt like hell.

Houndoom @ Houndoominite
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 Def
Timid Nature
- Dark Pulse
- Fire Blast
- Nasty Plot
- Destiny Bond

This is the set I've mostly been using. Houndoom doesn't have a lot of good coverage options so I opted for Destiny Bond.

Houndoom @ Houndoominite
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 Def
Timid Nature
- Super Fang
- Taunt
- Dark Pulse
- Fire Blast

This set isn't really meat to sweep but instead cause a lot of havoc on defensive and stall teams, and is pretty much the only way Houndoom is getting past Chansey. It's not as good at sweeping but has worked pretty well for me, it's so good at softening up the other team.

 

[Kingpoleon]

Also here are two sets for other Mega Evolutions:

Houndoom @ Houndoominite
Ability: Flash Fire --> Solar Power
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Nasty Plot
- Fire Blast
- Dark Pulse
- Hidden Power [Grass]

This beast got me to #1 on the UU ladder and ScraftyIsTheBest stated, Mega Houndoom is a seriously underrated Mega. The main issue normal NP Houndoom had in gen 5, it's base 90 speed stat, is now boosted to an incredible base 115, allowing it now to even outspeed top threats like Keldeo and Latias. Not only that but it received a base 140 special attack from Arceus! The only pokemon that is able to take on Mega-Houndoom 100% of the time would be Chansey, while the rest of the tier gets shit on by his amazing dual STABs. Hidden Power Grass takes care of pokemon that dont die to a +2 Dark Pulse, like Swampert, Gastrodon and specially defensive version of Rhyperior, its also its strongest option for Keldeo, who resists his dual STABs. Destiny Bond could also be used in the last slot in case you didnt manage to set up and need to take something out like a Curselax that got too many boosts, although Taunt prevents you from being phazed out and chansey from recovering.

Abomasnow @ Abomasite
Ability: Snow Warning
EVs: 56 HP / 200 Atk / 252 SAtk
Quiet Nature
IVs: NaN Spd
- Blizzard
- Giga Drain
- Ice Shard/Substitute
- Earthquake

Ah, Abomasnow. This is probably my favorite mega in UU. Its power and coverage is amazing and if you use it in the correct way, Abomasnow will work wonders for your team. Blizzard is the most powerful Ice move Snow has at its disposal, and will destroy even pokemon that resist it. Giga Drain is a reliable STAB that will also allow you to heal yourself throughout the battle. The decision to use Ice Shard or Substitute is a toss-up, Ice Shard allows you to pick off weakened opponents and Substitute eases prediction. Earthquake is there to hit all the Fire and Steel-types that resist his dual STAB.
Maximum special attack investment for the most powerful Blizzard and a Quiet Nature, cause Abomasnow works the best when its on a Trick Room-team(although not required). 200 attack EVs ensure that you get a 2HKO on max HP Metagross with Earthquake after hail damage and it OHKOs Noivern with Ice Shard this way, while the rest of the EVs are in HP for more bulk.

Mega-Houndoom is amazing. If you don't run a Scarf 80+, or Chansey, it will sweep your team. I plan to run a Drought team when that gets suspected. I came up with that set by myself too, though I am trying to decide if I should stay in against enemy Houndoom, or should I run enough speed to outpace everything trying to outspend 111s.

On Mega-Abomasnow, if you choose to run Substitute, you should run Focus Punch>EQ, as it lets you break through Chansey(59.9% min.), who otherwise walls you as EQ does 24.9% max.

 

[EonX]

Another mega set that I've tested a little is mixed Mega Absol:

Absol @ Absolite
Ability: Justified --> Magic Bounce
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Nature: Hasty or Naive nature
- Sucker Punch
- Play Rough / Superpower / Psycho Cut
- Fire Blast / Ice Beam
- Night Slash / Knock Off

Honestly, I just feel that Mega Absol is too frail to effectively setup up and sweep. However, it has great mixed offenses and the movepool to take advantage of it. This set is geared more toward breaking down defensive cores than it is sweeping. Sucker Punch is the obvious STAB move and it's much easier to use now thanks to Magic Bounce making it impossible to use Will-o-Wisp, Thunder Wave, etc. Play Rough is the primary physical coverage move to crush Fighting-, Dark-, and Dragon-type Pokemon that are quite common in the tier. However, because it is illegal with Knock Off, there are two other options to handle portions of these threats. Superpower nails Dark-type Pokemon for heavier damage, but also makes it harder to stay in for long periods of time. Psycho Cut can drill Fighting-types, but leaves Absol completely helpless against Dark-types that have any kind of bulk. The 3rd slot gives Absol coverage against defensive Pokemon. Fire Blast hits Mega Aggron for heavy damage, a serious defensive threat that Absol has no real way of hurting otherwise. However, Ice Beam is a solid alternative to seriously dent Hippowdon. It's also nice to smash Haxorus, Hydreigon, and Zygarde when Play Rough is not being used. The last move gives Absol a more reliable STAB in the presence of a Sub user or stat booster. Night Slash is slashed first as Absol can't run Knock Off with Play Rough due to legality issues. However, Knock Off is the better move by far and should be used under any circumstance when Absol isn't running Play Rough. EVs focus on Absol's physical attack without gimping the power of the Special Attack is uses. Hasty is preferred so the Download boost for Porygon-Z(2) boosts physical Attack instead of Special Attack. Oh, and if it looks familiar, it should. It's basically Absol's mixed set from BW RU updated with changes in XY UU.

 

[Blast]

Yeah I agree that SD really isn't all that mandatory for Mega Absol, it's pretty difficult to set up and even if you manage to nab a boost it's not all that easy to sweep with thanks to the abundance of things that can revenge kill you, like Scarf Keldeo, Scarf Hydreigon, Hawlucha, etc. Haven't really used mixed sets, but I actually think one of the better ways to use it is with sort of an offensive support set that can make use of Mega Absol's good utility and power, while not losing a ton of momentum every time it's forced out.

This is what I'd consider the best (physical) set for Mega Absol right now:

Absol @ Absolite
Ability: Justified (Magic Bounce)
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spd / 4 HP
Jolly Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Pursuit / Swords Dance
- Play Rough / Knock Off
- Baton Pass

Sucker Punch is pretty much mandatory, as it's an excellent priority move that can revenge kill a shitton of stuff with its great power and coverage. Pursuit is a really useful tool that allows Mega Absol to trap troublesome foes like Mew and Jirachi, letting it support teammates who struggle against these Pokémon. On the other hand, you could also use SD if you want Mega Absol to take advantage of the switches itself, but like I said it's not too easy to sweep with. Play Rough vs. Knock Off is a choice between coverage and utility; Play Rough can dent stuff that resist its STABs while Knock Off cripples them by removing their item, while also giving you a more reliable STAB against slower threats. Running triple STABs might seem like a bad idea because of redundant coverage but it allows for maximum support and disruption. Baton Pass is there to scout for predicted switches, allowing it to serve somewhat as a pivot; even without SD, just dry passing for momentum can make all the difference (and occasionally you can even pass Justified boosts!)

 

[Liquidocelot]

While i have to say the best mega's in the tier are aggron and mega houndoom as i big fan of volt turn my favorite mega is by far manectric. Manectric is an almost necessity on any volt turn team in both ou and uu and is by far the best pivot in the meta right now. Although it lacks coverage and some power it is by far one of the best pokes in the game and a terrific revenge killer.