QC Checks: 3/3
GP Checks: 1/1
[OVERVIEW]
• Mega Lucario has a nice in being able to handle commons Dark- and Fairy-types such as Arceus-Dark, Arceus-Fairy and Xerneas easily thanks to his very good offensive type.
• It has a favorable matchup against stall because it can always find setup opportunities easily on almost Stall staples.
• It has a pretty good Attack stat, which coupled with his ability and setup move allows it him OHKO most defensives threats in the metagame (Giratina-O, Support Arceus, and Primal Groudon) after a Swords Dance.
• Its above average base 112 Speed stat allows it to run an Adamant nature and outspeed base 97 Speed Pokemon such as Lunala and Solgaleo by one point, because base 100s and 110s Pokemon aren't used a lot in the metagame.
• Its access to Adaptability, Swords Dance, Close Combat, Iron Tail (only Steel-type STAB, but it has shaky accuracy) and Bullet Punch as priority makes it very hard to handle for the opposing team.
• Althought it has good typing, its 70 / 88 / 70 bulk doesn't allow it to switch into offensive threats' attacks and makes it hard to set up compared to many other sweepers in Ubers.
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Bullet Punch
move 4: Iron Tail / Stone Edge
item: Lucarionite
ability: Justified
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
• Swords Dance is the setup move and allows Lucario to sweep.
• Close Combat is Mega Lucario's primary STAB move; it hits hard anything that doesn't resist it and can OKHO most neutral walls at +2, such as support Arceus variants and Primal Groudon.
• Bullet Punch is a priority move that allows Mega Lucario to handle faster Pokemon and clean offensive teams.
• The last move depends on what coverage you want Mega Lucario to have: Iron Tail is a secondary STAB move that hits Fairy-types and anything that resists or is immune to Close Combat, such as Arceus-Fairy, Xerneas, and Giratina-O, while Stone Edge can be used to OHKO Ho-Oh, which Mega Lucario cannot hit otherwise.
Set Details
========
• Maximum Speed and Attack EVs allow Mega Lucario to hit fast and hard.
• An Adamant nature makes Mega Lucario able to OKHO threats such as Giratina-O at +2; a Jolly nature is only useful if you want to outspeed Adamant Arceus and Timid Yveltal.
• Adamant Mega Lucario at +2 can OKHO Mega Gengar, all support versions of Arceus, Primal Groudon, Giratina-O, not 100% Zygarde can't tank +2 Close Combat.
• Justified is the most useful of Lucario's abilities before Mega Evolving, as it can give Lucario an Attack boost if switching into Dark-type move.
Usage Tips
========
• Switch Lucario on passive Dark- or Steel-types, either with double switches or just bringing it in after a teammate has been KOed.
• You can also switch it in on a predicted non-damaging attack, such like Recover or Toxic.
• Try to catch a +1 Attack boost by switching in on Dark moves, such as Arceus-Dark's Judgement
• Set up a Swords Dance against passives Pokemon, such as a support Arceus, or a wall like Ferrothorn, or on a switch-out.
• Keep Lucario safe for the late-game against balanced teams, but use it to pressure offense teams.
• Avoid status, as burn and paralysis make Mega Lucario useless.
Team Options
========
• Primal Groudon can absorb burn and paralysis and setup Stealth Rock, which helps Mega Lucario's sweeping. Primal Groudon's defensive version also checks most of Mega Lucario's revenge killers.
• Dark-types such as Yveltal or Arceus-Dark check Ghost-types that are immune to Close Combat.
• Arceus-Rock and Arceus-Water are useful to check Flying-types such as Mega Salamence, Ho-Oh and Lugia
• Mega Lucario appreciates entry hazard; Ferrothorn makes for a good partner, since it is able to set up Spikes while also checking Primal Kyogre
• Ho-Oh's Thunder Wave support cripples faster threats and makes Mega Lucario's average Speed less of a problem.
• Giratina-O also fits well with Mega Lucario, being able to come in on attacks that are super effective against Mega-Lucario and it can also phaze and paralyze foes with Thunder Wave.
• Mega Lucario can weaken Primal Groudon and beat most Steel-types, which benefits and allows Geomancy Xerneas to sweep more easily.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
• Ice Punch can be used to hit for Salamence and Rayquaza.
• Earthquake is an option for Toxapex and Aegislash.
• Crunch is an alternative to deal with Lunala, OHKOing it at +2.
• Agility can be used in place of the coverage move to make up for Mega Lucario's not-excellent Speed.
• A special set consisting of Nasty Plot, Flash Cannon, Vacuum Wave, and a coverage move is viable and the surprise factor can be takend advantage of, though it's not as effective overall.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ghost-types**: Ghost-types are immune to Close Combat, and most of them outspeed Mega Lucario or are bulky enough to tank its coverage moves. Arceus-Ghost outspeeds and can OHKOes Mega Lucario with Focus Blast, while Mega Gengar traps and OHKOes it with Focus Blast, but Mega Gengar can be OHKOed by an Adamant +2 Bullet Punch even without Stealth Rock damage. Lunala tanks a +2 Iron Tail if Shadow Shield is intact and OHKOes back with Focus Blast or Choice Specs-boosted Moongeist Blast, but it gets OHKOed by a +2 Crunch. Giratina-O also tanks Jolly Mega Lucario's +2 Iron Tail and can phaze it out with Dragon Tail, but Giratina-O can be OHKOed by an Adamant +2 Iron Tail. Aegislash walls Mega Lucario and can lower its Attack with King's Shield, but it can't do anything back without Shadow Ball.
**Zygarde-C**: Thanks to his great bulk, Zygarde-C can tank a +2 Close Combat and OKHO Mega Lucario back with Thousand Arrows.
**Psychic Terrain**: Psychic Terrain nullifies priority moves, making Mega Lucario useless against fast threats like Mega Gengar, Pheromosa or Deoxys-A.
**Ho-Oh**: Ho-Oh resists both Mega Lucario's STAB moves STABs and can OKHO it back, Lucario still have a chance to kill Ho-Oh after Stealth Rock damage, Adamant version can OKHO offensive Ho-Oh with Close Combat though.
**Toxapex**: Toxapex resists both of Mega Lucario's STAB moves; it tanks a +2 Close Combat and can eliminate its attack boosts with a Scald burn.
**Mega Salamence**: Mega Salamence is a decent check to ,Mega Lucario, being able to lower its Attack thanks to Intimidate before Mega Evolving and tank a +1 Iron Tail thanks to its good physical bulk, it can OKHO back with Double-Edge, or set up a Dragon Dance if Mega Lucario's Attack isn't boosted.
**Fast Revenge Killers**: Mewtwo, Offensive Arceus, and Choice Scarf users bar Xerneas can tank a +2 Bullet Punch, outspeed, and KO Mega Lucario.
GP Checks: 1/1

[OVERVIEW]
• Mega Lucario has a nice in being able to handle commons Dark- and Fairy-types such as Arceus-Dark, Arceus-Fairy and Xerneas easily thanks to his very good offensive type.
• It has a favorable matchup against stall because it can always find setup opportunities easily on almost Stall staples.
• It has a pretty good Attack stat, which coupled with his ability and setup move allows it him OHKO most defensives threats in the metagame (Giratina-O, Support Arceus, and Primal Groudon) after a Swords Dance.
• Its above average base 112 Speed stat allows it to run an Adamant nature and outspeed base 97 Speed Pokemon such as Lunala and Solgaleo by one point, because base 100s and 110s Pokemon aren't used a lot in the metagame.
• Its access to Adaptability, Swords Dance, Close Combat, Iron Tail (only Steel-type STAB, but it has shaky accuracy) and Bullet Punch as priority makes it very hard to handle for the opposing team.
• Althought it has good typing, its 70 / 88 / 70 bulk doesn't allow it to switch into offensive threats' attacks and makes it hard to set up compared to many other sweepers in Ubers.
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Bullet Punch
move 4: Iron Tail / Stone Edge
item: Lucarionite
ability: Justified
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
• Swords Dance is the setup move and allows Lucario to sweep.
• Close Combat is Mega Lucario's primary STAB move; it hits hard anything that doesn't resist it and can OKHO most neutral walls at +2, such as support Arceus variants and Primal Groudon.
• Bullet Punch is a priority move that allows Mega Lucario to handle faster Pokemon and clean offensive teams.
• The last move depends on what coverage you want Mega Lucario to have: Iron Tail is a secondary STAB move that hits Fairy-types and anything that resists or is immune to Close Combat, such as Arceus-Fairy, Xerneas, and Giratina-O, while Stone Edge can be used to OHKO Ho-Oh, which Mega Lucario cannot hit otherwise.
Set Details
========
• Maximum Speed and Attack EVs allow Mega Lucario to hit fast and hard.
• An Adamant nature makes Mega Lucario able to OKHO threats such as Giratina-O at +2; a Jolly nature is only useful if you want to outspeed Adamant Arceus and Timid Yveltal.
• Adamant Mega Lucario at +2 can OKHO Mega Gengar, all support versions of Arceus, Primal Groudon, Giratina-O, not 100% Zygarde can't tank +2 Close Combat.
• Justified is the most useful of Lucario's abilities before Mega Evolving, as it can give Lucario an Attack boost if switching into Dark-type move.
Usage Tips
========
• Switch Lucario on passive Dark- or Steel-types, either with double switches or just bringing it in after a teammate has been KOed.
• You can also switch it in on a predicted non-damaging attack, such like Recover or Toxic.
• Try to catch a +1 Attack boost by switching in on Dark moves, such as Arceus-Dark's Judgement
• Set up a Swords Dance against passives Pokemon, such as a support Arceus, or a wall like Ferrothorn, or on a switch-out.
• Keep Lucario safe for the late-game against balanced teams, but use it to pressure offense teams.
• Avoid status, as burn and paralysis make Mega Lucario useless.
Team Options
========
• Primal Groudon can absorb burn and paralysis and setup Stealth Rock, which helps Mega Lucario's sweeping. Primal Groudon's defensive version also checks most of Mega Lucario's revenge killers.
• Dark-types such as Yveltal or Arceus-Dark check Ghost-types that are immune to Close Combat.
• Arceus-Rock and Arceus-Water are useful to check Flying-types such as Mega Salamence, Ho-Oh and Lugia
• Mega Lucario appreciates entry hazard; Ferrothorn makes for a good partner, since it is able to set up Spikes while also checking Primal Kyogre
• Ho-Oh's Thunder Wave support cripples faster threats and makes Mega Lucario's average Speed less of a problem.
• Giratina-O also fits well with Mega Lucario, being able to come in on attacks that are super effective against Mega-Lucario and it can also phaze and paralyze foes with Thunder Wave.
• Mega Lucario can weaken Primal Groudon and beat most Steel-types, which benefits and allows Geomancy Xerneas to sweep more easily.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
• Ice Punch can be used to hit for Salamence and Rayquaza.
• Earthquake is an option for Toxapex and Aegislash.
• Crunch is an alternative to deal with Lunala, OHKOing it at +2.
• Agility can be used in place of the coverage move to make up for Mega Lucario's not-excellent Speed.
• A special set consisting of Nasty Plot, Flash Cannon, Vacuum Wave, and a coverage move is viable and the surprise factor can be takend advantage of, though it's not as effective overall.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ghost-types**: Ghost-types are immune to Close Combat, and most of them outspeed Mega Lucario or are bulky enough to tank its coverage moves. Arceus-Ghost outspeeds and can OHKOes Mega Lucario with Focus Blast, while Mega Gengar traps and OHKOes it with Focus Blast, but Mega Gengar can be OHKOed by an Adamant +2 Bullet Punch even without Stealth Rock damage. Lunala tanks a +2 Iron Tail if Shadow Shield is intact and OHKOes back with Focus Blast or Choice Specs-boosted Moongeist Blast, but it gets OHKOed by a +2 Crunch. Giratina-O also tanks Jolly Mega Lucario's +2 Iron Tail and can phaze it out with Dragon Tail, but Giratina-O can be OHKOed by an Adamant +2 Iron Tail. Aegislash walls Mega Lucario and can lower its Attack with King's Shield, but it can't do anything back without Shadow Ball.
**Zygarde-C**: Thanks to his great bulk, Zygarde-C can tank a +2 Close Combat and OKHO Mega Lucario back with Thousand Arrows.
**Psychic Terrain**: Psychic Terrain nullifies priority moves, making Mega Lucario useless against fast threats like Mega Gengar, Pheromosa or Deoxys-A.
**Ho-Oh**: Ho-Oh resists both Mega Lucario's STAB moves STABs and can OKHO it back, Lucario still have a chance to kill Ho-Oh after Stealth Rock damage, Adamant version can OKHO offensive Ho-Oh with Close Combat though.
**Toxapex**: Toxapex resists both of Mega Lucario's STAB moves; it tanks a +2 Close Combat and can eliminate its attack boosts with a Scald burn.
**Mega Salamence**: Mega Salamence is a decent check to ,Mega Lucario, being able to lower its Attack thanks to Intimidate before Mega Evolving and tank a +1 Iron Tail thanks to its good physical bulk, it can OKHO back with Double-Edge, or set up a Dragon Dance if Mega Lucario's Attack isn't boosted.
**Fast Revenge Killers**: Mewtwo, Offensive Arceus, and Choice Scarf users bar Xerneas can tank a +2 Bullet Punch, outspeed, and KO Mega Lucario.
Last edited: