[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Play Rough
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Knock Off / Thunder Punch
item: Mawilite
ability: Intimidate
nature: Adamant
evs: 92 HP / 252 Atk / 164 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Swords Dance Mega Mawile is an extremely dangerous wallbreaker and sweeper. It's Huge Power-boosted Attack stat combined with Swords Dance and good coverage allows it to annihilate common defensive Pokemon, such as Slowbro, Tapu Fini, and Clefable. Additionally, Sucker Punch puts pressure on faster offensive threats, such as Heatran, Garchomp, Victini, Magnezone and Kartana especially when boosted. Mega Mawile's decent natural bulk, great defensive typing, and Intimidate before it Mega Evolves give it set up opportunities against physical attackers like Rillaboom, Weavile,(comma) and Tyranitar. Knock Off gives Mega Mawile neutral coverage against Fairy-resistant foes such as Heatran, Ferrothorn, Toxapex, and Melmetal. Thunder Punch, on the other hand, gives up the coverage provided by Knock Off to hit Pokemon such as Toxapex, Tapu Fini, Corviknight, and Skarmory super effectively. The given Speed allows Mega Mawile to outrun Skarmory, with the rest dumped into HP to maximize bulk.
Mega Mawile is a good fit on balance and bulky offense teams that appreciate its wallbreaking capabilities and sweeping potential. Mega Mawile enjoys pivoting support that can get it in safely while also potentially wearing down its checks, such as Landorus-T, Tapu Koko, Gliscor, Rotom-W, and Slowbro. Additionally, the latter three check Heatran, which Mega Mawile can struggle against. Mega Mawile appreciates entry hazard support from users like Garchomp, Ferrothorn, and Greninja to weaken its checks like Heatran and Landorus-T. These entry hazards can also wear down fast Pokemon that aren't OHKOed by +2 Sucker Punch, such as Ash-Greninja, Choice Specs Tapu Koko, and Mega Lopunny. Alternatively, defensive partners such as Landorus-T and Gastrodon can help Mega Mawile cover opposing threats such as Landorus-T, Tapu Koko, and Heatran. Many teams also enjoy Mega Mawile acting as a decent interim check to Weavile; this can give teams relying on physically defensive Pokemon that are weak to Weavile, such as Landorus-T and Zapdos, some breathing room.
[SET]
name: All-Out Attacker
move 1: Play Rough
move 2: Ice Punch
move 3: Thunder Punch
move 4: Fire Fang / Brick Break
item: Mawilite
ability: Intimidate
nature: Adamant
evs: 52 HP / 252 Atk / 204 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
All-out attacker Mega Mawile sacrifices some of its anti-offense tools for better coverage against traditional defensive cores. Ice Punch allows Mega Mawile to hit Landorus-T, Gliscor, and Garchomp, and Thunder Punch puts pressure on Toxapex, Slowbro, and Corviknight. Fire Fang destroys Steel-types like Mega Scizor, Ferrothorn, and Kartana with the notable exception of Heatran. Brick Break is an alternative to Fire Fang that also hits Heatran, Magnezone, and Melmetal, but leaves Mega Mawile unable to break through Mega Scizor. Focus Punch is a more prediction reliant but rewarding option that hits most neutral targets for extreme damage while also allowing Mega Mawile to beat Mega Scizor and Iron Defense Skarmory. Intimidate is the preferred ability to weaken attacks from the likes of Weavile, Mega Scizor, and Rillaboom. 204 Speed EVs are enough to outspeed Mega Scizor, but an alternative EV spread of 92 HP / 252 Atk / 164 Spe is preferred on sets without Fire Fang or Focus Punch.
All-out attacker Mega Mawile fits best on teams that appreciate its ability to break down common balance cores for faster teammates. Late-game cleaners, such as Ash-Greninja, Tapu Koko, and Weavile, appreciate Mega Mawile pressuring common defensive core staples such as Landorus-T, Tapu Fini, and Ferrothorn; these Pokemon also shore up Mega Mawile's subpar offense matchup. Spikes support from Ferrothorn and Ash-Greninja is also helpful to wear down some of Mega Mawile's checks like Heatran, Toxapex, Ferrothorn, and Mega Scizor. Pivoting support from the likes of Landorus-T, Tapu Koko, Slowbro, and Rotom-W can give Mega Mawile safe switch ins. Notably, Landorus-T and Rotom-W can force out Heatran for Mega Mawile, and Rotom-W and Slowbro can pressure irritating Ground-types like Landorus-T and Gliscor, therefore reducing the need for Mega Mawile to predict these Pokemon switching in. Paralysis support from the likes of Ferrothorn, Serperior, and Clefable can also help out Mega Mawile against faster teams.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
176 Speed EVs can be used on the Swords Dance set to outrun Shedinja with a neutral Speed nature and dispose of it before it can burn Mega Mawile with Will-O-Wisp, but this is a very specific, uncommon scenario. 204 Speed EVs can also be considered on the aforementioned set to outspeed Mega Scizor and catch it before it uses Roost. Sucker Punch might look like a decent option on the all-out attacker set to slightly shore up the offense matchup, but offensive Pokemon that can take an unboosted Sucker Punch are plentiful in the metagame and losing out on the coverage is definitely not worth it. Knock Off is an option as well for Dark-type coverage that hits Slowbro, Galarian Slowking, and Reuniclus harder while also potentially removing items from the likes of Melmetal and Landorus-T, but the coverage is overall inferior to the aforementioned moves due to the lack of power otherwise.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Faster Pokemon**: Many faster offensive Pokemon like Ash-Greninja, Tapu Koko, and Mega Lopunny can check Mega Mawile offensively, although the vast majority of them cannot switch in safely and fear a boosted Sucker Punch. Tapu Lele blocks Sucker Punch with Psychic Terrain, although it can't revenge kill Mega Mawile on its own without sufficient chip damage. Additionally, faster defensive Pokemon such as Zapdos, Landorus-T, and Moltres can outrun Mega Mawile and hit it super effectively; they can also punish Mega Mawile with adverse contact effects.
**Steel-types**: Rocky Helmet Skarmory reliably checks non-Focus Punch Mega Mawile with chip damage and Iron Defense boosts. Heatran outruns Mega Mawile, resists Play Rough, and forces it out with the threat of an OHKO. However, Heatran must be cautious of Fighting coverage or Knock Off if attempting to switch in, and +2 Sucker Punch can take it down after some chip. Substitute + Z-Move Magnezone can also trap Mega Mawile fairly easily, but it must be careful not to switch into super effective coverage or a boosted Sucker Punch. Melmetal is a decent check as well, but it is outsped by Mega Mawile and can't safely switch into super effective coverage options or boosted attacks.
**Ground-types**: Ground-types such as Landorus-T, Gliscor, Garchomp, and Excadrill are capable of checking Mega Mawile offensively, and some, such as Landorus-T, Gliscor, and the rarer Hippowdon, are capable of switching into certain Mega Mawile sets. They must be careful of being chipped into range of a boosted Sucker Punch, however, and many of them fear Ice Punch.
**Residual Damage**: Mega Mawile only uses attacks that make contact, so it is vulnerable to getting chipped down by Rocky Helmet and Iron Barbs. This is especially effective when the targets pivot around Mega Mawile to chip it down. This can limit its longevity in certain matchups against users like Ferrothorn, Rocky Helmet Corviknight, or Rocky Helmet Landorus-T, where it would otherwise be a massive threat.
**Fire-types**: Mega Mawile struggles against Fire-types like Mega Charizard X and Y, Volcarona, and Moltres, with the latter two threatening to burn it with Flame Body. Defensive Volcarona is also extremely annoying for Mega Mawile that lack Knock Off.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Sputnik, 475916]], [[Kaede, 483087]]
- Quality checked by: [[The Dragon Master, 521275], [Milo, 540138], [adem, 529732]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Isaiah, 375662], [UT, 523866]]
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