[OVERVIEW]
Mega Metagross is at the tip of any offensive team's spear. It requires no setup to break down defenses, moves fast enough to put high pressure on offensive teams, and has the defenses to consistently make its way into battle and stay there. There are few defensive answers to Mega Metagross in the tier, and many revenge killers can fail to beat it if it's healthy enough. To add to this, Metagross possesses good utility in Bullet Punch and Pursuit, which can help it perform as a revenge killer or provide valuable trapping. Truthfully there is little bad to say about Metagross. For this reason, the metagame is quite prepared to handle it, and with only four moveslots to play with, the opponent will sometimes possess a good defensive answer or at least a solid check.
[SET]
name: All-out Attacker
move 1: Meteor Mash
move 2: Thunder Punch
move 3: Hammer Arm / Earthquake
move 4: Ice Punch / Zen Headbutt / Bullet Punch
item: Metagrossite
ability: Clear Body
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Meteor Mash is Mega Metagross's primary STAB attack. Its good offensive typing, power, and chance to raise Metagross' Attack make it indispensable. Thunder Punch's coverage is highly valuable; it clocks Skarmory, Celesteela, and Toxapex in one moveslot. It can also benefit from Electric Terrain, giving Metagross even more dangerous offensive mix-up to play with. Hammer Arm is another excellent coverage move that prevents Metagross from being walled by the common Ferrothorn and also handles most other Steel-types like Heatran and Magnezone well. Earthquake can be used instead of Hammer Arm to also get past Steel-types, trading Ferrothorn for the benefit of giving Metagross the advantage against other Metagross. Keep in mind it does lose Tough Claws's effect and is therefore weaker against neutral targets like Scizor. Ice Punch deals extreme damage to Landorus-T, Tangrowth, and Zapdos, three pervasive and strong physically defensive pivots in the SM OU metagame. Zen Headbutt is a great secondary STAB attack that can hit targets like Toxapex, Rotom-W, and Alolan Marowak really hard. It can also benefit from Tapu Lele's Psychic Terrain, making Metagross even stronger. Bullet Punch is a strong priority attack that can be used to soften a weakness to faster attackers and sweepers for your team. Beware of what will check Metagross much better without its fourth coverage move. Finally, Pursuit can be used in the last slot. It does serious damage to anything frail switching out, and Metagross has no trouble forcing this situation. It gives up a lot of coverage, but the trapping utility can be highly useful if your team is especially weak to attackers like Tapu Lele, Latios, and Alakazam.
Set Details
========
Clear Body is Metagross's superior ability, as nullifying Intimidate for a turn makes Landorus-T and other users ineffective initially. It also helps mitigate Sticky Web. Due to Mega Metagross' all-out offensive nature, maximum Speed and Attack EVs and a Jolly nature are fully optimal.
Usage Tips
========
Metagross is very difficult to wall, and in many cases the opponent will have nothing that can avoid a 2HKO. Focus on bringing in Metagross early in the match by baiting attacks it resists, and then swing for the fences. Tapu Lele and Magearna are among the most common attackers Metagross can consistently switch into, but wary of Tapu Lele's Shadow Ball or Hidden Power Fire though, as a Metagross switch-in may be too obvious. Besides favorable type match-ups Metagross' natural defenses allow it to tank pretty much any neutral hit. If you can get Metagross in on a resisted hit, it will probably prevail, even if it needs to absorb a follow-up STAB attack. Due to Metagross's great offensive pressure, when the opponent does possesses a good switch-in to it such as physically defensive Tangrowth or Mega Scizor, they will very frequently hard switch to them; use this to create favorable double switches. Metagross'w incredible bulk lets it survive in many situations a Pokemon of its typing and EV investment has no business doing so. Choice Scarf Gengar and Excadrill, for example, can fail to KO Metagross. Keep this in mind when managing Metagross' HP; it may be smart to preserve it at 100% for the duration of the match, rendering it impossible to revenge kill with one Pokemon at a crucial time.
Team Options
========
Mega Metagross's incredible characteristics mean it fits on just about any team. It creates few weaknesses and acts as a strong wallbreaker, check, and counter to a handful of Pokemon. However, it's generally most suited for a more offensive team, and while it does handle defensive teams well enough and requires little support, it does not provide any utility that offensive teams generally might need. Magnezone as a partner is an appreciable idea if your team is over-reliant on Metagross to break past more defensive teams that may have Mega Scizor. Tapu Koko's offensive synergy with Metagross is very high: they both exert pressure on defensive Ground- and Grass-types that the other can then use to finish the job, and Tapu Koko's pivoting talents are not wasted on Metagross, which can often turn momentum into forced switches and 2HKOs. Tapu Koko can also amp up Thunder Punch's power, as under Electric Terrain Metagross is even more difficult to play around, effortlessly 2HKOing Skarmory and Toxapex. Entry hazard users are big support to Metagross, creating easier OHKOs and 2HKOs. Terrakion, Greninja, Landorus-T, and Garchomp are among the best offensive options. If you elect to a run a more balanced team, Toxapex, Skarmory, and Chansey are solid defensive hazard users. Tapu Lele's Psychic Terrain is another Terrain that gives Metagross a sharper offensive edge by powering up Metagross' Zen Headbutt. Sweepers and cleaners that take advantage of the cracks in the opponent's defenses Metagross creates are a good part of any offensive team it's on. Dragonite, Gyarados, Zygarde, and Landorus-T are good in this role, taking advantage of the pressure Metagross exerts onto the opponent's physically defensive Pokemon.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Hidden Power Fire is an option to break past Mega Scizor, whose nearly unmatched ability to totally wall Mega Metagross makes it a fairly popular choice in SM OU. While Hidden Power Fire does little else, it is effective in getting past that one specific threat. Agility can be used to attempt a sweep. While frankly, Mega Metagross's all-out attacking power is so great that Agility can often feel like a waste of its potential, Metagross is still nearly unmatched as a cleaner, so Agility is definitely a viable pick. Ideally, it would be run with support from Magnezone to deal with Skarmory, Scizor, Ferrothorn, and Celesteela. A moveset of Meteor Mash / Ice Punch / Earthquake / Agility optimizes super effective coverage and suffers little from lack of Thunder Punch and Hammer Arm thanks to Magnezone's support. Stealth Rock, like Agility, works just fine on Metagross. It is, in fact, a great user of the move, but it's nearly always a better choice to just use attacking moves to demolish the opponent's team, rather than set up entry hazards. Grass Knot is another mediocre coverage move that can harass Mega Slowbro, Quagsire, and some other uncommon Pokemon. Use this move to have Metagross act as a lure if anything.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Mega Scizor**: Mega Scizor is one of the few Pokemon in SM OU that are a proper counter to Mega Metagross. Thanks to its stellar defensive stats, well-suited typing, and access to reliable recovery, Pursuit, and U-turn, Mega Scizor can usually stop Metagross from doing too much damage in a match.
**Tangrowth**: Tangrowth is the second best counter to Mega Metagross in SM OU. With a physically defensive spread, Regenerator, Leech Seed, and a Rocky Helmet it can quite easily absorb anything Mega Metagross throws at it, while staying healthy and dealing damage in return.
**Bronzong**: Bronzong resists Mega Metagross's STAB combination and avoids a super effective hit from any of its attacks while 3HKOing it in return with Earthquake. This lets it act as a pretty solid counter, though it must be wary of Hammer Arm and Electric Terrain-enhanced Thunder Punches, which will do serious damage.
**Rotom-W**: Rotom-W is a very good answer to Mega Metagross should it lack Zen Headbutt, easily absorbing Thunder Punch and shutting it down with a burn.
**Defensive Ground-types**: While Ice Punch is obviously a huge issue for these Pokemon, defensive Landorus-T, Garchomp, and Hippowdon are all capable of dealing a lot of passive damage to Mega Metagross with Rocky Helmet or outright beating it one-on-one as long as it lacks Ice Punch.
**Revenge Killers**: Mega Metagross's outrageous defensive stats make it fairly difficult to revenge kill, but its common weaknesses do allow this to happen from time to time. Greninja, Choice Scarf Garchomp, Gengar, Excadrill, and other fast, powerful attackers with STAB attacks that hit Metagross super effectively can check it in a pinch.
Mega Metagross is at the tip of any offensive team's spear. It requires no setup to break down defenses, moves fast enough to put high pressure on offensive teams, and has the defenses to consistently make its way into battle and stay there. There are few defensive answers to Mega Metagross in the tier, and many revenge killers can fail to beat it if it's healthy enough. To add to this, Metagross possesses good utility in Bullet Punch and Pursuit, which can help it perform as a revenge killer or provide valuable trapping. Truthfully there is little bad to say about Metagross. For this reason, the metagame is quite prepared to handle it, and with only four moveslots to play with, the opponent will sometimes possess a good defensive answer or at least a solid check.
[SET]
name: All-out Attacker
move 1: Meteor Mash
move 2: Thunder Punch
move 3: Hammer Arm / Earthquake
move 4: Ice Punch / Zen Headbutt / Bullet Punch
item: Metagrossite
ability: Clear Body
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Meteor Mash is Mega Metagross's primary STAB attack. Its good offensive typing, power, and chance to raise Metagross' Attack make it indispensable. Thunder Punch's coverage is highly valuable; it clocks Skarmory, Celesteela, and Toxapex in one moveslot. It can also benefit from Electric Terrain, giving Metagross even more dangerous offensive mix-up to play with. Hammer Arm is another excellent coverage move that prevents Metagross from being walled by the common Ferrothorn and also handles most other Steel-types like Heatran and Magnezone well. Earthquake can be used instead of Hammer Arm to also get past Steel-types, trading Ferrothorn for the benefit of giving Metagross the advantage against other Metagross. Keep in mind it does lose Tough Claws's effect and is therefore weaker against neutral targets like Scizor. Ice Punch deals extreme damage to Landorus-T, Tangrowth, and Zapdos, three pervasive and strong physically defensive pivots in the SM OU metagame. Zen Headbutt is a great secondary STAB attack that can hit targets like Toxapex, Rotom-W, and Alolan Marowak really hard. It can also benefit from Tapu Lele's Psychic Terrain, making Metagross even stronger. Bullet Punch is a strong priority attack that can be used to soften a weakness to faster attackers and sweepers for your team. Beware of what will check Metagross much better without its fourth coverage move. Finally, Pursuit can be used in the last slot. It does serious damage to anything frail switching out, and Metagross has no trouble forcing this situation. It gives up a lot of coverage, but the trapping utility can be highly useful if your team is especially weak to attackers like Tapu Lele, Latios, and Alakazam.
Set Details
========
Clear Body is Metagross's superior ability, as nullifying Intimidate for a turn makes Landorus-T and other users ineffective initially. It also helps mitigate Sticky Web. Due to Mega Metagross' all-out offensive nature, maximum Speed and Attack EVs and a Jolly nature are fully optimal.
Usage Tips
========
Metagross is very difficult to wall, and in many cases the opponent will have nothing that can avoid a 2HKO. Focus on bringing in Metagross early in the match by baiting attacks it resists, and then swing for the fences. Tapu Lele and Magearna are among the most common attackers Metagross can consistently switch into, but wary of Tapu Lele's Shadow Ball or Hidden Power Fire though, as a Metagross switch-in may be too obvious. Besides favorable type match-ups Metagross' natural defenses allow it to tank pretty much any neutral hit. If you can get Metagross in on a resisted hit, it will probably prevail, even if it needs to absorb a follow-up STAB attack. Due to Metagross's great offensive pressure, when the opponent does possesses a good switch-in to it such as physically defensive Tangrowth or Mega Scizor, they will very frequently hard switch to them; use this to create favorable double switches. Metagross'w incredible bulk lets it survive in many situations a Pokemon of its typing and EV investment has no business doing so. Choice Scarf Gengar and Excadrill, for example, can fail to KO Metagross. Keep this in mind when managing Metagross' HP; it may be smart to preserve it at 100% for the duration of the match, rendering it impossible to revenge kill with one Pokemon at a crucial time.
Team Options
========
Mega Metagross's incredible characteristics mean it fits on just about any team. It creates few weaknesses and acts as a strong wallbreaker, check, and counter to a handful of Pokemon. However, it's generally most suited for a more offensive team, and while it does handle defensive teams well enough and requires little support, it does not provide any utility that offensive teams generally might need. Magnezone as a partner is an appreciable idea if your team is over-reliant on Metagross to break past more defensive teams that may have Mega Scizor. Tapu Koko's offensive synergy with Metagross is very high: they both exert pressure on defensive Ground- and Grass-types that the other can then use to finish the job, and Tapu Koko's pivoting talents are not wasted on Metagross, which can often turn momentum into forced switches and 2HKOs. Tapu Koko can also amp up Thunder Punch's power, as under Electric Terrain Metagross is even more difficult to play around, effortlessly 2HKOing Skarmory and Toxapex. Entry hazard users are big support to Metagross, creating easier OHKOs and 2HKOs. Terrakion, Greninja, Landorus-T, and Garchomp are among the best offensive options. If you elect to a run a more balanced team, Toxapex, Skarmory, and Chansey are solid defensive hazard users. Tapu Lele's Psychic Terrain is another Terrain that gives Metagross a sharper offensive edge by powering up Metagross' Zen Headbutt. Sweepers and cleaners that take advantage of the cracks in the opponent's defenses Metagross creates are a good part of any offensive team it's on. Dragonite, Gyarados, Zygarde, and Landorus-T are good in this role, taking advantage of the pressure Metagross exerts onto the opponent's physically defensive Pokemon.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Hidden Power Fire is an option to break past Mega Scizor, whose nearly unmatched ability to totally wall Mega Metagross makes it a fairly popular choice in SM OU. While Hidden Power Fire does little else, it is effective in getting past that one specific threat. Agility can be used to attempt a sweep. While frankly, Mega Metagross's all-out attacking power is so great that Agility can often feel like a waste of its potential, Metagross is still nearly unmatched as a cleaner, so Agility is definitely a viable pick. Ideally, it would be run with support from Magnezone to deal with Skarmory, Scizor, Ferrothorn, and Celesteela. A moveset of Meteor Mash / Ice Punch / Earthquake / Agility optimizes super effective coverage and suffers little from lack of Thunder Punch and Hammer Arm thanks to Magnezone's support. Stealth Rock, like Agility, works just fine on Metagross. It is, in fact, a great user of the move, but it's nearly always a better choice to just use attacking moves to demolish the opponent's team, rather than set up entry hazards. Grass Knot is another mediocre coverage move that can harass Mega Slowbro, Quagsire, and some other uncommon Pokemon. Use this move to have Metagross act as a lure if anything.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Mega Scizor**: Mega Scizor is one of the few Pokemon in SM OU that are a proper counter to Mega Metagross. Thanks to its stellar defensive stats, well-suited typing, and access to reliable recovery, Pursuit, and U-turn, Mega Scizor can usually stop Metagross from doing too much damage in a match.
**Tangrowth**: Tangrowth is the second best counter to Mega Metagross in SM OU. With a physically defensive spread, Regenerator, Leech Seed, and a Rocky Helmet it can quite easily absorb anything Mega Metagross throws at it, while staying healthy and dealing damage in return.
**Bronzong**: Bronzong resists Mega Metagross's STAB combination and avoids a super effective hit from any of its attacks while 3HKOing it in return with Earthquake. This lets it act as a pretty solid counter, though it must be wary of Hammer Arm and Electric Terrain-enhanced Thunder Punches, which will do serious damage.
**Rotom-W**: Rotom-W is a very good answer to Mega Metagross should it lack Zen Headbutt, easily absorbing Thunder Punch and shutting it down with a burn.
**Defensive Ground-types**: While Ice Punch is obviously a huge issue for these Pokemon, defensive Landorus-T, Garchomp, and Hippowdon are all capable of dealing a lot of passive damage to Mega Metagross with Rocky Helmet or outright beating it one-on-one as long as it lacks Ice Punch.
**Revenge Killers**: Mega Metagross's outrageous defensive stats make it fairly difficult to revenge kill, but its common weaknesses do allow this to happen from time to time. Greninja, Choice Scarf Garchomp, Gengar, Excadrill, and other fast, powerful attackers with STAB attacks that hit Metagross super effectively can check it in a pinch.
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