PART 1 - INTRO:
Imagine if Dragapult got Tough Claws. That's basically Mega Aerodactyl. With an incredible raw speed of 438, it easily outspeeds every non-Scarfer in the tier. When paired with its powerful base 135 Attack and Tough Claws, Mega Aerodactyl can throw out powerful STAB Stone Edges and Dual Wingbeats with no need for setup.
However, Mega-Aero is limited to it's underwhelming B+ viability ranking due to: (1) it's debilitating weakness to Stealth Rocks and (2) its tendency to just barely miss out on crucial ranges. However, what if I told you these weaknesses could be mitigated given the right teammates? Looking at the current NatDex UU metagame, it becomes clear that there is a lack of viable Wish passers, with the only forms of sustain being Regenerator mons and Defensive Leftovers sets. M-Aero's teammates need to help it get the chip needed to secure vital KOs, but traditional methods of getting chip like setting hazards and spreading status are too slow to outpace Regen and Lefties. Instead, this team utilizes sheer offensive aura to pummel your opponents until they're range of M-Aero. There is a distinct lack of pivot moves on the team, so the best way to utilize the team is to employ a playstyle that pushes damage to apply constant pressure while using callouts like double switches to keep momentum.
This is my first RMT post so lmk how it is and where I could improve, both on the team and on the post! Also here's proof of peak (i swear i was top 300, i decayed down). Credits for all the art used at the bottom!
THE TEAM
PART 2 - THE TEAM:
Rotom-Wash @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 12 Def / 196 SpD / 52 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Pump
- Volt Switch
- Defog
- Toxic
This is just a normal Rotom-Wash set, but it serves as the glue mon that patches up the holes in the team. Defog support gives M-Aero a few more switch ins, and Toxic means this thing completely neutralizes Ting Lu. 52 Speed investment gets Rotom-W to 221 speed, which reverse speed-creeps other 222 mons, confirming a safe slow pivot into the many threatening wallbreakers on the team. A SpDef build also allows Rotom-W to absolutely wall Greninja, which is appreciated by the two speedy wallbreakers on the team that are weak to Greninja.
I've tested Tapu Fini instead of Rotom-W, but it felt too slow paced for the team. It also ran into trouble against Ting Lu unless I ran a Taunt set, but I'm convinced Scarf Fini is a joke set and if you're running a slow Taunt, why even bother. Toxic also just offers a lot of global utility into a bunch of tankier mons, like Unaware CM Clefable.
There aren't a lot of calcs to do, but this is to prove Rotom's bulk I guess?
Nidoking @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Earth Power
- Sludge Wave
- Ice Beam
- Flamethrower
Nidoking is the actual Grim Reaper of NatDex UU. BIG LIFE-ORD wants you to think that the freedom to abuse Nidoking's incredible coverage that hits every wall in the tier is the best way to use Nido. Truly enlightened Scarf-pilled individuals know that we only need Nidoking to come in, absolutely GOOB one to two mons on the enemy team, and dip out, preserving scarf for the end game. Seriously though, Scarf + Modest Nido rides the line between power and speed, reaching the perfect damage thresholds to punch holes into opposing mons while keeping the surprise factor of Scarf that lets Nidoking snipe KOs for your team. Lastly, Nido hits a respectable 403 speed, outrunning Adamant M-Aero, +Speed Greninja, and all the +Speed Base 110ers. Utilizing slow pivots from Rotom-W, Nido can come in and pump out consistent damage, making considerable progress every time it comes in.
Tapu Bulu @ Rockium Z
Ability: Grassy Surge
EVs: 252 HP / 96 Atk / 16 SpD / 144 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Horn Leech
- Stone Edge
- High Horsepower
I'm not gonna lie, I think I stole this set off of a sample team, but Tapu Bulu works really well to patch up holes in the team. Grassy Terrain lets Nidoking comfortably live an EQ from Excadrill and helps give sustain to Nido. With its typing, Bulu completely walls Tyranitar, and SD + Z-Stone Edge give Tapu Bulu a really threatening presence on the field. Additionally, Bulu is necessary for countering Dracozolt, who 6-0's the team without Bulu.
I've found the most success using my Z-Move very liberally and just ripping it the second I think I have a read because Rockium-Z can be completely useless into certain teams. PRO TIP: Everyone always switches in their Magnezone when you bring Bulu in on Tyranitar, so just send the HH. The play isn't as shiest because they always let it happen, but you can pretend it was cool and pop off anyways.
Hydrapple @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpA
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Body Press
- Fickle Beam
- Giga Drain
- Recover
Forming a Grass-Water defensive core with Rotom, Hydrapple gives a bit of defensive sustain to a team with mediocre Hazard Control and somehow zero Boots. Rocky Helmet turns Hydrapple into a resource to be managed, where you trade HP on your Hydrapple for damage on their attackers. Max Def EVs make it a hard Excadrill and Iron Boulder check, while its typing allows it to eat chip damage from special attackers like Rotom-W and Magnezone Volt-Switch or Keldeo Flip Turn. Moreover, Rocky Helmet is a helpful alternative method to building up chip. Basically Hydrapple comes in on a physical move, pushes some damage, and switches out because of its lack of a pivot move.
Celesteela @ Life Orb
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 8 SpD / 248 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Autotomize
- Heavy Slam
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
Celesteela has such an unfortunate reputation as a big fat Leech Seed staller. I'm here to prove that it is actually might be the most Agency mon in the tier. Credit to Reverend on YT for this set, I changed Fire Blast for Stone Edge because Satan's favorite green demon, Ferrothorn, has been locked away in OU Prison by John Smogon. This coverage 2HKOs everything in the tier and can OHKO most things after even a single Beast Boost. Getting off a single Autotomize can result in a win sometimes, but Celesteela's great typing and natural bulk allow you to greed more Autotomizes in case of super fast sweepers like G-Seed Hawlucha. I don't really know why I'm not running max speed on it, but I'm sure there was a reason there. Maybe the extra point in SpDef helps me live something, idk.
Also, if I'm gonna be real, I just threw this thing on the team because I wanted a steel type. I was running Scizor, but after losing to Scarf Gapdos once I swapped to Celesteela because it lives a CC and can OHKO back with Heavy Slam after the def drop. Sometimes it doesn't feel like it fits on the team, so feel free to try different things here.
Aerodactyl @ Aerodactylite
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
- Dual Wingbeat
- Pursuit
Finally we get to the star of the show, Mega Aerodactyl. I'm running an uncommon four-attacks set because I found that, especially after Rocks, M-Aero is a bit too frail to set up either a DDance or Hone Claws and get more than one or two with Scizor so common in the tier. Instead, I'm running a set that relies on free switch ins from Rotom and aggressive doubles to push damage and force progress against the enemy. Max speed outruns a lot of endgame cleaners that +2 Celesteela would outspeed like +1 Speed M-Heracross and Excadrill, without needing a turn to set up. Pursuit in the last slot is a less common option that can surprise opponents expecting a set-up move, allowing M-Aero to trap strong Ghosts like Zoroak-H, Blacephalon, and Gengar that would be able to spam Shadow Ball without Aero's pressure.
I will note that M-Aero is heavily dependent on its teammates to chip away at opposing mons. I almost never bring it out in the midgame, as it just takes unnecessary hazard damage and I have better options to deal damage. However, this thing is basically a Dragapult late game, with a blazing fast speed tier that doesn't require boosts and strong moves coming off of Tough Claws.
PART 3 - CONCLUSIONS:
So yeah, Mega Aerodactyl is pretty good. It's in RUBL right now, and I think the only thing holding it back from UU status is its usage rate. From just a raw statistics standpoint, M-Aero is one of the most broken mons in the tier, and when given the right support, it can really abuse its broken stat line. Hopefully I have enlightened a few more souls with this post.
Peace & love,
craneoperator29
ART CREDITS:
Intro Aero: nganlamsong
Rotom-W: Ishman
Nidoking: Ken Sugimori
Tapu Bulu: u/bacon_and_eggz_lol
Hydrapple: Ryoku-Rose
Celesteela: Alovexa
M-Aerodactyl: Olivart
