JarieSuicune
Shiny Blue Trainer
Finally, a POTW I can post on, even if it's not much new info. (Still waiting for Gardevoir!)
Man, this is one of my of my top favorites, since it's introduction in Gen III. I took one look at it's appearance and Dex entry in Sapphire and I was hooked. It has been on my main team ever since.
How anyone can just waltz into the Giant Hole in Gen V is beyond me... it's got swarms of hungry Metagross everywhere! THEY ARE FREAKIN' CARNIVOROUS PSYCHIC TANKS THAT EAT THEIR PREY ALIVE! How is that place not off limits?!
I don't care about pointless tiers, since in proper play anything can be used; same goes (mostly) for official tournaments. Lookin' at you, epic Pachirisu! (Stupid Smogon) So I hope this reflects that somehow...
Positives:
-Epic and terrifying design
-Looks and hits like a Quad-Battle Mech
-Can tank hits like a boss
-Due to stat balance, it moves like a tank (Slow, but tough and deadly)
-Clear Body (Intimidate? HAH!)
-Now comes with Mega Tank! (Contact gets +33% stronger!? OH YEAH!)
-- +10 SpAtk and +40 Speed?! Come on... that wasn't needed anyways! Should have gotten +50 Atk instead... Oh well, makes Bullet Punch less useful, and an emergency SpAtk usable.
Negatives:
-Will-o-Wisp = Explosion
-Due to stat unbalance, a number of things that should be slow but tough and deadly... are not.
-Mega Form doesn't have Levitate (Not that I don't LOVE the power boost, but really, why not? Just look at it!)
My layout:
Carnivorous Psychic Tank (>_<)
-252 Atk
-(Pick your HP/Def/SDef spread) (Don't waste on Speed, it likely won't help enough)
-Adamant or Brave (depends on if you want to make use of that Special Attack as a backup plan or to turn opponent's Trick Room shenanigans against them; usually, having the speed doesn't help)
-Clear Body
Item:
-Metagrossite (Scarier Tank)
-Shell Bell (epic healing)
-Red Card (Go away, pesky counters...) / Escape Button (Put in their worst fear, if it wasn't MegaMeta already)
Moves:
-Meteor Mash (Crush everything (especially Fairies, but not Steel), maybe get a stat boost!) / Gyro Ball (Speed based... don't like)
-Zen Headbutt (Crush everything else, except Steel)
-Earthquake / Hammer Arm (Crush other Steels as well as Ice & Rock faster)
-Explosion (Unexpected kaboom!) / Thunder Punch (for annoying birds and sea monsters that don't go Mega) / Mud Slap (Transfer-only; As weak as it is, lowered accuracy almost always hurts, along with a scratch of damage to add injury to insult, and functions as a last supporting resort when you are burned) / Gravity (Get that stupid bird down where Earthquake can eat it...)
Let Sleeping Tanks Rest
(Same stats; possibly trade some attack for bulk)
Items:
-Mega Stone (Boost your power... but...)
-Shell Bell (Really, that's some good healing you get from ANY Sleep Talk with this item)
Moves:
-Meteor Mash (In the VERY rare situation that you want guarantees, drop this move for a 3-move set; with Shell+Earthquake and Rest as the only moves you will ever use, you will have constant and large recovery every turn)
-Zen Headbutt/Earthquake (Depends on what coverage you need more; Earthquake + Shell Bell could result in some MASSIVE recovery)
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
Other options:
-Magnet Rise (get rid of that weakness to Earthquake spam!)
-Aerial Ace (For when you have to fight Minimized Blissey and can laugh)
-Brick Break (Shatter shields and land good damage on Steel/Ice/Rock)
-Bullet Punch (for those times you need extra speed against a low-defense Fairy or Rock, or something within KO range).
-Pursuit (For those rare times you manage to scare off Mewtwo? As if.)
-Hone Claws (Usually a wasted slot, due to speed, but if you can set it up safely... just LOOK at Mega's claws!)
Other Moves, Special; generally, use only if going Mega:
-Icy Wind (Lowers all opponent's Speed!)
-Sludge Bomb (Unexpected Poison coverage; can Poison!)
-Shadow Ball (Unexpected Ghost coverage)
-Psychic (Rarely worth it, but useful against Burn teams)
-Psyshock (In the rare, but ironic, case where you are Burned and will still do Physical damage)
Best Partners:
-Anything fairly fast with great, strong complementary coverage; Having Levitate/Telepathy for avoiding Earthquake spam is very good too.
-Allies that can Heal Pulse/Follow Me are great too.
-Zoroark (Fast, powerful SpAtk coverage, trick your opponent away from Metagross with an Illusion of something they may worry about more at the time)
-(Mega)Gardevoir (very powerful SpAtk coverage; a great partner for when not running Mega Meta), and can have Telepathy when not Mega, or run Heal Pulse.
-Suicune (Can add Tail Wind speed boost)
Countering Metagross:
-Burns usually cripple non-Rest/Talk sets, but it should usually have something usable as a backup anyways.
-Earthquake. Pretty much anything that uses this will take big chunks out of it.
-Chandelure. Can Will-o+Hex, tank the tank, and resists everything except a rare Shadow Ball or Gravity + Earthquake.
Best environments:
Typically, I've found it best in everything except Singles. The lower speed really shows there, where it gets locked against things that are fast with Earthquakes and Flamethrowers.
-In Doubles it is great, but...
-In Triples, it's best as a side Pokemon. Being in the middle is too risky with it's speed, and it's better suited to hammer away the biggest threat in range rather than soak a ton of hits. That said, the Rest/Talk+Shell Bell layout could be amazing in the center, short of getting KO'd in one turn.
-In Rotation, Metagross partnered with a good SpAttack user makes fun mind games.
Man, this is one of my of my top favorites, since it's introduction in Gen III. I took one look at it's appearance and Dex entry in Sapphire and I was hooked. It has been on my main team ever since.
How anyone can just waltz into the Giant Hole in Gen V is beyond me... it's got swarms of hungry Metagross everywhere! THEY ARE FREAKIN' CARNIVOROUS PSYCHIC TANKS THAT EAT THEIR PREY ALIVE! How is that place not off limits?!
I don't care about pointless tiers, since in proper play anything can be used; same goes (mostly) for official tournaments. Lookin' at you, epic Pachirisu! (Stupid Smogon) So I hope this reflects that somehow...
Positives:
-Epic and terrifying design
-Looks and hits like a Quad-Battle Mech
-Can tank hits like a boss
-Due to stat balance, it moves like a tank (Slow, but tough and deadly)
-Clear Body (Intimidate? HAH!)
-Now comes with Mega Tank! (Contact gets +33% stronger!? OH YEAH!)
-- +10 SpAtk and +40 Speed?! Come on... that wasn't needed anyways! Should have gotten +50 Atk instead... Oh well, makes Bullet Punch less useful, and an emergency SpAtk usable.
Negatives:
-Will-o-Wisp = Explosion
-Due to stat unbalance, a number of things that should be slow but tough and deadly... are not.
-Mega Form doesn't have Levitate (Not that I don't LOVE the power boost, but really, why not? Just look at it!)
My layout:
Carnivorous Psychic Tank (>_<)
-252 Atk
-(Pick your HP/Def/SDef spread) (Don't waste on Speed, it likely won't help enough)
-Adamant or Brave (depends on if you want to make use of that Special Attack as a backup plan or to turn opponent's Trick Room shenanigans against them; usually, having the speed doesn't help)
-Clear Body
Item:
-Metagrossite (Scarier Tank)
-Shell Bell (epic healing)
-Red Card (Go away, pesky counters...) / Escape Button (Put in their worst fear, if it wasn't MegaMeta already)
Moves:
-Meteor Mash (Crush everything (especially Fairies, but not Steel), maybe get a stat boost!) / Gyro Ball (Speed based... don't like)
-Zen Headbutt (Crush everything else, except Steel)
-Earthquake / Hammer Arm (Crush other Steels as well as Ice & Rock faster)
-Explosion (Unexpected kaboom!) / Thunder Punch (for annoying birds and sea monsters that don't go Mega) / Mud Slap (Transfer-only; As weak as it is, lowered accuracy almost always hurts, along with a scratch of damage to add injury to insult, and functions as a last supporting resort when you are burned) / Gravity (Get that stupid bird down where Earthquake can eat it...)
Let Sleeping Tanks Rest
(Same stats; possibly trade some attack for bulk)
Items:
-Mega Stone (Boost your power... but...)
-Shell Bell (Really, that's some good healing you get from ANY Sleep Talk with this item)
Moves:
-Meteor Mash (In the VERY rare situation that you want guarantees, drop this move for a 3-move set; with Shell+Earthquake and Rest as the only moves you will ever use, you will have constant and large recovery every turn)
-Zen Headbutt/Earthquake (Depends on what coverage you need more; Earthquake + Shell Bell could result in some MASSIVE recovery)
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
Other options:
-Magnet Rise (get rid of that weakness to Earthquake spam!)
-Aerial Ace (For when you have to fight Minimized Blissey and can laugh)
-Brick Break (Shatter shields and land good damage on Steel/Ice/Rock)
-Bullet Punch (for those times you need extra speed against a low-defense Fairy or Rock, or something within KO range).
-Pursuit (For those rare times you manage to scare off Mewtwo? As if.)
-Hone Claws (Usually a wasted slot, due to speed, but if you can set it up safely... just LOOK at Mega's claws!)
Other Moves, Special; generally, use only if going Mega:
-Icy Wind (Lowers all opponent's Speed!)
-Sludge Bomb (Unexpected Poison coverage; can Poison!)
-Shadow Ball (Unexpected Ghost coverage)
-Psychic (Rarely worth it, but useful against Burn teams)
-Psyshock (In the rare, but ironic, case where you are Burned and will still do Physical damage)
Best Partners:
-Anything fairly fast with great, strong complementary coverage; Having Levitate/Telepathy for avoiding Earthquake spam is very good too.
-Allies that can Heal Pulse/Follow Me are great too.
-Zoroark (Fast, powerful SpAtk coverage, trick your opponent away from Metagross with an Illusion of something they may worry about more at the time)
-(Mega)Gardevoir (very powerful SpAtk coverage; a great partner for when not running Mega Meta), and can have Telepathy when not Mega, or run Heal Pulse.
-Suicune (Can add Tail Wind speed boost)
Countering Metagross:
-Burns usually cripple non-Rest/Talk sets, but it should usually have something usable as a backup anyways.
-Earthquake. Pretty much anything that uses this will take big chunks out of it.
-Chandelure. Can Will-o+Hex, tank the tank, and resists everything except a rare Shadow Ball or Gravity + Earthquake.
Best environments:
Typically, I've found it best in everything except Singles. The lower speed really shows there, where it gets locked against things that are fast with Earthquakes and Flamethrowers.
-In Doubles it is great, but...
-In Triples, it's best as a side Pokemon. Being in the middle is too risky with it's speed, and it's better suited to hammer away the biggest threat in range rather than soak a ton of hits. That said, the Rest/Talk+Shell Bell layout could be amazing in the center, short of getting KO'd in one turn.
-In Rotation, Metagross partnered with a good SpAttack user makes fun mind games.
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