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Community POTW #136

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Serebii

And, as if by magic, the webmaster appeared...
Staff member
Admin
Time for the next Pokémon of the Week and this week we have another Hoenn Mega!

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334-m.png


It's Altaria!

https://www.serebii.net/pokedex-sm/334.shtml

Go nuts
 

shoz999

Back when Tigers used to smoke.
230px-Winona_Altaria_Adventures.png


Fan: It's a dragon-type! Me: Okay but why though?
You know come to think of it, Hoenn had honestly quite a fair number of tough Gym Leaders. You had Roxanne's bulky Nosepass, Brawly's bulky Makuhita, Wattson's hard-hitting Manectric in Emerald version, Flannery's bulky Torkoal, Norman's hard-hitting and tanky Slaking, Wallace's hard-hitting and tanky Milotic or Juan's hard-hitting and tanky Kingdra and of course there is Winona's Ace Pokemon Altaria which took me by complete surprise that it was a dragon type. The first time I battled it, I had absolutely no clue why my water-type moves weren't working on Winona's Altaria. Who else went on a blind playthrough, having no idea that Altaria might actually be a dragon-type?

Power Swap Altaria

Altaria
Item: Altarianite
Ability: Cloud Nine/Natural Good (either one's good)
Nature: Modest Nature (+Sp. Atk, - Atk)/Timid Nature (+Spe, -Atk)
EVs: 252 Sp. Atk/252 Spe
Draco Meteor
Hyper Voice
Fire Blast
Power Swap

As much as I don't care about Mega Evolutions being removed by Gen 8, I do have to admit that Altaria will be one of the Pokemon that will be severely affected by this change as Altaria became a huge game-changer thanks to it's mega evolution. Anyways, I think most of you guys pretty much understand this basic set. With Pixiliate Hyper Voice, Mega Altaria hits even harder than Moon Blast and with Fire Blast, you have good coverage against steel-types. Finally there's the deadly Draco Meteor which pairs nicely with Power Swap, swapping out any stat changes, such as Draco Meteor's drawback, onto the opposing Pokemon, especially useful against special attackers.

Dragon Dance Altaria
Altaria
Item: Altarianite
Ability: Cloud Nine/Natural Good (either one's good)
Nature: Adamant Nature (Atk, - Sp. Atk)/Jolly Nature (+Spe, -Sp. Atk)
EVs: 252 Atk/252 Spe
Dragon Dance
Dragon Claw
Return
Earthquake

I think most of you pretty much get this common set too, Altaria relying on Dragon Dance as it's boosting move to do serious damage with STAB Dragon Claw and Earthquake against any poison or steel-types. You of course got Pixilate Return which is even stronger that Pixilate Hyper Voice.
 
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XaelOstigian

Competitive...kinda
POTW like this are the reason I love posting here. Despite never being a strong Dragon type, though I'm still not sure why it's a Dragon (I originally though it was Water given the cloud theme) I always loved Altaria for its unique and beautiful design, and I always wanted to just take a nap on its soft fluffy wings while it sings a relaxing tune. Its pre-evolution Swablu is also one of the cutest Pokemon in existence and is accompanied by Pokedex entries like this:
"Swablu has light and fluffy wings that are like cottony clouds. This Pokémon is not frightened of people. It lands on the heads of people and sits there like a cotton-fluff hat"
"Swablu loves to make things clean. If it spots something dirty, it will wipe and polish it with its cottony wings. If its wings become dirty, this Pokémon finds a stream and showers itself."
Go on and tell me that wouldn't make for the most adorable viral video ever! And I still remember that one episode from the anime where Haruka/May looked after a lost and injured Swablu that had gotten separated from its flock.
may_fell_asleep_with_swablu_by_willdinomaster55_dai9lhb-fullview.jpg

They were so cute together, and I actually hoped she would eventually end up catching it given how well Swablu and its evolution would suit her team both in terms of personality, aesthetics, and team balance. And it looked like my wish was about to come true when it looked like they missed its flock...only to have its family come out of freaking nowhere to rejoin the group. Talk about a complete waste!
swablu08.jpg

Anyways, Altaria has always come in dead last behind the other fully evolved Dragon types but that does not mean it is useless. I still remember going out of my way in Gen 3 and 4 to make Altaria competitively viable with mixed success, and it wouldn't be until ORAS that the metagame would finally give attention to this cloud phoenix in the form of the fluffiest Mega Evolution of all time!
d7ukzl6-7a4ebbe6-38f4-4f7f-8c9f-42210b5e43dc.png

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With an improvement to base stats, new Fairy typing, and access to the same ability that made Sylveon a surprise offensive threat, Mega Altaria had finally reached the big leagues...until GameFreak announced that 1.) Sword and Shield would only allow Pokemon from its Galar Pokedex, 2.) Swablu and Altaria would not be in Galar Pokedex, 3.) Mega Evolution would no longer be a mechanic in the games. And just like that, Altaria goes back down to the bottom of the heap alongside Pokemon like Beedrill, Pidgeot, Mawile, and Lopunny. But unlike the examples I mentioned, I still feel Altaria can stand alone in the competitive scene even if it's just in a lower tier. My love for Altaria will not wane, even if GameFreak's love does!

Drake Bird
Ability: Natural Cure
Item: Leftovers
Nature: Impish
EV's: HP: 252 Def: 156 Sp.Def: 100

Moveset:
Dragon Claw
Earthquake
Dragon Dance
Roost

Set Details:
A bulky defensive set with an offensive twist. If GameFreak is really going to remove Mega Evolutions as a mechanic, then we will have to make due. Dragon Claw is Altaria's main offensive option while Earthquake has mostly perfect coverage hitting those that resist Altaria's STAB. Dragon Dance is used to shore up Altaria's offenses after a few uses while simultaneous allowing it to boost its speed and outpace its opponents which is unique for a defensive Pokemon. Obviously Altaria would not likely survive getting in enough boosts to become an offensive threat even with defensive investment, so Roost is your go-to move for health recovery when needed.

Dark Phoenix
Ability: Natural Cure
Item: Leftovers
Nature: Impish
EV's: HP: 252 Def: 156 Sp.Def: 100

Moveset:
Dragon Claw
Earthquake
Toxic
Rest

Set Details:
A set that relies more on being a passive wall than a tank. Dragon Claw and Earthquake form the offensive crux as per the last set, but the major difference here is swapping in Toxic and Rest. Toxic is every defensive Pokemon's best friend and allows Alteria to kick back and not rely as heavily on its direct attacks. Rest is usually used as a last ditch recovery option for defensive Pokemon without access to a move like Recover, but in Altaria's case it's worth a mention because of its ability Natural Cure. Since Natural Cure heals all status afflictions (Including self-inflicted ones) Altaria can just use Rest when things are getting dicey and then swap out completely refreshed and renewed for later use.

Alongside Absol, Altaria stands as one of my favorite Pokemon of all time despite its issues measuring up in the competitive scene. I even consider myself fortune to have caught a shiny golden Altaria back in ORAS (Thank you swarm EV training). To me, its wings represent calm happiness that warms my heart down to the very soul, and I just wish others would appreciate this often underrated Dragon type.
45015d4a51d6a3f1f060e79a6177930f.jpg

And though GameFreak is going to remove Mega Evolutions, who knows? Maybe they will come up with a "different" kind of gimmick that will give Altaria its time in the spotlight once again...
tumblr_nropwyyT9h1r5u9m2o1_500.png
 

KyogreThunder

Call of Fate
Altaria
@Altarianite
Ability:Natural Cure
Modest/Timid nature
EVs: 6 HP/252 SpA/252 Speed
-Hyper Voice
-Draco Meteor
-Flamethrower
-Roost
I'm still puzzled by the fact Mega Altaria, much like Sylveon, is nowhere near as good competitively as it was in OR/AS.:confused:
 

Sceptile Leaf Blade

Nighttime Guardian
Altaria
@Altarianite
Ability:Natural Cure
Modest/Timid nature
EVs: 6 HP/252 SpA/252 Speed
-Hyper Voice
-Draco Meteor
-Flamethrower
-Roost
I'm still puzzled by the fact Mega Altaria, much like Sylveon, is nowhere near as good competitively as it was in OR/AS.:confused:
Its stats just don't really hold up for a mega. When mega evolved, it still has the same HP, physical attack, and special defence as Kommo-o. Kommo-o actually has better physical defence, speed, and can hold items like Kommonium Z, while Mega Altaria has slightly better special attack, and an arguably better ability. And while Mega Altaria has decent stats, it lacks focus. It's not particularly fast, it doesn't hit exceptionally hard on either the physical or the special side, unlike Kommo-o which gets an all-round stat boost to become a major versatile threat after Clangorous Soulblaze. Fairy types also aren't as uncommon as they used to be, with the Tapus and Mimikyu everywhere, none of which require your mega slot that could also go to a pokémon like Gengar or Metagross.
 

Divine Retribution

Conquistador de pan
Its stats just don't really hold up for a mega. When mega evolved, it still has the same HP, physical attack, and special defence as Kommo-o. Kommo-o actually has better physical defence, speed, and can hold items like Kommonium Z, while Mega Altaria has slightly better special attack, and an arguably better ability. And while Mega Altaria has decent stats, it lacks focus. It's not particularly fast, it doesn't hit exceptionally hard on either the physical or the special side, unlike Kommo-o which gets an all-round stat boost to become a major versatile threat after Clangorous Soulblaze. Fairy types also aren't as uncommon as they used to be, with the Tapus and Mimikyu everywhere, none of which require your mega slot that could also go to a pokémon like Gengar or Metagross.

Mega Altaria's typing is fantastic. It has two of the most spammable STABs in the game, with adequate coverage in Earthquake and Fire Blast, access to Dragon Dance, Roost, Refresh, and even Heal Bell. It pulls off a pretty solid bulky Dragon Dance set in Singles that can power through teams once Steel types have been weakened or removed, and unlike other Dragon Dancers isn't bothered in the slightest by status thanks to Refresh or Heal Bell. In Doubles it's probably more or less outclassed, as Pixilate Hyper Voice is nice but it faces competition with Sylveon and Mega Gardevoir, but access to Dragon Dance and the ability to offer role compression does give it some niche uses in Singles. It's otherwise quite hard for offensive Singles team to find a Heal Bell user that doesn't sap momentum.

I wouldn't compare it to Kommo-O at all, they barely share anything in common. Kommo-O is an overrated piece of absolute garbage a one-trick late-game wincon, while Mega Altaria is quite underrated in comparison (I don't even think it ranks on the OU VR at the moment, which I find quite surprising because its DDD set, while by no means the best use of your Mega slot in the tier, can absolutely disassemble teams once Steels and things like Mega Venusaur have been removed. Personally I'd certainly put it above the likes of Scolipede and Avalugg but I'm not particularly well versed in the current metagame as I've barely played since last fall.) Kommo-O gets one opportunity to set up and flat out loses to Singles staples such as Clefable, Mega Mawile, Magearna, scarf Lele, etc., and doesn't appreciate a tier dominated by Landorus-Therian, who, although it might not win 1v1 thanks to Clanging Scales, resets its Attack boost with Intimidate, making it much easier for teammates such as Celesteela or Tapu Fini to handle. Furthermore, the only thing Kommo-O can offer its team outside of a potential wincon is Stealth Rock, which isn't particularly uncommon or difficult for offensive teams to carry. Mega Altaria on the other hand can set up multiple times in a match and can offer its team Heal Bell, which offensive teams immensely appreciate to remove burns and paralysis, but generally can't afford to carry as very few users of the move really fit onto most offensive archetypes. Kommo-O does admittedly have much better coverage and can be extremely potent late game. It all comes down to what your team specifically needs, a more threatening wincon with good coverage, or a wincon that can set up multiple times and support its team.


Anyways, since nobody's posted it yet, here's Defensive Dragon Dance Mega Altaria, a staple threat from Gen 6 and, I believe, still a viable pick in today's metagame.


altaria-mega.gif

Altaria @ Altarianite
Impish - Natural Cure
248 HP, 140 Defence, 92 Sp. Def, 28 Speed
0 Happiness
-Frustration
-Roost
-Dragon Dance
-Heal Bell

The EV spread could probably be updated to reflect the modern metagame, as this is a spread I pulled from an ancient Gen 6 team I posted a few years ago. If I remember correctly it outpaces Azumarill unboosted and every unboosted threat in the tier at +2, and the Defensive investment lets it survive Azumarill's Play Rough, but I'll be damned if I remember exactly what the Sp. Def is for. The rest of the set is fairly straightforward. Roost and Dragon Dance lets him boost multiple times to pull off a sweep, while Frustration is a powerful Pixilate-boosted STAB attack with no drawbacks. If you're playing on a cart you may want to use Return instead as maintaining maximum happiness is easier than minimum happiness and the difference between the two is irrelevant in most matchups, but on simulators Frustration with 0 happiness is slightly more optimal as Ditto will be set to maximum happiness by default, meaning its Frustration will be extremely weak and it will be unable to revengekill you. Finally Heal Bell is the crux of the set, allowing Altaria to set up on status users and shrug off burns and paralysis, as well as removing them from the rest of your team, allowing you to take more risks with sweepers you'd otherwise try to avoid being crippled. If for some reason Heal Bell isn't necessary, you can run Refresh or Substitute instead, as they are more effective at keeping status off of Altaria specifically thanks to Heal Bell's low PP.

As for teammates, anything that can remove Steels is appreciated. Magnezone and Fightinium-Z Tapu Lele come to mind immediately. Sweepers that might fear being paralyzed or burned appreciate Altaria's presence on their team to help alleviate the pressure of avoiding said status moves. Such sweepers could include Kartana, Gyarados, and Terrakion.

Edit: Also, as for what changed for him since Gen 6, one word; Toxapex. Also Celesteela, Kartana, rising Heatran and Ferrothorn usage, and a metagame generally more inclined towards fast-paced hyper offense, for which better suited Megas exist, or stall, on which Mega Altaria doesn't belong at all, but mostly Toxapex.​
 
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Mestorn

Wandering Battler
Its stats just don't really hold up for a mega. When mega evolved, it still has the same HP, physical attack, and special defence as Kommo-o. Kommo-o actually has better physical defence, speed, and can hold items like Kommonium Z, while Mega Altaria has slightly better special attack, and an arguably better ability. And while Mega Altaria has decent stats, it lacks focus. It's not particularly fast, it doesn't hit exceptionally hard on either the physical or the special side, unlike Kommo-o which gets an all-round stat boost to become a major versatile threat after Clangorous Soulblaze. Fairy types also aren't as uncommon as they used to be, with the Tapus and Mimikyu everywhere, none of which require your mega slot that could also go to a pokémon like Gengar or Metagross.

While Mega Altaria does pale in comparison to Kommo-o in terms of Offense, and is no-where near as directly bulky as it after a Clangorous Soul Blaze, it is not without its merit. Kommo-o requires a little more thought as opposed to Mega Altaria, as its once per battle Z-Move is blocked by any Fairy Type or anything with Soundproof and can be wiped away by any phazer after the boost. Kommo-o is also absolutely bodied by Fairy moves thanks to a x4 weakness, while after Mega Evolving, Mega Altaria has no such weakness.

In terms of move pools, Mega Altaria has a fantastically wide move pool that allows it to perform a multitude of roles thanks to its very balanced stats. Mega Altaria can play a sturdy cleric thanks to a Combination of Heal Bell, Defog and Roost, while still maintaining an offensive presence thanks to its powerful STABs, Ablity and coverage moves (Pixalite Return and Earthquake have fantastic coverage). Cotton Guard gives Mega Altaria even better physical defense than Kommo-o at +1 if you want to go that route. Additionally, Kommo-o's Fighting STABs tend to either be unreliable (Focus Miss) or debilitating to its own bulk (Close Combat, Superpower), with Drain Punch being the noteable exception.
 
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