BeeOrSomething
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[OVERVIEW]
Due to Magnemite's amazing Steel typing, high Special Attack stat of 95, and difficult-to-resist STAB Thunder, it can make for an excellent long-term defensive answer to Xatu and Fearow capable of repeatedly switching in on them to fire off attacks, battering away at the opposing team. However, on the surface Magnemite may seem difficult to justify over its fellow Electric-type, Chinchou, which is much faster, has STAB-boosted Surf, and resists Water, allowing it to switch into Octillery and Dewgong unlike Magnemite with its low Special Defense. The primary reason for Magnemite's use is that it is arguably one of the best answers to Xatu and Fearow, two of the strongest and most dangerous offensive forces in the tier; it also answers Persian remarkably well. However, Magnemite is plagued by common Pokemon that take advantage of its weaknesses, such as Ninetales, Rapidash, Dugtrio, and Primeape. Magnemite isn't completely helpless against these threats though, as Thunder paralysis is extremely crippling and Dugtrio does not want to repeatedly switch into Magnemite in fear of Hidden Power Ice. However, Magnemite has some severely crippling and unavoidable issues, namely Thunder's poor 70% accuracy and often being forced into predicting what the right move to use is, such as whether to use Thunder on the Octillery right in front of it or Hidden Power Ice to hit the Dugtrio that may come in.
[SET]
name: RestTalk
move 1: Thunder
move 2: Hidden Power Ice
move 3: Rest
move 4: Sleep Talk
item: Leftovers
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Thunder is preferred to Thunderbolt to hit switch-ins harder; it 2HKOes Rapidash and Stantler after Spikes, hits Octillery and other Electric-weak targets for a potential OHKO, more reliably paralyzes foes, and is capable of 3HKOing bulky Normal-types like Wigglytuff. Hidden Power Ice is the best coverage option Magnemite has to hit Pokemon that resist Electric such as Dugtrio, Graveler, and Gloom, and it also provides a second way to hit Flying-type Pokemon with 100% accuracy or while using Sleep Talk. A combination of Rest + Sleep Talk keeps Magnemite healthy throughout the course of a game to take advantage of its useful defensive typing, primarily making it a strong long-term check to Xatu, Fearow, and Persian that can consistently use them as an opportunity to fire off Thunder.
Team Options
========
Magnemite's favorite partner is Xatu, which can cover for Pokemon that can threaten Magnemite, including Weezing, Primeape, and Dugtrio; in return, Magnemite can defeat Wigglytuff, Fearow, and Porygon. Magnemite adores Pineco's Spikes, as Magnemite’s main answers, Dugtrio, Rapidash, and Ninetales, all take damage from Spikes, wearing them down and making it easier for Magnemite to muscle through them over time, especially with paralysis from Thunder added into the equation. Both Graveler and Pineco can use Rapid Spin to clear opposing Spikes that Magnemite doesn't enjoy taking damage from itself. Ninetales and Rapidash make for great partners, being able to take on Fire-types like opposing Ninetales and Magmar as well as other Magnemite, which Magnemite can struggle with. Magnemite appreciates Rapidash especially, as it can severely threaten Ninetales and forces Water-types like Octillery and Dewgong to use Rest often, giving Magnemite a potential free entry to fire off an attack. Octillery and Dewgong are also prime candidates for partnering with Magnemite, being roadblocks for Dugtrio and acting as better checks to other Octillery and Dewgong than Magnemite, as it does not resist Water and thus takes significant damage from Surf. Weezing and Fearow both handle Primeape and Hitmonlee and assist with pressuring Stantler. Fearow also forces Octillery and Dewgong to use Rest more often, providing entry points for Magnemite, similarly to Rapidash. Primeape and Hitmonlee themselves also enjoy Magnemite's presence, as Magnemite can cover for their weaknesses to Xatu and Fearow while in return threatening Stantler. Hitmonleee additionally deals with Octillery, Dewgong, and Chinchou well. Dugtrio also synergizes well with Magnemite, threatening Fire-types like Rapidash and Ninetales and appreciating its ability to take on Xatu and pressure Octillery.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Thunderbolt is an option over Thunder to more reliably check threats like Stantler and Kingler that can take advantage of a miss, but it makes Magnemite weaker against Wigglytuff and the lower power and paralysis chance are undesirable. Reflect can be used over Hidden Power Ice to assist with a team's ability to switch into threats that take advantage of Magnemite, like Dugtrio and Stantler; however, Magnemite completely loses out on the ability to harm foes like Dugtrio and Gloom that resist Electric, and Reflect generally does very little when called by Sleep Talk.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ground-types**: Ground-types such as Dugtrio punish Magnemite for using Thunder and can come in freely to scare out Magnemite and spread damage. Dugtrio also packs Substitute, which uses the turn given to hide behind cover and ease prediction; however, Dugtrio takes quite a lot of damage from Hidden Power Ice and does not want to repeatedly come in, especially with Spikes on the field and when the opponent has a healthy Octillery or Dewgong to handle it. Due to the way Magnemite can often be forced into using Hidden Power Ice in order to not let Ground-types in for free, other Pokemon can use that to come in and threaten Magnemite, improving on a team's ability to play around Magnemite. Pupitar and Graveler can also handle Magnemite, though Pupitar is generally niche and uncommon while Graveler is slower than Magnemite and has even worse Special Defense than Dugtrio.
**Fire-types**: Ninetales counters Magnemite, as it is bulky to the point where it can almost dodge a 3HKO from Thunder, is faster, packs Rest and often Sleep Talk to heal off any damage or paralysis, and has STAB Flamethrower to melt Magnemite; however, Ninetales can still be afraid of switching straight into a Thunder with Spikes up, as if it gets paralyzed it may be in range of another Thunder. Rapidash is a very similar story, though it has less bulk compared to Ninetales, instead being more offensively dangerous to compensate, even directly taking advantage of opposing Ninetales attempting to switch into Magnemite to fire off a strong Double-Edge and potentially overwhelm the opponent’s answers to Rapidash, primarily Octillery and Dewgong. Magmar and Flareon do not pack recovery moves, so they are less eager to switch into Thunder but are much more offensively dangerous than either Rapidash or Ninetales.
**Super Effective Moves**: Primeape and Hitmonlee are able to come in easily on Hidden Power Ice and outspeed and OHKO Magnemite with Cross Chop and High Jump Kick, respectively. Primeape can even use Substitute to take advantage of the free turn given by the opposing Magnemite switching out. Hitmonlee meanwhile has Rest and Sleep Talk to heal off any damage or paralysis. However, Primeape is 2HKOed by Thunder and utterly despises paralysis while Hitmonlee can easily be chipped into 2HKO range of Thunder and also doesn't enjoy paralysis. Weezing has easy entry on Hidden Power Ice and can tank a Thunder or two —bar if it is paralyzed— and is both faster and often uses Fire Blast for Magnemite, though coming in on it repeatedly wears Weezing down quickly, especially if it eats a Thunder, and Weezing is often forced into choosing the right move on the switch in fear of giving free entry to Xatu or Dugtrio. Stantler has Earthquake to deal with Magnemite, is faster, and almost always uses Light Screen + Curse or Rest + Sleep Talk to improve on its longevity and threat level, though it takes massive damage from Thunder on the switch and, if paralyzed, may fall to a second Thunder. Kingler, and occasionally other Pokemon like Gloom, can use Hidden Power Ground to deal with Magnemite. Kingler even runs Substitute often, which takes advantage of any Rest, Hidden Power Ice, or Thunder miss pulled by Sleep Talk, and it is much faster than Magnemite and learns Swords Dance to become a major threat to boot. However, Kingler cannot switch directly into Magnemite in fear of being OHKOed by Thunder.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/beeorsomething.583728/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/togkey.400664/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/estarossa.461329/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/wrathoftheleopard.511181/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/ut.523866/
Due to Magnemite's amazing Steel typing, high Special Attack stat of 95, and difficult-to-resist STAB Thunder, it can make for an excellent long-term defensive answer to Xatu and Fearow capable of repeatedly switching in on them to fire off attacks, battering away at the opposing team. However, on the surface Magnemite may seem difficult to justify over its fellow Electric-type, Chinchou, which is much faster, has STAB-boosted Surf, and resists Water, allowing it to switch into Octillery and Dewgong unlike Magnemite with its low Special Defense. The primary reason for Magnemite's use is that it is arguably one of the best answers to Xatu and Fearow, two of the strongest and most dangerous offensive forces in the tier; it also answers Persian remarkably well. However, Magnemite is plagued by common Pokemon that take advantage of its weaknesses, such as Ninetales, Rapidash, Dugtrio, and Primeape. Magnemite isn't completely helpless against these threats though, as Thunder paralysis is extremely crippling and Dugtrio does not want to repeatedly switch into Magnemite in fear of Hidden Power Ice. However, Magnemite has some severely crippling and unavoidable issues, namely Thunder's poor 70% accuracy and often being forced into predicting what the right move to use is, such as whether to use Thunder on the Octillery right in front of it or Hidden Power Ice to hit the Dugtrio that may come in.
[SET]
name: RestTalk
move 1: Thunder
move 2: Hidden Power Ice
move 3: Rest
move 4: Sleep Talk
item: Leftovers
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Thunder is preferred to Thunderbolt to hit switch-ins harder; it 2HKOes Rapidash and Stantler after Spikes, hits Octillery and other Electric-weak targets for a potential OHKO, more reliably paralyzes foes, and is capable of 3HKOing bulky Normal-types like Wigglytuff. Hidden Power Ice is the best coverage option Magnemite has to hit Pokemon that resist Electric such as Dugtrio, Graveler, and Gloom, and it also provides a second way to hit Flying-type Pokemon with 100% accuracy or while using Sleep Talk. A combination of Rest + Sleep Talk keeps Magnemite healthy throughout the course of a game to take advantage of its useful defensive typing, primarily making it a strong long-term check to Xatu, Fearow, and Persian that can consistently use them as an opportunity to fire off Thunder.
Team Options
========
Magnemite's favorite partner is Xatu, which can cover for Pokemon that can threaten Magnemite, including Weezing, Primeape, and Dugtrio; in return, Magnemite can defeat Wigglytuff, Fearow, and Porygon. Magnemite adores Pineco's Spikes, as Magnemite’s main answers, Dugtrio, Rapidash, and Ninetales, all take damage from Spikes, wearing them down and making it easier for Magnemite to muscle through them over time, especially with paralysis from Thunder added into the equation. Both Graveler and Pineco can use Rapid Spin to clear opposing Spikes that Magnemite doesn't enjoy taking damage from itself. Ninetales and Rapidash make for great partners, being able to take on Fire-types like opposing Ninetales and Magmar as well as other Magnemite, which Magnemite can struggle with. Magnemite appreciates Rapidash especially, as it can severely threaten Ninetales and forces Water-types like Octillery and Dewgong to use Rest often, giving Magnemite a potential free entry to fire off an attack. Octillery and Dewgong are also prime candidates for partnering with Magnemite, being roadblocks for Dugtrio and acting as better checks to other Octillery and Dewgong than Magnemite, as it does not resist Water and thus takes significant damage from Surf. Weezing and Fearow both handle Primeape and Hitmonlee and assist with pressuring Stantler. Fearow also forces Octillery and Dewgong to use Rest more often, providing entry points for Magnemite, similarly to Rapidash. Primeape and Hitmonlee themselves also enjoy Magnemite's presence, as Magnemite can cover for their weaknesses to Xatu and Fearow while in return threatening Stantler. Hitmonleee additionally deals with Octillery, Dewgong, and Chinchou well. Dugtrio also synergizes well with Magnemite, threatening Fire-types like Rapidash and Ninetales and appreciating its ability to take on Xatu and pressure Octillery.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Thunderbolt is an option over Thunder to more reliably check threats like Stantler and Kingler that can take advantage of a miss, but it makes Magnemite weaker against Wigglytuff and the lower power and paralysis chance are undesirable. Reflect can be used over Hidden Power Ice to assist with a team's ability to switch into threats that take advantage of Magnemite, like Dugtrio and Stantler; however, Magnemite completely loses out on the ability to harm foes like Dugtrio and Gloom that resist Electric, and Reflect generally does very little when called by Sleep Talk.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ground-types**: Ground-types such as Dugtrio punish Magnemite for using Thunder and can come in freely to scare out Magnemite and spread damage. Dugtrio also packs Substitute, which uses the turn given to hide behind cover and ease prediction; however, Dugtrio takes quite a lot of damage from Hidden Power Ice and does not want to repeatedly come in, especially with Spikes on the field and when the opponent has a healthy Octillery or Dewgong to handle it. Due to the way Magnemite can often be forced into using Hidden Power Ice in order to not let Ground-types in for free, other Pokemon can use that to come in and threaten Magnemite, improving on a team's ability to play around Magnemite. Pupitar and Graveler can also handle Magnemite, though Pupitar is generally niche and uncommon while Graveler is slower than Magnemite and has even worse Special Defense than Dugtrio.
**Fire-types**: Ninetales counters Magnemite, as it is bulky to the point where it can almost dodge a 3HKO from Thunder, is faster, packs Rest and often Sleep Talk to heal off any damage or paralysis, and has STAB Flamethrower to melt Magnemite; however, Ninetales can still be afraid of switching straight into a Thunder with Spikes up, as if it gets paralyzed it may be in range of another Thunder. Rapidash is a very similar story, though it has less bulk compared to Ninetales, instead being more offensively dangerous to compensate, even directly taking advantage of opposing Ninetales attempting to switch into Magnemite to fire off a strong Double-Edge and potentially overwhelm the opponent’s answers to Rapidash, primarily Octillery and Dewgong. Magmar and Flareon do not pack recovery moves, so they are less eager to switch into Thunder but are much more offensively dangerous than either Rapidash or Ninetales.
**Super Effective Moves**: Primeape and Hitmonlee are able to come in easily on Hidden Power Ice and outspeed and OHKO Magnemite with Cross Chop and High Jump Kick, respectively. Primeape can even use Substitute to take advantage of the free turn given by the opposing Magnemite switching out. Hitmonlee meanwhile has Rest and Sleep Talk to heal off any damage or paralysis. However, Primeape is 2HKOed by Thunder and utterly despises paralysis while Hitmonlee can easily be chipped into 2HKO range of Thunder and also doesn't enjoy paralysis. Weezing has easy entry on Hidden Power Ice and can tank a Thunder or two —bar if it is paralyzed— and is both faster and often uses Fire Blast for Magnemite, though coming in on it repeatedly wears Weezing down quickly, especially if it eats a Thunder, and Weezing is often forced into choosing the right move on the switch in fear of giving free entry to Xatu or Dugtrio. Stantler has Earthquake to deal with Magnemite, is faster, and almost always uses Light Screen + Curse or Rest + Sleep Talk to improve on its longevity and threat level, though it takes massive damage from Thunder on the switch and, if paralyzed, may fall to a second Thunder. Kingler, and occasionally other Pokemon like Gloom, can use Hidden Power Ground to deal with Magnemite. Kingler even runs Substitute often, which takes advantage of any Rest, Hidden Power Ice, or Thunder miss pulled by Sleep Talk, and it is much faster than Magnemite and learns Swords Dance to become a major threat to boot. However, Kingler cannot switch directly into Magnemite in fear of being OHKOed by Thunder.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/beeorsomething.583728/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/togkey.400664/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/estarossa.461329/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/wrathoftheleopard.511181/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/ut.523866/
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