[OVERVIEW]
Magearna is one of the most consistent sweepers in the tier due to its great Special Attack and movepool, which allow it to muscle its way past traditional checks such as Heatran and Toxapex with All-Out Pummeling and Gigavolt Havoc, respectively. Magearna's typing and bulk make it possible to run an Assault Vest set to check dangerous breakers in the tier such as Greninja, Tapu Lele, and Gengar while simultaneously providing momentum with Volt Switch. Despite Magearna's ridiculous potential, it should be acknowledged that it is bait for Mega Charizard Y, Landorus-T, Volcarona, and Zygarde, some of the most threatening Pokemon in the tier.
[SET]
name: Shift Gear
move 1: Shift Gear
move 2: Flash Cannon / Ice Beam
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Thunderbolt
item: Fightinium Z / Electrium Z
ability: Soul-Heart
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
A Shift Gear set trades Trick Room sets' bulk, power, and favorable matchup against faster Choice Scarf users such as Keldeo and Dugtrio for more reliability in completing a successful sweep. Shift Gear boosts Magearna's Speed by two stages, allowing it to outpace everything up to Choice Scarf Nihilego. The Attack boost does not matter because Magearna is a special attacker. Flash Cannon is used because it provides a reliable STAB move for cleaning without the side effects of possibly using Fleur Cannon. Focus Blast is used to OHKO offensive Heatran and Excadrill after Stealth Rock while doing massive damage to other Steel-types such as Ferrothorn and Magnezone. Thunderbolt completes Magearna's coverage, allowing it to hit Pokemon such as Keldeo and Mega Pinsir while breaking specially defensive Toxapex and Celesteela if paired with Electrium Z. Ice Beam is an option because it provides wider coverage on sets with Fightinium Z, nailing Pokemon such as Zapdos and Landorus-T.
Aura Sphere can be used for its reliable accuracy, but the reason to use Shift Gear is its capability to sweep earlier in the match than a Trick Room set can due to the lack of limited turns, and Aura Sphere contradicts this niche. Hidden Power Fire can be used over Focus Blast, trading coverage versus Heatran in order to defeat Mega Scizor. Fleur Cannon is an option over Flash Cannon because it is Magearna's strongest attack, and it hits ridiculously hard with Fairium Z. Finally, Calm Mind can be used alongside Shift Gear to form a Double Dance set; Thunderbolt and Ice Beam are mandatory with this set, as they maximize coverage, but the lack of Focus Blast coverage can be problematic at times.
Set Details
========
Maximum Speed investment and a Timid nature are necessary for Magearna to outspeed Choice Scarf Garchomp. They also allow Magearna to surprise defensive Landorus-T and KO it with Twinkle Tackle or Ice Beam if necessary. The remaining investment is used in Special Attack to maximize Magearna's sweeping capabilities.
Shift Gear gives up the utility of Magearna's typing and bulk for Magearna's full potential, which is the ability to set up mid-game and start breaking defensive cores. Fightinium Z is a recommended as a result, since it capitalizes on Shift Gear's versatility, allowing Magearna to break healthy Steel-types, as Pokemon such as Ferrothorn are at comfortable amounts of HP at this stage of gameplay. Fightinium Z grants Magearna a 190-Base Power All-Out Pummeling, supporting Magearna itself and more importantly its teammates by removing Heatran, Ferrothorn, and a weakened Mega Scizor. Do not use Fightinium Z with Aura Sphere, as it makes All-Out Pummeling much weaker. However, Electrium Z is a decent option due to the prevalence of Toxapex and Celesteela. Fairium Z can be utilized with Fleur Cannon, resulting in a 195-Base Power Twinkle Tackle that can easily lead to the snowball effect of Soul-Heart due to its ridiculous power.
Shift Gear Magearna can run a Shuca Berry or Air Balloon to set up on most Ground-types, but Magearna becomes a less reliable cleaner without a Z-Crystal. Ice Beam is best used on these sets in order to lure in and KO Pokemon such as Zygarde and Landorus-T.
Usage Tips
========
Shift Gear sets can be used as mid-game breakers because of their use of Speed investment and unlimited turns for sweeping, unlike Trick Room. As a result, try to bring in Magearna as early as possible so it can pave itself a path for a sweep late-game. Fightinium Z sets can destroy Ferrothorn with the right opportunity, for example, while Electrium Z sets can be timed to blow back Toxapex. If Magearna is your primary wincon, make sure it does not take any damage, as it will need its health to set up and avoid being revenge killed by Pokemon such as Ash-Greninja and Keldeo.
Depending on the matchup, it may be best to bring Magearna in recklessly and break as many holes as possible, as Magearna's typing does not bring as much defensive utility as one might think due to this set's lack of defensive investment. On a similar note, Magearna should set up on Pokemon it forces out, such as Tapu Lele, or resisted Choice-locked attacks such as Ash Greninja's Dark Pulse.
Team Options
========
Greninja and Ferrothorn can provide crucial Spikes support for Magearna, while Psychic-types such as Hoopa-U, Mega Alakazam, Tapu Lele, and Latios make great teammates for their ability to pressure Steel-types. Swords Dance Mega Mawile appreciates Electrium Z Magearna destroying Toxapex so that it can run Fire Fang over Knock Off or Thunder Punch. Fightinium Z Magearna is a great teammate to remove Steel-types for the aforementioned Psychic-types, especially faster ones such as Mega Alakazam, Tapu Lele, and Choice Scarf Latios.
[SET]
name: Assault Vest
move 1: Fleur Cannon
move 2: Flash Cannon
move 3: Hidden Power Fire / Ice Beam
move 4: Volt Switch
item: Assault Vest
ability: Soul-Heart
nature: Calm
evs: 200 HP / 56 SpA / 252 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Fleur Cannon is Magearna's strongest and most spammable attack, doing a hefty chunk to anything that does not resist it. Magearna is a natural check to Tapu Lele and Clefable, so it only makes sense to have Flash Cannon to force them out. Hidden Power Fire is the preferred option in the third moveslot so that Magearna can threaten Mega Scizor and Ferrothorn. However, Ice Beam is an option for OHKOing Landorus-T, offensive Zygarde, and Garchomp on the switch. Volt Switch turns Magearna into a great pivot, as it allows it to gain momentum against Pokemon that it cannot normally break such as Toxapex and Chansey for teammates to take advantage of.
Set Details
========
A Calm nature with the given EV spread lets Magearna come in on Choice Specs Gengar's Shadow Ball three times with Stealth Rock damage, making Magearna a semi-consistent check to one of the most threatening breakers in the tier. A more offensive variant of this set with maximum Special Attack investment and a Modest nature is viable for punishing switches harder. However, Magearna loses a lot of defensive utility when it comes to checking Greninja, for example. Soul-Heart is Magearna's only available ability.
Usage Tips
========
Magearna should be used to switch into dangerous special attackers such as Tapu Lele, Gengar, Tapu Koko, and Greninja. While Volt Switch does gain the most leverage for teammates, double switching or using Fleur Cannon may be the better play if there is a Ground-type or Alolan Marowak on the opponent's team. Using Volt Switch might not be smart on a confirmed Protean Greninja, as Magearna can be Spikes fodder for it. Remember that Fleur Cannon still has a decent amount of power behind it, so using it does not forfeit as much momentum as one might expect it to, especially for maximum Special Attack variants.
While Magearna does check a lot of special attackers, switching it in right away might not be the best move. For example, Magearna is indeed a solid check to Gengar and Latios, but middle-ground plays may have to be made to scout for a possible Trick. Another example is coming in on Knock Off users such as Clefable, Tornadus-T, and Alolan Muk near the start of a game, as Magearna may not want to have its Assault Vest removed so early in the game.
Team Options
========
Magearna is bait to two of the most dangerous Pokemon in the tier, Volcarona and Zygarde. It would only be natural to have counterplay to these threats. Mantine, Toxapex, and specially defensive Zygarde are great teammates for checking most variants of Volcarona, while opposing Zygarde can be checked with physically defensive Tangrowth and Landorus-T. Tangrowth in particular can net extra recovery for Magearna with Leech Seed.
Magearna appreciates entry hazard support due to the high number of switches it forces. Greninja is the best Spikes user for this role, as Ferrothorn brings redundant defensive synergy with Magearna. Stealth Rock users include Landorus-T and Heatran, while Toxapex makes an excellent user of Toxic Spikes. VoltTurn teammates are appreciated because Magearna has Volt Switch to form VoltTurn cores. Ash-Greninja, Landorus-T, and Tapu Koko are good examples, though be sure to have solid counterplay for Alolan Marowak if the last is chosen. Strong wallbreakers such as Mega Heracross, Protean Greninja, Gengar, and Volcarona appreciate Magearna forcing in Tangrowth and Heatran. The threat of such a wallbreaker can prevent the opponent from switching into such passive Pokemon, allowing Magearna to make easier reads on incoming Ground-types for a double switch or straight up attack with Fleur Cannon.
[SET]
name: Trick Room
move 1: Trick Room
move 2: Fleur Cannon / Flash Cannon
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Thunderbolt / Flash Cannon
item: Fairium Z / Electrium Z
ability: Soul-Heart
nature: Quiet
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA
ivs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
After a Trick Room, Magearna outpaces the majority of the metagame, allowing it to wreak havoc on a lot of teams with the combination of its bulk, power, and unpredictability. Fleur Cannon is Magearna's strongest attack, and it hits ridiculously hard when powered up by Fairium Z. Considering how short-lived Trick Room is, the immediate power provided by Twinkle Tackle is preferred in order to kickstart Soul-Heart and sweep teams in the clutch. Focus Blast, despite its imperfect accuracy, is used to hit a large number of Pokemon that resist Fairy, such as Heatran, Ferrothorn, and Magnezone, for huge damage. Thunderbolt is used as a filler because it can hit Pokemon such as Toxapex, Mantine, and Keldeo without causing Fleur Cannon's Special Attack drop. Flash Cannon is an option over Thunderbolt on Fairium Z sets because it is a reliable secondary STAB attack and has a different range of targets when it comes to avoiding the stat drops of Fleur Cannon, such as Tapu Bulu, Mega Heracross, and Mew.
With Electrium Z, Gigavolt Havoc does massive damage to Pokemon that normally wall Magearna, such as Celesteela and specially defensive Toxapex, while doing more damage than Twinkle Tackle to checks such as Volcarona and Mega Scizor. Using Fleur Cannon can prove inconsistent on Electrium Z sets due to its Special Attack drops. Thus, Flash Cannon is an alternative to Fleur Cannon as a reliable STAB move late-game.
Hidden Power Fire can be used over Focus Blast, trading coverage versus Heatran in order to defeat Mega Scizor. Aura Sphere is a 100% accurate Fighting-type move, but it requires its targets such as Ferrothorn and Magnezone to be at a low amount of health before it can KO them.
Set Details
========
Fairium Z grants Magearna access to a 195-Base Power Twinkle Tackle, a great move for kickstarting Soul-Heart and invalidating checks such as Landorus-T. Electrium Z similarly boosts Thunderbolt's power to a solid 175, so Magearna can defeat Pokemon such as Celesteela and Toxapex with little prior damage. Fightinium Z seems like an appealing option for breaking full HP Heatran, Ferrothorn, and other Steel-types, but these Focus Blast targets are often in range of being KOed by the move late-game, when Trick Room should be set up. Electrium Z's viability results from the fact that Celesteela and Toxapex find themselves at close to full health, even late-game, because of their access to Leech Seed and Regenerator, respectively. Fightinium Z is still an option if a Magearna user wants more assurance against Steel-types, though a Shift Gear set is usually best to fulfill this purpose.
Maximum Special Attack investment is used so Magearna can perform to the best of its capabilities when sweeping teams. The rest of the investment is thrown into HP so Magearna has an easier time setting up Trick Room, the main perk this set has over Shift Gear. A Quiet nature and 0 IVs in Speed are utilized so Magearna can outspeed as many possible Pokemon under Trick Room. Soul-Heart boosts Magearna's Special Attack by a stage whenever a Pokemon faints, producing a snowball effect that makes Magearna unstoppable in the right circumstances.
Usage Tips
========
Magearna best performs late-game in that the later you send it out, the higher chance it will have of securing a sweep. After setting up Trick Room, use Twinkle Tackle right away for a free KO and Soul-Heart boost unless Magearna faces something it obviously cannot beat with Twinkle Tackle such as Heatran. This comes back to the point of trying to set up as late as possible, as this is the stage of the game when the opposing team is the most weakened. Sweeping with Electrium Z sets is a bit different because they should be more focused on timing instead of the patience factor Fairium Z sets have.
Magearna is a threat to many teams, but it will find itself useless in certain matches depending on its moveset, as it's walled by Pokemon such as Roost Volcarona, Celesteela, and Mega Scizor. Because of the lack of pressure Magearna exerts in these matchups, it may as well use the bulk Trick Room sets have to trade KOs versus Garchomp and check Tapu Lele, for example.
Team Options
========
For Fairium Z sets, Pokemon that put pressure on Steel-types such as Ferrothorn, Heatran, and Celesteela make good teammates. Strong Psychic-types such as Hoopa-U, Tapu Lele, Latios, and Mega Alakazam can fulfill this role. Electrium Z sets lack the ability to kickstart Soul-Heart without Twinkle Tackle, so setting Spikes helps these variants function. Ferrothorn and Greninja are the best Pokemon for this role. Specially defensive Skarmory is a useful teammate, as it can set up Spikes and wear down the opponent's team with Whirlwind. Landorus-T is a good teammate, as it can set up Stealth Rock and net crucial chip damage and momentum with U-turn.
Alolan Marowak and Mega Mawile are fine teammates, as they can take advantage of Trick Room, pressure Celesteela, and force in a lot of Pokemon non-Fairium Z Magearna struggles with such as Landorus-T and Rotom-W. Magearna is a staple on full Trick Room teams, so Uxie, Cresselia, and Porygon2 are good teammates if Magearna is used on this archetype.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Corkscrew Crash is a powerful move with the purpose of activating Soul-Heart, similar to Twinkle Tackle. It is weaker but has a different range of targets that makes Corkscrew Crash a fine choice on teams weak to Mega Venusaur and, more importantly, opposing Magearna. Other Z-Crystals that can be used are Icium Z for Tangrowth, Zapdos, and Amoonguss and Ghostium Z for Jirachi, Alolan Marowak, and Mew.
Choice Specs boosts Magearna's Special Attack through the roof. To put this power into perspective, even Pokemon that resist Fairy such as Alolan Marowak and Gengar find themselves being OHKOed by Fleur Cannon after Stealth Rock damage. Choice Specs makes Magearna a much more immediate threat to defensive teams, but this notion is inconsistent in practice due to its inability to switch moves. Choice Scarf sets are viable for outpacing everything up to Tornadus-T and taking advantage of Volt Switch, Fleur Cannon, and more importantly, Magearna's great coverage to surprise threats such as Landorus-T and Zygarde with Ice Beam.
However, Magearna would rather have coverage instead of boosting its Special Attack, which can already be done via Soul-Heart. Finally, a specially defensive set with Thunder Wave, Volt Switch, Pain Split, and Fleur Cannon can be used to spread status and heal itself, but Magearna generally prefers the extra bulk provided by Assault Vest.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Steel-types**: Heatran, Ferrothorn, specially defensive Excadrill, Celesteela, Mega Mawile, and Scizor force out Magearna, as they can tank a hit and KO it back. However, a Z-Move such as All-Out Pummeling or Gigavolt Havoc, or a coverage move such as Hidden Power Fire in Scizor's case, can invalidate these Pokemon. Jirachi and Bronzong are exceptions, as they defeat every variant of Magearna outside of the rare Never-Ending Nightmare set. Assault Vest Magearna defeats offensive Magearna, but it can lose to sets with Corkscrew Crash.
**Fire-types**: Fire-types such as Volcarona, Mega Charizard Y, and Heatran are solid checks to Magearna by typing but must watch out for specific Z-Moves that can invalidate them. Alolan Marowak is a solid check to Magearna in general, as it blocks Volt Switch due to Lightning Rod. However, it once again has the same problems as many other "checks" because it drops to Twinkle Tackle after Stealth Rock.
**Ground-types**: Landorus-T, Garchomp, and Zygarde force out Magearna with their powerful STAB moves. They also make Magearna users think twice before mindlessly clicking Volt Switch. However, Landorus-T, Garchomp, and Zygarde are not guaranteed switch-ins, as they will be destroyed by Fleur Cannon and can be lured in and KOed with Shuca Berry sets.
**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Amoonguss, Toxapex, Zapdos, Venusaur, Chansey, defensive Volcarona, and Assault Vest Tangrowth are some specially defensive Pokemon that can wall Magearna depending on its Z-Move. All of them make fine checks to Assault Vest sets.
Magearna is one of the most consistent sweepers in the tier due to its great Special Attack and movepool, which allow it to muscle its way past traditional checks such as Heatran and Toxapex with All-Out Pummeling and Gigavolt Havoc, respectively. Magearna's typing and bulk make it possible to run an Assault Vest set to check dangerous breakers in the tier such as Greninja, Tapu Lele, and Gengar while simultaneously providing momentum with Volt Switch. Despite Magearna's ridiculous potential, it should be acknowledged that it is bait for Mega Charizard Y, Landorus-T, Volcarona, and Zygarde, some of the most threatening Pokemon in the tier.
[SET]
name: Shift Gear
move 1: Shift Gear
move 2: Flash Cannon / Ice Beam
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Thunderbolt
item: Fightinium Z / Electrium Z
ability: Soul-Heart
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
A Shift Gear set trades Trick Room sets' bulk, power, and favorable matchup against faster Choice Scarf users such as Keldeo and Dugtrio for more reliability in completing a successful sweep. Shift Gear boosts Magearna's Speed by two stages, allowing it to outpace everything up to Choice Scarf Nihilego. The Attack boost does not matter because Magearna is a special attacker. Flash Cannon is used because it provides a reliable STAB move for cleaning without the side effects of possibly using Fleur Cannon. Focus Blast is used to OHKO offensive Heatran and Excadrill after Stealth Rock while doing massive damage to other Steel-types such as Ferrothorn and Magnezone. Thunderbolt completes Magearna's coverage, allowing it to hit Pokemon such as Keldeo and Mega Pinsir while breaking specially defensive Toxapex and Celesteela if paired with Electrium Z. Ice Beam is an option because it provides wider coverage on sets with Fightinium Z, nailing Pokemon such as Zapdos and Landorus-T.
Aura Sphere can be used for its reliable accuracy, but the reason to use Shift Gear is its capability to sweep earlier in the match than a Trick Room set can due to the lack of limited turns, and Aura Sphere contradicts this niche. Hidden Power Fire can be used over Focus Blast, trading coverage versus Heatran in order to defeat Mega Scizor. Fleur Cannon is an option over Flash Cannon because it is Magearna's strongest attack, and it hits ridiculously hard with Fairium Z. Finally, Calm Mind can be used alongside Shift Gear to form a Double Dance set; Thunderbolt and Ice Beam are mandatory with this set, as they maximize coverage, but the lack of Focus Blast coverage can be problematic at times.
Set Details
========
Maximum Speed investment and a Timid nature are necessary for Magearna to outspeed Choice Scarf Garchomp. They also allow Magearna to surprise defensive Landorus-T and KO it with Twinkle Tackle or Ice Beam if necessary. The remaining investment is used in Special Attack to maximize Magearna's sweeping capabilities.
Shift Gear gives up the utility of Magearna's typing and bulk for Magearna's full potential, which is the ability to set up mid-game and start breaking defensive cores. Fightinium Z is a recommended as a result, since it capitalizes on Shift Gear's versatility, allowing Magearna to break healthy Steel-types, as Pokemon such as Ferrothorn are at comfortable amounts of HP at this stage of gameplay. Fightinium Z grants Magearna a 190-Base Power All-Out Pummeling, supporting Magearna itself and more importantly its teammates by removing Heatran, Ferrothorn, and a weakened Mega Scizor. Do not use Fightinium Z with Aura Sphere, as it makes All-Out Pummeling much weaker. However, Electrium Z is a decent option due to the prevalence of Toxapex and Celesteela. Fairium Z can be utilized with Fleur Cannon, resulting in a 195-Base Power Twinkle Tackle that can easily lead to the snowball effect of Soul-Heart due to its ridiculous power.
Shift Gear Magearna can run a Shuca Berry or Air Balloon to set up on most Ground-types, but Magearna becomes a less reliable cleaner without a Z-Crystal. Ice Beam is best used on these sets in order to lure in and KO Pokemon such as Zygarde and Landorus-T.
Usage Tips
========
Shift Gear sets can be used as mid-game breakers because of their use of Speed investment and unlimited turns for sweeping, unlike Trick Room. As a result, try to bring in Magearna as early as possible so it can pave itself a path for a sweep late-game. Fightinium Z sets can destroy Ferrothorn with the right opportunity, for example, while Electrium Z sets can be timed to blow back Toxapex. If Magearna is your primary wincon, make sure it does not take any damage, as it will need its health to set up and avoid being revenge killed by Pokemon such as Ash-Greninja and Keldeo.
Depending on the matchup, it may be best to bring Magearna in recklessly and break as many holes as possible, as Magearna's typing does not bring as much defensive utility as one might think due to this set's lack of defensive investment. On a similar note, Magearna should set up on Pokemon it forces out, such as Tapu Lele, or resisted Choice-locked attacks such as Ash Greninja's Dark Pulse.
Team Options
========
Greninja and Ferrothorn can provide crucial Spikes support for Magearna, while Psychic-types such as Hoopa-U, Mega Alakazam, Tapu Lele, and Latios make great teammates for their ability to pressure Steel-types. Swords Dance Mega Mawile appreciates Electrium Z Magearna destroying Toxapex so that it can run Fire Fang over Knock Off or Thunder Punch. Fightinium Z Magearna is a great teammate to remove Steel-types for the aforementioned Psychic-types, especially faster ones such as Mega Alakazam, Tapu Lele, and Choice Scarf Latios.
[SET]
name: Assault Vest
move 1: Fleur Cannon
move 2: Flash Cannon
move 3: Hidden Power Fire / Ice Beam
move 4: Volt Switch
item: Assault Vest
ability: Soul-Heart
nature: Calm
evs: 200 HP / 56 SpA / 252 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Fleur Cannon is Magearna's strongest and most spammable attack, doing a hefty chunk to anything that does not resist it. Magearna is a natural check to Tapu Lele and Clefable, so it only makes sense to have Flash Cannon to force them out. Hidden Power Fire is the preferred option in the third moveslot so that Magearna can threaten Mega Scizor and Ferrothorn. However, Ice Beam is an option for OHKOing Landorus-T, offensive Zygarde, and Garchomp on the switch. Volt Switch turns Magearna into a great pivot, as it allows it to gain momentum against Pokemon that it cannot normally break such as Toxapex and Chansey for teammates to take advantage of.
Set Details
========
A Calm nature with the given EV spread lets Magearna come in on Choice Specs Gengar's Shadow Ball three times with Stealth Rock damage, making Magearna a semi-consistent check to one of the most threatening breakers in the tier. A more offensive variant of this set with maximum Special Attack investment and a Modest nature is viable for punishing switches harder. However, Magearna loses a lot of defensive utility when it comes to checking Greninja, for example. Soul-Heart is Magearna's only available ability.
Usage Tips
========
Magearna should be used to switch into dangerous special attackers such as Tapu Lele, Gengar, Tapu Koko, and Greninja. While Volt Switch does gain the most leverage for teammates, double switching or using Fleur Cannon may be the better play if there is a Ground-type or Alolan Marowak on the opponent's team. Using Volt Switch might not be smart on a confirmed Protean Greninja, as Magearna can be Spikes fodder for it. Remember that Fleur Cannon still has a decent amount of power behind it, so using it does not forfeit as much momentum as one might expect it to, especially for maximum Special Attack variants.
While Magearna does check a lot of special attackers, switching it in right away might not be the best move. For example, Magearna is indeed a solid check to Gengar and Latios, but middle-ground plays may have to be made to scout for a possible Trick. Another example is coming in on Knock Off users such as Clefable, Tornadus-T, and Alolan Muk near the start of a game, as Magearna may not want to have its Assault Vest removed so early in the game.
Team Options
========
Magearna is bait to two of the most dangerous Pokemon in the tier, Volcarona and Zygarde. It would only be natural to have counterplay to these threats. Mantine, Toxapex, and specially defensive Zygarde are great teammates for checking most variants of Volcarona, while opposing Zygarde can be checked with physically defensive Tangrowth and Landorus-T. Tangrowth in particular can net extra recovery for Magearna with Leech Seed.
Magearna appreciates entry hazard support due to the high number of switches it forces. Greninja is the best Spikes user for this role, as Ferrothorn brings redundant defensive synergy with Magearna. Stealth Rock users include Landorus-T and Heatran, while Toxapex makes an excellent user of Toxic Spikes. VoltTurn teammates are appreciated because Magearna has Volt Switch to form VoltTurn cores. Ash-Greninja, Landorus-T, and Tapu Koko are good examples, though be sure to have solid counterplay for Alolan Marowak if the last is chosen. Strong wallbreakers such as Mega Heracross, Protean Greninja, Gengar, and Volcarona appreciate Magearna forcing in Tangrowth and Heatran. The threat of such a wallbreaker can prevent the opponent from switching into such passive Pokemon, allowing Magearna to make easier reads on incoming Ground-types for a double switch or straight up attack with Fleur Cannon.
[SET]
name: Trick Room
move 1: Trick Room
move 2: Fleur Cannon / Flash Cannon
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Thunderbolt / Flash Cannon
item: Fairium Z / Electrium Z
ability: Soul-Heart
nature: Quiet
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA
ivs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
After a Trick Room, Magearna outpaces the majority of the metagame, allowing it to wreak havoc on a lot of teams with the combination of its bulk, power, and unpredictability. Fleur Cannon is Magearna's strongest attack, and it hits ridiculously hard when powered up by Fairium Z. Considering how short-lived Trick Room is, the immediate power provided by Twinkle Tackle is preferred in order to kickstart Soul-Heart and sweep teams in the clutch. Focus Blast, despite its imperfect accuracy, is used to hit a large number of Pokemon that resist Fairy, such as Heatran, Ferrothorn, and Magnezone, for huge damage. Thunderbolt is used as a filler because it can hit Pokemon such as Toxapex, Mantine, and Keldeo without causing Fleur Cannon's Special Attack drop. Flash Cannon is an option over Thunderbolt on Fairium Z sets because it is a reliable secondary STAB attack and has a different range of targets when it comes to avoiding the stat drops of Fleur Cannon, such as Tapu Bulu, Mega Heracross, and Mew.
With Electrium Z, Gigavolt Havoc does massive damage to Pokemon that normally wall Magearna, such as Celesteela and specially defensive Toxapex, while doing more damage than Twinkle Tackle to checks such as Volcarona and Mega Scizor. Using Fleur Cannon can prove inconsistent on Electrium Z sets due to its Special Attack drops. Thus, Flash Cannon is an alternative to Fleur Cannon as a reliable STAB move late-game.
Hidden Power Fire can be used over Focus Blast, trading coverage versus Heatran in order to defeat Mega Scizor. Aura Sphere is a 100% accurate Fighting-type move, but it requires its targets such as Ferrothorn and Magnezone to be at a low amount of health before it can KO them.
Set Details
========
Fairium Z grants Magearna access to a 195-Base Power Twinkle Tackle, a great move for kickstarting Soul-Heart and invalidating checks such as Landorus-T. Electrium Z similarly boosts Thunderbolt's power to a solid 175, so Magearna can defeat Pokemon such as Celesteela and Toxapex with little prior damage. Fightinium Z seems like an appealing option for breaking full HP Heatran, Ferrothorn, and other Steel-types, but these Focus Blast targets are often in range of being KOed by the move late-game, when Trick Room should be set up. Electrium Z's viability results from the fact that Celesteela and Toxapex find themselves at close to full health, even late-game, because of their access to Leech Seed and Regenerator, respectively. Fightinium Z is still an option if a Magearna user wants more assurance against Steel-types, though a Shift Gear set is usually best to fulfill this purpose.
Maximum Special Attack investment is used so Magearna can perform to the best of its capabilities when sweeping teams. The rest of the investment is thrown into HP so Magearna has an easier time setting up Trick Room, the main perk this set has over Shift Gear. A Quiet nature and 0 IVs in Speed are utilized so Magearna can outspeed as many possible Pokemon under Trick Room. Soul-Heart boosts Magearna's Special Attack by a stage whenever a Pokemon faints, producing a snowball effect that makes Magearna unstoppable in the right circumstances.
Usage Tips
========
Magearna best performs late-game in that the later you send it out, the higher chance it will have of securing a sweep. After setting up Trick Room, use Twinkle Tackle right away for a free KO and Soul-Heart boost unless Magearna faces something it obviously cannot beat with Twinkle Tackle such as Heatran. This comes back to the point of trying to set up as late as possible, as this is the stage of the game when the opposing team is the most weakened. Sweeping with Electrium Z sets is a bit different because they should be more focused on timing instead of the patience factor Fairium Z sets have.
Magearna is a threat to many teams, but it will find itself useless in certain matches depending on its moveset, as it's walled by Pokemon such as Roost Volcarona, Celesteela, and Mega Scizor. Because of the lack of pressure Magearna exerts in these matchups, it may as well use the bulk Trick Room sets have to trade KOs versus Garchomp and check Tapu Lele, for example.
Team Options
========
For Fairium Z sets, Pokemon that put pressure on Steel-types such as Ferrothorn, Heatran, and Celesteela make good teammates. Strong Psychic-types such as Hoopa-U, Tapu Lele, Latios, and Mega Alakazam can fulfill this role. Electrium Z sets lack the ability to kickstart Soul-Heart without Twinkle Tackle, so setting Spikes helps these variants function. Ferrothorn and Greninja are the best Pokemon for this role. Specially defensive Skarmory is a useful teammate, as it can set up Spikes and wear down the opponent's team with Whirlwind. Landorus-T is a good teammate, as it can set up Stealth Rock and net crucial chip damage and momentum with U-turn.
Alolan Marowak and Mega Mawile are fine teammates, as they can take advantage of Trick Room, pressure Celesteela, and force in a lot of Pokemon non-Fairium Z Magearna struggles with such as Landorus-T and Rotom-W. Magearna is a staple on full Trick Room teams, so Uxie, Cresselia, and Porygon2 are good teammates if Magearna is used on this archetype.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
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Corkscrew Crash is a powerful move with the purpose of activating Soul-Heart, similar to Twinkle Tackle. It is weaker but has a different range of targets that makes Corkscrew Crash a fine choice on teams weak to Mega Venusaur and, more importantly, opposing Magearna. Other Z-Crystals that can be used are Icium Z for Tangrowth, Zapdos, and Amoonguss and Ghostium Z for Jirachi, Alolan Marowak, and Mew.
Choice Specs boosts Magearna's Special Attack through the roof. To put this power into perspective, even Pokemon that resist Fairy such as Alolan Marowak and Gengar find themselves being OHKOed by Fleur Cannon after Stealth Rock damage. Choice Specs makes Magearna a much more immediate threat to defensive teams, but this notion is inconsistent in practice due to its inability to switch moves. Choice Scarf sets are viable for outpacing everything up to Tornadus-T and taking advantage of Volt Switch, Fleur Cannon, and more importantly, Magearna's great coverage to surprise threats such as Landorus-T and Zygarde with Ice Beam.
However, Magearna would rather have coverage instead of boosting its Special Attack, which can already be done via Soul-Heart. Finally, a specially defensive set with Thunder Wave, Volt Switch, Pain Split, and Fleur Cannon can be used to spread status and heal itself, but Magearna generally prefers the extra bulk provided by Assault Vest.
Checks and Counters
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**Steel-types**: Heatran, Ferrothorn, specially defensive Excadrill, Celesteela, Mega Mawile, and Scizor force out Magearna, as they can tank a hit and KO it back. However, a Z-Move such as All-Out Pummeling or Gigavolt Havoc, or a coverage move such as Hidden Power Fire in Scizor's case, can invalidate these Pokemon. Jirachi and Bronzong are exceptions, as they defeat every variant of Magearna outside of the rare Never-Ending Nightmare set. Assault Vest Magearna defeats offensive Magearna, but it can lose to sets with Corkscrew Crash.
**Fire-types**: Fire-types such as Volcarona, Mega Charizard Y, and Heatran are solid checks to Magearna by typing but must watch out for specific Z-Moves that can invalidate them. Alolan Marowak is a solid check to Magearna in general, as it blocks Volt Switch due to Lightning Rod. However, it once again has the same problems as many other "checks" because it drops to Twinkle Tackle after Stealth Rock.
**Ground-types**: Landorus-T, Garchomp, and Zygarde force out Magearna with their powerful STAB moves. They also make Magearna users think twice before mindlessly clicking Volt Switch. However, Landorus-T, Garchomp, and Zygarde are not guaranteed switch-ins, as they will be destroyed by Fleur Cannon and can be lured in and KOed with Shuca Berry sets.
**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Amoonguss, Toxapex, Zapdos, Venusaur, Chansey, defensive Volcarona, and Assault Vest Tangrowth are some specially defensive Pokemon that can wall Magearna depending on its Z-Move. All of them make fine checks to Assault Vest sets.
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