OU Pinsir

QC: Gary, Colonel M, Finchinator
GP: Lemonade, Fireflame479

[OVERVIEW]

Mega Pinsir is an extremely powerful wallbreaker thanks to Aerilate and its high Attack, which can be boosted further with Swords Dance. It possesses good coverage options in Earthquake and Close Combat. Aerilate-boosted Quick Attack uniquely gives Mega Pinsir Flying-type priority that lets it pick off Pokemon like Volcarona and weakened Greninja, two troubling Pokemon for offense. Mega Pinsir is also faster than many other wallbreakers such as Mega Mawile, Mega Medicham, Mega Heracross, and Tapu Bulu, as well as some offensive Pokemon such as Garchomp and Tapu Lele due to its high Speed stat. However, Mega Pinsir's typing leaves it with a nasty Stealth Rock weakness, making solid entry hazard control support highly recommended, something that not many offensive teams are able to afford. It also faces stiff competition for the Mega slot with Mega Medicham, Mega Mawile, and Mega Heracross, all of which are very scary wallbreakers that require less support and have more coverage options; Mega Mawile in particular has much more defensive presence. Mega Pinsir is also relatively frail on the special side and has a mediocre defensive typing.

[SET]
name: Wallbreaker
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Return
move 3: Earthquake / Close Combat
move 4: Quick Attack
item: Pinsirite
ability: Hyper Cutter
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Swords Dance propels Mega Pinsir's Attack to incredible levels and enables it to heavily weaken or outright OHKO most walls. Return is the mandatory Flying STAB move, being is a high Base Power attack boosted by Aerilate with no drawbacks. Quick Attack gives Mega Pinsir decent priority that lets it pick off otherwise troubling Pokemon such as Volcarona and weakened Pokemon like Greninja and Mega Alakazam. If you're running Mega Pinsir with Magnezone, Earthquake is the best option, as Magnezone traps Skarmory and Celesteela, two Pokemon that would otherwise wall Earthquake Mega Pinsir. Earthquake lets Mega Pinsir hit Magearna much harder, preventing it from setting up Shift Gear or Trick Room as easily, as well as hitting Toxapex super effectively and OHKOing Heatran if Mega Pinsir isn't boosted. Close Combat is Mega Pinsir's best option for hitting Steel-types if Mega Pinsir is not being run with Magnezone, as it prevents Mega Pinsir from being hard walled by Skarmory and Celesteela, two Pokemon Magnezone would otherwise trap. It also hits Rotom-W and most other Flying-resistant Pokemon for neutral damage; Close Combat also OHKOes Tyranitar, something Earthquake cannot do unboosted. Stone Edge is an option that hits Zapdos super effectively and Pokemon like Rotom-W and Celesteela neutrally. Substitute enables Mega Pinsir to become a lot more problematic for more passive teams, as it allows Mega Pinsir to dodge status and more easily set up multiple Swords Dances; however, running Substitute means that Mega Pinsir must forego either Quick Attack or the ability to touch most Steel-types.

Set Details
========

252 Attack EVs maximize Mega Pinsir's damage output and wallbreaking capabilities, and 252 Speed EVs and a Jolly nature allow it to outspeed as many Pokemon as possible, including the vast majority of walls, and hit them hard. Adamant is an option over Jolly to achieve notable KOs, such as a more reliable 2HKO on Quagsire, as well as bolster the power and utility of Quick Attack; however, it comes at the cost of failing to outspeed positive-natured base 95 Pokemon such as Tapu Lele, Zygarde, and Kyurem-B, failing to outspeed Garchomp not running Choice Scarf, and Speed tying with Jolly Landorus-T. Hyper Cutter prevents Intimidate from working on Pinsir before it Mega Evolves, preventing Landorus-T from dropping its Attack that turn.

Usage Tips
========

Mega Pinsir is a wallbreaker first and a sweeper second. Only aim to sweep with it if the opponent's team is heavily weak to it; otherwise, focus on using it to weaken walls for teammates. Against more defensively inclined teams without decent Flying-resistant Pokemon, aim to set up Swords Dance on more passive Pokemon like Toxapex (watch out for Scald burns, though), or start punching holes for teammates, as Mega Pinsir forces out Pokemon like Tangrowth and Tapu Bulu. If the opponent has a Skarmory or another solid Flying switch-in, fire off Return early-game to soften them up, either for teammates or Mega Pinsir itself if it's running Close Combat. Against more offensivelyinclined teams, fire off Return to weaken pivots, as even unboosted Return hits quite hard coming from Mega Pinsir. It might be a good idea to hold off Mega Evolving in some cases, as Hyper Cutter can be useful. Because Pinsir is grounded before Mega Evolving, it can set up Swords Dance on Tapu Fini without risking a Scald burn due to Misty Terrain, and it takes less damage from Stealth Rock; Pinsir also resists Thousand Arrows before Mega Evolving, letting it set up on Choice Band Zygarde locked into Thousand Arrows.

Team Options
========

Entry hazard control is highly recommended due to Mega Pinsir's 4x Stealth Rock weakness, so Pokemon like Latios, Zapdos, Mew, Tapu Fini, and Excadrill make for good partners. Magnezone is an exemplary partner, as it can trap Skarmory and Celesteela, two solid defensive checks for Mega Pinsir, freeing it up to run Earthquake. Magnezone also checks a significant number of threatening Electric-types and can deal with some of Mega Pinsir's revenge killers, such as Tapu Lele, Tapu Koko and Latios, making it a stellar partner. Stealth Rock weakens Pokemon like Celesteela for Mega Pinsir later, so solid setters like Landorus-T, Garchomp, Heatran, and Ferrothorn are appreciated. Spikes support helps weaken walls further for a potential late-game sweep and the teammates Mega Pinsir is wallbreaking for, so Ferrothorn and Greninja are solid partners. Sticky Web renders most of Mega Pinsir's revenge killers ineffective, making it an incredibly solid Pokemon on Sticky Web builds, meaning Smeargle is a good partner, as it sets Sticky Webs. Pokemon that appreciate walls such as Ferrothorn, Tapu Fini, and Toxapex weakened or outright removed such as Ash-Greninja, Tapu Koko, and Keldeo can go to work once Mega Pinsir has done its job. Teammates that can help overload or lure Pokemon like Celesteela, Zapdos, Rotom-W, and Skarmory, such as Tapu Lele and Rockium Z Landorus-T, work well with Mega Pinsir, especially if it's not paired with Magnezone. Knock Off Landorus-T and Knock Off Mamoswine can remove a potential Shed Shell from Skarmory so Magnezone can trap it. Electric-type checks like Assault Vest Tangrowth, Magnezone, Ferrothorn, and Dugtrio are very solid partners, as faster Electric-types are some of Mega Pinsir's main answers on offense.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Double-Edge hits harder than Return but is incompatible with Quick Attack and doesn't net any KOs Return can't already. It also wears down Mega Pinsir unnecessarily. Flail becomes an incredibly powerful 200-Base Power attack after two switches into Stealth Rock as Mega Pinsir, being able to OHKO Celesteela from full health and Skarmory after minimal prior damage when Mega Pinsir is at +2; however, it's unreliable, as Pinsir may take Stealth Rock damage before it Mega Evolves or take damage over the course of the match from other sources. Feint is an alternative to Quick Attack due to it having +2 priority instead of Quick Attack's +1, enabling Mega Pinsir to hit priority users such as Ash-Greninja, Weavile, and non-Jolly Zygarde before it uses Extreme Speed; this should probably be run with Adamant, however, as the power cost is notable otherwise. Feint will also prevent said Pokemon from revenge killing Mega Pinsir at +2.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Electric-types**: Electric-types faster than Mega Pinsir can typically take even a +2 Quick Attack and easily OHKO. Tapu Koko can force it out and gain momentum with U-turn or Volt Switch, and Thundurus can force it out with Thunderbolt or alternatively set up a Nasty Plot. Rotom-W can take even a +2 Close Combat and burn Mega Pinsir, heavily neutering it. Zapdos handles all variants of Mega Pinsir extremely well and can threaten to OHKO with Thunderbolt, though it must watch out for the rare Stone Edge. Mega Manectric outspeeds Mega Pinsir, weakens it with Intimidate, and threatens to OHKO with Thunderbolt or Volt Switch (though the latter is a roll). However, all bar Thundurus and Zapdos fear Earthquake.

**Steel-types**: While many don't appreciate Close Combat or Earthquake, certain Steel-types, such as Skarmory, Celesteela, and Mega Mawile, can check it relatively well defensively, with the former two especially. Skarmory can handle even +2 Mega Pinsir, and bulkier Celesteela only fear +2 Close Combat, which can OHKO after some prior damage. Mawile does have Intimidate prior to Mega Evolving, enabling it to check Mega Pinsir, though it fears Earthquake. However, most of these fear Magnezone, which Mega Pinsir is very often paired with.

**Psychic Terrain**: Mega Pinsir tends to rely on its Quick Attack versus faster teams, so Psychic Terrain drastically increases the list of Pokemon that can revenge kill it.

**Faster Attackers**: Pokemon that can outspeed Mega Pinsir, take a Quick Attack, and hit back are big issues, so Greninja, Choice Scarf Tapu Lele, Choice Scarf Garchomp, Choice Scarf Landorus-T, Choice Scarf Nihilego, Terrakion, and Latios all bother it to no end. However, some of these can be worn down via repeated switches into entry hazards and put in range of Mega Pinsir's Quick Attack, especially if they don't resist it.
 
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Not QC

In the final part of team options you mentioned Mega-Venusaur. I would remove this as Mega-Pinsir and Mega-Venusaur can't both Mega evolve. I would replace it with Amoongus.
 

Gary

Can be abrasive at times (no joke)
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[OVERVIEW]

* Mega Pinsir is an extremely powerful wallbreaker thanks to Aerilate and high attack, which can be boosted further with Swords Dance.
* At +2 attack, it OHKOs most non resistances with Return/Frustration.
* Flying STAB has no immunities and few resistances, making it a very spammable STAB.

* Solid neutral coverage between Return and Close Combat. Good coverage options in EQ and Close Combat
* Aerilate Quick Attack also uniquely gives it Flying type priority, and picks off things like Volcarona and weakened Greninja, two troubling things for offense.
* Faster than many other wallbreakers like Mega Mawile, Mega Medicham and Tapu Bulu, with it's above average speed also rendering it faster than most walls and some offensive Pokemon.
* Typing leaves it with a nasty Stealth Rock weakness, mandating solid hazard control support, something that not many offensive teams are able to afford.
* It faces stiff competition for the mega slot with Mega Metagross, Mega Medicham and Mega Mawile, all of which are very scary wallbreakers that require much less support, have more coverage options, and, in the case of Mega Mawile and Mega Metagross, have much more defensive presence.
* 105 base speed, while above average, isn't very fast in the current metagame, meaning many offensive threats outspeed it and threaten to KO. (you hype its Speed up in an earlier point, so there's no point to include that as a con IMO)
* Relatively frail, especially on the special side, along with mediocre defensive typing.


[SET]
name: Wallbreaker
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Return / Frustration (just do Frustration dont slash both)
move 3: Earthquake / Close Combat
move 4: Quick Attack
item: Pinsirite
ability: Hyper Cutter
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

* Swords Dance propels it's attack to incredible levels and enables it to heavily weaken or outright OHKO most walls.
* Return Frustration is the mandatory Flying STAB, and is a high base power attack boosted by Aerilate with no drawbacks.
* Frustration does the same but is optional due to Ditto shenanigans.
* Quick Attack gives it decent priority that lets it pick off otherwise troubling Pokemon such as Volcarona, and weakened Pokemon like Greninja and Mega Alakazam and the like.
* Earthquake is the best option if you're running it with Magnezone to hit Mega Metagross on the switch in, as well as hitting Magearna and Toxapex super effectively and OHKOing Heatran if you aren't boosted.
* Close Combat is Pinsir's best steel killing STAB if it's not being run with Magnezone, as it prevents you from being hard walled by Skarmory and Celesteela, 2 Pokemon Magnezone otherwise traps, as well as hitting Rotom-Wash and most other Flying resistances for neutral damage.


Set Details
========

* Pinsirite allows Pinsir to mega evolve, and is the entire reason Pinsir is viable in OU in the first place.
* 252 Attack EVs maximise it's damage output and wallbreaking capabilities.
* 252 Speed EVs and a Jolly nature maximise it's speed, allowing it to outspeed the vast majority of walls and hit them hard.
* Hyper Cutter prevents Intimidate from working on it before it megas, meaning Landorus-T's Intimidate will fail to work on it the first turn Pinsir megas.

Usage Tips
========

* Mega Pinsir is a wallbreaker first, sweeper second. Only aim to sweep with it if the opponent's team is heavily weak to it. Otherwise, focus on using it to weaken walls for teammates.
* Against more defensively inclined teams without decent Flying resistances, aim to set up Swords Dance on more passive Pokemon like Tapu Fini or as you force out things like Mega Venusaur and start punching holes for teammates.
* If they have a Skarmory or another solid Flying resist, fire off Returns early game to soften them up, either for teammates or itself if it's running Close Combat. If they have a Metagross, it's generally a good idea to attempt to hit it on the switchin with Earthquake to avoid giving Mega Metagross free turns.
* Against more offensively inclined teams, fire off Returns to weaken pivots, as even unboosted Return hits quite hard.
* It might be a good idea to hold off mega evolving, as Hyper Cutter can be useful pre mega. As Pinsir is grounded before mega evolving, Misty Terrain allows it to set up Swords Dance on Tapu Fini without risking a Scald burn pre mega, and it takes less damage from Stealth Rock before it mega evolves. It also resists Thousand Arrows, letting it set up on Choice Band Zygarde locked into Thousand Arrows pre mega.

Team Options
========

* Hazard control is mandatory due to Mega Pinsir's 4x Stealth Rock weakness, so partners like Latios, Zapdos, Tapu Fini, Excadrill and Starmie make for good partners.
* Magnezone is an exemplary partner as it can trap Skarmory and Celesteela, two solid defensive checks for Mega Pinsir, freeing Mega Pinsir up to run Earthquake. It also checks a significant number of threatening Electric types and can deal with some of it's revenge killers, such as Tapu Lele, Tapu Koko and Latios making it a stellar partner.
* Stealth Rock weakens Pokemon like Celesteela for Mega Pinsir later, so solid setters like Landorus-T, Garchomp, Heatran, and Ferrothorn are appreciated.
* Spikes support helps weaken walls further for teammates or Mega Pinsir itself for a potential late game sweep, so Spikes Ferrothorn and Greninja are solid partners.
* Sticky Webs renders most of it's revenge killers ineffective, making it an incredibly solid Pokemon on Sticky Web builds. (mention Smeargle as a setter)
* Pokemon that appreciate walls such as Ferrothorn, Tapu Fini, Celesteela, Toxapex and Mega Venusaur weakened or outright removed, such as Ash Greninja, Tapu Koko, Keldeo and Double Dance Landorus-T can go to work once Mega Pinsir has done it's job. (cut down on a few no need to list so many)
* Teammates that can help overload or lure things like Celesteela, Zapdos, Rotom-W and Skarmory, such as Rockium Z Landorus-T, Firium Z Garchomp, Tapu Lele, Tapu Bulu and Salamence work well with Mega Pinsir, especially if it's not paired with Magnezone. Knock Off Landorus-T can remove a potential Shed Shell from Skarmory so Magnezone can trap it.
* Electric type checks like Assault Vest Tangrowth, Magnezone, Ferrothorn, Lightningrod Alolan Marowak, Amoongus, Excadrill and Dugtrio are very solid partners, as faster Electric types are some of Mega Pinsir's main answers on offense. (again cut down on a few of these)



[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

* Double Edge hits harder than Return, but is incompatible with Quick Attack and doesn't net any KOs Return can't already. It also wears down Mega Pinsir unecessarily.
* Stone Edge hits Zapdos but not much else.
* Sub SD
* Flail



Checks and Counters
===================

**Mega Metagross**: Mega Metagross takes any attack bar Earthquake as a 3HKO, outspeeds and threatens to OHKO after minimal prior damage with Ice Punch. It also takes Quick Attack very well due to it's massive defense and resistance to it.

**Skarmory**: Skarmory can take even +2 Close Combats quite well from full health and retaliate with either Brave Bird or Counter and outright hard walls Earthquake variants. It can also punish repeated Returns and Close Combats with Rocky Helmet and Roost off any lost damage and Whirlwind away any boosts Mega Pinsir may have. It must watch out for Magnezone, however, especially if it's Rocky Helmet.

(These Pokemon are already covered in Steel-types so no need to mention them twice)

**Steel types**: While many don't appreciate Close Combat or Earthquake, certain Steel types, such as Mega Metagross, Skarmory, Celesteela and Mega Mawile can check or even counter it. Mega Metagross outspeeds and threatens huge damage (mention that it has to watch out for switching into EQ), Skarmory can handle even +2 Mega Pinsir and bulkier Celesteela only fear +2 Close Combat, which can OHKO after some prior damage. Mawile does have Intimidate pre mega, enabling it to check Mega Pinsir, though it fears Eartqhuake. (mention how most of these Pokemon have to watch out for Magnezone considering that it's almost always paired with it)

**Electric types**: Electric types faster than Mega Pinsir can typically take even a +2 Quick Attack and easily OHKO. Tapu Koko can force it out and gain momentum with U-turn or Volt Switch, and Thundurus-Incarnate can force it out with Thunderbolt, or alternatively set up a Nasty Plot. Zapdos handles all variants of Mega Pinsir extremely well and can threaten to OHKO with Thunderbolt, though it must watch out for the rare Stone Edge. However, all bar Thundurus and Zapdos fear Earthquake. (mention Rotom-W, because it can still eat a +2 CC and Wisp it)

**Psychic Terrain**: Mega Pinsir tends to rely on it's Quick Attack versus faster teams, so Psychic Terrain drastically increases the list of Pokemon that can revenge kill it.

**Faster attackers**: Pokemon that can outspeed, take a Quick Attack and hit back are big issues. Tapu Koko, Mega Metagross, Greninja, Choice Scarf Tapu Lele, Choice Scarf Garchomp, Choice Scarf Landorus-Therian, Choice Scarf Nihilego, Terrakion, and Latios all bother it to no end. However, some of these can be worn down via repeated switchins to entry hazards and put in range of Mega Pinsir's Quick Attack, especially if they don't resist it.


QC 1/3
 

Martin

A monoid in the category of endofunctors
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IMO you should give Adamant a mention in set details just because it is nice for giving Quick Attack a bit of extra oomph whilst also doing a handful of neat things such as those I've hidden below and just generally being a nice tool for improving damage rolls if you don't mind losing the ability to outrun stuff like positive-natured 95s, un-Scarfed Chomper, and being forced to speed tie jolly Lando.
+1 252+ Atk Aerilate Pinsir-Mega Return vs. 252 HP / 216+ Def Landorus-Therian: 297-351 (77.7 - 91.8%) -- 31.3% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
+2 252+ Atk Pinsir-Mega Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Celesteela: 317-374 (79.6 - 93.9%) -- 43.8% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Pinsir-Mega Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Heatran: 520-616 (160.9 - 190.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252+ Atk Pinsir-Mega Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 88+ Def Ferrothorn: 183-216 (51.9 - 61.3%) -- 96.1% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Aerilate Pinsir-Mega Return vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Unaware Quagsire: 199-235 (50.6 - 59.7%) -- 85.5% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Aerilate Pinsir-Mega Return vs. 252 HP / 228+ Def Unaware Pyukumuku: 153-180 (48.7 - 57.3%) -- 47.3% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Aerilate Pinsir-Mega Quick Attack vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Dugtrio: 169-201 (80 - 95.2%) -- 50% chance to OHKO after 1 layer of Spikes
+2 252 Atk Aerilate Pinsir-Mega Quick Attack vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tornadus-Therian: 216-255 (72.2 - 85.2%) -- 75% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock

There are prolly other things too
Super knitpicky, but I vaguely remember some old clause that I can't be bothered to try and dig up now where it says that the etiquette is to list Return>Frustration to ensure consistency between analyses or something like that. I'm not sure if it's still a thing (can someone clarify this for me?), but it's worth bringing up here.

When mentioning CC in moves, give Tar a mention as a target due to its ability to OHKO it without a boost.

When you mention KOff Lando in team options, it's probably worth also mentioning KOff Mamoswine here 'cause it achieves the same kind of thing.

Mention Feint in OO for its higher priority bracket at the cost of 25% power, which is useful vs. stuff with faster priority such as Ash Gren and Weavile; when you mention it, emphasise that Adamant is preferred alongside it to make up for the power deficit (w/ ada, +2 Feint has just under a 70% chance to OHKO AshGren after SR+1 Spike, and it also more than doubles the chance to OHKO Weavile after SR (93.8% chance as opposed to Jolly's 43.8)).
 

Colonel M

I COULD BE BORED!
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- Stone Edge into Moves.
- Remove Close Combat from slashes - okay to keep in Moves.
- I wouldn't say hazard removal is necessary. Maybe highly recommended.
* Pinsirite allows Pinsir to mega evolve.
Remove this.
* Against more defensively inclined teams without decent Flying resistances, aim to set up Swords Dance on more passive Pokemon like Tapu Fini or as you force out things like Mega Venusaur and start punching holes for teammates.
I'd mention more relevant Pokemon.
* Sticky Webs renders most of it's revenge killers ineffective, making it an incredibly solid Pokemon on Sticky Web builds and Smeargle a good partner as Sticky Webs seter.
Good line - just make sure to mention it's Smeargle.
* Stone Edge hits Zapdos but not much else.
Remove this line since it'll be in Moves.

Stone Edge hits Zapdos, but it also hits neutrally still on Celesteela if necessary and Rotom-W. It also doesn't drop defenses, though obviously the accuracy is a concern.

One last thing - I know it's super early, but add Mega Manectric in C&C.

Definitely double check this before write-up I saw a lot of common errors with it's and its. Also, it is Double-Edge.

2/3
 
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Finchinator

-OUTL
is a Tournament Directoris a Top Social Media Contributoris a Community Leaderis a Community Contributoris a Smogon Discord Contributoris a Top Tiering Contributoris a Contributor to Smogonis a Top Smogon Media Contributoris a Top Dedicated Tournament Hostis a Senior Staff Member Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnusis a Past WCoP Championis the defending OU Circuit Championis a Two-Time Former Old Generation Tournament Circuit Champion
OU Leader
After speaking with a few people, we decided that CC should be backslashed behind EQ. I would also move Substitute to set comments instead of OO.

Rest is great, 3/3
 
[OVERVIEW]

Mega Pinsir is an extremely powerful wallbreaker thanks to Aerilate and high Attack, which can be boosted further with Swords Dance. It possesses good coverage options in Earthquake and Close Combat. Aerilate-boosted Quick Attack also (this is the first time you mention it) uniquely gives it Mega Pinsir Flying-type priority (explain the significance, please), and picks off things like Volcarona and weakened Greninja, two troubling things for offense. Mega Pinsir is also faster than many other wallbreakers, (RC) such as Mega Mawile, Mega Medicham, Mega Heracross, (AC) and Tapu Bulu, with its above average speed also while rendering it faster than most walls and some offensive Pokemon (such as...). However, Mega Pinsir's typing leaves it with a nasty Stealth Rock weakness, making solid hazard control support highly recommended, something that not many offensive teams are able to afford. It also faces stiff competition for the Mega slot with Mega Medicham, Mega Mawile, and Mega Heracross, all of which are very scary wallbreakers that require less support and have more coverage options. (RP); (ASC) Mega Mawile in particular has much more defensive presence. Mega Pinsir is also relatively frail on the special side, and has a mediocre defensive typing.

[SET]
name: Wallbreaker
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Return
move 3: Earthquake / Close Combat
move 4: Quick Attack
item: Pinsirite
ability: Hyper Cutter
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Swords Dance propels Mega Pinsir's Attack to incredible levels and enables it to heavily weaken or outright OHKO most walls. Return is the mandatory Flying STAB move - it is a high base power attack boosted by Aerilate with no drawbacks. Quick Attack gives Mega Pinsir decent priority that lets it pick off otherwise troubling Pokemon such as Volcarona, and weakened Pokemon like Greninja and Mega Alakazam and the like ('Pokemon like...' covers that). Earthquake is the best option if you're running it Mega Pinsir with Magnezone to hit Magearna much harder, preventing it from setting up Shift Gear or Trick Room as easily, as well as hitting Toxapex super effectively and OHKOing Heatran if you aren't Mega Pinsir isn't boosted. Close Combat is Mega Pinsir's best steel killing option for hitting Steel-types if it's Mega Pinsir is not being run with Magnezone, as it prevents you Mega Pinsir from being hard walled by Skarmory and Celesteela, two Pokemon Magnezone otherwise traps, as well as hitting Rotom-Wash and most other Flying-resistant Pokemon resistances for neutral damage. (RP); (ASC) it also OHKOs Tyranitar, something Earthquake cannot do unboosted. Stone Edge is an option that hits Zapdos super effectively and hits Pokemon like Rotom-W and Celesteela neutrally. Substitute enables it Mega Pinsir to become a lot more problematic for more passive teams, enabling it as it allows Mega Pinsir to dodge status and more easily set up multiple Swords Dances; (ASC) however, running Substitute means that Mega Pinsir must forego either Quick Attack or the ability to touch most Steel-types. (moved from OO. You don't have to implement this exactly)

Set Details
========

252 Attack EVs maximizes its Mega Pinsir's damage output and wallbreaking capabilities, while 252 Speed EVs and a Jolly nature allows it to outspeed as much as possible, including the vast majority of walls, and hit them hard. Adamant is an option over Jolly to achieve notable HKOs, such as a more reliable 2HKO on Quagsire, as well as bolstering the power and utility of Quick Attack. (RP); (ASC) however, it comes at the cost of outspeeding positive-natured base 95s, (RC) such as Tapu Lele, Zygarde, and Kyurem-Black, as well as (parallelism) failing to outspeed Garchomp not running Choice Scarf, and Speed tying with Jolly Landorus-T. Hyper Cutter is the ability of choice prior to mega evolution as it (fluff) prevents Intimidate from working on it Pinsir the first turn before Pinsir it Mega Evolves, preventing Landorus-T from dropping Mega Pinsir's its Attack that turn.

Usage Tips
========

Mega Pinsir is a wallbreaker first, and a sweeper second. Only aim to sweep with it if the opponent's team is heavily weak to it. (RP); (ASC) otherwise, focus on using it to weaken walls for teammates. Against more defensively-inclined teams without decent Flying-resistant Pokemon resistances, aim to set up Swords Dance on more passive Pokemon like Toxapex (watch out for Scald burns though) or as you Mega Pinsir forces out things like Tangrowth or Tapu Bulu and start punching holes for teammates. If the opponent has a Skarmory or another solid Flying resist switch-in, fire off Returns early game to soften them up, either for teammates or Mega Pinsir itself if it's running Close Combat. Against more offensively-inclined teams, fire off Returns to weaken pivots, as even unboosted Return hits quite hard coming from Mega Pinsir. It might be a good idea to hold off Mega Evolving in some cases, as Hyper Cutter can be useful pre mega. Because Pinsir is grounded before Mega Evolving, Misty Terrain allows it to can set up Swords Dance on Tapu Fini without risking a Scald burn pre mega due to Misty Terrain, and it takes less damage from Stealth Rock before it mega evolves. It; (ASC) Pinsir also resists Thousand Arrows before Mega Evolving, letting it set up on Choice Band Zygarde locked into Thousand Arrows pre mega.

Team Options
========

Hazard control is highly recommended due to Mega Pinsir's 4x Stealth Rock weakness, so partners like Latios, Zapdos, Mew, Tapu Fini and Excadrill make for good partners. Magnezone is an exemplary partner, (AC) as it can trap Skarmory and Celesteela, two solid defensive checks for Mega Pinsir, freeing Mega Pinsir up to run Earthquake. Magnezone also checks a significant number of threatening Electric-types (such as...) and can deal with some of Mega Pinsir's revenge killers, such as Tapu Lele, Tapu Koko and Latios, (AC) making it a stellar partner. Stealth Rock weakens Pokemon like Celesteela for Mega Pinsir later, so solid setters like Landorus-T, Garchomp, Heatran, and Ferrothorn are appreciated. Spikes support helps weaken walls further for Mega Pinsir itself for a potential late-game sweep and the teammates Mega Pinsir is trying to weaken walls for (this sounds... off to me), so Spikes (you are talking about Spikes setters already) Ferrothorn and Greninja are solid partners. Sticky Webs renders most of its Mega Pinsir's revenge killers ineffective, making it Mega Pinsir an incredibly solid Pokemon on Sticky Web builds, meaning Smeargle is a good partner, (AC) as it sets Sticky Webs. Pokemon that appreciate walls such as Ferrothorn, Tapu Fini, (AC) and Toxapex weakened or outright removed, (RC) such as Ash-Greninja, Tapu Koko, and Keldeo can go to work once Mega Pinsir has done its job. Teammates that can help overload or lure things like Celesteela, Zapdos, Rotom-W, (AC) and Skarmory, such as Tapu Lele and Rockium Z Landorus-T, work well with Mega Pinsir, especially if it's not paired with Magnezone. Knock Off Landorus-T and Knock Off Mamoswine can remove a potential Shed Shell from Skarmory so Magnezone can trap it. Electric-type checks like Assault Vest Tangrowth, Magnezone, Ferrothorn, and Dugtrio are very solid partners, as faster Electric-types are some of Mega Pinsir's main answers on offense.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Double-Edge hits harder than Return, but is incompatible with Quick Attack and doesn't net any KOs Return can't already. It also wears down Mega Pinsir unnecessarily. However, running Substitute means you forego either Quick Attack or one of your Steel killing options, meaning you either lose a tool versus offense or the ability to touch most steel types. (Substitute is in Moves, so moved it there) Flail becomes an incredibly powerful 200 BP attack after two switches into Stealth Rock as Mega Pinsir, being able to OHKO Celesteela from full and Skarmory after minimal prior damage at +2. (RP); (ASC) however, it's unreliable, (AC) as Mega Pinsir (we are talking about Pinsir right now) may take Stealth Rock damage before it Mega Evolves or take damage over the course of the match from other sources. Feint is an alternative to Quick Attack due to it having +2 priority instead of Quick Attack's +1, enabling it Mega Pinsir to hit priority users such as Ash-Greninja, Weavile, (AC) and non-Jolly Zygarde's before it uses Extreme Speed (cannot hit a priority move). (RP); (ASC) this should probably be run with Adamant, however, as the power cost is notable otherwise. Feint will also prevent said Pokemon revenge killing Mega Pinsir at +2. (AP)

Checks and Counters
===================

**Electric-types**: Electric-types faster than Mega Pinsir can typically take even a +2 Quick Attack and easily OHKO. Tapu Koko can force it out and gain momentum with U-turn or Volt Switch, and Thundurus-Incarnate can force it out with Thunderbolt, (RC) or alternatively set up a Nasty Plot. Rotom-W can take even a +2 Close Combat and Will-o-Wisp burn Mega Pinsir, heavily neutering it. Zapdos handles all variants of Mega Pinsir extremely well and can threaten to OHKO with Thunderbolt, though it must watch out for the rare Stone Edge. Mega Manectric outspeeds, weakens Mega Pinsir with Intimidate, (AC) and threatens to OHKO with Thunderbolt or Volt Switch (though the latter is a roll). However, all bar Thundurus and Zapdos fear Earthquake.

**Steel-types**: While many don't appreciate Close Combat or Earthquake, certain Steel-types, such as Skarmory, Celesteela, (AC) and Mega Mawile, (AC) can check it relatively well defensively, the former two especially. Skarmory can handle even +2 Mega Pinsir, (AC) and bulkier Celesteela only fear +2 Close Combat, which can OHKO after some prior damage. Mawile does have Intimidate pre prior to Mega Evolving, enabling it to check Mega Pinsir, though it fears Earthquake. However, most of these fear Magnezone, who Mega Pinsir is very often paired with.

**Psychic Terrain**: Mega Pinsir tends to rely on its Quick Attack versus faster teams, so Psychic Terrain drastically increases the list of Pokemon that can revenge kill it.

**Faster attackers**: Pokemon that can outspeed Mega Pinsir, take a Quick Attack, (AC) and hit back are big issues. (RP), (AC) so Greninja, Choice Scarf Tapu Lele, Choice Scarf Garchomp, Choice Scarf Landorus-Therian, Choice Scarf Nihilego, Terrakion, and Latios all bother it to no end. However, some of these can be worn down via repeated switchins to entry hazards and put in range of Mega Pinsir's Quick Attack, especially if they don't resist it.
 
[OVERVIEW]

Mega Pinsir is an extremely powerful wallbreaker thanks to Aerilate and high Attack, which can be boosted further with Swords Dance. It possesses good coverage options in Earthquake and Close Combat. Aerilate-boosted Quick Attack also (this is the first time you mention it) uniquely gives it Mega Pinsir Flying-type priority (explain the significance, please), and picks off things like Volcarona and weakened Greninja, two troubling things for offense. Mega Pinsir is also faster than many other wallbreakers, (RC) such as Mega Mawile, Mega Medicham, Mega Heracross, (AC) and Tapu Bulu, with its above average speed also while rendering it faster than most walls and some offensive Pokemon (such as...). However, Mega Pinsir's typing leaves it with a nasty Stealth Rock weakness, making solid hazard control support highly recommended, something that not many offensive teams are able to afford. It also faces stiff competition for the Mega slot with Mega Medicham, Mega Mawile, and Mega Heracross, all of which are very scary wallbreakers that require less support and have more coverage options. (RP); (ASC) Mega Mawile in particular has much more defensive presence. Mega Pinsir is also relatively frail on the special side, and has a mediocre defensive typing.

[SET]
name: Wallbreaker
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Return
move 3: Earthquake / Close Combat
move 4: Quick Attack
item: Pinsirite
ability: Hyper Cutter
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Swords Dance propels Mega Pinsir's Attack to incredible levels and enables it to heavily weaken or outright OHKO most walls. Return is the mandatory Flying STAB move - it is a high base power attack boosted by Aerilate with no drawbacks. Quick Attack gives Mega Pinsir decent priority that lets it pick off otherwise troubling Pokemon such as Volcarona, and weakened Pokemon like Greninja and Mega Alakazam and the like ('Pokemon like...' covers that). Earthquake is the best option if you're running it Mega Pinsir with Magnezone to hit Magearna much harder, preventing it from setting up Shift Gear or Trick Room as easily, as well as hitting Toxapex super effectively and OHKOing Heatran if you aren't Mega Pinsir isn't boosted. Close Combat is Mega Pinsir's best steel killing option for hitting Steel-types if it's Mega Pinsir is not being run with Magnezone, as it prevents you Mega Pinsir from being hard walled by Skarmory and Celesteela, two Pokemon Magnezone otherwise traps, as well as hitting Rotom-Wash and most other Flying-resistant Pokemon resistances for neutral damage. (RP); (ASC) it also OHKOs Tyranitar, something Earthquake cannot do unboosted. Stone Edge is an option that hits Zapdos super effectively and hits Pokemon like Rotom-W and Celesteela neutrally. Substitute enables it Mega Pinsir to become a lot more problematic for more passive teams, enabling it as it allows Mega Pinsir to dodge status and more easily set up multiple Swords Dances; (ASC) however, running Substitute means that Mega Pinsir must forego either Quick Attack or the ability to touch most Steel-types. (moved from OO. You don't have to implement this exactly)

Set Details
========

252 Attack EVs maximizes its Mega Pinsir's damage output and wallbreaking capabilities, while 252 Speed EVs and a Jolly nature allows it to outspeed as much as possible, including the vast majority of walls, and hit them hard. Adamant is an option over Jolly to achieve notable HKOs, such as a more reliable 2HKO on Quagsire, as well as bolstering the power and utility of Quick Attack. (RP); (ASC) however, it comes at the cost of outspeeding positive-natured base 95s, (RC) such as Tapu Lele, Zygarde, and Kyurem-Black, as well as (parallelism) failing to outspeed Garchomp not running Choice Scarf, and Speed tying with Jolly Landorus-T. Hyper Cutter is the ability of choice prior to mega evolution as it (fluff) prevents Intimidate from working on it Pinsir the first turn before Pinsir it Mega Evolves, preventing Landorus-T from dropping Mega Pinsir's its Attack that turn.

Usage Tips
========

Mega Pinsir is a wallbreaker first, and a sweeper second. Only aim to sweep with it if the opponent's team is heavily weak to it. (RP); (ASC) otherwise, focus on using it to weaken walls for teammates. Against more defensively-inclined teams without decent Flying-resistant Pokemon resistances, aim to set up Swords Dance on more passive Pokemon like Toxapex (watch out for Scald burns though) or as you Mega Pinsir forces out things like Tangrowth or Tapu Bulu and start punching holes for teammates. If the opponent has a Skarmory or another solid Flying resist switch-in, fire off Returns early game to soften them up, either for teammates or Mega Pinsir itself if it's running Close Combat. Against more offensively-inclined teams, fire off Returns to weaken pivots, as even unboosted Return hits quite hard coming from Mega Pinsir. It might be a good idea to hold off Mega Evolving in some cases, as Hyper Cutter can be useful pre mega. Because Pinsir is grounded before Mega Evolving, Misty Terrain allows it to can set up Swords Dance on Tapu Fini without risking a Scald burn pre mega due to Misty Terrain, and it takes less damage from Stealth Rock before it mega evolves. It; (ASC) Pinsir also resists Thousand Arrows before Mega Evolving, letting it set up on Choice Band Zygarde locked into Thousand Arrows pre mega.

Team Options
========

Hazard control is highly recommended due to Mega Pinsir's 4x Stealth Rock weakness, so partners like Latios, Zapdos, Mew, Tapu Fini and Excadrill make for good partners. Magnezone is an exemplary partner, (AC) as it can trap Skarmory and Celesteela, two solid defensive checks for Mega Pinsir, freeing Mega Pinsir up to run Earthquake. Magnezone also checks a significant number of threatening Electric-types (such as...) and can deal with some of Mega Pinsir's revenge killers, such as Tapu Lele, Tapu Koko and Latios, (AC) making it a stellar partner. Stealth Rock weakens Pokemon like Celesteela for Mega Pinsir later, so solid setters like Landorus-T, Garchomp, Heatran, and Ferrothorn are appreciated. Spikes support helps weaken walls further for Mega Pinsir itself for a potential late-game sweep and the teammates Mega Pinsir is trying to weaken walls for (this sounds... off to me), so Spikes (you are talking about Spikes setters already) Ferrothorn and Greninja are solid partners. Sticky Webs renders most of its Mega Pinsir's revenge killers ineffective, making it Mega Pinsir an incredibly solid Pokemon on Sticky Web builds, meaning Smeargle is a good partner, (AC) as it sets Sticky Webs. Pokemon that appreciate walls such as Ferrothorn, Tapu Fini, (AC) and Toxapex weakened or outright removed, (RC) such as Ash-Greninja, Tapu Koko, and Keldeo can go to work once Mega Pinsir has done its job. Teammates that can help overload or lure things like Celesteela, Zapdos, Rotom-W, (AC) and Skarmory, such as Tapu Lele and Rockium Z Landorus-T, work well with Mega Pinsir, especially if it's not paired with Magnezone. Knock Off Landorus-T and Knock Off Mamoswine can remove a potential Shed Shell from Skarmory so Magnezone can trap it. Electric-type checks like Assault Vest Tangrowth, Magnezone, Ferrothorn, and Dugtrio are very solid partners, as faster Electric-types are some of Mega Pinsir's main answers on offense.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Double-Edge hits harder than Return, but is incompatible with Quick Attack and doesn't net any KOs Return can't already. It also wears down Mega Pinsir unnecessarily. However, running Substitute means you forego either Quick Attack or one of your Steel killing options, meaning you either lose a tool versus offense or the ability to touch most steel types. (Substitute is in Moves, so moved it there) Flail becomes an incredibly powerful 200 BP attack after two switches into Stealth Rock as Mega Pinsir, being able to OHKO Celesteela from full and Skarmory after minimal prior damage at +2. (RP); (ASC) however, it's unreliable, (AC) as Mega Pinsir (we are talking about Pinsir right now) may take Stealth Rock damage before it Mega Evolves or take damage over the course of the match from other sources. Feint is an alternative to Quick Attack due to it having +2 priority instead of Quick Attack's +1, enabling it Mega Pinsir to hit priority users such as Ash-Greninja, Weavile, (AC) and non-Jolly Zygarde's before it uses Extreme Speed (cannot hit a priority move). (RP); (ASC) this should probably be run with Adamant, however, as the power cost is notable otherwise. Feint will also prevent said Pokemon revenge killing Mega Pinsir at +2. (AP)

Checks and Counters
===================

**Electric-types**: Electric-types faster than Mega Pinsir can typically take even a +2 Quick Attack and easily OHKO. Tapu Koko can force it out and gain momentum with U-turn or Volt Switch, and Thundurus-Incarnate can force it out with Thunderbolt, (RC) or alternatively set up a Nasty Plot. Rotom-W can take even a +2 Close Combat and Will-o-Wisp burn Mega Pinsir, heavily neutering it. Zapdos handles all variants of Mega Pinsir extremely well and can threaten to OHKO with Thunderbolt, though it must watch out for the rare Stone Edge. Mega Manectric outspeeds, weakens Mega Pinsir with Intimidate, (AC) and threatens to OHKO with Thunderbolt or Volt Switch (though the latter is a roll). However, all bar Thundurus and Zapdos fear Earthquake.

**Steel-types**: While many don't appreciate Close Combat or Earthquake, certain Steel-types, such as Skarmory, Celesteela, (AC) and Mega Mawile, (AC) can check it relatively well defensively, the former two especially. Skarmory can handle even +2 Mega Pinsir, (AC) and bulkier Celesteela only fear +2 Close Combat, which can OHKO after some prior damage. Mawile does have Intimidate pre prior to Mega Evolving, enabling it to check Mega Pinsir, though it fears Earthquake. However, most of these fear Magnezone, who Mega Pinsir is very often paired with.

**Psychic Terrain**: Mega Pinsir tends to rely on its Quick Attack versus faster teams, so Psychic Terrain drastically increases the list of Pokemon that can revenge kill it.

**Faster attackers**: Pokemon that can outspeed Mega Pinsir, take a Quick Attack, (AC) and hit back are big issues. (RP), (AC) so Greninja, Choice Scarf Tapu Lele, Choice Scarf Garchomp, Choice Scarf Landorus-Therian, Choice Scarf Nihilego, Terrakion, and Latios all bother it to no end. However, some of these can be worn down via repeated switchins to entry hazards and put in range of Mega Pinsir's Quick Attack, especially if they don't resist it.
Almost a week late but implemented. Didn't notice it fsr.
 

Lemonade

WOOPAGGING
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Team Rater Alumnusis a Social Media Contributor Alumnusis an Artist Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnusis a Smogon Media Contributor Alumnus
stay tuned

Mega Pinsir is also faster than many other wallbreakers, (RC) such as Mega Mawile, Mega Medicham, Mega Heracross, (AC) and Tapu Bulu, with its above average speed also while rendering it faster than most walls and some offensive Pokemon (such as...).
I don't think "while" is the right transition word here. I would go for "Mega Pinsir is also faster than many other wallbreakers...; this above average speed also makes it faster than most walls..."

Being faster than many wallbreakers doesn't totally imply Mega Pinsir is faster than walls / offensive Pokemon, since you never describe a relationship between those wallbreakers and walls / offensive Pokemon. So, you should mention that Mega Pinsir has "high" speed in some way. Also, I don't think "rendering" is the right word there.

Earthquake is the best option if you're running it Mega Pinsir with Magnezone to hit Magearna much harder, preventing it from setting up Shift Gear or Trick Room as easily, as well as hitting Toxapex super effectively and OHKOing Heatran if you aren't Mega Pinsir isn't boosted.
Slightly confused by the first part (haven't played that much SM). If you're running Steel trapper Magnezone, why is the reason for using Earthquake to hit a Steel-type? Do you mean like, Magnezone doesn't do much damage to Magearna, so Pinsir needs something? Also, these comments aside, I would reorder this sentence to "If you're running Mega Pinsir with Magnezone, Earthquake is the best option to hit Magearna much harder...". This puts Earthquake and the reason to use it next to each other, instead of interrupting the train of thought with "if you're running...".

Close Combat is Mega Pinsir's best steel killing option for hitting Steel-types if it's Mega Pinsir is not being run with Magnezone, as it prevents you Mega Pinsir from being hard walled by Skarmory and Celesteela, two Pokemon Magnezone otherwise traps, as well as hitting Rotom-Wash and most other Flying-resistant Pokemon resistances for neutral damage.
I would split this into two sentences, one about Steel-types, and one about Rotom-W. I think this change is warranted since you go into detail about Steel-types, which leaves the part about Rotom-W hanging. Do keep in mind "as well as" places less emphasis on what follows. However, I feel like hitting both Steel-types and other random stuff is equally important.

252 Attack EVs maximizes its Mega Pinsir's damage output and wallbreaking capabilities, while 252 Speed EVs and a Jolly nature allows it to outspeed as much as possible, including the vast majority of walls, and hit them hard.
Instead of "while", use "and". Attack and Speed EVs are both on the set, so you are not contrasting options or anything.

(ASC) h[/B][/COLOR]owever, it comes at the cost of outspeeding positive-natured base 95s, (RC) such as Tapu Lele, Zygarde, and Kyurem-Black, as well as (parallelism) failing to outspeed Garchomp not running Choice Scarf, and Speed tying with Jolly Landorus-T.
I *think* "at the cost of" should be followed by something negative. In this case, that would be "failing to outspeed 95s" (the second item has "failing" in front). The last part is still negative since Speed tying can be considered bad.

Flail becomes an incredibly powerful 200 BP attack after two switches into Stealth Rock as Mega Pinsir, being able to OHKO Celesteela from full and Skarmory after minimal prior damage at +2.
Add "when Mega Pinsir is at +2" instead of just "at +2". Yes this is implied and can be "figured out", but this change is undoubtedly clearer.

This + amcheck = 1/2
 
Last edited:
stay tuned



I don't think "while" is the right transition word here. I would go for "Mega Pinsir is also faster than many other wallbreakers...; this above average speed also makes it faster than most walls..."

Being faster than many wallbreakers doesn't totally imply Mega Pinsir is faster than walls / offensive Pokemon, since you never describe a relationship between those wallbreakers and walls / offensive Pokemon. So, you should mention that Mega Pinsir has "high" speed in some way. Also, I don't think "rendering" is the right word there.



Slightly confused by the first part (haven't played that much SM). If you're running Steel trapper Magnezone, why is the reason for using Earthquake to hit a Steel-type? Do you mean like, Magnezone doesn't do much damage to Magearna, so Pinsir needs something? Also, these comments aside, I would reorder this sentence to "If you're running Mega Pinsir with Magnezone, Earthquake is the best option to hit Magearna much harder...". This puts Earthquake and the reason to use it next to each other, instead of interrupting the train of thought with "if you're running...".



I would split this into two sentences, one about Steel-types, and one about Rotom-W. I think this change is warranted since you go into detail about Steel-types, which leaves the part about Rotom-W hanging. Do keep in mind "as well as" places less emphasis on what follows. However, I feel like hitting both Steel-types and other random stuff is equally important.



Instead of "while", use "and". Attack and Speed EVs are both on the set, so you are not contrasting options or anything.



I *think* "at the cost of" should be followed by something negative. In this case, that would be "failing to outspeed 95s" (the second item has "failing" in front). The last part is still negative since Speed tying can be considered bad.



Add "when Mega Pinsir is at +2" instead of just "at +2". Yes this is implied and can be "figured out", but this change is undoubtedly clearer.

This + amcheck = 1/2
Implemented, again have no idea how I missed this for a whole day :V
 

Fireflame

Silksong when
is a Top Contributoris a Smogon Media Contributoris a Social Media Contributor Alumnus
Remove Add Comments (AC)= add comma (RC)= remove comma (AH)= add hyphen (RH)= remove hyphen
[OVERVIEW]

Mega Pinsir is an extremely powerful wallbreaker thanks to Aerilate and its high Attack, which can be boosted further with Swords Dance. It possesses good coverage options in Earthquake and Close Combat. Aerilate-boosted Quick Attack uniquely gives Mega Pinsir Flying-type priority,(RC) which that lets it pick off things Pokemon like Volcarona and weakened Greninja, two troubling things Pokemon for offense. Mega Pinsir is also faster than many other wallbreakers such as Mega Mawile, Mega Medicham, Mega Heracross, and Tapu Bulu,(AC) as well as.(period) Mega Pinsir is also faster than some offensive Pokemon such as Garchomp and Tapu Lele due to a its high Speed stat. However, Mega Pinsir's typing leaves it with a nasty Stealth Rock weakness, making solid entry hazard control support highly recommended, something that not many offensive teams are able to afford. It also faces stiff competition for the Mega slot with Mega Medicham, Mega Mawile, and Mega Heracross, all of which are very scary wallbreakers that require less support and have more coverage options; Mega Mawile in particular has much more defensive presence. Mega Pinsir is also relatively frail on the special side,(RC) and has a mediocre defensive typing.

[SET]
name: Wallbreaker
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Return
move 3: Earthquake / Close Combat
move 4: Quick Attack
item: Pinsirite
ability: Hyper Cutter
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Swords Dance propels Mega Pinsir's Attack to incredible levels and enables it to heavily weaken or outright OHKO most walls. Return is the mandatory Flying STAB move,(AC) being -(RH) it is a high Base Power attack boosted by Aerilate with no drawbacks. Quick Attack gives Mega Pinsir decent priority that lets it pick off otherwise troubling Pokemon such as Volcarona,(RC) and weakened Pokemon like Greninja and Mega Alakazam. If you're running Mega Pinsir with Magnezone, Earthquake is the best option,(AC) as Magnezone traps Skarmory and Celesteela, two Pokemon that would otherwise wall Earthquake Mega Pinsir. Earthquake lets Mega Pinsir hit Magearna much harder, preventing it from setting up Shift Gear or Trick Room as easily, as well as hitting Toxapex super effectively and OHKOing Heatran if Mega Pinsir isn't boosted. Close Combat is Mega Pinsir's best option for hitting Steel-types if Mega Pinsir is not being run with Magnezone, as it prevents Mega Pinsir from being hard walled by Skarmory and Celesteela, two Pokemon Magnezone would otherwise trap. It also hits Rotom-W and most other Flying-resistant Pokemon for neutral damage; Close Combat also OHKOs OHKOes Tyranitar, something Earthquake cannot do unboosted. Stone Edge is an option that hits Zapdos super effectively and hits Pokemon like Rotom-W and Celesteela neutrally. Substitute enables Mega Pinsir to become a lot more problematic for more passive teams, as it allows Mega Pinsir to dodge status and more easily set up multiple Swords Dances; however, running Substitute means that Mega Pinsir must forego either Quick Attack or the ability to touch most Steel-types.

Set Details
========

252 Attack EVs maximizes maximize Mega Pinsir's damage output and wallbreaking capabilities, and 252 Speed EVs and a Jolly nature allow it to outspeed as much many Pokemon (too vague) as possible, including the vast majority of walls, and hit them hard. Adamant is an option over Jolly to achieve notable KOs, such as a more reliable 2HKO on Quagsire, as well as bolster the power and utility of Quick Attack; however, it comes at the cost of failing to outspeed positive-natured base 95s 95 Pokemon such as Tapu Lele, Zygarde, and Kyurem-B, failing to outspeed Garchomp not running Choice Scarf, and Speed tying with Jolly Landorus-T. Hyper Cutter prevents Intimidate from working on Pinsir before it Mega Evolves, preventing Landorus-T from dropping its Attack that turn.

Usage Tips
========

Mega Pinsir is a wallbreaker first,(RC) and a sweeper second. Only aim to sweep with it if the opponent's team is heavily weak to it; otherwise, focus on using it to weaken walls for teammates. Against more defensively-(RH)inclined ("Defensively" is an adverb, so no hyphen) teams without decent Flying-resistant Pokemon, aim to set up Swords Dance on more passive Pokemon like Toxapex (watch out for Scald burns,(AC) though),(AC) or as Mega Pinsir forces out things like Tangrowth or Tapu Bulu and start punching holes for teammates,(AC) as Mega Pinsir forces out Pokemon like Tangrowth and Tapu Bulu (better flow). If the opponent has a Skarmory or another solid Flying switch-in, fire off Returns Return early-(AH)game to soften them up, either for teammates or Mega Pinsir itself if it's running Close Combat. Against more offensively-(RH)inclined teams, fire off Returns Return to weaken pivots, as even unboosted Return hits quite hard coming from Mega Pinsir. It might be a good idea to hold off Mega Evolving in some cases, as Hyper Cutter can be useful. Because Pinsir is grounded before Mega Evolving, it can set up Swords Dance on Tapu Fini without risking a Scald burn due to Misty Terrain, and it takes less damage from Stealth Rock; Pinsir also resists Thousand Arrows before Mega Evolving, letting it set up on Choice Band Zygarde locked into Thousand Arrows.

Team Options
========

Entry hazard control is highly recommended due to Mega Pinsir's 4x Stealth Rock weakness, so partners Pokemon ("partners... make for good partners" is redundant) like Latios, Zapdos, Mew, Tapu Fini,(AC) and Excadrill make for good partners. Magnezone is an exemplary partner, as it can trap Skarmory and Celesteela, two solid defensive checks for Mega Pinsir, freeing Mega Pinsir it up to run Earthquake. Magnezone also checks a significant number of threatening Electric-types and can deal with some of Mega Pinsir's revenge killers, such as Tapu Lele, Tapu Koko and Latios, making it a stellar partner. Stealth Rock weakens Pokemon like Celesteela for Mega Pinsir later, so solid setters like Landorus-T, Garchomp, Heatran, and Ferrothorn are appreciated. Spikes support helps weaken walls further for a potential late-game sweep and the teammates Mega Pinsir is wallbreaking for, so Ferrothorn and Greninja are solid partners. Sticky Web renders most of Mega Pinsir's revenge killers ineffective, making Mega Pinsir it an incredibly solid Pokemon on Sticky Web builds, meaning Smeargle is a good partner, as it sets Sticky Webs. Pokemon that appreciate walls such as Ferrothorn, Tapu Fini, and Toxapex weakened or outright removed such as Ash-Greninja, Tapu Koko, and Keldeo can go to work once Mega Pinsir has done its job. Teammates that can help overload or lure things Pokemon like Celesteela, Zapdos, Rotom-W, and Skarmory, such as Tapu Lele and Rockium Z Landorus-T, work well with Mega Pinsir, especially if it's not paired with Magnezone. Knock Off Landorus-T and Knock Off Mamoswine can remove a potential Shed Shell from Skarmory so Magnezone can trap it. Electric-type checks like Assault Vest Tangrowth, Magnezone, Ferrothorn, and Dugtrio are very solid partners, as faster Electric-types are some of Mega Pinsir's main answers on offense.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Double-Edge hits harder than Return,(RC) but is incompatible with Quick Attack and doesn't net any KOs Return can't already. It also wears down Mega Pinsir unnecessarily. Flail becomes an incredibly powerful 200-(AH)Base Power BP attack after two switches into Stealth Rock as Mega Pinsir, being able to OHKO Celesteela from full health and Skarmory after minimal prior damage when Mega Pinsir is at +2; however, it's unreliable, as Pinsir may take Stealth Rock damage before it Mega Evolves or take damage over the course of the match from other sources. Feint is an alternative to Quick Attack due to it having +2 priority instead of Quick Attack's +1, enabling Mega Pinsir to hit priority users such as Ash-Greninja, Weavile, and non-Jolly Zygarde before it uses Extreme Speed; this should probably be run with Adamant, however, as the power cost is notable otherwise. Feint will also prevent said Pokemon from revenge killing Mega Pinsir at +2.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Electric-types**: Electric-types faster than Mega Pinsir can typically take even a +2 Quick Attack and easily OHKO. Tapu Koko can force it out and gain momentum with U-turn or Volt Switch, and Thundurus-I Thundurus can force it out with Thunderbolt or alternatively set up a Nasty Plot. Rotom-W can take even a +2 Close Combat and burn Mega Pinsir, heavily neutering it. Zapdos handles all variants of Mega Pinsir extremely well and can threaten to OHKO with Thunderbolt, though it must watch out for the rare Stone Edge. Mega Manectric outspeeds Mega Pinsir, weakens Mega Pinsir it with Intimidate, and threatens to OHKO with Thunderbolt or Volt Switch (parallel sentence structure) (though the latter is a roll). However, all bar Thundurus and Zapdos fear Earthquake.

**Steel-types**: While many don't appreciate Close Combat or Earthquake, certain Steel-types, such as Skarmory, Celesteela, and Mega Mawile, can check it relatively well defensively, with the former two especially. Skarmory can handle even +2 Mega Pinsir, and bulkier Celesteela only fear +2 Close Combat, which can OHKO after some prior damage. Mawile does have Intimidate prior to Mega Evolving, enabling it to check Mega Pinsir, though it fears Earthquake. However, most of these fear Magnezone, who which Mega Pinsir is very often paired with.

**Psychic Terrain**: Mega Pinsir tends to rely on its Quick Attack versus faster teams, so Psychic Terrain drastically increases the list of Pokemon that can revenge kill it.

**Faster Attackers**: Pokemon that can outspeed Mega Pinsir, take a Quick Attack, and hit back are big issues, so Greninja, Choice Scarf Tapu Lele, Choice Scarf Garchomp, Choice Scarf Landorus-T, Choice Scarf Nihilego, Terrakion, and Latios all bother it to no end. However, some of these can be worn down via repeated switchins to switches into entry hazards and put in range of Mega Pinsir's Quick Attack, especially if they don't resist it.
GP 2/2
 
Remove Add Comments (AC)= add comma (RC)= remove comma (AH)= add hyphen (RH)= remove hyphen
[OVERVIEW]

Mega Pinsir is an extremely powerful wallbreaker thanks to Aerilate and its high Attack, which can be boosted further with Swords Dance. It possesses good coverage options in Earthquake and Close Combat. Aerilate-boosted Quick Attack uniquely gives Mega Pinsir Flying-type priority,(RC) which that lets it pick off things Pokemon like Volcarona and weakened Greninja, two troubling things Pokemon for offense. Mega Pinsir is also faster than many other wallbreakers such as Mega Mawile, Mega Medicham, Mega Heracross, and Tapu Bulu,(AC) as well as.(period) Mega Pinsir is also faster than some offensive Pokemon such as Garchomp and Tapu Lele due to a its high Speed stat. However, Mega Pinsir's typing leaves it with a nasty Stealth Rock weakness, making solid entry hazard control support highly recommended, something that not many offensive teams are able to afford. It also faces stiff competition for the Mega slot with Mega Medicham, Mega Mawile, and Mega Heracross, all of which are very scary wallbreakers that require less support and have more coverage options; Mega Mawile in particular has much more defensive presence. Mega Pinsir is also relatively frail on the special side,(RC) and has a mediocre defensive typing.

[SET]
name: Wallbreaker
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Return
move 3: Earthquake / Close Combat
move 4: Quick Attack
item: Pinsirite
ability: Hyper Cutter
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Swords Dance propels Mega Pinsir's Attack to incredible levels and enables it to heavily weaken or outright OHKO most walls. Return is the mandatory Flying STAB move,(AC) being -(RH) it is a high Base Power attack boosted by Aerilate with no drawbacks. Quick Attack gives Mega Pinsir decent priority that lets it pick off otherwise troubling Pokemon such as Volcarona,(RC) and weakened Pokemon like Greninja and Mega Alakazam. If you're running Mega Pinsir with Magnezone, Earthquake is the best option,(AC) as Magnezone traps Skarmory and Celesteela, two Pokemon that would otherwise wall Earthquake Mega Pinsir. Earthquake lets Mega Pinsir hit Magearna much harder, preventing it from setting up Shift Gear or Trick Room as easily, as well as hitting Toxapex super effectively and OHKOing Heatran if Mega Pinsir isn't boosted. Close Combat is Mega Pinsir's best option for hitting Steel-types if Mega Pinsir is not being run with Magnezone, as it prevents Mega Pinsir from being hard walled by Skarmory and Celesteela, two Pokemon Magnezone would otherwise trap. It also hits Rotom-W and most other Flying-resistant Pokemon for neutral damage; Close Combat also OHKOs OHKOes Tyranitar, something Earthquake cannot do unboosted. Stone Edge is an option that hits Zapdos super effectively and hits Pokemon like Rotom-W and Celesteela neutrally. Substitute enables Mega Pinsir to become a lot more problematic for more passive teams, as it allows Mega Pinsir to dodge status and more easily set up multiple Swords Dances; however, running Substitute means that Mega Pinsir must forego either Quick Attack or the ability to touch most Steel-types.

Set Details
========

252 Attack EVs maximizes maximize Mega Pinsir's damage output and wallbreaking capabilities, and 252 Speed EVs and a Jolly nature allow it to outspeed as much many Pokemon (too vague) as possible, including the vast majority of walls, and hit them hard. Adamant is an option over Jolly to achieve notable KOs, such as a more reliable 2HKO on Quagsire, as well as bolster the power and utility of Quick Attack; however, it comes at the cost of failing to outspeed positive-natured base 95s 95 Pokemon such as Tapu Lele, Zygarde, and Kyurem-B, failing to outspeed Garchomp not running Choice Scarf, and Speed tying with Jolly Landorus-T. Hyper Cutter prevents Intimidate from working on Pinsir before it Mega Evolves, preventing Landorus-T from dropping its Attack that turn.

Usage Tips
========

Mega Pinsir is a wallbreaker first,(RC) and a sweeper second. Only aim to sweep with it if the opponent's team is heavily weak to it; otherwise, focus on using it to weaken walls for teammates. Against more defensively-(RH)inclined ("Defensively" is an adverb, so no hyphen) teams without decent Flying-resistant Pokemon, aim to set up Swords Dance on more passive Pokemon like Toxapex (watch out for Scald burns,(AC) though),(AC) or as Mega Pinsir forces out things like Tangrowth or Tapu Bulu and start punching holes for teammates,(AC) as Mega Pinsir forces out Pokemon like Tangrowth and Tapu Bulu (better flow). If the opponent has a Skarmory or another solid Flying switch-in, fire off Returns Return early-(AH)game to soften them up, either for teammates or Mega Pinsir itself if it's running Close Combat. Against more offensively-(RH)inclined teams, fire off Returns Return to weaken pivots, as even unboosted Return hits quite hard coming from Mega Pinsir. It might be a good idea to hold off Mega Evolving in some cases, as Hyper Cutter can be useful. Because Pinsir is grounded before Mega Evolving, it can set up Swords Dance on Tapu Fini without risking a Scald burn due to Misty Terrain, and it takes less damage from Stealth Rock; Pinsir also resists Thousand Arrows before Mega Evolving, letting it set up on Choice Band Zygarde locked into Thousand Arrows.

Team Options
========

Entry hazard control is highly recommended due to Mega Pinsir's 4x Stealth Rock weakness, so partners Pokemon ("partners... make for good partners" is redundant) like Latios, Zapdos, Mew, Tapu Fini,(AC) and Excadrill make for good partners. Magnezone is an exemplary partner, as it can trap Skarmory and Celesteela, two solid defensive checks for Mega Pinsir, freeing Mega Pinsir it up to run Earthquake. Magnezone also checks a significant number of threatening Electric-types and can deal with some of Mega Pinsir's revenge killers, such as Tapu Lele, Tapu Koko and Latios, making it a stellar partner. Stealth Rock weakens Pokemon like Celesteela for Mega Pinsir later, so solid setters like Landorus-T, Garchomp, Heatran, and Ferrothorn are appreciated. Spikes support helps weaken walls further for a potential late-game sweep and the teammates Mega Pinsir is wallbreaking for, so Ferrothorn and Greninja are solid partners. Sticky Web renders most of Mega Pinsir's revenge killers ineffective, making Mega Pinsir it an incredibly solid Pokemon on Sticky Web builds, meaning Smeargle is a good partner, as it sets Sticky Webs. Pokemon that appreciate walls such as Ferrothorn, Tapu Fini, and Toxapex weakened or outright removed such as Ash-Greninja, Tapu Koko, and Keldeo can go to work once Mega Pinsir has done its job. Teammates that can help overload or lure things Pokemon like Celesteela, Zapdos, Rotom-W, and Skarmory, such as Tapu Lele and Rockium Z Landorus-T, work well with Mega Pinsir, especially if it's not paired with Magnezone. Knock Off Landorus-T and Knock Off Mamoswine can remove a potential Shed Shell from Skarmory so Magnezone can trap it. Electric-type checks like Assault Vest Tangrowth, Magnezone, Ferrothorn, and Dugtrio are very solid partners, as faster Electric-types are some of Mega Pinsir's main answers on offense.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Double-Edge hits harder than Return,(RC) but is incompatible with Quick Attack and doesn't net any KOs Return can't already. It also wears down Mega Pinsir unnecessarily. Flail becomes an incredibly powerful 200-(AH)Base Power BP attack after two switches into Stealth Rock as Mega Pinsir, being able to OHKO Celesteela from full health and Skarmory after minimal prior damage when Mega Pinsir is at +2; however, it's unreliable, as Pinsir may take Stealth Rock damage before it Mega Evolves or take damage over the course of the match from other sources. Feint is an alternative to Quick Attack due to it having +2 priority instead of Quick Attack's +1, enabling Mega Pinsir to hit priority users such as Ash-Greninja, Weavile, and non-Jolly Zygarde before it uses Extreme Speed; this should probably be run with Adamant, however, as the power cost is notable otherwise. Feint will also prevent said Pokemon from revenge killing Mega Pinsir at +2.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Electric-types**: Electric-types faster than Mega Pinsir can typically take even a +2 Quick Attack and easily OHKO. Tapu Koko can force it out and gain momentum with U-turn or Volt Switch, and Thundurus-I Thundurus can force it out with Thunderbolt or alternatively set up a Nasty Plot. Rotom-W can take even a +2 Close Combat and burn Mega Pinsir, heavily neutering it. Zapdos handles all variants of Mega Pinsir extremely well and can threaten to OHKO with Thunderbolt, though it must watch out for the rare Stone Edge. Mega Manectric outspeeds Mega Pinsir, weakens Mega Pinsir it with Intimidate, and threatens to OHKO with Thunderbolt or Volt Switch (parallel sentence structure) (though the latter is a roll). However, all bar Thundurus and Zapdos fear Earthquake.

**Steel-types**: While many don't appreciate Close Combat or Earthquake, certain Steel-types, such as Skarmory, Celesteela, and Mega Mawile, can check it relatively well defensively, with the former two especially. Skarmory can handle even +2 Mega Pinsir, and bulkier Celesteela only fear +2 Close Combat, which can OHKO after some prior damage. Mawile does have Intimidate prior to Mega Evolving, enabling it to check Mega Pinsir, though it fears Earthquake. However, most of these fear Magnezone, who which Mega Pinsir is very often paired with.

**Psychic Terrain**: Mega Pinsir tends to rely on its Quick Attack versus faster teams, so Psychic Terrain drastically increases the list of Pokemon that can revenge kill it.

**Faster Attackers**: Pokemon that can outspeed Mega Pinsir, take a Quick Attack, and hit back are big issues, so Greninja, Choice Scarf Tapu Lele, Choice Scarf Garchomp, Choice Scarf Landorus-T, Choice Scarf Nihilego, Terrakion, and Latios all bother it to no end. However, some of these can be worn down via repeated switchins to switches into entry hazards and put in range of Mega Pinsir's Quick Attack, especially if they don't resist it.
GP 2/2
Implemented.
 

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