new meta mega-altaria

[gelinmaster]

okay so i was thinking altaria-mega (Dragon / Fairy)
252 attack/ 252 speed/ 4 hp
jolly/adamant nature (you can either go for speed/or more attack)
1.Dragon Dance (to boost speed and attack)
2.Dragon claw (best physical and accuracy dragon move)
3.Earthquake (for those poison and steel)
4.Return for that stab with pixcalate ability
what do you guys think

 

[notsoclutch]

Don't run dragon claw as it doesn't hit anything that return or EQ don't. Instead, try running roost and adding a bit of bulk to altaria. I have a spread that I will edit in shortly that should be perfect. You could also run fire blast if you want to keep altaria as a more offensive variant.

 

[gelinmaster]

Don't run dragon claw as it doesn't hit anything that return or EQ don't. Instead, try running roost and adding a bit of bulk to altaria. I have a spread that I will edit in shortly that should be perfect. You could also run fire blast if you want to keep altaria as a more offensive variant.

i just needed a good stab with a dragon type move

 

[notsoclutch]

i just needed a good stab with a dragon type move

But the thing is, return will almost always hit harder than dragon claw because of similar coverage, the added power of return, and the pixilate boost. As such, dragon claw is just a waste of useful space that could contain more coverage or ways to help keep Altaria healthy.

Fire flying and poison flying are the only Pokemon that take more damage from dragon claw than something else. The only relevant Pokemon in these categories are Charizard-Y, Talonflame, and Crobat. At +1 I believe all of these hits are 2HKOs regardless of dragon claw.

+1 192+ Atk Pixilate Mega Altaria Return vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Crobat: 182-215 (58.5 - 69.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+1 192+ Atk Mega Altaria Dragon Claw vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Crobat: 220-259 (70.7 - 83.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

So if you really have issues with some of these Pokemon I'd just run rocks over dragon claw as all but Crobat (a relatively rare sight right now), should be OHKOed after rocks.

+1 192+ Atk Pixilate Mega Altaria Return vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Talonflame: 199-235 (67 - 79.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock

+1 192+ Atk Pixilate Mega Altaria Return vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Mega Charizard Y: 186-219 (62.6 - 73.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock

 

[gelinmaster]

But the thing is, return will almost always hit harder than dragon claw because of similar coverage, the added power of return, and the pixilate boost. As such, dragon claw is just a waste of useful space that could contain more coverage or ways to help keep Altaria healthy.

Fire flying and poison flying are the only Pokemon that take more damage from dragon claw than something else. The only relevant Pokemon in these categories are Charizard-Y, Talonflame, and Crobat. At +1 I believe all of these hits are 2HKOs regardless of dragon claw.

+1 192+ Atk Pixilate Mega Altaria Return vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Crobat: 182-215 (58.5 - 69.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+1 192+ Atk Mega Altaria Dragon Claw vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Crobat: 220-259 (70.7 - 83.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

So if you really have issues with some of these Pokemon I'd just run rocks over dragon claw as all but Crobat (a relatively rare sight right now), should be OHKOed after rocks.

+1 192+ Atk Pixilate Mega Altaria Return vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Talonflame: 199-235 (67 - 79.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock

+1 192+ Atk Pixilate Mega Altaria Return vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Mega Charizard Y: 186-219 (62.6 - 73.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock

so your saying run roost, but i was thinking steel wing to deal with those fairy and ice pokemon

 

[notsoclutch]

so your saying run roost, but i was thinking steel wing to deal with those fairy and ice pokemon

Between Return and Earthquake, you already hit everything harder than with steal wing. If you want another attacking move, fire blast is nice for luring in skarmory and ferrothorn.

 

[gelinmaster]

Between Return and Earthquake, you already hit everything harder than with steal wing. If you want another attacking move, fire blast is nice for luring in skarmory and ferrothorn.

that doesnt actually go since im making it adamant not modest

 

[notsoclutch]

that doesnt actually go since im making it adamant not modest

Trust me I know, but fire blast gets you by checks and counters. Without fire blast (even running adamant) you can't break skarmory or ferrothorn. Personally I still recommend roost, but fire blast is the best third attack.

I personally run something similar to this
Altaria @ Altarianite
Ability: Cloud Nine
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Return
- Earthquake
- Fire Blast

 

[gelinmaster]

okay thanks

 

[Torgr676]

@notsoclutch
Very well stated points. I have yet to do the math but what clutch said is true dragon claw 9/10 is a wasted move slot.

 

[ericashes]

I use return, eq, d dance, roost and I run 252 hp 252 def. I switch it in when a pokemon faints against an attacker. Works well.

 

[PokemonFan]

Is it best to run Natural Cure over Cloud Nine? In case you switch in and eat a Toxic or WoW you can just switch out to cure. As a sweeper Mega Altaria hate status

 

[gelinmaster]

Is it best to run Natural Cure over Cloud Nine? In case you switch in and eat a Toxic or WoW you can just switch out to cure. As a sweeper Mega Altaria hate status

that makes since

 

[PokemonFan]

that makes since

you mean "sense"?

 

[gelinmaster]

quote ="PokemonFan, post: 102733, member: 5601"]you mean "sense"?[ quote ]
yea

 

[notsoclutch]

Yeah, you definitely want to run natural cure. Cloud nine is far too situational and often still doesn't prevent things like Excadrill from out-speeding you anyway. If you do run jolly max speed it could be worth it however.

 

[PokemonFan]

I think if you want to run an offensive Altaria, you should go with Adamant nature since Altaria attack stat not really high

 

[notsoclutch]

I think if you want to run an offensive Altaria, you should go with Adamant nature since Altaria attack stat not really high

Pixilate makes up for that and then some, but yes adamant is generally the preferred nature. What I was trying to explain was the only situation in which cloud nine might be preferable over natural cure.

 

[Martin]

Is it best to run Natural Cure over Cloud Nine? In case you switch in and eat a Toxic or WoW you can just switch out to cure. As a sweeper Mega Altaria hate status

Yeah, you definitely want to run natural cure. Cloud nine is far too situational and often still doesn't prevent things like Excadrill from out-speeding you anyway. If you do run jolly max speed it could be worth it however.

Don't use Natural Cure. You want to carry Cloud Nine on it as it has some kind of utility, allowing you to deal with things like Sand Rush Excadrill by setting up on them before you mega, while Iron Head isn't going to be doing that much without being super effective. As turn order is calculated at the start of the turn, you will be able to mega and outpace it on the following turn to take it out with Fire Blast or EQ.

 

[notsoclutch]

Don't use Natural Cure. You want to carry Cloud Nine on it as it has some kind of utility, allowing you to deal with things like Sand Rush Excadrill by setting up on them before you mega, while Iron Head isn't going to be doing that much without being super effective. As turn order is calculated at the start of the turn, you will be able to mega and outpace it on the following turn to take it out with Fire Blast or EQ.

Seems far to situational to me personally. Natural cure has some interesting use on the bulky spread to at least act as a pivot early on in a game.