Continuing on from Part I yesterday, I’ll be evaluating four more Mega Evolutions the debut in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire November 21st! First off is Mega Sceptile! Click below to read the evaluations!
Sceptile (along with Swampert) was one Mega Evolution everyone anticipated after the announcement of Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire earlier this year. Due to Blaziken getting a Mega Evolution that debuted in X and Y, it wouldn’t be fair to leave its pals Swampert and Sceptile out would it? Thus, Mega Sceptile debuted not long after the game’s announcement, and it’s stats are just as cool as its design.
70/110/75/145/85/145
The first thing that catches the eyes is Mega Sceptile’s enormous Special Attack and Speed. At 145 base for each, Mega Sceptile hits like an eighteen-wheeler speeding down a steep hill. Mega Sceptile outspeeds most Pokemon, and hits harder than most unboosted Pokemon as well. Mega Sceptile isn’t exactly a glass cannon as you may think. 70/75/85 bulk isn’t horrible, and adding the Dragon-type gave Sceptile a world of new resistances. However, with a great typing comes a great weakness (er, well, not always, but in this case). Ice-type attacks are doubly super-effective on Mega Sceptile and it doesn’t exactly have the bulk to withstand it. An Ice Shard can easily take it down if used by the right Pokemon, and Sceptile’s stupendous Speed doesn’t help it against priority. However, many Ice-types can be dealt with easily by Mega Sceptile with the move Focus Blast. With its 145 base Special Attack and Focus Blast’s high power, it won’t take much to blast an Ice-type off the field. Unfortunately, however, Focus Blast has only a 70% accuracy, meaning it will, statistically, miss 30% of the time.
While Mega Sceptile does have its flaws in competitive, it still has a decent ability (Lightning Rod) to boost its Special Attack if hit by an Electric-type move. This means Mega Sceptile will be amazing in doubles if paired with a Pokemon that can learn Discharge. Not only that, but Mega Sceptile also has a really cool design. Sceptile is my personal favorite of the Hoenn starters, and Mega Sceptile improves on the sleek, speedy design. Overall, I’d rate Mega Sceptile a 9 out of 10 for cool looks and competitive potential!
Swampert was already decently good, but Mega Swampert brought on a whole new level of viability. A good typing, great bulk, massive Attack, a great movepool, and the ability to be insanely fast in the rain, Mega Swampert truly does have it all, it even has good Special Attack!
100/150/110/95/110/70
100/110/110 bulk is pretty great, paired with 150/95 offenses, and a 70 base Speed that can double in the rain, like I said, Mega Swampert has it all. It has great stats across the board, a great type, a great movepool, and a great ability. The only fault in Mega Swampert is its 4x weakness to Grass-type moves, which it can largely cover with the move Ice Punch. It’s truly difficult to imagine Mega Swampert could be any better competitively.
Aside from its competitive viability, Mega Swampert’s design isn’t too shabby either. While I personally was not a fan of Swampert’s design, Mega Swampert did improve on some faults I had with the design. Not to mention those amazing stats! It’s a Pokemon I’d really like to try out, so I’ll give it an 8 out of 10!
With Mawile getting a Mega Evolution in Pokemon X and Y, Sableye was next on the list. Sableye is known for its great bulk for stalling and Prankster ability. Mega Sableye improves on its bulk, and its offenses, while allowing for Sableye to be untouched by status moves due to Magic Bounce.
50/85/125/85/115/20
While its HP is still rather dismal, the Dark- and Ghost-typing and 125 base Defense, along with a 115 base Special Defense, is phenomenal. It sacrificed its unneeded Speed for a better cause, allowing it to improve its offenses with an 85 base in each attack stat. While a base 85 stat isn’t that great, it will certainly allow Sableye to run down the opponent a bit faster after crippling them with status moves like Will-O-Wisp and Taunt. Sableye even has access to recovery with the move Recover, keeping it in play for longer!
Perhaps the best way to utilize Mega Sableye is to use Prankster Taunt on foes you expect to try to hurt your status, or to use Will-O-Wisp on foes you expect to try and take a jab at you. Then, Mega Evolve to take advantage of the great bulk Mega Sableye possesses, and stall your opponent out with a damaging move! Some may prefer to use Foul Play or Dazzling Gleam, but Mega Sableye has higher attacking stats, so Dark Pulse or Shadow Ball are good choices too. The fault in Mega Sableye is four-move syndrome. Will-O-Wisp is mandatory, but Taunt can be sacrificed if you plan on Mega Evolving the first turn (but it isn’t recommended, as you lose a chance to use Prankster). Instead, Nasty Plot can be used in its place, paired with Shadow Ball, to deal hard damage to the foe. Recovery is a must too, as Mega Sableye must play its role as a wall. Unfortunately, Mega Sableye can not use Leftovers to restore its HP, but it should be relatively fine with its great bulk and Recover.
As for its design, it is well…creepy. It becomes even more creepy upon Mega Evolving, which some may find a plus. Personally, I side more with cute Pokemon, so Sableye isn’t my cup of tea. Regardless, it plays the creepy role well, so I have to give it an over 7 out of 10 for competitive viability and design!
Mega Sharpedo was one of the most expected Pokemon to get a Mega Evolution in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, because, along with Camerupt, Sharpedo is the signature Pokemon of the villainous team’s leader. Sharpedo is most famously a glass cannon, with horrendous 70/40/40 bulk and 120/95/95 offense, it pretty much gets one hit. Mega Sharpedo, however, improved all of its stats, making it hit even harder while being able to take more hits!
70/140/70/110/65/105
A 140 base Attack, 110 base Special Attack, and 105 Speed is no laughing matter, especially since regular Sharpedo can Protect itself and gain a Speed boost from its ability, Speed Boost. This is probably the best way to use Mega Sharpedo, since 105 base Speed isn’t going to outspeed everything. Once it Mega Evolves, Sharpedo gets Strong Jaw, which powers up biting moves such as Ice Fang and Crunch by 50%. Crunch is a great STAB move for Sharpedo, especially now with a 140 base Attack and Strong Jaw, while Ice Fang can be used to cover Grass-types. As mentioned earlier, Protect is to be used to allow for a Speed boost prior to mega Evolving. Mega Sharpedo should also carry Waterfall to use its primary STAB, filling in the last move slot for Mega Sharpedo.
Not only is Mega Sharpedo efficient in battle, but also has a really cool design. It becomes more torpedo-like, while also looking vicious with its nose spikes and sharp teeth. It’s my ideal design for a shark Pokemon! I’ll give it an 8.5 out of 10 for being threatening in both design and in battle.
With that, we’ve come to the end of this evaluation! Check back soon for part three, we’ll be starting with Camerupt next time!
