How Should I Build MegaRay?
Dec 11, 2015, 08:34 PM
Okay, so I'm jumping my brain back into competitive Pokemon, and I'm apparently even more serious as instead of building whatever I think is good or whatever I see win, I'm actually just looking at what a Pokemon has and working from there...and I'm crunching numbers! D: (OMG, he's doing MATH?! He must be cereal!)
So, for Doubles I would like my main sweeper to be MegaRay...like millions of others, I know I know! Keep in mind that I wanna run him because I like him as a Pokemon, because I noticed that MegaRay only hits base 115 Speed...nowadays, that's not much. I also noted that many of those who do outspeed him aren't playable in VGC 16 or don't seem like they would do a whole lot (Ninjask...I mean, maybe? I don't wanna sneeze on Accelgor, but you guys get where I'm going with this), but there are two I'm terrified of...Mewtwo and Alakazam, and I feel for good reason.
Sure, 100 SPD and 100 DEF isn't too bad, but if it doesn't break 130, in my eyes it's questionable...and I'm also running Naive. Both Mega and Non, for both Mewtwo and Alakazam, outspeed MegaRay at base...and they are both good sweepers so they will most likely have max SPEED investment. A good Psystrike or Psychic or Shadow Ball, maybe even a Dark Pulse, and that's all she wrote.
Because of this...I'm running Focus Sash. Lots of folks will be running that Life Orb, but I feel that MegaRay is too fine a glass cannon for that. If you're outsped, with a Life Orb, I can only see MegaRay either dropping without contributing or getting one good hit in and then dropping. Hello Xerneas! No, I didn't feel like playing Pokemon today, thanks for asking! I believe that with Focus Sash, he can almost be guaranteed two drops, and unless he's double focused he can also get a turn of setup.
Naturally I'm running full SPEED investment, but here is where it gets foggy for me, because I'm not sure how to best manage it and I don't have all the data of what's meta and what's common stored in my brain. My first issue is whether to run MegaRay Special, Physical, or Balanced. Having to take Dragon Ascent almost begs for Physical, and a lot of people build that considering he also likes to have Dragon Dance/Swords Dance, but would it be better to build Special with a fairly strong STAB physical move on the backburner? Also, what about balance? It's completely possible to run 252 SPE, 128 ATK 128 SPA investment on MegaRay, and with 180 base in both offensive stats he can still hit hard, but does balancing him between the two ultimately weaken him?
My other question was supposed to be whether it would be better to run Swords Dance w/Extreme Speed, or to run Dragon Dance w/ [Insert Other Offensive Move Here]...but upon further thought, I'm not sure what would be best at all! Maybe Life Orb is the best choice, or maybe Choice Scarf is the way to go. Instead of a Pokemon to sweep with him, why not one to support him and keep him alive, which brings up other items and Tailwind and Heal Pulse and Wish...or maybe we go SupportRay? Maybe we just go RegularRay and have Primal Kyogre and run Thunder...or how about Toxic Stall w/ Protect and Sub?
Ehh, man, I have no idea what's best to run...T_T
So, for Doubles I would like my main sweeper to be MegaRay...like millions of others, I know I know! Keep in mind that I wanna run him because I like him as a Pokemon, because I noticed that MegaRay only hits base 115 Speed...nowadays, that's not much. I also noted that many of those who do outspeed him aren't playable in VGC 16 or don't seem like they would do a whole lot (Ninjask...I mean, maybe? I don't wanna sneeze on Accelgor, but you guys get where I'm going with this), but there are two I'm terrified of...Mewtwo and Alakazam, and I feel for good reason.
Sure, 100 SPD and 100 DEF isn't too bad, but if it doesn't break 130, in my eyes it's questionable...and I'm also running Naive. Both Mega and Non, for both Mewtwo and Alakazam, outspeed MegaRay at base...and they are both good sweepers so they will most likely have max SPEED investment. A good Psystrike or Psychic or Shadow Ball, maybe even a Dark Pulse, and that's all she wrote.
Because of this...I'm running Focus Sash. Lots of folks will be running that Life Orb, but I feel that MegaRay is too fine a glass cannon for that. If you're outsped, with a Life Orb, I can only see MegaRay either dropping without contributing or getting one good hit in and then dropping. Hello Xerneas! No, I didn't feel like playing Pokemon today, thanks for asking! I believe that with Focus Sash, he can almost be guaranteed two drops, and unless he's double focused he can also get a turn of setup.
Naturally I'm running full SPEED investment, but here is where it gets foggy for me, because I'm not sure how to best manage it and I don't have all the data of what's meta and what's common stored in my brain. My first issue is whether to run MegaRay Special, Physical, or Balanced. Having to take Dragon Ascent almost begs for Physical, and a lot of people build that considering he also likes to have Dragon Dance/Swords Dance, but would it be better to build Special with a fairly strong STAB physical move on the backburner? Also, what about balance? It's completely possible to run 252 SPE, 128 ATK 128 SPA investment on MegaRay, and with 180 base in both offensive stats he can still hit hard, but does balancing him between the two ultimately weaken him?
My other question was supposed to be whether it would be better to run Swords Dance w/Extreme Speed, or to run Dragon Dance w/ [Insert Other Offensive Move Here]...but upon further thought, I'm not sure what would be best at all! Maybe Life Orb is the best choice, or maybe Choice Scarf is the way to go. Instead of a Pokemon to sweep with him, why not one to support him and keep him alive, which brings up other items and Tailwind and Heal Pulse and Wish...or maybe we go SupportRay? Maybe we just go RegularRay and have Primal Kyogre and run Thunder...or how about Toxic Stall w/ Protect and Sub?
Ehh, man, I have no idea what's best to run...T_T
