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(VGC) Mega Kangaskhan - Attack (Physical Attacker)
Typing: Normal
-Stats- HP: 105 / Attack: 95 / Defense: 80 / Sp.Atk: 40 / Sp.Def: 80 / Speed: 80
- Mega Stats- HP: 105 / Attack: 125 / Defense: 100 / Sp.Atk: 60 / Sp.Def: 100 /Speed: 100
Weaknesses:Fighting (x2)
Immunity: Ghost (x0)
Neutral: Rest of Type Chart
Style: Attack
Variant: Physical Attacker
ABILITIES
Scrappy: Enables normal and fighting moves to inflict damage against Ghost-type Pokémon.
Early Bird: Causes early awakening of pokemon.
Inner Focus: Prevents the flinch condition. Does not prevent "Focus Punch" flinches.
Parental Bond (MEGA): Causes most damaging moves to become a two strike attack, with the second hit being half as strong as the first hit. Parental Bond will not hit twice for spread attacks (Earthquake, Rock Slide, and Icy Wind), only if it’s in Single Battle will these attacks be affected. Any attack with secondary effects (such as Power-Up Punch and Bulldoze) has the same effect as the first hit. This is extended to attacks that may not have their secondary effect activate (such as Elemental Punches, Rock Slide). For more information about Parental Bond, click the link to Bulbapedia about the ability considering there are some minor things effect I didn't include.
OVERVIEW
Mega Kangaskhan has always been ranked among the best Mega Pokemon in the game and the VGC format is no different. The difference between the new VGC 2015 and the previous VGC 2015 format is Mega Kangaskhan now has access to all of her coverage attacks, making it far unpredictable to take on and arguably far easier to build around. In last year's VGC 2014 format, most Mega Kangaskhans relied on its perfect Dark/Fighting/Normal coverage with the combination of Sucker Punch, Crunch, Power-Up-Punch, Hammer Arm, Return/Frustration, Fake Out, and Double Edge to overpower its opponents with moderate success. With the re-release of move tutor attacks with ORAS, Mega Kangaskhan has access to deadlier coverage than ever such as the elemental punches (Fire, Ice, and Thunder Punch), Low Kick, Aqua Tail, Drain Punch, Iron Tail, Focus Punch, and etc. What makes Mega Kang the premier de facto Mega Pokemon in this format is relative ease to build around thanks to some old and new additions such as Hyper Voice Sylveon, the Lati@s twins, Prankster Thundurus-I, Cresselia, Landorus-T, Heatran, Suicune, etc. What all these pokemon I mentioned have in common is they can remedy Mega Kangaskhan weaknesses by either removing/checking fighting types (Sylveon, Cresselia, Landorus-T, Lati@s), provide Helping Hand support (Cresselia, Sylveon), countering steel types (Heatran, Landorus-T, Suicune), and vital speed control (Cresselia, Suicune, Thundurus, Lati@s). Here I'll explain some the sets people will likely run on Mega Kangaskhan, common teammates to either play/watch out for, and answers to checking Mega Kang.
-Wrath of Kang-
Kangaskhan-Mega Set @ Kangaskhanite
Ability: Scrappy
Mega Ability: Parental Bond
Level: 50
EVs: 212 HP / 92 Atk / 60 Def / 20 SpD / 124 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Fake Out
- Double Edge
- Ice Punch
- Low Kick
Milestones
-Survives Low Kick from max attack Mega Kangs and Greninja (with 212 HP and 60 Def)
-Survives Superpower from max attack Landorus-T (43.8% chance with the roll with 4 HP investment only)
-Outspeeds positive speed Breloom, Scizor, Bisharp, Mega Tyranitar (Base 70 and 71)
-Outspeeds neutral speed Gyarados and Milotic (Base 81)
-Survives a Choice Specs Draco Meteor from max special attack Hydreigon
This is an example of some of the many bulky Mega Kangaskhan set most VGC players have face throughout the beginning of the season. The sample EV spread given here is practically similar to Kangaskhan sets both Level 51's and Cybertron's Worlds Mega Kangakshan utilized with more speed investment to outspeed Mega Tyranitar (135). Fake Out is a fantastic STAB option that can help with flinch a target Pokemon as her partner attacks. Double Edge is the main Normal STAB to get potential OKs thanks to its massive damage output Mega Kangaskhan deals to many walls at the cost of her own health. For the last two moves are some "new-old" Move Tutor attacks such as Ice Punch and Low Kick. Ice Punch is one of the best coverage attacks to run on Mega Kangaskhan for hitting Pokemon such as Landorus-T, Thundurus, Zapdos, Mega Salamence, Breloom, Amoonguss, and Garchomp considerably hard. Probably the most disgusting part about using Ice Punch on Mega Kangaskhan is the 19% chance to freeze the target Pokemon. Low Kick is opted instead of Power-Up Punch for instant offense and do heavy damage to its targets. Though Power-Up Punch can be used over Low Kick for this set, keep in mind Low Kick can potentially get immediate OHKOs against Pokemon like Terrakion (assuming Kang is faster with speed control), Bisharp (P-U-P is only a high chance, not guaranteed), Heatran, Hydreigon, and even minimum invested Mega Kangaskhans. Overall, expect most Mega Kangaskhan to run bulkier sets like this one to prevent themselves from being one-shot by relatively strong neutral hits or non-STAB Fighting attacks like Superpower or Low Kick.
Trick Room Mom
Kangaskhan-Mega @ Kangaskhanite
Ability: Parental Bond
Level: 50
EVs: 212 HP / 84 Atk / 164 Def / 20 SpD / 20 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Fake Out / Protect
- Double-Edge
- Sucker Punch / Crunch
- Hammer Arm / Low Kick
Milestones
- Nearly the same build as the first one “defensive” wise
- Physical defense investment enough to take one unboosted Close Combat from Jolly Terrakion
- Speed is enough to outspeed Bisharp next turn
- One use of Hammer Arm will make Mega Kangaskhan speed stat drop to 61, 41 after two hits, and 30 after 3 hits. (Note: Since Parental Bond adds secondary effects on the second hit, Hammer Arm reduces Mega Kangaskhan speed by 2 stages instead of 1)
This Mega Kangaskhan build is best suited for a Trick Room teams considering it ability to reduce its speed stat by two stages thanks to Hammer Arm. Fake Out is slashed as an option just for Mega Kangaskhan to flinch a target as its partner can safely get off Trick Room. Protect can still be a viable option in place of Fake Out since Mega Kangaskhan is often prone to double targets and just to stall out certain field conditions. Double Edge is Mega Kangaskhan’s strongest Normal STAB as it deal massive damage to anything that’s not resisted. Sucker Punch is Mega Kangaskhan main priority attack with Dark typing. This attack allows Mega Kangakhan through Ghost and Psychic types like Gengar and Mega Metagross for super effective damage. Considering Mega Kangaskhan is rather slow, Sucker Punch is the better Dark option though Crunch is viable in case Gengar, Aegislash, or Metagross try going for a status move since Sucker Punch will only work if the opponent uses an attacking move. Last but not least, Hammer Arm is the crux of this Trick Room set as Mega Kangaskhan can devastate opponents with her high power Fighting type move at the cost of reducing her speed stat. While this might seem counterproductive for speed control, this allows Mega Kangaskhan to slow herself enough to eventually outspeed some common Trick Room/Tailwind switch Pokemon like Sylveon or Mega Mawile while in Trick Room. Hammer Arm still maintains some notable OHKOs, especially against opposing Mega Kangaskhan, Tyranitar, Excadrill, Terrakion, Mega Gyarados (no Intimidate drop), Hydreigon, etc. Low Kick is a solid replacement in case the 90% accuracy and speed Hammer Arm 90% drop doesn't fit the team’s needs.
-Standard "Redirection" Kang-
Kangaskhan-Mega @ Kangaskhanite
Ability: Scrappy / Inner Focus
Mega Ability: Parental Bond
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly / Adamant Nature
- Fake Out / Protect
- Return / Double Edge
- Sucker Punch
- Power-Up Punch / Low Kick
The most generic, yet effective Mega Kangaskhan set in the game. There has been a recent trend where most winning Mega Kangaskhan sets in top cut are opting for Return/Power-Up Punch instead of the immediate offensive that Double-Edge or Low Kick offer. The reason for this trend is partly due to the high risk/reward factor Double Edge and Low Kick have compared with the rather low opportunity cost that Return and Power-Up Punch offers. First off, the VGC metagame is still centered on bulky offense with Pokemon having enough investment to live certain attacks. Power-Up Punch literally transform Mega Kangaskhan into a wallbreaking powerhouse and with the right support Kang can sweep through teams. Of course Power-Up Punch is a weak Fighting coverage that won't get notable OHKOs, however the ability to get to +2 at any point of the battle exactly makes Mega Kangaskhan one of the best Megas in the game. Returnis opted instead of Double-Edge for several reasons. Understandably, Return offers Mega Kangaskhan no immediate drawbacks from its base 102 power before STAB. Double-Edge is the most powerful attack Mega Kangaskhan can deal to her opposition (at 120 before STAB), the recoil damage will severely hamper her long term sweeping potential. The only few benefits of opting for Double Edge are to beat bulkier Pokemon like Suicune, Landorus-T, Zapdos and others after a Power-Up Punch boost. Sucker Punch is Mega Kangaskhan main priority which helps beat opposing Ghost type Pokemon like Gengar and Aegislash while locking down choice users. As far as other options are concern, Low Kick is still viable since there are offensive variants of Mega Kangaskhan out there but just note that bulkier Mega Kangaskhan can take these hits once. Jolly nature is used over Adamant in case the Mega Kangaskhan user wants to opt for a faster spread to make sure it can get off a Parental Bond attack immediately.
-Other Options-
Team Options
To be frankly honest, Mega Kangaskhan can just about pair well with the vast magoirity of the format due to its relative ease to use, deadly sweeping potential, and sometimes strong team synergy. That said I’ll separated Mega Kangaskhan’s viable partners to the following three categories: offensive teammates with great synergy, redirection support, and speed control.
In terms of offensive partners, Mega Kangaskhan enjoys teammates that handle Fighting Pokemon like Terrakion, Conkeldurr, Virizion, as well as Ghost types like Gengar, or Aegislash. Landorus-T is often paired with Mega Kangaskhan not only to deal with Fighting types like Terrakion but can offer Intimidate support for Kangaskhan and the rest of her teammates. Likewise, Choice Scarf Landorus-T can fire off fast Earthquakes to dispose of Terrakion and Aegislash (beware of Wide Guard), Rock Slide to handle Talonflame or Charizard Y, and coverage like Knock Off and Superpower to handle Ghosts and opposing Mega Kangaskhans. Talonflame is another partner who pairs exceptionally well with Mega Kangaskhan as it can hit priority Brave Birds against most Fighting types super effectively and hitting Steel types like Aegislash, Mega Metagross, or Ferrothorn with an Flare Blitz/Overheat. Though not as fast as the other two, Sylveon is often paired with Mega Kangaskhan to fire off Pixilate Hyper Voices to hit any Fighting, Dragon, or Dark type hard while in turn Mega Kangaskhan can pick just about overpower most Pokemon Sylveon is weak against. Heatran is another popular choice to pair with Mega Kangaskhan as it handles most Steel types with its Fire type moves but also can wall/check a good portion of the Megas such as Charizard Y, Mawile, Metagross, Venusaur, Gardevoir, and Salamence to a degree. Defiant and Competitive users, particularly Bisharp, Milotic, Braviary, or even Braviary serve as potential partners as all four can deter against Intimidate/Icy Wind spam unless they want to face a +1 or +2 Pokemon in either attack or special attack.
Redirection/utility support is essential for Mega Kangaskhan to keep offensive pressure or maintain its Power-Up Punch boost. That said, Mega Kangaskhan pairs well with the following Pokemon: Clefable, Clefairy, Togekiss, Amoonguss, and Volcarona, all of which have redirection support in addition to some form of utility. Both Clefable/Clefairy offer typing synergy with Mega Kangaskhan as they can redirect STAB Fighting attacks away from Kangaskhan while retaliating back with a STAB Moonblast. Evolite Clefairy is arguably bulkier of the two and thanks to its ability Friend Guard, Mega Kangaskhan takes 25% less damage from incoming attacks. Both these Fairy Pokemon can boost Mega Kangaskhan’s attack with Helping Hand so Kangaskhan can deal heavy damage against a particular target. Togekiss is another great Follow Me user who can provide Mega Kangaskhan with vital redirection support, as well as speed control using either Tailwind or Thunder Wave. One notable thing regarding Togekiss is its Serene Grace ability, as its STAB Air Slashes now maintaining a 60% chance to flinching can potentially give Mega Kangaskhan time to setup or fire off an attack. Amoonguss one of the best utility mons in VGC and pairing the mushroom with Mega Kangaskhan can make a deadly combo. Thanks to its Rage Powder move, Amoonguss can redirect attacks (bar Grass types and Safety Goggles users) away from Mega Kangakhan and can put targets to sleep with Spore. Factoring in Amoonguss is one of the slowest Pokemon in the game, the targeted Pokemon will far likely be forced to switch out, or risk taking sleep turns while Mega Kangaskhan is on the field. Last but not least, Volcarona has access to both Rage Powder and Tailwind similar to Togekiss except with the chance to burn physical attacks with Flame Body.
Last but not least, any Pokemon capable of offering Mega Kangaskhan with essential speed control can make a valuable partner as well. Since just about majority of the 2015 VGC format has just about some form of speed control I’ll only focus on the following three by subsequence order of ease: Tailwind, Thunder Wave, Icy Wind, and Trick Room. (On the record, I’m not going to list each Pokemon’s individual traits, rather focus on a couple. Tailwind users such as Suicune, Talonflame, Zapdos, Togekiss, Scizor, Latios, Volcarona,Whimsicott, Togekiss, etc can double the speed stat of all its partners on the field, including that of Mega Kangaskhan. Off all these Pokemon listed, Zapdos deserves a special mention considering it has a favorable matchup against most Tailwind setters while dealing damage super effective damage. Latios is a great offensive partner to Mega Kangaskhan as it can not only setup Tailwind but counter against Fighting type Pokemon like Terrakion, Infernape, Conkeldurr, etc. Prankster Thundurus, Zapdos, and Cresselia all do a great job in spreading paralysis with Thunder Waves against the opposing teams. Icy Wind users, notably Suicune, Cresselia, Politoed, etc not only hit both targets with an Ice type attack but drops the opposing two Pokemon’s speed by two-thirds their speed after one use. Probably the hardest to effectively pull off, Trick Room users such as Cresselia, Aromatiss, Cofagrigus, etc can help Mega Kangaskhan maintain offensive momentum in case the opposing team used either Tailwind, Icy Wind/Electro Web, or Thunder Wave to switch momentum completely. One last note to mention Cresselia is literally one of the best support Pokemon for Mega Kangaskhan with type synergy by threatening Fighting types, Helping Hand support, and having access to three forms of speed control: Thunder Wave, Icy Wind, and Trick Room.
Build Calculations
Here are the calclations for the Mega Kangaskhan build including damage output, overall defensive bulk, and speed tier. Offensive Calculations:
Defensive Calculations:
Speed Tier:
Checks and Counters
Based on the Pokemon Global Link statistics for Battle Spot Season 9, the best "counter" against Mega Kangaskhan is......Mega Kangaskhan
. In all seriousness, Mega Kangaskhan is by no means easy to counter, let alone check as long as it has that broken Parental Bond ability. Just about any checks and potential counters I'm about to mention cannot switch into any of Mega Kangaskhans attacks unless they are absolutely resisted to its main Normal STABs. The first checks that come to mind are fast Fighting type Pokemon like Terrakion, Virizion, Cobalion, Infernape, Mienshao, Mega Lucario, Mega Lopunny, Mega Gallade, etc can just about threaten Mega Kangaskhans with their STAB Close Combat or Low Kicks. Bulky Fighting types like Scrafty, Conkeldurr, Hitmontop, or Machamp can knock out Mega Kangaskhan provided they are able to survive any hits first. Probably the next best Pokemon who can "wall/check" Mega Kangaskhan are Ghost types like Gengar (support Will-O-Wisp), Cofagrigus, Sableye, Aegislash, Dusclops, Gourgeist, Jellicent, etc. Though much of these Ghost Pokemon don't have the offensive capability to beat Mega Kangaskhan, they can severely cripple its massive attack by going for Will-O-Wisp burns. When facing these Ghost type Pokemon, Mega Kangaskhan will find itself in awkward situations where the only move it can hit Ghost types is Sucker Punch, which can be exploited to great effect as the Ghost will might as well spam their status moves. Getting burns from Scald hits or Will-O-Wisp can help slow down Mega Kangaskhan while its forced to sway in as potential death fodder. Intimidate users (Landorus-T, Arcanine, Salamence, Mawile, Gyarados, Hitmontop Scrafty, etc) can neutralize Mega Kangaskhan offensive power by dropping it attack by one stage for every time they are switch into battle. Duel Steel type Pokemon such as Aegislash, Mega Mawile and Ferrothorn can just about beat most form of Mega Kangaskhan with the combination of their incredibly attacking power, defensive presence, or just plain both. Speed control is another way to deal with Mega Kangaskhan by reducing it likeliness of going first each turn with either of the appropriate moves: Trick Room, Tailwind, Icy Wind/Electro Web, or Thunder Wave. As a last ditch effort to deal with Mega Kangaskhan, remember that since Normal isn't resisted to anything (but are immune to Ghost types), just hit Mega Kangaskhan with as much as possible before it can potentially knock out a Pokemon or two. Closing Thoughts: Mega Kangaskhan surely regain its title as the best Mega Evolution for now with the reintroduction of the move tutor attacks and new partners from the previous years such as Heatran, Cresselia, Sylveon, Zapdos, and plenty of others. Surely as the VGC meta shifts players will find ways to deal with Mega Kangaskhan while others will show how it can literally smash the competition if its has proper support from its teammates. If you expect Mega Kangaskhan to drop in usage, don't unless Game Freak/Pokemon suddenly decides to ban this Pokemon from further competitions. For now, Mega Kangaskhan will surely take its place as the might queen of VGC ...for now.
