[OVERVIEW]
Mega Lucario's high base 145 Attack stat and excellent offensive ability in Adaptability make it a powerful offensive threat in the Ubers metagame. Its access to Swords Dance allows it to increase its already ridiculous power to even higher levels and OHKO a large portion of the metagame after a boost. Additionally, Fighting / Steel is a fantastic offensive typing that allows Mega Lucario to easily threaten Pokemon such as Dialga, Xerneas, Arceus-Dark, and Arceus-Fairy. Mega Lucario is a particularly good breaker of bulky teams, as it finds numerous opportunities to set up with Swords Dance versus Pokemon commonly found on defensive archetypes such as Chansey, Blissey, Celesteela, Arceus-Dark, Bronzong, and Alolan Muk, and its great matchup against these teams is the main reason why bulky Arceus formes like Arceus-Fairy and Arceus-Ground tend to run enough Speed to outspeed it. Mega Lucario's access to Bullet Punch also allows it to deal with faster foes, notably allowing it to revenge kill a weakened Geomancy Xerneas, providing excellent utility to teams that don't have solid counterplay to it, something that other sweepers such as Mega Salamence and Swords Dance Arceus-Ground are unable to do. However, while Mega Lucario's Speed stat is not bad, it does leave it very vulnerable to faster Pokemon that can take a +2 Bullet Punch, such as Arceus-Fairy, Arceus-Ground, Marshadow, and Choice Scarf Yveltal, worsening Mega Lucario's matchup versus offense. The prevalence of Marshadow in the metagame not only gives Mega Lucario competition for a teamslot as an offensive Fighting-type but also increases the usage of shared checks such as Ho-Oh if Mega Lucario isn't running Stone Edge, Arceus-Fairy, and Toxapex. Marshadow is also a very threatening Pokemon to Mega Lucario, as it can outspeed Lucario and steal its Swords Dance boosts with Spectral Thief. Finally, while on paper Mega Lucario has a solid defensive typing with resistances to Dark, Rock, and Ice, its poor bulk gives it few opportunities to set up, as it can fall to even powerful neutral hits, further exacerbating its poor matchup against offensive teams.
[SET]
name: Physical Attacker
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Bullet Punch
move 3: Iron Tail
move 4: Swords Dance / Stone Edge
item: Lucarionite
ability: Justified
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Close Combat is a powerful STAB move that can bust through much of the metagame after a boost, OHKOing Pokemon such as Yveltal, Primal Kyogre, Dialga, Chople Berry Extreme Killer Arceus, Celesteela, and Ferrothorn at +2. Bullet Punch gives Mega Lucario a strong priority move that allows it to potentially sweep versus offensive teams, OHKOing certain faster Pokemon such as Deoxys-A and Mega Gengar at +2 after Stealth Rock. It also allows Mega Lucario to revenge kill a weakened Geomancy Xerneas. Iron Tail functions as a secondary STAB move that can deal with Fairy-types such as Xerneas, slow Arceus-Fairy, and Clefable. It's also Mega Lucario's best option to hit Giratina-O, usually OHKOing it at +2 after Stealth Rock damage. Swords Dance boosts Mega Lucario's Attack stat to extremely high levels and allows it to function as a versatile wincon. Alternatively, Stone Edge can be used over Swords Dance to take care of Ho-Oh, which can take any one of Mega Lucario's moves at +2 and OHKO it back otherwise.
Set Details
========
Maximum Attack and Speed EVs allow Mega Lucario to hit as hard and fast as possible. Jolly is generally the preferred nature to outpace Timid Yveltal, Timid Xerneas, and certain Arceus formes. However, Adamant can also be used for a significant boost in power, allowing +2 Mega Lucario to net the guaranteed OHKO on defensive Primal Groudon, as well as giving it a better change to OHKO Giratina-O and Mega Gengar without the need for Stealth Rock. However, running Adamant makes Mega Lucario significantly easier to revenge kill, so such a nature should generally only be used on Sticky Web teams. Justified is the preferred pre-Mega ability because it can potentially allow Lucario to switch into Dark-type moves from the likes of Yveltal and Arceus-Dark before it Mega Evolves and pick up an Attack boost. Lucarionite is required to Mega Evolve Lucario.
Usage Tips
========
If the opponent has a Geomancy Xerneas on their team, try to keep Mega Lucario in the back to revenge kill it with Bullet Punch after weakening it. In general, try to avoid switching Mega Lucario directly into powerful neutral or super effective attacks unless necessary because its bulk is quite poor. Instead, try to set up after being given a free switch into a Dark- or Steel-type or on passive Pokemon such as non-Judgment Arceus-Water and Celesteela. Keep in mind that Lucario can be used as a revenge killer with Bullet Punch for faster weakened Pokemon like Mega Gengar and Deoxys-A if needed. Switching pre-Mega Lucario into a Pokemon such as Arceus-Dark on a Judgment or Tyranitar on a predicted Crunch to gain an Attack boost from Justified can potentially make it very scary for the opposing team to deal with. Avoid setting up if the opponent has a healthy Marshadow in the back, as it can take a +2 Bullet Punch, steal Mega Lucario's boosts with Spectral Thief, and potentially sweep in return. Other fast Pokemon that can survive a +2 Bullet Punch such as Arceus-Ground, Arceus-Fairy, and Mega Mewtwo X should also be accounted for, as they can potentially put an end to a Mega Lucario sweep. Against more offensive teams, it can be difficult to find opportunities to set up with Mega Lucario, and it often won't be able to complete a sweep. Thus, using it as more of an early-game wallbreaker in these matchups to punch holes in the opposing team for a teammate is a good idea. Play carefully against teams with the combination of Primal Groudon and a Ghost-type, as together they resist or are immune to Mega Lucario's STAB combination, making it heavily reliant on prediction to put in work.
Team Options
========
Primal Groudon can absorb Thunder Wave and Will-O-Wisp for Mega Lucario and can also pressure Ho-Oh if Lucario isn't running Stone Edge and Toxapex, paving the way for a Mega Lucario sweep. Xerneas is a good partner, as a +2 Mega Lucario can OHKO a number of Geomancy Xerneas answers, namely Primal Groudon and most Steel-types. Stone Edge Mega Lucario can also lure in and KO Ho-Oh for Xerneas. Sticky Web support makes Mega Lucario much more effective against offensive teams, as it outpaces Pokemon such as fast Arceus formes, Marshadow, all Mewtwo formes, Mega Gengar, and Choice Scarf Xerneas when Sticky Web is up. As such, Sticky Web setters such as Shuckle and Smeargle make for good teammates. Mega Lucario tends to bring in Ghost-types such as Giratina-O, Marshadow, Arceus-Ghost, and Aegislash, as they are immune to Close Combat and the majority of them can outspeed and OHKO it or can take a +2 Iron Tail. For this reason, Dark-types such as Yveltal and Arceus-Dark are good partners for their ability to pressure these Pokemon. Tyranitar and Alolan Muk receive a special mention because of their access to Pursuit, which allows them to trap and eliminate most Ghost-types for a Mega Lucario sweep. Pokemon that can lure in Zygarde-C are excellent teammates for Mega Lucario, as its ridiculously high bulk allows it to take any hit at +2 and KO Lucario back. Examples include Hidden Power Ice Ho-Oh, Hidden Power Ice Primal Groudon, and Ice Beam Extreme Killer Arceus. Entry hazard support from the likes of Primal Groudon, Dialga, Excadrill, Deoxys-S, and Ferrothorn can help Mega Lucario pick up more KOs. Pokemon like Toxic Primal Groudon and Rayquaza that are capable of pressuring fast support Arceus formes such as Arceus-Ground and Arceus-Fairy can pave the way for a Mega Lucario sweep.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Ice Punch OHKOes Mega Salamence at +1 and OHKOes Zygarde pre-transformation after a Swords Dance boost. Earthquake OHKOes Toxapex most of the time after Stealth Rock damage and a Swords Dance boost, which can otherwise take any +2 hit from Mega Lucario and remove its stat boosts with Haze. A special set with Nasty Plot, Aura Sphere, and Vacuum Wave can surprise certain physical Mega Lucario answers. However, Mega Lucario lacks powerful and accurate special STAB attacks and has the inability to deal significant damage to a +2 Geomancy Xerneas, making such a set less useful overall. Crunch deals with Ghost-types, OHKOing Lunala through Shadow Shield and taking out the rare Aegislash after a little chip damage. However, many Ghost-types naturally outspeed Mega Lucario or can deal with it through priority moves, making Crunch less effective as a coverage move overall.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Toxapex**: Toxapex resists Mega Lucario's STAB combination and can reset its stat boosts with Haze. However, it can be 2HKOed by +2 Close Combat after Stealth Rock damage, even factoring in Haze, and it has to watch out for the rare Earthquake.
**Ground-types**: Fast Arceus-Ground can take a +2 Bullet Punch from Mega Lucario and revenge kill it with Earthquake or Judgment. Zygarde-C's ridiculous bulk allows it to take any hit from Mega Lucario at +2 and phaze it with Dragon Tail or OHKO it with Thousand Arrows after a little chip damage. However, it can be OHKOed by +2 Close Combat or Ice Punch if it hasn't transformed yet. Finally, some physically defensive Primal Groudon can take a +2 Close Combat from Mega Lucario and OHKO it with Precipice Blades or Lava Plume.
**Marshadow**: Although it cannot switch in safely, Marshadow naturally outspeeds Mega Lucario and can almost always OHKO it with Spectral Thief, stealing its boosts and potentially sweeping in return. However, it must watch out for a +2 Bullet Punch if it has taken enough prior damage.
**Ho-Oh**: Ho-Oh resists both of Mega Lucario's STAB attacks and can OHKO it with Sacred Fire. However, it's OHKOed by +2 Stone Edge, and offensive sets can take up to 80% from Adamant +2 Close Combat.
**Ghost-types**: Ghost-types in general are very threatening to Mega Lucario, as they are immune to Close Combat, forcing Mega Lucario to use a weaker or innacurate move. A healthy Lunala can take any +2 hit from Mega Lucario and OHKO in return thanks to Shadow Shield. Arceus-Ghost outpaces Mega Lucario and can KO it with Shadow Force after a little prior damage. Mega Gengar also outspeeds Lucario and can OHKO with Focus Blast or cripple it with Will-O-Wisp, although it can be OHKOed by +2 Bullet Punch. Giratina-O can tank a +2 Jolly Iron Tail if it's completely healthy and cripple Mega Lucario with status or phaze it with Dragon Tail, but it will almost always be OHKOed after Stealth Rock damage and can be taken out right away by +2 Adamant Iron Tail. Finally, Aegislash can take on most Mega Lucario sets with ease and 2HKO with Shadow Ball, but it is taken out by +2 Crunch or Earthquake.
**Faster Pokemon**: In general, faster Pokemon are able to easily put an end to a Mega Lucario sweep because of its poor bulk. Examples include Arceus-Ground, Arceus-Fairy, Arceus-Ghost, Mega Mewtwo Y, Tapu Koko, Marshadow, and Choice Scarf Yveltal.
Mega Lucario's high base 145 Attack stat and excellent offensive ability in Adaptability make it a powerful offensive threat in the Ubers metagame. Its access to Swords Dance allows it to increase its already ridiculous power to even higher levels and OHKO a large portion of the metagame after a boost. Additionally, Fighting / Steel is a fantastic offensive typing that allows Mega Lucario to easily threaten Pokemon such as Dialga, Xerneas, Arceus-Dark, and Arceus-Fairy. Mega Lucario is a particularly good breaker of bulky teams, as it finds numerous opportunities to set up with Swords Dance versus Pokemon commonly found on defensive archetypes such as Chansey, Blissey, Celesteela, Arceus-Dark, Bronzong, and Alolan Muk, and its great matchup against these teams is the main reason why bulky Arceus formes like Arceus-Fairy and Arceus-Ground tend to run enough Speed to outspeed it. Mega Lucario's access to Bullet Punch also allows it to deal with faster foes, notably allowing it to revenge kill a weakened Geomancy Xerneas, providing excellent utility to teams that don't have solid counterplay to it, something that other sweepers such as Mega Salamence and Swords Dance Arceus-Ground are unable to do. However, while Mega Lucario's Speed stat is not bad, it does leave it very vulnerable to faster Pokemon that can take a +2 Bullet Punch, such as Arceus-Fairy, Arceus-Ground, Marshadow, and Choice Scarf Yveltal, worsening Mega Lucario's matchup versus offense. The prevalence of Marshadow in the metagame not only gives Mega Lucario competition for a teamslot as an offensive Fighting-type but also increases the usage of shared checks such as Ho-Oh if Mega Lucario isn't running Stone Edge, Arceus-Fairy, and Toxapex. Marshadow is also a very threatening Pokemon to Mega Lucario, as it can outspeed Lucario and steal its Swords Dance boosts with Spectral Thief. Finally, while on paper Mega Lucario has a solid defensive typing with resistances to Dark, Rock, and Ice, its poor bulk gives it few opportunities to set up, as it can fall to even powerful neutral hits, further exacerbating its poor matchup against offensive teams.
[SET]
name: Physical Attacker
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Bullet Punch
move 3: Iron Tail
move 4: Swords Dance / Stone Edge
item: Lucarionite
ability: Justified
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Close Combat is a powerful STAB move that can bust through much of the metagame after a boost, OHKOing Pokemon such as Yveltal, Primal Kyogre, Dialga, Chople Berry Extreme Killer Arceus, Celesteela, and Ferrothorn at +2. Bullet Punch gives Mega Lucario a strong priority move that allows it to potentially sweep versus offensive teams, OHKOing certain faster Pokemon such as Deoxys-A and Mega Gengar at +2 after Stealth Rock. It also allows Mega Lucario to revenge kill a weakened Geomancy Xerneas. Iron Tail functions as a secondary STAB move that can deal with Fairy-types such as Xerneas, slow Arceus-Fairy, and Clefable. It's also Mega Lucario's best option to hit Giratina-O, usually OHKOing it at +2 after Stealth Rock damage. Swords Dance boosts Mega Lucario's Attack stat to extremely high levels and allows it to function as a versatile wincon. Alternatively, Stone Edge can be used over Swords Dance to take care of Ho-Oh, which can take any one of Mega Lucario's moves at +2 and OHKO it back otherwise.
Set Details
========
Maximum Attack and Speed EVs allow Mega Lucario to hit as hard and fast as possible. Jolly is generally the preferred nature to outpace Timid Yveltal, Timid Xerneas, and certain Arceus formes. However, Adamant can also be used for a significant boost in power, allowing +2 Mega Lucario to net the guaranteed OHKO on defensive Primal Groudon, as well as giving it a better change to OHKO Giratina-O and Mega Gengar without the need for Stealth Rock. However, running Adamant makes Mega Lucario significantly easier to revenge kill, so such a nature should generally only be used on Sticky Web teams. Justified is the preferred pre-Mega ability because it can potentially allow Lucario to switch into Dark-type moves from the likes of Yveltal and Arceus-Dark before it Mega Evolves and pick up an Attack boost. Lucarionite is required to Mega Evolve Lucario.
Usage Tips
========
If the opponent has a Geomancy Xerneas on their team, try to keep Mega Lucario in the back to revenge kill it with Bullet Punch after weakening it. In general, try to avoid switching Mega Lucario directly into powerful neutral or super effective attacks unless necessary because its bulk is quite poor. Instead, try to set up after being given a free switch into a Dark- or Steel-type or on passive Pokemon such as non-Judgment Arceus-Water and Celesteela. Keep in mind that Lucario can be used as a revenge killer with Bullet Punch for faster weakened Pokemon like Mega Gengar and Deoxys-A if needed. Switching pre-Mega Lucario into a Pokemon such as Arceus-Dark on a Judgment or Tyranitar on a predicted Crunch to gain an Attack boost from Justified can potentially make it very scary for the opposing team to deal with. Avoid setting up if the opponent has a healthy Marshadow in the back, as it can take a +2 Bullet Punch, steal Mega Lucario's boosts with Spectral Thief, and potentially sweep in return. Other fast Pokemon that can survive a +2 Bullet Punch such as Arceus-Ground, Arceus-Fairy, and Mega Mewtwo X should also be accounted for, as they can potentially put an end to a Mega Lucario sweep. Against more offensive teams, it can be difficult to find opportunities to set up with Mega Lucario, and it often won't be able to complete a sweep. Thus, using it as more of an early-game wallbreaker in these matchups to punch holes in the opposing team for a teammate is a good idea. Play carefully against teams with the combination of Primal Groudon and a Ghost-type, as together they resist or are immune to Mega Lucario's STAB combination, making it heavily reliant on prediction to put in work.
Team Options
========
Primal Groudon can absorb Thunder Wave and Will-O-Wisp for Mega Lucario and can also pressure Ho-Oh if Lucario isn't running Stone Edge and Toxapex, paving the way for a Mega Lucario sweep. Xerneas is a good partner, as a +2 Mega Lucario can OHKO a number of Geomancy Xerneas answers, namely Primal Groudon and most Steel-types. Stone Edge Mega Lucario can also lure in and KO Ho-Oh for Xerneas. Sticky Web support makes Mega Lucario much more effective against offensive teams, as it outpaces Pokemon such as fast Arceus formes, Marshadow, all Mewtwo formes, Mega Gengar, and Choice Scarf Xerneas when Sticky Web is up. As such, Sticky Web setters such as Shuckle and Smeargle make for good teammates. Mega Lucario tends to bring in Ghost-types such as Giratina-O, Marshadow, Arceus-Ghost, and Aegislash, as they are immune to Close Combat and the majority of them can outspeed and OHKO it or can take a +2 Iron Tail. For this reason, Dark-types such as Yveltal and Arceus-Dark are good partners for their ability to pressure these Pokemon. Tyranitar and Alolan Muk receive a special mention because of their access to Pursuit, which allows them to trap and eliminate most Ghost-types for a Mega Lucario sweep. Pokemon that can lure in Zygarde-C are excellent teammates for Mega Lucario, as its ridiculously high bulk allows it to take any hit at +2 and KO Lucario back. Examples include Hidden Power Ice Ho-Oh, Hidden Power Ice Primal Groudon, and Ice Beam Extreme Killer Arceus. Entry hazard support from the likes of Primal Groudon, Dialga, Excadrill, Deoxys-S, and Ferrothorn can help Mega Lucario pick up more KOs. Pokemon like Toxic Primal Groudon and Rayquaza that are capable of pressuring fast support Arceus formes such as Arceus-Ground and Arceus-Fairy can pave the way for a Mega Lucario sweep.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Ice Punch OHKOes Mega Salamence at +1 and OHKOes Zygarde pre-transformation after a Swords Dance boost. Earthquake OHKOes Toxapex most of the time after Stealth Rock damage and a Swords Dance boost, which can otherwise take any +2 hit from Mega Lucario and remove its stat boosts with Haze. A special set with Nasty Plot, Aura Sphere, and Vacuum Wave can surprise certain physical Mega Lucario answers. However, Mega Lucario lacks powerful and accurate special STAB attacks and has the inability to deal significant damage to a +2 Geomancy Xerneas, making such a set less useful overall. Crunch deals with Ghost-types, OHKOing Lunala through Shadow Shield and taking out the rare Aegislash after a little chip damage. However, many Ghost-types naturally outspeed Mega Lucario or can deal with it through priority moves, making Crunch less effective as a coverage move overall.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Toxapex**: Toxapex resists Mega Lucario's STAB combination and can reset its stat boosts with Haze. However, it can be 2HKOed by +2 Close Combat after Stealth Rock damage, even factoring in Haze, and it has to watch out for the rare Earthquake.
**Ground-types**: Fast Arceus-Ground can take a +2 Bullet Punch from Mega Lucario and revenge kill it with Earthquake or Judgment. Zygarde-C's ridiculous bulk allows it to take any hit from Mega Lucario at +2 and phaze it with Dragon Tail or OHKO it with Thousand Arrows after a little chip damage. However, it can be OHKOed by +2 Close Combat or Ice Punch if it hasn't transformed yet. Finally, some physically defensive Primal Groudon can take a +2 Close Combat from Mega Lucario and OHKO it with Precipice Blades or Lava Plume.
**Marshadow**: Although it cannot switch in safely, Marshadow naturally outspeeds Mega Lucario and can almost always OHKO it with Spectral Thief, stealing its boosts and potentially sweeping in return. However, it must watch out for a +2 Bullet Punch if it has taken enough prior damage.
**Ho-Oh**: Ho-Oh resists both of Mega Lucario's STAB attacks and can OHKO it with Sacred Fire. However, it's OHKOed by +2 Stone Edge, and offensive sets can take up to 80% from Adamant +2 Close Combat.
**Ghost-types**: Ghost-types in general are very threatening to Mega Lucario, as they are immune to Close Combat, forcing Mega Lucario to use a weaker or innacurate move. A healthy Lunala can take any +2 hit from Mega Lucario and OHKO in return thanks to Shadow Shield. Arceus-Ghost outpaces Mega Lucario and can KO it with Shadow Force after a little prior damage. Mega Gengar also outspeeds Lucario and can OHKO with Focus Blast or cripple it with Will-O-Wisp, although it can be OHKOed by +2 Bullet Punch. Giratina-O can tank a +2 Jolly Iron Tail if it's completely healthy and cripple Mega Lucario with status or phaze it with Dragon Tail, but it will almost always be OHKOed after Stealth Rock damage and can be taken out right away by +2 Adamant Iron Tail. Finally, Aegislash can take on most Mega Lucario sets with ease and 2HKO with Shadow Ball, but it is taken out by +2 Crunch or Earthquake.
**Faster Pokemon**: In general, faster Pokemon are able to easily put an end to a Mega Lucario sweep because of its poor bulk. Examples include Arceus-Ground, Arceus-Fairy, Arceus-Ghost, Mega Mewtwo Y, Tapu Koko, Marshadow, and Choice Scarf Yveltal.
Last edited: