Top Players Talk: A Look at the Top Mega Pokémon for US Nationals
Top Players Talk is a (hopefully) weekly segment in which I (Kenan) interview some of the top players in the US and ask them questions about a particular topic. While I’m certainly not the best player, I hope to bring quality content to the community, to educate others, and learn a bit along the way as well! This week, we’ll be discussing Mega Pokemon and predictions about what Megas will be popular at US Nationals.
With US Nationals less than a month away, players everywhere are frantically searching for the fabled “best vgc.” While the US metagame is entering a period of heavy foreign influence, I begin my own search for consistency by asking some of the US’s top players, Jeudy Azzarelli (SoulSurvivor), Collin Heier (TheBattleRoom), Gavin Michaels (kingofmars), and Blake Hopper (Bopper), their opinions on the top Megas in the current format and what makes those Pokemon stand out from the rest. I asked the players separately these questions, and arranged their answers accordingly.
Kenan: Going into Spring Regionals, what did you think were the top three Mega Pokemon in the format?
Collin: I think Kangaskhan, Metagross, and Charizard-Y were the top Megas, in order.
Blake: For me it was Kangaskhan, Salamence, and Charizard-Y.
Gavin: I think we all knew that Kangaskhan and Salamence were number 1 and number 2, with Charizard following up.
Jeudy: Going into week 1, I definitely thought Kangaskhan and Salamence were leagues ahead of the other Megas. They are versatile enough to go on a variety of teams and have more than one really strong set. However selecting a 3rd Mega Pokemon is definitely harder because I think no other Mega is as dominant in this meta as the former 2, but Charizard would get my pick as a top 3 Mega going into spring Regionals.
Kenan: Charizard hasn’t made too much of an impact this year as compared to last year. Why do you think it was a strong pick for Regionals?
Collin: Charizard dealt with many of the common non-Mega Pokemon such as Aegislash, Sylveon, and Thundurus. It also provided a good way to help deal with rain and Mega Metagross. I also think if you can manage to defend it, Charizard can be unstoppable, as seen in Germany.
Gavin: People love sun. Unfortunately, Charizard hasn’t really made the transition to being good outside of sun modes so players choose either Charizard/Venusaur and Charizard/Heatran, which is the reason I don’t think it was a very good choice, but it was clearly going to be a popular one.
Kenan: Do you think the massive metagame presence of the “Japan Sand” archetype and its American iterations will lessen Charizard’s effectiveness? I personally thought Charizard always had a difficult enough time handling Kangaskhan, Landorus-Therian, and Terrakion, but adding on Tyranitar and Excadrill only compounds its weaknesses.
Jeudy: Definitely. If you are going to ask me the same question about top 3 Megas going into Nationals, Charizard would not be in the top 3.
Gavin: I don’t think Charizard’s usage will be as inhibited as you think. While I think it’ll be much worse, it’ll take a round of inspiration for another Mega to surpass it in usage. Also, Terrakion usage should go way down at Nationals as we realize how not good it is, leaving only Landorus-Therian as the last common good answer to Charizard.
Blake: Yes and no. Charizard still has ways to get around it, if the team is built well.
Collin: With enough Fake Out and speed control Charizard can handle most matchups, but I think now with Tyranitar on the rise once again we will see very little Charizard usage at US Nationals.
Kenan: With that said, what would you rank as the top 3 Megas going into US Nationals?
Collin: Kangaskhan is still number one, but Salamence is second with Metagross in third.
Blake: Kangaskhan, Salamence, and it’s a tie between Charizard and Venusaur.
Jeudy: To be honest, this is really hard for me to decide, but if a Mega can replace Charizard it would be Metagross just because of its versatility and being one of the better Mega Pokemon in rain, which has been seeing a surprising amount of usage. I think my answer would change if I saw Japan Nationals, but for now Metagross. Another change going into Nationals for me is Salamence being the #1 Mega.
Gavin: I think Salamence will safely be in the #1 slot, with Kangaskhan behind and Charizard last.
Kenan: Why do you think Salamence will surpass Kangaskhan in usage?
Gavin: I think that people are going to see how well it did in off-meta teams like Harrison’s and how easy it is to use in “Japan Sand.”
Jeudy: It feels much much easier to make a successful team with Salamence right now than Kangaskhan and I feel there is more Kangaskhan hate than Salamence hate.
Kenan: So what kind of Salamence? Mixed or physical? Or is that what makes it so good? The unpredictability of Salamence and never being sure what it’s going to throw at you.
Collin: That’s it, the unpredictability of what it’s going to do. It might set up on you, it might OHKO your Sylveon with Double Edge, or it might switch out. Salamence has so many viable movesets and it has really good speed.
Kenan: I definitely agree, and I think it was funny how we noticed how distinctly different Japan and the US used Salamence, with Japan using almost exclusively mixed, and US using almost exclusively physical and when we all started experimenting with “Japan Sand,” a lot of players began experimenting with mixed, with physical still being popular.
Collin: I personally think physical Salamence is better, boasting much more raw power.
Kenan: Blake, why would you say Venusaur is in the top 3 Mega Pokemon?
Blake: Venusaur has been growing in popularity and deals with a lot of non-Megas, specifically Landorus-Therian, Rotom forms, Terrakion, Thundurus, stuff like that.
Kenan: Venusaur definitely is capable of just absolutely walling some of the top threats in the metagame.
Blake: Venusaur is much different than the other Megas as it doesn’t generate a lot of offensive pressure, but rather amazing defensive pressure.
Collin: I don’t think Venusaur will be that great. I think the other three best Megas kinda smash it so I disagree.
Gavin: I think that Venusaur is heavily reliant on the team it’s playing against not knowing how to deal with it. Venusaur cannot generate any offensive momentum for itself and it doesn’t threaten anything enough to give you room to outplay with it.
Kenan: I’m inclined to agree with you, Collin and Gavin. Talonflame was in the top 10 in usage of the International Challenge and I know of a few players who have tested Latios extensively. However, with the right support, Venusaur is certainly capable of anything.
Kenan: Why do you guys think Metagross is still capable of being a top threat at Nationals, given that we’ve been exposed to it since Winter Regionals?
Jeudy: To be honest, I said Metagross takes #3 because I think every other Mega is just OK, but I think Charizard is just not good enough due to matchups. I think that Metagross has one particular archetype (rain+Steel-type) where it performs amazingly. Otherwise I think every other Mega Pokemon is just OK or average.
Gavin: Unfortunately, I think people are still rooted in the Metagross/Hydreigon format for the team and once you start from there it’s very difficult to deviate heavily. I’d be surprised if a team like that doesn’t do well though, to be honest. I think its Mega Salamence matchup is good enough that it warrants usage.
Blake: I think bulky Adamant Mega Metagross is much better now. It hits harder, lives longer, and has solid typing seeing as Hydreigon is seeing less usage.
Collin: Metagross still is faster than most of the meta and it also does very well against both Kangaskhan and Salamence. And it is one of the few steel types that can outspeed and OHKO Sylveon.
Kenan: Collin, wouldn’t the play be to talk down things that beat Sylveon? I do know you’re a huge fan of her!
Collin: *Send average Sylveon fan photo*
Kenan: Looking at your top Mega choices for Regionals, you all agree on Kangaskhan as the best. Do you still think Kangaskhan is significantly better than the other Megas?
Collin: I don’t think it’s leagues ahead of the other two, but it stands out to me as the best Mega because Megas are not as important as in 2014, so some teams just want to slip a Mega in and Kangaskhan slides in most teams quite well.
Jeudy: No. I think it was place #1 for Regionals because it was significantly more consistent. The current standard Kangaskhan (Double-Edge+Low Kick) is incredibly easy to slap on, and those assuming that had to also face the probably more scary Power-Up-Punch variant. Going into Nationals, the uprising of Salamence definitely hurts Kangaskhan’s current standard just due to Intimidate. However it still remains as consistent as ever and that is what most Megas lack– consistency, and that’s a reason Mega Salamence and Kangaskhan are so far ahead of the rest. Especially in a National where there are 500+ different teams.
Blake: Not super better, but for sure the best. I think the gap between Kangaskhan and Salamence is slowly closing up as people are getting better at countering Kangaskhan.
Kenan: That’s a very interesting point, especially considering some of the other top Megas do a phenomenal job at beating Kangaskhan (Salamence and Metagross in particular). Do you think there is a reason Kangaskhan is the most common Mega in both Japan and US?
Blake: Kangaskhan has the best neutral hits in the game and what it doesn’t hit neutrally, it can hit for super effective damage with a coverage move.
Collin: I think it’s universally agreed upon that Kangaskhan is the best Mega because of the pure power and effectiveness Kangaskhan has. It can do so much damage and can even provide utility with Fake Out. Kangaskhan is the most important Mega to be ready for because everyone and their mother uses it.
Kenan: Kangaskhan, being a mother herself, certainly appreciates more PokeMoms entering in the community. Well, you guys that ends my questions for you all. Thank you guys once again for taking the time to answer some questions. Good luck at Nationals!
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Just wanted to give a huge thank you to Gavin, Jeudy, Blake, and Collin for making this article possible!
And I do plan on doing these regularly so any feedback would be greatly appreciated. If you would like me to cover a particular topic just let me know and I’ll see what I can do.
Would definitely like to see more of these.
Though this article’s presence makes me want to think about what mega I’m using…was really thinking about Salamence because I was already thinking about what was said in this article, but now I know that other people will be considering the same things. I think these kinds of articles will have their own impact on the meta that will be interesting to see, so keep it up! The more informed we all are, the better we’ll all get.
Really like to see this kind of content, nice work!
This should be done more often!
It was a nice read, even if i disagree with something said.
Great article! I think the upcoming weeks leading up to USA Nationals will be quite interesting to see how players will pick their teams in search of “Best VGC” (Dang it sogeking, lol jk).
As for suggestions for the next one…hmm, maybe have a discussion about the rising and falling of certain archtypes in the current VGC 2015 metagame? (ex. Rain, Sand, Sun, Trick Room, Battle Spot Special, etc).
It is true that Mega-kanga just brings such power to the field with its ability to neutrally hit many Pokemon on the field as well as a quick attack boost from Power-up Punch making it even tougher. However it would be fair to say there are many counters and threats ready to take down the ole kanga momma!
This was an interesting read! It would be great to see a segment on unusual Pokemon that may raise to prominence at nationals, shedding some light on Pokemon who are gaining popularity or have seen new found success!
Mind explaining to open up some discussion?
I’ll definitely consider this for a topic. Would be interesting to see how people feel about common archetypes, as they sort of all happen at once or not at all. (Sand recently, Rain last year at Nationals, Trick Room at Worlds).
Thank you!
Amazing! This will help me so much with my quest for best vgc!
oo
Awesome article and nice title too, I think this could definitely be a regular thing. I know the topic here was only on Megas and their performance relative to the meta, but I kind of wanted a little bit more content when I finished reading.
For example, you went into a good amount of detail pertaining to the rise of Japan Sand and how that would affect the popularity or effectiveness of Charizard-Y, but didn’t really pursue or convey enough information for me at the multiple points where Rain was mentioned when talking about Charizard-Y or Metagross.
I’ll be looking forward to the next edition! Keep up the good work!
Great article, very helpful! But why isn’t it showing up on the main page?
No one likes Gardevoir ;_;
The article was already 1600 or 1700+ words (approaching 4 pages single spaced) and I didn’t want it to be so long it was difficult to get through reading. Unreality and I were kind of putting a lot of pressure on Rushan by rushing this through the writing, editing, and preparation to publish, (wrote it in two days, Aaron edited in the next, sent it to Rushan the same day, asked to get it put up ASAP, etc.) so I was trying to make it as condensed as possible to make it easier for everyone else.
On discussing Japan Sand, I felt it was popular enough to warrant discussing (winning Aussie Nats, Second at a Euro Nats, Cybertron used it on his YouTube channel) and I didn’t need to explain the team itself much, but could just link to where the team originated and it would suffice to players. Covering Rain and Sun is more difficult because we haven’t felt a full effect of those archetypes heavily yet this format. There’s no “standard” rain or sun team, but there certainly is a standard sand team. I mean we have Ashton’s Char-Y / Typhlosion Team from Regionals and Blake’s “Southern Special” as his friend group calls it, but neither are super documented or well known. For Rain we have Suleski APEX team and maybe Collin’s NB Major team? Again neither team has made a huge splash in the metagame so it’s difficult to discuss them extensively.
However to say that I could explain why Metagross is good in Rain or why a Fire-type seems to do well against Rain is a bit of a failure on my part to explain to newer players. I’ll certainly keep it that in mind when writing again, so thank you!
I like this a lot, and I want more of it! Also it was a bit short but you explained that already.
Maybe, and this is just an idea, you could write a short version and make like a longer podcast with more coverage. Its always nice to have a good discussion on the background. Because I like hearing people talk about the game I love, so hopefully a podcast is the next thing <3
I love podcasts….so that would be pretty amazing
Highly interesting. To get an insight on what can be considered highly consistent players believe is a strong mega Pokemon. Definitely something to enjoy. Were these only going to be directed towards US users. Or were you going to ask members from other countries to get an insight into a different metagame.
One of the major reasons I decided to write the articles the way I did was that it’s makes it incredibly easy for the top players to get their opinions to the masses. All they do is answer some questions and it takes about 10-15 minutes for them and that’s all they do. While I think a podcast is a good idea, I’ve never done it, and it would more than likely be an area for someone already invested in YouTube, like Cybertron or Ray. Maybe one day I can figure it out, but they definitely have the reach already to make it extremely successful and worth their time and effort. Also coordinating a time when all of us are free without distractions can be more troublesome than you’d imagine (anyone who has to schedule a match for Dodrio or the Major knows what I’m talking about). It’s something I’ll look into, but not in the near future. (Unless someone wants to help me out drastically, in which case I’d be extremely grateful).
Honestly, it’s mostly just that I’m a US player, I know predominately US players, and the timing of it as well. Aside from Korea and Japan, US Nationals is the only major country that has yet to have their nationals, but I don’t know any Korean or Japanese to even begin to try and write articles over those regions, and any speculation from US players is more than likely to not be very accurate.
I’ll definitely branch out and try to ask some European or even Japanese players before Worlds to get their opinion on some things, but for the meantime it’ll be geared toward US players and about the US meta.
Totally reasonable right there. You can only do so much with what you have. Still kudos to a great idea, reminds me of things Smogon tend to do. So a nice addition to Nugget Bridge.
I see. If this becomes a pretty regular happenstance, then I have no problem with the amount of content, which is still quite a good chunk, especially if it’s easier on workload for the editing staff (You guys rock!). As you mentioned, since the intended audience here I assume is mostly newer or less experienced players, expanding on topics so that they can understand is definitely necessary and it’s a good thing you realized it yourself. I totally get where you’re coming from when you say there’s no “standard” rain or sun archetype though. Just thought I’d add some constructive criticism to polish it up for the next publication, I’m not just throwing stuff at you for the sake of being a stickler lol.
The goal is weekly for these, but I think it’s no trouble for me to expand on entry level explanations and keeping the number of questions the same. This makes the article slightly longer, but just makes it more noob friendly, for lack of a better word.
Honestly I don’t have an intended audience for these. Of course educating the newer players is important, and this one is very much aimed at that audience, but some of the later articles will get more in-depth, and will hopefully be tools experienced and newer players alike can draw on.
Anyway, I appreciate your feedback greatly. It’s given me a lot to consider and I’ll definitely work in your suggestions into the next one.
I saw “Top Players Talk” and thought it was a podcast; I was disappointed
Anyway, here are some questions for your upcoming guests you could think about using in the future. While some may have an obvious answer I think it’s important to explain some of them to newer players. Some of these may be more appropriate at a later time (such as the questions on Worlds below).
Nationals
Worlds
The following questions are related to the same topic.
Once it is all said and done, the majority of players who have qualified for the World Championships will have to play on Day 1 and maintain at least an X-2 record to advance to Day 2 of Worlds. For this tournament, these players have the option to change teams between Days 1 and 2.
This was really fun to read. I would certainly encourage you to create more articles like this!
I’m working on getting the podcast thing to happen! Sorry to disappoint.
Also I’ll definitely try and explain those questions at a later episode, maybe as it gets closer to Nationals, and Worlds respectively.
I self was thinking I could be on the NB Youtube, with a lay-out that just likes the ones used for the battles. With the topic discussing and and the names there, really simple, but effective. Basically the main thing you are doing is get in a Skype call and record the sound of it.
Bulky Metagross? Terrakion not so good? Drop in Hydreigon usage? Wow 😀 great article and great concept, I always love to hear the top-players opinions. Keep up the good work!
Awesome idea buddy really enjoyed the article, look forward to future articles from you
This was a really great article and I hope there are more like it 🙂 I’ve been wanting to try out Salamence (I mostly play Battle Spot Doubles), but the fact that it has so many possible natures and sets is rather (pun intended) intimidating to a newer player like me, as I just can’t decide which I think works best.
Great article, definitely a good read. It’s just a shame I can’t go to Natty’s this year 🙁 … definitely next year. Good luck to everyone!
Fun article, would like to see more of these. If I could give some feedback, it would be to try to make sure you try to get players from different rings of friends — people who talk the game together a lot regularly tend to have their ideas rub off on each other a lot, and I think that varying perspectives are probably what would work best here.
Definitely agree with general consensus that Salamence/Kangaskhan are the most versatile Megas, as far as being generally strong and fitting easily on many teams, but I’m not sure that in reference to winning Nats/Worlds that really makes them the strongest. They’ll be the Pokemon most people focus on this time. I’m not sure if the US Nats metagame will get smarter this year — it’s like no one thought about countering things until Worlds last year — but I’d be a little concerned hedging my bets on those Pokemon right now and would probably be stacking my matchups against them while using something else instead. Just focusing down Megas isn’t going to win anyone a tournament anymore with Megas not being heads-and-shoulders above other top Pokemon this year, but it’s definitely something I’d be worrying about because those slots are still important. I think teams built around that next group of Megas — Charizard and Metagross as mentioned in the article, but Gardevoir, Swampert, and Mawile as well — would fare a little better due to finding less planned resistance, if an equal amount of top players were to give all of them the same opportunity in the tournament. Maybe less so Charizard, since it’s so easy to fit problems for it onto teams.
While it’s my favorite Mega to use, I think I agree with Gavin on some extent about Venusaur, though. I think he always undersells it some, but it’s a little too binary about whether or not it’s going to have a good game or not, and it’s hard to generate enough momentum to protect your important non-Mega Pokemon with it. It’s usage:strength has been really strange.