Tiering Policy said: Broken - elements that are too good relative to the rest of the metagame such that "more skillful play" is almost always rendered irrelevant Click to expand...

It's no surprise that I'm coming out as pro-ban on Mega-Metagross, but I would like to give a bit more of an in-depth opinion and justification than I did in my initial paragraph posted in the the second post of the thread.To preface this post, I would like to take a line from the OU Tiering Policy Framework in order to make my reasoning a bit more clear to those reading. The portion of the Tiering Policy I will be using is:I feel as if this definition applies to Mega-Metagross moreso than it does a lot of the previously suspected and even banned Pokemon over the past generation or so. I do acknowledge the fact that there have been things deemed banworthy due to being uncompetitive or unhealthy, making this a moot point in regards to those cases, but the bottom-line, in my eyes, is that Mega-Metagross is broken in SM OU, as per this definition.I think that the best way to start explaining why I feel this way is delving into why Mega-Metagross is "too good" in the metagame, with specific emphasis put on how it holds this quality in relation to other Pokemon in the tier as the definition points this out specifically. Moreover, I will then relate that to how Mega-Metagross makes it so that "more skillful play" takes the backseat due to the lack of counterplay to it in the tier.If you look at the metagame, there are a plethora of strong Pokemon out there. You have glass cannons such as Gengar, Mega Alakazam, and the highly controversial Greninja and then you have bulkier hard-hitters like Band Zygarde and Offensive Heatran. I'm not trying to flat-out compare any of these Pokemon, their viability, or their qualities directly to Mega-Metagross as they're all entirely seperate entities in the context of the metagame and there's no need to compare them directly for the sake of this post. However, a general point that acts as a descriptor for the place and viability of Mega-Metagross in the metagame would have to be that it is one of the most well-rounded strong Pokemon in the tier. Mega-Metagross wields spectacular physical bulk and above-average special bulk, with 80 | 150 | 110 defensive stats upon mega evolving, and it obviously has sufficient attacking prowess as well. Top this off with being fairly quick, with base 110 speed, and you get a pretty damn solid pick for any offensive team, I'd say.Now all of the aforementioned characteristics are great and they make-up Mega-Metagross as a Pokemon in the tier, but standalone they do not break the Pokemon themselves. We seldom see a Pokemon being broken solely on the basis of good stats and looking great on paper. What truly enhances Mega-Metagross and what makes it too much for the tier is the practical uses of it, in my opinion. Obviously, it needs the stats it has and the other aforementioned facets of it as a Pokemon to function the way it does, but we have to take it a step further to draw a conclusion on how good it is, if it's broken, etc., so let's do so.Mega-Metagross doesn't necessarily have the most widespread movepool, but it easily has everything that it needs and then some compacted into a respectable movepool. With STAB Meteor Mash being a staple, it then almost always runs Hammer Arm or Earthquake to compliment this STAB, hitting opposing Steel types. Then, it runs Thunder Punch very often to hit opposing Celesteela, Toxapex, Keldeo, and other Water types, but this move isn't exactly a staple depending on the team and other moves. In regards to filler and other coverage moves or supportive moves, it can use Ice Punch, Zen Headbutt, Bullet Punch, Pursuit (generally only on teams with no other Steel type in order to mitigate the weakness to opposing Tapu Lele), Hidden Power Fire, and Agility/Rock Polish. Needless to say, Mega-Metagross has the coverage to hit just about anything it'd like to. However, it can only run four moves at a time like any other Pokemon and that's surely a limiting factor. With this said, Mega-Metagross can hit almost all of the metagame with three or four of the aforementioned moves and it can cater sets to the context of teams it is being utilized on, making it even more potent. Given all of these points, I think it's safe to say that Mega-Metagross stands out as an offensive presence in the metagame when talking about what it does and how it does it. Now let's transition into what this means, the counterplay to it (or lack thereof), and if this correlates to it being broken or not given everything taken into consideration.Mega-Metagross has a handful of checks and counters in the metagame. The issue at hand is that this is only a relatively small handful, not a healthy amount by any stretch of the imagination. Let's get into these potential stops to Mega-Metagross:Mega-Metagross is generally countered by Mega-Scizor. Hidden Power Fire is still only seen on a fraction of Mega-Metagross and if it adds Hidden Power Fire, not only must it drop something else, but it also is generally used on a build that specifically needs to lure Mega-Scizor or at least keep it in check. Sure, these variants can be seen as an exception, but it is uncommon and Mega-Scizor is generally safe otherwise. Occasionally, Mega-Metagross will fish for a Meteor Mash raise and if it gets one, then Earthquake or Hammer Arm will do a significant chunk, but still will fail to 2HKO the standard defensive variant of Mega-Scizor. Basically, this is as good as it gets when it comes to Mega-Metagross counterplay on a fairly consistent basis. Some people argued that Hidden Power Fire becoming viable in itself is a pro-ban argument as Mega-Metagross can stay equally viable over time despite the metagame adapting to it as it can adapt to the metagame without losing a step, but I find this as an almost trivial sub-point that shouldn't be discussed at length.This leaf monster is actually very common and solid on the defensive end, often slapped onto balance and even bulky-offensive builds in order to make it so that they aren't weak to various threats throughout the tier and they still aren't too passive as Tangrowth has some utility and offensive presence. With that said, the most common variant is Assault Vest and this doesn't even really check Mega-Metagross as it cannot switch into Ice Punch or Meteor Mash after Stealth Rock and it cannot 2HKO it, either. However, Physically Defensive variants, specifically with Rocky Helmet, are able to check Mega-Metagross as it fails to 2HKO, Rocky Helmet chips Mega-Metagross, it can put Mega-Metagross to sleep, and do some damage with Hidden Power Fire, Knock Off, or Leech Seed depending on what other moves it carries. It is not a hard counter, like Mega Scizor, as it is still taking upwards of a third from Meteor Mash and around forty percent from Ice Punch, meaning that if it is weakened before or you get an attack raise, then it's lights out for the Tangrowth, but it certainly is sufficient in a metagame strapped for actual defensive answers to Mega-Metagross.(Mew, Skarmory, Slowbro, Rotom-Wash, etc.)Before I go on, I do want to say that things like Physically Defensive Hippowdon and Mega-Slowbro can counter Mega-Metagross, but these Pokemon do not see much usage at all, barely even qualifying for noteworthy in my eyes, so I will mention them here, but not elaborate on them at all due to irrelevance. Going onto the main purpose of this sub-point, Mew, Skarmory, Slowbro, and Rotom-Wash are the main Pokemon that are capable of checking, at least situationally, Mega-Metagross. Mew has become much more relevant with the release of Mega-Medicham and the metagame shifting heavily in its favor over the past few weeks and it can tank two Meteor Mashes, but one attack raise, slight chip damage, or something like a Will-O-Wisp miss turns this match-up into a blowout for Mega-Metagross with nothing being lost and Mew going down for free, essentially. Basically, Mew is a soft check that can end up getting fucked over if the situation doesn't play into its hands, but it can take two hits and that's respectable enough to mention. Skarmory lives two hits on stall if Electric Terrain isn't up and can counter, but is often either traded for Mega-Metagross in that match-up or it forces it out until you can chip it or get an ideal situation, assuming it runs Thunder Punch. I'd say it's safe to call Skarmory a decent check on a situational basis, but it's far from universal given the presence of Tapu Koko and the fact that Thunder Punch is ran on most Mega-Metagross currently, doing 40-47%. Slowbro isn't even too common right now, but I've personally liked it a tad more as of late despite it not even being a hard check to things like Mega-Medicham or Mega-Mawile as it has a nice defensive presence, but it can sort of check Mega-Metagross in the same sense it sort of did in ORAS OU. Thunder Punch isn't 2HKOing you after SR and Leftovers if you run max Physical Defense, but if you run a bit less or take chip that adds up to more than regenerator, then you're in a bit of a pickle. With this said, it does fit the definition of a check and it can potentially burn with Scald or status with Thunder Wave in the process of defensively checking it, so it's worth mentioning as well. Rotom-Wash is pretty bad in general right now, but it still sees usage, even more than some of the aforementioned Pokemon. It gets worn out very easily and it doesn't have as good of a general defensive match-up with the top tier threats than it did last generation, due partially to the power creep, but it still is viable and it can check non-Zen Headbutt variants when it is healthy, early on in the game. Eventually, it gets worn out too quickly and will not be remotely reliable, so Rotom-Wash is a very shaky, soft, and situational check at best.This is, more or less, a vast majority of defensive counterplay to Mega-Metagross. There is offensive counterplay in terms of revenge killing and that's totally a legitimate point -- Greninja, Ash Greninja, Scarf Garchomp, Scarf Gengar, Mega Alakazam, and many other things if there is significant chip on Mega-Metagross can all revenge kill it. However, this implies that they got in safely and none of these things can reliably switch-in, meaning that something else had to pivot in and take multiple hits to get a slower Volt Switch/U-turn in or something died. Essentially, you either need another check/counter in itself or you're losing a Pokemon to Mega-Metagross, meaning that this point is somewhat moot and somewhat a testament to the strength of Mega-Metagross depending on how the situation unfolds and while it is a way to get the job done, it doesn't make Mega-Metagross much less potent or broken, in my eyes. Another means of offensive counterplay is "playing around it" and this point is simply bullshit. Prediction is a two-way-street and you cannot base your argument around anything being broken or not on prediction. You cannot assume that the Mega-Metagross user will predict properly, nor can you assume that the opponent will. This point is moot and if you're forced to pivot and risk a Pokemon each turn, then it's a testament to the effectiveness of Mega-Metagross or your own poor teambuilding if it's in the initial stages of the game.I think that it's safe to say that only having a few actual consistent counters and hard checks qualifies Mega-Metagross for being a step above the rest of the metagame, barring a few other controversial and potentially banworthy Pokemon like Greninja ( reasoning for why I wanted Mega-Metagross suspected before Greninja ). Additionally, Mega-Metagross also fulfills the second part of the definition for broken, as the prior sentence covers the first part of the aforementioned definition, as if a team lacks one of the select few Pokemon with the appropriate set to handle Mega-Metagross, then they're going to be at an inherent disadvantage and Mega-Metagross gets in too often due to bulk and survivability to simply neglect in teambuilding when it's so common. Therefore, I can confidently label Mega-Metagross as broken as per the official definition of it in the tiering policy and I do not really have any doubt or hesitation in saying so. In fact, I'd say that this is the most clear-cut suspect in a long time, which should say a lot in itself. The only thing left untouched in this post is the fact that Mega-Metagross restricts teambuilding to a significant extent, which is implied from before given the lack of defensive counterplay and the fact that it warrants an actual defensive check/counter given how common and bulky it is. I suppose that if you didn't already connect the dots, then it is out there now -- you have to run one of the aforementioned few things to deal with it, specifically one of the more reliable ones, but the others work with outside support sometimes as well, if you do not wish to be put in a very tough spot whenever you face Mega-Metagross and this is far from healthy or ideal for a developing metagame.tl;dr = Mega-Metagross is broken and should be banned.