Mega Corner

Overview

Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire introduced a lot of Mega Evolutions, and several of them were intended to breathe life into some previously useless and forgotten Pokemon. Among those Pokemon to get a new lease on life were things like Beedrill, Pidgeot, Lopunny, and of course, Altaria. However, no one could have predicted just how good Mega Altaria would end up being. On paper, its stat spread still doesn’t seem all that impressive, as its offenses were boosted to base 110, which, while an improvement upon its normally lackluster offenses, might seem rather underwhelming by Mega Evolution standards. Yet, Mega Altaria received two blessings that made it an absolutely dominant force. The first is a brand new typing, and a unique one at that; Mega Altaria is the first and only Pokemon to sport the Dragon/Fairy typing, which is arguably the best defensive typing in the game. The second goes hand in hand with its new typing, because it also got a fantastic ability in the form of Pixilate. Pixilate not only gives Mega Altaria some fantastic STAB attacks, but it also affords it the power it so desperately desired; to put it in perspective, Mega Altaria’s Pixilate Return is actually stronger than Azumarill’s Huge Power Play Rough. Between its fantastic typing and deceptive power, Mega Altaria has become a top-tier, anti-metagame threat who can be a pain to play against. So underestimate Mega Altaria at your own peril, lest this fluffy dragon be the cause of your ruin.
Positives
+Dragon/Fairy typing is perhaps the greatest defensive typing in the game. With resistances to Fire, Water, Grass, Electric, Dark, Fighting, Bug, and an immunity to Dragon, this thing can wall entire sets, and be one of the few things that can claim to wall both variants of Mega Charizard. In addition, its few weaknesses (Fairy, Poison, and Steel) are all easy to work around, as moves of these types are relatively rare on non-STAB users.
+Although base 110 Attack and Special Attack may seem underwhelming by Mega standards, they’re backed up by a fantastic ability in Pixilate, which gives normal type attacks a 30% damage boost, in addition to turning them into Fairy type attacks (which of course means STAB). This means Mega Altaria’s offensive presence is deceptively powerful, and it can hit from both sides of the spectrum as well, making it harder to outright wall.
+Altaria’s movepool is very much up to the task for its Mega Evolution. It’s got Return and Hyper Voice to take advantage of Pixilate on both the physical and special side, in addition to solid coverage moves such as Earthquake, Fire Blast, and Ice Beam. Throw in Dragon Dance for boosting, and things like Roost and Heal Bell to keep itself healthy, and you’ve got one difficult dragon on your hands.
+Mega Altaria’s bulk got slightly better as well, so it packs a decent 75/110/105 defensive spread. With its numerous resistances and no 4x weaknesses to prey on, Mega Altaria’s bulk allows it to take a few hits.
+By virtue of being a Mega Evolution and being resistant to Dark, Mega Altaria is one of the few Pokemon who can claim to reliably switch into the normally spammable Knock Off.
+Mega Altaria loses a Stealth Rock weakness upon Mega Evolving, which makes it a little easier to switch in.

Negatives
-Although Mega Altaria’s offenses got a boost, its speed did not. Base 80 speed still isn’t particularly impressive, as even after a Dragon Dance many common revenge killers, such as Scarf Excadrill, can outspeed and revenge kill it.
-Perhaps the only downside to the change in typing is that Mega Altaria loses its immunity to Ground and grounded hazards such as Spikes.
-Four moveslot syndrome is an issue for Mega Altaria. It almost always wants Roost, plus Return/Hyper Voice, which leaves just two moveslots, meaning if it utilizes Dragon Dance or Heal Bell it’ll always have a gap in its coverage. V -Mega Altaria sadly still has to start out as standard Altaria, which can make switching in a little more difficult.

Abilities

Pixilate: Increases the power of Normal-type moves by 30%. It then changes those moves to Fairy-type. - Pixilate is an amazing ability. This ability gained notoriety in X/Y when Sylveon and Mega Gardevoir used it to great effect, and in OR/AS, Mega Altaria utilizes it just as well. It is this ability that makes Altaria as deceptively powerful as it is; although base 110 offenses may not be overwhelmingly high, a 30% boost on normal type attacks that also turns them into STAB attacks is a godsend. This turns Return into a base 132 power physical STAB, and Hyper Voice becomes a base 104 power special STAB. With high-powered STAB moves with no drawbacks, Mega Altaria has everything it needs to be threatening.

Movesets

Thundercloud Formation

-Dragon Dance
-Return
-Earthquake
-Roost / Fire Blast
Item Attached: Altarianite
Ability: Pixilate (Natural Cure on Altaria)
EVs and Nature:
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpDef / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature

Unlike its base form, Mega Altaria runs a frightening Dragon Dance set that can be difficult to stop once it gets going. The premise is very simple; set up Dragon Dance when you have an opportunity, and proceed to wreak havoc. This is made easier by Mega Altaria’s great defensive typing, as its numerous resistances force plenty of switches. Dragon Dance helps remedy Mega Altaria’s lackluster speed while also giving it even more power. From there, you’ll find that Mega Altaria will be using Return most of the time, because with 102 base power, Pixilate turns it into 132 power STAB attack with no drawbacks. However, Fairy types has a few small gaps in its coverage, which are handled nicely by Earthquake, which can nail things like Mega Metagross hard. From there, Roost gives Mega Altaria some serious staying power, which can help it deal with the damage it may take from all those resisted hits it tried to sponge. However, it should be noted that you can also pack Fire Blast instead of Roost; this may sacrifice longevity, but it’ll allow you to fry Scizor, Ferrothorn, and Skarmory who would otherwise trouble this set immensely.

Adamant Nature and 252 Attack EVs are intended to maximize Mega Altaria’s power, while 252 Speed EVs allow it to get as much speed as possible too. The remaining 4 EVs are put into special defense. When it comes to ability, it’s largely irrelevant which you choose since Altaria wants to Mega Evolve ASAP. Natural Cure can have use pre-Mega due to the fact that in very rare circumstances, it can prevent Mega Altaria from being screwed if you accidentally catch a status effect on the switch. However, Cloud Nine has some very rare use in that it can be used to put a stop to Swift Swim Kingdra or Swampert, and makes switching into Mega Charizard Y a bit easier as well. However, this only works on the first turn, so it’s not a huge deal regardless.

It’s also worth noting that you can opt for a bulkier spread, such as 248 HP / 136 Def / 96 SpD / 28 Spe with an Impish Nature. This allows Mega Altaria to sponge more hits, but it’s not quite as immediately threatening, and may have to boost a second time to sweep.

You’ve Got a Big Storm Comin’

-Hyper Voice
-Fire Blast
-Roost
-Heal Bell / Earthquake
Item Attached: Altarianite
Ability: Pixilate (Natural Cure on Altaria)
EVs and Nature:
EVs:248 HP / 168 SpA / 92 Spe
Modest Nature

On the other side of the spectrum, Mega Altaria can run a special set to catch many of the physically defensive Pokemon off guard if they try to stop it. To that end, Hyper Voice becomes Mega Altaria’s primary STAB through Pixilate; although not quite as powerful as Return, its post-Pixilate power of 104 is still respectable, and is more than enough to get the job done. As an added bonus, as a sound-based move, Pixilate Hyper Voice penetrates Substitutes, allowing it to revenge things that may be behind a Sub. Fire Blast is important for this set, as Mega Altaria often brings in steel types to dispatch it, such as Scizor, Skarmory, Ferrothorn, and Mega Metagross. Fire Blast deals spectacularly with all of them, being able to 1HKO all but Mega Metagross, who is 2HKO’ed. From there, Roost remains fantastic for its staying power, and without the speed of Dragon Dance, that survivability that Roost affords is all the more important. For the final slot, Heal Bell is an option to support the team (in addition to Mega Altaria itself) from having status be a nuisance. However, Mega Altaria can also opt to pack Earthquake, almost specifically for Heatran who otherwise hard-counters this set.

In order to differentiate itself from Mega Gardevoir who packs more speed and power, Mega Altaria’s special set opts for an increased emphasis on bulk, especially given its great defensive typing. To that end, 248 HP can maximize bulk for Mega Altaria while also minimizing Stealth Rock Damage. From there, Mega Altaria’s speed is invested just enough to meet certain benchmarks. The default benchmark, 92 Speed EVs, allows Mega Altaria to outspeed max speed Jolly Azumarill. However, you can take some EVs out of bulk and put them into speed to outspeed other threats; for instance, 100 EVs can allow Mega Altaria to outspeed defensive Landorus-T, while 176 EVs can outspeed Adamant Bisharp. You can go all out with max speed if you’re so inclined, but Mega Altaria’s bulk will suffer accordingly. The remaining 168 Special Attack EVs and a Modest Nature help maximize Mega Altaria’s damage output. Once again, the pre-Mega ability largely doesn’t matter due to Mega Altaria always wanting to Mega Evolve ASAP, but both abilities do have minor niche value so you can choose to your preference.

Other Options

-Substitute can be an option to help ward off Status, and it protects Mega Altaria from revenge killing as well. Roost helps to offset the HP loss from Substitute as well, making it more sustainable. Do note that you have to sacrifice coverage to pack Substitute, though.
-Frustration can be used in place of Return as Ditto repellent, as most Ditto run max happiness, leaving Frustration weak if they try to use it. Otherwise, it’s identical to Return.
-A primarily defensive set utilizing Roost and Heal Bell can work as well, although Mega Altaria is often more valued for its offensive presence due to its deceptively powerful offenses.
-A Dragon STAB attack such as Dragon Claw, Dragon Pulse, or Draco Meteor has the benefit of hitting certain fire types such as Talonflame and the Mega Charizards harder than any other coverage option, but this is a relatively small niche as Dragon has fairly redundant coverage compared to Fairy, and Mega Altaria can rarely fit it into its movepool.
-Cotton Guard can allow Mega Altaria to soft check some its would-be checks and counters on the physical side, such as Scizor and Mega Metagross. However, it still struggles against special attackers, and it’s prone to being Toxic stalled. Even if utilizing Cotton Guard in conjunction with Heal Bell, your offensive coverage suffers accordingly.
-Facade is an alternative to Return which can catch some checks off guard if they try to utilize status to deal with Mega Altaria. However, its damage suffers noticeably compared to Return if status is not used, and Mega Altaria still hates the passive damage from Toxic or Burns, and the speed drop from Paralysis.
-Double Edge gives a bit more power than Return, but at the cost of recoil, which can unfortunately cause Mega Altaria to be worn down more easily. Return’s power is normally sufficient enough as it is.
-Body Slam has some added utility in that it has a 30% chance to paralyze, which can screw over some switch-ins who resist the attack, such as Mega Metagross. However, there is a noticeable drop in power from Return, and if that paralysis doesn’t occur (which statistically it won’t the majority of the time), you’re just using a weaker attack for nothing.
-Ice Beam can catch Gliscor and Landorus-T off guard, both of whom can manage to check Mega Altaria. Its usefulness beyond that is somewhat limited compared to Fire Blast, however.

Double & Triple Battle Options

Mega Altaria was introduced at the same time Sylveon and Gardevoir gained access to Hyper Voice. Slyveon already hits as hard as Mega Altaria without using a Mega Slot. But Mega Altaria has a niche, in which if pulled off correctly will make Altaria a serious threat. It just needs a Xerneas and...

Psych Up

Psych Up
Protect
Hyper Voice
Dragon Pulse
Item Attached: Altarianite
Ability: Pixilate (Natural Cure on Altaria)
EVs and Nature:
EVs: 252 SAtk / 252 Speed / 4SDef
Modest Nature

the idea is simply to have the partnered Xerneas use Power Herb Geomancy and have altaria Psych Up the boosts and then deal serious damage with its STABs It takes quite a bit of set up to get going but only one Mega Mawile to stop it dead in its tracks. Same for Aegislash too. It's not entirely Altaria's fault that it isn't viable this season, the blame can be placed heavily on Mewtwo, Xerneas and the like alongside Mega Kangaskhan running the show. Weaker Pokemon simply don't have the ability to shine, and in fact are reduced to switching fodder in the face of Rain Boosted Origin Pulses. Maybe next year!

Countering Mega Altaria

Unlike its base form, Mega Altaria can be tricky to counter given it has the power to threaten foes from both the physical and special side. As a result, many of its counters are set dependent. However, it does have one universal counter, and that would be Mega Venusaur. Thanks to its bulk, typing, and Thick Fat, Mega Altaria absolutely cannot break it. Pixilate Return only 4HKO’s offensive variants of Mega Venusaur, while defensive sets are only 5HKO’ed. Even at +1, Pixilate Return can only 3HKO offensive sets, and Fire Blasts from the special sets only 4HKO as well. Meanwhile, offensive sets can 1HKO with Sludge Bomb, while even against bulkier variants, Sludge Bomb still 2HKOs. Access to reliable recovery also prevents Mega Altaria from wearing down Mega Venusaur, as well. From there, your options become more dependent on the set. Skarmory can wall physicals sets due to an immunity to Earthquake and a resistance to Pixilate Return, which will only 7HKO Skarmory. Attempts to boost with Dragon Dance can easily be phased away with Whirlwind. However, Fire Blast scares away Skarmory, so keep it out of that line of fire. Likewise, Ferrothorn has no problem walling physical variants of Mega Altaria and 1HKOing with Gyro Ball (or pestering it with Leech Seed and/or Thunder Wave), but Fire Blast will fry it in a heartbeat. Mega Scizor deals well with physical variants, only being 4HKO’ed by unboosted attacks and 3HKO’ed at +1 without any bulk investment, while Bullet Punch 2HKOs. Bulkier sets take the hits even better while still 2HKOing, and standard Scizor’s Choice Band set can 1HKO, although both have to watch out for Fire Blast. Gengar can 1HKO Mega Altaria with Sludge Bomb or Sludge Wave, and outspeeds it as well, but it does have to watch out for +1 Pixilate Return given its lack of bulk. Even a resisted, unboosted Pixilate Return can 2HKO Gengar due to its frailty, but it has a little more ease switching into Hyper Voice. Heatran shuts down the special sets due to its 4x resistance to Fairy and Flash Fire absorbing Fire Blast, but sets packing Earthquake will make Heatran’s life miserable. Talonflame is immune to Earthquake and resists Fairy, and it can 2HKO with Brave Bird or burn Mega Altaria with Will-o-Wisp. However, its lack of bulk can cause it to be 2HKO’ed by Pixilate Return. Mega Charizard Y is in a similar boat, although the chance to be 2HKO’ed by Pixilate Return is lower. However, the sheer power of Drought-boosted Fire Blasts can 2HKO Mega Altaria, despite its resistance. Just be warned that bulkier sets can avoid the 2HKO and attempt to stall out the sun with Roost. Defensive Amoonguss can deal with physical sets pretty handily due to only being 5HKO’ed, although if Mega Altaria packs Substitute, it can give Amoonguss problems by neutering Spore, and Fire Blast from the special sets can 2HKO Amoonguss. Clefable can 2HKO Mega Altaria with Moonblast, and ignores Dragon Dance boosts if it packs Unaware, although there is a low chance for it to be 2HKO’ed by Return and Hyper Voice even if unboosted. Defensive Landorus is only 4HKO’ed by physical sets thanks to Intimidate, although special sets can 2HKO, but Landorus-T can 2HKO with Earthquake as well. Gliscor, depending on the defensive spread it’s running, is only 3HKO’ed by the respective sets, and it can attempt to wear Mega Altaria down with Toxic and Roost. Sets with Substitute or Heal Bell tend to be problematic, though. Mega Metagross can 1HKO with Meteor Mash, but it does have to be wary of being 2HKO’ed by both Earthquake and Fire Blast, especially considering its unimpressive speed tier prior to Mega Evolving. Mega Gardevoir can check the special sets, being 2HKO’ed by Pixilate Hyper Voice, but in turn outspeeding and 1HKOing Mega Altaria with its own Pixilate Hyper Voice. Sylveon is in the same boat, although defensive Sylveon can survive a Pixilate Return, while Hyper Voice can 1HKO Mega Altaria if it hasn’t invested in bulk about a third of the time, and 2HKO bulkier sets. Sylveon is only 3HKO’ed by Pixilate Hyper Voice as well, so it handles special sets a bit better. Preying on Mega Altaria’s low speed is usually a decent way to go, as well. Even at +1, most common choice scarf users can still outspeed Mega Altaria, such as Excadrill and Landorus-T. However, most Scarf users need a little prior damage due to Mega Altaria’s bulk, so don’t expect them to 1HKO otherwise. Mamoswine and Weavile are capable of picking off a weakened Mega Altaria with Ice Shard as well, although both tend to be obliterated by Pixilate Return, especially Weavile. Stealth Rock helps a bit too; although Mega Altaria loses its Stealth Rock weakness, it does retain it prior to Mega Evolving, which can make it a bit easier to take down.

Locations in Games

Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald:
Sky Pillar

FireRed/LeafGreen:
Trade from Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald/Colosseum/XD

Colosseum/XD:
Evolve Swablu (Colosseum)
Snagged from Cipher Admin Lovrina in Citadark Isle (XD)

Diamond/Pearl/Platinum:
Evolve Swablu

HeartGold/SoulSilver:
Evolve Swablu

Black/White:
Route 14

Black 2/White 2:
Route 14, Abundant Shrine, Victory Road, Nature Preserve

X/Y:
Route 21

Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire:
Evolve Swablu