" Ha. Ha ha. HA HA HA HA HA! YOU THOUGHT YOU COULD GET RID OF ME PETER? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA! AAAAAHAHAHAAHAHHA! "
-Ruingross in its usual demonic laughter.
Hi guys, girls, third time introduced ruins and everything in-between! This is a side episode. Kinda like I did with Keldeo, this one is actually one those by me. You see, I’ve been using Gie’s battle simulator and after my 252 Hp / 252 Defense Impish Skarmory received around 85% damages from a Ruingross, I just knew I would do this. I’ve tried few teams against the same player and… let’s just say reality struck me like a shovel in the face. If you wonder why I deleated all my teams recently, then you have your answers.
BE WARNED. THIS EPISODE IN PARTICULAR IS BIASED. THERE IS A HIGH CHANCE THAT I HAVE A PERSONAL GRUDGE AGAINST THAT SPECIFIC POKÉMON AND THERE IS NO WAY I AM TOTALY OBJECTIVE ABOUT IT. YOU MUST KEEP IN MIND THAT I’M JUST AN (angry?) LOWER MID-LEVEL COMPETITIVE PLAYER AND I SUCK AT EVALUATING IF A POKÉMON IS GOOD OR NOT, LET ALONE HAVIGN A PRODUCTIVE TALK ABOUT A POKÉMON’S VIABILITY.
Typing, Stats, Ability & Movepool
Grass/Rock
Ability: Sturdy/Rock Head (DW)
Hp: 80
Atk: 135
Def: 130
SpA: 95
SpD: 90
Spe: 70
Alright. I’ve already talk about this rockpile two time before, but that was the Mega version. Let’s talk about the regular form.
Delta Metagross has a very interesting bulk. 80/130/90 is surprisingly good, especially with HP investment. It can survive a decent hits before being knocked out, something interesting for a wallbreaker for its kind. It has good 135 Atk that goes well alongside his high base power moves. Its low speed is detrimental against offense, but is still very manageable against defence.
Let’s face it. It have the best offensive combo in the game. Rock Type, Head Smash and Rock Head. Alongside it, STAB Wood Hammer bypass bulky Ground types that would otherwise be a check. Earthquake bypass most steel types and on the last moveslot, Crystal Rush is a priority with a perfect neutral coverage. Even with a kinda mediocre defensive typing, it has a surprisingly good offensively oriented supportive set at its disposal, but who am I kidding, no one else would use anything else than…
Sets Suggestions
Choice Band
Metagross-Delta @ Choice Band
Ability: Rock head
EVs: 164 Hp / 252 Atk / 92 Spe
Adamant Nature
-Head Smash
-Wood Hammer
-Earthquake
-Crystal Rush
92 speed allows to outpaced speedless base 81, more specifically, Mega Milotic. It allows for a clean OHKO without risking a scald burn. 252 Atk and Adamant nature allows to hit as hard as possible. The leftovers EVs are put into HP so it take hits more easily. About its wallbreaking powers, I’ll let the damages speak for themselves.
252+ Atk Choice Band Delta Metagross-Ruin Head Smash vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Skarmory: 235-277 (70.3 - 82.9%) – guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Choice Band Delta Metagross-Ruin Wood Hammer vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Hippowdon: 426-504 (101.4 - 120%) – guaranteed OHKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Delta Metagross-Ruin Head Smash vs. 248 HP / 168+ Def Amoonguss: 409-483 (94.8 - 112%) – 68.8% chance to OHKO after Black Sludge recovery
252+ Atk Choice Band Delta Metagross-Ruin Head Smash vs. 252 HP / 252 Def Clefable: 399-471 (101.2 - 119.5%) – guaranteed OHKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Delta Metagross-Ruin Head Smash vs. 248 HP / 252 Def Cresselia: 288-340 (65 - 76.7%) – guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Choice Band Delta Metagross-Ruin Head Smash vs. 244 HP / 216+ Def Tangrowth: 262-309 (65.1 - 76.8%) – guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Delta Metagross-Ruin Head Smash vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Rotom-Wash: 285-336 (94 - 110.8%) – 62.5% chance to OHKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Choice Band Delta Metagross-Ruin Head Smash vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Mew: 298-352 (73.7 - 87.1%) – guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Choice Band Delta Metagross-Ruin Head Smash vs. 252 HP / 232+ Def Slowbro: 283-334 (71.8 - 84.7%) – guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Choice Band Delta Metagross-Ruin Head Smash vs. 248 HP / 96+ Def Venusaur-Mega: 291-343 (80.1 - 94.4%) – guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Delta Metagross-Ruin Head Smash vs. 244 HP / 252+ Def Gliscor: 255-301 (72.4 - 85.5%) – guaranteed 2HKO after Poison Heal
252+ Atk Choice Band Delta Metagross-Ruin Head Smash vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Latias-Mega: 355-418 (97.5 - 114.8%) – 81.3% chance to OHKO
-1 252+ Atk Choice Band Delta Metagross-Ruin Head Smash vs. 252 HP / 240+ Def Landorus-Therian: 216-255 (56.5 - 66.7%) – guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Delta Metagross-Ruin Wood Hammer vs. 240 HP / 176+ Def Garchomp: 264-312 (63.3 - 74.8%) – guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Delta Metagross-Ruin Head Smash vs. 252 HP / 136+ Def Altaria-Mega: 306-361 (86.4 - 101.9%) – 18.8% chance to OHKO
Good grief, I found Pokémon who are not 2HKO without hazards!
252+ Atk Choice Band Delta Metagross-Ruin Head Smash vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Chesnaught: 129-153 (33.9 - 40.2%) – 37.7% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Choice Band Delta Metagross-Ruin Head Smash vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Bronzong: 135-159 (39.9 - 47%) – guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
And maybe the best one!
252+ Atk Choice Band Delta Metagross-Ruin Head Smash vs. 252 HP / 88+ Def Ferrothorn: 139-164 (39.4 - 46.5%) – guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
Oh, but only Chesnaught has reliable recovery, and its only 8 times. Oh well!
Good Teammates
- Scarf Magnezone is a terrific teammate because it can trap Scizor, Ferrothorn and Bronzong and also OHKO Chesnaught with Hidden Power [Fire], allowing Delta Metagross to just… you know. Punch holes in your opponents butthole with its head.
- Sweepers appreciate how effortlessly Delta Metagross can break through opposition. Delta Arcanine in particular because it abuse the extremely powerful priority flying around and is a very strong offense breaker overall.
- Mega Milotic works well because it checks a lot of offensive Pokémon like Mega Flygon, Keldeo, Mega Delta Charizard and Mega Gardevoir.
- Spikes and Stealth Coal dent heavily on its check and ease the 2HKO on most of its checks.
Checks and counters
- Chesnaught has reliable recovery and is not trapped by Magnezone. It just hold itself somewhat poorly against the overall metagame outside of Ruingross.
- Unlike Ferrothorn, Bronzong is immune to Spikes and Earthquake.
- Ferrothorn is maybe the only Pokémon I’ve found who do not require near to max bulk in order to not get 2HKO and also punish with Iron Bard (+ the otherwise inferior Rocky Helmet). Too bad it loose hard to Magnezone.
- Contact punishing strategy like Rocky Helmet, Rought Skin and Iron Bards can be really troublesome and the damage stacking up is very noticeable.
- Fast burn coming from faster Pokémon like Gengar or Mega Gardevoir or Prankster users can make Delta Ruingross much easier to deal with.
- Mega Scizor Barely survive the OHKO on its defensive sets and has priority on Bullet Punch that could knock out Delta Metagross with proper weakening (71.9 - 84.7%) – guaranteed 2HKO.
- Offensive pressure is the most reliable way to deal with Delta Metagross because of its middling speed. Just lookout for its bulk, surprisingly effective.
Overall
And… Yeah, that’s it! Able to 2HKO just about all minus three physically common defensive walls in the tier, although Chesnaught is not really common and Bronzong is more often found on Trick Room teams. And, guess what:
It’s motherf 
cking UU
Well, you know what I’ve said. I have a personal grudge about this Pokémon. Shure, it can 6-0 most deefensive build and it restrain the teambuilding by a metric fu%%ton by having next to no reliable switch-in thought the match, but since offense can revenge-kill it, why should I complain? It’s totally balanced. Nobody likes seeing defence on the opponent after all, there should be a way to beat most of the opponent’s defensive backbone in one slot.
So, this was my first highly immature twitter-like post ever! Just me complaining about something for no reasons. I’ll now proceed to shut up about this Pokémon from now onward. Delta Roserade coming up next.