Metagross

Metagross returns to DPP OU as perhaps the best glue Pokemon in the tier. Metagross's fantastic stat spread, excellent Steel / Psychic typing, versatile movepool, and item flexibility lets it fulfill almost any role, be that as a utility Pokemon, sweeper, or speed control with a Choice Scarf. Metagross is one of the best Stealth Rock users in the tier, as it has the bulk to set up the entry hazard in front of almost all foes and can punish spinners such as Starmie, Forretress, and Donphan with Explosion and Earthquake. With just 252 HP EVs, Metagross also is one of the best utility checks in the tier, as by customizing its item and moves, it can check everything from Dragon Dance sweepers such as Tyranitar, Dragonite, and Gyarados with a Shuca Berry; Breloom, Gengar, Machamp, and Jirachi with a Lum Berry; and Infernape, Heatran, and mixed Dragonite with an Occa Berry. This item flexibility makes it by far the best user of Trick + Iron Ball in the tier, as it lures in premier answers such as Skarmory, Rotom-A, and Zapdos and neuters them with an Iron Ball while opening them up to Earthquake. Even if Trick doesn’t connect with these prime targets, most offensive Pokemon do not enjoy losing their item and Speed, while defensive Pokemon often give Metagross Leftovers, making it a fantastic defensive Jirachi check.

More offensive Metagross sets are also excellent choices. Agility Metagross is one of the hardest foes to cover for offensive teams, as its bulk makes it hard to KO while in return it outspeeds and KOes frailer, faster Pokemon including most Choice Scarf users. Its ability Clear Body makes Metagross immune to Intimidate weakening it, preventing Gyarados from mitigating its offensive prowess. In addition, it can customize its coverage, including options such as Ice Punch to always OHKO Choice Scarf Flygon and hit Gliscor, Latias, and Zapdos hard and Zen Headbutt to OHKO Breloom and hit bulky Pokemon such as Rotom-A and Swampert as hard as possible. Choice Scarf also makes Metagross an excellent revenge killer, as it outspeeds neutral-natured +1 Gyarados and +1 Dragonite and can KO them with the proper coverage or Explosion. It can even use Pursuit to make it a great check to Gengar and Choice-locked Latias, especially after Latias uses Draco Meteor, as it outspeeds them and threatens to KO or heavily damage them.

Metagross's main issues in DPP OU are due to it being a jack-of-all-trades: its relatively slow Speed, poor offensive typing, and common weaknesses make it not as specialized as many other Steel-types in the tier. While Metagross is faster than many defensive Pokemon with full investment, doing so is often at the expense of crucial bulk. Choice Scarf Metagross also must be careful about Jolly Gyarados and Dragonite, as they outspeed it and can potentially KO it. Without bulk investment, Metagross struggles to fulfill defensive responsibilities of a Steel-type such as switching into Latias’s Choice Specs Draco Meteor and taking on defensive Jirachi. However, with bulk investment and especially before it uses Trick to lose its Iron Ball, Metagross is very slow, often having to take a hit before retaliating. Its attributes combine to make Metagross a fantastic utility check; however, because it lacks recovery and is easily chipped, it doesn’t work as a long-term counter to anything. Metagross’s typing also is rather poor offensively, as it often needs the threat of Explosion or Trick to scare Pokemon such as Hippowdon, Swampert, Zapdos, Suicune, and especially Rotom-A and Skarmory due to the bad coverage of Meteor Mash. Metagross cannot pick all the options—items, moves, and EV spreads—it needs to handle every threat, forcing it to either bluff having an option or sacrifice itself to take out a foe.