Mega Staraptor
has quickly become one of the biggest problems in
Pokemon Champions
Regulation M-B. We all knew this Pokemon was going to be strong, but with its Mega Evolution and the new ability Contrary, it has become an absolute beast.
With Pokemon Champions Regulation M-B now here, players can keep up with the latest updates on our
Pokemon Champions hub.
Mega Staraptor Pokemon Champions
With moves like Close Combat and Charm, Mega Staraptor can become very difficult to deal with. Close Combat is normally supposed to lower its defenses, but because of Contrary, it instead gives Mega Staraptor defensive boosts. That means it already has great Attack and Speed, and now it can also become surprisingly bulky.
Because of that, a lot of players are trying to figure out how to counter Mega Staraptor in Pokemon Champions M-B. After looking through the first day of the new regulation, here are five Pokemon that should be useful for taking it down or at least making it much easier to deal with.
For anyone trying to learn more about each Pokemon individually, our full
Pokemon Pokedex
has pages for every Pokemon with stats, moves, abilities and more.
5. Sableye
The first Pokemon to consider is
Sableye.
There are a few reasons why Sableye can be a useful Mega Staraptor counter. The first is that it is a Ghost-type Pokemon. That means Mega Staraptor cannot use Close Combat into it, which is important because that is one of the main ways it starts building up those Contrary defensive boosts.
If Mega Staraptor wants to attack Sableye, it will likely have to use Brave Bird instead. That still does damage, but it does not give Mega Staraptor the same defensive boost that Close Combat does.
The biggest reason Sableye is so interesting, though, is Skill Swap.
With Prankster, Sableye can usually use Skill Swap before Mega Staraptor gets moving. That allows it to take away Contrary and give Mega Staraptor a much less useful ability. While this does not make Sableye suddenly amazing offensively, it does stop Mega Staraptor from stacking those boosts and becoming almost impossible to break.
This is especially useful when Mega Staraptor is paired with something like
Whimsicott. Taking away Contrary does not make Mega Staraptor useless because it is still very strong, but it does make it much easier to manage.
4. Hatterene
Hatterene
is another Pokemon that can be useful into Mega Staraptor.
The biggest reason is Trick Room. Mega Staraptor is built around being fast and hitting hard. Most Pokemon are going to be slower than it, especially once it starts getting support from its partner. Hatterene can flip that matchup by setting Trick Room and letting slower Pokemon move first.
Hatterene can also be built bulkier, which gives it a chance to survive hits from Mega Staraptor. As a Fairy-type, it also has a better matchup into Close Combat, and it can hit back with strong moves like Psychic and Dazzling Gleam.
Psychic is especially useful once Mega Staraptor becomes a Fighting-type after Mega Evolving. Dazzling Gleam can also help put out spread damage, which is always valuable in doubles.
Magic Bounce can also be useful because it can reflect certain status moves back at the opponent. That said, there could be an argument for running a different ability depending on the team. The main point is that Hatterene gives you Trick Room, bulk and strong super-effective damage into Mega Staraptor.
3. Blastoise
Blastoise
may not be the first Pokemon that comes to mind, but it has a lot of tools that can make life difficult for Mega Staraptor.
The first major tool is Roar. Mega Staraptor wants to stay on the field and build up boosts with Contrary. Roar can force it off the board completely, removing all of that momentum and making the opponent reset their strategy.
Blastoise is also naturally bulky, which means it should be able to take a hit in many situations. That gives it a chance to use Roar, disrupt the setup and potentially create a much better board state.
Another big reason Blastoise is useful is Fake Out. Being able to stop Mega Staraptor from getting off an early Close Combat can be huge. If it cannot attack, it cannot start gaining those defensive boosts right away.
Blastoise can also hit Mega Staraptor with Ice-type coverage. Depending on the build, it can use Ice Beam, Blizzard or even Ice Punch if someone wants to run it more physically.
If you decide to use Mega Blastoise, that Ice Beam damage can become even more threatening. The idea is simple. Blastoise can take a hit, use Fake Out, force Mega Staraptor out with Roar or try to take it down with Ice-type coverage.
2. Metagross
Metagross, and especially Mega Metagross, is one of the better answers to Mega Staraptor right now.
Metagross is already a very strong Pokemon in the current meta. It is useful into a lot of different matchups, and it has the natural bulk to take hits that many other Pokemon cannot.
Against Mega Staraptor, the move that matters most is Psychic Fangs. A properly built Mega Metagross can use Psychic Fangs to take down Mega Staraptor before it gets too out of control.
Even if Metagross has to take the first Close Combat, its high Defense gives it a better chance to survive than a lot of other Pokemon. Then it can answer back with Psychic Fangs and remove Mega Staraptor from the board.
The biggest reason Metagross is this high on the list is that it is not only useful against Mega Staraptor. It is also strong into plenty of other Pokemon in Regulation M-B. That makes it easier to justify using on a team, even if the opponent does not bring Mega Staraptor.
1. Clefable
The best Mega Staraptor counter right now may be
Clefable.
Clefable has been slept on for a while, but it has a lot of tools that make it a great answer into Mega Staraptor. If players really want to use it as their dedicated counter, Mega Clefable could be fantastic as well.
One of the biggest reasons Clefable works is its typing. It resists Close Combat and can handle Brave Bird much better than many other Pokemon. If you build it defensively, it can sit on the field, take hits and make Mega Staraptor’s life much harder.
Clefable also gets Follow Me, which is a huge deal. It can redirect attacks away from its teammate and force Mega Staraptor to hit into a Pokemon that it does not really want to attack.
The most important part, though, is Unaware.
Unaware ignores the target’s stat changes when Clefable attacks, and it ignores the attacker’s stat changes when Clefable is attacked. That means the defensive boosts Mega Staraptor gets from Contrary do not matter as much when Clefable is involved.
Close Combat boosts, defensive boosts and all of the other things that normally make Mega Staraptor such a problem are much easier to handle when Clefable is on the field.
With Follow Me, Unaware, strong Fairy-type damage and the ability to be built very bulky, Clefable looks like the best Pokemon to use if you are tired of seeing Mega Staraptor in Pokemon Champions M-B.
Other Ways to Deal With Mega Staraptor
The main thing with Mega Staraptor is stopping it before it gets too many boosts. Skill Swap, Roar, Fake Out, Trick Room and Unaware are all strong ways to stop it from snowballing.
It is also important to be careful with moves that lower stats. Because of Contrary, lowering Mega Staraptor’s stats can accidentally make it stronger. That is why moves like Icy Wind can be risky, since they may give Mega Staraptor a Speed boost instead of slowing it down.
This is also why Mega Staraptor is such an interesting Pokemon in Regulation M-B. Contrary creates a lot of unique strategies, and it would not be surprising to see players test similar ideas with Pokemon like
Malamar
as well.
Final Thoughts on Countering Mega Staraptor
Mega Staraptor is one of the strongest new threats in Pokemon Champions Regulation M-B. Its combination of Speed, Attack and Contrary defensive boosts makes it a real problem if it is allowed to set up.
That said, there are answers. Sableye can take away Contrary with Skill Swap. Hatterene can set Trick Room and hit back hard. Blastoise can use Fake Out, Roar and Ice-type coverage. Metagross can take hits and punish it with Psychic Fangs. Clefable can ignore its boosts with Unaware and redirect attacks with Follow Me.
If Mega Staraptor continues to be one of the most common strategies in Pokemon Champions M-B, these five Pokemon should be some of the best options for slowing it down and taking it off the board.
For more Pokemon Champions coverage, check out the
Pokemon Champions hub
and the
Pokemon Team Builder
on The Game Haus.
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