I expanded the bit on Thunder, but I'm saying no to HP Ground. Fire has too much utility as a Steel Killer, and Heatran butchers Magnezone with Fire Blast and Earth Power. You said it bolsters his role as a Steel Killer, but you lose out on OHKOs on Scizor, Forretress (Sturdy notwithstanding), and Ferrothorn.
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Magnezone (OU Choice Specs)
- Thread starter Schpoonman
- Start date
All I'm saying is that if Magnezone isn't running HP Fire for Ferrothorn and you're mentioning HP Grass / Ice as alternative HP, then HP Ground is definitely worth a mention to have a chance at one-shotting specially-defensive Heatran, which walls a handful of threats in NON-Rain teams (Rain teams would almost always prefer HP Fire on Magnezone to 2-shot Ferrothorn, and Thunder is a 2HKO on Heatran anyways).
Mentioned, but I'm still emphasizing Fire above all else.
You should specify that Magnezone 2HKOs specially defensive Heatran with Thunder, not just any Heatran. Magnezone should never be facing offensive variants, which should be faster and almost always pack Earth Power. Specially defensive Heatran possess Lava Plume (not Fire Blast), can be outsped by Magnezone with enough Speed EVs (>136 Spe EVs), and more often-than-not lack Earth Power.
I did say specially defensive Tran.
But the point remains that you would only be using Thunder on a rain team, where you have much better options. You're risking a burn, which reduces Magnezone's longevity. You're risking some joker packing Earth Power for opposing Heatran. Just because Magnezone traps Heatran and can 2HKO doesn't mean you should try it.
Chandelure with Shadow Tag and HP Ice traps and OHKOs Garchomp, but that doesn't mean Garchomp isn't going to completely destroy with EQ or Outrage.
If you've used this set-up in the past to fantastic effect against specially defensive Heatran, good for you. But it's a bad match-up in anything but extenuating circumstances and there's no reason to make this write-up longer when the set boils down mostly to "Trap and KO with HP Fire, harass with Volt Switch."
But the point remains that you would only be using Thunder on a rain team, where you have much better options. You're risking a burn, which reduces Magnezone's longevity. You're risking some joker packing Earth Power for opposing Heatran. Just because Magnezone traps Heatran and can 2HKO doesn't mean you should try it.
Chandelure with Shadow Tag and HP Ice traps and OHKOs Garchomp, but that doesn't mean Garchomp isn't going to completely destroy with EQ or Outrage.
If you've used this set-up in the past to fantastic effect against specially defensive Heatran, good for you. But it's a bad match-up in anything but extenuating circumstances and there's no reason to make this write-up longer when the set boils down mostly to "Trap and KO with HP Fire, harass with Volt Switch."
