Mega Heracross and Mega Houndoom to be available soon on PS

[Sirfetch’d]

Revealed today was news that Heracronite and Houndoominite are now available alongside Steelixite and Pidgeotite. Here is a Daily article covering said news. This means that Mega Heracross and Mega Houndoom will soon be playable on Pokemon Showdown(Mega Pidgeot and Mega Steelix already are available to use). What do you think about this news? Will either have a significant impact on the UU or potentially OU tiers?

 

[HeroLinik]

I have a feeling Mega Houndoom is going to shoot right up to the top of the UU rankings, or at least high up, because it seems to have a lot of potential to check several UU threats such as Scizor, Latias, Gengar, and Bisharp, as well as the new speed mechanics combined with its ability allow it to become a very fearsome sweeper in the sun. However, it's quite easy to play around thanks to its fragility and lack of priority outside Sucker Punch, which won't hit as hard and wastes a moveslot.

As for Mega Heracross, I have a feeling it'll be just as popular as before, but I can see it facing competition from Buzzwole as a Bug/Fighting type; while M-Heracross has higher Attack, it relies a lot on multi-strike moves.

 

[punkysaur]

Still no mega gardevoir.
Also now finally can make a mega-pidgeot team

 

[HeroLinik]

Multi-strike moves are actually more useful than they appear, as they break Focus Sashes, Substitutes, and Sturdy. Buzzwole has proven to be very bad in SM OU, and considering Heracross has similar traits while also taking up the Mega Slot, I question whether or not it will be particularly viable.

You make a point. I have a feeling in this generation, Mega Heracross is going to be worse than in last generation, for various reasons. First of all, there's the new speed mechanics; the fact it loses speed upon going mega allows it to be speed creeped on the first turn by Pokemon with a base speed higher than 75, and a lot of its checks/counters are faster than that. Speaking of which, the introduction of several new viable OU Pokemon like Tapu Koko and Mimikyu will severely hurt its viability, although the latter can only take two Rock Blasts until it dies. Also, Toxapex will completely wall it, and in order to get around it Heracross will have to run Earthquake, which seems more situational considering not all teams are going to run it.

 

[PlatinumDude]

You make a point. I have a feeling in this generation, Mega Heracross is going to be worse than in last generation, for various reasons. First of all, there's the new speed mechanics; the fact it loses speed upon going mega allows it to be speed creeped on the first turn by Pokemon with a base speed higher than 75, and a lot of its checks/counters are faster than that. Speaking of which, the introduction of several new viable OU Pokemon like Tapu Koko and Mimikyu will severely hurt its viability, although the latter can only take two Rock Blasts until it dies. Also, Toxapex will completely wall it, and in order to get around it Heracross will have to run Earthquake, which seems more situational considering not all teams are going to run it.

While it's true that Toxapex can take a Rock Blast, Heracross doesn't have much of a problem with it because Toxapex's Scalds can't break Heracross' Substitutes in one hit (assuming Heracross is using Sub), even if Heracross has no HP investment:

0 SpA Toxapex Scald vs. 240 HP / 0 SpD Heracross-Mega: 51-60 (14.1 - 16.6%) -- possible 7HKO

0 SpA Toxapex Scald vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Heracross-Mega: 51-60 (16.9 - 19.9%) -- guaranteed 6HKO

Heracross can even use Swords Dance to make Rock Blast 2HKO Toxapex. Or it can run an all out attacking set of Pin Missile/Close Combat/Rock Blast/Earthquake and try to catch Toxapex on the switch with Earthquake. Those do come with a risk of getting a Scald burn, though.

 

[Mobile Tsk]

While Mega Heracross isn't bad by any means, I have a feeling it'll end up in the Limbo that is BL. The transition to SM hasn't been kind to it, with the Tapu's running around. Moreover, it faces massive competition for a Mega slot in OU, where Pinsir, Metagross, and Sableye (among others) would almost always offer more to a team than Heracross would.

I think Houndoom will do well in UU. Its issues are as prominent as ever, but I agree with what others have pointed out, in that many of the mons popular in UU have a huge problem with it right now. I don't think it would last in RU if it dropped, though, with or without Drought support.