Magneton Movesets & Competitive Sets

Tri Attack provides Magneton with neutral coverage for Lanturn and Vikavolt while still hitting Ground-types like Quagsire. Teleport is another option that lets Magneton pivot out against Electric-immune Pokemon like Lightning Rod Togedemaru. Alternatively, Steel Beam can potentially OHKO even Audino on the switch, which Flash Cannon cannot achieve. Other pivots such as Archeops pair well with Magneton, since they create a momentum core and help to exert increased pressure on opposing teams. These examples also threaten nuisances like Galarian Stunfisk and offer Knock Off support, while Magneton threatens physically bulky Pokemon like Weezing. Walls like Aromatisse, Weezing, and Gigalith serve as a safety net against faster Fire-types like Charizard and Magmortar that force Magneton out. Pokemon like Sandaconda and Eldegoss provide Magneton with speed control in Glare and Stun Spore, respectively, which gives it more opportunities to wallbreak by making it harder to immediately threaten out. These examples falter against Pokemon such as Trevenant, Whimsicott, and Silvally-Steel, all of which Magneton can potentially exploit.

Moves Zap Cannon is used specifically to get the highest Base Power Gigavolt Havoc possible, which allows Magneton to score KOs on Pokemon such as Adamant Mega Gyarados, Mega Charizard Y, Porygon-Z, Kartana, and Mega Slowbro. However, Zap Cannon can also be used for its guaranteed paralysis in many otherwise unwinnable matchups such as offensive Mega Charizard X, Volcarona, Naganadel, and bulky Victini. Metal Sound is essential to beating slow bulky offense and stall Pokemon such as Magearna, Meloetta, and Tapu Lele and slow variants of Mega Venusaur. Electroweb allows Magneton to beat faster Pokemon such as Tapu Lele. Protect serves as a way of retaining full health against Fake Out users such as Mega Lopunny and Mega Medicham. This allows Magneton to tank any of their attacks with its ability, Sturdy, and KO with Gigavolt Havoc in return. Protect can also be used in a prediction against Aegislash, depending on whether it attacks or not. Hidden Power Ground allows Magneton to beat its more common evolved counterpart, Magnezone. Set Details Maximum Speed investment with a Timid nature allows Magneton to outspeed Pokemon under base 70 Speed, as well as Adamant variants of Mega Gyarados. Maximum Special Attack investment allows Magneton to hit as hard as possible with its Z-Move, Gigavolt Havoc. The rest is put into HP in order to increase Magneton's overall bulk. Sturdy helps Magneton survive almost any hit from full HP. Usage Tips There are two courses of action that should be taken if the foe can tank the Z-Move. If Magneton is faster than the opposing Pokemon, start using Metal Sound. If Magneton is slower, use Electroweb to bring down their speed. Being faster Magneton to react more easily to the foe boosting their Special Defense, recovering, or using an attack. Against Substitute users such as Torrent Greninja and Mega Pinsir, use Electroweb in order to break their Substitute, as it is more reliable than Zap Cannon. Against an opposing Aegislash, it's best to use Protect if you predict an attack turn one, allowing you to use Gigavolt Havoc if you predict them to attack again. If you predict King's Shield, use Metal Sound followed by Gigavolt Havoc. Use the combination of Electroweb and Hidden Power Ground to beat opposing Magnezone and Magneton that do not carry Hidden Power Ground, in order not to lose to a Magnezone's Gigavolt Havoc, or a speed tie. In the case of losing matchups such as Choice Scarf Sawk and Mega Charizard X, use Zap Cannon and hope for a hit. If it does hit, use Gigavolt Havoc immediately after, followed by the most accurate moves in your moveset, as the chance of full paralysis can help win this matchup. Team Options Magneton should be used in conjunction with Pokemon like Greninja, bulky Tapu Lele, defensive Mega Swampert, Occa Berry Whimsicott, and defensive Mega Gyarados that can beat the multitude of viable Ground- and Dragon-types such as Landorus-T, Donphan, Golem, Garchomp, Dragonite, and Mega Charizard X that beat Magneton. Magneton also supports them with good matchups versus offensive threats such as Mega Charizard Y, Magearna, Tapu Lele, Primarina, Porygon-Z, and Tapu Fini. Magneton can work well in a Dragon / Steel / Fairy core, appreciating the support from Pokemon like Dragonite, Kommo-o, and Magearna to take out Pokemon such as Golem and Donphan, while Magneton helps beat the Pokemon mentioned earlier. Pair Magneton with answers to Jumpluff and Smeargle such as Mega Charizard X, Mega Lopunny, and Zeraora.

Moves Volt Switch is the primary Electric-type STAB move, as it allows Magneton to gain momentum by switching to an appropriate counter against its checks. Furthermore, it inflicts more damage when foes switch out, as they usually do, through Analytic. Thunderbolt is another Electric-type STAB move that allows Magneton to deal more damage while not having to switching out. It allows Magneton to function as a more effective late-game cleaner. Both of these STAB moves primarily target Flying- and Water-types. Flash Cannon targets Pokemon that resist or are immune to Electric-type STAB attacks while also hitting Fairy-, Rock-, and Steel-types super effectively. Hidden Power Water allows Magneton to hit Mega Camerupt and Steelix, both of which resist its STAB moves; alternatively, Hidden Power Grass allows Magneton to hit Seismitoad, Lanturn, and Gastrodon. Set Details 252 Special Attack and 252 Speed EVs are used to maximize Magneton's offensive presence. Analytic works well on Magneton, as opponents often switch to a check fearing the Steel- and Electric-type coverage. Sturdy can be used an alternative ability to let Magneton stay in on any Pokemon, tank a move, and KO back, functioning as effective revenge killer. Choice Specs is used because Magneton appreciates the extra power, allowing it to act as a decent wallbreaker. A Timid nature allows Magneton to outspeed neutral-natured Hoopa, Braviary, Gallade, Medicham, Venusaur, Samurott, Ludicolo, and Absol as well as positive-natured Abomasnow and Emboar. A Modest nature is used when Speed is not needed and power is of more concern in whittling walls, as well as checks with Volt Switch. Usage Tips Bring in Magneton on slower Pokemon, as faster Pokemon can revenge kill it easily, unless it's using Sturdy. Magneton can be brought in and used to check a variety of Flying-type Pokemon like Braviary, Fletchinder, and Vivillon. Analytic will primarily be taken advantage of through foes switching out rather than moving last. Avoid Electric-type STAB move usage when a Ground-type Pokemon is present on opposing teams. Instead, use Flash Cannon. Volt Switch to checks and counters of Pokemon that are switched in, or to faster Pokemon like Scyther that carry U-turn, as they can effectively pivot to one another. Watch out for Pokemon that might surprise Magneton with a Choice Scarf such as Emboar and Hoopa. Avoid staying in on Pokemon that carry Earthquake like Mega Glalie and Flygon unless you are sure Magneton outspeeds and can KO them or has full health and can KO back thanks to Sturdy. Team Options VoltTurn partners like Flygon and Scyther can form an effective core with Magneton. Water- and Ground-type Pokemon are good partners, as they can beat Mega Camerupt. Examples include Slowking, Seismitoad, and Flygon. Pokemon that beat Seismitoad are also beneficial partners, so Grass-types work well, examples including Virizion and Venusaur. Pokemon that can switch in on Ground-type moves also pair well with Magneton; therefore, Grass- and Flying-types are good partners. Examples include Braviary and Sigilyph. Alomomola can be a beneficial partner, as Magneton likes receiving Wish support and it also has good defensive synergy with Magneton. Pokemon that appreciate coming in for free due to Volt Switch such as Hoopa are also good teammates. Setup sweepers like Virizion and Fletchinder can be used with Magneton, as it can pivot out to them on something they can set up on. Flygon and Blastoise are valid partners because they can clear entry hazards and thereby allow Sturdy to remain intact. Healing Wish and Heal Bell support is recommended so Magneton doesn't get worn down easily by Will-O-Wisp and Acrobatics if it's being used as a primary Fletchinder check, and Healing Wish also works well with Sturdy.

Moves Thunderbolt and Flash Cannon are Magneton's primary STAB attacks, which have good coverage just by themselves, hitting important Pokemon in the tier such as Empoleon, Sylveon, Suicune, and Crobat for super effective damage. Volt Switch is used to keep offensive momentum while doing a decent amount of damage to most targets, as well as gradually wearing down Magneton's potential switch-ins. The Hidden Power type of choice can usually be adjusted to preference; Hidden Power Ice hits Gligar and Mega Sceptile for super effective damage, while Hidden Power Grass gets a nice super effective hit against Swampert and Seismitoad. Set Details The given EV spread is self-explanatory, as maximum investment in Special Attack and Speed is used to make Magneton as fast and powerful as possible. A Timid nature is used to maximize Magneton's Speed, but a Modest nature is an option if you care more about Magneton's wallbreaking potential. Magnet Pull is used to trap Steel-types and weaken or KO them so that Magneton's teammates can have an easier time setting up and sweeping, although Analytic is an option if you prefer doing more damage overall. Usage Tips Because Magneton can trap and weaken Steel-types such as Empoleon and Forretress, it should be kept healthy until threats to it have been removed. Because Ground-types are immune to Volt Switch and Thunderbolt, Magneton should play cautiously around them, and it should use Flash Cannon if a switch to a Pokemon that resists Electric will be forced. Hidden Power should only be used if you're certain that the opponent will bring out a Pokemon that can be hit for super effective damage, as Hidden Power is otherwise very weak. Volt Switch should be used to gain momentum if Thunderbolt won't KO an incoming switch-in, as it lets Magneton switch into an appropriate answer to what the opponent brings in. Team Options Because Magneton is able to trap and weaken Steel-types, Pokemon that appreciate their removal, such as Slurpuff, Nasty Plot Celebi, and Haxorus, pair well with Magneton, because Steel-types such as Forretress can impede their sweep. Pokemon that can keep up offensive momentum with Magneton and form a VoltTurn core with it are also good partners, including Mega Beedrill, Crobat, and Mienshao. As Ground-types can stop Magneton from gaining momentum through Volt Switch, Pokemon that can remove these threats are appreciated; Shaymin, Swampert, and Suicune are prime examples of teammates that can fulfill this role. Magneton also benefits from entry hazard support, as many of its answers are worn down by having them in play, and in turn Magneton can deal with common hazard removers such as Empoleon and Forretress. Again, Swampert is a very good partner, as it can deal with Fire- and Ground-types such as Darmanitan and Krookodile while also being able to set up Stealth Rock easily and also works well with Magneton's ability to check Water-types such as Suicune. Other entry hazard setters such as Roserade and Qwilfish also pair well with Magneton.

This set takes a more defensive approach to trapping Steel-types. The boost provided by Eviolite allows Magneton better handle more offensive Steel-types, such as Escavalier and Aggron. Thunderbolt is still the primary STAB move as it is strong and reliable. Volt Switch allows Magneton to scout for checks and counters. Hidden Power Fire deals with Steel-types that Magneton traps, easily taking out the likes of Escavalier and Ferroseed. Flash Cannon is a secondary STAB move to handle the Ground- and Dragon-types that take Magneton's Electric STAB moves easily. Substitute and Charge Beam can replace Volt Switch and Flash Cannon respectively to set up on Steel-types that Magneton traps, but Ferroseed is the only one that won't break its Substitutes on average, and the only other attacks Magneton can safely set up a Substitute against is Iron Head from the likes of Escavalier and Aggron. The EV spread lets Magneton avoid the 2HKO from Choice Band Escavalier's Megahorn while also outspeeding maximum Speed Adamant Aggron. A Timid nature with a fully offensive spread can be used to outspeed Adamant Kabutops and Adamant Gallade. Discharge has a nifty 30% paralysis chance that can help slower powerhouses such as Druddigon and bulkier Gallade variants, among others. This Magneton has problems with Steelix and Durant, so teammates that are able to take care of them are helpful. Slowking fears very little from Steelix and can use its STAB Water-type moves to take it down. Emboar and Moltres have a 4x Bug resistance and a Steel resistance to handle Durant's STAB moves, and both can roast the ant with their Fire-type STAB moves. This variant of Magneton handles bulkier Steel-types such as Escavalier better than its other sets, so teammates that can take advantage of such Steel-types not being around are good choices. Druddigon and Fraxure have a much easier time using their powerful Dragon-type STAB moves with Steel-types out of the way, while Psychic-types such as Mesprit and Slowking appreciate not having to worry about Escavalier. Hidden Power Rock variants of Sceptile and Lilligant can switch into Ground-type moves, and lure in Fire-types that Magneton struggles with, such as Moltres and Entei, and take them out with Hidden Power Rock. VoltTurn teams appreciate this Magneton's ability to switch into most Steel-types and remove them from battle, so Pokemon such as Cinccino, Rotom-C, and Mesprit can make for solid teammates.

While base 70 Speed is certainly nothing to be blown away by, it is more than enough to allow Magneton to effectively use a Choice Scarf. With the boost in Speed, Magneton is able to outspeed the likes of Durant, Sceptile, and Choice Scarf Emboar. Thunderbolt is Magneton's most reliable STAB option with great power and perfect accuracy. Volt Switch provides utility and allows Magneton to scout for checks and counters. Hidden Power Fire wipes out Durant and does significant damage to Sceptile, hence hitting two Pokemon that Magneton is normally incapable of outspeeding. Flash Cannon rounds off the set by hitting the likes of Rhydon and Druddigon harder than any other move Magneton has. Timid is absolutely necessary to keep Magneton in front of Durant, Sceptile, and Choice Scarf versions of Emboar. Due to the lack of power when compared to other sets, it is generally not advised to use another Hidden Power type as Magneton needs Hidden Power Fire to OHKO Durant and deal as much damage to Sceptile as possible. This Magneton is perhaps the best failsafe option for teams that struggle against Durant, so Pokemon that appreciate not having to worry about the steel ant are good choices. Sturdy Psychic-types such as Uxie and Slowking can switch into many of the Pokemon that can force Magneton out while benefiting from the absence of Durant. This Magneton has significant issues with Steelix, so teammates that can handle it are appreciated. Slowking fears little from Steelix, while Moltres only fears Roar forcing it off of the field and can uses its powerful STAB moves to open up holes in an opposing team for Magneton to clean up later in the match. VoltTurn teams can benefit from Magneton's ability to outspeed and eliminate Durant and Sceptile from the match. Braviary, Mesprit, and Cinccino are all decent options for VoltTurn teams looking to take advantage of Choice Scarf Magneton's qualities.

With STAB Volt Switch, the highest Special Attack stat of any Electric-type in RU, and enough Speed to outpace most defensive Pokemon, a Choice Specs set suits Magneton very well, as the extra power lets it get through Aggron and Steelix, two Steel-types Magneton usually struggles with. Thunderbolt is a strong and accurate STAB move that Magneton can use to punch holes in opposing teams. Volt Switch is great for any Choice item user, and Magneton is no different, as it allows Magneton to do serious damage and scout for potential checks and counters. Hidden Power Fire is a necessity to remove Steel-types that Magneton traps, such as Escavalier, Ferroseed, and Steelix. Flash Cannon rounds off the set by hitting Ground- and Dragon-types, such as Rhydon, Druddigon, and Golurk, that typically switch into Magneton's Electric STAB moves. Timid is the primary nature to outspeed the likes of Adamant Kabutops and Adamant Gallade. Modest can be used as Magneton will still outspeed Omastar and Crawdaunt, while the boost in power secures the OHKO on Cryogonal with Flash Cannon and gives Magneton a 56.25% chance to OHKO Choice Band Emboar after Stealth Rock; it also ensures the OHKO on Choice Scarf variants of Emboar. Hidden Power Ground is a noteworthy alternative to hit Magneton and Lanturn much harder while still retaining coverage on Steelix. Any Pokemon that appreciates the removal of bulkier Steel-types such as Escavalier, Steelix, and Ferroseed can be a good teammate. Perhaps the most dangerous is Druddigon, as very few things can stop its rampage after Steel-types are removed. Fraxure is a rarely seen Dragon-type, but it too can greatly benefit from the removal of Steel-types and possibly sweep the opposing team. Flying-types such as Swellow and Braviary are able to sweep more easily with Steel-types removed, while Psychic-types like Mesprit and Uxie appreciate not having to worry about being Pursuit trapped by Escavalier. Speaking of Psychic-types, Slowking is a solid defensive partner as it can switch into most of the threats that force Magneton out. Hidden Power Rock variants of Lilligant can also be quite dangerous once Magneton is able to remove opposing Steel-types. VoltTurn teams welcome Magneton's ability to remove Steel-types and maintain momentum. Rotom-C, Cinccino, and Braviary are all teammates that appreciate the removal of Steel-types and can maintain the momentum Magneton gains.

With a Choice Scarf equipped, Magneton turns into an effective revenge killer that can also trap Steel-types. This rendition of Magneton poses a greater threat to faster Steel-types, mainly Durant and Cobalion, that Magneton otherwise has trouble with. Thunderbolt is Magneton's most powerful 100% accurate STAB move, and hits hard due to Magneton's base 120 Special Attack stat. Hidden Power Ice provides amazing coverage alongside Thunderbolt and is very useful for dealing with the ever-popular Flygon. With Volt Switch, Magneton can scout switch-ins and wear down its checks while maintaining offensive pressure. Flash Cannon is a good secondary STAB option that provides decent neutral coverage, nailing Rhyperior for significant damage. The given EVs maximize Magneton's Special Attack and allow it to outspeed positive base 110s. A Modest nature is preferred because Magneton needs all the power it can get, but a Timid nature is still viable, as it lets Magneton outpace everything up to, and including, positive base 125s and neutral-nature Choice Scarf Pokemon with up to base 80 Speed. Choice Scarf Magneton works best on offensive teams that need certain Steel-types removed and an all-purpose revenge killer. Honchkrow makes a great partner because it can sweep much more easily once Cobalion and Durant are removed, and has no trouble disposing of Registeel with Superpower. Choice Band Crobat is another good offensive partner, and the two form an effective VoltTurn core together. Choice Band Flygon appreciates Steel-types being removed and can put huge dents in the opposing team with Outrage. Kingdra works in a similar vein, but lacks U-turn.

This set focuses on Magneton's often overlooked base 120 Special Attack stat. Magneton possesses the second highest Special Attack stat out of all of the Electric-types in UU, and this set takes advantage of that by utilizing Choice Specs. After the boost from Choice Specs, Magneton reaches a colossal 556 Special Attack stat. Analytic further boosts the power of Magneton's moves by 30% if it moves second, allowing it to punch major holes in the opposing team with each attack. Although Magneton doesn't boast great defenses, it carries one of the best STABs for an offensive Pokemon and can find many opportunities to switch in on one of its 13 resistances. Thunderbolt is Magneton's main STAB attack and will leave craters in the opposing team after the boost from Choice Specs and Analytic. Volt Switch allows Magneton to maintain momentum while still inflicting sizable damage to its switch-ins. Flash Cannon offers decent coverage alongside Thunderbolt and OHKOes common switch-ins such as Rhyperior and Flygon. In the final slot, Hidden Power Grass rounds off the set by granting Magneton a way to get around Swampert, but Thunder is a viable option simply for its insane power. To get a better perspective of the destructive force behind Magneton's Thunder, it always 2HKOes standard RestTalk Snorlax with Stealth Rock support, and is capable of dealing up to 70% to specially defensive Umbreon and Registeel on the switch. The listed EVs maximize Magneton's Special Attack to give its attacks the highest damage output possible. The Speed EVs give Magneton a Speed stat of 210, which allows it to outspeed Modest Omastar and defensive Gligar. The remaining EVs are dumped into HP to give Magneton some much-needed bulk. A Modest nature is used over a Timid nature because Magneton benefits more from power than Speed, and Analytic Magneton is most effective when it's slower than its opposition. Analytic is a huge factor in the effectiveness of this set, so it is not recommended to use Magnet Pull instead. Magneton does not have many other attacking options worth noting, but Hidden Power Ice can be used over Hidden Power Grass if Grass-types are more worrisome to you than Swampert. That being said, Flash Cannon is capable of OHKOing Shaymin after Stealth Rock damage and easily 2HKOes defensive Roserade. Magneton enjoys having teammates that can create opportunities for it to switch in with little cost and start wreaking havoc. As such, Flygon is a natural teammate for Magneton, being able to switch effortlessly into the Ground- and Fire-type attacks often aimed at Magneton. Flygon also lures in bulky Water-types and other physically defensive Pokemon that Magneton can easily dispose of. In return, Magneton can absorb the Outrages often aimed at Flygon. The two form a solid VoltTurn core, and cover each others' weaknesses very well. Crobat is in a similar position and enjoys the removal of Rock-type Pokemon, such as Rhyperior, that Magneton can lure in and eliminate. If you are using Thunder, a partner that can set up Rain Dance will be very beneficial. Tornadus does this especially well thanks to Prankster, which gives its Rain Dance +1 priority.

Magneton's utility lies in its ability to trap and knock out Steel-types, which is the primary goal of this set. Substitute blocks all forms of status and scouts the opponent's actions. With Magnet Rise, Magneton can escape lethal Ground-type attacks and safely set up a Substitute. This is particularly useful against Bronzong, who would normally be able to survive two Thunderbolts and 2HKO Magneton with Earthquake. Furthermore, it makes the task of revenge killing Magneton much more difficult for Ground-type Pokemon, as most lack a secondary move to damage it. Thunderbolt is Magneton's most reliable STAB option, hitting everything that doesn't resist it for substantial damage. Hidden Power Ice has great coverage with Thunderbolt and allows Magneton to nail Ground-types for super effective damage. It also gives Magneton the ability to revenge kill Flygon locked into Outrage, as Outrage deals pitiful damage to Magneton. The HP EVs in conjunction with Eviolite ensure that Magneton will always survive Bronzong's Earthquake with enough HP to use Substitute afterward. This allows Magneton to eliminate Bronzong and still retain its Substitute, as Bronzong's Gyro Ball takes seven hits to break it. The Speed EVs provide Magneton with a Speed stat of 220, which allows it to outpace Modest Empoleon. The remaining EVs are invested in Special Attack to give Magneton's attacks some additional power. Alternatively, an EV spread of 80 HP / 252 SpA / 176 Spe can be used if you prefer power over survivability, but you will need to be even more careful switching into Bronzong because Earthquake will inflict considerably more damage. The choice of Hidden Power depends largely on the team Magneton is supporting, though Hidden Power Ice is generally the superior option. Nevertheless, Hidden Power Grass can be used to hit Swampert and Rhyperior for more damage, but it should be noted that Rhyperior can't touch Magneton after it uses Magnet Rise anyway. Finally, Hidden Power Fire has some utility for dealing with uncommon threats such as Escavalier and enemy Magneton. Magneton should be paired with Pokemon that require Steel-types to be removed before they sweep. Dragon-type Pokemon, such as Flygon and Kingdra, appreciate the absence of Steel-types and concurrently attract Outrages, which Magneton can set up on. Choice Band Crobat is another great partner; it can lure Steel-types and switch directly to Magneton with U-turn, and once they're removed, can run through teams with Brave Bird. In general, offensive Flying-type Pokemon pair well with Magneton due to great type synergy and the increased chance of a sweep that Steel-type removal offers. Victini can absorb the Fighting- and Fire-type attacks aimed at Magneton, though unfortunately they share a Ground-type weakness.

With a Choice Scarf attached, Magneton reaches 393 Speed, enough to outspeed many dangerous threats such as Adamant Dragonite and Gyarados after a Dragon Dance, Jolly Tyranitar after a Dragon Dance, and Starmie. Magneton can then proceed to revenge kill all of them with the appropriate move. Thunderbolt OHKOes Gyarados and Starmie, Hidden Power Ice destroys Dragonite, and Flash Cannon can pick off weakened Tyranitar and OHKOes Weavile. Explosion is always a good move to allow Magneton to go out with a bang, potentially taking down an opposing Pokemon in the process. Hidden Power Fire can be used if you want to quickly kill Scizor and Forretress. Note that Magneton will Speed-tie with max Speed Adamant Gyarados if you choose to use Hidden Power Fire. Signal Beam can replace Explosion in the last spot if you find sacrificing Magneton unappealing, as it can be used to OHKO Celebi and hit Grass-types harder than Hidden Power Ice. Hidden Power Ground can be used to KO opposing Magneton, Magnezone, and non-Choice Scarf or Shuca Berry Heatran. Discharge is also an option if you want to spread paralysis, but Thunderbolt is usually always better due to the extra power needed to revenge kill opposing Pokemon. Maximum Speed EVs and a Naive or Hasty nature are used so Magneton is as fast as possible while leaving Explosion's power intact. 252 Special Attack EVs let Magneton hit as hard as possible. If you do not want to use Explosion, Timid is the best nature to use. Pokemon that appreciate Magneton's intrinsic ability to trap and KO Steel-types make great teammates. Dragonite, which resists all of Magneton's weaknesses, loves Skarmory and Scizor being removed from the battlefield. Flygon and Kingdra also appreciate the removal of Steel-types that otherwise stop them cleaning up late-game. Aside from Dragonite, bulky Water-types such as Vaporeon, Suicune, and Swampert make good partners to Magneton because they can easily switch into Fire-type Pokemon (Heatran in particular). Celebi, Breloom, and Shaymin can switch into Ground-type attacks that plague Magneton. Gyarados gets a special mention, because just like Dragonite, it also resists all of Magneton's weaknesses. Magneton will find itself walled by Blissey if it can avoid Explosion. Lucario and Infernape can force out Blissey and set up for a sweep as long as they avoid Thunder Wave. Gliscor can switch into any attack from Blissey apart from Toxic or the rare Ice Beam and Taunt it. Note that opposing Magneton or Magnezone can trap and kill Magneton if it is not locked into Hidden Power Fire or Hidden Power Ground.

Although the Electric-type Choice set is better left to faster options such as Manectric and Electabuzz, Magneton performs decently in this department due to its access to Explosion. With Explosion, Magneton can suddenly OHKO its main counter, Chansey; something that Manectric has no hope of doing. With 56 Attack EVs, Magneton always OHKOes 252 Def Calm Chansey with Explosion as long as it has taken Stealth Rock damage. Magneton has much less utility in the UU environment than does Magnezone in the OU environment. However, it can still perform adequately by KOing hard-hitting Flying-types. With Choice Scarf, Magneton outspeeds standard Dragon Dance Altaria after a single Dragon Dance and can switch in against Outrage or Dragon Claw with impunity. Magneton can then OHKO Altaria with Hidden Power Ice, assuming it has taken prior damage from Stealth Rock. Magneton also does a fantastic job of countering Swellow. If Magneton switches in against Facade or Protect, Swellow will normally stay in hoping to U-turn out, but Magneton will outspeed and OHKO with Thunderbolt before Swellow has the chance. As previously mentioned, Magneton can use Hidden Power Ice to KO Altaria, making it the best bet for a Hidden Power. Hidden Power Grass can be used to severely dent Gastrodon and KO Quagsire. Hidden Power Fire can finish off weakened Steelix; however, outside of that, it has little utility. Flash Cannon has decent neutral-type coverage and should be used when Magneton predicts a Grass-type or Ground-type (not Gastrodon or Quagsire!) will switch in to absorb Thunderbolt. 56 Attack EVs allow Magneton to OHKO Calm 252 Def Chansey with Explosion, assuming it has taken prior damage from Stealth Rock. 228 Spe EVs, a positive nature, and Choice Scarf give Magneton a Speed stat of 384, allowing it to outspeed +1 Altaria as well as Swellow. Of course, Special Attack is maximized. Due to the fact that Magneton will be locked into an attack after KOing the foe, it is a good idea to pair Magneton with a somewhat defensive Pokemon who can absorb attacks from the Grass-, Ground-, and Electric-type Pokemon who will switch in against it. Shaymin is the best candidate with its 100 / 100 / 100 defenses and resistances to the aforementioned types. Shaymin can also recover away any damage with Leech Seed or Synthesis. Shaymin easily tackles opponents such as Quagsire and Gastrodon that give Magneton trouble. Like the other sets, Water-types, such as Milotic, Slowbro, and Azumarill, pair well with Magneton due to their ability to take hits and remove opposing Ground-types. Swellow and Dragon Dance Altaria create great synergy with Magneton by covering each others' weaknesses. Swellow and Altaria also do a fantastic job of knocking out the special walls that stand in Magneton's way, such as Chansey and Hypno.

With the abundance of bulky Water-types and other Electric-weak Pokemon in the UU tier, Electric is one of the best STABs to have. Magneton boasts the highest Special Attack stat out of all the Electric-types available in UU, and this set takes full advantage of that by utilizing Choice Specs. With the boost from Choice Specs, Magneton reaches a monstrous 556 Special Attack (factoring in the imperfect IVs from Hidden Power), which allows it to leave gaping holes in the opponent's team. While Magneton's defenses are nothing to write home about and its Speed is subpar, it can still switch in multiple times during a match to dish out hefty blows by relying on its 13 resistances. Thunderbolt is Magneton's main STAB attack and will badly hurt any Pokemon that does not resist it. Flash Cannon is Magneton's secondary STAB move and hurts most Pokemon that resist or are immune to Thunderbolt. While Hidden Power Grass has better coverage alongside Magneton's STAB attacks, Hidden Power Water is preferred since it allows Magneton to take full advantage of its ability, Magnet Pull, by allowing it to severely dent Steelix. However, Hidden Power Grass is still a great option if one is wary about trapping Steelix, as it OHKOes Quagsire and Gastrodon while 2HKOing Lanturn. Explosion rounds out the set by giving Magneton a means to OHKO Chansey after Stealth Rock damage. If one doesn't like blowing Magneton up, Signal Beam can be used over Explosion in order to hit Grass-types like Tangrowth and Leafeon for super effective damage. Below are some calculations to show how powerful Magneton's attacks are against some common threats. Thunderbolt vs 252 HP / 252 SpD Careful Registeel: 35.71% - 42.31% Thunderbolt vs 4 HP / 0 SpD Venusaur: 39.74% - 47.02% Thunderbolt vs 252 HP / 252 SpD Calm Clefable: 47.21% - 55.58% Thunderbolt vs 252 HP / 216 SpD Careful Altaria: 48.59% - 57.63% Flash Cannon vs 4 HP / 0 SpD Venusaur: 67.55% - 79.47% Flash Cannon vs 252 HP / 252 SpD Careful Torterra - 41.12% - 48.73% Hidden Power Water vs 252 HP / 252 SpD Sassy Steelix: 63.28% - 74.58% Hidden Power Grass vs 40 HP / 252 SpD Careful Lanturn: 50.87% - 59.85% Explosion vs 4 HP / 252 Def Chansey: 93.46% - 100% The given EVs allow Magneton to outspeed, trap, and OHKO Jolly Aggron. Max Special Attack and a Rash nature allow Magneton to hit as hard as possible, and the remaining EVs go into Attack to power up Explosion. Should one pick Signal Beam instead of Explosion in the last slot, a Modest nature is preferred and the Attack EVs should be distributed into HP so Magneton's average bulk is not compromised. Thunder is another daring option over Explosion. While the 70% accuracy is a huge turnoff, its power allows Magneton to 2HKO Registeel with a layer of Spikes most of the time, while utterly maiming almost all switch-ins. If one is using Magneton on a Rain Dance team, Thunder becomes much more appealing, due to its perfect accuracy in rain, and could even be used over Thunderbolt. It should be noted that while it may be extremely tempting to bring Magneton out and start spamming Thunderbolt from the get-go, one must avoid this temptation, because although Thunderbolt is a fantastic STAB move, it does have its disadvantages. Dangerous Ground-types such as Rhyperior, Torterra, and especially Dugtrio are all itching to switch into Thunderbolt, and can use the free turn Thunderbolt gives them to set up, or, in Dugtrio's case, completely remove Magneton from the field. Due to this, it is usually better for Magneton to start off by scouting with either Flash Cannon or Hidden Power to catch Ground-types or Electric-resistant Pokemon first, only using Thunderbolt later in the match after the opponent's team has been properly scouted. Chansey can switch into any attack Magneton can dish out apart from Explosion and heal itself with Wish or Soft-Boiled. Due to this, strong Fighting-type teammates such as Hitmonlee and Hariyama are recommended, since they can easily scare off Chansey. Dugtrio can also be employed to trap and take out Chansey without too much trouble. Specially Defensive Torterra, when at full health, is also a good check to Magneton, as it is immune to Thunderbolt, isn't 2HKOed by Flash Cannon, and can OHKO back with Earthquake. Swords Dance Leafeon is a good partner to Magneton due to this reason, as it is able to set up on Torterra and proceed to sweep. In exchange, Magneton can trap and severely weaken Registeel beyond repair for Leafeon. After two Thunderbolts, Registeel will be too weak to stand up to Swords Dance Leafeon's assaults. Nasty Plot Mismagius is another Pokemon that can take advantage of a weakened Registeel. Magneton can also weaken Steelix with Hidden Power Water, so Pokemon that can sweep when Steelix is weakened are also good partners for Magneton. With Steelix gone, Swords Dance Scyther, Swellow, Choice Band Kangaskhan and other physical Normal- and Flying-types can sweep teams with a lot less effort. Altaria is possibly Magneton's best teammate, synergizing extremely well with it; in fact, the pair resists every type in the game. With opposing Steel-types weakened or removed, Altaria can fearlessly devastate an opposing team with its Dragon Dance-boosted Outrages. Magneton also easily scares away Milotic (although do not switch into any of Milotic's STAB attacks, as they will greatly damage Magneton), which is helpful because Milotic can severely damage Altaria with Ice Beam or remove its boosts with Haze. Other UU Dragon-types such as Shelgon and Dragonair achieve similar results.

Unlike the Steel Trapper set, this set focuses Magneton's often overlooked base 120 Special Attack (the highest of any UU Electric-type). Offensive sets such as this should normally be left to faster, more immediately threatening special sweepers, such as Rotom and Manectric, but Magneton, due to its good defenses and numerous resistances, is able to set up much sturdier Substitutes than the two aforementioned Pokemon. Sturdier Substitutes mean that Magneton can set up against a wider variety of foes, such as Registeel (that lack Earthquake), Spiritomb, and Choice Scarf Venusaur locked into Energy Ball or Sludge Bomb. None of these Pokemon are able to break Magneton's Substitutes with attacks they commonly carry, allowing it to safely boost its stats without fear of immediate offensive assault. With Charge Beam, Magneton keeps its boosts until switching out or being phazed, so it retains more of an offensive presence. Charge Beam also has the benefit of doing damage to the opponent and benefiting from STAB. Metal Sound on the other hand has the ability to force switches, thus dealing Spikes and Stealth Rock damage to the opponent. Due to the somewhat defensive nature of Metal Sound, it is recommend that Magneton be used alongside residual damage support. Flash Cannon can be used in the last slot in order to hit Rock-types much harder, however it does not add much coverage-wise. As is the case with most Electric-type Pokemon, the choice of Hidden Power is a difficult one. Hidden Power Grass is the best choice due to its ability to hit Ground-types, especially Quagsire and Gastrodon, for super effective damage. Hidden Power Ice also performs similarly, but the main target of Hidden Power Ice is Altaria, which is easily taken care of with a boosted Thunderbolt. Another benefit of Hidden Power Ice is the ability to hit Grass-types, which resists both Thunderbolt and Hidden Power Grass, for super effective damage. The combination of Electric and Ice is only resisted by Lanturn, Shedinja, and other Magneton in the UU environment. Hidden Power Fire helps against Steelix and other Magneton while still hitting Grass-types for super effective damage. 160 Speed EVs gives Magneton enough Speed to outrun Jolly Aggron. Max Special Attack is a given on such an offensive set. The remaining EVs are placed into HP. Life Orb can be used in place of Leftovers if power is preferred over durability, but Life Orb and Substitute recoil will catch up to Magneton before it is able to do sufficient damage to the opponent's team. If Magneton is using Life Orb, it would be a good idea to forgo the use of Substitute for Explosion and use a Naive nature. The HP EVs would also need to be placed into Attack. With Explosion, Magneton is able to take out some of its counters at the expense of KOing itself. However, this could open the way for a sweep by another Pokemon such as Mismagius. If one of Magneton's teammates is able to Trick a choice item onto the opposing Steel-type, it will make it much easier for Magneton to switch in and set up for the kill. Locking Steelix or Registeel into Stealth Rock will completely incapacitate them once Magneton is brought into play. Like most special-based Pokemon in UU, Magneton has trouble taking on Chansey. For that reason, Magneton should be paired with a Pokemon that can take it out, such as Hariyama, Torterra, or strong Pursuit users. Rest + Sleep Talk Hariyama is the best choice for the job due to the fact that it does not particularly care about status. It can simply Rest away any attempts by Chansey to Toxic or Thunder Wave it. Hariyama also resists both Flamethrower and Ice Beam due to its ability, Thick Fat. With gargantuan HP, Hariyama also doesn't mind Seismic Toss. Hariyama can then retaliate with STAB Fighting-type attacks to scare away Chansey. Torterra is able to switch in against Seismic Toss and Thunder Wave and threaten Chansey with STAB Earthquake. Yache Berry Torterra stands the best chance against Chansey (no pun intended), due to the possibility of Ice Beam. Strong Pursuit users, such as Drapion, Absol, and Scyther can also weaken Chansey to the point that Magneton would be able to finish it off later. Magneton also has issues against Claydol and Camerupt, however rare the latter may be in UU. Like with Chansey, Magneton can be paired with strong Pursuit users in order to remove Claydol from play. However, the better option may be to pair Magneton with a bulky Water-type, such as Slowbro, Milotic, or Azumarill. All three of these Pokemon can withstand any of the attacks that Claydol and Camerupt can launch (except possibly Explosion), and launch super effective Water attacks of their own. Azumarill is particularly a good choice due to its access to Encore, which would allow Magneton to more easily set up against the opponent. Mismagius pairs well offensively with Magneton due to its ability to dispose of the threats listed above, namely Chansey and Claydol, and the fact that it covers Magneton's weaknesses. After Mismagius has weakened the opponent's special walls, Magneton can more easily sweep.

Like its OU brethren, Magnezone, Magneton's utility lies in its ability to trap and knock out Steel-types. Substitute blocks all forms of status while scouting the opponent's actions. Magneton's Substitutes are not broken by Registeel's Iron Head or Ice Punch or Steelix's Gyro Ball, Stone Edge, or Crunch; however, an Earthquake from either Registeel or Steelix will break the Substitute, due to Magneton's 4x weakness to Ground. With Magnet Rise, Magneton is able to hover safely above the range of normally fatal Ground-type attacks. Magnet Rise should be Magneton's first priority against Steelix in order to prevent Earthquake. At worst, Magneton will be Roared away. For this reason, it is a good idea to save Magneton until Steelix is in range to be KOed by Hidden Power Fire. It should also be mentioned that Substitute is Magneton's first priority when up against Registeel. Hidden Power Fire is used over Hidden Power Ice or Hidden Power Grass for its ability to successfully hit Steelix, one of the main targets of this set. Hidden Power Fighting or Hidden Power Ground could be used in place of Hidden Power Fire due to their ability to deal greater damage to Probopass and Bastiodon, while still hitting Steelix for super effective damage; but due to the type coverage that Hidden Power Fire offers when paired with Thunderbolt (compared to that offered by Hidden Power Fighting or Ground), it is considered the superior choice. Thunderbolt efficiently KOes Probopass and Bastiodon, so the power loss when using Hidden Power Fire is not a big issue. Hidden Power Ice is not listed as an option on this set due to the fact that there are no commonly used Dragon-types in UU that do not take neutral damage from Thunderbolt. Altaria is 2HKOed by Thunderbolt after Stealth Rock damage and UU Grass-types are hit equally hard by Hidden Power Fire as they would be by Hidden Power Ice (with the sole exception of Torterra). Leftovers is the optimal item choice due to its ability to restore HP, allowing Magneton to recover some of the damage sacrificed to create a Substitute. One issue that Magneton faces when switching in against Registeel is the possibility of Thunder Wave, a scenario that frequently presents itself when Magneton attempts to trap a Registeel that switched into a Mismagius or Venusaur. Lum Berry allows Magneton to shed its paralysis status, giving it the opportunity to set up a Substitute before any further status attempts can be launched. Lum Berry also gives Magneton the same opportunity against slower status-inducing foes such as defensive Venusaur with Sleep Powder. 148 Speed EVs give Magneton a Speed stat of 212, allowing it to outspeed max Speed Adamant Torterra (a spread normally used by the popular Rock Polish Torterra variant). Magneton can then Magnet Rise before Torterra has the opportunity to Earthquake, meaning Torterra can only damage Magneton with resisted attacks: Stone Edge and Wood Hammer. After maximizing Magneton's Special Attack stat, the remaining EVs are dumped into HP in order to buff Magneton's durability. Magneton's main role is removing Steel-types so that other Pokemon, such as Flying- or Normal-types, have the opportunity to sweep. Mismagius pairs excellently with Magneton due to its immunity to Fighting- and Ground-type attacks; in turn, Magneton traps and removes Registeel. Hard-hitting Normal-type Pokemon, such as Ambipom and Tauros, also enjoy having Steelix and Registeel removed from play. Dragon Dance Altaria is a lesser seen Pokemon who benefits greatly after Magneton has done its job, allowing it to Outrage without the fear of retribution from Steelix or Registeel. In general, offensive Flying-type Pokemon pair nicely with Magneton due to the coverage of weaknesses and the increased possibility of an offensive sweep that Steel-type removal offers. Mismagius also benefits greatly from the removal of Registeel, one of its most sure-fire counters. Once Registeel is out of commission, Mismagius has a relatively easy time of setting up and sweeping the opposing team. Defensive Water-type Pokemon with decent HP and defenses, namely Milotic and Slowbro, do an excellent job of absorbing the various Fire-type attacks thrown at Magneton. Because both Pokemon have access to instant recovery, they can also take a few Ground- or Fighting-type attacks (Slowbro is especially well-equipped for the second) while recovering from the damage. Because Magneton lacks recovery, Gardevoir can be used to provide Wish support and take weaker Fighting-type attacks. But due to its low HP and Defense, the latter is not recommended. Other Wish options include Clefable and Chansey, but they both share a dangerous Fighting weakness with Magneton, diminishing the chances of successfully switching Magneton in to receive the Wish.

Magnezone, Magneton's bulky cousin, seems to outclass it in every way, but Magneton has one great advantage when it comes to using Choice Scarf: its higher base Speed. This allows Magneton to revenge kill Darkrai, Shaymin-S, and Jolly Tyranitar when it holds a Choice Scarf, all of whom Magnezone fails to outspeed. Thunder is the main attack Magneton will use, and it will cause massive damage to any Pokémon who does not resist it. Rain support will make Thunder even deadlier by boosting its accuracy to 100%, so having Kyogre on your team is recommended to ensure the rain will be on the field. Hidden Power Fire allows Magneton to fry Scizor, Forretress, and Lucario in the sunlight, but it's only a worthwhile option if Groudon and its infinite sunlight are also included in your team. Hidden Power Ice can be used instead if you do not have a need for Hidden Power Fire; with it, Magneton can be an effective revenge killer to Swords Dance Rayquaza and Garchomp. Magneton will outspeed and OHKO them both, and Rayquaza will never be able to OHKO Magneton with Extreme Speed after a Swords Dance and Life Orb boost. Flash Cannon scores a neutral hit on Latias while also allowing Magneton to hit Tyranitar for super effective damage. Thunderbolt can be used to give Magneton a reliable STAB option if conditions are not suitable for using Thunder (read: if rain is currently not present on the field). Flash Cannon is also a worthwhile option since it scores a neutral hit on Latias while also allowing Magneton to hit Tyranitar for super effective damage. Explosion is to be used when Magneton has reached the end of its usefulness. It causes huge damage to several notable targets, such as Blissey and Latias, although neither will be OHKOed without prior damage. Maximum Speed EVs are required to allow Magneton to outrun anything slower than Shaymin-S. A Hasty nature is preferred to allow Magneton to be more suited to take the predominant special attacks thrown about in Ubers play, but Naive can be used if one needs to take hits from Scizor, Lucario, Metagross, and physical Rayquaza more effectively. Any Pokémon who resists or can take Magneton's Electric-type attacks with little risk or harm to themselves presents a problem for the little steel magnet. Ground-types, such as Groudon and Garchomp (though non-Scarf Garchomp will need to fear Hidden Power Ice), and special walls, such as Blissey, Latias, and Tyranitar, fall into this category. Wobbuffet can also trap Magneton with Shadow Tag and KO it with Mirror Coat. Physically defensive Kyogre can take on Groudon, most Garchomp, and Tyranitar with ease, as all three fear Kyogre's powerful Surf. Kyogre can also beat Blissey with Calm Mind and Rest. A Pursuit user, such as Scizor or Metagross, easily traps and KOes Latias (as well as Blissey); make sure that you know whether or not they are carrying any Fire-type moves before you try and trap them, however. Wobbuffet can't really be countered in the traditional sense, but the blue blob cannot touch physical Giratina-O or special Darkrai since their types grant immunity to Counter and Mirror Coat, respectively. Since Magneton can easily trap and eliminate most Steel-types, such as Scizor, Lucario, Skarmory, Bronzong, and Forretress (although trapping Scizor and Bronzong can be risky since they like to carry moves to hit Magneton for super effective damage), powerful Dragon-type sweepers can easily seize this hole to ravage the opponent's team. Rayquaza, Salamence, Latias, Latios, and Giratina-O are all great choices, and all five of them resist all of Magneton's weaknesses, while Magneton resists all of their weaknesses in return, so they will find ample opportunities to set up and wreak utter devastation. Magneton is primarily used as a revenge killer, so entry hazard support in the form of Stealth Rock and/or Spikes will greatly help the steel magnet do its job. Groudon is a fine choice as it can set up Stealth Rock reliably while also countering Garchomp, Tyranitar, and Blissey extremely well. Forretress can use any entry hazards you want to, and it has the bonus of Rapid Spin to rid your side of the field of entry hazards, allowing Magneton to possibly switch in on its targets more easily. Forretress can also use Latias, Blissey, and most Tyranitar as set-up bait, all of whom are common Magneton counters. As always, Deoxys is a reliable suicide lead who can easily set up Stealth Rock and Spikes quickly and efficiently.