Yanmega Movesets & Competitive Sets

Moves Bug Buzz is Yanmega's strongest STAB move and does a ton of damage to Pokemon that aren't specially defensive walls. Air Slash is Yanmega's secondary STAB move; while less powerful than Bug Buzz, it allows Yanmega to deal with Pokemon such as Toxicroak and Assault Vest Hariyama. U-turn allows Yanmega to take advantage of switches and gain momentum for its team against Pokemon like Gigalith and Porygon2; U-turn can also rack up damage to allow Yanmega to 2HKO certain Pokemon later. Giga Drain lets Yanmega OHKO Rhyperior and 2HKO non-specially defensive Milotic, the latter after Stealth Rock damage. Psychic is able to OHKO both Nidoqueen and offensive Roserade and 2HKO Dragalge, which Yanmega fails to achieve with any other move. Set Details Maximum Special Attack and Speed investment in conjunction with a Timid nature maximizes Yanmega's offensive potential and allows it to outspeed and threaten Roserade, Rotom-C, and anything slower. Tinted Lens means Yanmega doesn't have to worry about Pokemon that resist its STAB moves, and when used with Choice Specs, it allows Yanmega to properly wallbreak. Usage Tips Use Yanmega to punch holes into bulky teams and clear the path for teammates to clean up. This Yanmega set wants to be spamming Bug Buzz, but it may be more beneficial to use Air Slash or Giga Drain when the opponent has certain Pokemon such as Toxicroak and Rhyperior. U-turn should be used minimally and only if Yanmega is forcing a switch and it is beneficial to gain momentum instead of firing off an attack. Prevent Yanmega from switching into Stealth Rock, as this will significantly damage it, putting it in KO range of a lot of attacks. Team Options Entry hazard removal from Pokemon like Mandibuzz and Donphan is essential, since Yanmega loses around 50% of its health from switching into Stealth Rock. Xatu and Espeon also deserve a mention because they're able to consistently keep hazards off the field thanks to their ability, Magic Bounce. While Yanmega doesn't like getting chipped down by entry hazards itself, it appreciates entry hazards on the opposing side of the field, since Yanmega forces switches into its common answers like Registeel and Porygon2, allowing the entry hazards to chip away at their health. On bulkier teams, Pokemon such as Dragalge and Bronzong are able to consistently provide hazard support for Yanmega. For more offensive teams, Mega Glalie, Roserade, and Nidoqueen are able to pressure common forms of hazard removal to ensure their hazards stay up on the field. Late-game cleaners like Dragon Dance Zygarde-10%, Curse Snorlax, Toxicroak, and Nasty Plot Salazzle can break through the opposing team once Yanmega has made way for them to do so; they're also able to pressure Steel-types for Yanmega. Pokemon that have similar checks to Yanmega, like Necrozma, Gardevoir, Dragalge, and Snorlax, can overwhelm checks that they have in common.

Moves Protect prevents Yanmega from being damaged, grants it a free Speed boost, and allows it to scout for Z-Moves. Bug Buzz is Yanmega's strongest STAB move, capable of hitting Dark- and Psychic-types like Umbreon, Necrozma, and Cresselia for super effective damage and ignoring Substitute. Air Slash is Yanmega's secondary STAB move and allows it to beat Pokemon like Bewear. Giga Drain heals Life Orb damage and lets Yanmega OHKO Rhyperior. Psychic can be used to hit Nidoqueen and Dragalge, which can take any other hit from this set and retaliate with a strong move, potentially OHKOing Yanmega. Hidden Power Ice nails Noivern. Set Details Maximum Special Attack and Speed investment in conjunction with a Modest nature maximizes Yanmega's offensive potential; there's no reason to run a Timid nature, since Speed Boost will consistently make Yanmega faster. Speed Boost allows Yanmega to outspeed the whole unboosted tier after just one activation and as well as some of the boosted tier like Choice Scarf Gardevoir if it hasn't copied Speed Boost. Life Orb provides Yanmega with a major power boost, allowing it to OHKO or 2HKO a large portion of the tier. Usage Tips Yanmega should be used as a wincon against frailer, more offensively oriented teams and can also be used as a late-game cleaner against bulkier teams. Use Protect to get a free Speed boost whenever attempting to sweep with Yanmega unless it is against Pokemon like Zygarde-10% because they might use the free turn to set up. Try to keep Yanmega healthy early-game, only bringing it in whenever it can revenge kill a weakened Pokemon. Prevent Yanmega from switching in to Stealth Rock, as this will significantly damage it, putting it in KO range of a lot of attacks, even its own Life Orb recoil if it has to fire off five attacks. Yanmega has trouble taking even neutral hits because of its rather lacking defensive stats, so prevent it from taking too much unnecessary damage. Team Options Entry hazard removal from Pokemon like Tsareena, Mandibuzz, and Mega Blastoise is mandatory with Yanmega due to its Stealth Rock weakness. Yanmega may not like entry hazards on its own side of the field, but it definitely likes to have them on the opposing side of the field, especially Spikes, since they allow Yanmega to pick up quite a few KOs that it otherwise just misses out on. Pokemon like Necrozma, Roserade, and Dragalge are capable of setting up entry hazards for Yanmega. Nidoqueen and Salazzle are able to beat a lot of Yanmega's common answers in Florges and Registeel; Nidoqueen can also set up Stealth Rock, aiding Yanmega with sweeping. Wallbreakers like Swords Dance Feraligatr, Choice Band Zygarde-10%, and Choice Band Snorlax can weaken the opposing team for Yanmega and allow it to sweep more easily. Pokemon that can set up hail or sand like Abomasnow and Gigalith are excellent teammates because they negate Leftovers recovery from checks to Yanmega, potentially allowing it to break through them.

Moves Protect lets Yanmega get a free Speed Boost, and as a result, outspeed most of the tier. Bug Buzz is a reliable STAB move and has high Base Power compared to the rest of Yanmega's moves. Air Slash is another STAB move that provides coverage and comes with a handy 30% flinch chance. Giga Drain lets Yanmega hit Water-types hard while also replenishing its own HP. Shadow Ball, on the other hand, gets useful super effective coverage against Doublade and Chandelure. Psychic can also be used to KO bulky Crobat after Stealth Rock. Set Details Maximum Special Attack and Speed EVs give Yanmega power and let it outspeed as many foes as it can. A Modest nature is preferred because Yanmega needs all the power it can get, and Speed Boost already makes Yanmega fast. Life Orb is the item of choice, as it boosts all of Yanmega's moves and allows it to change moves. Speed Boost is essential for pulling off a sweep, as it makes sure Yanmega gets harder to revenge kill without priority. Usage Tips Yanmega can use Protect as a safe play on the first turn to get a free Speed Boost against faster opponents. Keep Stealth Rock off of Yanmega's side of the field to avoid ending Yanmega's sweep early due to Life Orb recoil. Try to save Yanmega for late-game because Speed Boost Yanmega has less wallbreaking capabilities than Tinted Lens variants but has an easier job cleaning with weakened checks and counters. Make sure you do not attempt a sweep while your opponent still has powerful priority users such as Crawdaunt and Entei, as they can easily take out Yanmega. Team Options Reliable entry hazard removers are a must; Tentacruel is the best option as it can remove hazards from Yanmega's side of the field while setting Toxic Spikes on the opposing side. Pokemon such as Choice Specs Kyurem and Swords Dance Escavalier can wear down the Steel-types which wall this set. Mixed Tornadus can remove special walls such as Florges and Blissey. Entry hazard setters such as Krookodile and Roserade are good teammates because the chip damage makes it much easier for Yanmega to clean; Krookodile can also use a Choice Band set to support Yanmega by Pursuit trapping certain targets.

Moves Bug Buzz is a mandatory STAB move that is effectively unresisted because of Tinted Lens. Air Slash is another STAB move that provides coverage against Fighting-types and comes with a 30% flinch chance, although it is weaker than Bug Buzz. Giga Drain nails Swampert and Rhyperior, and it also hits other targets weak to it slightly harder than Bug Buzz. In the last slot, U-turn can be used to provide some momentum for your team and to let Yanmega avoid a potentially bad matchup. Sleep Talk is another option that can be used if you want a sleep absorber, though Sleep Powder is uncommon in UU. Set Details A Timid nature is preferred to outspeed maximum Speed Nidoking, Roserade, Porygon-Z, and Krookodile. However, a Modest nature can be used to give some extra power, and could possibly net Yanmega 2HKOs against some walls such as Porygon2. Choice Specs makes Yanmega much better at performing its job of wallbreaking by boosting its damage output, while Tinted Lens is the ability chosen to make Yanmega's moves effectively unresisted, allowing it to do decent damage to Pokemon such as Empoleon on the switch. Usage Tips Yanmega should generally be spamming its STAB moves, as Giga Drain isn't a good move to be Choice-locked into. Be especially wary of hard switching in Yanmega, as even neutral STAB moves can severely dent it. U-turn is a good move to use if you predict switch-ins that Yanmega cannot deal with, such as Florges and Blissey. Keep Stealth Rock off the field, as it will severely hamper Yanmega by taking away half of its health each time it switches in, which is a bigger problem with U-turn switches. Finally, try not to take too many risks by relying on Sleep Talk, as the number of turns that Yanmega will sleep for and what move it will pick are down to luck. Team Options Yanmega's typing necessitates entry hazard removal, although the most common Defog and Rapid Spin users synergize badly with Yanmega. Tentacruel and Mega Blastoise are the best options, as Rapid Spin is preferred over Defog; Tentacruel can set Toxic Spikes to further wear down the likes of Florges and Porygon2, while Mega Blastoise in turn appreciates Yanmega wearing these targets down. Physical Pokemon such as Conkeldurr, Cobalion, and Krookodile are good teammates to U-turn out into on a predicted special wall. Faster teammates such as Mega Sceptile, Mega Houndoom, and Nasty Plot Vacuum Wave Infernape can take advantage of worn down special walls.

This set makes excellent use of Yanmega's ability, Speed Boost. With Protect, Yanmega receives an automatic boost at the end of the turn without incurring any harm, meaning Yanmega will most likely outspeed the opposing Pokemon after using it. As stated previously, Yanmega's STAB moves in the form of Bug Buzz and Air Slash offer good coverage in the tier and hit very hard when backed up by Life Orb. Hidden Power Rock hits Fire-types, such as Arcanine, Darmanitan, and Rotom-H, and Flying-types, such as Zapdos and Crobat, for super effective damage, while Hidden Power Ground still hits Fire-types, but also the number one check to Yanmega, Registeel, for super effective damage. Giga Drain, however, destroys Swampert, Rhyperior, and bulky Water-types, such as Suicune and Blastoise, while also healing Yanmega. As Yanmega is boosting its Speed at the end of every turn, a Modest nature is recommended to maximize its attacking power. Yanmega has a few viable options to run in the last slot: Psychic hits Crobat, Nidoking, and Nidoqueen for super effective damage, while Shadow Ball dents Cofagrigus and Mismagius. Roost is also viable to increase Yanmega's survivability, but is best used with its other ability, Tinted Lens. Heracross helps out Yanmega by removing its biggest nemeses, Snorlax and Registeel, while dealing with Empoleon, Crobat, and Zapdos accordingly after being weakened. Rapid Spin support is crucial, as Yanmega packs a quadruple weakness to Stealth Rock. Blastoise, Hitmontop, and Kabutops can perform the job easily and have good synergy with Yanmega. Finally, this set is very effective as a late-game sweeper. As such, entry hazards are required in order to weaken the opposing team. Rhyperior can lay down Stealth Rock, whereas Roserade and Qwilfish can put up Spikes on the opponent's field.

Choice Specs Tinted Lens Yanmega speaks for itself: backed up by base 116 Special Attack, Yanmega makes best use of its ability to hit like a truck, making its name as a wallbreaker. Steel- and Flying-types might seem like good switch-ins for Yanmega, but all but Registeel do so only to be 2HKOed by a Bug Buzz, leaving Registeel and Snorlax as the only Pokemon that can avoid a 2HKO from Bug Buzz after Stealth Rock damage. The same effect, although to a lesser degree, is seen when using Air Slash, Yanmega's secondary STAB move, which has the nifty bonus of flinching 30% of the time. Psychic is useful to hit Crobat, Nidoqueen, and Nidoking for super effective damage or any Fighting-type if you don't trust Air Slash's 95% accuracy. As Yanmega doesn't have the greatest movepool, the last slot has two decent options in the form of U-turn and Sleep Talk. The former provides Yanmega with a quick getaway move and way to gain momentum and scout your opponent's initial switch-in. Alternatively, the latter makes Yanmega a very useful sleep absorber and one of the best switch-ins to Roserade, as it can take the Sleep Powder and threaten Roserade with one of the other moves in its arsenal. Because Yanmega is in a very competitive Speed tier, a Timid nature is preferred to let it outpace Jolly Heracross and Timid Nidoking, while Speed tying with Jolly Darmanitan. However, if one is looking for absurd power, Modest can be chosen to hit as hard as possible. Snorlax and Registeel must be eliminated in order to maximize Yanmega's effectiveness. For this reason, Heracross is a very good partner for Yanmega, as it smashes both sturdy walls with Close Combat. On the other hand, Yanmega can open up massive holes in the opponent's team, which Heracross enjoys and takes advantage of. Entry hazards are absolutely necessary for Yanmega to succeed, as they enable a lot of 2HKOs, such as specially defensive Zapdos and Empoleon. Rhyperior can set up Stealth Rock and take Rock-type moves aimed at Yanmega, while Roserade and Qwilfish can lay down Spikes effectively throughout the game. Since it is Choice-locked, Yanmega will be switching in and out often, so Rapid Spin support is mandatory. Blastoise can take Fire- and Ice-type moves thrown at Yanmega, Hitmontop soaks up Rock-type moves incredibly easily due to its resistance and ability Intimidate, and Kabutops forms a good synergy core with Yanmega, as the fossil takes Fire-, Flying-, and Ice-type moves and lures Grass-, Ground-, and Fighting-type moves, perfect for Yanmega to take advantage of.

With Tinted Lens, Yanmega's STABs give him perfect type coverage, hitting everyone in the game for at least neutral damage. Coming off of a base 116 Special Attack stat, even Pokemon who normally resist Yanmega's STABs, such as Skarmory, are reliably 2HKOed. There are truly very few safe switch-ins to this Yanmega, as he has the power to punch through practically anyone in the metagame. Bug Buzz and Air Slash are mandatory on this set, giving Yanmega perfect type coverage within his STAB attacks alone. Hidden Power Ground is there to OHKO Pokemon who might try to switch in on Bug Buzz with their 4x resistance, such as Heatran and Lucario. U-turn fills the final slot perfectly, allowing Yanmega to scout the opponent's initial switch-in and bring out the necessary response. Be wary when using U-turn, however, as with Yanmega's Stealth Rock weakness, he cannot switch in haphazardly. The EVs are fairly standard for an offensive sweeper, maximizing Yanmega's Speed and Special Attack. Modest is the preferred nature as Timid allows Yanmega to outspeed very few notable Pokemon, while the added damage output from Modest is welcome. Hands down, the best offensive partners for this set are Gyarados and Metagross. Both of them are countered by Zapdos and Rotom-A, and both of them have a far easier time sweeping when they're removed. Serendipitously, fast Taunt-employing leads such as Aerodactyl and Azelf are also recommended for use alongside offensive Gyarados sets, so you do not have to go out of your way to use such leads just for Yanmega. However, if using Gyarados alongside Yanmega, you should construct your team with resistances to Rock- and Electric-type attacks in mind. It is also crucial to Yanmega's success that your team packs a Rapid Spinner such as Starmie or Forretress. Entry hazard support is also greatly appreciated by Yanmega, particularly Stealth Rock. With Stealth Rock on the field, this Yanmega can OHKO offensive variants of Rotom-A with Bug Buzz. Standard MixPert makes an excellent partner to set up Stealth Rock with his resistance to Fire- and Rock-type attacks. If Spikes are set up, even once-safe switch-ins can be 2HKOed or even OHKOed by Bug Buzz or Air Slash. Finally, make sure that your team can beat Blissey, who walls this set to the ends of the heavens and beyond. Lucario makes a fine choice for this, as he is immune to Toxic and supports Yanmega well with his 4x resistance to Rock-type attacks.

Yanmega's unique attributes allow him to function as an excellent anti-lead in the OU metagame. After a single Speed Boost, Yanmega will outspeed every single non-Choice Scarf lead bar Ninjask and hit them all for serious damage. Yanmega can also function excellently as a late-game sweeper if the need arises and he survives his early-game encounter. Protect gives Yanmega the edge against Fake Out or attacks from faster leads, particularly from Infernape and Starmie, who both outspeed him before Speed Boost kicks in. As Protect also guarantees that Speed Boost will activate once and maintains Yanmega's Focus Sash, it enables Yanmega to subsequently beat both Starmie and Infernape. Bug Buzz and Air Slash are Yanmega's STAB attacks, and when used together, provide reasonable coverage against most common leads, only missing at least neutral damage against Heatran, Aerodactyl, and Skarmory. It is for this reason that Hidden Power Ground and Hidden Power Fire are the choices for the fourth slot. Hidden Power Ground is useful for 2HKOing standard Shuca Berry Heatran leads and for a greater likelihood of beating Metagross leads, given the presence of Occa Berry. Hidden Power Fire, however, allows Yanmega to defeat Skarmory, Forretress, and Abomasnow leads at the cost of being walled by Heatran. Hidden Power Fire also serves as a weapon with which to combat Scizor later in the match, who can only 2HKO with Bullet Punch. Hypnosis can be used in the fourth slot over Hidden Power for a better chance at beating Tyranitar who lack Lum Berry and Swampert, but it is terribly unreliable and generally not worth sacrificing the ability to beat other leads reliably. This Yanmega can also be relatively successful outside of the lead position as a late-game sweeper with Speed Boost. With a Life Orb equipped, Yanmega will handily dish out OHKOs and 2HKOs against Pokemon weak to and neutral to his STABs, respectively. In this case, maximizing Speed EVs is necessary to outspeed a Dragon Dance-boosted Jolly Gyarados after a single Speed Boost. The primary issue with using this Yanmega as a sweeper is that he is 4x weak to Stealth Rock and is easily walled by the likes of Skarmory, Blissey, and Zapdos. Life Orb recoil and Stealth Rock damage coupled with the inability to break through defensive Pokemon make Yanmega dead weight without perfect support. The EV spread is fairly simple, but has a few quirks that might not be obvious at first glance. 252 Special Attack EVs are obviously chosen to maximize Yanmega's offensive power. The 104 Defense EVs are necessary to soften the blows of physical leads, but particularly serve to prevent Metagross leads from 2HKOing you with a combination of Meteor Mash and Bullet Punch; this gives you a fighting chance at 2HKOing them back with Bug Buzz. The 152 remaining EVs are placed into Speed to conveniently sit Yanmega at 396 Speed after a single Speed Boost, enough to outpace Jolly Aerodactyl. If Hidden Power Fire is used in the fourth slot, 156 Speed EVs should be used with 100 Defense EVs to reach the same Speed threshold. A Modest nature is particularly viable because Speed Boost will compensate for Yanmega's reduced Speed, and he really needs the Special Attack boost to punch through opposing Pokemon. Focus Sash is chosen as the item so Yanmega can 2HKO Pokemon such as Heatran without being OHKOed first. Yanmega has trouble with Tyranitar, Swampert, Aerodactyl, Smeargle, and Roserade leads. Good partners to this set are Pokemon who can take on a group of those troublesome leads, set up Stealth Rock to support your team, or provide Rapid Spin support so Yanmega can have a chance to sweep later if he survives. For this reason, Life Orb Starmie makes an excellent teammate with its ability to Rapid Spin and scare away some of those leads with its STAB Hydro Pump. Skarmory can set up on Tyranitar and Swampert freely with its monstrous Defense and then just Whirlwind to scout the opponent's team and rack up entry hazard damage. Standard MixPert can do the same, and can set up Stealth Rock very effectively with its ability to switch into the Fire- and Rock-type attacks aimed at Yanmega. A status-absorbing Pokemon such as CroCune or RestTalk Machamp can switch into Sleep Powder or Spore from Roserade and Smeargle, respectively, and then switch to some other Pokemon with Sleep Clause active. Yanmega is excellent at applying offensive pressure immediately, which makes pairing him with other such offensive threats a good plan. Heatran makes a particularly excellent teammate for Yanmega, as he can come in on the Fire-type attacks aimed at Yanmega, gain a Flash Fire boost, and go to town. Heatran can also set up Stealth Rock and threaten Skarmory, a common Yanmega switch-in.