[OVERVIEW]
Mega Lopunny possesses an amazing Speed stat that lets it outpace most of the unboosted metagame, thus making it an excellent revenge killer. Furthermore, Lopunny's high-Base Power STAB moves give it perfect coverage thanks to its ability Scrappy, which, when backed up by its great Attack stat, let it pose a threat to slower offensive threats that lack the bulk to take its attacks, like Greninja and Tapu Koko. On top of that, Lopunny has access to a wide supportive movepool consisting of moves like Encore and Power-Up Punch that helps it take on bulkier Pokemon it struggles against, such as Clefable and Toxapex. Additionally, STAB Fake Out is another great asset that lets Lopunny pick off weakened Pokemon that outspeed it such as Mega Alakazam. However, Lopunny lacks the immediate power to break through some of the bulkier Pokemon in the metagame such as Mew and Toxapex, which forces it to rely on Power-Up Punch and Encore to pose a threat to defensive teams. Despite Lopunny's good matchup against offense, it can be easily overwhelmed by residual damage from entry hazards, weather conditions, and Rocky Helmet from opposing Pokemon, which leaves it vulnerable to priority moves like Ash-Greninja's Water Shuriken and Zygarde's Extreme Speed.
[SET]
name: All-out Attacker
move 1: Return
move 2: High Jump Kick
move 3: Power-Up Punch
move 4: Ice Punch / Fake Out / Encore
item: Lopunnite
ability: Limber
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Return is Lopunny's most reliable STAB move and hits a good portion of the metagame for neutral damage. High Jump Kick is Lopunny's most powerful STAB move and hits the Steel- and Rock-types that resist Return for super effective damage. It also gives Lopunny perfect coverage in combination with Return thanks to Scrappy. Power-Up Punch lets Lopunny punish passive switch-ins like Mew and Clefable with Attack boosts to eventually break through them. Since Lopunny's STAB combination gives it perfect coverage already, it has a couple of options for its last moveslot. Ice Punch makes it easier for Lopunny to break through defensive Landorus-T, which can chip at it with Rocky Helmet damage or can wall it for a longer period during a game thanks to its Leftovers. Ice Punch also hits Zygarde and Garchomp for more damage than High Jump Kick. Fake Out lets Lopunny pick off weakened targets that outspeed it like Mega Alakazam and boosted Zygarde. Encore works well in combination with Power-Up Punch, since it locks passive Pokemon like Mew and Toxapex into their recovery moves, thus giving Lopunny free setup opportunities.
Set Details
========
Maximum Speed investment with a Jolly nature puts Lopunny at a great Speed tier, outspeeding a great portion of the unboosted metagame and notably outpacing Ash-Greninja and Tapu Koko. Maximum Attack investment gives it as much damage output as possible. Scrappy prevents Ghost-types from switching into its STAB moves and gives it perfect coverage with only its STAB attacks. Limber is its best ability prior to Mega Evolution because it prevents Lopunny from being paralyzed in a pinch.
Usage Tips
========
Mega Lopunny is a fairly straightforward Pokemon due to its perfect coverage and great offensive stats, which give it a good matchup against offensive teams that lack a bulky Pokemon to take it on. However, in matchups where the opponent does have a reliable answer like Mew, Clefable, or Toxapex, it should be played more precisely. Power-Up Punch is Lopunny's best tool in these matchups, allowing it to break past its traditional checks after a boost, so it should try to use Power-Up Punch on a predicted switch-in. Nevertheless, a Power-Up Punch into a +1 move won't be enough to break through them, so Lopunny shouldn't try to stay in on the likes of Mew and Clefable right after using Power-Up Punch, because they could cripple it with Will-O-Wisp or Moonblast, respectively. Instead, switching out is usually a better idea because the foe will be forced to attack instead of using a recovery move, which will give the Lopunny check a harder time trying to switch into it later due to the chip damage. If Lopunny is running Encore alongside Power-Up Punch, it can use a different game plan; instead of catching passive Pokemon on the switch with Power-Up Punch, it should use one of its attacks to weaken the foe and force the opponent to use a recovery move. Then, it can use Encore and lock said check into its recovery move, thus giving Lopunny free room to start boosting its Attack and either force a switch or keep setting up on the recovery-locked foe.
Team Options
========
Lopunny works well on offensive teams that are looking for a good matchup against other offensive teams, so teammates that can cover the stall and balance matchups are great alongside it. Wallbreakers like Swords Dance Tapu Bulu and SubToxic Heatran are usually big nuisances for balance and stall teams, which Lopunny struggles against. Due to its frailty, Lopunny will also need a solid defensive backbone that can take hits for it and help bring it into the field safely. Pivots like defensive Landorus-T and Assault Vest Magearna work here. Another support option that helps Lopunny against bulkier teams is entry hazard support. Stealth Rock and Spikes setters like Ferrothorn, Landorus-T, Greninja, and Garchomp can lay hazards and slowly wear down switch-ins, although Clefable is immune to them thanks to its Magic Guard ability. Additionally, Toxic Spikes from Toxapex or Greninja can cripple Mew and bulky Water-types like Alomomola and Slowbro, which have a harder time checking Lopunny when poisoned. Because of the prevalence of some of Mega Lopunny's checks such as Toxapex and Mew, teammates that act as lures for these are appreciated. Greninja, for example, can lure them both in and surprise them with Extrasensory and Dark Pulse, respectively. Kyurem-B is another good teammate when holding Icium Z because it can get a surprise KO on Mew while also pressuring Landorus-T. Lastly, Magnezone traps Skarmory and physically defensive Celesteela, two big roadblocks for Lopunny, thus giving Lopunny an easier time late-game.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Healing Wish can be used in the last slot to give Lopunny some late-game utility, as it lets Lopunny fully heal a weakened teammate; however, Lopunny is usually really good late-game, so it isn't the best idea to sacrifice it then. Quick Attack can be used alongside Fake Out for a deadly double-priority combination that can give offensive teams a lot of trouble, though it only makes Lopunny's matchup against balance and stall worse. Facade lets Lopunny take advantage of non-Psychic Mew and Toxic Spikes from Toxapex to get a really strong STAB move with great coverage. However, this is very situational and being burned can be detrimental because Mega Lopunny's High Jump Kick will do significantly less damage. Substitute is an option to dodge status moves like Will-O-Wisp from Mew while also avoiding Scald burns from Toxapex. Toxic is a nice option because it lets Lopunny slowly wear down some of its checks such as Landorus-T and Mew, although the likes of Clefable and Toxapex aren't affected by it, and Lopunny will be badly poisoned as well if it uses Toxic against Mew.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Physically Defensive Pokemon**: Lopunny lacks the initial power to break through most of the common physically defensive Pokemon in the tier, including the likes of Mew, Toxapex, Skarmory, Mega Slowbro, and Clefable.
**Faster Pokemon**: Despite Lopunny's impressive Speed stat, it can't outspeed most Choice Scarf users like Keldeo and Garchomp, which can knock it out with Secret Sword and Outrage, respectively. Mega Alakazam deserves a mention as well because it naturally outspeeds Lopunny and OHKOes it with Psychic.
**Residual Damage**: Lopunny is prone to getting worn down by entry hazards, weather, and Rocky Helmet damage, which give it a harder time cleaning and revenge killing late-game because of priority users like Zygarde and Ash-Greninja. This also means Lopunny is easier to pick off by weaker attacks like defensive Landorus-T's Earthquake and Celesteela's Heavy Slam.
Mega Lopunny possesses an amazing Speed stat that lets it outpace most of the unboosted metagame, thus making it an excellent revenge killer. Furthermore, Lopunny's high-Base Power STAB moves give it perfect coverage thanks to its ability Scrappy, which, when backed up by its great Attack stat, let it pose a threat to slower offensive threats that lack the bulk to take its attacks, like Greninja and Tapu Koko. On top of that, Lopunny has access to a wide supportive movepool consisting of moves like Encore and Power-Up Punch that helps it take on bulkier Pokemon it struggles against, such as Clefable and Toxapex. Additionally, STAB Fake Out is another great asset that lets Lopunny pick off weakened Pokemon that outspeed it such as Mega Alakazam. However, Lopunny lacks the immediate power to break through some of the bulkier Pokemon in the metagame such as Mew and Toxapex, which forces it to rely on Power-Up Punch and Encore to pose a threat to defensive teams. Despite Lopunny's good matchup against offense, it can be easily overwhelmed by residual damage from entry hazards, weather conditions, and Rocky Helmet from opposing Pokemon, which leaves it vulnerable to priority moves like Ash-Greninja's Water Shuriken and Zygarde's Extreme Speed.
[SET]
name: All-out Attacker
move 1: Return
move 2: High Jump Kick
move 3: Power-Up Punch
move 4: Ice Punch / Fake Out / Encore
item: Lopunnite
ability: Limber
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Return is Lopunny's most reliable STAB move and hits a good portion of the metagame for neutral damage. High Jump Kick is Lopunny's most powerful STAB move and hits the Steel- and Rock-types that resist Return for super effective damage. It also gives Lopunny perfect coverage in combination with Return thanks to Scrappy. Power-Up Punch lets Lopunny punish passive switch-ins like Mew and Clefable with Attack boosts to eventually break through them. Since Lopunny's STAB combination gives it perfect coverage already, it has a couple of options for its last moveslot. Ice Punch makes it easier for Lopunny to break through defensive Landorus-T, which can chip at it with Rocky Helmet damage or can wall it for a longer period during a game thanks to its Leftovers. Ice Punch also hits Zygarde and Garchomp for more damage than High Jump Kick. Fake Out lets Lopunny pick off weakened targets that outspeed it like Mega Alakazam and boosted Zygarde. Encore works well in combination with Power-Up Punch, since it locks passive Pokemon like Mew and Toxapex into their recovery moves, thus giving Lopunny free setup opportunities.
Set Details
========
Maximum Speed investment with a Jolly nature puts Lopunny at a great Speed tier, outspeeding a great portion of the unboosted metagame and notably outpacing Ash-Greninja and Tapu Koko. Maximum Attack investment gives it as much damage output as possible. Scrappy prevents Ghost-types from switching into its STAB moves and gives it perfect coverage with only its STAB attacks. Limber is its best ability prior to Mega Evolution because it prevents Lopunny from being paralyzed in a pinch.
Usage Tips
========
Mega Lopunny is a fairly straightforward Pokemon due to its perfect coverage and great offensive stats, which give it a good matchup against offensive teams that lack a bulky Pokemon to take it on. However, in matchups where the opponent does have a reliable answer like Mew, Clefable, or Toxapex, it should be played more precisely. Power-Up Punch is Lopunny's best tool in these matchups, allowing it to break past its traditional checks after a boost, so it should try to use Power-Up Punch on a predicted switch-in. Nevertheless, a Power-Up Punch into a +1 move won't be enough to break through them, so Lopunny shouldn't try to stay in on the likes of Mew and Clefable right after using Power-Up Punch, because they could cripple it with Will-O-Wisp or Moonblast, respectively. Instead, switching out is usually a better idea because the foe will be forced to attack instead of using a recovery move, which will give the Lopunny check a harder time trying to switch into it later due to the chip damage. If Lopunny is running Encore alongside Power-Up Punch, it can use a different game plan; instead of catching passive Pokemon on the switch with Power-Up Punch, it should use one of its attacks to weaken the foe and force the opponent to use a recovery move. Then, it can use Encore and lock said check into its recovery move, thus giving Lopunny free room to start boosting its Attack and either force a switch or keep setting up on the recovery-locked foe.
Team Options
========
Lopunny works well on offensive teams that are looking for a good matchup against other offensive teams, so teammates that can cover the stall and balance matchups are great alongside it. Wallbreakers like Swords Dance Tapu Bulu and SubToxic Heatran are usually big nuisances for balance and stall teams, which Lopunny struggles against. Due to its frailty, Lopunny will also need a solid defensive backbone that can take hits for it and help bring it into the field safely. Pivots like defensive Landorus-T and Assault Vest Magearna work here. Another support option that helps Lopunny against bulkier teams is entry hazard support. Stealth Rock and Spikes setters like Ferrothorn, Landorus-T, Greninja, and Garchomp can lay hazards and slowly wear down switch-ins, although Clefable is immune to them thanks to its Magic Guard ability. Additionally, Toxic Spikes from Toxapex or Greninja can cripple Mew and bulky Water-types like Alomomola and Slowbro, which have a harder time checking Lopunny when poisoned. Because of the prevalence of some of Mega Lopunny's checks such as Toxapex and Mew, teammates that act as lures for these are appreciated. Greninja, for example, can lure them both in and surprise them with Extrasensory and Dark Pulse, respectively. Kyurem-B is another good teammate when holding Icium Z because it can get a surprise KO on Mew while also pressuring Landorus-T. Lastly, Magnezone traps Skarmory and physically defensive Celesteela, two big roadblocks for Lopunny, thus giving Lopunny an easier time late-game.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Healing Wish can be used in the last slot to give Lopunny some late-game utility, as it lets Lopunny fully heal a weakened teammate; however, Lopunny is usually really good late-game, so it isn't the best idea to sacrifice it then. Quick Attack can be used alongside Fake Out for a deadly double-priority combination that can give offensive teams a lot of trouble, though it only makes Lopunny's matchup against balance and stall worse. Facade lets Lopunny take advantage of non-Psychic Mew and Toxic Spikes from Toxapex to get a really strong STAB move with great coverage. However, this is very situational and being burned can be detrimental because Mega Lopunny's High Jump Kick will do significantly less damage. Substitute is an option to dodge status moves like Will-O-Wisp from Mew while also avoiding Scald burns from Toxapex. Toxic is a nice option because it lets Lopunny slowly wear down some of its checks such as Landorus-T and Mew, although the likes of Clefable and Toxapex aren't affected by it, and Lopunny will be badly poisoned as well if it uses Toxic against Mew.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Physically Defensive Pokemon**: Lopunny lacks the initial power to break through most of the common physically defensive Pokemon in the tier, including the likes of Mew, Toxapex, Skarmory, Mega Slowbro, and Clefable.
**Faster Pokemon**: Despite Lopunny's impressive Speed stat, it can't outspeed most Choice Scarf users like Keldeo and Garchomp, which can knock it out with Secret Sword and Outrage, respectively. Mega Alakazam deserves a mention as well because it naturally outspeeds Lopunny and OHKOes it with Psychic.
**Residual Damage**: Lopunny is prone to getting worn down by entry hazards, weather, and Rocky Helmet damage, which give it a harder time cleaning and revenge killing late-game because of priority users like Zygarde and Ash-Greninja. This also means Lopunny is easier to pick off by weaker attacks like defensive Landorus-T's Earthquake and Celesteela's Heavy Slam.
Last edited:
