How Does Mega Salamence Fit Into VGC Doubles Teams?

Late-night laddering on 'Pokémon Showdown' taught me one thing: Mega Salamence is that kind of Pokémon that makes you either grin maniacally or gulp and sweat when you see it across the field. As a Dragon attacker, it's insanely versatile. Mega gives it a big boost to raw physical power and noticeably better bulk, and its ability, 'Aerilate', is the secret sauce — it turns strong Normal moves like Double-Edge or Return into Flying-type STABs and makes them hit even harder. That gives Mega Salamence a twofold edge: huge, reliable damage that also nails Fighting-types and convenient coverage for types that would otherwise wall dragons. I usually run it as a setup sweeper: Dragon Dance plus a powerful 'Aerilate' hit is classic. After a boost, it can muscle through teams with a combination of Double-Edge/Return, Outrage or Dragon Claw for pure Dragon coverage, and a coverage slot like Earthquake or Stone Edge to handle Steel and Rock types. Roost is great if you want longevity and to abuse its bulk; without Roost it’s more of a glassy battering ram. In doubles it's even more threatening because its Fly/Double-Edge hits different partners' coverage, and teammates can handle its checks while it sets up. The flexibility is what really sells it — you can play it hyper-offensive with extreme damage or lean into a bulkier Dragon Dance set that can take hits and punish switches. That said, it isn't invincible. Mega Salamence’s Flying/Dragon typing leaves it vulnerable to common answers: bulky Steels like Ferrothorn and Scizor, priority users that can pick it off before it sets up, and fast, powerful Ice-types or Ice moves that threaten heavy damage. Team support matters: a hazard control answer, a spin/remover, or a partner that pressures priority and Steels will make it sing. Personally, I love using it with a pivot or a special wall that can soften up the Steel answers — pulling off a three-turn sweep after a good Double-Edge crit is ridiculously satisfying. If you enjoy a big-arming physical Dragon that can either plaster faces with Flying STAB or set up and sweep, Mega Salamence is one of the most fun and reliable choices around.

I've been spinning Mega Salamence on my OU teams since Gen 6 and it never stops feeling absolutely savage when it hits the field. My go-to set is a classic Dragon Dance sweeper built to muscle through walls and clean late-game scraps: Salamencite, Aerilate, Dragon Dance, Double-Edge, Earthquake, Roost. Nature and EVs depend on how desperate I am to outspeed certain threats — I usually run Adamant with 252 Attack / 4 HP / 252 Speed when I want that raw, crunchy damage after a single Dragon Dance. If I'm up against teams with faster threats that I can't afford to let live, I’ll switch to Jolly to grab a few extra outspeeds; the playstyle stays the same, just the timing changes. What I love about this set is how Aerilate turns Double-Edge into an absolute monster: it becomes a powerful STAB flying hit that chews through common physical checks. Earthquake gives you coverage on Steel- and Rock-types that would otherwise laugh at Flier-only coverage, and Roost keeps Salamence healthy to press its advantage after a DD boost — it’s the difference between surviving a Crunch and sweeping the rest of the match. In-game I treat Salamence as my late-game cleaner: scout for hazards and priority beforehand, use teammates to handle ice and fairy checks, then bring Mence in on a predicted switch or after removing bulky hazards. Team support matters more than people realize. I pair Mence with hazard setters like Ferrothorn so opposing switches get chipped, and with hazard removers or clerics — Rotom-Wash or Clefable — to handle status and keep it healthy. Ferrothorn and heat control (a well-placed Tapu Fini or a specially defensive Clefable) help cover its glaring 4x weakness to Ice and vulnerability to priority. Smoke and mirrors aside, the biggest counters you need to plan for are Ice-types and fast priority users like priority-armed Scizor or opposing Weavile; chip or remove those threats before committing a Dragon Dance. I also occasionally swap Roost for Protect in formats where prediction boosts matters more, or replace Earthquake with Fire Blast to surprise Ferrothorn-heavy teams, though that feels clunky because Salamence prefers physical momentum. If you like high-risk, high-reward plays, Adamant Double-Edge + DD will give you moments where you one-shot core pieces and feel unstoppable. If you prefer consistency, Jolly plus smarter predictions and Roost feels steadier. Either way, treat Mega Salamence like a late-game demon: set the board, scout for hazards/priority, and then let it dance — there’s nothing quite like wiping half an opposing team after one Dragon Dance.

I’ve seen Mega Salamence wreck teams more times than I can count, and if I had to pick one single counter that consistently makes it miserable, it’s Mamoswine. The combination of a priority 'Ice Shard' and massive STAB Ice attacks like Icicle Crash or Avalanche nails Mega Salamence’s gigantic 4× weakness to Ice. A well-played Mamoswine (think bulky offensive set with 'Ice Shard', 'Icicle Crash', 'Earthquake' and a coverage move or 'Stealth Rock') can either revenge-kill a late-game Salamence or put it in range for a hazard / chip finish. What I love about Mamoswine on my teams is that it doesn’t just rely on raw speed — the priority covers faster sweepers and makes life easier vs bulky Dragons that think they can set up. If you want a different approach: bring Intimidate or a reliable physical wall. Landorus-Therian (the Intimidate pivot) is a classic example: it forces Salamence down a peg on the switch, can throw back super-effective Rock hits like 'Rock Slide' or 'Stone Edge' when needed, and pivots with U-turn to keep momentum. Corviknight and Ferrothorn also do a great job of handling Salamence without panic — Ferrothorn resists Dragon and locks Salamence into less optimal moves while setting hazards, Corviknight can wall its physical sets and threaten big Brave Birds or Roost to stall out boosts. Both pair beautifully with hazard support: 'Stealth Rock' + a chip/priority cleaner makes finishing a boosted Salamence so much easier. Finally, don’t sleep on fast Rock or Fairy answers: Tyranitar and Mega Mawile (or bulky Fairies like Tapu Fini) can punish Salamence’s weaknesses—Tyranitar with Stone Edge/Crunch or a Sand team letting Tyranitar absorb hits, and Mega Mawile shrugging off Dragons thanks to Steel/Fairy typing while hitting back extraordinarily hard. Team composition matters: hazard support, a reliable priority Ice move, and at least one Intimidate pivot or a solid physical wall will turn Mega Salamence from terror into a predictable threat. I usually plan my switch-ins and keep one of those checks healthy, and that tiny bit of forethought saves so many games.