Mega Salamence

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.

Okay, here's how I think about building Mega Salamence as a mixed threat — I get excited about the creativity here because Aerilate opens up so many fun combos.

First, the basics: Mega Salamence’s Aerilate turns Normal moves into Flying-type and boosts their power. That’s the cornerstone for mixed sets because you can run both physical and special Normal moves and get STAB on both sides. The classic pair is a physical Normal like Double-Edge (or Return if you prefer safer recoil-free play) and a special Normal like Hyper Voice. With Aerilate, both become powerful Flying STABs and cover different kinds of defensive checks.

Around those two I usually slot a Dragon move and a coverage slot. Dragon Claw (physical) or Dragon Pulse/Draco Meteor (special) are the typical Dragon options depending on whether you want consistency or raw power. For coverage, Earthquake is a fantastic physical option to hit Steel types and opposing Fire/Flying switch-ins, while Fire Blast/Flamethrower as a special move helps handle Ferrothorn and Scizor. If you want survivability, Roost or Protect rounds out the set — Roost is especially nice to keep momentum and lets you re-enter safely.

A sample moveset I run in my more theorycrafted matches: Double-Edge / Hyper Voice / Dragon Claw (or Dragon Pulse) / Fire Blast (or Earthquake) with Salamencite held. Play it by reading switches: use Double-Edge to break physical walls, Hyper Voice for bulky teams, and mix in Fire Blast for Steel answers. Teammates that check Rock- and Ice-types (like a bulky Water or a Steel resist) really help the mixed approach work well for me.

Man, Mega Salamence is one of those Pokémon that makes me grin every time I boot up a doubles match. I usually build around the idea that it’s a massive physical win-condition that needs a little babysitting to reach sweep mode. In practice that means I want one teammate who can give it a free turn or blunt priority — Fake Out + Intimidate helpers are my go-to because they let Salamence either set up a Dragon Dance or just click a huge Aerilate-boosted 'Double-Edge' safely. Salamencite is mandatory, so plan your team around the fact it can’t hold anything else.

When I talk moves, I tend to run 'Dragon Dance', 'Protect', and then two attacking options — 'Double-Edge' (for that Aerilate STAB), and something like 'Rock Slide' or 'Outrage' depending on the meta. 'Rock Slide' is lovely in doubles because it hits both opponents and can flinch, which turbo-charges a sweep. Protect is non-negotiable; you’ll often be switching into wide attacks or needing to stall one turn while your partner pivots. Pair it with something that handles Fairy and Ice threats — a bulky Water or a Steel partner often saves Mence from immediate OHKOs.

Building tips: don’t stack weaknesses. Mega Salamence hates priority and Ice/Dragon/Fairy hits, so bring an Incineroar-like body that can Fake Out and Intimidate, or a bulky Water like 'Tapu Fini' to take Fairy punches and provide Misty Terrain. If you use a Tailwind setter (or Prankster support) put them on the other side so Salamence can clean late game. In short: Mega Salamence is a fantastic sweeper in doubles if you give it speed control, a fake-out/Intimidate pivot, and a teammate that covers its common counters — then sit back and watch it wreck the backline.

Building a rain team around Mega Salamence always feels a little funny to me because Mega Salamence itself doesn't directly benefit from rain—it's not a Swift Swim user—so most of the item choices that 'support' it are actually carried by its teammates. The one hard rule I always start with is: your Salamence must hold Salamencite. That means it can't carry life or berries or boots, so your planning shifts to what the rest of the team will carry to make Mega Salamence's life easier.

On the rain setter I usually slap a Damp Rock to extend the rain window. Politoed with Damp Rock gives you longer rain to let your Swift Swim sweepers run free, which in turn forces opponents to respect those threats and opens switch opportunities for Mega Salamence to set up a Dragon Dance. Another staple is a defensive hazard setter with Focus Sash (or a sturdy Leftovers user): getting spikes or stealth rock up is huge because Mega Salamence appreciates weakened switch-ins. If someone else is placing hazards, give them Heavy-Duty Boots so they can come in repeatedly without getting chipped down by entry hazards themselves.

For pivot/support items: I like Choice Scarf or Eject Button on a fast pivot to remove checks that threaten Mence, or a Red Card on a bulky contact Pokemon to force switches into your setup. Rocky Helmet or a Rocky Helmet + an Intimidate user (on a teammate) can punish physical attackers that try to body-check Salamence. Defensive core pieces often carry Leftovers or Sitrus Berry — they soak hits and create safer switch-ins for Mega Salamence to set up. Finally, offensive partners that capitalize on rain (like Kingdra or Lanturn) often run Life Orb or Choice Specs to pressure switches and let Salamence clean later.

In practice, my favorite combo is Politoed (Damp Rock) + a hazard setter with Focus Sash + a fast pivot with Choice Scarf, all of which let Mega Salamence secure at least one free Dragon Dance and then sweep. The exact items change with your playstyle, but remember: Salamencite is mandatory on Mence, so the team items are the real gear that supports it.

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.

I get genuinely excited talking about Mega Salamence—there’s something about that big-winged dragon just begging to set up and sweep. If you want the classic one-two punch of damage and momentum, the split you’re deciding between is basically raw power versus raw speed. My go-to recommendation for a straightforward sweeper is Jolly with 252 Atk / 252 Spe / 4 HP. That gives you maximum chances to outspeed threats after one Dragon Dance or to pressure walls immediately; Jolly keeps you ahead of other base-100s and many common threats, which matters a ton when you want to nuke things before they can counter. With that spread you run Dragon Dance, a strong STAB like Return/Double-Edge (or Outrage if you prefer locking in), and coverage like Earthquake or Fire Blast to hit Steel types—EVs focused on Attack and Speed means you don’t waste time setting up.

If you prefer hitting harder even if you take a little less priority on the speed ladder, Adamant with 252 Atk / 4 HP / 252 Spe (or the slight variation 252 Atk / 252 Spe / 4 HP but Adamant nature) is a popular choice. Adamant trades the Speed boost for higher KO consistency on bulky switch-ins—important when you’re trying to OHKO things like bulky Landorus or Ferrothorn after a boost. Another build I like when I’m thinking of a longer sweep is a bulk-shifted Dragon Dance set: Adamant with around 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 Atk. That lets you survive some chip and priority (think a risky Bullet Punch or a neutral Ice Shard) so you can get a second DD. I’ll be honest, those middle-ground EVs are where you can be creative depending on your meta: if you’re scared of priority or Scizor, funnel EVs into HP/Def; if you just want raw momentum, pump everything into Speed and Attack.

Practical tip from my ladder nights: if you want to guarantee outspeed base-100 threats after one boost, Jolly 252 speed is the safe bet. If your team already covers fast threats and you need splashier OHKOs, Adamant or a mixed bulk spread helps. And when in doubt, test both on a few matches—Mega Mence definitely feels different depending on that one nature choice, and it’s fun to tweak it like tuning a rogue in 'Pokémon' to match your playstyle.

Man, Mega Salamence feels like someone took the regular Salamence, handed it a set of armor-plated wings, and said ‘now go sweep arenas’ — and the stat changes really tell that story. In raw numbers: regular Salamence is 95 HP / 135 Atk / 80 Def / 110 SpA / 80 SpD / 100 Spe (BST 600). After Mega Evolving it becomes 95 HP / 145 Atk / 130 Def / 120 SpA / 90 SpD / 120 Spe (BST 700). So you’re looking at +0 HP, +10 Atk, +50 Def, +10 SpA, +10 SpD, and +20 Spe — a net +100 to the total.

That big jump in Defense (+50) and the bump to Speed (+20) are what really reshape how you use Salamence. It stops being a fragile glassy drake and turns into a fast, unexpectedly bulky presence that can both take hits and hit back. The Attack increase plus Aerilate (which turns Normal moves into boosted Flying moves) makes physical sets with Return or Double-Edge devastating; meanwhile the SpA bump opens room for mixed sets if you want to surprise people with Draco Meteor or Fire Blast. Typical playstyles lean into Dragon Dance + Aerilate-boosted physical moves, using 252 Atk / 252 Spe EVs and either Adamant or Jolly nature to capitalize on that 145 Attack and 120 Speed.

If you love the flavor of a beast that can switch roles, Mega Salamence is deliciously flexible: you can run it as a fast physical sweeper, a bulky pivot that uses Roost and Dragon-type coverage, or even a mixed threat that takes advantage of increased defenses. The stat changes make Mega Salamence both more forgiving to play and more threatening on the field — it punishes mistakes and rewards prediction, which is why I always get excited when I see one on either side of a match.

Whenever I watch a Mega Salamence barrel through a team, what really stands out is that its Mega form doesn't keep the usual ability— it swaps into 'Aerilate'. In plain terms, 'Aerilate' turns your Normal-type moves into Flying-type moves and gives them a power boost (about a 20% increase). The immediate payoff is that moves like Return, Double-Edge, or even the special move Hyper Voice suddenly get STAB as Flying attacks and pack noticeably more punch. It’s a subtle shift mechanically, but in practice it means a lot of your reliable Normal options become deadly aerial strikes.

From a practical standpoint, that ability changes how I build sets. Before Mega evolving, Salamence often uses Intimidate or another ability that helps its team survive; after Mega, it’s all offense. I love pairing 'Aerilate' with high Attack and a move like Double-Edge or Return because the boosted, Flying-typed hits cut through things they otherwise wouldn’t. Dragon Dance models are sweet too—boost Attack and Speed, then hit with a converted Flying physical move that gets STAB and the Aerilate bonus. Keep in mind you lose Intimidate’s utility when you Mega, so it’s a tradeoff: raw striking power and type conversion for team support.

I’ve had too many moments of giddy triumph watching a converted Return one-shot a bulky ground-weak opponent that thought it could wall me. If you mess with Mega formats (or older gens where Mega Evolution is allowed), Mega Salamence with 'Aerilate' is one of those satisfying, simple concepts that hits hard and feels cinematic: a dragon that suddenly makes every everyday move feel like a sky-smash. If you’re trying it out, test Return vs Double-Edge (recoil vs base power) and consider Dragon Dance or Life Orb depending on how reckless you want to be — personally I lean into sweep setups and the carnage that follows.

I still get that little rush when I finally nab a Mega Stone in a game — there's something about sliding Salamencite into Salamence's item slot and watching the wings blossom that never gets old. If you're hunting for the Mega Stone that turns Salamence into Mega Salamence, the item you're looking for is called Salamencite, and where you find it depends a lot on which Pokémon title you're playing.

Generally speaking, Mega Stones like Salamencite appear in any game that supports Mega Evolution (mainly Generation VI and some Gen VII entries). In those games they’re usually handed out as gifts by NPCs, tucked away as hidden items in the overworld, or available in post-game content like battle facilities. In titles that removed Mega Evolution from normal gameplay (for example 'Pokémon Sword' and 'Pokémon Shield'), Salamencite won’t be found in the wild — your best route there is to bring a Salamencite over via Pokémon HOME or trade from an older game where it exists. If you want the fastest route and don’t want to grind for an in-game drop, trading is the simplest: online trades, forums, or friends who still have Gen VI/VII cartridges are a quick fix.

If you want the exact coordinates or the NPC name for your specific game, I usually check a site like Bulbapedia or Serebii because they list precise locations for each title (for example, who gives the stone, which patch of ground hides it, or which battle reward hands it to you). And a little tip from my own hoarding days: if you're playing a Gen VI or Gen VII game, explore thoroughly after the main story — many Mega Stones are tucked into post-game areas or given as rewards for challenging battle facilities. Happy hunting — nothing beats seeing Salamence sweep with Dragon Dance + Multiscale intact.