What Mega Staraptor is
It is Fighting and Flying, with base stats of 85 HP, 140 Attack, 100 Defense, 90 Special Defense and 110 Speed. Staraptor comes in with Intimidate and, when it Mega Evolves, switches to Contrary, which reverses any stat change.
Pikalytics records an almost fixed set. The fourth move is the only one that varies, and it is almost always Tailwind: three in four run it.
| Move | Usage according to Pikalytics | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Close Combat | 99.9% | Fighting damage and, with Contrary, more bulk |
| Protect | 96.1% | Buy a turn and read the opponent |
| Brave Bird | 94.0% | Flying damage with one third recoil |
| Tailwind | 74.5% | Double Speed for the team |
Intimidate on entry, Contrary afterwards
Once it Mega Evolves, the Mega form stays for the whole game, even if it switches out and comes back. That is why it only gets Intimidate once: the first time it comes in, before Mega Evolving. After that, every time it returns to the field it does so with Contrary.
The decision of when to Mega Evolve matters more than it looks. If Staraptor leads, Intimidate has already gone off and Mega Evolving on turn 1 costs nothing. If it comes in later, it also gets Intimidate on entry, but from then on every drop it takes becomes a boost.
The Gdańsk winning team had another Mega, Mega Tyranitar. Since only one Pokémon can Mega Evolve per game, in games where Tyranitar Mega Evolved, Staraptor played with Intimidate and without Contrary. Bringing two Megas forces you to decide at team preview which of the two plans to use.
Contrary: every drop is a boost
Close Combat lowers the user's Defense and Special Defense; with Contrary, Mega Staraptor raises both by one stage each time. After two turns attacking with it, it is much bulkier than when it started.
The same goes for what the opponent does to it. Intimidate raises its Attack by one stage, and Parting Shot, the move Incineroar uses to switch out, raises its Attack and Special Attack. Icy Wind and Electroweb, two of the most used speed control moves, raise its Speed instead of lowering it.
There is one exception. Contrary can be ignored: an opponent with the Mold Breaker ability lowers its stats as normal.
Tailwind and Protect: the rest of the set
With 110 base Speed it already outspeeds much of the format, and Tailwind doubles its side's Speed for four turns, counting the turn it is set. That is what lets its partner move first too.
Brave Bird gives it back a third of the damage it deals as recoil. That recoil and its typing, weak to Electric, Ice, Psychic, Fairy and Flying, are what bring it down. Protect lets it wait out the turn the opponent spends that hit.
Who it pairs with and how to play against it
In Pikalytics' featured teams it shows up alongside Gholdengo, Rillaboom, Sylveon, Mega Raichu Y and Hisuian Arcanine. Our read: Gholdengo is the most logical partner, because the Steel type resists four of its five weaknesses (Ice, Psychic, Fairy and Flying).
Against it, the first step is to avoid doing what helps it. If you bring Incineroar, think twice before using Parting Shot or bringing it in to Intimidate; if your speed control is Icy Wind, aim it at the other opponent or set your own Tailwind. What does work is hitting it hard with Electric, Ice, Psychic, Fairy or Flying before it stacks up defenses.
