the ability Adaptabilityboosts STAB damage, combined with Swords Dance as a physical setup ace. High Speed pressures opponents, and priority moves lock down weakened foes.

Alternative Move Options

High-priority Extreme Speed is also strong

Extreme Speed is Bullet Punchhigher priority than the alternatives, winning priority wars. It also hits Water/Fire types neutrally despite Steel resistance — a differentiator.

Physical Setup Ace Role

From favorable matchups, Swords Danceuse a role of breaking the opponent's team with boosted Attack and ability boost. After boosts, STAB priority moves handle opposing attackers as a finisher.

Threats

Unfavorable vs. Pokémon resisting both main weapons

Its main weapons Close Combat and Meteor Mashresisted Pokémon are hard to break. Swords DanceWith stat boosts you can muscle through sometimes, but watch out for counterattacks if you fail to KO.

Specializes EVs in Sp. Atk and Speed, Nasty PlotMega Lucario special attacker build that fights using this. With Mega Evolution stat boosts and the STAB-boosting Ability Adaptability leverages, Dominates opponents with high-damage special moves including priority moves — its composition.

Alternative Move Options

Compare moves by accuracy and power

Aura Sphere is a stable move that always hits, but for even higher power, Focus Blast adoption is also an option. However, Focus Blast's accuracy at 70 is unreliable, so consider carefully when adopting.

Boosts power in exchange for recoil

STAB Steel-type moves, easy-to-use Flash Cannon besides, Mega Lucario's max damage Steel Beam is an option. Recoil is very large, but Can output power capable of OHKOing many Pokémon even at neutral effectiveness.

■ Steel Beam damage output

▲ Can OHKO Garchomp with no HP/Sp. Def investment.

Role of the Special Setup Ace build

In favorable matchups, Nasty Plot stacks to raise Sp. Atk, and breaks the opponent's board with boosted STAB moves as the main role. Attacks first from high Speed, and against faster or weakened opponents, Vacuum Wave uses, Aims for sweep with revenge-kills from above and high damage — its role.

Strong Against

Pokémon with Sp. Def lower than Defense

Mega Lucario has both high Attack and Sp. Atk, but this build invests in Sp. Atk.Attacks with special moves effective against high-Defense Pokémon selected to counter physical Mega Lucario can be done.

Threats

Attackers faster than itself

Mega Lucario's bulk isn't very high, so Choice Scarf attackers with this or Pokémon faster in base Speed, be careful. Pre-, Nasty Plot stacks to use priority moves like Vacuum Wave requires effort like pre-boosting damage.

A Lucario build that allocates EVs to Attack and Speed and uses Focus Sash to survive a hit while counterattacking with Counter. The Inner Focus Ability prevents being affected by Intimidate, so Stable revenge-kill performance via two types of priority moves has

Alternative Move Options

Counter can be replaced with Earthquake or Swords Dance

• Swords Dance

Focus Sash and Counter can also output high damage, but they become dead weight if countered by Fake Out, etc. Therefore, Using Earthquake for wide coverage or Swords Dance to boost priority moves' power are also recommended.

Role of the Stopper Lucario build

Leverages high matchup performance to survive one hit, then Handles matchup opponents with strong physical moves and Counter while stopping the opponent's ace from sweeping with priority movesPlays the role of a stopper. Its signature is forcibly breaking through the opponent's physical ace using Focus Sash as a shield.

Threats

Struggles against physical walls

Sash Lucario struggles against Pokémon that resist its main weapon at half or less, or against Pokémon with high physical bulk.Can also be switched into and have its position run over, so fight carefully while involving backup Pokémon.