Contest Meganium vs Sceptile

[Envoy]

Meganium vs Sceptile

VS

Some time ago, I made a thread that pitted the Kanto Grass Starter against the Sinnoh Grass Starter. Considering the success of that thread and the hotly contested arguments for both Venusaur and Torterra, I thought I'd do one that compared the remaining Grass Starters: Meganium and Sceptile.

These Pokemon are actually an interesting character study in opposites. They're have enough in common with each other so as to be compared (namely, their Starter Status, their similar BST and their pure Grass typing) but everything else is almost entirely the opposite.

Meganium is a defensive Pokemon. It's stregths lie in it's good HP, excellent defensive stats and great defensive/support movepool. It's offenses leave much to be desired, though it can run a decent Swords Dance set.

Sceptile is the exact opposite of this. It is a fast Pokemon (fastest Starter to date), it has great offensive stats and movepools (on both sides of the spectrum) and is about as bulky as a leaf in the wind. The only good defensive set it can run is the SubSeed set (which is admittedly really good)

As far as popularity is concerned, Sceptile seems to be the most popular Grass Starter of them all while Meganium is the least popular. Again, opposites.

So, which one of these Pokemon do you prefer?

Which one would win in a battle?

Which one is the most useful overall?

To be perfectly honest, I know there won't be much contest here, as 99% of the votes are gonna go to Sceptile, leaving poor Meganium in the dust.

To that end, I'm going to vote for the Johto Starter, simply because I know everyone else is gonna vote for Sceptile. I like them both more or less equally any way.

Other Meganium Starter matchups:

Venusaur vs Meganium

Meganium vs Torterra

Meganium vs Jaroda

Other Sceptile matchups:

Venusaur vs Sceptile

Sceptile vs Torterra

Sceptile vs Jaroda

 

[Lt.]

Meganium can wall and heal very efectivly, she's a brilliant support pokemon, and i have to say She gets my vote for both usefullness and awsomeness

but, in terms of a 1 v 1 fight Support < Power

Sceptile would kick meg's ass

 

[Outcast]

Tough choice... if I had to go with one, I would pick meganuim... I don't like many of it's attacks, but I can get it some pretty good ones, then it is really good.

 

[V Faction]

Agile. Mobile. Hostile. Sceptile.

 

[Ivysaur]

Meganium was my first Pokemon (well, Chikorita). I'm incredibly biased towards it as a result. Just because I like it doesn't mean I won't admit it's terribly incompetent in battle, however. Meganium is, by all means, a terrible Pokemon. This stems from it being a defensive Pokemon while lacking great moves to make use of it strengths; in addition, the Grass-type is a terrible type for a defensive Pokemon regardless because of its overwhelmingly number of weaknesses.

As an offensive Pokemon, Sceptile is significantly more useful. It boasts a great number of attacks that make use of its power. It's not the greatest Grass-type Pokemon out there, but it comes pretty damn close. I also like its design; Sceptile looks pretty cool.

I'm still voting for Meganium, just because it was my first Pokemon in my very first Pokemon game. It's disappointing, though, that the majority of Meganium's votes will most likely stem from pity.

 

[Envoy]

Meganium was my first Pokemon (well, Chikorita). I'm incredibly biased towards it as a result. Just because I like it doesn't mean I won't admit it's terribly incompetent in battle, however. Meganium is, by all means, a terrible Pokemon. This stems from it being a defensive Pokemon while lacking great moves to make use of it strengths; in addition, the Grass-type is a terrible type for a defensive Pokemon regardless because of its overwhelmingly number of weaknesses.

As an offensive Pokemon, Sceptile is significantly more useful. It boasts a great number of attacks that make use of its power. It's not the greatest Grass-type Pokemon out there, but it comes pretty damn close. I also like its design; Sceptile looks pretty cool.

I'm still voting for Meganium, just because it was my first Pokemon in my very first Pokemon game. It's disappointing, though, that the majority of Meganium's votes will most likely stem from pity.

While I agree with most of your post, especially the last part (unfortunately), I do think you're selling Meganium short. She's not the greatest Pokemon out there but she does have her good points

Namely:

-Aromatherapy

-Healing moves (Synthesis, Leech Seed)

-Resistance to Grass, Water, Ground and Electric

-Useful defensive stats on both sides of the spectrum

-Aromatherapy makes her a Cleric. There's very few of those out there, even fewer that are halfway competent. Meganium is one of the few that can use the move to good capacity

-How many "walls" in Pokemon are hindered by their lack of reliable recovery? Too many to count, honestly. Meganium doesn't fall into this category and she can indeed take hits all day long as long as they're not super effective

-Only three types resist/are inmune to Ground. Grass, Bug and Flying. Of these, Grass is the only one that can take Electric, Water and other Grass hits as well. Considering that these four types are some of the most common attacking types in the game, a Pokemon that can wall them all is something that can come in handy. Conversely, Bug and Poison moves (which Meganium is weak to) aren't quite as common.

-Base 100 in both defenses and base 80 HP means that Meganium has solid defensive stats on both sides of the spectrum. Thus, she can choose weather to be a physical wall or a special wall. Many other better walls specialize on one of these stats and get completely screwed over on the other. Meganium can take hits from both sides.

Are there better walls and clerics than Meganium out there? Of course. Many, but that doesn't make her completely incompetent.

 

[Lt.]

Does Sceptile get aromatherapy ?
if he does meganium's totaly out the window

 

[Zwampert]

Sceptile. Better speed and movepool.

 

[Envoy]

Does Sceptile get aromatherapy ?
if he does meganium's totaly out the window

No, it doesn't. Only a handful of Pokemon in the entire game learn "Cleric" moves (Heal Bell, Aromatherapy). These include (but are not limited to) Blissey, Miltank, Celebi and Meganium. That's why it's so difficult to find good Clerics out there. So few Pokemon can use the moves.

 

[Azure Butterfly]

Sorry Meg, I love you but Sceptile was my first starter.

And Sceptile isn't as fragile as most people make it out to be. Mine has a +Def nature and takes Earthquakes to the face without even flinching. Also, Swords Dance FTW.

 

[Durbe]

Sceptile since it can be a great sweeper.

 

[Morru]

five words:
Sceptile. can. learn. dragon. claw.

 

[PlatinumDude]

I'm going with Sceptile. I'm too offensively oriented and Meganium lacks the offensive stats to sweep. Not only that, Sceptile looks plain awesome.

 

[Morru]

I'm going with Sceptile. I'm too offensively oriented and Meganium lacks the offensive stats to sweep. Not only that, Sceptile looks plain awesome.

i will take yellow spore things growing on my back over a giant hibiscus sprouting on my neck any day.:cheers:

 

[CuboneKing]

I have a Sceptile on my team in HeartGold, and it rocks. Every Meganium I've seen I can burn right through.

 

[Envoy]

Sorry Meg, I love you but Sceptile was my first starter.

And Sceptile isn't as fragile as most people make it out to be. Mine has a +Def nature and takes Earthquakes to the face without even flinching. Also, Swords Dance FTW.

I'm pretty sure that has more to do with Grass resisting Ground more than with Sceptile's actual defensive prowess

 

[Zekurom]

Neither. Torterra is better.

I've never had Sceptile before, though, so I'd have to go with Meganium.

 

[Brent]

I really like Sceptile.. and Meganium is actually my least favouritee starter evolution (that isn't to say I hate it though). Sceptile is fast and strong enough to find more use because it is good at what it does. Meganium is ok at what it does but doesn't really stand out as much competitively so Sceptile finds more use. My vote goes to Sceptile.

 

[Articwolf10]

Sceptile he's my favorite starter (OR at least I think so can't choose between him and Charizard) Megenium i smeh never really used it (Though it's on one of my teams) bu tI prefer offesnive to defensive

 

[Shizuka]

Considering both have multiple x2 weaknesses, Meganium can survive longer than Sceptile. Meganium learns safeguard, reflect & light screen which makes it a good partner in 2on2 battles. And with 3on3 battles being introduced in Gen V, I'm sure Meganium's role of being a support will really outshine. Meganium takes "brain" to really pull off it's abilities which makes it more interesting to me than the boring usual sweeper role of Sceptile.

Meganium gets my vote.