Mega-mania in Pokemon Legends: Z-A; which mega is right for you?

GHENT, WV (WVNS) – With Pokémon Legends: Z-A planned to release in less than one month there's a question on many trainer's minds – what mega will you use? With more than 20 options to choose from , which is right for your team? Well, we have a few suggestions of which you can add to your team! 

For the sake of this article, we're not going to count the two Mega Raichus since they're part of the DLC and you won't be able to get theme immediately, any mega legends like Mewtwo, Latias, or Latios, or the megas for the Kalos starters since they appear to be locked behind online competition. 

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For the first suggestion, we're going a bit broad and suggesting any of the new megas. This includes, as of September 19, 2025, Mega Victreebel, Mega Dragonite, Mega Malamar, or Mega Hawlucha. Now, the first reason this is a suggestion is kind of obvious; this is the first time you'll have ever had the chance to use these pokémon. It's hard to determine which will be the most viable without access to stats and movepools, but with pokémon like Dragonite already having a base stat total of 600 even before mega evolving…you may just find something special with one of these picks. 

Now that we've just grouped all of the new additions into a single suggestion, let's talk about some of the more well-known megas. The first suggestion on our list is quite the electric addition to any team – Mega Ampharos! Now, I will admit that I am a girlie who loves the Mareep line and always will, but it's not just bias that makes Mega Ampharos a good pick! Mega Ampharos gains the dragon typing which gives you some pretty good resistance to a lot of elemental types like fire and water. Mega Ampharos also has a stat total of 610 which is nothing to sneeze at. The biggest drawback really is that Ampharos doesn't get access to a ton of dragon type attacks but if you give it some thought you should be able to make it work for you. As of Scarlet and Violet, Ampharos gets access to dragon pulse, dragon tail, outrage, breaking swipe, and dragon cheer.

If mega Ampharos isn't your cup of tea (why don't you like my sheep pokemon), don't fret because there are always more options. For example, many people like the ever elegant Mega Gardevoir. Gardevoir is just typically a good pokémon and having a mega only makes it more reliable. Mega Gardevoir is a psychic-fairy type and if you know anything about those two types then you know they usually make good use of their special attack stat. Mega Gardevoir has a robust special attack stat, landing at 165 on its stat chart. You can even make that worse for your opponent since Gardevoir gets access to the move calm mind which raises its special attack stat and its special defense stat. After that you can take advantage of STAB (same type attack bonuses) and start throwing out some hard hitting moves like psychic or moonblast. 

Another option you could explore is Mega Abomasnow. Mega Abomasnow boasts a grass-ice typing which is decent enough so long as someone doesn't throw out like a Mega Charizard or something like that. Unfortunately that 4x fire weakness is something to keep in mind. Despite that, Mega Abomasnow has promising stats with both its attack and special attack stats weighing in at 132 each. Because of this, the pokémon has some versatility in the way you use it. As a lucky bonus, it actually has moves in its movepool that lend well to using those advantageous stats as well as garnering STAB on moves. He's also pretty scary looking so that's a plus for anyone looking for a nice, intimidating member of their team. 

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Now, for players who want a tanky pokemon, Mega Swampertwould be a good go-to, but there's one big drawback – we have no idea when starter pokémon will be available in game. With that in mind you may want a placeholder in the team that is also defensive. Mega Audinowill likely be easier to get earlier on and has higher defense and special defense stats than Mega Swampert. Mega Audino gets access to a myriad of moves including a large array of moves with debuffs for your opponent. Between debuffs, healing moves, and some high defensive stats you can use Mega Audino to cheerfully chip away at your opponents slowly. The biggest plus though? It's a cutie! 

As we wind down this article of suggestions to consider, I would be remiss if I didn't include my favorite mega – a pokémon that is ultimately very lackluster in stats but that looks really cool. The final suggestion is none other than my favorite ghosty ghoul, Mega Banette. Mega Banette's base stat total isn't the best but it's also not the worst at 555. It has 165 in attack (yes, physical attack and not special) which is great…pending you get to attack first or you can live through a move yourself. This was a way bigger deal when battles were turn based but may not be as bad with the new Z-A battle system where you and your pokémon move around freely and have moves on recharge as you attack with other moves. That may be the saving grace of many a mega, but we'll have to wait and see. Mega Banette has an okay movepool with a few physical attack moves giving it STAB from the ghost typing, but it's not like it has the most perfect movepool in the world or anything – there are plenty of moves that don't yield themselves well to how Mega Banette would ideally battle. The biggest thing that makes me suggest this mega is simply that Mega Banette is really well designed (in my opinion). It looks like an extension of what the base form is which is a great thing for a mega. It's also nice and spooky which is a vibe that the ghost pokémon don't always give off. 

Now, there are plenty of mega that have already been introduced and everyone has a favorite, so which is yours and who will you be using when Pokémon Legends: Z-A comes out this October?!

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