Resource LC SuMo Viability Rankings (updated @ post #204)

Status
Not open for further replies.
D rank needs a cleaning. All of these I'm suggesting for unranked if that wasn't clear.

Crabrawler. It's even really directly outclassed, it's just bad. Unlike the various other good Fighting types of the tier, it lacks Knock Off, which heavily impacts its viability due to not being able to support the team or wear down its checks and counters as effectively. It's able to beat Mudbray, yes, but that's honestly not enough for it to remain ranked. With all the other very good fighting types in the tier it's hard to justify using Crabrawler at all.
Diglett-Alola. Man this guy is not very good for a variety of reasons. It doesn't have a lot of power, it's still very frail, and while 19 is a great speed tier it means that Diglett-A loses to Diglett A+ (the good one) and ties with several pokemon it would rather outspeed and land a KO on like Ponyta and weakened Staryu. It has some theoretical use but it sees no real usage for a good reason - it's very bad.

Growlithe. This is probably one of the more controversial ones, but frankly Growlithe just isn't really cut out for the current meta. Fire types in general aren't particularly great right now, and Growlithe is no exception. Intimidate is a good ability, but Growlithe just faces too much competition from the better Ponyta and Larvesta for a defensive Fire Type.

Munna. This thing is for Baton Pass and is horrific everywhere else. Baton Pass, while not an absolutely irredeemable team strategy, isn't nearly as effective as it was last gen and hasn't proven itself like it did last gen. Overall Munna, due to being pretty much completely unable to function outside of Baton Pass and Baton Pass's general lack of effectiveness, should be unranked.

Piplup. Yes, it has Defog and Stealth Rock. If you really want hazard removal and hazards in a Water type, Kabuto is much better. Piplup lacks attacking power, bulk, and speed in anything above middling levels. I've yet to see anybody use it effectively and overall you're better using one of the many other far more effective hazard removal Pokemon in the tier.

Poliwag. Poliwag has Belly Drum, 19 speed, and Hypnosis. Those are the good points. Poliwag also has only 60 accuracy with Hypnosis, loses to the not uncommon Pumpkaboo and Ferroseed, and is revenge killed by LO Diglett who outspeeds it. Also most Choice Scarf users outspeed and KO it. It's just not very good, and you're better served by using Magby or Zigzagoon if you need a Belly Drum sweeper.

Yungoos. This thing is absolutely awful. Stakeout is an amazing ability, but Yungoos is an awful pokemon that cannot make up for it. It's horrifically frail, slow, and its attacks are only strong when boosted by Stakeout due to its merely good 70 base attack. You're significantly better served by using Bunnelby who hits hard all the time.

Meanwhile Squirtle should be taken out of Smog Frog and moved to normal unranked. It's definitely not a good enough Pokemon for D rank, but it's significantly more usable than the other pokemon in Smog Frog. Z-Celebrate is usable if not great, and keeping it in Smog Frog is just mean to OP.
Maybe Poliwag is so much better than others. Belly Drum + Watefall/Return is a strong win condition, over Hyposis it has Thief, that allows Poliwag to use opposing Pokemon item when it loses its BJ. Encore can be used for lock opponent and set up right after. In a Sticky Web team I think it could be its chances, so D rank is justified for Poliwag. Perhaps a C-, looking for 'mons in this rank.
 
Last edited:

Merritt

no comment
is a Tournament Directoris a Site Content Manageris a Member of Senior Staffis a Community Contributoris a Contributor to Smogonis a Top Dedicated Tournament Host
Head TD
Maybe Poliwag is so much better than others. Belly Drum + Watefall/Return is a strong win condition, over Hyposis it has Thief, that allows Poliwag to use opposing Pokemon item when it loses its BJ. Encore can be used for lock opponent and set up right after. In a Sticky Web team I think it could be its chances, so D rank is justified for Poliwag. Perhaps a C-, looking for 'mons in this rank.
Poliwag's issue is that it loses if the opponent has a faster pokemon. This is not limited to Choice Scarf pokemon but certainly includes them.

236 Atk Doduo Return vs. 116 HP / 0 Def Poliwag: 19-24 (86.3 - 109%) -- 43.8% chance to OHKO (Brave Bird 100% KOs)
236 Atk Mienfoo High Jump Kick vs. 116 HP / 0 Def Poliwag: 25-30 (113.6 - 136.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO
236 Atk Scraggy High Jump Kick vs. 116 HP / 0 Def Poliwag: 24-28 (109 - 127.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO
196 Atk Mudbray Earthquake vs. 116 HP / 0 Def Poliwag: 21-25 (95.4 - 113.6%) -- 75% chance to OHKO (Adamant 100% KOs)

Obviously scarf Chinchou and Elekid OHKO. The next calc, however, is absolutely beautiful.

236 Atk Life Orb Diglett Earthquake vs. 116 HP / 0 Def Poliwag: 21-27 (95.4 - 122.7%) -- 93.8% chance to OHKO

Poliwag requires a fairly large amount of support to even get the Belly Drum off if it doesn't run Hypnosis (which has 60 accuracy), in exchange for being an honestly underwhelming sweeper which is incredibly vulnerable to being revenge killed. Honestly, if you're going to the trouble of setting up Sticky Web why not just use Magby who is equally murderous if not more so and at least has priority to at minimum damage if not outright defeat the pokemon faster than it.

The sheer amount of pokemon you need to KO for an honestly underwhelming payout just makes Poliwag not really worth it, definitely not for C- and not even for D.
 
Poliwag's issue is that it loses if the opponent has a faster pokemon. This is not limited to Choice Scarf pokemon but certainly includes them.

236 Atk Doduo Return vs. 116 HP / 0 Def Poliwag: 19-24 (86.3 - 109%) -- 43.8% chance to OHKO (Brave Bird 100% KOs)
236 Atk Mienfoo High Jump Kick vs. 116 HP / 0 Def Poliwag: 25-30 (113.6 - 136.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO
236 Atk Scraggy High Jump Kick vs. 116 HP / 0 Def Poliwag: 24-28 (109 - 127.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO
196 Atk Mudbray Earthquake vs. 116 HP / 0 Def Poliwag: 21-25 (95.4 - 113.6%) -- 75% chance to OHKO (Adamant 100% KOs)

Obviously scarf Chinchou and Elekid OHKO. The next calc, however, is absolutely beautiful.

236 Atk Life Orb Diglett Earthquake vs. 116 HP / 0 Def Poliwag: 21-27 (95.4 - 122.7%) -- 93.8% chance to OHKO

Poliwag requires a fairly large amount of support to even get the Belly Drum off if it doesn't run Hypnosis (which has 60 accuracy), in exchange for being an honestly underwhelming sweeper which is incredibly vulnerable to being revenge killed. Honestly, if you're going to the trouble of setting up Sticky Web why not just use Magby who is equally murderous if not more so and at least has priority to at minimum damage if not outright defeat the pokemon faster than it.

The sheer amount of pokemon you need to KO for an honestly underwhelming payout just makes Poliwag not really worth it, definitely not for C- and not even for D.
Over Hypnosis means "it has also Thief, not on replacement of" (and I should add Encore too). I'm sure it's not a Zigzagon and it requires a farly lange amount of support as you say correctly. But it's not Munna, Piplup, Yungoos and others. I think it's better than these, enough to deserve a rank.
 

Hilomilo

High-low My-low
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnus
I definitely think that Poliwag has enough merits of its own over other Belly Drum sweepers to maintain placement in D. Hypnosis, as was said by The Quasar, is an extremely unique and useful tool that while situational, separates Poliwag from its competition in that it can create its own setup opportunities. Encore is also an extremely helpful option, since it can aid Poliwag in locking foes onto status moves or attacks its resistant or immune to, which are plentiful in the metagame, given its great defensive typing, and proceed to set up from there. I also disagree with the claim that the payoff generally isn't worth it, as Poliwag can straight up plow through teams that have faster Pokemon and defensive grasses removed, which isn't too difficult given the fact that it has 5 teamslots that can be used to support it. Overall, Poliwag is a Pokemon that has enough merits over similar Pokemon to justify use, but requires quite a bit of support to be the devastating late-game threat it is, which in my eyes, is the perfect criteria for a Pokemon in D.

I'm also a little skeptical about unranking Piplup, since I think that it has quite a few perks over Kabuto to justify being used. Its better special bulk and access to Defog rather than Rapid Spin actually allow it to remove hazards against the likes of Pumpkaboo, Frillish, and Gastly, while it also has room for coverage against Grass-types in the form of Ice Beam, or a great utility option in Yawn, which can force switches and at times guarantee that either rocks are being set or hazards are being removed. The pure Water-typing is also really nice, as while Piplup can't use it to check birds, it does come in handy against Fighting- and Ground-types that at times, Kabuto can struggle to fend off against, since it usually isn't using Water-type STAB. Overall, while you generally shouldn't be using Piplup over Kabuto, the former has plenty of perks over the latter to justify use in certain situations, which again, is something that I think defines a Pokemon in D quite well.

As for Abra and Diglett, I personally believe that both fit comfortably in A+. Abra has absolutely no safe checks now, what with its Sash variant's former counter in Alolan Grimer fearing both a Life Orb-boosted HP Ground or Counter. The only reliable forms of counterplay against Abra now are multi-hit attacks, which are only carried by Pokemon that it outspeeds, and whittling it down to Sash with U-turn and bringing in a Ghost-type, which can still be played around given Abra's access to Shadow Ball. It's overall just an amazing Pokemon that by virtue of Counter, now has no safe counterplay, is hard not to find room for on teams, and will literally always either net a KO for your team or weaken foes into revenge range. Diglett's definitely a tricky Pokemon to assess the viability of, but I think that Nineage did an excellent job talking about it. It seems that while its ability to support some sweepers is about as valuable to offensive teams as ever, that a lot of the Pokemon Diglett will likely support, like Carvanha, Alolan Sandshrew, Shellder, and Tirtouga are either decreasing in consistency or require more than just Diglett's support to successfully sweep late-game. There's also the rise in bulky Pokemon that take Diglett's hits extremely comfortably, like Timburr, Snubbull, Spritzee, Slowpoke, Ferroseed, and Eviolite Onix, as well as the fact that Diglett just seems to have more relevant counterplay that anything that currently resides in S. Both great mons that because of the aforementioned traits, should rise to A+ in Abra's case, or stay there in Diglett's.

To finish off this post, I'd like to include some of my own nominations (bear with me, I know this post has been lengthy) since I think that there are still a few things that could occur within the current rankings. Here's what I think should happen:
Chinchou up to A+: This one may be a bit controversial, but I honestly feel that in this current meta, Chinchou has what it takes to rise to the same rank as the likes of Shellder and Foongus. Both its Berry Juice and Choice Scarf sets are capable of knitting teams together thanks to its ability to simultaneously pressure Water-types and Diglett, which is a huge concern for any other Electric-type (pressuring Ground-types in general is also a really useful tool). Between its revenge killing capabilities, which as a Choice Scarf user are nearly uncontested, and its ability to blanket check a huge portion of the metagame with Berry Juice, Chinchou is a really influential Pokemon that is guaranteed to put in work for your team, and should also be represented as the tier's best Electric in rising above Magnemite.

Onix up to A+: I'm aware of the fact that Onix just recently rose, but it's already better than what it's with in A lol. The newfound viability of Onix's Weak Armor set gives it the ability to between its two great sets, either set up hazards more consistently than anything else in the tier, heavily dent or revenge kill a foe with Sturdy still intact, or function as the tier's absolute best check to Flying-types, which had ways to deal with all of their traditional checks up until Weak Armor Onix was discovered. Both of Onix's abilities allow it to maintain an incredible amount of versatility, provide for its team more consistently and in more ways than anything in its current subrank, and fit onto teams just as easily as anything in A+, which is most definitely why it's worthy of a rise.

Sandile down to C: I feel like not a lot of attention is paid at all to Sandile, and I admittedly forgot it existed until having used it a bit recently, and I really don't think that right now Sandile has what it takes to maintain placement alongside a lot of things that it doesn't compare to at all in terms of consistency, like Meowth, Stufful, Lileep, and Koffing. Its Choice Scarf set offers very little over Mudbray, which has a better typing for tanking hits, actual bulk, and a lack of reliance on Moxie for actual power, and Drilbur, who also doesn't rely on a KO for power and can maintain better typing while also hitting Ghost-types with Shadow Claw. Its support set is honestly worse than Choice Scarf currently, as the rise in Fighting-types since last gen and Sandile's inability to beat the tier's premier hazard remover or outcompete most other hazard setters is quite troubling. Overall, neither of Sandile's sets, even when put together to consider versatility, impress me enough to believe that its current rank is justified due to the competition it's faced with in both its roles.

If you made it this far, thanks so much for reading! Let me know what you guys think, hope you enjoyed this post :)
 
Last edited:

Xayah

San Bwanna
is a Community Contributoris a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnus
So I already talked a bit about Abra, but I want to do it again.

A -> S/A+

This mon is absolutely amazing right now. Its Focus Sash set is capable of revenge killing every sweeper in the metagame bar Shellder and Dwebble. Its good coverage means that there are few Pokemon that can safely switch in as well, and its amazing Speed means that it's not even easy to revenge kill even when its Sash is broken, as it outspeeds most of the unboosted metagame. And when you do get an Alolan Grimer or Scarf Pawn in on it, it clicks Counter and destroys its best counters. So yeah, the Sash set is absolutely incredible and on its own would already be worth S or at least A+ rank in my opinion. However, I want to focus on its Life Orb set.

What are those replays? Those are three LCPL games out of week 1 only in which Life Orb Abra + Webs was brought and completely destroyed its opponent. And these were not cherry picked; these three were the only games that have been played at the time of typing this in which LO Abra Webs was brought. You might argue that the teams of their opponents were not at all ready to face it, and you'd be right. But here's the thing; there are so few mons that can actually take on this type of team. Reliable hazard removal is of course the main way, but all hazard removers are very vulnerable to Life Orb Abra, and Sticky Web teams are always well prepared to prevent their Webs from being removed. So how do you actually deal with this Abra? Alolan Grimer is probably the best solution, though that gets 2HKOed by LO HP Ground, which has been getting more common. As such, it will have to come in on a revenge kill, meaning you have to lose a mon, or a very risky double switch. Oh, and Abra also needs to not have a Substitute.
Abra's wallbreaking potential is ridiculous, and the fact that three seperate people on seperate LCPL teams realized its incredible potential and made great use of it speaks for its potential. The very least we can do for this sleeping genius is move it up to A+, but it should really be ranked among the best in S.

EDIT: To be clear, I am aware there are more replays that include Abra. I did not take a very close look at those as I wanted to highlight how incredible Abra Webs is right now.
 

Kabuto to B+
Simple really. Look at B. Look at your teams. Which mon should be on there much more than the others. Seems obvious looking at the other mons in B. That being said more reasoning I know. For one, Kabuto is similar to mons like Pawniard and Abra and Croagunk as it glues SO many teams together and if you're not using staryu, you're using kabuto. If you want a quick, reliable rocks setter and spinner as well as one of it not the best bird answers currently as well as an incredible knock off user and excellent dual stabs, than you need yourself a kabuto. Kabuto is a slightly worse star+onix core for more anti-meta teams generally, allowing them an extra slot. Overall just better than the other mons in B.

Torchic to A-
Ok both sets are really nice right now. Teams are never prepped for the LO set. Their checks are almost always chinchou, mudbray or staryu which all get nuked regardless and are chipped throughout the game anyways. Torchic is one of the best mid game breakers right now in my opinion. Fire blast does around 80% to almost everything in the tier that does not resist it and HP Grass hits the staryus and chinchous of the tier. The only downside to this mon is landing fire blasts is not reliable, however this mon is better than everything in B+ right now in my opinion. Curse pass is also incredible as always and unless they have a kabuto or onix they're out of luck and even then just don't lead with it or bring it on those mons. Speed pass to mons like Snivy, Croagunk, and Timburr specifically right now is very hard to beat, especially if you get the oppurtunity to get a sub up or a curse up for one of them.
Some LO calcs in relation to this things "checks" Didn't include onix or kabuto as HP grass ohkoes both assuming rocks are up for sturdy juice onix however endure just beats chic regardless and bar aqua jet kabuto of course.
200+ SpA Life Orb Torchic Hidden Power Grass vs. 116 HP / 0 SpD Eviolite Staryu: 13-16 (61.9 - 76.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

(Assuming you knock staryu at some point during the game)
200+ SpA Life Orb Torchic Hidden Power Grass vs. 116 HP / 0 SpD Staryu: 16-21 (76.1 - 100%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO
200+ SpA Life Orb Torchic Fire Blast vs. 116 HP / 236+ SpD Eviolite Mudbray: 12-16 (48 - 64%) -- 96.5% chance to 2HKO (SpDef Rest Talk)
200+ SpA Life Orb Torchic Fire Blast vs. 116 HP / 0 SpD Mudbray: 21-27 (84 - 108%) -- 50% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock (Juice)
200+ SpA Life Orb Torchic Hidden Power Grass vs. 76 HP / 0 SpD Chinchou: 16-21 (64 - 84%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
 
Last edited:
Definitely agree with the Chinchou to A+ nomination. Chinchou is such an amazing glue mon in the current meta in that its Berry Juice set can check so many mons seen on several teams, like Magnemite, Elekid, bulky Ponyta, Carvanha, Corphish, and more. Choice Scarf is also an amazing revenge killer due to its pivoting capabilities and the fact that it discourages Arena trap users from switching in due to the threat of Hydro Pump (very helpful trait for an Electric-type), which limits Chinchou's switch-ins, guarantees that it'll put in work during the match, and allows it generate momentum. Overall, the versatility between Chinchou's sets and amount of utility that both can consistently provide their teams with is enough for a rise, especially considering that Magnemite didn't drop to A-. I also agree with the Abra, Kabuto, Onix, and Sandile nominations, but feel like those are more or less no brainers in comparison to a rather controversial one in Chinchou.

While I'm still here, I'd like to go ahead and give some nominations of my own so we can hopefully begin producing some mroe discussion. Here they are:

Doduo up to A: I'm of the opinion that Doduo is better than Rufflet, but that the latter certainly shouldn't drop from A- due to its exceptional wallbreaking capabilties. Doduo also just has what it takes to rise right now, since its Berry Juice and Choice Scarf sets are both so threatening. Both sets provide teams with either an extremely reliable wallbreaker or revenge killer, while Doduo also enjoys the increase in Flying Spam's viability, which allows it to become even more splashable than before. Overall, Doduo's an extremely splashable Pokemon that fulfills two offensive roles extremely well in this current metagame, which is grounds for a rise considering it also responds well to metagame trends like the ever-so-prevalent defensive Grasses and Sticky Web teams, which for the most part carry Pokemon that are absolutely decimated by this two-headed ostrich.

Scraggy up to A-: I really like Scraggy right now. It's responded really well to metagame trends as of late in that both Dark and Fighting spam are more frequently seen, which Scraggy excels on as a late-game cleaner. This nomination is also a matter of Scraggy just being better than the Pokemon in its current rank, as its amazing typing, bulk, and adequate coverage allows it to set up and clean super reliably, and more consistently put in work for its team than the likes of other B+ mons in Aipom, Drilbur, Mareanie, and Tirtouga.

Zigzagoon and Alolan Vulpix up to A-: This is a similar case to Scraggy in that while some has changed for these Pokemon to warrant a rise, they also are just better than anything currently in their rank and should rise as a result. Zigzagoon's responded really well to the decrease in viability of one of its most reliable checks in Pumpkaboo, and it's also finding itself on a lot of RMTs that prove that it's a really easy Pokemon to support for a late-game sweep (after you support Zig with some mons, you'll find that there are quite a few more slots available, leaving it with plenty of flexibility for its team). As for Alolan Vulpix, it's just an amazingly solid Pokemon in the current metagame given how consistently it's able to set up Aurora Veil, how good of synergy it has with Pokemon that can circumvent ways to prevent or break Aurora Veil, and the fact that it's finding itself on more teams with more sweepers, which I'm sure we've all agreed optimize their sweeping capabilities with Aurora Veil support. The sheer amount of support A-Vulpix provides is amazing, especially given how little counterplay there is due to the above mentioned reasons, and due to the fact that A-Veil's now the best way to support a sweeper, A-Vulpix should definitely rise alongside Ziggy.

Snover and Amaura to switch ranks As Hail setters, these two really don't compare in that Snover provides for Alolan Sandshrew a lot more. With a Choice Scarf and its additional grass-typing, Snover can much more reliably cover A-Shrew's biggest checks in Water-types, while also not stacking as severe of weaknesses as Amaura, and also responding quite well to the decreased viability of Fire-types. Amaura on the other hand is totally donked by the tier's plethora of Fighting-type priority attacks, can't take care of A-Shrew's checks as reliably, and has a less useful typing given its weakness to fairly prevalent types of Pokemon in Water, Grass, and Ground. As such, the two should switch ranks for Snover's better capabilties over Amaura as both an Ice-type scarfer and source of support for hail sweepers.

Houndour and Skrelp down to B-: Neither of these Pokemon are good enough to justify B right now. Houndour hates the increasingly prevalent Fighting-types, especially since more than one is seen on quite a few teams nowadays, while the newfound viability of Bloom Doom Ponyta also gives it severe competition as a specially offensive Fire-type due to Ponyta's lack of a Fighting weakness, better Speed, and actual ability to defeat bulky waters. Fire also isn't a very good offensive typing in the current meta anyway, while Dark isn't great considering not many Psychic- and Ghost-types are seen bar Abra and Gastly, which have their ways around it. Skrelp also struggles in that it's faced with heavy competition from Mareanie, and that it's low Speed, susceptibly to Diglett, and inability to respond well to the increase in usage of Electric-types like Elekid have all served as recent detriments to it that don't allow it to compare to things in B right now.

Sandshrew down to C+: Not sure why this rose tbh. I believe it was because it could hit Pumpkaboo-XL with Knock Off, but even then its susceptible to Giga Drain and Will-O-Wisp and faces far too much competition from both Drilbur and Kabuto, since both can also hit spinblockers with coverage moves as well as spin and pressure teams much more consistently. It really doesn't deserve to be in the B ranks if Kabuto or Drilbur are there, especially since it's also much easier to pressure defensively due to its poor Speed.

Aron unranked: There's little to no reason to use Aron right now. Fighting-types are everywhere, it can't do anything to defensive waters or grasses, and other offensive and defensive rock-types, particularly Archen and Onix, outcompete it 99% of the time. Aron is too outclassed in all of its roles to justify placement on teams, and more importantly on the VR, which is why it should definitely go unranked alongside the likes of Alolan Diglett and Crabrawler. Thanks for reading!
 
Scraggy up to A-: I really like Scraggy right now. It's responded really well to metagame trends as of late in that both Dark and Fighting spam are more frequently seen, which Scraggy excels on as a late-game cleaner. This nomination is also a matter of Scraggy just being better than the Pokemon in its current rank, as its amazing typing, bulk, and adequate coverage allows it to set up and clean super reliably, and more consistently put in work for its team than the likes of other B+ mons in Aipom, Drilbur, Mareanie, and Tirtouga.
I disagree. As Fighting spam gets better, I think Scraggy gets worse. While it can be used on Fighting spam teams, it struggles to find a teamslot with Mienfoo and Timburr in the metagame. Scraggy is weak to fighting itself, so it is greatly hindered by the strong presence of these two Pokemon. Choice Scarf Mienfoo outspeeds +1 Scraggy and OHKOes, while Timburr threatens Scraggy with Mach Punch. As for Dark spam, it has actually decreased in popularity, probably because of the rise of Fighting spam. Scraggy is fine where it is.

Zigzagoon up to A-: Zigzagoon's responded really well to the decrease in viability of one of its most reliable checks in Pumpkaboo, and it's also finding itself on a lot of RMTs that prove that it's a really easy Pokemon to support for a late-game sweep (after you support Zig with some mons, you'll find that there are quite a few more slots available, leaving it with plenty of flexibility for its team).
How has Pumpkaboo decreased in viability? It's good right now, being able to spinblock pretty reliably. It's also not one of the most reliable Zigzagoon checks. In fact, the Eviolite set is actually incredibly unreliable: +6 196+ Atk Zigzagoon Thief vs. 204 HP / 36 Def Eviolite Pumpkaboo-Super: 22-26 (88 - 104%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
Only the rather uncommon Z-Trick or Treat set is a good Zigzagoon check because it outspeeds. But even then, Pumpkaboo still hasn't decreased in viability.

I think B+ is acceptable for Zigzagoon. However, Grimer-Alola is very good in the current meta and a great Zigzagoon partner, being able to Pursuit trap Gastly and provide Memento support. It can also wear down Onix, a very common Zigzagoon check which often switches in to it. Zigzagoon might just about be suitable for A-.
 
Diglett up to S
: Diglett has always been a meta defining threat with its ablity to trap combined with strong STAB EQs and 20 speed. I don't think I have to mention the pros of LO dig and Sash dig as those are commonly known, however I will talk about Groundium Z and Scarf.

This gen it was gifted with Groundium Z which have let it do some amazing things that I think among other factors warrant it being moved up to S.

Lets look at some calcs of what it can do with Groundium Z
236 Atk Diglett Tectonic Rage (180 BP) vs. 116 HP / 156 Def Eviolite Staryu: 15-18 (71.4 - 85.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
236 Atk Diglett Tectonic Rage (180 BP) vs. 0 HP / 156 Def Eviolite Timburr: 15-18 (62.5 - 75%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
236 Atk Diglett Tectonic Rage (180 BP) vs. 0 HP / 196 Def Eviolite Mienfoo: 15-18 (71.4 - 85.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
236 Atk Diglett Tectonic Rage (180 BP) vs. 76 HP / 76 Def Aipom: 22-27 (95.6 - 117.3%) -- 75% chance to OHKO
236 Atk Diglett Tectonic Rage (180 BP) vs. 36 HP / 196 Def Eviolite Grimer-Alola: 30-36 (120 - 144%) -- guaranteed OHKO

Staryu and Timburr and Mienfoo all take some serious damage from Z EQ. After a little bit of chip damage and Diglett is able to trap them. In the case of defensive Staryu it's as simple as pivoting out with U-Turn.

Aipom is revenged with ease, after some damage from LO it's a guaranteed OHKO. Grimer-A gets OHKOd instead of it being a slim 6.3% chance.
236 Atk Life Orb Diglett Earthquake vs. 36 HP / 196 Def Eviolite Grimer-Alola: 18-26 (72 - 104%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO

Another reason why Diglett warrants S ranking is the rise in usage of Beat Up > Sucker Punch. Beat Up allows Diglett to beat mon's it normally couldn't such as Sash Abra (which is one of the top threats right now with the counter set) and Sash Gastly.

Scarf Diglett has also become a big threat in the current meta. Scarf lets Diglett hit an amazing 30 Speed. This allows Diglett to outspeed sweepers such as +2 Shellder and +1 Ponyta and revenge them. Scarf Diglett also can trap other scarfers when it's brought in.

With the unpredictability of Diglett sets right now it can be very difficult to play against. You can't know if it runs Beat Up or Sucker Punch, or if it has Sludge Bomb just for your Cottonee. You might think your Timburr at 70% HP can take on Diglett but it can't. You setup your Shellder thinking that the opposing Diglett is LO or Sash or Groundium Z but it's really Scarf. You send out Bulkfoo to revenge Dig and get hit by memento allowing the opponent to setup a mon. You switch your Pawnaird into defog from Vullaby but it pivots out to Dig next turn forcing you into a 50/50 as you try to decide if it's substitute or not. You protect with Speed Boost Torchic but they hard switch to Scarf Diglett and KO it. Your Abra gets a kill but then dies to Beat Up Diglett, which uses Final Gambit the next turn to deal 20 damage to your next mon. It's totally unpredictable and lots of stuff can happen.

Diglett can run :
  • Sash
  • Life Orb
  • Groundium Z
  • Choice Scarf
In addition it has multiple techs that can change or win a game and are nigh impossible to predict such as :
  • Sludge Bomb
  • Memento
  • Beat Up
  • Substitute
  • Final Gambit
  • Stealth Rock
With all of these options and all of the things Diglett can do, it should be moved to S.

To end this post I'll quote Fiend (http://www.smogon.com/articles/lc-spotlight-diglett)
"Every Little Cup team should be prepared to play against Diglett, the premier trapper of LC."

This statement might have been from a past meta, but it's still applicable today. With the new sets running around in Gen 7, Diglett is harder to prepare for than ever, which is why Diglett should move from A+ to S.
 
Last edited:

Aaron's Aron

A concussion update in my info tab
So I already talked a bit about Abra, but I want to do it again.

A -> S/A+

This mon is absolutely amazing right now. Its Focus Sash set is capable of revenge killing every sweeper in the metagame bar Shellder and Dwebble. Its good coverage means that there are few Pokemon that can safely switch in as well, and its amazing Speed means that it's not even easy to revenge kill even when its Sash is broken, as it outspeeds most of the unboosted metagame. And when you do get an Alolan Grimer or Scarf Pawn in on it, it clicks Counter and destroys its best counters. So yeah, the Sash set is absolutely incredible and on its own would already be worth S or at least A+ rank in my opinion. However, I want to focus on its Life Orb set.

What are those replays? Those are three LCPL games out of week 1 only in which Life Orb Abra + Webs was brought and completely destroyed its opponent. And these were not cherry picked; these three were the only games that have been played at the time of typing this in which LO Abra Webs was brought. You might argue that the teams of their opponents were not at all ready to face it, and you'd be right. But here's the thing; there are so few mons that can actually take on this type of team. Reliable hazard removal is of course the main way, but all hazard removers are very vulnerable to Life Orb Abra, and Sticky Web teams are always well prepared to prevent their Webs from being removed. So how do you actually deal with this Abra? Alolan Grimer is probably the best solution, though that gets 2HKOed by LO HP Ground, which has been getting more common. As such, it will have to come in on a revenge kill, meaning you have to lose a mon, or a very risky double switch. Oh, and Abra also needs to not have a Substitute.
Abra's wallbreaking potential is ridiculous, and the fact that three seperate people on seperate LCPL teams realized its incredible potential and made great use of it speaks for its potential. The very least we can do for this sleeping genius is move it up to A+, but it should really be ranked among the best in S.

EDIT: To be clear, I am aware there are more replays that include Abra. I did not take a very close look at those as I wanted to highlight how incredible Abra Webs is right now.
Abra is already A+, so you be advocating for it to move up to S. Just so you know. :]

I think Diglett should stay at A+. The problem with Diglett is that while yes, every team has to build for it, it isn't actually on every team like Mienfoo. Diglett can't really be slapped on any team because it does a specific thing (trap and KO) and that isn't something that can be done against every team. There are some match-ups that Diglett doesn't really do anything against. Diglett is not really that strong, and all it really has going for it when it isn't trapping something it's super effective against is Memento, Sucker Punch, and being fast to finish something off. Don't get me wrong, that's still really good. I just think that's more on par with the other Pokemon in A+, not S. Mienfoo, Timburr, and Foongus, all do really good things every match, always contributing a lot. Diglett just doesn't do that. Very good? Yes? A+? Yes. S? Not quite.
 

Xayah

San Bwanna
is a Community Contributoris a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnus
Abra is already A+, so you be advocating for it to move up to S. Just so you know. :]
At the time of writing that post, Abra was in A and going to A+ was a discussion point. Nineage or one of our mods must've done a ninja edit without posting here, as I guarantee it was not in A+ yet. Either way, I still want it in S, but I'll take A+.
 

Fille

Afk
is a Pre-Contributor
LCPL Champion
I think Diglett should stay at A+. The problem with Diglett is that while yes, every team has to build for it, it isn't actually on every team like Mienfoo. Diglett can't really be slapped on any team because it does a specific thing (trap and KO) and that isn't something that can be done against every team. There are some match-ups that Diglett doesn't really do anything against. Diglett is not really that strong, and all it really has going for it when it isn't trapping something it's super effective against is Memento, Sucker Punch, and being fast to finish something off. Don't get me wrong, that's still really good. I just think that's more on par with the other Pokemon in A+, not S. Mienfoo, Timburr, and Foongus, all do really good things every match, always contributing a lot. Diglett just doesn't do that. Very good? Yes? A+? Yes. S? Not quite.
I don't really think a pokemon being uncommon makes it worse tho. But if it does however, then I'm just gonna point out that Diglett is still one of the most common pokemons in the metagame, as it's the fastest, and only fast trapper (Houndour with pursuit is only 17 speed, which isn't fast enough this meta imo, but that's only what I prefer).

I have yet to make a team where I couldn't just slap on Diglett to remove spesific threats.

Mien, Tim and Foongus all struggles with birdspam, so won't do good in that (slightly common) matchup. Diglett can at least outspeed all of the opponents team bar scarfers, and even if opp has nothing that is hit hard by EQ/Slide/Sucker, there is always something that can be memento'd to allow a sweep or final gambitted. Yes, Diglett HP stat is shit, but doing (if we include rocks+LO daage) 16 damage to a huge threat that could otherwise set up on you or wall your team is pretty huge.

Idrc what happens to Diglett, I think it's good, it's role is unmatched (fast trapper), and speed stat would make it able to revengekill fast metagame trends even if there is nothing for it to spesifically trap. I'm not saying Diglett is S tier material, but I'm just saying that you want it to stay A+ for al the wrong reasons and if that is the only thing keeping it from S, then move it up now lol
 
Alright, I need to drop some knowledge on Piplup. You're all looking at it wrong. Piplup doesn't have anything special going for it as a defogger; it's real niche is as a decent physical wall / team disruptor. I've been using this set to pretty okay success:

D to C/C+
Piplup @ Eviolite
Ability: Defiant
Level: 5
EVs: 92 HP / 252 Def / 164 SpD
Impish Nature
- Waterfall / Scald
- Rock Tomb
- Yawn
- Feather Dance

I know this set looks extremely gimmicky, but I promise there's practical thought put into it. Switch in on basically anything that isn't a grass or electric type for a force out, Yawn on the opponent's switch, and then use either Yawn again, Rock Tomb for the speed drop, or Feather Dance for the attack drop on whatever you predict to switch in. If you play it right, Piplup can open you up to switching in on basically any Pokémon on the opposing team. Scald or Waterfall is there as a STAB filler. Both 1hko non-evio Onix, which is nice. Waterfall is better if you need a stat drop soaker, because Defiant is a fun lil side effect of using Piplup. With evio and this spread I picked up randomly, Piplup reaches 23/24/21 defenses, which gives it enough bulk to successfully wall non-SE things. Piplup is by no means great, but D rank? come on. y'all are sleeping on the most fun passive mon in the tier. Before you bash it, please try it out. Just pair it with Stealth Rocks and one teammate that is good at handling electric and grass threats. Also be sure to use teammates that benefit from forced switches. I've personally been using Mienfoo with it, but there are better options out there. Please remember that this set is intentionally passive; that's the whole point.
I'm proposing for Piplup to move from D to C/C+ simply because I don't understand the grade division process well and I've found Piplup to be just as useful as any of the other Pokémon in the C/C+ ranks.
important note: don't use feather dance or rock slide on pawniard!!

PS: whoever thought defog piplup was the only piplup is a giant incorrect nerd and should be shamed
 
Last edited:
So I already talked a bit about Abra, but I want to do it again.

A -> S/A+

This mon is absolutely amazing right now. Its Focus Sash set is capable of revenge killing every sweeper in the metagame bar Shellder and Dwebble. Its good coverage means that there are few Pokemon that can safely switch in as well, and its amazing Speed means that it's not even easy to revenge kill even when its Sash is broken, as it outspeeds most of the unboosted metagame. And when you do get an Alolan Grimer or Scarf Pawn in on it, it clicks Counter and destroys its best counters. So yeah, the Sash set is absolutely incredible and on its own would already be worth S or at least A+ rank in my opinion. However, I want to focus on its Life Orb set.

What are those replays? Those are three LCPL games out of week 1 only in which Life Orb Abra + Webs was brought and completely destroyed its opponent. And these were not cherry picked; these three were the only games that have been played at the time of typing this in which LO Abra Webs was brought. You might argue that the teams of their opponents were not at all ready to face it, and you'd be right. But here's the thing; there are so few mons that can actually take on this type of team. Reliable hazard removal is of course the main way, but all hazard removers are very vulnerable to Life Orb Abra, and Sticky Web teams are always well prepared to prevent their Webs from being removed. So how do you actually deal with this Abra? Alolan Grimer is probably the best solution, though that gets 2HKOed by LO HP Ground, which has been getting more common. As such, it will have to come in on a revenge kill, meaning you have to lose a mon, or a very risky double switch. Oh, and Abra also needs to not have a Substitute.
Abra's wallbreaking potential is ridiculous, and the fact that three seperate people on seperate LCPL teams realized its incredible potential and made great use of it speaks for its potential. The very least we can do for this sleeping genius is move it up to A+, but it should really be ranked among the best in S.

EDIT: To be clear, I am aware there are more replays that include Abra. I did not take a very close look at those as I wanted to highlight how incredible Abra Webs is right now.
I'd like to second this and add a couple thoughts on it as well. My man thunderboy did a great job talking about the LO set but I'd like to talk more about the sash counter set.

Sash Counter is the most common abra set out there right now, and nothing can truly counter it besides niche mons like Honedge. Ferroseed and Spritzee can tank some damage but get worn down and still take respectable damage while doing nothing to abra like breaking it's sash and also being setup bait for mons like croagunk so I wouldn't call them counters. The only mon's that can switchinto abra and hurt it would be wynaut and honedge and maybe some even lower stuff. Counter has truly changed up Abra into one of the best mons in the meta right now. It's former counter Agrimer has to die to be able to kill a full health Abra now, and that's never good for the opposing team. None of this would be a problem if Abra was weak to rocks and priority and weak armor mon's like Doduo which can be managed because of this thing. The fact that Abra will ALWAYS live a hit and fire back however just makes it absolutely broken, on top of the fact that it takes no status damage, hail or sand won't wear it down, you can switch it into a predicted will o wisp, and 3 layers of spikes and rocks dont scratch it. If staryu can be S tier because of being able to spin while carrying a huge offensive presence, Abra should be just as high with how terrifying it has become with Counter.



I would also like to nominate Vullaby to fall from S -> A+

Vullaby is a great mon don't get me wrong. However it has been underwhelming lately in the meta. The common WA NP set just doesn't hit all that hard, and the rise of mons like snubbull and special croagunk have been limiting it's defensive sets as well as the WA set in the case of snubbull. Scarf vull is great but it's outclassed by other scarf birds in all regards except for surprise. BJ Mudbray has also emerged as a big threat to most Vull sets while mons like scarfchou are still out there terrorizing it.


tl;dr
Abra from A+ -> S
Vullaby from S-> A+
 
Disagree with Vull going down due to NP using HP grass now, making there no real answers as air slash flinches its "answers" and 2hkoes them at plus 2 anyways like spritz and spdef snub. If it's spdef snub juice is taking like 30% from fighting mons which makes you almost have to choose in a sense which you cover. Evio gets chipped too easily. Spritz has an easy counter and an incredible mon in foongus right now. Also I personally have found Scarf Vull pretty rad right now. HP grass for mons like kabuto and Onix on scarf still 2hkoes which is sick especially if you catch them on switch in and they don't know you're scarfed and you KO their bird answer and you spam Brave Bird.
Also NP on webs is just stupid.

Abra I'm undecided on. While yes LO is just BUSTED on webs, Alolan-Grimer still trades with it essentially assuming you have priority which you kind of need in LC anyways. You also have fire blast, hp grass, and clear smog as options which doesn't activate counter obviously and you then pursuit trap them. You can still also trap LO abra by sacking a mon and just clicking pursuit as hp ground only does around 50%. On the other hand, if you don't have a-grimes and you go against LO abra webs, you kinda just lose from MU. And abra is still incredible glue giving you a safety check to all set up sweepers bar Shellder and basically a free kill with either sash counter or sash psychic from a base 105 Special attack I think.


There's way more I could write obviously but I'm busy with exams and concerts and shit.
Overall Vull stay to S
Abra idk man:toast:
 

Fille

Afk
is a Pre-Contributor
LCPL Champion
MK007 Agree with Abra moving up as it has a strong presence right now with Counter, but you should check a couple things before writing. As Plasmagby mentioned, GrimerA can hp grass/Fire Blast/Clear smog to avoid counter, essentially making it a mindgame. Spritzee also takes like no damage and has access to reliable recovery, so while it stays passive it does hinder Abra from sweeping if Sash set. Also Abra doesn't always get off a free move either way, as there are many common multi-hit moves users in the current meta such as Shellder, Dwebble, Onix, Pikipek, Aipom that can all with the proper set outspeed/Speedtie and break sash with Abra doing anything. Threats like Rock Polish Life Orb Ferroseed is also a thing ;)


I just really like to point out flaws with no real purpose, I'm kind of arrogant like that. I still agree with MK on Abra moving up tbh, as it is as mentioned a strong presence in the current metagame.
 
Hi,

So first I'd like to point out the noms I agree with and then make one nom of my own.

I agree with the fact that abra really is something right now. Don't know if it's worth being S but no doubt about the fact that this mon has risen a lot lately.

I also agree with Houndour going down to B- and would like to add some things to this. I think it's speed really is an issue. While Ponyta has 19 speed and Salandit 18, Houndour only reaches 17, which isn't really enough. It makes it easy to rk with staryu for instance (which isn't safe with Ponyta as there is a speed tie). And I feel like it makes it even worse (as it is already not that good because of Fighting-types)


Now my own nom:

Corphish down to B+

This mon isn't that good right now. Water resists are more present than ever with Staryu, Ferroseed, Foongus, Chinchou etc plus Croagunk being everywhere (Croagunk being Corphish' greatest counter).
The fact that it's movepool is quite limited (usually only has STAB + K-off) doesn't really help him beating it's counter. It's not like Skrelp which can run HP fire to handle Ferroseed or HP psychic for Croagunk. Corphish won't be able to pass most of his counters unless you play gimmick sets which will be unefficient most of the time. (Or if you achieve to set-up like two DD or SD but that shouldn't happen in front of a good player).
And even if you just want it to sweep with DD, it won't be that good as it will lack of speed (it will be outsped by a lot of common scarfers) and won't be able to pass abra which won't even have to run Energy Ball to OHKO it as it will just have to use counter.
This mon really isn't great right now, will try to add replays if this gets contested.
 

Berks

has a Calm Mind
is a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnusis a Smogon Media Contributor Alumnus
Hi,

So first I'd like to point out the noms I agree with and then make one nom of my own.

I agree with the fact that abra really is something right now. Don't know if it's worth being S but no doubt about the fact that this mon has risen a lot lately.

I also agree with Houndour going down to B- and would like to add some things to this. I think it's speed really is an issue. While Ponyta has 19 speed and Salandit 18, Houndour only reaches 17, which isn't really enough. It makes it easy to rk with staryu for instance (which isn't safe with Ponyta as there is a speed tie). And I feel like it makes it even worse (as it is already not that good because of Fighting-types)


Now my own nom:

Corphish down to B+

This mon isn't that good right now. Water resists are more present than ever with Staryu, Ferroseed, Foongus, Chinchou etc plus Croagunk being everywhere (Croagunk being Corphish' greatest counter).
The fact that it's movepool is quite limited (usually only has STAB + K-off) doesn't really help him beating it's counter. It's not like Skrelp which can run HP fire to handle Ferroseed or HP psychic for Croagunk. Corphish won't be able to pass most of his counters unless you play gimmick sets which will be unefficient most of the time. (Or if you achieve to set-up like two DD or SD but that shouldn't happen in front of a good player).
And even if you just want it to sweep with DD, it won't be that good as it will lack of speed (it will be outsped by a lot of common scarfers) and won't be able to pass abra which won't even have to run Energy Ball to OHKO it as it will just have to use counter.
This mon really isn't great right now, will try to add replays if this gets contested.
No, thank you!

Corphish is actually just fine where it is right now, in my opinion. Corphish happens to be one of my go-to Pokemon when I need a strong wallbreaking presence, Knock Off support, and strong priority, right alongside Timburr. Though some of its checks are undoubtedly on the rise, the simple fact remains that Groundium Z Diglett heavily threatens most of them following, say, a Corphish Knock Off. Additionally, Corphish has the significant advantage of being able to switch into Onix and only take 35% from EQ, allowing it to threaten one of the tier premier hazard setters directly and without the express need for a pivot.

http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-lc-279351

Here's a match I myself played in LCPL wherein Corphish was instrumental to my victory. Granted, his Water-resists were all of Scarf Snivy and Carvanha, and the match was technically an XY match, but the replay specifically shows how well Corphish matches up against Timburr and Onix, both of which were running sets in this match that are viable in SM. This is especially relevant as SM innovations become increasingly relevant in XY play, and Corphish remains an incredible threat to any Pokémon slower than it outside of Ferroseed, Foongus, Croagunk, Mareanie, and Slowpoke specifically.

All of this is to say nothing of Corphish's incredible potency on Waterspam teams, which are still incredibly threatening (especially to the typical build of a Fightspam team). Pairing Corphish with Chinchou and a Grass-killer such as Gastly, Doduo, or Pawniard is a great way to begin a Waterspam team and is an incredibly potent core that provides significant pressure on checks to both Corphish and Chinchou. The fact that Corphish can run an extremely powerful Waterium Z Crabhammer or lure coverage in Aerial Ace (or even a Hidden Power if you're truly desperate to beat, say, Croagunk) only adds to its potential! Overall, Corphish still certainly has the merit to remain A-; in particular, pairing it with other Pokemon with which it shares checks helps highlight its strengths in breaking and wearing down bulky Pokemon.

PUN:
Corphish is based on a crayfish but I think it's worth cray minus
 
The problem in my opinion is the fact that there will be one of these mons you speak about in almost any team. I mean, these mons are extremely commons and they completely block corphish. I didn't say corphish wasn't useful at all as it still hits extremely hard and provides good K-off support. But it's not comparable to mons like ferroseed or Doduo. These mons are in my opinion far more useful. Just take Doduo as an example: this thing is more polyvalent, can also provide K-off support, has a better movepool, doesn't have any real switch-in and finally has a great speed tier. Yes, it's bulk is by far less good but... Who cares ? And does it really compensate all the advantages I mentioned ? That thing just doesn't have any switch-in and will hurt any team even at the beginning of a match. That's something Corphish can't do (at least in 90% of the cases) and that's why these two mons shouldn't be in the same rank. And even if Corphish has set-up, which doduo doesn't, it will still be blocked by a lot of mons even after the set-up, while Doduo can run a scarf to be a rk, Berry juice to be able to spam BB longer or even LO to hit incredibly hard. I could say the same for ferroseed but the comparison would be less accurate as corphish and him don't have the same roles at all. But I feel like Ferroseed is still better in his role than Corphish.
If you think Corphish deserves A-, then move Ferroseed and Doduo up. But I don't think it's very coherent to have these mons in the same rank.
(I took Doduo and Ferroseed as examples but I guess it could work for some other mons in A-)
 
Last edited:
I'd like to point out that some corphish sets run groundium z for croagunk. Its incredibly bulky and has one of the hardest hitting moves in the tier with STAB adaptability crabhammer. It has its flaws but nothing in the meta has shifted to negatively impact it lately so I think it's fine where it is.
 
I'd like to point out that some corphish sets run groundium z for croagunk. Its incredibly bulky and has one of the hardest hitting moves in the tier with STAB adaptability crabhammer. It has its flaws but nothing in the meta has shifted to negatively impact it lately so I think it's fine where it is.
There's no reason to run groundium except chou which scarf is outspeeding you regardless and knock still does about 70% to juice. Flyinium and Waterium are really the only z-crystals you should run on Corphish imo and it takes away from his really nice bulk so you need more support. Granted Waterium is a nuke and Flyinium (Bounce since Berks mentioned Aerial Ace but look at his post for solid Corphish argument that I agree with) at plus 1 gets a kill against mons like Mienfoo, Timburr, Croagunk, Foongus, Pumpkaboo, Scraggy for example. While Waterium just KOes something if it's not resisted 9 times of 10. Granted I still prefer Evio but nonetheless.

Edit: Gonna leave a nom of my own. To not just talk about the Phish

Surskit to B+
Webs are insane right now. Scarf Surskit is by far the most reliable webs setter. Able to set at least once a game if played right. Because of the drastic rise of webs and Surskit being by far the best setter overall, it should moveup.
 
Last edited:

Fille

Afk
is a Pre-Contributor
LCPL Champion

Surskit to B+
Webs are insane right now. Scarf Surskit is by far the most reliable webs setter. Able to set at least once a game if played right. Because of the drastic rise of webs and Surskit being by far the best setter overall, it should moveup.
Surskit is the best setter because it can more often than not set at least once? I am usually able to set at least twice with Spinarak meaning Defog isn't a hardcounter but w/e. Either way I 100% agree, and think Spinarak should move up for pretty much the same reason as surskit, being a semi reliable sticky web setter, setting up for what is currently a strong and dominating playstyle.

Edit: Needed to add that Spinarak functions differently from surskit, you don't slap a sash or scarf on it if u do then go with fucking surskit run evio decent typing that allows it to set up on fighting/poison/grass types that are currently quite common in this metagame.
 
Last edited:

twinkay

these bugs love all the sugar in my blood
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnus
Alright, so there are a few nominations I'd like to make after playing this meta for a while. I'll start off with existing noms I agree with and then some of my own. First, I'll start with the ones I disagree with. First off, Vullaby definitely should not be moving down. If anything, the meta trends have been favorable towards it because of the usage rise of Abra and Ghosts. It is easily one of the most splashable mons in the tier along with Mienfoo, its unpredictability factor hugely in its favor as it could mean losing a mon just because you mispredicted a set. Vullaby's just a downright amazing glue mon for pretty much any team, being able to fulfill a pivot / wallbreaker / revenge killer / sweeper / wall all excellently. Sure, Snubbull pressures it but just because a mon has a check does not mean it is not meta-defining, and I would go so far as to say the rise of Snubbull is attributed partially to Vullaby's ubiquity. Also, I don't agree with Corphish moving down: it's a very potent, powerful wallbreaker and Water Spam is pretty good right now; Berks covered mainly why I disagree so I will just leave it at that. I'm still on the fence about Abra but I think A+ is fine for it atm, LO requires webs to function to its full potential and Sash can be played around, even if running Counter. Also, it struggles against common walls like Grimer-A and Ferroseed. I think my viewpoint could still change, honestly. Anyway, onto the nominations!

Diglett: A+ > S
This may be a little controversial but I think Diglett is worth S-Rank. Diglett alleviates so much pressure vs certain threats, it's kind of crazy in a sense. If you have Diglett, you are guaranteed to kill Ponyta or Croagunk or Pawniard--whatever your team needs. And the reason this works in practice is because the opponent can't switch out. Even though there are plenty of bulky mons who can comfortably live a hit from Diglett the problem is they just cannot switch in. Diglett also can't really be prepared for; if you have a Bloom Doom Ponyta, it will be beaten by Diglett, etc. Diglett is not dead weight versus non-trapped opponents either: Gastly has to be wary of Sucker Punch and Vullaby has to be mindful of Rock Slide, for example. Granted, Diglett probably isn't OHKOing much unless you're running Groundium Z, but where it really shines is in the endgame, when the mons Diglett needs to beat Diglett is able to beat and it is MUCH scarier. Even for Pokemon Diglett cannot beat, Memento is a good option to pivot into your win condition and neutralize threats, which is very important in a late-game scenario. Diglett is singlehandedly the best revenge killer in the metagame and has a huge impact right now.

Diglett also is really easy to fit on teams now. It can deal with almost any threat once weakened, and chances are that if you have a sweeper it benefits from Diglett in some way. Diglett requires no support because it does its job fine on its own; this makes Diglett really easy to slap onto any team, no matter the archetype. Diglett also has the element of surprise at its arsenal; the opponent may think its safe to Shell Smash with Shellder, but Diglett turns out to be Scarf. The same situation applies to Omanyte and Sash Diglett, or Croagunk and LO / Groundium Diglett. Diglett applies a lot of pressure in a late-game scenario when the opponent (presumably) is trying to set up their win condition. Diglett can easily remove a threat that might otherwise have caused you to lose the game, without the risk of the threat switching out.

Diglett also has been seeing lots of usage in high-level play in SPL and LCPL. Recent Pokemon rising in popularity such as Croagunk and Kabuto have also contributed to Diglett's effectiveness. In conclusion, the amazing support Diglett provides to almost any team and its ability to threaten opposing teams tremendously warrants an S-ranking in my opinion.
Chinchou: A > A+
Chinchou is a superb glue Pokemon for many teams, and has two very good sets allowing it to be even more splashable. As a bulky pivot, Chinchou has few competitors, as it has the ability to both tank and offensively threaten many common threats, such as Doduo and Magnemite, and then have the capability to switch into another team member. It is also one of the only viable clerics in LC, allowing Hex Gastly and Foongus to be much less threatening. BJ Chinchou has the ability to threaten top-tier threats such as Vullaby and Staryu as well as support the team offensively, threatening common switch-ins via Ice Beam / HP Ground. I think one of the main selling points of Chinchou is how few switch-ins it actually has: Ground-types are obviously threatened by Water STAB, Grass-types are threatened by Ice Beam (Scarf Chinchou can 2HKO Foongus with hazards up), and opposing Chinchou are 2HKOed by HP Ground. Along with its walling / revenge killing capacity, Chinchou can become a very threatening Pokemon when given a switch-in.

Chinchou is also an amazing Scarfer, and, since I have had more experience with that set, I will talk about it more. Scarf Chinchou revenge kills so many common threats and has pretty good coverage which gives it merit over some other Scarfers that it faces competition with like Magnemite. Not only is it a great pivot for offensive teams, it has a powerful Hydro Pump, which allows it to dent some common threats such as Mienfoo and Snubbull. Unlike other Scarfers, Chinchou gets many chances to switch in to the opponent thanks to Volt Absorb as well as resisting common offensive types: Flying, Water, Ice, Steel, Fire. Chinchou is also amazing on Water Spam, which is a good playstyle currently, allowing it to carve itself a niche on those teams as well. Overall, Water / Flying / Ground pressure is really good right now, and, for all of the functions it can perform, I believe Chinchou should be A+.
Onix: A > A+

Flying-types are really common right now making Onix a very popular mon and a staple for successful balance and offense. Hazards (or just Rocks really) are very important because it's great to have an advantage vs Sturdy and Flying-types and Onix is by far the best setter as well as being able to consistently pressure the opposing team. Onix also sports a fantastic 17 Speed which allows to outspeed Vullaby, Rufflet, Pawniard, and Dwebble, which makes Onix even more reliable. Both SturdyJuice and WA allow you ample opportunistic to get up Rocks as well as still being able to apply offensive pressure. Having an extremely high Defense is a huge bonus as well. Onix fits on plenty of teams because of how many important roles it provides: Flying check, Electric check, hazard setter, physical wall, and set-up sweeper stop all in one.

The current metagame has also been very favorable to Onix. As I said before, Flying-types are very common, and Onix, especially WA Onix, is the best check to them. Hazards are set up by few viable Pokemon, being opposing Onix, Dwebble, and Diglett (although another move is generally better), allowing SturdyJuice to be extremely consistent. Another pro for SturdyJuice is that it negates quite possibly the biggest drawback of Onix which is its poor defensive typing, allowing it to take at least 2 hits before dying. Weak Armor is a great check to many fast physical attackers that otherwise would be very threatening with hazards up. Onix absolutely does not struggle for a teamslot, it is extremely effective and highly rewarding, which is why it fits on many teams. Onix also synergizes well with other Pokemon and is really great for balance cores: Staryu / Onix / Vullaby and Onix / Foongus / Doduo are fantastic in their ability to check common threats and are pretty common, looking at LCPL replays.

Another reason people might want Onix is that it face competition as a Ground-type from Diglett, but those two play different enough roles I think it's okay to have them this close to each other on the VR. Onix is more of a hazard setting, physical tank and check to common attackers while Diglett is, primarily, a revenge killer. Its role certainly isn't outclassed by any other Pokemon, and, while it does not define the meta, Onix is one the best Pokemon in LC and a great pick for many teams. (I know that A+ was rejected by the previous VR update but honestly I think Onix deserves it.)
Doduo: A- > A
Doduo is an extremely strong and popular wallbreaker right now and for good reasons: Flying Spam is good and and Doduo is nearly impossible to check without a WA Rock-type, which more are being forgone in favor of Diglett (aside from Onix, of course). Doduo may not be meta-defining, but it certainly is a top-level threat, which is what I think of A to begin with.

Doduo has a really, really strong Brave Bird along with fantastic coverage, which is perhaps its strongest selling point. It has a good Attack and Speed, allowing it to be one of the most effective physical wallbreakers in the metagame. In my opinion, it's a better Rufflet; powerful, faster, and without the annoying accuracy drops. Doduo also can Knock Off Eviolites giving it more utility than just a wallbreaker, and Jump Kick is great coverage, allowing it to hit Rock and Steel-types who otherwise could switch into Brave Bird safely. Doduo requires very little support because of how self-sufficient it already is with its coverage. A slow pivot is really all that is needed, as Doduo cannot safely switch into attacks. Doduo partners well with Mienfoo and Chinchou which both can fulfill this role nicely, as well as pressuring WA Rock-types. Doduo also partners well with Foongus, Diglett, Timburr, Staryu, and Onix, all of which are very good team options which help further fit Doduo into teams. If you want an even faster revenge killer, Choice Scarf Doduo allows you to revenge kill ScarfFoo, Scarf Chinchou, Adamant A-Sandshrew in hail, and the entirety of the unboosted metagame. Scarf Doduo can easily clean teams with Brave Bird or Return, making it just as much as an offensive threat as LO / BJ.

Doduo, however, certainly has flaws, which is why I think A is a good place for it. Being a very strong and reliable wallbreaker or cleaner depending on the set and being a good team option for those looking for a fast, powerful Flying-type (which is appreciated considering the popularity of Fighting-types) makes it A-rank, in my opinion.
Kabuto: B > B+
Kabuto provides amazing role compression for many teams. Hazard removal + hazard support is great in its own right as the only other viable hazard removal is Staryu (and I guess Defensive Vullaby) and neither have the ability to set up hazards. It can damage or cripple Ghost-type spinblockers through Knock Off (OHKOing Gastly). Kabuto also has the other benefit of being a WA Rock allowing it to check Flying-types. Specific mons that Kabuto can check are Vullaby, Doduo, Rufflet, Pawniard (kind of), and Onix (if carrying Waterfall). Since balanced teams usually don't have teamslots to spare this can be really helpful in place of using Staryu + a hazard setter. Kabuto also synergizes very well with offensive Bug, Fire, and Grass-types like Larvesta or Snivy that appreciate Stealth Rock support, hazard removal, and the ability to check Flying-types. It's a lot more useful to teams than other things in B (Houndour, Pancham, Amaura) and thus should rise to B+.

And for a nomination of my own...

Mienfoo + Timburr: S > A+
So I've been talking about rises this entire time so now it's time to discuss a drop. I have grouped Mienfoo and Timburr together because I'm lazy I don't think one is better than the other but honestly I would be fine with either dropping. But with potentially 6 Pokemon in S pending the next update, I think S-rank could use some cleaning. I'm guessing this will be pretty controversial so allow me to explain myself:

The current metagame has not been very kind to Fighting-types. Snubbull usage is on the rise, as is Abra. Flying-Spam and Flying-types have dominated the harsh ecosystem that is Little Cup. Fighting checks like Snubbull, Foongus, Pumpkaboo, Croagunk, and Spritzee are commonplace and definitely not hard to fit on any team. Physically defensive Pokemon like Shellder and Mudbray are naturally popular. It's not hard to see why Timburr and Mienfoo would not be as thriving as before, and, in my opinion at least, they have abdicated their S-Rank position. Try to find a successful team that doesn't have sturdy checks to these Pokemon: you won't be able to! And although that may just be a consequence of them being good Pokemon, it seems that these two just don't threaten teams enough anymore to deserve an S-Rank. Don't get me wrong--they are still great mons, they just aren't as meta-defining as say, Vullaby. A+ is still a fantastic rank, and I feel that is where these need to go. But, for argument's sake, I will analyze why I feel each indiviual mon deserves to be moved down a rank.

Mienfoo is a little underwhelming right now. Its own popularity has led to its demise, in a way: Fighting checks are now very common and Mienfoo struggles to break past them without resorting to a less effective set, such as Z-Bounce. Mienfoo also struggles to maintain offensive pressure: bulkier variants are outsped often and Scarf variants have to worry about being locked into a move. Unlike Timburr, Mienfoo does not have access to Guts, making it susceptible to burns from Flame Body users and Gastly, which further hinders its offensive capacity. Bulkier variants of Mienfoo also have to worry about being set-up bait to common sweepers in the tier, Shellder and NP Vullaby. Mienfoo also suffers from 4MSS, wanting to run Drain Punch but also Stone Edge and Poison Jab as coverage and Fake Out as utility. And sure, Mienfoo has a whirligig of sets to choose from, but only Scarf and Bulky Pivot really stand out. SD Pass can work on certain teams but it certainly is not the best set Mienfoo has. Mienfoo certainly, however, has a lot of upsides, which is why it should still be A+. I just don't think it is quite S material, due to the way the metagame has adapted to it.

Timburr suffers from similar things that Mienfoo does, so this section will be a bit shorter. Obviously, as I have mentioned before, the popularity of Fighting checks in the tier have sort of left Timburr behind, and Timburr, unlike Mienfoo, does not have much versatility to offer. Timburr has two sets: Bulky Attacker and Bulk Up. Timburr (as well as Mienfoo) lacks a way to hit Poison-types super-effectively. Although Ice Punch is super-effective against Foongus, it only 3HKOes. Timburr also suffers from 4MSS, having to decide between Ice Punch and Poison Jab. Timburr would also appreciate the effects of Guts and Iron Fist (1ASS?), but can only choose one. Timburr has an edge over Mienfoo in Mach Punch, although Timburr's otherwise slow speed allows it to be easily revenge killed.

The overarching reason I think Mienfoo and Timburr are not as good as before is that I think the metagame has just adapted to them and moved on. Fighting checks, even unintentionally, find their way on all teams, and Flying-types as well as Abra and Gastly's popularity contribute to why offensive checks to Mienfoo and Timburr are more commonplace. And competition for a teamslot with other Fighting-types like Scraggy and Croagunk has risen as well. Nevertheless, the two Fighting-types will continue to be strong forces in the metagame, which is why I think they are well suited for A+.

Thank you for reading and props if you actually read all the stuff I wrote! Would add more but I'm tired of writing
Oh also yeah I used LCPL replays for most of my research
 
Last edited:

Alore

i'm sorry
is a Battle Simulator Staff Alumnus
I only really have one thing to comment on here, hi I'm new. Anyway, after compiling some LCPL usage stats, watching LCPL matches and experimenting with different sets within the tier etc.

This man needs to be A+:



I'm pretty sure its pretty unanimous at this point it deserves to go up a rank, given the prominence of such Flying types as Doduo and Vullaby, whom Weak Armor and Rock Blast can most comfortably deal with (provided its the Nasty Plot Vull set, though it still does damage to either set.) This in cohesion with being able to cripple the opposition with rocks - rendering a lot of sturdy / sashers defenceless - proves Onix to be a very useful Utility and switch in for multiple threats, whilst being able to hit back hard with EQ / Rock Blast / Explosion.

In terms of versatility, with both Sturdy and Weak Armor, various status move choices such as Taunt, Stealth Rocks and Roar (or alternatively Dragon Tail for phase + damage) as well as hard hitting STAB with a 17 Base Speed. There are a variety of different sets you can run, likely to leave your opponent at least somewhat in doubt - whilst the Weak Armor set may be in the ascendancy into prominence.

Just a few things who don't appreciate it's presence:
Weak Armor - Doduo, Grimer-Alola, Rufflet, Vullaby.
Sturdy - Croagunk, Doduo, Grimer-Alola, Ponyta, Rufflet, Torchic, Vullaby, Vulpix-Alola.

etc.

On the other hand, I would also like to give some love to a personal favourite set of mine, whom has 0 problems with a non-WA boosted Onix:



Pookie♡ (Pikipek) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Skill Link
Level: 5
EVs: 236 Atk / 36 Def / 236 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Brave Bird
- Bullet Seed
- Brick Break
- U-turn

Scarfed Pikipek is a mon that regularly puts in work for my teams, whilst I notice it is a little far down the pecking order - it reliably outspeed and KOs Onix and Abra both with Bullet Seed (as well as other Pokémon) whilst checking most fighting types, dependant on its health. Whilst also being able to catch a Pawniard off guard on the switch with Brick Break. Free my child from C+! Seems drastically low for a mon who can cause damage to multiple top rank Pokémon.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 1, Guests: 0)

Top