Anttyaz said:
Week 2:
This will end on October 4th
Things to think about while ranking:
-Does this Pokemon need to stay, move up, or down?
-How does this Pokemon fare in the metagame?
-What is this Pokemon walled by? Can your teammates successfully check / counter it?
-What is this Pokemon's role. Is it outclassed by other Pokemon? Is this role useful for its type?
-Is its ability beneficial? Do other Pokemon outclass it?
This Week's Pokemon!
GASTRODON (Ground) -> S RANK (persuade me for A rank)
EDIT: I've changed my mind and think S is a stretch, A is good.
To explain this I'll start by listing Ground Pokemon immune to water moves:
Palpitoad - NFE
Wooper - NFE
Quagsire - Quagsire is known for unaware, and unaware is its only niche. Its defensive stats are mediocre at best (95/85/60) as well are its attacking stats (85/65) leaving it outclassed and not viable (as a water absorber) for ground. It would probably be C rank on Ground for being used in conjunction with other Pokemon as an unaware user, but elevating the grass weakness.
Seismitoad - Access to stealth rock and better bulk than Quagsire (100/75/75), but still poor attacking stats (95,85) ,
and no reliable recovery, meaning it cannot repeatedly switch in, it would probably be D rank on ground.
Gastrodon - Highest overall bulk of all of these Pokemon (111/62/82), still mediocre attacking stats (83/92), but highest special attack of these, which is what Ground appreciates the most. Reliable recovery in recover, can be a nuisance to teams without grass coverage or status. Storm Drain is also arguably more beneficial than Water Absorb because with a boost it will allow Gastrodon to not be setup fodder (For example, if Gastrodon switches on SubCM Keldeo and gets a +1 boost, its earth power can consistently break the substitute, even after a Calm Mind boost.) Gastrodon is Ground's premier specially defensive Pokemon, and is seen on pretty much every Ground team.
To end my argument, Ground without a water immunity is like Steel without a fire immunity; you can use a neutral Pokemon like Swampert for Ground or Empoleon for Steel, but they will be worn down very easily by strong moves, not to mention their lack of recovery.
CROBAT (POISON) -> B RANK
CROBAT (FLYING) -> D RANK
Poison: Crobat's physical movepool is terrible, allowing it no means of boosting its stats without lowering speed (curse), and no coverage for an offensive set other than its STABS which happen to be awful neutral coverage, being hard walled by every steel-type and rock-type Pokemon. Crobat's attack stat is also mediocre, meaning that most dedicated physical walls like Slowbro can easily take it on. Flying, offensively, is similar to poison offensively, providing redundant coverage for a Poison team. Defensively, Fighting-type, Bug-type, and Grass-type moves are easily sponged by other Pokemon on a Poison team.
Crobat admittedly proves to the most useful for Poison as a late-game sweeper against Bug teams and Fighting teams, as Pokemon like Volcarona are big threats, but Pokemon like Scarfed Genesect, Scarfed Heracross, Scolipede, Galvantula, Terrakion, and Genesect can easily dispose of Crobat.
Crobat as a defogger is notable, but is not a unique quality as other Pokemon have defog like Skuntank, who has a bigger niche with its Psychic immunity, and access to STAB sucker punch and pursuit.
Flying: Flying has far better users of flying STAB. Staraptor, Honchkrow, Togekiss are all examples.
Flying has far better defoggers. Zapdos, Togekiss, Skarmory, Mandibuzz are all example.
Crobat is outclassed and weak offensively and defensively, with a poor move pool.
I don't have much experience with Lanturn so I won't say anything, although I feel like it's fine where it is in A rank
along with all the hundreds of bulky water Pokemon.
*
Okay so I'm gonna have to say while I do agree with your ranking for Nidoqueen for Ground, but I have to disagree with you on it's ranking for Poison. Nidoqueen for B rank on Poison.
Here's the main reason: it's the only viable Stealth Rocker. You could argue that Nidoking could Stealth Rock but it isn't viable at all. Also Nidoqueen can setup Toxic Spikes or let Scolipede use them with Spikes to make a really annoying hazard stacking core. In that case Dragon Tail and Roar are options, but most people won't be using a hazard stacking core besides Toxic Spikes but it's still out there. Honestly the best set for Nidoqueen is either a Sash lead to get up rocks with 3 attacks or change the item for a LO. Yeah you lose power with Nidoqueen if you have a Sash but quite frankly that's not the point of Nidoqueen. It's role is to get up Stealth Rock through its better bulk than Nidoking, and if it can't tank a hit that's what the Sash is for. Nidoking's role is to sweep slower mons, Nidoqueen is to provide that extra support.
I agree with Sae, Nidoqueen (Poison) B rank and Nidoqueen (Ground) D Rank
Also
Anttyaz, you ended the last week's discussion and updated the 3rd post, but not the Pokemon in the actual viability list, just letting you know in case you forgot
![B]](http://[URL]http://media.pldh.net/pokecons_action/127.gif[/URL][IMG] I am impartial with Mega Pinsir, as it is obviously an offensive powerhouse that destroys many teams like Water, Bug, Fighting by itself, but it also compounds bug's stealth rock weakness being 4x weak and it takes up Bug's mega Pokemon, where 2 other amazing Pokemon could be used instead (Scizor and Heracross). Because of this, FOR NOW, I'll say Mega Pinsir for [B]A Rank.[/B])
