Monotype Viability Rankings

[Dark T]

Dark T, just curious, but what makes you suggest Cofa for C or D rank? I'm not necessarily disagreeing with you here, but you only listed the positive things about Cofagrigus without mentioned any negatives. What would be your argument against it, say, being moved up to B rank? What are its main flaws and what can take advantage of them? Does it support its teammates well by providing roles that normally aren't provided on Ghost monos?

Toxic Spikes and Mummy are the unique niche it has. Mummy is great for getting rid of Huge Power and other abilities that the opponent relies on. This will likely force a switch and allow Cofagrigus to set up. Toxic Spikes can be used against non Poison Teams, cannot be spun away, and Gengar can Hex for more damage. Kind of Gimmicky. But its main thing is its Bulk, access to boosting moves, and Mummy.

I edited in some flaws to my original post.

 

[Dark T]

I would like to nominate Froslass to C in Ice.

Pros:
- Immunity to Fighting and Normal. (This makes it harder for Fighting Teams to spam Mach Punch.)
- Great base 110 speed. (Max 350)
- Makes a good suicide lead with access to Spikes, Taunt, and Destiny Bond.
- Cursed Body can be inconvenient for your opponent as it may disable the move they use.
- Is a spin blocker.

Cons:
- Very frail (70, 70, 70 defenses)
- Has to rely on a Focus Sash to be effective.
- Weak against Bullet Punch.
- Mediocre power (80, 80 attacks)
- Stealth Rock weak.

Set:
Suicide Spiker

Froslass @ Focus Sash
Ability: Cursed Body
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Taunt
- Spikes
- Destiny Bond
- Ice Beam / Shadow Ball

How she helps an Ice Team:

- Her Spikes wear down the opponent's team
- Her Ghost typing helps her against fighting teams that spam Mach Punch. A huge threat for Ice players.
- She is a fast user of Taunt. Preventing Stealth Rocks from being set up and ravaging your team.
- With Destiny Bond and fast speed she can take down a full health Pokemon.

 

[Dark T]

I would like to nominate Weavile to B rank in Ice.

Pros:
- Lightning fast Base 125 Speed. (With a Jolly Nature and 232 Speed EVs it is faster than Greninja.)
- Hits very hard as well. 120 Base Attack.
- Gets Priority in Ice Shard.
- Learns Knock Off to cripple walls like Chansey and crush Psychic and Ghost types.
- Learns Low Kick to deal with Heavy Rock and Steel types that Ice is weak to.
- Good Revenge Killer (Does not need to be locked into a move because of a Choice Scarf)

Cons:
- Frail (70, 65, 85 Defenses.)
- Its Life Orb can wear it out easily.
- Quad weakness to fighting and weakness to Steel. (Two common priority moves Bullet and Mach Punch.)
- Weakness to Stealth Rock.

Set:
Life Orb

Weavile @ Life Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 Atk / 24 Def / 232 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Knock Off
- Ice Shard
- Ice Punch
- Low Kick

How Weavile helps the team:

- It uses its speed and power to revenge kill threats.
- Knock Off is great for crippling Pokemon that rely on their items. (E.g. Chansey)
- Priority Ice Shard means it can take out Scarf Users such as Garchomp, Salamence and Landorus-T.
- Steel and Rock types (which Ice is weak to) do not like getting hit by Low Kick.

 

[Anttya]

Preliminary Rankings for the ORAS Megas! #HYPE

There is no need to write stuff atm so just discuss potential rank changes. :)

S Rank: Reserved for Pokemon that can easily play a role against a majority of type matchups with ease, meaning it will never be useless in any matchup. These Pokemon need little to no support (which can be easily given) for them to do their job (Both Defensive and Offensive). They are easy to bring in and out, and often with little to no risk (Mostly Defensive). They can fulfill a ton of roles depending on what you need. These Pokemon define the metagame.

Mega Salamence (Flying)
Mega Salamence (Dragon)
Mega Gallade (Fighting)
Mega Gallade (Psychic)
Mega Slowbro (Psychic)
Mega Metagross (Steel)
Mega Metagross (Psychic)
Mega Sableye (Ghost)
Mega Sableye (Dark)

A Rank: Reserved for Pokemon that have S rank qualities, but need support (which can be easily given) in order for them to be successful. These Pokemon can play a role against most type matchups, but they may be hard walled by 1-2 types. However, these Pokemon are mostly used for one or two of their sets meaning that they can be predictable. These Pokemon influence the Metagame.

Mega Swampert (Ground)
Mega Swampert (Water)
Mega Altaria (Dragon)
Mega Audino (Normal)
Mega Slowbro (Water)
Mega Diance (Rock)
Mega Lopunny (Normal)
Mega Beedrill (Poison)
Mega Latias (Dragon)

B Rank: Reserved for Pokemon that are good but they need support (which may be hard to give) for them to function. These Pokemon are used to check your counters once or twice, meaning that it cannot switch in and out repeatedly. Pokemon in this rank can have a positive type match up sometimes, but they may be useless in others. These Pokemon are adaptable to the metagame.

Mega Sceptile (Grass)
Mega Altaria (Flying)
Mega Sharpedo (Water)
Mega Sharpedo (Dark)
Mega Diance (Fairy)
Mega Beedrill (Bug)
Mega Latios (Dragon)
Mega Latios (Psychic)
Mega Latias (Psychic)

C Rank: Reserved for Pokemon that are only used to check a threat once or twice. These Pokemon often run unorthodox sets since their primary niches are outclassed by other Pokemon. Since they run unorthodox sets, and some Pokemon can set up on them without fear. These Pokemon need a lot of support (which may be hard to give) for them to function. These Pokemon have a hard time adapting to the metagame.

Mega Steelix (Ground)
Mega Steelix (Steel)
Mega Pidgeot (Flying)
Mega Pidgeot (Normal)
Mega Glalie (Ice)
Mega Camerupt (Fire)
Mega Camerupt (Ground)

I'll put stuff that's worth mentioning in another post.

 

[Feliburn]

I'm not quite sure about Mega Gallade being S rank for psychic teams, Mega Metagross will be way more used, but even so, Gallade has access to Swords Dance, outclassing Mega Medicham both offensively and defensively.

 

[Freeroamer]

I'm unsure if Mega Metagross will prove itself to be S Rank for Psychic or not, it's unbdoubtedly a nice option to be able to have, but Psychic already has a lot of competition for it's Mega Slot and that will only intensify with ORAS, with Slowbro, Gallade, Metagross and Mega Lati@s adding to an already impressive roster of Medicham, Alakazam and Garde, not to mention that Hoopa is getting a new forme or something. And I don't know where you get S for Salamence, obvs D Rank candidate imo

Also Anttyaz minor nitpick, you forgot to include the Lati twins Megas, with all the competition I'd see Latios as A/B while Latias is a surefire A Rank, but that's just my thoughts n_n Also should be able to get skymin put up later

 

[Anttya]

Mega Gallade (Psychic) is basically the new Medicham w/o the HJK misses. Not only that, it has a nice speed tier, boosting moves, and Close Combat. Gallade can also run a stall set w/ Will-o-Wisp + Wish because of its better defenses. Neutrality to Dark moves + Knock Off is nice as well.

Mega Gallade (Fighting) will demolish every mirror match in existence. 110 speed means that it'll outspeed Keldeo, Terrakion etc, making Scarves the only way to hit it. Knock Off will screw potential Doublade switch ins. You lose the 2HKO on Skarm, but it's worth it. Shadow Sneak hits Ghosts hard at +2, and:

+2 252 Atk Gallade Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Slowbro: 340-402 (86.2 - 102%) -- 87.5% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock

Mega Slowbro (Psychic) was put in S rank because it has Heal Bell support making Calm Mind sweeps a lot easier. Water has Heal Bell support, but it's much harder to use. (Assuming Lanturn). Yes, you take up a mega slot, and lose Regenerator but it's worth it once you get rid of its "counters."

Mega Metagross (Steel) is S rank worthy because of its godly stats, typing, and a nice 110 speed. With that, it can outspeed stuff like Charizard-Y, Keldeo, Terrakion etc who'd threaten the team otherwise. Tough Claws boosts contact moves such as Meteor Smash, Bullet Punch, Zen Headbutt etc. Yes, it's still weak to common Fire / Ground / Dark moves, but Heatran and Skarmory can provide the support it needs.

Mega Metagross (Psychic) will face stiff competition w/ Medicham and Gallade, but it has better defenses and a better typing. The only reason why it's in S Rank is because of its ability to preform well in a majority of matchups. I'm a little doubtful on S rank tho.

Mega Altaria (Dragon) is cool, but is simply outclassed by Salamence. Yes, it has a nice immunity to Dragon, but what else? Mega Salamence can run the same set w/ better results because of its higher attack and speed. (110/110/80 attacking stats are pretty disappointing :( )

Mega Latias (Dragon) will be scary to face because of its scary defensive stats. 80/120/150. It also has access to Roost and Calm Mind, letting it be a set up sweeper, or it can be a Defogger. Outclassed by Salamence, but once it's gone..

Mega Latios (Dragon) is outclassed by Latias. Specs hits harder anyways :( The only reason why someone would run Mega Latios is to run a Mixed Dragon Dance set, but that's outclassed by Mega Mence.

Mega Latios (Psychic) is outclassed by all of the other Psychic megas :(

Mega Latias (Psychic) is outclassed as a Defogger (Mew), and Slowbro makes a better Calm Minder because it isn't weak to common types such as Bug and Ice.

I feel like these needed to be explained, and yeah, I'll add them now. Thanks DM35 <3

 

[Freeroamer]

Yeah I'd agree with that, tbh the only use I can see for Latios is as a kind of 'luxury' mega, as they're describing it in ORAS OU threads atm, basically meaning if you somehow manage to make a Dragon or Psychic team without a mega then Latios is there to be slapped on. While Specs Latios outdamages it, LO only just does and with the increased bulk allowing you to check threats like Keldeo better as well as no recoil, I'd say it's a small but noticeable upgrade on standard LO sets, but honestly, it's nowhere near enough of an improvement to make it worth not running one of the very good new megas available to each type.

252 SpA Life Orb Latios Draco Meteor vs. 252 HP / 136+ SpD Mew: 220-259 (54.4 - 64.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

252 SpA Latios Draco Meteor vs. 252 HP / 136+ SpD Mew: 198-234 (49 - 57.9%) -- 56.3% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery (done with the 160 base SpA)

252 SpA Life Orb Latios Draco Meteor vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Mega Medicham: 317-374 (121.4 - 143.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO

252 SpA Latios Draco Meteor vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Mega Medicham: 285-336 (109.1 - 128.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO (done with the 160 base SpA)

only a very minor difference in damage, doesn't lose any notable KOes I can find. Just did them on Mew and Medicham so as to compare output on bulky and frail mons.

 

[Salemance]

Yah only difference is it gains some bulk...but really Mega latias is far more ridiculous especially for those guys that use the silly stored power variants too.

Now I'm sorry but I got to say Mega Sable as S rank. This thing is a bitch and is an immense upgrade with its bulk and magic guard (especially first turn prankster) benefitting its types immensely.

I mean sure it does lose prankster but its can act as a SR deterrant and the fact it actually has some real special bulk for once makes it an easy Mega pick for its respective types.

 

[Anttya]

Yah only difference is it gains some bulk...but really Mega latias is far more ridiculous especially for those guys that use the silly stored power variants too.

Now I'm sorry but I got to say Mega Sable as S rank. This thing is a bitch and is an immense upgrade with its bulk and magic guard (especially first turn prankster) benefitting its types immensely.

I mean sure it does lose prankster but its can act as a SR deterrant and the fact it actually has some real special bulk for once makes it an easy Mega pick for its respective types.

I can see your reasoning. After some thought, Mega Sableye can make S rank easily for both Dark & Ghost since it's extremely hard to kill it after a couple of Calm Minds. I kinda forgot that it's immune to Whirlwind and Toxic as well.

 

[Freeroamer]

Sableye is really notable on Dark teams to essentially be able to 6-0 Fighting teams if played right. Come in on something that can't hurt you too much, CM up, at +2 even specs Keldeo can't 2HKO while it still has some utility in essentially still being able to run it's prankster set before it Mevos, just at the cost of some Leftovers. Laughably it can even set up on Mega Medicham and Mega Gallade, barely taking 30% from the best coverage that they can run. Just keep it away from that Keldeo before it sets up, as it can literally set up on anything else, even Infernape provided it's at full and you don't mind taking a small chance on rolls.

252 Atk Life Orb Infernape Flare Blitz vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Sableye: 134-160 (44 - 52.6%) -- 18.4% chance to 2HKO (Done w/ Mega stats)

252 SpA Choice Specs Keldeo Hydro Pump vs. +2 252 HP / 0 SpD Sableye: 118-141 (38.8 - 46.3%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

The best play in most cases might be to not mega-evolve straight away when setting up CM's, instead forcing the likes of Medi and Gallade out into the Keldeo that the opponent will surely go to. From here you can use Prankster to get in a last clutch CM before tanking the Hydro, and then barring crits, go on to beat the Keldeo and the rest of the team. This is arguably the most important aspect of using Mega Sableye, if you can use the turn when it Mevos and essentially has the combination of Magic Bounce, Prankster and those defensive buffs well, it's sure to give the opponent a headache. Who knew this thing could get more annoying?

this is the set on it's analysis:

Sableye @ Sableite
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
Bold Nature
- Calm Mind
- Recover
- Dark Pulse / Shadow Ball
- Will-O-Wisp

Obviously one move coverage in mono isn't ideal when you might get into matchups where the entire opposing team resist the move, but the other 3 slots are kinda mandatory, although if you feel brave, you could always try dropping WoW for more coverage in Dazzling Gleam, which alongside Shadow Ball, hits everything neutrally apart from the fairly irrelevant Pyroar line.

 

[ForgottenOnes]

Uh.. I'm pretty sure Shaymin-Sky (Skymin) is not banned as a Grass-type in mono right now. If it is please ignore this post. Shaymin-Sky should get a ranking in the rankings at like A or S. It is a great attacker with Seed Flare, and with its quick speed. Skymin also has quite a big arsenal of coverage moves it can use such as Earth Power for the pesky Fire-types. Skymin is great with Specs due to its quick speed and its awesome coverage moves. Without specs, SKymin still can do tons of damage.

 

[Anttya]

Uh.. I'm pretty sure Shaymin-Sky (Skymin) is not banned as a Grass-type in mono right now. If it is please ignore this post. Shaymin-Sky should get a ranking in the rankings at like A or S. It is a great attacker with Seed Flare, and with its quick speed. Skymin also has quite a big arsenal of coverage moves it can use such as Earth Power for the pesky Fire-types. Skymin is great with Specs due to its quick speed and its awesome coverage moves. Without specs, SKymin still can do tons of damage.

Yep, it's currently unbanned for Grass monos since the type's pretty lacking. I personally think it's S rank since it can flinch its way to victory while spamming Earth Power to beat stuff like Heatran. DM's writing the analysis, so look forward to that. :)

 

[ForgottenOnes]

Yep, it's currently unbanned for Grass monos since the type's pretty lacking. I personally think it's S rank since it can flinch its way to victory while spamming Earth Power to beat stuff like Heatran. DM's writing the analysis, so look forward to that. :)

ok gud :o r u gunna put it on the viability ranking? er... does it need to have a write up to be put on the rankings?

 

[Feliburn]

ok gud :o r u gunna put it on the viability ranking? er... does it need to have a write up to be put on the rankings?

Yeah so it gives users an explanation on how to use it alongside some viable sets and common threats, but looks like DM is writing it :p

 

[Freeroamer]

Yea don't you worry, I got this down, should be up sometime tomorrow

 

[ForgottenOnes]

Uh also another nomination... I nominate

Volcarona for A (Bug-types.)
*INSERT PICTURE OF VOLCARONA IM LAZY

Volcarona (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Flame Body
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 240 HP / 252 Def / 16 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Quiver Dance
- Bug Buzz
- Roost / Hidden Power Ice * / Giga Drain / Hidden Power Ground *
- Fiery Dance
*EVs change with Hidden Powers

Bulky Defensive Quiver Dance Volcarona

I believe Volcarona should be under A rank simply due to its niche as a Quiver Dancer. Not many other Bug-types can do this as effectively as Volcarona, and therefore Pokemon such as Vivillion sees almost no play as a Quiver Dancer because Volcarona simply out-awesomes/outclasses Vivillion as a Quiver Dancer. Not only that Volcarona has a great typing, being Fire- and Bug-type, Volcarona can destroy opposing Bug-types, and pesky Steel-types which other Bug-types cannot KO. One of the very few Steel-types: Heatran, can wall Volcarona; however, with coverage moves such as Hidden Power Ground, can do A LOT of damage to Heatran.

+3 0 SpA Volcarona Hidden Power Ground vs. 248 HP / 252+ SpD Heatran: 384-456 (99.7 - 118.4%) -- 93.8% chance to OHKO
+1 0 SpA Volcarona Hidden Power Ground vs. 248 HP / 252+ SpD Heatran: 232-276 (60.2 - 71.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

bruuuhhhh

anyways Roost is always a good choice for that HP up so Volcarona doesn't get KOed. And since Volcarona is bulky, it makes KOing Volcarona even more annoying.

The only counters and stuff for Volcarona would be Water- and Rock- types, and Stealth Rock I guess (at least thats all I could think of right now). However Stealth Rock could easily be Defog-ed or Rapid Spin-ed off with Pokemon such as Armaldo who can Rapid Spin, its awesome :D. It isn't even that hard to get.

A Rank: Reserved for Pokemon that have S rank qualities, but need support (which can be easily given) in order for them to be successful. These Pokemon can play a role against most type matchups, but they may be hard walled by 1-2 types. However, these Pokemon are mostly used for one or two of their sets meaning that they can be predictable. These Pokemon influence the Metagame.

This fits Volcarona quite well!


EDIT: First serious post in Smogon pls clap 4 me

Double EDIT: Fuck Burns from Scald. YOU CAN'T BURN THIS MON! SCREW THAT -12%

 

[Zewwok]

Uh also another nomination... I nominate

Volcarona for A (Bug-types.)
*INSERT PICTURE OF VOLCARONA IM LAZY

Volcarona (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Flame Body
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 240 HP / 252 Def / 16 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Quiver Dance
- Bug Buzz
- Roost / Hidden Power Ice * / Giga Drain / Hidden Power Ground *
- Fiery Dance
*EVs change with Hidden Powers

Roost should be mandatory on the bulky set. Instead, slash the coverage moves over bug buzz, as that is the most replaceable move on the set. Also, it's the IVs that change due to hidden power, not the EVs.

 

[Acast]

Reserving Lapras for Ice

 

[Freeroamer]

Shaymin-S (Grass) for S Rank

Sub+3 Attacks Haxer

Shaymin-Sky @ Leftovers
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Seed Flare
- Air Slash
- Earth Power
- Substitute

Set Details: This set aims to abuse the many switches that Shaymin-S forces, by allowing it to set-up a free Substitute and proceeding to enrage the opponent from there. Seed Flare is the Grass STAB of choice, and with it's 120 Base Power and the 80% chance to drop it's targets Special Defense by 2 stages means that it's a generally safe move to throw out in general, as even special walls will loathe having their stat halved, meaning they are more susceptible to being flinched to death. On that subject, Air Slash is the Flying STAB chosen, and in tandem with Serene Grace is undoubtedly one of the most annoying moves in the game, with it's 60% chance to flinch working well with Shaymin-S's incredible 127 base Speed. Earth Power rounds out the coverage, hitting Steel types that would resist both of it's STAB moves, but without a boosting item it is quite weak. These are really the only options for this set due to the coverage they provide and their damage output, any kind of Hidden Power is generally hitting too weak to be of much use.

EVs and Nature: Max Speed is a must on this set, as is a Speed boosting nature as it allows you to outspeed p. much every unboosted threat apart from a select few such as Crobat, Ninjask and Deoxys-S. If you don't fear other Shaymin-S, dropping to 220 Speed EVs is an option to outspeed max speed Greninja. Max Special Attack is also recommended to boost damage output.

SubSeed Haxer

Shaymin-Sky @ Leftovers
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Substitute
- Leech Seed
- Seed Flare
- Air Slash

Set Details: Quite possibly one of the most annoying sets in the metagame, Shaymin-S's niche as the best SubSeed user is only slightly contested by Whimsicott and it's Prankster, but it has a few crucial advantages over it. First of these is that it has actual offensive capabilities meaning it can easily force the switch to get the first Substitute up. It also has access to two STAB moves that help with the set in different ways. Air Slash has a 60% chance to stop the opponent moving, provided Shaymin-S moves first, which it normally will and this is massively helpful in racking up Leech Seed damage and wearing the opponent down in general. Seed Flare's chance to halve it's target's Special Defense also helps to force switches, which means more free Substitutes to keep doing it's work. From this it should be fairly obvious why the moves listed are the only moves listed. In general the play is to force something out and set up a sub, from there you Leech Seed the target that came in and proceed to keep spamming Sub while the opponent gradually loses all health to Leech Seed. If you have a Sub and Leech Seed up at the beginning of a turn, generally the best thing to do is Air Slash to try and get free Recovery turns, while throwing out Seed Flare if you happen to be against special walls such as Blissey.

EV Spreads: Max Speed with a speed boosting nature is again mandatory, as Shaymin-S's great speed is part of what makes the set so annoying to play against. Max Special Attack is also good to differentiate itself from Whimsicott.

Cleaner Haxer

Shaymin-Sky @ Choice Specs / Life Orb
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Seed Flare
- Air Slash
- Earth Power
- Hidden Power [Fire] / Hidden Power [Ice] / Healing Wish

Set Details: This is the most offensively orientated set that Shaymin-S can run, making use of it's incredible Speed and good Special Attack to either punch holes or clean up weakened teams. Seed Flare is incredibly strong STAB that deters special walls from switching in thanks to it's secondary effect. Air Slash is the secondary STAB, and can be used to flinch your way past opponents if you're feeling lucky. Earth Power rounds out some coverage again, hitting Steel types. The last slot is up to personal preference, Hidden Power Fire hits Ground immune steels as well as Ferrothorn, who otherwise wall the set, while Hidden Power Ice hits the likes of Dragonite. Healing Wish is a really cool option as with it's massive Speed, it's quite easy for Shaymin-S to pull it off and heal a teammate which is more useful in the battle.

EVs and Nature: EVs are standard for a special attacker and for Shaymin-S by now I guess, as it can't really afford to reduce it's Speed or Special Attack. Timid as usual too.

Insanely Fast Haxer

Shaymin-Sky @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Seed Flare
- Air Slash
- Earth Power
- Hidden Power [Fire] / Hidden Power [Ice] / Healing Wish

Set Details: While the move choices are the same as for the cleaner set, this set plays very differently to that set, in that it is a top notch revenge killer and a great check to weather in general, be it Sand Rush Excadrill or Swift Swim sweepers, as it outspeeds all of the notable weather abusers which run neutral speed natures, which is to say all of them. As already mentioned the moves are the same from the cleaner set, Healing Wish may look a strange option for a scarf set but it is really easy to pull off and can be the difference between winning and losing games.

EVs and Nature: Standard EVs as with the rest of the sets, Timid nature too.

Explanation: As part of the trio that were unbanned to shake up Monotype, Shaymin-S has quickly established itself as a staple on Grass teams, thanks to the multitude of roles it can carry out and how well it can do them. It's role as one of the most frustrating pokemon in the game, rivalled by the likes of Togekiss, Sableye and Whimsicott certainly does it no harm. While it's bulk is questionable, a well-played Shaymin-S will usually pull it's weight, and no doubt induce it's fair share of rage quits.

Why S Rank? An absolute staple on Grass teams now, and something every team must be able to deal with in order to be successful.

 

[Acast]

Lapras (Ice) for D Rank

Lapras @ Leftovers/Damp Rock
Ability: Hydration
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
- Rain Dance
- Rest
- Heal Bell / Surf / Hydro Pump
- Toxic / Toxic Spikes

Lapras @ Life Orb/Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Ice Shard
- Waterfall
- Drill Run

(I've been told there is a Wide Lens set that is somewhat popular, but I'm not sure what the specifics of it are. If anyone knows what that set is I'll gladly add it in here.)

Lapras is one of those Pokémon that desperately needs a mega. It's such a classic and so lovable but it doesn't have much competitive value. Its amazing 130 base HP stat is the only thing that really stands out about it. It has decent defenses, but 80/95 isn't enough to make up for a relatively poor typing. Granted, Water/Ice is a better typing than just pure Ice. It does eliminate the weakness to Fire and Steel moves, but it still retains the weaknesses to Fighting and Rock and adds on weaknesses to Grass and Electric. On top of that, Walrein, another Ice/Water type, outclasses Lapras in taking on Fire moves because of its Thick Fat ability. Lapras takes neutral damage while Walrein essentially resists Fire, a valuable asset for Ice teams.

Of course Lapras has a few things that differentiate it from Walrein, namely Heal Bell, Hydration, and Dragon Dance. Although Lapras can fill the Heal Bell role, it's done better by Articuno. Hydration + Rest is a very potent combination and can help Lapras function as a decent stall Pokémon if it can Toxic the opponent. A less common way to use Lapras is taking advantage of its access to Dragon Dance. It may have awful offensive stats, but Dragon Dance is one of the best offensive setup moves in the game, so it can turn Lapras into a somewhat decent sweeper that will definitely catch your opponent off guard. The biggest value to the Dragon Dance set is surprise. No one will expect a Dragon Dance from Lapras, so that'll give you a chance to set up. Unfortunately, it won't be doing much damage until it gets at least 2 Dragon Dances set up, so it won't be easy to pull off. Not to mention the strongest physical Ice STAB that Lapras gets (Avalanche) has negative priority, so it has to settle for the weaker Ice Shard, which can still be useful but is less desirable than Icicle Spear or Icicle Crash would be. The problem here is that Mamoswine, Weavile, and Cloyster all outclass Lapras as a physical attacker on Ice teams for various reasons, the most obvious of which is base stats.

TL;DR Basically Lapras is outclassed in almost everything it does and can't make the best use out of the few things it has to itself on Ice teams (Hydration and Dragon Dance). Hydration + Rest is your best bet for making this lovable sea creature useful, but it faces tough competition for a slot on an Ice team.

 

[n64lord]

While mega metagros has the stats to be an absolute monster, I find that in practice metagame trends that were already around for dealing with stuff like excadrill/megacham/and the like leave many types with a go to option to send against him in ORAS OU, and they do not need to consciously build a mega gros check into their team.

I've never gotten a chance to see mega gallade do well in ORAS or ORAS mono, but it to it's credit, it dosen't compromise the ability to cover things that mew can't stall break like heatran (making it worth considering over cham), and can put quite a few types through the wringer. I miss fake out+ BP saving me against ceirtain mons though.. very ocasional difficulties getting the initial transform

I agree with mega sableeye's projected rank. You Might be overselling diancie; I have literally seen it zero times. I don't really doubt that mence will be banned in OU, and there are fair reasons to follow suit for us..... I'll be laddering hard during ORAS initial release depsite that :D

I find megaaltaria to be underated as I love the mystery around whether he will be running cleric, dd, or special attacks, and to his credit, he can manhandle most electirc attackers despite hidden power coverage, although this isn't quite as useful for flying teams as their current mons. still gets you out of the lando/thundy-t mold though.

Doublade usage could spike on steel teams due to it coinciding with the holes in some of the new megas, at the least, it will scout out there coverage move.

I also strongly beleive that while mega slowbro will merely be "very good" in OU, it will become overcentralizing in monotype, but I will wait (and powerladder) [strike]before starting a loose cannon crusade to ban it[/strike]

 

[Acast]

Mega Gallade (Psychic) is basically the new Medicham w/o the HJK misses. Not only that, it has a nice speed tier, boosting moves, and Close Combat. Gallade can also run a stall set w/ Will-o-Wisp + Wish because of its better defenses. Neutrality to Dark moves + Knock Off is nice as well.

Mega Gallade (Fighting) will demolish every mirror match in existence. 110 speed means that it'll outspeed Keldeo, Terrakion etc, making Scarves the only way to hit it. Knock Off will screw potential Doublade switch ins. You lose the 2HKO on Skarm, but it's worth it. Shadow Sneak hits Ghosts hard at +2, and:

+2 252 Atk Gallade Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Slowbro: 340-402 (86.2 - 102%) -- 87.5% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock

Interesting that you label Megallade as sort of an upgrade to Megacham. I don't disagree, but this has me thinking, should we then lower Megacham's ranking? Of course we won't be officially changing any rankings based on ORAS megas until ORAS is released, but should we discuss the impact that the new megas will have on the rankings of current pokemon or should we wait until ORAS is released to discuss such theoretical things? Any possible changes are just theory until we see the new megas fully implemented into the metagame after all, but it would be an interesting debate to say the least.

 

[Dirpz]

Hitmonchan (Fighting) for D Rank

Hitmonchan (M) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Iron Fist
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Careful Nature
- Mach Punch/Earthquake
- Drain Punch
- Ice Punch
- Rapid Spin

It has Hazard removal thats all its good for, its outclassed by many other pokemon. Not much else is to be said other then assvest is for bulk to take a hit or two rapid spin then run.

Drifblim (Ghost) for D Rank, (Flying) for Unranked/E rank Will be done soon

 

[n64lord]

Porygon 2 (normal) for S rank

Porygon2 @ Eviolite
Ability: Trace
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
- Ice Beam
- Discharge
- Toxic
- Recover

In all likelihood, your porygon will look something like this, using it's large bulk and ability to wear people down with it's decent special attacks to deal with the physical attackers chansey can't touch, as well as take most of the other moves psyshock pokemon are likely to possess. Running toxic or even discharge over thunderwave is an option, as porygon may be out for a long enough time to make this worthwhile.

Porygon2 @ Eviolite
Ability: Download
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Spatk / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
- Ice Beam
- Tri Attack
- Discharge
- Recover

Porygon 2 is still a decent tank without EV investment and gains the abiility to cleanly 2HKO defensive pokemon such as zapdos and suicune, giving the offensive duck the ability to break pokemon that could outlast a chansey/staraptor core, as well as hitting any offensive switch in like a truck. It's possible to take the middle road and simply run download on your 252 hp/252 def, but while it dosen't have to stall for as long as the trace variant, it also racks up fully avoidable chip damage against the likes of heatran and gastrodon. Also using him as a tank means you have to look elsewhere for your physical wall.


Porygon2 @ Eviolite
Ability: Trace
EVs: 252 HP / 252Def / 4SpD
Bold Nature
- Conversion 2
- Tri Attack
- Ice Beam
- Recover

Conversion 2 only works in the first move slot due to PS bugs.
Why would you run such a troll move? The answer isn't that hard. It can turn boosting pokemon that rely on tanking rather than coverage into mincemeat and get an immunity to toxic fairly easily. The best cases are against pokemon like gyarados, who will find that his waterfall isn't looking too hot anymore. Most pokemon running fire attacks also share coverage which isn't spectacular. It quite simply turns a lot of 3HKOs and 2HKOs with hazards into 5HKOs or worse. If porygon's ever called on to tank a +1 outrage, this will ensure that he lives the second hit, gets a chance to heal up, and then OHKOs as usual (although he risks a coverage EQ/fire punch if they don't mind confusion) Generally I'd recomend download for this, but the specific target pokemon learn things like intimidate, rough skin, and multiscale, all of which are huge for porygon to have.


Usually Porygon 2 is just an absolutely fine tank who first dosen't have many problems. It does hate status, but normal will inevitably have THE CLERIC to handle this. Sadly it can't do squat against fighting types in general. He's a fine back up tank, and can do things that many walls can only dream of. He loves fishing for t waves and discharges, since protection from toxic narrows his weaknesses to just knock off and fighting attacks. He will almost never use foul play, because the lack of stab on it make it less effective for pressureing SD pokemon than what tri attack can do. Sometimes it is seen experimenting with magic coat to annoy things that come in to status it, or trick room to support some fairly deadly teamates. Charge beam w/wo substitue still exist despite being far less effective this gen. Porygon is a pretty potent pokeon for most normal teams, although it isn't quite essential to them. He comes with strings attached, worst of all making the team doubly weak to knock off. It also can't quite handle steel pokemon with toxic. It can be pressured out by leech seed and will o wisp as well. If chansey dies before the enemy stall core does, then porygon often finds himself unable to cope.