ORAS UU Viability Ranking Thread

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seconding cresselia to A rank. don't forget it can also hard counter zygarde, nidoking/queen, mega sceptile, spread paralysis (that you can abuse by sending scarf rachi), and it's generally impossible to kill if you pair it with like umbreon.
 
So you're running Toxic, Baton Pass and Sub on the same set? I didn't know that Lopunny had 5 moveslots?
Toxic is a valid point though. Fake Out or Encore are probably best in the final slot after the main STAB moves.

Still Cresselia is still a hard check or even a counter to Mega Lopunny Toxic or not and the metagame suits it very well at this point. It has Moonblast for semi-reliable recovery, support with Thunder Wave, Toxic and Lunar Dance and does a good job of checking Fighting types as even Knock Off doesn't do that much. It could feasibly stay A- rank or go to A rank. I don't have enough experience with it to clearly say which.
Encore is also rather bothersome for Cress as it can get her locked into one of her support moves and from there MLop is free do as she pleases, and I do see more encore sets gaining popularity (specifically sub-encore). But yeah I don't think MLop's versatility should be a point against Cress, she just has too much tools in the bag.
 

Nickos

Quack
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So you're running Toxic, Baton Pass and Sub on the same set? I didn't know that Lopunny had 5 moveslots?
Toxic is a valid point though. Fake Out or Encore are probably best in the final slot after the main STAB moves.

Still Cresselia is still a hard check or even a counter to Mega Lopunny Toxic or not and the metagame suits it very well at this point. It has Moonblast for semi-reliable recovery, support with Thunder Wave, Toxic and Lunar Dance and does a good job of checking Fighting types as even Knock Off doesn't do that much. It could feasibly stay A- rank or go to A rank. I don't have enough experience with it to clearly say which.
I said those as options, jeez... people just want likes

Also, the guy clearly said MOONBLAST, not psyshock
 
I said those as options, jeez... people just want likes

Also, the guy clearly said MOONBLAST, not psyshock
One, I meant Moonlight, not Moonblast. Sorry about that.
Two, I didn't realize that you said "or" instead of "and". Two cases of misreading/typing. No digging for likes here.

Again, your point about Toxic/SubPass is valid, but I still don't think that it affects Cresselia's viability so much, especially when with SubPass, Cresselia can easily break the Sub on the turn using either Moonblast or Psyshock unless it tries to Thunder Wave or something, meaning that Lopunny will not successfully pass the Substitute to something else.

So again, either A rank or A- seems appropriate for Cress seeing as it provides so much team support, fares very well against the metagame and checks the majority of new megas, but the high presence of Jirachi, Aggron and Mega Beedrill may hold it back.
 
Since this thread is kinda dead some sugestions

Darmanitan to B+ Basically lost competition from Raptor as a Choice Scarf Cleaner and Band Nuker,not anything higher than That because it has a terrible Match up with the Bulky S Rank Mons and Band Set outside of its extreme Nuking capability and U-Turn is Outclassed by Entei.

Kabutops for B-: If Stoutland,and Kingdra are on B- due to their Potential to Sweep and Clean up on Wheather Kabu deserves it since its one of the most importants pieces to Rain Offense alongside Mega Swampert,Tornadus and Kindgra Himself and also by the love of god if you say to me that the CritDra Gimmick is a reason for him to be above Kabu I WILL FIGHT ON THE STREET



Also EXTREMELY IMPORTANT
QWILFISH TO SO HAPPY IT MOVES RANK WITH BRONZONG
 
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dingbat

snek
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Eh qwilfish was ranked before oras appeared so no nick for it. Anyways, three questions

Whimsicott for A rank?
Bird Jesus for A rank too?

And what do you think is worthy of A+ atm, because that list is freaking tiny?
(I actually dm if a+ is puny because maybe there's really isn't much shit that fall in between A and S, who knows)
 
The closest thing out of A rank to move up to me would be Crobat, I get that Lopunny is kind of annoying to it but it's still one of the best "offensive support" pokemon in the tier.

Beedrill is also close imo, it kinda liked having all the Fairies in the tier for free kills but it's still nice and strong.
 
Wait why is Krookodile only A-? I know the new fighting megas really hurt it but it still checks or counters such a large portion of the tier, and is really easy to slap on offensive and balance teams.

Also seconding the nomination of Darm to B+
 

Ununhexium

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I'd really like to see Crobat go up to A+. It is arguably the best entry hazard remover in the tier (except maybe Aerodactyl and fuck Blastoise [they also take your mega slot]) and can revenge kill some of the new megas easily. It also basically hard counters Mega Beedrill (Knock Off does a max of 49.3% but you can always run AcroBat which leads me to my next point.) Crobat is also really versatile in what it can run. It can run the standard bulky support, more Attack EVs for the extra offensive presence (especially on bulky offense / offensive balance), AcroBat to take Knock Off better, Sky Plate, and Choice Band (though RIP Staraptor Brave Bird spamming). It just checks so much and offers support so helpful its near impossible to not like it. It can revenge KO stuff like Gallade, Mienshao, Beedrill, Machamp (to an extent), Roserade, (offensive) Whimsicott, Mega Sceptile, and Infernape (that's just threats in A rank). I won't take my time to go through things that check it (there are a few), but it can U-turn out of a lot of them.

It's also the best Jirachi / Mega Ampharos partner ever
 
Eh qwilfish was ranked before oras appeared so no nick for it. Anyways, three questions

Whimsicott for A rank?(Rank "Only Counter to Zygarde that doesn`t need to fuck over its moveset which is like half of the reason its good" imo)
Bird Jesus for A rank too?

And what do you think is worthy of A+ atm, because that list is freaking tiny?
(I actually dm if a+ is puny because maybe there's really isn't much shit that fall in between A and S, who knows)
Uh What Bronzong was also ranked befroe ORAS SO unless you mistyped THATS RACIST

Shit that can go to A+:
Only thing I see is Brobat sooo that rank is going to still be tiny

Shit that can move to A: Mega Sceptile,Roserade,Lucario .Basically Mega Sceptile is really good excellent late game cleaner and its like surprisignly easy to build around for something with a ton of weaknesses sucks that most Anti Zygarde stuff is hurts Sceptile 5x more than Zygarde himself like seriously F*** you for making Swampert and Vaporeon run Ice Moves F**** You,Roserade still best non suicide lead spiker on the tier,its a pain to switch into and while Flying Spam being more popular sucks for it the ol Queen of UU still is a amazing mon.Lucario at +2 is still one of the most terrifying things to see in the tier while it gets shat on by the fighting Spam that apperently didn`t matter for Mega Absol which still hates Fighting types even with Play Rough and gets shat on by Bunny?
 

ScraftyIsTheBest

On to new Horizons!
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Even though Mawile is UU (only for the time being though), there really isn't much it can do in the tier. While it has a slick typing, it is let down by horrible stats. You can say that its counterpart Sableye had bad stats too, as does the mighty Fletchinder, but to be quite frank, there's really nothing Mawile is good at, because its terrible stats means it has a ton of issues. It relies an incredible lot on Intimidate to have even decent bulk, and even then with Intimidate it still isn't that bulky. It doesn't even check Fighting-types because it's neutral to their moves. More importantly, Mawile hits like a wet paper bag, because its 85 Attack is actually really subpar and Mawile isn't going to fully invest in that because it needs some defensive investment to be any useful, and Mawile really doesn't do anything well. It takes special hits poorly, does not hit hard at all, has no recovery, and isn't that bulky. I get that it can set up Stealth Rock but to be frank if you want Rocks, there are plenty of other choices.

I'm sorry, but unless someone finds some revolutionary Mawile set that makes waves, the best I can see it in is D Rank, and that's being pretty nice to it because it's even worse than Scrafty. I don't think it even deserves to be ranked because Mawile will drop further in the next tier shift anyways.
 
Some thoughts on some of the suggestions (incoming long post)

Granbull

I'm surprised it took so long to bring it up tbh. Is one of stall's few options against M-Gallade and M-Lopunny, and does amazing against fighting spam. Although having Rest-Talk as the only real way to stay healthy kind of sucks, it still performs really well with a set with Play Rough, Rest, Sleep Talk, and T-Wave/Roar/Heal Bell. Intimidate plus lots of physical bulk, and this guy laughs at any physical fighting move coming its way. (-1 252 Atk Reckless Mienshao High Jump Kick vs. 252 HP / 232+ Def Granbull: 72-86 (18.7 - 22.3%) -- possible 6HKO after Leftovers recovery) This guy also fits well outside of stall, and the rare CB set can really do some work if the opponent isn't expecting it. B+ -> A-

Mawile

I don't have much experience with it, but from what I've seen, it isn't unviable. Fairy/Steel is an amazing type combo, and Intimidate with physical bulk gives it a surprising amount of longevity on the physical side. It has Knock Off, Taunt, and Stealth Rocks, so it doesn't lack in utility, but it lacks a lot of damage, forcing you to run Seismic Toss or Toxic if you want to do any meaningful damage. (Play Rough from base 85 Attack is dreadful when you can't afford to invest in it) However, it has interesting potential with a BP set, being able to boost up with Stockpile, Iron Defense, or Swords Dance. Pain Split is a viable form of recovery with its low base HP, and Super Fang can really pay off against switch ins. It isn't quite as bad as Scrafty at the moment, but by no means is it a destructive force. I would argue it has more viability than Durant, so C ranking isn't unthinkable. Then again, I wouldn't care enough to argue it out of D rank if that's what people decide. Unranked -> C

Crobat

Crobat has always been good, and fighting spam just makes it stronger. In addition to being one of the best Defog users in the tier, it checks M-Gallade and M-Lopunny and straight up counters M-Beedrill. Its standard utility set with Brave Bird is good, but more people need to give the AcroBat set a chance; having no recoil on your STAB while taking much less from Knock Off can really make a difference. The question really is, is it as good in the meta as the oher 4 Pokemon in A+? I could see that going either way. Its probably reasonable to put it into A+, but its troubles against steels and M-Zam (not to mention M-Aero) still really hinder it. I'll throw my vote in for its promotion, if only because BandBat is so much fun to use. A -> A+

Whimsicott

Ehh, not entirely convinced it should move up. While still being arguably the best Zygarde counter available and being great against fighting spam, flying types in general are on the rise in response. (M-Pidgeot next) Boy does this Pokemon struggle to find switches into flying pressure. The Specs set doesn't dent switches that resist its STABs, and the standard defensive set (arguably its best set atm) just doesn't seem to find safe opportunities to get out Leech Seeds and harrass. Is it good? Definitely. Is it as good as Crobat/M-Beedrill/Nidoqueen? I don't think so. A- (no change)

M-Pidgeot

M-Pidgeot was the new mega I was most excited about upon ORAS release, and it has not disappointed. While it probably won't ever be an S class threat, being one of the few flying types that hit hard on the special side side is a fantastic addition to UU. Heat Wave also gives it options against steel types, which isn't something a lot of flying types can boast about. HP Water can be used to nail the few switch ins that resist both Hurricane and Heat Wave, such as Rhyperior and M-Aero, while Defog, U-Turn, Roost, and Work Up can all find its way onto different sets. Sitting in a nice Speed tier of 121 is also amazing. Unlike Whimsicott, I do think that M-Pidgeot is as good as other Pokemon in A rank, but I don't see it ever getting higher than that. This is the time when M-Pidgeot will be at its most useful, when fighting types are running rampant, M-Sceptile is starting to see more play, and Jirachi/M-Beedrill are both everywhere. A- -> A

Darmanitan


Yeah, throw this guy up. We all know the drill here, he hits hard and kills himself, but usually takes down at least one Pokemon with it. Staraptor was better at it, but with it heading to BL, Darmanitan is the top kamikaze nuker in the tier again. B+ is fine for it, but as long as Suicune and Zygarde are top dogs, I doubt Darmanitan will see the A rankings. B -> B+ (Zen Mode from unranked -> SS)

Krookodile

Looking at the 6 S rank Pokemon should be a clear indication why it has fallen a bit in rankings. Loses to M-Gallade, M-Lopunny, Suicune, and Zygarde, while going even against M-Zam (try switching into a Focus Blast/Dazzling Gleam) and beats Jirachi assuming it doesn't just chip you away with U-Turn/Moonblast (depending on the set). Don't get me wrong, its still great, but its time in the spotlight has passed with the meta being what it is (fighting spam, U-Turn everywhere, S class match up issues). If only it had Sucker Punch... A- (no change)

Kabutops

No. It is still niche, really being useful only on Rain Teams, and that's it. It is quite good, but the support necessary to make it succeed keeps it low on the viability rankings. Every team should be prepared for it, but your team isn't better from having it. C (no change)

Now for my own nominations

Slowking B- -> B

It is overall just incredibly underrated. Its CM/Slack Off set is a great win condition and deals with Suicune, AV beats most special attackers (including M-Zam), and Specs hurts like a truck, all while having Regenerator to keep itself relevant all game. Very few Specs/AV users can boast having recovery that isn't reliant on Wish passing to it. Since it has great special bulk, it can afford to invest into Defense and take fighting spam too, keeping it threatening to the current meta. Being U-Turn/Knock Off weak is unfortunate, but doesn't affect Slowking nearly as much as frailer Pokemon.

Gligar A- -> A

This thing is really good right now. Impossibly bulky on the physical side, great Defog user, consistent recovery, can set rocks reliably, and can slow-Turn to keep frail threats from getting hammered from switching in. Unless fighting types are carrying Ice Punch (HP Ice Mienshao if real), they just won't break this thing. Being able to Knock Off and SD/BP is just icing on the cake.

TL;DR please read the post, I spent a long time writing it T-T
 
Some thoughts on some of the suggestions (incoming long post)

Mawile

I don't have much experience with it, but from what I've seen, it isn't unviable. Fairy/Steel is an amazing type combo, and Intimidate with physical bulk gives it a surprising amount of longevity on the physical side. It has Knock Off, Taunt, and Stealth Rocks, so it doesn't lack in utility, but it lacks a lot of damage, forcing you to run Seismic Toss or Toxic if you want to do any meaningful damage. (Play Rough from base 85 Attack is dreadful when you can't afford to invest in it) However, it has interesting potential with a BP set, being able to boost up with Stockpile, Iron Defense, or Swords Dance. Pain Split is a viable form of recovery with its low base HP, and Super Fang can really pay off against switch ins. It isn't quite as bad as Scrafty at the moment, but by no means is it a destructive force. I would argue it has more viability than Durant, so C ranking isn't unthinkable. Then again, I wouldn't care enough to argue it out of D rank if that's what people decide. Unranked -> C
Just gonna take a moment to vouch for Pain Spilt / Baton Pass Mawile, Intimidate can force quite a few early game switches and a combination of Rocks damage + switch initiative goes a long way towards softening up offensive mons like Darm who otherwise have no problem coming in on Mawile. Pain Split is a fun move to play around with, as Venduria said since Mawile doesn't have the best HP stat you can heal yourself up pretty nicely with it. I'd say Seismic Toss isn't a great move on Mawile from my own experience, but I still think its a good move for a mon that doesn't have a lot of attacking capability. Here's a set that I've been using:


OG Bobby Kush (Mawile) @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Seismic Toss
- Pain Split
- Baton Pass / Super Fang / Ice Punch​

I don't think anyone will be surprised when I say I don't think Mawile is anything too special, but the little guy puts in enough work to earn a spot on the rankings list in my opinion. Rocks, and Pain Split are mandatory in all honesty. Seismic Toss is used as it gives Mawile the ability to not be total Taunt bait. Baton Pass lets you gain immediate momentum if you force an opponent to switch or just need to get a teammate in without taking a hit, allowing Mawile to act as a decent bulky pivot(which Granbull doesn't have access to). On top of those bonuses, Baton Pass goes really with the way that Mawile should be played, because Mawile wants to make the most out of Intimidate and constant switching is key to taking advantage of this. Super Fang is good for taking chunks out of your opponent's HP early in the game and can punish pokemon like Darm who think they've got an easy switch in opportunity. Ice Punch allows you to not be total SubCoil bait for Zyggy.

Its not a set that'll be making huge waves anytime in the immediate future, but I don't think that many mons in C-Rank are known for their amazing capabilities in the first place. Definitely worth a spot on the list in my opinion. Honestly I think Mawile separates itself from a mon like Granbull with its ability to pivot with Baton Pass and act as a Stealth Rock setter. Once again, not the greatest mon, but Mawile does enough to earn itself a spot next to mons like Braviary, Durant, and Gastrodon.
 
Kabutops

No. It is still niche, really being useful only on Rain Teams, and that's it. It is quite good, but the support necessary to make it succeed keeps it low on the viability rankings. Every team should be prepared for it, but your team isn't better from having it. C (no change)

Now for my own nominations
The Problemn with that is that Kingdra is 1 rank above when it basically needs the same support like ok I can get like the better typing and Wat not but Kabu is still the most dangerous of the 2 in rain and Kingdra sets that work out of rain(which is DD which if it doesn`t have Rain Dance its Outclasses by Haxorus which DD and Critdra which is gimmick as fuck and doesn`t warrant a rank increase) are definately not enough to Put it up a sub rank above Kabu just because "it can work"

so either move Kingdra down or move Kabu up but both deserve same rank
 
The Problemn with that is that Kingdra is 1 rank above when it basically needs the same support like ok I can get like the better typing and Wat not but Kabu is still the most dangerous of the 2 in rain and Kingdra sets that work out of rain(which is DD which if it doesn`t have Rain Dance its Outclasses by Haxorus which DD and Critdra which is gimmick as fuck and doesn`t warrant a rank increase) are definately not enough to Put it up a sub rank above Kabu just because "it can work"

so either move Kingdra down or move Kabu up but both deserve same rank
Whether or not Critdra is a gimmick doesn't really matter if it performs well enough to warrant its ranking. Keep in mind what else is in B-; Pokemon like Diancie, Escavalier, and Stoutland are in this rank, all of whom fill very small niches. Critdra does have viability if not for the sole purpose of breaking Crocune while seriously denting anything that switches in once it has set up. Critdra actually invests into Speed, so it wins this match up essentially 100% of the time.

252+ SpA Sniper Kingdra Draco Meteor vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Suicune on a critical hit: 378-445 (93.5 - 110.1%) -- 62.5% chance to OHKO
+6 4 SpA Suicune Scald vs. 64 HP / 0 SpD Kingdra: 82-97 (26.7 - 31.5%) -- guaranteed 4HKO

Keep in mind that this is all possible without rain support. In fact, its defensive typing lets it switch into fire and water with little issue, and its respectable bulk gives it a good cushion to set up and sweep. (Focus Energy/Agility sets can be devastating as a late game sweeper) In the rain, I would definitely agree Kabutops is the bigger threat, as Critdra won't work with Swift Swim, and DD to boost isn't as threatening as SD Kabutops. That being said, Kabutops lies in a speed tier lower than Kingdra (who isn't fast by any means), is deathly allergic to anything that reminds it of plants, and is less bulky even on the physical side compared to Kingdra.

252 Atk Sheer Force Darmanitan Flare Blitz vs. 64 HP / 0 Def Kingdra: 70-82 (22.8 - 26.7%) -- 38.5% chance to 4HKO
252 Atk Sheer Force Darmanitan Flare Blitz vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Kabutops: 64-76 (24.5 - 29.1%) -- 99.8% chance to 4HKO
(Comparing Critdra to SD Kabutops)

I really don't have anything against Kabutops, but as it stands now, it REQUIRES rain to be useful while Kingdra isn't necessarily held back by the same issue. SD RP Kabutops seems intriguing, but it won't be nearly as effective as SD/Agility Diggersby, who actually has the bulk to take a hit and sweep boosted. If you would like to show replays, I am not opposed to changing my mind. If anything, all this conversation has revealed for me is that Stoutland should drop to C, as it really is a Darude version of Kabutops, needing a sandstorm to have any effectiveness.

TL;DR Critdra has enough usefulness outside of rain teams to warrant B-, while Kabutops doesn't have a niche outside of rain teams. Stoutland B- -> C since it is a sand version of Kabutops, and lacks effectiveness in the current meta. (I can write a more in depth post on Stoutland if others don't agree)

EDIT: always a word
 
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ok, ignoring the stream of aids posts above mine, imma talk about some things.


I actually disagree with moving Gligar up, for a number of reasons. Mainly because of the fact that unless you run Toxic on it (which isn't the best option unless your team desperately needs it, which in most cases it will not), it is COMPLETE set up for SubCoil variants of Zyg, and to an extent SubDD variants which I've seen every now and then. Its bulk is severely compromised by Knock Off, which is really common in this metagame, and it certainly doesn't enjoy the shitload of Encore Lopunny going around right now. It also had the same problems that it had in XY, which was basically the fact that it got destroyed by pretty much every Water-type not named Tentacruel, which is only more true as of now. A- is fine for it though, as being one of the only Mega Bee answers that has recover is pretty nice.

What is Azelf doing in A, lol? I get that it doesn't really have to face the competition from Froslass anymore, and Sableye is gone so it can set up on balanced teams much more easier, but I really don't think that it's on the same level as Mega Blastoise and Mega Beedrill. Hazard cleaning has gotten a lot more easier in this tier (mainly due to the departure of Sableye), and UU has literally all but one of the Rapid Spinners, which says something. The hyper offensive teams that it was used so commonly on in mid XY aren't nearly as common, as the metagame has adapted to them over the past few months. I think it being in A- is fine for now, as NP sets trash stall teams (and don't even bring up those fucking Shedinja teams that are being spammed for some reason lmao).

Mega Beedrill could be A+ imo. While the set it runs is nearly always the same, it doesn't really hinder it /that/ much, as it is one of the, if not THE best momentum grabber in the tier at the moment, due to the fact that it has the strongest U-turn in the tier, which is really nice when you consider the fact that it has insane Attack and Speed (outspeeds Scarf Chand, iirc), which also makes it a pretty good revenge killer, and while its coverage isn't the best, it's not totally bad either as Knock Off rids Gligar, one of its best answers, of its Eviolite. Obviously, it's not going to be switching into a lot of attacks, but 4x resisting Fighting / Grass-type moves is pretty neat as well, despite its shit bulk. Really, the only thing holding it back is the fact that it has to Protect most of the times before MEVolving against offensive teams (although it lets bee scout for scarfer moves which is pretty cool), and its SR weakness also Kinda Sucks.

I'm also considering Machamp moving up to A+, but I'll have to think about it some more.
 

SketchUp

Don't let your memes be dreams
Mega Camerupt is B Rank in OU but C Rank here. Also, Megallade is A+ in OU. WHy is he still legal here?
The metagame in OU is different from the metagame in UU. For example Rhyperior is B rank here but B+ in OU, because it does very well against birdspam (Talonflame, Staraptor, Mega Pinsir)
Mega Gallade is indeed insane and a very overcentralizing threat in the metagame, but because it is A+ in a higher tier, is not a good argument. It's like saying Klefki should be Uber because it's A rank in Ubers. I do agree with a potential suspect for M-Gallade in the future, but your argument (rank in other tier) is just not valid in my opinion
 
I disagree with Gligar moving up as well. It's supposed to check Fighting spam but the threat of Encore Lopunny makes it really hard to keep momentum against Lopunny, and even fully physically defensive variants (not the best spread in this metagame anyway) are smashed by SD Gallade. And like bouff said, it's 100% set up fodder for what is probably the biggest threat in this tier right now, even DD sets set up on it cause it doesn't have much room for Toxic.

Gonna make my own nom, Slowking to B+. While it doesn't have anywhere near the defensive capabilities that Slowbro did, it does have a set that can be extremely threatening, and that is Trick Room Nasty Plot. This set doesn't even have to be placed on a Trick Room team as it can work fantastically as a stand-alone sweeper. It can generally set up on a lot of common Pokemon such as Jirachi and Suicune (and plenty more) and can even take hits from Mega Gallade, Lopunny, and Alakazam if it comes down to it. Thanks to its great bulk it's not unheard of to use both setup moves and take out a couple mons, especially against offensive teams where it turns the high-speed playstyle on its head. I wouldn't say it's quite A material because of the various things running around like Shaymin, Raikou, and especially Hydreigon that can deal with it pretty easily, but I think that its current rank of B- doesn't take this really great set into account.

Here's a replay, shoutout Metric aka ANGER MANAGEMENT http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/uu-192753644 but yeah having used TR NP Slowking myself I can definitely attest to its effectiveness.
 
Spiritomb Unranked to B-

Spiritomb is criminally underrated in the current meta, as it checks/counters 4/6 of the S ranked pokes, and a wide margin of the meta in general. It definately isnt a counter to Zygarde, but it cripples SubCoil Zyggy with Infiltrator Will-O-Wisp; DD variants on the other hand, wreck it. It is a very solid check to Gallade (and Fighting spam in general, bar Loppuny) as it's immune to its STAB combo and eats up a +2 Knock Off, while OHKO'ing with Foul Play in return. It Pursuit traps/Sucker Punches/Foul Plays Psychic types such as Alakazam, Starmie, Celebi, and Rachi which rule the tier right now. It does the same to frail attackers such as M-Drill, Roserade, Darm, Chandy, etc., while also holding that aforementioned Will-O-Wisp utility. It also acts as a respectable spinblocker with that coveted Dark/Ghost typing, allowing it to not be OHKOed like most other ghosts by the Rapid Spinning God himself, M-Stoise.
 
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Pearl

Romance は風のまま
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two really quick noms. i shall provide some replays or something for them later if ppl ask for it i guess

Slurpuff from C to B- (or even B)

the metagame isn't overloaded with other offensive fairies to compete with it anymore. drain punch is a huge buff to its belly drum set, allowing it not only to dent steel-types, but also to stick around for longer, which is more important than what people think. Calloflochie and namehtmas can back this one up i guess

Toxicroak from B- to B

gallade and lopunny (the two premiere fighting-types of the metagame) gone gives this one a lot of extra room to breathe. hits like a truck, puts a dent to stall by setting up on the likes of crocune and alomomola and sticking around for a while with drain punch, isn't dead weight against offense cause of sucker punch and good unboosted damage (gunk shot does A LOT if you ever find opportunities to use it). also absorbs toxic spikes, which adds up to its already good utility

some food for thought which i'm not going to develop much: machamp to A+, ampharos back to A-, entei up to A, slowking up (basically backing up dodmen's nomination, that thing is good af)

i think that's all for now. lopunny and gallade bans happened too recently to make any accurate judgment after all
 
Crobat ~ A to A+

Crobat just does everything so well in this meta and can fit into just about any team. He dismantles stall, can act as a defensive wedge against many typings, and seriously threatens every fighting type in the tier. He's got plenty of options and all of them are potentially devastating right now. Whether it be Defog, Taunt, or Super Fang Crobat is very versatile in the right hands and can control the momentum of a game at any time. Crobat is a straight up brilliant toolbelt that I think everyone has considered using at one point during building any team. A great mon in a metagame that just amplifies what it does well.

Slurpuff ~ C to B-

Man, never thought I'd ever agree with moving Slurpuff into the B ranks. With how forgiving this meta is for physically offensive mons, this is the perfect time for Slurpuff to finally take advantage of it's new toy in drain punch. It's still extremely scared of status, priority, and drain punch doesn't fix its frailty problem (at least when it comes to losing the ability to BDrum), but this thing has more opportunities than ever to set up. Once it sets up, there really isn't that much standing in its way anymore. It certainly has issues and requires support still, but the reward is definitely more worth the risk right now.

Mega Pidgeot ~ A- to A

A surprisingly underrated mon at the moment that can be a very, very commanding presence when played right. Mega evolving this thing early leaves a huge shadow over the heads of fast fighting types and in general just hits really hard. Certainly not something that can freely spam hurricanes early on, but wears down a team so damn quickly with repeated utilization of its hit and run style of play. Often times, specially bulky mon are just forced to come in to answer Pidgeot or make their team suffer its hefty hurricanes. This thing puts a lot of team pressure on the opponents special walls even though it can't touch them, and can freely bait obvious switches with its stellar u-turn. Pidgeot might not have many move options, but it certainly gives whatever team it's on many ways to play around an opponent. And contrary to popular belief, M-Pidgeot with Roost is a huge fucking asshole to face.

Dragalge ~ B to B+

I'm a little surprised more people aren't using Dragalge at the moment now that it can have adaptability, as it's a pretty good anti-meta pokemon and poison types in general are on the rise. While it can't go mixed like Hydreigon, the choice specs set just rips through everything and is even better in this metagame without tons of fairies being able to soak up Draco Meteors. With all the fighting types giving steels a hard time, Dragalge has even more space to spam its STABs without relying on Focus Blast too much. It does have issues with the top psychic types in the tier, mainly Jirachi, but essentially nothing in the A and up ranks enjoys taking it's crazy powerful dual STAB combo, and whatever does (Empoleon, Umbreon) get slaughtered by Focus Blast. Plus, now that M-Gallade is gone, Dragalge can come in on every fighting type in the tier and fire off nukes.
 
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Actually, Dragalge can go mixed decently. Because Gunk Shot has such high BP on top of Adaptability, you can hit stuff like Blissey, Umbreon, and Florges (though LO 252+ Sludge Bomb and Wave still 2HKOs even SpDef Florges) much harder than you could with any special move. Still can't break Jirachi, but that's because Jirachi is an ass.
 
0 Atk Adaptability Dragalge Gunk Shot vs. 4 HP / 252+ Def Blissey: 248-292 (38 - 44.7%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery

240+ SpA Choice Specs Adaptability Dragalge Draco Meteor vs. 4 HP / 252 SpD Blissey: 242-286 (37.1 - 43.8%) -- 99.8% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery

It certainly deals really good damage without having Draco Meteor's damage dropoff (uninvested Gunk Shot deals more to Blissey than 240+ Focus Blast). Although Focus Blast still deals a lot more to Umbreon. If you ran a mixed Dragalge you could possibly run LO or even sacrifice a little bulk for some Atk investment. But technically yea, if you want to surprise Blissey Gunk shot could potentially replace a coverage move.

All the more reason to use Dragalge. :)
 
Mega Pidgeot ~ A- to A

This thing puts a lot of team pressure on the opponents special walls even though it can't touch them, and can freely bait obvious switches with its stellar u-turn. Pidgeot might not have many move options, but it certainly gives whatever team it's on many ways to play around an opponent.
Work up + Roost says hi, and if you really want to be asinine towards Blissey the premiere SpD wall use refresh and turn her into set up bait (it is very possible to get away with mono Flying STAB since the tier still sucks at having an answer towards it. So you do have options available against special walls.
 
I second user Arch in promoting our Lord Pidgeon to A rank. Although it seems very one dimensional, it actually has proved itself to be difficult to play around. A good speed tier before mega, and a fantastic one after makes this a big threat to all types of teams. Its speed tier got even better now that Mega Lopunny is gone, now it's one of the fastest mons in the tier. Also 135 SpA is pretty strong, and the no-miss Hurricanes with that SWEET (equal to SCALD ban pls) chance of confusion is more threatening than it looks on paper. It can be pretty clutch to win you games. I'd mention its other moves such as Heat Wave and the spammable U-Turn but its obvious why they're good. I mentioned it's a threat to all types of teams, but it's easy to argue what it actually does against stall, specifically special walls. Well:

Pidgeot-Mega @ Pidgeotite
Ability: No Guard
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hurricane
- Work Up
- Refresh
- Roost

I knew Work-Up would be useful :D. I forgot who actually came up with this set, but credit to that person. This makes special walls such as Blissey, the premier special wall just set up fodder for Mega Pidgeot. Hurricane, no immunities, very spammable, good offensive type is obviously the attack move of choice. Work Up allows you to set up and rip through things that could otherwise wall you. Refresh laughs at Toxic, and Roost is self-explanatory. This set is a very good win condition against stall, and proves the Lord Pidgeon is actually more diverse than you'd think. If your only answer to this is phazing it out, then you lose when it's the last mon remaining.

Also brief mention to things like HP Water, Grass, or even Ground - not commonly seen on Pidgeot (and imo sub-optimal, but I guess they could be nice if your team appreciates the coverage / luring) but they can screw over some switch ins such as Rhypeior or SpDef Swampert etc. Again this reinforces how Pidgeot is pretty hard to play around.
 
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