The OU Viability Ranking thread - Page 37

Tabuu · Dec 6th, 2012, 10:41:25 PM

D-Tier??? RU Kidding me? (joke joke...).

This prehistoric flying Dinosaur may be ancient but definitely deserves a little more recognition and not go extinct. Check it. Base 130 Speed. In the OU Metagame, that shit is just godly. Being able to outspeed practically anyone (which includes base 129 base speed Pokemon and below along with base 70 Scarfers...which is stupid 'cause those don't really fly around a lot haha), Aerodactyl introduces itself with quite a flashy showcase of speed. Next up, is his offensive stats. Base 105 Attack is above average and quite solid. It pales a bit when put up against the OU Titans such as Lucario, Terrakion, Conkeldurr, Mamoswine, Dragonite, Hydreigon and so forth. However it's good enough that it is quite useable. (I mean it's more offensive than stuff like SD Gliscor at least haha). Aerodactyl is almost always running Sash with Rocks and Taunt. This really allows Aerodactyl to stop entry hazards from coming up on your side while putting your on Rocks up. He works well against stuff like Sash Terrakion. EQ is a solid 2HKO and thanks to Sash+Higher base speed, Terrakion will either have to run and allow an opportunity for Aero to set up Rocks OR Terrakion can be KO'd and you can battle worry-free of those troublesome rocks. Aerodactyl has Hone Claws which isn't terrible. It has its uses. Stone Edge misses became a laughing matter as he boosts. One time is enough to bring Stone Edge to a comfortable level of usage and reliability. With Rocks up and a +1, Aerodactyl can do some work to a worn down team. Keep in mind, Aerodactyl is better off utilizing a Focus Sash and it better off in the Sand (it really helps).

+1 252 Atk Aerodactyl Earthquake vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Terrakion: 308-364 (95.06 - 112.34%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
+1 252 Atk Aerodactyl Earthquake vs. 156 HP / 0 Def Tyranitar: 260-306 (68.42 - 80.52%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
+1 252 Atk Aerodactyl Stone Edge vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Latios: 255-300 (84.43 - 99.33%) -- 75% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
+1 252 Atk Aerodactyl Stone Edge vs. 184 HP / 4 Def Rotom-W: 198-234 (68.98 - 81.53%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and weather

Just some random calcs, but you can see that Aerodactyl is not terribly outclassed as an offensive late game cleaner. His plethora of Priority weaknesses is obvious but again, they should have received prior damage and a Sash should be held by Aero to ensure Aero can go and take them out.
Aerodactyl is a Pokemon with a hell of a lot of flaws. But, he has his perks. D-Tier sounds a little too harsh.
"Reserved for Pokemon who can be effective given the right support, but either have crippling flaws that prevent them from consistently executing their strategy or are completely eclipsed by a Pokemon in the above ranks." C-Tier really sounds applicable. With Support as listed, Aerodactyl can work surprisingly well for a "poor" Pokemon in this Meta. He does have crippling flaws though and this does hold him back. But Aero is definitely "worth the time" and can fulfil more than just a "tiny niche".
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DrunkDemon · Dec 7th, 2012, 9:30:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fat Lord of Bays

Does he get Head Smash?

Unfortunately, no. It's really a shame, it has the perfect typing to abuse recoil moves and doesn't get any.

Swamp-Rocket · Dec 7th, 2012, 11:14:10 PM

I am really not convinced that Aerodactyl should be moved out of D-tier at all.

The main reason is some of these sets that are being used are almost all outclassed and I fail to see their merit. When are you ever going to set up a Hone Claws on Aerodactyl with its frality? Why not just use something stronger like Terrakion, which has Swords Dance? Why not just use something with a Choice Band with several Powerful moves, possibly boosted by weather? Why would you ever use Scarf Aerodactyl? Or Taunt plus Roost Aerodactyl? If you're going to go for a fast cleaner... once again Terrakion takes the cake with a Scarf. The second set is outclassed by Crobat most of the time since it has a better bulk and a better defensive typing (and Brave Bird so it hits harder) and it isn't even that good in OU to begin with. Aerodactyl only has two advantages over Terrakion - a immunity to Earthquake and the ability to outspeed a lot of Pokemon that Terrakion cannot. Even then, Aerodactyl's only good offensive move happens to be Stone Edge, which is imfamous for missing every five seconds for a very good reason. Earthquake is OK but it is getting to be unrelaible. 105 Base Attack to go alongside this move makes it a rather below average physical attacker, especially when you consider that there are many Pokemon packing 120 Base Power STAB moves with perfect accuracy, technical double STAB with weather, a higher attack stat with dual STABs (Aerodactyl has no good Flying moves), or more than one of these!

Aerodactyl is only worth using in OU if you are going to lay down a fast Stealth Rock, and even then, there are many other options for setting up the move - most of the time Deoxys-D does a better job than it, which is what makes it worthy for D-tier, where it is now.

PureQuestion · Dec 8th, 2012, 2:31:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fat DrunkDemon

Unfortunately, no. It's really a shame, it has the perfect typing to abuse recoil moves and doesn't get any.

Yeah, the full extent of its recoil attacks to abuse Rock Head with is... Double-Edge and Takedown.

So really, just Double-Edge. Which is at least okay for neutral coverage, but man. That's just cruel.

Wizarus · Dec 8th, 2012, 11:44:10 AM

Too bad Aerodactyl doesn't get Brave Bird; would have been a hell of alot better if it did. As of now, Lead is the only set I see viable, and really that's not exactly spectacular. Unnerve will stop Custap, but outside of that, it's outclassed by Terrakion as a SR lead with Taunt.

Crackstar · Dec 8th, 2012, 1:16:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fat Wizarus

Too bad Aerodactyl doesn't get Brave Bird; would have been a hell of alot better if it did. As of now, Lead is the only set I see viable, and really that's not exactly spectacular. Unnerve will stop Custap, but outside of that, it's outclassed by Terrakion as a SR lead with Taunt.

No

It's way way faster than Terrakion, which cant be understated, it takes Azelf leads 1 v 1, and taunts other things. C-Tier

Wizarus · Dec 8th, 2012, 2:00:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fat Crackstar

No

It's way way faster than Terrakion, which cant be understated, it takes Azelf leads 1 v 1, and taunts other things. C-Tier

The only thing you will be hitting with Taunt that's faster than Terrakion is Azelf, and that alone is hardly worth C-Tier. Terrakion can beat a hell of alot more 1 v 1 than Aerodactyl, which usually just sets up Rocks, and then dies.

DarkBlazeR · Dec 8th, 2012, 3:00:10 PM

I'm going to repeat my proposal that Cloyster should be in C-tier. There's just nothing too amazing about it that would justify a place in B-tier with other, more effective sweepers - even after a Shell Smash it doesn't quite hit hard enough to break through the common bulky Waters/Steels, and isn't fast enough to avoid being revenge killed by most Scarfers. It's also extremely difficult to set up as almost all Special attacks will OHKO it, and even some Physical attacks will do a ton after a Defense drop. It may be quite high in the usage statistics, but remember that it's very popular lower down in the ladder. I almost never see Cloyster used by any of the top ladder players - there's bound to be reasoning for that. However, one Cloyster set that does have great potential, that sadly no one uses, is mixed LO with Naive nature. It's fast enough to outspeed Scarf Terrakion, can easily OHKO defensive Steels with a rain boosted Hydro Pump and hits harder in general thanks to Life Orb.

If anyone has a solid argument for Cloyster's placement in B-tier, then I'd be delighted to hear it. Otherwise, I stand by my notion that it just isn't dominant enough to get a place in B-tier.

Rayquaza_ · Dec 8th, 2012, 3:14:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fat DarkBlazeR

If anyone has a solid argument for Cloyster's placement in B-tier, then I'd be delighted to hear it. Otherwise, I stand by my notion that it just isn't dominant enough to get a place in B-tier.

-Access to Ice Shard keeps Garchomp, Breloom, Landorus and Salamence in check. Yes, I know Mamoswine and Weavile get it too, but Cloyster is the only one of the trio who can be played as a sweeper instead of a simple revenge killer
-Best offensive rapid spinner for sun and hail teams, hands down.
-The standard SS set is still a force to be reckoned with late game. And the only common scarfers that actually outspeed it after SS are Keldeo, Starmie and Tornadus-T. All three of them are weak to Electric, so just use Rotom-W to deal with them.

Nothing outclasses Cloyster in what it does, it doesn't exactly need support to work and it threatens a huge portion of the OU metagame. B-tier is fine for it.

windwolf777 · Dec 8th, 2012, 3:38:55 PM

I wish to vote zoroark for B rank. He can not sweep a vast majority of the meta as required in S and A, he requires some support (he prefers no hazards to give the disguise up), and maybe fighting types removed, and good "partners" and "disguises", however, he has a solid niche. He can act as a ninja and assassinate certain threats. For example, if he runs a physical set he can bluff as a special attacker, and either kill or severely injure blissey. And if running a mixed set he could do the same to skarm. So in my opinion, although not even OU, I have used him and I know what he is capable of

isr · Dec 8th, 2012, 4:36:32 PM

Hi!

Okay, I really think that Chandelure doesn't deserve the D rank. It's a extreme powerfull wallbreaker and basically nothing can safely switch-in in a sun-boosted Fire Blast from the Specs set. It need to be C-rank or B-rank, but I would say about moving it to the C-rank first. Here's the definition of the C rank:

"Reserved for Pokemon who can be effective given the right support..."
Chandelure really needs a Rapid Spinner, thanks to it SR weakness, while sun from Ninetales is also needed to it's full power, much like others Sun threats. Stealth Rock is very appreciated, as with it he will beat walls like Blissey. I think that it isn't reason to make it D tier, as others Pokémon like Venusaur also needs it.

"...but either have crippling flaws that prevent them from consistently executing their strategy..."
The SR weakness and below average speed are it's worse flaws, as with it Chandelure can't go much further.

"...or are typically inferior to Pokemon in the above ranks."
It IS NOT outclassed by Heatran for the Specs set. Chandelure can pass through Pokémon like Lati@s, TTar (SpecsTran only 2HKO with the very uncommon Flash Cannon) and Politoed much more easily. Heatran is neutral to SR, is bulkier and even have great resistances, but Chandelure have it advantages too: spinblocker, Fighting imunnity, better Speed, greater secondary STAB, and much more sheer force. Heatran may have Eruption, but can't use it effectively as is nature locked and will need to slash off a coverage move. Chandelure also have Energy Ball, while Heatran need to rely on Solarbeam or a weaker version in Hidden Power.

Chandelure acts like Choice Band Victini. Hit as hard you can while the opponent switch out! Thanks to its three imunnities (including Flash Fire), specially for very dangerous types, it can do it very well. Here some calcs of it sheer force under the sun:

252+ SpA Choice Specs Chandelure Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Latias in sun: 208-246 (57.14 - 67.58%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ SpA Choice Specs Chandelure Fire Blast vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Latios in sun: 242-285 (80.13 - 94.37%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ SpA Choice Specs Chandelure Hidden Power Fighting vs. 248 HP / 252+ SpD Heatran: 190-224 (49.35 - 58.18%) -- 58.98% chance to 2HKO; guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock

252+ SpA Choice Specs Chandelure Fire Blast vs. 4 HP / 252+ SpD Blissey in sun: 306-361 (46.93 - 55.36%) -- 16.8% chance to 2HKO; guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock (with Leftovers)

252+ SpA Choice Specs Chandelure Hidden Power Fighting vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Tyranitar in sand: 264-312 (65.34 - 77.22%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252+ SpA Choice Specs Chandelure Energy Ball vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Politoed: 312-368 (81.25 - 95.83%) -- guaranteed 2HKO; 56.25% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock

252+ SpA Choice Specs Chandelure Fire Blast vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Multiscale Dragonite in sun: 131-154 (40.55 - 47.67%) -- guaranteed 2HKO; guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock (80.8 - 95.35% w/o Multiscale)

Of course it can use Shadow Ball to Lati@s, but as Fire Blast hit they so hard, you won't need to rely on a predict that can sacrifice the match. It sheer force is also very good in a weather war, as it can do heavy damage to any weather inducer that try to remove it precious sunny day. Also, Dragon-types can't switch-in on Chandelure front under the sun: Dragonite is OHKO'd with SR (Parashuffler is 2HKO'd), while Haxorus and Salamence don't even need SR, and Kingdra is 2HKO'd! To have some idea, Choice Specs Heatran's Overheat do 59% max. and can't 2HKO under the sun.

252+ SpA Choice Specs Heatran Overheat vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Kingdra in sun: 147-173 (50.51 - 59.45%) -- 3HKO with Special Attack drop!

Chandelure can use Substitute (or SubSplit), as it's also very good. However, Choice Specs is the best one as it do a great amount of damage on switch-ins. And don't say about the Choice Scarf set, please, it really sux. Thanks to it, I would like to suggest Chandelure for C-rank.

Jimbon · Dec 8th, 2012, 5:39:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fat windwolf777

I wish to vote zoroark for B rank. He can not sweep a vast majority of the meta as required in S and A, he requires some support (he prefers no hazards to give the disguise up), and maybe fighting types removed, and good "partners" and "disguises", however, he has a solid niche. He can act as a ninja and assassinate certain threats. For example, if he runs a physical set he can bluff as a special attacker, and either kill or severely injure blissey. And if running a mixed set he could do the same to skarm. So in my opinion, although not even OU, I have used him and I know what he is capable of

I'd definitely agree in saying that Zoroark does have a certain niche in OU, but I really do not think it is B-Tier. While it can perform a role that no other Pokemon can, the support required to make it consistently work outweighs the actual benefits. Upon team preview, your opponent already knows you have a Zoroark, making it even that much harder to make it work. Any competent player can will notice when an ability does not activate, or notice the extra hazard damage upon switching in, and I'd argue that the whole appeal of using Zoroark kind of fades away upon team preview. It can also be pretty easy to play around, especially as a lot of people I see using Zoroark switch it in while it is still revealed to seem like that it is countered (Zoroark disguised as Gliscor, switches into Skarm). It's pretty obvious that a Flamethrower is going to come your way, and I just think it is far too inconsistent. I went through the liberty of testing Zoroark pretty recently actually, and the results were very disappointing. 9/10 people will know when it is coming in, and when you take that away from Zoroark, you're left with a pretty sub par, relatively slow Special Attacker which is outclassed by other Special Attackers in the higher ranks.

I'm not debating Zoroark's effectiveness. If you have consistently good results with it, then feel free to disregard my comments. But I feel like it's one of those Pokemon that is very hit or miss. It's also worth mentioning that it's pretty weak to hazards, very frail and I honestly have never seen it been used successfully.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fat isr

Okay, I really think that Chandelure doesn't deserve the D rank. It's a extreme powerfull wallbreaker and basically nothing can safely switch-in in a sun-boosted Fire Blast from the Specs set. It need to be C-rank or B-rank, but I would say about moving it to the C-rank first.

I'd agree with this, Chandelure is a pretty underrated Pokemon, especially in terms of how powerful it is and how good it can be for spinblocking purposes for offensive teams. If Victini is C-Tier, then I'd argue that Chandelure would also fit well in C-Tier, especially considering the two function very similarly, just on different sides of the physical / special spectrum. But yeah, it hits super hard and it's pretty hard to switch into if you don't have a dedicated answer for it.

Leading on from this, I'd argue that Victini is B-Tier. Like I said before, Chandelure and Victini perform similar roles, hitting real hard. I think Victini is a little more effective than Chandelure though, having access to U-Turn and Bolt Strike meaning it can break through bulky waters. Victini also has better bulk and a higher base Speed, more than making up for the lower offensive stats in comparison with Chandelure. There are a lot of things that Victini outspeeds that Chandelure doesn't such as Mamoswine, Lucario, Gliscor and Kyurem. I think the main thing separating the two however is that Victini doesn't necessarily need to run a Choice set to be effective. V-Create on it's own sets Victini apart from every other Pokemon in the game, as Victini will always have that ability to literally 2HKO everything at will, while still being able to switch up moves, meaning Victini can have a better time sweeping, and if not sweeping, certainly taking out 2 or 3 Pokemon while doing so. I'd say that Victini is the best Physical Fire type in OU, despite not even being an OU Pokemon. I think that in itself is enough to move it up from C-Tier to B-Tier.

Wizarus · Dec 8th, 2012, 5:55:35 PM

I don't see how Chandelure is a great Spin-blocker, when every decent spinner in OU bar Forretress kills it on the switch without hazards. And if rocks are up, it can't even switch into that.

SJCrew · Dec 8th, 2012, 6:34:26 PM

Chandelure only has one good stat and everything else working against it. Why do I need a counter for Lure when the Rain is up and the only Pokemon it can really do anything to is Ferrothorn? (And sadly Ferrothorn can still break its subs with Gyro Ball and Power Whip, so the player doesn't have to give you any momentum if they don't want to.) If I'm Sand and running Tyrannitar, it'll probably be really hard to get even one kill. Sun, granted, has problems dealing with Lure, but one out of three common weathers is not a good bet. Those lovely calcs conveniently assume that Chandelure will always be on the offensive, which is hard to do with such low speed and nothing much to abate it.

Chandelure would have probably been C-tier early in BW1, but Drizzle just about dwarfs the effectiveness of offensive Fire types outside of Sun, especially with Chandelure's already ubiquitous weaknesses (hazards, Ttar, any sweeper at all). Even C-tier wallbreakers give it stiff competition (Victini, Haxorus, Infernape).

The Unlucky one · Dec 8th, 2012, 8:21:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fat windwolf777

I wish to vote zoroark for B rank. He can not sweep a vast majority of the meta as required in S and A, he requires some support (he prefers no hazards to give the disguise up), and maybe fighting types removed, and good "partners" and "disguises", however, he has a solid niche. He can act as a ninja and assassinate certain threats. For example, if he runs a physical set he can bluff as a special attacker, and either kill or severely injure blissey. And if running a mixed set he could do the same to skarm. So in my opinion, although not even OU, I have used him and I know what he is capable of

Zoroark is C tier IMO. Zoroark does have a niche and does support many teams but does not have the capabilities of other pokemon that are in the B Tier.

Lord of Bays · Dec 8th, 2012, 8:36:36 PM

I would hesitate to say that Chandelure is so useless under rain. Specs STAB Shadow Ball coming off base 145 SpAtk is still Specs STAB Shadow Ball coming off base 145 SpAtk. For instance, Tornadus-T is OHKOd after Rocks, period. Keldeo is risking an OHKO with a layer of spikes.

Hell, 252/252+ Ferrothorn is still OHKOd with Specs Flamethrower in the rain. Fire Blast is a very comfortable 2HKO on Jirachi in the rain. As far as other checks go, 252/252+ Tyranitar is 2HKOd by HP Fighting (does a minimum of 65%) and Heatran is 2HKOd with some prior damage/hazards.

So yeah. Specs Chandelure is still properly terrifying to face.

**PK Gaming** · Dec 8th, 2012, 9:38:49 PM

=====
update
=====

Aerodactyl up from D-tier ==> C-tier

Aero moving to C-tier was something I should have done a while ago. The arguments against Aerodactyl were coming from people (such as myself even) who didn't seriously use Aerodactyl at a competitive level who were against people who DID use Aerdodactyl on a competitive level and actually succeeded with it (it's hard to ignore Lavos' testimony since he used it at WCOP.) The thing about Aerodactyl is that regardless of how the metagame is like, it'll always excel at being a suicide lead, which actually kind of means something in BW2 (which is still fast-paced even with Genesect gone).

so up it goes!

As for Zoroark... hmm, having used it semi-religiously on the general ladder, I do think its OU worthy. B-tier is way too high i'm afraid, but C-tier seems like a good fit. It's certainly possible to trick people (once) with Illusion, especially now that Pokemon Showdown has implemented Illusion correctly (and you get to switch your team around before battle when using Zoroark, bonus). If you don't go about using it in a silly way that is (ie not having it disguise as Gliscor or w/e, bringing it out as early as possible instead of saving it lategame, and being smart with your disguises). The thing about Zoroark is that its coverage allows it to fuck up a good portion of OU, but it suffers from its non-existent bulk. Pretty much any STAB or SE move will one shot it, so it's a unforgiving Pokemon to use, if it had like 111 speed it would be a baller. I wouldn't call it bad though, it's fast enough so that you're always guaranteed to get some mileage out of it.

Any more thoughts on this?

PS: (I can get rid of this awful avatar tomorrow,

)

LucaroarkZ · Dec 8th, 2012, 10:41:15 PM

I'm a pretty avid user of Zoroark in OU, and I must say C-tier is a good fit. Don't get me wrong, I think it's a pretty good Pokemon, but let's look at the C-tier definition:

Quote:

C Rank: Reserved for Pokemon who can be effective given the right support, but either have crippling flaws that prevent them from consistently executing their strategy or are typically inferior to Pokemon in the above ranks.

Fits into this pretty nicely. It does have crippling flaws that prevents it from consistently executing its strategy (non-existent bulk), and it's even more dependent on the support it receives than it is in UU. Give it that support and it's pretty effective, though.

nygerman · Dec 8th, 2012, 11:10:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fat Tabuu

D-Tier??? RU Kidding me? (joke joke...).

This prehistoric flying Dinosaur may be ancient but definitely deserves a little more recognition and not go extinct. Check it. Base 130 Speed. In the OU Metagame, that shit is just godly. Being able to outspeed practically anyone (which includes base 129 base speed Pokemon and below along with base 70 Scarfers...which is stupid 'cause those don't really fly around a lot haha), Aerodactyl introduces itself with quite a flashy showcase of speed. Next up, is his offensive stats. Base 105 Attack is above average and quite solid. It pales a bit when put up against the OU Titans such as Lucario, Terrakion, Conkeldurr, Mamoswine, Dragonite, Hydreigon and so forth. However it's good enough that it is quite useable. (I mean it's more offensive than stuff like SD Gliscor at least haha). Aerodactyl is almost always running Sash with Rocks and Taunt. This really allows Aerodactyl to stop entry hazards from coming up on your side while putting your on Rocks up. He works well against stuff like Sash Terrakion. EQ is a solid 2HKO and thanks to Sash+Higher base speed, Terrakion will either have to run and allow an opportunity for Aero to set up Rocks OR Terrakion can be KO'd and you can battle worry-free of those troublesome rocks. Aerodactyl has Hone Claws which isn't terrible. It has its uses. Stone Edge misses became a laughing matter as he boosts. One time is enough to bring Stone Edge to a comfortable level of usage and reliability. With Rocks up and a +1, Aerodactyl can do some work to a worn down team. Keep in mind, Aerodactyl is better off utilizing a Focus Sash and it better off in the Sand (it really helps).

+1 252 Atk Aerodactyl Earthquake vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Terrakion: 308-364 (95.06 - 112.34%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
+1 252 Atk Aerodactyl Earthquake vs. 156 HP / 0 Def Tyranitar: 260-306 (68.42 - 80.52%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
+1 252 Atk Aerodactyl Stone Edge vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Latios: 255-300 (84.43 - 99.33%) -- 75% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
+1 252 Atk Aerodactyl Stone Edge vs. 184 HP / 4 Def Rotom-W: 198-234 (68.98 - 81.53%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and weather

Just some random calcs, but you can see that Aerodactyl is not terribly outclassed as an offensive late game cleaner. His plethora of Priority weaknesses is obvious but again, they should have received prior damage and a Sash should be held by Aero to ensure Aero can go and take them out.
Aerodactyl is a Pokemon with a hell of a lot of flaws. But, he has his perks. D-Tier sounds a little too harsh.
"Reserved for Pokemon who can be effective given the right support, but either have crippling flaws that prevent them from consistently executing their strategy or are completely eclipsed by a Pokemon in the above ranks." C-Tier really sounds applicable. With Support as listed, Aerodactyl can work surprisingly well for a "poor" Pokemon in this Meta. He does have crippling flaws though and this does hold him back. But Aero is definitely "worth the time" and can fulfil more than just a "tiny niche".
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1. Aerodactyl is not even out
2. It has piss poor defense.
3. It can't set up
4. None of the pokemon you mentioned will ever switch into aerodactly.
5. Only thing Aero is good for is suicide lead
6. Aerodactyl is lucky to even be on the tier

windwolf777 · Dec 9th, 2012, 2:01:00 AM

So be it. Zorro is C. Thank you all for not giving me the response I thought I spoils be greeted with. "Lol scrub", "Lol nuub", etc etc. At least there was a certain about of debate to it. :)

ssbbm · Dec 9th, 2012, 4:06:56 AM

aero should be c at the least

it is the only sr user that can guarantee you to have sr and the other team to not have sr. it also completely kills sun!

edit @ below

it also maintains mid-game viability with its ability to outspeed and ohko notable threats like tornadus thundurus +1 dragonite among others

RabidChipmunk · Dec 9th, 2012, 4:21:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fat ssbbm

aero should be c at the least

it is the only sr user that can guarantee you to have sr and the other team to not have sr. it also completely kills sun!

No to both those statements.

1) The only stealth rock use who can also guarantee the opponent does not get up stealth rock is Deoxys-D. All he has to do is Magic Coat a predicted Taunt and boom, suddenly Deo gets up his stealth rocks and Aero doesn't.

2) Being able to completely kill sun teams is a relatively worthless niche in a tier absolutely dominated by rain.

DarkBlazeR · Dec 9th, 2012, 5:03:24 AM

I'm surprised that Tangrowth hasn't been added to this list yet, given that we have quite a few niche Pokemon on here already. Whilst I love it to bits and could argue that it's almost good enough for B-tier, I think C-tier would be much less controversial.

Abysmal Sp. Defense aside, it's an absolute boss when it comes to sponging Physical hits - it's probably the most physically bulky Pokémon in OU in fact. Mono-Grass is actually a decent defensive typing for a physical wall, allowing Tangrowth to check a large variety of threats, including but not limited to Dragonite, Garchomp, Terrakion, Landorus-T, Jirachi (physical), Breloom, Tyranitar, Gliscor, Hippowdon, Sharpedo etc. It has enough of a support movepool in Sleep Powder, Stun Spore and Knock Off to be of good utility, and with Leech Seed in tandem with Regenerator, it just never dies. Unlike other, similar tanks, Tangrowth is also very competent offensively, meaning it isn't easily used as fodder.

I often find myself coming back to Tangrowth when I just need a solid, multipurpose Physical wall, and rarely does it disappoint.

On the topic of Aerodactyl - although I claimed it was D-tier material earlier in this thread, upon using it a bit more myself I've changed my mind. I like how it can set up Stealth Rock as reliably as Deoxys-D, without being completely worthless once the hazards are up.

Chandelure should stay in D-tier though; the metagame is far too unkind to it. It may hit very hard, but it's too slow to make much of an impact, and its vulnerability to hazards is a big letdown. It's pretty much completely outclassed by Heatran offensively and defensively, and I'd argue that Sableye makes a much better spinblocker for sun teams anyway.

I think Scrafty should also be added to D-tier - this article summarises why. If anything, just as a deterrent for new players using it, as I'm still seeing it quite a bit on the lower half of the ladder, despite it being very mediocre in this metagame. By the same logic, I'm going to suggest Charizard for E-tier as I really have a massive pet hate for when it shows up in an OU battle. Looking at the past months usage statistics, it's used way more than even some of things ranked in B-tier on this list. That shouldn't be the case, and the word needs to get out to newbies that Charizard is terrible, Solar Power or no Solar Power.

Hemp Man · Dec 9th, 2012, 5:35:45 AM

Tangrowth and Heatran work pretty well together, in fact I think the only weakness that they don't cover for each other is Fighting.

isr · Dec 9th, 2012, 6:26:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fat Wizarus

I don't see how Chandelure is a great Spin-blocker, when every decent spinner in OU bar Forretress kills it on the switch without hazards. And if rocks are up, it can't even switch into that.

Chandelure is not a good spinblocker to rely on, and is easily outclassed by the majority of Ghost-types. It can take advantage of it, though. If it is on the battlefield, it can pull pressure on Rapid Spinner in a mid-game. Starmie fails to OHKO with Hydro Pump some variants, or if it forgo this move, can't pass through a Chandelure with 60%+ HP easily. However, you won't choose it to keep your Deoxys-D's entry hazards.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fat SJCrew

Chandelure only has one good stat and everything else working against it. Why do I need a counter for Lure when the Rain is up and the only Pokemon it can really do anything to is Ferrothorn? (And sadly Ferrothorn can still break its subs with Gyro Ball and Power Whip, so the player doesn't have to give you any momentum if they don't want to.) If I'm Sand and running Tyrannitar, it'll probably be really hard to get even one kill. Sun, granted, has problems dealing with Lure, but one out of three common weathers is not a good bet. Those lovely calcs conveniently assume that Chandelure will always be on the offensive, which is hard to do with such low speed and nothing much to abate it.

Chandelure would have probably been C-tier early in BW1, but Drizzle just about dwarfs the effectiveness of offensive Fire types outside of Sun, especially with Chandelure's already ubiquitous weaknesses (hazards, Ttar, any sweeper at all). Even C-tier wallbreakers give it stiff competition (Victini, Haxorus, Infernape).

Because of this I've said that Chandelure rely on sun for a full power and it objective is to make it movement while the opponent switch out. In the paper, it can be strange, but three immunities (with Flash Fire) helps a lot. Also, Politoed or Tyranitar can't switch-in without thinking in receiving great damages by Energy Ball or Hidden Power. Even Shadow Ball is 2HKO to 252/0 Politoed. When you want your Chandelure to do deadly damage to anything with Fire Blast, you will send it while sun is up, very similar to Victini. Like Lord of Bays said, some rain threats (Jirachi, Keldeo, Tornadus-T, Gastrodon, Physically based Tentacruel...) are not safely switch-in against Chandelure even under the rain, being OHKO'd or 2HKO'd by the right move.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fat DarkBlazeR

Chandelure should stay in D-tier though; the metagame is far too unkind to it. It may hit very hard, but it's too slow to make much of an impact, and its vulnerability to hazards is a big letdown. It's pretty much completely outclassed by Heatran offensively and defensively, and I'd argue that Sableye makes a much better spinblocker for sun teams anyway.

I agree with you about the spinblocker, but this is not his real role. With this Speed, it attack the opponente in a switch. However, Chandelure is not outclassed by Heatran offensively, as I've said in a previous post and why. Chandelure have impressive power and fits the definition of C-rank perfectly: "can be effective given the right support, but have crippling flaws that prevent him from consistently executing its strategy".

Dec 6th, 2012, 10:41:25 PM	#901
Tabuu Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 280 East Blue	D-Tier??? RU Kidding me? (joke joke...). This prehistoric flying Dinosaur may be ancient but definitely deserves a little more recognition and not go extinct. Check it. Base 130 Speed. In the OU Metagame, that shit is just godly. Being able to outspeed practically anyone (which includes base 129 base speed Pokemon and below along with base 70 Scarfers...which is stupid 'cause those don't really fly around a lot haha), Aerodactyl introduces itself with quite a flashy showcase of speed. Next up, is his offensive stats. Base 105 Attack is above average and quite solid. It pales a bit when put up against the OU Titans such as Lucario, Terrakion, Conkeldurr, Mamoswine, Dragonite, Hydreigon and so forth. However it's good enough that it is quite useable. (I mean it's more offensive than stuff like SD Gliscor at least haha). Aerodactyl is almost always running Sash with Rocks and Taunt. This really allows Aerodactyl to stop entry hazards from coming up on your side while putting your on Rocks up. He works well against stuff like Sash Terrakion. EQ is a solid 2HKO and thanks to Sash+Higher base speed, Terrakion will either have to run and allow an opportunity for Aero to set up Rocks OR Terrakion can be KO'd and you can battle worry-free of those troublesome rocks. Aerodactyl has Hone Claws which isn't terrible. It has its uses. Stone Edge misses became a laughing matter as he boosts. One time is enough to bring Stone Edge to a comfortable level of usage and reliability. With Rocks up and a +1, Aerodactyl can do some work to a worn down team. Keep in mind, Aerodactyl is better off utilizing a Focus Sash and it better off in the Sand (it really helps). +1 252 Atk Aerodactyl Earthquake vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Terrakion: 308-364 (95.06 - 112.34%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock +1 252 Atk Aerodactyl Earthquake vs. 156 HP / 0 Def Tyranitar: 260-306 (68.42 - 80.52%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock +1 252 Atk Aerodactyl Stone Edge vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Latios: 255-300 (84.43 - 99.33%) -- 75% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock +1 252 Atk Aerodactyl Stone Edge vs. 184 HP / 4 Def Rotom-W: 198-234 (68.98 - 81.53%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and weather Just some random calcs, but you can see that Aerodactyl is not terribly outclassed as an offensive late game cleaner. His plethora of Priority weaknesses is obvious but again, they should have received prior damage and a Sash should be held by Aero to ensure Aero can go and take them out. Aerodactyl is a Pokemon with a hell of a lot of flaws. But, he has his perks. D-Tier sounds a little too harsh. "Reserved for Pokemon who can be effective given the right support, but either have crippling flaws that prevent them from consistently executing their strategy or are completely eclipsed by a Pokemon in the above ranks." C-Tier really sounds applicable. With Support as listed, Aerodactyl can work surprisingly well for a "poor" Pokemon in this Meta. He does have crippling flaws though and this does hold him back. But Aero is definitely "worth the time" and can fulfil more than just a "tiny niche". ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ __________________ TaBuu : Pokemon Legend

Dec 7th, 2012, 11:14:10 PM	#903
Swamp-Rocket Give me the number for 911! Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 544 USA	I am really not convinced that Aerodactyl should be moved out of D-tier at all. The main reason is some of these sets that are being used are almost all outclassed and I fail to see their merit. When are you ever going to set up a Hone Claws on Aerodactyl with its frality? Why not just use something stronger like Terrakion, which has Swords Dance? Why not just use something with a Choice Band with several Powerful moves, possibly boosted by weather? Why would you ever use Scarf Aerodactyl? Or Taunt plus Roost Aerodactyl? If you're going to go for a fast cleaner... once again Terrakion takes the cake with a Scarf. The second set is outclassed by Crobat most of the time since it has a better bulk and a better defensive typing (and Brave Bird so it hits harder) and it isn't even that good in OU to begin with. Aerodactyl only has two advantages over Terrakion - a immunity to Earthquake and the ability to outspeed a lot of Pokemon that Terrakion cannot. Even then, Aerodactyl's only good offensive move happens to be Stone Edge, which is imfamous for missing every five seconds for a very good reason. Earthquake is OK but it is getting to be unrelaible. 105 Base Attack to go alongside this move makes it a rather below average physical attacker, especially when you consider that there are many Pokemon packing 120 Base Power STAB moves with perfect accuracy, technical double STAB with weather, a higher attack stat with dual STABs (Aerodactyl has no good Flying moves), or more than one of these! Aerodactyl is only worth using in OU if you are going to lay down a fast Stealth Rock, and even then, there are many other options for setting up the move - most of the time Deoxys-D does a better job than it, which is what makes it worthy for D-tier, where it is now. __________________ kawakimi: UR DUM kawakimi: N WEIRD Completed Analyses: 16 In Progress: 2

Dec 8th, 2012, 3:38:55 PM	#910
windwolf777 Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 164 Inside the Fire, in the Asylum, chilling with The Animal, gettin Down With the Sicknesses	I wish to vote zoroark for B rank. He can not sweep a vast majority of the meta as required in S and A, he requires some support (he prefers no hazards to give the disguise up), and maybe fighting types removed, and good "partners" and "disguises", however, he has a solid niche. He can act as a ninja and assassinate certain threats. For example, if he runs a physical set he can bluff as a special attacker, and either kill or severely injure blissey. And if running a mixed set he could do the same to skarm. So in my opinion, although not even OU, I have used him and I know what he is capable of __________________ http://www.smogon.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3463764 Why not try hackmon ? Where nothing is impossible and only the strong survive FREE ORIGINAL THUNDER BRO........ AND DRILL

Dec 8th, 2012, 4:36:32 PM	#911
isr Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 13	Hi! Okay, I really think that Chandelure doesn't deserve the D rank. It's a extreme powerfull wallbreaker and basically nothing can safely switch-in in a sun-boosted Fire Blast from the Specs set. It need to be C-rank or B-rank, but I would say about moving it to the C-rank first. Here's the definition of the C rank: "Reserved for Pokemon who can be effective given the right support..." Chandelure really needs a Rapid Spinner, thanks to it SR weakness, while sun from Ninetales is also needed to it's full power, much like others Sun threats. Stealth Rock is very appreciated, as with it he will beat walls like Blissey. I think that it isn't reason to make it D tier, as others Pokémon like Venusaur also needs it. "...but either have crippling flaws that prevent them from consistently executing their strategy..." The SR weakness and below average speed are it's worse flaws, as with it Chandelure can't go much further. "...or are typically inferior to Pokemon in the above ranks." It IS NOT outclassed by Heatran for the Specs set. Chandelure can pass through Pokémon like Lati@s, TTar (SpecsTran only 2HKO with the very uncommon Flash Cannon) and Politoed much more easily. Heatran is neutral to SR, is bulkier and even have great resistances, but Chandelure have it advantages too: spinblocker, Fighting imunnity, better Speed, greater secondary STAB, and much more sheer force. Heatran may have Eruption, but can't use it effectively as is nature locked and will need to slash off a coverage move. Chandelure also have Energy Ball, while Heatran need to rely on Solarbeam or a weaker version in Hidden Power. Chandelure acts like Choice Band Victini. Hit as hard you can while the opponent switch out! Thanks to its three imunnities (including Flash Fire), specially for very dangerous types, it can do it very well. Here some calcs of it sheer force under the sun: 252+ SpA Choice Specs Chandelure Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Latias in sun: 208-246 (57.14 - 67.58%) -- guaranteed 2HKO 252+ SpA Choice Specs Chandelure Fire Blast vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Latios in sun: 242-285 (80.13 - 94.37%) -- guaranteed 2HKO 252+ SpA Choice Specs Chandelure Hidden Power Fighting vs. 248 HP / 252+ SpD Heatran: 190-224 (49.35 - 58.18%) -- 58.98% chance to 2HKO; guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock 252+ SpA Choice Specs Chandelure Fire Blast vs. 4 HP / 252+ SpD Blissey in sun: 306-361 (46.93 - 55.36%) -- 16.8% chance to 2HKO; guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock (with Leftovers) 252+ SpA Choice Specs Chandelure Hidden Power Fighting vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Tyranitar in sand: 264-312 (65.34 - 77.22%) -- guaranteed 2HKO 252+ SpA Choice Specs Chandelure Energy Ball vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Politoed: 312-368 (81.25 - 95.83%) -- guaranteed 2HKO; 56.25% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock 252+ SpA Choice Specs Chandelure Fire Blast vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Multiscale Dragonite in sun: 131-154 (40.55 - 47.67%) -- guaranteed 2HKO; guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock (80.8 - 95.35% w/o Multiscale) Of course it can use Shadow Ball to Lati@s, but as Fire Blast hit they so hard, you won't need to rely on a predict that can sacrifice the match. It sheer force is also very good in a weather war, as it can do heavy damage to any weather inducer that try to remove it precious sunny day. Also, Dragon-types can't switch-in on Chandelure front under the sun: Dragonite is OHKO'd with SR (Parashuffler is 2HKO'd), while Haxorus and Salamence don't even need SR, and Kingdra is 2HKO'd! To have some idea, Choice Specs Heatran's Overheat do 59% max. and can't 2HKO under the sun. 252+ SpA Choice Specs Heatran Overheat vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Kingdra in sun: 147-173 (50.51 - 59.45%) -- 3HKO with Special Attack drop! Chandelure can use Substitute (or SubSplit), as it's also very good. However, Choice Specs is the best one as it do a great amount of damage on switch-ins. And don't say about the Choice Scarf set, please, it really sux. Thanks to it, I would like to suggest Chandelure for C-rank. Last edited by isr; Dec 8th, 2012 at 5:57:49 PM.

Dec 8th, 2012, 6:34:26 PM	#914
SJCrew Believer, going on a journey... Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 2,802	Chandelure only has one good stat and everything else working against it. Why do I need a counter for Lure when the Rain is up and the only Pokemon it can really do anything to is Ferrothorn? (And sadly Ferrothorn can still break its subs with Gyro Ball and Power Whip, so the player doesn't have to give you any momentum if they don't want to.) If I'm Sand and running Tyrannitar, it'll probably be really hard to get even one kill. Sun, granted, has problems dealing with Lure, but one out of three common weathers is not a good bet. Those lovely calcs conveniently assume that Chandelure will always be on the offensive, which is hard to do with such low speed and nothing much to abate it. Chandelure would have probably been C-tier early in BW1, but Drizzle just about dwarfs the effectiveness of offensive Fire types outside of Sun, especially with Chandelure's already ubiquitous weaknesses (hazards, Ttar, any sweeper at all). Even C-tier wallbreakers give it stiff competition (Victini, Haxorus, Infernape). __________________ (02:53:55) +shrang: sleep is epic (16:14) .No Scrafty in UU.: CBtar? (16:14) .No Scrafty in UU.: that sounds like a not bad set (16:04:25) +Steamroll: nobody likes me @Relados: snowflakes has no sense of humor Last edited by SJCrew; Dec 8th, 2012 at 6:46:37 PM.

Dec 8th, 2012, 11:44:10 AM	#905
Wizarus Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 156	Too bad Aerodactyl doesn't get Brave Bird; would have been a hell of alot better if it did. As of now, Lead is the only set I see viable, and really that's not exactly spectacular. Unnerve will stop Custap, but outside of that, it's outclassed by Terrakion as a SR lead with Taunt.

Dec 8th, 2012, 3:00:10 PM	#908
DarkBlazeR Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 357	I'm going to repeat my proposal that Cloyster should be in C-tier. There's just nothing too amazing about it that would justify a place in B-tier with other, more effective sweepers - even after a Shell Smash it doesn't quite hit hard enough to break through the common bulky Waters/Steels, and isn't fast enough to avoid being revenge killed by most Scarfers. It's also extremely difficult to set up as almost all Special attacks will OHKO it, and even some Physical attacks will do a ton after a Defense drop. It may be quite high in the usage statistics, but remember that it's very popular lower down in the ladder. I almost never see Cloyster used by any of the top ladder players - there's bound to be reasoning for that. However, one Cloyster set that does have great potential, that sadly no one uses, is mixed LO with Naive nature. It's fast enough to outspeed Scarf Terrakion, can easily OHKO defensive Steels with a rain boosted Hydro Pump and hits harder in general thanks to Life Orb. If anyone has a solid argument for Cloyster's placement in B-tier, then I'd be delighted to hear it. Otherwise, I stand by my notion that it just isn't dominant enough to get a place in B-tier.

Dec 8th, 2012, 5:55:35 PM	#913
Wizarus Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 156	I don't see how Chandelure is a great Spin-blocker, when every decent spinner in OU bar Forretress kills it on the switch without hazards. And if rocks are up, it can't even switch into that.

Dec 8th, 2012, 8:36:36 PM	#916
Lord of Bays Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 478	I would hesitate to say that Chandelure is so useless under rain. Specs STAB Shadow Ball coming off base 145 SpAtk is still Specs STAB Shadow Ball coming off base 145 SpAtk. For instance, Tornadus-T is OHKOd after Rocks, period. Keldeo is risking an OHKO with a layer of spikes. Hell, 252/252+ Ferrothorn is still OHKOd with Specs Flamethrower in the rain. Fire Blast is a very comfortable 2HKO on Jirachi in the rain. As far as other checks go, 252/252+ Tyranitar is 2HKOd by HP Fighting (does a minimum of 65%) and Heatran is 2HKOd with some prior damage/hazards. So yeah. Specs Chandelure is still properly terrifying to face. __________________ FaceFaceFace: "Genesect is like the Terminator. Scary when he's coming after you, absolutely lovely with ridiculous punch-lines when he's on your side."

Dec 8th, 2012, 9:38:49 PM	#917
PK Gaming Quiet Thunder God Moderator Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 4,526 Izanagi	===== update ===== Aerodactyl up from D-tier ==> C-tier Aero moving to C-tier was something I should have done a while ago. The arguments against Aerodactyl were coming from people (such as myself even) who didn't seriously use Aerodactyl at a competitive level who were against people who DID use Aerdodactyl on a competitive level and actually succeeded with it (it's hard to ignore Lavos' testimony since he used it at WCOP.) The thing about Aerodactyl is that regardless of how the metagame is like, it'll always excel at being a suicide lead, which actually kind of means something in BW2 (which is still fast-paced even with Genesect gone). so up it goes! As for Zoroark... hmm, having used it semi-religiously on the general ladder, I do think its OU worthy. B-tier is way too high i'm afraid, but C-tier seems like a good fit. It's certainly possible to trick people (once) with Illusion, especially now that Pokemon Showdown has implemented Illusion correctly (and you get to switch your team around before battle when using Zoroark, bonus). If you don't go about using it in a silly way that is (ie not having it disguise as Gliscor or w/e, bringing it out as early as possible instead of saving it lategame, and being smart with your disguises). The thing about Zoroark is that its coverage allows it to fuck up a good portion of OU, but it suffers from its non-existent bulk. Pretty much any STAB or SE move will one shot it, so it's a unforgiving Pokemon to use, if it had like 111 speed it would be a baller. I wouldn't call it bad though, it's fast enough so that you're always guaranteed to get some mileage out of it. Any more thoughts on this? PS: (I can get rid of this awful avatar tomorrow, ) __________________ Last edited by PK Gaming; Dec 8th, 2012 at 11:51:23 PM.

Dec 9th, 2012, 2:01:00 AM	#920
windwolf777 Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 164 Inside the Fire, in the Asylum, chilling with The Animal, gettin Down With the Sicknesses	Slightly conflicted So be it. Zorro is C. Thank you all for not giving me the response I thought I spoils be greeted with. "Lol scrub", "Lol nuub", etc etc. At least there was a certain about of debate to it. :) __________________ http://www.smogon.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3463764 Why not try hackmon ? Where nothing is impossible and only the strong survive FREE ORIGINAL THUNDER BRO........ AND DRILL

Dec 9th, 2012, 4:06:56 AM	#921
ssbbm Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 1,001 Where you can play Pokemon with Singing Narwhals and Dancing Clouds	aero should be c at the least it is the only sr user that can guarantee you to have sr and the other team to not have sr. it also completely kills sun! edit @ below it also maintains mid-game viability with its ability to outspeed and ohko notable threats like tornadus thundurus +1 dragonite among others Last edited by ssbbm; Dec 9th, 2012 at 4:31:16 AM.

Dec 9th, 2012, 5:03:24 AM	#923
DarkBlazeR Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 357	I'm surprised that Tangrowth hasn't been added to this list yet, given that we have quite a few niche Pokemon on here already. Whilst I love it to bits and could argue that it's almost good enough for B-tier, I think C-tier would be much less controversial. Abysmal Sp. Defense aside, it's an absolute boss when it comes to sponging Physical hits - it's probably the most physically bulky Pokémon in OU in fact. Mono-Grass is actually a decent defensive typing for a physical wall, allowing Tangrowth to check a large variety of threats, including but not limited to Dragonite, Garchomp, Terrakion, Landorus-T, Jirachi (physical), Breloom, Tyranitar, Gliscor, Hippowdon, Sharpedo etc. It has enough of a support movepool in Sleep Powder, Stun Spore and Knock Off to be of good utility, and with Leech Seed in tandem with Regenerator, it just never dies. Unlike other, similar tanks, Tangrowth is also very competent offensively, meaning it isn't easily used as fodder. I often find myself coming back to Tangrowth when I just need a solid, multipurpose Physical wall, and rarely does it disappoint. On the topic of Aerodactyl - although I claimed it was D-tier material earlier in this thread, upon using it a bit more myself I've changed my mind. I like how it can set up Stealth Rock as reliably as Deoxys-D, without being completely worthless once the hazards are up. Chandelure should stay in D-tier though; the metagame is far too unkind to it. It may hit very hard, but it's too slow to make much of an impact, and its vulnerability to hazards is a big letdown. It's pretty much completely outclassed by Heatran offensively and defensively, and I'd argue that Sableye makes a much better spinblocker for sun teams anyway. I think Scrafty should also be added to D-tier - this article summarises why. If anything, just as a deterrent for new players using it, as I'm still seeing it quite a bit on the lower half of the ladder, despite it being very mediocre in this metagame. By the same logic, I'm going to suggest Charizard for E-tier as I really have a massive pet hate for when it shows up in an OU battle. Looking at the past months usage statistics, it's used way more than even some of things ranked in B-tier on this list. That shouldn't be the case, and the word needs to get out to newbies that Charizard is terrible, Solar Power or no Solar Power. Last edited by DarkBlazeR; Dec 9th, 2012 at 6:21:40 AM.

Dec 9th, 2012, 5:35:45 AM	#924
Hemp Man Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 735 USA California	Tangrowth and Heatran work pretty well together, in fact I think the only weakness that they don't cover for each other is Fighting. __________________ This is Bleach love!