NFE Metagame

Every single month I see the same thread over and over go up in the Suggestion box. Every single time it is asked it is shot down by moderators because it simply is not ready to be brought up without a very high amount of supervision. So, I thought, how hard could it be to actually make the dream a reality for so many members that WOULD like to play this? However, what exactly I am suggesting you may ask? This being Other Metagames, this would be the place to start a dream of mine since the first few months here at Smogon. I wished to create an all new metagame, a metagame that goes by the name of...

The NFE Metagame​

That's right everybody! I finally decided to launch this. This tier will hopefully become a reality, and with that it may actually become an official tier someday with your help! However, what Pokemon and rules are specifically included in this tier?

Clauses :

• 
  * Sleep Clause
  * Evasion Clause
  * Moody Clause
  * Species Clause
  * OHKO Clause

Pokemon Included In NFE Tier :

All not fully involved Pokemon are included in this tier. This includes those even in higher up tiers, these include Chansey, Gurrdurr, and Klang among others. All Pokemon that are NOT FULL EVOLVED are in this tier and can be used.

This tier is a bit different than anything else, and includes some Pokemon that can be used with success that cannot be used anywhere else! Although some Pokemon here may be other favorites in tiers as high as OU, they still find a home here in NFE. As this is not an official tier, I am not banning anything as of yet. But if something really is overpowering in the metagame, then I will be sure to address it. There is Team Preview.


Outside of all mechanics, this is a fun tier to play and is not going to be portraying any standard Pokes aside from a select few. This metagame will hopefully be fun, and I really want all of you to try this out! Eviolite Is Allowed so I think I should not that right there. However, this is subject to chance. There is not much to say at the time, but hopefully with time this will turn into an actual metagame! Discuss!

Just to be clear, what's going to happen to NFE Pokemon that exist in higher tiers (Chansey, Gligar, Scyther, etc)? What about Pokemon like Gurdurr / Fraxure / Wartortle that are frequently used in NU but aren't on the list? Are they included or allowed as well?

Yes, they are. I am not in a position to ban yet, as I at least want to get some stuff going on first. They are allowed.

This tier seems pretty cool; I've been theorymon'ing about it quite a bit lately. I wonder how effective Pokemon not legal in Middle Cup will be in this tier (Scyther, Gligar, Misdreavus, etc. all seem like really promising Pokemon). I'm going to make a team later today; if anyone wants to battle me in it, just highlight me on IRC in #othermetas or #pokemon and I'll probably be up for a battle.

This tier allows a lot more diversity and options to use. For example, Ferrosed and the adove listed Pokemon are allowed. You get many more options here than you could ever get in Middle Cup, which makes it different.

So, a few mons that I've had fun with or have seen used by others in the no evio meta (no evio is more fun than evio, which feels like NU++):

Scyther: It's no surprise that Scyther is good; it's RU, for god's sake. It has wonderful utility and hits hard all the while. Great mon.

Magneton: One of the strongest sweepers in the tier; Analytic is really neat because it means that it can hit hard as hell on the switch. You'd think that sturdy would be better, kind of like NU Sawk, but it's been useless so far. Anyway, Volt Switch / Tbolt / Flash Cannon / HP Ice rips through the tier; for some reason I like to use Flash Cannon a lot more than anything else...

Roselia: It's a neat-ish anti-lead (it hits very hard vs. piloswine) but I can't help thinking I'm using an inferior tangela. Can't really do much at all vs. nonweaks and (more importantly) things that are faster and OHKO (which includes a large portion of the meta...).

Lampent: Lampent has random utility like, for example, taking Fire Blasts, but seems to be the mon I sac very quickly most often. Not useless, but not amazing either.

Sneasel: Sneasel is pretty damn fast and is comparable to Cinccino in NU - although it's not amazingly strong, it has a great speed tier which, in the case of sneasel, makes it the fastest unboosted pokemon in the tier, tying with electabuzz. Ice Punch does an oddly sufficient amount most of the time. Unfortunate that this thing lacks Night Slash, but oh well.

Chansey: It seems good but I can't help drop the feeling that it sucks... There are too many physical attackers in the tier.

Dusclops: Has fantastic physical defense and will-o-wisp; although it's not as impenetrable as in other tiers, it still takes hits pretty damn well.

Hippopotas: The mon that singlehandedly makes Drilbur good. It doesn't seem to stay alive for very long at all, but setting up sandstorm is really neat.

Vulpix: See above; replace "Dribur" with "Tangela" (granted, tangela is good on its own) and "sandstorm" with "sun". Magmar is good in this tier, too.

Drilbur: If you've ever played LC, you know what this is: a strong, fast, rapid spinner with the potential to wipe out a team if you let it do so. Good thing it's fairly frail. Literally outsped by nothing at all in this tier.

Tangela: A fairly versatile mon that can do a lot; I assume that it can go defensive (especially given rhydon and, to a lesser extent, gligar) but I've only seen offensive so far. Still, a scary mon given its high speed. Outsped by nothing in sun but scarf jolly sneasel.

Magmar: Although it's a mon that's shitty in every other tier, it's actually pretty cool in this one. Scarf Fire Blast gives it a lot of power and sleep immunity is quite nice.

Seadra: This thing is really scary, tbh; 95 base Hydro Pump hits very hard on everything, resist or not. If you don't have Chansey, you're not taking it down without a) saccing something or b) playing very, very carefully.

Gligar: Even though it's a wall in UU, it's a damn good sweeper in NFE. With evio gone, it's forced to resort to offense, but it's not as if that's a bad thing. Acrobatics + EQ is really cool.

Eviolite is fun for extreme stalling, but for a less centralized metagame it would be more understanding to ban the item. I'd have to say goodbye to my stall team, though...

Also, it seems you are missing Metang in the list of pokemon. With eviolite it makes a good physical wall, especially with toxic immunity, and even without it can do some damage with that attack.

This looks very interesting, I'll try this out. Just out of curiosity, is Speed Boost Combusken legal in this?

Yeah, eviolite Combusken is fully legal. To be honest, though, I haven't seen it abused very much at all.

I am making a team, will Edit post when the team is done. Team is done.

I literally just spent an hour and a half typing up a necro post where I discussed every single Pokemon I thought could be viable in this tier... And then accidentally closed the tab. Still, this meta really interests me and I'd like to renew discussion on it. If anyone is interested I'd like to try this out.

I've recently been thinking about how many of my favourite 'mons are never used because they haven't evolved yet or they're banned from LC; If anyone's interested in battling with me under this format, shoot me a PM