scpinion
Life > Monotype... unfortunately :)
Monotype Playstyle Viability Rankings
This post was originally copied from this thread by Anttya. Original idea by Enoch.
Welcome to the Monotype Playstyle Viability Rankings. Hopefully, this will serve as resource for both new and old players alike. Ranks will be given on how easy a playstyle is to use, and how it fares in the general metagame. Other factors such mon diversity will play a role as well. Like other Viability Rankings, Playstyles will be placed in either S, A, B, C, or D rank. S ranked playstyles will have a positive matchup a majority of the time, while D ranked playstyles will be more difficult.This post was originally copied from this thread by Anttya. Original idea by Enoch.
Rules:
- Flaming will not be tolerated.
- Post smartly.
- When asking for a rank change, provide a small explanation.
- When asking to add a new playstyle, provide a team if possible.
- Only do playstyles you are familiar with
- When submitting a team (There can be multiple teams per playstyle), put it into a pastebin (no explanation needed, but recommended). Be sure to tell what type of playstyle it’s for. Feel free to make it generic!
An example of a post:
Balanced / Bulky Flying for S Rank
With access to a ton of good Pokemon, Balanced Flying is a threat to prepare for. Flying is also has access to many support moves such as Spikes and Heal Bell, and a lot of viable Pokemon get Defog. When you put these together, I think it deserves S rank.
With access to a ton of good Pokemon, Balanced Flying is a threat to prepare for. Flying is also has access to many support moves such as Spikes and Heal Bell, and a lot of viable Pokemon get Defog. When you put these together, I think it deserves S rank.
Many teams and playstyles from the old thread were outdated. If you had something in the old thread feel free to copy it over and update it to reflect the current metagame!
putting my thoughts on where each style belongs in parentheses. Feel free to disagree and explain why it belongs elsewhere!
Balanced Flying (S rank)
Balanced Psychic (S rank)
Balanced Water (S rank)
Balanced Dark (A+ rank)
Hyper Offensive Fighting (A+ rank)
Stall Water (A+ rank)
Offensive Flying (A rank)
Bulky Offense Ground (A rank)
Bulky Normal (A rank)
Balanced Stell (A rank)
SS Water (B+ rank)
HO Steel (B+ rank)
TR Fairy (B+ rank)
Offensive Bug (B+ rank)
Stall Dark (B+ rank)
Offensive Dragon (B rank)
Offensive Psychic (B rank)
Offensive Fire (B rank)
Balanced Ghost (B rank)
Stall Flying (B rank)
Bulky Offense Poison (B rank)
"Standard" Grass (C rank)
"Standard" Rock (C rank)
"Standard" Electric (C rank)
D rank: Ineffective playstyles (e.g. Defensive Fighting)
Balanced Psychic (S rank)
Balanced Water (S rank)
Hyper Offensive Fighting (A+ rank)
Stall Water (A+ rank)
Offensive Flying (A rank)
Bulky Normal (A rank)
Balanced Stell (A rank)
SS Water (B+ rank)
HO Steel (B+ rank)
TR Fairy (B+ rank)
Offensive Bug (B+ rank)
Stall Dark (B+ rank)
Offensive Dragon (B rank)
Offensive Psychic (B rank)
Offensive Fire (B rank)
Balanced Ghost (B rank)
Stall Flying (B rank)
"Standard" Grass (C rank)
"Standard" Rock (C rank)
"Standard" Electric (C rank)
D rank: Ineffective playstyles (e.g. Defensive Fighting)
Note: A 2-Tier ranking system was added to allow more differentiation among the top tier playstlyes. In addition to the standard ranks, the play styles in the plus ranks (+) fit the definition of whichever rank they're currently in, but fit more so with the play styles in the rank above and are generally more dangerous/effective than the ones ranked directly below.
The plus ranks may also be used to track metagame shifts. For instance, stall Water was moved to A+ because of how common it is on the ladder at the time of writing.
S Rank
Reserved for playstyles that have a positive matchup against a majority of other playstyles meaning that no match will ever be one sided. The Pokemon that are generally used in these playstyles are generally above average in general, and are able to hold their own with little support. In addition to that, they all have their own cores which are hard to beat for some types. These playstyles define the metagame and all viable Monotype teams should be prepared to face them. (Little risk, high reward)
Balanced Flying
Balanced Psychic
A Rank
Reserved for playstyles that have a positive matchup against a lot of other playstyles but they may be very weak to 1-2 playstyles. However, they can find a way to beat them or they are a solid playstyle but they struggle when vsing a majority of S Rank playstyles. The Pokemon used in these playstyles highly depend on each other and require a lot of support. These playstyles influence the metagame and you should expect to face them on a regular basis. (Some risk, high reward)
A+
Balanced Dark
Hyper Offense Fighting
Stall Water
A
Bulky Offense Ground
Bulky Normal
Balanced Steel
Offensive Bug
Offensive Dragon
B Rank
Reserved for playstyles that have occasionally have a positive matchup, but they often have a hard time against many others. They have just enough Pokemon to get by, and they’re often quite predictable. These playstyles are adaptable to the metagame. (Some risk, medium reward)
B+
Offensive Fire
Balanced Electric
B
Bulky Offense Poison
C Rank
Reserved for playstyles that are situational, and depending on the matchup you may have already lost. These playstyles are hard to use, and require a more experienced player. It gets what it needs to be successful, but at the end it’s still gimmicky. These playstyles have a hard time adapting to the metagame. (High risk, medium reward)
Balanced Rock
Offensive Rock
Offensive Ice
D Rank
Reserved for playstyles that are very gimmicky or difficult to use. These playstyles are generally created because of that one Pokemon’s ability or move. However, it’s still effective enough to have a rank. These playstyles rarely adapt to the metagame and do not need to be prepared for. (High risk, little reward)
Defensive Fighting
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