Resource RU Viability Ranking

[Molk]

Ok, time for some updates!

Updates

Cryogonal added to C-
Linoone added to C-
Zoroark moved up to S
Shiftry moved up to B
Sawk added to C+
Alomomola moved up to A+
Ferroseed added to C+

Yanmega was talked about on IRC and the conclusion reached was for it to remain in A+ for now, the same happened for alomomola, where it was agreed it wasnt S rank but A+ might fit well considering it is literally the face of everything defensive in RU atm.

On top of this, i'd like to make a proposal of my own, and thats to promote Spiritomb to B- rank

Spiritomb has been pretty overlooked in XY RU, but honestly its pretty antimetagame at the moment imo. It might've gained a weakness to the (rare) Fairy-type this generation, but it also recieved a buff to both its STABs and one of its abilities in Infiltrator (now bypasses subs). Neither Ghost nor Dark-type moves are resisted by Steel-types anymore, so Spiritomb doesn't have to worry nearly as much about not being able to get past these/being unable to pick them off with priority. Generation changes aside, you'll see that Spiritomb actually has a pretty good matchup against a good portion of the S and A rank that gives it a solid niche in this metagame. In particular, Hitmonlee, Meloetta, Slowking, Reuniclus, Mismagius, Doublade (speed creep a little here, if the opposing Doublade doesn't creep more it either gets burned by Will-O-Wisp if it attacks or OHKOed by Foul Play if it sets up a Swords Dance) and Delphox (watch out for specs Fire Blast here) really struggle against Spiritomb, either getting walled and crippled by a burn, picked off by Sucker Punch, trapped by Pursuit, or some combination of the three. Outside of this selection of Pokemon, pretty much any Pokemon with lowish defenses doesn't enjoy having to deal with Spiritomb, a relatively bulky Pokemon with only one weakness and STAB Sucker Punch and Pursuit. The set in question that makes Spiritomb as viable as it is imo is the Offensive BlackGlasses set. This set can perform the role of all out attacker/trapper/revenge killer quite well, and can Will-O-Wisp both for general utility and to cripple Pokemon such as Cobalion and Alomomola that can weather Spiritomb's other attacks easily. An import to the set will be provided below so you can test it for yourself :).

Hide

Spiritomb @ Black Glasses
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 192 HP / 252 Atk / 64 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Pursuit
- Foul Play
- Will-O-Wisp

The Speed evs go for min speed Rhyperior plus a little extra for Doublade that go for the same Speed tier, letting you outspeed and burn both. Mono dark coverage might look odd at first, but most of the Fighting- and Dark-types that resist it absolutely hate being burned, and even Aromatisse needs to waste a turn eventually to get rid of it.

EDIT: Oh yeah, i almost forgot, i'd like to see some more discussion on Clawitzer(higher), Cofagrigus(lower), Skuntank(higher), Aromatisse(higher), Slurpuff(lower), Meowstic-Male and Uxie(lower), Gurdurr(higher), and the contents of C/C- in general(are there any mons that don't deserve to even be C/deserve to be promoted?), all of which were brought up on irc

 

[aVocado]

This might sound absurd to some people, but I honestly think Fletchinder should rise to A-. Here's the definition of A rank Pokemon:

Reserved for Pokemon who can sweep or wall significant portions of the metagame, but require some support or have some flaws that prevents them from doing this consistently. Supporting Pokemon in this rank may give opponents free turns or cannot create free turns easily themselves, but can still do their job most of the time.

Fletchinder can easily "sweep significant portions of the metagame" after an SD thanks to Adamant max investment and the fact that Acrobatics has a big base power, and its a nightmare to face against offensive teams because nothing likes priority base 110 power attack. It also, surprisingly, finds lots of easy set up opportunities against Pokemon like Escavalier, Gligar, Cobalion (assuming no stone edge) and mixed Zoroark among some other Pokemon, provided Will-O-Wisp is used. Priority Acrobatics also hurts a lot of offensive Pokemon like Sharpedo, Yanmega, Virizion, and all the other frailer mons that you typically find in offensive teams. Here are some calcs showing the power of +2 Acrobatics:

+2 252+ Atk Fletchinder Acrobatics (110 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Moltres: 294-346 (91.5 - 107.7%) -- 50% chance to OHKO
+2 252+ Atk Fletchinder Acrobatics (110 BP) vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Jolteon: 204-240 (75 - 88.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+2 252+ Atk Fletchinder Acrobatics (110 BP) vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Slowking: 324-382 (82.2 - 96.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+2 252+ Atk Fletchinder Acrobatics (110 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Rotom-C: 255-300 (105.8 - 124.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252+ Atk Fletchinder Acrobatics (110 BP) vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Cobalion: 217-256 (66.9 - 79%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

 

[g]

Ok, time for some updates!

Updates

Cryogonal added to C-
Linoone added to C-
Zoroark moved up to S
Shiftry moved up to B
Sawk added to C+
Alomomola moved up to A+
Ferroseed added to C+

Yanmega was talked about on IRC and the conclusion reached was for it to remain in A+ for now, the same happened for alomomola, where it was agreed it wasnt S rank but A+ might fit well considering it is literally the face of everything defensive in RU atm.

On top of this, i'd like to make a proposal of my own, and thats to promote Spiritomb to B- rank

Spiritomb has been pretty overlooked in XY RU, but honestly its pretty antimetagame at the moment imo. It might've gained a weakness to the (rare) Fairy-type this generation, but it also recieved a buff to both its STABs and one of its abilities in Infiltrator (now bypasses subs). Neither Ghost nor Dark-type moves are resisted by Steel-types anymore, so Spiritomb doesn't have to worry nearly as much about not being able to get past these/being unable to pick them off with priority. Generation changes aside, you'll see that Spiritomb actually has a pretty good matchup against a good portion of the S and A rank that gives it a solid niche in this metagame. In particular, Hitmonlee, Meloetta, Slowking, Reuniclus, Mismagius, Doublade (speed creep a little here, if the opposing Doublade doesn't creep more it either gets burned by Will-O-Wisp if it attacks or OHKOed by Foul Play if it sets up a Swords Dance) and Delphox (watch out for specs Fire Blast here) really struggle against Spiritomb, either getting walled and crippled by a burn, picked off by Sucker Punch, trapped by Pursuit, or some combination of the three. Outside of this selection of Pokemon, pretty much any Pokemon with lowish defenses doesn't enjoy having to deal with Spiritomb, a relatively bulky Pokemon with only one weakness and STAB Sucker Punch and Pursuit. The set in question that makes Spiritomb as viable as it is imo is the Offensive BlackGlasses set. This set can perform the role of all out attacker/trapper/revenge killer quite well, and can Will-O-Wisp both for general utility and to cripple Pokemon such as Cobalion and Alomomola that can weather Spiritomb's other attacks easily. An import to the set will be provided below so you can test it for yourself :).

Hide

Spiritomb @ Black Glasses
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 192 HP / 252 Atk / 64 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Pursuit
- Foul Play
- Will-O-Wisp

The Speed evs go for min speed Rhyperior plus a little extra for Doublade that go for the same Speed tier, letting you outspeed and burn both. Mono dark coverage might look odd at first, but most of the Fighting- and Dark-types that resist it absolutely hate being burned, and even Aromatisse needs to waste a turn eventually to get rid of it.

I very much support Spiritomb's B- nomination. It is a very good "offensive utility" pokemon capable of switching into a lot of stuff (not to mention really difficult to OHKO) to use status or PURSUIT for good damage. Its access to priority and STAB Foul Play is awesome too. He is a super reliable spinblocker capable of switchint into lee and either burn him or pursuit for good damage making it prone to the hazards he tries to spin. He has a good matchup against a lot of S and A Rank mons and it can even pull a surprise "fast" destiny bond if he invests in it a bit. Not to mention CroTomb

I also nominate Avalugg for E rank as it is weak to all form of hazards, has no resistances, no speed, can't beat any spinblocker and has awful special bulk.

Hariyama can also be removed totally (or go to D until we get houndoom :o)

 

[MikeDawg]

I think it's super noteworthy that infiltrator allows spritomb to status through sub (and attack but obv).

This means that things like sub bu braviary and sub sd cobalion get pooped on

 

[Cowtao]

This might sound absurd to some people, but I honestly think Fletchinder should rise to A-. Here's the definition of A rank Pokemon:



Fletchinder can easily "sweep significant portions of the metagame" after an SD thanks to Adamant max investment and the fact that Acrobatics has a big base power, and its a nightmare to face against offensive teams because nothing likes priority base 110 power attack. It also, surprisingly, finds lots of easy set up opportunities against Pokemon like Escavalier, Gligar, Cobalion (assuming no stone edge) and mixed Zoroark among some other Pokemon, provided Will-O-Wisp is used. Priority Acrobatics also hurts a lot of offensive Pokemon like Sharpedo, Yanmega, Virizion, and all the other frailer mons that you typically find in offensive teams. Here are some calcs showing the power of +2 Acrobatics:

+2 252+ Atk Fletchinder Acrobatics (110 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Moltres: 294-346 (91.5 - 107.7%) -- 50% chance to OHKO
+2 252+ Atk Fletchinder Acrobatics (110 BP) vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Jolteon: 204-240 (75 - 88.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+2 252+ Atk Fletchinder Acrobatics (110 BP) vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Slowking: 324-382 (82.2 - 96.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+2 252+ Atk Fletchinder Acrobatics (110 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Rotom-C: 255-300 (105.8 - 124.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252+ Atk Fletchinder Acrobatics (110 BP) vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Cobalion: 217-256 (66.9 - 79%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

I don't agree with this push. Fletchinder is very good and can halt many popular mons but the support it requires is too overbearing for it to be A-. Fletch has a multitude of weaknesses including Stealth Rocks. Plus by the looks of the calcs you posted, Fletch also needs Hazard support in order to obtain some sorely needed OHKO's. Also despite it's impressive power after a SD, there are still things that can prevent Fletch from Sweeping.

+2 252+ Atk Fletchinder Acrobatics (110 BP) vs. 104 HP / 252+ Def Alomomola: 225-265 (45.2 - 53.3%) -- 0.4% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
+2 252+ Atk Fletchinder Acrobatics (110 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Rhyperior: 107-126 (28.8 - 33.9%) -- 1.6% chance to 3HKO
+2 252+ Atk Fletchinder Acrobatics (110 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Cresselia: 171-202 (38.5 - 45.4%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
+2 252+ Atk Fletchinder Acrobatics (110 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Eviolite Gligar: 126-148 (37.7 - 44.3%) -- guaranteed 3HKO [It needs Toxic to win however. I'll give you that. :P]

Burd is honestly fine the way it is. Also Molk did anybody at IRC talk about moving Rhyperior down to A+?

 

[aVocado]

I don't agree with this push. Fletchinder is very good and can halt many popular mons but the support it requires is too overbearing for it to be A-. Fletch has a multitude of weaknesses including Stealth Rocks. Plus by the looks of the calcs you posted, Fletch also needs Hazard support in order to obtain some sorely needed OHKO's. Also despite it's impressive power after a SD, there are still things that can prevent Fletch from Sweeping.

+2 252+ Atk Fletchinder Acrobatics (110 BP) vs. 104 HP / 252+ Def Alomomola: 225-265 (45.2 - 53.3%) -- 0.4% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
+2 252+ Atk Fletchinder Acrobatics (110 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Rhyperior: 107-126 (28.8 - 33.9%) -- 1.6% chance to 3HKO
+2 252+ Atk Fletchinder Acrobatics (110 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Cresselia: 171-202 (38.5 - 45.4%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
+2 252+ Atk Fletchinder Acrobatics (110 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Eviolite Gligar: 126-148 (37.7 - 44.3%) -- guaranteed 3HKO [It needs Toxic to win however. I'll give you that. :P]

Burd is honestly fine the way it is. Also Molk did anybody at IRC talk about moving Rhyperior down to A+?

It's true that Fletchinder can't really do anything to huge physical walls like Alomomola or a tank like Rhyperior, but it's not completely helpless against them either, which brings me to another point that I forgot to mention: It's a very good early-game burn spreader, and those Pokemon you mentioned in the calcs don't appreciate burns at all, especially Rhyperior.

Cresselia and Gligar both really can't do much back without Toxic, while Fletchinder can burn the latter and use both as set up fodder.

Weakness to Stealth rock is pretty big however, and that's why it would be low A- and not any higher, especially considering that the definition for A-rank mons says that they "require some support" and "have some flaws", which is the case for Fletchinder since it needs a bit of support softening specific Pokemon up before sweeping and removing SR, which is honestly not that much support since a lot of popular defoggers/spinners can do that easily, while also being good mons on their own.

 

[EonX]

Megadump:

Spiritomb: I will totally agree with this move. Molk actually gave me that set a few days ago, and I honestly like it. I'm honestly not sure why people thought Spiritomb got so bad to the point where it's now in the C ranks. It still laughs at most CM users, it still checks most Fighting-types, it got a good buff in Infiltrator AND Steels losing their Dark and Ghost resistances. Sure, it got a Fairy weakness and most Fighting-types have Knock Off or a secondary STAB to hit Tomb with, but it should still be somewhere in the B ranks, probably B-.

Clawitzer: This guy is hard as hell to switch into. Considering the fact it takes a dump on virtually every special wall in the tier with full coverage (Scald/Dark Pulse/Ice Beam/Aura Sphere) it's one wallbreaker I never like having to face. Sure, it's pretty damn slow, but if you can't OHKO Clawitzer, it's killing what you have on the field. Between Scald, Dark Pulse, and Ice Beam, it threatens every good AV user in the tier (Scald burns fuck Esca and Gallade. Slowking gets drilled by Dark Pulse. Druddigon is nailed by Ice Beam) You can run U-turn in the last slot for momentum, or just use Aura Sphere for full coverage and a way to smash Registeel. All around great wallbreaker right now, and should move up to B-/B. Yes it's slow, yes it's weak to the myriad of Electrics and Grasses, but none of them have a chance of switching in directly.

Aromatisse: I've had a ton of experience with Aromatisse. All of it being good. It's a fantastic catch-all answer to Fighting- and Dark-types. Being able to check Hitmonlee, Zoroark, Sharpedo, Virizion, and Druddigon with just one team slot is really fucking cool. Wish and cleric support in a single teamslot, Taunt immunity, and decent offensive presence (for a wall anyway) is also fantastic. Sure, it has a hard time with some key threats (Delphox, Escavalier, Reuniclus) but do you really want to pass up on it when you're making any balance, semi-stall, or full stall team? It just checks or outright counters so many things and gives so much support. I see no reason for it not to move up to A+.

Meowstic-Male / Uxie: Lumping these into one, but I really want to hold off on dropping them down at all. Yes, as of now, they aren't as good as their rank. However, I feel this is largely due to Sticky Web ruining their preferred playstyle (Dual Screens HO) and I'd really like to wait and see how they perform after Shuckle gets the official boot before considering dropping them down any.

C/C- mons: Won't provide a ton of explanation for these, if any at all. Crustle to C-. Cradily to C-. Hariyama to D/removed entirely. Lilligant can probably go to C. Why is Sandslash on this list? Sneasal probably to D. Also, remove Avalugg. Sucks ass. Would never want to use it over Cryogonal, the other Ice-type spinner

 

[ScraftyIsTheBest]

Spiritomb is pretty cool imo and it deserves to move up a notch to B-. The BlackGlasses set is something I've used since BW and it's still as effective as ever. It's a really nice check to Reuniclus, in addition to countering most Fighting-types in the tier. Between Sucker Punch, Pursuit, and Foul Play, it can be quite a nuisance and it makes for a nice trapper. It has issues in that it's suspectible to Aromatisse and the like and is pretty one dimensional, but it's a pretty useful utility Pokemon overall.

Clawitzer is a really good breaker. It has really great coverage between Scald, Aura Sphere, Dark Pulse, and Ice Beam, and Mega Launcher gives Dark Pulse and Aura Sphere pretty strong power. It pesters every slower Pokemon with its combination of power and coverage and is a very difficult Pokemon to switch into. With its LO set it is quite formidable, and even though that's all it can do it's great at that. It's definitely a great Pokemon when utilized correctly so it should be B Rank imo.

Skuntank also deserves B Rank imo. It's a good Defog user that can also check Reuniclus, and its access to Sucker Punch and Pursuit is pretty useful. It can make use of its cool typing to Defog when needed, and with its offensive presence it can mess with Braviary, the premier Defiant Pokemon in the tier. It's also a pretty good trapper, being able to use Sucker Punch and Pursuit to trap Psychics and other Pokemon it forces out, and if you want it has Poison Jab to nail Aromatisse and Slurpuff. It's pretty useful so it could move up a notch.

Aromatisse probably deserves A+ because it's just so easy to slot onto a team. It has a great defensive typing and decent bulk to back it up, and it can provide great support to its team. Its defensive utility, along with solid offensive presence, make it something that almost any team can find use for. It's also a great choice for Trick Room, since it provides them a Dark resist and a Taunt immunity, two things that typically hinder most Trick Room teams.

I think Slurpuff is fine at B, since it's a solid late game cleaner that can sweep teams with ease. The Belly Drum set is very destructive in the late game, and once Slurpuff gets going it is very hard to stop. It is pretty good at what it does, and in the right conditions it is very solid at sweeping. Calm Mind sets could be a possibility too. Imo it's fine where it is, since it does require being slotted into a specific team to work well, and does require some support, but with such conditions it is a monster.

As for the C/C-, I guess I'll elaborate on EonX's claims. Crustle should probably drop to C- because it's a pretty bad and situational hazard setter. Its defensive typing isn't very good, and although it has both Rocks and Spikes it's really slow, and again, doesn't have the defensive typing to make up for it. It does have a solid offensive presence, but it's setting up hazards most of the time so it'll rarely get a chance to actually attack. Cradily I'm not sure about since I've seen a good stall team using it well, but it is rather weak and is just sitting there, and is suspectible to Doublade and Hitmonlee. Hariyama is outclassed by other Fighting-types like Gurdurr and Hitmonlee, all it has going for it is being a situational special wall as well as a Guts cleaner. Lilligant could move up because it's still okay as a Quiver Dance sweeper and sweeps decently, even though some new things like Fletchinder and Delphox wreck it so it's much worse this gen but it's still okay. Sandslash shouldn't be on this list imo because it was only borderline viable in BW at best and nothing really changed to make it any better, it's still a pretty bad spinner and I'd still much sooner use Cryogonal or Claydol over it. Sneasel I have no experience with but it doesn't seem too good since it gets manhandled by a lot of top threats. Avalugg is terrible lol, has so many issues (any special attack wrecks it, it's weak to the hazards it is supposed to be removing, it struggles against most Ghost-types, it has an awful defensive typing).

Just my thoughts.

 

[MikeDawg]

I was initially against Zoroark for S, but after playing with it a bunch, I believe that it would fit very well there.

Illusion is an incredible ability that aids the user not only in luring, but also in dictating how the opponent plays even when Zoroark isn't on the field. Opportunities to overpredict/underpredict are numerous, and that puts a ton of pressure on the opponent. If something like Escavalier is on the field, their only viable option may be to switch to Cofag/Gligar, only to be 1hkod or 2hkod by a Night Daze.

But that isn't all that Zoro has to offer. By itself, it is a fantastic pokemon in RU, and if predicting its mere presence wasn't enough, it can run so many different sets that the opponent will have trouble finding a check regardless of whether or not the illusion is intact. Swords Dance has an incredible amount of setup opportunities, and it is one of the most reliable sweepers after a setup due to its ability to 1hko common priority users such as hitmonlee. Specs Zoro can easily eliminate the physically-defensive pokemon on the opposing team, paving the way for your own sweeper. Mixed life orb, can can straight up plow through teams with its coverage.

Masking a pokemon with shared moveslots (sucker punch hitmonlee, grass knot delphox/flamethrower delphox, etc.) adds even more trouble for the opponent.

Imo, Zoroark is one of the, if not the, easiest pokemon to sweep with. More than that, it is stellar at supporting the team by killing shit. That certainly grants it S rights.

 

[Durant]

Spiritomb in my opinion deserves to rise to B-.

Even with the new Fairy type weakness Spiritomb is still a good Pokemon. Spiritomb's typing gives it immunties to some of the best typings in the game while only giving it one weakness. Infiltrator is a great ability allowing it to cripple stuff like Substitute + Swords Dance Cobalion. Also while it's movepool may be shallow it does have enough tools to work with like Will-O-Wisp, Sucker Punch, Calm Mind and Pursuit. It is fairly versatile in terms of sets as it can go either offensive, defensive or be a Suicune wannabe with Calm Mind. Offensive Spiritomb makes for a great trapper being able to trap the likes of top threats like Gallade, Reuniclus, Slowking and Hitmonlee thanks to it's good typing. It can also burn some things with Will-O-Wisp that might want to switch in like Slurpuff and can also act as a sort of revenge killer with Sucker Punch and Shadow Sneak. Defensive Spiritomb is also really good. Being able to outright counter top offensive threats like Gallade, Substitute + Swords Dance Cobalion and Hitmonlee is certainly something worth mentioning. Infiltrator Will-O-Wisp is a great tool for a defensive Pokemon as unlike other wall ( Alomomomomomola ) it isn't set up fodder for Substitute user. Lack of reliable recovery does hurt Spiritomb but Rest + Sleep talk is by no means unusable and Aromatisse and Alomomola are both good Wish passers. Lastly there is the Calm Mind set which is dangerously good late game. It does need some support to work well in particular removing Virizion and Aromatisse but after that it's next to done for the opposing team. Typically most teams don't have a lot of answers to Calm Mind Spiritomb which means that if they lose their main check / counter then it is basically dieing a slow death with Spiritomb setting up on your face. Dark Pulse is one of the best moves for a mono attacker to have and Spritomb also gets STAB on it to boot.

Honestly with all these postive traits I think Spiritomb should definetly move up. Spiritomb for B- or even B rank.

 

[Cherub Agent]

Is Sandslash really that bad? It has an easier time breaking through Ghosts than nigh any other spinner...

+2 252+ Atk Sandslash Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Eviolite Doublade: 282-332 (87.5 - 103.1%) -- 62.5% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock

+2 252+ Atk Sandslash Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Spiritomb: 280-330 (92.1 - 108.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock

Mismagius is also crushed by Knock Off, which was a cool addition to its movepool. It's not the greatest Pokemon obviously due to being affected by all hazards, it's low Speed and special bulk, but when it comes to actual ghost busting Sandslash doesn't disappoint. You can even use Soft Sand to get guaranteed OHKOs on both of these with no previous damage. Seems a bit harsh to not even rank it. Aside from that, Sand Rush is awesome :P

 

[Mew2]

Spiritomb should be B- or even B as other people mentioned; it is a very versatile poke with good offensive options like CB and Black Glasses and and defensive options like Mono attacker and standar defensive but imo his biggest poit is that Spiritomb isn't weak to knock off. Most ghosts in the tier like Doublade and Mega Banette have to be careful with spinners like Hitmonlee who carry knock off to deal super effective damage against them. Finally, with a buffed Infiltrator Spiritomb can burn or toxic things like SubBU Braviary and Sub CM Meloetta and his new fairy weakness isn't that big because the only common fairy is Aromatisse who sometimes doesn't even have Moonblast and prefers Toxic.

 

[Shaymin :D]

Just wondering, what does Dragalge do to deserve B rank? It seems like a really awkward placement in my eyes. It has no niche offensively and the only real niche it has defensively is as a Toxic Spikes setter. This seems outclassed immensely by Drapion, as not only can it set up T. Spikes much quicker, but it also has less weaknesses along with being able to beat SubCM Cresselia and Meloetta/CM Reuniclus, huge threats for stall to deal with. The only real thing I see Dragalge having over Drapion is Scald and better special bulk. I think Dragalge would be better in C+, as it's imo not on the same level as Roselia, who can be a status absorber and has recovery. Dragalge for C+

 

[Punchshroom]

Is Sandslash really that bad? It has an easier time breaking through Ghosts than nigh any other spinner...

+2 252+ Atk Sandslash Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Eviolite Doublade: 282-332 (87.5 - 103.1%) -- 62.5% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock

+2 252+ Atk Sandslash Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Spiritomb: 280-330 (92.1 - 108.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock

Mismagius is also crushed by Knock Off, which was a cool addition to its movepool. It's not the greatest Pokemon obviously due to being affected by all hazards, it's low Speed and special bulk, but when it comes to actual ghost busting Sandslash doesn't disappoint. You can even use Soft Sand to get guaranteed OHKOs on both of these with no previous damage. Seems a bit harsh to not even rank it. Aside from that, Sand Rush is awesome :P

I think people don't like Sandslash because even if it does beat the spinblocker, low Speed and Special Defense leaves it very open to revenge kills, thus denying the spin. Opting for that much offensive power would mean it has to sacrifice defensive bulk as well, which limits its switch-in opportunities. That said, I'd probably use it over Claydol: while it is easier to switch into stuff with, its shitton of weaknesses make it so much easier to revenge, despite its greater (invested) bulk. Claydol does have an easier time against Doublade since it doesn't need to boost, but it still needs to predict its switch-in like Sandslash does lest a Shadow Claw rip it apart; heck, a snipe from Shadow Sneak may be enough to prevent Claydol from spinning if the foe has a good revenger waiting.

 

[Molk]

Oh yeah, something else i wanted to bring up but never did because i forgot was moving Omastar up from B- to B/B+.

Like Accelgor who was promoted from C to B in a single update, Omastar has taken advantage of the lack of Froslass in this metagame to become one of the best suicide leads in the tier. packed with every single entry hazard in the game except Sticky Web (although SR+Spikes is usually fine), decent bulk, and a solid ability for a Pokemon that takes this role in Weak Armor, Omastar has absolutely no issue getting multiple players of hazards up early game to support its team, especially when supported by teammates such as Doublade. To make things even better for the fossil, Omastar also has an excellent matchup against the tier's best defensive defogger: Gligar. It can easily take an Earthquake and proceed to outspeed and OHKO in return with either Hydro Pump or Ice Beam, Golbat's a little more durable, but in the end suffers the same fate as Gligar if it attempts to face off against a suicide lead Omastar. Not much else to say really, its a good suicide lead, it's been a good suicide lead for a while, and now that some of its main competition as a Spikes lead has been booted off to BL2 it really has a chance to shine.

 

[MikeDawg]

Also, while less prominent of a niche, specs omastar is one of the best rain abusers.

 

[Cowtao]

Alright. I had a change of heart about Fletch because someone kept suggesting it. Arikado. >:c

The walls that I mentioned earlier are inescapable to Will-O-Wisp. This basically means that not only does Fletchinder have the best Priority in RU with Acrobatics, but it also has the best Will-O-Wisp too because of how many switches it forces. Even if a Switch leads off to a Fire-Type, most Fire-Types are frail or weak to Fletchinder naturally. Even Delphox which can live an unboosted Acrobatics will be 2HKO'd. (OHKO'd after Swords Dance Boost) Being able to also be an amazing check towards Speed Boost users is a very good trait as well.

I hate saying that i'm wrong but I can't deny facts. Even with it's shortcomings and it's weakness to rocks, it deserves A-

 

[aVocado]

Fletch just does so well against offense/HO to be anywhere less than A- tbh lol. And it's one of the best burn spreaders I've seen yet.

 

[Molk]

o____k i'm coming back with two small updates

Shuckle has been removed from S rank as it has a supermajority in the RU suspect voting, votes will become visible soon

Gothorita has been removed from C+ rank because UU banned Shadow Tag

 

[newfren]

Fletch even does pretty well against balance especially when you need their rhyp or alomomola burnt - the support it gives your team with that wow is honestly pretty surprising.

The rock weakness certainly sucks balls but if roost well you can mitigate it - it just means you can't spread burns as easily since you tend to have to roost after switching in.

I'm basically never disappointed when I use it on HO teams.

 

[Ares]

Fletch even does pretty well against balance especially when you need their rhyp or alomomola burnt - the support it gives your team with that wow is honestly pretty surprising.

The rock weakness certainly sucks balls but if roost well you can mitigate it - it just means you can't spread burns as easily since you tend to have to roost after switching in.

I'm basically never disappointed when I use it on HO teams.

Also just gonna add on here it seems to be a pretty good sponge for fighters that like to spam knock off, seeing as you are already itemless.

 

[HypnoEmpire]

I didn't see Lickilicky anywhere, so I would like to nominate it for B- rank.

Okay, where do I start. Lickilicky is one of few special walls that can say it can wall Choice Specs Tinted Lens Yanmega and Delphox at the same time. Lickilicky can wall nearly every special attacker in the tier bar Exploud and Clawitzer, which is quite an accomplishment. Lickilicky can provide cleric support with Wish and Heal Bell. It has a phasing move in Dragon Tail. It isn't Taunt bait thanks to Oblivious. It has a very colorful movepool with a ton of support options as well as offensive options. It isn't an easy switch-in for physical attackers either, as it can wall Sharpedo, which is also quite impressive. It isn't Substitute bait, as it has Seismic Toss, though it does lose to 101 Substitutes. Those are just some traits it has for a specially defensive spread. Lickilicky can also run a Choice Band set to nail Rhypeior, a good switch into Lickilicky, with Power Whip. It can also hurt Steel-types with Earthquake and Ghost-types with Knock Off. Did I forget to mention STAB Explosion?

Of course, Lickilicky has some obvious flaws. It's pure Normal-typing gives it no resistances, a lone immunity to Ghost, and a crippling Fighting-type weakness, which means its bait to every Fighting-type ever. This is very poor considering how common Hitmonlee is. It's Speed also gives it much to be desired. However, Lickilicky seems like an extremely solid Pokemon and, after using it extensively, I can comfortably say that it deserves B- rank.

 

[Molk]

And now for the rest of the updates!

Updates

Clawitzer up from B- rank to B rank
Fletchinder up from B+ rank to A- rank
Omastar up from B- rank to B rank
Spiritomb up from C+ rank to B- rank
Crustle down from C rank to C- rank
Hariyama down from C- rank to D rank
Avalugg removed entirely for being a piece of garbage and a poor excuse for a coffee table (who wants one that melts when you put your cup down???).
Sneasel down from C- rank to D rank
Skuntank moved up from B- rank to B rank
Lilligant moved up from C- rank to C rank

I'd like some more discussion on the changes i've made and your thoughts on them, as well as Dragalge, Lickilicky, Meowstic-Male, Uxie, and Aromatisse

 

[MikeDawg]

Jw, why the sneasel and crustle drops + lilligant rise?

I don't particularly have an opinion on the matter, just wondering what changed to affect a different placement?

 

[Molk]

Jw, why the sneasel and crustle drops + lilligant rise?

I don't particularly have an opinion on the matter, just wondering what changed to affect a different placement?

Sneasel was mainly dropped due to the fact that it recieves major competition from everyone's favorite fox Zoroark. Who has similar offensive stats, an excellent ability in illusion, the ability to go mixed, and a lack of a Stealth Rock weakness over Sneasel. Sneasel might have a little bit of Speed and STAB Ice-type moves, but most of the targets Ice Shard would be hitting are hit hard by Zoroark's Sucker Punch either way, and many targets of Ice Punch just get smacked around by Knock Off/Flamethrower either way. Hitting Gligar without HP Ice is a plus though.

Crustle was dropped because it recieves major competition from Omastar, who pretty much does the same thing but with a much better matchup against common defog users.

On that note, i'd like to propose something. Does anyone have thoughts on dropping Cofagrigus down from B+ to B rank?

Honestly i've been a bit underwhelmed with Cofagrigus through this generation. General metagame shifts and new drops, as well as the Knock Off buff and the Hidden Power nerf have really hurt it all around compared to last generation imo. the OTR set isn't as effective as last gen imo, its best coverage option get a 10 BP nerf, its worst enemies in Dark-types have been buffed all around and they can hit Cofagrigus even harder thanks to Knock Off, and some of the new/buffed threats in RU are really problematic for OTR Cofagrigus, including Heliolisk, Meloetta, Exploud, Shiftry, and Skuntank. Cofagrigus recieves major competition from Doublade as an offensive Ghost-type as well, further hindering it. The defensive Ghost-type set is nice i guess, but once again, the Knock Off buff really hurts here, especially considering how many Pokemon get it and just slap off its main method of recovery in the process. The same Pokemon that annoy Cofagrigus's OTR set get p. much a free switch into defensive Cofagrigus as well, only really fearing a burn. As a defensive Ghost-type, both formes of Gourgeist are still a pain for Cofagrigus to compete with. XL is much bulkier than Cofagrigus, while small is much faster. Both formes have access to Leech Seed for extra recovery, and the Grass-type they possess gives them a bunch of extra resistances to help them in their walling role. Hell even Spiritomb gives the poor mummy competition, with access to Foul Play, an immunity to Psychic-type moves, and a neutrality to Knock Off to boast. Toxic Spikes are nice i guess, but there are plenty of options for that in the current metagame and often a defensive team can easily fit them on without having to use them on Cofagrigus. Not to mention the fact that Tspikes+Pain Split is illegal...