SM UU Viability Ranking Thread Mark Three

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yeezyknows

Banned deucer.
Replying to this because I agree with a Swampert drop and don't think you really considered many of Hilo's arguments. You said that it isn't meant to check Rotom-W, but that doesn't say that Swampert isn't hurt by washtom's presence in the tier. And even if it can still get both rocks and toxic off against Rotom-W, Swamp is still taking a lot of damage in the process and is preventing itself from setting rocks again if need be (Hilo already said this btw). The main reason that I don't think Swampert deserves its current rank is not only because Rotom-W can compromise its Electric-type checking abilties, but because as Hilo also said and you seem to have not acknowledged, its lack of recovery really sucks in the current metagame. Sure, it's always been something that's held Swampert back a bit, but VoltTurn and Spikes play styles are extremely prevalent and both hurt Swampert a lot in that it's easily chipped into range of not reliably checking the things it needs to. This is why lately, Gliscor, Hippowdon, and even Seismitoad due to Water Absorb have given Swampert a lot more competition than ever before, and at times can be more preferable as rockers. I just don't think that Swampert is currently on the level of anything else in A, and would have its viability more accurately reflected in A-. It also struggles to check things like Cobalion and offensive SD Scizor in a Spikes-filled meta, is struggling to check Mega Manectric all the time due to it running HP Grass more often, and isn't as versatile as you say it is, since while it has options like Roar, Toxic, and Counter at its disposal, it can only pick one to fit in that fourth slot due to its need for STABs and rocks.

TLDR: Swampert is too hampered by its lack of recovery to do its job as reliably as before at this stage in the metagame, and as a result it isn't as good defensively. Drop it to A-.
How is its viability as a setter hurt by washtom's presence any more so than SR Gliscor and Hippo, who are hard countered by washtom and 2hkoed by pump regardless of spread- even with their access to recovery?

Lack of recovery really only hurts it on bulkier builds- would a move like recover really be that much of an improvement over toxic on an offensive build? Even on more passive builds, toxic is still an incredibly good move in a meta with m-lati.

As I've also said, which you're not acknowledging, it's not meant to be a wall that can take on powerful setup sweepers, it's meant to be a pivot/sponge that can set up rocks.

In terms of its peers in A, imo it's easily on par if not better than Drei and Mamo, and imo m-aero in the current meta.

Scald, EQ, Toxic alongside rocks is incredible utility- it's not a fault, but an advantage that it also has access to roar/counter.

PS: find me someone using hp grass mane and i'll show you someone who doesn't know glisc exists.
 

Freeroamer

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How does lack of recovery make it worse vs VoltTurn exactly when it’s expected to set hazards vs the playstyle aswell? If you’re using turns to recover, you’re likely handing back momentum to the VoltTurn user who can just get their shit back and going again which in the long term is pretty detrimental to any teams chances of winning in that matchup. If I get a free turn with Swampert against VoltTurn I’d be clicking Stealth Rock the majority of time even if I had the luxury of recovery because in that matchup you have to make them pay for constantly pivoting and hazards is the simplest way to do that. I don’t really buy HP Grass Manectric as being particularly terrible to face either, not only is it fairly rare in my experience, but some of the best partners type wise to Swampert are the levitating Dragons, which devour mane without HP Ice and can use the free turn to extremely good effect. You could make the case that the Manectric can Volt Switch on your dragon, but literally no one clicks Volt Switch with Manectric the first time it’s against Swampert, and after that it’s a guessing game which I would say generally favours the Swampert user, but that’s arguable. The biggest issue for pert in this metagame is that Seismitoad gives it very legitimate competition that it’s not had before, as has been seen by the occasional use in snake. Whether Swampert should rise or drop should be centred around whether you think this added competition makes pert less viable in the metagame which I would be inclined to agree with.
 
252+ Atk Choice Band Reckless Mienshao High Jump Kick vs. 244 HP / 0 Def Gliscor: 168-198 (47.7 - 56.2%) -- 0.4% chance to 2HKO after Poison Heal
252+ Atk Choice Band Reckless Mienshao High Jump Kick vs. 244 HP / 0 Def Gliscor: 168-198 (47.7 - 56.2%) -- 82.4% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Poison Heal
Only Bandshao is Adamant Bandshao!!! Plus the spread you calc'd with is outdated (not sure how much those 12 defensive IVs matter, but it seems like they matter in the first calc a bit).
The 12 EVs make no difference to my calc.

You have to have rocks up, hit a jump kick, pray its not protect gliscor, and even then you still have a 18% chance not to hit. The assumption is also that gliscor has already activated toxic orb, highly probable since it can stay in on most stealth rock users, and you have to get rocks up.

please no more misinformation
 

Deleted User 400951

Banned deucer.
The 12 EVs make no difference to my calc.

You have to have rocks up, hit a jump kick, pray its not protect gliscor, and even then you still have a 18% chance not to hit.

please no more misinformation
Are you fucking kidding me

It's damn easy enough to tell if it is protect scor, rocks are easy enough to get up and lmao 82% is reliable enough to break it.

Mienshao is a hell of a scary breaker that is responding well to what ppl are using as their fighting resists just dropping and hydregion carrying specs instead of scarf. A whole rank below terrakion is just not fair when it has its fair enough merits to be much closer. Rise to B.

I'm out of time but I support pert down as it faces good competition for its role and yeah meta trends aren't too nice in general.
 
Are you fucking kidding me

It's damn easy enough to tell if it is protect scor, rocks are easy enough to get up and lmao 82% is reliable enough to break it.

Mienshao is a hell of a scary breaker that is responding well to what ppl are using as their fighting resists just dropping and hydregion carrying specs instead of scarf. A whole rank below terrakion is just not fair when it has its fair enough merits to be much closer. Rise to B.

I'm out of time but I support pert down as it faces good competition for its role and yeah meta trends aren't too nice in general.
How do you tell if it's protect gliscor? You're really underselling gliscor as an answer to mienshao. Let's forget about that argument though:

Hydreigon carrying specs means nothing because adamant mienshao doesnt outspeed, and we agreed adamant shao was the mon to use.

A whole rank under terrakion makes perfect sense. Terrakion doesnt have to give up speed and still hits hard and can actually use SD / a wide array of sets, whereas mienshao has one, or two at best.

Other fighting types, like nape and heracross, have ways of beating gliscor.

There's just no justification for a rise based on those arguments.

Edit: I guess hogg missed the fact that like 3 other discussion points about mienshao were brought up other than gliscor? Either way, I support swampert drop mostly for competition and for semantics sake (the mons up there with it are just better suited). Its lack of recovery is actually a problem, contrary to what was said, because most of the time you would want swampert to handle scizor and recover from other uturn damage, which it cant do.
 
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Ununhexium

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Whether Swampert should rise or drop should be centred around whether you think this added competition makes pert less viable in the metagame which I would be inclined to agree with.
I disagree with this. Seismitoed getting better / being competition doesn’t make Swampert a worse Pokémon. Viability isn’t a zero-sum game. Seismitoed competing for a teamslot is just that: competing slot. We’re measuring viability as how good a given Pokémon is in a metagame and Seismitoad competing with Swampert for a slot should have no bearing on Swampert’s ranking.
 

Freeroamer

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Are you serious? If another Pokémon becomes viable in the metagame to the point where there are cases where you’d use that Pokémon over where you would have used the initial Pokémon previously, then of course it’s affecting the viability of that Pokémon because it’s not as easy to justify on teams which is practically the definition of viability. Take Rotom-C for example, before the most recent tier shift it was a bit of a rising star in the metagame at B being nominated for B+ with its bloom doom set being extremely popular on VoltTurn but since Rotom-W came into the tier and provided a better defensive typing and arguably a better secondary STAB it’s just plummeted down to C. While I don’t suggest such a severe drop for Swampert, it’s clear that when people are looking for a Water / Ground type that can also set rocks, the go to isn’t always Swampert like it has been for the entire generation before these tier shifts. If people want that for their team, they choose either Pert or Seis, meaning there are times when they don’t choose Pert, meaning it’s become less viable because it’s not as justifiable.
 
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Cynde

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I think Swampert should drop because of reasons mentioned, mostly because Rotom Wash is a fantastic Pokemon and it really hurts the viability of Ground types that are susceptible to being punished by it like Krookodile and Pert. I also think Mamoswine could be dropped to A-. It's utility as an electric-type answer has diminished greatly with the two most popular ones being rotom wash / mega manectric which can punish it with hydro pump / overheat respectively. it's also got a rather mediocre speed tier and poor defensive typing with leaves it vulnerable to a ton of popular metagame choices right now. to me, it's just been really underperforming relative to everything else in A rank which do their job a lot more consistently than mamoswine can.

muk should definitely rise, it's the best mega lati answer available and mega latias is the best pokemon in the tier. not really sure what else needs to be said about this.

mega sceptile should also rise. the departure of weavile and gardevoir means it doesn't have to deal with ice shard vs pursuit bullshit or letting something get punished by a stupid hyper voice. it matches up great against a lot of the volt turn teams running around and despite the increasing popularity of muk (which its sd sets don't care about and the special ones can run eq to lure it and nihilego). it's fairly hard to deal with on bulky offence if you don't have it.

i'm not so sure about hippowdon rising because with toxic being everywhere to handle mega latias, hippowdon suffers from that as well. it also doesn't appreciate mega sceptile getting so much better and rotom wash being everywhere. nothings really changed in terms of stuff its handles. i don't think handling both hidden power manectric versions really changes shit in its favour enough to warrant a rise.
 

Funbot28

Banned deucer.
Hi ya so I have started to play UU again after the recent bans and here are my thoughts:


A+ -> S
Definitely feel Rotom-W has enough prevalence in the current metagame to contend along the ranks with Scizor and Mega Latias. Not only is it the face of VolTurn, but its also one of the best blanket checks to a myriad of threats such as Scizor, Mega Aerodactyl, Mega Pidgeot, Mamoswine, Infernape, etc. It is incredibly difficult to stop a Volt Switch from coming in thanks to its secondary STAB which breaks common Ground-types apart from Seismitoad (which is currently rising in popularity solely because of Washtom). Its utility movepool is also pretty nifty in disrupting its checks, with mainly Will-O-Wisp and Pain Split in mind. It also has access to offensive sets with Waterium Z which enables it to better check stuff like Krokoodile and better break through its checks in Sp.Def Klefki and weakened Amoounguss. Rotom-W just has too much potential and is too prevelent not be in S-Rank at the current moment. While it does possess checks in Mega Latias and Hydreigon and it can get worn down quite easily by status + chip, its ability to easily pivot against the majority of the metagame is truly phenomenal, providing offense just the right amount of support to be dominant.


A -> A+
Another culprit in VoltTurn offense, Mega Bee is as amazing as ever atm even though Scizor is still running around all over the place. Thanks to its great damage output and unmatched Speed, Mega Beedrill's ability to force switchins is really nice as it can easily gain momentum for its team in a similar fashion as Washtom. Its STABs + coverage options such as Drill Run and even Pursuit basically cover almost the entire metagame, and the new mechanic changes to SM made other potential sets like Swords Dance plausible. Gliscor, Magnet Rise Klefki and Pursuit Mega Aerodactyl can check it on offense, but besides the aforementioned examples, offensive teams just kinda fall flat versus this thing. Revenge killing Mega Lati and +1 Mega Altaria are also always nice since not many threats can claim to do that.


A -> A-
Yeh both these Ground-types get shut down by Washtom which really sucks knowing that the washing machine is one more then 70% of teams atm. They both can run options such as Toxic on the switchin, but are then always forced out which gives Rotom-W the ample opportunity to just pivot out. Swampert is especially struggling as an SR setter by Seismitoad which not only can check WashTom, but has access to other utility options like Knock Off which can support its teammates greatly.


A- -> B+
Almost never see this thing nowadays thanks to both Rotom-W and Mega Latias both hard checking it. While Scarf sets with Crunch are still viable and is less prepared for especially with the decline of its checks in Togekiss and Swampert. The slew of new checks that the latest tier shifts brought really affected Krook's place in the metagame, often forcing it to rely on predictions to really make an impact in the long term. It also hates VoltTurn which is really bad for obvious reasons.


A- -> B+
Mega Pidgeot is facing a lot of competition right now for the mega slot when builders can run stuff like Mega Latias, Mega Altaria, Mega Manectric, Mega Aerodactyl, and Mega Beedrill. It also faces victim of the "Rotom-W affect" meaning that it often cannot pull its weight in a match until the aforementioned threat is taken care of. Stallbreaker sets with Refresh are still neat especially since its being less prepared for on defensive teams, but I still don't believe this is enough to keep Mega Bird Jesus in the A-rankings.


B+ -> A-
Great wallbreaker that blends well on the majority of VoltTurn teams. Crawdaunt is really effective in breaking down common defensive threats such as WashTom, Scizor, Amoonguss, and Gliscor. Nothing switches into its STABs atm bar Primarina (and that still hates getting its Specs taken away). Both SD sets with either LO or Z-Move and CB sets are really good on applying offensive pressure on the opposing team, and people don't really have the slots to place a dedicated answer to it unless they choose to run Mega Altaria (which does counter it). I feel Crawdaunt fill the void after the Weavile ban as a powerful Dark type that is difficult to properly play around, albeit it being much much slower.

Also agree with rising Alolan-Muk, dropping Togekiss, rising Mega Sceptile and rising Nihilego.
 
I think Muk should totally rise. It is arguably the best Mega Latias check and is very specially bulky which lets it check a ton of special attackers like Mega Manetric and Mega Pidgeot. Even if Mega Latias gets banned, it is still in need of a rise due to its excellent ability to check special attackers. Getting a chance to poison the enemy with knock off and pursuit is a nice bonus too.
 
Hi ya so I have started to play UU again after the recent bans and here are my thoughts:


A+ -> S
Definitely feel Rotom-W has enough prevalence in the current metagame to contend along the ranks with Scizor and Mega Latias. Not only is it the face of VolTurn, but its also one of the best blanket checks to a myriad of threats such as Scizor, Mega Aerodactyl, Mega Pidgeot, Mamoswine, Infernape, etc. It is incredibly difficult to stop a Volt Switch from coming in thanks to its secondary STAB which breaks common Ground-types apart from Seismitoad (which is currently rising in popularity solely because of Washtom). Its utility movepool is also pretty nifty in disrupting its checks, with mainly Will-O-Wisp and Pain Split in mind. It also has access to offensive sets with Waterium Z which enables it to better check stuff like Krokoodile and better break through its checks in Sp.Def Klefki and weakened Amoounguss. Rotom-W just has too much potential and is too prevelent not be in S-Rank at the current moment. While it does possess checks in Mega Latias and Hydreigon and it can get worn down quite easily by status + chip, its ability to easily pivot against the majority of the metagame is truly phenomenal, providing offense just the right amount of support to be dominant.


A -> A+
Another culprit in VoltTurn offense, Mega Bee is as amazing as ever atm even though Scizor is still running around all over the place. Thanks to its great damage output and unmatched Speed, Mega Beedrill's ability to force switchins is really nice as it can easily gain momentum for its team in a similar fashion as Washtom. Its STABs + coverage options such as Drill Run and even Pursuit basically cover almost the entire metagame, and the new mechanic changes to SM made other potential sets like Swords Dance plausible. Gliscor, Magnet Rise Klefki and Pursuit Mega Aerodactyl can check it on offense, but besides the aforementioned examples, offensive teams just kinda fall flat versus this thing. Revenge killing Mega Lati and +1 Mega Altaria are also always nice since not many threats can claim to do that.


A -> A-
Yeh both these Ground-types get shut down by Washtom which really sucks knowing that the washing machine is one more then 70% of teams atm. They both can run options such as Toxic on the switchin, but are then always forced out which gives Rotom-W the ample opportunity to just pivot out. Swampert is especially struggling as an SR setter by Seismitoad which not only can check WashTom, but has access to other utility options like Knock Off which can support its teammates greatly.


A- -> B+
Almost never see this thing nowadays thanks to both Rotom-W and Mega Latias both hard checking it. While Scarf sets with Crunch are still viable and is less prepared for especially with the decline of its checks in Togekiss and Swampert. The slew of new checks that the latest tier shifts brought really affected Krook's place in the metagame, often forcing it to rely on predictions to really make an impact in the long term. It also hates VoltTurn which is really bad for obvious reasons.


A- -> B+
Mega Pidgeot is facing a lot of competition right now for the mega slot when builders can run stuff like Mega Latias, Mega Altaria, Mega Manectric, Mega Aerodactyl, and Mega Beedrill. It also faces victim of the "Rotom-W affect" meaning that it often cannot pull its weight in a match until the aforementioned threat is taken care of. Stallbreaker sets with Refresh are still neat especially since its being less prepared for on defensive teams, but I still don't believe this is enough to keep Mega Bird Jesus in the A-rankings.


B+ -> A-
Great wallbreaker that blends well on the majority of VoltTurn teams. Crawdaunt is really effective in breaking down common defensive threats such as WashTom, Scizor, Amoonguss, and Gliscor. Nothing switches into its STABs atm bar Primarina (and that still hates getting its Specs taken away). Both SD sets with either LO or Z-Move and CB sets are really good on applying offensive pressure on the opposing team, and people don't really have the slots to place a dedicated answer to it unless they choose to run Mega Altaria (which does counter it). I feel Crawdaunt fill the void after the Weavile ban as a powerful Dark type that is difficult to properly play around, albeit it being much much slower.

Also agree with rising Alolan-Muk, dropping Togekiss, rising Mega Sceptile and rising Nihilego.
I agree with all of these except for Mamoswine drop. Mamoswine is an excellent ice type that no longer has to face competition from Weavile, which helps its case greatly. Also, it is immune to Rotom Wash's Volt Switch and can just run freeze dry to Prevent being walled by Rotom Wash. Plus, any smart team has a Rotom Wash answer. I agree more with the post for it to rise than for the idea of it dropping.
 

Rabia

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People stating that Rotom-W literally beats Mamoswine to hell and back are seemingly forgetting Freeze Dry is very standard and always two-hits standard defensive Washtom:

180 SpA Life Orb Mamoswine Freeze-Dry vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Rotom-Wash: 174-205 (57.4 - 67.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

This isn't to say that Rotom-W doesn't still threaten Mamoswine with its Water-type STAB; however, its effectiveness in checking Mamoswine has been grossly overstated for quite a bit. A-rank in general needs some cleaning up as it is (M-Bee -> A+ for reasons stated, Swampert -> A- for reasons stated); however, I would still keep Mamoswine in A because of its ability to work past its checks, block Volt Switch (pretty nice right now given VoltTurn's prevalence, and it beating Keys which right now is a massive boon (Keys can run Magnet Rise yes, but that is pretty uncommon currently due to double status being favored).

I would also like to support the nomination for
A+ -> S. I made this nomination originally when Washtom dropped, and I still stand by my original case. VoltTurn is still prevalent as ever and Washtom is the face of it. It inherently pressures opposing Ground-types into not switching in against it by virtue of its Water-type STABs, checks the omnipresent Scizor, and is really damn versatile making scouting a must when playing against it. Lack of viable recovery does hurt it; however, it really doesn't hinder Washtom all that greatly (hell, Pain Split is free full health for cheeky Blissey switch-ins).
 
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disagree with mamo dropping, from my experience adamant life orb is really good rn, it can break stall a bit just bc its so damn strong, and its ice shard does a big chunk to mega late
252+ Atk Life Orb Mamoswine Ice Shard vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Latias-Mega: 159-190 (43.6 - 52.1%)

it can also run knock off to overload rotom/get rid of leftovers
checks sceptile, and manectric too
252 SpA Manectric-Mega Overheat vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Thick Fat Mamoswine: 218-258 (60.3 - 71.4%)

its basically UU's only good ice type rn so idk if a drop is really reflective of its viability
 

Hilomilo

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Ranking Update for 10/16 - 10/27

As I said in my most recent post, I'll be taking over this update due to pokeisfun's business as of late. The OP will be updated later this evening, but for now here are the changes happening:

Rises
B+ -> A-
B -> B+
B -> B+
B- -> B
C -> B-
C -> C+
C- -> C

Drops
A -> A-
A- -> B+
B+ -> B
B -> B-
B- -> C+
C+ -> C
C+ -> C
C- -> D
C- -> D

Mega Sceptile struggles a lot less in a tier without Weavile and Mega Gardevoir. Its ability to come in on Rotom-W with extreme ease and heavily pressure most current VoltTurn and bulky offense builds is also really valuable, and enough for it to rise from B+.

Mega Latias’s dominance allows Alolan Muk to shine as a great way of keeping it in check. Beyond taking care of arguably the tier’s most centralizing threat, it also sees use as a stop to a lot of really prevalent special attackers, and is a great Pokemon to fit onto the tier’s dominant VoltTurn playstyles as a result.

Nothing outside of Weavile’s departure really made Nihilego any better. It was most just moved up due to the fact that by virtue of its ability to run many viable sets very well, it’s better than anything else in B.

Sylveon does really well against a few VoltTurn staples, including Rotom-W, Mega Manectric, Hydreigon, and Choice Scarf Infernape. This in tandem with its ability to take on some big presences like Mega Sharpedo and Krookodile makes it more valuable of a Pokemon than earlier on, thus justifying a rise.

Salazzle is capable of forcing out a plethora of top threats in order to set up, and is incredibly hard to deal with once boosted. It’s great for luring in and removing Mega Latias with +2 Acid Downpour as well, though its extreme frailty and huge susceptibility to revenge killers makes B- fair for now.

Despite its heavy competition, Rotom-C’s ability to offensively check Rotom-W while taking on newly risen checks to the washing machine in Seismitoad and Gastrodon is valuable enough to bring it up a rank.

Moltres’s ability to wall the likes of Scizor, Cobalion, and Infernape is really valuable right now, and its ability to easily find opportunities to get a Substitute off as a result makes dealing with SubToxic very hard without damaging the longevity of at least one of your Pokemon.
An A ranking is harder to justify with Rotom-W hurting Swampert’s viability as an Electric-type check. This on its own would be fine, though the stiff competition Seismitoad gives it is enough to justify a drop for now.

Increased competition for a mega slot alongside Blastoise’s susceptibility to Electric-types really hurts its value in the current metagame. It also faces heavy competition from Primarina as an offensive Water-type in general, and is about as good a spinner as Tentacruel due to the former’s better defensive utility, which makes a drop to B+ reasonable.

The presence of VoltTurn complicates Crawdaunt’s setup capabilities, while it also struggles even when set up to break past a few really common and established threats, most notably Mega Altaria and Hydreigon.

Slowbro isn’t as needed as a Fighting-type check with Mega Latias in the tier, while its susceptibility to current staples such as Scizor, Rotom-W, Manectric, and Hydreigon makes it considerably harder to use than a few months ago.

Like most of these drops, Talonflame is hurt by Rotom-W and Mega Manectric’s entries into the tier. This, when combined with its crippling Stealth Rock weakness and general frailty, can make both setting up and sweeping quite difficult without significant team support, and has made it significantly worse in general.

Florges faces extremely stiff competition from Sylveon right now, and is also just too lacking in usage to be ranked alongside more proven threats in Ninetales and Decidueye.

Another rather lackluster choice right now, Chesnaught is too unproven and faces too much competition from Klefki as a spiker to maintain a rank in C+. It’s setup bait for Mega Latias and Mega Altaria, and is also hurt by the decreased need to check Dark-types like Krookodile and Crawdaunt.

The departure of Weavile and Mega Gardevoir, two Pokemon Arcanine was quite capable of checking, hurts it to, yet again, the point of just lacking enough viability to be C-. It’s more or less outdone by Moltres, and can’t even stand as a reliable Mega Altaria check due to its rocks weakness and vulnerability to Earthquake.

Losing to nearly every hazard remover and spinblocker doesn’t bode well for Forretress, which alongside being outclassed by Tentacruel and Mega Blastoise and letting in a plethora of setup Pokemon for free, just makes it quite frankly unviable.
Mega Beedrill remains A
While it indeed has a lot of use right now in a VoltTurn-heavy metagame, Mega Beedrill’s A rank is currently justified, since it’s quite weak to Pursuit, the ever-present Scizor, and Stealth Rock, which severely cuts into its capabilities as an offensive pivot.

Togekiss remains A-
Togekiss does face more competition than once before, though it still is exceptional at powering through most foes that it outpaces and being a big annoyance in general. Its stallbreaking and support capabilities are too useful at the moment for a drop from A- to be justified.

Heracross remains B+
Heracross is most definitely exceptional as a breaker, but its low Speed and meh defenses really hurt it in a fast-paced metagame, which keeps it from being as consistent in its respective role as Pokemon like Terrakion and Amoonguss are in their’s.

Mienshao remains B-
For now, we decided to keep Mienshao at B- due to its reliance on an Adamant nature to get the kills it wants with Choice Band, and its frailty preventing it from finding opportunities to come and begin breaking. The influx in usage of SubTect Gliscor, Sylveon, and Doublade also burdens it enough that B- is fine for now, despite its impressive offensive presence.

Slowking remains C-
It’s incredibly niche, though it does have some utility as an Assault Vest user due to its ability to check Mega Latias and its base forme, Primarina, and Nidoking. It can also surprise some foes with an offensive Trick Room set, which due to STAB Psyshock for Blissey has some use over Cofagrigus.

Discussion Slate
Rotom-W A+ -> S
The council remains fairly undecided on this nomination, so it’ll be a discussion point for another update. Rotom-W’s status as a staple on VoltTurn and fantastic splashability in general shouldn’t go unnoticed, though its drawbacks such as being walled by Dragons and Grasses and being a little weak offensively put its viability vs. Mega Latias and Scizor into question.

Mamoswine A -> A-
Mamoswine struggles to function as an Electric-type check when Rotom-W forces it to run Freeeze Dry and Mega Manectric has its ways of punishing it as well. It’s also hurt by the fast paced metagame, due to its paltry Speed and poor bulk.

Krookodile A- -> B+
It becomes harder and harder to justify using Krook these days, given that Rotom-W’s dominance, its inability to reliably revenge kill Mega Latias, and the presence of things like Sylveon, Mega Altaria, and Infernape are all working against it. However, it still has a lot of use as a good fast Pursuit trapper and rocks setter, and enjoys the increased usage of Nihilego and Alolan Muk.

Hippowdon B+ -> A-
Hippowdon’s ability to sponge hits and recover off damage taken has become more valuable in a tier centered around chip damage, and checking Mega Manectric is nice as well. It is extremely passive, however, and is vulnerable to the tier’s several Water-types.

Volcanion B -> B-
It’s power when bolstered by Choice Specs is admirable, and it can do a decent job offensively checking things like Primarina and Swampert. However, a drop is plausible when you consider that it struggles against Mega Latias and Rotom-W, is hurt severely by the presence of hazards, and faces stiff competition in its role as a Water-type breaker.

Entei B- -> C+
Entei’s Choice Band set struggles in a metagame full of good Fire-type resists, and due to the fact that it is possibly as viable as Darmanitan in the current metagame, it is being brought up for a drop. Sacred Fire’s utility could keep it at B-, however.

Xatu C- -> higher
Xatu is generally unexplored, though its ability to completely invalidate passive entry hazard setters like Klefki and Swampert has become a lot more valuable a tool now that Weavile isn’t around to exploit it. It does still suffer from its vulnerability to Alolan Muk and most offensive hazard setters, though.

Hope you guys enjoyed, the next update will likely be close to or after the suspect test concludes. Happy posting!
 
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In Rotom-W's case, I think Rotom-W should still rise because it preserves offensive momentum with Volt Switch, even in unfavorable match-ups. Grass and Dragon-types may resist Rotom-W's STABs, but it can't stop Volt Switch. Furthermore, Rotom-W sets can also beat out some of its usual Checks like Amoonguss with the right tech moves (Z-Dream Eater). Even full-on counters such as Gastro and Seismitoad really can't do much back to it except status. Many of the costs to using Rotom-W (resistances vs. common Pokemon, low power), are shored up through its ability to preserve offensive momentum even in unfavorable match-ups.

I've used Xatu quite a bit, and I definitely think that it's above usable in this tier right now. While it does have trouble dealing with most Stealth Rock setters, it completely shuts down the two biggest Spike-move setters in the tier: Klefki and Tentacruel. In fact, the standard coverage of Psyshock and Heat Wave already threatens both of them.

This is a double whammy of sorts for Offensive teams, which get pretty worn down by secondary hazards. The other benefit is that preserves offensive momentum with U-Turn, especially with the way the meta has shifted recently.
 
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Pearl

Romance は風のまま
is a Tournament Director Alumnusis a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Community Leader Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnusis the 7th Grand Slam Winneris a Past SPL Champion
hey look it's a wild pearl

fwiw, i'll try to keep individual noms short and concise for my own sake (and also the readers' i guess, but it's mostly because i'm too lazy to come up with elaborate walls of text). here are a couple of opinions regarding the metagame in general (as well as the some of the recent rank changes)

should rise further. i'd personally put it in B, but I can live with B-. both of this pokemon's best sets (defensive utility with either sub or defog and agility + z hurricane or fire blast) are extremely anti-metagame right now. the former is a near perfect stop to some of the most prominent threats right now such as scizor and coba (while also being a good lure for rotom-w and non refresh mlati) while the latter is a formidable late game cleaner vs cookie cutter bulky offense (think like pre rotom-w talonflame but slightly more reliable defensively. for reference, non sdef invested washtom takes over 40% from this thing's z-move). i had some really good replays on it in action, but those happened during the time when replays broke, so i'm out of luck. the only real big issue with this pokemon is its rocks weakness, but uu has some good hazard removal options and moltres itself can directly switch onto some of the tier's most common rocks setters like coba and u-turn gliscor, so while annoying, it can definitely be worked around.

could rise further. it isn't quite as good as its ORAS counterpart yet, but i feel like there's a bigger demand than ever for defensive fairy-types and sylveon is easily the face of that role, as the alternatives are either expensive (mega altaria) or lacking in utility (defensive primarina and togekiss to an extent). anyway, the reasons for sylv's raise in hilomilo's post (checking a big list of prominent threats while also being excellent at supporting other defensive pokemon like muk) also apply to my request to bump it up to B+, so there's no need for myself to extend this any longer. this isn't all too relevant though, just me being nitpicking and wanting to see sylveon alongside other defensive staples that are currently in B+.

shouldn't have been moved down at all and could even be placed in B-. i hope god forgives me one day for defending florges but, in all honestly, this isn't oras anymore where sylveon is an uncontested queen of the tier. right now, both florg and sylv are niche defensive/utility mons that find their way onto teams due to their ability to check common offensive threats, and florges' access to immediate recover is a massive boon when both voltturn and klefki spikes are everywhere, as not having to waste 2 turns healing up can be the difference between winning a game or throwing it into the recycle bin because you were forced to choose between protecting with sylveon or not giving klefki an extra spikes layer. its higher special bulk also means it matches up better vs. both manec and washtom. last but not least, cm florges is an unexplored option that hasn't gotten any love at all and could eventually make a splash, especially considering that most people's fairy resist is cb scizor, which is among the tier's easiest mons to chip down. i've seen people run cm wishtect sylveon, but losing to any toxic user when mega latias is in the tier is pretty awful IMO.

no strong opinion. right now i feel like rotom-w is a similar limbo to oras uu conk/entei in the sense that it's probably better than the rest of A+ but (at least in my eyes) is just not as dominant as the pokemon in S. it's true that it dropping was massive for the success of volt turn, but this playstyle has some frameworks that work just fine without it (see: most megaman teams, some beedrill squads that opt for rotom-c over wash) and it fails at handling some threats as a bulky water (i.e. mega aero pressures it immensely with rocks up). on the other hand though, it's clear to see how much this pokemon has impacted the metagame, so i'm not entirely opposed to seeing it up there.

should move down to either B or B- i brought this up to the ranking council some time ago and was met with some opposition, but i'm still posting it. in my opinion, celebi suffers massively with latias' presence in the tier, as aside from its access to u-turn and rocks (which celebi is awful at keeping up anyway), i'm pretty sure latias executes most of its functions better. special breaker with a set up move? run cm z move latias. utility? run defog mega latias or even scarf regular latias. defensive sets? have fun losing to [insert mon that celebi supposedly checks] + alolan muk/mabsol (latias is similar in this aspect, but at least it has a higher chance of living through those). maybe i'm just being a hater, but i personally wouldn't run this pokemon at all right now, especially considering that other bulky grass-types (amoonguss and even chesnaught) are better at covering voltturn cores

could move up to A- i've been using this one a lot recently and feel like all it needs to become a dominant force again is just a small push. although latias' presence hurts it sweeping prowess, the truth is that most people's suicune answers right now are plain awful, with defensive rotom-w failing to do any significant damage after one single calm mind boost and stuff like amoonguss/tentacruel being pretty easy to either pp stall or chip down respectively. i wouldn't recommend vincune right now due to the lack of defensive utility (although i reckon that it can run through some unprepared teams), but both crocune and roarcune with spikes support are nasty to play against. note: pair with alolan muk for maximum fun!

should move up. i'm pretty sure i have the biggest tentacruel boner out of any uu player, but even then, B+ for a pokemon that finds its place onto so many different teams just feels wrong to me. need a spinner that is actually useful defensively for your klefki team? use tentacruel. need a mon to absorb toxic spikes? use him too. need a blanket check to sd scizor, mega altaria (beware of eq), primarina and other dominant pokemon? you guys guess who. need to stop cobalion from running through the 6? run icium z on it. it's not a spectacular pokemon by any means, but it does way too much for a single slot, especially when it isn't confined to a single team archetype (seriously, even pif uses it on some stall teams).

could move up slightly. it was a lot better when the main pursuit trapper was weavile, but scarf chandelure is a pretty interesting metagame fad that handles both scizor and cobalion pretty nicely while also being able to prey on weakened teams due to its stab combination, access to trick to cripple common answers and sky high special attack. doesn't really matter where it's placed at the end of the day, but a slight bump to reflect the fact that it has been seeing some usage in tournament play could be interesting.

should probably move up. not that good vs voltturn, but its standard defog set single handily murders klefki offense, as klefki can't poison it due to its ability's interaction with dark types and mega sharpedo won't be killing it anytime soon bar very bad luck. also good vs amoonguss i guess. sucks vs mega latias/altaria and requires a really good cobalion answer alongside it, so i wouldn't really mind if it stayed where it is, but its niche as a hazard remover with an unique set of traits is appreciated in the current metagame. i used it in a snake game recently, and even though it didn't do much because my opponent forgot to use a rocks setter, it was still able to annoy things with knock off + good bulk that allows it to pivot onto strong hitters.

could move up. even though jirachi has been banned nearly one month and a half ago, its presence in the tier can still be felt even nowadays, as people who ran it for its defensive utility started gravitating towards bronzong. even though its biggest target (gardevoir) was banned recently and a lot of current metagame trends are very unkind to it, bronzong still does an excellent job keeping pokemon such as altaria, non mega latias (and even mega without refresh or reflect type), mamoswine, nidoking, nihilego among others at bay. it's not spectacular by any means, but it cripples some teams pretty hard.

and now it's time for the unpopular opinions...

should switch ranks with swampert. i know that swampert is marginally better as far as raw bulk goes, but aside from roar (and cheesing people with countercoat), i personally see no reason to use pert over seismitoad with rotom-w in the tier (although i guess this could go against my aforementioned stance on rotom-w). other additional boons of using this pokemon over swampert are the water immunity (useful vs tentacruel users who like to fish and uncommon pokemon like jellicent and feraligatr), access to refresh (allows it to act as a status sponge for teams that can't afford a cleric) and knock off (self explanatory). if you find this stance too drastic, then putting them in the same rank (B or B+) could also work, but it legit pains me to see the toed below pert right now.

should move up to S rank. and this, my friends, is the nomination that single handily motivated me to write this post. it's not that i don't feel strongly about any of the above, but this one absolutely has to happen in my opinion. although its niche used to be limited to breaking fat teams in previous iterations of the sm uu metagame, the current gliscor is a whole different beast. its stealth rock set (toxic is still better imo, but i've warmed up to u-turn variants recently) is a godsend, as it is extremely easy to fit onto most bulky offensive teams. it's not a defensive beast my any means, but it keeps momentum up better than any other rock setter in the tier (one could argue that cobalion does this as well, but gliscor is still unmatched for the most part) and very few hazard removers are actually able to make it forfeit getting them up (with ice beam mega latias being the only one that immediately comes to mind). that aside, it's still the same old beast as before. swords dance sets chunk most of its supposed answers (in fact, rotom-w needs waterium z to reliably take on special defense invested sd gliscor) pretty nicely, substitute + toxic has been gaining some traction lately and absolutely tears teams that don't have an opposing gliscor (which says a whole lot about this pokemon in the current metagame) apart and swords dance + z move sets are largely unexplored but have some untapped potential (personally i ran sd eq sky attack rock polish with fly z to some success, but stone edge could work as well). all in all, i can't help but feel like in this land of klefki, rotom-w (and other voltturn fiends), scizor, mega latias and stall, it is gliscor that actually runs the uu metagame.
 
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- A+
Rotom shouldn't be S; Rotom wash is never a pokemon i look at at the start of a game and think it might counterteam me / be a game decider, so I cant advocate for S. Everything is running toxic atm and usually teams have a status absorber, so rotom is often useless against this.

-> C
Only bringing this up because ive found the meta is a lot more hazard filled, and the ability to stop most roar swampert / empoleon sets is really nice because roar can be really damaging when used on fat pokemon like that. It's a great anti-lead for fat leads, which I think is really important in this tier. It should probably only go to C, because its typing and frankly poor bulk leaves it open to mons with actual offensive presence. Againt he point of toxic comes up, which xatu is immune to.

-> S
Actually I agree with this. In most cases, the category of S is filled with mons with plentiful dangerous sets/meta defining sets, and gliscor is exactly that mon. Its SD set is one which I see at the beginning of the game and realise it can easily change the game off the bat if im not careful (unlike rotom, as i've stated), and even fatter taunt sets straight up counterteam certain teams. You almost have to run type coverage for gliscor, quite like how you have to run hp fire for sciz or toxic for lati on most teams. It has a load of great sets like taunt, subtect, SD, and a lot of flexibility between these, such as running sub taunt, protect toxic, etc. It also has great anti-meta options, such as stealth rock, immunity to toxic, and resistance to most hazards, while also being able to effectively beat all playstyles.

->B+
One of the best defensive mons that fits on non-stall due to hypervoice.

-> Swampert Rank
Its a little worse than pert imo, but it has enough niche ideas going for it that it can play ball with pert.

->Same rank
Pearl brought up the fact that it has seen usage in tournament play, which has been brought up before in VR as bad reasoning and a skewed perspective of the metagame. Idk where I stand on that, I'm just gonna say that the rise of things that beat lati also beat chandelure (umbreon), even if chandelure itself has come out to beat a lot of things too. This sort of balances out, so it should remain where it is.

-> down far
This thing has been bad for ages now, its a miracle its still in B. Water absorb isnt really helpful when it loses to most water mons anyway.


I agree with pretty much all the other discussion points or I just dont have strong feelings about them. Rotom wash is really not that much of a polarising threat in my eyes, so I dont think krook/mamo/ground types should drop but i wont make a thing about it.
 

Deleted User 400951

Banned deucer.
I fully support krook down. A dark that can't really force Latias-mega out without using scarf, which just otherwise sucks on it, really hurts it in my eyes. It has so many common revenge killers now, even with its scarf set, and with the rise of fairies (puffy fluffy and sylveon), this is just not really good right now.

Sylveon ofc should rise. A defensive fairy in this meta filled with nape and darks and stuff is nice, and imo it's not far off Altria-Mega as one - imo it's actually better as a defensive fairy. I wouldn't even mind a rise to A- tbh.

Scor to S? Man, I didn't want it to come to this, but yes. Scor is super versatile and splash able rn, and I oftentimes have trouble building teams where it doesn't fit. Whether you want to kill stall, set up rocks + momentum and checking shit, or even just sweeping, scor just has it all. And it's exceptionally good at those roles too. This is definitely above the rest of A+, including...

Washtom should stay A+. It has the influence of an A+ mon, it has everything of one, but it's not S. People seem to forget that it can't really take hits all too well with its mediocre HP, and the rise of random status everywhere (especially with latias-mega still around) alongside the plenty of waters to check it means that it's definitely not S worthy. It often relies on its teammates for a lot of things, because it hates pivoting into SR so much and it needs something to cuck all the Water/Grounds around. In addition, the lack of reliable recovery (pain split is fine but it's not reliable enough) really hurts this thing. It often finds itself pressured too much and too easily worn down. I definitely don't believe this should be S rank.

As for Seismitoad, yeah move it up to Pert level ig. I for one don't really see why Seismitoad must be lower. It definitely has a large amount of advantages over Pert that imo warrants a similar ranking, as Pearl said. Of course, Pert has its advantages - better bulk, Roar, it can use Ice Beam viably, etc.. but that's not enough to keep it this high up above Toad.

I was actually gonna do that Cruel nom earlier, but yeah, Cruel should be moving up. It's actually a bit more splash able than people think, fitting its way onto stall, balance and even BO. If we're looking at it as a spinner, absorbing T Spikes and Toxic is super useful, and it has a host of other utility moves as well. It's seen good usage in snake, tho idk the win rate. It's definitely above Blastoise-Mega in this meta as a spinner and thus should rise.

Entei should move down. Entei just really doesn't have it anymore. Sacred Fire really isn't enough to keep it ahead of CB Darmantan, which is just much stronger, has U-Turn and is the best meme on smogon is overall just as good. Darm, however, isn't B- worthy it's all S in our hearts so Entei should be the one moving down, not Darm up.

However, some people don't remember that Florges was ranked initially for better speed - mostly to do better vs conk, higher special bulk and instant recovery. However, that's not as valuable rn. The higher speed is now mostly irrelevant (conk is gone, that was the only reason let's face it), I never found the special bulk that much more to be important, and well yeah instant recovery. But that's not enough imo to put it in B-. It definitely deserved that drop.

Yeah, Volcanion down please. Why is this still so high, losing to so much? Hating hazards as it does? Easily being worn down by spikes? Why the hell is this B with actually good mons? Drop please.

Yeah Celebi down. It's just so hard to fit on a team. Being a grass in this meta just sucks so much. It's sad how it can't fit on a lot of Volt Turn because of how bad that typing is. It still has its niches but imo it's definitely not a B+ mon.
 
def agree with Gliscor up, its almost if not as good of a pivot as rotom-wash
specifically this set:
Gliscor @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
EVs: 244 HP / 12 Def / 196 SpD / 56 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- U-turn
- Roost
investing in Spdef allows it to basically eat up every hit besides ice beam
0 SpA Rotom-Wash Hydro Pump vs. 244 HP / 196 SpD Gliscor: 248-294 (70.4 - 83.5%)
252 SpA Choice Specs Hydreigon Draco Meteor vs. 244 HP / 196 SpD Gliscor: 312-367 (88.6 - 104.2%) -- 31.3% chance to OHKO
(SPECS DRACO ISNT EVEN A GUARANTEED KILL????!?!?!?!?!?)

basically ya super good rocks setter, can pivot with u-turn, generally never dies unless u pivot too hard and forget to roost occasionally

but not only can it be an amazing pivot, it can also run the myriad of other sets that people have already mentioned. each of its sets are deadly in their own way whether its through team support or sweeping ability and honestly i would say thats pretty on par with S rank (think scizor)

also agree with celebi dropping, what does it even do these days besides pivot in on rotom volt switch and then get pursuit trapped or u-turned on
 

dingbat

snek
is a Top Tiering Contributor Alumnus
seeing a big spectacle in the [viability ranking thread], the Pearl senses the perfect opportunity to strike. the likes received from a thread of this magnitude will feed the wild pearl for weeks. :^)

Stay in A+:
I originally wanted this in S rank, but after all the adjustments that this meta has gone through lately, I'll concede that Rotom-W isn't S-rank worthy as of now. The Toxic spam in this meta combined with the uprising of Seismitoad and Mega Sceptile in this meta has definitely made enough of an impact that has sufficiently convinced me that Washtom should stay where it is.
A+ --> S:
I'm going to back Pearl up on this nom on the sole basis that Gliscor is literally more brainless than Alomomola is, holy fucking shit. It has even more utility in this meta, especially considering that Klefki is everywhere and it performs relatively well vs volt turn, and although Mega Latias is a really annoying threat to it because of how commonly it runs Ice Beam, Gliscor at the same time synergizes extremely well with it.
/
B-/A- --> B+: I don't think Swampert should be ranked above Toad for now, but I 100% agree that Toad needs to go up and Swampert should drop further. I'm a firm believer that Roar still has plenty of utility in stopping early sweeps short as well as causing extra chip damage with Hazards up, but at the same time, Seismitoad's utility in this meta has definitely caught up to the point where it's definitely on par with the higher B ranks.
Stay in B+: Although Hippo has access to recovery, it faces similar issues that Swampert is facing right now in that it faces competition as a Rock setter on bulky teams, has to pick between potential last-move options in Toxic and Whirlwind, and faces an even worse matchup against Water-types than Swampert and Seismitoad.
B+ --> B: Bulky sets just suck right now and even its offensive sets are struggling pretty badly in this meta.
UR --> ??: Sub NP Hoopa definitely has plenty of potential right now as it is yet another offensive option that not only punches holes through teams lacking Dark-types but is yet another offensive option to break through Mega Latias. The biggest problem for it is that Pursuit trappers, ESPECIALLY THAT PIECE OF SHIT ALOLAN MUK, ruin Hoopa harder than any other Psychic-type as it manages to be even more helpless in that situation, but once those threats are eliminated, Hoopa will have a nice, fun field day against basically everything else. I don't mind this being in C-, but this is definitely a rank worthy mon right now.
 
Gliscor to S rank

ABOUT. DAMN. TIME.
Gliscor is a absolute baller in the UU meta and just a complete pest all around. It’s ability to fit so many roles such as a bulky pivot, a stallbreaker, or even a sweeper makes it very versatile and unpredictable everytime you run into one. Not to mention it’s great dual Ground/Flying typing which gives it great resistances to Fighting, Bug, Poison and a immunity to Electric and Ground, thus making it a great check to mons such as Mienshao, Venomoth, Infernape, Cobalion, and more. It’s immunity to status allows it to piss off a lot of defensive mons that teams run such as Klefki and Hippo and cripple them or weaken them for the team to have a easier time. Right now it’s Stealth Rocks set and TauntToxic are really great right now. This is definitely a mon teams should prepare for. Definitely a well-deserved rise.
 

Sun

Who cares if one more light goes out? Well I do...
is a Team Rater Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnus
Yo, the chief Sun here. i would like to discuss some thoughts about some pokemons. ^_^

First off i'd start with my own nom. this thing need to raise. At the moment Kyurem is placed in B-, sharing the same rank with some pokemons like Porygon2, Bewear and Toxicroak, also being a rank under mega Abomasnow is kinda bad in my opinion. What this pokemon do? well Kyurem in a metagame without mega Gardevoir as its premier check it can do a lot of things. Kyurem takes an huge advantage by current metagame trends like Volturn and Gliscor, Choice Specs sets destroys everything that isn't Blissey or defensive Primarina, it's ability to force out rotoms and gliscors is really important for balance builds. SubRoost, everyone knows this set is a pain for bulky brainless mola balance teams running around, i would like to mention this set works perfectly with Tentacruel, Toxic and Toxic spikes combined with Sub opens holes to the opposite defensive backbone giving opportunities to your wallbreakers to work better. Kyurem also is a good mega Manectric answer, if you want a solid ice types faster than Mamoswine, kyurem will be always your better choice since Weavile leaved the tier recently :I Another point i would like to bring in favor of kyurem is mega Latias, one of the best pokemon in the metagame, which sometimes lacks dragon coverage therefore Kyurem can come in freely and proceed to wear down the opponent. I personally think this thing need to raise, at least in B, if not B+.


I'm strongly agree with this nom, la Perla has already pointed out some good reasons for the deserved S rank, it's ability to run effectively a lot of sets by rocker setter to sub toxic to name a few means this pokemon is one of best (if not the best). Gliscor is a face of the metagame and it's doing really well in Official tours as Grand Slam and Snake. current trends are in his favor, klefki is everywhere and its like a staple of volturn offense at the moment, Gliscors likes alolan muk's popularity in balance builds. Put this monster to S thanks.


I don't think Rotom-w is S material. It's probably one of the top 3 A+ pokemons in the viability rankings and i think it's good as it is, rotom-w provides an amazing utility for volturn teams and bulky offense archetypes, the nuke variant is one of the best since provides a very important offensive presence but as dingbat said above, the toxic trend to cripple mega Lati, and mega sceptile and seismitoad's raise in usage limits its potential.


This pokemon is fantastic. this pokemon can do everything that an utility mon can do lol, it provides Tspikes support and can remove them from the field by default, it removes hazards against the common evil spiker klefki which is an huge thing at this stage of the metagame. it is also a good fighting, fire and fairy check, it has a fantastic speed tier for a defensive pokemon, can outspace setters likes of Nidoking and Mamoswine. Toxic has been used in snake it is a very good countermeasure to fat-shit likes of Mantine, mega Latias and Rotom-w. Z-haze has been used in stall and it works effectively. What can we say about it, Knock off is an interesting option that gives Primarina chances to 2HKO defensive walls like Mantine and Blissey after rocks and tspikes for example. it works very well in every playstyle besides hyper offense which is not very popular. I think this thing deserve to raise to A-


Agreed with that nom. Suicune + Alolan Muk+ Sylveon is amazing at the moment, this replay is a big proof of that, Suicune, especially Crocune, is still one of the best set, providing a pretty safe defensive backbone if paired with a beller like Sylveon and with a solid pursuitter like Alolan muk which is very useful to handle mega Latias and Primarina. This thing deserve a raise.
 
Alright before I start going over my nomination, I'll go over my thoughts on the ones posted before hand:

A+ to S - Strongly Agree - The reasons stated above pretty much sum up why Gliscor deserves S Rank, it can be splashed on pretty much every team, a lot of sets [all of which counter team various play styles] from SD to Sub Toxic and checking the various top-tier threats such as Cobalion, M-Beedrill, Infernape etc. There's almost no downside to using this Pokemon in my opinion, with the lack of Weavile of putting pressure on it. While Rotom-W, Primarina and BoltBeam M-Lati pressure Gliscor, these weaknesses can patched up with strong offensive checks like M-Sceptile or defensive ones like Amoonguss, both of which are strong in this current meta.

A+ to S - Disagree for now - While Rotom-W is definitively one of the best in UU at the moment, it doesn't deserve S-Rank at least right now. While Rotom-W gives strength to VoltTurn, it struggles against it as well, as threats like Manetric and Beedrill take a chunk out of it even if defensive. Mega Lati, the best pokemon in UU, also walls non-toxic variants which also hurts it position to be considered S-Rank. The rise of Dragon and Grass types also hurts, Mega Sceptile is better than ever being able to check VoltTurn and weakened Mega Lati, walling Rotom-W that lack Toxic or HP-Ice. It's also not splash-able like Gliscor (who should be S-Rank), usually it's chucked onto a team when you struggle against Infernape, Gliscor or Scizor. This is still up to debate though, especially with the current suspect test on Mega Lati.

&
to B+ -
Agreed - Like dingbat said, the two should be same rank at least, Swampert providing Roar utility to prevent early sweeps is still useful. Whilst Toad's utility in this current meta definitely puts it on par with various B+ rank pokemon, paired with the likes of Mega Lati and A-Muk to check Grass-Types make this pokemon pretty good.

B- to B/B+ - Agreed to B - Kyurem great offensive typing in Ice/Dragon actually pretty threatening to the current meta, it's ability to beat non-Dragon STAB M-Lati is great and Choice Specs chunk everything that isn't Blissey like Sun said. Also resisting Volt Switch is a added benefit to Kyurem's viability, the ability take damage from Manetric due to it's good bulk and retaliate with either Draco, Ice Beam or coverage such as Earth Power/Hp Fire on a predicted switch in such as Scizor/Empoleon is really nice. Also being able to nuke Gliscor is super admirable. However, with the raise of defensive Primarina to check Mega Sharpedo etc. hurts it, offensive threats such Scizor, Infernape, Hydreigon and Mega Aero that either chunk it or straight up OHKO it, and Mega Sceptile outclassing it as a offensive VoltTurn check prevents it from being B+.

B+ to A- - Agree - Whilst Tentacruel is weak to VoltTurn, it's utility to check Pokemon such as Scizor, Primarina and Infernape is really nice for a offensive t-spiker/rapid spinner. The reduced viability of Swampert due to the introduction of Rotom-W also helps Tentacruel. Capable of running Knock Off and/or Toxic to cripple walls for it's teammates to break through the likes of Mantine and Blissey etc. is really great for a rapid spinner. Speaking of Rapid Spin, with the increase usage of Spikes (due to Klefki) and lack of other viable rapid spinners also increases Tentacruel's viability. Finally it's capable of absorbing T-Spikes unlike Mega Blastoise, making it overall a great pokemon.

B+ to A- - Agree - People underestimate this pokemon, Crocune is extremely good at the moment due to being able to wall defensive Rotom-W with 1 Calm Mind. While Seismitoad usage has being rising and walls non HP-Grass variants, paired with pokemon like Mega Sceptile (who also checks VoltTurn) and A-Muk (to beat Mega Lati) makes Suicune a strong force.

C- to C - Agreed, I would say C+ honestly - With Weavile gone and spikes being more common due to Klefki increases this pokemon viability. 3 Attacks + Roost is actually a underrated check to a lot of stuff, Heat Wave allows it to beat Klefki and chunk Scizor, U-turn provides momentum allowing Xatu to fit into VoltTurn, Psychic STAB helps check Tentacruel and Amoonguss. It's also capable of PP stalling Sub Toxic Gliscor with bulkier sets. It still goes without saying this pokemon is weak to a lot of stuff, such as A-Muk, Hydreigon, Mega Sharpedo, Manetric and Rotom-W etc.

Now for my nomination:

A- to A/A+ - Mega Sceptile ability to check/revenge kill VoltTurn users and Mega Lati is probably the best in the meta, it's amazing speed tier and offensive typing in Grass/Dragon make it even better due to the pokemon run in this tier. Sceptile is capable of chunking pokemon with Leaf Storm, even pokemon that resist such as Infernape and Cobalion. Better yet, generally most pokemon that resist Sceptile's Grass STAB, lack recovery or can't switch in due to coverage in HP Fire (for Scizor, Cobalion and Klefki) or Dragon STAB (Latias and Hydreigon). Giga Drain can be run over Focus Blast more so now for slight recovery, due to Empoleon being pressured by VoltTurn immensely and the fact that Cobalion is more offensive these days so it takes a ton from HP Fire. The only pokemon that can switch into Sceptile without getting worn down are Amoonguss, Mega Altaria, Porygon2 and Blissey due to resisting Sceptile's STAB and immense bulk + recovery, so paired with the likes of Scizor or Mamoswine makes this pokemon extremely good. With Weavile and Mega Gardevoir banned it also removes a lot of offensive pressure off Sceptile, and Mamoswine is seeing slightly less use to due Rotom-W. It's also capable of running Sub + 3 Attacks or Sub Leech Seed. Mega Sceptile still has it's flaws though, it more so forced to run Timid at the moment to check VoltTurn with Manetric and not auto-lose to Mega Beedrill, so rarely can it use Modest to increase it's Special Attack. Mega Latias can take a Dragon Pulse from full and revenge kill with Ice Beam, but you will still get chunk it otherwise. A-Muk is capable of absorbing a hit with AV and pursuit trapping it, which does a lot due to Sceptile's less superior bulk. Overall, Mega Sceptile checks a large amount of the defensive and offensive top tier threats in this meta, it enforces 50/50s on Volt Switch users, has Giga Drain to reduce being worn down, great offensive stats and even multiple sets. Which is why I vote from A- to A/A+.
 
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Freeroamer

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How do you nominate Sceptile for such a rise without even mentioning its best set right now, which is the Swords Dance set? I honestly find special subpar when Mega Latias is in the tier and Muk is the best check to it, meaning by association Sceptile will struggle as Muk is a lot more common in the current metagame. Defensive answers to SD are actually pretty limited in this metagame and it still does all the stuff mentioned so I think any rise should be on the strength of this set. It does have an ok matchup vs Rotom-W VoltTurn but Manectric is a little more dangerous as it only needs one solid prediction which is probably in the Manectric user’s favour if they’ve forced a situation like Manectric vs bulky water etc. and Sceptile’s day is done so it shouldn’t be considered a full VoltTurn stop, just an effective tool vs the playstyle.
 
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