(This is a generation-neutral article explaining the need for tiers, how they work, and how to use them/not use them/stop "why is XX OU/UU/Uber" questions. Although generation-neutral,it will use examples from the D/P metagame) Please mercilessly help.
Competetive Pokemon is divided into 5 tiers for playing, each with a different metagame and strategy. The tiers are:
Uber
Over Used (OU)
Borderline (BL)
Under Used (UU)
Never Used (NU)
Each pokemon has a tier which states what the highest tier is that they can compete in. For example, Entei, a Borderline pokemon, can be used in Overused and Uber play, but not in Under Used play.
The 5 tiers are based on different criteria though. A pokemon lands in a tier by the following ruleset. The first statement the pokemon fulfills sets its tier.
If a pokemon is too powerful or centralizing a force for the OU metagame, it is an Uber.
ie. Lugia, Mewtwo, Darkrai, Attack Deoxys, Arceus, Giratina
If a pokemon reaches a certain arbitrary level of usage in game, it is OU.
ie. Tentacruel, Hippowdon, Abomnasnow, Gengar
If a pokemon does not reach the cut-off point for OU, but is deemed to powerful or centralizing for the UU metagame, it is a Borderline.
ie. Entei, Blaizken, Rhyperior, Slaking, Medicham
If a pokemon sucks outright, it is NU.
ie. Delibird, Dustox, Spinda
If a pokemon does not reach any of these requirements, it is UU.
ie. Muk, Shedinja, Smeargle, Stantler, Pinsir
This is why all pokemon are in their respective tiers. Blaizken, for example, has excellent stats, typing, and a decent movepool. It is almost never used in competetive games because he is completely outclassed by Infernape. Despite his pitiful usage, he is still too good for UU, and is banished to the netherworld of BL. Rhyperior on the other hand is a niche pokemon, a great tank when a team can support it and can use it, and can dominate in OU, but because of his several drawbacks, is only BL. Tentacruel reached OU status when he used to be UU not because he was too powerful for UU, but his usage as an Infernape counter made him popular enough to be OU.
Just because a pokemon is in a lower tier than the metagame played does not mean that you cannot or should not use that pokemon. Rhyperior is a good example of a BL pokemon usable in OU, as is Roserade. Even Shedinja, a UU pokemon, shines in Ubers for forcing switches. Though the OU metagame is full of indirect damage that slaughters Shedinja, there is rarely indirect damage in Ubers, and Wonder Guard gives him the ability to force the switches of very dangerous intrenched Uber sweepers, like a fully CMed Kyogre, which can't touch Shedinja.
The OU list published every month is a list of the pokemon in the current metagame in the OU tier as calculated by current usage and predicted usage. Please don't argue with this list, its mathematically, not arbitrarily created. If you have a reason to modify the process, and moderate your own topic on why do so, do not just post "Garchomp is 00ber, Discuss".
Please do not believe that the tier system is sacrosanct. While we do try to keep a conservative stance on modifications, the metagame and the system can change. Just make sure you understand why things are the way they are.
The current Tier list can be seen here:
http://www.smogon.com/dp/tiers/
Competetive Pokemon is divided into 5 tiers for playing, each with a different metagame and strategy. The tiers are:
Uber
Over Used (OU)
Borderline (BL)
Under Used (UU)
Never Used (NU)
Each pokemon has a tier which states what the highest tier is that they can compete in. For example, Entei, a Borderline pokemon, can be used in Overused and Uber play, but not in Under Used play.
The 5 tiers are based on different criteria though. A pokemon lands in a tier by the following ruleset. The first statement the pokemon fulfills sets its tier.
If a pokemon is too powerful or centralizing a force for the OU metagame, it is an Uber.
ie. Lugia, Mewtwo, Darkrai, Attack Deoxys, Arceus, Giratina
If a pokemon reaches a certain arbitrary level of usage in game, it is OU.
ie. Tentacruel, Hippowdon, Abomnasnow, Gengar
If a pokemon does not reach the cut-off point for OU, but is deemed to powerful or centralizing for the UU metagame, it is a Borderline.
ie. Entei, Blaizken, Rhyperior, Slaking, Medicham
If a pokemon sucks outright, it is NU.
ie. Delibird, Dustox, Spinda
If a pokemon does not reach any of these requirements, it is UU.
ie. Muk, Shedinja, Smeargle, Stantler, Pinsir
This is why all pokemon are in their respective tiers. Blaizken, for example, has excellent stats, typing, and a decent movepool. It is almost never used in competetive games because he is completely outclassed by Infernape. Despite his pitiful usage, he is still too good for UU, and is banished to the netherworld of BL. Rhyperior on the other hand is a niche pokemon, a great tank when a team can support it and can use it, and can dominate in OU, but because of his several drawbacks, is only BL. Tentacruel reached OU status when he used to be UU not because he was too powerful for UU, but his usage as an Infernape counter made him popular enough to be OU.
Just because a pokemon is in a lower tier than the metagame played does not mean that you cannot or should not use that pokemon. Rhyperior is a good example of a BL pokemon usable in OU, as is Roserade. Even Shedinja, a UU pokemon, shines in Ubers for forcing switches. Though the OU metagame is full of indirect damage that slaughters Shedinja, there is rarely indirect damage in Ubers, and Wonder Guard gives him the ability to force the switches of very dangerous intrenched Uber sweepers, like a fully CMed Kyogre, which can't touch Shedinja.
The OU list published every month is a list of the pokemon in the current metagame in the OU tier as calculated by current usage and predicted usage. Please don't argue with this list, its mathematically, not arbitrarily created. If you have a reason to modify the process, and moderate your own topic on why do so, do not just post "Garchomp is 00ber, Discuss".
Please do not believe that the tier system is sacrosanct. While we do try to keep a conservative stance on modifications, the metagame and the system can change. Just make sure you understand why things are the way they are.
The current Tier list can be seen here:
http://www.smogon.com/dp/tiers/
