The Rise of RBY NU

By Plague von Karma. Released: 2022/05/10.
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The Rise of RBY NU art

Art by Daylight.

Hello there! Do you know what you just did? You just took your first step into RBY NU!

A brief history

This tier, despite the generation's age, is fresh and new! It first spawned on Smogon, in April 2020, in a small Discord server as RBY UU began being optimized. Since then, it has seen steady metagame development among RBY enthusiasts, and thanks to the efforts of these individuals, it's seen play in tournaments. The Discord server that spawned it has since converged into Smogon RBY, with over 300 members. Unlike many past generations, RBY also sees tier shifts, with Pokémon like Venusaur, Dewgong, and Aerodactyl leaving RBY NU as Pokémon move on the Viability Rankings. They don't just leave, either: Poliwrath and Raichu dropped in from UU as well, only to be quickly banned due to their immense strength.

What happened from all of these shifts was the creation of a fast, offensive metagame, something in stark contrast to other RBY tiers. It's what some describe as Pokémon in its most primal form: you're trying to outplay the opponent using the type chart while weaving in those setup sweepers and big predictions. While other RBY tiers have some despotic top-tier threats, NU stands out for not truly having anything like one, at least not at the time of writing. Currently, the "best Pokémon" crown is held by Mr. Mime, though some have risen to argue for Blastoise or even Charizard to rise to the position. Being just a year old, it could be anyone's game!


Differences from modern generations

Being the oldest Pokémon generation, RBY is quite different to what you see today. Many concepts weren't nailed down yet or even just didn't exist. For a full undressing of this generation's mechanics, it's recommended to review the RBY Mechanics Guide.

Major differences include;

RBY's mechanics are something of a Marmite-type deal: you either love it or hate it. Some take interest in the glitches and believe they allow for more expression in the tier, while others see them as profoundly uncompetitive. However, this debate is far out of the scope of this article, so let's move on, shall we?


Notable RBY NU threats

With Tentacruel and Hypno's incredible dominance over RBY UU, quite a few fan favorites have fallen to rule over NU. This makes for a tier filled with some of Pokémon's most iconic faces, and get this: they're extremely good! This isn't an exhaustive list of threats, but experimentation is encouraged in this diverse metagame!

Marcel Marceau

Mr. Mime

Being the sole fully evolved Psychic-type in the tier, Mr. Mime sees widespread use; in fact, some argue that it's undroppable, and it's seen very high usage in the recent RBY Premier League tournament. It's not hard to see why: STAB Psychic, Thunderbolt for coverage, and a wide supporting movepool with Thunder Wave make it a Swiss Army knife. Because of the lack of answers to its Psychic + Thunderbolt combination, Mr. Mime often ends up in mirror matches against itself, with both trading Thunder Wave before wrestling each other down with Seismic Toss or Thunderbolt. However, it's very fragile, taking massive damage from the high-Base Power Fire-type attacks thrown around in the tier. Having only base 40 HP, Mr. Mime ends up getting 3HKOed by most STAB attacks and even Seismic Toss. Thus, it can be seen as a healthy top-tier.

Watery Passion!

With the widely-considered next best type after Psychic and Normal, thanks in part to its defensive value, Water-types are a big part of RBY NU. Few teams go without at least one, and multiple can be used to form the Water Spam team style. They have a variety of uses with no two playing quite the same, but one thing is consistent: both offensively and defensively, they're very powerful.

Blastoise

Blastoise is largely considered to be one of the best Pokémon in the tier thanks to its monumental bulk, which lets it serve as an anchor for the player's team to lean on in tight situations. Plus, it's capable of trading blows and comfortably using Rest, giving it significant longevity and reliable damage over the course of a game. This consistency is hard to come by in the generally low power level of RBY NU, so a significant amount of teams will use Blastoise.

Poliwhirl

While Poliwrath was a terrifying, unnatural force in RBY NU for a time, Poliwhirl turned out to be powerful in its own right and has since become a regular face in the tier. In fact, on older iterations of the Viability Rankings during the Poliwrath metagame, Poliwhirl was considered S-Tier alongside it. It's significantly fallen off since then, but it's still a strong pick as a sleeper that also has Amnesia! Being faster than its evolution, Poliwhirl even sees use as a lead to send something into nicotine shot and then break through as many Pokémon as possible, granting a convincing early-game advantage.

Seadra

Seadra acts as a strong Agility user, somewhat akin to Articuno in RBY UU, but with a lot less nuclear power. Its movepool leaves much to be desired, forcing it to resort to freeze fishing to beat Blastoise and opposing Seadra that carry Rest, but it can otherwise take over and close out games very quickly. Furthermore, with its own Rest and a Speed boost to keep it up, Seadra can shut down Fire Spin users. Seadra often sees use alongside Blastoise on Water Spam teams, though any team that needs a Fire-type check able to shrug off burns can utilize it as well.

Kabutops

Kabutops is a very flexible Pokémon with the ability to wallbreak with Swords Dance or serve more defensive roles with Rest. It also has immediate power with access to the second-best Slash in the tier and defensive utility thanks to being Rock-type. Thus, Kabutops shrugs off Fire-types effectively and strikes back with savage physical offense; Slash, Body Slam, and Hyper Beam are all very viable choices for Kabutops sets, though it unfortunately can't run them all due to needing coverage for Golem and Kabutops mirror matches. While passive damage is annoying and cuts into its strong bulk, Slash's near-guaranteed critical hits and Swords Dance boosts let it completely ignore the Attack drop from burn. This makes it one of the greatest Fire Blast switch-ins, even versus strong users such as Moltres.

Kingler

Kingler fulfills a similar role to Swords Dance Kabutops sets, only with a titanic base 130 Attack and Crabhammer. These traits make Kingler better at KOing Fire-types while also mowing down everything in its path with Swords Dance + Hyper Beam. It's fairly straightforward but very powerful in practice, especially against paralyzed teams. Kingler commonly sees use on some of the most offensive teams in the format, particularly those with other Swords Dance sweepers.

Fiery Fervor!

Despite the plethora of viable Water-types, Fire-types regularly see success in RBY NU. This is mainly thanks to their pivoting with Fire Spin and using Toxic to further whittle down Water-types for teammates. However, Arcanine stands out for not having Fire Spin. What does it do, then? Well, read on and you'll see!

Charizard

Charizard stands out from the rest for its coverage and Swords Dance, which few Fire-types can offer. In fact, Charizard is the only one with Swords Dance, so you can't be giving it any free turns! With access to it, Slash, Counter, Body Slam, Earthquake, and more, it's got significant variety, all alongside a helpful Flying typing for avoiding Earthquake. This movepool, combined with incredible Speed, lets it serve a variety of roles and therefore fit on teams with ease. It can serve as a Fire Spin pivot, revenge killer, wallbreaker, late-game sweeper... whatever your heart desires, it's probably got the moves for it somewhere.

Moltres

Moltres is the legendary bird of the tier, with Articuno and Zapdos roosting in UU and OU. While not quite as prominent as one would expect, and by far the least consistent of its brethren, it's still got the strongest unboosted special attack in the tier in its Fire Blast. Ergo, it must be treated with respect, or it'll smoke your entire team! Moltres primarily runs Rest sets to make use of its phenomenal bulk and wall pretty much every Fire-type. Alternatively, it can run Agility + Fire Spin to take over a game and be poised to deal significant damage; however, this is profoundly inconsistent and often hinges on its checks being removed or poisoned first.

Ninetales
  • Ninetales
  • - Fire Spin
  • - Fire Blast
  • - Toxic / Body Slam
  • - Rest / Confuse Ray / Hyper Beam
Rapidash
  • Rapidash
  • - Fire Spin
  • - Fire Blast
  • - Toxic
  • - Hyper Beam / Body Slam

Ninetales and Rapidash fulfill the same general role: Fire Spin pivot. Unlike Charizard, they lack the coverage to hit Kabutops, only viably possessing Normal- and Fire-type attacks. However, they can be used alongside Charizard on Fire Spam teams, where they poison Fire-type checks with Toxic and use their respective traits to their advantage: Ninetales has a good Special stat of 100, which lets it stand up to Mr. Mime and fire off decently powerful STAB moves, while Rapidash is faster and can afford to run Body Slam and Hyper Beam with its high Attack.

Arcanine

Arcanine stands out from the crowd with its lack of Fire Spin, but also with its astoundingly inflated stats. This, similarly to Moltres, allows Arcanine to run more defensive sets that can be difficult to break through. It also has a strong Body Slam and just enough Speed to outrun Venomoth, allowing it to paralyze switch-ins and 2HKO one of the most common sleepers in the tier. Arcanine sees use as an anti-lead or a general-purpose defensive piece in most cases, often alongside Water-types like Blastoise and Kabutops. However, it can also use Agility to serve as a sweeper, so it's got some variety to it.

Pokémon that are just plain good!

ClefableWigglytuff

Clefable has one of the widest movepools in the game, let alone NU, making it a strong option for rounding off team compositions. With access to virtually every major coverage move—including STAB Body Slam and Hyper Beam, Blizzard, Thunderbolt, and Psychic—as well as status options in Thunder Wave and Sing, it's got serious unpredictability. Trading hits effectively with its strong bulk, Clefable is great at wrestling Pokémon down, though care should be taken due to its lack of reliable recovery. Wigglytuff, while strictly outclassed by Clefable, has seen use alongside it on teams pioneered by Enigami, primarily to make use of moves that couldn't fit on Clefable's set. Wigglytuff can technically switch in on Seismic Toss or Night Shade more effectively and can better use Counter thanks to its high HP, but those traits don't come up often.

Golem

A fallen king, Golem was once well-known for its fierce battle for places on OU teams with Rhydon. However, it eventually lost that duel, and it's since plummeted down to NU. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise, though, and it's made itself a fine home in the tier. Golem has become a lynchpin in not only dealing massive physical damage, but also guarding against the rampant Fire-types; specifically, it prevents Fire Spin's chip damage from making meaningful progress, which is a significant benefit. With some of the strongest STAB moves of the tier, as well as the best Explosion, Golem is quite a frightening presence!

Nidoking

Finally in a tier where it can flex its coverage, Nidoking is a strong presence on offensive teams. Plus, being one of two Pokémon immune to both Electric and Toxic gives it unique defensive utility while keeping the pressure up. Switching into Nidoking is among the most difficult things to do in the tier, as it possesses not just BlizzBolt coverage, but also QuakeSlide, a unique trait among the top-tiers. While its defensive typing and iffy bulk make it fairly frail, if it gets in for free, it's going to deal some serious damage. That isn't hard to accomplish in this pivot-heavy tier, given Fire Spin's popularity! While Nidoqueen is also in the tier and can be used alongside Nidoking, the latter is far better and should be used over it in any possible instance; outspeeding Blastoise and Kabutops while tying with Pinsir and opposing Nidoking is simply too important.

Venomoth

Venomoth is the fastest Pokémon with access to Sleep Powder, and with Stun Spore in tow, it's a status guru in the tier. For teams featuring slow offensive juggernauts like Golem or setup sweepers like Swords Dance Kabutops, Venomoth is often a prime candidate for giving them openings to sweep. It possesses fair damage output with Psychic as well, which helps it force out the Pokémon it sleeps, something it struggles to do in higher tiers. Mega Drain can be handy for Golem and Water-types, giving it some minor staying power too. For the OU-initiated, Venomoth is best seen as the Jynx of NU.

Exeggcute

Game Freak developer Tsunekazu Ishihara's favourite Pokémon is so powerful that even its baby form can find success in lower tiers. Exeggcute functions as one of the more consistent checks to Mr. Mime, resisting Psychic and boasting a strong utility presence with Sleep Powder and Stun Spore. This lets it help teams that would otherwise be weak to Mr. Mime or the lesser-used Electrode, such as those featuring both Charizard and Moltres or many Water-types, function more reliably. It can either use Rest for consistent mileage throughout a game or use Explosion to severely dent Mr. Mime. STAB Psychic is nothing to scoff at either, being slightly more powerful than Venomoth's Psychic, so Exeggcute is not to be underestimated!

Electrode

Electrode is the generation's fastest Pokémon and has a strong Thunderbolt, so it's capable of putting some of the best leads in an awkward spot on turn 1. This Speed also gives it an astonishing critical hit rate of over 25%, making any matchup against it incredibly volatile; a critical hit Explosion can KO most Pokémon that don't resist it! But while it has some tools to fight team staples Nidoking and Golem (Screech + Explosion and Substitute + Toxic, respectively), it can't contest them most of the time. This means that a player using Electrode needs to either have a strategy to remove the Ground-type, which must work before Electrode even hits the field, or be prepared to repeatedly pull aggressive double switches against expected Ground-type switch-ins.

Pinsir

One of many Swords Dance users that failed to find their footing in higher tiers, Pinsir has finally been given a new lease of life in RBY NU. While it only has Normal- and Fighting-type moves, these are really all it needs, with this set covering all but the rare Gastly. Possessing the second-highest Attack stat in the tier—just behind Kingler—it has a strong Slash for immediate power and a devastating Hyper Beam. Even Golem is afraid of switching in, losing well over half of its HP to +2 Submission. Pinsir's not exactly slow either, being tied with Nidoking, so it's is a big threat! However, it does compete with the more coverage-acquainted Swords Dance users like Charizard, Kabutops, and Kingler, and it struggles mightily against the rampant Fire-types, but it has a solid place in the tier, especially in tandem with said Swords Dance users.

Porygon

In a fashion almost as surprising as its rise in RBY OU, Porygon has found itself a niche as a defensive presence in NU, being the only fully evolved Pokémon with Recover. This move, as well as being able to threaten Pokémon such as Mr. Mime with a Thunder Wave, allows it to serve as a bulky support pick of sorts. Conversion—essentially what Reflect Type is in modern-day Pokémon—has also seen usage to wall Mr. Mime's Psychic and wall other top-tiers such as Blastoise and even some Charizard variants. It's also ideal against Kabutops, using its Rock typing against it to resist Slash and Hyper Beam; if it doesn't have Submission, Kabutops outright loses! Porygon's incredible moves, coverage, and set variety give it prime experimentation potential in the hands of a skilled player. Don't sleep on this digital duck!


Common Leads

As is the case with any pre-BW tier, Team Preview doesn't exist in RBY. Thus, a lead metagame has developed to ensure you get the best opening possible, defining your team's route to win from the get-go. A good understanding of this concept ensures you'll start with the initiative, dishing out as much damage and status as possible. This is a hotbed for experimentation and one of the most fun parts of RBY, so get creative!

Status

VenomothClefablePoliwhirlMr. MimeAbraElectrode

Venomoth functions as an effective "Double Powder" user, allowing a team to land sleep and paralysis right out of the gate. While it profoundly dislikes Fire-type leads, with support from Water- or Rock-types such as Blastoise, Kabutops, and Golem, it doesn't lose too much initaitive if faced with a poor lead matchup. Clefable does similar things here, only with a less consistent sleep move in Sing; however, it does sometimes use only Thunder Wave for consistency. The main draw to Clefable, however, is its bulk enabling it to trade with most leads.

Poliwhirl is a loose cannon approach to the status lead, using Hypnosis and subsequently setting up Amnesia to deal as much damage as possible right away. While Hypnosis is inconsistent and often leads to Poliwhirl taking some undue damage or status, the reward for landing that sleep makes it worth going for.

Electrode, Mr. Mime, and the rare Abra are about the extent of the pure "paralysis lead" often seen in higher tiers like OU and UU. While usage is low, Mr. Mime and Electrode have historically seen some usage in the lead slot for these team styles, and they could absolutely see a comeback in the hands of an experienced player. The potential to unleash slower Pokémon like Nidoking, Kingler, and Golem is there, after all!

Fire Spin

CharizardRapidashNinetales

Because Fire Spin allows for what's effectively an ersatz U-turn, Fire Spin leads are very common. They also come with the bonus of being able to OHKO Venomoth leads with Fire Blast right out of the gate! Fire Spin is a very control-based lead strategy, letting you take command of the game immediately and switch to whatever's appropriate against the lead. It's good practice to press on with Fire Spin once or twice after it connects to see how your opponent reacts to the encroaching flames. Thereafter, you can use that knowledge to influence your future pivoting decisions. Fire Spin leads are commonly seen on the "Fire Spam" team style, which stacks multiple Fire-types—oftentimes with Toxic to cripple switch-ins—and chip foes down.

Charizard is one of the most common leads out of the bunch, and it sees high usage in the metagame in general thanks to its incredible movepool and Speed. Lead Charizard often uses sets such as Fire Spin / Fire Blast / Slash or Counter / Earthquake, covering opposing Fire-types and Venomoth at once. Rapidash is faster and has room for Body Slam and Toxic, letting it take a more status-centric approach while crippling any Fire Spin user. Outside of these, Ninetales has the best Mr. Mime matchup while not sacrificing Speed, though its movepool leaves much to be desired.

However, this strategy is naturally inconsistent, with Fire Spin having a meager 69.5% accuracy. Ergo, Fire-types are often on the receiving end of status themselves; sleep, paralysis, and poison can ruin the strategy entirely and leave the user at a severe defecit. Sleep means you're fighting 5 v on 6 out the gate, paralysis means taking a hit before pivoting, and poison means taking more damage than Fire Spin deals. Thus, Fire Spin leads are high-risk, but they're also very high-reward.

Anti-Leads

Arcanine

An anomaly in the lead metagame, Arcanine possesses multiple unique properties that make it fit just right as a midground lead option. It doesn't have status, nor does it have Fire Spin... but what it does have is the perfect bulk and Speed to succeed. Being a Fire-type that can utilize Rest effectively, Arcanine largely neuters the threat of Fire Spin leads, even if they have Toxic, while also having higher Speed and STAB Fire Blast to still OHKO Venomoth. With a strong Body Slam to complement all this, Arcanine is also one of few Pokémon that can quickly and reliably get the paralysis progress train going.

BlastoiseKabutops

The sturdy and reliable Blastoise and Kabutops are perfectly fit to work as leads on teams that want to shut down Fire-types immediately. Blastoise is often the pick here, as it takes neutral damage from Charizard's Earthquake, but defensive Kabutops sets shut down everything else far more convincingly.

Golem

Somewhat akin to the aforementioned Water-types, Golem is a shockingly fair pick as a lead for contesting those pesky Fire-types. Only here, though, it's liable to outright KO them. It comes with the added bonus of beating Electrode leads with zero counterplay available, giving teams using lead Golem a fantastic early-game advantage.

Primeape

In a surprising turn of events, Primeape has decent matchups against common leads thanks to its Rock Slide and Thunderbolt. Having higher Speed than Pokémon such as Venomoth and Poliwhirl, as well as the ability to check Fire-types like Charizard, means Primeape can usually deal significant damage before it gets incapacitated. However, this damage can vary drastically in severity, making it one of the more inconsistent leads, though it is certainly an emerging trend!


Common Team Styles

RBY NU's diversity has allowed many team styles to be created. While not an exhaustive list, this section aims to showcase some of the archetypes that have developed in the past year and give small explanations on what they aim to do. For a comprehensive list of sample teams, look no further than the Ruins of Alph Sample Team section of the website, which features teams for many old gen formats.

"Good stuff"

By Serpi.

CharizardNidokingPoliwhirlKabutopsClefableMr. Mime

Charizard
- Slash
- Fire Blast
- Earthquake
- Fire Spin


Nidoking (M)
- Earthquake
- Blizzard
- Thunderbolt
- Rock Slide


Poliwhirl
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
IVs: 2 Atk
- Surf
- Psychic
- Amnesia
- Hypnosis


Kabutops
- Slash
- Surf
- Hyper Beam
- Swords Dance


Clefable
- Blizzard
- Thunderbolt
- Hyper Beam
- Thunder Wave


Mr. Mime
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
IVs: 2 Atk
- Psychic
- Thunderbolt
- Seismic Toss
- Thunder Wave

A standard offensive team leading off with Charizard, utilizing type resistances, pivoting, and overall strong Pokémon. Teams like these are good ways to break into the tier, introducing the player to its stronger Pokémon. Given RBY NU is a tier without much reliable recovery, learning how to switch in proactively without losing much HP is important, which this team style assists greatly with. This team is also a great example of a standard lead Charizard team and has potential for further tweaking!

Fire Spam

By pac. Link to RMT thread.

CharizardNinetalesRapidash

Rapidash
- Fire Spin
- Fire Blast
- Hyper Beam
- Toxic


Charizard
- Fire Spin
- Fire Blast
- Earthquake
- Slash


Ninetales
- Fire Spin
- Fire Blast
- Hyper Beam
- Toxic


Golem
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Explosion
- Substitute


Blastoise
- Hydro Pump
- Blizzard
- Toxic
- Rest


Mr. Mime
- Psychic
- Thunderbolt
- Seismic Toss
- Thunder Wave

One of the more common Fire Spam variants, this team style utilizes Pokémon such as Charizard, Ninetales, Rapidash, and Moltres to pivot between each other while bringing down teams with extreme chip damage. With Toxic supporting the strategy in a way not seen in higher tiers, even Water-types aren't truly safe from being dragged into KO range for an ally's attack. It's very inconsistent simply due to Fire Spin and Toxic having iffy accuracy, but when it goes off, it's difficult to slow. While not necessarily the most fun team to fight, to say Fire Spam hasn't had significant influence on the tier's growth would be revisionist at best. Cores containing two Fire-types are falling in usage as the metagame becomes more prepared, but don't discount it!

Water Spam

By pac.

PoliwhirlBlastoiseKabutops

Poliwhirl
- Amnesia
- Blizzard
- Hypnosis
- Surf


Mr. Mime
- Psychic
- Seismic Toss
- Thunderbolt
- Thunder Wave


Clefable
- Body Slam
- Hyper Beam
- Thunderbolt
- Thunder Wave


Blastoise
- Blizzard
- Body Slam
- Rest
- Surf


Kabutops
- Blizzard
- Rest
- Slash
- Surf


Nidoking (M)
- Blizzard
- Body Slam
- Earthquake
- Thunderbolt

A team that can take defensive or offensive approaches depending on the Pokémon picked, Water-heavy teams utilizing Blastoise, Kabutops, Poliwhirl, and Seadra are quite a common sight. Aiming for consistency first and foremost, Water Spam makes for a strong team style for beginners, featuring many staples right out of the box. Particularly, the provided team features Nidoking to help offset the Electric weakness while also having a Toxic immunity, giving Fire Spam teams a seriously hard time with precise play!

Double Blob

By Enigami.

ClefableWigglytuff

Poliwhirl
Ability: none
- Hypnosis
- Amnesia
- Surf
- Blizzard


Clefable
Ability: none
- Body Slam
- Blizzard
- Thunderbolt
- Thunder Wave


Wigglytuff
Ability: none
- Body Slam
- Hyper Beam
- Bubble Beam
- Thunder Wave


Golem
Ability: none
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Body Slam
- Explosion


Kingler
Ability: none
- Crabhammer
- Body Slam
- Hyper Beam
- Swords Dance


Mr. Mime
Ability: none
- Psychic
- Seismic Toss
- Thunderbolt
- Thunder Wave

Clefable has quite the four-moveslot syndrome, right? How do we solve it? By adding its sibling Wigglytuff, of course! The team ends up having lovely coverage and a nice blend of offensive coverage. With a strong capacity for spreading paralysis and lead Poliwhirl to back it up, this naturally becomes the perfect team for Kingler and Golem, giving them ample opportunity to set up and sweep. In respect to Kingler, this team is also one of the better examples of how to fit a Swords Dance user onto a team. While a somewhat slow team overall and a bit weak to Fire Spam on a bad day, it remains a fine choice for beginners.


Conclusion

With that, you're ready to play some RBY NU! You can find games in places such as the RBY Community Discord and Ruins of Alph's Tour Nights, where many enthusiasts tend to lurk. With many old famous faces in the tier, NU has something for veterans of the generation and curious newcomers alike, and it is arguably the best tier to get into it with. Stripping down a majority of Pokémon's new-fangled mechanics and removing many of the titans of the first generation, RBY NU can be seen as Pokémon in its purest form yet! Give it a shot!

HTML by Ryota Mitarai.
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