Nobody runs that set :copium: Also it's mostly the HO Shift Gears sets it's useful against, Choice sets are a bit easier to play around IMO, and on Shift Gear, Encore is usually ran over another attack
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Resource NU Viability Rankings
- Thread starter etern
- Start date
Great noms; I especially like the Jolteon one. One of my favourite mons OATHi it's me Emi! Here are the latest gems I have pulled out of the heap of low tier shitmons, and why I believe they should be ranked on the VR. Sorry for writing an essay, you don't need to read the whole thing lmao. Also, I agree with a lot of what Lucario said, except I do disagree about unranking weather mons. I think they still have a niche, and Sun/Rain is still a viable archetype, thus the weather sweepers should remain ranked. In fact, I actually think semi-Sun is quite underrated, as the tier is not at all prepared for the sun sweepers and Alolatales hates switching into their Fire-type moves. I've found success on ladder with a team of one sun setter combined with two abusers, in my case Venusaur and Scovillain. The tier is really not prepared to deal with their Fire/Grass attacks, since nothing else in the meta has that sort of coverage.
C -> B+
Golurk is an extremely lethal wallbreaker in the NU tier and definitely deserves to be at least B+ on the VR. A good defensive type combination in Ghost/Ground gives it three immunities to common attacking types, and lets Golurk entirely wall Toxtricity. It also resists Stealth Rocks, which many other wallbreakers such as Staraptor are weak to. However, Golurk's offensive capabilities are where it shines, with powerful Stabs in Poltergeist and Earthquake, and strong coverage such as Dynamic Punch, Stone Edge, and Ice Punch. These moves, empowered by Golurk's high Attack stat and a Choice Band, make Golurk nigh impossible to reliably switch into, meaning that whenever Golurk comes into the field, it is extremely dangerous. Golurk's typing allows it many opportunities to switch in, whether it be on Choice locked Fighting types such as Flamigo and the Tauros formes, Volt Switches from Electric pivots, or Thunder Wave/Body Press from various walls and supports. Golurk is definitely slow, but it has enough speed with some investment to outspeed most walls and slow pivots, such as Vaporeon, Incineroar, and Registeel. I personally prefer 132 Speed EVs, which lets Golurk outspeed base 65s such as Vapo and Alolaslash, even if they are speed creeping. However, Golurk can definitely run more EVs to outspeed stuff like uninvested Tsareena and Klefki. 244 Speed EVs is the most you'll likely need, as this allows Golurk to outspeed uninvested Gligar, the fastest relevant wall in NU. Even the bulkiest physical wall in NU, Avalugg, still takes nearly half from Dynamic Punch pre-Tera, meaning with a little chip, even Avalugg cannot switch into Golurk reliably. All in all, Golurk is a very threatening wallbreaker with amazing typing and coverage moves, that definitely deserves to be ranked in the same tiers as other wallbreakers, such as Porygon-Z, Copperajah, Breloom, and Heracross.
252+ Atk Choice Band Golurk Poltergeist vs. 252 HP / 200+ Def Eviolite Gligar: 139-165 (41.6 - 49.4%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Golurk Poltergeist vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Amoonguss: 258-304 (59.7 - 70.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Golurk Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Registeel: 366-432 (100.5 - 118.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Golurk Poltergeist vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Bronzong: 504-594 (149.1 - 175.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Golurk Dynamic Punch vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Avalugg: 160-190 (40.6 - 48.2%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Golurk Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Diancie: 366-432 (120.3 - 142.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO
-1 252+ Atk Choice Band Golurk Earthquake vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Incineroar: 380-450 (96.6 - 114.5%) -- 81.3% chance to OHKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Golurk Poltergeist vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Vaporeon: 280-331 (60.3 - 71.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Choice Band Golurk Poltergeist vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Scream Tail: 576-680 (132.7 - 156.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Golurk Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Bellibolt: 398-470 (94.3 - 111.3%) -- 68.8% chance to OHKO
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2305030425-4iym3t6io4y29i1xp7jueeo685nv0ljpw?p2
Golurk forces KOs whenever it comes in
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2305616880-h3ibhg4uowwwkkvabkta4hh7432ggbjpw?p2
Golurk kinda just 6-0s
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2306221715?p2
Golurk nails Gligar with an Ice Punch on turn 6, breaking the defensive core
B- -> A-
Rotom-Heat is a very solid mon in NU. Despite many people saying it is a remnant of an outdated meta, it is actually a very good anti-meta pick in the current NU tier. With it's 4x weakness to Ground nullified by Levitate, it's Electric/Fire typing becomes a very good defensive type. Additionally, it is one of the only Volt Switchers that Ground types do not want to switch in to. There are around 6 viable Ground types in NU, and none of them want to switch into Rotom-Heat. Flygon, Swampert, Golurk, and Rhydon do not want to get Burned by Will-o-Wisp, especially since Rotom-Heat outspeeds all of them except for Flygon. Gligar cannot effectively threaten Rotom-Heat and just gets chipped by Overheat, and Gastrodon almost never runs a Water move, and thus most sets cannot threaten Rotom-Heat. While it is forced to run Boots, it can slot Pain Split for some longevity, or can also fit Nasty Plot to be a threatening wallbreaker, doing massive damage to even resists like Flygon or physically defensive Swampert. Rotom-Heat's unique typing and mixed bulk allows it to wall many NU staples, such as Diancie once it has used Power Herb, Alolan Ninetales, Kilowattrel, Copperajah, Scyther, and others. All in all, Rotom-Heat is a very good anti-meta mon, serving both a defensive and offensive role, while being a very consistent pivot with little counterplay, making it worthy of a higher ranking.
+2 252+ SpA Rotom-Heat Overheat vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Flygon: 240-282 (79.7 - 93.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+2 252+ SpA Rotom-Heat Overheat vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Swampert: 219-258 (54.2 - 63.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
+2 252+ SpA Rotom-Heat Overheat vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Eviolite Gligar: 381-448 (114 - 134.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO
UR -> C
Whimsicott did not deserve to get unranked. It has several viable niches in NU that definitely warrant a place on the VR. Firstly, it is the best Tailwind setter for Tailwind teams, with Prankster Tailwind and good pivot moves with UTurn and Memento. More importantly, it has a niche as a physically defensive support on balance teams. Whimsicott's unique typing of Grass/Fairy gives it a very useful defensive profile, resisting common Dark, Water, Ground, and Fighting type attacks, and being immune to Flygon's threatening Dragon-type attacks. It has a versatile support movepool, with Prankster Taunt, Encore, Leech Seed, Switcheroo, and Stun Spore, letting it perform several roles such as speed control, checking setup sweepers, and crippling walls. It checks important physical threats in the meta, such as many Flygon sets, Basculegion, Breloom, non-Guts Heracross, Raikou, Specs Inteleon, Swampert, and the Tauros formes. It also has the rare Fairy typing, doing decent damage with Moonblast to Fighting- and Dragon-types. Additionally, a Specs set can be run, since Whimsicott, unlike other Fairy-type attackers like Alolatales and Sylveon, it has Switcheroo and Uturn, giving it better utility and letting it keep momentum on offensive teams. All in all, Whimsicott is a versatile Pokemon with multiple niches and viable sets, making it very much deserving of a spot on the VR.
UR -> B-
Jolteon is often hated on in NU, with many saying it's a worse version of Raikou and Kilo. However, I believe that Jolteon is a very underrated mon. People always look at Jolteon and see Volt Absorb and CM Electric type and stuff, the same stuff that Kilo and Raikou do. But what people fail to see is what Jolteon has that they don't. Namely, Quick Feet. Quick Feet Flame Orb Jolteon is extremely threatening, being both an incredibly fast pivot and speed control, but also being a dangerous setup sweeper and cleaner. Quick Feet Jolteon is able to run Modest, which provides it more raw power than both other Electric options, making it better at revenge killing. However, it certaintly has downsides, namely the severe lack of coverage forcing it to run Tera Blast Ice to be an effective sweeper. I feel, though, that this is a small price to pay for what Jolteon provides, namely amazing role compression with fast speed control and cleaning power. While skeptics might be concerned about the Burn from Flame Orb dealing residual damage, Jolteon often only clicks Volt Switch, meaning it takes no damage from the Burn on that turn. Additionally, the Burn is very valuable, preventing Jolteon from getting Paralysed and crippled when Tera'd, which other sweepers are vulnerable to. It is incredibly difficult to stop Jolteon from running circles around your team, especially if you lack Spdef Gastro or Swampert.
UR -> B
Hisuian Avalugg is a premier lead option for HO, especially as an anti-lead to the most common lead, Cinccino. Unlike Cinccino, Hisuian Avalugg can set hazards as well as removing them. This fixes the main weakness of Cinccino, that being a lack of hazards on the opponent's side as well, which means Cinccino teams lose out on entry hazard damage that HO teams need to break Sashes and chip walls for easier KOs. While HAvalugg is very slow, it has great physical bulk, which makes it impossible for Cinccino to break through it, as well as a built-in Focus Sash in Sturdy, allowing it to always live a hit to get hazards up, as well as run Custap Berry to outspeed once it gets low. HAvalugg also has amazing raw power, using Mountain Gale for massive damage against any offensive mons switching in, while Rock Blast lets it OHKO opposing Focus Sash leads such as Galvantula and Froslass. While it has a terrible defensive typing in Ice/Rock, with Sturdy and a Custap Berry, HAvalugg can consistently get a hazard advantage even when faced with super effective attacks. This niche as a great HO counter-lead make
Replays
Most replays feature multiple mons.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2303868677-vwk3aipcywmg79ux54d5sj87eyygk08pw
Jolteon pivots early and cleans up with Tera lategame.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2303858839-oxuv5n7fbbpug42fx2a8msaifjrg6y8pw
Golurk does 67% to Milotic and comes in repeatedly for free on Registeel. The threat of Jolteon's Ice Blast means Flygon cannot risk staying in against it, meaning Jolteon repeatedly gets free chip damage on Registeel.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2304447875?p2
Whimsicott's utility with Prankster Encore and UTurn is vital in preventing sweeps from Heracross, Raikou, and Cinccino.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2305103501-kh3ofy9da68f3emc8ucb8g81cv334hmpw
Golurk has no switch ins when it predicts correctly
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2306036831-d9d8ff3wrllmcxtgk8qba8mgpb9qr1jpw
Golurk gets multiple kills on opposing walls, while Whimsicott is crucial in letting it get in (also checks Banded Waterbull) and Jolteon is really annoying
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2306298133-ea4bcthyo4w62y79x9178q4rqgs1v2qpw
Golurk KOs Houndstone from full, while Whimsicott helps break through a Toxic stall Salazzle, and Jolteon cleans up with Calm Mind
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2306396461
Rotom-Heat just bullies Swampert, a mon that on paper is meant to check it, leaving the opposing team with no Electric switch-in.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2306400135
Rotom-Heat checks a Curse AMuk at +3, while Golurk hard counters a Specs Toxtricity and has no switch ins.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2306404274
Rotom-Heat checks 5/6 mons on the opposing team, and is a massive pain with Pain Split. Whimsicott checks Flygon and gets an emergency Stun Spore on Alolan Ninetales.
I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this, but Espeon is very bad and that's why it's not on the list.
I wish the tiering council made an Espeon Tier, specifically for D rank pokemon so nobody gets confused hopefully.
Hi everyone. We'll be starting the new slate within the next 48 hours so make sure to get any noms you have in before then. We'll also be more strict with our rankings and what we allow on the VR going forward to reduce the clutter on the rankings.
B+ -> A-
Mr. Flexibility. Great defensive tool that can be tweaked to fit almost any team with great utility options.
B -> B+
The birds we all hate may be the stars of GTerrain, but that archetype would not work at all without Grafaiai. Uncontested speed tier and very great at forcing out defensive Tera. Will almost always trade positive at the very least. Only downside is being susceptible to intimidate and not being as big of a threat after.
B -> B+
Has been picking up usage as of late and I've personally enjoyed using it a lot. Very customizable with great utility options and can pick and choose what it beats. Mixed sets are fantastic, with Overheat doing a respectable amount of damage even uninvested. In contention for the best Eject Pack user in the tier.
C -> B
No one's taking this thing seriously enough, has done very well in tournaments recently.
A- -> B
Victim of meta trends. Virtually no use cases - Gastrodon or Swampert are always better. Loses to the best removal in the tier and gets chipped down too easily to ever be an effective long term answer to anything.
A- -> B+
Only viable on one archetype, and that archetype is slowly dropping off and has started to phase out Scyther as an option. One of the biggest losers after the Snow Drops.
B+ -> B-
The worst of the bulky waters, has been completely phased out in favor of Gastrodon, Vaporeon and Swampert. Single turn recovery is its only niche and that isn't really enough to justify using it over the other better options.
B+ -> B
Defensive sets have not seen any use in the last year. CM and Specs sets are strong but rare and hard to fit on teams, in addition to often hogging tera to be able to effectively do their job.
B -> C
Trash. Jack of like 3 trades, still a master of none.
B -> C
Trash. Still outsped by half the tier at +2.
B -> C
Trash. Go use Chandelure.
B- -> C
It's speed tier and typing hinder it too much.
B- -> UR
No one's used this thing in the last 8 months. Altaria is a better defensive dragon, Duraludon and Goodra are better offensive ones.
B- -> C
Webs HO has almost completely been phased out. Sucks into Cinccino.
B- -> UR
Literally the last option you would consider on rain. Basculegion, Toxicroak, Kilowattrel, Overqwil, Drednaw, Ludicolo, Inteleon are all much better abusers.
B- -> C
Rain is in a very bad spot, but it needs Ludi so it stays ranked (for now).
B- -> C
It's better than Tentacruel by a very slim margin, but they both still bad enough to be C rank. Has nightmares about Amoonguss.
C -> UR
We are not bringing this thing back to the VR stop nomming it. No one uses it and it's terrible. Electric terrain is garbage and it sucks on Grassy Terrain.
C -> UR
It's strong, but it's slower than a grandma crossing the street in rush hour. It also requires you give up Knock Off in this environment xD. Good defensive typing on paper but that never translates to battles.
C -> UR
It's bad please stop nomming it to the VR.
C -> UR
Zero usage. Other options are simply much better. Doesn't enjoy the fast paced meta.
C -> UR
Amoonguss sends his regards. Time to start learning PUese buddy.
B+ -> A-Mr. Flexibility. Great defensive tool that can be tweaked to fit almost any team with great utility options.
B -> B+The birds we all hate may be the stars of GTerrain, but that archetype would not work at all without Grafaiai. Uncontested speed tier and very great at forcing out defensive Tera. Will almost always trade positive at the very least. Only downside is being susceptible to intimidate and not being as big of a threat after.
B -> B+Has been picking up usage as of late and I've personally enjoyed using it a lot. Very customizable with great utility options and can pick and choose what it beats. Mixed sets are fantastic, with Overheat doing a respectable amount of damage even uninvested. In contention for the best Eject Pack user in the tier.
C -> BNo one's taking this thing seriously enough, has done very well in tournaments recently.
A- -> BVictim of meta trends. Virtually no use cases - Gastrodon or Swampert are always better. Loses to the best removal in the tier and gets chipped down too easily to ever be an effective long term answer to anything.
A- -> B+Only viable on one archetype, and that archetype is slowly dropping off and has started to phase out Scyther as an option. One of the biggest losers after the Snow Drops.
B+ -> B-The worst of the bulky waters, has been completely phased out in favor of Gastrodon, Vaporeon and Swampert. Single turn recovery is its only niche and that isn't really enough to justify using it over the other better options.
B+ -> BDefensive sets have not seen any use in the last year. CM and Specs sets are strong but rare and hard to fit on teams, in addition to often hogging tera to be able to effectively do their job.
B -> CTrash. Jack of like 3 trades, still a master of none.
B -> CTrash. Still outsped by half the tier at +2.
B -> CTrash. Go use Chandelure.
B- -> CIt's speed tier and typing hinder it too much.
B- -> URNo one's used this thing in the last 8 months. Altaria is a better defensive dragon, Duraludon and Goodra are better offensive ones.
B- -> CWebs HO has almost completely been phased out. Sucks into Cinccino.
B- -> URLiterally the last option you would consider on rain. Basculegion, Toxicroak, Kilowattrel, Overqwil, Drednaw, Ludicolo, Inteleon are all much better abusers.
B- -> CRain is in a very bad spot, but it needs Ludi so it stays ranked (for now).
B- -> CIt's better than Tentacruel by a very slim margin, but they both still bad enough to be C rank. Has nightmares about Amoonguss.
C -> URWe are not bringing this thing back to the VR stop nomming it. No one uses it and it's terrible. Electric terrain is garbage and it sucks on Grassy Terrain.
C -> URIt's strong, but it's slower than a grandma crossing the street in rush hour. It also requires you give up Knock Off in this environment xD. Good defensive typing on paper but that never translates to battles.
C -> URIt's bad please stop nomming it to the VR.
C -> URZero usage. Other options are simply much better. Doesn't enjoy the fast paced meta.
C -> URAmoonguss sends his regards. Time to start learning PUese buddy.
UR -> Cthis mon’s a great choice on grassy terrain, capitalizing on eq getting halved to curse sweep. also, due to grassy terrain’s extra recovery, arcanine then has the flexibility to run crunch for chandy, which it’s normally walled by otherwise. it’s ~usable~ outside of grassy terrain too, but significantly less so due to chandy existing.
me vs HeraGastro Balance
[GG] Esteb4n vs lax [WT]
rabia w/grassy terrain
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I'd go further on Arcanine and put it no lower than B rank. It's becoming a staple on Grassy Terrain like POM said but also sees a fair bit of usage on other hyper offense structures alongside Cinccino. Curse is very legitimate and benefits from the downward trend of Paldean Tauros-W, Flygon, and Vaporeon. It does kind of suck that Diancie is at an all-generation high right now, but the builds it goes on are pretty good at helping overwhelm it fortunately.
I'm nominating it just so I can vote it back down to A LOL! It is not significantly better than Klefki or Bronzong and as such should not be above them in the rankings.
It should drop down at least to A-. We overcorrected its ranking even in the heavy snow metagame, and although it's still a great pick, it's not THAT great.
Even higher. Our checks to Fighting-types all fold to it or can't really hit it back. Galarian Slowbro usage is in the gutter and unless that recovers, the tier really lacks meaningful ways to beat it defensively. Fortunately, our offensive options to beat it are pretty good, but a slight bump is still warranted.
Lower please. It does not see serious usage and is a good bit worse now that Bronzong isn't just slapped onto every build.
Just grouping them all together because they should all drop. Vaporeon hasn't grossly fallen off or anything but is notably worse as of late, getting exploited by a lot of the tier and constantly having to pray for a good matchup with its chosen last move. Milotic is largely irrelevant in the metagame at this point, and Inteleon is mostly a niche answer to offense.
Probably not worth seriously considering anymore? Cetitan is gone and Flygon is not the dominating force it was a few months ago.
I'm nominating it just so I can vote it back down to A LOL! It is not significantly better than Klefki or Bronzong and as such should not be above them in the rankings. It should drop down at least to A-. We overcorrected its ranking even in the heavy snow metagame, and although it's still a great pick, it's not THAT great. Even higher. Our checks to Fighting-types all fold to it or can't really hit it back. Galarian Slowbro usage is in the gutter and unless that recovers, the tier really lacks meaningful ways to beat it defensively. Fortunately, our offensive options to beat it are pretty good, but a slight bump is still warranted. Lower please. It does not see serious usage and is a good bit worse now that Bronzong isn't just slapped onto every build. Just grouping them all together because they should all drop. Vaporeon hasn't grossly fallen off or anything but is notably worse as of late, getting exploited by a lot of the tier and constantly having to pray for a good matchup with its chosen last move. Milotic is largely irrelevant in the metagame at this point, and Inteleon is mostly a niche answer to offense. Probably not worth seriously considering anymore? Cetitan is gone and Flygon is not the dominating force it was a few months ago.I'm here to make my first VR post here.
Mismagius
Mismagius @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
Tera Type: Ground/Fighting/Fairy
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Nasty Plot
- Shadow Ball
- Draining Kiss/Dazzling Gleam
- Tera Blast
UR -> C
In SV Gen 9 NU, when I was building my first team for the tier, I wanted to use a ghost type that could work as a cleaner, and I came across Mismagius. I was told that this Pokemon is outclassed by the ghost types here (Chandelure, Typhlosion-Hisui, etc.), but Mismagius stands out as being the fastest Ghost-type in the tier, with a 105 speed tier, which can outspeed some variants of Flygon, Tentacruel, and Scyther, for example.
What separates it from Chandelure and Typhlosion-Hisui though is its ability to recover via Draining Kiss, clean with Nasty Plot, and the ability to lure in the Dark-types in the tier such as Alola-Muk, Incineroar for example, and click Tera Blast Ground/Fighting to beat them whilst still being able to sweep/clean teams. You could also switch into scarf Flygon earthquake and set up a free Nasty Plot which will destroy most of the tiers Pokemon.
+2 252 SpA Life Orb Tera Ground Mismagius Tera Blast (80 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Muk-Alola: 421-499 (101.6 - 120.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252 SpA Life Orb Tera Ground Mismagius Tera Blast (80 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Diancie: 315-374 (103.6 - 123%) -- guaranteed OHKO
Including Registeel to showcase how hard it hits:
+2 252 SpA Life Orb Tera Ground Mismagius Tera Blast (80 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Registeel: 315-374 (86.5 - 102.7%) -- 56.3% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
Plus, you aren't limited to one tera type, as you can use Fighting or Fairy as well.
I'm only putting Mismagius in C tier as to gauge user opinions and in hopes it can get ranked eventually.
Mismagius replays I've gathered:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2308559395?p2
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2311831039
I'll gather replays as I want to show people the power of the Ghost mage pokemon. Hope this was a good read!
Mismagius
Mismagius @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
Tera Type: Ground/Fighting/Fairy
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Nasty Plot
- Shadow Ball
- Draining Kiss/Dazzling Gleam
- Tera Blast
UR -> C
In SV Gen 9 NU, when I was building my first team for the tier, I wanted to use a ghost type that could work as a cleaner, and I came across Mismagius. I was told that this Pokemon is outclassed by the ghost types here (Chandelure, Typhlosion-Hisui, etc.), but Mismagius stands out as being the fastest Ghost-type in the tier, with a 105 speed tier, which can outspeed some variants of Flygon, Tentacruel, and Scyther, for example.
What separates it from Chandelure and Typhlosion-Hisui though is its ability to recover via Draining Kiss, clean with Nasty Plot, and the ability to lure in the Dark-types in the tier such as Alola-Muk, Incineroar for example, and click Tera Blast Ground/Fighting to beat them whilst still being able to sweep/clean teams. You could also switch into scarf Flygon earthquake and set up a free Nasty Plot which will destroy most of the tiers Pokemon.
+2 252 SpA Life Orb Tera Ground Mismagius Tera Blast (80 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Muk-Alola: 421-499 (101.6 - 120.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252 SpA Life Orb Tera Ground Mismagius Tera Blast (80 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Diancie: 315-374 (103.6 - 123%) -- guaranteed OHKO
Including Registeel to showcase how hard it hits:
+2 252 SpA Life Orb Tera Ground Mismagius Tera Blast (80 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Registeel: 315-374 (86.5 - 102.7%) -- 56.3% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
Plus, you aren't limited to one tera type, as you can use Fighting or Fairy as well.
I'm only putting Mismagius in C tier as to gauge user opinions and in hopes it can get ranked eventually.
Mismagius replays I've gathered:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2308559395?p2
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2311831039
I'll gather replays as I want to show people the power of the Ghost mage pokemon. Hope this was a good read!
Hello~
I understand that the council is trying to reduce the clutter in the VR rankings by being more restrictive in the nominations they accept. In appreciation to their efforts, I wish to nominate the lightbulb
UR -> B-
Rotom is an interesting mon. Typically, a Rotom wants to spread burns and pivot out to keep momentum for the team. Rotom-Heat is the most immediate idea, with a strong Overheat for immediate damage, but it gets shut down by the likes of Gastrodon and Swampert. Hence, you could try running Rotom-Mow, but it comes with the price of awful typing (offensively AND defensively) that barely hits anything besides Gastrodon and Swampert.
Thus, I nominate base Rotom, a Rotom form with much better typing and a much more consistent STAB in Hex (Good synnergy with Wisp, doesn't nuke your SPA after one attack). This form outshines Rotom competition by having significantly better typing, and outshines other WispHex users by having ground immunity and the ability to pivot out of bad match-ups.
Of course there is a price - nothing comes for free. Base Rotom has significantly worse stats than any other form (primarily defensively - thus I recommend defensive investment), but it's significantly better at doing what it has to do than you'd expect. Here's a non-exhaustive list of volt switch blockers that Rotom reliably beats:
Kilowattrel is a funny case, as it's a special attacker but it's weak and only has Flying/Electric STAB. Mudsdale does get to rest but can't touch us with EQ/Body Press, so it's more of a stalemate.
Here's a list of volt switch blockers that you do have to be more careful with, but still trade favorably with:
Gastro takes too much damage from hex after burn, but can get a sludge bomb poison or an ice beam freeze; Golurk and Palossand have ghost STAB but fear taking a Hex to the face, and Rotom does outspeed; Torterra outspeeds, but needs to be at +2 and not burned to KO.
Here's a list of volt switch blockers that you actually don't beat:
(Volt Absorb Pawmot is not real and no one is using Toedscruel yet)
Does that sound reliable? It's also a really, REALLY good blanket check to steel types, since those tend to carry steel, fighting and ground-type coverage (I'm looking at you, Bronzong/Registeel). If I were to rank partners for OTR Diancie, base Rotom scores an A Tier easily. Thus, here's a few more mons that base Rotom randomly checks:
(Doesn't apply to Rest variants; will trade decently against standard Calm Mind Bronzong though)
It also happens to be a ghost type, so it can act as an above-average spin blocker. It does match up well into most spinners of the tier:
The exceptions being Brambleghast and Tatsugiri. Coalossal is not a horrible matchup - it can't be burned but it's super weak so you can sit on it for a couple turns.
To close things off, here's just a few more mons that Rotom didn't have to check, but it does anyway by virtue of being a Rotom:
(physical)
This list is non-exhaustive and Rotom does trade favorably against most physical attackers, exceptions being fire types like Infernape, Tauros-Paldea-Blaze and Incineroar, and status absorbers like Scrafty. It's a very consistent mon. Rotom has seen a 1% usage in the last tier shift, which is not a lot, but does show that more people have noticed the advantages of running base form over Mow or Heat.
Haaaving said that. This is not a physical wall. It's a defensive pivot. If you do decide to run it on balance, you will need to pair it with a sturdier tank like Dipplin to take hits from something like a Choice Band Breloom or a Flamigo (while it absorbs flying-type hits in return). In offense, it's there to form a volt-turn core and break through anything that would block a volt switch. It does perform these roles superbly and I constantly find myself considering it in the teambuilder. Thus, I do believe it should be ranked. Maybe not yet - maybe you need more people to consider the idea and start running it more often on ladder and tournaments. But I do believe in the lightbulb. It deserves a chance.
Most of the relevant hits Rotom takes are resists or immunities, but here's a few calcs that do matter in my experience:
4 SpA Rotom Hex (65 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Flygon: 81-96 (26.9 - 31.8%) -- guaranteed 4HKO (Raw hex breaks Substitute Flygon variants)
252 Atk Life Orb Flygon Outrage vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Rotom: 181-214 (59.5 - 70.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 Atk Life Orb burned Flygon Outrage vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Rotom: 90-107 (29.6 - 35.1%) -- 99.9% chance to 4HKO after Leftovers recovery (Guaranteed to not 2HKO after burn and leftovers recovery, I reckon?)
4 Atk burned Swampert Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Rotom: 65-77 (21.3 - 25.3%) -- 0.1% chance to 4HKO
0 SpA Gastrodon Ice Beam vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Rotom: 75-89 (24.6 - 29.2%) -- possible 5HKO
+2 252 Atk burned Rhydon Stone Edge vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Rotom: 138-163 (45.3 - 53.6%) -- 1.2% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Kilowattrel Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Rotom: 78-93 (25.6 - 30.5%) -- guaranteed 4HKO
4 SpA Rotom Hex (130 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Kilowattrel: 204-240 (72.5 - 85.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after burn damage
252 Atk Tsareena Power Whip vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Rotom: 157-186 (51.6 - 61.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO (not a 2hko after burn)
4 Atk burned Avalugg Crunch vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Rotom: 56-67 (18.4 - 22%) -- possible 5HKO
4 SpA Rotom Hex (130 BP) vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Palossand: 342-404 (91.4 - 108%) -- 50% chance to OHKO (81.3% chance to OHKO after burn damage)
252+ Atk Choice Band burned Golurk Poltergeist vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Rotom: 243-286 (79.9 - 94%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
4 SpA Rotom Hex (130 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Golurk: 324-384 (101.5 - 120.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO
0 SpA Rotom Hex (130 BP) vs. +1 252 HP / 204+ SpD Bronzong: 122-146 (36 - 43.1%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery and burn damage (easily chipped down or even 1v1'd if we tera steel)
0 Atk burned Copperajah Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Rotom: 74-88 (24.3 - 28.9%) -- 99.5% chance to 4HKO
And here's a few replays:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2286348123-gkm8qexmwq2w49xx92qpl1od6f37a5gpw?p2 (Doing the standard break-through-ground-type-and-then-start-pivoting-and-wisp-spreading Rotom thing)
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2286271880-0uzl2si87g2d60b7pwje4qpqut45ivvpw?p2 (Exhibit nº 2)
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2281988655-o4y8xg9ur2h0uiwdng2xsww579qhhr7pw?p2 (Exhibit nº 3)
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2287107469-8m7kgoiawagla1d7qt4gqiow6kjs98ppw?p2 (Rotom on physical wall duty)
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2287178962-jq079enohcnq06jo57d1vup78tmm63zpw?p2 (Rotom on stallbreaker duty)
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2286891872-hr54yqh7zooy2b7ccms0oykjsto9927pw (Rotom on Flygon-checking duty)
I'm telling you, Rotom pops off. Here's a few more suggestions, since we're here. I'll try to stick to mons I have used, or at least seen plenty of on ladder (But I do support the Hisuian Avalugg, Jolteon and Mismagius nominations, you guys can do it).
: C -> B/B+
Dipplin fills a dying niche in balance of being a phaser with self-sustaining longevity (i.e. Recover/Roost). Wish can be undesirable by virtue of requiring two turns to heal, so the only competition it has is Milotic, Altaria and Bombirdier. Dipplin stands out for having significantly better physical bulk than the competition, the ability to absorb Knock Offs and the less passive role with Growth. Even just speaking of Knock Off absorbers, the tier barely has any.
: UR -> B+
Best priority user of the tier by a landslide (not strongest, since banded First Impression does more damage). It only has one niche, but realistically, it's the only niche it needs. Still unranked despite farming tournament wins, apparently.
: C -> C
Golurk deserves to remain ranked. It is very awkward to teambuild with, so I belive the C rank is fair, but it does the (very) high damage + decent bulk thing really well. Gotta be prepared for the lurkers.
: A- -> A/A+
Very splashable mon with a combination of STABs that can be very difficult to answer defensively. Scarf, band and even substitute sets are all very playable. Candidate for current strongest fighting type in the tier, alongside the Tauros forms.
: B -> A-/B+
Great speed tier, decent damage, good coverage, access to priority, can be a scarfer or all-out-attacker, gets Switcheroo to be a physical Munkidori. Very versatile mon overall. Making fun of Infernape is funny but does not match the current state of the tier.
*Resisting the urge to nominate Breloom to UR, but B/B- rank sounds fair*
: S -> A+
I'm part of the crowd that belives Flygon isn't any better than the guys in A+. It provides a lot of utility by just being in a team, but it's not the kind of S-tier splashable mon that Mienshao used to be.
: A- -> B
Has a decent niche on paper, to be a physically bulky spikes setter (plus immunity!) but it just loses eviolite and dies so fast in practice. Can be used in fast-paced teams (where Toxic is kinda meh) but in slower teams it's worn down too easilly - and do you even have the time to set spikes in fast-paced teams? Especially in the Cinccino meta? It's not horrible, just not as easy to fit into teams as the guys in A- tier, or even those in B+ imo.
I understand that the council is trying to reduce the clutter in the VR rankings by being more restrictive in the nominations they accept. In appreciation to their efforts, I wish to nominate the lightbulb
UR -> B-Rotom is an interesting mon. Typically, a Rotom wants to spread burns and pivot out to keep momentum for the team. Rotom-Heat is the most immediate idea, with a strong Overheat for immediate damage, but it gets shut down by the likes of Gastrodon and Swampert. Hence, you could try running Rotom-Mow, but it comes with the price of awful typing (offensively AND defensively) that barely hits anything besides Gastrodon and Swampert.
Thus, I nominate base Rotom, a Rotom form with much better typing and a much more consistent STAB in Hex (Good synnergy with Wisp, doesn't nuke your SPA after one attack). This form outshines Rotom competition by having significantly better typing, and outshines other WispHex users by having ground immunity and the ability to pivot out of bad match-ups.
Of course there is a price - nothing comes for free. Base Rotom has significantly worse stats than any other form (primarily defensively - thus I recommend defensive investment), but it's significantly better at doing what it has to do than you'd expect. Here's a non-exhaustive list of volt switch blockers that Rotom reliably beats:
Kilowattrel is a funny case, as it's a special attacker but it's weak and only has Flying/Electric STAB. Mudsdale does get to rest but can't touch us with EQ/Body Press, so it's more of a stalemate.
Here's a list of volt switch blockers that you do have to be more careful with, but still trade favorably with:
Gastro takes too much damage from hex after burn, but can get a sludge bomb poison or an ice beam freeze; Golurk and Palossand have ghost STAB but fear taking a Hex to the face, and Rotom does outspeed; Torterra outspeeds, but needs to be at +2 and not burned to KO.
Here's a list of volt switch blockers that you actually don't beat:
(Volt Absorb Pawmot is not real and no one is using Toedscruel yet)Does that sound reliable? It's also a really, REALLY good blanket check to steel types, since those tend to carry steel, fighting and ground-type coverage (I'm looking at you, Bronzong/Registeel). If I were to rank partners for OTR Diancie, base Rotom scores an A Tier easily. Thus, here's a few more mons that base Rotom randomly checks:
(Doesn't apply to Rest variants; will trade decently against standard Calm Mind Bronzong though)It also happens to be a ghost type, so it can act as an above-average spin blocker. It does match up well into most spinners of the tier:
The exceptions being Brambleghast and Tatsugiri. Coalossal is not a horrible matchup - it can't be burned but it's super weak so you can sit on it for a couple turns.
To close things off, here's just a few more mons that Rotom didn't have to check, but it does anyway by virtue of being a Rotom:
(physical)This list is non-exhaustive and Rotom does trade favorably against most physical attackers, exceptions being fire types like Infernape, Tauros-Paldea-Blaze and Incineroar, and status absorbers like Scrafty. It's a very consistent mon. Rotom has seen a 1% usage in the last tier shift, which is not a lot, but does show that more people have noticed the advantages of running base form over Mow or Heat.
Haaaving said that. This is not a physical wall. It's a defensive pivot. If you do decide to run it on balance, you will need to pair it with a sturdier tank like Dipplin to take hits from something like a Choice Band Breloom or a Flamigo (while it absorbs flying-type hits in return). In offense, it's there to form a volt-turn core and break through anything that would block a volt switch. It does perform these roles superbly and I constantly find myself considering it in the teambuilder. Thus, I do believe it should be ranked. Maybe not yet - maybe you need more people to consider the idea and start running it more often on ladder and tournaments. But I do believe in the lightbulb. It deserves a chance.
Most of the relevant hits Rotom takes are resists or immunities, but here's a few calcs that do matter in my experience:
4 SpA Rotom Hex (65 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Flygon: 81-96 (26.9 - 31.8%) -- guaranteed 4HKO (Raw hex breaks Substitute Flygon variants)
252 Atk Life Orb Flygon Outrage vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Rotom: 181-214 (59.5 - 70.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 Atk Life Orb burned Flygon Outrage vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Rotom: 90-107 (29.6 - 35.1%) -- 99.9% chance to 4HKO after Leftovers recovery (Guaranteed to not 2HKO after burn and leftovers recovery, I reckon?)
4 Atk burned Swampert Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Rotom: 65-77 (21.3 - 25.3%) -- 0.1% chance to 4HKO
0 SpA Gastrodon Ice Beam vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Rotom: 75-89 (24.6 - 29.2%) -- possible 5HKO
+2 252 Atk burned Rhydon Stone Edge vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Rotom: 138-163 (45.3 - 53.6%) -- 1.2% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Kilowattrel Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Rotom: 78-93 (25.6 - 30.5%) -- guaranteed 4HKO
4 SpA Rotom Hex (130 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Kilowattrel: 204-240 (72.5 - 85.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after burn damage
252 Atk Tsareena Power Whip vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Rotom: 157-186 (51.6 - 61.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO (not a 2hko after burn)
4 Atk burned Avalugg Crunch vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Rotom: 56-67 (18.4 - 22%) -- possible 5HKO
4 SpA Rotom Hex (130 BP) vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Palossand: 342-404 (91.4 - 108%) -- 50% chance to OHKO (81.3% chance to OHKO after burn damage)
252+ Atk Choice Band burned Golurk Poltergeist vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Rotom: 243-286 (79.9 - 94%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
4 SpA Rotom Hex (130 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Golurk: 324-384 (101.5 - 120.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO
0 SpA Rotom Hex (130 BP) vs. +1 252 HP / 204+ SpD Bronzong: 122-146 (36 - 43.1%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery and burn damage (easily chipped down or even 1v1'd if we tera steel)
0 Atk burned Copperajah Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Rotom: 74-88 (24.3 - 28.9%) -- 99.5% chance to 4HKO
And here's a few replays:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2286348123-gkm8qexmwq2w49xx92qpl1od6f37a5gpw?p2 (Doing the standard break-through-ground-type-and-then-start-pivoting-and-wisp-spreading Rotom thing)
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2286271880-0uzl2si87g2d60b7pwje4qpqut45ivvpw?p2 (Exhibit nº 2)
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2281988655-o4y8xg9ur2h0uiwdng2xsww579qhhr7pw?p2 (Exhibit nº 3)
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2287107469-8m7kgoiawagla1d7qt4gqiow6kjs98ppw?p2 (Rotom on physical wall duty)
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2287178962-jq079enohcnq06jo57d1vup78tmm63zpw?p2 (Rotom on stallbreaker duty)
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2286891872-hr54yqh7zooy2b7ccms0oykjsto9927pw (Rotom on Flygon-checking duty)
I'm telling you, Rotom pops off. Here's a few more suggestions, since we're here. I'll try to stick to mons I have used, or at least seen plenty of on ladder (But I do support the Hisuian Avalugg, Jolteon and Mismagius nominations, you guys can do it).
: C -> B/B+Dipplin fills a dying niche in balance of being a phaser with self-sustaining longevity (i.e. Recover/Roost). Wish can be undesirable by virtue of requiring two turns to heal, so the only competition it has is Milotic, Altaria and Bombirdier. Dipplin stands out for having significantly better physical bulk than the competition, the ability to absorb Knock Offs and the less passive role with Growth. Even just speaking of Knock Off absorbers, the tier barely has any.
: UR -> B+Best priority user of the tier by a landslide (not strongest, since banded First Impression does more damage). It only has one niche, but realistically, it's the only niche it needs. Still unranked despite farming tournament wins, apparently.
: C -> CGolurk deserves to remain ranked. It is very awkward to teambuild with, so I belive the C rank is fair, but it does the (very) high damage + decent bulk thing really well. Gotta be prepared for the lurkers.
: A- -> A/A+Very splashable mon with a combination of STABs that can be very difficult to answer defensively. Scarf, band and even substitute sets are all very playable. Candidate for current strongest fighting type in the tier, alongside the Tauros forms.
: B -> A-/B+Great speed tier, decent damage, good coverage, access to priority, can be a scarfer or all-out-attacker, gets Switcheroo to be a physical Munkidori. Very versatile mon overall. Making fun of Infernape is funny but does not match the current state of the tier.
*Resisting the urge to nominate Breloom to UR, but B/B- rank sounds fair*
: S -> A+I'm part of the crowd that belives Flygon isn't any better than the guys in A+. It provides a lot of utility by just being in a team, but it's not the kind of S-tier splashable mon that Mienshao used to be.
: A- -> BHas a decent niche on paper, to be a physically bulky spikes setter (plus immunity!) but it just loses eviolite and dies so fast in practice. Can be used in fast-paced teams (where Toxic is kinda meh) but in slower teams it's worn down too easilly - and do you even have the time to set spikes in fast-paced teams? Especially in the Cinccino meta? It's not horrible, just not as easy to fit into teams as the guys in A- tier, or even those in B+ imo.
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Hello! Big enjoyer of the nu tier despite not being the biggest HO fanatic. That being said, I've briefly looked into ways of dealing with HO on balance structures and I believe I have found a new set for
which I will monologue about here. While I don't think this pushes Diancie into S tier this set provides a nice hybrid between defensive and offensive Diancie sets, allowing it to act as a wall, anti-HO mon and late game cleaner in one set.
Introducing spdef TR Diancie:
Diancie @ Leftovers
Ability: Clear Body
Tera Type: Grass
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
- Encore
- Trick Room
- Body Press
- Diamond Storm
If hazards can be supplied by teammates, I believe this set is the way to go if you want to use spdef Diancie. As shown, the only change to this set is the addition of trick room instead of SR/spikes. The main threat of spdef Diancie is its ability to gain multiple diamond storm boosts, becoming incredibly tanky and strong with body press. Trick room can allow Diancie to pick up boosts before the opponent moves, allowing it to tank the subsequent hit much more easily while becoming immediately threatening on the next turn with a fast body press. With bulk investment and leftovers, Diancie is able to set up trick room throughout the game, consistently supplying pressure while also supplying speed control to the defensive cores it is paired with.
The real benefit though is trick room + encore, which is insanely powerful. Firstly, it becomes a great check to setup sweepers. By using trick room as the opponent sets up, you can lock them into their setup move. What's nice is that if done in this way, encore runs out still with a turn of TR left, allowing you to encore the opponent again before reapplying TR, thus locking the opponent permanently. This either forces a switch, giving Diancie 2 chances at a boost before it is hit again, or if the opponent is stubborn, allows you to continuously boost while they try to break out of encore.
While the OTR set has fewer defensive checks which solidifies it's use on offense teams, this set is much bulkier, has passive recovery and does not rely on the power herb boost. Its great defenses and typing can be used as a glue early game. Once its defensive checks (bulky fighting resists) are gone, Diancie can set up and clean quite efficiently. Once Diancie gets going, if the opponent tries to stall out TR Diancie will continuously heal itself while gaining boosts from switches, making it tougher to take down while also allowing it to easily set up TR once more (something the offensive set can struggle with). Because of encore, the opponent is also unable to set up to try and break through the boosted defenses.
Finally, tera grass is used to cover water and ground weaknesses, allowing Diancie to set up TR on a newly resisted hit and lock the opponent into that move to start fishing for boosts, similar to how tera ghost is used on Cinccino.
Here are some ladder matches which hopefully showcase the set well.
Late game clean
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2313498048
Late game clean 2
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2313452162
Early game sweep
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2313478453
vs Grassy Terrain HO
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2313521464-hvhe0kqf7aosp38xlwceb1rt178f4yopw
vs Hyper offense
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2313414677
Early game breaking for amigo flamigo
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2313370821
Introducing spdef TR Diancie:
Diancie @ Leftovers
Ability: Clear Body
Tera Type: Grass
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
- Encore
- Trick Room
- Body Press
- Diamond Storm
If hazards can be supplied by teammates, I believe this set is the way to go if you want to use spdef Diancie. As shown, the only change to this set is the addition of trick room instead of SR/spikes. The main threat of spdef Diancie is its ability to gain multiple diamond storm boosts, becoming incredibly tanky and strong with body press. Trick room can allow Diancie to pick up boosts before the opponent moves, allowing it to tank the subsequent hit much more easily while becoming immediately threatening on the next turn with a fast body press. With bulk investment and leftovers, Diancie is able to set up trick room throughout the game, consistently supplying pressure while also supplying speed control to the defensive cores it is paired with.
The real benefit though is trick room + encore, which is insanely powerful. Firstly, it becomes a great check to setup sweepers. By using trick room as the opponent sets up, you can lock them into their setup move. What's nice is that if done in this way, encore runs out still with a turn of TR left, allowing you to encore the opponent again before reapplying TR, thus locking the opponent permanently. This either forces a switch, giving Diancie 2 chances at a boost before it is hit again, or if the opponent is stubborn, allows you to continuously boost while they try to break out of encore.
While the OTR set has fewer defensive checks which solidifies it's use on offense teams, this set is much bulkier, has passive recovery and does not rely on the power herb boost. Its great defenses and typing can be used as a glue early game. Once its defensive checks (bulky fighting resists) are gone, Diancie can set up and clean quite efficiently. Once Diancie gets going, if the opponent tries to stall out TR Diancie will continuously heal itself while gaining boosts from switches, making it tougher to take down while also allowing it to easily set up TR once more (something the offensive set can struggle with). Because of encore, the opponent is also unable to set up to try and break through the boosted defenses.
Finally, tera grass is used to cover water and ground weaknesses, allowing Diancie to set up TR on a newly resisted hit and lock the opponent into that move to start fishing for boosts, similar to how tera ghost is used on Cinccino.
Here are some ladder matches which hopefully showcase the set well.
Late game clean
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2313498048
Late game clean 2
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2313452162
Early game sweep
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2313478453
vs Grassy Terrain HO
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2313521464-hvhe0kqf7aosp38xlwceb1rt178f4yopw
vs Hyper offense
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2313414677
Early game breaking for amigo flamigo
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2313370821
Attachments
Back with another slate. You'll notice a lot of downwards movement in the rankings, something that might continue as we tighten up on the rankings and reduce the clutter. If a mon isn't ranked, that doesn't mean it's unusable and completely unviable, only that it isn't worth being ranked as its use cases are extremely niche and/or there are other option(s) that do its job much better. As always, you can find the slate here.
Arcanine UR -> B Arcanine has seen a surge of usage as an excellent option on GTerrain HO, providing teamwide utility through Intimidate and an excellent defensive profile when you consider EQ's nerfed power under terrain, as well as a threatening wincon with Curse.
Ambipom UR -> C Niche anti-HO option with Technichian Fake Out spelling despair for a lot of those structures.
Avalugg-Hisui UR -> C Niche HO lead option to beat Cinccino.
Cinccino A+ -> S Has solidified itself as a premier option on HO to keep hazards away and still dish out amazing damage. Fast Encore has already proven itself to be a very strong tool, and Cinccino is the fastest encore outside prankster options.
Flamigo A- -> A Continuing its climb up the rankings as people optimize its structures more.
Infernape B -> B+ Choiced sets have seen an uptick in usage but the more important development was the emergence of mixed Eject Pack sets as an option. CC + Overheat + Knock Off is extremely difficult to switch into and it can tech a variety of options in its fourth slot - Rocks, Encore, Taunt and others.
Thwackey B -> B+ Grassy Terrain good :thumbsup:
Dudunsparce C -> B- Has seen more tour usage lately as a bulky sweeper with very good results. Previously underrated both as an option and as a threat to account for when building.
Registeel A+ -> A Correction of last slate's overranking. The top 3 steels are very close to each other and we felt they should all be in the same rank.
Avalugg A -> B+ Still a top removal option but that doesn't change the fact that it's very exploitable. Struggles when Snow isn't active.
Gligar A- -> B+ More people are turning away from it in favor of Gastrodon and Swampert as a bulky ground type with hazards. Unfavorable matchup into the tier's removal and too easy to chip down.
Brambleghast B+ -> B- Amoonguss has completely taken over as the grass type of choice. Unreliable STAB combination and middling speed tier hinder it as an offensive threat.
Copperajah B+ -> B The 3 other steels are simply much better and more reliable.
Inteleon B+ -> B Tough to use in an environment filled with water immunes.
Milotic B+ -> B- While the speed tier is very nice, one turn recovery is not enough of a niche to justify using it over other bulky waters most of the time.
Overqwil B+ -> B Continues to disappoint us. It can do a lot of things, but can't do any of them well enough to really solidify its position in the meta.
Breloom B -> C Amoonguss sends his regards.
Florges B -> C Has seen virtually no usage in recent weeks. Too many good steels to justify it as anything more than a utility scarfer, in which case there are also better options.
Orthworm B -> UR Completely dropped off the map, especially with an increasing amount of Flygon adapting to it.
Tentacruel B -> C Does nothing well enough to stand out, Vileplume is no longer viable.
Torterra B -> B- Just not fast enough to be a real threat most of the time.
Typhlosion-Hisui B -> C Chandelure is simply better.
Braviary-Hisui B- -> C Was overrated in previous slates, too slow and has a very bad typing.
Dragalge B- -> C Only ranked because of Starabias' propaganda. Trash.
Galvantula B- -> C Cinccino sends his regards.
Kingdra B- -> UR Rain has fallen off massively and most of them don't even run Kingdra.
Ludicolo B- -> C Rain fell off.
Rotom-Heat B- -> C Doesn't do its job well, other fire types are much better.
Tsareena B- -> C Tsareena, Ballerina, John Cena - UR in 5.
Dipplin C -> UR
Drifblim C -> UR
Indeedee C -> UR
Minior C -> UR
Pawmot C -> UR
Scovillain C -> UR
Venusaur C -> UR
Vileplume C -> UR
Arcanine UR -> B Arcanine has seen a surge of usage as an excellent option on GTerrain HO, providing teamwide utility through Intimidate and an excellent defensive profile when you consider EQ's nerfed power under terrain, as well as a threatening wincon with Curse. Ambipom UR -> C Niche anti-HO option with Technichian Fake Out spelling despair for a lot of those structures. Avalugg-Hisui UR -> C Niche HO lead option to beat Cinccino. Cinccino A+ -> S Has solidified itself as a premier option on HO to keep hazards away and still dish out amazing damage. Fast Encore has already proven itself to be a very strong tool, and Cinccino is the fastest encore outside prankster options. Flamigo A- -> A Continuing its climb up the rankings as people optimize its structures more. Infernape B -> B+ Choiced sets have seen an uptick in usage but the more important development was the emergence of mixed Eject Pack sets as an option. CC + Overheat + Knock Off is extremely difficult to switch into and it can tech a variety of options in its fourth slot - Rocks, Encore, Taunt and others. Thwackey B -> B+ Grassy Terrain good :thumbsup: Dudunsparce C -> B- Has seen more tour usage lately as a bulky sweeper with very good results. Previously underrated both as an option and as a threat to account for when building. Registeel A+ -> A Correction of last slate's overranking. The top 3 steels are very close to each other and we felt they should all be in the same rank. Avalugg A -> B+ Still a top removal option but that doesn't change the fact that it's very exploitable. Struggles when Snow isn't active. Gligar A- -> B+ More people are turning away from it in favor of Gastrodon and Swampert as a bulky ground type with hazards. Unfavorable matchup into the tier's removal and too easy to chip down. Brambleghast B+ -> B- Amoonguss has completely taken over as the grass type of choice. Unreliable STAB combination and middling speed tier hinder it as an offensive threat. Copperajah B+ -> B The 3 other steels are simply much better and more reliable. Inteleon B+ -> B Tough to use in an environment filled with water immunes. Milotic B+ -> B- While the speed tier is very nice, one turn recovery is not enough of a niche to justify using it over other bulky waters most of the time. Overqwil B+ -> B Continues to disappoint us. It can do a lot of things, but can't do any of them well enough to really solidify its position in the meta. Breloom B -> C Amoonguss sends his regards. Florges B -> C Has seen virtually no usage in recent weeks. Too many good steels to justify it as anything more than a utility scarfer, in which case there are also better options. Orthworm B -> UR Completely dropped off the map, especially with an increasing amount of Flygon adapting to it. Tentacruel B -> C Does nothing well enough to stand out, Vileplume is no longer viable. Torterra B -> B- Just not fast enough to be a real threat most of the time. Typhlosion-Hisui B -> C Chandelure is simply better. Braviary-Hisui B- -> C Was overrated in previous slates, too slow and has a very bad typing. Dragalge B- -> C Only ranked because of Starabias' propaganda. Trash. Galvantula B- -> C Cinccino sends his regards. Kingdra B- -> UR Rain has fallen off massively and most of them don't even run Kingdra. Ludicolo B- -> C Rain fell off. Rotom-Heat B- -> C Doesn't do its job well, other fire types are much better. Tsareena B- -> C Tsareena, Ballerina, John Cena - UR in 5. Dipplin C -> UR Drifblim C -> UR Indeedee C -> UR Minior C -> UR Pawmot C -> UR Scovillain C -> UR Venusaur C -> UR Vileplume C -> UR
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well we’re being more strict with the VR huh? here are some mons that need to get off it or get down it.
C/B/C -> UR/C/UR
Im very obviously lumping these mons together for the same reason. why would you use these guys when amoongus exists as a better defensive grass? vileplume does not exist, lets be real. wo-chien has never felt good, and with amoongus here, its just straight up awful. Breloom has a small niche being slightly more offensive hence why im keeping it in C, but i feel like UR can also be justified for it. rip to these guys.
C -> UR
lets be real, when are you seeing these guys? drifblim is bad in all of its niches, and never shouldve made it onto the VR. minior bring here is just fucking absurd. there are other shell smashers which are just flat out better, and even they arent great. this mon still being ranked is a meme.
B/B-/B- -> B-/UR/C
rain has had such a significant downfall recently with alolatales dropping. ludi can stay ranked because what is rain without ludi. torn is viable without rain, but it still doesnt feel particularly great with the abundance of other flyings. Im kingdra’s number 1 hater. its so awful whether on or off rain and is just completely unviable.
once again, gonna bring up how i dont believe flygon is S, but im also gonna bring up an alternative option.
A+ -> S
this is the alternative option. this mon is so good right now, it has completely invalidated webs as a playstyle, is a staple of so many teams, and is just generally all around amazing. its splashsbility is only behind porygon2 in my eyes, and can sweep unprepared teams. sweeping isnt its only role though! imo it is by far the best hazard remover in the tier and negates playstyles just by existing. are you really gonna consider webs and spikestack when cinccino is a top mon? most people wont. idt this mon is particularly healthy for the meta either, and i think it should be banned but thats another case.
B/B- -> C/C
spin bots that are bad. they both are not very useful in their jobs, and have practically seen no success. C is generous for these guys imo.
There is a bit more clutter i’d like to elaborate on, and some mons i feel would be tiered more appropriately in other tiers.
B- -> C
first off its annoying to spell, second off this mon sucks ass. poison is one of the most competitive types and this guy isn’t cutting it. need adaptability? use pZ. need a flip turn pivot mon? use basculegion. Hell, id rather use salazzle or venusaur over this. would love to see it be good, but it just isnt.
FINAL NOTE: i made all of this before the slate so its all prolly changed now. Happy to see that most of the things i put in here got implemented tho!
C/B/C -> UR/C/URIm very obviously lumping these mons together for the same reason. why would you use these guys when amoongus exists as a better defensive grass? vileplume does not exist, lets be real. wo-chien has never felt good, and with amoongus here, its just straight up awful. Breloom has a small niche being slightly more offensive hence why im keeping it in C, but i feel like UR can also be justified for it. rip to these guys.
C -> URlets be real, when are you seeing these guys? drifblim is bad in all of its niches, and never shouldve made it onto the VR. minior bring here is just fucking absurd. there are other shell smashers which are just flat out better, and even they arent great. this mon still being ranked is a meme.
B/B-/B- -> B-/UR/Crain has had such a significant downfall recently with alolatales dropping. ludi can stay ranked because what is rain without ludi. torn is viable without rain, but it still doesnt feel particularly great with the abundance of other flyings. Im kingdra’s number 1 hater. its so awful whether on or off rain and is just completely unviable.
once again, gonna bring up how i dont believe flygon is S, but im also gonna bring up an alternative option.
A+ -> Sthis is the alternative option. this mon is so good right now, it has completely invalidated webs as a playstyle, is a staple of so many teams, and is just generally all around amazing. its splashsbility is only behind porygon2 in my eyes, and can sweep unprepared teams. sweeping isnt its only role though! imo it is by far the best hazard remover in the tier and negates playstyles just by existing. are you really gonna consider webs and spikestack when cinccino is a top mon? most people wont. idt this mon is particularly healthy for the meta either, and i think it should be banned but thats another case.
B/B- -> C/Cspin bots that are bad. they both are not very useful in their jobs, and have practically seen no success. C is generous for these guys imo.
There is a bit more clutter i’d like to elaborate on, and some mons i feel would be tiered more appropriately in other tiers.
B- -> Cfirst off its annoying to spell, second off this mon sucks ass. poison is one of the most competitive types and this guy isn’t cutting it. need adaptability? use pZ. need a flip turn pivot mon? use basculegion. Hell, id rather use salazzle or venusaur over this. would love to see it be good, but it just isnt.
FINAL NOTE: i made all of this before the slate so its all prolly changed now. Happy to see that most of the things i put in here got implemented tho!
time to make a case for jolteon in c tierBack with another slate. You'll notice a lot of downwards movement in the rankings, something that might continue as we tighten up on the rankings and reduce the clutter. If a mon isn't ranked, that doesn't mean it's unusable and completely unviable, only that it isn't worth being ranked as its use cases are extremely niche and/or there are other option(s) that do its job much better. As always, you can find the slate here.
I forgot to add this in in the post. If a mon gets over 80% UR vote, its banned from the VR until it sees notable tour success or a big meta shift where it obviously is viable.
btw the vr still says last updated on jan 31st
half of these already happened in the update that just went out btwwell we’re being more strict with the VR huh? here are some mons that need to get off it or get down it.
Im very obviously lumping these mons together for the same reason. why would you use these guys when amoongus exists as a better defensive grass? vileplume does not exist, lets be real. wo-chien has never felt good, and with amoongus here, its just straight up awful. Breloom has a small niche being slightly more offensive hence why im keeping it in C, but i feel like UR can also be justified for it. rip to these guys.
lets be real, when are you seeing these guys? drifblim is bad in all of its niches, and never shouldve made it onto the VR. minior bring here is just fucking absurd. there are other shell smashers which are just flat out better, and even they arent great. this mon still being ranked is a meme.
rain has had such a significant downfall recently with alolatales dropping. ludi can stay ranked because what is rain without ludi. torn is viable without rain, but it still doesnt feel particularly great with the abundance of other flyings. Im kingdra’s number 1 hater. its so awful whether on or off rain and is just completely unviable.
once again, gonna bring up how i dont believe flygon is S, but im also gonna bring up an alternative option.
this is the alternative option. this mon is so good right now, it has completely invalidated webs as a playstyle, is a staple of so many teams, and is just generally all around amazing. its splashsbility is only behind porygon2 in my eyes, and can sweep unprepared teams. sweeping isnt its only role though! imo it is by far the best hazard remover in the tier and negates playstyles just by existing. are you really gonna consider webs and spikestack when cinccino is a top mon? most people wont. idt this mon is particularly healthy for the meta either, and i think it should be banned but thats another case.
spin bots that are bad. they both are not very useful in their jobs, and have practically seen no success. C is generous for these guys imo.
There is a bit more clutter i’d like to elaborate on, and some mons i feel would be tiered more appropriately in other tiers.
first off its annoying to spell, second off this mon sucks ass. poison is one of the most competitive types and this guy isn’t cutting it. need adaptability? use pZ. need a flip turn pivot mon? use basculegion. Hell, id rather use salazzle or venusaur over this. would love to see it be good, but it just isnt.
FINAL NOTE: i made all of this before the slate so its all prolly changed now. Happy to see that most of the things i put in here got implemented tho!
Two questions really:
1. Why exactly did pretty much every hazard remover that isn't Cinccino drop? I was thinking maybe Bramble, Tsar, and Tentacruel could have niches on more offensive structures as hazard control but it seems Cinccino simply outclasses them at this role and I'm not sure why.
2. Why is Dragalge bad again? I asked this before in the NU Discord and got no real response.
1. Why exactly did pretty much every hazard remover that isn't Cinccino drop? I was thinking maybe Bramble, Tsar, and Tentacruel could have niches on more offensive structures as hazard control but it seems Cinccino simply outclasses them at this role and I'm not sure why.
2. Why is Dragalge bad again? I asked this before in the NU Discord and got no real response.
Read final note lmao
Cincinno just outclasses them on offense and they're not even great removers to begin with. I'll be the first to say that they're all largely underrated rn but if you want removal on your team there's generally better options.
Dragalge just lacks in every department right now, it's slow, bulky but not super bulky without investment, and not super strong without investment. It struggles to hit the Steels of this meta (Focus Blast isn't doing much to Klefki, Bronzong, or Registeel) and its STABs are generally not as spammable as they have been in previous metas and generations.
Back with another slate. You'll notice a lot of downwards movement in the rankings, something that might continue as we tighten up on the rankings and reduce the clutter. If a mon isn't ranked, that doesn't mean it's unusable and completely unviable, only that it isn't worth being ranked as its use cases are extremely niche and/or there are other option(s) that do its job much better. As always, you can find the slate here.
Welp, can’t wait for PU to be kamikaze’d by Breloom, Vileplume, Tsareena, Typhlosion-H, Dragalge, and Tentacruel next shift.
To prevent this from being a one-liner, is there a reason why Grassy Terrain is popping off in NU rn?
It facilitates so many different kinds of sweepers. Unburden sweepers, Calm Mind users, Grassy Glide users. Thwackey is also just a legit decent mon in its own right
We are DESPERATE for these guys
will note too with Dragalge that it lacks a single specific coverage move it can run to target every Steel-type at once. back when Bronzong was the best Steel-type by a clear margin (with Klefki also being relevant), you could cope with Shadow Ball at least and there was some interest (on my end XD!) in trying out Substitute stuff. Registeel rising to heavy prominence since then has put a huge damper on anything Dragalge could do because your best bet is... Tera Blast Fire... and that is quite uninspiring
couple quick noms too just to get them in the ether:
should be lower--like, C rank lower probably. Anything said about Dragalge mostly applies to Goodra too outside of Knock Off guaranteeing progress (and to be fair to Dragalge, the same argument can be made in its favor wrt Scald/Flip Turn). It saw literally one use in NUCL, and that was back in week 2. I don't recall any high-profile success for the Pokemon in seasonal either. Basically just absent from the metagame and riding the coattails of Phantom being the only person to truly speak in support of it.
should be lower. I'm unsure how it got all the way up to B+ in the first place? Maybe post-Cetitan cope? That ban hasn't really resulted in any long-term usage gains, though, and the utility stuff is not enough to warrant such a high ranking.
should be lower. Oricorio-Pa'u sees all the usage and it was ranking entirely off the theorymon of "well it's an oricorio lol". Like yeah it's PROBABLY fine, but there is literally no reason to use it so long as Grassy Seed Taunt is the only set any Oricorio is choosing to utilize.
couple quick noms too just to get them in the ether:
should be lower--like, C rank lower probably. Anything said about Dragalge mostly applies to Goodra too outside of Knock Off guaranteeing progress (and to be fair to Dragalge, the same argument can be made in its favor wrt Scald/Flip Turn). It saw literally one use in NUCL, and that was back in week 2. I don't recall any high-profile success for the Pokemon in seasonal either. Basically just absent from the metagame and riding the coattails of Phantom being the only person to truly speak in support of it. should be lower. I'm unsure how it got all the way up to B+ in the first place? Maybe post-Cetitan cope? That ban hasn't really resulted in any long-term usage gains, though, and the utility stuff is not enough to warrant such a high ranking. should be lower. Oricorio-Pa'u sees all the usage and it was ranking entirely off the theorymon of "well it's an oricorio lol". Like yeah it's PROBABLY fine, but there is literally no reason to use it so long as Grassy Seed Taunt is the only set any Oricorio is choosing to utilize.
Unsure where exactly I stand on it, but there has been support from multiple VR council members to discuss a potential rise to S rank, OTR sets are just that threatening. I think I should make my thoughts on both known at the same time since where one is ranked affects the other for me. I largely agree with all of the above regarding both mons, and would like to take it even further and nom Dragalge to UR, assuming Goodra to C goes through. Basically, wherever Goodra is, Dragalge should be one rank below. Regarding Dragalge specifically, I don't think it has anything going for it to justify using it over the 2 other bulky dragons - Goodra and Duraludon. TSpikes is unviable, and the defensive typing isn't enough to carry it. Goodra has good coverage and set versatility going for it, as well as a particularly good Oricorio matchup, although that comes at a cost of being a liability in most matchups outside that.
B+ is overrating it by quite a bit. It does have a decent Pauros matchup but not much else going for it. Doesn't help that it is in direct competition with Oricorio-Pa'u