Why Zamazenta is alone in S?
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Resource SV OU Indigo Disk Viability Ranking Thread - (update on post #1002))
- Thread starter ausma
- Start date
Because voters deemed it to be the #1 Pokemon! Likely due to how many checkboxes the Pokemon can fill (Speed control, Kingambit check, Darkrai check, temporary Waterpon/DD Kyurem/DragoniteX Physical attacker check, and even more with Tera. All this while either being a good wincon with IDBP or a breaker with longevity for your team.). Having both offensive and defensive utility is super valuable and Zamazenta does this best.
Why’d 
rise to D tier? I don’t really see it having a niche aside from being a sweeper on HO/Offense Teams.
rise to D tier? I don’t really see it having a niche aside from being a sweeper on HO/Offense Teams.
Whimsicott 
to B- and Comfey 
to S+. I think Whimsicott is better than B- but I'm just nomming it there because that's where Venusaur 
is (fraud chlorophyller.)
I go over why Whimsicott works in my RMT but here's the copy and paste of that section for anyone who can't be bothered clicking on the link:
Whimsicott @ Life Orb
Ability: Chlorophyll
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 176 HP / 252 SpA / 80 Spe
Modest Nature
- Moonblast
- Giga Drain
- Shadow Ball
- Growth
This shit is a ridiculously good chlorophyll sweeper (yes it gets abilities other than prankster) but I think the reason why more people aren't using Whimsicott is because they take one look at that base 77 special attack and turn around and leave.
Don't be fooled by that, with max special attack + modest, it's special attack reaches 278 and multiply that by 1.3x from life orb and it has an effective 361 special attack stat, aka stronger than booster speed Valiant
. Whimsicott also has a higher speed tier than Valiant and more importantly can repeatedly switch in and out without losing that speed. On top of that, Whimsicott also gets Growth.
Growth letting you get to +2 in one turn is what really makes Whimsicott a more threatening sweeper than CM Valiant
because so many common greedy offenses that look like 4/5 fairy weak mons + a Gholdengo/Pecharunt slapped on that rely on those two being able to take on Valiant from full or something being able to tera to live Moonblast get absolutely steamrolled by Whimsicott who sets up one growth and suddenly their Gholdengo
/ Pecharunt
are both dropping to Shadow Ball, Kingambit
is getting OHKOed and so is stuff like Moon
even through tera which Valiant simply never could do.
+2 Life Orb Shadow Ball vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Gholdengo: (120.6 - 141.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 Life Orb Shadow Ball vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Pecharunt: (103.4 - 121.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 Life Orb Moonblast vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Kingambit: (105.2 - 123.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 Life Orb Moonblast vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Tera Flying Roaring Moon: (87.7 - 103.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
Another quality that makes Whimsicott such a threatening sweeper is it's natural resilience to the most common forms of priority in the tier, resisting Sucker Punch
, Thunderclap
as well as having tera ghost which also lets it stop Extreme Speed
if necessary. However, often times vs offense you don't want to wantonly tera Whimsicott because you don't want to lose your resistance to Sucker/Clap, so keep that in mind.
Whimsicott also does have some nice defensive utility. It's a dragon immunity that doesn't immediately fold if Bolt
clicks it's other STAB and can switch into Wellspring
as well as loving to set up on Lando-t
or Hamurott
(though I usually avoid immediately hard switching it into sash Hamu.)
In terms of how Whimsicott matches up vs the fairy resists of the tier, unfortunately +2 tera ghost Shadow Ball is only a 37.5% to OHKO Glowking
but in that matchup your game plan should revolve around Comfey
anyway. Clicking Moonblast initially for chip and then going for +2 tera ghost Shadow Ball later on can let Whimsicott break past standard phydef Moltres
while +2 tera ghost Shadow Ball is a coin flip to straight up OHKO max hp Cinderace
. Most fairy resists just get chunked by boosted tera ghost Shadow Balls in general so keep that in mind if you ever find yourself in a position where that becomes necessary.
+2 252+ SpA Life Orb Tera Ghost Shadow Ball vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Slowking-Galar: (89.8 - 106.8%) -- 37.5% chance to OHKO
252+ SpA Life Orb Moonblast vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Moltres: (23.4 - 27.4%)
+2 252+ SpA Life Orb Tera Ghost Shadow Ball vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Moltres: (78.8 - 92.9%)
+2 252+ SpA Life Orb Tera Ghost Shadow Ball vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Cinderace: (91.4 - 108.2%) -- 50% chance to OHKO
Psychic is an option that prevents
Moth from forcing you out which can completely mess up some Moth offenses but having to drop either Drain or Ball just makes the set overall worse and only worth as a surprise tech. Encore is another option but from my limited experience it never felt worth dropping the coverage.
While technically Whimsicott can run max speed to do things like outspeed Kyurem
or Crown
outside of sun, in terms of EVs the 3 speed tiers I would recommend are 40 EVs to outspeed +1 Moon
, 80 for scarf Darkrai/Meow
and 112 to outspeed everything up to Pecharunt
outside of sun (
,
,
,
) because I really do think you want the bulk as much as possible to live stray hits to set up or survive strong priority to sweep.
I've never tested it, but the only other set I'd consider with Whimsicott would be a specs set
. Switcheroo lets you shut down anything attempting to sweep while being an effective U-turn user that can bring in breakers. Never tried it though so not saying anything conclusive.
to B- and Comfey to S+. I think Whimsicott is better than B- but I'm just nomming it there because that's where Venusaur is (fraud chlorophyller.)I go over why Whimsicott works in my RMT but here's the copy and paste of that section for anyone who can't be bothered clicking on the link:
Whimsicott @ Life Orb
Ability: Chlorophyll
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 176 HP / 252 SpA / 80 Spe
Modest Nature
- Moonblast
- Giga Drain
- Shadow Ball
- Growth
This shit is a ridiculously good chlorophyll sweeper (yes it gets abilities other than prankster) but I think the reason why more people aren't using Whimsicott is because they take one look at that base 77 special attack and turn around and leave.
Don't be fooled by that, with max special attack + modest, it's special attack reaches 278 and multiply that by 1.3x from life orb and it has an effective 361 special attack stat, aka stronger than booster speed Valiant
Growth letting you get to +2 in one turn is what really makes Whimsicott a more threatening sweeper than CM Valiant
Another quality that makes Whimsicott such a threatening sweeper is it's natural resilience to the most common forms of priority in the tier, resisting Sucker Punch
Whimsicott also does have some nice defensive utility. It's a dragon immunity that doesn't immediately fold if Bolt
In terms of how Whimsicott matches up vs the fairy resists of the tier, unfortunately +2 tera ghost Shadow Ball is only a 37.5% to OHKO Glowking
Psychic is an option that prevents
While technically Whimsicott can run max speed to do things like outspeed Kyurem
I've never tested it, but the only other set I'd consider with Whimsicott would be a specs set
Last edited:
So what about comfey then, I thought it was on the downtrendWhimsicott
I go over why Whimsicott works in my RMT but here's the copy and paste of that section for anyone who can't be bothered clicking on the link:
Whimsicott @ Life Orb
Ability: Chlorophyll
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 176 HP / 252 SpA / 80 Spe
Modest Nature
- Moonblast
- Giga Drain
- Shadow Ball
- Growth
This shit is a ridiculously good chlorophyll sweeper (yes it gets abilities other than prankster) but I think the reason why more people aren't using Whimsicott is because they take one look at that base 77 special attack and turn around and leave.
Don't be fooled by that, with max special attack + modest, it's special attack reaches 278 and multiply that by 1.3x from life orb and it has an effective 361 special attack stat, aka stronger than booster speed Valiant. Whimsicott also has a higher speed tier than Valiant and more importantly can repeatedly switch in and out without losing that speed. On top of that, Whimsicott also gets Growth.
Growth letting you get to +2 in one turn is what really makes Whimsicott a more threatening sweeper than CM Valiantbecause so many common greedy offenses that look like 4/5 fairy weak mons + a Gholdengo/Pecharunt slapped on that rely on those two being able to take on Valiant from full or something being able to tera to live Moonblast get absolutely steamrolled by Whimsicott who sets up one growth and suddenly their Gholdengo/ Pecharuntare both dropping to Shadow Ball, Kingambitis getting OHKOed and so is stuff like Mooneven through tera which Valiant simply never could do.
+2 Life Orb Shadow Ball vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Gholdengo: (120.6 - 141.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 Life Orb Shadow Ball vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Pecharunt: (103.4 - 121.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 Life Orb Moonblast vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Kingambit: (105.2 - 123.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 Life Orb Moonblast vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Tera Flying Roaring Moon: (87.7 - 103.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
Another quality that makes Whimsicott such a threatening sweeper is it's natural resilience to the most common forms of priority in the tier, resisting Sucker Punch, Thunderclapas well as having tera ghost which also lets it stop Extreme Speedif necessary. However, often times vs offense you don't want to wantonly tera Whimsicott because you don't want to lose your resistance to Sucker/Clap, so keep that in mind.
Whimsicott also does have some nice defensive utility. It's a dragon immunity that doesn't immediately fold if Boltclicks it's other STAB and can switch into Wellspringas well as loving to set up on Lando-tor Hamurott(though I usually avoid immediately hard switching it into sash Hamu.)
In terms of how Whimsicott matches up vs the fairy resists of the tier, unfortunately +2 tera ghost Shadow Ball is only a 37.5% to OHKO Glowkingbut in that matchup your game plan should revolve around Comfeyanyway. Clicking Moonblast initially for chip and then going for +2 tera ghost Shadow Ball later on can let Whimsicott break past standard phydef Moltreswhile +2 tera ghost Shadow Ball is a coin flip to straight up OHKO max hp Cinderace. Most fairy resists just get chunked by boosted tera ghost Shadow Balls in general so keep that in mind if you ever find yourself in a position where that becomes necessary.
+2 252+ SpA Life Orb Tera Ghost Shadow Ball vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Slowking-Galar: (89.8 - 106.8%) -- 37.5% chance to OHKO
252+ SpA Life Orb Moonblast vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Moltres: (23.4 - 27.4%)
+2 252+ SpA Life Orb Tera Ghost Shadow Ball vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Moltres: (78.8 - 92.9%)
+2 252+ SpA Life Orb Tera Ghost Shadow Ball vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Cinderace: (91.4 - 108.2%) -- 50% chance to OHKO
Psychic is an option that preventsMoth from forcing you out which can completely mess up some Moth offenses but having to drop either Drain or Ball just makes the set overall worse and only worth as a surprise tech. Encore is another option but from my limited experience it never felt worth dropping the coverage.
While technically Whimsicott can run max speed to do things like outspeed Kyuremor Crownoutside of sun, in terms of EVs the 3 speed tiers I would recommend are 40 EVs to outspeed +1 Moon, 80 for scarf Darkrai/Meowand 112 to outspeed everything up to Pecharuntoutside of sun (,,,) because I really do think you want the bulk as much as possible to live stray hits to set up or survive strong priority to sweep.
I've never tested it, but the only other set I'd consider with Whimsicott would be a specs set. Switcheroo lets you shut down anything attempting to sweep while being an effective U-turn user that can bring in breakers. Never tried it though so not saying anything conclusive.
With SPL getting closer to its conclusion, I think it is a fitting time to talk about noms.
I’ll start.
RISES
A+ > S-
Dragonite sniffs markers and chugs bottles of Elmer’s glue into its mouth. Its the 4th most used mon throughout the entire SPL season. Not only is it the biggest matchup fisher in the tier, but Dnite is a near perfect glue for offense and defensive teams. You could tailor Dnite for whatever matchup you struggle with. EZ S- tier.
A > A+
Garganacl greatly benefits from the direction the meta has been going. A misconception is that Garg struggles with hazard stack which is the most common semi-archetype for offense, BO, and Balance, but if anything, Garg (especially with Tera) puts tons of pressure on those builds. The main set I’ll touch on are Curse/Iron Defense, but the ol’ reliable SR + Protect is always excellent. Garg is able to hold its own due to these teams relying on hazards to make progress and thus having less immediate power to muscle pass it, such as in this replay.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen9ou-825429
Pecha is more common than Gking, and G-Weezing, a great partner for Garg, has increased in usage on Balance with the uptick of hazard stack and Tera Fairy Blast Moon. Not only does it pack unblockable Defog, but it assists Salt Cure by eliminating any abilities that negate passive damage like Magic Guard or Regenerator.
But Garg doesn’t need that, because Curse EQ beats its checks minus CM Clef. People also get lazy and underprepare for Garg. Encore is not as common on Waterpon as it was in the past, and Grasspon has fallen off but still sees appearances at high level play. Curse/ID Garg can also solo several dangerous setup sweepers like Dnite and non-Taunt Roaring Moon. It is the definitive blanket check to a majority of the offensive meta and progress maker that is reliable vs any matchup. It deserves the recognition.
B > B+
I’m gonna support my and Garchomp. Heed my words. Despite its competition with other Grounds and Dragon types, Chomp stands out with its solid speed tier for a hazard setter, and Rocky Helmet + Rough Skin accumulating progress vs the plethora of physical mons in the tier. But that is not why I am making this nom. Enter SD Chomp.
Garchomp @ Life Orb
Ability: Rough Skin
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 32 HP / 252 Atk / 224 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Earthquake
- Outrage
- Fire Fang
“Where’s Scale Shot?” you might be asking. Scale Shot sets are inconsistent at both breaking and sweeping. It’s too vulnerable to getting revenge killed by Boosters and abundance of priority. It doesn’t compare to the consistency of Moon or Dnite. Instead, I wanna touch in what Chomp is good at. Ripping apart holes. The main appeal Chomp has over Tusk is its ability to outpace Pecharunt, and being able to drop typical Tusk roadblocks like Moltres, Mola, Zapdos, opposing Tusk, and max speed Balloon Pecharunt with +2 Outrage. It might get killed in the process of taking them down, but Chomp has done its job, taking down a major bastion for its teammates. Fire Fang ofc with Tera Fire to OHKO Corv after an SD + SR chip and reverse its matchup with Fairies or Weavile. Its neutrality to Water means it’s not as easily threatened out as Tusk, Gliscor, or Lando. Chomp can pick up 1-2 kills before going down vs the numerous Balance structures while providing defensive utility with Rough Skin shenanigans. STAB Earthquake and its ability to one-tap the Kanto Birds and Clefable gives it a niche over Roaring Moon. If it gets banned, this set will become more valuable. Chomp is still the goat, people gotta remember what he’s known for.
In case you think I’m capping.
+2 252 Atk Life Orb Garchomp Outrage vs. 248 HP / 248+ Def Moltres: 395-465 (103.1 - 121.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252 Atk Life Orb Garchomp Outrage vs. 8 HP / 252+ Def Alomomola: 422-499 (89.2 - 105.4%) -- 37.5% chance to OHKO
+2 252 Atk Life Orb Garchomp Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Clefable: 374-441 (94.9 - 111.9%) -- 68.8% chance to OHKO
+2 252 Atk Life Orb Garchomp Outrage vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Great Tusk: 403-476 (92.8 - 109.6%) -- 56.3% chance to OHKO
+2 252 Atk Life Orb Garchomp Outrage vs. 252 HP / 52 Def Tera Water Garganacl: 390-460 (96.5 - 113.8%) -- 75% chance to OHKO
D > C
I was a hater til I realized the role compression Chesnaught provides. Spikes + Knock. One of the best answers to Samurott Balance will find. Is a Spiker that 1v1s Tusk. Can check any Waterpon lacking Play Rough. Amazing into AoA Zama. Checks Pre-Tera Gambit. Knock can also force checks like Ghold, Glowking and Pecha to take hazard chip. It does way more than whatever the fuck Necrozma is doing.
DROPS
A + A
I’ll say it again. TL;DR. Kyurem is broken, but it’s not as splashable as Waterpon in its breaker role. Also faces competition from Dnite and Roaring Moon as a DD sweeper. Due to its SR weakness, Kyurem is naturally more support reliant than the others in A+ tier who ARE the support.
A+ > A-
I’m not gonna sugar coat it.
A > B+
I’m sorry, but Moth is on fraud timing. Some games it does absolutely nothing but die. Often deadweight vs any team running Ting-Lu, Psyshock Glowking, Garg, or Stall. Hazard weak as hell too. Moth has a 50% chance of being a good mon (80% chance if you’re Storm Zone), and even then, its so frail and surprisingly weak for a mon with a SpA above FLUTTER MANE, all because its forced to lose most of that power to run Speed Booster. Proto SpA and Specs variants have the same problems, except they are even more susceptible to getting rkilled. Only gets used to not get MU fished by Tspikes or as a Fairy resist, but guess what? Pecha fulfills both those roles and is a way more consistent anti-offense mon.
A- > B+
Deo-S has always been overrated in the VR in my eyes. B+ would be fine. Deo has been garnering a comeback lately, but it’s not the first option for hazards or mixed attacking. Samu, Treads, and Val can accompany its roles just fine. Its sticking to B+ cause its movepool is insane, with options like T-Wave and even Pain Split being experimented on. Plus you can never go wrong with its speed tier.
B > B-
In SPL it has zero wins under its belt. Several mons in its rank or below like Ribombee, Washtom, Clod, Serp, Manaphy, and even fucking H-Arcanine have a better track record than Rilla. The fakest anti-HO mon in the tier and fakest Waterpon check. Its only real role is Knock Off and Grassy Terrain support. Corv is skyrocketing in usage, making CB Rilla a joke. Same with the existence of Pecharunt. Its setup fodder for nearly every offensive sweeper in the tier. It only stays in the B ranks because it has a solid Ting-Lu and Garg matchup.
B > B-
If Rilla gets worse, so does Lucha.
B- > C+/C
Tyranitar is an underrated mon. Its just that people try running it with Excadrill instead of using it as a defensive glue. Sand Rush Excadrill is a high risk and medium-to-low reward mon that duds to any decent Balance team. Corv is high in usage, and if you wanted a Steel type that can revenge kill offensive threats, Scizor is literally right there. Fraud mole that would be UR if Tera Blast never existed.
D > UR
Rain is not common at all, and whenever Rain needs a secondary Swift Swimmer. Its always either Overqwil or Basculegion before they even think about slapping on Kingdra.
If you are in my time zone, have a good night.
I’ll start.
RISES
Dragonite sniffs markers and chugs bottles of Elmer’s glue into its mouth. Its the 4th most used mon throughout the entire SPL season. Not only is it the biggest matchup fisher in the tier, but Dnite is a near perfect glue for offense and defensive teams. You could tailor Dnite for whatever matchup you struggle with. EZ S- tier.
Garganacl greatly benefits from the direction the meta has been going. A misconception is that Garg struggles with hazard stack which is the most common semi-archetype for offense, BO, and Balance, but if anything, Garg (especially with Tera) puts tons of pressure on those builds. The main set I’ll touch on are Curse/Iron Defense, but the ol’ reliable SR + Protect is always excellent. Garg is able to hold its own due to these teams relying on hazards to make progress and thus having less immediate power to muscle pass it, such as in this replay.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen9ou-825429
Pecha is more common than Gking, and G-Weezing, a great partner for Garg, has increased in usage on Balance with the uptick of hazard stack and Tera Fairy Blast Moon. Not only does it pack unblockable Defog, but it assists Salt Cure by eliminating any abilities that negate passive damage like Magic Guard or Regenerator.
But Garg doesn’t need that, because Curse EQ beats its checks minus CM Clef. People also get lazy and underprepare for Garg. Encore is not as common on Waterpon as it was in the past, and Grasspon has fallen off but still sees appearances at high level play. Curse/ID Garg can also solo several dangerous setup sweepers like Dnite and non-Taunt Roaring Moon. It is the definitive blanket check to a majority of the offensive meta and progress maker that is reliable vs any matchup. It deserves the recognition.
I’m gonna support my and Garchomp. Heed my words. Despite its competition with other Grounds and Dragon types, Chomp stands out with its solid speed tier for a hazard setter, and Rocky Helmet + Rough Skin accumulating progress vs the plethora of physical mons in the tier. But that is not why I am making this nom. Enter SD Chomp.
Garchomp @ Life Orb
Ability: Rough Skin
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 32 HP / 252 Atk / 224 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Earthquake
- Outrage
- Fire Fang
“Where’s Scale Shot?” you might be asking. Scale Shot sets are inconsistent at both breaking and sweeping. It’s too vulnerable to getting revenge killed by Boosters and abundance of priority. It doesn’t compare to the consistency of Moon or Dnite. Instead, I wanna touch in what Chomp is good at. Ripping apart holes. The main appeal Chomp has over Tusk is its ability to outpace Pecharunt, and being able to drop typical Tusk roadblocks like Moltres, Mola, Zapdos, opposing Tusk, and max speed Balloon Pecharunt with +2 Outrage. It might get killed in the process of taking them down, but Chomp has done its job, taking down a major bastion for its teammates. Fire Fang ofc with Tera Fire to OHKO Corv after an SD + SR chip and reverse its matchup with Fairies or Weavile. Its neutrality to Water means it’s not as easily threatened out as Tusk, Gliscor, or Lando. Chomp can pick up 1-2 kills before going down vs the numerous Balance structures while providing defensive utility with Rough Skin shenanigans. STAB Earthquake and its ability to one-tap the Kanto Birds and Clefable gives it a niche over Roaring Moon. If it gets banned, this set will become more valuable. Chomp is still the goat, people gotta remember what he’s known for.
In case you think I’m capping.
+2 252 Atk Life Orb Garchomp Outrage vs. 248 HP / 248+ Def Moltres: 395-465 (103.1 - 121.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252 Atk Life Orb Garchomp Outrage vs. 8 HP / 252+ Def Alomomola: 422-499 (89.2 - 105.4%) -- 37.5% chance to OHKO
+2 252 Atk Life Orb Garchomp Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Clefable: 374-441 (94.9 - 111.9%) -- 68.8% chance to OHKO
+2 252 Atk Life Orb Garchomp Outrage vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Great Tusk: 403-476 (92.8 - 109.6%) -- 56.3% chance to OHKO
+2 252 Atk Life Orb Garchomp Outrage vs. 252 HP / 52 Def Tera Water Garganacl: 390-460 (96.5 - 113.8%) -- 75% chance to OHKO
I was a hater til I realized the role compression Chesnaught provides. Spikes + Knock. One of the best answers to Samurott Balance will find. Is a Spiker that 1v1s Tusk. Can check any Waterpon lacking Play Rough. Amazing into AoA Zama. Checks Pre-Tera Gambit. Knock can also force checks like Ghold, Glowking and Pecha to take hazard chip. It does way more than whatever the fuck Necrozma is doing.
DROPS
I’ll say it again. TL;DR. Kyurem is broken, but it’s not as splashable as Waterpon in its breaker role. Also faces competition from Dnite and Roaring Moon as a DD sweeper. Due to its SR weakness, Kyurem is naturally more support reliant than the others in A+ tier who ARE the support.
I’m not gonna sugar coat it.
I’m sorry, but Moth is on fraud timing. Some games it does absolutely nothing but die. Often deadweight vs any team running Ting-Lu, Psyshock Glowking, Garg, or Stall. Hazard weak as hell too. Moth has a 50% chance of being a good mon (80% chance if you’re Storm Zone), and even then, its so frail and surprisingly weak for a mon with a SpA above FLUTTER MANE, all because its forced to lose most of that power to run Speed Booster. Proto SpA and Specs variants have the same problems, except they are even more susceptible to getting rkilled. Only gets used to not get MU fished by Tspikes or as a Fairy resist, but guess what? Pecha fulfills both those roles and is a way more consistent anti-offense mon.
Deo-S has always been overrated in the VR in my eyes. B+ would be fine. Deo has been garnering a comeback lately, but it’s not the first option for hazards or mixed attacking. Samu, Treads, and Val can accompany its roles just fine. Its sticking to B+ cause its movepool is insane, with options like T-Wave and even Pain Split being experimented on. Plus you can never go wrong with its speed tier.
In SPL it has zero wins under its belt. Several mons in its rank or below like Ribombee, Washtom, Clod, Serp, Manaphy, and even fucking H-Arcanine have a better track record than Rilla. The fakest anti-HO mon in the tier and fakest Waterpon check. Its only real role is Knock Off and Grassy Terrain support. Corv is skyrocketing in usage, making CB Rilla a joke. Same with the existence of Pecharunt. Its setup fodder for nearly every offensive sweeper in the tier. It only stays in the B ranks because it has a solid Ting-Lu and Garg matchup.
If Rilla gets worse, so does Lucha.
Tyranitar is an underrated mon. Its just that people try running it with Excadrill instead of using it as a defensive glue. Sand Rush Excadrill is a high risk and medium-to-low reward mon that duds to any decent Balance team. Corv is high in usage, and if you wanted a Steel type that can revenge kill offensive threats, Scizor is literally right there. Fraud mole that would be UR if Tera Blast never existed.
Rain is not common at all, and whenever Rain needs a secondary Swift Swimmer. Its always either Overqwil or Basculegion before they even think about slapping on Kingdra.
If you are in my time zone, have a good night.
Seriously though what does Necrozma even do
Offensive Stealth Rock + Meteor Beam sets and fringe Calm Mind + Tera Blast sets. It definitely belongs on the VR, it's just a very structure-reliant Pokemon (usually works best on Sticky Web)
-> A+I am confused why this Pokémon ever dropped in the first place. Yeah, it could be exploitable and has competition with Pecharunt, but it also has one of the strongest and most versatile defensive profiles in OU thanks to Regenerator and it's great typing. Endlessly versatile with a ton of viable items like AV, boots, resist Berries and more on top of a large movepool variety with Thunder Wave, Ice Beam, flameThrower, Future Sight, etc to mess with standard switch-ins. Still one of the best checks around to Fairies like Iron Valiant and Primarina while also doing well vs Corv, Pecharunt, Valiant, Zamazenta, Kyurem, and more. Brainless Chilly Spam is also very strong to bring in Kyurem for free. I think moon ban largely makes this Pokémon gameplay much better, since that pokemon could use Gking as an entry point to setup and sweep.
Can second this ^ especially with the moon ban theres one less annoyance to get in it’s way it’s at the very least on the same level as pecharunt, it just depends if your team needs a physical poison type wall or a special one.
I am confused why this Pokémon ever dropped in the first place. Yeah, it could be exploitable and has competition with Pecharunt, but it also has one of the strongest and most versatile defensive profiles in OU thanks to Regenerator and it's great typing. Endlessly versatile with a ton of viable items like AV, boots, resist Berries and more on top of a large movepool variety with Thunder Wave, Ice Beam, flameThrower, Future Sight, etc to mess with standard switch-ins. Still one of the best checks around to Fairies like Iron Valiant and Primarina while also doing well vs Corv, Pecharunt, Valiant, Zamazenta, Kyurem, and more. Brainless Chilly Spam is also very strong to bring in Kyurem for free. I think moon ban largely makes this Pokémon gameplay much better, since that pokemon could use Gking as an entry point to setup and sweep.
I agree with this post. With the rise of sun and offensive fairies, I also do think gking shouldn’t have dropped in the vr as it also has the capacity to break stall and fat structures like removal spam stall and corv fat that will not allow your hazard setter to get up hazards with another breaker + fsight.
I am confused why this Pokémon ever dropped in the first place. Yeah, it could be exploitable and has competition with Pecharunt, but it also has one of the strongest and most versatile defensive profiles in OU thanks to Regenerator and it's great typing. Endlessly versatile with a ton of viable items like AV, boots, resist Berries and more on top of a large movepool variety with Thunder Wave, Ice Beam, flameThrower, Future Sight, etc to mess with standard switch-ins. Still one of the best checks around to Fairies like Iron Valiant and Primarina while also doing well vs Corv, Pecharunt, Valiant, Zamazenta, Kyurem, and more. Brainless Chilly Spam is also very strong to bring in Kyurem for free. I think moon ban largely makes this Pokémon gameplay much better, since that pokemon could use Gking as an entry point to setup and sweep.
Late night ramblings (really have to stop doing these at like 1AM)
A+ -> S-
Barely missed the cut last time and it’s remained at this level. A tremendous glue for teams that’s intensely customizable. While it’ll never have a perfect four move slots, it will always perform the roles you design it for and is a very consistent presence.
A -> A+
Been on the upswing for a while. Curse variants provide a great check to a number of set up threats (notable many Dragonite variants) while also still being a potent wincon itself. Near nonexistent Covert Cloak usage is great for it and its strong match up into offense as well as its general nigh unblockable progress making. Garg is very strong in this meta and stands above A for sure.
D -> C/C+
I swear I’m not just copying Greninja with these noms I just agree with a lot of what they nommed lol.
Anyways Ches has a very distinct profile not really replicated by anything, stifling non PR wellspring and dominating Hamurott. Good general physical sponge that beats Tusk/Treads spinning attempts which lets it keep Spikes up more often. Knock assists in removing HDB and opening up rock weak birds to pressure while keeping Ghold/Pecha from switching in freely. Bulletproof also offers situational but cool defensive utility in potentially pivoting into shadow ball or sludge bomb and drawing other moves for a teammates.
A -> A+
I’m still confused why this dropped. Pecha giving it competition doesn’t matter when Glowking also pivots into Malignent Chain all day. Still a strong special buffer that creates pins with Future Sight, one of few special Kyurem checks (freeze notwithstanding fuck freeze gamefreak why did you not just make Frostbite a thing) and is more customizable with tech like ice beam for Gliscor, Psychic Noise to disrupt switch ins, TWave, Toxic, you can do a lot with this.
A+ -> A-
This is not A+ and I stand by that. It has a lot of poor match ups, over depends on TClap to shore up its poor speed, often burns its Booster when being relied on defensively which inhibits its threat, shredded by hazards, and reliance on Tera at times is super hindering.
A -> A-
Too many checks to this exist and it’s not consistent. Not getting the spatk boost from fiery dance often guts it.
A+ -> S-Barely missed the cut last time and it’s remained at this level. A tremendous glue for teams that’s intensely customizable. While it’ll never have a perfect four move slots, it will always perform the roles you design it for and is a very consistent presence.
A -> A+Been on the upswing for a while. Curse variants provide a great check to a number of set up threats (notable many Dragonite variants) while also still being a potent wincon itself. Near nonexistent Covert Cloak usage is great for it and its strong match up into offense as well as its general nigh unblockable progress making. Garg is very strong in this meta and stands above A for sure.
D -> C/C+I swear I’m not just copying Greninja with these noms I just agree with a lot of what they nommed lol.
Anyways Ches has a very distinct profile not really replicated by anything, stifling non PR wellspring and dominating Hamurott. Good general physical sponge that beats Tusk/Treads spinning attempts which lets it keep Spikes up more often. Knock assists in removing HDB and opening up rock weak birds to pressure while keeping Ghold/Pecha from switching in freely. Bulletproof also offers situational but cool defensive utility in potentially pivoting into shadow ball or sludge bomb and drawing other moves for a teammates.
A -> A+I’m still confused why this dropped. Pecha giving it competition doesn’t matter when Glowking also pivots into Malignent Chain all day. Still a strong special buffer that creates pins with Future Sight, one of few special Kyurem checks (freeze notwithstanding fuck freeze gamefreak why did you not just make Frostbite a thing) and is more customizable with tech like ice beam for Gliscor, Psychic Noise to disrupt switch ins, TWave, Toxic, you can do a lot with this.
A+ -> A-This is not A+ and I stand by that. It has a lot of poor match ups, over depends on TClap to shore up its poor speed, often burns its Booster when being relied on defensively which inhibits its threat, shredded by hazards, and reliance on Tera at times is super hindering.
A -> A-Too many checks to this exist and it’s not consistent. Not getting the spatk boost from fiery dance often guts it.
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First post in OU so here goes nothing!
B -> B-
Imo a worse sun setter than ninetales. Sure it has spin and rocks but those arent that valued on sun whereas tales has more utility w/ encore and hwish. Tack on that tales has a usable speed stat then you can see that one mon is better than the other.
B+ -> B-
Honestly seeing her in B+ now is just sad. Glimm HO has completely fallen off, (not saying its unviable) and just being replaced by samurott as the premier HO lead and closely followed by deo-s and lando-t. Rip to this queen.
S-/A+ -> S/S-
Im nomming these 2 monsters up for the same reason — tingpech teams. This is one of the absolute best team archetypes in the meta and as shown by the name, these 2 mons are the absolute core of it. Other than that these 2 mons are both absolutely incredible in their own regard and should be respected even outside that archetype.
UR -> C or D
This mon is severely underrated here and it has some super impressive calcs and amazing breaking power.
Yeah so p potent.
UR -> D
This might just be the PU player in me but this mon is actually p good as a physical suicide HO lead. Beats lando-t lead due to sturdy custap and is just a option vs grounds and it could force them to waste their tera. Here is the set:
https://pokepast.es/6be8c7e1ff1104ca
After 1 rspin it reaches 262 speed outspeeding full spe invest ada dnite at +1 among other things.
Anyways thats all, i would nom dnite down but i dont have the energy for that rn and everyone seems to love it rn so im just gonna let it be A+ or most likely S- next slate.
B -> B-Imo a worse sun setter than ninetales. Sure it has spin and rocks but those arent that valued on sun whereas tales has more utility w/ encore and hwish. Tack on that tales has a usable speed stat then you can see that one mon is better than the other.
B+ -> B-Honestly seeing her in B+ now is just sad. Glimm HO has completely fallen off, (not saying its unviable) and just being replaced by samurott as the premier HO lead and closely followed by deo-s and lando-t. Rip to this queen.
S-/A+ -> S/S-Im nomming these 2 monsters up for the same reason — tingpech teams. This is one of the absolute best team archetypes in the meta and as shown by the name, these 2 mons are the absolute core of it. Other than that these 2 mons are both absolutely incredible in their own regard and should be respected even outside that archetype.
UR -> C or DThis mon is severely underrated here and it has some super impressive calcs and amazing breaking power.
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tinted Lens Yanmega Bug Buzz vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Great Tusk: 372-438 (100.2 - 118%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 Atk Great Tusk Ice Spinner vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Yanmega: 200-236 (63.8 - 75.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO (doesnt die)
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tinted Lens Yanmega Bug Buzz vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Clefable: 244-288 (61.9 - 73%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ SpA Choice Specs Yanmega Giga Drain vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Alomomola: 462-544 (86.5 - 101.8%) -- 12.5% chance to OHKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Yanmega Air Slash vs. 240 HP / 0 SpD Assault Vest Okidogi: 284-336 (75.3 - 89.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock (whilst outspeeding + living)
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera Bug Yanmega Bug Buzz vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Vessel of Ruin Ting-Lu: 372-440 (72.3 - 85.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery (eq does nothing back)
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tinted Lens Tera Bug Yanmega Bug Buzz vs. 224 HP / 0 SpD Cinderace: 378-446 (105.8 - 124.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO (kills on switchin)
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tinted Lens Tera Bug Yanmega Bug Buzz vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Landorus-Therian: 360-424 (94.2 - 110.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ SpA Choice Specs Yanmega Air Slash vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Zamazenta: 332-392 (85.5 - 101%) -- 43.8% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera Bug Yanmega Bug Buzz vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Kingambit: 342-404 (100.2 - 118.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 Atk Great Tusk Ice Spinner vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Yanmega: 200-236 (63.8 - 75.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO (doesnt die)
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tinted Lens Yanmega Bug Buzz vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Clefable: 244-288 (61.9 - 73%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ SpA Choice Specs Yanmega Giga Drain vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Alomomola: 462-544 (86.5 - 101.8%) -- 12.5% chance to OHKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Yanmega Air Slash vs. 240 HP / 0 SpD Assault Vest Okidogi: 284-336 (75.3 - 89.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock (whilst outspeeding + living)
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera Bug Yanmega Bug Buzz vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Vessel of Ruin Ting-Lu: 372-440 (72.3 - 85.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery (eq does nothing back)
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tinted Lens Tera Bug Yanmega Bug Buzz vs. 224 HP / 0 SpD Cinderace: 378-446 (105.8 - 124.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO (kills on switchin)
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tinted Lens Tera Bug Yanmega Bug Buzz vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Landorus-Therian: 360-424 (94.2 - 110.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ SpA Choice Specs Yanmega Air Slash vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Zamazenta: 332-392 (85.5 - 101%) -- 43.8% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera Bug Yanmega Bug Buzz vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Kingambit: 342-404 (100.2 - 118.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO
UR -> DThis might just be the PU player in me but this mon is actually p good as a physical suicide HO lead. Beats lando-t lead due to sturdy custap and is just a option vs grounds and it could force them to waste their tera. Here is the set:
https://pokepast.es/6be8c7e1ff1104ca
After 1 rspin it reaches 262 speed outspeeding full spe invest ada dnite at +1 among other things.
Anyways thats all, i would nom dnite down but i dont have the energy for that rn and everyone seems to love it rn so im just gonna let it be A+ or most likely S- next slate.
Disagree with dropping Glimmora.
Honestly seeing her in B+ now is just sad. Glimm HO has completely fallen off, (not saying its unviable) and just being replaced by samurott as the premier HO lead and closely followed by deo-s and lando-t. Rip to this queen.
Its not an instant choice on HO anymore, but I feel your undervaluing Glimmora’s defensive utility namely with the Red Card set.
Having something that can force out the Boosters and Zama in the midgame can be a great asset on offensive structures, which is very doable in part due to its defensive typing. Red Card synergizes well with Toxic Debris, potentially forcing poison chip on another target. It does have a worse matchup chart these days as more Tspike absorbers and mons with good MUs into Glimm like Tinka enter the meta hence it being B+, but its matchup against Booster Energy mons cannot be understated.
I agree that the red card set is p good, but other than that do you really think its B+ alongside walking wake, hatterene and iron crown? Its almost completely invalidated on HO and just its red card set doesnt warrant a placement as high as B+ imo. B/B- will do for me.
I think red card has merit but it’s also arguably the only thing keeping it relevant at all right now. Offensive sets have never been worth less due to Ting-Lu, and its middling speed while lead SR sets have low value due to the prominence of Glowking and Pecharunt, and beyond those many balance and BO simply aren’t significantly affected by TSpikes which means that at most it will set Rocks and do little else, and it’s an average SR lead when you factor out TSpikes which makes it questionable in that role.
Red Card is good for resetting the pace by phasing out something in an emergency but I feel there are better Red Card users even for this. Not knocking Glimm because it is one of a small handful of users in the first place, but I don’t think this alone keeps it in B+.
Big Zama paid off the council. Gambit is still the number one goat in my opinion, it's the ultimate offensive role compression mon! pult/pecha (ghost type) switchin, emergency sweeper check, late game sweeper, early game progress forcer (these iheads on tusk switchin hurt)... what an incredible pokemon to use.
I could see Raging Bolt going down to A, but no lower. Yeah, its poor Ting-Lu MU is bad, but that is basically the only mon where you don't need to play the Draco / Thunderbolt guessing game. Pretty much everything else can get easily overwhelming or KO'd if you predict wrong. I think an underrated element of Bolt is its versatility, since it can perform many roles outside of the Booster set - its a pretty solid volt switch pivot with Specs / Boots and I've seen other sets like AV do work as a check to various special threats. I think its important to mention that it can also completely fry Ting-Lu with a bit of support or set modifications. On Specs, I like running Tera Blast Fairy and that Move completely shits on Ting-Lu, 2HKOing it with Specs. You can also run Weather Ball on Rain (which also has no switch-ins btw, Raging Bolt may as well be Arch 2 on Rain) or Weather Ball on Chilly Reception teams. Lastly, strong priority, even if conditional, is also always useful, esp against the likes of Kingambit, Darkrai, and Gholdengo. And lets not forget its amazing MU against Ogerpon-W + Zamazenta with Tera Fairy (which I'd say Bolt is one of the best users of because of Offensive / defensive blend). I think its still an A Rank Pokemon minimum.
A -> A-: Its still good on HO but its pretty inconsistent due to its reliance on fiery dance boosts and booster energy speed to sweep which gives it only special attack that caps at 349 (with 132 evs) initially with low bp moves, its also vulnerable to priority since it can’t take physical hits very well and has common weaknesses.
B -> B-: its typing and ability are still solid but its far too passive and exploitable to be B rank due to reliance on toxic in a metagame where many pokemon are immune to it and all it can do outside of that is use haze to remove boosts, its physically defensive sets are also outclassed by alomomola which can threat scald burns that cripple physical attackers, pivot with flip turn and wish pass along with not having a ground weakness, but its defensive typing + regenerator means it will always have a niche, so I don’t think it should be lower than B-
B- -> B: The no skill dragon is still MU reliant and checked by kingambit but the ban of roaring moon which could easily threaten it has made it far more consistent at getting agility + calm mind up for a sweep and the metagame trends have been more favourable to it like the rise of pecharunt which is weak to stored power (though the newly risen tinkaton can be irratitating for it), it functions best on screens teams were it can utilise its solid bulk and leftovers recovery to easily culminate multiple boosts but i’d argue it can function on other types of HO (the exception being webs) well enough, but its still inconsistent as a wincon and struggles with gambit and np ghold (depending on its tera against the latter) so I personally still think its a B at best.
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A+ -> S-Dragonite is straight up another Roaring Moon besides the marginally lower immediate power, that's exchanged for even greater versatility. Dragonite's set diversity is it's greatest strength as it not only becomes very VERY difficult to prepare for in builder but it uniquely is able to fit on almost any team due to how individual its sets are. When you look at the S- it's all Pokemon that can make the correct minor adjustments to fit properly on any given team (ignoring Ting-Lu who largely uses the same max spdef and same 3 moves besides Rest variants on certain gweez structures). Dragonite does this perfectly, and like the rest of S- is a central metagame threat both offensively and defensively (this includes Ting-Lu, ruination + hazards + whirl + strong EQ is genuinely a great progress maker). Dragonite just recently netted #5 usage overall and is still #6 in 1825+ usage, and while usage doesn't automatically equate to viability you have to remember that SV OU is a very competitive tier when it comes to how strong the Pokemon are. You aren't getting top 5 off a 'trend' in SV without being a clearly defined best pick, teams are very pressured for slots and being used 20% of the time is a massive indicator of being essential offensively and defensively. Notably Dragonite is the main answer to Ogerpon-Wellspring, Dragonite also has the the strongest consistent priority with the other options of Sucker Punch/Thunder Clap being unreliable and Ice Shard being somewhat weak. I don't think it's a hot take that Dragonite is arguably the most versatile Pokemon in the tier, and through that comes...really dumb cheese. I'm not gonna say Dragonite is cheap, well actually I am, but have we been seeing the tournament games? Fusiens OST final win in game 3, Ho3n's win against 3d with Tera Blast Fairy, I literally saw someone in 1900's with Tera Ice Dragonite today lol. Also Dragonite's anti cheese is insane with Multiscale, it straight up denies so many winpaths because well it can't be OHKO'd. Kingambit at +2 is actually manageable with Dragonite at full health for example, and breaking the scale is usually not up to you unless you get a clutch rocky helmet on Espeed. It's very clear Dragonite is just on another level than the others in A+ like Samurott-Hisui, Dragonite wins and saves so many games through its insane versatility and not using it literally feels like a hinderance, and it's recent rise reflects that sentiment quite well.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen9ou-830502 fusien game
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen9ou-833695?p2 ho3n game
A -> A-Zapdos isn't very great, good but I dont think A rank great, I doubt this is a surprising take either. Ting-Lu farms it, Raging Bolt farms it, Garganacl farms it, Kyurem farms it, Gliscor annoys it pretty decently Zapdos just isn't great into the general balance and BO structures you see today and certainly not against stall either. Zapdos does best against offense where it can find crucial Para's to prevent big threats from getting out of hand, and while Tera Ground isn't common the bigger issue Zapdos faces is the power creep. Zapdos struggles to hold up to the new gen power creep cus it has no notable resistances besides close combat, have you ever been Ivy Cudgeled by Woger as a Zapdos and be like wtf because you somehow took 46 LOL. In addition Para just is not as good, Ground types are on every team and Paralysis doesn't really stop Pokemon like Kingambit from 1 shotting everything unlike Burn does. Zapdos is difficult to justify on teams because as a defensive component it's not switching into stuff other naturally bulky Pokemon can't. Zapdos is taking a decent chunk to Primarina, Ogerpon-W, Gholdengo Shadow Ball, Darkrai, offensive ice spinner Tusk, Enamorus, Samurott-Hisui, Iron Crow etc. Like there is literally no move besides fighting stab CC that Zapdos takes well in the tier, everything hits it for at the very least 30% and this isn't a mon that can spam roost very often because again it's bulk isn't all that impressive compared to the powerhouses this tier has. It can live hits decently well but I just do not think that's enough for a mon that hard loses to several top tiers, and also is hard to fit on teams, para is good but again almost every team has 1-2 para immunities barring HO. Justifying it on a team is hard, and finding positive uses for Zapdos is getting even harder. It's tour usage being shit is a giant indicator of such, you'd think at least 1 guys scout would be good for Zapdos but the mon is mediocre into every viable structure I'd honestly go lower to B+ for it but I won't go that far... yet.
B+ -> A- (A rank if your real)This guy is god, he has single handedly revived Stall as a structure, revived Balance a decent bit, and has even been seen kinda on things that could classify as BO. The utility of Neutralizing Gas is incredible; you fuck over Gliscor Protects, Wisp and Defog on Gholdengo's, threaten Garganacl from coming in via Toxic Spikes + Gas, win the 1v1 vs Ting-Lu with Strange Steam I can literally go on. This mon has iirc a 74% winrate in SPL and it's ladder achievements are equally as impressive getting #1 with 6 separate teams last month. Many thought Pain Split recovery would hold it back but in practice this is less of a factor than previously believes, we see Stalls with Gweez moderately healthy in 100+ turns pretty consistently, and balances being able to do well with Gweez HP too. I hypothesize it's besides Gweez has a pretty good defensive backbone to work with usually so it's not taking the brunt hit's as much as you'd think, it's moreso finding free turns to spam good utility. Also it's genuinely very difficult to find a mon that swaps in on Hrott casually and removes at the same time, it has some really helpful 1v1's that you rarely find in the tier. The results as of late and crazy innovation on bulkier teams speak for itself, easy A-. I myself have gotten to #1 with him on ladder with Stall, and 2k's/1900's with various balances with Gweez, also guys a samples warlord now LOL. Also the player aabbbee has been consistent #1 with Gweezing stall for over a month now getting up to 90.8% gxe, I don't think this mon is a fluke or trends by any means.
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I really gotta agree here with gweezing and dnite, both should go up a rank with how excellent they are
Dragonite is straight up another Roaring Moon besides the marginally lower immediate power, that's exchanged for even greater versatility. Dragonite's set diversity is it's greatest strength as it not only becomes very VERY difficult to prepare for in builder but it uniquely is able to fit on almost any team due to how individual its sets are. When you look at the S- it's all Pokemon that can make the correct minor adjustments to fit properly on any given team (ignoring Ting-Lu who largely uses the same max spdef and same 3 moves besides Rest variants on certain gweez structures). Dragonite does this perfectly, and like the rest of S- is a central metagame threat both offensively and defensively (this includes Ting-Lu, ruination + hazards + whirl + strong EQ is genuinely a great progress maker). Dragonite just recently netted #5 usage overall and is still #6 in 1825+ usage, and while usage doesn't automatically equate to viability you have to remember that SV OU is a very competitive tier when it comes to how strong the Pokemon are. You aren't getting top 5 off a 'trend' in SV without being a clearly defined best pick, teams are very pressured for slots and being used 20% of the time is a massive indicator of being essential offensively and defensively. Notably Dragonite is the main answer to Ogerpon-Wellspring, Dragonite also has the the strongest consistent priority with the other options of Sucker Punch/Thunder Clap being unreliable and Ice Shard being somewhat weak. I don't think it's a hot take that Dragonite is arguably the most versatile Pokemon in the tier, and through that comes...really dumb cheese. I'm not gonna say Dragonite is cheap, well actually I am, but have we been seeing the tournament games? Fusiens OST final win in game 3, Ho3n's win against 3d with Tera Blast Fairy, I literally saw someone in 1900's with Tera Ice Dragonite today lol. Also Dragonite's anti cheese is insane with Multiscale, it straight up denies so many winpaths because well it can't be OHKO'd. Kingambit at +2 is actually manageable with Dragonite at full health for example, and breaking the scale is usually not up to you unless you get a clutch rocky helmet on Espeed. It's very clear Dragonite is just on another level than the others in A+ like Samurott-Hisui, Dragonite wins and saves so many games through its insane versatility and not using it literally feels like a hinderance, and it's recent rise reflects that sentiment quite well.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen9ou-830502 fusien game
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen9ou-833695?p2 ho3n game
quick question though, what are the most consistent sets for dnite at the moment(other than the obligatory tera normal dd espeed and bulky dnite)
I love this set, it can clean a game up after one boost if positioned right. It's really only walled by zapdos, dondozo, and corv and you can build your team to manage those. Encore is great to punish fat teams and catch thunderclap and sucker. Tera can be customized but Flying is super strong. Also can catch ID press Zama and beat it 1 v 1. OHKOs all dragapults after a boost and Kyurem after Stealth Rock.
If you have good removal I also like lum berry or sky plate. It's on the cheesier side of sets but fun to build around.
Dragonite (F) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Multiscale
Tera Type: Flying
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Encore
- Tera Blast
- Earthquake
- Dragon Dance
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I want to agree and add that this guy is a double agent.
This guy is god, he has single handedly revived Stall as a structure
It works with slow pivots to disable Poison Heal and even Regenerator. His low base HP of 65 and 32 PP of Pain Split are a nightmare for Blissey and Dondozo with their 8 PP from Soft-Boiled and Rest, respectively. In addition to immunity to Poison / Absorb Toxic Spikes. This can spam Status and even steal items with the uncommon but totally viable Thief.
A- --> SI can't live in denial anymore, Corviknight is up there with the GOATs. Its stellar performance in SPL has shown us it isn't trash like some people have claimed, and has successfully beaten the fraud allegations. Being a sturdy check to mons like Tusk, Gambit, Weav, Pecha, and Hydrapple if running Brave Bird among others I haven't named, Corv compresses the roles of a defogger, physical wall who can potentially sweep, ground immune, and pivot into one mon, freeing up lots of room in the builder. Yea sure Gholdengo prevents it from getting hazards off, but being able to pop its balloon unlike Skarmory, the steel bird who couldn't beat the fraud allegations, is usually enough to deter it from coming in freely, especially if Corv's paired with hazard stack, which greatly appreciates the cheese man taking Spikes chip.
B+ --> AGweezing's finally being respected in the builder for very good reasons. Exploits the tier's reliance on abilities to perform well throughout the game (Garg's Purifying Salt, Gholdy's Good as Gold, Gliscor's Poison Heal, and Ursaluna's Guts to name a few) and carves out a very interesting and wholly unique niche for itself. Being the only defogger who can actually defog in front of Gholdy is great at screwing over hazard stack builds, and can soak up attacks from Samurott as well as successfully 1v1 Lu. In a meta with Encore mons like Woger and Tink and Taunt mons like Lu and Lando, its impressive how it can work well with no attacking moves at all. Balance and stall teams have seen a major resurgence thanks to this mon, and I think this rise accurately reflects its impact on the metagame.
B+ --> A- or ASpeaking of balance teams being popular again, gotta shoutout the balance annihilator himself, Hydrapple. Aside from Corv and Glowking, balance has no real answer to HYdrapple, and Glowking can be walled if running Tera Steel, turning it into setup fodder. Hydrapple benefits from the recent Roaring Moon ban sicne that's one less mon who can reliably revenge it. Offensive NP sets are ofc great as always, but I've also been a big fan of physdef NP as of recent on fat teams, combining its naturally impressive physical bulk with the breaking power of NP to make it a deadly breaker who can shrug off attacks from passive mons. Apple also being one of, if not the best, mon into Ting-Lu is incredibly valuable in this metagame, healing off Ruination chip with Regen+Giga Drain recovery. The extra physdef also lets it more reliably check mons like Tusk, Gambit, Woger, SD Gliscor, and Sam. Offensive NP sets on more bulky offensive or straight up offensive builds is also extremely useful at preventing Garg from making progress, as just like with Lu, can shrug off Salt Cure chip with Regen+Giga Drain. So in short, setup in Nasty Plot combined with its nigh unparalleled longevity for a breaker make it a respectable threat in this metagame.
I can't live in denial anymore, Corviknight is up there with the GOATs. Its stellar performance in SPL has shown us it isn't trash like some people have claimed, and has successfully beaten the fraud allegations. Being a sturdy check to mons like Tusk, Gambit, Weav, Pecha, and Hydrapple if running Brave Bird among others I haven't named, Corv compresses the roles of a defogger, physical wall who can potentially sweep, ground immune, and pivot into one mon, freeing up lots of room in the builder. Yea sure Gholdengo prevents it from getting hazards off, but being able to pop its balloon unlike Skarmory, the steel bird who couldn't beat the fraud allegations, is usually enough to deter it from coming in freely, especially if Corv's paired with hazard stack, which greatly appreciates the cheese man taking Spikes chip.