Murkrow is not viable and it's not getting ranked. Stop.
Edit: No, I will not blacklist it either.
Edit: No, I will not blacklist it either.
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Other XY OU Viability Ranking Thread (V2) (Last update on post #5189)
- Thread starter alexwolf
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Alright time to address this. Going to nom Espeon to make a stupid high jump from C- to B- (lolin at people saying it deserves A). It dominates the BP archetype indefinitely, but is quite honestly terrible outside of it. Not going to say much more unless people ask me because this has been discussed in previous posts that got little attention. Also Scolipede will always remain higher as it performs a shit ton more roles.
Is it possible for us to talk about some of the lower ranking mons, like in D and C? I feel like some C's are WAY too niche to be where they are while others might be decent enough to move up. For example I definitely think Hawlucha needs to drop; it's weak and stupidly easy to wall. It might have higher attack than Talonflame but it doesn't have priority and its best sets require it to abuse Unburdern so it can't get boosts from stuff like a Life Orb.
I feel like Mamoswine and Rotom-W should both be a little higher up. Mamo, for starters, is pretty much the unrivaled dragon check in the OU metagame, with the strongest ice-type priority in the game (I'm looking directly at you, weavile) AND access to the most powerful physical ice-type move in the game: icicle crash (well, Kyurem-B gets Freeze Shock, but who honestly cares about a charge move that weather can't affect?). Not only that, but icicle crash and ice shard, along with it's most powerful stab-move, Earthquake, are all backed up by a rediculous base 130 attack stat. Seeing as how dragons like Garchomp and Dragonite (and maybe even Salamence) run amock in today's metagame AND how mamo gets stealth rock, i personally think he should be moved up to at least an A, if not A+. Ground types like Gliscor and Landorus don't enjoy dealing with mamoswine either (gliscor may be able to take a hit from ice shard, but what can it do back?) The only reason i can think of Mamoswine being only A- is the presence of Rotom-W, who is immune to one stab and resists the other. Seeing as how Rotom-W is a near-perfect counter to Mamoswine (Some Mamo run freeze dry) and is an absolutely perfect counter to Talonflame (dual-stab resist and can OHKO w/ hydro miss/miss pump) i feel Mamoswine and rotom both should be up at least in the A rank.
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The issue with Mamoswine is that he's pretty slow, fragile, and weak to all the common priority moves. He may be a pain to switch in on, but he's got enough drawbacks to keep him in A-.
Mamoswine isn't that frail, but he does have a plethora of weaknesses. So i guess i can see the issue there. But what about Rotom-W? I definitely think that thing should be higher up.
Oh, and someone tell me why the ---- VENOMOTH is in this list...?
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Oddly enough I agree with moving Rotom-Wash up to A. It has lost quite a bit of viability since bird spam has died down a lot, but Sand Rush Excadrill has become a popular thing once again and Rotom-Wash is a great answer to it. It can still cripple a ton of pokes, still walls key physical threats, and is just a nuisance to a number of teams
Wow... banned FROM UU??? I never would've suspected... i think at the very least they should've kept it in UU, since it's really just outclassed as a baton passer by smeargle, and as a quiver dance sweeper by volcarona. I guess one good thing it has going for it is Sludge Bomb, which hits fairies where it hurts very hard. Oh well. Good luck little moth. And thanks for the welcome, fren :]
The problem with Mega Alakazam is pretty much just that it takes up your mega slot. If it didn't, all of those would be valid reasons to move it up in rankings, but as it stands, you can honestly just use Life Orb Alakazam.
252 SpA Life Orb Alakazam Psyshock vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Manaphy: 175-208 (51.3 - 60.9%) -- 95.3% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ SpA Mega Alakazam Psyshock vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Manaphy: 180-213 (52.7 - 62.4%) -- 99.6% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
They have comparable damage output, and Mega Alakazam's difference in bulk isn't high enough to warrant using it on its own. Trace is really situational. I think you really, really overrate Mega Alakazam's power. I think it's fine where it is alongside Mega Absol and Mega Ampharos even. There's more of a reason to use those Pokemon as your Mega than Alakazam most of the time because they're noticeably better after Mega Evolving. But they're still, like Alakazam, heavily outclassed by other better Megas.
exactly what megas outclass zam?
I don't think any of them directly outclass it. I should have phrased differently. The problem is that when you're using Mega Alakazam, you could be using like
you know
any other mega
thats why you build a team AROUND zam, like you do with mega heracross
Mega Alakazam is much faster and oftentimes uses Psychic over Psyshock because of the raw number of things it can break through. Trace is FAR from situational, but does have some drawbacks. It's really not as situational as you make it out to be, however, considering the amount of top-rank Abilities it can Trace and make some really good use of:
- Sheer Force (Landorus-I)
- Prankster (Thundurus-I)
- Magic Guard (Clefable/Alakazam)
- Protean (Greninja)
- Technician ((Mega) Scizor)
- Flash Fire (Heatran)
- Levitate (Gengar, Latios, Rotom-W, Latias)
- Overcoat (Mandibuzz)
- Speed Boost (Scolipede)
- Regenerator (Slowbro)
There's really plenty of stuff Mega Alakazam can Trace to completely turn the tide in battle. The power difference is small, sure, but it's there and it's more noticeable when running Psychic, which is even Sheer Force-boosted like a lot of its movepool. Flash Fire completely stops defensive Heatran in its tracks, Prankster Taunt ruins Stall and Protean just makes a complete monster out of it by getting STABs on everything it carries. That 150 Speed allows Mega Alakazam to outpace some really prominent threats that regular Alakazam falls short of, such as Greninja and +1 Mega Tyranitar, to both of which LO Alakazam loses.
Yes, it uses the Mega Slot and there are other Mega Pokémon one could use, but it all depends on the team's needs. If the team needs a blazingly fast special attacker that can suddenly flip the tables, then Mega Alakazam is cut-out for such teams, just like how Mega Gardevoir and Mega Charizard Y fulfill the need for a special wallbreaker and Mega Tyranitar/Mega Gyarados as a mid- to late-game sweeper.
EDIT: On an additional note, Mega Alakazam's 65 Defense allows it to take a few hits that normally OHKO regular Alakazam, such as Mega Scizor's unboosted Bullet Punch, then OHKO with Tech-boosted HP Fire. This makes Mega Alakazam able to win certain situations that regular loses in.
Getting Protean is unrealistic because Greninja out speeds normal Alakazam even if it runs Timid so it can nuke you easily.
Getting Prankster means you're taking a T-Wave and you're useless.
Regenerator is kinda sucky for you because you're so frail and you don't take SR damage anyway because you have Magic Guard before MEvoing.
You're not getting Speed Boost realistically because Scolipede will either GTFO or have enough boosts to outspeed you and potentially Megahorn you.
Greninjas dont run dark pulse anymore iirc
Hydro Pump does 82.5% minimum so you can't Sub (that's a thing on Megs Zam right?) and leaves you easily revenged, while U-turn OHKOs.
actually most mega zams run taunt
Well if you're forced out for any reason SR damage could kill you if Greninja got a high damage roll. Also if it is running Dark Pulse you're kinda fucked.
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By a lot, you mean you?
But no, seriously, Rotom-H is a terrible pivot because it can't do anything to Thundurus or Landorus. It's outclassed as a defensive pivot by a large swath of A and B pokemon, and its unique niche is not that compelling for it to be run over any of the other choices there. When I'd literally rather run Mega-Manectric or Mega-Ampharos than have to include Rotom-H on my team...
Tell me, are all of your situations in the event of an Alakazam Mega Evolving against these Pokémon? No one's stupid enough to do that, as Alakazam only Mega Evolves on Pokémon that either can't hit it or those it outspeeds.
It all depends on the situation you're in. These situations are completely realistic, as they can just as well take place in the event of an already-Mega Evolved Mega Alakazam switching in on these Pokémon after one of its teammates faints. Yes, they're situational, but possible and plausible.
Health recovery is still useful for something like Mega Alakazam to survive weaker physical hits like Mega Scizor's BP.
Protean's pretty fucking deadly in the event Mega Alakazam traces it, as it naturally outspeeds Greninja and can OHKO with Psychic (if it's a type other than Dark, which it very likely is) and continues to ravage the opposition with its amazing coverage.
I'll like to say something: think before you post.
1) Mega Alakazam is not outclassed by its normal forme: it has highet speed and can run Modest, essentially outspeeding and outpowering it. It also has Trace.
2) Why is Alakazam Mega Evolving against something that kills it with ease? It, as Kyuzeth has stated, only does that against things that cannot hit it or are OHKOed and outsped.
3) Mega Alakazam has bulk. Okay, it isn't steaar, but it lives priority from the likes of Pinsir and Scizor, while also living 4 Atk Aegislash's Shadow Sneak.
To reiterate: Mega Alakazam to B/B+.
Also, if you haven't used it, don't comment on it.
1) Mega Alakazam is not outclassed by its normal forme: it has highet speed and can run Modest, essentially outspeeding and outpowering it. It also has Trace.
2) Why is Alakazam Mega Evolving against something that kills it with ease? It, as Kyuzeth has stated, only does that against things that cannot hit it or are OHKOed and outsped.
3) Mega Alakazam has bulk. Okay, it isn't steaar, but it lives priority from the likes of Pinsir and Scizor, while also living 4 Atk Aegislash's Shadow Sneak.
To reiterate: Mega Alakazam to B/B+.
Also, if you haven't used it, don't comment on it.
To sum it all up Gliscor is a great pokemon atm stopping two of OU's most dangerous pokemon in aegi and lando i aswell as providing good support in stealth rock/taunt/knock off aswell as having insanely good recovery in toxic heal + roost. Not only that but gliscors sub toxic set is amazing aswell, once its checks are gone it simply runs through teams. Yes it has two common weaknesses in ice and water but its awesome ability to stop aegi and lando i as well as a plethora of physical attackers as well as having immense utlily and having a devastating sub toxic set makes it deserving of A- rank.
Also why hasn't latias been moved to A yet!?
I thought the "taking up a mega slot" was starting to become a bad argument? If you want use the mon for what it does (speed, power, utility) then you're prepared to sacrifice your mega slot, that's all there is to it. Besides, alakazam needs a few team members to help it out in general (like any other mon).
And what's the point you're making with the improvement from normal form to mega? Mega Tyranitar isn't THAT much greater than Normal tyranitar either, it just has better stats and hits a crucial speed tier. That certainly doesn't mean that mega tyranitar is crap.
We're sort assuming you've mega'd here, Nobody makes the argument that bulky wisp char-x is a shitty answer to mega manectric because regular charizard is weak to electric.
Prankster taunt>thundurus t-wave <3 And all mega zam carry sub or taunt.
Assuming you dont' switch into it, if you just mega evolve on scolipede, you win. Offensive variants dont' outspeed you unboosted, and if it protects, you get the speed boost too, so you win that match up.
Regenerator meh its just a convenience really.
In a power-oriented metagame, Latios finds itself to be far more useful with its 130 Special Attack, in contrast to Latias's 110. Its only real niche is being a Healing Wish/Defog supporter, but there's nothing else it can do that isn't outperformed by Latios. Keep Latias in A-.
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