Resource USUM OU ULTRA Viability Ranking Thread

[smogonModsAreTrash]

I run BC Wishkiller's team a lot and I have to say that I got less mileage out of Bisharp that I did in SM. It's hard knowing what will run defog and Rotom/Gliscor/Lando/Hydreigon/etc all outspeed and KO/cripple Bisharp anyway. If anything, I would say the Keldeo got a lot better (might change due to Nag removal) due to how well it handles the new defoggers and new pokemon (more ttar/statataka/fire ghost mon). Nag set up on Keldeo, but it also made Latios/Latias less viable (mega latios is very predictable and if it doesn't run EQ it is outclassed by MLatias) and increased the usage of pokemon that Keldeo feasts on so I'm waiting to see how the meta stabilizes. I had some success with Waterium Araquanid with Webs which is pretty dope, not going to lie.

The new ghost/fire type is very slow. I respect the special nuke aspect of it but it's just too slow. It reminds me of Hoopa. Solid with the right support/setup, but easily managed/countered. You can't blindly click Trick vs a well built team and nobody leaves Chansey in on it anyway. (Thunderwave Chansey is straight fire btw)

 

[earl]

I run BC Wishkiller's team a lot and I have to say that I got less mileage out of Bisharp that I did in SM. It's hard knowing what will run defog and Rotom/Gliscor/Lando/Hydreigon/etc all outspeed and KO/cripple Bisharp anyway. If anything, I would say the Keldeo got a lot better (might change due to Nag removal) due to how well it handles the new defoggers and new pokemon (more ttar/statataka/fire ghost mon). Nag set up on Keldeo, but it also made Latios/Latias less viable (mega latios is very predictable and if it doesn't run EQ it is outclassed by MLatias) and increased the usage of pokemon that Keldeo feasts on so I'm waiting to see how the meta stabilizes. I had some success with Waterium Araquanid with Webs which is pretty dope, not going to lie.

The new ghost/fire type is very slow. I respect the special nuke aspect of it but it's just too slow. It reminds me of Hoopa. Solid with the right support/setup, but easily managed/countered. You can't blindly click Trick vs a well built team and nobody leaves Chansey in on it anyway. (Thunderwave Chansey is straight fire btw)

107 is a pretty great speed tier for a breaker, imo. When not dealing with Tyranitar (which it can at least cripple with Will-o-Wisp or chip with Fire Blast/Mind Blown) and also has the nice 100+ speed to be a scarfer that can revenge Volcarona with Explosion. 157 SpA Shadow Ball is always going to be punching holes in a team without T-tar and it puts in work against Stall by screwing with Chansey via Trick (and even if it can't get the Choice item directly on it it can still snatch away its Eviolite). Nothing outstanding with that terrible bulk, but can still punch holes vs offense and also hold just enough speed to not be a total deadweight vs offensive teams

Ergo keep in A-

 

[tenkai]

107 is a pretty great speed tier for a breaker, imo. When not dealing with Tyranitar (which it can at least cripple with Will-o-Wisp or chip with Fire Blast/Mind Blown) and also has the nice 100+ speed to be a scarfer that can revenge Volcarona with Explosion. 157 SpA Shadow Ball is always going to be punching holes in a team without T-tar and it puts in work against Stall by screwing with Chansey via Trick (and even if it can't get the Choice item directly on it it can still snatch away its Eviolite). Nothing outstanding with that terrible bulk, but can still punch holes vs offense and also hold just enough speed to not be a total deadweight vs offensive teams

Ergo keep in A-

Just wanna add on to this that Blace can also run the sub ghostium set which puts in a lot of work against stall once sableyes weakened, due to chansey being unable to seismic toss its subs. I'm loving specs blace especially rn, the lower amount of ttar is already apparent and its such an easy mon to just throw off attacks with and dent shit against any team without tar. I think blacephelon would be a better candidate to rise than drop, honestly (not nomming this, just making a point).

 

[13_luckynumber]

I don't necessarily disagree with a rise for these two but I think we should wait another week or so before rising them. Last week, people were spamming Tyranitar, Heatran, Weavile, Mamosine like crazy to counter/ revenge kill Naganadel and consequently, MegaCham and MegaLop thrived because they could spam their fighting stab for easy damage. Also, their usual switch-ins like Mew, Clefable, Tangrowth, MegaVenu, Toxapex were essentially RU last week (well, not so much for Toxapex but it was used less for sure, Naganadel used it as set-up fodder and nobody wanted that) because of the Naganadel/ Tyranitar/ Heatran/ Weavile spamfest and the fighting megas enjoyed that very much. Let's just wait another week to see their effectiveness. (Although people will be spamming Blacephalon this week so Heatran/ Tyranitar's usage will still be ridiculously high while Mew, Clefable, Tangrowth, MegaVenu will remain low anw so these two will most likely still be excellent this week )

Mega Charizard Y -> C+ (or even C)

Regardless of whether Blacephalon will be good or just overhyped, this thing still faces heavy, heavy competition from it and should definitely drop.
ZardY does have 2 advantages over Blacephalon, which are 1) beating TTar infinitely better and 2) longevity with Roost but Blacephalon:

• not a mega
• is faster (outspeeds key threats like MegaMedi, Garchomp, MegaPinsir)
• can sort of break Toxapex and Chansey (Trick, Knock Off, Calm Mind Ghostium Z, Explosion)
• is less weak to Stealth Rock
• has just as strong Fire STAB
• has really spammable second STAB in Ghost (bar TTar, no Fire resists in OU enjoys tanking Shadow Ball)
• can run more sets since only 2 moveslots are fixed (Specs, Scarf, Life Orb, Leftiez SubCM, Ghostium Z Calm Mind, Firium Z Calm Mind, and others (including WoW, Trick, Sub for TTar) too)
• doesn't restrict team support as much since it can run more than 1 set (so you have more options to handle TTar)

Blacephalon has many perks over ZardY and its existence alone should justify a drop for ZardY

 

[ZiodyneDX]

Well Mega Lopunny can also handle non-choice Scarf Blacephon to at least. Plus able to take out other common Dark and Steel types .it outspeeds in the meta.

Depending on what you can give it it can handle Mimikiyu, Alakazam and Tapu Koko with Fake out. Or Garchomp, Gliscor and Defensive Landorus-T with Ice Punch.

I was thinking of maybe giving paring it up wth Alola-Ninetales and Tapu Fini to give it some support and turns to use Pup to break though pokemon it struggles vs like Toxapex and Celesteela, but it seems iffy.

 

[BeardyBennett]

I agree with the calls for Rotom-W to B+. While I personally use and love it, I have to say it's just not on par with other A- mons and aspiring A-mons. A bulky electric type just isn't optimal in this meta. At least Zapdos still hits decently hard. I can't get exact calcs on mobile right now, but from personal use it struggles to KO, much less pressure, Steela and Pex. Those are the two threats Electrics are most needed for. Most teams only have room for one Electric types. In most cases it just isn't advisable to run Rotom-W.

 

[LeNorm]

Mega Charizard Y -> C+ (or even C)

Regardless of whether Blacephalon will be good or just overhyped, this thing still faces heavy, heavy competition from it and should definitely drop.
ZardY does have 2 advantages over Blacephalon, which are 1) beating TTar infinitely better and 2) longevity with Roost but Blacephalon:

• not a mega
• is faster (outspeeds key threats like MegaMedi, Garchomp, MegaPinsir)
• can sort of break Toxapex and Chansey (Trick, Knock Off, Calm Mind Ghostium Z, Explosion)
• is less weak to Stealth Rock
• has just as strong Fire STAB
• has really spammable second STAB in Ghost (bar TTar, no Fire resists in OU enjoys tanking Shadow Ball)
• can run more sets since only 2 moveslots are fixed (Specs, Scarf, Life Orb, Leftiez SubCM, Ghostium Z Calm Mind, Firium Z Calm Mind, and others (including WoW, Trick, Sub for TTar) too)
• doesn't restrict team support as much since it can run more than 1 set (so you have more options to handle TTar)

Blacephalon has many perks over ZardY and its existence alone should justify a drop for ZardY

Zard Y does not get so outclassed by Blacephalon as you suggest. The only way Blacephalon can hit as hard is if it is running specs - the most common set - and that locks you into a particular move. Zard has far better coverage moves than Blacephalon - Solar Beam and Focus Miss (or Earthquake if you like) and recovery in roost, which means it has far more longevity.

Zard's Flamethrower in the sun hits just as hard as Specs Blacephalon does (and both have equivalent fire blasts). Zard can deal with a variety of mons far better than Blacephalon struggles with - Heatran, T-Tar, and Lando. Indeed, Lando can't touch Zard, but even defensive Lando - the most common set these days - OHKOs Blacephalon with Earthquake and Specs Blacephalon can't OHKO Lando unless it is running HP Ice. Zard also has a better matchup against Pex, as Zard could outstall it in the right situation.

Yes, they are both special fire type wall breakers, but I don't think that Blacephalon has exactly the same function as Zard-Y, and alone can justify a fall in ranking. That said, I don't think Zard is a great mon these days, but Blacephalon alone doesn't justify it dropping.

 

[Dakress]

Nominating

to C+/C/C-.

Whenever you see this guy, the first thing people think is either "why are people even bothering with this overhyped pseudo" or "oh boy I gotta stop the Z-move with my tapu/fairy". What people do not know, however, is that with the right support, this thing becomes a bona fide win condition.

Kommo-o @ Salac Berry
Ability: Bulletproof
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def / 12 SpD / 236 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Drain Punch
- Earthquake/Thunder Punch/Iron Head
- Substitute
- Belly Drum

Feel free to laugh at this seemingly unviable set, because in practice Kommo-o has far more setup opportunities that all you guys give it credit for (seriously, this thing resist Fire, Water, Grass, Electric, Bug, Rock & Dark). The gist is pretty simple: set a sub into something passive like Ferrothorn (fun fact: Bulletproof blocks Gyro Ball for some reason), Mantine, M-Venu & Rotom-W, or something weak to you like SpDef Heatran, Tyranitar & Stakataka. Click Belly Drum, then Drain Punch and then whatever other move you have for coverage. If you've done everything right, you should have +6 atk, +1spd (enough to outspeed Koko with the provided EV spread), all your HP back and at least have nabbed a kill or 2.

If you're using it with Sticky Webs + SR, the only thing that stops you 100% of the time is a crit from a Scarfed Landorus-T, Scarf Lati@s, Mega Pinsir's +2 Quick Attack, Unburden Boosted Hawlucha and Mimikyu. Defensive answers are every Unaware mon, a full HP Skarmory with Roar/Windywinds and Toxapex (and even then, you can always run EQ for it)

Here's some replays proving you don't even need to know what you're doing to win but not really:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-662841432
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-662693540
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-666194940 (why yes, I did just sack M-Gyarados just to show off I could win with Kommo-o)
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-669375974
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-667115150
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-667118682
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-668919567


I'm not nominating it higher because I've been testing this specific set mostly in a HO team, so I've no idea if this set could work in other archetypes or if the highly overrated Z-Kommo-o set actually helps making it more unpredictable or something (even though I've seen people having legitimate success with it on the high ladder). Also:

Alternative: don't use Kommo-O in OU because it will never be close to as good as it is in lower tiers (specifically RU, where the Z crystal for it just got banned). Kommo-O has a few glaring, fundamental flaws that will prevent it from ever being good in OU this generation -- it is 4x weak to Fairy, it lacks any standout stats (110/100/85 offensive stats are blatantly underwhelming for OU and 125 defense is not as great as you would think when it only has 75 base HP and generally runs offensive sets), and it does not have anything else going for it that lets it take advantage of this Z crystal enough to make it a consistent win condition. Overall, Kommo-O probably is not even viable in the tier, let alone worth using on serious teams. I strongly urge posters to stop discussing it here and in other threads (yes, I know this is SQSA, but here's my answer to any Kommo-O related question from here on out).

Edit: added more replays, now around the 1700s.

 

[13_luckynumber]

Zard Y does not get so outclassed by Blacephalon as you suggest. The only way Blacephalon can hit as hard is if it is running specs - the most common set - and that locks you into a particular move. Zard has far better coverage moves than Blacephalon - Solar Beam and Focus Miss (or Earthquake if you like) and recovery in roost, which means it has far more longevity.

What you said in bolded is looking at Blacephalon solely for its Specs set and not at all the sets it can run. Specs gives immediate power but Blace can also run Firium Z/ Ghostium Z or SubCM to take advantage of its switch-ins. Fire Blast into Z-Fire Blast or Shadow Ball into Z-Shadow Ball or 2 regular hits thanks to the Sub can give you the damage you need against most defensive answers.

Zard's Flamethrower in the sun hits just as hard as Specs Blacephalon does (and both have equivalent fire blasts). Zard can deal with a variety of mons far better than Blacephalon struggles with - Heatran, T-Tar, and Lando. Indeed, Lando can't touch Zard, but even defensive Lando - the most common set these days - OHKOs Blacephalon with Earthquake and Specs Blacephalon can't OHKO Lando unless it is running HP Ice. Zard also has a better matchup against Pex, as Zard could outstall it in the right situation.

TTar is the only thing ZardY beats better than Blacephalon and I acknowledged that in my post. Heatran/ defensive Lando die to Z-Move/Calm Mind/ Life Orb/ Mind Blown sets. Zard Y always loses to Toxapex (as Pex only needs to stall out the sun for its team to start other counter plays) and absolutely does NOT matchup better against it than Blacephalon. Blacephalon has Trick/ Z-Ghost to beat Pex.

Yes, they are both special fire type wall breakers, but I don't think that Blacephalon has exactly the same function as Zard-Y, and alone can justify a fall in ranking. That said, I don't think Zard is a great mon these days, but Blacephalon alone doesn't justify it dropping.

Listen, I'm not saying Blacephalon outclasses ZardY 100%. I even acknowledged same perks of ZardY as you in my original post. I'm saying that for a mon that is already not that great before the coming of Blacephalon, it is definitely worse a choice after Blacephalon came and should drop. C+ seems fair for it.

 

[Finchinator]

Zard-Y and Blacephalon are entirely different Pokemon that do different things for teams. Zard-Y defines an archetype -- albeit, a dying archetype. It essentially requires Pursuit and Defog support while limiting options and only fitting on to a few teams. With there being an up-rise in counterplay to it on the defensive end of the spectrum, it is safe to say that the viability of Zard-Y has dropped somewhat over the past few months, leaving it to fit probably somewhere in B- or C+.

Blacephaon is a totally unique Pokemon to the tier that often does require Defog support, but generally works as a sweeper with the CM Z-Shadow Ball set or a cleaner and revenge killer with the Scarf set that does not define a team and the direction it is going in the same way ZardY does. Imo, Blacephalon is not too slow and it is far from weak, but being fragile and vulnerable to Pursuit (and hard walled by Tyranitar), meaning that it is a fine Pokemon in the tier and I think it will stay in the A-/A range for the near future, but I am willing to wait and see how the tier develops in the near future until I am sure on this.

I think people need to stop making shaky assumptions or comparisons like numerous posts have above and I also believe we need to give Blacephalon more time until we draw too many conclusions on it.

 

[Aww_Shuckle]

For Char-Y, what team archetypes does it hurt anymore? Stall? Chansey and SpDef Pex laugh at it. Balance? Once again, Pex and M-Venu wall it. Offense typically has 2-3 things that can outspeed and OHKO it. Rain is laughable. It's useless against Trick Room. It does well against Webs. It does well against certain Bulky Offense teams. It's helped by the new defoggers, but that's about it. C+ seems about right for Char-Y.

 

[Divine Retribution]

Once again, Pex and M-Venu wall it.

252 SpA Charizard-Mega-Y Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Thick Fat Venusaur-Mega in Sun: 200-236 (54.9 - 64.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

But yeah, Charizard Y is hot garbage in a metagame where it gets hard countered by one of the best Pokemon in the tier and no longer has its 3-headed cancer cell of a partner to trap its checks and counters. It doesn't even have a particularly good matchup vs Webs due to giving Zygarde free set-up, needing to win a Speed tie against Manaphy, and flat out dropping to Pinsir more than half the time, and again it gives one of the staples of BO, Zygarde, free set-up, so it's not exactly the most threatening Pokemon in that matchup either.

This mon was entirely reliant on Dugtrio to actually pose a threat to most teams and Arena Trap's departure to the great land of Ubers took with it most of its viability. It's not altogether a terrible Pokemon but it's hard to justify giving your mega slot to in the current metagame when it has such poor matchups vs so many teams.

Sorry for the rushed post, I'm tired as fuck and going to bed, maybe I'll try and revisit this topic tomorrow if the MCY discussion is still happening.

 

[Aww_Shuckle]

252 SpA Charizard-Mega-Y Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Thick Fat Venusaur-Mega in Sun: 200-236 (54.9 - 64.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Not really as synthesis recovers 66.6% in the sun. You're right though because not many run max/ max+.

This mon was entirely reliant on Dugtrio to actually pose a threat to most teams and Arena Trap's departure to the great land of Ubers took with it most of its viability. It's not altogether a terrible Pokemon but it's hard to justify giving your mega slot to in the current metagame when it has such poor matchups vs so many teams.

This is the biggest thing even though we're far removed from the Arena Trap suspect. It can still use its old ORAS buddy Banded T-Tar but it's less effective because T-Tar hates risking switching in to Pex and getting burned. Even if it pursuits fully SpD it does net 17-27% after regenerator. When I look at the rest of B- it's full of things I'm a lot more afraid of like Victini, Mega-Gyarados, Bisharp, and the new Jenga Mon. C+ seems much better where it joins other powerful fire types Volcanion and Mega Camerupt who both have notable niches over it depending on team.

 

[1_TrickPhony]

Another Nom: Excadrill B --> B+

This guy has a few metagame shifts that really benefit it.
1. Tyranitar is one of the most usable/used mons in the game right now, and that gives it an incredible speed tier, allowing for revenging of most mons.
2. It is able to power through webs and get a rapid spin off in the sand, something that no other rapid spinner can boast. It will still outspeed most air defoggers in the sand, even if slowed by webs, preventing you from having your team swept by webs.
3. Rotom-W is back, and this guy massacres levitate pokemon on Mold Breaker variants. Considering Rotom is probably the most common defogger in the game rn, this is super relevant. Hits through mimikyu, Latis as well.

 

[jdcomix]

Another Nom: Excadrill B --> B+

This guy has a few metagame shifts that really benefit it.
1. Tyranitar is one of the most usable/used mons in the game right now, and that gives it an incredible speed tier, allowing for revenging of most mons.
2. It is able to power through webs and get a rapid spin off in the sand, something that no other rapid spinner can boast. It will still outspeed most air defoggers in the sand, even if slowed by webs, preventing you from having your team swept by webs.
3. Rotom-W is back, and this guy massacres levitate pokemon on Mold Breaker variants. Considering Rotom is probably the most common defogger in the game rn, this is super relevant. Hits through mimikyu, Latis as well.

Blacephalon murders this thing. I'm sorry, but with the scarf set being so common, it outspeeds this thing and one shots it with flamethrower or fire blast. Excadrill has its strengths, but the metagame doesn't favor it as much as you seem to think it does. Also, Lando-T exists.

 

[1_TrickPhony]

Blacephalon murders this thing. I'm sorry, but with the scarf set being so common, it outspeeds this thing and one shots it with flamethrower or fire blast. Excadrill has its strengths, but the metagame doesn't favor it as much as you seem to think it does. Also, Lando-T exists.

Outspeeds non-sand variants only. Doesn't come close to sand rush speed tier, which makes excadrill one of the best revenge killers in the game rn once Lando-T is off the battlefield as you eluded to. Sure, it loses to Lando-T, but very few physical attackers don't, and thats why there are other mons on your team.

516 / Blacephalon / 107 / +Spe / 252 / +1
550 / Excadrill / 88 / Neutral / 252 / +2
604 / Excadrill / 88 / +Spe / 252 / +2

 

[Gary]

I don't think Driller should rise, if anything it should have rose when Naga was in the tier because it could actually pose as a threat to the Naga offenses running around, but now I don't think it would really make sense to rise it. T-tar usage will still remain high but that's just because T-tar is a really good Pokemon. The difference is that T-tar wont feel like nearly as much as a necessity unlike during Naga meta. The meta already seems to be reverting back to its fatter ways which Sand Rush Driller really struggles to break. None of its other sets are good enough to make it worth rising either.

 

[ZiodyneDX]

Does anyome think Volcarona should be moved down to A-? Make no mistake, I love the fire moth. But Defog support is practically a necessity for It. Gets crippled by rain and can get walled or countered by many common OU Mons and now faces serious competion as a Fire-type special nuke from Blachpeon

. However it does benefit a bit by the influx of Defog users, and it Z-moves have been a great boost to it as well. Psychium-Z can cause heavy damage to Toxapex and possibly K.O it after a QD boost. Bugium Z can give it insurance taking out Tyranitar even witout boosting .

The bug can melt entire teams if it can set up, but needs a lot of specific support to do so.

 

[Jordy]

Does anyome think Volcarona should be moved down to A-? Make no mistake, I love the fire moth. But Defog support is practically a necessity for It. Gets crippled by rain and can get walled or countered by many common OU Mons and now faces competion as a Fire-type nuker with Blachpeon

. However it does benefit a bit by the influx of Defog users, and it Z-moves have been a great boost to it as well. Psychium-Z can cause heavy damage to Toxapex and possibly K.O it after a QD boost. Bugium Z can give it insurance taking out Tyranitar even witout boosting .

The bug can nuke entire teams in the right situation, but it does have problems

Actually, if Volcarona gets a chance to come in on Ferrothorn it can entirely sweep rain teams depending on the plays u and ur opponent make, Blacephalon and Volcarona also don't function quite the same. Despite the obvious weaknesses Volcarona has it is still a very good mon and top tier threat, even tho it has these flaws it was still good enough to be A+, i don't see anything significant that changed for it to warrant a drop nor a rise I think A is fine.

 

[Toshiro46]

Does anyome think Volcarona should be moved down to A-? Make no mistake, I love the fire moth. But Defog support is practically a necessity for It. Gets crippled by rain and can get walled or countered by many common OU Mons and now faces competion as a Fire-type nuker with Blachpeon

. However it does benefit a bit by the influx of Defog users, and it Z-moves have been a great boost to it as well. Psychium-Z can cause heavy damage to Toxapex and possibly K.O it after a QD boost. Bugium Z can give it insurance taking out Tyranitar even witout boosting .

The bug can melt entire teams if it can set up, but needs a lot of specific support to do so.

Defog support is pretty easy to fit on a team rn and depending on the set you run, it actually does very well against rain, depending on how you play. And it plays differently from Blacephalon; one is a wallbreaker, the other a sweeper. Meta trends are in Volc’s favor, especially since it doesn’t have to compete with Naga as a special z-move sweeper any more.

It shouldn’t drop. With Naga gone, it’s once again the most dangerous sweeper in the tier.

 

[Finchinator]

Does anyome think Volcarona should be moved down to A-? Make no mistake, I love the fire moth. But Defog support is practically a necessity for It. Gets crippled by rain and can get walled or countered by many common OU Mons and now faces serious competion as a Fire-type special nuke from Blachpeon

. However it does benefit a bit by the influx of Defog users, and it Z-moves have been a great boost to it as well. Psychium-Z can cause heavy damage to Toxapex and possibly K.O it after a QD boost. Bugium Z can give it insurance taking out Tyranitar even witout boosting .

The bug can melt entire teams if it can set up, but needs a lot of specific support to do so.

Volcarona should certainly not drop to A-. If anything, it should be considered for A+ rank, in my opinion. With the new Defoggers, it now has a lot more versatility when it comes to prospective teammates, leading us to having actual variation and choices when building with Volcarona and letting it take advantage of the sets that give it the best chance to sweep under proper circumstances. Seeing as Z-Bug Buzz, Z-Fire Blast, and Z-Psychic are all options with Hidden Power Ground, Giga Drain, and a few other moves also being possible coverage options, I feel like Volcarona is at its best right now. Blacephalon is hardly competition seeing as Volcarona is more of a do-or-die win condition whereas Blacephalon can be seen as a standalone threat, but it is worth noting that due to the prevelance of Volcarona, some Scarf Blacephalon run Explosion to revenge kill it at +1. Overall, Volcarona is easily one of the tier's most potent win conditions and does not deserve to drop at all.

 

[Yung Dramps]

Volcarona: A ---> A+: Agreed

With the advent of new Defoggers, Volcarona's main flaw is now so much easier to patch up, and when you look at its strengths, it's no wonder why it should move up. When you have tons of versatility for Z-moves, a decent speed tier prior to set-up, ridiculous Special Attack and tons of coverage choices, Volcarona will massacre teams. Even when it comes to Scarf revenge killers, Volcarona has left a notable effect: Keldeo has to run Stone Edge, and now Blacephalon needs to run Explosion, a self-killing move, just to take it down at +1. Volcarona has something to beat everything in A+ and S, whether it be HP Ground for Heatran or Z-Psychic for Toxapex. This mon needs to go up. It's just so excellent.

 

[Scuba Diver]

Mega Slowbro C+ -> C


I feel that this ranking is a bit of a relic of some novel Snake teams that weren’t really that good to begin with. The rising use of bandtar, endless Kartana variants (Grassium Z is neat) easier defogging for Volcorona and Blacephalon all hurt this already bad mon. Seriously, when was the last time anyone saw this in a match? The best bulky water in the tier (Pex) just got a bit better with knock off, I think C+ is overselling this a bit. The only meta trend that helps it is the reduction in hazards across the tier but that’s not something unique to Mega Bro. It’s an interesting win con but you’re better served by Pex as a wall/pivot or Suicune as a wincon 99% of the time.

 

[BeardyBennett]

I think Araquanid might be worth a rise. Webs are pretty popular right now, and Araquanid is a great setter. However, it isn't a one-trick pony like past setters. Its power with Liquidation is great and helps with other popular leads such as Lando-T. Additionally, Mirror Coat can be used to lure and drop special attackers.

Not only that, Araquanid's bulk, typing, and ability allow it to switch in on the ever-annoying Scalds, Will-O's, and Ground attacks of the world. It walls Heatran's attacks but must be mindful of Toxic.

Overall, I think Araquanid is definitely better than C+ with Webs still being decently popular post-Naga. It's a viable playstyle, and Araquanid is the best Mon for it. However, unlike past Webs setters, it is able to contribute more to the team outside of Web-setting, having both offensive and defensive utility.

 

[micmacaroni]

Stakataka -> B

Stakataka seems underranked at the moment, and I feel that it's really unexplored. A physical attacker that can 2hko lando-t AND skarmory is already impressive, but pair that with a spammable stab move named gyro ball that heavily dents even resisted pokemon like excadrill, kartana, and zapdos, and you've got a wallbreaking powerhouse. This allows ease of prediction, unlike other wall breakers like tyranitar, kartana, and mega-medicham. This means that under trick room, it has the capability of getting 1-2 ko's off if the opponent has a good check to stakataka. The only pokemon in the entire tier that doesn't get 2hko'd by gyro ball + stab move is physically defensive tangrowth, which has a high chance to get 2hko'd by gyro ball after rocks, rotom wash and skarmory, which both get 2hko'd by stone edge, and ferrothorn, which can be taken down with superpower if the team opts to run it. The only counter to stakataka that I can think of off the top of my head is mega slowbro, which is frankly very bad in the overused metagame. With its immense wall breaking power and its access to trick room, stakataka will be able to hold its own in every match. Here are some calcs to illustrate the power of stakataka.

-1 252+ Atk Life Orb Stakataka Gyro Ball (150 BP) vs. 252 HP / 216+ Def Landorus-Therian: 187-222 (48.9 - 58.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
-1 252+ Atk Life Orb Stakataka Gyro Ball (150 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Landorus-Therian: 255-302 (79.9 - 94.6%) -- 50% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Life Orb Stakataka Gyro Ball (150 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Greninja: 244-289 (85.6 - 101.4%) -- 87.5% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Life Orb Stakataka Gyro Ball (150 BP) vs. 200 HP / 0 Def Magearna: 313-370 (89.1 - 105.4%) -- 68.8% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Life Orb Stakataka Gyro Ball (150 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Kartana: 139-164 (53.6 - 63.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Life Orb Stakataka Gyro Ball (150 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Keldeo: 192-226 (59.4 - 69.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Life Orb Stakataka Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Toxapex: 221-260 (72.6 - 85.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Life Orb Stakataka Stone Edge vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Skarmory: 134-160 (40.2 - 48%) -- 55.1% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock

The set I was using consists of Gyro ball, Trick room, Earthquake, and Stone edge, but there are other viable sets too. Lonely with 14 defense IVs allows beast boost to boost attack upon fainting a pokemon, which makes it much harder to revenge kill. Choice band is a set that forgoes trick room and opts for more sustain and power at the cost of locking stakataka into one move. Rockium Z allows stakataka to beat rotom-w, skarmory, and celesteela more consistently at the cost of life orb.

As with every pokemon, Stakataka does have its downsides. It's mainly outclassed by banded ttar as a wall breaker, who also pressures stall and can pursuit trap. It also requires trick room support, which although it can provide itself, wastes a turn and also requires that the team dedicates several or all of their pokemon to trick room abusers. It also suffers a weakness to specs ash greninja's water shuriken, and that its defense stat is just low enough for defensive lando-t's eq to ohko. The rock/steel typing is great offensively, but it's a double edged sword which really restricts the amount of times stakataka gets to set up trick rooms and set up shop.