Resource USUM OU ULTRA Viability Ranking Thread

[Felixx]

Ash Greninja A+=>A

I aggre with this nom. My main issue, other than bulky grasses and chansey becoming really popular, is that ash gren really isn't that threatining without transforming (at least in my battles vs it), and if it doesn't ko the 'mon its facing, its gona die (due to its bad bulk). However, gren is a very good 'mon when it transforms, and when it comes out, people swich in their tapu/chansey/mantine/magerna or any bulky grass or water type, or special wall (which eveybody has at least 1 of ).

Serperior B-=> C+

There's no reason to use this guy. While contrary's a good ability, serp has a poor movepool, and like BladeofFriendship said, hetran, who's really common right now, walls this guy to hell and back.

Disagreeing with an Ash-Gren drop.

You say that every team has atleast 1 answer to it, but the only reason every team has an answer is because it is so threatening, you can't just sack a mon to Ash-Gren and revenge kill it later like with other offensive threats, Gren just becomes extremely hard to deal with after transforming, with this mentality the opponent will obviously switch directly into their check instead of sacking for example, a 17 % Lando to prevent Ash, and you can use this to lay up spikes and deal with Pex, AV Mag and Bulu.The only fogger capable of switching into Ash-Gren is mantine, and that's not common anymore.

 

[Mellow]

Serperior B-=> C+

There's no reason to use this guy. While contrary's a good ability, serp has a poor movepool, and like BladeofFriendship said, hetran, who's really common right now, walls this guy to hell and back.

I'd like to disagree with this nom. I've been using Serperior quite a lot recently, as a sort of pseudo defiant mon on an hyper offense team, and it definitely has a reason to be used. You say that Heatran walls it, which to an extent is true, however with subseed (only set), you can weaken it severely (if not just stall it out of HP / force it to switch entirely) for other members of your team. This works even better with the evasion boost from defoggers, you can sub up until they miss (pretty much inevitable considering magma storms accuracy) then proceed to annoy them with leech chip. It's similar to Jirachi in that it can cheese its way past it's "counters".
B- is fine for the mon imo, it's definitely better than most of the shit in C+ (except maybe Hippowdon who I'd argue deserves a rise but that's another story).

 

[wisdom dog]

Ash-Greninja A+ -> A : Largely Disagree
This nom is ridiculous. Gren is one of the most threatening mons in the tier, and fits in strongly with the other A+ mons. Even in the matchups where its offensive dead weight (which is extremely rare), it can chip at the opponents team by stacking spikes. After gaining ash form, which isn't difficult to do, its extremely hard to revenge kill. Also, the rise of scarf kartana isn't necessarily a bad thing for gren as it can revenge kill it with minimal chip: 252 SpA Choice Specs Greninja-Ash Water Shuriken (20 BP) (3 hits) vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Kartana: 201-237 (77.3 - 91.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO.
This mon is still a monster, and is very capable of both breaking and sweeping teams.

Hippowdon C+ -> B-
This was kinda brought up by mellowyellow, and I couldn't agree more. It's currently one of the best, if not the best, KokoLucha counter in the game. It's one of very few mons that can beat both koko and lucha, which even zapdos and clefable can't do. It does offer much different options than landorus, with recovery, phazing, and a typing that makes it a far more consistent check to tapu koko. It also has the same amount of SPL usage as Volcarona and Hoopa-Unbound, mons that are currently ranked 6 and 4 ranks above it, respectively.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen7ou-341762 This replay is a good example of how much of a nuisance Hippo really is.

 

[Ohmboy Tesla]

I'd like to disagree with this nom. I've been using Serperior quite a lot recently, as a sort of pseudo defiant mon on an hyper offense team, and it definitely has a reason to be used. You say that Heatran walls it, which to an extent is true, however with subseed (only set), you can weaken it severely (if not just stall it out of HP / force it to switch entirely) for other members of your team. This works even better with the evasion boost from defoggers, you can sub up until they miss (pretty much inevitable considering magma storms accuracy) then proceed to annoy them with leech chip. It's similar to Jirachi in that it can cheese its way past it's "counters".
B- is fine for the mon imo, it's definitely better than most of the shit in C+ (except maybe Hippowdon who I'd argue deserves a rise but that's another story).

Volcarona takes nothing from even a boosted Leaf Storm and can set up on you or just go straight for the Bug Buzz through your Sub. If you're SubSeed with Glare, Scizor laughs at you all day and if you forgo Glare for HP Fire you can't deal with Heatran anymore.
Heck, even AV Bulu takes less than 50% from a +2 Storm in Grassy Terrain and always breaks your sub, even with Horn Leech. Leech + Grassy recovery make it so the next +4 Storm doesn't kill it and Wood Hammer will finish you off. Specs, Scarf, Normalium-Z, ... aren't viable sets as you mentioned, and the SubSeed set clearly has its issues as well.

I'm sure there are other mons that also don't care about it, but these 3 (not counting Bulu, shaky counter) alone seem like reason enough for me to drop it already.


Edit @below: Leaf Storm only has 8 PP, so a few times of switching back and forth later you're just sitting there with a Grass snake that only has a 60 Power Fire move and Leech Seed. And all the support you listed that it requires to do anything (fat water, hazards up but not on your side, ...) kinda show why people would want it to drop.

 

[Finchinator]

Honestly, I have no clue why Ash Greninja is even being considered to drop - it’s one of the best Pokemon in A+ and much closer tonight S- than it is A.

It pretty much only is kept in check by AV bulky grasses and often finds an opening later on in games if kept alive as it can be supported or work as a supporter for others as it is the best Spike setter in the tier. Add onto this that you get insanely strong priority and the ability to become one of, if not the, strongest special attacker(s) in the tier upon evolving and I really am at a loss for how anyone could rank this below the likes of Ferrothorn or Tapu Lele and on par with things like Celesteela and Clefable. I’m on phone now so I won’t elaborate much more, but I can safely say with confidence that Ash Greninja is not dropping in the near future.

 

[Discharged Xurkitree]

Honestly, I have no clue why Ash Greninja is even being considered to drop - it’s one of the best Pokemon in A+ and much closer tonight S- than it is A.

It pretty much only is kept in check by AV bulky grasses and often finds an opening later on in games if kept alive as it can be supported or work as a supporter for others as it is the best Spike setter in the tier. Add onto this that you get insanely strong priority and the ability to become one of, if not the, strongest special attacker(s) in the tier upon evolving and I really am at a loss for how anyone could rank this below the likes of Ferrothorn or Tapu Lele and on par with things like Celesteela and Clefable. I’m on phone now so I won’t elaborate much more, but I can safely say with confidence that Ash Greninja is not dropping in the near future.

Jumping off Finchinator, dropping Ash-Gren at it's height in the metagame makes no sense. It's ridiculous speed and special attack make it very hard to switch into, and can accomplish roles as a wall breaker and sweeper very well, with an added bonus of a spectacular priority move. It's STAB combo is excellent, and I just can't see it dropping. Sure AV mons, Bulky grass types and water types may check it, but they are rather minor forces in metagame (At least water types, I will acknowledge the rise of Bulu and Magearna).

 

[superstrike66]

Hawlucha A > A+
This Mon is honestly amazing, it is in my honest opinion the most centralising set up sweeper in the metagame right now and its scary offensive typing and the ability to set up vs many Pokemon in the tier including defensive Lando lacking toxic is amazing. Also it is pretty strong too, being able to break through specs koko with minimal chip and promoting teams to run roost koko toxic defensive lando and zapdos proves the centralizing effect of this Mon. And i feel Set Up sweepers in A+ such as Volcorona, and Zygarde, Hawlucha is on Par with if not better.

Hawchula A=>A+
Hawchula is one of ( if not the best physical sweeper rn), having a good speed tier, a great ability in unburden (which makes few things able to outspeed it), and the fact that few things actually resist both its STABs. As a result, Hawchula deserves to be A+.

TapuKoko A+ > S-
This nom has been floating around for awile, and I don't think I can say anything that hasn't been said. This 'mon needs a raise.

These two:

(currently B+)

I can kinda see why you wouldn't rank them with stuff like M-medi, M-maw and M-pinsir in A-, but I also think they're definitely better than most other things in B+ like M-zam, Blace (lol), Latios, Venusaur, ... Seeing how A- also has Chansey, Gliscor, regular Gren and Magnezone I can actually see the faces of Rain fit in there quite nicely.

The playstyle has been consistently good ever since M-pert got released and never really slowed down. It's performed well in a couple of matches in SPL and even though everyone knows what they do by now, you still can't afford to build a team that isn't prepared for them because you will absolutely lose more often than you'd like.

Mega-Swampert and PeliperB+=>A-
I also agree with this nom, since these guys are mandatory on rain, which is has been of the best playstyles for months now. Everyone knows what these guys do, but if you don't have anything to stop them (the best way to stop these guys is to use some other weather setter, and T-tar's the only other decent setter) you're screwed.

 

[Spoons of Justice]

Hawchula A=>A+
Hawchula is one of ( if not the best phisical sweeper rn), having an good speed tier, a great ability in unburden (which makes few things able to outspeed it), and really good moves. As a result, Hawchula deserves to be A+.

TapuKoko A+ > S-
This nom has been floating around for awile, and I don't think I can say anything that hasn't been said. This 'mon needs a raise.

Mega-Swampert and PeliperB+=>A-
I also agree with this nom, since these guys are mandatory on rain, which is has been of the best playstyles for months now. Everyone knows what these guys do, but if you don't have anything to stop them, you're screwed.

I can see spelling isn't exactly your strong suit. Gave me a real hoot though.

Anyhow, I want to take a moment to discuss this argument. You're basically saying "Hawchula has a good speed tier and a great ability and therefore should go up" or "Peliper can screw you if you can't stop them." Duh. This isn't exactly rocket science. Everyone here knows that Hawlucha's ability is great and has a good speed tier, and Peliper can screw you if you can't stop it. This is common knowledge; simply restating facts people already know don't help.

Guess what: Mega Beedrill or Linoone can screw you if you don't have anything to stop it. That argument isn't exactly compelling, as this doesn't automatically mean Mega Beedrill or Linoone should rise. How about this: should Ninjask rise because his/her ability is great and he/she has a great speed tier?

If you'd offer an alternative argument for Peliper going up (preferably one discussing their strengths in the metagame), your point would be stronger overall.

Anyways, I disagree with Koko rising. Your reason for Koko rising wasn't particularly powerful ("I don't think I can say anything that hasn't been said"), but the reason I want Koko to stay put is simply because I believe S- is a place for Pokémon who can either win games practically by themselves or do a great job preventing the other Pokémon from practically winning by themselves. I don't think Koko particularly excels at either – it's a great attacker, and remains relevant in this meta, but I have observed no meta trends (i.e. high quantities of Tapu Finis) that can particularly help Tapu Koko. Just the same old meta trends – Landog is everywhere, and AV Bulus aren't doing Koko any favors either.

Again, though, the criteria for S- is vague, and is open for debate.

 

[Mellow]

Volcarona takes nothing from even a boosted Leaf Storm and can set up on you or just go straight for the Bug Buzz through your Sub. If you're SubSeed with Glare, Scizor laughs at you all day and if you forgo Glare for HP Fire you can't deal with Heatran anymore.
Heck, even AV Bulu takes less than 50% from a +2 Storm in Grassy Terrain and always breaks your sub, even with Horn Leech. Leech + Grassy recovery make it so the next +4 Storm doesn't kill it and Wood Hammer will finish you off. Specs, Scarf, Normalium-Z, ... aren't viable sets as you mentioned, and the SubSeed set clearly has its issues as well.

I'm sure there are other mons that also don't care about it, but these 3 (not counting Bulu, shaky counter) alone seem like reason enough for me to drop it already.


Edit @below: Leaf Storm only has 8 PP, so a few times of switching back and forth later you're just sitting there with a Grass snake that only has a 60 Power Fire move and Leech Seed. And all the support you listed that it requires to do anything (fat water, hazards up but not on your side, ...) kinda show why people would want it to drop.

Okay, I'd like to properly address this post. Volcarona does wall yes, as does Heatran. You do get leech chip off on both however, and both share the same checks for the most part so it's not exactly the most straining on teambuilding. Scizor doesn't wall because you always carry HP Fire. Your calcs on Bulu are off. Horn Leech into Wood Hammer, factoring in terrain over 2 turns, does at most 80% (absolute max rolls), and you kill it with 4 consecutive Leaf Storms (or 3 Leaf Storms and an HP Fire if you don't wanna risk it): 200 SpA Contrary Serperior Leaf Storm over 4 turns vs. 248 HP / 56 SpD Assault Vest Tapu Bulu in Grassy Terrain: 481-567 (140.2 - 165.3%) -- guaranteed KO in 4 turns after Stealth Rock and Grassy Terrain recovery. Also, with the evasion boost from defog (not it's main niche but I think it's role as a defog deterrent is overlooked imo), it's fairly likely for Bulu to miss one of Horn Leech or Wood Hammer. Also the point of PP isn't exactly true here since you have 4 or even 5 Leaf Storms left to throw out. I just don't really understand the argument of "it has a couple of counters, therefore it should drop" like Ash-Gren has several counters to it that are prevalent in the metagame (Toxapex, AV Bulu, Ferrothorn to name a few) yet he's still an incredibly threatening mon. I'm not saying Serperior is anywhere near Ash Gren in viability I'm just saying I don't agree with your argument.

So, in conclusion, only two of the mons you named are counters, and both get chipped by leech and share checks so it's not hurting you too much.

 

[Mob Barley]

Tapu Koko A+ --> S-

Tapu koko needs to go s- already. It's literally the face of offense and it getting defog in usm really gave it a boost. It's by far the most reliable hazard remover in the tier and carried hawlucha to relevancy. The other tapus dont have nearly as good synergy with hawlucha. The phys def boost is key for hawlucha setting up on much of the tier and lele combos arent as effective with the +1 sp def gain. Not to mention bulu and lele arent as good at maintaining momentum. Tapu koko forces a ton of switches also making pivoting a rather novice task. It's speed tier allows this and it seems like 130 is unappreciated :c. Lopunny is the only thing that gracefully outspeeds reliably, i wouldnt even consider ash ninja since its reliant on a kill before and even then its hydro missing to check. So yeah, lopunny, ash ninja (meh) and scarfers are the only thing Koko must be wary of not u-turning on. Also the ton of options in regards to sets ranging from choice sets to z sets and magnet make scouting especially early game a MUST.

S- seems appropriate for its influence in the current meta and imo is well deserved to stand with the likes of kartana and heatran.

 

[robofiend]

Serperior B-=> C+

Disagree. I actually think Serp is B- worthy. The SubSeed set is annoying and Leaf Storm has obvious utility. Swap in on Ferrothorn and go crazy. With most Heatran out there running Magma Storm, SubSeed effectively PP stalls and Serp can fish for misses to be used as Leaf Storm set ups. And it has options for what goes in the two remaining slots: Defog has obvious utility if you're in need of that. Toxic+HP Fire can be used instead of Leaf Storm+HP Fire to give Serp a nice combination of annoying moves that wear down enemies like Tapu Bulu while still threatening Ferro and Kartana off the field. Pure Grass typing is cool too, letting it better absorb attacks from AV Bulu, Zygarde, and Scarf Kartana without fear of getting surprised by a super effective attack. In my eyes it's much better than other C+ mons like Zard-Y, Hydregion, Shuckle or Thundurus, however, it's obviously not great by any stretch of the imagination.

TL;DR - Serperior has some highly viable checks and counters but it is not without options for playing around them. Due to its good speed tier, decent support movepool and unique ability, I think it has a niche in B- that it can still hold onto, even with the increased popularity of Bulu/Heatran cores lately.

 

[MultiAmmiratore]

S- is a place for Pokémon who can either win games practically by themselves or do a great job preventing the other Pokémon from practically winning by themselves.

I think koko actually does what u said, it is one of the few hawlucha offensive check which is huge also it can actually win games if its checks has been crippled, it has many sets from Z-wild charge to specs to scarf to screens, and the rise of hawlucha in popularity is Nice for it also I saw people running av bulu as only check to it so I've Been toying with Ice beam graninja ash to cripple bulu and tapu koko and it was really effective.
I think koko is more a S- pokemon than A+ but as that rank is new it just didn't have the possibility.

 

[Discharged Xurkitree]

Hawchula A=>A+
Hawchula is one of ( if not the best physical sweeper rn), having a good speed tier, a great ability in unburden (which makes few things able to outspeed it), and the fact that few things actually resist both its STABs. As a result, Hawchula deserves to be A+.

TapuKoko A+ > S-
This nom has been floating around for awile, and I don't think I can say anything that hasn't been said. This 'mon needs a raise.

Mega-Swampert and PeliperB+=>A-
I also agree with this nom, since these guys are mandatory on rain, which is has been of the best playstyles for months now. Everyone knows what these guys do, but if you don't have anything to stop them (the best way to stop these guys is to use some other weather setter, and T-tar's the only other decent setter) you're screwed.

The council already voted on Hawlucha, overwhelmingly voted no, and for good reason. He may be a rising force, and a threatening sweeper, but he's just at home in A tier. He is not near meta defining, unlike many of the Pokemon in A+. He is not the almighty god of sweepers, and as more checks to him rise, he doesn't deserve A+.

Serperior B- -> C+: Agreed

Little vine mon cannot do crap against hearten, choosing to go hidden power ground means u can't do shit against scizor or Ferrothorn. Nerf pls! (I know that wasn't the best argument, but everyone else took the good arguments).

 

[Ske]

The council already voted on Hawlucha, overwhelmingly voted no, and for good reason. He may be a rising force, and a threatening sweeper, but he's just at home in A tier. He is not near meta defining, unlike many of the Pokemon in A+. He is not the almighty god of sweepers, and as more checks to him rise, he doesn't deserve A+.

Serperior B- -> C+: Agreed

Little vine mon cannot do crap against hearten, choosing to go hidden power ground means u can't do shit against scizor or Ferrothorn. Nerf pls! (I know that wasn't the best argument, but everyone else took the good arguments).

In my opinion Hawlucha is very meta defining and centralising and def on par with set up sweepers like volc and zygarde, it forces teams to run Electrics and has limited answers.
Many of its checks it can beat with ease ex. Specs koko goes down after a couple rock switch ins and the only really good answers are roost koko and probably the best answer to it is defensive zapdos. Mew is falling in usage and it can take a hit from clef at full hp and lando with toxic or Flyinium-Z can be worn down quite easily. Hawlucha is a terrifying sweeper and is well deserving of A+

 

[Scuba Diver]

In my opinion Hawlucha is very meta defining and centralising and def on par with set up sweepers like volc and zygarde, it forces teams to run Electrics and has limited answers.
Many of its checks it can beat with ease ex. Specs koko goes down after a couple rock switch ins and the only really good answers are roost koko and probably the best answer to it is defensive zapdos. Mew is falling in usage and it can take a hit from clef at full hp and lando with toxic or Flyinium-Z can be worn down quite easily. Hawlucha is a terrifying sweeper and is well deserving of A+

Yeah I think Volcorona needs to go down or Hawlucha needs to go up because I have not heard a single compelling argument why Volcorona is a more effective set up sweeper. Getting terrain up is a million times easier than defogging (even if defogging got more options is USM). Before the "you can't compare them" police come out, I think they are obviously comparable in role. While Volcorona is seriously hurt by the presence of Defensive Landorus' Rocks, Hawlucha actively takes advantage of the best set of the best mon in the tier. I don't really know what more anyone could ask of from a cleaner.

 

[NintendoVSPlaystation]

I am doing good against my depression, I just want to say that I like this thread a lot.

Tapu Koko A+ --> S-

Tapu koko needs to go s- already. It's literally the face of offense and it getting defog in usm really gave it a boost. It's by far the most reliable hazard remover in the tier and carried hawlucha to relevancy. The other tapus dont have nearly as good synergy with hawlucha. The phys def boost is key for hawlucha setting up on much of the tier and lele combos arent as effective with the +1 sp def gain. Not to mention bulu and lele arent as good at maintaining momentum. Tapu koko forces a ton of switches also making pivoting a rather novice task. It's speed tier allows this and it seems like 130 is unappreciated :c. Lopunny is the only thing that gracefully outspeeds reliably, i wouldnt even consider ash ninja since its reliant on a kill before and even then its hydro missing to check. So yeah, lopunny, ash ninja (meh) and scarfers are the only thing Koko must be wary of not u-turning on. Also the ton of options in regards to sets ranging from choice sets to z sets and magnet make scouting especially early game a MUST.

S- seems appropriate for its influence in the current meta and imo is well deserved to stand with the likes of kartana and heatran.

I have to agree with this one hundred percent. This is probably one of the most used things in OU at this point, behind Lando-T. Tapu Koko's only checks are bulky AV-Grass types and fast ground-types. Choice Specs + Thunder Terrain + Thunderbolt is something to be feared of from Tapu Koko, despite it's mediocre special stat. It is honestly one of the best Choice Specs user of all time, placing second only behind Ash-Greninja. It's somewhat vast move-pool and with Hawluncha rising in popularity, I think Tapu Koko deserves S- rankings. The only Pokemon in A+ tier who have a good reason to move to S- tier are Ash-Greninja, Magearna and Tapu Koko.

 

[Marigold]

A+ -> S- agree

shuca koko

Tapu Koko @ Shuca Berry
Ability: Electric Surge
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Roost
- Hidden Power [Ice]

Most of the reasons have been discussed, including how it's become the face of offense and is very threatening to near every archetype. We're at a point where merely having electric resists isn't enough, but a resist and an immunity are required to have a decent Koko matchup. But I feel Tapu Koko's versatility to metagame trends is the biggest strength for it. The metagame has adapted well to Specs Koko by having answers to whatever it decides to lock into, hurting its ability to create momentum. However, Koko can adapt to this by running a different set.

In a metagame infested with cores like Lando/Ferro/Pex or opposing Koko/Hawlucha, I've recently found the most success with the above shuca set. Volt switching has never been more brainless, as the opponent going lando means you get off a free hp ice. Roost lets you check opposing Koko and you just tbolt it down, and stay healthy vs a hawlucha in the back. Eventually the metagame will adapt to this Koko set too with hard stops like Hippowdon (already rising) and Gastrodon usage, but Koko learns grass knot. This is just an example of how Koko will always remain extremely threatening in the metagame, abusing whatever trends are thrown against it.

 

[INSANE CARZY GUY]

The grass snake has been one of my go to methods to prevent hazard removal/setting

It's one of the fastest things that can run taunt and afford the moveslot for it on its sub seed set. I ran it fast/bulky to shut down zyrade that ran bulky sub/tect/boost stall and with spikes it can really chip away at a team forced to keep switching, trying to sweep with it is just a nice gift You sometimes get after it's beat down some of the scared knee jerk switch ins

 

[Charmflash]

Little vine mon cannot do crap against hearten, choosing to go hidden power ground means u can't do shit against scizor or Ferrothorn. Nerf pls! (I know that wasn't the best argument, but everyone else took the good arguments).

Serperior B-=> C+

There's no reason to use this guy. While contrary's a good ability, serp has a poor movepool, and like BladeofFriendship said, hetran, who's really common right now, walls this guy to hell and back.

I dont know how multiple people fail to think this uncomplicated situation through, but once Serperior hits Leech Seed on Heatran (on the switch) you are able to beat it 1v1 unless it is scarfed. Add to that the fact that Magma Storm can miss leaving u behind a Sub once you've beaten Heatran and your argument has been completely invalidated.

The main issues of Serperior are:

-Low burst damage, therefore naturally bad matchup against offense (however, you at least have nice-ish speed and a workable defensive typing allowing you to do something once you get in a situation to use more than 1 Leaf Storm)

-8 PP On your main move, not allowing you to switch out a lot once you've commited. This is particularly bad against slower, fat teams like balance and stall, matchups which you run Serperior for.

-Mega-Venusaur and Amoonguss, with the former being mediocre right now and the latter being a good metagame call overall.

With that being said, without going too much into its strenghts (such as breaking Stall and Balance if you can manage your 8 Leaf Storm PP, being able to Sub up against Pex n stuff) I think Serp deserves to stay somewhere in the B rankings and C would be too low.

EDIT: User sedertz notified me that Taunt Heatran can also counter Serperior which is correct. Tho you still get at least (if Magma Storm hits) 3 drains of Leech Seed while Serperior is in since you can Sub once on the turn Heatran is taunting and you also get 1 additional Leech Seed drain once you switch into Heatran, (with your Ash-Greninja/Zygarde/whatever) which results in a fairly good trade overall.

 

[Mellow]

A+ -> S- agree

shuca koko

Tapu Koko @ Shuca Berry
Ability: Electric Surge
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Roost
- Hidden Power [Ice]

I'd recommend running the ABR spread, which guaranteed lives a banded Zygarde's Thousand Arrows after rocks.

set

Tapu Koko @ Shuca Berry
Ability: Electric Surge
EVs: 128 HP / 188 SpA / 192 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Volt Switch
- Roost

I dont know how multiple people fail to think this uncomplicated situation through, but once Serperior hits Leech Seed on Heatran (on the switch) you are able to beat it 1v1 unless it is scarfed. Add to that the fact that Magma Storm can miss leaving u behind a Sub once you've beaten Heatran and your argument has been completely invalidated.

The main issues of Serperior are:

-Low burst damage, therefore naturally bad matchup against offense (however, you at least have nice-ish speed and a workable defensive typing allowing you to do something once you get in a situation to use more than 1 Leaf Storm)

-8 PP On your main move, not allowing you to switch out a lot once you've commited. This is particularly bad against slower, fat teams like balance and stall, matchups which you run Serperior for.

-Mega-Venusaur and Amoonguss, with the former being mediocre right now and the latter being a good metagame call overall.

With that being said, without going too much into its strenghts (such as breaking Stall and Balance if you can manage your 8 Leaf Storm PP, being able to Sub up against Pex n stuff) I think Serp deserves to stay somewhere in the B rankings and C would be too low.

EDIT: User sedertz notified me that Taunt Heatran can also counter Serperior which is correct. Tho you still get at least (if Magma Storm hits) 3 drains of Leech Seed while Serperior is in since you can Sub once on the turn Heatran is taunting and you also get 1 additional Leech Seed drain once you switch into Heatran, (with your Ash-Greninja/Zygarde/whatever) which results in a fairly good trade overall.

Couldn't have put it better myself. I've also seen Sub Torment Serperior, which annoys Heatran even more since it can only use Magma Storm on every other turn and still has the chance to miss when it can use it, leaving it even more prone to being whittled down.

 

[Salemjuggernaut]

Tapu Koko A+ > S- Agree
Honestly when the S- ranking became a thing, I was surprised Koko didn’t become a part of it. It defies offense as a whole being apart of many offensive cores, mainly Koko/Lucha and Koko/Kyurem cores. It can run a plethora of sets like Specs, Scarf, Screens, Shuca, Z-Wild Charge, etc. It basically has the ability to stop its own “counters”. Koko can lure Amoonguss and Mega-Venusaur with Brave Bird, and can run Grass Knot for Hippo, Gastrodon, and Mega-Swamp. Not to mention non-ground types in general don’t like being hit by Specs Volt Switch.

Serperior B- > C+ Disagree
I don’t know why people are making arguments that Heatran is a major problem and you have to run HP Ground for it, but if you do then your walled by Ferrothorn and Mega-Scizor. That’s not a good argument for two reasons.

1. Heatran has no recovery and if it swaps in, Serperior may or may not have gotten a Substitute off. But if it did then Serperior can click Leech Seed and wear down Heatran unless Heatran taunts it.

2. Serperior doesn’t need to run HP Ground due to what I said.

I’m not going to make the claim that it is great, but I don’t think it deserves to be C+ along with trash like Alolan-Marowak and Dragonite.

Hippowdon C+ > B- Agree
Speaking of Alolan-Maro and Dragonite, why is Hippowdon still with them? It has good physical bulk and is probably the best answer to Tapu Koko we have besides Gastrodon. And can take a +2 High Jump Kick from Lucha with proper investment and Whirlwind/Roar it out of the field. It can also run Toxic for stuff like Landorus and Zygarde limiting their time in the battlefield. Of course Hippowdon isn’t perfect. Hippo is mostly dead weight vs defoggers like Gliscor and Kartana who Hippowdon can’t really touch but does okay vs Zapdos if you carry Toxic.

•Now for my own noms•

Scolipede C- > C/C+
The meta has favored it lately. Switch ins to Swords Dance Scolipede have become rarer. Landorus-Therian gets 2HKOd by Aqua Tail and Defensive Lando fails to OHKO with Earthquake. Scolipede can basically run Earthquake for Toxapex, and Magearna. Toxapex runs mostly special investment these days and Magearna doesn’t have anything to OHKO Scolipede. Many offensive mons lately not named Lucha or Kartana are hit super effectively by Scolipede. This thing is underrated right now.

Mega-Slowbro C > UR
Mega-Bro should’ve been unranked a long time ago. The meta laughs at this thing now. Rising usage of AV Bulu hurts and it has a long list of threats that hurt its viability as a whole.
-Kartana
-Ash-Greninja
-Tapu Koko
-Mega-Scizor
-Tapu Bulu (Again)
-Tyranitar
-Protean Greninja
-Zapdos
-Blacephalon
-Gengar
-Serperior
-Anything running Toxic
(Do I have to go on?)

It’s only notable niche is Calm Mind but once it gets Toxic’d, say goodbye to that dream of yours. M-Slowbro is just hard stopped by a large portion of the meta and I don’t think it should be ranked at all.

Dragonite C+ > C-
Bird Spam is dead, fairies are basically everywhere, and why use this thing over Zygarde who boosts better bulk and slightly more speed? It’s main niche is Multiscale which isn’t even to be warrant in C+ rank. C- is more fitting for it due to its limited opportunities to setup a DD. But has a wide offensive movepool.

Victini B- > B
This thing has been slept on since the discovery and hype of its Z-Celerbrate set but this thing doesn’t have a lot of good answers to it once it’s setup. Focus Miss for Ttar and Heatran, the rest is put in Searing Shot, Celerbrate, and Stored Power. Only issue with it is it wastes a Z-move slot and is very weak before setup. So I wouldn’t want it put too high.

Mamoswine B > B+
An offensive answer to Tapu Koko is always appreciated. This thing has almost no switch ins except for Rotom-Wash. It threatens every common defogger OU and has an almost guaranteed chance of getting rocks on the field because of it. It’s also valuable due to its ability to check Lando, Mega-Pinsir, and Zygarde.

Gyarados B > B+ (Maybe even A-)
Let’s just get this out of the way. What exactly checks it after a Dragon Dance besides Scarf Koko? Not much. The combination of Gyarados’ decent bulk, typing, high damage, and Moxie makes it a fearsome wallbreaker that not many teams prepare for. It basically gets a free DD off of Defensive Lando since it doesn’t run Stone Edge or Rock Slide. For the fourth slot, it is free to run something like Earthquake, Taunt, or Substitute. Even Stone Edge for Zapdos. The setup opportunities it has is huge and I hope it gets more representation in the future.

Mega-Pinsir A- > A
This is arguably one of the best megas and late game sweepers rn. Trends like Celesteela losing usage and AV Bulu and Hawlucha gaining lots of usage. It has the option to run Stone Edge for Zapdos and EQ for Magearna and Heatran. There is not much that can be said about it that hasn’t been said. But it’s only argument for not being anywhere near A tier is it’s 4x Rock weakness which isn’t a thing if it only comes in once and then obliterates the rest of your team.

 

[Eclipse]

No no no do NOT unrank Mega Bro, this is one of the most consistent Lucha/Lando/Zygarde answers we have in the tier. You seem to have a misunderstanding of what Mega Bro does; CM is by far its worst set, and it's best running this set:

Slowbro @ Slowbronite
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 216 Def / 44 Spe
Bold Nature
- Scald
- Ice Beam
- Psychic / Fire Blast
- Slack Off

While regular Bro is certainly not a mon you should use in this meta, Mega Bro's insane physical bulk increase lets it handle far more threats than you're really leading on that it can:

252 Atk Kartana Leaf Blade vs. 252 HP / 216+ Def Slowbro-Mega: 182-216 (46.1 - 54.8%) -- 55.9% chance to 2HKO

+2 64+ Atk Scizor-Mega U-turn vs. 252 HP / 216+ Def Slowbro-Mega: 236-278 (59.8 - 70.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO (and remember how susceptoble this is to Scald burns + potential Fire Blast, and if its SD Knock then you handle it pretty nicely)

Its ability to handle Zygarde, Lando, Lucha, Lopunny, non-Pulse Protean Gren, Pinsir and Medicham give Mega Bro a really strong niche in the tier. Regen pre-evo allows it to serve as a decent pivot which has its own distinct niches that separate it from Toxapex. Please don't argue against this mon on the basis of its weakest set, this mon is honestly better now than it has been previously, don't drop it or unrank it.

 

[stuuful12]

Dragonite from C+ to C- : No
Look, I'm okay with Dragonite dropping to regular C, even though I don't want it to, but to put Dragonite below crap like Nihilego and Salamence which Dragonite directly outclasses as a dragon dancer would be a massive mistake. You would think Dragonite has limited opportunites to set up, until you realize that it sets up on both Kartana and Tapu Bulu both of which are incredibly common. Also if your using the spread with Jolly, which is the best spread, then after a dragon dance, you will be able to outspeed and K.O most fairies. I will agree however that Dragonite's niche isn't appreciated on every team, but I think that warrants a drop to regular C, not C-.
I don't really diasgree with any of the rest of your post, though I think Salamence should drop if Dragonite drops. I'll probably post on that later

 

[LORD HELIX 65]

Tapu Koko A+ > S- Agree
Honestly when the S- ranking became a thing, I was surprised Koko didn’t become a part of it. It defies offense as a whole being apart of many offensive cores, mainly Koko/Lucha and Koko/Kyurem cores. It can run a plethora of sets like Specs, Scarf, Screens, Shuca, Z-Wild Charge, etc. It basically has the ability to stop its own “counters”. Koko can lure Amoonguss and Mega-Venusaur with Brave Bird, and can run Grass Knot for Hippo, Gastrodon, and Mega-Swamp. Not to mention non-ground types in general don’t like being hit by Specs Volt Switch.

Serperior B- > C+ Disagree
I don’t know why people are making arguments that Heatran is a major problem and you have to run HP Ground for it, but if you do then your walled by Ferrothorn and Mega-Scizor. That’s not a good argument for two reasons.

1. Heatran has no recovery and if it swaps in, Serperior may or may not have gotten a Substitute off. But if it did then Serperior can click Leech Seed and wear down Heatran unless Heatran taunts it.

2. Serperior doesn’t need to run HP Ground due to what I said.

I’m not going to make the claim that it is great, but I don’t think it deserves to be C+ along with trash like Alolan-Marowak and Dragonite.

Hippowdon C+ > B- Agree
Speaking of Alolan-Maro and Dragonite, why is Hippowdon still with them? It has good physical bulk and is probably the best answer to Tapu Koko we have besides Gastrodon. And can take a +2 High Jump Kick from Lucha with proper investment and Whirlwind/Roar it out of the field. It can also run Toxic for stuff like Landorus and Zygarde limiting their time in the battlefield. Of course Hippowdon isn’t perfect. Hippo is mostly dead weight vs defoggers like Gliscor and Kartana who Hippowdon can’t really touch but does okay vs Zapdos if you carry Toxic.

•Now for my own noms•

Scolipede C- > C/C+
The meta has favored it lately. Switch ins to Swords Dance Scolipede have become rarer. Landorus-Therian gets 2HKOd by Aqua Tail and Defensive Lando fails to OHKO with Earthquake. Scolipede can basically run Earthquake for Toxapex, and Magearna. Toxapex runs mostly special investment these days and Magearna doesn’t have anything to OHKO Scolipede. Many offensive mons lately not named Lucha or Kartana are hit super effectively by Scolipede. This thing is underrated right now.

Mega-Slowbro C > UR
Mega-Bro should’ve been unranked a long time ago. The meta laughs at this thing now. Rising usage of AV Bulu hurts and it has a long list of threats that hurt its viability as a whole.
-Kartana
-Ash-Greninja
-Tapu Koko
-Mega-Scizor
-Tapu Bulu (Again)
-Tyranitar
-Protean Greninja
-Zapdos
-Blacephalon
-Gengar
-Serperior
-Anything running Toxic
(Do I have to go on?)

It’s only notable niche is Calm Mind but once it gets Toxic’d, say goodbye to that dream of yours. M-Slowbro is just hard stopped by a large portion of the meta and I don’t think it should be ranked at all.

Dragonite C+ > C-
Bird Spam is dead, fairies are basically everywhere, and why use this thing over Zygarde who boosts better bulk and slightly more speed? It’s main niche is Multiscale which isn’t even to be warrant in C+ rank. C- is more fitting for it due to its limited opportunities to setup a DD. But has a wide offensive movepool.

Victini B- > B
This thing has been slept on since the discovery and hype of its Z-Celerbrate set but this thing doesn’t have a lot of good answers to it once it’s setup. Focus Miss for Ttar and Heatran, the rest is put in Searing Shot, Celerbrate, and Stored Power. Only issue with it is it wastes a Z-move slot and is very weak before setup. So I wouldn’t want it put too high.

Mamoswine B > B+
An offensive answer to Tapu Koko is always appreciated. This thing has almost no switch ins except for Rotom-Wash. It threatens every common defogger OU and has an almost guaranteed chance of getting rocks on the field because of it. It’s also valuable due to its ability to check Lando, Mega-Pinsir, and Zygarde.

Gyarados B > B+ (Maybe even A-)
Let’s just get this out of the way. What exactly checks it after a Dragon Dance besides Scarf Koko? Not much. The combination of Gyarados’ decent bulk, typing, high damage, and Moxie makes it a fearsome wallbreaker that not many teams prepare for. It basically gets a free DD off of Defensive Lando since it doesn’t run Stone Edge or Rock Slide. For the fourth slot, it is free to run something like Earthquake, Taunt, or Substitute. Even Stone Edge for Zapdos. The setup opportunities it has is huge and I hope it gets more representation in the future.

Mega-Pinsir A- > A
This is arguably one of the best megas and late game sweepers rn. Trends like Celesteela losing usage and AV Bulu and Hawlucha gaining lots of usage. It has the option to run Stone Edge for Zapdos and EQ for Magearna and Heatran. There is not much that can be said about it that hasn’t been said. But it’s only argument for not being anywhere near A tier is it’s 4x Rock weakness which isn’t a thing if it only comes in once and then obliterates the rest of your team.

Mega Slowbro should absolutely NOT be Unranked. In fact, it's a bit of a hidden gen in the meta that can check many threats like Zygarde, Mamoswine, normal Gyarados, Toxapex, Ferrothorn and Amoonguss. In fact, it is quite anti meta and I would much more see it rise than drop, let alone it being unranked. Also Dnite can still be a threat and has a niche appreciated by certain teams, Multiscale. It can almost always get up a DD and get a kill. I will However agree with Mamoswine to B+. I know that it just rose but it really is just that good. It coverage is unresisted in OU and hits so many mons for super effective damage I can't even name them all. Just to name a few are Zapdos, Tyranitar, Hawlucha, Zygarde, Tapu Koko, Tapu Bulu, Lando-T, Heatran, and Toxapex. Great mon. No real opinion on the other nominations though. However, I would like to see Hydreigon drop to C-. What does this mon accomplish that the other dragons, Zygarde, Garchomp Dragonite, and hell even salamece, don't already do? I am aware Hydreigon is a special attacker but other Dragont types are simply more effective right now. Draco Meteor has so many switch ins it's not even funny, and it gets boned by most of the meta from Clefable, Tapu Lele, Tapu koko, Mamoswine, Hawlucha, Magearna, Weavile, Zygarde, and somehow loses to Toxapex??? Drop this mon.

 

[Mellow]

It coverage is unresisted in OU

Just a nitpick, Rotom-W resists both of Mamoswine's STABs due to Levitate. Also, so this post isn't just me making a nitpick, I'll comment on some of the drops and rises being suggested.

Tapu Koko A+ -> S- Agree
This thing is just so good. It forces teams to run an electric resist despite the tier only having 2 viable offensive electric types. It pairs well with so many mons due to the terrain it sets and the fact it can pivot so effectively (Mega Medicham, Kyurem Black, Charizard X, Blacephalon, Mega Scizor etc.). It pretty much single-handedly carried Hawlucha to A rank. It's one of the tiers best offensive defoggers. It's versatile, having 4 sets on Smogon and a few other viable sets that aren't listed (Z Nature's Madness, Screens and Scarf). It's just so good. Current meta trends are helping it out too, with Tornadus becoming a lot more common as of late. If Heatran deserves to be S-, then in my eyes, so does Koko.

Hippowdon C+ -> B- Agree
Why is this thing still C+? Yes it faces competition from other bulky ground types like Landorus and Gliscor, but it's not like it doesn't have it's niches. Over Landorus it has reliable recovery, phasing, sand storm to chip, a better typing to combat Electric and Rock types and better special bulk. Over Gliscor, while it doesn't have better recovery, it has all the things listed above aside from that and better bulk overall. Also, hippo beats what a lot of people would consider the most threatening offensive core in the current meta - KokoLucha. To keep this mon in the same rank as stuff like Dragonite and Mega Manectric is a crime.

Serperior B- -> C+ Disagree
I've already stated my arguments for this mon, so no need to repeat myself.

Mega Slowbro C -> UR Disagree
I can't really say too much about this mon because I've never used it, but it's ability to blanket check most physical mons (even those that it's weak to) is invaluable. It's definitely team specific, but it's niche is strong enough and not really filled by any other mon that I think it deserves it's C rank.

Now for a nom probably nobody is going to agree with:

Mega Garchomp C -> C+
Okay, putting the "muh speed" to one side (not to say that's not a valid argument for why this mon isn't very good, it's just that you can work round it), let me explain. This nom isn't really a metagame trend based one, it's more that I think this is a sleeper mon that people have sorta forgotten about (can't blame you tbh). I'd agree that there's almost no reason to use the mega over the base form of this mon usually - the 10 speed drop just sucks too much. However, there is one team archetype I would: Webs. I've been using this thing a lot on webs recently and it's surprisingly been putting in a lot more work than I expected. With webs up, you outspeed the entirety of the unboosted metagame, and can tear through most teams answers for this mon (except Lando, you 2hko scarf and defensive with +1 d claw and rocks up but you're forced to take a hp ice which leaves you in range of a plethora of attacks from scarfers / priority moves, and scarf 2hkos you with hp ice and outspeeds so you're forced to switch). You might think "why not just use normal garchomp still". Well, there's a few rolls you miss out on with Garchomp that the Mega doesn't (bare in mind this isn't an exhaustive list);

calcs

+2 252 Atk Garchomp Fire Fang vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Tapu Bulu: 252-298 (73.4 - 86.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Grassy Terrain recovery
+2 252 Atk Garchomp-Mega Fire Fang vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Tapu Bulu: 308-364 (89.7 - 106.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock and Grassy Terrain recovery
+2 252 Atk Garchomp Earthquake vs. 248 HP / 88 Def Venusaur-Mega: 255-300 (70.2 - 82.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
+2 252 Atk Garchomp-Mega Earthquake vs. 248 HP / 88 Def Venusaur-Mega: 310-366 (85.3 - 100.8%) -- 87.5% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
+2 252 Atk Garchomp Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Clefable: 288-339 (73 - 86%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
+2 252 Atk Garchomp-Mega Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Clefable: 351-414 (89 - 105%) -- 31.3% chance to OHKO after Leftovers recovery (not exactly reliable but with minor chip it kills)
+2 252 Atk Garchomp Earthquake vs. 248 HP / 8 Def Tapu Fini: 288-340 (83.9 - 99.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
+2 252 Atk Garchomp-Mega Earthquake vs. 248 HP / 8 Def Tapu Fini: 352-415 (102.6 - 120.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252 Atk Garchomp Fire Fang vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Skarmory: 162-192 (48.6 - 57.6%) -- 53.1% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
+2 252 Atk Garchomp-Mega Fire Fang vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Skarmory: 198-234 (59.4 - 70.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

Obviously Garchomp is better in some scenarios also due to it's ability to carry a Z move, which can bust through counters in its own right (namely Landorus with Dragonium Z or Celesteela and Ferrothorn with Firium Z) but it's weaker overall after the Z. Also, you're not always carrying the correct Z crystal for the matchup, so it can leave you with a useless moveslot, whereas you're gonna benefit from the added bulk or attack the mega provides in most matchups. Finally, I believe it's a bit better than most if not all of the other mons in C. It's only a small shift, as it's only better than Garchomp in very niche situations, but hopefully writing this will give the mon a bit more attention than it has been getting (zero).
edit: i don't have any replays showcasing my point rn, i'll try get some soon