Resource Simple Questions, Simple Answers

Why is Yveltal S-Rank? It seems more like a necessary evil than an actually good Pokemon. Perhaps its because I'm only using the Utility sets, but I find that Yveltal doesn't really do anything outside of Defog, countering Calyrax-S, and Knocking off the occasional item (which is inconsistently useful since a lot of mons like Eternatus just run one-time use items like Sitrus Berry. Outside of Calyrax-S, I haven't found it to be good at really checking or countering much else (maybe the occasional Giratina-O / Zarude but that's it). Necrozma-Dusk mane is a bit of a hard match-up since it might have Weakness Policy, T-wave, or something else to screw Yveltal over and subsequent Knock Off's don't deal enough damage.

Why does Calyrax-S not run Pollen Puff? Seems like a better move against Tyranitar / Zarude than Draining Kiss.

Why is Marshadow not S- or A+ Rank? This Pokemon genuinely feels impossible to deal with or switch into. Spectral Theif is also just way too good, preventing mons like Necrozma-Dusk Maned or Groudon from using Swords Dance, lest they want to get reverse swept.
 

Aberforth

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Ubers Leader
Yveltal is S-Rank because its used on essentially every team and can be customised to do a lot of things, while also being the sturdiest answer to one of the most dangerous mons in the tier. Knock/U-Turn/Defog/Roost keeps momentum really well and allows easy entry for a number of threats that struggle to come in on their own, given how little actually wants to take a Knock Off (think Mewtwo, Darm-G, Marshadow, Offensive Groudon/Kyogre who want the free entry). Dropping U-Turn for Sucker Punch improves the opposing offense matchup, and there are a myriad of underated offensive options that can be run in the event the team has good hazard control already. Hone Claws, Oblivion Wing, Taunt, Toxic are all good options for Yveltal and mean you can realistically expect it to do work no matter what the matchup is.

TTar and Zarude are not common enough to warrent a full moveslot from Calyrex-S over the much more consistenly useful Aroma/Nasty Plot on the Trick sets, especially since the trick sets can wear those two Dark Types down the same way it currently tries to with Yveltal, and the Sash set kinda needs Draining Kiss to attempt to 1v1 some Yveltals.

Marshadow is probably a little low on the VR, there will be an update on it after SCL most likely, but it wont be going into S rank because of how little defensive synergy it can posess, making it difficult for it to find room to come in repeatedly. Its bulk is nothing to write home about, and it has a drawback no matter its item choice. Choice Band is very tricky to switch in to, but can give up significant momentum if the wrong move is clicked, Life Orb can wear you down exceptionally quickly, and Spell Tag lacks a little bit of the power it wants. Marshadow is still great of course, and I personally think A+ would be justified, but it isnt on the same level of consistently good performance of the S Rank mons, nor I'd argue some of the current A+ rank mons (Groudon and Zygarde in particular). I do think its about the same level as Kyogre right now though, if not a bit better.
 
Why is Kyurem-W usage so low? I checked usage stats for 1760 ELO (high ladder), and Kyurem-W is placed 53rd, the lowest of all cover legends, even lower than Lugia which is is D rank in VR (and ranked 52nd). Is Kyurem-W really that bad?
 
Why is Kyurem-W usage so low? I checked usage stats for 1760 ELO (high ladder), and Kyurem-W is placed 53rd, the lowest of all cover legends, even lower than Lugia which is is D rank in VR (and ranked 52nd). Is Kyurem-W really that bad?
I don't have experienced using Kyurem-W, so take my opinion w/ a grain of salt. However, it seems to have low usage mainly because it requires a lot of support. Its a SR weak Pokemon with a poor defensive profile outside of checking some variants of Kyogre. Its typing especially stings because it causes it to have several overlapping weaknesses with its best support partners, Yveltal, and Ho-oh, making it a bit of a headache to build around. Additionally, it has some shaky match-ups against some of the best Pokemon in the tier like Marshadow, Necrozma-DM, and Eternatus.

However, on the flip-side, it certainly can be a very scary Pokemon if its able to get on the field safely. It actually has a lot of pretty solid 1v1 match-ups against some big threats like Kyogre, Groudon, and Zygarde, and there aren't many Pokemon that want to switch into a Specs / LO Ice Beam or Freeze Dry (especially since these moves also have a 10% chance to freeze).

While I don't think Kyurem-W is worse than Lugia, I can see why the latter has more usage. Lugia does an OK job at switching into Grounds like Groudon / Zygarde and can compress some other utility moves like Thunder Wave, Defog, Whirlwind, and Toxic which some teams will appreciate. While Lugia itself is lackluster, its defensive qualities and utility moves still make it a more appealing choice on "standard teams" if that makes any sense.
 

Red Raven

I COULD BE BANNED!
Haven't played ubers, or pokemon, in around a month and I saw that Rayquaza is good, at least in the vr posts. So, what set does it commonly run and what are some good teammates for it?
 

Katy

Banned deucer.
Why are there no teambuilding competitions this year?
Because of how similar the teams will look like and that there are specific Pokemon, which naturally force another specific Pokemon onto a team; as example Calyrex-S forces a high Yveltal usage on a team, therefore the structures of teams look way too similar and when you see SCL teams and WCOP teams they all have a very similar structure and therefore it would not be that good to make a teambuilding competition in this Ubers gen. Hope this answer helped :)

Haven't played ubers, or pokemon, in around a month and I saw that Rayquaza is good, at least in the vr posts. So, what set does it commonly run and what are some good teammates for it?
It can run Choice Band or Life Orb, setup sets might also be useful on especially Sticky Webs teams. There some Sticky Web setters like Slurpuff or Shuckle, which can provide this for Rayquaza. Other great teammates for it on offensive teams could be Dragon Dance Necrozma-DM, Geomancy Xerneas, Nasty Plot Calyrex-S among other setup sweepers like Groudon, Marshadow, and perhaps less common Pokemon like Nasty Plot Mewtwo.

On non-webs teams you can run Yveltal, a sturdy Ice-resist due to Calyrex-Ice, Aromatherapy Xerneas, Groudon, Zygarde-C. You can run it also with Darmanitan-Galar, as it provides a strong Ice-type STAB to break down bulkier Pokemon, which Rayquaza might struggle with such as Zygarde-C or Groudon. It can also provide support with U-turn and generates momentum. I hope this helped :)
 

Lasen

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Does Zygarde run any spdef evs on any set? I'm talking about its snake form not its, whatever its other forme is called
Seeing how the Complete forme starts out as the "snake" forme (aka 50%) you'd be hard pressed to find anyone differentiating the two. But no, as you can see from our analyis on the smogon dex, Zygarde usually doesn't run any Special Defense investment. Maybe try and find a breaking point you feel comfortable fits your team?
 

Red Raven

I COULD BE BANNED!
Seeing how the Complete forme starts out as the "snake" forme (aka 50%) you'd be hard pressed to find anyone differentiating the two. But no, as you can see from our analyis on the smogon dex, Zygarde usually doesn't run any Special Defense investment. Maybe try and find a breaking point you feel comfortable fits your team?
Thanks. I was curious because I was thinking of running ice beam on Rayquaza just for this irritation
 

Katy

Banned deucer.
How do I deal with Darmanitan Galar without using Kyogre?
Darmanitan-G doesnt have alot of great defensive Checks sadly, but faster Choice Scarf users, bulky Pokemon like Toxapex and Kyogre, and Skarmory can take a hit. Ho-Oh can also take a hit but must be careful around Rock Slide. But that is pretty much about it. As said it doesnt have alot of great defensive Checks. It is better to offensively pressure it, and play agressively against it, so it doesnt get many opportunities. Stuff like setting up Stealth Rocks early can help here or any other form of entry hazards. Playing agressively towards it is the best approach I feel.

Hope this helped :)
 
I'm trying to build a mono water team for ubers. i know.. basically impossible.

Kyogre - Specs
Palkia - Orb
Toxapex tank
Dracovish - Band
Gastrodon - Smog/Toxic
Cloyster - Sash

Anyone have any luck with mono water or even tried? Just curious if I'm on the right track.
 

DNNP

There is always next year
is a Top Tiering Contributor Alumnus
I'm trying to build a mono water team for ubers. i know.. basically impossible.

Kyogre - Specs
Palkia - Orb
Toxapex tank
Dracovish - Band
Gastrodon - Smog/Toxic
Cloyster - Sash

Anyone have any luck with mono water or even tried? Just curious if I'm on the right track.
Monotype Ubers teams, although not entirely viable in the meta, can be quite fun to use on occasion. So its not impossible, but difficult to execute. In the case of Mono-Water, your biggest concern is the lack of Caly-S switchins, as the number of water-dark/water-normal mons to pivot into astral barrage are few and not particularly good. That being said, some things to consider are how you deal with caly and how you pivot into electric or grass types/moves. https://pokepast.es/31281ef29cec1607 was a version used back in the Zac-C days that had some success in more casual games, but it hopefully emphasizes the need for speed control and ability to abuse rain, which is one of the major upsides of mono-water.
 

Lasen

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(Not an Ubers player here. Just asking out of curiosity)

What are the exact reasons behind Lugia's D-Rank in the VR?
the mon is absolute garbage; between the two most common Pokemon being able to hit for Super effective (Calyrex-S and Yveltal), the spam of Knock Off and status on a Pokemon that is Stealth Rock weak and thus relies on heavy-duty boots to remain relevant and has an ability that requires it to be at max HP at all times (read: click roost or be useless) coupled with the fact that everything it does Lunala simply does better (Shadow Shield is not ignored by Mold Breaker clones nor Sunsteel Strike) and you have SS Ubers Lugia. It has a teensy-weensy tiny niche on stall teams but even there you would much rather run almost anything else. I hope I covered you but if you're still (for some God-forsaken reason) interested in Lugia, I went more in depth about it in its analysis.
 

Fc

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Ubers Leader
Abomasnow and Arctozolt were ranked in the latest update. What makes that viable and what sets are used?
they're incredibly fringe at best, but a funny idea that was put together is technically somewhat viable. Afaik I was the first person to use it publicly in a tour game to success, with this one in seasonal. Abomasnow is a Kyogre """answer""" but it does get the job done, and despite Arctozolt being weak it can still force out a lot of mons especially with hail chip wearing things down. They seem like the type of mons to be a one and done on the VR but who knows, for now they do actually work. Abomasnow runs Sp.def, I had Leech Seed Protect Seed Bomb Blizzard but it has a decent movepool, and standard sub Leftovers 3a Arctozolt.
 
Quick questions abt the ranking update since I’m pretty new to the Ubers tier
1: what caused darm-g’s big jump in viability?
2. Why was kyu-w d-ranked but reshiram is still clinging onto C-?
 

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