Data Usage-Based Tier Update for March 2024

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This isn't related to current metagame, but RBY NU stats don't make sense. Banned pokemon like Clefable and Electrode are in the tier. I only dabbled in this tier a little bit and towards the end of the month, but to me it seems like the usage stats are including usage before the shift that resulted in Aerodactyl, Golduck, and Poliwrath being added into the tier with the likes of Golem and Clefable being removed. Obviously the usage stats for February should include all of February but would it be possible to make a seperate post involving the usage stats only after the shift? It would just kind of suck if the usage stats for this tier are already outdated, since it was on the ladder last month and it might be a while until it gets back on (February 2022 was the last time it was a ROA spotlight before this month).
 
holy shit our metagame is cooked
NU and ZU especially. This gen’s NU legit resembles the previous generation’s UU. I don’t even blame powercreep. I blame things like the January shifts, Pokémon that were unbanned from a tier in one month and dropping the tier below the next month, and just the fact that the tiering system is kinda broken. I thought Gen 8 was the worst generation in terms of lower tiers, but then Gen 9 in 2024 came and said “Hold my Full Restore” and now we have this. And on top of that, Meganette is still NDOU.
 
NU and ZU especially. This gen’s NU legit resembles the previous generation’s UU. I don’t even blame powercreep. I blame things like the January shifts, Pokémon that were unbanned from a tier in one month and dropping the tier below the next month, and just the fact that the tiering system is kinda broken. I thought Gen 8 was the worst generation in terms of lower tiers, but then Gen 9 in 2024 came and said “Hold my Full Restore” and now we have this. And on top of that, Meganette is still NDOU.
Yeah power creep is only one part of it tbh, the other part is how this system of staggered releases fucks up the traditional tier shift system. A lot of these mons who are dropping have niches in higher tiers or develop these niches once some of the obnoxious mons in that higher tier get banned. For example I remember a lot being made of Starmie falling to NU last gen while it was quite usable in both UU and RU
 
Yeah power creep is only one part of it tbh, the other part is how this system of staggered releases fucks up the traditional tier shift system. A lot of these mons who are dropping have niches in higher tiers or develop these niches once some of the obnoxious mons in that higher tier get banned. For example I remember a lot being made of Starmie falling to NU last gen while it was quite usable in both UU and RU
Dhelmise was in the same boat as Starmie. NU by usage but good in both UU and RU. Hell, even generations before the infamous Dexit happened had Pokémon that were good in the tier above where they actually ended up, like Golurk in Gen 5 RU, Alomomola in Gen 6 UU, and Hariyama in Gen 7 RU.
 
Dhelmise was in the same boat as Starmie. NU by usage but good in both UU and RU. Hell, even generations before the infamous Dexit happened had Pokémon that were good in the tier above where they actually ended up, like Golurk in Gen 5 RU, Alomomola in Gen 6 UU, and Hariyama in Gen 7 RU.
Empoleon is A- rank in UU, but is RU by usage. And before these shifts, slowking and tinkaton were top mon too that were in RU.
The opposite can happen too, Ambipom for several generations was in a tier it shouldn't have been in because it was so bad, but low-ladder players kept spamming it. Sadly, viability doesn't always seem to be the core component of using a mon on a team. I'm all for using your favourites, but sometimes you just have to accept they are not good.
 
What if this were 2012 and I told y'all that in 2024, Excadrill, Garchomp, Tyranitar, Keldeo, and Latios would all be UU tier?
I believe somebody made this joke before in the usage statistics of one moth, with a picture showing scizor, tyranitar and rotom wash, among others, which was UU viable. I couldn't find it, but it crazy to see what power creep does to some mfs.
 
Empoleon is A- rank in UU, but is RU by usage. And before these shifts, slowking and tinkaton were top mon too that were in RU.
The opposite can happen too, Ambipom for several generations was in a tier it shouldn't have been in because it was so bad, but low-ladder players kept spamming it. Sadly, viability doesn't always seem to be the core component of using a mon on a team. I'm all for using your favourites, but sometimes you just have to accept they are not good.
Vaporeon in Gen 6 UU and Jolteon in Gen 7 RU.
 
View attachment 610021
Gyarados in NU
Infernape in NU
Krookodile in NU
Magnezone in NU
Mew in NU
Milotic in NU
Noivern in NU
Raikou in NU
Reuniclus in NU
Rhyperior in NU
Suicune in NU
FUCKING SWAMPERT IN NU

At this point, this generation’s power creep is beyond salvagable. A hard reset/dexit is necessary for Gen 10, or else we’ll be seeing Garchomp in NU.

Remove the paradoxes, remove Ghold, remove Gambit, remove Ogerpon, or fuck it, remove half the entire goddamn Pokedex. When multiple Pokemon that have been great in UU suddenly drop to fucking NU cause they can’t cut it even in RU anymore in one generation, that is a problem.

TL;DR: Fuck Power Creep. Stop making more obscenely optimized Pokemon like Kingambit please.
I guess I’d advocate for tiers to be renamed to something that reflects better these mons actual usefulness. I don’t know if more dexit is suddenly the answer since people were so outraged about it but I do think Smogon’s tiering system is a good way to try to keep nearly every Mon relevant in some metagame no matter how far down , though at this point we really do need 10 or so tiers from Ubers to ZU or lower it seems.
 
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