croak stack was ahead of its time
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Resource NU Viability Rankings
- Thread starter etern
- Start date
some extra context on Bellibolt's rise asw because I'm probably its biggest proponent atm:
Slow pivot = very good right now. Lots of our wallbreakers--Porygon-Z, Flamigo, Chandelure, and Toxtricity as examples--really enjoy getting easy switches, and Bellibolt provides that safety they need against Pokemon they have a good matchup versus. It's really good on bulky offense too, which is pretty important given balance is still in a bit of a turbulent spot. Being one of the few Toxic poison spreaders is positive asw and makes punishing the increasingly common Gastrodon quite free.
Slow pivot = very good right now. Lots of our wallbreakers--Porygon-Z, Flamigo, Chandelure, and Toxtricity as examples--really enjoy getting easy switches, and Bellibolt provides that safety they need against Pokemon they have a good matchup versus. It's really good on bulky offense too, which is pretty important given balance is still in a bit of a turbulent spot. Being one of the few Toxic poison spreaders is positive asw and makes punishing the increasingly common Gastrodon quite free.
B+Rhydon has been quite underrated for a while now, it is incredibly bulky with eviolite and has a great typing to check the likes kilowattrel and toxtricity among other threats and thanks to lightning rod it's a volt immune that doesn't lose its volt immunity after tera, meaning you can use something like tera water to help check basculegion without giving kilowattrel free reign to volt switch as much as it pleases. Rhydon can also go on the offensive as it has plenty of strong coverage options to go with its stabs, such as ice punch and heat crash nailing flygon and amoonguss, with swords dance to muscle through walls like bronzong. Rhydon is capable of checking a good portion of the metagame and forcing favorable trades game to game
NU swiss replays:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen9nu-834023
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen9nu-835249?p2
BLT vs big tony:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen9nu-836233
Rhydon being sole reason that team didn't just auto lose to hisuian braviary
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen9nu-834023
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen9nu-835249?p2
BLT vs big tony:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen9nu-836233
Rhydon being sole reason that team didn't just auto lose to hisuian braviary
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It may be too reactionary but I'd like to nominate Scrafty to at least A- tier; seeing it run amok in NUPL while being terrifying even at team preview increases its value a lot to me. Not only is it a potent setup sweeper, but the defensive utility of a 4x Dark resist, Munkidori check, and general status absorber makes it a great asset to any style of team.
Additionally I think Bellibolt, Wo-Chien, and Houndstone should all rise, and Toxicroak should drop.
Additionally I think Bellibolt, Wo-Chien, and Houndstone should all rise, and Toxicroak should drop.
B- -> B+ the core of these guys + gastro is single handedly carrying balance in nu on its back. wo-chien can sit on practically anything with tera and even without tera it’ll end up walling something on your opponents team. rest talk wochien is also goated more people should use it. bellibolt works well as a flamigo check and has volt switch to bring in wall breakers of your own. soak+toxic+volt is also super annoying for anything that isn’t tera steel/poison in the tier.
A- -> B+ i just don’t feel like croak is putting in work in as many games as i would like it to. it’s not bad but the rise or gastro sucks for it and it struggles into to much of the tier to actually set up most of the time.
B+ -> A-/A scrafty feels really good in the current meta. it runs through most teams with a well timed tera and easily gets set up opportunities. it checks munki, absorbs status, and has loads of useful resistances for a team. encore is also super helpful.
A -> A- this dude feels washed. it comes in and sometimes trades. i feel like id rather have any of the other better dark types on my teams instead of incin anytime i use it. doesn’t help that it can’t make good use of its dark resist because its weak to rocks. L mons rnalso vileplume lowkey feels like it has niches over Amoonguss but I might be alone on this so im not noming
Agree with the previous nominations and would like to add my opinion on a few more!
Tsareena B- -> B+ Rising as one of the better removal options at this time in my opinion. It's great into most hazard setters in the tier, and boasts a powerful knock off to slam ghosts and make general progress into teams. It also has decent bulk and reliable recovery, meaning it's great at keeping hazards off throughout a game. Not to mention it's great attack and coverage options. I think it deserves to be in the same rank as other removal options such as altaria.
Avalugg B+ -> B Still a great physical wall, but teams who use this as their standalone physical check struggle to the increasing amounts of iron defense and bulk up users we are seeing in balance teams, which use it as setup fodder. It's typing is difficult to build with to form proactive cores that can support it. HO falling slightly doesn't help either.
Slowbro-G B+ -> A- Seeing amoongus at A makes me surprised to see this guy being so much lower. It has great bulk, immense longevity and is great into choiced attackers (especially flamigo). It can spread status, serve as a wincon with iron defense or calm mind, or be a good tank with many coverage options. It's set up and coverage means it handles opposing set up a lot better than amoongus too. Furthermore, the rise of non ground weak dark types such as scrafty and wo-chien make it more bearable to build teams with this guy.
Hariyama B+ -> B I like the guy but apart from hitting fairies I feel like scrafty does a lot more things better.
Breloom C -> B-/B
Poison heal loom is amazing into bellibolt and wo-chien, absorbs knock and status, can beat muk with bulk up, overall it has many benefits against the bulkier teams we are seeing. Has competition versus scrafty but I am finally seeing some use for this guy.
Tornadus B- -> B It's pretty threatening at breaking holes with nasty plot if its not blind, and has coverage to hit steels. Utility such as priority tailwind can act as a last ditch support to give teammates the jump against offense teams.
Tsareena B- -> B+ Rising as one of the better removal options at this time in my opinion. It's great into most hazard setters in the tier, and boasts a powerful knock off to slam ghosts and make general progress into teams. It also has decent bulk and reliable recovery, meaning it's great at keeping hazards off throughout a game. Not to mention it's great attack and coverage options. I think it deserves to be in the same rank as other removal options such as altaria.
Avalugg B+ -> B Still a great physical wall, but teams who use this as their standalone physical check struggle to the increasing amounts of iron defense and bulk up users we are seeing in balance teams, which use it as setup fodder. It's typing is difficult to build with to form proactive cores that can support it. HO falling slightly doesn't help either.
Slowbro-G B+ -> A- Seeing amoongus at A makes me surprised to see this guy being so much lower. It has great bulk, immense longevity and is great into choiced attackers (especially flamigo). It can spread status, serve as a wincon with iron defense or calm mind, or be a good tank with many coverage options. It's set up and coverage means it handles opposing set up a lot better than amoongus too. Furthermore, the rise of non ground weak dark types such as scrafty and wo-chien make it more bearable to build teams with this guy.
Hariyama B+ -> B I like the guy but apart from hitting fairies I feel like scrafty does a lot more things better.
Breloom C -> B-/B
Poison heal loom is amazing into bellibolt and wo-chien, absorbs knock and status, can beat muk with bulk up, overall it has many benefits against the bulkier teams we are seeing. Has competition versus scrafty but I am finally seeing some use for this guy.
Tornadus B- -> B It's pretty threatening at breaking holes with nasty plot if its not blind, and has coverage to hit steels. Utility such as priority tailwind can act as a last ditch support to give teammates the jump against offense teams.
pls don't take anymore of sv pu mons , our community in shambles rn , since the loss of jah , decid , toxtricity , warus.It may be too reactionary but I'd like to nominate Scrafty to at least A- tier; seeing it run amok in NUPL while being terrifying even at team preview increases its value a lot to me. Not only is it a potent setup sweeper, but the defensive utility of a 4x Dark resist, Munkidori check, and general status absorber makes it a great asset to any style of team.
Additionally I think Bellibolt, Wo-Chien, and Houndstone should all rise, and Toxicroak should drop.
UR -> C/B-I'd like to nominate my guy Whimsicott, whose typing and unique traits make it a useful defensive and offensive tool in our setup hell. Whimsicott's Prankster Encore makes it an extremely effective disruptor of setup-based strategies, along with U-turn to gain momentum. Its typing allows it to resist attacks from and threaten common threats like Flygon and Drednaw, and these mons can themselves make use of Prankster Encore and Memento to find setup turns.
Here's some noms for you in no particular order.
Flamigo A+ -> S
Very easy to fit on teams, spikes-immune, and its STABs are extremely spammable, leaving little downside to choiced sets. Can effectively run Scarf, Band, and SD sets, making counterplay somewhat awkward. The mon has been a centralizing force in the tier lately and I think that's clearly a reflection of its power as an elite breaker, cleaner, and pivot. The outcry for a potential suspect further cements in my mind that Flamigo is worthy of an S-tier ranking.
Kilowattrel A -> A+
When you actually look at the tier's Kilowattrel switch-ins they are few and far between. The ability to compress a fast pivot with an actually solid Flamigo check is incredibly good right now. If any team skips out on an Volt-immune, they're in for a world of hurt against this bird.
Tsareena B- -> B+
I am once again asking for Tsareena to be ranked higher. It's the premier mon for hazard removal on Spikes balance teams, which are very strong and popular right now. It finds plenty of ins versus commonplace defensive mons like Gastrodon, Vaporeon, Bronzong, and Klefki. Defensive sets are the best by far, and Synthesis is mandatory.
Vaporeon A -> A+
Vapo is the balance mon, the solid typing, ability, and chunky heals from Wish have proven indispensable to the style. It even has solid set variety with options like CM, Roar, and coverage moves like Shadow Ball or Alluring Voice.
Munkidori A+ -> S
Munki is the defining Choice Scarfer of the tier, and as others have discussed can be quite constraining on what other teams can use. It consistently beats its checks with Trick while also having other powerful options like Future Sight and Nasty Plot sets.
Galarian Slowbro B+ -> A-
I like this mon. It's the sturdiest check to the tier's fighters (notably Flamigo) and can wield many different items and movesets effectively. PZ ban is also huge as teams won't score so much off of clicking U-turn into this guy. The biggest thing holding him back is type overlap with Munkidori, meaning you can pretty much never run them side by side.
Bellibolt B- -> A-/B+
For the longest time I've been thinking "Bellibolt has to be good, right?", and it has finally been seeing a lot of tournament usage to reflect that. It matches up exceptionally well into Cinccino + Scyther HO, and is one of the tier's few (semi) consistent Flamigo switch-ins. Shoutout Rabia for being a fellow Belliever.
Wo-Chien B- -> B+
Excellent partner with Bellibolt but it has risen largely due to Basculegion's influence. Woch serves in a similar niche to Alolan Muk as a bulky wall and progress maker in one, and with a physically defensive RestTalk set it can actually 1v1 Alolan Muk. It also checks stuff like Cinccino, DD Flygon, and Drednaw with Foul Play.
Breloom C -> B
Breloom is finally unwashed, as its poison heal sets have been taking off. Protect makes it easy to scout choiced mons that aim to KO it like Munkidori and Flamigo, and it's great at exploiting common defensive pokemon in the tier like Vaporeon, Gastrodon, Bellibolt, and Wo-Chien. It's very Tera-hungry but it has potential to 6-0 a surprising number of teams with the right set/tera.
Houndstone C -> B
Houndstone has been the best dedicated spinblocker in the tier for a while and has seen a steady increase in usage on defensive builds, particularly by high-level players like Diamonds_realm and Elias Psy. With Brambleghast falling off and Tsareena back on the rise, Houndstone is better positioned than ever. It checks a wide array of physical attackers like Cinccino + Scyther and no longer has to contend with one of its worst matchups after the PZ ban.
Tornadus B- -> B
I really like Nasty Plot Tornadus. It breaks a lot of stuff and while Diancie is both common and a very reliable switch in, it can be worn down with the right support.
Scrafty B+ -> A-
A potent Alolan Muk alternative. Its serves as a defensive switch-in that shrugs off status, a setup win condition with Bulk Up, and a consistent progress-maker with Knock Off. Dragon Dance sets are also quite nasty to deal with. Scrafty is pretty Tera-hungry, but makes it easier to get the setup turns it needs to close out games or force out an enemy Tera.
Cinccino A+ -> A
Cinccino is still good, but the meta hasn't evolved in the most friendly way to it. A lot of the aforementioned rises are an effect of Cinccino's dominance, but it seems the rat has been suffering from success.
Scyther A- -> B+
Package deal with Cinccino. Needs lots of support from its team but can still put up numbers. Dislikes the same trends that Cinccino does. Defog is, unfortunately, not real.
Alolan Ninetales A -> A-
Veil just isn't what it once was, and Klefki is honestly more reliable as a screens support. Also, Snow just hasn't been putting up numbers. I think the best use for this is Nasty Plot + Encore on a Steel overwhelm team with some other way to benefit from Snow, but its not strong or widespread enough to justify an A ranking anymore.
Grafaiai B- -> B
Terrain is good. Grafaiai goes on terrain. SD + Encore with Tera Dark is disgusting - try it.
Avalugg B+ -> B
The pokemon of all time (I have felt no need to use it for a while, nor have I seen it that much. It's still ok. It's Avalugg.)
Cramorant C -> B-
Cool Defog option that often trades well above its weight.
Gligar B -> B+
Welcome back, Spikes balance. Also one of the few Alolan Muk checks.
Rotom-Heat C -> UR
Goodnight sweet prince. I will finally put you to rest :'(
Flamigo A+ -> SVery easy to fit on teams, spikes-immune, and its STABs are extremely spammable, leaving little downside to choiced sets. Can effectively run Scarf, Band, and SD sets, making counterplay somewhat awkward. The mon has been a centralizing force in the tier lately and I think that's clearly a reflection of its power as an elite breaker, cleaner, and pivot. The outcry for a potential suspect further cements in my mind that Flamigo is worthy of an S-tier ranking.
Kilowattrel A -> A+When you actually look at the tier's Kilowattrel switch-ins they are few and far between. The ability to compress a fast pivot with an actually solid Flamigo check is incredibly good right now. If any team skips out on an Volt-immune, they're in for a world of hurt against this bird.
Tsareena B- -> B+I am once again asking for Tsareena to be ranked higher. It's the premier mon for hazard removal on Spikes balance teams, which are very strong and popular right now. It finds plenty of ins versus commonplace defensive mons like Gastrodon, Vaporeon, Bronzong, and Klefki. Defensive sets are the best by far, and Synthesis is mandatory.
Vaporeon A -> A+Vapo is the balance mon, the solid typing, ability, and chunky heals from Wish have proven indispensable to the style. It even has solid set variety with options like CM, Roar, and coverage moves like Shadow Ball or Alluring Voice.
Munkidori A+ -> SMunki is the defining Choice Scarfer of the tier, and as others have discussed can be quite constraining on what other teams can use. It consistently beats its checks with Trick while also having other powerful options like Future Sight and Nasty Plot sets.
Galarian Slowbro B+ -> A-I like this mon. It's the sturdiest check to the tier's fighters (notably Flamigo) and can wield many different items and movesets effectively. PZ ban is also huge as teams won't score so much off of clicking U-turn into this guy. The biggest thing holding him back is type overlap with Munkidori, meaning you can pretty much never run them side by side.
Bellibolt B- -> A-/B+For the longest time I've been thinking "Bellibolt has to be good, right?", and it has finally been seeing a lot of tournament usage to reflect that. It matches up exceptionally well into Cinccino + Scyther HO, and is one of the tier's few (semi) consistent Flamigo switch-ins. Shoutout Rabia for being a fellow Belliever.
Wo-Chien B- -> B+Excellent partner with Bellibolt but it has risen largely due to Basculegion's influence. Woch serves in a similar niche to Alolan Muk as a bulky wall and progress maker in one, and with a physically defensive RestTalk set it can actually 1v1 Alolan Muk. It also checks stuff like Cinccino, DD Flygon, and Drednaw with Foul Play.
Breloom C -> BBreloom is finally unwashed, as its poison heal sets have been taking off. Protect makes it easy to scout choiced mons that aim to KO it like Munkidori and Flamigo, and it's great at exploiting common defensive pokemon in the tier like Vaporeon, Gastrodon, Bellibolt, and Wo-Chien. It's very Tera-hungry but it has potential to 6-0 a surprising number of teams with the right set/tera.
Houndstone C -> BHoundstone has been the best dedicated spinblocker in the tier for a while and has seen a steady increase in usage on defensive builds, particularly by high-level players like Diamonds_realm and Elias Psy. With Brambleghast falling off and Tsareena back on the rise, Houndstone is better positioned than ever. It checks a wide array of physical attackers like Cinccino + Scyther and no longer has to contend with one of its worst matchups after the PZ ban.
Tornadus B- -> BI really like Nasty Plot Tornadus. It breaks a lot of stuff and while Diancie is both common and a very reliable switch in, it can be worn down with the right support.
Scrafty B+ -> A-A potent Alolan Muk alternative. Its serves as a defensive switch-in that shrugs off status, a setup win condition with Bulk Up, and a consistent progress-maker with Knock Off. Dragon Dance sets are also quite nasty to deal with. Scrafty is pretty Tera-hungry, but makes it easier to get the setup turns it needs to close out games or force out an enemy Tera.
Cinccino A+ -> ACinccino is still good, but the meta hasn't evolved in the most friendly way to it. A lot of the aforementioned rises are an effect of Cinccino's dominance, but it seems the rat has been suffering from success.
Scyther A- -> B+Package deal with Cinccino. Needs lots of support from its team but can still put up numbers. Dislikes the same trends that Cinccino does. Defog is, unfortunately, not real.
Alolan Ninetales A -> A-Veil just isn't what it once was, and Klefki is honestly more reliable as a screens support. Also, Snow just hasn't been putting up numbers. I think the best use for this is Nasty Plot + Encore on a Steel overwhelm team with some other way to benefit from Snow, but its not strong or widespread enough to justify an A ranking anymore.
Grafaiai B- -> BTerrain is good. Grafaiai goes on terrain. SD + Encore with Tera Dark is disgusting - try it.
Avalugg B+ -> BThe pokemon of all time (I have felt no need to use it for a while, nor have I seen it that much. It's still ok. It's Avalugg.)
Cramorant C -> B-Cool Defog option that often trades well above its weight.
Gligar B -> B+Welcome back, Spikes balance. Also one of the few Alolan Muk checks.
Rotom-Heat C -> URGoodnight sweet prince. I will finally put you to rest :'(
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Being a Fighting resist that loses to Migo and Firetauros is rough, and being a Status sponge that can’t switch into Munki while being hardwalled by Ayy Muk without Stomping Tantrum is equally rough. Gives the Steels alot of free switch-ins to just to set SR/Spikes which is dangerous in a format lacking hazard removal. While it can cripple them with Stun Spore, the three Steels don’t mind eating paralysis that much.
B- -> B STAB Boomburst on an absurdly bulky setup mon is really potent when other bulky setup Pokemon are incredibly weak without multiple boosts like Uxie and Scrafty. I don't think there's any merit in Coil sets right now due to the weakness to Scald and all the Intimidate users but Calm Mind sets get consistently good matchups with no definitive counterplay because Vaporeon gets Toxic poisoned, and Dudunsparce has plenty of coverage like Shadow Ball, Flamethrower, and Earth Power for Steel-types. Rattled and Serene Grace both aid in Dudunsparce bypassing traditional counterplay, but Rattled is amazing right now. Dudunsparce naturally invites in both Tauros-Aqua (and Blaze form) as well as Incineroar, which already grants a speed boost. Knock Off Leftovers to slow down the setup? speed boost. U-turn your Flygon out? speed boost. I love Dudunsparceeeeeeeee!!!
Whimsi needs to be at B btw
Attachments
I'd also like to mention that Glare is an extremely toxic move and combined with Serene Grace Headbutt makes it a very good support mon and wallbreaker in its own right. 100% accurate Para move with no switch-ins outside of Electric types is ridiculous and Earth Power lets you threaten those too. Bellibolt being popular is a bit annoying but Glare movesets are still very good IMO.
Also a third (fourth) for Whimsicott nom, it is really good into setup mons with Encore U-turn, unique defensive profile, and Memento lets you get your own sweepers in an advantageous position.
A
ABefore Porygon-Z's ban, this would have been Zong to A- and Raja to A+ but I think that ban has evened things out between the steels by alot. I still think Copperajah's better but only marginally. It's much more flexible and less passive than Bronzong, who only really has 2 sets (Rocks, Setup) with minor coverage versatility in the first. Copperajah meanwhile is much less passive and also more flexible, with both RestTalk hazardless and AV seeing multiple wins in the 3 currently running team tours as well as good success for me personally on ladder. A lot of this is owing to Copperajah's naturally monstrous attack stat and great coverage, both things which Bronzong sorely lacks (and which limit its non setup movesets heavily to avoid being too much of a passive sitting duck). That being said, Bronzong is still more sound defensively in the short term owing to Levitate, but its dual Psychic typing is a double edged sword, one that I find more often than not holds it back.
This is an excerpt from my post on the NP thread
Klefki A -> A+
Klefki's phenomenal utility as a Spikes setter and incredible secondary Fairy typing earns it a spot on top of the list. It's a great anti-BS check to a plethora of sweepers thanks to its access to Foul Play, Prankster Thunder Wave, and useful STAB attacks. Of all the Steels, it's the best switch-in to Alolan Muk, using its walling capabilities to set free layers of Spikes or even steal items with Magician now that it's taken a Knock Off.
Klefki A -> A+Klefki's phenomenal utility as a Spikes setter and incredible secondary Fairy typing earns it a spot on top of the list. It's a great anti-BS check to a plethora of sweepers thanks to its access to Foul Play, Prankster Thunder Wave, and useful STAB attacks. Of all the Steels, it's the best switch-in to Alolan Muk, using its walling capabilities to set free layers of Spikes or even steal items with Magician now that it's taken a Knock Off.
Flygon S -> A+Maybe this isn't the best way to do this, but i wanted to generate some discussion here. Flygon isn't as spammable as it used to be. Choiced sets are falling off for sure, and its also just hard being locked into either stab move right now since the meta has adapted to it. That being said though, DD flygon is still crazy good. So I can definitely see the argument that DD keeps it in S rank. It is just interesting to see the jack of all trades mon become more specialized. Mixed sets are great too on more offensive teams and the 3 attacks rocks sets are fine too. At the very least I think this is worth more discussion.
Flamigo A+ -> SI don't think this needs much elaboration but flamigo has taken over the meta. Scarf is great, band is great, sd sets are cool too and i really like those with a way to dodge para from belli. It also gets agility, recovery, and has a free moveslot on choiced sets where you can fit literally whatever tech you want there.
Munkidori A+ -> SDefinitive scarfer of the tier at this point. It is very fast and reliable at its job, has good natural bulk, and the u-turns that threaten toxic can really punish what would otherwise be great defensive switch ins. This essentially forces you to run amuk or a steel on most teams and is very reliable at it's job. Scarf munki + strong physical breaker has become such a big part of the meta that I think munki is deserving of the S rank now. On top of this nasty plot sets with shadow ball and groundblast are great at breaking as well.
Klefki A -> A+I really think bronzong and klefki are on the same level at this point. Bronzong has the benefit or kind of checking more things (mainly flygon) but keys has prankster t wave and spikes which are both very strong right now. Also it's typing is goated. On top of the regular support sets i think the screens eject button set is a crazy good enabler and is on a similar level (or possible even better) as a screens setter than alotales somehow. Demon klefki sets are cool but thats not why i rate this mon so highly.
Wo-Chien B- -> B+Honestly I'm not the biggest wo believer, but its one of the best stops to basculegion, makes good progress with knock and leech seed, and it pairs very well with bellibolt who is on the rise. Realistically I could see it in A- but I'm a little bit of a hater here since it doesnt tend to fit on the teams I use.
Tornadus B- -> AHonestly no idea why this ever left the A ranks. NP sets are very strong and rarely fail to knock holes in a team (even if it does cost a terablast sometimes.) BU is still incredible good on cincc HO teams (I'd argue it is better at breaking but worse at cleaning than scyther. It also has a better initial speed tier which can be great to have on that style of team.) Leaving the opponent guessing whether it is physical or special can cost them a mon too sometimes which can be great as well. Sure rain isn't really a thing anymore, (its strong but matchupy) but these other offensive sets have been strong for a long time people just haven't been using them. I also just really like torn so I might be slightly overrating it here, but A- at the very least.
Gastrodon A -> A-Great attributes, but the stats are fake and i think this can be fairly passive. Nothing has gotten significantly worse for gastro that comes to mind, I just think we had it overrated before.
Tauros-Paldea-Blaze A- -> AI think firebull is the second best fighting type in the tier right now. The bulk up set with dual stab and stone edge has few defensive checks and it can bulk up through altaria and not fear the burn which is really nice. The stab coverage + stone edge is significantly better coverage than anything wetbull can aquire with 3 attacks as well (we are either coping with zen headbutt or just hard walled by amoonguss.) Wetbull still has some defensive niches over it and aqua jet, but overall I think firebull is the better tauros form in this meta. Firebull with wisp is also neat alongside things like hex basculegion.
Scrafty B+ -> AI think it took a tour like nupl to see scrafty rise up. Scrafty is great at destroying fat teams and that is a trait that is becomming more and more valuable. It is also one of a few viable dark types and a great status absorber in a tier where we are really lacking in that department. BU rest is great, DD sets are solid too and can fit cool tech like encore as well. Great mon that just flew under the radar for a while.
Uxie B+ -> A-Similar to scrafty, I think this too was flying under the radar. NP uxie is great into a lot of fat teams and isn't too hard to support. With shadow ball it is great at picking off bronzong which so many mons in the tier appreciate (mainly diancie, but diancie is the best mon in the tier right now imo.) It is also just really bulky, a decent flamigo check, and can do some nice support stuff as well.
Bellibolt B- -> A-See flamigo in S. Honestly I would have this in A instead of A- if it had a good 4th move to run. Chilling water isn't great but muddy water is terrible. Other options are like protect and terablast... yeah. Dual status is a neat idea though and can catch some people off guard.
Toxtricity A- -> ASee PZ ban, the rise of bellibolt, and the fall of P2. It also resists flamigo's dual stab which is a nice trait to have in a pinch. People have been experimenting with bulkier toxtricity sets to try and check flamigo, but its still yet to be seen if thats something that will establish itself and last.
Altaria B+ -> A-He defog. He wisp. I think alt is the second best removal after cinccino and its a decent physical wall/fighting check.
Ninetales-Alola A -> A-It seems like the only set that has really lasted is as a screens setter on HO and it also has competition with klefki there. Speed tier is great, stabs are great, but you don't see NP often anymore (and when you do its usually a lure on some specific HO structures) and the choiced sets have all but disappeared. Honestly the offensive sets are cool but its spatt is fake and that holds it back a decent amount.
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Back again with another VR update after a few weeks of NUPL to see how the meta develops. As always, you can find the voting slate here. We likely won't have another update until a week or two after the July shifts, but keep pushing those noms out as we may end up doing a preliminary half slate soon after shifts with noms and new additions only.
The common theme you'll notice is a lot of lower ranked (or unranked) stuff being explored and optimized more in the team tour environment.
UR -> B- A defensive option with a very consistent matchup into Kilowattrel, a mon that has seen a big spike in usage since NUPL started.
UR -> C Niche supporting option on some HO structures.
A+ -> S May not be the most used pokemon, but definitely one of the most defining both in the builder and in game. Excellent at dictating the pace of the game and will be useful in every single matchup no matter what. Partners extremely well with almost all other progress makers.
A+ -> S The breaker of choice for a lot of teams. If Munkidori is Kevin De Bruyne, this bird is Haaland. Meta defining in its own right with many teams opting for multiple protect users to help deal with both it and Munkidori.
A -> A+ Has seen a lot of success in NUPL, as well as a lot more set diversity beyond the basic Tbolt/Flying/Roost/Pivot set, with options like Discharge and Tera blast seeing great results. Specs and Life Orb have both proven very threatening too.
A- -> A One of NUPL's biggest rising stars, with many options like AV, RestTalk and others picking up use and seeing great results. Is the only steel that can viably run protect due to its great natural offensive stat and has great coverage options to pick and choose from.
A- -> A+ The defensive backbone of a lot of the more common and successful structures in the past few weeks, very consistent.
B+ -> A- Very hard to stop once it gets going, does especially well into the omnipresent Vaporeon + Flygon + Steel teams.
B -> B+ Defensive options that can pivot or make progress with Knock Off are in demand and Gligar has seen the biggest rise out of them. Great role compression as both a ground/spike and electric immune and has various tools to make progress.
B- -> B Perhaps Flamigo's biggest opp.
B- -> B People saw scrafty do well and someone realized this thing does the same thing, now we're seeing 2 or 3 every week -_-
B- -> B NP sets are threatening, especially when you consider our Flying Resists almost all lose to Heat Wave.
B- -> B+ Not as tragic as I once thought it was. Does really well into the common hazard setters and some of the more common defensive walls too.
B- -> B+ Very good balance breaker, does especially well into the common Vaporeon Steel teams mentioned earlier.
C -> B- GlisLoom has seen a considerable spike in usage as an alternative bulky wincon or balance breaker, SD sets remain a threat.
C -> B- Flamigo's second biggest opp.
A+ -> A There has been a noticeable drop in HO's usage rates since the start of NUPL.
A -> A- People are sleeping on this guy I swear.
A -> B+ Almost never seen on HO any more, tough to fit on other teams and struggles to get in and make progress in this meta.
A- -> B+ See Icemaster vs avarice.
C -> UR About 6 months late but better late than never. Booty mon
The common theme you'll notice is a lot of lower ranked (or unranked) stuff being explored and optimized more in the team tour environment.
UR -> B- A defensive option with a very consistent matchup into Kilowattrel, a mon that has seen a big spike in usage since NUPL started. UR -> C Niche supporting option on some HO structures. A+ -> S May not be the most used pokemon, but definitely one of the most defining both in the builder and in game. Excellent at dictating the pace of the game and will be useful in every single matchup no matter what. Partners extremely well with almost all other progress makers. A+ -> S The breaker of choice for a lot of teams. If Munkidori is Kevin De Bruyne, this bird is Haaland. Meta defining in its own right with many teams opting for multiple protect users to help deal with both it and Munkidori. A -> A+ Has seen a lot of success in NUPL, as well as a lot more set diversity beyond the basic Tbolt/Flying/Roost/Pivot set, with options like Discharge and Tera blast seeing great results. Specs and Life Orb have both proven very threatening too. A- -> A One of NUPL's biggest rising stars, with many options like AV, RestTalk and others picking up use and seeing great results. Is the only steel that can viably run protect due to its great natural offensive stat and has great coverage options to pick and choose from. A- -> A+ The defensive backbone of a lot of the more common and successful structures in the past few weeks, very consistent. B+ -> A- Very hard to stop once it gets going, does especially well into the omnipresent Vaporeon + Flygon + Steel teams. B -> B+ Defensive options that can pivot or make progress with Knock Off are in demand and Gligar has seen the biggest rise out of them. Great role compression as both a ground/spike and electric immune and has various tools to make progress. B- -> B Perhaps Flamigo's biggest opp. B- -> B People saw scrafty do well and someone realized this thing does the same thing, now we're seeing 2 or 3 every week -_- B- -> B NP sets are threatening, especially when you consider our Flying Resists almost all lose to Heat Wave. B- -> B+ Not as tragic as I once thought it was. Does really well into the common hazard setters and some of the more common defensive walls too. B- -> B+ Very good balance breaker, does especially well into the common Vaporeon Steel teams mentioned earlier. C -> B- GlisLoom has seen a considerable spike in usage as an alternative bulky wincon or balance breaker, SD sets remain a threat. C -> B- Flamigo's second biggest opp. A+ -> A There has been a noticeable drop in HO's usage rates since the start of NUPL. A -> A- People are sleeping on this guy I swear. A -> B+ Almost never seen on HO any more, tough to fit on other teams and struggles to get in and make progress in this meta. A- -> B+ See Icemaster vs avarice. C -> UR About 6 months late but better late than never. Booty mon
Just wanted to make two noms that caught my eye on the vr:
B -> A-
As it stands, this mon is a noticeable outlier when compared with the rest of the VR and deserves a rise. We've seen it time and time again win off of preview in NUPL and NUFL and it's quickly becoming one of the largest metagame threats imo. I said to ban it in council chat and it summoned Elias who said I was crazy which was a wild event, but either way, it's more viable/threatening than anything in B+ atm and should be A-. Either way, B isn't right for this mon which keeps proving it's broken. Just wait till grassy seed Dudunsparce terrain drops.
S -> A+
I think when looking at the current tier, builder, and VR, Diancie hasn't been S rank in a long time. It's a great mon don't get me wrong (although I find it a bit overrated tbh and it's fallen out of favor a bit), but it isn't as splashable or threatening as the other three S ranks on the current VR. The other three mons warp the tier just by existing and can be comfortably thrown onto a ton of teams, which is the criteria to me for a S tier mon, but Diancie doesn't check either box. A great mon, not a S rank.
B -> A- As it stands, this mon is a noticeable outlier when compared with the rest of the VR and deserves a rise. We've seen it time and time again win off of preview in NUPL and NUFL and it's quickly becoming one of the largest metagame threats imo. I said to ban it in council chat and it summoned Elias who said I was crazy which was a wild event, but either way, it's more viable/threatening than anything in B+ atm and should be A-. Either way, B isn't right for this mon which keeps proving it's broken. Just wait till grassy seed Dudunsparce terrain drops.
S -> A+I think when looking at the current tier, builder, and VR, Diancie hasn't been S rank in a long time. It's a great mon don't get me wrong (although I find it a bit overrated tbh and it's fallen out of favor a bit), but it isn't as splashable or threatening as the other three S ranks on the current VR. The other three mons warp the tier just by existing and can be comfortably thrown onto a ton of teams, which is the criteria to me for a S tier mon, but Diancie doesn't check either box. A great mon, not a S rank.
I agree with slice that Dudun is finally getting the recognition it deserves, but I think A- is a bit of a jump. Grassy Seed is crazy tho. As for Diancie, I still think it's every bit as meta defining as the other S-rank mons.Just wanted to make two noms that caught my eye on the vr:
As it stands, this mon is a noticeable outlier when compared with the rest of the VR and deserves a rise. We've seen it time and time again win off of preview in NUPL and NUFL and it's quickly becoming one of the largest metagame threats imo. I said to ban it in council chat and it summoned Elias who said I was crazy which was a wild event, but either way, it's more viable/threatening than anything in B+ atm and should be A-. Either way, B isn't right for this mon which keeps proving it's broken. Just wait till grassy seed Dudunsparce terrain drops.
I think when looking at the current tier, builder, and VR, Diancie hasn't been S rank in a long time. It's a great mon don't get me wrong (although I find it a bit overrated tbh and it's fallen out of favor a bit), but it isn't as splashable or threatening as the other three S ranks on the current VR. The other three mons warp the tier just by existing and can be comfortably thrown onto a ton of teams, which is the criteria to me for a S tier mon, but Diancie doesn't check either box. A great mon, not a S rank.
Here's some other noms I'd like to make based on the ever-evolving meta:
Sylveon A- -> ASylv balances have become increasingly common, as the mon pairs excellently with other top-tier threats, provides wish support, an excellent Fairy typing, and even stands as its own win condition with Calm Mind.
Chandelure A -> A+Chandelure's lack of consistent answers paired with its respectable ability to spin-block for Spikes builds mandate its promotion to A+. It's probably the most dangerous and consistent way to punish Bronzong hitting the field, and outside of Incineroar and (sometimes) Porygon-2, a vast majority of the metagame just gets straight-up 2HKO'd. This mon has numerous viable sets which I've been exploring, such as Sub + Pain Split that's used in a similar fashion to Substitute Basculegion.
Brute Bonnet UR -> B-Brute Bonnet has been popping up lately with a solid niche on Offense teams. Its Protosynthesis-boosted Sucker Punches reach unreasonable power levels, especially if you throw Tera Dark into the mix. Like Wo-Chien, it's Grass/Dark defensive typing is both a blessing and a curse, but the ability to wall Basculegion is invaluable. Not only does it shut down Offense and HO, but it's also extremely threatening to bulky teams with its Protosynthesis-boosted Close Combat hitting potential switch-ins like Alolan Muk extremely hard, and I've also used Thief used for item removal. If you're planning to use this as a defensive pokemon, I would simply suggest using Wo-Chien instead, but the mix of Offensive and Defensive capabilities that Bonnet brings is worthy of a spot on the VR. Oh also, it's Sun's worst nightmare.
Shengineer vs zS (ok it didnt do a whole lot here but the mon is good)
My favorite calcs:
252+ Atk Protosynthesis Brute Bonnet Close Combat vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Flamigo: 118-139 (38.6 - 45.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252+ Atk Protosynthesis Tera Dark Brute Bonnet Sucker Punch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Flamigo: 138-163 (45.2 - 53.4%) -- 35.5% chance to 2HKO
If Flamigo attempts to switch in and rocks are up, it's more than likely to just die to the resisted Tera Dark Sucker Punch...
Decidueye B+ -> BI really haven't been feeling Decidueye for a while now, maybe its the fast normal types like Cinccino and Meloetta, or the omnipresence of Dark types like Incineroar, Wo-Chien, Aloan Muk, and Brute Bonnet. Its SD sets can sweep, but feel too matchup dependent. Also Defog sets are just... not good.
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Here I am nomming sun on the VR again, after having spammed it in a number of weeks throughout Swiss and Open
UR > C
staple number 1 of sun teams, tera fire weather ball does insane damage still, sludge bomb punishes alolan ninetails for thinking it can act as SPF 50, does have to make a tough choice between timid and modest as timid will outspeed things such as booster scream tail and scarf infernape, while modest has several nice calcs to hit like ohkoing alolan muk with tera fire weather ball at +2, finding a growth opportunity generally isn't too difficult especially when you commit tera or have someone who can memento into venusaur, the main drawback I've felt with venusaur is that it can be fairly tera hungry as it really wants to nab those OHKOs with weather ball.
UR > C
staple number 2 of sun, specs fire moves in sun just vaporize nearly everything, there isn't a whole lot to talk about otherwise, it's a very one dimensional pokemon. Does frequently end up wanting your tera to break through resists and thus competes with venusaur for it. But here are just a few of many scovillain calcs
UR > C
While I don't entirely share shengineers sentiment towards brute bonnet on bulkier teams, I'm talking about sun, and on sun brute bonnet packs a MEAN sucker punch when backed by protosythesis, black glasses, and maybe even a growth boost. Bonnets brutal sucker punches can help sun find its footing against other HO structures with mons capable of out speeding the chlorophyll users or can be your last mon hero who clutches out an endgame against a team that's all found themselves in sucker punch range. Shen said bonnet can be suns worst nightmare, but bonnet can also be suns best friend in a time of need.
UR > Cstaple number 1 of sun teams, tera fire weather ball does insane damage still, sludge bomb punishes alolan ninetails for thinking it can act as SPF 50, does have to make a tough choice between timid and modest as timid will outspeed things such as booster scream tail and scarf infernape, while modest has several nice calcs to hit like ohkoing alolan muk with tera fire weather ball at +2, finding a growth opportunity generally isn't too difficult especially when you commit tera or have someone who can memento into venusaur, the main drawback I've felt with venusaur is that it can be fairly tera hungry as it really wants to nab those OHKOs with weather ball.
UR > Cstaple number 2 of sun, specs fire moves in sun just vaporize nearly everything, there isn't a whole lot to talk about otherwise, it's a very one dimensional pokemon. Does frequently end up wanting your tera to break through resists and thus competes with venusaur for it. But here are just a few of many scovillain calcs
- 252 SpA Choice Specs Tera Fire Scovillain Fire Blast vs. 248 HP / 212+ SpD Incineroar in Sun: 189-223 (48 - 56.7%) -- 89.1% chance to 2HKO
this cannot switch directly into you
- 252 SpA Choice Specs Tera Fire Scovillain Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Vaporeon in Sun: 247-291 (53.2 - 62.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
nor can this
- 252 SpA Choice Specs Tera Fire Scovillain Fire Blast vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Flygon in Sun: 283-334 (94 - 110.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
more like fly-gone
- 252 SpA Choice Specs Tera Fire Scovillain Overheat vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Muk-Alola in Sun: 404-476 (97.5 - 114.9%) -- 87.5% chance to OHKO
- 252 SpA Choice Specs Tera Fire Scovillain Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Gastrodon in Sun: 193-228 (45.3 - 53.5%) -- 91.8% chance to 2HKO after 1 layer of Spikes and Leftovers recovery
who even needs grass moves at this point
this cannot switch directly into you
- 252 SpA Choice Specs Tera Fire Scovillain Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Vaporeon in Sun: 247-291 (53.2 - 62.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
nor can this
- 252 SpA Choice Specs Tera Fire Scovillain Fire Blast vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Flygon in Sun: 283-334 (94 - 110.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
more like fly-gone
- 252 SpA Choice Specs Tera Fire Scovillain Overheat vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Muk-Alola in Sun: 404-476 (97.5 - 114.9%) -- 87.5% chance to OHKO
- 252 SpA Choice Specs Tera Fire Scovillain Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Gastrodon in Sun: 193-228 (45.3 - 53.5%) -- 91.8% chance to 2HKO after 1 layer of Spikes and Leftovers recovery
who even needs grass moves at this point
Brute Bonnet has been popping up lately with a solid niche on Offense teams. Its Protosynthesis-boosted Sucker Punches reach unreasonable power levels, especially if you throw Tera Dark into the mix. Like Wo-Chien, it's Grass/Dark defensive typing is both a blessing and a curse, but the ability to wall Basculegion is invaluable. Not only does it shut down Offense and HO, but it's also extremely threatening to bulky teams with its Protosynthesis-boosted Close Combat hitting potential switch-ins like Alolan Muk extremely hard, and I've also used Thief used for item removal. If you're planning to use this as a defensive pokemon, I would simply suggest using Wo-Chien instead, but the mix of Offensive and Defensive capabilities that Bonnet brings is worthy of a spot on the VR. Oh also, it's Sun's worst nightmare.
UR > CWhile I don't entirely share shengineers sentiment towards brute bonnet on bulkier teams, I'm talking about sun, and on sun brute bonnet packs a MEAN sucker punch when backed by protosythesis, black glasses, and maybe even a growth boost. Bonnets brutal sucker punches can help sun find its footing against other HO structures with mons capable of out speeding the chlorophyll users or can be your last mon hero who clutches out an endgame against a team that's all found themselves in sucker punch range. Shen said bonnet can be suns worst nightmare, but bonnet can also be suns best friend in a time of need.
I find it difficult to follow your reasoning to drop this. Diancie can be as threatning as flygon and flamigo and doesn't need many turns to get going. I've tried out different offensive variants and they all equally worked. Going from the classic OTR and CM variants to restalk diamondpress. It might be less splashable than the other 3 but not by miles or whatever, considering it can also set rocks or spikes. Kinda like flygon, diancie is a tera fiend and can easily win games on its own when tera'ing right. When building it's definitely one of the mons i'd keep track of like the typical balance killers a la sub basc. If you want to drop something out of S it's munki but that'll probably get better / stay good if muk leaves.
I think when looking at the current tier, builder, and VR, Diancie hasn't been S rank in a long time. It's a great mon don't get me wrong (although I find it a bit overrated tbh and it's fallen out of favor a bit), but it isn't as splashable or threatening as the other three S ranks on the current VR. The other three mons warp the tier just by existing and can be comfortably thrown onto a ton of teams, which is the criteria to me for a S tier mon, but Diancie doesn't check either box. A great mon, not a S rank.
Diancie is still S, though very few are brave (or smart) enough to make the most of it. Draining Kiss is a broken move and Diancie has spades of ways to set up with a pretty unpredictable array of Tera options
Muk-Alola is also S, king of the meta and defines what is viable, pretty much every Psychic is bad because of Muk except Munki who can U-turn on it or anything willing to commit to Tera Ground Blast. Alolan Muk makes guaranteed progress with Knock Off and Poison Touch, and is even a very potent setup sweeper as of late with Curse. Some people say Alolan Muk is broken, I don't necessarily agree but I think we can at least all agree that it's as defining, if not more, than Flygon and Munkidori.
I omitted mentioning Flamigo as an S rank because I think the Porygon-Z ban hurt it a little. We see more Bellibolt, phys def Bronzong, Houndstone, and Altaria lately, and ofc Flamigo can Choice Band or U-turn through these but at the cost of its own life. There's also no longer a broken catch-all wallbreaker to come in from U-turn.
Scrafty is like A+ rn, its just as proactive as Muk while also being a status absorber but its DD sets are insanely potent with Encore / Taunt to support itself against utility Pokemon. Taunt is actually super underrated right now because it stops a lot of mitigation tactics that don't mind Encore like Leech Seed, Roar, and Chilling Water / Trop Kick + recovery.
Muk-Alola is also S, king of the meta and defines what is viable, pretty much every Psychic is bad because of Muk except Munki who can U-turn on it or anything willing to commit to Tera Ground Blast. Alolan Muk makes guaranteed progress with Knock Off and Poison Touch, and is even a very potent setup sweeper as of late with Curse. Some people say Alolan Muk is broken, I don't necessarily agree but I think we can at least all agree that it's as defining, if not more, than Flygon and Munkidori.
I omitted mentioning Flamigo as an S rank because I think the Porygon-Z ban hurt it a little. We see more Bellibolt, phys def Bronzong, Houndstone, and Altaria lately, and ofc Flamigo can Choice Band or U-turn through these but at the cost of its own life. There's also no longer a broken catch-all wallbreaker to come in from U-turn.
Scrafty is like A+ rn, its just as proactive as Muk while also being a status absorber but its DD sets are insanely potent with Encore / Taunt to support itself against utility Pokemon. Taunt is actually super underrated right now because it stops a lot of mitigation tactics that don't mind Encore like Leech Seed, Roar, and Chilling Water / Trop Kick + recovery.
Heya, I thought I would give some thoughts I had from laddering and researching the new NU metagame. A lot of this is still very fresh and might age poorly, but I stand by these takes for the time being. I have really enjoyed current meta for the most part, and I hope others have too!
Fallers
S -> A+
Starting off with maybe a controversial take, but I do not find Flygon to be worthy of S anymore. In previous metas, we have seen Choice Scarf sets lead the meta, which then transitioned into Banded First Impression sets, which then morphed into several variants of Dragon Dance sets. During different stages of NU, you had a strong argument that any of these sets were the most meta defining set during each specific time period. However, ultimately I feel as if the meta has done a really good job at keeping Flygon in check. DD sets were most recently running rampant, but that was more so when people ignored Avalugg, Tsareena, and used much too passive Bronzong sets. Teams in general are better prepared for Flygon, with Foul Play Amoonguss existing, priority such as Aqua Jet Basculegion and Mach Punch Breloom, fat water usage with Milotic/Vaporeon, the best Scarfer in the tier being faster (Munkidori), Dudunsparce making a mini comeback, and in general better counteractive Tera measures. I think this is also part of the reason why Gastrodon gained so much traction, especially with that one Flamigo team seeing serious usage during NUPL. Even Gastrodon itself rose to RU in the most recent tier shift. Additionally, the new arrivals of Barraskewda and Rhyperior make it a little trickier for different Flygon sets to run through teams the way it previously has. I still think this mon is really good, but I think the meta now is better equipped for Flygon than it ever has been.
S -> A
I want to preface this by saying I do not think that Diancie has been worthy of being S rank at any point during this generation, but I do understand why it was ranked there. OTR Diancie sets were complimented very nicely by Porygon-Z, a mon that is now banned. I think defensive and double dance Diancie sets are cool, but nothing to push it into the S conversation. I mentioned in the NU Discord that I don't think Diancie alone breaks through enough teams without serious team support, especially considering how common Bronzong, Vaporeon, and Tera Steel Flygon were. Now, there isn't any Porygon-Z to dent holes through special walls and force Diancie checks to take damage. Rhyperior has dropped, which is a ground type that fares very well against Diancie. The main reason I don't rate Diancie as highly as others do is that I find the typing to be really clunky to build with. You have a ton of weaknesses and can be a Tera hog at times. Simultaneously, you still need to fit something complimentary for Flygon, as you are a dragon immunity that is hit super effective by the most common dragon in the tier. I have laddered with OTR Diancie and I still find it to be really good, but I don't find it self-sufficient enough or splashable enough to warrant an S ranking.
A+ -> A
Gastrodon and Alolan-Muk rising is a double-edged sword for Kilo. While it certainly appreciates those two leaving the tier offensively, those were also two very common partners on teams with Kilowattrel. Of course, I have to mention the fact that Barraskewda is now something viable that is faster than Kilowattrel, and that the new ground type in Rhyperior is going to counter Kilo pretty consistently barring any Tera Blast. Overall, I find Kilo to be harder to pull off in current meta, and I think its defensive flaws are harder to patch up with the loss of Gastro and Alolan-Muk. I also don't find intimidate as common as when I last played, as Pauros and Incineroar usage have been dialed back with the development of Flamigo.
Risers
B -> A-
This is the new Dark/Poison of the tier, and it has some really adventurous tools in Spikes, Destiny Bond, SD, Taunt, Barb Barrage, and more. I think B was a little low in the first place, as this mon still had its niche over Alolan-Muk. This mon is also kinda nuts on manual rain, so bonus points there. This is one of the better non-passive Munkidori checks in the tier, and I think a rise is pretty inevitable.
B -> B+
While this mon can definitely be funky, it has some pretty cool merit. It has amazing bulk, and can quickly snowball similarly to Scrafty. I have only seen Calm Mind sets so far, but that is most likely the best set for it. Boomburst + Shadow Ball is basically all the coverage you'll need, and Normal -> Poison/Ghost is a simple, yet practical use for Tera. You can experiment with Coil, Glare, or Toxic sets, but I value CM a lot. I also think Dudunsparce just counterstyles some stuff pretty nicely, especially late game. It can be difficult to chip or lure in, and it oftentimes outlasts its checks. I would probably put this thing one rank behind Scrafty, just because Shed Skin is super good and Dudun lacks an amazing ability.
B- -> B+
I love Banded sets, and many people opt to run Poison Heal sets. While some may think this is recency bias from NUPL, I've seen Breloom put in work in the past. I remember seeing etern and loocas run it on ladder way back during NULT and in general, and we even saw PH Breloom essentially 6-0 stresh in grand slam. Heck, even McMeghan ran Scarf Breloom to some success during SCL. Breloom can nuke balance teams really nicely, but it specifically does well against the Woch + Belli core. PH sets have the added bonus of being a safe, immediate Scald switch-in. Breloom can be tough to get in, and has some matchups where it is simply deadweight. I think its inconsistency from match to match make it tough to put up for an A ranking, but I think its raw power and pop off ability justifies a raise.
New
A
Last time Rhyperior was NU, I honestly don't think it was good. We had Slowbro (a lot of which had speed), it couldn't Volt Switch block Magnezone, Talonflame could burn it, it didn't have the SpDef to handle sun teams, it was flawed for that meta. Over a year later, and things look very different. Kilowattrel, Bellibolt, and Toxtricity are the primary electrics. Its typing and sheer bulk allow it to handle a lot of things 1v1 in this meta. It can run a multitude of different Teras effectively, and it can run SD sets pretty easily when partnered with Bronzong. From playing around with it for a little bit, I also find it to have really good longevity. Spikes have become more rare with frequent Levitate/HDB/Birds, and Leftovers negates SR damage after a turn. The strongest special attackers in the tier can't directly switch into it, as it hits the likes of Munkidori, Chandelure, Kilowattrel, Toxtricity, and Diancie all super effectively. The main thing holding it back from being ranked higher in my eyes is the offensive presence of waters/fighters and even the increase of Tsareena usage. Asides that, I tend to be of the belief that Rhyperior is legit in current meta.
A-
I haven't seen a ton of Barraskewda so far, and when I have it has been very underwhelming. I think this mon might have a little bit of a skill gap both in the builder and in game. Similarly to Kilowattrel, it has minimal bulk. However, Kilowattrel has a really good typing for resistances/immunities, and even runs Roost sometimes because of it. Barraskewda does not have recovery, and it doesn't wanna switch in on water or ice type attacks as is. It also doesn't really threaten those water and ice types back in most cases, so it has practically no defensive utility whatsoever. Vapo also just blocks this thing completely barring Tera. The one niche Barraskewda has that gives it potential is the speed tier + Flip Turn. It is the fastest real mon in the tier (sorry Helectrode), and it has pretty solid coverage asides from the Vapo issue. I can see this mon maybe running some Tera Blast sets to nuke Vapo and Milotic, or see it partnered with things such as Scrafty/Toxicroak that can take advantage of said waters. This mon reminds me a lot of Bruxish meta from a couple SCL's ago, specifically Scarf Bruxish. I decided on A- because surely Tera makes this mon bully stuff, but I can also totally just see this thing being completely mid moving forward.
Watchlist
I don't think I need to explain lol
Fallers
S -> A+Starting off with maybe a controversial take, but I do not find Flygon to be worthy of S anymore. In previous metas, we have seen Choice Scarf sets lead the meta, which then transitioned into Banded First Impression sets, which then morphed into several variants of Dragon Dance sets. During different stages of NU, you had a strong argument that any of these sets were the most meta defining set during each specific time period. However, ultimately I feel as if the meta has done a really good job at keeping Flygon in check. DD sets were most recently running rampant, but that was more so when people ignored Avalugg, Tsareena, and used much too passive Bronzong sets. Teams in general are better prepared for Flygon, with Foul Play Amoonguss existing, priority such as Aqua Jet Basculegion and Mach Punch Breloom, fat water usage with Milotic/Vaporeon, the best Scarfer in the tier being faster (Munkidori), Dudunsparce making a mini comeback, and in general better counteractive Tera measures. I think this is also part of the reason why Gastrodon gained so much traction, especially with that one Flamigo team seeing serious usage during NUPL. Even Gastrodon itself rose to RU in the most recent tier shift. Additionally, the new arrivals of Barraskewda and Rhyperior make it a little trickier for different Flygon sets to run through teams the way it previously has. I still think this mon is really good, but I think the meta now is better equipped for Flygon than it ever has been.
S -> AI want to preface this by saying I do not think that Diancie has been worthy of being S rank at any point during this generation, but I do understand why it was ranked there. OTR Diancie sets were complimented very nicely by Porygon-Z, a mon that is now banned. I think defensive and double dance Diancie sets are cool, but nothing to push it into the S conversation. I mentioned in the NU Discord that I don't think Diancie alone breaks through enough teams without serious team support, especially considering how common Bronzong, Vaporeon, and Tera Steel Flygon were. Now, there isn't any Porygon-Z to dent holes through special walls and force Diancie checks to take damage. Rhyperior has dropped, which is a ground type that fares very well against Diancie. The main reason I don't rate Diancie as highly as others do is that I find the typing to be really clunky to build with. You have a ton of weaknesses and can be a Tera hog at times. Simultaneously, you still need to fit something complimentary for Flygon, as you are a dragon immunity that is hit super effective by the most common dragon in the tier. I have laddered with OTR Diancie and I still find it to be really good, but I don't find it self-sufficient enough or splashable enough to warrant an S ranking.
A+ -> AGastrodon and Alolan-Muk rising is a double-edged sword for Kilo. While it certainly appreciates those two leaving the tier offensively, those were also two very common partners on teams with Kilowattrel. Of course, I have to mention the fact that Barraskewda is now something viable that is faster than Kilowattrel, and that the new ground type in Rhyperior is going to counter Kilo pretty consistently barring any Tera Blast. Overall, I find Kilo to be harder to pull off in current meta, and I think its defensive flaws are harder to patch up with the loss of Gastro and Alolan-Muk. I also don't find intimidate as common as when I last played, as Pauros and Incineroar usage have been dialed back with the development of Flamigo.
Risers
B -> A-This is the new Dark/Poison of the tier, and it has some really adventurous tools in Spikes, Destiny Bond, SD, Taunt, Barb Barrage, and more. I think B was a little low in the first place, as this mon still had its niche over Alolan-Muk. This mon is also kinda nuts on manual rain, so bonus points there. This is one of the better non-passive Munkidori checks in the tier, and I think a rise is pretty inevitable.
B -> B+While this mon can definitely be funky, it has some pretty cool merit. It has amazing bulk, and can quickly snowball similarly to Scrafty. I have only seen Calm Mind sets so far, but that is most likely the best set for it. Boomburst + Shadow Ball is basically all the coverage you'll need, and Normal -> Poison/Ghost is a simple, yet practical use for Tera. You can experiment with Coil, Glare, or Toxic sets, but I value CM a lot. I also think Dudunsparce just counterstyles some stuff pretty nicely, especially late game. It can be difficult to chip or lure in, and it oftentimes outlasts its checks. I would probably put this thing one rank behind Scrafty, just because Shed Skin is super good and Dudun lacks an amazing ability.
B- -> B+I love Banded sets, and many people opt to run Poison Heal sets. While some may think this is recency bias from NUPL, I've seen Breloom put in work in the past. I remember seeing etern and loocas run it on ladder way back during NULT and in general, and we even saw PH Breloom essentially 6-0 stresh in grand slam. Heck, even McMeghan ran Scarf Breloom to some success during SCL. Breloom can nuke balance teams really nicely, but it specifically does well against the Woch + Belli core. PH sets have the added bonus of being a safe, immediate Scald switch-in. Breloom can be tough to get in, and has some matchups where it is simply deadweight. I think its inconsistency from match to match make it tough to put up for an A ranking, but I think its raw power and pop off ability justifies a raise.
New
ALast time Rhyperior was NU, I honestly don't think it was good. We had Slowbro (a lot of which had speed), it couldn't Volt Switch block Magnezone, Talonflame could burn it, it didn't have the SpDef to handle sun teams, it was flawed for that meta. Over a year later, and things look very different. Kilowattrel, Bellibolt, and Toxtricity are the primary electrics. Its typing and sheer bulk allow it to handle a lot of things 1v1 in this meta. It can run a multitude of different Teras effectively, and it can run SD sets pretty easily when partnered with Bronzong. From playing around with it for a little bit, I also find it to have really good longevity. Spikes have become more rare with frequent Levitate/HDB/Birds, and Leftovers negates SR damage after a turn. The strongest special attackers in the tier can't directly switch into it, as it hits the likes of Munkidori, Chandelure, Kilowattrel, Toxtricity, and Diancie all super effectively. The main thing holding it back from being ranked higher in my eyes is the offensive presence of waters/fighters and even the increase of Tsareena usage. Asides that, I tend to be of the belief that Rhyperior is legit in current meta.
A-I haven't seen a ton of Barraskewda so far, and when I have it has been very underwhelming. I think this mon might have a little bit of a skill gap both in the builder and in game. Similarly to Kilowattrel, it has minimal bulk. However, Kilowattrel has a really good typing for resistances/immunities, and even runs Roost sometimes because of it. Barraskewda does not have recovery, and it doesn't wanna switch in on water or ice type attacks as is. It also doesn't really threaten those water and ice types back in most cases, so it has practically no defensive utility whatsoever. Vapo also just blocks this thing completely barring Tera. The one niche Barraskewda has that gives it potential is the speed tier + Flip Turn. It is the fastest real mon in the tier (sorry Helectrode), and it has pretty solid coverage asides from the Vapo issue. I can see this mon maybe running some Tera Blast sets to nuke Vapo and Milotic, or see it partnered with things such as Scrafty/Toxicroak that can take advantage of said waters. This mon reminds me a lot of Bruxish meta from a couple SCL's ago, specifically Scarf Bruxish. I decided on A- because surely Tera makes this mon bully stuff, but I can also totally just see this thing being completely mid moving forward.
Watchlist
I don't think I need to explain lol
My opinions on viability post shifts:
Starting with the S rank, then moving down.
S Tier: The best in the tier at the moment. People prepare really hard for this guy but its consistently excellent through using trick, coverage, and bringing in teammates to overwhelm its dedicated check.
S Tier: Similar to munkidori where people have begun to prepare a lot more for it with the likes of bellibolt, houndstone, and slowbro-g but it still shreds. Its also underrated as a great knock off absorber for non-removal teams to keep boots on everything. A trait which is quite unique especially with gastrodon's departure.
S -> A+: It has been dethroned in my opinion. DD sets are very dangerous as it has at least neutral coverage for everything. Some of its other sets however (namely scarf) have fallen out of usage. There's also a new ground type which competes with it.
S -> A+: Still an amazing wincon with many sets that leave the player guessing. Despite that, its seemingly awkward to build with in my opinion. The main reason why I think to drop it is because there is a new rock type which competes with it.
A+ -> S: I think it deserves it. It honestly shapes how the tier behaves a lot. There's an abundance of water type offense for it to check. The many strategies people have come up with to try and abuse it also demonstrates its presence, and despite them, it consistently performs. Its also very easy to build with, and is a staple on balance. Heck, there is even a whole speed creep meta that was built around vaporeon, with mons such as diancie, dudunsparce, scrafty, hariyama, incin, rhyperior, and many more all wondering how much speed they should run due to how crowded vaporeon made the 167-180 area.
A+: I can see it being S in the near future but I will settle here for now. Incredibly strong and has all the coverage it needs. Also difficult to take down, and can often go 2 for 1 especially with tera.
A+ -> A: Tera blast puts rhyperior on its toes, but it now ideally has to either give up a slot for tera blast or run u-turn instead of volt switch because unlike gastrodon, rhyperior is not the mon you want to consistently give momentum. U-turn brings down its damage output quite a bit, so it drops for me.
A -> A+: Honestly might be the best steel right now, definitely the most common steel I've seen in recent days. It can effectively trade vs offense teams due to its higher damage output than zong, who often gets overwhelmed. The damage, knock, and phazing utility also helps against much of the bulky setup we are seeing now (which zong and especially keys can be fodder for). Also, I find AV to be heavily underutilized, the damage is crazy and it has coverage to beat the ever-present tsareena which zong often falls to.
A -> A+: Best special breaker in the tier. It restricts balance teambuilding so much with how few reliable switch in options exist. It makes building around it very flexible too. I've seen a lot more physical basc these days, pointing to how uncontested chandy is in its role.
A-: Strong pivot, I think its a healthy addition. I think basc is more versatile, and ironically choice scarf wave crash on basc is stronger than banded liquidation. Anti-rain, coverage and natural speed give it niches.
A- -> B: Outclassed as a regenerator mon by slowbro-g, and as a grass type by tsar, loom, and wo-chien. Its drop to pu reflects this.
A- -> A+: Honestly has so much it can do. It can serve as a special wall, status and knock absorber, and wincon. Both bulk up and dd+encore/taunt sets are extremely good right now. No more direct competition for its role with muk gone too.
B+ -> A: What a turnaround she has had. Best removal in the tier due to its defensive sets; its usage in NUPL reflects this. We're seeing hazard stack teams with spinblockers via houndstone or tera ghost more now. Teams which are literally designed to abuse tsar shows how good it is now.
B+ -> A-: Second best removal for balance teams. Tsar on average accomplishes more in my eyes, but in certain matchups alt has a higher ceiling by being very difficult to take down. Defog also bypasses the spinblock teams. It feels both passive yet difficult to switch into at the same time due to wisp (and the rare trap). Like tsar it is comfortable switching into and sitting on most of the common setters. Losing boots on it isn't the end of the world for this reason.
B+ -> B: It can't switch directly into as many setters as altaria and tsareena and doesn't like losing boots, so its a niche pick on balance teams now. Its a staple on stall though.
B+ -> A-: Personal bias aside A- is probably best but I can see it go as far as A. Insane longevity and Its quite unique alongside scrafty and sylv/vap as a wall which can also act as a wincon. Iron press sets 1v1 any bulk up shenanigans while being a great wincon in its own right. Calm mind sets trade the 1v1 ability but can become even tougher to take down while being oblivious to burn. AV sets are also seeing some use now due to its ability to check munkidori while also providing immediate power and amazing coverage. Its biggest downfall is ironically the shared typing with munkidori.
B -> A-: Combines some of the roles of our departures muk and gastro. Its very annoying to face, and has the ability to set up multiple layers of spikes and do a lot of chip. SD sets are also underrated in my opinion.
B -> A-: This is up there for one of the best setup cleaners in the tier. Its more team specific by virtue of having fewer defensive traits but you're always pressured to keep the one strategy you have alive to defeat this, if you have one.
B > B-: In some games its great but its so high maintenance, requiring removal, and safety from knock and status. Bulky setup also destroys it and is much more common nowadays. These factors and its lack of resists make it hard to compress into the teams its supposed to be on.
B -> B-: Its signature curse set has another check in rhyperior and honestly I have not seen it much even before rhyperior got added.
B - > B+: Toxic, slow pivot, static, and recovery are all very nice. With water coverage it can trade with rhyperior so I don't see it being that problematic. If anything it appreciates muk's departure.
B- -> A-: The physical version of dudunsparce. Scrafty is overall more useful but its a pimp when faced against breloom. The grass type slot is heavily contested by tsareena and the defensive stats are a let down at times but it gives you the same uneasy feeling as dudunsparce in team preview. Has won many games on its own in my time using it.
B- -> B: I am seeing it more often, mainly the specs sets which are very strong and have tools to take advantage of steels. Ghost resist is very valuable in the builder.
B- -> B: A staple on those hazard stack teams I mentioned. Torments teams that rely heavily on tsareena.
B- -> UR: Goodbye
C -> B-: It requires a lot more support than the top steels but its a great tank with power, bulk, and speed. You often have to accept trading with it.
C -> B-: Its a good progress maker with knock, toxic, strong stab and coverage.
Starting with the S rank, then moving down.
S Tier: The best in the tier at the moment. People prepare really hard for this guy but its consistently excellent through using trick, coverage, and bringing in teammates to overwhelm its dedicated check.
S Tier: Similar to munkidori where people have begun to prepare a lot more for it with the likes of bellibolt, houndstone, and slowbro-g but it still shreds. Its also underrated as a great knock off absorber for non-removal teams to keep boots on everything. A trait which is quite unique especially with gastrodon's departure.
S -> A+: It has been dethroned in my opinion. DD sets are very dangerous as it has at least neutral coverage for everything. Some of its other sets however (namely scarf) have fallen out of usage. There's also a new ground type which competes with it.
S -> A+: Still an amazing wincon with many sets that leave the player guessing. Despite that, its seemingly awkward to build with in my opinion. The main reason why I think to drop it is because there is a new rock type which competes with it.
A+ -> S: I think it deserves it. It honestly shapes how the tier behaves a lot. There's an abundance of water type offense for it to check. The many strategies people have come up with to try and abuse it also demonstrates its presence, and despite them, it consistently performs. Its also very easy to build with, and is a staple on balance. Heck, there is even a whole speed creep meta that was built around vaporeon, with mons such as diancie, dudunsparce, scrafty, hariyama, incin, rhyperior, and many more all wondering how much speed they should run due to how crowded vaporeon made the 167-180 area.
A+: I can see it being S in the near future but I will settle here for now. Incredibly strong and has all the coverage it needs. Also difficult to take down, and can often go 2 for 1 especially with tera.
A+ -> A: Tera blast puts rhyperior on its toes, but it now ideally has to either give up a slot for tera blast or run u-turn instead of volt switch because unlike gastrodon, rhyperior is not the mon you want to consistently give momentum. U-turn brings down its damage output quite a bit, so it drops for me.
A -> A+: Honestly might be the best steel right now, definitely the most common steel I've seen in recent days. It can effectively trade vs offense teams due to its higher damage output than zong, who often gets overwhelmed. The damage, knock, and phazing utility also helps against much of the bulky setup we are seeing now (which zong and especially keys can be fodder for). Also, I find AV to be heavily underutilized, the damage is crazy and it has coverage to beat the ever-present tsareena which zong often falls to.
A -> A+: Best special breaker in the tier. It restricts balance teambuilding so much with how few reliable switch in options exist. It makes building around it very flexible too. I've seen a lot more physical basc these days, pointing to how uncontested chandy is in its role.
A-: Strong pivot, I think its a healthy addition. I think basc is more versatile, and ironically choice scarf wave crash on basc is stronger than banded liquidation. Anti-rain, coverage and natural speed give it niches.
A- -> B: Outclassed as a regenerator mon by slowbro-g, and as a grass type by tsar, loom, and wo-chien. Its drop to pu reflects this.
A- -> A+: Honestly has so much it can do. It can serve as a special wall, status and knock absorber, and wincon. Both bulk up and dd+encore/taunt sets are extremely good right now. No more direct competition for its role with muk gone too.
B+ -> A: What a turnaround she has had. Best removal in the tier due to its defensive sets; its usage in NUPL reflects this. We're seeing hazard stack teams with spinblockers via houndstone or tera ghost more now. Teams which are literally designed to abuse tsar shows how good it is now.
B+ -> A-: Second best removal for balance teams. Tsar on average accomplishes more in my eyes, but in certain matchups alt has a higher ceiling by being very difficult to take down. Defog also bypasses the spinblock teams. It feels both passive yet difficult to switch into at the same time due to wisp (and the rare trap). Like tsar it is comfortable switching into and sitting on most of the common setters. Losing boots on it isn't the end of the world for this reason.
B+ -> B: It can't switch directly into as many setters as altaria and tsareena and doesn't like losing boots, so its a niche pick on balance teams now. Its a staple on stall though.
B+ -> A-: Personal bias aside A- is probably best but I can see it go as far as A. Insane longevity and Its quite unique alongside scrafty and sylv/vap as a wall which can also act as a wincon. Iron press sets 1v1 any bulk up shenanigans while being a great wincon in its own right. Calm mind sets trade the 1v1 ability but can become even tougher to take down while being oblivious to burn. AV sets are also seeing some use now due to its ability to check munkidori while also providing immediate power and amazing coverage. Its biggest downfall is ironically the shared typing with munkidori.
B -> A-: Combines some of the roles of our departures muk and gastro. Its very annoying to face, and has the ability to set up multiple layers of spikes and do a lot of chip. SD sets are also underrated in my opinion.
B -> A-: This is up there for one of the best setup cleaners in the tier. Its more team specific by virtue of having fewer defensive traits but you're always pressured to keep the one strategy you have alive to defeat this, if you have one.
B > B-: In some games its great but its so high maintenance, requiring removal, and safety from knock and status. Bulky setup also destroys it and is much more common nowadays. These factors and its lack of resists make it hard to compress into the teams its supposed to be on.
B -> B-: Its signature curse set has another check in rhyperior and honestly I have not seen it much even before rhyperior got added.
B - > B+: Toxic, slow pivot, static, and recovery are all very nice. With water coverage it can trade with rhyperior so I don't see it being that problematic. If anything it appreciates muk's departure.
B- -> A-: The physical version of dudunsparce. Scrafty is overall more useful but its a pimp when faced against breloom. The grass type slot is heavily contested by tsareena and the defensive stats are a let down at times but it gives you the same uneasy feeling as dudunsparce in team preview. Has won many games on its own in my time using it.
B- -> B: I am seeing it more often, mainly the specs sets which are very strong and have tools to take advantage of steels. Ghost resist is very valuable in the builder.
B- -> B: A staple on those hazard stack teams I mentioned. Torments teams that rely heavily on tsareena.
B- -> UR: Goodbye
C -> B-: It requires a lot more support than the top steels but its a great tank with power, bulk, and speed. You often have to accept trading with it.
C -> B-: Its a good progress maker with knock, toxic, strong stab and coverage.
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