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Resource VGC Regulation H Viability Rankings

Now that we returned to Reg H, i want to make my own nominations along with hot takes

Rises

:Incineroar: A+ -> S
Incineroar has popped up in more teams and can fit into basically any viable playstyle due to it's insane utility and for a support impressive 115 Attack + Flare Blitz and Knock Off which can perform a great role in this metagame while also checking the likes of Rillaboom, Gholdengo and the Indeedees, it is absolutely a mon you should have a matchup into and can be pretty annoying for those unprepared.

:Ursaluna: A- -> A+
Ursaluna is an amazing pokemon in TR teams along with Sun, Guts + Facade + 140 attack + Normal type is a very powerful combination that can one shot even pretty bulky pokemon. Not to mention it also has a great matchup into the most common Intimidate pokemon Incineroar. It also threatens a lot of pokemon too like Gholdengo, Kingambit, Sneasler (mostly in Trick Room of course), Volcarona and Archaludon.

:Ursaluna-Bloodmoon: A- -> A or A+
Similar as Ursaluna, Bloodmoon is also a very strong attacker with an impressive special attack with a 140 BP normal move, but in exchange for nuclear damage, Bloodmoon doesn't worry about Intimidate and gets a free item slot (like Life Orb and Assault Vest), being a great pokemon in balance and tailroom teams. It can also survive Jolly Sneasler CC which is a great trait too for a Normal type and does well into the ones who the normal Ursaluna beats. Only reason i also consider A is because it's easier to deal with it's damage output but even then it still does a lot (especially with LO).

:Dragonite: A -> S
This Pokémon has so many things at the same time that a lot of teams appreciate, such as Haze against plenty of set up pokemon (and Dozogiri), Tailwind to keep up with opposing Tailwind teams and let yours outspeed, Scale Shot can one shot Sash pokemon that do not resist or are immune to it (like Sneasler), Ice Spinner to remove terrain, Stomping Tantrum for Incin, Extreme Speed for very fast priority, I could go on. The fact that you can make Dnite's set greatly benefit your team and a lot of the times is good to slap on a team anyway makes it such a great pokemon that i'm honestly surprised it's A tier. Could maybe see an argument for A+ instead of S but I think this Pokémon is S tier worthy.

:Indeedee: B > B+
Male Indeedee has seen a rise before, due to answering Sneasler, Mausape and disrupting Rillaboom's Terrain, Sash and Scarf are both great items on Indeedee and it does synergize with Sand quite well due to answering Fighting types which Tyranitar hates. I don't think it should rise more in my opinion because Dark types are still very common which greatly slow it down and it can be a bit inconsistent at times, but is seeing results for the right reasons which is why i think a rise is deserved.

:Torkoal: B -> A-
Torkoal has popped up a lot at the end of this Regulation and now that there's a rerun of it, we will be seeing more Torkoals. It's good on Trick Room and Tailroom teams where it can be a sweeper in TR and can still support with it's Sun (and maybe other moves like Helping Hand though they are much more niche), Torkoal has used Charcoal/Specs with Eruption which can destroy a good chunk of teams if you get it in Trick Room safely and the supportive sets can use Overheat with Eject Pack. Overall a rise with a few sets and being a weather that can annoy Rain quite a bit is why i think Torkoal should rise

:Excadrill: C+ -> B
Excadrill has popped up more in Sand teams due to being a very fast pokemon that can quickly threaten plenty of pokemon like Gholdengo, non-seed Sneasler, Incineroar (mostly with Clear Amulet) and even Archaludon. Not to mention there has been SD EQ sets that can rip apart teams in the right conditions (even though personally I dislike these sets) and 3 attacks Amulet/Sash is pretty nice. I do think it's better than most of the C+ mons as it's role is unique and while alternatives exist it can be a good pokemon and seperates itself quite a bit from those said alternatives (not to mention it also won Lille regionals, though it has been quite a bit since then).



Drops

:Kingambit: S -> A+
While it's still a very powerful Pokémon, Kingambit has fallen off due to Sneasler and the bears, not to mention AV Low Kick Tyranitar (which has seen a rise) can also be tricky for Kingambit at times. Do not get me wrong, Glasses Double Dark SD sets can rip apart pokemon at +2 and it's still an amazing pick in Balance teams, but i think Kingambit has plenty of stuff against it that i believe is enough to make it a respectable A+ tier that depending on the meta shifts could come back to S tier or be S-, but for now thats not the case

:Clefable: A- -> B
Clefable has fallen off greatly due to Sneasler and more counterplay against Dozogiri (like Haze Dnite) along with Pokémon that already did great vs Clef like Iron Head Gambit and Archaludon. It can slow down set up sweepers but it can only do so for a long time. Not to mention we have plenty of redirection options such as Amoonguss, Sinistcha, Electabuzz and Magmar which does not help it's case.

Of course i'd share more of my thoughts, but i will wait for the VR to update (if it does, because as of writing this it didn't) and then express more opinions
 
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VR Noms after 1st 3 Regionals:

Rises

:sneasler: A+ --> S
I personally think Sneasler is the best Pokemon currently in Regulation H. After its high usage at all 3 regionals so far, making top 3 in usage in all and making finals in the first 2, it certainly is above Annihilape and Rillaboom IMO. People run Dual Wingbeat and Scale Shot Pokemon sometimes purely to beat Sneasler. Its set variety is pretty insane too; it can be super offensive an nigh impossible to stop under Psychic Terrain, or supportive with Coaching and Fake Out. It fits on literally any team aside from Hard TR (which it can still fit sometimes) and has the ability to break most top mons in the format, aside from Gholdengo and Annihilape, which do get wrecked by Tera Dark Throat Chop and Tera Flying Acrobatics, respectively.

:Ursaluna-bloodmoon: A- --> A
Ursaluna-B has been popping the fuck off recently; Life Orb sets are insanely powerful and work nicely with Ursaluna-B's good bulk, AV sets patch up low special defenses and purely beat out Gholdengo, and Leftovers Tera Electric sets feel unbreakable. It has been doing well at the regionals so far too and does beat a lot of the top Pokemon with Earth Power or even just Blood Moon. Better than Electabuzz and Primarina for sure, certainly on par with Pelipper and Porygon2 TBH.

:Ninetales-alola: B+ --> A- / A
A9 has been doing really well recently, Screens + Ice STAB is really good, especially with the boon in a Sneasler + Rillaboom + A9 structure after its win in Frankfurt. Ninetales-A does struggle against top Pokemon like Incineroar and Gholdengo, but it does amazing into things like Rillaboom and specifically Rain teams, which is potentially the strongest archetype this format. Screens next to something like Annihilape is also just absurd.

:Sinistcha: B+ --> A-
I think this Pokemon is going to do a lot better later in the format, but it's already putting up insane numbers. It is a great partner for Archaludon and is now a staple for many Rain Teams. Outside of this, it is a great enabler for the Ursaluna formes and is generally a great supportive option for any team. Even if it doesn't do much damage, Life Dew and Rage Powder are an unholy combination rn.

:tyranitar: B+ --> A-
Similar to A9, ttar has been doing great. Sand chip is really good against the likes of dozogiri + you shut down rain, and can technically OHKO sash Pelipper with Rock move + sand chip. Low Kick hits Archaludon and Kingambit, and you can even take Make It Rain and retaliate with an OHKO. It can be a Tera hog though and does still struggle against Rillaboom and Sneasler, but certainly better than Salamence and Kommo-o.

:Grimmsnarl: B --> A-
I believe that Grimmsnarl is super slept on, Screens are broken right now. Remember Ice Rider + Grimm? Now we have Archaludon + Grimm! With the lack of Tera Dark because of less Calyrex-S, Thunder Wave is surprisingly free outside of the Dark-types and Gholdengos of the format. Gholdengo is a big issue for Grimmsnarl, but Foul Play hits hard or Spirit Break can nerf it for allies. Screens are broken right now lol.

:Indeedee: B --> B+ / A-
Indeedee is super good; Sneasler is good, blocking Fake Out is good, Expanding Force hits hard, need I say more? Indeedee can run so many moves such as Imprison + TR, Alluring Voice / Dazzling Gleam, Tera Fighting Blast, Helping Hand, Trick, Healing Wish, etc. Beats a lot of top mons and spreads a lot of damage, shouldn't be next to Hatterene lmao.

:arcanine-hisui: C+ --> B+
:Excadrill: C+ --> B
:Jumpluff: C --> B-
:Charizard: UR --> C+ / B-
:Gliscor: UR --> C / C+
:Hariyama: UR --> C
:kilowattrel: C --> B

Drops

:kingambit: S --> A+
This sounds kind of outlandish to some but let me explain; Kingambit has had less usage than most A tier Pokemon and additionally struggles into the newer archetypes such as the reinvented Sneasler balance which seems to be popping off in the EU. Kingambit also never felt S tier to me, defensive typing + incineroar not being all that right now really holds it back IMO, also feels kind of difficult to slot on since it really beckons for redirection and Trick Room / some sort of speed control other than Tailwind / multiple Fake Out users. Idk I might just be a hater lol.

:amoonguss: A+ --> A
Again, sounds crazy, although I believe this one is more reasonable; it simply isn't putting up A+ numbers right now. It only really works on two major archetypes, being Rain and p2 balance which are albeit very strong, but I don't think Amoonguss right now is Rillaboom level. Still a great Pokemon though. If there was an in between of A and A+ this little guy would probably be there.

:Dragapult: A --> B+
Could honestly be in B tier. Dragapult has had a huge fallout and the meta is kind of hostile to it now that double Dragon teams with Garchomp and Hydreigon and Inner Focus Dragonite have died down + Throat Chop Sneasler and A9 have been rising. Also sometimes just doesn't feel strong enough, specifically on the Dragon-type side with the more common Band sets, and Phantom Force is super predictable but you do need Tera Dragon to do meaningful damage to lots of targets with Dragon Darts.

:garchomp: A --> A-
Similar case to Amoonguss, isn't going insane anymore. Meta is again pretty hostile with Dragonite Rillaboom A9 Sturdy Archaludon stuffs running around + competition as a Ground-type with Ursaluna-B which doesn't fold in front of Dragonite. Might not need to change at all but feels a bit clunky.

:Clefable: A- --> C+
No one is using Clefable anymore. Even early meta this placement doesn't make much sense since Dozogiri never got too far in Regulation H as far as I remember. I'll leave it at C+ just because it can be useful, but being a Fairy-type with Unaware when against Gholdengo and Kingambit is rough, and Clefairy is just bulkier + has Friend Guard which works better 90% of the time.

:Glimmora: B+ --> B / B-
Is anyone using Glimmora? Can go lower, but I guess I could see it as a strong Meteor Beam user with Earth Power for Steels. Toxic Spikes are always good especially when paired with Dozogiri as well, but this defensive typing really asks for Tera which you typically don't want to expend so fast on Dozogiri teams.

:Pawmot: B+ --> C / C+
I've really hardly ever seen Pawmot in Regulation H. And when I have, it has been solely cheese teams or Dozogiri teams. Revival Blessing is a great move for sure, but I don't think it grants Pawmot B+ tier, especially since it feels more like a "oh this has potential but actually sucks" Pokemon, similar to something like Mamoswine. It can beat Gholdengo and Archaludon and Dragonite, but doesn't do that in practice.

:salamence: B+ --> C
Salamence, as much as I love using it on Rain teams, does not deserve B+ tier for any reason whatsoever. It loses to so many top Pokemon and is placed this high for what? Dual Wingbeat? I mean Intimidate is valuable, but not that valuable where you have to scrape for Salamence. I've tried it and it really isn't all that, C might be too generous idk.

:Vivillon: B+ -- B / B-
Unfortunately, this thing has fallen off the face of the earth. Similar to Amoonguss in move choices but a lot more powerful with Hurricane. Tailwind is also really good, but the format is kind of harsh to Vivillon with Incineroar and Dragonite with Scale Shot running around. Vivillon does still provide nice role compression though and I can see it finishing strong at a regional or IC.

:Armarouge: B --> C+
Pretty self-explanatory, psyspam alone does not need B tier, and Armarouge isn't even always run on those teams.

:Lilligant-hisui: B --> C+
Similar case to Armarouge, except this can maybe go up to B- just because sleep is so strong.

:murkrow: B --> B-
Meh

:tauros-paldea-aqua: B --> C
:Gengar: B- --> C
:Ribombee: C+ --> C-
:Tauros-paldea-blaze: C+ --> UR
:Mandibuzz: C- --> UR
 
I've got a very simple thought
If the same 6 Pokemon won regionals in a row and in the second regional the finnaly was a mirror match. Than they are S rank
:Incineroar: :Rillaboom: :Ninetales-Alola: :Sneasler: :Ursaluna-Bloodmoon: - > S/S+
 
They can be absolutely incredible together and still not be S tier on their own.
While I 100% understand that argument, it's hard to deny that said synergy is the S rank team.
Basically, i understand, but disagree when it's at THAT level of dominance
Another thing!
I nominate :Mamoswine: to rise. It's a good counter to the team by taking A9 snow for itself and just hitting most of the team for super effective with stab
 
While I 100% understand that argument, it's hard to deny that said synergy is the S rank team.
Basically, i understand, but disagree when it's at THAT level of dominance
Another thing!
I nominate :Mamoswine: to rise. It's a good counter to the team by taking A9 snow for itself and just hitting most of the team for super effective with stab
mamo is fine where it is there's better anti meta picks and mamo is just too frail to put any higher i also don't see the argument that it beats the Frankfurt 6 yeah it hits a lot of them for super effective stab alot of the Frankfurt 6 hits mamo for super effective stab
 
mamo is fine where it is there's better anti meta picks and mamo is just too frail to put any higher i also don't see the argument that it beats the Frankfurt 6 yeah it hits a lot of them for super effective stab alot of the Frankfurt 6 hits mamo for super effective stab
If not mamo than what Pokemon does beat Frankfurt 6? What better antimeta is there?
 
Alolan Ninetales deserves to be higher than B+ and possibly as high as A due to two factors. The things below show said two factors.

1. How great of a support it is.
Alolatales is a supportive beast. Not only is it great as a snow setter, but it also gains access to Aurora Veil and a respectable speed stat, which means that if you get a Prankster to set dual screens AND the Veil, you will quarter your damage for the next two turns, going for five turns if you can repeat items. You will make OHKOs become 4HKOs and 4HKOs become damage negated by LEFTOVERS. Oh, and Snow 1.5xs defense, which means that if you hit Tales by a previously 4HKO Flame Charge, it becomes a 24HKO move.

2. The Sheer Advantage
listen to me for a second. Ice/Fairy is typing which COMPLETELY shuts down one of the most common types on teams, DRAGON. Alongside that, Annihilape, Amoongus, Whimsicott, Garchomp x2, Salamance x2, Heidreigon x2, Dragonite x2, Dragapult, Kommo-O x2, Goodra (not Hoodra), Tyranitar, Murkrow, Flamigo, Ursa-ATK, Ursa-SpAtk, Rillaboom (kinda, grassy glide is still strong), Exca and Houndstone get their weather stopped by it, Tatsugiri, Pawmot (why is that on the list again), Jumpluff x2, Kilowatrel (why are you here I saw you one time), Serperior, Toedscruel x2 and more. That should be enough. It’s an offensive and defensive MONSTER.
 
I've got a very simple thought
If the same 6 Pokemon won regionals in a row and in the second regional the finnaly was a mirror match. Than they are S rank
:Incineroar: :Rillaboom: :Ninetales-Alola: :Sneasler: :Ursaluna-Bloodmoon: - > S/S+
While I do believe some of these should be S Tier (cough Sneasler cough cough), not all of them should be. Similar to what Carrotman said, they can work well together to form an absurd team but still not individually be S Tier. This is pretty much how tier lists work; how does a Pokemon perform in a meta? If it is specifically carried by its allies (like how Tatsugiri would have next to no viability if Dondozo didn't exist), then it isn't going to rank insanely high; how does a Pokemon perform against the meta (not as a team)?
While I 100% understand that argument, it's hard to deny that said synergy is the S rank team.
Basically, i understand, but disagree when it's at THAT level of dominance
Another thing!
I nominate :Mamoswine: to rise. It's a good counter to the team by taking A9 snow for itself and just hitting most of the team for super effective with stab
Again, synergy shouldn't be super prioritized in ranking. Also is Mamoswine really able to beat that 6? They carry Gholdengo, Sneasler, Rillaboom, and Incineroar, all of which can threaten Mamoswine for super effective damage (mamo is also really frail so it is at odds to get OHKOed). I'd argue that Mamoswine doesn't even need Snow to function either. I do think it has potential (maybe Tera Ghost + Scarf?) but hasn't been used enough at all to warrant a placement here (maybe in C-? That's the highest I would place it).
If not mamo than what Pokemon does beat Frankfurt 6? What better antimeta is there?
Not just 1 Pokemon has to break a team; this isn't 1v1. It can be a few Pokemon, sure, but it should also be how you play. Mamoswine can certainly work as an antimeta choice if you want, although I don't think this team warrants a whole slot for you to counter it. Very few teams ever reach that threshold. If anything, it would be a Pokemon that beats maybe 1 or 2 key threats, like how someone would use Gastrodon specifically for Urshifu-R and Kyogre.
 
Alolan Ninetales deserves to be higher than B+ and possibly as high as A due to two factors. The things below show said two factors.

1. How great of a support it is.
Alolatales is a supportive beast. Not only is it great as a snow setter, but it also gains access to Aurora Veil and a respectable speed stat, which means that if you get a Prankster to set dual screens AND the Veil, you will quarter your damage for the next two turns, going for five turns if you can repeat items. You will make OHKOs become 4HKOs and 4HKOs become damage negated by LEFTOVERS. Oh, and Snow 1.5xs defense, which means that if you hit Tales by a previously 4HKO Flame Charge, it becomes a 24HKO move.
you cant repeat items so that doesnt work why even talk about it if its not possible
 
you cant repeat items so that doesnt work why even talk about it if its not possible
it is also worth mentioning that aurora veil and screens do not stack. Additionally, in doubles they reduce damage by 1/3 not 1/2. In fact I don’t think there was anything said here that is correct
 
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