• Follow our Instagram!
  • Curious about what we're currently doing about bots? Check out the latest updates from staff in this thread.

Resource Pokemon Champions BSS Viability Rankings

Got some thoughts to share on the viability rankings. The meta continues to be volatile: while the "most popular" mons have kept most of their momentum, the supporting cast and mid-tier picks continue to be diverse. While I do think some more radical shifts could be needed, I decided to play it safer instead of tearing down the whole thing and starting from scratch, albeit with a few exceptions.

One popular mega pick that has started to collapse is Blaziken. While some of it peers (like Starmie) have also seen big declines, I think Blaziken never really found its footing as a "top tier" threat. It suffers from four-move slot syndrome, lacks the bulk to consistently set up and has always struggled to solve its Hippowdon and Garchomp problem, just to name a couple. Given its lack of results last season, the bigger drop seems warranted in my mind. This shift also pushes its non-mega form down some notches as well.

The other mons I dropped multiple ranks were Alolan Ninetales and Mega Meganium. Alolan Ninetales was a big Blaziken partner, so I would say there is definitely a correlation there. Mega Meganium I'm not as sure about, but ultimately I pushed it a little farther down because I don't think its seeing as strong of results as its fellow Grass-type Mega Venusaur and I was trying to keep each tier from getting too bloated.

With that, here is an updated viability ranking with my proposed changes:

S Rank
:garchomp: Garchomp

S- Rank
:archaludon: Archaludon
:mimikyu: Mimikyu

A+ Rank
:gyarados-mega: Mega Gyarados
:hippowdon: Hippowdon
:meowscarada: Meowscarada
:metagross-mega: Mega Metagross (Drop from S to A+)
:primarina: Primarina

A Rank
:basculegion: Basculegion-Male (Raise from A- to A)
:delphox-mega: Mega Delphox
:dragonite-mega: Mega Dragonite

A- Rank
:aegislash: Aegislash (Drop from A to A-)
:charizard-mega-x: Mega Charizard X (Raise from B+ to A-)
:charizard-mega-y: Mega Charizard Y (Raise from B+ to A-)
:glimmora: Glimmora
:greninja: Greninja
:hydreigon: Hydreigon (Drop from A to A-)

B+ Rank
:corviknight: Corviknight (Raise from B to B+)
:floette-mega: Mega Floette (Raise from B to B+)
:gengar-mega: Mega Gengar
:gholdengo: Gholdengo
:greninja-mega: Mega Greninja
:starmie-mega: Mega Starmie (Drop from A- to B+)
:umbreon: Umbreon (Raise from B to B+)

B Rank
:bellibolt: Bellibolt (Raise from B- to B)
:blaziken-mega: Mega Blaziken (Drop from A- to B)
:gyarados: Gyarados
:lucario-mega: Mega Lucario
:raichu-mega-y: Mega Raichu Y (Raise from B- to B)
:rotom-wash: Rotom-Wash (Drop from B+ to B)
:samurott-hisui: Hisuian Samurott (Drop from B+ to B)
:scizor: Scizor
:scizor-mega: Mega Scizor
:staraptor-mega: Mega Staraptor

B- Rank
:ninetales-alola: Alolan Ninetales (Drop from B+ to B-)
:kingambit: Kingambit
:lopunny-mega: Mega Lopunny
:mawile-mega: Mega Mawile
:pelipper: Pelipper
:swampert: Swampert
:sylveon: Sylveon (Raise from C+ to B-)
:swampert-mega: Mega Swampert
:venusaur-mega: Mega Venusaur (Raise from C+ to B-)
:volcarona: Volcarona (Raise from C+ to B-)

C+ Rank
:blastoise-mega: Mega Blastoise
:blaziken: Blaziken (Drop from B to C+)
:clefable: Clefable
:clefable-mega: Mega Clefable
:espathra: Espathra
:grimmsnarl: Grimmsnarl (Drop from B- to C+)
:meganium-mega: Mega Meganium (Drop from B to C+)
:skeledirge: Skeledirge (Drop from B- to C+)
:vanilluxe: Vanilluxe

C Rank
:ceruledge: Ceruledge
:dragalge-mega: Mega Dragalge
:dragapult: Dragapult
:excadrill: Excadrill
:slowbro-mega: Mega Slowbro
:toxapex: Toxapex
:whimsicott: Whimsicott

Regarding recent discussion:

I definitely don't think Hippo is S/S- tier. Its a great mon and the premier tank right now, but its lack of versatility is what truly holds it back from being among the likes of Garchomp, as well as its weak points being a bit more exploitable than some others.

As for Metagross, its still an incredible mon, which is why I only shifted it down a little. There's a reason Fire-types are so popular right now, and this guy is it. It easily has the best raw BST abuse of any mega in the game right now until MegaMence shows up, with excellent coverage options. True, it has some move selection issues, but it has no problem covering a wide enough spectrum that shoring up its blind spots with the supporting cast is done well enough.
 
DerpySuX said:
Rules
  • Post intelligently. Posts like "I think Pokemon X should be in this tier" without giving any reasoning is not helpful.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse...
Mushfiq said:
Meowscarda is easily S, Basculegion needs to be A+
Click to expand...
Click to collapse...
This is just to remind that posting in this thread requires reasoning when disputing a Pokémon's placement. If you want us to consider these shifts for the next VR update, you need to explain your reasoning behind these rises.
 
Haven't played much bss lately, but its a pleasant surprise seeing Aegislash ranked above Gholdengo. That said, why is that the case? I am guessing that Shadow Sneak is more useful in offensive meta? Can it still function with mixed sets?
 
Magcargo said:
Haven't played much bss lately, but its a pleasant surprise seeing Aegislash ranked above Gholdengo. That said, why is that the case? I am guessing that Shadow Sneak is more useful in offensive meta? Can it still function with mixed sets?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse...
Having tried both mons in Pokemon Champions and stuck with Aegislash over Gholdengo:
  • Gholdengo's bulk is in the toilet compared to Aegislash - unlike Ghold, Aegislash can generally tank a super-effective attack even if you forgot your resist berry at home (opponents typically need STAB and Life Orb or a boosting ability/weather to cleanly break) - it helps that Aegislash's ability incentivizes it to be slow (I found 32 HP SP Aegislash to be significantly bulkier than Bulky Ghold)
  • Being able to go mixed does, indeed, help Aegislash's case (there are several match-ups where I wish I went for Shadow Ball instead of Poltergeist, chief among them are stuff like Corviknight or (Mega) Scizor)
  • Shadow Sneak is fairly helpful in this meta, especially since Leftovers and resist berries seem better overall for Aegislash (but there was that opponent who pretty much OHKOed my Shield Form Aegislash with Life Orb Poltergeist on their Aegislash)
  • Actually having a powerful Fighting-type coverage move with 100% accuracy helps a little bit more
 
I think they’re p close in viability with Aegis having a slight edge due to being able to attack from both sides of the spectrum and higher damage output overall, however Ghold has a lot more staying power thanks to recover and it’s immunity to status moves.
 
A few of my ideas from playing on cart and hitting masterball tier after reading everything posted:

Mega Dragalge C tier -> B+ tier

Genuinely one of the most underrated pokemon here imo. You dont really need special attack investment and can actually spec all in with bulk. Manages to match really well for slow turn teams especially and helps get big mons like garchomp out while having a noticeably favourable MU into primarina and a lot of special attackers that try to threaten it. But it gets so much better than that due to its ability which allows it to really shine as that bulky attacking pivot mon.

Pairs fantastically with a lot of the tier as well since most special attackers legitimately just can't 1v1 it. Also happens to work extremely well in a format where you can slide a secondary mega to cover any of its weaknesses. Pokemon such as staraptor and gyarados really come to mind as great secondary mega options.

However where it really doesnt shine is its MU into garchomp. You can sometimes outspeed some builds of hippowdon (if theyre running a -speed nature, happens frequently, funnily enough), and other ground type attackers might threaten it a bit too much. It also struggles with archaludon on occasion but thankfully due to its bulk it can usually reliably survive and flip turn into chomp for free, regardless of the build.

Its generally going to win 1v1s and it also gets scald! I dont think its at its true power until it goes into a 6v6 but I think its very viable tbh.



Anyways, my next mon is

Infernape Unranked -> C+ tier

This guy does fantastic as an anti lead. Beats meowscarada and is in just about good enough of a speed tier to outspeed most leads if it doesnt match up well at all. Also kills archaludon with an expert belt if its not using max bulk physically, and bulky builds typically CANNOT OHKO infernape, allowing for weirdly common free 1v1s. It being faster also means you can swing into good MUs with U-turn due to most leads being run in a way that forces them to rely on stab.
 
Last edited:
Photon said:
Its funny you mention this because I just got bamboozled by two separate Scolipede teams today.

The simple answer is that we have to be selective on what gets ranked. I mentioned this in our internal chat, but it feels like there is a lot of different builds right now that are experiencing some degree of success. At some point, the VR become less useful if every niche Pokemon gets ranked; it was already a bit of a struggle to keep this list from blowing up further, to be honest. Scolipede, for example, is outside top 50 usage and hasn't shown a lot of strong finishes at higher level play (only 1 finish in top 100.)

Of course, there will always be some degree of subjectivity to what "deserves" to get ranked. This is what the discussion forum is for, so I'd be open to hearing a more in-depth explanation on the niche it fills (partners and movesets but also things like how it interacts with top meta threats.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse...
Tbh I think its definitely rankable at C to C+.

Had to give it some thought but the mere threat of baton pass cheese of any kind is just dangerous and has to be acknowledged.
 
final reg M-B update!

Rises
:scizor-mega: B > A+
:scizor: B > A
:basculegion: A- > A
:charizard-mega-x: B+ > A-
:charizard-mega-y: B+ > A-
:corviknight: B > B+
:floette-mega: B > B+
:bellibolt: B- > B
:raichu-mega-y: B- > B
:sylveon: C+ > B-
:venusaur-mega: C+ > B-
:Volcarona: C+ > B-

Drops
:metagross-mega: S > A+
:Aegislash: A > A-
:hydreigon: A > A-
:starmie-mega: A- > B+
:blaziken-mega: A- > B
:rotom-wash: B+ > B
:Samurott-hisui: B+ > B
:Ninetales-alola: B+ > B-
:Blaziken: B > C+
:grimmsnarl: B- > C+
:meganium-mega: B > C+
:Skeledirge: B- > C+
 
DerpySuX said:
Mence is definitely shaping up to be the best mega but I don’t want to call anything too early.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse...
Every battle I've had so far has had the exact same team core of mence/pod save for a few instances.

I really wish they took away facade from it because we need to be allowed to cripple this thing.

Anyways I dont think its too early to call it. Its called mini mega ray for a reason.
 
It's been only one day since M-C started and I think it's best not to jump into conclusions like these. I expect to see offence as the best defence against Mega Salamence (as well as the other new mega additions) since fully defensive strategies haven't been very good on these last three regulations, so it'll be better to wait and see if Mega Salamence stirs the metagame enough to warrant S tier.
 
deepseazapdos said:
It's been only one day since M-C started and I think it's best not to jump into conclusions like these. I expect to see offence as the best defence against Mega Salamence (as well as the other new mega additions) since fully defensive strategies haven't been very good on these last three regulations, so it'll be better to wait and see if Mega Salamence stirs the metagame enough to warrant S tier.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse...
Valid. My apologies.
 
Some initial rankings based on vibes after hitting master rank. IDK how to build for this tier so take most of this shit with a grain of salt.

:Tinkaton: -> C-Rank

This mon pairs quite well with Salamence, covering a lot of its key weaknesses and it got buff with Air Balloon being added, letting it more easily setup rocks. I have been liking its match-ups into Vanilluxe / Umbreon which can sometimes annoy Salamence, as well as Baxcalibur. Its main issue is that its offenses are not great & it is a rocker that the Fire-types eagerly switch into.

EDIT: After playing more, I have found TInkaton to be invaluable in many more match-ups with Air Balloon, such as against opposing Hippowdon and Glimmora. Encore is also an amazing tool to disrupt bullshit Baton Pass cheese teams, particularly with Mold Breaker letting it bypass common Pokemon like Gholdengo and Clefable on such teams. I think C+ or B- may be a more fair rating for it.

:Pawmot: -> B+ Rank

Revival Blessing allows for some funny strats, usually invloving Basculegion or Bannette. I have not been liking its synergy with Basculegion much since Aegislash becomes annoying and I haven't tried it with Bannette. I tried it with Steel Beam Lucario though and it pairs really nicely with that, hitting its checks hard with Double Shock, while letting Lucario itself more easily click Steel Beam. Its got a nice and strong Ice Punch to trade with the more common Grounds like Garchomp as well & Mach punch is solid utility against big threats like Baxcalibur. Main issues are that its speed is a bit awkward and it relies on Sash to survive stray hits, which can be limiting.

:Baxcalibur: -> A+ Rank

This Pokemon is an all around strong breaker with or without the mega. Very few Pokemon can cofortably switch into this guy and the ones that kinda can like Rotom-W get fried by Glaive rush or are setup fodder. Other Pokemon like Primarina get goobed by Random Thunder Fang tho that is admittingly a niche move on this Pokemon. The main draw of this Pokemon is its ability to check Mega Salamnce with Ice Shard. Considering how broken that Pokemon is otherwise, this is huge utility. It can also play around many of its checks such as Aegislash by SDing on the King's shield turn. The pokemon itself does have its own share of annoyances though - not OHKOing Hippowdon, being weak to rocks, and having a few common checks like Mega Lucario, Golisopod, Scizor, Primarina, and Alolan Ninetlales, so its not worthy of S-Rank.

:Lucario-Mega Z: -> A+ Rank

This Pokemon is a trade demon. Having the highest speed in the metagame and great bulk lets it get off a nusty plot more easily than one would expect, but even if it doesn't, it still is hitting like a truck against the frail metagame with its STABs. Steel Beam also gives it nuclear Power that lets it more easily trade with many threats such as Hippowdon or Salamence, sometimes going 2 for 1 which is quite valuable in this format. That said, it does get annoyed by Earthquake and a few Pokemon such as Toxapex.

:Salamence-Mega:-> S+ Rank

Very centralizing Pokmeon in the format, just checks most things with its raw offenses and unlike a lessor Pokemom, it can quite easily adapt itself to beat its counterplay. Most of its checks get taken advantage of by its partners. This Pokemon's raw speed, bulk, and damage just makes it a really easily solution to a lot of problems - even without setting up.
 
Last edited:
Hit masterball without mence, on cart, without home or anything except the smartphone game. Here are my appraisals based on the constant onslaught of salamence I was fighting.
Read like this:

(Tier)
(Pokemon)(Where they go in tier.)
(Reasoning)

A tier:

Froslass =
This pokemon is generationally silly. So many people open with hippowdon/garchomp that you just get to blizzard spam to high hell. Which, remarkably, does well against salamence teams that DON'T have an answer to it. Many common pokemon also check or hard counter all of its checks/counters, and it hits ridiculously hard while being able to generally support the team with aurora veil for free.
When you fight it, you generally know what youre gonna get, but it still does its job so well anyways while being in a great speed tier of 120.


Baxcalibur =
Fantastic wallbreaker that can really wreck your team if you arent careful.

Rotom Heat -
Anti golisopod and anti mence if it doesnt run facade. Also works well against any and all physical attackers and will punish the giant amount of steels currently running rampant. A lot of people cant deal with a max physical bulk pokemon that burns their whole team and it helps that as a result of this bulk it can 1v1 many many megas in the format. Really susceptible to knock off but knock off is far more common in 6v6 than 3v3 it seems. Also literally the only levitate fire type right now which makes it extremely handy. I think this thing is severely slept on and the fact it naturally outspeeds primarina (to volt turn out) makes it so special.



B tier:

Hisuian Arcanine:
This thing hits so hard and when it gets going it can blow your whole team up. Really good against a lot of pokemon but unfortunately loses to a lot of popular pokemon as well.

Pretty cool mon that can clean teams up if they dont have an answer to it, and it trades really well tbh. Its too bad its really restricted by needing scarf to deal with things. Fantastic revenge killer as well.


There are other pokemon i have opinions on too but I havent seen them enough to really think on it. To speak on salamence, I believe it to be the best pokemon in the format by far rn. You either run a counter or you run it. Not having either is genuinely asking to lose.

I also think golisopod is probably somewhere from B+ to A=. Not entirely sure though. Really flexible mon but it feels more like an answer to whatever your mega is weak to rather than a main mega or strategy.
 
Last edited:
I'm 1850 Rating in Singles (in Pokemon Champions, not Showdown), my peak rank was #7854 in the World earlier this season.

17046.png
UR -> A-

Empoleon is fantastic as a special wall with Stealth Rock and Yawn support, recovery with Roost, and utility as a slow bulky pivot. With full Special Bulk, it takes less than half from many super-effective Special attacks, it can survive almost any non-STAB Super Effective Physical move, and even survive Aura Sphere from non-boosted Mega Lucario Z. It completely walls Primarina, Hydreigon, Indeedee-M, Mega Greninja, and many other meta-relevant Special Attackers. Alternatively, it also has the option of running a bulky Special Attacker set instead.

Mono (Korean singles creator) hit #1 in the world with it and has made a video detailing the team he used and Empoleon's role in it:
 
Last edited:
I think it might be worth considering Rotom Heat for B-. It shares a lot of space defensively with Wash, able to heavily disrupt if not wall the most common :salamence-mega:/:garchomp:/:metagross-mega: builds as well as :mimikyu:, and as one of the only viable (non mega) Fire types it can offensively threaten :golisopod-mega:/:gholdengo:/:lucario-mega-z: and does really well into :rillaboom:/:metagross-mega: cores. It's sitting at 36 in usage right now so it's getting quite a bit of use.
 
I'm honestly not the biggest fan of Mega Golisopod. It's got good priority and stats, but I think it's 4x weakness to fire is a bit too easy to tech in as a surprise option. I'd personally put it in B+ or A- tier. It definitely does have a use against bax and meow tho
 
I had an entire post ready that I unfortunately lost, but I'll try to summarize my points

Mega Salamence to S-/A+

It's not the behemoth it once was, it's way too reliant on Yawn support and stuggles against many things that have been introduced in the time it was gone, in addition to some of its old foes. The lack of Return hurts it somewhat as it's constantly chipping away at its own good bulk with Double Edge, even more so on the mixed set variants adding more damage into the mix thanks to the -spdef natures those tend to run.

Mega Staraptor from UR to C

It's an alternative to Salamence that has a different set of weaknesses, most importantly only being x2 weak to Ice instead of x4, allowing it to challenge the likes of Baxcalibur even after taking Stealth Rocks chip in base form. Not having a Dragon-type weakness also gives it a more stable MU into Garchomp, as it can be EVed to survive a Draco Meteor from Mega Garchomp Z or Outrage from Scarf Garchomp. Close Combat is able to scare away even a full HP Archaludon, and it's a solid hit into Rotom-H/W, who are otherwise solid Mence checks as they need to be chipped into Draco Meteor range.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top