Resource Champions OU Regulation M-C Viability Rankings

[Moyashi]

Now that I've been playing for a bit in the new regulation I have a few thoughts.

:Absol-Mega-Z: New -> A-
It is better than I was expecting, and I was expecting it to just be kinda okay due to its frailty. You do need to respect it in the late game, but the fact it cannot secure KOs against healthy pokemon without a boost definitely hurts it. Offensive pokemon with any semblance of bulk can take unboosted shadow claws (barring crits) and just KO it, so it will struggle to get boosts vs offense unless it faces something weak to ghost. It's still perfectly fine to be a stronger late game presence, but it means it'll struggle to be as useful in the early to mid game, especially since its typing is mediocre defensively and makes it difficult to get on the field on its own, necessitating support. I think bulky wisp sets are more useful early game since it can ease its own set up later and still contribute to forwarding the game state by throwing status.

:Golisopod-Mega: New -> A-/A
I'm on the fence between A- or A, but probably leaning closer to A? It's quite robust offensively, and its access to a range of strong priority is unique given its defensive profile while Leech Life gives it some solid sustain. One thing I don't like about it is how it can be prone to surprise fire coverage meaning teching for it isn't TOO difficult, and before it mega evolves it still has to deal with its stealth rock weakness in base form which can be a slight bit awkward in some games, but it's a great pick on offense and definitely a strong addition to the meta.

:Garchomp-Mega-Z: New -> B-
I'm gonna go against the grain and say that while this has major opportunity cost when using it, but it does have some nice anti-cheese traits due to the intact natural bulk (no, -10 defense is not really a big deal at all when its HP is so good naturally) and goofy high speed. Levitate is neat since it makes it a source of speed control that isn't bothered by webs, and isn't worn down by the ubiquitous spikes (fuck hamurott), and a strong Draco to pummel frail offense is useful. The high dual offenses also means that though it lacks stab, it can pick coverage moves on both end of the spectrum to be quite disruptive. Heck, invested draco into uninvested (and timid nature) EQ with rocks up will beat Glowking so it's hardly helpless. Again, big opportunity cost when using it, but it's not at all a terrible pokemon.

:Rillaboom: New -> A
Only reason I'm putting it here and not higher is because it does have some annoyances like its awful Corv and Mega-Dragalge match up (unless you run High Horsepower for the latter but lol), and it does have a pretty average defensive profile... but It's still very potent with SD+LO sets, and enables a range of big threats through it bringing terrain to allow for seed usage.

:Cinderace: New -> B+
Not the easiest to slap on currently but it's not bad at all. Court Change is great, but I actually think this is quite worth focusing on for its offensive qualities due to the good movepool and Libero letting it be a nice offensive pivot. Pyro/Gunk/Sucker/U-Turn actually just runs around a lot of other offensive threats. Definitely a solid addition and I'd argue it's got strong potential to get even better with time.

:Pawmot: New -> B/B+
It's neat to see this actually be viable in OU, and on its own merits. Cool breaker with a unique dual STAB that's hard to pivot around, and ice punch only makes this more so. Has some customizability to it with its fourth move making it potentially more annoying, but its immense frailty is a pretty glaring weakness it has, especially if you run LO.

Now for some other noms

:Blaziken: :Charizard-Mega-X: A -> A+
Both are super potent and frankly broken mons that just got better with RIllaboom's addition to the game. There's so few long term checks they have at all, and their ability to snowball quickly is nasty. Blaziken having a free fourth moveslot makes it very nasty. Zard X has such nice natural bulk and its access to Roost and a good base speed tier makes revenge KOing it very challenging if rocks are not gotten up, and partners like Hatterene make this difficult for mons that aren't Mold Breaker Exca.

:Scizor-Mega: B+ -> A-
Bulky SD+Roost sets feel really nice rn since they check a host of dangerous threats depending on its other attacking move outside Bullet Punch. CC and it checks Gambit really well and crushes Archaludon. Knock Off and it can rip through Aegislash while making progress into other threats. U-Turn is even neat to let it pivot early game and rack up chip alongside hazards. Its great longevity and defensive profile is appreciated for letting it switch into (broken) Mega-Floette and picks off Mega Meganium late game (provided it's weakened or Scizor is boosted at that point). Nice end game threat too that some teams just don't know what to do into. Also? Solid on webs.

:Skeledirge: B -> B+
Feasts on Blaziken, Sneasler, slow Kingambit (wisp), Mega Floette and can even soft check Zard X with leftovers, since after a Torch Song, Hex pressures X quite hard and Dragon Claw is only a 3HKO. Also a Mega Scizor check, and eats Mega Golisopod for breakfast lunch and dinner. Even serves as a useful check to Mega Raptor. Necessitates good anti-rocks support, but when done it's quite nice. Also has the cute benefit of bricking Ceruledge and Aegislash if it ever loses its leftovers to knock off (and i've seen some rilla+croc structures that mitigate EQ weakness and give further longevity).

:Gliscor: C+ -> B
Hot take: Nowhere near as bad as it seems without Toxic Orb and thus, easy Poison Heal. Lefties+Protect with physical bulk is still perfectly valid, and it's a hazard setter Hatt can't go near for risk of letting it bounce its own toxic into itself and get even more longevity. Soft checks stuff like gambit, Ceruledge, Garchomp, Raichu-Y (lacking Surf), Excadrill, Blaziken, Zard X (slightly shaky but physdef helps a lot) and bulky BU Annihilape (via toxic). Granted, not solely on its own, but it helps alleviate some pressure on teammates to do so which is valuable.

:Primarina: A- -> B+
Imma be honest. I'm not super high on it. It's solid and definitely can feel quite annoying in some match ups, but I just don't find that these match ups exist where it can just go crazy. The low physical bulk makes it a fairly flimsy Samurott-H check when it's going to eat spikes damage later in a game, and I think it just isn't quite as good of a short term check to stuff as other stuff, even if it is offensively solid.

:Quaqavel: :Scizor: B- -> C+ / B -> B-
Why. There's at least a use case for base Scizor on very specific teams, even if it's still not that great, but Quaq is just in most cases, a strictly outclassed fighting type and a mediocre pokemon. I cannot understand why ladder likes this thing so much so as to keep it in OU.

And that's all. Hope you're all having a nice weekend!

 

[Mr Zangler]

:gliscor: C+->B+ Gliscor sorely needs a bump in the next VR. It obviously has a lot of downsides without toxic orb--no status absorbtion, reduced longevity, and immense opportunity cost (given it now suffers from the needing-to-run-leftovers disease that plagues Pokemon like bulky Excadrill, Dragonite, and Aegislash)--but I am somehow inadvertantly finding myself with an increasing number of Gliscor on my teams; it has a lot of incredible tools that set it apart from other grounds: the flying type, access to toxic, knock off, spikes, toxic spikes, stealth rock, a respectably deep physical movepool, and breathtaking mixed bulk.

Poison heal comes into play in a pretty respectable number of games--switching in on a sludge bomb, toxic or mortal spin from Glimmora or Slowking will have you recovering an absolutely unfair 18 percent per turn--and can also be forced into proccing--by clicking toxic yourself into Hatterene or Mega Clefable--meaning it puts a lot of pressure on the omnipresent poison types and the (second?) most common form of hazard control in the tier. Slowking and Glimmora are unable to spam sludge bomb or remove hazards with mortal spin without a very dangerous possibility of Gliscor coming in. Gliscor also puts immense pressure on Hatterene, Clefable or Sableye just on the off chance it clicks toxic into itself; paired with stealth rock or spikes, this is an incredibly effective way to get value against teams that hazards Hippowdon or Garchomp might not be able to. Mold Breaker Excadrill can force hazards better than Gliscor, but also has much feebler bulk and a significantly worse matchup into other hazard setters.

Both Spdef and Physdef Gliscor have their merit, but--as per usual--spdef gliscor is much easier to slot onto teams and has incredible matchups into some of the scariest pokemon in the tier.

Raichu-Y is the obvious standout, and Gliscor stonewalls its most common sets. Raichu is forced to run surf to deal with Gliscor, at the cost of heavily weakening its matchup into Specially Defensive Hippowdon, Decidueye-H, Garchomp, Slowking, et cetera--between grass knot, alluring voice, and nasty plot or volt switch respectively--or against Sucker Punch priority; Raichu won't have the moveslots for encore or substitute. Most Raichu players just will not bother accounting for that in the builder, meaning Gliscor is the most reliable ground type check in the tier.

Even besides Ychu, though, Spdef Gliscor functions as a pretty comfortable switch in into the terrifying Mixed Garchomp, letting you hit it with a crippling toxic or get value with your own hazards, the aforementioned Glimmora and Slowking, to threaten a poison heal proc, Scarf Dragapult, Aegislash, Excadrill, and even the occasional Rotom-W volt switch, since you stomach a pump pretty nicely. If you're poisoned, this list about doubles, obviously, since you aren't afraid of status. Additionally--if you get Gliscor in clean--it can stomach almost any single hit you need it to and throw off a toxic. This is much more impactful when Gliscor has toxic orb, obviously, but even leftovers + protect can very feasibly restore your health to do it again in a pinch.

Other pokemon that Gliscor can potentially check include :sneasler: :annihilape: :archaludon: :dragonite: :kingambit: :volcarona: :floette-mega: :garchomp-mega-z: :toxapex: :delphox-mega: :clefable: :ceruledge: ETC

Many of the above are moveset or gamestate dependent, but they are absolutely worth mentioning.

Honorable mention to Scarf, Chesto, and Grassy Seed SD Acrobatics Gliscor that I have seen used to genuine success on ladder.


Don't talk to me or my son ever again.
:gliscor: :gligar:

 

[Moyashi]

Hot(?) take incoming

:Kingambit: S- -> A
Gambit is still a great mon, don't get me wrong. But it's been on a noticeable downtrend in usage lately, having slipped out of top 10 as of this last month as far as the ladder goes, and it also has had very surprisingly scarce usage in CHAMPL the last few weeks.

The general near ubiquity of the big staples of Chomp, Corv and Samurott are no doubt issues for it, but the tier also is just deceptively well prepared for it. Teams tend to have multiple outs into it, whether on bulky teams or general offense, and having to depend on sucker punch has made it rather exploitable. It's also defensively just... Not that great? Like you handle Glowking kinda (except the increase in flamethrower usage on it means it's not as good a check anymore), and you check Aegislash sort of? But outside that it has a harder time switching directly into attacks, and with how spikes heavy the tier is, it doesn't have great longevity and can struggle to be useful early game, and in some matches it can even have issues midgame if the opponent is prepared for it. The reintroduction of rocky helmet has only further harmed Gambit's ability to make progress, and it can quickly find itself worn down, leaving it hard to find set up chances. Yes it's still damagewise, very strong, but it's not as easy to build with as it used to be, especially since it stacks weaknesses with other common team building options which is awkward.

Again, it's still plenty good, it's just not an S- mon and tbh I don't think it's been one for a while now.

 

[OatIsHere]

Hot(?) take incoming

:Kingambit: S- -> A
Gambit is still a great mon, don't get me wrong. But it's been on a noticeable downtrend in usage lately, having slipped out of top 10 as of this last month as far as the ladder goes, and it also has had very surprisingly scarce usage in CHAMPL the last few weeks.

The general near ubiquity of the big staples of Chomp, Corv and Samurott are no doubt issues for it, but the tier also is just deceptively well prepared for it. Teams tend to have multiple outs into it, whether on bulky teams or general offense, and having to depend on sucker punch has made it rather exploitable. It's also defensively just... Not that great? Like you handle Glowking kinda (except the increase in flamethrower usage on it means it's not as good a check anymore), and you check Aegislash sort of? But outside that it has a harder time switching directly into attacks, and with how spikes heavy the tier is, it doesn't have great longevity and can struggle to be useful early game, and in some matches it can even have issues midgame if the opponent is prepared for it. The reintroduction of rocky helmet has only further harmed Gambit's ability to make progress, and it can quickly find itself worn down, leaving it hard to find set up chances. Yes it's still damagewise, very strong, but it's not as easy to build with as it used to be, especially since it stacks weaknesses with other common team building options which is awkward.

Again, it's still plenty good, it's just not an S- mon and tbh I don't think it's been one for a while now.

Click to collapse...

Certainly not a hot take, right now gambit is still extremely good however its role as a bulky offensive dark is overshadowed by hisuian samurott as of now. Still definitely a top 10 Pokemon in the meta right now & its priority and defensive profile is very valued & will be better if hisuian samurott kicks the boot

 

[Sami]

The current VR is super old and outdated so trying to make new nominations is rather difficult. Instead of trying though, I just made my own VR.

mega only

:sneasler: :blaziken: :lopunny-mega:
Sneasler is just broken and obnoxious to deal with. It's way too easy to setup with terrain support, it has inconsistent counterplay due to its coverage and just raw power with Adamant, and compared to other sweepers it has way too much longevity despite defense drops with CC. Blaziken has less longevity than Sneasler but its power and Speed are still comparable, as well as being the best Fire-type to use because it isn't weak to Stealth Rock nor does it require setup to work with Life Orb (Air Balloon is too MU-fishy imo). I think Mega Lopunny is the best Mega mostly because it does well into both of these two with Fake Out + Mach Punch/Quick Attack picking them off after a killl. This applies to other offensive mons as well, but there's also its own Swords Dance set which is also pretty powerful even if it has a bit of MU-fishing behind it with the last moveslot (Facade for Toxapex or Mega Kick for Clefable or Triple Axel for Dragonite or Encore for Mega Golisopod etc).

:dragapult:
Seems a bit odd to put in A+ but I'm being serious this guy is really good. Again, does well into Blaziken and Sneasler for the most part, alongside other things like Mega Charizard Y, Pawmot, and Rillaboom. Choice Scarf goes further being a good soft-check into Mega Charizard X and Volcarona. Will-O-Wisp variants fuck with Mega Golisopod and Kingambit, Thunder Wave variants mess with Mega Floette and Mega Delphox, while mixed Life Orb sets are difficult for most defensive cores to deal with. This guy has a lot of set versatility which puts him up here IMO.

:charizard-mega-x: :charizard-mega-y: :hippowdon:
Mega Charizard X is like Blaziken but with a huge Stealth Rock weakness, which holds it back a little for me. But it is still stupidly strong and synergises well with Rillaboom, and the neutrality to Water puts it above Ceruledge for me since it's less weak into Mega Golisopod. Mega Charizard Y is an elite wallbreaker with the same issue though, but it has a lot of tour success, and just like X, it has a much better matchup into Mega Golisopod which puts it higher than Mega Delphox and Volcarona. Hippowdon is up here because it beats these two alongside Blaziken and Sneasler which is god tier role compression.

:floette-mega: :clefable: :hatterene:
I still think Mega Floette is broken but Mega Golisopod existing holds it back... for now. Clefable is also hurt but since its more encouraged to throw on Flamethrower just for it, but it still has good item diversity (Leftovers, Life Orb, Rocky Helmet). Hatterene is even worse into Mega Golisopod because of its Speed but Healing Wish support for it and Blaziken, as well as the small buff in Air Balloon, makes it still very worthwhile.

:meowscarada:
I was tempted to put Meowscarada lower but that seemed harsh so I left it here instead. Compared to Rillaboom it fumbles versus most offensive and defensive, i.e being fodder for Sneasler and Blaziken while being hard walled by Corviknight. It hates Rocky Helmet because now if it tries to use Triple Axel versus Garchomp it basically dies with it. Choice Scarf is nice speed control but it doesn't have the typing to support it unlike Dragapult.

:pelipper: :archaludon: :basculegion: :quaquaval: :swampert-mega:
Too many people were spamming Rain during my suspect and it was really annoying. Granted, this archetype is good but not great. Kinda sucks versus Rillaboom structures and it will always hate certain mons like Hisuian Samurott and Hippowdon. Quaquaval is a weird one because it technically isn't a Rain-only mon but outside of Rain it still has the same issues into defensive and offensive pieces like Clefable and Dragonite. Mega Swampert is a tier below Rain due to its competition with Mega Golisopod.

:barbaracle-mega: :dragalge-mega:
Babaracle is secretly broken... noticing a lot of teams that get 6-0d by this after it boosts up... but at the same time it insta loses to Rillaboom. Mega Dragalge is kinda busted defensively into Mega Charizard Y, Volcarona, and even Sneasler to an extent, but at the same time it folds to every physical attacker and can become a Flip Turn bot very quickly. These two Megas aren't bad but they're sorta MU fishy (same with Mega Clefable but less, its only down here cuz Mega competition with base forme).

:araquanid: :staraptor-mega:
Araquanid has a miserable WR throughout PL, has middling ladder usage, and overall Sticky Web is just worse hazard HO with Glimmora. Mega Staraptor kinda relies on this archetype to work IMO, and without it, it feels rather weak and prone to phasing + residual damage from Rocky Helmet mons.

:scizor-mega: :mawile-mega:
It's because of Mega Golisopod. Is Mega Scizor bad? Not necessarily, but is it consistent? Ehhh no. It has way too much 4MSS because without Roost there's barely any reason to use it over Golisopod. You need Swords Dance to not be as weak and passive versus stuff like Garchomp and Dragonite. It was already pretty middling in PL before Mega Golisopod, but the fact that Mega Golispod has more usage than it (7 vs 10) in the span of 3 weeks says a lot. Mega Mawile also has a similar issue with Mega Golisopod.

lower tier slop

:gyarados-mega:
base gyarados has good setup chances with intim + typing, mega also has good typing into hamurott and ceruledge, but rilla shoves it into a locker
:hydrapple:
lorb boosted draco + leaf storm = kills everything
:decidueye-hisui::tauros-paldea-aqua:
"I HATE HAMUROTT"
:indeedee::hawlucha:
ik sneasler exists but hawlucha isnt even that bad offensively, encore and sub are still broken moves
:tyranitar:
it feels wrong to put him lower idc
:mamoswine:
typing is broken and it 2hkos mpod with ada lorb eq after rocks

:mimikyu:
red card = "I HATE SNEASLER"
:torkoal::pyroar-mega::venusaur:
full sun is real trust me
:greninja-mega:
who actually uses this... its prob usable as a coverrage bot but like cmon
:scovillain-mega::sableye-mega::talonflame::ditto:
5 more minutes mom!

:espathra::alakazam::armarouge:
psyspam is real trust (bro this tier is too offensive for espathra istg this mf cannot setup properly)
:floette-eternal:
fastest fairy
:medicham-mega::grapploct:
big cc + priority is tuff
:raichu-mega-x:
if rilla and pawmot fused together just to have their viability be hard carried by sneasler

:basculegion-f:
sick of rocky helmet chomp? use hydro miss instead!
:tinkaton:
here cuz im spiteful towards it istg everytime i use this mon anywhere it fails on me
:tauros-paldea-blaze::conkeldurr:
someone used the bull in pl idfk what it does, as for conk, its only D cuz of guts potential, otherwise just use pawmot or smth
:ninetales:
worse torkoal
:pincurchin::raichu-alola:
i saw someone sweep with this on instagram reels so it gets ranked in d... wdym its also a rilla fodder?
:vanilluxe:
SWORDISBORED SAVE ME
:garchomp-mega:
if ur building ho/offense and ur gonna use scale shot chomp but u alrr used lorb slot on blaziken or smth... ig its usable??? but theres also just lum or haban berry or smth

almost everything in dont tier has a better alternative
trick room is just bad
kleavor is potential man (0 damage to corv, 0 flexability, 7 times a match it clicks stone axe)
bellibolt idek why hes here man

ok bye

edit: :houndstone: dont --> C+
this post was timed rlly rlly badly i assumed yall were using phys def fluffy not sand rush LOL

 

[OatIsHere]

Ok since D tier right now is tier slop & should just be removed I have some additions for the lower ranks!

:sv/houndstone:

- Houndstone UR -> C+
- Ok houndstone is honestly not terrible, ghost stab is super good & it can threaten the common darks with Play Rough/Body Press. It has utility in Will-O-Wisp as well to pressure Corviknight and Hippowdon and when yuo equip a Spell Tag on it you can two shot Clefable with Poltergeist which is neat. Also provides some speed control on Sand teams where you can outspeed Scarfers.
Team: :houndstone: :hippowdon: :garchomp: :corviknight: :samurott-hisui: :scizor-mega:

Replays:

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9championsou-2694427385-1cuwqux5nu3198mq2gq6c8fd3xvht94pw



:sv/espathra:

- Espathra: B- -> B=
- Espathra is a very cheesy mon but it can be a very threatening sweeper apart from using chud sneasler. If you have a Pokemon that can threaten or heavily damage kingambit such as Dragapult or Glimmora then you can easily snow ball the game. Dazzling Gleam at +1 can OHKO darks most notably Hisuian Samurott and loads of Pokemon can be set up on for instance Primarina and Corviknight. With Grassy Seed you can survive priority like Sucker Punch Samurott-Hisui and Cinderace and Shadow Sneask Mega Absol Z.
Team: :rillaboom: :espathra: :glimmora: :golisopod-mega: :garchomp: :samurott-hisui:

Replays:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9championsou-2695726148-j7lfptd79spm4pv27fqc46xat0mekobpw
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9championsou-2695730695-dsrt0nchrxpmo15envs26j92t8d5qkypw
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9championsou-2695101635-shy5x7sw5kcr5ljyramilk0jmei7kr2pw
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9championsou-2695643404-qmnl4arttm6a3y099vxiq2ee4u9p4ahpw

:sv/thievul:

- Thievul UR -> B=
Thievul is the best unburden user. It has insane coverage, Burning Jealousy for Mega Golisopod and Kingambit, Psychic for Sneasler, Grass Knot for Hisuian Samurott and Primarina. Thievul truely is the best Pokemon in history.
Team: :thievul: :rillaboom: :garchomp-mega-z: :hatterene: :cinderace: :kingambit:

Replays:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9championsou-2691828166-e6isxxf2j15r7hxi678v30qw7gv7pfbpw
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9championsou-2688199206-dwihtdrt5fwcyw6dj9w6koye30svvmupw
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9championsou-2688668487-ueile3y3n8c9u9qgxkgejw81u61ynq1pw
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9championsou-2688257027-jtk50whqog4377ll5hoambv463ssy2ipw

 

[Ultraman1]

My take on the current Champ OU might be inexperienced, but here we go:

 

[S1nn0hC0nfirm3d]

The long awaited Reg M-C VR update is finally out! Thank you skype for the phenomenal art in the OP. We also had skype and fluff!! vote this round. See below for the new ranks, rises, and drops.

New! Now!

:rillaboom: S-: Grassy Terrain is one of the most used and centralizing playstyles, as it bolsters hyper offensive and bulky offensive sweepers alike. More so, Rillaboom is no slouch itself, as its Life Orb sets are proving to be just as popular as its Terrain Extender ones.

:golisopod-mega: A+: Mega Golisopod is one of the strongest mega slots available, being nearly impossible to deal with effectively without Fire coverage. First Impression + U-turn sets were popular at first, but now it’s clear thatSwords Dance sets with multiple priority options and even some recovery with Leech Life are breaking the mold.

:absol-mega-Z: A: The revenge kill and sweeping potential of Mega Absol Z is practically unparalleled, hindered only by its poor bulk. Thanks to STAB Sucker Punch for other priority attackers, a lot of times it only needss a little help wearing down walls like Garchomp and Corviknight for a clean sweeping opportunity.

:cinderace: A: Despite lacking Heavy-Duty Boots, Cinderace is still a more than welcome addition to the metagame, as Court Change sets offer some much appreciated levity versus entry hazard spam.

:garchomp-mega-z: A-: Zarchomp is proving to be a great specially offensive revenge killer and lure. It can run Stealth Rock without taking too big of a hit on its coverage, although its overall viability is stunted by its lack of wallbreaking potential and options for Galarian Slowking.

:pawmot: B+: Pawmot is more than just a gimmick with Revival Blessing, as its strong coverage and good speed tier means that some of the best physical walls like Garchomp and Corviknight fail to safely switch in versus it.

:indeedee: B: While not as relevant as Grassy Terrain, Psychic Terrain teams still have a niche as an offensive gamble, using Psychic-type spam and offering Sneasler immunity to priority.

:hawlucha: B: Being a sidegrade to Sneasler, Hawlucha instead offers a much stronger Acrobatics for sweeping at the cost of less power and a slightly worse defensive typing.

:tauros-paldea-aqua: B-: The Water/Fighting typing is a blessing in this metagame, and with Intimidate, it offers unique setup and sweeping opportunities when compared to Quaquavel.

:venusaur: B-: The premier sweeper for sun teams. Sun teams have a small niche, especially with rain nerf from the Damp Rock ban, and it can also be used alongside Mega Charizard Y.

:salamence: B-: While deridingly a tier down from Dragonite, Salamence offers a few offensive quirks between its abilities and surprise set potential for it to be noteworthy.

:ninetales: C+: The main setter for dedicated sun teams.

:polteageist: C+: Shell Smash sets, when bolstered by terrain, can make due with Giga Drain for Hisuian Samurott, but get utterly shut down versus Kingambit.

:sirfetch’d: D: Its broken 50% of the time.

:grapploct: D: Technician Storm Throw is something.

Rises

:slowking-galar: S- > S: Galarian Slowking is thee premier specially defensive wall and pivot. Its competition, like Mega Dragalge and Toxapex, fail to be as splashable and effective. S tier reflects how Galarian Slowking is not only the best at what it does, but how defensive cores with it included along side Corviknight and Garchomp are easily the most centralizing teams around.

:Sneasler: A+ > S-: Grassy Seed was a major buff to Sneasler’s sweeping potential in comparison to White Herb. It’s now considered one of the most dangerous sweepers, warping the metagame around Garchomp and priority revenge killers now that Brave Bird Corviknight is no longer a reliable check.

:Dragapult: A > S-: As the metagame becomes arguably the most geared towards offense as it’s ever been, Dragapult stands out as a phenomenal revenge killer and late-game cleaner.

:Hatterene: A- > A: Entry hazard spam is as relevant and powerful as ever, and Hatterene’s value increases as one of the only consistent counters to Garchomp.

:clefable: B+ > A+: A large jump in viability, Clefable has been trendy for its bulky offensive sets, especially given its Fairy- and Fire-type coverage trades well with a ton of other top tiers like Garchomp, Dragapult, Mega Golisopod, and Hisuian Samurott. Magic Guard being able to preserve its bulk and ensure these winning trades continues to be an invaluable perk in an entry hazard dominated metagame.

:dragonite: B+ > A-: While it may require extra entry hazard support to keep Multiscale intact, Dragonite is fairing better as a sweeper in this meta, largely thanks to the success of its Dragon- and Fire-type coverage and advantageous defensive typing.

:hydreigon: B+ > A-: Hydreigon’s popularity has been on the rise, in part thanks to its defensive typing and ability Levitate giving it more longevity and switch-in opportunities in comparison to similar scarfers like Hisuian Samurott and Meowscarda. Also, it’s easy to appreciate a strong Draco Meteor when revenge killing.

:volcarona: B+ > A+: Many factors, including the rain nerf and Grassy Terrain introduction, have turned Volcarona into one of the most threatening sweepers in the metagame. While there are adaptations like Aqua Jet Mega Golisopod and Acrobatics Sneasler that it has to worry about, Volcarona can be near impossible to deal with when factoring in either its bulkier sets versus its offensive sets.

:charizard-mega-Y: B > A: Like Volcarona, there’s a ton of factors as to why this pick is picking up steam, but one is in part to how Mega Charizard Y works as an unstoppable wallbreaker versus balance, while also offering a situational yet beneficial defensive profile versus faster offensive threats. Its easy to get a lot out of this mega slot, although it will forever be limited by Stealth Rock.

:clefable-mega: B > B+: Given that base Clefable itself is better, Mega Clefable too enjoys a lot of the same buffs, especially with more Tankchomp and Mega Garchomp Z usage.

:skeledirge: B > B+: The rise of special sweepers, especially Volcarona, makes Skeleridge more consistent.

:quaquaval: B- > B+: As the metagame continues to become even more centralized around top tier threats like Hisuian Samurott, Quaquaval stands out as an antimeta offensive support pick. It’s not built to last, but it can be a great mon to generate momentum while also offering Rapid Spin utility.

:chesnaught: C- > C: As a counter to Hisuian Samurott, barring the very rare Aerial Ace, there’s nothing that bad about running Chesnaught, especially now with Rocky Helmet.

:decidueye-hisui: C- > C: See above, but for Defog usage instead of Spikes.

Drops

:ceruledge: S- > A+: Ceruledge faces competition with other Fire- and Ghost-types that were introduced or received buffs, as well as more priority attackers like Aqua Jet Mega Golisopod and Sucker Punch Mega Absol. It’s still a great threat, though, so don’t discount it when teambuilding.

:kingambit: S- > A: Like Ceruledge, Kingambit also sees a lot more competition with both its typing and role as a bulky priority attacker.

:lopunny-mega: S- > A: The introduction of Rocky Helmet along with more competition with its role as Fighting-type / mega slot makes Mega Lopunny less common and harder to justify over sturdier, stronger options.

:Annihilape: A+ > B+: With new toy syndrome effectively worn off, its easy to see that the Rage Fist nerf makes Annihilape more of a gimmick than a top tier threat.

:floette-mega: A+ > A: A small drop, though it reflects the higher usage of Fire- and Steel-types like Volcarona and Mega Golisopod.

:Meganium-mega: A+ > A: Mega Meganium is harder to build around given that hyper offense and grassy terrain teams are dominating.

:metagross-mega: A+ > A: While no slouch in its own right, Mega Metagross gets worn down easily and struggles with the influx of Rocky Helmet + offensive Dark-, Fire-, and Ghost-type sweepers.

:swampert-mega: A+ > B: The Damp Rock ban and introduction of Rillaboom makes rain as a whole less viable, but even then, Mega Swampert isn’t always seen on rain teams given it has competition with other rain abusers.

:dragalge-mega: A > B+: It’s still a great special wall and pivot, but why waste your mega slot on it when Galarian Slowking is available?

:excadrill: A > A-: Excadrill, surprisingly, is the most used as its ever been on the ladder, but it still faces heavy limitations with its limited bulk and speed, as well as the fact that it no longer blocks Mega Raichu Y from spamming Electric-type attacks.

:staraptor-mega: A > B+: Potentially overrated at first, given that its lack of breaking power makes it struggle against the most common physical walls in the meta.

:archaludon: A- > B: The Damp Rock ban neutered its most threatening sets.

:barbaracle-mega: A- > C+: With new toy syndrome effectively worn off, its clear that it struggles to find setup opportunities without jeopardizing its bulk, making it very easy to revenge kill.

:mawile-mega: A- > B+: Mega Mawile tends to be a bit more fishy than reliable as a mega slot.

:meowscarada: A- > B+: As the metagame trends towards bulky priority attackers or even ultra fast sweepers like Grassy Seed Sneasler, there’s less need for a fast scarfer that competes with Hisuian Samurott.

:pelipper: A- > B: Damp Rock ban.

:toxapex: A- > B+: It’s more obvious now that the pivoting provided by Galarian Slowking largely outclasses Toxapex’s defensive perks.

:glimmora-mega: B+ > B-: Theres
better mega slots to choose from, especially when base glimmora is already so centralizing for hyper offense.

:greninja: B+ > B-: Like Meowscarada, theres less need for a super fast scarfer, especially one that directly competes with an S tier.

:greninja-mega: B+ > B-: See above, but arguably even harder to justify given the mega slot.


:arcanine-hisui: B > C: Rocky Helmet Garchomp made this pick incredibly less consistent than it already was.

:basculegion: B > B-: Damp Rock ban.

:froslass-mega: B > B-: Still powerful, but is the juice worth the squeeze when stronger mega slots are available, potentially with less of a defensive liability?

:hydrapple: B > C+: Its poor typing is becoming more obvious, and Regenerator can only do so much when its vulnerable to Spikes and Stealth Rock.

:medicham-mega: B > C+: Somewhat awkward at breaking defensive cores, which may defeat the whole purpose of bringing Mega Medicham in the first place.

:pyroar-mega: B > C+: A sweeper on sun teams, which are a fun yet unreliable gimmick.

:rotom-heat: B > C+: Already a niche bring, it only has a small number of less viable threats like Mega Meganium that it can consistently check.

:scizor: B > B-: The mega Bug / Steel types just do its job so much better, and we’re not seeing that much mega slot competition where base Scizor would see more use.

:skarmory: B > B-: Defog and U-turn from Corviknight are invaluable; Skarmory checks Bisharp, which is even less viable this update.

:slowbro: B > C: Like Hydrapple’s drop but even worse given the Dark weakness. At least it counters Sneasler still.

:swampert: B > C-: Very hard to justify over better Ground-types like Garchomp and Hippowdon, especially without Mega Raichu Y.

:alakazam: B- > C: You’re more likely to encounter bulky sweepers than fast and frail ones, making the trade opportunities that Focus Sash Alakazam offers less common.

:bellibolt: B- > C-: Hard to fit on traditional, better-off defensive cores.

:conkeldurr: B- > C+: We’re starving for Defoggers, sure, but the mainstream options are still a whole lot better.

:diggersby: B- > D: You can use it, but don’t.

:eelektross-mega: B- > C-: Hard to say what this thing even does, but without a direct weakness, I’m sure it could still trade with something more viable… at the cost of your mega slot… Zzz…

:espathra: B- > C: Every team has strong Dark-types and priority attackers, so even with Grassy Seed, Espathra is too hard to pull off.

:kommo-o: B- > C: Powercreep makes it less of a comparison to Garchomp than more of a huge down grade.

:overqwil: B- > D: Like a C tier for rain teams!

:scoilvillian-mega: B- > D: Mama mia that isa one spicy a meatball!

:tinkatuff: B- > C+: Harder to justify as a Stealth Rock user as the top tiers become more and more prominent.

:aerodactyl-mega: C+ > D: We’re sending this shit back to the stoneage.

:chandelure-mega: C+ > D: Oooo a g-g-ghost!!! I’m so sca—oh it’s just mega chandy, false alarm folks!

:feraligatr-mega: C+ > C-: Its sweeping roles are outshined by better mega slots, notably Mega Golisopod.

:gallade-mega: C+ > C-: See above, although at least it can still somewhat be a Swords Dance balance breaker, albeit a precarious one.

:goodra-hisui: C+ > C: Its less of an antimeta threat than it once was, but it can still be tricky to deal with thanks to its unpredictable coverage and reliable special bulk.

:grimmsnarl: C+ > D: Stop the larp.

:gyarados: C+ > C: Even less popular on HO as a sweeper.

:houndstone: C+ > C: There are so many great Ghost-types, why use a mediocre one, even on sand teams?

:kangaskhan-mega: C+ > UR: Two words: zero usage.

:krookodile: C+ > D: See ya later alligator.

:ninetales-alola: C+ > D: You could potentially still use veil, potentially, but don’t.

:raichu-mega-x: C+ > C: Even with Grassy Terrain being a thing, Mega Raichu X is just too inconsistent and struggles with Tankchomp and bulky attackers.

:tyranitar: C+ > C: Power creep makes Tyranitar fall behind, and its awful defensive typing makes it a shaky check to Volcarona at best.

:chesnaught-mega: C > C-: The uptick in offensive Fire-types and Grassy Terrain sweepers makes this pick a fringe matchup fish at best. Use the base form instead.

:crabominable-mega: C > D: Sorry no jokes here I’m kind of in a crabby mood.

:excadrill-mega: C > UR: This doesn’t do enough for base Excadrill (or arguably anything) to justify the mega slot.

:falinks-mega: C > C-: A fringe late-game sweeper you can make work if you really wanted to.

:sceptile-mega: C > UR: No niche despite its high speed, especially without Galarian Slowking breaking potential.

:skarmory-mega: C > D: Just a bad gimmick.

:sylveon: C > UR: Zero usage, try Umbreon or an actually good Fairy-type.

:victreebel-mega: C > UR: You all knew this was coming eventually, right?

:falinks: :floette-eternal: :malamar-mega: :scolipede: vileplume: D > UR: Splitting hairs here but whatever flavor of the month gimmick these moms had are now out of style.

 

[Magcargo]

The long awaited Reg M-C VR update is finally out! Thank you skype for the phenomenal art in the OP. We also had skype and fluff!! vote this round. See below for the new ranks, rises, and drops.

New! Now!

:rillaboom: S-: Grassy Terrain is one of the most used and centralizing playstyles, as it bolsters hyper offensive and bulky offensive sweepers alike. More so, Rillaboom is no slouch itself, as its Life Orb sets are proving to be just as popular as its Terrain Extender ones.

:golisopod-mega: A+: Mega Golisopod is one of the strongest mega slots available, being nearly impossible to deal with effectively without Fire coverage. First Impression + U-turn sets were popular at first, but now it’s clear thatSwords Dance sets with multiple priority options and even some recovery with Leech Life are breaking the mold.

:absol-mega-Z: A: The revenge kill and sweeping potential of Mega Absol Z is practically unparalleled, hindered only by its poor bulk. Thanks to STAB Sucker Punch for other priority attackers, a lot of times it only needss a little help wearing down walls like Garchomp and Corviknight for a clean sweeping opportunity.

:cinderace: A: Despite lacking Heavy-Duty Boots, Cinderace is still a more than welcome addition to the metagame, as Court Change sets offer some much appreciated levity versus entry hazard spam.

:garchomp-mega-z: A-: Zarchomp is proving to be a great specially offensive revenge killer and lure. It can run Stealth Rock without taking too big of a hit on its coverage, although its overall viability is stunted by its lack of wallbreaking potential and options for Galarian Slowking.

:pawmot: B+: Pawmot is more than just a gimmick with Revival Blessing, as its strong coverage and good speed tier means that some of the best physical walls like Garchomp and Corviknight fail to safely switch in versus it.

:indeedee: B: While not as relevant as Grassy Terrain, Psychic Terrain teams still have a niche as an offensive gamble, using Psychic-type spam and offering Sneasler immunity to priority.

:hawlucha: B: Being a sidegrade to Sneasler, Hawlucha instead offers a much stronger Acrobatics for sweeping at the cost of less power and a slightly worse defensive typing.

:tauros-paldea-aqua: B-: The Water/Fighting typing is a blessing in this metagame, and with Intimidate, it offers unique setup and sweeping opportunities when compared to Quaquavel.

:venusaur: B-: The premier sweeper for sun teams. Sun teams have a small niche, especially with rain nerf from the Damp Rock ban, and it can also be used alongside Mega Charizard Y.

:salamence: B-: While deridingly a tier down from Dragonite, Salamence offers a few offensive quirks between its abilities and surprise set potential for it to be noteworthy.

:ninetales: C+: The main setter for dedicated sun teams.

:polteageist: C+: Shell Smash sets, when bolstered by terrain, can make due with Giga Drain for Hisuian Samurott, but get utterly shut down versus Kingambit.

:sirfetch’d: D: Its broken 50% of the time.

:grapploct: D: Technician Storm Throw is something.

Rises

:slowking-galar: S- > S: Galarian Slowking is thee premier specially defensive wall and pivot. Its competition, like Mega Dragalge and Toxapex, fail to be as splashable and effective. S tier reflects how Galarian Slowking is not only the best at what it does, but how defensive cores with it included along side Corviknight and Garchomp are easily the most centralizing teams around.

:Sneasler: A+ > S-: Grassy Seed was a major buff to Sneasler’s sweeping potential in comparison to White Herb. It’s now considered one of the most dangerous sweepers, warping the metagame around Garchomp and priority revenge killers now that Brave Bird Corviknight is no longer a reliable check.

:Dragapult: A > S-: As the metagame becomes arguably the most geared towards offense as it’s ever been, Dragapult stands out as a phenomenal revenge killer and late-game cleaner.

:Hatterene: A- > A: Entry hazard spam is as relevant and powerful as ever, and Hatterene’s value increases as one of the only consistent counters to Garchomp.

:clefable: B+ > A+: A large jump in viability, Clefable has been trendy for its bulky offensive sets, especially given its Fairy- and Fire-type coverage trades well with a ton of other top tiers like Garchomp, Dragapult, Mega Golisopod, and Hisuian Samurott. Magic Guard being able to preserve its bulk and ensure these winning trades continues to be an invaluable perk in an entry hazard dominated metagame.

:dragonite: B+ > A-: While it may require extra entry hazard support to keep Multiscale intact, Dragonite is fairing better as a sweeper in this meta, largely thanks to the success of its Dragon- and Fire-type coverage and advantageous defensive typing.

:hydreigon: B+ > A-: Hydreigon’s popularity has been on the rise, in part thanks to its defensive typing and ability Levitate giving it more longevity and switch-in opportunities in comparison to similar scarfers like Hisuian Samurott and Meowscarda. Also, it’s easy to appreciate a strong Draco Meteor when revenge killing.

:volcarona: B+ > A+: Many factors, including the rain nerf and Grassy Terrain introduction, have turned Volcarona into one of the most threatening sweepers in the metagame. While there are adaptations like Aqua Jet Mega Golisopod and Acrobatics Sneasler that it has to worry about, Volcarona can be near impossible to deal with when factoring in either its bulkier sets versus its offensive sets.

:charizard-mega-Y: B > A: Like Volcarona, there’s a ton of factors as to why this pick is picking up steam, but one is in part to how Mega Charizard Y works as an unstoppable wallbreaker versus balance, while also offering a situational yet beneficial defensive profile versus faster offensive threats. Its easy to get a lot out of this mega slot, although it will forever be limited by Stealth Rock.

:clefable-mega: B > B+: Given that base Clefable itself is better, Mega Clefable too enjoys a lot of the same buffs, especially with more Tankchomp and Mega Garchomp Z usage.

:skeledirge: B > B+: The rise of special sweepers, especially Volcarona, makes Skeleridge more consistent.

:quaquaval: B- > B+: As the metagame continues to become even more centralized around top tier threats like Hisuian Samurott, Quaquaval stands out as an antimeta offensive support pick. It’s not built to last, but it can be a great mon to generate momentum while also offering Rapid Spin utility.

:chesnaught: C- > C: As a counter to Hisuian Samurott, barring the very rare Aerial Ace, there’s nothing that bad about running Chesnaught, especially now with Rocky Helmet.

:decidueye-hisui: C- > C: See above, but for Defog usage instead of Spikes.

Drops

:ceruledge: S- > A+: Ceruledge faces competition with other Fire- and Ghost-types that were introduced or received buffs, as well as more priority attackers like Aqua Jet Mega Golisopod and Sucker Punch Mega Absol. It’s still a great threat, though, so don’t discount it when teambuilding.

:kingambit: S- > A: Like Ceruledge, Kingambit also sees a lot more competition with both its typing and role as a bulky priority attacker.

:lopunny-mega: S- > A: The introduction of Rocky Helmet along with more competition with its role as Fighting-type / mega slot makes Mega Lopunny less common and harder to justify over sturdier, stronger options.

:Annihilape: A+ > B+: With new toy syndrome effectively worn off, its easy to see that the Rage Fist nerf makes Annihilape more of a gimmick than a top tier threat.

:floette-mega: A+ > A: A small drop, though it reflects the higher usage of Fire- and Steel-types like Volcarona and Mega Golisopod.

:Meganium-mega: A+ > A: Mega Meganium is harder to build around given that hyper offense and grassy terrain teams are dominating.

:metagross-mega: A+ > A: While no slouch in its own right, Mega Metagross gets worn down easily and struggles with the influx of Rocky Helmet + offensive Dark-, Fire-, and Ghost-type sweepers.

:swampert-mega: A+ > B: The Damp Rock ban and introduction of Rillaboom makes rain as a whole less viable, but even then, Mega Swampert isn’t always seen on rain teams given it has competition with other rain abusers.

:dragalge-mega: A > B+: It’s still a great special wall and pivot, but why waste your mega slot on it when Galarian Slowking is available?

:excadrill: A > A-: Excadrill, surprisingly, is the most used as its ever been on the ladder, but it still faces heavy limitations with its limited bulk and speed, as well as the fact that it no longer blocks Mega Raichu Y from spamming Electric-type attacks.

:staraptor-mega: A > B+: Potentially overrated at first, given that its lack of breaking power makes it struggle against the most common physical walls in the meta.

:archaludon: A- > B: The Damp Rock ban neutered its most threatening sets.

:barbaracle-mega: A- > C+: With new toy syndrome effectively worn off, its clear that it struggles to find setup opportunities without jeopardizing its bulk, making it very easy to revenge kill.

:mawile-mega: A- > B+: Mega Mawile tends to be a bit more fishy than reliable as a mega slot.

:meowscarada: A- > B+: As the metagame trends towards bulky priority attackers or even ultra fast sweepers like Grassy Seed Sneasler, there’s less need for a fast scarfer that competes with Hisuian Samurott.

:pelipper: A- > B: Damp Rock ban.

:toxapex: A- > B+: It’s more obvious now that the pivoting provided by Galarian Slowking largely outclasses Toxapex’s defensive perks.

:glimmora-mega: B+ > B-: Theres
better mega slots to choose from, especially when base glimmora is already so centralizing for hyper offense.

:greninja: B+ > B-: Like Meowscarada, theres less need for a super fast scarfer, especially one that directly competes with an S tier.

:greninja-mega: B+ > B-: See above, but arguably even harder to justify given the mega slot.


:arcanine-hisui: B > C: Rocky Helmet Garchomp made this pick incredibly less consistent than it already was.

:basculegion: B > B-: Damp Rock ban.

:froslass-mega: B > B-: Still powerful, but is the juice worth the squeeze when stronger mega slots are available, potentially with less of a defensive liability?

:hydrapple: B > C+: Its poor typing is becoming more obvious, and Regenerator can only do so much when its vulnerable to Spikes and Stealth Rock.

:medicham-mega: B > C+: Somewhat awkward at breaking defensive cores, which may defeat the whole purpose of bringing Mega Medicham in the first place.

:pyroar-mega: B > C+: A sweeper on sun teams, which are a fun yet unreliable gimmick.

:rotom-heat: B > C+: Already a niche bring, it only has a small number of less viable threats like Mega Meganium that it can consistently check.

:scizor: B > B-: The mega Bug / Steel types just do its job so much better, and we’re not seeing that much mega slot competition where base Scizor would see more use.

:skarmory: B > B-: Defog and U-turn from Corviknight are invaluable; Skarmory checks Bisharp, which is even less viable this update.

:slowbro: B > C: Like Hydrapple’s drop but even worse given the Dark weakness. At least it counters Sneasler still.

:swampert: B > C-: Very hard to justify over better Ground-types like Garchomp and Hippowdon, especially without Mega Raichu Y.

:alakazam: B- > C: You’re more likely to encounter bulky sweepers than fast and frail ones, making the trade opportunities that Focus Sash Alakazam offers less common.

:bellibolt: B- > C-: Hard to fit on traditional, better-off defensive cores.

:conkeldurr: B- > C+: We’re starving for Defoggers, sure, but the mainstream options are still a whole lot better.

:diggersby: B- > D: You can use it, but don’t.

:eelektross-mega: B- > C-: Hard to say what this thing even does, but without a direct weakness, I’m sure it could still trade with something more viable… at the cost of your mega slot… Zzz…

:espathra: B- > C: Every team has strong Dark-types and priority attackers, so even with Grassy Seed, Espathra is too hard to pull off.

:kommo-o: B- > C: Powercreep makes it less of a comparison to Garchomp than more of a huge down grade.

:overqwil: B- > D: Like a C tier for rain teams!

:scoilvillian-mega: B- > D: Mama mia that isa one spicy a meatball!

:tinkatuff: B- > C+: Harder to justify as a Stealth Rock user as the top tiers become more and more prominent.

:aerodactyl-mega: C+ > D: We’re sending this shit back to the stoneage.

:chandelure-mega: C+ > D: Oooo a g-g-ghost!!! I’m so sca—oh it’s just mega chandy, false alarm folks!

:feraligatr-mega: C+ > C-: Its sweeping roles are outshined by better mega slots, notably Mega Golisopod.

:gallade-mega: C+ > C-: See above, although at least it can still somewhat be a Swords Dance balance breaker, albeit a precarious one.

:goodra-hisui: C+ > C: Its less of an antimeta threat than it once was, but it can still be tricky to deal with thanks to its unpredictable coverage and reliable special bulk.

:grimmsnarl: C+ > D: Stop the larp.

:gyarados: C+ > C: Even less popular on HO as a sweeper.

:houndstone: C+ > C: There are so many great Ghost-types, why use a mediocre one, even on sand teams?

:kangaskhan-mega: C+ > UR: Two words: zero usage.

:krookodile: C+ > D: See ya later alligator.

:ninetales-alola: C+ > D: You could potentially still use veil, potentially, but don’t.

:raichu-mega-x: C+ > C: Even with Grassy Terrain being a thing, Mega Raichu X is just too inconsistent and struggles with Tankchomp and bulky attackers.

:tyranitar: C+ > C: Power creep makes Tyranitar fall behind, and its awful defensive typing makes it a shaky check to Volcarona at best.

:chesnaught-mega: C > C-: The uptick in offensive Fire-types and Grassy Terrain sweepers makes this pick a fringe matchup fish at best. Use the base form instead.

:crabominable-mega: C > D: Sorry no jokes here I’m kind of in a crabby mood.

:excadrill-mega: C > UR: This doesn’t do enough for base Excadrill (or arguably anything) to justify the mega slot.

:falinks-mega: C > C-: A fringe late-game sweeper you can make work if you really wanted to.

:sceptile-mega: C > UR: No niche despite its high speed, especially without Galarian Slowking breaking potential.

:skarmory-mega: C > D: Just a bad gimmick.

:sylveon: C > UR: Zero usage, try Umbreon or an actually good Fairy-type.

:victreebel-mega: C > UR: You all knew this was coming eventually, right?

:falinks: :floette-eternal: :malamar-mega: :scolipede: vileplume: D > UR: Splitting hairs here but whatever flavor of the month gimmick these moms had are now out of style.

Click to collapse...

Was Mega Raichu Ban actually a nerf for Excadrill? I felt Mega Raichu Y made Excadrill quite difficult to use because of how effortlessly it blew past Spdef Drill / offensive Drill compared to Garchomp with Focus Blast. I also feel like the addition of Balloon is quite great for Excadrill on offensive teams, as it allows it to temporarily switch into Garchomp (which these teams often struggle with) and grants it more oppurtunities to spin by ignoring Spikes Damage or the Speed Drop effect from Webs. It seems like a Pokemon that has gotten more potent in the latest update, not less, particularly as it compresses so much utility on offensive teams now between Spin, Stealth Rock, and being a Ground-type (which offensive teams still appreciate).

 

[GW8]

:golisopod-mega: A+: Mega Golisopod is one of the strongest mega slots available, being nearly impossible to deal with effectively without Fire coverage. First Impression + U-turn sets were popular at first, but now it’s clear thatSwords Dance sets with multiple priority options and even some recovery with Leech Life are breaking the mold.

Click to collapse...

 

[fluff!!]

I was part of the VR council this time around, and in an effort of transparency, here is what I voted for each mon, plus explanations for each of them below (only S to B mons), and a list of my "controversial votes" (votes that are 2+ subtiers off of the final rank).

S ranks
S: :corviknight::garchomp::slowking-galar:
S-::dragapult::samurott-hisui:
A ranks
A+::absol-mega-z::aegislash::ceruledge::delphox-mega::glimmora::golisopod-mega::hippowdon::kingambit::lopunny-mega::rillaboom::sneasler:
A: :blaziken::charizard-mega-x::clefable::floette-mega::hatterene::mawile-mega::meganium-mega::rotom-wash::volcarona:
A-::charizard-mega-y::cinderace::dragalge-mega::dragonite::garchomp-mega-z::hydreigon::metagross-mega::pawmot::primarina::scizor-mega::skeledirge::toxapex:
B ranks
B+::annihilape::araquanid::clefable-mega::excadrill::meowscarada::staraptor-mega:
B: :archaludon::basculegion::dragonite-mega::garchomp-mega::glimmora-mega::hawlucha::pelipper::quaquaval::swampert-mega::tauros-paldea-aqua:
B-::conkeldurr::froslass-mega::greninja-mega::gyarados-mega::indeedee::medicham-mega::salamence::scizor::venusaur:
C ranks
C+::alakazam::arcanine-hisui::falinks::gallade-mega::gliscor::greninja::gyarados::ninetales::polteageist::pyroar-mega::raichu-mega-x::sirfetchd::skarmory::slowbro::tinkaton:
C: :barbaracle-mega::bellibolt::chesnaught::chesnaught-mega::crabominable-mega::ditto::espathra::goodra-hisui::houndstone::hydrapple::inteleon::kommo-o::umbreon:
C-::aerodactyl-mega::decidueye-hisui::diggersby::feraligatr-mega::toxtricity::tyranitar:
D ranks
D: :scovillain-mega:
UR
UR::chandelure-mega::eelektross-mega::excadrill-mega::grapploct::grimmsnarl::kangaskhan-mega::krookodile::ninetales-alola::overqwil::rotom-heat::runerigus::sceptile-mega::scrafty-mega::skarmory-mega::staraptor::swampert::sylveon::tyranitar-mega::victreebel-mega: + many new M-C shitmons...

S ranks

S
:corviknight: Corviknight - best defensive mon in the tier, only real defogger (and hazard removal option), u-turn, iron defense, pressure is insanely strong in a game with very limited PP.
:garchomp: Garchomp - Most versatile offensive/defensive mon in the tier. Can run defensive with Rocky Helmet, Mixed LO, Swords Dance, all great in their own respective way. It is also an incredibly splashable Ground. It can threaten Corviknight to some degree with Flamethrower/Fire Blast if it tries to Defog, and can chip it down on U-turn clicks.
:slowking-galar: Galarian Slowking - The main special sponge of the tier. Lives forever, item choices can let it threaten anything it wants, gatekeeps Fairies, and pivots with Chilly Reception. If you want to build bulky offense, this is a near-auto include.

S-
:dragapult: Dragapult - One of the best attackers in the tier. Ghost is super spammable and very little likes to switch into both Will-O-Wisp > Hex combos, and LO Shadow Balls. Will-O as an option makes clicking Sucker Punch not free. On top of it all, it's great speed control and even brings decent defensive utility with its typing.
:samurott-hisui: Hisuian Samurott - Yes, I did not vote S for it. Simply due to the fact that Rocky Helmet does actually put in on a timer, with TankChomp first in line and trading Rocks for Hamurott's Spikes, and Clefable's rise in popularity. It is still insanely strong however, make no mistake about it, and it defines the viability of other mons such as Mega Delphox.

A ranks

A+
:absol-mega-z: Mega Absol Z - Mega Absol Z is quite threatening. Just like with Dragapult, spamming Ghost moves is super strong, and it also has access to Knock Off to remove Helmets. A badly timed crit can easily bypass Clefable and the likes. Its existence makes Body Press-only Corviknight an unthinkable premise, and Shadow Claw crits can even bypass Iron Defense boosts. Its speed stat also lets it outrun anything but Mega Garchomp Z, which it ties with. It's very frail and weak to priority however, and Helmet Chomp can quickly chip at its HP, but its firepower and speed is scary.
:aegislash: Aegislash - Ghost moves good. Click Shadow Ball or Poltergeist.
:ceruledge: Ceruledge - Ghost moves good. Click Poltergeist. Ceruledge (and Aegislash to a lesser extent) is why itemless sets and Sitrus Berry would be justifiable even in a meta with every item and no item clause; they are just that threatening with Poltergeist. Fire/Ghost is also not all that bad defensively, allowing you to easily find entry points against Fairies like Clefable or Mega Floette, and various mons like Corviknight or Glowking.
:delphox-mega: Mega Delphox - Gatekept out of greatness by Hamurott. However, it is still incredibly threatening, and outside of niche picks like Mixed Skeledirge or Tyranitar, it has almost no safe switch ins. Sub may bypass Sucker Punch as well.
:glimmora: Glimmora - The face of offense. Corviknight isn't safe against it, and Toxic Debris is as irritating as always. Red Card sets are still good and underexplored as well.
:golisopod-mega: Mega Golisopod - I actually think it's worse than Mega Scizor but I don't want to be ostracized from society for this take. But anyway, Mega Golisopod is a strong BO pick with great bulk and sweeping potential. Aqua Jet is a fantastic priority letting you hit all the cringe Fires like Blaziken or Volcarona. It is also probably the absolute best mon at bulldozing unprepared teams. If you forget about it, it can easily 6-0 you.
:hippowdon: Hippowdon - The tier's 2nd best Ground, and much more durable counterpart to Garchomp. It blankets a bunch of mons, sets Rocks, and Whirlwinds stuff around. It's a great Sitrus Berry recipient to act as your Poltergeist switch in as well. Hatterene is not even safe as Earthquake can easily get past it.
:kingambit: Kingambit - Despite Hamurott's omnipresence, Kingambit is still an incredibly solid pick. Dark spam is great, and it does the same stuff as it does in SV OU.
:lopunny-mega: Mega Lopunny - Do not let usage stats fool you. Mega Lopunny is still super strong. Double priority is appealing in a tier with many Speed boosters, and Close Combat is super free. If you feel like gambling, Mega Kick can get you past Glowking as well. Rocky Helmet does nerf it, and so it has to play safer than before however, hence the drop from S- to A+.
:rillaboom: Rillaboom - Mostly carried by Grassy Surge, since its Corviknight matchup is tough, although Swords Dance + Superpower sets can sometimes break through it once in a while. Translate this rank to "Grassy Terrain is A+".
:sneasler: Sneasler - Sneasler and Rillaboom are best friends. It has a super strong Offense matchup thanks to Unburden + Grassy Terrain, and is somewhat resilient to priority thanks to it. Still, it has trouble actually breaking through well-prepared teams and has to let its team severely weaken its counters. It is a metagame defining threat nonetheless and deserves an A+ ranking. (but not S-...)

A
:blaziken: Blaziken - An incredibly threatening wallbreaker that also has Speed Boost to negate some counterplay. It can completely demolish teams, but has serious 4MSS with dual STAB/Protect/Swords Dance/Earthquake. It will also almost always succumb to recoil from its own Life Orb it needs to reach damage benchmarks, Flare Blitz, and Rocky Helmet/Rough Skin. Teams are also well prepared for it, with priorities such as Aqua Jet, or Shadow Sneak after a Close Combat defense drop.
:charizard-mega-x: Mega Charizard X - Strong and fast (?) Dragon Dancer. The Rocks weakness is an issue as always, but it is somewhat bulky, allowing it to tank weak priorities. Most archetypes will have built-in answers to a boosting Mega Charizard X, but it's never really far off from claiming several KOs, or even the game.
:clefable: Clefable - I might have voted A+ today, but it didnt change the result anyway. Clefable is incredible as always, being able to switch into Hamurott and even punish Ceaseless Edge with Rocky Helmet potentially. Its hazard immunity is great, and being one of the few reliable Life Orb Dragapult switch-ins is a fantastic trait. It does open up free Glowking Chilly opportunities for the opponent however.
:floette-mega: Mega Floette - Gave Mega Floette a motivational A rank, but if the trend it's on keeps going, I'll vote lower next time. It's a good wallbreaker, not needing much more than clicking Moonblast, and even has some defensive utility by resisting Dark and being able to switch into Dragapult. However, it is so easily permanently stonewalled by Glowking and various other walls like Skeledirge or Toxapex, and even some offense staples like Ceruledge or Volcarona, that it can often feel kind of useless. And let's not even mention what will happen when M-D drops alongside Heatran. But that's a story for another day.
:hatterene: Hatterene - Common offense pick. It combines decent bulk, Magic Bounce, and Healing Wish to give some leeway to its Rocks-weak teammates, and can help against some threats such as Garchomp or Dragonite. It has a weird Glimmora matchup however, which is its main issue. Regardless, it has the most utility out of any mons for Offense, which explains its popularity and rank.
:mawile-mega: Mega Mawile - Mega Mawile is still an incredibly threatening wallbreaker. It has all the coverage it needs to wreak havoc against anything, with Skeledirge being the only real problem matchup. It has some defensive utility as well, being able to switch into Ceaseless Edge, Moonblast, and Corviknight for switch in opportunities. If Play Rough had 100% accuracy, it would be one of the greatest.
:meganium-mega: Mega Meganium - Another wallbreaker with defensive utility. Unlike Mega Floette, it needs just a little chip on Glowking to threaten impressive 2HKOes. Its main issue is having 4MSS, between Synthesis, Solar Beam, Weather Ball, Earth Power, and Dazzling Gleam. This means it will have to kind of give up on certain matchups.
:rotom-wash: Rotom-Wash - One of the main offense pivots. Its defensive utility is decent, and Volt Switch is hard to switch into as always. It is more than capable of putting many teams in the VoltTurn blender.
:volcarona: Volcarona - Volcarona is a menace. It is difficult to guess in advance which set it will be: Offensive or Bulky? Bug Buzz, Psychic, Giga Drain, Substitute, Morning Sun? Counterplay varies depending on these choices, and they're all threatening. It is mainly held back by needing Garchomp chipped substantially, and its Rocks weakness; but it can still run away with games like little else.

A-
:charizard-mega-y: Mega Charizard Y - Big breaker. It is not really possible for many special sponges, mainly Glowking, to actually switch into it. it is held back by its Speed stat that isn't quite great yet, its Rocks weakness mandating solid hazard control, and still having stalwart switch-ins such as Mega Dragalge and Skeledirge. However, its wallbreaking power is near unmatched.
:cinderace: Cinderace - The lack of Boots undeniably hurts its viability. Yet, Court Change support is clutch, and Fire spam is incredible. Swords Dance is a surprise set that can somehow take over games along with Double-Edge and Quick Attack.
:dragalge-mega: Mega Dragalge - I am still a Mega Dragalge believer. Its defensive profile cannot be understated, as one of the only Mega Charizard Y switch-ins. It is also quite frustrating to switch into thanks to Sludge Bomb and Scald spreading status. Even Glowking does not like Burn, and Corviknight hates it even more. It can trade with Hamurott early thanks to Regenerator to try and fish for a Sludge Bomb poison early on top of 50% damage.
:dragonite: Dragonite - A solid defensive utility for offense coupled with sweeping potential. Its ability to switch into Earthquake and the many Fires of the tier, Volcarona in particular, is sought after by Offense, and for good reason. It lacks some fire power however to truly be threatening, and can easily be stonewalled by Clefable or Primarina, and other mons such as Mega Golisopod, Corviknight, or Skeledirge depending on the move picks.
:garchomp-mega-z: Mega Garchomp Z - It was hard to rank this mon. It is a pick that I could see rising even up to A+ depending on how stuff develops, but for now, I voted a conservative A-. It has decent set variety, though Swords Dance is the only truly threatening one. Yet, it still has a shaky matchup against Clefable and Primarina, as well as Iron Defense Corviknight.
:hydreigon: Hydreigon - Choice Scarf Hydreigon is a great glue pick for many teams. Dark Pulse is spammable, and its defensive utility is fantastic, with key resistances to Fire, Dark and Ghost, and its two immunities to Psychic and Ground, giving some leeway into threats such as Ceruledge, Mega Delphox, Dragapult, Kingambit, Mega Absol Z... Flamethrower lets it pick off Mega Golisopod, and it can U-turn on the Fairies.
:metagross-mega: Mega Metagross - In a sea of wallbreakers, you need many qualities to stand out. While Mega Metagross has the ability to break through near anything, it often falls just short of reaching key 2HKOes from full, and is prone to Rocky Helmet recoil. Its speed stat leaves it vulnerable to the faster threats that all hit it super effectively, such as Dragapult, Mega Delphox, or Mega Absol Z. Mega Golisopod is an incredibly popular pick that happens to do super well into Mega Metagross. Despite all this, it can break chipped defensive cores, and often trades well into offense, even if it has to work harder in Champions OU than it has ever had to in any other tier.
:pawmot: Pawmot - The star of the show. From zero to hero, Double Shock being boosted by Iron Fist opens up new wallbreaking capabilities that are desperately needed for a Pokemon this frail. In Champions OU, its Electric/Fighting/Ice coverage is incredible, easily breaking through Corviknight/Glowking/Garchomp. In fact, there is very little in the way of actual switch-ins. It is unfortunately held back by its combination of frailty, Life Orb recoil, Mach Punch immune faster foes like Dragapult or Mega Absol Z, and still having a few but notable switchins such as Hippowdon, or Dragapult even if only temporarily.
:primarina: Primarina - Primarina has two modes: The ender of all worlds Primarina, trading so well into offense as far as often going 1 for 2 or better, and deleting defensive teams off the surface of the planet thanks to the combination of a strong Water/Fairy dual STAB. The other mode is coughing baby Primarina being perma walled by Glowking.
:scizor-mega: Mega Scizor - Despite having its spotlight stolen by the other Bug/Steel Mega in town, it differentiates itself with access to Knock Off to remove Helmet, a thorn in Mega Golisopod's side, and Roost giving it actual reliable recovery, making it an actual reliable switch-in to foes like Mega Floette over the course of entire games. While it cannot threaten Fire types like its counterpart, it is much more apt at playing the long game against them, eventually taking them out after rounds of Stealth Rock and other chip damage with its +2 Bullet Punch.
:skeledirge: Skeledirge - Skeledirge sports a valuable defensive profile. Fire/Ghost is pretty good defensively in this meta, and in combination with Unaware, stands strong in the face of the likes of Volcarona, Mega Floette, Ceruledge (as it often runs itemless or Ghost resist berry), Mega Golisopod, Mega Delphox, and even gives Sneasler a run for its money.
:toxapex: Toxapex - Still has a huge defensive role to play in handling the likes of Mega Golisopod and Sneasler thanks to Rocky Helmet, in addition to various threats such as Dragapult, Mega Floette, or Cinderace.

B ranks

B+
:annihilape: Annihilape - The fall from grace. Its issue mainly stems from the fact that any team will most likely have one mon that does super well into it, it be a Fairy type, a strong Psychic or Ghost, or just Helmet Corviknight spamming Brave Bird on it. It still has the potential to take over some bulky teams... if they happen to not run Clefable.
:araquanid: Araquanid - Sticky Web bot, though it is no slouch either offensively as Water is super spammable in this tier.
:clefable-mega: Mega Clefable - The sturdier Hatterene alternative. Stonewalled by Glowking but also Garchomp's and Hippowdon's worst nightmare.
:excadrill: Excadrill - Sand teams are not good because Tyranitar is doodoo. Is stonewalled by Corviknight of all mons which it cannot set Rocks against for obvious reasons. Its defensive sets, and make no mistake, I am a ORAS/SM bulky Excadrill enjoyer, isn't quite what it is in those tiers due to the notable lack of Electric types to switch into. Rapid Spin is so rare however that it can carve itself a niche just through this.
:meowscarada: Meowscarada - The most it will do in many games is Knock Off Corv's Helmet, which while valuable, doesn't quite justify it over the arguably straight up better Choice Scarf Hydreigon.
:staraptor-mega: Mega Staraptor - Rocky Helmet is quite a problem for it now now that Corviknight is more than happy to run it, and let's not talk about Iron Defense sets. Dragapult and Clefable being as popular as ever is a problem for it as well. But it can still sometimes make it happen.

B
:archaludon::swampert-mega::basculegion::pelipper: Rain - The rain squad is all here. Can win against non-Gterrain offense but mostly a ballsy gamble pick at the end of the day.
:dragonite-mega: Mega Dragonite - Goes all in with Dragonite's defensive utility to become a generalist special attacker. Being forced to rely on double Hurricane hits to beat Clefable is sus and Glowking is a problem. But otherwise, pretty decent.
:garchomp-mega: Mega Garchomp - idk where to rank this. Its only real set is Swords Dance Scale Shot, which is actually good! but what about running regular Garchomp with this set, and use your Mega slot on something else?
:glimmora-mega: Mega Glimmora - Potential mon? It hits haaaard, but Glowking and TankChomp can kind of tank just enough, and every time you use Mega Glimmora you'll play against mixed Hippowdon.
:hawlucha: Hawlucha - Sneasler sidegrade that'll probably rank higher if the latter gets banned.
:quaquaval: Quaquaval - This mon has an identity crisis 4MSS flavored. It can run physdef with Helmet to punish Hamurott but has to run... Spin/Roost/Knock/Flip Turn? and isn't actually that tanky outside of this matchup. Offensive sets are nice but outclassed by the next mon in the list if not running Roost, but then you have 1 less moveslot to work with.
:tauros-paldea-aqua: Tauros-Aqua - The more offensive Quaquaval. It sports higher physical bulk and Intimidate to tank Hamurott/Kingambit more comfortably and can start clicking buttons instead of Roosting. Aqua Jet is super valuable in a tier infested with strong Fires like Blaziken and Volcarona. it gets worn down quickly by recoil/helmet/rough skin however and falls just short of a clean 2HKO on Corv after rocks.

B-
:conkeldurr: Conkeldurr - Hits super hard. Forget about Defog, go 4 moves Sheer Force and click buttons.
:froslass-mega: Mega Froslass - 6-0s everything on paper. But ends up dying to rocks/faster mons/kingambit which somehow becomes 90% usage when you run Mega Froslass.
:greninja-mega: Mega Greninja - Can sometimes get a random KO when the opponent is trying to scout its set and is decently fast but like, it needed 10 more base Speed to be great.
:gyarados-mega: Mega Gyarados - Super threatening to defensive teams, but has only 4 move slots and is threatened a bit too much by Gterrain/Mega Golisopod/Primarina.
:indeedee: Indeedee - Psychic Terrain bot + Healing Wish.
:medicham-mega: Mega Medicham - Hits hard like everything else anyway and has a bad matchup into Ghosts unlike Mega Lopunny.
:salamence: Salamence - "Mixed sets are great guys I swear!" I scream while they tie my hands and throw me in the ocean
:scizor: Scizor - Cope answer to trying to fit too much into a single teamslot that ends up not doing much most of the time. Will most likely rank lower next time... That is if we do not get Choice Band by then.
:venusaur: Venusaur - Actually quite threatening under Sun brought by Zard-Y/Ninetales/Torkoal thanks to Weather Ball+Earthquake hitting Corviknight/Glowking teams.

And the "controversial votes" only:

spicy

:mawile-mega: Mega Mawile - Final rank: B+, my vote: A, would have been B+ even without my vote (copy and paste from above)
Mega Mawile is still an incredibly threatening wallbreaker. It has all the coverage it needs to wreak havoc against anything, with Skeledirge being the only real problem matchup. It has some defensive utility as well, being able to switch into Ceaseless Edge, Moonblast, and Corviknight for switch in opportunities. If Play Rough had 100% accuracy, it would be one of the greatest.
:rotom-heat: Rotom-Heat - Final rank: C+, my vote: UR, would have been B- without my vote
guys... this mon is ass. Run Rotom-Wash instead, and if you MUST run Rotom-Heat to beat Mega Meganium, find something else, change your team or something. Hydro Pump is MUCH more valuable than Overheat, and Nasty Plot sets are done better by Rotom-Wash and even Rotom-Mow. Rocks weakness on top of it all, which is a shame for a mon that prides itself in being hazard resilient.
:ditto: Ditto - Final Rank: B-, my vote: C, may have been B rank without my vote
Not only is Ditto not needed to handle the various setup sweepers in this tier, it cannot copy Unburden (translation: Sneasler). I'd also very much enjoy not encouraging people to run it.
:gallade-mega: Mega Gallade - Final rank: C-, my vote: C+, would have been C- even without my vote
A super underexplored mon that has all the tools it needs to be strong. Swords Dance/Close Combat/Psycho Cut (or Zen Headbutt if you like to miss)/Shadow Sneak covers everything.
:crabominable-mega: Mega Crabominable - Final rank: D, my vote: C, would have been D even without my vote I think probably I'm not sure
I challenge anyone to find a switch-in to this thing. Glowking Chilly support gives it some bulk, and it has Mach Punch for priority. Ice Hammer is now boosted by Iron Fist now, I learned that recently.
:falinks-mega: Mega Falinks - Final rank: C-, my vote: C+, would have been C- even without my vote
My my, the most controversial vote perhaps. I don't know how much I can disclose, but let's just say there were 2 teams. It's better Mega Barbaracle just for the fact that it has actual bulk after No Retreat and does not immediately fold to priority. It has Poison Jab for Fairies.

 

[PEAKrow]

So I was feeling bored, so I'm gonna write up some recent trends in the metagame...

A NEST OF DRAGONS HAS TAKEN OVER THE LADDER...

The Dragon-type has gained incredible traction in the past month. With the rise of :garchomp: , many teams search for a way to dispatch the land shark without taking annoying chip damage. :dragapult: is the fastest non-Mega in the format, condensing invaluable utility with consistent damage. :hydreigon: sports a solid offensive typing that gets the jump on a lot of structures, especially on Big4 structures where :samurott-hisui: is the only Dark-type resist. A lot of scrutiny was directed on :garchomp-mega-z:, with a major talking point being how diffucult it will be to forego :garchomp: defensively utility. So who would have thought a 151-speed Draco-dropping Pokemon will be a menace? (VGC communities told a similar story lol).

So how has ladder responded? Well, with an immunity, of course!

...SO THE COURT OF FAIRIES HAVE BEEN SUMMONED TO PUT THEM DOWN!

I am convinced losing to a Calm-Mind :clefable: is a Smogon canon event. Five generations later, and the ability to be immune to all indirect damage has remained an invaluable asset in every meta. And Game Freak made it a Fairy-type. A necessary evil though, as the tier requires its presence. Hazard setting, recovery, set-up, even speed control; a Clefable really could be anything. :clefable-mega: is just a different type of annoying, as EVERY single Stealth Rocks user loses to this thing (not counting Mamoswine, he's cool for that). :primarina: is a Pokemon that specializes in trading into dangerous threats and wearing down common cores. It has all the tools to mess with its counters, and it offers a rare Water-resist... not that its famous for taking Physical attacks very well, and lacks recovery. But its still a threat, and more often than not, a trade is necessary to put it down. :floette-mega: is still a nuke, :golisopod-mega:'s existence does not change that. Facing one without a :slowking-galar: or :toxapex: can often signal a 6-0 incoming, and you, yes YOU, are not the one coming out with six Pokemon. Oh, and of course the number one reason to run a Fairy-types... is :samurott-hisui: . It always has been.

... And that's my brief observation of the COU meta. Honestly, its in a good place right now, arguably better than the past regulations. I'm actually on the fence on further tiering action, (yes, even on :sneasler:). So to all COU players, happy cooking!

 

[Ultraman1]

I understand that Hisuian Samurott can serve as a form of counterplay, but it is not currently used in either meta or anti-meta teams. As a Master Rank 2 player on the Nintendo Switch, I have yet to encounter anyone using it, and it is also absent from the usage statistics. Therefore, I believe it should be ranked lower than Pokémon such as Archaludon.

Click to collapse...

Your Master Ball 2 status from BSS (3v3 Singles) has little impact on how this metagame function here. As you can see, in the battle of truly 6v6 Singles, Ceaseless Edge is a ridiculous broken move due to hazards in general have much more impact in long-term switching, in addition to Samurott’s already amazing offensive and defensive profile, that’s why it has amazing usage in both ladder and tournament of Champion OU. I wish there would be a post emphasize how vastly different of a Pokemon’s viability between BSS and OU because they are not the same.

 

[fluff!!]

With Sneasler's quickban, the VR council has decided to quickdrop Rillaboom from S- to A+.

:sneasler: Sneasler: S- -> Unranked
:rillaboom: Rillaboom: S- -> A+

 

[OatIsHere]

Rillaboom
S- -> B+

lets be honest, this guy is washed in the land of mega golisopods, corviknights, blazikens, ceruledges and charizards

 

[Red violet blue]

Rillaboom
S- -> B+

lets be honest, this guy is washed in the land of mega golisopods, corviknights, blazikens, ceruledges and charizards

Click to collapse...

I disagree, because he can be used with Blazikens, Ceruledge, and Charizard X without earthquake, because these mons love taking less damage from earthquake and recovering health at the end of their turn. (Also, grassy seed could be used on Blaziken or Ceruledge.)

We'll see if Hawlucha will rise or not.
It's too soon to tell if Rillaboom really deserves to drop to B+.
It definitely suffers from Sneasler ban, this is why it isn't S- rank anymore, but B+ seems kinda low, because there still are mons that could benefit from grassy terrain support, and Grassy Glide is a great priority move.

 

[Ultraman1]

:Hawlucha:
B -> B+ / A-.
Sneasler goes to jail soon so Hawlucha is the optimal Unburden guy rn. It needs only 2 STAB moves to slaughter most of the entire metagame, and still has that one extra utility option (Roost, Substitute, Encore, Taunt..) to mess with opponent's mind.

It is also worth noting that hazards do not wear down Hawlucha a lot, unlike Sneasler.

There is still a list of checks for Lucha, but I only mentioned some of them during my test games:
+ Unaware Clefable & Skeledirge: They absolutely stomach hits and smack Hawlucha comfortably, but rare in general.
+ Hippowdon can work as emergency phazer in mid game, but it is hopeless to see Hawlucha at late game position.
+ Shadow Ball Aegislash in Offensive team: Hawlucha's commonly temporary check, but it lacks longevity.
+ Bulky Rotom Wash & Pex: depend on Hawlucha's moveset, either they beat it or get owned by Substitute version.

 

[LBN]

Some noms cuz I'm bored. Frankly won't pretend like I've ever encountered some mons (I have not fought a single mega staraptor desptie like, 130+ ladder games) but I do got some takes from high ladder. Only gonna do two for now cuz I wanna do summ else now that I've written em so hey. I have more thoughts like, Mega Lopp A+ and dropping Kingambit n stuff but I'm too lazy to type those out.

-> B
In no way shape or form is this thing a B- Pokemon. Sure, Nasty Plot or w/e sets are underwhelming but let me introduce WispHex. All those ChompCorvKing cores or w/e just get devoured by this thing and unlike Pult, it doesn't care about Clef either that thing runs risk of a 2 tap by Blizzard. With Snow defense boost I've just stayed in on H-Samus and Wisped on their Ceaseless and just snacked it for like 65% and then proceeded to bring it back from 30% to like 61% from just Rillaboom GTerrain. The main draw it has vs HexPult is 2 things

Immediate Power, and Taunt. Mega Lass's 140 vs Pults 100 makes a major difference for calcs on a lot of the aforementioned. Taunt helps you enable your core breaking potential like you know what it does. A lot of the tiers ice resists tend to be either too frail, or despise wisp. H-Samu, M-Goliso, Kingambit, etc. Things good. Mega competition is obscene but there's alot of value in having weather disruption utility whenever you just, aren't running Hippowdon.

-> C / C+
I'm genuinely shocked this isn't ranked. I mean I get the competition or what not but Ice is a very nice offensive type right now, and Ice shard helps with terrorists like Pult and Chomp-Z. We've all played SS we know Corv and Clef are conditional checks to an SD Weavile. I don't have replays mainly because I don't run the habit of grabbing them for my noms and I just hope the namepower will at least carry my noms to consideration. If we can rank do-nothing Hoodra we can rank Weavile trust me.

 

[RyukTheDarkrai]

Mega Hawlucha is really cool I think
the loss of Unburden kinda hurts but it fully flexes the fact that Hawlucha retains an excellent 118 Speed tier and doesn't need to go 'oh no the enemy team is still healthy I can't do shit' and isn't terrified of a Red Card or whatever and it doesn't need to worry about Defense drops bc of Close Combat cause it can slot on High Jump Kick instead and I think it is kind of unfortunate that despite being the gimmicky Unburden sweeper it is the base form that is still better
Mega Lucha deserves better I think

 

[Valk]

Starmie -> C or C-
Solid special attacker with a bonus of shutting down a lot of sweepers in Scald. Ice Beam OHKOs Garchomp sets with no points in HP or defenses. However, the main draws of Starmie are Rapid Spin and Recover. Tsareena is the only other (usable) recovery spinner in the game as of writing this post, and the extra longevity it provides helps offset hazard or weather chip. However, Starmie will likely never make it past C; its lackluster bulk renders it incapable of taking any real hits, even from defensive mons like TankChomp or Slowking-Galar.

After a few games and a bit of theorycrafting, Starmie seems best with either a scarf trick set or a bulky spinner. One interesting idea I found was to use 32+ Thunderbolt; it outspeeds and has roughly a 50% chance to OHKO scarf Samurott-Hisui after Stealth Rock (guaranteed with an additional layer of Spikes). On the more niche side, it can OHKO bulky Swords Dance after rocks and 3 Spikes.