Resource SWSH LC Viability Rankings

[ojr]

A --> B+
Frillish is not A rank worthy anymore in my opinion. The "reintroduction" of Knock-Off hurts it a lot and usually, most teams are better off with Mareanie or Shellos as defensive Water-type. Not to mention the rise of Pawniard and Vullaby on 1 team is hurting it a lot. The only thing it gained from the latest meta changes is the choice scarf set being a viable set again for hyper offense teams as it is the premier Ghost-type and helps against Zigzagoon.

B --> B+
Mr. Smogon himself has been on the rise lately with the Sludge Bomb, Fire Blast, Thunderbolt, WilloWisp set. This set is pretty good against the more bulky balance type of teams with its good coverage moves and spreading burns. With the current set using Levitate leaving it only weak to Psychic-types which are very rare in the current metagame thus making it very hard to kill.

Lastly, this might be a bit of a controversial one but I'm bringing up:
A+ --> S
With Cutiefly's usage being at its highest it has probably ever been this generation and possibly being suspect tested next, Ferroseed has also gone up greatly. It is the best check to Cutiefly since the Quiver Dance set has exploded. Ferroseed is also one of the most reliable Stealth Rock setters at this moment and can just check a lot of offensive threats in just one slot. With it being so easy to fit on a lot of playstyles and having little competition as Steel- and also as Grass-type. Its utility and defensive presence make it good enough for me to be S rank in the current state of the meta.

I think could also go down but I haven't used it enough to form a proper opinion on it.
Finally, I think could rise again but I'm not sure if it really deserves a back to back rise as the metagame is still evolving and adapting to it with Toxic being more used as a coverage option.
Yeah that's it from me for now.

 

[Pamplona]

I'm going to nominate Woobat into the VR since it now returns with Simple to go along with Nasty Plot.


Set:
Woobat @ Berry Juice
Ability: Simple
Level: 5
EVs: 92 Def / 156 SpA / 12 SpD / 180 Spe -- I'm sure someone can optimize this more.
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Nasty Plot
- Psychic / Air Slash
- Heat Wave
- Substitute / Roost / Giga drain

I think C+ is appropriate because man does he hit hard. 17 speed is also a solid speed tier to sweep with. I like the NP/Psychic/Heat Wave/Substitute set the best since it will 50/50 Pawniard which could lead to the opposing team losing straight up if they don't have anything alive that is faster than 17.

One of my favorite calcs is heatwave against Vullaby (per LC showdown usage):
+4 156 SpA Woobat Heat Wave vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Vullaby: 22-26 (95.6 - 113%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock

With berry juice you also have the opportunity to sub stall to set up a nasty plot if they have no priority users or pokemon who are faster left:
236+ Atk Vullaby Knock Off vs. 0 HP / 92 Def Woobat: 18-24 (78.2 - 104.3%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO

Also if I recall any attack that deals less than 25% will not break sub, so unless it's a high roll, you can set up on shellos if they try to clear smog:
0 SpA Shellos Clear Smog vs. 0 HP / 12 SpD Woobat: 5-6 (21.7 - 26%) -- 0.1% chance to 4HKO
(You could also go the calm mind route if shellos is really an issue for your team or giga drain)

I've noticed Woobat definitely appreciates some support with Trapinch to take down onix and remove any possibility of a speed tie between the two. Webs support is always nice but Woobat is self-sufficient enough to still make an impact without it.

 

[grizzz]

A -> S
I think Rufflet is well established as one of the best offensive threats in the metagame. Hustle boosts Rufflet's attack to a powerful 27 when Jolly, doing insane amounts of damage to the entire tier. Any relevant resist to Brave Bird gets 2HKOed at minimum by Close Combat, and is vulnerable to U-Turn + Arena Trap user. Choice Scarf sets out-speed any unboosted mon, Bulk Up sets get boosts on most of the metagame, and Choice Band sets can OHKO almost anything. Rufflet effectively has zero defensive checks, only being held back by Hustle.

 

[ghost]

endorse the above take

C -> C+

I'm debating whether both Bulbasaur and Scraggy deserve to move up to B, but I think this much is merited at least. Bulbasaur is a potent wincon that hits everything in the tier very hard, essentially having three STABs in the sun. It needs sun support to function well, but we've seen manual sun in SPL and the even more important CPL already, and Bulbasaur can also set sun itself. It's definitely better than everything else in C and is a viable mon.

 

[Max Carvalho]

endorse the above take

C -> C+

I'm debating whether both Bulbasaur and Scraggy deserve to move up to B, but I think this much is merited at least. Bulbasaur is a potent wincon that hits everything in the tier very hard, essentially having three STABs in the sun. It needs sun support to function well, but we've seen manual sun in SPL and the even more important CPL already, and Bulbasaur can also set sun itself. It's definitely better than everything else in C and is a viable mon.

Endorsing this. Manual sun setting in this metagame seems pretty prevalent and Bulbasaur is the fastest (among the viable ones) sun sweepers avaiable. The growth set is pretty potent and is being used successfully by many.

 

[Max Carvalho]

I would like to propose another change. Given the recent Cutiefly ban, this guy definitely deserves more love:

C- > B+

Not gonna lie, this isn't Cutie, but it is the best sticky web setter we have at the moment. Since dewpider primary use is to provide sticky webs support, his low speed isn't doing much favors to him. Despite this being a very important one, I think it's the only real drawback this mon has towards using it on your team. Dewpider good defensive stats and decent defensive typing allows him to be a solid switch-in to many threats may it survive after setting webs, including Timburr and Ponyta. Water Bubble is such a great ability that it allows Dewpider, despite its suboptimal special attack stat, granting many very important rolls with Surf.

116+ SpA Water Bubble Dewpider Surf vs. 0 HP / 156 SpD Eviolite Timburr: 15-18 (62.5 - 75%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
116+ SpA Water Bubble Dewpider Surf vs. 0 HP / 76 SpD Eviolite Ponyta: 24-30 (114.2 - 142.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO
116+ SpA Water Bubble Dewpider Surf vs. 212 HP / 76 SpD Eviolite Spritzee: 12-15 (44.4 - 55.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
116+ SpA Water Bubble Dewpider Surf vs. 116 HP / 0 SpD Vullaby: 19-24 (76 - 96%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
116+ SpA Water Bubble Dewpider Surf vs. 116 HP / 156 SpD Vullaby: 16-21 (64 - 84%) -- 50% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock

There aren't many Pokemon that can switch-in, assuming no resistances, on a surf from this guy. Despite way more than expected offensive pressure, and a good defensive threat, Dewpider also sports some extra tools other than merely Sticky Web setting. Access to Magic Coat means it could disrupt Taunt users such as Onix and, in general, get in the way of other hazards setters. Dewpider has access to pretty decent coverage in the form of giga drain, ice beam or even icy wind, though it should be noted that surf does more damage than these options if they aren't super effective against Pokemon resistant to water-type moves. Finally, Dewpider has even more versatility: it can run a physical attacker set with Liquidation and Leech Life. This set definitely has its merits with Leech Life granting some decent STAB-powered recovery. Overall, given that Dewpider usage is increasing quite a bit lately, at least from my anedoctal perspective, and how prevalent Rufflet, the best webs abuser, is in the meta right now, Dewpider definitely deserves a better spot at the Viability Rankings.

 

[Arts and stuff]

c+ -> B+

Wynaut has the ability to stomp ponytail with a flare blitz boosted counter or zen headbutt with eviolite and either destroy or cripple most teams with the cheesy encore and Destiny bond to stop most mons in their tracks so you can switch and stomp or they have to switch out so either way you can for them to switch and ruin set up or just destroy them. In any case the prophet is perfect for offensive destruction and set up shattering.

P.S. 9/10 Doug dimmadomes agree that wynaut is good

 

[Fille]

c+ -> B+

Wynaut has the ability to stomp ponytail with a flare blitz boosted counter or zen headbutt with eviolite and either destroy or cripple most teams with the cheesy encore and Destiny bond to stop most mons in their tracks so you can switch and stomp or they have to switch out so either way you can for them to switch and ruin set up or just destroy them. In any case the prophet is perfect for offensive destruction and set up shattering.

P.S. 9/10 Doug dimmadomes agree that wynaut is good

Whatever he's drinking, I want it

 

[qweschuning]

RISES

Trapinch->S) You MUST respect a trapper if you have trappable mons and lack thereof may cost you the game.
Dig->S) You MUST respect a trapper if you have trappable mons and lack thereof may cost you the game.
Rufflet->S) If it survives getting banned this shouldn't be debatable if anything a+.

Oddish->A+) I hate this mon, the rolls it eats are too spicy at times. Sap vs the phys meta is bonkers. "Sometimes" it can beat ferro using infestation or trap mon as help. It does this because it typically loses 1v1 to ferro, however, it will outclass ferro in way more match ups.. beside maybe spiritzee.. IF it has psychic.. which is on the down tick given both ponies speed and saturation have better matchups vs both grass mon. Any who, Sleep powder means that if you do not run a grass mon you must 'pick-a-mon-to-lose'(if it lands lul).
A spore/regenerator mon was one of the only things keeping this thing irrelevant last gen... Now it has strength sap... RIP.

Bulbasaur ->C+)
The Walking Bucket(KO)
Manual sun is good(vs forced switch outs).
Sleep powder is good(v pawn).
Growth is disgusting(phys meta).
A 28-30 speed special mon is something the tier does not quite account for. Tell me how many mon want to take LO or growth boosted solarbeam?
Giga drain = longevity, Weatherball is basically 3rd STAB in the sun. Put some respect on gen 1 easy mode, plz and ty.

Baltoy-> Ranked) Gets Stealth Rocks, Screens(yes plural!), Trick(if you wanna be cheeky), Trick Room(see Trick), and explosion to cap off it's support, while being able to hit 16 speed which matches non speed nature nix, pawn, fetch, vull and anything slower... Which is much of the current non-scarf, non-pony, and unboosted metagame. Not to mention, Rapid Spin is generally only stopped by frillish or weak armor vullaby, although it has coverage that 2-3hko it, especially on the switch(even more importantly vs special vull). After a successful spin it becomes 24 spe(faster than anything unscarfed/unboosted). Smashing in it's face after a spin is also unviable as a second spin, if allowed, makes baltoy 32 spe, outpacing shellder and tying w max spe dwebble allowing sash/sturdy variants to be "ohko'able", if spun on/hit by rocks. Offensively it has access to STAB, fairy, ice, ghost, rock*, electric* and grass* moves, allowing it to check its own checks on the switch, if chipped or 2hko in the right situation. A decent onix/rock/ground switch-in via levitate/ground typing, it eats +2 eq from mold breaker drilbur, raw blitz from pony, non-stab knock off/sucker punches from some strong mon(from full and typically after rocks[usually with eviolite]). The biggest problems of baltoy are knock off prevelance, lack of raw power, slight 4mss and only being an offensive fight check instead of a defensive one via knock. Big problems, yes. But when I'm looking @ c baltoy middles out amongst those mon unless the worst half shifts down.

Phew... Now
DROPS

Mareanie/ferro->A) I love this core... But hear me out!! This is hax central and guts timbur eats it for breakfast.
Secondly, Look at this link
https://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/ss-lc-sample-teams.3661419/
...Count how many mareanies/ferros, let alone that core on a team, there are... Especially post home w sun/k pony/knock off running around. Don't get me wrong they can go the distance but pokemon, on paper, boils down to match ups, when these mon get knocked their MUs become much harder. Fast ferro can't tank as much as a phat ferro. Fast reanie must be squishy or hit like a wet wrag in order to invest in speed... And these are their *best* sets... That I know of. LC just hits harder and faster than these mons can take rn without sacrificing some 'thing' it may need in any given mu.

Wingull->B) I've used some sets for the memes/as innovation, but the majority of the time I'm hoping to not lose a speed tie or take too much dmg. Rocks and frailty do such an injustice to this mons move pool that In team preview, if I see a wingull, I'm fighting 5 mon TBH.(unless it hits hurricane/airslash/[knock without sacrficing itself]).

Cufant->unranked
>Scroll to the link posted above.
>Look for a team without a trapper and either.
>A see yours odds at winning on the ladder.
>B see how much pay off getting doubled into a trapper will yield.
...It's not rocket science.

Unovan* Darumaka-> unranked
>See cufant OR
>Ask yourself "why this over kantonian ponyta?"

Meowth galar -> unranked
See cufant.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Wynaut - With other trappers, encore can be devestating. If not, destiny bond generally equates to a guaranteed 1v1 minimum, God help you if you're slower than wynaut. However by itself it's kind of lackluster. Mixed sets mean you have to encore @ times. You either want speed for destiny bond or bulk for counter/mirror coat. You're at the mercy of another trapper if doubling or leading-off w naut gets you into that position. However by themselves(and wynauts thiccness) counter and mirror coat deal some vicious dmg, sans sash. Encore also allows hyper offense to BOTH keep pivoting offensively and their opponent on their heels aiding in momentum. A very interesting mon when it comes to 50/50s outside of >trap into another trap. I have a lcuu team that's p successful w it and 5 sweepers.

Pumpkaboo - What it lacks in strength sap it makes work in wisp. Being one of few viable ghost vs zigzagoon, not named honeedge(even though it can't be trapped) is pretty nice when your grass competition can only 1v1 you w poison from Oddish(that you resist) while a burnt ferrothorn trying to land twave are both running from you packing flamethrower/fire blast.

Salandit(moreso eject pack) - ...Trappers trap... What mon can cc/superpower/overheat/leafstorm/curse/etc. their way into a trapper? That's also not rocket science but I felt it needed to be pointed out.

 

[Fiend]

We finally got an update out oh boy!

Corphish A+ -> A
Ponyta A+ -> A
Koffing B -> B+
Ponyta-Galar B -> B+
Shellos B -> B+
Bulbasaur C -> B+
Dewpider C -> B+
Zigzagoon A -> B
Munchlax B+ -> B
Dwebble C+ -> B
Scraggy C+ -> B
Wynaut C+ -> B
Chinchou C -> B
Pancham C -> B
Krabby C -> C+
Salandit C -> C+
Squirtle UR -> C+

Some things to think about include Trapinch, Stunky, and Ponyta-Galar. Cheers.

 

[jake]

I think Ponyta-G should be sitting in A. It's seen a good amount of use in LCPL lately, and it just runs through any team that doesn't have Diglett or Trapinch to pick it off. Even our bulky Dark-types in Pawniard and Vullaby aren't consistent answers, and it can just switch out and come back in on something it threatens like Ferroseed or Timburr. The best set by far (IMO) is Substitute LO 3 attacks, but it can also pull off Eviolite sets and Healing Wish sets. I've also seen some funky physical stuff, though I think that's definitely a step down from special or mixed.

Its threat level is definitely more along the lines of Pokemon in A rather than those in B+.

 

[Arts and stuff]

I believe that should be solid b+.
Although it's not as useful on paper because of its unavailability of priority moves but it has more coverage to answer the common bronzor and annoying psychic types with crunch and knock off. Plus the access to mold breaker gives pancham many more options to answer like not having to deal with stamina or iron barbs unlike iron fist timburr. Plus it has a higher base attack stat in general. So I believe should be at least B+
P.S 9/10 Doug dimmadomes agree with this p.p.s.a (pancham public service annoucment)

 

[Plas]

A -> B+
Frillish is absurdly good on paper very meh in practice. I think it's still probably got something in the bag that could be cool. It should destroy this double trapper mareanie onix timb shit and it's not bad but a mon that has been used 5 times in 4 weeks of lcpl should not be A rank. I am not building and checking teams and ever saying "oh this team is frillish weak". Bulky waters im more scared of shellos and mareanie, offensive waters im more scared of chou and gull and phish. its the awkward middle thing. Idk how far it should drop realisitically, but A is WAY too high.

B -> B+
This thing has drastically shot up in usage as people figure it out. Went from 5 uses combined the 1st 2 weeks to 10 and 11 uses weeks 3 and 4. Ik I showed lily its potential in numerous tests which led her to use it week 1 of lcpl and it put in work. 17 speed is so much better in swsh than oras and sm and its double stab is cool. It soft checks and like glues shit together very well on a surprising amount of balanced and offensive stuff. Soft checks the 2 darks (vull/pawn), volts all over ferrospritz shit, hard checks every water in the tier, checks fires (charm/pony obv) I've been running hydro which I think should be the standard cause pinch can't trap unless specifically spdef to specifically trap chou but the fact this is an actual set just shows that this thing is better than a B ranked mon dk what to say. He's also a surprisingly amazing webs abuser. He's cool, move him up

Unranked -> C+
Not sure why this isn't ranked but yea. Should honestly be higher but i'm gonna chill w/ it and put it here for now. We've seen what manual sun can do. This and bulbasaur are by far the best sun abusers in the tier. This things calcs are absolutely absurd in sun. 2hkoing mareanies, onixes, fire ponies after rocks. ohkoing everything that doesn't resist fire 2 times over in sun (this is all with weather ball btw so you dont have to miss, fire blast calcs are just as if not more absurd). If you have to survive 5-7 turns of charmander good luck to you, you're not gonna have a fun day.

C -> Unranked
I have never seen a viable team with pumpkaboo in swsh period. It's same situation w/ frillish but the upsides are like SOOO much worse and almost non existent. You would think it checks waters and grounds but hell nah it doesn't. Phish knocks it, chou volts on it, wingull yea..., frillish smashes it at its own game even mareanie can sludge fish and poison it and eats gigas/bullet seeds for days bar bs this is assuming its not knock mareanie. You gotta pray onix isn't head smash cause that thing straight 2 shots after rocks, bray similar story, pinch and dig yea of course but you have to wisp and if they've got very common very good mons like guts timb, fire pony, koffing, mareanie they dont give a shit about wisp. You get it. It's the 6th or 7th best grass in the tier and it is one of 4 grass types that are ranked, doesn't make sense. Completely outclassed by oddish as a bulky grass and ferro as a utility grass.

Rank Riolu in C as well
It's got a niche as the 2nd best sun setter in the tier. Heat rock Sunny day Final gambit set is annoyingly good for manual sun and even if you're not sunning w/ it it has more potential than like hippo and stunky

Also completely agree w/ jake on Pony-Galar to A

 

[ojr]

Time for a new VR post since the last update was a month ago.
Rises:
Ponyta-Kanto from A to A+ This mon being in A is a crime. It's very versatile with options like defensive sets to spread burns, offensive berry juice sets with coverage moves and it is also a great fit on sun teams.
Ponyta-Galar B+ to A
I pretty much agree with what jake said and its usage hasn't gone down in LCPL either.
Chinchou B to A
This was also covered by Plas and I think it should even go to A.
Meowth C to B
This mon is actually really nice in this sun meta. Fake out Feint is great to check sun sweepers and it stills hit quite hard with life orb Double-Edge. Finally, the speed tier is very good as well as it is one of the few 19 speeders.
Drops:
Croagunk from B to C+
This mon's main role is being an offensive Corphish check but with Corphish going down in usage it automatically gets worse too. Nasty Plot sets are hard to pull off as well and its also heavily hindered by sun teams.
Cufant from C to UR: This guy looks cool as a rocker, Steel-type, and Sheer force boosted moves can hit hard. But in practice, it's very prone to get trapped, it is kinda outclassed as stealth rocker, the moveset options are there but you are going to get walled quite easily as you can't really fit every move on there. Sets without superpower are ferroseed bait, sets without Stomping Tantrum are walled by Ponyta and to put any type of pressure on Timburr you would want to run play rough / zen headbutt too. So in theory you could get a super good matchup but in practice it is not that great.
Nominations:
Budew from UR to B
This mon has seen quite some usage in LCPL as it is a good spiker and can really mess with standard FerroSpritz teams. It can also get up spikes on one of the best defoggers in the tier, Timburr. Grass Poison is a good defensive typing in the history of LC and Budew isn't an exception. Budew is still hindered by defog Vullaby but if they aren't running roost they don't want to come in on a sludge bomb repeatedly.
Cherubi from UR to C
This is just Bulbasaur light edition and is a great sun sweeper. This shouldn't be a very weird nomination as it was great in vulpix meta before it got banned as well.

 

[Fiend]

With the starter's HAs now being free comes a quick update:
Ponyta-G B+ -> A
Frillish A -> B+
Chinchou B -> B+
Charmander C+ -> B
Grookey UR -> B

Meowth C -> C+
Croagunk B -> C+
Riolu UR -> C
Cherubi UR -> C
Pumpkaboo C -> UR
Cufant C -> UR

The rankings, and lack thereof, of the starters will be reassessed soon.

 

[Arts and stuff]

Grooky is a solid A tier at best because of its new access to grassy glide giving it a strong stab move that pairs great with its HA and doesn't do recoil. Also he has take out as well as many other coverage move at its disposal to shred through defense heavy mons like marinie and walla outlets speed with priority grassy glide so it can effectively tingly shut down set up operations of rock types and fighting types with drain punch for scraggy and acrobatics for other fightings.

 

[DrPumpkinz]

Why is Cherubi on the VR when it's banned for only having Chlorophyll?

 

[ImperialGamer517]

I nominate Scorbunny to the VR. Maybe around B or B+:

Scorbunny @ Berry Juice
Level: 5
Ability: Libero
EVs: 36 HP / 188 Atk / 36 Def / 36 SpD / 204 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Blaze Kick
- Gunk Shot
- U-turn
- High Jump Kick / Sucker Punch

Scorbunny’s Speed coupled with it getting STAB on all its moves thanks to Libero gives it a good place in the tier. It is also able to pressure some of the new additions we got in the DLC, such as Abra, Magnemite, and non-Scarfed Sandile. It is also able to beat some prominent cores such as Ferroseed + Spritzee, Foongus + Pawniard + Munchlax, and Porygon + Spritzee to name some.

And some of my other noms:

—> A: Abra has been a metagame threat for the longest time, and it is obvious why. First of all, it has a monstrous Special Attack stat of 105, which is the highest in LC. Second, it also has a good Speed stat of 90, only being outsped by Choice Scarfers and Diglett, the latter being the only one that naturally outspeeds Abra. Third, Abra has good coverage that can hit a good chunk of the tier: Psychic for Galarian Farfetch’d, Mienfoo, Timburr, and Mareanie, Dazzling Gleam for Vullaby, and Energy Ball for Drilbur, Onix, Corphish, Shellder, Chinchou, and Frillish. The reason why it’s A now instead of A+ is because it did lose HP Fire and HP Fighting, which means it is now easily hard countered by Pawniard and Ferroseed.

—> A: Mienfoo is the epitome of how a certain move in its learnset can work well with its ability. Yes, I’m talking about U-turn + Regenerator. This allows Mienfoo a unique ability to be able to pivot out of its checks, and at the same time, be able to recover health.

—> UR: Cherubi is now illegal in LC due to it having no legal abilities since the Chlorophyll ban happened, and sadly for it, Chlorophyll is its only ability.

 

[Berks]

to S
to quote a great american poet, anything less than the best is a felony. i really don’t feel like i should have to explain this.

 

[Fiend]

We have changed the VR subranks to better differentiate the rankings of our tier with the new Pokemon the DLC has brought. Given that this is essentially a preliminary ranking and largely disjointed from the last listing, we are forgoing a 'mon by 'mon updating at this time. Take a look at the preliminary rankings and please post your new insights!

 

[Kaboom]

Binacle UR -> C. Binacle throughout its existence in LC has been passed over in favor of the other shell smash users. They have all had time to shine in LC, but with the disappearance of all but Shellder, Binacle now has a notable niche. The raw power Binacle brings at +2 is nothing to scoff at.
Note: No calcs will factor in SR.

Notable Binacle Calcs vs. Eviolite

• +2 180+ Atk Tough Claws Binacle Cross Chop vs. 236 HP / 196 Def Eviolite Porygon: 24-30 (92.3 - 115.3%) -- 87.5% chance to OHKO
  
  Possible damage amounts: (24, 24, 26, 26, 26, 26, 26, 26, 26, 28, 28, 28, 28, 28, 28, 30)
  
  
  
• +2 180+ Atk Tough Claws Binacle Cross Chop vs. 84 HP / 188+ Def Eviolite Ferroseed: 22-26 (100 - 118.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO
  Possible damage amounts: (22, 22, 22, 22, 22, 22, 22, 22, 24, 24, 24, 24, 24, 24, 24, 26)
  
  
  
• +2 180+ Atk Binacle Stone Edge vs. 228 HP / 132+ Def Eviolite Shellos: 16-19 (59.2 - 70.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
  
  Possible damage amounts: (16, 16, 16, 16, 16, 16, 16, 16, 18, 18, 18, 18, 18, 18, 18, 19)
  
  
• 180+ Atk Binacle Stone Edge vs. 228 HP / 132+ Def Eviolite Shellos: 7-10 (25.9 - 37%) -- 82.5% chance to 3HKO
  
  Possible damage amounts: (7, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 10)
  Note: Shellos is unable to stop binacle without decent odds of sacrificing itself in the process.
  
  

Notable Binacle Calcs vs. Koffed/itemless

• +2 180+ Atk Binacle Stone Edge vs. 116 HP / 76 Def Slowpoke: 24-28 (88.8 - 103.7%) -- 37.5% chance to OHKO
  
  Possible damage amounts: (24, 24, 24, 24, 24, 25, 25, 25, 25, 25, 27, 27, 27, 27, 27, 28)
  
  
• +2 180+ Atk Binacle Stone Edge vs. 124 HP / 156+ Def Foongus: 24-28 (96 - 112%) -- 68.8% chance to OHKO
  
  Possible damage amounts: (24, 24, 24, 24, 24, 25, 25, 25, 25, 25, 27, 27, 27, 27, 27, 28)
  
  
• +2 180+ Atk Tough Claws Binacle Liquidation vs. 236 HP / 196+ Def Mienfoo: 24-28 (100 - 116.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO
  
  Possible damage amounts: (24, 24, 24, 24, 24, 25, 25, 25, 25, 25, 27, 27, 27, 27, 27, 28)
  
  
• +2 180+ Atk Binacle Stone Edge vs. 196 HP / 20+ Def Mareanie: 24-28 (100 - 116.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO
  
  Possible damage amounts: (24, 24, 24, 24, 24, 25, 25, 25, 25, 25, 27, 27, 27, 27, 27, 28)
  
  
• +2 180+ Atk Tough Claws Binacle Liquidation vs. 212 HP / 196+ Def Spritzee: 22-27 (81.4 - 100%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO
  
  Possible damage amounts: (22, 22, 22, 22, 24, 24, 24, 24, 24, 24, 25, 25, 25, 25, 25, 27)
  
  
• +2 180+ Atk Binacle Stone Edge vs. 116 HP / 156 Def Staryu: 24-28 (114.2 - 133.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO
  
  Possible damage amounts: (24, 24, 24, 24, 24, 25, 25, 25, 25, 25, 27, 27, 27, 27, 27, 28)
  
  
  
  
  

On some of these Pokemon (Non-T-wave Slowpoke, Staryu, Spritzee, and Mareanie) Binacle is capable of setting up relatively safely (scald burns are the major issue with Staryu, Slowpoke, and Mareanie) and then pressuring them as well as the rest of the team with a sweep given the proper circumstances. The most notable set up opportunity present in the tier is a top 3 Pokemon at worst. Vullaby. Thanks to decent bulk on both defenses Vullaby has little to get in the way of Binacle clicking Shell Smash and going off. Now the reason why I am suggesting C rank, and not something higher for Binacle is tied to a few major weaknesses. Priority present in the tier just shreds Binacle, featuring 2x weakness to Mach Punch, Vacuum Wave and 4x to Grassy Glide. This means that often its best result in matchups could just be trading 1 for 1, and as a Pokemon meant to stay out of the fight until it can close out a match, thats not what you want. Chipping Binacle prior to the turn where it will set up makes it so much harder to set up on the Pokemon I mentioned before. Missing KOs without SR and/or Knock Off support most of the time is mildly depressing despite the ubiquty of both in teams, and shouldn't be ignored. Felt like including SR in those calcs would be sugarcoating the problems and kept it raw for that reason.

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UR -> C. Buneary is a very unique Pokemon in the meta. Being one of the few Pokemon in LC graced with Healing Wish. A move capable of bringing Pokemon back from the brink of a KO. Allowing dangerous sweepers like DD Onix, Shellder or nukes like vulpix to return from massive damage or chip via hazards can complete shift a game. Likewise with defensive Pokemon such as Ferroseed. Along with that quality it has a varied movepool, and an ability that is surprisingly relevant in the tier, limber. Pokemon such as ferroseed, slowpoke and foongus have to think twice about using their paralysis moves with a buneary running around lest they give up momentum. On the topic of Thunder-Wave, Buneary is also well suited to spread it. 19 Speed means either Healing Wish or Thunder-Wave can be used before the majority of the tier. The 19 speed also allows Buneary despite lacking a good physical stab option this gen the ability to get 2HKOs off the back of quality SE coverage options backed by a decent 16 ATK. Triple Axel, Play Rough, Fire Punch, Drain Punch, all viable options with the right team.
Despite these upsides, Buneary suffers from more than just the loss of Return. Severe 4mss combined with not having an easy time coming in on moves that aren't Thunder-Wave (or Stun Spore) leaves you conserving it for the Healing Wish and not contributing much else. Still I believe its niche is strong enough to have it included on the VR.
Note: Switcheroo Klutz antics are garbage

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UR -> C. Darumaka is a very simple Pokemon. It nukes. Thats all. You can very much take it as face value, but that face value is more than enough to include it on the VR. Hustle Flare Blitz backed by a 90 Base Atk stat, and the capability to rock a Choice Scarf to outspeed the entire Unboosted Metagame means you are most likely having a hard time keeping the Pokemon under wraps. Pair this with Vulpix and under sun its the equivalent of a physical Charmander in terms of damage output. On top of strong Fire STAB options it has U-turn to garner momentum, as well as Zen Headbutt for Mareanie.
Downside for Darumaka is the consequence of Flare Blitz's (and Darumaka itself} strength. Massive recoil and a 2x weakness to Stealth Rock means you are not able to last very long. Hustle also makes every turn out with this Pokemon a risk if you miss.
Note: Belly Drum Flame Charge Darumaka is very fun, but too niche to mention as upside.

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UR -> B-. Lickitung has returned thanks to DLC and with it came one of the main reasons to run this walking tank. Abra. Being the single best switch in present in the tier, OHKOing with Knock Off while taking a pittance from even Life Orb Psychic or Submission. Combined with the impressive bulk is an extensive movepool and the ability to both heal itself, and pass Wish for 14 HP. This is 2/3rds of the HP for a significant portionof Pokemon in LC. A. Knock Off, Fire Blast, Body Slam, Body Press (a new addition capable of OHKOing Pawniard) means you can customize Lickitung to your liking. Looking at its defensive statline shows you just how much more it is than an Abra counter. Possessing 28/16/17 defenses with the spread used in the SM LC analysis and a Normal typing that leaves Lickitung with only one Weakness. Absolute unit. Although if Lickitung loses eviolite you start seeing the glaring issues. A Normal typing granting 0 Resistance and an Immunity to a rare type in the current metagame means while you aren't necessarily getting 2HKOed easily by anything, you aren't taking 0 from anything either. The chip adds up and WishTect while good for your whole team, is slow to replenish Licki and can cause a huge momentum drop as he invites in the dangerous Fighting types in the tier. With the versatility mentioned prior, comes 4mss because as much as you really only need Knock Off, you want everything. I would say Lickitung is on par with the rest of the Pokemon in B-.

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UR -> C. Minnicino is very similar to Buneary, both fast Normal types with crazy good coverage options, but while Buneary hits the premiere 19 speed tier and is more utility based, Miniccino is far better at outputting damage. Capable of hitting 18 Speed and rocking Skill Link and Technician as abilitiies, means the multi-hits in the kit can truly shine. Tail Slap and Triple Axel have the potential to shred any neutral target with either ability, with U-turn, Knock Off, Gunk Shot, Seed Bomb, and Play Rough as supporting cast in the back. Not much else to say, it does damage. Solid wallbreaker that struggles dealing with the faster Pokemon in the tier, as well as Ferroseed due to iron barbs and a lack of SE options.

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UR -> B. This is coming off the back of recent showings in tours such as the LC Open (shoutouts Berks!). With access to both Slush Rush and Aurora Veil, Sandshrew-Alola can just go on a tear under Hail, as well as support teammates if it fails to end a game. Steel Ice typing despite being 4x weak to Fighting is fantastic for finding switch in opportunity on the Grass, Flying and Fairy types in the tier. Icicle Spear as a STAB is servicable, Iron Head is reliable and it has EQ for Fire types and other Steels. Potential for 28 Speed under Hail with this moveset is more than enough to excuse the weaknesses of the Pokemon outside of Hail.

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UR -> C. Access to Grassy Glide with Grookey running around is neat, it is the only good way to set down Hail in the tier and makes Sandshrew-Alola as good as it is. Defensive it is able to check all waters due to the Ice typing cancelling out Ice Beam from the likes of Staryu, and offensively STAB Blizzard is never bad to have.

 

[Berks]

in my opinionfits better in B- than in B. I put it more on par with threats like larv and g-fetchd than threats like shellder and chou. this is mostly because it does really well against current meta builds that rely on foo and sashbra and the likes but is very hard to use well against timb and pix builds that may be on the up and up. but it sure as heck should be ranked!!

additionally, nommingto B-. I am never not scared when this thing comes in. It’s got strong prio, strong attacks with good coverage like HJK and Gunk Shot, and can pivot out of whatever you try to bring in. idk why but it feels really tough to switch into and can certainly do a number on a lot of mons.

 

[tazz]

Timburr ---> at least A, preferably A-
Mienfoo is reaching gen 6 levels of dominance right now and Timburr is struggling to carve out an A+ worthy niche for itself at the moment. It still has the elemental punches that set it apart in previous generations and gained defog in general 8, but it cannot utilize either resource well enough in this current meta to warrant use on most teams. The elemental punch appreciated the gen 7 meta where foongus was the most popular fighting check, but now that mareanie is having its heyday it is forced to run a thunder punch set that can't touch foongus. Mareanie also has the ability to run 16 defense sets and speedy sets without sacrificing as much as foongus, both of which trouble timburr even if it is running thunder punch. This set also has the fatal flaw of not being mienfoo; with the most efficient means of dealing with ferroseed gone in gen 8 the longevity that mienfoo can provide over timburr is more crucial in this generation than in previous ones. The defog set can't touch either fighting check and suffers from all of the same longevity problems that the elemental punch set does, often struggling to stay alive as long as the stealth rock users (particularly ferroseed) that it wants to switch in on repeatedly.
Porygon ---> A
I don't think that porygon is quite as out of place in A+ as timburr is, but I still think that it is much more at home in A rank rather than A+. The trace sets want to be able to consistently countertrap diglett, but teams that rely on this set to prevent diglett from killing multiple ground-weak Pokemon can quickly find themselves losing on matchup to teams that bypass this team strategy through air balloon diglett. The download set is a powerful wallbreaker, but it like many special attackers was hurt immensely by the loss of hidden power and can struggle to get in against a lot of top tier threats without the bulk of trace porygon. It's still a good Pokemon, but its usage and relevancy to this meta is nowhere near that of the rest of A+.
Mareanie ---> A+
Mareanie is currently the premier fighting check and water type in a meta where its alternatives often have significant matchup issues. Diglett's usage rates right now are in no small part thanks to Mareanie's strength, with this trappability being its main flaw. Still, this flaw is more easily overcome than those of foongus and spritzee, and mareanie is capable of providing far more utility than either in many situations. As a fighting check it has less trouble with inviting Pokemon like ferroseed in when compared to spritzee and foongus, as anything that comes in risks a scald burn or will lose an item. Its secondary typing also allows it to check fire types, an ability made more notable than previous generations by Staryu's fall in viability.
Trapinch ---> A-
Trapinch's normal game plan is unfortunately limited by current meta trends: It wants to be able to countertrap diglett, but the popularity of air balloon sets will make teams dependent on trapinch to remove diglett weak to any team that uses the set. It wants to be able to remove the Pokemon that prevent Vullaby, Ponyta and Abra from tearing apart teams as it did in general 7, but most teams either run multiple checks to these Pokemon or run checks that cannot be trapped. The nail in the coffin to many Trapinch-based teams is Mareanie: Mareanie was a thorn in the side to Trapinch teams back in gen 7, but this could be overlooked as Mareanie was not as popular as other fighting checks. Now that Mareanie is the most popular fighting check Trapinch archetypes struggle against many more teams.
Staryu ---> A-
Staryu is the only Pokemon that gives foongus competition for the title of Pokemon most hurt by the loss of hidden power. Ferroseed being the most prominent grass type and one of the most popular Stealth Rocks users hurts Staryu immensely as it can't do its job against many teams. Other developments have hurt it as well: final gambit diglett has the same HP as it and anyone using it always has the option to keep rocks on the field by trading diglett for Staryu. The reintroduction of Porygon has also added another Pokemon that Staryu has difficulty breaking through.

I also think that Spritzee should probably go to A- as any team that uses it as a fighting check has great trouble against the toxic spikes archetype. Foongus should also probably drop as it loses to too many of the top tier threats, but I'm not as confident in these nominations as those above.

 

[tazz]

3 more
diglett ---> S
Diglett's ability to pick off weakened mons alone has guaranteed it an A+ spot at minimum for three generations, but it usually is hard justify a spot in S for it alongside incredibly splashable staples like mienfoo and vullaby. This consistent role being particularly important in this meta along with relatively recent developments in its long history of viability in LC like air balloon and final gambit have set it apart from other A+ mons to a degree that in my opinion places it closer in viability to mienfoo and vullaby than other A+ mons. Mareanie is the most important fighting check in the metagame and can be incredibly difficult to take down for any team that lacks diglett. Teams that lack diglett often have to either restrict themselves to offensive Pokemon that can bypass mareanie or take extraordinary steps to compensate, and even if they do this mareanie is able to check far too much of the meta to ever not be annoying. The utility air balloon set is incredibly important as one of the few webs checks right now, with most teams having to decide between running it or wingull and being weak to webs. Final gambit also provides incredible utility, giving diglett the ability to cripple anything trying to revenge it, serving as an emergency stop to defense boosters like ID vullaby or woobat or taking out 19 HP mons that are problematic for one reason or another.
Wingull ---> A+
Chinchou's fall from grace and foongus's reintroduction to the tier has allowed wingull to shoot up in viability once more, and I think that it is at this point easily as viable as the other premier offensive special attacker in the tier in Abra. Wingull is nearly as threatening offensively as Abra with incredible STAB coverage that is able to tear apart many teams mid game once the defensive mons have lost their items. On top of its offensive prowess it also has important utility that Abra cannot boast: it is at this point the most solid webs check in the tier, as it can either fire off powerful attacks that frail webs abusers will fall to or clear hazards from the field at a speed tier that webs users cannot stop. It is also much easier to get in than Abra, as it has immunities and can even be used to switch in on mienfoo HJK in a pinch.
Scraggy ---> B+
Scraggy is a matchup fish, but man is it a good one. In SM Timburr and Spritzee were only slightly below their respective competitors for the fighting type and fighting check niches, but in this meta they have been solidly eclipsed by mienfoo and mareanie respectively. I went into Timburr's flaws in my previous post, and spritzee teams struggle both with any team that runs toxic spikes and with the momentum drain that spritzee vs mienfoo interactions produce. The most common archetype at this point is some variation of mareanie/mienfoo/steel type/diglett/flying type/filler, with these types of teams often forgoing scarfers. It is against these relatively safe teams that scraggy shines, with the shed skin set having the ability to set up on mareanie and steel types easily and sweep from there as long as mienfoo has lost its item (a task that is usually not difficult, as most teams rely on mienfoo to switch into ferroseed and pawniard). Even if the other team has a Pokemon that scraggy can't sweep through like sash abra or spritzee, scraggy can still limit the use of that mon.

 

[qweschuning]

Free corphish on the VR haven't seen it there for a while.