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Resource AAA Viability Rankings

>> Voting <<
Viability Rankings + Sample Sets (and Analyses)
(current as of October 5th, 2023)​

S Rank
S
:Corviknight:CorviknightIntimidate, Type Immunity Abilities
A Rank
A+
:Azelf:AzelfPsychic Surge
:Great Tusk:Great TuskRegenerator, Fluffy, Toxic Debris
:Manaphy:ManaphyRegenerator, Primordial Sea
:Zapdos:ZapdosPrimordial Sea, Intimidate, Fluffy
A
:Barraskewda:BarraskewdaPrimordial Sea
:Dragonite:DragoniteAerilate
:Iron Moth:Iron MothDesolate Land
:Kommo-o:Kommo-oRegenerator, Triage, Galvanize
:Ogerpon-Cornerstone:Ogerpon-CornerstoneRocky Payload, Sword of Ruin
:Roaring Moon:Roaring MoonSword of Ruin, Regenerator
:Scream Tail:Scream TailUnaware, Pixilate
:Walking Wake:Walking WakePrimordial Sea, Dragon's Maw, Beads of Ruin
:Weavile:WeavileTechnician, Sword of Ruin
:Zamazenta-Crowned:Zamazenta-CrownedDauntless Shield
A-
:Ceruledge:CeruledgeDesolate Land, Sword of Ruin
:Chien-Pao:Chien-PaoSword of Ruin
:Garchomp:GarchompRegenerator, Toxic Debris
:Gengar:GengarSheer Force, Hadron Engine
:Heatran:HeatranDesolate Land
:Ogerpon-Hearthflame:Ogerpon-HearthflameDesolate Land, Sword of Ruin
B Rank
B+
:Electrode-Hisui:Electrode-HisuiMagic Guard
:Empoleon:EmpoleonVolt Absorb, Earth Eater
:Goodra-Hisui:Goodra-HisuiRegenerator
:Mandibuzz:MandibuzzUnaware,
:Meowscarada:MeowscaradaSword of Ruin
:Ogerpon-Wellspring:Ogerpon-WellspringPrimordial Sea, Sword of Ruin
:Sandy Shocks:Sandy ShocksHadron Engine
:Zapdos-Galar:Zapdos-GalarMagic Guard, Sword of Ruin
B
:Blissey:BlisseyUnaware
:Cinderace:CinderaceDesolate Land, Magic Guard
:Enamorus-Therian:Enamorus-TherianTriage
:Garganacl:GarganaclType Immunity Abilities
:Goodra:GoodraRegenerator
:Kingambit:KingambitType Immunity Abilities
:Quaquaval:QuaquavalIntimidate, Magic Guard
:Regieleki:RegielekiRefrigerate
:Slither Wing:Slither WingTinted Lens, Sword of Ruin
:Talonflame:TalonflameMagic Guard
:Thundurus:ThundurusSheer Force
B-
:Landorus:LandorusSheer Force, Desolate Land
:Landorus-Therian:Landorus-TherianFluffy, Water Absorb, Aerilate
:Mamoswine:MamoswineSword of Ruin
:Meloetta:MeloettaRegenerator
:Mew:MewPrankster, Magic Guard
:Moltres:MoltresDesolate Land
:Rotom-Wash:Rotom-WashHadron Engine, Regenerator
:Samurott-Hisui:Samurott-HisuiPrimordial Sea
:Skeledirge:SkeledirgeDesolate Land
:Thundurus-Therian:Thundurus-TherianSheer Force
:Volcanion:VolcanionPrimordial Sea, Tinted Lens
:Volcarona:VolcaronaQueenly Majesty, Sheer Force
C Rank
C
:Arcanine-Hisui:Arcanine-HisuiMagic Guard
:Chandelure:ChandelureDesolate Land, Sheer Force
:Conkeldurr:ConkeldurrTriage
:Cresselia:CresseliaUnaware
:Diancie:DiancieRegenerator
:Dondozo:DondozoMagic Guard, Regenerator
:Fezandipiti:FezandipitiRegenerator, Type Immunity Abilities
:Gliscor:GliscorRegenerator
:Greninja:GreninjaPrimordial Sea
:Infernape:InfernapeSword of Ruin, Regenerator
:Inteleon:InteleonPrimordial Sea
:Iron Treads:Iron TreadsLevitate
:Okidogi:OkidogiTriage, Sword of Ruin
:Pawmot:PawmotSword of Ruin
:Ribombee:RibombeeToxic Debris, Prankster
:Scizor:ScizorRegenerator
:Sinistcha:SinistchaFluffy, Well-Baked Body, Triage
:Tinkaton:TinkatonRegenerator
:Toxapex:ToxapexCorrosion
:Ursaluna-Bloodmoon:Ursaluna-BloodmoonAdaptability, Type Immunity Abilities

Here's the first DLC 1 VR! The QC team will add sample sets as time allows, so please be patient; if you have any suggestions, post them in this thread :P just wanted to get the discussion going.
 
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The meta has changed quite a lot since the DLC first dropped and I want to give my 2 cents about the VR.

:Great Tusk: :Manaphy: -> S

If these two aren’t S rank then I don’t know how to classify S rank because Corv has fallen a bit when compared to pre-DLC. You could make a case for Corv to drop down to A+ and I would agree but for now I think these two deserve to be S rank.

Great Tusk provides utility to a team that no mon can match. It basically monopolized hazard removal as Corv isn’t sufficient enough anymore and Iron Tread is trash now. Toxic Debris is its best set right now and for good reason: it is so hard to play around. Due to the change in the meta mentioned above, Great Tusk is, most of the time, the only option for a team to deal with Tspike which sucks because you don’t want your Tusk to be poisoned. If you try to go Corv to remove the hazard, BU + rapid spin might just run over your team. Other sets worth mentioning are type immunities like Water Absorb, WBB, Sap Sipper, … Basically you can customize your Great Tusk to do almost anything for your team, just overall a great glue mon.

Similar to Great Tusk, Manaphy is also an amazing glue for your team. Although, unlike Great Tusk, it doesn’t have that many viable sets. The only set worth considering, imo, is Regenerator. It can be either physically defensive or specially defensive with AV, both set provides crucial Knock off and slow U turn for teams. The physical defensive set is great for switching into powerful Choiced physical attacker to scout. Not only that, it is also a great wincon with Take Heart (Although no one really loses to it anymore, it is still a good tool to scare off passive mons). The Regenvest set still serve as a good Barra check for a lot of teams while also being able to tank hits from powerful special breakers like Walking Wake or Gengar. It does suffer from not being able to use Take Heart so you will have to be more careful around Toxic spike. Knock off is also everywhere now so keeping your AV is not an easy task.

:zapdos: -> A-

Early on in the meta I thought Zapdos was really good as it checks a lot of things and nothing really switch well into it. Now that I’ve played more, I think that Zapdos is pretty overrated. Its role pre-DLC was to check Fire and, to a certain degree, Fighting type. However, rn, fire type is as common as it used to be (Iron moth is popular but it runs either toxic or toxic spike now so Zapdos isn’t really a good check). Fighters are also no where to be found as the new meta is too hostile for them to thrive. On the offensive side, Zapdos isn’t doing much either. A lot of people probably think that the lack of regenvest is the perfect opportunity for Zapdos like I used to but in reality, it really doesn’t. Moth is still common and is still a good check for it, Hoodra and Regenvest Moon are also pretty common right now and Zapdos can’t do anything to them. With all that said, it is still pretty good, just isn’t A or A+ good.

Welp, that was longer than I expected so I will make it quick from this point on.

:dragonite: -> A- Azelf exists

:kommo-o: -> B+ fishy set is bad because of Azelf and defensive regen is bad because of Play Rough on Ogerpon.

:Scream Tail: -> A- it has been a while since DLC dropped, don’t use Unaware Stail.

:Chien-Pao: -> A Lash out broken

:gengar: -> A you basically need regenvest moon or to pray for focus misses.

:Goodra-Hisui: -> A it still does what it does best even with knock being everywhere + good ogerpon check.

:Mandibuzz: -> B maybe I haven’t used or played against stall but on the few instances that I encountered this mon, it just didn’t do anything.

:sandy shocks: -> A- the only thing holding this back pre-DLC was the fact that EE Iron Tread was everywhere. Nowadays, nothing really walls it.
Edit: After discussing a bit with Atha, I realised that Sandy Shocks is not so easy to use and might need some prediction. Still a solid mon.

:tinkaton: -> B checks a suprising amount of thing. It still sucks because Great Tusk is everywhere but it has some niche.
 
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:volcarona: --> B/B+
sflo corona is a very dumb mon. your defensive check:
  • must quad resist / be immune to fire
  • not explode to buzz or psychic
  • be able to force it out
this basically ends up with wbb bb corv although corv does take a fat chunk from psychic + bb recoil which is very abusable. its offensive checks are dnite and ajet skewda (and technically scarf wake and meow if you can keep it at <=+1). it's even better when paired with screens support like prank corv / mew in which case you need to pray your anything not named dnite can outplay it. its biggest weakness is probably rocks which does annoy it a lot since it can get revenge killed much more easily but it just makes corona a high-risk, high-reward setup sweeper.

:ribombee: --> B- (?)
bee is the webs setter by far. removal of weavile means that it can use debris for however long it remains safely while threatening tusk with moonblast and always getting webs up vs corv through sheer pp. also has stun spore to cripple corv and flyings and w/e and its last move can be annoying: tailwind ensures that whoever comes in next gets an instant speed boost, switcheroo can act as a pseudo knock after popping sash, denying corv of getting back to full vs moonblasts, and qd is probably untouched but can see use by forcing opponents to kill it...?

:ursaluna-bloodmoon: --> B- (?)
bm is pretty threatening in its own right, and can have an easier time setting up with all sorts of immunities (wabs, levi, sap sipper, wbb) and force uncomfortable decisions with debris: attack it and get a layer of tspikes up, dont attack it and it gets to nuke you with blood moon. offensive stuff is also very funny. cm + tlens is fun to use on webs and explodes everything while specs bor can explode everything but forces you to switch out unless you want to struggle

----------------
unnoms:
:zamazenta-crowned: ---> B+/B
hey look we freed :gholdengo:

:ogerpon-wellspring: :mamoswine: :moltres: :samurott-hisui: :scizor: --> at least -1 rank each
1700896030464.png
 
THE VIABILITY RANKINGS IS NOW UPDATED!!! (Only click this link if you can handle it)

If you disagree with any of the rankings, have new ones to suggest, or other similar opinion-slinging, share below!

Edit: It turns out that copying over ate all of the formatting, and I'm so sad about it that I don't want to fix it immediately. You can see the BOLDED (aka subjectively determined "best") abilities in the spreadsheet we use for voting slates.
 
The first DLC 2 Viability List is now live! It's an overview based on what council members have observed in the last couple of weeks, so not every single Good Pokemon will be on here. Be sure to post your thoughts and experiences if you see anything differently!
Viability Rankings + Sample Sets (and Analyses)
Last update: January 2, 2024​

- Each Pokemon links to its would-be page in Smogdex. For now, most of them are outdated/blank, but they will be updated over time once QC is up on running!

- Popular/"best" abilities: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...FM8isGtTkr/pubhtml?gid=1386725311&single=true

PokemonAbilities
Top Viability
:Azelf: AzelfPsychic Surge
:Corviknight: CorviknightIntimidate, Fluffy, Volt Absorb
:Deoxys-Defense: Deoxys-DefenseUnaware, Intimidate
:Gholdengo: GholdengoEarth Eater, Well-Baked Body, Magic Guard (really anything can work)
:Gouging Fire: Gouging FireMagic Guard, Sword of Ruin, Desolate Land
:Great Tusk: Great TuskScrappy
:Manaphy: ManaphyRegenerator, Fluffy, Motor Drive
:Roaring Moon: Roaring MoonSword of Ruin
:Swampert: SwampertRegenerator
High Viability
:Chien-Pao: Chien-PaoSword of Ruin
:Deoxys-Speed: Deoxys-SpeedPsychic Surge, No Guard
:Iron Boulder: Iron BoulderSharpness, Sword of Ruin
:Iron Moth: Iron Moth Desolate Land
:Zapdos-Galar: Zapdos-GalarSword of Ruin, Magic Guard
Medium Viability
:Barraskewda: BarraskewdaPrimordial Sea
:Ceruledge: CeruledgeTriage, Desolate Land, Sword of Ruin
:Dragonite: DragoniteAerilate
:Electrode-Hisui: Electrode-HisuiMagic Guard, Hadron Engine
:Enamorus-Therian: Enamorus-TherianTriage, Well Baked Body
:Goodra-Hisui: Goodra-HisuiRegenerator
:Heatran: HeatranDesolate Land, Earth Eater
:Kommo-o: Kommo-oTriage
:Mandibuzz: MandibuzzUnaware, Well Baked Body
:Meloetta: MeloettaRegenerator
:Ogerpon-Wellspring: Ogerpon-WellspringPrimordial Sea
:Scream Tail: Scream TailUnaware, Pixilate
:Smeargle: SmearglePrankster
:Walking Wake: Walking WakeDragon's Maw, Beads of Ruin, Primordial Sea
:Zapdos: ZapdosPrimordial Sea
Low Viability
:Blissey: BlisseyWell Baked Body, Magic Guard, Unaware
:Cresselia: CresseliaUnaware
:Gengar: GengarSheer Force
:Ogerpon-Cornerstone: Ogerpon-CornerstoneRocky Payload, Sword of Ruin
:Ogerpon-Hearthflame: Ogerpon-HearthflameDesolate Land
:Okidogi: OkidogiTriage
:Quaquaval: QuaquavalMagic Guard, Scrappy
:Sandy Shocks: Sandy ShocksHadron Engine
:Slither Wing: Slither WingTinted Lens
:Volcarona: VolcaronaDesolate Land, Sheer Force
 
I'm making my own tier list cause I have nothing better to do, and it updated on the 2nd of February
S Tier
Abilities
Explanation of Ability
:corviknight: CorviknightIntimidate, Fluffy, Well-Baked BodyIntimidate and Fluffy are to increase its defensive capabilities while WBB is used to counter Gouging Fire.
:roaring moon: Roaring MoonSword of RuinSoR is used to increase offensive capabilities, especially on Choice Scarf variants.
:swampert: SwampertRegeneratorRegenerator is used since its an incredible regenvest user and has no other way of recovery.
S- Tier
:)
:(
:chien-pao: Chien-PaoSword of RuinSoR is used to increase its offensive capabilities and to beat Corviknight.
:gholdengo: GholdengoWell-Baked Body, LevitateWBB is to counter Gouging Fire and Levitate is to avoid Spikes and be immune to Swampert EQs.
:gouging fire: Gouging FireMagic Guard, Desolate LandMG means no LO, Rocks, or Flare Blitz damage while Deso Land greatly increases damage output and gives more healing to Morning Sun.
:great tusk: Great TuskScrappyAllows Rapid Spin to work against Ghosts and gives immunity to Intimidate.
A+ Tier
:o:0
:deoxys-speed: Deoxys-SPsychic Surge, Sheer ForcePsysurge means immunity to priority and strong Expanding Force, while SF gives crazy strong attacks even to utility moves.
:iron boulder: Iron BoulderSharpnessSharpness is since a lot of its moves are sharpness boosted and since it gives a good attack boost.
:iron moth: Iron MothDesolate LandDeso Land is for insanely powerful Fire attacks and to prevent Flip Turn from Regenvest users.
:manaphy: ManaphyRegeneratorIncredible Regenvest user due to good utility and no other way of recovery.
:mandibuzz: MandibuzzUnaware, Volt Absorb, FluffyUnaware to counter setup Tusk, G-Fire, and Moon, Volt Absorb for Sandy Shocks and Iron Hands, and Fluffy to further increase bulk.
:primarina: PrimarinaPrimordial Sea, RegeneratorPrim Sea to fully counter G-Fire as well as to have an insanely powerful Weather Ball, while Regen is since its a decent Regenvest user.
A Tier
:D:d
Later
Will update more later.
 
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Personal VR from S to A- (tiers not sorted in any particular way)
Pokemon
Abilities
S
:corviknight:CorviknightIntimidate, Fluffy, Well-Baked Body
:swampert:SwampertRegenerator
A+
:gouging fire:Gouging FireMagic Guard, Desolate Land, Mold Breaker, Sword of Ruin
:chien-pao:Chien PaoSword of Ruin, Adaptability, Magic Guard
:roaring moon:Roaring MoonSword of Ruin
:deoxys-defense:Deoxys-DefenseUnaware
:deoxys-speed:Deoxys-SpeedPsychic Surge, Sheer Force, Prankster, Protean
A
:ceruledge:CeruledgeSword of Ruin, Desolate Land
:mandibuzz:MandibuzzUnaware, Well-Baked Body
:gholdengo:GholdengoWell-Baked Body, Earth Eater
:great tusk:Great TuskScrappy, Fluffy
:iron boulder:Iron BoulderSharpness, Sword of Ruin
:walking wake:Walking WakeDragon's Maw, Primordial Sea
:latios:LatiosAdaptability
:zapdos-galar:Galarian ZapdosSword of Ruin
:barraskewda:BarraskewdaPrimordial Sea
:ogerpon-wellspring:Ogerpon-WellspringPrimordial Sea
:ogerpon-cornerstone:Ogerpon-CornerstoneRocky Payload
:azelf:AzelfPsychic Surge
:iron hands:Iron HandsRegenerator, Earth Eater, Thick Fat
:heatran:HeatranDesolate Land
:dragonite:DragoniteAerilate
:manaphy:ManaphyRegenerator, Primordial Sea
A-
:primarina:PrimarinaPrimordial Sea
:pecharunt:PecharuntUnaware, Well-Baked Body, Earth Eater
:sandy shocks:Sandy ShocksHadron Engine
:skarmory:SkarmoryFluffy, Well-Baked Body
:terrakion:TerrakionScrappy, Sword of Ruin
:zapdos:ZapdosPrimordial Sea
:electrode-hisui:Hisuian ElectrodeMagic Guard
:cinderace:CinderaceMagic Guard, Desolate Land
:ogerpon-hearthflame:Ogerpon-HearthflameDesolate Land
 
You already know what it is:
Viability Rankings + Sample Sets (and Analyses)
Last update: February 13, 2024

- Each Pokemon links to its would-be page in Smogdex. For now, most of them are outdated/blank, but they will be updated over time once QC is up on running!

Votes: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...FM8isGtTkr/pubhtml?gid=1632258521&single=true


S Rank
:Corviknight: CorviknightFluffy, Intimidate, Well-Baked Body
A Rank
A+
:Great Tusk: Great TuskScrappy, Fluffy, Regenerator, Mold Breaker
:Roaring Moon: Roaring MoonSword of Ruin, Regenerator
:Swampert: SwampertRegenerator
A
:Chien-Pao: Chien-PaoSword of Ruin, Magic Guard
:Deoxys-Speed: Deoxys-SpeedPsychic Surge, Prankster, Sheer Force
:Gholdengo: GholdengoEarth Eater, Well-Baked Body, Adaptability
A-
:Azelf: AzelfPsychic Surge
:Ceruledge: CeruledgeDesolate Land, Sword of Ruin
:Deoxys-Defense: Deoxys-DefenseUnaware, Fluffy, Intimidate
:Gengar: GengarSheer Force, Normalize
:Iron Boulder: Iron BoulderSharpness
:Iron Hands: Iron HandsEarth Eater, Regenerator, Surge Surfer
:Iron Moth: Iron MothDesolate Land, Sheer Force
:Manaphy: ManaphyRegenerator, Protosynthesis, Motor Drive
:Primarina: PrimarinaPrimordial Sea, Regenerator
:Scream Tail: Scream TailPixilate, Unaware
:Walking Wake: Walking WakePrimordial Sea, Dragon's Maw, Beads of Ruin
:Zapdos: ZapdosPrimordial Sea, No Guard
B Rank
B+
:Barraskewda: BarraskewdaPrimordial Sea
:Cinderace: CinderaceDesolate Land, Magic Guard, Sword of Ruin
:Dragonite: DragoniteAerilate
:Empoleon: EmpoleonVolt Absorb, Bulletproof, Earth Eater
:Heatran: HeatranDesolate Land, Magic Guard
:Latios: Latios Adaptability, Tinted Lens, Hadron Engine
:Mandibuzz: MandibuzzUnaware, Fluffy, Magic Guard
:Meloetta: MeloettaRegenerator
:Ogerpon-Hearthflame: Ogerpon-HearthflameDesolate Land, Sword of Ruin
:Sandy Shocks: Sandy ShocksHadron Engine, Earth Eater
:Skarmory: SkarmoryWell-Baked Body, FluffyIntimidate
:Zapdos-Galar: Zapdos-GalarSword of Ruin, Magic Guard
B
:Archaludon: ArchaludonPrimordial Sea, Regenerator, Earth Eater
:Blissey: BlisseyMagic Guard, Unaware, Well-Baked Body
:Garchomp: GarchompRegenerator, Sword of Ruin
:Garganacl: GarganaclEarth Eater, Fluffy
:Goodra-Hisui: Goodra-HisuiRegenerator
:Kingambit: KingambitAdaptability, Well-Baked Body, Earth Eater
:Landorus-Therian: Landorus-TherianDesolate Land
:Meowscarada: MeowscaradaSword of Ruin
:Mew: MewRegenerator
:Ogerpon-Cornerstone: Ogerpon-CornerstoneRocky Payload, Sword of Ruin
:Ogerpon-Wellspring: Ogerpon-WellspringPrimordial Sea, Sword of Ruin
:Pecharunt: PecharuntCorrosion, Earth Eater, Unaware
:Slither Wing: Slither WingTinted Lens, Sword of Ruin, Magic Guard
:Terrakion: TerrakionSword of Ruin
:Volcarona: VolcaronaSheer Force, Desolate Land, Magic Guard
:Zoroark-Hisui: Zoroark-HisuiSheer Force, Magic Guard, Adaptability
B-
:Electrode-Hisui: Electrode-HisuiMagic Guard
:Iron Treads: Iron TreadsRegenerator, Immunity Abilities
:Kommo-o: Kommo-oRegenerator Galvanize
:Smeargle: SmearglePrankster
:Thundurus: ThundurusSheer Force, Magic Guard
C Rank
:Chansey: ChanseyUnaware, Magic Guard, Pressure
:Chesnaught: ChesnaughtFlame Body, Well-Baked Body
:Cresselia: CresseliaUnaware
:Enamorus-Therian: Enamorus-TherianSheer Force
:Landorus: LandorusDesolate Land
:Polteageist: PolteageistQueenly Majesty
:Quaquaval: QuaquavalIntimidate, Magic Guard, Fluffy
:Regieleki: RegielekiRefrigerate
:Ting Lu: Ting LuRegenerator
:Toxapex: ToxapexPrankster, Corrosion
:Zamazenta-Crowned: Zamazenta-CrownedDauntless Shield

In [perhaps bigger news], we now have a Resource Council! It currently consists of tiering council members + other members of the community that have shown dedication to keeping the tier's resources (sample teams, VR, smogdex, etc.) up to date and can be trusted to do so in a more official capacity. The added members are:

> Kinetic
> Gimmicky
> cat
> UT (technically was already doing this anyway)

Gratz!
 
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Viability Rankings + Sample Sets (and Analyses)
Last update: March13, 2024​

- Each Pokemon links to its would-be page in Smogdex. For now, most of them are outdated/blank, but they will be updated over time once QC is up on running!

Votes: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...FM8isGtTkr/pubhtml?gid=1632258521&single=true


PokemonAbilities
S Rank
Corviknight:Corviknight: CorviknightFluffy, Intimidate, Well-Baked Body, Prankster
A Rank
A+
Great Tusk:Great Tusk: Great TuskScrappy, Fluffy, Regenerator, Mold Breaker
Roaring Moon:Roaring Moon: Roaring MoonSword of Ruin, Regenerator
Swampert:Swampert: SwampertRegenerator
A
Azelf:Azelf: AzelfPsychic Surge
Ceruledge:Ceruledge: CeruledgeDesolate Land, Sword of Ruin, Adaptability
Chien-Pao:Chien-Pao: Chien-PaoSword of Ruin, Adaptability, Magic Guard
Deoxys-Speed:Deoxys-Speed: Deoxys-SpeedPsychic Surge, Prankster, Sheer Force, Protean
Gholdengo:Gholdengo: GholdengoEarth Eater, Well-Baked Body, Adaptability, Immunity Abilities
Iron Hands:Iron Hands: Iron HandsEarth Eater, Regenerator, Surge Surfer
Manaphy:Manaphy: ManaphyRegenerator, Motor Drive, Protosynthesis
Walking Wake:Walking Wake: Walking WakePrimordial Sea, Dragon's Maw, Adaptability
Zamazenta:zamazenta: ZamazentaSword of Ruin, Scrappy, Purifying Salt, Regenerator
A-
Barraskewda:Barraskewda: BarraskewdaPrimordial Sea
Deoxys-Defense:Deoxys-Defense: Deoxys-DefenseUnaware, Intimidate, Fluffy, Regenerator
Empoleon:Empoleon: EmpoleonVolt Absorb, Earth Eater, Bulletproof
Gengar:Gengar: GengarSheer Force, Normalize, Beads of Ruin
Iron Boulder:Iron Boulder: Iron BoulderSharpness
Iron Moth:Iron Moth: Iron MothDesolate Land, Sheer Force
Mandibuzz:Mandibuzz: MandibuzzUnaware, Fluffy, Magic Guard, Immunity Abilities
Primarina:Primarina: PrimarinaPrimordial Sea, Regenerator
Scream Tail:Scream Tail: Scream TailUnaware, Pixilate
Zapdos:Zapdos: ZapdosPrimordial Sea, No Guard, Intimidate
B Rank
B+
Cinderace:Cinderace: CinderaceDesolate Land, Magic Guard, Sword of Ruin, Earth Eater
Dragonite:Dragonite: DragoniteAerilate
Garchomp:Garchomp: GarchompRegenerator, Sword of Ruin
Heatran:Heatran: HeatranDesolate Land, Magic Guard, Water Absorb, Earth Eater
Latios:Latios: LatiosAdaptability, Tinted Lens, Hadron Engine
Ogerpon-Hearthflame:Ogerpon-Hearthflame: Ogerpon-HearthflameSword of Ruin, Desolate Land, Magic Guard, Mold Breaker
Pecharunt:Pecharunt: PecharuntEarth Eater, Corrosion, Unaware
Sandy Shocks:Sandy Shocks: Sandy ShocksHadron Engine, Earth Eater
Skarmory:Skarmory: SkarmoryWell-Baked Body, Fluffy, Intimidate
Zapdos-Galar:Zapdos-Galar: Zapdos-GalarSword of Ruin, Magic Guard
B
Archaludon:Archaludon: ArchaludonPrimordial Sea, Regenerator, Earth Eater
Blissey:Blissey: BlisseyMagic Guard, Unaware, Well-Baked Body
Electrode-Hisui:Electrode-Hisui: Electrode-HisuiMagic Guard
Goodra-Hisui:Goodra-Hisui: Goodra-HisuiRegenerator, Earth Eater
Kingambit:Kingambit: KingambitAdaptability, Well-Baked Body, Earth Eater
Landorus-Therian:Landorus-Therian: Landorus-TherianDesolate Land, Regenerator
Meloetta:Meloetta: MeloettaRegenerator
Meowscarada:Meowscarada: MeowscaradaSword of Ruin
Ogerpon-Cornerstone:Ogerpon-Cornerstone: Ogerpon-CornerstoneRocky Payload, Sword of Ruin
Ogerpon-Wellspring:Ogerpon-Wellspring: Ogerpon-WellspringPrimordial Sea, Sword of Ruin
Slither Wing:Slither Wing: Slither WingTinted Lens, Magic Guard, Sword of Ruin
Terrakion:Terrakion: TerrakionSword of Ruin, Adaptability
Volcarona:Volcarona: VolcaronaSheer Force, Desolate Land, Magic Guard
Zoroark-Hisui:Zoroark-Hisui: Zoroark-HisuiSheer Force
B-
Garganacl:Garganacl: GarganaclEarth Eater, Fluffy
Iron Treads:Iron Treads: Iron TreadsRegenerator, Immunity Abilities, Magic Guard
Thundurus:Thundurus: ThundurusSheer Force, Magic Guard
C Rank
Chansey:Chansey: ChanseyUnaware, Magic Guard, Pressure
Chesnaught:Chesnaught: ChesnaughtFlame Body, Well-Baked Body
Cresselia:Cresselia: CresseliaUnaware, Stamina
Enamorus-Therian:Enamorus-Therian: Enamorus-TherianSheer Force, Well-Baked Body
Kommo-o:Kommo-o: Kommo-oRegenerator, Galvanize
Landorus:Landorus: LandorusDesolate Land, Sheer Force
Mew:Mew: MewRegenerator, Magic Guard
Polteageist:Polteageist: PolteageistQueenly Majesty, Normalize
Quaquaval:Quaquaval: QuaquavalIntimidate, Magic Guard, Fluffy
Regieleki:Regieleki: RegielekiRefrigerate
Smeargle:Smeargle: SmearglePrankster, Aroma Veil
Talonflame:Talonflame: TalonflameMagic Guard
Thundurus-Therian:Thundurus-Therian: Thundurus-TherianSheer Force, Primordial Sea
Ting Lu:Ting Lu: Ting LuRegenerator, Fluffy
Toxapex:Toxapex: ToxapexCorrosion, Prankster
Ursaluna-Bloodmoon:Ursaluna-Bloodmoon: Ursaluna-BloodmoonAdaptability, Storm Drain, Steam Engine
Zamazenta-Crowned:Zamazenta-Crowned: Zamazenta-CrownedDauntless Shield
NEW VR UPDATE WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

See anything missing, in the wrong place, or missing relevant abilities? Let us know!
 
Manaphy A -> A+

I dont think Manaphy needs much introduction. A regenvest pokemon that can do everything you need. Scald, pivot, and U turn leave a free fourth moveslot to be used for any coverages youd need off of base 100 offensive stats. Manaphy is only truly competing with swampert, and I believe that they are equal in viability. Swampert lacks in a few important qualities that manaphy ekes out an edge from. Manaphy boasts better defensive stats and a stronger special attack, allowing for better taking and dealing of damage. Manaphy also notably differs in resistances and weaknesses, trading and electric weakness for ice and water resistances and only being 2x weak to grass. These combine to let Manaphy act as a mych better counter to threats like Chien Pao, Walking Wake, and Iron moth. Manaphy is worse in matchups with electric types and it notable lacks stab earthquakes, which is one of the main draws of Swampert. Manaphy has a different enough defensive profile to be put on many teams Swampert cant be run on.
 
btw these were some of the changes that were made (I'm not even on the VA Council but I just noticed them though)

:azelf: A- - > A
:ceruledge: A- - > A
:iron hands: A- - > A
:manaphy: A- - > A
:walking wake: A- - > A
:zamazenta: UR - > A
:barraskewda: B+ - > A-
:empoleon: B+ - > A-
:mandibuzz: B+ - > A-
:pecharunt: B - > B+
:garchomp: B - > B+
:electrode-hisui: B- - > B
 
New VR time, but this time I'm actually skeptical of some placements (not a lot of them, but some imo) :

:meloetta: B --> B+

Meloetta can quite literally blanket-check almost all Special attackers in the tier, and only has a losing matchups against like, Hydreigon and... Dark Pulse Deoxys-S, so not a lot of immediately threatening Special Attackers. Admittedly, it's super vulnerable to both U-turn and Knock Off, but I'd argue that all RegenVest users are atm, and I think Meloetta's a little bit underappreciated here, it's a great RegenVester if you're just looking to check general Special Attackers.

:thundurus-therian: C --> B- / B

Speaking of under the radar, why did this mon fall off so hard out of nowhere? I guess it's main niche was that it could OHKO Hoodra, but considering that Hoodra usage has dropped, there's like nothing that can safely switch into this, you can even tech with Grass Knot for Swampert. Speed tier isn't the best, but 331 is still respectable, and literally the only way to stop this is with Rocks or offensively, not to mention that it cooks the newly popular Empoleon since it can't run both VA and Bulletproof.

:walking wake: A --> A+

Maybe a hot take, but this mon is NUTS. There are virtually no reliable checks to it outside of Empoleon / RegenVest Primarina with the introduction of Knock Off. Now, you simply beat all RegenVesters by simply clicking Knock, and then 2HKO them if they ever dare to switch in again. You can try and predict the Knock Off, but that's also a huge risk since odds are that staying in might just lead to that mon getting blown up. And even if the opponent has Empoleon, you can easily overwhelm it since it has to rely on Roost, which it might not always get to click. I genuinly think this is the breaker of the tier, and that you always need to prepare for it. It's also bulky enough to withstand most revenge-killing attempts from the likes of Dragonite or Roaring Moon not clicking Outrage. Overall, nuts mon imo, I'd say its top 5 easily.

:ursaluna-bloodmoon: C --> UR

Ok but seriously, what the fuck is this doing here, It's legit useless outside of that gimmicky Steam Enging set I saw once (It wasn't even good with that), please consider getting rid of this garbage please and thank you, it literally does jack.
 
:walking wake: A --> A+

Maybe a hot take, but this mon is NUTS. There are virtually no reliable checks to it outside of Empoleon / RegenVest Primarina with the introduction of Knock Off. Now, you simply beat all RegenVesters by simply clicking Knock, and then 2HKO them if they ever dare to switch in again. You can try and predict the Knock Off, but that's also a huge risk since odds are that staying in might just lead to that mon getting blown up. And even if the opponent has Empoleon, you can easily overwhelm it since it has to rely on Roost, which it might not always get to click. I genuinly think this is the breaker of the tier, and that you always need to prepare for it. It's also bulky enough to withstand most revenge-killing attempts from the likes of Dragonite or Roaring Moon not clicking Outrage. Overall, nuts mon imo, I'd say its top 5 easily.
I could not agree with this more. If you cant play around Wake perfectly you lose at least one mon to it. The only reason that Wake isnt genuinely banworthy is the fact that it has an unfortunate speed tier of 109, making it lose to things like Roaring moon, Meowscarada, Chien Pao and Latios. BUT GOOD LUCK SWITCHING THEM IN
 
what's the general consensus on delta stream corviknight? it's not listed on the vr and i'd just like to know if i'm completely stupid or if it should maybe be listed.

i decided to experiment with it because my team was having trouble dealing with opposing weather, as i didn't have many ways to cancel it. despite having an intimidate corv, switching into ice and rock type attacks was also difficult for my team, and i didn't see anything on the vr that could help my problems while also letting me keep hazard removal on my team.

enter delta stream corviknight, which suddenly solved all the problems i was having. i just feel like the ability swap gave me better answers to iron boulder, chien pao (yeah crunch hurts more, but my team didn't have troubles with dark types), and the ogerpons.

granted, a lot of what delta stream helps corviknight against isn't too high on the vr outside of boulder, which yeah could probably warrant not including it. but idk, i'm really mostly sending this message to see if anyone else has experimented with it and likes it.
 
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what's the general consensus on delta stream corviknight? it's not listed on the vr and i'd just like to know if i'm completely stupid or if it should maybe be listed.

i decided to experiment with it because my team was having trouble dealing with opposing weather, as i didn't have many ways to cancel it. despite having an intimidate corv, switching into ice and rock type attacks was also difficult for my team, and i didn't see anything on the vr that could help my problems while also letting me keep hazard removal on my team.

enter delta stream corviknight, which suddenly solved all the problems i was having. i just feel like the ability swap gave me better answers to iron boulder, chien pao (yeah knock off hurts more, but my team didn't have troubles with dark types), and the ogerpons.

granted, a lot of what delta stream helps corviknight against isn't too high on the vr outside of boulder, which yeah could probably warrant not including it. but idk, i'm really mostly sending this message to see if anyone else has experimented with it and likes it.
You're not stupid at all! I won't go as far as to say it's a great set, but it certainly fulfills the niche you've described. Checking the strong Rock-type guys and frying Weather Ball spammers are especially valuable. The current VR was updated before the council fully settled on how many "viable" abilities to list for each Pokemon, so Delta Stream Corviknight probably got overlooked in the process. Your post more or less functions as a nom though, so maybe it'll get in on the next update if it's still decent :P
 
You're not stupid at all! I won't go as far as to say it's a great set, but it certainly fulfills the niche you've described. Checking the strong Rock-type guys and frying Weather Ball spammers are especially valuable. The current VR was updated before the council fully settled on how many "viable" abilities to list for each Pokemon, so Delta Stream Corviknight probably got overlooked in the process. Your post more or less functions as a nom though, so maybe it'll get in on the next update if it's still decent :P

that’s about how i feel about it tbh. it mostly just seems like an alternative to fluffy on teams that already have a fluffy mon except for the instances where the weather canceling utility is more important.
 
Swampert A+ -> B :swampert:
Frankly I don't think Swampert was ever not outclassed by Manaphy - it has a few key matchups where it fares better, but those don't reflect the metagame we're experiencing. Gholdengo is still fantastic but is no longer an omnipresent S rank threat, Iron Moth has largely dropped Discharge in favour of Energy Ball or Dazzling Gleam, and Pokemon like Zapdos and Regieleki have all but dropped off the grid. To be blunt, a better matchup into Gholdengo and Sandy Shocks is almost never worth the tradeoff of key resistances to Water- and Ice-type attacks from Walking Wake, Primarina, and Chien-Pao. In addition to this, having Scald is a HUGE deal. I cannot overstate how much mileage you can get just by inflicting burn chip on fatties like Scream Tail and Empoleon, and Swampert can't replicate that.

Manaphy A -> S:manaphy:
It's what everyone thinks (thought?) Swampert is(was?) and more.

Roaring Moon :roaring_moon: - Add Magic Guard and bold both it and Regenerator (analysis needs a revamp if not already planned btw).

Iron Hands A -> A- :iron_hands:
The very definition of "in theory". In my experience both as a player and a spectator this mon is too reliant on facing a certain style of balance team - one that is passive and slow enough to give it free Substitutes, but also one lacking in an Unaware user like Deoxys-D or Scream Tail. Speaking of, the rise in Pixilate Scream Tail (bypassing Substitute) hurts it greatly. This mon can't trade damage comfortably unless you feed it Regenerator and its statline doesn't stop common Pokemon like Azelf and Walking Wake from retaliating if it manages to grab a kill without a sub up. My opinion could definitely shift if people started using older sets like Choice Band again.

Iron Moth A- -> A :iron_moth:
One of three Toxic Spikes absorbers in the tier. It's adapted to meta trends fantastically well by slotting in moves like Toxic, and Ceruledge has indirectly made Well-Baked Body users like Gholdengo and Blissey significantly harder to justify. Has some really understated defensive utility by walling Water-type attacks from Walking Wake and Primarina - obviously it can't take Draco Meteor or Psychic but this makes it a fantastic partner to RegenVest users like Manaphy that might be able to reliably scout but not able to reliably wall them.

Scream Tail A- -> A :scream_tail:
Pixilate is really good again and Psychic Noise is taking this mon places. Not much more to say - we've just seen set development that brings it back into the spotlight.

Zapdos A- -> UR :zapdos:
I'm expecting people to go "wtf no too far" but hear me out; what is this things niche now? Primordial Sea has lost all of its defensive utility with Ceruledge becoming a top threat, and No Guard frankly just isn't powerful enough to justify using a Pokemon with so few entry points and such a mediocre Speed tier. It can spread paralysis, but if you want a dedicated paralysis spreader you're better off with something like Deoxys-D or Gholdengo, and its offensive output is far too lacking to give it a niche now. Corviknight, Manaphy and Great Tusk are (arguably, I guess) the three best defensive Pokemon right now, yet even despite that Zapdos has had absolutely no successful showings. Maybe there's a niche for MGLO as a mixed breaker, but until that's seen in practice I can't see this as a ranked mon.

Cinderace :cinderace: - Unbold Magic Guard, add and bold Mold Breaker.

Heatran B+ -> B :heatran:
Manaphy neuters it, Ceruledge's dominance is indirectly threatening it by bringing in weird sets like Well-Baked Body Mandibuzz, and it doesn't really answer that much anymore (sorry again Zapdos). Unbold Desolate Land and bold Water Absorb.

Pecharunt B+ -> A :pecharunt:
Bro what are you doing down here. A ton of defensive utility, being, again, one of three Toxic Spikes absorbers and a fantastic check to whatever you want it to be. You can give it EE and have it spinblock Tusk (better than Gholdengo because you still wall Scrappy even if you can't block Rapid Spin), you can give it Well-Baked Body for Iron Moth and Ceruledge, or you can tech countless other abilities; Prankster Destiny Bond checks every offensive threat in the tier alongside Malignant Chain and Shadow Ball, Corrosion messes with WBB Corviknight/Skarmory, and I've used half a dozen other weird ones like Water Absorb, Wandering Spirit, and Fluffy to great success. Probably the most versatile Pokemon in the tier even when you aren't trying to do weirdo Adaptability stuff with it.

Slither Wing B -> B+:slither_wing:
Really strong breaker that has incredible utility in this meta through Tinted Lens First Impression. Nothing's changed for it, it's just undervalued in my eyes.

Ting-Lu C -> A- :ting_lu:
One of the best Regenerator mons in the tier, Protect is really strong right now with almost all of our offensive threats being choice locked and it has the bulk to tank super effective hits like Ceruledge's Close Combat if you can keep it at full (easily done im ngl). It's also incredible at chipping down teams between Ruination and nearly undeniable Spikes. Has a hard time against Regenerator Great Tusk but you can make up for this pretty handily by pairing it with Pecharunt.

Ursaluna-Bloodmoon :ursaluna-bloodmoon: Throw Well-Baked Body on there instead of Storm Drain haha.
 
Viability Rankings + Sample Sets (and Analyses)
Last update: mini update April 10th, 2024​

- Each Pokemon links to its would-be page in Smogdex. For now, most of them are outdated/blank, but they will be updated over time once QC is up on running!

Votes: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...FM8isGtTkr/pubhtml?gid=1632258521&single=true


PokemonAbilities
S Rank
None!
A Rank
A+
Corviknight:Corviknight: CorviknightFluffy, Intimidate, Well-Baked Body, Prankster
Great Tusk:Great Tusk: Great TuskScrappy, Fluffy, Regenerator, Mold Breaker
Manaphy:Manaphy: ManaphyRegenerator, Motor Drive, Protosynthesis
Roaring Moon:Roaring Moon: Roaring MoonSword of Ruin, Magic Guard, Regenerator
A
Azelf:Azelf: AzelfPsychic Surge
Chien-Pao:Chien-Pao: Chien-PaoSword of Ruin, Adaptability, Magic Guard
Deoxys-Speed:Deoxys-Speed: Deoxys-SpeedPsychic Surge, Prankster, Sheer Force, Protean
Gholdengo:Gholdengo: GholdengoEarth Eater, Well-Baked Body, Adaptability, Immunity Abilities
Iron Moth:Iron Moth: Iron MothDesolate Land, Sheer Force
Scream Tail:Scream Tail: Scream TailUnaware, Pixilate
Walking Wake:Walking Wake: Walking WakePrimordial Sea, Dragon's Maw, Adaptability
Zamazenta:zamazenta: ZamazentaSword of Ruin, Scrappy, Purifying Salt, Regenerator
A-
Barraskewda:Barraskewda: BarraskewdaPrimordial Sea
Ceruledge:Ceruledge: CeruledgeDesolate Land, Sword of Ruin, Adaptability
Deoxys-Defense:Deoxys-Defense: Deoxys-DefenseUnaware, Intimidate, Fluffy, Regenerator
Dragonite:Dragonite: DragoniteAerilate
Empoleon:Empoleon: EmpoleonVolt Absorb, Earth Eater, Bulletproof
Gengar:Gengar: GengarSheer Force, Normalize, Beads of Ruin
Iron Boulder:Iron Boulder: Iron BoulderSharpness
Iron Hands:Iron Hands: Iron HandsEarth Eater, Regenerator, Surge Surfer
Mandibuzz:Mandibuzz: MandibuzzUnaware, Fluffy, Magic Guard, Immunity Abilities
Pecharunt:Pecharunt: PecharuntEarth Eater, Corrosion, Unaware
Primarina:Primarina: PrimarinaPrimordial Sea, Regenerator
Swampert:Swampert: SwampertRegenerator
B Rank
B+
Garchomp:Garchomp: GarchompRegenerator, Sword of Ruin
Heatran:Heatran: HeatranWater Absorb, Magic Guard, Desolate Land, Earth Eater
Kingambit:Kingambit: KingambitAdaptability, Well-Baked Body, Earth Eater
Latios:Latios: LatiosAdaptability, Tinted Lens, Hadron Engine
Ogerpon-Hearthflame:Ogerpon-Hearthflame: Ogerpon-HearthflameSword of Ruin, Desolate Land, Magic Guard, Mold Breaker
Ogerpon-Wellspring:Ogerpon-Wellspring: Ogerpon-WellspringPrimordial Sea, Sword of Ruin
Sandy Shocks:Sandy Shocks: Sandy ShocksHadron Engine, Earth Eater
Skarmory:Skarmory: SkarmoryWell-Baked Body, Fluffy, Intimidate
Ting Lu:Ting Lu: Ting LuRegenerator, Fluffy
Zapdos:Zapdos: ZapdosPrimordial Sea, No Guard, Intimidate
Zapdos-Galar:Zapdos-Galar: Zapdos-GalarSword of Ruin, Magic Guard
B
Archaludon:Archaludon: ArchaludonPrimordial Sea, Regenerator, Earth Eater
Blissey:Blissey: BlisseyMagic Guard, Unaware, Well-Baked Body
Cinderace:Cinderace: CinderaceDesolate Land, Mold Breaker, Magic Guard, Sword of Ruin,
Electrode-Hisui:Electrode-Hisui: Electrode-HisuiMagic Guard
Goodra-Hisui:Goodra-Hisui: Goodra-HisuiRegenerator, Earth Eater
Landorus-Therian:Landorus-Therian: Landorus-TherianDesolate Land, Regenerator
Meloetta:Meloetta: MeloettaRegenerator
Meowscarada:Meowscarada: MeowscaradaSword of Ruin
Ogerpon-Cornerstone:Ogerpon-Cornerstone: Ogerpon-CornerstoneRocky Payload, Sword of Ruin
Slither Wing:Slither Wing: Slither WingTinted Lens, Magic Guard, Sword of Ruin
Terrakion:Terrakion: TerrakionSword of Ruin, Adaptability
Volcarona:Volcarona: VolcaronaSheer Force, Desolate Land, Magic Guard
Zoroark-Hisui:Zoroark-Hisui: Zoroark-HisuiSheer Force
B-
Jirachi:jirachi: JirachiRegnerator
Garganacl:Garganacl: GarganaclEarth Eater, Fluffy
Iron Treads:Iron Treads: Iron TreadsRegenerator, Immunity Abilities, Magic Guard
C Rank
Chansey:Chansey: ChanseyUnaware, Magic Guard, Pressure
Chesnaught:Chesnaught: ChesnaughtFlame Body, Well-Baked Body
Cobalion:cobalion: CobalionMagic Guard
Cresselia:Cresselia: CresseliaUnaware, Stamina
Enamorus-Therian:Enamorus-Therian: Enamorus-TherianSheer Force, Well-Baked Body
Iron Crown:iron-crown: Iron CrownTinted Lens, Adaptability
Kommo-o:Kommo-o: Kommo-oRegenerator, Galvanize
Landorus:Landorus: LandorusDesolate Land, Sheer Force
Mew:Mew: MewRegenerator, Magic Guard
Polteageist:Polteageist: PolteageistQueenly Majesty, Normalize
Quaquaval:Quaquaval: QuaquavalIntimidate, Magic Guard, Fluffy
Regieleki:Regieleki: RegielekiRefrigerate
Smeargle:Smeargle: SmearglePrankster, Aroma Veil
Talonflame:Talonflame: TalonflameMagic Guard
Thundurus:Thundurus: ThundurusSheer Force, Magic Guard
Thundurus-Therian:Thundurus-Therian: Thundurus-TherianSheer Force, Primordial Sea
Toxapex:Toxapex: ToxapexCorrosion, Prankster
Ursaluna-Bloodmoon:Ursaluna-Bloodmoon: Ursaluna-BloodmoonAdaptability, Storm Drain, Steam Engine
Zamazenta-Crowned:Zamazenta-Crowned: Zamazenta-CrownedDauntless Shield

Mini update!

Rises:
:manaphy: Manaphy A -> A+
:iron moth: Iron Moth A- -> A
:scream tail: Scream Tail A- -> A
:dragonite: Dragonite B+ -> A-
:pecharunt: Pecharunt B+ -> A-
:ting-lu: Ting-Lu C -> B+
:ogerpon-wellspring: Ogerpon-W B -> B+
:kingambit: Kingambit B -> B+
:jirachi: Jirachi UR -> B-

Drops:
:corviknight: Corviknight S -> A+
:swampert: Swampert A+ -> A-
:ceruledge: Ceruledge A -> A-
:iron hands: Iron Hands A -> A-
:zapdos: Zapdos A- -> B+
:cinderace: Cinderace B+ -> B
:thundurus: Thundurus B- -> C

Abilities updated:

Roaring Moon: Added Magic Guard
Cinderace: Added Mold Breaker
Heatran: Move Water Absorb to bolded spot

More rankings you want to see changed? More abilities to add? Yell at us here!
 
Nominating :garchomp: to A-:
I've found that in the current meta, Garchomp has a very important niche as a defensive Regenerator mon where it can, in one slot, soft-check the various electric types of the tier, and also cover the various fire and Desolate Land threats, on both sides of the spectrum. While its utility is usually only being able to set up rocks/spikes and phazing via Dragon Tail, I find that it's great glue in a defensive core and can cover the weaknesses of common defensive mons.

Nominating :empoleon: to A (adding the ability Vessel of Ruin):
Right now, Empoleon is one of the premier special walls in the tier, acting as a check to a vast array of threats, from the psychics in Azelf, Deoxys-S, and Latios, to nukes like Walking Wake, leveraging its typing to have meaningful resists against the majority of the meta. With its additional utility in setting up rocks, providing pivoting, and having access to Knock Off and phazing, its combination of utility and bulk leaves it as a very good mon in the current meta.
 
Nominating :thundurus_Therian: to B-:
A Thundy T renaissance has been under way and it is looking unfortunately promising. Agility and sheer force life orb are a deadly combo on things like Goltres but in this case its just absurd. I fear the developments that may arise through further innovations within the Thundy-T community.
Calcs:
252 SpA Life Orb Sheer Force Thundurus Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 252 SpD Iron Moth: 179-212 (49.1 - 58.2%) -- 97.7% chance to 2HKO
252 SpA Life Orb Sheer Force Thundurus Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Assault Vest Manaphy: 234-276 (57.9 - 68.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Life Orb Thundurus Grass Knot (80 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Assault Vest Swampert: 234-276 (57.9 - 68.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
 
vr noms bc they kinda old at this point tbh

:deoxys-defense: A- to C - Yes, it's actually that bad. This pokemon does literally nothing every time I've seen it used. Psychic is an atrocious defensive typing, you're giving up running Deo-S because of Species Clause, you spike stack worse than Skarm/Ting/Chomp, you switch into less than Corv/Tusk/Mandi or Mana/Empo/Prima, it's just genuinely horrendous. If anyone has had success with a Deo-D team in the past month, please tell me what it is, because I have tried and failed to use it.
:walking-wake: A to A+ - See here.
:barraskewda::mandibuzz::swampert::gengar: A- to B+ - Grouping all of these together because they all feel like mons that got overrated at the start of the post-Gouging meta. Barra can't really clean much better than other Waters and it despises Wake forcing shit like Water Absorb and DesoMoth onto most teams. Mandi I just really haven't seen any good use for, but its traits are too good to have it be below B+ with Knock and Toxic and pivot and Foul Play, def got some 4MSS though. Pert has had his time, and he's not as good as the other two RegenVest Waters anymore imo, that Water neutrality really hurts and outside of Moth/Dengo I find he usually has worse MUs than Mana/Prima. Gengar in theory can break a lot of teams but in practice it's hazard vulnerable, really easy to click Knock on, and can't revenge some important targets like Psychic Noise Scream Tail or Scarf Wake, making it hard to get on the field in a real game.
:empoleon::pecharunt: A- to A - Not much to say that hasn't already been said, these are just two very, very strong defensive mons that find their way onto tons of popular teams, balance and offense alike. Prankster Pecharunt especially has proven to be one of the best glues for offense, giving them a good physical backbone, TSpikes absorption, and a guaranteed trade all in one slot.
:primarina: Add Sheer Force and Magic Guard, both unbolded - Both of these sets have proven to be pretty respectable imo. Sheer Force is devastating when they don't have a Tran or Empo, and Magic Guard makes it much more resilient against hazards and stuff like Mana Scalds, which it otherwise hates switching into.
:roaring-moon::manaphy: A+ to S - When I think of AAA, I think of these Pokemon. Roaring Moon has proven time and time again to be THE physical mon, ensuring nothing wants to switch into it out of fear of its Knock Offs and Dragon STAB. U-Turn gives it effortless pivoting and Roost lets it constantly stay healthy and sponge hits when necessary. This is all just with the Magic Guard set, too; Roaring Moon becomes infinitely scarier when you add in Sword of Ruin choiced sets, or the rarer DD variants. Manaphy...well, it's Manaphy, you know what it does, you use it on like every team. Manaphy's Manaphy, not much more to be said.

Some quick ones to finish this up because this post is getting kinda long:
:zapdos-galar: B+ to B - Really struggles with Zama and Terrak rising in popularity, Flying STAB just ain't what it used to be sadly.
:kingambit: B+ to A- (maybe) - Kinda unsure on this one but the lack of Press Corv makes this really deadly with the longevity of Leftovers. Just uh, don't run into Tusks.
:garchomp: B+ to A- - Best spiker in the tier imo, it's really bulky, it's got Flamethrowers to bully Corv with, EQ, Protect, DTail, just a good mon tbh.
:scream-tail: A to A+ - Pixilate Boomburst sure is a move. Wish sure is a move. It just doesn't die unless you run Boulder, idk man.
:azelf: A to A- - Doesn't appreciate the increasing popularity of PsySurge Deo giving it some pretty heavy competition, but it's still good since you got pivot.
 
Dude it's barely been a month :sob: (but yeah Deo-D needs to be kneecapped)
...wait, only a month?
Mini update!

Rises:
:manaphy: Manaphy A -> A+
:iron moth: Iron Moth A- -> A
:scream tail: Scream Tail A- -> A
:dragonite: Dragonite B+ -> A-
:pecharunt: Pecharunt B+ -> A-
:ting-lu: Ting-Lu C -> B+
:ogerpon-wellspring: Ogerpon-W B -> B+
:kingambit: Kingambit B -> B+
:jirachi: Jirachi UR -> B-

Drops:
:corviknight: Corviknight S -> A+
:swampert: Swampert A+ -> A-
:ceruledge: Ceruledge A -> A-
:iron hands: Iron Hands A -> A-
:zapdos: Zapdos A- -> B+
:cinderace: Cinderace B+ -> B
:thundurus: Thundurus B- -> C

Abilities updated:

Roaring Moon: Added Magic Guard
Cinderace: Added Mold Breaker
Heatran: Move Water Absorb to bolded spot

More rankings you want to see changed? More abilities to add? Yell at us here!
holy shit it HAS only been a month what the hell I thought it was like 3
 
Viability Rankings + Sample Sets (and Analyses)
Last update: mini update April 10th, 2024​

- Each Pokemon links to its page in Smogdex.

Votes: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...FM8isGtTkr/pubhtml?gid=1632258521&single=true


PokemonAbilities
S Rank
Manaphy:manaphy: ManaphyRegenerator, Motor Drive, Protosynthesis
Roaring Moon:roaring-moon: Roaring MoonSword of Ruin, Magic Guard, Regenerator
A Rank
A+
Corviknight:Corviknight: CorviknightFluffy, Intimidate, Well-Baked Body, Prankster
Great Tusk:Great Tusk: Great TuskScrappy, Fluffy, Regenerator, Mold Breaker
Walking Wake:Walking Wake: Walking WakePrimordial Sea, Dragon's Maw, Adaptability
A
Chien-Pao:Chien-Pao: Chien-PaoSword of Ruin, Adaptability, Magic Guard
Deoxys-Speed:Deoxys-Speed: Deoxys-SpeedPsychic Surge, Prankster, Sheer Force, Protean
Gholdengo:Gholdengo: GholdengoEarth Eater, Well-Baked Body, Adaptability, Hadron Engine, Immunity Abilities
Iron Moth:Iron Moth: Iron MothDesolate Land, Sheer Force
Scream Tail:Scream Tail: Scream TailPixilate, Unaware
Zamazenta:zamazenta: ZamazentaSword of Ruin, Scrappy, Purifying Salt, Regenerator
A-
Azelf:azelf: AzelfPsychic Surge
Ceruledge:Ceruledge: CeruledgeDesolate Land, Sword of Ruin, Adaptability
Dragonite:Dragonite: DragoniteAerilate
Empoleon:Empoleon: EmpoleonVolt Absorb, Earth Eater, Bulletproof
Iron Boulder:Iron Boulder: Iron BoulderSharpness
Iron Hands:Iron Hands: Iron HandsEarth Eater, Regenerator, Surge Surfer
Pecharunt:Pecharunt: PecharuntPrankster, Intimidate, Corrosion, Well-Baked Body
Primarina:Primarina: PrimarinaPrimordial Sea, Regenerator, Sheer Force, Magic Guard
Swampert:Swampert: SwampertRegenerator
Zapdos:Zapdos: ZapdosPrimordial Sea, No Guard, Intimidate
B Rank
B+
Barraskewda:barraskewda: BarraskewdaPrimordial Sea
Electrode-Hisui:Electrode-Hisui: Electrode-HisuiMagic Guard
Garchomp:Garchomp: GarchompRegenerator, Sword of Ruin
Gengar:Gengar: GengarSheer Force, Normalize, Beads of Ruin
Heatran:Heatran: HeatranWater Absorb, Magic Guard, Desolate Land, Earth Eater
Kingambit:Kingambit: KingambitAdaptability, Well-Baked Body, Earth Eater
Latios:Latios: LatiosAdaptability, Tinted Lens, Hadron Engine
Mandibuzz:Mandibuzz: MandibuzzUnaware, Fluffy, Magic Guard, Immunity Abilities
Ogerpon-Hearthflame:Ogerpon-Hearthflame: Ogerpon-HearthflameSword of Ruin, Desolate Land, Magic Guard, Mold Breaker
Ogerpon-Wellspring:Ogerpon-Wellspring: Ogerpon-WellspringPrimordial Sea, Sword of Ruin
Sandy Shocks:Sandy Shocks: Sandy ShocksHadron Engine, Earth Eater
Skarmory:Skarmory: SkarmoryWell-Baked Body, Fluffy, Intimidate
Ting Lu:Ting Lu: Ting LuRegenerator, Fluffy
B
Archaludon:Archaludon: ArchaludonPrimordial Sea, Regenerator, Earth Eater
Blissey:Blissey: BlisseyMagic Guard, Unaware, Well-Baked Body
Cinderace:Cinderace: CinderaceDesolate Land, Mold Breaker, Magic Guard, Sword of Ruin,
Deoxys-Defense:Deoxys-Defense: Deoxys-DefenseUnaware, Intimidate, Fluffy, Regenerator
Goodra-Hisui:Goodra-Hisui: Goodra-HisuiRegenerator
Landorus-Therian:Landorus-Therian: Landorus-TherianDesolate Land, Regenerator
Meloetta:Meloetta: MeloettaRegenerator
Meowscarada:Meowscarada: MeowscaradaSword of Ruin
Ogerpon-Cornerstone:Ogerpon-Cornerstone: Ogerpon-CornerstoneRocky Payload, Sword of Ruin
Slither Wing:Slither Wing: Slither WingTinted Lens, Magic Guard, Sword of Ruin
Terrakion:Terrakion: TerrakionSword of Ruin, Adaptability
Volcarona:Volcarona: VolcaronaSheer Force, Desolate Land, Magic Guard
Zapdos-Galar:zapdos-galar: Zapdos-GalarSword of Ruin, Magic Guard
Zoroark-Hisui:Zoroark-Hisui: Zoroark-HisuiSheer Force
B-
Jirachi:jirachi: JirachiRegnerator
Garganacl:Garganacl: GarganaclEarth Eater, Fluffy
Iron Treads:Iron Treads: Iron TreadsRegenerator, Immunity Abilities, Magic Guard
C Rank
Chansey:Chansey: ChanseyUnaware, Magic Guard, Pressure
Chesnaught:Chesnaught: ChesnaughtFlame Body, Well-Baked Body
Cobalion:cobalion: CobalionMagic Guard
Cresselia:Cresselia: CresseliaUnaware, Stamina
Enamorus-Therian:Enamorus-Therian: Enamorus-TherianSheer Force, Well-Baked Body
Iron Crown:iron-crown: Iron CrownTinted Lens, Adaptability
Kommo-o:Kommo-o: Kommo-oRegenerator, Galvanize
Landorus:Landorus: LandorusDesolate Land, Sheer Force
Mew:Mew: MewRegenerator, Magic Guard
Polteageist:Polteageist: PolteageistQueenly Majesty, Normalize
Quaquaval:Quaquaval: QuaquavalIntimidate, Magic Guard, Fluffy
Regieleki:Regieleki: RegielekiRefrigerate
Smeargle:Smeargle: SmearglePrankster, Aroma Veil
Talonflame:Talonflame: TalonflameMagic Guard
Thundurus:Thundurus: ThundurusSheer Force, Magic Guard
Thundurus-Therian:Thundurus-Therian: Thundurus-TherianSheer Force, Primordial Sea
Toxapex:Toxapex: ToxapexCorrosion, Prankster
Ursaluna-Bloodmoon:Ursaluna-Bloodmoon: Ursaluna-BloodmoonAdaptability, Storm Drain, Steam Engine
Zamazenta-Crowned:Zamazenta-Crowned: Zamazenta-CrownedDauntless Shield
another Mini-update to slightly adjust the VR before the end of the Wake suspect! There were a few more voted on but I'll only be mentioning those with a rank change.

Rises:

:manaphy: Manaphy A+ -> S

:roaring-moon: Roaring Moon A+ -> S
:walking-wake: Walking Wake A -> A+
:Zapdos: Zapdos B+ -> A-
:electrode-hisui: Electrode-Hisui B -> B+

Drops:

:azelf: Azelf A -> A-
:gengar: Gengar A- -> B+
:mandibuzz: Mandibuzz A- -> B+
:barraskewda: Barraskewda A- -> B+
:deoxys-defense: Deoxys Defense A- -> B
:zapdos-galar: Zapdos-Galar B+ -> B

Abilities Updated:

Primarina: Added Sheer Force and Magic Guard (unbolded)
Gholdengo: Added Hadron Engine (unbolded)
Goodra-Hisui: Removed Earth Eater

As always, feel free to yell at us here if you have reason to see abilities changed or rankings moved!
 
Viability Rankings + Sample Sets (and Analyses)
Last update: mini update April 10th, 2024​

- Each Pokemon links to its page in Smogdex.

Votes: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...FM8isGtTkr/pubhtml?gid=1632258521&single=true


PokemonAbilities
S Rank
Great Tusk:Great Tusk: Great TuskScrappy, Fluffy, Regenerator, Mold Breaker, Immunity Abilities
Roaring Moon:roaring-moon: Roaring MoonSword of Ruin, Magic Guard, Regenerator
A Rank
A+
Corviknight:Corviknight: CorviknightFluffy, Intimidate, Volt Absorb, Well-Baked Body, Prankster
Manaphy:manaphy: ManaphyRegenerator, Motor Drive, Protosynthesis
Gholdengo:Gholdengo: GholdengoAdaptability, Earth Eater, Hadron Engine, Surge Surfer, Immunity Abilities
Deoxys-Speed:Deoxys-Speed: Deoxys-SpeedPsychic Surge, Sheer Force, Protean, Hadron Engine, Prankster
Swampert:Swampert: SwampertRegenerator
Zapdos:Zapdos: ZapdosPrimordial Sea, No Guard, Intimidate
A
Dragonite:Dragonite: DragoniteAerilate
Scream Tail:Scream Tail: Scream TailPixilate, Unaware
Zamazenta:zamazenta: ZamazentaSword of Ruin, Scrappy, Purifying Salt, Regenerator
Pecharunt:Pecharunt: PecharuntPrankster, Intimidate, Corrosion, Well-Baked Body, Levitate
A-
Ceruledge:Ceruledge: CeruledgeDesolate Land, Sword of Ruin, Adaptability
Chien-Pao:Chien-Pao: Chien-PaoSword of Ruin, Adaptability, Magic Guard
Heatran:Heatran: HeatranDesolate Land, Water Absorb, Magic Guard, Earth Eater
Iron Moth:Iron Moth: Iron MothDesolate Land, Sheer Force
Primarina:Primarina: PrimarinaPrimordial Sea, Regenerator, Sheer Force, Magic Guard
Skarmory:Skarmory: SkarmoryWell-Baked Body, Fluffy, Intimidate
B Rank
B+
Azelf:azelf: AzelfPsychic Surge
Cinderace:Cinderace: CinderaceDesolate Land, Magic Guard, Mold Breaker, Sword of Ruin
Electrode-Hisui:Electrode-Hisui: Electrode-HisuiMagic Guard
Empoleon:Empoleon: EmpoleonVolt Absorb, Earth Eater, Bulletproof, Vessel of Ruin
Iron Boulder:Iron Boulder: Iron BoulderSharpness
Iron Hands:Iron Hands: Iron HandsEarth Eater, Regenerator, Surge Surfer
Kingambit:Kingambit: KingambitAdaptability, Well-Baked Body, Earth Eater
Latios:Latios: LatiosAdaptability, Tinted Lens, Hadron Engine
Meowscarada:Meowscarada: MeowscaradaSword of Ruin
Ogerpon-Cornerstone:Ogerpon-Cornerstone:Ogerpon-CornerstoneRocky Payload, Sword of Ruin
Ogerpon-Wellspring:Ogerpon-Wellspring: Ogerpon-WellspringPrimordial Sea, Sword of Ruin
Sandy Shocks:Sandy Shocks: Sandy ShocksHadron Engine, Earth Eater
Ting Lu:Ting Lu: Ting LuRegenerator, Fluffy
Volcarona:Volcarona: VolcaronaSheer Force, Magic Guard, Desolate Land, Dazzling
B
Barraskewda:barraskewda: BarraskewdaPrimordial Sea
Cobalion:cobalion: CobalionMagic Guard
Garchomp:Garchomp: GarchompRegenerator, Sword of Ruin, Adaptability
Gengar:Gengar: GengarSheer Force, Normalize, Beads of Ruin, Hadron Engine
Goodra-Hisui:Goodra-Hisui: Goodra-HisuiRegenerator
Iron Treads:Iron Treads: Iron TreadsRegenerator, Immunity Abilities, Magic Guard
Iron Crown:iron-crown: Iron CrownTinted Lens, Psychic Surge
Mandibuzz:Mandibuzz: MandibuzzWell-Baked Body, Fluffy, Magic Guard, Unaware, Immunity Abilities
Moltres:Moltres: MoltresDesolate Land, Magic Guard
Ogerpon-Hearthflame:Ogerpon-Hearthflame: Ogerpon-HearthflameSword of Ruin, Desolate Land, Magic Guard, Mold Breaker
Slither Wing:Slither Wing: Slither WingTinted Lens, Magic Guard, Sword of Ruin
B-
Archaludon:Archaludon: ArchaludonPrimordial Sea, Regenerator, Earth Eater
Blissey:Blissey: BlisseyMagic Guard, Unaware, Well-Baked Body
Deoxys-Defense:Deoxys-Defense: Deoxys-DefenseUnaware, Intimidate, Fluffy, Regenerator
Garganacl:Garganacl: GarganaclEarth Eater, Fluffy
Landorus-Therian:Landorus-Therian: Landorus-TherianDesolate Land, Fluffy, Regenerator
Regieleki:Regieleki: RegielekiRefrigerate
Terrakion:Terrakion: TerrakionSword of Ruin, Adaptability
Thundurus-Therian:Thundurus-Therian: Thundurus-TherianSheer Force, Primordial Sea, Surge Surfer
C Rank
Chansey:Chansey: ChanseyUnaware, Magic Guard, Pressure
Chesnaught:Chesnaught: ChesnaughtFlame Body, Well-Baked Body
Cresselia:Cresselia: CresseliaUnaware, Stamina
Enamorus-Therian:Enamorus-Therian: Enamorus-TherianSheer Force
Entei:entei: EnteiDesolate Land, Sword of Ruin, Magic Guard
Gliscor:gliscor: GliscorWell-Baked Body, Regenerator, Water Absorb
Goodra:goodra: GoodraRegenerator
Grimmsnarl:grimmsnarl: GrimmsnarlPixilate
Jirachi:jirachi: JirachiRegenerator
Kommo-o:Kommo-o: Kommo-oRegenerator, Galvanize
Landorus:Landorus: LandorusDesolate Land, Fluffy
Meloetta:Meloetta: MeloettaRegenerator
Mew:Mew: MewRegenerator, Magic Guard
Quaquaval:Quaquaval: QuaquavalIntimidate, Magic Guard, Fluffy
Ribombee:ribombee: RibombeePrankster
Smeargle:Smeargle: SmearglePrankster, Aroma Veil
Talonflame:Talonflame: TalonflameMagic Guard
Thundurus:Thundurus: ThundurusSheer Force, Magic Guard
Toxapex:Toxapex: ToxapexCorrosion, Prankster
Ursaluna-Bloodmoon:Ursaluna-Bloodmoon: Ursaluna-BloodmoonAdaptability, Storm Drain, Steam Engine
Zapdos-Galar:zapdos-galar: Zapdos-GalarSword of Ruin, Magic Guard
Zoroark-Hisui:Zoroark-Hisui: Zoroark-HisuiSheer Force
In wake of the ending of OMPL and a lot of meta development a full VR update is here! Voting here (UT abstained this time around) All changes listed below (hopefully)

Promotions:

:swampert: Swampert A- -> A+
:gholdengo: Gholdengo A -> A+
:deoxys-speed: Deoxys-Speed A -> A+
:great-tusk: Great Tusk A+ -> S
:zapdos: Zapdos A- -> A+
:dragonite: Dragonite A- -> A
:pecharunt: Pecharunt A- -> A
:heatran: Heatran B+ -> A-
:skarmory: Skarmory B+ -> A-
:cinderace: Cinderace B -> B+
:ogerpon-cornerstone: Ogerpon-Cornerstone B -> B+
:volcarona: Volcarona B -> B+
:moltres: Moltres UR -> B
:cobalion: Cobalion C -> B
:iron-treads: Iron Treads B- -> B
:iron-crown: Iron Crown C -> B
:regieleki: Regieleki C -> B-
:thundurus-therian: Thundurus-Therian C -> B-
:gliscor: Gliscor UR -> C
:goodra: Goodra UR -> C
:grimmsnarl: Grimmsnarl UR -> C
:ribombee: Ribombee UR -> C
:entei: Entei UR -> C

Demotions:

:manaphy: Manaphy S -> A+
:chien-pao: Chien-Pao A -> A-
:iron-moth: Iron Moth A -> A-
:azelf: Azelf A- -> B+
:empoleon: Empoleon A- -> B+
:iron-boulder: Iron Boulder A- -> B+
:iron-hands: Iron Hands A- -> B+
:barraskewda: Barraskewda B+ -> B
:garchomp: Garchomp B+ -> B
:gengar: Gengar B+ -> B
:ogerpon-hearthflame: Ogerpon-Hearthflame B+ -> B
:mandibuzz: Mandibuzz B+ -> B
:archaludon: Archaludon B -> B-
:landorus-therian: Landorus-Therian B -> B-
:meloetta: Meloetta B -> C
:zapdos-galar: Zapdos-Galar B -> C
:zoroark-hisui: Zoroark-Hisui B -> C
:blissey: Blissey B -> B-
:deoxys-defense: Deoxys-Defense B -> B-
:terrakion: Terrakion B -> B-
:zamazenta-crowned: Zamazenta-Crowned C -> UR

Ability Changes:

Corviknight: Added Volt Absorb (unbolded)
Deoxys-Speed: Added Hadron Engine (unbolded), unbolded Prankster
Gholdengo: Moved WBB to "Immunity Abilities", bolded Adaptability, added Surge Surfer
Pecharunt: Added Levitate (unbolded)
Cinderace: Unbolded Mold Breaker
Heatran: Bolded Desolate Land, unbolded Water Absorb
Empoleon: Added Vessel of Ruin (unbolded)
Garchomp: Added Adaptability (unbolded)
Volcarona: Unbolded Desolate Land, added Dazzling (unbolded)
Kingambit: Unbolded Earth Eater and Well-Baked Body
Gengar: Added Hadron Engine (unbolded)
Mandibuzz: Unbolded Fluffy and Unaware, bolded Well-Baked Body
Thundurus-Therian: Added Surge Surfer (unbolded)
Landorus-Therian (and incarnate): Added Fluffy (bolded)

cat will also be leaving our resources council, thank you for all you've helped us out!

As always, feel free to yell at us here if you have reason to see abilities changed or rankings moved!
 
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