Resource BW PU Viability Ranking Thread

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Spinda has one niche in the PU metagame that allows it to not be completely useless, Contrary. While its stats are some of the worst, this ability allows it to basically gain a Bulk Up every time it uses its Dream World exclusive move, Superpower. Spinda unfortunately lacks the bulk to set up these boosts itself, meaning it has to relay on massive support from its teammates to even stand a chance. Trick Room can solve its speed issues, but unfortunately for Spinda, 60 base speed is not slow enough in PU.
Alternatively, it can use Sucker Punch to hit faster opponents. Its movepool is also very extensive, with usefull support moves such as Wish, Rapid Spin and Baton Pass. These three are sadly not compatible with Superpower. Still, it has plenty of offensive opinions, such as the elemental punches, Wild Charge, and even Zen Headbutt. They sadly serve no purpose, as all Spinda will be doing is spamming Superpower, hoping that its stats will turn into somthing somewhat decent.


I though that I would do Spinda for fun's sake :)
 

Snaquaza

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I would, if you want to use baton pass, include a set using Baton Pass, Wish, Rapid Spin and Filler, as it is the only Baton Pass spinner and it is easier for it in this tier, just make sure you give it a (Sp.) Defense boost.
 
I would like to reserve Gigalith if that's okay c:

Gigalith has a lot going for it in the PU metagame. The first asset that makes it an important player is its access to Stealth Rock. This may not seem too amazing until you see that it has Sturdy which almost guarantees it will get Stealth Rock up. Sturdy also means it can run an effective Custap Berry set with Explosion, Earthquake, and Stone Edge/Rock Blast which come off its outstanding base 135 Attack stat. It can also go the bulky route with its good 85/130 physical defenses. It can utilize this bulk to run a Choice Band set as well, which makes Gigalith more versatile at the expense of a great Stealth Rock setter. Gigalith has some flaws though, as its speed is absolutely pitiful. Even with Autotomize at its disposal, a +2 Gigalith isn't outspeeding the whole tier, and you generally lose a valuable move slot to it. Gigalith also has below-average special bulk, meaning it will fold to super effective water and grass type attacks, as well as powerful special attackers such as Beheeyem. Despite its downfalls, Gigalith makes its niche as one of the most reliable Stealth Rock setters in PU, and should be prepared for accordingly.
 
Pupitar for B seems kind of generous. I never tried the Dragon Dance set yet, but I really don't know what it can set up on due to weaknesses flying across the board. The only time it can set up on on the top of my head are on Choice Scarf Volt Switch or Audino. Even after a DD boost, Rampardos still has a higher attack stat, though the Speed drop is noticeable. Even then, it is still outsped by a number of Choice Scarf users in the tier after 2 boosts (most players tend to not sac their scarfer early in the match). Relying on Shed Skin is not worth it, as it only has a 1/3 chance to get rid of status in one turn. I don't think Pupitar deserves B, nor D, but C-Rank due to notable flaws (big weaknesses, not very strong even after a boost and unreliable ability) but decent options for a moveslot (stealth rock, taunt, dragon dance, edge-quake, rest).
 

Punchshroom

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Being the pre-evolution of a pseudo-legendary, Zweilous already has high expectations set for it, and certainly holds it up by packing one of the strongest Outrages in the entire game by virtue of Hustle. When coupled with the vast lack of Steels in PU, this is extremely appealing, as Zweilous can bust through a lot of Pokemon in PU in just one or two hits. It has great coverage to boot, with Superpower synergizing greatly with both its STABs. Zweilous has a number of sets it can run: Choice Scarf to launch quick powerful Hustled attacks; Choice Band to utterly break virtually anything with the right move should they be unable to outspeed or KO it; and Eviolite to take advantage of its interesting typing that grants it 7 resistances. Zweilous, however, isn't unstoppable for a number of reasons. It cannot boost its Attack and especially Speed simultaneously, it has 4 fairly common weaknesses, and Hustle misses can be infuriatingly game-changing. However, keep in mind of Zweilous's looming presence, as most nothing wants to be on the receiving end of Zweilous's attacks.
 

Anty

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Here is my one for pelipper that i promised.

Pelipper
Pelipper is quite a versatile pokemon in PU, as it can be used offensively or defensively. Firstly, it may seem that it is outclassed by Mantine and Swanna defensively and offensively respectively but it is not. It has quite a good defensive movepool including, Roost, Tailwind, Toxic, Knock Off and Stockpile all though some arent worth using most of which Mantine doesn't have. Pelipper also has a great defensive typing, only weak to Rock and Electric. It is great at setting up the rain as even without Damp Rock it gets passive recovery in its ability Rain Dish. It also can spam perfectly accurate Hurricanes and U-turn out into a sweeper. Offensively, a scarfed set could be used as it has similar special attack than Swanna and a more powerful STAB, in Hydro Pump. Overall Pelipper is quite a versatile pokemon who perform several roles effectively.
 
Reserving Girafarig if that's ok! Will edit later :)

While most players will not see an immediate threat in Girafarig, it certainly can be after some boosts. Girafarig doesn't have the best base stats but it gets one of the best moves that you could get: Baton Pass. With its average base speed, it can outspeed quite a few Pokemon and set up a Subtitute. From there, it starts to Calm Mind, and soon it becomes an unstoppable, bulky force. Then you Baton Pass to another Pokemon and it begins its sweep. While this set seems outclassed by Mr. Mime, Girafarig has a few merits over the mime. First of all, Girafarig gets some other set up moves such as Agility. Girafarig can pass Agilities to Pokemon such as Fraxure who can sweep through teams with a +2 in Attack and Speed. Also, Girafarig gets a useful ability in Sap Sipper. Girafarig can switch in on any Grass move and pass a +1 Attack boost to a teammate. Girafarig can run an offensive set, but it is outclassed by other Normal types in the tier. Overall Girafarig is a great Pokemon in PU, and a force to be reckoned with.
 

Celever

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15:04 celeverr Dell, can I do the write-up for Klang, Lairon and Kingler???
15:06 celeverr Oh! And whirlipede
15:06 AgentDell wnd sure

Reserving those 4 for write-ups. They should be up by the end of the day.
 
REMOVE CHANGE COMMENTS

OneMightyParasect said:
Spinda has one niche in the PU metagame that allows it to not be completely useless, Contrary. While its stats are some of the worst, this ability allows it to basically gain a Bulk Up every time it uses its Dream World exclusive move, Superpower. Spinda unfortunately lacks the bulk to set up these boost boosts itself, meaning it has to relay on massive support from its teammates to even stand a chance. Trick Room can solve its speed issues, but unfortunately for Spinda, 60 base speed might not be is not slow enough in PU.
Alternativly Alternatively, it can use Sucker Punch to hit faster opponents. Its movepool is also very extensive, with highlights useful support moves such as Wish, Rapid Spin and Baton Pass. These three are sadly not compatebale compatible with Superpower. Still, it has plenty of offensive opinions, such as the elemental punches, Wild charge Charge Capitalize the names of the moves, and even Zen Headbutt. These, sadly, serve no purpose,They sadly serve no purpose as all spinda SpindaCapitalize Pokemon names, they are proper nouns will be doing is spaming spamming Superpower, hoping that its stats will becometurn into something somewhat decent.
col49 said:
Despite its mediocre base stats (with the exception of Speed), Swoobat is one of the most threatening set-up sweepers in the PU metagame. Thanks to its Simple ability, Swoobat is capable of boosting its mediocre Special Attack stat to dangerous levels quickly, with all but Persian and Sneasel being out-sped and very likely KOed without the use of a Choice Scarf. Excellent STAB coverage makes Swoobat The excellent STAB coverage that Swoobat gets makes it all the more deadly, as Steel-types are few and far between, allowing it to afford luxuries like Substitute to make it even more difficult to handle. However, Swoobat's laughable 67 / 55 / 55 defenses make it both difficult to set up and relatively easy to revenge-kill without dual screens support, and its lack of power without a boost is often its undoing. Constant offensive pressure alone can leave Swoobat with almost no chance to so much as lift a finger in a match. While Swoobat is somewhat harmless at first, players must be incredibly weary of giving it free turns, lest they incur its wrath. One mere mistake, good lord you're good.
sickweare said:
Gigalith has a lot going for it in the PU metagame. The first asset that makes it an important player is its access to Stealth Rock. This may not seem to too amazing until you see that it has Sturdy which almost guarantees it will get Stealth Rock up. Sturdy also means it can run an effective Custap berry Berry It's a proper noun, and it looks better set with Explosion, EQ Earthquake, and Stone Edge/Rock Blast coming off an which come off its amazing base 135 Attack stat. It can also go the bulky route with it's its good 85/130 physical defenses. It has the bulk to use Choice Band as well, which makes Gigalith more versatile at the expense of a great Stealth Rock setter. Gigalith has some flaws though, as its speed is absolutely pitiful. Even with Autotomize at its disposal, a +2 Gigalith isn't outspeeding the whole tier, and you generally lose a valuable move slot to it. Gigalith also has below-average special bulk, meaning it will fold to super effective water and grass type attacks, as well as powerful special attackers such as Beheeyem. Despite its downfalls, Gigalith makes its niche as one of the most reliable Stealth Rock setters in PU, and should be prepared for accordingly.

Punchshroom said:
Being the pre-evolution of a pseudo-legendary, Zweilous already has high expectations set for it, and certainly holds it up by packing the strongest Outrage in the entire game by virtue of Hustle. one of the strongest Outrages in the entire game by virtue of Hustle. Kyurem-B's Outrage is stronger, and so Rivalry Haxorus'. When coupled with the vast lack of Steels in PU, this is extremely appealing, as Zweilous can bust through a lot of pokemon Pokemon in PU in just one or two hits. It has great coverage to boot, with Superpower synergizing greatly with both its STABs. Zweilous has a number of sets it can run: Choice Scarf to launch quick powerful Hustled attacks; Choice Band to utterly break virtually anything with the right move should they be unable to outspeed or KO it; and Eviolite to take advantage of its interesting typing that grants it 7 resistances. Zweilous however Zweilous, however, isn't unstoppable for a number of reasons. It cannot boost its Attack and especially Speed simultaneously, it has 4 fairly common weaknesses, and Hustle misses can be infuriatingly game-changing. However, keep in mind keep in mind of Zweilous's looming presence, as most nothing wants to be on the receiving end of Zweilous's attacks.
anty208 said:
Pelipper is quite a versatile pokemon in PU, it as it can be used offensively or defensively. Firstly Firstly, it may seem that it is out classed outclassed by Mantine and Swanna defensively and offensively respectively but it is not. It has quite a good defensive movepool including, roost, tailwind, toxic, knock off and stockpile Roost, Tailwind, Toxic, Knock Off and Stockpile Capitalize moves, since they are proper nouns. Also mention that not all of these options are worth using. most of which Mantine doesn't have. Pelipper also has a great defensive typing, only weak to rock and electric, Rock and Electric. in which if it is faster it can roost and loose its flying type. What the hell It is also great at setting up the rain as even without damp rock a Damp Rock, it gets passive recovery, in its ability, Rain Dish. It also can spam perfectly accurate hurricanes Hurricanes and slow U-turn U-turns out into a sweeper., who will not get hurt. Offensively, a scarfed set could be used as it has similar special attack than Swanna and more powerful STAB in hydro pump Hydro Pump. and access to U-turn. Already mentioned Overall, Pelipper is quite a versatile pokemon who perform several rolls roles effectively.
Magical Magmortar said:
While most players will not see an immediate threat in Girafarig, it certainly can be after some boosts. Girafarig doesn't have the best base stats but it gets one of the best moves that you could get: Baton Pass. With its average base speed, it can outspeed quite a few Pokemon and set up a Sub Substitute.From there, it starts to Calm Mind, and soon it becomes an unstoppable, bulky force. Then you Baton Pass to another Pokemon and it begins its sweep. While this set seems outclassed by Mr. Mime, Girafarig has a few merits over the mime. First of all, Girafarig gets some other set up moves such as Agility. Girafarig can pass Agilities to Pokemon such as Fraxure who can sweep through teams with a +2 in Attack and Speed. Also, Girafarig gets a useful ability in Sap Sipper. Girafarig can switch in on any Grass move and pass a +1 Attack boost to a teammate. Overall Girafarig is a great Pokemon in PU, and a force to be reckoned with. Mention that Girafarig can run an offensive set but that most of them are outclassed by other Normal-types.
Audiosurfer said:
In PU, Graveler can fulfill the role of great offensive Stealth Rock user in the metagame. While it does face competition from things such as Rampardos, Relicanth, and Gigalith, it has qualities that help seperate separate it from each of them. It is bulkier than Rampardos is, especially with an Eviolite equipped (it can even live through an opposing Rampardos's Superpower w/ with No abbreviations please. max HP investment), which prevents it from being overshadowed by Rampardos's superior offensive stats. Also, Sturdy gives it a niche over Relicanth since it can guarantee that Stealth Rock is set up or live a hit and retaliate with an attack of its own. While Gigalith also has these qualities, Graveler's access to priority Sucker Punch and its Ground typing that allows it to switch in and stop Electric types like Rotom-F from wreaking havoc gives it a reason to be used over Gigalith. Overall, despite weaknesses to common types such as Water and Grass, Graveler is a great Pokemon in the tier and can perform well when used properly.
Audiosurfer said:
While it would seem like a mon Pokemon such as Chinchou has no reason to be used in the metagame, it retains a niche in being a strong answer to dangerous Fire, Water, and Electric types in the tier. A Resttalk RestTalk set allows Chinchou to switch in and continuously wall Pokemon such as Rapidash Golduck, Rotom-F and Simisear You apparently don't know that Specially Defensive Chinchou is the superior set, and that it has horrendous Defense throughout the game without being worn down easily. Also, its great typing in conjunction with its useful abilities allow for it to be switched into these threats easily. Although it might seem as though Chinchou's got it all, Resttalk's RestTalk's unreliability in conjunction paired with Chinchou's poor offensive stats allowing it to be set up on by a variety of threats hamper its usability. Despite these things, Chinchou is a solid performer that can help patch up holes on a team when played to its strengths. Mention poor stat distribution.
Audiosurfer said:
Shelgon's useful resistances and good bulk, especially when equipped with Eviolite, help it to retain a niche in the PU metagame. One set it can use is a Resttalk DD Dragon Dance set, where it uses Resttalk RestTalk in conjunction with its great bulk to set up multiple Dragon Dances and attempt a sweep. It can also be used as a pivot earlier in the match thanks to its good stats and resists. Another route Shelgon can go is a purely defensive route, where Shelgon uses its resists and physical bulk to wall many of the physical attackers that are in the tier. Not everything is great for the dragon though. It faces competition from other Dragons such as Zweilous. Also, Steel types such as Klang have nothing to fear from Shelgon, as it can't leave a scratch on them. In addition, even with Eviolite Shelgon's Special Defense isn't too great, so it is prey for revenge killers like Golduck and Rotom-F. Shelgon is still a great choice to consider on teams despite this though.
OFFICIALLY DONE
 
As you can most probably see, I was editing my post. Please notify me if I forgot any; if so, I apologize for the inconvinience.
 
Gonna go ahead and redo my Ursaring one if that's okay, since I told Agent Dell I would do it but never actually did :x

Having the most raw power of any Normal-Type in PU at 130, as well as access to two amazing abilities in Guts and Quick Feet, makes Ursaring one of the best status absorbers on offensive teams. Ursaring's super Attack stat and great coverage options are more than enough to leave a dent in the opposition with proper prediction. Along with STAB Facade (being inherently boosted to sky high levels along with his Attack and Speed with Gut or Quick Feet), Ursaring has access to high-powered coverage moves in Earthquake, Close Combat, Crunch, and Stone Edge, making for a terrifying sweeper. The bear also has access to two great boosting moves in Swords Dance and Bulk Up, allowing him to set up and break even the sturdiest of walls with a boosted Facade. The Bulk Up set gets a special mention, as it allows Ursaring to boost up and tank hits as it does so fit. This is best done with the ability Quick Feet, allowing to hit right off the bat and get the jump on walls. If your team is about pressuring the opponent, look no further than Ursaring as your Normal- Type of choice.
 
I nominate Omanyte for B-Rank.



Omanyte @ Eviolite
Ability: Shell Armor
Nature: Bold
EVs: 252 HP, 200 Def, 56 Sp.Def

- Spikes
- Toxic Spikes/Stealth Rock
- Hidden Power[Rock]/Ice Beam
- Scald

While holding an eviolite, Omanyte becomes one of the best physical walls in the tier. In addition, Omanyte has access to all forms of entry hazards so he can be a good bulky supporter on your team. His defensive typing is pretty good as he packs key resistances to Fire, Normal and Flying types. Finally, he has some above average attacking capabilities packing a base 90 special attack and has moves like Scald, Surf, Ice Beam etc. So along with setting up hazards, he can spread some burns to the opposing team.

On the downside however, Omanyte does have a poor Sp.Def stat and a 4x weakness to Grass types is horrible.Grass types such as Vileplume, Meganium, Simisage etc. all force out the fossil Pokemon which gives them a free turn spread status or set-up. Top tier threats such as Rotom and Golduck can OHKO with Thunderbolt and HP Grass(respectively) so Omanyte can have a hard time setting up hazards against special attackers.

Overall, Omanyte is a good Pokemon to use in the tier. With excellent defense, hazard support and a nice special attack stat, Omanyte should definitely be considered one of the best hazard setters in the tier.
 
Gonna make some more write-ups.

When you first look at Basculin, you notice that this wannabe piranha has decent Attack and Speed. That is all you will find in its stats, as they are quite dull and make Basculin very frail. The most interesting finds are however its Abilities. Adaptability doubles the power of its STAB moves, making its Water-type attacks very powerful. Running a Choice Band set allows you to take full advantage of Basculin's great Speed and good Attack to fire off very strong attacks. It isn't all sunshine and rainbows for this fish though, as physically Defensive Grass-types such as Leafeon and Meganium wall it to hell and back. Basculin can attempt to remedy this situation by running Life Orb and Ice Beam, which has a big surprise effect. It also gets priority in Aqua Jet, that is incredibly useful as it allows Basculin to pick off weakened or faster threats that attempt to revenge kill the fish. It can also help versus Rotom-F as it gets worn down easily by Stealth Rock.


Rampardos has to live up to many huge expectations, as it beholds the highest Attack stat of all non-legendary Pokemon. While it is quite lackluster in NU, it's a whole different story in PU, as its extremely powerful attacks are very hard to wall. Due to the mediocrity of the majority of the spinners in the tier, many people use Mold Breaker Rampardos to break through the hazards users, as the skull-headed Pokemon makes a very favorable matchup against them with its coverage moves and STAB. Rampardos can run many sets, all of them having pros and cons. It can run a Choice Scarf set if your team needs a Scarfer, it can run an offensive set with Life Orb, set up Stealth Rock for your team or even attempt a sweep with Rock Polish. The downfall of this Pokemon is its frailty, as it cannot live many powerful hits. It also had a bad Speed, and cannot attempt a sweep without setting up, which is very hard due to its frailty. Nonetheless, Rampardos is a very powerful Pokemon and should be prepared for.
 
Here's a mon that has helped me so much in the PU metagame-

Relicanth is a force that is not to be taken lightly in the PU metagame. He has that awesome recoiless Head Smash which is something Rampardos would die for. One of his best selling points is his ability to set up Stealth Rock reliably while maintaining an offensive presence. He can either wreck teams with a choice band or rock polish set, or take a defensive role as a supporter.
 
Okay, so after playing a little on the ladder, I've decided on some rough nominations for those Pokemon I mentioned on page 2.

Anorith for C-Rank: Spinblockers seem to be almost non-existant (at least in the battles I've done), so being able to beat spinblockers isn't such a big deal anymore. That said, Anorith's below average speed and less than ideal bulk and typing have been a bit annoying. It is pretty strong, however, and so it does post an offensive threat, giving it something to do when it's done spinning. I'd say that's C-Rank material.

Kabuto for D-Rank: Yeah, I didn't like Kabuto too much. It's pretty slow and not too strong, so it didn't find many opportunities to spin. Aqua Jet wasn't all that useful when I was testing it, and if you're going after that Rock / Water typing and physical bulk, Omanyte is much better and offers its own utility. It's useful, but pretty outclassed and underwhelming. Definitely D-Rank.

Staryu for B-Rank: An argument could be made for C-Rank I suppose, but I like Staryu. That base 85 speed and its good coverage was what made it useful in my eyes. Once Staryu was done spinning, it actually posed a decent offensive threat, which was very useful. Recover also gives it durability that most other NFEs lack. Staryu could easily be "lower" B-Rank or "upper" C-Rank, and I prefer B-Rank.

Pineco for B-Rank: Okay, Pineco was absolutely amazing in testing. As long as I didn't have Pineco first in Team Preview, the opponent would never lead with their Rampardos, Gigalith, etc., which could usually break Sturdy Pineco before it could move. I ran Custap Pineco with 5 random sweepers, and it was excellent. It might seem outclassed by Dwebble, who has much more speed and some decent offensive moves, but Rapid Spin and Pain Split turned out to be really useful moves that I believe put Pineco on a level of its own. Although personally didn't use the move, Pineco also has the option of running Toxic Spikes, another small advantage.

Omanyte for B-Rank: I'm going to echo the previous nomination for Omanyte in B-Rank. It's actually pretty bulky on the physical side, which makes it a cool check to stuff like Dodrio and Rapidash. Omanyte also excels at spamming Scald and burning stuff due to its good bulk and typing, and it's durable enough to get multiple hazards up throughout the course of a match (which is especially dangerous seeing as how I haven't seen many spinners at all). I tried the Shell Smash set, but it was pretty hard to set up and get going. Still, I did get a couple of sweeps out of it, so it definitely deserves a mention.

Shelmet for D-Rank: D-Rank is pretty generous for the guy, to be honest, but it is pretty bulky. Shelmet usually found a few opportunities to get Spikes up, and I did Toxic stall a Pokemon or two with it. Still, it doesn't do much besides poison things, set up Spikes, and then just be setup bait.

Dwebble for C-Rank: You could argue for this one as B-Rank like Pineco is, and I wouldn't have a problem with that. However, after playing with Dwebble for a couple of games, I ended up going back to Pineco. Rapid Spin and Pain Split were just too useful. Dwebble's extra speed can let it get at least Stealth Rock up even in the face of Rock Blast Gigalith and Adamant Mold Breaker Rampardos while Pineco would be outsped and KOd, but usually in those situations I just wouldn't lead with Pineco and I'd still usually find an opportunity to get up a layer of hazards or two. The speed and actual offense are useful on Dwebble, but otherwise they generally play about the same, so I'll put it just below Pineco in my nomination. P.S. The Shell Smash set wasn't great at all.

Also, I'd like to nominate Banette for B-Rank or at least C-Rank. I added Banette to an offensive team with Custap Pineco with the intent of letting it block a Rapid Spin or two, but even though I've barely seen any spinners, I haven't dropped it yet. I've been running a LO set with Will-O-Wisp, Sucker Punch, and Destiny Bond, and it's really good. I haven't been in many matches where it hasn't gotten at least two kills or one kill and a burn. B-Rank might be a little too high for it, but I think Banette deserves at least C-Rank.

That's about it, I suppose. I'm interested to see if anyone else has tested any of these.
 

Anty

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Untested-Rank: Reserved for pokemon that may have niches, but requires more sufficient testing for a more accurate indication of where they should be placed. After you've tested them, post your experience about them so that we can determine a tier.

  • Anorith
  • Beartic
  • Bronzor
  • Carnivine
  • Gothorita
  • Kabuto
  • Marshtomp
  • Meditite
  • Omanyte
  • Pineco
  • Porygon
  • Prinplup
  • Pupitar
  • Sandshrew
  • Shelmet
  • Staryu
  • Trapinch
  • Wynaut
  • Yanma
I just realised you put a picture of Bronzer instead of Kabuto
 

Dell

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Thanks for covering everything that needed to be covered, WhiteDMist and JirachiCelebiMew. Also, thanks everyone for taking their time upon initiating their own analysis and/or making revisions towards theirs. Before I get to the updates among ranks and write-up analysis, I figured that I should mention that I made a few updates that I'd like PU players to look at, particularly from the PU Viability Ranking council and rules section that I feel that's necessary to point out if you so desire a look at them.

I will also announce that user Keiran has officially departed his position from the PU Viability Ranking Council while also setting down towards his leadership of PU at the same process. Thank you for your time and contribution here.

Time to settle towards the following updates:

  • Write-up Critique:

    1. Leafshield: Thank you for fixing the major problems that I contended to regarding the analysis of Ursaring, while at the same time patching up your grammar and pieces of relevant information a notch. From there, I will claim that it's healthy to my standards that this analysis will be enlisted into the OP. As for Stantler, nice work on the revision of that one as well and thus I ensure that this gets listed once we can determine a solid ranking for the Pokemon.

    2. Hot N Cold: WhiteDMist gave you nice grammatical fixes and additional suggestions that are sufficient for me to include into the OP, so as you've requested earlier I'll get the task of adding any additional concerns for you.

    3. OneMightyparasect: Interesting picks, and solid representation among them. You have covered everything that should be taken to note which is enough for me to guarantee a spot in the OP for you. Make sure you have addressed to the minor concerns that JirachiCelebiMew pointed out on your Spinda analysis and I'll be looking forward for more in the future.

    4. anty208: Good job as mentioned before, just try to avoid the habit of lower-casing the names of the moves, as they are proper nouns and make sure you try to avoid listing things that may either already apply towards our general knowledge or irrelevant information. Overall, not much else to say and good work.

    5. JirachiCelebiMew: Not bad, though I would advise that your try to avoid referencing tiers any more than once, as otherwise it may seem that you are trying to undermine the fact that all placements are subject to change. Also, you really shouldn't do this for a Pokemon that I have yet to formulate a final decision towards ranking (which in your case, Pupitar). Otherwise, you've covered most of the components of what I'm looking for within an analysis, and you should be able to guarantee acceptance to the OP aside from a few minor edits. Also, I'd like for you to revise Huntail too since you seemed to have rushed that as of result of not taking this into account. Moving on to Basculin, you should mention its utility with it's priority of Aqua Jet and how that's useful. Rampardos is getting there as well, though you should get more into detail into that, regarding it's strengths and weaknesses. Once you have finished your revisions feel free to inform me and I will get back to you.

    6. sickweare: Good work, and not much else to say other than referring towards JirachiCelebiMew's fixes.

    7. Punchshroom: Same as sickweare.

    8. Magical Magmortar: Try to avoid overhyping general situations and refer to JirachiCelebiMew for everything else to cover. Aside from that, I would wait on this end until you make a few changes regarding my suggestion and JirachiCelebiMew's.

    9. Audiosurfer: Splendid work as usual and well-rounded detail among your suggestions.

    10. ooh shiny: Your analysis on Relicanth is generally correct, but I feel that it just seem quite a bit too generic for most of part. There is a lack of statement among more in-depth situations in general regarding strengths, weaknesses, and how these numerous merits among what it does explains the logic behind its current placement on the current. You're free to work on this a bit more until you feel that it's complete to our standards.

  • Leafshield's write-up analysis on Ursaring has been included into the OP.
  • Hot N Cold's write-up analysis on Audino has been included into the OP.
  • OneMightyparasect's write-up analysis on Leafeon and Spinda has been included into the OP.
  • anty208's write-up analysis on Wormadam-Trash and Pelipper has been included into the OP.
  • JoshuaMunoz's write-up analysis on Swanna has been included into the OP.
  • col49's write-up analysis on Swoobat has been included into the OP.
  • Audiosurfer's write-up analysis on Graveler, Chinchou, and Shelgon has been included into the OP.
  • sickweare's write-up analysis on Gigalith has been included into the OP.
  • Punchshroom's write-up analysis on Zweilous has been included into the OP.

  • Pupitar moves to C-rank. After a bit of testing against a few good players, I think that it's well justified that the most accurate spot would have to be something among this category. That being said, I'm a bit unsure about the idea of B-rank because while indeed Pupitar is a very unique and surprisingly effective setup sweeper with Dragon Dance, there are a few significant flaws that prevents it from being placed into a higher rank. It's typing, while nice offensively, tends to open up deceptively low setup opportunities in a tier infested with a variety of threats usually carrying a coverage move or just outright beat it (various Grass and Water types, for example). Its naturally low speed also tends to let it down a lot, as it can't really keep up with the somewhat fast-paced offensive nature of the metagame, notably carrying crippling weaknesses to moves from many common Choice Scarf Pokemon like Golduck/Simipour or Rotom-F, while on the other hand being unable to outpace Jumpluff after a boost and tying with the Simi's with a Jolly nature, potentially losing on the process. Likewise, its lackluster Attack stat means that it's rather reliant on team support or needs several boosts to help break through certain Pokemon that has notable bulk on the physical side, being Vileplume, Leafeon, or Whiscash for example. Nevertheless, it's still a good setup sweeper that can more than welcome justify a spot into the C-rank. If anyone disagrees, feel free to discuss.

    Pokemon pending for more discussion: Anorith, Kabuto, Staryu, Pineco, Omanyte, Shelmet, Dwebble, and Banette.

@anty208: Fixed, thanks for telling me.
 

WhiteDMist

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Ok, let's get some discussion going about Gabite. I personally feel it has enough going for it to be A-Ranked, but I would like to hear any thoughts on that. My argument is that Gabite sports decent bulk with Eviolite and 192 HP EVs, meaning it can almost always get Rocks up. It actually has enough bulk to tank many surprise attacks, even possibly live the occasional weak Ice Punch/Ice Fang. It isn't completely useless after setting up Rocks with Roar and decent neutral coverage (keeps Poison-types in check too).

252 Atk Life Orb Mightyena Ice Fang vs. 192 HP / 0 Def Eviolite Gabite: 276-328 (84.92 - 100.92%) -- 6.25% chance to OHKO.
0 Atk Throh Ice Punch vs. 192 HP / 0 Def Eviolite Gabite: 204-244 (62.76 - 75.07%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Gigalith Explosion vs. 192 HP / 0 Def Eviolite Gabite: 291-343 (89.53 - 105.53%) -- 37.5% chance to OHKO



One cannot ignore its base 82 Speed and 90 Atk stats either. With just a small amount of investment in Speed, it can outspeed Adamant Rampardos and anything slower and KO back with Earthquake. Base 90 Atk may not be spectacular, but it does allow it to 2HKO standard Gigalith WITHOUT putting it in Custap Berry range. Rough Skin also lets Gabite chip down contact move users, which is helpful when you don't have an immediate answer to them; it also becomes a last resort faux-spinblocker since it can keep forcing the opposing spinner to Rapid Spin themselves to death. It's Ground-typing also gives it that important Ground immunity, which prevent Volt Switch spamming. The Dragon typing neutralizes its Water and Grass type weaknesses and gives it a Fire resistance, all useful things. This lets it become an excellent answer for Rapidash, since it can do very little to it and fears EQ.

I haven't tested out the Band set, but has its own advantages over Zweilous. The Band set has far superior Speed, outpacing the base 80 Speed tier. The Scarf set is a bit weak, but can possibly be used for its excellent neutral coverage. I suppose that more defensive sets can be run since Gabite has some interesting utility moves in Dual Chop, Roar and Toxic; same goes for a Hone Claws offensive set. The Stealth Rock tank is still probably the best set, and it is one setter that I find I rarely can make a PU team without.

Gabite @ Eviolite
Trait: Rough Skin
EVs: 252 Atk / 64 Spd / 192 HP
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Outrage
- Earthquake
- Roar

So any thoughts? Is Gabite worthy to sit in A-Rank, or is B-rank the highest it can reach?
 
On Gabite

Good to see others recognizing this thing! Gabite is one of the better Dragons in PU at the moment, being able to set up Rocks with impunity, and packing a great speed and a strong Earthquake (not much to say about his Outrage, since its pretty much dense air in comparison to Zweilous'.) to pick off other leads like Gigalith and Graveler. Its bulk is great, and has an amazing ability for a defensive mon in Rough Skin, allowing it to rack up damage on U-Turners, which is always nice. Its great typing also gives it a Fire-Type resist, a neutrality to Grass- and Water-, and an immunity to Electric-. This makes it the best Rapidash check in the tier, resisting its STAB, and either being immune to or resisting its most common coverage moves. WhiteDMist is correct: The mon is very versatile, being able to set up rocks, act as a great defensive pivot against VolTurn, and hit hard to pick off enemy Fire- and Dragon-Types all in the course of a match. I do agree that the Choice Band variant has its merits, it is pretty much outclassed by Zweilous, who hits so much harder than Gabite. Scarf is an option, as it allows Gabite to outspeed Golduck and pick it off easily. Its great coverage also exemplifies this, making Gabite a capable revenge killer. With this, I nominate Gabite for A-Rank along with WhiteDMist. It's just a good mon, one of the best offensive hazard setters in the tier.

On this note, I would like to address a mon I've been using to set up my rocks:

Marshtomp

The first thing that interested me about Marshtomp was that its typing gave it only a single, fairly uncommon weakness in Grass-, as well as a useful immunity to Electric-. In many ways, it does the same job as Gabite, just not as quickly. Water- Type STAB is very, very good against leads in PU, and with Attack investment, Marshtomp can 2HKO Gigalith and Graveler with Waterfall or Earthquake. Its good bulk with Eviolite and lack of weaknesses sans Grass- allow it to take a few hits and set up rocks with ease. The downside, however, is that Marshtomp is very slow, and many Scarfed Water-Types tend to carry Hidden Power (Grass), making him fairly easy to pick off. For this reason, I nominate Marshtomp for B Rank. He's a reliable hazard setter for more balanced teams, while Gabite does its job better on faster, more offensive teams.
 
Gabite is pretty good in PU. It sports a really good defensive typing, with only weaknesses to Ice and Dragon. It is immune to Volt Switch, but must be wary of the possible HP [Ice] or Blizzard the carrier may use. It has a good ability in Rough Skin - which is really good for wearing down most physical attackers. Everything that needs to be said is already said with the two solid arguments above , so yeah, A-Rank for Gabite instead of B.

EDIT: May I reserve a write-up for Gabite? :)
 
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