Resource National Dex Role Compendium [Updated 6/10/24!]

Additions I would make, filter these through your own judgement or ignore if you wish.

In my opinion, status conditions should be put in the utility section, probably being miscellaneous or can even be its own section. They impact a game very much and can determine whether one can win or lose a matchup. For example, wearing down Pokémon without burn or toxic would be much harder (for example, Mola not having toxic would make it even MORE exploitable and dirge or wash not having burn would make them much less scary to physical attackers like msciz or mmedi), and paralysis can end games if one is unlucky (such as what serp does) These would only apply to the status versions of these status conditions for these moves, however, as something like discharge or scald is simply not consistent in how it dishes out status. For example, stufflike toxic/twave/willo/hypno would be included but not something like the aforementioned scald and discharge as well as… malignant chain or something like that. Not every mon runs status-inducing moves so it wouldn’t even be THAT long of a list, either. Here is how what I would put with every status:

Thunder Wave / Glare / Stun Spore: :latias-mega: :Ferrothorn: :Slowking-Galar: :Rotom-wash: :Serperior: :Clefable::Ribombee: :chansey:

Toxic:
:heatran: :Gliscor: :Landorus-Therian: :Toxapex: :Alomomola: :Tornadus-Therian: :clodsire: :chansey: :Aegislash: :Moltres:

Will-O-Wisp: :Rotom-wash: :Cinderace: :skeledirge: :Banette-Mega:

I’ll leave it up to you whether these deserve to be in niche or viable, but I feel this would be a worthwhile addition due to status being an integral part of the game as a whole.

other additions I’d make:
:Gyarados-Mega: to taunt: This thing uses taunt quite effectively, shutting down stall entirely and preventing pex from hazing its boosts.
:Iron Crown: to iron defense: I feel on screens where it uses speed booster iron defense is a great tool in helping it set up, prevent being killed by anything really, and start bowling through teams with stored power.
:Hydrapple: to Nasty Plot: Ok this isn’t THAT viable of a mon but it has a niche in my eyes, also there are other mons on this that are around the same level as it and it has a smogdex set so it’s probably worth mentioning. Nplot is its main set and can potentially be devastating for more bulky teams with the right luck (looking at you nd main character kybushi) while also providing ok defensive utility, staying around with regen and dealing with mons like waterpon and shifu quite well.
:Raging bolt: to a new section in priority called thunderclap: I don’t think I need to explain this one; tclap is raging bolt’s main way of rkilling things, and it does it quite well, revenge killing and even koing weakened Pokemon like Urshifu, nasty plot torn, mmedi, and weavile among others. Raging bolt is also a good mon itself, being A rank on the viability rankings.
:iron treads: to rain’s other abusers: I’ve heard from many that iron treads is able to work on rain structures, using its good typing and ability to remove hazards along with its now neutered fire weakness under rain to be a decent ground pick on those structures. It also is able to act as a good pivot with volt switch as well as having the naturally good qualities of its typing (checking lele, bolt, and offensive zapdos).

And uh to finish this post off I don’t know whether these would go in niche or viable because I wouldn’t have good judgement on that LOL
 
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If Hydrapple is listed as a niche Nasty Plot user, then shouldn't Xurxitree be listed as a niche tail glow user? After all, Hydrapple as less usage than Xurxitree in the latest usage updates (as listed below). Also Xurxitree may have a case as a niche hypnosis user, with z-hypnosis to gain speed (very gimmicky but still).

| 97 | Xurkitree | 1.234% |
| 98 | Pecharunt | 1.223% |
| 99 | Iron Hands | 1.186% |
| 100 | Hydrapple | 1.115% |

Edit: Manaphy also has less usage than Xurxitree, so I really don't see how Xurxitree isn't on the compedium.
| 121 | Manaphy | 0.837% |
 
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If Hydrapple is listed as a niche Nasty Plot user, then shouldn't Xurxitree be listed as a niche tail glow user? After all, Hydrapple as less usage than Xurxitree in the latest usage updates (as listed below). Also Xurxitree may have a case as a niche hypnosis user, with z-hypnosis to gain speed (very gimmicky but still).

| 97 | Xurkitree | 1.234% |
| 98 | Pecharunt | 1.223% |
| 99 | Iron Hands | 1.186% |
| 100 | Hydrapple | 1.115% |

Edit: Manaphy also has less usage than Xurxitree, so I really don't see how Xurxitree isn't on the compedium.
| 121 | Manaphy | 0.837% |

ladder usage =/= viability
 
If Hydrapple is listed as a niche Nasty Plot user, then shouldn't Xurxitree be listed as a niche tail glow user? After all, Hydrapple as less usage than Xurxitree in the latest usage updates (as listed below). Also Xurxitree may have a case as a niche hypnosis user, with z-hypnosis to gain speed (very gimmicky but still).

| 97 | Xurkitree | 1.234% |
| 98 | Pecharunt | 1.223% |
| 99 | Iron Hands | 1.186% |
| 100 | Hydrapple | 1.115% |

Edit: Manaphy also has less usage than Xurxitree, so I really don't see how Xurxitree isn't on the compedium.
| 121 | Manaphy | 0.837% |
Xurkitree is not ranked on the VR (and for good reason), while Manaphy is sitting comfortably at B rank. Like jawsome said, ladder usage does not reflect viability (Mega Bannette being used more than Mega Lopunny and a lot of other B-A rank mons, and Moltres still being in this tier despite being C+ rank).
 
glastrier is a good TR abuser. Easy snowball (hope you get it) into 3 turns 3 kills, and thanks to its bulk and our lord and saviour TERA, you can still be threatening at the end of tr, which is not the case of, say, Hoopa U (wtf it doing ova there) or marowak alola, for being too frail (on one side or another) for That Really awful speed.
Edit: hey I found the exact perfect example! Mid ladder ~1600,
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nationaldex-2108064710-rh186p3izuxv4k1z2r1306mxl7fl2c6pw
glastrier escalates quickly an Tera, though unneeded, (I killed with horse-power) pushed glastrier to make the opp forfeit While the situation was pretty advantageous for them
 
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ladder usage =/= viability
Xurkitree is not ranked on the VR (and for good reason), while Manaphy is sitting comfortably at B rank. Like jawsome said, ladder usage does not reflect viability (Mega Bannette being used more than Mega Lopunny and a lot of other B-A rank mons, and Moltres still being in this tier despite being C+ rank).
Oh, so that's how it works. Thanks for letting me know!
 
well, not much activity since 2 months(which isn’t that bad but) so I kinda wanna yap about my opinions on what I would think could be good.

Also stuff I’m not that sure about but I want to yap about will not be bolded.

1. Snow as a Whole is a Niche Playstyle(or just remove it entirely)
Really, I don’t think snow is really that good. Although Arctozolt is appealing, literally most viable choice scarfers can outspeed it even in hail and OHKO it, not even counting priority, and Arctozolt thuds into a lot of popular defensive cores, and it’s weak to Stealth Rock but it needs an offensive item to really deal damage, and overall arctozolt is kinda a bad Pokémon. Also, Alolan Ninetales is kinda not looking too good right now considering the multitude of things that can kill it before it sets up screens. Oh yea this is minus the fact that both Arctozolt and Ninetales-A are unranked, and that there’s barely any usage in NDWC and there’s my case snow is bad and should not be used let alone niche.

2.Move Defog Gliscor to Niche
When have you seen Defog Gliscor nowadays, it‘s kinda not that useful, as it could work in practice, but why would you run Defog when you could run Toxic, Knock Off, Protect, or even U-Turn, as you’re removing your own spikes and that’s kinda bad, however I’ve barely seen it so it might be good, I’m just not sure.

3. Hypnosis section is empty, ruh roh
So like, here’s what I’d put: :Darkrai: | :Iron Valiant:
Darkrai loves the speed boost Z-Hypnosis gives on Nasty Plot sets, and their actually really good, haven’t seen much with Iron Valiant but it’s an option that I have used and it has some merit, as putting things to sleep is kinda broken, and gives Iron Valiant more time to set up with calm mind/SD.

yea that’s it
 
well, not much activity since 2 months(which isn’t that bad but) so I kinda wanna yap about my opinions on what I would think could be good.

Also stuff I’m not that sure about but I want to yap about will not be bolded.

1. Snow as a Whole is a Niche Playstyle(or just remove it entirely)
Really, I don’t think snow is really that good. Although Arctozolt is appealing, literally most viable choice scarfers can outspeed it even in hail and OHKO it, not even counting priority, and Arctozolt thuds into a lot of popular defensive cores, and it’s weak to Stealth Rock but it needs an offensive item to really deal damage, and overall arctozolt is kinda a bad Pokémon. Also, Alolan Ninetales is kinda not looking too good right now considering the multitude of things that can kill it before it sets up screens. Oh yea this is minus the fact that both Arctozolt and Ninetales-A are unranked, and that there’s barely any usage in NDWC and there’s my case snow is bad and should not be used let alone niche.

2.Move Defog Gliscor to Niche
When have you seen Defog Gliscor nowadays, it‘s kinda not that useful, as it could work in practice, but why would you run Defog when you could run Toxic, Knock Off, Protect, or even U-Turn, as you’re removing your own spikes and that’s kinda bad, however I’ve barely seen it so it might be good, I’m just not sure.

3. Hypnosis section is empty, ruh roh
So like, here’s what I’d put: :Darkrai: | :Iron Valiant:
Darkrai loves the speed boost Z-Hypnosis gives on Nasty Plot sets, and their actually really good, haven’t seen much with Iron Valiant but it’s an option that I have used and it has some merit, as putting things to sleep is kinda broken, and gives Iron Valiant more time to set up with calm mind/SD.

yea that’s it

semisnow is a thing right now, arctozolt isn't the best mon ever but with slowking-galar being the single best snow setter to ever exist it's incredibly easy to slot on a team as its really low commitment

defog gliscor is still great, idk why you're saying its any worse than mons like rotom-wash or moltres (known shitty defoggers) its got insane longlevity, knock off support and access to toxic alongside STAB eq to put out respectable damage

hypnosis is just bad. rai and ival don't even want to use it because of how rng reliant it is, which is why they aren't on the list
 
Did a little update after a month and a few weeks, here are the changes:

Utility
Added:
- | :iron-treads: :kommo-o: to Entry Hazards, Stealth Rock
- :iron-treads: to Hazard Control, Rapid Spin
- | :volcanion: to Trapping, Other

Removed:
- | :slowking-galar: from Entry Hazards, Toxic Spikes
- | :scizor-mega: from Trapping, Pursuit


Offensive Roles
Added:
- | :ogerpon: to Wallbreakers, Physical
- | :victini::volcanion: to Wallbreakers, Special
- :kyurem: :tapu-koko: to Wallbreakers, Mixed
- :iron-boulder: | :iron-valiant: to Choice Users, Choice Band
- | :sinistcha: to Set-Up Sweepers, Nasty Plot
- | :ogerpon: to Set-Up Sweepers, Swords Dance

Removed:
- | :garchomp: from Wallbreakers, Mixed
- | :ceruledge: from Set-Up Sweepers, Bulk Up

Defensive Roles
Removed:
- | :empoleon: :tornadus-therian: from Walls, Specially Defensive

Weather and Trick Room
Added:
- | :lilligant-hisui: to Sun, Chlorophyll
- :sinistcha: to Setters and Abusers, Trick Room

Removed:
- Snow Entirely
- :porygon2: from Setters, Trick Room

Let me know if there's anything to add!
 
Did a little update after a month and a few weeks, here are the changes:

Utility
Added:
- | :iron-treads: :kommo-o: to Entry Hazards, Stealth Rock
- :iron-treads: to Hazard Control, Rapid Spin
- | :volcanion: to Trapping, Other

Removed:
- | :slowking-galar: from Entry Hazards, Toxic Spikes
- | :scizor-mega: from Trapping, Pursuit


Offensive Roles
Added:
- | :ogerpon: to Wallbreakers, Physical
- | :victini::volcanion: to Wallbreakers, Special
- :kyurem: :tapu-koko: to Wallbreakers, Mixed
- :iron-boulder: | :iron-valiant: to Choice Users, Choice Band
- | :sinistcha: to Set-Up Sweepers, Nasty Plot
- | :ogerpon: to Set-Up Sweepers, Swords Dance

Removed:
- | :garchomp: from Wallbreakers, Mixed
- | :ceruledge: from Set-Up Sweepers, Bulk Up

Defensive Roles
Removed:
- | :empoleon: :tornadus-therian: from Walls, Specially Defensive

Weather and Trick Room
Added:
- | :lilligant-hisui: to Sun, Chlorophyll
- :sinistcha: to Setters and Abusers, Trick Room

Removed:
- Snow Entirely
- :porygon2: from Setters, Trick Room

Let me know if there's anything to add!

Can we remove Archaludon and Kommo-O from Stealth Rock setters? Mega Swampert usually sets up rocks for Rain teams and Kommo-O runs Z-Move/Throat Spray setup sets 99% of the time anyways
 
Additions and removals I’d make, put these at your own discretion.

Additions
:Garchomp-mega: and :great tusk: to stealth rock: Mega chomp usually runs hazards on its mixed set, and it does so quite effectively since it can lure in hazard removers like Lando and corv with Draco and fblast respectively. Tusk is more a hazard setter seen on Yard offense teams that have trouble slotting it, and I think especially with Zama gone tusk is much easier to fit on these teams over Lando and is definitely a good option for those teams in compressing removal and hazards at once which Lando… doesn’t do so well. These would both be in the niche section though.

:lopunny-mega: and :Ogerpon: to encore (niche): Mlop is famously known for its pivoting abilities, but without Zama it’s able to free up its moveslots more without being a worse Zama. Encore is cool because you get to dismantle and be annoying to pex and balances in general that lock into unfavorable moves, other examples include other lop checks like clef and mola. This is niche because u turn or double Prio are generally better, however encore is broken and lop uses it to some degree of success. Grasspon is more known for its sd sets at least in this tier, but pivot is also a fine tool for teams needing to generate momentum while also having a good form of speed control. A fast encore user like lop is good, but having an already fast +1 boosted encore? That’s a great tool for something like regular pon to have, especially because pivot sets aren’t rlly unviable.

:Darkrai: and :iron valiant: to hypnosis: Darkrai had already been infamous for its sleep antics earlier this year, and I feel being able to just win games based off of sleep (or at least break through large chunks) is although unreliable in terms of sleeping consistent enough of a wincon in of itself for me to justify it. It’s also a potentially fine lead but I wouldn’t go so far to say it’s a reliable one. Ival is one I saw from Xurkiyee and I agree that being able to just hypno a check to cm val / val in general like ferro / gking / Tran is pretty valuable, and if you are inspired by xurk himself you could even run hex to make gking explode.

:Ogerpon: to knock off (offensively): Ogerpon needs knock off usually to take care of stuff like gking and cripple checks like zap or corv, and basically all of its sets should run it. Nothing much else to say here since knock is almost always seen if you use this guy.

:iron valiant: to trick: Usually seen on specs and the rarer scarf sets. Good into the stall mu and is generally annoying to play around because of Val’s already good coverage and stabs. Cripples things like pex, Clod, bliss without risking a miss, and the like. Scarf uses it in a similar manner and even more so because it doesn’t hit as hard and will want to click it into checks more.

:iron Crown: and :Primarina: to Special Wallbreakers: Iron crown, even without using cm, breaks teams down early-middle in the game for its teammates to break through in the mid-late stages of a game. Not to mention stuff like 3a cm, unlike its more sweeping stored power counterpart, is also a great breaker for offense teams that like its defensive utility while also packing a punch. Prim, being recently ranked, has a niche as a special wallbreaker with its great early game breaking abilities on top of being able to trade vs. a majority of balances in the tier and usually forces a lot more progress early game than its competition.

:Primarina: to setup sweepers, calm mind: see above for its viability reasoning.

:cresselia: to choice users, choice scarf: Used on ho teams, it provides those teams with valuable support in lunar dance, twave, and even in the stall mu trick. Not only that, it also provides good defensive presence against Pokemon like Mlop and Lando, mons that are able to revenge kill very well and are some of the best speed control options in the tier which is great for ho teams. This team showcases this type of set well and where it fits on.

Removals

:Gastrodon: from stealth rock: This guy has been largely unviable for months now, and I’d rather use other grounds like Lando, Glisc, or even ting Lu as ground hazard setters on balance teams. On fat, it’s largely just outclassed by Glisc. The only niche it has is improving fat’s mu into rain but like it doesn’t even do well at that due to stuff like ferro and arch existing as well as bolt overwhelming it easily.

:excadrill: :Garchomp: and :great tusk: from Leads, hazard setters: Lead excadrill is a very specific type of lead only used in older gens, and although I like old gen techs being used in nd and believe they can potentially work it is just outclassed largely by iron treads. Also exca should only rlly be used with sd on teams with mtar which this exca isn’t. Garchomp I haven’t rlly be seen used as a traditional lead at all, its stealth rock sets are usually either more defensive wanting to check stuff like heatran and Volc or wanting to be a great breaker like sd is with rocks being a part of why its so good as a breaker, forcing many switches and getting up rocks that way, and as a lead both are just… irrelevant to what chomp does. Tusk as an ho lead seems really weird to me especially because that means you can’t use speed booster bu which is a huge detriment.

:ninetales-alola: from screens setters: Whaf does this do over Koko again? I struggle to see a use for it besides doing ok into rain teams and even then since it’s a lead it won’t be doing that consistently at all. Koko just has better lead utility in taunt, pivoting, and even eterrain which is a much better enabler than a9’s snow.

:Moltres: from defog: Moltres is a horrible defogger in a no ghold meta. What does it accomplish as a fogger that something like zap or torn doesn’t? Get knocked off and then lose 50% of its health on the hazards it’s supposed to clear? The only time Moltres is an at least ok defensive presence is when it’s using tools like toxic and not just being a sitting duck with defog.

:Alomomola: from knock off: Mola having knock over toxic is grief in a meta with waterpon. It just makes it even more passive against things like gouging and Volcarona too.

:blaziken: from physical wallbreakers: Being unranked doesn’t really help its case, but also it hasn’t really been used at all recently. The mon just has no results, and it has a middling speed tier even after a speed boost (being outsped by shifu, lele, and ival doesn’t help it and its frailty either). Pex and lando existing also doesn’t help blaziken out much either.

:Venusaur-mega: from special wallbreakers: With waterpon in the tier you generally want to be more defensively based instead of being the old tank set (which probably needs a new analysis btw…). Mvenu already hits pretty decently hard anyway even without investment is it doesn’t rlly need it although it will never be actively breaking down teams like a traditional wallbreaker would.

:enamorus: from mixed wallbreakers: I think for a long time we have solidified superpower as being a generally bad set, and with tera stellar it doesn’t even want superpower to take advantage of contrary. Plus superpower doesn’t really have any targets and just ends up being a wasted moveslot.

:aegislash: from choice users, choice specs: Defensive sets with subtox or 2a with cc on fat / fat balance teams are the best you are getting with this guy. I don’t think I’ve seen a specs aegis ever put in some type of work as it just makes it more easier to exploit with stuff like ferro, pex, and Tran.

:victini: and :magnezone: from choice users, choice scarf: The only time I would even consider scarf tini is on yard sun, and even then I’d just use some different form of speed control that at least would serve a role of not being a rocks weak pivot. Needing u turn to get out of obviously bad mus like Tran and pex while being rocks weak just doesn’t seem the best to me.

:landorus-Therian: from setup sweepers, bulk up: What set would bulk up even run? A more bulky spread? A more offensive spread? I think SD is just better as a breaker because Lando doesn’t really need the defense boosts especially when Zama is gone which is what I assume it was for.

:Tyranitar-mega: from setup sweepers, dragon dance: This thing just does not have the luxury of setting up in most games and is regulated to screens ho teams because of this, and even then there are better sweepers out there. Being forced to run a jolly nature on something that wants power for its lackluster setup abilities is also not the best and at that point just let me use something like Darkrai which is faster and much more threatening to teams.

:Zamazenta: in general: Banned a couple weeks ago so best to remove all mentions of it.

:Hydrapple: from setup sweepers, nasty plot: I don’t like his game no more, can’t even check pon correctly and doesn’t really do much to seperate itself from tang defensively and it’s too slow to be a consistent wincon.

:blaziken: from setup sweepers, swords dance: look above when I mentioned it earlier to see why.

:kingdra: from rain, swift swim: Where do you even slot this on rain, disappointing abuser and I would rather user other options like Barra or if I wanted a special water I’d use Manaphy.


Ok that’s all for me bye :3
 
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For anyone that needs it, here’s a list of common counterplay options for the most common of attackers(mostly for myself), probably not reliable but if they add these things just add in or remove whatever

i’ll add more soon

Darkrai Counterplay
:Booster Energy::Iron Valiant:, :Choice Scarf::Tapu Lele:, :Lopunny-Mega:, :Tapu Koko:, :Choice Scarf::Urshifu-Rapid-Strike:, :Toxapex:, :Tyranitar-Mega: ,:Ting-Lu:,:Kommo-O: | :Blissey:, :Chansey:,:Clodsire:,:Tapu Fini:

Ogerpon-Wellspring Counterplay
:Ferrothorn:,:Raging Bolt:, :Dragonite:, :Tapu Koko:,:Toxapex:, :Archaludon:,:Tornadus-Therian:,:Gouging Fire:,:Lopunny-Mega:,:Kartana:,:Kommo-o:,:Ogerpon-Wellspring:,:Zapdos: ,:Tangrowth:,:Venusaur-Mega:| :Sinistcha:
 
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For anyone that needs it, here’s a list of common counterplay options for the most common of attackers(mostly for myself), probably not reliable but if they add these things just add in or remove whatever

i’ll add more soon

Darkrai Counterplay
:Booster Energy::Iron Valiant:, :Choice Scarf::Tapu Lele:, :Lopunny-Mega:, :Tapu Koko:, :Choice Scarf::Urshifu-Rapid-Strike:, :Toxapex:, :Tyranitar-Mega: ,:Ting-Lu:,:Kommo-O: | :Blissey:, :Chansey:,:Clodsire:,:Tapu Fini:

Ogerpon-Wellspring Counterplay
:Ferrothorn:,:Raging Bolt:, :Dragonite:, :Tapu Koko:,:Toxapex:, :Archaludon:,:Tornadus-Therian:,:Gouging Fire:,:Lopunny-Mega:,:Kartana:,:Kommo-o:,:Ogerpon-Wellspring:,:Zapdos: ,:Tangrowth:,:Venusaur-Mega:| :Sinistcha:
hey remember when I did this
well I’m gonna do it again but better

Defensive Counterplay: :Ferrothorn:, :Toxapex:, :Zapdos:, :Tangrowth:| :Kommo-O:, :Ogerpon-Wellspring:, :Sinistcha:, :Tapu Bulu:

Offensive Counterplay: :Raging Bolt:, :Dragonite:, :Archaludon:, :Rillaboom: | :Ogerpon:

Revenge Killers: :Tornadus-Therian:, :Tapu Koko:, :Lopunny-Mega:, :Meowscarada:, :Choice Scarf: :Urshifu-Rapid-Strike:, :Booster Energy: :Iron Moth:, :Iron Valiant:, :Medicham-Mega:

Important Notes: This Pokemon can’t run Heavy-Duty-Boots, so trying to wear it down with hazards is a valid strategy.
Defensive Counterplay: :Ferrothorn:, :Heatran:, :Slowking-Galar:, :Tyranitar-Mega:, :Corviknight: | :Iron Treads:, :Blissey:, :Celesteela:

Offensive Counterplay: :Scizor-Mega:, :Iron Crown:, :Weavile:, :Samurott-Hisui:

Revenge Killers: :Urshifu-Rapid-Strike:, :Kartana:, :Booster Energy: :Iron Valiant:

Important Notes: Most, if not all sets don’t use HDB, so wearing it down with hazards is a good strategy. Also, most Pokémon in this section can switch into an already locked in choice move, so keep that in mind.
Defensive Counterplay: :Ferrothorn:, :Iron Crown:, :Garganacl:, :Gliscor:, :Heatran:, :Slowking-Galar:, :Ting-Lu: | :Clodsire:, :Blissey:

Offensive Counterplay: :Landorus-Therian:, :Garchomp:, :Great Tusk:, :Swampert-Mega:, :Diancie-Mega:, :Tapu Lele:

Revenge Killers: :Choice Scarf: :Landorus-Therian:, :Lopunny-Mega:, :Medicham-Mega:

Important Notes: Can get worn down by hazards.

Feel free to impolitely tell me I missed something
Also Zama and Gouging are still here, might wanna do something about that
 
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