Resource NU Viability Rankings

[etern]

Welcome to the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet NeverUsed Viability Rankings!

In this thread, we, as a community, will be ranking every single justifiably usable Pokemon into "tiers" ranking their viability in the metagame. You're encouraged to post your thoughts and opinions on the various Pokemon that are viable in NU and what tier they should fall under. Posts in this thread will be taken into account when deciding rank changes, especially when nominating unranked pokemon to be evaluated for the VR.

The general idea of the topic is to rank each NU Pokemon under "rankings" that go in descending order. Since this is a tier list for the entire metagame, everything is lumped together. There won't be any segregation between offense, defense, and supportive presences in the metagame within this thread. For example, Klefki can be ranked in the A- tier as a supportive presence, Toxtricity can be ranked in the A- as an offensive presence, and Avalugg can be ranked in the A- tier as a defensive presence. While these three examples can also be found in the initial rankings, the viability of Pokemon and their roles within the metagame can and will change over time, so we will be sure to keep an open mind to this as well and adjust the thread accordingly during each update.

Finally, there will be a council of experienced players who will discuss and vote on the ranking of Pokemon. Depending on how the metagame is developing, we could update the thread every couple of weeks or every month+. Despite the fact that voting is limited to these players, posts with either complete VRs or individual nominations are very much appreciated and will be taken into account, especially when the tier is changing so rapidly due to the constant DLC releases. The council currently consists of the users below, but note that there will occasionally be rotational members that are added to vote on slates based on recent activity or results. The council currently consists of the following users:

• Danny
• Django
• Elias PSY
• etern
• loocas13
• Phantomistix
• Pokeslice
• Rabia
• Shengineer
• Tuthur
• zS

Last Updated: January 24th, 2026

Previous Slates

April 8th 2024
April 30th 2024
May 29th 2024
July 15th 2024
August 9th 2024
September 15th 2024
October 26th 2024
January 15th 2025
January 31st 2025
February 17th 2025
March 7th 2025
March 27th 2025
April 24th 2025
June 15th 2025
July 11th 2025
August 21st 2025
October 22nd 2025
January 24th 2026

New

No New Additions

S Rank

Flygon
Munkidori

A Rank

A+

Articuno-Galar
Chandelure
Copperajah
Duraludon
Flamigo
Incineroar
Toxtricity
Vaporeon

A

Basculegion
Gligar
Houndstone
Klefki
Reuniclus
Raikou
Rhyperior
Tauros-Paldea-Aqua

A-

Bronzong
Cinccino
Goodra
Meloetta
Scrafty
Scream Tail
Scyther
Swampert
Sylveon
Tornadus
Tsareena
Wo-Chien

B Rank

B+

Amoonguss
Barraksewda
Bellibolt
Brambleghast
Dudunsparce
Slowbro-Galar
Toxicroak

B

Altaria
Araquanid
Brute Bonnet
Chansey
Cramorant
Drednaw
Grafaiai
Heracross
Infernape
Kilowattrel
Overqwil
Thwackey
Uxie

B-

Ambipom
Decidueye
Ditto
Hitmonlee
Inteleon
Ninetales-Alola
Staraptor
Tauros-Paldea-Blaze

C Rank

Arcanine
Bastiodon
Braviary-Hisui
Golurk
Hoopa
Hariyama
Sandslash-Alola
Scovillain
Tentacruel
Venusaur
Whimsicott

Do Not Use

Avalugg
Braviary
Vileplume

Whenever making a tiering post, please avoid one-liners such as "I don't think this mon is good" or "This mon is better than this mon, so it should be ranked higher". Also, when responding to other people's nominations or to how certain Pokemon are ranked, please be respectful and do not flame other users. Any posts like this will be removed, and if multiple of your posts need to be deleted, it may lead to further action. This post will be constantly updated to reflect the current state of the meta, and the meta is rapidly developing, so please keep that in mind!

 

[Rabia]

The viability list got an update! Naturally, there were quite a lot of changes (including the addition of a new subrank), so I won't summarize them here. Instead, you can view how we voted by clicking right here.

 

[Rabia]

VR has been updated once again! There will be an upload tonight from me talking about the rankings if you'd like to know why Pokemon are where they are :] now that we've pivoted into a more traditional VR format, the thread is open to people nominating new Pokemon and discussing currently ranked Pokemon for drops or rises. Remember, though, that when nominating something to be newly ranked, you MUST support your post with replays.

 

[Ninja]

wo chien to B+
80/100/135 stats w/ tablets of ruin is insane bulk and means that's it's very hard to kill in one hit, and while its typing does give some weaknesses to common types, resistances to electric, grass, dark, ghost, and ground are super useful, and it pairs extremely well with the best mon in the meta (slowbro)
seed + knock make progress vs nearly everything, and coupled with ruination it can annoy bulky setup sweepers like scrafty/slowbro
psychic immunity, much higher bulk and access to knock are the reasons to use it over plume. there's also competition from bonnet, but bonnet is completely useless if it gets burned while wo-chien can still do progress with leech and ruination. now if you need removal, it's tough to justify using it over tsar/bramble, but it's still good enough to be in VRs and above stuff like houndstone, kilowattrel and tentacruel
replay from later seasonal rounds
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen9nu-759222
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2091197109
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen9nu-753548?p2
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen9nu-753558?p2

there's also this replay from old meta where it lost to tera grass rampardos, but it'd probably win if it was foul play over tect or ruination
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen9nu-750596

 

[JoeMama]

B- to B/B+

New meta who dis? Imo Rotom Mow is slightly underrated, although not perfect nor iron clad you do check some of the better mons in the tier such as Tier King Slowbro, the plethora of water-grounds running around and can slow down some physical attackers like Lycanroc and bulky mons like Muk in a pinch. While yes it does compete with its bro Rotom Heat, the water and ground checking ability is going slightly unnoticed as of rn at least in my opinion.

 

[LessThanThreeMan]

On the whole, I think this viability ranking is really solid! I wanted to share my thoughts on a few mons that could be updated for the current meta.

Magnezone B+ to A
Magnezone is easily the best steel type right now and it has gotten so much better as the meta has shifted. Generally speaking Zone is really good at gaining momentum for teams and leveraging its typing, natural bulk, and power all at the same time. Assault vest sets are great pivots and still do good damage with analytic boosts on the switch. Specs analytic volt switches are really powerful and if you click the right move you either get a kill or good chip and momentum. Iron Press sets are really great too, if a bit unexplored.

Registeel A to B+
As much as I like registeel it really kills your momentum every time it comes in. Sets lacking iron press are just really passive. My favorite moveset currently is Iron Defense | Body Press | Earthquake or Heavy Slam | Thunder Wave or Stealth Rocks. It's functional but I just dont think it's good enough to be in the A ranks any more.

Munkidori B to A-
Munkidori is a bit of a polarizing mon currently. Some people are big fans of it, some don't think it's great. It is most known for trick scarf sets that can poison switch ins (not named muk-A) on the u-turn. It is a good scarfer, but I feel like it misses a lot of KOs that other scarfers (mostly shao) would have picked up. Then I tried specs Munkidori and saw a new side of it. This thing is very powerful, has a great speed tier, and specs gets a lot of the kills scarf misses out on. Instead of relying on the poison chance to do passive damage to checks with scarf u turn, specs sets use the poison chances to nab 2 hit KOs that it otherwise shouldn't get. Also krookodile isn't a switch in. It can get ohkoed by focus blast or nearly 2 hit by sludge wave (additionally pressured by the poison chance). Munkidori also pairs very nicely with some of the other top tiers, namely shao, krook, and flygon.

Chandelure B+ to A
Honestly I'm not sure why chandy was ever in B rank. Early on in the DLC2/March drops meta people though chandy would be replaced by typh-h with its better speed and matching typing. Sure scarf typh-h may be a better set but I don't think scarf is what either of them do particularly well. Chandelure is one of the best breakers in NU right now. Specs sets are extremely powerful, and even things like Muk-A don't take overheat/fire blast very well. Calm Mind 3 attack sets are also really strong. Energy ball has a lot of important targets now and I really thing we are underrating its power here by having it in B+.

 

[Shengineer]

I mostly agree with the current VR, but I have a few suggestions. Here are the major ones I feel strongly about:

Magnezone B+ to A
I agree with LTTM that Magnezone is the best steel type, I've found success with both specs and AV sets. Not a whole lot can switch into specs analytic, and with AV its nice to have a spdef steel that can preserve momentum with volt switch.

Munkidori B to A-
Munkidori has excellent synergy with the top offensive mons, and can help make progress against bulky teams via toxic chain and crippling walls with a switcheroo scarf. Hits a very nice speed tier (faster than Mienshao). U-turn is incredible at bringing in breakers, Focus Blast or Tera Blast Ground can help dispatch lured in steel types that may stand in the way of your team. It even has a bit of defensive utility with a quad fight resist and fairy resist.

Heracross UR to B-
I think the current meta is quite favorable to Heracross, and that a lot of people are sleeping on what he can do. Offensively, he is incredibly hard to switch into and can oneshot the best defensive core (MukBro) with guts boosted Megahorn. He also has a nice selection of coverage including Knock Off to make consistent progress and Stone Edge to hit Flying types. He's got a decent speed tier (faster than Gallade), and also brings surprisingly decent defensive utility as a switch-in against Krookodile, Flygon, and Muk-A, and is hard to revenge kill by Fighting types like Mienshao. He's best off with some sort of wish support as lack of longevity is his primary weakness. Struggles into HO/weather matchup, make sure your team has it covered. I think there's also potential to use him as a Spikes setter.

Obliterating Slowbro and forcing an early tera in NU SSNL: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen9nu-760334?p2

edit: added thorns

Iron Thorns B to A-
Thorns is a bit of a tera hog, but with tera, he's still doing what he did before he was previously banned. Hits INSANELY hard with booster attack and often only needs one turn of DD to sweep through weakened teams, but you can often get a second one for free with tera. B tier feels like a slap on the face for what I feel is still one of the scariest sweepers.


These could all be knocked down a peg. Raikou and Heattom are increcibly underwhelming, while I haven't seen much Charizard on his own archetype (sun). The dog has had his day, but now that we have two somewhat common defoggers, his usefulness feels quite limited.

 

[Phantomistix]

Some thoughts on some mons that I've been meaning to share

A+ to S
By far the best offensive tool in the tier. Does it all; speed control, breaking power, cleaning, self sustain. I think people are starting to agree with this take a lot more and I don't doubt that if we were to vote tonight on this mon alone it would rise.

Remains S
Might not be as feared as he once was, Duskanroc remains a premier breaking/cleaning tool, one that does not rely on other mons for coverage. It has fell off a bit yes, but I still firmly believe it's an S rank mon.

B+ to A-
Mon has one switchin(that it can trick or burn), really enjoys Mienshao and Flygon as partners. Very solid abuser of those pesky choice locked Fighting types (and fimp Flygons).

B+ to A-
Mon has even less switchins than Chandelure lmao. Stop running those goofy defensive sets and start nuking enemies.

B+ to A-
I can't mention Chandelure without shouting out this demon too. It's even stronger and while it has more initial switchins, Tera Blast being a Normal type move initially is a boon. So what if the Registeel switched into your Tera Blast, you can just Tera Ground the next turn and it dies (assuming download boost + Specs). Even if it isn't in range, it doesn't want to stay in and eat 65% from TBlast, and you can always just take the chip from the attack and any hazards you set and dip on out. Muk-Alola isn't even a switchin if you have a download boost, and without the boost its still a very clean 2HKO with TBlast Ground, even with a double protect for lefties and no hazards. Having access to Trick, Nasty Plot and very good coverage is only the icing on the cake for what is a very solid mon.

B to A+
No, I am not exaggerating. This was somehow voted in B, I still don't know why but I'm glad people are starting to come around. Munkidori is even better than what people are seeing now. It fits seamlessly with the best mons in the tier and has amazing power. This thing has the same SpA stat as Magnezone yall. Throwing off strong STAB attacks or luring in potential switchins with Focus Blast or TBlast Ground is just the start. It can act as a wincon with NP, or be a constant nuisance, chipping with U-turn and poison while always threatening a potential KO if the opponent overplays their hand with a wrong prediction. It also has very solid utility options; Trick, Psychic Noise and Parting Shot are all very decent options on the teams that suit them. I've also been experimenting with Hex on status spam teams as a niche pick, and it's surprisingly solid.

A to B+/B
Passive, weak, no sustain, hates facing 5 of the top 6 mons in the tier (and even then the sixth mon, Muk, doesn't have to stay in to deal with it and can get on out after knocking it). Setup sets are garbage in this Slowbro meta.

 

[Lucario]

I was doing some thinking and decided to write my thoughts on some changes to the VR that would better reflect today's NU. I'm not going super in-depth for these since there's a lot, but you will still get enough info.

Rises
A+ --> S
This is a no brainer. Mienshao is the best Scarf user, best pivot, and a great late game sweeper. It fits on so many teams and enables so many breakers, sort of like Rotom-C last gen. Mienshao has always been S-rank worthy, but I think that it hasn't seen the use or discussion it deserves until recently, mostly due to last month's heavy use of offense.

A- --> A
These three are simply just underrated/not properly ranked. Gallade has seen an uptick in usage recently, rightfully so because of how strong it is. Lucario and Noivern (biases aside) are just so much better than the rest of the A- ranked Pokemon, and are better than some of the A-rank Pokemon, too. As I mentioned, Gallade is strong, fitting mostly on balance teams as a wallbreaker. Agility sets are good, SD sets are hard to switch into, and AV sets exist. Lucario is one of the best sweepers on HO, being on 90% of HO teams thanks to strong priority that is hard to switch into. It can even run special sets to exploit Slowbro as it's Luc's best check (Unless it used Tera Fairy lol). Lucario defines Webs HO alongside Lycanroc-D and deserves to be higher because of the threat it poses in battle. Noivern should be higher because it's arguably better as a Defog user than Talonflame. Noivern also has the scary Specs set that you never expect until you lose your switch-in. These 3 being ranked alongside Klefki and Sun just feels weird.

B+ --> A-
Brute Bonnet has risen a lot as a great special wall thanks to AV, but is able to threaten faster Pokemon thanks to Sucker Punch, something Muk-A cannot do. Chandelure has seen a lot of hype recently, mostly by Etern. It's a good Pokemon that is really scary with Specs, Scarf, and CM sets all being relevant. Chandelure has very few switch-ins, often those Pokemon hate being hit by the move that was not predicted to be clicked. If you want to know more about Incineroar, read Phantom's post. This Pokemon is really good and loves Knocking everything, but nobody is using the right set. Magnezone is finally seeing the light of day. Specs sets hit hard, and with the drop off in Water + Ground typed Pokemon, it can freely click whatever it wants and only needs to worry about Tera users. Not having to waste Tera on Magnezone anymore makes it a scary threat.

B --> A-
I'm finally hopping on the Munkidori train (you're welcome, Danny). Stop using Scarf, the 4a pivot set and even NP 3a are strong sets that synergize greatly with other scarfers like Mienshao and Flygon. Clicking U-turn and spreading Toxic to a Rhyperior that switches in is really powerful. Munkidori beinng ranked alongside Vaporeon and Raikou is sad, and it being ranked under Typh-H and Rotom-H is also sad. Munkidori breaks through a lot of balance structures, please bump it up a couple subranks.

B --> B+
I lost to Scarf Toxtricity yesterday, idk how, but Scarf hits unexpectedly hard. This guy is just like Magnezone, Gallade, Chandelure, and Porygon-Z, it hits hard and you will have no counterplay after a few turns of it being out. I would rank this A- but for now I think just B+ is good enough.

B- --> B
With the best Water-type being Slowbro, followed by Swampert, Inteleon and Kingdra are able to rise to do what they do best. Clicking a strong Hydro Pump has never felt better because Vaporeon, Milotic, and Gastrodon do not exist. Inteleon really only has its Specs set, which is still great and can fit Dark Pulse for Slowbro, but honestly, just run Mystic Water or Boots on it to bluff Specs and to pivot. Kingdra also loves the fact that Fairy-types do not exist. Diancie loses to your Water STAB and Klefki cries at the sight of Substitute. CritDra is incredibly strong and is great on Webs teams.

Drops
A --> A-
Brambleghast is just worst Tsareena, it's frail and weak to Knock Off; A is a little too high for it. Diancie is a Pokemon I love on HO because Rock Polish sets blast through those that don't expect it. OTR Diancie also exists but idk if it's still good, same with bulky setup. My issue with Diancie is that it has stiff competition with Rhyperior. Diancie isn't too threatening anymore because it doesn't take hits like it used to. Being a Fairy-type that doesn't resist Fighting-type moves is not great, especially since it is weak to Ground- and Water-type moves. Reuniclus has fallen off big time, I used to be its biggest fan, but that title now goes to Shengineer. If I wanted a Reuniclus on my team I would use Slowbro because Slowbro is just so much better.

A- --> B+
Infernape sucks. The one thing it has over Mienshao is with Scarf it outspeeds Venusaur under the Sun, which really isn't worth it because Sun is mid. 104 Atk/SpA is too low these days, if I want a Fighting-type with SD I'll use Mienshao, Lucario, or Gallade; if I wanted a Fighting-type with NP I'll use Lucario or Specs Chandelure because it essentially fills the slot. Gyarados was banned a month ago, there's no reason to use Quagsire. Slowbro exists and so does Swampert.

B+ --> B/B-
Just like Quagsire, there is no reason to use this. It is far too passive of a Pokemon. It's weak, doesn't threaten much, and is often just set up fodder for 99% of the tier.

B --> B-
We live in a timeline where Raikou is better in UU than NU, lol. In theory this mon should be good, but it isn't. The only reason I would use it is when I question myself with, "Has this shitter been fully explored?" idk the answer to that because CM and Specs exist, pivot sets exist, but y'know what else exists? Thundurus (and Jolteon). Re: Vaporeon- Just like Quagsire Gastrodon, there is no reason to use this. It is far too passive of a Pokemon. It's weak, doesn't threaten much, and is often just set up fodder for 99% of the tier.

B- --> C
Why is Houndstone ranked in the first place? It was ok in previous metas, but should not exist currently. Just like Raikou, Kilowattrel sucks and is a worse version of Thundurus, if anything it should be UR. Umbreon is just Alolan Muk + Vapo, but even more passive. Maybe if Wish Passing teams were better I would consider using it, but they are not good, so bye bye Umbreon.

C --> UR
Yeah I don't need to explain these. Besides Rabia's latest video which he uses Flamigo to showcase a Pokemon that has fallen off, when have you seen either of these 3 Pokemon? When would you use these 3 Pokemon? Thank you, next.

I was considering talking about Sun and how it should fall, but I haven't used it recently. I also haven't seen much use of it recently, so, yeah.

 

[Pika134]

Rises

-> S
I think it's universal agreed that Mienshao is best pokemon in NU. It's also so easy fit on so many teams and I nothing else that's been said it's a excellent pokemon.

-> A
Lucario in my opinion deserves a lot more respect since it might be the most scariest setup sweepers. The Ekiller sets can snowball a game unless you have a Tera Ghost user and it fits great on many HO teams.

-> A-
Brute Bonnet actually got a lot better since it's been rising as a special wall and having Sucker Punch is a great advantage over Alolan Muk. Chandelure is still a menace with Specs and Scarf sets being a pain to switch-in into many of the checks don't like taking it stabs. I like Munkidori a lot more I thought it was a mid pokemon but after using Munkidori it's pretty good. I don't think it deserves to rise to A+ since it's typing isn't great, but A- fits Munkidori fine.

-> A
Magnezone might be one of the best Steel-type in NU. Due to how much it's a pain to check Ground-types don't like to switch into Analytic Flash cannon nor Tera Blast Grass. I think the AV set deserves more attention sure isn't strong as Specs sets. However it gives Magnezone some bulk allowing to tank hits from Dragalge and Munkidori, and it doesn't have the Choice lock effect of Specs allowing Magnezone freely used another move without making it walled against its checks.

-> A-
I like Copperajah a lot more than Registeel since it can do more on a team then just standing there to get up rocks. Knock Off allows it to get rid of held items and Whirlwind to prevent setup sweepers to snowball a game and at the end of the day it's Copperajah it does the same thing it has been since the beginning of the tier.

Drops

-> A- / B+
Brambleghast in my opinion just got a bit worse since it's bulk is just trash and having only Poltergeist as your only Stab Ghost move makes it a lot more easier more physical walls to beat it on 1 v 1.

-> B+ / B
Truth be told I just fell out of love with Registeel sure it has better bulk than Copperajah, however; it's extremely passive it just makes variable against many of top tier pokemon.

-> A-
I think Reuniclus is still great, but it has fallen off a lot. Not like it's a bad pokemon far from it but with the recovery nerf it makes it a lot more passive against many attacks and it face competition against Mew and Slowbro both are just better to used on a team.

 

[Heatranator]

Going to quickly rise and drop some mons.

Rises
-> A-/A
Lucario already talked about it, but gallade is an amazing mon. It has decent special bulk (though AV is amazing, so that's where they were wrong, start using it sheeple, you can switch into so many special hits) and truly disgusting breaking power. It's only issue is its mid speed tier (which is not bad for a mon with this power) and poor defense stat, but that can be overcome by using agility or webs for the former and by just hitting things first for the later.
-> B/A-
Other people have already spoke about it, but I would like to talk about a set that I have been using to great success, choice specs. TLDR, but unless you are immune to it, the move will hurt. This allows it to clean up slightly chipped teams, and boosted future sights can help break open some mons that try to switch between resists. I haven't been using u-turn, but that would probably elevate the set further.
-> C/B
I am bronzong's biggest beliver, and have used it in every tier (except ubers, I may be crazy but I'm not that crazy) and bronzong is genuinelly good here bias mostly aside. People are using bronzong purely as a defensive answer (which it is good at) or purely as a id sweeper (which it is also good at), but you should be doing both. By using a set of id, bp, rocks and a coverage move, you can switch in early to get up rocks and maybe wall something, and late game go for a sweep. Some options of a coverage move are: heavy slam, payback, e-quake and grass knot. You can mix and match the coverage for the situation, and it can wall a lot of physical attackers with levitate. Please stop pigeonholing bronzong into one role, make it defensive without being passive and offensive without it having early game utility. It should not be among the ranks of stuff like smeargle, ughh.

Drops
-> A+/A
Hot take, but idk why people are hyping up flygon. On paper, its a great mon, but when I'm looking for a ground type for the team, I always choose either krook or rhyperior. They offer a lot more offense for the team and while flygon does have dd, its not breaking through most things after one boost, it needs two at least and that is somewhat exploitable. Choice band sets are decent and probably where it is best, but that's mainly because of first impression, which you can only click once. Choice scarf sets are entirely outclassed by scarf krook in my opinion, knock is such a good tool. On its own merits, flygon is fine, but competition is stiff.
-> A-/B+
I do think that quagsire is pretty good in this meta as it is able to stonewall a lot of set up sweepers and either get up spikes, use recover or toxic something, which differeniates itself from the competition, but A- is just too high for it. This is mainly just competition as a bulky ground type, but it does have good differeniating factors.

 

[Perla]

-> B+

Jumping on the Inteleon's train as well:
everybody has realized that the water immunities or the special defensive water types (Vape, Gastro, Milo...) that were supposed to hinder Inteleon are basically absent in this tier, preferring physically defensive water types (Slowbro) or water types that don't resist water (Swampert).
This makes Inteleon's special moves more spammable whether you are Boots, Scope Lens, Life Orb or Choice Specs.


I honestly think that it can also fulfill the role of a superviable scarfer, with nice features that might make it preferable over the canonical ones:

1) its speed tier is really really good (Infernape , you're out) being able to outspeed all the staple scarfers, all the relevant Shell Smashers and, de facto, the relevant Weather Sweepers.

Summary of the speed tiers

x2 Timid Venusaur (lmao) 568 > Scarfed Inteleon 558 > x2 Jolly Drednaw 543 > x2 Jolly Cetitan 538 > x2 Jolly Cloyster 524 > Scarfed Infernape 519 > x2 Modest Venusaur 518 > Scarfed Munkidori 513 > Scarfed Mienshao 508

2) It's a special scarfer, which can give you more freedom in your teambuilding (by now, you generally have physical scarfers, as Munkidori is heading towards Boots sets) with an offensive stat of 125 like Mienshao (Infernape , you're out) and with the possibility of hitting Slowbro with Dark Pulse if you need it.

3) Considering that the "former mid-rank" Gallade has become a threatening breaker, Inteleon can scare the opponent (forcing them to switch) and pivot into the psychic/fighting mon to scare the opponent even more. This is the biggest selling point imho: you can safely pivot into the "Sharpness Demon" or if you revenge-kill something with Inteleon, you're still faster than the common scarfers, so if the opponent wants to kill the lizard using a resistance with a super effective move, Inteleon's weaknesses can be easily covered by the numerous slow pivots of the tier like Dragalge , Tsareena , Magnezone , Rotom-Heat ... or for specific weaknesses Swampert and Incineroar which can slow pivot into Gallade again. Even the grass resists Talonflame and Noivern could possibly tank and pivot as well.
Additionally, in this instance, Inteleon is a "uturner" which doesn't overloads your team with Fighting types (Infernape , you're out again)

4) As I said before, without the water absorb/storm drain mons, Inteleon can become the fastest late game cleaner in some situations (Infernape you're out; we have Flash Fire Chandy and Slowbro for what it's worth)

 

[Phantomistix]

We've updated the VR again to reflect the shifting meta. You can find the voting slate here. We also cleaned up a lot of the clutter in the lower ranks so I won't be listing reasons for those other than they are extremely niche options with little to no results to speak of.

Rises

UR to C - Has found recent success in tours and on ladder as a niche pick to abuse some of the more common structures.
UR to B- - A mon that is being explored more as a solid generic wall and utility option and has found success.

A+ to S - The most splashable offensive option in the tier, will always be a threat over the course of a game and can ignore hazards and shrug off chip completely.

A- to A - Another mid speed fighting type that has picked up a lot of traction recently and is a very big threat in the builder, being one of the few mons that beat Slowbro before and after tera.

B+ to A- - Are you guys noticing a trend here? Another excellent mid speed threat with great set versatility and a whopping SpA stat.
B+ to A- - Has been picking up steam lately as a preferred steel type with a very respectable attack stat even when uninvested.
B+ to A - More exploration and meta developments have favored Magnezone greatly and is now one of the premier options in the tier when it comes to role compression and general breaking. Set ambiguity and good self support options like Iron Defense and Magnet Rise are all positives.

B to A- - Allow a man to stroke his ego and say "I told you so". Very strong threat that does well to abuse the common structures and break teams down over the course of a game. Even the mediocre Scarf set has its merits as a stall breaker option with trick and the fact that it outspeeds Mienshao.
B to B+ - Mid speed threat yada yada yada, this one can also pivot.

B- to B - Very similar role to Sylveon as a utility fairy that can also act as an offensive threat.
B- to B - Great offensive option, especially considering that the water immunes are not as popular in the Slowbro meta.
B- to B - Mid speed threat round 6.
B- to B - More of an offensive threat than its brother, but can also stand in as a defensive option on teams that already have a bulky water like Swampert and others.

Drops

S to A+ - Although it dropped in usage and is not the threat it once was, it is still undoubtedly a premier breaking threat. Its only negatives are the increased need for coverage, and it can't afford to have all the coverage it needs as well as SD and priority for faster threats.

A+ to A - Meta has shifted away from offense spam which it can abuse with ease to get an easy sweep towards more midspeed threats that it can't set up on.
A+ to A - Similar reasons to Cloyster have caused people to shy away from Mew in favor of other options that have more raw strength or bulk to act as a setup sweeper on either side of the spectrum. Utility sets are still mid.

A to A- - It has carved out its niche as a more offensively oriented spinner as opposed to Tsareena, the more popular and more splashable option. Having to use this means more often than not dropping Knock Off which a lot of the time is not a very desirable trade off.
A to A- - Slowbro and Muk-Alola have usurped its niche as a defensive option in a slower meta where you don't need the role compression as much. Still a very solid option and very much a threat with its setup sets.
A to A- - Has slowly been falling out of favor as Copperajah picked up more usage as a defensive steel, and the surge in Magnezone's popularity does it no favors.

A- to B+ - While still a very good breaking option, it can be awkward to fit on a team compared to other options.
A- to B+ - Mienshao has established itself as the premier fighting type, but Infernape still has merits as a faster threat that also has utility with Switcheroo and Stealth Rocks. The exploration of other fire types has also increased the competition.
A- to B+ - Sun has fallen more out of favor recently but remains a very solid archetype.
A- to B+ - Swampert has solidified itself as the best Water-Ground, and more powerful mid speed threats that can brute force through Quagsire have become more popular. Having unaware is not as important in this meta.

B+ to B - More mid speed threats that can break it, hard to fit on teams and very tera reliant.
B+ to B - Similar reasons as Quagsire except that it doesn't have a niche of its own.
B+ to B - Exploration of Incineroar as a better bulky fire type and Magnezone as an electric type have both led to reduced Rotom-Heat usage.
B+ to B - Similar to Mew, it's harder to find opportunities to set up, and it doesn't provide much to the team outside its threat as a sweeper as opposed to other options like Mew and Slowbro.
B to B- - Just like Cloyster, it has a harder time setting up.
B to B- - Similar role to Gastro but with a worse typing and provides less utility to the team.

B- to C - Sun is worse.
B- to C - Psychic terrain as a playstyle has vanished and Espeon sees little to no use outside it other than as a niche Eject Button user on HO teams.
B- to C - Fallen out of favor with options like Rhyperior and Swampert replacing it.
B- to C - Very niche option that is often very awkward to fit on teams.
B- to C - Has competition for the role of a fast flying type and is not that strong initially as a breaker. May see more usage again with people exploring Competitive as a better ability, especially with the increase in Defog users and the prevalence of Intimidate.
B- to C - Psychic type that is slower than Krook.
B- to C - Another bulky water that sees very little usage.
B- to C - Cloyster and Drednaw are much more attractive Shell Smash options.
B- to C - Physically defensive wall in a tier with Slowbro.

B- to UR
C to UR
C to UR
C to UR
C to UR
C to UR
C to UR
C to UR
C to UR
C to UR
C to UR

 

[Birdbrain103]

Something I'd like to nominate is from UR to C

This mon is still insane. Just one belly drum gives it enough power to one shot almost anything in the tier slower than it barring a potential tera'ed slowbro/avalugg, and Bullet Punch has several good targets in the tier who don't resist it, such as S and A tier mons , , , , , who all get dropped by one bullet punch, though some require hazards/guts/tera steel.
Admittedly, it isn't very splashable and might require support in the form of a Memento(Shoutout to Rabia's NBT Memento Chandelure) or an aggressive double but the pay off of a well played BD Hariyama is unmatched in it's sheer power to overwhelm staple walls such as , and

I believe that BD/BU Hariyama could have applications beyond normal HO teams, but I've yet to have the time to test it in those teams. Additionally, I have yet to experiment with the potential of webs hariyama to capitalize on outspeeding mid-speed steel resistant breakers such as , , and .

Here are some replays showing off what I'm talking about.

Replay 1

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2117132174?p2
uses the opponent's 's burn to it's advantage, reaching terrifying power to one shot Chandelure after stealth rock.
+6 252+ Atk Guts Tera Steel Hariyama Bullet Punch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Chandelure: 222-261 (85 - 100%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock

Replay 2

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2117148972?p2
Gets a belly drum up and one shots the Vileplume, opening up the game for the many offensive threats on the team that would like it gone after a predicted U-Turn from the enemy's . The sweep would've conitnued but unfortunately it got fully paralyzed before it could drop with a +6 252+ Atk Guts Hariyama Bullet Punch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Flygon: 326-384 (108.3 - 127.5%)

Replay 3

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2117184004-im42459kg80g2vsmou4z85wtql0xsrtpw
may 4x resist bullet punch, but slower variants of magnezone(such as AV and iron defense sets) can be handled with a drain punch and give Hariyama free reign. Hariyama's ability to heal off damage with drain punch left it out of range of a Gatr's liquidation and left the opponent to a forfeit with the only potential out being a lucky effect spore.

Replay 4

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2117184763-kbk4nl4mexkcea7i10p2tousaap2zqjpw
left Hariyama unable to belly drum up, but the health gained allowed it to belly drum up under the threat of scald and let it OHKO and deal massive damage to

Replay 5

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2117258620
used tera to setup in front of a screamtail and took the game from there once quag went down.

Replay 6

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2117261113?p2
made use of thick fat in order to setup in front of a special infernape, effectively going 2 for 1 as not only did it take out the infernape, it also took out the opponent's tera and all but 8% of iron thorn's health.

 

[Perla]

When will Scovillain be added to the VR?

 

[kiru]

Krookodile A+ -> S-/ S - Krookodile is amazing. Bulk Up Moxie is quite scary to go against. Knock Off is direct progress in any game. It has Stealth Rocks, it has Intimidate to prevent it from dying to Mienshao, and its a Ground-typing. This Pokemon is also really item-flexible in Choice Scarf, Choice Band, Leftovers, Rocky Helmet, Loaded Dice, and more.

Magnezone A -> A+ - Magnet Pull, Analytic, and Sturdy are all competitively great ability. Notably the former two being the prominent abilities as the first traps Steels like Registeel while the other just being putting out a lot of damage. Magnezone is really good into balanced compositions and with Rain rising as a playstyle in the meta, its only imperative for people to start running teams that don't fall short to Hurricane / Thunder / Weather Ball spam.

Mienshao S -> A - Mienshao is a little difficult alone as a pure Fighting-type to justify as a Staple. Although Regenator + U-turn is great, Slowbro and Vileplume are two Pokemon that punish this really hard. The metagame is very aggressive with weather-based playstyles being click-friendly so I don't feel like this is reflective on the meta at this given time to be S.

Alolan Muk - A+ -> A - Flygon and Krookdile are in this ranking and I consider these Pokemon to be insanely great and solid brings into the meta. Alolan Muk is a Dark type that checks Psychic-types decently which is what makes it great + Tspikes absorb, but I feel like its not as splashable as the other rankings.

 

[PowerOfMemes]

UR > C/B-
It seems everyone’s been using Tornadus on their favorite Rain teams lately and for good reason! Prankster allows free set up of weather, allowing it to be sacked and simultaneously put in work even against faster teams. It also pairs nicely with the Rain sweepers, Kingdra, Ludicolo, and Basculegion, as it easily handles Grass-types they tend to struggle breaking like Wo-Chien and Vileplume. With its high Special Attack and Speed stats, it can also clean on these Rain teams, after faster Pokemon have been handled by partners. Tornadus also has seen some usage as a pivot thanks to its access to Hurricane and Bleakwind Storm, unlike Thundurus, actually letting it beat Grass-types.

NUPL Games:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen9nu-768801
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen9nu-770669
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen9nu-770815

My Games:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2126144014
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2126145051

LessThanThreeMan’s Games:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2123809354?p2
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2112788822?p2
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2112753349
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2112785718?p2
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nu-2123877430?p2

 

[Phantomistix]

Another VR update to reflect meta developments in both NUPL and NU Open, as well as other common meta trends on ladder. You can find the slate here. Make sure to shame Danny for voting in lowercase.

New Additions

UR to B - The massive surge in HO popularity is a boon for all the Ditto enjoyers out there.
UR to C - Solid breaker with great utility, very solid bulk and access to status absorbing and Thick Fat.
UR to B - Ban Drought
UR to B - Rain is gaining traction, useful as a tertiary setter and self abuser.
UR to B- - Provides some nice utility to rain teams with its typing, speed, and hazard options.
UR to A - Ban Drought: Age of Ultron
UR to B+ - Primary rain setter, synergizes well with Hurricane, Weather Ball and provides some utility with a prankster Taunt or a U-turn.

Rises

A to A+ - Very hard to switch into, offers a lot of set versatility, picking and choosing its role on a team.
A to A+ - Always a late game threat, can completely invalidate a lot of balance structures. Deceptively hard to take down with its very good natural bulk.
A to A+ - Slowly rising back to SS levels of notoriety, the fastest unboosted pokemon in the tier, and offers a ton of utility.

A- to A - Very good into a lot of HO structures, and can still put in work in other matchups.
A- to A - Ban Drought: Infinity War
A- to A - One of the few long term checks to the plethora of physical threats we have, annoying to kill.

B+ to A- - Very solid bulk and utility, especially in this very sunny meta. SD sets are as threatening as ever.
B+ to A - Ban Drought: Endgame
B+ to A- - Always good in a HO meta.
B+ to A- - Specs is extremely threatening, with a very limited selection of consistent switchins.

B to A- - Fish go in, fish do damage, fish pivot out. Amazing rain abuser too.
B to B+ - A more utility oriented fairy type than Sylveon, has plenty of options to support teams between trick, wish and psynoise. CM sets are a threat.
B to B+ - All 3 sets are picking up usage as they do very good into balance teams, and Scarf sets also outspeed a lot of weather boosted threats.
B to B+ - Very solid matchup into sun.

B- to B - Extremely hard to take down, can spread toxic and para, and a slow pivot is always appreciated by our strong but frail breakers.
B- to B - Another rain abuser, more exclusive to HO builds than Basculegion.
B- to B - Specs water moves under rain 2HKO everything that isn't a water immune.
B- to B - I don't know tbh. Apparently people like this mon now. I guess it has good special bulk in the sun meta and is a spinner. Don't worry, I fully expect this to drop back down next slate.
B- to B+ - Very good bulk on both sides, can toxic and sustain its team. Helps a lot against choice locked threats too.
B- to B - Gaining traction as it can protect to stall out weather turns and scout, as well as being a water absorber and a haze user.

Drops

A+ to A - Lack of reliable sustain hinders it in a very fast paced meta.
A+ to A- - Severe 4mss, too many things threaten it and wear it down very quickly.

A- to B+ - Middling speed tier, and comes with the inability to use knock off. Other grass types are better defensively.
A- to B+ - Easily worn down, too many threats that can revenge it.
A- to B+ - Webs HO has taken a backseat compared to weather HO.
A- to B+ - Talonflame has cemented itself as the best fast flying type, too easy to abuse it at -2.
A- to B+ - Biggest momentum sinkhole in a meta where positioning is perhaps the most important factor.

B+ to B - Unaware isn't very desirable as an ability, and other water types are more favored due to different, more desirable utility options.

B to B- - Often needs to commit tera to be useful in a meta where a premature tera can spell your doom.
B to B- - Other water types are better.
B to B- - Needs time to get going, something it can't afford right now. Still slower than a lot of its threats at +1 speed.

C to UR - Not bulky enough as a steel type, not fast enough to be a threat.
C to UR - This thing has never won a game.
C to UR - Just use Swampert.

 

[Rabia]

Ninetales is now removed from the VR with Drought's ban. The other sun Pokemon are currently being discussed for new rankings, so they just have a disclaimer next to them stating that Drought is now disallowed.

 

[klamalam]

Can someone help me understand the use case for copperajah? It’s not very common on ladder and even when I see it it’s not contributing much. A- seems ridiculous to me so am I missing something or is it’s rank due to a lack of attention?

 

[Bernardo]

Can someone help me understand the use case for Copperajah? It’s not very common on ladder and even when I see it it’s not contributing much. A- seems ridiculous to me so am I missing something or is it’s rank due to a lack of attention?

There aren't great steel types in the tier. Zone doesn't fill the same role.

His competition is Registeel that end up being much more passive and suffer more against grounds, ghosts and fires (even if can win games alone with iron-press). Not having Koff is big.

Copper comes with a kit that support many balance builds Koff/Rocks/Whirlwind and Sheer Force Iron Head hurts without investment.
It pairs really well with Talonflame, slowbro... for good balance cores.

He isnt common imo because he isnt flashy and requires some experience to pilot, even if you have massive HP the one side of Def or SpD that you not invest will make you really frail for some atks. And balance was a bit undertuned in this HO meta.

A- could be a little bit too much but Copper is at least B+ minimum. Steel typing is amazing + it has good tools.

 

[GXE]

probably not super worth it with shifts coming up soon but ill make a quick post to get smth nommed/on the board

UR> A/A-

there's basically only one set I'd consider on croak right now

Toxicroak @ Leftovers
Ability: Dry Skin
Tera Type: Dark
EVs: 40 HP / 252 Atk / 216 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Gunk Shot
- Drain Punch
- Sucker Punch
- Swords Dance

You could run jolly/play with the speed and items like black glasses but this is pretty much the gist. It's really good in the current meta, its a playable check into gatr, really good at making rain think twice before clicking, decent into legion (pretty much walls once terad), hard walls slowbro cm sets when terad (dont bring it as your only check), and has a naturally good typing into mons like muk-alola, which can be hard to fit, and a decent fight resist in general, so you can force teras on smth like a rare scrafty (or just eat a cc from shao). not much to say, just a solid mon with a good place in the tier

Couple replays:
[Gen 9] NU: frankjosh vs. Diamonds_realm - Replays - Pokémon Showdown! (pokemonshowdown.com)
[Gen 9] NU: 70to90gxe vs. eliaspsy - Replays - Pokémon Showdown! (pokemonshowdown.com)
[Gen 9] NU: TNunes vs. 70to90gxe - Replays - Pokémon Showdown! (pokemonshowdown.com) (lowk did nothing but scared gatr so good enough)

maybe A is ambitious to start, good anyways

 

[Serviperhater]

probably not super worth it with shifts coming up soon but ill make a quick post to get smth nommed/on the board

UR> A/A-

there's basically only one set I'd consider on croak right now

Toxicroak @ Leftovers
Ability: Dry Skin
Tera Type: Dark
EVs: 40 HP / 252 Atk / 216 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Gunk Shot
- Drain Punch
- Sucker Punch
- Swords Dance

You could run jolly/play with the speed and items like black glasses but this is pretty much the gist. It's really good in the current meta, its a playable check into gatr, really good at making rain think twice before clicking, decent into legion (pretty much walls once terad), hard walls slowbro cm sets when terad (dont bring it as your only check), and has a naturally good typing into mons like muk-alola, which can be hard to fit, and a decent fight resist in general, so you can force teras on smth like a rare scrafty (or just eat a cc from shao). not much to say, just a solid mon with a good place in the tier

Couple replays:
[Gen 9] NU: frankjosh vs. Diamonds_realm - Replays - Pokémon Showdown! (pokemonshowdown.com)
[Gen 9] NU: 70to90gxe vs. eliaspsy - Replays - Pokémon Showdown! (pokemonshowdown.com)
[Gen 9] NU: TNunes vs. 70to90gxe - Replays - Pokémon Showdown! (pokemonshowdown.com) (lowk did nothing but scared gatr so good enough)

maybe A is ambitious to start, good anyways

echoing this exactly but probably more fitting of B on the vr but it’s still really good

 

[Phantomistix]

Giving my two cents about the new drops and other pokemon I want to mention.

B
Just mid. Galvantula is better as a webs setter, and it doesn't have toxic anymore.

B+
It's strong. REALLY strong. That being said, it suffers from a very mediocre speed stat. To me there are very few reasons to justify having this over something like a Lycanroc-Dusk or a Lucario. I am yet to use the sub + Focus Punch set myself, but from what I have seen it isn't amazing either, especially when you consider that you have nothing to pop Talonflame.

A-
A lot of people weren't too hype about this mon dropping, but I have to say that it fits the tier quite nicely. An offensive hazard remover is a very good option for HO teams, and beyond that it has a very good movepool to choose from and a speed tier rivalled by very few pokemon. Also a very solid option for both breaking and speed control when used with either of the choice items.

A-
I'm very conflicted about where to rank this mon. The potential is there, and offense teams can have trouble breaking it, especially if it has a Kee Berry or a Grassy Seed. At the same time, it is very hard to get an accurate read on how good it actually is as ladder is very overprepped for it right now, and almost every team I've faced has 2-3 checks at the expense of other matchups. I will probably revisit this ranking after a couple days of laddering for LT when it starts.

A
Similar to Cresselia, I don't know how accurate this ranking is as ladder is very overprepped for it. I think it has more potential than Cresselia, and is much more versatile with access to a very wide variety of utility moves, coverage options, as well as other boosting options like Nasty Plot and Cosmic Power. It also has ways to guarantee damage with Night Shade and Wrap (this is not a meme, wrap is really good lol). Its sustain also isn't affected by weather, unlike Cresselia.

B
As a standalone pokemon, he really isn't that impressive. His expanding force is initially stronger than Munkidori, but the rest of its moves are much weaker. It also can't pivot and has nothing to hit steels without comitting tera, both of which Munkidori has. Realistically speaking, you are only running this mon on terrain teams, and those are much weaker than their Grassy Terrain counterparts. Outside of terrain, there is virtually no reason to use him over Munkidori which is faster, stronger, has better coverage, has better utility with its ability, taunt and uturn, and has access to Nasty Plot. Very underwhelming pokemon.

Aside from the new drops, there are a few pokemon I want to highlight.

B to A
By far the biggest winner of the shift. Its main competition is no longer in the tier, and we have gained 3 pokemon that it gets value out of protect against, as well as two bulky sweepers it can haze. It's also isn't locked into tera dark anymore, and can flex a wide variety of options (Dragon, Fairy, Grass, Ground, Poison, Steel are all viable).

A to A+
Reuniclus and Slowbro are a thing of the past, and we got 2 new physical attackers that it does very well into. Also does well into the other physical attackers we had that will no doubt increase in usage after Slowbro left.

B to A-
All his homies hate species clause.

A to S
Please ban this demon. Too strong for how versatile it is, can pick and choose what it beats to benefit its team, and one of the premier checks for its physical sets is no longer here.

C to B/B+
Goated abilities, best steel in the tier by far. Provides a lot to the team outside rocks and the resistances, with a much more respectable offensive stat compared to Registeel, as well as Trick, Trick Room, and Psychic Noise. Is very good at dealing with DeoD and Cress with its natural 4x resist to psychic moves, as well as having access to its own Calm Mind + Stored Power and Iron Defense + Body Press. Can also force guaranteed damage with Night Shade.

B+ to B-
2 ground types just left the tier, as well as zone.

 

[MC Squared]

Giving my two cents about the new drops and other pokemon I want to mention.
B+
It's strong. REALLY strong. That being said, it suffers from a very mediocre speed stat. To me there are very few reasons to justify having this over something like a Lycanroc-Dusk or a Lucario. I am yet to use the sub + Focus Punch set myself, but from what I have seen it isn't amazing either, especially when you consider that you risk a burn every turn and have nothing to pop Talonflame.

Regarding the last point, Breloom has Technician boosted Rock Tomb and Talonflame gets OHKOed by that