Art by skrimps
Welcome to the RBY ZU! After a relatively long period of inactivity, this tier is back and ready to be explored! Feel free to discuss anything ZU-related in this thread, whether that be sets you find to be underrated, viability rankings, or anything inbetween!
Resources:
Viability Rankings
Preliminary VR based on the opinions of a few experienced players for the post-Arbok meta.
New:






High:






Mid:








Low:







Sample Teams
WARNING: Outdated, these do not account for the new drops.






Flareon Lead "Top 6" by torkonpeter






Slash Lead + Onix by Sabelette






Slash Lead "Top 6" by torkonpeter






Ape Lead Good Stuff by NotVeryCake






Butterfree + Double Water by Maris Bonibell






Butterfree + Slowpoke by Maris Bonibell






Tent Lead + Onix by Maris Bonibell






Onix + Poliwag by gastlies






Double Fire Charmeleon by gastlies






Weezing Lead Double Ground by Sabelette






Weezing Lead + Butterfree by gastlies






Weezing Lead Cookie Cutter by Gangsta Spongebob
Challenge Command
Good news! RBY ZU is currently a challengable format thanks to the ROA spotlight ladder.
/challenge gen1pu @@@ -Arcanine, -Dragonair, -Drowzee, -Fearow, -Gastly, -Graveler, -Machamp, -Magmar, -Nidoqueen, -Omanyte, -Pinsir, -Porygon, -Rapidash, -Scyther, -Seaking, -Staryu, -Vileplume -Arbok
The Vault
An archive of outdated resources and discussions to preserve history. Organized into 'eras' to ease navigation.
The Initial Speculation Era
The "Arbok + Gastly" Era
The Post-Drops Era
The Post-Ban Era
The "Arbok + Gastly" Era
S
Arbok
Flareon
Gastly
Onix
High
Diglett
Kabuto
Marowak
Pidgeot
Primeape
Scyther
Mid
Butterfree
Machoke
Magneton
Muk
Parasect
Pikachu
Tentacool
Weepinbell
Low
Charmeleon
Clefairy
Dratini
Golbat
Hitmonlee
Lickitung
Meowth
Ponyta
Rhyhorn
Wartortle
Weezing




High






Mid








Low











Poliwag Balance by GetSleidSun - 





Fast Physical Offense by royzin





Diglett + Pidgeot Offense by royzin





Scyther Offense by BeatsBlack





Double Ground by BeatsBlack





Marowak Paraspam by BeatsBlack





Double Fighting Paraspam by BeatsBlack











Fast Physical Offense by royzin






Diglett + Pidgeot Offense by royzin






Scyther Offense by BeatsBlack






Double Ground by BeatsBlack






Marowak Paraspam by BeatsBlack






Double Fighting Paraspam by BeatsBlack






Code:
+ ---- + ------------------ + ---- + ------- + ------- +
| Rank | Pokemon | Use | Usage % | Win % |
+ ---- + ------------------ + ---- + ------- + ------- +
| 1 | Arbok | 207 | 95.83% | 47.83% |
| 2 | Gastly | 157 | 72.69% | 54.78% |
| 3 | Primeape | 148 | 68.52% | 48.65% |
| 4 | Flareon | 129 | 59.72% | 43.41% |
| 5 | Diglett | 105 | 48.61% | 58.10% |
| 6 | Pidgeot | 83 | 38.43% | 57.83% |
| 7 | Onix | 82 | 37.96% | 42.68% |
| 8 | Scyther | 61 | 28.24% | 37.70% |
| 9 | Marowak | 52 | 24.07% | 51.92% |
| 10 | Kabuto | 49 | 22.69% | 38.78% |
| 11 | Parasect | 39 | 18.06% | 48.72% |
| 12 | Hitmonlee | 34 | 15.74% | 38.24% |
| 13 | Pikachu | 21 | 9.72% | 42.86% |
| 14 | Butterfree | 17 | 7.87% | 29.41% |
| 15 | Weepinbell | 9 | 4.17% | 66.67% |
| 15 | Magneton | 9 | 4.17% | 33.33% |
| 17 | Rhyhorn | 8 | 3.70% | 75.00% |
| 18 | Ponyta | 4 | 1.85% | 25.00% |
| 19 | Lickitung | 3 | 1.39% | 66.67% |
| 19 | Charmeleon | 3 | 1.39% | 66.67% |
| 19 | Meowth | 3 | 1.39% | 33.33% |
| 19 | Machoke | 3 | 1.39% | 0.00% |
| 19 | Muk | 3 | 1.39% | 0.00% |
| 24 | Clefairy | 2 | 0.93% | 50.00% |
| 24 | Weezing | 2 | 0.93% | 0.00% |
| 24 | Horsea | 2 | 0.93% | 0.00% |
| 24 | Tentacool | 2 | 0.93% | 0.00% |
| 24 | Shellder | 2 | 0.93% | 0.00% |
| 29 | Venonat | 1 | 0.46% | 100.00% |
| 29 | Golbat | 1 | 0.46% | 0.00% |
| 29 | Farfetch’d | 1 | 0.46% | 0.00% |
Code:
+ ---- + ----------------------- + ---- + ------- + ------- +
| Rank | Leads | Use | Usage % | Win % |
+ ---- + ----------------------- + ---- + ------- + ------- +
| 1 | Arbok | 66 | 30.56% | 51.52% |
| 2 | Diglett | 54 | 25.00% | 59.26% |
| 3 | Gastly | 38 | 17.59% | 47.37% |
| 4 | Primeape | 20 | 9.26% | 45.00% |
| 5 | Butterfree | 14 | 6.48% | 21.43% |
| 6 | Parasect | 6 | 2.78% | 66.67% |
| 7 | Pikachu | 4 | 1.85% | 50.00% |
| 7 | Scyther | 4 | 1.85% | 50.00% |
| 9 | Onix | 3 | 1.39% | 0.00% |
| 10 | Ponyta | 2 | 0.93% | 50.00% |
| 11 | Pidgeot | 1 | 0.46% | 100.00% |
| 11 | Charmeleon | 1 | 0.46% | 100.00% |
| 11 | Venonat | 1 | 0.46% | 100.00% |
| 11 | Marowak | 1 | 0.46% | 0.00% |
| 11 | Golbat | 1 | 0.46% | 0.00% |
The Post-Drops Era
Code:
+ ---- + ------------------ + ---- + ------- + ------- +
| Rank | Pokemon | Use | Usage % | Win % |
+ ---- + ------------------ + ---- + ------- + ------- +
| 1 | Arcanine | 50 | 86.21% | 54.00% |
| 2 | Sandslash | 47 | 81.03% | 51.06% |
| 3 | Slowpoke | 31 | 53.45% | 51.61% |
| 4 | Primeape | 28 | 48.28% | 46.43% |
| 5 | Arbok | 27 | 46.55% | 37.04% |
| 6 | Magmar | 19 | 32.76% | 47.37% |
| 7 | Parasect | 18 | 31.03% | 44.44% |
| 8 | Electrode | 17 | 29.31% | 58.82% |
| 9 | Weepinbell | 14 | 24.14% | 64.29% |
| 9 | Scyther | 14 | 24.14% | 42.86% |
| 11 | Poliwag | 13 | 22.41% | 38.46% |
| 12 | Pidgeot | 10 | 17.24% | 60.00% |
| 13 | Onix | 6 | 10.34% | 66.67% |
| 13 | Vileplume | 6 | 10.34% | 50.00% |
| 13 | Kabuto | 6 | 10.34% | 16.67% |
| 16 | Flareon | 4 | 6.90% | 25.00% |
| 17 | Lickitung | 3 | 5.17% | 33.33% |
| 17 | Pikachu | 3 | 5.17% | 33.33% |
| 19 | Muk | 2 | 3.45% | 50.00% |
| 19 | Golbat | 2 | 3.45% | 0.00% |
| 19 | Hitmonlee | 2 | 3.45% | 0.00% |
| 19 | Wartortle | 2 | 3.45% | 0.00% |
| 23 | Weezing | 1 | 1.72% | 100.00% |
| 23 | Butterfree | 1 | 1.72% | 100.00% |
| 23 | Rhyhorn | 1 | 1.72% | 0.00% |
| 23 | Diglett | 1 | 1.72% | 0.00% |
| 23 | Dratini | 1 | 1.72% | 0.00% |
Code:
+ ---- + ----------------------- + ---- + ------- + ------- +
| Rank | Leads | Use | Usage % | Win % |
+ ---- + ----------------------- + ---- + ------- + ------- +
| 1 | Arcanine | 15 | 25.86% | 53.33% |
| 2 | Primeape | 13 | 22.41% | 53.85% |
| 3 | Arbok | 7 | 12.07% | 57.14% |
| 3 | Poliwag | 7 | 12.07% | 42.86% |
| 5 | Electrode | 6 | 10.34% | 33.33% |
| 6 | Slowpoke | 4 | 6.90% | 0.00% |
| 7 | Magmar | 3 | 5.17% | 100.00% |
| 8 | Weezing | 1 | 1.72% | 100.00% |
| 8 | Pikachu | 1 | 1.72% | 100.00% |
| 8 | Onix | 1 | 1.72% | 0.00% |
Last edited: