Resource Series 10 Viability Rankings

[yuki]

Update number two, and slightly less delayed this time! Not much to say on this one really, so I'm just going to jump into things. This time around there were 41 changes, so please feel for me in writing this. Note that this update was voted on a little bit ago, so not every opinion may be current.

Restricted:
A+ -> A
While Kyogre is still an exceptional Pokemon, we feel that there are adequate checks to what it wants to do and plenty of them. With Groudon teams also improving, counter-weather has now become more of an issue for Kyogre and the usual checks of Rillaboom, Regieleki and Tsareena still exist. Still great, but it doesn't feel quite on the tier of Calyrex-S.

B+ -> A-
Conversely, we feel that Groudon has slightly improved thanks to innovations with the teams that it features with. Wolfe's showing with his Cherrim team sparked a lot of inspiration for Groudon players, and it has evolved further than just Venusaur trying to abuse the Sun. Precipice Blades is really good, and its capable of tackling some of its checks in Rillaboom and Tsareena. The rise of Eternatus and continued reign of Zacian-C proves its Ground-typing invaluable, and as such we feel it's now a member of the A tier.

B -> B-
Palkia seems to have slowed down in recent times, likely due to other teams catching up with what it wants to do. There are currently better ideas for Trick Room, namely Kyogre and Groudon's recent innovations. It also has the same disadvantage as the above Pokemon, with the moves it wants to use being fairly inconsistent in terms of accuracy. With Play Rough Zacian-C almost feeling like the best set (highly opinionated), Palkia has a bit less wiggle room against those teams. As such, we think it should be in B-.

B- -> C+
We honestly feel like we haven't seen enough of Yveltal to justify it in the B tier. It's still a good check to Calyrex-S and Lunala at the end of the day, but it just doesn't look like its doing enough to keep in the tier its in. Its solid ability, movepool and lack of massive weaknesses keep it from dropping any lower.

C+ -> C
This basically has the same issue as Yveltal where we just haven't seen enough of it to justify keeping it where it is. We also feel that it's just not as good in the current metagame due to the prominence of Calyrex-S, Groudon and even the rise of Lunala. Entei's higher usage is also causing issues for Necrozma-DM, and its STABs aren't really hitting enough to make it an amazing attacker. Still a viable pick, but just misplaced in the current meta.

C- -> C
Calyrex-I has a pretty decent niche on a very specific hard TR team, with its Ice-typing coming in handy to deal with the likes of Eternatus, Groudon, Rillaboom and Landorus amongst others. Great potential to snowball and a great signature move make it worthwhile right now.

C- -> D
Zygarde just isn't doing anything. We still find it interesting, and there is potential for it to get results in the current metagame. But that's really all it is, potential.

D -> UR
These haven't really had any impact on the metagame at all besides there maybe being potential. They've had long enough to prove themselves, and haven't, so to UR they go.

Non-Restricted:
A+ -> A
Regieleki is probably the best Electric-type in the metagame, with its fast pivoting and good speed control. But awful bulk and a reliance on Focus Sash make it easily the worst member of the big non-restricted Pokemon. Its also always been matchup oriented, and often gets left behind unless truly necessary. Great offensive presence, but it can end up being somewhat limited so we feel it doesn't belong in A+ anymore.

A -> A-
Volcarona has dropped off slightly, especially with all the good Stone Edge users being in more usage, as well as its redirective abilities now being matched or exceeded by Amoonguss and Indeedee-F. This is still a great pick, with Quiver Dance and a good set of moves giving it potentially the best offensive capability of any redirector, and its naturally good matchups into Rillaboom and Zacian-C can still make it an invaluable team member.

A- -> A
Frankly put, Scarf Entei is very good and it's so widely applied that it deserves a spot in the A-tier. Its great movepool, and naturally decent matchups into most of the big restricted Pokemon, and great synergy with the likes of Zacian-C and Groudon make it an exceptional pick for a vast array of teams. It also possesses a great matchup into the most common Pokemon in the metagame, and that really has to count for something.

B+ -> B
Another drop for Thundurus. Unfortunately, its niche is starting to wear off with it being slightly less effective due to improved counterplay against it. It also doesn't have the best bulk in the world, making it fairly susceptible to a lot of the big hitters in the current metagame. Obviously, Prankster Scary Face and Eerie Impulse provide really great utility, and it's still a good option for balance ideas at the end of the day. B seems like the most appropriate ranking for this.

B -> B+
Ditto is still every Restricted Pokemon.

B -> B-
Tapu Lele is pretty much good on one team, and it's starting to feel less and less necessary. Tailwind HO Calyrex-S teams are still going to win games at the end of the day, and Tapu Lele can be a fine attacker and Psychic Terrain setter for the team. However, these teams feel a bit easier to beat thanks to all of the meta knowledge we have gained. Still a decent Pokemon, but the combination of this and its subpar typing make it fall to B-.

B- -> C+
Porygon2 hasn't made enough of an appearance to keep it in the B-tier. In theory, it should still be a fine Pokemon but it will have to prove itself if it wants to gain its spot in the tier above. Trick Room, Recover and Eerie Impulse give it great utility, while Foul Play, Shadow Ball, Ice Beam and Thunderbolt are all decent options for coverage. Has the hallmarks of a decent Pokemon, but it's not quite there right now.

B- -> C+
Torkoal is just not the Drought user to have right now. Realistically, you're using this with Calyrex-I and with Rain Dance Regieleki slotting nicely into Zacian-C teams and Kyogre still being high in usage, it feels easy to break through Torkoal's primary niche of super high power Eruptions. Could still prove us wrong, so it drops to C+ for now.

C+ -> C
These Pokemon have all been decent in the metagame thus far, but are quickly getting outclassed by other attackers. All 3 of them can be decent picks overall, eaching bringing a unique typing or ability to the table. But some of their matchups against the big restricted Pokermon are shaky at best, and often their roles are just not as effective.

C -> C-
Ferrothorn's old niche just isn't as good right now. Body Press + Iron Defense can still be effective, and Leech Seed is a great source of recovery against most opponents. But with the rise of Entei recently, as well as weaknesses to Urshifu-R, Entei, Incineroar, Heat Crash Groudon and many more, it feels not as good in recent times.

C -> D
Hitmontop is basically just worse Mienshao. Intimidate is alright, but if you want Fake Out + Intimidate, Incineroar exists. This is outclassed by so many things that it's barely worth ranking.

C -> C-
Kartana is still a bit underwhelming. It has carved itself a niche on select Calyrex-S teams where using Rillaboom to replace Psychic Terrain would be negative, but it's a very narrow application for a Pokemon that is otherwise outclassed at this point.

C -> C+
Priority Tailwind is a really nice commodity for a whole host of teams, and its naturally decent matchup into the likes of Rillaboom and Zacian-C is really good. Quick Guard is an interesting niche to have over the other priority Tailwind users, making it more than functional for a lot of teams like Kyogre. Definitely an interesting Pokemon, so it rises slightly to C+.

C -> D
Togekiss is basically outclassed a redirector, with fairly bad weaknesses to Steel-, Rock- and Electric-type which show up on some of the most common Pokemon in the game. It feels like it should have a good matchup into the likes of Urshifu-R and Rillaboom, which still gives it somewhat of a niche but we need to see more.

C-> D
C- -> D
The Weezings have had their time in the sun. They still featured in some World Cup teams, so they're not completely unviable, but they're just not as good as they used to be.

C- -> C
Mandibuzz is still a decent Pokemon when paired with Tapu Fini, with its great bulk, recovery and naturally good Calyrex-S matchup making it a good bulky utility Pokemon. We think it's better than the things currently around it, so it should rise.

C- -> C
Competitive is really good in a meta dominated by Incineroar. Sure, it needs a bit of help dealing with the likes of Rillaboom and Regieleki, but when it gets past those it has pretty decent matchups into the likes of Incineroar, Entei, and even Groudon with good weather control. Decent bulk, access to recovery, and diversity in sets allows it to rise up to C.

C- -> D
Turns out, Tapu Koko is probably D tier. It hasn't really done much since we lifted it from the abyss, so it's going back there. It fills basically the same niche as Regieleki, so just use that if you want a fast Electric-type with offensive potential.

D -> UR
These have done nothing. Unranked.

UR -> C
Scarf Charizard on Groudon is terrifying. Solar Power is a very nice ability that gives it seemingly limitless offensive potnetial, with its Blast Burn ripping through just about everything in the Sun. It definitely deserves C.

UR -> C-
Begrudgingly, I have to rank this at C-. It has had a strong showing at World Cup, and Wolfe piloted it fairly well. It's just a decent Pokemon in the sun when partnered with Groudon and Entei. Fills a unique role for that team, seems pretty decent, C-.

UR -> C+
Assault Vest Gyarados is way too good. Who knew Gyarados could live a Regieleki Volt Switch? It's an absolute monster defensively thanks to the AV and Intimidate, and its movepool is fairly wide featuring ways to take down Groudon, Calyrex-S, Kyogre, Incineroar and many more! It also has a nice speed control option in Icy Wind. Good Pokemon, can't wait to see more from it.

UR -> D
Aurora Veil is really good. Good matchup into Rillaboom, Tsareena and Landorus make it a dream for a few Pokemon in the current metagame. Good enough potential that it warrants being ranked in D.

UR -> C-
Countering sun with Drizzle is a fairly good niche for Pelipper, and it plays well with Zacian-C thanks to that and Tailwind. It feels like it may be flavour of the week, but for now it's doing alright.

UR -> C-
Regidrago is a fairly good idea for Kyogre teams to deal with Palkia, as well as just outputting really great damage from Dragon Energy especially when in Tailwind. Its obvious weakness is the Fairy-types in the game, so a way to deal with those is very much appreciated. It also makes Zacian-C a great partner for it. C- for now.

UR -> C-
One of the fastest Fake Outs in the current metagame, as well as a typing that helps beat the plethora of Grass-types, Landorus and Calyrex-S make it a very decent Pokemon right now. Triple Axel's unreliable accuracy is a drawback, but not one that holds it back from being a decent Pokemon. Feint is also an idea it can use to support the team further.

 

[Helios of Sun]

I've not been playing at a very good level recently, but I have been able to hit fairly good records on ladder and also have been able to talk to a lot of players who are in general way better than me, so I'll just throw in my changelist out there first, will be editing with descriptions later, but will put my 'power rankings' first.

Restricteds:

Rises:
A > A+
A > A+
B- > B/B+
C > C+
D > C-

Drops:
A+ > A
A- > B+
A- > B+

Nominations:
> D/C-


Non-Restricteds:

Rises:
A- > A+
B > B+/A-
B- > B
C+ > B-
C- > C
C- > C
C- > C
D > C/C+

Drops:

A+ > A
A > A-
A- > B+
B+ > B
B > B-


Nominations:
> C
> C
> C-
> C-
> C-
> C-
> D

 

[zee]

doing some public noms in hopes this sparks discussion etc

starting with restricteds first

rises
B- -> B+

I wrote Lunala off really hard at the start of this metagame because it just seemed like it'd be entirely outclassed by Calyrex-S. However, when I seriously gave it a go, it turned out I really could not be more wrong. Lunala's Meteor Beam Trick Room set gives it the ability to exert a lot of pressure in these bulky balance mirrors while outlasting almost anything in 1 on 1s with Shadow Shield, which also allows it to remain safe against pretty much any hyper offensive duo given Intimidate/Fake Out/Redirection, which are not big asks at all. Choice Scarf is also a legit set, outpaces every restricted and hits hard enough to make an impact still.

UR -> D/C-

A lot of what I said about Lunala can be applied to NDW, mostly that Meteor Beam + Trick Room is a super scary set offensively. No Shadow Shield means it isn't taking an Astral Barrage any time soon, which is why it's totally valid to be just scraping the barrel in terms of viability, but the speed tier allowing it to consistently underspeed neutral Incineroar and the power increase are notable reasons you can justify using it, so I would not argue that it's purely outclassed

UR -> D/C-

Stupid Kyogre fish that can actually threaten Kyogre and its friends pretty well unlike Palkia and Dialga. Rocks Shedinja's shit. Isn't horrible against Calyrex-S, Lunala, Yveltal, or Ho-Oh either. Needs a lot of work vs the rest of the upper echelon though.

drops
C-/D -> UR

These all have niches that aren't really justifiable in the current metagame. The best thing I'd think of with Kyu-W is being good into both of the not-primal-primals but that's not really worth sucking vs the rest of the field, the Steels are just inferior Trick Room setters compared to the ones higher in the pool and offer little offensively, Zygarde is too slow and without the support of Swagger Fini and 2nd restricted it's fallen on some rough times. I would not consider using any of these in a tournament game in any context, whereas even the D nominations I made above would cross my mind if I was fishing hard enough.

now on to the nonrestricteds!

rises
C+ -> B-

Seems like a really minor drop in theory but I think Gyarados reinvigorated Zacian at the peak of its decline and should be raised to reflect that. Intimidate + Fire Resist + its plethora of set options from AV to DD to Twave/Taunt just make it incredible and customizable, I think I would have to be provided a strong reason to not run this on my Zacian team currently. Not pushing for anything higher because it really dominates games, but it is a nice defensive tool with offensive utility

UR -> C+/B-

Dragonite seemingly came out of nowhere to be one of the metagame's best answers to Incineroar/Rillaboom/Urshifu-R and the lads, as Inner Focus Dual Wingbeat + Superpower gives it the tools it needs to dispatch of this core swiftly. It's bulky enough that it's not reliant on Multiscale to directly function, and really good at bypassing defensive counterplay and getting in safely thanks to Inner Focus and its many resistances/immunity to Ground. I've seen it work in tournament settings but unfortunately out of respect for my opponents/teammates I'd prefer not to share those at this time.

UR -> C+/B-

yuki's gonna post about this I think so I won't steel their thunder. It's a good mon!

drops
B -> C/C-

Thundurus was off to a strong start with its Prankster set but I think its days are well behind it now. Tsareena's omnipotence on Kyogre teams renders it useless there, and it's hard to make much progress against Xerneas when its paired with 2 Fake Outs and/or redirectors

C+ -> UR

this thing is extinct and bad, let's make it stop creating visual noise

C- -> UR

I very much am targetting Kartana explicitly here because newer players put it on their teams very quickly when there are like a minimum of 5 better grass options. This needs to go

I would like to get rid of D tier and disperse Politoed/Ludicolo/Ninetales/Tapu Koko to higher tiers. All for now

 

[Unbreakable]

how is Landorus-I rated higher than Landorus-T? has the metagame shifted so much that the king has finally had to make a change to keep his throne?

 

[ChrystalFalchion]

how is Landorus-I rated higher than Landorus-T? has the metagame shifted so much that the king has finally had to make a change to keep his throne?

Unfortunately yes. The lion really misses dynamax, and for its STAB it’s a case of pick your poison - Earthquake hits its teammates while Earth Power has poor damage unless highly invested, which of course takes away from its bulk.