SM UU Viability Ranking Thread Mk. II

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I agree, it has pretty good matchups versus most of the A and above mons, and can put in as much work in a match as its fellow A+ rank mons (cobalion, krook and mega swamp)

Pursuit is also a very viable option as the 4th move to provide really good support to mons like celebi, xurkitree, basically anything that likes latias removed/weakened, as well as being able to pursuit trap other weakened psychics like celebi, and just even get chip on threats that u threaten out like mega pidgeot and others.

Also with buzzwole leaving, i feel like that'll change up a lot of mons viability, in practice and maybe in the rankings too but idk.
I predict that conk will once again rise to become UU's premier bulky fighting wall breaker, and mons like mega bee, mega sharpedo, mamoswine and Krook to become a lot better as the all purpose slappable check is now gone (phew)
 
Now that the mosquito of death has been banned, I am going to nominate my favorite Pokémon to a higher rank:
Mamoswine: A- ---> A/A+
Mamoswine has an incredible offensive typing that pressures a LOT of pokemon in the tier, like Mega-Sceptile, Entei, Metagross, Latias, and many others. Ironically, Buzzwole (a mosquito) was one of its few switch-ins, and it did its job of hard-countering Mamoswine very well. Icicle crash would do subpar damage to the bulky behemoth, with a relatively low chance to 3HKO it after leftovers. Buzzwole would also make quick work of mamoswine with focus punch. However, now that this hard counter is gone, Mamoswine is considerably better. It has very few common switch ins, if any, in UU. Ice shard is a stab priority Move mamoswine gets and it let's you grab the OHKO on mega sceptile which is really convenient and it also does a lot of damage to bigger threats like Mega pidgeot and Mega beedrill. Thanks to its ability, Thick fat, it can stomach fire type attacks better and lets it resist ice type moves, allowing it to 1v1 weavile with superpower and some fire types with earthquake. Combine this with an incredible attack stat of 130, and you have a very impressive wall breaker. Now that it cannot be walled by Buzzwole, teams that relied on Buzzwole to counter mamoswine are struggling to deal with this monster. Now that mamoswine is a much larger threat, I have seen a noticeably larger amount of Suicunes to try to deal with it, but no Pokémon is safe when it comes to its offensive presence. I think it should rise to either A or A+. I'm not quite sure where it should be places, But I know It needs a rise for sure. (Sorry for shitty formatting and weird capatilization, I'm doing this on my phone
 

yeezyknows

Banned deucer.
Sylveon

B- ----> B/B+

Mon is an incredible cleric, pivot, and sponge. Acts as a great switch-in to A-rank threats like Lati, Conk, Gliscor, Drei, and even Xurk in a pinch, while having the power to OHKO or 2HKO back with HV. Works amazingly well on stall/semistall/BO, serving as a versatile cleric, spdef sponge, and pivot.
 

dingbat

snek
is a Top Tiering Contributor Alumnus
Another nom:

C --> B-: I have personally never used this mon but Cofagrigus has performed well above C rank standards in this tier as of late and it's due for a rise. Decent, underrated anti-meta mon that's not easily OHKO'd, which in practice has given it a solid range of opportunities to set up Trick Room against offense to either support a teammate or two or smack something with (boosted or non-boosted) Z-Shadow Ball, especially with all these fast motherfuckers like Weavile, mega Bee, Aero, Scarfers, etc. running around in this tier. Plus, it works perfectly fine as a standalone Trick Room user (because full TR teams are pretty garbo). Moveset I'm referencing:

Cofagrigus @ Ghostium Z
Ability: Mummy
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpD
Quiet Nature
- Shadow Ball
- Nasty Plot
- HP Fighting
- Trick Room
 
C --> B-/B

Darmanitan is a pokémon that in this tier is a little undervalued. The interesting thing about this Pokémon is not its ability to sweep (basically null because at best it dies for recoil after a few FB) but the fact that there is practically no pokémon in UU that can pivot in it.

Its potential in UU stands out particularly in its set scarf, that returns it faster than other pokémon that would otherwise be a direct threat to Darmanitan, and would prevent him to achieve that which he achieves so much in battles: 2HKO, and with this, to make impossible the try to pivot on it.


Here are some examples:


Whit Flare Blitz:

Vs Krookodile: -1 252 Atk Sheer Force Darmanitan Flare Blitz vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Krookodile: 214-253 (64.6 - 76.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Vs Zygarde: 252 Atk Sheer Force Darmanitan Flare Blitz vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Zygarde-10%: 178-210 (71.4 - 84.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Vs Latias: 252 Atk Sheer Force Darmanitan Flare Blitz vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Latias: 147-173 (48.8 - 57.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock

Vs Gliscor: 252 Atk Sheer Force Darmanitan Flare Blitz vs. 244 HP / 12 Def Gliscor: 220-259 (62.5 - 73.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Poison Heal

Vs Primarina: 252 Atk Sheer Force Darmanitan Flare Blitz vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Primarina: 171-202 (56.8 - 67.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Vs Aerodactyl-Mega: 252 Atk Sheer Force Darmanitan Flare Blitz vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Aerodactyl-Mega: 154-182 (51.1 - 60.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Vs Mandibuzz: 252 Atk Sheer Force Darmanitan Flare Blitz vs. 240 HP / 252+ Def Mandibuzz: 187-222 (44.4 - 52.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery

Vs Starmie: 252 Atk Sheer Force Darmanitan Flare Blitz vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Starmie: 153-180 (58.6 - 68.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock

Vs Togekiss: 252 Atk Sheer Force Darmanitan Flare Blitz vs. 252 HP / 160+ Def Togekiss: 219-258 (58.5 - 68.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery

Vs Nidoqueen: 252 Atk Sheer Force Darmanitan Flare Blitz vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Nidoqueen: 303-357 (94.3 - 111.2%) -- 68.8% chance to OHKO

Vs Steelix-Mega: 252 Atk Sheer Force Darmanitan Flare Blitz vs. 252 HP / 56+ Def Steelix-Mega: 228-270 (64.4 - 76.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Vs Sylveon: 252 Atk Sheer Force Darmanitan Flare Blitz vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Sylveon: 382-451 (96.9 - 114.4%) -- 81.3% chance to OHKO

Vs Cobalion: 252 Atk Sheer Force Darmanitan Flare Blitz vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Cobalion: 432-510 (133.7 - 157.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO

Vs Haxorus: 252 Atk Sheer Force Darmanitan Flare Blitz vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Haxorus: 147-173 (50.1 - 59%) -- guaranteed 2HKO



With Superpower:

Vs Terrakion: 252 Atk Darmanitan Superpower vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Terrakion: 302-356 (93.4 - 110.2%) -- 56.3% chance to OHKO

Vs Mamoswine: 252 Atk Darmanitan Superpower vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Mamoswine: 332-392 (91.9 - 108.5%) -- 50% chance to OHKO
Vs Sharpedo-Mega: 252 Atk Darmanitan Superpower vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Sharpedo-Mega: 372-438 (132.3 - 155.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO

Vs Hydreigon: 252 Atk Darmanitan Superpower vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Hydreigon: 302-356 (92.9 - 109.5%) -- 56.3% chance to OHKO



With Earthquake:

Vs Tentacruel: 252 Atk Darmanitan Earthquake vs. 248 HP / 236 Def Tentacruel: 242-286 (66.6 - 78.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Black Sludge recovery

Vs Chandelure: 252 Atk Darmanitan Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Chandelure: 252-298 (96.5 - 114.1%) -- 81.3% chance to OHKO

Vs Volcanion: 252 Atk Darmanitan Earthquake vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Volcanion: 198-234 (54.5 - 64.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Vs Empoleon: 252 Atk Darmanitan Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Empoleon: 256-302 (68.8 - 81.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery



In the end, Darmanitan ends up being a fairly acceptable Revenge Killer. It enters against a Pokémon against which it has advantages, and the rival directly will have it difficult in the election of which pokémon must sacrifice to stop Darmanitan. Pokémon that give problems to Darmanitan are mons bulky, such as Blastoise-Mega, Hipowdown, Alomomola, Swampert, among others, and who wanted to use it should consider adding a check to the team against those pokémon.

The fact is that with this potential and how much it can help the team with its enormous power, this pokémon deserves to climb to at least B-.
 
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C --> B-/B

Darmanitan is a pokémon that in this tier is a little undervalued. The interesting thing about this Pokémon is not its ability to sweep (basically null because at best it dies for recoil after a few FB) but the fact that there is practically no pokémon in UU that can pivot in it.

Its potential in UU stands out particularly in its set scarf, that returns it faster than other pokémon that would otherwise be a direct threat to Darmanitan, and would prevent him to achieve that which he achieves so much in battles: 2HKO, and with this, to make impossible the try to pivot on it.


Here are some examples:


Whit Flare Blitz:

Vs Krookodile: -1 252 Atk Sheer Force Darmanitan Flare Blitz vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Krookodile: 214-253 (64.6 - 76.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Vs Zygarde: 252 Atk Sheer Force Darmanitan Flare Blitz vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Zygarde-10%: 178-210 (71.4 - 84.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Vs Latias: 252 Atk Sheer Force Darmanitan Flare Blitz vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Latias: 147-173 (48.8 - 57.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock

Vs Gliscor: 252 Atk Sheer Force Darmanitan Flare Blitz vs. 244 HP / 12 Def Gliscor: 220-259 (62.5 - 73.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Poison Heal

Vs Primarina: 252 Atk Sheer Force Darmanitan Flare Blitz vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Primarina: 171-202 (56.8 - 67.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Vs Aerodactyl-Mega: 252 Atk Sheer Force Darmanitan Flare Blitz vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Aerodactyl-Mega: 154-182 (51.1 - 60.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Vs Mandibuzz: 252 Atk Sheer Force Darmanitan Flare Blitz vs. 240 HP / 252+ Def Mandibuzz: 187-222 (44.4 - 52.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery

Vs Starmie: 252 Atk Sheer Force Darmanitan Flare Blitz vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Starmie: 153-180 (58.6 - 68.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock

Vs Togekiss: 252 Atk Sheer Force Darmanitan Flare Blitz vs. 252 HP / 160+ Def Togekiss: 219-258 (58.5 - 68.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery

Vs Nidoqueen: 252 Atk Sheer Force Darmanitan Flare Blitz vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Nidoqueen: 303-357 (94.3 - 111.2%) -- 68.8% chance to OHKO

Vs Steelix-Mega: 252 Atk Sheer Force Darmanitan Flare Blitz vs. 252 HP / 56+ Def Steelix-Mega: 228-270 (64.4 - 76.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Vs Sylveon: 252 Atk Sheer Force Darmanitan Flare Blitz vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Sylveon: 382-451 (96.9 - 114.4%) -- 81.3% chance to OHKO

Vs Cobalion: 252 Atk Sheer Force Darmanitan Flare Blitz vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Cobalion: 432-510 (133.7 - 157.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO

Vs Haxorus: 252 Atk Sheer Force Darmanitan Flare Blitz vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Haxorus: 147-173 (50.1 - 59%) -- guaranteed 2HKO



With Superpower:

Vs Terrakion: 252 Atk Darmanitan Superpower vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Terrakion: 302-356 (93.4 - 110.2%) -- 56.3% chance to OHKO

Vs Mamoswine: 252 Atk Darmanitan Superpower vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Mamoswine: 332-392 (91.9 - 108.5%) -- 50% chance to OHKO
Vs Sharpedo-Mega: 252 Atk Darmanitan Superpower vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Sharpedo-Mega: 372-438 (132.3 - 155.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO

Vs Hydreigon: 252 Atk Darmanitan Superpower vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Hydreigon: 302-356 (92.9 - 109.5%) -- 56.3% chance to OHKO



With Earthquake:

Vs Tentacruel: 252 Atk Darmanitan Earthquake vs. 248 HP / 236 Def Tentacruel: 242-286 (66.6 - 78.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Black Sludge recovery

Vs Chandelure: 252 Atk Darmanitan Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Chandelure: 252-298 (96.5 - 114.1%) -- 81.3% chance to OHKO

Vs Volcanion: 252 Atk Darmanitan Earthquake vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Volcanion: 198-234 (54.5 - 64.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Vs Empoleon: 252 Atk Darmanitan Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Empoleon: 256-302 (68.8 - 81.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery



In the end, Darmanitan ends up being a fairly acceptable Revenge Killer. It enters against a Pokémon against which it has advantages, and the rival directly will have it difficult in the election of which pokémon must sacrifice to stop Darmanitan. Pokémon that give problems to Darmanitan are mons bulky, such as Blastoise-Mega, Hipowdown, Alomomola, Swampert, among others, and who wanted to use it should consider adding a check to the team against those pokémon.

The fact is that with this potential and how much it can help the team with its enormous power, this pokémon deserves to climb to at least B-.
i actually agree 100% Darm is slept on. given the state of the meta, suicune is a lot less common that it was in ORAS, slowbro is almost non existent, and a lot of swamperts are mega now (easier to chip). Alo is still kinda common?? but easy to take advantage of with teammates

being outsped by scarf hydreigon and above sucks, but it outspeeds mega aero at least, as well as slower scarfers like xurk (plz stop using this). unless they have alomolaalala or a chandeulre, u can almost always safely just flare blitz something to death if u have a bit of momentum on ur side as very few mons can eat two.

it also has a bit of defensive utility, as it can serve as a very shaky scizor check lol

(also when are y'all gonna remove buzzwole from the list lol)
 

explodingdaisies

What's the point of talking if nobody ever listens
is a Smogon Discord Contributoris a Battle Simulator Staff Alumnus
B- ->B

Alomomola, while being incredibly passive, is a great blanket check to many of UU's top threats. It checks the likes of M-aero, weavile, sharpedo, entei and krook. It can also check the likes of hydreigon, non z-electric latias, primarina (when it's locked into anything but moonblast). It also helps teams scout moves with protect and by switching in and out of mons and regaining 1/3 of HP with regen. It also passes huge wishes with it's 165 base hp. It's not without drawbacks. It is 100% setup fodder to mons like suicune, hawlucha(if you're not running psychic which is subpar now that buzzwole is gone), celebi, gliscor among many others. I do feel like B would be the ideal ranking for alo
 
A to A+
Current metagame trends (especially the recent ban of Buzz2swole4me) have been incredibly kind to Sharpedo, as most teams have to prepare for this thing's raw destructive power, plus due to Speed Boost and various options you can play mind games and potentially nail free KOs that you otherwise wouldn't have been able to score. Not to mention the sudden rush of Latias running Z-Electric lends to my point rather well. Being able to OHKO threats such as M-Aero, Latias, Xurkitree, etc. Here's just a few relevant calcs:

252+ Atk Sharpedo-Mega Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Xurkitree: 334-394 (108.7 - 128.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ Atk Strong Jaw Sharpedo-Mega Crunch vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Xurkitree: 300-354 (97.7 - 115.3%) -- 87.5% chance to OHKO (In case you wanted to run Protect for the Speed Boost instead)
252+ Atk Strong Jaw Sharpedo-Mega Crunch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Latias: 498-588 (165.4 - 195.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ Atk Sharpedo-Mega Waterfall vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Aerodactyl-Mega: 348-410 (115.6 - 136.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO
 

dingbat

snek
is a Top Tiering Contributor Alumnus
Moar noms, may the exodus of the B- ranks happen

A --> A+: What's stopping Flame Orb Conk from smashing through any given team? Maybe ghosts if Conk runs Bulk Up > Knock Off, but there has been a severe lack of those lately, so here's another solid answer: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. Sure, it's not hard to revenge kill with something like Primarina, Latias, Togekiss -- plenty of common shit that can capably shrug off Mach Punch and KO it back. But at the same time, if Conk gets that free switch in, you may as well kiss something good-bye because SOMBOHDY GONNA DIE. This is a very centralizing threat imho and it warrants the move up.
B- --> A-: I know there was prior discussion for Hawlucha going to B/B+ but I think it can go even further up. Base 92 attack doesn't seem very impressive because even with its 100+ BP STABs and a +2 boost, it's not going to directly OHKO much of this tier. However, as a cleaner, very few things can capably stop Lucha from steamrolling through a weakened team
B- --> B: I know that ghosts in this tier suck because shit like Krookodile, Mega Aero, and bork-ass Weavile are running everywhere, but when more people are running teams that have a severe lack of Ghost resists, Chandelure becomes a heck of a force that can easily punch its way through a lot of unsuspecting opponents.
B- --> B: I feel that teams still appreciate its ability to be a bulky offensive hazard setter even though it's not as great at checking shit nowadays.
A- --> A: Really fantastic bulky attacker as of late, would definitely say that it's on par with stuff like Primarina right now.


A+ --> S:
Not opposed to either rank, but Mega Pert is definitely a top 5 'mon in this tier
A+ --> A:
No opinion
B+ --> A-:
Agree, such a great blanket check to a wide swath of this tier, especially Latias
A --> A-:
No opinion
A --> A-: Disagree
Unranked --> C:
I trust pif
B+ --> B:
Agree, really competes with Weavile/Krook rn, as well as offensive megas like Aero/Pert
C- --> D:
I agree that Arcanine is hot dog shit in this tier, but I disagree that this warrants D rank. I think its ability to check certain threats is a little undersold here; being able to capably check all Weavile and Scizor sets is not something that's easily claimable
A- --> A:
No opinion
A --> A+: My nom
C --> B-: My nom
C --> B-:
Definitely an underrated threat (for once), but it's still feels much harder to utilize now than it was the last time I used it (in ORAS where it was also around B-). Not sure that it's quite B- level atm but not opposed either
B- --> B:
Agree, love the sunfish
 
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Adaam

إسمي جف
is a Community Contributoris a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Top Tiering Contributor Alumnusis the 8th Grand Slam Winner
The metagame is very different now with Buzzwole's ban and Weavile's drop, so here are my thoughts on current rankings:

Rises

A -> A+:
New toy syndrome has led to a sharp decrease in usage in Mega Sharpedo but with Buzzwole leaving it's shreds most offensive teams that don't have a Conkeldurr. Offensive sweepers resilient to Bullet Punch are already really good, but Mega Sharpedo also resists Ice Shard so slapping on a Mamo/Weavile doesn't do much to stop it. I'm looking at the Pokemon from S to A- and it flat out beats all but Cobalion, Conkeldurr, and Klefki with Ice/Dark/Psychic coverage (tip: don't run Waterfall). Things like Mega Swampert and Blastoise beat it 1v1 obviously but they must be healthy and cannot switch in at all. It also has the highest winrate in UU open right now at 83% so there's that too.

A- -> A: Scizor has single-handedly destroyed the viability of some of the best Fairies from ORAS, but Togekiss remains strong due to high SpA + Air Slash / Fire Blast do way too much for it to switch in with impunity. On defensive teams it's one of the best Conkeldurr checks, and it has seen good usage on offensive team with Trick + Choice Specs (or Scarf if you hate yourself) while also serving as a catch all check to some huge nuisances like Scarf Hydreigon, Mega Sharpedo, Krookodile, and Mega Swampert (somewhat).

B -> B+: Maybe it's just me but Empoleon is supremely annoying to play against. Amazing check to popular threats in Latias, Mega Pidgeot, Klefki, Togekiss, and Primarina while soft checking others like Scizor, Weavile, Mega Beedrill, and Mega Aerodactyl. It's typing and bulk lets it come in multiple times a game on defensive Pokemon and set up rocks for free or defog them away. However, it's food for some of the tier's biggest breakers in Mega Swampert, Conkeldurr, Xurkitree, and Terrakion so it shouldn't go higher than B+.

B- -> B+: Swampert's as good as ever, but a lot of teams rely on Latias as their bulky Fire resist alongside offensive checks like Primarina, Vincune, Mega Aero, and Hydreigon. What all these have in common is they're crippled by Sacred Fire so really teams might have Fire resists but no Entei switch-ins. It's best counters in Crocune, Slowbro, and Alomomola are not common so B- is vastly underselling it. Solid Scizor/Weavile check as well.

B- -> B+: I love Mantine right now. It's a huge boon for balance checking a million threats while providing Defog + Haze support. I don't want to list a bunch of Pokemon, but some of the key players Mantine shuts down are Scizor, Mega Swampert, Vincune, Chandelure, Cobalion, Infernape, and Mega Blastoise. I don't think a single Pokemon does what Mantine does, and such an impressive resume is far better than what B- implies. Meeps has been spreading a team with it around and has seen great success in open.

B- -> B: Really good against offensive teams while utterly useless against anything remotely bulky. However, it isn't 6-0ing offense as easy as some think it is even at +2 since priority is everywhere and Hawlucha has nothing to mitigate it outside of sub. Scizor is on over a third of teams (36% usage in open), Weavile is top 10 in usage, and even less common priority users like Mamoswine and Entei all stop Hawlucha so easily that a lot of games players just sack whatever they currently have in to trigger Unburden and revenge with their priority move. A- is definitely overselling and I think B+ would also be pushing it.

B- -> B: Aurora Veil is such a stupid move, and I really don't get why it's not used more. Offensive Pokemon held back by their bulk and their bulk alone are free to wreak havoc with Veil up for 8 turns (think Xurkitree, Haxorus, Infernape) and bulky Pokemon become impossible to rvenge kill. Every try stopping Mega Swampert with Veil up? Spoiler: you can't. The thing that makes me like Ninetales so much is that it also provides good defensive utility in its Fairy typing and its speed + Freeze Dry makes it one of the best revenge killers to Gliscor and Mega Swampert, two big nuisances for offense (which is a huge understatement in Swampert's case). Personally, I think Scizor is the sole reason why Veil offense is not the dominant playstyle in UU, but Scizor is so powerful that I think a rise to B is enough.

C -> B-: What was first a meme is now a reality. CB Darmanitan is actually terrifying, again because people are not running reliable Fire-type resists (and good ones like Swampert take 40% from CB FLARE BLITZ). Killing itself is probably its biggest problem, but very very little matches its raw power and what it can do with just a single free turn. Coming in on something like an Empoleon, Mamoswine, Togekiss etc is often enough to claim a kill.

Drops

A- -> B+:
I get it already dropped a subrank, but honestly Raikou is really bad right now. I find it hard to justify using it over Xurkitree and its pure power or Rotom-C's defensive utility. Outspeeding the tier's Dragons is all its got going for it, but even so Hydreigon and Latias often carry Scarf and it can't do much to them besides throw out an HP Ice or Shadow Ball, both of which are easily exploitable moves.

A- -> B+: The latest tier shift was horrible for Hippo, as pretty much all the drops besides Alolan Muk (which I think is trash, but that's besides the point) abuse it. Our newest drop Weavile beats it, and Xurkitree becoming the tier's best Electric-type over Raikou and the rise of Rotom-C make its niche as a VoltTurn stop a lot weaker. Removing rain is pretty cool though, and its great physical bulk lets it act as an emergency stop to a bunch of physical sweepers with Whirlwind, so B+ is fine for it.

A- -> B: It's sad to see Celebi so mediocre after dominating ORAS, but its matchups against the tier's best Pokemon are just so bad. You're either walled by Scizor or walled by Dragons, none of which are favorable as they're both on every team. When building I never think of Celebi as a threat to take into account, as I often have 2-3 good checks to it unintentionally. It's not hard at all to fit a fast Dark- or Flying-type since they're just so good.

B+ - > B-: I'm guessing it was this high before due to Clef/Keldeo/Raikou back before the tier shift, but the former two left and the latter faces competition from Xurkitree which easily beats Amoonguss with Tail Glow + HP Ice or Gigavolt Havoc. It's passivity is difficult to mitigate once you Spore something since it generates too many free turns to too many threats. Checking Primarina and Mega Swampert is its saving grace, but even so Psychic does 70%+ and Mega Swampert can 2HKO it with Adamant.

Why are these even ranked:



Some quick comments on these:

Definitely deserves a rank since unlike Sylveon, it outspeeds Conk with very little investment. It should probably be ranked wherever Sylveon is.

Scizor and Conk are supremely annoying for it but I think this is the most terrifying Pokemon for defensive teams to face with LO since it 2HKOs Quagsire. Don't lower it.

Busted, deserves a rise.

Best mega in UU, I've shared my thoughts on this already but MegaPert for S (let it have this before it leaves us :( ).
[\hide]
 
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A Cake Wearing A Hat

moist and crusty
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I'm gonna add to the pile of noms real quick with a mon we all seem to have forgotten about for the time being:

Unranked --> Like C or C+ or something
Heracross was ranked before Buzzwole dropped due to its greater speed and more powerful fighting STAB compared to Conkeldurr and partially because of its nifty typing. Buzzwole came along and this poor goliath beetle got left in the dust. Now, Buzzwole is banned, and Heracross can carve out its niche once again.
 

explodingdaisies

What's the point of talking if nobody ever listens
is a Smogon Discord Contributoris a Battle Simulator Staff Alumnus
I'm gonna add to the pile of noms real quick with a mon we all seem to have forgotten about for the time being:

Unranked --> Like C or C+ or something
Heracross was ranked before Buzzwole dropped due to its greater speed and more powerful fighting STAB compared to Conkeldurr and partially because of its nifty typing. Buzzwole came along and this poor goliath beetle got left in the dust. Now, Buzzwole is banned, and Heracross can carve out its niche once again.
I think that's a fair ranking for hera. with 2 really good abilities in guts and moxie and the crucial 85 speed tier to creep maero with scarf it can really carve out a niche for itself in UU. With access to coverage moves in knock and facade for guts and stone edge on scarf to nail flying switchins, heracross should be put on the rankings
 

Cynde

toasty
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i disagree with one of Adaam's nominations,
I get it already dropped a subrank, but honestly Raikou is really bad right now. I find it hard to justify using it over Xurkitree and its pure power or Rotom-C's defensive utility. Outspeeding the tier's Dragons is all its got going for it, but even so Hydreigon and Latias often carry Scarf and it can't do much to them besides throw out an HP Ice or Shadow Ball, both of which are easily exploitable moves.
conventional electric checks that were used to stop raikou like hippowdon and shit aren't generally considered good electric checks anymore. because of this people have resorted to faster, frailer electric checks like hydreigon, latias, nidoking and krookodile which raikou can better take advantage of. you mention that hp ice or shadow ball are exploitable moves but that's only applicable to a choice set, which isn't even its best one. z shadow ball is probably its best set right now. in addition to that, again, in your post you mention amoongus kinda falling off, which is true considering its defensive utility isn't really what it once was, and that's another trend that raikou appreciates. also with how scary offence can be, having a slow pokemon like xurkitree will prove to be a hinderance. not to mention raikou now has some defensive utility as well due to the fact that it can check xurkitree and increasing use of togekiss aids a lot better than xurk can. yeah the introduction of mamoswine has hurt it (still vulnerable to z shadow ball) but not to the point where it needs to drop a rank.

also, I don't think celebi needs to drop 2 ranks, i mean sure shit like weavile and alolan muk are gonna give it issues but it's also a serviceable electric answer in addition to the fact that it's one of the few things that can reliably check mega swampert due to how fat it is. it can run a dazzling gleam + z earth power set to hit dragons and scizor btw (which also allows it to muscle past alolan muk). Celebi still one of the most threatening mons defensive teams have to deal with now that there is no unaware clefable there to shit on its day and its stealth rock set remains a really good pivot. i think maybe a drop in 1 rank might be acceptable but certainly not two.
 


I know this nom was addressed already, but I've yet to address it myself, so I support Mega Swampert rising to S (if it doesn't rise in the newest update. If it has, hopefully this covers why it rose.) Like Buzzwole was, it's my belief that most teams can benefit just by having Mega Swampert put on it. Even on non-rain teams this thing is a huge threat. Water/Ground is an awesome defensive and offensive typing right now, with a lack of solid grass types due to the omnipresence of Latias and Scizor, and a shocking amount of mons being weak to the STAB combination such as Krook, Mega Aerodactyl, Raikou, and Xurkitree (Mega Pert outspeeds and kills all of these mons in rain, and can take an unboosted hit from all of them except Xurkitree). Not to mention rain is honestly a fairly good playstyle atm, with Mega Pert being an incredibly hard hitter and Electric immunity, and mons like Kingdra and Scizor being solid rain glue and killing soft checks to pert like latias. It also has juicy bulk, being able to tank hits like +1 Breakneck Blitz from Raikou and +1 Draco Meteor from non-Soul Dew Latias. Not to mention the power this thing packs, which is self-explanatory. Overall, MegaPert's power, bulk, insanity in rain, typing, and basically all aspects of it are what warrant it an S Rank.

Agree with most of the noms posted earlier (especiallymegashark)
 
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roman

Banned deucer.

B- -> B

hi, i usually don't post here but i've noticed that with most of the players calling for a conk ban this could really become a premier wallbreaker as the meta develops in the future. i know mostly everyone already knows what it does (sd splash/lo and band) so i won't linger on what it does any longer

with a conk ban i can definitely see mons heavily pressured by conk such as terrak, weav, and krook and playstyles such as balance and stall gaining traction as the meta becomes more friendly to them (even more so if xurk gets suspected). many of the mons pressured by conk are similarly pressured by craw which is basically why i think it should raise a subrank. it's capable of taking down metagame staples such as mega aerodactyl and latias (with prediction) along with being capable of dismantling stall squads.

might be a bit too early but with a conk ban i can definitely see craw making a big splash on the new meta
 
But Conk isn't banned yet, and there's a chance it stays, so Idk why you are making this post. Maybe if you didn't revolve your entire argument around Conk getting banned, I could agree with the nom, but you did, so I'll just say to wait and see if Conk actually gets banned to make these sort of posts.
 

Deleted User 400951

Banned deucer.
The metagame is very different now with Buzzwole's ban and Weavile's drop, so here are my thoughts on current rankings:

Rises

A -> A+:
New toy syndrome has led to a sharp decrease in usage in Mega Sharpedo but with Buzzwole leaving it's shreds most offensive teams that don't have a Conkeldurr. Offensive sweepers resilient to Bullet Punch are already really good, but Mega Sharpedo also resists Ice Shard so slapping on a Mamo/Weavile doesn't do much to stop it. I'm looking at the Pokemon from S to A- and it flat out beats all but Cobalion, Conkeldurr, and Klefki with Ice/Dark/Psychic coverage (tip: don't run Waterfall). Things like Mega Swampert and Blastoise beat it 1v1 obviously but they must be healthy and cannot switch in at all. It also has the highest winrate in UU open right now at 83% so there's that too.

A- -> A: Scizor has single-handedly destroyed the viability of some of the best Fairies from ORAS, but Togekiss remains strong due to high SpA + Air Slash / Fire Blast do way too much for it to switch in with impunity. On defensive teams it's one of the best Conkeldurr checks, and it has seen good usage on offensive team with Trick + Choice Specs (or Scarf if you hate yourself) while also serving as a catch all check to some huge nuisances like Scarf Hydreigon, Mega Sharpedo, Krookodile, and Mega Swampert (somewhat).

B -> B+: Maybe it's just me but Empoleon is supremely annoying to play against. Amazing check to popular threats in Latias, Mega Pidgeot, Klefki, Togekiss, and Primarina while soft checking others like Scizor, Weavile, Mega Beedrill, and Mega Aerodactyl. It's typing and bulk lets it come in multiple times a game on defensive Pokemon and set up rocks for free or defog them away. However, it's food for some of the tier's biggest breakers in Mega Swampert, Conkeldurr, Xurkitree, and Terrakion so it shouldn't go higher than B+.

B- -> B+: Swampert's as good as ever, but a lot of teams rely on Latias as their bulky Fire resist alongside offensive checks like Primarina, Vincune, Mega Aero, and Hydreigon. What all these have in common is they're crippled by Sacred Fire so really teams might have Fire resists but no Entei switch-ins. It's best counters in Crocune, Slowbro, and Alomomola are not common so B- is vastly underselling it. Solid Scizor/Weavile check as well.

B- -> B+: I love Mantine right now. It's a huge boon for balance checking a million threats while providing Defog + Haze support. I don't want to list a bunch of Pokemon, but some of the key players Mantine shuts down are Scizor, Mega Swampert, Vincune, Chandelure, Cobalion, Infernape, and Mega Blastoise. I don't think a single Pokemon does what Mantine does, and such an impressive resume is far better than what B- implies. Meeps has been spreading a team with it around and has seen great success in open.

B- -> B: Really good against offensive teams while utterly useless against anything remotely bulky. However, it isn't 6-0ing offense as easy as some think it is even at +2 since priority is everywhere and Hawlucha has nothing to mitigate it outside of sub. Scizor is on over a third of teams (36% usage in open), Weavile is top 10 in usage, and even less common priority users like Mamoswine and Entei all stop Hawlucha so easily that a lot of games players just sack whatever they currently have in to trigger Unburden and revenge with their priority move. A- is definitely overselling and I think B+ would also be pushing it.

B- -> B: Aurora Veil is such a stupid move, and I really don't get why it's not used more. Offensive Pokemon held back by their bulk and their bulk alone are free to wreak havoc with Veil up for 8 turns (think Xurkitree, Haxorus, Infernape) and bulky Pokemon become impossible to rvenge kill. Every try stopping Mega Swampert with Veil up? Spoiler: you can't. The thing that makes me like Ninetales so much is that it also provides good defensive utility in its Fairy typing and its speed + Freeze Dry makes it one of the best revenge killers to Gliscor and Mega Swampert, two big nuisances for offense (which is a huge understatement in Swampert's case). Personally, I think Scizor is the sole reason why Veil offense is not the dominant playstyle in UU, but Scizor is so powerful that I think a rise to B is enough.

C -> B-: What was first a meme is now a reality. CB Darmanitan is actually terrifying, again because people are not running reliable Fire-type resists (and good ones like Swampert take 40% from CB FLARE BLITZ). Killing itself is probably its biggest problem, but very very little matches its raw power and what it can do with just a single free turn. Coming in on something like an Empoleon, Mamoswine, Togekiss etc is often enough to claim a kill.

Drops

A- -> B+:
I get it already dropped a subrank, but honestly Raikou is really bad right now. I find it hard to justify using it over Xurkitree and its pure power or Rotom-C's defensive utility. Outspeeding the tier's Dragons is all its got going for it, but even so Hydreigon and Latias often carry Scarf and it can't do much to them besides throw out an HP Ice or Shadow Ball, both of which are easily exploitable moves.

A- -> B+: The latest tier shift was horrible for Hippo, as pretty much all the drops besides Alolan Muk (which I think is trash, but that's besides the point) abuse it. Our newest drop Weavile beats it, and Xurkitree becoming the tier's best Electric-type over Raikou and the rise of Rotom-C make its niche as a VoltTurn stop a lot weaker. Removing rain is pretty cool though, and its great physical bulk lets it act as an emergency stop to a bunch of physical sweepers with Whirlwind, so B+ is fine for it.

A- -> B: It's sad to see Celebi so mediocre after dominating ORAS, but its matchups against the tier's best Pokemon are just so bad. You're either walled by Scizor or walled by Dragons, none of which are favorable as they're both on every team. When building I never think of Celebi as a threat to take into account, as I often have 2-3 good checks to it unintentionally. It's not hard at all to fit a fast Dark- or Flying-type since they're just so good.

B+ - > B-: I'm guessing it was this high before due to Clef/Keldeo/Raikou back before the tier shift, but the former two left and the latter faces competition from Xurkitree which easily beats Amoonguss with Tail Glow + HP Ice or Gigavolt Havoc. It's passivity is difficult to mitigate once you Spore something since it generates too many free turns to too many threats. Checking Primarina and Mega Swampert is its saving grace, but even so Psychic does 70%+ and Mega Swampert can 2HKO it with Adamant.

Why are these even ranked:



Some quick comments on these:

Definitely deserves a rank since unlike Sylveon, it outspeeds Conk with very little investment. It should probably be ranked wherever Sylveon is.

Scizor and Conk are supremely annoying for it but I think this is the most terrifying Pokemon for defensive teams to face with LO since it 2HKOs Quagsire. Don't lower it.

Busted, deserves a rise.

Best mega in UU, I've shared my thoughts on this already but MegaPert for S (let it have this before it leaves us :( ).
[\hide]
Honestly I agree with just about all of these, but there are some things I've noticed while laddering that does make me disagree with some of these:

A- -> B+: I get it already dropped a subrank, but honestly Raikou is really bad right now. I find it hard to justify using it over Xurkitree and its pure power or Rotom-C's defensive utility. Outspeeding the tier's Dragons is all its got going for it, but even so Hydreigon and Latias often carry Scarf and it can't do much to them besides throw out an HP Ice or Shadow Ball, both of which are easily exploitable moves.
I personally disagree with this. This thing does quite a bit vs offense while still holding a lot vs defensive teams. Resisting Scizor's BP, for example, is one nice thing. RN the best set IMO are the Z sets, like Ghostium Z in particular. I've also found the Choice sets to not be as bad as you say because it's rather easy to predict the switch in and Volt Switch is a great momentum nabber. Keep in A-.
I'd also like to nominate Weavile to A+. This thing mindlessly clicks Knock Off and bam! tons of its checks lose their item and a lot of their effectiveness with it. Because you don't want your Scizor, Conk and Nape to lose their items, you aren't able to switch them in. This means that your Z-Move user and Mega are oftentimes your only switch-in to it. But when Z-Move Xurk and Latias dies anyways and are thus not checks, and Mega Aero and Bee take tons from Ice Shard and the sort (and are rocks-weak), not much can really switch in on weavile. I know that it has trouble switching in but Volt Switch/U-Turn is honestly rather common and splashable with Xurk, Scizor, Mega Bee, Raikou, and others too. Ice Shard revenges tons of threats, most notably Latias and Mega Aero. This thing has great matchups with so many S and A ranked mons it deserves A+ in my eyes, even with Conkeldurr.
Not much to say about Conk tbh, rise it to A+ or even S lol.

A+ → A On the fence Not as splashable as before but still is so giving Volt Switch support, being a good SR setter and having a good typing. Notably, Weavile loses.
→ C Indifferent but let's pls not go like last gen and say it sux

B- B/B+ B not B+ Honestly most things that can stay healthy through a match can beat it.
A Nopelol IMO thisis THE best scarfer rn (though I also think Nape is a godly scarfer and might be on par in terms of scarf) and the best SR setter on offense RN.

EDIT:
I will not tolerate this disrespect. After a boost this thing comes close to OHKOing the entire tier. Swamper, florges, and sylveon all take like 90% minimum. You just need a hazard and you win. Lets not forget its the fastest pokemon in the game at +2 and still very fast without that. Anything lower than B+ is a refusal to accept that you and I have lost to this thing at least once in our lives despite having counters.
Lol ok try actually going in-depth instead of just attacking me. I would never use any of those things you just listed to try and deal with it lol. Florges and Sylveon are physically frail af so ofc there's not taking +2 hits that well even if resisted. Swampert is ofc broken because again, it's +2 high powered STAB. The thing you're denying is that it's actually rather easy to build with multiple checks to this thing. Between keeping SR up and keeping a priority user healthy, it's not that hard to beat it. It needs needs NEEDS SR gone or else it'll just die to any kind of priority. And rn honestly there are plenty of good mons that set up SR and beat hazard removers. The 3 Water type spinners all die to Celebi (though they can carry Ice Beam which is scary), none can switch in on Nidoking and they can't beat defensive Swampert. For Defog, Scizor dies to any fire move and Latias is easily pursuit trapped. In addition, Empoleon imo is a mediocre defogger because it's easily worn down and loses to SR defensive Swampert and Nidoking. Also, defog removes your hazards too and it can be hard to get them back up. This isn't even getting into the amount of priority in this tier. Scizor's CB BP kills with some chip (SR SR SR) and so does Weavile and Mamo's Ice Shard. Klefki can also use Prankster Thunder Wave to pretty much negate it entirely regardless of chip. These mons can be kept alive long enough to revenge Hawk. It's also worth noting that if you don't have the unburden boost it can be outsped and dealt major damage by choice scarfers, meaning you can also keep your scarfer safe and then Hawlucha will be harder pressed to do anything.

Admittedly, Hawlucha does sweep teams easily and it can just straight-up win games. But it requires so much support in keeping SR off for good, getting rid of priority users and eliminating opposing scarfers that it doesn't really deserve B+ to me.

EDITS EDITS EDITS (no one can ever say I double post now!):
Decidueye: C+ ----> C/C-

This may seem harsh initially, but hear me out. Decidueye is not a good Pokemon in many matches and struggles with very popular Pokémon like Weavile, Mamoswine, Mega-Sharpedo, and krookodile. It is severely hurt by the recent resurgence of Hawlucha, who can make quick work of it with acrobatics/sky attack. It is also extremely vulnerable to pursuit, which is made even worse by the popularity of the move in UU, and faster Pokemon having access to it, like Weavile and krookodile. Mega pidgeot can cause it big problems with stab Hurricane and heat wave coming off of a 135 special attack. It is also quite slow and can be outsped by several prominent Pokemon, Like Mamoswine, Xurkitree, Hawlucha, weavile, mega sharpedo, and mega pidgeot. It can also be worn down easily with entry hazards and status like toxic and burn. Also, due to its mediocre bulk, it struggles to set up without taking heavy damage or fainting. However, Decidueye does have a niche of being an ok defogger, and a good trapping move in spirit shackle, and I suppose that is enough to at least keep it ranked. Overall, this Pokemon is in need of a drop, due to its low speed and inconsistency to even put in work during a match.
Honestly I'm just going to say that it needs to be unranked. Decidueye was never a defogger btw - it was an SD sweeper with Decidium Z that notable had a very good matchup against stall. That was months and months back, and even with Clefable gone, it's about time we acknowledged that it no longer has that ability. Weavile, Mega Pidgeot, Mamooswine, Krook - these all destroy it. Hawlucha also just gets rid of it. Stall and balance are also not very threatened by this anymore. It's not going to break through Blissey or Hippowdon except at +2, but tell me, when is it getting to +2 again? Almost never without getting burned or poisoned, which really hurts it. Prankster T-Wave from Klefki also neuters it. It's worth noting that stall and balance, the better MUs for Decid, are declining a bit (tho if Conk goes it'll go back up) and that rn offense, which ruins Decid, is running rampant. I just don't think that a mon that is deadweight vs most teams and still not very good vs the rest deserves a rank.

C+ to C/C-

These two are absolutely atrocious in this meta. Forretress is a passive dong that is abused by common sweepers such as Raikou, Latias, Scizor, Cobalion, and Mega Swamp while also inviting one of the most devastating wallbreakers in the meta right now, Xurkitree, in for a free switchin. Other entry hazards are much more reliable and I don't think rapid spin saves it from being easily one of the worst mons currently in the tier.

Tsareena on the other hand, is abused by things like Mega Pidgeot, Mamoswine, Weavile...all three of which are super common.

It's not even a reliable Xurkitree check.


0 Atk Tsareena Trop Kick vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Xurkitree: 117-138 (38.1 - 44.9%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

I'm aware Xurk outspeeds it first, but it can just sets up tail glow while not caring too much about TK and just wins


+3 252 SpA Xurkitree Hidden Power Ice vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Tsareena: 412-486 (118.3 - 139.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO

The hazards it wants to spin away even trouble it at checking offensive Waters.

252+ Atk Swampert-Mega Ice Punch vs. 252 HP / 96+ Def Tsareena: 170-200 (48.8 - 57.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery

252 SpA Life Orb Analytic Starmie Ice Beam vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Tsareena: 281-333 (80.7 - 95.6%) -- 50% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock

Chandelure has also been rising in usage ever since Gengar left and gives it huge trouble. The only notable thing it has going for it is its ability to best most entry hazards, but the amount of offense pressure exerted on it is notable in a meta run by things like Latias, Weavile, Mamoswine, Xurkitree, e.t.c, and is just not a mon I'd really consider on any serious UU team.
I fully agree with Tsareena dropping off. It can't check waters like grasses are supposed to, and it's imo not a good remover, losing to Nidoking, (Mega) Aero, and it doesn't exactly do too well vs Krook. It needs to drop IMO.

Forretress, however, doesn't need to drop. I look at C+ and I see mons this fits finely with. Feraligatr is an outclassed but still OK sweeper, Chesnaught is a situational defensive pokemon as is Gastrodon, Shuckle is a webs setter that is reliable and sturdy, and Roserade is a hazard setter that's slow and frail but has notable offensive presence and Sleep Powder. There haven't really been a huge rise in fire-types outside of Chandelure, and while it lets way too much in for free, it can use Volt Switch and valuably pivot out of these into mons that can work against them. Yes, it's mediocre but honestly it's a passable spinner and setter that offers valuable role compression. I honestly don't see this as bad as Bewear, Flygon, Minior (which IMO should just be unranked), Stoutland, or Whimsicott.
 
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Darksafadao

best of the second options
A Nopelol IMO thisis THE best scarfer rn (though I also think Nape is a godly scarfer and might be on par in terms of scarf) and the best SR setter on offense RN.
I am the one who proposed Krookodile dropping to A. When I suggested this, my reasoning was about how Buzzwole would get set-up/completely counter it. With Buzzwole gone, I also agree it should stay A+, being indeed one of the best scarfers in the tier.
I also would like to comment on other mon:
Unranked → C-/C
I've been testing Gardevoir for a while, and I'd say it has its value in UU. The best sets for it would be the specs/scarf, although I'd say the specs one is better.
It provides a nice revenge killer for Conk, resisting 4x mach punch, and firing off a really hard hitting moonblast. It it also a nice offensive answer to latias, resisting its STABs and dealing damage with moonblast. With trick, it can really destroy walls in the tier, while also having access to Psyshock helps damaging special walls. Trace also provides a counter to rain teams, tracing Swift Swim and really hurting the M-Swampert/Kingdra, and trace in general is a very versatile ability, which helps in a lot of matches.​
 
B- B/B+ B not B+ Honestly most things that can stay healthy through a match can beat it.
I will not tolerate this disrespect. After a boost this thing comes close to OHKOing the entire tier. Swamper, florges, and sylveon all take like 90% minimum. You just need a hazard and you win. Lets not forget its the fastest pokemon in the game at +2 and still very fast without that. Anything lower than B+ is a refusal to accept that you and I have lost to this thing at least once in our lives despite having counters.
 
Decidueye: C+ ----> C/C-

This may seem harsh initially, but hear me out. Decidueye is not a good Pokemon in many matches and struggles with very popular Pokémon like Weavile, Mamoswine, Mega-Sharpedo, and krookodile. It is severely hurt by the recent resurgence of Hawlucha, who can make quick work of it with acrobatics/sky attack. It is also extremely vulnerable to pursuit, which is made even worse by the popularity of the move in UU, and faster Pokemon having access to it, like Weavile and krookodile. Mega pidgeot can cause it big problems with stab Hurricane and heat wave coming off of a 135 special attack. It is also quite slow and can be outsped by several prominent Pokemon, Like Mamoswine, Xurkitree, Hawlucha, weavile, mega sharpedo, and mega pidgeot. It can also be worn down easily with entry hazards and status like toxic and burn. Also, due to its mediocre bulk, it struggles to set up without taking heavy damage or fainting. However, Decidueye does have a niche of being an ok defogger, and a good trapping move in spirit shackle, and I suppose that is enough to at least keep it ranked. Overall, this Pokemon is in need of a drop, due to its low speed and inconsistency to even put in work during a match.
 
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Muk-Alola from B to B+ : Assault vest Muk-A is one of the best stops to certain special attackers that can potentially be big problems to the bulkier teams that muk is usually found on, as a result of its excellent defensive typing and natural bulk. Top-tier mons like specs/ cm z-move latias, np celebi, starmie and hydreigon have their attacks sponged by muk and are then pursuit trapped, hydrei being forced out or can be pursuited fishing for a poison - while some less seen mons like specs chandelure, and even np infernape can be checked. Poison touch is a great ability that can rack up status on the opposing team, meaning even weak attacks on some mons that otherwise shrug them can turn out to be beneficial.

Clear smog can be used a last-ditch tech to deal with set-up sweepers like non-gigavolt havoc xurkitree, np togekiss (assuming no flinch), and cm raikou, however fire blast is also another option should forretress be an annoyance.

B+ is definitely the ceiling for Muk-A however, as while 105 base attack is good enough, imo its best set requires max spd and so it does tend to be rather weak, putting in next to no work bar spreading poison versus stall and semi-stall, and being a liability versus playstyles like rain. Its physical defense is quite average and so despite its good typing is unable to even be a check to physical attackers for the most part.

Muk-Alola @ Assault Vest
Ability: Poison Touch
EVs: 252 HP / 244 SpD / 12 Spe
Careful Nature
- Knock Off
- Pursuit
- Poison Jab
- Clear Smog/ Fire Blast
 
Alolan Muk was just put to B rank and for good reasons. With Buzzwole out the tier, many mons that A-Muk gives free momentum to just get a lot better like Cobalion, Krookodile, Conkeldurr, Mamoswine, Mega Steelix, etc. In fact, I would say A-Muk got worse. I'm not asking for a demotion in rank for A-Muk by the way.
And A-Muk doesn't necessarily "sponge up" attacks from a +1 Z-Draco Latias or a +2 Z Focus Blast/Overheat Infernape. And no, 105 base Attack isn't enough as the mons it wants to check are very bulky like Raikou(to a lesser extent), Latias, togekiss, colbur celebi, and Hydreigon. Alolan Muk wants EVs in it's Atk and SpDf and Speed and HP while also needing fire blast and shadow sneak in it's last slot so, it's got like 4MSS all over the place.
Alolan Muk can be good at pursuit trapping because if the mon stays in then, it gets punished by a-muk's ability; which is great for dealing with try-hards (haha).
I feel like B rank is fine for A-Muk.
 
C+ to C/C-

These two are absolutely atrocious in this meta. Forretress is a passive dong that is abused by common sweepers such as Raikou, Latias, Scizor, Cobalion, and Mega Swamp while also inviting one of the most devastating wallbreakers in the meta right now, Xurkitree, in for a free switchin. Other entry hazards are much more reliable and I don't think rapid spin saves it from being easily one of the worst mons currently in the tier.

Tsareena on the other hand, is abused by things like Mega Pidgeot, Mamoswine, Weavile...all three of which are super common.

It's not even a reliable Xurkitree check.


0 Atk Tsareena Trop Kick vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Xurkitree: 117-138 (38.1 - 44.9%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

I'm aware Xurk outspeeds it first, but it can just sets up tail glow while not caring too much about TK and just wins


+3 252 SpA Xurkitree Hidden Power Ice vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Tsareena: 412-486 (118.3 - 139.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO

The hazards it wants to spin away even trouble it at checking offensive Waters.

252+ Atk Swampert-Mega Ice Punch vs. 252 HP / 96+ Def Tsareena: 170-200 (48.8 - 57.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery

252 SpA Life Orb Analytic Starmie Ice Beam vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Tsareena: 281-333 (80.7 - 95.6%) -- 50% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock

Chandelure has also been rising in usage ever since Gengar left and gives it huge trouble. The only notable thing it has going for it is its ability to best most entry hazards, but the amount of offense pressure exerted on it is notable in a meta run by things like Latias, Weavile, Mamoswine, Xurkitree, e.t.c, and is just not a mon I'd really consider on any serious UU team.
 

Dragalge to C-

A Pokemon that goes under the radar is Dragalge, but it is quite a gem I feel, and absolutely has a niche in the meta game as of right now. In particular, I needed to find a Pokemon that could set up Toxic Spies, have good resists for my team, in particular a Fire and Fighting resist, and lastly a Toxic Spiker that did not totally get cucked on by Xurkitree. Now, you may be saying that sure Roserade fits on there, but it is not nearly as sturdy of a check as Dragalge, and definitely does not have the offensive pressure of Dragalge, which can nearly 2HKO the entire tier. If you want a Toxic Spiker that can not only check completely dangerous threats in tier but also nuke about half the tier.

Dragalge in no means has the best defensive typing in the tier, but being able to at least soft check Xurkitree, Hawlucha, Raikou, Conk, Ape, and Mega Toise is super nice. As a Toxic Spiker, nothing can check that much while also being such a menace to the tier. The set that seems to be, at least to me the best set would be as follows:

Dragalge @ Dragonium Z
Ability: Adaptability
EVs: 84 HP / 252 SpA / 172 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Toxic Spikes
- Draco Meteor
- Hidden Power Fire
- Sludge Wave

Dragonium Z coming off of this monster destroys pretty much the entire tier bar fairy types, which it can hit with Sludge Wave. Hidden Power Fire is nice for Scizor, Klefki, and Cobalion notably, but it actually nukes things like Scizor more easily than one would think, as it can possibly OHKO it after rocks, as shown here. The 172 Speed allows it to outspeed uninvested Scizor and OHKO it.

252+ SpA Adaptability Dragalge Devastating Drake (195 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Scizor: 228-269 (81.1 - 95.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Now, the big question here is what does it offer over anything like Latias and Hydreigon. Let me be honest, while one would think it does not have much, it does, even though it is extremely slow, its prime ability to check Xurkitree, Hawlucha, and others, while also being able to fire off a nuke in Dragonium Z is not really seen in the tier outside of a +1 Latias, but what I really think separates those two is the ability for Dragalge to dispose of the tiers Fairy types, and also have a strong offensive presence even if it is a bit more defensive. It carves a niche out of nuking things and being a sturdier check to things that other T Spikers are simply not checks to.

As a Toxic Spiker, none of them have the ability to not only stack and force mons out easier than one would think, but also to be one of the hardest hitting nukes in the tier regardless, a 390 BP Draco is not going to be taken well by anything. Dragalge can also run Shuca Berry to lure Mega Aero, which it OHKOs, or to lure any other ground types that may hamper the team, specs is also an option, but losing the flexibility of being non-choiced is not the most desirable for Dragalge. Against stall, Toxic Spikes are great and this thing can nuke Pokemon into oblivion, of course Blissey does need to be gone, but Cobalion remedies this weakness rather nicely. Lastly, Dragalge beats a lot of the tiers defoggers and spinners. Tsareena, Mega Blastoise, Togekiss, Scizor, and Tentacruel all get worn down fast by this thing, of course Tentacruel can absorb the T Spikes, but it is rather easy to wear it down while it does Spin.

Overall, Dragalge carves out a niche for itself by checking Xurkitree, Fire Types, Raikou, Fighting types, and other useful mons that you'd like a toxic spiker to check but no other Toxic Spiker does such a thing, as for the dragon type comparisons, none carry Toxic Spikes, which are still really good, none have the uncanny ability to nuke as well as Dragalge, and none have the specific offensive and defensive utility Dragalge brings to a team. The meta game right now is in a unique place as to where Dragalge can carve out a niche and maintain a foothold on some teams.

Dragalge to C-
 
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