Resource SS Monotype Viability Rankings [Isle of Armor]

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It is true that Kingdra is very good, but it falls short of Pelipper and Seismitoad which it is ranked next to. Try to make a comparison for Pokemon you are nominating to other Pokemon that are ranked on its type. Remember that the viability rankings are all about a Pokemon's viability relative to other Pokemon on the type, and we can use Water as an example here. Let's look at the A ranked Pokemon since you're pushing for Kingdra to rise. Pelipper is the cornerstone of all rain teams, enabling the playstyle entirely and Kingdra's viability to begin with, and Seismitoad is extremely splashable as it fits on both balanced and rain teams as a Stealth Rock setter and an Electric immunity with different sets. Cloyster is mediocre compared to those two, and should drop to B regardless, and fits well with Kingdra there.
I don’t disagree with any of this. I was incorrectly under the impression that Barreskewda was A rank, which was my primary motivation for suggesting Kingdra at that rank. I was trying assess it in the context of the other Pokémon, and when I reread the viability rankings I changed my mind (as I noted in my comment).

Spitballing more personal thoughts for the next update too:


Water's rankings should have many changes, as more Pokemon being added shifts a lot of previously good Pokemon lower as a result of there being more competition for slots. Keldeo should drop from S, as Toxapex strikes to me as the best Pokemon on Water period, you can basically just chuck it onto any team bar specific Sticky Web offenses and it'll hold your team together nicely as excellent glue. Cloyster obviously can't compete with the other A ranked Pokemon especially if Keldeo drops, so it should drop to B. B ranked Pokemon like Dracovish and Crawadaunt that have become harder to fit on teams should drop down to C, and that should push down C ranked Pokemon like Gyarados, Golisiopod, Barbarcle and Blastoise that can't really compare to those to D.


Dragalge is simply amazing for Dragon teams in the sense that it covers up many of Dragon's weak matchups very nicely. Toxic Spikes are amazing against Psychic and Fairy, two matchups for Dragon that would be borderline unwinnable otherwise, especially considering it 1v1s Hatterene if it tries to prevent Toxic Spikes using Magic Bounce. Great special bulk combined with a Fairy neutrality and Flip Turn also makes it great glue defensively, as it can switch into many Special Attacks and grab momentum for other Dragons to switch in safely and wallbreak with. Forms a really nice defensive core with Duraludon against the anti-Dragon trifecta of Psychic Fairy and Ice, where both of them provide a solid backbone to switch into all types of attacks. I personally think Dragalge is worth A ranking and noticeably more splashable and better than the B ranked Pokemon, but this is always welcome for more opinions.


The upper half of Steel's rankings are an interesting topic at the moment that would be nice having more input on. Here's the conversation between Floss and I for transparency, but the main issue is Steel's S-B rankings and how to reflect viability accurately. Some Pokemon like Klefki and Duraludon should probably drop down, and that leaves Skarmory, Excadrill, Jirachi, and Bisharp at B. Main question is whether or not there is a clear cut in viability for the B ranked Steel Pokemon, and how to accurately represent that through the S and A ranks if so. Aegislash to S is another topic that can be revisited especially if some of the B ranked Pokemon rise to A, but main question is whether or not it is better than Ferrothorn and as good as Corviknight? Feel free to share your thoughts about it here.
Re: future water updates, I agree that Toxapex is hands down the best water type and is the only mandatory include. I feel like Seismi and Peliper are probably next on the list, followed by Keldeo. Frankly, I would be open to Keldeo dropping to B (I think it’s more realistically A-). I would guess that the majority of swift swim teams do not run Keldeo, as Peliper / Seismitoed / Toxapex / Kingdra are the core of SS teams. Sometimes Keldeo is included after that, but it seems to be more common to supplement with physical attackers like Crawdaunt.

I actually feel like running both Barreskewda and Kingdra is a mistake. The meta is not particularly friendly to Barreskewda right now, and with the ban of Damp Rock you don’t have the ability to maintain rain through both Barreskewda and Kingdra. Theoretically running both gives you more flexibility but I’m not thrilled about Barreskewda inside the rain right now, let alone outside it.

Re: Dragon, what Dragalgae set are you running? I’ve been running with dragon recently and haven’t found a set I particularly like. Though I’m also running an offensive Duraludon set, so maybe I should be asking you about that instead! I see how the pair of them provide a nice core on paper but haven’t gotten it to work for myself yet.


I agree with the sentiment of steel’s viability being clouded and less accurate, and after using tons of Steel teams on alts, I think I have some input in regards to mons currently sitting in B.

Excadrill B → A

With the rise of Fire due to Libero Cinderace and the return of Volcarona, Steel has been feeling the effects of lacking Fire tanks such as Heatran more heavily than before. While Excadrill is far from a Flash Fire Steel type, let alone a tank, used effectively, it can sweep almost every option fire has, while providing immense utility that proves to be relevant for numerous other matchups.

The following calcs are made under the assumption Excadrill is running either Choice Scarf, or an item like leftovers, AV, or sash. EV’s being used are 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

252 Atk Mold Breaker Excadrill Rock Slide vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Volcarona: 476-564 (153 - 181.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO

Excadrill being able to carry Rock Slide gives it an edge up as a pokemon, being able to achieve a OHKO against Volcarona and to have options against flying types. All of Fire’s other options, like Cinderace, or Rotom-H, get melted to STAB Earthquake, with the exception of Flying types and..

252 Atk Mold Breaker Excadrill Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Torkoal: 192-228 (55.8 - 66.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

No surprise there. Apart from my fire rant, which I do believe can be justified for steel given the heatran-less era that SS mono is in currently, here are some other calcs/facts I’ll just leave here.

252 Atk Mold Breaker Excadrill Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Toxapex: 180-212 (59.2 - 69.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Black Sludge recovery
252 Atk Mold Breaker Excadrill Iron Head vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Hatterene: 282-332 (88.6 - 104.4%) -- 31.3% chance to OHKO
it deletes mimikyu with mold breaker
252 Atk Mold Breaker Excadrill Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Terrakion: 366-432 (113.3 - 133.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO


Okay, perhaps those last calcs were anticlimactic (just like this entire calc section), but they still validate the utility that a scarf Exca has. However, things get spicy when you attach a life orb.

252 Atk Life Orb Mold Breaker Excadrill Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Volcarona: 308-364 (99 - 117%) -- 93.8% chance to OHKO

Earthquake has now become capable of OHKO’ing Volcarona, compared to a set 2HKO EQ with a scarf. Can’t say much changes on the torkoal front, as it just becomes 72.6-86% 2HKO, but life orb allows excadrill to OHKO all sorts of mons, such as:

252 Atk Life Orb Mold Breaker Excadrill Iron Head vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Kyurem: 382-452 (97.6 - 115.6%) -- 81.3% chance to OHKO
252 Atk Life Orb Mold Breaker Excadrill Iron Head vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Clefable: 455-538 (115.4 - 136.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO [note on this one, it OHKO’s low HP investment w/out orb]
252 Atk Life Orb Mold Breaker Excadrill Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Dragapult: 277-328 (87.3 - 103.4%) -- 18.8% chance to OHKO
252 Atk Life Orb Mold Breaker Excadrill Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Tyranitar: 400-476 (99 - 117.8%) -- 93.8% chance to OHKO

There are TONS of new 2HKO possibilities that are opened due to running Life Orb, I just feel that this calc section’s getting a bit long and could come to a close, as there are still things such as speed tiers that need to be addressed.
Excadrill has exceptional base attack and a solid movepool, allowing it to support for the users team, have solid coverage on current meta mons, and combined with Mold Breaker, allow for sweeps that normally would have been denied if you used any other mon. I covered some basic calculations, highlighting how Excadrill exceeds with scarf, and with Rapid Spin getting the speed boost buff, it allows for the possibility of Excadrill to not be stuck into choice scarf (albeit, I think it’s more optimal to use scarf).

Yes, Excadrill has 88 base speed. It has a hard time against pokemon such as scarfzard, and will lose to them unless Excadrill manages to have 2 stacks of speed, or you are running AV and there is no sunlight. However, Excadrills ability to dismantle one of, arguably the hardest steel matchups in the current meta while providing plenty utility for other matchups makes it worthy of a tier upgrade.
I think you’re overselling Excadrill here, by a lot. Excadrill loses 1v1 to Charizard, Darmanitan, and Torkoal, and can lose to Cinderace with chip or if Cinderace has a life orb. Excadrill also loses to Cinderace and Volcarona if either get a chance to set up (which both can do easily vs. Steel). Frankly, I’m excited to see Choice Scarf Excadrill on the other side of the table, because it loses to the majority of Pokémon on my fire team!

As The Dragon Master notes, if you ever get locked into Rock Slide you can be easily exploited by several pokemon, but using EQ sets you up to lose a Pokémon when Charizard gets a free switch in and then you have to sack a Pokémon getting Excadrill out of there. It’s plausible that Excadrill improves the fire MU on Steel specifically, but only because nearly every steel type is awful in the fire MU. The couple percentage points that Excadrill adds are not notable and don’t make the MU even boarderline.

Can you provide replays of beating Fire with Steel that shows off Excadrill being good? I’m frankly having trouble seeing it.
 
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I think that Urshifu fills the same role as Crawdaunt, and typically does it better. What advantages does Crawdaunt have over Urshifu?
Crawdaunt works better as a lead sasher breaking walls and removing itens from the foe's team.

Crawdaunt also has access to aqua jet while urhiful lacks priority moves (sucker punch depends on mind games)

Crawdaunt also has a better attack stat and with its abillity can be a threat even more deadly than Urshiful.

Though both of them are good physical sweepers, they work on different ways.
 

Namranan

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Alright after watching 7 weeks of MPL and seeing some stuff during the first week of MLT laddering, I am going to suggest some changes to the VR to reflect some metagame developments.

Nomral:
Bewear and Braviary: C > B

:bewear: -
Bewear has seen a lot of usage in MPL and on some popular MLT teams, and this is mainly due to its ability to act as a far less passive check to physical attackers like Excadrill and Bisharp, unlike Porygon2 who we will talk about later. This and its positive MU's against types like Steel and Dark allow it to become one of Normal's premier threats rather than a niche C-rank mon. I think its benefits to normal make it more comparable to Heliolisk, who also serves its purpose as a good Pokemon vs Water-type teams and a general threat thanks to Glare. So for these reasons, I believe it should be ranked in B rather than C. (Also Darkest Lariat lets it not get walled by ghosts like it did last gen)

:Braviary: - Braviary, like Bewear, has seen a ton of usage in MPL and MLT teams. In fact, its been pretty much ubiquitous on all Normal teams for the most part. The reason for this mainly lies in one of its key moves, Defog. The ability to remove hazards is incredibly crucial for normal as it has no good boots users (besides Braviary) and it relies on its Pokemon using their items way more than any other type. Due to this, Bulky Braviary has become a near staple on normal teams due to its ability to remove hazards effectively. Pair this with its Defiant ability denying opposing defoggers or Magic Bounce users and you have a very solid Pokemon that Normal teams have access to. Its usage in MPL alone warrants a rise, but for the reasons that I just described, its role is clearly more comparable to the likes of (for the lack of better mons) Heliolisk.

Porygon2: S > A or B

:Porygon2: - Porygon 2 has fallen from grace due to a multitude of factors. One factor is ironically enough, Teleport. Now that its partner in crime Chansey has the ability to slow pivot to lure in Physical attackers, Porygons ability to switch into them has become less valuable. Another factor is that Bewear does its job as a check to physical attackers better. Due to the loss of Hidden Power, Porygon2 is now a sitting duck (literally) against steel types. Enter Bewear, who can still stomach attacks from the likes of Bisharp and Scizor and hit them back with its own Fighting-type STAB move, as well as turn opposing walls like Ferrothorn and Toxapex into setup bait with Substitute and Bulk Up. These are things that Porygon2 cannot do anymore and is why in MPL and MLT we have seen more people using Bewear instead of Porygon2. These are the main reasons why Porygon just isn't as potent as it once was, but that doesn't mean its outright bad now, far from it. Teleport was still a great buff to it, and it can still be useful in some matchups, but in general its just not good enough to warrant an S rank anymore. I think A might be too generous, but B might be too harsh so that's why I'm undecided as to where it should go, but the main point is that it should no longer be S rank.

Porygon-Z: B > C

:Porygon-Z: - Porygon Z definitely isn't the greatest special attacker that Normal has access to anymore, namely because of Indeedee and its Expanding Force, and Heliolisk's ability to make Water and Flying very easy matchups. It doesn't have any other moves or niches that allow it to really outshine these two effectively either, as Indeedee is a better Specs and Scarf user, and Heliolisk has the coverage needed to beat most of Normal's MU's. Porygon Z just does not cut it to be a great mon on normal and instead finds itself as a more niche pick for the type. Its rank on the VR should reflect this and is why I am suggesting it should be C, as it is still a strong special attacker, just outclassed by the others.


Bug:
Durant: S > B

:durant: - Durant used to be the best priority user and Physical attacker bug had access to. Now with the DLC, and with proper metagame development, it's now more noticeable than ever that Durant is no longer the top dog of Bug, far from it now. It simply is now outclassed by Scizor as a priority user, and by Heracross as a physical attacker. It still has its niche with its speed being great and Hustle allowing it to do insane damage, but compared to the other physical attackers listed, it is sorely lacking their consistency and effectiveness. I think B is the right place for it as its definitely not as important as Galvantula or Heracross for the team.

Ribombee: A > B

:Ribombee: - Ribombee has fallen out of favor over the course of the Isle of Armor metagame, mainly due to the arrival of Volcarona, and Heracross challenging its role as a dark killer. While Ribombee is still great at beating Dark and Dragon, it becomes too redundant when used with Volcarona and doesn't offer up as much as it did prior due to Scizor and Heracross also granting bug easy MU's. Dragon falling out of favor in the meta also has affected Ribo's effectiveness, as it was one of the few MU's that Ribo still notably won reliably that another Pokemon didn't do. These factors all culminated together to bring us to where we are now, as Ribo has not seen a ton of use in MPL and is sparsely seen in MLT. I believe that this mon is no longer potent enough to warrant an A rank, and should be placed in B with the likes of Scolipede, who similarly only handles a specific MU while being okay but outclassed at everything else.

Centiskorch: B > C

:Centiskorch: - Centiskorch does not cut it anymore on Bug teams. The rise in usage of Araquanid and the introduction of Volcarona removed its defining qualities on the type, which were its offensive typing and utility. Now with both of those niche's covered by better Pokemon, Centiskorch has a hard time finding a spot on the common Bug team and should be passed over like all the other C rank Pokemon that only fulfill a small niche. Centiskorch is still bug's only fire immunity, which gives it a niche, but it does not have anything else going for it at the moment and this should warrant a drop in viability.

Araquanid: C > A or B

:Araquanid: - Araquanid has soared in usage and has been on every bug team in MPL since the Isle of Armor dropped. The main reasons for this are two things: the introduction of Volcarona, and the rise of water and general power creep. Volcarona got rid of one of its main rivals in Centiskorch, who had a superior offensive typing and an IMMUNITY to fire rather than a resistance. With Centiskorch being outclassed offensively by Volc, Araquanid could fit onto teams a little easier, but this alone wouldn't make Araqanid suddenly one of Bug's most prominent Pokemon. Bug found itself struggling to deal with the new terrain moves, most notably expanding force and rising voltage. Araqanid, armed with a Wacan Berry or Assault Vest, can take these attacks head-on and mirror coat them back to the opponent, OHKOing them with ease. While it wasn't perfect at this, it was the best option bug had to deal with the power creep these moves brought and it resulted in araq becoming almost a mainstay on most MPL bug teams. I think that for these reasons and its ability to stomach Hydro Pumps from the likes of Kingra and Keldeo, that Araquanid deserves at least a B rank on bug, I'll stretch for A though as I think its importance on the team is comparable to Heracross and Galvantula, who are also really solid glue on Bug teams that allow the type to be effective.


That's all I have for right now but I will mention a few mons that I can't go in depth with due to me being short on time so here goes

:cloyster: (water) A > B
It's not nearly as good as the other A rank mons rn imo

:Grimmsnarl: (Fairy) A >B
Not as potent or as strong as other A rank mons

That's all for now. Thanks for reading :)
 
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One thing I would add to the nomination for Durant is that it’s typing is identical to Scizor’s. This further restricts its usefulness on a team and pushes it further into Scizor’s shadow. If Durant was – say – water/bug and learned the exact same moves but Aqua Jet and Waterfall instead of Iron Head then there could be an argument in the utility of running it alongside Scizor. As is though, I think it’s fair to say that Scizor supplants it in almost all circumstances.
 

mushamu

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VR Update that includes all of the other changes from DLC

Bug
S -> B
A -> B
B -> C
C -> B
C -> D
UR -> D

Dark
S -> A
A -> C
A -> B
A -> B
B -> C
B -> C
B -> C

Dragon
C -> D
UR -> C

Electric
A to S
A to S
A -> B
B -> C
B -> C
C -> D
C -> D

Fairy
A -> B
C -> D
D -> UR
D -> UR

Fighting
B -> C
D -> UR

Fire
S -> A
A -> S
B -> A
C -> B
C -> D

Flying
A -> B
B -> A
B -> C

Ghost
B -> C
C -> B

Grass
B -> A

Ground
B -> A
C -> D

Normal
S -> A
A -> C
A -> B
B -> A
B -> C
C -> B
UR -> D
UR -> D

Poison
A -> C
B -> A
D -> UR
UR -> D

Psychic
S -> A
S -> A
A -> S
A -> B
A -> B
B -> C
D -> UR

Rock

C -> D
D -> UR

Steel
A -> S
B -> A
B -> A
B -> A
B -> C
B -> C
D -> B

Water
S -> A
A -> B
B -> C
B -> C
B -> C
B -> C
C -> D
C -> D
C -> D
C -> D
C -> B
D -> UR
UR -> D
UR -> C
Bug
Harder time fitting with the new additions
Can't beat Dragon as reliably now due to Dragalge being present leading to a drop in viability
Volcarona beats Steel well enough already so Centiskorch becomes harder to justify using
Good defensive typing lets it support Bug's offensive setup sweepers well to support them as a backbone
Screens are extremely hard to fit on Bug
Decent setup with Swords Dance + Duel Wingbeat

Dark
Krookodile's presence means Tyranitar isn't as prominent as a Stealth Rock setter
Hard to fit on Dark teams nowadays
Shifted down to B since the requirements for A are a lot higher now
All shifted down to B as a result of Krookodile and Grimmsnarl going to B

Dragon
Hard to justify using with defensive Duraludon becoming popular for Cloyster
Decent AV user that can check Volcarona with Rock Slide

Electric
These two Pokemon pretty much define Electric next to Zeraora so we moved them up to S, as they're clearly better than options like Magnezone and Galvantula
More competition with Rotom-C, having both Rotom forms on one rank is ideal
Shifted these two down as a result of not being as good as the Rotom forms
Niche Sticky Web setter, hard to justify using on most teams in comparison to Galvantula
Defensive typing is cool but hard to justify using over an offensive Rotom form

Fairy
Harder to fit nowadays
All three took a drop in viability with Klefki being introduced. Alolan Ninetales still has a niche with weather, but Klefki can paralyze things with Thunder Wave and Prankster fine, so Whimsicott is unranked. Klefki's Steel typing means Mawile is now unneeded to check Jirachi

Fighting
Specific sets are ok but otherwise a lot of overlap with Fighting's other Pokemon
Urshifu means Pangoro is useless

Fire
Charizard is harder to fit now on Fire teams due to other options being introduced, despite still being good
Incredible setup sweeper that can sweep a majority of types in the metagame, one of Fire's best Pokemon now without a doubt
Gaining more usage as a bulky pivot on Fire
Nice role compression as it breaks fat nicely, can set Stealth Rock, and Electric immunity
Hard to justify using on Fire compared to the other C ranks, especially with Alolan Marowak's Ghost STAB is present now

Flying
Matchup specific Pokemon, fits better with the B ranks
Nice typing + hazards makes Skarmory a good pick on Flying teams
Balance Flying is better than screens offense now, so Xatu drops a rank

Ghost
Suffers from Alolan Marowak providing Fire STAB
Metagame is getting more fat oriented which is favorable for Jellicent as a stallbreaker

Grass
Rillaboom is a staple on Grass now due to Grass Glide + Grassy Terrain and its good offensive stats coupled with Swords Dance

Ground
Checks Azumarill so it deserves to be bumped up next to Gastrodon
Unaware is a super tiny niche to be having on a type that focuses on sand offense

Normal
A lot more droppable in SS compared to Chansey and Ditto for offensive options now
Snorlax's main niche was absorbing hits pre DLC, but Chansey takes that niche now, so Snorlax drops in viability
Harder to fit Indeedee on Normal now with Chansey being present and other options like Braviary and Bewear coming along
Good special attacker that's fantastic against Water, being extremely easy to fit due to this
Harder to justify using this over other special attackers unless you're running something with setup, which is a bit shaky
Defogger that helps keep Chansey and the rest of the team alive as it means Normal doesn't lose to Toxic Spikes
A less bulky Chansey that can use Heavy Duty Boots
Special coverage is nice for breaking types like Grass, Poison, Water, Flying, and Steel

Poison
Hard to fit with Amoonguss
Takes the place over Vileplume as Regenerator is a really nice ability
Nobody should use Venusaur on Poison
Assault Vest is a usable set that allows Galarian Slowbro to check threats like Volcarona and Alolan Raichu

Psychic
Fits better with the A ranked Pokemon at the moment
Pretty much why Psychic is good to begin with, Psychic Terrain + Ghost immunity makes it a must have on every Psychic team
:celebi: Worse than the A ranks with Jirachi and Mew dropping
Harder to fit in this metagame so it drops down to B
Worse than the B ranks
Starmie being released invalidates Galarian Mr. Mime's niche of being a Rapid Spin user

Rock

Shifted Crustle down to replace Drednaw
Drednaw should not be used on Rock

Steel
One of the best Pokemon on the type next to Corviknight thanks to its typing and mixed stats
Shifted these three up as a result of moving Cobalion to B
Pretty much the best Choice Scarf user available to Steel teams with its great Speed tier and pivoting with Volt Switch. Nice for forcing out Urshifu too
Hard to justify using when Moonblast Jirachi is getting popular as a Dragon cteam
Screens and setup are both pretty niche and hard to fit
Trick Room Steel sucks

Water
Toxapex is the best Pokemon on Water so Keldeo should drop to A
Worse than Pelipper and Seismitoad
Shifted all of these down to C to reflect the current metagame better
Shifted all of these to D to reflect the current metagame better
Primarina's becoming more popular as a setup sweeper capable of punching holes in matchups such as Dragon, Fighting, Dark, Fairy, Poison, and even the Water mirror
Not much reason to use this on Water anymore, you're always running Seismitoad for Stealth Rock and rain has better setup sweepers available
Wish passing on stall is a decent niche
Freeze Dry switchin, can fit on balance too which is why it is above the stall Pokemon in D

Discussion Points:
  • (Dragon)
  • (Fire)
 

roxie

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D-points
Zarude UR-> B (Grass):
I personally feel like Zarude is pretty mediocre in the current metagame, and comparing it to other B ranks like Virizion or Rotom-C, I feel like it fits perfectly here. It acts as an alternative Scarf user and can help out using a Rock-move just like Virizion. Bulk UP sets can also work with Scarf Virizion, but its an option on the team, but not necessarily a must.
Rotom-H A-> B(Fire):
The standard Fire team at the moment is Torkoal/Charizard/Cinderace/Incineroar/Volcarona/Filler , Filler meaning stuff like Rotom-H, Marowak, or even Salazzle can fit in that slot. Rotom-H does an amazing job at wallbreaking teams and its spot can be replaceable with Alolan Marowak, which is an amazing wallbreaker. I do not feel like Darmanitan should be in the same rankings as Rotom-H and Alolan Marowak however. (
Darmanitan B->C)

Zarude UR-> C (Dark):
Dark can honestly do perfectly fine without Zarude, but it does provide Speed control with Choice Scarf freeing up more generic scarfers like Urshifu or Hydreigon. Being able to outspeed one of Dark's many threats and threaten with Power Whip/Seed Bomb is pretty good.
Dracovish ? (Dragon): I'm not exactly sure if B is the right place, but Vish can certainly be helpful is either providing speed control or breaking stuff with Choice Band. I believe Band Vish can be pretty effective against Hatterne and its a nice filler on the team.
 

The Dragon Master

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D-points
Rotom-H A-> B(Fire):
The standard Fire team at the moment is Torkoal/Charizard/Cinderace/Incineroar/Volcarona/Filler , Filler meaning stuff like Rotom-H, Marowak, or even Salazzle can fit in that slot. Rotom-H does an amazing job at wallbreaking teams and its spot can be replaceable with Alolan Marowak, which is an amazing wallbreaker. I do not feel like Darmanitan should be in the same rankings as Rotom-H and Alolan Marowak however. (
Darmanitan B->C)
I don't agree with roxiee on this one. Rotom heat is not a fixture on a fire team but it's still good enough for A rank. It provides very good hazard removal with hdb + defog . With sr up torkols longevity is heavily crippled and zard becomes really easy to handle. It's ability to break pex and araquanid is huge for fire which can struggle against these mons. It also threatens a clean OHKO against against peli and forces it out. I don't think it is fair to compare marowak to rotom as marowak is a wallbreaker while rotom is more of a utility mon.

I haven't even talked about screens rotom which is at the centre of an entire archetype.
Screens turns volc and Cindi into monsters as that invalidates killing them before they set up as a way to stop them. Zard also appreciates it for revenging purposes
 
I have Zarude for B rank on Dark. By no means is it top tier but it addresses enough of the major holes on standard Dark builds to warrant passing consideration in teambuilding.

Zarude @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Leaf Guard
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Power Whip
- Close Combat
- U-turn
- Darkest Lariat/Rock Slide

Scarf variants offer a quick U-Turn, the ability to scare out Keldeo, and revenge kill Volcarona at +1, especially important now that Ttar has fallen out of favor on Dark teams. (You cannot Sucker Volc without risking a burn due to Flame Body.) Against Psychic, Zarude serves a useful tool in limiting the spammability of Psychic Terrain, with the 37.5% chance to OHKO Indeedee via U-Turn allowing you frequent pressure in a match-up where no one wants to take chip damage, as well as opening the door for Urshifu or Bisharp to clean with Sucker Punch. Also reliably checks Azu post-BD.

Hello. After playing with the fairly common type that is Ghost, I believe I would leave a nomination here:
:gengar: A -> S
Like the other Pokemon placed in S rank, Gengar is incredibly splashable on Ghost teams. It offers a lot; Choice Specs is an incredibly powerful wallbreaker that breaks past anything that doesn't resist one of its moves, along with a good Speed stat. Choice Scarf is a decent revenge killer that can take advantage of its great movepool and stats to weaken the opposing team. It has a good matchup versus lots of types, including Steel, Water, Ground, Fire, opposing Ghost, Psychic, etc. It can even serve against the Dark matchup with Focus Blast. There is basically little reason to not run Gengar on a Ghost team. What makes Gengar even more threatening is the notable support from its teammates. Both Aegislash and Gengar form a decent wallbreaking core and scares Fairy-teams. Chandelure and Alolan Marowak can both shrug off and deal with Steel, Grass, and Ice teams nicely. Galar Corsola and Jellicent are the defensive backbones that help support Gengar's poor bulk. Lastly, Dragapult and Mimikyu just clean up the work that Gengar has done, and vice versa. While Aegislash is also very splashable and versatile, I think Gengar's offensive presence in the tier differs from it. With this in mind, I think it's one of the top Ghost-types in SWSH Monotype. I've won a bunch of times with it so I won't post replays, but it has gotten me through a round of a tour and is nice for laddering.
You haven't really made a case here.

Gengar is great. What separates it from Mimi and Pult is that Ghost cannot feasibly be run without either of them (save TR).
 
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I just want something for Blissey.
242.png
D -> A/S

Yeah, yeah, this sounds really crazy. I really don't have a good explanation, but i'll say it anyway. Since Heavy-Duty Boots are a thing now, Blissey has proven that is more viable than Chansey. When Chansey loses it's Eviolite (due to Knock Off or Trick) you really notice the lack of bulk and you can defeat her more easily, and also, since Chansey is really dependant on Eviolite, it's vulnerable of Stealth Rock and Spikes which can give the opponent some advantage.
Since Blissey is slightly bulkier than non-eviolite Chansey and hazards are no problem, you really take her more into account in teambuilding. And even if both have Teleport, Blissey haves more momentum because of the HDB.

Again, it's crazy since this means Blissey has to go 4 ranks up very quickly, but, I find it logical anyways. Thanks for reading.
 
I just want something for Blissey.
View attachment 271171 D -> A/S

Yeah, yeah, this sounds really crazy. I really don't have a good explanation, but i'll say it anyway. Since Heavy-Duty Boots are a thing now, Blissey has proven that is more viable than Chansey. When Chansey loses it's Eviolite (due to Knock Off or Trick) you really notice the lack of bulk and you can defeat her more easily, and also, since Chansey is really dependant on Eviolite, it's vulnerable of Stealth Rock and Spikes which can give the opponent some advantage.
Since Blissey is slightly bulkier than non-eviolite Chansey and hazards are no problem, you really take her more into account in teambuilding. And even if both have Teleport, Blissey haves more momentum because of the HDB.

Again, it's crazy since this means Blissey has to go 4 ranks up very quickly, but, I find it logical anyways. Thanks for reading.
Strong agree about Blissey going up – Blissey is extremely good. In both OU and NatDex OU Blissey is considered to be competitive with, if not better then, Chansey now thanks to HDB. Blissey hasn’t caught on as much in monotype yet, but it’s extremely good here too and has become more prominent as people catch on.

Blissey is a better teleport pivot, while Chansey is a better sponge. While the old normal core of Chansey + Pory-2 + Starapter would probably still prefer Chansey to Blissey, with Starapter getting dropped from the PokeDex and the introduction of Beware, Normal teams have found themselves moving away from the hard-core walls. P2 has lost a lot of its metagame share and as HBD Blissey becomes more widely known I expect the same to be true of Chansey. I think Chansey is definitely still viable, but probably at B/A given the current team building trends for Normal.

I’m not sure what level Blissey should be at, but I think neither of them are irreplaceable (S).
 
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mushamu

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Heavy Duty Boots are actually extremely good for Normal when your hazard removal is Braviary which can't keep Toxic Spikes from Pokemon like Dragalge, Toxapex, and Drapion off reliably and invites Spikes Ferrothorn in for free due to its inability to reliably damage these hazard setters, not to mention how Toxic Spikes weak all Normal teams are. Some Normal teams have been dropping Chansey for Blissey because of this, B/A is perfectly fine for Blissey which reflects how good Heavy Duty Boots are especially on a hazard susceptible type like Normal. Putting it at S rank is definitely premature right now though, wouldn't put Blissey on the same level as Chansey because of Chansey's amazing bulk but that may change in the future.
 

Havens

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Short, couple sentences or less thoughts on some mons:

:duraludon: (Dragon) A -> B: for as much as it's the preferred hazard setter to Kommo-o and with a Steel/Dragon typing for Fairy, it just doesn't have power or defense to back it up. For as helpful as the natural typing and utility is, it hasn't evolved into anything useful besides the lead role, which is sad for how useful it's supposed to be.

:dragalge: (Dragon) B -> A: contrary to the above, this thing is fantastic. I think TSpikes are the better hazard (probably the best?) this generation, and with new pivoting and Adaptability boosted attacks arguably being more powerful with no investment when compared to Duraludon even at maximum investment, it feels easier to navigate and much easier to work with on Dragon.

:primarina: (Fairy) C -> B: Primarina has really risen in significance to the tier, seeing SubKiss + Psychic sets manhandle a fair amount of glaring weaknesses/problem matchups in Water and Poison. It should not be under Gardevoir, whose usefulness has been declining over the past several months.

:jirachi: (Psychic & Steel) A -> S: Jirachi has really come into its own this past MPL, finding success with it's many variants; SubTox, SubPuP, SubCM, Specs, Scarf, SpDef, you name it, this thing can do most everything. Especially over the past couple of weeks where Fairy has seen an astronomical increase (no pun intended), and with this metagame slowing down a bit, it's in a great position to really take the reigns.

:primarina: (Water) B -> A: For pretty much the same reasons it's risen in MPL for me. It takes care of its many disadvantages with great certainty. The only thing that separates it from being A on Fairy is that its movepool is a bit more diverse for Water to utilize, given Energy Ball that helps with the ditto, and the greater flexibility to utilize Choiced sets for a better breaker.

Kyurem-Back when?
 
Gonna do a quick nom of a mon that ive wanted to get on the vr for ages, but i haven't bothered so here goes
Claydol(ground) Unranked->D or C
Spr 5b 344.png
Claydol @ Leftovers/Colbur Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Teleport
- Gravity
- Scorching Sands
- Psychic/Rapid Spin


Claydol can provide some nice pivoting for ground, as ground lacks solid ways of bringing in a teammate like excadrill or Mamoswine, so Claydol can relieve some pressure of requiring to play offensively or having to sack a teammate to get in another safely. Teleport allows Claydol to bring in its teammates and coupled with its sr resist, spikes immunity and good bulk in general, Claydol can get multiple chances to open the door for teammates to come in and punch holes. Gravity may seem like a very odd option, but it lets Claydol and Dugtrio serve as a corviknight check rather then being forced to run Rhyperior to even have a chance against steel or flying. With Gravity active, Dugtrio can successfully trap corviknight and 2hko it with EQ. Rapid Spin is also amazing for Dugtrio, as it allows it to preserve its sash, and teleport can get Dugtrio in safely to make sure that Dugtrio will have its Focus Sash when it needs it. However, due to the fact that the Corviknight can have at most 1 boost before Dugtrio becomes unable to beat it 1v1, this means Claydol is not going to be as consistent as Rhyperior. Due to that, I believe Claydol should rise to the same rank as Dugtrio but not higher, or at least be put on the VR. Thanks to its incredible role compression as well as Teleport and solid bulk, Claydol can be a great support teammate that can pivot, spin and also possibly help Dugtrio get rid of even more threats.
 
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roxie

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Darmanitan-Galar S-> A
Been having a bit of trouble fitting Galarian Darmanitan on my Ice teams recently whereas things like Cloyster and Kyurem seem more optimal. If I am not mistaken, the generic Ice sample/team is G-Darm/A-Tales/Kyurem/Mamo/Weavile/Avalugg but in many cases, Cloyster does better against Bug, Fire, Fighting, Dark, and etc. +2 outspeeding threats like Cobalion, Terrakion, and Charizard just seems too good. Darmanitan is good for Steel but running Alolan Sandslash + Cloyster seems to already do the job.
Cloyster @ King's Rock
Ability: Skill Link
EVs: 240 Atk / 16 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Shell Smash
- Icicle Spear
- Rock Blast
- Hydro Pump

Sandslash-Alola @ Wide Lens
Ability: Slush Rush
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Triple Axel
- Iron Head
- Earthquake
s/o to Attitude adjuster for putting a rmt out on this cloyster set but as noted darm is no longer a staple.
Kyurem B-> A
Kyurem is too good of a special attacker to not run on Ice, and its Specs set is honestly slept on considering its the only thing that can probably OHKO toxapex, or give off that direct damage in general.
Weavile A-> B
Weavile competes for a spot on the team with Alolan Sandslash suprisingly. Both doing 2 different things, Alolan Sandslash helping with Fairy, Steel, Rock, and Psychic while Weavile mainly helps with Ghost and Psychic seems like it doesn't belong here anymore.
 
Just a couple quick thought. I've been playing Ghost teams a lot and some of these guys seem better than they're ranked:

Sableye C->B
Sableye is a very tricky mon to play against. With types like Steel being popular and the fact that a large number of steel types are physical attackers, the ability to cripple them with burn quickly is very helpful. I almost never see Alolan Marowaks on ghost teams, yet I see a fair amount of Sableye's. And he can do fairly well tank wise like Jellicent. Sableye seems like he deserves a tier rise.

Polteageist C->B/A
You might think I'm crazy about this one but Polteageist seems very good. Polteageist is a very strong wallbreaker. When going up against water or poison teams he can be very helpful, and his access to Giga Drain increase his longevity significantly. It can go head-to-head with Toxapex, playing mind games with Giga Drain then switching to a Shell Smash. Aegislash has great power and technical prowess and Polteageist seems on slightly above him, at least in attack only lacking the fact that he needs a Shell Smash to get going. He definitely is a better option then Alolan Marowak to me. I might be proved wrong, but Polteageist should get raised.

One other suggestion for Dark
Obstagoon D->C
Obstagoon can do some amazing damage with Guts and Flame Orb-Facade. It also has some technical prowess with Obstruct, allowing scouting and the opportunity to lower the opponent's defense. Parting Shot can also be an option for pivoting out of fighting attacks into Mandibuzz. I definitely seems to be at least on par with Weaville or Sharpedo, with a more tanky feel. Overall I just don't that Obstagoon should be bottom tier
 
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Going to only comment on this one as I have never tried Obstagoon on Dark and dont have an opinion on it.

Just a couple quick thought. I've been playing Ghost teams a lot and some of these guys seem better than they're ranked:

Sableye C->B
Sableye is a very tricky mon to play against. With types like Steel being popular and the fact that a large number of steel types are physical attackers, the ability to cripple them with burn quickly is very helpful. I almost never see Alolan Marowaks on ghost teams, yet I see a fair amount of Sableye's. And he can do fairly well tank wise like Jellicent. Sableye seems like he deserves a tier rise.
Sableye definitely is a mon with its merits on ghost. However, the VR ranks Pokemon based on how easy they are to fit on a team, and Sableye loses out most of the time when people are trying to build a ghost team. Gengar, Dragapult, Mimikyu, and aegislash are pretty much all staples on any form of ghost team, and with only two spots left, the competition gets even fiercer. On HO Ghost teams, There are better taunters like Froslass who is a staple on HO ghost teams, and Sableye does not offer any offensive pressure whatsoever. Bulkier Ghost teams tend to use Corsola-G or Jellicent(even both at times) as their glue, thanks to both being much better defensively, allowing them to switch into more attacks and spread status much better. Although Sableye has Prankster to give itself Priority WoW, Corsola-G and Jellicent both have access to Strength sap, allowing them to perform the role infinitely better, as they can lower the foe's attack while healing themselves. Cors-G /Marowak /Runerigus also will probably take up a team slot thanks to those tthree being the only ghosts with access to Stealth Rock. Finally, Chandelure is the go-to pokemon on ghost for relieving the steel mu.

Polteageist C->B/A
You might think I'm crazy about this one but Polteageist seems very good. Polteageist is a very strong wallbreaker. When going up against water or poison teams he can be very helpful, and his access to Giga Drain increase his longevity significantly. It can go head-to-head with Toxapex, playing mind games with Giga Drain then switching to a Shell Smash. Aegislash has great power and technical prowess and Polteageist seems on slightly above him, at least in attack only lacking the fact that he needs a Shell Smash to get going. He definitely is a better option then Alolan Marowak to me. I might be proved wrong, but Polteageist should get raised.
While Polteageist is an extremely dangerous pokemon to most teams, it requires a lot of team support from things like Froslass to set up Spikes and keep off hazards for it. Additionally, it is extremely prone to priority unlike other set up sweepers on ghost like Mimikyu(who has its own priority), and Dragapult who resists aquajet as well as having sub to dodge Sucker Punch. There are also many Pokemon that can completely put polteageist's sweep to a stop, like Skuntank/Drapion(there will always be one of these on any poison team). While being able to easily break through pex, Pokemon made to break fat like Taunt Jellicent can cover more and check Pex in one teamslot. Aegislash is a Pokemon on almost every Ghost team, as it has multiple roles it can fill(specs,sd, subtoxic) as well as being resistant to rocks and immune to tspikes. However, the big reason why Polteageist isnt higher is how weak it is to hazards. Without a Sash, it'll be quite hard to get polteageist on the field and click Shell Smash, and ghost's hazard removal being Decidueye or Dhelmise, neither of which are that good, Polteageist is overall a mon that needs too much team support that may not even get the sweep you want it to perform.
 
While Polteageist is an extremely dangerous pokemon to most teams, it requires a lot of team support from things like Froslass to set up Spikes and keep off hazards for it. Additionally, it is extremely prone to priority unlike other set up sweepers on ghostlike Mimikyu(who has its own priority), and Dragapult who resists aquajet as well as having sub to dodge Sucker Punch. There are also many Pokemon that can completely put polteageist's sweep to a stop, like Skuntank/Drapion(there will always be one of these on any poison team). While being able to easily break through pex, Pokemon made to break fat like Taunt Jellicent can cover more and check Pex in one team slot. Aegislash is a Pokemon on almost every Ghost team, as it has multiple roles it can fill(specs,sd, subtoxic) as well as being resistant to rocks and immune to tspikes. However, the big reason why Polteageist isn't higher is how weak it is to hazards. Without a Sash, it'll be quite hard to get polteageist on the field and click Shell Smash, and ghost's hazard removal being Decidueye or Dhelmise, neither of which are that good, Polteageist is overall a mon that needs too much team support that may not even get the sweep you want it to perform.
Yeah, I've been messing around with Ghost to see what's best. I might switch out Polteageist with Jellicent thanks for the tips

Also, I want to point out Malamar is available and is not ranked.
 
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Boltund Unranked -> Ranked (Preferrably at least C-tier)

As someone who has been using Boltund for a while, Boltund in Monotype can be a serious threat with its ability in Strong Jaw, allowing for moves like Thunder Fang to be an actually viable options with more power than Wild Charge without the recoil (and a 5% miss chance). As a late game sweeper he can do a number on types like Ghost, Poison, Bug, and Psychic under the circumstances where you can easily sweep if you have taken out or crippled something that resists or isn't super effective. It can run either Choice band or Bulk up, but preferrably I use choice band since it doesn't require as much setup and allows for more coverage. And don't even get me started with webs.
 
Boltund Unranked -> Ranked (Preferrably at least C-tier)

As someone who has been using Boltund for a while, Boltund in Monotype can be a serious threat with its ability in Strong Jaw, allowing for moves like Thunder Fang to be an actually viable options with more power than Wild Charge without the recoil (and a 5% miss chance). As a late game sweeper he can do a number on types like Ghost, Poison, Bug, and Psychic under the circumstances where you can easily sweep if you have taken out or crippled something that resists or isn't super effective. It can run either Choice band or Bulk up, but preferrably I use choice band since it doesn't require as much setup and allows for more coverage. And don't even get me started with webs.
The issue with Boltund is that it's almost entirely outclassed by Zeraora offensively. Zeraora can just as easily run Choice Band and Bulk Up variants, and has the movepool to offensively pressure some of the types you mentioned, like Ghost, Bug, and Psychic. But Zeraora has the superior Attack and Speed stats, making it offensively more viable than Boltund in nearly every way except for a single movepool option. Boltund only really has Strong Jaw Psychic Fangs to separate itself from Zeraora, but even then that Psychic coverage is just as easily patched up with Alolan Raichu, who can not only punch through Poison's defensive core, but outspeed and remove revenge killers like Scarf Salazzle, Gengar, and +1 Scolipede under Electric Terrain. There isn't much value Boltund has over Electric's other options, which is why it should stay unranked.
 
This is mostly me just trying to breathe life into the thread again.

UR -->D. A large majority of mons are Physical attackers, and this thing is a nightmare for Physical attackers. Even in its weaknesses it doesn't do terrible. Ice types have Weavile, A-Slash, Mamo, and G-Darm. Grass has Rilla, Deci, and Thorn. Water has Toad and Daunt. It eats Physical attacks and just gets tankier, AND I gets iron Defense + Body Press. Combined with Leftovers and other move options, no physical attacker wants to fight this.

C -->B.(Ground)Paired with a Scarf this thing because a reliable speed control. It has amazing coverage options with moves in Ground, Steel, Rock, Dark, Fighting, Normal, Dragon, Water, Fire, Ghost, Bug, Poison, and Electric. You can basically pick a set to counter any type you want. Intimidate is an amazing defensive ability, and Moxie can make him a great late-game sweeper. He has reliable power, and lots of high damage moves. You're not going to be running a water team on Ground, so He actually outspeeds and out damages Seis. Seis gets Water Absorb though. he beats Flygon in attack, and with the aforementioned Scarf, he outspeeds him as well. Combined with Drill he makes a great speed core.
 
Nominations for flying rankings:

For reference here are the usage stats for last month, which is when a lot of skilled players were laddering for MLT: https://www.smogon.com/stats/2020-08/monotype/gen8monotype-monoflying-1760.txt

RISES:

Noivern: B->A
2 | Noivern | 76.12103% | 5570 | 43.779% | 4094 | 43.835% |
Noivern appears to be the most popular scarfer on the flying usage stats, and it's not hard to see why. Scarf draco meteor makes the dragon mu 100% easier, easily revenging sub kyurem, while also outspeeding threats such as scarf gengar, +2 cloyster, etc. Also outspeeds the recently released modest Kingdra in rain, which is very helpful for teams not running Mantine. Infiltrator also ignores screens which are increasingly common in this metagame, especially with the meteoric rise of fairy. All in all a fantastic scarfer for flying, and deserves a rise.

Mantine: B -> A
3 | Mantine | 67.05054% | 1877 | 14.753% | 1355 | 14.508%
Mantine is getting more popular by high skilled players. The water immunity is much more useful post DLC, easily dealing with metagame threats such as Kingdra and Azumarill. The release of a real electric immunity to cover Mantine's quad weakness also serves to make this mon better.

Emolga: D -> C
4 | Emolga | 60.49574% | 2363 | 18.573% | 1865 | 19.969%
Seeing Emolga at such a high usage rate at top ladder means highly skilled players find Emolga easily splashable on teams. As an electric immunity that also serves as tech against the water MU, it's usually always fairly helpful. Being also to outspeed and OHKO urshirfu doesn't hurt either.

Pelipper: D -> C
5 | Pelipper | 54.31503% | 1912 | 15.028% | 1521 | 16.285%
Rain flying is quite a bit better post-DLC, with the increase in fighting due to Urshifu and fire/bug due to Volcarona and Libero Cinderace, as well as the increase in grass with the buffed rillaboom. Rain flying also got a noticable buff with the release of a electric immunity in Emolga.

Dartrix: UR -> D
6 | Dartrix | 51.86460% | 445 | 3.498% | 353 | 3.780%
Surely anything with over 50% usage during MLT ladder month is good enough to be ranked at D.

DROPS:
Rotom-Fan: D -> UR
19 | Rotom-Fan | 1.20346% | 1280 | 10.061% | 1020 | 10.921%
Why would I ever use this when I can run an electric type not walled by Seismitoad that also serves as an Electric immunity? High ladder players seem to agree with me--this sees less usage than obvious unviable memes such as Butterfree, Sigilith, and Scyther.

Charizard: A -> C
14 | Charizard | 11.95923% | 3342 | 26.267% | 2319 | 24.830%
At first glace, there's nothing noticeably wrong with Zard. But why is this mon getting less usage high ladder every other mon on the VR list (other than the unviable Rotom-Fan)?

Zard's usage rate is a red flag for a mon whose most common set is Scarf, a "splashable" set. So we must ask why this is happening. Some reasons:

- The drop of Steel usage (since Urshifu release) has made scarf Zard less viable;
- The popularity of screens (esp with fairy) has made infiltrator Noivern a better choice than Zard;
- The increased popularity of bulky dragons such as Dragalge (to handle things like Hatterne) make scarf dragon pulse less good at cleaning against Dragon
- Increased usage of Fire as a type has caused people to prep harder for Zard with sets such as Scarf Cobalion on steel, which makes Zard less good against these teams

Looking at these reasons, Zard's usage rate seems less of an abnormality and a more of an indicator of the mon's relative viability in the metagame.

Xatu: C -> D
13 | Xatu | 14.24704% | 2756 | 21.662% | 2281 | 24.423%
Screens flying is a lot less relevant in an Urshifu meta, especially when the main setter of screens is weak to Wicked Blow, which flying as no switchins for (Even Togekiss is 2hkoed: 252 Atk Choice Band Urshifu Wicked Blow vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Togekiss on a critical hit: 153-180 (49.1 - 57.8%) -- 61.3% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery).
 
Nominations for flying rankings:

For reference here are the usage stats for last month, which is when a lot of skilled players were laddering for MLT: https://www.smogon.com/stats/2020-08/monotype/gen8monotype-monoflying-1760.txt

RISES:</p><p></p><p>Noivern: B->A
2 | Noivern | 76.12103% | 5570 | 43.779% | 4094 | 43.835% |
Noivern appears to be the most popular scarfer on the flying usage stats, and it's not hard to see why. Scarf draco meteor makes the dragon mu 100% easier, easily revenging sub kyurem, while also outspeeding threats such as scarf gengar, +2 cloyster, etc. Also outspeeds the recently released modest Kingdra in rain, which is very helpful for teams not running Mantine. Infiltrator also ignores screens which are increasingly common in this metagame, especially with the meteoric rise of fairy. All in all a fantastic scarfer for flying, and deserves a rise.

Mantine: B -> A
3 | Mantine | 67.05054% | 1877 | 14.753% | 1355 | 14.508%
Mantine is getting more popular by high skilled players. The water immunity is much more useful post DLC, easily dealing with metagame threats such as Kingdra and Azumarill. The release of a real electric immunity to cover Mantine's quad weakness also serves to make this mon better.

Emolga: D -> C
4 | Emolga | 60.49574% | 2363 | 18.573% | 1865 | 19.969%
Seeing Emolga at such a high usage rate at top ladder means highly skilled players find Emolga easily splashable on teams. As an electric immunity that also serves as tech against the water MU, it's usually always fairly helpful. Being also to outspeed and OHKO urshirfu doesn't hurt either.

Pelipper: D -> C
5 | Pelipper | 54.31503% | 1912 | 15.028% | 1521 | 16.285%
Rain flying is quite a bit better post-DLC, with the increase in fighting due to Urshifu and fire/bug due to Volcarona and Libero Cinderace, as well as the increase in grass with the buffed rillaboom. Rain flying also got a noticable buff with the release of a electric immunity in Emolga.

Dartrix: UR -> D
6 | Dartrix | 51.86460% | 445 | 3.498% | 353 | 3.780%
Surely anything with over 50% usage during MLT ladder month is good enough to be ranked at D.

DROPS:</p><p>Rotom-Fan: D -> UR
19 | Rotom-Fan | 1.20346% | 1280 | 10.061% | 1020 | 10.921%
Why would I ever use this when I can run an electric type not walled by Seismitoad that also serves as an Electric immunity? High ladder players seem to agree with me--this sees less usage than obvious unviable memes such as Butterfree, Sigilith, and Scyther.

Charizard: A -> C
14 | Charizard | 11.95923% | 3342 | 26.267% | 2319 | 24.830%
At first glace, there's nothing noticeably wrong with Zard. But why is this mon getting less usage high ladder every other mon on the VR list (other than the unviable Rotom-Fan)?

Zard's usage rate is a red flag for a mon whose most common set is Scarf, a "splashable" set. So we must ask why this is happening. Some reasons:

- The drop of Steel usage (since Urshifu release) has made scarf Zard less viable;
- The popularity of screens (esp with fairy) has made infiltrator Noivern a better choice than Zard;
- The increased popularity of bulky dragons such as Dragalge (to handle things like Hatterne) make scarf dragon pulse less good at cleaning against Dragon
- Increased usage of Fire as a type has caused people to prep harder for Zard with sets such as Scarf Cobalion on steel, which makes Zard less good against these teams

Looking at these reasons, Zard's usage rate seems less of an abnormality and a more of an indicator of the mon's relative viability in the metagame.

Xatu: C -> D
13 | Xatu | 14.24704% | 2756 | 21.662% | 2281 | 24.423%
Screens flying is a lot less relevant in an Urshifu meta, especially when the main setter of screens is weak to Wicked Blow, which flying as no switchins for (Even Togekiss is 2hkoed: 252 Atk Choice Band Urshifu Wicked Blow vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Togekiss on a critical hit: 153-180 (49.1 - 57.8%) -- 61.3% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery).
i'm not really that experienced enough to say anything about your noms, but dont use usage stats as the front point of your argument, otherwise no one is gonna take it seriously

so this isnt a one liner, guess i have to make a nom of my own now. damn, i barely play this meta

um inteleon to UR it's a trash mon? yeah let's go with that
 
Leafeon Unranked -> at least D

Leafeon under the sun is an absolute monster. You can run adamant nature and SD once and get an attack stat up to 700. While yes, it's coverage isn't the best, the moves it does have hit hard with a STAB 125 base power move in solar blade, which, in itself, can 1 shot a Heracross when having Life Orb plus a Swords Dance. Leafeon can also use weather ball to it's advantage against mons like Scizor and Ferrothorn under sun, giving it a power 150, including sun boost, move that can hit them both for x4 damage on the special side. Anything that doesn't resist +2 Solar Blade will probably just die or, if stupid defensive, will be close to dead, and as a common trend in a lot of grass sweepers, they tend to hard abuse sun with sheer power that they can bring to the table, but is one of the few grass physical sweepers that can bring something to the table when under sun. I feel as if it is a very underrated pick, and should be at least worth noting.
 
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