Resource SS OU DLC2 Viability Ranking Thread [SEE: Page 105, Post 2618]

[ratman1242]

Blacephalon: C to B+

The thing hits harder than Spectrier. Beast boost does exactly what grim neigh does. It gets trick.Specs fire blast 2hkos mandibuzz, and one shots melmetal and magearna. It resists grassy glide which is huge for anything offensive. The only downsides compared to Spectrier is that it is weak to rocks, more frail and slower (but 344 is still fast). Furthermore it pairs up really with due to its ability to roast or trick all of its checks.

 

[HydreigonTheChild]

Let me just get this straight. Regieleki is not good besides screens, it requires so much support to function, and it doesn't even force ground types due to every good team having one, and strong priority like grassy slide, urshifu sucker punch, and its inability to switch int due to its typing and frailty make it not a good offensive threat. But Why not pheromosa? its bulk is pathetic? Yes, but pheromosa can actually pressure its checks via CB drill run and LO shock wave, it also hits stupidly hard for a mon its speed. Phero has multiple good sets in CB, QD, Boots/Pads. Regieleki doesn't have those characteristics and instead is complete momentum loss against any semi-decent team. Rocks of all things pressure it to since it has to switch out every time a ground come in. But then u have spectrier who has mono-coverage? No? Well spectrier can force switches via wisping dark types like mandibuzz and hitting them with a brutally powerful hex. It pretty much says "hey man, do you have blissey? No? Well i would like to spam my 130 BP hex's." In conclusion Regieleki is bad because its outdone in what its supposed to do, it is huge momentum loss to every semi-decent team, and in reality pulling off miracles against a team every once in a while is nice but not to warrante it a higher rank than B

 

[AM]

Phero and Spec in way higher tiers on the list than Regieleki so doesnt make much sense to compare them. Koko probably the better screen setter anyways because it can supplement Hawlucha but again it’s higher. Eleki probably not much better than most things in its current rank but rain core in B- too low. I dont think its rank is a huge deal tbh since screens are pretty good tool for offense and this is the initial rankings anyways.

 

[HydreigonTheChild]

I compared them because the role they accomplish is a tad similar, they bot break holes its just one is just much better and one is much worse. Screens is meh because the screen setter is koko since it can run u turn and taunt alongside its good typing

 

[musiquepkmn]

The turn ends and then I'm forced to either stay in or switch to another ground which gives you a free hard switch to something like ferro so if I do pivot I get punished for putting YOU in a bad position and you're seriously telling me that a mon that has the ability to force these situations every single time it gets in is better off running dual screens?

There are a plethora of OU viable pokemon that force defensive switch-ins, like Spectrier, Pheromosa, Urshifu, Barraskewda, Magearna, etc. Teams will rarely have 2 safe switch-ins to the above threats, often times having none. Many teams will be forced to play around using resistances once their primary switch-in is decommissioned by the aforementioned pokemon chipping it down enough. The difference here is that the above threats have means of damaging their "counters". Spectrier can run Sub-Disable sets, Urshifu can run Poison Jab, Acrobatics, or Futureport, Pheromosa can run Poison Jab, Drill Run, Throat Chop, or Shock Wave, Barraskewda can Flip Turn, Mageara can Volt Switch/just attack, etc. All of these pokemon can at least damage their counters or pivot out. Regieleki, on the other hand, can barely touch ground types. Extremespeed and Body Slam are its hardest hitting attacks, and being a normal type, it has no super effective coverage. Remember that double switching on a forced switch-in isn't unique to Eleki, it's something that nearly the entire tier can do and some of the tier (the ones with U-turn/Flip turn) doesn't even need to do. In nearly every case offensive regieleki is just underwhelming as you can continue to risk the double switch every time when you could be using a U-turn Pheromosa or Dragapult or something that can click U-turn and doesn't need to make that prediction.

 

[Zneon]

Gonna go over a few things that I feel should rise/drop on the VR.

Hydreigon: → A-

I agree with this completely. I personally find Hydreigon to be a better bulky Dark-type than Mandibuzz to be perfectly honestly because its still bulky while not being a passive Pokemon, making it very useful in my eyes and better than the Pokemon in B+. As well as the fact that it has use outside of being a bulky Dark-type defogger. Its ability to check Heatran and Nidoking and being a genuine threat to stuff like Slowbro and Slowking makes it a very effective and consistent Defogger right now and thus I feel it should rise to A-.

Mandibuzz → A-

Mandibuzz in my eyes sticks out like a sore thumb compared to the Pokemon in A in my opinion. Its a very bulky Defogger however its a pretty passive Pokemon in its defensive niche really only falls down to checking Spectrier and Dragapult, and maybe Urshifu if you carry a Fighting resist alongside it, which while very good, that also gives it fierce competition with Hydreigon, which I personally find to be better, because unlike Mandibuzz, Hydreigon has genuine offensive presence while being a valuable Ghost resist, which makes it more splashable than Mandibuzz however just slightly. Overall Mandibuzz while good just isn't as good as the Pokemon in A right now and a drop should happen to reflect that.

Nidoking → A

I feel Nidoking should rise since I feel its an absolutely monster of a wallbreaker because its pretty consistent at doing what it needs to do, which is break balance cores. It pretty much annihilates ClefPex teams which is omnipresent right now and considering that Nidoking needs just Sludge Wave + Earth Power you got yourself a very dangerous Pokemon. The last 2 slots can be a lot of things since Nidoking has a pretty large movepool. Flamethrower, Thunderbolt, Ice Beam, Substitute, Superpower etc. You can go with a lot of stuff on it and its made even better when you add its Speed tier, being able to outspeed bulky Zapdos, Moltres, Heatran and Tapu Fini is very valuable and its consistency and potency makes it better than most of the Pokemon in A- in my eyes.

 

[HydreigonTheChild]

I agree with Zneon on this, mandibuzz is to passive for OU, its good but not A worthy. Hydreigon is a defogger that checks heatran, checks spectrier and most importantly can defog endlessly on heatran and can threaten a OHKO with earth power. mandibuzz can barely check spectrier due to being unable to pressure it after its wisped because it is unable to break the sub and has to have boots intact to function as a good defogger. Hydreigon could even be A as a fully bulky mon that can stand up to the premier threats of the metagame which includes the above in heatran, spectrier but in addition slowbro, able to one time check urshifu wicker blows, zapdos without hurricane. Its a great mon and I feel like it should be explored more

 

[Gomi]

Other ppl's stuff I agree w/ first
To A-
Spectrier forcing this to basically run a set that only checks it and Pult (Spdef Knock) gimps this Pokémon's usefulness to an extreme extent and leaves it very strained in battle. Even if you do pack dual Dark Stabs, you're still gonna be a sitting duck without U-turn and pretty much worthless at checking Exca, Kartana, etc. after a Spect Burn, or even a Pult's Wisp/Twave. Its a good pokemon on paper but this metagame basically forces it to consider 2 different sets that both check huge things, and the influx of new Defoggers is really not good for it.
To B+
Talah pretty much said everything I thought about this passive hunk of trash. I'd run Hippo on Sand more often if Spect didn't exist frankly, its typing is more useful atm. Not saying this is niche-less or anything, it just isn't an A- mon by any means.
Down a rank respectively
Again Talah said it better than I could've, Fsight is overrated.

Now, my own noms.
To B+
The only consistent Cinderace switchin bar like Jellicent, an incredible mono Ground typing, and solid Blanket check to a huge amount of Physical attackers in the tier, as well as most Electrics. Even outside of sand, this Pokémon offers a lot to fatter builds as one of the bulkier Volt Blockers around, alongside Gastrodon. Yea its pretty passive, and choosing between Whirl or Toxic can be a little annoying, but you'll struggle to find a Pokémon as bulky on both ends as this.
To B-
Is this really that good of a screens setter compared to the rest? It offers nothing defensively Typing wise, really only Spins outside of setting, practically never gets to abuse its pivoting because of the whole inability to touch Grounds thing, and offers nothing offensively besides picking off weak boosted mons with Volt. I understand its niche, don't get me wrong, you're never gonna deny this mon's screens, but Tapu Koko and Alolatales offer more besides Screening (Tapu Koko's typing and Access to U-turn+Taunt+Terrain, Alolatales packing Hypno and immediate Dual Screens) and Grimmsnarl's typing is incredible defensively, checking a huge thorn in HO's side in Dragapult, while still being practically impossible to deny from setting Screens. I just don't think this is that much better than the rest honestly.

 

[Katy]

I think this mon deserves a rise, as it consistently does its job as a great special wall, with great coverage options and a good typing. this mon can easily pressure a lot of special attackers, which have no super effektive strong stab which can pressure it back. with assault vest it can be a great pivot and even with black sludge to maintain more longevity alongside regenerator it can put in a lot of work as with its natural special bulk it has no problem to tank a decent amount of moves. its typing in general is great with poison and psychic, but it isnt stonewalled by pokemon like ferrothorn because it can make use of its coverage option in fire-type attacks. with many great pokemon in the current metagame such as tapu fini, ferrothorn, toxapex, and tornadus-t it can help the rest of the team checking them as it has the coverage to do so. especially not being walled by ferropex is a big plus in a metagame, which relies on these pokemon to check many of the dangerous threats there. and with the tour success it has on its table i think it is worth of a rise of 1 subrank (i dont wanna stretch it too much as of now) and i think its a pokemon worth to explore more for the future.

hydreigon is one of the best pokemon in the tier despite having plenty of hard hitters in the tier, but the great aspects it offers are really good, with checking pokemon, such as heatran which is really common, moltres, and spectrier it excels as a perfect check to them. earth power, roost, defog and dark pulse are great and fundemantal moves for a pokemon in this metagame currently. it also packs an incredible ability with levitate making it immune to plenty of ground-coverage a lot of pokemon run right now. i feel this pokemon deserves a rise, especially with checkeing heatran, moltres, and spectrier currently, which is very worthy right now.

also a pokemon to consider for a rise, swampert. it has a pretty straightforward movepool with scald, stealth rock, flip turn, and earthquake, but with checking plenty of dangerous pokemon in- and outside of rain teams and having a great typing being ground and water it can check many dangerous threats, first off electric-types as it offers a complete immunity towards their stab-attacks. swampert also offers flip turn, which can give its teammates necessary momentum. as far as i can see, swampert really deserves a rise one subrank.

hot take but i put them together: and i think grass-spam is a worthy archetype to explore and sees more and more usage, with rillaboom and kartana sharing great offensive pressure on plenty of teams, with their coverage-options and great priority and speed alike, these two are capable of demolishing a lot of teams right now, especially rain- and sand-teams have struggle to break past them and kartana has giga impact to dent holes in pokemon which usually check it, such as zapdos and moltres. i feel like at least rillaboom if not also kartana deserve a rise one subrank.

this pokemon is really great right now, be it physically defensive variants with stealth rocks, quake, u-turn, and a fillermove such as toxic, protect or knock off, it offers the utility a team really needs. it has also alot of roles it can fullfill, be it the aforementioned set, scarf, suicide lead on ho or a great answer to electric-types, this pokemon can fullfill nearly everything and so does it excel in the current metagame. it can not only fullfill these roles but it does it excellently so i think this pokemon is ready for a rise.

this pokemon should also rise one subrank. it has the coverage to demolish a lot of fatter teams with ice beam hitting hippo hard, flamethrower hitting steels such as ferrothorn, sludge wave and erath power being great dual-stab-options and other moves such as thunderbolt helping vs corviknight and mandibuzz. fat teams have struggle to switch into it, as long as they didnt figure out the entire movepool of it, and with taunt it can disrupt many pokemon from recovery-ing and setting / removing its rocks. this pokemon just hits like a truck and has only a limited amount of pokemon, which can safely switch into this threat. nidoking imo is one of the best pokemon in the tier as of now and is worth of a rise.

i think this pokemon performs better and better the more the metagame moves on. with its specs-set it can easily dent holes in the cureent metagame. focus blast demolishes steel-types such as heatran, melmetal, and ferrothorn, whereas its dual-stabs pressure a lot of common pokemon like mandibuzz, hydreigon, and clefable. nature's madness alongside taunt or calm mind can help out vs fat builds as well and shuts down blissey one of the best special walls in the tier, so it forces switches. i think this pokemon while not being on the radar for everyone, deserves a rise of one subrank as i feel it performs pretty well currently.

with alola-ninetales as its partner, this pokemon sees a good winratio in the crown tundra cup and i feel with bolt-beam-coverage and freeze-dry, and low kick, stomping tantrum to dish out hefty damage to melmetal and heatran. similar to its electric-counterpart in dracozolt, arctozolt has the necessary coverage to prevent checks switching into it that easily. substitute and life orb-sets can also work effectively, as with being behind a sub packed up with life orb it can nail pokemon rather easily and with its ability slush rush it outspeeds a vast majority of the current metagame. its goes even more ham when it finds itself behind aurora-veil, and alola-ninetales can even afford to drop light clay and packing icy rock to support this pokemon even more. i feel like arctozolt is worthy of a rise to rank c.

other noms, i agree with:
rises:


(single-strike)

drops:

thanks for reading everyone and have a great day!​

 

[BolTingBlazie]

Victini in a- or b+ because of it being easier to justify on a team with the introduction on heavy duty boots, and its a better pokemon than blaziken not having the 4 move slot syndrome, It is also very hard to switch into safely when it runs heavy duty boots due to not being vunerable to rocks , victini also very much reminds me of mega mawile in the national dex metagame, apart from being stealth rock weak and having to run boots most of the time. But this thing hits really hard and utterly buries most defensive walls. While melmetal, cinderace and rillaboom are far better wallbreakers, I feel like victini is way better than people give it credit for. Personally I think that this pokemon belongs in a- since it is immediately threatening and does not have to run a setup move at all to hit hard, it just hits hard regardless. It is also worth removing rocks for it as choice band and life orb can be devastating if it has a safe switch in.

 

[Spyro]

Victini in a- or b+ because of it being easier to justify on a team with the introduction on heavy duty boots, and its a better pokemon than blaziken not having the 4 move slot syndrome, It is also very hard to switch into safely when it runs heavy duty boots due to not being vunerable to rocks , victini also very much reminds me of mega mawile in the national dex metagame, apart from being stealth rock weak and having to run boots most of the time. But this thing hits really hard and utterly buries most defensive walls. While melmetal, cinderace and rillaboom are far better wallbreakers, I feel like victini is way better than people give it credit for. Personally I think that this pokemon belongs in a- since it is immediately threatening and does not have to run a setup move at all to hit hard, it just hits hard regardless. It is also worth removing rocks for it as choice band and life orb can be devastating if it has a safe switch in.

As someone who has used all Victini sets. Maybe B+ but A- is too big of a jump imo or atleast for the time being. My favorite set is Special Heavy Duty Boots as I feel it's the most consistent and I really like Blue Flare because it's no drawback, 20% chance to burn and it hits hard enough. Checking Magearna and Fairies and things like Pheromosa and Melmetal much better than Cinderace is really nice and it's where Victini's better bulk really comes into play and why you would even use this over Cinderace. While the CB set is really powerful it's a little prediction reliant. It hates Toxapex pivoting into it and then switching out to the appropriate Pokemon. Being weak to Rocks makes it hard to switch in repeatedly and even if V-create is really powerful it does not OHKO things like defensive Landorus and Garchomp or Tyranitar. Heatran makes you think twice about clicking V-create too. Bolt Strike is a 3HKO on Heatran but that's 3 times you have to get the prediction right. You can run Brick Break I guess but then you have to give up Trick or U-Turn. Choice Scarf sets are OK too but they lack the power of CB and V-create is a huge momentum drainer. It is still a good fit for select teams however. But it requires some really good play to get the most out of it. You want to time your Trick and U-turns correctly. CB is broken under Sun because it just 2HKOs everything at worst. It eats stall and balancw for breaktast. but Sun is not really something you see in high level play. Rain is annoying and so is Tyranitar so it requires some good team support but Sun as as playstyle has a lot of problems right now. Overall I think Victini is fine in B but I could see it going up a rank. 2 just feels a bit much right now imo.

 

[CreamyGlasses]

(single-strike) deserves S

Very hard to counter. I'm going to even go of a limb here and say banning pheremosa won't do all that much for the meta because this beast is still allowed. Tbh when I run my PhyDef Clef I run it for this thing not the bug. Comparisons aside, the four attacks LO set has been extremely good and is what really made me believe this is S tier. Priority, decent enough bulk, perfect coverage against nearly every team, and those stabs... So many bulky mons drop after a round of rocks and spikes its unfair, sucker makes if good against offense. And that's just one set. Really, really good, and ironically is the reason I think clef is also S. Mosa + Urshifu and their most splashable check all deserve S.

And unlike other meta defining mons that have teambuilding constraints like spectrier, Urshifu is much better at breaking past its checks with either coverage or raw power. To be able to warp the metagame around it and still succeed is what makes it S material for me (and its probably my least favorite pokemon in the meta rn, maybe ban? Idk).


is another mon that deserves a look.

Not gonna pretend like its great, but it checks mosa, shifu, buzzwole, switches in ok to clef and lando (if its levitate), chomp, dnite, the list goes on. Iron head shifu is rare so its probably the hardest counter to common shifu variants. On paper, really solid tbh.

Of course in testing it kind of fell apart. Between the lack of good recovery and the prominence of knock among things like lando t and clef (which my team required it to switch into) it was forced to rely on pain split, which is really bad against offensive teams that rock mosa, shifu, lando and friends. So it ended up getting chipped by one thing it was supposed to counter (like mosa) and died to the follow up. Also you need a LOT of SpDef to beat QD mosa and to switch into fairies like fini, so thats an issue. You also really want helmet since everything it likes to check runs U-turn and you really want to punish that, but that just exasperates the recovery issue. You could pair it with clef, but at that point why not just run clef + another dragon counter (or you can skip this, but I keep getting swept by LO SD scale shot chomp) + a defogger instead?

Also wisp vs fog is an interesting debate, bc you want stabs to kill fairies and fightings which you are checking, and you NEED pain split to survive so I wouldn't get rid of those. Wisp makes it not too bad against steels, but fog lets steels switch in forever. But hazard control + ground immunity (only really good for lando and chomp) + not weak to poison jab (slightly better against CB mosa and shifu) is like this things only niche over clefable and if you remove defog are you reaching a point where you should just run fable instead? I don't know tbh.

Its rank of C conflicts me. I can find a more distinct niche for shifu than for most of the other stuff in C, but all the other stuff in C plays fine in OU, just worse than competition. What G weezing does is actually very different and unique, just not very well a lot of the time. I encourage the playerbase to use G Weezing some more because right now it seems like it was put on the list out of technicality rather than lots of play, but I could be wrong.

 

[Finchinator]

Agreeing with the others that Slowking-Galar deserves a raise. While a potential Pheromosa ban does not help it at all, it still is very hard for bulky-offense to switch into and checks a plethora of special attackers. I enjoy using it myself as it also has some practical qualities like putting up Future Sights for teammates, soaking up Toxic Spikes, and being able to spread Poison with Sludge Bomb. I believe it deserves to be bumped up multiple sub-ranks, too.

I think we should consider making an S- tier for Pokemon like Urshifu, Clefable, and maybe Heatran (probably not though) to be considered, too. I am "officially" opening up discussion to that prospect as the person who runs the thread, but do note that this is not a promise and will be discussed with the VR council later.

I believe that some Pokemon are metagame defining and incredibly common, but do not quite reach the S designation for viability, especially when compared to more dominant presences a top the viability rankings. I am always hesitant about things like these as people try to get too cute with these extra subranks, but the metagame might be calling for it right now.

 

[OneSmogonCopyer]

Agreeing with the others that Slowking-Galar deserves a raise. While a potential Pheromosa ban does not help it at all, it still is very hard for bulky-offense to switch into and checks a plethora of special attackers. I enjoy using it myself as it also has some practical qualities like putting up Future Sights for teammates, soaking up Toxic Spikes, and being able to spread Poison with Sludge Bomb. I believe it deserves to be bumped up multiple sub-ranks, too.

I think we should consider making an S- tier for Pokemon like Urshifu, Clefable, and maybe Heatran (probably not though) to be considered, too. I am "officially" opening up discussion to that prospect as the person who runs the thread, but do note that this is not a promise and will be discussed with the VR council later.

I believe that some Pokemon are metagame defining and incredibly common, but do not quite reach the S designation for viability, especially when compared to more dominant presences a top the viability rankings. I am always hesitant about things like these as people try to get too cute with these extra subranks, but the metagame might be calling for it right now.

I'd say S- is fine but not S+ as then it could diminish the definition of what makes a mon reach S ranks. I do agree with a S- as I believe there are mons in the A tier that are just more consistent than the rest of A+ i.e. Urshifu but not really to the levels of all the S mons.

 

[Dreadfury]

I nominate Moltres-Galar from C+ to B or even as high as B+.

I was going through the VR and noticed that, while it was ranked somewhere, this extremely underrated mon was chilling all the way down in C+ when I think it deserves much, much more thanks to its incredible niche on Screens teams. Screens teams are very powerful on the ladder currently, and I would go so far as to argue that this amazing bird is one of the best Screens abusers, alongside the likes of Shift Gear Magearna, Swords Dance Hawlucha, and the like.

Dark and Flying are both obscenely good offensive typings, and Galarian Moltres has its signature Fiery Wrath - a better Dark Pulse in every way - as well as its strong but inaccurate Hurricane, to hit a good chunk of the metagame for massive damage. That Dark/Flying typing offers a unique set of traits defensively, as well; when paired with its incredible bulk it offers HO teams with a mon that can sponge alarming amounts of damage from virtually everything in the tier; it sets up in Spectrier's face, forces Urshifu to use Close Combat instead of its spammable Wicked Blow and with its Dual Screens support active can eat quite literally any unboosted or non-critical hit from anything in the tier.

252+ SpA Choice Specs Magearna Fleur Cannon vs. 104 HP / 0 SpD Moltres-Galar through Light Screen: 288-340 (82.9 - 97.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Possible damage amounts: (288, 292, 295, 298, 303, 306, 309, 312, 316, 319, 322, 325, 330, 333, 336, 340)

Yes, that's right; with just a bit of HP investment it can always live Modest Magearna's STAB, super-effective, Specs-boosted Fleur Cannon from full HP with Screens up. This isn't a practical situation whatsoever, but it showcases just how ludicrously bulky Galarian Moltres can be with Screens active.

Magearna has showcased that Screens support on bulky setup mons with good defensive typings can make for an exceptional user of Weakness Policy, and Galarian Moltres takes inspiration from that set; it can set up an Agility against an offensive team or a Nasty Plot against a defensive team, or potentially set up either one of each or two of one depending on the matchup, the switch(es) it forces, etc.

Naturally, or under Screens, Galarian Moltres can abuse its incredible Berserk ability as well, allowing it to turn a super effective hit into a death sentence for the opponent. It's possible for this thing to get to +5 Special Attack in a single turn if hit by a super effective attack that drops it low enough, or +3 Special Attack and +2 Speed if it sets up an Agility instead.

Urshifu, Spectrier, and other powerful breakers and/or sweepers that either give Offense hell or find their way onto opposing Offensive teams are normally very irritating; Galarian Moltres can flip the script on these guys by treating them as total setup fodder while it's behind Screens. As they trend upward, Screens teams have ever-increasing incentive to run something that gives the team more of a defensive backbone in the face of these heavy-hitters. It also completely exploits some Mandibuzz sets, currently; its Dark/Flying cousin is so strapped for moveslots at the moment that it often finds itself giving Galarian Moltres free setup opportunities simply by virtue of being unable to run Toxic and keep all of the many, many things it's tasked with walling at bay.

It also pairs incredibly well with other trends that fit on the sorts of teams Galarian Moltres finds itself thriving on: Rillaboom, Magearna, Quiver Dance Pheromosa, Regieleki, Tapu Koko, suicide lead Landorus-Therian, Dragonite, and the like all have some level of synergy with Galarian Moltres, either by virtue of breaking open holes to better enable it or by virtue of capitalizing on the damage a boosted Galarian Moltres is able to churn out.

Relevant Calcs:

252 SpA Life Orb Sheer Force Nidoking Ice Beam vs. 104 HP / 0 SpD Moltres-Galar through Light Screen: 103-122 (29.6 - 35.1%) -- 19.7% chance to 3HKO
+2 252+ SpA Moltres-Galar Fiery Wrath vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Nidoking: 339-400 (111.8 - 132%) -- guaranteed OHKO

Yes, that's right; it can set up once on Nidoking even without Screens and OHKO it in return with Fiery Wrath.

252 SpA Life Orb Hydreigon Draco Meteor vs. 104 HP / 0 SpD Moltres-Galar: 222-263 (63.9 - 75.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

232 Atk Landorus-Therian Stone Edge vs. 104 HP / 0 Def Moltres-Galar through Reflect: 128-151 (36.8 - 43.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

+2 252+ SpA Moltres-Galar Fiery Wrath vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Landorus-Therian: 324-382 (101.5 - 119.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO

Under Screens it sets up on Scarf Lando-T, which needs to compromise quite a lot of its offensive prowess to survive its more reliable STAB option. Also, it triggers Berserk quite frequently if Screens are not up, thus ensuring an OHKO.

+2 252+ SpA Moltres-Galar Hurricane vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Clefable: 357-421 (90.6 - 106.8%) -- 43.8% chance to OHKO

0 SpA Clefable Moonblast vs. 104 HP / 0 SpD Moltres-Galar: 164-194 (47.2 - 55.9%) -- 73.8% chance to 2HKO

It can set up on Clefable even without Screens support. If it lands a boosted Hurricane, Clef is going to have an extremely bad time. Anything beyond +2 is outright lethal, and because it can sponge a hit from Clefable it can realistically just Nasty Plot in its face even if it gets hit by the yellow color in the process.

+2 252+ SpA Moltres-Galar Hurricane vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Ferrothorn: 288-340 (81.8 - 96.5%) -- 25% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock

252 SpA Choice Specs Spectrier Hex (130 BP) vs. 104 HP / 0 SpD Moltres-Galar through Light Screen: 71-84 (20.4 - 24.2%) -- guaranteed 4HKO after burn damage

Yes, it can get 2HKOed by Specs Hex after eating status. But with Screens up it instead sets up in Spectrier's face.

+2 252+ SpA Moltres-Galar Hurricane vs. 248 HP / 44 SpD Mandibuzz: 327-385 (77.3 - 91%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

+2 252+ SpA Moltres-Galar Fiery Wrath vs. 252 HP / 176+ SpD Heatran: 198-234 (51.2 - 60.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery

+2 252+ SpA Moltres-Galar Hurricane vs. 248 HP / 40+ SpD Tapu Fini: 231-273 (67.3 - 79.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery

Some of these spreads may be a bit dated, but often the "dated-ness" trends towards the defensive investment some of these things run; Galarian Moltres even more solidly 2HKOs or OHKOs much of these threats after a boost now.

Replays to show that This Bird is Indeed the Word

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1238882883
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1238884600
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1238886512
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1238987627
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1239289483
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1239826064

TL;DR: Galarian Moltres is an extremely underrated threat that breathes some new life into the Screens HO archetype and abuses its unique set of traits unlike anything else in the tier when supported by such a team, and in my opinion deserves a considerable rise as a result. This thing is fucking awesome and should be explored more, in my opinion!

 

[clean]

I would like to nominate to have a place on the viability rankings.

This mon has caught on lately on the high ladder, and not without good reason.

Exploud @ Choice Specs
Ability: Scrappy
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Boomburst
- Focus Blast
- Overheat
- Surf/Shadow Ball

The only move that really matters in this moveset is Boomburst, because that is all you will be clicking. Scrappy gives it the ability to deal with ghost types, giving it an extremely limited number of safe switchins.

Anything not invested in SpDef is unable to switch into this mon. Pretty much the only time I have ever clicked anything other than Boomburst on this set was clicking Overheat on a Ferrothorn switch-in.

I encourage everyone to give this a try! It is especially good with teleport support to get it in safely, as it does have lackluster bulk.


Credit where it is due to Pinkacross for popularizing this set.

 

[KrazyKoopa95]

TL;DR: Galarian Moltres is an extremely underrated threat that breathes some new life into the Screens HO archetype and abuses its unique set of traits unlike anything else in the tier when supported by such a team, and in my opinion deserves a considerable rise as a result. This thing is fucking awesome and should be explored more, in my opinion!
[/QUOTE]

I thoroughly agree. G-Molt is an amazing mon under screens + Weakness Policy if you just want its SpAtk to get boosted even more. I was able to sweep entire teams with this mon. Also, Air Slash might be weaker than Hurricane, but has a chance to flinch and a higher accuracy. The only mon that threaten G-Molt in general is Magearna since it resists both STABs and is bulky enough to not give a damn about the boosts to the SpAtk.

 

[kingmickey27]

Landorus-T: Stay A?
Probably an unpopular opinion, but I'm not convinced this is deserving of a rank up? Defensively, I feel like it faces a fair amount of competition with other flying types like the legendary birds because they have access to boots + reliably recovery, allowing them to more consistently check what they are supposed to check. It has it's place on teams that really need to compress rocks + elec immune + ground immune into one teamslot, but otherwise it wouldn't be my first choice as a defensive/pivot flying type as it gets worn down pretty easily.

It can be pretty scary offensively with the Rock Polish/Swords Dance sets. Compared to standard Garchomp sets, it definitely has a better chance to set up because of Intimidate + generally more useful defensive typing. So, I guess those are grounds for it to be ranked slightly above standard Garchomp. However, the Sand Veil set that slainey posted seems to be legit enough to keep Garchomp in A+.

Nidoking: A- -> A
Definitely agree with moving this up to A. Very potent wallbreaker that can threaten a lot of the tier's common cores with it's movepool. But that being said...

Slowking: Stay A-
I don't agree with dropping this. People are saying Nidoking should be bumped up, but one of the few reliable switchins to it in the tier should drop? Doesn't make sense to me.

I also think people are undervaluing the potency of Teleport on the slow twins. The ability to Teleport + Regen on a bulky water is pretty incredible imo. If played right, it keeps the momentum in your favor as you are able to safely bring in wallbreakers + force your opponent to constantly switch
and eat chip damage. In many cases, it comes with no cost because Regenerator will heal off the damage.

Future Sight + Teleport is a handy toy, but I personally like to pair the slow twins with Knock Off + Hazards and click Teleport most of the time to keep up the pressure against the opponent. I don't really find the effectiveness of the slow twins comes from Futureport, but rather Teleport + Regenerator (+Boots). But I digress.

Anyway, I don't disagree with dropping Slowbro from A+, because perhaps it is a bit high as a preliminary ranking. But Slowking should stay A-, imo.

Regieleki: Stay B-
I don't really understand why people like this mon so much. They praise the power of specs Rising Voltage in Terrain, but then they end up using it to explode on grounds (so what's the point? lol). It's strong if it doesn't get blocked, but it's presence in the tier doesn't "force grounds." Grounds have been a staple in most practical OU teams since practically forever (Landorus-T has been the most used mon in OU for like what now? The past 3 generations?).

Pelipper (Rain Playstyle): B- -> B+/B
I agree with bumping this up to B or B+. Rain's a very solid playstyle, especially when it can supplement scary threats like Barraskewda/Urshifu or Hurricanes from Tornadus-T/Zapdos. A playstyle that's this prevalent and effective should probably be higher than B-


Everything else seems pretty fair to me for a preliminary viability ranking.

 

[Pinkacross]

I would like to nominate to have a place on the viability rankings.

This mon has caught on lately on the high ladder, and not without good reason.

Exploud @ Choice Specs
Ability: Scrappy
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Boomburst
- Focus Blast
- Overheat
- Surf/Shadow Ball

The only move that really matters in this moveset is Boomburst, because that is all you will be clicking. Scrappy gives it the ability to deal with ghost types, giving it an extremely limited number of safe switchins.

Anything not invested in SpDef is unable to switch into this mon. Pretty much the only time I have ever clicked anything other than Boomburst on this set was clicking Overheat on a Ferrothorn switch-in.

I encourage everyone to give this a try! It is especially good with teleport support to get it in safely, as it does have lackluster bulk.


Credit where it is due to Pinkacross for popularizing this set.

Great post! One thing you missed is that this is a solid Spectrier check. Being a normal type, it is immune to most Spectrier sets and it can hit behind a Spectrier's substitute with a Scrappy Boomburst. Especially since most Spectrier checks are a slot that must be occupied by a mostly ineffective wall (such as a max specially defensive Hydreigon), Exploud has a unique role in being a breaker Spectrier counter.

 

[Ox the Fox]

I would like to nominate to have a place on the viability rankings.

This mon has caught on lately on the high ladder, and not without good reason.

Exploud @ Choice Specs
Ability: Scrappy
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Boomburst
- Focus Blast
- Overheat
- Surf/Shadow Ball

The only move that really matters in this moveset is Boomburst, because that is all you will be clicking. Scrappy gives it the ability to deal with ghost types, giving it an extremely limited number of safe switchins.

Anything not invested in SpDef is unable to switch into this mon. Pretty much the only time I have ever clicked anything other than Boomburst on this set was clicking Overheat on a Ferrothorn switch-in.

I encourage everyone to give this a try! It is especially good with teleport support to get it in safely, as it does have lackluster bulk.


Credit where it is due to Pinkacross for popularizing this set.

Completely agree with everything Fumes and Pinkacross have said about Exploud - it's a really solid niche pick that can work on certain teams and I think it should be ranked in C/C-. Wanted to provide some replays of its utility since we're trying to get it ranked from unranked, credits to Pinkacross and Zaza for making the team I used.

This is a recent team tour game where Exploud puts consistent pressure on the opponent's team and showcases how deadly it can be to switch into - https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1238856663

Here's a top ladder game where Exploud is able to OHKO Aegislash, and would've won the game from there by pressuring Clefable and Mandibuzz if the opponent hadn't forfeited - https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1238976154

 

[Shaymin Sky]

I would like to nominate to have a place on the viability rankings.

This mon has caught on lately on the high ladder, and not without good reason.

Exploud @ Choice Specs
Ability: Scrappy
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Boomburst
- Focus Blast
- Overheat
- Surf/Shadow Ball

The only move that really matters in this moveset is Boomburst, because that is all you will be clicking. Scrappy gives it the ability to deal with ghost types, giving it an extremely limited number of safe switchins.

Anything not invested in SpDef is unable to switch into this mon. Pretty much the only time I have ever clicked anything other than Boomburst on this set was clicking Overheat on a Ferrothorn switch-in.

I encourage everyone to give this a try! It is especially good with teleport support to get it in safely, as it does have lackluster bulk.


Credit where it is due to Pinkacross for popularizing this set.

I also think Exploud should be nominated to C rank, for the same reasons said by Fumes and Pinkacross . Exploud is an amazing breaker as well as trick room abuser that can make a team fall apart very quickly with even just one opening. Here are some replays I have over the course of a few days laddering with this monster to further show it's viability. Arguably one of the best breakers for sure, and it works even better with U-turn/volt switch getting it in for free. Access to overheat to catch things that could prevent boomburst spam such as Corviknight, assault vest Magearna, as well as Ferrothorn only heightens its viability as now it becomes a guessing game for the opponent that's in your favor with the amount of chip damage specs overheat does.

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1239085117-dmiitp0rbqqpkloatcuwi23kwkhbqytpw exploud breaking stall
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1238605466-4romltegvefkyboodm7cqk3au3453r0pw Exploud getting rid of both Magearna and Swampert with just 3 switches in, crippling their team immensely.

 

[spatula]

Hey, I've been playing a lot of ladder over the past couple weeks as well as doing the suspect test, and wanted to give my thoughts on a pokemon I have used a fair amount:

C -> C+
I used rain for a good portion of my suspect run as well as on ladder a couple weeks ago, and I'm impressed by its synergy with rain staples like Barraskewda and Urshifu-R. These pokemon cannot break through toxapex and slowbro, but with flip turn/u-turn, it's easy to bring Thund-T in on these mons it immediately threatens out. The best part about Thund-T is that these mons that are baited in by barra/urshifu are generally passive enough to where you can usually set up a nasty plot on them. This makes it pretty great vs bulkier teams that can usually deal with rain mons, since at +2 the amount of pokemon that can actually handle it is pretty low. Vs offensive teams, Thund-T's resistance to grassy glide, Kartana's STABs, as well as Thunder's para chance make it, at the very least, not deadweight, although rain naturally has a good matchup against offensive teams anyway so it's not too much of an issue. I can understand it not being at the level of other rain staples in B-, since it faces some competition from Zapdos and Tornadus-T, but, to me, it seems pretty clearly a step above the rest of the mons in C, as it's a Pokemon with a legitimately justifiable role on a reasonably popular archetype.

 

[Vengeance417]

B- -> B+

I also have to echo the Pelipper to B+ nominations.

Rain has become a much more viable archetype as of late. Most of the other weather setters besides Hippowdon, which hates coming in on Pelipper's Scald anyway, have been seeing a decline in usage, which is always good news for Pelipper. Many good Pokemon are currently benefitting from Pelipper's Drizzle support, such as Hurricane Zapdos, Tornadus-T, Thundurus-T (which I also agree should be ranked higher than it is right now), Urshifu-Rapid-Strike, the newly-rising Barraskewda, SpDef Ferrothorn, Banded Swampert, and Swift Swim Seismitoad. Even more niche Pokemon that were discussed in the metagame discussion thread have been doing pretty well. Defensive Toxicroak is a pretty good switchin to both of the Urshifu forms that gets nearly 18% recovery each turn with Dry Skin + Black Sludge while resisting or being immune to their STABs. It also comes in on physical Pheromosa decently. Heliolisk is an offensive pivot against Spectrier, giving Rain teams a mon that forces the ghost horse user to actually think twice about clicking Shadow Ball/Hex. It, too, is a Dry Skin Pokemon that can acquire more opportunities to come in on Spectrier and nullify Will-o-Wisp damage thanks to the passive recovery healing more than the damage Burn deals.

On its own, Pelipper's Specs set is so hard to come in on, with Weather Ball denting even some resists such as PhysDef Pex (has a small chance to 2HKO after rocks) pretty hard, and Hurricane being the monster of a move it's always been for the Specs set.

In summary, Pelipper gives valuable support to a wide array of Pokemon while being a pretty good Pokemon itself. I believe B+ is a much more accurate ranking for the pelican.

 

[ausma]

Hey all, I hope you're doing well today.

Something that's really cool about this metagame is that there are a lot of Pokemon with potential that haven't really been discussed or talked about much, and it's for that reason that I really wanted to experiment with some potential Pokemon in the metagame that could have a niche. One of those Pokemon is one of my favorite wallbreakers, Lycanroc-Dusk (aka. murder dog), who I would like to nominate from Unranked to C-.



Lycanroc-Dusk, in my eyes, is a very fun wallbreaker, with several unique factors that let it stand out as a setup wallbreaker/wincon on Screens HO teams. Among them, they are its access to Accelerock, Tough Claws-boosted coverage, and its speed tier.

1: Accelerock

Accelerock is a move that is wholly unique to Lycanroc-Dusk and Lycanroc-Midday, being a Rock-type priority move (that is also Tough Claws boosted). What this essentially means is that Lycanroc-Dusk has access to a one-of-a-kind priority option that boasts a unique offensive typing, and given what this type is, it is wonderful in a metagame ripe with targets such as Tornadus-T and Cinderace, and hitting a majority of fast Pokemon in the tier neutrally. Accelerock, additionally, is STAB and Tough Claws boosted.

For these reasons, it performs avidly as a general purpose revenge killing option, damaging a majority of faster, yet inherently less bulky targets in the tier such as Dragapult, Barraskewda, Spectrier, Pheromosa, and Tapu Koko, and typically OHKOing at +2 with a Life Orb with hazard support. Especially with the breaking support of other HO Pokemon, it may not even need setup to pick off faster targets.

da calcs

+2 252 Atk Life Orb Tough Claws Lycanroc-Dusk Accelerock vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Tornadus-Therian: 494-585 (164.6 - 195%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252 Atk Life Orb Tough Claws Lycanroc-Dusk Accelerock vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Pheromosa: 441-519 (155.8 - 183.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252 Atk Life Orb Tough Claws Lycanroc-Dusk Accelerock vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Dragapult: 261-308 (82.3 - 97.1%) -- 62.5% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
+2 252 Atk Life Orb Tough Claws Lycanroc-Dusk Accelerock vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Barraskewda: 308-364 (117.1 - 138.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252 Atk Life Orb Tough Claws Lycanroc-Dusk Accelerock vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tapu Koko: 235-278 (83.6 - 98.9%) -- 75% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
+2 252 Atk Life Orb Tough Claws Lycanroc-Dusk Accelerock vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Spectrier: 309-367 (90.6 - 107.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
+2 252 Atk Life Orb Tough Claws Lycanroc-Dusk Accelerock vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Cinderace: 261-308 (86.7 - 102.3%) -- 12.5% chance to OHKO (type changed)

2: Tough Claws-Boosted Coverage

A major standout in comparison to possible competition in Terrakion is Lycanroc-Dusk's ability to mix and match its sets with various coverage options. There are a few obvious standouts, such as Play Rough, Crunch, Iron Head, Psychic Fangs, and Drill Run; however, most prominently, it has been graced with Close Combat, which lets it batter a majority of Rock-type resists in the tier. With a Tough Claws boost, Close Combat becomes Lycanroc's strongest neutral attack, hitting 156 base power vs. Stone Edge's 150 after a STAB boost. This is prominent as Close Combat's Fighting-type damages a majority of Pokemon in the tier for neutral damage, and in tandem with Lycanroc's Rock-type STABs, it hits nearly every viable Pokemon in the tier barring Nidoking (Which is beaten down by CC regardless) and Aegislash for nearly perfect neutral damage.

For Lycanroc's undesirable matchups, it can viably slot out Swords Dance and/or Stone Edge for options such as Crunch, Sucker Punch (over Accelerock), Psychic Fangs, or Iron Head to more reliably wallbreak certain targets for its teammates. Given that a majority of its coverage options can be Tough Claws boosted, it provides generally reliable damage, especially with a Swords Dance boost, for teams in need of a general purpose wallbreaker. For this reason, it also does not need a Swords Dance boost to dish out solid damage; however, it can give it the ability to KO certain targets such as Slowbro or Toxapex with its possible coverage options.

da calcs

+2 252 Atk Life Orb Tough Claws Lycanroc-Dusk Psychic Fangs vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Toxapex: 312-369 (102.6 - 121.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252 Atk Life Orb Tough Claws Lycanroc-Dusk Psychic Fangs vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Buzzwole: 333-393 (79.6 - 94%) -- 43.8% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
+2 252 Atk Life Orb Tough Claws Lycanroc-Dusk Iron Head vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Clefable: 481-567 (122 - 143.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252 Atk Life Orb Tough Claws Lycanroc-Dusk Crunch vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Slowbro: 369-437 (93.6 - 110.9%) -- 62.5% chance to OHKO
+2 252 Atk Life Orb Tough Claws Lycanroc-Dusk Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Ferrothorn: 486-575 (138 - 163.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252 Atk Life Orb Tough Claws Lycanroc-Dusk Close Combat vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Garchomp: 428-504 (119.8 - 141.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252 Atk Life Orb Tough Claws Lycanroc-Dusk Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Magearna: 364-429 (100 - 117.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252 Atk Life Orb Tough Claws Lycanroc-Dusk Close Combat vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Nidoking: 253-299 (83.4 - 98.6%) -- 31.3% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
+2 252 Atk Life Orb Tough Claws Lycanroc-Dusk Sucker Punch vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Aegislash-Shield: 338-398 (104.3 - 122.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO

There is one very obvious problem with all of this, and it's that Lycanroc-Dusk only has 4 moveslots, meaning that it does trade out the ability to thrive in certain matchups to thrive in others. This partially is why I only nominate it for C-, as while it is very effective at slotting out coverage to deal with certain matchups, it has only a few that it can dominate at a time. It is for this reason that I enjoy Accelerock / CC / Stone Edge the most, as it leaves room for Swords Dance and still hits a majority of the tier with relative consistency.

Regardless, though, I raise this point because it does show that Lycanroc-Dusk has the ability to adapt to the needs of certain allies and provide more specialized wallbreaking, helping to establish a unique niche it has as a physical wallbreaker and letting it synergize very well with other HO staples such as Urshifu or Magearna through threatening specific targets that can wall or inconvenience them.

3: Relevant Speed Tier

This one is a bit more of a mild point, but one that I feel is important to mention, as having the natural jump on Pokemon like Kartana, Urshifu, Excadrill, Zapdos, and Garchomp and speed tying Latios enables it to perform not only as a wallbreaker, but also as a potential wincon for HO teams. Especially in tandem with its strong priority options to decently cover the matchups that it cannot outspeed as well as with Screens support to give it a setup opportunity, it can be difficult to stop a boosted Lycanroc without a priority option that can stomach an Accelerock/Sucker Punch.

With support of other HO Pokemon to wear down bulkier targets, it can pave an endgame without even needing a boost in certain matchups in part to its speed tier, which is particularly powerful for Screens HO teams that tend to run setup and is an attribute I find valuable on abusers within the HO archetype.

---

Now, obviously, I am not trying to claim that Lycanroc-Dusk is god's gift, as I fully understand that it is a rather niche wallbreaker. It is extremely frail, making setup opportunities wholly reliant on forced switches and Screens support, and it doesn't help that it craves the boost of a Life Orb to get vital ranges and to further reinforce its damage output, leaving it extremely prone to being chipped down and revenge killed. I also fully acknowledge that it likely only really has a niche on HO, as Swords Dance is the main way of which it can actually pose a threat onto teams. Otherwise, it is too reliant on forced switches to be reliable; though, I suppose an all-out attacker set could certainly work in the right hands.

Overall, it is certainly niche, but I've had enough success with it to the point where I do believe it is worthy of being ranked.

obligatory replays because it do be unranked

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1241860273-repjrutw3jdwi8l65lpcq1jnma3uz4kpw Low ladder but against a suspect laddering foe with an actual team. Here Lycanroc wins me the game, finding a setup opportunity against a Clefable and breaking through the rest of the team.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1241082722-19gk9k5ougszuv4w7l0dbj1gafelnl9pw Lycanroc finds a setup opportunity thanks to Screens support, prying through 4/6 of my opponent's team and allowing for my Magearna to clean up.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1241091122-pspnckp4ll9cr2akvieo5oaln8durrhpw A bit of a misplay by me since I got finnicky with Stone Edge misses, but demonstrates how Lycanroc had the potential to win the game on the spot thanks to finding a good setup opportunity.

Also; things I generally agree with but have already been elaborated on:
Eleki staying in B-
Rain as an archetype rising in a subrank or two
Raising Thundurus-T
Raising Nidoking
Lando-T staying in A
Raising Hydreigon
Raising Galarking a few subranks
Ranking Exploud

 

[Zneon]

I feel a creation of an S- rank needs more discussion and I want to talk about it because the more I think about it I feel that could be necessary right now.

Now I feel there are 2 Pokemon are better than the stuff in A+ but worse than the Pokemon in S rank right now being Urshifu-S and Clefable, which is why the creation of a S- rank doesn't seem too bad.

Clefable

Okay with Clefable, while I feel the Pokemon is outstanding and defines the metagame like nothing else, I feel it isn't on the level of Magearna or Pheromosa anymore, this is mainly because a few trends have caught up to it to make it slightly worse off. Galarian Slowking has risen a lot these past few weeks to where its a genuine threat that can find itself on many bulky offense and balance teams and that's a huge thorn in Clefable's side, not only that but not to mention Nidoking being very common, Heatran is great as ever and so is Magearna. These are all Pokemon that are very splashable and that in my eyes hits Clefable down a peg. Now it's still better than everything in A+ in my eyes, you cannot replicate its outstanding utility with any other Pokemon and its still one of the most splashable Pokemon by a long shot however the recent trends that have happened makes me feel the gap between it and the S ranks in terms of viability has gotten wider.

Urshifu

Urshifu is an absolute monster of a Pokemon and truly amazing right now. Its complete lack of counters and checks makes it a potent and very easy Pokemon to support in my eyes. Checks to Urshifu really only fall down to Fairy-types and counters to it consist of just Buzzwole. Because of this, Urshifu is always going to be a threat with pretty much no support, and when you add support such as Spikes, Knock Off, pivoting, status and especially Future Sight, you will not really be able to handle it really well or even well at all. Its pretty linear since its only set is Choice Band however that set is so potent and consistent on its own that the lack of flexibility doesn't really matter since all it needs are its STABs and a coverage move for Fairy-types to just destroy the opposing team. I feel Urshifu just has barely any flaws and clearly a step above the Pokemon in A+ and thus I feel ranked alongside Clefable in S- if that does get created.

======

Okay with that out of the way. I want to give my opinions on some Pokemon that I didn't mention in my post. Firstly I feel that Landorus-T

deserves a rise. Its a very effective Pokemon with a lot of options under its sleeve and combined with its amazing role compression its always going to be useful in some way. SD, defensive, Suicide Lead etc are great and have quite a lot of merit right now.

Next is my own nomination with its Regieleki

. Now people forget that Regieleki is B, not B-, but I still feel it should drop from B to B- however. I'm sorry but the mon is just bad, really the only thing Regieleki is going to be doing and doing well is setting up screens, which is still a decent niche however I think outside of hyper offense teams Regieleki just falls flat in so many ways. Ground types are omnipresent because every team needs a volt blocker, and when your only moves are electric type moves that is going to be really bad especially since Regieleki is supposed to be a glass cannon. There is nothing much else to say, I feel Regieleki feels deadweight in almost every game outside of hyper offense and outside of getting rid of the ground type, or multiple ones depending on the team, and I feel it warrants a drop because of this.