A- > A:
Kart being in A- is a crime given how it’s one of the scariest breakers in the metagame. Most of it’s checks don’t like losing their items to Knock, add to the fact that it has lost two major checks in the tier and it has gotten scarier. Synthesis + SD is incredibly scary due to it’s kill power and defensive utility being able to act as a Chomp and Rilla check while maintaining itself alive and setting up on the likes of Defensive Lando, non-BP Ferro, and Blissey. Band Kart with Future Sight support is almost unwallable that’s its insane. The rise of Pult and Torn hurts it but the loss of one of its biggest competition and checks in Ace is huge.
B > B+:
Ace and Mag leaving was great for it as it lost one of its best checks and lost competition. Specs hits everything not named Blissey, SpD Pex, or Mandi like a truck but it’s worth noting Blissey can be CC’d, SpD Pex is 2HKOd after rocks, and Mandi can be crippled by Knock or Toxic from its teammates throughout a game making it more difficult to check. Aegi also takes advantage of common threats like Bro, Clef. Along with checking up and rising threats like Kyurem, Lele, and Latios. Sub-Tox is incredibly difficult to play around it due to Shadow Ball resists either not liking Toxic, or gets nuked by Close Combat. Def look forward to the ghost sword’s future.
B > C+:
This mon was meh before and it’s still meh now. All the things I said before about Kommo-o still apply here. No reliable recovery, faces competition with Chomp and other rockers, weak to alot of common attacking types, and has a hard time keeping rocks up vs the top defoggers. Did Kommo-o get any better from the bans? No. It got worse. Torn and Pult are in the top 5 and 10 respectively now, Kyurem, Lele, Koko and Hydreigon are stronger than ever, and on top of that it still hates losing its lefties. At least the ban of Mag helps, but not by much imo. One thing Kommo-o has going over Chomp and Lando is it’s ability to check Ferro, Rilla, and Kart so I wouldn’t say it’s absolute garb l.
B > B+:
Similar story to Aegi but even better. Corv has been rising in usage for its ability to check and counter several threats in the metagame. Along with some that are rising in usage and viability such as Rilla, SD Lando, Drill, Lele, Hydreigon, and Kart who all appreciate the removal of Ferro, Corv, and Skarm. If it wasn’t so awkward to build with it I’d place it to A-, but for what we got it’s good.
B > B-:
How is this burnt chicken in the same rank as Rotom-Wash and Gastrodon? There is no reason to run Molt over Zapdos who has a better typing and doesn’t become D- tier without boots. Plus it has Volt Switch to keep momentum going. Molt has U-Turn but it rarely ever gets to fit it cause it will become a siting duck vs Pex and Tran otherwise without Scorching Sands. Invites in too much shit like Pult and Slowking while acting as a mediocre Rillaboom switch in.
B > B-:
I’m less harsh on this thing. It’s a decent choice but not B rank imo. It has a good role as a screen setter but it can sometimes be replaced by Koko if you don’t need spin. Specs can also work however it requires heavy support that its better to invest in something like Specs Koko. It has unique qualities that separates it from Koko, but it’s not enough to warrant a B ranking.
B > B-:
Zarude may have gotten better with the bunnies being Thanos snapped, but it’s placement was made before Urshifu and Spect were wiped out of the Earth so it’s a little outdated. Faces competition from Rilla and Kart as an offensive grass type wincon, has trouble fitting on teams due to it’s bad defensive typing and U-Turn being a pain in the ass.
B- > C+:
Fails to break open cores due to the prominence of everyone and their mothers running either a bulky water or a bulky grass. Also unlike Rapid-Strike Shifu it doesn’t have decent bulk nor the ability to fit on other styles besides rain. This change imo is long overdue.
B- > C-
What is Buzzwole walling that every other good physical wall we have in the tier can’t? Unless you despise Conkeldurr for whatever reason, there isn’t a reason to run Buzzwole over Tang, Lando, Pex, or Skarm who provide utility. Tang has Knock Off + Sleep Powder and Regen, Lando has fucking everything, Pex has Knock, Regen, Scald, and TSpikes, and Skarm has Spikes. Buzzwole has none of that. Cinderace and Mag being in the tier wasn’t the reason it was hardly viable, everything else it wrong about it. Now a surge of Lele and Specs Kyurem is coming and you better believe it ain’t gonna want anything to do with them.
B- > C:
Hatterene is outclassed defensively by Slowking, and offensively by yours truly, Lele. Unlike Lele who has Focus Blast, Hatt basically lets Tran in for free and we all know how much that mon loves free turns. Too slow to be threatening to those teams with strong speed control, and not bulky or resilient enough to last throughout a long game. It has Magic Bounce and Trick Room. That’s all I can think about atm.
B- > UR
It walls Koko and that it. No need to say anything else.
C+ > B-:
Reuniclus hates all the Pult and Hydrei spam but the loss of Ace and Mag helped give Reun more opportunities to setup. It’s scary against balance builds that don’t have much to deal with it’s presense. B- rank would best represent it’s place in the meta better.
C+ > B-/B:
Definitely much better due to current trends. Checking Kyurem, Lele, and Torn, while setting up rocks, providing momentum, spreading paralysis, or passing wishes is highly valuable in this metagame. It can even act as speed control with Scarf or even sweep with a surprise Sub-CM set I came up with.
Jirachi @ Leftovers
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 16 SpA / 240 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Substitute
- Calm Mind
- Thunder
- Icy Wind
C+ > C:
Goon’s best niche was as a breaker + Spectrier check. Spect has been gone for a while so it lost splashability. Goon is still a viable choice in the meta especially with Mag being wiped out, but it gets worn down too quickly and is outpaced by most of the offensive metagame being in the awkward 95 Speed tier with Lele and Kyurem.
C+ > B-:
This is a hot take (pun unintended) and alot of people might disagree with me on this but Heattom is underrated in the current meta. It faces competition from Tran but it has some unique merits that gives it a niche over lava roach. Heattom provides teams as it takes on the role of a breaker, ground immunity, paralysis spreader, as well as a great switch in to Sub-Roost Kyurem, Zapdos, Koko, and a check to NP Torn. Even with the introduction of Chomp and Glowking, most of the tier don’t like taking Discharge + Overheat from a +2 Heattom. Pult and Hydreigon can eat up it’s stabs, but they hate getting paralyzed by Discharge or Toxic’d. Chomp is immune to Discharge but hates taking a Wisp or Toxic. Glowking can easily wall it, but if it gets Knock’d, a +2 Overheat is 2HKOing it. SpD Tran can tank +2 Discharges and Toxic it, but Heattom can always run Sub which also lets it setup on non-Knock Off Defensive Lando. Plus heal bell support from Clef can neglect that a little. Blissey takes any hit from it but Pain Split is annoying. I know this was long but I wanted to give a good description of Heattom as an underrated mon in the tier. Yeah it’s heavily reliant on Boots and has no reliable recovery other than Pain Split, but it’s has a solid niche in the meta with how unprepared most teams are vs Kyurem.
C+ > C:
Webs aren’t doing so hot rn with Torn and Corv becoming the best defoggers in the tier. So naturally if webs drop, Shuckle drops.
C+ > C-
No reason to run Togekiss over NP Torn in this meta unless you like torturing people with RNG. (And checking a +2 Rillaboom.)
C+ > B-:
Seeing Weavile below Buzzwole is worse than the watergate scandal. With Mag gone, we have very little mons that resist both of it’s stabs. Fini hates losing lefties and is in general easy to wear down. Weavile checks a surprisingly large portion of the offensive metagame from SD Chomp, to NP Torn, to Pult, to Hydreigon, and Lele. Weavile is a great asset on Balance and BO teams that can sponge hits from these mons but lack a strong way of checking them. Port + Voltturn is really strong even with the departure of the bunnies which lends Weavile more opportunities to use it’s stabs. It’s weakness to rocks and frailty holds it back, but it’s a worthwhile option if you can support it.
C > UR:
It is written in the Ten Commandments that once Spectrier leaves, Incineroar leaves. I guess it can deal with Aegi just ok, but other than that, use any other defensive pivot.
C > C+:
Keldeo is very support reliant but it can be worth it due to it’s ability to generate momentum with Flip Turn and continuously throw out strong Scalds, Hydro Pumps, etc. Sub-CM or CM + Taunt sets are very annoying for balance builds for almost completely shutting down Pex. However it’s forced out easily with how popular Pult, Torn, Zera, and Koko are as checks, but it’s a solid breaker with the right support.
C > C-:
Only low ladder players and bored high/mid ladder players ever use Mimikyu. Not strong enough to sweep reliably nor fast enough to check much without it’s Disguise. Ig it can check the dragons and some other stuff, but it’s too fringe and mu reliant to fit on most teams.
C > C+:
The Cinderace ban freed up usage of other grounds as there is no longer Fire Chungus to force Chomp/Lando/Hippo on your team. Rhyperior imo has a niche that can make it worth using over the other grounds. Rhyperior unlike it’s ground type brethren are threatened out by Sub-Roost Kyurem, however Rhyperior lives a Freeze Dry and just smacks that mother-f’er wth Rock Blast. It’s ability to beat out nearly every defogger in the tier and keep rocks up is highly valuable. SD or Smack Down lets it force out Corv and win the hazard/remover war. It can afford to run Ice Punch to 2HKO Hippo, Rilla, and OHKO Lando after rocks since that mon is too dummy thicc to die to an EQ, even from Adamant Lando. Also checking Tran, Koko, NP Torn, completely walling Zapdos, while offering offensive and defensive utility that is similar but distinct enough to give it a worthwhile niche in OU.
C > C-:
Still can check Rilla and if Levitate it completely counters Chomp but other than that it’s not that good rn. Too easy to wear down and has a terrible 4MSS. You had your time in the Shifu meta my sweet prince.
C- > UR:
Too support reliant and can’t break defensive cores of the current metagame with Tran and Slowking. Needs Boots to not die to rocks and needs Specs to nuke shit. Just use Venusaur.
C- > UR:
Haven’t seen this thing used since DLC1 and it doesn’t have anything going for it other than removing rocks from Tran which it ironically loses to if it’s Toxic + Taunt. There is bigger fish in the sea Mantine.
C- > UR:
Uhhhhhh Fini exists. Prim has seen better days in pre-DLC1 and even DLC1. Maybe next time this mon can sing again.