Resource SS OU Viability Ranking Thread [Update: Post 102]

[Gomi]

Comfey @ Pixie Plate
Ability: Triage
EVs: 232 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpA / 16 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draining Kiss
- Taunt
- Synthesis
- Calm Mind
I have had made some good progress against Toxapex squads but ultimately ran out of PP. I think it's a cool mon worthy of the C- rank.

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1176677846-vftknbzlrr16uo6nznh6ue7rkjo2puopw ran out of juice against toxapex but still nabbed two kills

I don't disagree with the nom but the set just seems very suboptimal for its niche as a CM wincon that destroys Urshi, Pult, Hydrei, and the like, frankly. I wouldn't use this thing without stored power, though I do agree that this is a pretty cool mon for what it is, def C- worthy IMO. Requires a lot of support but it's very fun and can outright win games on the spot.
Edit: I forgot to mention unaware being the main reason why I run stored power oh my god im stupid
Edit again:I honestly really regret making this post bcuz after trying out synth more its generally alot more efficent,so feel free to laugh at my stupidity, losing to unaware mons is totally worth actually sustaining itself vs. fatter teams well.

 

[NotACheeseWaifu]

--> C to C+ or B-

This is my first time doing one of these, hope it's ok.

Physical Dracozolt is very strong thanks to Hustle. Of course, with Hippowdon, Amoonguss, Tangrowth and Ferrothorn in the format it is almost impossible for it to shine. Dragapult is also a very annoying check; it is quite bad overall.

Meanwhile, mixed Dracozolt is generally much better. Thanks to Hustle, Dracozolt reaches more than 300 Atk without even having to invest in it. Its SpAtk is not a big deal, however, the combination of Draco Meteor and Fire Blast makes most Physical Zolt Counters such as Ferrothorn, Tangrowth or Hippowdon unable to enter freely to receive its blows; well, all of them get OHKOed or 2HKOed with it' Special Attacks. Meanwhile, Special Walls won't stop it either. Blissey, Chansey, Corviknight, Toxapex and Clefairy, none of them can take a Bolt Beak quite well. As a last move, the best option is probably Substitute; sacrificing 25% of its HP is worth it in exchange for being able to deal massive amounts of damage to things like Zeraora, Excadrill, or Rillaboom. The amount of Pokémon capable of defeating it when it is behind a Substitute is very limited, probably the only ones that are capable of that 100% of the times are Gastrodon and Dragapult. Life Orb and Substitute are not the best of combos because of the huge amount of HP that Zolt constantly loses, but if it is paired with a good Hazard Control and a Clefable with Wish Pass, he can enter the field again and again, especially against Stall and BO. Although it is very fragile, Mixed Zolt seems to me as an excellent Wallbreaker with a minimum amount of Counters, and although it is not the best of all, I feel that it should be a little higher in VR because of how excellent it is in many situations. The luck involved in all of its attacks is annoying, but not a big deal. Zolt is quite good overall and deserves better.

 

[tigers jaw]

b->b+ / a-
with mandibuzz being replaced by either corviknight or skarmory on most teams, aegislash is given opportunity to shine. mixed specially-biased aegislash (flash cannon, shadow ball, close combat, shadow sneak / substitute) with either spell tag (shadow sneak) or leftovers (substitute) has been on the rise in response to two common archtypes right now, blissey balances & sand balances. it's given plenty of switch-in opportunities, and takes advantage of incredibly common pokemon, pretty much all of which are found on most non-ho teams. once it's in, it immediately puts the opponent on the back foot forcing either a guess vs spell tag, or the scenario which i favour, a free substitute. it's effective enough to warrant a rise imo.

edit: oops, just realised it rose in the last update. regardless, i think it warrants a further rise.

 

[ImperialGamer517]

A —> A+

Rillaboom has now rose to become one of the dominant forces in OU. It is extremely good because it being able to set up Grassy Surge allows it to power up its already powerful and hard-hitting STAB. The other benefit of Grassy Surge is that Rillaboom is able to function as a revenge killer thanks to Grassy Terrain giving +1 priority to Grassy Glide. The Choice Band set allows it to function as a very solid wallbreaker, while Swords Dance sets allows it to function as a cleaner.

The metagame has benefited a lot for Rillaboom. With the rise of weather archetypes such as Rain and Sand, Rillaboom will be able to check common Pokémon in those teams, such as Urshifu-R and Crawdaunt in rain teams, and Hippowdon, Tyranitar, and probably Excadrill in sand.

It has already risen to be the second most used Pokémon in OU, so this and the qualities it has above make it worthy of A+ rank.

 

[Negative Charge]

very strongly agree on A+ for rilla. Beyond the ubiquity and usefulness of Band sets, SD Life Orb and Grassy Seed sets are also very effective. Grassy Seed can blow through Amoonguss and with Magnezone support it can pick its checks to a degree.

Banded Glide does 50%+ to so many resists that you must be keeping track of sand and helmet chip on you on Dragapult so as to not just lose to it late game. Banded Hammer is also one of the few brainless moves that can always OHKO Clefable, which brings such a peace of mind to building.

 

[Katy]

from a- to b+

with the metagame trending against it with the high usage of rillaboom, toxtricity, dragapult, magnezone, and zeraora i think its time for our slow bro to drop a rank from a- to b+, slowbro was usually seen to check urshifu, alola marowak and other dangerous physical breakers, but the metagame is against slowbro and teams tend to run clefable, toxapex, amoonguss to check the threatening physical attackers. slowbro just isnt a-rank material and should drop to b+.



from b+ to a-

magnezone is an excellent pokemon currently with trapping 2 of the most prominent checks in rillaboom being corviknight and skarmory perfectly for rillaboom to have a free path. it also has a great typing and with the body press-set it also has found a way to break through ferrothorn, without having to rely on hp fire as ferrothorn struggles to break magnezones substitute. furthermore magnezone can dish out some good damage with flash cannon on other electric-resists like amoonguss and hydreigon. furthermore its specs-set is undeniable powerful and magnezone is also able to volt switch out for momentum. it also helps excadrill + hippo cores to trap their best answer(s) in corviknight and skarmory.

 

[Deleted User [433215]]

B- ---> B

Scarf Jirachi is a pretty underrated Pokemon atm from what we've been seeing in OLT and it's improved a lot from the banning of Cinderace and the metagame trends that have come with that. It's a decent soft check to many common Pokemon and even teams (it's good against the Kanto HO, Kyurem, Rillaboom, Alakazam, Clefable, Hatterene, Toge, etc) that can still fulfill the need for momentum on bulky offense. Another nice thing about Scarf Jirachi is the fact it can Trick and cripple any Pokemon on fatter team styles, which have been gaining more popularity as the cycles go on with the teams people like ABR, John W, and Eo have used and shown here. The trends in the metagame of Ferrothorn and Skarmory dropping in usage due to the influx of Hatterene is also a big boon and the same goes for the influx of Focus Blast over Earth Power on Kyurem and the increased use of Alakazam. While my post is mostly focused on Scarf, SpDef Jirachi with Wish Rocks and Protect is a pretty decent set for bulkier teams to check the aforementioned balance breakers that I mentioned above, and Eo did indeed use this set on a team he made to qualify. Jirachi can even use a mixed set with Iron Head / Thunder / Grass Knot / Psychic (or Aura Sphere for Drill) to really pressure some bulky offenses that rely on Hippowdon, Corviknight, Toxapex, and Gastrodon, this is more niche but shows Jirachi has versatility in its roles. While Pokemon like Toxapex, LO Sucker Urshifu, Volcarona, Aegislash, and Excadrill have been quite prominent and give Jirachi a hard time, all of these Pokemon can be properly accounted for in the teambuilder and I think Jirachi is still a better Pokemon and fills a bigger niche than other Pokemon in B- like Keldeo, Heracross, and Bisharp.

The Scarf Set I've built with:
Jirachi @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 16 HP / 252 Atk / 240 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Iron Head
- U-turn
- Trick
- Fire Punch / Healing Wish

The Mix Set I've built with:
Jirachi @ Leftovers
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Iron Head
- Thunder
- Grass Knot
- Psychic / Aura Sphere

Also agree with Katy's, tigers jaw, and Imperial's noms.

 

[Magcargo]

Volcarona A+ -> S

This mon has its issues, but overall I find it to be an incredibly splashable pick on most teams. Volcarona is normally best known for being a Quiver Dance sweeper, but that's most powerful during the endgame. During the mid-game / early-game, this mon is really good as a general attacker (it has more speed and Special attack than Kyurem after all). Fire / Psychic / Bug Coverage is resisted by almost nothing in S and A-Rank and with Toxapex and Clefable running Physically Defensive spreads nowdays, both aren't as reliable as answers. Clefable is taking around 40% from an unboosted Flamethrower and Toxapex is cleanly 2HKO'd by Psychic after SR damage. It does have some hard match-ups, like against Dragapult, Hippowdon, Unaware Clef, Rotom-H, and Blissey, but it can get past them either through a bit of chip damage or its Safeguard set. Its match-up spread against a majority of the metagame is otherwise pretty great. High Special Attack and its Fire-typing let it shred every defensive Steel- and Grass-type in the meta and makes it a solid check to certain Clef variants, Rillaboom, Kyurem, etc. Its high speed also let it revenge kill non-sand rush Excadrill, Hydreigon, Kommo-o, and Kyurem. Flame Body is unreliable, but can completely cripple its checks such as Hawlucha, Crawdaunt, and Urshifu-R.

What I'm trying to say is that even outside of Quiver Dance, Volcarona is a great Pokmeon & can contribute a lot to the match. Quiver Dance is what pushes it S-Tier by giving it a fantastic endgame. Stuff like Hawlucha, Crawduant, and Urshifu can revenge kill it, but I don't think that alone should hold back Volcarona from being S-Rank.

Tyranitar B- -> B

Having a mon that can check Volcarona, Kyurem, and Dragapult, support Sand Rush Excadrill, and provide additional role compression with Stealth Rock and Thunder Wave / Toxic in one slot is pretty nifty in the current metagame. While this mon does lose to quite a few Pokemon in the ranks above it, its wide array of coverage means that many of them can't exactly switch-in safely.

 

[Negative Charge]

I'm torn on Volcorona going to S, leaning no. You must have an answer to it or you will lose, but it's still just such a tossup game to game if you have the right set to sweep your opponent. Half the time I have offensive I want bulky and vice versa, let alone the safeguard set. On the other hand, I can totally see why it should be S so I guess I don't have too strong of a preference either way. It exerts immense pressure on your opponent simply existing in back and if they get one good read and psychic your switched in Dragapult it's often GG.

 

[ImperialGamer517]

B --> B+

With Spikes setters such as Skarmory and Ferrothorn now surging in usage, Hatterene has risen once again to handle them. With stall now being one of the most common archetypes in the ladder, Hatterene has become at least a viable option to be able to serve as an anti-stall option to break them down, due to its ability to handle both physical and special walls. Hatterene is also very bulky, being able to take hits from Zeraora and Urshifu-S. Finally, it is able to handle Pokemon surging in usage such as Kyurem, the aforementioned Skarmory, and Tyranitar

The metagame has changed drastically, some of which benefit Hatterene. First of all, with hazard setters like Clefable, Skarmory, and Ferrothorn becoming more common, Hatterene is able to bounce them back to wear down foes. At the same time, it is also able to switch into the omnipresent status spreaders such as Toxapex, Clefable, and Mandibuzz and bounce them back.

In nutshell, what makes Hatterene B+ worthy is its coverage and Magic Bounce.

 

[theotherguytm]

b->b+ / a-
with mandibuzz being replaced by either corviknight or skarmory on most teams, aegislash is given opportunity to shine. mixed specially-biased aegislash (flash cannon, shadow ball, close combat, shadow sneak / substitute) with either spell tag (shadow sneak) or leftovers (substitute) has been on the rise in response to two common archtypes right now, blissey balances & sand balances. it's given plenty of switch-in opportunities, and takes advantage of incredibly common pokemon, pretty much all of which are found on most non-ho teams. once it's in, it immediately puts the opponent on the back foot forcing either a guess vs spell tag, or the scenario which i favour, a free substitute. it's effective enough to warrant a rise imo.

edit: oops, just realised it rose in the last update. regardless, i think it warrants a further rise.

Echo this. Aegi does not deserve to share a rank with Rhyperior and Mantine, and was only down there in the first place because Magearna. Just a reminder that it still has no switch-ins it can't simply cripple with Toxic, pick off with (potentially mixed) coverage, finish with priority or occasionally brute-force with Steel Beam. With most Dark (and hence Ghost) resists and general damage sinks leaning PhysDef due to the mighty Urshifu, Specs Shadow Ball/Flash Cannon simply blasts them back where they came from.
252+ SpA Choice Specs Aegislash-Blade Shadow Ball vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Toxapex: 168-198 (55.2 - 65.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Aegislash-Blade Flash Cannon vs. 248 HP / 44 SpD Mandibuzz: 226-267 (53.4 - 63.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ SpA Choice Specs Aegislash-Blade Steel Beam vs. 248 HP / 44 SpD Mandibuzz: 396-466 (93.6 - 110.1%) -- 62.5% chance to OHKO
4 Atk Aegislash-Blade Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Blissey: 418-494 (58.5 - 69.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO (Blissey is also complete SubToxic bait)
And so on. Basically, there is an Aegi set that unpicks every team in the game, and while there's the obvious opportunity cost of not being able to run everything at once, Aegi can fit whatever your team needs. And as long as it carries Ghost STAB and either Close Combat, Steel Beam or Toxic it is going to be a nightmare to deal with in the long run, even disregarding its excellent defensive typing and huge bulk that let it switch into a surprising amount. Aegi's hit-and-run playstyle suits this metagame excellently, with several strong pivots to bring it in and a defensive backbone to reinforce it.

 

[The Dragon Master]

A- -> B+ or even B

This things seen better days. It's just completely outclassed by pex which is just so dominant right now. Teleport is not enough to prevent it from being pushed into the edge of oblivion by pex and the usage stats reflect it . Pex just does everything it does but better. Better typing, better bulk, knock off etc.

Other noms I agree with

B-> B+
A -> A+

 

[Miscellaneous9999]

B - - > B+

Over the past month, Toxtricity has shown itself to be an a top tier offensive mon. Its shift gear mixed set in particular is incredibly potent as it can scare away common defensive mons like toxapex, skarmory, corviknight and mantine in order to set up for a sweep while being hard to wall. It can also use a rare choice specs set, which is able to punch huge holes in almost everything. For these reasons, I believe it deserves a rise.

 

[thepokemonmasterrrr]

A- -> B+ or even B

This things seen better days. It's just completely outclassed by pex which is just so dominant right now. Teleport is not enough to prevent it from being pushed into the edge of oblivion by pex and the usage stats reflect it . Pex just does everything it does but better. Better typing, better bulk, knock off etc.

Other noms I agree with

B-> B+
A -> A+

I completely disagree. Slowbro just dropped and there's no reason to drop it further. You're right that slowbro has worse special bulk than toxapex (they have about the same physical bulk) and slowbro's typing is quite a bit worse, not having an immunity to toxic and being weak to ghost, dark, and grass.
However, while this makes slowbro function worse as a wall, I absolutely disagree with you that teleport isn't enough to make slowbro good, it absolutely gives it a niche over toxapex that makes it worth running. Toxapex can knock off the opponent and try to burn them and that's it. Slowbro on the other hand isn't passive at all, it can easily teleport out and gain momentum and maybe even throw off a future sight before it does, which helps break through defensive cores. Toxapex can't guarantee that you're able to bring in wallbreakers or sweepers for free like slowbro can, and blissey doesn't have the utility offered by scald, future sight, or regen which is what makes it such a solid defensive pivot. It has a very solid niche over both pex and bliss that makes it a cut above everything in B+.

 

[ImperialGamer517]

I completely disagree. Slowbro just dropped and there's no reason to drop it further. You're right that slowbro has worse special bulk than toxapex (they have about the same physical bulk) and slowbro's typing is quite a bit worse, not having an immunity to toxic and being weak to ghost, dark, and grass.
However, while this makes slowbro function worse as a wall, I absolutely disagree with you that teleport isn't enough to make slowbro good, it absolutely gives it a niche over toxapex that makes it worth running. Toxapex can knock off the opponent and try to burn them and that's it. Slowbro on the other hand isn't passive at all, it can easily teleport out and gain momentum and maybe even throw off a future sight before it does, which helps break through defensive cores. Toxapex can't guarantee that you're able to bring in wallbreakers or sweepers for free like slowbro can, and blissey doesn't have the utility offered by scald, future sight, or regen which is what makes it such a solid defensive pivot. It has a very solid niche over both pex and bliss that makes it a cut above everything in B+.

Some counterpoints:

1. While this is true, the metagame is now against it. Prominent metagame trends such as Rillaboom, Zeraora, Magnezone, Dragapult, and even Toxtricity becoming more common give it lots of trouble.
2. It is now outclassed by other physical walls such as Clefable, Toxapex, Corviknight, Mandibuzz, Amoonguss, and Skarmory that offer more utility.

This is to say that I agree for Slowbro to drop.

 

[The Dragon Master]

I completely disagree. Slowbro just dropped and there's no reason to drop it further. You're right that slowbro has worse special bulk than toxapex (they have about the same physical bulk) and slowbro's typing is quite a bit worse, not having an immunity to toxic and being weak to ghost, dark, and grass.
However, while this makes slowbro function worse as a wall, I absolutely disagree with you that teleport isn't enough to make slowbro good, it absolutely gives it a niche over toxapex that makes it worth running. Toxapex can knock off the opponent and try to burn them and that's it. Slowbro on the other hand isn't passive at all, it can easily teleport out and gain momentum and maybe even throw off a future sight before it does, which helps break through defensive cores. Toxapex can't guarantee that you're able to bring in wallbreakers or sweepers for free like slowbro can, and blissey doesn't have the utility offered by scald, future sight, or regen which is what makes it such a solid defensive pivot. It has a very solid niche over both pex and bliss that makes it a cut above everything in B+.

The special bulk difference is very notable
As that means that it can't check threats like specs pult , hydreigon and is useless against sun unlike pex who can alteast try and stall sun turns out . Most physical attackers beat it anyway due to It's typing which dosent do it any favours making it bait for urshifu as it doesn't fear burn much and also rilaboom which while neutered by burn scares the daylights out slowbro with its grass attacks.
These can beat pex but it can pivot in and switch out . It has a niche, but it's not A- worthy now as it's too weak to the metagame trends and is not as good as the other A- mons and is probably worse than crawdaunt or venu in all honesty.

 

[ImperialGamer517]

I have one more nom:


B+ --> A-

Togekiss, in my opinion, makes the cut for A-. Why?

The metagame has greatly benefited Togekiss. With Rillaboom, Dragapult, and Urshifu-S rising in usage, Togekiss is able to check the three of them. It can also potentially live a Bullet Punch from Life Orb Jolly Scizor and can OHKO back with Flamethrower. Here are some calcs as proof:

252 Atk Life Orb Technician Scizor Bullet Punch vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Togekiss: 265-315 (85.2 - 101.2%) -- 12.5% chance to OHKO
252 SpA Togekiss Flamethrower vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Scizor: 448-528 (159.4 - 187.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO

Another reason why Togekiss deserves to rise is its versatility. It is able to function as a cleric with both Heal Bell and Wish, speed control with Choice Scarf, dual STAB, Flamethrower, and Trick, and finally a cleaner with Nasty Plot.

 

[Finchinator]

I will be closing this as I plan on putting up another voting slate later tonight. Expect an update late this week!

 

[Finchinator]

Rises

• from A- to A: Amoonguss has seen a recent uptick in usage. It does great against Pokemon that are currently thriving offensively such as Zeraora, Rillaboom, and Urshifu-Rapid-Strike. It is limited to what it can do offensively, but it can spread status, outdamage a lot of offensive Pokemon it encounters, and provide for teams as a great pivot thanks to Regenerator and being able to soak up Toxic Spikes.
• from B+ to A: Magnezone is surging as an offensive presence and trapper. Specs Analytic sets are devastating, only being truly countered by Gastrodon. However, what may push it up all the way to A rank us the rise of Magnet Pull sets. Choice Specs and Iron Defense + Body Press variants allow for quick disposal of Steel types like Skarmory, Corviknight, and even Ferrothorn when using the latter set. This opens up games for Pokemon like Rillaboom or Clefable nicely, which goes a long way in the current metagame.
• from B to A-: Aegislash proves as a convenient defensive presence that provides a great mixed offensive option. With Shadow Ball, Flash Cannon, and Close Combat, few Pokemon can handle a consistent assault from Aegislash and with chip on Pokemon like Corviknight, Aegislash, or Hippowdon, Aegislash can have a field day. It is also capable of soft-checking otherwise problematic Pokemon like Kyurem and Alakazam.
• from B to B+: Choice Band Rhyperior surfaced recently and now everyone is using it in conjunction with slow pivots and/or Teleport. It is an absolute wrecking ball. Few Pokemon keep it in check and oftentimes it is coming away with at least one, if not multiple, kills. In addition, the Swords Dance sets are great at breaking balance cores and it is a servicable Stealth Rock setter.
• from B to B+: With Sticky Hold, Gastrodon is a great Pokemon to use right now. Trick Clefable is super common and Knock Off is used a lot. It is able to always keep an item equipped, which goes a long way. Add on to this the fact that Rotom-Heat and other special boosters can be kept in check thanks to Clear Smog and great special bulk and you get a pretty respectable defensive option right now.
• from B- to A-: Tyranitar is finally starting to surface again. Sand teams using specially defensive Tyranitar are quite common as this is being posted. Stealth Rock, Thunder Wave, Rock Blast, and a filler appropriate for the team with a lot of special bulk investment allows Tyranitar to check Kyurem, Volcarona, Rotom-Heat, Gengar, and other Pokemon. It also removes opposing weather and synergizes well with Excadrill, which can server as a win-condition and revenge killer when used on Sand teams.
• -Rapid-Strike from C+ to B: Urshifu-R is an underrated physical breaker that works well when paired with Pokemon to abuse Toxapex/Amoonguss and on Rain teams. It is not the most consistent option, but it is much better than anything in the C ranks currently and this is being shown by a steady increase in rank.
• from C to B-: People are getting back on the Substitute + Calm Mind Primarina hype train. It is not super consistent due to the abundance of Blissey, but a lot of unprepared teams fall flat to it and this can go a long way. While it may be polarizing, Primarina will remain viable for the forseeable future.
• from UR to C-: Comfey is a very cheesy option, but it can serve as a niche special sweeper when used with the right support. John W had a great deal of success with it on the OLT ladder. May not be the best option to try at home kiddos.

Drops

• from A to A-: Mandibuzz continues to drop after the bans of Magearna and Cinderace. Corviknight has taken over a lot of its usage due to a better match-up against common hazard setters. Mandibuzz is still a viable option here, but it struggles with Clefable, Toxic Excadrill/Hippowdon, Leech+Body Press Ferrothorn, and Rhyperior, which is a lot to overcome for a Defog user.
• from A- to B+: Slowbro struggles to counter many common offensive threats, so the niche of Teleport+Regenerator is unfortunately not being used enough to warrant placement in the A ranks.
• and from B+ to B: Sun teams have seen a steady decline with the uptick of Sand and the meta adapting to them once being seen as close to mainstream.
• from B- to C: Blissey is used far more often and item displacement is at an all time high, limiting Eviolite Chansey to being fringe at best.
• from C to C-: The Team Player Cat finds few teams to play on, thus making it a mediocre option. Aegislash picking up helps it, but even then it can Close Combat it. Nothing else really minds it with the pivot set being very passive and only checking a few Pokemon on a temporary basis, which makes it seldom worth integrating on to teams.

Hope you enjoy!

 

[ImperialGamer517]

A+ —> S-

Urshifu-S is just a menace in OU. It benefited a lot from Magearna being banned, since it is now able to deal neutral damage to almost every OU-viable Pokemon thanks to Wicked Blow and its coverage.

The most annoying thing about facing Urshifu-S is Wicked Blow. It always hits as a crit and STAB, which means it has a large damage output. Another annoying thing is it’s coverage. It can 2HKO Clefable with Iron Head, but there is still the flinch chance. The Life Orb + Bulk Up set is particularly scary, since it is able to break through common defensive cores that are surfacing in this meta, such as ClefPex and SkarmBliss. It can also run its standard Choice Band set, which allows it to punch holes in any team.

For these reasons, Urshifu-S deserves a rise.

A —> A+

Im renominating my old nom. Rillaboom greatly deserves to rise. Why? Let me tell you.

Rillaboom is an easy pick for many teams that need a revenge killer or a physical wallbreaker. Choice Band sets are capable of punching holes in opponent’s teams, while Swords Dance sets allow for Rillaboom to absolutely destroy slower Pokémon. With its fantastic terrain-powered STAB, as well as excellent coverage in Superpower, Knock Off, and Acrobatics, as well as the reasons mentioned above, Rillaboom deserves to rise.

Edit: I have one more nomination:

B- —> B/B+

With hyper offense surging once again due to the rise of common defensive cores, Mew is once again seen as a suicide lead, being able to outpace a majority of the tier, and using it to stack hazards and eventually sac itself. It is also able to punish status spreaders due to Synchronize. For these reasons, Mew deserves a rise.

 

[ShootingStarmie]

Showing my support for both Urshifu to rise to S, and for Rillaboom to rise to A+. Urshifu is too good (and somewhat brainless) to not be S rank, as pretty much every team needs a Fairy-type or fully Defensive Toxapex. While these Pokemon are naturally good in their own right, they become mandatory for Urshifu, and we're even seeing some niche picks like Galar Weezing in OLT purely because of Urishifu. While people have a lot to say regarding Urshifu versus balance builds, I think its easy to forget just how good Urshifu is against offense teams. Wicked Blow OHKOs everything that doesn't resist it on offense, and Sucker Punch is incredibly useful in revenge killing set up sweepers. Thanks to crits ignoring boosts, Urshifu also hugely limits the usability of Screens Offense.

Rillaboom impresses me more and more each time I use it. It's resistances, ability, versatility, and incredible priority in the form of Grassy Glide is absurdly good, and it can often get past its "counters" like Skarmory or Corviknight with Swords Dance and Drain Punch / Superpower, though I personally think its Choice Banded set is best. Rillaboom also hugely increases the viability of other Pokemon (see: Hawlucha), and can fit on any play style that isn't stall.

On a slightly different note, I'm surprised to see Slowbro still in a higher rank than Primarina. When I want a bulky Water-type that isn't Toxapex, I consider Primarina before Slowbro, but maybe that's the offensive player in me. I think either Slowbro needs to drop, Primarina needs to rise, or (most likely) both.

 

[ImperialGamer517]

I have thought of another nom!

B+ --> A-

Crawdaunt has established itself as a good Pokemon in OU. With Volcarona rising as the premier Fire-type, Crawdaunt is surging in usage, being able to revenge kill it. It was also seen on lots of hyper offense teams as an offensive wallbreaker, being especially scary with Swords Dance and Adaptability. For these reasons, Crawdaunt deserves a rise.

 

[Spyro]

I think Hippowdon shouldn't be in A. A lot of players are choosing Tyranitar right now for it's ability to deal with Volcarona, Kyurem, Togekiss, Rotom, Hydreigon, Gengar and Slowbro G off the top of my head. It also does a lot better against Pelipper and Torkoal because of it's high special defense. Hippo is still a good physical wall but I don't think it should be ranked higher than Ttar.

 

[Finchinator]

Turns out this is back to being locked for the Cinderace restest

https://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/np-ss-ou-suspect-process-round-6-fireball.3670532/

 

[Finchinator]

Plan is to get this back up-and-running with a slate promptly after the Cinderace retest concludes.

Also, John W stepped down and we have added Sacri' to the VR Council. Thanks John and welcome Sacri'