This post will be an explainer of the concept and a guide on how to read the document. Lists are contained in subsequent posts. Click here for the CTRL+F section.
Welcome to the NatDex Draft Role Compendium! If you've ever found yourself with 30 points and realized you were missing removal, a crucial speed tier, and useful priority, this may be for you! A number of draft contributors have put together a list of important roles in SV NatDex Draft, and ranked each Pokemon within those categories by means of their skill and proficiency accomplishing that role/task. Not every Pokemon is created equal, and not every Pokemon is equally suited for every task it could in theory accomplish.
This document is the next step up from the SV document, but is still an evolving project. I want to thank everyone in the team and in general who weighed in with useful positive advice for this and future versions. This project began on Monday and ran until today, and you can see credits at the end of this post. This is not an objective ranking, but rather what a group of contributors believed things should be marked as. There are further improvements to be done for sure. This document should be seen as drafting support, and is not a replacement for your own research and team cohesion consideration.
Top End is defined as Pokemon at or exceeding 16 points, High is the range including 14 to 11 points, Low cost is considered the range of 10 to 6 points, and Budget 'mons are valued at 5 or lower points. This value is likely to change in the future depending on the format.
Here is an example of what a part of a section will look like, using the CTRL+F formatting:
Some sections may have additional clarification within their section to elaborate on what the rankings entail or what moves are included. Not every Pokemon is listed, Budget is limited to mons worth 2+ points or notably valuable 1 point Pokemon. Your favorite NFE is probably not on the list.
Credits:
Data compilation: a fairy with credit to Princess Autumn and Techno for data sources
Scoring: a fairy, ComputerWhiz, TwentyTwan, Freya, and RauVGC
QC: scionicle
Formatting: abriel and a fairy, with help from Freya
In future editions, this could be you! Reach out to
Welcome to the NatDex Draft Role Compendium! If you've ever found yourself with 30 points and realized you were missing removal, a crucial speed tier, and useful priority, this may be for you! A number of draft contributors have put together a list of important roles in SV NatDex Draft, and ranked each Pokemon within those categories by means of their skill and proficiency accomplishing that role/task. Not every Pokemon is created equal, and not every Pokemon is equally suited for every task it could in theory accomplish.
This document is the next step up from the SV document, but is still an evolving project. I want to thank everyone in the team and in general who weighed in with useful positive advice for this and future versions. This project began on Monday and ran until today, and you can see credits at the end of this post. This is not an objective ranking, but rather what a group of contributors believed things should be marked as. There are further improvements to be done for sure. This document should be seen as drafting support, and is not a replacement for your own research and team cohesion consideration.
Top End is defined as Pokemon at or exceeding 16 points, High is the range including 14 to 11 points, Low cost is considered the range of 10 to 6 points, and Budget 'mons are valued at 5 or lower points. This value is likely to change in the future depending on the format.
Here is an example of what a part of a section will look like, using the CTRL+F formatting:
Spikes
Top End:
[> Garchomp, Samurott-Hisui, Ting-Lu <]
[> Deoxys-Speed, Diancie-Mega, Greninja, Meowscarada, Mew, Ogerpon-Wellspring <]
[> Garchomp-Mega <]
High:
[> Gliscor, Deoxys-Defense, Ferrothorn, Glimmora, Ogerpon-Cornerstone, Skarmory, Klefki, Scolipede <]
[> Ogerpon, Ogerpon-Hearthflame, Sandy Shocks <]
[> Heracross-Mega, Diggersby <]
Low:
[> Clodsire, Gastrodon, Roserade, Overqwil, Diancie, Accelgor, Chesnaught, Gligar, Qwilfish-Hisui, Qwilfish, Brambleghast, Forretress, Froslass <]
[> Cloyster, Quagsire, Golisopod, Iron Thorns, Orthworm, Toedscruel <]
[> Heracross <]
Budget: Garbodor, Omastar, Pincurchin, Coalossal, Crustle, Roselia, Ferroseed, Glalie-Mega, Quilladin, Sandslash, Sandslash-Alola, Carbink, Carkol, Frogadier
There are many Pokemon capable of setting Spikes. Pokemon ranked green are capable of regularly running Spikes as needed, and don't miss out on other strategies or roles by doing so. Pokemon ranked yellow can run Spikes just fine, but relying on them to regularly do so can limit their abilities to do other things or fill other roles. Pokemon in red have access to Spikes and can use them on rare occasion, but often have linear role strategies or lack the inherent characteristics necessary for the roles associated with Spikes.
Top End:
[> Garchomp, Samurott-Hisui, Ting-Lu <]
[> Deoxys-Speed, Diancie-Mega, Greninja, Meowscarada, Mew, Ogerpon-Wellspring <]
[> Garchomp-Mega <]
High:
[> Gliscor, Deoxys-Defense, Ferrothorn, Glimmora, Ogerpon-Cornerstone, Skarmory, Klefki, Scolipede <]
[> Ogerpon, Ogerpon-Hearthflame, Sandy Shocks <]
[> Heracross-Mega, Diggersby <]
Low:
[> Clodsire, Gastrodon, Roserade, Overqwil, Diancie, Accelgor, Chesnaught, Gligar, Qwilfish-Hisui, Qwilfish, Brambleghast, Forretress, Froslass <]
[> Cloyster, Quagsire, Golisopod, Iron Thorns, Orthworm, Toedscruel <]
[> Heracross <]
Budget: Garbodor, Omastar, Pincurchin, Coalossal, Crustle, Roselia, Ferroseed, Glalie-Mega, Quilladin, Sandslash, Sandslash-Alola, Carbink, Carkol, Frogadier
There are many Pokemon capable of setting Spikes. Pokemon ranked green are capable of regularly running Spikes as needed, and don't miss out on other strategies or roles by doing so. Pokemon ranked yellow can run Spikes just fine, but relying on them to regularly do so can limit their abilities to do other things or fill other roles. Pokemon in red have access to Spikes and can use them on rare occasion, but often have linear role strategies or lack the inherent characteristics necessary for the roles associated with Spikes.
- In Top End, we can see these examples throughout - a Pokemon like Ting-Lu is more than capable of coming to games and using Spikes, while Garchomp-Mega is going to struggle to bring Spikes due to what it will normally want to accomplish in a game. Pokemon like Deo-S, Greninja, and Mew are happy to run Spikes, but also have plenty of options to run other sets that can be limited if they are the sole Pokemon expected to use Spikes.
- In High, Pokemon like Ogerpon and Sandy Shocks can bring Spikes if wanted or necessary, but all have plenty of other strategies to employ or moves to run and don't appreciate the moveslot lock and strategy limitations that come with a mandatory running of Spikes. Gliscor, on the other hand, is more than happy to bring Spikes to most/every game, and Diggersby is almost always limited if it's tasked with using Spikes.
- In Low, the expectation about showing up to every game is reduced, as these 'mons shouldn't expect to be brought to all or many games. Some, like Golisopod, can prefer to be doing other things than setting up Spikes, while others like Forretress are capable of reliably setting Spikes whenever it comes. Heracross is an example of a Pokemon that really wants to not be setting Spikes, preferring to fill other roles.
- The budget Pokemon is not ranked. These are cheap options that see little to no use in regular Draft play, and are not easily organizable into the Pro/Neutral/Negative categories. A draft may benefit from Crustle's access to Shell Smash, or Pincurchin's ability to set Electric Terrain, but this document will not be able to know that. We are leaving Budget mons blank - you should research these Pokemon on your own to determine whether they fit your team.
Some sections may have additional clarification within their section to elaborate on what the rankings entail or what moves are included. Not every Pokemon is listed, Budget is limited to mons worth 2+ points or notably valuable 1 point Pokemon. Your favorite NFE is probably not on the list.
Credits:
Data compilation: a fairy with credit to Princess Autumn and Techno for data sources
Scoring: a fairy, ComputerWhiz, TwentyTwan, Freya, and RauVGC
QC: scionicle
Formatting: abriel and a fairy, with help from Freya
In future editions, this could be you! Reach out to
afairy
on Discord for more information if you'd like to help out.
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