Data Usage-Based Tier Update for April 2018 (May @ #97) (June @ #150)

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Although nothing changed in this update, there are a lot of interesting metagame trends to be seen.

| 51 | Gastrodon | 3.589% |
| 52 | Ninetales-Alola | 3.530% |
| 53 | Bisharp | 3.451% |
| 54 | Diancie-Mega | 3.300% |

So, first thing I have to say, can we please spam the crap out of Gastrodon on the OU ladder? Seeing this thing rise from PU to OU would be truly deserved and amazing, really great pick in the meta right now. Also it seems like Veil is getting more popular again while Bisharp continues to lose usage. I feel like it will finally drop to UU. Diancie would be easily quick banned from UU I believe. If not, we would see a lot more Magnetons in UU.
Mamoswine dropping to UU is totally expected no doubt about that.

| 52 | Moltres | 3.557% |
| 53 | Marowak-Alola | 3.480% |
| 54 | Slowbro-Mega | 3.463% |
| 55 | Kyurem | 3.335% |
| 56 | Arcanine | 3.332% |
| 57 | Rhyperior | 3.259% |
| 58 | Quagsire | 3.225% |
| 59 | Mantine | 2.966% |

Moltres is another thing that would truely deserve to rise just like Gastrodon. Really good pokemon at the moment, finally getting it's deserved usage. Rhyperior seems to have a good chance to rise in July, checking Manectric really effictively. I feel like Quagsires chances aren't as good as the ones of the other two as it's usage didn't rise. Arcanine might finally drop, same applies to Marowak-A. The rise of sun automatically makes Gigalith better in RU, Stoutland won't be pleased at all. Slowbro will probably be quick banned from RU. Kyurem is keeping up it's usage as it's the only viable Ice type in the tier but Mamo will drop in July so I don't know if it will keep up it's usage. RU would be really thankful if Mantine drops because:

| 42 | Venusaur | 6.011% |
| 44 | Torkoal | 5.966% |
| 59 | Gigalith | 3.727% |
| 62 | Decidueye | 3.478% |
| 63 | Dhelmise | 3.221% |
| 64 | Hoopa | 3.150% |
| 65 | Banette-Mega | 3.051% |
| 69 | Ninetales | 2.772% |

RU is the tier of sun again just like it was at the start of the generation, I really hope that Ninetales usage will rise to make the cutoff, because it actually is the best out of the 3 biggest sun mons. The other things: Please drop to NU, thanks.

| 43 | Stoutland | 4.915% |
| 59 | Miltank | 3.297% |
| 60 | Froslass | 3.057% |
| 61 | Qwilfish | 2.913% |
| 64 | Dodrio | 2.691% |
| 65 | Ferroseed | 2.670% |

Not much to say about NU, other than Stoutland rising in usage because of Gigalith. Ferroseed is a rising pokemon too, coming from under 1% usage in April. Don't know if it's just because of Venus influence, the next month will show if Ferroseed can keep up this momentum
 
So if 3.41% was the cutoff the changes would be like this...
Screenshot_20180507-125213.png
 
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Yasuo said:
| 42 | Venusaur | 6.011% |
| 44 | Torkoal | 5.966% |
| 59 | Gigalith | 3.727% |
| 62 | Decidueye | 3.478% |
| 63 | Dhelmise | 3.221% |
| 64 | Hoopa | 3.150% |
| 65 | Banette-Mega | 3.051% |
| 69 | Ninetales | 2.772% |

RU is the tier of sun again just like it was at the start of the generation, I really hope that Ninetales usage will rise to make the cutoff, because it actually is the best out of the 3 biggest sun mons. The other things: Please drop to NU, thanks.
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That certain bit of usage is just a trend since Mega Houndoom and Entei dropped for a while and it took a while to get them quickbanned (Gigalith being a countermeasure to all the sun). After the quickbans, usage will go back to look like it did on april.
 
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Yasuo said:
So, first thing I have to say, can we please spam the crap out of Gastrodon on the OU ladder? Seeing this thing rise from PU to OU would be truly deserved and amazing, really great pick in the meta right now.
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Gastrodon is great in OU but its not a wise decision to make an anti-meta mon to go into OU as it will cause the meta to adapt and make not as good. Look at Raichu or Scizor in GSC, their metas have adapted to them and has caused them to be not so good.
And also why did Entei, Azu and Meinshao all drop to PU dispite the fact they would all most likely end up being too powerful for it?
 
ZardX said:
Gastrodon is great in OU but its not a wise decision to make an anti-meta mon to go into OU as it will cause the meta to adapt and make not as good. Look at Raichu or Scizor in GSC, their metas have adapted to them and has caused them to be not so good.
And also why did Entei, Azu and Meinshao all drop to PU dispite the fact they would all most likely end up being too powerful for it?
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I wouldn't see it that way. Metagame trends come and go and so do specific pokemon. The meta adapts to new threats and in the same way, some old threats might get disregarded or put down to some extent, but a adapting metagame shouldn't make anything obsolete. Just have a look at Veil, which is making it's comeback after half a year of being barely used. Things get hyped a lot, people adapt to it and might even forget to prepare after some time passed.
I would like to add that I actually prefer if viable pokemon that have a niche in the metagame rise to OU by usage instead of having barebones or outclassed Mons like Skarmory, Garchomp, Mimikyu, Blacephalon, Bisharp etc.
Just taking Gastrodon as a example, if people adapt to Gastro by using Grass Knot Koko or Grassium Z Heatran, this means that these pokemon have to "waste" one of their important moveslots for a new Metagame trend. A pretty good reward, isn't it?
 
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ZardX said:
Gastrodon is great in OU but its not a wise decision to make an anti-meta mon to go into OU as it will cause the meta to adapt and make not as good. Look at Raichu or Scizor in GSC, their metas have adapted to them and has caused them to be not so good.
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Gastrodon isn't really an anti-meta mon though; it's a good mon that just isn't used that much for one reason or another. Sure, it checks some prominent meta threats, but people already prepare for it (I've seen people run HP Grass Megancie just for Gastro). Becoming OU will barely affect its viability at all. Mamoswine is more of an antimeta threat than Gastro, but that's dying off not because people prepare for it but because Joey's campaign ended and people start realizing its inherent flaws again.
 
Escavalier Royale said:
Gastrodon isn't really an anti-meta mon though; it's a good mon that just isn't used that much for one reason or another. Sure, it checks some prominent meta threats, but people already prepare for it (I've seen people run HP Grass Megancie just for Gastro). Becoming OU will barely affect its viability at all. Mamoswine is more of an antimeta threat than Gastro, but that's dying off not because people prepare for it but because Joey's campaign ended and people start realizing its inherent flaws again.
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gastro is 100% antimeta
 
Excuse me if I come across as naive here, but I wouldn't exactly call Gastrodon "anti-meta" in a tier with Tangrowth, Tapu Bulu, and Ferrothorn in it. Sure, Storm Drain is great at stopping various Water-types, but stick a Grass-type in Gastro's face and it's toast. A lot of team archetypes already have something that can check it, and the few that can't can easily adjust without giving up a lot.

On a different note, I see I'm not the only one who's playing Aurora Veil in OU anymore. That or I've been playing it too much.
 
PokePoindexter said:
Excuse me if I come across as naive here, but I wouldn't exactly call Gastrodon "anti-meta" in a tier with Tangrowth, Tapu Bulu, and Ferrothorn in it. Sure, Storm Drain is great at stopping various Water-types, but stick a Grass-type in Gastro's face and it's toast. A lot of team archetypes already have something that can check it, and the few that can't can easily adjust without giving up a lot.
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By this logic a lot of mons wouldn't be as viable. A 4x weakness and/or an inability to deal with some mons doesn't invalidate a mons niche. Gastro does more than check water-types, it's an answer to common threats like Heatran, Koko, etc. LL made this very nice post in the OU VR thread about it that covers why it's a good pick atm.
 
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