Resource USM LC Viability Rankings (VR Update @ #249)

[Shrug]

I think it's fair to say, for any game where geo-a traps a pawn or a ferro that the appropriate mag would be better. but what if fatty didnt have a steel and did have a vullaby or a ponyta? there rocks would be much better, and there are entirely reasonable circumstances where that is true. Your point about foongus is well taken for that team, but i dont think that's true as a rule.

 

[Merritt]

Ultimately I guess we'll have to agree to disagree - I don't think the role of compressing magnet pull trapper and stealth rock setter is particularly valuable except on a very small subset of teams, leaving it not viable enough for C- in my eyes. Just because something's unranked doesn't mean it's unviable of course, people have used stuff like Gible to modest success, but I think the line for C- rank drawn after the last update is noticeably out of geo-a's reach.

 

[Fiend]

okay, i'm kinda annoyed now.

c- is a painfully low bar with such a wide variety of mons (as in some niche attackers, and use-to-be okay niche mons...). geodude-a is, at least in my eyes, fully adequate in meeting this pitiful threshold. or alternatively, you remove some of the shit in that subtier (again).

• Lickitung: Yeah. Technically it's a usable mon I guess. But it has no real niche or purpose other than being fat and awkwardly passive in a tier of offense.
• Magby: It's either a worse zigzagoon or a worse ponyta or an arguably worse houndour....
• Mankey: LO or Scarf are cool and all, but there are only a handful of reasons to use it, and none of those reasons are really good ones.
• Sandile: bp was a thing, and evio pursuit was actually cool as fuck on webs like 12 months ago. It's really bad now.
• Sandshrew: I just don't fucking get it honestly. It's a slightly different but generally worse Drilbur which is NEVER used either.
• Stufful: Cute; sorta theoretically has a niche, but it generally loses out to mankey for their somewhat shared niche. It has the edge of being fat, but with the downside of hitting like a stiff breeze.
• Tentacool: This one I can't figure out either.

geodude-a fits in with this bunch more than it doesn't, and has a realized niche to a greater degree than some of the aforementioned. i honestly see it just on par with venipede who by all accounts is c-.

gonna edit to say: yes you can disagree w/ a mon or two on my list, but the point still stands. you need to stop being incredibly arbitrary with how you're being arbitrary, especially if you're gonna try to make a point based on your inconsistency.

 

[Altariel von Sweep]

Long time no see. I think it's already time to talk about a Pokemon we should acknowledge in our metagame state right now.

C -> B- (or even higher)
In a metagame where Foongus stands alone as a huge threat that can drain momentum away from opponents, Chespin's niche as a Grass-type that deals with odd Pokemon such as Gastly and can get Spikes up gets magnified by being arguably the best counter of Foongus, being able to outright cuck everything it does by typing + Bulletproof, and it really favours it the fact of Synthesis being run more and more. As you can suppose, after Foongus can't do anything, Chespin will take advantage of each switch-in to either set Spikes up or recover health. What makes it differ from Ferroseed, his main rival on the Grass-type Spikes setter niche, is that it has recovery, which gives it an upper hand on some team compositions that don't struggle much with Snivy, which Ferroseed manages better though it's not a solid counter. Chespin can make use of coverage as well, being the most common Zen Headbutt, which makes its MU with Foongus much easier, or Drain Punch, if you want to deal with Steel-types. Leaving aside the Foongus issue, Gastly rarely running Will-o-Hex sets is also a great thing for Chespin, as it is a pretty good counter thank to Bulletproof and its bulk. 25/14/14 bulk is a remarkable trait for a defensive Pokemon, such as being able to stomach strong hits like Abra's Psychic (3HKO). Consider using it next time on your team, as a personal advice.

Now, regarding to some C- rank Pokemon:

A Fire-type that hits strong and can pivot is nice, but I'm not really sure what could it accomplish by having low accuratcy and a crippling weakness to Stealth Rock. Plus, metagame's tendences pretty much go against it, so it should be unranked.

Like Fiend said. A worse version of Pokemon that aren't good Pokemon in this metagame. Unrank it.

Defensive spinner, Toxic spikes, user that has little-to-no usage, being outclassed by both Mareanie and Staryu in both roles. This ain't BW, unrank it.

Also, about GeoA. Absolutely stands more than the whole C- group, as while teams may not have always a Steel-type, Vullaby is a possibility, which teams appreciate GeoA by being able to withstand it. Like I said time before, I want it to rise.

 

[Funbot28]

Ok so I heard a VR update should be coming soon but I still wanna stress some points before it comes as I have been getting back into the metagame:

First and foremost....

A+ -> S (Agree)
Still amazes me not to see this little mushroom not in S yet. Foongus completely warps the balance metagame as it has become such as splashable threat which determines what is currently viable. This is evident through the seeming necessity of either Flying / Fire type wallbreakers such as Wingull, Vullaby, Doduo, Abra , and Ponyta to break through Foong. While the aforementioned threats are not solely run to break through Foongus and do offer supplementary value, the lack of a strong wallbreaker that carries coverage to break through Foong can make it really hard to break through common balance cores including it especially when more and more Foong are starting to run Synthesis. Examples of this can be Fire Punch on Timburr, Sleep Talk on Magnemite, and Z-Acrobatics on Mienfoo. The factor of Spore is also really important as it enables Foongus to become much less of a passive threat and further limits the amount of stuff that can check it as teams often struggle to find Sleep fodder (this is compunded by the fact that less Vulls are running Overcoat now). Foongus's splashability with numerous defensive threats makes it a meta-defining threat which I feel pushes it into the S-Rank alongside other similar threats with the same influence. Also screw Foong wars......

A- -> B+
Never really liked Grimer-A as I always found it awkward to build around and this has never been so evident to me as it stands in the current metagame. With the advent of threats such as Z-Ground Dig, WA Vullaby, Mudbray, and the rise in popularity of Stunky (which I will get to later), I feel Grimer-A struggles to insert itself in the current metagame even though its still probably one of the best Abra / Gastly answers in the format. It has issues on what coverage it wants to run coupled with a low speed which often means it needs to soak hits before dishing them (note a weakness to hazards) and we have a mon that struggles to perform all the roles it is expected to do. Teams are now directing towards other more offensive means to check the aforementioned Abra / Gastly such as a more bulkier Berry Juice Vullaby, Scarf Pawniard, and Beat Up DIglett. While still really good, I feel Grimer-A just kinda lost some of its niche in this meta to make it leave the A ranks.

B -> B-
Frillish was popular for the most part mainly thanks to its presence on certain Veil teams, acting as a great cleaner with Scarf Water Spout. However, with the rise of Mareanie coupled with the competition it faces with Wingull as a Water-type wallbreaker, I feel there is less incentive to run Frillish atm which is evident when it is not even being run on the teams it was commonly seen on anymore. The over being presence of both Foongus and Vullaby also makes it hard for Frillish to deal with most balance teams since it can find it difficult to spam both of its STABs when these defensive mons are commonly being run.

C+ -> B- / B
While it does face a lot of competition with other Flying-type wallbreakers like Doduo, Wingull, Rufflet, and even Taillow, Pikipek still holds a niche in the current metagame thanks to Skill Link + Bullet Seed which enables it to easily break through the most common Flying checks being used atm like Onix, Tirtouga and with access to coverage in Brick Break and Flame Charge, can also break through stuff like Pawniard and Magnemite. Another advantage Pikipek has is mainly through the use of U-Turn which means it can provide useful momentum to its team unlike Doduo.

B- -> B

C -> C+ / B-
Hail has been picking up some steam lately (lol nice and ironic) and both Amaura and Sandslash-A both have shown to benefit from the overall better viability of the archetype. Amaura more so as a potent revenge killer / wallbreaker due to how hard it can be to switchin to Blizzard + Thunderbolt coverage, while Sandslash-A has shown to be a great sweeper with an SD set or even as an offensive Veil setter on certain HO Veil teams. Ice-types in particular are very potent right now since most defensive threats being used cannot seem to check the coverage they possess, making them great options as wallbreakers in the current meta imo.

UR -> C
Stunky has been popping up on some teams not only as an Abra + Gastly answer, but also as an offensive Defog user which can break through some defensive cores such as Ferro + Spritzee thanks to its coverage. While it still faces most of the issues that Grimer-A does (although it has lower bulk traded for higher speed), Stunky still proves to be a great Pursuit trapper that can play some cool mind games through the use of Sucker Punch as well. Still a cool mon that I feel can be ranked at least in C.

Also agree with a Mareanie drop and a Chespin rise.

 

[innovamania]

C -> C +
With the popularity of Foongus Chespin has a strong place in the metagame as a true counter to Foongus cause of it's ability + typing. Outside of this it also has a niche over other grass types (like Ferroseed) by being able to set up spikes and have reliable recovery in recover. However I do think some posts opting for his rise are also downplaying it's weaknesses. For starters since almost every Chespin should be running spikes and recover it leaves you with only 2 moveslots left to choose between Seed Bomb, Zen Headbutt, Rock Slide, and Drain Punch. This means depending on its coverage moves it can be easy setup bait for certain Pokemon and means it has no way to truly punish these Pokemon for switching in. Non Drain Punch variants get set up on and switched into freely by Scraggy and Pawniard, non Zen Headbutt variants get set up on and switched into freely by Mienfoo, Timburr, Croagunk and non Rock Slide variants get set up on and freely switched into by Larvesta and Vullaby. A lot of these Pokemon can switch into other grass types too though, but the difference is that they have moves that punish set up sweepers and switches, Ferroseed had T-Wave and leech seed, Cottonee has Encore and Memento, and Foongus has Spore and Stun Spore. This leads me to my next issue with Chespin in that it doesn't have access to a lot of the utility moves other higher ranked grass types do like Leech Seed, Spore, T-Wave just to name a few. It only has Spikes Recover and it's coverage moves which do little damage to a lot of neutral targets and gives the opponent a lot of free switches. All this being said I like Chespin and a lot of these weaknesses can be covered with the rest of your team but I just don't know if Chespin is worthy of B- with these faults but C+ it deserves for sure.

 

[Conni]

Its been a long time since I've posted in a viability ranking thread but here I am. That said, please correct me if I say anything that is wrong since I don't have the top-notch metagame knowledge but I just wanted to talk about the Pokemon below.

A ---> A-
With my play tests with Gastly I feel like it can no longer be among Pokemon such as Staryu, Wingull, and Ponyta as the latter three may have had some ups and downs but right now their place in the metagame is rather consistent but in my opinion, I don't think I can say the same with Gastly. First of all, Gastly is very fragile which means it gets shut down by almost every Knock Off and Pursuit in LC especially from the likes of very common Pokemon such as Mienfoo, Pawniard, Timburr, and Vullaby. It requires the utmost care into switching into the opposition so that it can sweep or check an opposing Pokemon such as a revenge kill opportunity or a slow U-turn as otherwise it can get KOed by a lot of simply powerful Pokemon with neutral attacks on the switch and if it doesn't then it will most likely be KOed by the next move it takes. I know Gastly is strictly supposed to be played without getting hit but I feel like now it gets taken down quicker with the advent of Choice Scarf Pawniard which is much more common as I've seen in my laddering. If Choice Scarf Pawniard isn't taken out before, Gastly risks being utterly destroyed by it unless it gets a predicted Hidden Power Fighting off it on a switch or cripples it with Will-O-Wisp on the Hex set. Otherwise if Pawniard gets a free switch into Gastly then it is all over. This is the same with the less common Alolan Grimer. I feel like all common teams nowadays can easily deal with Gastly as they have Knock Off users that can threaten it mostly on the switch or common Dark-types like Vullaby and the aforementioned Pawniard. Most great players can use Gastly well as a well timed Will-O-Wisp can prevent some OHKOs but that too is now usually kept in mind by most players and can be predicted more than it works from what I've seen. Gastly is still a great Pokemon and I still use it as well, but with the advent of Choice Scarf Pawniard and the ever so present Knock Off users such as Mienfoo which make Gastly think twice about switching in make me feel Gastly has seen better days and thus makes me think that it should drop to A-. I may have been redundant with some points so I apologize about that but like I said above correct me on anything that may've been incorrect here.

A+ ---> S (agree)
Foongus has been much more common nowadays shaping the metagame and a lot of battles and now I think it's safe to say that Foongus is the most dominant wall or at least defensive Pokemon in LC. It switches into a myriad of Pokemon including very common ones such as Mienfoo and forces so many switches to allow many options such as setup and openings for sweep which can sometimes determine the tide of the battle if it is not dealt with properly. Synthesis, in my opinion, has always been run on Foongus nowadays as I haven't seen anything else in that moveslot but Synthesis which makes dealing with Foongus a pain since it has now two recovery options and every time it switches it heals anyways and now it can use the many switches it forces to heal up as well which makes it an everlasting threat if a wallbreaker does not KO it. Without Vullaby or another Grass-type the whole opposition fears Spore as well since that can create many opportunities for late-game sweep with the former Pokemon taken out of the picture already and this instantly reminds players to keep their Vullaby or Grass-types alive until Foongus is defeated because then it can deter your plan or what you're trying to do with Spore and use the opportunity against you. Aside from this its ability to be a defensive pivot is very irking as it sometimes hits back rather hard with Sludge Bomb which lures in Pawniard which then most of the time gets put to sleep. A lot of Foongus v. Foongus battles happen a lot because of this as the two are common enough to face each other in a battle while it just comes down to PP usage of Sludge Bomb and Synthesis as other Pokemon that try to intervene get either hit hard or put to sleep by a predicted Spore. I have a lot more reasons but I might be redudant with it but I'll leave it at this, but I really agree that Foongus should join S-tier as a battle can turn into mayhem if the Foongus check is taken out and Foongus is still up and kicking, this personally irks me in my experiences.

A counterargument to this is if Foongus is used incorrectly, such as if it Spores the wrong Pokemon which allows wallbreakers or checks (if they're still alive) to take out Foongus if its teammates aren't there to help it as less experienced players can mess up their Spore predictions and end up getting their Foongus in a worse situation while the rise of Foongus also means the rise of its checks as I've also seen more Ponyta and Chespin around lately, both of which threaten Foongus but this can also mean that its been recognized as such a staple threat that a check to it is almost a must-have or is one on all teams which can further support the reason to move it to S.

 

[Altariel von Sweep]

A ---> A-
With my play tests with Gastly I feel like it can no longer be among Pokemon such as Staryu, Wingull, and Ponyta as the latter three may have had some ups and downs but right now their place in the metagame is rather consistent but in my opinion, I don't think I can say the same with Gastly. First of all, Gastly is very fragile which means it gets shut down by almost every Knock Off and Pursuit in LC especially from the likes of very common Pokemon such as Mienfoo, Pawniard, Timburr, and Vullaby. It requires the utmost care into switching into the opposition so that it can sweep or check an opposing Pokemon such as a revenge kill opportunity or a slow U-turn as otherwise it can get KOed by a lot of simply powerful Pokemon with neutral attacks on the switch and if it doesn't then it will most likely be KOed by the next move it takes. I know Gastly is strictly supposed to be played without getting hit but I feel like now it gets taken down quicker with the advent of Choice Scarf Pawniard which is much more common as I've seen in my laddering. If Choice Scarf Pawniard isn't taken out before, Gastly risks being utterly destroyed by it unless it gets a predicted Hidden Power Fighting off it on a switch or cripples it with Will-O-Wisp on the Hex set. Otherwise if Pawniard gets a free switch into Gastly then it is all over. This is the same with the less common Alolan Grimer. I feel like all common teams nowadays can easily deal with Gastly as they have Knock Off users that can threaten it mostly on the switch or common Dark-types like Vullaby and the aforementioned Pawniard. Most great players can use Gastly well as a well timed Will-O-Wisp can prevent some OHKOs but that too is now usually kept in mind by most players and can be predicted more than it works from what I've seen. Gastly is still a great Pokemon and I still use it as well, but with the advent of Choice Scarf Pawniard and the ever so present Knock Off users such as Mienfoo which make Gastly think twice about switching in make me feel Gastly has seen better days and thus makes me think that it should drop to A-. I may have been redundant with some points so I apologize about that but like I said above correct me on anything that may've been incorrect here.

I disagree with this nomination. Gastly right now is decent enough, despite metagame trends flowing against it, being a reliable wallbreaker that can efficiently deal with Foongus. It may be threatened by Pursuit trappers, but if it takes advantage of a switch, it sets Substitute and cripples down your Pursuit trapper, be it with Twinkle Tackle or Life Orb strong hits. I'm not a Gastly player, but these points should have been enough.

Also, to not make this a one-liner post:

Trapinch right now is a really good trapper. Lately, Giga Drain has been run even more to trap Onix (becoming a more important move than the likes of Superpower), trapping both Weak Armor and Sturdy variants (OHKO ot both, as WA Onix is forced to run 21 HP to live tect rage diglett from full) which is a very big trait for a trapper that defines itself from Diglett. It is also worth mentioning that it's the only trapper which can switch into AGrimer. Its bulk can be tailored to be able to trap either Pawniard if it runs physical bulk, or Magnemite if it runs special bulk. Fender and I have battled, one with each variants, and settled that both spread are okay. The point about Trapinch is that its bulk allows it to take on metagame trends such as Analytic Scarf Mgnemite, which can handle Flash Cannon if specially defensive. Also, thanks to Feint, it can trap weakened enemies, making it a very valuable member that is more worth than Diglett in some strict cases. I'm doubtful if it should deserve a rise, but if it were to happen, it should go straight to B+. I'll let others talk about it as a mean to sparkle discussion.

 

[gali]

elekid to a- at least

this mon is amazing rn. the standard tbolt/volt switch/psychic/hp grass set completely fucks over standard mienfoo/foongus/vullaby/onix builds and generally 2hkos everything thats not ferroseed, and if you're really worried about that you can just run fire punch. choice scarf not being a common item anymore really helps it too since its naturally faster than everything; it can rk dangerous shit like wingull and gain a ton of momentum with the switches it forces. even though it's really frail it can provide important defensive utility because it a) is immune to spore and b) can ohko a knocked foongus. really awesome antimeta mon that's easily better than everything else and b+ and like half of a-.

 

[Plas]

Spritzee: A- -> A

Despite being in a meta filled with incredibly powerful and centralizing poison and steel types Spritzee continues to be one of the most splashable pokemon in the tier. This fairy defensively checks many of if not the biggest threats in the meta like Mienfoo, Vullaby, Timburr and Abra while also hitting strong enough to dent switch ins with moonblast. Spritzee also has incredible utility in its 4th moveslot whether you want Covet to steal an Eviolite from something after you've been knocked off, or Psychic so things like Gastly and Foongus have to think before freely switching in, as well as Calm Mind which is just even more of a pain to take down when paired with something to trap the poisons like Diglett. When paired with support such as Diglett and Magnemite to trap poisons and steels respectively as well as a partner to handle poisons, Chespin becoming a popular example, Spritzee is even harder to deal with. Spritzee's role compression bulk wise is insane. You need a fighting counter that also checks birds, set up sweepers AND can threaten poisons or steal items? Spritzee is there

Spritzee also has its offensive TR set which has seen much more usage. This set flips the switch on offensive checks like Gastly, Pawniard and Magnemite forcing the latter two to stay healthy throughout the course of the match. The TR set also gives Spritzee a role on more offensive teams as opposed to being a balance heavy wish spamming type of role. Not only is this set terrifying offensively but it's incredibly easy and likely to set up at least one TR per match due to it just countering 2 of the 3 S ranked pokemon that are on almost every LC team right now (Mienfoo and Vullaby). All of this is assuming it doesn't even get the chance to Nasty Plot up.

While it was dropped for its lack of "consistent effectiveness" I personally feel Spritzee deserves its A ranking back due to its incredibly high usage throughout the tier (#8 most used in all of LCPL and within the top 10 all but 1 week) as well as its simple impact on the tier as a whole.

Also agree with
Foongus>S
Mareanie>A
Geodude-A>C-
Chespin>C+

 

[Simbo]

Magnemite: A to A-

Magnemite still is a powerful and dangerous scarfer, but I think the meta's adapted well to mag's rise in usage and it isn't as good as it was a month or two ago.
With protect becoming mandatory on gull and being a popular 4th move option for onix, scarfmag can't freely volt or force 50/50 like scenarios anymore. Now, you're forced to double to avoid being trapped or losing momentum.
Opposing mag pull scarfmag similarly makes your own mag a liability, especially when paired with protect mons or dig/trap since you're almost forced never to click flash or tbolt if you need the mag, otherwise opposing mag traps and removes.
The increasing trapinch usage also doesn't help mag at all, since it stops mindless spamming of volt but, unlike dig, trap can easily stomach two flash cannons if carrying bj and even evio trapinch can tank two timid flash cannons.

Mag is still good. It can decimate some teams not carrying an elec immunity with ease and trapping ferros, opposing mags locked into anything other than a hp and scarf pawn locked into iron head is still solid but with the metagame adapting to better deal with mag, I don't think it does what it wants to do consistently enough to warrant being ranked in A. Sturdyjuice mag is probably better than it was earlier since it can take advantage of opponents maybe assuming it's scarf and is a good check to a decent number of mons but the ever present knock is annoying. The loss in effectiveness of mag's most common set makes it not worthy of A anymore imo.

Agree with:

Spritzee to A
Mareanie to A
Chespin to C+
Trapinch to B+
Foongus to S

Disagree with the gastly drop. I'd argue that gastly is closer to A+ than A- since it's so versatile in what it can run and do. It hits ridiculously hard with lo and trying to switch into it or play around it is not easy.
Gast is really versatile, being able to viably run probably 4 different z move sets depending on what the rest of the team needs lured and removed. The life orb set only has sludge bomb as a real necessity on every team, meaning it has 3 free moveslots to run whatever combination of coverage/support moves it wants to support the rest of the team and remove certain mons. Being able to run sludge + any three from psychic, shadow ball, dazz, tbolt, sub, hp fight, hp fire, sucker, wisp is really good if you pick the correct coverage to support the team best. Heavily pressures the standard regen mons and defensive mons like sprit and is a powerful breaker vs most teams, especially teams without any form of pursuit trapper.
On top of z move and lo, it can also run its willohex set and act as a scarf cleaner.
The fact that nearly all gast sets only have one viable safe switchin in grimer-A and two less viable switchins in munch and stunky makes it really difficult to play against if you're not packing those mons.

Defensively, gast is very frail and usually you have to get it in with voltturn or free switches since doubles can be risky. However, I don't think knock off from slower mons like timburr or mienfoo or vull are hugely threatening to gast. Gast can't switch into them but these mons also can't safely switch into gast and, depending on sets, can't force gast out either even on free switchins. Tim and fastfoo die to lo psychic from full, all bj vull die to lo tbolt barring the 26 hp 15 spdef set, which has a 6/16 chance to live. All offensive bj sets die to sludge after rocks, and bulkier sets only switch in and force gast out once. Evio pawn has to win 50/50s if the gast is sub hp fight. It's true that gast can't pack all these coverage moves, but similarly scouting for coverage without losing mons is also tough. Sometimes, you just have to let it get a kill and trap or hope it's not running certain coverage moves.

Pursuit scarfpawn and pursuit dig are definitely annoying for gastly but can, to some extent, be mitigated by sub or by teammates. At worst in these matchups, you typically get a kill then get trapped but, if you predict well or remove them with other team members, gast becomes very dangerous.
The immunities to normal, fight and ground are also surprisingly useful, making opps think twice about clicking hjk with foo or stop them being able to spam return/earthquake freely with scarfbray/scarfbunny. Getting an unexpected kill or knock or chip due to an opp overpredicting is also nice. Immunity to fake out, feint, mach punch and vac wave is also great. Gast's typing does allow it to semi-comfortably stomach a foongus sludge/giga and spritzee moonblast and put a lot of pressure on the opp in return, so it's not defensively completely useless.

It was used 62 times during lcpl, putting it in top 15 or top 10 most used mons in sm in lcpl. Overall, I think it's definitely deserving of its A ranking just for its offensive capabilities.

 

[jake]

mudbray from A- to A

i think mudbray is one of the best rockers available, and arguably has the most offensive presence (pawn). even largely uninvested, mudbray 2HKOs most of the meta, and teams that rely on the balance godcore of mienfoo / vulla / foong / onix often struggle against mudbray. even stuff like wingull is just a soft check because evio bray lives scald and KOs with rock slide as long as you don't get burned.

it's not that the state of the meta has made it especially good or that new sets have been found or anything -- i just think that the ability to 2HKO everything in little cup that isn't pumpkaboo/snivy while not being KOed itself is extremely good in a balance-heavy metagame. lots of good teams can't keep up with it early, and i think it's more like the A dudes than the A- dudes.

i also think we should consider a shellder drop. i haven't seen a clean shellder sweep in forever, and it's getting harder and harder to set up a scenario where shellder wins a game. lots of steels, lots of tanky rockers like tirtouga and ferro, lots of priority with stuff like fake out foo. i know it's probably one of the best smashers still thanks to abra-breaking capabilities and overall dmg output, but i don't think it's much good at all right now

 

[Altariel von Sweep]

I agree with a Shellder drop, like jake mentioned above. With the metagame constantly adapting to Shellder, it's hard to make it work, and needs way too much support to do so. It is usually forced to use Protect to avoid priority damage from Mienfoo, Pawniard and such, with the cost of one of the coverage moves it has to use, being walled by fat Water-types, Pawniard, etc. Definitely, Shellder is not the threat it used to be, despite it can pick a KO or two if played correctly.

Reiterating on my Trapinch nomination, I think I can finally solidify my opinion on it. It can easily trap Onix, Alolan Grimer and Tirtouga without blinking an eye, and can trap either Pawniard or Magnemite, allowing Flying spam specifically, as well as Abra and Gastly to tear through teams once their checks and counters are removed. The overall bulk Trapinch has makes it a suitable partner for Flying spam than Diglett, as it's able to trap the two most common Flying-type checks in the metagame. This alone is a trait that separates Trapinch from the B group, and makes it worth of B+.

In what refers to Gastly, I think it should rise to A+. Gastly has a handful of opportunities against common Foo/Foong/Vulla teams thanks to how flexible its movepool is, as Simbo pointed before. Despite Chespin is on the rise, Will-o-Hex sets are still good, and do very well against those compositions. Making mentions about the coverage, Sludge Bomb + 3 fillers take on the vast majority of the metagame depending on ehat you choose, which makes it a remarkable wallbreaker that can act as a great wincon with the right moveset.

Cleaning up the C- rank:

Sandslash is just horrifically bad right now. It's a worse Drilbur that tries to imitate Kabuto, with the plus of Electric inmunity. Unrank it.
Stufful could have been useful, but a lack of reliable recovery and losing its bulk for recovery in Berry Juice makes it awful, though it can hit strong the Fighting resists thanks to Return. On the verge of unrank or not, tilting to not.
Sandile became bad after Torchic was banned. Not even Venonat can patch up its loss, and even if there are Scarf sets, they all blow. Unrank it.

 

[sister]

Surprised to see Foongus to S get so much traction lately considering it hasnt changed at all and the meta has gotten seemingly less welcome to it. I don't think Foongus is worthy of S tier, though I do understand why many people would see it as such. It can be a very difficult Pokemon to take down if you don't have the means to do so and its kit makes it very splashable. Foongus has saved me some very clutch matches. But I think these are exceptions, not the rule. Reasons I don't think it deserves S include:

It's Not As Bulky As It Seems

No one will contest that Foongus is a great wall/pivot, but it does struggles against a lot of core threats in the meta. Especially if it loses its Eviolite- and considering its status as premier Fighting type stop it WILL lose its eviolite. Further consider that Timburr 2KOs it with Ice Punch (even with Evio) and Mienfoo can punch deep holes with U-turn makes it job a lot harder.

Foongus doesnt have a great job at walling a lot of the meta, given a lot of offensive threats can easily muscle through it. Diglett wins with Z-EQ after rocks or knock off. Vullaby obviously wins. Onix has a 90% chance to 2KO with EQ after Knock Off. Unless its some weird set with HP Fighting or Fire, Pawniard beats Foongus pretty reliably (especially if something else is asleep). Magnemite 2KOs with Flash Cannon. Gastly 2KOs with Sludge Bomb. Staryu wins if its carrying Ice Beam or Psychic. Ferroseed wins if Foongus is not running HP Fire. Common sets for Mudbray can 2KO with Earthquake before Knock Off. And those are just a few common mons taken from the usage stats and only barely scratches the surface. Top tier threats like Ponyta, Doduo, Abra and Carvanha have the means to easily muscle past it. Even mons it would want to switch in on can give it trouble. Slowpoke can 2KO with Psychic if it wins the speed tie. Elekid wins with Psychic. Shellder beats it after setting up. The aforementioned Staryu beats it with select coverage.

I know I'm focusing on 2KOs a lot- but I think they are important in this instance. Foongus is a purely defensive Pokemon and pivot, and as such, its job with naturally revolve around switching. Obviously it can force a lot of switches or gain momentum if it comes in after a KO or U-turn/Volt Switch, but that can be said for every mon. Thats just how Pokemon works.

Furthermore: taking Knock off into consideration for Foongus calcs is very crucial imo. Its easy to say 'well just dont get Knocked Off,' but to play Foongus trying to dodge KO involves playing Foongus in the way opposite to that is fundamental for Foongus. Foongus' main claim to fame is its ability to check Fighting types who are naturally going to spam Knock Off- especially early in the match.

In addition, most common LC sets don't actively need to go out of their way to beat Foongus. Ice/Fire Punch on Timburr may seem like a stretch but its still a decent pick and can hardly be seen as desperation on Timburr's part. Its normal for Pokemon to use moves to beat other common Pokemon and this fact does not warrant a mon for S rank.

Leading me to my next point:

Foongus is One-Dimensional

Foongus suffers from a bit of one-move-syndrome in my opinion. Every Foongus is going to run Giga/Spore/Sludge Bomb. Partly because its a good set and partly because its really its only set. If Foongus forgoes Synthesis it loses to other Foongus. But if it leaves out HP Fire/Fighting it loses to Ferroseed/Pawniard/Croagunk. It just doesnt have the versatility of other S ranks, Mienfoo and Vullaby (Diglett is an exception).

Passivity and Momentum Losing

While I can't ignore the offensive pressure a 100% sleep inducing move, once spore is gone or you have a mon who beats it, Foongus becomes very passive and drains a lot of momentum from its counters. Consider Mareanie who can keep its effectiveness up with Tspikes or Knock Off or Slowpoke with T-Wave or Scald burns.

Defining S Rank and Competition from Other A Rankers

This topic is important especially when discussing the preeminent tier. S rank is reserved for mons who define the meta and are clearly and undeniably superior to those in A. Is Foongus more meta defining or superior to that of Onix or Mareanie. Not in my opinion. Even with non-defensive Pokemon like Timburr or Abra. Foongus has a great kit- evident by its high usage and splashability- but I don't think its features put it above other A Rankers.

Thats all I have to say. If this were rankings on cuteness I'd say Foongus is S rank no question, but I just don't think it has the pure metagame defining traits as Mienfoo, Vullaby and Diglett. Its a great Pokemon, but not S rank.

 

[Altariel von Sweep]

Surprised to see Foongus to S get so much traction lately considering it hasnt changed at all and the meta has gotten seemingly less welcome to it. I don't think Foongus is worthy of S tier, though I do understand why many people would see it as such. It can be a very difficult Pokemon to take down if you don't have the means to do so and its kit makes it very splashable. Foongus has saved me some very clutch matches. But I think these are exceptions, not the rule. Reasons I don't think it deserves S include:

It's Not As Bulky As It Seems

No one will contest that Foongus is a great wall/pivot, but it does struggles against a lot of core threats in the meta. Especially if it loses its Eviolite- and considering its status as premier Fighting type stop it WILL lose its eviolite. Further consider that Timburr 2KOs it with Ice Punch (even with Evio) and Mienfoo can punch deep holes with U-turn makes it job a lot harder.

Foongus doesnt have a great job at walling a lot of the meta, given a lot of offensive threats can easily muscle through it. Diglett wins with Z-EQ after rocks or knock off. Vullaby obviously wins. Onix has a 90% chance to 2KO with EQ after Knock Off. Unless its some weird set with HP Fighting or Fire, Pawniard beats Foongus pretty reliably (especially if something else is asleep). Magnemite 2KOs with Flash Cannon. Gastly 2KOs with Sludge Bomb. Staryu wins if its carrying Ice Beam or Psychic. Ferroseed wins if Foongus is not running HP Fire. Common sets for Mudbray can 2KO with Earthquake before Knock Off. And those are just a few common mons taken from the usage stats and only barely scratches the surface. Top tier threats like Ponyta, Doduo, Abra and Carvanha have the means to easily muscle past it. Even mons it would want to switch in on can give it trouble. Slowpoke can 2KO with Psychic if it wins the speed tie. Elekid wins with Psychic. Shellder beats it after setting up. The aforementioned Staryu beats it with select coverage.

I know I'm focusing on 2KOs a lot- but I think they are important in this instance. Foongus is a purely defensive Pokemon and pivot, and as such, its job with naturally revolve around switching. Obviously it can force a lot of switches or gain momentum if it comes in after a KO or U-turn/Volt Switch, but that can be said for every mon. Thats just how Pokemon works.

Furthermore: taking Knock off into consideration for Foongus calcs is very crucial imo. Its easy to say 'well just dont get Knocked Off,' but to play Foongus trying to dodge KO involves playing Foongus in the way opposite to that is fundamental for Foongus. Foongus' main claim to fame is its ability to check Fighting types who are naturally going to spam Knock Off- especially early in the match.

In addition, most common LC sets don't actively need to go out of their way to beat Foongus. Ice/Fire Punch on Timburr may seem like a stretch but its still a decent pick and can hardly be seen as desperation on Timburr's part. Its normal for Pokemon to use moves to beat other common Pokemon and this fact does not warrant a mon for S rank.

Leading me to my next point:

Foongus is One-Dimensional

Foongus suffers from a bit of one-move-syndrome in my opinion. Every Foongus is going to run Giga/Spore/Sludge Bomb. Partly because its a good set and partly because its really its only set. If Foongus forgoes Synthesis it loses to other Foongus. But if it leaves out HP Fire/Fighting it loses to Ferroseed/Pawniard/Croagunk. It just doesnt have the versatility of other S ranks, Mienfoo and Vullaby (Diglett is an exception).

Passivity and Momentum Losing

While I can't ignore the offensive pressure a 100% sleep inducing move, once spore is gone or you have a mon who beats it, Foongus becomes very passive and drains a lot of momentum from its counters. Consider Mareanie who can keep its effectiveness up with Tspikes or Knock Off or Slowpoke with T-Wave or Scald burns.

Defining S Rank and Competition from Other A Rankers

This topic is important especially when discussing the preeminent tier. S rank is reserved for mons who define the meta and are clearly and undeniably superior to those in A. Is Foongus more meta defining or superior to that of Onix or Mareanie. Not in my opinion. Even with non-defensive Pokemon like Timburr or Abra. Foongus has a great kit- evident by its high usage and splashability- but I don't think its features put it above other A Rankers.

Thats all I have to say. If this were rankings on cuteness I'd say Foongus is S rank no question, but I just don't think it has the pure metagame defining traits as Mienfoo, Vullaby and Diglett. Its a great Pokemon, but not S rank.

None of your points prove that Foongus should not deserve S rank. The most absurd point is passivity and losing momentum, where despite Foongus seems passive, it forces way too much of the metagame to be Spored, which drains away the momentum of the opponent and forces it to switch, while you can switch to anything that handles the switch in or healing up, therefore having a great momentum and being a good pivot. Because of this, teams are forced to look for an answer to opposing Spores such as Foongus itself, Ferroseed or Chespin, and its overall utility makes it worth of S. Second, yes, I agree with you that it might have a straightforward moveset, but Synthesis allows it to not lose PP stall matchups against itself, as well as negate any damage done to it. HP Fire is a bit uncommon to use nowadays, so is HP Fighting, but the ability to tank hits and restore anything done to it, along with its bulk is what it makes it a threatening Fighting + Ground-check, which makes both Pawniard and Croagunk unable to do something to it. It's the reason why Diglett and Snivy need support to remove it, so it's not a surprise that you might see your Foongus knocked off. Also, while it might get 2HKOed by different common Pokémon, Regenerator makes it up healing any damage dealt, which means that point isn't valid either. Hope this has helped you, and stick to LC!

 

[sister]

None of your points prove that Foongus should not deserve S rank. The most absurd point is passivity and losing momentum, where despite Foongus seems passive, it forces way too much of the metagame to be Spored, which drains away the momentum of the opponent and forces it to switch, while you can switch to anything that handles the switch in or healing up, therefore having a great momentum and being a good pivot. Because of this, teams are forced to look for an answer to opposing Spores such as Foongus itself, Ferroseed or Chespin, and its overall utility makes it worth of S. Second, yes, I agree with you that it might have a straightforward moveset, but Synthesis allows it to not lose PP stall matchups against itself, as well as negate any damage done to it. HP Fire is a bit uncommon to use nowadays, so is HP Fighting, but the ability to tank hits and restore anything done to it, along with its bulk is what it makes it a threatening Fighting + Ground-check, which makes both Pawniard and Croagunk unable to do something to it. It's the reason why Diglett and Snivy need support to remove it, so it's not a surprise that you might see your Foongus knocked off. Also, while it might get 2HKOed by different common Pokémon, Regenerator makes it up healing any damage dealt, which means that point isn't valid either. Hope this has helped you, and stick to LC!

Your post does nothing to convince me why Foongus might be considered S rank. It's not an argument over whether or not Foongus is a good mon or a capable pivot. It is, clearly, and I will never argue that it isn't. You have provided no reason why my points aren't 'valid' in the context of the argument at hand.

I know, obviously, that Foongus is a great Fighting / Ground check and that common offense Pokes may need some help to muscle past it. Though that is nothing inherently special- its just the fundamentals of the game and Foongus' kit makes it exceptionally good at the role it provides. A role which is handy for most teams given the meta we find ourselves in. But I'd be hard-pressed to say Foongus is the definig characteristic of this meta, and I have seen no arguments to prove otherwise.

And my point about 2KOing is not because Im arguing Foongus is frail. Its not. But as a naturally defensive pokemon it's job in a team is soften blows from the top powerhouses. But in this meta a lot of such powerhouses have the potential to beat Foongus without sacrificing too much in return. Even these Fighting / Ground and Water types.

In addition, I'm not really sure what a lot of your points are supposed to mean, like what you said about Pawniard and Croagunk and all that about Synthesis. The fact that Foongus gets an extra healing source doesn't change anything about my argument. And without Spore, Foongus can't do anything to Pawniard nor Gunk and loses many other 1v1s pretty hard. So it can use Snythesis to beat other Foongus. Tell me again why that matters in a discussion on it's S rank potential?

 

[Merritt]

Foongus, on paper, isn't quite as good as the current S rank Pokemon. Foongus, in practice, is one of the Pokemon that requires a lot of planning and skill to play around during a game unless you bring one of its hard counters that has similar if not equal or better staying power compared to Foongus.

That last part was a joke - there are hard Foongus counters but there's none with similar sustainability to Foongus itself. Maybe Eviolite Overcoat full defensive Vullaby, but not only is that set itself mediocre, it doesn't allow you to take advantage of Foongus' relative passivity when faced with a strong counter.

When building or looking over a team, my first thought is almost always "how is this team going to play against Foongus?" This is followed by how will it deal with Fighting types (particularly Mienfoo), what's the play against Vullaby and its myriad sets, what's the Snivy gameplan, and then several other offensively threatening Pokemon and then running back through it all and thinking about whether or not those plans work if the opponent has a Diglett. It always begins with Foongus, because Foongus is both nearly as common as Mienfoo and exerts a constant pressure over the course of a game. While Foongus is less threatening after its Spore has gone off (and if your counterplay to Foongus requires that something absord Spore then Foongus has already done a significant amount against your team), it's definitely not useless. A strong Fairy check, Fighting check, Snivy check, and Volt Switch eater is incredibly valuable, and something Foongus does by itself and can do so over many turns during a game.

While Foongus can be seen as vaguely passive, in a game where the opponent is using Foongus well it's anything but. Unlike Pokemon like Spritzee who have to completely give up turns in order to throw up a Wish or Pokemon who rely so much on Berry Juice recovery that they have to play extremely carefully around Knock Off lest they fail to actually check the opponent 10 turns down the road, Foongus is able to nearly constantly throw out attacks to pressure the opponent and have Regenerator do much of its healing, along with a little side of Giga Drain to patch it up.

Synthesis is definitely more common on Foongus now, since it makes Foongus a better Foongus counter (I do hope you catch the irony), but HP Fighting and HP Fire are definitely not niche options, and if Foongus' team can't handle Pawniard or Ferroseed consistently enough that the "loss of momentum" isn't nearly instantly accounted for, then Foongus can definitely run the moves and score an unexpected and very important KO. Croagunk, while certainly a good Pokemon, can't switch into Foongus forever and runs the risk of Diglett removing it and allowing Foongus to continue with far less opposition.

Foongus is definitely one of the best Pokemon in LC in practice, some might call it the best. I personally consider it the third best Pokemon in the meta, and firmly believe that it deserves S rank. Foongus stands well above the rest of A+ in terms of splashability and consistency over the course of a game, and often what happens to your or your opponent's Foongus determines the path the entire game follows.

 

[Shrug]

This new poster is too good at arguing. Cogent points / lines number too high. Russian bot mk ultra ass

 

[ninjadog]

Clamperl from C+ to B

Clamperl has been seeing a surge in usage as of late and for good reason, given its access to both Deep Sea Tooth and Shell Smash enable it to OHKO nearly the entire tier.

Looking at the top used mons in LCPL, all of the top 17 are OHKOed by Surf/HP Fire Clamperl set at +2, with the exception of sash Abra and Sturdyjuice Magnemite/Onix (which are both far less common than Scarf/Evio variants respectively), and every single mon in the S and A ranks with the exception of Mareanie and Defensive Staryu are also OHKOed by +2 Clamperl, and most of the mons that avoid being OHKOed are easily trapped by Diglett, which is typically run in conjunction with Clamperl.

Clamperl is also very threatening without setting-up, given it already reaches 34 Special Attack, and gets nice KOs like Timburr, 23 Atk/16 Spe Vull, as well as Foongus if running Ice Beam and Rocks are up.

Clamperl is not as versatile as some of the mons in higher ranks in that it has to be built around, but I don't think this should hold it back. It's nearly as big a threat as Shellder, perhaps even more so as people don't typically prepare Clamperl checks like you would for Shellder (there are a lot of very standard teams that auto-lose to Clamperl if it sets up, or at best they are forced into a Sucker war).

Priority is also an issue, though arguably the two most common priority moves right now are Mienfoo's Fake Out and Pawniard's Sucker Punch, which can be played around with Protect/Substitute respectively, one of which is almost always carried by Clamperl.

It does often also require support to set up, typically in the form of Diglett which can pretty easily find opportunities to fire off a Memento, though in saying that there are common mons you can set up on without support (if you've already accounted for priority) like Onix, Mudbray, Defensive Spritzee and non-Flynium Z Wingull (or with the Z move burnt).

There's also the fact that it's an absolute mile better than anything else in C+, and I think it's better than anything in B- or B too really, but at the very least it should not be ranked amongst the likes of Koffing and Snover.

 

[MK007]

Piggybacking off of what Ninjadog said (though he did an excellent job and theres not much for me to say) I'd like to add that Clamperl also has a great little ability in rattled if you risk switching it into a possible u-turn. Given the current state of the tier with how common u-turn is, always has been, and always will be it's just a nice boost to an already solid shell smasher/wallbreaker.
I'd also like to add my two cents to Ninjadog's point that it is weak to priority. This is true. However, that is a common flaw with every viable shell smasher except maybe tirtouga and in some rare cases dwebble. As good and defensive as tirtouga is compared to other shell smashers it still doesnt like mach punch. It's not something to hold against clamperl specifically, rather shell smashers in general.

 

[tazz]

I'm bored rn so gonna make some new nominations.

Larvesta --> B
Larvesta is such a sad case: As a fighting resist with a slow u-turn and will-o-wisp it has good potential to be a solid mon. However, its 4x weakness to rock holds it back in most matches, preventing it from being the reliable fighting check it wants to be. You can provide defog or rapid spin support, but even then it's often not worth it in the end as it is trapped by diglett preventing it from safely switching into mienfoo, which is probably the most important thing for it to check.
Slowpoke --> B
Slowpoke actually has a similar problem to Larvesta: It has great stats and a fantastic ability, but is held back but its typing. A weakness to u-turn, knock off and volt switch prevents it from having the same longevity other regenerator Pokemon have. It can be obnoxiously hard to switch into without risking a scald burn, but usually it faces stiff competition despite this because of its flaws.

I think both of these Pokemon fit more among the likes of Bunnelby and Corphish than Chinchou, Elekid or Scraggy

Zigzagoon --> B-
The amount of matchups that Zig can really shine in has decreased dramatically since ORAS, as many of the Pokemon that it struggles against are more common and both of the Pokemon that used to support Zig hyper offense teams, Fletchling and Cottonnee, aren't relevant at all or significantly worse than they used to be. Building a zig team that can remove all of the mons that zig needs removed while also having the ability to sufficiently check the meta is much harder now, and I think its usage recently has reflected that.
Munchlax --> C+
The other members of B- usually have some specific but solid niche that they can do well in, whether it be sticky webs (salandit) or the ability to put significant pressure on teams lacking a solid ice resist. I don't think Munchlax possesses this same solid niche. It simply lacks the offensive presence needed for a normal type to not be shut down by fighting types, and faces heavy competition as a pursuit trapper from both scarf pawn and grimer-A. I can't even remember the last time I saw Munchlax in a tournament match, and I think that's because of these problems.
Pancham --> C+
Pancham has similar problems to a lot of the mons mentioned here. It has good stats, but it's extremely hard to justify using it over the other fighting types that outclass it 99% of the time. The only role that it really has that might justify its use it a wallbreaker set, but even then fairy types are not as prevalent as fighting checks as they used to be so gunk shot is not as useful.
Meowth --> B
Despite the hate it used to get the meta has been very kind to meowth recently and it's a whole lot better than it used to be. builds like this one showcase that with the right support meowth can be very threatening, and I think that its niche is stronger than any of the other mons in B-.
I also agree with most of the recent nominations, especially foongus to S, Chespin to B-/C+, and shellder to B+

 

[Martinique Jason]

I nominate Venonat from unranked to C-/C
Why?

Venonat @ Eviolite
Ability: Compound Eyes
Level: 5
EVs: 196 HP / 36 Def / 236 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Agility
- Baton Pass
- Sleep Powder
- Leech Life/Sub

This mon 4x resists the very common fighting type attacks and resists many other common attacks (grass, fairy etc). It has access to nearly perfectly accurate sleep move. When the foe is asleep, it can set up agility and then baton pass it to other mon. It has a solid bulk that lets it survive something like +2 hidden power fire from snivy after the rocks were removed and hits it hard even with uninvested leech life. However, it is held back by its weakness to rocks and common flying or fire types attacks. It is one of the best baton passers after torchics departure.

calcs vs snivy

+2 240 SpA Snivy Hidden Power Fire vs. 244 HP / 0 SpD Eviolite Venonat: 14-18 (56 - 72%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
0 Atk Venonat Leech Life vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Eviolite Snivy: 14-18 (66.6 - 85.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

This is my first nomination, so it is not very good, but i feel that venonat should be ranked.

I also agree with:
Meowth --> B
Clamperl --> B
Geodude-A --> C-

 

[Pamplona]

I nominate Venonat from unranked to C-/C
Why?

Venonat @ Eviolite
Ability: Compound Eyes
Level: 5
EVs: 196 HP / 36 Def / 236 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Agility
- Baton Pass
- Sleep Powder
- Leech Life/Sub

This mon 4x resists the very common fighting type attacks and resists many other common attacks (grass, fairy etc). It has access to nearly perfectly accurate sleep move. When the foe is asleep, it can set up agility and then baton pass it to other mon. It has a solid bulk that lets it survive something like +2 hidden power fire from snivy after the rocks were removed and hits it hard even with uninvested leech life. However, it is held back by its weakness to rocks and common flying or fire types attacks. It is one of the best baton passers after torchics departure.

calcs vs snivy

+2 240 SpA Snivy Hidden Power Fire vs. 244 HP / 0 SpD Eviolite Venonat: 14-18 (56 - 72%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
0 Atk Venonat Leech Life vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Eviolite Snivy: 14-18 (66.6 - 85.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

This is my first nomination, so it is not very good, but i feel that venonat should be ranked.

I also agree with:
Meowth --> B
Clamperl --> B
Geodude-A --> C-

I agree with the Venonat nomination. Venonat's ability to set up on passive pokemon like t-wave ferroseed by using substitute and non-psychic spritzee is a positive. What separates it from foongus using spore is agility allowing pokemon like mienfoo to eliminate gastly with knock off among other posibilities. The C- / C range definitely suites Venonat as it can offer a different advantage as a sleep user worth selecting for certain teams.

Although baton pass is not frequently used, Venonat is for sure the premier member of the team now that Torchic is gone. I have two replays showing its ability to quickly set up a speed boost and/or put the opponent to sleep for those not familiar with Venonat.

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7lc-778338387

https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7lc-762154823

 

[mrnoodleoctopus]

Purrloin remains unranked, while mons like tentacool (what does it do again?) and sandile (there are two ground types that can trap) sit at c-. I guess it's easy to suggest anything deserves to be ranked due to how poor some c- mons are, but i find the argument works well for purrloin's sake. I find this smogdex set works quite well.
Purrloin @ Eviolite
Ability: Prankster
Level: 5
EVs: 188 HP / 36 Atk / 140 Def / 60 SpD / 68 Spe
Careful Nature
- Encore
- U-turn
- Knock Off
- Thunder Wave
Purrloin, with encore, pressures all hazards leads and set up sweepers. With careful predictions, purrloin can lock mienfoo or meowth into fakeout, With thunderwave, purrloin punishes mienfoo on switchin, especially fast variants. U turn helps purrloin regain momentum after an encored pokemon switches out, and knock off assists your team, while doing decent chip damage. Purrloin's stats are fine, too. Purrloin's defense are suprisingly passable with this set, too. Consider starting it out at C-

 

[Merritt]

Purrloin remains unranked, while mons like tentacool (what does it do again?) and sandile (there are two ground types that can trap) sit at c-. I guess it's easy to suggest anything deserves to be ranked due to how poor some c- mons are, but i find the argument works well for purrloin's sake. I find this smogdex set works quite well.
Purrloin @ Eviolite
Ability: Prankster
Level: 5
EVs: 188 HP / 36 Atk / 140 Def / 60 SpD / 68 Spe
Careful Nature
- Encore
- U-turn
- Knock Off
- Thunder Wave
Purrloin, with encore, pressures all hazards leads and set up sweepers. With careful predictions, purrloin can lock mienfoo or meowth into fakeout, With thunderwave, purrloin punishes mienfoo on switchin, especially fast variants. U turn helps purrloin regain momentum after an encored pokemon switches out, and knock off assists your team, while doing decent chip damage. Purrloin's stats are fine, too. Purrloin's defense are suprisingly passable with this set, too. Consider starting it out at C-

Cottonee does this kind of set better in every useful way, due to a much better typing actually letting it check fighting types and switch into hazard setters like Onix without being destroyed by Rock Blast. It also actually has the ability to run an offensive set that I personally feel is better.

Encore is poor counterplay to hazard leads anyways - if the opponent doesn't know what Purrloin can do that's just shoddy play on their end and not a reason to rank something. It's not like Encore stops the hazards from going up, and a decent player won't have their encored Pokemon stay on the field - assuming they even stick around for the turn Purrloin goes for the move.

Purrloin is a very poor Pokemon who not only ends up being free momentum for Vullaby and Pawniard due to their immunity to Prankster, but also brings less to the table than the already underwhelming Cottonee, and should not be ranked.

Finally, the OP does state that you need high-level replays in nominations for unranked Pokemon.