I wouldn't run scarf on roserade since you kinda miss out on sleep powder/rest. Roserade's main selling point is to be able to switch in to bulky waters which are slow anyways. It also gets out sped by common scarfers like Dmanitan, Victini, jolly heracross (if running modest), hydreigon and Mienshao.
-
Check out the relaunch of our general collection, with classic designs and new ones by our very own Pissog!
-
Welcome to Smogon! Take a moment to read the Introduction to Smogon for a run-down on everything Smogon, and make sure you take some time to read the global rules.
XY UU Viability Ranking Thread
- Thread starter Limitless
- Start date
- Status
I think that Sharpedo should stay in A. The fact that it's STAB combination is fantastic is only resisted by Chesnaught, Virizion, and Hydreigon (and a couple other not as common Pokes), has an amazing ability in Speed boost coupled with strong 120/95 offensive stats, and access to a fast Destiny Bond after +1 speed boost. Sharpedo is a powerful late game sweeper that is only stopped by it's frailty and some Pokes and is reliant on Speed Boost to outspeed scarfers. It's sets are also a bit predictable and there is little room for other item choices other than LO or the very occasional Choice Band/Specs (hue). Sharpedo shouldn't be raised or lowered IMO.
Basically...
Pros
Basically...
Pros
- Fast with Speed Boost
- Strong 120/95 offensive stats
- STAB combo is only resisted by a few things in the tier
- Paper thin frail
- Predictable Sets
- A bit Reliant on Speed Boost
I think Sharpedo should be A-, as you can't ignore that it needs significant team support to get past even the lightest of checks. Case in point: Koko's team, which needs Froslass and 3 Taunters just to get Sharpedo to do work.
EDIT:maybe even B+ still stand by A- though
EDIT:
Last edited:
well tbh I think while it is true that Sharpedo needs team support to get pasts stuff like M-Aggron and Hydreigon and Chesnaught, remember that the shark really isn't a wallbreaker and it's and end-game sweeper. It is extremely specialised as an end game sweeper but it's one of the best at doing so. Here is why. Firstly, Speed Boost. This ability alone forces almost all of Sharpedo's checks to be defensive in nature. Defensive checks are easy to wear down and be broken by, well, wallbreakers. And in UU, we have so many mainly guts orb Heracross, the fire types, mixed Hydreigon and so on. Next, it's stabs have no drawbacks. This is a big reason why Sharpedo outclasses even Darm, Victini and even IMO Heracross as and end game sweeper. Darms STAB causes recoil meaning some prior damage will end Darms sweep prematurely. Victinis STAB lowers it's speed meaning there is no way it can clean up a team unless with sticky web support and a half way to make sure anything faster than a -1 or even -2 Victini which is pretty impossible. And Zen Headbutt doesnt really have power at all. Heracross, while more powerful and with moxie to snowball it's attack, has a stab combination that is unfortunately resisted by a lot of types, namely flying, poison, fairy, ghost. This can be extremely annoying for the player which has to risk losing momentum or locking yourself into a weak coverage move. Thus, much more team support is needed to get rid of said types for a sweep. In addition, Close Combat lowers defenses which may prove catastrophic should Hera not be able to kill something coming in for a revenge. Megahorn also suffers from that accuracy. Sharpedo while also frail is arguably not as frail as a Hera at -2 and can live a sucker punch or so if it calls for it. Sharpedo's stabs, namely Waterfall and Crunch do not give any drawbacks bar an average base power and thus really help it with cleaning up late game. It also has solid coverage options to dent it's checks should you wish to bring it out early like Earthquake and Ice beam. It also has Aqua Jet if there is priority you want to outrun like Honchrows Sucker Punch, Protect to ensure your speed, and should you feel like making Sharpedo a team player, destiny bond to take down sayyy an M-Aggron or a Hydreigon to allow a Honchrow or M-Houndoom to sweep later. With these reasons, I,feel Sharpedo is deserving of its A rank.
Well, Let's not forget about the possibilty of Special Sharpedo. Sharpedo's Special Attack is high enough to the point where a special attacking set can be viable. I have run it in the past, and it dents some pokemon that commonly work as checks to it.
252+ SpA Life Orb Sharpedo Hydro Pump vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Mega Aggron: 247-292 (71.8 - 84.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Needless to say, that is some incredible power. Plus, with him receiving Ice Beam in his movepool, Hydreigon can be dented as well.
252+ SpA Life Orb Sharpedo Ice Beam vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Hydreigon: 247-291 (76 - 89.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Again, good power. Special Sharpedo should never be brushed off, as it bears the same coverage (If not better), and can dent his Physical Set's Checks with ease.
Sharpedo for A.
252+ SpA Life Orb Sharpedo Hydro Pump vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Mega Aggron: 247-292 (71.8 - 84.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Needless to say, that is some incredible power. Plus, with him receiving Ice Beam in his movepool, Hydreigon can be dented as well.
252+ SpA Life Orb Sharpedo Ice Beam vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Hydreigon: 247-291 (76 - 89.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Again, good power. Special Sharpedo should never be brushed off, as it bears the same coverage (If not better), and can dent his Physical Set's Checks with ease.
Sharpedo for A.
I agree with everyone that has spoken above me for Sharpedo for A. Even though it's main physical speed boost set is beaten by things like Chesnaught, Hydreigon and Mega Blastoise, it has so much versatility in the sets it can run and has such a nice combination of physical and special moves that it can run a mixed set and take down walls of both spectrums. After a few turns of attacking, nothing in the tier will be able to outrun it because of speed boost, and this means that it has to be walled, and Sharpedo can take down many common walls itself.
For instance, Sharpedo can run a set like with Ice Beam to deal with Chesnaught or Dark Pulse to ensure an OHKO on Slowbro. It's generally a very versatile sweeper that can run several different sets to deal with different walls. Also, the number of pokemon that can counter it is a very selective group, so it doesn't need a whole lot of support to pull off its sweeps.
For instance, Sharpedo can run a set like with Ice Beam to deal with Chesnaught or Dark Pulse to ensure an OHKO on Slowbro. It's generally a very versatile sweeper that can run several different sets to deal with different walls. Also, the number of pokemon that can counter it is a very selective group, so it doesn't need a whole lot of support to pull off its sweeps.
ya no sharpedo is a threat, but it needs a ton of support lol. A is too high for it. A- sounds about right. it's a really straightforward mon (predictable) and its honestly kind of dead weight against very bulky teams. its effectiveness also decreases as the skill level of the opponent increases. against someone with a well built team and sufficient experience, sharpedo will sometimes do nothing more than make them play very conservatively. which, mind you, is actually really really fucking good if you know how to take advantage of it. like i said before, A-.
roserade is stupid good and people kind of underetimate it. it's also extremely versatile. leaf storm hits like a truck, and tech hp fire + giga + sludge bomb + sleep is hard as fuck to deal with. spikes are always good. subseed roserade is severely underrated. and it beats the two best special walls in the tier, easily. it's a fucking threat. A is pretty accurate i'd say.
roserade is stupid good and people kind of underetimate it. it's also extremely versatile. leaf storm hits like a truck, and tech hp fire + giga + sludge bomb + sleep is hard as fuck to deal with. spikes are always good. subseed roserade is severely underrated. and it beats the two best special walls in the tier, easily. it's a fucking threat. A is pretty accurate i'd say.
Running Froslass is pretty much mandatory if you want to use Sharpedo at all (or at feels that way ever since Empire :o). I'd go with B+. It's not very easy to stick on a team because of the support it requires, and frankly, it's not even worth it sometimes. When I was doing a couple test runs for C&C stuff, Sometimes I wouldn't even have the chance to use it. There are other, more powerful Dark-types to look to than Sharpedo (Honchkrow, for instance) that can pull off everything Sharpedo can with a little more oomph. This isn't all either. It's incredibly frail, meaning it will practically die when it's hit and leaving you a whole Pokemon down. Not to mention it's incredibly predictable. Anything with priority can come in on the turn it uses Protect, and some Pokemon can choose to stay in and set-up. All in all, Sharpedo requires an incredible amount of support to pull off, but Speed Boost /is/ Speed Boost...
Also, it's not like Sharpedo has the raw power that Nidoking and Darmanitan bring to the table, rather it's more comparable to the likes of Chandelure and Mega Manectric in that it works wonders, but it's tricky to use correctly.
Also, it's not like Sharpedo has the raw power that Nidoking and Darmanitan bring to the table, rather it's more comparable to the likes of Chandelure and Mega Manectric in that it works wonders, but it's tricky to use correctly.
gardevoir, smeargle, vaporeon, megaman and quagsire need to be removed
No, we should make an untested rank for those mons until they have been tested enough to be properly evaluated.
Anyways, Sharpedo probably deserves a drop down to A-. While it is a nice cleaner, it is also a bit weak, and it's also really frail. It can do a lot of work, but having only 80 BP in its STABs and having no way to boost offenses means it can only really finish off sufficiently weakened teams. It's also vulnerable to getting OHKO'd since it's just so frail. I believe it is a solid A- mon because it has a very solid niche but has a couple of flaws that prevent it from being dominant.
Anyways, Sharpedo probably deserves a drop down to A-. While it is a nice cleaner, it is also a bit weak, and it's also really frail. It can do a lot of work, but having only 80 BP in its STABs and having no way to boost offenses means it can only really finish off sufficiently weakened teams. It's also vulnerable to getting OHKO'd since it's just so frail. I believe it is a solid A- mon because it has a very solid niche but has a couple of flaws that prevent it from being dominant.
I have a feeling that Luke, Manaphy and Volcarona will be quick banned. Infernape and Alakazam will definitely be nice additions to the metagame.
I'm wondering if Mega Alakazam will last long though tbh. He has an insane speed tier, insane SpA, awesome coverage (Psychic/Psyshock, Focus Blast, Shadow Ball, Energy Ball, HP of choice, covers pretty much everything) and actually a really good ability for this metagame. He can come in on a ton of things with Regen like Amoongus, Slowbro and Mienshao and force them all out while regaining health, can come in on Blissey to cure status, etc.
Probably the wrong thread for this, but AFAIK right now Manaphy is still quick-banned because it was never re-tested for UU (it got sent to BL before it moved up). Lucario and Volcarona are ridiculous af but this is seriously not the right thread for it.
on topic, I've really only used one set for Roserade, but it's pretty good and I find it to be A rank imo. The set I used (LO with Spikes/Leaf Storm/Sludge Bomb/Rest) allows Roserade to use its offensive presence to stack Spikes, something which is a boon to offensive teams. One of the other moves can probably be replaced with Sleep Powder, but yeah. I've also seen people use bulky roserade to positive effect, as it has excellent base spdef as well giving it decent special bulk to capitalise upon.
most of what i mentioned have already been said by others so i wont really reiterate much, but Roserade is extremely versatile due to high powered stabs and good offensive presence, and she can also utilise a defensive investment with natural cure rest (something which i found is also useful on offensive sets) to be a bulky spikestacking pivot. Also she smashes bulky waters for lunch (OHKO on +1 Suicune with LO Leaf Storm is sweet)
(also yeah that's not mentioning how every instance of spikes can be replaced by tspikes)
I think I'm gonna agree with Minus here. Sharpedo can be an effective late game cleaner, indeed. It just needs too much support to be A rank. Looking at all of the other pokemon in A like Darm and Honchcrow, these pokemon need less support than Sharpedo. Not to mention Honchcrow is just a better dark type in general, with a better typing, better bulk and better priority (Spunch > Aqua Jet). But Speed Boost is a fantastic ability, and it cannot be overlooked as it can turn pretty much anything into a late game cleaner. Lets look at the B definition.
Reserved for Pokemon who cannot sweep through or wall significant portions of the metagame, but can properly fulfill a given offensive/defensive niche. Support Pokemon in this category have flaws that prevent them from doing their job or are setup bait for dangerous sweepers. Pokemon who are partially outperformed by a Pokemon in A or S Rank, but are otherwise very dangerous, may also fall into this category.
Indeed, it has an offensive niche, but is partially out preformed by Honchrow in my eyes. Otherwise, it is indeed very dangerous late game and isn't something you should forget about when teambuilding. Also, looking at all of the B+ pokemon, such as Entei, I feel like it is comparable to them in a sense where they all are out preformed by higher ranked pokemon. They are not the best at their job, but have a niche over the higher ranked pokemon that otherwise outclass them. (In Entei's case Espeed and Sacred Fire over Darm, in Sharpedo's case Speed Boost over Honchcrow.) In a nutshell, it's effective with correct support, is partially out preformed, but has a niche that keeps it viable. It also has flaws such as being frail and predictable. This makes it B+ In my eyes.
Roserade has a good offensive LO set, with a great ability for doing so, (Technician boosts Hidden Power) as well as a good support set, having acsess to Spikes, TSpikes and Sleep Powder. Not to mention having a good ability for this, too. Natural Cure, making it a great status absorber. Easy A rank.
Reserved for Pokemon who cannot sweep through or wall significant portions of the metagame, but can properly fulfill a given offensive/defensive niche. Support Pokemon in this category have flaws that prevent them from doing their job or are setup bait for dangerous sweepers. Pokemon who are partially outperformed by a Pokemon in A or S Rank, but are otherwise very dangerous, may also fall into this category.
Indeed, it has an offensive niche, but is partially out preformed by Honchrow in my eyes. Otherwise, it is indeed very dangerous late game and isn't something you should forget about when teambuilding. Also, looking at all of the B+ pokemon, such as Entei, I feel like it is comparable to them in a sense where they all are out preformed by higher ranked pokemon. They are not the best at their job, but have a niche over the higher ranked pokemon that otherwise outclass them. (In Entei's case Espeed and Sacred Fire over Darm, in Sharpedo's case Speed Boost over Honchcrow.) In a nutshell, it's effective with correct support, is partially out preformed, but has a niche that keeps it viable. It also has flaws such as being frail and predictable. This makes it B+ In my eyes.
Roserade has a good offensive LO set, with a great ability for doing so, (Technician boosts Hidden Power) as well as a good support set, having acsess to Spikes, TSpikes and Sleep Powder. Not to mention having a good ability for this, too. Natural Cure, making it a great status absorber. Easy A rank.
Last edited:
Power Herb Sky attack Unburden
yeah ok um this was like a long while ago ;_; i actually play now
Derp, my bad.
I kept Roserade at A rank and moved Sharpedo down to A- rank for reasons well said by most of the posts here. Usually I'd post why I put these rankings, but they were pretty unanimous.
A number of rankings may be changing due to the recent drops, but I'll deal with that after we decide which Pokemon are banned first. The way that I'll do it is by first proposing discussion on possible ranking changes of Pokemon we have already ranked, due to the drops. After that is all settled, we'll then rank the new drops that were not banned.
Lastly, I'm just going to leave discussion here for possible rankings of the new drops till we finish doing this banning phase.
A number of rankings may be changing due to the recent drops, but I'll deal with that after we decide which Pokemon are banned first. The way that I'll do it is by first proposing discussion on possible ranking changes of Pokemon we have already ranked, due to the drops. After that is all settled, we'll then rank the new drops that were not banned.
Lastly, I'm just going to leave discussion here for possible rankings of the new drops till we finish doing this banning phase.
nape should be A+
it has a large ass movepool, extremely versatile, has great STAB combinations to back it up, and can fuck up a lot of things that switch into it with t-punch / gk. i'd say it has enough offensive presence to be ranked amongst beasts like hera, tini, and mien, and ironically, like them, it shouldn't be S due to their shitty bulk and / or defensive typing
luke should be A+ or A, i honestly think that the np set is very underrated but it doesnt have +2 priority so i guess it's not as good as SD (although i personally think bullet punch is better atm since you get past megadactyl, but tbh it helps luke get past gligar without being forced to run ice punch as well as getting past a lot of other common switchins like hippo. i think the biggest problem with it is its 4MSS, if it lacks ice punch it loses to gligar, and if it lacks crunch then it loses to slowbro and mew(?)
i havent used the others enough to get a good enough opinion on them, but here are some p brief move-ups or drop downs that should happen:
it has a large ass movepool, extremely versatile, has great STAB combinations to back it up, and can fuck up a lot of things that switch into it with t-punch / gk. i'd say it has enough offensive presence to be ranked amongst beasts like hera, tini, and mien, and ironically, like them, it shouldn't be S due to their shitty bulk and / or defensive typing
luke should be A+ or A, i honestly think that the np set is very underrated but it doesnt have +2 priority so i guess it's not as good as SD (although i personally think bullet punch is better atm since you get past megadactyl, but tbh it helps luke get past gligar without being forced to run ice punch as well as getting past a lot of other common switchins like hippo. i think the biggest problem with it is its 4MSS, if it lacks ice punch it loses to gligar, and if it lacks crunch then it loses to slowbro and mew(?)
i havent used the others enough to get a good enough opinion on them, but here are some p brief move-ups or drop downs that should happen:
fletch to B+ or A- because it kinda reks a lot of the current meta especially nape and volc due to prio stab and recovery, as well as having access to SD and will-o which makes it really annoying to face
rhyperior to B or B+ because it rapes the thing above and is one of the best rock setters in the tier, and CB / Rock Polish WP kinda rapes stall (although it has to run ice punch for gligar)
pert to B+, see above and its also a good check to a lot of the things pink core worries about, as well as having a great defensive typing
gligar to B+, one of the best defoggers in the tier and stops a lot of physical attackers like luke
celebi to B+ or B, this thing just gets worse as time goes on, it literally cannot do anything to hydrei other than u-turn or t-wave and the drops weren't kind to it either
rhyperior to B or B+ because it rapes the thing above and is one of the best rock setters in the tier, and CB / Rock Polish WP kinda rapes stall (although it has to run ice punch for gligar)
pert to B+, see above and its also a good check to a lot of the things pink core worries about, as well as having a great defensive typing
gligar to B+, one of the best defoggers in the tier and stops a lot of physical attackers like luke
celebi to B+ or B, this thing just gets worse as time goes on, it literally cannot do anything to hydrei other than u-turn or t-wave and the drops weren't kind to it either
Here's my first contribution of three of the Pokemon that moved down:
Infernape --> A+: It has an absolutely insane movepool that causes mind games. It has a great speed tier of 108, and it has two moves that compliment it's STAB attacks. Have I mentioned that it's versatile? Just a few sets are suicide lead, mixed attacker, Band/ScarfNape, and most of those are actually viable. Infernape is in a similar sense of Hydreigon - it always has a chance to carry a move that will be super-effective against the opposing Pokemon. The downfalls are probably just it's bulk - similar to Sharpedo. It cannot switch into much, but in my opinion it plays around that as it's probably the ultimate check to most Pokemon out there. My personal favourite (Including playing around with it) is ScarfNape. Being one of the fastest mons in the tier (Faster then Mienshao!) it can easily outspeed and kill anything. It does have 4MSS but as I said, being so versatile, fast, and powerful should make it good enough to be apart of the beasts in A+.
Goodra --> A-: In my opinion, Goodra isn't THAT good, and it seems to bit with the A- group. While benig a HELL of a good special wall, it's almost completely outclassed by Blissey as a specially defensive wall, leaving Goodra to be a bulky special attacker. Although being able to fill the specially defensive role still, it's simply not as good as Blissey who has access to reliable recovery, WishPass, and can even fucking set up rocks (Even though it's not a very good idea to do that). With physical attackers being more populated in UU, it's special side isn't as good as it could be. Thankfully, it does have a great ability in Gooey, letting it stop physical setup sweepers that could potentially tear your team into two (Scarfed Heracross, Mienshao, Victini, etc). It also can actually not die from the ever so common fighting types in this tier. It has power similar to Starmie, special bulk that is almost better than the entire tiers, and it can take physical attacks well and retaliate with Gooey, this, imo, should be enough to make it A-.
Lucario --> A(-): With Lucario being my favourite Pokemon I could just say S Rank pls. But of course no one gives a shit about my favourite Pokemon so I'll elaborate. Lucario is a Pokemon that has INSANE power. So it has an SD set that's very common, but so what? When you' have the power that Lucario have, you can be as predictable as you fucking want. +2 Priority almost makes up for it's lack of speed, and nothing in hell switches in at +2. I mean nothing.
+2 252+ Atk Lucario Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Hippowdon: 246-289 (58.5 - 68.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
That is a maxed out defensive Hippowdown, and Lucario also didn't need Life Orb to do it (Life Orb is kind of a waste in my opinion). The only thing (In my opinion) that stops it from climbing higher is that it's too slow. 90 base speed leaves much to be desired, and it mostly works on a Sticky Web team. In general Lucario is just a bomb and should be placed at least A- if not higher. (Sorry that I didn't elaborate well on this one, I was tired when I was writing this)
Infernape --> A+: It has an absolutely insane movepool that causes mind games. It has a great speed tier of 108, and it has two moves that compliment it's STAB attacks. Have I mentioned that it's versatile? Just a few sets are suicide lead, mixed attacker, Band/ScarfNape, and most of those are actually viable. Infernape is in a similar sense of Hydreigon - it always has a chance to carry a move that will be super-effective against the opposing Pokemon. The downfalls are probably just it's bulk - similar to Sharpedo. It cannot switch into much, but in my opinion it plays around that as it's probably the ultimate check to most Pokemon out there. My personal favourite (Including playing around with it) is ScarfNape. Being one of the fastest mons in the tier (Faster then Mienshao!) it can easily outspeed and kill anything. It does have 4MSS but as I said, being so versatile, fast, and powerful should make it good enough to be apart of the beasts in A+.
Goodra --> A-: In my opinion, Goodra isn't THAT good, and it seems to bit with the A- group. While benig a HELL of a good special wall, it's almost completely outclassed by Blissey as a specially defensive wall, leaving Goodra to be a bulky special attacker. Although being able to fill the specially defensive role still, it's simply not as good as Blissey who has access to reliable recovery, WishPass, and can even fucking set up rocks (Even though it's not a very good idea to do that). With physical attackers being more populated in UU, it's special side isn't as good as it could be. Thankfully, it does have a great ability in Gooey, letting it stop physical setup sweepers that could potentially tear your team into two (Scarfed Heracross, Mienshao, Victini, etc). It also can actually not die from the ever so common fighting types in this tier. It has power similar to Starmie, special bulk that is almost better than the entire tiers, and it can take physical attacks well and retaliate with Gooey, this, imo, should be enough to make it A-.
Lucario --> A(-): With Lucario being my favourite Pokemon I could just say S Rank pls. But of course no one gives a shit about my favourite Pokemon so I'll elaborate. Lucario is a Pokemon that has INSANE power. So it has an SD set that's very common, but so what? When you' have the power that Lucario have, you can be as predictable as you fucking want. +2 Priority almost makes up for it's lack of speed, and nothing in hell switches in at +2. I mean nothing.
+2 252+ Atk Lucario Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Hippowdon: 246-289 (58.5 - 68.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
That is a maxed out defensive Hippowdown, and Lucario also didn't need Life Orb to do it (Life Orb is kind of a waste in my opinion). The only thing (In my opinion) that stops it from climbing higher is that it's too slow. 90 base speed leaves much to be desired, and it mostly works on a Sticky Web team. In general Lucario is just a bomb and should be placed at least A- if not higher. (Sorry that I didn't elaborate well on this one, I was tired when I was writing this)
Alakazam for A+ or S. It is the most fool-proof revenge killer in the game, requiring either a multi-hit attack or Sub or something to stay safe. Life Orb + 4 Attacks is vicious, also mindgames. Mega Alakazam is something I hope to see gone very very soon. It's way too fucking fast, way too goddamn powerful for how fast it is, and god forbid it Traces Magic Guard.
Blissey for A or A+. With her addition to the UU metagame, Blissey has made stall a lot more viable because of her ability to deal with some of the tier's several Special Wall-breakers (Hydreigon and the Nidos) while dishing consistent damage back with Seismic Toss. Furthermore, Blissey functions as one of the best WishPassers in the game and provide an immense amount of team support for Stall and defensive teams in general. However, as we all know, what makes Blissey not as Toxic as Chansey is that it's Defense stat is pure shit, so any decently strong Physical attack or Psyshock. Furthermore, to be introspective to the new metagame changes, many of Blissey's counters have dropped also. Pokemon like Infernape, Lucario, and Alakazam fuck Blissey up really hard, and to Blissey's despair, she has no real way to deal with them. Her support qualities completely outshine Florges, but I definitely feel that the new meta drops are the main hindering factor for her status between A and A+.
Volcarona is very much an A+. It's bread-and-butter Quiver Dance set as well as its stupidly good Special Attack allow it to tear new assholes with only a +1. With OU checks like Heatran no longer a threat, I find Fire Blast/Bug Buzz/Hurricane an extremely threatening 3-move coverage. Furthermore, I'm pretty sure none of the current S and A pokemon can effectively wall Volcarona. The only reason I think it's an A+ and not an S is the Stealth Rock weakness. The tier not only gained a really good Suicide Lead in Infernape, but also still has a boatload of consistent hazard setters. Sure, you can argue that the tier also has really good Defoggers and Spinners, but with the (theoretical) shift towards faster-paced offense due to the drops, the amount of offensive pressure will possibly limit Defog opportunities.
Volcarona is very much an A+. It's bread-and-butter Quiver Dance set as well as its stupidly good Special Attack allow it to tear new assholes with only a +1. With OU checks like Heatran no longer a threat, I find Fire Blast/Bug Buzz/Hurricane an extremely threatening 3-move coverage. Furthermore, I'm pretty sure none of the current S and A pokemon can effectively wall Volcarona. The only reason I think it's an A+ and not an S is the Stealth Rock weakness. The tier not only gained a really good Suicide Lead in Infernape, but also still has a boatload of consistent hazard setters. Sure, you can argue that the tier also has really good Defoggers and Spinners, but with the (theoretical) shift towards faster-paced offense due to the drops, the amount of offensive pressure will possibly limit Defog opportunities.
I think the viability of Florges (A+) and Umbreon (A) will take huge hits, and Alomomola's viability (B) could end up right in the trash bin, if Blissey ends up staying in UU (I dunno, maybe the addition of Ape and Luke could be enough for Blissey to avoid the ban hammer). Blissey has become the superior option of medic, as nothing trumps the WishPassing capability of this thing, it can eat up almost all Special attacks, even boosted ones, like it ain't no one's business, and it has an overall Physical defense at about Florges' level. However, what prevents Florges/Umbreon from being completely overshadowed is the fact that Blissey can't really do much back to opponents other than walling special attacks and that not every Blissey user is going to utilize Wish since quite frankly there's a lot of different sets that Blissey can run to support the team or annoy opponents with. Potential Rank: A+/S
Regarding Goodra, I really see it being a solid Dragon-Type addition into the UU metagame. Although its lack of recovery really hinders this thing, it has a plethora of options towards handling its opponents, whether it'd be chipping away at opponents with its Infestation/Toxic set or slamming them with its wide coverage moves. Potential Rank: B+/A-
MegaZam and Volc will probably get banned imo so I don't want to elaborate on those two.
Regarding Goodra, I really see it being a solid Dragon-Type addition into the UU metagame. Although its lack of recovery really hinders this thing, it has a plethora of options towards handling its opponents, whether it'd be chipping away at opponents with its Infestation/Toxic set or slamming them with its wide coverage moves. Potential Rank: B+/A-
MegaZam and Volc will probably get banned imo so I don't want to elaborate on those two.
I'll just post on the two drops I've tested so far.
Goodra, imo, should definitely be A/A-. It is a very good special tank in this metagame and basically checks every special attacker in UU (except Hydreigon, maybe). The Assault Vest set takes special hits like a champ and uses its good Special Attack and wide offensive movepool to retaliate. It is so bulky that it can take a Draco Meteor from Hydreigon and live to tell the tale (not that I would try this but this is a testament to how bulky this thing is), thus making it a very reliable check to many special attackers, such as Mega Houndoom. It also has two awesome abilities, as Sap Sipper allows Goodra to switch in on Roserade and Shaymin for free and gain more power with Dragon Tail, or Gooey can punish physical attackers for trying to hit it by lowering Speed. Specs Goodra is also possible, and Goodra has bulk and Sludge Wave to stand out from Hydreigon. Overall, Goodra has really been solid when I used it and deserves at least A-, if not A.
Infernape imo should be A+ Rank. It is an awesome wallbreaker and sweeper right now, and with its stat spread and movepool it is basically really destructive. It pesters walls such as Umbreon and Florges with its offensive presence, and it has amazing coverage in its STABs, ThunderPunch, and Grass Knot. It is versatile, being able to be a mixed wallbreaker, or if you want, a SR Lead or a boosting sweeper (or Choice too). Flare Blitz and Close Combat provide great offensive presence, and with its Speed it's also great against offense. It's very frail, but with its power and speed and ability to pester walls it's definitely A+ imo. I won't say more since the above also explain my stance on this thing very well.
Just my thoughts so far on some of my test subjects, feel free to oppose, I might be a little biased since both worked well for me.
Goodra, imo, should definitely be A/A-. It is a very good special tank in this metagame and basically checks every special attacker in UU (except Hydreigon, maybe). The Assault Vest set takes special hits like a champ and uses its good Special Attack and wide offensive movepool to retaliate. It is so bulky that it can take a Draco Meteor from Hydreigon and live to tell the tale (not that I would try this but this is a testament to how bulky this thing is), thus making it a very reliable check to many special attackers, such as Mega Houndoom. It also has two awesome abilities, as Sap Sipper allows Goodra to switch in on Roserade and Shaymin for free and gain more power with Dragon Tail, or Gooey can punish physical attackers for trying to hit it by lowering Speed. Specs Goodra is also possible, and Goodra has bulk and Sludge Wave to stand out from Hydreigon. Overall, Goodra has really been solid when I used it and deserves at least A-, if not A.
Infernape imo should be A+ Rank. It is an awesome wallbreaker and sweeper right now, and with its stat spread and movepool it is basically really destructive. It pesters walls such as Umbreon and Florges with its offensive presence, and it has amazing coverage in its STABs, ThunderPunch, and Grass Knot. It is versatile, being able to be a mixed wallbreaker, or if you want, a SR Lead or a boosting sweeper (or Choice too). Flare Blitz and Close Combat provide great offensive presence, and with its Speed it's also great against offense. It's very frail, but with its power and speed and ability to pester walls it's definitely A+ imo. I won't say more since the above also explain my stance on this thing very well.
Just my thoughts so far on some of my test subjects, feel free to oppose, I might be a little biased since both worked well for me.
- Status