SM UU Viability Ranking Thread Mark Three

Status
Not open for further replies.
Here's a nomination for a mon that flies under the radar too much.

Snorlax: B- to B
While this nomination sounds ridiculous at first, let me explain. The loss of Conkledurr improved Snorlax's ability to curse without getting destroyed and or walled by it. It also is incredibly bulky under veil with the standard Curselax set. After one curse under veil, Snorlax takes well under half from Infernape's Close Combat. it also has great synergy with Alolan Ninetales, who sets up veil for Snorlax to set up and Alolan Ninetales can get rid of fighting types with Moonblast and Blizzard for Hawlucha. It's main attacking moves are return and earthquake, Return is a strong stab move that does considerable damage after boosting to many threats in the tier like Krookodile, Mamoswine, Mega-Pidgeot, and Crawdaunt. It also is a great check to several special attackers in the tier like Latias, Nidoking, Raikou, and Primarina. While it wishes it had better recovery options, Rest is used for recovery, albeit less reliable, but has the added bonus of healing status and replacing it with sleep. This is great especially seeing how prominent Scald and Toxic are in UU. This pokemon doesn't seem like much on paper, but it is very useful if used correctly.
 

Cheryl.

Celesteela is Life
While I don't think Snorlax is due for a rise based on the Curse + RestTalk set (It does sound alright on Veil but seems too inconsistent on any other playstyle imo), I do think it could be considered for a rise to B based on the Gluttony Recycle set. This set trades the status absorbing abilities of the RestTalk set for a far more reliable recovery move (Gluttony + 50% berry and Recycle), which also frees Snorlax up to run a coverage move like Fire Punch or Earthquake. (You could do this with the Curse + Rest set too but Sleep Talk is more my cup of tea with that set) This also allows Lax to be a far better blanket check to most of the special attackers in the tier, such as Primarina, Latias, and the Nidos, because it doesn't have to wait two turns to wake up as they deal out damage to it, potentially overwhelming the Rest set but not overwhelming the Recycle set. Recycle Lax is also a pain for a lot of offense teams to wear down (as said before special attackers cant break it very easily and even stuff like Mega Sharpedo can find themselves being boosted on by a healthy Lax), and it can quickly snowball into a monster for these teams to deal with late-game because of Curse. Lax also isn't very passive unboosted either, and having the ability to boost up while also blanket checking a variety of mons gives it a good niche over the somewhat similar Blissey on more offensive teams. While Snorlax does have some issues, such as being very vulnerable to Fighting-types which are all the rage right now for good reasons, I do think it's role compression in being a late-game sweeper that also checks most of the special attackers in the tier with the Recycle + Curse set is a valuable niche and is what makes it better than it's fellow Pokémon in B-.
 
While I don't think Snorlax is due for a rise based on the Curse + RestTalk set (It does sound alright on Veil but seems too inconsistent on any other playstyle imo), I do think it could be considered for a rise to B based on the Gluttony Recycle set. This set trades the status absorbing abilities of the RestTalk set for a far more reliable recovery move (Gluttony + 50% berry and Recycle), which also frees Snorlax up to run a coverage move like Fire Punch or Earthquake. (You could do this with the Curse + Rest set too but Sleep Talk is more my cup of tea with that set) This also allows Lax to be a far better blanket check to most of the special attackers in the tier, such as Primarina, Latias, and the Nidos, because it doesn't have to wait two turns to wake up as they deal out damage to it, potentially overwhelming the Rest set but not overwhelming the Recycle set. Recycle Lax is also a pain for a lot of offense teams to wear down (as said before special attackers cant break it very easily and even stuff like Mega Sharpedo can find themselves being boosted on by a healthy Lax), and it can quickly snowball into a monster for these teams to deal with late-game because of Curse. Lax also isn't very passive unboosted either, and having the ability to boost up while also blanket checking a variety of mons gives it a good niche over the somewhat similar Blissey on more offensive teams. While Snorlax does have some issues, such as being very vulnerable to Fighting-types which are all the rage right now for good reasons, I do think it's role compression in being a late-game sweeper that also checks most of the special attackers in the tier with the Recycle + Curse set is a valuable niche and is what makes it better than it's fellow Pokémon in B-.
I just tried it and recycle Snorlax is definitely the better set. Definitely B material imo.
 

Freeroamer

The greatest story of them all.
is a Community Contributoris a Top Tiering Contributor
Quagsire to C+

Honestly I'd probably nominate this to B- if I didn't think I'd get a load of people freaking out over it jumping up so high because I still think it sharing the same rank as Forretress and Tsareena would be a bit silly. I'm going to preface this by saying that Quagsire is only viable on full stall, but I think because of how viable it is on stall (almost a staple) it should be moved up to reflect that. There have been multiple good teams that have utilised Quagsire for its ability to counter SD Cobalion, SD Scizor, Rockium SD Terrakion, some Gliscor variants, CM Reuniclus, Hone Claws Aero etc etc. which I believe is a lot more that can be said for pretty much everything in the C Ranks. These Pokemon are probably theoretically viable on more team styles but do not see use on competitive teams whereas Quagsire does due to how proficient it is at doing what it needs to.
 

sparrow

kacaw
is a Tiering Contributor Alumnus
I'd like to nominate a move for Klefki from A- to either A / A+

Klefki is really obnoxious and very annoying to face, especially for opposing offensive builds, it's able to support its team incredibly well through the use of priority Thunder Wave, Toxic and Spikes (which can almost guarantee two layers and it's not hard to nab three). Its fantastic typing provides plenty of opportunity for it to switch in multiple times during a match, and do its job which is either: disruption through spread of status moves or setting up hazards. Not only does it have fantastic typing, it has very customisable defence stats which can let it tank moves such as +2 Bullet Punch from Scizor quite easily and possibly KO in return with Foul Play.

I feel as though the current meta is quite comfortable for Klefki atm. Almost any sweeper is easily managed by priority Thunder Wave and the ease in which it is able to set hazards is second to none. It's not like Klefki is easy to capitalise on either, due to the fact it can quite easily paralyse or poison a switch-in, Dark-type Pokemon don't relish the idea of coming into a Fairy STAB and Spikes aren't blocked by the Dark buff.

In summary, Klefki is a very anti offence Pokemon that is able to perform its role very well due to a combination of its great typing, ability and defences. Furthermore it's got a ton of coverage and is able to run moves such as priority screens, as well as alternative coverage in Hidden Power Fire etc. Looking at the current rankings, Klefki has an option to cover almost all of the Pokemon ranging from S to A rank.
 
Last edited:
I'd like to nominate a move for Klefki from A- to either A / A+

Klefki is really obnoxious and very annoying to face, especially for opposing offensive builds, it's able to support its team incredibly well through the use of priority Thunder Wave, Toxic and Spikes (which can almost guarantee two layers and it's not hard to nab three). Its fantastic typing provides plenty of opportunity for it to switch in multiple times during a match even, and do its job which is either: disruption through spread of status moves or setting up hazards. Not only does it have fantastic typing, it has very customisable defence stats which can let it tank moves such as +2 Bullet Punch from Scizor quite easily and possibly KO in return with Foul Play.

I feel as though the current meta is quite comfortable for Klefki atm. Almost any sweeper is easily managed by priority Thunder Wave and the ease in which it is able to set hazards is second to none. It's not like Klefki is easy to capitalise on either, due to the fact it can quite easily paralyse or poison a switch-in, Dark-type Pokemon don't relish the idea of coming into a Fairy STAB and Spikes aren't blocked by the Dark buff.

In summary, Klefki is a very anti offence Pokemon that is able to perform its role very well due to a combination of its great typing, ability and defences. Furthermore it's got a ton of coverage and is able to run moves such as priority screens, as well as alternative coverage in Hidden Power Fire etc. Looking at the current rankings, Klefki has an option to cover almost all of the Pokemon ranging from S to A rank.
I agree with this especially, because although everyone knows how good it's prankster support moves are, I feel like it's coverage options are what make it stand out further than it already does. HP fire, dazzling gleam, foul play, magnet rise of grounds are a problem... Klefki often can be customized to help check or counter something your team is weak to.
 

pokemonisfun

Banned deucer.
UPDATE FOR AUGUST 27 2017 TO SEPTEMBER 3 2017

Xurkitree is unranked because it was banned

If I didn’t mention your nomination at all and you think it’s still relevant, feel free to post again but please add more content, especially for the unranked to ranked.

I'm going to chat with anyone who wants to on the PS UU room in about 10 minutes (8pm eastern/gmt-4) after I edit the OP to reflect these changes. I'll keep the log of the chat so I will be using that to help make the next round of edits next weekend.

Thanks to everyone who posted content this past week and to the people who caught small errors. Those should all be fixed.

Lastly, I am happy to update this weekly but don't feel like you need to post for postings sake. If there aren't a lot of posts, we can always wait another week. But drops soon will shake things up anyways I imagine.

Rises
meepsvictory to VR council

The rise mainly comes from the fact he is an excellent team builder and works with or even starts metagame trends before the vast majority of the playerbase catches on - probably the best example is with Conkeldurr’s Flame Orb set and Aurora Veil teams he made months before they became dominant. Additionally, he is an above average player, so a rise to VR council is fitting.


Mamoswine A- --> A

The rise comes for two major reasons, both outlined in the nomination post by Sun . Firstly the loss of Xurkitree means jiggy piggy is a better Electric immunity since Xurkitree could previously outspeed and OHKO jiggy piggy with no prior damage. Secondly, the rise of Freeze Dry sets adds to jiggy piggy’s versatility and prevents most Water types from checking jiggy piggy adequately, let alone countering. All of jiggy piggy’s previous strengths remain in place (priority, powerful STABs, good offensive coverage) with perhaps just a small reduction in power because of Freeze Dry sets having slightly weaker STABs.

Hawlucha B+ --> A
Hawlucha is one of the most dominant threats in the metagame when paired with Aurora Veil and as a result is one of Aurora Veil offense’s top staples, arguably second only to Ninetales. While this was always true, Aurora Veil is recently cementing itself as one of or the top threat in the metagame and Hawlucha is only abusing this more with a surge in Power Herb sets. Lastly, Hawlucha is very usable on different teams, for example it is one of the best Spikes Offense abusers along with Sharpedo Mega. The flaws are briefly mentioned in Hilomolo’s nomination post but do not prohibit a top tier status.

Alolan Ninetales B+ --> A
The majority of the posts in this thread agreed with the logic of a Ninetales rise, mainly because of its necessity on the popular and dominant Aurora Veil teams. A rank may seem surprisingly high for a Pokemon that doesn’t necessarily win games by itself - instead it relies on teammates like Hawlucha and Terrakion - but this ranking should be justified as a supporting threat. If Aurora Veil really is the dominant playstyles, Ninetales may be even stronger in actuality, but tactics like random Brick Breaks on Pokemon like Beedrill Mega and Darmanitan have not yet been fully explored.

Terrakion B+ --> A-

Terrakion is on the cusp of being a top tiered threat again because of an increase in versatility which leads to unpredictability and danger in dealing with it. The newest trends include running Earthquake for Doublade and Nidos, Focus Sash and SR to act as leads, and Choice Band and Life Orb to more effectively break walls like Quagsire. The old staple of double dance Rockium Z is still effective. However, the prior weaknesses of terrible defensive typing and prevalence of Scizor remain, only somewhat mitigated by Aurora Veil.

Sceptile Mega B --> B+

This nomination saw several posts of debate starting here. Much of the debate centered on what nature to run and its somewhat questionable defensive typing, while there was also a note on other Grass types like Rotom-C for competition. A few notes on this rise:


Firstly, Modest is entirely viable and although losing to Scarf Togekiss and Chandelure is a real threat (both sets are viable), both sets are uncommon and Togekiss beats Sceptile anyways. Using Timid does not help much overall versus offense as Crobat and Beedrill Mega technically would win 1 on 1 anyways, while your moves get better chances or guarantees to OHKO threats like Latias and Scizor.


Sceptile does have an underrated matchup versus offense which is the main reason for this rise; essentially nothing can switch in because of Leaf Storm plus sufficient coverage in the rest of the moveslots. For example, if it comes in for free on a Mega Blastoise, it puts extremely uncomfortable pressure if the opposing team uses Grass resists like Latias and Scizor, both of which are slower and badly damaged or OHKOd by common moves on Sceptile.


The poor defensive typing and bulk are the reasons holding back Sceptile from a higher position - not competition with Grass types like Rotom-C. The big and obvious advantage Sceptile has over Rotom-C is speed, which in conjunction with coverage, lets Sceptile have a much better matchup with common Dragon types for example.

Abomasnow Mega B- --> B

While Abomasnow is probably not becoming a more popular threat (no stats yet), it is seeing an increase in diversity in sets - everything from mixed Growth and four attacks to purely physical SD and Leech Seed sets have been used. The rise therefore comes mainly because of Abomasnow’s good offensive presence but also because the related fact Abomasnow can badly damage or OHKO “counters” with ideas like Focus Blast and HP Fire for Steel types and SD for special walls.

Quagsire C --> B-
Muddy buddy is not a stall staple on the levels of Blissey, but that may be too high of a standard to judge low Bs anyways and its moderate power and Scald means muddy buddy may be less passive than Blissey in any case. The rise comes in part from metagame changes - losing Xurkitree means Quagsire is a better Electric immunity - and also because it was overdue in any case; Quagsire is one of the only defensive Pokemon that can stop certain set up sweepers like Cobalion and Terrakion and can stop more than other Pokemon. The nomination post by Freeroamer goes into a little more detail on muddy buddy’s utility - although it should be noted the mediocre stats and in particular bad special defense hold Quagsire from being dominant, even if it is in mainstream stall.


Drops
Mandibuzz B --> B-

“Its Taunt set competes heavily with Gliscor, which can afford to run lots of speed investment because of its ability and is generally more annoying to face. It also folds to most of the top tier threats even with Foul Play right now which is an issue because of how offensively oriented this tier is.” c/p from this post by dingbat.

Reuniclus to B- --> C+

Yes it can abuse Z moves, Focus Blast and Thunder in particular, to threaten some Pokemon and absorb Knock Offs, but Reuniclus has an incredibly hard time versus Scizor still. The low speed, only somewhat above average bulk, and lack of resistances means Reuniclus often has to waste time recovering. The low initial power can be fixed by some more offensive sets, although they often lose the big niche of being a strong stallbreaker. Reuniclus certainly has a niche still, but often struggles when not fulfilling it.


Forretress to C+ --> C-

It is extremely passive, only somewhat mitigated by a weak Volt Switch that often forces Forretress to chunk a hit that it cannot recover from apart from Leftovers which often gets Knock Off. It cannot beat Ghost types which is bad for a spinner. It does not even beat Fairy types as its Steel move is too weak and nearly all boosting sweepers beat Forretress. The fact that Forretress can contribute a lot of utility keeps it barely on the cusp of viability.


Unranked
Kommo-o

Mo-o is going the way of the dodo. Nothing about Kommo-o is bad but it lacks the power to be a big threat unless it boosts or uses a Choice item, in which case it is facing severe competition with other boosting Dragons.

Necrozma

Bulky Psychic types do not have a notable niche and this is basically unseen, Stealth Rock support or not.

Cresselia

Similar to Necrozma but instead of Stealth Rock, moon goon has extremely high mixed bulk. That isn’t enough to be ranked; especially as the new Fighting wall breaker is Heracross which can viably run Megahorn.

Declined Nominations (feel free to discuss more if you still disagree)
Nidoking B+ --> A-
The speed tier is just so middling and the power while very good, is helped more with amazing coverage as opposed to a strong “nuke” like Draco Meteor or Z Thunderbolt. Nukes tend to be better because they require less prediction and are just stronger in general. Additionally, Nidoking has quite a few weaknesses and only a few resistances (although those resistances are great) which limits his defensive utility and gives many options to revenge kill when combined with his average bulk.

Sylveon B- --> B

It has too hard of a time in beating threats it “should” beat - Primarina can use special moves to 2HKO this special wall, Latias wins 1 vs 1 with Calm Mind and Roost, Weavile does a lot with Icicle Crash, especially if Sylveon has lost Leftovers and even Hawlucha can do massive damage or OHKO with +2 Sky Attack.

Dragalge unranked --> C-

Dragalge does contribute a great amount of power with Adaptability, being able to potentially OHKO 0/0 Scizor with Devastating Drake after Stealth Rocks. Additionally, Dragalge can absorb Toxic Spikes and set them up. These are actually very small benefits as other Dragons can do the same to Scizor with HP Fire (Latias) or Fire Blast (Hydreigon) while Toxic Spikes still doesn’t affect the floating Dragons. The main reason Dragalge is not being ranked is because the bulk was exaggerated in the nomination post by BuzzkillAmpharos - it really does not check most boosted threats, like Hawlucha or Mega Aero and has less bulk than mainstream Dragons.

Discussion Points

Klefki A- --> A or A+
Some competition with Froslass notwithstanding, this is almost as defining to Spikes offense as Bissey is to stall and and Ninetales Alolan is to Aurora Veil offense. See this post on why a move up may be more reflective of the metagame.
Suicune B+ --> A-

Extremely bulky, especially after some Calm Mind boosts, and with a good defensive typing, Suicune threatens to overwhelm nearly every single team just one or two key Pokemon are removed. That however is often easier said than done, and Suicune requires several boosts to seriously threaten to sweep most teams. The lack of recovery on many sets, both Protect and Roar often do not run Rest, means Suicune cannot be used to counter many Pokemon, although this is not a big problem on the bulky offense these sets find a home on.

Heracross B+ --> A-

Is a further rise necessary to reflect this Pokemon’s incredible strength? Or does the mediocre bulk and speed relegate Heracross to the Bs? Some of these flaws have been fixed in a recent surge of Tailwind which is the main reason this is a discussion point.

Rotom-C B --> B+
No real changes in the metagame since it was ranked to B but that doesn’t mean Rotom-C doesn’t have great typing and utility in Grassium Z sets. The nomination post by Hilomilo identified one of the best traits of Rotom-C - the ability to threaten Water and Ground types. The Ground immunity is also important. Rotom-C does require a pretty exceptional type of support to be optimal though; it works best on Volt-Turn cores so Beedrill or Scizor are needed to fully abuse its power. And Rotom-C does have middling stats still.

Snorlax B- --> B
Similar to Suicune except it has more reliable recovery with Recycle+Gluttony and does not fear status so much with Facade. It is not quite as good because of the typing is much worse both offensively and defensively, but the idea is quite similar, overwhelm teams after a threat or two is removed.

Porygon-2 C --> ???

This definitely needs further testing but the main set in question is Z Conversion with Thunderbolt, it becomes an incredibly bulky sweeper with good speed and power after a single boost. Many threats such as almost the entirety of S to A- is beaten by Porygon-2 after a boost, which is especially easy to achieve with the element of surprise.
 
Last edited:

Yoshi

IT'S FINK DUMBASS
to A-
I agree with this nomination since Xurkitree leaving the tier helped this Pokemon out a lot, as well as being very good behind aurora veil. Aurora Veil gives it the opportunity to set up Calm Minds and get behind a sub, and even on it's own is it incredibly bulky. While it may take a bit to get going, Suicune is certainly a bulky threat to be reckoned with. The only reason why I wouldn't vouch it to be higher is because of the recent rise of grass types, as well as not having consistent recovery. But, overall, I agree.

to A-
This Pokemon has some incredible strength, and it's rise has mainly come from the Conkeldurr ban. It was mainly used to break through stall, and has certainly achieved that through Flame Orb Guts. Recently, it's come to the community's attention that this Pokemon may be a bit too slow, but with Tailwind beginning to pick up speed (another intended pun), Heracross is suddenly much faster. This leads to Heracross cleans/sweeps happening more often. It does have a few answers, mainly lying in faster Psychic and Flying Pokemon. However, a little team support can help this Pokemon, which is what a Pokemon in A- should need anyway. So, all in all, I agree.

to B+
Rotom-C is one of those Pokemon that I just learned the strengths of recently. And, I've come to really enjoy this Pokemon! Like the OP mentioned, it can threaten Water and Ground types, and has an important immunity to Ground. It's best set is it's Grassium Z set, and while Leaf Storm on it's own already does it's job, it does ensure a KO on Pokemon such as Gliscor (after rocks), as well as Pokemon like Sharpedo which dies even behind Protect. Rotom-C also has access to Thunderbolt, which is great coverage, especially now since we lost our best electric type. In conclusion, I really enjoy using Rotom-C in this meta, and, while I didn't cover all it's sets, it's certainly B+ material.

to B

This Pokemon is super annoying, having the aforementioned Recycle + Gluttony. I've not dealt with this Pokemon that much, but what I do know is it's a good check to a lot of special attackers in the tier. However, it very easily loses to a lot of the Fighting types in the tier. These fighting types are Hawlucha, Infernape, and Cobalion, and they are very common. But, I saw before that people were against a rise because of this, but I think it's perfect for B rank. B rank Pokemon are Pokemon that fit on certain play styles, and are vulnerable to a lot of top threats in the tier. That's why I think Snorlax should rise to B.

to ???
I've never seen this Pokemon used in UU, but I can see exactly what it does on paper. Once you get it going, this Pokemon can be extremely threatening to all archetypes of teams, especially thanks to Thunderbolt. The main issue with this Pokemon comes in with coverage. While you can run Tbolt + 2 moves, it's probably wise to run Recover if you want to sweep with it, since it will probably only kill 2-3 Pokemon max without the proper recovery. The first set I played around with was Thunderbolt + Focus Blast, which covers the Steel types that would normally wall Porygon without Focus Blast. It certainly handles Steelix, as well as Aggron. Cobalion also dies, but Scizor really banks on the fact that you land all your Focus Blasts. The main problem with this set is that Latias proves to wall it, since it resists both of those moves. That's where the idea of running Shadow Ball over Recover comes in, but I don't like that for aforementioned reasons. You could also run Shadow Ball over Focus Blast, but you'll need to support it with a Fighting type, so the previously mentioned Steels don't wall/revenge kill. All in all, Porygon2 with Z-Conversion can be very threatening, but the main problem is maintaining the sweep, as well as picking coverage moves. Even with these negatives, I agree with the rise.

edit:
I just realized porygon2's thing is very wrong in so many ways so I'm going to update it later.
 
UPDATE FOR AUGUST 27 2017 TO SEPTEMBER 3 2017

Xurkitree is unranked because it was banned

If I didn’t mention your nomination at all and you think it’s still relevant, feel free to post again but please add more content, especially for the unranked to ranked.

I'm going to chat with anyone who wants to on the PS UU room in about 10 minutes (8pm eastern/gmt-4) after I edit the OP to reflect these changes. I'll keep the log of the chat so I will be using that to help make the next round of edits next weekend.

Thanks to everyone who posted content this past week and to the people who caught small errors. Those should all be fixed.

Lastly, I am happy to update this weekly but don't feel like you need to post for postings sake. If there aren't a lot of posts, we can always wait another week. But drops soon will shake things up anyways I imagine.

Rises

meepsvictory to VR council

The rise mainly comes from the fact he is an excellent team builder and works with or even starts metagame trends before the vast majority of the playerbase catches on - probably the best example is with Conkeldurr’s Flame Orb set and Aurora Veil teams he made months before they became dominant. Additionally, he is an above average player, so a rise to VR council is fitting.


Mamoswine to A from A-

The rise comes for two major reasons, both outlined in the nomination post by Sun . Firstly the loss of Xurkitree means jiggy piggy is a better Electric immunity since Xurkitree could previously outspeed and OHKO jiggy piggy with no prior damage. Secondly, the rise of Freeze Dry sets adds to jiggy piggy’s versatility and prevents most Water types from checking jiggy piggy adequately, let alone countering. All of jiggy piggy’s previous strengths remain in place (priority, powerful STABs, good offensive coverage) with perhaps just a small reduction in power because of Freeze Dry sets having slightly weaker STABs.

Hawlucha to A from B+

Hawlucha is one of the most dominant threats in the metagame when paired with Aurora Veil and as a result is one of Aurora Veil offense’s top staples, arguably second only to Ninetales. While this was always true, Aurora Veil is recently cementing itself as one of or the top threat in the metagame and Hawlucha is only abusing this more with a surge in Power Herb sets. Lastly, Hawlucha is very usable on different teams, for example it is one of the best Spikes Offense abusers along with Sharpedo Mega. The flaws are briefly mentioned in Hilomolo’s nomination post but do not prohibit a top tier status.

Alolan Ninetales to A from B+

The majority of the posts in this thread agreed with the logic of a Ninetales rise, mainly because of its necessity on the popular and dominant Aurora Veil teams. A rank may seem surprisingly high for a Pokemon that doesn’t necessarily win games by itself - instead it relies on teammates like Hawlucha and Terrakion - but this ranking should be justified as a supporting threat. If Aurora Veil really is the dominant playstyles, Ninetales may be even stronger in actuality, but tactics like random Brick Breaks on Pokemon like Beedrill Mega and Darmanitan have not yet been fully explored.

Terrakion to A- from B+

Terrakion is on the cusp of being a top tiered threat again because of an increase in versatility which leads to unpredictability and danger in dealing with it. The newest trends include running Earthquake for Doublade and Nidos, Focus Sash and SR to act as leads, and Choice Band and Life Orb to more effectively break walls like Quagsire. The old staple of double dance Rockium Z is still effective. However, the prior weaknesses of terrible defensive typing and prevalence of Scizor remain, only somewhat mitigated by Aurora Veil.

Sceptile Mega to B+ from B

This nomination saw several posts of debate starting here. Much of the debate centered on what nature to run and its somewhat questionable defensive typing, while there was also a note on other Grass types like Rotom-C for competition. A few notes on this rise:


Firstly, Modest is entirely viable and although losing to Scarf Togekiss and Chandelure is a real threat (both sets are viable), both sets are uncommon and Togekiss beats Sceptile anyways. Using Timid does not help much overall versus offense as Crobat and Beedrill Mega technically would win 1 on 1 anyways, while your moves get better chances or guarantees to OHKO threats like Latias and Scizor.


Sceptile does have an underrated matchup versus offense which is the main reason for this rise; essentially nothing can switch in because of Leaf Storm plus sufficient coverage in the rest of the moveslots. For example, if it comes in for free on a Mega Blastoise, it puts extremely uncomfortable pressure if the opposing team uses Grass resists like Latias and Scizor, both of which are slower and badly damaged or OHKOd by common moves on Sceptile.


The poor defensive typing and bulk are the reasons holding back Sceptile from a higher position - not competition with Grass types like Rotom-C. The big and obvious advantage Sceptile has over Rotom-C is speed, which in conjunction with coverage, lets Sceptile have a much better matchup with common Dragon types for example.

Abomasnow Mega to B from B-

While Abomasnow is probably not becoming a more popular threat (no stats yet), it is seeing an increase in diversity in sets - everything from mixed Growth and four attacks to purely physical SD and Leech Seed sets have been used. The rise therefore comes mainly because of Abomasnow’s good offensive presence but also because the related fact Abomasnow can badly damage or OHKO “counters” with ideas like Focus Blast and HP Fire for Steel types and SD for special walls.

Quagsire to B- from C

Muddy buddy is not a stall staple on the levels of Blissey, but that may be too high of a standard to judge low Bs anyways and its moderate power and Scald means muddy buddy may be less passive than Blissey in any case. The rise comes in part from metagame changes - losing Xurkitree means Quagsire is a better Electric immunity - and also because it was overdue in any case; Quagsire is one of the only defensive Pokemon that can stop certain set up sweepers like Cobalion and Terrakion and can stop more than other Pokemon. The nomination post by Freeroamer goes into a little more detail on muddy buddy’s utility - although it should be noted the mediocre stats and in particular bad special defense hold Quagsire from being dominant, even if it is in mainstream stall.



Drops
Mandibuzz to B- from B

“Its Taunt set competes heavily with Gliscor, which can afford to run lots of speed investment because of its ability and is generally more annoying to face. It also folds to most of the top tier threats even with Foul Play right now which is an issue because of how offensively oriented this tier is.” c/p from this post by dingbat.

Reuniclus to C+ from B-

Yes it can abuse Z moves, Focus Blast and Thunder in particular, to threaten some Pokemon and absorb Knock Offs, but Reuniclus has an incredibly hard time versus Scizor still. The low speed, only somewhat above average bulk, and lack of resistances means Reuniclus often has to waste time recovering. The low initial power can be fixed by some more offensive sets, although they often lose the big niche of being a strong stallbreaker. Reuniclus certainly has a niche still, but often struggles when not fulfilling it.


Forretress to C- from C+

It is extremely passive, only somewhat mitigated by a weak Volt Switch that often forces Forretress to chunk a hit that it cannot recover from apart from Leftovers which often gets Knock Off. It cannot beat Ghost types which is bad for a spinner. It does not even beat Fairy types as its Steel move is too weak and nearly all boosting sweepers beat Forretress. The fact that Forretress can contribute a lot of utility keeps it barely on the cusp of viability.


Unranked
Kommo-o

Mo-o is going the way of the dodo. Nothing about Kommo-o is bad but it lacks the power to be a big threat unless it boosts or uses a Choice item, in which case it is facing severe competition with other boosting Dragons.

Necrozma

Bulky Psychic types do not have a notable niche and this is basically unseen, Stealth Rock support or not.

Cresselia

Similar to Necrozma but instead of Stealth Rock, moon goon has extremely high mixed bulk. That isn’t enough to be ranked; especially as the new Fighting wall breaker is Heracross which can viably run Megahorn.


Declined Nominations (feel free to discuss more if you still disagree)
Nidoking to A- from B+

The speed tier is just so middling and the power while very good, is helped more with amazing coverage as opposed to a strong “nuke” like Draco Meteor or Z Thunderbolt. Nukes tend to be better because they require less prediction and are just stronger in general. Additionally, Nidoking has quite a few weaknesses and only a few resistances (although those resistances are great) which limits his defensive utility and gives many options to revenge kill when combined with his average bulk.

Sylveon to B from B-

It has too hard of a time in beating threats it “should” beat - Primarina can use special moves to 2HKO this special wall, Latias wins 1 vs 1 with Calm Mind and Roost, Weavile does a lot with Icicle Crash, especially if Sylveon has lost Leftovers and even Hawlucha can do massive damage or OHKO with +2 Sky Attack.

Dragalge from unranked to C-

Dragalge does contribute a great amount of power with Adaptability, being able to potentially OHKO 0/0 Scizor with Devastating Drake after Stealth Rocks. Additionally, Dragalge can absorb Toxic Spikes and set them up. These are actually very small benefits as other Dragons can do the same to Scizor with HP Fire (Latias) or Fire Blast (Hydreigon) while Toxic Spikes still doesn’t affect the floating Dragons. The main reason Dragalge is not being ranked is because the bulk was exaggerated in the nomination post by Buzzkillampharos - it really does not check most boosted threats, like Hawlucha or Mega Aero and has less bulk than mainstream Dragons.

Discussion Points

Suicune to A- from B+

Extremely bulky, especially after some Calm Mind boosts, and with a good defensive typing, Suicune threatens to overwhelm nearly every single team just one or two key Pokemon are removed. That however is often easier said than done, and Suicune requires several boosts to seriously threaten to sweep most teams. The lack of recovery on many sets, both Protect and Roar often do not run Rest, means Suicune cannot be used to counter many Pokemon, although this is not a big problem on the bulky offense these sets find a home on.

Heracross to A- from B+

Is a further rise necessary to reflect this Pokemon’s incredible strength? Or does the mediocre bulk and speed relegate Heracross to the Bs? Some of these flaws have been fixed in a recent surge of Tailwind which is the main reason this is a discussion point.

Rotom-C to B+ from B

No real changes in the metagame since it was ranked to B but that doesn’t mean Rotom-C doesn’t have great typing and utility in Grassium Z sets. The nomination post by Hilomilo identified one of the best traits of Rotom-C - the ability to threaten Water and Ground types. The Ground immunity is also important. Rotom-C does require a pretty exceptional type of support to be optimal though; it works best on Volt-Turn cores so Beedrill or Scizor are needed to fully abuse its power. And Rotom-C does have middling stats still.

Snorlax to B from B-

Similar to Suicune except it has more reliable recovery with Recycle+Gluttony and does not fear status so much with Facade. It is not quite as good because of the typing is much worse both offensively and defensively, but the idea is quite similar, overwhelm teams after a threat or two is removed.

Porygon-2 to ??? from C

This definitely needs further testing but the main set in question is Z Conversion with Thunderbolt, it becomes an incredibly bulky sweeper with good speed and power after a single boost. Many threats such as almost the entirety of S to A- is beaten by Porygon-2 after a boost, which is especially easy to achieve with the element of surprise.
Minor nitpick, but when describing the change in rank, could you say "from X to X" instead of "to X from X"? I had to do a double take several times because I misread the rank change and was confused as to why [insert pokemon here] was being praised/criticized instead of the other way around.
EDIT: This format is much better, thank you.
 
Last edited:

Yoshi

IT'S FINK DUMBASS
to A
Klefki is a great Pokemon that the community, as well as I, often overlook. It's capability to set up really increases the viability of Offense by a great amount, since it creates it's own mini-style, Spikes Stack HO. This play style is arguably better than Veil, and it's all thanks to it's setter, Klefki. Not only is it able to get up spikes, but, utilizing it's amazing ability Prankster, it is able to Thunder Wave a lot of top tier threats such as Mega Sharpedo (you Play Rough this) and Latias. Not to mention that it's also a Steel type, which means it does pack defensive capabilities. Even with it's Ground weakness, it can run Magnet Rise (which I don't agree with), to prevent that. While nothing has really changed for Klefki in the current meta, it's capabilities are certainly overlooked, and should rise to A.
 
Last edited:

pokemonisfun

Banned deucer.
Minor nitpick, but when describing the change in rank, could you say "from X to X" instead of "to X from X"? I had to do a double take several times because I misread the rank change and was confused as to why [insert pokemon here] was being praised/criticized instead of the other way around.

Can you guys like Swaggy's post if you have the same problem. Because I honestly have no problem reading it but would be happy to change if it's needed

Both updates have been edited so the changes are more readable in the format dingbat uses (see post below by dingbat). Also added hide tags.

Let me know if the changes are insufficient or if there are other formatting issues to be worked on.
 
Last edited:

dingbat

snek
is a Top Tiering Contributor Alumnus
C+ --> D: If Forry drops to C-, I don't see why this shouldn't either. Aside from Rapid Spin and I guess Trop Kick attack drops, this 'mon contributes even less on a team than Forry does because it offers even less utility and is overall just complete poop in this tier.
B+ --> A-: I know for sure meeps nommed this within the VR council because he wanted it within the A ranks in the first place ;) Guts is just that potent in this meta and I'm glad lots of players are realizing the magnitude of pressure that Heracross exerts on entire teams.
A- --> A: I agree with Sparrow on this nomination. Klefki's utility in this meta is greatly appreciated since spike setters are generally scarce in this metagame, and not only is it the most reliable spike setter here, but it also happens to be one of the most annoying pricks like every other prankster user in this game does a reliable job of fucking over offense because it does a great job of checking/countering huge threats like Latias and Weavile while also crippling shit with Thunder Wave, a huge annoyance to many of the speedy 'mons in this meta. Also I want to nitpick Yoshizilla315's post because you can't Prankster T-Wave Mega Sharpedo, although keys can just kill it with any Fairy move anyways.

Also pokeisfun you can easily format ranking changes based on how I write my noms (with the pkmn names too) because it looks clean af :)

And also move Ninetales-Alola up before it gets moved up to ou bop
 

Yoshi

IT'S FINK DUMBASS
C+ --> D: If Forry drops to C-, I don't see why this shouldn't either. Aside from Rapid Spin and I guess Trop Kick attack drops, this 'mon contributes even less on a team than Forry does because it offers even less utility and is overall just complete poop in this tier.
B+ --> A-: I know for sure meeps nommed this within the VR council because he wanted it within the A ranks in the first place ;) Guts is just that potent in this meta and I'm glad lots of players are realizing the magnitude of pressure that Heracross exerts on entire teams.
A- --> A: I agree with Sparrow on this nomination. Klefki's utility in this meta is greatly appreciated since spike setters are generally scarce in this metagame, and not only is it the most reliable spike setter here, but it also happens to be one of the most annoying pricks like every other prankster user in this game does a reliable job of fucking over offense because it does a great job of checking/countering huge threats like Latias and Weavile while also crippling shit with Thunder Wave, a huge annoyance to many of the speedy 'mons in this meta. Also I want to nitpick Yoshizilla315's post because you can't Prankster T-Wave Mega Sharpedo, although keys can just kill it with any Fairy move anyways.

Also pokeisfun you can easily format ranking changes based on how I write my noms (with the pkmn names too) because it looks clean af :)

And also move Ninetales-Alola up
Ok you got me LOL I hate the new prankster mechanics. However, my point still does stand that it does negate faster threats.
 

Deleted User 400951

Banned deucer.
Gonna second dingbat's nom of Tsareena to D. People, stop using it. It doesn't provide enough utility and it doesn't beat any spinblockers. U-turn is nice and all but Grass in this meta isn't.

I'm still gonna push for Slowing to C. Almost every special attacker from S to A- has a viable way of getting past it. It also is a terrible fighting check, with most fighters having secondary STABs it doesn't resist. Slowbro pretty much 100% outclasses it in this current meta.

Definitely supporting Suicune to A-. This thing is a great wincon that, if played decently, does not die. Vincune can get to a large amount of boosts in no time, and can even stall out some AV teams I think I've seen.

Finally, I'm gonna say that Milotic isn't really good in this meta and should drop to C- or UR. Competitive is nice but there's a lot of rapid spin users so Defog isn't as abundant as in other tiers. Latias can use Psyshock and Scizor can just U-Turn and deal a ton of damage, so the main defoggers don't lose either. Outside of that, it barely deals with any more special attackers than Slowking.
 
Last edited:
UPDATE FOR AUGUST 27 2017 TO SEPTEMBER 3 2017

Xurkitree is unranked because it was banned

If I didn’t mention your nomination at all and you think it’s still relevant, feel free to post again but please add more content, especially for the unranked to ranked.

I'm going to chat with anyone who wants to on the PS UU room in about 10 minutes (8pm eastern/gmt-4) after I edit the OP to reflect these changes. I'll keep the log of the chat so I will be using that to help make the next round of edits next weekend.

Thanks to everyone who posted content this past week and to the people who caught small errors. Those should all be fixed.

Lastly, I am happy to update this weekly but don't feel like you need to post for postings sake. If there aren't a lot of posts, we can always wait another week. But drops soon will shake things up anyways I imagine.

Rises
meepsvictory to VR council

The rise mainly comes from the fact he is an excellent team builder and works with or even starts metagame trends before the vast majority of the playerbase catches on - probably the best example is with Conkeldurr’s Flame Orb set and Aurora Veil teams he made months before they became dominant. Additionally, he is an above average player, so a rise to VR council is fitting.


Mamoswine A- --> A

The rise comes for two major reasons, both outlined in the nomination post by Sun . Firstly the loss of Xurkitree means jiggy piggy is a better Electric immunity since Xurkitree could previously outspeed and OHKO jiggy piggy with no prior damage. Secondly, the rise of Freeze Dry sets adds to jiggy piggy’s versatility and prevents most Water types from checking jiggy piggy adequately, let alone countering. All of jiggy piggy’s previous strengths remain in place (priority, powerful STABs, good offensive coverage) with perhaps just a small reduction in power because of Freeze Dry sets having slightly weaker STABs.

Hawlucha B+ --> A
Hawlucha is one of the most dominant threats in the metagame when paired with Aurora Veil and as a result is one of Aurora Veil offense’s top staples, arguably second only to Ninetales. While this was always true, Aurora Veil is recently cementing itself as one of or the top threat in the metagame and Hawlucha is only abusing this more with a surge in Power Herb sets. Lastly, Hawlucha is very usable on different teams, for example it is one of the best Spikes Offense abusers along with Sharpedo Mega. The flaws are briefly mentioned in Hilomolo’s nomination post but do not prohibit a top tier status.

Alolan Ninetales B+ --> A
The majority of the posts in this thread agreed with the logic of a Ninetales rise, mainly because of its necessity on the popular and dominant Aurora Veil teams. A rank may seem surprisingly high for a Pokemon that doesn’t necessarily win games by itself - instead it relies on teammates like Hawlucha and Terrakion - but this ranking should be justified as a supporting threat. If Aurora Veil really is the dominant playstyles, Ninetales may be even stronger in actuality, but tactics like random Brick Breaks on Pokemon like Beedrill Mega and Darmanitan have not yet been fully explored.

Terrakion B+ --> A-

Terrakion is on the cusp of being a top tiered threat again because of an increase in versatility which leads to unpredictability and danger in dealing with it. The newest trends include running Earthquake for Doublade and Nidos, Focus Sash and SR to act as leads, and Choice Band and Life Orb to more effectively break walls like Quagsire. The old staple of double dance Rockium Z is still effective. However, the prior weaknesses of terrible defensive typing and prevalence of Scizor remain, only somewhat mitigated by Aurora Veil.

Sceptile Mega B --> B+

This nomination saw several posts of debate starting here. Much of the debate centered on what nature to run and its somewhat questionable defensive typing, while there was also a note on other Grass types like Rotom-C for competition. A few notes on this rise:


Firstly, Modest is entirely viable and although losing to Scarf Togekiss and Chandelure is a real threat (both sets are viable), both sets are uncommon and Togekiss beats Sceptile anyways. Using Timid does not help much overall versus offense as Crobat and Beedrill Mega technically would win 1 on 1 anyways, while your moves get better chances or guarantees to OHKO threats like Latias and Scizor.


Sceptile does have an underrated matchup versus offense which is the main reason for this rise; essentially nothing can switch in because of Leaf Storm plus sufficient coverage in the rest of the moveslots. For example, if it comes in for free on a Mega Blastoise, it puts extremely uncomfortable pressure if the opposing team uses Grass resists like Latias and Scizor, both of which are slower and badly damaged or OHKOd by common moves on Sceptile.


The poor defensive typing and bulk are the reasons holding back Sceptile from a higher position - not competition with Grass types like Rotom-C. The big and obvious advantage Sceptile has over Rotom-C is speed, which in conjunction with coverage, lets Sceptile have a much better matchup with common Dragon types for example.

Abomasnow Mega B- --> B

While Abomasnow is probably not becoming a more popular threat (no stats yet), it is seeing an increase in diversity in sets - everything from mixed Growth and four attacks to purely physical SD and Leech Seed sets have been used. The rise therefore comes mainly because of Abomasnow’s good offensive presence but also because the related fact Abomasnow can badly damage or OHKO “counters” with ideas like Focus Blast and HP Fire for Steel types and SD for special walls.

Quagsire C --> B-
Muddy buddy is not a stall staple on the levels of Blissey, but that may be too high of a standard to judge low Bs anyways and its moderate power and Scald means muddy buddy may be less passive than Blissey in any case. The rise comes in part from metagame changes - losing Xurkitree means Quagsire is a better Electric immunity - and also because it was overdue in any case; Quagsire is one of the only defensive Pokemon that can stop certain set up sweepers like Cobalion and Terrakion and can stop more than other Pokemon. The nomination post by Freeroamer goes into a little more detail on muddy buddy’s utility - although it should be noted the mediocre stats and in particular bad special defense hold Quagsire from being dominant, even if it is in mainstream stall.


Drops
Mandibuzz B --> B-

“Its Taunt set competes heavily with Gliscor, which can afford to run lots of speed investment because of its ability and is generally more annoying to face. It also folds to most of the top tier threats even with Foul Play right now which is an issue because of how offensively oriented this tier is.” c/p from this post by dingbat.

Reuniclus to B- --> C+

Yes it can abuse Z moves, Focus Blast and Thunder in particular, to threaten some Pokemon and absorb Knock Offs, but Reuniclus has an incredibly hard time versus Scizor still. The low speed, only somewhat above average bulk, and lack of resistances means Reuniclus often has to waste time recovering. The low initial power can be fixed by some more offensive sets, although they often lose the big niche of being a strong stallbreaker. Reuniclus certainly has a niche still, but often struggles when not fulfilling it.


Forretress to C+ --> C-

It is extremely passive, only somewhat mitigated by a weak Volt Switch that often forces Forretress to chunk a hit that it cannot recover from apart from Leftovers which often gets Knock Off. It cannot beat Ghost types which is bad for a spinner. It does not even beat Fairy types as its Steel move is too weak and nearly all boosting sweepers beat Forretress. The fact that Forretress can contribute a lot of utility keeps it barely on the cusp of viability.


Unranked
Kommo-o

Mo-o is going the way of the dodo. Nothing about Kommo-o is bad but it lacks the power to be a big threat unless it boosts or uses a Choice item, in which case it is facing severe competition with other boosting Dragons.

Necrozma

Bulky Psychic types do not have a notable niche and this is basically unseen, Stealth Rock support or not.

Cresselia

Similar to Necrozma but instead of Stealth Rock, moon goon has extremely high mixed bulk. That isn’t enough to be ranked; especially as the new Fighting wall breaker is Heracross which can viably run Megahorn.

Declined Nominations (feel free to discuss more if you still disagree)
Nidoking B+ --> A-
The speed tier is just so middling and the power while very good, is helped more with amazing coverage as opposed to a strong “nuke” like Draco Meteor or Z Thunderbolt. Nukes tend to be better because they require less prediction and are just stronger in general. Additionally, Nidoking has quite a few weaknesses and only a few resistances (although those resistances are great) which limits his defensive utility and gives many options to revenge kill when combined with his average bulk.

Sylveon B- --> B

It has too hard of a time in beating threats it “should” beat - Primarina can use special moves to 2HKO this special wall, Latias wins 1 vs 1 with Calm Mind and Roost, Weavile does a lot with Icicle Crash, especially if Sylveon has lost Leftovers and even Hawlucha can do massive damage or OHKO with +2 Sky Attack.

Dragalge unranked --> C-

Dragalge does contribute a great amount of power with Adaptability, being able to potentially OHKO 0/0 Scizor with Devastating Drake after Stealth Rocks. Additionally, Dragalge can absorb Toxic Spikes and set them up. These are actually very small benefits as other Dragons can do the same to Scizor with HP Fire (Latias) or Fire Blast (Hydreigon) while Toxic Spikes still doesn’t affect the floating Dragons. The main reason Dragalge is not being ranked is because the bulk was exaggerated in the nomination post by BuzzkillAmpharos - it really does not check most boosted threats, like Hawlucha or Mega Aero and has less bulk than mainstream Dragons.

Discussion Points

Klefki A- --> A or A+
Some competition with Froslass notwithstanding, this is almost as defining to Spikes offense as Bissey is to stall and and Ninetales Alolan is to Aurora Veil offense. See this post on why a move up may be more reflective of the metagame.
Suicune B+ --> A-

Extremely bulky, especially after some Calm Mind boosts, and with a good defensive typing, Suicune threatens to overwhelm nearly every single team just one or two key Pokemon are removed. That however is often easier said than done, and Suicune requires several boosts to seriously threaten to sweep most teams. The lack of recovery on many sets, both Protect and Roar often do not run Rest, means Suicune cannot be used to counter many Pokemon, although this is not a big problem on the bulky offense these sets find a home on.

Heracross B+ --> A-

Is a further rise necessary to reflect this Pokemon’s incredible strength? Or does the mediocre bulk and speed relegate Heracross to the Bs? Some of these flaws have been fixed in a recent surge of Tailwind which is the main reason this is a discussion point.

Rotom-C B --> B+
No real changes in the metagame since it was ranked to B but that doesn’t mean Rotom-C doesn’t have great typing and utility in Grassium Z sets. The nomination post by Hilomilo identified one of the best traits of Rotom-C - the ability to threaten Water and Ground types. The Ground immunity is also important. Rotom-C does require a pretty exceptional type of support to be optimal though; it works best on Volt-Turn cores so Beedrill or Scizor are needed to fully abuse its power. And Rotom-C does have middling stats still.

Snorlax B- --> B
Similar to Suicune except it has more reliable recovery with Recycle+Gluttony and does not fear status so much with Facade. It is not quite as good because of the typing is much worse both offensively and defensively, but the idea is quite similar, overwhelm teams after a threat or two is removed.

Porygon-2 C --> ???

This definitely needs further testing but the main set in question is Z Conversion with Thunderbolt, it becomes an incredibly bulky sweeper with good speed and power after a single boost. Many threats such as almost the entirety of S to A- is beaten by Porygon-2 after a boost, which is especially easy to achieve with the ele
 
although i haven't been able to play uu much recently, i feel like even like a few weeks ago when i was still playing, Krook has been getting a bit worse? and now with Xurk gone (one of the main things it countered/checked) and with hawlucha getting more popular, its just like not that good? choice sets are hard bc both its stabs while good are easy to take advantage of from the opposing side. It also just like didn't hit as hard as one would like? or at least it felt like that to me. I could see it dropping from A to like A- as I feel like infernape and hydreigon are just as good if not better than Krook rn. I haven't been able to play much tho so i might be missing something but ya
 

Yoshi

IT'S FINK DUMBASS
although i haven't been able to play uu much recently, i feel like even like a few weeks ago when i was still playing, Krook has been getting a bit worse? and now with Xurk gone (one of the main things it countered/checked) and with hawlucha getting more popular, its just like not that good? choice sets are hard bc both its stabs while good are easy to take advantage of from the opposing side. It also just like didn't hit as hard as one would like? or at least it felt like that to me. I could see it dropping from A to like A- as I feel like infernape and hydreigon are just as good if not better than Krook rn. I haven't been able to play much tho so i might be missing something but ya
I do agree with this but you forgot to mention it's Rocky Helmet Taunt Rocks set, which shuts down a lot of passive Pokemon, including the ever-scary Klefki. The big problem with this set is that when you're using Rocky Helmet, you're often stopping U-Turners from pivoting out, but, Krookodile happens to be a Dark type. The phyiscal moves that do happen to make contact are usually Fighting type moves as well. You could also run Steelium Z to damage on-coming Fairy and Ice types, which can be very useful, specifically for Pokemon like Weavile, but the problem is there's a slight lack of Fairy and Ice types, but they aren't too uncommon. Also, after using Corkscrew Crash, you're left with Iron Tail which is known to be unreliable, having 75% accuracy. A powerful move to use, though.

Overall, Krookodile has quite a few sets, but like bsu mentioned, Hawlucha's popularity and Xurkitree's absence has really hurt the viability of Krookodile. This doesn't mean the Pokemon is completely bad, because Knock Off is still a great move, and Steelium Z is a great lure. In terms of the Rocky Helmet set, the main problem is you're trying to damage foes with physical contact moves, but Krookodile is actually weak to the most common ones. All in all, Krookodile is a great Pokemon, but the meta has shifted away from it's favor.
 
Finally, I'm gonna say that Milotic isn't really good in this meta and should drop to C- or UR. Competitive is nice but there's a lot of rapid spin users so Defog isn't as abundant as in other tiers. Latias can use Psyshock and Scizor can just U-Turn and deal a ton of damage, so the main defoggers don't lose either. Outside of that, it barely deals with any more special attackers than Slowking.
I agree that Milotic should drop to C-, but it shouldn't go completely unranked because it still has a few noteworthy tools at it's disposal. First off is Marvel Scale, which is a a pretty great ability on a bulky water and far better then Competitive as it allows you to benefit from eating Scalds, it's not something you can depend on as Milotic can't afford to run Flame Orb over Leftovers, but it's a nice little perk to have on a tank.
Second off is the fact that it's less passive then something like Mantine, while it lacks Defogger utility it also lacks a weakness to rocks so it doesn't have to heal up as much from switching around, giving it the chance to toss out Scalds or Toxic from time to time. It also has some fun utility in Magic Coat, meaning the opponent can't just carelessly toss out special attacks against it.
And on a final note, it naturally outruns bulky Scizor so it can Haze away any SD boosts before taking a big hit.

For the most part it's outclassed by Mantine, Suicune, and Alomomola as a bulky water but I feel it does have enough going for it over it's fellow wet meatshields to at least keep it in C-.
 
Discussion points:

Klefki
A- --> A or A+
Disagree with this nom. I think A- is a good place for Klefki. It is a great support mon and the premier spikes user in the tier but it brings almost zero offensive presence and allows free switches for dangerous dark, ground, or steel types depending on its moveset. The other utility mons in A or A+ (A-Ninetales and Gliscor) are basically meta-defining and I don't think keys quite rises to that level.


Suicune
B+ --> A-

Agree with this nom. Suicune really benefited from the Xurkitree ban and the rise of veil offense. It's not quite as scary offensively as it has been in past generations but it's still an overbearing defensive presence and can quickly become a win condition. The existence of Z-moves, the ubiquity of knock off, and the presence of physical wallbreakers like Mamoswine, Crawdaunt, Sharpedo, and Terrakion hold Suicune back from being a top-tier threat.


Heracross
B+ --> A-

Disagree with this nom. Flame orb sets can situationally be devastating but it lacks the bulk, longevity, and priority that Conkeldurr brought to the table. Taking 12% from rocks really hurts its ability to switch in repeatedly and break effectively. The B+ rating to me adequately reflects Heracross's viability as a very powerful yet inconsistent wallbreaker with marginal defensive utility.


Rotom-M
B --> B+

Agree with this nom. Rotom-M inhabits the best of both grass and electric types by dealing so effectively with ground types that want to block volt-switch and pivoting out against mons that eat grass moves. I don't have much else to add to what's already been said.


Snorlax
B- --> B

Disagree with this nom. Like Suicune, Snorlax is a strong defensive mon with slow-sweep potential, but unlike Suicune, Snorlax can't avoid knock off or status from passive mons it's supposed to set up on. Suicune's access to pressure also makes it more effective at dealing with mons that are supposed to counter it. Snorlax also seems lackluster as a special wall in a tier with Blissey.


Porygon2
C --> ???

I built a team around Z-conversion Porygon2 before Xurkitree fell into the tier and everyone started packing a counter to it. Based on that experience, I think a B rating is fair for this mon. It is a very strong and bulky threat and does find opportunities to set up due to the surprise factor. It comfortably lives earthquake from threats like M-Aero and banded Terrakion and outspeeds and KOs (at +2) slower threats like unboosted Suicune, the Nidos, and almost all Gliscor variants.

The main drawbacks of the set are the unreliability of download and the fact that its set-up is Z-move dependent. This means you only have one shot at setting up, so hazing or phazing moves can be devastating. Also, you really want the SpA boost from download to sweep, which limits when you can come in and set up. You have mediocre defenses before setting up and little to no defensive utility, which further limits you. What I'm trying to say is that setting up is tricky and you want things to be perfect because you only get one shot.

Overall, the Z-conversion set is fun to use and very strong, but also inconsistent. Combined with P2s viability on trick room teams, I think a B rating is appropriate.


Now for a nomination of my own:

C+ --> B- or B

The meta has been kind to strong setup sweepers and Lucario is no exception. It is an obvious fit on aurora veil teams but can also find opportunities to boost vs common threats like bulky Scizor and scarf Hydreigon (not locked in to fire blast). Lucario is inferior to Cobalion in some respects but it is a significantly stronger attacker and has access to the best priority move in the game, allowing it to deal with faster threats without secondary set up. Lucario also has a very viable special set but the physical set is generally stronger and more threatening.

Lastly, a further discussion point: can Scizor be moved up into an S+ tier? It is consistently the highest usage mon in the tier, works on virtually every team archetype, and can run a ridiculous diversity of sets including choice band, bulky pivot, offensive setup sweeper, and even defog. It hard checks the other two S-tier mons and is the sole reason we see fire coverage on offensive grass types, lead Azelf, etc. I don't think Scizor is broken but I do think it is clearly the best all around pokemon in the tier. What do other people think?
 
Last edited:
Lastly, a further discussion point: can Scizor be moved up into an S+ tier? It is consistently the highest usage mon in the tier, works on virtually every team archetype, and can run a ridiculous diversity of sets including choice band, bulky pivot, offensive setup sweeper, and even defog. It hard checks the other two S-tier mons and is the sole reason we see fire coverage on offensive grass types, lead Azelf, etc. I don't think Scizor is broken but I do think it is clearly the best all around pokemon in the tier. What do other people think?
Sorry if this answer is a little shallow, but AFAIK, the only S+ ranked pokemon we have is Primal Groundon in Ubers. The question then becomes: "Does Scizor in UU have an impact comparable to that of Primal Groudon in Ubers?" My answer to this is "No, absolutely not". It may be the best pokemon in the tier, but it does not even come close to Mr. 77% usage.
 

Rabia

is a Site Content Manageris a Top Social Media Contributoris a Community Leaderis a Community Contributoris a Smogon Discord Contributoris a CAP Contributoris a Top Tiering Contributoris a Top Contributoris a Top Smogon Media Contributoris a Battle Simulator Moderator
GP & NU Leader
Discussion points:

Klefki
A- --> A or A+
Disagree with this nom. I think A- is a good place for Klefki. It is a great support mon and the premier spikes user in the tier but it brings almost zero offensive presence and allows free switches for dangerous dark, ground, or steel types depending on its moveset. The other utility mons in A or A+ (A-Ninetales and Gliscor) are basically meta-defining and I don't think keys quite rises to that level.


Suicune
B+ --> A-

Agree with this nom. Suicune really benefited from the Xurkitree ban and the rise of veil offense. It's not quite as scary offensively as it has been in past generations but it's still an overbearing defensive presence and can quickly become a win condition. The existence of Z-moves, the ubiquity of knock off, and the presence of physical wallbreakers like Mamoswine, Crawdaunt, Sharpedo, and Terrakion hold Suicune back from being a top-tier threat.


Heracross
B+ --> A-

Disagree with this nom. Flame orb sets can situationally be devastating but it lacks the bulk, longevity, and priority that Conkeldurr brought to the table. Taking 12% from rocks really hurts its ability to switch in repeatedly and break effectively. The B+ rating to me adequately reflects Heracross's viability as a very powerful yet inconsistent wallbreaker with marginal defensive utility.


Rotom-M
B --> B+

Agree with this nom. Rotom-M inhabits the best of both grass and electric types by dealing so effectively with ground types that want to block volt-switch and pivoting out against mons that eat grass moves. I don't have much else to add to what's already been said.


Snorlax
B- --> B

Disagree with this nom. Like Suicune, Snorlax is a strong defensive mon with slow-sweep potential, but unlike Suicune, Snorlax can't avoid knock off or status from passive mons it's supposed to set up on. Suicune's access to pressure also makes it more effective at dealing with mons that are supposed to counter it. Snorlax also seems lackluster as a special wall in a tier with Blissey.


Porygon2
C --> ???

I built a team around Z-conversion Porygon2 before Xurkitree fell into the tier and everyone started packing a counter to it. Based on that experience, I think a B rating is fair for this mon. It is a very strong and bulky threat and does find opportunities to set up due to the surprise factor. It comfortably lives earthquake from threats like M-Aero and banded Terrakion and outspeeds and KOs (at +2) slower threats like unboosted Suicune, the Nidos, and almost all Gliscor variants.

The main drawbacks of the set are the unreliability of download and the fact that its set-up is Z-move dependent. This means you only have one shot at setting up, so hazing or phazing moves can be devastating. Also, you really want the SpA boost from download to sweep, which limits when you can come in and set up. You have mediocre defenses before setting up and little to no defensive utility, which further limits you. What I'm trying to say is that setting up is tricky and you want things to be perfect because you only get one shot.

Overall, the Z-conversion set is fun to use and very strong, but also inconsistent. Combined with P2s viability on trick room teams, I think a B rating is appropriate.


Now for a nomination of my own:

C+ --> B- or B

The meta has been kind to strong setup sweepers and Lucario is no exception. It is an obvious fit on aurora veil teams but can also find opportunities to boost vs common threats like bulky Scizor and scarf Hydreigon (not locked in to fire blast). Lucario is inferior to Cobalion in some respects but it is a significantly stronger attacker and has access to the best priority move in the game, allowing it to deal with faster threats without secondary set up. Lucario also has a very viable special set but the physical set is generally stronger and more threatening.

Lastly, a further discussion point: can Scizor be moved up into an S+ tier? It is consistently the highest usage mon in the tier, works on virtually every team archetype, and can run a ridiculous diversity of sets including choice band, bulky pivot, offensive setup sweeper, and even defog. It hard checks the other two S-tier mons and is the sole reason we see fire coverage on offensive grass types, lead Azelf, etc. I don't think Scizor is broken but I do think it is clearly the best all around pokemon in the tier. What do other people think?
A lot of your post seems to disregard the tier losing Alola-Tales to the most recent tier shifts which happened last night.

As someone else said: Scizor is not comparable to say, Primal Groudon in Ubers. Yes, Scizor can more or less be stapled on any team and be effective; however, never once have I looked at a team of mine and said "you know, I feel like I am at an inherent disadvantage for not having Scizor". That more or less defines what S+ is (or at least, what I interpret it to be given my experience in Ubers): does not having this guy on my team put me at an inherent disadvantage because of how simply good the mon is?
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 1, Guests: 0)

Top