Outside SD Gliscor, set up Garg has very few problems with it as boosting sets just set up in Gliscor's face, even denying the bat poison heal recovery (and pushing progress if rocks are up). Sub+ID Zama is a worse match up but it's also not hard to cover with something like tera ghost, or a partner like Zapdos, Moltres or a Toxapex for hazing boosts away. Garg also is a great spikes abuser due to the way it handles most spike immune mons well, and is itself still a great check to the likes of offensive Zapdos, TornadusT, Heatran, Volcarona, and physical attackers like Gouging Fire. And still offers respite against some threats like certain Koko variants as well. I don't really agree much has changed to make it much worse, let alone enough to drop it into B+ from A. Especially as, while sometimes wanting tera a lot, that tera usage can let the user cover some match ups otherwise hard to handle for a team. Like you may end up weaker to rain teams, and tera water/dragon Garg can greatly alleviate this weakness with not much help needed beyond maybe a back of check in case of emergencies.
A --> B+
Garg just struggles to do much in this Gliscor-infested world, and although I'll agree removing Poison Heal healing is a nice trait to have, it just doesn't feel as splashable as it did before Gliscor propagated the metagame. It also struggles against HO teams. I'll say its IDBP set is pretty decent as well as being a Rocks setter on bulky teams, but I just struggle to fit it a lot nowadays with how tera-reliant it is and how vulnerable it is to meta staples like the aforementioned Gliscor as well as Sub + IDBP Zama.
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Resource National Dex Viability Rankings
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It does have Draining Kiss as decent recovery.
That's entirely suboptimal and not really enough to keep its hp up
I believe that Magnezone should go to the B tier. It's not quite as splashable as say, Tapu Lele but it does muscle through Mega Scizor and Ferrothorn.
There is a reason why mag is generally seen as unviable. It’s super hard to actually position against these Pokemon because it poses no threat to anything else and it is SUPER hard to actually get it in safely because your opponent will be playing around mag. Besides that, virtually every steel has some way around it. Mmaw can click spunch/knock if mag switches in or even fire fang on 4a sets and then what does mag do? Heatran is kinda obvious why mag is unable to trap. Ferro is able to Tera and then it just leeches and sets spikes against it. Arch just clicks its fighting coverage into it and mag has no real way of threatening it. Icrown doesn’t take much from mag and it just clicks vswitch. Msciz has like 3 ways of dealing with mag and positioning around it (such as clicking cc or knock because Hp fire doesn’t ko unless specs or u turning on mag switching in) and if it’s offensive forget about it. Kart needs to 1. Have mag be scarf and 2. Do a double into kart which is no reliable way of trapping it. Corv and skarm just click Tera. This also doesn’t take into account mag’s horrible matchup into everything else in the tier. Its sets also have major flaws, such as scarf not hitting hard enough and not being fast at all (and is only used to trap kart which is something you almost never need to do). Specs sets while at least able to put more oomph when trapping something are too slow and too scoutable to be worth anything except for trapping… maybe msciz if you postion PERFECTLY. Sub electric z is probably its best set at trapping things, mainly mmaw, but still has the same issues with trapping every other steel mentioned for the same reasons. Top this off with a not so good offensive typing and a ground (which is basically on every team) exploiting it more than every other electric and you just have a mon that doesn’t do much.
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C+ ----> URThis things garbage and has been since
was banned, defogger that takes 50% from rocks after being knocked and gets ohko'd by stone edge one of the most common coverage moves for rockers, due to this you're often forced to tera grass to even get a fog off.
, 
, 
, 
and 
are miles clear on this thing. It has maybe the worst longevity of any fogger except lando its only good utility is fishing for burns on u-turn and frankly there's much better u-turn punishes out there. Also has bad synergy with a lot of mons that want defog support like 
, 
and 
. This thing definitely doesnt deserve a spot in the VR
thebestever543
I COULD BE BANNED!
S- A+I think its gone unsaid for a while but I believe many people will agree that Landorus has reclaimed his throne as the best Pokemon in the tier. Landorus is number one in usage for ladder and world cup (week 1) and I believe is the most used Pokemon on samples. All this proves is that people feel Landorus is more splashable than any other ground. Landorus has always been versatile in ND but for a period of time Gliscor was utilized due to being one of the best wincons in the game with SD and also gaining access to spikes made him more valuable than Landorus. SD sets are prepared for more than ever and Spikes are still good but those teams also don't function as well as they used too. Spikes are really good into balance when pivots get their item Knocked but Balance is an under performing archetype right now. Mola structures have fell off since people started exploiting Mola's passivity and Balance in general is extremely limited with what it can do. Lastly, Offense does not give Gliscor free turns to set up hazards and reuire immediate reactions which Landorus is much better at responding than Gliscor. Gliscor still performs very well against Balance but is not as effective as it used to be and struggles against common meta teams. Fortunately it's still good on stall and against it because of it's longevity from it's status immunity, passive healing and reliable recovery.
Landorus has so many viable sets and honestly more than I think we realize. I have been experiemnting more with offensive Landorus and this Pokemon is always great no matter how you use it. Scarf, Defensive, Lead, Offensive Rocks and most recently I have been using Substitute/SD/EQ/Smack Down. Others have even brought up Earth Power to check Zamazenta better, Glimm and Archuladon. Additionally, it can utilize HP better on these sets without sacrificing another stat. You seriously can't go wrong with this pokemon on any team outside of stall. I hope you all continue to innovate and explore new options for undiscovered Pokemon and existing ones. I expect a VR update probably after World Cup has ended so hopefully this post ages well.
A+ -> S-This mon is peaking right now and it's incredibly good. Both being versatile and one of the most proficient wincons in the tier with IronPress. It's surprisingly flexible with just that set too, and being able to act as an emergency check to so much of the tier makes it highly splashable and reliable. Even when it doesn't sweep it always brings some kind of value to a game and makes it a super consistent choice.
B -> A-Kind of a big nom but Arch rain is very good with Archaludon being such a potent offensive presence that also compresses valuable defensive utility in one slot. Giving rain a near perfect Wellspring answer that doesn't ease up on the gas is great. It's really only great on rain, as outside of such teams it doesn't do much that Ferrothorn can't do better as a steel type, but it's good enough on rain alone.
B+ -> B/B-I'll be honest this mon just blows. Ladder uses it so much you'd think this was still pre DLC or even pre HOME when Dnite was still good, but it's just such an inconsistent threat with some annoying moveslot problems. If it runs roost it only gets one coverage which makes it difficult to consistently sweep as you'll get walled by something always, and dropping roost significantly hurts its defensive value.
The VR Council has finished voting on our most recent sheet. Make sure to check out National Dex World Cup as there are a lot of good insights here from some of the best players the tier has to offer. Update below, also please make sure to include replays when nominating Pokémon currently unranked on the VR as we will continue to require this at the bare minimum for consideration.
edit: I forgot to include the doc yall here it is
Code:
New:
None
Rises:
Landorus-Therian: A+ -> S-
Zamazenta: A+ -> S-
Mawile-Mega: A- -> A
Toxapex: A- -> A
Tyranitar-Mega: B+ -> A-
Weavile: B+ -> A-
Archaludon: B -> B+
Barraskewda: B -> B+
Charizard-Mega-Y: B -> B+
Latios-Mega: B -> B+
Pelipper: B -> B+
Swampert-Mega: B -> B+
Corviknight: B- -> B
Skeledirge: B- -> B
Slowbro: B- -> B
Venusaur-Mega: B- -> B
Celesteela: C- -> C
Drops:
Iron Valiant: A+ -> A
Tornadus-Therian: A -> A-
Great Tusk: A- -> B+
Iron Boulder: A- -> B
Rillaboom: B+ -> B
Cinderace: B -> B-
Iron Moth: B -> B-
Greninja-Ash: B- -> C+
Gyarados-Mega: B- -> C+
Pecharunt: B- -> C+
Skarmory: B- -> C+
Iron Hands: B- -> C
Enamorus: C+ -> C
Tapu Fini: C+ -> C
Hippowdown: C -> C-
Jirachi: C -> C-
Magnezone: C -> C-
Ninetales-Alola: C -> C-
Tangrowth: C -> C-
Hydrapple: C- -> UR
Lilligant-Hisui: C- -> UR
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Glowking usage probably the biggest factor imo but I think Mega Ttar is better. Pursuit trapping in general is still undeniably good. Torn-T drop I think was a long time coming that mon has been on a straight decline since a while back when it was near the top of the VR. Always felt like it did very little if you weren't using z move sets and nasty plot + z move requires a lot of careful positioning vs any team that can apply pressure at all because of how frail it is
Why is there an S- rank but no S rank. Shouldn't we rise them to S rank or put them down to A+ rank.
B+ -> S-
is one of the most underestimate pokemons. It can outspeed Choice Scarf 
with Quark Drive activated. Calm Mind + Iron Defense+ Stored Power + Tachyon Cutter / Focus Blast can be devastating, and I also recommend Calm Mind + Psyshock + Tachyon Cutter + Tera Blast with Tera fighting. It's more safe against dark-type pokemons such as 
and 
with this moveset, and Psyshock can easily destory 
and 
.Also,
can also be an awesome pivot with Volt Switch. Choice Specs provide powerful threats. Assault Vest makes it more safely to counter 
. Psychic Noise can block all kinds of healings so it can collapse many bulky pokemons.
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UR -> C / C-
Replays - Pokémon Showdown! (pokemonshowdown.com)
Replays - Pokémon Showdown! (pokemonshowdown.com)
Porygon-Z @ Normalium Z
Ability: Adaptability
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Normal
EVs: 8 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpD / 240 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunderbolt
- Ice Beam
- Conversion
- Substitute
(Download ability might be better. When activated, it raises Ice Beam damage and has chance to 2HKO
and 
)Similar to Z-Celebrate
or 
, 
is much more offensive but slower and less bulky. It can outspeed after using Z-Conversion. Substitute prevents Salt Cure, Leech Seed and Toxic.Damage:
+1 252+ SpA Adaptability
Thunderbolt vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD 
385-454 (127.9 - 150.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO+1 252+ SpA Adaptability
Thunderbolt vs. 248 HP / 128 SpD 
331-389 (96.5 - 113.4%) -- 75% chance to OHKO+1 252+ SpA Adaptability
Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD 
259-306 (67 - 79.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery+1 252+ SpA Porygon-Z Ice Beam vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Unaware
160-190 (34.4 - 40.9%) -- guaranteed 3HKOIt seems that few pokemons are bulky enough to check
. Though very powerful STAB Thunderbolt, it badly afraids of Choice Scarf , but I think it still deserves C rank. (I got a 10 win streak from 1600 to 1800 with , and then replaced it with because too much )
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Ok but how is Iron Crown better than any of the A tier mons? And how is Iron Crown better than Landorus-T?
B+ -> S-
Also,
from B to B-/C+this mon is so ass, been getting owned lately in ndwc and for good reason, mono grass thuds so hard into the tier right now it isnt even funny
from C- to C/C+no clue why this mon dropped tbh, it's really good into rain and sun structures, and has loads of utility too
from UR to B-I'm gonna keep glazing this mon till it gets ranked or i die, whichever happens first. replays are here.
Mola to A-
This mon is a personal favorite of mine due to how useful it is every time I build and play with it. It out classes many of the B+ mons it is classed with(though some I think should be demoted, like R-Wash & M-Latios). Mola's sheer bulk allows it to tank hits from most mons in the meta game, and works as a great backbone for teams. It's ability to wishpass gives longevity to offensive teammates, as well as defensive ones. Mola is able to comfortably deal with Great Tusk, Weavile, Gouging Fire(can typically 1v1 if it's not tera poison), M-Lop, M-Tar, and Urshifu-R. Most Physical attackers are crippled by Mola, even if they aren't walled. Toxic & WishProtect allow Mola to whittle down almost all physical threats. Flip turn gives it the pivoting power that it's main competition, Toxapex, lacks. Mola trades haze for momentum. Protect is extremely useful against choice mons, allowing Mola to scout before switching. It's slow turn well with many of the higher viability mons, such as M-Maw, M-Tar, Heatran, Ferrothorn, and really any mon that lacks reliable recovery. Flip turn also allows for Mola to bring in hard hitting threats in safely. The main argument against Mola is its passive nature. However, this is issue can be easily remedied in the teambuilder by giving Mola proper teammates to work with. Mola is one of the best pivots in the meta, put some respect on its name.
With the suspect concluding in Wellspring remaining legal (sad face), guess I'll throw in some noms post laddering for reqs (and general observations from playing)
B -> B-
Wellspring remaining legal kinda keeps it from being worse imo but it's still just not a very good pokemon. Awkward to fit as a result of the limited defensive utility it offers, and needing CB to reliably revenge kill targets forces it into a prediction game that can easy cost a lot of momentum if the Rilla guesses wrong and this can happen often with many teams naturally equipped to handle it well.. Mono grass is just not a desirable type for an offensive threat that is so naturally slow, and it also has a nasty vulnerability to hazards which cuts into its ability to reliably switch into things it resists.
C -> C+
This one I think deserves a little more credit just because it's a Wellspring check that's got better longevity and can compress the role of a fighting type check which helps vs Great Tusk, Mega Lopunny, Urshifu-R and even to an extend Mega Medicham (especially if it clicks CC into Bulu as it comes in). It's also a solid Samurott-H check and isn't bad into Koko, even helping vs Raging Bolt who needs several boosts just to threaten it. The biggest point in Bulu's favor I think is the item flexibility between stuff like Leftovers, Rocky Helmet or even something wacky I saw a few times like Red Card to faze out CM Bolt. Definitely underexplored.
B -> B+
For all the times I shat on this mon in the past, laddering with it during the suspect test I definitely have come around to appreciating it more. It's definitely not auto pilot and is prone to being overwhelmed at times if not careful, but it still helps ease the pressure on the rest of the team when checking threats.
B -> B-Wellspring remaining legal kinda keeps it from being worse imo but it's still just not a very good pokemon. Awkward to fit as a result of the limited defensive utility it offers, and needing CB to reliably revenge kill targets forces it into a prediction game that can easy cost a lot of momentum if the Rilla guesses wrong and this can happen often with many teams naturally equipped to handle it well.. Mono grass is just not a desirable type for an offensive threat that is so naturally slow, and it also has a nasty vulnerability to hazards which cuts into its ability to reliably switch into things it resists.
C -> C+ This one I think deserves a little more credit just because it's a Wellspring check that's got better longevity and can compress the role of a fighting type check which helps vs Great Tusk, Mega Lopunny, Urshifu-R and even to an extend Mega Medicham (especially if it clicks CC into Bulu as it comes in). It's also a solid Samurott-H check and isn't bad into Koko, even helping vs Raging Bolt who needs several boosts just to threaten it. The biggest point in Bulu's favor I think is the item flexibility between stuff like Leftovers, Rocky Helmet or even something wacky I saw a few times like Red Card to faze out CM Bolt. Definitely underexplored.
B -> B+For all the times I shat on this mon in the past, laddering with it during the suspect test I definitely have come around to appreciating it more. It's definitely not auto pilot and is prone to being overwhelmed at times if not careful, but it still helps ease the pressure on the rest of the team when checking threats.
UR -> C/C+Well well well.. Ogerpon-W stayed. Now.. It is time. You’re probably wondering.. What does msceptile do.. And I'm here to explain!. Mega Sceptile has an amazing spread of 145 speed and special attack blazing fast offensive threats like Tapu koko, Darkrai, Mega lopunny and even Zamazenta. This speed tier allows it to immediately outspeed and okho 3 out of the 4 i mentioned. Zamazenta is too bulky to okho with any move, even focus blast vs tera steel can’t okho, making damage on zama with hazards or chip very important. It has some defensive utilty from it's typing and ability, despite it's bulk. Mega Sceptile can switch into water and grass moves easily due to the 4x resist, and can even net a boost from electric attacks due to its ability. It can take advantage of a predicted electric move from Raging Bolt and threaten it back. Sadly, Mega sceptile can not take advantage of the switchin to mons like ogerpon super easily due to not ohkoing without chip. Synthesis can aid in this, as it gives scept better longevity. Now, straight offensively vs bulkier team mega sceptile does struggle a bit, it does well into ferrothorn/lando/aloma/heatran teams due to its coverage of focus blast + leaf storm hitting hard or an okho. Mega sceptile struggles vs pokemon like Slowking-Galar and AV iron Crown More specifically, making weavile an amazing partner to pursuit trap. After all this yap let's get into calcs and replays showing its use.
252 SpA Sceptile-Mega Leaf Storm vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Tapu Koko: 292-345 (103.9 - 122.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 SpA Sceptile-Mega Focus Blast vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Lopunny-Mega: 294-346 (108.4 - 127.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 SpA Sceptile-Mega Focus Blast vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Darkrai: 308-364 (109.6 - 129.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 SpA Sceptile-Mega Leaf Storm vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Ogerpon-Wellspring: 237-280 (78.7 - 93%) -- 37.5% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252 SpA Sceptile-Mega Leaf Storm vs. +1 0 HP / 4 SpD Tera Water Ogerpon-Wellspring-Tera: 318-374 (105.6 - 124.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 SpA Sceptile-Mega Focus Blast vs. 252 HP / 216 SpD Ferrothorn: 208-246 (59 - 69.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Sceptile-Mega Focus Blast vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Heatran: 196-232 (50.7 - 60.1%) -- 86.7% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Sceptile-Mega Dragon Pulse vs. 76 HP / 0 SpD Raging Bolt: 332-392 (80.9 - 95.6%) -- 56.3% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
(ik sad calc, dragon pulse sucks LOL)
252 SpA Sceptile-Mega Leaf Storm vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Zamazenta: 204-241 (52.5 - 62.1%)
252 SpA Sceptile-Mega Focus Blast vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Tera Steel Zamazenta: 250-296 (64.4 - 76.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Sceptile-Mega Focus Blast vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Lopunny-Mega: 294-346 (108.4 - 127.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 SpA Sceptile-Mega Focus Blast vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Darkrai: 308-364 (109.6 - 129.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 SpA Sceptile-Mega Leaf Storm vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Ogerpon-Wellspring: 237-280 (78.7 - 93%) -- 37.5% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252 SpA Sceptile-Mega Leaf Storm vs. +1 0 HP / 4 SpD Tera Water Ogerpon-Wellspring-Tera: 318-374 (105.6 - 124.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 SpA Sceptile-Mega Focus Blast vs. 252 HP / 216 SpD Ferrothorn: 208-246 (59 - 69.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Sceptile-Mega Focus Blast vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Heatran: 196-232 (50.7 - 60.1%) -- 86.7% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Sceptile-Mega Dragon Pulse vs. 76 HP / 0 SpD Raging Bolt: 332-392 (80.9 - 95.6%) -- 56.3% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
(ik sad calc, dragon pulse sucks LOL)
252 SpA Sceptile-Mega Leaf Storm vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Zamazenta: 204-241 (52.5 - 62.1%)
252 SpA Sceptile-Mega Focus Blast vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Tera Steel Zamazenta: 250-296 (64.4 - 76.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nationaldex-2122085569-2p71mdgrakf1rryo6yqpesonzk00hbvpw (sethy pooo) https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nationaldex-2119482298?p2 (Noobpbacon always ffs.) https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nationaldex-2105634694 (nd trio opp idk sorry ily) https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nationaldex-2121587382?p2
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nationaldex-2121579573?p2(1yr)
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nationaldex-2121579573?p2(1yr)
thebestever543
I COULD BE BANNED!
As far as shitmons go, Mscep isn’t atrocious. Admittedly after playing against it, it didn’t do much but on paper it has a lot of useful traits. Like any C tier Mon, it has its flaws. Requires moderate team support to function, really only weavile since base tar is hardly used and obviously you can’t use mega tar. I don’t think this is a huge deal, for a C tier nom this thing is as good as the rest of the pokemon there. Why not honestly.
Well well well.. Ogerpon-W stayed. Now.. It is time. You’re probably wondering.. What does msceptile do.. And I'm here to explain!. Mega Sceptile has an amazing spread of 145 speed and special attack blazing fast offensive threats like Tapu koko, Darkrai, Mega lopunny and even Zamazenta. This speed tier allows it to immediately outspeed and okho 3 out of the 4 i mentioned. Zamazenta is too bulky to okho with any move, even focus blast vs tera steel can’t okho, making damage on zama with hazards or chip very important. It has some defensive utilty from it's typing and ability, despite it's bulk. Mega Sceptile can switch into water and grass moves easily due to the 4x resist, and can even net a boost from electric attacks due to its ability. It can take advantage of a predicted electric move from Raging Bolt and threaten it back. Sadly, Mega sceptile can not take advantage of the switchin to mons like ogerpon super easily due to not ohkoing without chip. Synthesis can aid in this, as it gives scept better longevity. Now, straight offensively vs bulkier team mega sceptile does struggle a bit, it does well into ferrothorn/lando/aloma/heatran teams due to its coverage of focus blast + leaf storm hitting hard or an okho. Mega sceptile struggles vs pokemon like Slowking-Galar and AV iron Crown More specifically, making weavile an amazing partner to pursuit trap. After all this yap let's get into calcs and replays showing its use.
252 SpA Sceptile-Mega Leaf Storm vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Tapu Koko: 292-345 (103.9 - 122.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 SpA Sceptile-Mega Focus Blast vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Lopunny-Mega: 294-346 (108.4 - 127.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 SpA Sceptile-Mega Focus Blast vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Darkrai: 308-364 (109.6 - 129.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 SpA Sceptile-Mega Leaf Storm vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Ogerpon-Wellspring: 237-280 (78.7 - 93%) -- 37.5% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252 SpA Sceptile-Mega Leaf Storm vs. +1 0 HP / 4 SpD Tera Water Ogerpon-Wellspring-Tera: 318-374 (105.6 - 124.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 SpA Sceptile-Mega Focus Blast vs. 252 HP / 216 SpD Ferrothorn: 208-246 (59 - 69.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Sceptile-Mega Focus Blast vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Heatran: 196-232 (50.7 - 60.1%) -- 86.7% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Sceptile-Mega Dragon Pulse vs. 76 HP / 0 SpD Raging Bolt: 332-392 (80.9 - 95.6%) -- 56.3% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
(ik sad calc, dragon pulse sucks LOL)
252 SpA Sceptile-Mega Leaf Storm vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Zamazenta: 204-241 (52.5 - 62.1%)
252 SpA Sceptile-Mega Focus Blast vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Tera Steel Zamazenta: 250-296 (64.4 - 76.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nationaldex-2122085569-2p71mdgrakf1rryo6yqpesonzk00hbvpw (sethy pooo) https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nationaldex-2119482298?p2 (Noobpbacon always ffs.) https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nationaldex-2105634694 (nd trio opp idk sorry ily) https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nationaldex-2121587382?p2
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nationaldex-2121579573?p2(1yr)
I wanted to put Blissey on the sheet but had to nominate it, so here it is.
UR -> C
Infamously used on the Chinese Stall sample, Blissey functions as a special wall or check to mostly any specially offensive Pokemon you can think of; that can't take advantage of it of course. Feel like this is long overdue and I don't need to dive into much about it since people who play this tier should know what it does and how it functions. :>
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen9nationaldex-761135
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nationaldex-2089169859-jjfnlzh6t9o0fk5qrwvnkrnzngr3ti8pw
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen9nationaldex-758457
UR -> C
Infamously used on the Chinese Stall sample, Blissey functions as a special wall or check to mostly any specially offensive Pokemon you can think of; that can't take advantage of it of course. Feel like this is long overdue and I don't need to dive into much about it since people who play this tier should know what it does and how it functions. :>
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen9nationaldex-761135
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nationaldex-2089169859-jjfnlzh6t9o0fk5qrwvnkrnzngr3ti8pw
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen9nationaldex-758457
Hey all, I wanted to talk about a mon I feel has a genuine niche in the tier and not just some random mon I’m biased towards. Well, there is some bias, but it is formulated off of things I’ve seen. I want to nominate this guy to VR:
UR > C-/C
This may seem a little weird since this is usually a mon seen in current gen ou, but after hearing about it from people in US South I decided to look into it further and give it a whirl. Primarina has some cool niches that separate it from other waters and gives it a more defined niche than what was thought of in the past. Let’s get into the juicy stuff, shall we?
Primarina’s role in NDOU
Now, what is exactly IS its niche? Well, for starters, it has a really good typing in Water / Fairy, which has applications offensively and defensively. Defensively, this gives Primarina a role on offensive teams as a check to Pokémon like heatran, Zamazenta, and Darkrai, Pokemon that offensive teams usually lack good resists into. Of course it’s not a hard stop into them, but it does provide more wiggle room against them. Offensively, I would like to point to some of the main fairy resists in the tier. Think of Pokemon like Heatran, Glowking, Corviknight, Ferrothorn, Mega Scizor, and look how they interact with Primarina. Slowking and Ferrothorn can be taken advantage of with Tera and just how surprisingly hard Primarina hits. Corviknight and Mega Scizor don’t like taking Hydro Pumps either and also are taken advantage of further with Tera. As for the types of teams Primarina fits on, it’s surprisingly fitting on more offense teams like in regular OU. Maybe some Bulky Calm Mind sets or heck even encore (to lock mons like Ferro. corv, and pex into unfavorable moves while also doing great into disrupting bulkier structures in general) can be used on balance, but my personal favorite uses of Primarina have been more offense geared. Prima is also an enabler of certain wincons as well. Because of how hard it hits, Primarina can dent certain Pokemon like Ferrothorn and Corviknight so Pokemon like Raging Bolt, Encore Iron Valiant, and Mega Scizor sweep easier. Primarina isn’t supposed to be the main wincon into a team; it’s only supposed to break and trade against an opposing team so certain wincons can clean up. It’s typing further allows it to do well in this role as well.
Primarina’s tools and sets
Well, to even talk about an unranked mon that hasn’t really been discussed before, we need to show what sets and tools it has to offer. Let’s go from the more niche sets to the better ones:
Primarina @ Assault Vest
Ability: Torrent
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 252 HP / 80 SpA / 176 Spe
Modest Nature
- Scald
- Moonblast
- Flip Turn
- Psychic Noise
This set feels like the most niche to me, but I can see its uses. Most offensive teams don’t really have good checks to Heatran, Darkrai, Zamazenta, and Iron Valiant. This set not only serves as a stopgap into them but also is able to pivot in revenge killers on them, which is an excellent trait for offense teams. This spread makes Prima able to take hits well while also outspeeding max speed mmaw. A great defensive typing, the ability to act as a stopgap into certain Pokémon, and the ability to pivot in Wallbreakers like Mmedi and Darkrai into Pokemon like Glowking and Ferrothorn gives this set its niche. Tera steel also helps into lele and koko.
Primarina @ Leftovers / Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Torrent / Liquid Voice
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 248 HP / 84 SpA / 176 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Psychic Noise / Substitute / Encore
- Scald
- Draining Kiss / Moonblast
This set is a more bulky approach to a calm mind variant, being able to set up on similar mons mentioned above in conjunction with Tera to do well into Pokemon like Slowking Galar, Tapu lele, and even some weakened Ferrothorn. The bulk investment also allows Prima to use its typing to help it set up easier. Draining kiss gives it more longevity, but moonblast is another option for a stronger Fairy stab if you so desire. Psychic Noise can be used with either torrent or Liquid voice, being a really good move in general boosted by stab if using lvoice on top of it hitting pex if you are torrent. Substitute eases prediction against some switches and generally gives it an easier time to setup on Pokemon like Garganacl, Clefable, and Glowking. Encore is niche but can help for the niche I explained earlier along with again giving it more opportunity to setup and the albeit niche ability to do well into sucker mmaw. Encore is also just a generally good move to have. Leftovers helps give Primarina more longevity and is usually preferred, but there is definitely potential in Heavy Duty Boots, as Primarina doesn’t like hazards and it can give it some more opportunities to come in. Tera steel is generally good defensive type while also letting it set up on Glowking and lele while also paving the way for it to seriously chunk Ferrothorn for teammates that don’t like it.
Primarina @ Custap Berry / Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Substitute / Psychic Noise
- Hydro Pump
- Calm Mind
- Moonblast
This, in my opinion, is the best Primarina set. This set has insane trading capabilities on top of its already good traits mentioned above. This set breaks and trades like crazy into Balances lacking pex (so a lot of gking balances) and lando offenses, being able to trade at least around 2-3 mons against those structures if played correctly. This set fits mainly on Hyper offense teams, which like how it paves the way for sweepers like Mega Scizor and Iron Valiant to clean teams much easier. It’s not completely dead weight into offense either; with good defensive typing and a custap berry, you are able to trade with at least SOMETHING on those structures. Psychic noise is an option as well to allow Primarina to break through Toxapex as well as dismantle bulkier teams easier so other teammates can win easier. Leftovers is an option to give Primarina more longevity as well as pairing well with substitute, but my personal favorite item is custap berry, a normally niche item which allows Prima to really trade effectively while also pairing well with torrent. You prefer hydro pump for its power, but you could also consider scald or surf for its consistency into Tera steel Idbp Zama, although I don’t really recommend that since you can still trade with it in most scenarios. The EVs are max speed so you can outspeed uninvested lando.
Primarina and its teammates
Primarina may have a niche on its own, but in my opinion you can never truly rank a mon correctly without seeing what teammates work well with it and if it’s actually buildable. A great teammate is Lando due to its ability to pivot on electric moves from Pokémon like Raging Bolt, thus making it easier to outplay, while also providing other useful support options. Toxic to weaken offensive checks, Taunt to make breaking a little easier while denying hazards that Prima doesn’t like, being able to use intimidate to make Prima able to take hits from shifu and Weav better, and U turn to pivot in Prima safely. Lando is very common on offensive teams, so this isn’t a large commitment or ask either. On Offensive Calm mind, where Prima fits on hyper offense teams, Iron Valiant is a good teammate because of the ability for both to overwhelm each other’s checks, and this especially applies to encore shadow ball variants of Ival. Raging Bolt is also a good teammate, taking advantage of Toxapex while also checking waterpon. In return, Prima makes playing around grounds and steels like heatran and ting Lu much easier on top of weakening Ferro and Mtar so bolt has a much easier time winning a game. A good defensive backbone for Bulky calm mind and av sets is also appreciated because of its frailty on the physical side and struggles into Offense. These Pokémon can consist of Pokemon like Ferrothorn, Heatran, Gking, and lando. The av set’s main niche in my opinion is gaining momentum for certain breakers, so breakers like Mega Medicham and Weavile that like coming in on Gking, Ferro, and Iron Crown are good partners. Primarina also very much struggles in an Ogerpon-W meta, so Pokemon like Raging Bolt, Rillaboom, and dragonite make for good partners as well.
Primarina VS. It’s competition; why use it over them?
We need to go over this argument because at first glance Prima has no use over its fellow Water type brethren. What is the use in using a mon if it’s niches are outshined? Well for starters, let’s look at a mon you will most obviously look at and think “isn’t this just Primarina but better?”; Tapu Fini. Primarina’s niche over Fini is actually quite easy to explain. Simply, it hits harder and trades better! Prima has 31 spatk points over Fini which makes it much more efficient in breaking down teams. Torrent gives Primarina stupid trading capabilities and is furthered by the custap berry. Liquid voice and psychic noise is also another niche over Fini, giving Prima the ability to deny recovery which is super nice. There are also other offensive waters besides Ogerpon W (which I will get into later) that also compete with Prima, such as shifu and hsam. However, they don’t have Primarina’s Fairy typing and torrent, which gives Prima more setup opportunities as well as arguably better offensive and trading capabilities. Psychic noise is also an obvious niche over them. Ogerpon-W is a stiff contender for a water type breaker, but Prima has the ability to hold items that enhance its abilities further while also having better defensive typing. Does this mean Prima is better than them? By no means, as most of them have more defined niches over Prima, but there are yet still some reasons to use Prima over them. I would also like to mention that Prima has actually been considered for tour games before by actually good players. One example is Pdt, who brought Prima in World Cup, and Velvet, who brought Prima a couple times in winter seasonal. Although it may not have done THAT much in those games, it still shows good players have seen and defined its niche potential.
Some of Primarina’s calcs
+1 252+ SpA Primarina Hydro Pump vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Slowking-Galar: 195-231 (49.4 - 58.6%) -- 98.8% chance to 2HKO - want gking as a check? Not anymore! Tera furthers this calc’s effectiveness too.
+1 252+ SpA Primarina Moonblast vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Ogerpon-Wellspring: 258-304 (85.7 - 100.9%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO - allows you to trade with pon with Tera if the opposing pon hasn’t tera’d themselves. If they do Tera, then it opens up Pokemon like raging bolt and Rillaboom to be able to revenge kill.
252 SpA Choice Specs Iron Valiant Moonblast vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Assault Vest Primarina: 129-153 (35.4 - 42%) -- guaranteed 3HKO - allows Prima to be a stopgap into ival as mentioned before.
Primarina in action!
Here are some replays of Primarina doing what it needs to do really. Although it’s not sweeping entire teams, these replays show that it’s niche can work in practice.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nationaldex-2127923087-ve4p2pvcth5lflj4ydt6xu1dg95k3ujpw?p2 here is Primarina breaking a gking balance build, ko’ing 3 mons (4 if I didn’t misplay) and weakening corv so encore ival could clean.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nationaldex-2128999326-kqmqmf2oguff9goxzbb6x32f0tfsi3ypw replay of prima trading against zama, an issue for most offense teams.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nationaldex-2129073989-j5c4zqvid9sna69raz7j0phzs411opppw replay of, like oculars said, breaking gking so ival could clean and neutralizing pon by making it Tera early and prone to tclap from bolt. This build is also more standard, showing Prima can do well against popular archetypes.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nationaldex-2129667207-vg8dcuebe71i2z5dmigj0smzt0o2jy3pw Replay of bulky cm Prima doing nicely into a balance build, using Tera to setup on lele and being a safe switchin into shifu. It also ko’d around 3 mons, essentially winning the game from there. It also made lele lock into focus blast to not get setup on by prima, allowing it to be exploited easier.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nationaldex-2129692123-g960qos4fna299svmiuoh3ubbudl4ejpw Another replay of prima neutralizing Zama as a threat.
…And that’s all! I hope I was able to make a coherent post about a mon I think has a genuine niche in the tier.
UR > C-/CThis may seem a little weird since this is usually a mon seen in current gen ou, but after hearing about it from people in US South I decided to look into it further and give it a whirl. Primarina has some cool niches that separate it from other waters and gives it a more defined niche than what was thought of in the past. Let’s get into the juicy stuff, shall we?
Primarina’s role in NDOU
Now, what is exactly IS its niche? Well, for starters, it has a really good typing in Water / Fairy, which has applications offensively and defensively. Defensively, this gives Primarina a role on offensive teams as a check to Pokémon like heatran, Zamazenta, and Darkrai, Pokemon that offensive teams usually lack good resists into. Of course it’s not a hard stop into them, but it does provide more wiggle room against them. Offensively, I would like to point to some of the main fairy resists in the tier. Think of Pokemon like Heatran, Glowking, Corviknight, Ferrothorn, Mega Scizor, and look how they interact with Primarina. Slowking and Ferrothorn can be taken advantage of with Tera and just how surprisingly hard Primarina hits. Corviknight and Mega Scizor don’t like taking Hydro Pumps either and also are taken advantage of further with Tera. As for the types of teams Primarina fits on, it’s surprisingly fitting on more offense teams like in regular OU. Maybe some Bulky Calm Mind sets or heck even encore (to lock mons like Ferro. corv, and pex into unfavorable moves while also doing great into disrupting bulkier structures in general) can be used on balance, but my personal favorite uses of Primarina have been more offense geared. Prima is also an enabler of certain wincons as well. Because of how hard it hits, Primarina can dent certain Pokemon like Ferrothorn and Corviknight so Pokemon like Raging Bolt, Encore Iron Valiant, and Mega Scizor sweep easier. Primarina isn’t supposed to be the main wincon into a team; it’s only supposed to break and trade against an opposing team so certain wincons can clean up. It’s typing further allows it to do well in this role as well.
Primarina’s tools and sets
Well, to even talk about an unranked mon that hasn’t really been discussed before, we need to show what sets and tools it has to offer. Let’s go from the more niche sets to the better ones:
Primarina @ Assault Vest
Ability: Torrent
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 252 HP / 80 SpA / 176 Spe
Modest Nature
- Scald
- Moonblast
- Flip Turn
- Psychic Noise
This set feels like the most niche to me, but I can see its uses. Most offensive teams don’t really have good checks to Heatran, Darkrai, Zamazenta, and Iron Valiant. This set not only serves as a stopgap into them but also is able to pivot in revenge killers on them, which is an excellent trait for offense teams. This spread makes Prima able to take hits well while also outspeeding max speed mmaw. A great defensive typing, the ability to act as a stopgap into certain Pokémon, and the ability to pivot in Wallbreakers like Mmedi and Darkrai into Pokemon like Glowking and Ferrothorn gives this set its niche. Tera steel also helps into lele and koko.
Primarina @ Leftovers / Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Torrent / Liquid Voice
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 248 HP / 84 SpA / 176 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Psychic Noise / Substitute / Encore
- Scald
- Draining Kiss / Moonblast
This set is a more bulky approach to a calm mind variant, being able to set up on similar mons mentioned above in conjunction with Tera to do well into Pokemon like Slowking Galar, Tapu lele, and even some weakened Ferrothorn. The bulk investment also allows Prima to use its typing to help it set up easier. Draining kiss gives it more longevity, but moonblast is another option for a stronger Fairy stab if you so desire. Psychic Noise can be used with either torrent or Liquid voice, being a really good move in general boosted by stab if using lvoice on top of it hitting pex if you are torrent. Substitute eases prediction against some switches and generally gives it an easier time to setup on Pokemon like Garganacl, Clefable, and Glowking. Encore is niche but can help for the niche I explained earlier along with again giving it more opportunity to setup and the albeit niche ability to do well into sucker mmaw. Encore is also just a generally good move to have. Leftovers helps give Primarina more longevity and is usually preferred, but there is definitely potential in Heavy Duty Boots, as Primarina doesn’t like hazards and it can give it some more opportunities to come in. Tera steel is generally good defensive type while also letting it set up on Glowking and lele while also paving the way for it to seriously chunk Ferrothorn for teammates that don’t like it.
Primarina @ Custap Berry / Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Substitute / Psychic Noise
- Hydro Pump
- Calm Mind
- Moonblast
This, in my opinion, is the best Primarina set. This set has insane trading capabilities on top of its already good traits mentioned above. This set breaks and trades like crazy into Balances lacking pex (so a lot of gking balances) and lando offenses, being able to trade at least around 2-3 mons against those structures if played correctly. This set fits mainly on Hyper offense teams, which like how it paves the way for sweepers like Mega Scizor and Iron Valiant to clean teams much easier. It’s not completely dead weight into offense either; with good defensive typing and a custap berry, you are able to trade with at least SOMETHING on those structures. Psychic noise is an option as well to allow Primarina to break through Toxapex as well as dismantle bulkier teams easier so other teammates can win easier. Leftovers is an option to give Primarina more longevity as well as pairing well with substitute, but my personal favorite item is custap berry, a normally niche item which allows Prima to really trade effectively while also pairing well with torrent. You prefer hydro pump for its power, but you could also consider scald or surf for its consistency into Tera steel Idbp Zama, although I don’t really recommend that since you can still trade with it in most scenarios. The EVs are max speed so you can outspeed uninvested lando.
Primarina and its teammates
Primarina may have a niche on its own, but in my opinion you can never truly rank a mon correctly without seeing what teammates work well with it and if it’s actually buildable. A great teammate is Lando due to its ability to pivot on electric moves from Pokémon like Raging Bolt, thus making it easier to outplay, while also providing other useful support options. Toxic to weaken offensive checks, Taunt to make breaking a little easier while denying hazards that Prima doesn’t like, being able to use intimidate to make Prima able to take hits from shifu and Weav better, and U turn to pivot in Prima safely. Lando is very common on offensive teams, so this isn’t a large commitment or ask either. On Offensive Calm mind, where Prima fits on hyper offense teams, Iron Valiant is a good teammate because of the ability for both to overwhelm each other’s checks, and this especially applies to encore shadow ball variants of Ival. Raging Bolt is also a good teammate, taking advantage of Toxapex while also checking waterpon. In return, Prima makes playing around grounds and steels like heatran and ting Lu much easier on top of weakening Ferro and Mtar so bolt has a much easier time winning a game. A good defensive backbone for Bulky calm mind and av sets is also appreciated because of its frailty on the physical side and struggles into Offense. These Pokémon can consist of Pokemon like Ferrothorn, Heatran, Gking, and lando. The av set’s main niche in my opinion is gaining momentum for certain breakers, so breakers like Mega Medicham and Weavile that like coming in on Gking, Ferro, and Iron Crown are good partners. Primarina also very much struggles in an Ogerpon-W meta, so Pokemon like Raging Bolt, Rillaboom, and dragonite make for good partners as well.
Primarina VS. It’s competition; why use it over them?
We need to go over this argument because at first glance Prima has no use over its fellow Water type brethren. What is the use in using a mon if it’s niches are outshined? Well for starters, let’s look at a mon you will most obviously look at and think “isn’t this just Primarina but better?”; Tapu Fini. Primarina’s niche over Fini is actually quite easy to explain. Simply, it hits harder and trades better! Prima has 31 spatk points over Fini which makes it much more efficient in breaking down teams. Torrent gives Primarina stupid trading capabilities and is furthered by the custap berry. Liquid voice and psychic noise is also another niche over Fini, giving Prima the ability to deny recovery which is super nice. There are also other offensive waters besides Ogerpon W (which I will get into later) that also compete with Prima, such as shifu and hsam. However, they don’t have Primarina’s Fairy typing and torrent, which gives Prima more setup opportunities as well as arguably better offensive and trading capabilities. Psychic noise is also an obvious niche over them. Ogerpon-W is a stiff contender for a water type breaker, but Prima has the ability to hold items that enhance its abilities further while also having better defensive typing. Does this mean Prima is better than them? By no means, as most of them have more defined niches over Prima, but there are yet still some reasons to use Prima over them. I would also like to mention that Prima has actually been considered for tour games before by actually good players. One example is Pdt, who brought Prima in World Cup, and Velvet, who brought Prima a couple times in winter seasonal. Although it may not have done THAT much in those games, it still shows good players have seen and defined its niche potential.
Some of Primarina’s calcs
+1 252+ SpA Primarina Hydro Pump vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Slowking-Galar: 195-231 (49.4 - 58.6%) -- 98.8% chance to 2HKO - want gking as a check? Not anymore! Tera furthers this calc’s effectiveness too.
+1 252+ SpA Primarina Moonblast vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Ogerpon-Wellspring: 258-304 (85.7 - 100.9%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO - allows you to trade with pon with Tera if the opposing pon hasn’t tera’d themselves. If they do Tera, then it opens up Pokemon like raging bolt and Rillaboom to be able to revenge kill.
252 SpA Choice Specs Iron Valiant Moonblast vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Assault Vest Primarina: 129-153 (35.4 - 42%) -- guaranteed 3HKO - allows Prima to be a stopgap into ival as mentioned before.
Primarina in action!
Here are some replays of Primarina doing what it needs to do really. Although it’s not sweeping entire teams, these replays show that it’s niche can work in practice.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nationaldex-2127923087-ve4p2pvcth5lflj4ydt6xu1dg95k3ujpw?p2 here is Primarina breaking a gking balance build, ko’ing 3 mons (4 if I didn’t misplay) and weakening corv so encore ival could clean.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nationaldex-2128999326-kqmqmf2oguff9goxzbb6x32f0tfsi3ypw replay of prima trading against zama, an issue for most offense teams.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nationaldex-2129073989-j5c4zqvid9sna69raz7j0phzs411opppw replay of, like oculars said, breaking gking so ival could clean and neutralizing pon by making it Tera early and prone to tclap from bolt. This build is also more standard, showing Prima can do well against popular archetypes.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nationaldex-2129667207-vg8dcuebe71i2z5dmigj0smzt0o2jy3pw Replay of bulky cm Prima doing nicely into a balance build, using Tera to setup on lele and being a safe switchin into shifu. It also ko’d around 3 mons, essentially winning the game from there. It also made lele lock into focus blast to not get setup on by prima, allowing it to be exploited easier.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9nationaldex-2129692123-g960qos4fna299svmiuoh3ubbudl4ejpw Another replay of prima neutralizing Zama as a threat.
…And that’s all! I hope I was able to make a coherent post about a mon I think has a genuine niche in the tier.
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Hello hello, VR update here and apparently a pessimistic one with quite a few drops and a more moderate number of rises.
As always, here's the voting doc and do let us know your thoughts and opinions. It was nice to see a lot of nominations up from UR this time around even if they didn't all make the cut. Quite a few of the weirder low rank mons got cleared out in this update. I arguably see that as a positive sign for the meta. I don't feel that a stable metagame should require resorting to those kinds of teambuilding picks too often although they may still retain some level of viability lower than that of a proper ranking. Just my take on it anyway, thanks for reading!
Code:
New:
Blissey: UR -> C
Primarina: UR -> C-
Rises:
Landorus-Therian: S- -> S
Darkrai: A -> A+
Gouging Fire: A- -> A
Medicham-Mega: A- -> A
Archaludon: B+ -> A-
Iron Crown: B+ -> A-
Swampert-Mega: B+ -> A-
Ogerpon-Cornerstone: B -> B+
Ursaluna: B -> B+
Tangrowth: C- -> C+
Drops:
Garganacl: A -> B+
Iron Valiant: A -> A-
Mawile-Mega: A -> A-
Scizor-Mega: A -> A-
Rotom-Wash: B+ -> B
Ting Lu: B+ -> B
Iron Boulder: B -> B-
Manaphy: B -> C+
Meowscarada: B -> B-
Skeledirge: B -> B-
Venusaur-Mega: B -> B-
Ceruledge: B- -> C+
Excadrill: B- -> C+
Greninja-Ash: C+ -> C
Gyarados-Mega: C+ -> C-
Skarmory: C+ -> C
Victini: C+ -> C
Charizard-Mega-X: C -> C-
Cresselia: C -> C-
Enamorus: C -> C-
Aegislash: C- -> UR
Amoonguss: C- -> UR
Buzzwole: C- -> UR
Gastrodon: C- -> UR
Jirachi: C- -> UR
Kingdra: C- -> UR
Ninetales-Alola: C- -> URAs always, here's the voting doc and do let us know your thoughts and opinions. It was nice to see a lot of nominations up from UR this time around even if they didn't all make the cut. Quite a few of the weirder low rank mons got cleared out in this update. I arguably see that as a positive sign for the meta. I don't feel that a stable metagame should require resorting to those kinds of teambuilding picks too often although they may still retain some level of viability lower than that of a proper ranking. Just my take on it anyway, thanks for reading!
where are all the naysayers now
Anyways,
. What's it doing so high up there? It's going to break itself into two. This thing is not nearly as splashable as Iron Valiant or Mega Diancie nor is it required on Rain, the playstyle which brought it so high. I used to be a believer, but now I think it's worthy of just B or B+ tier as it was.Archaludon while not required on rain, is a powerful presence there. It doesn't have to be splashable when the playstyle it does fit on, it's very good there. It's not the easiest pokemon to handle once it gets going. It also brings really useful defensive utility to rain not unlike another steel like Ferrothorn, but comes as being a more aggressive and offensive presence. That's just my two cents though.Anyways,