Resource BW PU Viability Ranking Thread

Status
Not open for further replies.
Just a heads up for everyone here; it has recently come into my observation that the Pokemon that received tier drops during the last shift from RU to NU (Jynx, Scolipede, Primeape, Munchlax) are usable into the PU ladder for the time being due to technical difficulties. This, however, will have no bearing towards how it will affect the PU Viability Rankings, so please avoid discussion that involves any of those Pokemon that are technically not PU for the time being.

Anyways, here's a few updates:

  • Regarding the possible placement(s) for Throh: While I haven't had sufficient testing in comparison of that to the original proposal, I think regulating its placing into A-rank sounds like a good possibility, however I'm not completely sure about this as there has been some debate about B-rank being a well-rounded spot for Throh as well. I also should note how he seems to disregard counters as something that can 2HKO Throh (which is evidenced by the fact that he has have recently stated that Duosion isn't a counter). That is simply not always the case. Either way, we should take note that Throh's overall bulk allows it to check and/or gain setup opportunities to a plethora of offensive and defensive threats alike, allowing it to function as a great pivot for a need of a solid way of Phazing while functioning as one of the best bulky setup sweepers in the tier. Despite this, however, Throh does its setbacks; Some of the most prominent offensive threats in the tier tends to either wear it down considerably or carry some sort of coverage move that deal massive damage to it (Jumpluff, Swanna, Beheyeem, Mantine), most teams generally utilizes Psychic-types that gives it lackluster opportunities to safely heal, and it generally has a lot of bad cases of 4MSS, which can hinder its ability to perform specific roles that best fits in a metagame where Psychic types tend to run rampant. It's also not very strong without several boosts or unless Guts is activated, meaning that it requires a lot of painstaking support to deal with its checks and counters. Either way, I'm not denying any possibilities as to what rank that it should be going. I would like to see more elaboration here before I make things official here.

  • Gastly has been listed to Untested-Rank.
  • Meditite has been listed to Untested-Rank.
  • Pupitar has been listed to Untested-Rank.
  • Yanma has been listed to Untested-Rank.
    The following Pokemon are pending for more discussion: Luxray.
Click to expand...

Feel free to discuss.
 
Pupitar is an interesting Pokemon. In pu it functions like dragonair, dragon dance + resto/shed skin with edge quake. But it is not outclassed because of its great stab coverage, hitting most of the tier for neutral damage. It also has higher defenses and equal attack. The lower speed does hinder it but if you get enough dances up it can easily sweep. I has a lot of weaknesses so it is hard to set up. I think it should be d-rank.

Yamna is a glass cannon so it doesn't want take hits especially with its horrible defensive typing and the 4x weakness to rocks really hurts him. But he does have good coverage, decent sp attack and two great abilites. You probably want speed boost unless you want hypnosis but I have swept a team with specs bug buzz but that was a terrible team. If it got a boosting move it would be a lot better. Still, I think it is also d-rank
 
Figured I'd try my hand at a few writeups

45.png
Vileplume:
Vileplume has many great things going for it in the metagame. Thanks to its good bulk and useful resistances to things such as Fighting, Electric, and Water attacks, it can serve as a useful pivot on offensive teams with its Life Orb Pivot set. It's no slouch offensively either thanks to its Base 100 Special Attack allowing it to dent things that might think they can safely switch in. It can also utilize a defensive set to great effect thanks to supporting moves such as Aromatherapy and Sleep Powder. While there are Pokemon with similar typing in the tier such as Victreebel, Vileplume's superior bulk and useful ability allow it to set itself apart from these options. Although Vileplume has a poor Speed stat and its movepool isn't very large, it can easily find success in the metagame and support the team when utilized to its strengths.
479-frost.png
Rotom-F:
Rotom-F is a deadly offensive Pokemon in the tier, and one that every team should be prepared for thanks to its combination of great stats and stellar coverage. It has multiple viable sets, all of which are great in their roles. When equipped with a Choice Scarf, it becomes one of the premier revenge killers in the tier with BoltBeam coverage to hit anything that will try and switch in hard, as well as getting Volt Switch to maintain offensive momentum and Trick to cripple defensive Pokemon. It also gets the jump on the important base 85 speed tier, meaning that it can easily dispatch key threats such as Choice Scarf Golduck. It can also use a SubSplit set to great effect to allow it to shield itself from damage and status to hit hard from behind a sub, with Pain Split allowing it to keep its HP high and muscle past things that could take its hits.
256.png
Combusken:
With its good Special Attack, great offensive coverage, and excellent ability, Combusken is one of the premier Special sweepers in the tier. While base 85 Special Attack isn't too high, it is easily remedied with a Life Orb in conjunction with Combusken's high powered STABs. Also, Combusken's poor base 55 Speed is also fixed thanks to its ability Speed Boost which grants it a +1 to its Speed at the end of every turn, transforming Combusken from slow to blazing fast in little time. In addition, not many things in the tier enjoy switching into one of its attacks, especially with hazards support. All of these combine to make Combusken a fearsome sweeper, since once it gets going it can be very difficult to stop. However, not everything is good for Combusken. Its STABs can be unreliable with accuracies of 85% and 70%. Also, Combusken is very frail, which makes it susceptible to priority moves that can circumvent its Speed boosts.
 
After a little bit of trying out random stuff, there are a few things I would like to see moved to Untested-rank, namely a few NFEs that I've found to be decent at hazard control.

Anorith: Anorith is definitely one of the better spinners in this tier. Not only can it set up Stealth Rock while spinning at the same time, but it also has a great base 95 Atk stat and a usable base 75 Spe stat. It doesn't get past Frillish very easily, but Rock Blast let's it run right through Lampent and Shedinja, and Banette can be beaten with a little prior damage.

Kabuto: I've found Kabuto to be not quite as consistent as Anorith, but it does have a couple of advantages. For one thing, Kabuto actually has pretty good physical bulk with the Eviolite factored in. It also still carries a decent base 80 Atk stat, and more importantly, it has useful priority in Aqua Jet. This lets it pick off a weakened Combusken and such, which is a good utility to have. Too bad its best Rock STAB is Rock Slide.

Staryu: Staryu is another spinner that I think should be explored more. It's easily the fasted in PU, outpacing a wide variety of Pokemon with its base 85 Spe stat. Base 70 SpA is pretty weak, but it's not too bad considering you're working with pretty powerful moves with great coverage. Staryu also has Recover, and the Eviolite gives it equivalent base 91 defenses when uninvested, so I suppose it has the potential to take a hit or two.

Pineco: I've actually used Pineco as a Sturdy + Custap user for a HO team, and it's really good at its job. It's pretty much guaranteed to get up Stealth Rock and at least one layer of Spikes, and it even doubles as a spinner should you keep it around long enough. Pain Split is also pretty cool since you can actually do a respectable amount of damage to some Pokemon with it due to Pineco's low HP stat. In fact, with minimum HP, Pineco can go from 1 HP back to full health if it uses Pain Split on an opponent with a fully invested base 108 HP stat or higher, and max speed gives it the ability to outrun Pokemon with an uninvested base 52 Spe stat and slower. The list of such Pokemon isn't huge, but I supposed it can be abused against Stunfisk, Throh, and defensive Regigigas (during Slow Start turns). If you can pull it off, this will let you recycle Sturdy and possibly use it again later for more hazards and such.

Omanyte: Omanyte definitely deserves testing as a hazard layer. Not only does it have access to all three types of entry hazards, making it a very versatile hazard layer, but it has a good base 90 SpA stat. This gives it a good amount of power behind its Scald, Ice Beam, etc. Omanyte might also have a niche as a Shell Smash user. With a boost and a Timid nature, Omanyte outspeeds even base 115s and everything slower, so it has the potential to outpace the entire unboosted metagame. If you can get Rain up, Omanyte can run a Modest nature, move some speed EVs over to HP, and still outpace even base 115 Spe Choice Scarf users. You'd probably want to stick to the hazard laying, but that could definitely deserve some testing as well.

Shelmet: I haven't actually tried Shelmet out myself, but I do think it deserves a bit of testing as well. Not only does Shelmet get Spikes, but it also has Recover and pretty good bulk factoring in the Eviolite. Unfortunately, Shelmet is very weak; defensive Shelmet fails to 2HKO 0/0 Beheeyem with Bug Buzz even after Stealth Rock, so most of your damage will probably be accumulated through the use of Toxic.

Dwebble: Dwebble is sort like Pineco in that it's a suicide Spiker with Sturdy + Custap. Unlike Pineco, however, it actually has some good moves to pose at least somewhat of an offensive threat. It also has a much higher base 55 Spe stat, which lets it outspeed plenty of slower Pokemon with full investment. Dwebble could also conceivably go with a Shell Smash set. It beats all unboosted Pokemon with an Adamant nature, and it does have a collection of high power moves to abuse. Base 65 Atk isn't great by any means, but Adamant Eviolite Dwebble's +2 X-Scissor does hit a little harder than Jolly Salamence's Life Orb-boosted Dragon Claw, which isn't half bad.

Sorry to throw all these out there at once, but PU is such a new and fresh metagame, and I think there's a lot of potential in some of these NFEs. I'll try to test these more and perhaps decide on a ranking nomination in the next few days, but I just thought I'd toss this list out there and encourage the rest of the community to test these out yourselves and see what you think.
 
Nominating Tentacool for B rank as it deserves a mention for being one of the few viable defensive spinners and toxic spikers in the tier. 40/35/100 defences means that with eviolite it has great special defencive capabilities as well as having great defencive typing. While its physical defence is lacking and has no recovery options but rest and giga drain, it makes up for these flaws with a great support move pool which includes toxic spikes, rapid spin, haze, acid spray and knock off. It can also use giga drain for recovery which seems tempting but scald is usually the better option. Is is a great special support poke despite its flaws, and really appreciates some support from a physically defencive stealth rocker. Tentacool and such pokemon make a great support core.
 
Nominating Pupitar for B-Rank. Pupitar, despite how it sounds, is an extremely effective late-game sweeper with access to the hard-hitting EdgeQuake STAB combo. Despite this great offensive typing, it has a lot of common weaknesses, most notable Grass, Ice, and Water. This severely limits Pupitar's sweeping capabilities, but it's still incredibly effective as a late game cleaner/sweeper. It's Dragon Dance boosts its speed to non-sluggish levels and its Attack to quite usable ranges. It's also entirely possible to get off multiple boosts at once, creating a perfect sweeping opportunity. It also has a semi-kinda-reliable form of recovery in the form of Rest/Shed Skin. Despite its glaring flaws, Pupitar is definitely a usable mon that can be effective with a bit of support.
 
I stand by my statement that Duosion isn't a counter. It is a check, certainly, but it can't switch into Circle Throw. (Very few things can.) If Duosion can get in for free, it can deal some pretty hefty damage. But if Throh is at full health, you can throw out Duosion and possibly force out something that Throh can safely Rest against. And if you're using a Sub-BU set, Payback can do some serious damage if Throh is either sleeping or boosted. (Or both!) If Throh is asleep, Sleep Talk has a chance to phaze it out with Circle Throw before Duosion can even attack. (And actually, Beheeyem too if it's uninvested in speed.)

I'm not saying that Throh vs. Duosion is a good situation at all for Throh, but I am saying that it's not necessarily the end of the world. Unless the Duosion is their last 'mon and can't be phazed, and even then Throh can eke out a win if he has a lot of health, some boosts, and Payback.

There is also the fact that very few things actually 2HKO the guy, even before defense boosts. One wouldn't use Alomomola as a special wall, and it's A-Rank in NU. It's less effective against special threats, but the low number of physical attackers that can reliably beat it is pretty darn impressive. (And after a few boosts, even Dodrio can't do it.)

EDIT: I'm not sure what you mean by it requiring painstaking support, AgentDell. I have Slaking for Pursuit-trapping psychic and ghost types, but most strong Pursuit users could do that. Finding a flying resist isn't too hard, either. (Lairon, Gigalith, Mawile, and Relicanth come to mind.) I've beaten even such strong special attackers as Simipour with Throh, and weaker ones still have a hard time breaking that huge HP stat.
 
How can you still stand by that statement? Of course, Throh can ''get past'' Duosion by Circle Throwing, but that doesn't mean it'll do much, as it's a 9HKO at best (7.18 - 8.38%) if you're using 0 Atk (which you should be using). Also, Duosion has Magic Guard, so phazing it around won't do much at all, as it won't take any damage from the hazards that you should be using Throh with. Payback is also a 6HKO with 0 atk. I think Throh should B-rank because while it can wall a lot of stuff and do sufficient damage back, it requires a lot of support to function correctly (Hazards support).

I'll also edit this post later to respond to some nominations.
 
I can stand by that statement because I think we have differing definitions of 'counter' as opposed to 'check'. I think it would be useful for everyone to clarify what they're talking about, since this is a semantic problem. To me, a counter is something that can always switch in and immediately force out or beat the Pokemon it counters. If Throh is awake, it can't switch in. If Throh is asleep, Sleep Talk might throw it out anyway. Even if Duosion gets in for free, an awake Throh can survive to throw it out. If Throh is asleep, it has a chance to throw it out before it even attacks. That's a little less solid than I would like to define as a counter. I'll also note that I've seen far more Regenerator Duosion than I've seen Magic Guard Duosion on the ladder, but my experiences could differ from others.

Dodrio and Swoobat, on the other hand are counters. (Though only when revenge killing, or when Throh is unlucky and sleeping.) (Dodrio only when Throh doesn't have a pile of Bulk Ups, Swoobat most of the time.) Octillery is a guaranteed counter because it can switch in, can't be forced out, can easily 2HKO, and Throh can't usually kill it before falling.

Yours and AgentDell's definitions seem to include any Pokemon that can deal significant damage to another, regardless of whether or not it can reliably beat it.
 
I've been playing PU a lot recently, and I must say that Swanna is one of the biggest threats to any team here. That's why I, controversially, nominate Swanna for S-rank.

Before you shut me down, take a second to look at the things that go for Swanna in this meta. You have a sweet 98 speed that outspeeds the majority of this tier. You have a pretty nice typing which grants it immunity to ground, resistances to a lot of priority from those that can't outspeed it (mach punch, aqua jet), and magnificent STAB moves in Surf and Hurricane. The main reason I nominate Swanna for S though, is its capability to sweep late-game with ease. RD+Surf+Hurricane+Roost @Life Orb with Hydration means it will not get worn down and Hurricane coming off a pretty good SpA is going to take out any weakened team, especially those without scarfers.

It has obvious downfalls, like Stealth Rock and frailty, but these are patched up hugely by its awesome advantages. Seriously, this guy is way too underrated and it is just so good at destroying unprepared teams. Its counters are few, the bulkier mons are capable of being 3hkod, but really don't have much to hit back with (Muk, Grumpig, etc.). Electric types also scare it away, but in all honesty there is seriously no reason NOT to run Swanna because it is that good.

I hope I did good c:
 
Throh should be B-Rank

While it is amazingly bulky physically with Bulk Up and can throw things out, it fails against something regardless. If it is physically bulky, special attackers wreck it, and some wreck it even if it is specially bulky:
252+ SpA Duosion Psychic vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Throh: 356-422 (80.18 - 95.04%) -- 6.25% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ SpA Choice Specs Analytic Beheeyem Psychic vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Throh: 492-578 (110.81 - 130.18%) -- guaranteed OHKO

As for the physically defensive ones, it is not nearly enough to wall everything, and the specially defensive sets are DEFINITELY not enough to wall physical attacks without a bulk up:
252 Atk Life Orb Dodrio Brave Bird vs. 252 HP / 252 Def Throh: 398-471 (89.63 - 106.08%) -- 68.75% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252 Atk Choice Band Fearow Drill Peck vs. 252 HP / 252 Def Throh: 270-318 (60.81 - 71.62%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252 Atk Flying Gem Jumpluff Acrobatics (110 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252 Def Throh: 276-326 (62.16 - 73.42%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock

First hit weakens, second hit kills, and all three outspeed it. Even a +1 4 Def Throh dies to two hits from any of them. Unless the opponent lets it set up and lacks a good specially offensive Pokemon, Throh isn't really that good. B-Rank
 
Menace13 said:
Throh should be B-Rank

While it is amazingly bulky physically with Bulk Up and can throw things out, it fails against something regardless. If it is physically bulky, special attackers wreck it, and some wreck it even if it is specially bulky:
252+ SpA Duosion Psychic vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Throh: 356-422 (80.18 - 95.04%) -- 6.25% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ SpA Choice Specs Analytic Beheeyem Psychic vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Throh: 492-578 (110.81 - 130.18%) -- guaranteed OHKO

As for the physically defensive ones, it is not nearly enough to wall everything, and the specially defensive sets are DEFINITELY not enough to wall physical attacks without a bulk up:
252 Atk Life Orb Dodrio Brave Bird vs. 252 HP / 252 Def Throh: 398-471 (89.63 - 106.08%) -- 68.75% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252 Atk Choice Band Fearow Drill Peck vs. 252 HP / 252 Def Throh: 270-318 (60.81 - 71.62%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252 Atk Flying Gem Jumpluff Acrobatics (110 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252 Def Throh: 276-326 (62.16 - 73.42%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock

First hit weakens, second hit kills, and all three outspeed it. Even a +1 4 Def Throh dies to two hits from any of them. Unless the opponent lets it set up and lacks a good specially offensive Pokemon, Throh isn't really that good. B-Rank
Click to expand...
You're using some weird EV spreads for this meta. Not to mention an utter lack of defensive natures taken into account, from what it looks like. In this meta, many of the powerful special attackers (Mantine, Swanna, Beheeyem) are already super effective. If you're going to use Throh, use it for what it does best: Walling physical attackers to hell and back. It can take weaker special hits, but it's not a special wall. You're downright silly if you keep Throh in against a Beheeyem (and aren't feeling lucky with Sleep Talk). You don't keep a Garchomp in against a Mamoswine, and you don't keep Alomomola in against Life Orb Zebstrika. Both of those are A-Rank in their respective tiers. Let's take a look at those physical attackers again.

Jumpluff
252 Atk Flying Gem Jumpluff Acrobatics (110 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Throh: 254-300 (57.2 - 67.56%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

That's with the Flying Gem activating. On any other turn, it only deals 38-45%.

That is no longer enough. And if Throh uses Rest on the first turn when the gem activates, Jumpluff can't really do much to stop the Bulk Up train. With a single Bulk Up, Throh walls Jumpluff. Let's give the Flying Gem back and see what happens if Throh gets a Bulk Up on the switch to Jumpluff.

252 Atk Flying Gem Jumpluff Acrobatics (110 BP) vs. +1 252 HP / 252+ Def Throh: 168-200 (37.83 - 45.04%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

Dodrio
This one is still a good solution, but your assertion that Throh can't beat it without an unreasonable number of boosts is silly. It only needs +2 to have a decent shot.

252 Atk Choice Band Dodrio Brave Bird vs. +2 252 HP / 252+ Def Throh: 210-248 (47.29 - 55.85%) -- 20.7% chance to 2HKO

Fearow
If Throh gets a Bulk Up on the switch:

252 Atk Choice Band Fearow Drill Peck vs. +1 252 HP / 252+ Def Throh: 164-194 (36.93 - 43.69%) -- 99.83% chance to 3HKO

Yep, that's right. There's a .17% chance to not even 4HKO. :naughty:

It looks like your set had a Careful nature, not Impish.
 
Sorry if this is a stupid question but why is golduck in s rank while simipour is in a rank? While golduck may have better bulk, simipour has grass knot, nasty plot, torrent and base 101 speed, enough to outpace most of the metagame. It also has slightly higher special attack. I guess golduck gets psychic but it doesn't hit a lot of relevant targets. IMO, simipour is better than golduck because it has similar coverage, better speed and the ability to sweep (yeah golduck gets cm but its base 85 speed lets it down).
 
I was pondering the same thing on the IRC a few days ago. The consensus was that Rain Dance and Swift Swim make Golduck far faster and hit pretty darn hard to boot. Simipour would be better than a Golduck without DanceSwim.
 
Golduck is one of the most versatile Pokemon in the tier. It sets a standard for Speed in the tier, with its base 85 Spe being a key tier to outpace. Its Scarf set is an excellent revenge killer, especially for the many weather sweepers of the tier, due to its decent Special Attack and Cloud Nine ability. It can run a potent Life Orb All-Out Attacking set, or a Calm Mind set meant to sweep late game. It has Encore to disrupt your opponent's set up as well, providing plenty of time for your own set up. It functions extremely well in the Rain due to Swift Swim and its excellent coverage. While Simipour may seem to be better with higher SpA and Spe, it is not as effective against the weather teams that PU contains; nor can it boast the ability to blast holes teams with a single Rain Dance. It can take advantage of its usable bulk with a bulky Calm Mind set to power through teams while with multiple boosts. With its ability to perform is so many different roles successfully, as well as being a decent defense against weather teams, Golduck is without a doubt an S-Rank Pokemon.
Click to expand...

Here's your answer. Weather mons/teams are extremely powerful in PU and Golduck neuters their weather which they rely on so much due to it's ability Cloud Nine. Also you don't know what set it is running unless it reveals it since it can be a LO all-out sweeper, a rain dance sweeper and an useful Scarfer as WhiteDMist has pointed out in the quote.
 
I also would not dismiss the bulk Golduck has. I've been running a bulky CM set and it has been working wonders for me. Even without a Choice Scarf, it outspeeds most weather sweepers naturally and hits them hard with Ice Beam/Hidden Power Electric. If you are simply going by base stats alone, I think Simipour and Golduck are still relatively equal, since Simipour lacks bulk but has the Speed and power. But abilities are the main argument for Golduck being S-Rank. BTW, Grass Knot is not really a benefit since HP Grass usually does more to its targets regardless. Not that Golduck usually bothers with HP Grass since Electric is far superior in this tier to take out Mantine.
 
Updates:

  • Audiosurfer's write-up analysis on Vileplume, Combusken, and Rotom-F has been included into the OP.
  • Throh moves to to B-rank.
  • Anorith has been included to Untested-Rank.
  • Kabuto has been included to Untested-Rank.
  • Staryu has been included to Untested-Rank.
  • Pineco has been included to Untested-Rank.
  • Omanyte has been included to Untested-Rank.
  • Shelmet has been included to Untested-Rank.
  • Dwebble has been included to Untested-Rank.

  • Regarding the possible placement(s) for Swanna: I must say, I truly love this beautiful bird's potential of onslaught into the tier, so S-rank is a good possibility here. While I do agree that Golduck currently cements a gap over Swanna in terms of advantages as to what makes it a top tier threat, Swanna is definitely the threat that can be a hassle for a lot of good teams to handle because of its un-resisted Stab that covers a variety of threats and Speed. It's also one of the more trickier Pokemon to revenge kill without a Scarf user due to its ability to work around Sucker Punchers with its SubRoost set. However, I must discuss the part of where I'm not too sure about it being placed into S-rank, though once again there's no denying any possibilities. The omnipresence of Choice Scarf users such as Rotom-F, Golduck, Simipour, and Electric-types in general does tend to give Swanna a run for the money. This also has to take account into its Stealth Rock weakness, as it does have a tendency of being forced out a lot as of result. She also has trouble breaking through a number of special walls that Golduck on the other hand can actually bypass with either SubCM or Rain Dance against threats like Audino, Muk, or Hypno. I'm currently not sold either way, and would like more discussion before a final decision. After all, ducks and sea birds are two of a kind of coolness for me.

    Keep note that due to my tendency of taking S-rank nominations a lot more seriously than others that I do expect a substantial amount of debate from players with sufficient data and facts before making decisions of that category.

    The following Pokemon are pending for more discussion: Luxray, Swanna, Tentacool.

    EDIT: WhiteDMist's Golduck analysis has been updated.
Click to expand...

Discuss.
 
I agree with Swanna being in S-rank. It is one of the best wallbreakers in the tier with its insane power under the Rain. Although it recieves competition from Golduck and Simipour, its secondary STAB and access to reliable recovery distinguish it from the rest of the tier.

Under rain, the only reliable counter to Swanna is Mantine who can be disposed of by its teammates as its lack of reliable recovery. Its speed also allows for it to outspeed almost everything in the tier barring the Simi's, Scarfers, and random threats. Its ability, Hydration, is also a major selling point of Swanna over other sweepers as it prevents Swanna from being cripple by status, especially Paralysis.

However, its 4x Electric weakness is a downside as well as its general fraility which means it's going to have a problem taking even strong neutral hits. But once Swanna gets its Rain Dance up, prepare for at least one thing to die before this big bird goes down.
 
Tentacool should be C-Rank at most imo. The only thing that makes it stand out above other Rapid Spinners is its special bulk as well as its typing, which I must say is indeed a pretty solid typing as it can take a myriad of hits from the likes of Golduck and Combusken: but most of the time, Chinchou fills that role better. It falls down quickly via strong physical attacks from the likes of Stoutland, Fraxure and the Birds with its low physical defense stat unfortuantely. Speaking of Fraxure, it can even set up a Substitute on Tentacool, using it as setup fodder. Tentacool also has Toxic Spikes, which is quite useful in this metagame, but Arbok, Vileplume, and Muk are somewhat common, while clerics are even moreso. We also all know that Tentacool is pathetically weak with its Base 50 Special Attack, meaning even frail Ghost types can take some hits. Rapid Spinners aren't good in this meta imo, and Tentacool is no exception.
 
I think Swanna is really an A Rank mon in PU right now. The downfalls that Sickweare mentions are not enough to keep it from being viable, but they are enough for it to not be an S tier threat. One of the biggest flaws is that due to its fraility and Stealth Rock weakness, it's not easy to switch in. Couple these things with LO recoil every time you attack and you end up with something that even with the aid of Roost won't be sticking around for all that long. Also, it's easy prey for one of the biggest threats in the tier right now, Rotom-F, due to being 4x weak to Electric attacks.

While it can use rain to utilize Hydration, boosted Surf and 100 accuracy Hurricane, it leaves Swanna easy pickings for any revenge killers looking to take it out such as Golduck or Rotom-F. If it chooses to use a SubRoost set, then it has to deal with shaky 70% accuracy on Hurricane as well as having its health sapped even more due to Substitute. If a Substitute isn't up, then Swanna is going to be taking a good chunk from anything that it can't OHKO or outspeed, and it usually won't find time to set up a Sub or Roost except against things that it scares out, so it will often be forced to either switch out (and take 25% SR damage on switching in again) or stay in and try to tank a hit.

Another thing against Swanna is that it faces competition from other Water types in the tier such as Golduck, Mantine and Simipour, cutting into its niche. Also, Swanna has trouble bypassing bulkier Pokemon in the tier unlike things such as Golduck which can beat Special walls. Despite all of these things, Swanna is able to do plenty of work against opposing teams, especially behind a sub, and it is still one of the premier offensive pokemon in the tier, which is why I think A rank is appropriate for it.
 
Luxray for B-Rank

Luxray has a number of good qualities: it has two amazing abilities, alright typing, massive Attack, an alright movepool (Wild Charge, Superpower, Ice Fang, Volt Switch, Crunch, Fire Fang, etc.), and the bulk to use its attack in spite of its speed. With only one weakness, it does not have to worry about being OHKO'd by most Pokémon without them setting up. Furthermore, Intimidate allows it to switch in on physical attacks as a physically defensive wall or simply as an offensive pivot. Guts, on the other hand, boasts the ability to throw Luxray's Attack even higher than it already is. With Guts, Luxray's Attack effectively reaches 558, even higher than Deoxys-A. All of these features allow Luxray to successfully fill a number of positions, and he is definitely worth testing if you need more physical presence.

Gastly for C-Rank

Gengar's youngest brother, Gastly boasts one of the fastest Disables in the PU tier. With Substitute, Gastly fixes its horrid defenses to increase its longevity. Its Special Attack allows it to remain an offensive threat while its Speed and movepool allow it to survive long enough to attack. However, Substitute doesn't solve all problems; Gastly's defenses are so paper-thin that a measly Parasect X-Scissor, uninvested, is guaranteed to break through its Substitute every time. However, with Substitute, Disable, and proper prediction, Gastly can shut down any Choice-item Pokémon or Pokémon with only one attack that can hit it. If you have trouble with bulky Choice Band and Choice Specs Pokémon, or simply want an answer to the numerous support Pokémon in PU, Gastly is here to help.
 
606.png
Beheeyem:
Meet one of the most terrifying threats in PU. At first glance, its only outstanding stat is a high base 125 Special Attack, but is coupled with average 75/75/95 defenses and low 40 Speed. Make no mistake, Beheeyem excels in threatening both offensive and defensive teams alike. It achieves this by using its ability, Analytic and decent movepool to its advantage. Against bulky opponents, Beheeyem relies on their general lack of power and retaliates with Analytic boosted attacks, powered up by either LO or Specs and can shatter most walls with Psychic, Psyshock, Thunderbolt, Signal Beam, Hidden Power, or even Nasty Plot. Against offensive teams that pack the punch to threaten Beheeyem, the space alien instead takes advantage of their speed and frailty with Trick Room, demolishing them even without the aid of Analytic thanks to its natural power. When building your team, always keep this threat in mind.

408.png
Luxray for C-Rank

Luxray is a physical Electric-type: that alone should speak volumes about its mediocrity, considering their strongest (only) STAB attack is an Electric-type Take Down (boosted Facade does more than this!).

What Luxray has going for it is power. It can hit many things hard with Wild Charge, Superpower, Crunch, Ice Fang (to an extent), and Facade, but usually needs a Guts boost to do so, meaning it has to wield a status orb. Even with the boost, it struggles with bulky Grasses like Leafeon, Vileplume and Meganium. Luxray can opt for a more defensive set to utilise Intimidate to halt Flying-types as well as Roar, but faces competition from Stunfisk in this role, who boasts greater overall bulk, Stealth Rock and even Scald.

What Luxray does not have going for is its lack of survivability and speed. In order to use Guts, you have to hold a status orb, which depletes your health each turn whether you like it or not, which drastically reduces Luxray's otherwise acceptable bulk. Luxray's lack of reliable recovery also makes its defensive set less reliable than it should be. Luxray also has no way of boosting its speed unlike Flareon or Ursaring, meaning it cannot unleash Facades to crush the majority of offensive pokes before faster hits and residual damage bring it down.
 
611.png
Fraxure

I introduce to you probably one of the most dangerous set-up sweepers in PU. Fraxure, though an NFE, is absolutely nothing to be taken lightly. With access to a monstrous base 117 Attack, Dragon-Type STAB, and a great boosting move in Dragon Dance, Fraxure is capable of leaving gaping holes in teams that lack a Steel-Type. Not even the iron behemoths are safe, as Fraxure packs Low Kick to pick off troublesome mons like Mawile and Lairon, both of which are cleanly OHKOd after a boost. Fraxure also has access to Taunt, allowing him to get free setup on hazard leads that can't do much in return. Truly, Fraxure is a fearsome beast in the PU tier, and, with the lack of viable Steel-Types, he can truly shine as an S-Rank threat.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top