OU ORAS OU Viability Rankings

S Rank
:Clefable: Clefable
:Excadrill: Excadrill

S-
:serperior: Serperior
:lopunny-mega: Lopunny-Mega
:rotom-wash: Rotom-W

A+
:alakazam-mega: Alakazam-Mega
:ferrothorn: Ferrothorn
:diancie-mega: Diancie-Mega
:gliscor: Gliscor
:altaria-mega: Altaria-Mega
:heatran: Heatran
:latias-mega: Latias-Mega

A
:magnezone: Magnezone
:weavile: Weavile
:zapdos: Zapdos
:volcarona: Volcarona
:tornadus-therian: Tornadus-T
:manaphy: Manaphy
:bisharp: Bisharp
:skarmory: Skarmory
:keldeo: Keldeo
:metagross-mega: Metagross-Mega
:tyranitar-mega: Tyranitar-Mega
:gastrodon-east: Gastrodon

A-
:tyranitar: Tyranitar
:latias: Latias
:chansey: Chansey
:volcanion: Volcanion
:gallade-mega: Gallade-Mega
:Slowbro: Slowbro
:thundurus: Thundurus
:garchomp: Garchomp
:medicham-Mega: Medicham-Mega

B+
:cofagrigus: Cofagrigus
:thundurus-therian: Thundurus-T
:venusaur-mega: Venusaur-Mega
:jellicent: Jellicent
:kyurem-black: Kyurem-B
:slowbro-mega: Slowbro-Mega
:pinsir-mega: Pinsir-Mega
:suicune: Suicune
:kyurem: Kyurem
:charizard-mega-x: Charizard-Mega-X

B
:amoonguss: Amoonguss
:azumarill: Azumarill
:talonflame: Talonflame
:hydreigon: Hydreigon
:charizard-mega-y: Charizard-Mega-Y
:quagsire: Quagsire
:mew: Mew
:cloyster: Cloyster
:landorus-therian: Landorus-T
:reuniclus: Reuniclus
:manectric-mega: Manectric-Mega
:hawlucha: Hawlucha
:gardevoir-mega: Gardevoir-Mega

B-
:ditto: Ditto
:seismitoad: Seismitoad
:breloom: Breloom
:hippowdon: Hippowdon
:alomomola: Alomomola
:Scizor-Mega: Scizor-Mega
:cresselia: Cresselia
:starmie: Starmie
:crawdaunt: Crawdaunt
:tangrowth: Tangrowth
:slowking: Slowking
:togekiss: Togekiss
:latios: Latios
:Absol-Mega: Absol-Mega
:dragonite: Dragonite
:victini: Victini
:Gyarados-Mega: Gyarados-Mega

C
:hoopa: Hoopa
:zygarde: Zygarde
:shuckle: Shuckle
:Aerodactyl-Mega: Aerodactyl-Mega
:gengar: Gengar
:jirachi: Jirachi
:uxie: Uxie
:scolipede: Scolipede
:entei: Entei
:terrakion: Terrakion
:aerodactyl: Aerodactyl
:xatu: Xatu
:Sharpedo-Mega: Sharpedo-Mega
:barbaracle: Barbaracle
:diggersby: Diggersby
:azelf: Azelf
:mamoswine: Mamoswine
:Heracross-Mega: Heracross-Mega
Id put Metagross, Keldeo Torn-t and Garchomp abit higher but otherwise i think these are the most accurate and realistic ones so far!
 
Only set
I understand that Latios fell off in the current ORAS metagame, but why is it ranked 44th?

Scarf sets are outclassed by latias which has access to healing wish and is a better switch in to mons like glisc and keld.

Only real set that sets latios apart from latias is specs. But specs can struggle to make progress against certain structures and is oftentimes a one and done breaker at best (if the opp has a ttar or weavile).

Honestly it's just hard to justify using latios on your teams
 
Last edited:
I understand that Latios fell off in the current ORAS metagame, but why is it ranked 44th?
There has been a rise in Weavile usage, it's very easy to pursuit trap it, the old LO set that is, as for Scarf set it is outclassed by Latias as mentioned by Vulpix. and It doesn't really benefit from its stabs that much either due to the S iter mons like SpD Drill and Clefable,
 
Why is venusaur so high? I mean didnt it actually fell off? It gets worn down so quick by hazards rely on synthesis etc.. AND its higher than amoongus. A mon with regen spore and has a million longevity and crucially doesnt take mega slot. Isnt venu a bad mega when metagross and lopunny and diancie exists?

Also why is m-alt not A+? Isnt dd straight up wincon vs fat and special just a brutal set to switch into?
Also what on earth is m-garde doing at B? Its quite a mid mon compared to m-diancie or alt or medicham too. It just seems not good compared to competition.
 
Why is venusaur so high? I mean didnt it actually fell off? It gets worn down so quick by hazards rely on synthesis etc.. AND its higher than amoongus. A mon with regen spore and has a million longevity and crucially doesnt take mega slot. Isnt venu a bad mega when metagross and lopunny and diancie exists?

Also why is m-alt not A+? Isnt dd straight up wincon vs fat and special just a brutal set to switch into?
Also what on earth is m-garde doing at B? Its quite a mid mon compared to m-diancie or alt or medicham too. It just seems not good compared to competition.
Mega Venusaur is a great pokemon on Stall, but there are some unique things that make it stand out like having access to Knock Off, and in a stall MU, removing leftovers from a single pokemon can save you a lot of momentum and keep the opponent on their toes.
In addition, Mega Venusaur is far more bulkier and provides better offensive pressure due to stronger Sludge Bombs.
It's also not immediately scared out by Weavile either.

It is true, Mega Venusaur has fallen off a bit because surely there are just better megas out there.
But at the same time, Amoonguss hasn't really been that good lately. Sure it spores a single pokemon but then what? It doesn't pressure as much as you want it to.
 
With the conclusion of SPL, the VR update a few months ago, as well as the ORAS representation in all sorts of unofficial tournaments, I wanted to review my VR from last year and update it. Here’s my new list, I’ll talk about some changes at the bottom.
IMG_0279.jpeg

The first major change is that I am no longer rating Tornadus as a pure S-Tier Pokemon. This sounds more drastic than it is, as it’s still comfortably top 5 in the tier, but the popularity spike of Zapdos and (to lesser extent) the Thundurus formes definitely hurts Tornadus to the point where I can’t confidently put it as number 1 where I had it ranked last year. I didn’t change Zapdos’ ranking as I had already rated it fairly high and the usage increase is clearly just a result of that :boi:.

I moved Serperior up a tier and dropped Diancie down a tier. Serperior still is one of the biggest threats in the metagame and it is not going to go anywhere. I don’t have a specific reasoning as to why it moves up aside from that it feels correct to put it there which wasn’t the case last year. I dropped Diancie a bit because I do feel that it has gotten slightly harder for it to be as massive of a threat as it was. Pokémon like Amoonguss Gastrodon and Chansey are all increasing in usage (and viability) and Diancie just kind of suffers as a result. A mega evolution like Alakazam is simply in a better spot in the current meta, benefiting from Tornadus sets changing in favor of Helmet > AV a lot of the time, as well as being able to deal with would-be checks via combinations of Calm Mind, Taunt, Encore or Recover.

A big one is Gallade moving all the way up to A tier. This is a Pokémon that I was personally quite sceptical about pre SPL, but have since become a fan of. Massively threatening to almost any Team and it is able to boost on a LOT of Pokémon that you wouldn’t expect to be able to beat if you’re unfamiliar with the calcs. This Pokémon has also caused the drop of Medicham as there are a lot of scenarios where Gallade will simply be the much better. Of course Medicham has its niches (hence it remains A-), but Gallade is a more generalist approach and should be promoted.

Many of my previously A- ranked Pokémon have made the jump to A rank (Chansey, Cofagrigus, Gastrodon, Skarmory) as they’re very well-positioned currently, and have proven themselves within SPL as well as after.

I don’t know if I’ve missed a major change that I’ve made around the top ranks, but if I did I can probably explain it :trode:
 
With the conclusion of SPL, the VR update a few months ago, as well as the ORAS representation in all sorts of unofficial tournaments, I wanted to review my VR from last year and update it. Here’s my new list, I’ll talk about some changes at the bottom.
View attachment 544846
The first major change is that I am no longer rating Tornadus as a pure S-Tier Pokemon. This sounds more drastic than it is, as it’s still comfortably top 5 in the tier, but the popularity spike of Zapdos and (to lesser extent) the Thundurus formes definitely hurts Tornadus to the point where I can’t confidently put it as number 1 where I had it ranked last year. I didn’t change Zapdos’ ranking as I had already rated it fairly high and the usage increase is clearly just a result of that :boi:.

I moved Serperior up a tier and dropped Diancie down a tier. Serperior still is one of the biggest threats in the metagame and it is not going to go anywhere. I don’t have a specific reasoning as to why it moves up aside from that it feels correct to put it there which wasn’t the case last year. I dropped Diancie a bit because I do feel that it has gotten slightly harder for it to be as massive of a threat as it was. Pokémon like Amoonguss Gastrodon and Chansey are all increasing in usage (and viability) and Diancie just kind of suffers as a result. A mega evolution like Alakazam is simply in a better spot in the current meta, benefiting from Tornadus sets changing in favor of Helmet > AV a lot of the time, as well as being able to deal with would-be checks via combinations of Calm Mind, Taunt, Encore or Recover.

A big one is Gallade moving all the way up to A tier. This is a Pokémon that I was personally quite sceptical about pre SPL, but have since become a fan of. Massively threatening to almost any Team and it is able to boost on a LOT of Pokémon that you wouldn’t expect to be able to beat if you’re unfamiliar with the calcs. This Pokémon has also caused the drop of Medicham as there are a lot of scenarios where Gallade will simply be the much better. Of course Medicham has its niches (hence it remains A-), but Gallade is a more generalist approach and should be promoted.

Many of my previously A- ranked Pokémon have made the jump to A rank (Chansey, Cofagrigus, Gastrodon, Skarmory) as they’re very well-positioned currently, and have proven themselves within SPL as well as after.

I don’t know if I’ve missed a major change that I’ve made around the top ranks, but if I did I can probably explain it :trode:
enough about mons, kpop artists ranking when?
 
I also think there's one move in particular for Gallade that's not talked about enough, and that move is Psycho Cut. It's no secret that I inherently value Pokemon that require making contact a bit lower these days, and that's because touching stuff is often a death sentence (also why I don't personally view Lop as one of The Best). Between Helmet on various things from Tornadus over Landorus to good old Tank Chomp, Static on Zapdos, and even Volc's Flame Body, there's a good chance that your Metagross/Lopunny is just gonna get screwed over, whereas Gallade has a good chance to avoid all of that, especially since Psycho Cut is pretty good coverage in general (Tornadus, Zapdos, Clef all lose coming into Swords Dance thanks to your fantastic special bulk, absolutely blasts Amoonguss, still fine coverage vs Lando/Chomp, etc...).

Yeah, being immune to Fake Out is amazing, especially since very few offensive Pokemon can even stand up to a Lop/Medi revenge kill in the first place, but that also feels like it's only scratching the surface. Not being able to be flinched by Weavile Icicle Crash or Excadrill Iron Head are absolutely enormous, especially since you can run Drain Punch to heal it all back. A lot of more offensive teams really struggle with Weavile and Excadrill as it is, having one safe "out" to both is quite nice.

Honestly, if Gallade had more of an actual defensive profile, it'd be even better. It's not really gonna straight up check things the way Mega Metagross or Mega Lopunny do via their absurd bulk/prio spam. Its defensive typing is quite awkward, it has no immunities, and any kind of status absolutely guts you. The way I see it, it's a very "selfish" Pokemon: It's definitely a one-man-army a lot of the time, and a ton of teams struggle to actually take it out, especially with Drain Punch recovery, but it's also not going to be part of your defensive backbone. I think it's still extremely underexplored because it has been consistently fantastic for me, but being a Mega Evolution that doesn't offer anything defensively is a tough pill to swallow. Think of it has a slower, bulkier, physical Mega Alakazam, I guess: It's inherently tough to build with because it has few defensive qualities, but can absolutely start cleaving through teams mid- to late-game, even with relatively little support. Even if it doesn't sweep, I think being this inherently good against Lopunny/Weavile/Excadrill, especially in a 1v1 situation, is worth a ton right now!! People should try more builds with it, feels like there's a ton of untapped potential. I think Psycho Cut and not having inaccurate moves gives Gallade unmatched game-to-game consistency as far as physical attackers go.
 
I also think there's one move in particular for Gallade that's not talked about enough, and that move is Psycho Cut. It's no secret that I inherently value Pokemon that require making contact a bit lower these days, and that's because touching stuff is often a death sentence (also why I don't personally view Lop as one of The Best). Between Helmet on various things from Tornadus over Landorus to good old Tank Chomp, Static on Zapdos, and even Volc's Flame Body, there's a good chance that your Metagross/Lopunny is just gonna get screwed over, whereas Gallade has a good chance to avoid all of that, especially since Psycho Cut is pretty good coverage in general (Tornadus, Zapdos, Clef all lose coming into Swords Dance thanks to your fantastic special bulk, absolutely blasts Amoonguss, still fine coverage vs Lando/Chomp, etc...).

Yeah, being immune to Fake Out is amazing, especially since very few offensive Pokemon can even stand up to a Lop/Medi revenge kill in the first place, but that also feels like it's only scratching the surface. Not being able to be flinched by Weavile Icicle Crash or Excadrill Iron Head are absolutely enormous, especially since you can run Drain Punch to heal it all back. A lot of more offensive teams really struggle with Weavile and Excadrill as it is, having one safe "out" to both is quite nice.

Honestly, if Gallade had more of an actual defensive profile, it'd be even better. It's not really gonna straight up check things the way Mega Metagross or Mega Lopunny do via their absurd bulk/prio spam. Its defensive typing is quite awkward, it has no immunities, and any kind of status absolutely guts you. The way I see it, it's a very "selfish" Pokemon: It's definitely a one-man-army a lot of the time, and a ton of teams struggle to actually take it out, especially with Drain Punch recovery, but it's also not going to be part of your defensive backbone. I think it's still extremely underexplored because it has been consistently fantastic for me, but being a Mega Evolution that doesn't offer anything defensively is a tough pill to swallow. Think of it has a slower, bulkier, physical Mega Alakazam, I guess: It's inherently tough to build with because it has few defensive qualities, but can absolutely start cleaving through teams mid- to late-game, even with relatively little support. Even if it doesn't sweep, I think being this inherently good against Lopunny/Weavile/Excadrill, especially in a 1v1 situation, is worth a ton right now!! People should try more builds with it, feels like there's a ton of untapped potential. I think Psycho Cut and not having inaccurate moves gives Gallade unmatched game-to-game consistency as far as physical attackers go.
Yeah good thing u mention cut because when writing, I kind of considered the Drain Punch, Psycho Cut, SD, Sneak (or filler, but I like sneak) to be the standard but I guess it should be mentioned, given that just saying “Gallade good” would probably result in an increase in Close Combat, Zen Headbutt builds, which are not the reason I moved it up in my personal VR.
 
S Rank
:clefable: Clefable

S- Rank
:excadrill: Excadrill
:serperior: Serperior
:lopunny-mega: Lopunny-Mega

A+ Rank
:rotom-wash: Rotom-W
:volcanion: Volcanion
:ferrothorn: Ferrothorn
:diancie-mega: Diancie-Mega
:volcarona: Volcarona
:heatran: Heatran
:weavile: Weavile

A Rank
:tornadus-therian: Tornadus-Therian
:alakazam-mega: Alakazam-Mega
:Manaphy: Manaphy
:tyranitar:Tyranitar
:slowbro: Slowbro
:garchomp: Garchomp
:gliscor: Gliscor
:charizard-mega-y: Charizard-Mega-Y
:thundurus: Thundurus
:zapdos: Zapdos
:metagross-mega: Metagross-Mega

A- Rank
:magnezone: Magnezone
:bisharp: Bisharp
:keldeo: Keldeo
:tyranitar-mega: Tyranitar-Mega
:landorus-therian: Landorus-Therian
:chansey: Chansey
:skarmory: Skarmory
:Charizard-Mega-X: Charizard-Mega-X
:latias-mega: Latias-Mega

B+ Rank
:scizor-mega: Scizor-Mega
:slowbro-mega: Slowbro-Mega
:pinsir-mega: Pinsir-Mega
:gastrodon: Gastrodon
:kyurem-black: Kyurem-Black
:Latios: Latios
:Azumarill: Azumarill
:Gyarados-Mega: Gyarados-Mega
:latias: Latias
:medicham-mega: Medicham-Mega
:cofagrigus: Cofagrigus
:altaria-mega: Altaria-Mega

B Rank
:Dragonite: Dragonite
:gallade-mega: Gallade-Mega
:talonflame: Talonflame
:mew: Mew
:Venusaur-Mega: Venusaur-Mega
:tangrowth: Tangrowth
:Thundurus-Therian: Thundurus-Therian
:Jellicent: Jellicent
:Suicune: Suicune
:quagsire: Quagsire
:amoonguss: Amoonguss

B- Rank
:latios-mega: Latios-Mega
:crawdaunt: Crawdaunt
:cresselia: Cresselia
:gardevoir-mega: Gardevoir-Mega
:garchomp-mega: Garchomp-Mega
:gengar: Gengar
:starmie: Starmie
:heracross-mega: Heracross-Mega
:cloyster: Cloyster
:terrakion: Terrakion
:alomomola: Alomomola
:victini: Victini
:reuniclus: Reuniclus
:hippowdon: Hippowdon
:kyurem: Kyurem
:slowking: Slowking
:zygarde: Zygarde

C+ Rank
:raikou: Raikou
:manectric-mega: Manectric-Mega
:aerodactyl: Aerodactyl
:seismitoad: Seismitoad
:breloom: Breloom
:hydreigon: Hydreigon
:jirachi: Jirachi
:aerodactyl-mega: Aerodactyl-Mega
:alakazam: Alakazam
:nidoking: Nidoking
:mamoswine: Mamoswine
:gyarados: Gyarados
:ditto: Ditto
:shuckle: Shuckle
:togekiss: Togekiss
:politoed:Politoed
:feraligatr: Feraligatr

C Rank
:sharpedo-mega: Sharpedo-Mega
:krookodile: Krookodile
:ampharos-mega: Ampharos-Mega
:azelf: Azelf
:Hoopa: Hoopa
:absol-mega: Absol-Mega
:magneton: Magneton
:scizor: Scizor
:klefki: Klefki
:aggron-mega: Aggron-Mega
:swampert-mega: Swampert-Mega
:hawlucha: Hawlucha
:scolipede: Scolipede
:Pidgeot-Mega: Pidgeot-Mega
:houndoom-mega: Houndoom
:rhyperior: Rhyperior
:xatu: Xatu
:omastar: Omastar
:porygon2: Porygon-2

C- Rank
:beedrill-mega: Beedrill-Mega
:tentacruel:Tentacruel
:uxie: Uxie
:cobalion: Cobalion
:conkeldurr: Conkeldurr
:barbaracle: Barbaracle
:infernape: Infernape
:dragalge: Dragalge
:ninetales: Ninetales
:kabutops: Kabutops
:tornadus: Tornadus
:steelix-mega: Steelix-Mega
:heracross: Heracross
:sceptile-mega: Sceptile-Mega

D Rank
:celebi: Celebi
:milotic: Milotic
:bronzong: Bronzong
:rotom-mow: Rotom-Mow
:smeargle: Smeargle
:empoleon: Empoleon
:poliwrath: Poliwrath
:blastoise-mega: Blastoise-Mega
:abomasnow-mega: Abomasnow-Mega
:camerupt-mega: Camerupt-Mega
:diggersby: Diggersby
:chesnaught: Chesnaught
:doublade: Doublade
 
MGallade is pretty good ye, I think BU is relatively unexplored which is effective on screens ho. It's worse than SD overall but def should be experimented with more.

A mon that should imo get ranked is roserade :roserade:. This mon has pretty decent versatility and has a very unique blend of options. Spikes/Tspike is great since you threaten both spinners with a fat 125 SpA leaf storm. Defoggers like Lati and Zap hate getting sludge bomb poisoned, and any defensive checks eg torn/chansey get spiked on. You can even run technician HP fire/ground to snipe steels, but nat cure is really good too to invalidate rotom/clef status. This mon is very hard to switch into for offenses, and can also find decent entry through bulky waters, clef, even sometimes serp. Vs fatter teams you absorb their cofa tspike/set layers of hazards which is obv good for a teammate weav lopunny whatever. This is not even mentioning other options like stun spore, sleep powder, aromatherapy, synthesis. Roserade is really customizable depending on the team though admittedly not splashable since it's frail and ferro/amoong "outclass" it to some extent. I personally rank this as high as B- since I'm biased and brought this mon to #2 on ladder but C+ or lower would also be fine. Definitely a viable mon.
 
MGallade is pretty good ye, I think BU is relatively unexplored which is effective on screens ho. It's worse than SD overall but def should be experimented with more.

A mon that should imo get ranked is roserade :roserade:. This mon has pretty decent versatility and has a very unique blend of options. Spikes/Tspike is great since you threaten both spinners with a fat 125 SpA leaf storm. Defoggers like Lati and Zap hate getting sludge bomb poisoned, and any defensive checks eg torn/chansey get spiked on. You can even run technician HP fire/ground to snipe steels, but nat cure is really good too to invalidate rotom/clef status. This mon is very hard to switch into for offenses, and can also find decent entry through bulky waters, clef, even sometimes serp. Vs fatter teams you absorb their cofa tspike/set layers of hazards which is obv good for a teammate weav lopunny whatever. This is not even mentioning other options like stun spore, sleep powder, aromatherapy, synthesis. Roserade is really customizable depending on the team though admittedly not splashable since it's frail and ferro/amoong "outclass" it to some extent. I personally rank this as high as B- since I'm biased and brought this mon to #2 on ladder but C+ or lower would also be fine. Definitely a viable mon.
Also had 100% winrate in spl! Absolutely top tier Pokémon
 
Yeah good thing u mention cut because when writing, I kind of considered the Drain Punch, Psycho Cut, SD, Sneak (or filler, but I like sneak) to be the standard but I guess it should be mentioned, given that just saying “Gallade good” would probably result in an increase in Close Combat, Zen Headbutt builds, which are not the reason I moved it up in my personal VR.
I don't wanna pretend to have the same level of experience or authority as someone like yourself, but I do feel like writing Close Combat off as an inferior option is a little hasty, given how important that power boost can be in a lot of matchups (not gonna argue with zen headbutt tho, I hate that move more as I use it more). It can invalidate a lot of mons that might otherwise eat a hit and kill your sweep with status or an RK. Meanwhile with Drain Punch I often feel like it comes up short in situations where you need that maximum killing power to follow through on a sweep.

+2 252 Atk Gallade-Mega Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 248+ Def Rotom-Wash: 322-381 (105.9 - 125.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252 Atk Gallade-Mega Drain Punch vs. 252 HP / 248+ Def Rotom-Wash: 202-238 (66.4 - 78.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery

+2 252 Atk Gallade-Mega Close Combat vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Metagross-Mega: 328-387 (108.9 - 128.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252 Atk Gallade-Mega Drain Punch vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Metagross-Mega: 205-243 (68.1 - 80.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock

+2 252 Atk Gallade-Mega Close Combat vs. 248 HP / 100+ Def Charizard-Mega-X: 357-420 (99.4 - 116.9%) -- 93.8% chance to OHKO
+2 252 Atk Gallade-Mega Drain Punch vs. 248 HP / 100+ Def Charizard-Mega-X: 222-262 (61.8 - 72.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

+2 252 Atk Gallade-Mega Close Combat vs. 240 HP / 176+ Def Garchomp: 373-439 (89.4 - 105.2%) -- 68.8% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
+2 252 Atk Gallade-Mega Drain Punch vs. 240 HP / 176+ Def Garchomp: 234-276 (56.1 - 66.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock

252 Atk Gallade-Mega Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Heatran: 446-528 (115.5 - 136.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 Atk Gallade-Mega Drain Punch vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Heatran: 278-330 (72 - 85.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery

252 Atk Gallade-Mega Close Combat vs. 4 HP / 252+ Def Eviolite Chansey: 620-732 (96.5 - 114%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
252 Atk Gallade-Mega Drain Punch vs. 4 HP / 252+ Def Eviolite Chansey: 390-458 (60.7 - 71.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock

252 Atk Gallade-Mega Close Combat vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Diancie-Mega: 216-255 (89.6 - 105.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
252 Atk Gallade-Mega Drain Punch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Diancie-Mega: 135-160 (56 - 66.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
(this one depends on a speedtie but it's still really cool imo)

Whenever I use Drain Punch Gallade it feels like I'm going against what the mon is best at: ripping everything apart without mercy after its specific checks have been removed or worn down. And while the recovery can admittedly help against RK attempts from certain suspects like Weavile and Serp, I feel like there's a lot of RK options that no amount of extra health can save you from (Talon BB, Bisharp SP, M-Pinsir QA, Torn-T Hurricane all come to mind). Maybe there's something I'm missing about Drain Punch; I'm admittedly just a high-mid ladder player who doesn't follow the ORAS tournament scene closely, so I'd love to hear more about other perspectives from better players.
 
I don't wanna pretend to have the same level of experience or authority as someone like yourself, but I do feel like writing Close Combat off as an inferior option is a little hasty, given how important that power boost can be in a lot of matchups (not gonna argue with zen headbutt tho, I hate that move more as I use it more). It can invalidate a lot of mons that might otherwise eat a hit and kill your sweep with status or an RK. Meanwhile with Drain Punch I often feel like it comes up short in situations where you need that maximum killing power to follow through on a sweep.

+2 252 Atk Gallade-Mega Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 248+ Def Rotom-Wash: 322-381 (105.9 - 125.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252 Atk Gallade-Mega Drain Punch vs. 252 HP / 248+ Def Rotom-Wash: 202-238 (66.4 - 78.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery

+2 252 Atk Gallade-Mega Close Combat vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Metagross-Mega: 328-387 (108.9 - 128.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252 Atk Gallade-Mega Drain Punch vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Metagross-Mega: 205-243 (68.1 - 80.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock

+2 252 Atk Gallade-Mega Close Combat vs. 248 HP / 100+ Def Charizard-Mega-X: 357-420 (99.4 - 116.9%) -- 93.8% chance to OHKO
+2 252 Atk Gallade-Mega Drain Punch vs. 248 HP / 100+ Def Charizard-Mega-X: 222-262 (61.8 - 72.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

+2 252 Atk Gallade-Mega Close Combat vs. 240 HP / 176+ Def Garchomp: 373-439 (89.4 - 105.2%) -- 68.8% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
+2 252 Atk Gallade-Mega Drain Punch vs. 240 HP / 176+ Def Garchomp: 234-276 (56.1 - 66.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock

252 Atk Gallade-Mega Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Heatran: 446-528 (115.5 - 136.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 Atk Gallade-Mega Drain Punch vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Heatran: 278-330 (72 - 85.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery

252 Atk Gallade-Mega Close Combat vs. 4 HP / 252+ Def Eviolite Chansey: 620-732 (96.5 - 114%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
252 Atk Gallade-Mega Drain Punch vs. 4 HP / 252+ Def Eviolite Chansey: 390-458 (60.7 - 71.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock

252 Atk Gallade-Mega Close Combat vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Diancie-Mega: 216-255 (89.6 - 105.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
252 Atk Gallade-Mega Drain Punch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Diancie-Mega: 135-160 (56 - 66.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
(this one depends on a speedtie but it's still really cool imo)

Whenever I use Drain Punch Gallade it feels like I'm going against what the mon is best at: ripping everything apart without mercy after its specific checks have been removed or worn down. And while the recovery can admittedly help against RK attempts from certain suspects like Weavile and Serp, I feel like there's a lot of RK options that no amount of extra health can save you from (Talon BB, Bisharp SP, M-Pinsir QA, Torn-T Hurricane all come to mind). Maybe there's something I'm missing about Drain Punch; I'm admittedly just a high-mid ladder player who doesn't follow the ORAS tournament scene closely, so I'd love to hear more about other perspectives from better players.
Those calcs aren't very relevant all of those mons are either chipped (rotom/meta/chomp(you probably want to psycho cut this anyway)) or don't want to trade drain damage for w/e is clicked (chansey/heatran)

CC will obviously be better at breaking but it leaves you open to being revenge killed by mons: weav / lop / torn and more that don't kill you when healthy without the defense drops. Using close combat makes gallade more of a hit and run mon which is better suited to medicham and lopunny, drain is strong enough and heals making gallade a 'one man army' as cbb said, which is something the other 2 megas cant do
 
Hi,
  • As someone who wants to advance ORAS, I felt this would help both the competitive scene and more casual fun.
  • I tried almost every mon here and I'm going to rank any mon with a semblence of viability
  • I'm going to include an S+ rank
  • Do not worry I did not write this in one sitting
  • Since I'm still playing in WCoP, I will make my reasoning more general. Forgive me!
  • S/o Amir for being a cool bud to build w/ esp with these lower mons


S+ Rank (Game Changing)
:Serperior: Serperior - The single best mon in the tier due to (1) its immediate presence on the field, (2) incredible speed tier, (3) its ability to absorb pressure from meta threats, (4) its sheer utility, and (5) versatility.
:Diancie-Mega: Diancie-Mega - The single best mega in the tier imo. It's hard to wall and magic bounce is one of the best abilities in the game.

S Rank (Consistently Consistent)
:alakazam-mega: Alakazam-Mega - Everytime this mon is on the field the opponent has to make concessions. Focus miss to be missing tho.
:excadrill: Excadrill - Bossman
:clefable: Clefable - High utility w/ LO sets being scary once again. Though a bit hard to punish steel types.
:weavile: Weavile - Useful in every conceivable mu and punishes lazy teambuilding that lack good dark or ice resists.
:rotom-wash: Rotom-W - The 50/50s with drill in the back is always in Rotom-W's favor especially considering the fact that Rotom lives Drill's EQ

S- Rank (Slurp Slurp)
:lopunny-mega: Lopunny-Mega - Somewhat of a fall from grace due to rise of static zapdos, but its utility is tremendous.
:tornadus-therian: Tornadus-Therian - Just immensely useful in checking important threats like Serperior and Mega Alakazam.
:metagross-mega: Metagross-Mega - A year ago I would have put it like A- or A. Nowadys, its utility and versatility, along with its sheer bulk always coming in clutch, has put it back on the map for me ... I really like how this mon feels in modern meta, especially considering the top threats.
:volcanion: Volcanion - The best fire type in the tier and without a doubt.

A+ Rank (Where's Your Answer?)
:medicham-mega: Medicham-Mega - Probably the most slept on mega. Double prio is best to not be deadweight vs. offense.
:garchomp: Garchomp - Not only is RH rocks a very good glue but other sets like SD or LO 3 attacks are forgotten but very powerful threats.
:Manaphy: Manaphy - I have 4 grey hairs and 3 of them are from Manaphy
:volcarona: Volcarona - the 4th one
:gliscor: Gliscor - A good Gliscor pilot and build will out last usual checks
:zapdos: Zapdos - The 2nd best flying type in the tier. Both static and pressure defog are amazing sets.

A Rank (Oh! The Pressure!)
:gallade-mega: Gallade-Mega - The bulky set is extremely hard to revenge kill and due to its versatile kit hard to wall as well.
:thundurus: Thundurus - Extremely useful and splashable mon
:keldeo: Keldeo - Keldeo is a paradox, the more its used the less its usefulness is due to its checks sprouting everywhere especially Jellicent. However when the meta shifts and the keldeo counterplay is Volcanion + Cofagrigus ... use this mon and profit. Also, its bulk comes in clutch vs. offense.
:charizard-mega-y: Charizard-Mega-Y - Hard to wall this mon and feels powerful on the field, but HP Rock Serperior sucks for it.
:tyranitar-mega: Tyranitar-Mega - Both DD and rocks 3 attacks - with pursuit or not - are massive threats
:bisharp: Bisharp - Strong threat on offense and incredibly good glue w/ AV on BO/Balanced
:slowbro: Slowbro - Not only a good blanket physical wall but can also be a solid wincon. However somewhat eclipsed by Volcanion
:cofagrigus: Cofagrigus - Toxic spikes are incredible and doubling as a spinblocker is insaneo. S/o Vulpix03
:ferrothorn: Ferrothorn - Solid manaphy check and consistent spikes user

A- Rank (Suffocating)
:latias-mega: Latias-Mega - Incredible utility and versatility but very pursuit and status weak
:tyranitar: Tyranitar - Sand is too stable as an archetype
:landorus-therian: Landorus-Therian - A return to glory as its utility in keeping rocks up vs. drill teams is massive, generally great on offense.
:chansey: Chansey - Never use chansey or blissey w/o status
:blissey: Blissey - Worse before knock off but better after. Lefties toxic is slurp slurp, and extra speed is clutch.
:skarmory: Skarmory - Use Roar over Whirlwind, trust
:hippowdon: Hippowdon - A rise from the low ranks due to its SpD set being a solid blanket check to many special threats like Volcarona, Zard Y, Mega Diancie, Thundurus/Zapdos, and so on. Keeping rocks vs. drill teams is incredible as well.
:Dragonite: Dragonite - From typing to stats and ability, it is a solid wincon that also prevents offense from being swept.
:heatran: Heatran - Somehow feels annoying to play against but also easy to chip. Quite useful vs. Clefable or Serperior but it's a fire type and a steel type that doesn't properly check Mega Diancie, Mega Alakazam, Volcarona, Zard Y, etc. so feels a bit lackluster for me.

B+ Rank (Very Solid)
:venusaur-mega: Venusaur-Mega - Serperior & MDia check + tspike absorber + knock off is a great kit. Thick fat allows it to be a very good Manaphy check, and growth sets are genuinely scary for fat. Its main downside is status and Synthesis.
:talonflame: Talonflame - A fire type that I often prefer over Heatran since it actually checks moth and zard Y.
:amoonguss: Amoonguss - Serperior & MDia check + tspike absorber + regen + spore is great, however deadweight vs. manaphy really sucks.
:Seismitoad: Seismitoad - Rotom infinite check glitch and also checks MDia and keeps rocks vs. drill. Unlocks 50/50s w/ double immunity.
:Cloyster: Cloyster - Spin on offense is just too useful and always a threat.
:scizor-mega: Scizor-Mega - Solid MDia, MZam, and non-HP Fire Serp check cannot be underestimated. Though Zapdos/Volcanion are everywhere.
:gardevoir-mega: Gardevoir-Mega - Bulky Modest is the way to go.
:Charizard-Mega-X: Charizard-Mega-X - Goober Certified
:kyurem-black: Kyurem-Black - Bulky Kyurem-B should be used more often as its a solid Serp and Manaphy check.
:thundurus-therian: Thundurus-therian - Sometimes 6-0s and sometimes is useless.
:Suicune: Suicune - See above + status weak, but pressure is amazing and the mon is overall much more versatile.
:Kyurem: Kyurem - See above.
:cresselia: Cresselia - A better Latias as its a good blanket check physical or special, lunar dance > hwish, and actually lives knock/pursuit
:latios: Latios - The better Lati due to its immediate presence. Specs is scary and Scarf is incredible vs. offense.
:latias: Latias - Worse Cresselia but has speed, defog, and fire/water resist so has its places.
:Gyarados-Mega: Gyarados-Mega - The single scariest mon on HO to face.
:altaria-mega: Altaria-mega - Heal bell is great for both offense and stall. A good longterm wincon, but really really hates steels.
:quagsire: Quagsire - This + Chansey is auto win vs. so many offense its crazy. Being a blanket physical checks to set up sweepers is incredible.
:gastrodon: Gastrodon - I had this lower but tbh, Counter + Clear Smog is a very good and annoying set. It has its places for sure.

B Rank (Solid)
:mew: Mew - The best HO lead + stallbreaker sets are good.
:pinsir-mega: Pinsir-Mega - Inconsistent af but it goobs
:slowbro-mega: Slowbro-Mega - Weak to status. The more SpD you invest = the less Def = the earlier you have to mega = the worse it is. Solid wincon tho
:crawdaunt: Crawdaunt - Brazy mon
:Scolipede: Scolipede - The amount of teams that are 6-0'd by this mon on preview is insane. Stomachs priority + Tspike absorber on offense is 10/10
:Alomomola: Alomomola - On the rise for a good reason. Wish + Regen is far too good.
:gyarados: Gyarados - very underrated mon
:Scizor: Scizor - Regular Scizor is a strong CB user w/ pursuit, BP, and U-turn. Lefties w/ SD or Defog ain't bad either.
:Gengar: Gengar - Specs Gengar go pew pew, pair with something that takes advantage of pursuit.
:Terrakion: Terrakion - Good speed tier and typing w/ immediate offensive pressure.
:Infernape: Infernape - Very good typing defensively to check dark types and fire types.
:Azumarill: Azumarill - A Crawdaunt that is weaker but bulkier and w/o SD.
:tangrowth: Tangrowth - A grass type competing w/ Seprerior, Amoonguss, and Ferrothorn for a slot ... if used, use RH + Brick Break

B- Rank (Somewhat Solid)
:aerodactyl: Aerodactyl - 2nd best HO lead but I'm sober on it now kinda.
:garchomp-mega: Garchomp-Mega - Most underrated Mega. In Sand it's good and outside also good w/ 3 attacks mixed + Rocks.
:heracross-mega: Heracross-Mega - Strong boi that forces 50/50s concessions.
:latios-mega: Latios-Mega - As an extension of how good Latios is, but with a mega slot. Unexplored.
:Hydreigon: Hydreigon - Decently explored but there's more. s/o Always!
:victini: Victini - CB is good and Scarf final gambit alongside other sets are unexplored.
:diggersby: Diggersby - the new sets w/ AV or bulky SD are quite good imo
:reuniclus: Reuniclus - Too many dark types but sometimes it goobs. The knock + T-wave set running around is pretty good.
:politoed:Politoed - Rain is decently strong but toed is ass.
:Kingdra: Kingdra - Fantastic rain abuser
:starmie: Starmie - Garbage mon but we need spinners + it spins on tran which can be nice. Offensive is better.
:tentacruel: Tentacruel - Kinda decent but no recovery or longevity sucks. Tspikes = Pog.
:jirachi: Jirachi - See Bronzong on typing + access to wish and other cool things. Good speed tier as well.
:magnezone: Magnezone - Excellent on stall, trash everywhere else as it forces structures that are hard to justify.

C+ Rank (Good but Niche)
:Azelf: - 3rd best HO lead
:aerodactyl-mega: Aerodactyl-Mega - great in sand, s/o Zaza
:swampert-mega: Swampert-Mega - great in rain
:camerupt-mega: Camerupt-Mega - Good typing, pressures rocks vs. drill, destroys balanced, checks moth. S/o DIYUSI and Proftreez
:Togekiss: Togekiss - 6-0s stall + cleric is nuts. Also can be a stall pick w/ Defog and Aura Sphere to punish bisharp.
:Jellicent: Jellicent - Don't love it but it's annoying
:Goodra: Goodra - Strong check to Serperior and other special threats. S/o Sylvi
:porygon2: Porygon-2 - SpD takes on MDia, MZam, Thundurus, etc. Can always take a hit from anything non-SE. Both Trace & Download are pog.
:empoleon: Empoleon - SpD checks moth one time, defogs on rocks Clefable, hits kinda hard, eats a hit from drill, flying check, good water resist.
:zygarde: Zygarde - the threat hidden in the valley of leaves.
:bronzong: Bronzong - Good typing that checks Serp, MDia, MZam, and even MMtgrs somehow, however pursuit weak. TR is underrated
:Mandibuzz: Mandibuzz - bias pick but dark resist + MZam check is nice. Stall or sand pick.
:celebi: Celebi - Unexplored
:raikou: Raikou - Actually decent despite drill everywhere.
:nidoking: Nidoking - feels meh, offensive rocks or tspikes seems best
:breloom: Breloom - Meh but s/o devin , his loom builds scare me
:dragalge: Dragalge - checks Moth, Zard Y, Serp, Keldeo, and so on, while setting up and absorbing tspikes. s/o Ithi
:forretress: Forretress - spinner + rocks + spikes/tspikes. Good steel type. Unexplored.
:Donphan: Donphan - spinner + rocks and wins vs. drill, just w/o the fairy resist. Unexplored, mostly a stall pick.
:umbreon: Umbreon - wish + heal bell with good bulk and a dark resist

C Rank (Niche)
:manectric-mega: Manectric-Mega - meh, but lots of BO that rely on drill or chomp as their electric switchin can get goobed
:feraligatr: Feraligatr - s/o xray
:conkeldurr: Conkeldurr - AV goes in
:hawlucha: Hawlucha - Unexplored
:Hoopa: Hoopa - worse gengar double weak to pursuit, slow af, feels meh
:chesnaught: Chesnaught - unexplored spike user and solid dark resist
:doublade: Doublade - Permanent Medicham counter, stall pick. s/o HSK7
:Blastoise: Blastoise - spinner w/ refresh and scald aka spins on cofagrigus and drill. Unexplored, stall pick.
:Snorlax: Snorlax - Unexplored
:aggron-mega: Aggron-Mega - Very underexplored mega
:abomasnow-mega: Abomasnow-Mega - see above
:milotic: Milotic - Checks MDia, PP stalls clef, and solid water type. Haze, Dtail, Mirror Coat, Refresh all good. s/o pj
:steelix-mega: Steelix-Mega - Unexplored mega. Stall pick.
:Espeon: Espeon - Unexplored
:cobalion: Cobalion - solid dark check + rocks + volt switch
:alakazam: Alakazam - Regular Zam w/ sash or LO is unexplored
:mamoswine: Mamoswine - Looks good but is meh in practice. Too much Rotom-W
:Crobat: Crobat - sky plate infiltrator brave bird u-turn roost goes insaneo vs. offense.
:vaporeon: Vaporeon - worse Umbreon
:ditto: Ditto - Very hard to build w/, and tbh doesn't have the same utility it has in other gens
:magneton: Magneton - I used to like the speed but honestly Zone is nice to pivot around Serp which this doesn't do as well.

C- Rank (Very Niche)
:uxie: Uxie - Worse Azelf w/o Taunt but w/ Memento
:sableye: Sableye - perma Medicham check and spin blocker. Stall pick
:chandelure: Chandelure - Unexplored.
:shuckle: Shuckle - hella meh. Sticky web is mu fish - aka inconsistent af
:Masquerain:Masquerain - literally a better Sticky web user due to Intimidate & Hydro Pump, but doesn't have rocks, encore, etc.
:hitmontop: Hitmontop - Stall pick spinner + dark resist.
:sharpedo-mega: Sharpedo-Mega - on some weird HO its fine
:Drapion: Drapion - Dark type w/ Pursuit + Tspike user/absorber + has SD. Multiple applications both on stall and outside
:Porygon-Z: Poyrgon-Z - A bit too frail and/or too slow to do what it wants.
:Flygon: Flygon - decent defogger
:Nidoqueen: Nidoqueen - Tspike user/absorber + solid ground type + rocks. Stall pick
:klefki: Klefki - I dislike the keys. Aside from HO, I think its best on Stall.
:Avalugg: Avalugg - Stall pick spinner that is weak to rocks and drill
:slowking: Slowking - Mixed defenses is best but SpD Slowbro is just better due to its unpredictability.
:poliwrath: Poliwrath - Keldeo typing is amazing defensively. Stall pick. Water absorb and circle throw with better bulk.
:metagross: Metagross - mega bluff + AV pursuit is decent
:Rotom-Mow: Rotom-Mow - hard competing with serperior, but scarf trick is nice.
:Roserade: Roserade - Grass poison is a blessed typing esp w/ Natural Cure. Insane utility but very drill and pursuit weak.
:Venusaur: Venusaur - same but with more bulk and less utility
:Shaymin: Shaymin - Bulky grass w/ aromatherapy, and LO Seed Flare can stallbreak
:Pangoro: Pangoro - 6-0 stall
:Druddigon: Druddigon - Legitimately annoying and mold breaker rocks are nice. Glare is broken.
:Lucario: Lucario - Play guess the coverage with NP or SD and spectacular priority options. Frail af tho.
:heracross: Heracross - one of the few mons I haven't tried, but on paper should be around here
:Weezing: Weezing - Stall pick. Tspikes user but doesn't absorb them which is unfortunate.
:kabutops: Kabutops - decent flying resist and spinner on rain
:ludicolo: Ludicolo - decent rain abuser
:Probopass: Probopass - s/o ben gay. Stall pick. Trapper that traps Heatran.

D+ (Barely Viable)
:Mesprit: Mesprit - Worse Uxie but w/ Healing Wish
:Staraptor: Staraptor - Crack
:Zangoose: Zangoose - Crack v2. Frail status absorber that abuses cofagrigus
:Slurpuff: Slurpuff - s/o Amir, almost beat me with it one time
:krookodile: Krookodile - Scarf moxie is nice
:Salamence: Salamence - DD set can be useful like 1 in 5 games
:Aromatisse: Aromatisse - Screens or TR that cannot be taunted
:miltank: Miltank - Stall pick. Heal bell / rocks + sap sipper / thick fat can be clutch in checking important threats
:Lanturn: Lanturn - Rotom and Thundy check + cleric + scald/volt switch
:Gourgeist: Gourgeist-Super - stall pick bulky ghost
:Rotom-Heat: Rotom-Heat - rotom that is weak to rocks but SpD checks moth ... except if its SubQD.
:moltres: Moltres - niche defogger
:Archeops: Archeops - s/o CrashinBoomBang
:whimsicott: Whimsicott - Prankster encore = funny
:Heliolisk: Heliolisk - rain compatibile ability, electric w/ surf, and most of all, glare.
:omastar: Omastar - shell smash is funny but even on rain 55 speed is just too bad.
:Qwilfish: Qwilfish - rain tspike abosrber and user, or spikes.
:smeargle: Smeargle - meme boi
:Mienshao: Mienshao - Scarf reckless and hope you don't run into cofagrigus or clefable.

D Rank (Barely Viable Megas)
:absol-mega: Absol-Mega - Frail
:beedrill-mega: Beedrill-Mega - Super frail
:houndoom-mega: Houndoom - NP can be scary if opponent is sleeping
:sceptile-mega: Sceptile-Mega - love the mon but not it
:ampharos-mega: Ampharos-Mega - a missed one
:audino-mega: Audino-mega - maybe hypothetically possibly decent on stall
:blastoise-mega: Blastoise-Mega - regular is better
:glalie-mega: Glalie-mega - has spikes ig
:Pidgeot-Mega: Pidgeot-Mega - not in this economy

D- (Almost Unviable)
:xatu: Xatu - rocks drill is too popular and it can barely come in on Ferrothorn much less other mons.
:Sharpedo: Sharpedo - LO on HO be decent
:Emboar: Emboar - s/o Amir
:Aurorus: Aurorus - Amir cooked me with this once.
:Vileplume: Vileplume - Grass/poison but more niche. S/o Amir for SD Set
:Toxicroak: Toxicroak - nice on rain + tspike absorber
:Registeel: Registeel - can't keep rocks vs. drill but crazy stats
:rhyperior: Rhyperior - too much drill and stuff
:Audino: Audino - budget mola
:Sylveon: Sylveon - budget Clefable
:Virizion:Virizion - Fast chesanaught but much worse
:ninetales: Ninetales - Highly dislike this
:barbaracle: Barbaracle - why is this here

E (Pretty Much Unviable)
:Lopunny: Lopunny - scarf switcheroo klutz mega bluff sheningans
:tornadus: Tornadus - ?
:mantine: Mantine - nah
:Entei: Entei - no shot
 
Last edited:
Hi,
  • As someone who wants to advance ORAS, I felt this would help both the competitive scene and more casual fun.
  • I tried almost every mon here and I'm going to rank any mon with a semblence of viability
  • I'm going to include an S+ rank
  • Do not worry I did not write this in one sitting
  • Since I'm still playing in WCoP, I will make my reasoning more general. Forgive me!
  • S/o Amir for being a cool bud to build w/ esp with these lower mons


S+ Rank (Game Changing)
:Serperior: Serperior - The single best mon in the tier due to (1) its immediate presence on the field, (2) incredible speed tier, (3) its ability to absorb pressure from meta threats, (4) its sheer utility, and (5) versatility.
:Diancie-Mega: Diancie-Mega - The single best mega in the tier imo. It's hard to wall and magic bounce is one of the best abilities in the game.

S Rank (Consistently Consistent)
:alakazam-mega: Alakazam-Mega - Everytime this mon is on the field the opponent has to make concessions. Focus miss to be missing tho.
:excadrill: Excadrill - Bossman
:clefable: Clefable - High utility w/ LO sets being scary once again. Though a bit hard to punish steel types.
:weavile: Weavile - Useful in every conceivable mu and punishes lazy teambuilding that lack good dark or ice resists.
:rotom-wash: Rotom-W - The 50/50s with drill in the back is always in Rotom-W's favor especially considering the fact that Rotom lives Drill's EQ

S- Rank (Slurp Slurp)
:lopunny-mega: Lopunny-Mega - Somewhat of a fall from grace due to rise of static zapdos, but its utility is tremendous.
:tornadus-therian: Tornadus-Therian - Just immensely useful in checking important threats like Serperior and Mega Alakazam.
:metagross-mega: Metagross-Mega - A year ago I would have put it like A- or A. Nowadys, its utility and versatility, along with its sheer bulk always coming in clutch, has put it back on the map for me ... I really like how this mon feels in modern meta, especially considering the top threats.
:volcanion: Volcanion - The best fire type in the tier and without a doubt.

A+ Rank (Where's Your Answer?)
:medicham-mega: Medicham-Mega - Probably the most slept on mega. Double prio is best to not be deadweight vs. offense.
:garchomp: Garchomp - Not only is RH rocks a very good glue but other sets like SD or LO 3 attacks are forgotten but very powerful threats.
:Manaphy: Manaphy - I have 4 grey hairs and 3 of them are from Manaphy
:volcarona: Volcarona - the 4th one
:gliscor: Gliscor - A good Gliscor pilot and build will out last usual checks
:zapdos: Zapdos - The 2nd best flying type in the tier. Both static and pressure defog are amazing sets.

A Rank (Oh! The Pressure!)
:gallade-mega: Gallade-Mega - The bulky set is extremely hard to revenge kill and due to its versatile kit hard to wall as well.
:thundurus: Thundurus - Extremely useful and splashable mon
:keldeo: Keldeo - Keldeo is a paradox, the more its used the less its usefulness is due to its checks sprouting everywhere especially Jellicent. However when the meta shifts and the keldeo counterplay is Volcanion + Cofagrigus ... use this mon and profit. Also, its bulk comes in clutch vs. offense.
:charizard-mega-y: Charizard-Mega-Y - Hard to wall this mon and feels powerful on the field, but HP Rock Serperior sucks for it.
:tyranitar-mega: Tyranitar-Mega - Both DD and rocks 3 attacks - with pursuit or not - are massive threats
:bisharp: Bisharp - Strong threat on offense and incredibly good glue w/ AV on BO/Balanced
:slowbro: Slowbro - Not only a good blanket physical wall but can also be a solid wincon. However somewhat eclipsed by Volcanion
:cofagrigus: Cofagrigus - Toxic spikes are incredible and doubling as a spinblocker is insaneo. S/o Vulpix03
:ferrothorn: Ferrothorn - Solid manaphy check and consistent spikes user

A- Rank (Suffocating)
:latias-mega: Latias-Mega - Incredible utility and versatility but very pursuit and status weak
:tyranitar: Tyranitar - Sand is too stable as an archetype
:landorus-therian: Landorus-Therian - A return to glory as its utility in keeping rocks up vs. drill teams is massive, generally great on offense.
:chansey: Chansey - Never use chansey or blissey w/o status
:blissey: Blissey - Worse before knock off but better after. Lefties toxic is slurp slurp, and extra speed is clutch.
:skarmory: Skarmory - Use Roar over Whirlwind, trust
:hippowdon: Hippowdon - A rise from the low ranks due to its SpD set being a solid blanket check to many special threats like Volcarona, Zard Y, Mega Diancie, Thundurus/Zapdos, and so on. Keeping rocks vs. drill teams is incredible as well.
:Dragonite: Dragonite - From typing to stats and ability, it is a solid wincon that also prevents offense from being swept.
:heatran: Heatran - Somehow feels annoying to play against but also easy to chip. Quite useful vs. Clefable or Serperior but it's a fire type and a steel type that doesn't properly check Mega Diancie, Mega Alakazam, Volcarona, Zard Y, etc. so feels a bit lackluster for me.

B+ Rank (Very Solid)
:venusaur-mega: Venusaur-Mega - Serperior & MDia check + tspike absorber + knock off is a great kit. Thick fat allows it to be a very good Manaphy check, and growth sets are genuinely scary for fat. Its main downside is status and Synthesis.
:talonflame: Talonflame - A fire type that I often prefer over Heatran since it actually checks moth and zard Y.
:amoonguss: Amoonguss - Serperior & MDia check + tspike absorber + regen + spore is great, however deadweight vs. manaphy really sucks.
:Seismitoad: Seismitoad - Rotom infinite check glitch and also checks MDia and keeps rocks vs. drill. Unlocks 50/50s w/ double immunity.
:Cloyster: Cloyster - Spin on offense is just too useful and always a threat.
:scizor-mega: Scizor-Mega - Solid MDia, MZam, and non-HP Fire Serp check cannot be underestimated. Though Zapdos/Volcanion are everywhere.
:gardevoir-mega: Gardevoir-Mega - Bulky Modest is the way to go.
:Charizard-Mega-X: Charizard-Mega-X - Goober Certified
:kyurem-black: Kyurem-Black - Bulky Kyurem-B should be used more often as its a solid Serp and Manaphy check.
:thundurus-therian: Thundurus-therian - Sometimes 6-0s and sometimes is useless.
:Suicune: Suicune - See above + status weak, but pressure is amazing and the mon is overall much more versatile.
:Kyurem: Kyurem - See above.
:cresselia: Cresselia - A better Latias as its a good blanket check physical or special, lunar dance > hwish, and actually lives knock/pursuit
:latios: Latios - The better Lati due to its immediate presence. Specs is scary and Scarf is incredible vs. offense.
:latias: Latias - Worse Cresselia but has speed, defog, and fire/water resist so has its places.
:Gyarados-Mega: Gyarados-Mega - The single scariest mon on HO to face.
:altaria-mega: Altaria-mega - Heal bell is great for both offense and stall. A good longterm wincon, but really really hates steels.
:quagsire: Quagsire - This + Chansey is auto win vs. so many offense its crazy. Being a blanket physical checks to set up sweepers is incredible.
:gastrodon: Gastrodon - I had this lower but tbh, Counter + Clear Smog is a very good and annoying set. It has its places for sure.

B Rank (Solid)
:mew: Mew - The best HO lead + stallbreaker sets are good.
:pinsir-mega: Pinsir-Mega - Inconsistent af but it goobs
:slowbro-mega: Slowbro-Mega - Weak to status. The more SpD you invest = the less Def = the earlier you have to mega = the worse it is. Solid wincon tho
:crawdaunt: Crawdaunt - Brazy mon
:Scolipede: Scolipede - The amount of teams that are 6-0'd by this mon on preview is insane. Stomachs priority + Tspike absorber on offense is 10/10
:Alomomola: Alomomola - On the rise for a good reason. Wish + Regen is far too good.
:gyarados: Gyarados - very underrated mon
:Scizor: Scizor - Regular Scizor is a strong CB user w/ pursuit, BP, and U-turn. Lefties w/ SD or Defog ain't bad either.
:Gengar: Gengar - Specs Gengar go pew pew, pair with something that takes advantage of pursuit.
:Terrakion: Terrakion - Good speed tier and typing w/ immediate offensive pressure.
:Infernape: Infernape - Very good typing defensively to check dark types and fire types.
:Azumarill: Azumarill - A Crawdaunt that is weaker but bulkier and w/o SD.
:tangrowth: Tangrowth - A grass type competing w/ Seprerior, Amoonguss, and Ferrothorn for a slot ... if used, use RH + Brick Break

B- Rank (Somewhat Solid)
:aerodactyl: Aerodactyl - 2nd best HO lead but I'm sober on it now kinda.
:garchomp-mega: Garchomp-Mega - Most underrated Mega. In Sand it's good and outside also good w/ 3 attacks mixed + Rocks.
:heracross-mega: Heracross-Mega - Strong boi that forces 50/50s concessions.
:latios-mega: Latios-Mega - As an extension of how good Latios is, but with a mega slot. Unexplored.
:Hydreigon: Hydreigon - Decently explored but there's more. s/o Always!
:victini: Victini - CB is good and Scarf final gambit alongside other sets are unexplored.
:diggersby: Diggersby - the new sets w/ AV or bulky SD are quite good imo
:reuniclus: Reuniclus - Too many dark types but sometimes it goobs. The knock + T-wave set running around is pretty good.
:politoed:Politoed - Rain is decently strong but toed is ass.
:Kingdra: Kingdra - Fantastic rain abuser
:starmie: Starmie - Garbage mon but we need spinners + it spins on tran which can be nice. Offensive is better.
:tentacruel: Tentacruel - Kinda decent but no recovery or longevity sucks. Tspikes = Pog.
:jirachi: Jirachi - See Bronzong on typing + access to wish and other cool things. Good speed tier as well.
:magnezone: Magnezone - Excellent on stall, trash everywhere else as it forces structures that are hard to justify.

C+ Rank (Good but Niche)
:Azelf: - 3rd best HO lead
:aerodactyl-mega: Aerodactyl-Mega - great in sand, s/o Zaza
:swampert-mega: Swampert-Mega - great in rain
:camerupt-mega: Camerupt-Mega - Good typing, pressures rocks vs. drill, destroys balanced, checks moth. S/o DIYUSI and Proftreez
:Togekiss: Togekiss - 6-0s stall + cleric is nuts. Also can be a stall pick w/ Defog and Aura Sphere to punish bisharp.
:Jellicent: Jellicent - Don't love it but it's annoying
:Goodra: Goodra - Strong check to Serperior and other special threats. S/o Sylvi
:porygon2: Porygon-2 - SpD takes on MDia, MZam, Thundurus, etc. Can always take a hit from anything non-SE. Both Trace & Download are pog.
:empoleon: Empoleon - SpD checks moth one time, defogs on rocks Clefable, hits kinda hard, eats a hit from drill, flying check, good water resist.
:zygarde: Zygarde - the threat hidden in the valley of leaves.
:bronzong: Bronzong - Good typing that checks Serp, MDia, MZam, and even MMtgrs somehow, however pursuit weak. TR is underrated
:Mandibuzz: Mandibuzz - bias pick but dark resist + MZam check is nice. Stall or sand pick.
:celebi: Celebi - Unexplored
:raikou: Raikou - Actually decent despite drill everywhere.
:nidoking: Nidoking - feels meh, offensive rocks or tspikes seems best
:breloom: Breloom - Meh but s/o devin , his loom builds scare me
:dragalge: Dragalge - checks Moth, Zard Y, Serp, Keldeo, and so on, while setting up and absorbing tspikes. s/o Ithi
:forretress: Forretress - spinner + rocks + spikes/tspikes. Good steel type. Unexplored.
:Donphan: Donphan - spinner + rocks and wins vs. drill, just w/o the fairy resist. Unexplored, mostly a stall pick.
:umbreon: Umbreon - wish + heal bell with good bulk and a dark resist

C Rank (Niche)
:manectric-mega: Manectric-Mega - meh, but lots of BO that rely on drill or chomp as their electric switchin can get goobed
:feraligatr: Feraligatr - s/o xray
:conkeldurr: Conkeldurr - AV goes in
:hawlucha: Hawlucha - Unexplored
:Hoopa: Hoopa - worse gengar double weak to pursuit, slow af, feels meh
:chesnaught: Chesnaught - unexplored spike user and solid dark resist
:doublade: Doublade - Permanent Medicham counter, stall pick. s/o HSK7
:Blastoise: Blastoise - spinner w/ refresh and scald aka spins on cofagrigus and drill. Unexplored, stall pick.
:Snorlax: Snorlax - Unexplored
:aggron-mega: Aggron-Mega - Very underexplored mega
:abomasnow-mega: Abomasnow-Mega - see above
:milotic: Milotic - Checks MDia, PP stalls clef, and solid water type. Haze, Dtail, Mirror Coat, Refresh all good. s/o pj
:steelix-mega: Steelix-Mega - Unexplored mega. Stall pick.
:Espeon: Espeon - Unexplored
:cobalion: Cobalion - solid dark check + rocks + volt switch
:alakazam: Alakazam - Regular Zam w/ sash or LO is unexplored
:mamoswine: Mamoswine - Looks good but is meh in practice. Too much Rotom-W
:Crobat: Crobat - sky plate infiltrator brave bird u-turn roost goes insaneo vs. offense.
:vaporeon: Vaporeon - worse Umbreon
:ditto: Ditto - Very hard to build w/, and tbh doesn't have the same utility it has in other gens
:magneton: Magneton - I used to like the speed but honestly Zone is nice to pivot around Serp which this doesn't do as well.

C- Rank (Very Niche)
:uxie: Uxie - Worse Azelf w/o Taunt but w/ Memento
:sableye: Sableye - perma Medicham check and spin blocker. Stall pick
:chandelure: Chandelure - Unexplored.
:shuckle: Shuckle - hella meh. Sticky web is mu fish - aka inconsistent af
:Masquerain:Masquerain - literally a better Sticky web user due to Intimidate & Hydro Pump, but doesn't have rocks, encore, etc.
:hitmontop: Hitmontop - Stall pick spinner + dark resist.
:sharpedo-mega: Sharpedo-Mega - on some weird HO its fine
:Drapion: Drapion - Dark type w/ Pursuit + Tspike user/absorber + has SD. Multiple applications both on stall and outside
:Porygon-Z: Poyrgon-Z - A bit too frail and/or too slow to do what it wants.
:Flygon: Flygon - decent defogger
:Nidoqueen: Nidoqueen - Tspike user/absorber + solid ground type + rocks. Stall pick
:klefki: Klefki - I dislike the keys. Aside from HO, I think its best on Stall.
:Avalugg: Avalugg - Stall pick spinner that is weak to rocks and drill
:slowking: Slowking - Mixed defenses is best but SpD Slowbro is just better due to its unpredictability.
:poliwrath: Poliwrath - Keldeo typing is amazing defensively. Stall pick. Water absorb and circle throw with better bulk.
:metagross: Metagross - mega bluff + AV pursuit is decent
:Rotom-Mow: Rotom-Mow - hard competing with serperior, but scarf trick is nice.
:Roserade: Roserade - Grass poison is a blessed typing esp w/ Natural Cure. Insane utility but very drill and pursuit weak.
:Venusaur: Venusaur - same but with more bulk and less utility
:Shaymin: Shaymin - Bulky grass w/ aromatherapy, and LO Seed Flare can stallbreak
:Pangoro: Pangoro - 6-0 stall
:Druddigon: Druddigon - Legitimately annoying and mold breaker rocks are nice. Glare is broken.
:Lucario: Lucario - Play guess the coverage with NP or SD and spectacular priority options. Frail af tho.
:heracross: Heracross - one of the few mons I haven't tried, but on paper should be around here
:Weezing: Weezing - Stall pick. Tspikes user but doesn't absorb them which is unfortunate.
:kabutops: Kabutops - decent flying resist and spinner on rain
:ludicolo: Ludicolo - decent rain abuser
:Probopass: Probopass - s/o ben gay. Stall pick. Trapper that traps Heatran.

D+ (Barely Viable)
:Mesprit: Mesprit - Worse Uxie but w/ Healing Wish
:Staraptor: Staraptor - Crack
:Zangoose: Zangoose - Crack v2. Frail status absorber that abuses cofagrigus
:Slurpuff: Slurpuff - s/o Amir, almost beat me with it one time
:krookodile: Krookodile - Scarf moxie is nice
:Salamence: Salamence - DD set can be useful like 1 in 5 games
:Aromatisse: Aromatisse - Screens or TR that cannot be taunted
:miltank: Miltank - Stall pick. Heal bell / rocks + sap sipper / thick fat can be clutch in checking important threats
:Lanturn: Lanturn - Rotom and Thundy check + cleric + scald/volt switch
:Gourgeist: Gourgeist-Super - stall pick bulky ghost
:Rotom-Heat: Rotom-Heat - rotom that is weak to rocks but SpD checks moth ... except if its SubQD.
:moltres: Moltres - niche defogger
:Archeops: Archeops - s/o CrashinBoomBang
:whimsicott: Whimsicott - Prankster encore = funny
:Heliolisk: Heliolisk - rain compatibile ability, electric w/ surf, and most of all, glare.
:omastar: Omastar - shell smash is funny but even on rain 55 speed is just too bad.
:Qwilfish: Qwilfish - rain tspike abosrber and user, or spikes.
:smeargle: Smeargle - meme boi
:Mienshao: Mienshao - Scarf reckless and hope you don't run into cofagrigus or clefable.

D Rank (Barely Viable Megas)
:absol-mega: Absol-Mega - Frail
:beedrill-mega: Beedrill-Mega - Super frail
:houndoom-mega: Houndoom - NP can be scary if opponent is sleeping
:sceptile-mega: Sceptile-Mega - love the mon but not it
:ampharos-mega: Ampharos-Mega - a missed one
:audino-mega: Audino-mega - maybe hypothetically possibly decent on stall
:blastoise-mega: Blastoise-Mega - regular is better
:glalie-mega: Glalie-mega - has spikes ig
:Pidgeot-Mega: Pidgeot-Mega - not in this economy

D- (Almost Unviable)
:xatu: Xatu - rocks drill is too popular and it can barely come in on Ferrothorn much less other mons.
:Sharpedo: Sharpedo - LO on HO be decent
:Emboar: Emboar - s/o Amir
:Aurorus: Aurorus - Amir cooked me with this once.
:Vileplume: Vileplume - Grass/poison but more niche. S/o Amir for SD Set
:Toxicroak: Toxicroak - nice on rain + tspike absorber
:Registeel: Registeel - can't keep rocks vs. drill but crazy stats
:rhyperior: Rhyperior - too much drill and stuff
:Audino: Audino - budget mola
:Sylveon: Sylveon - budget Clefable
:Virizion:Virizion - Fast chesanaught but much worse
:ninetales: Ninetales - Highly dislike this
:barbaracle: Barbaracle - why is this here

E (Pretty Much Unviable)
:Lopunny: Lopunny - scarf switcheroo klutz mega bluff sheningans
:tornadus: Tornadus - ?
:mantine: Mantine - nah
:Entei: Entei - no shot
Fantastic post, hope more people who read this like me will go and explore some of the lower tier mons.
 
my-image (11).png


S+

1734022484124.png
Broken mon, great offense stop, good serp/drill in, torna soft in, twave lol, vs + fight/ice has almost no in ( except clef and chansey, but those mons doesn't like volt switch into drill tbh )
1734023003687.png
versatile, fits in every team, sr, one of the biggest threat in the tier

S
1734022324867.png
would be S+ if focus blast had 100% accuracy, no switch ins, best speed, great ability, love spikes, taunt/hp ice/fire last
1734033859726.png
Volcaronaaaaaaaaa broken mon QD won gg
1734022885488.png
LO clef is cool on spikes balance teams, cm lefto too why not, sr koff clef why not too
1734034012329.png
Best flying mon in the tier, in serp and in zam without rocks
1734034098258.png
Broken mon, incredible vs offense, love spikes, splashable 4th move, encore, pup, ice punch, hwish, quick attack
1734034203572.png
Glare

A+

1734034690979.png
Strong fire type, in ? Weak rocks, zardttar remains good, focus blast alas
1734034762417.png
SD Zor best set imo, cool wincond, great defensive utility, in zam-M / lop / gross-M, defog set is cool too
1734034873019.png
4atk is great, big threat in the tier, drill rise didn't help diancie but I think that it remains a great choice, sr 3atk cool, cm diancie is not bad too, rock polish why not.
1734034993974.png
Specs, cm sub, cm taunt, taunt tox, taunt 3atk, soft in weavile, always a cool mon, versatile, good wincond
1734035128958.png
TankChomp remains the best chomp but I think that SD is cool, SD TankChomp cool too,many 4th move playable...
1734035277065.png
CB weav is awesome, it breaks, trap, revenge kill, great vs some old BO
1734035353884.png
Drill is cool but it restricts teambuilding, the meta adapted to it, remains a cool mon given that it's the best spinner. I also think that sd drill is cool, whether in sand or mold breaker

A

1734035642292.png
Great fire type, good defensive utility, volcarona in, specs is cool even if I prefer tank, roar and haze are cool lasts
1734035736380.png
SD zardX incredible, s/o skypenguin
1734035777980.png
RH lando always cool, imprison is good in offensive teams with volcarona and cloy
1734035844810.png
Sr 3atk is good, taunt too, 4atk gret too, dd with screens ofc
1734035905395.png
SubNP bulky thundy incredible with the over-representation of drill, np 3atk great too
1734035967535.png
Manaphyyyy incredible mon, TG 3atk, subTG with eball/chic breaks so many teams too, RD awesome
1734036017450.png
Bishop, soft in weav, AV is good, SD great, can trap no fight/eq gross
1734036139045.png
Whenever I see an OU , ferro is there... spiker, mana in, possible gross in, drill doesn't like it
1734036313577.png
I dislike defog zap, having a defog which take 1/4 each time is bad for me, I strongly prefer 3atk which is fine
1734036380075.png
Cool wincond, works well in offense teams, 3atk bulky with pjab for clef is cool, sneak playable too
1734036452936.png
Ca va
1734036529176.png
Cool pivot, great answer to sr lando/chomp, spread 12% wow, twave cool too, scarf fun
1734036681833.png
better than Patias, lives koff, lunar dance, good answer to gross/lop especially with rh
1734036776715.png
Good late wincond, works well with spikes, well-supported it can be painful to face it.

A-


1734036875802.png
Good in HO, tauntDD is cool
1734036935828.png
I like CB kyu in offense teams, breaks many teams
1734037055310.png
Gross and lop in, cm shock good wincond, twave/tox not bad too
1734037106758.png
Double prio is cool, can break many teams
1734037147701.png
Serp in, growth 3atk is awesome and can solo win many matchups, don't sleep on big venu
1734037222543.png
Ok+ wincond and spin, fits well in offense teams
1734037348032.png
Cool in Hyper Offense, why not in offense, good revenge killer with espeed
1734037452908.png
Scarf and band tar always viable, sr chople is good for zam, sand
1734037509966.png
Great wallbreaker, no switch in, only problem is focus blast alas, wowtaunt why not
1734037568626.png
Tran is tran, sr toxtaunt is a good set, serp clef and volc in ( without hp ground )
1734037871052.png
Cool mixwall, sr and sand
1734037965087.png
Suicune is suicune, can solo against a team not prepared to it
1734038011469.png
in Zard,volc, serp no rocks, drill, spread wow, sd interesting, weak rocks
1734038067479.png
Refer to cress but weaker

B+

1734038141736.png
Great special wall, heal bell is a cool last, skill swap too, not a big fan of sr bc it's drill food
1734038227858.png
Spinner but trapped by weav bish and tar, kinda weak to all the tier
1734038310358.png
Cool wincond, works without zone but I think it needs it to be more powerful, strong in screens ofc
1734038392469.png
SubRoost best set, specs cool, Sub 3atk fun, good wallbreaker but weak rocks and not really fast
1734038452333.png
Broken in dpp it's ok bro leave oras alone
1734038557708.png
Cool tank, can spikes on drill, ww, counter, defog, good overall
:hydreigon: Cool wallbreaker, as kyu but not weak to rocks and weaker
:magnezone: you can always cheap gross with vs then trap him, it's ok but drill being everywhere didn't help zone
:crawdaunt: AV crawdaunt is the future listen bro
:heracross-Mega: Cool mon in sticky, enjoy it a lot

B and B- are mons who exists in the tier but have not a real viability in my opinion


For my VR I checked every replay of RufflesPro to have an idea, drawing inspiration from the best !
Thanks Skyrio for the help, best oras in the world behind rufflespro.
Take care of yourself
 
Last edited:
Back
Top