Resource SV ZU Viability Rankings - DLC 2 Edition

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Tuthur

Tuthur

CAN U SPELL IT?
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Welcome to the SV ZU Viability Rankings. In this thread, Pokemon are ranked based on their ability to function within the ZU Metagame. This includes many factors, such as versatility, effectiveness, ability to handle metagame trends, size of niche, and several others. Since these are likely to be highly contested, there are a few rules to abide by:​
  • Post reasoning. Posts like ‘Tropius should go to B because it has Harvest’ will be deleted and possibly infracted. You are expected to give sound logic for the nominations you make. Any one-liners will be deleted and possibly infracted.
  • Be civil. It doesn’t matter how heavily you disagree with a post, at the end of the day it’s an opinion posted by another person so throwing insults at them isn’t gonna be okay.
  • No discussion of future bans, suspects, or metagames. We aren’t gonna raise something because may drop or a change may happen in a future metagame, no matter how likely it is.
  • If you want to nominate a currently unranked Pokemon to be ranked, replays are a requirement. Preferably, these are replays against high level players so that you really show us that this Pokemon can put in work.
  • At the same time, do not base your entire argument around replays and usage statistics. It’s important to show why this Pokemon performs viability, not just that it is used.
Pokemon within sub-ranks are ordered alphabetically. There will be no D rank unless council agrees to have one in the future.

Also, the Pokemon’s names in this thread link to sample sets or analysis!

NEW
:vulpix: Vulpix

S
:muk: Muk
:spiritomb: Spiritomb

A+
:articuno: Articuno
:dipplin: Dipplin
:lurantis: Lurantis
:orthworm: Orthworm
:poliwrath: Poliwrath
:pyroar: Pyroar
:rhydon: Rhydon
:rotom: Rotom
:sneasel-hisui: Sneasel-Hisui

A
:oricorio-pau: Oricorio-Pa'u
:passimian: Passimian
:swanna: Swanna
:toxicroak: Toxicroak
:veluza: Veluza

A-
:arboliva: Arboliva
:avalugg-hisui: Avalugg-Hisui
:basculin-blue-striped: Basculin
:lilligant: Lilligant
:magmortar: Magmortar
:magneton: Magneton
:morpeko: Morpeko
:scovillain: Scovillain
:sneasel: Sneasel
:toedscruel: Toedscruel
:volbeat: Volbeat

B+
:abomasnow: Abomasnow
:appletun: Appletun
:combusken: Combusken
:exeggutor: Exeggutor
:naclstack: Naclstack
:persian-alola: Persian-Alola
:primeape: Primeape
:raichu-alola: Raichu-Alola
:sableye: Sableye
:shaymin: Shaymin
:shiftry: Shiftry
:tauros: Tauros
:whiscash: Whiscash

B
:beartic: Beartic
:crabominable: Crabominable
:cryogonal: Cryogonal
:eelektross: Eelektross
:indeedee-f: Indeedee-Female
:leafeon: Leafeon
:mabosstiff: Mabostiff
:masquerain: Masquerain
:medicham: Medicham
:perrserker: Perrserker
:piloswine: Piloswine
:rotom-frost: Rotom-Frost
:samurott: Samurott
:victreebel: Victreebel

B-
:bellossom: Bellossom
:carbink: Carbink
:dachsbun: Dachsbun
:ditto: Ditto
:hattrem: Hattrem
:haunter: Haunter
:honchkrow: Honchkrow
:houndoom: Houndoom
:ludicolo: Ludicolo
:raichu: Raichu
:ursaring: Ursaring
:wyrdeer: Wyrdeer

C
:cacturne: Cacturne
:clefairy: Clefairy
:dugtrio-alola: Dugtrio-Alola
:electivire: Electivire
:electrode: Electrode
:glaceon: Glaceon
:golduck: Golduck
:granbull: Granbull
:gurdurr: Gurdurr
:klawf: Klawf
:lapras: Lapras
:leavanny: Leavanny
:lycanroc-midnight: Lycanroc-Midnight
:pincurchin: Pincurchin
:quaxwell: Quaxwell
:rampardos: Rampardos
:rotom-fan: Rotom-Fan
:swalot: Swalot
:tauros-paldea: Tauros-Paldea
 
Last edited:
Below is the original slate, votes were conducted before Heat Rock and Venomoth ban, hence the high viability of sun elements.
Previous RankOutcomeCorthiusDannyDrudfish anemometerLustfulLiceMonaiOranBerryBlissey10Tuthur
Oricorio-Pa'uHighAb+AAAAA-A
PassimianNewAaA+A+AA A+A
SwannaMidAaA+AA-AB+A-
ToxicroakNewAaAA-AA-A+A-
VeluzaMidAa+A+AA+AB+A
ArbolivaNewA-a-A-AA-A-AB+
Avalugg-HisuiHighA-b+AA-A-A-B+A-
BasculinHighA-b+A-A-A-A-A-A
LilligantMidA-b+A-A-A-AA-A-
MagmortarHighA-a-AA-AAA-A-
MagnetonHighA-a-A-A-A-A-A-A-
MorpekoNewA-a+A-B+A-B A-A-
ScovillainLowA-b+AB-A-AA-B-
SneaselHighA-b+A-A-B+A-B+A-
ToedscruelNewA-a-B+A-B+AA-A-
VolbeatLowA-b+A-BA-AA-B-
ArticunoHighA+sSA+A+SA+A+
DipplinHighA+a+A+A+A+ASA+
LurantisHighA+a+A+AAAA+A+
OrthwormHighA+a+A+A+A+SA+A+
PoliwrathNewA+a+A+A+AA+A+A
PyroarHighA+a+SA+A+SAA
RhydonNewA+a+A+A+A+A+AA+
RotomNewA+a+A+A+AA+AA
Sneasel-HisuiTopA+a+A+AAA+SA+
BearticURBbBBBB+BB
CrabominableMidBbB-B+B+B-B+B
CryogonalMidBbBB-BBB+B+
EelektrossHighBbBB+B-B-B+B
Indeedee-FemaleMidBbBBBBC+B
LeafeonLowBc+B+BBB+BB-
MabosstiffMidBcB+BBA-BB+
MasquerainMidBb-BB-BBB+B+
MedichamHighBb+BBBB-BB
PerrserkerHighBbBBB+BB+B+
PiloswineMidBbBBBBA-B+
Rotom-FrostMidBc+B+BBB+B+B
SamurottHighBbBB+B+BBB
VictreebelLowBcBCBBCB
BellossomLowB-bCB-B-B-BC
CarbinkMidB-c+C+CCB-BB
DachsbunLowB-c+CB-CURBB-
DittoMidB-cBCB-B-?BB
HattremLowB-b+B-B-B-BBB-
HaunterMidB-bB-CB-BB-B-
HonchkrowLowB-b-B-B-B-CB-B-
HoundoomMidB-b-B-B-B-B-B-B-
LudicoloMidB-cB-CB-B-B-B
RaichuMidB-cB-B-B-B-CB-
UrsaringLowB-cCB+B-CBB-
WyrdeerURB-b+BCCB+C+B-
AbomasnowNewB+b-B+A-B+B+B+B+
AppletunMidB+a-B+B+B+B+A-B+
CombuskenMidB+b+B+B+B+B+BB
ExeggutorLowB+bB+BA-A-A-B+
NaclstackMidB+b+A-B+B+B+A-A-
Persian-AlolaMidB+b+B+BBB-A-B+
PrimeapeHighB+b+B+A-B+BB+B+
Raichu-AlolaMidB+a-B+BBA-B+B+
SableyeMidB+aB+B+B+A-A+B+
ShayminHighB+b+A-BB+A-A-B
ShiftryMidB+bB+BBA-B+B+
TaurosHighB+b-B+A-B+A-B+B+
WhiscashHighB+aB+A-B+B+B+A-
VenomothHighBANNEDa+SSSA+SS
CacturneLowCcCCCURC+C
ClefairyLowCurURCCURCC
Dugtrio-AlolaLowCcURURCCC+UR
ElectivireNewCb-CCCCCUR
ElectrodeLowCcURCCURB-C
GlaceonLowCcURCCURCC
GolduckLowCcCCCB-CC
GranbullLowCcURCCURCUR
GurdurrMidCurURBCURB-C
KlawfLowCc+CCCB-CC
LaprasNewCcCCCCCC
LeavannyLowCcB-CCB-B-C
Lycanroc-MidnightMidCcCCCCB-B-
PincurchinLowCcURCURURCC
QuaxwellLowCcURCURCCUR
RampardosNewCcCURCCCC
Rotom-FanLowCurURCCURCC
SwalotLowCc+CCCB-B-C
Tauros-PaldeaHighCcURCCURB-UR
MukHighSsSA+SSSA+
SpiritombHighSsSSSSA+S
ArbokLowURurURURURURCC
BastiodonNewURurURURURURCUR
DugtrioLowURurURURURURURUR
DuosionLowURurURURURURURUR
FalinksLowURurURURURURCUR
GolemLowURurURURURURURUR
Golem-AlolaLowURurURURURURCUR
GrumpigURURurURURURURC-C
KomalaLowURcURURURURCUR
MisdreavusLowURurURURURURC-UR
ProbopassLowURurURURURURC-UR
RabscaLowURc+URURURURC+UR
SawsbuckLowURcURURURURCC
ServineLowURurURURURURURUR
TinkatuffLowURurURURCURCC
ZangooseLowURurURURURURB-UR
ZebstrikaLowURurURURURURCUR
 
I don't understand why Ampharos is untiered. I have been using my Ampharos a lot on the ladder, and Power Herb Meteor Beam is a drug. It grabs K.O's whenever it joins the field.
This isn't a disingenous question to the mods. I am genuinely asking, because maybe I'm too low on the ladder to understand.
 
Thatgoomyguy said:
I don't understand why Ampharos is untiered. I have been using my Ampharos a lot on the ladder, and Power Herb Meteor Beam is a drug. It grabs K.O's whenever it joins the field.
This isn't a disingenous question to the mods. I am genuinely asking, because maybe I'm too low on the ladder to understand.
Click to expand...
Ampharos is unranked, but it is true that the Meteor Beam set is not awful. Between good power and decent coverage in Focus Blast + Dazzling Gleam / Dragon Pulse / Tera Blast, Ampharos can definitely create some holes in defensive cores. However, it faces huge competition from more threatening Electric-types, namely Rotom forms and Magneton. Thanks to their secondary typing and higher Speed tier, they are more effective at putting pressure on opposing teams. As for defensive sets, Eelektross outclasses it.
 
I'm really glad that the VR came up, mostly because I have opinions and I feel too lazy to make a personal vr.

:Swanna: A -> A-
I find myself really disillusioned with Swanna. It's arguably the best mon to run hurricane on, it's a water type, it has recovery, knock, and a pivoting move, and it has defog. However, it's an offensive mon with the moveset of a defensive one, and Swanna cannot pull off defensive spreads. Swanna does not have the bulk to check anything you want it to long-term, even with roost. Hurricane and surf are nice, but not enough. Even though Swanna is our most viable defogger, I think its lack of bulk is enough of a downside to drop it to A- with the other removal options.

:Houndoom: B- -> B
Houndoom is definitely outclassed by Pyroar, Magmortar, and every other offensive fire type. However, I think that flash fire is enough of a niche to justify putting it in B. Flash fire opens up Houndoom to make a choiced fire-type think twice before locking in a fire move, then being able to force a switch and hit something with dark pulse or fire blast. That being said, Houndoom is still a little weak, but I believe that the ability for Houndoom to function like a Pyroar or Magmortar, only with more defensive value and utility, at least makes it better than Dachsbun.

:Carbink: B- -> C
I cannot see a world where Carbink would be worth using. I would rather set hazards with Orthworm or Whiscash even, and I would rather set trick room with Hattrem or Spiritomb. As cool as a fairy type would be, Carbink does not do enough to feel like a substantial fairy type. It can work well enough where I think it does deserve a mention in C-tier, but barely.
 
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