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USM CAP Metagame Viability Rankings
- Thread starter snake
- Start date
Let's end the year with a VR update! First though, I have a couple of announcements.
cbrevan is retiring from the VR team. We thank him for his long service on the team!
Drapionswing and Rat With Wings were very busy for the holidays, and to have an odd number for the voting, the VR team invited xavgb (stresh on Discord and PS!) to fill in the gaps. Thanks!
As for reasoning for these changes in rank, we've included most of them, as well as our votes, on this Google Sheet. Please read the comments to understand why we voted the way we did. Comments appear mostly on votes for change.
cbrevan is retiring from the VR team. We thank him for his long service on the team!
Drapionswing and Rat With Wings were very busy for the holidays, and to have an odd number for the voting, the VR team invited xavgb (stresh on Discord and PS!) to fill in the gaps. Thanks!
Tapu Koko: A+ to A-
Tomohawk: A+ to A-
Clefable: A to A-
Krilowatt: A to A-
Chansey: A- to B+
Cyclohm: A- to B+
Gastrodon: A- to B-
Mega Scizor: A- to B
Pyroak: B+ to B-
Revenankh: B+ to B
Mega Venusaur: B to B-
Mew: B to B-
Mollux: B to C
Stratagem: B to B-
Tapu Fini: B to B-
Azumarill: B- to UR
Mega Gallade: B- to UR
Keldeo: B- to C
Malaconda: B- to C
Mimikyu: B- to UR
Alolan Ninetales: B- to UR
Mega Aerodactyl: C to UR
Alomomola: C to UR
Crucibelle: Blacklisted
Gengar: C to UR
Mantine: C to UR
Plasmanta; C to Blacklisted
Skarmory: C to UR
Thundurus-T: C to UR
Tomohawk: A+ to A-
Clefable: A to A-
Krilowatt: A to A-
Chansey: A- to B+
Cyclohm: A- to B+
Gastrodon: A- to B-
Mega Scizor: A- to B
Pyroak: B+ to B-
Revenankh: B+ to B
Mega Venusaur: B to B-
Mew: B to B-
Mollux: B to C
Stratagem: B to B-
Tapu Fini: B to B-
Azumarill: B- to UR
Mega Gallade: B- to UR
Keldeo: B- to C
Malaconda: B- to C
Mimikyu: B- to UR
Alolan Ninetales: B- to UR
Mega Aerodactyl: C to UR
Alomomola: C to UR
Crucibelle: Blacklisted
Gengar: C to UR
Mantine: C to UR
Plasmanta; C to Blacklisted
Skarmory: C to UR
Thundurus-T: C to UR
Tornadus-T: A+ to S
Aurumoth: A to A+
Magearna: A to A+
Kitsunoh: A- to A
Mega Mawile: A- to A
Mega Diancie: B+ to A-
Tangrowth: B+ to A-
Weavile: B+ to A
Mega Tyranitar: B to A-
Excadrill: B- to B
Garchomp: B- to B
Rotom-W: B- to B
Serperior: B- to B
Victini: B- to B
Mega Aggron: C to B-
Moltres: UR to C
Slowbro: UR to C
Caribolt: UR to A-
Smokoodo: UR to B+
Snaelstrom: UR to B+
Aurumoth: A to A+
Magearna: A to A+
Kitsunoh: A- to A
Mega Mawile: A- to A
Mega Diancie: B+ to A-
Tangrowth: B+ to A-
Weavile: B+ to A
Mega Tyranitar: B to A-
Excadrill: B- to B
Garchomp: B- to B
Rotom-W: B- to B
Serperior: B- to B
Victini: B- to B
Mega Aggron: C to B-
Moltres: UR to C
Slowbro: UR to C
Caribolt: UR to A-
Smokoodo: UR to B+
Snaelstrom: UR to B+
Heatran: A+ to S
First up, the VR team is heavily split on Heatran's rise to S-rank. It's grip on the metagame is heavy, often necessitating two checks to it on a well-built team, akin to Mega Crucibelle or Zygarde. Its splashability due to its access to Stealth Rock and its access to Magma Storm make it a unique pick in the metagame. However, Heatran suffers partly due to Mega Crucibelle's prominence by sharing similar weaknesses to it. For example, Heatran suffers from Mega Crucibelle lures like Hidden Power Ground Tornadus-T and the abundance of Ground-type coverage in general. It simply might not reach the same level of metagame-definition that the other S-rank Pokemon fit. With such an important nomination, we wanted to open it up to discussion.
Hawlucha: A to A-
Currently, Hawlucha is almost exclusively run with Tapu Koko, which just dropped to A-. While Hawlucha can be run with Tapu Lele, Tapu Fini, and Tapu Bulu, these are often far less effective than Tapu Koko + Hawlucha. We would like to know what the community thinks about dropping Hawlucha to A-. Is the fact that it's almost exclusively run with Tapu Koko enough to warrant a drop? Or is the fact that it can be run with other Tapu's too enough to warrant being ranked seperately from Tapu Koko?
Mega Pinsir: A to A-
The VR team is split on whether or not to lower Mega Pinsir. On one hand, it’s still a powerhouse with its Flying-type attacks, forcing out Arghonaut, Snaelstrom, and Jumbao and threatening Necturna with priority. On the other though, many metagame trends go against it. For one, many top metagame threats like Mega Crucibelle and Tornadus-T force it out, and the high usage of Celesteela makes it harder to run Earthquake. The rise of Glare Zygarde means Mega Pinsir is less of a reliable switch-in to it as it was in the past. Most importantly though, by choosing Mega Pinsir, you give up the opportunity to run Mega Crucibelle, Mega Alakazam, Mega Latios, or Mega Mawile, which are much more consistent mega evolutions. Is Mega Pinsir’s power enough to stay in A, or are these drawbacks enough to push it down into A-?
Syclant: A to A-
While Syclant is a good offensive Ice-type, the value of Knock Off and Pursuit that Weavile offers leaves the VR team wondering if Syclant should be ranked alongside Weavile, which is a much more popular choice as an offensive Ice-type thanks to the aforementioned Knock Off and Pursuit. However, Syclant sets itself apart from Weavile with its access to U-turn, Ground-type coverage, and Spikes, which allow it to take advantage of Pokemon like Arghonaut and deal with common Ice-type resists, namely Toxapex, whereas Weavile can't. What does the community think? Does Syclant have enough to stay ranked alongside Weavile? Or should it drop because of the competition it faces from Weavile?
Weavile: A to A+
It should be no surprise that Weavile was voted to rise. However, the VR team wasn't sure if it should rise to A or A+. Weavile is arguable the best Pursuit trapper in the metagame, keeping Pajantom at bay for otherwise unprepared teams, while also fending off Necturna in one teamslot. Does this utility warrant another rise to A+? Or does its general lack of defensive potential hold it back at A?
Kartana: A- to B+
Although Kartana is one of the best Mega Crucibelle checks, it faces quite a few issues in the current metagame. The ubiquity of Tornadus-T pressures it out, and the viability of faster attackers like Mega Latios, Mega Diancie, Syclant, Weavile, and Greninja further increase the pressure. Although Choice Scarf variants would be able to counteract this problem, Kitsunoh has eclipsed Kartana's role as a Choice Scarf weilding Steel-type due to its access to U-turn, Ice Punch, and Earthquake. The VR team is thus asking this: is Kartana's Choice Band set worth keeping it in A-? If not, it should fall to B+, where it's not a bad pick at all but finds itself inconsistent.
Tangrowth: A- to A
The VR team understands the value Tangrowth has on teams, hence its rise to A-, but we would like to discuss if it should rise further. With the combination of Assault Vest and Regenerator, it checks potent threats such as Zygarde, Mega Alakazam, Ash Greninja and Tapu Koko consistently. As bulky Grass-types become increasingly important on most builds, Tangrowth and Jumbao often compete for the same spot on a team, making it hard to get an understanding of Tangrowth's strength in the metagame. How often is the additional bulk, pivoting, coverage, and Knock Off utility better than Jumbao's Wish support, Fairy typing, and offensive sets? Does the strength of this niche over defensive Jumbao warrant a further rise for Tangrowth?
Tomohawk: A- to B+
Even though Tomohawk just dropped to A-, the VR team feels that it could potentially drop further. Defensive Tomohawk has had an undeniably prominent grip on the metagame, but this has also turned against it. Notably, just about every setup sweeper is designed to beat it. If you take a quick look at the top ranked sweeper, you can see that Tomohawk does not really check any of these Pokemon, making its Prankster Haze not as useful as it used to be. It also lets in Psychic- and Fairy-types like Mega Alakazam, Mega Latios, and Magearna in for pretty much free, often making it a momentum sack. All in all, defensive Tomohawk tends to bring more issues to a team than that it patches up and we feel that this could be enough reason to drop it. While defensive sets have been falling, offensive sets have been getting explored more, and have proven to be effective. But generally speaking, offensive sets tend to be hard to justify using over Tornadus-T. We would like to hear what the community thinks about Tomohawk's ranking. Are the flaws of Tomohawk's defensive set and the fact that offensive sets are hard to justify using over Tornadus-T enough to drop? Or is the fact that offensive sets are being explored more enough to keep Tomohawk in A-?
Tapu Bulu: B+ to B
Though Tapu Bulu finds itself on almost all consistent Trick Room builds, it struggles to keep up with the metagame on other teams. Specially Defensive Tapu Bulu has no place in the metagame anymore due to competition with Jumbao and Tangrowth and to letting Necturna set up for free. Choice Band is where it shines, and while it's a great set, it's not the most consistent set with how many Pokemon pressure it out. As long as Mega Camerupt is ranked at B though, Tapu Bulu shouldn't fall beneath B, as Tapu Bulu's importance on Trick Room teams cannot be understated. The VR team would like to open up this to community discussion.
Amoonguss: B to B-
Amoonguss is a bit of an anomaly among the Grass-types of the metagame. On one hand, with less Tapu Koko around, there's more room to Spore and be successful with it. On the other hand, it's generally overshadowed by Tangrowth and Jumbao. The VR team wants to know where it stacks on the VR. Should it stay in B? Or drop to B-?
Serperior: B to B+
As one of the users of the coveted Glare, Serperior rose to B to reflect its usefulness. The VR team wants to open it up to discussion on whether consistent enough to rise again to B+. While its offensive presence is quite terrifying after a Leaf Storm, it has to pull one off, and its measly 8 PP can sometimes run out too quickly. Additionally, it faces a slight case of 4MSS.
Cresselia / Uxie: C to UR
The VR team is questioning the viability of these Pokemon at all. With Fidgit Trick Room teams finding more consistency, do these Pokemon even have a sizable niche in the metagame?
Hydreigon: C to B-
Hydreigon is an interesting Pokemon in the current CAP Metagame as its typing, coupled with its ability Levitate, allow it to check a good portion of the tiers threats such as Caribolt, Volkraken, Smokomodo, Ash Greninja, and non-Steelium Z Heatran. With that Hydreigon's respectable power and coverage options, it can be a potent wallbreaker. Despite this, it’s middling speed tier and reliance on Z moves to break through common walls such as Jumbao can often make it hard to fit into teams, and for this reason the VR team is unsure if it should rise.
Additionally, feel free to comment on the initial rankings for Caribolt, Smokomodo, and Snaelstrom. However, please first read the comments from the VR team on the Google Sheet before doing so to understand why we placed it where it is.
First up, the VR team is heavily split on Heatran's rise to S-rank. It's grip on the metagame is heavy, often necessitating two checks to it on a well-built team, akin to Mega Crucibelle or Zygarde. Its splashability due to its access to Stealth Rock and its access to Magma Storm make it a unique pick in the metagame. However, Heatran suffers partly due to Mega Crucibelle's prominence by sharing similar weaknesses to it. For example, Heatran suffers from Mega Crucibelle lures like Hidden Power Ground Tornadus-T and the abundance of Ground-type coverage in general. It simply might not reach the same level of metagame-definition that the other S-rank Pokemon fit. With such an important nomination, we wanted to open it up to discussion.
Hawlucha: A to A-
Currently, Hawlucha is almost exclusively run with Tapu Koko, which just dropped to A-. While Hawlucha can be run with Tapu Lele, Tapu Fini, and Tapu Bulu, these are often far less effective than Tapu Koko + Hawlucha. We would like to know what the community thinks about dropping Hawlucha to A-. Is the fact that it's almost exclusively run with Tapu Koko enough to warrant a drop? Or is the fact that it can be run with other Tapu's too enough to warrant being ranked seperately from Tapu Koko?
Mega Pinsir: A to A-
The VR team is split on whether or not to lower Mega Pinsir. On one hand, it’s still a powerhouse with its Flying-type attacks, forcing out Arghonaut, Snaelstrom, and Jumbao and threatening Necturna with priority. On the other though, many metagame trends go against it. For one, many top metagame threats like Mega Crucibelle and Tornadus-T force it out, and the high usage of Celesteela makes it harder to run Earthquake. The rise of Glare Zygarde means Mega Pinsir is less of a reliable switch-in to it as it was in the past. Most importantly though, by choosing Mega Pinsir, you give up the opportunity to run Mega Crucibelle, Mega Alakazam, Mega Latios, or Mega Mawile, which are much more consistent mega evolutions. Is Mega Pinsir’s power enough to stay in A, or are these drawbacks enough to push it down into A-?
Syclant: A to A-
While Syclant is a good offensive Ice-type, the value of Knock Off and Pursuit that Weavile offers leaves the VR team wondering if Syclant should be ranked alongside Weavile, which is a much more popular choice as an offensive Ice-type thanks to the aforementioned Knock Off and Pursuit. However, Syclant sets itself apart from Weavile with its access to U-turn, Ground-type coverage, and Spikes, which allow it to take advantage of Pokemon like Arghonaut and deal with common Ice-type resists, namely Toxapex, whereas Weavile can't. What does the community think? Does Syclant have enough to stay ranked alongside Weavile? Or should it drop because of the competition it faces from Weavile?
Weavile: A to A+
It should be no surprise that Weavile was voted to rise. However, the VR team wasn't sure if it should rise to A or A+. Weavile is arguable the best Pursuit trapper in the metagame, keeping Pajantom at bay for otherwise unprepared teams, while also fending off Necturna in one teamslot. Does this utility warrant another rise to A+? Or does its general lack of defensive potential hold it back at A?
Kartana: A- to B+
Although Kartana is one of the best Mega Crucibelle checks, it faces quite a few issues in the current metagame. The ubiquity of Tornadus-T pressures it out, and the viability of faster attackers like Mega Latios, Mega Diancie, Syclant, Weavile, and Greninja further increase the pressure. Although Choice Scarf variants would be able to counteract this problem, Kitsunoh has eclipsed Kartana's role as a Choice Scarf weilding Steel-type due to its access to U-turn, Ice Punch, and Earthquake. The VR team is thus asking this: is Kartana's Choice Band set worth keeping it in A-? If not, it should fall to B+, where it's not a bad pick at all but finds itself inconsistent.
Tangrowth: A- to A
The VR team understands the value Tangrowth has on teams, hence its rise to A-, but we would like to discuss if it should rise further. With the combination of Assault Vest and Regenerator, it checks potent threats such as Zygarde, Mega Alakazam, Ash Greninja and Tapu Koko consistently. As bulky Grass-types become increasingly important on most builds, Tangrowth and Jumbao often compete for the same spot on a team, making it hard to get an understanding of Tangrowth's strength in the metagame. How often is the additional bulk, pivoting, coverage, and Knock Off utility better than Jumbao's Wish support, Fairy typing, and offensive sets? Does the strength of this niche over defensive Jumbao warrant a further rise for Tangrowth?
Tomohawk: A- to B+
Even though Tomohawk just dropped to A-, the VR team feels that it could potentially drop further. Defensive Tomohawk has had an undeniably prominent grip on the metagame, but this has also turned against it. Notably, just about every setup sweeper is designed to beat it. If you take a quick look at the top ranked sweeper, you can see that Tomohawk does not really check any of these Pokemon, making its Prankster Haze not as useful as it used to be. It also lets in Psychic- and Fairy-types like Mega Alakazam, Mega Latios, and Magearna in for pretty much free, often making it a momentum sack. All in all, defensive Tomohawk tends to bring more issues to a team than that it patches up and we feel that this could be enough reason to drop it. While defensive sets have been falling, offensive sets have been getting explored more, and have proven to be effective. But generally speaking, offensive sets tend to be hard to justify using over Tornadus-T. We would like to hear what the community thinks about Tomohawk's ranking. Are the flaws of Tomohawk's defensive set and the fact that offensive sets are hard to justify using over Tornadus-T enough to drop? Or is the fact that offensive sets are being explored more enough to keep Tomohawk in A-?
Tapu Bulu: B+ to B
Though Tapu Bulu finds itself on almost all consistent Trick Room builds, it struggles to keep up with the metagame on other teams. Specially Defensive Tapu Bulu has no place in the metagame anymore due to competition with Jumbao and Tangrowth and to letting Necturna set up for free. Choice Band is where it shines, and while it's a great set, it's not the most consistent set with how many Pokemon pressure it out. As long as Mega Camerupt is ranked at B though, Tapu Bulu shouldn't fall beneath B, as Tapu Bulu's importance on Trick Room teams cannot be understated. The VR team would like to open up this to community discussion.
Amoonguss: B to B-
Amoonguss is a bit of an anomaly among the Grass-types of the metagame. On one hand, with less Tapu Koko around, there's more room to Spore and be successful with it. On the other hand, it's generally overshadowed by Tangrowth and Jumbao. The VR team wants to know where it stacks on the VR. Should it stay in B? Or drop to B-?
Serperior: B to B+
As one of the users of the coveted Glare, Serperior rose to B to reflect its usefulness. The VR team wants to open it up to discussion on whether consistent enough to rise again to B+. While its offensive presence is quite terrifying after a Leaf Storm, it has to pull one off, and its measly 8 PP can sometimes run out too quickly. Additionally, it faces a slight case of 4MSS.
Cresselia / Uxie: C to UR
The VR team is questioning the viability of these Pokemon at all. With Fidgit Trick Room teams finding more consistency, do these Pokemon even have a sizable niche in the metagame?
Hydreigon: C to B-
Hydreigon is an interesting Pokemon in the current CAP Metagame as its typing, coupled with its ability Levitate, allow it to check a good portion of the tiers threats such as Caribolt, Volkraken, Smokomodo, Ash Greninja, and non-Steelium Z Heatran. With that Hydreigon's respectable power and coverage options, it can be a potent wallbreaker. Despite this, it’s middling speed tier and reliance on Z moves to break through common walls such as Jumbao can often make it hard to fit into teams, and for this reason the VR team is unsure if it should rise.
Additionally, feel free to comment on the initial rankings for Caribolt, Smokomodo, and Snaelstrom. However, please first read the comments from the VR team on the Google Sheet before doing so to understand why we placed it where it is.
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I bear two pieces of news:
First, Drapionswing will be stepping down from the VR team. Thank you for the time you've put into this thread!
Second, Zygarde was banned from OU, thus:
Zygarde: S to UR
Mega Crucibelle now runs free.
First, Drapionswing will be stepping down from the VR team. Thank you for the time you've put into this thread!
Second, Zygarde was banned from OU, thus:
Zygarde: S to UR
Mega Crucibelle now runs free.
I would like to do a very ambicious nominating
Mega Pinsir: A --> A+
I played a lot of matches using Mega Pinsir, and if the enemy team doesn't have any answer to him, he can just break past opposing defensive walls and win the game with the help of the rights teammates. With a great Attack and Speed tier, Mega Pinsir has the BEST offensive stats and the perfect coverage combination. Return with Aerilate + Earthquake doesn't have a lot of checks, being walled just by Celesteela, Skarmory and Cawmodore. (Maybe Air Balloon Heatran).
Mega Pinsir can act as a lead against Snaelstorm teams, getting a free setup opportunity or just killing it with Return STAB. Rock- and Steel-types can't switch safely into it, as Mega-Pinsir has Earthquake, punishing them if predicted correctly, namely Crucibelle, Magearna, Kitsunoh and Magnezone.
Difference between Mega-Pinsir and other wallbreakers
A Flying-type STAB move with a good Attack is the most important thing that makes Mega Pinsir unique. Return resistances being coveraged by Earthquake means that a few mons will be able to switch in safely. Mega Pinsir can't be revenge killed easily thanks to its 105 Base Speed, which means that the enemy will have to use a faster mon or a scarfer, luring them to its teammates.
Priority
Mega Pinsir has STAB priority. Quick Attack is a threatening move after +1 with Aerilate boost, allowing him to safely kill weakened foes, cleaning the enemy team easier than other wallbreakers, such as Mega Medicham and Mega Mawile
Mega Pinsir: A --> A+
I played a lot of matches using Mega Pinsir, and if the enemy team doesn't have any answer to him, he can just break past opposing defensive walls and win the game with the help of the rights teammates. With a great Attack and Speed tier, Mega Pinsir has the BEST offensive stats and the perfect coverage combination. Return with Aerilate + Earthquake doesn't have a lot of checks, being walled just by Celesteela, Skarmory and Cawmodore. (Maybe Air Balloon Heatran).
Mega Pinsir can act as a lead against Snaelstorm teams, getting a free setup opportunity or just killing it with Return STAB. Rock- and Steel-types can't switch safely into it, as Mega-Pinsir has Earthquake, punishing them if predicted correctly, namely Crucibelle, Magearna, Kitsunoh and Magnezone.
Difference between Mega-Pinsir and other wallbreakers
A Flying-type STAB move with a good Attack is the most important thing that makes Mega Pinsir unique. Return resistances being coveraged by Earthquake means that a few mons will be able to switch in safely. Mega Pinsir can't be revenge killed easily thanks to its 105 Base Speed, which means that the enemy will have to use a faster mon or a scarfer, luring them to its teammates.
Priority
Mega Pinsir has STAB priority. Quick Attack is a threatening move after +1 with Aerilate boost, allowing him to safely kill weakened foes, cleaning the enemy team easier than other wallbreakers, such as Mega Medicham and Mega Mawile
Hi everyone! The VR team has a special announcement. Check out the amazing new artwork by BlueberryBlanket for the VR thread OP!! Thank you BlueberryBlanket for the quick and amazing work!
We also wanted everyone to share their thoughts on the VR now that Zygarde has been banned. The discussion points in the last update post are still good starting points for discussion. Keep in mind, though, how nominations work. A post that wants to highlight what a Pokemon can do is a great post for the metagame discussion thread. However, for the VR, nominations need to say what's changed in the metagame around that Pokemon. Replays, especially for those towards A, A+, and S, are highly appreciated for more concrete evidence of the nomination. Replays for nominating a Pokemon from Unranked to C rank are also required.
Finally, we've linked the analysis pages to the Pokemon on the VR. Check them out!
We also wanted everyone to share their thoughts on the VR now that Zygarde has been banned. The discussion points in the last update post are still good starting points for discussion. Keep in mind, though, how nominations work. A post that wants to highlight what a Pokemon can do is a great post for the metagame discussion thread. However, for the VR, nominations need to say what's changed in the metagame around that Pokemon. Replays, especially for those towards A, A+, and S, are highly appreciated for more concrete evidence of the nomination. Replays for nominating a Pokemon from Unranked to C rank are also required.
Finally, we've linked the analysis pages to the Pokemon on the VR. Check them out!
Hello everyone, you can expect the next VR update some time soon. Furthermore, we have decided to add xavgb and Mx to the VR team, please welcome them!
On another note, I just wanted to make a quick response to your post. Your post completely failed to explain what has changed for Mega Pinsir at all, and it just tells us what it does, which is common knowledge. Furthermore, I just want to point out that nothing has actually changed in Mega Pinsir's favor, matter of fact, things have gotten worse for it. A good example of this is Mega Crucibelle rising to dominance post-Zygarde's ban. Not only does Mega Crucibelle give Mega Pinsir competition for the mega slot, it's also the best offensive check to it. If anything, I'd drop Mega Pinsir right now.
On another note, I just wanted to make a quick response to your post. Your post completely failed to explain what has changed for Mega Pinsir at all, and it just tells us what it does, which is common knowledge. Furthermore, I just want to point out that nothing has actually changed in Mega Pinsir's favor, matter of fact, things have gotten worse for it. A good example of this is Mega Crucibelle rising to dominance post-Zygarde's ban. Not only does Mega Crucibelle give Mega Pinsir competition for the mega slot, it's also the best offensive check to it. If anything, I'd drop Mega Pinsir right now.
Just before Mega Crucibelle gets nerfed, we're here with another slate!
Just like last time, you can look at the votes on this Google Sheet.
Heatran to S
Tangrowth to A
Moltres to B-
Tangrowth to A
Moltres to B-
Jumbao to A
Pajantom to A
Hawlucha to A-
Mega Pinsir to A-
Syclant to A-
Clefable to B+
Snaelstrom to C
Revenankh to C
Pyroak to C
Mega Venusaur to C
Cresselia to UR
Uxie to UR
Pajantom to A
Hawlucha to A-
Mega Pinsir to A-
Syclant to A-
Clefable to B+
Snaelstrom to C
Revenankh to C
Pyroak to C
Mega Venusaur to C
Cresselia to UR
Uxie to UR
Just like last time, you can look at the votes on this Google Sheet.
Tapu Lele to A+
Tapu Lele has seen an uptick in usage to combat the passive teams that have been appearing more and more lately. The VR team wants to know whether this is enough to make Tapu Lele rise. What are your thoughts?
Weavile to A+
Weavile provides a lot of utility and finds its way onto many teams right now. Pursuit provides a lot of utility in the current metagame, as it allows it to guarantee KOes on Pokemon like Tornadus-T, Mega Latios, and Pajantom. Furthermore, Ice Shard provides a lot of utility for many teams to check Shell Smash Necturna. We would like to know whether you think this is enough for Weavile to rise or not?
Clefable to B
Although Clefable just dropped, the VR team feels like it might warrant another drop. As was pointed out, Clefable provides free switches for Mega Crucibelle. Furthermore, it does not provide a lot of utility to teams, currently. Is this enough to warrant another drop? We'd like to hear your thoughts.
Stratagem to C
Although Stratagem seems like the perfect Pokemon thanks to its great coverage, its mediocre Special Attack stat makes it very prediction reliant, meaning that it's extremely inconsistent. Furthermore, it's a mediocre Tornadus-T check due to its mediocre bulk. Additionally, it faces competition from Mega Crucibelle, Mega Diancie, and Mega Tyranitar.
Snaelstrom to BL
Ever since Zygarde got banned, Snaelstrom lost a majority of its niche as an answer to Zygarde. Its weakness to Stealth Rock and lack of reliable recovery often let it down as a wall that is supposed to check multiple Pokemon. However, Snaelstrom might have some use on Trick Room teams. Would Snaelstrom losing most of its niche warrant a drop to BL, or can it stay in C as an incredibly niche Trick Room setter? We'd like to hear your thoughts.
Tapu Lele has seen an uptick in usage to combat the passive teams that have been appearing more and more lately. The VR team wants to know whether this is enough to make Tapu Lele rise. What are your thoughts?
Weavile to A+
Weavile provides a lot of utility and finds its way onto many teams right now. Pursuit provides a lot of utility in the current metagame, as it allows it to guarantee KOes on Pokemon like Tornadus-T, Mega Latios, and Pajantom. Furthermore, Ice Shard provides a lot of utility for many teams to check Shell Smash Necturna. We would like to know whether you think this is enough for Weavile to rise or not?
Clefable to B
Although Clefable just dropped, the VR team feels like it might warrant another drop. As was pointed out, Clefable provides free switches for Mega Crucibelle. Furthermore, it does not provide a lot of utility to teams, currently. Is this enough to warrant another drop? We'd like to hear your thoughts.
Stratagem to C
Although Stratagem seems like the perfect Pokemon thanks to its great coverage, its mediocre Special Attack stat makes it very prediction reliant, meaning that it's extremely inconsistent. Furthermore, it's a mediocre Tornadus-T check due to its mediocre bulk. Additionally, it faces competition from Mega Crucibelle, Mega Diancie, and Mega Tyranitar.
Snaelstrom to BL
Ever since Zygarde got banned, Snaelstrom lost a majority of its niche as an answer to Zygarde. Its weakness to Stealth Rock and lack of reliable recovery often let it down as a wall that is supposed to check multiple Pokemon. However, Snaelstrom might have some use on Trick Room teams. Would Snaelstrom losing most of its niche warrant a drop to BL, or can it stay in C as an incredibly niche Trick Room setter? We'd like to hear your thoughts.
Snaelstrom potentially moving to BL is a farce. I agree that the removal of Zygarde didn't do it any favors, as Snaelstrom can't really serve as a counter to most sets of Garchomp. But Snaelstrom is still incredibly bulky, and I'm still personally using it as a defensive core with Defog Gliscor and Wish Jumbao. I think people are underestimating how good Poison Heal is as an ability; it allows it to simultaneously soak up status and heal good chunks of damage. Combined with Spiky Shield and SR, and you have yourself a reliable rocks setter that can come in frequently throughout the match.
I certainly don't think it's A material or anything, but the idea that its entire viability is gone now that Zygarde has been banned is not true.
I certainly don't think it's A material or anything, but the idea that its entire viability is gone now that Zygarde has been banned is not true.
It's been a while since this thread was last updated. In light of the new Mega Crucibelle and Necturna nerfs I'd like to make a lot of noms. I've been sitting on some of these for a while now, whereas some others I've thought of recently.
→ S-
While Tornadus-T is undoubtedly the best Defogger in the CAP metagame, I believe that it has one major flaw that prevents it from being S rank. I'd like to propose a drop to S-, because Tornadus-T is very susceptible to the many common Stealth Rock setters, like Mega Crucibelle, Mega Diancie, and Mega Tyranitar, which are quite prominent in the current metagame. I know that S- as a rank is generally frowned upon, but I believe that Tornadus-T is ahead of the rest of A+, so it definitely doesn't fit better there, but it also doesn't fit the description of an S rank Pokemon.
→ A+
With its recent nerf, Necturna definitely took a hit, though it is not bad by any means. The reason I'd like to see it drop to A+ is because it still has plenty of potential on Spikes stacking teams, but it is nowhere near as metagame defining as it was previously or as the current S ranks.
→ A-
Similarly to Necturna, with its nerf, Mega Crucibelle took a hit in its viability, but by a larger extent. Mega Crucibelle is nowhere near as defining as it was, but it is by no means bad, as it is still a Rock-type Stealth Rock setter with a lot of potential as an offensive pivot, meaning that it still holds quite a bit of value. I'd like to drop it to A- to reflect on this.
→ A-
I've recently been using Garchomp a lot, it's a really good offensive Stealth Rock setter that brings tons of defensive utility with it. Notably being an offensive Heatran and Mega Crucibelle check.
→ A-
Kitsunoh's main niche was as a Choice Scarf user that was capable of pressuring Mega Crucibelle and Necturna, which are both notably worse now, so I'd like to see a drop to reflect the fact that there is less need for it. However, don't get me wrong, Kitsunoh still holds a lot of value, because it is still a Steel-type that is completely unbothered by Focus Blast, meaning that it goes quite well with other Steel-types.
→ A-
Although definitely not a bad Pokemon, Mega Latios just struggles in a meta where Pursuit thrives.
→ A-
Rotom-W is amazing right now, it's probably the best alternative Defogger available to Tornadus-T, being capable of discouraging Rock-type Stealth Rock setters. To add onto that, it's a really nice check to Flying-, Fire-, and Ground-types like Tornadus-T, Heatran, and Landorus-T, which all thrive in this meta. Lastly, Necturna is not as threatening now, which is great for Rotom-W.
→ B+
While Zapdos possesses most of the same qualities as Rotom-W, it's really not that great in this meta. I say this mainly because of its weakness to Stealth Rock; it's easily overwhelmed if Stealth Rock is up, which is especially important for a Defog user lol. Keeping Ferrothorn and Arghonaut's Spikes off forever is nice, though, so I don't think it should drop lower than B+, atleast for right now.
→ B+/B
I know this might seem like bias considering how much I've dumpstered Tomohawk already, but Tomohawk is just not good. It's really hard to justify using its offensive set over Tornadus-T. Additionally, as the metagame progresses, and Pokemon like Magearna and Mega Mawile get even better, it's just far too passive.
→B-/C
There is little to no reason to run Mega Scizor. While it is quite nice as a Defog user that pressures Rock-types, especially now that Mega Crucibelle can't just overwhelm it, being Spikes fodder for Arghonaut is really bad.
→UR
Offler, put the gun down. Sadly, Keldeo just has no place in the metagame.
→UR
While Quagsire has a theoretical niche on stall over Arghonaut in blocking Volt Switch from Tapu Koko, I think it should still be unranked. Every time I build a stall team, I ask myself why I'd ever run Quagsire over Arghonaut, and the answer is basically always that I wouldn't; Spikes are simply too valuable.
While Tornadus-T is undoubtedly the best Defogger in the CAP metagame, I believe that it has one major flaw that prevents it from being S rank. I'd like to propose a drop to S-, because Tornadus-T is very susceptible to the many common Stealth Rock setters, like Mega Crucibelle, Mega Diancie, and Mega Tyranitar, which are quite prominent in the current metagame. I know that S- as a rank is generally frowned upon, but I believe that Tornadus-T is ahead of the rest of A+, so it definitely doesn't fit better there, but it also doesn't fit the description of an S rank Pokemon.
With its recent nerf, Necturna definitely took a hit, though it is not bad by any means. The reason I'd like to see it drop to A+ is because it still has plenty of potential on Spikes stacking teams, but it is nowhere near as metagame defining as it was previously or as the current S ranks.
Similarly to Necturna, with its nerf, Mega Crucibelle took a hit in its viability, but by a larger extent. Mega Crucibelle is nowhere near as defining as it was, but it is by no means bad, as it is still a Rock-type Stealth Rock setter with a lot of potential as an offensive pivot, meaning that it still holds quite a bit of value. I'd like to drop it to A- to reflect on this.
I've recently been using Garchomp a lot, it's a really good offensive Stealth Rock setter that brings tons of defensive utility with it. Notably being an offensive Heatran and Mega Crucibelle check.
Kitsunoh's main niche was as a Choice Scarf user that was capable of pressuring Mega Crucibelle and Necturna, which are both notably worse now, so I'd like to see a drop to reflect the fact that there is less need for it. However, don't get me wrong, Kitsunoh still holds a lot of value, because it is still a Steel-type that is completely unbothered by Focus Blast, meaning that it goes quite well with other Steel-types.
Although definitely not a bad Pokemon, Mega Latios just struggles in a meta where Pursuit thrives.
Rotom-W is amazing right now, it's probably the best alternative Defogger available to Tornadus-T, being capable of discouraging Rock-type Stealth Rock setters. To add onto that, it's a really nice check to Flying-, Fire-, and Ground-types like Tornadus-T, Heatran, and Landorus-T, which all thrive in this meta. Lastly, Necturna is not as threatening now, which is great for Rotom-W.
While Zapdos possesses most of the same qualities as Rotom-W, it's really not that great in this meta. I say this mainly because of its weakness to Stealth Rock; it's easily overwhelmed if Stealth Rock is up, which is especially important for a Defog user lol. Keeping Ferrothorn and Arghonaut's Spikes off forever is nice, though, so I don't think it should drop lower than B+, atleast for right now.
I know this might seem like bias considering how much I've dumpstered Tomohawk already, but Tomohawk is just not good. It's really hard to justify using its offensive set over Tornadus-T. Additionally, as the metagame progresses, and Pokemon like Magearna and Mega Mawile get even better, it's just far too passive.
There is little to no reason to run Mega Scizor. While it is quite nice as a Defog user that pressures Rock-types, especially now that Mega Crucibelle can't just overwhelm it, being Spikes fodder for Arghonaut is really bad.
Offler, put the gun down. Sadly, Keldeo just has no place in the metagame.
While Quagsire has a theoretical niche on stall over Arghonaut in blocking Volt Switch from Tapu Koko, I think it should still be unranked. Every time I build a stall team, I ask myself why I'd ever run Quagsire over Arghonaut, and the answer is basically always that I wouldn't; Spikes are simply too valuable.
I actually disagree with this. Snaelstrom just doesn't check a whole lot in a metagame that is dominated by Tornadus-T, offensive Rock-types, and Electric-types like Tapu Koko and Rotom-W. To add onto that, it is easily overwhelmed by Landorus-T and Garchomp, the 2 main offensive Ground-types. You mention how it is a reliable Stealth Rock setter, but Tornadus-T and Rotom-W come in on it for forever. Additionally, the necessity of having to run Spiky Shield means that Snaelstrom is quite the momentum sink against properly built teams. To be frank, I believe that there is little to no reason to run Snaelstrom in the current meta, despite it being able to soft check a bunch of different Pokemon.
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Thought I'd drop in and make some higher rank nominations of my own, since the meta is changing fairly rapidly right now.
-> A
Honestly Lando has been fairly dormant in the meta for a while now, and that's largely because it can't really claim to be as versatile in CAP as Lando is generally famous for being. Choice Scarf sets, even with the nerf of Necturna, face competition from similar role compressing scarfers such as Kitsunoh, generally losing out due to its less useful defensive typing and the fact that it has Earthquake as its STAB move, which is prone to letting in Aurumoth in particular, which is the most dangerous setup sweeper in the tier. Defensive sets suffer from the dominance of Tornadus-Therian, both as a mon that takes momentum off defensive Lando and competes for a teamslot, and once again its typing isn't amazingly useful when considering that it can't really come in on nearly all of the top offensive threats in the tier (see tran, gren, z magearna, alakazam etc). Rockium Lando also struggles to carve a niche for itself - whilst it is potent offensively, it faces heavy competition from Rockium Garchomp, which offers a better Speed tier (notably putting it above Tapu Lele and Aurumoth) along with important resistances to Fire and Rock, as well as being neutral to Water, making it easier for Garchomp to get rocks past/break through Rotom-Wash, whilst also allowing it to take on Scarf Volkraken better in 1v1 scenarios. This leaves the two Lando-T sets that are the most justifiable on teams - Flyinium Z and Sash. Flyinium Z faces competition in the utility department from Tornadus-T, and whilst it has the notable niches of having Rocks and hitting Steels well, most current teams are already quite good at pressuring Steels and there's definitely other options for rockers, especially when they have better matchups vs Torn-T/Rotom-W than Lando. There isn't much to say about sash Lando-T, other than the fact that it's specifically a supporting mon for HO, which means that individually it couldn't really be considered of any more value than Tapu Koko, as Koko is the defining mon for the strongest form of HO right now (screens). Overall I don't think that Lando can really be considered as an equal to the rest of A+, even though it is a strong mon in its own right, due to the issues actually justifying it on good teams.
-> A+
Zam is an opposite case to the Lando nom above - I'm proposing for this to rise based on how well it fits with current team structures. Zam's blazing speed tier, along with the fact that its main answers being steel types that lack good recovery, make it a very nice fit with other very strong mons. Here's some examples of great mons that Zam fits well alongside:
- Torn-T is capable of drawing in steel types and removing their items with Knock Off, harming their longevity against Zam. It can also provide free pivots for Zam to start wallbreaking. Torn-T can also punish Kitsunoh for trying to gain momentum against Zam with Rocky Helmet chip.
- Both CM Split and double dance Magearna pair well with Zam for similar reasons. Magearna and Alakazam are able to draw in the same types of offensive and defensive checks and wear them down over the course of the game. Cm split Magearna is also exceptional at breaking down bulkier builds that may not let Zam have as much freedom to use its attacks.
- Spikes are generally good in the meta and Zam definitely takes advantage just by nature of being fast. By decreasing the longevity of any defensive Zam answers, many teams can find themselves struggling to keep offensive checks at a high enough amount of hp to stop Zam from cleaning up. Protean Greninja is particularly notable as a partner for its ability to hit steels for heavy damage with Low Kick. Additionally, Zam is able to benefit from rocks chip in the same way that it benefits from Spikes, which every team should have anyway.
- Heatran takes a different approach to the first three partners that I mentioned; instead of wearing down Steels alongside Zam, it simply takes advantage of them in order to wallbreak. This approach still works since Zam will be able to get through Steel types over time and will often have support from one of the other good Zam partners. On top of that, Heatran itself doesn't really have safe switchins, so it will be making progress over time the more free switches it is given.
- These last two may look odd, but they happen to benefit from the same partners as Zam - in other words, they pair well with the above mons that pair well with Zam. Both Tangrowth and Krilowatt form great pivoting cores with Torn-T, and they also both deny Celesteela's Leech Seed recovery, which is relevant since it significantly decreases Celesteela's ability to act as a long term check to Psychic types in general. Krilowatt is also notorious for its ability to take advantage of Spikes, and together with Zam and hazards, it's capable of breaking down most of the builds in the metagame.
Alakazam can also enhance its ability to annoy Steel types as well as other soft checks such as AV Tangrowth by carrying Knock Off over Shadow Ball. However, this option loses out on the ability to pressure opposing Zam and Aurumoth well, so teams should be cautious about what checks to those mons they pack alongside Zam if it's running Knock.
-> S- (with Torn-T)
This may be a bit controversial, as it is part of a significant restructuring of S rank, but similar to my views on Torn-T, I don't think Heatran quite defines S rank, nor do I think it's at the same level as A+. My issue with Heatran is that the meta provides us with a good amount of soft checks whilst also giving it fewer opportunities to switch in than it has had in the past. With Jumbao and Clefable falling, Heatran loses out on the ability to find completely free switchins, normally taking a solid chunk of chip which can be amplified when dealing with the popular hazard stacking going on. In particular, Z-Move variants lack any way to heal off this damage, and as a result it can be limited in the amount of time it can get to break down teams. Leftovers Heatran with Toxic is still capable of pressuring a lot of teams, but this runs into another issue regarding its defensive role on a team. Heatran's typing still leaves it prone to the coverage moves of a lot of mons that Steel types would ideally beat - Focus Blast and Hidden Power Ground from Magearna, Hidden Power Ground and to an extent Knock Off from Tornadus-T, and Focus Blast from Zam and Lele. These problems can be somewhat mitigated by adding a secondary steel, but this doesn't fully solve the problem, since the likes of Kitsunoh can still find themselves overwhelmed by combinations of mons that steels are expected to resist. The result is that it's often more practical to run double Steel backbones with Magearna instead of Heatran, so that the steels can effectively share roles. Recently the meta has also had some short-term switchins to Heatran pick up in usage, such as Protean Greninja, Mega Alakazam and Garchomp, and all three are fairly punishing for Heatran's momentum. Despite these flaws, Heatran can still actively punish a few common mons in the meta such as Ferrothorn, Celesteela, and Thunderbolt Magearna, and it still doesn't really have long-term switchins, so it continues to be imposing enough to stay above A+ in my opinion.
-> S
I believe that Magearna stands out as the best and most consistent mon in the meta right now. The cm split set is able to beat/take advantage of a lot of other strong mons in the meta, such as Tornadus-T, Mega Alakazam, Weavile, and most of the more passive mons used in the tier, and it can use those breaking opportunities very well, being able to muscle through most teams very well. Personally, I'm a big fan of pinch berry variants of cm split Magearna, as it frees up turns where Magearna doesn't have to click Pain Split, allowing more aggressive play in which Magearna can sometimes even 1v1 grounds and fires if it wishes to. Regardless of whether it has the opportunities to break through its answers, it always does a job for a team, and a fairly important one at that. Shift Gear Magearna operates similarly but it has to play more conservatively in exchange for the ability to clean up in offense matchups.
Even Magearna doesn't come without its flaws though; Calm Mind+Pain Split is forced to choose between Thunderbolt and Hidden Power Ground as its coverage move - either leaving it as bait to Heatran or giving up its ability to break some variants of stall. Thankfully, both of these can be worked around with the right teammates, as hp ground variants can be paired with strong rockers to wear down Moltres, and a combination of hazards+offensive checks to Heatran can help even Tbolt Magearna break through. Shift Gear Magearna can sometimes get caught in awkward situations where it both wants to switch into opposing offensive threats whilst preserving enough hp to sweep late-game. Once again, this can be worked around by adding a second Steel type to the team (Kitsunoh and Ferrothorn are notably good at this due to their roles as a psychic check and a spikes setter respectively). In any case I believe that the drawbacks to using Magearna are smaller than those of Heatran (steel that struggles against psychics/hp ground users) and Tornadus-T (Defogger that often lets Stealth Rock go up), and the VR could represent that by making Magearna the lone S rank mon.
-> S-
Similar to pre-nerf Necturna, Aurumoth proves to be a very dangerous force in the metagame, and it now takes the crown for the best setup sweeper in CAP. Aurumoth can set up a second quiver dance on just about any attempted check due to its fantastic bulk allowing it to live hits from nearly every scarfer. As always, Aurumoth's coverage allows it to beat just about anything it wants to, but in general its Quiver Dance set only really needs to pick from Psychic/Psyshock, Blizzard, Thunder, Focus Blast, and Bug Buzz. It is important to note that even though there's 5 options for 3 slots here, Aurumoth only misses out on a small amount of mons from dropping two of these moves, and it can still get through even without the perfect coverage. To give examples of this, Psychic+Focus Blast+Thunder and a pinch berry is still able to beat Mega Latios with Quiver Dance and non-Bug Buzz variants of Aurumoth still break through Mega Alakazam. The only real difficulties that pinch berry Aurumoth runs into when picking moves is whether it wants to improve its matchup vs Tangrowth and Jumbao or avoid being beaten by Mega Tyranitar (Blizzard vs Focus Blast), and also choosing between immediate power (Z-move/offensive spread) and ease of setup (Iapapa Berry/Same spread as double dance Aurumoth). Generally I go for the bulkier spread with Iapapa since Aurumoth is actually capable of cheesing through just about anything with that combo (poor Volkraken) but both variations are definitely valid.
As for its other sets, Tail Glow + Z-Move is arguably the best breaker in the meta, since it dismantles pretty much every defensive core, including the ones found on stall which is much harder to do with other fat breakers such as Mega Medicham and Hidden Power Ground Magearna. It is worth noting that whilst Aurumoth may have the most breaking potential out of any mon in the meta, it still requires significant prediction to get in safely and avoid the likes of Torn-T coming in on attacks that don't harm it. Additionally, as its main defensive role is resisting scarf Lando's Earthquake in a meta that already barely sees it, Tail Glow Aurumoth is rarely a great fit on a team despite being absolutely terrifying in fat matchups. Double dance Aurumoth takes a different approach, as it simply aims to overwhelm nearly everything under the support of screens by using the speed and bulk boosts from Quiver Dance to its advantage, making it even more nightmarish to revenge kill even without having perfect conditions to set up.
There are two reasons that I'm not nominating Aurumoth to S, even though I said that it claimed Necturna's crown. Firstly, it can't quite compress all of its breaking prowess and ability to roll right over offensive "checks" into one set. This doesn't mean that Aurumoth isn't capable of breaking most things, just that Aurumoth can find itself in need of extra power in more obscure scenarios, such as breaking through a Ferrothorn before it clicks Thunder Wave, or other various bulky mons before they manage to click Toxic, or in some fringe cases of offensive mons being able to live one hit and KO back, like Smokomodo. Since these emergency options aren't the most common picks, Aurumoth remains very strong against the meta, although when it does face the scenarios mentioned above, it can be less useful due to its lack of notable defensive utility. Secondly, Aurumoth is weak to rocks; the trouble with this is that Aurumoth massively appreciates the help of hazards to wear down certain checks such as cm split mage, but at the same time it wants rocks to be kept off its own side, which is a tough ask in the current meta, given the state of defoggers in CAP. Even with these issues, I think that Aurumoth is worthy of more than A+ as an offensive threat in the current metagame.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7cap-842105926 - Here's a replay to demonstrate the basics of how Quiver Dance Aurumoth works.
Honestly Lando has been fairly dormant in the meta for a while now, and that's largely because it can't really claim to be as versatile in CAP as Lando is generally famous for being. Choice Scarf sets, even with the nerf of Necturna, face competition from similar role compressing scarfers such as Kitsunoh, generally losing out due to its less useful defensive typing and the fact that it has Earthquake as its STAB move, which is prone to letting in Aurumoth in particular, which is the most dangerous setup sweeper in the tier. Defensive sets suffer from the dominance of Tornadus-Therian, both as a mon that takes momentum off defensive Lando and competes for a teamslot, and once again its typing isn't amazingly useful when considering that it can't really come in on nearly all of the top offensive threats in the tier (see tran, gren, z magearna, alakazam etc). Rockium Lando also struggles to carve a niche for itself - whilst it is potent offensively, it faces heavy competition from Rockium Garchomp, which offers a better Speed tier (notably putting it above Tapu Lele and Aurumoth) along with important resistances to Fire and Rock, as well as being neutral to Water, making it easier for Garchomp to get rocks past/break through Rotom-Wash, whilst also allowing it to take on Scarf Volkraken better in 1v1 scenarios. This leaves the two Lando-T sets that are the most justifiable on teams - Flyinium Z and Sash. Flyinium Z faces competition in the utility department from Tornadus-T, and whilst it has the notable niches of having Rocks and hitting Steels well, most current teams are already quite good at pressuring Steels and there's definitely other options for rockers, especially when they have better matchups vs Torn-T/Rotom-W than Lando. There isn't much to say about sash Lando-T, other than the fact that it's specifically a supporting mon for HO, which means that individually it couldn't really be considered of any more value than Tapu Koko, as Koko is the defining mon for the strongest form of HO right now (screens). Overall I don't think that Lando can really be considered as an equal to the rest of A+, even though it is a strong mon in its own right, due to the issues actually justifying it on good teams.
Zam is an opposite case to the Lando nom above - I'm proposing for this to rise based on how well it fits with current team structures. Zam's blazing speed tier, along with the fact that its main answers being steel types that lack good recovery, make it a very nice fit with other very strong mons. Here's some examples of great mons that Zam fits well alongside:
Alakazam can also enhance its ability to annoy Steel types as well as other soft checks such as AV Tangrowth by carrying Knock Off over Shadow Ball. However, this option loses out on the ability to pressure opposing Zam and Aurumoth well, so teams should be cautious about what checks to those mons they pack alongside Zam if it's running Knock.
This may be a bit controversial, as it is part of a significant restructuring of S rank, but similar to my views on Torn-T, I don't think Heatran quite defines S rank, nor do I think it's at the same level as A+. My issue with Heatran is that the meta provides us with a good amount of soft checks whilst also giving it fewer opportunities to switch in than it has had in the past. With Jumbao and Clefable falling, Heatran loses out on the ability to find completely free switchins, normally taking a solid chunk of chip which can be amplified when dealing with the popular hazard stacking going on. In particular, Z-Move variants lack any way to heal off this damage, and as a result it can be limited in the amount of time it can get to break down teams. Leftovers Heatran with Toxic is still capable of pressuring a lot of teams, but this runs into another issue regarding its defensive role on a team. Heatran's typing still leaves it prone to the coverage moves of a lot of mons that Steel types would ideally beat - Focus Blast and Hidden Power Ground from Magearna, Hidden Power Ground and to an extent Knock Off from Tornadus-T, and Focus Blast from Zam and Lele. These problems can be somewhat mitigated by adding a secondary steel, but this doesn't fully solve the problem, since the likes of Kitsunoh can still find themselves overwhelmed by combinations of mons that steels are expected to resist. The result is that it's often more practical to run double Steel backbones with Magearna instead of Heatran, so that the steels can effectively share roles. Recently the meta has also had some short-term switchins to Heatran pick up in usage, such as Protean Greninja, Mega Alakazam and Garchomp, and all three are fairly punishing for Heatran's momentum. Despite these flaws, Heatran can still actively punish a few common mons in the meta such as Ferrothorn, Celesteela, and Thunderbolt Magearna, and it still doesn't really have long-term switchins, so it continues to be imposing enough to stay above A+ in my opinion.
I believe that Magearna stands out as the best and most consistent mon in the meta right now. The cm split set is able to beat/take advantage of a lot of other strong mons in the meta, such as Tornadus-T, Mega Alakazam, Weavile, and most of the more passive mons used in the tier, and it can use those breaking opportunities very well, being able to muscle through most teams very well. Personally, I'm a big fan of pinch berry variants of cm split Magearna, as it frees up turns where Magearna doesn't have to click Pain Split, allowing more aggressive play in which Magearna can sometimes even 1v1 grounds and fires if it wishes to. Regardless of whether it has the opportunities to break through its answers, it always does a job for a team, and a fairly important one at that. Shift Gear Magearna operates similarly but it has to play more conservatively in exchange for the ability to clean up in offense matchups.
Even Magearna doesn't come without its flaws though; Calm Mind+Pain Split is forced to choose between Thunderbolt and Hidden Power Ground as its coverage move - either leaving it as bait to Heatran or giving up its ability to break some variants of stall. Thankfully, both of these can be worked around with the right teammates, as hp ground variants can be paired with strong rockers to wear down Moltres, and a combination of hazards+offensive checks to Heatran can help even Tbolt Magearna break through. Shift Gear Magearna can sometimes get caught in awkward situations where it both wants to switch into opposing offensive threats whilst preserving enough hp to sweep late-game. Once again, this can be worked around by adding a second Steel type to the team (Kitsunoh and Ferrothorn are notably good at this due to their roles as a psychic check and a spikes setter respectively). In any case I believe that the drawbacks to using Magearna are smaller than those of Heatran (steel that struggles against psychics/hp ground users) and Tornadus-T (Defogger that often lets Stealth Rock go up), and the VR could represent that by making Magearna the lone S rank mon.
Similar to pre-nerf Necturna, Aurumoth proves to be a very dangerous force in the metagame, and it now takes the crown for the best setup sweeper in CAP. Aurumoth can set up a second quiver dance on just about any attempted check due to its fantastic bulk allowing it to live hits from nearly every scarfer. As always, Aurumoth's coverage allows it to beat just about anything it wants to, but in general its Quiver Dance set only really needs to pick from Psychic/Psyshock, Blizzard, Thunder, Focus Blast, and Bug Buzz. It is important to note that even though there's 5 options for 3 slots here, Aurumoth only misses out on a small amount of mons from dropping two of these moves, and it can still get through even without the perfect coverage. To give examples of this, Psychic+Focus Blast+Thunder and a pinch berry is still able to beat Mega Latios with Quiver Dance and non-Bug Buzz variants of Aurumoth still break through Mega Alakazam. The only real difficulties that pinch berry Aurumoth runs into when picking moves is whether it wants to improve its matchup vs Tangrowth and Jumbao or avoid being beaten by Mega Tyranitar (Blizzard vs Focus Blast), and also choosing between immediate power (Z-move/offensive spread) and ease of setup (Iapapa Berry/Same spread as double dance Aurumoth). Generally I go for the bulkier spread with Iapapa since Aurumoth is actually capable of cheesing through just about anything with that combo (poor Volkraken) but both variations are definitely valid.
As for its other sets, Tail Glow + Z-Move is arguably the best breaker in the meta, since it dismantles pretty much every defensive core, including the ones found on stall which is much harder to do with other fat breakers such as Mega Medicham and Hidden Power Ground Magearna. It is worth noting that whilst Aurumoth may have the most breaking potential out of any mon in the meta, it still requires significant prediction to get in safely and avoid the likes of Torn-T coming in on attacks that don't harm it. Additionally, as its main defensive role is resisting scarf Lando's Earthquake in a meta that already barely sees it, Tail Glow Aurumoth is rarely a great fit on a team despite being absolutely terrifying in fat matchups. Double dance Aurumoth takes a different approach, as it simply aims to overwhelm nearly everything under the support of screens by using the speed and bulk boosts from Quiver Dance to its advantage, making it even more nightmarish to revenge kill even without having perfect conditions to set up.
There are two reasons that I'm not nominating Aurumoth to S, even though I said that it claimed Necturna's crown. Firstly, it can't quite compress all of its breaking prowess and ability to roll right over offensive "checks" into one set. This doesn't mean that Aurumoth isn't capable of breaking most things, just that Aurumoth can find itself in need of extra power in more obscure scenarios, such as breaking through a Ferrothorn before it clicks Thunder Wave, or other various bulky mons before they manage to click Toxic, or in some fringe cases of offensive mons being able to live one hit and KO back, like Smokomodo. Since these emergency options aren't the most common picks, Aurumoth remains very strong against the meta, although when it does face the scenarios mentioned above, it can be less useful due to its lack of notable defensive utility. Secondly, Aurumoth is weak to rocks; the trouble with this is that Aurumoth massively appreciates the help of hazards to wear down certain checks such as cm split mage, but at the same time it wants rocks to be kept off its own side, which is a tough ask in the current meta, given the state of defoggers in CAP. Even with these issues, I think that Aurumoth is worthy of more than A+ as an offensive threat in the current metagame.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7cap-842105926 - Here's a replay to demonstrate the basics of how Quiver Dance Aurumoth works.
Keep The Discussion Going. New Meta New VR rest in peace to the fallen
rise to A+
Tapu Lele is without a doubt one of the most dominant wallbreakers in the metagame, being able to break through even the sturdiest checks thanks to Choice Specs or Calm Mind + Z Move. Since very few Psychic resists have reliable recovery, Lele finds it very easy to wear them down with incredibly powerful terrain boosted Psychics, putting them into Focus Blast or All Out Pummeling range very quickly. This coupled with the fact that the majority of its checks are quite passive allows Lele to often go unpunished. The drop in Crucibelle usage means that one of the most punishing Pokemon that could force Lele out is now much less of an issue. This coupled with the fact that teams are leaning towards Scarf Kitsunoh rather than Assault Vest Magearna as the Steel type on offensive builds means that defensive checks to Lele are much more limited, as Scarf Kitsunoh can only switch into Choice Specs Lele once, and other sets only twice. Other Steel-types that offensive teams use, such as Ferrothorn and Heatran cannot switch in due to the fear of Focus Blast and All out Pummeling and are slowly worn down by hazards and chip.
drop to A-
Jumbao faces intense competition in the bulky grass slot with Tangrowth and recently, Tangrowth has been coming out on top. This is mainly due to the rise of Mega Alakazam, which Tangrowth can check, giving it has its Assault Vest intact. The perks of running defensive Jumbao over Tangrowth, namely Wish support, just aren't needed on most builds currently. This would make Offensive Jumbao the premier set which I do feel fits in at around A-, due to the respectable power of its attacks in the Sun, and the great speed tier it has for Scarf - notably outpacing +2 Nerfturna.
drop to UR
This one hurts me to post since Snael is easily my favourite of the 3 starters, and I tried really hard to champion its usage. Unfortunately, Snael's one niche over other Bulky Waters left us some time ago and since then its only gotten worse as Arghonaut is slowly becoming one of the most used Pokemon in the metagame, Snael finds it extremely hard to compete as it does not fill all the roles a bulky water needs to on a team, roles such as: Checking Ash Gren, Volkraken and Heatran - all of which are extremely popular right now with Heatran usage at an all-time high, which only continues to make Arghonaut the better choice. These metashifts coupled with Snael's weakness to rocks and extremely slow, exploitable recovery make it so that it's never a serious consideration for a well-built team, despite its utility as a slow U-turner and Rocks setter, the benefits just do not outweigh the downsides for poor snael. It's one upside may be that it is a Ground Resistant TR setter which, since CAP builds no longer use Uxie and Cresselia, may be of value, but I feel like this slight possible, unexplored niche isnt enough to keep snael out of UR for the time being.
Tapu Lele is without a doubt one of the most dominant wallbreakers in the metagame, being able to break through even the sturdiest checks thanks to Choice Specs or Calm Mind + Z Move. Since very few Psychic resists have reliable recovery, Lele finds it very easy to wear them down with incredibly powerful terrain boosted Psychics, putting them into Focus Blast or All Out Pummeling range very quickly. This coupled with the fact that the majority of its checks are quite passive allows Lele to often go unpunished. The drop in Crucibelle usage means that one of the most punishing Pokemon that could force Lele out is now much less of an issue. This coupled with the fact that teams are leaning towards Scarf Kitsunoh rather than Assault Vest Magearna as the Steel type on offensive builds means that defensive checks to Lele are much more limited, as Scarf Kitsunoh can only switch into Choice Specs Lele once, and other sets only twice. Other Steel-types that offensive teams use, such as Ferrothorn and Heatran cannot switch in due to the fear of Focus Blast and All out Pummeling and are slowly worn down by hazards and chip.
Jumbao faces intense competition in the bulky grass slot with Tangrowth and recently, Tangrowth has been coming out on top. This is mainly due to the rise of Mega Alakazam, which Tangrowth can check, giving it has its Assault Vest intact. The perks of running defensive Jumbao over Tangrowth, namely Wish support, just aren't needed on most builds currently. This would make Offensive Jumbao the premier set which I do feel fits in at around A-, due to the respectable power of its attacks in the Sun, and the great speed tier it has for Scarf - notably outpacing +2 Nerfturna.
This one hurts me to post since Snael is easily my favourite of the 3 starters, and I tried really hard to champion its usage. Unfortunately, Snael's one niche over other Bulky Waters left us some time ago and since then its only gotten worse as Arghonaut is slowly becoming one of the most used Pokemon in the metagame, Snael finds it extremely hard to compete as it does not fill all the roles a bulky water needs to on a team, roles such as: Checking Ash Gren, Volkraken and Heatran - all of which are extremely popular right now with Heatran usage at an all-time high, which only continues to make Arghonaut the better choice. These metashifts coupled with Snael's weakness to rocks and extremely slow, exploitable recovery make it so that it's never a serious consideration for a well-built team, despite its utility as a slow U-turner and Rocks setter, the benefits just do not outweigh the downsides for poor snael. It's one upside may be that it is a Ground Resistant TR setter which, since CAP builds no longer use Uxie and Cresselia, may be of value, but I feel like this slight possible, unexplored niche isnt enough to keep snael out of UR for the time being.
Hi everyone! The VR team is in the middle of pushing a big update given that the metagame is starting to settle after the nerfs. However, in light that there's a CAP Process right now that's referencing the VR, we're pushing a small update with some of the most relevant changes. Expect the full update very soon!
Drops
Mega Crucibelle S to A-
Zapdos A- to B+
Rises
Mega Alakazam A to A+
Rotom-W B to A-
Garchomp B to A
Drops
Mega Crucibelle S to A-
Zapdos A- to B+
Rises
Mega Alakazam A to A+
Rotom-W B to A-
Garchomp B to A
I'd like to preface this post by stating that we have decided to add an S- and D rank. Although an S- rank is usually frowned upon, we had some discussion internally and decided that it would represent the current metagame as accurately as possible. Additionally, we decided to split BL into BL and a D rank; Pokemon on the BL can't be discussed in the thread and are considered unviable, while Pokemon in D rank are unviable but can freely be discussed.
Ranking Update
Discussion Points
Weavile A → A-
Colossoil A- → B+
Naviathan B+ → B
Slowking B+ → B
Krilowatt A- → A
Tyranitar (Mega) A- → A
Ranking Update
Code:
Rises:
Magearna A+ → S
Aurumoth A+ → S-
Kartana A- → A
Tapu Koko A- → A
Excadrill B → B+
Drops:
Heatran S → S-
Tornadus-T S → S-
Necturna S → A+
Landorus-T A+ → A
Jumbao A → A-
Latios (Mega) A → A-
Kyurem-B A- → B+
Pinsir (Mega) A- → B+
Tomohawk A- → B
Clefable B+ → B
Gyarados B+ → B
Smokomodo B+ → B
Suicune B+ → B
Camerupt (Mega) B → B-
Charizard (Mega-Y) B → B-
Aggron (Mega) B- → C
Kingdra B- → C
Stratagem B- → C
Keldeo C → UR
Quagsire C → UR
Revenankh C → D
Snaelstrom C → DMagearna A+ → S
Magearna is now the sole S rank thanks to the fact that it's a very useful teambuilding tool. Like xavgb pointed out in his post, Magearna is able to take advantage of a lot of common Pokemon like Tornadus-T, Mega Alakazam, and Weavile. Magearna always offers something for a team thanks to its incredible defensive utility and offensive presence. As of right now, Magearna is the warping force in the metagame.
Aurumoth A+ → S-
Recently, people have been playing around with Aurumoth a lot more, and it's slowly been creeping up the ranks, now even peaking at S-. We don't think it belongs in S, yet, because it's simply not comparable to Magearna in terms of utility, and it has a few notable flaws, just like Heatran and Tornadus-T.
Kartana A- → A
Kartana has been an underwhelming Pokemon for a while, but recently, it's been seeing a lot more use as a balance breaker with the decline of Tomohawk. Most teams right now use Tornadus-T to blanket check Kartana, which is easily abused by a well timed Z-Move. For these reasons we felt that it was right to rise it to A.
Tapu Koko A- → A
Although Tapu Koko dropped very recently, it has since been rediscovered. Many teams simply aren't prepared for its Shuca Berry set, which is very consistent in luring Ground-types and trading for positive momentum. The fact that it can create momentum so easily and check Tornadus-T prompted it to rise.
Excadrill B → B+
Similarly to Kartana, Excadrill has been seeing more usage recently thanks to the decline of Tomohawk. Although it can have a hard time against Arghonaut, it's an absolute menace against most offensive teams when used in tandem with sand, while being able to act as a soft check to Pokemon like Tapu Koko and Magearna. Hyper offensive teams with Excadrill are also really potent right now.
Magearna is now the sole S rank thanks to the fact that it's a very useful teambuilding tool. Like xavgb pointed out in his post, Magearna is able to take advantage of a lot of common Pokemon like Tornadus-T, Mega Alakazam, and Weavile. Magearna always offers something for a team thanks to its incredible defensive utility and offensive presence. As of right now, Magearna is the warping force in the metagame.
Aurumoth A+ → S-
Recently, people have been playing around with Aurumoth a lot more, and it's slowly been creeping up the ranks, now even peaking at S-. We don't think it belongs in S, yet, because it's simply not comparable to Magearna in terms of utility, and it has a few notable flaws, just like Heatran and Tornadus-T.
Kartana A- → A
Kartana has been an underwhelming Pokemon for a while, but recently, it's been seeing a lot more use as a balance breaker with the decline of Tomohawk. Most teams right now use Tornadus-T to blanket check Kartana, which is easily abused by a well timed Z-Move. For these reasons we felt that it was right to rise it to A.
Tapu Koko A- → A
Although Tapu Koko dropped very recently, it has since been rediscovered. Many teams simply aren't prepared for its Shuca Berry set, which is very consistent in luring Ground-types and trading for positive momentum. The fact that it can create momentum so easily and check Tornadus-T prompted it to rise.
Excadrill B → B+
Similarly to Kartana, Excadrill has been seeing more usage recently thanks to the decline of Tomohawk. Although it can have a hard time against Arghonaut, it's an absolute menace against most offensive teams when used in tandem with sand, while being able to act as a soft check to Pokemon like Tapu Koko and Magearna. Hyper offensive teams with Excadrill are also really potent right now.
Heatran S → S-
Tornadus-T S → S-
Heatran and Tornadus-T dropped to our newly established S- rank because they are not on par with Magearna as of now, but are also ahead of the rest of A+. Additionally, they have a few more flaws than S would suggest. Namely, Heatran really struggles to fit all the moves that it wants and as a result can sometimes feel very awkward and forced onto teams. Tornadus-T suffers as a Defogger from the massive usage of Rock-type Stealth Rock setters like Mega Tyranitar, Mega Diancie, and Mega Crucibelle. Additionally, the fact that Tapu Koko has recently resurged, also doesn't help it.
Necturna S → A+
Following its recent nerfs, Necturna simply isn't as dominating as it used to be and needs more support in general.
Landorus-T A+ → A
Although probably a bit more controversial, Landorus-T just doesn't hold up to the standard of A+ and has dropped to A as a result. While Z-Move sets are potent, they are also really awkward to fit onto teams. As a Choice Scarf user, Landorus-T doesn't really provide anything notably, being incapable of outspeeding sweepers like Aurumoth once they have set-up. As a matter of fact, it's actually setup bait for Aurumoth if it uses Earthquake even once, which has become an increasingly problematic issue as Aurumoth continues to rise.
Jumbao A → A-
Jumbao dropping is mainly a result of its competition with Tangrowth, which has been outshining it recently. Offensive sets are pretty good right now, but we think that they're not good enough to keep Jumbao in A.
Latios (Mega) A → A-
Mega Latios hasn't been super relevant for a while, being outshined by Mega Alakazam and Tapu Lele as an offensive Psychic-type. Simultaneously, it's much easier to Pursuit trap when compared to the aforementioned Psychic-types. Because of this, we felt like a Mega Latios drop was approperiate.
Kyurem-B A- → B+
Although not much has changed for Kyurem-B in terms of its ability to break teams, it's really awkward to fit onto teams and not very rewarding when you do use it.
Pinsir (Mega) A- → B+
Tapu Koko has been resurging recently, which is particularly bothersome for Mega Pinsir. Regardless, we think that it has been severely overrated for a while.
Tomohawk A- → B
Offensive Tomohawk is a poor Tornadus-T, while its defensive set is just a free switch in for sp many offensive threats. Necturna's nerf certainly didn't do it any favors either.
Clefable B+ → B
There's practically very little reason to use Clefable in such an offensively geared metagame that is dominated by Steel-types and offensive Psychic-types.
Gyarados B+ → B
Gyarados suffers from the rise in of Electric-types like Tapu Koko and Rotom-W.
Smokomodo B+ → B
Smokomodo just isn't the wallbreaker we thought it was. Although it still provides notable defensive utility, it really struggles to break teams with Pokemon like Tornadus-T and Rotom-W. Even Arghonaut, a Pokemon that it's supposed to break, has a pretty easy time against it because Smokomodo has to get every turn right.
Suicune B+ → B
Nothing much has changed for Suicune in terms of its ability to sweep and wall, but it's really awkward to fit onto teams and has dropped as a result.
Camerupt (Mega) B → B-
Mega Mawile has picked up Mega Camerupt's role as the main Trick Room sweeper. This is mainly because it hates the massive amount of Arghonaut. Because of this, we felt like a drop was approperiate.
Charizard (Mega-Y) B → B-
Although Mega Charizard Y has a nice niche on paper, it really struggles in practice. Considering that the metagame is so offensively geared, and the fact that it's incredibly hard to consistently keep Stealth Rock off the field, have prompted it to drop.
Aggron (Mega) B- → C
Following the Mega Crucibelle nerfs, Mega Aggron is a less attractive option for teams.
Kingdra B- → C
It's incredibly hard to justify using Kingdra on any rain team, which already struggle to fit everything they need.
Stratagem B- → C
Stratagem is not splashable, very prediction reliant, and a really frail Tornadus-T answer. Because of this, it belongs more in C than B-.
Keldeo C → UR
Quagsire C → UR
Keldeo and Quagsire haven't had a notable impact on the metagame in forever, and are thus being unranked.
Revenankh C → D
Snaelstrom C → D
Neither Revenankh nor Snaelstrom are considered viable in the current metagame. An argument can be made for their viability, though, so we decided to put them in a D rank rather than blacklist them.
Tornadus-T S → S-
Heatran and Tornadus-T dropped to our newly established S- rank because they are not on par with Magearna as of now, but are also ahead of the rest of A+. Additionally, they have a few more flaws than S would suggest. Namely, Heatran really struggles to fit all the moves that it wants and as a result can sometimes feel very awkward and forced onto teams. Tornadus-T suffers as a Defogger from the massive usage of Rock-type Stealth Rock setters like Mega Tyranitar, Mega Diancie, and Mega Crucibelle. Additionally, the fact that Tapu Koko has recently resurged, also doesn't help it.
Necturna S → A+
Following its recent nerfs, Necturna simply isn't as dominating as it used to be and needs more support in general.
Landorus-T A+ → A
Although probably a bit more controversial, Landorus-T just doesn't hold up to the standard of A+ and has dropped to A as a result. While Z-Move sets are potent, they are also really awkward to fit onto teams. As a Choice Scarf user, Landorus-T doesn't really provide anything notably, being incapable of outspeeding sweepers like Aurumoth once they have set-up. As a matter of fact, it's actually setup bait for Aurumoth if it uses Earthquake even once, which has become an increasingly problematic issue as Aurumoth continues to rise.
Jumbao A → A-
Jumbao dropping is mainly a result of its competition with Tangrowth, which has been outshining it recently. Offensive sets are pretty good right now, but we think that they're not good enough to keep Jumbao in A.
Latios (Mega) A → A-
Mega Latios hasn't been super relevant for a while, being outshined by Mega Alakazam and Tapu Lele as an offensive Psychic-type. Simultaneously, it's much easier to Pursuit trap when compared to the aforementioned Psychic-types. Because of this, we felt like a Mega Latios drop was approperiate.
Kyurem-B A- → B+
Although not much has changed for Kyurem-B in terms of its ability to break teams, it's really awkward to fit onto teams and not very rewarding when you do use it.
Pinsir (Mega) A- → B+
Tapu Koko has been resurging recently, which is particularly bothersome for Mega Pinsir. Regardless, we think that it has been severely overrated for a while.
Tomohawk A- → B
Offensive Tomohawk is a poor Tornadus-T, while its defensive set is just a free switch in for sp many offensive threats. Necturna's nerf certainly didn't do it any favors either.
Clefable B+ → B
There's practically very little reason to use Clefable in such an offensively geared metagame that is dominated by Steel-types and offensive Psychic-types.
Gyarados B+ → B
Gyarados suffers from the rise in of Electric-types like Tapu Koko and Rotom-W.
Smokomodo B+ → B
Smokomodo just isn't the wallbreaker we thought it was. Although it still provides notable defensive utility, it really struggles to break teams with Pokemon like Tornadus-T and Rotom-W. Even Arghonaut, a Pokemon that it's supposed to break, has a pretty easy time against it because Smokomodo has to get every turn right.
Suicune B+ → B
Nothing much has changed for Suicune in terms of its ability to sweep and wall, but it's really awkward to fit onto teams and has dropped as a result.
Camerupt (Mega) B → B-
Mega Mawile has picked up Mega Camerupt's role as the main Trick Room sweeper. This is mainly because it hates the massive amount of Arghonaut. Because of this, we felt like a drop was approperiate.
Charizard (Mega-Y) B → B-
Although Mega Charizard Y has a nice niche on paper, it really struggles in practice. Considering that the metagame is so offensively geared, and the fact that it's incredibly hard to consistently keep Stealth Rock off the field, have prompted it to drop.
Aggron (Mega) B- → C
Following the Mega Crucibelle nerfs, Mega Aggron is a less attractive option for teams.
Kingdra B- → C
It's incredibly hard to justify using Kingdra on any rain team, which already struggle to fit everything they need.
Stratagem B- → C
Stratagem is not splashable, very prediction reliant, and a really frail Tornadus-T answer. Because of this, it belongs more in C than B-.
Keldeo C → UR
Quagsire C → UR
Keldeo and Quagsire haven't had a notable impact on the metagame in forever, and are thus being unranked.
Revenankh C → D
Snaelstrom C → D
Neither Revenankh nor Snaelstrom are considered viable in the current metagame. An argument can be made for their viability, though, so we decided to put them in a D rank rather than blacklist them.
Discussion Points
Weavile A → A-
Colossoil A- → B+
Naviathan B+ → B
Slowking B+ → B
Krilowatt A- → A
Tyranitar (Mega) A- → A
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Shameless double post. I have a bunch of thoughts on the current discussion points and some of my own noms that I'd like to drop.
→ A-: agree, should go even lower to B+
The Weavile wave is over. Ever since Necturna's nerfs, Weavile just hasn't been the same Pokemon. It doesn't provide as much value anymore with Ice Shard, especially when considering that Pursuit-weak targets are really falling out of favor as well. The fact that Weavile has to rely on Choice items also really sucks, because it's far too easily punished by Pokemon like Arghonaut and more importantly, Magearna, which much more important in this metagame compared to the pre-nerfs metagame. The only set that should really be considered right now is Choice Scarf for its ability to deal with Necturna, Mega Alakazam, and broken Aurumoth in one slot.
→ B: disagree
Naviathan was put as a discussion point to B due to it slowly slipping off screens teams. However, I personally disagree with this because I don't think that screens HO is where Naviathan really shines right now. Instead, it does really well on classic Excadrill / Greninja HO teams, where it really benefits from the forced chip from Spikes and can quickly snowball out of control as a result. Why I believe that it fits better on these teams despite the fact that screens teams can also run this lead, is because they simply don't have the teamslots to fit Naviathan. I'd recommend everyone to try out these type of teams with Naviathan before judging it based on its performance on screens teams.
→ A: agree
Krilowatt is really strong right now. With Tapu Koko shaping up to be the dominant Electric-type again, I've really been liking Krilowatt, especially on teams that aim to stack hazards. You may be wondering why I mention Tapu Koko as a positive here, but it's relatively simple; teams are preparing for Tapu Koko with Grass-types like Tangrowth and Jumbao. While some may think that this is preparing for Electric-types well enough, it really isn't, because Krilowatt overwhelms them pretty easily, especially with Spikes up. Additionally, being a check to Fire-types like Volkraken and a one-time-switch-in to pretty much anything else is pretty valuable right now with the meta shifting to a faster paced meta.
→ A-
While Mega Medicham isn't really bad per sé, it just doesn't really hold up with Pokemon like Kitsunoh, Ash-Greninja, and Mega Mawile, being far less consistent. It's not that great at breaking balance teams either, because Kitsunoh is still used very often. Additionally, I see very little reason to run it over other Psychic-types.
→ B+
Smokomodo shouldn't have dropped down in the first place. While it's true that Smokomodo is a lackluster wallbreaker, people really should stop trying to break walls with it in the first place. It's a really useful Pokemon for its utility, which enables certain team structures to function. Most notably, it compresses the role of a Tapu Koko and Magearna check into one. Additionally, I believe that people should run Toxic rather than Taunt. Taunt is a mediocre option, because you fail to break bulky teams anyway, whereas Toxic is really useful with crippling Pokemon like Rotom-W, Mega Latias, and Tornadus-T.
→ C
Mega Garchomp has been experimented with a decent amount recently, and it doesn't disappoint. It's a really nice check to Heatran and has a great matchup against common Defoggers like Tornadus-T and Rotom-W as a Stealth Rock setter. It takes advantage of the current metagame really nicely right now with its mixed set, because it can overwhelm common Pokemon like Arghonaut, Celesteela, and Tangrowth, which are used to check Garchomp, enabling it to threaten most builds.
→ C
I'll try to keep it short, if you want a more in-depth look into Kommo-o, I encourage you to read this post. Basically, Kommo-o is a Stealth Rock setter that is able to come into play relatively easily thanks to its notable typing and ability, and can keep them up against Rotom-W teams and apply pressure to teams that rely on Tornadus-T. This is an extremely useful tool for some BO teams and it's definitely a valid, albeit niche, option. Because of this, it should get ranked.
The Weavile wave is over. Ever since Necturna's nerfs, Weavile just hasn't been the same Pokemon. It doesn't provide as much value anymore with Ice Shard, especially when considering that Pursuit-weak targets are really falling out of favor as well. The fact that Weavile has to rely on Choice items also really sucks, because it's far too easily punished by Pokemon like Arghonaut and more importantly, Magearna, which much more important in this metagame compared to the pre-nerfs metagame. The only set that should really be considered right now is Choice Scarf for its ability to deal with Necturna, Mega Alakazam, and broken Aurumoth in one slot.
Naviathan was put as a discussion point to B due to it slowly slipping off screens teams. However, I personally disagree with this because I don't think that screens HO is where Naviathan really shines right now. Instead, it does really well on classic Excadrill / Greninja HO teams, where it really benefits from the forced chip from Spikes and can quickly snowball out of control as a result. Why I believe that it fits better on these teams despite the fact that screens teams can also run this lead, is because they simply don't have the teamslots to fit Naviathan. I'd recommend everyone to try out these type of teams with Naviathan before judging it based on its performance on screens teams.
Krilowatt is really strong right now. With Tapu Koko shaping up to be the dominant Electric-type again, I've really been liking Krilowatt, especially on teams that aim to stack hazards. You may be wondering why I mention Tapu Koko as a positive here, but it's relatively simple; teams are preparing for Tapu Koko with Grass-types like Tangrowth and Jumbao. While some may think that this is preparing for Electric-types well enough, it really isn't, because Krilowatt overwhelms them pretty easily, especially with Spikes up. Additionally, being a check to Fire-types like Volkraken and a one-time-switch-in to pretty much anything else is pretty valuable right now with the meta shifting to a faster paced meta.
While Mega Medicham isn't really bad per sé, it just doesn't really hold up with Pokemon like Kitsunoh, Ash-Greninja, and Mega Mawile, being far less consistent. It's not that great at breaking balance teams either, because Kitsunoh is still used very often. Additionally, I see very little reason to run it over other Psychic-types.
Smokomodo shouldn't have dropped down in the first place. While it's true that Smokomodo is a lackluster wallbreaker, people really should stop trying to break walls with it in the first place. It's a really useful Pokemon for its utility, which enables certain team structures to function. Most notably, it compresses the role of a Tapu Koko and Magearna check into one. Additionally, I believe that people should run Toxic rather than Taunt. Taunt is a mediocre option, because you fail to break bulky teams anyway, whereas Toxic is really useful with crippling Pokemon like Rotom-W, Mega Latias, and Tornadus-T.
Mega Garchomp has been experimented with a decent amount recently, and it doesn't disappoint. It's a really nice check to Heatran and has a great matchup against common Defoggers like Tornadus-T and Rotom-W as a Stealth Rock setter. It takes advantage of the current metagame really nicely right now with its mixed set, because it can overwhelm common Pokemon like Arghonaut, Celesteela, and Tangrowth, which are used to check Garchomp, enabling it to threaten most builds.
I'll try to keep it short, if you want a more in-depth look into Kommo-o, I encourage you to read this post. Basically, Kommo-o is a Stealth Rock setter that is able to come into play relatively easily thanks to its notable typing and ability, and can keep them up against Rotom-W teams and apply pressure to teams that rely on Tornadus-T. This is an extremely useful tool for some BO teams and it's definitely a valid, albeit niche, option. Because of this, it should get ranked.
Just dropping in to give some thoughts on the noms presented so far as well as adding a couple of my own.
-> A- : Agree, should not go to B+ right now
I fully agree that Choice Band Weavile doesn't really fit onto teams well right now and also that its role as a fast Pursuit trapper is better represented by the B ranks than the A ranks. However, I still think that the Scarf set is deserving of A- in the current meta, as it can fit well in a good amount of teams and perform hugely important revenge killing roles. The main competition that Scarf Weavile faces in the builder is from Scarf Kitsunoh, as they are both scarfers that aid the matchup against Psychic types (mainly Zam), and admittedly this competition is quite strong, so I will attempt to outline the two main positives of using Weavile over Kitsunoh when weighing up which option is more beneficial for the team:
Pursuit - Whilst this Pursuit obviously isn't as strong as Pursuit from the Choice Band variant, it does still allow Weavile to do some things for a team (most notably trapping Zam). On top of its main role of trapping Mega Alakazam, it can also find opportunities to trap various chipped mons, such as Torn-T and Kitsunoh (if running Jolly). Additionally, it can still threaten and trap more fringe threats such as Mega Latios/Latias and Pajantom. Although a lot of this is based on plays, it's still often useful to have the extra win condition of removing an important mon from the game entirely.
Kitsunoh's main utility when forcing out threats comes from U-turn, which is a huge part of its viability, but the reward for U-turning on the switch is often much less than outright trapping the mon that switched out. This is partially because the CAP metagame favours bulky offensive picks such as Tornadus-T and Magearna, and as a result teams can be structured around them in a way that there isn't necessarily much of a momentum gain from forcing out these mons. For example, if a CM Split Magearna tries to take advantage of Tornadus-T, it may U-turn into something that can suitably take advantage of Magearna, such as Heatran, which can then make progress offensively. This isn't to say that the opponent can't then take advantage of Heatran; in reality this is definitely down to team matchup, but it does at least explain why simply U-turning out doesn't guarantee momentum gain over the following few turns.
Revenge killing potential - This simply refers to the fact that Weavile revenge kills more top threats than Kitsunoh does. A lot of teams right now are in need of a better Aurumoth check than Kitsunoh, and ideally teams would like to use a Scarfer with more expendable hp to revenge kill Necturna instead of letting it claim 50 percent chip on a bulky Steel type (often on top of the kill that Necturna's Z-Move normally gets). This is particularly important as it allows teams to shore up their matchup against common HO builds, which can become threatening if the team's Choice Scarfer isn't contributing enough when it comes to taking pressure off defensive checks.
Despite these positives, Scarf Kitsunoh is generally the more convenient fit for current builds, as it doesn't risk as much when performing its role due to a better defensive typing and bulk. For this reason I think Weavile should stay below Kitsunoh in the VR, but I don't believe B+ does justice to how useful it can be in the builder and in game.
-> A: Agree
This mon actually fits really well into a lot of common offensive structures right now. It shines on hazard stacking builds due to its ability and difficult to block Volt Switch. It also provides a very important Fire resist to teams, which is always appreciated as support for top Fire weak mons such as Magearna, and it can even pair well with Psychic types due to the fact that it draws in Steel types as well as actively punishing Celesteela, which is the sturdiest Psychic check in the metagame. Overall Krilowatt's bulk combined with an immunity to hazards makes it very difficult to chip down, and on top of this it has a very solid matchup against most faster mons (Kitsunoh, Torn-T, Scarf Volkraken all come to mind). It should be noted, however, that Krilowatt isn't an ideal check to Tornadus-T due to its reliance on Life Orb's damage boost, which can be inconvenient in building sometimes, but far from the end of the world considering Rock type SR users and Magearna are already great partners.
And now I have a couple nominations of my own.
-> B+
Mega Crucibelle simply doesn't live up to the standards of A- rank right now. In particular, when comparing it to the other two Rock type Stealth Rock users that are in the same rank, it doesn't really compete in usefulness to Mega Tyranitar's bulk and ability to Pursuit trap, nor does it come close to having the fantastic balance/stall matchup that Mega Diancie provides. As a result it is overshadowed by these mons, as Crucibelle's role
(Fairy resist) is much less important, since Clefable is dead in the meta, Jumbao is falling in usage, and Magearna already beats it. Additionally, the Steel heavy meta, along with other Rock resists such as Garchomp, does Crucibelle no favours. Unlike Mega Diancie and Mega Tyranitar, Mega Crucibelle simply doesn't have the coverage to circumvent common Steel types, which is very problematic given that it's fairly common for teams to have two Steel types as part of their Psychic/Torn-T prep. In my opinion, Toxic Spikes sets may be the way forward for Crucibelle, since it's losing out to Mdia and Mtar as a rocker, but this doesn't really save it from a drop.
-> B+
Tapu Fini @ Leftovers
Ability: Misty Surge
EVs: 248 HP / 156 Def / 12 SpA / 80 SpD / 12 Spe
Bold Nature
- Scald
- Moonblast
- Knock Off
- Defog
OR
Tapu Fini @ Leftovers
Ability: Misty Surge
EVs: 248 HP / 156 Def / 12 SpA / 52 SpD / 40 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Moonblast
- Taunt
- Defog
The physdef investment on both spreads allows Tapu Fini to avoid the 2HKO from Mega Medicham's Zen Headbutt. The Taunt variant has more speed so that it can Taunt Adamant Necturna. 12 Special Attack EVs allow Tapu Fini to 2HKO offensive tran. Tapu Fini has been overlooked for a while but now that it's becoming relevant, I would like to see it rise straight to B+. The main draw of Tapu Fini is that it's a defogger that provides a brilliant ability for team support, whilst still performing standard things that would be expected of a Defogger; it can come in on hazard setters such as Heatran, Greninja, and Arghonaut, whilst deterring other setters such as Garchomp, Mega Diancie and Mega Tyranitar. Naturally, Tapu Fini can be compared to Rotom-W since they both have similar resistances and Defog, but it sets itself apart with its ability and either of the utility options in the third slot. This combination of Misty Terrain + Taunt/Knock Off allows Fini to regularly annoy fatter mons without being worn down as easily. One notable core that Fini forms better than any other Defogger is its partnership with Aurumoth. Tapu Fini can shield Aurumoth from random status attacks that may stop it in its tracks, whilst also being able to aggressively Taunt hazard setters, likely ensuring that Stealth Rock is not on the field when Aurumoth wants to set up and win. However, despite all of this, Rotom-W's Ground immunity and access to Volt Switch often make it a better choice, but Tapu Fini definitely holds a solid niche in the metagame.
- I agree with Jordy's points about these mons. I'm on the fence regarding Smokomodo, but leaning towards B+.
I fully agree that Choice Band Weavile doesn't really fit onto teams well right now and also that its role as a fast Pursuit trapper is better represented by the B ranks than the A ranks. However, I still think that the Scarf set is deserving of A- in the current meta, as it can fit well in a good amount of teams and perform hugely important revenge killing roles. The main competition that Scarf Weavile faces in the builder is from Scarf Kitsunoh, as they are both scarfers that aid the matchup against Psychic types (mainly Zam), and admittedly this competition is quite strong, so I will attempt to outline the two main positives of using Weavile over Kitsunoh when weighing up which option is more beneficial for the team:
Pursuit - Whilst this Pursuit obviously isn't as strong as Pursuit from the Choice Band variant, it does still allow Weavile to do some things for a team (most notably trapping Zam). On top of its main role of trapping Mega Alakazam, it can also find opportunities to trap various chipped mons, such as Torn-T and Kitsunoh (if running Jolly). Additionally, it can still threaten and trap more fringe threats such as Mega Latios/Latias and Pajantom. Although a lot of this is based on plays, it's still often useful to have the extra win condition of removing an important mon from the game entirely.
Kitsunoh's main utility when forcing out threats comes from U-turn, which is a huge part of its viability, but the reward for U-turning on the switch is often much less than outright trapping the mon that switched out. This is partially because the CAP metagame favours bulky offensive picks such as Tornadus-T and Magearna, and as a result teams can be structured around them in a way that there isn't necessarily much of a momentum gain from forcing out these mons. For example, if a CM Split Magearna tries to take advantage of Tornadus-T, it may U-turn into something that can suitably take advantage of Magearna, such as Heatran, which can then make progress offensively. This isn't to say that the opponent can't then take advantage of Heatran; in reality this is definitely down to team matchup, but it does at least explain why simply U-turning out doesn't guarantee momentum gain over the following few turns.
Revenge killing potential - This simply refers to the fact that Weavile revenge kills more top threats than Kitsunoh does. A lot of teams right now are in need of a better Aurumoth check than Kitsunoh, and ideally teams would like to use a Scarfer with more expendable hp to revenge kill Necturna instead of letting it claim 50 percent chip on a bulky Steel type (often on top of the kill that Necturna's Z-Move normally gets). This is particularly important as it allows teams to shore up their matchup against common HO builds, which can become threatening if the team's Choice Scarfer isn't contributing enough when it comes to taking pressure off defensive checks.
Despite these positives, Scarf Kitsunoh is generally the more convenient fit for current builds, as it doesn't risk as much when performing its role due to a better defensive typing and bulk. For this reason I think Weavile should stay below Kitsunoh in the VR, but I don't believe B+ does justice to how useful it can be in the builder and in game.
This mon actually fits really well into a lot of common offensive structures right now. It shines on hazard stacking builds due to its ability and difficult to block Volt Switch. It also provides a very important Fire resist to teams, which is always appreciated as support for top Fire weak mons such as Magearna, and it can even pair well with Psychic types due to the fact that it draws in Steel types as well as actively punishing Celesteela, which is the sturdiest Psychic check in the metagame. Overall Krilowatt's bulk combined with an immunity to hazards makes it very difficult to chip down, and on top of this it has a very solid matchup against most faster mons (Kitsunoh, Torn-T, Scarf Volkraken all come to mind). It should be noted, however, that Krilowatt isn't an ideal check to Tornadus-T due to its reliance on Life Orb's damage boost, which can be inconvenient in building sometimes, but far from the end of the world considering Rock type SR users and Magearna are already great partners.
And now I have a couple nominations of my own.
Mega Crucibelle simply doesn't live up to the standards of A- rank right now. In particular, when comparing it to the other two Rock type Stealth Rock users that are in the same rank, it doesn't really compete in usefulness to Mega Tyranitar's bulk and ability to Pursuit trap, nor does it come close to having the fantastic balance/stall matchup that Mega Diancie provides. As a result it is overshadowed by these mons, as Crucibelle's role
(Fairy resist) is much less important, since Clefable is dead in the meta, Jumbao is falling in usage, and Magearna already beats it. Additionally, the Steel heavy meta, along with other Rock resists such as Garchomp, does Crucibelle no favours. Unlike Mega Diancie and Mega Tyranitar, Mega Crucibelle simply doesn't have the coverage to circumvent common Steel types, which is very problematic given that it's fairly common for teams to have two Steel types as part of their Psychic/Torn-T prep. In my opinion, Toxic Spikes sets may be the way forward for Crucibelle, since it's losing out to Mdia and Mtar as a rocker, but this doesn't really save it from a drop.
Tapu Fini @ Leftovers
Ability: Misty Surge
EVs: 248 HP / 156 Def / 12 SpA / 80 SpD / 12 Spe
Bold Nature
- Scald
- Moonblast
- Knock Off
- Defog
OR
Tapu Fini @ Leftovers
Ability: Misty Surge
EVs: 248 HP / 156 Def / 12 SpA / 52 SpD / 40 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Moonblast
- Taunt
- Defog
The physdef investment on both spreads allows Tapu Fini to avoid the 2HKO from Mega Medicham's Zen Headbutt. The Taunt variant has more speed so that it can Taunt Adamant Necturna. 12 Special Attack EVs allow Tapu Fini to 2HKO offensive tran. Tapu Fini has been overlooked for a while but now that it's becoming relevant, I would like to see it rise straight to B+. The main draw of Tapu Fini is that it's a defogger that provides a brilliant ability for team support, whilst still performing standard things that would be expected of a Defogger; it can come in on hazard setters such as Heatran, Greninja, and Arghonaut, whilst deterring other setters such as Garchomp, Mega Diancie and Mega Tyranitar. Naturally, Tapu Fini can be compared to Rotom-W since they both have similar resistances and Defog, but it sets itself apart with its ability and either of the utility options in the third slot. This combination of Misty Terrain + Taunt/Knock Off allows Fini to regularly annoy fatter mons without being worn down as easily. One notable core that Fini forms better than any other Defogger is its partnership with Aurumoth. Tapu Fini can shield Aurumoth from random status attacks that may stop it in its tracks, whilst also being able to aggressively Taunt hazard setters, likely ensuring that Stealth Rock is not on the field when Aurumoth wants to set up and win. However, despite all of this, Rotom-W's Ground immunity and access to Volt Switch often make it a better choice, but Tapu Fini definitely holds a solid niche in the metagame.
With CAPTT starting up and Equilibra dropping very soon, we figured it was time for a final VR update to depict the current metagame as accurately as possible.
Ranking Update
Rises
Garchomp A → A+
Garchomp has been a staple in CAP for a while now, as a great Stealth Rock setter, while also sporting a great Speed tier, being an amazing check to Heatran, and being a really threatening wallbreaker in general. In the most recent tour, OCT, its TankChomp set also got quite a lot of usage. Because of this, it fits on a many teams very easily and the VR Council thinks that a rise is due.
Krilowatt A- → A
Krilowatt saw a big increase in usage during OCT, as it is capable of practically always generating momentum against most common archetypes in general, while being incredibly hard to wear down. It's also massive for an Electric-type to be able to break through Grass-types with relative ease. In short, it's a really good anti-meta Pokemon right now and because of this, it's being raised to A.
Rotom-W A- → A
With CAP looking for Defoggers other than Tornadus-T, Rotom-W has continued to see a considerable amount of usage, so it's being raised.
Mega Tyranitar A- → A
Mega Tyranitar is an amazing Stealth Rock setter right now, being capable of easily keeping them up against Tornadus-T as long as it lacks All-out Pummeling. In addition to this, Mega Tyranitar is really good at pressuring the many bulkier teams going around right now. Mega Tyranitar also enjoys the rise in usage of sand teams right now, which it's one of the main components of. Thanks to its sheer consistency and the many things that it has going for it right now, the VR Council feels that A is a more reasonable rank for Mega Tyranitar than A-.
Excadrill B+ → A-
As mentioned before, sand teams have considerably risen in usage, which Excadrill is a key component of, so a rise is due.
Tyranitar B+ → A-
Tyranitar, more specifically, its Assault Vest set, has been gaining a decent amount of usage over the last few months as an alternative to Mega Tyranitar on sand teams, which frees up the mega slot to run something like Mega Garchomp instead.
Hoopa-U B → B+
Hoopa-U is a key component of the most consistent Trick Room team currently, warranting a small rise to B+.
Smokomodo B → B+
Smokomodo shouldn't have dropped in the first place; its niche as a complete stop to Magearna as well as being a nice check to Pokemon like Tapu Koko and Aurumoth, warrant it a place in B+ rather than B.
Tapu Fini B- → B
Tapu Fini has recently been catching up to the meta as an alternative to Tornadus-T and Rotom-W for Defogging. It provides some pretty notable defensive counterplay, especially against Pokemon like Arghonaut, Heatran, and Greninja, while also being great at deterring other hazard setters like Garchomp. Because of this, a small rise to B is warranted.
Mega Garchomp UR → B-
Mega Garchomp's mixed set has been getting a ton of usage, because of its ability to overwhelm many defensive cores fairly easily. The fact that it can guarantee Stealth Rock stay up against Tornadus-T and Rotom-W, while checking common Pokemon such as Heatran is really nice. Lastly, it makes it much easier for sand teams to overwhelm checks like Arghonaut and Tangrowth.
Kommo-o UR → C
Kommo-o is a niche Stealth Rock user that is able to apply immense pressure against balance and bulky offensive teams alike thanks to its well-rounded stats and amazing typing. It's incredibly hard to keep Stealth Rock from Kommo-o off the field for teams that rely on Rotom-W and even Tornadus-T. Kommo-o can also take advantage of many common Pokemon like Heatran, Ferrothorn, Volkraken, and Mega Tyranitar, which can make it a good addition to some teams.
Drops
Celesteela A+ → A
Simply put, Celesteela is not on par with the rest of A+, as it is worn down very quickly and just isn't quite as splashable as other Pokemon in A+.
Greninja A+ → A
Ever since Greninja's rise, people have been experimenting with alternative Defoggers to Tornadus-T, such as Rotom-W and Tapu Fini, which significantly hurts Greninja's ability as a Spikes setter. In addition to this, the issues that it creates against Mega Alakazam have become much more apparent.
Volkraken A+ → A
Volkraken as a Choice Scarf user doesn't provide what many teams desire right now. To add onto this, it faces serious issues as a cleaner against offensive teams too, as they can often play around it because it has to rely on a Choice item.
Mega Medicham A → A-
Mega Medicham faces a few issues with inconsistency as a breaker because of the popularity of Kitsunoh and Aurumoth currently. Additionally, it faces some major competition from other Psychic-type wallbreakers like Mega Alakazam, ultimately warranting a drop to A-.
Weavile A → A-
Choice Band Weavile has really dropped off since the nerfs to Necturna. This is mostly because its Pursuit trapping ability simply doesn't hold as much value anymore. However, it's not dropping any further than A- for now because of its Choice Scarf set, which can check sweepers like Aurumoth and Necturna, while also being capable of Pursuit trapping Mega Alakazam and Kitsunoh.
Mega Crucibelle A- → B+
Mega Crucibelle faces too much competition as a Rock-type Stealth Rock setter from Mega Tyranitar and Mega Diancie to warrant a spot in A- right now; the VR Council feels that B+ represents its niche in the current metagame more accurately.
Mega Pinsir B+ → B
Mega Pinsir is a very inconsistent Pokemon that faces serious issues. While it recently dropped to B+, the VR council believes that this is still too high for it.
Mega Camerupt B- → C
Ever since CAPTT 4, Mega Camerupt simply hasn't been used much, often being forgotten in favor of Mega Mawile. Because it's seen so little, C represents its niche much better than B- does.
Mew B- → C
Mew hasn't done anything in CAP in forever.
Kingdra C → UR
Alolan Marowak C → UR
Neither Kingdra nor Alolan Marowak see any usage.
Discussion Points
Syclant A- → A
Colossoil A- → B+
Ranking Update
Code:
Rises:
Garchomp A → A+
Krilowatt A- → A
Rotom-W A- → A
Mega Tyranitar A- → A
Excadrill B+ → A-
Tyranitar B+ → A-
Hoopa-U B → B+
Smokomodo B → B+
Tapu Fini B- → B
Mega Garchomp UR → B-
Kommo-o UR → C
Drops:
Celesteela A+ → A
Greninja A+ → A
Volkraken A+ → A
Mega Medicham A → A-
Weavile A → A-
Mega Crucibelle A- → B+
Mega Pinsir B+ → B
Mega Camerupt B- → C
Mew B- → C
Kingdra C → UR
Alolan Marowak C → URRises
Garchomp A → A+
Garchomp has been a staple in CAP for a while now, as a great Stealth Rock setter, while also sporting a great Speed tier, being an amazing check to Heatran, and being a really threatening wallbreaker in general. In the most recent tour, OCT, its TankChomp set also got quite a lot of usage. Because of this, it fits on a many teams very easily and the VR Council thinks that a rise is due.
Krilowatt A- → A
Krilowatt saw a big increase in usage during OCT, as it is capable of practically always generating momentum against most common archetypes in general, while being incredibly hard to wear down. It's also massive for an Electric-type to be able to break through Grass-types with relative ease. In short, it's a really good anti-meta Pokemon right now and because of this, it's being raised to A.
Rotom-W A- → A
With CAP looking for Defoggers other than Tornadus-T, Rotom-W has continued to see a considerable amount of usage, so it's being raised.
Mega Tyranitar A- → A
Mega Tyranitar is an amazing Stealth Rock setter right now, being capable of easily keeping them up against Tornadus-T as long as it lacks All-out Pummeling. In addition to this, Mega Tyranitar is really good at pressuring the many bulkier teams going around right now. Mega Tyranitar also enjoys the rise in usage of sand teams right now, which it's one of the main components of. Thanks to its sheer consistency and the many things that it has going for it right now, the VR Council feels that A is a more reasonable rank for Mega Tyranitar than A-.
Excadrill B+ → A-
As mentioned before, sand teams have considerably risen in usage, which Excadrill is a key component of, so a rise is due.
Tyranitar B+ → A-
Tyranitar, more specifically, its Assault Vest set, has been gaining a decent amount of usage over the last few months as an alternative to Mega Tyranitar on sand teams, which frees up the mega slot to run something like Mega Garchomp instead.
Hoopa-U B → B+
Hoopa-U is a key component of the most consistent Trick Room team currently, warranting a small rise to B+.
Smokomodo B → B+
Smokomodo shouldn't have dropped in the first place; its niche as a complete stop to Magearna as well as being a nice check to Pokemon like Tapu Koko and Aurumoth, warrant it a place in B+ rather than B.
Tapu Fini B- → B
Tapu Fini has recently been catching up to the meta as an alternative to Tornadus-T and Rotom-W for Defogging. It provides some pretty notable defensive counterplay, especially against Pokemon like Arghonaut, Heatran, and Greninja, while also being great at deterring other hazard setters like Garchomp. Because of this, a small rise to B is warranted.
Mega Garchomp UR → B-
Mega Garchomp's mixed set has been getting a ton of usage, because of its ability to overwhelm many defensive cores fairly easily. The fact that it can guarantee Stealth Rock stay up against Tornadus-T and Rotom-W, while checking common Pokemon such as Heatran is really nice. Lastly, it makes it much easier for sand teams to overwhelm checks like Arghonaut and Tangrowth.
Kommo-o UR → C
Kommo-o is a niche Stealth Rock user that is able to apply immense pressure against balance and bulky offensive teams alike thanks to its well-rounded stats and amazing typing. It's incredibly hard to keep Stealth Rock from Kommo-o off the field for teams that rely on Rotom-W and even Tornadus-T. Kommo-o can also take advantage of many common Pokemon like Heatran, Ferrothorn, Volkraken, and Mega Tyranitar, which can make it a good addition to some teams.
Drops
Celesteela A+ → A
Simply put, Celesteela is not on par with the rest of A+, as it is worn down very quickly and just isn't quite as splashable as other Pokemon in A+.
Greninja A+ → A
Ever since Greninja's rise, people have been experimenting with alternative Defoggers to Tornadus-T, such as Rotom-W and Tapu Fini, which significantly hurts Greninja's ability as a Spikes setter. In addition to this, the issues that it creates against Mega Alakazam have become much more apparent.
Volkraken A+ → A
Volkraken as a Choice Scarf user doesn't provide what many teams desire right now. To add onto this, it faces serious issues as a cleaner against offensive teams too, as they can often play around it because it has to rely on a Choice item.
Mega Medicham A → A-
Mega Medicham faces a few issues with inconsistency as a breaker because of the popularity of Kitsunoh and Aurumoth currently. Additionally, it faces some major competition from other Psychic-type wallbreakers like Mega Alakazam, ultimately warranting a drop to A-.
Weavile A → A-
Choice Band Weavile has really dropped off since the nerfs to Necturna. This is mostly because its Pursuit trapping ability simply doesn't hold as much value anymore. However, it's not dropping any further than A- for now because of its Choice Scarf set, which can check sweepers like Aurumoth and Necturna, while also being capable of Pursuit trapping Mega Alakazam and Kitsunoh.
Mega Crucibelle A- → B+
Mega Crucibelle faces too much competition as a Rock-type Stealth Rock setter from Mega Tyranitar and Mega Diancie to warrant a spot in A- right now; the VR Council feels that B+ represents its niche in the current metagame more accurately.
Mega Pinsir B+ → B
Mega Pinsir is a very inconsistent Pokemon that faces serious issues. While it recently dropped to B+, the VR council believes that this is still too high for it.
Mega Camerupt B- → C
Ever since CAPTT 4, Mega Camerupt simply hasn't been used much, often being forgotten in favor of Mega Mawile. Because it's seen so little, C represents its niche much better than B- does.
Mew B- → C
Mew hasn't done anything in CAP in forever.
Kingdra C → UR
Alolan Marowak C → UR
Neither Kingdra nor Alolan Marowak see any usage.
Discussion Points
Syclant A- → A
Colossoil A- → B+
I think Snaelstrom should rise out of D. Its more than usable in the tier and can crush a lot of balance. There is a lot of horrible Snael sets in existence, but this snael puts in all the work it needs to to be viable right now.
Snaelstrom @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Stealth Rock
- Scald
- Toxic
- Spiky Shield
A few metagame changes that Snael loves:
-Rotom-W as a popular defogger. Snael keeps rocks up against Rotom indefinitely, sponging volt switches while taking 30%ish, and beating it with Toxic.
-Offensive Torn-T seems to mostly entirely fallen out of style in favour for the bulky set, which lets Snael do a lot more against it thanks to its ability to eat a Hurricane or two before being forced out. That gives it time to Toxic and play around with Torn every time it comes in. Ultimately, Snael can play the long game that Tornadus usually excels at and come out the winner. This happened a long time ago but still worth mentioning.
-Equilibra is a fantastic new rapid spin option that has absolutely no chance spinning against Snael. Every time Equi comes in, its a free rocks for Snael.
-Tomohawk usage has dropped a lot, which is yet another common hazard removal that Snael dislikes.
-Zapdos usage is very low recently also. I'll also add here since its another electric type, Tapu Koko has been deleted off the face of the planet by Equilibra and has been a worse/risky pick for a while now.
-The triple/quadruple/quintuple Steel type meta that has developed is quite nice for Snael, who has excellent matchups vs common Steels- Kitsunoh, Celesteela, Equilibra, Ferrothorn, Heatran, CM-less Magearna, it can beat all of these mons (although its more of a check to Heatran which can potentially get through, and wont stop Ferro mid-game from spiking). It finds switchins against almost all teams currently AND threatens to become a wincon vs balance teams thanks to its inability to get statused down. This is good role compression for a Stealth Rocker.
Here are a few matchups, look at the Snael vs the opponents team and see how it actually hard walls many mons and can threaten the rest/win the long game:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7cap-933166945
Snael works excellently vs this team. Charizard-Y is a very threatening mon, but toxic and spiky shield force it out way too much, and Snael keeps up rocks indefinitely vs Rotom-W. It manages to toxic pretty much the entire team and chip stuff enough for Magearna to sweep.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7cap-933172381
This is not a good matchup for Snael, but it puts in more than enough work. It gets toxic on the mons that beat it, and forces them into a genuine difficult situation, and walls the rest of the team. I think when people think of the unreliability of using Snael its in matches like this, but I see this as a positive situation because its not designed to beat these types of Pokemon, but it CAN do sometimes. Right now, the mons that it does beat 100% of the time is small, but relevant- and then on top of that, it has a chance to chip and mind-game the rest.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7cap-933180289
On turn 17 i knew i could just stay in on a Torn and Toxic it because I can survive the hurricane with health to spare (although it ends up missing). After that it has to play a dicey game when trying to defog, since it'll have to eat multiple scalds and toxic ticks if it wants to defog and kill Snael afterwards. Check how Snael can then wall Argho, potentially MegaZam (providing I dont toxic it), Equi, and even beat +1 Kommo-o if I dont let it take the Z-move- +1 scales does 39 max which lets us win with toxic. Unfortunately match ends early.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7cap-933602518
Snael hard walls most of the team. It can take a hit vs Zard or Strata and get a toxic off and then outlast it over the match, and then the other 4 members get hard walled (as long as Lando cant hit the Fly-Z). Crappy crit but I think it shows Snael is a threat.
So yea: it deserves to not be in D (with malaconda??) because it gets rocks up pretty well in the current meta. Just like a Toxapex, anything that wants to break it in 2 hits is going to have to eat a Toxic and then beat it again later on. It has the ability to play 50/50s and beat mons it shouldnt. I think it has more of a place in the meta than anything in C. Id like to see it in at least C tier but right now I think it could be in B- thanks to how omnipresent Equi is. Maybe lets wait for Equi hype to settle down and see if its still on a lot of teams.
Snaelstrom @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Stealth Rock
- Scald
- Toxic
- Spiky Shield
A few metagame changes that Snael loves:
-Rotom-W as a popular defogger. Snael keeps rocks up against Rotom indefinitely, sponging volt switches while taking 30%ish, and beating it with Toxic.
-Offensive Torn-T seems to mostly entirely fallen out of style in favour for the bulky set, which lets Snael do a lot more against it thanks to its ability to eat a Hurricane or two before being forced out. That gives it time to Toxic and play around with Torn every time it comes in. Ultimately, Snael can play the long game that Tornadus usually excels at and come out the winner. This happened a long time ago but still worth mentioning.
-Equilibra is a fantastic new rapid spin option that has absolutely no chance spinning against Snael. Every time Equi comes in, its a free rocks for Snael.
-Tomohawk usage has dropped a lot, which is yet another common hazard removal that Snael dislikes.
-Zapdos usage is very low recently also. I'll also add here since its another electric type, Tapu Koko has been deleted off the face of the planet by Equilibra and has been a worse/risky pick for a while now.
-The triple/quadruple/quintuple Steel type meta that has developed is quite nice for Snael, who has excellent matchups vs common Steels- Kitsunoh, Celesteela, Equilibra, Ferrothorn, Heatran, CM-less Magearna, it can beat all of these mons (although its more of a check to Heatran which can potentially get through, and wont stop Ferro mid-game from spiking). It finds switchins against almost all teams currently AND threatens to become a wincon vs balance teams thanks to its inability to get statused down. This is good role compression for a Stealth Rocker.
Here are a few matchups, look at the Snael vs the opponents team and see how it actually hard walls many mons and can threaten the rest/win the long game:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7cap-933166945
Snael works excellently vs this team. Charizard-Y is a very threatening mon, but toxic and spiky shield force it out way too much, and Snael keeps up rocks indefinitely vs Rotom-W. It manages to toxic pretty much the entire team and chip stuff enough for Magearna to sweep.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7cap-933172381
This is not a good matchup for Snael, but it puts in more than enough work. It gets toxic on the mons that beat it, and forces them into a genuine difficult situation, and walls the rest of the team. I think when people think of the unreliability of using Snael its in matches like this, but I see this as a positive situation because its not designed to beat these types of Pokemon, but it CAN do sometimes. Right now, the mons that it does beat 100% of the time is small, but relevant- and then on top of that, it has a chance to chip and mind-game the rest.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7cap-933180289
On turn 17 i knew i could just stay in on a Torn and Toxic it because I can survive the hurricane with health to spare (although it ends up missing). After that it has to play a dicey game when trying to defog, since it'll have to eat multiple scalds and toxic ticks if it wants to defog and kill Snael afterwards. Check how Snael can then wall Argho, potentially MegaZam (providing I dont toxic it), Equi, and even beat +1 Kommo-o if I dont let it take the Z-move- +1 scales does 39 max which lets us win with toxic. Unfortunately match ends early.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7cap-933602518
Snael hard walls most of the team. It can take a hit vs Zard or Strata and get a toxic off and then outlast it over the match, and then the other 4 members get hard walled (as long as Lando cant hit the Fly-Z). Crappy crit but I think it shows Snael is a threat.
So yea: it deserves to not be in D (with malaconda??) because it gets rocks up pretty well in the current meta. Just like a Toxapex, anything that wants to break it in 2 hits is going to have to eat a Toxic and then beat it again later on. It has the ability to play 50/50s and beat mons it shouldnt. I think it has more of a place in the meta than anything in C. Id like to see it in at least C tier but right now I think it could be in B- thanks to how omnipresent Equi is. Maybe lets wait for Equi hype to settle down and see if its still on a lot of teams.
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I agree with this. With Equilibra out and people using on most teams, there's gotta be something that stops it. Snaelstrom would work pretty well to a certain extent. Yes, Equi cannot spin on Snael at all. Especially with the set that I've seen going (Doom Desire/Earth Power/Rapid Spin/Protect), this Snael set will stop Equi dead in it's tracks.
it says excadrill but i promise I changed it's stats in the damage calc, i swear it's Equilibra's stats because Equi is not in the damage calculator yet as a blank set! This is also going off the set from smogon
68+ SpA Excadrill Doom Desire vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Snaelstorm: 81-96 (20.9 - 24.8) -- guaranteed 5HKO
68+ SpA Excadrill Earth Power vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Snaelstorm: 53-63 (13.7 - 16.3%) -- possible 7HKO
68+ SpA Excadrill Earth Power vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Snaelstorm: 53-63 (13.7 - 16.3%) -- possible 7HKO
Essentially Snael can get free heals off this thing, and has very good potential with this Equilibra hype. Snael easily switches into Doom Desire.
Hello everyone, with CAPTT coming to an end, and us wanting to do an update soon, I'd like to spark discussion with some nominations.
→ S
→ A+
→ A
→ A
→ B+
→ B+
→ B
→ B / B-
→ B-
→ C
→ D
Smokomodo is really hard to justify using at the moment because Equilibra took pretty much all of its niche and provides way more to teams on top of that. Maybe there's some potential in sets that dedicate themselves to breaking walls, but they aren't really proven, so I think that Smokomodo should move down into D rank.
With how much of a grip Equilibra has over the CAP metagame right now, I believe that it's easily S rank. As pretty much everyone knows, Equilibra is a very splashable Pokemon; capable of checking good Pokemon such as Mega Alakazam, Magearna, Garchomp, and Mega Diancie, while also providing utility in the form of Rapid Spin. To top it off, Equilibra's Doom Desire carries great utility with it too, making it particularly hard to check certain Pokemon such as Mega Gallade, Mega Lopunny, and Kommo-o if given the opportunity, which isn't particularly hard considering how easy it is for Equilibra to switch into play. I recommend that you read this post by me for a more in-depth analysis of Equilibra's stance in the current metagame.
If you've been paying attention to CAPTT, you know that Tapu Koko has seen a massive influx in usage since Equilibra's release. Tapu Koko is a key enabler for wallbreakers like Mega Gallade, Mega Medicham, and Victini, which are very threatening if they can get a free turn and massively benefit from Tapu Koko's ability to draw Equilibra in and to U-turn it, which ultimately gives them a free opportunity. Because of this, I believe that Tapu Koko is definitely deserving of a rise.
Although it's supposed to be a good Equilibra check, Arghonaut struggles a fair bit in the current metagame because of it. Oftentimes, Arghonaut will end up getting poisoned by Equilibra in the early-game, and from there on out, it'll usually be taken advantage of by Pokemon that are currently very common, such as Tapu Koko, Tornadus-T, and Mega Gallade.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7cap-957340073
I think that this game does a pretty good job at showing what I mean.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7cap-957340073
I think that this game does a pretty good job at showing what I mean.
Magnezone carries a lot of value with it in the current metagame, as it can easily trap and remove Equilibra with its SubRise set. This is vital support for a lot of Pokemon right now, and I believe that it should rise because of that.
Mega Alakazam has taken a very significant hit since Equilibra's release. However, it's in my opinion still alright as a Pokemon since it can take advantage of the rise of Pokemon like Toxapex, and its Speed tier in general is still really nice, especially with more Tapu Koko builds popping up. However, it does pretty much require Magnezone support to trap Equilibra at this point, so I feel like B+ is justified.
Mega Gallade has made a very quick rise to stardom within the CAP metagame, especially picking up on builds alongside Tapu Koko after Equilibra's release. This is because it's very hard to handle defensively for many teams, but most of this is because it's capable of taking advantage of Equilibra if given the opportunity, which Tapu Koko enables. It also pairs particularly well with Equilibra itself, as Doom Desire supports it greatly in breaking down checks such as Tornadus-T and Jumbao. Because it's so threatening when given the right support, which isn't particularly much, Mega Gallade easily deserves a spot in B+ in my opinion.
Magearna is honestly really bad with Equilibra coming into the metagame. Its defensive sets have vanished from the meta, being completely outclassed and walled by Equilibra. Its offensive sets also struggle a lot because they're forced to play mindgames with Equilibra, as they only get one opportunity to hit it, with All-Out Pummeling. The fact that it's forced into running Fightinium Z hurts it even more because of Toxapex, which has enjoyed a pretty significant rise in usage, and is very hard for Magearna to beat without Electrium Z. Because of how inconsistent Magearna is in the current metagame, I believe that it should drop to B, where it'll be alongside other inconsistent Pokemon such as Mega Pinsir and Serperior.
Regular Garchomp really struggles as a Stealth Rock setter and wallbreaker in the current metagame, mostly because of Equilibra. It can still be used as a Stealth Rock setter alongside Magnezone and is still an alright wallbreaker against some teams, so I believe that B or B- should be right for it.
Mega Diancie has greatly suffered from Equilibra's introduction to the metagame; its previous niche as a Stealth Rock setter that could guarantee that Stealth Rock could stay up, is pretty much entirely neutered by Equilibra's ability to use Rapid Spin in its face without any consequences. I believe that Endeavor sets have a lot of potential, though, so I don't think that Mega Diancie should drop any lower than B- for the time being.
Unfortunately, Skarmory didn't do a lot in the match where I brought it against SHSP, but Skarmory is a pretty decent option as a Spikes setter at the moment. Skarmory brings some really notable defensive capabilities to the table, as it is able of handling Pokemon like Pajantom and Necturna defensively, while making it easy to make progress against these Pokemon because it can set Spikes against them, which goes a very long way.
Smokomodo is really hard to justify using at the moment because Equilibra took pretty much all of its niche and provides way more to teams on top of that. Maybe there's some potential in sets that dedicate themselves to breaking walls, but they aren't really proven, so I think that Smokomodo should move down into D rank.
When Equilibra came out it absolutely took over the metagame. With it's high SpA and access to Doom Desire you're always gonna want to bring a mon that eats up it's powerful Doom Desire. Some mons have fallen out of favor JUST because of this thing.
Since Equilibra is so good right now, and that koko takes on the mons that threaten Equilibra, koko defo should rise
Argh is one of the few mons that can reliably check Equilibra atm. you might literally be running your own Equilibra so Argh getting poisoned is preventable.
Magnezone easily gets shit on by the ever so popular Equilibra. since it often runs earth power. I did the calcs and not even specs magnezone does that well against it (42.2-50.4). You can't risk the switch in and gets only one HP Fire off before dying, if you even risk it. It's not in a good spot rn imo.
Jordy, you said it was still an alright mon in the current metagame. I think falling all the way from A+ to B+ is a little unjust because it can still do some work. Although it can't switch in on most mons, it still it dece imo. can still fire off focus blasts at the popular steel types
as previously stated, it's pretty hard to get the right support for this thing, but when it's put in the right spot, it's pretty hard to stop.
oml i've never seen a mon fall so far. granted you hate to see it just get absolutely shit on by equilibra it defo doesn't have a good place in the current meta. as jordy said, it's defensive sets have fallen out of favor SOLELY of one mon and that sucks but it's the truth
Garchomp is in an awkward spot because of Equilibra, and it suffered the same fate as mage. you don't like seeing good mons like these take a hit so hard it makes them outclassed. garchomp does literally nothing against equi and it just spins for free on chomper anyway
dont use this mon especially now that there's steel types everywhere
there's better spike setters out there in argh and ferrothorn, as there's also better rockers out there, and this mon would only add to the plethora of steels out there rn LOL
smokmodo is just garbage anyway :[
hot take: auromoth shouldn't be S- because its dogshit since it's nerf
If you're running Arghonaut and Equilibra, I think it's fair to say your Equilibra is more than likely going to be running Bulletproof to handle Psychic-types more reliably, so no, preventing your own Arghonaut from being crippled by Toxic isn't THAT easy because you'll be pressured into awkward spots. I don't really think this arguments holds stance when what happens in the replay I linked, happens almost every time Arghonaut is used right now; it's not a good Equilibra check.
I don't think you understand what Magnezone does in this meta. It runs Substitute + Magnet Rise to trap Equilibra alongside other Steel-types, not Choice Specs or anything like that. Add to that that it can easily afford to run Air Balloon, and trapping Equilibra is very safe, unless it's Whirlwind, which you're still providing crucial chip damage again.
Okay? If you're going to disagree with a nomination you should at the very least understand the Pokemon's perceived niche. Yes, Skarmory is a Spikes setter, just like Arghonaut and Ferrothorn, but it offers a few very valuable niches over both of them, most notably being a strong check to Pokemon such as Pajantom, Kartana, Mega Mawile, and Necturna. Skarmory isn't very splashable, as it can't fill the role of a true Steel-type because it can't check Psychic-types, but that's fine on teams alongside Chansey. It's definitely not a great Pokemon and it has a few very significant drawbacks, but it's certainly not so bad that it should be unranked.