Resource Monotype USM Viability Rankings

I'm gonna through several of the more niche mons on some types (C and D ranks) that I think have been kind of forgotten over the VR shifts (I could be wrong) and are due to be dropped or unranked.

(C-->D) This can hit very hard with Life Orb boosted Brave Bird+Superpower and can KO some faster Pokemon with Sucker Punch, but it's meh speed and bad bulk along with getting worn down easily by recoil and Stealth Rocks make this difficult to fit on a team and I think a C rank is overselling it. Z-Mirror Move is a bad meme please don't try using it.
(D-->Unranked) The only niche I see for this is that it can switch into some troublesome Fire-types like Mega Charizard Y and Volcarona, which can be hard to switch into for Electric, but neither of these Pokemon are on highly relevant types, and Mega Ampharos fails to do anything unique or useful outside of using it's Dragon typing defensively (if it got Draco Meteor maybe it would be better.) As an Agility user it also is just outclassed by Thundurus-Therian which isn't even very good itself.

(D-->Unranked) This mon as a Calm Mind user fails to provide any noteworthy or useful for Electric. Extrasensory or maybe Aura Sphere to hit some Electric checks like Mega Venusaur or Ferrothorn is cute, but ultimately it's bare-bones movepool and lack of a second typing makes it outclassed by other setup sweepers the type can use, namely Alolan-Raichu or even Thundurus-Therian.
(D-->Unranked) While Mandibuzz has very nice bulk, it has literally no resistances to Flying's weaknesses. As a Taunt, Defog, or Knock Off user Gliscor is far better, and STAB Foul Play simply is not enough to rank this when it lets huge threats such as Mega Diance in for free. Flying's staple walls like Mantine, Celesteela, Zapdos while simply outperform Mandibuzz 95% of the time with their more useful qualities.
(C-->D) Gourgiest-Super has some nice physical bulk that can be boosted further by Will-O-Wisp, but this mon lacks any useful resistances for checking threats to Grass, and thus can't be fit very comfortably in place of higher ranked mons like Cradily or Breloom, due to it simply not doing enough except being able to wall some neutral physical threats. It can't even reliably check Mega Gallade without Colbur Berry due to +2 Knock Off doing 84-100% to it.

(D-->Unranked) There is no good reason to run this over Mega Venusaur. There isn't even a reason to use this alongside Mega Venusaur. Breloom takes advantage of Spore far better. Regenerator is simply not enough to save this underwhelming mon.
(C-->D) Though this mon can run a surprisingly wide variety of viable sets and dish out good damage, Ground simply has usually better choices for a physical attacker and wallbreaker, namely Garchomp which has a much better speed tier, better bulk, and more useful typing. I see the main distinguishing feature of this being Swords Dance+Quick Attack, but Diggersby simply isn't on the level of usefulness of Nidoking, Mega Steelix, or even Krookodile, and should be dropped.
(C-->D) Being able to OHKO stuff like PhysDef Toxapex with Specs Draco Meteor is impressive, but it's horrible speed along with Draco Meteor's -2 drops mean stuff like Mantine can soft check it fairly reliably. In addition, it's reliance on Adaptability for damage output means it's coverage moves to hit Steel-types (Focus Blast and/or HP FIre) are rather weak and fail to reliably KO many of them, namely Celesteela. This is difficult since it usually needs to be ran with Scarfed Stealth Rocks Nihilego, making the Steel matchup more tricky compared to a more reliable wallbreaker like Nidoking or Salazzle.

(D-->Unranked) I'm not exactly sure what sort of use this has over Alolan-Muk, if any. Defog is outdone by Crobat, and Sucker Punch is a worse all-around Dark STAB than Knock Off. I honestly don't know why this was ranked in the first place.
(D-->Unranked) This thing is pretty heavily outclassed by Toxapex, which also has Haze+Recover to stifle sweeping attempts, but with better bulk and Toxic immunity. Mono-Water typing is a huge liability in a metagame where almost every team has something specifically to try to take advantage of Water's defensive core (CM+Thunderbolt Latios, SubSD Bulu, etc.) Marvel Scale can give it insane levels of physical bulk, but getting burned or paralyzed (Poison is counter-intuitive with residual damage outdoing Leftovers) is far to inconsistent for it to be a truly useful niche.

This is a more Quantity>Quality post, but most of these mons don't see much consistent usage on their types at high-level play (if any at all), so I decided they weren't relevant enough to warrant multiple separate posts.
 
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indtbiwab

landorus-therian.png
Landorus-T (Flying) S --> A
With Mega Aerodactyl and Gliscor being much more popular now, the need for Lando-T to check faster electric types has drastically decreased. It has been essentially replaced by Mega Aerodactyl as a fast physical revenge killer. The little thing it has over Mega Aerodactyl, being able to defog, is also not necessarily needed on flying teams with its already strong pool of defoggers.
 
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(D-->Unranked) The only niche I see for this is that it can switch into some troublesome Fire-types like Mega Charizard Y and Volcarona, which can be hard to switch into for Electric, but neither of these Pokemon are on highly relevant types
I never liked this mindset in Monotype. Just because it isn't a top tier type, does not mean it is something to disregard. That sort of mindset could end up in a lot of lost matches. There are players using at least one of all the different types, even Ice (smub), so I feel like this is a really bad mindset to have.
 
I never liked this mindset in Monotype. Just because it isn't a top tier type, does not mean it is something to disregard. That sort of mindset could end up in a lot of lost matches. There are players using at least one of all the different types, even Ice (smub), so I feel like this is a really bad mindset to have.
While there obviously will always be players using every avalible type to some degree, it is important to have what types are common at high level play at mind when teambuilding. It isn’t possible to fully prepare for every type matchup on a team without it seriously hindered all-around, so usually it is best to more adequatley prepare for the more high-tier/commonly used types instead of low-tier/rarer types. For example, Psychic should be more focused on prepping for Dark teams than Ghost teams because Dark is far more common than Ghost. Of course, this is healthy for the meta since it actually gives low-tier types more room to shine due to them and their exclusive threats often being unprepared for on many standard builds.

On the subject of Mega Ampharos, Fire and Bug teams which Volcarona finds a place on aren’t used enough in high level play to where putting Mega Ampharos is worth it on a type already strapped for teamslots (the Bug matchup isn’t very difficult for Electric anyway). Volcarona actually has the capacity to beat Mega Ampharos regardless with enough boosts in SpDef along with HP Ground, Bug Buzz, or Psychium Z. Mega Charizard Y, while being able to pick up a KO vs standard Electric teams with a free switch-in after something like Defog or Will-O-Wisp, is very easy to offensively pressure and/or revenge kill with any member of an Electric team. Mega Charizard Y is also edged out in favor of Mega Aerodactyl or Mega Charizard X on most Flying or Fire teams in the current meta, making it not a huge priority in most current teambuilding anyway.

What is Durant's niche in Monotype?
As for Durant (on Bug only), I would probably stick with a Hone Claws set, Z-Thunder Fang in particular lures and KOes/seriously dents Toxapex and Celesteela quite nicely at +1, which Bug teams really appreciate being out of the picture.
 
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While there obviously will always be players using every avalible type to some degree, it is important to have what types are common at high level play at mind when teambuilding. It isn’t possible to fully prepare for every type matchup on a team without it seriously hindered all-around, so usually it is best to more adequatley prepare for the more high-tier/commonly used types instead of low-tier/rarer types. For example, Psychic should be more focused on prepping for Dark teams than Ghost teams because Dark is far more common than Ghost. Of course, this is healthy for the meta since it actually gives low-tier types more room to shine due to them and their exclusive threats often being unprepared for on many standard builds.

On the subject of Mega Ampharos, Fire and Bug teams which Volcarona finds a place on aren’t used enough in high level play to where putting Mega Ampharos is worth it on a type already strapped for teamslots (the Bug matchup isn’t very difficult for Electric anyway). Volcarona actually has the capacity to beat Mega Ampharos regardless with enough boosts in SpDef along with HP Ground, Bug Buzz, or Psychium Z. Mega Charizard Y, while being able to pick up a KO vs standard Electric teams with a free switch-in after something like Defog or Will-O-Wisp, is very easy to offensively pressure and/or revenge kill with any member of an Electric team. Mega Charizard Y is also edged out in favor of Mega Aerodactyl or Mega Charizard X on most Flying or Fire teams in the current meta, making it not a huge priority in most current teambuilding anyway
Oh okay, that makes sense! Thanks!

I never actually thought about it giving it a chance for lower tier types to shine!
 
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Empoleon (Steel): D —> C

Empoleon has a useful niche on steel in that it is able to threaten fire/ground types offensively, as well as act as a Pokémon who can take a single fire attack other than Heatran. Empoleon’s niche is well defined, and is seen on teams far more frequently than the other D ranked steel Pokémon. It is more comparable to the C ranked Pokémon, who each play their own role on specific builds of steel.
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Heracross-Mega (Fighting): C —> D

I agree with Decem on this one. Mega Heracross is just not worth the cost of not being able to use two of the best mons on the type (Gallade-Mega and Scarf Cross). Both serve essential roles in multiple matchups on a type that already struggles with its neutral matchups. The combined role of heracross hurts the type more than it can make up for, and should therefore be considered much lower when teambuilding than the other C ranked Fighting Pokémon.
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Togekiss (Flying): D —> C

With the recent popularity of fighting and dragon teams utilizing Kommo-o, having Fairy type on teams has become increasingly relevant. Togekiss is one of the most reliable Defoggers on the type, and can put pressure on multiple different archetypes with its combination of paraflich scarf and trick. While this nomination may be weaker than some of the other C tier mons, Togekiss is far more relevant than the D tier mons. I believe that it’s niche puts it more strongly into the C tier of Flying, and should be rated as such.
 
Fairy: I agree w waszap about azumarill and think it should move to A but whatever the case, Tapu Bulu is definitely more crucial to fairy teams and deserves an S spot ahead of azumarill. Sub SD + Zmove sets can tear through many types such as water, poison, normal, and ground among others. Grass terrain providing a ground resistance and basically leftovers for klefki is just added support and definitely has more importance to fairy than azumarill does, which is pretty over-prepped for in this current meta.

Electric: Drop Mega Manectric to C or even D lmao, Electric has enough fast special attackers and Thundurus's niche is a lot more common than Manectrics, No real space for it on most electric teams.

Fire: I know Torkoal gets up rocks and spins and brings sun but it just doesn't do enough for fire teams to stay S ranked, definitely not on par to what zard x brings to the table. It's access to yawn is nice but predictable, and it's not really tough to kill with no recovery. Heatran/alolawak can set rocks and Rotom can defog them away. Weather is a nice boost but it really isn't match changing in a lot of MUs. Also Blacephalon deserves A rank for the work it can do vs psychic and normal teams with either scarf or sub sets. Scarf hp ice can also be a problem for dragon late game. Imo drop Volcarana as it's not really important for the psychic MU anymore and replace it with Blacephalon.

Flying + steel: I think someone said drop lando to A and I agree with that, also Jolly Togekiss ^-^, togekiss is already C. Don't agree with the empo nom either, staka provides TR and lucario + klefki on screens HO benefit another playstyle, Empoleon can't really be compared to those mons and it's outclassed as a rocker.

Grass: Drop Rotom, its only real use is defog which isn't really what grass wants as most grass teams try to keep hazards up. You'd think it would be useful in the flying MU but it's God awful in that mu. Decidueye could rise as it can make the psychic MU much much more winnable, and Whimsicott could rise as well with tailwind support along with deterring potential set up sweepers with encore. Dragon immunity is nice but prankster not affecting Muk sucks and considering it's probably the most dangerous set up mon for grass, not sure it deserves a rise.

Dark: Mandibuzz rises to S imo, as a defogger, ground immunity + recovery, and the only real mega lopunny + scizor counter, it's the first mon I put on my dark teams and I don't really see why it isn't S.

Ground: I've never seen Dugtrio do a thing so it baffles me to see it at the same place as the water absorbers. I get trapping is great blah blah but what are you really trapping and killing that are massive threats to ground lol,(E: gren maybe but keeping rocks off with sableye as a spin blocker is tough and water is generally beating you anyway) please drop it to B or C or give me an explanation cause idgi

Water: Couple people nommed Pelipper for B and I agree due to the rise in rain recently. Along with this, Manaphy has seen more usage and can be a devastaing breaker in the poison and dark MUs and even mirror water and flying with the right 3 attack coverage with surf psychic + hp electric/ice beam. Another option is using it as another rain setter with surf + psychic, which is still able to run through several tough MUs for water, think it deserves to go to B.

Insomnia sux
 
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Mega Heracross (Bug): B —> C
This nomination is very similar to the fighting type nomination. While it is true that Mega Heracross can be useful in certain matchups, it is not worth the opportunity cost of not being able to play mega scizor or Pinsir. Both of which are arguably the main reason to use bug in the meta. Both foretress and buzzwol can have places on standard bug teams, where Mega Heracross does not.

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Yanmega (Bug): C —> B
Recently I have been impressed with yanmega. It’s power and speed give it a solid role on bug teams lacking Mega Pinsir. I see it on bug teams about as often as I see buzzwol, but maybe less than foretress. I think that it could take Mega Heracross’s place in the B tier.
 

Druddigon - unranked to D rank.

Having recently taken part in the Core Laddering challenge, that challenge involved using Druddigon. I was expecting it to be absolutely terrible, and honestly it wasn't - Mold Breaker lets it set up Stealth Rock against Pokemon with Magic Bounce, most notably Mega Sableye. With a Roseli Berry it can endure a Moonblast from Mega Diancie and cripple it with Glare. Speaking of Glare, that is hands down one of the best status moves available. Now, why would you use this over Garchomp? Glare, Mold Breaker and...um...yeah that's it. Honestly it doesn't offer any useful resistances to Dragon teams and unless you need a Rocker with Mold Breaker then you honestly shouldn't use it over Garchomp. But that's why I'm suggesting D rank - it's a Pokemon with a tiny niche, that you can use, but you probably shouldn't.

Replay - it haxes its way through a Jirachi.
 
I'm bored so i'm gonna post some rises and drops

Celebi- B to A rank on Psychic
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I find this mon to be quite helpful for balance psychic. It has rocks which can then let something such as jirachi run other moves and also provides momentum with u turn. It is also a fairly bulky mon and has recover which is nice. This mon also has the ability to help psychic is certain mu's such as ground, electric, and water. Not to mention with a colbur berry this mon can check M Sharpedo, a big nuisance to psychic quite well.

Decidueye- C to B rank on Grass
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Decidueye is something that I definitely think should raise imo. It provides a good way to beat psychic for one and it also provides defog so you don't have to run rotom mow. It can also tend to be a decent late game cleaner and stallbreaker with sd, roost, and spirit shackle.

Alolan Sandslash- A to B rank on Ice
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At first looks Sandslash might seem like a good mon for ice as it has a steel neutrality, rapid spin, and that ability to be twice as fast in hail. Even though those pro's might look nice I think Sandslash's con's outweigh the pro's here. First of all base 100 atk is kinda poor for a mon that should be sweeping. Even if it has SD and LO i still find this mon to be quite weak and then mons like m scizor can just use this as free setup. Also even if it's speed is doubled in hail it's base speed is only 65 which means that certain scarfers can still outspeed it. Without hail this mon can't quite function properly. It does have rapid spin which ice does appreciate but I rather just use Avalugg which is much more bulky and has reliable recovery or even rotom frost, which can check m scizor at least.

Mew- S to A rank on Psychic
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Mew was definitely a very fun and insane mon when it was first released. I would always love running this thing on HO psychic. Over time though I feel mew has kinda lost it's edge. It's still a very great mon but I feel it can only fit on HO teams and it want's those screens to function properly. Mew can't really work as well on balance teams and I don't think it's as important or diverse as Victini. Victini provides much more help to psychic and can be on multiple on play styles such as being a band, scarf, or even z move. Don't get me wrong, mew is a very good mon still. I just don't feel it is as useful as Victini and needs certain teammates to make full use of it.
 
Alolan Sandslash- A to B rank on Ice
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At first looks Sandslash might seem like a good mon for ice as it has a steel neutrality, rapid spin, and that ability to be twice as fast in hail. Even though those pro's might look nice I think Sandslash's con's outweigh the pro's here. First of all base 100 atk is kinda poor for a mon that should be sweeping. Even if it has SD and LO i still find this mon to be quite weak and then mons like m scizor can just use this as free setup. Also even if it's speed is doubled in hail it's base speed is only 65 which means that certain scarfers can still outspeed it. Without hail this mon can't quite function properly. It does have rapid spin which ice does appreciate but I rather just use Avalugg which is much more bulky and has reliable recovery or even rotom frost, which can check m scizor at least.
I have to disagree with this in particular. Though Sandslash-A isn't an excellent revenge killer it is still the best one Ice has access to, as it's superior speed compared to something like Scarf Mamoswine or Scarf Kyurem-B lets it outspeed big threats like +1 Mega Charizard-X and Choice Scarf Victini which otherwise could pick up a free kill or sweep. While it's power is average at best, with Life Orb it is enough to get mons into Ice Shard range or outright KO them after minor chip or stat drops, and it's coverage hits most targets for at the very least solid neutral damage. Weakened types can be potentially cleaned up by Sandslash-A under the right circumstances, making it a huge component in matchups like Electric, Fire, Fairy, and Psychic.

252 Atk Life Orb Sandslash-Alola Icicle Crash vs. -1 0 HP / 4 Def Gallade-Mega: 235-278 (84.8 - 100.3%) -- 43.8% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252 Atk Life Orb Sandslash-Alola Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Victini: 237-281 (69.5 - 82.4%) -- 56.3% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252 Atk Life Orb Sandslash-Alola Earthquake vs. -1 0 HP / 0 Def Victini: 354-419 (103.8 - 122.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 Atk Life Orb Sandslash-Alola Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Charizard-Mega-X: 218-257 (73.4 - 86.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Life Orb Sandslash-Alola Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Tapu Koko: 270-320 (96 - 113.8%) -- 81.3% chance to OHKO
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252 Atk Life Orb Sandslash-Alola Icicle Crash vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Lopunny-Mega: 160-188 (59 - 69.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Life Orb Weavile Ice Shard vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Lopunny-Mega: 86-101 (31.7 - 37.2%) -- 81.3% chance to 3HKO

Mega Lopunny usually goes down to these 2 attacks with Rocks or Hail chip factored in, making it still useful in the Normal matchup.

The point you bring up about it not outspeeding many scarfers (Nihilego+Terrakion mainly) I don't find very relevant there isn't a faster viable scarfer on Ice than can outspeed these, thus giving it competition as a revenge killer. Mega Scizor abusing isn't a problem exclusive to it either and can be said for alot of great pokemon on Ice (Ninetales-A, Weavile, Piloswine or Avalugg without Roar). It is admittedly a shaky user of Rapid Spin but it's resistances and speed do give it a good amount of chances to get a spin off against more offensive teams which other removers might struggle with, and you can always pair it with Avalugg or Rotom-F for double removal on many builds.

Sandslash-A obviously has alot of issues with it, but this is Ice we're talking about and it is still the best and most consistent revenge killing option the type has access to, thus in my eyes keeping it worthy of A.
 
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Floss

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161464
Mandibuzz - A to S Rank on Dark

So, Chait mentioned this change in a large post above, but I felt this needs to be addressed so I'm making a longer post on it. So, why is this thing not S rank again? It is very close in usage to the second most-used mon on Dark Mono-teams, if not more used (derived by using math on data from the Pikalytics site, which uses Showdown data), essential on any Balance Dark and much more likely to find itself on any HO Dark than M-Sableye, being the only good hazards removal for Dark (unless you want to rely on Defog Hydreigon, which would be a waste). As Chait mentioned, it is the best check Dark has to M-Lop and Scizor, and its also a reliable physical wall in general with its 110 HP/105 Def, access to Roost and the ability Overcoat, which ensures that the presence of TTar-M on HO and TTar on Balance does not hinder its effectiveness while providing immunity to powder moves such as Spore. Would like to conclude with the point that Mandibuzz deserves to be an S Rank, even if M-Sab gets drops to A-Rank, due to the various reasons listed above.

Stats site below -
https://www.pikalytics.com/pokedex/monotype (Consistent with Smogon's usage rates of 1760 Elo USUM battles)

hmu if you have any confusion on how I determined that Mandi's usage is in close proximity to Muk-A.
 
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I think Buzzwole deserves to be at least an A tier in Mono-Bug (so B => A).
I understand that its usage rate may be low, but as a scarfed revenge killer/sweeper, it's very, very useful for Mono-Bug teams. Earthquake, Ice Punch, Stone Edge, and Superpower make it very useful as a coverage option on Bug teams, and with the already-high speed stat, you'll find that even among other scarf users, it will hold its own. Late in games, it is terrifyingly effective against almost all types. Once it gets rolling and has high enough attack, there is little to be done against it, unless it can be OHKOed off.

Buzzwole falls behind in speed behind Heracross, which is A tier, but makes up for it with greater physical bulk, allowing it to switch in if it must. The extra bulk Buzzwole has is significantly greater than the extra speed Heracross has, so I'd say it measures up well. Let me know what you guys think!
 

NuttyRabbit

Banned deucer.
I think Buzzwole deserves to be at least an A tier in Mono-Bug (so B => A).
I understand that its usage rate may be low, but as a scarfed revenge killer/sweeper, it's very, very useful for Mono-Bug teams. Earthquake, Ice Punch, Stone Edge, and Superpower make it very useful as a coverage option on Bug teams, and with the already-high speed stat, you'll find that even among other scarf users, it will hold its own. Late in games, it is terrifyingly effective against almost all types. Once it gets rolling and has high enough attack, there is little to be done against it, unless it can be OHKOed off.

Buzzwole falls behind in speed behind Heracross, which is A tier, but makes up for it with greater physical bulk, allowing it to switch in if it must. The extra bulk Buzzwole has is significantly greater than the extra speed Heracross has, so I'd say it measures up well. Let me know what you guys think!
I personally disagree with this nomination for a couple of reasons. First, scarf Heracross' ability to pursuit trap -1 speed Victini is far too invaluable to Bug teams to be overlooked, and it is something Buzzwole cannot pull off. Second, Heracross has access to Close Combat, giving it a 120BP Fighting option that does not have the severe drawbacks that Buzzwole's options have. Third, and this may be minor, but that speed difference is pretty big, letting scarf Heracross outspeed pokemon like +1 Gyarados/Mega Gyarados.

Buzzwole should stay in B rank
 
Guwahavel made the recommendation that Crobat move from A to S on Poison. I completely agree and wanted to go into a bit more depth and touch on a couple things he didn't.

Not only is Crobat the best hazard control and provide a much needed Ground immunity, but it also handles one of the biggest threats in the Psychic match; Mega Gallade, as Guwahavel had mentioned. Played correctly, Mega Gallade can tear through a Poison team, with Fighting STAB to deal with Muk-A. Crobat can outspeed and with a minor EV investment guarantee the OHKO on Gallade with Brave Bird (no Z needed, if you don't want). With Gallade out of the picture the Psychic match up becomes significantly easier to manage with all other threats (except Victini, which is covered by Toxapex/Venusaur) handled by Muk-A.

The 2 variants of the standard utility set (Taunt v. U-turn) provide a lot of value to Poison depending on your style of play. Taunt works as a great stall breaker while U-turn can provide a much needed pivot for a type that is heavily reactive.

Less importantly, according to usage statistics, Crobat has on average the second highest usage on Poison Monotype, with its lowest point being #4 at 1500s ladder. Very clearly a staple and by extension S Rank worthy.
 
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maroon

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RMT & Mono Leader
Latios (Psychic) - A to S

Latios (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Psyshock
- Defog
- Trick / Memento

Latios (M) @ Dragonium Z
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Draco Meteor
- Thunderbolt
- Roost

Latios (M) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Psyshock
- Thunderbolt
- Surf

Latios-Mega (M) @ Latiosite
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Psychic
- Earthquake
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Roost

Latios has been a staple in Monotype pretty much from the time it was allowed in Monotype back in Gen 5. Latios still makes a huge impact today, every Psychic team pretty much packs a Latios, whether its a ladder team or a tournament team, and its not hard to see why. Latios is a phenomenal Pokemon with great offensive stats, a great ability in Levitate, granting Psychic teams a Ground immunity, and has a multitude of viable sets it is able to run. The most common set being Choice Scarf allows Victini to run Choice Band and act as a powerful wallbreaker. It also is the fastest and most viable Defog user Psychic has access to. Thanks to its blistering speed it can pretty much as Defog against any Pokemon bar like Scarf Greninja, allowing it to freely remove hazards whenever it wants. On top of this it acts as an emergency check to threats to the type such as Hydreigon and Volcarona, thanks to Draco Meteor and Psyshock. Scarf Latios can also cripple opposing walls by tricking a Choice Scarf onto them and or allowing a setup Pokemon such as Gallade have an easier time thanks to Memento support. Alternatively Latios can act as a setup sweeper and a reliable one to thanks to Calm Mind and Roost. After a Calm Mind boost Devastating Drake has the ability to pick up some pretty cool OHKOs such as against Curse Alolan Muk and Porygon2 after Stealth Rock chip. It also just blatantly allows Latios to act as a nuke and pretty much take down any Pokemon that isn't a special wall or resists. Thunderbolt then allows Latios to take on Water- and Flying-type Pokemon such as Mantine and Celesteela that can easily tank a Draco Meteor, allowing it to really threaten all Pokemon on both of those types. Choice Specs really doesn't need much of an introduction, most of the times its coming in and clicking Draco Meteor, picking up a kill, and then switching out. Its amazing coverage allows it to take on Pokemon such as Chansey with Psyshock, as previously mentioned Mantine and Celesteela with Thunderbolt, and Pokemon such as Heatran that resist Draco Meteor with Surf. Finally, Latios is also able to run a very strong mega mixed attacker set that is specifically meant to help improve the Steel- and Poison-type matchup, as it can pretty much 2HKO every Pokemon on both types aside from Celesteela. Overall these 4 sets showcase how Latios can pretty successfully run a whole bunch of different and viable sets, allowing it to take on a myriad of roles for Psychic teams whether it be revenge killer, setup sweeper, wallbreaker, emergency defogger, or mega; Latios should be on every Psychic team and S rank on the type.

Few replays of Latios:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7monotype-873236998 (Psychic vs Dragon)
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7monotype-859775687 (Psychic vs Water)
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen7monotype-425776 (Psychic vs Poison)
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7monotype-843673750 (Psychic vs Flying)
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7monotype-778627264 (Psychic vs Water)
 
I was going to make a list of noms, but then I scrolled back and realized that all except for one was already made. Thus, I will quote some of the more recent posts on it (I apologize to the person who originally posted the nom), and add onto them, if I can.

Fairy:
Fairy: I agree w waszap about Azumarill and think it should move to A but whatever the case, Tapu Bulu is definitely more crucial to fairy teams and deserves an S spot ahead of azumarill. Sub SD + Zmove sets can tear through many types such as water, poison, normal, and ground among others. Grass terrain providing a ground resistance and basically leftovers for klefki is just added support and definitely has more importance to fairy than azumarill does, which is pretty over-prepped for in this current meta.
I agree with both of these. Azumarill used to be S because of the work that it could put in against Steel, but now that has been heavily mitigated, reduced to Skarm or Ferro most of the time as Ferro chips it with Iron Barbs, and Skarm lives due to Sturdy, then chips with Brave Bird. The chip is enough for Mega Scizor to come in an revenge kill the Azu. With the increasing usage of Jolly Azu, it also loses quite a bit of the power that is had before with Adamant, making the 1v1 with Scizor even worse. The meta has adjusted to Azu, thus it should drop to A.

As for Tapu Bulu, it is vital to Fairy. Not only is it an excellent wallbreaker, as Chaitanya mentioned, but Grassy Terrain is just so useful. It gives each pokemon a free leftovers (albeit, the opponent too), and it mitigates the Ground "weakness" that Fairy has in Diancie and Klefki (RIP Tapu Koko). Bulu really brings Fairy together, in a way similar to that of Klefki. It should rise to S.


Fire:
Fire: I know Torkoal gets up rocks and spins and brings sun but it just doesn't do enough for fire teams to stay S ranked, definitely not on par to what zard x brings to the table. It's access to yawn is nice but predictable, and it's not really tough to kill with no recovery. Heatran/alolawak can set rocks and Rotom can defog them away. Weather is a nice boost but it really isn't match changing in a lot of MUs. Also Blacephalon deserves A rank for the work it can do vs psychic and normal teams with either scarf or sub sets. Scarf hp ice can also be a problem for dragon late game. Imo drop Volcarona as it's not really important for the psychic MU anymore and replace it with Blacephalon.
Again, I agree with all three of these. Torkoal was actually the first mon that I wanted to nominate. Fire definitely struggles against hazards, but Rotom can remove hazards just like Torkoal can, while also setting Screens. The difference between Torkoal and Rotom is the ability to set and remove rocks. The problem is that Torkoal's ability to set rocks isn't as vital because Heatran can do it too while also filling the coveted role of checking Nihilego. Something worth mentioning is that Infernape can also set rocks too, while running Taunt and Endeavor support as a dedicated lead. Don't get me wrong, Torkoal is good, but for me, it is just too slow and passive, and others can do its jobs just as well. It should drop to A. (Sorry Torkool, I know this is your signature mon)

As for Blacephalon, I cannot rave about this mon enough. Not only does it fill a scarf role like Infernape really well, it can snowball off of it, unlike Infernape. It also, like Chaitanya mentioned, compresses the role of Scarfer as well as Psychic check into one mon. Fire absolutely loves this mon, and it should rise to A.

As for Volcarona, I don't have much to add to what little Chaitanya said. Something that Chaitanya did not mention is that Volcarona has to set up before checking Psychic, and even then, at a +1, Scarf Tini can still revenge kill it, something that it cannot do vs Blacephalon. It just isn't as useful anymore, and should drop to B.

Then, for a nom of my own, I think that Infernape should also drop to B. As a scarfer, it is outclassed by Blacephalon, as the only thing that it does better than Blace is it is slightly faster. Otherwise, they can fill very similar roles. As an offensive check to Nihilego, both work, Infernape running Earthquake and Blace running Psyshock. Blace still has to beware pursuit from Muk, but it can get the job done. Personally, I think that Infernape is a better suicide lead, but other mons like Torkoal or Heatran can set rocks and do other things rather than just setting rocks and dying. I don't think it is as useful in this metagame, and thus should drop from A.


Misc:
Decidueye- C to B rank on Grass
Decidueye is something that I definitely think should raise imo. It provides a good way to beat psychic for one and it also provides defog so you don't have to run rotom mow. It can also tend to be a decent late game cleaner and stallbreaker with sd, roost, and spirit shackle.
Improving the Psychic matchup is almost as important to Grass as handling its weaknesses (the best that it can). Frankly, Psychic practically is a weakness for Grass as Mega Gallade and Victini just run over the type the vast majority of the time. Thus, having a mon like Decidueye that can help out against these threats is a gift, thus it should move from C to B.

Mew- S to A rank on Psychic
Mew was definitely a very fun and insane mon when it was first released. I would always love running this thing on HO psychic. Over time though I feel mew has kinda lost it's edge. It's still a very great mon but I feel it can only fit on HO teams and it want's those screens to function properly. Mew can't really work as well on balance teams and I don't think it's as important or diverse as Victini. Victini provides much more help to psychic and can be on multiple on play styles such as being a band, scarf, or even z move. Don't get me wrong, mew is a very good mon still. I just don't feel it is as useful as Victini and needs certain teammates to make full use of it.
I agree with this nom 100%, and cannot say it any better myself, thus wanted to C/P it here. Mew should drop to A.



TL;DR
-- Read the Bold. I tried to format it just for you without the formal nomination since I am not the original poster of most of these noms.
 

twinkay

tu solo me quieres en tu imaginacion
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alright


Torkoal: Keep S

A little unclear on why this mon is being nommed to drop but I’ll try to address the arguments made. Basically we have Drought, Stealth Rock, and Rapid Spin (things ALL fire teams want) wrapped into one mon with nice bulk. Granted, Torkoal is a little passive but you’re not setting up on this because you’ll either get Lava Plumed or Yawned. Yawn’s predictable but your only real counterplay is to switch out tbh, if you have Koko ig you could switch that in but then you risk getting Lava Plumed which does a good amount iirc. Torkoal’s main draw is role compression— sure you could put rocks on Heatran or Defog on Rotom but having Torkoal allows you to run other things on these mons which gives you more options so you’re not hardwalled by Grounds in Rotom’s case or less useful against Rocks in Tran’s. I don’t see the point of not using Torkoal on a Fire team given these benefits and thus think it should remain S.

Mew: Keep S

Mew is pretty amazing on virtually any Psychic team and I don't really see why you would make a psychic team without it tbh. It's a staple on Dual Screens Psychic even though you don't really see that anymore, but what I really want to talk about is defensive Mew, an absolute legend. Mew has 100 / 100 / 100 bulk and forces out p much all offensive physical mons because they don't want to take a Wisp. Taunt + Knock Off also makes it a fantastic stallbreaker and you can beat things like Normal or even Flying defensive core with relative ease, or set it up for a teammate to take care of which is what it does best. I suppose Defensive Mew is a little passive but you can Taunt set-up sweepers and Knock / Wisp deters most things anyway. Plus Synchronize can deter certain Toxics like from Zapdos which only furthers its stallbreaking ability. It also has very reliable recovery in Roost which is always a bonus for defensive mons. I don't really know why people think this thing is only good on HO, please explain

Tapu Bulu: A to S

Same argument for Mew in that you don't really want to use a Fairy team without this mon. Sub + SD can set up on so much and is problematic for a lot of types (Water, Ground, etc.) and if you pick a Z-move it adds a few more types to that list. Grassy Surge + Horn Leech makes the mon absurdly livable to the point where sub damage doesn't even matter, as well as making it a fantastic wallbreaker of course. Idr think the free recovery is that big of a deal for Fairy but the EQ resistance is definitely nice for some mons ig. Scarf and Band's also good and provide some variety and unpredicatibility to bulu as well.

Azumarill: S to A / B

Not to get too personal in these unbiased vr rankings but words cannot express my dislike for this mon. I'm fine if it drops to B, imo people need to wake up to how not good this thing is. I’ve actually never seen an Azumarill sweep a team in my life and it’s just too slow to threaten with its good STAB (Play Rough) and Aqua Jet is so weak that pretty much every type has a mon that can take a +4 Jet and outspeed or immune or is just bulky and lives anything. Oh you could say it’s good against Ground but Bulu wins that mu anyway so you don’t need Azu, and it gets blocked by Seismitoad anyway. Mantine and Pex exist and just click Haze too. Also chances are you’re taking a Z Move away from a mon like Mimikyu or even Bulu and you won’t even sweep. If someone can provide me with two recent tournament replays where Azu sweeps I guess I can be content with A, but I mean like actually sweep, not just hitting two mons that are like below 30% without accounting for hazards.

Latios: A to S

Primary reason for supporting this is because maroon posted it, and he even added replays and nice font colors, what’s not to like. Secondary reason(s) are because this mon is highkey really good, idk about any non-Scarf sets so I’ll just be talking about that one for now. Most mons don’t want to take a Draco so you can get Defogs rather consistently by forcing switches and this is Psychic’s best hazard remover anyway. Draco makes this one of the strongest revenge killers in the meta aside from like Scarf Tini (which is free to run Band with Latios!) and Fairy’s best Psyshock switch in is Klefki which has to fear Trick anyway, so it’s definitely useful in that matchup. It’s also one of the faster Scarfers outside of Gren and since non-Scarf Gren has been all the rage lately it’s Latios’ time to shine. One thing maroon touched upon is Ground immunity, which is very beneficial in the Ground matchup, since Exca can’t lock itself into EQ and you can Defog on Hippowdon very consistently. Also not to beat a dead horse but I’ve seen Scarf Latios sweep more times than Azumarill — a dedicated sweeper — has anyway back to Latios good mon.

Pelipper: C to B / A; Crawdaunt: UNR to C

More cute maroon noms and lump Manaphy rise in here too because it’s a nice sweeper to use on rain and prob the best secondary rain setter imo. Swift Swin rain has been making a comeback, it’s the latest trend in offensive Water and for good reason; it has shown its offensive prowess in several recent tournament games. Pelipper is literal the physical form of Rain, might as well name this mon “Swift Swim Water” in VR because that’s its role. Jokes aside, SS is nowhere near C right now and I could even go so far as to put it in A, B is fine though. Pelipper’s a rather fine mon outside of just setting rain and can actually help beat Mega Venu without a Z-Move which is always something Water appreciates, plus it pivots and Defogs, always a plus because Rain doesn’t really want to sacrifice something for hazard control anyway. Crawdaunt is a good wallbreaker in rain bc no neutrality wants to take a Crabhammer from it in rain and it has Aqua Jet to help deal with faster offensive teams while also being very potent against defensive cores.

there’s a ton of noms i agree with but don’t want to write paragraphs about, might actually write these up soon if i feel like it
Gardevoir-Mega: D to C (Psychic) - Any Psychic mon that actually beats Mega Sableye is pretty useful plus you can Wisp Muk so Dark mu is actually winnable. It’s a fine wallbreaker outside of Dark so I think it’s C worthy
Manectric-Mega: B to C / D - This mon has like 0 tour usage (it might actually be 0 but too lazy to check) and is a pretty poor wallbreaker regardless. Realistically you’re not luring anything with Overheat since it’s the only coverage move Manectric has so you mostly just Volt Switch which other Electric mons do much better. Saying this is just as good as Thundurus is laughable imo.
Blacephalon: B to A (Fire) and other Fire - Specs and Scarf are both good at their respective jobs and can be very helpful vs Psychic matchup. Also drop Volcarona for reasons others have said and I don’t really have anything else to add too. I think Infernape is fine where it is, it’s a good Scarf user because Close Combat and Flare Blitz still hit hard even if Infernape is kind of weak and it can pivot unlike Blacephalon. Also helpful in Dark matchup because Hydreigon / Tyranitar / sometimes Gren can give you a hard time.
Crobat: A to S (Poison): I agree that this mon is as mandatory if not more so than the defensive core. Best Ground immunity and hazard removal Poison has access to, and can be a great pivot with U-turn.
 
Manectric-Mega: B to C / D - This mon has like 0 tour usage (it might actually be 0 but too lazy to check) and is a pretty poor wallbreaker regardless. Realistically you’re not luring anything with Overheat since it’s the only coverage move Manectric has so you mostly just Volt Switch which other Electric mons do much better. Saying this is just as good as Thundurus is laughable imo.
Alright, I have read way to many posts with the exact same arguments and now I couldnt hold not to say anything, first of all manectric's role is not being a wallbreaker as you say, its not even close to that, instead of that manectric is a very good fit for most balance teams as it supports both offensive and defensive cores, reasons being: This is a very fast pokemon holding a decent special attack, it dosent have to be choice locked like koko to actually do damage and on top of this good points you have an amazing ability on intimidate plus a decent bulk, this also lets manectric to be a solid partner for zapdos and rotom when it comes to defending the team, is the only one who is taking well moves like rock slide and stone edge which you dont really have an answer to otherwise, its also very good at taking knock offs instead of the leftovers from any of your defensive pokemon, im also gonna say that manectric is the best momentum keeper of electric, intimidate, high speed and not locked makes for one volt switcher that can keep aplying pressure on most teams as it can keep attacking and not needing to predict oponent switches most of the time, this mon is doing a hella lot of stuff for it to drop so low as you guys want and I think its because many dont comprend what its actual role on a team is
 

Lu

Said the Moon to the Thief
is a Site Content Manageris a Social Media Contributoris a Forum Moderatoris a Contributor to Smogon
Buzzwole (Bug): B > A
I asked a lot of persons about their thoughts on Buzzwole being better than Heracross, and only a few agreed with me, so I decided to do this. Due to this being the main reason, you'll see that the calcs are compared with Heracross calcs.
I hope that can see a more useful and detailed opinion on this topic than what some of the users gave me in the Monotype chatroom.
-
Buzzwole has more physical bulk and a better attack stat than Heracross, which makes Buzz suitable for a few switch ins into neutral physical moves or maybe some super-effective ones, and also suitable for sweeping with Scarf, being Beast Boost a "pseudo moxie".
About it's lack of reliable STAB moves, having Superpower/Drain Punch and Leech Life instead of Close Combat and Megahorn, it often carries coverage to help with that issue.

Dealing with Threats
Buzzwole has a better chance than Heracross at dealing with some threats. For example: it has a roll at OHKOing Mega Aerodactyl with Stone Edge, when Hera doesn't , and that roll becomes a guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rocks chip damage. At the same time, it can run more than coverage than Heracross to deal with types and mons that are annoying for bug to fight against: it can run Ice Punch and Thunder Punch to act as a pseudo beambolt, it can run Stone Edge
Buzzwole
<| 252 Atk Aerodactyl-Mega Stone Edge vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Buzzwole: 127-150 (35.7 - 42.2%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
>| 252 Atk Buzzwole Stone Edge vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Aerodactyl-Mega: 262-310 (87 - 102.9%) -- 18.8% chance to OHKO
>| 252 Atk Buzzwole Stone Edge vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Aerodactyl-Mega: 262-310 (87 - 102.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock

Heracross
<| 252 Atk Aerodactyl-Mega Stone Edge vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Heracross: 213-252 (70.7 - 83.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
>| 252 Atk Heracross Stone Edge vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Aerodactyl-Mega: 244-288 (81 - 95.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
>| 252 Atk Heracross Close Combat vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Aerodactyl-Mega: 219-258 (72.7 - 85.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
It outspeeds Charizard-Y, being able to threaten it out or kill it. It speed ties with Zeaora without webs, being able to live both Fire Punch and Plasma Fist under Electric Terrain from a Choice Banded Zera, allowing it to switch in and live on a roll, while also 2HKOing with EQ (or OHKOing in case of being at +1 on Attack). It outspeeds Mega Lopunny and it OHKO's it.
Buzzwole
<| 252 Atk Lopunny-Mega Return vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Buzzwole: 130-154 (36.6 - 43.3%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
>| 252 Atk Buzzwole Drain Punch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Lopunny-Mega: 272-324 (100.3 - 119.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO
- Also heals the damage of the Return back "(38.3 - 45.6% recovered)"

<| 252 Atk Choice Band Zeraora Fire Punch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Buzzwole: 168-198 (47.3 - 55.7%) -- 78.5% chance to 2HKO
<| 252 Atk Choice Band Zeraora Plasma Fists vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Buzzwole in Electric Terrain: 249-294 (70.1 - 82.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
>| 252 Atk Buzzwole Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Zeraora: 292-344 (92.1 - 108.5%) -- 50% chance to OHKO


Heracross
<| 252 Atk Lopunny-Mega Return vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Heracross: 219-258 (72.7 - 85.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
>| 252 Atk Heracross Close Combat vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Lopunny-Mega: 404-476 (149 - 175.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO

<| 252 Atk Choice Band Zeraora Plasma Fists vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Heracross in Electric Terrain: 420-495 (139.5 - 164.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO
<| 252 Atk Choice Band Zeraora Fire Punch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Heracross: 280-330 (93 - 109.6%) -- 56.3% chance to OHKO
>| 252 Atk Heracross Close Combat vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Zeraora: 243-286 (76.6 - 90.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
 
Last edited:
Buzzwole (Bug): B > A
I asked a lot of persons about their thoughts on Buzzwole being better than Heracross, and only a few agreed with me, so I decided to do this. Due to this being the main reason, you'll see that the calcs are compared with Heracross calcs.
I hope that can see a more useful and detailed opinion on this topic than what some of the users gave me in the Monotype chatroom.
-
Buzzwole has more physical bulk and a better attack stat than Heracross, which makes Buzz suitable for a few switch ins into neutral physical moves or maybe some super-effective ones, and also suitable for sweeping with Scarf, being Beast Boost a "pseudo moxie".
About it's lack of reliable STAB moves, having Superpower/Drain Punch and Leech Life instead of Close Combat and Megahorn, it often carries coverage to help with that issue.

Dealing with Threats
Buzzwole has a better chance than Heracross at dealing with some threats. For example: it has a roll at OHKOing Mega Aerodactyl with Stone Edge, when Hera doesn't , and that roll becomes a guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rocks chip damage. At the same time, it can run more than coverage than Heracross to deal with types and mons that are annoying for bug to fight against: it can run Ice Punch and Thunder Punch to act as a pseudo beambolt, it can run Stone Edge
Buzzwole
<| 252 Atk Aerodactyl-Mega Stone Edge vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Buzzwole: 127-150 (35.7 - 42.2%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
>| 252 Atk Buzzwole Stone Edge vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Aerodactyl-Mega: 262-310 (87 - 102.9%) -- 18.8% chance to OHKO
>| 252 Atk Buzzwole Stone Edge vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Aerodactyl-Mega: 262-310 (87 - 102.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock

Heracross
<| 252 Atk Aerodactyl-Mega Stone Edge vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Heracross: 213-252 (70.7 - 83.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
>| 252 Atk Heracross Stone Edge vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Aerodactyl-Mega: 244-288 (81 - 95.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
>| 252 Atk Heracross Close Combat vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Aerodactyl-Mega: 219-258 (72.7 - 85.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
It outspeeds Charizard-Y, being able to threaten it out or kill it. It speed ties with Zeaora without webs, being able to live both Fire Punch and Plasma Fist under Electric Terrain from a Choice Banded Zera, allowing it to switch in and live on a roll, while also 2HKOing with EQ (or OHKOing in case of being at +1 on Attack). It outspeeds Mega Lopunny and it OHKO's it.
Buzzwole
<| 252 Atk Lopunny-Mega Return vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Buzzwole: 130-154 (36.6 - 43.3%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
>| 252 Atk Buzzwole Drain Punch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Lopunny-Mega: 272-324 (100.3 - 119.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO
- Also heals the damage of the Return back "(38.3 - 45.6% recovered)"

<| 252 Atk Choice Band Zeraora Fire Punch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Buzzwole: 168-198 (47.3 - 55.7%) -- 78.5% chance to 2HKO
<| 252 Atk Choice Band Zeraora Plasma Fists vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Buzzwole in Electric Terrain: 249-294 (70.1 - 82.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
>| 252 Atk Buzzwole Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Zeraora: 292-344 (92.1 - 108.5%) -- 50% chance to OHKO


Heracross
<| 252 Atk Lopunny-Mega Return vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Heracross: 219-258 (72.7 - 85.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
>| 252 Atk Heracross Close Combat vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Lopunny-Mega: 404-476 (149 - 175.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO

<| 252 Atk Choice Band Zeraora Plasma Fists vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Heracross in Electric Terrain: 420-495 (139.5 - 164.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO
<| 252 Atk Choice Band Zeraora Fire Punch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Heracross: 280-330 (93 - 109.6%) -- 56.3% chance to OHKO
>| 252 Atk Heracross Close Combat vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Zeraora: 243-286 (76.6 - 90.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
I think the biggest reason Heracross is rated over Buzzwole is because of Pursuit. Bug needs a Pursuit trapper for Victini in either Heracross or Scizor. Using Buzzwole forces u into using a normal Scizor with pursuit and Mega-Pinsir (rarely Mega-Heracross), while running Heracross allows you to run either Mega-Scizor or Mega-Pinsir.
 

Lu

Said the Moon to the Thief
is a Site Content Manageris a Social Media Contributoris a Forum Moderatoris a Contributor to Smogon
I think the biggest reason Heracross is rated over Buzzwole is because of Pursuit. Bug needs a Pursuit trapper for Victini in either Heracross or Scizor. Using Buzzwole forces u into using a normal Scizor with pursuit and Mega-Pinsir (rarely Mega-Heracross), while running Heracross allows you to run either Mega-Scizor or Mega-Pinsir.
Even if you ran Pursuit Heracross, you'd still need to sack something in order for Hera to come in and kill, then switching because pursuit at +1 doesn't do much to any other thing that is decently healthy.
Also normal Scizor with Choice Band is becoming more common on ladder as far as I know, with Mega Pinsir as the regular mega (experience from +1550-1750 laddering).
 

NuttyRabbit

Banned deucer.
Even if you ran Pursuit Heracross, you'd still need to sack something in order for Hera to come in and kill, then switching because pursuit at +1 doesn't do much to any other thing that is decently healthy.
Also normal Scizor with Choice Band is becoming more common on ladder as far as I know, with Mega Pinsir as the regular mega (experience from +1550-1750 laddering).
It's true that you will have to sack something to bring in Pursuit Cross, but the point is, once you get it in, then you get rid of Victini 100% of the time, which is obscenely important. You cannot do that with Buzzwole. There's also the fact that even if Mega Pinsir is run more, using Heracross still gives you the option of running Mega Scizor, which Bug teams no doubt appreciate. Even though Buzzwole is stronger and bulkier, that Pursuit support, alongside more reliable STAB and better speed, just makes Heracross a better pick most of the time.
 

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