Announcement National Dex UU Community Surveys

[N_Mareanie]

Hi all!

Here we are with a brand new edition of NDUU surveys, and to start off we just have a quick general thoughts on the current meta survey. don't have to be qualified for this or anything, we wanna know all of ur thoughts!

Survey can be found here

Deadline for survey is december 30th at 11:59pm GMT-5. if u have any questions dm either me, mudkip or niadev. have a great day everyone!

 

[Arishem]

As promised, we're back for a new tiering survey once more! the council has since continued to watch the metagame following the result of Tera in NDOU, and subsequent quickbans of Drought, Drizzle, and Hoopa-Unbound. We appreciate having your input as always.

The link to the survey can be found here.

Deadline will be on the 24th of July at 11:59 PM (GMT+1), feel free to message either me, Niadev, or Mudkip if you have any questions.
Said results will be especially volatile to the future of the tier, as we will be looking to use it to plan out any possible shortcut for tiering action.

 

[Arishem]

Survey Results are finally here! With a lot to unpack, let's not wait around any longer and get to breaking down the responses.

Overall Results

Among 27 people who responded, 10 of them were qualified based on results from the National Dex UU Kickoff and Open tournaments, respectively.

Beyond this, we also received additional comments on the following Pokemon within the metagame:

• Psychic-types as a collective issue were brought up in some form by 2 different people, mainly surrounding the offensive potential of Terastal + Setup Strategies, or Stored Power.
• Gyarados, Serperior, Lilligant-Hisui, Arcanine-Hisui, Clefable, and Mega Tyranitar were all sighted as potential issues at one point or another, however, as these did not receive more than 1 mention, it's safe to say we will merely continue to follow these Pokemon for the time being.

Here are some notable statistics from the questions, with the qualified players for either tournament being separated via (/):

• The combined rating for metagame playability was roughly 6.56/7.5 out of 10. This shows that while the tier may have been successful at moving forward within a few areas, there are still aspects of concern which should be addressed sometime in the future, one way or the other.
• The combined rating for metagame was slightly higher, being a 7.04/7.7 out of 10. Although the metagame may be more unbalanced in a few areas, it's nice to hear that people still enjoy playing and building for the tier at a relatively satisfactory level.
  • 
    - Enamorus scored an overall average of 2.81/2.9 out of 5. From what we can see, the general playerbase finds Enamorus as a versatile and threatening presence between its huge offensive movepool and coverage options, but currently manageable between the list of trends which has risen to combat it since then, such as the rise of defensive stalwarts like Moltres, as well as continued offensive pressure being at an all-time-high amongst Sand and Hyper Offense teamstyles.
  • 
    - Aegislash scored an overall average of 2.63/3.1 out of 5, similar to Enamorus, Aegislash can be seen as a huge offensive menace between its superb defensive profile, options, and set versatility. But is still undergoing the process of attempting to get around its most common obstacles in this faster metagame, such as the prevalence of Ting-Lu Stack builds, Sand Balances featuring pivots such as Celesteela and Assault Vest Tangrowth, and the overwhelming offensive pressure from Hyper Offense.
  • 
    - Mega Sableye scored an overall average of 2.67/3.1 out of 5. Suggesting that while Mega Sableye is still a strong contribution to defensive teams looking for hazard control, said narrative isn't entirely overwhelming to the extent it can't be played around at all, be it through exploiting its susceptibility to passive damage along with the Recover nerf limiting switch-ins, as well as hazard setters such as Clefable and Mold Breaker Excadrill having come to the forefront of the metagame.
  • 
    - Blaziken scored an overall average of 2.67/3.2 out of 5. Likewise, Blaziken continues to surge in usage following the Dondozo ban, and is making a name for itself once more between its Swords Dance + Speed Boost shenanigans. Owing to its continued adaptions against common issues like a lack of longevity through recoil and loss of coverage against certain targets such as Mega Latias, Skeledirge, and Slowbro, said conclusions suggest that Blaziken might just need a bit more time before being reassessed.
  • 
    - Light Clay scored an overall average of 2.93/3.5 out of 5. This is a notable difference from the rest of the Pokemon, suggesting that the playerbase finds Screens to be in some ways, more responsible for the potency of most sweepers in the metagame - by doubling the number of chances they have to achieve proper setup, including for some of the Pokemon above which also have notable places on these teamstyles themselves.
• When asked about Terastalization, around 77.8/80% of people were in favour of acting against it. As a core mechanic, should we ever proceed with a suspect, this outcome will be taken very seriously as evidence regarding the negativity of its metagame effects.

---

And that’s it. We won’t be using the results as any more than a guideline or such, but just as an informative device on the opinions of the playerbase. That being said, expect some action to be planned down the tiering road, and we hope to see you all once the day comes. Stay tuned!

 

[Arishem]

Hello, it's that time of the year again.

The council has decided to release another survey, and is looking forward to your participation once more. We are aware that this is currently taking place in the middle of the Kartana suspect test, but feel as if there are also plenty of other matters to take into account down the line, and are interested in gauging community opinions on how to handle them accordingly. In addition, with the changes to the metagame in mind, we've also listed some potential candidates to consider for a retest in the future, these retests will take place after NDPL.

The link to the survey can be found here.

Deadline will be on the 19th of October at 11:59 PM (GMT+1), feel free to message either me or Niadev if you have any questions.

 

[Arishem]

Survey results!

Overall Results

Metagame

Pokémon

Pie Charts for Course of Action

Retest

Of the 32 different responses from this survey - around 6 of them were qualified based on their ongoing participation in NDPL IV.

Beyond these questions, we also received a few other mentions as additional comments when asked.

• Aegislash was brought up for a suspect test by 2 people
• Additionally, Ogerpon-Cornerstone, Iron Moth, Serperior, and Ceruledge each received one mention for a suspect test.

A couple of responses also expressed their appreciation of our work in the comments. On behalf of the council, my thanks goes to all who did so.

Scores for metagame playability were around a 7.25 / 8.16 out of 10, which marks a slight improvement from our last survey. From what we can see, our current tiering process seems to net positively in the eyes of the general playerbase, and we hope to continue moving forward to ensure the tier remains palatable in lieu of recent tiering shifts.

As for metagame enjoyment, it received a 7.75 / 7.17 out of 10, with the qualified player base laying slightly lower. It appears as if most people still find team building to be a generally flexible prospect with our current roster, albeit one with a few instances of centralization that can sometimes lead to a more linear direction certain teamstyles have opted to take recently. I personally hope for the days when tiering shifts give us our most coveted role compression options back too (

), but for now we will have to wait and see how things turn out down the road.

Of all the Pokemon listed on the survey, here are some notable statistics to draw from. Qualified results are once again separated by (/)

• 
  - Ogerpon-Wellspring scored a 2.97 / 1.83 out of 5. Cementing itself was quite the dynamic offensive presence during its tenure in the tier, with a serious upper hand at taking advantage of some of our common defensive trends as of late. That said, it might just be that the playerbase doesn't see it as much of a priority as some of the other Pokemon in the survey, being fairly reasonable to respond to with more offensive checks in this metagame, such as Meowscarada and common Choice Scarfers like Galarian Zapdos, in addition to rising defensive answers such as Mega Venusaur being quite the challenge to get past as well.
  • Qualified responses were also noticeably more lenient, having formed the majority of 1-2 responses to it across the entire survey.
• 
  - Cinderace scored a 2.34 / 2 out of 5. As of late, the increase in exploration for its some of its options has admittingly made Cinderace an awesome utility presence to have around, and a huge asset for more offensive teams limited in their options for hazard control, while also acting as an incredibly fast and versatile pivot for momentum based teams that have begun popping up more lately. Although it's telling that Cinderace itself has still yet to rise to the top of the playerbase's watchlist for options that may be unhealthy to the metagame, with the recent prevalence of Hippowdon and Alomomola-based defensive cores and the overlying dominance of Sand teams dampening its offensive capabilities in a few aspects.
• 
  - Ursaluna scored a 2.69 / 2.67 out of 5. Our recently legalized cocaine bear from the Ballas has made quite a hit in the tiering rum, with stall stocks practically diluted since its inclusion. Ursaluna also benefits significantly from the increased distribution of Screens and pivoting teammates such as Alolomola, Meowscarada, and the Slowtwins each giving it more opportunities to wreak havoc. Although divisive opinions stemming generally from the fast pace of most offensive threats capable of forcing it out, notably those also aiming to take advantage of the defensive anchors commonly supporting it, on top of its susceptibility to hazards and chip damage, suggest that we may just have to wait around the corner for a proper conclusion on Ursaluna to be drawn.
• 
  - Gyarados scored a 3.16 / 3.33 out of 5. This is a strong indicator that the playerbase sees Gyarados as a much higher priority than the rest of the Pokemon on this list, and the biggest constraint on the metagame by far. Being only one of two subjects to have received a majority above 3 among the overall playerbase, this will be taken into heavy consideration for potential tiering action within the near future.
• - Iron Hands scored a 2.19 / 2.83 out of 5. From what's to make out of it, Iron Hands has trailed behind the more recent Pokemon that have risen to take better advantage of this metagame, be it their added security against the common revenge killers of this metagame, their ability to negate and play around residual damage, or something else.
  • The qualified playerbase also considers Iron Hands to be more problematic by a wider margin compared to the overall playerbase.
• - Mega Sableye scored a 2.41 / 1.83 out of 5. A decrease in majority compared to the last survey, especially from the qualified playerbase. Owing to substantial ramifications to the metagame both currently and ahead of time, we will keep this in mind when discussing the effects of Mega Sableye's presence at a later date.
• - Alomomola scored a 2.53 / 2.66 out of 5. Ever since it got Flip Turn, the playerbase has found Alomomola to be much more of a central and splashable presence than it was previously, being a big player in enabling several other Pokemon, including a few of them on this list, to perform their offensive and defensive duties across a more extensive manner. That said, recent adaptations on both sides of the same coin, such as specific setup Pokemon in Substitute users, and long-term forms of residual damage stacking, have also presented quite the obstacle for it and its teammates to get past recently.
• - Enamorus scored a 1.96 / 2.33 out of 5. Likewise, the banning of Terastalization as a mechanic since then has shown itself to have narrowed Enamorus's offensive options by quite a margin. Having struggled to maintain its position against common Regenerator cores, defensive soft checks of the like, and many of the faster offensive threats able to get the jump on its rather awkward speed tier. Enamorus will likely continue to stay down for the time being, but not out given the introduction of its Z-Move sets, demonstrated recently in NDPL.
• - Light Clay scored a 3.25 / 2.5 out of 5. Similar to previously, Light Clay occupies a high position on our survey as an all-around enabler of sorts, though the qualified playerbase appears to have mellowed out to it a bit. Whether or not our stance changes to a more positive light on the matter, remains to be seen based on other changes we plan on making as a result of some of the Pokemon above.

When asked about several different options for a retest, some statistics included:

• - Kommo-o received the most votes in favor of a retest, sitting at a rather surprising 50%. This is not an overwhelming majority by any means and Kommo-o will be re-considered once more should the metagame arrive at an appropriate time to do so.
• - Dondozo only received support from 43.4% of voters for a retest. Indicating that a decent majority of players believe it is an unfavorable presence to add to the current metagame, though not implausible.
• - And finally, Drought received the least votes for a retest, only garnering 35.5% of voters, and marking a pretty overwhelming majority of players not in favor of it happening at the moment. We will likely refrain from including it in foreseeable discussions as a result.

The rundown for those in favor of action (Quickban / Suspect into Ban / Suspect Later / Unsure Suspect), were as follows:

1. Gyarados / Light Clay (78.8%)
2. Ogerpon-Wellspring (63.6%)
3. Alomomola / Ursaluna (57.6%)
4. Iron Hands / Mega Sableye (51.5%)
5. Cinderace (48.5%)
6. Enamorus (33.3%)

The rundown for those in favor of immediate action (Quickban / Suspect into Ban), were as follows:

1. Gyarados (45.5%)
2. Mega Sableye / Light Clay (33.3%)
3. Ogerpon-Wellspring (24.2%)
4. Alomomola (18.2%)
5. Ursaluna / Enamorus (15.1%)
6. Iron Hands (6.06%)
7. Cinderace (3.03%)

And that's it. We will continue to treat this survey as an informative device. (Though it's not to say we don't already have a few matches with the current council, so stay tuned!)

 

[Arishem]

As mentioned, we will be hosting the latest tiering survey! Following the recent Meowscarada ban, the council will be aiming to evaluate an optimal COA against a remaining selection of concerns in mind, that being said, we would very much appreciate your input down below.

The link to the tiering survey can be found here.

The deadline will be on the 15th of January, feel free to message either me or Niadev if you have any questions.

 

[Arishem]

With the survey having concluded, here are the results!

Overall Results

Metagame

Pokemon

Individual Results for COA

Out of the 24 people who participated, 8 of them were qualified for their involvement in either NDFL or NDPL, respectively.
s/o to Runo for helping me sort these.

Among other concerns, Latios, Drought, Drizzle, Kartana, and Dondozo, were all mentioned at some point. We will keep these Pokemon in mind for the time being, but nothing too concrete should come as of now.

Here are some notable statistics from the questions. Qualified responses are separated by the use of (/) once more.

Metagame

• The average score for metagame playability was roughly a 7.16 / 7.30 out of 10. With scores similar to last time, albeit with a slight decrease in overall playability within the qualified segment. It can be said that our metagame continues to be received fairly positively, but needs work to be made relative to changes experienced by the metagame, we hope to accomplish this aspect sooner or later.
• The average score for metagame enjoyment was higher in comparison, that being a 7.80 / 8 out of 10. With all the new tools the tier has since been given access to via tiering shifts, and some developments from tournaments solidified, it’s nice to see there an increasing number of people that have expressed interest in our metagame, as said, we can only hope to satisfy any further demands that may come down the road.

Pokemon

• - Cinderace scored a 3.38 / 3.13 out of 5, relative to last time, Cinderace’s unmatched offensive potency as an offensive pivot, especially in tandem with wallbreaking teammates like Hydreigon and Thundurus-T, continues to stir much controversy, given the timing, it is highly likely we will be acting on it sooner or later.
• - Ceruledge scored a 3.67 / 3.75 out of 5, since gaining Poltergeist in the Teal Mask, which is by no means an insignificant buff. Ceruledge has become an offensive monster that more than compensates for the specificity of its Swords Dance set on Hyper Offense teams.
  • Most notably, it is also the only one on this list to have received a higher majority than 3.5 on both sides, which will be taken into account.
• - Iron Hands received a 2.75 / 2.38 out of 5, with scores similarly low to last time, it can be said that Iron Hands, especially without Screens to back up setup opportunities, remains less of a concern than other Pokemon as or now. How it will be seen once these aspects are gone remains unclear, however.
• - Last but not least, Mega Tyranitar received a 2.08 / 1.75 out of 5, that being the lowest majority for brokenness by far, it appears the playerbase not only accepts, but even welcomes the attributes brought by its presence for the time being.

This time around, Kommo-o also received a significant majority of support, with 75% of people in favor of a retest of some sorts, and even 25% of those who voted Yes being in favor of an immediate quickdrop. Likewise, we will keep this in mind when deciding our next vote.


The rundown for those in favor of action (Quickban / Suspect into Ban / Suspect Later / Unsure Suspect), were as follows:

• Cinderace (87.5%)
• Ceruledge (83.3%)
• Iron Hands (71.8%)
• Tyranitar-Mega (25%)

The rundown for those in favor of immediate action (Quickban / Suspect into Ban), were as follows:

• Ceruledge (50%)
• Cinderace (33.5%)
• Iron Hands (8.3%)
• Tyranitar-Mega (8.3%)

And that's it. What are your thoughts on the survey thus far? Please continue to let us know.