Here are some of my thoughts on some recent noms.
A ---> A+: Agree
Lele is super good atm. Specs is a damn nuke that is capable of OHKO'ing basically everything that doesnt resist its STAB of choice, or it 2HKO/3HKO's the stuff that does resist. Celesteela is commonly running more Phys. Def nowadays, meaning it cant take its STABs as well (barring psyshock). Shed Shell is still a nice Stallbreaker capable of breaking most stall builds. Scarf is, as stated before, one of, if not the best revenge killer atm if you have mons other mons for Volc. It also runs through a lot of offense builds. Even more uncommon options like Z-Thunder is pretty good to blow through stuff like Celesteela. Its been seen pretty commonly too throughout this cycle of OLT as well. Raise this imo.
B+ ---> A-: Agree
This mon is so cool. Basically one mon can always safely come in on this, being Mega Scizor. Pretty much everything else will just crumble to this thing. Z-Freeze Shock pretty much kills something unless its a fat resist. Stuff like Ferrothorn and Chansey just straight up die. This mon crushes defensive cores like CelePex, VenuSteela, and Mew + Tang. Kyub + Koko is an insane offensive core, as Eterrain helps Kyub muscle through stuff like AV Mage, which eats earth power very well (but cant switch in forever due to no recovery). This thing is a monster, use it if you havent already.
B ---> B-: Unsure
Gallade is in a weird spot. Its still very good vs most balances, as it beats one of the best cores atm, being VenuSteelaPex. One of the main things it had going for it over Medicham, which can just as easily beat that core (and most balances in general), was that it can break through Mew a lot better, and with Mew dropping a tad in viability, Gallade may as well. Mew is still a good mon however, so I'm honestly not sure. Id love to hear more thoughts on this one.
B+ ---> A-: Agree
I think Scarf Nihilego summed up my thoughts on this pretty well. Imo, Mega Latias fits better in A-. Its incredible bulk and ability allow it to check the likes of offensive Lando, Keldeo, Koko, Pinsir, Lopunny, and Bulu. Its CM set makes it even harder to kill, and it can even set up on some mons with SE coverage. CM + Stored Power + Tbolt beats most balance cores easily, like the aforementioned VenuTran (i just realized i mention this a lot lmao). Reflect Type allows it to beat Tran 1v1 and allows it to escape Ttar's pursuit. It has been seen running a roost + 3 atks set too, which is nice because of its access to boltbeam + fire coverage. It has other support options like Defog, Twave, and roar all of which can find their way onto sets, as it is fat enough and fast enough to Defog well. Twave and roar lets it cripple/phaze stuff that may want to come in and set up or fire of hits, like Mega Ttar or Tapu Lele. Again, Id love to hear peoples thoughts on this, but in my opinion, it should rise.
A+ ---> A: Unsure (again)
Vertex summed up my thoughts perfectly (again). Volc is in a weird place atm. With shed pex everywhere, psych z is really all I feel like I should run. On paper, bug z seems good, but in reality, its not nearly as consistant. The drop in 101+ scarfers really helps volc tho, as many teams are opting to use Scarfers like lele or lando from what ive seen. Scarf Keldeo isnt that good imo, chomp has always been meh as a scarfer, scarf gren has dropped a bit from what ive seen (though im unsure on this), and Terrakion hasnt been a thing in a while. It seems like a lot of teams now are banking on not running into volc. Stuff like scarf Latios is still a thing tho, and Scarf nape has been rising a bit too. Im just not sure if this is enough to keep it A+. Ive always been a huge fan of this mon, so Id love to hear other thoughts on this, since I am truly split on this.
B- ---> C+ or lower
I truly havent seen regular zam do anything significant in any tour game or on the ladder in a while. Sash counter is cool, sure, but I dont think it should be B- along with stuff like mega camel, which is an insane balance breaker, or alola ninetales, which is the face of one of the most dominant playstyles. Drop it to
C+ or lower imo.
No comment about hippo. I legit havent used one since Mega Meta was in the tier, so idk about it rising. It seems cool on paper, so I could see it rising, but I need to use it more to get a fair opinion. Thats all I got now, thanks for reading!