I thought I would break in the VR thread after the Cress ban since it still feels outdated from even the Shao meta
A+ -->
B+
This is probably going to be the largest drop on this list, but Plume fell off HARD. In the recent Shao meta, it was the best answer to that demon, and since most other Fighting types were either invalidated by Shao or barely seen because of Cress, this mon had a fun time. Now however, both our Fighting breakers in Fetch'd and Machamp beat it, making its defensive qualities kind of useless atm. On top of that, the rise in Defiant mons in Brav+Pass and an uptick in Magic Bounce Xatu (in addition to other already common anti-strength sap tech) have made Plume even harder to justify. The only reason I wouldn't drop it lower is because Scarf Passimian has seen a ton of recent usage, making it still usable, but definitely not A+
A+ -->
A
This movement is simply because Mowtom simply isn't better or more splashable than most of A tier at the moment. With the Shao and Cress bans, scarf sets get a lot better, but so do all of A. Imo, Dragalge, Starmie, Talon, and Flygon are all better mons atm and none are A+. Recently, the meta has slowly moved away from more offensive builds to bulkier, hurting part of what makes Mowtom's stock so good with that, in theory, unblockable Volt Switch. I think with the Cress ban offense gets opened up a ton, but right now, it isn't an A+ mon.
A+ -->
A+/A
I think Sylveon falls under the same category as Mowtom right now. Yes it's good, but it just isn't necessarily better than the A tier mons, especially now that it's facing fierce competition from Vaporeon, and even Diancie, as a cleric. Those metagame trends have recently made it a lot easier to replace on teams, although now it's the only reliable Sirfetch'd switch in, meaning that I believe in time it'll potentially overtake Vap again. That's why I'm split on where I would rank it. Atm, to me it's A, but in the next two weeks or so, I see it being A+, especially if Hail leaves soon.
A+ -->
A+
As you can probably tell, I've made it so that this mon is now alone in A+, and yes, that was on purpose. In this meta, Salazzle is so clearly above every other A+/A mon with its fantastic speed tier, typing, ability, and breaking/sweeping potential. Oh, and fuck those SubTox sets that 6-0 teams. I don't think it's an S level mon like Copper simply because of its splashability, but it is definitely a bigger threat and better mon than all of the mons below it and I believe the VR should reflect that.
A -->
A-
I think the hype on this mon is wayyy overblown. Is it strong? Well duh, but its underlying weaknesses make it a lot harder to use and easier to handle than it seems. I've found getting TTrum in to be a pain, and when coupled with Head Smash accuracy+the rise of Ground's and Steel's to make spamming HS hard, you don't have many chances to reliably pick up KO's. It is also revenged by majority of the tier, including, but not limited to, all our scarfers, Fighters, and any special attacker. It just isn't on the same level as the rest of A
A- -->
A
This is now the best breaker in the tier. As we learnt from Goro, in NU, Fighting breakers are basically impossible to wall, and fetch'd is no exception. With a phenomenal speed tier for a breaker, FI, and Scrappy CC's, nothing, bar Talon and Sylveon, can realistically switch in, and even those two hate getting knocked off. Just an all around amazing mon before the Cress ban, and with it gone, The Duck Knight deserves to rise.
B+ -->
B
Similarly to Plume, this is an old meta relic on the VR. Defensive sets used to be top tier because of Intimidate, Teleport, and reliable recovery, but now those are barely usable with Scrappy CC's and Defiant all over. I would put it even lower, especially because it often becomes a liability in games, but I have yet to actually test out offensive Arc, although when I play it, it will do nothing at all. I'm just not a fan of this mon right now sadly :(
B+ -->
B-
PU this mon already ;__; In my eyes, its only niche was semi checking Cress, although even this was iffy, and outside the Cress matchup, it is often dead weight, especially with just how weak it is. I have never once used Drapion and been satisfied with the results and I believe it belongs with the fringe viable mons like Toxicroak down in B-, although Toxicroak is WAY better atm. Drapion could end up with a solid niche for stopping the rise of Psychic mons and stuff like Decid, but there's just so much that I would pick before it, like Braviary or Guzzlord, that do the same things but better. It's always outclassed as a T Spike setter by Dragalge. I was really let down by Drapion when it dropped and I still am.
B+ -->
A-
Vaporeon has quickly cemented itself as a fantastic addition to the tier, able to stop Stoise, Hail, random Intel, etc, all while acting as a cleric who spreads Scalds and Toxics everywhere. You can't go wrong with Vap on your team, and it deserves to rise, especially as the meta trends in its favor.
B+ -->
B-
I wish this was good, but it just isn't. It's constantly too weak, too frail, or too predictable, making it a pain to pull off reliably. Zoro is the definition of a theorymon, but sadly, like most theorymons, it falls flat in practice. There's also a good amount of faster threats and FI atm, and it has a hard time with those. It definitely isn't on the same level as the B+ mons nor is it as reliable or good as even the B ones.
B -->
A-
I love Braviary right now. It's fast, bulky, strong, and Defiant is amazing, making it a top tier threat. I personally abuse Defog sets the most, but the potent sets are Sub BU. That set can dominate unprepped teams or ones that don't expect it, and since it can set up on most defensive cores, its sweeping potential is through the roof. With the variety and potency of its sets, I believe Brav has to be higher up.
B- -->
A/A-
I take it back, this is the largest jump on the list. The original B- ranking for Arcto was for the Shao meta where Hail, and subsequently Vish, were considered match up fishy at best. Now, it has risen FAR beyond that matchup fish with the Shao ban , reliably dominating teams. I personally believe that this mon is busted on Hail, but it isn't hail itself, and it should be a LOT higher, either A or A-. Stop snubbng Arcto and give it the spotlight because, after getting reqs with it, I can tell you it deserves it.
B- -->
B
An interesting choice in the meta, but the potential to be really good. Specs sets can break through teams pretty reliably, especially when coupled with Intel's fantastic speed tier. Crit sets are super cool too, having the potential to break through our bulky waters with a little chip and beat a lot of teams. It's overall a solid pick and definitely better than the B- mons.
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C/C+ -->
UR
Neither of these mons have done anything or seen any play in the last month or so. Sneasel you might have seen a bit and could stay C, but Zard is entirely outclassed and overall pretty bad.
UR NOM
UR -->
B+
I sadly haven't saved replays of this mon, but I think its role and niche has been well documented by everyone in the tier to the point that I won't need them. With Shao gone, the Scarf Fighting pivot role has been filled by Passimian. It has quickly become a tier favorite and a threatening presence that can be splashed onto a ton of teams. I think B+ is the perfect spot for it.
Other Discussion
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Psychic types in general just got WAY better with Cress leaving. Honestly, I had no clue where to rank them at the moment, but I see every single one of them getting better. What do you think?
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On the same note, so do Fighting types, but in the same vein, I still don't know why I would use Machamp over Sirfetch'd when it is slower, doesn't have good priority, and doesn't have Scrappy. How do you guys feel about the two?