Resource VGC 2019 Viability Rankings [Moon Series Update]

https://vgcstats.com/#/regs

Good golly 2016 flashbacks. Xerneas/groudon seems to be back in full force, and venusaur got good. There’s more Groudon than kyogre lol. No cress to be seen anywhere, and necrozma dm doesn’t seem too hot right now. Weather wars galore.
So... some proposed changes:
Groudon to A+ to match kyogre
Cresselia to B?
Venusaur to B+
Necrozma-DM to B+

Xerneas/Groudon/incineroar/venusaur/steel seems pretty popular. Can’t think of an acronym yet.
 
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Adamant Zoroark

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https://vgcstats.com/#/regs

Good golly 2016 flashbacks. Xerneas/groudon seems to be back in full force, and venusaur got good. There’s more Groudon than kyogre lol. No cress to be seen anywhere, and necrozma dm doesn’t seem too hot right now. Weather wars galore.
So... some proposed changes:
Groudon to A+ to match kyogre
Cresselia to B?
Venusaur to B+
Necrozma-DM to B+

Xerneas/Groudon/incineroar/venusaur/steel seems pretty popular. Can’t think of an acronym yet.
It might also be time to consider raising Tapu Fini and dropping Tapu Bulu. Fini earned more CP than any other Tapu at Philly and Bulu wasn't to be seen anywhere in T32. I'd say Bulu to B- and Fini to B or higher seems fair for now.

Also, seriously, I think it's about time to raise Incineroar to S. When all but one of the T32 teams at Philly had it, that's really saying something. Incineroar is just so good at supporting the rest of its team *COUGH* Xerneas *COUGH* and there is absolutely no opportunity cost that comes with using it because it's not a Restricted. Again, I think the usage speaks for itself.
 

Netherious

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Aight boys and girls, It's time for our first big post-Regional update!

Take a gander and add any suggestions you may have. I am basing this mostly off of success at the regional for now, and as more reliable showdown stats come through I'll be updating and adjusting. Remember, this is a viability ranking and not a usage ranking. Usage plays a factor and does indeed share a relationship with one another but as you will see, there will be some shifts where usage is high, but viability is lower than you'd expect.

Say hello to our new lord and savior:

Incineroar A+ --> S

Necrozma-Dusk Mane A --> B

Tapu Lele A --> A-

Cresselia A- --> C- (heckin rip)

Groudon A- --> A+

Tapu Koko A- --> A

Yveltal A- --> A

Araquanid B+ --> B

Celesteela B+ --> B-

Dialga B+ --> B

Ferrothorn B+ --> B

Hitmontop B+ --> B-

Ludicolo B+ --> A-

Toxicroak B+ --> A- (!!!)

Bronzong B --> B+

Kyurem-W B --> C

Smeargle B --> A-

Stakataka B --> B+

Tapu Bulu B --> B-

Abomasnow B- --> B

Crobat B- --> B

Mewtwo B- --> C+

Tapu Fini B- --> B+

Suicune C --> C+

Zygarde-Complete C --> C+

Heatran C- --> B+

Drifblim D --> B+

Shiftry D --> C

Venusaur D --> A-

ADDITIONS:

Klefki UR --> C

Arcanine UR --> B



Again, always a WIP so let me know what was justified and what was not (in your opinion). If i missed anything, let me know! Thank you all for your continued support!
 
Reasoning for Heatran in B+? I know it was in a couple of teams in top 32 but didn't get to see it in action.
 
This, and overall bodies a handful of mons in the metagame. It's proving itself very very well.
Didn’t we have a discussion on this a few pages back? Heatran only has xerneas going for it over incineroar, which has fake out, intimidate, knock off, u-turn, etc.
 

Netherious

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Didn’t we have a discussion on this a few pages back? Heatran only has xerneas going for it over incineroar, which has fake out, intimidate, knock off, u-turn, etc.
The difference between our conversation and now is that it was actually used and got as much CP as Ho-Oh. Granted it's early, I feel that I too hastily dropped it.
 
I'm quite shocked we're dropping Tapu Lele and Necrozma DM's viability. They are still everywhere.

I guess we can well and truly end the debate of whether Arcanine gets a ranking or not :P

What's the main set that Toxicroak is using? Its movepool is so vast....
 

Adamant Zoroark

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I'm quite shocked we're dropping Tapu Lele and Necrozma DM's viability. They are still everywhere.

I guess we can well and truly end the debate of whether Arcanine gets a ranking or not :P

What's the main set that Toxicroak is using? Its movepool is so vast....
The thing about Dusk Mane is that it’s hard for it to function in a meta where over 90% of CP-earning teams have Incineroar. For one, it hardly has anything to hit it with; its strongest option against Incineroar is Stone Edge, and we don’t need to talk about that. Solgaleo at least has Superpower, as well as Full Metal Body to block Intimidate, making it less of dead weight against Incineroar (granted, you’re only likely to find space for it on an Assault Vest or Choice set, but the point still stands). This justifies Solgaleo having a higher ranking than Dusk Mane.
 
I think we should add a "restricted legendary pairs viability ranking", as some couples picking up more than others.
GX, Rain Deer and Moon X (Xernala sounds ass tbh) saw a lot of usage in the recent PCs, with 2 GX teams showing up in the Top 4 of the Philadelphia regionals, affirming itself as one of the most staple cores throughout this first month. Philadelphia stats can be see here on VGC Stats (do buy them a coffee if you can). Some Ogre pairs showed up and so did some more gimmicky cores, whith Ho-Oh Ogre and Ogre Diamond being my favourite out of the bunch.

screenshot 2.png


Moreover, I think two viability rankings should be addressed. One for ubers and one for other mons. To see Kartana under Kyogre and Xern is absolutely unjust in my opinion, as it's obvious that a restricted legendary is better than a Kartana. I don't think it'll be confusing, as if anything makes a lot of stuff more clear. Generally we don't see that in a viability ranking thread but I think that this meta deserves and exception. For example:

screenshot 1.png
 
Moreover, I think two viability rankings should be addressed. One for ubers and one for other mons. To see Kartana under Kyogre and Xern is absolutely unjust in my opinion, as it's obvious that a restricted legendary is better than a Kartana. I don't think it'll be confusing, as if anything makes a lot of stuff more clear. Generally we don't see that in a viability ranking thread but I think that this meta deserves and exception. For example:
Seconding this. Normally you have all pokemon competing for 6 slots. Now you have restricteds competing for two slots and all others for 4 slots. There's no reason to judge them by the same criteria when in teambuilding they aren't being judged by those criteria.
 
This could get messy....

Not every team runs the two Ubers as a core or a synergistic pair. You can bring 4 pokemon into battle without bringing both Ubers.
 
This could get messy....

Not every team runs the two Ubers as a core or a synergistic pair. You can bring 4 pokemon into battle without bringing both Ubers.
You really won't, realistically. Expecially since teams as of now are made of 2 Ubers + 4 Supporters.
 
You really won't, realistically. Expecially since teams as of now are made of 2 Ubers + 4 Supporters.
I wouldn't really call them supporters. Sure, there are support mons like Amoonguss, but many of these pokemon are there solely for damage, like Kartana, or Tapu Koko. It was the case in VGC 2016, when you'd just have ubers and smeargle/amoonguss/cresselia etc. You really couldn't just not bring your ubers in 2016, otherwise you'd just have a full team of fake out and redirection lol.
 
I really can't understand why Incineroar is so high in the tier list. I haven't been following the meta until this moment, but in a special attacks and fairies meta how can it be so strong? Am I missing something?
 

ethan06

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I really can't understand why Incineroar is so high in the tier list. I haven't been following the meta until this moment, but in a special attacks and fairies meta how can it be so strong? Am I missing something?
Incineroar's typing is really valuable in this meta for a couple of reasons: Firstly, due to the prevalence of Kyogre, Xerneas, and Groudon, there's a huge assortment of Grass- and Steel-type supporting Pokémon in the meta. Secondly, Psychic-type Pokémon and attacks are hugely common in this meta due to the viability of Tapu Lele, and so Dark-types are very valuable to have - however, most Dark-types are held back by their weakness to Fairy, which isn't ideal in a Xerneas and Tapus meta, but Incineroar's Fire typing balances that out so that it can use its bulk effectively to check things like Lele, Lunala and Necrozma-DM. Lastly, Incineroar's already powerful STABs can be boosted by Dark Aura and Groudon's Drought, and so it makes an excellent partner to these two legendaries with Intimidate and Fake Out support. Basically, it benefits directly or indirectly from every major player in this format and acts as a glue for many common archetypes, and with so many useful Doubles tools at its disposal there's not much that can reliably keep it from doing work in every game you bring it to.
 
I am confused. Lurantis is currently in Top 30 on the Global Link's Top 30 for VGC yet we got in D rank right now. How could someone explain the discrepancies here?
 

cant say

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I am confused. Lurantis is currently in Top 30 on the Global Link's Top 30 for VGC yet we got in D rank right now. How could someone explain the discrepancies here?
Pretty simple.... Usage stats fluctuate regularly whereas updates here are not done hastily. Lurantis usage on the ladder seems to have spiked but that doesn't mean we have to immediately move it up here until it's proven to be actually good rather than just a phase.

I took a quick look on vgcstats and could only find one team featuring Lurantis, so i'm inclined to believe it's still D rank
 

Lego

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What does lurantis even do?
I believe it usually runs something like this:
Lurantis @ Iapapa Berry
Adamant Nature
Ability: Contrary
EVs: 140 HP / 236 Atk / 132 Spe
- Leaf Blade
- Superpower
- Knock Off
- Protect

It lives any hit from scarf Kyogre, can OHKO without contrary, cleanly ohkos with it, outspeeds 4 speed incineroar and ohkos it with superpower.
 

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