Pokemon Showdown - Smogon Usage-Based Tier Update: May 2016

[α27theDemonKnight]

"For those new to our system, how our tiers work is that they're primarily based on usage
(the names of the tiers, OU, UU, RU and NU, literally mean "Overused," "Underused," "Rarely Used" and "Never Used"):
Pokemon that are used heavily in the tier above get banned from the tiers below.
PU is a pun--in English, "Pee Ew" is something you say when something stinks, like the Pokemon in the lowest tier do"
-Antar

 
A new usage-based tier update has been released for the official tiers, where many Pokemon have undergone rises and drops based on their relative popularity within each tier!


Alakazam-Mega moved from OU to UU (BL)

Altaria-Mega moved from OU to UU (BL)

Celebi moved from OU to UU

Conkeldurr moved from OU to UU

Sylveon moved from OU to UU


Zapdos moved from UU to OU *

Honchkrow moved from UU to RU


Amoonguss moved from RU to OU *

Aggron moved from RU to NU

Gastrodon moved from RU to NU

Smeargle moved from RU to NU


Quagsire moved from NU to OU *

Mawile moved from NU to PU


* I personally question these three changes. A wtf why change.

"Uh this is also the fact we just had a suspect test and in suspect tests most people just use stall to get reqs. The OU Ladder is also popular in that too many players don't know how to break it, and that 1695 and up range attracts the majority of that playerbase. It's important to note these stats are usage anyways. When you take a glance at the OU stat then see stuff like Terrakion being used less than Zapdos it shows viability is kind of just ignored in some instances because the OU Ladder is so mind numbingly stupid to ever judge merits of someone being good."
-AM

tl;dr blame stall becoming really really popular for these changes. <_<



Sauce:
http://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/smogon-usage-based-tier-update-may-2016.3571918/#post-6798671

[Rea]

i have so many Opinions on this:

Alakazam-M to BL: i want dis thing fully in UU just to see how the pure aggro goes against the primarily wall-based playstyle.

Altaria-M to BL: Same as above, though Altaria-M itself seems to be able to tank...i just think it would be hilarious to see these things go against crap like Foretress.

Celebi to UU: The mudderfackin time traveler has traveled to UU... now we basically got another cleric/tank. though it can baton pass Nasty Plots and Swords Dances... maybe we could see more aggro in UU?

Conkeldurr to UU: yep, this thing is in UU now. i fully believe this thing can potentially check porygon2...possibly. it has Assalt Vest Tankage, and if tri attack statuses a guts variant, or you get a sheer force variant...your RIP'd. oh and i forgot knock off, theres that too.

Sylveon to UU: Get this thing out of UU. Out. Out. Out. Out. Out. GET THE HELL OUT! it has no business existing with Pixilate hyper voice that basically can punch past anything that doesnt resist it. its bull. people will probably start using this thing over umbreon for Cleric-ing now.

Zapdosto OU: Good riddance to you, go join your cancerous stall bretheren in OU.

Honchkrow to RU: Lolwut...i dont even use this damn thing, ive heard people say it will wallbreak the hell out of RU...only time can tell there.

Amoongus to OU: if i wanted mushrooms, i'd play Mario. Amoongus, Welcome to Super MariOU World.

Aggron to NU: Bruh. Bruh. Your face will be Sleeped into oblivion...though you might give Regirock hell now >.>

Gastrodon to NU: Come to me my precious! together we shall obliterate all the rocks!! ...oh and fack you Thunderwave Xatu. paralyze THIS!

Smeargle to NU: More entry hazard. MOAR HAZARDS! MOOOAR! MOAAR SKULLZ!!

Quagsire to OU: Get. out. of. my. NU. Tier. go on. get. go the hell away and stay away.

Mawile to PU: more excuse for me to try and make this thing useable in NU. the Deciever shall EAT YER FACE!

[Akaneia]

My Reaction:

Alakazam-M to BL: The answer to the primarily stall teams of UU. This will shit on blissies, and might increase the play of Florges and Sable-Eyes.

Altaria-M to BL: I don't like you, I never did, but now I have another Perish Song caster. How fun. Tank, support, cleric, offensive. This thing has it all.

Celebi to UU: Xavier sees this as more aggro. I see this as more checks to aggro. Another Perish Song Caster, and my favorite pokemon in OU joined the ranks of cancer in UU.

Sylveon to UU: I see this more of a Florges replacement. With stab Hyper Voice overpowering Moonblast, and with just the same support qualities, don't run Florges anymore. It's trash compared to this. Welcome you annoying Sweeper/Cleric/Tank.

Zapdos in OU: It's typing is much to weak against the popular OU pokemon, and so many of them know Stone Edge. Though it's thunder typing makes it great for pivoting against T.Waves. Like Chancey.

Honchcrow to RU: No Opinion, other than Murder Crow is going to be shat on. Maybe.

Ammogus to OU: How the fuck did this thing get in OU? I thought it was only good for doubles. Does it have Spore or something?

Aggron to NU: No Opinion.

Gastrodon to NU: No opinion.

Smeargle to NU: *Repeat what Xavier said*

Quagsire to OU: Well shit, there goes Jerry. There the god promotes to the land of OU where he'd be facing the OU powerhouses. Expect for the fact that the special attackers of OU and easily just shit on him. Also I'm going to expect much more play of Ferrothorn, and in turn more play of Talonflame.

Mawile to PU: Don't care.

Overall: WHY THE FUCK DID AN NU POKEMON MOVE TO OU? Holy shit it isn't even that popular.

[Flint]

Mega-Alakazam to BL: I would not be surprised if it gets lowered to UU later on considering how rarely this Pokemon is used and the Smogon tiers are based on popularity of the Pokemon rather than the effectiveness.

Mega-Altaria to BL: Wasn't really doing much in OU and was comically countered by Fairy-types.

Conkeldurr to UU: I was also somewhat expecting this change. Conkeldurr has great Physical bulk and a great Attack stat although it's mainly opt-out more often than not in OU simply from its Speed and lacking Special bulk which are common attributes from Psychic-type and Fairy-type Pokemon.

Celebi to UU: This is a change I've been waiting to see for a while. Mainly because this Pokemon was a more inconvenient version of Mew, for the most part. While they both have the same stats and large movepools, Celebi has way more weaknesses than Mew, including a quad-weakness to Bug. In most scenarios, unless you really wanted a Leech Seed user, Mew was the Pokemon that people opted to use in OU.

Sylveon to UU: I expected this change to happen considering Sylveon was outshined by Mega-Gardevoir rather consistently. Since Mega-Gardevoir was faster, had more Sp.Def and a huge Sp.Atk stat. Along with having STAB to 2 typings.

Zapdos in OU: I think this change was a mix of 2 aspects. Zapdos is a great fit to a lot of teams and has a couple variations, most notably Physically Defensive, Specially Defensive or an Attacker. Zapdos does have the option to stall although it feels as if Zapdos was more fit as an answer against stalling. Having access to Defog, Roost and Toxic (along with Pressure as an ability) are very effective when coming up against stall. As far as taking place a staller himself, it doesn't seem like it would be too effective since he has no access to Entry Hazards, chips a quarter of his health from Stealth Rock, and even earlier when I mentioned that he "does have the option to stall", in reality every Pokemon has the ability to stall if you do not carry it's super-effective counter and that Pokemon has a recovery move, in this case being Roost.

And it does not help that Zapdos' weakness is Ice and Rock which are very common attack types among Water and Ground types. That's not to say this is a bad typing, it's a great typing especially for a defensive role since it covers Electric's most common counter being Earthquake, this is to say that Rock and Ice are 2 offensive typings that a lot of Ground and Water Pokemon tend to run. His stats point more to being an attacker by having both his Speed and Sp.Atk exceed base 100 (Speed is exactly 100). As far as how this Pokemon is being utilized, it's somewhat a mix of both, considering it's stats are fantastic in every field. Anyways, Zapdos I feel will act the same as he did years ago when he used to be OU before the drop to UU.

Honchkrow to RU: As said previously, Smogon tiers are based on popularity rather than effectiveness. Honchcrow dropping I don't think makes him any less effective than he used to considering his weaknesses were always obvious and were always there from the beginning, even when he was in UU being that he had sloppy Defenses. Having him in a lower tier will be interesting to see with his Moxie ability being the most prominent ability to use for Honchkrow.

Amoonguss to OU: Wasn't too shocking of a change to see considering he is one of the most used Pokemons in Doubles. Along with having the bulk to sustain his slow speed and having one of the best moves in the game; Spore.

Aggron to NU: N/A

Gastrodon to NU: N/A

Smeargle to NU: N/A


Quagsire to OU: This I did not expect to see. I'm aware that stall has become popular as of very recently, although I didn't expect this Pokemon to surpass UU. I think it would be too early for me to make a confident answer as to how it will do in the metagame as people will develop strategies to counter stall. Although for anyone looking for a good Pokemon to fight again Stall, Sableye is pretty amazing.

Mawile to PU: Random Fact: Mawile is aesthetically one of my favorite Pokemon to look at. As far as commenting on this shift; N/A.

Overall: I feel that a majority of these changes will be normal. I don't expect to see anything to be extremely overwhelming since the metagame is quick to adapt to common strategies.

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