[Discussion Thread] Viability Rankings by Type (Monotype, relevant for Reborn, Reborn Hardcore and Rejuvenation)

[Noir]

{Discussion Thread] Viability Rankings by Type

For Monotype Reborn, Reborn Hardcore and Rejuvenation

Fondest greetings to my audience.

This thread all started when a small dilemma emerged in my life: I procrastinate way too much and I needed something I had the incentive to do as well as making something productive. Akin to the old Monotype Viability Rankings thread, this thread will discuss the viability rankings of the Pokemon based on type and monotype runs for Reborn, Reborn Hardcore and Rejuvenation. With permission from our dear Global Moderator Simon, I will be taking charge where Female Gallade has left off. I do appreciate his former creation of the thread that sparked off the idea, to credit him.

This is the main separate thread where the finished contributions will be posted, much like the aforementioned thread itself, for sake of making things organized. It's called a discussion thread for a reason. Please post only here and not the main thread.

An important note: This project of mine is not meant to supersede the two existing viability threads for Reborn and Rejuvenation. Both are relevant threads; the difference is that this topic will cover viability rankings based on type, rather than overall, which makes it more relevant for monotype runs and selection of a certain Pokemon on your team based on type.

Please do not post until I leave two other posts for reservation: They will cover rules when posting contributions in the thread as well as the template needed.

As I pen off, I do look forward to working with the community with this project.

Sincere salutations,

~Noir

Edited March 14, 2016 by YagamiNoir4896

[Noir]

Rules

What's a thread without its rules? Don't worry, this won't be restrictively difficult and are meant to organize and make the thread smooth.

• When disagreeing, be civil and explanatory. This is a thread for discussion, not a flame fest. All etiquette rules for the forum will obviously apply, but inevitably, disagreement will come at some point and I don't want to rustle up some feathers. Voting will be a solution should a strong disagreement be set precedent to determine a specific Pokemon's ranking, but ultimately, I run this thread, and things will go my direction unless you persuade me otherwise. That said, disagreement is something that's welcome, but disagreement containing unnecessary hostility is something I will not countenance. I'm open to opinions and you're welcome to disagree, but I know a relevant/irrelevant one when I assess them, though I promise to put your opinion within contribution and consideration.

• Always use the given template below. While you don't have to be super specific like I usually do, at least follow the template. It's not going to be super difficult but follow my given way of establishing rankings for the thread for sake of it being organized. ​

• If you want to make a reservation for a Pokemon, you are allowed; however, I will follow the rule of first come first serve, regardless of that, to speed up the process of getting rankings. That said, all reservations not complete within 4 days will be void, whereas other people can supersede your reservation should they manage to flesh out a faster (and, preferably adhering to the template and all rules) ranking post. Of course, they must specify that they can do so before posting the ranking. A separate reservation list will be placed in the Template section explaining more of this below. All in all, I don't want to have unfair arguments occur because of this while taking care of the speed of the thread's progression. Speed of completion will be given priority in reservations. This isn't a super privilege that's going to cost money or whatnot, so even if someone takes it away, it's simply because he or she could do it faster and more effectively than you could. ​

• Do not take credit for any rankings involved in any other discussion and viability threads unless they belong to you. Taking credit for something you've not done is wrong. While this thread is similar to Female Gallade's previous thread, the template of displaying rankings will be different and I will be editing and reevaluating all information taken from other threads. Reference is alright; raw plagiarism is wrong and I will not tolerate it.

More to be included if applicable.

Edited March 18, 2016 by YagamiNoir4896

[Noir]

Template for Posting Rankings:

This is going to be really long, which is why I'm going to squeeze all this in a spoiler.

First of all you need to know how to make an understandable post that includes everything that defines the Pokemon in said rankings. It will be decided on the following factors:

*Rankings will be made for Fully Evolved Pokemon only, though their performances as pre-evolutions can be allowed in your description.

• Obtainability: How soon do you obtain the Pokemon? Is it a common Pokemon you can get early game, or is its rarity something like a sectional chance in the Mystery Egg? The earlier the better, but you should state when you can get it, and corresponding to this is:
• Relevance after Acquisition: Personally abbreviated as RaA. How useful is the Pokemon after you've obtained it? Does it help you get past specific objective fights at low levels, or is it dead weight until a certain point in the game? This is probably one of the most important factors when making rankings; the higher the ranking, the more stages of the game they are relevant in. Let's take something like Archeops, which is acquirable before Serra, and is obviously useful in many, many matches after you get it, being useful against Serra/Bennett/Charlotte/Blake/Ciel/Samson and a few other fights, while not being particularly weak to any other fights, either. That's a whole lot of places it's super useful if not a no-brainer win against, which gives in an obviously high A+ to S ranking. This also affects Pokemon such as Noibat, who are piss poor weak in the early game but change drastically in usefulness as it evolves into the mid game. Sometimes, some early-gotten Pokemon are best acquired in the mid-late game where training is easier and you don't have to drag them down all the time; for instance, I'd rather pick up a Noibat after a few badges or so rather than immediately in the Railnet as a low level bat, where it's more useful by then. This is an exception to the RaA rule that can be applied to such Pokemon.
• Amount of Boss Fights it is helpful in: How many boss fights can this Pokemon get you past, and how many fights is this Pokemon a horrible choice against? Is it exceptionally weak and unviable to face a specific team with? Like RaA, the more fights it's good at, the higher the ranking.

Miscellaneous factors:

Other factors that will be taken into consideration are:

-Originally unavailable moves. This mostly touches on unavailable TM moves bred through Episode 12 Mechanics. Some people prefer to get moves from E12 (for Reborn anyway), others don't. That said, I still will be included them as an option, though any listed moves bred from E12 must be accurately specified, particularly by placing * at the back of said move.

Template of Writing a Ranking:

(Optional) A sprite of the Pokemon, preferred, but not mandatory.
Name:
Stats: (Base stats, as in Dragonite 134 Attack base stats.)
Ability(ies): (Do note to post only the relevant, or only available abilities on the Pokemon. Truant Durant for instance is terrible and not accepted as an ability.)
Item(s): (Usable and viable items.)
Moveset(s): (You are allowed to post more than one moveset for a Pokemon if applicable, but options should be kept within one set. Remember to space between / options so it looks neat. )

EG: ~ Move 1
~ Move 2 / Move 2 Option 2
~ Move 3
~ Move 4 / Move 4 Option 2

If the move is a bred move, put * behind it. If the move is a move bred from Episode 12, put ^ or * behind the move.

Give a small description about the Pokemon, applying all three factors above. You're fine to do it any way you want as long as the information is there, and I'll make it organized later.

Ranking Tier Lists:

So much like the other ranking lists in common platforms, I will be using the baseline of S, A+ to A-, B+ to B-, up until E to determine rankings.

Definition of Each Ranking:

S Rank: These Pokemon are amongst the best of their type and the game in general. They have very high RoA (Relevance after Acquisition) and are very useful at the start of getting it until the late game. These Pokemon are the best of the best with their ability to circumvent most if not all important objective battles while not being weak to any one in particular, as well as being mandatory or the optimal Pokemon to use against disadvantageous matchups in Monotype runs, being able to hold their own and win for the team despite the disadvantage. Pokemon that provide an important and non-negligible resistance or variety or utility that said team requires to function are also classified under this rank.

A+ to A- Rank: These Pokemon have positive traits that often supersede their negative points. While not having as much RoA as Pokemon in S Rank, they are capable of doing work in most relevant matches or a sole key objective that is otherwise impossible without said Pokemon. While hindered by specific issues that detract them from reaching S, they are preferred options with their slew of positive additions to a team.

B+ to B- Rank: These Pokemon have positive and negative traits that are on par with the other. While their use is important and justified at certain points of the game, they also have their times where they are neglected for superior options and are irrelevant.

C+ to C- Rank: These Pokemon can fulfill a specific niche, but have one-sided negative complications that hinder them from effectively functioning, requiring an ample amount of support to utilize well.

D Rank: These Pokemon are generally leaned towards their bad sides, having low RoA ratios. Most of the time, what they can't do supersedes what they can do, but with little light ahead of their tunnel. They may function something small but completely fall out in use after that.

E Rank: These Pokemon sit at the bottom of the barrel; they are the worst of the worst with very little to no RoA and oftentimes if not always sit as dead weight for your team. They sit to accomplish very little and are completely outclassed by better options.

A Pokemon can be placed in different tiers depending on game (specified, of course) but preferably stick to an average rating.

Reservation of Ranking Posts:

Here are the current reservations that will be updated over time.

Currently none.

Special Indicators shown in Rankings:

* = Bred move

* = Bred move (available only through E12)

* = Available in Reborn / Reborn Hardcore

* Available in Rejuvenation

*Indicators are advised to be included in your ranking submissions. Thank you for the convenience.

Edited March 18, 2016 by YagamiNoir4896

[Darvan Korematsu]

I dunno if I can only write it for just one game alone but I'd like to reserve a spot for evaluating:

Magnemite family for mono Steel/Electric runs and in general for Reborn and Rejuv.

Metagross family for mono Steel/Psychic runs and in general for Reborn

Infernape family for mono Fighting/Fire runs and in general for both

Gardevoir family for mono Psychic/Fairy runs and in general for both.

[Noir]

I dunno if I can only write it for just one game alone but I'd like to reserve a spot for evaluating:

Magnemite family for mono Steel/Electric runs and in general for Reborn and Rejuv.

Metagross family for mono Steel/Psychic runs and in general for Reborn

Infernape family for mono Fighting/Fire runs and in general for both

Gardevoir family for mono Psychic/Fairy runs and in general for both.

Sure, that's completely fine. The rules apply though, and you got four days or until someone else does it faster than you. Thanks for the contribution though; I do look forward to your postings. The template is finished so you can use that.

[Despair Syndrome]

I'm gonna go ahead and reserve a spot for the Misdreavus family (Ghost monos if you haven't guessed) for Reborn and Rejuv.

I'll go ahead and evaluate them after I give it a few more hours of thought. c:

[Noir]

I'm gonna go ahead and reserve a spot for the Misdreavus family (Ghost monos if you haven't guessed) for Reborn and Rejuv.

I'll go ahead and evaluate them after I give it a few more hours of thought. c:

Approved. Reservation list added.

Also, while I'm at it, I'd note that I'd prefer only rankings of fully evolved Pokemon being included. You can include how their pre-evolutions fare before they fully evolve, but I'm not going to put a separate ranking for each of them nor classify it as "The Torchic Line etc" in my rankings, akin to the old thread.

Please make rankings for only fully evolved Pokemon though their performances as pre-evolved Pokemon CAN be included. Will include this in the Template post.

EDIT: I'm mostly looking for Rejuvenation rankings since I'm less experienced in Rejuvenation than Reborn.

Edited March 14, 2016 by YagamiNoir4896

[Fumble]

Give Liepard + Malamar, ty~ (I did these for the old Viability Rankings too)

[Noir]

Give Liepard + Malamar, ty~ (I did these for the old Viability Rankings too)

Approved and placed in the list. I have posted a few Normal type rankings as examples so feel free to check them out, comment if there's anything you disagree, or to reference from them in general.

[Fumble]

Malamar (Anywhere from B+ to A+ Rank, mainly for Dark)
Stats: 86 HP / 92 Attack / 88 Defense / 68 Special Attack / 75 Special Defense / 73 Speed
Ability(ies): Contrary
Item(s): Dread Plate / Fist Plate / Mind Plate / Life Orb

Moveset(s):
Superpower
Psycho Cut
Night Slash
Pluck / Slash / Foul Play / Light Screen / Trick Room / Destiny Bond* (Really just a filler move.)

Malamar's stats look mediocre at best at a first glance, but the Contrary + Superpower combination can make Malamar a fierce physical attacker that can tank physical hits well, and the Psychic and Fighting type coverage moves are very helpful on a Dark Monotype. In Rejuvenation, Malamar is a bit late, only available after Angie, but in Reborn, Malamar can be obtained mid-game, just before Aya. In either case, Malamar is still very powerful when it sets up: Amber and some of Erick's Pokemon (like Jolteon and Electivire) aren't too great defensively, and in Reborn, all of the Leaders from Aya to Samson are weak to one of its moves (Psycho Cut against Aya and Samson, Night Slash against Radomus, and Superpower against Serra, Noel, and Luna). The only downsides to Malamar are its just average Special Defense and Speed, which makes it not as highly ranked as it could be. Also, Malamar isn't a very great Pokemon before it starts boosting itself with Superpower. Still, Malamar is definitely able to be a very strong physical attacker and tank when it can set up.



Liepard (Anywhere from D to C+ Rank, for Dark)
Stats: 64 HP / 88 Attack / 50 Defense / 88 Special Attack / 50 Special Defense / 106 Speed
Ability(ies): Prankster
Item(s): Normal Gem (if running Fake Out) / Heat Rock (if running Sunny Day) / Damp Rock (if running Rain Dance)

Moveset(s):

Night Slash / Sucker Punch
Fake Out / Play Rough / U-Turn*
Sand Attack / Taunt / Attract / Swagger / Yawn* / Thunder Wave*
Sand Attack / Taunt / Attract / Swagger / Sunny Day / Rain Dance / Yawn* / Thunder Wave*

While very frail, Liepard is a somewhat useful Dark type Pokemon with the amazing Prankster and many supportive moves. It is obtainable very early, before the first gym in both Reborn and Rejuvenation, and evolves very early too, before the second level cap in both games. Something to note about Liepard is that, with luck, it can be very helpful against single high leveled Pokemon like Solaris' Garchomp, PULSE Abra, Ditto-Arceus, Kyogre, etc., as it can use Sand Attack and Thunder Wave (and sometimes Attract) to make it hard for those Pokemon to actually hit your own Pokemon. Again, however, this strategy relies heavily on luck, so it may not always work on your first attempt. Liepard is also useful in setting up weather for partners like Greninja and Sharpedo or Houndoom, or changing the weather against Gym Leaders like Charlotte and Amber, and for Radomus, as it can use Taunt to prevent his Pokemon from using Trick Room. However, it won't be living in fights for too long with just 64/50/50 defenses. Therefore, Liepard can be a very good, although cheap, Pokemon for some individual bosses and weather reliant fights.

Feel free to change anything if you'd like~

P.S. You might want to include a link to the main thread of the viability rankings in the post for easier access~

[Despair Syndrome]

Pretty ambitious project you have going on here.

I'm guessing that you want to cover every obtainable 'mon in the game right?

Anyway, here goes:

Mismagius (A or S)

Stats: 60 HP / 60 Attack / 60 Defense / 105 Sp Attack / 105 Sp Defense / 105 Speed

Ability(ies): Levitate

Item(s): Spell Tag / Life Orb

Moveset(s):

Shadow Ball

Perish Song

Nasty Plot*

Power Gem / Mystical Fire / Hidden Power - Fairy / Hidden Power - Fighting

It's frailness is compensated by it's decent speed and special attack. With investments in both these stats, Mismagius can turn out to be a terrifying sweeper. Misdreavus can be gotten as early as before Aya in Reborn and before even the first gym in Rejuvenation, although it won't be of much use until it evolves. As a Misdreavus, it is highly recommended that it learns Shadow Ball and Perish Song (Level 46) before evolving (thus becoming useful) and breeding a Nasty Plot onto it (from a Spiritomb) will turn it into a monster. However, training a good Mismagius takes a lot of time and effort (breeding and training) but the payoff in a Ghost monorun is worth it. It has amazing coverage with either Power Gem or Mystical Fire which can be learned from a relearner and if you're lucky enough to get the Hidden Power for Fairy or Fighting, it can one-shot weaker Dark-type threats. Nasty Plot gives it the potential to one-shot an entire enemy team and two Nasty Plots stacked onto each other and it's game over for the opponent. Perish Song is there to deal with those pesky Lv75 solo battles that might prove to be a challenge for most Ghost monoruns. That said, it does come with it's weaknesses. If something outspeeds it, chances are, Mismagius isn't going to survive a hit (especially not a supereffective one) and Dusk Stones are relatively scarce in both games, so by evolving Mismagius, you lock yourself out of getting Chandelure until you find a second Dusk Stone.

My opinion maayy be a little bit biased so correct me if I overrate a little.

Though with it's good coverage and speed, I do consider it a staple in Ghost monos.

Also, what was supposed to be a short summary ended up pretty long, so you can shave it off a bit if you feel like it >.>

If the need arises, I'll be happy to cover other Ghost types too. c:

Edited March 15, 2016 by Despair Syndrome

[Noir]

Malamar (Anywhere from B+ to A+ Rank, mainly for Dark)

Stats: 86 HP / 92 Attack / 88 Defense / 68 Special Attack / 75 Special Defense / 73 Speed

Ability(ies): Contrary

Item(s): Dread Plate / Fist Plate / Mind Plate / Life Orb

Moveset(s):

Superpower

Psycho Cut

Night Slash

Pluck / Slash / Foul Play / Light Screen / Trick Room / Destiny Bond* (Really just a filler move.)

Malamar's stats look mediocre at best at a first glance, but the Contrary + Superpower combination can make Malamar a fierce physical attacker that can tank physical hits well, and the Psychic and Fighting type coverage moves are very helpful on a Dark Monotype. In Rejuvenation, Malamar is a bit late, only available after Angie, but in Reborn, Malamar can be obtained mid-game, just before Aya. In either case, Malamar is still very powerful when it sets up - Amber and some of Erick's Pokemon (like Jolteon and Electivire) aren't too great defensively, and has a great RoA in Reborn, as all of the Leaders from Aya to Samson are weak to one of Malamar's moves (Psycho Cut against Aya and Samson, Night Slash against Radomus, and Superpower against Serra, Noel, and Luna). The only downsides to Malamar are its just average Special Defense and Speed, which makes it not as highly ranked as it could be. Also, Malamar isn't a very great Pokemon before it starts boosting itself with Superpower. Still, Malamar is definitely able to be a very strong physical attacker and tank when it can set up.

Liepard (Anywhere from D to C+ Rank, for Dark)

Stats: 64 HP / 88 Attack / 50 Defense / 88 Special Attack / 50 Special Defense / 106 Speed

Ability(ies): Prankster

Item(s): Normal Gem (if running Fake Out) / Heat Rock (if running Sunny Day) / Damp Rock (if running Rain Dance)

Moveset(s):

Night Slash / Sucker Punch

Fake Out / Play Rough / U-Turn*

Sand Attack / Taunt / Attract / Swagger / Yawn* / Thunder Wave*

Sand Attack / Taunt / Attract / Swagger / Sunny Day / Rain Dance / Yawn* / Thunder Wave*

While very frail, Liepard is a somewhat useful Dark type Pokemon with the amazing Prankster and many supportive moves. It is obtainable very early, before the first gym in both Reborn and Rejuvenation, and evolves very early too, before the second level cap in both games. Something to note about Liepard is that, with luck, it can be very helpful against single high leveled Pokemon like Solaris' Garchomp, PULSE Abra, Ditto-Arceus, Kyogre, etc., as it can use Sand Attack and Thunder Wave (and sometimes Attract) to make it hard for those Pokemon to actually hit your own Pokemon. Again, however, this strategy relies heavily on luck, so it may not always work on your first attempt. Liepard is also useful in setting up weather for partners like Greninja and Sharpedo or Houndoom, or changing the weather against Gym Leaders like Charlotte and Amber, and for Radomus, as it can use Taunt to prevent his Pokemon from using Trick Room. However, it won't be living in fights for too long with just 64/50/50 defenses. Therefore, Liepard can be a very good, although cheap, Pokemon for some individual bosses and weather reliant fights.

Feel free to change anything if you'd like~

P.S. You might want to include a link to the main thread of the viability rankings in the post for easier access~

Pretty ambitious project you have going on here.

I'm guessing that you want to cover every obtainable 'mon in the game right?

Anyway, here goes:

Mismagius (A or S)

Stats: 60 HP / 60 Attack / 60 Defense / 105 Sp Attack / 105 Sp Defense / 105 Speed

Ability(ies): Levitate

Item(s): Spell Tag / Life Orb

Moveset(s):

Shadow Ball

Perish Song

Nasty Plot*

Power Gem / Mystical Fire / Hidden Power - Fairy / Hidden Power - Fighting

It's frailness is compensated by it's decent speed and special attack. With investments in both these stats, Mismagius can turn out to be a terrifying sweeper. Misdreavus can be gotten as early as before Aya in Reborn and before even the first gym in Rejuvenation, although it won't be of much use until it evolves. As a Misdreavus, it is highly recommended that it learns Shadow Ball and Perish Song (Level 46) before evolving (thus becoming useful) and breeding a Nasty Plot onto it (from a Spiritomb) will turn it into a monster. However, training a good Mismagius takes a lot of time and effort (breeding and training) but the payoff in a Ghost monorun is worth it. It has amazing coverage with either Power Gem or Mystical Fire which can be learned from a relearner and if you're lucky enough to get the Hidden Power for Fairy or Fighting, it can one-shot weaker Dark-type threats. Nasty Plot gives it the potential to one-shot an entire enemy team and two Nasty Plots stacked onto each other and it's game over for the opponent. Perish Song is there to deal with those pesky Lv75 solo battles that might prove to be a challenge for most Ghost monoruns. That said, it does come with it's weaknesses. If something outspeeds it, chances are, Mismagius isn't going to survive a hit (especially not a supereffective one) and Dusk Stones are relatively scarce in both games, so by evolving Mismagius, you lock yourself out of getting Chandelure until you find a second Dusk Stone.

My opinion maayy be a little bit biased so correct me if I overrate a little.

Though with it's good coverage and speed, I do consider it a staple in Ghost monos.

Also, what was supposed to be a short summary ended up pretty long, so you can shave it off a bit if you feel like it >.>

If the need arises, I'll be happy to cover other Ghost types too. c:

Thank you, both of you. These are some well written analyses that adhere fully to the template and I am very appreciative for them. I will include the link and add these to the main thread in a bit. You're all very welcome to write more -- even if I could do it alone, it's going to take a tedious amount of time, and again, I'm less experienced with Rejuvenation.

[Noir]

I'm not sure if I'm going to be warned or something by double posting here, but oh well.

Few updates:

Added indicator reading list to show stuff like availability in Reborn/Rejuvenation, Bred moves, etc. Rankings are advised to have these included within as well.

Ranking reservation list updated. Darvan's reservation is now void due to not submitting rankings within the given timeframe, though he may ask for another one.

Small updates in the main WIP thread that I will post there.

[Simon]

No you won't as long as you're contributing new information/giving an update.

[javier9627]

Sorry for the misplaced post did comment as soon as I saw the post. Regarding the post I really like the idea and I would like to help as I arrived to FemaleGallade's post quite late. A minor suggestion, your format could improve a lot(maybe I could help with that). Another things is, is this Viability ranking based on monoruns?

[Noir]

Sorry for the misplaced post did comment as soon as I saw the post. Regarding the post I really like the idea and I would like to help as I arrived to FemaleGallade's post quite late. A minor suggestion, your format could improve a lot(maybe I could help with that). Another things is, is this Viability ranking based on monoruns?

That's alright. It's mostly relevant for monoruns, yes. Well, I'm all ears to suggestions.

[javier9627]

That's alright. It's mostly relevant for monoruns, yes. Well, I'm all ears to suggestions.

You could use spoilers under the type, so the post doesn't look that over saturated, Something like this

:

S rank:

A+ rank:

A rank:

etc...

I also think that the information for every Pokemon should be inside a spoiler, in that way if someone is searching for one specific pokemon then she/he doesn't have to scroll much or search for it.

I'll give you an overall example:

:

S rank:

Pyroar **

Stats: 86 HP / 68 Attack / 72 Defense / 109 Special Attack / 66 Special Defense / 106 Speed

Ability(ies): Rivalry / Moxie

Item(s): Life Orb / Flame Plate or Charcoal / Silk Scarf

Moveset(s):

Hyper Voice

Flamethrower / Fire Blast*

Hidden Power Grass

Dark Pulse / Overheat / Substitute / Will-O-Wisp*

While it may be odd to include Pyroar in S-Rank, Pyroar has one of the strongest RoA ratios amongst Normal types, being a Special Attacking Normal type with an extra Fire typing alongside strong Special Attack and unique base Speed that adds to several key battles in the game. Obtainable pre-Florinia (though difficult due to the giant Klinklang being an obstacle), Pyroar's typing makes it advantageous against the first three gyms after acquisition (Florinia and Shelly for obvious reasons, whereas Corey's Corrosive Mist field amplifies Fire-type damage and sometimes allows the elimination of a key Pokemon) as well as being advantageous against few of Shade's Pokemon. Later in the game, Pyroar is also a special nuke with strong mass damage that makes it a strong teammate in double battles, due to STAB Hyper Voice that also works wonders in certain fields along with its STAB attacks. All these traits combined, Pyroar is a fantastic addition against Serra, Bennett, Noel, Charlotte, Blake, and to a lesser degree Samson and Ciel. It's only real flaw is that it's not one to take hits as well as two mostly average abilities (Rivalry being inconsistent whereas Moxie is useless on a special attacker) although you'd find Moxie very useful on Litleo when it's still stuck with physical moves in its matches in the early game. In a nutshell, Pyroar is a sound choice for Normal-type teams in need of a special nuke that is useful throughout the game.

A rank:

Snorlax *

Stats: 160 HP / 110 Attack / 65 Defense / 65 Special Attack / 110 Special Defense / 30 Speed

Ability(ies): Thick Fat / Immunity

Item(s): Leftovers

Moveset(s):

Body Slam / Return*

Crunch / Sleep Talk

Brick Break / Earthquake*

Rest / Curse*

A late-game grab and the very definition of a tank, Snorlax's ability to handle the various Special Attack behemoths in the game from Charlotte, to Blake, to a few others is nearly unmatched. Unlike Blissey, Snorlax complements its strong bulk with strong offensive presence through 110 Base Attack, while being able to dish out paralysis through Body Slam or just do damage with Return. Perhaps two of its most known sets competitively and viable in-game are its Curse and RestTalk sets; Snorlax can either set up on a specific Pokemon it walls without a care in the world before steamrolling the opposing team, or sit as a giant obstacle for them revolving between recovery and attack moves. Despite these strengths, Snorlax's abysmal Speed does limit it somewhat, especially considering Snorlax isn't the optimal tank it is against trainers like Sampson or Solaris.

Edited March 26, 2016 by javier9627

[Noir]

You could use spoilers under the type, so the post doesn't look that over saturated, Something like this

:

S rank:

A+ rank:

A rank:

etc...

I also think that the information for every Pokemon should be inside a spoiler, in that way if someone is searching for one specific pokemon then she/he doesn't have to scroll much or search for it.

I'll give you an overall example:

:

S rank:

Pyroar **

Stats: 86 HP / 68 Attack / 72 Defense / 109 Special Attack / 66 Special Defense / 106 Speed

Ability(ies): Rivalry / Moxie

Item(s): Life Orb / Flame Plate or Charcoal / Silk Scarf

Moveset(s):

Hyper Voice

Flamethrower / Fire Blast*

Hidden Power Grass

Dark Pulse / Overheat / Substitute / Will-O-Wisp*

While it may be odd to include Pyroar in S-Rank, Pyroar has one of the strongest RoA ratios amongst Normal types, being a Special Attacking Normal type with an extra Fire typing alongside strong Special Attack and unique base Speed that adds to several key battles in the game. Obtainable pre-Florinia (though difficult due to the giant Klinklang being an obstacle), Pyroar's typing makes it advantageous against the first three gyms after acquisition (Florinia and Shelly for obvious reasons, whereas Corey's Corrosive Mist field amplifies Fire-type damage and sometimes allows the elimination of a key Pokemon) as well as being advantageous against few of Shade's Pokemon. Later in the game, Pyroar is also a special nuke with strong mass damage that makes it a strong teammate in double battles, due to STAB Hyper Voice that also works wonders in certain fields along with its STAB attacks. All these traits combined, Pyroar is a fantastic addition against Serra, Bennett, Noel, Charlotte, Blake, and to a lesser degree Samson and Ciel. It's only real flaw is that it's not one to take hits as well as two mostly average abilities (Rivalry being inconsistent whereas Moxie is useless on a special attacker) although you'd find Moxie very useful on Litleo when it's still stuck with physical moves in its matches in the early game. In a nutshell, Pyroar is a sound choice for Normal-type teams in need of a special nuke that is useful throughout the game.

A rank:

Snorlax *

Stats: 160 HP / 110 Attack / 65 Defense / 65 Special Attack / 110 Special Defense / 30 Speed

Ability(ies): Thick Fat / Immunity

Item(s): Leftovers

Moveset(s):

Body Slam / Return*

Crunch / Sleep Talk

Brick Break / Earthquake*

Rest / Curse*

A late-game grab and the very definition of a tank, Snorlax's ability to handle the various Special Attack behemoths in the game from Charlotte, to Blake, to a few others is nearly unmatched. Unlike Blissey, Snorlax complements its strong bulk with strong offensive presence through 110 Base Attack, while being able to dish out paralysis through Body Slam or just do damage with Return. Perhaps two of its most known sets competitively and viable in-game are its Curse and RestTalk sets; Snorlax can either set up on a specific Pokemon it walls without a care in the world before steamrolling the opposing team, or sit as a giant obstacle for them revolving between recovery and attack moves. Despite these strengths, Snorlax's abysmal Speed does limit it somewhat, especially considering Snorlax isn't the optimal tank it is against trainers like Sampson or Solaris.

Yeah, I've edited that in accord with your suggestion. I appreciate it.

[javier9627]

Yeah, I've edited that in accord with your suggestion. I appreciate it.

Looking good, keep the good work. I'm also doing a dark type monorun so I can help with those mons

[Ironbound]

You asked me to write about the Magnezone line. So I'm reserving that now, and will write it up later.

Edit: ALMOST A MONTH LATER

Magnezone, yes, precisely, mhmm, quite, indeed, indubitably~

Name: MAGNEZONE

Base statistics:

HP: 70

Attack: 70

Defense: 115

Special Attack: 130

Special Defense: 90

Speed: 60

Abilities: Sturdy / Magnet Pull / Analytic (HA)

Suggested Natures: Modest (preferred) or Timid

Suggested Available Items in order of preference: Zap Plate/Magnet, Air Balloon, Iron Plate/Metal Coat

Suggested Moveset:

EVs: 164 HP / 252 Special Attack / 92 Speed

Ideal IVs: 30/6/31/30/31/30

Moves:

- Discharge

- Flash Cannon

- Hidden Power Fire* / Charge Beam*

- Charge Beam* / Magnet Rise / Thunder Wave

*requires TM, but both are obtainable easily. Charge Beam is given to the player by Julia (and therefore one can have it taught to magnemite/magneton as soon as one obtains it) and Hidden Power is given by Noel.

Other options: Tri Attack makes for a good neutral move to fish for hax, but it is underpowered and has abysmal coverage. HP Grass or Ice are usable hidden powers, but Fire is preferred to roast other steel types. It is worth noting, however, that a STAB neutral Discharge or Flash Cannon are both as strong as a non-STAB super effective HP Fire, making it useful only versus a Pokémon that is x4 weak to Fire, which are uncommon in Reborn. Hidden Power may be eschewed in favour of other moves, given its relative uselessness and the difficulty of breeding for the exact IVs on a genderless Pokemon in a game with only one Ditto (trust me, it's only what an idiot like I would do)

ANALYSIS:

Obtainability: Magnemite is currently freely available as a wild encounter as early as access to Shade's gym is, which is pre-lv45 cap. It is found at around lv32. It evolves into Magneton starting at level 30, hence it can be evolved right away to obtain a powerful Pokemon in its own right. Magnezone being so powerful was made unavailable until after beating Aya and acquiring the ability to use Strength outside of battle; as of ep.15, one must solve the Wasteland Strength puzzle and obtain the Yureyu Key to access the back room of Shade's gym, which counts as the special electric field wherein Magneton can be evolved.

NOTE: It is confirmed that Magnezone was deemed too powerful even thus, and hence in ep16 the Yureyu Key has been moved to a later episode, as yet unknown. Hence, Magnezone will not be available as soon.

Relevance after Acquisition: Magnezone is easily the best Electric type available in Reborn, and one of the best Steel types as well. It has a very high RaA, as it has great bulk,an exceptional defensive typing that lets it resist 11 types out of 18, and a great deal of power in a meaty base 130 special attack stat. It can serve as a bulky steel type and anti-water, anti-flying Pokémon throughout the game, all the way up until the end of the current episode. It naturally learns its best STABS, Flash Cannon and Discharge, by level up, along with useful moves like Thunder Wave (allowing it to act as a great speed controller) and Magnet Rise (which lets it cancel its glaring Ground weakness, its only true flaw) and can be taught Charge Beam, the TM of the first Gym itself, to allow it to become a boosting machine that accumulates power reliably and to devastating effect.

Boss fight help: Magnezone puts in good work in all gyms excepting those of Charlotte, Terra and Kiki/Samson for obvious reasons. It can abuse Analytic-boosted moves to great effect versus all major fights, including Meteor fights and Gym battles, and can also be relied upon to use Sturdy+Thunder Wave to neuter at least one Pokemon, thus allowing to potentially put in work even against Charlotte and Kiki/Samson. Care must be taken to avoid exposing Magnezone to ground types if it does not have an Air Balloon or Magnet Rise; its slowness also often does not let it use Magnet Rise before the opponent hits it with a ground move (though many grounds are slow themselves.)

Conclusion: Magnezone is one of THE best, bulkiest, most powerful Pokemon available to the player. Even though Magnezone itself is initially unavailable (and will be even more delayed in ep16 depending on Ame's sadi-- I mean, decision) Magneton itself is a very viable Pokemon with a special attack almost as high as Magnezone's, and functioning like a frailer but slightly faster version of it. Considering that it is so useful and powerful, and that although it is not diverse, its singular role is so exceptional and dependable, I would place it firmly A rank in Reborn/Reborn Hardcore overall (being hindered from S or even A+ because of the difficulty in evolving it to its final form) and would easily place it in S rank for Electric monoruns and A+ rank for Steel monoruns.

Hope this helps.

[Noir]

You asked me to write about the Magnezone line. So I'm reserving that now, and will write it up later.

Edit: ALMOST A MONTH LATER

Magnezone, yes, precisely, mhmm, quite, indeed, indubitably~

Name: MAGNEZONE

Base statistics:

HP: 70

Attack: 70

Defense: 115

Special Attack: 130

Special Defense: 90

Speed: 60

Abilities: Sturdy / Magnet Pull / Analytic (HA)

Suggested Natures: Modest (preferred) or Timid

Suggested Available Items in order of preference: Zap Plate/Magnet, Air Balloon, Iron Plate/Metal Coat

Suggested Moveset:

EVs: 164 HP / 252 Special Attack / 92 Speed

Ideal IVs: 30/6/31/30/31/30

Moves:

- Discharge

- Flash Cannon

- Hidden Power Fire* / Charge Beam*

- Charge Beam* / Magnet Rise / Thunder Wave

*requires TM, but both are obtainable easily. Charge Beam is given to the player by Julia (and therefore one can have it taught to magnemite/magneton as soon as one obtains it) and Hidden Power is given by Noel.

Other options: Tri Attack makes for a good neutral move to fish for hax, but it is underpowered and has abysmal coverage. HP Grass or Ice are usable hidden powers, but Fire is preferred to roast other steel types. It is worth noting, however, that a STAB neutral Discharge or Flash Cannon are both as strong as a non-STAB super effective HP Fire, making it useful only versus a Pokémon that is x4 weak to Fire, which are uncommon in Reborn. Hidden Power may be eschewed in favour of other moves, given its relative uselessness and the difficulty of breeding for the exact IVs on a genderless Pokemon in a game with only one Ditto (trust me, it's only what an idiot like I would do)

ANALYSIS:

Obtainability: Magnemite is currently freely available as a wild encounter as early as access to Shade's gym is, which is pre-lv45 cap. It is found at around lv32. It evolves into Magneton starting at level 30, hence it can be evolved right away to obtain a powerful Pokemon in its own right. Magnezone being so powerful was made unavailable until after beating Aya and acquiring the ability to use Strength outside of battle; as of ep.15, one must solve the Wasteland Strength puzzle and obtain the Yureyu Key to access the back room of Shade's gym, which counts as the special electric field wherein Magneton can be evolved.

NOTE: It is confirmed that Magnezone was deemed too powerful even thus, and hence in ep16 the Yureyu Key has been moved to a later episode, as yet unknown. Hence, Magnezone will not be available as soon.

Relevance after Acquisition: Magnezone is easily the best Electric type available in Reborn, and one of the best Steel types as well. It has a very high RaA, as it has great bulk,an exceptional defensive typing that lets it resist 11 types out of 18, and a great deal of power in a meaty base 130 special attack stat. It can serve as a bulky steel type and anti-water, anti-flying Pokémon throughout the game, all the way up until the end of the current episode. It naturally learns its best STABS, Flash Cannon and Discharge, by level up, along with useful moves like Thunder Wave (allowing it to act as a great speed controller) and Magnet Rise (which lets it cancel its glaring Ground weakness, its only true flaw) and can be taught Charge Beam, the TM of the first Gym itself, to allow it to become a boosting machine that accumulates power reliably and to devastating effect.

Boss fight help: Magnezone puts in good work in all gyms excepting those of Charlotte, Terra and Kiki/Samson for obvious reasons. It can abuse Analytic-boosted moves to great effect versus all major fights, including Meteor fights and Gym battles, and can also be relied upon to use Sturdy+Thunder Wave to neuter at least one Pokemon, thus allowing to potentially put in work even against Charlotte and Kiki/Samson. Care must be taken to avoid exposing Magnezone to ground types if it does not have an Air Balloon or Magnet Rise; its slowness also often does not let it use Magnet Rise before the opponent hits it with a ground move (though many grounds are slow themselves.)

Conclusion: Magnezone is one of THE best, bulkiest, most powerful Pokemon available to the player. Even though Magnezone itself is initially unavailable (and will be even more delayed in ep16 depending on Ame's sadi-- I mean, decision) Magneton itself is a very viable Pokemon with a special attack almost as high as Magnezone's, and functioning like a frailer but slightly faster version of it. Considering that it is so useful and powerful, and that although it is not diverse, its singular role is so exceptional and dependable, I would place it firmly A rank in Reborn/Reborn Hardcore overall (being hindered from S or even A+ because of the difficulty in evolving it to its final form) and would easily place it in S rank for Electric monoruns and A+ rank for Steel monoruns.

Hope this helps.

Thanks a whole lot for the Magnezone post, added to the list. Feel free to add more!

[Ironbound]

All right. Might as well talk about more steel types. How about Luke?

Name: LUCARIO

Base statistics: 70 HP / 110 Attack / 70 Defenses / 115 Special Attack / 70 Special Defenses / 90 Speed

Abilities: Steadfast / Inner Focus / Justified (HA)

Suggested Natures: Adamant/Jolly or Modest/Timid depending on the set.

Suggested Available Items in order of preference: Life Orb (through technicality), Fist Plate/Black Belt.

Suggested Movesets:

1. Physical Attacker

EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Speed / 4 Def

Nature: Adamant or Jolly

Preferred ability: Justified

Moves:

- Close Combat

- Crunch*

- Extreme Speed / Bullet Punch*

- Swords Dance

*requires breeding. Note that bullet punch is weaker and not really worth it, but it's the best Steel move that is currently available to Lucario given the lack of TMs. Can be useful against Fairies after a boost.

2. Special Attacker

EVs: 252 SpAtk / 252 Speed / 4 Def

Preferred ability: Steadfast

Moves:

- Aura Sphere

- Shadow Ball‡ / Dark Pulse+

- Vacuum Wave*

- Nasty Plot°

* requires breeding

+ via TM

‡ via TM in previous episode (Shade no longer hands out Shadow Ball)

° via pre-evolution (Nasty Plot is learned only by Riolu)

Other options: Blaze Kick on the physical set and Dragon Pulse on the Special set cab be useful in specific situations, but are not worth the spot usually. Flash Cannon would be perfect on the special set, but Ame hasn't given us the TM yet, add of ep.15. Agility can be bred onto it, but is usually an inferior boosting move compared to SD or NP, considering Lucario lacks exceptional raw power and has access to boosting moves. It is for this reason that Adamant/Modest Natures are also preferred to their speed-boosting counterparts.

ANALYSIS:

Obtainability: This is an issue. Lucario is not obtainable normally until an event in Ametrine Viri, which itself is only after the encounter with Blake and the second rescue of Heather. Successful completion of the event, which involves chasing and battling a Lv85 Lucario across Ametrine, will result in its deliverance of a Riolu egg to the player. Thus, Lucario cannot be obtained unless one is already at an advanced point in the game, having already beaten Charlotte.

Relevance after Acquisition: Lucario is a great Pokemon, with the ability to learn some of its best (physical) moves naturally, as well as by having natural access to Swords Dance and Nasty Plot by level up. It makes good use of these set up moves alongside prioirty like Extreme Speed and Vacuum Wave, and can hit quite hard. Unfortunately, it is very frail and can't stomach even neutral hits easily. It is also available very late in the game, and has little to do after it is obtained, at least for now. The fact that the next three gyms are unkind to it doesn't help.

Boss Fight help: As good a Pokemon as Lucario is, it is currently not that useful after obtaining it. The next gyms are Terra's, Samson's and Ciel's, aka the Ground, Fighting and Flying Gyms Lucario will be at a disadvantage in the next two due to its weakness to Ground and Fighting, its fraility (and consequent lack of power, as it will not find the chance to set up) and the fact that some of the major Ground and Fighting types are not OHKOed by any of its moves, even if boosted, but can OHKO back with theirs. Even Ciel will prove to be a bit difficult due to the speed of her Pokemon, though Lucario can sweep a weakened team with Extreme Speed if it manages a set up. Bullet Punch also helps versus Ciel's ace. It is anticipated that Lucario will be more effective against the Fairy and Steel gyms in the coming episode(s), but not more so than any other steel or fighting type. In fact, Lucario is again disadvantaged versus the Fairy Gym, as it is frail, does not resist Fairy and has only Bullet Punch for coverage. However, it performs well in all Meteor fights and makes for a good Pokemon in general.

Conclusion: Lucario is a good Pokemon, but is obtained too late in the game and at an odd time to be of great use. Other Fighting types that the player already has free and earlier access to, such as Mienshao or Conkeldurr, outclass it for the most part, as both have a much greater Attack stat, with Mienshao boasting high natural speed and access to great level-up moves like U-Turn and High Jump Kick along with much more useful abilities in Reckless and Regenerator, and Conkeldurr boasting much higher bulk and excellent moves. Both also get the ever-useful Knock Off by breeding.

As a Steel type, Lucario fares better, being on the faster side and having access to a great secondary typing and wide movepool, especially Extreme Speed and Double set up moves. It does not face any competition from other steel types at what it does and does well: set up and sweep.

As a Pokemon in Reborn in general, I would place it at B+ rank, on account of its usefulness despite the difficulty in obtaining it and putting it to its best uses (if only it could've been gotten before Blake and not after.). As a fighting type, it can be placed at B-, as there are several Fighting types available significantly earlier that outclass it as a physical attacker. Its only niche is that it's one of the very few special attacking Fighting types in the game, and that it has access to good boosting moves and priority. As a steel type, it has virtually non-existent competition as a fast boosting Sweeper with priority, and can be placed in the A- rank comfortably...at least until Ame gives us Scizor.

[Noir]

Yet again, dear Viridescent, you have my thanks. I'll insert it the main list later on.

[nsbwinner2]

Having played quite a bit on Pokemon Showdown, I've noticed there are certain Pokemon considered underpowered (or even trash) in Competitive that find uses in Reborn. For example:

Pangoro: Considered underpowered in Competitive, but is a solid threat in Reborn, with excellent attack and decent enough bulk to take a few hits.

Magcargo: Poor in Competitive but very useful in certain situations in Reborn. Takes out five of Noel's Pokemon after setting up Shell Smash twice on Wigglytuff.

Sandslash: Another "underpowered" Pokemon that works well in Reborn, with good Attack and STAB (learning Earthquake as early as Level 50), access to a boosting move in Swords Dance, the capability to be used as a HM slave, and great utility for escaping caves with Dig.

[Ironbound]

Indeed. Which is why the contributions to this thread deal solely with their viability in Reborn, not necessarily in competititive. Why don't you write up a little about them, in the format given above?

Anyhow, MOAR STEEL: Metagross

Name: METAGROSS

Base statistics: 80 HP / 135 Attack / 130 Defenses / 95 Special Attack / 90 Special Defenses / 70 Speed

Abilities: Clear Body / Light Metal (HA, but this is garbage, use Clear Body)

Suggested Natures: Adamant is always ideal

Suggested Available Items in order of preference: Life Orb (through technicality), Iron Plate/Metal Coat

Suggested Movesets:

CRUSHER

EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Speed

Nature: Adamant

Preferred ability: Clear Body

Moves:

- Meteor Mash

- Zen Headbutt

- Hammer Arm

- Bullet Punch / Pursuit / Agility

Other Options: It learns all its best moves naturally. It's incredibly efficient. Grass Knot as a TM can be taught to it to hit bulky water types, but this forces a Naive nature and compromised bulk, and is hardly worth sacrificing the coverage when you can simply pair Metagross with a Grass type like Roserade or Tangrowth.

ANALYSIS:

Obtainability: This is absolute HELL. AME isn't gonna give us something this powerful without making it nightmarishly difficult to obtain. As of ep.15, one needs ten badges to activate the trick to get beldum; it involves fainting while riding a Tauros on route 1 when having healed previously at the wasteland gym (aya's house) such that one materializes there on the Tauros, so that one can jump the ledge below and access a series of tunnels (which includes having to climb a ladder on Tauros...don't ask how) and winding up at a broken computer/pillar thingy that needs a Data Chip to activate and spawn a single beldum. Save before trying to catch it. Beldum is at level 1, kills itself with Take Down and is notorious for a horribly low catch rate, lower than most legendaries. Good luck.

Also, its confirmed gone in ep16, relocated to a much later place. Get it while you can!

Relevance after Acquisition: THIS is worth it. Metagross is obscenely powerful if one is patient enough to breed (with Ditto, alas, like Magnezone, but at least no Hidden Power shenanigans here) for one with good IVs, and it pulls its weight even without. It straight up murderizes anything and everything that is not a fat water or ground type with its STABs alone, and has an excellent coverage in Hammer Arm. STAB Bullet Punch can help it finish things off, while setting up a single Agility outspeeds almost everything in the game.

Boss Fight help: Charlotte is already dealt with by this point. Although Terra might seem a disadvantage, Metagross can use Magnet Rise to become immune to most of what Terra can throw, and proceed to murderizes her squad (even using Grass Knot for Swagsire if need be). Samson is brutalized by Zen Headbutt, and Ciel is simply Mashed to death. Every single Meteor fight can be ended smoother and quicker with Metagross. Easily one of the best possible teammates.

Conclusion: Get it. Use it. Love it. It's your best weapon. It is worth twice the frustration of obtaining it.

A+ on Reborn because despite its lateness and hellish acquisition cost, it's just that awesome. LOOK AT IT. S rank on Psychic monos and also on Steel monos, duh.