I'll be quick because there's no other way I'll be done in less than 2 days. In my review I will propose rises: Genesect, Reshiram, Naganadel, Kyurem-W, Cinderace, Ho-Oh, Weavile, Darmanitan-G, Lunala. I will also be proposing a drop: Kyurem-B.
I was planning to cover more stuff but I ran out of time. But generally, I just wanna say that Xern, Kyogre and Groudon should be considered for a raise, and Calyrex-S for a drop.
Genesect (A.K.A. “The G.O.A.T.” A.K.A. “Best SS Scarfer”)
Genesect is, simply put, INCREDIBLE. Important to note is when one builds a Genesect team, they just build with the idea of having a Genesect on the team and as such teammates are chosen and adapted to it's presence on a team (similar to building with yen). In essence, what makes Genesect so incredible is that it's a back up check to most offensive threats in the metagame, the ease with which it switches into weaker attacks and pivots around accordingly (generates momentum, increases reward of offensive play) and amazingly leads (except vs suicide leads and faster scarfers).
Genesect can also adapt its set to the team, but in most cases it performs best with the moveset of U-turn / Iron Head / Ice Beam / Espeed and with the choice scarf item. The last slot can also be changed to Magic Coat, Thunder Wave or Explosion for more utility, but the lack of a priority move is often felt (or maybe that's just me wanting to run priority on everything). The scarf set is uniquely the best offensive check to a lot of pokemon that usually lack (hard punishable) offensive counter play like choice scarf Darmanitan-G that would usually only get threatened out by scarf Caly-S which can't at all safely switch into it nor punish Yveltal switching in hard immedietaly apart from Trick (which means it can no longer check Darmanitan). A lot of these pokemon that usually can't easily ohko Genesect are crippled by it, which is a rare utility. Pokemon like Pheromosa, scarf Darm-G, scarf Kyogre and scarf Xerneas, which usually require defensive answers because they outspeed and threaten your offensive pokemon.
Genesect can run all three choice items very successfully. Choice band's main selling point are it's absurdly strong U-turns and Extreme Speeds. With jolly and an attack boost it gets to 762 atk just for switching in, and that's just jolly too! With adamant it reaches an absurd 837 attack without set up! Naturally, STAB 837 attack U-turns really sting so even a weaker move like Extreme Speed does well over 50% to anything that gives it an attack boost. Choice specs Genesect is very unexplored but also very strong. It doesn't even need a modest nature for a weak attack like flamethrower to easily 2hko NDM switching in on expected weaker U-turn (presumably it gets the spa boost on something like Zygarde or Xerneas). Eternatus takes over 70% from it's +1 Ice Beam, so it's a good check if it's at good health and not statused which is rarely the case, especially if it already previously switched into its U-turns.
Genesect can run a lot of different sets but it generally likes to have a good defensive backbone to rely on. Furthermore almost all defensive cores that decide on Genesect are improved because you can choose to deal with the opponents offensive threats either defensively or offensively.
Genesects weaknesses are susceptability to Marshadow, and inability to make progress by itself. As such Genesect is purely a team player as a scarfer. Genesect prevents losing momentum and that's why it's worth using. Of course a team needs to be built with it in mind, so it's not that slappable, but it's consistent and effective.
Genesect is a support pokemon that ensures that you have momentum on your side. It is also incredible for forcing chip damage and forcing switches. It’s the best way to force chip on crucial defensive pokemon like NDM, Kyogre and Yveltal. In this vane it crates win-win scenario for the user, if the opponent stays in you get your chip, if they switch you get initative. Nothing else in the Ubers tier can do that as effectively and consistently as Genesect can. All the other things I said are just added bonuses, compared to how useful and crucial this aspect of Genesect is. On a lot of other pokemon I covered I also wrote for which could obviously benefit hugely from partnering with Genesect.
Genesect is more than just viable, it's incredible. Choice Band makes Darmanitan-G and Zacian-C look like UU pokemon and Choice Specs leaves Kyogre behind in the dust with its incredible movepool, power, coverage, typing and U-turn. And as such I am proposing it to be raised up to B at least. If it is my honest opinion in question, I would put it right above Ferrothorn at the top of the A tier. The only reason as to why I’m not nominating it higher is because I’m trying to be reasonable (you’re welcome), because it enforces a different team style to be effective (in the sense that the team needs to be built with it in mind) and because it is often a liability in the midgame, when most its checks are still at high health.
Reshiram (“A.K.A. Big White Chicken?”)
Firstly, I would like to clarify, RESHIRAM IS NOT A CHICKEN!!! Now that that’s out of the way I can start.
Reshirams biggest weakness is that it doesn’t contribute to its team’s defensive integrity. So when you are aiming to switch into your opponent’s attacks you will almost always be using your other pokemon for that purpose. Stealth Rock and other hazards can be annoying but losing 25% and getting a kill for it is well worth it (obviously). Another important thing is that it requires good prediction, conditioning and understanding of the risk reward when attacking.
Now that we cleared Reshiram’s weaknesses, we can move on to why it’s worth using. Reshiram is an unmatched wallbreaker as it can ohko or 2hko the entire Ubers metagame. Of course, Groudon’s sun support is appreciated, but it doesn’t need sun to do work. The only truly safe pokemon vs it are Diancie and Lunala. Diancie avoids being 2hkod even in sun, but one round of rocks and it’s in trouble. Naturally it threatens Reshiram with Diamond Storm, but it’s only niche on stall teams, and it’s outclassed by Tyranitar most often. Lunala can almost avoid being 2hkod in sun, but it’s the closest thing to a counter, (other than something like specially defensive Kyogre). These two were the only sustainable Reshiram switch ins that don’t simply die in two hits. Pokemon that can tank 1 hit from Reshiram consist of Ho-Oh, Blissey, Kyogre and Tyranitar. That’s it. Reshiram of course has coverage for all of them, in Body Press and a rock move for Ho-Oh. And regarding everything else, they just die in one shot.
Reshiram can also use moves like Roost for prolonged terror, Flame Charge to beat Lunala and potentially sweep as well as Rock Slide over Stone Edge to improve consistency. I would suggest against a naive nature on Reshiram because it takes away from the option of being able to stay in on Eternatus or Calyrex-S and OHKO them for the greater benefit of the team.
Reshiram can also use Choice Scarf and Heavy Duty Boots. Choice Scarf is very team specific but very rewarding. Choice Scarf is incredible for its ability to newly outspeed and OHKO or 2HKO pokemon that could previously try and force it out. Even with a Choice Scarf, Reshiram still hits very hard and its typing is also of great value. On this set I would suggest running Shadow Ball for the OHKO on Calyrex-S because it only really needs Blue Flare and Draco Meteor, so it can easily afford it. On Choice Scarf Reshiram sun support is the least needed. HDB on the other hand lacks the OHKO potential of LO but makes up for it by allowing yourself to trade rocks with the opponent without suffering a disadvantage. On HDB I would suggest using Roost to further enhance its performance in this function.
Reshiram is the boss, but is only really useful offensively apart from taking a Moonblast from defensive Xerneas or similar. That’s why it needs its team to heavily invest in pokemon that can compress roles well and 1v1 a lot of stuff, like specially defensive Groudon and Ho-Oh. Reshiram teams can’t afford the passivity of yen teams unless it’s using a HDB set so it’s often hard to build with. Because of these issues I am nominating it to B- or C+.
Ho-Oh (that is a chicken)
Ho-Oh is, believe it or not, SOMEHOW EVEN BETTER THAN GENESECT. I know this sounds unbelievable, but I must admit that that was very hard to say, but it for sure is true!
Now that you have an idea of how good and easily slappable Ho-Oh is, I will explain why. Ho-Oh only really needs one set to be extremely effective, and that would be offensive HDB. This stupidly broken chicken 1v1s just about the entire tier, while gaining health with every switch! This frees up Ho-Oh from Roost and allows it to fit more moves onto its moveset that it couldn’t fit normally like dual stab and both Defog and Twave. Its very hard to switch into and it requires teams to use dedicated switch ins for it, that can still sometimes simply be overwhelmed by its efforts.
It also helps that the main rocker in the tier gets smoked by it, meaning it gets free opportunities to fire of its attack consistently. To boot Defog is incredibly easy to pull off. The only bad news is that Meteor Beam Eternatus exists and that it gets absolutely demolished by all variants of Kyogre.
With very few and evident weaknesses, the ability to 1v1 basically everything, heal by switching (which is simply broken) and spreading status easily Ho-Oh is just incredible. Something like Zygarde, Marshadow or even Yveltal couldn’t hope to provide so much utility to the team and still having an incredible damage output. That’s why I’m nominating it to S. Not sure exactly where, but not above Yveltal.
Kyurem-W
Kyurem-W is clearly unfit to be in D rank given its typing and stats. With 170 base spa, stab Ice Beam and Draco Meteor it tears open some of the most popular pokemon in the tier. Unlike Kyurem-B, it can actually punish NDM attempting to get a free switch with a powerful Fusion Flare. In this sense of a strong dragon type special attacker it is similar to Reshiram.
Unlike Reshiram, it actually has defensive utility. Specifically, the ability to take a hit from Kyogre as well as threaten it heavily with Freeze-Dry. Kyurem-W also has very respectable special bulk, allowing it to run an AV set that can survive a Meteor Beam from Eternatus or a +1 Dynamax Cannon. And since it can so easily manage the most threatening Eternatus variant that is dealing super effective damage to it, it can easily stave off all of Kyogre’s attacks.
As for offensive purposes, Kyurem-W’s Ice Beam and Fusion Flare combination separate it from something like Eternatus because Kyurem threatens to 2HKO NDM on the switch and either OHKO or 2HKO most other pokemon. It can be prediction reliant and it’s speed leaves something to be desired but as a Kyogre backbone it is often threatening.
The Assault Vest set mentioned earlier necessitates Groudon support to be able to 2HKO (specially defensive) NDM. This set struggles a bit more with NDM, but deals with Kyogre and Eternatus much better. It’s also nice when LO also isn’t digging into its HP.
Life Orb is probably the most consistent and easiest to fit on a team, because it can 2HKO NDM without sun support. Having a 30% boost also sometimes allows it to get some crucial OHKOs like on Calyrex-S with Draco Meteor, or non specially defensive Eternatus with Ice Beam. This set is very smooth playing and can be lead off pretty easily since it heavily threatens many pokemon, especially Groudon. Groudon specifically is an amazing lead match up because sun boosts its Fusion Flares, making it even easier to play around NDM. For its NDM weakening antics it’s a good pairing for Darm-G and Geomancy Xerneas.
Specs is probably the worst of the three so far because it doesn’t at all need the extra power, and the inability to switch moves really hurts. Specs sounds nice on paper but in practice, even if you predict right, the opponent can just switch accordingly after surviving your attack and heal later. Specs is often worth using and is very team specific in my opinion. If you do decide on specs however, you definitely need to use Earth Power over Fusion Flare to 2HKO NDM in rain.
HDB and Utility Umbrella deserve an honorary mention. These can more reliably check Kyogre than the other sets or Eternatus. It is much less passive than Eternatus in this role but it is most often still outclassed on most teams because of having higher speed and better defensive typing. I would suggest against Choice Scarf because it doesn’t have enough power to pose a threat without being able to switch moves or not having its moves powered up. That makes it both unrewarding and prediction reliant. It also losses a lot of momentum.
Because of these reasons I believe it possess many different viable and effective niches, therefore deserving of a higher rank. I am nominating it to C+ or B-. Don’t forget to be careful around hazards.
Naganadel (A.K.A. “Eternatus +”)
Naganadel is an underrated presence in the SS Ubers metagame. It is generally viewed as a lesser Eternatus (when, really, the opposite is the case). Naganadel is very hard to build with, but any team that can be made with it automatically possess some amazing qualities. Now you have an incredible way to punish NDM switch ins, specifically with Spikes.
Naganadel should be used with Eject Pack. Naganadel can spike on the switches it forces and it also helps that it can take a hit or two in a pinch, allowing it to set up more hazards. When it has already laid some spikes down, it’s time to use up the Eject Pack to force even more damage on whatever switches in as well as get a free switch to a teammate that can threaten its most common switch ins out.
When building a team with it (what, I need to warn you, is extremely difficult) you want to be able to punish its most common switch ins which include Yveltal, Ho-Oh and of course NDM. That’s why it enjoys the presence of teammates like Groudon (that can even power up its Fire Blasts to 2HKO NDM on the switch after a round or two of Spikes) as well as Pheromosa that can help lure Ho-Oh itself to freely get Groudon in and more importantly take out Yveltal trying to Defog. Pheromosa can also help in the weakening of NDM, and given that NDM is one of its best checks, it really appreciates it getting chipped by spikes.
Sludge Bomb is crucial to its functioning because that way it can threaten Defog attempts and proceed to lay down more Spikes. Beast Boost is also nice in endgame scenarios because it can get a speed boost from picking up a ko and deal damage to its next target that would normally outspeed it (crucially breaking Calyrex-S’ Focus Sash, etc.). A modest nature is also a viable option on Naganadel to get a spa boost after a ko as well as deal more damage in general. It doesn’t lose out on many pokemon so it is definitely a viable option.
Naganadel isn’t as viable as the pokemon I covered previously but it is definitely not deserving of the D rank. It has a solid niche in the metagame, even if its hard to fit. That’s why I am nominating it to C-.
Cinderace
Cinderace is a similar case to Naganadel in the sense that its niche isn’t all that incredible. But I think its niche is better than Naganadel’s because it is a lot less specialized and easy to fit on teams, it also has the ability to run more than one set viably and finally it is much more offensively threatening.
Cinderace actually isn’t that useful when it comes to hazard control, as it is more offensively minded. That job is better done by Ho-Oh given that Cinderace doesn’t have anything that can defensively set it apart from Ho-Oh in the hazard removal department. That’s why I would suggest against Court Change in most cases.
Firstly the Life Orb set. Life Orb means that Cinderace is going to be adapting a Bulk Up movest consisting of the moves Pyro Ball / Zen Headbutt / Bulk Up / Sucker Punch. Sucker Punch can be replaced by High Jump Kick or Gunk Shot, but those are generally a lot less useful than Sucker Punch. Pyro Ball and Zen Headbutt are givens because those two are crucial to its function. Pyro Ball provides a strong stab move (that won’t take half your health if you don’t hit a target unlike HJK) and provides a way to threaten NDM and Groudon with heavy damage. Zen Headbutt is a must because of the existence of Eternatus. If you were to go with any other moves, Eternatus (and Toxapex) would just wall you forever. Zen is also useful for hitting Ho-Oh for strong neutral damage.
Bulk Up being a fighting type move often pays off because Cinderace can set up safely on Yveltal which is of great value. Sucker Punch is simple, it is a strong stab attack that hits a lot of pokemon neutrally and also has priority, allowing it to pick off faster revenge killers that took damage like Marshadow, Meteor Beam Eternatus, basically all Choice Scarfers, Pheromosa, Calyrex-S and more.
HJK is a solid option that allows it to resist Yveltal’s attack if it survives Cinderace’s hit and deal strong neutral damage to common checks like Zygarde and Kyogre. Gunk Shot fulfills a similar purpose to HJK in the sense that it threatens Ho-Oh, Kyogre and Xerneas with heavy neutral damage. Be aware of the 80% accuracy.
Other viable sets are Choice Band and Choice Scarf. For both of these I would suggest Groudon support to power up Pyro Ball.
Choice Band hits really hard with sun support, but it doesn’t need sun to be effective. Although with sun it is capable of easily OHKOing Yveltal and dealing 90% to Groudon which is no small feat, and while it does have a few not so good match ups, like Kyogre, Zygarde and Ho-Oh, it has a way to deal strong damage to them or simply just U-turn to come back in later. For Choice Band I would suggest the moveset of Pyro Ball / HJK or Gunk Shot / Zen Headutt / U-turn. The moves’ reasoning remains the same as on the LO set. For the Choice Band set hazards are recommended as well as partnering with another physical attacking teammate to try and overwhelm defensive answeres like Zygarde and Toxapex together. I would suggest using Gunk over HJK for more greater consistency vs Ho-Oh.
Choice Scarf has greatly lower damage output but functions similar to Genesect. But if you’re wondering, why not just use Genesect then? I’ve gotta say, I like the way you think and because Genesect doesn’t have stab Pyro Ball in the sun and Court Change. On Choice Scarf Court Change is basically mandatory to provide the most utility for the team. It is also very useful in HO match ups because it can quite literally turn the tables against them (see what I did there?). It’s very good for most revenge killing purposes, especially if the sun is up.
Cinderace’s most viable set in my opinion is LO because if you get it in on a double switch, it can often result in getting multiple Bulk Up boosts and a KO. Choice Band struggles to force KOs effectively because Cinderace isn’t very strong by Ubers standards, even with CB and stab on all of its moves, so it doesn’t do the purpose of wallbreaking very effectively. To add to this it has 0 defensive utility, but at least it’s fast so it can KO the opponent before it gets KOd. Choice Scarf is mainly suited to very offensive teams that can make up for its even weaker moves. Teams that need a faster scarfer and are already using offensive Groudon.
Genesect of course proves to be a good partner for Cinderace, crucially luring in Ho-Oh to be abused by a teammate and forcing damage on Eternatus and Kyogre for Cinderace to pose a greater threat later in the game when it gets a chance to set up with Bulk Up. It isn’t that good of a partner with the CB variant because Cinderace already has 0 defensive utility, meaning that you have very little flexibility in the builder. That issue is more apparent with the CB variant because it will need to switch in multiple times in a battle to wallbreak, while the Bulk Up variant comes in once or twice on a double, gets a kill or two, and gets KOd itself. Of course, Scarf Cinderace is direct competition to Genesect so you aren’t going to use them together.
Overall Cinderace is a bit underwhelming, but even just considering its LO Bulk Up set, I’d say it’s deserving of the C- rank. I know I didn’t give it a showcase in tour, but in my defense, I didn’t have a team with it ready at the time.
Darmanitan-G
I love this mon. Leading and OHKOing something is always very fun. With a bit of prediction you’ll be getting KOs left and right with him. The best part is, it’s viable even on those boring yen teams!
This guy can only be rasied a tier because with its Choice Band set it has insane damage output, rivaling those of even Choice Band Genesect and Zacian-C! CB Darm leaves weaker physical attackers like Groudon and Marshadow in the dust as it proceeds to slowly beat your entire team all by itself. Having the same damage output as the rest of the team combined should speak to how crazy its damage output is.
Naturally, paring it with other strong attackers like the aforementioned Marshadow and Groudon is always nice because they can pair up for an intense combined assault. Not playing passively is recommended as to not let rocks go up which would otherwise limit your ability to make progress. With Darm-G you should put effort in preventing rocks from going up or getting rid of them, rather than going for your own if the opponent’s are already set up. They would most definitely hurt you more than them so simply don’t use them in these scenarios, or at all. Rocks extra damage really isn’t that important if you already have 800 atk.
Choice Scarf is also nice but team specific. It leads of better and appreciates sun support even more to be able to pressure NDM in the same way that CB could, and that is with an OHKO.
CB Darm loves being partnered up with Genesect, because it can weakens something that could take a hit from it or generates momentum for the team. Darm-G can even join in on the U-turn spam and pivot around its switch ins. Specifically, they partner up to easily overwhelm NDM and Kyogre without troublesome predictions.
Darm-G needs less explaining you already know what it does. I just think that it’s a very solid wallbreaker and that people tend to play it wrong with their passive yen teams. If played properly, I think it has a place in the A rank.
Weavile
Similar to Darm-G, unless you’re using boots, you should be focusing on relieving hazard pressure from your team as you are hurt by hazards more than your opponent is. Weavile also has another argument against standard yen procedure, and that is knock spam. Knock Off is already abused by at least Yveltal, and since they’re both likely to target the same pokemon with Knock Off (NDM, Kyogre, Ho-Oh), you should avoid using Knock Off, and if you’re not using Knock you might as well remove rocks from your NDM. I also think that on team that want to spam Knock, Throat Chop should be considered.
On teams that don’t have other Knock spammers, Weavile is much more threatening after an SD, especially if it’s using a Focus Sash to benefit from rocks’ absence (which is what you’re already trying to do if you’re not using rocks yourself), makes it a lot more threatening. It can often trade 2 or even 3 for 1 and punch a lot of holes in the opponents team.
Genesect, as you could have presumed, is an incredible partner, weakening stuff and letting them fall into +2 Weavile range. U-turns on pokemon such as Kyogre and NDM are useful because they can no longer stave Weavile off, and as such it is one step closer to sweeping, which couldn’t be possible without that crucial, usually hard to obtain chip damage.
I wouldn’t know much about CB or HDB moveset, but since you guys put it in A I’m presuming they’re not as good as Focus Sash without hazards. Because in my Stealth Rock-less experience, it was deserving of the A+ rank. I think the main problem, like with Darm-G, is that it isn’t optimally utilized.
Kyurem-B
This mon is garbage. It is super mega outclassed by every other offensive Ice type in the tier, I think even regular Kyurem has an argument over it thanks to Pressure, superior spa and Earth Power.
Don’t use him! It’s completely stonewalled by every steel type in the tier, it can’t even break Genesect reliably! And thanks to its low powered moves and trash coverage it can’t threaten much of anything. Not even the frailer attacker in the tier are seriously threatened by it. Marshadow and even Cinderace can use it as set up fodder, and those are not known by their bulk.
Kyurem-B’s only saving grace is the Fling DD moveset, which is actually really threatening because it can turn it’s perfect counter into an opportunity for mindgames. The problem with it is that Fling is one time use, making it very hard to make consistent use of it, and it’s not like it’s sweeping if it gets you with Fling, there’s still a lot that can take at least one hit or outspeed it or something. If NDM is out of the picture, this guy looks like a god because between its stabs and fusion bolt, it threatens a clean sweep as soon as it gets going. A problem is also presented by Ferrothorn.
In conclusion, Kyurem-B is garbage, other than that Fling moveset if you get multiple predictions right. The real problem of Kyurem-B is inconsistency and reliance on Fling, which is very unreliable. As such I don’t deny it has a niche, it’s just that the niche isn’t enough to make it a tournament worthy choice in my eyes. That’s why I’m nominating it to D.
Lunala
Lunala is a Defogger with no real counters other than Blissey and Tyranitar which are relegated to stall (or weirdos). It has many ways to punish its only good switch, Yveltal. That can be trough Ice Beam, Moonblast and status (most commonly Will-O-Wisp).
There are four main Lunala sets and those would be defensive Defog, Offensive Defog, Scarf and Specs. The Defensive Defogger is already generally acknowledged so I won’t talk about it. Rather, I’ll move your attention to my sets (or at least I didn’t see anyone else use them seriously).
Offensive Defogger Lunala is very splashable on any teams in need of a Defogger that can check common ground types and help exert offensive pressure through its ghost stab and Ice Beam coverage. It’s a natural fit on offensive teams that don’t want to stack Kyogre-weaks and as such don’t want to use Ho-Oh for Defogging purposes. Lunala is an incredible alternative that can help make progress through forcing switches and Yveltal to Roost. One of the easiest ways to exploit it is to pray on it losing momentum.
Because of its incredible role compression, this set enjoys a pairing with Genesect. It doesn’t get too many direct advantages to itself by being paired with Genesect, other making it easier to dance around opposing Eternatus, Zekrom and Groudon, but it and Genesect can help support the same pokemon and Genesect can insure that momentum is on your side, even if something like Lunala slows you down.
The moveset for both Scarf and Specs Lunala is: Moongeist Beam / Psyshock / Moonblast / Trick.
Scarf Lunala is a more team specific set. It is a unique scarfer because of its massive bulk even with no investment. The ability to always be able to take at least one hit from anything is also useful. It also hugely helps out vs Eternatus. It can sometimes enjoy a double scarf pairing with Genesect.
Specs Lunala is super strong as it newly 2HKOs even specially defensive Yveltal variants with Moonblast. It can wallbreak very effectively and it’s definitely no slouch in the hit taking department. Its stab and coverage is actually really good now that it’s boosted by Choice Specs, now it can blast trough neutral targets like Kyogre, Ho-Oh and Blissey with ease. This set is definitely very worthwhile and I would suggest trying it out.
Lunala is very effective even with just it’s standard set. It stonewalls pokemon that would usually be the best stallbreakers in the game with ease. Its Offensive sets are as effective because of its decent base stats, good stab and amazing coverage. Lunala is deserving of the top of A- or bottom A rank in my opinion.
I was planning to cover more stuff but I ran out of time. But generally, I just wanna say that Xern, Kyogre and Groudon should be considered for a raise, and Calyrex-S for a drop.
Genesect (A.K.A. “The G.O.A.T.” A.K.A. “Best SS Scarfer”)
Genesect is, simply put, INCREDIBLE. Important to note is when one builds a Genesect team, they just build with the idea of having a Genesect on the team and as such teammates are chosen and adapted to it's presence on a team (similar to building with yen). In essence, what makes Genesect so incredible is that it's a back up check to most offensive threats in the metagame, the ease with which it switches into weaker attacks and pivots around accordingly (generates momentum, increases reward of offensive play) and amazingly leads (except vs suicide leads and faster scarfers).
Genesect can also adapt its set to the team, but in most cases it performs best with the moveset of U-turn / Iron Head / Ice Beam / Espeed and with the choice scarf item. The last slot can also be changed to Magic Coat, Thunder Wave or Explosion for more utility, but the lack of a priority move is often felt (or maybe that's just me wanting to run priority on everything). The scarf set is uniquely the best offensive check to a lot of pokemon that usually lack (hard punishable) offensive counter play like choice scarf Darmanitan-G that would usually only get threatened out by scarf Caly-S which can't at all safely switch into it nor punish Yveltal switching in hard immedietaly apart from Trick (which means it can no longer check Darmanitan). A lot of these pokemon that usually can't easily ohko Genesect are crippled by it, which is a rare utility. Pokemon like Pheromosa, scarf Darm-G, scarf Kyogre and scarf Xerneas, which usually require defensive answers because they outspeed and threaten your offensive pokemon.
Genesect can run all three choice items very successfully. Choice band's main selling point are it's absurdly strong U-turns and Extreme Speeds. With jolly and an attack boost it gets to 762 atk just for switching in, and that's just jolly too! With adamant it reaches an absurd 837 attack without set up! Naturally, STAB 837 attack U-turns really sting so even a weaker move like Extreme Speed does well over 50% to anything that gives it an attack boost. Choice specs Genesect is very unexplored but also very strong. It doesn't even need a modest nature for a weak attack like flamethrower to easily 2hko NDM switching in on expected weaker U-turn (presumably it gets the spa boost on something like Zygarde or Xerneas). Eternatus takes over 70% from it's +1 Ice Beam, so it's a good check if it's at good health and not statused which is rarely the case, especially if it already previously switched into its U-turns.
Genesect can run a lot of different sets but it generally likes to have a good defensive backbone to rely on. Furthermore almost all defensive cores that decide on Genesect are improved because you can choose to deal with the opponents offensive threats either defensively or offensively.
Genesects weaknesses are susceptability to Marshadow, and inability to make progress by itself. As such Genesect is purely a team player as a scarfer. Genesect prevents losing momentum and that's why it's worth using. Of course a team needs to be built with it in mind, so it's not that slappable, but it's consistent and effective.
Genesect is a support pokemon that ensures that you have momentum on your side. It is also incredible for forcing chip damage and forcing switches. It’s the best way to force chip on crucial defensive pokemon like NDM, Kyogre and Yveltal. In this vane it crates win-win scenario for the user, if the opponent stays in you get your chip, if they switch you get initative. Nothing else in the Ubers tier can do that as effectively and consistently as Genesect can. All the other things I said are just added bonuses, compared to how useful and crucial this aspect of Genesect is. On a lot of other pokemon I covered I also wrote for which could obviously benefit hugely from partnering with Genesect.
Genesect is more than just viable, it's incredible. Choice Band makes Darmanitan-G and Zacian-C look like UU pokemon and Choice Specs leaves Kyogre behind in the dust with its incredible movepool, power, coverage, typing and U-turn. And as such I am proposing it to be raised up to B at least. If it is my honest opinion in question, I would put it right above Ferrothorn at the top of the A tier. The only reason as to why I’m not nominating it higher is because I’m trying to be reasonable (you’re welcome), because it enforces a different team style to be effective (in the sense that the team needs to be built with it in mind) and because it is often a liability in the midgame, when most its checks are still at high health.
Reshiram (“A.K.A. Big White Chicken?”)
Firstly, I would like to clarify, RESHIRAM IS NOT A CHICKEN!!! Now that that’s out of the way I can start.
Reshirams biggest weakness is that it doesn’t contribute to its team’s defensive integrity. So when you are aiming to switch into your opponent’s attacks you will almost always be using your other pokemon for that purpose. Stealth Rock and other hazards can be annoying but losing 25% and getting a kill for it is well worth it (obviously). Another important thing is that it requires good prediction, conditioning and understanding of the risk reward when attacking.
Now that we cleared Reshiram’s weaknesses, we can move on to why it’s worth using. Reshiram is an unmatched wallbreaker as it can ohko or 2hko the entire Ubers metagame. Of course, Groudon’s sun support is appreciated, but it doesn’t need sun to do work. The only truly safe pokemon vs it are Diancie and Lunala. Diancie avoids being 2hkod even in sun, but one round of rocks and it’s in trouble. Naturally it threatens Reshiram with Diamond Storm, but it’s only niche on stall teams, and it’s outclassed by Tyranitar most often. Lunala can almost avoid being 2hkod in sun, but it’s the closest thing to a counter, (other than something like specially defensive Kyogre). These two were the only sustainable Reshiram switch ins that don’t simply die in two hits. Pokemon that can tank 1 hit from Reshiram consist of Ho-Oh, Blissey, Kyogre and Tyranitar. That’s it. Reshiram of course has coverage for all of them, in Body Press and a rock move for Ho-Oh. And regarding everything else, they just die in one shot.
Reshiram can also use moves like Roost for prolonged terror, Flame Charge to beat Lunala and potentially sweep as well as Rock Slide over Stone Edge to improve consistency. I would suggest against a naive nature on Reshiram because it takes away from the option of being able to stay in on Eternatus or Calyrex-S and OHKO them for the greater benefit of the team.
Reshiram can also use Choice Scarf and Heavy Duty Boots. Choice Scarf is very team specific but very rewarding. Choice Scarf is incredible for its ability to newly outspeed and OHKO or 2HKO pokemon that could previously try and force it out. Even with a Choice Scarf, Reshiram still hits very hard and its typing is also of great value. On this set I would suggest running Shadow Ball for the OHKO on Calyrex-S because it only really needs Blue Flare and Draco Meteor, so it can easily afford it. On Choice Scarf Reshiram sun support is the least needed. HDB on the other hand lacks the OHKO potential of LO but makes up for it by allowing yourself to trade rocks with the opponent without suffering a disadvantage. On HDB I would suggest using Roost to further enhance its performance in this function.
Reshiram is the boss, but is only really useful offensively apart from taking a Moonblast from defensive Xerneas or similar. That’s why it needs its team to heavily invest in pokemon that can compress roles well and 1v1 a lot of stuff, like specially defensive Groudon and Ho-Oh. Reshiram teams can’t afford the passivity of yen teams unless it’s using a HDB set so it’s often hard to build with. Because of these issues I am nominating it to B- or C+.
Ho-Oh (that is a chicken)
Ho-Oh is, believe it or not, SOMEHOW EVEN BETTER THAN GENESECT. I know this sounds unbelievable, but I must admit that that was very hard to say, but it for sure is true!
Now that you have an idea of how good and easily slappable Ho-Oh is, I will explain why. Ho-Oh only really needs one set to be extremely effective, and that would be offensive HDB. This stupidly broken chicken 1v1s just about the entire tier, while gaining health with every switch! This frees up Ho-Oh from Roost and allows it to fit more moves onto its moveset that it couldn’t fit normally like dual stab and both Defog and Twave. Its very hard to switch into and it requires teams to use dedicated switch ins for it, that can still sometimes simply be overwhelmed by its efforts.
It also helps that the main rocker in the tier gets smoked by it, meaning it gets free opportunities to fire of its attack consistently. To boot Defog is incredibly easy to pull off. The only bad news is that Meteor Beam Eternatus exists and that it gets absolutely demolished by all variants of Kyogre.
With very few and evident weaknesses, the ability to 1v1 basically everything, heal by switching (which is simply broken) and spreading status easily Ho-Oh is just incredible. Something like Zygarde, Marshadow or even Yveltal couldn’t hope to provide so much utility to the team and still having an incredible damage output. That’s why I’m nominating it to S. Not sure exactly where, but not above Yveltal.
Kyurem-W
Kyurem-W is clearly unfit to be in D rank given its typing and stats. With 170 base spa, stab Ice Beam and Draco Meteor it tears open some of the most popular pokemon in the tier. Unlike Kyurem-B, it can actually punish NDM attempting to get a free switch with a powerful Fusion Flare. In this sense of a strong dragon type special attacker it is similar to Reshiram.
Unlike Reshiram, it actually has defensive utility. Specifically, the ability to take a hit from Kyogre as well as threaten it heavily with Freeze-Dry. Kyurem-W also has very respectable special bulk, allowing it to run an AV set that can survive a Meteor Beam from Eternatus or a +1 Dynamax Cannon. And since it can so easily manage the most threatening Eternatus variant that is dealing super effective damage to it, it can easily stave off all of Kyogre’s attacks.
As for offensive purposes, Kyurem-W’s Ice Beam and Fusion Flare combination separate it from something like Eternatus because Kyurem threatens to 2HKO NDM on the switch and either OHKO or 2HKO most other pokemon. It can be prediction reliant and it’s speed leaves something to be desired but as a Kyogre backbone it is often threatening.
The Assault Vest set mentioned earlier necessitates Groudon support to be able to 2HKO (specially defensive) NDM. This set struggles a bit more with NDM, but deals with Kyogre and Eternatus much better. It’s also nice when LO also isn’t digging into its HP.
Life Orb is probably the most consistent and easiest to fit on a team, because it can 2HKO NDM without sun support. Having a 30% boost also sometimes allows it to get some crucial OHKOs like on Calyrex-S with Draco Meteor, or non specially defensive Eternatus with Ice Beam. This set is very smooth playing and can be lead off pretty easily since it heavily threatens many pokemon, especially Groudon. Groudon specifically is an amazing lead match up because sun boosts its Fusion Flares, making it even easier to play around NDM. For its NDM weakening antics it’s a good pairing for Darm-G and Geomancy Xerneas.
Specs is probably the worst of the three so far because it doesn’t at all need the extra power, and the inability to switch moves really hurts. Specs sounds nice on paper but in practice, even if you predict right, the opponent can just switch accordingly after surviving your attack and heal later. Specs is often worth using and is very team specific in my opinion. If you do decide on specs however, you definitely need to use Earth Power over Fusion Flare to 2HKO NDM in rain.
HDB and Utility Umbrella deserve an honorary mention. These can more reliably check Kyogre than the other sets or Eternatus. It is much less passive than Eternatus in this role but it is most often still outclassed on most teams because of having higher speed and better defensive typing. I would suggest against Choice Scarf because it doesn’t have enough power to pose a threat without being able to switch moves or not having its moves powered up. That makes it both unrewarding and prediction reliant. It also losses a lot of momentum.
Because of these reasons I believe it possess many different viable and effective niches, therefore deserving of a higher rank. I am nominating it to C+ or B-. Don’t forget to be careful around hazards.
Naganadel (A.K.A. “Eternatus +”)
Naganadel is an underrated presence in the SS Ubers metagame. It is generally viewed as a lesser Eternatus (when, really, the opposite is the case). Naganadel is very hard to build with, but any team that can be made with it automatically possess some amazing qualities. Now you have an incredible way to punish NDM switch ins, specifically with Spikes.
Naganadel should be used with Eject Pack. Naganadel can spike on the switches it forces and it also helps that it can take a hit or two in a pinch, allowing it to set up more hazards. When it has already laid some spikes down, it’s time to use up the Eject Pack to force even more damage on whatever switches in as well as get a free switch to a teammate that can threaten its most common switch ins out.
When building a team with it (what, I need to warn you, is extremely difficult) you want to be able to punish its most common switch ins which include Yveltal, Ho-Oh and of course NDM. That’s why it enjoys the presence of teammates like Groudon (that can even power up its Fire Blasts to 2HKO NDM on the switch after a round or two of Spikes) as well as Pheromosa that can help lure Ho-Oh itself to freely get Groudon in and more importantly take out Yveltal trying to Defog. Pheromosa can also help in the weakening of NDM, and given that NDM is one of its best checks, it really appreciates it getting chipped by spikes.
Sludge Bomb is crucial to its functioning because that way it can threaten Defog attempts and proceed to lay down more Spikes. Beast Boost is also nice in endgame scenarios because it can get a speed boost from picking up a ko and deal damage to its next target that would normally outspeed it (crucially breaking Calyrex-S’ Focus Sash, etc.). A modest nature is also a viable option on Naganadel to get a spa boost after a ko as well as deal more damage in general. It doesn’t lose out on many pokemon so it is definitely a viable option.
Naganadel isn’t as viable as the pokemon I covered previously but it is definitely not deserving of the D rank. It has a solid niche in the metagame, even if its hard to fit. That’s why I am nominating it to C-.
Cinderace
Cinderace is a similar case to Naganadel in the sense that its niche isn’t all that incredible. But I think its niche is better than Naganadel’s because it is a lot less specialized and easy to fit on teams, it also has the ability to run more than one set viably and finally it is much more offensively threatening.
Cinderace actually isn’t that useful when it comes to hazard control, as it is more offensively minded. That job is better done by Ho-Oh given that Cinderace doesn’t have anything that can defensively set it apart from Ho-Oh in the hazard removal department. That’s why I would suggest against Court Change in most cases.
Firstly the Life Orb set. Life Orb means that Cinderace is going to be adapting a Bulk Up movest consisting of the moves Pyro Ball / Zen Headbutt / Bulk Up / Sucker Punch. Sucker Punch can be replaced by High Jump Kick or Gunk Shot, but those are generally a lot less useful than Sucker Punch. Pyro Ball and Zen Headbutt are givens because those two are crucial to its function. Pyro Ball provides a strong stab move (that won’t take half your health if you don’t hit a target unlike HJK) and provides a way to threaten NDM and Groudon with heavy damage. Zen Headbutt is a must because of the existence of Eternatus. If you were to go with any other moves, Eternatus (and Toxapex) would just wall you forever. Zen is also useful for hitting Ho-Oh for strong neutral damage.
Bulk Up being a fighting type move often pays off because Cinderace can set up safely on Yveltal which is of great value. Sucker Punch is simple, it is a strong stab attack that hits a lot of pokemon neutrally and also has priority, allowing it to pick off faster revenge killers that took damage like Marshadow, Meteor Beam Eternatus, basically all Choice Scarfers, Pheromosa, Calyrex-S and more.
HJK is a solid option that allows it to resist Yveltal’s attack if it survives Cinderace’s hit and deal strong neutral damage to common checks like Zygarde and Kyogre. Gunk Shot fulfills a similar purpose to HJK in the sense that it threatens Ho-Oh, Kyogre and Xerneas with heavy neutral damage. Be aware of the 80% accuracy.
Other viable sets are Choice Band and Choice Scarf. For both of these I would suggest Groudon support to power up Pyro Ball.
Choice Band hits really hard with sun support, but it doesn’t need sun to be effective. Although with sun it is capable of easily OHKOing Yveltal and dealing 90% to Groudon which is no small feat, and while it does have a few not so good match ups, like Kyogre, Zygarde and Ho-Oh, it has a way to deal strong damage to them or simply just U-turn to come back in later. For Choice Band I would suggest the moveset of Pyro Ball / HJK or Gunk Shot / Zen Headutt / U-turn. The moves’ reasoning remains the same as on the LO set. For the Choice Band set hazards are recommended as well as partnering with another physical attacking teammate to try and overwhelm defensive answeres like Zygarde and Toxapex together. I would suggest using Gunk over HJK for more greater consistency vs Ho-Oh.
Choice Scarf has greatly lower damage output but functions similar to Genesect. But if you’re wondering, why not just use Genesect then? I’ve gotta say, I like the way you think and because Genesect doesn’t have stab Pyro Ball in the sun and Court Change. On Choice Scarf Court Change is basically mandatory to provide the most utility for the team. It is also very useful in HO match ups because it can quite literally turn the tables against them (see what I did there?). It’s very good for most revenge killing purposes, especially if the sun is up.
Cinderace’s most viable set in my opinion is LO because if you get it in on a double switch, it can often result in getting multiple Bulk Up boosts and a KO. Choice Band struggles to force KOs effectively because Cinderace isn’t very strong by Ubers standards, even with CB and stab on all of its moves, so it doesn’t do the purpose of wallbreaking very effectively. To add to this it has 0 defensive utility, but at least it’s fast so it can KO the opponent before it gets KOd. Choice Scarf is mainly suited to very offensive teams that can make up for its even weaker moves. Teams that need a faster scarfer and are already using offensive Groudon.
Genesect of course proves to be a good partner for Cinderace, crucially luring in Ho-Oh to be abused by a teammate and forcing damage on Eternatus and Kyogre for Cinderace to pose a greater threat later in the game when it gets a chance to set up with Bulk Up. It isn’t that good of a partner with the CB variant because Cinderace already has 0 defensive utility, meaning that you have very little flexibility in the builder. That issue is more apparent with the CB variant because it will need to switch in multiple times in a battle to wallbreak, while the Bulk Up variant comes in once or twice on a double, gets a kill or two, and gets KOd itself. Of course, Scarf Cinderace is direct competition to Genesect so you aren’t going to use them together.
Overall Cinderace is a bit underwhelming, but even just considering its LO Bulk Up set, I’d say it’s deserving of the C- rank. I know I didn’t give it a showcase in tour, but in my defense, I didn’t have a team with it ready at the time.
Darmanitan-G
I love this mon. Leading and OHKOing something is always very fun. With a bit of prediction you’ll be getting KOs left and right with him. The best part is, it’s viable even on those boring yen teams!
This guy can only be rasied a tier because with its Choice Band set it has insane damage output, rivaling those of even Choice Band Genesect and Zacian-C! CB Darm leaves weaker physical attackers like Groudon and Marshadow in the dust as it proceeds to slowly beat your entire team all by itself. Having the same damage output as the rest of the team combined should speak to how crazy its damage output is.
Naturally, paring it with other strong attackers like the aforementioned Marshadow and Groudon is always nice because they can pair up for an intense combined assault. Not playing passively is recommended as to not let rocks go up which would otherwise limit your ability to make progress. With Darm-G you should put effort in preventing rocks from going up or getting rid of them, rather than going for your own if the opponent’s are already set up. They would most definitely hurt you more than them so simply don’t use them in these scenarios, or at all. Rocks extra damage really isn’t that important if you already have 800 atk.
Choice Scarf is also nice but team specific. It leads of better and appreciates sun support even more to be able to pressure NDM in the same way that CB could, and that is with an OHKO.
CB Darm loves being partnered up with Genesect, because it can weakens something that could take a hit from it or generates momentum for the team. Darm-G can even join in on the U-turn spam and pivot around its switch ins. Specifically, they partner up to easily overwhelm NDM and Kyogre without troublesome predictions.
Darm-G needs less explaining you already know what it does. I just think that it’s a very solid wallbreaker and that people tend to play it wrong with their passive yen teams. If played properly, I think it has a place in the A rank.
Weavile
Similar to Darm-G, unless you’re using boots, you should be focusing on relieving hazard pressure from your team as you are hurt by hazards more than your opponent is. Weavile also has another argument against standard yen procedure, and that is knock spam. Knock Off is already abused by at least Yveltal, and since they’re both likely to target the same pokemon with Knock Off (NDM, Kyogre, Ho-Oh), you should avoid using Knock Off, and if you’re not using Knock you might as well remove rocks from your NDM. I also think that on team that want to spam Knock, Throat Chop should be considered.
On teams that don’t have other Knock spammers, Weavile is much more threatening after an SD, especially if it’s using a Focus Sash to benefit from rocks’ absence (which is what you’re already trying to do if you’re not using rocks yourself), makes it a lot more threatening. It can often trade 2 or even 3 for 1 and punch a lot of holes in the opponents team.
Genesect, as you could have presumed, is an incredible partner, weakening stuff and letting them fall into +2 Weavile range. U-turns on pokemon such as Kyogre and NDM are useful because they can no longer stave Weavile off, and as such it is one step closer to sweeping, which couldn’t be possible without that crucial, usually hard to obtain chip damage.
I wouldn’t know much about CB or HDB moveset, but since you guys put it in A I’m presuming they’re not as good as Focus Sash without hazards. Because in my Stealth Rock-less experience, it was deserving of the A+ rank. I think the main problem, like with Darm-G, is that it isn’t optimally utilized.
Kyurem-B
This mon is garbage. It is super mega outclassed by every other offensive Ice type in the tier, I think even regular Kyurem has an argument over it thanks to Pressure, superior spa and Earth Power.
Don’t use him! It’s completely stonewalled by every steel type in the tier, it can’t even break Genesect reliably! And thanks to its low powered moves and trash coverage it can’t threaten much of anything. Not even the frailer attacker in the tier are seriously threatened by it. Marshadow and even Cinderace can use it as set up fodder, and those are not known by their bulk.
Kyurem-B’s only saving grace is the Fling DD moveset, which is actually really threatening because it can turn it’s perfect counter into an opportunity for mindgames. The problem with it is that Fling is one time use, making it very hard to make consistent use of it, and it’s not like it’s sweeping if it gets you with Fling, there’s still a lot that can take at least one hit or outspeed it or something. If NDM is out of the picture, this guy looks like a god because between its stabs and fusion bolt, it threatens a clean sweep as soon as it gets going. A problem is also presented by Ferrothorn.
In conclusion, Kyurem-B is garbage, other than that Fling moveset if you get multiple predictions right. The real problem of Kyurem-B is inconsistency and reliance on Fling, which is very unreliable. As such I don’t deny it has a niche, it’s just that the niche isn’t enough to make it a tournament worthy choice in my eyes. That’s why I’m nominating it to D.
Lunala
Lunala is a Defogger with no real counters other than Blissey and Tyranitar which are relegated to stall (or weirdos). It has many ways to punish its only good switch, Yveltal. That can be trough Ice Beam, Moonblast and status (most commonly Will-O-Wisp).
There are four main Lunala sets and those would be defensive Defog, Offensive Defog, Scarf and Specs. The Defensive Defogger is already generally acknowledged so I won’t talk about it. Rather, I’ll move your attention to my sets (or at least I didn’t see anyone else use them seriously).
Offensive Defogger Lunala is very splashable on any teams in need of a Defogger that can check common ground types and help exert offensive pressure through its ghost stab and Ice Beam coverage. It’s a natural fit on offensive teams that don’t want to stack Kyogre-weaks and as such don’t want to use Ho-Oh for Defogging purposes. Lunala is an incredible alternative that can help make progress through forcing switches and Yveltal to Roost. One of the easiest ways to exploit it is to pray on it losing momentum.
Because of its incredible role compression, this set enjoys a pairing with Genesect. It doesn’t get too many direct advantages to itself by being paired with Genesect, other making it easier to dance around opposing Eternatus, Zekrom and Groudon, but it and Genesect can help support the same pokemon and Genesect can insure that momentum is on your side, even if something like Lunala slows you down.
The moveset for both Scarf and Specs Lunala is: Moongeist Beam / Psyshock / Moonblast / Trick.
Scarf Lunala is a more team specific set. It is a unique scarfer because of its massive bulk even with no investment. The ability to always be able to take at least one hit from anything is also useful. It also hugely helps out vs Eternatus. It can sometimes enjoy a double scarf pairing with Genesect.
Specs Lunala is super strong as it newly 2HKOs even specially defensive Yveltal variants with Moonblast. It can wallbreak very effectively and it’s definitely no slouch in the hit taking department. Its stab and coverage is actually really good now that it’s boosted by Choice Specs, now it can blast trough neutral targets like Kyogre, Ho-Oh and Blissey with ease. This set is definitely very worthwhile and I would suggest trying it out.
Lunala is very effective even with just it’s standard set. It stonewalls pokemon that would usually be the best stallbreakers in the game with ease. Its Offensive sets are as effective because of its decent base stats, good stab and amazing coverage. Lunala is deserving of the top of A- or bottom A rank in my opinion.
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