VGC 2018 Tier List

VGC 2018 Tier List

All rankings are in subjective, opinionated order of usefulness, not an alphabetical order. Take all rankings with a handful of salt, as I have my personal biases towards and against certain Pokemon.
These Rankings are based off of both usage stats and Pokemon’s strengths/weaknesses. The tiers range from A+ to C-.
Pokemon with Blue Names have articles detailing sets and tips for said Pokemon. Clicking on the name will open the article in a new tab.
If you disagree with any of the rankings, please feel free to comment below!
(I don't know where to place alot of the lower tier mons)
As of 5/1/2018

A Tier

These Pokemon are meta-defining threats that are incredibly useful. These are the most common and useful threats in the format that all teams should have some form of answer for.

A+ (2)

 Mega Metagross

 A (6)
 Tapu Koko
 Incineroar
 Snorlax
 Tapu Fini
 Amoonguss
Mega Gengar

 A- (9)
 Tyranitar + Mega Tyranitar
 Zapdos
 Cresselia
Mega Croissant
Mega Manectric
Mega Charizard Y
Tapu Lele
Aegislash
Kartana
B Tier
These Pokemon, while still great in their own right, require more support and thought to use efficiently. The B- Tier especially requires multiple specific tools and combinations to use effectively, and are overshadowed by options that rank above it.



B+ (10)
Porygon2
Kommo-o
Tapu Bulu
Gothitelle
Mimikyu
Azumarill
Heatran
Volcarona
Mega Kangaskhan
Celesteela

B (10)
Excadrill
Milotic
Politoed
Ludicolo
Pelipper
  Mega Gardevoir
  Mega Venusaur
Mega Charizard-X
  Ferrothorn
 Whimsicott

 B- (13)
  Thundurus-Therian
  Raichu
  Mega Latias
  Mega Swampert
  Mega Gyarados
  Suicune
  Clefairy
  Persian-Alola
  Naganadel
  Blaziken / Mega Blaziken
  Mega Camerupt
  Mega Mawile
Scrafty
C Tier
Fulfilling specific niches, these Pokemon require too much support to use consistently, yet God-like team builders and cheesy Bo1 teams can use these Pokemon adeptly.

C+ (10)
 Rotom-Heat
 Bisharp
 Rotom-Wash
 Kingdra
 Stakataka
 Hydreigon
 Gastrodon
 Togekiss
 Venusaur
 Thundurus

C (10)
 Hitmontop
 Mega Blastoise
 Marowak-Alola
 Bronzong
 Nidoking
 Greninja
 Nihilego
 Porygon-Z
 Blacephelon
 Gigalith

C-  (10)
 Entei
 Xurkitree
 Terrakion
 Ninetales-Alola
 Orangaru
Torkoal
 Stop it Kim Joohwan
 Mega Abomasnow
 Vanilluxe
 Sandslash-Alola
Last Updated: 2/24/18



Comments

  1. DeagleBeagleFebruary 24, 2018 at 8:15 PM

    It is hard to have a good argument for why Amoonguss is listed as 2nd tier when it does nothing but Rage Powder or a weak attack most of the time versus good teams or good players. It also is hard to say that Koko is in the 2nd tier, but no other Tapu is, when Landorus-T is the most common mon in the game and it has the fastest terrain which means it often gets out-terrained. Furthermore I see Lax as a good mon, but I don't see it in the 2nd tier, because it is setup-based and is not very consistent without the setup. It does not get the setup to work often enough to be highly consistent. Just because a lot of people used it at the Collinsville regional does not make it 2nd tier. I also think you underestimate how valuable speed control is, by not listing certain speed control and highly consistent mons vs nearly any team they might bring like Zapdos, as 2nd tier. I am also not quite sure how you define your tiers. To me A+, A, A- mean nothing. I have never been familiar with those tiers, since they never have seemed to be defined concretely to me. Using Smogon tiers seems acceptable since that is what most people are used to, but I prefer using black and white definitions.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. datedFebruary 24, 2018 at 8:53 PM

      Hello! Someone finally comments..
      I think you're missing the value that Amoonguss has in the current metagame. While Tapu Fini and Tapu Koko mitigate its effectiveness to Spore grounded Targets, there are not only a massive variety of airborne targets to Spore (e.g. Landorus, Zapdos, Cresselia) but you can also easily switch the terrain to Psychic to allow for Spores. This creates an environment in which opponents are forced to play a Terrain management game, and it eventually forces suboptimal switching. Spore also stops Trick Room setters and set up Pokemon dead in their tracks. Doing "nothing but Rage Powder" is already half of Amoonguss' job, which is to redirect attacks from your sweepers. It therefore fulfills this role very handily. Amoonguss' sole attack (if you aren't running some Grassium Z nonsense) is more often than not Clear Smog. While weak, its effect of removing all stat buffs that opponents have set up is incredibly useful. These three moves combined make Amoonguss into a very high tier threat which you are definitely underselling.
      The main selling point and threat of Tapu Koko is its incredibly fast Z move. This allows you to nuke practically every mega evolution and non-resist Pokemon for massive damage. Sure, having the fastest terrain can be a detriment, but any good player can simply switch Tapu Koko out to reset terrain. Landorus being in the format does threaten Tapu Koko heavily, however Intimidate and Electric Surge give away Speed tiers. I don't believe any player will consciously let their Tapu Koko die to a Scarf Earthquake, nor will they go for a play/attack without weighing in the possibilities of losing Tapu Koko to a slower Landorus. Tapu Koko also has the flexibility of fulfilling a supportive role with Sky Drop/Taunt and inflicting speed control with Electroweb, adding to its inherent value. Tapu Koko is therefore a potent damage threat that can KO opponents or switch out before they can move, which is why it is rated so highly.
      I find it silly that you think Snorlax is rated highly because of its usage in one regional, but in any case, Snorlax is a monster of a Pokemon. Its natural bulk and access to Gluttony + Pinch Berry allows Snorlax to continually soak up damage on the field. Because it has the option of setting up Curse/Belly Drum, opponents are therefore either forced to pour numerous resources into KOing Snorlax (in which case it can simply Recycle HP back up), or ignore Snorlax and risk losing the game after Snorlax sets up. It also does not need to set up to deal consistent damage; STAB Return off of 110 Attack does quite a number on non resisted targets. Combined with the plethora of Trick Room setters in this format, Snorlax is definitely a top tier threat.
      I am not underestimating the value of speed control in rating Zapdos below the A tier, but they are simply not as effective as the Pokemon listed above them. If a Zapdos gets off a Tailwind, thats fine and dandy, but Zapdos simply can not provide the same offensive pressure as say a Charizard or a Tyranitar. In fact, I was planning on moving Zapdos down a few places because Cresselia is a much better option for Speed control than Zapdos is. Despite lacking even more offensive presence, Cresselia, with access to both Trick Room and Icy Wind, is a contender for the A tier. With Ally Switch and bulk to protect its allies, Cresselia seems much more useful than Zapdos is in this format.
      Finally, if the tiers mean nothing to you yet they seemingly work and mean something to the majority of Pokemon players, I believe that is a personal preference and problem that you can sort out by yourself.

      Delete
    2. DeagleBeagleFebruary 24, 2018 at 9:13 PM

      To me tiers should be based on consistency + how good they are. It makes no sense to place a mon as high or top tier when it is only good to bring vs less than half of the teams, and still is not consistent the high majority of the times when you pick it. Sure you could change terrain or do some tricks to Spore something, but easier said than done. Keep in mind I did not even go into the fact that every good player will use offensive mon(s) to kill Amoonguss as well, not simply rely on terrain. Amoonguss is a defensive mon and does nothing to counter the offensive slaughter that some teams have. Out of all the tournament battles I have seen with Amoonguss, it seems rare that it actually pulls its own weight better than another mon could have. To further my point, the high-rate submissions in the UFC are armbars, rear-naked chokes, and guillotines. This is comparable to Pokemon in the sense that certain mons work well and work consistently at a significantly better ratio than others. Just because something is highly used or has high potential does not make it good. Usage is a pretty weak justification for tiers, should be based on logic and results over everything.

      Delete
    3. datedFebruary 24, 2018 at 9:20 PM

      If it's based off of consistency, then your argument makes no sense. Amoonguss pulls its weight in fulfilling its role as a damage sponge. It is not meant to counter offensive slaughter but redirect it, so that your allies can destroy opponents. I'm not sure if you're trying to help or hamper your point in saying that usage is a weak justification, because my justification for Amoonguss is entirely based off its set and not its "potential". It is a Pokemon consistently performing its role with nothing else fulfilling nearly the same niche.

      Delete
  2. Lord GodFebruary 27, 2018 at 9:14 PM

    I see Xurkitree and Oranguru are bottom tier. Maybe I'm just a god, but those two work wonderfully together.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. datedMarch 1, 2018 at 11:29 AM

      Neither Oranguru nor Xurkitree are in a good/viable state in the metagame right now; they will stay bottom tier unless someone does stupidly well with either of them. Both of them are simply outclassed

      Delete
    2. Lord GodMarch 4, 2018 at 11:38 PM

      Nah, B. Instruct gets you a double tail glow which is ridiculous. Once it gets going, it's hard to stop.

      Delete
    3. datedMarch 5, 2018 at 11:03 PM

      It takes too much to setup, alongside having to build around two subpar Pokemon susceptible to very common threats. They will stay low tier

      Delete

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Other Resources

VGC 2018 Teams

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A Compilation of Common VGC 2018 Teams! If you are just starting out, I recommend learning how to play CHALK -CHALK is a bulky team that helps you to learn the basic mechanics If you ever need help or pointers, don't be afraid to ask for help! I'll probably be online. CHALK http://pokepast.es/b172a04b8a32ecf9 Team Notes: -All of the Pokemon on this team are in the middle speed tier (low 100’s) -You have the option of Tailwind or Trick Room to outspeed opponents -Cresselia carries Icy wind, and after one Icy Wind, -Landorus will outspeed Timid 252 Tapu Koko and Gengar -Tapu Fini will outspeed Mega Metagross and Alolan Persian and Kartana -Zapdos will outspeed Mega Salamence -Kangaskhan will outspeed Positive Nature Base 100 Pokemon (Max Speed Kang) -Cresselia Underspeeds Heatran by One point, allowing it to move first in Trick Room -Especially useful in setting up Sunny Day and using Firi...
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Naganadel Analysis

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One of three new Ultra Beasts introduced in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, Naganadel finds its niche as a speedy and offensive Poison type in a Tapu filled format. With a decent speed stat, access to Tailwind, and the flexibility of Z Moves, Naganadel can serve as a check to major threats in the format. Pros *Poison Dragon is an excellent Offensive and Defensive typing in the current format *127 Special Attack allows Naganadel to OHKO all Tapus with the exception of Tapu Fini, and also provides 2HKOs with Super Effective attacks *121 Speed allows Naganadel to outspeed most of the format barring Tapu Koko and Mega Gengar, and is the fastest Tailwind setter available *Decent coverage and access to Tailwind allow Naganadel to fulfill multiple roles *Choice Scarf Naganadel outspeeds Ludicolo in the Rain, and KO’s with Sludge Bomb Cons *73 / 73 / 73 Defensive stats are lackluster; Naganadel requires Intimidate support to survive most STAB and Super Effective Physical ...
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Salamence Analysis (Mega Croissant)

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Occupying a niche as a Flying Intimidator, Salamence provides a safe check to the ever common Landorus. With a powerful spread STAB move and access to Physical sets, Salamence can fulfill the role of either a Special Attacker with Tailwind or Physical Sweeper with Dragon Dance. Pros *145 Attack and 120 Special Attack allows Mega Salamence to function as both a Physical and Special Attacker *95 / 130 / 90 Defensive Bulk is very impressive; Salamence can survive a multitude of attacks *Two incredibly useful Abilities in Intimidate and Aerilate *Fulfills the niche of a Flying Intimidator, allowing Salamence to switch into Landorus *Aerilate combined with moves such as Hyper Voice and Double-Edge allow Salamence to deal wonderful, Flying type damage, something no other Pokemon can do *Access to Tailwind, allowing Salamence to also provide Speed Control *120 Speed allow Salamence the option to outspeed threats such as Metagross, Persian, and Kartana *Able to ru...
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Lurantis Analysis

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Coming out of obscurity after the introduction of Intimidate Incineroar, Lurantis fulfills a special niche as a slow Grass Type Sweeper. Its ability Contrary allows Lurantis to deter Intimidators, while access to Superpower allows Lurantis to check Incineroar and sweep through unprepared teams. Pros *105 Attack stat is decent, considering Lurantis will almost never be below neutral Attack due to Contrary *70 / 90 / 90 Bulk allows Lurantis to survive numerous Super Effective attacks and proc its Pinch Berry *Contrary reverses stat drops such as Intimidate, giving Lurantis a +1 Attack Boost when Intimidated *Combined with Superpower, Lurantis can quickly rack up both Attack and Defense Boosts Cons *Requires both Intimidate Support and Trick Room Support to function properly *70 / 90 Defense requires Intimidate Support to survive Incineroar Flare Blitz *Common threats such as Salamence, Gengar, Incineroar, and Cresselia heavily threaten Lurantis’ longevi...
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Aegislash Analysis

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My personal favorite Ghost Type in the format, Aegislash comes back from its VGC 2015 hiatus to once again serve as an offensive and supportive threat. With its signature ability, Stance Change, Aegislash can both provide an immense offensive threat while boasting high defenses. Pros *Stance Change allows Aegislash to effectively have 50 / 150 / 150 / 150 / 150 / 60 stats, making Aegislash a solid wall and offensive threat. *Ghost / Steel typing complements Aegislash both defensively and offensively *Aegislash has eight resistances and one immunity *The introduction of Z Moves allows Aegislash to now nuke targets without having to run Life Orb, which decreases Aegislash’ longevity *Small but efficient movepool allows Aegislash to cover many threats and targets *Premier Wide Guard user, protecting allies from Spread moves Cons *The common threats of Charizard Y and Landorus-T still heavily threaten Aegislash *Z Moves also threaten Aegisla...
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Charizard Y Analysis

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Mega Evolutions are once again legal in VGC, allowing the fan favorite sun-setter back into the format. Everyone’s favorite Gen 1 starter boasts and incredibly high Special Attack along with the incredibly useful ability of Drought. Combined with a decent speed stat and passable bulk, Charizard Y threatens to blaze through teams with powerful Fire type attacks. Pros *159 Special Attack stat allows Charizard Y to hit very hard without much investment, KOing and 2HKOing targets with sun up *100 Base Speed allows Charizard Y to outspeed and KO the likes of Tapu Lele and non-Choice Scarf Landorus-T *Its Mega Evolution Ability, Drought, summons Sunny Day for 5 turns or until a different weather is summoned. *Sun not only disrupts other weathers but also boosts Charizard’s damage output while protecting it from Water type attacks *Access to a decent movepool allows Charizard Y to hit most of its weaknesses for super effective damage Cons *Fire / Flying typing i...
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Kartana Analysis

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One of seven Ultra Beasts introduced in Pokemon Sun and Moon, Kartana filled the niche of a fast and incredibly powerful Grass type Attacker. With an insane Attack stat coupled with a high speed tier, Kartana continues its dominance into 2018. Pros *181 Attack stat is the highest base value in the entire VGC 2018 format; Kartana hits over 200 Attack without any investment or boosting nature. *109 Speed Allows Kartana to hit 177 Speed, outspeeding numerous most Pokemon. Its naturally high speed means that Kartana does not have to invest too much into Speed to outspeed Positive Base 100 threats. *Kartana’s ability, Beast Boost, raises Kartana’s Attack by one stage for every KO it gets. *Thus, Kartana, with its high speed and Attack stat, can quickly snowball through opposing teams if given a kill *There is a distinct lack of viable Grass types and Fighting types in VGC 2018, which Kartana fulfills with the help of Sacred Sword *Along with USUM came USUM m...
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Landorus-T, the King of VGC

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The notorious King of VGC from 2015 is back in the format and as common as ever. With its great Attack stat, above average bulk, excellent typing, and access to Intimidate, Landorus-T looks to reclaim its throne in VGC 2018. Pros *Landorus boasts an enormous 145 Attack stat with STAB Earthquake, allowing it to deal heavy damage to multiple targets at once *Able to run immense bulk investment while retaining damage because of its Attack stat *Combined with a plethora of viable moves, Landorus can deal Super Effective damage to every single Pokemon in the format *With Intimidate and 89/90 Defensive bulk, Landorus effectively tanks Physical attacks *Ground / Flying typing is weak to only two types: Water and Ice, both of which are predominantly Special Attacks *Enormous Item flexibility; Assault Vest, Choice Scarf, Groundium Z, and Life Orb are all viable options that opponents have to watch out for *With Life Orb, Special Attacking Landorus becomes viabl...
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Gengar Analysis

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A speedy and incredibly offensive threat, Gengar is the premiere Poison type in a Tapu filled format. While no longer carrying Levitate, Gengar is still able to function exceptionally well with its Mega Form’s ability, Shadow Tag, trapping in opponents to allow your own Pokemon to set up or cycle Intimidates. Pros *Boasts an impressive 170 SpA and 130 Spe when Mega Evolved, outspeeding most of the metagame and speed tying with Tapu Koko *After Mega Evolving, Gengar gains access to Shadow Tag, one of the most useful and annoying abilities in Pokemon *As a Poison type, Gengar is immune to Fake Out and threatens KO’s on all Tapu Pokemon with Sludge Bomb Cons *Speed Ties with Tapu Koko, which is very annoying as Tapu Koko can KO Gengar before it moves *Increase in Specially Defensive bulky Pokemon mean that Gengar often misses KO’s and is counter KO’d *Ghost / Poison is not a great offensive typing when not super effective *60/80/95 Bulk means most Z Moves an...
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Snorlax Analysis

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With the introduction of Pinch Berries in 2017, Snorlax has risen to prominence as one of the best Pokemon in VGC. With its incredibly low base speed, access to consistent recovery, and a choice of set up moves, Snorlax is a bulky nuisance that can double as a Trick Room sweeper. Pros *160 / 60 / 110 Defenses allows Snorlax to tank Z Moves and Super Effective moves alike *Incredible bulk allows Snorlax to switch into moves in place of its allies *Normal Typing is great defensively, making Snorlax weak only to Fighting types *Fighting types are severely threatened in this format because of Tapus *Ability of Gluttony activates Snorlax’ Pinch Berry at 50% HP, allow Snorlax to abuse moves like Belly Drum and otherwise stay above 50% HP at all times *110 Attack stat is decent, and combined with set up moves (Curse / Belly Drum), Snorlax can become a terrifying sweeper *Base 30 Speed allows Snorlax to underspeed the majority of the format, becoming a threatenin...
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