Closed NFE Viability Rankings [Read Post #40]

[Matt_192]

NFE Viability Rankings​

S Rank: Reserved for Pokemon that are amazing in the NFE metagame. These Pokemon are usually able to perform a variety of roles effectively, or can just do one extremely well. Their use has low risk involved and high reward exerted. Pokemon in this rank have very few flaws that are patched up by numerous positive traits.

S+ Rank

• Monferno

S Rank

• Dragonair
• Fletchinder
• Misdreavus
• Murkrow
• Pikachu
• Roselia
• Tangela

A Rank: Reserved for Pokemon that are fantastic in the NFE metagame, and can sweep, support, or wall significant portions of the metagame. These Pokemon require less support than most others to be used effectively and have few flaws that can easily be compensated for when compared to their positive traits.

A+ Rank

• Abra
• Clefairy
• Drilbur
• Ferroseed
• Honedge
• Lairon
• Munchlax
• Piloswine
• Porygon
• Quilava
• Quilladin

A Rank

• Duosion
• Herdier
• Hippopotas
• Lickitung
• Metang
• Prinplup
• Sliggoo
• Vibrava

A- Rank

• Deerling
• Dwebble
• Gabite
• Graveler
• Koffing
• Lampent
• Magmar
• Magnemite
• Marshtomp
• Omanyte
• Pumpkaboo-Super
• Seadra
• Vulpix
• Weepinbell

B Rank: Reserved for Pokemon that are great in the NFE metagame. These Pokemon have more notable flaws than those above them that affect how they function in the tier. Their positive traits still outshine their negatives, but they require a bit more team support to bring out their full potential.

B+ Rank

• Amaura
• Larvesta
• Nidorina
• Sandshrew
• Servine
• Staryu
• Tentacool

B Rank

• Binacle
• Cottonee
• Eelektrik
• Nidorino
• Onix
• Scraggy
• Wynaut
• Zweilous

B- Rank

• Archen
• Boldore
• Braixen
• Charmeleon
• Foongus
• Frillish
• Ivysaur
• Krabby
• Pignite
• Snubbull
• Staravia
• Tirtouga
• Whirlipede
• Yanma

C Rank: Reserved for Pokemon that have notable niches in the NFE metagame, but have just as many notable flaws that prevent them from being effective. Pokemon in the C tier often require significant support to be effective. Pokemon from this rank tend to face a lot of competition with the more commonly used Pokemon.

C+ Rank

• Corphish
• Gastly
• Grotle
• Growlithe
• Kabuto
• Natu
• Trapinch

C Rank

• Grovyle
• Swadloon
• Timburr
• Torchic
• Zorua

C- Rank

• Mankey
• Meditite
• Rufflet
• Swirlix

D Rank: Reserved for Pokemon that are mediocre in the NFE metagame, but are viable enough to justify their use on select teams. These Pokemon are either usable but have no real niche, or are only capable of doing their specific task and fail at doing anything more than that. Pokemon from this rank have multiple crippling flaws that prevent them from being successful a majority of the time, and are often severely outclassed because of it.

D Rank

• Bergmite
• Carvanha
• Klink
• Lileep
• Lombre
• Loudred
• Nuzleaf
• Poliwhirl
• Wartortle

E Rank: Bad pokemon (NFE by placement that are bad will be listed here). Everything not listed also falls in here.

• Bayleef
• Cascoon
• Dewott
• Flaaffy
• Floette
• Gloom
• Jigglypuff
• Kakuna
• Kirlia
• Luxio
• Marill
• Metapod
• Pidgeotto
• Pupitar (Tentative)
• Sealeo
• Shelgon (Tentative)
• Silcoon
• Skiploom
• Spewpa
• Tranquill
• Vanillish

Emperor Rank: The emperor of the galaxy. Too powerful for mere mortals to use.

• Palpitoad

Rattled Rank: Anything that has Rattled and isn’t ranked above is ranked here. These Pokémon are so godly that they may only be used by a select few (jk don’t use Bonsly)

• Bonsly
• Clamperl
• Cubchoo
• Magikarp
• Poochyena

** Thanks to the Tiering Council with your help with the tier and the viability rankings!! **

** The thread will be left open to promote active discussion in the rankings. **

 

[ericashes]

Thank you Matt, this is really going to help a NFE newcomer like myself with the tourny coming up this sunday. Are the D-Class completly useless? Jigglypuff is tempting.

 

[Matt_192]

Thank you Matt, this is really going to help a NFE newcomer like myself with the tourny coming up this sunday. Are the D-Class completly useless? Jigglypuff is tempting.

D Class can be useful, but they require a lot of support or are outclassed by things higher up in the tier list, and only have very specific niches. Jigglypuff is pretty ass IMO, but you could try using it as a wish passer - it's pretty reliant on Eviolite though.

 

[ericashes]

D Class can be useful, but they require a lot of support or are outclassed by things higher up in the tier list, and only have very specific niches. Jigglypuff is pretty ass IMO, but you could try using it as a wish passer - it's pretty reliant on Eviolite though.

can you only have 1 evolite?

 

[BladenSky]

Nice breakdown for us N0obs!

 

[Bendy]

wait so Vigoroth is allowed in this tourney? I thought it would be banned because it is NU or PU or something in our tier lists?

 

[Matt_192]

wait so Vigoroth is allowed in this tourney? I thought it would be banned because it is NU or PU or something in our tier lists?

Nah. A lot of NFEs that were banned were brought down to NFE because they just weren't OP there. So yeah, Vigoroth will be allowed.

 

[Bendy]

Nah. A lot of NFEs that were banned were brought down to NFE because they just weren't OP there. So yeah, Vigoroth will be allowed.

ohh alright. Well if you guys haven't already, you should update the official tier list post to include NFE so we all just know in general what's banned from the NFE tourney and what is allowed. Although this thread is certainly very helpful as well, but it'll help make it clearer for us noobs if you know what I mean.

Or you could just add Banned to the top of this thread so it's like the top of the page is the "Ubers" of NFE

 

[Matt_192]

ohh alright. Well if you guys haven't already, you should update the official tier list post to include NFE so we all just know in general what's banned from the NFE tourney and what is allowed. Although this thread is certainly very helpful as well, but it'll help make it clearer for us noobs if you know what I mean.

Or you could just add Banned to the top of this thread so it's like the top of the page is the "Ubers" of NFE

Fair enough I do have a list lying around somewhere - I'll try and dig it out.

 

[Martin]

As a member of the NFE council, I am obligated to do lots of testing. Here are my propositions:

Misdreavus: A --> S: Misdreavus is incredible. We originally placed it in A because none of us had enough experience with it, but I've finally done a bit of testing and I am astonished. Its got great bulk, great typing, a great ability and good offensive presence. Add to this an incredible movepool - two very good setup moves in Nasty Plot and Calm Mind, good offensive coverage in Shadow Ball and Dazzling Gleam, two very good stallbreaker/support moves in Taunt and Will-O-Wisp, has a decent recovery option in Pain Split - allowing it to break defensive mons even more effectively when it gets to low health - and, as such, it can perform a variety of roles extremely effectively. While at a glance this makes it sound like it meets the cliché "Jack of all trades, master on none", a better description of Misdreavus would be "Jack of all trades, master of all" as it is so good in all of the roles that it pulls off. These are its best sets from my experience:

Key:
Set Name:
if item clause is in effect for all other possibilities
[text]* = under specific circumstances listed below
[text]* = details below

Spoiler

Nasty Plot:
Misdreavus @ Eviolite / Life Orb / Colbur Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
IVs: 29 HP*
Timid Nature
- Nasty Plot
- Shadow Ball
- Dazzling Gleam
- Taunt / Destiny Bond

*if using Life Orb

Offensive Calm Mind:
Misdreavus @ Eviolite
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 88 HP / 252 SpA / 168 Spe*
Timid Nature
- Calm Mind
- Shadow Ball
- Dazzling Gleam
- Taunt

*Outpaces jolly un-scarfed Krokorok

Bulky Calm Mind:
Misdreavus @ Eviolite / Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 216 Def / 44 Spe
Bold Nature
- Calm Mind
- Shadow Ball
- Dazzling Gleam
- Pain Split

Stallbreaker/Utility
Misdreavus @ Eviolite
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 216 Def / 44 Spe
Bold Nature
- Taunt
- Will-O-Wisp
- Shadow Ball
- Perish Song / Pain Split / Heal Bell

CroDreavus:
Misdreavus @ Eviolite / Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 216 Def / 44 Spe
Bold Nature
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Calm Mind
- Shadow Ball

I will make a case for more stuff tomorrow but I have to leave my computer now :/

 

[Matt_192]

As a member of the NFE council, I am obligated to do lots of testing. Here are my propositions:

Misdreavus: A --> S: Misdreavus is incredible. We originally placed it in A because none of us had enough experience with it, but I've finally done a bit of testing and I am astonished. Its got great bulk, great typing, a great ability and good offensive presence. Add to this an incredible movepool - two very good setup moves in Nasty Plot and Calm Mind, good offensive coverage in Shadow Ball and Dazzling Gleam, two very good stallbreaker/support moves in Taunt and Will-O-Wisp, has a decent recovery option in Pain Split - allowing it to break defensive mons even more effectively when it gets to low health - and, as such, it can perform a variety of roles extremely effectively. While at a glance this makes it sound like it meets the cliché "Jack of all trades, master on none", a better description of Misdreavus would be "Jack of all trades, master of all" as it is so good in all of the roles that it pulls off. These are its best sets from my experience:

Key:
Set Name:
if item clause is in effect for all other possibilities
[text]* = under specific circumstances listed below
[text]* = details below

Spoiler

Nasty Plot:
Misdreavus @ Eviolite / Life Orb / Colbur Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
IVs: 29 HP*
Timid Nature
- Nasty Plot
- Shadow Ball
- Dazzling Gleam
- Taunt / Destiny Bond

*if using Life Orb

Offensive Calm Mind:
Misdreavus @ Eviolite
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 88 HP / 252 SpA / 168 Spe*
Timid Nature
- Calm Mind
- Shadow Ball
- Dazzling Gleam
- Taunt

*Outpaces jolly un-scarfed Krokorok

Bulky Calm Mind:
Misdreavus @ Eviolite / Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 216 Def / 44 Spe
Bold Nature
- Calm Mind
- Shadow Ball
- Dazzling Gleam
- Pain Split

Stallbreaker/Utility
Misdreavus @ Eviolite
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 216 Def / 44 Spe
Bold Nature
- Taunt
- Will-O-Wisp
- Shadow Ball
- Perish Song / Pain Split / Heal Bell

CroDreavus:
Misdreavus @ Eviolite / Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 216 Def / 44 Spe
Bold Nature
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Calm Mind
- Shadow Ball

I will make a case for more stuff tomorrow but I have to leave my computer now :/

I'm going to do some testing tomorrow, but from what I've seen of it so far in team building and in test matches, I completely agree - A+ or S.

 

[gnmmarechal]

And I just discovered my favourite Pokemon isn't what I should use on tournaments... lol, I really like Torchic. It's a shame he isn't that good.

 

[ericashes]

Matt, sorry if I bug you but I am currently building my team and was wondering if you could maybe add to your guide a list of items that people do not normally use in OU that may be viable in NFE?

 

[Matt_192]

can you only have 1 evolite?

Yep, Item Clause applies for all items

And I just discovered my favourite Pokemon isn't what I should use on tournaments... lol, I really like Torchic. It's a shame he isn't that good.

The issue with Torchic is that it can Speed Boost pass, but as a sweeper itself, there's just better options. C Rank doesn't mean awful btw, it's just that they require a little more team support or only have specific niches.

Matt, sorry if I bug you but I am currently building my team and was wondering if you could maybe add to your guide a list of items that people do not normally use in OU that may be viable in NFE?

Hmm nice idea, but generally, all items except mega stones are seen quite frequently, so it's basically down to which Pokemon you put the item on. I would do analysis for NFE but there's just soo many mons to write for :/

 

[Matt_192]

IMO Lairon A -> A+

It has two great abilities in the form of Sturdy and Rock Head, and both can work to either make a fully defensive super tank or a decent physical attacker. With 90 base attack, it can fire off EQs, Heavy Slams, Head Smashes and similar to hit most of the most common defensive threats in the tier, even without that much investment. Sitting at 140 base defence, it is also an amazing wall, also being immune to toxic to prevent stall.

It doesn't have great HP, but that is mitigated by both its physical bulk and attacking power. It is also able to utilize many different items, including Choice Band, Air Balloon, Leftovers, etc, so it isn't stuck in the same category as many other Pokemon of being reliant on Eviolite. With Lairon, you can easily switch it in and out throughout the match, either to take down certain threats, sweep (depending on the set) or reliably set up rocks.

With the sheer amount of possible sets, including some I haven't discussed like the Rock Polish set, I see Lairon easily as a top NFE Pokemon.

 

[BlaZe_SquaD]

Torchic's "E" Rank?
IMO it should be S++++++++++ but that works too

 

[Matt_192]

Torchic's "E" Rank?
IMO it should be S++++++++++ but that works too

Torchic is C rank ,-,

 

[BlaZe_SquaD]

Torchic is C rank ,-,

Oh. Didn't catch that.


Should still be S++++++ ;(

 

[Matt_192]

Oh. Didn't catch that.


Should still be S++++++ ;(

It really isn't good enough to be honest. Sure, it functions as a speed boost passer, but it has crippling defences and bad speed so it can be OHKO'ed quite easily.

 

[ericashes]

just a question before it starts. Is there any ban abilities in nfe for any of the pokemon listed?