Competitive Battling Spotlight #17: New Pokemon Seven

 An ideally unique Bug-type; perhaps one of the most memorable of all.

EleSpider Pokemon

H.P.: 70

Attk: 77

Def.: 60

Sp.A: 97

Sp.D: 60

Spe: 108

 

Where it stands: RU Top 20 [#16] (as of July 2011)

Analysis:

Introduced in Black and White, Galvantula is easily one of the most unique designs bestowed upon us to refresh our hopes for originality. Bug and Flying types? Boring. Electric rodents? Getting old. Instead, this awesome spider-guy combines two very exceptional typings and brings them together for a very new take on Bug Pokemon. Defensively, several of Galvantula’s would-be weaknesses from the two typings alone are nullified, providing for neutral damage taken from Flying and Ground type attacks that might have otherwise takencc it down. Of course, though this allows for a reasonable amount of switch-in potential (combined with four resistances to rather common types), Galvy is anything but a bulky bug, and should be utilized with reasonable caution. It is also, very tragically, weak to Stealth Rock, so Spin support is very nice to consider on a team with this exceptional offensive threat.

            With that, there is something that makes up for the Electro Spider’s limited bulk: his wondrous Speed stat. Boasting one of the fastest stats in the entire grouping of RU, Galvantula commands total attention on two of its most popular sets; Specs and Life Orb, as each have their own share of great advantages. What’s more, one of the few things that can outpace Galvy, the 120 base Speed Forest Gecko (Sceptile), really doesn’t threaten it too much, as some of the most common moves on a Sceptile set (Leaf Storm, Focus Blast) are resisted and answered back with a STAB SE Bug Buzz. Speaking of Super Effective STABs, Galvantula hits every one of the current top five (Mega, Cress, Krow, Pedo, Blastoise) for Super Effective damage from one of its two STABs, making it easily one of the most underrated monsters in its tier.

            But the greatness doesn’t stop there! Though Vantula has quite a limited movepool, its great amount of assets seem to quickly make up for its flaws. Firstly, 97 Sp. Atk and 108 Speed together make an excellent revenge killer/Specs runner/late-game clean-upper, and its combination of STAB is only resisted by Rhyperior and Steelix in RU! As if that weren’t enough, its ability Compoundeyes boosts the accuracy of all its moves by 30%, making its most powerful attack in Thunder (one of the most powerful in all of RU) hit a superb 93% accuracy. That’s more than Overheat! Again, with Bug Buzz and Hidden Power Ice or Fire for coverage, Galvantula is sure to tear the new metagame to shreds. It has no means of boosting its stats, bar Agility, but I think that only further proves to us that this Electric Web-slinger was built for a Choice item. Cross its web at your own risk!

Abilities:

Compoundeyes: No doubt Galvantula’s greatest ability, this exclusive Bug-type trait helps Galv more than it’s probably helped any of its other wielders to date! The reason? A welcomed accuracy boost to STAB Thunder. No questions asked, this is a defining ability for Galvantula and really should be the only thing to use for its offensive sets.

Unnerve: This ability can prove to be very useful in only very rare circumstances. While this could greatly subdue your opponent’s Harvest Exeggutor or Lum Berry Kingdra, the odds of running into a Berry wielder these days are few and far between. Compoundeyes is superior to this one, since Galvantula is much more tailored for obliterating things with lightning bolts than preventing them from eating their favorite fruit.

Swarm: The unreleased Dream World addition. Swarm could come in great handy on a Focus Sash or Substitute set, as it allows for Vantula’s STAB Bug Buzz to be driven by a little more oomph, but again, as this has yet to be released, and as an accurate Thunder is much more likely to KO something than a boosted bug move, I think it’s only obvious which is the better end of the deal here.

Potential Sets:

1. Choice Specs Spider

6 HP/252 Sp.Atk/252 Spe

Timid @ Choice Specs

-Volt Switch

-Thunder

-Bug Buzz

-Hidden Power Ice/HP Fire

            A true winner of a set, this is definitely my favorite of Galvantula’s. With Specs, 439 Special Attack is attained, as well as a blistering 346 Speed. This, coupled with excellent coverage and STAB moves, makes Galvantula one of the deadliest scouters/power hitters in RU. Volt Switch is to get initiative and momentum going as you predict switches, while secondary STAB in Thunder is for…well, you know. Bug Buzz is another great addition to this set, and hits most of the things that Thunder can’t, and Hidden Power is to round off the coverage perfectly! Ice is preferred for that pseudo Bolt/Beam, though Fire can further threaten things like Durant and Amoonguss.

2. ElectroLegs!

6 HP/252 Sp.Atk/252 Spe

Timid or Modest @ Choice Scarf

-Volt Switch/Electro Ball/Discharge

-Thunder/Electro Ball/Discharge

-Bug Buzz

-Hidden Power Ice/HP Fire

            With a Timid nature and a Choice Scarf equipped, Galvantula will be spinning webs so fast, your opponent won’t know what hit ‘em! At first glance, this set is identical to the Specs variant, and for good reason. It can do everything from the previous set, but with a tradeoff of power for speed. If you so wish, one of the Electric-type STABs may be replaced for Electro Ball, a gimmicky anti-Gyro Ball that hits for more power the slower the opponent. This means that if used correctly, Galvantula can be wielding a 150 base power move, before STAB! Thunder’s 30% paralyze rate helps wondrously with this, but if you fear a rare miss, Discharge may also be employed for less power, but equally successful paralysis. This set is perfect for outspeeding quick monsters, and can outpace and OHKO RU’s two most threatening Speed Boosters Yanmega and Sharpedo if they manage to get to +1. The last two moveslots are standard, and the Hidden Powers again must be chosen with care. With 519 Speed, Galvy will be faster than, and able to KO, Scarf Krookodile and +2 Rock Polish Golurk, while HP Fire is essential for outspeeding and threatening Venomoth after a Quiver Dance.

3. GalvantuLifeOrb

6 HP/252 Sp.Atk/252 Spe

Timid @ Life Orb

-Energy Ball/Volt Switch/Charge Beam

-Thunder

-Bug Buzz

-Hidden Power Ice/HP Fire

Vastly similar to the previous two sets, this one relinquishes a bit of Speed or Power for the ability to switch moves at will. The last three slots are identical to the previous versions, but the first one may be changed around a bit. Energy Ball is nice for hitting bulky/powerful things that would normally wall Vantula, such as Rhyperior, Steelix and Gastrodon, and Volt Switch optimizes scouting just like a Choice variant. Charge Beam, on the other hand, may be used with good prediction skills to potentially become a deadly setup sweeper capable of outspeeding and KOing a very large portion of the tier after only one or two boosts.

4. Galvagility

6 HP/252 Sp.Atk/252 Spe

Modest @ Life Orb

-Agility  

-Thunder

-Bug Buzz/Hidden Power Ice/HP Fire

-Hidden Power Ice/HP Fire/Substitute

Not much needs to be explained here. This Agility set allows Galvantula to run a Modest nature, giving it a much needed Sp. Atk boost with Life orb. Substite can be used in any of the last two moveslots for an even greater advantage on switches and for a more difficult way to take Galvy down.

5. Sub + Disable

6 HP/252 Sp.Atk/252 Spe

Timid @ Leftovers/Life Orb

-Substitute 

-Disable 

-Thunder

-Bug Buzz/Hidden Power Ice 

            A fun variation on Gengar’s Sub/Disable set. While Galvantula may do this to a lesser extent than Gar (it’s slower, less powerful and has no immunities), it still has the Speed to make it proportionally ideal for the job in its current tier, as well as the coverage to knock out notable threats. The idea is simple here: send in Galvy on something like Tinted Lens Yanmega or Blastoise, etc, force a switch, and then proceed to Sub up. Once the appropriate Counter/Check comes in, you’re free to either attack, or Disable its choice of move to break your Sub. After that, you will have a much easier time walling it and can whittle its HP down from there. Disable also works well with Galvantula’s high Speed, as it allows you to prevent opponents from setting up, spamming a powerful/annoying move, or laying down multiple layers of entry hazards.

6. Subport-ish Spider

6 HP/252 Sp.Atk/252 Spe

Timid @ Leftovers/Life Orb 

-Substitute/Charge Beam

-Discharge/Agility

-Electro Ball 

-Bug Buzz/HP Ice/Energy Ball  

My own personal creation, the idea of this set is to destroy the opponent’s sanity while upping the power of Electro Ball. There are many ways to go about doing this. Firstly, you may try a combination of Sub and Discharge, which with the 30% paralysis rate should have your opponent slowing down in no time. Also, Agility may be used if 30% is too low of a rate for you, as after +2 Speed, anything with 173 Speed and below will be hit by a 150 base power Electro Ball! Additionally, Charge Beam may be used in place of Substitute, as it allows for an even more disastrous boost to Electro Ball once the opponent is much slower than you. The last slot again is for coverage. Bug Buzz and HP Ice are standard, but if you’re running Substitute, Energy Ball may be used, lest you be walled entirely by a Ground-type like Perior or Gastro.

7. Down Came the Rain, and Helped the Spider Out!

6 HP/252 Sp.Atk/252 Spe

Timid @ Damp Rock/Focus Sash/Life Orb

-Rain Dance

-Volt Switch

-Thunder

-Bug Buzz/Hidden Power Ice/Energy Ball  

Another one of my own ideas, the Itsy Bitsy Spider returns here, this time not washed out from the Rain, but aided by it. Rain Support Galvantula is so promising and unconventional, mainly because it can set up a Dance, then proceed to abuse it with its STAB. In Rain, Thunder will never miss, adding a huge bonus to the 180 Base Power behemoth of a move. Volt Switch is to scout, and so that you may switch out to something else that can effectively abuse Rain. Notable partners for this set are Ferroseed, Omastar, Kabutops, Ludicolo, Gorebyss, Sharpedo and Poliwrath, just to name a few. The last slot, as always, is for coverage. 

Conclusion:  Galvantula is a Pokemon that has grown on me. It caught my eye at the beginning of 5th Gen, and has held fast ever since. While Bugs are generally frowned upon for their lack of worthy coverage and weakness to Stealth Rock, Galvantula turns the tables in its favor with its supreme number of assets, making it one of the best Bugs of RU. Its unique typing, beautiful ability and potential to run a Choice set quite effectively make it a force to be reckoned with in any tier. I would recommend using Galvantula on one of your teams. You won't be sorry. 

Competitive Usability: 8.5 out of 10 

          As much as I like Galvantula as a competitive Pokemon, its awesome design and cool coloration do nothing but help my sympathies toward it. Sure, we've seen a Spider Pokemon done before (albeit quite poorly), but Galvantula is very nicely done in that it offers a refreshing appeal to Bug and Electric-type Pokemon alike. It might have even become one of my favorites from Black and White! 

Aesthetic Design: 9 out of 10

Special Topic: Blog Update!!!!

Hello Everyone,

I apologize for my absence here on the site, as I have been quite busy with Summer.

However, with that being said, I would like to inform you all that I will continue posting frequently again very soon (I already have a few analyses in the works), and I will also be re-editing all existing analyses to fit into the current and developing metagame.

Since the majority, if the entirety, of my posts have been slightly vague/general up until this point, I will definitely begin to include important things like each Pokemon's current tiering, past tiering, and even their viability both inside and outside of their appropriate tiers.

For example, on my Durant analysis, you will see (once I have added it) a section that shows which tier it is in (currently RU), as well as a more refined description of how Durant functions in the RU tier, as well as whether or not it has some viability in the upper tiers.

I hope these updates will help you all to understand and more fully utilize what I am providing for you in these Competitive Battling Spotlights. If you have any questions as of now, please feel free to ask.

Also, I will now be providing a current listing of tiers (updated as they change). Here you will find everything from Uber to RU (NU is not yet established properly), both in alphabetical order and in order of usage in each tier. To see this list click HERE.

Thanks a bunch,
~Scarecrow

Competitive Battling Spotlight #16: Old Pokemon Five

Devious, cunning, and king of all crows, the newest Pokemon to be spotlighted, Murkrow.

Darkness Pokemon

H.P.: 60

Attk: 85

Def.: 42

Sp.A: 85

Sp.D: 42

Spe: 91

Abilities:  Insomnia: Not a bad ability by any means, but of course Murkrow has better options. If you’re running an offensive set (god bless) and you’re afraid of being put to sleep, this one’s for you.

Super Luck:  A manageable ability to use for an offensive set, with Super Luck upping your chances of landing a critical hit, you can definitely rejoice in finding Murkrow’s sub-par attacks KO-ing foes that would not otherwise be done in. Another good offensive ability on another bad offensive Pokemon.

Prankster: By far Murkrow’s best choice. Acquired from the Dream World, Prankster gives any “status” move (one that does not directly attack the opponent) +1 priority, and with a decent array of useable support options in Murkrow’s repertoire, I think it’s easy to find great amounts of enjoyment in running this.  

            Analysis: Murkrow was, until the introduction of its superior (in almost every way) evolution, a quite decent Pokemon in the lower tiers. 91 Speed and 85 offensive stats, coupled with an excellent Dark-type STAB and usable movepool made it one little wicked bird worth the teamslot if you like potential gimmicks. The creation of Honchkrow in D/P pushed Murkrow even further into the abyss, however, as with nearly improved versions of each of the above mentioned assets, most notably 125 base Attack and 105 Special Attack, Murkrow’s only upper-hand against its boss-ridden evolution was the fact that it was a bit faster.

            Enter fifth generation, where Honchkrow is just as good as the last, (though its tiering might argue otherwise) and Murkrow is surprisingly on par with it. The reasonings for this, though neither Murkrow’s stats  nor its movepool have changed, are twofold. First, with the new Eviolite, Murkrow becomes able to take hits quite well (believe it or not), though this asks for investment in HP and only one of its Defensive stats to fully utilize this effectively. Second, and most significantly of all, with Murkrow’s new ability in Prankster, as well as a quite effective arsenal of support options, it becomes a devious little crow able to stop setup sweepers/powerhouse threats/stallers in their tracks.
            That is correct; with the right mix of team support, moveset dedication, and good prediction on your part, Murkrow can become a valuable addition to any form of team (in any tier) without vying for any form of competition with its evolutionary Boss-crow.

Potential Sets:  

**The majority of these sets will rely on Prankster/Eviolite, as that seems to be Murkrow’s most effective strategy now. They are not limited to this, however.**

1.      SweepStop

252 HP/252 Def/4 Sp.Def

Bold @ Eviolite

Ability: Prankster

-Haze  

-Taunt

-Thunder Wave

-Roost/Night Shade/Torment/Featherdance

Priority Taunt, Haze and Thunder Wave are the perfect tools for stopping many of today’s most dangerous threats, and Murkrow does this with almost laughable ease thanks to the surprising amount of bulk Eviolite provides it. This set is ideally dedicated to stopping setup-ers like Salamence, Gyarados, and Volcarona in the higher tiers, as well as fast/powerful Pokemon that don’t always rely on setup to cause some devastation, i.e. Latios, Terakion and Hydreigon. Taunt is effective in preventing your opponent from setting up, while it also allows you to stop the likes of Ferrothorn and Forretress in their tracks. Haze is there in case you come in after your opponent has set up a bit, and Thunder Wave cripples anything that relies on its Speed to take care of business, while the percentage of being fully paralyzed is a welcomed bonus. The last moveslot may be filled with a number of other great options to aid in your support/sweep stop. Roost is obvious and ideal in some situations, as it optimizes Murkrow’s longevity. Torment is nice if your opponent doesn’t have too many moves to damage Murkrow from the beginning, and Night Shade allows for Murkrow to be able to stall out/drain some of the opponent’s HP. Featherdance is there if you’d like to ensure certain physical attackers don’t get very far in terms of doing damage, and is essentially viable in forcing switches.

While Murkrow’s defensive stats are garbage, max HP hits 324 which is not too bad, and with Eviolite and 252 EVs, either of Murkrow’s defensive stats caps at 301, which allows it to take hits surprisingly well. The problem here, however, is that Murkrow is by no means a mixed wall. With max HP and max Def or Sp.Def Krow unfortunately suffers from its other defensive stat being on the weak end, and so if your Murkrow is designed to take Physical hits well, you’re almost forced to switch out when a powerful Special Sweeper is sent in.

Otherwise, this set is primed for the brand new competitive metagame, and from experience this set works very well in RU, UU, and even the almighty OU.

2.      Parafusion Krow

252 HP/4 Def/ 252 Sp.Def

Calm @ Eviolite

Ability: Prankster

-Taunt

-Thunder Wave

-Confuse Ray

-Roost/Torment/Night Shade

An awesome set for stopping stall in its tracks, spreading some status, and just overall being annoying, the Parafusion set works wonders with Murkrow’s new assets. In being both Confused and Paralyzed, your opponent is much less likely to attack you than it is to not attack you, which creates the perfect opportunity for you to freely bring in a sweeper or another powerful Pokemon to start wreaking havoc on your annoyed foe. T-Wave/Confuse Ray are the crux of this set, as Taunt allows you to stop Pokemon that would try to stop you from having some fun. Again, the last slot is up to choice, with each move fitting very nicely into this set. Roost is for recovery, and if Krow has taken some damage in battle, you’re gonna want it to live as long as possible. Torment, on the other hand, further adds to the annoyance factor of this set, as not only does your opponent now have a 25% chance of attacking, but it won’t even be allowed to use the same move twice in a row! Night Shade makes this set perfect for stall, as with Taunt (to prevent recovery) and the Parafusion combo, foes like Ferrothorn and Reuniclus will have nothing left to do but stay in and die, or abandon ship and give you the switch advantage.

3.      PerishTrap

252 HP/4 Def/252 Sp.Def

Calm @ Eviolite

Ability: Prankster

-Mean Look 

-Perish Song

-Roost

-Substitute/Taunt

The ever-wonderful Perish Trapping strategy returns! This time around, it’s borne by a Pokemon with usable defensive potential (yes I said it!) and priority on both of the moves! The ideology of this set is simple; switch Murkrow in on a Pokemon that’s been giving you trouble (or will give you trouble) and give him a Mean Look so that he cannot switch (as long as Murkrow is in play). Next, proceed to Taunt or, if not quite necessary, Perish Song to seal his fate. Now, for the next three turns your goal becomes keeping Murkrow alive so at the very last second you may switch it out, felling your opponent. Roost and Substitute work perfectly well together in this set, as after one Sub and a Roost, it’s already time for you to switch.

Of course, this set is not without its flaws. Because Murkrow is only slightly bulky in one of its two defenses, you must ensure that the Pokemon you are trapping cannot hit you on your weaker side, lest you faint and ruin the whole plan in doing so. Also, as always, Stealth Rocks are of a great concern with Murkrow in general, and must be accommodated for in your use of this bird.

If you can get past these setbacks, you can guarantee at least one kill per match. This is a particularly excellent way to get rid of Pokemon your team otherwise wouldn’t be able to handle. You can also use Perish Song alone to force switches, and essentially to prevent sweeps.

4.      Offensive Choice Scarf

Naughty @ Choice Scarf

252 Atk/240 Sp.Atk/16 Spe

Ability: Insomnia (or Super Luck, if you wish)

-Sucker Punch/Retaliate 

-Brave Bird

-Heat Wave

-Hidden Power Ice/HP Grass/Dark Pulse

An offensive set is easily outclassed by Honchkrow due to the insane deficit in offensive stats between Murkrow and its big-beaked friend, but there is one other thing Murkrow has that Honchkrow would do anything for. This is a 91 base Speed stat. While nothing phenomenal, a Choice Scarf shapes Murkrow into a decent Revenge Killer and late game clean-upper, if nothing else. The minor Speed investment allows Murkrow to hit 333 with Choice Scarf, outpacing base 100’s and 101’s. The full offensive investment is to get the most out of its meager, decent-at-best Attack and Special Attack, while the moveset is quite self-explanatory. Dual STABs in Sucker Punch and Brave Bird are other assets to an offensive set, with Heat Wave and Hidden Power rounding off for coverage.
            Again, this set is nothing spectacular, but it definitely works if played well, and if you are looking to use something not commonly seen these days. Personally, I’ve always liked Murkrow, so I might try out a set like this one in the lower tiers.

5.      Life Orb

Hasty @ Life Orb

252 Atk/4 Sp.Atk/252 Spe  OR 4 Atk/252 Sp.Atk/252 Spe

Ability: Insomnia or Super Luck

-Sucker Punch/Dark Pulse

-Brave Bird

-Heat Wave

-Hidden Power Ice/Hidden Power Grass

Basically the same as the last set, with the tradeoff of some Speed for the ability to switch moves freely. S-Punch and Brave Bird again are excellent STAB moves, but that’s nothing that hasn’t been said before. I find this set inferior in comparison with the Scarf set, but to each his own… 

Conclusion: Murkrow has definitely improved quite a bit this generation, and while it’s not much more powerful than it has been in prior generations, its support movepool, wonderful new ability in Prankster, and the new Eviolite all give it an edge over Pokemon that it might have been competing with in the lower realms of 4^th gen. Its major drawbacks are definitely its weakness to Stealth Rock and limited bulk, but if you can see past these with well-thought-of team support, you can definitely see Murkrow show surprising success in contending with many of 5^th Gen’s most popular monsters.

 Competitive Usability: 8 out of 10 

I’ve always liked it. While disappointed to find that you had to wait until you beat the Elite Four in G/S/C to obtain it, I found myself greatly pleased in finally capturing one of these little beasts. Its design is wily and almost comical; definitely fitting of a Dark/Flying typing. With a crooked beak and a witch’s hat, Murkrow (and to extent its badass evolution Honchkrow) is definitely one of the coolest, most unique bird Pokemon out there.

Aesthetic Design: 9  out of 10

Competitive Battling Spotlight #15: Garchomp's Banishment

          Well, it's happened again! Garchomp, one of the most threatening Pokemon ever to grace the metagame with its monstrous presence, has been banned from Standard play. According to Smogon, during Round 4 of the most recent Suspect Testing, Chomp was the only Pokemon, as well as the only thing in general, to get the ban hammer. The other Suspects (Pokemon who are argued by some to be too strong for the current metagame) included Excadrill, Latios, Deoxys-S, and Thundurus, the latter of which is perhaps the next most "broken" Pokemon in the list.

          It is easy to see why each and every one of these Pokemon are on the suspect list, as they all possess qualities of a top-tier monster, and threaten a good portion of the metagame in their own right, but it would appear that Garchomp, like last Gen, is still too strong for its own good. A great reasoning for this seems to be the extreme prevalence of Sandstorm teams, where with new additions like Ferrothorn, Poison Heal Gliscor, and Excadrill in BW, as well as the fact that T-Tar is now as viable as ever, make Garchomp the perfect Pokemon to abuse its godly stats, flawless movepool, and annoyingly wonderful ability. If you ask me, Garchomp really wasn't too much of a threat. I never really had much trouble with it in online battles, but to be completely honest, it was really only a matter of time before it was voted out by the majority of the higher-ups at Smogon. 

         The reason this is so interesting to ponder is that this is the second generation in a row that Garchomp has been banned, ideally for the same reasons this time around. What's more, while it is clear that the 5th Gen metagame is essentially a beefed-up, more fast-paced version of the last generation, Garchomp is still too much for the OU group, both new and old. What I'd like to consider now is: who's next? Will Latias and Salamence follow suit, just like Gen 4? Will Thundurus and Excadrill prove that weather is over-centralizing of this new game? Or will all of the aforementioned mons remain situated in OU and keep the metagame steady by checking one another? It's all really anyone's guess as of now, but here are a few things you may consider to help you understand the current Standard field:

  1) Did Garchomp really need to be Banned again? Was he really TOO strong?
       
  2) Will Thundurus be the next to get the ban? Why or why not?
       
  3) Will Chomp's Dragon brethren, Salamence, get banned as well, or is Mence just not as good in       Black/White?

  4) Is Weather too broken this Gen? Does it need to go, or does Rain, Sun and Sand balance one another out?
  
  5) How would the metagame look without Weather? Would it be less powerful?



Again, this is just a list to get you thinking about where Black/White OU stands as of now. As always, thanks for the read, and I apologize for the lack of posting. I will begin to post more frequently this week (including an Analysis of a new Pokemon!)

Thanks again!
~Scarecrow

Competitive Battling Spotlight #14: Potentially New Tier! Rarely Used (RU)

          It has been announced on Smogon (posted just earlier today) that with the newly founded OU and UU tiers (though not completely balanced and finalized as of yet) there is some concern of the vast overflow of monsters in NU; apparently nearly 2/3 of all fully evolved Pokemon will be relegated to this tier. For that reason there has been created a new establishment for very unused Pokemon to shine, where things like Victini, Donphan, and Roserade aren't welcome to ruin all the fun. This "tier" (at the moment a seemingly basic foundation) will be called Rarely Used (RU), and will, I presume, precede the NU tier.

          With the introduction of countless new Pokemon, abilities, moves, and combinations of the three, the new NU tier of 5th gen would really become more of a combination of both UU and NU of last gen (at least in terms of Pokemon count), giving way to nearly thousands of options, as well as the highest amount of versatile potential these Competitive Battling tiers may have ever seen. While NU in 4th gen was played more as a refreshment tier where one could escape the constant and almost guaranteed threat of things like Scizor, Infernape, and Blissey, there would be almost too much versatility in 5th gen where things like Swoobat, Scolipede and Leavanny now exist and are not used very much because of all the overpowered threats of new and old. Though many might argue that the vast amount of options available to them in an NU tier of about 300-odd Pokemon (not to mention that Eviolite now exists, giving things like Gloom, Golbat and Gurdurr viability) would be a great thing, it's much more playable, much more organized, to have a new tier introduced. This would limit the use of certain things in all tiers, making each one its own metagame with its own list of potential and common threats.

         As I've mentioned, new options such as Quiver Dance, Dream World abilities, Eviolite, Shell Smash and Weather, to name a few, make so many Pokemon much more usable, though with the already existing threats in OU and UU that can utilize these things more effectively, certain Pokemon become cursed to never see the light of competitive play. I am excited for this potential new tier, as I've been enjoying what new OU and UU have brought to the table, so I am sure this new grouping will make for a more fun, more diverse game of play in Black/White. Again, this was just posted about earlier today, so I don't think anything is set in stone yet, but as it is, this is something fun and exciting to speculate about.

Here is the hierarchy of tiers as I now imagine it (though it was never stated where RU would fall):

Ubers--> OU--> [BL]--> UU--> RU--> NU--> [Little Cup]

Here is the original Post, on Smogon.

**So now that this has been announced, which Pokemon do you think will be running rampant in this new tier? Who do you think will become RU, and who, then, will become an effective Pokemon to use in NU? Just a little food for thought for all of you ;)