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Marshadow (Ghost) Unranked => S rank

A ghost type with super effective STAB against Dark and Normal types and has an amazing 125 Attack/Speed.

(I really hope it doesn't get banned because Marshadow is just what Ghost monotype needed. Finally gives them a way to deal with Dark and Normal monotypes.)
Generally when you do a recommendation for S rank, you want to provide as much detail as possible. This would include sets, calcs to show effectiveness in certain matchups and any relevant information you can gather about it (I.E. both of its stabs combined are unresisted by every mon in the game).

Also whether a mon gets suspected/banned or not has no relevance on how the type fares without it, but how it affects the current metagame.

Just some stuff to consider when posting for S rank specifically.
 

Havens

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Let's address this then.

Marshadow: ??? -> S (Ghost and Fighting)
This thing; this unholy creation, has only been out for less than 48 hours, and it already takes everything you could ever really think of on your team and turn it into a complete catastrophe. With an amazing typing with access to many powerful STAB moves like Close Combat and Spectral Thief, moves that abuse Technician such as Shadow Sneak and Rock Tomb, doubled with ridiculous 125 Attack and Speed stats, there is nothing in the current game that has any effective options to SWITCH IN without the risk of being chunked by whatever this mon has to offer.

Ghost/Fighting is something no one has ever seen before, but the type has the capability to deal with all its weaknesses on whatever team it is placed on. Add it to a Fighting team, the thing pressures many of the weaknesses it couldn't necessarily deal with before, primarily Psychic and Poison teams. Add it to a Ghost team, and the secondary Fighting type heavily pressures Dark with it's overwhelming speed and power, only outdone by the likes of Mega Sharpedo at +1, assuming Marshadow isn't some Choice Scarf Variant. Regardless of the type it's on, little can be done to stop this monster from crippling your team to shreds before you're really able to damage it. While this mon could easily chunk mons every day, there's very little switch-ins to this thing, and there are really no true counters to it. The only pokemon that really stand a chance defensively, in my opinion, are Toxapex and Mega Venusaur, because they're the only things that don't get 2OHKOed by whatever it does. On the offensive side, the only mons that could deal with it are Crobat, Tapu Koko, Mimikyu, itself, and Potentially Mega Lopunny (when it gets released to the server) from what I see. If you want to know how powerful this mon is offensively, DBW has a gigantic list of calcs in the Metagame Discussion page highlighting all of the defensive oriented pokemon on any given type; I highly recommend checking it out so you know what you're in for.

As for sets, it looks to be that people are either using Scarf or Sash oriented sets with a combination of great moves like Spectral Thief, Shadow Sneak, Ice Punch, Rock Tomb, with Close Combat seeming to be absolutely mandatory, though I've even seen oddball sets with the likes of Z Bulk Up on the Ladder, but don't think it would be as successful compared to Scarf and Sash Variants. Alternitavely, Choice Banded/Marshadium Z sets could also be optomized with a Jolly nature to obliterate many defensive heavily cores, such as Stall Water, Balanced Dark, Balanced Normal, and more while still being able to outspeed most of the unboosted metagame. Max Attack and Speed should your go to spreads to literally maximize it's Wallbreaking abilities.

The oddball Ghost/Fighting type abilities it has grants and blesses Marshadow with surprisingly useful allies. Fighting overall has other great dual/typed partners to deal with the likes of Fairy and Flying, in the form of Cobalion, Terrakion and soon to be Mega Gallade that create a solid offensive presence to the meta. Ghost has allies like Mega Sableye, Mimikyu and Alolan Marowak that create a better defensive presence for itself.

I could go on and on about how this mon is such nuisance in the meta, but it's too soon to tell how poweful (or overrated) this mon can be. The sheer presence it has made overnight, not just on mono but in every single tier it is currently usable in, has made a significant impact on teams of many different kinds of builds and strategies. However, we need more time to truly discern how to approach this mon. Until then, I highly recommend that it becomes and STAYS S rank.

Edit: This is entirely based on what I have seen over the past two days and it's too soon to really tell how effective it can really be. Whether you really consider this post to really make a difference is your decision.

Edit 2: This mon was just banned from OU into Ubers because of its incredible power with no true counters. If this mon was banned within a matter of days because of its absolutely destructive power and unhealthy aspect to the metagame due to the fact that there is little to no defensive counterplay towards it, what makes you think it really has a place in Monotype?
 
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mushamu

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Crawdaunt (Water) D --> C

I want to begin this nomination by saying this thing hits like a nuke. It breaks balanced builds by just clicking Knock Off, it fucks up faster attackers with a banded aqua jet. With the abundance of Poison this gen, I think Crawdaunt getting a little more love.
Poison calcs:
252+ Atk Choice Band Adaptability Crawdaunt Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Toxapex: 176-208 (57.8 - 68.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Black Sludge recovery

252+ Atk Choice Band Adaptability Crawdaunt Knock Off vs. 252 HP / 212+ Def Venusaur-Mega: 142-168 (39 - 46.1%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
meaning venusaur cannot switch in before it is mega evolved or if there are rocks or spikes on the field.

And, as we all know, swift swim water struggles with many defensive cores. Skarmory + Mantine is a good example of that, as Choice Banded Azumarill hits Mantine with Play Rough but not Skarmory. Crawdaunt's Banded Aqua jet hits like a truck under rain:

252+ Atk Choice Band Adaptability Crawdaunt Aqua Jet vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Xurkitree in Rain: 272-320 (88.5 - 104.2%) -- 25% chance to OHKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Adaptability Crawdaunt Aqua Jet vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Tapu Koko in Rain: 234-276 (83.2 - 98.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Crawdaunt not only does that, but breaks overly bulky Pokemon such as mantine as well. Mantine walls the living shit out of Kingdra, Mega Swampert, and Pelliper. I don't need to provide calcs to show how knock off breaks mantine, but it does that and having very little switch-ins as well. Skarmory barely takes a Banded Knock off:
252+ Atk Choice Band Adaptability Crawdaunt Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 224 HP / 252+ Def Skarmory: 188-222 (57.4 - 67.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery.

With all this, I do not think that Crawdaunt is deserving of a D ranking on water, as it is much better than the other D ranks, and is capable of at least rising to a C rank.
 


Mega Lopunny: Unranked=>S

Mega Lopunny has proven itself to be a definitive staple pick for Normal teams. Its 135 Speed tier is largely appreciated, outspeeding some of the metagame's fastest threats like Tapu Koko, Greninja, and Weavile. With its ability Scrappy, it ends up with an unresisted STAB combination, which when combined with its great Attack can put large dents into balanced teams. These traits are extremely helpful for both balanced and hyper offensive Normal teams. Mega Lopunny supports balanced teams by serving as an incredible offensive threat in matchups like Dark and Ghost, as well as serving as an effective revenge killer with its great Speed and access to Fake Out. Hyper offensive Normal teams also appreciate these traits, while granting Mega Lopunny even further sweeping and revenge killing potential with Sticky Web, making it not only a powerful tool against certain balance builds, but also a devastating threat against offensive teams. Back to the subject of Fake Out, Mega Lopunny takes great advantage of this, being able to freely break Focus Sashes from leads like Smeargle and Galvantula and effectively preventing Sticky Web, which is yet another great advantage it offers for HO Normal teams. Mega Lopunny can also use Fake Out to secure some KOs against offensive threats, as well as a few tankier Pokemon that would survive otherwise. Here are some calcs:

252 Atk Lopunny-Mega Fake Out vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tapu Koko: 78-93 (27.7 - 33%) -- guaranteed 4HKO
252 Atk Lopunny-Mega Return vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tapu Koko: 198-234 (70.4 - 83.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 Atk Lopunny-Mega Fake Out vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Latios: 82-97 (27.2 - 32.2%) -- guaranteed 4HKO
252 Atk Lopunny-Mega Return vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Latios: 208-246 (69.1 - 81.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 Atk Lopunny-Mega Fake Out vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Charizard-Mega-X: 63-75 (21.2 - 25.2%) -- 0% chance to 4HKO
252 Atk Lopunny-Mega High Jump Kick vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Charizard-Mega-X: 202-238 (68 - 80.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 Atk Lopunny-Mega Fake Out vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Charizard-Mega-Y: 84-99 (28.2 - 33.3%) -- 0% chance to 3HKO
252 Atk Lopunny-Mega Return vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Charizard-Mega-Y: 211-250 (71 - 84.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 Atk Lopunny-Mega Fake Out vs. 80 HP / 0 Def Seismitoad: 87-103 (23.4 - 27.7%) -- 81.9% chance to 4HKO
252 Atk Lopunny-Mega High Jump Kick vs. 80 HP / 0 Def Seismitoad: 279-328 (75.2 - 88.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

After Multiscale is broken by Fake Out:
252 Atk Lopunny-Mega Ice Punch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Dragonite: 356-420 (110.2 - 130%) -- guaranteed OHKO

252 Atk Lopunny-Mega Fake Out vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Keldeo: 75-88 (23.2 - 27.2%) -- 55.9% chance to 4HKO
252 Atk Lopunny-Mega High Jump Kick vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Keldeo: 240-283 (74.3 - 87.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 Atk Lopunny-Mega Fake Out vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Jellicent: 91-108 (22.5 - 26.7%) -- possible 5HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 Atk Lopunny-Mega High Jump Kick vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Jellicent: 295-348 (73 - 86.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

252 Atk Lopunny-Mega Fake Out vs. 48 HP / 4 Def Marowak-Alola: 63-75 (23 - 27.4%) -- 63.1% chance to 4HKO

252 Atk Lopunny-Mega High Jump Kick vs. 48 HP / 4 Def Marowak-Alola: 202-238 (73.9 - 87.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO


I could continue with the calcs, but the point has already been made. While Mega Pidgeot does offer some desirable traits over Mega Lopunny in its access to Defog, U-turn pivoting, and powerful Flying STAB to aid in the Grass and Fighting matchups, Mega Lopunny performs much better as an offensive threat, and is more than deserving of S rank.

Here's what I think is Mega Lopunny's most effective set right now:
Lopunny-Mega @ Lopunnite
Ability: Limber
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Return
- High Jump Kick
- Fake Out
- Ice Punch

 


Mega Lopunny: Unranked=>S

Mega Lopunny has proven itself to be a definitive staple pick for Normal teams. Its 135 Speed tier is largely appreciated, outspeeding some of the metagame's fastest threats like Tapu Koko, Greninja, and Weavile. With its ability Scrappy, it ends up with an unresisted STAB combination, which when combined with its great Attack can put large dents into balanced teams. These traits are extremely helpful for both balanced and hyper offensive Normal teams. Mega Lopunny supports balanced teams by serving as an incredible offensive threat in matchups like Dark and Ghost, as well as serving as an effective revenge killer with its great Speed and access to Fake Out. Hyper offensive Normal teams also appreciate these traits, while granting Mega Lopunny even further sweeping and revenge killing potential with Sticky Web, making it not only a powerful tool against certain balance builds, but also a devastating threat against offensive teams. Back to the subject of Fake Out, Mega Lopunny takes great advantage of this, being able to freely break Focus Sashes from leads like Smeargle and Galvantula and effectively preventing Sticky Web, which is yet another great advantage it offers for HO Normal teams. Mega Lopunny can also use Fake Out to secure some KOs against offensive threats, as well as a few tankier Pokemon that would survive otherwise. Here are some calcs:

252 Atk Lopunny-Mega Fake Out vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tapu Koko: 78-93 (27.7 - 33%) -- guaranteed 4HKO
252 Atk Lopunny-Mega Return vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tapu Koko: 198-234 (70.4 - 83.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 Atk Lopunny-Mega Fake Out vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Latios: 82-97 (27.2 - 32.2%) -- guaranteed 4HKO
252 Atk Lopunny-Mega Return vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Latios: 208-246 (69.1 - 81.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 Atk Lopunny-Mega Fake Out vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Charizard-Mega-X: 63-75 (21.2 - 25.2%) -- 0% chance to 4HKO
252 Atk Lopunny-Mega High Jump Kick vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Charizard-Mega-X: 202-238 (68 - 80.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 Atk Lopunny-Mega Fake Out vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Charizard-Mega-Y: 84-99 (28.2 - 33.3%) -- 0% chance to 3HKO
252 Atk Lopunny-Mega Return vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Charizard-Mega-Y: 211-250 (71 - 84.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 Atk Lopunny-Mega Fake Out vs. 80 HP / 0 Def Seismitoad: 87-103 (23.4 - 27.7%) -- 81.9% chance to 4HKO
252 Atk Lopunny-Mega High Jump Kick vs. 80 HP / 0 Def Seismitoad: 279-328 (75.2 - 88.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

After Multiscale is broken by Fake Out:
252 Atk Lopunny-Mega Ice Punch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Dragonite: 356-420 (110.2 - 130%) -- guaranteed OHKO

252 Atk Lopunny-Mega Fake Out vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Keldeo: 75-88 (23.2 - 27.2%) -- 55.9% chance to 4HKO
252 Atk Lopunny-Mega High Jump Kick vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Keldeo: 240-283 (74.3 - 87.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 Atk Lopunny-Mega Fake Out vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Jellicent: 91-108 (22.5 - 26.7%) -- possible 5HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 Atk Lopunny-Mega High Jump Kick vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Jellicent: 295-348 (73 - 86.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

252 Atk Lopunny-Mega Fake Out vs. 48 HP / 4 Def Marowak-Alola: 63-75 (23 - 27.4%) -- 63.1% chance to 4HKO

252 Atk Lopunny-Mega High Jump Kick vs. 48 HP / 4 Def Marowak-Alola: 202-238 (73.9 - 87.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

I could continue with the calcs, but the point has already been made. While Mega Pidgeot does offer some desirable traits over Mega Lopunny in its access to Defog, U-turn pivoting, and powerful Flying STAB to aid in the Grass and Fighting matchups, Mega Lopunny performs much better as an offensive threat, and is more than deserving of S rank.

Here's what I think is Mega Lopunny's most effective set right now:
Lopunny-Mega @ Lopunnite
Ability: Limber
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Return
- High Jump Kick
- Fake Out
- Ice Punch

While I do indeed agree with all of your points here, I don't think it's enough for Mega Lopunny to be S Rank. In comparison to the other S Ranked threats in the Normal VR, it does not offer as much as it should do for such a title, and doesn't influence the meta as such.

For instance, Chansey and Porygon2 composes the core that makes Normal's most viable playstyle shine, the former being the ONLY good rocker in Balanced Normal builds and arguably the best special (mixed) sponge in the entire meta, and the latter having tons of physical bulk plus a good enough movepool to avoid threatening setuppers that would otherwise have a field day vs. a Normal team. Both Pokémon arguably help in every matchup possible, whether by simple walling threats or by crippling the opposing team. Staraptor is on that level of viability and influentiability too, being a great glue, physically defensive pivot, mandatory hazard removal and bulky Fighting neutrality on Balanced Normal teams (complimenting the core of Chansey + Porygon2, making the bulky Balanced build prevalent, influential and threatening to face), and the mandatory scarfer on Offensive Normal teams (that hits hard and cleans most types after weakened, making the archetype at least playable along with Smeargle).

While Mega Lopunny is an amazing fast offensive option for a revenge killer that helps in some of Normal's tough matchups such as Dark, Rock and Steel like you said, it has its shortcomings compared to the S ranks. First and foremost, it faces competition with the perfectly usable Mega Pidgeot for the mega slot (which helps more in Grass, Bug and Fighting matchups than Mega Lopunny does, especially in the former two, which can be quite of a nuisance for Mega Lopunny teams as Dark and Rock are for Mega Pidgeot builds). Also, it arguably isn't as threatening or influential as the Eviolite Twins or Staraptor to every type; like it was said above, the three aforementioned S Ranks combined make the most viable Normal build an obstacle that must be surpassed in every type to succeed. Comparing this status to Mega Lopunny's, albeit it does influence some types in teambuilding as a threat (Ice, Rock, Dark, Normal mirror), it isn't as much of a teambuilding issue as the defensive core, because it can be either hard walled by a prevalent core (Poison's, Grass's, Flying's) or constantly offensively checked by relatively used sets(Fairy, Bug, Dragon, among others).

I can agree Mega Lopunny is, overall, more of an offensive threat than Pidgeot is; but, relatively speaking, I don't think it's worthy of S Rank if compared to the three Normal giants right now. It's better suited for A Rank instead, IMO.

While we're at it...

Porygon-Z (Normal) S ---> A



That's the reason I didn't say or list "four Normal giants" right now in the nomination above. And it's pretty debatable too; like Mega Lopunny, I believe it isn't worthy of S Rank because of relativity, compared to what the other three S Ranks do.

While Porygon-Z is indeed Normal's go-to sweeper as of this generation, it grew up to have competition for a slot, in both Offensive and, mostly, in Balanced archetypes. Looking over Balanced archetypes, you have 3 spots set in stone, along with a strongly recommended mega, a wallbreaker and a form of speed control. That leaves Porygon-Z with an opportunity cost to be used, a thing which the three other S Ranked threats doesn't even face in the most prevalent Normal archetype. Even in Offensive Normal builds, where P-Z is way easier to fit and use due to Sticky Web, it faces competition for a slot among the myriad of great offensive options such as the must have Scarf Staraptor, Mega Lopunny/Pidgeot, Diggersby, Meloetta, Bewear and Heliolisk.

It isn't S Rank in what it can offer or in how it influences the meta either. While the defensive core is, again, a must-note when teambuilding for almost every type to succeed due to its low opportunity cost and high effectiveness and prevalence, Porygon-Z is arguably less threatening in the aspect, due to it being stopped by prevalent defensive threats (Muk-Alola, Tyranitar, Chansey, Magearna, Ferrothorn, Heatran), by offensive ones with same value (Weather abusers, faster super-effective damage dealers, faster scarfers), and, as mentioned, the reasonably high opportunity cost.

Overall, while I do think Porygon-Z puts lots of work as a Normal sweeper, the issues mentioned above puts it alongside the likes of Diggersby(great wallbreaker), Meloetta(wallbreaker/scarfer), Mega Pidgeot(all out attacker) and Ditto(anti set-up, speed control) better.
 
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Havens

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Mega Gardevoir: ??? -> A (Psychic and Fairy)

Mega Gardevoirs' presence upon its release wasn't as well conceived as it was meant to be, primarily because of the introduction of Marshadow and Mega Lopunny at the time. Time has passed and Marshadow has gone, but it still hasn't made a large of an impact as it really could have. It still has the special power to chunk very bulky cores with moves like Pixilated Hyper Voice and Focus Blast, especially for many uneven Matchups, Secondary options like Wish and Will-O-Wisp to assist with whittling down specific mons or lengthening longevity in itself or its teammates, or options like Destiny Bond to remove an offensive presence to the team. Despite all the positives MeGardevoir provides, it hasn't been such a great option as it used to be. On Fairy Teams, the introduction of the Tapus and Magearna this generation has made many matchups that Fairy suffered before easier, such as Poison and Steel; Matchups that in the previous generation Gardevoir was required to handle. On Psychic, it isn't as mandatory for Psychic anymore considering the introduction of Z moves; most notably Mewnium Z that makes Mew a more reliable Wall/Stallbreaker, as well as the lesser used Z Happy Hour Jirachi that utilizes all-around boosts and its insane Hax options in Iron Head, Zen Headbutt and Body Slam to break down and shut down many Defensive Mons. Point being, Mega Gardevoir isn't as ideal of a mon as it used to be due to the introduction of other great mons and mechanics this generation. It is still a very incredible wallbreaker however, and it cannot be denied that it is still a very useful ally for any team that it is placed on. As time goes on and the metagame develops, I'm sure that Mega Gardevoir will advance and emerge as a top tier threat. Until then, I highly believe it should start at A rank.
 
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mushamu

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Mega Gallade: ??? -> S (Fighting) A (Psychic)
This generation, poison is huge. With the new additions of Toxapex, Alolan Muk, and Nihilego, poison has become a top tier type, and you can see that by looking in tours where it is used constantly. Mega Gallade is something that will help Fighting deal with Poison. Outside of the Poison matchup, Mega Gallade is able to deal with Ghost & Psychic with Knock Off or Shadow Sneak. It has a great speed tier, 110, outspeeding the Charizards, the swords of justice, and speed tying with Latios and Gengar. Its bulk is appreciated on fighting, as a hyper offensive type, Mega Gallade's 95/110 bulk allows it to take a few attacks, most notably Psychic attacks, and even some Ghost attacks, as it can live a Shadow Ball from Scarf Gengar from full health. On Psychic, Mega Gallade may have competition with Mega Gardevoir, a wallbreaker with instant potential, instead of having to set up for it, but it could be S ranked on Psychic too as Mega Gardevoir isn't looking too well this generation.
 

(Fighting) Unranked -> S
Mega Gallade eases so many matchups for Fighting thanks to its useful typing and coverage allowing it to take on Poison, Fighting, Psychic, Ghost, Ice, Dragon, and Ground effectively in combination with its giant base 165 Attack plus a very important speed tier in 110. Mega Gallade right now is the best wallbreaker in the type and the best user of Swords Dance. Powerful Psychic STAB helps it 2HKO all Poison types, turning the matchup's advantage in Fighting's favor. 110 speed allows it to outspeed things like Keldeo, Terrakion, Landorus, Garchomp, and ties with Latios and Gengar. It has access to a very powerful Knock Off and Ice Punch, as well as the ability to counter Mega Venusaur and check Toxapex which are huge threats to Fighting.


(Fighting) A -> B
The introduction of Mega Gallade has hurt Mega Heracross, making it harder to fit on teams. It's still the same insanely strong wallbreaker that it's always been, but it now suffers from the opportunity cost of forgoing Mega Gallade, who tends to be a far better fit on Fighting teams. 185 Attack and Skill Link boosted Pin Missile is still nothing to play with, as it can still take on Mega Slowbro, Venusaur, Toxapex if Earthquake, and it can even survive an attack from Tapu Koko at full HP. It still has a useful niche on Fighting, so it should fall to B rank.


(Fighting) Unranked -> D
Before I get started, Virizion isn't a very good option on Fighting. It faces competition from Breloom and even Chesnaught as a Grass type. However, it has a very small niche, being the type's best Reflect/Light Screen setter, being the most specially bulky Fighting type with impressive 91/129 bulk, a good speed tier at 108, and being able to take on special attackers and deal with Slowbro. It is extremely reliant on team support despite its positive traits, however, and for these reasons I believe it should be D ranked.
 


Mega Alakazam: S=>A

Mega Alakazam is no doubt a potent tool against offense, and generally one of the most effective revenge killers Psychic has in matchups such as Water, Ground, and Electric. However, I don't see it as S rank worthy. With Sash-Counter Zam, Psychic has access to quite easily one of the best blanket checks in the entire metagame, being able to deal with Alolan Muk that aren't carrying Fire Blast, Mega Sharpedo, and a large handful of the Scarf metagame. And it does all this while not using up a mega slot. This wasn't nearly as important when Sash-Counter Zam was gaining popularity, since the only other Psychic mega at the time was Mega Slowbro, who could only really operate effectively on balance builds. But now, with the introduction of Mega Gallade and Mega Gardevoir, the open mega slot is put to good use, with Mega Gardevoir being an effective check to important threats like Mega Sableye, Mandibuzz, and Hydreigon that could also Will-O-Wisp against common switch-ins like Alolan Muk, and against Sucker Punchers like Bisharp, and Mega Gallade granting Psychic teams another powerful physical wallbreaker that aids tremendously in the Poison matchup, as well as being able to tear through most balance builds after a Swords Dance. With all these factors in mind, Mega Alakazam isn't as largely influential in comparison to the other S ranks in Victini and Mew, and would be more appropriate in A rank.​
 


Manaphy: S=>A

Manaphy is definitely a great Z-move abuser and an amazing special wallbreaker for Water teams thanks to Tail Glow. However, I don't necessarily think that it deserves the S rank. It faces competition as a Z-move user from Gyarados, who can not only find easier setup opportunities thanks to its helpful utility in Taunt, Substitute, and the ability Intimidate, but is also capable of effectively checking important threats like Mega Venusaur and Tapu Bulu. Some other solid benefits it has over Manaphy include a Grass neutrality and the ability Moxie as a means of snowballing easier. Manaphy has rather mediocre damage output without any Tail Glows under its belt, meaning that in situations where it can't set up safely, it'll have extremely lackluster offensive pressure. This can at times lead to Water teams opting for more immediate wallbreakers like Specs Keldeo, who not only has superior damage output right away, but it also has a higher Speed tier, allowing it to revenge kill more threats. Manaphy simply isn't a defining aspect of Water teams and isn't worthy of S rank right now.​
 


Manetric-Mega (Electric) : Unranked -> B

Personally, I love Mega Manetric. It's fast and packs a punch with a STAB Thunderbolt, which can be boosted by Electric Terrain, and also has many coverage options with Flamethrower and HP Ice. It also knows Volt Switch to add to the never-ending Volt Switch cycles in Mono-Electric. Manetric-Mega's maxed out Speed topping off at around 400 outspeeds a large chunk of the metagame. Although not a staple of mono-Electric teams, Mega Manetric remains a viable damage dealer capable of making dents in enemy teams.​
 


Manetric-Mega (Electric) : Unranked -> B

Personally, I love Mega Manetric. It's fast and packs a punch with a STAB Thunderbolt, which can be boosted by Electric Terrain, and also has many coverage options with Flamethrower and HP Ice. It also knows Volt Switch to add to the never-ending Volt Switch cycles in Mono-Electric. Manetric-Mega's maxed out Speed topping off at around 400 outspeeds a large chunk of the metagame. Although not a staple of mono-Electric teams, Mega Manetric remains a viable damage dealer capable of making dents in enemy teams.​
I disagree. Tapu Koko does the literal exact same thing M-Mane does and can still abuse something like LO, Expert Belt, Specs etc. Koko even gives electric terrain, which both gives the electric boost and Alolan Raichu viability as a whole. Koko also reaches a similar speed tier, albeit a bit less.

I personally see NO reason to run it when you have Koko, especially when it takes up an important slot that can be used for something else.

Edit: imo M-Mane at most belongs at C, solely because it's the only semi- relevant electric mega rn.
 
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Vid

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VR Update
Here's New update Fairy, Fighting, and Dark rankings were revamped along with primarily rankings for new Megas
Bug
Forretress A---->B
Durant C---->B
Psychic
Mega Gallade Unranked---->S
Mega Gardevoir Unranked---->A
Mega Alakazam S---->A
Meloetta A---->B
Gardevoir B---->C
Wobbuffet C---->B
Fighting
Mega Gallade Unranked---->S
Mega Heracross A--->B
Kommo-o B---->C
Toxicroak B---->C
Pangoro C---->D
Scrafty C---->D
Machamp D---->Unranked
Mienshao D---->Unranked
Poliwrath D---->Unranked
Fairy
Mega Gardevoir Unranked---->B
Tapu Bulu S---->A
Togekiss A---->B
Gardevoir B--->C
Diancie B--->C
Mimikyu B--->C
Sylveon B--->D
Slurpuff C---->D
Florges D---->Unranked
Granbull D--->Unranked
Ghost
Gengar S---->A
Steel
Mega Aggron Unranked---->D
Electric
Mega Manectric Unranked---->B
Normal
Mega Lopunny Unranked---->S
Porygon-Z S--->A
Poison
Nidoqueen A---->B
Scolipede A---->B
Toxicroak D---->Unranked
Water
Manaphy S--->A
Mega Sharpedo S--->A
Mega Slowbro A--->B
Tapu Fini A--->B
Milotic Unranked---->C
Dark
Mega Tyranitar Unranked---->B
Mandibuzz S---->A
Tyranitar S---->A
Bisharp A---->B
Mega Sharpedo A---->B
Mega Houndoom A---->C
Weavile B---->C
Mega Absol C---->D
Sableye C---->D
Sharpedo C---->D
Persian-Alola D---->Unranked
Zoroark D---->Unranked
 

Harpp

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Golem-alola (Electric) S rank=>A or B

Golem-alola is not suited for S rank. S rank pokemon define the type and heavily influence the metagame. If we compare golem-alola to other S rank pokemon on electric then it can be quite clear. Tapu koko and Raichu-alola are quintessential to a mono electric team since teams in this gen are based around electric terrain and both pokemon have influenced the metagame to a reasonable level, for types to run checks or counter to those pokemon. for ex: Ground runs dugtrio to trap and take out raichu-alola which is a threat to ground teams. Zapdos and Rotom-wash on the other hand provide teams a defensive backbone and are type defining since it is hard to imagine an electric team not built around these two defensive walls which blanket checks a lot of threats.
My point is that Golem-alola does not influences the type or metagame as compared to other S rank pokemon on the list. Golem-alola is certainly the only viable stealth rock user and a physical attacker for electric teams however it fills an important role which is stealth rock user which puts it A rank which is "These Pokemon fill important roles on a Monotype team, but do not influence the type as much as S ranks." Golem-alola is also a liability in ground match up which is something to be noted.
 
curious on the reasoning behind mega gallade to S on psychic and Tapu Bulu drop from S to A on fairy
 

mushamu

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curious on the reasoning behind mega gallade to S on psychic and Tapu Bulu drop from S to A on fairy
They decided to put more meaning into the words, "S-Rank", hence why a bunch of Pokemon like Gengar Tyranitar and manaphy dropped.
 

Kev

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curious on the reasoning behind mega gallade to S on psychic and Tapu Bulu drop from S to A on fairy
Can't speak for Bulu, but I believe Gallade is S rank because of its ability to take down threats like Alolan Muk more efficiently than it's fellow Psychic Megas.
 
Since over the past couple of days there have been a lot of questions, I'll try to explain the reasoning behind most of the S-rank changes.
I'll use Tapu Bulu as an example here.

Tapu Bulu (Fairy): I find it very hard to put Tapu Bulu on the same level as literally three of the biggest threats in the metagame: Z-Belly Drum Azumarill behind screens, Tapu Koko, and Magearna. Tapu Bulu feels much more reasonable in the same ranking as Clefable, as supporters that enable those three to be as powerful and effective as they are. That isn't to say Tapu Bulu is bad; we shifted many Pokemon down a tiering in order to make it possible for Tapu Bulu to move down. In the end, the question was is it as good as the other S ranks, and we found Tapu Bulu wanting.

This is more or less the same reasoning for most drops. Gengar, as another example, really just can't compare to Mega Sableye and Mimikyu, who are both absolute musts for their amazing typing and utility.
 
Since over the past couple of days there have been a lot of questions, I'll try to explain the reasoning behind most of the S-rank changes.
I'll use Tapu Bulu as an example here.

Tapu Bulu (Fairy): I find it very hard to put Tapu Bulu on the same level as literally three of the biggest threats in the metagame: Z-Belly Drum Azumarill behind screens, Tapu Koko, and Magearna. Tapu Bulu feels much more reasonable in the same ranking as Clefable, as supporters that enable those three to be as powerful and effective as they are. That isn't to say Tapu Bulu is bad; we shifted many Pokemon down a tiering in order to make it possible for Tapu Bulu to move down. In the end, the question was is it as good as the other S ranks, and we found Tapu Bulu wanting.

This is more or less the same reasoning for most drops. Gengar, as another example, really just can't compare to Mega Sableye and Mimikyu, who are both absolute musts for their amazing typing and utility.
I get what youre saying, but I'll respectfully disagree. I don't think tapu bulu has to be a threat to the entire metagame to warrant an S rank. It should be a mon that is a must have on every fairy team, which it is. You can't really compare it to clefable, as clefable's main niche is a steel check and rocker. Tapu bulu offers way more in terms of both offense, defense, and typing. I get that it doesnt seem as daunting as the other three, but putting it at A rank makes it look like an explorable option, rather than a necessity.
 
I agree with Waszap. Bulu has proven imperative on my Fairy team. It is the one thing preventing Fairy from being run over by electric, and it also helps out a lot with Fairy's common ground weaknesses in Koko, Klefki, and (for now) Magearna. Scarf Stone Edge also shifts the tides in the Fire, Flying, and Bug match ups, easing pressure on Koko and Azu. One of these reasons alone would warrent usage of Bulu, but all of them together pretty much makes Bulu mandatory on Fairy.

Personally, if I were to drop any of the three (Azu, Bulu, and Koko) to A rank, I would drop Koko in favor of a bulkier pokemon, as Electric only hits Water and Flying super effectively, both of which Bulu can handle pretty much on its own. Gardevoir can provide a strong Fairy stab in replacement for Koko, while also easing the Poison matchup a bit with its Psychic Stab.
 
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I get what youre saying, but I'll respectfully disagree. I don't think tapu bulu has to be a threat to the entire metagame to warrant an S rank. It should be a mon that is a must have on every fairy team, which it is. You can't really compare it to clefable, as clefable's main niche is a steel check and rocker. Tapu bulu offers way more in terms of both offense, defense, and typing. I get that it doesnt seem as daunting as the other three, but putting it at A rank makes it look like an explorable option, rather than a necessity.
I don't believe that just because Tapu Bulu is a "must have" on every team means it deserves to be S rank. It does not define the Fairy metagame and simply isn't as influential as Tapu Koko or Magearna. For example, many would argue Cobalion is a necessity on Fighting, yet it isn't S rank. Being grouped the same as Clefable makes sense, as both serve a unique and useful niche without being as metagame-defining as the current S ranks.
 
I get what youre saying, but I'll respectfully disagree. I don't think tapu bulu has to be a threat to the entire metagame to warrant an S rank. It should be a mon that is a must have on every fairy team, which it is. You can't really compare it to clefable, as clefable's main niche is a steel check and rocker. Tapu bulu offers way more in terms of both offense, defense, and typing. I get that it doesnt seem as daunting as the other three, but putting it at A rank makes it look like an explorable option, rather than a necessity.
All things are relative in the viability rankings. Whether or not something is outright necessary does not mean it is S rank. Something that is necessary is likely to be S rank because it is clearly good enough to be necessitated. An S rank Pokemon doesn't need to be a threat to the entire metagame, note that Klefki is S rank. However, an S rank Pokemon should be of at least similar influence to the team / metagame as other S ranks alongside it. Every type has its own relative ranking, so while a type like Flying has an absurd 6 S ranks, it doesn't seem right to have Tapu Bulu in a rank it doesn't seem to fit in.

Comparing it to Clefable, I'm not sure how you can so easily diminish its roles. It fulfills two of the most important roles for Fairy teams: check Steel-types, which no other Pokemon can even come close to doing as effectively right now, and set Stealth Rock, which is perhaps the single most necessary utility for all teams. It does all this while still being a fantastic pivot option and a reliable wall. I would argue that most Fairy teams that lack Clefable are outright unviable. It's A rank for the same reason Tapu Bulu is. We lowered it many months ago because it doesn't have the same influence or strength as the other S ranks do. It is no less necessary, but it is comparatively weaker. All things are relative. If Pokemon X is relatively worse than Pokemon Y, then Pokemon X should be in a lower viability tier.

To use a similar example, take a look at Steel. Excadrill is quite literally a must in the current metagame. However, it would be absurd to compare it to S ranked Heatran, Skarmory, and Magearna. There's just no way to even argue that it is as important as those three. Note that even Mega Scizor is A Rank. There is no reason at all to not run Mega Scizor on Steel teams because it just brings way too much to the team. It isn't S rank. Skarmory, Heatran, and Magearna are just on a different level. I think this is the best example I can give. Excadrill and Mega Scizor are ridiculously good, but are worse than Skarmory, Heatran, and Magearna, and because the viability rankings are relative, they necessarily must be A rank. While I am not saying the difference between the Fairy-type A and S ranks is as large as those in Steel, I see a clear cut drop in power between them.

Personally, if I were to drop any of the three (Azu, Bulu, and Koko) to A rank, I would drop Koko in favor of a bulkier pokemon, as Electric only hits Water and Flying super effectively, both of which Bulu can handle pretty much on its own. Gardevoir can provide a strong Fairy stab in replacement for Koko, while also easing the Poison matchup a bit with its Psychic Stab.
I can't even entertain the idea of dropping Tapu Koko. Tapu Koko has an impact on the greater metagame beyond almost any other Pokemon, even including those that are not Fairy-type, right now. It is inarguably S rank and perhaps only second to Magearna on Fairy. This discussion isn't really about Tapu Koko, so I don't really want to bother explaining further, but that drop is more or less completely out of the question for me at the very least.
 
Here goes...

Mega Abomasnow: Unranked --> B (Ice)
Mega Abomasnow is maybe the most underrated mega ever. With a reason. It has one of the worst defensive typings, having (edit) 7 weaknesses, which are all common or overused (Poison 2x, Bug 2x, Steel 2x, Fighting 2x, Rock 2x, Flying 2x, Fire 4x), it doesn't have super impressive stats (especially for a mega, it's bulk is almost not significant unless invested), has only three resistances (Water, Grass, Ground), no immunities and it's pre-evolution is completely unusable.
So why should you use it, then? There is absolutely no reason at all to use it on a Grass mono. Every Grass type mega is better, and as I said it's pre-evolution is total dipshit.
But does the same go for ice? Let's look at all the aspects of what makes a pokemon good or not.
Typing: Grass/Ice. Defensively, this is not good at all. It doesn't add to an ice team in terms of taking a hit that others couldn't (you can't switch out an Alolan Sandslash into Mega Abomasnow to take Lopunny's High Jump Kick for example), and it emphasizes an Ice team's Fire weakness greatly. It's bulk is enough to take some unboosted neutral hits (possibly two before giving it up, though), and it's typing doesn't help at all.
But offensively... it's not that bad. Ice may struggle with Water, and this guy can take almost every Water type's soul with his devastating Grass attacks. Ice is not that bad for an offensive type, too.
Stats: It's stats are decent. Nothing more, nothing less. It does have two beautiful offensive stats because they are in balance (both sport base 132), which sparks creativity. It's speed is too bad to even talk about, but that also means he takes minimum damage from Gyro Ball and can be used as a trump card against Trick Room teams, but that's a little too situational. It's bulk is okay, and it's base HP is usable when invested, but not enough to take super effective hits like a tank. A defensive set might be able to, but it wouldn't be a good set.
Movepool: This might be Mega Abomasnow's best point. Not only does it get versatile offensive stats, it's movepool is also versatile as can be. Supporting both physical and special Ice and Grass moves, it can make the opposing team doubt the set even more. Will it Giga Drain? Or rather Ice Shard? The movepool contains great moves such as Wood Hammer, Ice Shard, Avalanche, Focus Blast, as well as Earthquake and Iron Tail, healing in Leech Seed and Synthesis, it drains a Mega Swampert's HP with a Giga Drain (if it gets the chance to) and it's Blizzard won't miss in Hail. Next point...
Ability: It sets up Hail. Another Hail setter. He can utilize this himself or switch into other mon who have better chances of using it. Hail is the best niche of Ice teams, and if you have a Hail team, Abomasnow is the go-to mega evolution.

There are two Ice-type Mega evolutions. So now is the big question: which is the better one/fits better in my team?
Personally, I found Mega Glalie to be cool to use in metas outside Monotype. It's ability, Refirgerate, is one of those epic abilities that changes the type of a move (OMG!). But now into Ice.
On an Ice Mono, don't you think you already have enough Ice moves? Do you need a Mega that has almost no other use than using Ice moves? It's Earthquake is weaker than Abomasnow's, and Abo's Avalanche huts harder (when boosted by damage) than a refrigerate Return. Abo's Ice Shard hits harder. Yes, Glalie is indeed faster, but it's Speed tier isn't super cool, Speed tieing with so many opponents or just gettung outright outsped. It can't even hit a Garchomp before it gets hit himself (unless Ice Sharding, but that's something Abo can do, too).

For Ice teams, I really think Mega Abomasnow is better or just as good as Glalie. Monotype is not only about powerful stabs, it's also about versatility. So Mega Abomaasnow deserves B-rank at the least.

Edit I: forgot to add a set.

Santa (Abomasnow-Mega) (M) @ Abomasite
Ability: Snow Warning
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Def
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Ice Shard
- Wood Hammer
- Avalanche
- Earthquake
 
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Here goes...

Mega Abomasnow: Unranked --> B (Ice)
Mega Abomasnow is maybe the most underrated mega ever. With a reason. It has one of the worst defensive typings, having 5 weaknesses, which are all common or overused (Steel 2x, Fighting 2x, Rock 2x, Flying 2x, Fire 4x), it doesn't have super impressive stats (especially for a mega, it's bulk is almost not significant unless invested), has only three resistances (Water, Grass, Ground), no immunities and it's pre-evolution is completely unusable.
So why should you use it, then? There is absolutely no reason at all to use it on a Grass mono. Every Grass type mega is better, and as I said it's pre-evolution is total dipshit.
But does the same go for ice? Let's look at all the aspects of what makes a pokemon good or not.
Typing: Grass/Ice. Defensively, this is not good at all. It doesn't add to an ice team in terms of taking a hit that others couldn't (you can't switch out an Alolan Sandslash into Mega Abomasnow to take Lopunny's High Jump Kick for example), and it emphasizes an Ice team's Fire weakness greatly. It's bulk is enough to take some unboosted neutral hits (possibly two before giving it up, though), and it's typing doesn't help at all.
But offensively... it's not that bad. Ice may struggle with Water, and this guy can take almost every Water type's soul with his devastating Grass attacks. Ice is not that bad for an offensive type, too.
Stats: It's stats are decent. Nothing more, nothing less. It does have two beautiful offensive stats because they are in balance (both sport base 132), which sparks creativity. It's speed is too bad to even talk about, but that also means he takes minimum damage from Gyro Ball and can be used as a trump card against Trick Room teams, but that's a little too situational. It's bulk is okay, and it's base HP is usable when invested, but not enough to take super effective hits like a tank. A defensive set might be able to, but it wouldn't be a good set.
Movepool: This might be Mega Abomasnow's best point. Not only does it get versatile offensive stats, it's movepool is also versatile as can be. Supporting both physical and special Ice and Grass moves, it can make the opposing team doubt the set even more. Will it Giga Drain? Or rather Ice Shard? The movepool contains great moves such as Wood Hammer, Ice Shard, Avalanche, Focus Blast, as well as Earthquake and Iron Tail, healing in Leech Seed and Synthesis, it drains a Mega Swampert's HP with a Giga Drain (if it gets the chance to) and it's Blizzard won't miss in Hail. Next point...
Ability: It sets up Hail. Another Hail setter. He can utilize this himself or switch into other mon who have better chances of using it. Hail is the best niche of Ice teams, and if you have a Hail team, Abomasnow is the go-to mega evolution.

There are two Ice-type Mega evolutions. So now is the big question: which is the better one/fits better in my team?
Personally, I found Mega Glalie to be cool to use in metas outside Monotype. It's ability, Refirgerate, is one of those epic abilities that changes the type of a move (OMG!). But now into Ice.
On an Ice Mono, don't you think you already have enough Ice moves? Do you need a Mega that has almost no other use than using Ice moves? It's Earthquake is weaker than Abomasnow's, and Abo's Avalanche huts harder (when boosted by damage) than a refrigerate Return. Abo's Ice Shard hits harder. Yes, Glalie is indeed faster, but it's Speed tier isn't super cool, Speed tieing with so many opponents or just gettung outright outsped. It can't even hit a Garchomp before it gets hit himself (unless Ice Sharding, but that's something Abo can do, too).

For Ice teams, I really think Mega Abomasnow is better or just as good as Glalie. Monotype is not only about powerful stabs, it's also about versatility. So Mega Abomaasnow deserves B-rank at the least.

Edit I: forgot to add a set.

Santa (Abomasnow-Mega) (M) @ Abomasite
Ability: Snow Warning
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Def
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Ice Shard
- Wood Hammer
- Avalanche
- Earthquake
As someone who uses Ice quite a lot, I have to disagree with a lot of this. You pointed out a lot of its flaws yourself, with its absolutely horrible defensive typing and its awful Speed. As a tinier nitpick, Mega Abomasnow actually has 7 weaknesses, not 5, but on to the real point. Ice teams already have a good matchup against Water without Mega Abomasnow thanks to Alolan Ninetales, Kyurem-Black, and Lapras. In fact, 2 of the Pokemon listed are staple picks regardless, so why is Mega Abomasnow's usefulness in this matchup even relevant? The same can also apply to the Ground matchup. Here's what I found to be the worst part of your argument:

The movepool contains great moves such as Wood Hammer, Ice Shard, Avalanche, Focus Blast, as well as Earthquake and Iron Tail, healing in Leech Seed and Synthesis, it drains a Mega Swampert's HP with a Giga Drain (if it gets the chance to) and it's Blizzard won't miss in Hail. Next point...
Ability: It sets up Hail. Another Hail setter. He can utilize this himself or switch into other mon who have better chances of using it. Hail is the best niche of Ice teams, and if you have a Hail team, Abomasnow is the go-to mega evolution.
First of all, Iron Tail is awful coverage on Mega Abomasnow, and there is quite literally no reason to ever have it. Next, what was the point of bringing up Synthesis at all? It's directly counter-intuitive with hail, making you heal significantly less. As a hail setter, Alolan Ninetales has pretty much made every single other Snow Warning Pokemon obselete with its great Speed tier, part Fairy typing, and Aurora Veil in particular. And as mentioned before, Alolan Ninetales is already a staple pick on Ice team. Honestly, if you have a hail team, Ice's best bet is going with no mega at all, since both of its existing megas are lackluster at best.

Speaking of its megas, Mega Glalie actually possesses more desirable traits than Mega Abomasnow does. Its decent 100 Speed tier is appreciated, as well as having access to decent Spikes utility. Despite how Froslass is generally better as a Spiker, Mega Glalie has the offensive presence to force many things out in order to grant it setup opportunities, and can blow up with Explosion as a means of preventing Rapid Spinners/Defoggers. And yes, its Earthquake is weaker than Mega Abomasnow, but unlike Mega Abomasnow, it can actually outspeed and deal with some of the main threats that Earthquake is supposed to hit, specifically Heatran, Magnezone, and Alolan Marowak, all of which are capable of outspeeding and simply KOing Mega Abomasnow before it even gets the chance to attack. When comparing Mega Abomasnow to Mega Glalie, there is hardly any point in listing an example of a Pokemon that they both beat. What exactly was the point of bringing up Garchomp? All it proved is that both megas are capable of KOing a faster threat with a priority move, not showing at all how one would be better than the other.

As Eien said earlier in the thread, the VR is about relativity. Is Mega Abomasnow as good as the Pokemon in the B rank you nominated it for? Walrein and Rotom-Frost serve as Mega Scizor checks, which is undeniably important for Ice teams. Additionally, Walrein has access to Water STAB and the ability Thick Fat, essentially granting it a Fire resistance. Rotom-Frost has Will-O-Wisp utility as well as Volt Switch in order to generate momentum for Ice teams. And for Froslass, it offers a Fighting immunity, and great utility as a hazard lead with Spikes, Taunt, and Destiny Bond, making it a decent choice for hyper offensive teams. All of these Pokemon are much better than Mega Abomasnow, so it wouldn't make sense to put it in the same rank. As for the C rank Pokemon, Aurorus is yet another Snow Warning Pokemon that can also compress an essential role as a Stealth Rocker, while having access to decent utility in Encore and Thunder Wave as well as access to Rock STAB to aid in the Fire matchup. Cryogonal is a more specially defensive Rapid Spinner that also has some salvageable Knock Off utility. And I already went into detail before about how Mega Glalie is better than Mega Abomasnow. Overall, I'd say D rank is a much more appropriate place for Mega Abomasnow.
 
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