Bottom of the Barrel: The Stuff You Should NOT Be Using
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Introduction
Hello, fellow Pokémoners. Remember back in DPP when everyone was always wondering how Pokémon such as Electivire, Umbreon, and Ninjask could possibly still be OU? None of them fulfilled any niche so valuable that they should be used often, nor did they have the capacity to consistently and heavily damage the opponent's team—even when used correctly. So how come they stayed OU for the entirety of the generation? The answer is probably a lot simpler than you might think: tiers are determined by ladder statistics and most ladder players are, well... let's go with subpar. Thus, tiers are heavily skewed by said subpar players, hence Pokémon are often misplaced. Sadly, this is almost an inevitability. After all, how else will these bad players learn what's good and what isn't if not for playing a whole lot? So, by now you might be asking yourself who the Electivire and Umbreon of this generation are. Luckily for you, this article will tell you just that, and to make things even better, it'll tell you which Pokémon to avoid in every official BW tier. Now, lets get to it!
OverUsed
Scrafty
Kicking things off is everyone's favorite pants lizard. While it's certainly true that this guy is one of the most badass and hipster Pokémon around (and that its unique STAB gives it amazing coverage... but who cares about that), the fact is, Scrafty is simply not cut out for the OU environment. Here's the thing: despite its seemingly amazing qualities, such as its great defenses, amazing typing, and access to Dragon Dance, it simply can't take advantage of them effectively. Luckily, the most recent tier shift finally sent Scrafty down to UU where it belongs, so please, OU players, let it stay there.
Where did it go wrong?
It should have been obvious. Every one of Scrafty's good qualities is mitigated by another not-so-great quality. Great defenses? Terrible HP stat. Amazing STAB combination, coverage movepool, and access to Dragon Dance? Subpar Attack and abysmal Speed.
"But it can still Bulk Up!"
In a metagame filled with Hurricanes, Draco Meteors, VoltTurn, Terrakion, and rain-boosted Hydro Pumps? Yeah... good luck with that.
Metagross
This is a tough one, mainly because Metagross was so solid during the fourth generation. Not only could it lead very effectively due to its good bulk and startling power, it could also sweep at the drop of a hat with its classic Agility set. What made Metagross so threatening was its ability to get past every one of its checks by slightly tweaking its set. Rotom-A? Zen Headbutt. Zapdos? Rock Slide. Gyarados? ThunderPunch. Flygon? Shuca Berry. You could never be sure what it was running until it was too late, so you were never safe. However, now that DPP is over, Metagross has taken a very noticeable tumble from grace.
Where did it go wrong?
Weather and the lack of a "lead metagame." No, really, that's about it. Without a lead metagame, Metagross doesn't have that niche to fill. On top of this, Metagross doesn't work well with or against weather. Against sun teams, it gets roasted by the common Fire-type moves that that archetype runs, and against rain, it simply doesn't have the Special Defense to tank Hydro Pumps or Scalds. It's not as bad against sand, but it's not great either. It's actually good against hail, but that's not nearly common enough to justify its use over a more useful Steel-type like say... Scizor or Jirachi (the latter of which incidentally has the same typing, better bulk, and a much broader movepool).
Honorable Mentions: Virizion, Toxicroak, Mienshao
Ubers
Shedinja
The angelic ghost bug that switches in to 12 types of moves since '03 (yes, it's that old) for free. Coupled with one of the most unique abilities out there, Shedinja makes an interesting Pokémon to use. Immunities, thanks to Wonder Guard, to common Water-, Electric-, Ground-, and Dragon-type moves is definitely a huge plus for Shedinja—shame it can't pull it off. An HP stat of 1 isn't doing any favors for Shedinja either, unless you're playing Hackmons, as it's simply wrecked by any status or Stealth Rock. Shedinja just can't take advantage of its qualities.
Where did it go wrong?
Shedinja is a Bug-type. I should say nothing. Bug-types are one of the crappiest defensive typings in the game. This awful typing combined with its Ghost typing makes it weak to commonly used Fire- and Ghost-type moves. Its base 1 HP is also terrible, as status is very common in Ubers, with threats such as Lugia, Giratina, and Gliscor lurking everywhere. Entry hazards are also super problematic, and spinning is no easy task in Ubers, as Ghost Arceus and the Giratina formes will not let any Rapid Spin user to do its job.
Charizard
Argh, do I really have to write about this lizard? Charizard is useless in Ubers. STOP. USING. CHARIZARD. It has no potential. "Hey, but sun increases Fire moves' power!" Hey, but Pokémon like Ho-Oh and Reshiram exist! Why not use them instead? Give me one advantage. Speed? Fine I'll give you that, but it's not like it can make good use of it. Solar Power? Reshiram has Turboblaze, which makes its STAB moves unresisted. Don't be like user: Keiran: "(23:20) <%Keiran> i should make an ubers team with 'zard. . . ", be professional. Now instead of ranting, which I can do forever, let's move on.
Where did it go wrong?
It's just bad. Use good Pokémon like Ho-Oh and Reshiram. Fire Arceus is also better, as it has Calm Mind. 4x weakness to Stealth Rock is not delightful either, and that bulk... in a tier full of Draco Meteors, Thunders, and Water Spouts, Charizard will just fail. Completely. Oh wait, it already does! Solar Power, the thing that would actually fool people into using Charizard, is a double-edged sword, and with that huge Stealth Rock weakness Charizard will be worn down too fast. For more information, please refer to Why You Suck at Ubers, or: Charizard is Not a Good Meta Pick.
Honorable mentions: Dugtrio, Breloom, Dragonite
UnderUsed
Ambipom
This one is just baffling. Even with the whole "lead metagame" thing, it's not like Ambipom was good in DPP, either, so I have no idea why in the world people continue to use it. Do me a favor and follow this link. Yep, Cinccino is both cuter and genuinely better than Ambipom, so if you want to use something funky that won't exactly do you any favors, stick to that. I honestly don't get what people see in it. Fake Out is not a great move that gives you free damage on something, it's a very situational move that gives your opponent a free switch into something truly dangerous like Rhyperior or Escavalier.
Where did it go wrong?
While Ambipom looks "okay" at first glance... in practice it just fails to perform every single time. Despite access to Technician Low Kick, almost any Rock- or Steel-type is a very effective stop to it; it just doesn't hit them hard enough. Most Ghost-types come in for free as well. Since at least one of the aforementioned types of Pokémon is on every single good UU team at the moment, Ambipom will forever be nothing special. Is there hope? For Ambipom? Nope. For the tier? Maybe. The most recent tier shift brought with it a Pokémon that completely outclasses Ambipom—Mienshao—so hopefully UU players will see the light and stop using the pathetic little monkey.
Claydol
Almost as baffling as Ambipom, really. I understand that Claydol has Rapid Spin and that UU is very Spikes-centric, but honestly... why in the world are you using it of all things to spin? Its typing isn't exactly great defensively, it lacks recovery, and it doesn't have any power behind its attacks to hurt the Ghost-types that switch in to block the spin. To make things even worse, by virtue of its typing, both Ghost-types and the most popular Spikes users like to switch into it. This means that unlike say, Blastoise, it's not like it's getting any 'surprise' spins off. On top of this, it's complete setup bait for both Roserade and Froslass. Even Hitmontop, who isn't exactly what I would call a good Pokémon, does the whole "shitty Rapid Spin user" thing better.
Where did it go wrong?
It didn't, Claydol was always bad. It was subpar in ADV OU, it was bad in DPP UU, and it's absolutely terrible in BW UU. This is why I'm so baffled as to why people insist on using it. It's not even good in RU, but we UU players should be nice anyway and let it get back to being mediocre in its proper tier.
Honorable Mentions: Dusclops, Azumarill, Hitmontop
RarelyUsed
Munchlax
I... don't even know. It might have the special bulk of God himself but it just cannot take advantage of it worth a damn. It's so easy to kill. "Why?", you might ask. The answer is simple: it relies on RestTalk for recovery, and can't use Leftovers to recover entry hazard damage when it switches in. Even worse is the fact that it doesn't even actually beat the most dangerous special attackers in the tier, as all it can really do is hit them with a very weak Body Slam or Whirlwind them out.
Where did it go wrong?
I just told you, it's been bad from the very beginning, except for maybe countering Yanmega when it ran rampant in the tier. Because of the above facts, here's how things usually go down: a special attacker switches in and attacks, Munchlax then switches in to take a hit + entry hazard damage. The special attacker then switches out and Munchlax is either left weakened as it throws out a pathetically weak Body Slam or is forced to Rest and is forced out one turn later while it's asleep. The BW sleep mechanics then kick in and pretty much ensure Munchlax never wakes up as it keeps getting worn down by residual damage and the special attacks it needs to tank. So yeah, overall, it's a truly pathetic Pokémon.
Dusknoir
Ah yes, a Pokémon so terrible that it's tiered below its pre-evolution (who, incidentally, is just as bad). One thing is for certain: it's quite bulky, but that does not change the fact that it's utterly outclassed by the much more useful Cofagrigus. This is especially true after the release of BW2, which granted Cofagrigus access to both things that Dusknoir had over it—Pain Split and Sleep Talk.
Where did it go wrong?
Well first, Eviolite came to be and its pre-evolution rose to the tier above it, then people realized how great Cofagrigus was and finally, to put the proverbial nail in the coffin, so to speak, Cofagrigus even got the two moves that gave Dusknoir a different niche. It's just been bad news after bad news for poor 'ol Dusky. Is there hope? Maybe, but it needs to essentially trade places in the tier list with the now-NU Golurk for that to happen. Dropping down to NU would make it the best fully-evolved Ghost-type—and hence Rapid Spin blocker—in the tier, renewing its long-lost niche.
Honorable Mentions: Electivire, Whimsicott, Primeape
NeverUsed
Wartortle
Wartortle is the epitome of the terrible Rapid Spin user that gets excessive usage purely because of the fact it has Rapid Spin. Despite hazards being very relevant in NU, there is still no excuse to use Wartortle. It is vulnerable to every single hazard, has no recovery (not even Leftovers), and is far too weak to even scratch any Ghost-type coming in. Armaldo and even Torkoal are much more reliable spinners, and actually have some use outside of sitting there and not looking pretty. If it resorts to Rest and Sleep Talk for recovery, it becomes a sitting duck against any decent NU team, and provides ample opportunity for the opponent to switch in. If Wartortle chooses to forgo recovery, then it simply cannot survive long enough to actually spin.
Where did it go wrong?
The main reason Wartortle is so terrible is the fact that it has no reason to exist outside of Rapid Spin. The best it can do is attempt to get burns with Scald or try and hit something with Toxic. Being vulnerable to every single hazard as well as having no recovery means Wartortle also gets very few opportunities to spin. While the possibility of using Foresight for a guaranteed spin is tempting, Wartortle becomes some of the biggest setup bait if it wants to do so. Couple this with the fact that it cannot switch in often due to mediocre defenses (even with Eviolite) and Speed, and you get a very useless turtle. Wartortle also gets completely stomped by perhaps the best offensive Spiker, Cacturne, and is set up on by a number of dangerous Grass-type sweepers like Serperior and Sawsbuck.
Gigalith
Despite possessing a fearsome Attack stat and very decent defensive stats, Gigalith struggles to shine in NU. Almost everything that it can do is done better by another Pokémon. The Sturdy Stealth Rock lead gig is done a lot better by Golem, who has a better typing and priority in Sucker Punch. Going defensive is done much better by Regirock, who makes Gigalith's defenses look pitiful. Explosion is a decent way to use Gigalith, but when it has to sacrifice itself to be useful, you should realize something is not quite right.
Where did it go wrong?
Gigalith is very close to being a good Pokémon; it just wishes it had a few extra tools. Lack of Ground typing means its Earthquake hits nowhere near as hard as Gigalith would like, and outside of EdgeQuake, it gets virtually no coverage moves. It is also cripplingly slow, even by NU standards, and with no recovery to speak of outside of Leftovers, it cannot function effectively as a pivot or tank. Gigalith tries its best to look scary, but at the end of the day, he is inferior to the other Rock-types in NU. Despite this, it inexplicably continues to see usage in NU, more so than other potent Rock-types like Cradily and Relicanth, both of which have a much better niche than Gigalith.
Honorable Mentions: Pikachu, Floatzel, Regigigas
Little Cup
Mankey
Despite having man in its name, Mankey is trash when compared to the other Fighting-types in Little Cup. Its biggest enemy is Mienfoo, which is so much better. Mankey has Close Combat? Mienfoo has Hi Jump Kick and Regenerator, in case it missed. Mankey has Encore? Mienfoo has Swords Dance and Baton Pass. Mankey is faster? Mienfoo is bulkier and hits harder. The only reason to use Mankey over Mienfoo is Anger Point, which instantly grants it +6 Attack when hit by a critical hit. But again, Mankey is just not bulky enough to make use of it. Its other ability, Vital Spirit, can also be used against sleep inducers, such as Shroomish.... only those are not so common. Defiant can also be cool, but Intimidate users are non-existent.
Where did it go wrong?
It didn't. Game Freak just made it useless. It can't even make good use of Final Gambit due to its base 40 HP, unless you're trying to kill Feebas. Mankey has become useless due to the introduction of Croagunk, Scraggy, Timburr, and Mienfoo into the Pokémon world. The re-introduction of Murkrow and Misdreavus also destroyed its chances of being useful (this also damaged Mienfoo). Nevertheless, the little ape is simply outclassed. Shame.
Darumaka
This little cute... fiery thing is also a victim of being outclassed. Larvesta, who is also cuter, Houndour, and Ponyta simply put up a competition Darumaka cannot win in. Hustle and base 90 Attack is great and all, but it's too slow to make efficient use of it. Plus, the miss chance is conflicting with Rock Slide, a key coverage move against opposing Fire- and Flying-type Pokémon. Bulky Water-types, such as Slowpoke, Staryu, and Frillish, also completely shut it down, whereas Ponyta and Larvesta can use Wild Charge to get past them. They also have a recovery move in Morning Sun, something Darumaka could only wish for.
Where did it go wrong?
Darumaka's base Speed allows other common Pokémon, such as Misdreavus, Murkrow, and Mienfoo, outpace him and hit very hard with their STABs. Its weakness to Stealth Rock and status is also limiting its span on the battleground with no recovery move. Its low base Speed forces most Darumaka to use Choice Scarf, resulting in less bulk that Eviolite would boost. Again, Darumaka is outclassed by other Fire-type Pokémon, especially Larvesta, Ponyta, and Houndour, that can fulfill its roles, and possibly do them better.
Honorable mentions: Snorunt, Phanpy, Duskull
Conclusion
So guys, what did we learn today? If your answer is anything other than "to not use bad Pokémon," I suggest you read the article again. Otherwise, good job and see you next time!
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