Tier: Difference between revisions

As commonly defined, a "standard" battle allows any Pokémon not listed in the Uber tier.

Over-Used, commonly abbreviated as "'''OU'''", refers to Pokémon that are most commonly seen in [[standard play]].

It is a misconception that all OU Pokémon are the most powerful in the game. OU is a term based on usage; however, there is a distinct correlation between usage and usefulness in the system. There are exceptions to this such as {{p|Magneton}} in [[Generation III]], where it was considered an OU Pokémon solely because it was used as a counter for {{p|Skarmory}}, a commonly used Pokémon. {{p|Magnezone}}, the evolution of Magneton, took over its place in OU, due to increased stats and a broader movepool.

Pokémon in Borderline, commonly referred to as "'''BL'''", are considered by some to be too strong for Under-Used, but are not sufficiently used in competitive battles to be deemed "overused." It is effectively a ban list for Under-Used.  

Under-Used, commonly referred to as "'''UU'''", designates Pokémon whose use is limited as they are not strong enough for general OU competition, usually due to sub-standard stats, movepools, easily exploitable weaknesses, or the existence of a stronger Pokémon that works in a highly similar way. For example, {{p|Machamp}} is in UU due to {{p|Conkeldurr}} having {{m|Mach Punch}} and better bulk. UU Pokémon can be, and are, used in OU battles, but are usually underpowered here.

Pokémon in Borderline 2, or "'''BL2'''", as it is more commonly known, are considered to be stronger for RU/LU. As such, it is a ban list of said tier.

These two tiers, commonly referred to as either "'''RU'''" or "'''LU'''" (the name depending on where the player is playing or what they are playing by), designate those who are not used enough in the Under-Used or Over-Used tiers to be considered either of them, or do not have the necessary stats or movepool to be Borderline or Borderline 2. For example, {{p|Nidoqueen}} is considered RU because {{p|Nidoking}} is often considered a better choice for UU battles. There are a few the Pokémon in this tier are used in OU and UU battles, however, barely any, if any at all, are common in these tiers.

As the name implies, Never-Used, commonly referred to as "'''NU'''", is for Pokémon that have problems competing in RU/LU due to poor stats and/or movepools, and thus are extremely rare to be used in battles. This is where most [[novelty Pokémon]] reside in tiers as well as Pokémon found early in a player's journey. Many Pokémon that are pre-evolutions of Pokémon that are OU or Uber are also considered NU. They are generally only used in NU battles; however, some Pokémon such as {{p|Shedinja}} and {{p|Torterra}} are often classed as NU, but are often used in other tiers, most notably RU. Many NU Pokémon are common in [[Pokémon Contest]]s and [[Pokémon Super Contest]]s.

This tier is more commonly known as "'''NFE'''", and as the name implies, contains almost every Pokémon that has not yet reached its final [[evolution]]. It is a sub-tier of NU. Some NFE Pokémon, such as {{p|Rhydon}} are used in the lower tiers, as their stats are on par with some of the weaker evolved Pokémon. Also, the Abilities of {{p|Hippopotas}} and {{p|Snover}} are the only way to set up permanent weather in the lower tiers, as their evolved forms are banned.

Little Cup is where only lowest evolutions are allowed, such as {{p|Bulbasaur}} and {{p|Timburr}}. Pokémon that do not evolve at all, such as {{p|Luvdisc}}, are not allowed in the tier, and some deemed too broken for Little Cup, such as {{p|Gligar}}, {{p|Carvanha}}, and {{p|Meditite}} are also banned from the tier. It follows the same rules as the Pokémon Colosseum and Pokémon Communication Club Colosseum special rule.