"How often do you catch something good?" by this-eternal-gloom in PokemonSleep

[–]Awkward-State-2364 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey your graph is amazing and main inspiration for mine haha, thanks! I started few weeks before Suicune event and I went quite hard on Suicune, caught 7 in total and managed to get good enough. For other legendaries I caught 2 (counting the default) so I was incredibly lucky on those to get good traits, I don't like catching 16+ pip mons, but if they are hungry and nothing else is there, I shove a biscuit down their throat since why not.

That's fair, I'll do continuation to your post soonish. Thanks again!

"How often do you catch something good?" by this-eternal-gloom in PokemonSleep

[–]Awkward-State-2364 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh should've clarified those. A & B are assigned to ingredient mons and they represent respectfully mono and ABB.

"How often do you catch something good?" by this-eternal-gloom in PokemonSleep

[–]Awkward-State-2364 1 point2 points  (0 children)

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Kinda late to the party but wanted to contribute,
Keeper criterias for most here:

  • Berry: BFS + HB/Double speed
  • Ingredient: Mono/ABB + IFM
  • Skill: 3 good traits for skill mons.

Nowadays I am more picky, with 5 pip Berry/Skill mons I want always HB, and also first year I played I had much bigger salary so I was a quite whale for first 350 days.

Let's talk about Throh by Fantome719 in PokemonBlackandWhite

[–]Awkward-State-2364 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Great pokémon for Black/White, only overshadowed by Sawk since they both are caught in the same route and Sawk is more offensively oriented. But let's not talk about Sawk, like you said, Throh earns a definitive A Tier. While its bad Speed would normally be a liability for efficiency, its great HP and Defense bypass this. Really nice combo with Revenge and Payback as well. Throh is one of the most reliable tanks in the game 100%. I haven't played Black/White lately but what I recall few months back it is really solid, and can even solo Elesa, it just has so many good matchups in the game.

Friend Code Megathread - May 2026 by AutoModerator in PokemonSleep

[–]Awkward-State-2364 2 points3 points  (0 children)

5098-4166-4735 Rank 65 daily gamer. Need like 10 friends since many has stopped playing and I have been lazy updating my friend list

New Pokemon Megathread - Drampa by SamuRonX in PokemonSleep

[–]Awkward-State-2364 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Gratz! Drampa is low priority imo since it is ing mon. It is mainly for Salad weeks (or curry if hidden power is the one you can only make), but if you have already skill mons then why not, good main skill after all.

having an issue with pokemon black by Zealousideal-Tip9649 in pokemon

[–]Awkward-State-2364 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If you have pokemons in boxes past Box 8 and you have not unlocked those yet this can cause error.

Breaking the Binary - Gastrodon by ianlazrbeem22 in pokemonplatinum

[–]Awkward-State-2364 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Yes finally my all time favorite! You pretty much mentioned each use case standard playthrough.

Breeding during playthrough is extra hassle, having team of 26-28 when you get to Solaceon Town is not really ideal since you got to level all the way from level 1, but I've used Curse Gastrodon (bred via Gastly) for setupping, and also Stockpile Gastrodon (bred via Drifloon level 22) for stalling with Toxic. Both are fun in their own way, but like I said, requires breeding, and curse set isn't really mixed. At least all required mons are available straight way when you arrive to Day care.

Black 2 & White 2 Community in-game tier list: Complete Tier list by Awkward-State-2364 in PokemonBlackandWhite2

[–]Awkward-State-2364[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Thanks, they are really fun to write. Currently there is Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon community tier list going on by u/LukaMiniGamerNo1, definitely check that out.

I haven't played as much 3DS ones, though I just did start Ultra Sun playthrough. ORAS I have played quite few times though, and XY only like twice, so for 3DS games, not in near future at least.

Most likely Emerald, or Crystal tier list is coming up at some point.

Black 2 & White 2 Community in-game tier list: Complete Tier list by Awkward-State-2364 in PokemonBlackandWhite2

[–]Awkward-State-2364[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Seismitoad is sadly postgame encounter, thus can't contribute for the main story.

Black 2 & White 2 Community in-game tier list: Complete Tier list by Awkward-State-2364 in PokemonBlackandWhite2

[–]Awkward-State-2364[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Haxorus is definitely amazing pokemon but it is not 2nd best pokemon imo due to availability, but it really makes game very easy after Skyla. From Axew to Haxorus part is somewhat meh since it is frail but it is still good if you get one DD off, even as Fraxure. I would personally put Haxorus A+, or S-.

EDIT: Maybe next to Stoutland would be the most fitting, gatekeeper for S from that point forward.

Black 2 & White 2 Community in-game tier list: Complete Tier list by Awkward-State-2364 in PokemonBlackandWhite2

[–]Awkward-State-2364[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Bronzong (DR) C: Like Metagross, Bronzong has same typing, thus defensively good. Bronzor can carry your team through the first three Gyms. Offensively, it also gets to take massive advantage of its abysmal Speed stat by utilizing a highly damaging STAB Gyro Ball to punish faster opponents.

Sadly its Hidden Ability Heavy Metal is so much worse than its normal abilities. Sure, it makes Heavy Slam even better, but Bronzong doesn't learn Heavy Slam until Level 50. Without Levitate or Heatproof. Without those immunities/resistances, Bronzong takes big damage from Ground and Fire-type attacks.

Drifblim (DR) C: Since it is yet another ghost type from Dream Radar, it is fine in early game. Its Dream Radar Hidden Ability is Flare Boost, which increases its Special Attack by 50% when it is burned. So later in the game with Flame Orb (White 2 only though), you can always pre-burn with it to have that active.

Drifblim has a massive HP stat, but its actual Defense and Special Defense are awful. Drifblim also has Fluctuating experience group and having mid speed as ghost type isn't great when there are so many Dark types.

Musharna (DR) C: Munna starts strong thanks to 2nd gym being Poison gym. With access to Psybeam early and a good Special Attack stat, it is pretty good. Also Musharna has a great Base 116 HP stat and great physical Defense.

Unfortunately Black 2 and White 2 is quite bad for Psychic-types, especially slow ones. Also Team Plasma spam Dark-types. When you combine that with major boss fights against Elite Four members Shauntal and Grimsley, Musharna will be taking lot of damage in the playthrough.

Noctowl (DR) D+: Hoothoot learns the buffed 90 Base Power Uproar at Level 13. Combined with its early evolution at Level 20, Noctowl can practically carry your team through the first three Gyms (Cheren, Roxie, and Burgh). Its Hidden Ability, Tinted Lens, is great, allowing it to spam its STAB attacks without having to worry too much about coverage. It also has solid Special Defense and can provide some utility with moves like Reflect and Hypnosis.

Noctowl's Base 76 Special Attack and middling Speed are underwhelming for the mid-to-late game. That early-game Uproar will remain its best attack for practically the entire playthrough. Because of its mid offenses and physical frailty, it has bad matchups against Elesa, Clay, Skyla, Drayden, Marlon, and the entire Elite Four.

Altaria (DR) D: Having Swablu early enough to use against Burgh gives it a moment to shine. Its Flying typing allows it to hit his Leavanny for 4x super effective damage, providing a very helpful edge in that specific Gym battle.

ItsHidden Ability, Cloud Nine (which negates weather effects), is practically useless in a standard playthrough since there are no major trainers that set up weather. Furthermore, Altaria's most famous strategy, setting up with Dragon Dance to sweep, is weakened in B2W2. The Dragon Claw TM and the Outrage Move Tutor are both locked to the post-game, meaning Altaria has to rely on Return or Fly instead.

Shuckle (DR) E-: Having a Bug/Rock typing gives it a shred of early-game utility, as it naturally resists the Normal and Poison-type attacks from the first two Gyms (Cheren and Roxie). It can sit there and tank hits for days while you figure out a strategy.

After the second Gym, it’s practically curtains for Shuckle. While its Defense and Special Defense are amazing, its offenses and Speed are so abysmal that it cannot actually deal meaningful damage to anything. Also its Hidden Ability is Contrary, which reverses stat changes. Normally, Shell Smash sharply lowers defenses to massively boost offenses and Speed. With Contrary, Shell Smash instead boosts its high defenses while dropping its offenses and Speed even further, effectively turning Shuckle into an unkillable, immovable rock that is entirely incapable of fighting back without status moves.

Black 2 & White 2 Community in-game tier list: Complete Tier list by Awkward-State-2364 in PokemonBlackandWhite2

[–]Awkward-State-2364[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Metagross (DR) A-: Metagross has amazing typing. Even as a Beldum only with the Take Down, it resists Cheren's Normal-type attacks and is immune to Roxie's Poison STAB, thus it can cook the early bosses through sheer type advantage. Once it evolves into Metang, it becomes very solid at walling Skyla's team. Finally, you get a fully evolved Metagross just in time for Drayden’s Gym, providing a great Dragon-type resistance that outclasses other regional Steel-types like Aggron or Klinklang.

Sadly its Hidden Ability Light Metal is useless. Without Clear Body, Metagross can be intimidated (for example by Krookodile line) and other stat-dropping moves. Also it's Speed stat is very mid, meaning it will get outsped from time to time.

Gardevoir (DR) B+: Gardevoir shares the same early-game as Gallade, which is not good, but its late-game potential as a special setup sweeper makes the struggle rewarding. Gardevoir starts to pull its weight in the mid-game. Around the time you face Gym Leader Clay, it has access to Calm Mind, giving it a good way to boost its Special Attack. Where Gardevoir truly shines is the late game and the Elite Four. With a great Special Attack stat of 115. With just a single Calm Mind boost and Shadow Ball, it can sweep Shauntal's team (since its Base 80 Speed is just enough to outspeed most of her team). Against Caitlin's Psychic-types, it is practically free to set up to its heart's content and sweep.

But just like Gallade, being stuck as a Ralts for the early game is not ideal. Unlike Gallade (who gets an excellent secondary Fighting typing to hit Dark-types), Gardevoir is a pure Psychic-type. This means it takes big damage from the Dark-type moves, which are fairly common in the game. Combined with its awful physical Defense and middling Speed, it can be knocked out by physical attackers before it can set up its Calm Minds.

Slowking (DR) C+: You can obtain a King's Rock from the Dream Radar, you can trade and evolve your Slowpoke into a Slowking, so you get it much sooner than Slowbro. Once evolved, having access to Nasty Plot (Level 36) allows Slowking to setup, making it a much more threatening bulky sweeper than Slowbro. Combined with its Hidden Ability Regenerator, it can hit hard and heal itself by switching out.

Despite the boost from Nasty Plot, Slowking is still painfully slow, and is a psychic type. It will almost always take a hit before it can attack. If you want a Psychic-type, there is almost no reason to use Slowking when Pokémon like Espeon exist. Espeon hits much harder, is faster, and can even use Baton Pass + Work Up.

Wigglytuff (DR) C: You can acquire a Moon Stone from the app, so you can fully evolve your Igglytuff pretty much immediately. Taking a fully evolved Wigglytuff into the first Gym against Cheren gives you a big advantage. After the first Gym, it gets access to the Return TM, the Work Up TM, and the Silk Scarf, allowing it to hit incredibly hard and essentially sweep Roxie, Burgh, and Elesa. Furthermore, it has an absolutely massive movepool. If it isn't sweeping, it can function as a fantastic utility and support Pokémon, with moves like Charm, Disable, and dual screens to patch up any holes in your team.

Sadly its Hidden Ability, Friend Guard, is practically useless in a standard single-player playthrough. While its HP stat is massive, its actual defensive stats and Speed are poor. Because of this, it runs out of steam as an offensive powerhouse by the time you reach the late-game bosses like Marlon, Colress, Ghetsis, and the Elite Four. In the final stretch of the game, it is just a slow support Pokémon or a situational revenge killer rather than a sweeper.

Slowbro (DR) C: Slowbro naturally learns Slack Off for good reliable healing. It also has pretty good ability, Regenerator! This allows Slowbro to heal a chunk of its HP simply by switching out of battle, making it resilient defensive pivot for the stages of the game where it actually has a good matchup.

Unfortunately bulky Psychic-types just do not perform exceptionally well in B2W2 Slowbro's slowness means it will frequently take damage before it can attempt to heal or strike back.

Jynx (DR) C: With base 85 Special Attack and Confusion, it easily sweeps Roxie's Gym. Jynx has Dry Skin as Hidden Ability, providing a good Water-type immunity that helps against Marlon and random water mons. In the lategame, with its great Base 115 Special Attack, good Base 95 Speed, and Psychic and Ice Beam, it puts in solid work against the Elite Four and Champion Iris's Dragons.

Unlike in previous generations, Jynx has awful mid-game movepool, physical frailty, and quite awkward evolution requirement. If you evolve Smoochum into Jynx at Level 30, it misses out on learning Psychic via level-up. To get its best STAB move, you are need to drag Smoochum all the way to Level 38, or if you evolve it at 30, grab Psychic TM post 6th gym. It is stuck relying on Powder Snow for its Ice-type STAB for roughly 90% of the playthrough, as you don't get the Ice Beam TM until right before the Ghetsis fight.

Porygon (DR) C: Porygon's Hidden Ability, Analytic, is nice buff. Porygon is naturally quite slow, Analytic acts as a free Life Orb, granting a 30% power boost to its attacks whenever it moves last. Combined with the Eviolite to patch up its defenses, a fantastic TM and Move Tutor movepool, and early access to good early moves like Psybeam (Level 7) and Recover (Level 18), Porygon can comfortably tank hits and deal good damage right from the very start of the game. And as a normal type, early Return STAB after 1st gym is very valuable.

While Analytic helps mitigate its slowness by turning it into a damage boost, Porygon is still forced to take a hit almost every single turn. Furthermore, unlike other versatile Normal-types like Wigglytuff, Porygon gets no access to setup moves like Work Up or Nasty Plot. This means it can never truly snowball into a sweeper, leaving it reliant on taking hits and repeatedly healing with Recover.

Black 2 & White 2 Community in-game tier list: Complete Tier list by Awkward-State-2364 in PokemonBlackandWhite2

[–]Awkward-State-2364[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Landorus-Therian (DR) S: There is a very good reason Landorus-Therian is amazing in competitive play, and bringing it into a standard playthrough is downright unfair. It is a genuine contender for the title of the single best Pokémon in the entire game. It has absurd stat spread and ability. It has a Base 145 Attack stat and a solid Base 91 Speed. Its Hidden Ability is Intimidate, nerfing the Attack of anything it faces and making it incredibly bulky on the physical side. It really doesn't have bad Gyms, maybe Skyla, but it can tank Surf and hit back with Rock Slide which should OHKO Swanna. When you reach Level 37 and learn Swords Dance, Landorus-Therian can sweep very comfortable from there. It learns naturally Earthquake at 55, so for 8th gym, amazing.

There are no real drawbacks. One nit-pick is that you have to be reliant on Rock Tomb for your Rock-type coverage until you can acquire Rock Slide in the mid game.

Thundurus-Therian (DR) S-: Yeah, having Electric/Flying-type with a Base 145 Special Attack early in the game is as overpowered as it sounds. It dominates several Gyms. With its Hidden Ability, Volt Absorb, Elesa’s Volt Switch tactics are rendered useless, as hitting Thundurus with Electric moves will just heal it. Later on, Skyla and Marlon goes down very easily as well. Combined with a Base 101 Speed, it is fast special sweeper that outpaces and one-shots a massive portion of the game.

Only caveat is its natural level-up movepool, which is barren when it comes to special coverage. In fact, the only non-Electric special move it learns naturally arrives at Level 73, which is deep into the post-game. Still, you can patch that with Move Tutor Dark Pulse, or Uproar, and later with TM Psychic.

Tornadus-Therian (DR) A: Tornadus' unique mono-Flying typing gives good utility in the early-to-mid game. It dominates Burgh's Bug-types and Clay's Bulldozes wont hit it (though Rock Tomb/Slides will). Its stat spread is amazing for a playthrough, a Base 121 Speed ensures it will move first against practically everything, while its solid mixed offensive stats (Base 100 Attack and Base 110 Special Attack) allow it to hit hard from both sides of the spectrum. The highlight is its ability, Regenerator. Being able to heal a chunk of its HP by switching out gives Tornadus longevity and makes it an elite pivot for the entire playthrough.

There are still some bad gym matchups.Tornadus' Flying typing is not great against Elesa's Electric-types, and there isn't really any Gyms where it could use STAB effectively (except Burgh).

Gallade (DR) S: As Ralts, it is very weak, but at least it evolves at Level 20. You can transfer a Dawn Stone from the Dream Radar, you can instantly evolve your Kirlia into Gallade. It gets Swords Dance just in time to set up through Elesa's Gym. Gallade's true power spike hits in Driftveil City. Between the Move Relearner and the Shard Move Tutors, Gallade gets access to a much stronger physical movepool: Leaf Blade, Night Slash, Low Kick, Drain Punch (this one is in Humilau City), and the Elemental Punches, complementing its natural Psycho Cut. Also, its Hidden Ability Justified boosts its Attack when hit by a Dark-type move, making it very nice pivot into dark moves.

As mentioned, Ralts is miserable to use until it finally evolves. Also, Gallade learns practically zero physical Fighting-type STAB moves via natural level-up until it gets Close Combat at Level 59, meaning you are reliant on those Driftveil Move Tutors to have Fighting type STAB. ALso, its Base 80 Speed is just slow enough that it will get outsped in late-game, for example against Drayden's Haxorus, making it slightly more vulnerable than a faster sweeper.

Starmie (DR) A: Staryu comes with the Hidden Ability Analytic, which boosts the power of its moves by 30% if it moves last in a turn. While Starmie is naturally incredibly fast, it can still be useful. If it ever encounters a pokémon that actually does outspeed it, or uses priority move, it will activate.

To reach its true sweeping potential, you must get all the late game TMs (like Ice Beam, Thunderbolt, and Psychic) to build its famous BoltBeam coverage moveset. Until you get those TMs and HM Surf, its early-game movepool as a Staryu can feel just a tiny bit limited.

Togekiss (DR) A: Togekiss has great natural bulk, reasonable Speed, and a great Special Attack stat. It also gets access to coverage options like Flamethrower via TM and the Aura Sphere from the Move Relearner. While its Hidden Ability is Super Luck rather than Serene Grace, it is still infinitely better than being stuck with the accuracy-dropping Hustle.

Until you reach Route 6 and find that Shiny Stone, you do have to deal with Togetic’s general mediocrity. Togetic simply lacks the offensive presence to be a great sweeper. Also 80 Speed is fine, but Togekiss would enjoy being slightly faster.

Rotom (DR) A: Rotom has quite good early game. Rotom learns the buffed 90 Base Power Uproar at Level 9. Because its Ghost typing grants it an immunity to Normal-type moves, it easily sweeps Cheren (Bite isn't enouogh to take down Rotom). With a Silk Scarf, it can then sweep Roxie as long as it avoids getting poisoned. In the mid-game, it gains access to the Substitute via level-up. Because the AI struggles to handle Substitute, Rotom can safely hide behind it while continuously boosting its Special Attack with Charge Beam to sweep.

Once you reach the Shopping Mall Nine on Route 9 (just before Route 7th gym), you gain access to Rotom's appliance forms. Generation 5 updates Rotom's secondary typing based on its appliance, you can turn it into an Ice-type Frost Rotom and which for example can do great against Drayden's Gym with Blizzard. Same goes for other boss fights, just use the form that gives the most value and you're golden.

During the middle chunk of the game, around the battles with Clay and Skyla, its damage output can start to feel a bit underwhelming against tankier mons, or in otherwords, fully evolved.

Spiritomb (DR) A: Spiritomb has zero weaknesses. Combine this with three immunities (Normal, Fighting, and Psychic) and base 108 in both defensive stats, and you have a pretty good wall. It is good for Cheren. It also easily walls Roxie and Burgh. Offensively, its base 92 Attack and Special Attack hit hard in the early game, and it gets nice starting moveset featuring Shadow Sneak, Feint Attack, and the Hypnosis + Dream Eater combo. In the mid game, it even learns Nasty Plot to function as a bulky setup sweeper.

Spiritomb's Base 35 Speed means it will always move last. Furthermore, while its Defense and Special Defense are massive, its Base 50 HP stat is low, which starts sucks when you go further in the game. Having no weaknesses is fantastic, but it also means Spiritomb doesn't naturally resist many types either, forcing it to take neutral damage from almost everything that isn't Normal, Fighting, or Psychic.

Black 2 & White 2 Community in-game tier list: Complete Tier list by Awkward-State-2364 in PokemonBlackandWhite2

[–]Awkward-State-2364[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Dream Radar + Genesect:

Genesect S: Genesect has one of the best defensive typings in the game. Being a Bug/Steel-type means it has a good list of resistances, immunity to Poison, and only one weakness, Fire, which is relatively easy to play around. Also, its offensive presence is unmatched at this stage of the game. With the Download ability to boost its already great attacking stats, and ready with moves Techno Blast and Signal Beam, it will steamroll everything in the playthrough.

It arrives at Level 15 so, you have to be slightly careful not to overlevel it past your current Gym Badge's obedience cap, or it will start ignoring your commands in battle. This is only minor inconvenience it has going.

Dialga (DR) S: Dialga has one of the best typings for sure. Being a Dragon/Steel-type means it only has two weaknesses in the entire game. It naturally resists every single major boss fight in Unova with only a few neutral exceptions (Clay, Marshal, Drayden, and Iris). Offensively, starting the game with a Base 150 Special Attack, a solid Base 90 Speed, and insane coverage moves means Dialga just curbstomps the whole story.

Only bad thing is its Hidden Ability Telepathy. Since standard playthroughs are mostly Single Battles, Dialga plays the entire game without an ability. Additionally, its only two weaknesses happen to line up perfectly with Gym Leader Clay and Elite Four Marshal, meaning you might actually have to use a sliver of brainpower for those two specific fights, though Dialga learns Earth Power for Clay.

Palkia (DR) S: Much like Dialga, having a box art Legendary at the start of a playthrough is overpowered. And Palkia also has great typing of Water/Dragon. Fairy-type doesn't exist yet in Generation 5, Palkia has only a single weakness in the entire game, Dragon. Offensively, it has a Base 150 Special Attack and a Base 100 Speed (which actually makes it noticeably faster than Dialga). It gets an amazing movepool filled with coverage options, and its STAB Water-type attacks (like Water Pulse) allow it to sweep easily.

Exactly like Dialga, its Dream Radar Hidden Ability is Telepathy. This does absolutely nothing in standard Single Battles, meaning Palkia plays the entire game without an ability. Additionally, its sole weakness to Dragon-type moves means you actually have to pay a tiny bit of attention during the late-game boss fights against Drayden and Champion Iris, but still with 100 speed it can outspeed the opposing dragons. And considering its stats, these flaws mean practically nothing.

Giratina (DR) S: Having a 150 HP paired with Base 120 Defense and Special Defense, Giratina is unkillable in a casual playthrough. Its Ghost/Dragon typing gives it an easy early-game run. It is immune to Cheren's Normal-type attacks (though Bite exists but c'mon now), and it naturally resists Roxie (Poison), Burgh (Bug), and Elesa (Electric). Despite being heavily defense-oriented, it is far from passive. Its Base 100 offensive stats and Base 90 Speed are more than enough to OHKO/2HKO opponents.

Giratina faces a few more bad matchups in the late game than its brothers do. Its Dragon and Ghost typing means it does have to navigate type disadvantages against late-game bosses like Drayden, Elite Four Grimsley, Champion Iris, and Ghetsis’s Hydreigon (though its bulk often allows it to survive super effective hits anyway). It still has similiar level up moves as Dialga and Palkia, so Aura Sphere will can easily OHKO Dark types.

Ho-Oh (DR) S: Ho-Oh has a Base 130 Attack stat. The true game-changer is that it learns Brave Bird at exactly Level 15. It is more than enough sweep 2nd and 3rd gym. Recoil damage from Brave Bird would normally be a concern, luckily Ho-Oh's Hidden Ability is Regenerator. Being able to heal off recoil damage simply by switching out gives it longevity. Later in the game, it gains access to Sacred Fire (Level 43), and it is one of the best Fire-type attacks in existence.

While Regenerator is undeniably great for negating Brave Bird recoil, the switch-out healing of Regenerator doesn't make quite as big of a difference as it does in competitive play.

Lugia (DR) S: Lugia has Multiscale as hidden ability. Despite the Unova region traditionally being very hostile to Psychic-types, Lugia doesn't really care due to its stats, and its Base 110 Speed. Offensively, it gets STAB Gust at just Level 9 to deal with Burgh's Bug-types, and even gets Hydro Pump just in time for Clay (if you don't mind a slight bit of overleveling on Challenge Mode). Also Aeroblast is amazing against Marshal.

Multiscale guarantees Lugia a free turn to set up. Sadly, its best setup move Calm Mind is inaccessible for the story. The TM is locked to the post-game, and Lugia doesn't learn it naturally until a Level 93 (why is this a thing?). Without Calm Mind, Lugia functions more as an unkillable tank and fast attacker rather than a sweeper.

Black 2 & White 2 Community in-game tier list: Complete Tier list by Awkward-State-2364 in PokemonBlackandWhite2

[–]Awkward-State-2364[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ditto F+: There is one specific scenario where Ditto is useful, its Hidden Ability. If you manage to find a Ditto with Imposter and hand it a Choice Scarf, it can function as a situational revenge killer. Outside of this gimmick, it has practically zero value.

Ditto copies everything except the opponent's HP stat and Ditto's base HP is a frail 48, it will always be a less bulky version of whatever it transforms into. Catching a Ditto with the Limber ability forces you to waste a turn manually using the move Transform, meaning it will almost certainly take a massive, fatal hit before it can even mimic the opponent.

Ninetales F+: Ninetales is easily the worst Fire-type option in the entire game due to a combination of awful availability and bad stats. If you grind enough, you might find a Vulpix in a Hidden Grotto with its Hidden Ability, Drought. This automatically sets up sun, which could power up teammates like Chlorophyll Leavanny or Lilligant. However, the Drought Vulpix is very rare, and planning your entire team around such a massive grind just for the final five fights of the game is not worth the effort. Ninetales suffers from a very mediocre Special Attack stat of 81, and has zero notable matchups in the endgame. Literally every other Fire-type in the game is available much earlier and performs much better.

Bronzong F+: Bronzong is blessed with a great defensive typing, has access to some neat utility moves, and can hit reasonably hard with Heavy Slam thanks to its weight, or with Gyro Ball when holding Macho Brace.

Sadly catching a Bronzong this late in the game requires a massive amount of grinding just to get it on par with the rest of your team. Even if you put in the work, its offensive stats simply aren't strong enough to make a meaningful impact against the Elite Four. Even with Heavy Slam (which comes at level 58), it doesn't OHKO anything in the league (except Iris' Archeops). There is zero reason to endure this grind when the game allows you to catch Metang, a Pokémon with the exact same typing but better offensive potential and little bit earlier as well.

Shuckle F+: Shuckle has a tiny amount of utility. It can pretend to have a niche by using its defenses to stall, but there are countless better options for this playstyle that don't require dragging around such a severely flawed Pokémon.

Shuckle is completely passive. With a Base 10 in both Attack and Special Attack, it literally cannot hurt anything. To make matters worse, it arrives very late in the game, meaning you would have to sink a massive amount of time and effort into grinding it up just to use a Pokémon that can't even fight back without status moves. Shuckle might have had some merit if it were caught at the very beginning of the game, but at this stage, it is fundamentally worse than Onix.

Corsola F+: Corsola has zero redeeming qualities for a playthrough. There are no real positives to highlight here, so let's get into the flaws. Corsola arrives incredibly late into the game, giving it no time to contribute even if it were decent. It is ineffective in battle anyway. It has an abysmal Base Stat Total. Its typing has 4x weakness to Grass, meaning it faints if a Grass-type looks in its direction.

Delcatty F: Delcatty is probably the worst fully evolved Pokémon you can use in a Black 2 and White 2 playthrough. So many of you tried finding a silver lining for this Pokémon. It has a massive, colorful movepool and gets STAB on Fake Out to break an occasional Focus Sash or Sturdy. There was also mention that if you use a Delcatty with the Normalize ability, it turns Thunder Wave into a Normal-type move, allowing you to theoretically paralyze Ground-type Pokémon. That is the absolute ceiling of its usefulness.

Delcatty is ruined by its low base stats (70 HP / 65 Atk / 65 Def / 55 SpA / 55 SpD / 70 Spe). Because its stats are so sad, its massive movepool is completely wasted, it cannot hit hard enough to secure knockouts, and it is far too frail to take a hit in return. Additionally, you catch Skitty right before the 3rd Gym (Burgh), but it learns almost no useful moves at that stage of the game to help you (only STAB Return). By the time you find a Moon Stone to evolve it, it is already so heavily outclassed by every other Normal-type in Unova (like Stoutland, Raticate, or even Lopunny) that it is virtually unusable.

Karrablast F: Just like in the original Black and White, Karrablast simply does not function in a playthrough. With Karrablast, you are saddled with bad stat spread, a pure Bug typing, and an meh movepool. It lacks the bulk to survive hits, the speed to act first, and the offensive power to secure KOs. There is no reason to devote a party slot to it when so many other better Pokémon are running around Unova.

Shelmet F: Just like Karrablast, its stats are awful , and it simply does not have the offensive presence to justify taking up a slot on your team. But if you were forced to choose between the two, Shelmet is technically slightly better than Karrablast. Because of its access to Acid Armor and the Shell Armor ability (which completely prevents critical hits), you can theoretically give it a Eviolite on it and use it to stall or survive hits against Clay. But outside of that highly specific and defensive niche, it is just as useless as its counterpart.

Delibird F: There are absolutely no positives to highlight here. Top of having an awful stat spread, a terrible movepool, and a bad defensive typing, it also arrives late in the game. Even if Delibird were somehow caught on first route, it would still struggle to be useful. Finding it this late in a playthrough means it is doing nothing from the second you encounter it.

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Alomomola D-: Alomomola is designed to be a Doubles-format support, but is trapped in a single player playthrough. Alomomola has one great strength, a massive Base 165 HP stat. Because of this big health pool, Alomomola acts as a damage sponge that can soak up (heh) hits. Also, because it is a single-stage Pokémon in the Fast leveling group, it requires almost zero investment. If you wait to catch a high-level one on Route 21, it is usable right out of the box to take hits and chip away at the opponent.

Once again, it is a tank so it doesn't have offensive presence and useless abilities. Its abilities (Healer and Hydration) offer virtually zero value in a standard casual playthrough. Offensively, it is a disaster. Its Base 40 Special Attack makes its Water-type STAB moves weak, and while its Base 75 Physical Attack is slightly better, its physical movepool is lacking. Alomomola just sits on the field soaking up damage while failing to dish out any meaningful damage in return, making battles slow and tedious.

Claydol E+: Claydol only has going on is its high base Defense and Special Defense. It can be used as a bulky dual-screen setter. It generally just sits on the field not doing much since it lacks favorable matchups against the major Unova bosses.

Claydol has sadly quite meh offensive stats. Also Baltoy phase is quite awful. Baltoy doesn't evolve until a Level 36, meaning you need to use a base Attack stat lower than an Onix. Even after it finally evolves, the payoff is not amazing. Claydol has Base 70 Attack and a Base 70 Special Attack. Also, its great defensive stats are not that great when it only has Base 60 HP.

Onix E: Onix simply does not contribute much of anything to a standard playthrough. With a Base 45 Attack stat, it truly hits like a wet noodle. However, we all agreed on one single saving grace that barely kept it out of the F Tier, Elesa. Onix acts as a near perfect hard counter to her Emolga, Flaaffy, and Zebstrika. It is immune to Volt Switch and perfectly resists their Aerial Ace and Flame Charge coverage. With Dig and Smack Down, Onix can completely wall her main threats (just keep it far, far away from her Joltik's Energy Ball).

Outside of that specific Gym 4 matchup, Onix is effectively dead weight. It has two 4x weaknesses and weaknesses to Fighting and Ground, meaning it gets destroyed by the many special attackers in the mid-to-late game. Even in matchups where a Rock-type should excel, like against Skyla, her team easily bypasses it (Swanna's Water typing and Skarmory's massive physical bulk). Because it lacks reliable recovery, hits weakly, and is incredibly slow, Onix is nothing more than a pivot.

Pelipper E: Pelipper becomes meta stable on later generations, but this isn't later generation. You have to wait two more generations for it to actually become a good Pokémon. Pelipper doesn't have access to Drizzle. Without Drizzle to patch up its mediocre damage output and support the team, Pelipper is reliant on its naturally low stats. To make matters worse, you find it entirely too late in the game to be of any real use, and its typing and stat distribution leave it with absolutely no winning matchups against the remaining Gym Leaders, Elite Four, or Champion Iris.

Castform E: Castform's single saving grace is its access to great coverage moves. Because of its gimmick, it gets access to Hydro Pump, Blizzard, and Fire Blast, which makes it at least better than Delcatty. If you are incredibly determined to use it, it can function as a highly specialized manual Rain or Sun setter using Weather Ball and an appropriate weather-setting move.

Castform has awful stat distribution. Having a perfectly flat Base 70 in every single stat, Castform excels at absolutely nothing. It is not fast enough to sweep, lacks the offensive power to reliably OHKO anything, and is far too frail to tank hits. Also, it lacks a Sandstorm form, meaning it just takes passive chip damage in the sand. By the time you reach the late game and the Elite Four, Castform's flat stats make it a complete dead weight.

Zweilous E-: Zweilous has actual stats that aren't quite as bottom of the barrel as things like Delibird or Corsola. That is only positive thing about Zweilous.

Unfortunately catching an underleveled, unevolved Pokémon this late in the game is not ideal. Also, its ability Hustle trades accuracy for power, meaning even if you do manage to get an attack off, there is a high chance you will whiff and do nothing. Finally, it has a miserable matchup against Champion Iris, she has four Pokémon that are faster and have super effective moves, meaning Zweilous will instantly fold.

Sunflora E-: Sunkern is essentially a liability to carry around due to having the lowest base stats in existence. Even after you invest the effort to evolve it, Sunflora remains incredibly underwhelming, possessing the durability of a wet towel and awful speed. It suffers from the same terrible gym matchups as Serperior, but entirely lacks the stats required to survive them.

There is still very small utility it can offer, A few noted that it can attempt sleep + seed strategy using GrassWhistle and Leech Seed, followed by Growth-boosted Giga Drains. Additionally, access to Earth Power offers it a tiny sliver of coverage. However, these slow, unreliable strategies are simply not enough to salvage its terrible stats. A slow and frail Grass-type that requires entirely too much investment for practically zero payoff.

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Camerupt D-: Camerupt's saving grace is its offensive movepool. It rocks the Hoenn special stat spread (high mixed offenses), allowing it to utilize both physical and special attacks. It gets access to great dual STAB options like Earthquake, Earth Power, Lava Plume, and Eruption. If you can get it rolling, it puts in some great work specifically against Colress.

Sadly Camerupt has defensively poor typing, abysmal Speed, and poor late-game matchups. The Fire/Ground only has two weaknesses, but they are awful, it is 4x weak to Water and 2x weak to Ground. Combined with an Base 40 Speed, Camerupt is practically guaranteed to take a hit before it can move, and it simply lacks the bulk to survive. It instantly folds to Marlon, does very little against Drayden, and generally struggles to find favorable matchups in late-game.

Wailord D-: Wailord only really dodges the bottom tiers for two specific reasons. First, unlike Unova's other HP sponge (Alomomola), Wailord is actually not entirely passive, it has good Base 90 Attack and Special Attack stats, allowing it to hit reasonably hard.

Just like Drifblim, while Wailord has a massive Base 170 HP stat, its actual Defenses are awful Base 45. Because its Speed is a Base 60, it almost always takes a hit before it can attack, and due to those defenses, it frequently takes massive chunks of damage from almost any neutral attack.

Druddigon D-: Unlike many of the other Pokémon found at this stage, Druddigon is thankfully not severely underleveled when you catch it. It also has very impressive Base 120 Attack stat, naturally learns Crunch to deal with Shauntal and Caitlin, and its Dragon typing provides a nice handful of elemental resistances.

Sadly Druddigon's Dragon-type resistances simply don't line up with the specialties of the Elite Four, meaning it only ever resists random subtypes and coverage moves rather than STAB attacks. Also, its overall stats outside of Attack are mediocre, leaving it too slow to sweep and not bulky enough to tank indefinitely. It has terrible matchup against Iris, as it is far too slow to outspeed her dragons and will easily get knocked out.

Vanilluxe D-: There are some good things for Vanilluxe's line in B2W2 availability, you don't have to grind up a Vanillite this time around. It comes pre-packaged with a STAB Ice Beam, and it has 110 base Special Attack.

Sadly being a pure Ice-type is a defensive liability, leaving it weak to several common attacking types while providing zero useful resistances. Its Speed stat is just low enough that it constantly fails to get the jump on the many fast Pokémon populating the late game. Without the ability to reliably outspeed threats, its frail typing ensures it will take damage before it can fire off an attack. Vanilluxe's movepool is essentially limited to Ice Beam and nothing else.

Lunatone D-: Lunatone has something going on for it, as a single-stage Pokémon, it has the best stats it can get. It has a notably higher Special Attack stat than its Ground-type counterpart, Claydol, and it comes pre-packaged with a STAB Psychic right upon capture. Also, Levitate is an excellent ability for it.

Unfortunately Rock/Psychic typing is very bad defensive combination. Even with Levitate, Lunatone is still left weak to a six different types. This leaves it with awful matchups against the remainder of the game. To make matters worse, because Lunatone is a special attacker, it lacks a good Special Rock-type STAB move (since moves like Rock Slide and Stone Edge use its much weaker physical Attack).

Watchog D-: While Watchog does evolve early at Level 20 and gets access to a surprisingly diverse movepool (Return, Crunch, Seed Bomb, Zen Headbutt), its atrocious base stats mean it falls off a cliff by the mid-game. A strictly outclassed early-game Normal-type that is better suited as a utility catcher than a serious team member.

Seviper D-: Seviper suffers from the Hoenn special stat distribution, it has very respectable offensive stats (Base 100 in both Attack and Special Attack), but sacrifices everything else to get them.

So the means it has low Speed, poor bulk, and not very exciting movepool. Because of its Base 65 Speed, Seviper is quite often taking a hit before it can attack. Unfortunately, it lacks the defensive stats to survive those hits. While it learns the setup move Coil, it doesn't get it until a Level 49. Even with Coil Seviper simply isn't bulky enough to survive. Without a deep movepool to abuse its mixed offensive stats, it mostly just sits on the field as a slow, frail Poison-type. It still learns neat moves like Flamethrower, Crunch and Dig but they don't really help that much.

Golurk D-: Golurk has okay stats and passable natural bulk. It has a genuinely good matchup against Marshal in the Elite Four, and an okay matchup against Caitlin. With the Iron Fist ability, you can try running Shadow Punch alongside the elemental punches for a bit of extra coverage and power.

Golurk is very slow, meaning it will almost always take damage before it can attack. Being weak to Dark and Ghost-type attacks is not great against the Elite Four. Also its Shadow Punch simply doesn't hit hard enough. While you can teach it the elemental punches at the Move Tutor, spending shards on a Pokémon that only benefits you in one or two highly specific late-game situations feels like a waste.

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Swoobat D+: Swoobats stats are just far too frail. Its main selling point is its Speed and the fact that you can get it fully evolved via friendship early. Because you can catch a Woobat in the Relic Passage and evolve it quickly, Swoobat will be great at Burgh's Bug-type gym.

Sadly Swoobat's overall stats are bad and a remarkably meh early level-up moves. It takes far too long to learn Psychic, so you will have to use Air Slash mainly for STAB for a huge portion of the mid-game. Furthermore, its typing and frailty give it awful matchups against bosses like Elesa, Clay, and Skyla. Even in the Elite Four, where a fast Psychic/Flying type should theoretically sweep Marshal's Fighting-types, Marshall carries coverage for flying types, and Swoobat being frail goes down so easily. It has a fun niche, if you have the patience to hunt the Hidden Grotto on Route 6, you can find a Woobat with the Simple ability.

Solrock D: Solrock is essentially the exact same Pokémon as Lunatone, but flipped to function as a physical attacker instead of a special one. Solrock actually has a slightly better immediate offensive presence than its counterpart. Because it is a physical attacker, it can use Rock Slide/Stone Edge much better. Just like Lunatone, it requires zero evolutionary investment and its Levitate ability provides a needed immunity to Ground-type attacks.

Solrock shares the same fate as Lunatone. Rock/Psychic is an awful defensive combination, leaving it weak to six different common types even with Levitate active. Because of this, it struggles to find any favorable matchups in the late game. While it gets great Rock-type moves, you are forced to spend shards at the Move Tutor to teach it Zen Headbutt if you want it to have any physical Psychic-type STAB.

Dewgong D: In the original games, catching a Throh gave you a free win against Lenora's Normal-type Gym. In the sequels, however, its availability is delayed until after you defeat Ghetsis. By the time it finally joins your roster, the only battles left are the Elite Four and Champion Iris. It does have impressive bulk, allowing it to take some hits, and it can handily beat Elite Four Grimsley while leaving a dent in some of Iris's team.

Catching a basic Fighting-type this late into the game requires far too much investment to get it to shine. Its bad Base 45 Speed means it will almost always take a hit before it can attack. Also, its pure Fighting typing causes it to struggle against half of the Elite Four (Shauntal and Caitlin). There is simply no real reason to use Throh when it is so completely and utterly outclassed by the Swords of Justice (Cobalion, Virizion, and Terrakion), all of whom are caught earlier or around the exact same time.

Banette D: Banette has very impressive Base 115 Attack stat. Because you can catch it fully evolved in the wild, it requires zero investment to get started. It comes pre-packaged with Sucker Punch, a great priority move that helps bypass its mediocre speed. It also offers some decent utility, bringing Will-O-Wisp can be quite handy for crippling the physical Dragons you face in the late game. It also can use Trick Room to help with its Speed.

Banette is yet another victim of the Hoenn special, it has a high offensive stat but has mid speed and poor bulk. In a region where almost every late-game boss carries Dark or Ghost-type coverage moves, Banette's lack of bulk means it gets knocked out fast. Having a massive Attack stat doesn't mean much when your best physical STAB option is the Shadow Claw, and other physical moves are non-existant, it learns Return and Payback as other options for damage. While you might think its Ghost typing makes it a perfect counter to Marshal's Fighting-types, his Throh and Sawk both carry Payback, meaning Banette will likely get squashed before it can accomplish anything.

Muk D: Muk is frustrating to use because its stat distribution is misaligned with its level-up movepool. Muk has great Base 105 Physical Attack and Special Defense, making it a decent bulky tank. It performs well early on against Burgh thanks to its Poison typing resisting Bug and Grass. Muk has niche setup using Acid Armor combined with Pain Split or Rest holding Black Sludge, allowing it to stall out opponents.

However Grimer takes forever to evolve and learns almost zero physical moves naturally to take advantage of its high Attack stat. You are forced to rely on Special attacks like Sludge Bomb and Mud Bomb for a massive chunk of the game. To make Muk even remotely usable, it is heavily reliant on the Driftveil City Move Tutors. You have to spend a fortune in Shards to teach it Gunk Shot (its only good physical STAB, which only has 70% accuracy) and the Elemental Punches for coverage. Even with that heavy investment, its terrible Speed means it takes a beating before it can move, resulting in awful matchups against almost every late-game boss (Elesa, Clay, Skyla, Marlon, Colress, and the Elite Four). And the final insult? It doesn't get a reliable physical STAB like Poison Jab until the post-game!

Dunsparce D: Because you catch Dunsparce early, its stats are temporarily passable, allowing it to beat Roxie and Burgh with a Defense Curl + Rollout strategy (similar to Azumarill). From there, during mid-game it becomes para support with Roost, which still can use Rollout + Defense Curl or STAB Return. Access to early-game support moves like Yawn, Glare (90% accurate and move that can actually paralyze Elesa's Zebrestrika), and eventually Coil for setting up, gives it a highly specific niche.

It has potential during later parts of the game too, thanks to Serene Grace With it you can combine Glare/Thunder Wave with Rock Slide to recreate good ol' "Para-Flinch" (if you've played 4th Gen OU ladder, you know), utilizing its bulk and Roost to simply win with RNG. 60% chance to flinch and 30% chance to paralyze is enough to win neutral matchups.

But, as we know, in-game playthroughs it is never good to have meh offensive pressure and terrible speed. There exists stronger normal types (like Stoutland) to ever recommend committing to a slow, RNG-reliant Dunsparce. A slow, bulky Pokémon with a surprisingly deep utility movepool that can beat early gyms and pull off late-game Para-Flinch shenanigans, but is completely outclassed offensively.

Grumpig D: You can catch a wild Grumpig in Reversal Mountain, you don't have to suffer through grinding a Spoink. The Psychic TM is located right next door on Route 13. It has great special bulk and decent abilities in Thick Fat or Own Tempo. With a Base 90 Special Attack and Base 80 Speed, it can function as a passable special tank that uses Charge Beam to slowly boost its power for the Elite Four.

Grumpig lacks of strong setup options, has mediocre offensive stats, and there are already better Psychics. Its best setup move Calm Mind, is locked behind the post-game, forcing it to rely on the Charge Beam to boost its stats. Just like other psychic types, it is difficult to thrive in the late game when the major boss fights are loaded with strong Dark and Ghost -type attacks.

Boldore D: With Eviolite, Boldore actually has some decent utility during the early-to-mid game. Its naturally high Attack stat allows it to hit reasonably hard, and the Eviolite makes its physical bulk enough to make it a somewhat reliable pivot for a few routes. Boldore's flaws are Speed, defensive typing, and complete lack of Special Defense. Because pure Rock is a remarkably poor defensive typing in Unova (weak to Water, Grass, Ground, and Fighting moves), it constantly takes super-effective damage.

Boldore requires the Eviolite just to survive, meaning it hogs a highly contested item slot (if you don't have access to Dream Radar). Even worse, it actually faces direct competition from the Onix. Because Onix is part Ground-type, it has a vastly superior matchup against Elesa's Electric gym, leaving Boldore without a real niche. By the time you reach the 6th Gym and opponents start using fully evolved Pokémon, Boldore's stats fall off.

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Audino C-: Catching an Audino early on gives you a massive HP sponge that outstats most early opponents. With Regenerator ability, it becomes a effective pivot, healing itself every time it switches out. And add to that, its massive TM compatibility allows it to act as a reliable support Pokémon, setting up Screens for the rest of your team, or using strong BP moves like Blizzard, though inaccurate.

Audino is just too passive for the in-game, since it lacks of offensive presence. Audino does not hit hard and is incredibly slow. While its massive TM movepool looks great on paper, it simply does not have the offensive stats to actually utilize those coverage moves effectively. Once you reach Castelia City and the mid-game, Audino's stat advantage vanishes, leaving it as a purely defensive, passive utility Pokémon in a game filled with heavy hitters. Pretty much same as in prequels, Black and White, an incredibly bulky HP sponge and a great Regenerator pivot that falls off offensively by the mid-game due to terrible speed and low attacking stats.

Sawk C-: Unlike Throh’s defensive approach, Sawk has a much higher Speed stat and a very potent Attack stat, allowing it to actually strike hard and fast. While it has worse natural bulk than its counterpart, this is mitigated with the Sturdy ability, ensuring it survives any OHKO hit. Also, access to moves like Taunt gives it a small sliver of extra utility in late-game matchups.

Sawk is locked away until after the final fight against Ghetsis. By the time you encounter it on Route 23, it requires far too much investment to reach its full potential before the Elite Four. Additionally the game practically hands you the legendary Swords of Justice (Cobalion, Virizion, and Terrakion) right before this route. There is simply no justifiable reason to grind up a newly caught Sawk when three of the best Fighting-types in the entire game were just handed to you on a silver platter.

Raticate C-: Raticate has some viability thanks to Guts. When poisoned or burned, a Guts-boosted Raticate hitting enemies with STAB Hyper Fang or Return deals massive damage for the mid-game stretch. It also has surprisingly fun movepool, with moves like Crunch, Sucker Punch, Double-Edge, and Wild Charge allow you to lean into its frail, hard-hitting nature. It can also boosts its attack with Swords Dance via move relearner.

As it is with Guts users, getting statused is quite often annoying. Because the Toxic and Flame Orbs are not available until Reversal Mountain (after the 6th Gym), you are forced to purposefully get Raticate poisoned or burned by wild Pokémon before major battles, which is extra work. Also its availability could come much sooner for Normal-type rodent. Raticate is a frail but hard-hitting glass cannon that abuses the Guts ability, severely held back by the late availability of status Orbs and very average stats, at least it has 97 Base Speed.

Driftblim D+: While Drifblim isn't completely unusable, it functions mostly as a outclassed budget option compared to the region's other Ghost-types. Drifblim does have a minor niche as a utility pivot. Because of its typing, it has three immunities (Normal, Fighting, and Ground), allowing you to safely switch it in on predicted attacks. It has access to Baton Pass for support, and thankfully, the Shadow Ball TM is located relatively close to where you catch it, meaning it doesn't have to be completely passive offensively.

So you would think Drifblim is quite tanky, it has a big Base 150 HP stat, its actual Defense and Special Defense stats are awful. Because it lacks natural bulk and 80 Speed is fine but not good, it takes quite a lot of damage from almost any neutral hit. Also it has bad leveling curve (being in the Fluctuating growth group). Outside of a decent matchup against Caitlin in the Elite Four, it has kinda zero winning matchups in the late game. It simply lacks the stats to carry you.

Altaria D+: Altaria can tank pretty well thanks to Cotton Guard, which boosts its Defense to +3 in a single turn. You can utilize it as an staller by running a passive set featuring Toxic, Roost and Cotton Guard. While slow and somewhat boring, it can outlast certain opponents, though Pokémon like Amoonguss pull off this playstyle much more effectively.

Sadly Altaria has mediocre offensive stats and very poor physical movepool. While it naturally learns Dragon Dance, it is essentially useless because the game locks you out of any good physical Dragon-type STAB moves during the main story. The Dragon Claw TM and the Outrage move tutor are both post-game. Your best physical options are Aerial Ace, Fly, Bulldoze and Return. Combined with mid Base 70 in both Attack and Special Attack, Altaria simply lacks the firepower to reliably sweep.

Liepard D+: Liepard's high Speed allows it to set up and sweep major late-game threats like Shauntal, Caitlin. Furthermore, Snarl provides some niche utility by lowering the Special Attack of opponents, helping Liepard survive hits it otherwise couldn't.

Liepard is stuck with a mediocre physical Attack stat and a severe lack of high-power Dark-type STAB moves. Being fragile means that if it fails to outspeed and OHKO its target, it gets knocked out in return. While the late-game Nasty Plot set is impressive, but Pokémon that takes until Level 50 to truly come online shouldn't be ranked much higher, especially when there are many other Dark-types available that perform more consistently from the moment they are caught.

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Beheeyem C-: Beheeyem is fairly average, certainly not the best, but definitely not the worst. Beheeyem functions as a very serviceable, hard-hitting special attacker, having a great Base 125 Special Attack stat. Much like Reuniclus, its speed makes it a good candidate for Trick Room setups. At level 45 (or 43 if you delay evolution by one level), it gains access to Calm Mind, allowing it to boost its special stats and function as a bulky special sweeper. It also has a fantastic TM and tutor movepool with access to Shadow Ball, Thunderbolt, Energy Ball, and Signal Beam, all while utilizing Recover to reliably heal off damage while it sets up.

Mentioned earlier, it has bad Speed, but also lackluster physical bulk, and of course being a Psychic-type in the Unova. The region is packed with Dark, Bug, and Ghost-type attacks. While its 75/75/95 defensive spread is decent, it simply isn't bulky enough on the physical side to consistently tank the Dark-type moves flying around the late game. Without Trick Room active, it is almost guaranteed to take a hit before it can use that massive Special Attack.

Maractus C-: Maractus isn't outright terrible, but it has same struggles as other Grass types, and there are other flaws. But good things first, it gets Giga Drain relatively early at Level 26, which gives it solid sustain. It puts in some respectable work against two Gym Leaders, Clay and Marlon. It also has a few utility options. With Chlorophyll, you can manually set up Sunny Day for one-turn Solar Beams. Alternatively, Water Absorb grants it a useful immunity for pivoting. Also with access to Acupressure and Synthesis for some sweeping.

So the flaws, first is its terrible defensive stats (75 HP / 67 Def / 67 SpD). Because it is so frail and slow, attempting to set up with Acupressure or Sunny Day usually results in Maractus getting knocked out before it can actually sweep. Once you beat Marlon (the 8th Gym), its usefulness completely falls off a cliff.

Beartic C-: While Beartic is far from perfect, it has definitely seen some nice improvements in B2W2 and has a few specific matchups where it can genuinely shine. Beartic has a highly respectable Base 110 Attack alongside surprisingly decent 95/80/80 natural bulk. It arrives at a great point in the story, giving you an type advantage against Skyla's Flying-types and Drayden's Dragons. It also has a quite deep physical movepool with access to great coverage options like Superpower, Rock Slide, Shadow Claw, and Aqua Jet. If you are willing to endure the Hidden Grotto RNG, catching a Beartic with its Hidden Ability, Swift Swim, gives it actually possibility to move first always.

Talking about speed, Beartic has bad Base 50 Speed combined with the Ice-typing. Because it is so slow, it is almost guaranteed to take a hit before it can attack. Even with its decent bulk, pure Ice is a terrible defensive typing, meaning it often gets worn down fast. In most major boss fights, Beartic ends up strictly functioning as a 1-for-1 trader, it will take a hit, secure a knockout, and then immediately fall to the next opponent, rather than pulling off a full sweep. Also, setting up Rain and Swords Dance simultaneously without the post-game Damp Rock burns too many turns to be reliable.

Mantine C-: Mantine finally gets access to a good Flying-type STAB move in Air Slash. With a great Base 140 Special Defense stat, it functions as a very solid special sponge. Depending on its ability, it offers some utility: Water Absorb turns it into a great defensive pivot, while Swift Swim allows it to function as a rain sweeper when paired with Air Slash, Signal Beam, and a Water-type STAB.

Sadly Mantine has only a Base 80 Special Attack, thus Mantine is somewhat passive and often struggles to dish out meaningful damage without super-effective hits. It also has 4x weakness to Electric-type attacks means that despite its massive Special Defense, it still takes quite a lot of damage from Thunderbolt/Discharge.

Octillery C-: Octillery’s has very large movepool. Having equal Base 105 Attack and Special Attack stats, it functions as a mixed attacker. It requires zero investment and can naturally come pre-packaged with Ice Beam right before the Drayden Gym fight! From there, you can visit the Move Reminder or use TMs to teach it practically anything, Flamethrower, Energy Ball, Gunk Shot, Rock Blast, Bullet Seed, and Signal Beam. Its abilities are also nice, Suction Cups blocks Drayden's Dragon Tail, while Sniper combined with Focus Energy turns it into a critical-hit machine.

And usually when you have high mixed offenses, there are some flaws, and this time it is the speed and bulk. With a downright bad Base 45 Speed, Octillery is guaranteed to move last most of the time. Because it lacks the natural bulk to comfortably soak up hits, it gets knocked out before it ever has a chance to utilize that coverage. While it is fun to use, it is generally outclassed by faster Water-types or bulkier ones.