Wait, THAT'S Ubers viable? A retrospective article (2024)

Art by Pissog.

Aerodactyl will not be found hunting prey in RBY Ubers; even in the very first generation, it simply has been eclipsed already by much better options. It does not get any Rock-type moves, it does not learn Earthquake, and its best option for Flying STAB is Sky Attack. However, what it can do is be a complete and utter nuisance. You see, RBY coverage options are wonky at best, so two of the best physical attackers in the tier in Mew and Snorlax are commonly stonewalled by its Rock / Flying typing. Since they both rely on Normal- and Ground-type attacks, not even Swords Dance Mew can reliably take on Aerodactyl, as it can use Reflect and Rest nigh-infinitely, forcing them both to either switch out or expend their Explosion/Self-Destruct to deal with the angry flying boulder. Fire Blast also has an absurd 30% burn chance this generation, making it even more difficult for Mew to break Aerodactyl, as a burned Mew is as good as useless. Aerodactyl's niche extends further, as it ties Mewtwo and Jolteon as the second fastest Pokémon available, giving it an impressive crit chance and a chance to Speed tie and revenge kill them if everything else has gone wrong. Unfortunately, that's about all that Aerodactyl can do, as quite literally every other Pokémon in the tier has a way to reliably deal with it, whether it's through being a special attacker, carrying Ice- or Electric-type coverage, or just straight up being too bulky for Aerodactyl to do any type of noteworthy damage to.

Sandslash has is a very specific set of skills that make it worth a team slot in RBY Ubers. It's fast enough to outspeed Exeggutor and Chansey, and unlike the two prominent Ground-types in Rhydon and Golem, it actually has a way to boost its Attack with Swords Dance. This means that a paralyzed Mewtwo is going to be 2HKOed by +2 Earthquake while being unable to OHKO Sandslash from full with Ice Beam. Sandslash also can Swords Dance in the face of Snorlax and either force a trade of blows or a switch to a non-paralyzed Mewtwo or Starmie. If Snorlax chooses to trade, then your own Snorlax can look for a two-for-one trade later into the game pretty freely. Sandslash's mono-Ground typing comes with the boon of not being weak to Mew's Earthquake, forcing the legendary to think twice about how to approach the matchup. Hyper Beam is the only coverage that Sandslash needs, as it really should only be used to pick off foes that resist Earthquake such as Exeggutor. Substitute helps Sandslash in the Mew matchup even further, as unboosted Body Slam and Earthquake do not break its Substitute. Body Slam is an option to offer some kind of coverage to Sandslash that doesn't leave it a sitting duck, but paralysis and sleep should have already been spread by its teammates when it switches in. Not all is sandshine and Ho-Ohs for this echidna, however. Its lack of a Rock typing comes with severe downsides, notably being unable to switch into Normal-type attacks from Tauros and Snorlax and taking significantly more damage from Zapdos's Drill Peck. Its Attack stat's just low enough that it cannot OHKO Chansey even at +2. Just like its fellow Ground-types, it's also forced out by Starmie, Exeggutor, non-paralyzed Mewtwo, and Ice-types such as Jynx and Cloyster.

The theme of fossils being revived to do Ubers players' bidding remains strong as the metagame shifts into GSC, a world with two brand new types. It will surprise no one to hear that Omastar is a nice check to Snorlax, especially so Lovely Kiss variants. I mean, it's a special attacker that's a Rock-type, the writing is on the wall! The set even runs Withdraw to be a better CurseLax answer! But I bet you aren't expecting Omastar's secondary niche: it's a check to Mewtwo. You might be scratching your head at this; Mewtwo? The Pokémon with BoltBeam coverage? The Pokémon which has no real counter thanks to being able to run special sets, mixed sets, or even just Self-Destruct on a whim? That Mewtwo? Well, not exactly. Mewtwo's not always seen running its super dangerous wallbreaking and sweeping set, but it often takes a more relaxed approach through a stall, mono-attacking set with Flamethrower and Barrier. That set foregoes its STAB options and even Thunder and prefers to run Flamethrower and occasionally Ice Beam. As such, the underwater tentacles can actually emerge victorious in the exchange, or at the very least sit in front of it doing nothing. The last little bit of trivia worth bringing up is that Omastar's Special Attack is nothing to scoff at but also isn't amazing, meaning it won't be able to take down Snorlax or Mewtwo on its own. That's exactly why Jolteon is a great partner, which can pass Growth boosts and suddenly turn this innocuous creature into a menace. Unfortunately, it's not hard to imagine where Omastar falls short: its Special Defense is genuinely terrible and its Speed is similarly awful, meaning it has to flee even from Tyranitar at times. Its typing also means that the rare Earthquake on Snorlax or even rarer Thunder will do enough damage that it may have to Rest prematurely.

Jolteon finds itself as the fastest Pokémon in GSC Ubers alongside Mewtwo and the rare Aerodactyl. This in conjunction with serviceable special bulk and the power to Baton Pass Growth boosts to the best special attacker in the tier, Mewtwo, makes it the second best Electric-type, outclassing even the mighty Raikou. This is because of a need for faster Electric-types that can in a pinch attempt to revenge kill Mewtwo, shooting its stock to the moon. Hidden Power Water is preferred over Ice due to there being more Rock- and Ground-types and lower Exeggutor usage in the tier. Jolteon is also the best friend of any special attacker that is lacking that tiny bit of extra oomph to be able to wallbreak or sweep effectively. This can include its fellow Electric-type Zapdos, mixed Tyranitar, and the fringe Omastar. Unfortunately for this zapper, it still faces the same problem all Electric-types have faced since the dawn of time: Snorlax is really, really bulky. Moreover, Tyranitar is quite prevalent in Ubers and can easily switch into Jolteon and force it out or simply thwart its stat passing endeavors with Roar, even if doesn't exactly enjoy tanking Thunder. Stall teams have some neat options to best Jolteon: Quagsire can Haze boosts away and shrugs off Hidden Power Water, and Celebi can use Perish Song to force both Jolteon and whatever it wishes to pass to switch or face certain doom. Finally, unlike in its usual OU playground, Jolteon actually has to content with a viable Pokémon in its Speed bracket in Mewtwo, which has a much more reliable STAB option that can 2HKO Jolteon after Spikes damage.

The script is being flipped here, as Snorlax is the highlighted Pokémon in ADV instead of the Pokémon to beat. Oh how the mighty have fallen... Snorlax's OU presence in the third generation is undermined by its Spikes and sand weakness, leaving it often unable to leverage its great special bulk and good Attack stat. But what if you put in a metagame where Sand Stream is not omnipresent and Skarmory's usage is significantly lower? What if that metagame had multiple special attackers that couldn't even status it? What if... Snorlax was ranked as the fifth best Pokémon in the tier? ADV Ubers Snorlax may not be as metagame defining as it was a generation prior, but tournament players often need to carry dedicated checks to this loveable lard as well as secondary answers in case of emergency. Its natural bulk and stat allocation mean it can switch into a ton of attacks and force progress, which is especially valuable for more offensive teams that rely on sheer numbers to stomach hits moreso than having safe switch-ins to everything. This can be especially felt as Snorlax is a a frequent answer to Latios, Latias, and Mewtwo, all three of which are metagame staples that can pick off weakened Pokémon commonly found on offense, which Snorlax soft checks extremely effectively. Body Slam ends the career of many a foe, Shadow Ball picks off Psychic-types like Latios, Latias, and Mewtwo, and Self-Destruct needs minimal chip damage to take down even bulky foes like Groudon and Ho-Oh unboosted. This isn't even to mention how often Snorlax's inherent bulk saves it from OHKOs, whether it's surviving Deoxys-A's Superpower, Swords Dance Groudon's Earthquake or even a Calm Mind-boosted Hydro Pump from Kyogre. Truly, Snorlax does it all.

Man, what is it with ADV and Normal-types having a niche in Ubers? Well Slaking is the first Pokémon that is here because of nothing but raw offensive presence. Slaking does one thing and it does it well: it hits hard and pretends Normal resistances are nowhere to be seen. Slaking takes advantage of a very specific metagame trend, which is that Latios and Latias almost never run Timid. This leaves them, Rayquaza, and base 90s like Groudon, Kyogre, and Deoxys-D all slower than a positive-natured base 100, which is exactly what Slaking is. Latios in particular is easy prey for Slaking, as Slaking can even switch into its attacks and threaten to OHKO it. It often doesn't matter that Truant makes it a sitting duck on every subsequent turn, as Slaking has either just gotten a KO, forced a switch, or forced the foe to recover HP and is about to hit them again. The relative niche nature of Ghost-types also helps Slaking, as its STAB moves will do damage to one thing or another, with Magneton almost always being paired up with it to remove those pesky Steel-types that might resist an ill-timed Double-Edge. It's by no means the next coming of Arceus, but it still has a tiny niche that has made it a beloved Pokémon by the Ubers community. The downsides of bringing this Pokémon are so obvious, this article won't even bother to look at them.

If one was to look at this ceremonial bell, they would see a strong defensive Steel-type with an immunity to Ground. Big whoop! However, Bronzong is actually the best Dragon-resisting Steel-type in the metagame and singlehandedly made Garchomp drop to a mid-tier threat. It's also an integral part of the most successful DPP Ubers team of the modern age, "Highlord Rain Six". Despite its attacking stats being on the lower side, Bronzong is never a momentum sink, as the ability to check Dialga, Giratina-O, and most Mewtwo makes it a fantastic addition to any team. The utility it provides cannot be understated, being not just a solid Stealth Rock setter that frees moveslots on teammates like Dialga and even the uncommon partner Groudon. Explosion and Trick Room also aid in bringing in teammates that would struggle to come in and can completely flip the hyper offense matchup while also ensuring that Bronzong is never a momentum sink. Bronzong's only real shortcoming is that it has no reliable recovery; this means that it cannot take on more than a couple of neutral hits before it's in KO range. It's also often reliant on rain being up to best check most Dragon-types, as they often carry Fire-type coverage. It also means that a couple of specific Dragon-types in Palkia and Kingdra are willing to click their Water-type moves a bit more liberally, as Bronzong dreads a rain-boosted Hydro Pump. In the grand scheme of things, however, Bronzong is nothing short of a wonderful addition to any team.

Yet another Psychic-type over-performer? Color me shocked. Anyhow, Cresselia may be the Lunar Pokémon, but it performs best when the sun is out and shining bright! A staple of sun stall, a centerpiece of both a sample and successful RMT team, Cresselia is Her-shey's chocolate. It's a subject of Her-petology. In simple terms, it's mother. But it is also a great role compressor, being immune to Spikes and Toxic Spikes and checking almost any physical attacker, from Swords Dance Rayquaza, Groudon, and Lucario to Kabutops and Jirachi. Ice Beam can pick off Rayquaza and after Stealth Rock and easily 2HKO Garchomp. Hidden Power Fire is for Steel-types such as the aforementioned Lucario and also dissuades Forretress, Skarmory, and Scizor from switching in, as it can 2HKO them all when sun is active. Thunder Wave can pave the way for its teammates by quartering the Speed of foes Cresselia cannot otherwise beat on its own such as Mewtwo, Palkia, Kabutops, and Kingdra. On teams that just want Cresselia's bulk and Ground immunity, Lunar Dance is utilized for its additional effect of restoring PP, letting teammates like Calm Mind Mewtwo, SubTect Giratina, and Hydro Pump Kyogre shine brighter. Cresselia is unfortunately very reliant on sun, as its only recovery option, Moonlight, has its utility minimized when a different weather is active. Moreover, foes that carry Substitute can easily turn Cresselia into setup fodder, as its attacks are pitiful if not hitting super effectively.

The two Magic Bounce Pokémon are grouped together because they arguably do the same job in BW Ubers, and that is deny entry hazards via their ability. In the generation that introduced Team Preview, one might expect them to be found on somewhat bulkier teams as a way to deny hazards and keep teammates like Chansey and Giratina healthy. The reality, however, much like in most of BW's lower tiers is found in hyper offense's hands. The eponymous "Magic Sun" teams will always have one of the two Magic Bounce Pokémon, a Groudon for Drought, and then the Uber Pokémon that was most thankful for Dream World: Ho-Oh. In a metagame where Flying answers are few and far between and quite literally all of them hate being burned, Ho-Oh's Regenerator + Brave Bird combination is terrifying, and nothing enables it harder than these two Pokémon. Individually, they perform slightly different functions: Espeon fills a more offensive role, being able to 2HKO offensive Tyranitar with Hidden Power Fighting and Ferrothorn with Hidden Power Fire, all while having decent coverage in Grass Knot and Shadow Ball to hit the likes of Groudon and Deoxys formes, respectively. Yawn is the pièce de résistance, allowing it to beat dedicated leads like Deoxys-S and Cloyster and dissuading setup sweepers from taking advantage of its lackluster defensive typing and bulk. Xatu on the other hand is capable of actually recovering its HP consistently with Roost and pivoting to its more offensively inclined teammates with U-turn while also breaking foes' Focus Sash. Thunder Wave is of course critical in a metagame dictated by Speed tiers like BW Ubers, allowing Xatu to cripple foes like Genesect, Arceus formes, and even Dialga. The biggest problem these two face is just how prevalent the playstyle they are found in is; teams that dread facing Ho-Oh and its pesky Psychic-types have had no issue in adapting to beat exactly them. Arceus-Ghost and -Dark will often be found carrying Stealth Rock, as switching either of these Pokémon into them is ill advised, making entry hazard denial quite difficult. Both Espeon and Xatu also have extremely disdvantegous matchups against Stealth Rock Tyranitar, which actually can KO them both through a super effective hit and sand. Deoxys formes also can simply win a matchup they otherwise would lose through Dark Pulse flinches, and Deoxys-S will sometimes tech for this exact matchup with Skill Swap, which also leads to Espeon's Yawn and Xatu's Thunder Wave becoming extremely disadvantageous. Technically, both Espeon and Xatu are always able to deny entry hazards for at least one turn, as even if they are sacked to something like Arceus's Judgement the hazard didn't get set, but this requires aggressive switching and positioning. Once they're down, however, the opponent can usually get Stealth Rock up quite freely.

Klefki became infamous the moment XY dropped as the premier Swagger + Foul Play user prior to the strategy's ban thanks to an absurdly strong defensive typing in Steel / Fairy. It also immediately became apparent to the Ubers playerbase that it was a balanced team's best check to Geomancy Xerneas, which lands it a spot in this article! Its stats are nothing special, sporting only one base stat above 90 in its Defense; however, its access to Prankster status moves in Thunder Wave and Toxic as well as Spikes has allowed it carve itself a niche. Its typing also aids in tackling the various Dragon- and Dark-types that are prowling such as Latios, Giratina-O, Yveltal, and Darkrai. Despite being used as a Geomancy Xerneas answer, some Xerneas opted to start running mono-attacking sets with RestTalk to be able to counteract Klefki's nuisance. In that, Klefki adapted alongside it, with the option of Heal Block ensuring that Xerneas remains paralyzed for an allied Primal Groudon, Mega Lucario, or Mega Scizor to pick it off. Unfortunately for Klefki, a weakness to both Ground and Fire in a tier dominated by Primal Groudon means it sometimes can only get a layer of Spikes up before being forced out. It also often feels deadweight against many of bulky offense's best Pokémon such as Arceus-Ground, Ho-Oh, and even Mega Salamence carrying Earthquake.

Ditto is a very straightforward Pokémon: it will copy you and it will most likely outspeed you. This extremely simple pink blob got to shine like nobody's business in ORAS Ubers, a metagame saturated by hyper offense teams and stall alike. In the hyper offense matchup it can be a better entry hazard setter than its foe, force the opponent's Darkrai to switch out in fear of being put to sleep, and make every setup sweeper think twice before boosting. In the stall matchup, the ability to effectively have infinite PP and copy the foe's cleric to heal Ditto's teammates' status afflictions comes in extremely handy. Ditto, however, is a very finicky Pokémon to get the most out of. It's extremely hard to fit on a team without opening yourself to being extremely weak to a major threat such as Primal Kyogre or Mega Mewtwo Y, which often check themselves through their base HP being much better than whatever Ditto can procure. Ditto also doesn't copy the opponent's typing until it's already switched in, meaning it will often take more entry hazard damage than whatever it's copying. The final issue it faces is the adaptation of Substitute on certain sweepers to specifically avoid Ditto copying them, making it dead weight in those matchups.

Alolan Muk is the epitome of "specialized to beat just one Pokémon". A Poison/Dark typing is decent defensively in the sense that is has an immunity and cannot be poisoned, but a weakness to Ground dooms it otherwise. But what if all it needed was being a Dark-type that doesn't lose to Focus Blast? You see, Alolan Muk is the most consistent Pursuit trapper for Mega Gengar. How ironic, the trapper becomes trapped! Its Assault Vest also aids it in tanking a +2 Xerneas Moonblast then slapping it with Poison Jab and most likely poisoning it. These two factors make Alolan Muk an option for people who never ever want to see a Psychic- or Ghost-type see the light of day ever again! But, just as mentioned before, a weakness to Ground-type attacks in a tier where Primal Groudon sees a morbillion percent usage means you will only ever see this rainbow waste on dedicated stall teams or on the most committed Muk fan's team. The shared typing with Yveltal, arguably the best Pokémon in the tier not named Primal Groudon, also works against it, as stacking weaknesses on this type of team is never a good idea.

If you were to ask the SM Ubers playerbase their thoughts on Ultra Necrozma, a myriad of lurking "kekkers" would immediately call Ultra Necrozma busted and banworthy. Well, the Ultra Psychic-type has a crippling weakness to cannoli, as it is watching its diet, and Mega Slowbro is a big one! Slowbro's just the perfect Pokémon to check some extremely specific physical attackers which are a nuisance for fatter teams, such as Swords Dance Ultra Necrozma, Necrozma-DM, and Extreme Killer Arceus. With access to consistent recovery and a way to not only boost its Defense stat but also make progress in Toxic, it's quite easy to see how Mega Slowbro can be considered for teams in need of a physical wall. Slowbro may be a Psychic-type, but it cannot really fit an attack of that type, which means that Mega Gengar hunts it harder than the Shellder that has consumed its torso. A Dark-type weakness is also not ideal in a metagame where Yveltal runs rampant, not to mention that Ultra Necrozma sometimes opts to tap into its equally impressive Special Attack, turning Slowbro from a dedicated counter into an afterthought.

Clefable is the most logical inclusion on this list. Its utility movepool is exceeded only by Smeargle and Mew, and yet access to Magic Guard makes it a better utility Pokémon than both of them in OU and Ubers alike. And yet, if someone looked at damage rolls from Clefable against the Ubers metagame and from wallbreakers it should be able to switch into, the numbers would make you think Clefable is just a niche option for stall to have another Pokémon with Unaware. Poltergeist Marshadow can 2HKO it with ease, Necrozma-DM can force it out with Iron Head or Sunsteel Strike, offensive Eternatus and Choice Specs Calyrex-S can OHKO it, and Xerneas has better physical bulk. So what exactly makes this pink blob stick? Quite simply, it's one of the best Knock Off switch-ins in the tier, not only checking Yveltal and specially defensive Eternatus better than any other Pokémon, but it can punishing them both with its own Knock Off, not to mention an Yveltal without an item is scared of receiving a Sticky Barb and suddenly being in range of Calyrex-S. Its access to Stealth Rock also frees allied Necrozma-DM to run better moves, such as Dragon Dance, a second status move, or a coverage option. All in all, it's a really odd Pokémon that should not work, and yet it does. What a fella.

The most fashionable monkey, Zarude glides into SS Ubers as a unique way to handle Calyrex-S. Not only does this primate escape the confines of its UU prison to check the ghastly horse, it also has the perfect tools to be able to check the Hoenn weather duo; Bulk Up and Leaf Guard together make Zarude come out on top of exchanges against Groudon without fear of being hit by Thunder Wave or burned by a rare Fire-type move, but Jungle Healing's unique cleric abilities give this simian a way to beat Kyogre and Zygarde-C, the latter of the two being unable to setup alongside it because Darkest Lariat can potentially OHKO it at +6. Synthesis instead just puts it all the way back up to full if Groudon has blessed it with extra clear skies. Zarude will often befriend Ho-Oh as an additional Calyrex-S check, allowing Yveltal to run more offensive sets and fully take advantage of its Dark Aura. Zarude's offensive typing is also not too shabby, being able to hit the ever-present Eternatus and Necrozma-DM core, as long as neither Pokémon is an offensive set. Not all is peachy for Zarude, however, as it sports a debilitating 4x weakness to U-turn and lacks a reliable way to damage the extremely common Yveltal. Its bulk is also quite measly when compared to other Dark-types in the tier, especially Yveltal, as a +2 Draining Kiss from Calyrex-S will OHKO it. Choice Specs Calyrex-s similarly can 2HKO with the aid of Stealth Rock and a layer of Spikes, meaning that it can never be a team's premier or sole Calyrex-S answer. It is also often paired with Groudon so it can take full advantage of Leaf Guard, meaning Fire-type attacks from Ho-Oh, Eternatus, and Mewtwo can easily OHKO it.

Ting-Lu might be the overperformer of the century in SV Ubers, as it climbs through the corpses of every other Ground-type that got OHKOed and 2HKOed by Miraidon's Draco Meteor. This Pokémon is mighty boring to look at and also so exhilarating at the same time! It just sits there, tanks a hit from Miraidon or Necrozma-DM, maybe clicks its Ruination to halve its foes' HP, phazes any Pokémon that tries to setup, and isn't afraid of anything. And it just never goes down! If you, dear reader, thought Heatran can go back up to full in OU by smart doubles and clicking Protect, then you've played with the glory of this big horse-deer-ceramic. Its downside is that is truly does not have any recovery, so if it ever gets poisoned or gets its Leftovers removed by Knock Off, it's going down surprisingly fast. It also invites in Ho-Oh and Gliscor, two Pokémon that can be a huge nuisance not just for Ting-Lu but teams in general, as it's unable to do much to them other than use Ruination and phaze them.

Technically, Orthworm is a low tier Pokémon, so why not include it here? Orthworm provides a very unique option to hyper offense teams in the form of Shed Tail. The immunity provided by Earth Eater is a massive boon, as it gives Orthworm a guaranteed opportunity to switch in against some of the most prominent Pokémon in the tier such as Necrozma-DM, Arceus-Ground, Gliscor, Calyrex-I, and Clodsire. If it Terastallizes, it can even take a hit from Koraidon and still be effective. Orthworm got too low to pass its tail? Fret not! It can always set a layer of hazards and then die unceremoniously. Orthworm is, unfortunately, a Pokémon that can never take a neutral special attack and loses to getting hit just a smidge too hard, meaning it has very few opportunities to actually use Shed Tail. Moreover, it's extremely reliant on its user not losing momentum; if it's brought into any Pokémon that isn't named Clodsire it will, without a shadow of a doubt, have a bad time as it gets phazed, hit by Taunt, blown to pieces, or forced to Tera and pray it got the right type.

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