Hi, after observing the meta develop over the past few weeks, here's what I think the changes to the VR should look like:
S Tier:
S- Tier:
After checking the UPL usage stats, I think this is the best approximation of the best mons in the tier. All 4 of these pokemon are consistently at the top of the usage rates, with both Zacian-C and Ting-Lu both being the #1 most used Pokemon for some of those weeks. At a certain level, Koraidon and Miraidon tend to be mutually exclusive (they stack weaknesses), so it doesn't surprise me that they are losing the #1 slot on some weeks, but I still think they both deserve the higher S slot.
Some may be skeptical of Ting-Lu going this high, but the reality is that a mon that has had as high as 70% usage simply cannot be left out of the S Ranks. It's also just way too critical to defensive cores as the only reliable Miraidon check, and the hazards that it sets are extremely powerful in a tier with so few removal options.
Notice the lack of Groundceus- it's usage in UPL just simply cannot compare to the 4 pokemon above. Due to this, I think the A+ tier should look something like this:
A+:
Yes, I'm putting Arceus-Fairy above Groundceus, as Arceus-Fairy simply has more usage than Arceus-Ground does. Don't get me wrong, Arceus-Ground is an offensive powerhouse with very few offensive checks; its just that the defensive utility it provides to teams is very low, and that's why Arceus-Fairy has seen more usage than it. Realistically Arceus-Ground simply does not check Miraidon, and it has the additional problem of stacking weakness with Ting-Lu, Groudon, Skeledirge, etc. Meanwhile, Arceus-Fairy is one of the only sources of Dragon-type resists in the tier, making it critical for teams that forgo Zacian-C - and even then, the two make for pretty good partners. Arceus-Fairy can additionally pull of very hard-to-stop sets such as Rocks Taunt and Calm Mind that give it an offensive niche whilst it still checks Koraidon/Miradon/Rayquaza/Gira-O/Groudon/Chien-Pao/etc. Arceus-Ground certainly has the edge on straight-up HO teams, where it's a cerbut that type of team tends to be a bit niche overall right now compared to balances and BO as a whole.
I also think Groudon needs to be taken out of the A rankings; it's usage in UPL started out extremely high, but it's since dropped off as people have started to use other defensive mons like Landorus-T and Skele more.
A:
With Groudon moving down, I think the current A tier more or less looks fine. I may change my feelings for Etern or Ogre to go to A- but about this feels good for now.
A-:
The big changes here are E-Killer, Lando, and Corviknight. As others have stated in this thread, E-Killer simply got massively overrated upon release; simply put, I think Arceus-Ground tends to do its role much better for offensive teams, as it can break much easier. Meanwhile, E-Killer has to contend with Zacian-C and Koraidon before it can sweep - not to mention Giratina-O, Skeledirge, Groudon, etc. - there's simply too many roadblocks for E-Killer to overcome to be rated so high, and the usage stats in UPL concur with this.
Lando-T would rise a ton, but I think it's wholly justified - it has really high use rates and it can run both Defensive sets and Scarf sets well. While it lacks Wisp and Spikes that defensive don has, it can make up for that with its Ground- and Spikes immunity, and it also has super useful moves like U-Turn, Grass Knot, and Taunt.
As for Corviknight, in terms of UPL usage it stands similar to where Mewtwo is, so I think a rise to A- is fine. While Corv is not going to be the primary defensive wall in your arsenal, it is a pretty good Defog option with good resists that can check most Zacian-C sets straight up. It also Defogs pretty consistently on Ting-Lu and Clodsire thanks to Pressure and Roost, whereas Giratina has to content with being hit by Ruination or Toxic without any way to heal the damage off. Please do not run Iron Defense on it- just pair Corv with another physical wall like Skele and let Corv be your back-up physical check, and this also allows you to run U-Turn for big momentum.
Other Mons that I think deserve some changes:
B -> B+
B -> B+
Both good defensive Arceus formes with some not bad usage in UPL. They also have pretty good CM sets as well.
C+ -> B
Arceus-Poison is still pretty niche, but to me it's stood out more than a lot of the other Arceus formes that people felt sketchy about. It had some noticeable uses in UPL such as by Soulwind. The fact that it's immune to Toxic and absorbs T-Spikes makes it natural to run a CP/CM set-up that can be very hard to stop once it gets rolling, especially as it can burn Ground-types with WoW. It also works fantastically against Fast Taunt Arceus-Fairy sets, it can sorta check Korai as well, and it's a great switch-in to Eternatus who is very hard to switch-into otherwise.
C -> C+
Simply the best HO lead thanks to it's base 123 speed stat letting it outspeed Taunt Arceus. It also has access to low kick to prevent set-up from mons like Zacian-C and toxic spikes to abuse teams lacking a poison-type.
-> UR / D
I think these mons just genuinely don't have a niche.
