Smogon Tiers – A Guide to the Pokémon VGC Tier System

The Smogon Tier system is a fundamental element of the competitive Pokémon scene, categorizing Pokémon based on their strength, utility, and popularity in tournament play. This system allows even species that aren’t the strongest to find their place in the appropriate competition category. In this guide, we’ll detail each tier, its characteristics, and the rules that govern it.

What are Smogon Tiers?

Smogon Tiers is a classification system created by the Smogon University competitive community. The main goal of this system is to balance gameplay by grouping Pokémon of similar strength and utility, allowing for more diverse and strategic teams.

Smogon primarily uses usage statistics as the primary criterion for determining tiers, as reflected in the full names of the individual categories: OverUsed, UnderUsed, RarelyUsed, NeverUsed, and PU. Tiers are updated every three months based on weighted usage statistics.

Ubers

Ubers is the highest tier in the Smogon hierarchy, functioning as a sort of “free-for-all” in the world of competitive Pokémon. All Pokémon are allowed in this tier, without any restrictions.

• Contains Pokémon considered too powerful for standard gameplay.
• Most in this tier are legendary creatures, such as Mewtwo, Kyogre, and Xerneas.
• It also contains some non-legendary Pokémon that have proven too dominant for lower tiers.
• It serves as a “banlist” for the OU tier, but is also considered the official Smogon tier.
• Offers the most intense and powerful battles, where knowledge of the game’s mechanics is crucial.

Some tournament formats allow a maximum of two Pokémon from this tier on a single team, but these rules may vary depending on the individual tournament.

OU (OverUsed)

OU, or OverUsed, is the standard and most popular tier in competitive Pokémon. It contains Pokémon that are frequently used by the community due to their strong combination of stats, types, abilities, and movesets.

Characteristics of OU:

• Pokémon in this tier are used by at least 3.406% of all teams.
• It is the base format for most tournaments.
• It contains Pokémon that have a strong combination of stats, types, abilities, and movepools.
• It allows the use of creatures from lower tiers (UU, RU, NU, PU).
• It is the most balanced and competitive environment.

The OU tier is dynamic and changes as the metagame evolves. Pokémon can be promoted to OU if their popularity increases, or relegated to lower tiers if they are less frequently used.

UUBL (UnderUsed Banned List)

UUBL is a special category between OU and UU that contains Pokémon too powerful for UU but not popular enough to be included in OU.

• It is not an official tier, but a list of Pokémon banned from UU.
• Pokémon in UUBL are too powerful for UU but not frequently enough to be included in OU.
• It often contains Pokémon that could dominate the UU metagame.
• Pokémon in UUBL can only be used in OU or Ubers.

Examples that have made it into UUBL include Iron Hands and Iron Leaves, which are in a limbo situation – they cannot be used in lower tiers but are not powerful enough for higher tiers either.

UU (UnderUsed)

UU, or UnderUsed, is the second tier based on usage in the Smogon hierarchy. It contains Pokémon that aren’t used frequently enough to be in the OU, but are too strong for lower ranks.

• Contains Pokémon that don’t exceed 3.406% usage in the OU.
• Creates its own metagame where Pokémon that aren’t effective in the OU can shine.
• Allows the use of Pokémon from lower ranks (RU, NU, PU).
• Offers a wider variety of strategies than the OU.
• Has its own ban list (UUBL), which prevents certain creatures from dominating.

The UU tier is a great place for Pokémon that are strong, but not necessarily the best at their roles. For example, Flygon might struggle to compete with Garchomp in the OU, but can be a formidable threat in the UU.

RUBL (RarelyUsed Banned List)

RUBL, like the UUBL, is a list of Pokémon that are banned in the RU but not popular enough to be in the UU.

• Contains Pokémon that are too strong for RU but not frequently used in UU
• Serves to maintain balance in the RU tier
• Pokémon in RUBL can be used in UU and higher tiers

RU (RarelyUsed)

RU, or RarelyUsed, is a tier introduced in the fifth generation in response to the growing number of Pokémon. It is a tier for Pokémon that are not frequently used in UU.

RU Characteristics:

• Contains Pokémon that are not popular enough to be included in UU
• Allows the use of Pokémon from lower tiers (NU, PU)
• Creates an environment where almost any Pokémon can be an effective addition to a team

Has its own ban list (RUBL)

Pokémon such as Gardevoir, Arcanine, Blissey, Sylveon, and Weavile can be found in RU. These are Pokémon that can be very effective under the right conditions, but are displaced by stronger alternatives at higher tiers.

NUBL (NeverUsed Banned List)

NUBL is a list of Pokémon banned in NU, but not popular enough to be included in RU.

NUBL Characteristics:

• Contains Pokémon too powerful for NU, but not frequently used in RU.
• Serves to maintain balance in the NU tier.
• Pokémon in NUBL can be used in RU and higher tiers.

NU (NeverUsed)

NU, or NeverUsed, is a tier for Pokémon that are not powerful enough to function even in the RU environment.

Characteristics of NU:

• Contains Pokémon that are rarely used even in RU
• Allows the use of lower-tier items (PU)
• Creates an environment where Pokémon traditionally considered weak can find their place
• Has its own Banned List (NUBL)

In NU, you can find Pokémon with strange stats, a weak moveset, or simply a lack of synergy with other Pokémon. Nevertheless, in the right hands, they can be effective in this tier.

PUBL (PU Banned List)

PUBL is a list of Pokémon banned from PU but not popular enough to be included in NU.

PUBL Characteristics:

• Contains Pokémon that are too strong for the PU but not frequently used in the NU.
• Serves to maintain balance in the PU tier.
• Pokémon in PUBL can be used in the NU and higher tiers.

PU

PU is the lowest tier in the Smogon hierarchy, containing Pokémon that are not effective enough to function in the higher tiers.

PU Characteristics:

• Contains Pokémon that are rarely used even in the NU.
• The name “PU” comes from the phrase “P.U.”, meaning something unpleasant or unwanted.
• Creates an environment where even the weakest Pokémon can find their place.

Has its own ban list (PUBL).

Although Pokémon in PUBL are often considered weak, this tier offers unique strategies and team-ups that are not possible in the higher tiers.

Other Tiers and Formats

Besides the main tiers, Smogon also offers other competition formats:

Little Cup (LC)

• A format for Pokémon at level 5, which are the lowest evolutionary stage.
• Has its own rules and ban list (LC Ubers).
• Tiered independently of the main tiers.

Doubles

• A format for 2v2 battles.
• Has its own tiers and rules.
• Tiered independently of the main tiers.

VGC (Video Game Championships)

• Nintendo’s official tournament format.
• Is not tiered by Smogon; instead, it uses the rules of the current season.
• Typers typically allow the use of some legendary Pokémon and have other restrictions.

How do tiers affect gameplay?

The Smogon tier system has a significant impact on how players approach team building and strategy:

• Diversity – Tiers allow for the use of a wider variety of Pokémon that would otherwise be displaced by stronger alternatives.
• Balance – Thanks to tiers and banlists, each format has a balanced metagame where no one Pokémon completely dominates.
• Accessibility – Lower tiers are often more accessible to new players who may not have access to rare or legendary Pokémon.
• Specialization – Players can specialize in specific tiers, developing unique strategies and team builds.
• Metagame Evolution – Tiers change as new strategies and movesets are discovered, keeping the game fresh and interesting.

Smogon Tiers Summary

The Smogon Tier system is a key element of the competitive Pokémon scene, allowing for balanced and diverse gameplay. Thanks to it, almost every Pokémon can find its place in its appropriate tier, making competitive play accessible to players with different preferences and playstyles.

Whether you prefer powerful Legendary Pokémon from the Uber tier or enjoy the challenge of using underrated creatures from the lower tiers, the Smogon system offers a format suitable for every player. Remember, tiers are updated regularly, so it’s worth following changes to stay up to date with the current metagame.