I haven't posted here in a while, mostly because I've been super happy with where Meowth is and I've also been super inactive. I've been playing more lately though and do have a few quick nominations to make.
Rise
Vullaby to S+
Vullaby is absolutely bonkers right now. We all know it. It has far, far too many options, and has a wide enough movepool to help a team out any way it wants. I don't think I need to talk about the variety of sets and options it has. If you don't have Vullaby on your team, you're lowkey throwing. It's that good. It's reached Lando-T levels of usage in LC at just shy of 85% in LCPL. It is the unquestioned king of LC.
Onix to S-
Onix has never been more prevelant, and while it just rose to A+, I believe it should rise all the way to S. While it's usage is nowhere near what Vullaby's was in LCPL, it was the 2nd highest, and it had a solid winrate. With the state of the current meta, there is 0 reason not to have Onix on a team. The combined utilty of Weak Armor, Rocks, and Explosion make it better than every other rocker in the tier. Additionally, Onix is the only mon in the tier that can semi-reliably switch into Vullaby and force it out. Of course, HP Grass has become more common on Vullaby, but the brokenness of Vullaby shouldn't stop Onix from rising to S-. It simply offers too many benefits to a team right now. If you don't have an onix on a team, you need a bird check, a rocker, and an electric immunity. You can't find another mon in the tier that will fill all 3 roles, and you'd be hard pressed to find a better rocker or bird check. Diglett might have the edge over onix as an electric immunity with magnemite in mind, but being the best mon at the previously mentioned 2 roles is still impressive.
Larvesta to B-
I think Larvesta, despite it's weakness to rocks and vullaby, is in a slightly better spot in the current meta with the rise of Staryu and the prevelance of Vullaby. With both of these 2 rock removers being easily splashable on a team it helps Larvesta come in and out easier Of course we all know it's flaws, but it's a great fighting check that has a little bit more power than mareanie, and spreads burns almost as easily. Unlike Mareanie however, Diglett can't trap it (easily). It also lives a max attack Vullaby Brave Bird which is pretty impressive, and unlike Mare, it can do a ton of damage back. Giga Drain allows it to hit onix on the switchin just like Mare and also hit Tirt. Overall it's always been a good mon, just weak to rocks. With the resurgence of rapid spin staryu, I think that Larvesta is actually pretty good again as a slow pivot since hazards seem more managable now than they have been in a long time.
236+ Atk Vullaby Brave Bird vs. 236 HP / 236+ Def Eviolite Larvesta: 18-24 (72 - 96%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Possible damage amounts: (18, 18, 18, 20, 20, 20, 20, 20, 20, 20, 20, 20, 20, 20, 20, 24)
236 Atk Diglett Rock Slide vs. 236 HP / 236+ Def Eviolite Larvesta: 16-20 (64 - 80%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Possible damage amounts: (16, 16, 16, 16, 16, 16, 16, 16, 16, 16, 16, 16, 16, 16, 16, 20)
The set that I've been seeing success with : https://pokepast.es/f7b77182e7402178
Corphish to A-
Corphish is one of the best wallbreakers in the tier, and it belong in a different tier than the rest of the water types that make up B+. As an offensive water type it's second only to staryu, and I think it offers a lot more to a team than Carvanha and Clamperl which struggle with frailty, and Tirtouga which struggles with fighters.
Drops
Elekid to C+
The only advantage Elekid offers over Magnemite right now is not being locked into one move, and the option of using z-psychic. However, these slight advantages are 50% chances at best. Not being locked in is nice, it still gets trapped by diglett and has a 50/50 shot to hit it with hp grass, which in the case of evio dig won't even kill it, and if you're z psychic you won't even kill regular dig with hp grass unless you use z-psychic. Speaking of z-psychic it only has a 50% chance to one shot 25/12 fighters.
Considering how small the advantages Elekid offers are, and the fact that meta changes like 12 spd fighters are popular again and evio dig is back, It just seems to situational and unreliable to stay in B-.
Omanyte to C+
Omanyte is outclassed as a shell smasher by pretty much every smasher in front of it, and is a lot more fearful of priority than the others. While it has raw power when it comes to spa, it's just not enough to net many kills without the help of a zmove or a life orb, both of which make it a defensive liability. I tried to play around with it as a third WA Abuser to pair with Vullaby and Onix, but while it's moveset is good on paper, it just doesnt work in practice. If we look at another rock/water based shell smasher in Tirtouga, its completely outclassed despite having more coverage on paper. Omanyte struggles too much to setup as a smasher, and isn't powerful enough to be a weak armor abuser in the current meta. It's still situationally good vs specific compositions, but vs any team made up of let's say the top 20 mons by usage in LCPL, you would be better of with almost anything else as a flying check or a setup sweeper. I think it's very comparable to zigzagoon as a sweeper right now, simply not powerful enough to be good.
Rise
Meowth to S+++
Vullaby to S+
Vullaby is absolutely bonkers right now. We all know it. It has far, far too many options, and has a wide enough movepool to help a team out any way it wants. I don't think I need to talk about the variety of sets and options it has. If you don't have Vullaby on your team, you're lowkey throwing. It's that good. It's reached Lando-T levels of usage in LC at just shy of 85% in LCPL. It is the unquestioned king of LC.
Onix to S-
Onix has never been more prevelant, and while it just rose to A+, I believe it should rise all the way to S. While it's usage is nowhere near what Vullaby's was in LCPL, it was the 2nd highest, and it had a solid winrate. With the state of the current meta, there is 0 reason not to have Onix on a team. The combined utilty of Weak Armor, Rocks, and Explosion make it better than every other rocker in the tier. Additionally, Onix is the only mon in the tier that can semi-reliably switch into Vullaby and force it out. Of course, HP Grass has become more common on Vullaby, but the brokenness of Vullaby shouldn't stop Onix from rising to S-. It simply offers too many benefits to a team right now. If you don't have an onix on a team, you need a bird check, a rocker, and an electric immunity. You can't find another mon in the tier that will fill all 3 roles, and you'd be hard pressed to find a better rocker or bird check. Diglett might have the edge over onix as an electric immunity with magnemite in mind, but being the best mon at the previously mentioned 2 roles is still impressive.
Larvesta to B-
I think Larvesta, despite it's weakness to rocks and vullaby, is in a slightly better spot in the current meta with the rise of Staryu and the prevelance of Vullaby. With both of these 2 rock removers being easily splashable on a team it helps Larvesta come in and out easier Of course we all know it's flaws, but it's a great fighting check that has a little bit more power than mareanie, and spreads burns almost as easily. Unlike Mareanie however, Diglett can't trap it (easily). It also lives a max attack Vullaby Brave Bird which is pretty impressive, and unlike Mare, it can do a ton of damage back. Giga Drain allows it to hit onix on the switchin just like Mare and also hit Tirt. Overall it's always been a good mon, just weak to rocks. With the resurgence of rapid spin staryu, I think that Larvesta is actually pretty good again as a slow pivot since hazards seem more managable now than they have been in a long time.
236+ Atk Vullaby Brave Bird vs. 236 HP / 236+ Def Eviolite Larvesta: 18-24 (72 - 96%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Possible damage amounts: (18, 18, 18, 20, 20, 20, 20, 20, 20, 20, 20, 20, 20, 20, 20, 24)
236 Atk Diglett Rock Slide vs. 236 HP / 236+ Def Eviolite Larvesta: 16-20 (64 - 80%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Possible damage amounts: (16, 16, 16, 16, 16, 16, 16, 16, 16, 16, 16, 16, 16, 16, 16, 20)
The set that I've been seeing success with : https://pokepast.es/f7b77182e7402178
Corphish to A-
Corphish is one of the best wallbreakers in the tier, and it belong in a different tier than the rest of the water types that make up B+. As an offensive water type it's second only to staryu, and I think it offers a lot more to a team than Carvanha and Clamperl which struggle with frailty, and Tirtouga which struggles with fighters.
Drops
Elekid to C+
The only advantage Elekid offers over Magnemite right now is not being locked into one move, and the option of using z-psychic. However, these slight advantages are 50% chances at best. Not being locked in is nice, it still gets trapped by diglett and has a 50/50 shot to hit it with hp grass, which in the case of evio dig won't even kill it, and if you're z psychic you won't even kill regular dig with hp grass unless you use z-psychic. Speaking of z-psychic it only has a 50% chance to one shot 25/12 fighters.
Considering how small the advantages Elekid offers are, and the fact that meta changes like 12 spd fighters are popular again and evio dig is back, It just seems to situational and unreliable to stay in B-.
Omanyte to C+
Omanyte is outclassed as a shell smasher by pretty much every smasher in front of it, and is a lot more fearful of priority than the others. While it has raw power when it comes to spa, it's just not enough to net many kills without the help of a zmove or a life orb, both of which make it a defensive liability. I tried to play around with it as a third WA Abuser to pair with Vullaby and Onix, but while it's moveset is good on paper, it just doesnt work in practice. If we look at another rock/water based shell smasher in Tirtouga, its completely outclassed despite having more coverage on paper. Omanyte struggles too much to setup as a smasher, and isn't powerful enough to be a weak armor abuser in the current meta. It's still situationally good vs specific compositions, but vs any team made up of let's say the top 20 mons by usage in LCPL, you would be better of with almost anything else as a flying check or a setup sweeper. I think it's very comparable to zigzagoon as a sweeper right now, simply not powerful enough to be good.