First of all, this Pokemon Let’s Go Tier List is based on assessments and evaluation of experienced player from the Pokemon Let’s Go community. The assessment could be right or wrong, and it all depends on the subjective view of each player, you. However, you can use this Pokemon Let’s Go tier list for your good source of reference. This tier list will be an extensive wall of text. So, these are some of our advices for you when using this Pokemon Let’s Go tier list.
Table of Contents
Update: February 13, 2019
Note to players
- Use the SEARCH function or the Table Of Content below, if you use this Pokemon Let’s Go tier list on desktop. These two will help you A LOT!
- Use the Table Of Content below, if you are on mobile.
- We will not use image for each Pokemon, since (most of) you are so familiar with these Pokemon already. Less image means faster for you to check the tier list. <3
Note for Pokemon Let’s Go tier list
- Max Friendship Pokemon have a 10% boost to all stats except HP. This will affect all calculations you see below.
- No EV’s, but instead each stat can be increased by 200 with candies. This metagame is set to Level 50 with NO candy boosts.
- Mega Evolutions YES, Z-moves NO.
- Mewtwonite X, Mewtwonite Y, Baton Pass, OHKO Moves, Evasion Moves (all Smogon clauses are enacted), and Mewtwo are banned.
- A total of 108 Pokemons! Use SEARCH function or Table of Content!
Technical Machine List
Pokemon Let’s Go Tier List
S+ Rank
These Pokemons in this Pokemon Let’s Go tier list are the most centralizing and either control the metagame completely or exhibit broken qualities.
Melmetal
Adamant/Careful Nature
- Double Iron Bash (60 base power Steel type, hits twice)
- Earthquake
- Ice Punch/Thunder Wave
- Thunder Wave/Rest
Melmetal is the evolution for the confusing and perplexing Meltan. Personally, for me, this is one of my newest favorite Pokemon. Its design is flawless, it captures the essence of Meltan while also making it completely bad-ass. With the new leak of information, Melmetal has impressive physical bulk and Attack, but pitiful Speed and Sp. Def. Melmetal sits atop the OU tier right now because of those crazy HP, Attack, and Defense stats, which it can abuse. It is the most used Pokemon as of right now, by a mile. It recently has become an absolute menace, finding a place on nearly every team. Not only is it new, but it’s good; it has excellent coverage moves, status, and (un)reliable recovery in Rest. It makes excellent team members with Zapdos, Alolan-Muk, Alakazam, and Eevee, which further boosts its usage, which is pushing 95% usage.
S Rank
These Pokemon in this Pokemon Let’s Go tier list are either extremely useful or highly centralizing.
Mew
Timid Nature
- Nasty Plot
- Roost
- Psychic
- Fire Blast/Taunt
Or
Bold Nature
- Will-O-Wisp
- Roost
- Toxic
- Taunt
Or
Naive Nature
- Bulk Up
- Earthquake
- Psychic/Facade
- Roost/Taunt
Mew sits in S because Mew is extremely versatile; it can run offensive sets on both sides of the spectrum, as well as being able to run support options. Losing Aura Sphere and Focus Blast hurts Mew a lot, but with the candies being as they are, Mew is a threat in waiting. It has sets that can single-handedly either shut down the tier, or break it. The last set I’ve added can break Alolan-Muk, the best check to Mew normally.
Zapdos
Bold/Naive/Modest Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Roost
- Toxic/Drill Peck
- U-turn/Substitute
Zapdos did not get Defog in this generation, which means it’s not going to be on every team for that reason. Instead, it’s a moderately strong and bulky Electric type with good secondary Flying typing, and utility in U-turn and recovery in Roost. It soft checks Mega Gyarados and Melmetal, and can damage them with Thunderbolt or Toxic Stall other weaker threats. Unfortunately, Zapdos also does not get Hidden Power, or Heat Wave, so it struggles against hazards and Ground Types, and even some Grass types if it isn’t carrying Drill Peck. In fact, it will most likely always take 25% from Rocks, but at least it’s not 50% like its fellow legendary birds. Toxic lets it stall against certain Pokemon, while Substitute lets it avoid status. U-turn lets it pick up momentum against possible switch-ins. Thunder Wave cripples non-ground switch ins, letting it beat the Pokemon it checks easier. Bold is the better nature right now, but Modest can 2HKO Melmetal after Stealth Rocks 50% of the time. Why is it S-Rank of this Pokemon Let’s Go tier list now? 75% usage.
A+ Rank
These Pokemon in this Pokemon Let’s Go tier list are the best in the metagame, the most useful, and define the tier.
Gyarados-Mega
Adamant/Careful Nature
- Waterfall
- Crunch
- Earthquake/Taunt
- Dragon Tail/Rest
Mega Gyarados lost it’s biggest threat in Dragon Dance. Now it’s simply a good Dark Type that otherwise walls Psychic types and can break through many teams. Still a very decent Pokemon, but now, it is useless for truly breaking teams. It’s value is being extremely strong and having great bulk for wearing down an opposing team, or scoring important KO’s. It also is the best check to Starmie, OHKOing it and also not dying to Thunderbolt. Another nice thing about Mega Gyarados is its ability to 1HKO Rhydon with Waterfall, which doesn’t seem like a big deal, until you realize how bulky Rhydon actually is.
Muk-Alola
Careful/Adamant Nature
- Ice Punch/Mega Drain
- Crunch
- Fire Blast
- Toxic/Rest
Alolan Muk has a single purpose – to beat opposing Psychic and Ghost types, and for that, it is godly. Even without Pursuit (for now), it still can break bulky psychics with Screech + Crunch, walling the slower/weaker ones and beating Alakazam, Mew, Starmie, Slowbro-M, and others. It also walls the only viable Fairy type, Clefable. This set lets it either last as long as possible while providing a solid check to Mega Gengar and Mega Alakazam, while providing a soft check to other special attackers such as Mega Slowbro and Mew. If running Rest, Eevee is a necessary partner. It should be mentioned that Screech needs a few hits in order to take down opposing Pokemon. That being said, Muk is holding Gengar and Alakazam from being too broken, so it stays relevant, but no longer centralizing. Fire Blast can nab Super Effective damage against Melmetal, doing slightly more than Fire Punch even with a Careful Nature.
Alakazam-Mega
Timid Nature
- Psychic
- Calm Mind/Taunt
- Shadow Ball
- Dazzling Gleam/Recover
Another Pokemon with Mewtwo-like stats, it actually outpowers and outspeeds Mewtwo. Why is it in OU? Alolan Muk and Chansey completely wall it. It outspeeds Mega Gengar, however, making it a viable choice still. 170 Special Attack is no laughing matter either, as is 150 Speed. Alakazam beats everything that isn’t those two aforementioned Pokemon, however, so getting banned eventually makes sense, despite its lower viability. Dazzling Gleam has been used recently to hit Alolan Muk, but even at +2 it fails to OHKO, so it should only be used to chip when absolutely necessary and then switch out.
Aerodactyl-Mega
Jolly Nature
- Taunt/Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake/Roost
Mega Aerodactyl is going to function as the automatic designated lead in this metagame, as it speed ties with Electrode, Mega Alakazam, and of course, other Mega Aerodactyl. It can potentially Taunt those, preventing Taunts or Rocks, or it can hope to win the 50/50 and set up Rocks immediately. As you know by now, Stealth Rock can’t be removed once it is set up in this game, meaning you’ll be guaranteed to rack up damage all game…and Mega Aerodactyl is the best at this. Aerodactyl needs to choose between Roost and Wing Attack; the former lets it live beyond its lead function and potentially beat slow Stall Pokemon and some set up users such as Venomoth 1v1, while Wing Attack gives it a viable offensive option against Venusaur. Whichever fits your team best, both Mega and regular Aerodactyl are amazing. Aerodactyl was originally going to be S+, but after consideration, it’s not as centralizing as expected. Many people run anti-leads such as Rhydon, Melmetal, or even bulky/offensive Water types, eliminating a Pokemon while Rocks go up. For bulkier teams, being up 6-5 is OK, even if Rocks are up for the whole game.
Eevee-Starter
Calm/Careful Nature
- Sparkly Swirl
- Sappy Seed
- Sizzly Slide/Freezy Frost/Bouncy Bubble
- Substitute/Protect
It finally happened. After sitting in C- rank, it is easily one of the best Pokemon in the game. Sappy Seed creates the Leech Seed effect, and with enough bulk to set up a Substitute against anything slower than it, it can whittle the entire metagame with passive damage. To make matters worse, Eevee can provide blanket support with Sparkly Swirl, which creates Aromatherapy, healing Eevee and its teammates of status.
Lastly, Sizzly Slide weakens any bulky Physical attackers with an automatic Burn, as well as providing passive Damage against Venusaur and Exeggutor, which cannot be Leech Seeded (and the former not Toxic’d). Not only that, but it cannot be Taunted for any of these setup moves. With that in mind, Eevee finds itself a necessary and valuable member on many teams.
Rhydon
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Dragon Tail/Megahorn
- Stealth Rock
Rhydon received a blessing with a Stealth Rock TM. It’s the strongest Ground/Rock type in the game and has access to Megahorn as amazing coverage. It can even boost its speed in order to outspeed any base 97 Pokemon (not enough to outspeed everything in the game). It is slower than Golem, so Rhydon must be wary of it. The one thing that Rhydon has over other Pokemon is Dragon Tail, which lets it phase out potential threats, such as mono attacking Venomoth after it breaks its Sub. Rhydon, along with every Ground type, essentially walls Zapdos, and can usually come in an on expected T-bolt and get up Stealth Rocks or phase out a switch-in. This is why it stays A+ in this Pokemon Let’s Go tier list for now.
Venusaur-Mega
Calm Nature
- Leech Seed
- Protect/Growth
- Mega Drain
- Toxic/Sludge Bomb/Earthquake
While Mega Venusaur loses out on it’s precious ability, it does not lose it’s best set and assets. Venusaur is one of a few Pokemon that can Recover HP passively, and it is the bulkiest Grass Type, being able to wear down whatever isn’t Super Effective against it. Being a Poison type also means it will not lose Toxic wars against other fat Pokemon like Chansey. Sludge Bomb is optional if Clefable really does end up being on a lot of teams and to beat other Grass types, but it will be the best at its job. Alternatively, Venusaur can run Growth + Earthquake to beat Alolan-Muk.
A Rank
These Pokemon in this Pokemon Let’s Go tier list are the close to the best in the metagame, and among the most useful, and still somewhat tier defining.
Golem
Adamant/Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Thunder Punch/Explosion
Golem will have a very standard role on many teams if they chose to use it, and that is Stealth Rocks. Rhydon is the more popular choice due to coverage and strength, but they both are extremely similar. In essence, Golem is a slightly faster, slightly bulkier, slightly weaker Rhydon, with a slightly different movepool. The advantage? It should beat Rhydon 1v1 everytime. The two will compete over team space depending on player preference, but don’t be surprised if this becomes the #1 choice in the future.
Starmie
Timid Nature
- Scald/Hydro Pump
- Thunderbolt/Calm Mind
- Ice Beam/Psychic
- Recover
Starmie loses out on Rapid Spin this generation, making it no longer the best Rapid Spinner or a good check to common spin blocker Gengar. But right now, Starmie is HOT for another reason: coverage. It has great coverage moves to hit a majority of the metagame, 3HKOing Careful Alolan Muk after Rocks, and Thunderbolt to hit Gyarados, Slowbro, and Dodrio. It finds itself on many teams needing an offensive Water Type, and thus it’s usage has shot up like crazy.
Gengar-Mega
Timid Nature
- Shadow Ball
- Thunderbolt
- Mega Drain/Toxic
- Taunt/Will-O-Wisp
Despite having Mewtwo-like power, it is walled by Alolan Muk and suffers greatly. It’s on the edge of being banned already, so watch this spot, with 170 Special Attack and 130 Speed. Gengar, despite being slower than Alakazam-Mega, has the spot above because it can Taunt and wall Chansey indefinitely. Gengar also has Thunderbolt to hit Water Types. What makes this Pokemon dangerous as of late is early game Will-O-Wisp, meaning it can cripple Alolan Muk for late game sweeping, barring it is not the fasting thing on either team.
Dugtrio-Alola
Jolly Nature
- Rock Slide
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- Sucker Punch
Dugtrio-Alola, despite being slower than its Kantonian counterpart, possesses one thing that makes it much more viable: defensive Steel typing. This, along with a resistance to Toxic, makes it one of the best offensive Ground types in the game. It fits on many teams, especially some of the top tier ones, and has useful priority in Sucker Punch that lets it nab late game kills against Mega Alakazam and Mega Gengar. It is also an ideal switch into Zapdos, taking no damage from Thunderbolt or Toxic, and minimal from U-turn, and the best fast Stealth Rock user in the game outside of Aerodactyl.
Aerodactyl
Jolly Nature
- Taunt
- Rock Slide
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake/Wing Attack
Another Pokemon that is outclassed by its Mega Evolution entirely, Aerodactyl’s only useful goal at the moment is to Taunt opposing leads that aren’t Electrode and prevent hazards or screens, etc, then set up Stealth Rocks for its team. It does not necessarily have to use its Mega Evolution, which gives the team some flexibility. You’ll see more of this form in the metagame, but it lacks the firepower of its evolved cousin. Still, it can perform basically the same things, just slightly worse.
Exeggutor-Alola
Modest/Bold Nature
- Mega Drain
- Flamethrower
- Dragon Pulse
- Teleport/Dragon Tail
Trick Room not being an option hurts Alolan Exeggutor. However, it has good coverage and a neat typing that isn’t resisted by much in the game. Flamethrower is excellent coverage that hits Melmetal hard, while Mega Drain and Dragon Pulse are excellent STAB’s. The last slot is honestly up to you; Teleport gives amazing momentum on a predicted switch out, while Dragon Tail phases predicted switch ins, racking up Stealth Rock damage. It’s becoming a much more common sight in the metagame.
Alakazam
Timid Nature
- Psychic
- Calm Mind
- Shadow Ball
- Recover/Thunder Wave
Alakazam is shafted by the fact that Psyshock is not in the TM list. Chansey and Alolan-Muk severely wall this Pokemon, and it cannot rapidly boost its Special Attack to break them. Alakazam is also outclassed currently by its Mega Evolution. It’ll function much like it did in RBY, providing both great support and offensive options against those Pokemon that don’t resist it.
Chansey
Bold/Calm Nature
- Seismic Toss
- Softboiled
- Toxic
- Teleport/Thunder Wave/Stealth Rock
Chansey was originally doomed to suffer as the eternal slave to Psychic types in the tier. Not only did Psychic types seem to get Psyshock, but Chansey got hit somewhat hard when it came to losing useful support moves. Gone is Heal Bell/Aromatherapy. Gone is Wish. But luckily Seismic Toss is a Technical Machine in Let’s Go, so Chansey is still viable. Showdown’s metagame doesn’t allow the Candies, so instead of getting godly boosts, it has very awful Defense, but decent Special Defense.
Chansey also has several options. Thunder Wave cripples faster Pokemon for other offensive threats. It is also likely going to be the best user of Stealth Rock, so this is a viable option. Lastly, Teleport is essentially a non-stat passing -6 priority Baton Pass, letting more offensive teams gain switch advantage when predicting a switch.
Chansey has to beware of Taunt users such as Mega Gengar and Mega Gyarados as Chansey can get shut down immediately. Chansey is slowly changing its niche, but to what it’s not quite known yet.
Blastoise-Mega
Modest Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Dark Pulse
- Ice Beam
- Scald/Surf/Flash Cannon
Without Rapid Spin, Mega Blastoise must rely on its decent Special Attack and bulk to do damage. It’s probably outclassed by Starmie, as it also takes up a Mega Slot, but it’s very strong and has very good coverage. In fact, Hydro Pump with a Modest Nature can 2HKO Alolan Muk, which is why it has risen significantly:
Modest Blastoise-Mega Hydro Pump vs. Careful Muk-Alola: 153-181 (43.5 – 51.5%) — 99.6% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock
This opens significant holes for regular Alakazam and Gengar, as well as Nasty Plot Mew, which is normally useless in the face of Muk. It has fantastic coverage and is dangerously strong; do not underestimate this Pokemon or you will lose to it.
Venusaur
Bold/Calm Nature
- Leech Seed
- Protect
- Mega Drain
- Toxic/Sludge Bomb/Sleep Powder
Like the example above, Venusaur is a poor man’s Mega Venusaur at heart. It too has the distinct advantage of not using the “mega slot” but as we’ve already discussed, you can mega evolve without needing an item and thus any Pokemon on your team can Mega evolve. But as a Pokemon on your team not designed to be the designated Mega, it serves quite well, fulfilling essentially the same function as its bigger counterpart.
Dragonite
Adamant Nature
- Agility
- Outrage/Dragon Claw
- Earthquake
- Ice Punch
Or
Careful Nature
- Roost
- Dragon Tail
- Substitute
- Toxic/Earthquake
Dragonite was likewise shafted in not receiving Dragon Dance. It must rely on its bulk to survive and get off damage. However, it has not only an SR weakness, but a 4x weakness to Ice. Dragonite’s fall from grace is not pretty at all. In the Candy-less metagame, it’s better to run Agility to boost its speed, and Dragonite has an impressive movepool.
Nidoking
Naive/Rash Nature
- Earthquake
- Ice Beam
- Stealth Rock/Dragon Tail
- Flamethrower/Dragon Tail
Nidoking loses out on a useful ability in Sheer Force, plus the ability to pair that with Life Orb for 0 recoil damage, but it gains the presence of a weaker metagame. However, Nidoking functions as both a decent phaser and a Stealth Rock user with great offensive coverage. Nidoking (and queen) have one defining trait that makes them viable: resistance to Zapdos. Zapdos has risen very high in viability for its well rounded stats and ability to 2HKO Melmetal, spread status, and heal itself. Nidoking is ultimate answer to that, by resisting both Thunderbolt, Toxic, and Thunder Wave. It can effectively wall Zapdos (though watch out for Drill Peck) and that makes it useful on many teams.
Cloyster
Naive Nature
- Ice Shard
- Shell Smash
- Ice Beam
- Hydro Pump
Cloyster loses a role as a prominent Spiker and Rapid Spinner (neither are in the game) but RETAINS its status as one of the best Shell Smash users in the game. It’s high Defense lets it set up on Physical attackers, while it gains good Dual STAB and priority in Ice Shard. While it doesn’t have as solid of coverage as Omastar, it can set up easier, so both are solid choices.
Gengar
Timid Nature
- Shadow Ball
- Sludge Bomb/Mega Drain
- Mega Drain
- Taunt/Will-o-wisp
Gengar is the fastest Ghost-type in the tier, and serves as the only viable spin-blocker, and checks most Psychic types slower than itself. It has excellent coverage options and can 2HKO almost every pokemon in the tier. It can burn slower Pokemon with Will-o-wisp and keep opposing Pokemon from setting up on it/statusing it. For instance, it is a good check to Chansey while also preventing Psychic types from switching in.
A- Rank
These Pokemon in this Pokemon Let’s Go tier list are the among the best in the metagame, and quite useful, and will be usable among the better teams.
Poliwrath
Relaxed Nature
- Bulk Up
- Scald
- Low Kick/Toxic/Superpower
- Haze/Rest/Mist
Poliwrath has the role of walling Mega Gyarados, which is raising its usage well into OU and is now considered viable. Fighting/Water coverage is also extremely good in a metagame with Melmetal, Eevee, and Rhydon/Golem/Dugtrio-Alolan. It can run Bulk Up in conjunction with Mist + Superpower to avoid drops, but Haze is the preferred option. If not, you can run Rest. Low Kick hits the big bois harder.
Nidoqueen
Bold Nature
- Earthquake
- Dragon Tail
- Stealth Rock/Super Fang
- Ice Beam
Nidoqueen has little to offer compared to Nidoking, which is faster and does all of Nidoqueens roles better. Except, Nidoqueen is more bulky overall. If players wish to have a longer lasting member of the Nido’s, then Nidoqueen is your answer to your Zapdos problems.
Omastar
Naive/Timid Nature
- Shell Smash
- Hydro Pump/Surf
- Rock Slide/Ice Beam
- Ice Beam/Stealth Rock
Omastar finds itself in rare territory as one of the only few setup users in the tier, with Shell Smash being extremely useful. Boosting Speed, Attack, and Special Attack by two stages is great! It also finds itself with good dual STAB that covers both the Physical and Special spectrum. With good bulk, it can easily set up at least one Shell Smash, if not 2 against a less offensive team or if a screen is up. From there, it’s time to bring out the brooms.
Venomoth
Timid/Bold Nature
- Substitute
- Quiver Dance
- Bug Buzz
- Mega Drain/Roost
The best Quiver Dance user in the metagame, Venomoth takes over where Volcarona normally would. In fact, Venomoth turns out to be extremely dangerous in early testings of the game. It’s mediocre bulk means that Dragon Tail cannot phase it out after a Substitute, and it can freely set up Quiver Dance until +6. Roost means it can outstall non-Adamant variants of Melmetal, Chansey, and Muk-Alola. Despite this, Aerodactyl (and Mega Aerodactyl) either resist Bug Buzz OR take very little from Mega Drain due to their immense new bulk, and can 2HKO with Rock Slide. That being said, one has to keep that Pokemon around. Lastly, Eevee and Vaporeon can effectively Haze Venomoth and outstall it, creating openings for other Pokemon. Despite this, Venomoth is a huge threat even in a SR metagame and should not be taken lightly.
Slowbro-Mega
Bold/Modest Nature
- Rest/Shadow Ball
- Scald
- Psychic
- Calm Mind/Fire Blast
Slowbro-Mega has the best Defense in the game at base 180, and while this is quite amazing for a well structured team built around its checks, it has too many to be viable. Alakazam, Gengar, Mega Gyarados, Mega Blastoise, Venusaur, and Zapdos all pressure this Pokemon immensely, forcing it to either take massive damage too often, or run an offensive set. This being said, after a Calm Mind or two, not much can beat this, including its checks.
Pinsir-Mega
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance/Stealth Rock
- X-Scissor
- Superpower
- Rock Slide
Wow. Talk about a Pokemon that could have dominated this game, but was instead shafted beyond reason. Without abilities, it loses Aerilate, which means it’s super strong Flying-type Return and Quick Attack are gone. It even loses Close Combat as an egg move and has to rely on raw power and coverage moves, such as Superpower. It should be noted that while it has a 4x weakness to Stealth Rocks and weaknesses to Rock, Fire, Flying, Ice, and Electric, this Pokemon is one of the best wall breakers in the game. It gains Swords Dance through level up, which is a HUGE deal; it means it can break through weakened Melmetals, Golems, and Rhydons after +2 or +4. Without spin support in this game, it’s a mixed bag, but it should be noted that this is more a late game win-con, so it’ll only take ¼ SR once. If it could switch in more as it’s Mega Evolution, it would certainly be more viable.
Vaporeon
Bold Nature
- Rest
- Haze
- Toxic/Acid Armor
- Scald
Vaporeon is another Pokemon that could really shine if only there was trading with USUM. Not only would it get access to Wish, but it could also get access to Growth, giving it the ability to boost its Special Attack. The addition of Z moves would mean it essentially gets one chance at a Nasty Plot boost.
This aside, Vaporeon works really well as a bulky water and a stall Pokemon. It can cure status with Rest, but Sleep Talk is no longer available. Acid Armor boosts defense by 2 stages, letting it better wall Mega Gyarados. Likewise, Haze can also be used over Acid Armor or Toxic if set up users are a problem for your team.
Snorlax
Careful/Adamant Nature
- Body Slam
- Amnesia/Yawn
- Crunch/Rest
- Earthquake
Snorlax has to run a gimmicky Belly Drum/Amnesia/Rest set in order to be a threat at all. This is sadly walled by Gengar and other Physical threats, so it won’t be able to beat much. With those threats out of the way, Snorlax is dangerous.
Clefable
Bold Nature
- Moonblast
- Rest
- Calm Mind
- Thunder Wave/Fire Blast
Clefable is the only viable Fairy type in the game outside of Alolan Ninetales. It is a valuable support Pokemon capable of crippling a majority of the metagame. While it does not benefit from either of its abilities or many of its useful support moves, it is still able to pull off a good Calm Mind set, and this alone makes it dangerous. Clefable suffers greatly because not only is Melmetal a force, but it loses out on Softboiled and Moonlight, and is forced to run Rest for recovery. Right now, Melmetal is everywhere; because of this, Fairy types, in general, are poor choices.
B+ Rank
These Pokemon in this Pokemon Let’s Go tier list are solid choices, but unfortunately fall outside what is useable in the tier.
Kabutops
Adamant Nature
- Waterfall
- Stealth Rock/Leech Life/Aqua Jet
- Rock Slide
- Swords Dance
Kabutops has lost out on Rapid Spin because it is an egg move, but gains a valuable setup move in Swords Dance and good placing as an anti-lead against Aerodactyl. Aero is forced to either set up Rocks or Taunt fearing an opposing rocks, and Kabutops can nab either easy setup or a kill.
Charizard-Mega X
Adamant/Impish Nature
- Thunder Punch/Will-o-Wisp
- Flare Blitz
- Roost
- Earthquake/Substitute
Normally, it would seem that a Pokemon like Charizard-X would destroy this tier, but without abilities, it loses out on a useful Tough Claws boost. Not only that, but it loses out on Dragon Dance because it is an egg move. Swords Dance is not even a TM in this game… So it falls very far indeed. However, Charizard-X has another useful viability: using Substitute to avoid Burns and Leech Seed from Eevee. It can (most of the time) proceed to outstall it or at least whittle it down. 4x Stealth Rock weakness hurts Charizard, but if you Mega Evolve on turn one, you can not only survive Rock Slide from Aerodactyl, but only take minimal damage afterwards + either burn or take out Aero. You can also run a Bold nature to hit Melmetal harder, but it’s usually a 2HKO either way and Fire Blast can miss.
Sandslash-Alola
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Ice Shard
- Earthquake
- Ice Punch
Sandslash-Alola appears to be a poor Pokemon at first glance. Not only did it lose out on Rapid Spin, but it is a slow Ice Type with a lot of weaknesses. It does wall bulky Grass types, but there are many better choices for a Pokemon, especially since it no longer can abuse Slush Rush. It did get dual STAB in Ice Punch and Iron Tail, and has nice priority in Ice Shard. Swords Dance and Ice Shard are what sets this Pokemon apart and why it’s even up on this list, as it can not only cause lots of damage to Melmetal and Alolan Muk, but also nab kills on Zapdos, Alakazam, Gengar, and others when at +4. The problem is setting this Pokemon up, which often requires it to be out against Muk (as long as it is not carrying Fire coverage).
Kangaskhan-Mega
Adamant Nature
- Fake Out
- Earthquake
- Sucker Punch/Crunch
- Ice Punch/Crunch
Mega Kangaskhan is one of the most hurt by the loss of abilities, meaning it cannot abuse Parental Bond and get double hits. Still, Kangaskhan is very bulky, has means to set up, and carries the super useful Sucker Punch as coverage. While it will fail to break bukly support Psychic types, it will be able to hit Alakazam and Gengar for massive damage at +1. As one of the only real users of priority in the game, it will be a great end game sweeper. It does not have a way to boost its stats though, so it must rely on OK coverage. As you can see through this Pokemon Let’s Go tier list up to now, normal types really got shafted in this game, so Mega Kangaskhan is perhaps not the best of choices.
Beedrill-Mega
Jolly Nature
- U-turn
- Poison Jab
- Drill Run
- X-Scissor
Mega Beedrill is the second fastest Pokemon in the game, and the best and only viable Bug type. It can provide massive offensive pressure with U-turn, and has strong dual STAB (though not as strong as before). However, it is hard walled by Golem and Rhydon and it is weak to Stealth Rock. Drill Run helps chip away at Golem/Rhydon, but it needs to U-turn out afterwards.
Arcanine
Adamant/Jolly Nature
- Flare Blitz
- Superpower
- Crunch
- Agility/Will-o-wisp/Fire Blast
Arcanine normally is thought of as a Choice Banded powerhouse with little regard for its speed, but in a metagame where there are no items, the ability to boost ANY stat is super key. We find that Arcanine can boost its speed with Agility, naturally outspeeding everything and also giving some +1 speedsters some serious competition if not also outspeeding them. It has an amazing coverage move in Superpower, being able to at least damage some of its potential checks. If being speedy is not your thing, Arcanine can cripple most unboosted physical attackers with Will-o-wisp. Arcanine is probably the best non-Mega check to Melmetal, being able to 2HKO it with ease even with Flare Blitz.
Dodrio
Adamant/Jolly Nature
- Agility/Roost
- Drill Peck
- Jump Kick
- Swords Dance
Despite being a Normal/Flying type, which is generally too generic to be any good, Dodrio is actually quite threatening. With access to Jump Kick, it can take on Rock Types that would normally wall Dodrio. Swords Dance is its best option to set up, taking advantage of weakened fat teams late game. Unfortunately for Dodrio, it only has limited switch-ins due to Stealth Rocks being a permanent hazard.
Electrode
Timid Nature
- Light Screen
- Reflect
- Taunt
- Explosion/Thunder
Electrode serves 2 functions: one, it is an excellent lead for setting up dual screens (though you will only get 1-3 turns to use it at best) and two, it can revenge very late game. At 150 speed, it speed ties with Mega Aerodactyl as the fastest in the game. Thus, against many unboosted Pokemon, it can take them out with either Explosion or Thunder. However, it’s not strong enough to function as an offensive Pokemon as a whole. Instead, it puts that speed to use setting up screens for other Pokemon. It and Alolan Ninetales are the only Pokemon that are decent enough to set up screens of some kind, and with having Explosion, Taunt, and the speed to succeed, it will be standard on hyper offense teams.
Kingler
Jolly/Adamant Nature
- Crabhammer
- Rock Slide/X-Scissor
- Superpower
- Agility
Kingler is one of the few Physical water type in this game outside of Gyarados, and it has a super strong move to compliment that in Crabhammer. Kingler is a great wall breaker in this metagame with 130 base Attack, naturally outspeeds Golem, Rhydon, and Onix and can 2HKO it with Crabhammer. It also gets Agility, which means it can outspeed everything at +2. This is a dangerous Pokemon indeed.
Slowbro
Bold Nature
- Rest
- Scald
- Psychic
- Calm Mind/Thunder Wave
Slowbro is a poor man’s Mega Slowbro at heart. But unlike its A+ rank counterpart, it will likely never be banned, and if you have another ambiguous mega slot on your team, you can keep your opponent on edge by pretending it is your mega evolution. Slowbro lost a great ability in Regenerator, but it gained the fact that Gen 1 is full of mostly weak Pokemon who are screwed over by Psychic types. But it serves as a great check to any potential Fighting types/moves and the like.
Golem-Alola
Adamant/Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Thunder Punch
- Rock Slide
- Earthquake
While Alolan Golem is not as useful on paper as its Kantonian counterpart, it has one useful advantage – it has Electric-type STAB. So it has that. Otherwise, it does about the same as regular Golem, just that it can hit Water types upon switch in such as Starmie and get a kill or take off massive HP. Downside? 4x weak to Earthquake, which is pretty much standard on all offensive Pokemon that can learn it. Still, good enough.
Pikachu-Starter
Timid/Naive Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Calm Mind
- Splishy Splash
- Zippy Zap
It’s come to this folks. Pikachu vaults up on the list because it’s gotten early usage. Honestly, I’m not surprised: Zippy Zap is essentially a STAB 100 base power Extremespeed, which gives it a super good priority against Pokemon like Aerodactyl. Splishy Splash covers Ground and Fire types, and Calm Mind boosts it’s average Special Attack to decent heights. Don’t think it’s a threat?
Pikachu Splishy Splash vs. Rhydon: 424-500 (120.7 – 142.4%) — guaranteed OHKO
– +1 Pikachu Thunderbolt vs. Slowbro-Mega: 306-362 (92.4 – 109.3%) — 56.3% chance to OHKO
Pikachu sits on this list simply because there will be a lot of them. For average trainers that don’t really know what they’re doing, Pikachu will be on a lot of teams. So be prepared for it, although it can’t do that much to you.
B Rank
These Pokemon in this Pokemon Let’s Go tier list are alright choices, but are mostly not good enough or are heavily outclassed or are extremely niche.
Exeggutor
Modest Nature
- Leech Seed
- Psychic
- Solarbeam/Toxic
- Protect/Sleep Powder
Exeggutor was once hailed as one of the best Pokemon of the RBY era. But with all of these Mega evolutions, Alolan forms, and a few new types, and the loss of Explosion as a viable option (due to nerfs), Exeggutor suddenly finds itself too slow and too weak for real viability. Venusaur is always the better option when it comes to Grass types, but it performs a similar role with passive HP recovery, which is extremely valuable in this metagame. It is a decent Pokemon that can help beat opposing Venusaur, since Psychic hits it for Super Effective damage; however, it must be wary of Sludge Bomb sets, as the Super Effective damage will come right back.
Moltres
Naive Nature
- Sky Attack
- Fire Blast
- Roost
- Solar Beam
Moltres finds itself as an answer for losing a useful Charizard-Y. It carries the same typing, similar but weaker stats, with the only advantage being it has stronger STAB moves. Way stronger. In fact, it has the strongest movepool in the game by a mile. With a buffed Sky Attack and Solarbeam, each is a totally viable but time consuming option to run either one or both of them, as they need to charge. Solarbeam decimates incoming Ground/Water types and can rack up some SR damage with switches. With Sky Attack, it also does not need to worry about Chansey, making it one of the few Pokemon that can 1v1 a majority of the metagame. Here’s an example of Sky Attack’s Power:
Naive Moltres Sky Attack (200) vs. Bold Chansey: 1011-1191 (157.7 – 185.8%) — guaranteed OHKO
This Pokemon has a 4x SR weakness, which it must mitigate with Roost, or keeping hazards at bay with Taunt.
Ninetales-Alola
Timid Nature
- Nasty Plot
- Ice Beam
- Dazzling Gleam
- Calm Mind/Dark Pulse
Alolan Ninetales has the distinction of being the fastest Ice type in the game, as well as the fastest Fairy type. It has access to Nasty Plot, a rarity in this game, as well as good Dual coverage. It is walled by Melmetal, however, and lost access to Agility, so it’s a little worse for wear. Still, without its signature Aurora Veil, it’s still probably a lot higher on this list than people anticipated.
Gyarados
Jolly Nature
- Ice Fang
- Waterfall
- Earthquake
- Substitute
Gyarados, while quite strong, loses out on its signature Dragon Dance. It’s a useful Physically offensive Water Type with decent coverage, but it’s Speed and Bulk, plus SR and a 4x weakness to Electric, leave a lot to be desired.
Charizard-Mega Y
Timid Nature
- Fire Blast
- Roost
- Solarbeam
- Air Slash
Sigh. Poor Charizard-Y. It really got shafted with the loss of abilities in this game. Drought was what set it apart as a Mega Evolution, and now it’s just a worse Moltres.
Losing out on auto sun means it also loses out on Solarbeam, but it is both faster and stronger than Moltres, and as a fire type it is quite strong, but Moltres is superior because it has Hurricane, Sky Attack, and access to the coveted Sunny Day/Solarbeam combination. With a massive buff to Solarbeam (200 base power), it’s worth putting on, as it can keep Ground and Water types at bay while it beats other threats. But Moltres is the better option by a mile.
Victreebel
Timid/Jolly Nature
- Growth/Swords Dance
- Solarbeam/Power Whip
- Sludge Bomb/Poison Jab
- Sleep Powder
Victreebel actually has some competitive use as a surprisingly fast Pokemon. However, without Swords Dance, it is not as versatile as previously thought. It can boost both stats with Growth, and hit for massive damage with Solar Beam, as well as put its opponents to sleep.
Jynx
Timid Nature
- Calm Mind
- Ice Beam
- Psychic
- Lovely Kiss
Jynx was once a queen of RBY OU, but with more faster and viable Psychic types getting better coverage moves, Jynx falls really far down, even below Kadabra. At 95 base speed, it’s fast enough for the metagame, but outclassed and outgunned. It does not have access to Nasty Plot, which means it has to use Calm Mind to boost. Melmetal will likely wall Jynx, for starters, and other Psychic types have Shadow Ball. One thing that is going for Jynx: Lovely Kiss. It can put Pokemon to sleep and help other Pokemon set up. It’s not guaranteed though at 75% accuracy, but sleep should be valuable in this metagame with some very fast set up users. Perhaps Jynx will end up being a decent lead like it was in RBY and rise up once again, but it is unlikely.
Dugtrio
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Sucker Punch/Screech
While it’s faster than its Alolan counterpart, it loses out on a neat STAB. Dugtrio suffers the same problems as well, being too weak and no longer having access to Arena Trap to be viable. It speed ties Alakazam, which is nice, but there are better options out there when it comes to both Ground types and fast Physical attackers. Dugtrio is one of the faster Stealth Rock users, however, so it can function as a lead.
Rapidash
Adamant Nature
- Flare Blitz
- Drill Run/Iron Tail
- Megahorn/Solarbeam
- Agility
Rapidash is yet another fire type that can boost its Speed with Agility, but is worse than Arcanine because it has slightly less Attack and less bulk. However, Rapidash has access to a very strong movepool and great coverage, and is faster. It should be noted that this is walled by quite a lot of Pokemon, but once those checks are clear, Rapidash is extremely dangerous at +2 Speed.
Sandslash
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
Sandslash is one of a few Pokemon to learn Swords Dance, meaning it can boost itself to decent heights of attack. It lost Rapid Spin, like all others in the game, so it cannot keep hazards off the field…but with Stealth Rock, it can put them on the field. It’s not the greatest choice on a team, seeing as Golem, Rhydon, Onix, and Dugtrio are better Ground Types for the team.
Primeape
Jolly Nature
- Bulk Up
- Low Kick
- Earthquake/U-turn
- Ice Punch
Primeape is the fastest Fighting type, and has good coverage moves to support itself. Low Kick is its only option, and a good one at least, as it hits Golem, Rhydon, Melmetal, and even Chansey for the most damage it can. Ice Punch hits Grass and Flying types. Bulk up is necessary to raise its Attack and let it do damage:
+2 Jolly Lv. 50 Primeape Low Kick (120 BP) vs. Adamant Melmetal: 206-246 (94.4 – 112.8%) — guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
So it’s not terrible, but in a metagame where Alakazam and Gengar roam free, it’s not good.
Persian-Alola
Timid Nature
- Nasty Plot
- Dark Pulse
- Thunderbolt/Thunder
- U-turn
A peculiar Pokemon that does nothing close to what it did in Ultra Sun and Moon. There, it performed as an average support Pokemon with moves like Parting Shot, Toxic, and Taunt, as well as a useful ability in Fur Coat which halved the damage from Physical attacks, effectively doubling its defense. This time around, it doesn’t get Parting Shot as a legal egg move, so it must rely on a really REALLY strange movepool for coverage. Nasty Plot makes it somewhat strong, and with 115 Speed is not a total joke. Thunderbolt hits Charizard-Y, Moltres, Articuno, and Vaporeon, etc., while U-turn is good for switch priority. Dark Pulse is its only STAB as well as decimating Psychic types. However, because it has such an interesting coverage movepool, it’s able to make a name for itself.
Onix
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake/Toxic
- Rock Slide
- Dragon Tail
Onix is often forgotten because Steelix normally outclasses it, and then Mega Steelix outclasses that. But in a Gen 1 only metagame where Stealth Rock users are rare, Onix takes the center stage as perhaps the best setter of Rocks in the game. A GODLY 160 base Defense, paired with an impressive 70 base speed means it is not only bulky, but surprisingly fast. While it’s speed isn’t perfect enough to always run Jolly, it should mean that it gets up rocks most of the time, especially against physical attackers. It can live Melmetal’s Double Iron Bash, which itself is extremely impressive. Sadly, Onix cannot really hit back, with a miserable 45 base Attack.
Ninetales
Timid Nature
- Nasty Plot
- Fire Blast
- Solarbeam
- Dark Pulse
Ninetales works a lot like it’s Alolan counterpart, but with Fire instead of Ice. Not much to say here other than it’s quite fast, doesn’t have a terrible Special Attack, and that it can break most things outside of Chansey. It needs to set up in order to be usable, however.
Machamp
Adamant Nature
- Bulk Up
- Superpower
- Ice Punch
- Thunder Punch
Machamp, while better than it was in the original RBY OU, suffers as a slow fighting type in a game dominated by Psychic types. It helps even less that there’s Clefable as well. Machamp has good bulk going for it, however, and so it can set up with Bulk Up. That’s as far as it goes; it cannot rely on Dynamic Punch without its old ability and must run Superpower, lowering the stats it just set up. It also does not have access to Payback, meaning it would have to run Knock Off if you wanted to hit Psychic types…not that they are that dangerous as of now. If you want to use a Fighting type, use Primeape.
Tentacruel
Calm Nature
- Haze/Mirror Coat
- Ice Beam
- Sludge Bomb
- Scald
Tentacruel lost Rapid Spin, but instead acts as an alright Sp. Def tank. It loses to Psychic types 1v1, but can nab them with a Mirror Coat if desired.
Butterfree
Timid/Modest Nature
- Sleep Powder
- Quiver Dance
- Bug Buzz
- Mega Drain/Solarbeam/Air Slash
While Butterfree acts as a worse Venomoth with a 4x Stealth Rock weakness, it can perform much the same function. While it is sadly outclassed, it’s not a bad Pokemon. It has Air Slash rather than some other form of STAB (and unfortunately no Hurricane), but it will want to run Mega Drain or Solarbeam (if you have sun support) rather than that. Don’t underestimate this Pokemon!
Articuno
Calm/Timid Nature
- Mirror Coat/Reflect
- Ice Beam/Blizzard
- Roost
- Toxic
Articuno suffers greatly from being 4x weak to Stealth Rocks. It loses out on good support coverage and Freeze Dry as a way to hit Water types. Easily the worst of the Legendary Pokemon, it falls far down the list with bad defensive typing. It does have a Flying STAB in Sky Attack, which is 200 base power now, but it’s a bad choice in the competitive arena because many Pokemon resist it. However, Mirror Coat is what makes Articuno shine; it can (if rocks aren’t up) take hits from special attackers such as Starmie, Alakazam, Gengar, and Slowbro and hit them back hard. Likewise, Reflect can boost the Defense of not only Articuno, but your entire team.
B- Rank
These Pokemon in this Pokemon Let’s Go tier list are average choices, but are not good enough and are heavily or directly outclassed.
Kadabra
Timid Nature
- Calm Mind
- Psychic
- Shadow Ball
- Recover/Thunder Wave
Kadabra is clearly a worse Alakazam, but, when it comes to Psychic types, it is the third fastest at 105 base speed behind ‘Zam and Raichu-Alola. However, Mew is bulkier, and Raichu is faster. Kadabra is also extremely frail, dying to most priority and most moves in general. It’s this far down mostly because it won’t see usage with Alakazam being much better, but if for some odd reason ‘Zam is banned as a whole, you might see this move up in this Pokemon Let’s Go tier list.
Haunter
Timid Nature
- Shadow Ball
- Mega Drain
- Will-o-Wisp
- Sludge Bomb
Just like Kadabra, Haunter is also an extremely useful middle evolution. It has 95 base speed and 105 base Special Attack, which is not bad. It is the second best Ghost type, and has the same or similar function to Gengar. In a UU tier, it would essentially fulfil the same role, but it falls down on this Pokemon Let’s Go tier list simply because it is outclassed by its evolution. Gengar will probably never be banned, so Haunter is stuck here forever.
Weezing
Bold Nature
- Will-O-Wisp
- Haze
- Toxic
- Taunt
Weezing is a strange Pokemon. It lost Pain Split as it’s best recovery option, but an impressive Defense plus access to Will-O-Wisp means it can usually shut down slower Physical attackers. It can also Haze away Pokemon attempting to set up, meaning Burn or Poison will take them out slowly. A solid choice, but maybe not the greatest one out there.
Blastoise
Calm Nature
- Dragon Tail
- Toxic
- Scald
- Ice Beam
Blastoise is one of a few Pokemon that can Mega Evolve while not being entirely outclassed by its Mega Evolution. While it is true that Mega-Blastoise can do everything this set does but better, it really focuses more as an offensive Mega, while Blastoise is good for many different types of teams. Not the best spinner by any means, it has decent defensive stats, allowing to spin on almost everything. Blastoise is not a bad choice at all for even OU, and this spot should move up in this Pokemon Let’s Go tier list with time. Blastoise can use Dragon Tail to phase out those who think they can set up on it.
Raichu-Alola
Timid Nature
- Calm Mind
- Psychic
- Thunderbolt
- Thunder Wave
While the question of whether the Starter Pikachu will be better than Raichu, for now, it is obvious that this is better for one sole reason: Calm Mind. Raichu, while it loses access to Nasty Plot because only Pichu can learn it, gains Calm Mind as an alternative. At 110 speed, it is quite fast and has a great movepool to hit a majority of the metagame. Alolan Raichu might even move up in viability when all is said and done, simply because of Calm Mind.
Hitmonlee
Jolly/Adamant Nature
- Bulk Up
- High Jump Kick
- Rock Slide
- Poison Jab
While Hitmonlee cannot abuse Unburden any longer, it still comes out as a solid Fighting type. It has a high Attack stat and access to High Jump Kick, as well as a good Special Defense stat. That’s why Bulk Up will be quite good; it will repair its subpar Defense while also boosting its Attack. Hitmonlee is quite slow though, so fast Psychic types will beat it.
Tauros
Naive Nature
- Blizzard
- Rock Slide
- Double-Edge
- Earthquake
The face of RBY OU is the victim of every single nerf in the book. Critical hit nerf, Hyper Beam nerf, Paralysis/Body Slam nerf, loss of Sheer Force, and the lack of items, all of which mean that while Tauros is…generally fast, and generally strong, it does not outshine or outclass any particular Pokemon. It must rely on coverage moves alone to succeed. Ironically, it runs Blizzard much like it did in RBY, but this is to hit Ground types.
Kangaskhan
Adamant Nature
- Fake Out
- Headbutt
- Sucker Punch/Crunch
- Brick Break/Ice Punch
Kangaskhan is not a bad Pokemon by any means, but it has a Mega Evolution that clearly outclasses it. Outside of that, Normal types are not amazing like they were in RBY OU. It has the same things going for it that it’s Mega Evolution does, but just less of it. Perhaps it’s viability will rise in the fact that it can be a nice deception for other potential Mega evolutions.
Mr. Mime
Timid Nature
- Calm Mind
- Psychic
- Shadow Ball
- Dazzling Gleam
Mr. Mime is one of the only usable Fairy types in this game, but it won’t need to use a Fairy type move because while it’s solid damage, it needs other coverage. For now, Mr. Mime cannot learn Nasty Plot because it is an egg move, but Calm Mind works just as well, boosting both Specials. The rest is mandatory coverage for Psychic types. Dazzling Gleam can be put over Shadow Ball if you want to hit Dragon types harder.
Scyther
Jolly Nature
- Brick Break
- Swords Dance/U-turn
- Wing Attack/Roost
- X-Scissor
Scyther is essentially a weaker and less bulky Mega Pinsir, though it does have some differences. First off, Scyther has Roost, and does not take up a Mega Slot. It also has access to U-turn. However, when all is said and done, this Pokemon struggles with a 4x Stealth Rock weakness that can’t be mitigated by a 2x weak form like Pinsir can, but it’s much better than you think.
Jolteon
Naive Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Toxic
- Shadow Ball
- Thunder Wave
Jolteon is one of the fastest Pokemon in the game. It hits Gengar and other Psychic types for solid damage in Shadow Ball, and hits Water/Flying types for solid damage with Thunderbolt. It can hit Gengar and other Psychic types with Shadow Ball. The one thing going for Jolteon is that it outspeeds +1 Adamant Mega Gyarados, but it is badly walled by anything with any Special Bulk, or any Ground Types.
C+ Rank
These Pokemon in this Pokemon Let’s Go tier list are somewhat poor choices, but barely hang on to their competitive use.
Pidgeot-Mega
Timid Nature
- U-turn
- Air Slash
- Roost
- Hyper Beam
Mega Pidgeot is forced to run a regular set with no boosting move, and it’s pretty mediocre. It loses out on Hurricane, and loses Heat Wave; it’s not a terrible Pokemon though, seeing as it has a good Special Attack and 121 Speed to boot. But, it doesn’t hit as hard as it used to, and it’s not the best choice for a Mega Evolution. In fact, I’d say it’s the worst.
Magneton
Modest/Timid Nature
- Metal Sound/Substitute
- Thunderbolt
- Flash Cannon
- Magnet Rise/Thunder Wave
Easily the Pokemon that was most shafted by loss of abilities. Without Magnet Pull OR other viable Steel types to trap anyways (the only other one is Melmetal and other Magneton), Magneton is just a worse Electric type than even Electabuzz. The best option it has is to use Magnet Rise on Ground types and then beat them with Flash Cannon. It can also use Metal Sound to weaken some checks to it.
Farfetch’d
Adamant Nature
- Night Slash/Headbutt
- Agility
- Sky Attack
- Swords Dance
Farfetch’d is a pretty cool ass bird. It gets Sky Attack, Agility, and Swords Dance, which means it outclasses Fearow. The sad bird actually can be quite devastating when it gets a chance to set up its 200 base power move. That being said…Farfetch’d is fragile and won’t be able to set up. But at least it’s not Fearow lol.
Raichu
Timid Nature
- Calm Mind
- Thunderbolt
- Thunder Wave
- Agility
While completely inferior to its Alolan counterpart and Starter Pikachu, it’s still a usable Electric type. 110 Base Speed, decent coverage…you’d almost think it’s great. But there’s better choices out there, so it falls down in this Pokemon Let’s Go tier list pretty hard.
Pinsir
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock/Swords Dance
- X-Scissor
- Superpower
- Rock Slide
Another Pokemon outclassed by its Mega Evolution, the only defining feature is that it isn’t 4x weak to Stealth Rock. Otherwise…a solid choice for lower tiers, but without access to Rocks itself, it has not much viability. It can set up Stealth Rock, however.
Persian
Timid Nature
- Nasty Plot
- Dark Pulse/Hyper Beam
- Thunderbolt/Thunder
- U-turn
Not a bad Pokemon by any means, but like Raichu, is completely outclassed by its Alolan form. It doesn’t really have much else going for it outside of a worse STAB and defensive typing. Nasty Plot + 115 Speed is still mighty useful, but don’t ever really use this Pokemon unless you are in a lower tier, just use the Alolan form instead.
Vileplume
Bold Nature
- Stun Spore
- Sludge Bomb/Toxic
- Mega Drain
- Rest
-Vileplume is badly outclassed by Venusaur. It doesn’t have access to Aromatherapy, meaning it’s useless as what was the only Cleric, a role lost to time. Now it sits far down the Pokemon Let’s Go tier list as the next best option.
Tangela
Bold Nature
- Sleep Powder/Amnesia
- Rest/Stun Spore
- Mega Drain
- Toxic
While Tangela normally would be excellent in a Metagame such as this, the loss of Eviolite hurts Tangela a lot. Thus, it’s outclassed by other bulky Grass types. It does have higher Defense than any of them, but poor Speed and Special Defense hurt. You can run whatever variation of support you want, but either way, you should probably only run this in lower tiers.
Hitmonchan
Adamant Nature
- Bulk Up
- Brick Break
- Ice Punch
- Thunder Punch
Hitmonchan, while being slower and weaker than Hitmonlee, has really good coverage moves and some priority in Mach Punch if desired. However, it has to rely on Close Combat as its main STAB, which isn’t as good as its counterpart’s High Jump Kick. Still, Ice Punch and Thunder Punch are great coverage moves if so desired.
Dewgong
Calm Nature
- Toxic
- Ice Beam
- Protect
- Scald
A rather poor choice when it comes to Specially Defensive Pokemon.
Parasect
Bold Nature
- Leech Seed
- Spore
- Protect
- X-Scissor
Parasect has something no other Pokemon has: a 100% accurate sleep move in Spore. Other than that, just an average user with an alright dual STAB. If you’re using Parasect, it’s likely to get that Spore off and maybe take something else down with you.
Marowak-Alola
Adamant Nature
- Will-o-wisp
- Bonemerang
- Swords Dance
- Flare Blitz
The Pokemon who got shafted on all accounts. It lost Lightning Rod as an ability, which gave it a useful Electric resist. It lost Thick Club, which gave it double the attack. And lastly, it is filled in a tier where even the slow Ground types outspeed it. An interesting option when compared to its Kantonian counterpart, it has really no reason outside of maybe living a hit from a non-Shadow Ball Psychic type and then maybe managing to get a kill in return… somehow.
C Rank
These Pokemon in this Pokemon Let’s Go tier list are poor choices, but are not good enough for any real competitive use. Feel free to use them though!
Marowak
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Bonemerang
- Rock Slide
- Fire Punch
Marowak lost its signature item in Thick Club, which doubled it’s somewhat impressive attack. But without items, it’s just mediocre. It can run SD to boost its Attack back to Thick Club Levels, which makes it somewhat viable. It also got blessed with its movepool, so at least it’s not garbage.
Fearow
Jolly Nature
- Headbutt
- Sky Attack
- Drill Run
- U-turn
Fearow has one thing going for it; it has a buffed Sky Attack as its best Flying type move, which is now 200 Base Power, but it must waste a turn charging. Drill Run is good coverage. Dodrio outclasses this birdy, and Farfetch’d does too.
Raticate-Alola
Adamant Nature
- Super Fang
- Sucker Punch
- Double Edge
- Swords Dance
While not very strong or bulky, Alolan Raticate has STAB Sucker Punch, which is the only Pokemon to have that benefit. It lost out on Hustle to truly give it high damage output, so sadly it is very bad. Still, it’s a threat to many Psychic type Pokemon with Sucker Punch. It can also half the HP of incoming defensive behemoths with Super Fang, a useful move indeed.
Charizard
Jolly Nature
- Thunder Punch
- Flare Blitz
- Roost
- Earthquake
Charizard is outclassed by both of its Megas, and with a loss in useful STAB means it needs to switch Dragon Claw for Shadow Claw to hit at least Psychic types. Not a very good Pokemon, and without Dragon Dance, a poor choice. 4x weakness to Rocks, outclassed, and just not that good, a poor combination for everyone’s favorite starter.
Golbat
Bold Nature
- Roost
- Toxic
- Air Slash
- U-turn/Haze/Substitute
Golbat lost Eviolite much like many other unevolved Pokemon, so it essentially is just a bad Pokemon. It even lost Super Fang as well, so it really lost its previous function. At least it can pull off Roost + Toxic in the lowest of tiers of this Pokemon Let’s Go tier list, and it is quite speedy at 90 base Speed.
Electabuzz
Adamant Nature
- Thunder Punch
- Ice Punch
- Screech
- Low Kick
Electabuzz looks decent off the bat, but with a bad Special movepool, it’s forced to run a physical set. It can run Screech to lower the defenses of any switch-in and potentially take it out, but it loses out on a lot of speed because of this.
Lapras
Modest Nature
- Ice Beam/Blizzard
- Hydro Pump/Surf
- Thunder/Thunderbolt
- Psychic
Lapras could have been viable if only Whirlpool was not an egg move; it would have run a Perish Trapping set similar to Sap Sipper Azumarill in USUM OU, which would have been great at trapping and beating Stall. Alas…it does not get it and so it has to rely on its bulk and mediocre Special Attack to fire off what is a nice movepool, but potentially risky if you want the more inaccurate but higher power moves. Still, Dewgong is probably the better Ice/Water type in this case.
Magmar
Timid Nature
- Will-O-Wisp
- Fire Blast
- Psychic
- Clear Smog
Magmar is a Pokemon who could really get better if it had some Egg moves to abuse. Belly Drum + Mach Punch is a lethal combination in lower tiers and LC for Magby, but it does not have access to it. A poor Fire Type with almost no options, it’s relegated to support roles.
Arbok
Adamant Nature
- Glare
- Poison Jab
- Earthquake
- Crunch
Arbok is a weaker Physical Poison type in a metagame with Psychics up and down the board. What do you expect? At least this has Glare.
Golduck
Timid Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Psychic
- Ice Beam
- Calm Mind
Golduck should have always been Water/Psychic, but alas it’s only pure Water. This means that Psychic is just a strange coverage move for it. It ends up being a weaker Starmie with no Rapid Spin or otherwise useful support move. It can boost with Calm Mind, but that’s about it.
Muk
Careful Nature
- Screech
- Poison Jab
- Toxic
- Crunch
Not nearly as useful as its Alolan counterpart, it’s weak to Psychic and has almost no coverage outside of Dark type moves, which are pretty useless when you, ya know, DONT RESIST PSYCHIC ANYMORE. So don’t use this Pokemon unless it’s in lower tiers.
C- Rank
These Pokemon in this Pokemon Let’s Go tier list are very poor choices, and would only function in a low tier.
Hypno
Modest Nature
- Thunder Wave
- Nasty Plot
- Psychic
- Shadow Ball
Hypno is pretty useless. NO access to Trick Room means it can’t run a Trick Room team. Ouch. It has Nasty Plot, which is convenient, and it can paralyze opposing Pokemon.
Raticate
Adamant Nature
- Super Fang
- Sucker Punch
- Double Edge/Skull Bash
- Swords Dance
Worse than its Alolan counterpart, it loses out on Dark Type STAB. It even lost out on Wild Charge for coverage. Don’t use this mon. But, Swords Dance and Super Fang makes up for it.
Flareon
Adamant Nature
- Superpower
- Flare Blitz
- Double-Edge
- Iron Tail/Will-o-Wisp/Yawn
Flareon falls far down as a rather useless Fire type, due to its poor Speed. If it had access to Curse, it could pull off a Curseon set quite nicely, but alas, it doesn’t. It gained Superpower through TM’s, which is nice. But it really has nothing outside of that, so it’s forced to run Double-Edge and Iron Tail. Alternatively, it can run Will-o-Wisp to catch Rhydon/Golem on the switch in.
Pidgeot
Jolly Nature
- U-turn
- Headbutt
- Roost
- Sky Attack
Outclassed by its Mega and all the other birds. Use this set for at least a little bit of viability.
Beedrill
Jolly Nature
- U-turn
- Poison Jab
- Drill Run
- X-Scissor
Outclassed by its Mega as well, Beedrill is outclassed by all the other Bug-type Pokemon. It’s saving grace is that it has slightly more bulk than its Mega… but it’s not much.
Seadra
Modest Nature
- Agility
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Dragon Pulse
Seadra is another unevolved Pokemon who can’t use Eviolite, plus its a bit strange on whether it should run Dragon Dance or Agility. Agility is probably the best because it has more coverage options, but it’ll hit like a wet noodle. A DD set is an ok alternative to this, as it gives Seadra a small amount of power, but loses out on better coverage.
Seaking
Adamant Nature
- Agility
- Megahorn
- Waterfall
- Poison Jab
Seaking is like a worse Kingler, but without Swords Dance. It has to rely on Agility to make itself useful, but it does at least get Megahorn as an amazing coverage move.
Porygon
Calm Nature
- Recover
- Toxic
- Tri-Attack/Ice Beam
- Barrier/Thunder Wave
Not only is Porygon shafted by being a first evolution in a line of 3, but also no Eviolite to make it even semi-viable. So while it has medicore bulk, but amazing support options with Recover + Toxic and Magic Coat or Thunder Wave, it is going to struggle.
D Rank
These Pokemon in this Pokemon Let’s Go tier list are not only poor choices, but have almost zero competitive value. Try not to use these Pokemon.
Lickitung
Adamant Nature
- Brick Break/Dragon Tail
- Power Whip
- Headbutt
- Screech
Lickitung is a strange Pokemon with Power Whip as a coverage move. It has to rely on its average bulk to set up Screech to break through anything that might resist Headbutt and Power Whip. There’s better physical Normal types, so use them instead. Lickitung can phase some stuff out with Dragon Tail if desired.
Wigglytuff
Modest Nature
- Ice Beam
- Flamethrower
- Thunderbolt
- Dazzling Gleam
Wigglytuff could have been viable had it gotten Wish, but not only would it not be legal, but I’m pretty sure there’s no egg moves of any kind. It can run a set like the one above for some surprising coverage, but it’s slow and while it has a lot of HP, it has terrible defenses.
E Rank
These Pokemon in this Pokemon Let’s Go tier list are unviable. Using them is essentially using only 5 Pokemon on a team of 6.
Ditto
Impish Nature
- Transform
Ditto becomes extremely unviable in a metagame with no abilities or items. Imposter gave Ditto the chance to transform immediately, and Choice Scarf meant that setting up against teams with Ditto was dangerous. Those are both gone, however. That means Ditto needs to manually transform, which leaves it vulnerable, especially against Pokemon who have already set up. This is a bad choice for a team member, it’s why it’s in E rank at the very bottom. This is the worst Pokemon.
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