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Platinum In-Game Tier List


Smiley Jim
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Houndour vs. Ponyta sounds like a tough one. Ponyta has WAY more availability than Houndour, and doesn't mind waiting for lv. 40 with lv. 15 Flame Wheel and surprisingly high attack and speed bases (especially for an unevolved Pokemon). If you don't pick Chimchar and pick one up early, it'll get plenty of EVs. Through Move Relearner, it gets Megahorn, which is handy in the E4.

Houndour comes later, but can be evolved the instant you catch it (with a Rare Candy if you please). It will have just Ember and Bite for a while however, making its offence no better than Ponyta at the same level with Flame Wheel. Move Relearner grants it Thunder Fang, which is of little use outside of demolishing Crasher Wake's Gyarados. It may not learn Crunch and Nasty Plot until the end of the game, depriving it of a strong physical STAB that it would appreciate for Lucian, and a useful setup move which could help it anywhere.

I'd say Ponyta > Houndour, though they both should probably be in the same tier because there's not much of a difference between the two.

I'll keep your statement in mind when I start ordering the tier list, because the two are very similar. It's just that Ponyta shows up when Fire types are in high demand, while Houndour shows up before two gyms that basically obliterate him.

Edited by Mercenary James
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Why is Cranidos so high? I understand that it has awesome attack power, but is there something else I'm missing?

Edited by Metal King Slime
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Some suggestions:

Starly - down from SS to S. Wing Attack at lv. 9 is great indeed, but until it evolves into Staraptor its offence is just good, and from lv. 9, it has to wait for Brave Bird and Close Combat for a while. It's very good no doubt, just not good enough for the highest tier. Also, poor coverage until Staraptor.

Machop - down from A to B/C. It's slow and Machoke is a poor choice for a fighter to those players who lack the means to trade evolve.

Rotom - up from A to S. It's available at lv. 20 in Platinum (5 levels above its DP self) and is only two levels away from Shock Wave, at which point it dominates. Amazing defensive typing too.

Abra - up from B to A/S. Evolves very soon, and it can actually fight on its own before becoming Kadabra if you give it Grass Knot. OHKO those Hikers. Alakazam isn't as big of an improvement from Kadabra compared to Machoke -> Machamp, since it's still quick and strong. Never gets Calm Mind in this game, which is a shame.

Gastly - down from B to C. It's very bad without special attacking moves, which it lacks for a long time.

Psyduck - up from C to B/A. Lifesaver in the first gym and good offensive stats upon evolution, great coverage.

Magikarp - up from B to A/S. You get Exp Share once you've seen 30 Pokemon, which doesn't take long, and once it evolves, it can take mooks up thanks to its base stats alone. STAB physical Waterfall, Dragon Dance on time for the E4 and devastating offence make it worth the exp investment.

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Psyduck - up from C to B/A. Lifesaver in the first gym and good offensive stats upon evolution, great coverage.

Considering you can get Monferno and Mach Punch before Roark, you hardly are in need of a lifesaver since no matter what your starter has a way to deal with him, not to mention it arrives at basically a meh starting level compared to your starter. I'd be more worried on Gardenia snce she absolutely blocks PRinplup in any and all ways. Evolution also does not come all that soon.

It does have good coverage though, won't argue that.

Magikarp - up from B to A/S. You get Exp Share once you've seen 30 Pokemon, which doesn't take long, and once it evolves, it can take mooks up thanks to its base stats alone. STAB physical Waterfall, Dragon Dance on time for the E4 and devastating offence make it worth the exp investment.

Issue being, when does it actually become Gyarados? Having to work off Exp Share for any exp at all s still stupendously slow while it does essentially nothing. That can't exactly just be ignored.

Everything else you mentioned is indeed notable, but I just feel it's Magikarp form stunts it pretty bad. Also, you have to wait till after Eterna to actually get Exp Share.

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You're right about the first gym actually, any starter does fine for a change. Don't think I had to get out of my way to solo it with my starter when I picked Chimchar. Still, the point stands, and it's too bad we don't get Calm Mind in Sinnoh.

If getting Gyarados fresh (like the red one in Johto) was a possibility, I'd go ahead and suggest it at the top of the SS tier. However, with all the exp investment, it's just an issue whether it should be in the second tier or the third, but definitely no lower I would argue. I think we should remember that Gyarados in this game is at least better than Gyarados in RBY and RSE (and maybe better than GSC Red Gyarados due to phys coverage). One, Exp Share is still acquired very early (after the second gym? that's really early). Two, you have Pokemon who dominate earlygame and can OHKO, feeding Magikarp experience without having to lead with it and switch it out every time, like Starly. Three, Waterfall is physical now, giving Gyarados a powerful STAB it has so desired for the last three generations of the game. And water-type moves actually have use in the E4 in Sinnoh. Four, it gets Dragon Dance, essentially allowing it to solo most tricky trainers with minimal support, and an impressive physical coverage featuring early Earthquake, Ice Fang, Avalanche and Payback.

I'd also argue that something that really justifies the exp investment through Exp Share shouldn't be judged too harshly. This isn't Fire Emblem where you field a bunch of units and they all do their specific things in different parts of the field. One Pokemon might as well solo the game (two can participate in double battles), while feeding somebody shared Exp. It's not nearly the sacrifice you claim it to be, and out of all possible choices to feed somebody shared exp, Gyarados seems like the best one.

I'd also like to suggest Ralts (Gallade) - up from C to A/S. It's interesting that you can get your first Dawn Stone as soon as you get a bicycle, and you catch a Kirlia in the adjacent area, so it's ready to evolve right off the bat, enjoying monstrous physical attack and special durability and decent speed (if Heracross and Pinsir have decent speed that can sorta be relied on, the same can be said about Gallade). Swords Dance at lv. 25 gives it early setup capacity, and Psycho Cut learnt at lv. 31 makes it crazy good at that point. Night Slash and Leaf Blade are accessible via Move Relearner. In fact, Night Slash combined with Brick Break/Close Combat is nearly perfect coverage (Shadow Claw instead of Night Slash would be even better but alas, it doesn't learn it). It misses out on Slash if you decide against training a Ralts (Gallade learns Slash at lv. 22 and wild Kirlias are exactly that), but your other immediate options are Brick Break and Earthquake, which is no joke.

Not nearly as good as Gallade, but I feel Gardevoir could rise to B/A, too. Natural Calm Mind access in a game where Calm Mind is essentially nonexistent as a TM, that's something to be cherished.

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I'd also like to suggest Ralts (Gallade) - up from C to A/S. It's interesting that you can get your first Dawn Stone as soon as you get a bicycle, and you catch a Kirlia in the adjacent area, so it's ready to evolve right off the bat, enjoying monstrous physical attack and special durability and decent speed (if Heracross and Pinsir have decent speed that can sorta be relied on, the same can be said about Gallade). Swords Dance at lv. 25 gives it early setup capacity, and Psycho Cut learnt at lv. 31 makes it crazy good at that point. Night Slash and Leaf Blade are accessible via Move Relearner. In fact, Night Slash combined with Brick Break/Close Combat is nearly perfect coverage (Shadow Claw instead of Night Slash would be even better but alas, it doesn't learn it). It misses out on Slash if you decide against training a Ralts (Gallade learns Slash at lv. 22 and wild Kirlias are exactly that), but your other immediate options are Brick Break and Earthquake, which is no joke.

Not nearly as good as Gallade, but I feel Gardevoir could rise to B/A, too. Natural Calm Mind access in a game where Calm Mind is essentially nonexistent as a TM, that's something to be cherished.

The first Dawn Stone you get is on route 212 (unless I'm missing something here; specifically, the section near Pastoria City), and you can't leave Hearthome through the south exit unless you've visited Pastoria already (again, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong).

Edited by Metal King Slime
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Speaking of Brick Break, Meditite is in hte middle of C tier. How is something with Pure Power that comes almost exactly when you can get Brick Break (seriously, you get it early), has STAB with it and great coverage with Confusion along with a pretty tough durable typing? He's not exactly slow unless you get a slow nature, he's not slow leveling by any means (slightly slower than starters, but not by much), Pure Power lets him hit crazy hard with Brick Break...What's not to like?

Also, Dawn Stone? When you get that at the earliest? Cause I recall the Dawn Stone comes kinda early in Platinum.

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Also, Dawn Stone? When you get that at the earliest? Cause I recall the Dawn Stone comes kinda early in Platinum.

At the earliest, there's one on route 212 (though you'd have to go through Veilstone first, since the south exit from Hearthome is blocked until you visit Pastoria, IIRC).

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Starly - down from SS to S. Wing Attack at lv. 9 is great indeed, but until it evolves into Staraptor its offence is just good, and from lv. 9, it has to wait for Brave Bird and Close Combat for a while. It's very good no doubt, just not good enough for the highest tier. Also, poor coverage until Staraptor.

use return

also not quite sure how you can suggest that rotom is in the same tier as starly when it appears later, doesn't get moves stronger than wing attack until shadow ball, thunderbolt, or discharge, and loses offense to staraptor

it's also in a slightly slower EXP group for the early levels but that makes a difference of a level at most

Edited by dondon151
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Normal/Flying still isn't the best coverage, and Staravia is stuck with that until evolving, which is kinda late. Rotom needs no training to start kicking ass, has great bases (Staravia waits for its evolution so that it can say the same about itself) and a much better typing.

And you're right about the rainy part of Route 212 being unavailable until you're done with Veilstone. I guess the immediate evolution for Kirlia I theorised earlier is kinda irrelevant. I mean, you can still evolve it immediately, but it will be kinda low-levelled (or you could train it, losing out on Swords Dance, take your pick).

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Normal/Flying still isn't the best coverage, and Staravia is stuck with that until evolving, which is kinda late. Rotom needs no training to start kicking ass, has great bases (Staravia waits for its evolution so that it can say the same about itself) and a much better typing.

staravia's base stats are not even bad; 75/80 in atk/spe is just under what monferno has and it's physically more defensive than rotom due to intimidate

also a L34 evolution is not "late;" that's probably the approximate anticipated level by crasher wake

Edited by dondon151
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And you're right about the rainy part of Route 212 being unavailable until you're done with Veilstone. I guess the immediate evolution for Kirlia I theorised earlier is kinda irrelevant. I mean, you can still evolve it immediately, but it will be kinda low-levelled (or you could train it, losing out on Swords Dance, take your pick).

I'd rather just catch it later then throw the stone on it. Kirlia's not exactly stunning, and it levels at a terribly slow pace. At least I can deal with a lower than average Gallade.

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Following new legislation, the following changes have been made to the tier list:

- Meditite has risen from below Marill to below Buizel. There is actually no excuse for why something with an effective base attack of 80(120 upon evo) and gets BB soon after capture, is in C tier, let alone that low in C.

- Gallade has risen from below Bronzor to below Bidoof. Yeah, you get your first dawn stone rather late(Route 212, but you need to reach Pastoria first), but Gallade has type advantages over the two gyms after Crasher Wake(protip: Fighting is pretty epic lategame since it has lots of targets that it hits SE, especially in Route 216, where half the population is Ice type, and the other half are murdered by Psycho Cut) For similar reasons, Gardevoir has risen ever so slightly, to below Cranidos, since while Ralts/Kirlia suck, Gardevoir is a boss with natural CM and access to things like Shock Wave/T-bolt.

-Gastly has fallen from above Bidoof to below Geodude. Gastly's level up movepool is absolutely horrendous until he gains Shadow Ball at Lv33 as Haunter/Gengar. Yes, Gengar can learn some cool moves like Focus Blast and Thunderbolt, but those 10 or so levels as Gastly hurt it.

Have a nice day.

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I also noticed that Budew is in D tier, and I have to wonder if anyone's actually used it. Actually great stats throughout it's life, is perfect for the first gym thanks to Growth/Absorb, has Stun Spore for stupid mons like Gardenia's Roseraid or Fantina's Mismagius, evolves around the time you get to Soloceaon, resists the Fighting gym so outside of Lucario she can deal with them pretty easy, destroys Crasher Wake's gym (and isn't halted by Wishcash either), is Roserade for Byron thanks to the Shiny Stone at Iron Island...Only real issues I've had with it is that it's about as slow as Prinplup (who's not exactly winning the races, but at least Budew has Stun Spore in those instances), and that stops when it evolves, and otherwise just has to worry about the ice-filled north.

C tier's bottom is filled with mons that either come too late, are just bad but have the benefit of typing, or just flat out misplaced (Tropius, for real?). In the least if no one raises Budew, at least drop Tropius and Wooper. Tropius just sucks no matter how you try to justify it, and Wooper has the problem of being a Swamp catch which is completely random every 24 hours. As someone who's tried to catch a Carnivine, that shit is intolerable.

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Tropius is there because he and Bibarel cover all 8HMs.

Oh.

...

Why then still would you catch Tropius? Bidoof and Bibarel are found everywhere. Why waste time trying to catch it when you can just catch a beaver or two from the start of the game?

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1. Dunno how anyone else feels about happiness evolution during the day.

2. Stun Spore is nice, outside of the 25% of the time it doesn't hit.

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1. Dunno how anyone else feels about happiness evolution during the day.

2. Stun Spore is nice, outside of the 25% of the time it doesn't hit.

Point 1 is not that big a deal. Just set your clock to day, and you're good. The benefit is that it comes early and doesn't suck. Happiness isn't that big a deal. Not for mons that would join later, like Chansey (not that it doesn't have other problems).

Point 2 is a good point, but Thunder Wave isn't exactly falling onto your lap outside of Rotom (who is fast anyways, so he should be busy just killing his opponents).

Note that at minimum I'm merely trying to argue Budew to bottom of C. It's not super stellar, but it's not D list material either.

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Hmmm, okay. Problem is. . .I'm not a fan of happiness evolutions or the Budew line. . .in other words, I'm using that Pokemon approximately never. I'll take your word on it.

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Oh.

...

Why then still would you catch Tropius? Bidoof and Bibarel are found everywhere. Why waste time trying to catch it when you can just catch a beaver or two from the start of the game?

Tropius gets Defog and Fly. Bibarel has Surf and Waterfall. All other moves are interchangeable.

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