Ranked Battle Series 9 Tier List Contenders

Ranked Battle Series 9 once again bans Legendary Pokemon from competitive play. Learn which Pokemon are reclaiming their place on the tier list and dominating the current metagame!

Tier List Contenders

Ranked Battle Series 9 once again bans the use of Legendary Pokemon in competitive play. The new ruleset will no doubt cause a shift in the current metagame as previously displaced top tier Pokemon make a return!

Ranked Battle Series 9

All Tier List Contenders Ranked

S Tier (!)
Zapdos
A Tier
Cinderace	Mimikyu	Tapu Fini	Landorus (Therian Forme)
B Tier
Porygon2	Urshifu Single-Strike Style	Urshifu Rapid-Strike Style	Dragapult
Rillaboom	Dragonite	Hippowdon	Nihilego

Who will top the Tier List?

S-Tier Pokemon Reviews

Zapdos

Zapdos - Best Build for Ranked Battle

Zapdos is arguably the most ubiquitous Pokemon in the current battle season - for both the Singles and Doubles Format.

Excellent defensive typing, utility moves such as Discharge and Roost, as well as access to Max Airstream during Dynamax make it a balanced Pokemon that can go on the offensive or defensive.

A-Tier Pokemon Reviews

Cinderace

Cinderace - Best Build for Ranked Battle

Cinderace has fallen from the position as the top Physical Sweeper in the metagame, but it remains a powerful threat that all teams should carry a check or counter!

With its Hidden Ability Libero, it gets STAB on all of its attacks, ensuring that it hits hard with all of its high-powered attacks!

Mimikyu

Mimikyu - Best Build for Ranked Battle

With its Ability Disguise giving it a free turn, Mimikyu is without a doubt one of the best physical set-up sweepers in the current metagame.

It's excellent dual typing not only gives it key resistances to common attacking types and free switch-ins, its respectable attack stat allows it to hit hard with its dual Ghost and Fairy moves!

Tapu Fini

Tapu Fini - Best Build for Ranked Battle

Tapu Fini is a great choice for utility Pokemon in both battle formats, although it really shines in Doubles where it can serve as a cleric with Heal Pulse.

It's Misty Surge Ability also lets it support its team simply by switching in. Not only does this set up Misty Terrain that halves Dragon-type moves, it also prevents its team from getting affected by status moves such as Sleep or Paralysis.

Landorus (Therian Forme)

Landorus (Therian Forme) - Best Build for Ranked Battle

Landorus' Therian Forme remains a top-tier threat and contender in the current metagame.

The ability to check and wall physical attackers with its sheer bulk and Intimidate Ability often forces teams to carry a specific counter to it, and it can even go on the offensive to surprise its usual checks!

B-Tier Pokemon Reviews

Porygon2

Porygon2 - Best Build for Ranked Battle

Porygon2 is one of the best users of Eviolite, which doubles its already respectable mixed defenses.

What sets it apart from other Eviolite users is its plethoro of support moves such as Thunder Wave and Recover. It also boasts the Ability Trace, which when used correctly, can turn the tables against the opposing Pokemon by copying their Abilities!

Urshifu Single-Strike Style

Urshifu Single-Strike Style - Best Build for Ranked Battle

Urshifu's Single-Strike Style is one of the strongest Choice Band users in the current metagame thanks to a combination of its Ability Unseen Fist and its Signature Move Wicked Blow, which always deals a critical hit.

This allows Urshifu to overpower Pokemon that raise their defenses to check physical sweepers, on top of bypassing Substitute and Protect with its Ability.

Urshifu Rapid-Strike Style

Urshifu Rapid-Strike Style - Best Build for Ranked Battle

Although less an immediate threat as its Single-Strike Form, Urshifu's Rapid-Strike style is a physical attacking threat that you shouldn't underestimate!

With a great dual Water / Fighting STAB, it can overpower bulky Ground-types with ease. Its Signature move, Surging Strikes, not only hits three times - it also always results in a critical hit. This makes Urshifu's Rapid-Strike Style a great counter to Sturdy and Focus Sash users.

Dragapult

Dragapult - Best Build for Ranked Battle

Dragapult is currently the fastest Dragon-type Pokemon in the metagame. It's also one of the most versatile as it can easily fill the role of a physical or special attacker, or even a support Pokemon in the Doubles Format.

It's almost impossible to predict what Dragapult's set is, and this forces most teams to deploy a dedicated lead and scout.

Rillaboom

Rillaboom - Best Build for Ranked Battle

Thanks to a combination of its Grassy Surge Ability and Grassy Glide, Rillaboom remains one of the strongest physical attackers and revenge killers in the current metagame.

It's also the best counter to dedicated Rain Teams, especially those that use Swift Swim users as Rillaboom easily outspeeds them with Grassy Glide as long as Grassy Terrain remains active.

Dragonite

Dragonite - Best Build for Ranked Battle

Once overshadowed by its fellow Pseudo-Legendary Dragons, Dragonite is now a force to be recokened with in the current metagame!

A combination of great bulk and its Multiscale Ability means its easy for it to set up a Dragon Dance. It truly shines during Dynamax, where it has access to the metagame's most coveted Max Move - Max Airstream.

Outside of Dynamax, it now also has a powerful Flying-type STAB in the form of Dual Wingbeat and allows Dragonite to beat Sturdy and Focus Sash users.

Hippowdon

Hippowdon - Best Build for Ranked Battle

As the metagame's premiere Sand setter, Hippowdon enjoys a fair amount of usage not only in dedicated Sand Teams, but also in more balanced teams with a mostly Rock, Ground, and Steel-type composition.

With an impressive physical bulk and access to reliable recovery in Slack Off, it rivals Landorus' Therian Forme as the metagame's choice of physical wall.

Nihilego

Nihilego - Best Build for Ranked Battle

With Crown Tundra giving it a new STAB mvoe in Meteor Beam, Nihilego is now a formidable threat in the current metagame.

It's' also one of the most popular Dynamax Leads in both Singles and Doubles; not only does Max Rockfall set up a Sandstorm, which raises its already great Special Defense, it can also use Max Ooze to raise its Special Attack even further!

Related Links

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Other Competitive Guides

Competitive Pokemon Battle Guides
Singles Tier List		Best Builds		Series 12 List of Contenders
Doubles Tier List		Team Building		Rental Teams