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While there are tons of Pokemon to catch in Scarlet and Violet's Paldea region, trainers tend to have a different eye when gearing up for ranked battles. When it comes to battling other players online, not all Pocket Monsters measure up.
This is exactly why the community has formed tier lists for years, dating back to the days of competitive Pokemon battling. With many new creatures and some returning species coming to Paldea, the competitive meta for Scarlet and Violet is markedly different from many other franchise titles.
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With that in mind, it certainly isn't a bad time to take a look at how the tier list shakes out as of January 2023 in the early-developing Scarlet/Violet meta.
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Each tier list is different, so the rankings are fairly subjective, but they can be worth analyzing nonetheless.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's tentative singles ranked tier list
S+ Tier
The S-tier is generally considered the cream of the crop when it comes to ranked singles battles in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. As with any tier list, these creatures are divided into what they excel at between offense, defense, and supporting roles.
For the S+ tier, the top contenders are mostly offense or defense-oriented. The top-tier supports remain squarely in S-tier.
Top Offensive Picks in the S+ Tier
- Annihilape - High HP and physical attack, making it a powerful offensive option that can be switched safely.
- Dragapult - Can be built as a pure physical or special attacker, making it incredibly versatile and capable. Dragapult can also be built as a hybrid offensive pick, with the ability to hammer opponents heavily with moves like Dragon Darts or Tera Blast.
- Dragonite - Dragonite has always been excessively powerful thanks to its stat spread and moveset. However, its ability to Terastallize into a pure Dragon-type means it can do away with its 4x weakness to Ice-type attacks while also removing its weakness to Electric and Rock-type moves. Dragonite can sweep opponents either through the use of Dragon Dance or via the utilization of the held item Weakness Policy.
- Hydreigon - High special attack stats allow it to heavily damage opponents with Dark Pulse. Has a high number of resistances to deal with various type matchups and can Terastallize into a Steel type to make it both an offensive sweeper or a counter to Fairy-types.
Top Defensive Picks in the S+ Tier
- Skeledirge - Respectable base bulk makes it difficult to take down. It can also take on popular Fairy, Grass, and Steel-type Pokemon thanks to its Fire/Ghost typing.
- Garganacl - Iron Defense and Body Press allow it to deal significant damage while keeping the HP and defensive stats to withstand enemy assaults. Purifying Salt can negate all negative status conditions.
S-Tier
For all intents and purposes, Pokemon trainers can't go wrong with adding S-tier creatures to their battle teams.
Players obviously won't want to go too heavily towards specific elemental types, but otherwise, these picks have great abilities, movesets, and stat spreads. They may not have the dominant capabilities of S+ Pokemon, but they can still get the job done in nearly every situation and stand out as some of the strongest picks in either game.
Top Offensive Picks in S-Tier
- Meowscarada - Has the ability Protean, which was nerfed but still does great work when it comes to STAB damage. Can outspeed many Dragon-types and take them out with moves like Play Rough.
- Mimikyu - Physical attacker that excels with multiple Tera Types. Disguise gives it decent setup options.
- Baxcalibur - Pseudo-legendary with high attack stats, can boost its stats even further when hit with Fire-type moves thanks to Thermal Exchange.
- Azumarill - Bulky and a masterful counter to taking out Dark, Fighting, and Dragon-types.
- Kingambit - Excellent natural bulk stats and makes an excellent last-ditch battler thanks to the stacking 10% attack/special attack boosts it receives from Supreme Overlord.
- Volcarona - A bonafide counter to meta picks like Gholdengo, can use Quiver Dance to further enhance its already impressive stats.
- Gholdengo - Good as Gold gives it complete immunity from status conditions, and its Steel/Ghost typing makes it a stellar counter in various type matchups.
Top Defensive Picks in S-Tier
- Corviknight - Steel typing makes it an excellent overall pick, and it can stop opponents from walling up by using Taunt. Also has access to the offensive combo of Iron Defense and Body Press for damage.
- Hippowdon - Absolute titan thanks to high HP and defense, and Shrug off allows it to reduce the damage of physical attacks. Sand Stream is an effective disruptor for Pokemon that benefit from Harsh Sunlight or snow.
- Wash Rotom - Water/Electric typing makes it tough to counter, can inflict many status conditions, and can scout type matchups using Volt Switch.
- Dodonzo - Ignores stat changes inflicted by opponents, can raise its stats with Curse, and has a massive HP pool.
Top Support Picks in S-Tier
- Amoonguss - Exceedingly difficult to take down in one hit and counters popular Grass/Fighting picks like Breloom.
- Glimmora - Punishes opponents who attack it thanks to Toxic Spikes, can make the battlefield a death trap with Mortal Spin, Stealth Rock, and Spiky Shield to punish switches and attackers.
- Grimmsnarl - Excels at setting up walls with its Prankster ability, giving it extra priority when laying down Reflect and Light Screen.
A-Tier
There's nothing to complain about when using A-tier Pokemon in your battle team. They may not be as impressive stat or ability-wise compared to S-tier options, but they can still hold their own and perform their respective roles admirably.
A-tier options may have a few flaws when it comes to counters or their stat spreads, but they are still fully capable and aren't often seen as much. This means they won't be countered specifically quite as often as S and S+ tier Pokemon.
Top Offensive Picks in A-Tier
- Ceruledge - Weak Armor improves its speed by lowering its defense, Bitter Blade allows it to keep its health up in protracted fights.
- Sylveon - An overall great Fairy-type to deal with Fighting and Dragon-types, Hyper Voice can hit opponents past Substitute when using the ability Pixilate.
- Garchomp - Can deal heavy physical damage with a Swords Dance setup, natural bulk that can be enhanced with a Water Tera Type and Liquidate.
- Cloyster - Effective typing and can use Skill Link to ensure its Icicle Spear deals constant, reliable damage.
- Breloom - Spore can nullify slower opponents, Technician ensures its multi-hit attacks remain consistent.
- Scizor - Performs excellent offense by utilizing the Steel Tera Type with Bullet Punch, can ensure it deals the most hits with Technician.
- Gyarados - Exceptionally versatile and an effective attacker, thanks to Moxie. If it Terastallizes, it can remove its 4x Electric-type weakness.
- Salamence - Moxie and Dragon Dance provide it sweeping options, and this Pokemon also possesses a versatile learnset with many different elemental types.
Top Defensive Picks in A-Tier
- Umbreon - Its impressive defense and special defense have carried over from previous Pokemon titles.
- Tyranitar - Sand Stream and Stealth Rock make it an excellent disruptor and trap-setter. Dragon Dance still allows it to play offensively.
- Houndstone - Another spectacular last-ditch fighter, thanks to the presence of Last Respects.
Top Support Picks in A-Tier
- Clodsire - Toxic, Yawn, and Stealth Rock make it a wonderful status inflictor and support. Also has high defensive stats making it a nuisance.
- Palafin - If this Pokemon is ignored and can switch out and back into the fight, its Hero Form makes it an offensive powerhouse. However, opposing trainers tend to account for this.
- Pelipper - All around great for rain-based weather teams and gains natural damage boosts for the presence of rain itself.
B-Tier
B-tier is where options begin to open up substantially for Pokemon choices in Scarlet and Violet.
These Pocket Monsters can serve well as role-players and stand out from standard species for various reasons, including stat spreads, unique abilities, or their potential to be built for specific purposes. They aren't as likely to take over a battle on their own compared to A-tier options and above.
However, these Pokemon shouldn't be ruled out, especially since they aren't seen quite as often and are, therefore, more difficult to counter.
Top Offensive Picks for B-Tier
- Quaquaval
- Armarouge
- Lucario
- Magnezone
- Arboliva
- Kilowattrel
- Gallade
- Veluza
Top Defensive Picks for B-Tier
- Bellibolt
Top Support Picks for B-Tier
- Orthworm
- Tinkaton
- Dudunsparce
- Slowking
- Gengar
- Toedscruel
C-Tier
C-Tier options certainly aren't the best Pokemon for ranked battle, but they can still handle general and niche roles when built correctly. These Pocket Monsters won't sport the stopping power, endurance, or support proficiency of their higher-tier counterparts, but they can fill the void in a team all the same.
These Pokemon have notable drawbacks, but a wise trainer can bring out the utmost of their latent potential.
Top Offensive Picks in B-Tier
- Hatterene
- Tatsugiri
- Flamigo
- Lokix
- Cetitan
- Jolteon
- Leafeon
- Flareon
- Glaceon
Top Defensive Picks in B-Tier
- Blissey
Top Support Picks in B-Tier
- Espeon
- Vaporeon
Conclusion
Since Pokemon Scarlet and Violet have only been out for a few months, the meta is still evolving. Additionally, future changes by Game Freak and The Pokemon Company can shake things up quite a bit, and the entire meta can flip on its head when certain changes come into play.
It's for this reason that trainers should remember that tier lists are ultimately subjective. If a specific Pokemon is aiding in their success, they can absolutely roll with their pick and not worry about the composition of their team with respect to tiers.
The ultimate decision when it comes to formulating a battle team in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet always falls on the trainer in question. For this reason, players can do whatever it is that's netting them wins, even if it doesn't run parallel to the meta's orthodoxy.
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