Pokemon The Teal Mask — Every New Pokemon Ranked
When competing picking your favorite Pokémon might not be the best path to victory so we decided to make a tier list covering all of the Pokémon introduced in The Teal Mask DLC for Pokémon Scarlet & Violet to help you better understand how these Pokémon will fit the meta. As with all tier lists remember that you should not use them as strict rules when team building but as guidelines to direct your thought process!
A-Tier Standouts: Ogerpon
It is common to see Legendary Pokémon skyrocket in terms of power creep due to busted stats or unique abilities which give them an exceptional edge over other available Pokémon and Ogerpon is no different.
Ogerpon has great base stats but what makes him have an isolated place in the A-Tier is his ability Embody Aspect, depending on which Mask item is equipped Ogerpon will have a different type, stat boost as well as a 1.2x boost to STAB moves. This allows for insane versatility in team building as well as outrageous damage.
B-Tier Standouts: Bloodmoon Ursaluna, Politoed, Sinistcha
Pokémon in the B-tier are Pokémon considered to be extremely solid picks and will most likely be part of the majority of teams going forward. While some have seen usage in previous Pokémon competitions others are completely new to the roster.
Bloodmoon Ursaluna is a DLC exclusive Pokémon which, similarly to its base form, will most likely require setup through the use of Trick Room. It is uncertain which form will see more usage but its unique ability Mind’s Eye might be the key differential, the ability allows the Pokémon to hit Ghost-type Pokémon with damage-dealing Normal- and Fighting-type moves.
Sinistcha is another new Pokémon that will most likely be the face of the DLC within the competitive scene. What makes this Pokémon unique is its two abilities as well as its signature move Matcha Gotcha which deals damage and restores the user's HP equal to up to half of the damage dealt, has a 20% chance of burning targets, and is also a spread move which is just perfect for VGC.
Our last honorable mention from the B-Tier is Politoed, while some community members are skeptical of its viability when compared to the other rain-setter in the game, Pelipper, it is undeniable that having Drizzle instantly makes this Pokémon a contested pick in almost any meta.
C-Tier Standouts: Ludicolo, Shiftry, Chandelure
C-Tier is where things get a little murky, some Pokémon here might become extremely powerful depending on how the meta develops because of their specific characteristics but they might also get completely outclassed by Pokémon who have served the same purpose but better.
Ludicolo has great type coverage being a Water and Grass Pokémon, other than his typing what makes him shine is the possibility of using Fake Out as well as taking advantage of rain with his Swift Swim ability. All of this sounds great but with Pokémon such as Basculegion and even Urshifu which can be more impactful in the rain maybe Ludicolo will not have a place in the meta.
Shiftry has received a lot of attention when announced due to the combination of having access to Fake Out, STAB in both Sucker Punch and Knock Off as well as being able to utilize either Wind Rider or Chlorophyll as its ability. The reason why he is down at the C-Tier is also because other Pokémon might do his job better, one of them is Brambleghast which also has access to Wind Rider and has seen usage in the 2023 VGC season.
Last but not least is Chandelure, similar to Heatran it can take full advantage of its ability Flash Fire with the usage of Tera Grass to amplify its type coverage. Having access to Trick Room as well as packing quite a punch with great Special Attack numbers might make it a niche power pick.
D-Tier Standouts: Gliscor, Trevenant, Probopass
Not all Pokémon can perform at the top level at that isn’t necessarily a problem. In this tier, you’ll find Pokémon that might have a combination of bad typing, suboptimal move sets, and horrible stats but don’t count them out - competitive Pokémon have shown time and time again that “bad” Pokémon can be excellent depending on how you use it. Maybe, just maybe Poison Heal Fling Toxic Orb Acrobatics Gliscor will be on the winning team in a Major tournament.
Lorenzo Jung has worn many hats throughout his 8 years of esports: professional League of Legends coach, team manager, product manager, consultant - the list goes on. Above all, Lorenzo is a passionate fan of the Pokémon series as well as its competitive VGC scene.