Base-Fossil Tier List (Not Fully Evolved)

 

Today I thought I'd put all of the not fully evolved (NFE) 'mons of the Base-Fossil format into a tier list. You can find out how I feel about their final evolutions (and 'mons that don't evolve) here. Just like with the previous tier list post, these tiers don't necessarily reflect the grades I gave the cards.

Opinions ebb and flow with the hour, so a card that I think of as a 5/10 today could look like a 4 or a 6 to me tomorrow, for various reasons.

S-Tier - In order for a NFE 'mon to make the S-Tier, it has to be so good that you're more likely to see it played without its Evolutions. It also needs to be compatible with at least one high-performance deck.

• Slowpoke's utility may not be immediately obvious. Scavenge allows you to spam Energy Removal over and over and over again. It slots neatly into the Psy-Stall shell.

A-Tier - These are cards that are either tied to top tier Evolutions and very good on their own, or else they're played without their Evolutions, but don't fit into top-tier strategies.

• Charmeleon almost made it into the S-Tier, but since it's such an optional inclusion in the various Haymaker builds, I opted not to raise it to S at this time.

B-Tier - These are cards that are either central to rogue decks, have a niche use in the metagame, or are decent for their stage and have meta-relevant Evolutions.

• Rhyhorn is the most debatable inclusion here. It's a weirdly good card in a vacuum, but is severely hindered by the omnipresent Fighting-resistant staples.

C-Tier - This tier is composed mostly of cards that are good but just not on par with the metagame, or objectively subpar cards that are nonetheless tied to extremely important evolutions.

• Kadabra seems too good for this tier, until you realize that the deck he belongs in absolutely hates his high Retreat Cost and fails to put his aggressive design to good use.

D-Tier - This tier is full of cards that are just barely passable as Basics. Most of them don't have worthwhile Evolutions either.

• Voltorb and Exeggcute do evolve into meta-relevant cards, but they're such mediocre Basics that they didn't feel right in the C-Tier. Voltorb's weakness to Jab is huge.

F-Tier - These cards actively discourage you from running their evolved forms if you're forced to play them. This tier is full of cards with multiple glaring issues.

• Magikarp arguably deserves a better placement, but it drags Gyarados down hard. Meanwhile Promo Jigglypuff would make D-Tier, except that there's a much better Jigglypuff.