(approved by Codraroll)
(OP structure heavily inspired by Ryota Mitarai's Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon In-Game Tier List)
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl In-Game Tier List
Hello, and welcome to the Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl In-Game Tier List! Due to the vast openness of Galar's Wild Area, efficiently ranking all of the Pokémon in Sword and Shield was seen by many to be a fool's errand. However, Generation 8 later brought with it a much more linear experience in BDSP, where Pokémon are much more easily categorizable! While it brings forth its own unique quirks and complexities that make it not nearly as simple to rank Pokémon as DP's in-game tier list, we can once again resume what the Orange Islands forum does best: sorting out the bad from the good.(OP structure heavily inspired by Ryota Mitarai's Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon In-Game Tier List)
What are the tiers?
This list uses the following tiers, with S-tier marking the best options for an efficient run of BDSP, and F-tier marking the worst:
- S-tier
- A-tier
- B-tier
- C-tier
- D-tier
- E-tier
- F-tier
Pokémon are tiered based on efficiency. For the purpose of this tier list, efficiency can be measured by the following criteria:
- Availability: How many major battles is the Pokémon present for? How easy is it to capture, factoring in both its catch rate and its encounter rate? Do you have to backtrack a significant amount to catch it? Pokémon available early tend to rank much higher than those that arrive too late to come into play for many major fights.
- Typing: How great is the Pokémon's typing, both offensively and defensively? What does it offer against Sinnoh's major fights?
- Movepool: How diverse is the Pokémon's movepool? How early does it learn its best moves? Unlike previous generations, TMs are once again one-use in BDSP, so Pokémon that are heavily TM-reliant will generally rank lower.
- Stats: Are the Pokémon's stats well distributed? Does it have a movepool and/or typing that compliments those stats?
- Major Battles: How well does the Pokémon perform in major battles? Major battles consist of the Rival battles, the Gym Leaders, the Team Galactic Admins, the Elite 4 and the Champion.
- Other factors: Anything not mentioned above, such as Abilities and evolution methods.
Some other factors to consider:
Trading
Trading is only considered on this list in regards to trade evolutions like Scyther and Kadabra. Trade evolutions are ranked separately from their pre-evolutions on the tier list and outside of meeting the conditions for evolution, players cannot receive outside help. For example, you may not trade in a Metal Coat to evolve your Onix into Steelix before Gym 1, but once you obtain a Metal Coat in your game, you will be permitted to evolve it.
Pokémon are tiered individually
Drawing comparisons between two similar Pokémon is fine. However, it should not be the entire basis of your argument. This tier list operates on the assumption that the reader is trying to find out the viability of one individual Pokémon, and just because a better, similar Pokémon is available does not discredit what the other Pokémon brings to the table. For example, Ponyta would not be penalized in its tier placement just because Houndoom is a better option.
X Items
The use of X Items can heavily skew a Pokémon's viability in the tier list and add an external factor that makes it hard to tier Pokémon as objectively as possible. For the time being, X Items are banned for the purposes of this tier list.
Affection bonuses
As of Generation 8, Affection and Friendship are now both one mechanic. Friendship is capped in Sword and Shield so that Affection boosts can never be obtained unintentionally, as a Pokémon's friendship can only be raised past the cap by camping with your Pokémon in Pokémon Camp. In BDSP, the developers at ILCA either didn't care about this cap or they had no idea it was in place because it simply does not exist in BDSP. This can prove troublesome in regards to a tier list since affection bonuses can make a Pokémon seem much better than it really is - for example, it's difficult to determine how well a Pokémon does against a specific Gym Leader if it's able to land constant critical-hits against the bulkier Pokémon and muscle past them when they really shouldn't be able to, or able to dodge attacks that would otherwise OHKO it.
Luckily, there is a workaround! The Herb Shop east of the Galactic Building in Eterna City sells Heal Powders, Energy Powders, Energy Roots and Revival Herbs. These are much cheaper than ordinary healing items and for our purposes, has the useful side effect of lowering your Pokémon's friendship. If you're using Energy Powders constantly as your Pokémon takes damage, you should be able to negate the affection bonuses obtained at high friendship, allowing us to rank these Pokémon more objectively. Bit annoying that this is even a factor at all, but it is what it is.
Grand Underground
BDSP's biggest new addition is the Grand Underground, replacing the Underground from Generation 4. This new and upgraded land below Sinnoh now includes the addition of Pokémon Hideaways. These hideaways house useful items such as evolutionary stones and TMs, but most importantly, wild Pokémon reside within these hideaways! This comes with a multitude of benefits, such as:
- obtaining certain Pokémon earlier than they're normally available (e.g. Skorupi)
- being able to easily obtain certain Pokémon formerly exclusive to Honey trees (e.g. Munchlax). The Burmy line and Heracross are the only two Honey tree Pokémon that remain exclusive.
- obtaining Pokémon available in Platinum's regional dex expansion (e.g. Houndoom). While a majority of the Pokémon added to Platinum's regional dex are obtainable in the Grand Underground, the Eevee, Porygon, Tangela, Yanma, Nosepass, Tropius and Rotom lines remain unavailable before postgame.
- exclusively in Shining Pearl, obtaining certain Pokémon that were entirely unavailable prior to postgame in previous Sinnoh regional dexes (Teddiursa and Pinsir)
Pokémon caught in Pokémon Hideaways also have a chance to have Egg Moves. In terms of how these factor into a Pokémon's tiering placement, I'm not sure how to deal with these, personally. Much like DexNav egg moves from ORAS, the amount of time you would have to spend trying to get a specific, viable egg move would be difficult to rank from the perspective of tiering, but unlike DexNav, all Pokémon caught in the Grand Underground will have an Egg Move. For now, I'm going to say that access to certain Egg Moves will be mentioned if they aid in specific matchups for Pokémon that would be best caught in the Grand Underground regardless, but searching for a specific Egg Move is largely inefficient and will not be considered for the purposes of this tier list. For example, Buneary theoretically being able to obtain Ice Punch in the Underground would not be notable in regards to Buneary's gym matchups, but something like Absol having access to Megahorn or Houndoom having access to Sucker Punch might be worth mentioning.
Spiritomb
The method to obtain Spiritomb has been slightly changed in BDSP, now no longer requiring two games. Instead, Spiritomb is obtained by speaking to 32 unique NPCs within the Grand Underground. The game does not tell you which NPCs you've already spoken to, so players planning on using Spiritomb should jot down the names of the NPCs that they've already talked to! (see "Resources" below for exact information concerning these NPCs in the Underground)
Postgame Evolutions
Despite BDSP adding Pokémon first introduced in the Platinum expansion via the Grand Underground, item locations remain the same as DP. Thus, Gligar, Rhydon and Dusclops cannot evolve to their final stages prior to postgame. Yeah.
Mew and Jirachi!?
A Gentleman and a Lady in Floaroma Town will give you a Mew if you have save data for Pokémon Let's Go, Pikachu! or Let's Go, Eevee!, and a Jirachi if you have save data for Pokémon Sword or Shield on your Switch. In what is quite possibly a first for Mythical Pokémon in an in-game tiering thread, we will be tiering these, as they're fairly reasonable to obtain in-game gift Pokémon that do not expire and can be obtained prior to beating the game.
Fossil Pokémon!?
One of the most bizarre changes made to BDSP is that, after defeating Dialga/Palkia, the Helix, Dome, Claw and Root Fossils get added to the pool of items able to be dug up in the Underground, with the Helix and Claw Fossils being much more common in Brilliant Diamond, and the Dome and Root Fossils being much more common in Shining Pearl. This is almost useless given that these Pokémon come at level 20 at the eighth gym, and that the fossils are incredibly tedious to find in the first place, but hey, it gives us more Pokémon to rank, so that's something!
===
Resources
- Availability list, modified from the original that was written for the DP In-Game Tiers thread by sin(pi):
The following information contains spoilers. If you don't want to be spoiled, look away now!
LEGEND
[G] = This Pokémon is given to you by a NPC (possibly as an Egg).
[IN] = This Pokémon is an interactable encounter.
[T] = This Pokémon is obtained via in-game trade.
[BD] = This Pokémon can only be caught in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond.
[BD*] = This Pokémon is first found here in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond only.
[SP] = This Pokémon can only be caught in Pokémon Shining Pearl.
[SP*] = This Pokémon is first found here in Pokémon Shining Pearl only.
Possibly incomplete, as the original availability list was only complete for Platinum. If there's any omissions, let me know!
===START===
Route 201: Turtwig [G], Chimchar [G], Piplup [G]
Route 201 (after capture tutorial): Starly, Bidoof, Kricketot
Route 202: Shinx
Old Rod: Magikarp
Route 204 south: Budew, Wurmple, Zubat
Ravaged Path: Psyduck
Route 203: Abra
Oreburgh Gate: Geodude
Oreburgh City: Abra [T]
Route 207: Machop, Ponyta
Oreburgh Mine: Onix
===GYM 1===
FLOAROMA TOWN: Mew [G], Jirachi [G]
VALLEY WINDWORKS: Buizel, Pachirisu, Shellos
Honey trees: Heracross, Burmy
VALLEY WINDWORKS (after defeating Mars): Drifloon [IN]
ETERNA FOREST: Gastly, Hoothoot, Buneary, Murkrow [BD], Misdreavus [SP]
ETERNA CITY - Chatot [T]
GRAND UNDERGROUND: Cranidos [BD] [Fossil], Shieldon [SP] [Fossil], Magnemite, Lickitung, Gastrodon, Rhyhorn, Houndoom, Swablu, Absol, Scyther [BD], Pinsir [SP], Combee, Cherubi, Togepi, Ralts, Gligar [BD], Teddiursa [SP], Skorupi, Elekid [BD], Magby [SP], Swinub, Croagunk, Smoochum, Duskull
Route 211 west: Meditite, Chingling, Bronzor
Mt. Coronet 1F: Cleffa
===GYM 2===
Route 206: Stunky [BD]
HEARTHOME CITY: Happiny [G]
Route 209: Mime Jr. [BD*], Bonsly [SP], Chansey, Spiritomb [IN]
Good Rod: Goldeen, Barboach, Finneon
Solaceon Ruins: Unown
Route 215: Marill
Ruin Maniac Cave: Hippopotas
Valor Lakefront: Girafarig
Route 213: Remoraid, Wingull
Route 212 south: Wooper
Trophy Garden: Pichu, Pikachu
Great Marsh: Carnivine
GRAND UNDERGROUND (after obtaining Defog): Purugly [SP], Aipom, Munchlax
===GYM 4===
GRAND UNDERGROUND (at Celestic Town): Snorunt, Glalie
===GYM 5===
Surf: Tentacool
Iron Island: Steelix (Wild), Riolu [G]
===GYM 6===
Mt. Coronet B1F: Feebas
Wayward Cave: Gible
Route 216: Sneasel, Snover
SNOWPOINT CITY: Haunter [T]
===GYM 7===
GRAND UNDERGROUND (after obtaining the seventh Gym Badge): Mr. Mime, Gible (Underground)
Spear Pillar: Dialga [BD], Palkia [SP]
GRAND UNDERGROUND (after capturing/defeating Dialga or Palkia): Omanyte [Fossil], Kabuto [Fossil], Anorith [Fossil], Lileep [Fossil]
Lake Acuity: Uxie [IN]
Lake Valor: Azelf [IN]
Lake Verity: Mesprit [roaming]
Route 223: Mantyke
Untiered Pokémon
Rhyperior - Not available until Postgame
Dusknoir - Not available until Postgame
Gliscor - Not available until Postgame
Manaphy - Event only
Any other Pokémon not obtainable in the Grand Underground or not present in BDSP's Sinnoh Pokédex. - Evolutionary item availability list, modified from the original that was written for the DP In-Game Tiers thread by Volt-Izakuchi:
In regards to held items:
Smoochum caught in the Grand Underground know Covet and can be used to steal held items. The Thief TM can also be obtained in Eterna City once you gain access to the Field Move Cut after defeating Gardenia.
===GYM 1===
Metal Coat: Held by wild Magnemite (5%) in the Grand Underground and wild Bronzor (5%).
Electirizer: Held by wild Elekid in the Grand Underground. (BD)
Magmarizer: Held by wild Magby in the Grand Underground. (SP)
Thunder Stone: Can be dug up in the Grand Underground.
Moon Stone: Held by wild Cleffa (5%) on Mt. Coronet (1F). Can also be dug up in the Grand Underground.
===GYM 2===
Dusk Stone: Enter the Grand Underground by using the Explorer Kit on the bottom rightmost tile on the beach on Route 213. This loads the area of the Underground below Sunyshore City. The Dusk Stone can then be picked up in the Bogsunk Cavern [] part of the map.
===GYM 3===
Oval Stone: Lost Tower
===GYM 5===
Shiny Stone: Iron Island
Dawn Stone: Mt. Coronet (Route 207 entrance). Requires Surf.
===GYM 7===
Thunder Stone: Sunyshore City (guaranteed)
===GYM 8===
Razor Claw: Victory Road
===POSTGAME===
Reaper Cloth: Postgame (Route 225)
Protector: Postgame (Route 228)
Razor Fang: Postgame (Battle Park) - In-depth spreadsheet of the locations and requirements of every Pokémon in the Grand Underground, created by @hemah2o on Twitter using datamined information from @Kaphotics
- Spiritomb NPC spawn information by u/ShinyRukii on Reddit
- Feebas Tile Calculator by Lincoln-LM on GitHub
- BDSP Trainer Data, created by @hemah2o on Twitter using datamined information from @Kaphotics
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