eric the espeon
maybe I just misunderstood
This is a much needed update of the other two available LC Speed Tiers (On site guide and ancient LCF one), both of which are missing many important Pokemon (Munchlax, +2 Porygon, ect), have Pokemon which are entirely unused (Mine Jr., Ledyba, ect), and have the odd spot of inaccurate infomation (like listing Neutral as the nature for virtually every Pokemon). There will be some formatting problems, or something will need to change. As you will see there are often 2-4 of the same number, this follows with the examples I have found in the other speed tiers when two Pokemon with different base speeds hit the same final number (e.g. 394 in the Ubers one), however in LC with so many Pokemon hitting the same numbers it looks very ugly to use this method. I'm not entirely sure how to get around this, but maybe by using /'s and a differently spaced table would be enough to at least improve it.
Anyway, I have left in quite a few Pokemon in italics and/or with a ? after them. These are Pokemon I need more opinions on specifically, but if you find a reasonably common Pokemon or set I have missed, or think that one I have listed is not worth putting up please say so. This is only a first draft and there are bound to be mistakes.
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Getting Started
If you are using these Speed Tiers to construct an EV spread find the maximum Speed of the Pokémon you're building first. You can find this information on our analysis pages for each Pokemon. After you've found your maximum Speed, use the following tables to see how much Speed the threats you wish to out speed have, and EV your Pokémon accordingly. If you are not accustomed to Level 5 play it is strongly advised that you read the Guide to EV distribution in Little Cup before attempting to make spreads. Keep in mind that when calculating your maximum Speed stat, you need to take into account your Pokémon's Speed IV (though it affects the final stats differently at level 5 as detailed in the aforementioned guide).
As an example, +Speed Meowth can hit a maximum speed of 19, which lets it at least tie with a large number of sweepers. This means that dropping Meowth's Speed by a single point is almost never worth it, as much as you may hate speed ties, a 50% chance to outspeed your opponent is always better than a 0% chance. Anorith on the other hand hits 18 maximum Speed, there are relatively few important Pokemon in the 18/17 Speed range, so investing less is a viable option. Unlike level 100 play, Little Cup speeds are much more tightly bunched because they are much lower and you will virtually never have a situation where you can drop even a single point without losing the ability to tie with a group of Pokemon. Due to the fact that Little Cup is such a Speed centred metagame a large majority of Pokemon that invest in speed max out and you have less specialized spreads, note that maxing out does not necessarily mean putting 252 EVs into Speed. The exception to this is with particularly fast Pokemon, Rock Polish Gligar, for example can reach an almost unchallenged 38 Speed after a boost, but even if it drops down to 32 it can still outspeed every single Choice Scarfer in Little Cup, and gain significantly better defenses. 16 is in fact one of the few "magic speed numbers" in Little Cup, after a +2 boost you will outpace even the fastest Choice Scarfers, the other main one is 14. 14 is the minimum Speed that any Choice Scarfer or Pokemon aiming to get a +1 boost will reach as it lets you outpace all Pokemon who have not themselves received a boost.
As A Reference
Speed tiers are also useful as a reference, both in battle and during team building. Not sure if your Modest Agility Mantyke can outspeed all Scarf Anorith? Keeping Speed tiers up during battles, especially when you are relatively new to a metagame and don't know many Speeds from memory, can make the difference between guessing and certainty.
With Speed being so important in Little Cup, you will often want to add a fast Pokemon to your team, but may not know exactly what is available and what works. These Speed Tiers can provide a easily accessible list of the most common Scarfers, and help you find new options you may not otherwise have thought of.
Tier 1: +2 Pokemon with 55 to 85 Base Speed
Anyway, I have left in quite a few Pokemon in italics and/or with a ? after them. These are Pokemon I need more opinions on specifically, but if you find a reasonably common Pokemon or set I have missed, or think that one I have listed is not worth putting up please say so. This is only a first draft and there are bound to be mistakes.
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Getting Started
If you are using these Speed Tiers to construct an EV spread find the maximum Speed of the Pokémon you're building first. You can find this information on our analysis pages for each Pokemon. After you've found your maximum Speed, use the following tables to see how much Speed the threats you wish to out speed have, and EV your Pokémon accordingly. If you are not accustomed to Level 5 play it is strongly advised that you read the Guide to EV distribution in Little Cup before attempting to make spreads. Keep in mind that when calculating your maximum Speed stat, you need to take into account your Pokémon's Speed IV (though it affects the final stats differently at level 5 as detailed in the aforementioned guide).
As an example, +Speed Meowth can hit a maximum speed of 19, which lets it at least tie with a large number of sweepers. This means that dropping Meowth's Speed by a single point is almost never worth it, as much as you may hate speed ties, a 50% chance to outspeed your opponent is always better than a 0% chance. Anorith on the other hand hits 18 maximum Speed, there are relatively few important Pokemon in the 18/17 Speed range, so investing less is a viable option. Unlike level 100 play, Little Cup speeds are much more tightly bunched because they are much lower and you will virtually never have a situation where you can drop even a single point without losing the ability to tie with a group of Pokemon. Due to the fact that Little Cup is such a Speed centred metagame a large majority of Pokemon that invest in speed max out and you have less specialized spreads, note that maxing out does not necessarily mean putting 252 EVs into Speed. The exception to this is with particularly fast Pokemon, Rock Polish Gligar, for example can reach an almost unchallenged 38 Speed after a boost, but even if it drops down to 32 it can still outspeed every single Choice Scarfer in Little Cup, and gain significantly better defenses. 16 is in fact one of the few "magic speed numbers" in Little Cup, after a +2 boost you will outpace even the fastest Choice Scarfers, the other main one is 14. 14 is the minimum Speed that any Choice Scarfer or Pokemon aiming to get a +1 boost will reach as it lets you outpace all Pokemon who have not themselves received a boost.
As A Reference
Speed tiers are also useful as a reference, both in battle and during team building. Not sure if your Modest Agility Mantyke can outspeed all Scarf Anorith? Keeping Speed tiers up during battles, especially when you are relatively new to a metagame and don't know many Speeds from memory, can make the difference between guessing and certainty.
With Speed being so important in Little Cup, you will often want to add a fast Pokemon to your team, but may not know exactly what is available and what works. These Speed Tiers can provide a easily accessible list of the most common Scarfers, and help you find new options you may not otherwise have thought of.
Tier 1: +2 Pokemon with 55 to 85 Base Speed
- 38 - +2 +nature/max Aipom, Buizel, Buneary, Gligar (85)
- 36 - +2 max Buizel, Gligar (85)
- 34 - +2 +nature/max Carvanha, Drifloon, Goldeen, Surskit (65-70)
- 32 - +2 max Anorith, Doduo (75)
- 32 - +2 +nature/max Kabuto, Cranidos, Horsea (55-58)
- 32 - +2 max Carvanha, Difloon, Chinchou, Goldeen, Surskit (65-70)
- 30 - +1 +nature/max Diglett, Voltorb, Elekid, (95-100)
- 30 - +2 116 Drifloon (70)
- 30 - +2 max Kabuto, Cranidos, Horsea (55-58)
- 30 - +2 +nature/max Dratini, Mantyke (50)
- 28 - +1 max Diglett, Voltorb, Elekid (95-100)
- 28 - +1 +nature/max Abra, Ponyta, Staryu, Misdreavus, Magby, Gligar (85-90)
- 28 - +2 max Dratini, Krabby, Mantyke (50)
- 28 - +2 +nature/max Exeggcute, Omanyte, Larvitar, Bellsprout, Cubone, Corpish (35-41)
- 27 - +1 max Abra, Ponyta, Staryu, Magby, Gligar (85-90)
- 27 - +1 +nature/max Anorith, Gastly, Stunky (74-80)
- 26 - +2 max Exeggcute, Omanyte, Larvitar, Bellsprout, Cubone (35-41)
- 26 - +2 +nature/max Rhyhorn, Oddish, Aron (25-30)
- 26 - +2 no-speed Drifloon (70)
- 26 - +1 max Gastly, Stunky (74-80)
- 25 - +1 +nature/max Mankey, Cyndaquil, Houndour, Remoraid, Drifloon, Carvanha, Spoink, Onix, Chinchou (65-70)
- 24 - +1 max Mankey, Cyndaquil, Houndour, Drifloon, Remoraid, Carvanha (65-70)
- 24 - +1 +nature/max Eevee, Wailmer, Cranidos, Barboach (55-60)
- 24 - +2 max Aron (30)
- 22 - +1 max Eevee, Cranidos, Wailmer (55-60)
- 22 - +1 +nature/max Magnemite, Krabby, Dratini, Bagon, Bulbasaur, Venonat (45-50)
- 14 -+1116 Barboach (60)
- 21 - +1 max Magnemite, Krabby, Dratini, Bagon, Bulbasaur, Venonat (45-50)
- 21 - +1 +nature/max Teddiursa, Porygon, Larvitar, Shroomish, Cacnea, Gible, Snover, Machop, Corpish (35-42)
- 20 - +nature/max Diglett, Voltorb, Elekid (95-100)
- 19 - +nature/max Abra, Aipom, Buneary, Buizel, Ponyta, Staryu, Misdreavus, Magby, Meowth, Gligar, Poliwag, Glameow, Taillow (83-85)
- 18 - +nature/max Anorith, Gastly, Doduo (73-80)
- 17 - +nature/max Mankey, Houndour, Carvanha, Drifloon, Goldeen, Smoochum, Surskit, Onix, Goldeen (65-70)
- 17 - max Anorith, Doduo, Gastly, Stunky (74-80)
- 16 - +nature/max Eevee, Kabuto, Chimchar, Cranidos, Spoink, Horsea (55-61)
- 16 - max Mankey, Houndour, Carvanha, Drifloon, Goldeen, Chinchou (65-70)
- 16 - 76 Gligar (85)
- 15 - +nature/max Magnemite, Dratini, Swinub, Bagon, Mantyke (45-50)
- 15 - max Eevee, Kabuto, Chimchar, Cranidos, Horsea, Squirtle (55-61)
- 15 - 116 Drifloon (70)
- 15 - no-speed Gligar (85)
- 14 - +nature/max Teddiursa, Exeggcute, Cubone, Porygon, Omanyte, Larvitar, Cacnea, Gible, Snover, Bellsprout, Corpish (35-42)
- 14 - max Magnemite, Krabby, Swinub, Bagon, Dratini, Croagunk, Mantyke (45-50)
- 14 - 116 Barboach (60)
- 13 - +nature/max Rhyhorn, Oddish, Aron (35-30)
- 13 - max Exeggcute, Cubone, Porygon, Omanyte, Larvitar, Cacnea, Gible, Snover, Bellsprout (35-42)
- 13 - no-speed Onix, Chinchou, Tentacool, Stunky (67-70)
- 12 - +nature/max Paras (25)
- 12 - max Rhyhorn, Oddish, Aron (30-35)
- 12 - no-speed Spoink, Wailmer, Kabuto (55-60)
- 11 - +nature/max Trapinch (10)
- 11 - no-speed Krabby, Shuppet, Mantyke (45-50)
- 11 - -nature/0IV Gastly (80)
- 10 - no-speed Machop, Koffing, Cubone, Phanpy, Shroomish, Numel, Squirtle, Snover (35-40)
- 9 - no-speed Aron, Paras, Lickitung, Rhyhorn, Makuhita, Duskull, Hippopotas, Grimer, Nosepass (25-32)
- 9 - -nature/0IV Cranidos, Wailmer (58-60)
- 8 - no-speed Azurill, Lileep, Wynaut, Bronzor, Wooper (20-23)
- 8 - -nature/0IV Shuppet (45)
- 7 - no-speed Trapinch, Munchlax (5-10)
- 6 - -nature/0IV Bronzor, Duskull (23-25)
- 5 - -nature/0IV Trapinch (10)
- 4 - -nature/0IV Munchlax (5)