SV Ubers Corviknight, my beloved <3: An oddly successful attempt at Ubers Balance

[Nyx]

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I'm ngl, I did not expect to be writing an RMT this soon, but with the Last Respects suspect looking to be a relatively safe ban, my hand is somewhat forced. I wanted to RMT this team for my 500th post but writing an RMT for what'll probably be an outdated metagame seems, silly, so here we are. I can't say I've loved a team as much as I've loved this one in a long time, heck possibly ever (altho SS Scale Chomp + Band Garm gets very close, love you aurora), and what's surprising is that it's had far more success than I'd have ever expected a team hinging on a Corviknight to have in this metagame. More than anything else though, there's a story to tell behind this team, from the friends involved in building and testing it, to the successes it had, and if TheUzigunner has taught me anything, you should never pass up on an opportunity to tell a good story.

THE BACKSTORY​

The backstory to this team adds to its charm so I might as well start with that. Going into Week 3 of Ubers World Cup, I was 0-2, having lost 2 relatively tight games to a mix of hax and incredibly poor positioning on my part (let's not talk about how I let a Ho-Oh get Twaved by Arceus-Fairy when I had a Clodsire...). I'd loaded Ghost spam the week prior and Legion week 1 so both Terracotta and I did fully expect them to at least consider Arceus-Dark (which was relatively unexplored at that point). We tossed up the ideas of LO Koraidon, Scarf Kyogre, and LO Agil Miraidon, before Terra posted the following two pastes:
https://pokepast.es/7bf462fbed1a9406 -
https://pokepast.es/f5221a81dbf589d7 -
While the first team was just throwing concepts at the wall, they both put the idea of loading Arceus-Fairy balance into my mind, as well as the latter proving that Corviknight can absolutely work. Throughout the week, I experimented with ideas such as Thunder Flutter Mane + SD NDM + Defensive Kyogre, but nothing seemed comfortable in testing (tysm to Frito and Aberforth for helping test) until Terra landed on the following six:

Thanks to Terra and Hack, we managed to get this team into the following https://pokepast.es/89460801c68e7660. The paste was never finalised since it had one key flaw, it was steamrolled by NDM. Yes, Corviknight could defensively check it to infinity but there was no way to break through the mon. It was for this reason that entrocefalo suggested to replace Eternatus with the strongest breaker one could ask for, Specs Miraidon. This leads to the final six of this team, and the version that ultimately went on to not just win myself the game, but also helped myself, and numerous other friends obtain reqs in both the Miraidon and Last Respects suspects, both of which were HO hell metagames that should completely destroy balance.

THE TEAM​

The version of this team that I'll primarily be talking about is the finalised version that was optimised for ladder, however I will slash the edits I used in the original game, or variations that ended up working great for others. The importable at the end will be the version I've used to ladder with. My mons are sorted A-Z because I like that, its not indicative of the order the mons were built in.

Arceus-Fairy @ Pixie Plate
Ability: Multitype
Tera Type: Ground / Water (thanks corvere for this suggestion)
EVs: 248 HP / 200 Def / 60 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Judgment
- Calm Mind
- Recover
- Will-O-Wisp​

The God herself, "Fast" Arceus-Fairy wasn't something I'd toyed around with until Terra posted his team with 124 Timid, and it made me realise that while 248 HP / 240 Def Bold Arceus does in fact (barely) check Koraidon, being able to be faster than most setup Arceus formes, as well as Fast Taunt Gliscor (something Frito was theorising at the time which ended up becoming a reality a few weeks later), and the rare, but threatening Kyurem-Black, is incredibly helpful. While the loss of bulk is notable, the ability to Will-O-Wisp any physical attacker bar Koraidon/Zacian-C/Chien-Pao (two of whom never stay in, and the other tends to get caught on greedy switchins) was incredibly helpful.

Bulk Comparison Calcs

+2 252 Atk Orichalcum Pulse Koraidon Flare Blitz vs. 248 HP / 240+ Def Arceus-Fairy in Sun: 344-405 (77.6 - 91.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+2 252 Atk Orichalcum Pulse Koraidon Flare Blitz vs. 248 HP / 200 Def Arceus-Fairy in Sun: 390-459 (88 - 103.6%) -- 25% chance to OHKO

+2 252 Atk Orichalcum Pulse Koraidon Flare Blitz vs. 248 HP / 240+ Def Arceus-Fairy in Sun: 344-405 (77.6 - 91.4%) -- 31.3% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
+2 252 Atk Orichalcum Pulse Koraidon Flare Blitz vs. 248 HP / 200 Def Arceus-Fairy in Sun: 390-459 (88 - 103.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock

While the utility vs Scale Shot Koraidon, especially with hazards up, is worsened, the team is able to deal with it well enough that Arceus rarely had to be the primary check, and was serviceable against Scarf sets, especially in conjunction with Kyogre.

As for the moveset, I decided to go with CM over Dragon Tail on this specific team since Fast CM Arceus was simply too good into opposing Arceus, and with Will-O-Wisp being able to cripple most Judgment switch ins, it seemed like (and was) a good end game sweeper. The blatant catch to this is of course Ho-Oh, which stone walls this Arceus set to high heaven and back. That's okay though, a Ho-Oh switchin gives Specs Miraidon a free chance to drop a Draco on the opponent, or even better, Electro Drift.

Tera Ground was my Tera of choice on this team, it doesn't benefit the sweeper side of the set a tonne, but I've not felt that to be a need. Instead, it allows the Miraidon matchup to be flipped on its head and to catch it off guard and potentially OHKO. Tera Water is a great option here if the Zacian-C/Calyrex-I matchups end up being harder to pilot against

Arceus-Fairy has been my favourite Arceus this gen, especially post-DLC2, and I'm incredibly glad that it's on this team. That'll be a common theme btw, me getting sentimental about Pokémon I just enjoy using, get used to it or skip to the importable at the end.

Corviknight @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Pressure
Tera Type: Water / Normal (another corvere edit, only run this alongside Water Arceus, and non-Normal Miraidon)
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Impish Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Body Press
- U-turn / Iron Defense
- Defog
- Roost​

The "star" of the show. Corviknight fills a couple of niches in this tier, notably being the only viable removal with slow momentum, and also being a solid check to Ekiller and Zacian-C, while completely stonewalling the likes of NDM and Rayquaza (as well as any non-Koraidon/Tera Electric KB physical attackers in general). However, the big thing that sold me on Corviknight at first was that it beat any non-Taunt Gliscor, and at this point, no one bar Frito was running it (albeit Hack had considered it and iirc Europe did load one this same week). I was pretty confident that my opponent, DAHLI (being passed teams by Edgar/Mashing), wouldn't load one, and I ended up being correct. Ladder sees far less Gliscor than tour play, and through the games I've played/watched with this team, I've only ran into one Taunt Gliscor, rare enough to justify its spot on the team.

The set is rather self explanatory, max max in Defenses to give it the best odds against all physical attackers, with Body Press being its best attack into the combination of NDM, Ekiller and Zacian-C. I decided on Rocky Helmet over Leftovers/Heavy-Duty Boots since the chip damage on EKiller/Zacian-C/frankly any contact attacker is worth it. None of them bar NDM have reliable recovery and while taking Rocks damage can suck, it's definitely offset by the permanent damage to the opponent, I can at least Roost the damage off while they can't. Oh and fun facts, I have killed a Miraidon with contact damage from Electro Drift, and I have forced a Miraidon to Overheat (and miss :3) fearing the Rocky Helmet chip KO. Defog and Roost are also obvious, Defog allowing Miraidon to not be Boots with ease is amazing, and being able to run Leftovers Ting-Lu to actually check opposing Miraidon is a relief. The slashed moves are where it's come down to a difference of playstyle, I've found nothing but successes using it as a slow pivot into the likes of Koraidon and Miraidon, but Iron Defense is something multiple friends ran over it to improve the matchup against Zacian-C and NDM. Both make complete sense since they effectively do the same thing, give you a way to break the broken Steels, whether that be through pivoting into OHKO machines, or setup alongside them, it's really come down to personal preference (ty to Manaphy for first putting the idea of ID in my mind, I wouldn't have ended up suggesting it to others if it weren't for his discussion with me about it during the Miraidon suspect). A very funny fact for those who care, Low Kick Koraidon can somehow still fail to 2HKO this set after two rounds of Rocks.
252 Atk Orichalcum Pulse Koraidon Low Kick (80 BP) vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Tera Water Corviknight: 126-148 (31.5 - 37%) -- 84.3% chance to 3HKO
Close Combat supremacy.

Tera Water might seem like an odd choice at first, especially since Zacian-C would just Wild Charge anyways, but that's not the point of this. Instead, it's meant to be somewhat of a panic button against the likes of Koraidon and Calyrex-I. Against the former, it prevents the OHKO under almost all circumstances (if you Scale Shot a Corviknight AND get 5 hits, take the win), with the worst case being the less popular Close Combat at +2. However, it's primarily Water to prevent Calyrex-I from getting out of hand without having to compromise one of, if not both of, Arceus-Fairy and Kyogre. I'll once again throw the relevant calcs into the spoiler below, but ultimately, Corvikmight rarely if ever did Tera, and when it did, it was entirely a panic option. Tera Normal is also a panic button in the same vein, this time for Basculegion. It's a great option if Arceus is Tera Water and Miraidon is not Normal, just a personal preference thing again.

Tera Water Calcs

+2 252 Atk Orichalcum Pulse Koraidon Flare Blitz vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Tera Water Corviknight in Sun: 187-220 (46.8 - 55.1%) -- 15.6% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
+2 252 Atk Orichalcum Pulse Koraidon Low Kick (80 BP) vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Tera Water Corviknight: 250-295 (62.6 - 73.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
+2 252 Atk Orichalcum Pulse Koraidon Scale Shot (4 hits) vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Tera Water Corviknight: 312-372 (78.1 - 93.2%) -- approx. 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
+2 252 Atk Orichalcum Pulse Koraidon Close Combat vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Tera Water Corviknight: 373-441 (93.4 - 110.5%) -- 62.5% chance to OHKO - The only thing that gets close to killing, and I'm the only one who'll run it on Scale Koraidon because people be fearful of EKiller.

252+ Atk Calyrex-Ice Glacial Lance vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Tera Water Corviknight: 90-106 (22.5 - 26.5%) -- possible 5HKO after Leftovers recovery
+4 252+ Atk Calyrex-Ice Glacial Lance vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Tera Water Corviknight: 268-316 (67.1 - 79.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Def Tera Water Corviknight Body Press vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Calyrex-Ice: 58-69 (14.3 - 17%) -- possible 6HKO - Body Press does in fact deal pitiful damage, and on paper, U-turn variants SHOULD lose to Calyrex-I. In practice, it's just barely able to stall the Calyrex-I out for long enough to pivot out on the final turn of Trick Room, and threaten it out with Miraidon. Far from reliable, and definitely is a key weakness of the team, but it's not an autolose matchup.

I'll be honest, I had 0 attachment to Corviknight prior to this team, but the combination of this team and my week 4 team (which ended up being a variation of this team with Calyrex-I over Miraidon), as well as the continued success that my friends and I saw with the mon have led to me realising that it's honestly a super slept on pick in the tier. A slow pivot with removal enables so much, and I implore others to explore the avenue more instead of defaulting to 4 Boots/loading dogshit Giratina-O sets in an attempt to pretend that it's actually going to prevent hazards.

Koraidon @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Orichalcum Pulse
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Close Combat
- Flare Blitz
- Outrage
- U-turn​

I have very little to say about this set truthfully, Scarf Koraidon is the best mon in the tier bar none in my eyes. It's the ultimate revenge killer and an equally potent breaker. While Adamant Scarf with bulk is something that's been floating around recently, I've felt most comfortable being able to have potential speed ties as a "safety" net, and the reliability of the set is probably its biggest selling point on this team.

The move choices are nothing special, Close Combat > Low Kick is entirely because I despise Low Kick as a move, especially on a team with Helmet Corviknight to punish EKiller, the big reason you'd avoid Close Combat usually. I've also found the damage to be notable against Ho-Oh of all things, outdamaging Regenerator against offensive sets has been more helpful than I'd expected. I'm not going to let some random mf load a Diancie and screw me over with it, nor will I fail to 2HKO TPP's Chi-Yu, Close Combat is better. Outrage over Dragon Claw is another personal preference, this time with more reasoning beyond somewhat blind hatred, this team benefits so much more from the cleaning potential of Outrage compared to the revenge killing of Dragon Claw. I can check the bikes well enough to justify it here. Dragon Claw does suck on 99% of teams its on though and that's a hill I will die on. It's usable unlike Low Kick though :3

Tera Ghost does 2 things here, allows it to 1v1 opposing Koraidon and to check EKiller. More specifically, in matchups where Zacian-C has chipped down/KO'd Corviknight, Tera Ghost Koraidon can shut down end game EKillers, with Close Combat OHKOing non-Chople variants, and Outrage dealing ~60% to Tera Ghost sets.

Like I said, not much to say, it's the best mon in the tier for a reason and it just works. If it ain't broke, don't try fix it.

Kyogre @ Leftovers / Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Drizzle
Tera Type: Ground
EVs: 248 HP / 240 Def / 20 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Ice Beam
- Origin Pulse
- Thunder
- Thunder Wave / Calm Mind (worse into ladder imo)​

Time for the king of Ubers, arguably the most dominant Uber of all time, and my personal favourite to use in SV, Kyogre! While I've definitely had issues with Defensive Kyogre being too weak in the past, it's the perfect fit for this team. It works amazingly alongside Arceus-Fairy and Corviknight to deal with the combination of physical threats in the tier. Primarily being a great Koraidon switchin, as well as strong way to force out NDM and Zacian-C, Kyogre works great here to disrupt mons that otherwise cause the team a lotta problems.

The itemslot toss up entirely came down to my personal mood, and the aggressiveness of others using the team. The arguments for both make complete sense, and I've had successes with both. Leftovers is great when playing more aggressively, especially with the CM set, HDB is a safer option when you'd expect to be unable to Defog as easily with Corviknight. My personal preference leans towards Leftovers, it's just much more reliable as a Koraidon check with Leftovers, and I've personally rarely struggled to keep hazards off my side. This definitely would change in tour play where I'd say it hinges on the expectation of Taunt Gliscor/Support Arceus which would stop Corviknight. The EV spread is just a simple max max with some speed for other Kyogres, I messed around with Modest over Bold but ultimately the damage output isn't necessary on this team, and the better rolls against Koraidon are far more meaningful.

Calcs against Koraidon

252 Atk Koraidon Low Kick (120 BP) vs. 248 HP / 240+ Def Kyogre: 157-186 (38.9 - 46.1%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 Atk Koraidon Low Kick (120 BP) vs. 248 HP / 240 Def Kyogre: 172-204 (42.6 - 50.6%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery

0 SpA Kyogre Ice Beam vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Koraidon: 184-218 (53.9 - 63.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
0+ SpA Kyogre Ice Beam vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Koraidon: 202-238 (59.2 - 69.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

The extra Defense is incredibly helpful, especially on HDB variants, and while the SpA is nice to try pick it off after Flare Blitz recoil, I didn't feel that it was worthwhile.

As for its moves, my Water STAB of choice is Origin Pulse instead of Surf as the guaranteed 2HKO on HDB NDM, as well as an extremely chance to 2HKO max HP Arceus (OHKO on Groundceus) is worth the miss chance. Ice Beam covers Koraidon and is thus arguably the most important move on the set, every other move could in theory be switched bar it. Thunder mostly helps into the opposing Kyogre matchup, but can also be a reliable alternative click against weakened foes. The last slot is a toss up between Calm Mind and Thunder Wave, and from using the team, it entirely depends on the metagame it's being used in. I've found that in a HO setting (ladder), Thunder Wave ends up being far more useful as Kyogre rarely gets a chance to setup, and is instead used as a stop to offensive threats, paralyzing the foes it can't KO are incredibly important. In a tours setting that isn't dominated by HO spam anywhere nearly as much as ladder, Calm Mind can turn Kyogre into a potent breaker as few teams reliably answer it defensively, and it can become a pain to overwhelm offensively (especially if it Teras).

Tera Ground is my preferred Tera of choice, I tested both Fairy and Grass extensively and ultimately, the Miraidon immunity was just too valuable for this team. It forces choiced Miraidon into 50/50 hell as it cannot hit Kyogre and Arceus simultaneously, and can 1v1 HDB sets if needed. Furthermore, it can lure Zacian-C into clicking Wild Charge, only to be immune and then hit it for 70 with Origin Pulse/paralyze it with Thunder Wave. I've only Tera'd Kyogre once in over 200 games with this team at this point, it's never in a position to want to lose its base typing, the only exception occurring when Ting-Lu was lost against a Meteor Beam Eternatus that crit a +1 Dynamax Cannon, after having taken a Spike + U-turn chip from HDB Miraidon. The Tera type here is really a minor optimisation, and not something I've given much thought to beyond that.

This thing is definitely my favourite mon to build with atm, it's just so goddamn reliable on every build and this is no exception <3.

Miraidon @ Choice Specs
Ability: Hadron Engine
Tera Type: Normal / Dark / Dragon
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Electro Drift
- Overheat
- Volt Switch​

This mon should've been banned. I don't think Miraidon will need a long explanation, it's the nuke button. The team's built around getting it in safely and deleting something off the face of the Earth. Swapping Eternatus for it made this team so much easier to pilot, as well as making every piece work together more cohesively. Entro's a real one for this suggestion <3.

Thanks to the removal Corviknight provides, Miraidon doesn't need HDB to avoid hazards, and coupled with the fact that this team doesn't need fast Taunt to prevent setup threats (since it can defensively check them reliably enough), Specs became the obvious choice. Standard 252 Timid stuff here, the power boost of Modest isn't worth losing the speed tie against Scale Koraidon/opposing Miraidon. Draco/Drift need no explanation, they're the entire thing this mon does. Overheat is notable because, under Sun, its comparable to Draco against opposing balances, striking the middle ground between hitting the Fairy (Arceus-Fairy or Zacian-C, rarely Flutter Mane too) and Ground (Arceus-Ground, Ting-Lu, or Clodsire). Oh and there's the added bonus of breaking NDM without fearing the Ground coming in too! This makes it a great breaking tool for Scarf Koraidon and CM Arceus to clean in the end game. Volt Switch vs U-turn was something I debated for a while but ultimately, there's no reason to click U-turn with the only wallbreaker on the team, the momentum is used to get it in, not the other way around. If its hitting the field, it wants to be hitting hard, and Volt Switch does exactly that, hitting hard, while giving a pivoting option on the rare occasion that it's needed. Yes, Ground-types are immune, but that's not the point of Volt Switch, if it's ever clicked with a Ground-type alive, it was probably a worse option than Electro Drift :3.

Tera Normal/Dark are both defensive Teras, Normal being purely for Basculegion, Dark sacrificing the longevity against hazard stack/Taunt Gliscor/Arceus to instead be immune to NDM Photon Geyser, a panic button either way. Tera Dragon works well when Corviknight is Tera Normal, it makes Draco an even stronger nuke, and while Fire would technically be more optimal for that specifically, being rocks weak sadly negates value gained from the power buff. Not a tonne to say here, all 3 types are pretty straight forward.

I don't particularly enjoy building with Miraidon usually, it just doesn't fit my preferred style of balance or bulky offense, but it works incredibly well here, no other mon breaks hard enough for this team to force progress before it gets overwhelmed by the onslaught of offense.

Ting-Lu @ Leftovers
Ability: Vessel of Ruin
Tera Type: Water / Grass / Poison
EVs: 236 HP / 252 SpD / 20 Spe
Careful Nature
- Earthquake
- Ruination
- Stealth Rock
- Whirlwind​

Big up Ting-Lu, the only real defensive counterplay to Miraidon (I am not writing an essay on why SpD Groundceus sucks in an RMT, maybe another time). Working immaculately alongside Arceus-Fairy to check Special Attackers, Ting-Lu provides the team with the hazards and phazing that it needs. Another very simple mon in what it does, but damn is it reliable at it.

Leftovers is chosen over HDB since Defog allows it to avoid having to come in on hazards most of the time. It thus makes it a significantly better stop against Specs Miraidon, which notably now longer 2HKOs after recovery, which this team values dearly. The EV spread and nature are always a toss up between the one I picked and 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 SpD Sassy, with 9 Speed IVs. I'm still not certain which is better than the other but, they both manipulate the Calyrex-I matchup. In its current state, 20 Speed allows you to Whirlwind out opposing Ting-Lu before they Whirlwind it, but does come at the expense of being faster than Calyrex-I (Brave 0 IVs). Sassy 0 9 IVs on the other hand underspeeds all Calyrex-I variants, making it a better option if one can reliably bait the Tera Fire, as EQ can then do ~50% if it comes in during TR. Both options are solid, I've just found myself not needing to throw Ting-Lu in against Calyrex-I enough to justify the slower set recently. The moveset is nothing to write home about, EQ, Ruination are both a given, Whirlwind is too valuable of a tool against setup threats, the only notable choice is Stealth Rock compared to Spikes. I've found it incredibly rare to have more than a turn or two in which I could set hazards up with this team, and the value of 1 Spike is lesser than Stealth Rocks for this team, being able to outright deter the likes of Fire Koraidon/NDM is incredibly valuable, as well as being reliable at breaking Sashes on HO (notably Rayquaza). It could be either move, I've just a strong preference to Rocks here.

Once again, the Tera here is a reactionary one. It's not one you'd commonly click, Water helps against Zacian-C, Kyogre and Calyrex-I, allowing Ting-Lu to comfortably take Behemoth Blade, Origin Pulse and Glacial Lance respectively. Zacian-C also fails to OHKO with a +3 Close Combat at this point, notably being able to do so after a HDB Miraidon Draco Meteor, which is why it's my preferred choice. Definitely a niche interaction though, not one that comes into play very often. Grass means that Ting-Lu can comfortably 1v1 the likes of CM Kyogre and Waterceus, Ice Beam takes too long to get going, and Ruination + EQ constantly keeps the pair low. Poison is the other Tera I've occasionally loaded, being a Toxic Spike absorber primarily, while also being able to be a pseudo-lure to Zacian-C and Koraidon. Tera on Ting-Lu is once again barely relevant but the options are nice to have.

The Results​

Unlike a lotta RMTs of this length, I've not topped a ladder with this, in fact, I despite laddering more than anything else in mons. It's worked great for me in UWC, winning my week 3 game, and I'm aware of at least 4 others who've used this team to gain reqs for the Miraidon suspect, with another using it for the ongoing Last Respects one. Variants of this team have also seen success, such as the Calyrex-I version that Aberforth and I both won with in later weeks.

​

and with that, there's the team! I've linked the team to the sprites above and below because I'm QUIRKY like that omg. The team isn't without its flaws, the Zacian-C + EKiller/Calyrex-I, or worse yet, the combination of all 3, matchup can be incredibly hard to play around, but I've found consistent win paths even in those games. I can't say I've built a team I enjoy more than this in a long while, and I guess this is a love letter to that. It's just an incredibly me team, I don't expect it to shake the world, especially not in a HO metagame like this but, it's definitely the team I feel most comfortable piloting.

​

A massive thanks once again to Terracotta, Hack, entrocefalo, Aberforth, Frito, and corvere for their help with the building, testing, and refining of the team.

I'm also gonna use this as a chance to write my shoutouts for people in general, I don't see myself making a team I love as much as this any time soon, and what's a better place to put my love for others than with something else I love? Sorry in advance for saying the same thing so many times, I will run out of compliments. Oh and I won't @ people twice even if they overlap between communities. I'm also not gonna proofread this section, I don't like filtering/censoring my thoughts, so whatever ensues is just raw emotions.

Shoutouts

Meri Berry - There's no words I can use to express how I feel about you hun, you've been nothing short of amazing to me for the past year, helping me outta situations I never expected to escape, being someone I could turn to no matter what. Being willing to put up with my truly unfiltered rambling at any hour of the day, you're truly the highlight of my day and ilysm Meri <3.

Marse and @ lapis (idt she has a Smogon account but draft mains should recognise the name) - I don't expect either of you two to ever see this but hey, you two were there for me throughout my childhood and I'm eternally indebted to you, so if you ever find this, I hope it made you smile.

vmnunes - We've never talked anywhere near as much as any of my other friends, but you're the only one who's stuck by me for the entirety of the last six year, through all the bullshit I've dragged you through time and time again, what more can I say beyond I'm eternally grateful for our friendship. You've helped me grow not only as a person, but also as a player, and I cannot put into words how important you've been to me.

abriel and KingofKrook - I tried splitting you two but I couldn't, you two are some of the most reliable friends I could ever ask for, always there for me whenever I've needed y'all. I love spending time with the both of you, even if its just silently vibing in VC while others talk, it's always a joy. You've both stuck by me through some of the toughest parts of my life, and I'm so fucking glad to still be friends with you both, ilysm.

Eve - pweading, you're amazing darling. Having someone who's there to ground me to reality, to make me understand that life's not as shit as I think it is, while also being willing to come by weekly to hang out, it's unreal. You're truly one of a kind babe and I don't think I can put that into words any clearer.

Aberforth - It was to either Theia, Kate or Chloe that I once said you're like the father figure of your friend groups, and I think that perfectly sums you up. You're someone I can trust wholeheartedly, someone I can turn to in times of need, as well as someone who'll call me out when I mess up. In a similar vein to Nunes, I attribute a lot of my skills as a player to your countless hours helping me, and that will never be forgotten. Above all else, you're a great friend and I need that in my life, I'm so glad you're in my life.

Realzzz and takuaa - Out of all of the muppets I could've found, I'm beyond glad I found you two. Hanging out with you two is always a blast, no matter what we're talking about or doing, and I appreciate that so incredibly much.

Chloe, corvere, Fivell and ishtar - Omg grouping the gays together, I love all four of y'all so much. Talking with y'all is so enjoyable and y'all always try your best to put a smile on my face :D. Y'all are awesome and I hope we can make so many more happy memories.

Celestiial - I don't think I've ever been happier to randomly @ someone one evening to talk about twinks, and yet here I am a year later, having spent at least half of the year since talking with you. I told you this recently but I greatly cherish our friendship, hanging out with you in VC and listening to you go on about whatever the flavour of the day is makes me so incredibly happy <3. Watching you grow both as a person and as a player over the last year has been nothing short of amazing.

Frito - We've definitely had our differences but, I cannot even begin to state how much you've changed how I approach this game. Talking about ideas with you, testing them, seeing the flops and hidden techs, all amazing memories that have helped me a tonne. I also cannot forget the monumental favours you've done for me, and I'm so unbelievably grateful to have you in my life hun.

Theia - I don't think I owe more to anyone for their efforts on this site more than you. Not only are you a reliable friend whom I cherish and adore talking with, you're the biggest reason Draft as a section exists. I wouldn't have a place to call home and to micromanage like hell if it weren't for the time and effort you invested into it. You're truly irreplaceable no matter what you say.

Rissoux - You gave me a chance, multiple chances even, when I'd severely wronged others. Time and time again you've had my back and given me the opportunities to try correct my wrongdoings, and without those, I'm not sure I'd be in the community at all, wouldn't have met so many great friends. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the chances you've given me, I certainly didn't deserve them.

aurora, Kate and Lasen - Y'all are some of my favourite friends that I've made from Ubers. Hanging out with either of you is a blast and I appreciate you all dearly

TPP - You are the single happiest person I've ever met. Do. Not. Change. You're like the loveable funny uncle and trust me, in a world that's incredibly bleak, having you around is a blessing.

PICHU, most of the guys don't have Smogon accounts so I'll tag who I can and mention the rest by name, 2playaLuffy, Paying Attenton, EndlessGadgets, UnviaSai, Golden Warrior, Fc, Feyy, Your_Shinigami, sablolol, Blind Messiah as well as Elle, Max, Burning, Flare, Drew, Boat, Cody, Eevee, Acshy, Juke, Ascii and just about everyone who's stuck around the server all these years - Y'all make the server what it is and I'm so glad to have y'all as friends. Every single one of you makes the server an amazing place to be <3. Massive thanks to the group of y'all that VC most nights too, it's a blast and I love it so much.

Orthworm Cult, Hacker, olivia, ken, Vertigo, scionicle, UT, nya, Luigi, Taka, Flying Beagle, Mizuhime, SEA, Slowpoke Fan, Dave, Larry and the rest of the cult - There's a reason this chat goes at a million miles an hour, and it's because all of y'all, and I am SO here for it. There isn't a time of day where cult isn't popping off and it's just such an awesome vibe. There's never a day where I don't open the chat and not start laughing at the chaos that ensues. Y'all are one tightly knit family-like community and I love you all <3.

kumiko - Putting you separated from the others because I wanna thank you again for inviting me to WWDL, It's been a blast and I love hanging out there with everyone. Tysm for that hun.
WWDL, Garay oak, Lily, zoe, MattyBrollic, talah, Edgar, CrashinBoomBang, Vileman, Finchinator, col49, aiko and honestly everyone in the server I could keep going for a while - WWDL is one of my favourite places to talk, and that's entirely cause of y'all being great people. Even with the mons aside, it's always a great time when I open the chat so thank you all for making such a lovely space. Even IF Mat is insistent on his terrible Johto takes, the server's always somewhere I enjoy talking when I've the time :3 ily all.

Draftcord, Tjb145, a fairy, SparksBlade, ultraplayer, ComputerWhiz, Happygate, TRowePrice667, Scribble, SolarBeam,, Thomas18, and the rest of Draft's enormous staff team - Thank you every single one of y'all for the work you do to keep the server and community being as great as it is, it makes me so incredibly happy to see others wanna work alongside me on something I've put my blood, sweat and tears into. Means a lot that y'all enjoy the place enough to wanna help out and I appreciate it dearly.

VIG, Mogo, Techno, PZZ, ElevatedGodlynessOfficial, Bananacrazy111 and HJ5ean - I cannot name a more batshit crazy yet funny server that I'm apart of. VIG is one of the funniest places to be in and my god does it help unwind to talk with y'all, absolute goats the lot of you.

I also wanna thank Uberscord for being such a great place too. While it's primarily a mix of people I've mentioned before, it's definitely a community I love being apart of so thanks to all of y'all.

Finally, Sapphire, Ticken, Lumari, Steorra, TheUzigunner, aim, pichus, pannu, devin, Felucia, Luxanse, Tinkatwink, Nalaa, Sylvi, yuki - I wanna thank all my friends who don't really fit into any of these social circles, hell some of us don't even talk anymore but, I've gotten to know y'all from various places across the community and I love all of y'all so tysm for being my friend at various points across the years <3.

If you got this far, you deserve a gold medal. I'm really sorry if I missed anyone, @ ing that many people was bound to go wrong...

 

[Lasen]

aurora, Kate and Lasen -

retracting my like immediately upon being grouped with two women

 

[Paying Attenton]

What do you think draft players would think about the utilization of Corviknight in Ubers? In all seriousness I am happy for you and how far you've come <3

 

[Nyx]

What do you think draft players would think about the utilization of Corviknight in Ubers?

I guess my next job is convincing all of them that they’re wrong for hating on the bird…

 

[SparksBlade]

difficult to express our friendship in words

corvgratulations on making this stupid mon work being able to run non-hdb sets on bikes is always good value for your next magic trick maybe cure your gacha addiction