Introduction
So, as per usual, I was getting mossed by Incineroar in VGC for the hundredth time by now, and I really wanted to find something that could not just stand up against it, but annihilate it. So, as I do whenever I want inspiration, I consulted previous tournaments. I watched the 2024 LAIC, and saw Thiago Lattanzi's 2nd Place team, using a Regieleki as a form of speed control and damage. I looked more into it, and read explanations of how Tera Ice Regieleki was a very strong attacker in Reg D, though it lacked usage since it was allowed. I remembered the past days of when Regieleki could just nuke everything with Life Orb Max Lightning in Gen 8, so I became determined to build a team around this mon. And the best part:
+2 252+ SpA Life Orb Transistor Regieleki Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Assault Vest Incineroar: 122-146 (60.3 - 72.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
What wasn't to like?
Teambuilding Process
I wanted to be able to allow it to be able to do (forgive the pun)lightning-fast damage and end a battle without much trouble. I also wanted it to be easy to use, so I decided to add my favorite support mon, Smeargle, which can now use Decorate to boost Regieleki's sweeping potential to absurd levels, being able to two-shot literally everything.
Rillaboom is a good support pokemon for Regieleki, as it provides Grassy Terrain, weakening Earthquake, Fake Out support, and the ability to soften up other pokemon to give Regieleki the ability to take them down with one hit.
There used to be a Flutter Mane in this spot, but after careful deliberation(and a lot of Chien-Pao), I changed it to Indeedee Female, which was also used by Thiago Lattanzi on his team, though it ran Psychic over Dazzling Gleam.
Urshifu Rapid serves as a reliable way to soften up defensive Regieleki threats, and KO more offensive Regieleki threats.
Just like Thiago, I realized how well Chi-Yu synergizes with Regieleki, providing support with Beads of Ruin, and getting support from Electroweb.
Team Breakdown
Regieleki @ Life Orb
Ability: Transistor
Level: 50
Tera Type: Ice
EVs: 108 HP / 12 Def / 252 SpA / 12 SpD / 124 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunderbolt
- Electroweb
- Tera Blast
- Protect
The reason the team is called Ragnarök is because the cataclysmic event has natural disasters, and Regieleki can cause a disaster with its Life Orb boosted STAB Thunderbolt(thunderstorms)and Tera Blast Ice(blizzards). BoltBeam has always been one of the most coverage sets, allowing the pokemon to become almost impossible to swap in with, even if the mon itself is bad. And having STAB on both makes it even more threatening, and after getting a boost, can cause a match to spiral out of control. Life Orb is favored over Magnet because it provides a much more powerful damage buff, making it a far more formidable foe. Life Orb is also more useful than Expert Belt in this situation, as Life Orb gives a slightly stronger damage output, but can be the decider in a match. For example:
+2 252+ SpA Life Orb Transistor Regieleki Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 252 SpD Assault Vest Incineroar: 134-160 (66.3 - 79.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Compare this to Expert Belt:
+2 252+ SpA Transistor Regieleki Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 252 SpD Assault Vest Incineroar: 103-123 (50.9 - 60.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
The Life Orb is a decider as to whether or not Regieleki can get OHKOs, rather than 2HKOs with Expert Belt.
Electroweb serves as a form of speed control and a secondary STAB move, giving it another way to support its teammates. I believe in one of the replays, unboosted Regieleki allows Chi-Yu to win a game by using Electroweb, lowering an Ogerpon-H's speed to get outspeed by Chi-Yu and proceed to get KO'd by a Heat Wave. Finally, Protect allows us to get a safe Decorate off, which is crucial for this strategy to work. If we fail to get a Decorate off and lose Smeargle without it doing anything on the field, the match instantly becomes harder with only one(or no) Follow Me user to allow a teammate set up(see Chi-Yu), and having to instantly go on the offensive with no option for defensive plays. As for the EVs, the max Special Attack is obviously for maximum damage output, hence the Modest Nature. 124 speed EVs allow us to outspeed all Scarf Urshifu-R sets, and the rest was put into bulk.
Smeargle @ Covert Cloak
Ability: Own Tempo
Level: 50
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Decorate
- Fake Out
- Follow Me
- Spiky Shield
This Smeargle set is what allows Regieleki to be such a dangerous sweeper, with a move granting the Electron Pokemon a +2 boost to both its offensive stats: Decorate. Fake Out provides its teammates with a safe switch-in, set-up, or a knockout, along with improving our positioning. Follow Me is what is usually used once Regieleki is at +2, and also allows for a free switch-in, assuming Smeargle gets knocked out. Finally, Spiky Shield punishes physical attackers who will try to KO Smeargle in order to stop the impending doom of a +2 Regieleki with nothing that threatens it. The reason Smeargle is running both Covert Cloak and Tera Ghost is for two things. First of all, Covert Cloak is able to block Fake Out to be able to get off a Decorate safely. Tera Ghost, however, is to block Fighting STAB from opponents like Urshifu, which has no reason to believe that one would Tera a Smeargle over a Regieleki, which is most likely to need its Tera later on, hence the reason why we have Covert Cloak, as to avoid unnecessary Turn 1 Smeargle Tera. The EVs are meant to make it be fast and bulky, but we all know this thing gets one-tapped by literally every f***ing thing in the whole metagame.
0- SpA 0 IVs Indeedee Psychic vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Smeargle in Psychic Terrain: 102-120 (62.9 - 74%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Sigh, guess we can't have it all. Then again, Smeargle with a BST above 350 would be a bit too OP.
Rillaboom @ Assault Vest
Ability: Grassy Surge
Level: 50
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Grassy Glide
- U-turn
- Wood Hammer
- Fake Out
Rillaboom serves as a more reliable Ground check for Regieleki, with the combination of Grassy Surge and Grassy Glide gives it the ability to take on threats like Ursaluna Blood Moon, which threatens to KO Regieleki, or force the Tera. This also brings me to my second point:
+2 252 Atk Rillaboom Wood Hammer vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Farigiraf in Grassy Terrain: 232-274 (102.2 - 120.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
As I will say an awful lot, Trick Room really spells trouble for this team, especially when paired with Expanding Force, negating our redirection strategies are almost always in vain. However, Rillaboom changes all this with the pairing of Grassy Surge and Wood Hammer. In a hypothetical situation where they lead with a Trick Room clearly coming up, Smeargle would use Decorate, combined with Rillaboom's most powerful STAB move, Wood Hammer, and get almost an instant knockout on anything neutral(example, the Trick Room user). This is the main reason I chose Rillaboom instead of Ogerpon-Wellspring, because Rillaboom has just low enough speed to be able to get the Decorate buff, and obtain the raw power needed to stop Trick Room set-up and allow our teammates to be able to function as they should be, fast sweeping pokemon. And if Farigiraf isn't brought, then we can simply use Fake Out + (insert Regieleki Thunderbolt/Urshifu-R Surging Strikes/Chi-Yu Heat Wave) to stop Trick Room and control the pace. And as for Psychic Surge, Rillaboom can come in predicting an Expanding Force and Smeargle could get off a Fake Out, and then we would adapt from there. Assault Vest is to allow Rillaboom to boost its lackluster Special Defense stats, and be able to take more hits for longer. This also allows it to be able to counter faster special attackers, and be able to beat them down with that 125 base attack stat. Rillaboom is also able to assist whenever something faster than Regieleki comes on the field, using its STAB moves to beat down the likes of Flutter Mane, Iron Bundle, and Iron Boulder(also Valiant, but no one uses that anymore), which it can 1v1 thanks to its Assault Vest.
Indeedee-F @ Psychic Seed
Ability: Psychic Surge
Level: 50
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Follow Me
- Dazzling Gleam
- Protect
- Helping Hand
Why use a speedy pokemon when you can just spam priority? This is something I worried about while building this team, hence why I added Indeedee. For one, it allows us to constantly maintain momentum with dual terrain, and Psychic Surge in particular assists Regieleki in staying at the top of the speed tier, with nothing being able to outspeed it(except for certain Booster Energy pokemon, but they ain't taking on Rillaboom) or out priority it, since Psychic Terrain blocks priority moves from all sides, which is one of the reasons it's such a good partner for the Electron Pokemon.
But that's not even the tip of the iceberg.
If we lead with Smeargle + Regieleki, and Smeargle falls, Indeedee can take its spot and further boost the lightning bolt's abilities with Helping Hand, boosting its power even further. And with Indeedee's Follow Me, it can redirect moves from Regieleki, letting it get off an attack that would not be as useful if it had taken damage, along with preserving the win-con. Protect is for preserving Indeedee, which is an invaluable member of the team, as it can help the other team members with its support arsenal, along with scouting. Finally, Dazzling Gleam allows Indeedee to provide chip damage or land the final blow needed to KO an opponent, and to stop it from becoming completely useless after a Taunt(though, for some reason, I haven't seen it in forever). As for the item and EV spread, it is meant to give it the maximum ability to absorb damage after clicking Follow Me. As Psychic Seed already boosted the Special Defense, the EVs are meant to boost the physical side of things, along with Fairy Tera to block Dark type moves and to boost Dazzling Gleam.
Urshifu-Rapid-Strike @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Unseen Fist
Level: 50
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Surging Strikes
- Close Combat
- Aqua Jet
- U-turn
This mon will probably have the shortest explanation of the pokemon here, as it's(believe it, you Incineroar worshippers) the most unremarkable mon on this team. Its role is a simple one, finish off 1-2 pokemon that Regieleki chipped down after deleting half their team. It can also provide a way for Regieleki to not have to Tera early by providing Water coverage with Surging Strikes and Aqua Jet. Close Combat is almost unmatchable in its ability to provide a strong neutral move that can finish off foes weakened by Regieleki, or weaken foes for its teammates to finish off. U-Turn is preferred over Ice Spinner, as the team enjoys the ability to abuse terrain, though it makes dealing with Dragon types harder. The EV spread is basic for this mon, and Choice Scarf is just meant to allow it to outspeed some of its checks(example, Specs Flutter Mane). Water Tera is to just boost Surging Strikes. (How did I keep this under seven lines, even with this useless comment?)
Chi-Yu @ Focus Sash
Ability: Beads of Ruin
Level: 50
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 20 HP / 252 SpA / 236 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Protect
- Heat Wave
- Dark Pulse
- Nasty Plot
I'm going to try and not mention the core of Chi-Yu and Regieleki yet, because I want to devote a section of this post to it. That's how much I like it. For now though, let's take a look at this fiery fish. This set is one of my favorites, using the Focus Sash to become a dangerous endgame sweeper, and has a strong ability in Beads of Ruin to augment this. Protect allows us to be able to scout opponents, and to set-up with a Smeargle Decorate. And if a more direct approach was needed, it can just use Nasty Plot to boost its Special Attack, essentially having the same effect as Decorate. This mon synergizes well with the rest of the team, especially Smeargle. I think I remember playing mind games with an opponent, on whether or not I would Fake Out + Nasty Plot, or Follow Me + Nasty Plot, or Decorate + Protect. They guessed wrong and it cost them the game and the set. Heat Wave is Chi-Yu's main move that it'll click most of the game, with its ability to hit both foes, along with having a chance to cripple physical attackers with a burn. Neutral targets will not be surviving a +2 Tera Fire Beads of Ruin Heat Wave, especially after some chip damage. Dark Pulse provides a way to get more consistent single target damage, and can help our fish out in some 1v1s. As for the EV spread, 236 Spe is required to outspeed non-scarf Urshifu, and the rest was put to max out Special Attacker and put in a bit of HP.
Regieleki's Apocalyptic Strength
And before I move on, here are some more calcs to show how strong this thing is, in case you Flutter Mane worshippers don't believe me:
Can this ghostly mage withstand Regieleki's onslaught:+2 252+ SpA Life Orb Transistor Regieleki Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 252 SpD Protosynthesis Flutter Mane: 118-140 (72.8 - 86.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Don't even try me.
How about the credited microwave oven, that resists both STABs?+2 252+ SpA Life Orb Transistor Regieleki Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Rotom-Heat: 82-97 (52.2 - 61.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
The same answer as when you asked your mother whether you should microwave a piece of paper: no.
Surely, this alien magnet, with way higher stats than the silly microwave oven, is able to at least take two hits from this thing, right?+2 252+ SpA Life Orb Transistor Regieleki Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Magnezone: 92-109 (51.9 - 61.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Never mind, it short-circuited.
How about Regice, with the third highest Special Defense stats in the game, only behind Shuckle and Eternatus-Eternamax?+2 252+ SpA Life Orb Transistor Regieleki Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Regice: 105-125 (56.1 - 66.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
I guess Regice melted under the pressure.
Alright then, how about the all-powerful special wall Blissey? No way Regieleki can stand a chance.+2 252+ SpA Life Orb Transistor Regieleki Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 0+ SpD Blissey: 169-200 (46.6 - 55.2%) -- 68% chance to 2HKO
Not like Blissey could do much in front of it anyways, but that's just kinda sad. Guess I gotta go back to max SpDef Blissey, and then get one tapped by Breloom Mach Punch.
How about this pokemon that is the ancestor of a pokemon who is said to be hotter than magma?+2 252+ SpA Life Orb Tera Ice Regieleki Tera Blast (80 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252 SpD Protosynthesis Gouging Fire: 105-125 (49.5 - 58.9%) -- 99.6% chance to 2HKO
What's magma going to do against a thunderstorm? Melt it?
Ok, so now I'm not even gonna boost this thing. I'm just gonna give these other mons the benefit of the doubt, as they are not as overwhelmingly powerful as the others.
How about this ancestor of a pokemon who is said to be the embodiment of the speed of lightning?252+ SpA Life Orb Tera Ice Regieleki Tera Blast (80 BP) vs. 244 HP / 4 SpD Assault Vest Raging Bolt: 120-143 (51.9 - 61.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Try outspeeding a little zebra(
has a base speed of 76, 1 higher than Raging Bolt), then we'll talk.
Ok, so maybe this Trick Room staple can at least withstand a hit.252+ SpA Life Orb Transistor Regieleki Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Torkoal: 157-187 (88.7 - 105.6%) -- 37.5% chance to OHKO
Out of all the other mons, this addict tortoise has the best chance out of them all to damage it. If it lives.
Ok, one of my personal favorites. No way Indeedee, after a Psychic seed boost, can get 2 shotted by a...+2 252+ SpA Transistor Regieleki Thunderbolt vs. +1 252 HP / 4 SpD Indeedee-F: 117-138 (66.1 - 77.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Yeah, well you tried your best. Let's see you pay your electricity bills now.
Even the powerful special tank Ting-Lu cannot stop the apocalypse:+2 252+ SpA Tera Ice Regieleki Tera Blast (80 BP) vs. 100 HP / 212 SpD Assault Vest Vessel of Ruin Ting-Lu: 120-144 (49.3 - 59.2%) -- 98% chance to 2HKO
Regieleki's Necklace
This is the core I devised for the team, consisting of Regieleki, Smeargle, and Chi-Yu. Essentially, Regieleki is the fast and immediate damage dealer that can chip down opponents with Electroweb, which can be further boosted by Beads of Ruin by Chi-Yu, along with Decorate by Smeargle. And after the Electroweb, Chi-Yu is able to get off a strong attack after it outspeeds the opponents, thanks to Electroweb's speed drop. Essentially, Smeargle is able to boost these two with Decorate, and provide support through Folllow Me and Fake Out. Chi-Yu is the heaviest hitter of the core, and uses Heat Wave and Dark Pulse to KO the opponents it now outspeeds thanks to Regieleki. And ideally, Smeargle would have boosted one of them before it got KO'd.
Threats
This team has a few things it struggles against, and here are specific things that requires the team to use its tools in unorthodox ways.
These two, when on the field at the same time, are annoying to take care of, as our heaviest hitters lack the coverage moves needed to take them down. Ideally, Regieleki and Chi-Yu(with Regieleki boosted) would be on the field to take these on. Regieleki would Tera Ice and go for the Raging Bolt, while Chi-Yu would either Protect or Dark Pulse. And if we have one more pokemon in the back, this would work. But if the two are the last in the party, it is indeed a risky play.
Farigiraf Trick Room has been very annoying, as always requires a prediction, and the team usually get punished for it. And if they lead with it, nothing goes wrong. But if they don't lead with it, it results in being put in the back foot at Turn 1.
Aside from this, here are some general nuisances that can cause the team to struggle if not taken care off:
(booster energy, not specs) 
(booster energy) 
(vest) + 
+ 
(Psyspam+Trick Room) 
(weather)Replays for those who desire entertainment:
v.s Urshifu Balance:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9vgc2024regfbo3-2090883296
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9vgc2024regfbo3-2090882312
v.s Weezing Stockpile:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9vgc2024regf-2090516163
v.s Rain:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9vgc2024regfbo3-2091016783
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9vgc2024regfbo3-2091019287
v.s Cresselia Trick Room:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9vgc2024regfbo3-2091074942-pbd0nu0r4b6paudprki1evih13ckf1gpw
v.s A Lucky Kingambit Balance
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9vgc2024regfbo3-2091078870
Pokepaste:
https://pokepast.es/45e73a8b12b4e79d
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