National Dex Premier League V Power Rankings

« Previous Article

Next Article »

Welcome to the NDPL V power rankings! Here, we've compiled the opinions of talented and experienced players alike from eight different teams and provided rankings for every starter in every single tier. It is worth noting that these rankings are not to be taken to heart; there are numerous variables to be taken into account, and it's entirely possible for lower-ranked players to make some huge upsets in-game.

Of course, these rankings wouldn't have been possible without the help of our dedicated writers and editors. A special thanks goes out to these people: adem, adorluigi, bumboclaat, ChrisPBacon, Fragments, LUSTRE, Mada, red fintans, Runo, sealoo, Smudge, eragon, Sulo, and sunny004. I'd also like to thank every single one of the people that participated in the rankings. This wouldn't have been possible without you guys!

---

SV Rankings

The Weaviles arguably assembled one of the strongest SV OU cores in the tier. Lily is just an all-around amazing pilot who can make some impressive feats when backed with phenomenal support, which evidently, is far from lacking here. sealoo is undoubtedly one of the best examples of said support, boasting incredible teambuilding and playing ability along with a wealth of managerial experience that'll be pivotal in their success. Hailing from the South, alongside sealoo and kDCA, is pdt, who is of similarly high skill level and has dipped his toes relatively deep into National Dex with the results to back it up, brandishing a 5-2 record from last NDWC and playing a huge role in US South's overall success within that tournament. While his builds tend to be more unorthodox and outlandish compared to most other players, he has chalked up some nice wins regardless and proved that diverging from the norm can easily be key in obtaining notoriety at a consistent rate. Needless to say, their ranking is well deserved and accurately represents the reputation they've attained; whether or not they can live up to this ranking comes down to their overall motivation and effort put into preparation and in-game play.

Coming in second, the Starmies have also assembled a unit to be feared. They are highlighted by ezra, one of their earliest buys and a force to be reckoned with in SV NDOU. Whether you may point at the 2023 circuit ribbon, holding the #1 spot on ladder for months at a time with ethically questionable methods sure to make any offense player cry, or the 4-0 record playing the tier across NDPL IV and NDWC IV, it's hard to dismiss ezra's dominance in SV even in the wake of a pedestrian NatDex Invitational showing. Fellow Asia + Oceania player Mimikyu Stardust is coming off a solid 3-2 in NDWC IV, showing incredible versatility with Raging Bolt rain in one week and Frosmoth rain in another. Still, going positive despite loading rain every single week and even winning versus some of [URL='https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen9nationaldex-761821']the most designated rain counterteams[/URL] shows Mimikyu Stardust's proficiency as a pilot. Rounding off their trio is LBN, who quietly has had an incredible generation in SV NDOU, sporting a 12-5 record across NDWC III/IV and NDPL IV by bringing teams that could only be described as...very distinct. Still, as is the case with both Mimikyu Stardust and LBN, there may be some under or overcooking in the builder here, but it's abundantly clear that these three know exactly what they're doing in this tier and the high cumulative rank checks out.

Led by the Pokérich Clique duo of seth and Nashrock, who unfortunately happen to fall on opposite ends of the ranking spectrum, the Absols have very good odds for a strong showing in SV NDOU this season. Starting with seth, he clocked in as the top-rated player in the pool, barely beating out the likes of ezra, and should not be a new name to anyone around ND in the past year. Simply put, seth has been on a heater since securing a spot in the 2023 NatDex Circuit Championship, the result of which my lawyer has advised me to not speak about, for seth. A 5-2 NDWC IV and ring to match with it was already great, sure, but if that wasn't enough, seth also went on a dominant run in NatDex Invitational, winning the whole tournament while never dropping into the Losers bracket. There is no fall-off as we go into the Absol's SV2 though, with chronic NatDex-ladderer Separation being one of the strongest players in the signups entirely; his only real ND tournament showing was in NDWC IV where he went 3-2 for China, but other feats, such as an OLT finals berth, show Separation's undisputable and incredible quality as a player. Also hailing from China in NDWC IV would be the Absol's co-manager Nashrock, who unfortunately went 0-3 but appears to have redeemed himself with a decent run through NatDex Invitational. A lot of this team's success in SV will hinge on Nashrock beating the rankings to put up a solid record, as not many would question the prowess of seth & Separation, but if this can be made into reality, the Absols can hang with anyone in SV.

Similarly structured to the Absols, the Unmons have two very high-ranking slots and then a major outlier that is more towards the back half of the rankings. In their case, Kyo and omarsgarciav occupy the upper half, while ARTYMASION fights in the bottom half. The NatDex TL himself, Kyo notched a Top 5 placement likely off the back of his 13-7 record overall in SV NDOU and 2 NDWC rings to accompany. His record will likely hinge on how many Tera Grass Florges-type Pokémon catch his eye, or if he wants to build yet another sweaty Alomomola balance that will be sure to drag any game over 200 turns. Alongside Kyo is the antithesis of 200-turn games, omarsgarciav, who prefers Landorus-T and Iron Crown to Gliscor and Alomomola as can be seen in pretty much any game of his. However, a 5-2 NDWC IV record in his debut team tournament doesn't lie, omarsgarciav knows exactly where his strong suit lie, and that is clicking instantly with a suffocating offense and winning in 20 turns. ARTYMASION is more of a wildcard here, where even though at first glance his 0-3 NDWC IV doesn't inspire hope, one can see a player who got to Top 8 in NatDex Invitational, scoring wins against Mada and crying along the way. This unit has loads of potential and putting Kyo + ARTYMASION in a chat together may lead to some of the most exotic Pokémon being seen on the big stage, but whether they can consistently turn in wins will be the question to be answered.

In a move that shocked absolutely no one, the Phoenix decided to snag Suzuya, formerly known as Inder, to lead their SV core. Why is this not shocking? Perhaps it's Suzuya's 6-1 record in SV NDOU in NDPL IV? Maybe it's his finals appearance in NatDex Invitational taking eventual winner seth to 6 games? Frenchman Suzuya has exemplified excellence in NatDex throughout all his recent endeavors into the tier and this tournament should be no different. Fake retiree and fellow French companion, Ryuji, mans the SV2 slot. After a long hiatus post-winning NDPL IV, despite a rather middling 3-5 record in SV NDOU, Ryuji made round 3 of NDLT this summer, showing that an interest in the tier may still be there. avarice is a competent player to round out the trio, boasting an 8-8 record in the tier this generation, and teams from Ryuji should turn in another average performance at worst. There are no doubts this trio could lead Phoenix to the 3-peat, with good building and play, elements that win championships, as evidenced by the results of NDPL III & NDPL IV.

The Victinis managed to grab zioziotrip to start out their trio, who holds an incredible 9-2 record in NDPL IV/NDWC IV, an undeniably great start. Building his own teams to success, as someone who isn't that experienced in NatDex, both eases a burden on the other SV slots as well as the managers, since they don't have to worry about passing teams, and it also lets zioziotrip tune teams to fit exactly what he thinks is broken and wants to use, often finding itself being a dynamic hyper offense composition. Following zioziotrip is hidin, who has a reputation in NatDex team tournaments that has been quite the roller coaster so far. An 0-3 NDWC III into a 1-5 NDPL IV on the sinking boat otherwise known as the Mythical Manaphies, which was then followed by a 3-0 NDWC IV performance, leaves this as perhaps the most pivotal tournament of hidin's career so far. If he can clutch and post a solid record, perhaps the allegations of 0-X will fade away for the foreseeable future, but the only person who can control this will be hidin himself- it's do or die for one of the most involved persons in NatDex. Lastly there is Stories, who unfortunately came in last in the rankings. However, the upside here is that Stories has absolutely no pressure to perform, and nothing is more dangerous in SV NDOU than a player with a small scout, good playing ability, and no pressure in the world. Despite a 6th rank overall, this unit has potential to be much better than that rank would indicate.

Although not a particularly bad unit, the Gengars don't exactly stand out in a strong pool. The highest ranking would be peap, who went for a massive 27.5k last year en route to a meager 3-3 recorded in SV NDOU, but without such a large pricetag, that kind of result would be much more palatable for the Gengars to deal with. Despite what he will tell you, it's obvious peap keeps up with NatDex, since you can see PeaTSD in the ladder Top 10 at pretty much any given time. Speaking of ladder, Kayzn ranks right next to peap overall. Despite being a mainer who needs to be passed teams, it's hard to deny the PugGod's ability. A 5-3 record in NDPL IV indicates NatDex's strongest pug fan can hang with the best of them, and so long as he is supplied with adequate teams, that should be the case yet again this year. Finally, the manager of the squad, Mada, finishes off the SV rotation. Mada's results in SV NDOU have been a mixed bag, ranging from lows of an 0-4 NDFL, to highs of a 4-1 NDWC IV, back down to a middling NatDex Invitational performance most recently. It's hard to predict how Mada will do this time around, but if he can go positive, then the Gengars SV NDOU room has the potential to hang with some of the higher teams on this list.

With all due respect, the Smashers's draft was all-around, a disaster. Unfortunately, this is reflected in the SV NDOU rankings, with the Smashers being the only team without a single player in the top 15. Closest to this mark is Lameflame, who is most recently coming off a 4-2 record in NDWC IV, but is still haunted by a combined 0-9 record in NDWC III & NDPL IV otherwise, which may cause some to still have concerns about his ability. Additionally, manager Oculars also had a great NDWC IV, boasting a 5-1 record, however, there are major concerns about his style of play's consistency, with a PL environment likely being able to easily exploit the flaws in his teams. Oculars will load hyper offense. He will describe it with words that would make you think you are watching the most recent blunder video. The game will likely be decided at preview. Such is the nature of how Oculars works, and so far his style held up well in NDWC IV, but it will be especially interesting to see if it can hold up in NatDex's biggest tournament. Finally, Skyiew rounds out the team's trio of NDWC IV superstars, as he carried Brazil akin to prime Pelé with a 5-0 record. 5-0 is great and all, but Skyiew's opponents weren't necessarily of the highest caliber, and certainly not to the level he will see during NDPL; this likely explains his low rank despite turning in such a stellar performance. Although the rankings may foretell a terrible ending for the Smashers, the good news is that in SV NDOU, just about anyone can win on the right day. Hang your heads high Smashers, and show the world that NDWC isn't the only ND team tournament these three can take by storm.

---

SS Rankings

Deservingly clocking in at 1st place, the Galarian Phoenix have one of the most threatening SS National Dex duos in the tournament. ChrisPBacon is undoubtedly a top-tier SS player, expressing noticeably more enjoyment in this tier compared to SV. He has the results, teambuilding prowess, and playing ability to back up said reputation, notably winning NDPL IV with a 6-3 record and doing almost as well in NDWC IV with 4-2. devin's 16k price tag is sure to be 100% worth it, as he's amassed an overwhelmingly positive record in the tier and has displayed impressive feats of skill in and out of National Dex that should instill more than enough confidence in his managers. He's had an astoundingly great run in NDPL and NDWC IV, coming out undefeated in the former and doing solidly in the latter with a 4-3 record. The competition is stiff, but these two have the skills and synergy needed to blow it out of the water with ease as the top dogs of the SS pool.

A gargantuan forty thousand and five hundred price tag, contributing to 55k spent overall in this tier, two tragic losses to Ryuji and the Galarian Phoenix in the finals and semifinals tiebreak, an unbecoming 3-5 record in NDPL's most recent edition playing SVNDOU, and an absence from playing SSND in team tournaments since it was the current generation in NDPL III, sporting an above average, yet unspectacular 5-4 record. These are stats Isza faces in recent NDPL history as he lands himself in first place among the voters, where amidst an ocean of terrific talent in the SSND pool, managers Adem and Sasha have elected him as their team's shining Starmie.

Of course, the stats above omit some crucial details. This is the same Isza who led team US Northeast to 3 consecutive victories in NDWC, and while he hasn't played the tier himself, he has shown excellence in his read of the metagame and developing new teams since the generation ended, supporting many capable pilots throughout many tours to fantastic records, not to mention a semifinals finish in Smogon Tour 35 playing SMOU and SSOU, tiers akin to the metagame he finds himself in. With such exposure to the tier would, he would do well to support his teammate Tenebricite, who finds himself in a modest 10th place. While he may not have the same experience in National Dex, with a cumulative 1-0 record in SSND beginning in this year's NDWC and a 3-5 and 0-3 in OUPL and SSPL playing SM and SS OU, respectively, not helping in being convinced of his current form, he has shown solid skill as a pilot over the years. With Isza's assistance, he can easily deliver wins from the higher-ranked players. Can this core live up to the hype and gigantic amount of cash spent? That's up to them, as they have all the tools needed for success. The Starmies are counting on it.

The Victinis have certainly lived up to their namesake, as they assembled two victorious players poised for success in this tournament. Amidst many a vintage NatDex main, Kate stands out as potentially the oldest, being the first* circuit champion in 2021 *(notwithstanding banned deucers). She has since been consistently involved in SS team tournaments with above-average results, including a recently excellent 4-1 record in the most recent NDWC. However, an unsuccessful NDPL IV campaign in SS that saw her pivot into Ubers may call into question the strength of her unconventional team choices and innovations. Nonetheless, her high ranking indicates the voters are confident in a successful season this time around. Otherwise, they could see Clementine sub in, who has experience in SM and SSOU, although a 0-3 performance last year under the Manaphies doesn't necessarily spark confidence. Their second slot, Tempo di anguria may spark even more hype, being the most recent SSND cup winner by defeating this writer effortlessly in the semifinals through fantastic preparation and leading Spain + Latin America to the closest finals yet against US Northeast this year. Although he lacks the high-level official tournament experience of the higher-ranked players, he nonetheless finds himself in a respectable 8th place off the back of these recent results. All in all, this is an incredibly strong lineup with the ability to achieve consistency amidst this pool.

The Gengars drafted an incredibly balanced and strong core, with both players adjacent to each other in the upper echelon of the rankings. Fc has strong fundamentals as a clicker amongst multiple tiers, playing and excelling in tiers ranging from current-generation Ubers, where he sports a solid record in official team tournaments, to National Dex PU. He additionally has solid experience playing SS National Dex, achieving overall positive results while building his own teams, indicating sufficient metagame knowledge, although some issues in the builder do occasionally emerge. His teammate, Stareal, sports an even higher price tag above the 20k threshold, courtesy of a quarterfinals finish in this year's Smogon Tour, defeating accomplished players such as MichaelderBeste2 and proving his skills in the fairy gens. While National Dex is a mostly foreign landscape outside of a 2-4 record 3 years prior, he should be able to adequately adapt. What may hinder both players, however, is a lack of general support, as the likes of peap and Mada have not engaged much with SS National Dex since Generation 9 was released, while pannu has been adamant about staying away from the tier this edition. Nonetheless, the skills of the two as players with sufficient motivation can propel them to success.

Seeing the Weaviles's SS core rank 5th overall speaks volumes about the pool's ability. Luthier's strength goes without saying as one of the best current players on Smogon, with his most recent and excellent showing propelling team US Midwest to a WCoP victory off an excellent 5-2 performance playing SSOU. His individual results on the big stage also include a quarterfinal finish in the inaugural Smogon Masters tournament and making the finals of Smogon Tour 35, suggesting that his dominance in other tiers can easily translate to SSND despite it being his first time playing in NDPL, proven by a current top 12 placement secured in the ongoing money tournament. Perhaps more questions could be raised regarding his manager and second slot kDCA, as while being involved with the tier for quite some time, making circuit playoffs when it was current gen, and generally going positive in team tournaments, him skipping the most recent NDPL as well as generally not having the same experience as other mainers lands himself in 11th place. He also hasn't started a full season yet in SSND, so it's up to him to turn stints of solid play into a resoundingly strong performance. While they don't have the best support, Clawed Winter is still an old name with experience that can provide tests or sub in if necessary. If kDCA can prove his consistency, along with Luthier's general dominance, the Weaviles can easily see themselves in Choice Banded Pursuit of victories in this slot.

Fortunately for the Unmons's chances, they invested an impressive 34k to amass a strong SSND core. Unfortunately for the Unmons, there was quite a steep drop-off between 5th and 6th, with 2nd to 5th being separated by a hair, calling into question the value of their buys. Their core is led off by TPP, who is ranked in 9th place, rounding out the rear of current-gen OU mains turned SS National Dex pilots. Some unfortunate recent sheet performances on the official stage, most infamously a tragic 1-8 SCL III that he hasn't quite yet rebounded from, may contribute to a generally lower opinion of the man as of late. Of course, recency bias exists, and if he can return to optimal form, he can easily become an excellent contender in this tournament. Meanwhile, WLA executive Boomenheimer unfortunately finds himself in the lower end of the pool. While he has been quite involved in SS National Dex since it became a past generation, he has not since proven himself in team tournaments yet, with an average 2-2 across two NDWCs. It's up to him now to prove himself as a player generally punching upwards against more established pilots while also helping to support TPP alongside bench support from Mrbanana45 and Redgoop115, although neither of them have quite enough experience in high-level tournaments. While the Unmons, like their namesake, have a lot to overcome, they have the potential to perform and perhaps stage some upsets.

Like in many other tiers, the Smashers's SS slots don't exactly inspire confidence among voters, spending a mere 12k, the lowest of all teams, in hopes of picking up some underrated talent! Their SSND campaign is led by Unowndragon, a long time SSND player since NDWC II who additionally dabbles in RBY and Ubers. However, a recent 3-7 record in the tier over the past two NDWCs contributes to a lower ranking overall. It'll be up to him now to turn his records around under the Smashers, as they are counting on his experience in National Dex amidst a roster of relatively fresh talent. Meanwhile, chansey and lulu unfortunately ranks in last amongst voters. Although he has some experience in higher-level tournaments, qualifying for OLT and starting in NDWC III, he is currently 0-2 in OLT swiss and finished negative in NDWC. Furthermore, those games have been in SV, a far more volatile tier than SSND. The current beliefs that he will be able to successfully adapt to the vastly different tier are slim, although he may prove them wrong. If not, we may see SSND cup finalist Oculars enter while chansey and lulu switches to SV. Although expectations for the Smashers seem low compared to other stacked rosters, they have a core of solid players who can certainly turn these beliefs around.

Under the guidance of Chinese manager Nashrock, the Absols picked up Chinese players yonmd and 691 in hopes of buying some motivated slots for cheap. Unfortunately for the Absols, they find themselves in last, with their SSND starters ranked 15th and 14th, respectively. yonmd is a long-time ND community member, although he lacks any notable individual and team tournament showcases outside of a 3-1 NDFL against far weaker opponents than what he now faces. As he meets the big stage, he needs to bring his experience in National Dex to hold his own against stronger competition involving more seasoned mainers and official tournament starters. Meanwhile, the Absols's second starter, 691, opted to sign up for SSND rather than his traditional home of UU. Although he lacks the same experience as other teams' pilots, his relatively high price tag of 10k indicates the Absols believe he can learn the metagame quickly and rely on solid fundamentals to go far. If either starter goes sour, the Absols can fall back on Roginald, a solid pilot with an exceptional 6-1 in NDPL III and a solid 4-4 in NDPL IV, or Batzi, self-proclaimed "Storm Zone of NatDex" who delivered a 3-1 result in NDWC IV and is expected to provide building support. While this core isn't Absol-utely the best amidst an exceptional pool, they have the capability as players to perform above what their ranking supposedly suggests.

---

Ubers Rankings

To the surprise of no one, the Gengars comfortably take the number one spot in the power rankings with a near unanimous vote across the board. entrocefalo is arguably the most experienced Ubers player from this entire list, leading and innovating the tier since basically its conception, ensuring the teams he brings are consistent and solid, with the potential for some sleeper picks that could surprise some of the newcomers to the tier. Entro has also had significant success with Ubers individuals, reaching the semifinals of the late Open and having a good run in Grand Slam as well, winning all of his Ubers games. Outside of NatDex, (ac) Entro is still a superstar in the Ubers scene, dominating the Ubers pool in SCL 3 with a stunning 7-2 record, ensuring he can hang with even the best of pilots, even more so in his home turf. The Garchomps have Thor as a solid backup in case Entro is unable to play, leaving them with a solid pilot if provided teams. The biggest (and arguably the only) issue that the Gengars have is that Entro could lack someone else to bounce ideas off, as Thor isn't familiar with the tier yet, but if they get things going quick, (ac) its unlikely for Entro not be favored against the rest of the pool.

skimmythegod is returning once again to prove his dominance, but this time with the Weaviles! Returning after an amazing 6-3 season last year with the Gholdengos, theres no surprise why Skimmy was ranked this high by his peers. While Skimmy may not have the recent tier experience that others might have, he has shown that every time he returns to this tier for NDPL that he is a force to be reckoned with and adapts extremely quickly. Outside of National Dex, Skimmy has been tearing up UPL with an incredible 5-2 record in ORAS and BO3 tiers combined, ensuring his fundamentals are still strong. Unlike last season, however, Skimmy's biggest issue this time around is his lack of support, as while last season he had Ainzcrad to bounce ideas off and playtest, he is effectively alone this year unless his teammates step up. Regardless, Skimmy has proven time and time again that he should not be bet against to succeed, solidifying his second place.

Fogbound Lake is not a new face to NatDex tours, having a solid 3-3 record in NDPL 3; he's ranked this high, however, not for his National Dex endeavors, but rather his greatest strength in his tough grip on the fundamentals of Pokémon and his ability to transfer that to any tier he plays. Coming fresh off an astonishing 9-2 record in SCL and a decent 3-3 record in the most recent UPL against tough competition, it's ensured that if Fogbound can adapt to the tier, he will succeed. Of course, this leads back to a common issue faced by most non-mainers in whether or not he can sufficiently adapt and build in the tier, regardless of him coming from an Ubers background. Fortunately, The Victinis' manager Kate does have notable experience in the tier, playing it last season to an alright 3-3 record. In spite of that, there is a chance Kate may be spread too thin between building for herself in her SS OU slot and supporting other OU slots, leaving Fogbound to his own desires. His third place ranking fits him well, as he is definitely one of the most mechanically gifted players in the pool and has the support to back him up, with the only question really being if he and Kate can successfully adapt to this new meta in time.

Mashing is another successful Ubers main that fortunately made the jump to National Dex for this tour, and while a fresh face here, he most definitely has his fair share of results in Ubers boasting a 5-3 score in the latest UPL and a decent 3-4 in UWC. Outside of Ubers, Mashing has also had great success in the adjacent AG, winning AGPL twice and AG Snake Draft once. Teaming with him is fellow AG star Paycard, who while coming off a rough 2-5 record in UPL, has also found success in AG, with both of them winning the latest AGPL, sporting a decent combined 7-7 record. Mashing again faces a similiar issue as Fogbound, and that is adapting to the tier, as he and his costar Paycard lack any history in National Dex whatsoever and could struggle adapting without external support, but if they do figure the tier out, they can definitely do well, lending them their deserved 4th place ranking,

The Phoenix's have picked up rising superstar emoxu9, which despite what their mid-2023 join date might allude has been making waves in both National Dex Ubers and SV Ubers! Coming off an incredible 5-2 season in UPL, an amazing performance for a 3k buy, to winning the National Dex Ubers open and reaching the finals of the Grand Slam, again with an undefeated record in Ubers, they are must-watch this tournament for Ubers games. Despite being relatively by themselves support wise, their recent incredible performances in the individuals show that they are capable of building good teams for themselves comfortably and piloting them well. Furthermore, their success in UPL shows that they are not one to struggle under the pressure of performing for a team, especially as a starter slot, which many newer players face. emoxu9's relatively low 5th place ranking mainly stems from their recency in both team tours and National Dex Ubers, especially facing much tougher opponents in this pool than the ones they faced in Grand Slam and the Open, and it's all down to see if they can once again perform in the spotlight. 5th could be underestimating them a bit, but their potential to flop due to how new they are compared to others ranked above them puts emoxu9 here, although I would not brush them off as a mediocre performer off the bat, as they have good potential to upset some of the higher ranked players here.

Just like Entro, Eledyr is the other go-to name when you think of National Dex Ubers, as he has been at this tier's helm from the start. Outside of occasionally building unconventional-but-great teams in the tier, Eledyr unfortunately has not had much of a recent history in team tours, being absent the last two NDPLs and not playing in all of SCL, UPL, and UWC. While his familiarity with the tier is his greatest asset, rivalling that of even entro, his lack of recent major tournament experience and playing rust could be his bane this tour, especially with the tough pool he's in. Joining him at his side is bumboclaat, another major Ubers contributor in his first ever team tour! Bumbo is the one of the main cogs that keeps Ubers running constantly, producing numerous great sample teams and sets for the tier. However, Bumbo's even higher lack of experience in the team tour scene, and even tour scene at this level compared to Eledyr, (ac) will make it hard for him to perform if Eledyr is having an off season. Regardless, the teambuilding combination of Eledyr and Bumbo is arguably one of the best in the pool, and if Eledyr can successfully shake of the rust and get back into form this tour, there is a good chance that they will perform well despite the odds stacked against then. Nontheless, both of these players are outmatched at a technical level from those ranked above them, and that is their biggest downfall and the main reason for their 6th place rank.

Bobsican is the last of the 3-headed National Dex Ubers dragon, another relatively new face in the team tour scene but an amazing presence in keeping Ubers alive and running these past few months. Similiar to Eledyr, Bob has revolutionized a bunch of new structures and sets into the tier, with the most recent being Wobuffet! Furthermore, Bob has had great success on the ladder, reaching high peaks numerous times, showing that he's not a slouch. Unfortunately, Bob suffers an even worse fate than the Unmons, as he has even less experience than Eledyr playing at this high of a level and might not be able to cut it in such a top-heavy pool. Bob will have to rely on his vast metagame knowledge here in order to find success in this pool, but it will be a difficult journey for him regardless, especially once the non-mainers get a proper hold of the tier. Unfortunately, Bob's 7th place ranking fits him well, as he lacks the tour experience those above him possess, alongside being on the lower end in terms of his fundamentals compared to the rest of this pool, due to generally being a builder rather than an active tournament battler.

It may come as a surprise that shieldpoke rounds out this pool, but his lack of both National Dex Ubers experience and limited Ubers experience as a whole is what drives his placement. Generally playing Monotype, shieldpoke did go 2-1 in UPL a few seasons ago, so hopefully he has not lost his touch. By his side are both R8 and adem, who provide arguably the best support in the pool, ensuring shieldpoke will not be lacking in that end. R8 is no slouch as a player as well, going undefeated with a 6-0 record in the latest NDFL in Ubers, winning the entire tour in the tiebreaker. shieldpoke's inexperience with Ubers compared to the rest of the pool is definitely the reason for his low 8th rank. Make no mistake, however, if shieldpoke is motivated and learns the tier quickly, alongside R8 and adem's wealth of knowledge, he can perform much better than his rank would suggest.

---

UU Rankings

dunoks places 1st here as an iconic UU player with solid records attached to his name, going 3-1 in UUSD III and 3-3 in UUPL XI. His record in NatDex was a tad uneventful, however, after he transferred out of the slot in NDPL IV after going 1-1. Nonetheless, dunoks is very dangerous with support that is willing to fulfill his needs, and he has just that with two strong NDUU council members on his team with Danbear02 and TBIC106. The former is the winner of the NatDex Grand Slam IV, came in 2nd in NDUU Open IV, and hit top 3 in 2024 NDUU Summer Seasonal, while the latter came in 2nd for NDUU Open III and participated in NDPL IV as both a player and builder for the Victinis. If dunoks decides to leave UU again for something like OU, then the Victinis can rest assured that they have two competent players ready to fill in, and if not, then they can expect dunoks to have a very solid run this year.

Coming in a very close 2nd is Elfuseon, who had a powerful 5-4 run in NDPL IV with the help of Ryuji's building. However, it's that reliance on someone else's builds that prevents him getting that 1st place ranking, as with improper support, he can struggle, but give him good partners, and Elfuseon turns into a powerful player. The support on the Absols isn't as great as dunoks's either, with the only other person with NDUU experience being seth. It shouldn't be that huge of a mountain to overcome considering that Elfuseon is also known to ladder during suspect tests (and one happened very recently), so they should be up-to-date enough to have an edge over other players, but they need to really invest a lot of time into figuring things out if they expect Elfuseon to maintain the same records as last year, if not better.

The "NDUU Legend" himself places into 3rd place after a great 6-3 run in NDPL IV, being the tour's most valuable UU player. Saurav the Great's teams can be a bit eccentric at times, such as loading Cloyster + Hisuian Liligant HO, but his prep and in-game skill get consistent results to where it's not a huge deal. Last year, he was reportedly just building on his own with some help here and there from teammates like LBN, but this year is even worse,since Saurav must relearn a metagame with drastic changes after a year away and with only Entrocefalo's limited support to guide him. With that said, his prep and in-game skill again can still have him doing well even though he lacks the support of other NDUU builders.

Seasons is another returning player who takes a lot of inspiration from ORAS OU due to there being some repetitive similarities with NDUU (They ran a lot of Clefable, TTar, and Gligar last year). Last year in NDPL IV, their run was pretty mediocre with a 2-4 record and minimal support, so hopefully they can have a way better run this time around, although their support isn't any better from last year outside of Sasha and Adem's occasional wisdom, and like Saurav, they need to acclimate themselves to a metagame with massive differences to last year. Whether their manager's support will be enough to sustain Seasons for the tour is unknown,but if they figure things out, then Seasons can do fairly well in this slot, although they need to figure things out rather fast or it's going to be a chore to play this tier.

Ranking close to Seasons is Runo, who is the only actual mainer of the starters, being a part of the NDUU council and a great contributor to the tier. He went 3-2 in NDPL after taking over for dunoks, and was known for his preference to more offensive structures such as Gyarados HO during that time. Although he has a high amount of metagame knowledge when compared to the other starters, his in-game skill is worse than most of them, so he needs to overcome his battling issues in case he loads into a matchup that can't be won from prep alone. On the topic of prep, Runo has the NDUU Spring Seasonal Finalist and Top 6 NDUU Summer Seasonal player R1C3M4N backing him up, making sure his building ideas are tethered to reality and consistent for the slot to succeed.

Rasche is another solid starter for NDUU, taking over for TBIC106 after week 1 in NDPL IV and managing to go a strong 4-3 with the help of TBIC106's building prowess. Rasche was generally fine with loading whatever TBIC106 believed the situation called for, indicating their flexibility in team tours. They are also a strong battler, but they were heavily reliant on TBIC106 for support that season, so for this run, they'll also need equivalent support if they want to get the same results. Their situation is similar to Elfuseon's, where that overreliance can be detrimental early on, but unlike Elfuseon, Rasche will have the help of Rafadude and NDUU Open IV winner Sealoo to give them strong teams. They should have a fair season this NDPL considering the support, but they need to make sure Rasche has a passable grasp of the metagame so they don't make any blunders in-game.

awyp is coming in 7th place with a 5-4 record from NDFL, making do with limited support just like Saurav the great and Seasons. His independent building showed a lot of preference towards more offensive structures with Cinderace, Serperior, and Iron Treads, but with all of those gone, it's going to be interesting to see how awyp handles himself in the builder. This time around, awyp will have additional help on standby, with NDUU Tier Leader Lupla making sure his teams are battle-ready, and it will generally be easier to relearn the tier thanks to NDFL being a relatively newer tournament. Because he also originally came from NDFL, the pool going into NDPL will be harder for awyp, but he's still a competent player in-game, and with his support,he should also have a decent season.

Coming in last is Micciu. Micciu is the only starter in the pool without any previous experience in NDUU, which might be very daunting going into the season. This lack of experience is made up for in his general experience in other UU metagames and his entries into multiple UUPLs, but none of those tiers are remotely similar to how NDUU behaves, so the lack of understanding remains, but it shows that he's still a solid player who has the fundamentals of the game figured out. Ryuji will be his best friend during the coming weeks, with him and possibly former UU starter ojr pitching in to make sure that Micciu will do well. Once he's shown the ropes, he probably won't be insanely reliant on Ryuji for teams, but it will be an uphill battle until he reaches adequate levels of competence in the metagame.

---

RU Rankings

Thiago Nunes returns to NDPL's RU slot again, carrying a stellar 8-1 record with him from NDPL IV. Thiago Nunes is an insanely potent player with a great understanding of the fundamentals of the game, amplified by the fact that he can easily pilot most teams without issues. Last year, Ryuji was Thiago Nunes's builder for the RU slot, but this time, Lupla and Big Chungus irl will be taking him to victory in a metagame that has rapidly changed since last NDPL. Although Thiago Nunes is a great player, his over-reliance on other people for teams is a bit questionable, but this is readily overlooked so long as he can just generate constant wins like last year. Looking at the rest of the RU pool, this seems like it's going to be the case (no offense to the other starters).

Leni is another incredibly competent player who is known to be a roaming tour main of sorts, being able to competently play a wide array of metagames and achieving good results. Whether this can be said for NDRU as well is unknown, since he didn't play much of it in NDPL IV, with only one game played and it also being a loss. What is also unknown is if Leni will stay in this slot of the entire season, but if he does, then RU Council member and NDRU Spring Seasonal winner Seth will be incredibly valuable support for him. More likely than not, Leni will stay in the RU slot for the entire season, since there simply aren't a lot of other substantial players on the Absols who want to slot in here, and Leni is bound to terrorize the pool anyways.

Coming in third place is the SV RU Tier Leader, feen. Although their NDRU records are... non-existent for the most part, in SV RU, they have shown solid to good results in team tours, going 4-2 in RUPL XI and a fair 4-4 in RUGL I. When going into unfamiliar metagames, it seems that feen has the tendency to load some questionable stuff (such as Turtonator Psyspam HO in NDRU Seasonal), but they should be able to overcome that quirk with the help of a strong NDRU support in Adriyun (yo is the Adriyun tour dq real or not, no word on this), who made it to top 6 in both NDRU Seasonals this year. Provided that this team doesn't overdo it in the builder and make any weird mistakes, feen is most likely going to be a very threatening player this season.

Micaiah is very close to being in the top 3, but there are some key things that keep him from going higher. For starters, he hasn't really touched NDPL or NatDex in general since Gen 8, and any knowledge he had on NDRU is no longer accurate. Still, Micaiah is still a very strong in-game player who has honed his craft thanks to his successes in the Randbats and CAP sections of Smogon, so all he really needs is a strong support to help him build until he gets on his feet. Rafadude (and Sealoo to an extent) is just that vital support he's looking for, so overall, this should be a solid season for Micaiah.

Like Micaiah (and frankly a lot of other people in the RU pool), sasha does not have a lot of experience in NDRU, but this is made up for by sasha's ability to rapidly learn new metagames, earning them spots in multiple team tournaments. No doubt in anyone's mind that Sasha can also apply that talent to NDRU, but a lack of substantial support in the Starmies means that they need to truly be committed to understanding how this meta works if they want to find success here.

The Unrelenting Unmons again find themselves preferring a mainer over a general "clicker" for the lower tiers, with Velcroc taking the stage for the first time in a team tour setting (granted he was in NDWC but not for the RU slot). Velcroc is first and foremost an NDRU Council member, whose handiwork was prevalent during NDPL IV and NDFL I when he supported the Weaviles and Regigigas, respectively. His in-game skill is a bit rough around the edges, but this is vastly overshadowed by his in-depth understanding of the tier to independently create teams that will lead him to victory. Like Runo in UU, however, Velcroc needs to overcome his in-game quirks in order to make sure that his wins are not entirely matchup-reliant. Velcroc will be supported by Runo and db in what is collectively going to be called the NDRU Council circlejerk to make sure that Velcroc can refine his ideas into powerful structures. Given how this is Velcroc's first NDPL, hopefully this will be a breakout tour for him.

This will be jawabarat's first time in a NatDex team tour, so it was interesting to see him picked for NDPL. jawabarat has no experience in NDRU whatsoever, and his support isn't really that much better, as TBIC106 and Danbear02 have limited understandings on the tier. However, jawabarat is still a great player with solid records in tours such as BDSPPL and UUFPL, and given time, jawabarat can also come around to understanding this metagame as well. Though, time is not really on his side here, as failing to grasp NDRU quickly will have him struggling in the later parts of the tour. Perhaps there is a UU or BDSP tier he can take inspiration from?

Dlanyer ranks last here, and to put it bluntly, there is not much going on with him. He lacks any experience in NDRU, and his accomplishments outside of NatDex are pretty mediocre, only notably being in RUGL I and leaving it with a pretty bad 2-4 record. It's unclear if this is going to be a good season for Dlanyer, but Ryuji puts a lot of faith in him to run this slot, so one has to give him the benefit of the doubt. Being on Ryuji's team is also a godsend, since his support in the RU slot will be vital as Dlanyer makes an attempt to play and understand the metagame. Similar to the other starters who lack previous experience, if he can figure things out quickly, then it will be relatively smooth sailing, ignoring any major in-game faults.

---

Doubles Rankings

Topping the pool's rankings, the enigmatic council member eragon makes a return to the biggest stage of ND Doubles. Aiming to repeat his stellar performance from last season with the best record at 6-2 and making it to the semifinals, the pressure is on to have a repeat performance that justifies the highest price tag in the pool. That shouldn't be too difficult though—he just dominated the most recent seasonal from the winner's bracket without dropping a set, even after the rather large meta shift of the Zygarde ban immediately preceding the finals. Joining him is one of the most highly rated supports in the tier, LogIce, who was crucial to the victory of the Icirrus Ice Riders in the second Doubles Derby.

DOU's circuit champion returns to NDDOU for his third team tour in the format this year. Bagel posted a solid 3-1 record in NatDex World Cup and played a couple games of the tier in Doubles Derby (in addition to winning an individual tour earlier this year). Bagel has been excellent overall in this format in the past so he will be looking to continue that success in this tour. However, he will be exploring a new metagame that is significantly different from some of the earlier tours he had success in. Luckily for Bagel, he is supported by NatDex Doubles Tier leader Smudge, a pairing that is continuing from last season and is all but certain to put up a solid record this season.

One of Natdex DOU's most continuously active players and a winner of NDPL last season, Voltix will be looking to repeat the play that garnered him a 7-1 record in the NatDex World Cup earlier this year. Voltix is also just coming off a 3rd place finish in the recent seasonal, meaning he is well positioned to make a great run this season despite only playing a few games of the tier in Derby. Voltix will also be getting support from oh the guilt, a newer NDDOU player who is coming off of a solid derby record, which should further enable him to compete towards the top of the pool.

xqhit has been playing ND Doubles for as long as it has been around and is an early adopter and incredible representative for bridging the Chinese and western-centric communities. He makes a return to NDPL after a sluggish season at 2-5, with the caveat of having to balance that season with a run to the finals of OSDT III. Since then, he's won the second Swiss tournament and made top 8 of the ladder tournament. Despite his recent inactivity in the tier, xqiht has had a solid 2024 in Doubles overall and looks to continue that here. Joining him for that is Chris32156 in the support slot, who put up a strong 5-2 record for the Gods in Doubles Derby II. Given that both players tend to be great builders, the expectations are high for this duo.

The number one Stakataka user will be looking to put forward another great run in NatDex DOU after a dominant 6-2 run in the tier in Derby. Laptops is a bit of a more recent NDDOU player, but their results have been impressive so far. However, this pairing with DaAwesomeDude1 could prove to be a little bit challenging due to neither player having a huge amount of building experience in the tier (Laptops so far has been a bit more of a pilot than a builder). Nevertheless, Laptops has yet to put up a less-than-stellar record in ND DOU tournaments and should be poised to have at least a decent tour run this year.

One of Doubles' rising stars, council member, and the winner of the ND Doubles Ladder Tour and DLC2 SV DOU kickoff, sir jelloton makes the well-deserved jump from the National Dex Farm League where he had an excellent season with a 6-2 record. His support is fantastic as well, with a true brain trust of ND Doubles mainstays and frequent team tour players in Iceberg77 and Penter, who are well known for their creative building. Nobody will be surprised if this trio comes up with meta-defining teams.

This team tour aficionado will look to put up another solid record after finishing 5-3 last year. However, Akaru hasn't touched the tier since then, which could be difficult considering there have been five bans during that time. Fortunately, Akaru will be supported by Schister, whose recent experience in the format (with a 5-2 record in Derby) should be valuable for the veteran. Regardless, the lack of recent experience could complicate Akaru's efforts to return a similarly dominant record to last season.

Making his National Dex Doubles debut in this tour, Enzonana seeks to beat the expectations of his fellow players, who rank him universally dead last. Despite not having any experience in the tier, Enzonana is historically a capable Doubles OU player in multiple generations, particularly SS and SV. Often using unorthodox teams that could be considered the closest you can get to stall in Doubles, such as the combination of Ting-Lu and Chansey, success may be hard to find in this version of Doubles due to the much higher power level. However, he is accompanied by Glimmer on the supportive end, a day-one player and council member of the tier who will certainly be able to help him get his bearings.

---

Monotype Rankings

After last year's struggles in the Monotype slot, the Phoenix decided to invest heavily in it this time by buying one of the most consistent players in the tier. crashy has remarkably qualified in the Monotype Cup playoffs with ease during both years, asserting dominance across all gens, and despite a mediocre score in last NDMPL, he is capable of making wonders in the tour if he finds the right motivation. On the bench, the Phoenix bought their previous starter Trouser Snakes, one of crashy's best friends and tutees, who will be able to support him with tests and ideas. Expectations are high but will he be able to meet them?

After last year's incredible run, Splash is back in NDPL and is expected to do well. After spending a great amount of their budget on him, the Weaviles's biggest challenge will be getting Splash to play every week. Despite being a strong pilot with a deep Monotype history, Splash isn't known for being a reliable starter or builder, hence why the Weaviles bought Sunnyboi, who, on the other hand, doesn't lack motivation. Being one of the few Natdex Monotype players, Sunnyboi's support will be crucial for the Weaviles's NatDex Monotype run this tour. Having won last NDMPL as a Manager and starter, he is expected to help Splash and build weekly for him, hoping his teams can perform just as well in a bigger stage as they did in NDMPL. If Splash ends up not being benched by Week 4, he has the potential to do well,​ combining great in-game skills with motivated support.

Considered by some as the best SV Monotype player at the moment, frol1 comes off an incredible 8-0 run in MPL. Being a strong player, builder, and motivated ladder tryhard could have gotten him ranked higher, and despite his crazy 3k pricetag, there will be no surprise if he ends up farming this pool the same way he did in MPL. On the bench, we have FadedCharm, who comes off a great season in NDMPL and will be able to provide for frol1 during the initial weeks of the tournament.

As one of the tier leaders of NatDex Monotype, style.css is expected to have a solid performance, as he has had years of experience in the tier. His scores in the tier have always been solid, and with his amazing knowledge of the tier and effort into prep, he is a threat to every other player in the pool. On the bench, we have Mihowk, who comes off a 4-2 season in NDMPL and is a very consistent face in the Monotype tier, whereas manager Mada will help, as he has been building for this tier for years, finding great success. These 3 players preparing together won't be easy to face, and the Gengars's Monotype slot is expected to have a great season.

The Starmies have decided to rely on NDMPL Manager Scarfire as their Monotype player, drafting an experienced pilot rather than an experienced player in the tier. Having played OU and Monotype, Scarfire will rely on Isza's support to get into the NatDex Monotype meta, but once he gets into it, he is expected to have a great season thanks to his previous experiences in Monotype.

TTK finds himself ranked quite low despite his crazy score of 8-1 in NDFL, since the pool is much harder in NDPL and players have more experience here than they did in NDFL. With a decent showing in MPL, he is ready to keep proving himself further. Dead by Daylight and roxie can help TTK with testing and building, but will TTK be able to prove himself as he did in NDFL?

cscl in NatDex Monotype is quite surprising, as he isn't known to be a Monotype player despite playing it in NDWC. The support of Neko and Monotype prodigy Dieu Amphibien will be massive, and both of them can start the slot, if needed. cscl has already shown that he is capable of beating good players in the tier, but will he be able to keep up in NDPL?

The Smashers have decided to gamble on Big Chungus irl for Monotype, a newer player that lacks in-game and building experience but has performed well in NDFL. His Monotype background is pretty lacking and the team doesn't have great Monotype support, which doesn't help his ranking. He has the chance to do well and prove his worth to other managers; although, this competitive pool won't be an easy start.

---

Overall Team Rankings

Wired Weaviles	21
Glaring Gengars	24
Vice City Victinis	25
Age of the Starmies	31
Always Midnight Absols	33
Galarian Phoenix	35
Unrelenting Unmons	41
Shiesty Shell Smashers	42

« Previous Article

Next Article »

All guides and strategy information are © 2004 Smogon.com and its contributors. Pokémon is © 1995 Nintendo. Privacy Policy