SCL III Power Rankings

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Welcome to the Power Rankings for the third edition of the Smogon Champions League! The goal of this article is to raise the excitement for nine teams for the season to come and to mentally prepare the Foxes for the season to come. This article will offer an informative look into the playerbases that make up this tournament's field as well as a rundown of which individual players and teams are expected to come out on top!

As a community, we seldom bring together our strongest and most passionate players, so why change that here when we can let Drifting play instead? Despite this, Smogon Champions League grants an opportunity to some of our most experienced players to prolong their spans of greatness in metagames they otherwise would not frequent while also opening the door for fresh faces to prove their worth on the biggest stage!

This article provides a solid foundation of information about each and every team in the tournament despite many of their drafts lacking solid foundations themselves. The goal is to help you, the reader, decide how each team stacks up against one another while helping me, the writer, slowly lose my mind! To gather the rankings, we asked ten knowledgeable users per tier—nine plus Gilbert arenas in the case of SV OU—to rank that tier's expected players. If the user in question is a teammate of an individual who is being ranked, that user would refrain from ranking them, and if the ranker is unwell, that user may accidentally (?) rank Storm Zone three times within ten slots of OU while leaving multiple others out!

With high and low outliers removed, we average the rankings from there. The scores are then aggregated, creating what, in theory, should be a true unbiased Power Ranking that does not need to be hidden from the Smogon police in a pastebin! The number one—or top three for OU—ranked player in each tier earns 10 points for their team, and the number two—or next three for OU—ranked player earns 9 points, etc. The final points are tallied by yours truly; they are displayed at the bottom of the article in a nifty graphic made by Kalalokki, while the entirety of the rankings can be seen throughout the article and are specifically tallied in the embedded sheet.

The Power Rankings will obviously not end up being entirely accurate, so disproving them does not earn you intellectual brownie points that can be exchanged for the praise of your peers, unfortunately. If everything went according to plan, there would be no reason to play the tournament in the first place, and yet so many of us are invested, so let's enjoy the moments for what they are and embrace the unpredictable! If you're ranked too low, use it for motivation and smash the competition. If you're ranked too high, brag about it to all of your friends until you do not have any left—or don't; this one seems more ill advised.

I hope you all enjoy reading the Power Rankings, and I wish all participants good luck in the tournament. Thanks to the following people for contributing in the creation of this article: Aberforth, Accel, Akaru Kokuyo, bb skarm, Beraldo, Chloe, Collette, Danny, dcae, Drifting, DugZa, Edgar, Elias PSY, Eniigma, eragon11145, etern, Exiline, Expulso, Fade, Fc, Feliburn, Feyy, Finchinator, Floss, Gilbert arenas, GoldCat, goldenghost, gum, GXE, Hacker, hariyana grande, Highlord, Icemaster, ishtar, JRL, justdrew, Kushalos, Laroxyl, Lily, Lunala, Meminger21, Nails, Nat, Pokeslice, qsns, RichardMillePlain, robjr, Sage, Scottie, shiloh, SiTuM, Star, tazz, TheFranklin, TJ, tko, Tony, Toxigen, TPP, umbry, vivalospride, Vulpix03, Xiri, z0mOG, zee, and zS.

A special thanks to the following people who contributed significantly to the creation of this article through writing, quality and grammar checking, HTML, graphic making, and so many more things that make this possible: Aberforth, Danny, Fc, Finchinator, Floss, ishtar, Kalalokki, Lily, Lumari, Milak, Nyx, Quite Quiet, Tea Guzzler, Theia, TheShoddyStrawman, UT, zoe, and Zracknel! Thank you to everyone and I wish you all the best.

1. mind gaming
2. nat
3. xavgb
4. MichaelderBeste2
5. blunder
6. Lily
7. mncmt
8. Malekith
9. lax
10. Finchinator
11. TPP
12. Ox the Fox
13. Separation
14. HighVoltag3
15. Storm Zone
16. Fogbound Lake
17. BIHI
18. Welli0u
19. Carkoala
20. Niko
21. Sylveon used calm mind
22. zioziotrip
23. oldspicemike
24. Wolf
25. Aberforth
26. DAHLI
27. z0mOG
28. aesf
29. mimilimi
30. Joeshh

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The Shoguns drafted a talented triumvirate to take first in the OU Power Rankings! blunder looks to follow up on a promising WCoP showing by leading the way here, while he is sure to lead the tournament in "sheist" and "goob" linecount by season's end. Speaking of WCoP, fellow US Northeast player lax looks to find success with the Shoguns after he traded an unimpressive WCoP for a superb early OLT over the last few months. lax has experienced some ups and downs over the last few years, but this is an environment where he is likely to thrive as he joins blunder within the top 10 ranked players in OU!

This high praise is also a testament to this core's support, with management, ima and Vert, having a large OU footprint and the basedlord himself, CTC, being on the roster. ima is a veteran councilman who builds well, Vert is one of the most dynamic players this generation with an eye for team construction, and CTC is one of the most revered OU supporters ever. This is an overwhelming amount of support for any OU core, leading many to believe they will have some of the most fresh and effective teams. Rounding things out in the same vein, Storm Zone finishes out the Shoguns' OU lineup as an experienced, but chaotic, option who offers a high ceiling with a chance of caving in. These three all have potential to do very well, and this team is likely to be very active in the OU landscape over the coming months.

The Breakers drafted a trio of active and well-performing players to start their campaign in OU! While the arc of their franchise took a downward turn last year as they finished in sixth, this OU core has some players on upward trajectories within their own arcs as players. Nat in particular has been a rising star in OU circles, which is impressive, as she continues to rise far above her beginnings as a streaky RU mainstay. In recent times, Nat has impressed with deep runs in tournaments like OST, a convincing qualification in OLT, and great showings across various team tournaments, leading her to a 12-3 record on the sheet this year, while she has depressed the PS moderation team.

Just a few months ago Highv0ltag3 was largely known as "the stall RMT guy", but a strong WCoP has given both the community confidence in his abilities and Highv0ltag3 experience in high pressured OU games, including playoff tiebreak situations. While Europe was not able to close out WCoP, a 6-2 showing with no games approaching 1000 turns is impressive on multiple fronts for the Breakers OU standout. Speaking of standing out, Sylveon used calm mind has been able to do so recently despite a middling 3-3 record in the aforementioned WCoP. They were a top 4 seed in Grand Slam recently, and they are off to a great start in OLT playoffs currently, making Sylveon used calm mind a formidable SV3 to round out this strong core. Managers Garay oak and Lunala have both dabbled in OU; utility substitute London Beats is capable of slotting in, too, and Gondra has the most OU experience of the rest of their roster and could be a serious consideration to start if anyone struggles. We should not necessarily expect struggles from such a strong group, however.

After a 10-17 finish in OU last season, the Spartans regrouped with a bold strategy of putting together a collective starting trio that had a whopping total of 0 games in OU last SCL—I suppose they wanted to distance themselves from that whole tournament after a disappointing campaign. Fortunately, they are quite likely to regroup, as the Spartans managed to put together the third highest-ranked OU core! This core starts with UUTL turned OU standout Lily, who has had ascended in recent months with a 5-0 SPL followed by a 6-3 WCoP. She went into the year not even sure she would sign up and as a bench player for SPL, but since then she got an opportunity and ran away with it, performing well above expectations.

Ox the Fox is their second OU starter, but historically he is far from a middle-of-the-pack of player. While he is slightly positive on the sheet and slightly negative in the OLT alt password creation department, Ox has multiple impressive individual runs, including an OLT trophy, and he had a dominant 2021 during his last consistent stretch playing. Some question his SV form, but he has been playing actively recently, restoring some faith in his high ceiling. Finally, quiet, but dependable, substitute Jytcampbell and vocal, but risky, third starter Niko round out this strong group!

The Platoon went 23-9 last SCL in OU, so they decided to run it back with the two eligible members of that group, MichaelderBeste2 and Finchinator. While Michael spent the last year improving his already impressive resume as a player to otherworldly heights by winning Smogon Tour, making finals of VGC Worlds, and going 5-1 in WCoP, Finchinator spent his time trying to rename his failed SPL team and arguing with OU forum dwellers. Finchinator looks to rebound from a 1-2 showing in WCoP; he entered into the group of death with Punny and mind gaming, which made it a challenge, but there is still plenty of room for improvement. On the flip side, Michael rebounded from a rough SV stint in SPL to dominate WCoP, living up to the hype.

These two will be accompanied by relative newcomer zioziotrip. zio is 4-1 on the sheet with a couple of brief, successful stints under their belt, though his SPL run was cut short. With a lot of motivation and veteran support, zio looks to come back stronger than ever this SCL with a starting opportunity within the fourth-ranked SV OU core! Waiting in the wings lies creative veteran substitute teal6, who has a positive history as a player in officials, Canadian 1v1 turned 6v6 player Potatochan, and German OU substitute Achimoo. It will be interesting to see if they can come close to repeating the success of last year's OU core.

Coming in fifth place will be the Gibles, who drafted two players that did exceedingly well in WCoP and one player who went winless in WCoP. Fortunately for them, the player who struggled in WCoP is still an esteemed Smogon Tour champion with over 50 wins on the sheet, but, unfortunately for them, it is not SoulWind, McMeghan, ABR, BKC, M Dragon, or Empo, but rather z0mOG, who is arguably the worst player in this cross section. z0mOG is going to have to return to his normal, strong form for this group to overachieve.

However, the German partnership of mind gaming and Fogbound Lake should be able to carry their weight in this core. mind gaming may be the single most respected and accomplished player in the current generation right now; he has been great across the board and is currently 14-3 in official team tournament games throughout 2023. His teambuilding is great, his play continues to get better as he ascends to top player status, and his results land him at +16 on the sheet in only a 56-game sample. Joining him is WCoP teammate Fogbound Lake, who has been mostly known for Ubers until recently. In their OU debut, Fogbound went 4-1 and they look to continue this success into a strong SCL campaign. A slew of other options like veteran Eternal Spirit, who is likely to begin the tournament in UU, and substitutes cleann, ninjadog, Clementine, and Piyush25 all can slot here as well. cleann and Clementine have yet to play officially, but Piyush went positive in WCoP, while ninjadog has been around for some time now, previously focusing primarily on LC.

The TMs started off their OU core by drafting the TM core of TPP and Malekith, with the latter being their retain. To get technical, they have combined to be an absolute machine in SV OU so far this year, with TPP going 7-5 in the tier while Malekith went 6-1 throughout his dominant WCoP. Malekith's WCoP run was refreshing to many, as he is a very creative player but oftentimes is slotted in old generations in other tournaments like SPL. This could be a prolonged opportunity to see what he can cook alongside a dedicated teammate like TPP. Speaking of TPP, he had a great six-win showing in SPL, and while US South was quiet in WCoP, there are still high hopes for him to approach a good record once more this campaign.

Aberforth rounds out the OU starting core; he is most known for Ubers and historically has been a significnant player in that arena, but Abe did go 5-1 in the most recent WCoP, which is a reassuring sign for the Machines. Of course, if any cog in a machine is broken, it can and will be replaced, leading us to Savouras and Isza, who are capable substitutes. Savouras has been a strong and active teambuilding presence, who will surely support these three and could possibly slot in. Isza has dabbled in various OU generations and could also be seen as a prospect here when needed.

The Terrors are looking to dominate the SV OU scene as they are lead by relatively cheap second-ranked xavgb; with this head start over other teams and the extra funds in hand, they are undoubtebly poised to be one of the best teams for SV O—oh, nevermind. In a draft planning strategy formally known as "dart board with top half of WCoP records", the Terrors accompanied third ranked xavgb with last-ranked Joeshh and 23rd ranked oldspicemike.

Not all is lost, as xavgb is an absolute superstar who thrives with both ideas and play, giving him room to set the tone for the collective, especially given his WCoP-built rapport with Joeshh from the revival of the United Kingdom. However, they lack the same degree of experience other cores above them have, and, to put it bluntly, it is not particularly close. oldspicemike looked good in WCoP and was one unfortunate stretch away from an impressive OLT qualification, but this is still a very brief sample size. Joeshh also had a strong WCoP, going 3-1, but more will be needed before people will be confident in him. procorphish, who is a promising Italian player, can potentially slot into OU as well but is similarly inexperienced. Overall, this group is one of the biggest question marks, and nobody is too sure what their ceiling is; what we are sure of is that the floor can be dangerously low.

With a pair of OU playing managers in njnp and Raptor, you figure the Foxes could afford to draft a lower-ranked OU core and spend big elsewhere. This would make perfect sense, as they are playing into their strengths and hoping to maximize value picks, leading them to come in with the 8th-ranked OU core. However, you then realize they actually spent more than three of the teams above them on OU, including going 18k on the 19th ranked player, and you begin to feel that despite their collective rank being 8th, the Foxes are expecting to get top-tier production out of this group. Perhaps that is possible, as njnp is one of the most creative supporters out there and Raptor can be an asset as well, but they will need to get ideal outcomes here to say the least.

mncmt is someone who can provide an ideal outcome if motivated, as he comes off of a fantastic start to 2023, which included a 9-1 SPL and a Grand Slam finals run. Carkoala you would like to be confident in, too, as he went 3-0 in WCoP with some awesome play and teams, but we do not have too much else to go off of quite yet, and in a deep OU pool, the Foxes are going to have to hope relative inexperience does not hinder them. If WCoP was just the start of something even more promising, then the Foxes will have taken a good risk and Carkoala will be an OU anchor, but it certainly is a risk at this price. Finally, fellow Frenchman mimilimi, who went 2-2 in WCoP and has yet to play in SPL or SCL, rounds out this starting group as the Foxes hope to prove this ranking wrong!

Similarly to the Foxes, managers Luthier and Tricking have a unique position where they are experienced and talented in OU, giving them an opening to potentially focus elsewhere. Pair these two with active supporter BALOOR, who joined Tricking in a victorious OU stint, and it makes sense why this was not the first priority for the Dynamos. It still would be nice for them to have a more dynamic cast, but there is a high enough ceiling for them to carry the weight they need to on this roster. Separation is their only player ranked within the top half, and this may be a good environment for him. Separation is oftentimes on the quiet side and prefers some team support, but he is a very capable player and should have the tools to succeed put in his hands when necessary here. Seeing as he cost 20k, the hopes will be quite high surrounding this slot.

As for the second slot, BIHI could be in OU, but he also signed up for LC and is rumored to potentially be dabbling in UU. What really happens we are unsure of, but he would be a capable enough OU2 after doing well at points last generation. He has not touched SV OU too much though, but things can change or we may see Ash KetchumGamer slot in as well, who has some experience in officials and is slightly negative on the whole. DAHLI rounds out the starting group, returning to OU after a good run in Ubers Open, but other options like clean and the aforementioned BALOOR also give the Dynamos some depth to deal with as they look to make the most out of this situation.

Last and certainly least will be the Islanders, who failed to crack 10 points. This means that the rankings value mind gaming, xavgb, or Nat more than this entire OU core. It is not like they budgeted down significantly either, as on average their starters cost over 10k, capping at Welli0u's 13.5k. Perhaps Stone and Leru got lost in the sauce after Wolf won their tryouts live tour by default after everyone quit following five round robin resets within the final or perhaps they simply see things within these players that the rankers fail to, in which case we could very well see some overperformance. Welli0u is their most known quantity and he has been great historically, finding himself at +20 on the sheet. His list of accolades in this particular generation is diminished and the recent OLT showings have not been up to his standard, but a bounceback is probable with someone that capable.

Wolf, formally known as Bloody alfa, and aesf are lesser-known quantities, however. Wolf has 21 games on the sheet with a strong record so far but is further removed from his best results than one would like as he comes back to a new generation with a new name. aesf was a part of US South this past WCoP and could start here; Rubyblood, who is currently doing well in OLT despite having limited official experience otherwise, is also an option. None of these three present an option for a highly rated player coming into the tour, but the Islanders have faith that throughout the tour they will reach closer to their ceilings and end up being good value picks. Finally, hellom, formerly known as Swordstrike, is also an option who has some OLT success and a background playing many different tiers such as SV OU.

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Nails is a jack of many trades: RBY OU, VGC, DOU, Shaymin appreciation, and plenty more. What makes him stand out is the fact that he's also a master of just about all of them. In terms of doubles, he has numerous VGC and DOU achievements under his belt, including going undefeated in the regular season last SCL (with a 9-1 overall record), 7-1 in the most recent DPL while once again going undefeated in the regular season, and top cutting the 2023 VGC World Championships. Simply put, he is very good at doubles formats and that shows no signs of changing this SCL either, despite the fact he plays approximately twice a year. Nails is also a top RBY player, but I don't think that's really relevant here so I'll leave it at that. Teammate Actuarily is a very capable player and builder in his own right (and would be able to start on his own), and should be able to help a lot as well, making this slot extremely strong and heavily favored to be the best in the tournament.

JRL is a very strong SV DOU player in his own right, boasting good results year-round, with two recent ones being his top 16 run in OSDT and a 7-2 record in the most recent DPL. In addition, he can be seen putting up good results for most of DOU's circuit tournaments each year, further cementing his qualifications and skill as a player. Teammate Frania is no slouch either, being the manager of the reigning DPL champions and a strong player on their own, having won DOU's circuit previously, being a starter the past two SCLs, and going positive during SCL II at that. While the two have good results, neither is a top RBY player or have achieved the extremely impressive feat of going 9-0 in the regular season of SCL, giving Nails the edge.

After having a subpar SCL II, qsns is back as a starter thanks to their phenomenal performance since SV DOU's release, including making it to the semifinals of OSDT. They also have prior success in official team tournaments, including a past SPL victory, making them more familiar with the environment than a substantial portion of the pool considering the amount of newer players present in it. They also have a support who can play the game this year in sempra, an accomplished VGC player, and can more-or-less be self-sufficient, which is necessary with sempra's lack of DOU experience. qsns's lack of a proper support does slightly hurt the slot however, giving the Islanders an edge, but both slots are projected to do well regardless.

Meminger is in the midst of a breakout year, having a great OSDT run to top 8, a 5-1 DPL record, and a general amount of doing well in tournaments. bage1 also had a great OSDT run themselves and has been making a name for themselves, allowing them to both support and potentially sub in if the need arises. umbry is also a capable support herself due to her significant DOU experience and results, adding yet another support to the Breakers' DOU slot. However, the issue with this slot boils down to experience. While all three slots ranked above them have significant OTT experience, neither Meminger or bage1 have that, which leaves how well they'll truly do up in the air, but they could very easily perform fantastically despite the aforementioned lack of experience if their prior DOU results are indicative of anything.

xqiht is a rising name in DOU due to them being in the finals of the most recent OSDT, but is still a newer player despite that, having only won the kickoff at the beginning of the generation prior. However, their OSDT run alone speaks to their skill and with eragon (who can also potentially sub in) supporting him, this slot is posed for success. However, the issue of experience still makes this a very high risk combination, as the chance this slot does poorly is effectively fifty / fifty due to the fewer results compared to the other starters. Overall, it is difficult to truly rank the Shoguns' DOU slot, but if things go well, it'll turn out great for them.

zee is an interesting case, they made it to the semifinals of OSDT and were a circuit finalist in the past, in addition to being no stranger to OTTs. However, they haven't done phenomenally in SCL historically, going 0-6 in SCL I and then not playing at all in SCL II. Regardless, they're still a phenomenal VGC and DOU player, and with z0mog helping them, there's a considerable chance they turn things around on the sheet and thrive, but their past SCL results don't fare well for them, which hurts in such a close pool.

A formerly draft-focused player that pivoted to Smogon and made a finals run in OSDT, it is no surprise that Feyy is given a great opportunity to prove themselves further with a starting gig this SCL! Digging deeper, Feyy went positive in DPL, which can also be said for their supporter raf, who is a very capable DOU player that could help with teambuilding as they both navigate this unfamiliar tournament landscape together for the first time! Ash KetchumGamer can accompany them, too, as he has dabbled in doubles recently to some degree of success, but he may also be splitting focus with OU. Regardless, they have ample DOU talent and this tournament will be a test of their execution as more consistent and experienced opponents oppose them each week with more knowledge of their tendencies.

Xrn is a strong overall Pokémon player who has recently taken his talents to DOU, excelling in important DOU tournaments such as DPL. A 7-1 record is good for one of the best in the tournament, and it was done alongside his teammate, veteran DOU player Lunar.! It is no surprise that the Platoon invested in both of these players in tandem with each other to try and recreate that magic, but will things go that smoothly? Well, the challenge level will be heightened with this impressive pool, but at the same time Xrn is only getting more experienced and Lunar. has such a levelheaded approach to supporting that anything could be possible. The relative inexperience in settings like this is serving as a limiting factor to Xrn's overall ranking without a doubt and this can be a big concern, but the upside is also present!

Akaru Kokuyo has shown some strong flashes with a recent top cut in OSDT before bowing out within the top 16, but also has not quite shown the upside of those ranked above him. This makes a price of 14.5k interesting, but perhaps the Foxes see a lot of potential in this core because of some factors going their way! For example, experience is not a major limiting factor, as Akaru Kokuyo, while not necessarily a household name in general, is plenty experience in DOU. In addition, team support is a major plus here, as Ann has superb team synergy with Akaru Kokuyo since they both are from the same region with a prior rapport. However, there are still concerns about the upside here, as Akaru Kokuyo struggled in tournaments like DPL and will be facing the full gauntlet of strong DOU players this campaign.

Tenzai is an interesting case. He went 4-1 last SCL, which is pretty dang good to say the least, and has had results in the past. Toxigen is a good player/support as well, which considerably bolsters this slot. However, the issue comes with Tenzai's experience in SV DOU thus far, or rather, lack thereof. I've mentioned experience a LOT so far, with a lack of it being a considerable knock against a slot. Tenzai might have the least SV DOU experience in the whole pool, but does have a good amount in older generations instead. Playing ability isn't restricted to a single generation, but in a field as close as this one, lack of experience in a specific generation can be crucial. Due to that, Tenzai ranks the lowest out of the SCL starters, but that far from guarantees he has a bad season.

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It speaks volumes about a player's skill and presence within the metagame to be able to command a 20k price tag in their first ever official tour, let alone to be ranked first in a pool as deep as this year's Ubers. Entro has had nothing short of a spectacular performance so far this generation, winning the Ubers Ladder Tour, reaching finals of the Ubers Open, and finishing 8-1 in his inaugural UPL season. He's been behind some of the most critical metagame developments, such as Gravity Groundceus, and has consistently been at the forefront when it comes to pushing the limits in teambuilding. The cherry on his cake so to speak is that his support is none other than Ubers Tier Leader Aberforth, who himself would've been a top 5 player in this pool. The prep work of two of Ubers' best talents should spell disaster for all opponents, but it'll all come down to if Entro's able to replicate his other Ubers results under pressure.

Here we have the other Tier Leader, who's still in his diapers, the topper of the Ubers table last SCL, who has also had solid showings in SPL and WCoP this year. He's established himself as a dominant force in the modern Ubers scene and expanded his horizons further with a top 4 finish in this year's Grand Slam, losing out to the eventual winner Giannis. Having been retained by the Gible for a second year running, it's clear that he's a force to be reckoned with, even more so when his support comes in the form of Fogbound Lake who has the ability to elevate Fc's already fantastic prep to further heights. Fc's certainly grown as a player since his impressive 7-2 run last year, and we can image he'll hope to be able to maintain it, let alone surpass it.

If there were any player in the Ubers pool who is without need for an introduction, it would be SoulWind. Despite rarely playing Ubers outside of SCL, it's clear that he'd be near the top of any power rankings for a singles tier. Sporting a very strong 6-2 record in UPL and making Grand Slam semifinals, SoulWind clearly has enough of an understanding of SV Ubers to perform as expected of his regular form if things go right. His support is solid as well, with Ubers veteran Edgar and Ubers Winter Seasonal winner Vert as his manager, so any need for getting teams should be met by capable builders. SoulWind himself seems keen to play Ubers, having deliberately ruled himself out of playing any other tier until playoffs, and this type of motivation for a single tier can only be a good thing for the Shoguns.

Going back to our regularly scheduled programming of Ubers Tier Leaders, here's a former one who's coming out of a hiatus in officials (since he was tier locked to DOU last year) in hopes of improving on his 6-4 record from 2 years ago. Ice dominated the Ubers tournament scene during 2021, and with SV, he's continued his form in the shape of deep runs in both the Ubers Open and Summer Seasonal. While he's lacking in official experience compared to the Fcs of the world, there's no doubt in anyone's mind that Ice is anything short of some of the best talent modern Ubers has to offer. His support, Taka, has made a name for himself this generation for his creative thinking in the builder, as well as being the sole Entro slayer in UPL. Hopefully, he will help diversify Ice's builds and perhaps even convince him to use a Pokémon below A on the VRs.

Exiline rounds out the top 5 of the Ubers pool, going for his third season on the Islanders and first time being retained. After putting up two 6-win seasons in a row, Exiline is expected to at least come close to repeating that success, despite playing less SV than SS thus far. With support from Tier who had a respectable UPL performance with active prep and building, he should be able to make up for any lack of experience in SV and put up another formidable record fitting for the #1 player in the Ubers Hall of Fame.

fade was retained by the reigning champions, but raised more than a few eyebrows when it comes to his tier of choice. After a jaw dropping 9-2 performance in PU last year, some thought he would continue to play a lower tier in this tournament; however, fade decided he wanted to move from the lowest power level of the level 100 tiers to the highest, and he is certainly a capable enough pilot to do so. With support from Mashing, Ubers Open Finalist DAHLI and SS SCL Ubers player TJ, as long as fade can say no to Mashing's suggestions on the tier of Maushold and Corsola, fade should be quietly confident of a strong performance here. If things get off to a rocky start elsewhere for the Dynamos, they can be confident that he could do what SoulWind did last year and replicate the Dynamo's success.

Coming off a World Cup win with Team Spain, M Dragon is looking ahead at SCL in a new tier, starting in Ubers for the first time since SCL I. M Dragon did go 5-2 in Ubers back then, showing him as more than capable of putting up a good performance, even while coming off a poor World Cup record for his standards. While the Breakers didn't draft any notable Ubers mains for support, managers Garay Oak and Lunala have plenty of experience in Ubers historically and also both played SV in UPL's best of 3 slot this year. If M Dragon is able to prove that he has adapted to SV, and if he and his managers are able to keep up with the meta, he could return to his old form from SCL I and work to prove his ranking in the lower half of this list wrong.

Richard has had quite the successful 2023 thus far; in the aftermath of winning the final SS Ubers Seasonal, he went on to obtain the 3rd most circuit points of any player in Ubers and has since qualified to the Swiss round of OLT. He now looks to make a splash in Official Team Tours with his French partner-in-crime, Inder, who is both a proven player and support, having helped his team win UPL with one of the best current gen records of all time. However, Richard has started to struggle since the release of Arceus into the tier, including being benched in UPL, so this partnership between two potential starters also offers the Terrors the chance to switch up their Ubers starter if this proves to be a step too far for the Arsenal supporter, which his placement as 8th in this list does seem to indicate could be the case.

For second to last we have SiTuM, one of four players on this PR who has played Ubers in all editions of SCL thus far. His performances have been consistently around .500, and in a strong pool with mainers and tour players alike, that leaves him ranked near the bottom of this list. SiTuM has shown the ability to play SV at quite a high level though, with a very positive 5-2 record in UPL's best of 3 slot while supporting his team in SV as well. His support does seem limited, with Tony, Starmaster, and Xrn all having solid Ubers performances under their belts but not being heavily involved with current gen tournaments, so it may be tough to keep up with other cores of multiple active players that have plenty of ideas. If this group of players can work together to keep up with the new metagame, SiTuM can compete at a level around or even above his previous performances in SCL.

Expectations cannot be lower for the Foxes going into this SCL, which could be exactly what they need after back-to- back years of 9th place finishes. However, Highlord will be facing an uphill battle trying to help his team in Ubers, being the consensus lowest ranked player in the pool. His UPL teammates will also delight in telling you how his ideas were frequently banned from being discussed in the SV prep chats, with ideas like Body Slam Toxapex and Imprison Arceus being vetoed by all of his teammates. However, in Highlord's defense, his role was not to play SV in that tournament, and in tiers where Highlord shows dedication, almost nobody can claim to be on his level, boasting wins in both the DPP and ORAS Ubers Invitationals and defining the meta with his builds in both tiers over numerous years. That dedication and skill ceiling inspired the Foxes to spend 10k on him, and they will be hoping that he can make it a third generation of Ubers that he can solve in the builder. We can all safely say that there won't be a more committed player in the pool, but only time will tell if his lack of SV experience will come back to bite him.

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tazz is an extremely consistent player, and it shows. Being a long time team manager for LC team tours, tazz has been proving his skill at mons all year. Going 6-1 in LCPL and going 5-5 last SCL shows that he can go the distance. This is combined with support from babyboyblues and sylveon used calm mind, two players showing quite strong results in their own right. Babyboyblues had a dominant LCWL and LCPL, while sylveon was the LC Open champion and is known for their unorthodox teambuilding. While some concerns could be levied at tazz due to his results being focused on older generations, support from those two means that he'll be kept current. From there, it all comes down to his execution, which is highly touted by his peers. This will be the determinant as to if he can build on his 5 win campaign last season!

dcae has the most experience in tournaments of anyone in this field and has done it across various formats. He is a strong player with a knack for building effective offensive teams; the consensus is that dcae will win games consistently so long as he avoids both the nonsense that engulfed his last campaign with and motivational issues. The prevailing sentiment is that dcae will be a full season LC starter and he appears active, so this is a promising sign for the Gibles! Historically, dcae is positive within official team tournaments, which includes a very impressive 16-10 across a few SCL/SSD campaigns. His results within LC-specific events are perhaps even more impressive, but they span across various generations. Speaking strictly of right now in SV LC, dcae may need to continue to adjust, as this is a fresher metagame with the release of DLC, but there is no reason to believe he will not adjust or repeat his good results.

With a 4-5 season in 2021 followed up by an SCL II snub, Laroxyl has continued to develop into one of the stronger prospects in this field, as they look to go positive for the first time this campaign! The Terrors have set this slot up to succeed, too, as they invested 15k into Laroxyl while adding wesh papillon as a capable supporter and substitute as well. wesh papillon is seen as a steady teambuilding presence, especially in a developing SV landscape, while Laroxyl is arguably one of the top players in the LC community. Laroxyl has some middling results recently with a negative stretch in SV during LCPL despite going positive on the whole, a slightly below average LCWL, and getting knocked out in the top 16 of LC Majors while not currently being in-line to qualify for the circuit. However, this does not tell the full story, as Laroxyl historically has many good results such as making finals of the Circuit championship last year. Additionally, Laroxyl has recently sought out some strong opponents and did not have the support of wesh papillon to refine teams along the way. It will be interesting to see if this tandem can live up to the hype, as Laroxyl gets a grand opportunity to prove himself against the toughest of LC opponents this SCL!

Hacker has been a breakout performer in LC tournments ever since Freezai's (in)famous Little Cup Open extravaganza, which led to one of the largest tournaments ever. Despite being notably on the inexperienced side, the results speak for themselves, as Hacker has expedited his personal pace to becoming a polished and decorated LC player in a field of veterans. To list some, but not all, of his accomplishments, Hacker placed second in the recent Spring Seasonal, won the prestigious LC Majors, and resides as the current LC circuit champion. He did all of this individually while combining to go 10-6 in LC team tours as a fresher face. If Hacker's recent resume is not enough to sell you yet, this slot is then bolstered by newcomer to SCL Lokifan, who is sitting at 11-5 in teamtours himself. These two are the new kids on the block have made their claim to be among LC standouts loud and clear. The only question remains if they can compete with the older guard of players who sit throughout this pool, including in the slots above Hacker! Experience can go a long way, but hopefully for Hacker his strong play so far can continue.

Scottie is one of the biggest challenges you could face in an LC tournament, proving to be one of the best pure players in the tier. His tournament results speak volumes! Last LC circuit, he had 600 points more than second place at a whopping 1690 points and won Gen 8 Little Cup Classic. On top of that, Scottie had a solid team tour showing of 4-2 in LCPL. The main question is whether he can recreate his older generation success within this current generation, which has an evolving metagame with the release of DLC. The Platoon lack another LC supporter, so it'll be a trial by fire to see how Scottie performs this SCL. Even if his experience is mainly in older generations, do not underestimate how strong Scottie is at playing Little Cup and how far this could go if the stars align.

When Collette has played, she has managed to do quite well. For a mere 3k, Collette comes in ranked sixth in her first opportunity to start a full season in an official team tournament, and there is plenty of reason to be optimistic! For starters, she went 2-0 in a brief stint last year in LC for the Terrors, which is a great way to get started. However, you do not get ranked within the top of a field off of such a small sample size. Taking a look deeper into things, you will see Collette managed to go 4-1 in LCPL and 3-1 in LCWL; her opponents did not consist of many traditional top LC players, but she still managed to find consistency and this can go a long way. Hopefully for the Dynamos this consistency can be extended into Collette's biggest challenge yet, as she looks to run through some stiff competition this SCL!

goldenghost, who is formerly known as KSG, has been having a solid stretch of LC playing recently, earning a top six ranking in this pool. The main concern is how strong his competition is, as we see five great players ahead and some less proven, but potentially higher ceiling, options ranked below him. His teamtour performance this year have been excellent with a 7-3 showing in LCPL and 5-3 record in LCWL; anything resembling this type of showing would be a success here! goldenghost been a strong player throughout the entirety of the generation, and it's hard to say he's not one of the top SV players, but a 1-6 record in officials with some prolonged run in the first edition of SCL is cause for some caution about his prospects. Recent strength will hopefully take forefront here rather than past failings though, and this combined with support from Wail Wailord can go a long way! With the clutch gene in hand from some timely LCPL week-clinching victories, goldenghost looks to have a strong campaign!

Acehunter1 isn't a bad player by any stretch of the imagination so much as he may be in a field where many others project better than him at this time, causing a middling ranking. This is a deep pool filled with experienced LC players with resumes that have a few more lines than Ace, who has only 8 official games to his name thus far. What Acehunter has going for him is that he does have some tricky Pokémon choices, highlighting his impressive teambuilding practices. The main issue that he will be facing is that everyone else is just strong enough to be prepared for much of what they will encounter. While Ace is 9-6 in LC team tournaments this year currently, others above have done marginally better in many cases. Don't underestimate Ace in battle because of how unpredictable he can be to deal with sometimes, though. Support from Elfuseon will be quite valuable as well, potentially adding another layer to this core.

Eniigma is your resident LC ladder hero who has a lot of very solid individual performances. Most notable is his LC Spring Seasonal and LC Majors showings. Eniigma is 6-5 in team tournaments throughout LC and this leads us to believe that he is a strong player, but relative to his peers in this field, he doesn't have as much as to go off of in terms of tenure and accomplishments. Some unconventional and confident teambuilding may be beneficial here, but with no support, he's going to have to really fight tooth-and-nail to stay above the rest of the pack. Eniigma is more than capable of doing it, as he has won so many games on the ladder and even in smaller tournaments over the years, but only time will tell if this pick pays dividends or ends up one of the most risky in the tournament.

Drifting is an interesting case, as not many were expecting him to be drafted. He doesn't have too many standout performances to his name, but he's quite active on Discord and runs the sample teams thread for LC. He went 1-3 in LCPL and 4-4 in LCWL while being known for making very unique teams that posses hit-or-miss tendencies. Time will tell if it'll be a #DriftingSweep or #DriftingFlop, but most seem to be leaning towards the latter. However, Drifting has been drafted in many a team tournament and is quite experienced, so he may bring the upset potential from the experience he has in hand and do well.

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Wholly unsurprising in the #1 slot is umbry on the Breakers, a player who does not need any introduction. Her consistency in UU is nothing short of remarkable; if there's a tournament you can think of, she's probably won it or come damn close at the very least. She's paired up with not only good friends of hers in London Beats, who previously teamed with her, and gum, both of whom have at least a baseline knowledge of UU, but also managers Garay oak and Lunala, who she shared a UUWC team with. Another member of her UUWC team, co-captain Lyssa, who might as well be umbry's doppelganger, is also quietly supporting from the bleachers. Their ability to agree on things nobody else agrees on will be vital to the team's success, and you'd be foolish to assume that success will be in any way lacking. It is extremely likely that umbry finds her way to yet another fantastic record this SCL.

The Machines opted to spend big on someone "unproven" in UU, dropping a cool 22.5k on Punny to man the slot. Now when I say unproven, I mean it as lightly as possible; Punny has never played UU in an official tournament before, but he has played a LOT of these tournaments, sporting a fantastic sheet record of 57-41. With a recent great UUWC performance under his belt, it also stands to reason that Punny has at least some UU meta knowledge, and of course he has proven his ability to adapt to lower tier environments before with his stellar SS RU results and Grand Slam win. Behind Punny will be vaunted builder vivalospride; with Punny's tendency to create the nastiest fat teams you've ever seen and viv's tendency to make unique brands of offense, they're sure to concoct some evil teams - and if this DLC does the unthinkable and drops Clefable to UU, it might as well be over for everyone else in the pool. It stands to reason that a player with as much overall success as Punny will easily be able to flourish in this pool.

To give some context on this ranking, it is going to be easier for pdt to clean up the UU pool than it will be for me to find things to say about him that haven't been said before. pdt is an incredibly talented player that has made many metagames fold to his whims over the years, combining building skills that perfectly suit his playing skills and a wonderfully positive, care-free attitude to go alongside them. On top of the above, this generation of UU has something the tier has never seen before thanks to Terastallization; with the ability to morph the types of Alomomola, Enamorus-T, and even the pink dragon slayer itself Tinkaton, pdt can finally live up to his name and actually tame a pink dragon. He should be wonderfully set up with the help of fellow UU players Amukamara and robjr - neither are super well known for their SV escapades, but they'll be able to provide sanity checking at the very least and make sure pdt doesn't get too lost in the sauce. Considering how the rest of Dave's draft went, it's a good thing he retained a good UU slot.

Wow. One of the winningest players of all time, McMeghan, who is currently dominating the 2023 sheet with an absurd 16-4 record throughout SPL and WCoP, finds himself with a relatively modest #4 ranking in SV UU. Granted, that SPL was in an entirely different generation, and #4 is certainly no poor ranking, but for a player of McMeghan's stature to find himself here speaks volumes of how strong this UU pool really is. The Belgian sensation does admittedly find himself lacking support; Xrn has played a little UU and can surely sanity check ideas, but it is unlikely McMeghan will have anyone building for him other than himself. This could easily be a good thing if he gels with the tier; he can certainly have a Midas touch when it comes to building and is very willing to use something out there. It seems likely that McMeghan will put up a solid result for the Platoon - nobody would deny that he is the most successful player on this list by a wide margin, after all, but it seems there are doubts about whether or not he will find his groove. Not to fear, though; this isn't his first rodeo, and as long as he manages to get to grips with UU, he will do great!

Out with the new, in with the old, in classic Terrors fashion. In terms of raw game count, Accel is the most tenured UUer on this list, with a consistent string of strong results, and he almost never seems to disappoint. Sure, at first glance, it may look like he's not super in-tune with SV, but on closer inspection one will find that he did play it in UUWC, managing a solid 2-1 record before his team's unfortunate demise to Rest of World. As such, it can be assumed that he knows what he's doing, and if that's truly the case, then it would be silly to expect anything other than a positive result; Accel's negative team tournaments are few and far between, and after a long break from them, it seems he's looking to add another positive run to the collection. With the support of avarice - who will, admittedly, almost definitely heavily clash with Accel in terms of team style - it is a very reasonable bet that Accel will do just fine.

It's definitely been a while since Sage has played UU in an official team tournament. In typical Good UU Player fashion, Sage started out here and was soon headhunted for her OU talents instead, a fate that also befell her support in Lily. Nonetheless, after a string of solid OU results, Sage finds herself in her old stomping ground. She definitely has experience with the new generation, putting up an okay 2-2 UUWC showing. One of those losses involved a tragic use of Bombirdier; word on the streets is that the same person who suggested Bombirdier in that game is building Sage's teams this time around, so here's hoping the bullshit hits a little better this time. Sage definitely has the playing ability necessary to perform well in this pool, but it is top-heavy; if her ability to adapt to new metagames can shine through, she may be able to overperform expectations, especially in the 2nd week and onwards where UU will essentially be an entirely new tier. Barring any unexpected trips to Hawaii, it stands to reason that Sage should put up a fine record. Keep your eyes on this slot.

hariyana grande finds himself switching the positions this year, finally getting the chance to Break Free from the bench and test drive a starter slot. His sudden rise to stardom in the UU community was just like magic, coming out of nowhere with a nasty UU Open run soon followed by a UU Masters victory that almost seemed obvious from the beginning. It's obvious that hariyana grande is creating an impressive bloodline. While I'm sure he was daydreamin' about receiving a better ranking considering these accolades, considering the competition above him, that was always going to be off the table. His consistency seems strong and he definitely has the ability to pop off, but should things go awry, Askov and mncmt can provide a safety net and take over this slot as accomplished UU players themselves. There's definitely a lot of upset potential in this slot though. Let's hope hariyana grande overcomes the odds to be successful; considering how the rest of the draft went, managers njnp and xImRaptor will have no tears left to cry if the UU slot doesn't work out.

Gilbert arenas, marcop, overqwil. A man of many names and evidently a man of many talents, marcop finds himself in UU this year for another bout of SCL in a lower tier, having graduated from playing NU in the last edition of the tournament, where he put up a solid 6-3 record on a team that was otherwise a sinking ship. Despite that great result, marcop finds himself ranked pretty low in this UU pool. Part of that is down to the name value of most of the players above him; they are either extremely tenured UU players or just extremely tenured general players that happen to be playing UU. marcop fits well into that latter category, but not quite as much as those above. Do not let this fool you into thinking a bad result is to be expected; it does seem like marcop has a genuine interest in the tier, and he is an overall skilled player that has proven his ability to adapt before. He does have shaky support; Booty, bb skarm, and LpZ have all played at least some SV UU, but none are experts. With that said, sometimes you don't need an expert - if you can figure out something that works for you, then you'll do just fine, and that's certainly a possibility for the cop. It'd be reasonable to not expect a repeat of his stellar NU performance, as this is arguably a much more difficult mountain to climb, but don't be surprised if he leaps beyond what this ranking would suggest either.

Once again, despite somehow jerking with the entire UU tournament community, Luthier decided to go against the wishes of his friends and draft a completely off-the-wall pick. Last year that was KSt3ve, and now, following on from a great UUWC showing, we have tko, who captained his team to victory and managed a sweet 6-1 record while doing so. The former LC main now aims to colonize SCL. In terms of other notable UU accomplishments, tko has… well, nothing at all. In fact, until pretty recently, tko wasn't playing the game at all, having gone on a hiatus at some point within the last few years and making a grand return in the past few months. For this reason, in addition to his complete lack of support, it's unfortunately pretty hard to see tko managing to do too well. He's certainly not dead in the water, but he is expected to struggle, and unfortunately there isn't really anyone to take over if he does unless BIHI moves out of OU. Maybe tko will shock us with yet another stellar performance. For the sake of tempering Luthier and Tricking's fury, let's hope he does.

So there's good news and bad news. The good news is that with OU in such a bizarre state right now, there's a nonzero chance that Eternal Spirit's old friends ARKANES and TOXICALLY wiggle their way down to the UU tier, giving him some comfort picks to rely on. The bad news is that he'll need that comfort, because it's not looking good for the Gibles in UU. Eternal Spirit is certainly a solid player that has put up good performances in all kinds of tiers over the years, but there is extremely limited UU support for the Gibles here; justdrew and Cam can provide some, but neither are extremely well-versed in SV UU. Eternal Spirit will need to get some good teams to get wins here, so it will likely be quite the uphill battle for this team if they want to perform well here; Gama has the ability as a player to make it work, and anything is possible, but it'd be best to temper your expectations.

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At the top of this pool is TheFranklin, who will look to continue his dominance in RU for the third SCL in a row after having notched an excellent tally of 13 wins in the first two editions. While he is heralded for his ability in RU, he has shown his adaptability this year by picking up a cumulative 8-5 record in SV OU between SPL XIV and WCoP 2023. An overall record of 19-12 in RU team tours is also a testament to TheFranklin's skill. A recent performance of note was his role as a key contributor in his RUPL team's victory this year, notably beating Punny in a Bo3 during finals as one of his 4 wins in the tour. These achievements convinced the Spartans to select him as one of their two retains in this SCL. While fellow Hustler and manager Vulpix03 will be a potential source of support, Franklin will be expected to build his own teams similar to past tours. Given his history, TheFranklin will be likely to meet and potentially exceed the high expectations that are set of his performance over the course of this tour.

Feliburn ranks as the runner-up in the RU pool, with the tier leader looking to continue his red-hot form in the aftermath of his UU Open win. 15 wins in RU over the course of his time in officials are a sign of his history in this level of play, and he will be raring to bounce back after a middling 4-6 run in his previous SCL. His experience in the tier is further underlined by an impressive 33 wins in RU team tours overall, with 3 of those coming against a highly competitive Bo3 pool in the recent RUPL. While support would serve as more of a luxury than a necessity for a builder of Feliburn's caliber, he could receive assistance from fellow lower tier players in sensei axew, avarice, and Meru if he looks for it. One of the two players in this pool who will be running it back with the same franchise, Feliburn will aim to reward his managers' faith by putting forward a great performance in this edition.

Rounding out the top three of this pool is Ajna, arguably the preeminent RU player who will be looking to add to his successes in SCL III. His decorated history includes a stellar 39-28 record in RU during official tours that is unlikely to be surpassed anytime soon and an excellent 37-23 record in RU team tours that places him in the top 3. To top it off, Ajna is first on the RU Hall of Fame and was recently added to his hoard with a dominant RU Pentathlon where he only dropped 5 games in seven consecutive Bo5s. While there is some concern after an unexpectedly lackluster 2-7 finish in SCL II, many people expect this to be a minor hiccup that Ajna will be able to move past in this edition. While Ajna can easily provide for himself, he will also find support in the form of his manager, the defending RU Open champion Star. The RU slot was one of the pillars of the Platoon's success last year, and the presence of Ajna will be key to ensuring ensure that they do not drop off in that regard.

Coming in fourth is Floss, who has quietly found himself within the top half of this pool after putting up a respectable record in his first full campaign last year. While his overall record in official tournaments leaves a lot to be desired, RU specific results paint Floss in a more impressive light, as he is in the middle of his second straight strong RUWC and currently ranks second in RU circuit standings for this year, partially thanks to a run into the top 24 of RU Open. Additionally, Floss finished fourth in the standings last year, comfortably making playoffs, after winning RU Open, which helped put him on the map to begin with. In general, he had a phenomenal stretch between RU Open and a great start to last SCL before closing out on a bit weaker of a note last season. With this in mind, Floss will also have the support of Grand Slam finalist mncmt and lower tier regulars Togkey and Thiago Nunes throughout his sophomore campaign in the RU pool. Overall, expectations are for Floss to build on an average season last year by going positive this year, but this is another strong RU pool, so Floss will have to work hard and take another step forward to be one of the top players here.

Completing the top half of mainers in the pool is Beraldo, who will be aiming to kick on from a solid official debut in SPL XIV where he picked up 4 wins en route to an even finish. A 9-7 record in RU team tours can be deceptive at first glance, considering he has captained Brazil to an RUWC victory in the last year, along with a RUPL title where he was the lone manager. In the latter, Beraldo went 6-3 in a mix of Bo3 and SV games, including a clutch win against Feliburn in the semi-finals that sealed his team's place in the finals. There will be an adjustment in moving from a support role to a full-time starter at this level, and it is uncertain whether or not the Dynamos have equipped Beraldo with the requisite support, but his active building of the tier throughout the generation will assuage some concerns. While he is ranked in the middle of the pool, a good start could easily snowball and lead to Beraldo being a regular source of wins for this Dynamos squad.

robjr finds himself in the middle of the pack, with the veteran looking to continue his foray into RU after playing the tier in SCL II. A staggering 53 wins in official team tours highlight his familiarity with this level, but he has less experience with playing CG RU than most in this pool, with a middling 2-3 record in SS RU during last SCL. This should not be mistaken for a lack of involvement with the tier itself, with him logging 43 games in RU team tours including a strong 6-2 finish in RUPL X, albeit being in the older gens he is more accustomed to. While robjr is used to playing lower tiers in older generations, he has delved into the current generation in the recent Grand Slam, with the zenith being a PU Open finals placement. In terms of support, he'll be counting on pdt and Danny, two players who are well-versed in building lower tiers, to supply him with teams. The Islanders will hope that this tournament mainstay can apply his wealth of experience to good effect and achieve a strong record in this competitive pool.

After watching Europe fall short of a WCoP trophy in his first official tour, GoldCat will anticipate making his playing debut in his tier of origin. A lack of history in officials official tournaments belies his experience in RU, placing 3rd in the RU Hall of Fame with a variety of individual and team tour achievements. Notably, his RULT win this year should dispel any questions about his involvement in the current generation with the tier. Similar to most of this pool, GoldCat will be expected to show self-sufficiency due to his history with the tier. His building ability will be especially crucial on the Gible, where a scarcity of visible support could prove to be a daunting mountain to overcome in GoldCat's first starting stint at this level. Sjneider and false will be hoping this up-and-comer can rise to the challenge and perform well in spite of the cards stacked against him.

eifo lands in 8th place, making his return to the officials scene after previously playing in Snake 4, where he finished 3-2. He debuted in the aforementioned tour and recorded a 2-1 finish in his three games of RU. eifo put himself back on the radar with an impressive RU Circuit ribbon win towards the end of 2022, including scalps of two of his competitors this year in robjr and Beraldo. This seasoned RU player has won 14 of 27 games in RU team tours across a variety of gens, highlighting an adaptability that will serve him well in the ever-changing meta that tier shifts guarantee. eifo can also lay claim to having the best supporting cast of this pool, with Lunala, ishtar, and gum all having experience with building the tier in the past. The Breakers will hope eifo can surpass expectations and establish himself as one to watch for in this pool.

Perched on the lower rungs of the ranking, bb skarm will be looking to build upon his SCL debut last year, where a 4-4 record in UU proved that he has the capability to start at this level. He has managed multiple RU team tours, showcasing a deeper involvement than most in the tier, but he has usually abstained from playing in those tours. A qualification for the Slam XII playoffs is also indicative of his healthy investment into SV lower tiers, which will be crucial to maintain in a dynamic metagame. While bb skarm can provide for himself, he will also receive support from fellow Slam qualifier zS, who is known for a unique building style that could easily catch opponents off guard. This dark horse will be looking to take the pool by storm, and the Shoguns will certainly look forward to his attempts to do so.

At the bottom of the ranks is JustFranco, the second debutant in this pool along with GoldCat. Unlike the rest of this pool, Franco has no prior experience in RU team tournaments, making him a wildcard to prepare for. He has shown promise in RU during smaller tournaments, and his top 16 placement in RULT proves a connection with the tier as well. One testament to his overall skill is a qualification to the recent OLT, where he currently has a solid 2-1 record at the Swiss stage with wins against established players in z0mOG and Tace. In terms of support, a historically dominant RUer in Punny will be able to assist him, and teammates like Guille and Expulso might also be relied on. It is also likely that the tier will undergo several changes over the course of the tour, which could serve JustFranco well if he can establish a comfort zone quickly. While there are low expectations of JustFranco, this unique setting might serve as the platform he needs to topple more heralded players and make a name for himself.

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The third most expensive player in the SCL III draft, GXE, will without a doubt be worth his hefty price tag. As the clear favorite, GXE has been one of if not the best NU player for the past two generations and hopes to continue that trend in SCL III. Coming out of relative obscurity last generation, GXE dominated NU in SCL II with a 7-4 record which is reflective of his ability to exceed expectations. His dominance of the NU tier has been nothing short of remarkable, putting up positive records in every NU team tour he has participated in. His success doesn't stop in SS, however, as he continued it by winning the most recent edition of NU Open. This win allowed him to qualify for Smogon Grand Slam, making it to the Round of 8 and showing his ability to adapt to changing metagames. His great plays coupled with creativity in the builder really demonstrate that Glicko X-Act Estimate(his namesake) is an excellent indicator of skill.

The Chef, Clutchalos, the man of many names comes in as the runner-up in the Power Rankings, showing that even through generational changes his ability to concoct some of the most iconic NU teams is valued. It is not just his teambuilding expertise that warranted a 25k price tag, however, as in the past two SCL tours he showed a solid 10-7 record and has consistently been a mainstay in Smogon team tournaments. He has to be highly motivated to reinstate his title as king of NU after a mediocre performance last SCL, putting up 4-5. No current generation NU tour performances is a bit concerning, but Kushalos has an innate ability to adapt to different metas, and his great overall play should be able to account for any knowledge that he might lack coming into the tournament.

Danny has quietly become one of the most impressive NU players across the last year! Normally a player with only half a season under his belt going for 14.5k to start a full campaign for the first time would be alarming, but with the two players above him being astronomically expensive and Danny's recent results, this is a very appropriate purchase by the Islanders. Danny's string of success includes a run to the semifinals of NU open before bowing out to the eventual winner, GXE, and going 8-3 across NUPL and NUWC in SV NU! On top of this, Danny has a good taste in his mouth from a 4-2 stretch last season when he was given the chance to play, leading him to project well for this upcoming season. While there is not much support here, generally solid lower tier players like pdt, robjr, and DugZa should be able to at least help with intermittent testing and Danny is very in-touch with the NU community, so his readiness should not be a worry, especially when you consider how strong of a team builder and metagame follower he is. Overall, Danny is going to have to prove his worth and ranking like anyone else with so little official experience, but all unofficial results and current signs point towards a successful season for Danny!

Ducklett enthusiast, Australian sensation, and NU Tier Leader etern rounds out the top 4. Unlike some of the players on this list, etern has kept up with the current meta. He should be able to build for himself like the above three players, but if he is lacking ideas he has new NU sensation Dr. Phd BJ and older NU player S1nn0hC0nfirm3d to help come up with some crazy concoctions. His last SCL performance leaves much to be desired with a 3-5 finish in the pool; however, that record belies a stronger past. One of the top NU players of all time, boasting a consistent track record across many tournments, he is no slouch. His performances year in and year out have shown a clear grasp of the game, and a comeback seems imminent for etern. All this said about etern, expect a great season, aided especially by his horrendous time zone.

In the middle of the pack is newer face Thiago Nunes. Making his SCL debut, Thiago Nunes has a lot of things going for him at the moment. A proven lower tier player, Thiago seems to be well at home in any tier the managers would place him in. After a stellar 7-1 record in NUPL XI and a 3-1 record in NUWC, the Silver Foxes made an excellent pick to get Thiago. He has shown strong playing ability and creativity in what he uses, bringing innovative teams every time he plays. Thiago alone would be quite the asset, and with Togkey and Xiri's support he seems poised and ready to exceed expectations. Both Togkey, one of NU's top builders, and Xiri, the former NU Circuit Champion, are able to provide great ideas and team support for Thiago to excel with.

In 6th place we have another NU veteran in watashi(aka FLCL). They are a renowned player of various tiers, having played a whopping 4 different tiers last SCL. Their recent tournament results are decidedly average, with a 4-4 record in NUPL and another 4-4 record in the aforementioned SCL as well. They are historically very strong, but their lack of current generation performances led them to land on the second half of the Power Rankings. This is not to diminish from their strength as a player, watashi is definitely one of the most technically skilled players on the site and in this pool. It is yet to be seen if they can dispel any worries people may have about them with a good performance here. They are in luck, with one of the top NU builders in zS to help support them, and I can easily see them going positive if the effort and time is put in rather than being spent watching Fooly Cooly.

Ursaring abuser and certified NU Ladder extraordinaire Elias PSY makes his official tournament debut along with many of the other starters in this tournament in 7th place in the PRs. Elias is no slouch, he is in second place in the current NU Circuit race, and is the winner of the NU Swiss III. His successes are not just hidden in NU Individual tournaments, however, as he had a phenomenal 7-2 record in the most recent edition of NUPL and a 4-0 record in NUWC. These records are very impressive, but there might be some doubts about how these wins translate to official tours. He has a tendency to reuse extremely similar teams repeatedly, which led to insane consistency in NU sub forum tours but might damage him in an official setting. It is about time Elias gets a chance in SCL, and his insane alterations to common meta staples might be what sets him apart from the rest of the pool, or it might be what hurts him the most.

In 8th place comes freezai, who might seem a bit out of place in NU rather than his usual LC. He has played a bit of NU recently, getting a solid 3-1 record in NUWC. He is a very solid player who is experienced in official tournaments and has good fundamentals. His NU experience is a bit lacking, but his support can give him a slice of hope. Pokeslice, NU mainstay and solid builder and player, gives freezai the support he is definitely going to need in the unexplored tier. Their chemistry is also a consideration, as Pokeslice aided in building all of freezai's teams for NUWC. This slot might be up for grabs. Even with excellent support, the competition is strong, and it is hard to see freezai carve a strong record in this slot. For the sake of SCL Media coverage, let us all hope freezai does well. If he succeeds, we can expect weekly SCL coverage; if he does poorly, let this tour anguish in obscurity.

We have the relatively obscure dark horse of the NU Pool. Axrtix popped out of NOWHERE and shook up the NU tournament scene. A 4-2 record in NUPL and a 4-1 record in NUWC show a very fundamentally strong player who has the personal vouch of many of the NU community's strongest players. He currently leads the NU Circuit race, with his most recent win of NU Ladder Tour showing that he is not only constantly playing the game, but also constantly winning. It is tough to see how much his current success will translate to his first official tournament, however, but with the support of former NU Tier Leader Finchinator he will hopefully be able to give a strong showing. The Platoon have definitely taken a risk in starting Axrtix, but hopefully for them it will pay off. His inexperience in these types of tournaments warrants a lower ranking, but he does have a high ceiling. With how tough the competition is in the pool, Axrtix definitely has a difficult road ahead of him.

At the bottom of the rankings we have Meru, a tournament regular making their NU debut. Having only played SM NU in NUPL XI it was definitely an interesting choice to place Meru into the NU Pool. Skill wise, they are definitely a competent player; however, their complete lack of experience in the NU tier, along with their support being foisted upon manager shiloh and ex-retiree sensei axew means that they will have to carry a lot of their weight and practice significantly more to learn the meta than their peers in the rest of the pool. Meru is no slouch, going 2-0 last SCL as a sub in UU, and having other solid tournament performances overall. While expectations are definitely not high for Meru, they can potentially take advantage of the changing tier's landscape and the other newer NU players to get an edge on the competition.

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sensei axew is back at number 1 after a successful 8-2 performance in SCL II. It's hard to deny sensei's success in PU, despite his absence in the most recent PUPL. sensei won PU Circuit two years in a row in 2021 and 2022; he might have the worst profile pictures of all time on Discord, but his building choices are usually superior, as are his piloting skills. Some might argue sensei will be rusty after a break, but he's usually quick to adapt, mostly with the PU metagame quickly shifting anyways. If for some reason he's unable to put up the performances he's surely capable of, Shaneghoul should be able to step in. But if everything goes as planned, "SENSLAY", as he was called last PR, will do just as well as people expect, and maybe even exceed expectations.

TJ finds himself back in PU after his venture to Ubers and OU last SCL. The PU star has been absent from the scene for six months but now returns from the shadow realm to remind the playerbase of his skill in lower tiers. Despite his 2-6 performance last SCL, PU should be a pool in which TJ's skill shines exponentially, assuming he hasn't become rusty from his lack of experience lately. Despite this, TJ should be capable of adapting quickly, and he has teammates such as Baloor, clean, and Beraldo to help him find his footing quickly. Should TJ stay out of trouble in the builder, he should be able to bring the fight to the PU pool and remind people why he's considered one of the best PU players.

Santu needs no introduction. A veteran when it comes to lower tiers over the generation, his knowledge seems to be only paralleled by a proactive playstyle that has granted him a number 3 rank in this list. Santu's history with SV PU doesn't seem extensive, but a 5-3 record last PUPL in SM shows that, if his piloting skills have remained as sharp as they've proven to be in earlier PU generations, then he should have no trouble adapting to SV. With that being said, Santu does not seem to have much support. Newly recognized NU star Axrtix might be able to lend a hand, but Santu will need to learn and adapt to the new metas in quick fashion. Clearly people seem to believe Santu has what it takes though, and we'd be hard pressed to believe otherwise.

DugZa finds himself in fourth place tied with Santu. As the most recent PULT winner, DugZa has carved a name for himself in the PU community since the end of the previous generation. His successes haven't stopped there though, with him scoring a great record of 6-2 in PUPL IX playing SV. His support consists of players such as Danny and pdt, who have been very successful in the tier as well, though it is questionable who would fill his shoes in this team if things don't go as planned. DugZa should be able to do well, mostly if people decide not to scout for him and notice he utilizes a certain Electric-type religiously!

At number 5 we have a name not very known around the PU circles but with great success in OU. Mana has not shown any results in PU, but a 4-5 RBY score in in SPL and a great amount of trust from manager Vulpix03 show a great amount of versatility for the tour player. Pix should be able to provide decent teams, and Mana is enough of a hard worker to surely make them shine. While he is moreso a question mark spot due to his lack of experience with the tier, the voters seem to agree that Mana is a force to be reckoned with, even this far from his home tier.

Few names are as synonymous of lower tiers as Xiri. A powerhouse in PU since generation 7, Xiri has proven again and again his capabilities at the tier. Xiri hasn't had much of a showing in current gen PU, but his ability and knowledge of SM netted him a 6-1 performance in PUPL. He's known as a great pilot (and an even tougher scheduler), and with great support from the likes of asa, Floss, Togkey, and Askov, there should be enough of a chance for success with solid teambuilding. His relatively lower placement is probably due to lack of results in SV, but the Foxes clearly have some solid choices in the wings if things don't work out for Xiri.

zS is ranked seventh in the PR; often considered an innovative builder and battler who's been around PU for a while, zS has actually had much more success in other tiers such as NU than in PU. This doesn't mean that zS lacks a resume, as he's managed for PUPL multiple times, and he clearly has the capabilities to study and understand the tier in a way that is simply not possible to some, due to his unorthodox building style. A negative record last SCL in NU as well as lack of experience place Zs in the lower half of the list, but he shouldn't be a player to be underestimated, since his creativity might allow him to catch off guard even some of the much higher placements on this list. With that being said, his support seems lacking, only relying on bb skarm, who will surely be busy starting elsewhere. Despite this, zS is filling the slot for PU in this team, and after naming your PUPL team "Joe Bidoofs", surely you can only go up from there, right?

gum, aka gumothy, has slowly evolved from a creative builder to a solid player within the PU playerbase and lower tiers in general. Over the years gum has proven their abilities managing, building, and playing, recently becoming a PU Swiss finalist. A positive 4-3 record in SS for PUPL shows that gum is a good pilot with a solid creative backbone to support them. The extremely good-looking Babylonian babe goddess ishtar and eifo round up the support core for this slot, granting gum enough creative potential to potentially propel the slot into a positive record. gum's ranking is more of a reflection of lack of highly positive results rather than lack of talent, but they stand as one of the players with most potential for growth in this list. If these expectations do not land, ishtar should be able to step in, but for now, this is the gum show, and this oomfie might actually be able to sneak in great wins, right!

Former PUTL Chloe finds herself at 9th place. Chloe is well known around the community as a solid pilot and builder, but she hasn't had the same positive results as some of her peers in the higher rankings. Despite these shortcomings, she's able to sustain herself in a much better way than some of the non-mainers in this slot. This may prove to be decisive, as Chloe does not seem to have much in terms of support. This will be a big stage for Chloe to prove herself in, but with her bestie and favorite Pokémon Shroodle, I'm sure everything will go just fine! (:

S1nn0hC0nfirm3d is the lowest ranked player in the pool. Definitely a wildcard pick from Studio Gible, Ho3n (I shall refer to him as Ho3n from now on, his new name is ridiculously annoying to spell and I just can't, I've been doing this for hours!!!) has had very little in terms of success in the tier. He has a long resume of strong decisive victories in NU, ZU, and NFE though, though it is hard to say if his previous performances will translate to this scene. Maybe some help from justdrew will lead him in the right direction, but it has been canonically difficult to contain Ho3n's wild ideas, and I guess drew will have to step up if S1nn0hC0nfirm3d ends up having the same reception as the Gen 4 remakes.

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