SCL V Power Rankings

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Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.

- Michael Jordan

As autumn approaches and World Cup ends, we find ourselves once again heading into the season of Smogon Champions League. Every year, 10 teams duke it out on the big stage to hoist the green trophy, and this year looks to be no less fierce than past editions. Whether you knew this tournament as Snake or this is your first year following the tournament, you're sure to find exciting matches, heartbreaking defeats, and incredible triumphs in the fifth edition of this tournament.

If you've been around for a Smogon team tournament, you know the drill: each team assembles in the week before the tournament to contribute to pre-tournament Power Rankings, where players from each tier are rated from perceived best to worst. Outliers are removed, scores are averaged, and then some amazing contributors write about the good, the not-as-good, and the nuance in between.

Whether you're first on these power rankings with the weight of expectation or last with everything to prove, your destiny is in your own hands this season. The beauty of competition is a mix of preparedness, skill, and luck, and Pokémon allows for that in spades. Will we see another dominant season from a 3k player like the 10-0 record from Piyu last season? Will we see the burden of expectation be too much for the higher-rated players? Most importantly, will we have a closer finals? Only time will tell.

A big thank you to the tournaments community and all of the fantastic contributors to it, this tournament and this site in general would not be as successful as it is without your enduring enthusiasm. A special shoutout to the people who contributed to this article, who valiantly saved Finchinator from having to write it all himself: Finchinator, Princess Autumn, Aberforth, Fc, bagel, iPetBigfoot, vivalospride, feen, Ming549, Tuthur, Be13costa, MZ, Bella, Kaboom, Kingler, Hacker, tazz, and goldmason.

And of course, we must thank the TFP and GP staff who made this article possible, whether it be grammar checking, HTML, graphic making, or more: Lumari, Quite Quiet, Kalalokki, and sunny.

1. Attribute
2. oldspicemike
3. clean
4. GXE
5. Fusien
6. JJ09LIE
7. Star
8. Ewin
9. 3d
10. SoulWind
11. Pkel SweeTforU
12. Separation
13. bhkg
14. Niko
15. ABR
16. leng loi
17. Finchinator
18. stareal
19. TDNT
20. Mako
21. heileone
22. ACR1
23. Kebab mlml
24. DAHLI
25. TJ
26. Hiko
27. Baddy
28. Axzel
29. foolycl
30. kDCA

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Once a fixture in the playoffs, the Indigo Platoon experienced a fall from grace last campaign to the tune of tenth place. One of the remedies for this season will be starting fresh talent in SV OU, as their core consists of three players who debuted this generation and have good results thus far. Sadly another one of the remedies is turning to new management, specifically in the form of Kingler, who may have ditched the random letters at the end of his name but still has the skill level of a random. Thankfully for the Platoon, he will not be playing, but each of Fusien, bhkg, and JJ09LIE all have success across different SV OU tournaments throughout 2025, inspiring a great deal of hope in the top-ranked SV OU trio.

Fusien is perhaps the leader of the pack here, as he is coming off of an OST victory and a 5-1 WCoP. It will be interesting to see how Fusien does in more of a leadership role with this core, but his track record leads many to believe more good things are coming. JJ09LIE is no slouch either, joining Fusien in the top six of the rankings. While he is a bit more soft-spoken, JJ09LIE has yet to go negative in an official tournament and has seven consecutive win SPLs in the flagship metagame. bhkg rounds things out as the least experienced of the three, but he has quietly strung together two respectable showings this year, going 9-5 across SPL and WCoP. MAVERICK SHOOTERS will provide a great deal of teambuilding support while being a capable substitute as well, tying the top-ranked OU core together nicely.

While the Spartans struggled last year collectively, they did manage to succeed in the SV OU arena. The best performer of that collective, Attribute, continues to do well in the flagship metagame and now finds himself the top-ranked player in the entire pool! While his retain was a no-brainer, the Spartans charged on by investing a respectable amount of resources into the remainder of this group. Standout player Separation, who recently turned the heat up in OLT, and consistent starter DAHLI join Attribute in the line-up. Additionally, vk and Pinecoishot, who both have a great deal of OU experience, provide important support and depth to this second-ranked core.

Attribute has quickly become a star player as, he is in the top 3 in the Official Team Tournament record in 2025 after finishing inside the top 10 last year as well. He builds his own teams, constantly plays the metagame, and seems to be in good form to keep up the winning ways. Separation is another player with a positive track record both historically and in 2025; the Spartans hope to see both of these two build on the momentum they have coming into the tournament. As for DAHLI, an 0-3 SPL was a step in the wrong direction, but on the whole DAHLI is still a positive player across a number of tiers and generations. For a mere 4k, this is a great addition to the Spartans, who have plenty of support in-house to assure things work out.

The Circuit Breakers finished just outside of the playoff picture last year. Their response was investing substantially into SV OU, drafting a duo of players who combined to cost north of 50k in ABR and GXE. There is unmatched upside within this core, and OU mainstay Mada, who is one of their managers, will look to untap that from them. Even Kebab mlml, who is the third in the rankings of this trio, is coming off of a strong WCoP. What could prove to be a breaking point for this team would simply be ABR's comfort and familiarity—he has mastered many other generations, but SV is unique. If all of the circuits sync up, however, we can expect big things from the Breakers.

Diving a bit deeper, GXE is the highest ranked of the group, and this is for great reason: he is always dominating the SV OU ladder, building his own teams, and performing well enough in tournaments. While some of his prior stints have been in PU or NU, GXE has evolved into a top player of this generation, and he is no stranger to OU, coming in with thousands of strong reps. Perhaps all of his experience can make up for ABR's relative lack of it until this past OLT, where he failed to qualify. ABR seems to have taken a liking to the tier, and we have seen his evolution to being a top all-time player, but this tournament will require ABR to be active, hands-on, and open-minded as he looks to master another generation. Finally, Kebab mlml will hope to build on a 5-1 WCoP with the help of manager Mada as they look to be one of the top SV OU trios!

The Terrors move into uncharted territory with xavgb not signing up for SCL, but many rankers are not worried, as oldspicemike is still around. The collective ranking of this group is closer to the middle of the pack than some prior years, but they only spent 32.5k on all three OU starters, which is less than their UU player, pdt. Joining oldspicemike will be SS OU standout TDNT, who is one of Smogon's more creative players, and recent OU tournament mainstay heileone, who is hoping to make the most of this opportunity to start. Dugtrio is Broken is also on the roster and known for his extreme effort as a teammate with some OU experience, too.

oldspicemike is the biggest talking point in this group—he has large shoes to fill with xavgb no longer being a member of the team, but his consistent performances across team tournaments inspire hope that all will be ok. oldspicemike won six games last year, has been 9-5 in Official Team Tournament games this year thus far, and made it all the way to the finals of OST, too. TDNT and heileone offer high ceilings, too, which could shoot this core up the rankings if everything works out. As for TDNT, we have seen him dominate SPL in SS OU, and there is plenty of reason to believe he is still in great form as a player. He tends to build teams well, too, so that could make the generational transition smoother. heileone lacks SCL or SPL experience outside of one game, but he has been a great ladder player and done well in some smaller tournaments; his form in the metagame is unquestionably good, but his ability to convert that into wins is what comes into question here.

The Technical Machines are looking to return to the promised land as they are coming off of a finals appearance. However, they hope things will be more promising this time around, as they failed to register a single win in the series against the Dynamos. They have a combination of returning talent in manager Piyu and starter leng loi alongside fresh faces to the Technical Machines in clean, Hiko, and sire clod. While their collective ranking is middle-of-the-pack, there are a lot of reasons to expect positive results from this group!

clean's ranking and price tag both starting with three may surprise some, but his performance over the last year justifies the elite ranking and lofty cost. After making it to OLT finals in 2025, clean has continued to do well this year with a winning record in both SPL and WCoP. leng loi joins her WCoP teammate clean as the second OU player for the Technical Machines. She had a great start to her first SPL but has been hot-and-cold overall. This has leveled out to an average performance thus far this year, but she recently qualified for OLT and seems to be passionate about the metagame, inspiring hope that there are more steps forward to come. Rounding out the starting trio will be Hiko, who is a strong French player with a quiet, but respectable, pair of positive performances this year. sire clod, who is in his first ever official tournament, looks to provide support with his SV OU expertise as well. Piyu, who has been superb in SV OU when he plays, can also assist them as their manager.

After winning their second SCL last year, the Power Plant Dynamos returned two of their three OU starters and both of their managers from their victorious squad. Kudos to them for not trying to fix something that was not broken, but they will need to be even stronger this time around, if possible, as we see a deeper pool of players this time. They do have the depth to bolster this core, too, with ACR1 rounding out the starting lineup and the duo of haxlolo and fakenagol in the reserves.

Pkel SweeTforU broke out last season for the Power Plant Dynamos, winning seven games, which included both of his playoff matches against top opposing players. He looks to lead this group forward as their top-ranked SV OU player, but Niko is not too far behind either. He lead the Dynamos with eight wins last season but has taken a step back in 2025. This is the ideal environment for Niko to get back to his peak form, too. ACR1 rounds out the trio; he similarly did well late in 2024 but has been a mere 2-6 in Official Team Tournament games this year, leaving a lot left to be desired. He can return to form, though, and perhaps the help of haxlolo and fakenagol on the bench can work wonders.

The Studio Gible went with a fresh slate in SV OU this time around, as their only retain was a DOU player, bagel. Given this, they quickly invested 46k into their top two OU players, Northeast teammates Star and Finchinator. A lot of pressure will be on these two to live up to their price tag if this team wishes to outperform their middling ranking.

Joining them will be former Smogon Tour champion TJ, who is looking to continue a solid return to action after US West made it all the way to the finals of WCoP. TJ gives the Gible three experienced and proven starters, which you do not normally see from a team ranked seventh. A lot of this may have to do with some of the higher teams having more flashy, current standouts who have been hitting their stride more recently this generation. Hopefully for the Gible, these three get into the studio alongside supporters Arc and One Last Kiss.

The Showdown Shoguns are back with some fresh faces in OU and a ton of support in-house. While they come in ranked a bit lower than most other cores, there is a lot of room for optimism, as all three of their managers—ima, lax, and Giannis Antetokommo-o—are capable of providing help. In addition, substitutes like Plague and Hayburner could be resources to this trio as they look to outperform their ranks.

Speaking of the trio itself, 3d leads things off after a really strong 2025 to date. He recently qualified for OLT and has been strong in Official Team Tournaments, too. Mako joins him as she looks to build on her steady run of performances across the board. Baddy rounds things out as someone who seemingly plays everything and is plenty capable of putting up some wins but does not necessarily stand out as a top tier in any particular arena. With all of the aforementioned support and a top player like 3d leading the way, we could see surprising runs from either Mako or Baddy. If that happens, the Shoguns could be dangerous in SV OU this season!

The Mt. Silver Foxes drafted a fresh trio of players after finishing with a mere eight total SV OU victories last season. While they have not had much success in recent years, the Foxes have a new look with a diverse core. Not only do they have the golden standard of top-tier veterans, but they also have two players in the lineup with a lot to prove giving it their best effort.

Getting into the specifics, Lugia's loudest soldier and all-time great player SoulWind looks to expand his dominance to yet another generation. Joining him will be Stareal, who has had a nice run the last few years and looks to continue his campaign to cement himself as an Official Team Tournament mainstay. While his 2025 has been a struggle so far, Stareal has some nice showings beforehand and in Individual Tournaments. Foolycl, who has grinded SV OU the last couple years to get this opportunity, looks to build on a 2-1 WCoP debut to round out the trio. Capable pilot Isza and strong teambuilder LOOR join forces with this group in hopes of putting them in a position to win many more games than last year.

I do not know where Hellom, who was retained for 16k, is. He was not ranked because the managers did not put his name in. Maybe he will end up in SV OU for the Orange Islanders—they would easily be higher with him. However, we live in reality, and the fact of the matter is that we have to work within these confines. Given this, we have comfortably the lowest-ranked SV OU trio here with the Orange Islanders!

Ewin is a great player in his own right, finding himself a positive player in the flagship metagame across each of the last two years. He also has been dominant in OLT thus far, which makes us confident he can play the role of a solid SV1. However, kDCA and Axzel are lesser-known entities. Axzel did go 2-1 in WCoP and has a pretty unique profile as a player, leading us to believe he can hang with the better players despite being ranked 28th. However, kDCA starting is a surprise to many. He is no slouch, as we know he is competent in the tier from other, unofficial tournaments. He is even 2-0 in the lesser-known HPL as we write this, but there is not much certainty surrounding this slot. We will have to wait and see how these two hold up, or if Hellom finds himself slotted into SV OU, where he would instantly be considered a reliable SV1 for the duration of the tournament.

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SCL stalwart Nails tops the DOU Power Rankings despite a pair of middling (for his standards) campaigns, going a combined 10-8 over the past two years. However, Nails hasn't landed in the top stop for no reason; his reputation as one one the tier's most consistent players is well earned, and some slight bumps aren't enough to erase it. Additionally this year sees him paired up with manager Hasayo, perhaps the best support option in the tier. In a weaker pool where many past SCL mainstays are missing, expectations are high for this star-studded duo to rise up from the pack.

This is the third SCL for Ann; however, it is their first time starting, as they split games in the past two. Having been consistently positive whenever they have played SV DOU outside of SCL, Ann's high placement is no surprise. Ann also won the teamlock invitational against other SCL-level players. Support from managers Xrn and umbry, two of the strongest DOU players in their own right, makes SCL a perfect place for Ann to show their ability to consistently perform well at the highest level of play.

It's strange to think that this is MADARAAAA's SCL debut given he's been one of the tiers most consistent performers throughout Scarlet and Violet, but over the past year he's made a real splash. MADARAAAA has strung together an impressive run of results from his back-to-back DOU Circuit Championship and Doubles Ladder Tour victories followed by a top 8 OSDT run. With a resume as complete as his, it's no surprise MADARAAAA finds himself near the top of the pool. Of course, some questions may arise about how he'll fare without dedicated support, but MADARAAAA is a respected builder in his own right and should be able to live up to the task.

It is no surprise to anyone who has been keeping up with DOU tournaments that bagel is ranked highly. Coming off of a OSDT victory, bagel has been one of the most consistent SV DOU players, with a combined 14-7 record in recent team tours. When paired with a good friend in DaAwesomeDude1, bagel seems primed to carry their momentum from OSDT into SCL; all that's left to do is wait and see.

If you looked only at past SCL records, it might be confusing to see zee ranked fifth on the Power Rankings given what can only be described as a subpar past record. But make no mistake: zee is absolutely one of the top players in DOU, consistently making deep runs in the Circuit Championships and OSDT and just recently claiming a victory in the DOU Summer Seasonal. They have it in them to beat any player in the pool. The question is, will they show up? Last year, zee took a break from playing to experience SCL from the manager side, and perhaps it was a well-needed break. Out of everyone in the pool, zee might be the one with the most to prove. Will they be able to defeat their SCL demons and put on the top performance that they are capable of?

EternalSnowman is a player whose teambuilding can only be described as unique. Whatever you think of their teambuilding, it is hard to deny that it works. Although they haven't had the flashiest past few tournaments, going 13-10 after a 20-3 run leading up to the last SCL, something that could've combined with their unorthodox teambuilding style to lead to their mid-tier placement, EternalSnowman can never be counted out. Support from Grandmas Cooking may end up being just what they need to pop off, but regardless of results it will be a fun season to watch.

Another new face to SCL this season, ratpacker has made a name for himself as one of DOU's most creative and unique builders over the past few years. But make no mistake, ratpacker absolutely has the playing chops as well. Despite a quiet year in the tour scene overall, ratpacker has made an impact wherever they decided to play, finishing off last year as runner-up in the Circuit Championship, only losing to fellow SCL debutant MADARAAAA, and making a splash in the Teamlock Invitational with another runner-up performance. Between these results and his prowess as a builder, ratpacker should absolutely be looking to use this SCL as a place to solidify their place as one of the top threats in Smogon Doubles.

One of the most consistent oldgen DOU players, Akaru Kokuyo comes into SCL looking to solidify themselves as a top tier threat in SV as well. Although the past few DOU tournaments didn't go exceptionally well for Akaru as a player, with them generally having a neutral record, they are coming off of a second place as a manager and player in DPL. They are teaming with Schister, a player who is known for using creative teams, so we may see fun teams with surprising Pokemon choices. Akaru's recent performances in SV DOU may have led to their low ranking, but you can never count them out. Akaru has shown they can perform at the highest level; the only question is if SCL is one of those tournaments.

After an impressive 2023 campaign featuring an OSDT victory and a promising SCL debut, feyy took a break from most of 2024, only just recently coming back to the scene with respectable showings in Doubles Derby and Doubles Premier League. They've yet to reach the heights of their OSDT III win, but the potential is certainly there. If there weren't enough question marks already, feyy is joined by SCL newcomer srvoltmike, who has been steadily making a name for himself over the past couple years. This pairing has close to the least combined DOU experience in the pool, a likely major contributor to their appearance lower on the Power Rankings. However, experience isn't everything, and feyy has played at the highest level of DOU in the past; they just need to show that they can reach it again.

Somewhat of a newcomer to the DOU scene, SEA was on the most winning team of the most recent DPL with an impressive 6-3 record. Although they are not as proven as some of the other players, they certainly have shown that they have the potential to excel. SEA has the benefit of having one of the best builders in DOU, Eragon, as a teammate, providing some reliability along with ensuring that SEA will stay on top of the meta throughout the tournament. SEA's low ranking can probably be attributed to how new she is to the DOU scene; however, SCL could be a good opportunity for her to show that she is a top-tier player.

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At the top of our rankings we find none other than the tier leader himself; a former SCL champion, Fc wasn't in the player pool last year, opting to manage the Gibles instead, but he's back to prove that he's better than his 5-6 record in SCL III says. Coming off the back of a 3-0 World Cup run, a 5-2 UPL, and a semifinals Open run, he's shown that he's still got what it takes to perform at a high level, pushing developments in the tier consistently for the past few years in both tournaments and on the ladder. No matter who you ask, Fc will be in contention for the best SV Ubers player, and he will be one of two to beat in the eyes of most.

The only other person to come close to Fc's ranking is the other (former) tier leader and the one of two retains in the pool, Icemaster. Having comfortably topped the SV pool last year with a 7-3 record, it's no surprise to see Ice here. He's been remained a dominant force in the tier after his return, with strong performances in UPL and World Cup, even going on to win this year's Ubers Ladder Tour. Ice has shown that he's able to adapt to the faster-paced nature of the metagame compared to his beloved SS, and he'll be the other one with a major target on his back.

Talking about ladder, here comes the queen of the SV Ubers ladder herself and our other retain, where Kate takes the third spot on our PR. Having won last SCL with the Dynamos with her 6-3 record, she's here for her shot at a third SCL title to go with her recent SPL triumph—her unorthodox building has always made her a consistent threat in the tier, with no one truly able to predict what she'll bring. Couple this with her great play and she's absolutely in contention for the top spot.

Two years ago, entro had one of the most explosive entries into the Ubers scene that had ever been seen in an official team tour. With a blistering 7-2 record for the Machines, it's no surprise that he went for 19500 last year, and while he did fall short of the season he had prior, he still had a mid-table 3-3 finish. Since then he's managed to hold onto this form, with a 3-3 World Cup and solid individual finishes across the year, he might not be in the same form as two years prior, but anyone writing him off as a one-hit wonder would be sorely mistaken to do so.

Nora returns to play an official team tournament for the first time since 2021 but has impressed enough behind the scenes to earn himself a fifth-placed spot for this edition of SCL. Don't let that gap in time confuse you, though; Nora has not been inactive in that time and has contributed in the background in officials throughout the generation, most recently helping baconeatinassassin go 3-0 in World Cup, and among Ubers circles Nora is almost peerless with his prowess as a supporter. That familiarity with the time and energy of preparation means that the rest of the pool should be wary of running directly into Nora's prep. The biggest question mark will be if he can translate this preparation into play the way others have, but a Seasonal win under his belt already this year suggests he probably can.

The first of our SCL rookies finds himself at sixth spot, which may seem high to some at first, but xu9 has absolutely earned this faith from his fellow competitors. Having had a fantastic 7-1 UPL run as well as numerous positive runs in smaller PLs, xu9 has established himself as a dominant force within the tier. This tier rewards creativity, and if a Pokémon's legal, he's absolutely tried to build with it. With all this being said, he did have an 0-3 World Cup run, which raises the question of whether he'll be able to perform at the highest level, when it matters most. Smaller results are all but meaningless when it comes to playing under the pressure of Official Tournaments, and we'll have to see how he does.

fade is, on a pure consideration of Pokemon skill, one of the best players starting in Ubers this SCL, with numerous incredible performances in team tournaments. However, when he has gone to Ubers in the past two SCLs, he has not performed at the same level as he has managed in other tiers. With back-to-back negative records in this tier, fade comes into this season with something to prove, and time will tell if he can finally translate his talent into success in an Ubers context. This time around, he does have additional support, with both Taka and RichardMillePlain in the wings able to offer advice in prep. We'll see if this is enough to reverse his fortunes in this tier or if he might end the season disappointed.

Coming in at eighth we have our second SCL rookie, having had a strong 5-2 World Cup run for US West, including a finals tiebreak game in her first official, with Frito. While a new name to the official scene, she's been a consistent and solid presence around Ubers tournaments for the last two generations. However, with only a single official tournament result and no outstanding performances otherwise, the Shoguns are betting a lot on this World Cup being the norm rather than the exception. Only time will tell if her World Cup run was a fluke or if her low placement is unjustified.

To those who've only seen Ubers through the lens of SCL, this placement should have your jaw dropping on the floor. Exiline is one of the most successful Ubers players in SCL history, with an 18-12 all time record in the tier, never once dropping below six losses a season and even having a trophy to his name from his run on the Islanders in SCL III. However, given his time away from the game over the last two years, this placement speaks more about the development of the meta in the last two years than it does his skill. The only question we need to be asking here is whether he'll be able to keep up with the state of modern SV Ubers; he's proven time and time again that he can win when on an even footing.

Scottie finds himself ranked last among the pool, which probably speaks more to its strength rather than his weakness as a player. After his historic 11-0 season in Little Cup, Scottie has played a handful of official games in Ubers, being positive in the metagame across three tournaments. However, his sample size of games is quite small, and in a generation and metagame revolving around prep, the amount of experience when compared to more long standing Ubers players may make the difference. While he certainly has the playing ability to cause upsets, someone has to be last, and with the least Ubers experience and strong performances to his name, it's Scottie this time around.

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If you ask the question "Who is the best LC player?" to someone even remotely affiliated with the LC community, the likely answer will be Lokifan. In retrospect, it seems rather stunning that the last SCL season was his starting debut. In 2023, he won LCPL with a 6-2 record, losing only to SCL players, with one of those players in Hacker helping him find his way into the tournament on the Islanders bench. He went on an absolute tear last year in LC tournaments, going 8-2 in SCL IV and following it up with a finals appearance in the LC Winter Seasonal and a respectable round 8 of the LC Fall Seasonal.

What sets Lokifan apart from some of the other high-ranking competitors is his willingness to dig deep into the pool of Pokemon to find value, best exemplified by his Finizen usage over the generation. The flip side of this is that he is known to bring somewhat subpar Pokemon, which causes him to lose to worse players. In terms of team-building support, he has Hacker, who managed to somehow escape from LC jail, as well as perennial Terrors support BlackKnight_Gawain. The one question regarding Lokifan is his ability to win when it matters most. While his team selection and play in the SCL semifinals last year were not up to his regular season standards, it would be a surprise if he does not make the 10k retain worthwhile for the Terrors.

Right on Lokifan's heels in the rankings is Starsama. Returning for his sophomore year of SCL, there's no question that he is in prime position to add onto the successful 5-2 campaign last season. Coming off of a LCPL where he had a 7-1 record with wins over several of his SCL peers, he was the most expensive LC player in the draft this year, going for a sizable 16k.

When talking about Starsama's strengths, his solid structures are not the most diverse, but the piloting is top notch. LC is all about the minor optimizations and squeezing the most value out of the relatively limited options, so this style is right at home. The only cracks in his armor were shown in the semi-finals tiebreaker this past LCPL vs Laroxyl, where the pressure seemingly got to him, and he played uncharacteristically shaky. One setback in his career, however, will not be enough to take away from his impressive resume, so he claims the #2 spot. You can be confident in betting on him ending near the top of the standings by season's end.

Tazz is a veteran at the top of the LC pool in a tournament of this caliber. Starting in Snake III in 2019, he has been a perennial face in basically every LC tournament with maybe one notable snub and substituting for boulicrok during his dominant run on the SCL I-winning Islanders. Tazz is notable for being one of the best players in old-gens LC, playing current gen only in SCL and Indivs, but almost always amassing a solid record. He went 6-4 in the last SCL, with some bad luck in the regular season games. His playoff game against Larry left a few things to be desired, so there are still questions as to whether he can perform under pressure..

Potential playoff malaise aside, Tazz's level of consistency in Snake and SCL is not to be underestimated. Grabbing MVP for the tier might be just out of reach, but this is another player that you can't ever see going below .500

Laroxyl got his start in 2020 and worked his way up from LPL scrubs and other tier 2 or 3 tournaments to eventually attain a 15k price in the last SCL to play OU. While he did not live up to expectations in that tournament, he has been playing phenomenally in LC tournaments, making the finals of last LCPL with a 4-5 record and winning the current LCPL with a clutch tiebreak win against Starsama while down 0-1. He is a bit of a controversial figure, with some considering him "lowkey a top 25 player on this site" and others being less high on him. His ranking below the other three might be a result of this controversy, as well as a lack of consistent top-tier results in LC individuals or LC team tournaments.

Whether Laroxyl is a good player in basically any tier he touches is not in question; his building ability has definitely received heavy appraisal following his building contributions to his LCPL-winning team. He simply does not have that much to show in terms of SCL, though, contributing to a somewhat low ranking in this top echelon.

A newer face on the scene and a circuit winner, Envy came into the 2024 LCPL as a bit of an unproven talent. In 2024 alone, he had made the finals of LCWC, the semifinals of Classic, won the LC circuit, and made the finals of LCPL with a 5-5 record. With such an impressive showing in his freshman year, he ended up getting drafted in SCL, going a rather unimpressive but not horrendous 4-5. While 2025 has not been as outstanding for him, he is currently in the top 8 of majors and went 4-0 in one of the most difficult LTWC pools, evidencing him being more well-established and respected in the community.

Although anyone paying attention knows that Envy is a good player and self-sufficient, he has not gone positive in a lot of LC team tours recently. However, he is due for a breakout season this year, and with some experience under his belt, he is ready to show up and perform. If he does not perform, he should expect multiple motivational essays from Dave (efficacy unknown so far).

Kaboom has one of the older join dates on this list, but he is rather new to the official tournaments scene. He's been one of the most consistent BW LC players during his tenure on the site, notably winning LCPL 2024 with a dominating 8-2 record with tiebreaker wins in semis and finals. He supported Fille in SCL last year, subbing in midway through the tournament and ending up with a disappointing 0-2 record, including a timeout. However, those losses were against the two top performers in the pool, and two games is hardly a reliable sample size. Since then, he has quietly been putting up good results in LC tournaments, tier locking into SV this current LCPL and going 5-2 in the tier.

The Platoon this year decided to give the duo of Fille and Kaboom a second chance, with the starter and substitute swapped this time around. There is a good deal of evidence that this may not be a successful strategy, but both have extensive LCPL success and could translate that into SCL success this time around.

In a move reminiscent of the "how do you do, fellow kids?" meme, jake is returning to SCL after a 5-year sabbatical from LC; his last tournament was Smogon Premier League XI in 2020. During his tenure in SM LC and early SS, Jake was recognized as a very creative builder and player, amassing positive records in multiple editions of Smogon Snake Draft (rest in peace). Given that Luthier was a rival of Jake during the SM years, in some sense this pick was telegraphed. Jake has long been an SPL staple, and his historical playing ability is not in question.

The second hardest part of Jake's season this year will be catching back up to the SV LC metagame and understanding the intricacies of Terastallization. The hardest part is going to be vetoing ideas from his support, Greedy_eb; however, it does not look good for Excal and Luthier currently, given that their recent conversations have been very Nymble-heavy, especially given Jake's willingness to load some eyebrow-raising teams in the past.

A recognizable member of the LC community from several generations of purely laddering, Eniigma broke onto the scene with the release of SV. Dominating the LC circuit in 2023 and eventually taking the ribbon for himself, as well as getting drafted for SCL III, where he had a respectable 5-4 season. Team tournament success outside of SCL was harder to come by, however, with a 2-2 and 1-3 record, respectively, in LCPL XII and LCPL XIII. When SCL IV rolled around, he was the most notable name in LC missing from the rosters. This recent LCPL however, he ended with a full 10 games played, a respectable 6-4 record vs tough competition in SV, and the LCPL winner title by the end of it all. Now he's back in SCL with a lot to prove.

Eniigma is without a doubt the most creative player in the pool. For better or for worse, a lot of Pokemon that no one else would consider have been piloted by him during the generation. Whether this will prove to be an asset this tour is yet to be determined, but it'll be exciting regardless if he succeeds or crashes and burns. With the addition of Greedy_eb and Eniigma to the pool, we can certainly say that Nymble is going to be tested in some form at the highest level LC has to offer.

A very unexpected draft in Snake 4, Wail Wailord was drafted off of a Discord side tournament (the prestigious Levi Premier League). This was a rather surprising buy, and it ended up working out, with Wail boasting a 6-3 record at the end of the tournament. He went 5-5 in the following SCL and took a break the following year. Fast forward two years to 2023, he signed up in SCL requesting to sub, and once he needed to start, he had a disappointing 0-3 showing. If the pattern holds true, it is unlikely that we will see Wail in the following edition of SCL.

In terms of recent results, Wail went 4-2 in LCPL in SS LC. He had a very impressive 4-1 record in SV LC in LTWC in a difficult pool. It is important to note that his only SV LC results before then are from the 2023 LCPL, going 4-2 in SV, and the aforementioned SCL III struggles. That Wail is a solid pilot in Little Cup is not in question; whether he has played an extensive amount of SV, something that can be confidently said for most players in this pool, definitely is. Perhaps his SV success can mirror his success in LC old gens, but it remains to be seen if he is up to the challenge in the most important team tournament LC has to offer. He does have a potential support and testing option in AJ, a substitute that will put in a tremendous amount of effort to help him succeed.

Always Edgy was a 3k buy in LCPL XIII. He had very impressive wins over SCL-level players like ghost, laroxyl, and babyboyblues, tempered by a disastrous choke against Danny in the finals. Overall, a 5-4 record against a very strong pool brought him into the conversation of a tier 1 LCer. While he has not amassed the best record across the last few LC tournaments, Edgy is infamous for asking to play the best players and still putting up results. Besides his LCPL season, his records have been rather unimpressive; he went 3-5 in LCWC last year and LCBC at the start of this year.

Although he did not receive his start last SCL, he was chosen by the Mt. Silver Foxes to be their LC starter this year. It remains to be seen whether Edgy can perform at this level, but he has played players of this caliber before. His support is Onraider, who you can blame if you have had to face Sub + Calm Mind Tera Steel Gothita 6-0ing your teams in the past.

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To nobody's surprise, the top rank belongs to Punny of the Mt. Silver Foxes. Punny has an overwhelmingly positive record in the last two SCLs combined and is coming off a dominant finals performance to win his team another World Cup trophy, getting a clutch win in UU before first-timing SV Ubers in tiebreaker for yet another win. Despite Punny's lack of SV UU presence in subforum tournaments, his SCL and WCoP happenings singlehandedly feed the metagame for months at a time, with his ideas and sets being pushed to the forefront of the meta. With his close friend and another top-tier UU player behind him as his manager, umbry, it is extremely difficult to imagine Punny dropping more than a couple of games in this tournament. As both a player and a builder, Punny is expected to have an advantage over his opponents in this tournament. He generally is ahead of the curve, and while it is not impossible for him to underperform, it is difficult to assume so give how dominant his track record is in this tier and tournament historically.

With this pool lacking self-sufficient stars come draft time, pdt found himself being the apple to many manager pairs' eyes, leading him to a girthy 33k price tag. pdt has the potential to live up to a flashy price tag, though; his highs are high, and superstar-level performances are in his wheelhouse without question. On top of that, he is an innovative and unique builder, being able to have a leg up on his competitors with a creativity and aggression that's only truly attributable to him. Although it is likely, pdt isn't necessarily a given to obliterate any pool he steps in, with a decent but not great 4-5 performance last SCL, albeit in a more well-rounded pool on paper. Regardless of potentially streakiness at times, he is a menace to this pool and an opponent to be feared. Without question pdt is one of the best UUers in recent memory; it is certain he is going to give this tournament everything he has, and it will show in battle and in the builder.

JustFranco has been extremely consistent ever since his SCL debut in 2023. Similarly to pdt, he is one of the few standout stars in the UU pool with any level of self-sufficiency come draft time. This led to a similarly large price tag that he will have to prove worthy of. This shouldn't be a problem for JustFranco, though; like mentioned previously, he has been very consistent in just about everything he has touched in the last several years. On top of this he is truly self sufficient, generally opting to build his own teams that he sees massive success with. While he has success, he does fall into patterns, with his bulkier style of builds being sometimes exploitable in smaller scale tournaments historically. With the extra effort an official tournament would imply, though, this may not end up being a problem for him whatsoever. He succeeded in a scary pool last SCL, and with a more top-heavy pool this time around and extra support from haxlolo behind him, he may be able to dominate this SCL and live up to his large price tag.

Falling just behind JustFranco, zS makes his SCL UU debut. zS has without question been on a hot streak, coming off of a dominant WCoP performance and decent SPL in SV OU. UU, however, is not in his wheelhouse typically; due to that, his ceiling is high and his floor is potentially low. He does prefer to build his own teams generally, which is definitely an enticing trait to managers, as UU support was not as readily available in this tournament as prior iterations. Team's retain Colin will offer some though, which will be valuable to help zS get a strong footing quickly. Ultimately zS is a formidable pilot and creative builder, but he will have to be on top of his game and truly in the kitchen to live up to his massive 28k price tag. The sky is the limit for the tiebreak-worthy WCoP champion, but a new environment may lead to new middling results despite his recent dominance. Regardless he ends up on fourth on the list, implying it is more likely for him to perform closer to his ceiling than floor.

There isn't much to say about Fogbound Lake in regards to UU specifically, with there only being three public replays of him in the tier, two of which were over two years ago. The last one, however, was from this last Slam's playoffs, where he picked up a win in UU vs MichaelderBeste. With that said, despite his lack of UU-specific knowledge or results, Fogbound Lake is one of the better pilots in recent memory, giving him a big boost in the rankings in the eyes of his peers. Fogbound Lake's season could go either way, and it'll be mostly up to him with no real UU specific support behind him whatsoever. It will be exciting to watch Fogbound Lake shape his own UU journey with this tournament, with it being essentially his real starting point in the tier, and this is a pool he is suited to do well in. To summarize, great player and should do well, main question marks are related to builds and meta knowledge.

etern finds himself at the sixth position on this year's SCL UU Prs. He finds himself here despite being one of the few relatively self-sufficient strong pilots with real SV UU experience. It may be easy to assume his expected performance is due to his specifically poor performance last SCL in his main tier, however etern has shown legitimate promise in SV UU. Putting up a stellar performance this last UUPL using a majority of his own ideas and builds. The assumed hope is to raise etern's floor and ceiling even higher with UU Tier Leader vivalospride behind him supporting his UU endeavors this SCL. etern is a historically consistent pilot throughout many official tournaments in his time on Smogon. This will be one of his few adventures outside of NU, however, so it remains to be seen how likely a dominant showing is. His peers seem to assume a middling performance is most likely, hence the sixth-place placement. In theory, a higher placement is plausible for etern, although so is a lower placement. It will be up to him and his support to prove etern deserving of a higher placement or if his peers were on the money with their personal ranking implications.

The last time Eternal Spirit played UU in SCL, he went 6-5 and ended the tournament with a ring on his finger. Just to point out this placement here on the lower end of the pool doesn't tell the whole story of the threat level that is Eternal Spirit. He will probably be late to his scheduled time and ask you to play rfn several times throughout the week, chipping away at your mental so he can soul-read you when it comes down to game time. Eternal Spirit is a competitor with a lot of history in a lot of different metagames; he is seasoned, and this isn't his first rodeo being slotted into "whatever tf". Behind him he has Sabella's support, who picked up a couple wins in WCoP and last SCL in SV UU. He has put a lot of energy into this tier throughout the course of this generation and is probably one of the more trustworthy builders that the tier has to offer all things considered. This is a situation that on paper can be beneficial for Gama, and it wouldn't be insanely surprising to see him getting some big Ws over the best of the pool. This placement makes sense due to Gama's lack of consistency in the tier outside of SCL III, but his ceiling is higher than this placement implies and he can for sure be a reliable slot to lean on for this team.

In the year of 2025 Sacri' makes his official tournament return to the UnderUsed tier. After being completely retired from 'mons for about three-ish years and completely retired from UU for like SEVEN years, the French legend seeks to fill out a UU pool that was in desperate need of depth. Due to the complete lack of information on Sacri's capabilities in SV UU, it is hard to have any idea as to what to expect from this man. He had a solid run in this most frequent UU Open, but he will require support in this tournament, and his team is lacking in that department. frankjosh sits behind Sacri' as the closest thing he has for UU support, but he pseudo-retired from SV UU after SCL in 2023, and ever since has exclusively played DPP UU in the subforum, with almost no pulse at all, if any, in current gen discussions, ladder, and building. If Sacri' can play to his ceiling and muster up some strong builds to pilot, he may have a shot at being one of the best in this pool given his years of dominance in UU historically. However, it is difficult to assume it will be that easy, with a top-heavy couple of individuals that would be hard to beat for someone not well versed in SV as a generation. Despite the lack of hard support behind him, though, hope is not lost for the UU legend to maintain his stellar track record in the tier from years prior.

One of the only true mainers on the list, Mimilucha looks to tackle this pool in his first SCL as a full-time starter. Mimilucha is known for being pretty solid in the UU subforum and for his classic bulky offense and balance builds. There is no clear evidence that implies Mimilucha is ready to tackle the best of the best in the context of a SCL pool, but there is definitely hope for him to end up standing out as one of the best newcomers to the official scene and end up as a mainstay. That is the hope for him at least, but it won't be easy; the pool is top heavy and the competition is beatable, but someone's first true test on an official level is no easy mountain to climb. One question mark is if he will be able to compete on a meta level with the best of the pool; his builds don't have a large amount of variety, while people like Punny and pdt are constantly innovating and finding ways to take advantage of others in the builder. This is especially important in SV compared to other generations of UU and Pokemon in general. One thing to note, which piggybacks off the prior point, is his lack of standout support. Behind him he has UU ancient and withered men Accel and Shiba. Shiba had a very impressive Open run, reaching a new prime of his career as onlookers crowned him as "2025 Shiba", noting his impressive year since unretiring from washed manager of the Safari Zone Smashers. He didn't specifically stand out in UU specifically in his Slam run though, and his fellow cane wielder Accel hasn't actively participated within SV UU in the last few years since his last bout in SCL himself for the Terrors. One thing's for sure, though: Mimilucha has been working for this opportunity for a long time, and he deserves it; with the wisdom of Shiba and Accel behind him, he may very well impress us all.

Will crying have an over or under of 100.5 lines in the UU channel this season? It is anyone's guess for sure, but regardless crying will be the starting UUer, with AJ and 691 support behind them. crying is one of the more intriguing players and builders on the website for sure; I doubt many would disagree with that statement, although the word intriguing may be read in a positive or negative manner depending on the individual reading. There is a legitimate shot that crying absolutely obliterates this UU pool without breaking a sweat, and with at least two Eiscue uses throughout the tournament while doing so. This is certainly an experiment with 691 as the backup plan, an experiment that could potentially be very rewarding. crying's insane ideas and lack of pasting or saying literally anything in the team chat prior to playing may be off-putting to some, but you cannot argue with the results when they do happen. They do not always happen, however, which is probably what led to this last-place ranking in this edition of the SCL Power Rankings.

crying has pop-off potential, and exciting pop-off potential at that. It is, however, easy to see how low the floor is, and it's unfortunate to say that the AJ and 691 support that could be potentially valuable to other pilots will more than likely be next to useless in the UU channel specifically due to crying's general outlook on preparation in these tournaments. With that said, you do not buy crying without understanding what you're receiving for the price, and crying is not to be trifled with or shown no respect.

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Resident RU tier leader TheFranklin finds himself on #1 in Power Rankings for the third year in a row. Did anything change for one of the most consistent players in the pool? Not much! TheFranklin has recently won the 2024 RU Circuit and secured an impressive 5-2 record in RUPL, and currently he finds himself in the winners bracket of the RU Summer Seasonal, showing that he has not slowed down in terms of being a top player in RU. However, TheFranklin still has some areas of uncertainty: mainly his mediocre 3-6 in last SCL and an early round one exit in RU Open. Nevertheless, he enjoys support from the top players of the current RUPL champions in umbry and Punny, who will most definitely elevate his builds to the next level. Expectations for TheFranklin are high from both the players and spectators!

Surely drafting one of the most consistent players in Smogon for a tier with a somewhat middling pool is a good idea, right? It is no secret that Santu is one of the best players on the site, with a tremendous 7-0 in ORAS OU in WCoP, a Smogon Tour trophy, and 7-2 in ORAS OU in this year's SPL. The main question everyone is asking is whether he can repeat the same success in a tier he hasn't touched since losing to 1-8 Kushalos in SCL IV. In terms of support, we have the resident crack builder in LBN who will either give Santu highlight teams of the tournament, or Santu will steal teams from other players because LBN's teams will all overcook. Nevertheless, Santu's skill as an extremely consistent player is absolutely undeniable, and everyone is looking forward to seeing his performance in the tournament!

Claiming the third spot in the PRs is the Indigo Platoon spearheaded by SCL RU regular robjr. A perennial SCL performer, rob comes into this year's edition of the tour sporting an impressive 13-8 SCL RU record and is looking to pull off the hat-trick and string together his third strong RU season in a row. However, actually weirdly similarly to last year, there are some uncertainties over the consistency of his play. Like last year, robjr is coming off a terrible RUPL where he went 1-4 before being benched and has followed it up with a middling 2-3 performance in Lower Tiers World Cup, where he played RU for US Northeast. robjr has historically not been one to let an average year get to his head, though, and it seems the rest of the pool agrees that he always levels up for SCL given his high standing. Supporting rob this year is the trifecta of tournament newcomers Esteb4n and Flabeauf as well as his manager Kingler. Esteb4n and Flabeauf are coming off breakout performances, making RU Open semifinals and finals, respectively, while Kingler is hot off of winning Lower Tiers World Cup as one of US South's starting RU slots and putting together a dominant 5-2 performance overall. Led by a stalwart mainstay of the SCL RU scene and supported by some promising new talent, the Platoon is poised to put together a strong season.

Everyone who is somewhat familiar with RU should know this guy from one of two sources: 1) If you have taken a look at the RU ladder for the past 2 years, you will surely find this guy with over 90 GXE. 2) You have seen the classic RU stall team that won the last two out of three RU Opens. hjkhj is making his SCL debut, and one may assume to see him stalling his way to a victory. hjkhj is not a one-trick pony, however; he had a very impressive 5-2 in RUPL this year, as well as finished RU Ladder Tour in semifinals, using all sorts of teams. The main question people should have is that, unless mind gaming tryhards two tiers, hjkhj's support is a bit limited. 3d is an excellent pilot who also had a great RUPL with a 5-2 record, but he was supported by the managers. Regardless, hjkhj is an extremely self-sufficient player, and we shall see what new variations of stall he introduces in the tournament!

Coming in fifth in this year's PRs are the Orange Islanders, who are fielding Smogon Grand Slam finalist Colin as their starting RUer. Although his experience with RU this year has basically been limited to Slam, Colin's overall resume coming into SCL has been nothing short of impressive, having put together a Smogon Grand Slam finals run beating noteworthy players such as Skarpherim, Star, and JustFranco and also winning the inaugural edition of the Lower Tiers World Cup as part of US South where he had a superb 5-2 stint in LC. Supporting Colin this year is the RU tier leader feen as well as sufys, who currently holds the 4th spot in this year's RU circuit. Beyond leading the tier, feen has had an RU resurgence in 2025, having put together a tournament-best 6-1 record in this year's RUPL and showing his consistency even in side tours such as the French Community League where he put up another tournament best 7-0 record. sufys meanwhile has also put together a rather successful year as far as RU is concerned. After most recently making a respectable RU Open run as well as having finished third in this year's RU Winter Seasonal, he is sure to be a valuable asset supporting Colin. With a capable but rather inexperienced RU pilot behind the wheel, it will be up to feen and sufys to ensure that Colin is equipped with both practical teams as well as metagame know-how to succeed in this year's pool.

Gible's auction plan was straightforward: get someone cheap and consistent and support them to win. This strategy makes a lot of sense, especially considering the managers have two of the best RU players ever in Feliburn and Ajna. The last time they teamed up together was in RUPL, where they ended in semifinals. Richard isn't a newcomer to RU, contrary to popular belief; he had a round 3 exit in RU Open, but his RU record is 1-1 in Grand Slam playoffs. He is also a very consistent player, as reflected in an impressive record of 4-0 in WCoP playing SV Ubers. The main reason he is ranked this high is purely for the support, as two of the best and innovative builders will surely elevate him to a great SCL!

In the seventh place we have eifo, who has been somewhat of a mainstay in SCL for a few years now. Last year, he did not play RU, but he had an okay RU record of 3-3 in SCL III. His recent records show a round three exit from RU Open, and a rather impressive round eight exit of RU Winter Seasonal. Of course, he is still caught up with the SV metagame, as he was a council member until June of 2025, so delving back into the metagame will not be a challenging task! In terms of support, he has his manager, DugZa, who had a mediocre SV record of 1-2 in RUPL but is an extremely consistent player and builder and can elevate eifo further. We look forward to the resident RU discord #current-events yapper coming back from a semi-retirement and playing in the big leagues!

Coming in at 8th is Dj Breloominati♬ playing for the Technical Machines. After their neophyte RU player Lime's breakout performance last year, manager Expulso and the Machines are back again with another new face in the SCL RU scene, fielding Dj in his first stint as a SCL starter. However, unlike last year with Lime, Dj is coming into this year's tournament with a barren stat sheet as far as RU is concerned, having seemingly played a single SV RU game this calendar year for team India during the semifinals stage of Lower Tiers World Cup. However, according to Spartans manager DugZa, Dj was a large help during his Grand Slam RU prep work and was apparently the primary architect behind the team he brought to playoffs, which bodes well for the Machines. Supporting Dj is former Grand Slam champion LpZ and manager Piyu. Although LpZ has not touched this tier since his Slam run last year, he is a more than capable pilot and will be sure to get Dj quality tests and insight. Piyu has more recently been in contact with the tier, having played it in this year's RUPL; however, that was with Beraldo support so his standalone support abilities are yet to be proven. Between the question marks of Dj's personal experience with the tier and a somewhat sparse support line, the Machines have a lot of questions to be answered as to if they will be able to string together a strong season in this slot.

As we approach the end of the RU PRs, we come across the Uncharted Terrors fielding Hacker as their RU starter. After a disappointing 2-5 LC showing in last year's SCL, Hacker has decided to take his talents to RU, where, although his overall experience with the tier has been sparse, he is coming into the tour with momentum after having put together a pristine 3-0 record for US South during their playoff run in the Lower Tiers World Cup. Beyond his LTWC showing, Hacker earned a modest 2-1 record in this year's RUPL as well as a slightly underwhelming 2-4 in RU Blind Draft. In order to set up Hacker as best as possible, the Terrors decided to reunite him with his in-house support for his 3-0 LTWC run: Metallica126. One of the most versatile players on the site, Metallica's gallery of tiers played is immense, and for this tournament, he will be the primary chef responsible for feeding hacker teams and tests. Also coming in as support is Drud. Primarily known as a PU mainstay, Drud has quietly put together a superb year in RU, winning the RU Homefield Advantage Circuit tour as well as still being in the ongoing RU Summer Seasonal. Although Hacker had a strong Lower Tiers World Cup, his shaky performance in SCL last year as well as somewhat inconsistent showings this year have landed him and the Terrors in 9th, a ranking they will be trying to prove short sighted as the season goes on.

Closing out this year's PR's are the PowerPlant Dynamos, who are fielding DPP OU mainer Kristyl as their starting RUer. This is perhaps the most experimental of the RU starters, as Kristyl, beyond not having any prior experience with RU, has seemingly not had any experience with SV as a generation in general. Kristyl, however, is not an unproven player, sporting an even 9-9 SPL record across two iterations of that tournament. Tasked with equipping Kristyl with the right teams and tests is RU mainer FlamPoke. Although he has since turned his attention to other tiers such as ZU and PU, Flam is returning to his old stomping grounds to assist the Dynamos for another year. After putting together an impressive 5-2 RUPL performance and a 4-3 record in RU Blind Draft, Flam will be hoping to teach Kristyl his winning ways and hopefully set her up with the right tools to find success. Also providing support is Grand Slam semifinalist JustFranco. After making a deep run in RU's Winter Seasonal, top cut for ladder tour, and a solid RU Open run, Franco has shown that he is in solid form and is sure to be an invaluable asset alongside Flam in getting Kristyl up to speed. The highly experimental nature of the Dynamo's RU core is up for speculation, and as a result, they have been ranked last in this year's pool. However, this is still familiar territory for the Dynamos, who brought on another old gens mainer as their starting RUer last year, where they ended up winning the tour. They may be last but surely not least, and everyone should keep their eyes on the Dynamos to see what they bring to the table.

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After playing a key role in the Dynamos' victory last season, McMeghan is back in NU. It would take whole paragraphs to recount all the ways in which the Belgian player has distinguished himself over the years, and I invite you to read Smogon's Top 10 Players article if you want a detailed history. As far as NeverUsed is concerned, McMeghan came with no previous experience last year and still dominated after adapting perfectly to the tier, finishing with the pool's tied best record, 7-3. Surrounded by many of the same teammates and after an equally successful SPL earlier this year, there's little doubt that Roro can repeat a campaign of the same caliber.

Danny has been mostly absent from the NU scene since his excellent SCL IV campaign, where he ended up with a 6-2 record; he has developed an addiction to Diplomacy and has barely played in NU team tournaments, only playing three games in NUPL. In spite of all of this, Danny has earned respect of the year as a veteran of this pool, carving his reputation with an overall 15-9 record in SCL and being able to pick up and tryhard any lower tier out of blue, just like he never stopped playing it. It can also be noted that he's got the support of NUTL etern, who's been playing multiple NU seasons in officials. Together they will for sure cook up some terrific teams and put up great results.

While Elias PSY might not have the same prestige as the players ranked above him, he has without a doubt been the most successful player on the NU stage for the past year. He felt like he had NU solved by the end of 2024, getting the tied best NU record in SCL with 7-3, winning Seasonal, and finishing the year on a high note by defeating MichaelderBeste2 in Circuit finals, crowning himself the reigning Circuit Champion. Since the beginning of the year, he has put good records in subforum team tournaments, being overall 14-8 across NUCL, NUPL, and LTWC, and also made an appearance in Smogon Tours playoffs tiebreak, further establishing his ability to compete among the best.

S1nn0hC0nfirm3d, also known as Ho3nConfirm3d, has made waves in official team tournaments, earning three trophies in the last two years while being a major actor of two of them with a 9-4 in last SPL and 11-1 in SCL III. After diverging to PU and OU, Ho3n is finally returning to the tier he played in his first official in 2020. The former NU Open winner recently got back into NU tournaments, being a spearhead of the champion NUPL team, with a 7-3 record, including a finals tiebreak victory. Ho3n has had a lot of momentum lately and it's natural to believe it's not gonna stop now.

While many were disappointed for Shengineer to not get the opportunity to play any game on the Machines last year, NU's most famous YouTuber has been promoted to a starting slot. While many could be surprised to find a player with no official game ranked so highly, it's commonly accepted by the mainers that he is a player with a lot of potential. Shen has likely played more SV NU games between ladder and circuit tournaments than anyone else, and he's been pretty successful at it, making semi-finals of 2024 Circuit, winning the latest NU Seasonal, and accumulating a 14-9 record across NUCL, NUPL, and LTWC. Last year, he wrote down in the commencement thread "If you don't know my name, you're about to" and we are about to find out if it will mark SCL history or not.

watashi has been the most successful NU player of all time, sitting at the top of both the NU Hall of Fame with 10 trophies and the NU team tournaments sheet with an impressive 79-35 record that nobody is close to. One could rightfully ask how someone so dominant over the years is ranked so low, and the answer is quite simple: most of watashi's success happened in old generations, and his SV records have not been so great with an overall 6-11 record in officials in SV NU. This year seems to be different, as watashi's main struggle in previous seasons came from suboptimal teams where he seemingly lacked reliable support, but this time he's managed by Stories, whose teams have been very successful throughout NUPL and LTWC and even led her to win NU Swiss earlier this year. While his previous SV campaigns cannot be forgotten, watashi seems destined for a better season.

After a ten-year hiatus, Django has cemented himself again as a top NU player during the past year. After winning NUPL 2024 and joining NU council, he made his way to Foxes bench, supporting Danny to a 6-2 season and eventually subbing in NU to score a win against watashi. Since then, Django has been actively playing SV in NU's circuit, scoring encouraging results in individuals and mixed results in team tournaments with a 3-5 in NUPL and 4-2 in LTWC. The NeverUsed grandpa presents himself as a solid competitor who, despite lacking the success of the players ranked above him, has the experience necessary to perform in this tournament.

One year ago, Esteb4n won NULT as a complete underdog, and he has since then showed strong results over many lower tiers, appearing in RU Open semifinals and PULT finals. He has solidified his SV NU results with finishing NUCL, NUPL, and LTWC with an overall 11-7 record. While most recognize he has a lot of potential, this is his first experience in an official tournament, and he will have to prove he can also succeed on the big stage.

Last year, all eyes were on BJ, as he went for over 20k for his first season as a starter in an official team tournament to become the most expensive player in the NU pool. Unfortunately for him and his Islanders' teammates, the doctor didn't live up to the hype and ended the season with a deceiving 3-6 record, which explains how he is now the second least expensive starter in the pool. Since last year, BJ has scored mixed results in NU forum team tournaments, between a 1-3 in NUPL and a 4-2 in LTWC. BJ remains, however, an opponent that one shouldn't underestimate, with great accomplishments in 2024 that led to his infamous SCL IV price tag.

At the bottom of the ranking, we find another rookie in Tuthur. His career in unofficials is nothing short of impressive; he is 22-16 on the NU sheet, playing exclusively SV NU and obtaining two NUPL trophies going 6-3 and 6-2. He also won a Seasonal almost two years ago, further solidifying his results in the tier. The ZeroUsed tier leader remains inexperienced on the official stage and comes into this pool as the underdog, but he's a solid bet if you're looking for a player who's got everything it takes to flip the rankings upside down.

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Having recently come off of an incredible run to finals in PU Open and a top 8 finish in Grand Slam playoffs, there's a solid argument to be made that mind gaming is the best PU player around currently, evidenced by him being almost the consensus number 1 pick. mind gaming also benefits from having an incredible amount of tour experience over the years, having won SCL twice in the past with an amazing 7-2 run last year. He also has extremely good support behind him, with S1nnohC0nfirmed also having vast amounts of tour experience of his own and SEA being a relative newcomer to PU but still able to provide solid help. There are some risks, of course; mind gaming is known to be relatively inactive when it comes to team Discords and it's unknown if he can mesh well with his supporters. Nevertheless, mind gaming's own knowledge of the metagame and building abilities should allow him to pull off another great run.

Michael is a jack of all trades and a master of many, many tiers. After a 6-3 run in PU during SCL IV and a victory in Grand Slam, Michael has already proven himself to be able to play anything and become one of the most consistent and versatile players ever. Michael also has a wide array of support behind him. sufys is back once again to support him, and a mainer who recently had a 5-3 run during PUPL will always be helpful to have. Also here to support is PU council member zS, feen, and Larry, all of whom have had experience playing the tier in tours and should be easily able to help with prep. While there are some questions on issues of potentially having too many cooks in the kitchen, Michael should be able to pull himself to another excellent performance.

MZ is perhaps one of PU's most long-lasting and recognizable players, having found himself active in the tier for over a decade. Coming off an impressive 5-2 run in PU last SCL and a top 4 finish in the 2024 PU circuit and currently vying for the victory title in PU Classic playoffs, MZ is easily the person with the most experience in PU in the pool this year. To help out with support is OranBerryBlissey10 and Stories, both of whom are relatively knowledgeable in their own right. While he finds himself below the top 2 due to having less impressive official tour results, he still should be able to hold himself together without much worry.

If you ever been around the PU Discord, you no doubt know about LpZ and his rather interesting posts. While around the community he is primarily known for being the G.O.A.T of BW PU, he's no slouch in tours either. Though only mustering up a 4-5 record in SCL IV, he's proven to be an extremely strong player in other tours, having recently come off a 6-2 record in SMPL and a 5-3 record in NUPL, which led to a victory. LpZ also has an incredible amount of support behind his back, with former tier leader ishtar, managers hex and Piyu, and PU Love Tour winner Hiko all supporting him. That being said, the fact that he did collapse after shifts last year could be immensely worrying; however, he's been continuously on the rise since then, so there's little doubt he'll pull off another solid run.

The first player new to the PU pool this year, Jytcampbell was actually originally a bench player last season before coming off the bench to pull off an incredible 6-1 run for a 3k pick, helping lead the Dynamos to a victory last season. The main thing keeping him right in the middle this year? He simply does not have much overall records within the tier compared to others, bar his 5-0 SCL run in the tier last year. While he does have his fellow SCL champion and back-to-back Dynamo Excal once again by his side for help, who will no doubt be a monumental partner in supporting him, and PU is an incredibly forgiving tier when it comes to learning metagame trends, there will likely still need to be external help needed to succeed and for Jyt to deliver once more to allow for a back-to-back to occur.

The metaphorical polar bear in Arlington, Texas of the PU starting lineup, I have no idea what might have inclined gilbert arenas to start in a tier so far removed from his usual OU/UU stomping grounds. Has he ever played a game of PU before? The jury's out, but I can't prove it. Has he been very successful in other tiers in past SCLs? Sure, a 6-3 in UU two years ago is nothing to sneeze at. How's the drafted support? asa is a powerhouse in her own right, as the current tier leader has a myriad of strong records recently and has an excellent track record of supporting successful PUPL teams without starting herself. A barely below-average ranking is reflective of how strong the potential is here for gilbert arenas to pull off a solid performance despite his newness to a tier that, in fairness, most would say is relatively straightforward to pick up. This seems like a pretty solid formula for success, as evidenced by gilbert being the only player not ranked top 2 to have someone rank him as #1 in the pool. Now he's just going to have to go execute.

Smogon Common Law mandates that at least one PU mainer with zero official tour experience will get their crack at the big leagues every SCL, and this year that honor happens to go to Brazilian extraordinaire kyuss. His credentials? 7-2 in PUPL for the strongest SV performance of the tournament, a 4-1 in PUWC before that, and numerous strong individual performances with the peak being a victory in PU Ladder Tournament 2024. It's hard to ask for more out of a player before they get a chance at an official tour, but at the same time SCL tends to be a whole different beast. While the lack of experience is naturally going to temper expectations, if he can bring the same level of creativity and effective aggression to this level of competition, we just might see another Magmortars sweep.

Drud finagles his way into his first SCL having just managed his PUPL team to a narrow victory and further cemented his position as #1 player on the PU sheet with a solid 7-4 record during the season. As the only player with more than 60 wins across PU team tours, drud clearly knows what it takes to secure a victory. He's certainly come a long way from his early days on Smogon as age has allowed him to start converting salt into success (no judgment here, and certainly don't check who's writing this article). However, the sum total of his official team tour experience is 1-2 in the most recent WCoP, which barely qualifies him as more experienced than kyuss when it comes to starting in SCL. Drud is going to have to step up his game and avoid getting tilted by the latest unset innovation by the bizarre builders filling out the higher slots on this ranking, or he's going to find this tournament ending significantly worse than what he's used to.

Hey, did you guys hear that avarice went 10-1 in PUPL? Apparently at least one managing pair did, which is how avarice managed to sneak his way onto the starting lineup despite a shaky official tour record and not having any recent SV PU results. Even if it's in old gens a 10-1 is just good, indicative that he might have the juice that gets people to do pretty well playing low tiers in team tours. Joining as drafted support is LOOR, who should be a solid boon if he can just forget about how his mega-successful PUPL teammate avarice had to get subbed out of the finals tiebreak that ended up losing them the tournament. Anyone who's played with or against avarice knows that activity can be a larger issue than gaming prowess, but as long as he can lock in with a trophy on the line success is not out of the cards.

It's difficult to talk about Void without making the conversation entirely about his support. Aside from one brief stint in 2017's edition of PUPL, it seems like Void has preferred to stay well away from the lowest official tier. Not that his other endeavors have reflected poorly upon him, as going 9-0 in SPL demands some respect no matter how different SV PU is from DPP OU. Void's support comes from three interesting characters: DugZa had a great reputation for PU support until SoulWind's disastrous run last year; etern was once a strong PU player but didn't even bother to sign up for the format this year; and eifo appears to have mostly dropped the tier after a 2-6 outing in last year's SCL. With a pool built mostly out of well-regarded mainers and proven tournament players, Void finds himself at the bottom more for being the iffiest person on this list than definitively the worst. But at least one low-ranked PU player seems to consistently make an impressive run every year in this tournament, and sharing a tag with the World's Greatest Gamer™ is a good start for achieving that goal.

Overall Team Rankings

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