SPL XV Power Rankings

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Welcome to the Power Rankings for the fifteenth installment of the Smogon Premier League! This will be the eleventh edition of the Power Rankings, an article intended to boost excitement for the upcoming tournament, give a representation of where each team is believed to stand in relation to other teams, and serve as a petition to expand to six SV OU slots next year. To obtain an overview, we have asked knowledgeable players of each respective tier and anyone willing to sit down and rank 36 SV OU players to rate the expected players for each one, averaged the rankings while removing outliers, and ended up with an attempt at a mostly unbiased list. From there, we gathered all of the rankings and assigned points accordingly: first place in each tier gets ten points, second place in each tier gets nine points, and so on until you get to the SM pool and realize that the rankers were basically throwing darts at a board. For SV, this was extrapolated out to the first four and then created groupings of four for each point value from there onward given that there are four slots, too.

Despite our best efforts, it isn't possible to obtain perfectly accurate pre-tournament rankings. Ultimately, there are too many variables to account for that can lead to teams or individuals doing better or worse than predicted, so the Power Rankings are more fun than a serious prediction. Our hope is that these PRs will be an enjoyable read for the community, shed some light on the community's players (or rehash SoulWind's BW OU achievements for the eleventh year in a row), and, with him being ranked somewhere below third for maybe the first time in his life, hopefully continue to contribute to the deflation of ABR's ego.

The question on everyone's mind after SPL XIV is, of course, can we avoid the record of seven players being banned mid-season? We're already up to one in SPL XV, so we're not off to a good start, though. Of lesser importance, can Raiza and Tricking pull off a hat-trick, something never seen before in SPL? Can the Tyrants pull it together with reyscarface back in the driver's seat? Did winning Pets Mod Premier League prepare Stone Cold to finally obtain the elusive red trophy? Will the Tigers fail spectacularly enough for another Tournament Policy thread on rebranding the franchise, and, more importantly, will z0mOG pay me the $20 he owes me? We'll have all of our answers in at least eleven but no more than fourteen weeks.

Before we dive into the rankings, a look at how we got to the point we stand at today. After much debate about whether it was more important to schedule around Genesis7's hockey game or reyscarface's flight to go perform surgery, we ended up with the latter and an auction scheduled for 5 PM 3 PM Eastern Time on Sunday, January 7th. A two-hour window between when signups were supposed to close and when signups actually closed granted us with such last-minute signups as Garay oak, Poek, and DPP-locked mind gaming. Despite Raiza asking me to make sure the auction kept moving due to how late it would get for the European managers and starting his team off with 82.5k to boot, the auction inevitably took three and a half hours anyway because people insist on upbidding players we all know are going for 20k or more in increments of .5k.

ABR was once again the most expensive player at 39k, though thankfully MANNAT saved us all ten minutes by hard .30ing as soon as ABR was nommed. SoulWind was the only other player to cross the 30k line, and eighteen total players were more than 20k at auction, with four more retains also falling into this group for a total of 22. The most expensive SV OU starter was Finchinator for 29.5k to the Cryonicles, and Finchinator, while bewildered at the price, could be heard saying "at least it wasn't the Tigers." RBY was once again the most expensive oldgen, with a total of 156k spent, or about 15.5k per starter, helped along by Heroic Troller, ABR, Serpi, and Gefährlicher Random combining for 112k. Less than half of that was spent on SM, with six starters at 5k or under for a total of 72.5k carried in large part by Skypenguin's 22k retain, and DPP was barely ahead at 76.5k, with the most expensive DPP starter being 16.5k Malekith.

Additionally, congratulations to the following 42 players for participating in their first ever SPL: Akalli, Attribute, Buhrito, Carkoala, Chiles Habaneros, damien the genius, Dasmer, Dj BreloominatiĊC;, DonSalvatore, Dridri457, entrocefalo, Floss, Fogbound Lake, GeniusX, Green on fire, hellom, JJ09LIE, JustFranco, Khaetis, Laroxyl, Le Don, Lord_Enz, MAVERICK SHOOTERS, Mimikyu Stardust, Mishimono, myjava, Nalorium, oldspicemike, pdt, Pideous, Piyush25, procorphish, PZZ, QWILY, S1nn0hC0nfirm3d, Skyrio, Srn, Sylveon used calm mind, Taka, Thiago Nunes, tko, Zaza. Great work getting here, and hopefully this is both a wonderful experience and the start of a long tenure in many SPLs to come.

Finally, before we get to the rankings themselves, a special and massive thank you to all of the amazing people who made this article possible:

Writers: fade, Finchinator, johnnyg2, MANNAT, Monai, Siatam, Skypenguin, Slowpoke Fan, teal6, Vileman

GP, HTML, and Graphics: DC, Kalalokki, ken, Lumari, P Squared, Quite Quiet, red fintans, Tea Guzzler, Zracknel

Rankers: ABR, Akalli, Aliss, Amaranth, Ash KetchumGamer, baddummy, Beraldo, chuva de perereca, Conflict, CrashinBoomBang, d0nut, D4 Repertoire, Dark Eeveon, devin, dice, elodin, fade, false, Fear, Finchinator, Gefährlicher Random, Genesis7, GeniusX, Gondra, Hayburner, Heroic Troller, Kenix, Laurel, lax, Le Don, Leo, Luigi, Luthier, M Dragon, Mako, Malekith, McMeghan, Mimikyu Stardust, Nails, Nalorium, Niko, njnp, oldspicemike, Pideous, pkThunderbolt, QWILY, Raiza, Raptor, Rewer, reyscarface, Rubyblood, Savouras, SEA, Seasons, Serpi, Siatam, Skypenguin, Skyrio, Star, Stone Cold, susciety, Sylvi, TDK, TDNT, TPP, Triangles, twash, vani, Vulpix03, xray, Xrn, z0mOG, zioziotrip

And a personal thank you from me to all of you for reading, I hope everyone enjoys this SPL and has an amazing 2024!

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1. xavgb
2. lax
3. Punny
4. Finchinator
5. mncmt
6. Fogbound Lake
7. Garay oak
8. Storm Zone
9. Rubyblood
10. TDK
11. Trosko
12. pdt
13. Xrn
14. oldspicemike
15. Gilbert arenas
16. Raptor
17. zioziotrip
18. JJ09LIE
19. crying
20. DonSalvatore
21. Kushalos
22. DAHLI
23. Isza
24. Separation
25. Sylveon used calm mind
26. Beraldo
27. CTC
28. JustFranco
29. Laroxyl
30. Akalli
31. hellom
32. freezai
33. Ash KetchumGamer
34. Floss
35. entrocefalo
36. shiloh
37. Mimikyu Stardust
38. Shafofficiel
39. Savouras
40. Srn

After spending nearly 60k in the auction on their core of starters, it should be no shock that the Circus Maximus Tigers are ranked atop the list of SV cores, hoping to max out their investment with a whopping four slots to cover. Given this, the Tigers are the only team with all four SV OU starters ranking in the top half of the power rankings. However, they are also the only team that has not finished in the top half of the standings since 2017, meaning we will have to pit the historical results of the tournament against the historically inaccurate power rankings to see who comes out on top...what can possibly go wrong?

Leading the group for the Tigers will be a duo of veteran Spanish players, Garay oak and Trosko. Both come with a positive track record in official team tournaments overall and in SV OU specifically, which is highlighted by Team Spain's first WCoP victory this past Summer! Garay oak has proven adaptable across a plethora of formats as a regular winner across Fairygens, top seed in Classic playoffs, and Grand Slam champion, so his high ranking should be expected. Trosko has a similarly stellar track record, donning a positive record in each of the last three years in official team tournaments and a +12 differential historically. Joining this duo will be eighth ranked Storm Zone, who has made a name for himself for a variety of reasons, ranging from ladder excellence to chatroom chaos. Opponents entering the storm zone will surely struggle, as the Tigers SV standout has done well in each of the last two years officially, rounding out a resume already highlighted impressively throughout other OU settings. Finally, JJ09LIE will round out the core after impressive performances in individual official tournaments. While it may be their debut on the sheet, with the support of the three aforementioned players and enigmatic SPL champion Baloor, JJ09LIE is in an ideal position to make a positive first impression in SPL. London Beats also serves as an OU substitute; his familiarity with Garay oak and Trosko through Team Spain could be a synergistic asset to this group, too, as they look to live up to their lofty collective ranking!

The Ruiners have a core of SV starters that show substantial upside but also plenty of mystery. Their top two ranking banks on xavgb starting, but there is a chance that he ends up only playing in select games or later on in the campaign. After turning a group of unproven players, referred to in SCL's PR as "a strategy formally known as 'dart board with top half of WCoP records,'" into one of the most successful groups, xavgb could very well lead this more decorated group to success regardless of if he plays half or all of the time, but they would undoubtedly be better with the top-ranked player in the field.

Joining top player xavgb will be one of the top players from SCL specifically, oldspicemike. After going even in WCoP for his debut, a 6-4 SCL helped prove that the Terrors' SV OU core was far more than just a few dart throws. Mike is looking to build on this success after a bitter ending to SCL; with an extra slot, the opposition is arguably weaker, which makes his bid for continued success all the more likely. After a good SPL last year, Raptor took some time off to manage, but he is now back as a retain after winning six games of his own last year. Rounding out the starting lineup will be JustFranco, who quietly had a strong SCL in RU after having a rather loud exit to OLT. JustFranco has proven to be, at the very least, competent, making him a satisfactory fourth SV option for a deep core. WIth the potential for xavgb to sit some weeks, depth pieces, such as Buhrito, who has done well in some unofficial tournaments and shows a great deal of motivation, and SS starter Fc, can flex here despite both excelling most in SS OU. Jytcampbell can also slot in if needed. This entire group will have the support of FlamingVictini, who is famous for his success in various OUs and crafty teambuilding. There is a chance this core does very well with three great players and some other unproven but potentially strong options, but it will ultimately come down to availability and execution.

Coming in third, we have the Classiest, who have a group that contains three players who only recently have been seen as high-level OU prospects. Their ceiling, which is among the highest in the tournament, hinges on their continued development with the support of Luthier and his 2 am PMs for imports. One constant among this group would be mncmt, who the Classiest retained after a 9-0 regular season last SPL!

Of course, any 9-0 can be met with accusations of good fortune or skeptics about other performances, such as his losing effort in his lone playoff game, but mncmt's run was still the most impressive regular season of an early SV OU metagame. We are now in a post-release DLC2 metagame, leading to similar circumstances for the Brazilian star player to thrive once more for a mere 10k pricetag due to his retention. mncmt also went positive in the recent SCL, solidifying his status as a top 5 player in the pool. Speaking of cost-efficient buys, pdt, who is ranked within the top third of this pool after a 3-0 WCoP and a 12-3 2023 in official team tournaments, only cost 11.5k. pdt is poised to bring his dominance in UU over to OU in his first-ever SPL, and there is a lot of confidence surrounding this prospect given his overall success. Rounding out the core will be Isza, who managed to go positive in SCL after a string of negative campaigns to start his tenure in official team tournaments, and Beraldo, who put up an impressive 11-5 year across SPL and SCL, dominating RU to end his superb 2023. Neither of these players have distinguished themselves in SV OU quite yet, but there is ample opportunity for them to do so in a pool that can be generously be described as shallow. If anything does not line up, Thiago Nunes can potentially function as an alternate, or devin can move up to play SV as well, with both having some official experience under their belts. Overall, the Classiest have a strong upside starting with mncmt but also have some picks who will need to prove themselves.

This SV OU core is unapologetically the epitome of the Team Raiders! If a behind-the-scenes checklist leaked from Tricking's PMs, you would undoubtedly find mentions of a fellow Italian like Punny or entrocefalo, a repeat favorite teammate like DAHLI, or a hyper-offense addict with a knack for the unpredictable like Sylveon used calm mind. Seeing as the Raiders won both of the last two SPLs, why fix a formula that is not broken?

Punny leads the Raiders group of SV OU players. Finishing third in the rankings should be no surprise for Punny, who has done well across just about every tournament you can name. Punny pilots bulky teams particularly well, but has a timely knack for when to mix in more dynamic offenses, making preparation quite challenging for opponents. If this is not enough, then you should expect Punny to have the support of Tricking, Raiza, and procorphish, who have all been teammates before. While the remaining three are all technically ranked in the bottom half of the field, two of the three are quite close to the middle. DAHLI, in particular, has experienced some success in both OU and Ubers, quietly remaining positive across a near 30-game sample size in official team tournaments thus far. Sylveon used calm mind has had better success in individual tournaments than team tournaments thus far, but with more experience comes better results, and after a rough finish to 2023, there is still plenty of hope for the near future, especially with a team of proven winners around. Finally, entrocefalo, who also has a background in Ubers, looks to make a smooth transition to being an OU mainstay this SPL. Despite being ranked 35th of the 40 OU players, his ceiling is much higher than that, as we saw from a 7-2 SCL! It will be interesting to see if this group can perform well enough for the Raiders to try and win a third straight SPL.

The Sharks are the only team with one player in the top five and another within the top ten of these rankings, making them perhaps the most top-heavy core of the collective. However, they are also the only team with two of the bottom six players in the pool, also making them a candidate for the most bottom-weak core in the tournament. It will be interesting to see if this leads to the middling out, which their fifth place ranking reflects, or if one side will end up standing out.

lax comes in ranked second after his OLT victory, which came after defeating an impressive cast of characters, including Vert, INSULT, and Nat in the do-or-die top sixteen! His team tourament performance in 2023 was closer to the middle of the pack, but it is hard to ignore how incredibly high his ceiling can be, making his ranking entirely understandable. Joining him will be TDK, who is known as a very strong OU player across numerous generations at this point. While he has not shown anything officially in SV OU, his adaptability has already been proven, leaving many confident his success will translate into the modern day, as you can see in his top ten ranking. On the flip side, SPL newcomer Mimikyu Stardust is joined by Shafofficiel, who had a rough 2023 after a strong 2022. Mimikyu Stardust is a crafty player who has a knack for some creative offensive strategies while still being cognizant of metagame norms; they made a debut in WCoP but now have a chance at a larger sample size this SPL! Both of these two are simply looking to get things going in the right direction, and with a historically successful franchise like the Sharks with two veteran teammates, it is certainly possible. If either struggles, it is certainly possible French player Carkoala, who had a 4-5 showing across two official tournaments in 2023, can substitute in as well. It will be interesting to see if the Sharks can get good value out of a few lower-ranked slots to accompany their high-end talent in SV OU!

The Wolfpack have a new look from management without Tony, but they also have a new look in SV OU with a couple of recent standouts frontlining their core. Fogbound Lake and zioziotrip are accompanied by two veterans who look to prove their worth in an SPL OU setting, too, in YouTube sensation freezai and evil tiering administrator shiloh.

Fogbound Lake starts this group off with a ranking well within the top ten of the pool. This should be no surprise to those who followed SCL; Fogbound managed to go 9-2 with after a similarly impressive 4-1 WCoP. While previously known for Ubers, Fogbound has become one of the best OU options. Some team support may be needed without the partnership with mind gaming, but manager Star and teammate Piyush25 should be of great assistance in this department. zioziotrip is another player who popped onto the scene last year; his performance was closer to average, but there were some impressive victories that coincided with a few tough losses and a few unfortunate losses. His teambuilding prowess and metagame insights remained impressive throughout his runs through WCoP and SCL, but there is likely some more room to grow to hit his ceiling, which could be as one of the best players in the field. freezai and shiloh round out the core with lower rankings, but both have found success in other settings. freezai in particular has a slew of great performances, which most recently includes a 3-1 WCoP in SV OU. If he can return to that form, then the Wolfpack have a great value pick. shiloh also has a lot of experience at this level and always stays up to date with OU, so hopefully the transition here is simple enough for the Wolfpack to break through their middling sixth-place collective OU ranking.

After taking a one-year hiatus from being a playoff lock and flirting with a first SPL victory, the Tyrants seem to have come back seeking vengeance by selecting top SCL option Rubyblood and shifting longtime premier supporter CTC to a starting role, hoping to maximize his value. Both of these players have a flair for the dramatic but plenty of upside, which works nicely with the Tyrants' brand and makes this core a strong candidate to be a dark horse in this field despie their seventh overall ranking.

Starting things off will be Rubyblood, who is ranked within the top ten OU players for the first time. He absolutely turned his game up to a new level in 2023; previously Rubyblood was a solid player who flirted with occasional success, but going 8-4 across WCoP and SCL with some big wins along the way was a great sign. There are still some worries as his attitude got shaky towards the end of SCL, leading to an ugly conclusion to an otherwise strong campaign, but there is a ton to build off of and plenty of reason to be optimistic with Rubyblood the player. Speaking of believing in upside, clear ample room for DonSalvatore, who is in finals of the inaugural Smogon Masters as we write this! His competency has been proven previously with a quiet 7-2 run in WCoP and an appearance in Smogon Tour playoffs, but this is a new high for Don, who is now hoping to stand out in his debut SPL. CTC continues this core with a surprising entry into the starting lineup. Historically CTC has been a superb supporter, building many teams while playing on occasion. However, the based lord himself now has a chance to goob the competition with his unique brand of heat. Expectations are scattered with not many knowing what to expect, but it is safe to say that while his rank may be low, the ceiling is much higher if things work out. Finally, Ash KetchumGamer rounds out the pool as a serviceable fourth SV option. While he has struggled historically in official team tournaments with a 7-16 record, he has shown a good amount of resilience and the right attitude to potentially turn things around. With the support of manager blunderr and the potential alternates of Spanish player Luispeikou, the OU room's finest myjava, and Mister Sauce or damien the genius, in the event that their own slots are accounted for through other means, there is plenty of reason for optimism for the Tyrants. However, they will need to overperform in some regards, as many cores above them have some more experience and name recognition as things currently stand.

Stone_Cold and Leru scooted their way as far away from the BIGs as possible but still managed to find themselves close to the bottom in terms of SV OU. Fortunately, the Scooters only spent just over 30k on their starting four SV player, making this group potentially one of the most efficient despite their lowly ranking.

Xrn leads the group, which feels like a surprising thing to say for an SV OU core in SPL. That is not at all a shot at Xrn either, who has done everything right as a player recently with a superb SPL last year followed up with a 9-1 SCL in DOU. He offers a ton of upside while staying levelheaded in even the most tense situations, but Xrn has not exactly put up the resume of an SV OU anchor yet with most of his success being scattered elsewhere. Many still anticipate that he can go positive, however, which is all that truly matters if the other slots pan out. That is the big if, though, as none of them are close to being locks to go positive. Kushalos has taken a liking to OU recently, cooking up a number of memorable creations. The chef gets a chance to play SV OU on the biggest stage after a 4-2 WCoP and 3-1 SCL in the tier, but his sample in other formats is still far larger, and this will be a great opportunity to see if those records are the full picture or just a misleading glimpse. Akalli, who has yet to play in an official team tournament, has been impressive individually and gets a golden opportunity to prove his worth after sitting out of SCL. Many have high expectations for Akalli given his perceived competency despite being ranked 30th here, so there is a chance this is a dark horse candidate for the Scooters. Finally, hellom, formerly known as Swordstrike, rounds out the group. hellom has done well in unofficials and keeps up well with the metagame but also is not the most proven player, as they will be making their SPL debut here; time will tell how things go there or if they will need to call upon potential alternates Joya and Dasmer, both Spanish OU players who have won a couple of official games previously. Overall, this group has a lot of risk, and it will be interesting if they can overachieve their ranking or if they struggle outside of Xrn.

If SPL were to have prop-betting like real life sports, there would almost surely be one as to if Finchinator had more lines throughout the season than his price—29.5k seems like a pretty appropriate line to set for the resident tryhard. After years of being slightly above average, it seems that Finch was just one Tony manager stint away from breaking through 7 and 8 win campaigns in consecutive SCLs, with the latter taking place in recent SV OU! However, joining the now-expensive Finchinator will be a cast of much lower-ranked characters including an RU player and OU room owner...turned SPL starter!?

Since most things the Cryonicles have historically done seem to be backwards, let's start with the bottom end. Srn is comfortably the last ranked player in this SV OU pool; nobody in the community seemed to have him on the radar as a prospective starter aside from his managers. The good news for the Cryonicles is that Srn is very active in the metagame and he has been doing quite well in OUPL, but the bad news is that he has never touched any official team tournament and has no other differentiating points either, making it a shock to many that he is given this opportunity. Perhaps OUPL will carry itself well over into SPL, but I cannot imagine too many rationally minded folk would ever utter a sentence strongly connecting those two tournaments after all. Fortunately for the Cryonicles, Floss has some success in official tournaments, standing out at times in respectable RU fields while familiarizing himself with OU during WCoP season. Now he has a golden opportunity to become an OU mainstay with a chance to be a regular SPL starter. If either of these two struggle, DJ Breloominati may be called upon to spit some fire at the opposition, which he has done across a variety of individual tournaments recently. Finally, Separation rounds out the core. He has some high peaks in OU both on the ladder and in tournaments, but his success has not always been sustained or consistent, leading him towards the middle of the pack. For the Cryonicles to do well, Finchinator will need to continue his run of dominance that spanned from SCL to the recent OU circuit playoffs, where he just defeated Vert, while his fellow OU players will need to approach their ceilings with the aid of managerial support from njnp. Only time will tell, but the odds are not on their side as the campaign begins.

What do you get when you combine an ADV player, a cyborg, an LC player, and a former member of Team Greece? The last ranked SV OU core!

Jokes (or not...) aside, the BIGs opted to go for a bold strategy where they do not spend much on a conventional SV OU anchor and instead stack three solid overall players and pair them with someone who is competent and grinds very hard in the metagame. Gilbert arenas is an elite player in more than just ADV, proving his worth in a couple of lower tiers throughout SCLs. His transition to SV OU should be smooth, and he offers a high ceiling option even if he is not a proven SV1 yet. crying is an unconventional player with a crafty knack for making the most out of shocking sets and structures; their success will depend a lot on activity and motivation, as we have not seen crying as much recently, but last SPL crying went 7-2, proving they are more than just a fluke. Laroxyl is another strong player who even went 2-0 in SCL in OU, but their core competency is LC, and a larger sample this SPL will give us a better idea of where they stand. Finally, Savouras rounds out the core as a strong builder and supporter who hopes to have it all transition into a successful stint as an SPL starter this time around. MAVERICK SHOOTERS, who is a ladder hero who won his only WCoP game for India, offers some SV depth as an alternate and additional support, too. Expectations are low, but if they can all put in the work to stay current and active in the metagame, there is a chance the BIGs do surprisingly well in SV OU!

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• Team: 10-9 all-time SPL, 10-3 SPL SS, and 41-24 overall
• Individual: Smogon Tour 34 winner, 2x Smogon Tour quarterfinalist, 4x Smogon Tour playofss, OLT VIII top 16, and 2x OLT playoffs

The reigning Smogon Tour champion returns to the Classiest, this time starting in a tier that he has been utterly dominant in: SS OU. All four of his wins and none of his losses in SPL last year came from the tier, giving him a stellar 10-3 overall record in SS OU on Smogon's biggest stage. His mastery of the tier has yielded excellent performances in individual tournaments as well, having the opportunity to win a Smogon Tour/Masters double if he takes care of business in the grand finals of the latter. The Classiest will be primed for a serious title challenge if Michael performs to his usual standards.

• Team: 31-29 all-time SPL, 11-9 SPL SS, and 74-59 overall
• Individual: Smogon Tour 31 finalist, and OLT VIII qualifier

The man who rarely leaves home with both Weavile and Dragapult insurance but still wins more often than not, Eternal Spirit, is returning to the Tigers after a strong 6-4 campaign in SS OU. His individual results this year in the tier have been less than stellar, but he has been active in the tier to keep up with recent metagame shifts. Expect a gritty season from the Tigers as Eternal Spirit continues to defy normal teambuilding conventions en route to racking up more wins for his team.

• Team: 14-12 overall
• Individual: OST XVII finalist, and OLT VIII qualifier

After a year-long break, the finalist of the 17th Official Smogon Tournament has returned to the tour scene and is looking to make the most out of his SPL debut in the tier that yielded his aforementioned run. While there might be concerns about how in touch he is with the current metagame, he has fantastic support to mitigate them—Welli0u, Gefährlicher Random, Joya and Dasmer are all great players with deep knowledge of the tier. At the end of the day, class is permanent, and the Scooters should be looking at a strong run this year in SS OU as long as they provide their pilot adequate support.

• Team: 7-3 all-time SPL, 1-0 SPL SS, and 29-36 overall
• Individual: Smogon Masters I top 16, OST XVII semifinalist, and 2022 OU Circuit playoffs

Travelling back to Galar after a successful 6-3 foray into the mysteries of Paldea, TPP has good reasons for making the switch, paradoxical as it sounds: he finished top 12 in the SS OU Cup and top 16 in Smogon Masters while powering the Dragapults to a finals run with a 6-2 record in SSPL. He is also up to date with the metagame as an active contributor and builder in the tier. With support from players such Tricking and Punny, TPP may very well replicate his SSPL performance for the Raiders on the biggest stage in Smogon.

• Team: 2-1 all-time SPL, 2-0 SPL SS, and 2-1 overall
• Individual: OLT VIII qualifier

With a promising 2-0 record last year in SS OU, TDNT is joining the Wolfpack as the starter for the tier. However, it is reasonable to be concerned with his lack of experience in official tournaments, as his other noteworthy achievement in the tier in 2023 is racking up a 3-1 SS OU record in PTPL so far. But with arguably the best support in the draft with players such as the legendary ABR, SS OU Summer Seasonal Champion PZZ, and SS OU Circuit Championships quarterfinalist robjr, TDNT will have all the tools needed to build on his record last year.

• Team: 5-4 all-time SPL, 25-16 overall
• Individual: Smogon Tour 32 playoffs, and 2023 OU Circuit qualifier

While one would typically worry about an Ubers or SV main making the jump to SS OU, Fc's performances in the tier invoke a certain automobile from Mazda bearing the same name, winning the SS OU Global Championship and finishing just behind damien the genius in the SS OU Circuit. His success extends to team play as well, finishing 5-1 in SSPL and contributing to the Valiants' semifinals run in OUPL with a 4-3 record in multigen Bo3. With SS OU council member xavgb and OUPL SS OU player Buhrito behind him, the Ruiners may find SS OU to be the catalyst for their return to the top.

• Team: 17-22 all-time SPL, 3-3 SPL SS, and 22-35 overall
• Individual: Smogon Tour 30 playoffs

The 27th Smogon Tour champion will be eager to make amends after a disappointing 3-5 run last year that dropped his all-time record to 17-22. The silver lining was that he broke even in SS OU and will be looking to build on that with the support of players such as SS OU council member Finchinator and Chinese powerhouse Separation. Despite all of this, the Cryonicles should not be counted out by their opponents this year, lest the Brazilian shares the pain of his SPL record with his extradimensional man o' war.

• Team: 5-10 overall
• Individual: 2023 OU Circuit playoffs

The Tyrants are looking to finally be the bride instead of the eternal bridesmaid this year, and they have made a statement with their selection for SS OU, drafting the man who topped the SS OU Circuit with strong finishes in both Seasonals as well as the SS OU Cup—damien the genius. His ingenuity in the tier was not limited to individual play either, as he was the talisman for the Sandacondas' SSPL win with a stunning 7-1 record. As for support, SoulWind, DonSalvatore, Rubyblood, and Ash KetchumGamer form a strong backbone as the Tyrants are poised for a run befitting their name in the tier this year.

• Team: 5-3 overall
• Individual: N/A

SS OU might not be the best attribute of the Sharks' representative for this tier, but his ability to pilot teams should not be questioned with a 3-1 record for US West in the World Cup last year. While his strengths in the volatile exchanges of Paldea will be muted by the methodical play of Galar, there is a stark difference between the Sharks' SS OU starter and their support in this regard: Lax, Mimikyu Stardust, and Carkoala bring a wealth of experience with the tier to the table, and their advice will make or break the Sharks' SS OU campaign this year.

• Team: 1-3 all-time SPL, and 2-9 overall
• Individual: OLT IX playoffs

Coming off a top 32 finish in Smogon Masters and a dump of massive proportions in the SS OU forums, 3d will be hoping for a better time in the Galarian isles after an unflattering 1-2 record in the Paldean wilderness. His strong 4-1 record in SSPL suggests that his individual success can translate to the team level, and the aforementioned dump is a sign of a player with his finger on the pulse of the metagame. With legendary builder xray and SS OU Cup champion Zaza in the wings, the BIGS might finally be Grande in SS OU this year.

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• Team: 14-6 all-time SPL, 14-6 SPL SM, and 24-15 overall
• Individual: Smogon Tour 34 semifinalist, 2x Smogon Tour quarterfinalist, and 2022 SM Circuit Finalist

Skypenguin is back for another season in SM OU after being retained by the defending champions Raiders. He is coming off 9-3 and 6-3 performances in the past two SPLs and lands atop this pool's rankings. After poor performances in last year's tiebreak and in WCoP, Skypenguin will need to ensure his game is locked in to justify his hefty 22k price tag, and he has been very active in the tier. Skype was the top seed in Smogon Masters and has participated in every circuit tour and Smogon Tour for the past few years, on top of actively building teams. If he is able to maintain his consistency against a mostly inexperienced SM pool, the Raiders stand to make another run.

• Team: 31-20 all-time SPL, 22-11 SPL SM, and 69-49 overall
• Individual: Smogon Tour 26 semifinalist, and 2019 OU Circuit semifinalist

The Showman is taking on the SM OU pool with a renewed passion for the tier. Having relinquished his mantle of Tribal Chief, Welli0u is now free to play under as many different alts as he is to load different team structures. Welli0u last played SM OU in SPL in 2022, where he managed to salvage a disastrous 0-5 start to the with four consecutive victories to close out the season. Nevertheless, he was possibly the tier's most consistent team tour player prior to that season, having posted records of 8-1, 7-2, and 9-2 back to back. Welli0u is one of the hardest players to pin down, as he is a threat to pilot every possible team style clinically. As one of the most clutch performers on the site, expect a strong season from Welli0u this year.

• Team: 18-11 all-time SPL, 6-7 SPL SM, and 38-37 overall
• Individual: Smogon Tour 23 playoffs

Poek makes a return to the tournament scene as one of the most seasoned players in this relatively inexperienced pool. Despite not having played any official games in OU since 2019, Poek is no stranger to tournament success, having won OLT 3 alongside two editions of Smogon Snake Draft. The metagame has drastically changed since his last endeavor in SM OU, so Tyrants will be counting on his overall skill and ability to adapt. Poek will likely benefit from the presence of the famous builder CTC, as well as the largest array of SM OU players on a single team ranging from blunder to Mister Sauce. Poek has been simmering, and if the Tyrants are able to cook up strong teams, he will be able to strain his opponents and serve up many wins.

• Team: 2-3 overall
• Individual: Smogon Tour 34 quarterfinalist

QWILY has been a strong yet underrated player for a few years, notably having quietly made a Top 8 run in Smogon Tour 34. He is well versed in various tiers, but it could be argued QWILY is most proficient in-game in SM OU. He has been involved with the tier through a wide array of unofficial team tournaments, posting a 6-1 record in the most recent OUPL and winning SMPL. Although QWILY also has played in many official individual tournaments, he is fairly new to the team tour scene. He first played in WCoP 2023 for Germany, accruing a 2-3 record, and is now making his SPL debut. While QWILY is likely more prepared than most SPL first-timers, his success will depend on how well he adapts to team tour preparation in SM.

• Team: 2-6 all-time SPL, 0-2 SPL SM, and 22-29 overall
• Individual: Smogon Tour 31 semifinalist

The typically reserved Jytcampbell seems to have flown under the radar, garnering a meager 3k price tag. Teams may be hesitant to depend on him given his recent relatively poor SCL, but make no mistake, Jyt is one of the best players on the site when in a groove. The Ruiners are hoping he can replicate his near-perfect play from a few years back in his Smogon Tour 31 semifinals run and impressive WCoP showings after an up-and-down performance from their SM slot last year. They can turn to teammates such as Charmflash and Raptor for inspiration of team choice, with the former being a renowned builder during the seventh generation. Jyt currently sits at a lifetime 2-6 record in SPL and is 0-2 in SM OU—will he be able to overcome his struggles, or will things finally click in this tour?

• Team: N/A
• Individual: N/A

Zaza, much like his NBA namesake, is looking to break into the big leagues with some Magic. A longtime proponent of sun and other creative teams birthed from the SM OU ladder, Zaza has proven as of late that he can make an impact in tournaments as well. He qualified for top cut in Smogon Masters without dropping a series throughout the first eight rounds and has built teams that have dominated the ladder for the past year. Expect some innovative ideas from Zaza, who is as up to date on the metagame as any other player. With little SM support on the BIGs, it remains to be seen if the first-time team tour player will be able to string together a consistent full season of play and team choices, but Zaza is poised to make a big impact as a cheap pickup.

• Team: 24-13 overall
• Individual: N/A

S1nn0hC0nfirm3d is playing in his first SPL but has been a formidable player in multiple seasons of SCL. He is 24-13 on the sheet, with an impressive 11-1 performance playing SV PU in the most recent edition of SCL. The Tigers will be banking on S1nn0h to pick up a new tier and to replicate that success in SM OU. It should be noted that he does not seem to have been involved with the tier in any capacity in years, though the Tigers have a very strong supporting cast of builders in z0mOG and Trosko. S1nn0h has shown he is able to deliver exceptional results, but the floor could also be low simply due to a lack of experience in the tier. If he struggles, S1nn0h could easily pivot to another tier as the Tigers slot in one of their other options in SM.

• Team: 5-8 all-time SPL, 0-1 SPL SM, and 12-16 overall
• Individual: N/A

devin has been a solid player for a while and returns to SPL after a respectable 3-4 result in SV OU last year. devin racked up most of his achievements during generation 8, wielding numerous strong offensive teams and reaching OLT VIII Semifinals. Historically SM has arguably been his weakest OU tier from generations 6 through 9, but devin has participated in the circuit and team tournaments in the past year, achieving a 4-1 record in SMPL. devin may be ranked lower, with some lackluster results including 0-1 in SM OU in SPL, but he has proven to be a threat in the fairygens. If devin is able to put together strong teams, perhaps with the guidance of teammate Lusa, he could put in a strong performance.

• Team: 1-1 overall
• Individual: Smogon Masters I top 16

PZZ is a newer player in the Smogon scene, part of a trend of Draft League players making their names known. He is coming off a top 16 performance in Smogon Masters, where he took home numerous games in SM OU. PZZ also notedly took down ABR in WCoP 2023, his only other team tour, where he had a 1-1 record. This seems to have prompted the Wolfpack to purchase PZZ alongside the aforementioned 39k player. Support from ABR will prove useful, as although PZZ has played SM in many tournaments, he has little experience in an official capacity. PZZ's success will depend on reining in consistent efforts and on not despairing due to ABR dismantling his Rotom-W-filled teambuilder.

• Team: N/A
• Individual: N/A

GeniusX is probably the least known competitor in this pool. He is another Draft player who has dabbled in Smogon tiers on and off for a few years. His most noteworthy results on Smogon appear to be reaching Round 9 of the bracket in Smogon Masters and a 2-4 SV OU record in OUPL. The Sharks obviously buy into his performance in Draft and believe that it will translate to SM OU. It is hard to say how GeniusX will perform given how little he has played on the site, but he may be able to channel creative draft building and leverage teams from other Sharks such as suapah and lax.

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• Team: 15-11 SPL ORAS, and 29-18 overall
• Individual: Smogon Masters I Top 16, Smogon Tour 32 semifinalist, 2022 ORAS Circuit champion, and 2020 ORAS Circuit finalist

fade, formerly known as jonfilch aka i♡catgirls aka DEATHNYANN, has quickly risen through the ranks and has cemented himself as one of the best and most influential players in ORAS. Anyone that has played the tier in the past 9 months has faced multiple teams from his SPL XIV run. In said run, he won 8 games, and the Sharks had enough faith in him to pick him to tiebreak into McMeghan. The lover of catgirls himself is looking to prove that his record from last year wasn't a fluke and that he can continue to dominate against higher level competition.

• Team: 39-25 all-time SPL, 31-19 SPL ORAS, and 75-60 overall
• Individual: Smogon Masters I semifinalist, Smogon Tour 27 semifinalist, x2 Smogon Tour quarterfinalist, x7 Smogon Tour playoffs, ORAS Invitational I finalist, 2022 ORAS Circuit finalist, and 2019 ORAS Circuit semifinalist

The Scanner returns to his home tier looking to prove that he's still the best ORAS player around against a bevy of competitors with wildly varying styles in what might be his toughest test yet. Boasting a blistering 31-19 record in the tier, xray has been a model of consistency with his unique playstyle and ability to stay one step ahead of the metagame in the teambuilder. That being said, The Scanner skipped SPL last year and bowed out of ORAS Invitational early, so he'll need to shake off some rust. As long as xray can recapture the magic that he conjured in past seasons, he will easily have one of the best records in the field.

• Team: 24-17 all-time SPL, 23-16 SPL ORAS, and 51-45 overall
• Individual: Smogon Masters I quarterfinalist, Smogon Tour 27 quarterfinalist, and Smogon Tour 29 playoffs

Santu is a constant presence in the SPL ORAS field, seemingly putting up a 6-3 or better record in every season he plays. The Wi-Fi Wolfpack perplexingly chose not to retain him before drafting ABR, who is Santu's preferred form of support, and the Cryonicles took advantage. The Italian is known for being so quiet that Finchinator had to mention how soft-spoken he was two separate times in the same power ranking article. As alluded to earlier, Santu is a player that is typically reliant on support, and his team appears to be completely bereft of ORAS teambuilding outside of Vileman, but Santu is such a historically consistent player that he should be able to win in spite of these limitations.

• Team: 40-39 all-time SPL, 31-25 SPL ORAS, and 52-47 overall
• Individual: N/A

CrashinBoomBang, otherwise known as CBB, has always been one of the most passionate ORAS players in the community and is looking to come back to his main tier after a failed experiment in SV last year. CBB is consistently solid, roughly putting up a 5-4 record on average historically. He pushes the envelope in both the teambuilder and the battlefield, being willing to try out ideas like Rotom-C and making highly aggressive plays in high-leverage games. If CBB wants to exceed his typical middle-of-the-road record to justify his 25.5k price tag, he'll need to strike a balance between innovation and consistency this time around.

• Team: 8-9 all-time SPL, 0-1 SPL ORAS, and 20-19 overall
• Individual: Smogon Tour 33 playoffs

Niko has typically been a current gen player, with his flagship performance being a 6-3 in SPL XIII, but he has struggled since the start of gen 9. Niko is looking to change his focus to ORAS, which is a generation he has noted interest in. Niko is running hot right now, getting to the winner's finals of ORAS Invitational, defeating top players like Star and Michaelderbeste2 on the way there. Niko leverages the creative team choices that you expect from an Italian player with mindful, win condition-oriented play. However, said team choices can also backfire on occasion, so he'll need to avoid sabotaging himself before the game starts if he wants to perform up to his potential.

• Team: 16-17 all-time SPL, and 29-33 overall
• Individual: Smogon Tour 31 champion

Lusa struggled last season, going 3-5 and losing to some of the top SM players around. He's pivoting his focus this year coming off of a great run in ORAS Invitational and hopes to recapture some of the magic that powered him to winning a Smogon Tour trophy and putting up a 6-3 record in SPL XIII. Lusa's approach typically relies on taking known teams within the metagame and adapting them to his own style, and that approach will be challenged here. This is a powerful group of players with diverse teambuilding approaches and playstyles, which will challenge Lusa to get out of his comfort zone and branch out if he wants to put up the kind of record that is to be expected by an individual trophy winner.

• Team: 9-7 all-time SPL, 9-5 SPL ORAS, and 12-15 overall
• Individual: Oras Invitational I losers finals, and Smogon Tour 32 playoffs

In an ORAS pool that is so deep that teams below this rank may drown, pj is staying afloat with some of the biggest names in the generation's history. The Ruiners' 10k retain is coming off of his strongest year to date, going 8-4 in official tournaments for his first positive year across five separate years where he has competed. His 7-3 SPL for the Ruiners was capped off with a dominant sweep in the semifinals, displaying pj's affinity for hyper offense, while various regular season victories displayed proficiency with other strategies. This depth within the metagame coupled with the support of two ORAS capable managers and fellow retain Raptor leads us to believe that the Ruiners will get the bang for their buck in ORAS with pj. He will have trouble replicating his dominant record from last season with stronger opponents entering, but last season showed anything is possible.

• Team: 21-17 all-time SPL, 4-3 SPL ORAS, and 41-46 overall
• Individual: Smogon Tour 27 quarterfinalist, and Smogon Tour 26 playoffs

Gondra has been a mainstay in the tournament community for years now, flexing into a variety of team preview formats. He previously won SPL XI, putting up a magnificent 9-2 performance himself with 10 of those games being in SM. However, Gondra has put up middling performances in tournaments since then and is looking to return to the pantheon of SPL history in a tier he hasn't actually played in SPL all that much, with only 7 appearances in ORAS. All of that being said, he's a solid player that can win some games against weaker opponents. Unfortunately for him, there aren't many of those in this pool. If Gondra isn't able to get a firm grasp on the metagame and execute well in-game quickly, his record could turn ugly fast.

• Team: 5-4 SPL ORAS and overall
• Individual: N/A

Seasons is an up-and-coming player that put up a respectable 5-4 record last year. The German Cofagrigus lover went for a paltry 3k, so he should in theory be one of the steals of the auction, but his opposition is more stout than last time, so he has his work cut out for him. He has garnered an enormous amount of hype in the past couple years for being one of the principal players in pushing meta trends such as the rise of Cofagrigus Spikes balances. This time around, the Wolfpack are providing the best ORAS support around in ABR, who is notorious for being able to uplift his teammates with his unique combination of teambuilding and mentorship. Will Seasons be the latest in a line of successful ABR protégés, or will he crash and burn when faced with some of the best players ORAS has to offer?

• Team: 2-1 all-time SPL, and 4-5 overall
• Individual: N/A

Known more for his CPG escapades than Pokémon playing ability, c0mp looks to prove that he belongs in this ORAS playing field. He put up a respectable 2-1 record last year, appeared in finals of the spring ORAS seasonal, and has some world cup appearances under his belt, but he faces stiff competition from a slew of experienced competitors. It'll be an uphill battle for c0mp in what may be the most stacked ORAS pool since the generation ended. He'll have to go above and beyond expectations to string together wins, and it would be no surprise to anyone if he gets benched midway through the season.

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• Team: 65-45 all-time SPL, 51-32 SPL BW, and 130-100 overall
• Individual: x3 Smogon Tour finalist, x4 Smogon Tour semifinalist, x3 Smogon Tour quarterfinalist, x11 Smogon Tour playoffs, Smogon Classic VI champion, x2 Smogon Classic finalist, Smogon Classic IX quarterfinalist, x6 Smogon Classic playoffs, BW Cup III champion, BW Cup VIII quarterfinalist, BW Cup I finalist, and BW Invitational I finalist

Following a year-long hiatus from his signature tier, SoulWind makes his triumphant return to the BW scene. It would be faster to name tours SoulWind hasn't had an excellent BW showing in, with some standouts including: an undefeated 9-0 in SPL, a BW Cup win, a Smogon Classic win, and a runner-up placement in the recent BW Invitational. With his incredible play, range of teams both proven and fresh, and wealth of experience, SoulWind for #1 deserves its (near) unanimous placement in these power rankings.

• Team: 9-2 SPL BW and overall
• Individual: Smogon Classic VIII playoffs, and BW Cup VIII semifinalist

No longer an up-and-comer, Jisoo has become an established name within the BW playerbase, and an elite one at that. As he is rocking an incredible 9-2 record from the last SPL, incredible BW support in Raiza and McMeghan (who he also worked with last year), and a solid diversity of builds, expectations are very high for Jisoo going into SPL. While it is true that Jisoo was a true rookie in the BW SPL arena this time last year, many believe that the hype is justified and the record last year is more sustainable than not. High-stakes victories, consistent team choices, and calculated in-game execution know no bounds. The sky's the limit as the Raiders look to fly into uncharted territory, attempting to win a third straight SPL.

• Team: 46-35 all-time SPL, 32-20 SPL BW, and 76-66 overall
• Individual: Smogon Tour XXVII quarterfinalist, Smogon Classic III finalist, x2 Smogon Classic playoffs, BW Cup V champion, BW Cup III semifinalist, and 2019 BW Circuit playoffs

Our favorite dictionary-wielding, casino-frequenting, lover of D-rank Pokémon has returned once again to make his mark on how we see the BW metagame. dice's variety truly can't be understated, as his constant innovation has heightened staples like Excadrill and Cloyster and really pushed new concepts such as Clefable. Truly unique teambuilding is admirable on its own, but dice's decade of BW wins really solidifies his status as a household name of BW and one of the best starters this season.

• Team:30-27 all-time SPL, 18-13 SPL BW, and 56-54 overall
• Individual: Smogon Tour XXV playoffs, Smogon Classic I semifinalist, Smogon Classic V quarterfinalist, and BW Cup V quarterfinalist

Returning for another go after experimenting with SV, elodin is seeking glory once again on his home turf of BW. While the pool may be stacked with old and new talent alike, elodin has proven that he can hang with the best of them, achieving a very impressive 7-3 record in his last BW showing. There are some challenges for elodin, however. His year-long absence from BW will surely have an impact, as the last time he played, gems were still allowed in the tier. Compounding this, the Scooters have elected not to draft any strong BW support to assist him. If elodin can keep treading with his head above water, he may end this season with an equal or better record than in SPL XIII.

• Team: 1-0 overall
• Individual: Smogon Classic IX quarterfinalist, BW Cup IX finalist, 2023 BW Circuit Champion, 2022 and BW Circuit playoffs

Nalorium being the only SPL rookie in this pool seems to not have fazed the voters, who placed him at a respectable 5th in a pool with many seasoned veterans. This is understandable though, as following his near-miss at a bag with his 4th place in BW Invitational and a heartbreaking loss in BW Cup Finals, Nalorium managed to nab a circuit win for all his hard work, an excellent capstone to his incredible placements as our resident up-and-comer in this pool. Despite his success in the many individuals of 2023, the Bo1 team tour environment of SPL is an entirely different beast, and it's an open question whether Nalorium is prepared to succeed in the face of the nerves and expectations. But with the help of seasoned BW veteran Finchinator, he is well positioned to become the next face of the tier.

• Team: 26-26 all-time SPL, 2-4 SPL BW, and 40-39 overall
• Individual: Smogon Tour XVI semifinalist, and Smogon Classic II quarterfinalist

A respected Smogon old-timer, Fakes has returned to SPL after a few years absent with a newfound passion for BW. Although not exactly known for the tier, he is definitely a strong pilot in it and has dabbled in playing BW alongside his more recognizable tiers. Fakes does not have to go at it alone though, as BluBirD on the bench will provide an important building and testing partner that compliments Fakes's unique style quite well. While he may not be a superstar, Fakes can be relied upon to be consistently solid against anyone, which is a great trait to have in a pool with such varied players as BW.

• Team: 43-36 all-time SPL, 15-13 SPL BW, and 76-83 overall
• Individual: Smogon Tour XXIV finalist, Smogon Tour XXV semifinalist, Smogon Tour XXII quarterfinalist, x5 Smogon Tour playoffs, Smogon Classic VII semifinalist, and BW Cup VI quarterfinalist

Rounding out the lower half, watashi comes in as another solid but not outstanding BW player. A 6-4 BW record last SPL may not be exciting, but a player with such consistent results across the board, in what is considered a more volatile tier, is a very valuable thing to have for the Sharks. Sticking with the theme, while watashi seems to prefer healthy balance, his ability to use any style proficiently, as well as the support of TDK, will keep his opponents on their toes when preparing for him. All around, a very consistent player who is able and willing to use just about anything is sure to bring stable returns for his team.

• Team: 5-4 SPL BW and overall
• Individual: x2 BW Cup semifinalist, 2022 BW Circuit semifinalist, and 2021 BW Circuit quarterfinalist

Just because we are in the lower third does not mean any of these players should be underestimated, and this sentiment is for sure reflected best in Dark Eeveon. Whether it is Feraligatr rain, Conkeldurr DragMag, or Walrein hail, Eeveon is potentially the most unconventional BW player ever to find success at the highest level. While other players might lament the lack of support for their slot, we imagine that Dark Eeveon must relish the lack of someone trying to talk him out of his Stealth Rock-less ways. With such a unique style and a proven track record of good play, Eeveon definitely has potential to shake the doubters and prove last year was not a fluke.

• Team: 8-16 all-time SPL, 3-4 SPL BW, and 12-22 overall
• Individual: Smogon Tour XVIII playoffs, and 2023 BW Circuit playoffs

Having not played since SPL X, Rewer is not in the mind of the voters who've elected to rank him 9th overall, and with no high-profile results the past year, it's not hard to understand why. Despite this, Rewer is a very competent player in BW, having played the metagame for over a decade, and he has the solid result of top cut of Smogon Masters in 2023. Rewer definitely has the potential to upset these rankings and prove these several years away from SPL have not dulled his edge, but as of now the voters are not confident he will have a strong showing.

• Team: 3-3 SPL BW, 25-15 overall
• Individual: N/A

Having been voted last 2 years in a row, sensei axew finds himself at the very bottom of this list, despite a decent enough 3-3 showing last SPL. However, this can be attributed to the overall strong pool of players who have deeper BW roots, rather than sensei axew necessarily being bottom of the bucket. With M Dragon support, though, and the clear potential he displayed last year, sensei axew can definitely upset this pool with his consistent play, regardless of his status as a lower-tier main.

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• Team: 39-33 all-time SPL, 19-17 SPL DPP, and 72-74 overall
• Individual: Smogon Classic IX finalist, x2 Smogon Classic quarterfinalist, x3 Smogon Classic playoffs Smogon Tour XIII finalist, Smogon Tour XIV semifinalist, x2 Smogon Tour quarterfinalist, x5 Smogon Tour playoffs, and 2020 DPP Circuit playoffs

Malekith has been a mainstay in SPL DPP OU for over a decade, and his place here reflects that. Malekith had a successful tournament year in 2023, as his team won the World Cup of Pokémon, where he played SV OU. As an individual, he was the runner-up for Smogon Classic IX and performed well in Jirachee's DPP Invitational, where he finished 9-12th. Malekith opted not to play DPP OU in SPL XIV but did play solidly in SPL XIII, where he went 6-4. While historically Malekith has mainly used offbeat builds, in recent high-level tournaments, such as Smogon Classic playoffs, DPP Cup IX, and Jirachee's DPP Invitational, he has mainly opted to use more known teams. Will he continue this trend and will his opponents be able to take advantage? However, Malekith is perhaps the strongest DPP OU pilot in this pool, taking known teams and playing them extremely precisely. This writer is excited to see his games in a very different-looking SPL pool this year!

• Team: N/A
• Individual: DPP Invitational I champion, and 2022 DPP Circuit playoffs

It may seem strange that a) a player with no official experience went for 15k and b) this player ranked this highly in the pool, but Pideous is a very strong player and should have been drafted last year. While Pideous has been around for the past few years, doing solidly in RoAPL and the DPP circuit, he made a name for himself by beating BKC twice and taking down many others to win Jirachee's DPP Invitational. Since then, Pideous has become perhaps the most influential builder in modern DPP OU, as his teams have been largely copied both on ladder and in tour play. While Pideous did not have many results in 2023 outside of winning the Invitational, he has historically been a strong player in the circuit, so he has cemented himself with a place in this SPL. He also has perhaps the best DPP OU support this year with BIHI. This will be a huge test for Pideous: SPL has historically not been kind to first-year players, especially those known more for their building than their in-battle play. This writer for one is highly anticipating Pideous's debut in the bright lights of SPL!

• Team: 14-15 all-time SPL, and 23-24 overall
• Individual: Smogon Classic VIII quarterfinalist, Smogon Classic IX playoffs, Smogon Tour VII playoffs, DPP Cup IX champion, DPP Cup VIII finalist, 2022 DPP Circuit semifinalist, and 2023 DPP Circuit playoffs

twash comes back to SPL XV as the only returning player after winning DPP Cup IX and having an okay SPL last year. It took some time for twash to adapt his style to best-of-one, but once he did, he was solid, finishing 3-6 after a brutal 0-4 start. twash is perhaps best known for using truly out there builds and using unconventional Pokémon such as Gallade and Weavile in high-level games, but recently, he has mixed those in with more conventional offensive builds. twash went 1-2 in Jirachee's DPP Invitational and was absent on the circuit outside of DPP Cup, but this writer thinks that he could vie for the best player in the pool if he builds upon how he won DPP Cup and turned SPL around last year: use the potential that he can use anything to focus in on unique takes he has on standard builds and play sharp. He also was an absolute steal for 3k. twash is always fun to watch, and we all look forward to seeing someone with a 2007 joindate play well in 2024!

• Team: N/A
• Individual: 2022 DPP Circuit finalist

Le Don is another newcomer who deservedly is starting in SPL this year. Le Don, like Pideous, is also one of the most influential builders in DPP OU today, as his takes on both offensive and slower teams have become ubiquitous in both ladder and tour play. He also has led a renaissance on sharing teams on the forums, something that was extinct in DPP OU for almost a decade. Le Don had a very successful year in DPP in 2023, doing fantastically in Jirachee's DPP Invitational by reaching 5-6th place among strong competition and doing solidly in the circuit as well as. A very versatile player but still a bit raw, HippowLeDonledon is one of the players this writer is most excited to see play in SPL and hopes to see some fantastic games from!

• Team: 19-21 all-time SPL, 18-20 SPL DPP, and 35-41 overall
• Individual: DPP Cup III finalist

Like Malekith, Void has been a fixture in SPL DPP OU for over a decade. Unfortunately for Void, it seems like his best days in the tier are behind him. Void had an unceremonious 0-2 record in Jirachee's DPP OU Invitational and has been largely absent from high-level play in the tier otherwise, last showing up in SPL in SPL XIII, where he went 3-6. Void's teams also seem stuck in a previous era of DPP OU, as he has had difficulty keeping up with the metagame over the years. While Void is a solid pilot, he will need to keep himself up to date with the tier to be successful, especially against the opponents he will see this year. While he definitely can get back into form, he will need some ABR and Tony team magic to pull it off. That team magic didn't really work last year, as their DPP slot went 1-8, so let's hope that it goes better this year. This writer is excited to see a new-look Void for SPL XV!

• Team: 9-10 all-time SPL, 2-0 SPL DPP, and 16-18 overall
• Individual: Smogon Tour XIX playoffs, and DPP Cup III winner

Laurel is a solid player who did well in substitute duty in last year's SPL and did great in Jirachee's DPP Invitational. Long known for his unconventional takes on the metagame, Laurel marches to the beat of his own drum and largely eschews standard builds. While this approach can work and he's got DeepBlueC as a manager to help him, it remains to be seen if he can be successful with this approach in modern DPP OU for a full season. Laurel definitely can perform really well as a pilot, as was shown in his games last year and in the invitational circuit. A motivated Laurel can get ahead of the metagame, and if he does, he could be a dark horse to have an excellent record. Regardless, this writer is really excited to see how Laurel performs in SPL XV!

• Team: 8-4 overall
• Individual: DPP Cup IX semifinalist, 2023 DPP Circuit finalist, and x3 DPP Circuit playoffs

Mishimono has been around the past few years on the circuit and has consolidated himself as an excellent DPP OU player. He had a great year in the DPP OU circuit: he was the runner-up for the ribbon, did very well in DPP Cup IX, won Excal's Rising Stars tournament, and did well in DPPPL. He uses very solid teams and overall has been a strong pilot. He doesn't really have any other DPP support on her team, but with so much turnover this year, there are bound to be other great players out there he can get some help from with building and test games. Mishimono has been a player this writer has been excited about for a few months now, and I am excited to see him have a chance in SPL this year!

• Team: N/A
• Individual: N/A

Skyrio is a great up-and-coming DPP OU player. He has done solidly in the DPP OU circuit and elsewhere, doing well in Excal's Rising Stars tournament and in Smogon Masters. He has largely used solid teams his fellow French players worked on and is a solid pilot. While he doesn't have much team support, he should be able to find other players to both get test games and help team build. Without official experience, it remains to be seen how he does over a long SPL season, but he is well regarded in the community, and Raiza and Tricking should be able to get the most out of him. He could be a dark horse to have an excellent tournament!

• Team: 45-24 overall
• Individual: N/A

mind gaming is a bizarre pick to start in DPP OU this year, but not an unprecedented one. Both in SPL XIV last year (bruno) and SPL XIII (100percentpureheat), there were players who picked up DPP OU for SPL that year that started the year off in the tier. Unfortunately for mind gaming, this writer believes he will have a performance more like 100percentpureheat (got benched) than bruno. bruno had perhaps the greatest DPP OU year in SPL history last year, but it required a ton of dedication, a very fresh and innovative take to the tier, and a historically dominant player to pull it off. bruno had that history in old gens previously. mind gaming does not: he is of course a fantastic, innovative SV OU player with loads of experience at the highest level. He is perhaps one of the best players on the site today. It is a whole different beast to take that to old gens, though, especially DPP OU—perhaps the most difficult old gen OU to come into in the builder without previous knowledge or experience. Unfortunately for the Cryos, they don't have many able substitutes to really help them on the roster should mind gaming falter: their only other player who isn't better elsewhere with DPP OU experience is Luigi. This writer predicts that mind gaming will struggle against this pool of very innovative DPP OU players in the early weeks until he gets his feet wet in the tier.

• Team: N/A
• Individual: 2023 DPP Circuit champion

Dridri457 was an interesting choice to pick up for this year. Dridri457 is best known for winning the DPP circuit in 2023, with solid showings through the latter half of the year. Unfortunately for Dridri457, he both mainly took his teams from publicly available teams on the forums and didn't face anyone he will face in this pool besides Mishimono in the final. While this approach of using public teams worked in the DPP OU circuit, it will almost certainly not work in SPL. Players who have taken publicly available teams have largely badly struggled in the bo1 DPP OU SPL format in the past, even if they've done well in other tournaments such as Classic playoffs. Dridri457 will need to build or at least have someone build for him. Unfortunately, there aren't a lot of DPP OU builders on the Tyrants' roster, as only SoulWind has high-level experience in the tier. Nevertheless, Dridri457 has had a lot of success for someone so young into their DPP OU career. This writer is excited to see if he can translate his success to the highest level, but if he struggles, the only real option to replace him is CyberOdin.

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• Team: 49-38 all-time SPL, 24-16 SPL ADV, and 94-68 overall
• Individual: Smogon Classic V champion, Smogon Classic I semifinalist, x5 Smogon Classic playoffs, Smogon Tour XIV champion, x4 Smogon Tour playoffs, x3 ADV Cup champion, Callous Invitational III 4th place, 2019 ADV Circuit quarterfinalist, and 2021 ADV Circuit playoffs

McMeghan needs no introduction as one of the greatest players in ADV OU's long history. Not one to rest on his laurels, McMeghan put up fantastic results in 2023: on Smogon, he had an excellent 8-2 record in ADV OU in SPL XIV and won ADV Cup an unprecedented third time. Outside of Smogon, he did fantastically in the invitational circuit, finishing 7-8th place in CALLOUS Invitational 7 and 2nd place in the ADV Revival tournament. McMeghan is very active in the ADV community, laddering frequently and continuing to innovate his teams, cementing his place as the number one ADV player in this edition of SPL. While McMeghan can be sometimes passive with his team choices, he is a truly excellent pilot in ADV: there is little doubt from this writer and across the community that he can repeat his dominant performance from last year.

• Team: 30-26 SPL ADV, and 33-29 overall
• Individual: Callous Invitational III champion, and ADV Cup VIII quarterfinalist

Triangles is also undisputedly one of the best ADV OU players in the tier's history. Triangles largely finds himself in the same spot as last year: a strong, innovative player very capable of reaching huge heights as seen in 2019 but still a bit up and down on his form. Triangles finished last year with a very solid 6-4 record but had an unlucky 0-2 exit from CALLOUS Invitational 7 and was largely absent from the circuit despite being active on the ladder. The BIGs, who spent 20k on him, are hoping that we see a motivated and top-form Triangles, as that version of him rivals McMeghan as the best player in this year's tournament. This writer hopes to see some excellent games this year from him!

• Team: 3-6 all-time SPL, 1-0 SPL ADV, and 7-9 overall
• Individual: Callous Invitational VII champion

baddummy has had a meteoric rise in ADV over the last year. baddummy has been around for quite some time, always a solid player and highly regarded in the community but lacking a clear huge win. That all changed in 2023 when he won CALLOUS Invitational 7 after coming from play-ins, playing a huge amount of games against premier competition to cement his win. Additionally, baddummy also had a fantastic run in ADVPL, finishing 4-2 and helping his team win the tournament, and played very well in the ladder as well as Mushi League throughout 2023, another off-site ADV OU tournament circuit. The main knock against baddummy is that his teams are pretty standard: he is a very good pilot, but he doesn't mix it up a ton, and that could be taken advantage of. With old gen extraordinaire Fakes on the team to provide support and a 10k price tag, we are all excited to see how baddummy does in SPL XV!

• Team: 2-0 all-time SPL, 1-0 SPL ADV, and 2-1 overall
• Individual: Callous Invitational VII finalist

SEA has made a name for herself as perhaps the most unorthodox successful player in ADV OU today. While always a solid pilot with both standard teams and her own creations, she has had overall solid results over the past two or three years, taking names such as Astamatitos and JabbaTheGriffin in her CALLOUS Invitational ADV sets. However, her stock exploded when she finished second in CALLOUS Invitational 7 with some truly wild teams, such as Shedinja Spikes stack Dugtrio offense and her love of (White Herb) Medicham. SEA is an extremely influential player in modern day ADV OU, as her style of teambuilding is a welcome breath of fresh air from the standard styles of the tier. While her teams can be naturally inconsistent when the tech doesn't hit, she is quite difficult to scout and take advantage of. She also has ADV OU building extraordinaire Sadlysius on her team, which is excellent support for any player. Here's to hoping we see some more wonderful games from her!

• Team: 33-27 all-time SPL, 5-4 SPL ADV, and 79-68 overall
• Individual: x2 Smogon Classic quarterfinalist, x4 Smogon Classic playoffs, x2 Smogon Tour quarterfinalist, x4 Smogon Tour playoffs, and Callous Invitational I finalist

M Dragon is a bonafide legend in ADV OU; he is well known for inventing every modern idea 15 years ago. M Dragon had a very solid season in ADV in SPL XIII, finishing 5-4. He played GSC OU in SPL XIV and has overall been a force both on the ladder and in the community. Unfortunately, this writer thinks Father Time has been unkind to M Dragon: M Dragon had an uninspiring 1-2 exit from CALLOUS Invitational 7 and was absent from the circuit otherwise. It remains to be seen what kind of shape he's in, despite the fact that an in-shape M Dragon is one of the best ADV OU players ever. However, ADV OU has been historically unkind to players trying to shake off the rust. This writer has no doubt that M Dragon can get back to top form; the question is, if he's not already there, how long will it take? He also has TheRealJester waiting in the wings if he would like to swap tiers; both are excellent players, and this writer can't wait to see him come back to top form!

• Team: 24-16 all-time SPL, 5-2 SPL ADV, and 58-47 overall
• Individual: Smogon Classic V playoffs, and Smogon Tour XII playoffs

BIHI is historically known as a DPP OU player who morphed into a jack-of-all-trades master of Pokémon. His three-trophy run in a single year is unrivaled, and his 2022 win against Heroic Troller in an RBY OU SPL tiebreaker is still talked about today. Last year in SPL XIV, he stepped up to the plate as an ADV OU player and did quite well: he went 5-2 on a moribund Scooters team and showcased some very interesting teams. He almost singlehandedly raised Registeel's profile in the tier. However, outside of that performance, BIHI's ADV prowess has been shaky. Unlike most players mentioned above, BIHI doesn't really build in the tier. He was still using very similar teams to what he used in SPL XIV well into ADV Cup IX and CALLOUS Invitational 7, where he had an unfortunate 1-2 finish. He needs to diversify, which this writer has full faith that he can.

• Team: 25-28 all-time SPL, 5-6 SPL ADV, and 60-71 overall
• Individual: Smogon Classic IX playoffs, ADV Cup IX finalist, 2022 ADV Circuit finalist, 2021 ADV Circuit quarterfinalist, and 2023 ADV Circuit playoffs

robjr is perhaps the only player this writer has seen where even good performances just haven't consistently raised his profile. robjr has done very well over the years in ADV OU: he finished as the runner-up this year in ADV Cup IX, he had an excellent 5-6th place in CALLOUS Invitational 7, he did solidly in the ADV OU circuit, and he's had clutch performance in SPL before in ADV, such as defeating Gilbert arenas in SPL XIII semifinals. If this writer had to guess, it's mainly two reasons: the first is that he's much more of a jack-of-all-trades in fairygens (and lower tiers) than he is a proper ADV OU player, leading the playerbase to underrate him. He doesn't really ladder all that much as a result. The second is that his games don't quite pass the eye test. robjr often uses pretty standard teams played pretty rotely. He put up fantastic results against lesser players and has a lot of experience beating great players. However, he can be outpiloted in ADV OU. Despite this, this writer is still looking forward to his games and some excellent teams from him and ABR!

• Team: 0-2 SPL ADV and overall
• Individual: 2022 ADV Circuit quarterfinalist

pkThunderbolt is a well-known ADV OU player that did okay last year in SPL XIV when he subbed in BIHI for the last two weeks, going 0-2. A very deliberate player, he has done well in the circuit, where he finished runner-up to McMeghan in an ADV OU seasonal in 2022, as well as in CALLOUS Invitational over the years, with the exception of an underwhelming 1-2 in the last edition. pkThunderbolt is well known as both an innovative builder and a solid pilot, but it remains to be seen if he can pull it off for a whole season at this level. The only other player who could really sub in for him on the Tyrants is the mercurial CyberOdin, so this writer is excited to see how pkThunderbolt does this year!

• Team: 16-15 all-time SPL, and 20-21 overall
• Individual: Smogon Classic IX playoffs, and ADV Cup IX quarterfinalist

Mako rounds out the pool as someone who has historically played ADV OU but only has a 1-1 ADVPL record for OU to show for it in 2023. She seems to have been put in the slot because the Sharks don't really have anybody else: no other players on the teams besides TDK and lax, who are certainly better elsewhere, have played high-stakes ADV OU games. While Mako has high-level experience most recently in RBY OU, this writer has not seen much of her recently in the tier. ADV has typically been quite rough on players who are coming back to it after a hiatus. She does have excellent building support with TDK, but will she be able to get back into form to have an excellent SPL XV? We will have to see.

• Team: 15-14 all-time SPL, and 24-31 overall
• Individual: 2022 ADV Circuit semifinalist

Leo is an excellent player, first coming down from fairygens two years ago and having stuck around since. Despite never making it through CALLOUS Invitational play-ins, his play has been largely very good. While in 2022 he had good performances in the circuit, he was largely absent from the circuit and ADV OU proper other than in ADVPL, where he finished 1-3. He has been on ladder recently and could make a name for himself this year. The main issue is that the body of work just isn't quite there compared to the rest of the field. While Leo has somewhat diversified from his first reputation as an "ABR drone" in terms of team choice, he hasn't had much large-scale ADV OU success. While Leo was only a 3k investment, a steal for a player of his caliber, the Cryos don't really have anybody else. Will he be able to put up results in this brutal pool?

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• Team: 64-48 all-time SPL, 39-29 SPL GSC, and 82-66 overall
• Individual: Smogon Classic IX champion, Smogon Classic VIII playoffs, GSC Cup IX quarterfinalist, 2023 GSC Circuit Champion

It seems like an SPL tradition at this point to have Conflict farm the GSC pool. Consistently pulling at least six wins for the past three years, one would think that's good enough for a player profile, but he then went ahead and also won the biggest individual old generation tournament of the year, Smogon Classic, to show everyone that he's better than ever and ready to once again beat the best and aim for the best record in the pool. He manages to also be quite unique in the teams he uses, so we can all expect to see great and surprising performances by the Don of GSC.

• Team: 41-19 all-time SPL, 40-19 SPL GSC, and 49-33 overall
• Individual: Smogon Tour V quarterfinalist, Smogon Tour IV playoffs, and GSC Cup VII quaterfinalist

Speaking of players that consistently farm the GSC pool, we have Fear, who seems to be part of a combination with Conflict as the two top dogs to beat in SPL. After an unsuccessful managerial bid, Fear is back in the trenches for another year of GSC. While he's had a quiet SPL offseason, there is little reason to suspect Fear won't put on another GSC masterclass this year. With solid prep, solid teams, solid play, and years of solid performances, Fear is the complete package. There are plenty of hungry competitors in the pool, but it will be no easy feat to dethrone the FOAT.

• Team: 6-4 SPL GSC, and 9-5 overall
• Individual: 2023 GSC Circuit quarterfinalist, 2020 GSC Circuit semifinalist

Don Eduardo Carapinga is back after an extensive absence from Smogon as a whole. Even so, he is still regarded as one of the top dogs in GSC, going 6-4 in SPL XIII and having great results in individual tournaments in the past. He's joined by Chiles Habaneros, an up-and-coming GSCer as supporting cast that can potentially play in his stead, as Kenix has shown eagerness to play RBY. Regardless, many are excited to see what Mr. Carapinga has in store for the GSC pool and expect great results from him.

• Team: 4-6 SPL GSC and overall
• Individual: GSC Cup IX semifinalist, 2022 GSC Circuit champion, 2021 GSC Circuit playoffs

Siatam is back for his sophomore campaign, returning to the Ruiners after going for 14.5k in the auction. While there is perceived to be a sizable drop-off after Conflict and Fear in the GSC pool, Siatam is sitting comfortably in the middle after proving his worth last year, winning four games in his debut. This did come alongside six losses, including each of the last five regular season contests, but growing pains are to be expected; he also managed to win his lone playoff game, salvaging his season. Account for another year of progression, a top seed in the GSC circuit during 2023, and a run to the semifinals of GSC Cup, I would say that there is plenty of reasons to be optimistic that Siatam can go positive this time around!

• Team: 12-12 all-time SPL, 12-9 SPL GSC, and 12-12 overall
• Individual: Smogon Classic V playoffs

After skipping a year in the field, Zokuru is back to stall out the competition. The Stall Lord had an uninspiring performance in the GSC circuit this year, getting ejected Round 1 in half of the tournaments he entered. While Zokuru's strong performance in Smogon Masters I boosted his draft stock, it remains to be seen if Zokuru can bring the same drive and performance to SPL XV. A 12-12 lifetime SPL record is nothing to scoff at, but Zokuru has frequently been labeled as a one dimensional player with predictable team choices. For support, the BIGS bench features susciety, a respectable player in his own right that may be able to add some madness to Zokuru's method. Will Zokuru reinvent himself this season? Only time will tell.

• Team: 14-2 all-time SPL, 4-1 SPL GSC, and 21-8 overall
• Individual: N/A

Once regarded as an LC mainer with impressive results in the tier, ggggd shocked the world by going 4-1 in GSC of all things, and 5-2 overall with 2 SV games up his belt. That leaves him with an overall 14-2 record in SPL after going 9-0 playing LC. This guy knows how to win games, and he is here to show he can keep that trend going. With a good supporting cast consisting of TDK and Aliss, it's up to ggggd to keep piloting good builds into more wins for his team. Should he not find the same comfort in GSC, he could still flex into SV and have Aliss substitute into GSC, as she has prior experience playing this tier in SPL.

• Team: 10-14 all-time SPL, 7-6 SPL GSC, and 28-41 overall
• Individual: 2021 GSC Circuit semifinalist, 2020 GSC Circuit playoffs

The perennial underdog Tigers trot out a perennial underdog GSCer. While false does not have the greatest sheet record, a positive GSC record in SPL XIV was enough to bring home the red trophy. Not everything can be explained by some numbers on a spreadsheet. With two team tour trophies in a single year, Tiger's management may be tapping false to bring the je no sais quoi needed to turn the team into a squad of winners. With RealJester and MDragon support, false should do fine, but he'll be back next year anyway if he doesn't. Jester is the favorite to take over in the Tiger's GSC slot if false stumbles, but it may be in the best interest of the Tigers to keep false out of a supporting role given his propensity to be, let's say, "brutally honest" with his teammates.

• Team: 2-2 all-time SPL, 1-1 SPL GSC, and 2-2 overall
• Individual: GSC Cup VI finalist, x2 GSC Cup semifinalist, Smogon Classic VI playoffs

One of Argentina's finest, ziloXX, makes his return at SPL, this time as a starter. His last campaign was during SPL XIII where he pulled a 1-1 record, with one of the biggest upsets of the tournament by beating Heroic Troller in RBY. Prior to that in SPL XII, he also pulled a 1-1 record, but this time in GSC. He is not exactly new to this environment, but being a starter will be a new challenge for ziloXX, and regarding tournament results, he's yet to show anything particularly impressive besides one great run in GSC Cup VI. He does come with the coveted ABR support though, so it will be all about what his current form is and whether he will be able to handle the nerves of playing against the best.

• Team: 0-1 SPL GSC and overall
• Individual: 2021 GSC Circuit playoffs

Hard work and dedication pays off. After multiple years of solid but not exceptional GSC performance, vani has finally made the big stage as a starter. For official team tournament results, a single loss in SPL XII is all that features on vani's sheet record. However, a breakout 7-1 record in RoAPL under Stone Cold and Leru convinced the Scooters's management team to take the plunge on vani. With minimal GSC support found on the roster, it will be up to him to show this faith was well placed. vani has his work cut out for him, and if he doesn't find success, it will be a very long and lonely season.

• Team: 3-6 all-time SPL, and 5-7 overall
• Individual: N/A

After some…unfortunate antecedents were found on who was initially going to play GSC for the Tyrants, Mister Sauce, formerly known as BlazingDark, has hopped in to fill out the GSC slot. Having played miscellaneous tours with relative success in the past, Mister Sauce led his RoAPL team into victory with a 6-1 record. Nevertheless, this still leaves everyone wondering if he will be up to the task of playing on the main stage, as the quality of competition from RoAPL to SPL has a big leap, and his past official results are 2-0 in WCoP and 0-1 in SCL. Still, he does have support from Rubyblood, who is regarded as a solid GSCer; he can even take up this slot if things end up going south for the Sauce. Still, this is a big wildcard, and we can only wait and see if this Sauce is spicy or ends up being mild.

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• Team: 39-15 SPL RBY, and 42-16 overall
• Individual: N/A

Unbelievable. Unflappable. Unstoppable? The man who sits atop the RBY rankings for the billionth year in a row needs little qualification or justification for his throne. How does one put into words the dominance that Troller has displayed in this tier? Over the course of a six-year run in SPL, SCL, and WCOP, Troller has but one single season without a winning record (and even that is a 1-1 in his first ever appearance in team tournaments).

If past performance is some predictor of future results, Troller is almost a lock for 7 wins. Once upon a time there was a suggestion that RBY, as a tier, was so chaotic and so luck filled that consistency was a pipe dream and it was best to spend minimal credits on the tier. That notion has been decisively disproven over the years, due in no small part to Troller's absurd consistency and grasp of the tier itself.

The unique strength of this year's RBY group will hopefully give Troller a test, but it is likely that any test he does face he passes with flying colors, and the rankers this year agree fully.

• Team: 18-11 SPL RBY, and 19-11 overall
• Individual: RBY Cup IX finalist, RBY Cup VII semifinalist, RBY Cup VI quarterfinalist, 2023 RBY Circuit finals, 2022 RBY Circuit quarterfinalist, 2021 RBY Circuit playoffs

Achilles, Hercules, Odysseus ... Serpi? If there is anyone in the RBY community that exemplifies the notion of a hero in the tier, it's got to be Serpi. One of the most dynamic players in the pool, Serpi costs nearly as much as his foe Troller, but he enters the tournament from a different perspective. If Troller has been sitting on top of the RBY throne for millenia, Serpi has instead been honing his craft with a string of better-and-better performances to show for it. A comprehensive 8-3 performance in last SPL shows just how far he has come, and if I had to guess, Serpi is looking at that performance right now and saying "not good enough". He is, of course, the type that wants 11 wins, and more importantly, he seems to be the type that can realistically aim for it.

This is not to say that his path to the top has been an easy or linear one. Serpi's most notable "almost" moment came in last year's Classic as he faced down ABR in RBY Cup Finals. The sting of that loss is sure to sit deeply in his stomach, an Icarus moment where he could have seen his name crystallized in immortality stripped away by one of Smogon's greatest personalities. I am excited—as I imagine the rest of SmogTours is—to see if Serpi can capitalize on his momentum and do one better, wrestling away Troller's domination and ABR's challenge to truly make this his own era in RBY.

• Team: 14-9 all-time SPL, 6-3 SPL RBY, and 36-20 overall
• Individual: RBY Invitational IV champion

As we make our way to the third-ranked player, the pool is starting to look more like 2009 Barcelona than a group of Pokémon players. Gefährlicher Random, or Felix, boasts a 65% win rate over 56 team tournament games, an intimidating number (though not the best on this list, ridiculously!) for his foes in this SPL. Joining up with the Indie Scooters for a price of 23.5K, Felix will have his work cut out for him to really distinguish himself among a group of all-star Kanto trainers.

This is a challenge Felix will back himself for, though, and his results show exactly why. Should I even bother listing them? We'll be here all night, but multiple top 8 finishes in Seasonal, Global Championships and a win in RBY Invitational all add flourish to an impressive 6-3 in SPL. There is little doubt that Felix has the ability to perform incredibly in this pool, and if I was a betting man I'd put some money on him to get a strong winning record.

• Team: 43-20 all-time SPL, and 80-39 overall
• Individual: Smogon Classic VII champion, Smogon Classic VI finalist, Smogon Classic V semifinalist, Smogon Classic VIII quarterfinalist, x5 Smogon Classic playoffs, RBY Cup IX champion, RBY Cup VI semifinalist, RBY Cup III quarterfinalist, 2023 RBY Circuit champion

"Without question ABR is the greatest Pokémon player of all time. There is no debate, no investigation, no nuance to this opinion. He is, simply put, the best that there has ever been." - teal6 in "Man of the People: My Time in Smogon University"

A lot of Smogon Tournaments seem to end up following narratives. We love our heroes, we hate our villains, we troll those who misplay, and we gas those who make great reads. This is natural, it's human even, to indulge the desire for Great Men and Women, we make into myth those players that grasp the mantle of "the Greatest" and we hold them to unbelievable standards, asking again and again for more and more: please make another read, please invent a new set, please show us something we couldn't have dreamed of on our own.

In the history of Smogon no player has embodied this responsibility greater than ABR. It seems as if fate itself has brought this comprehensive dominator of our tournament circuit to RBY, a final frontier where he can chase down those players that held out hope of being better than him in at least one tier. An Augustus-esque conquering drive has seen ABR already snatch the mantle as the best RBYer in some eyes, and this SPL will be the arena within which he aims to cement that claim.

• Team: 12-9 SPL RBY and overall
• Individual: RBY Invitational IV finalist, 2022 RBY Circuit finalist, 2021 RBY Circuit semifinalist

Chuva's RBY career has been a bit of a yo-yo, which reflects in his ranking of 5th this time around. In the previous two iterations of these rankings Chuva moved from 10th to 2nd, and his landing in the middle of the pack seems to reflect the rankers' confusion on which version of the man we're going to see this time.

Don't get me wrong: a 12-9 SPL record is nothing to scoff at whatsoever. It is, however, unfortunate that his above-average performances are going to be pitted against players that seem to transcend even that level.

It is probably fair to say that this SPL will represent something of a crossroads for Chuva. When canvassing the community opinion, it seems clear that many RBY mains hold him in high regard—and consistent finishes toward the top of a variety of tournaments go a long way toward justifying that opinion. Still, though, there remain those few that think he doesn't have the necessary spark to go to the next level. Chuva's responsibility in this tournament is to shut those voices up and give credence to the ones lauding him, a task well within his prodigious power, but one that surely will not come easy against a star-studded lineup like he's likely to face.

• Team: 42-39 all-time SPL, 37-32 SPL RBY, and 80-62 overall
• Individual: x2 RBY Cup finals, 2019 RBY Circuit quarterfinalist, 2020 RBY Circuit playoffs

Let's speak clearly: when Nails cares, Nails wins. Last year's 4th place ranker drops two spots this year, but it's difficult to say that's his own fault in any way, having put up winning seasons in the interim. Nails is a funny player, one of Smogon's few seeming Jack of All Trades, Master of All Trades, with success in tiers as fundamentally different as DOU (VGC) and RBY.

However, this distinction is of course being tested this year, with ABR's shadow looming over the group. Nails, though, is certainly not a player to get intimidated by any means—I've rarely met a tournament player with a more consistent and healthy mentality than he has. The man seems to play Pokémon for fun, something lost on a lot of us (myself included), and this leads him to his renowned consistency. You will not see him flame out of this tournament and you might see him dominate it—a nice combination for any manager looking for a high-impact slot.

The test for Nails this time around will be to shut up those rankers that think Big Names necessarily mean Better Players. Nails's name is by no means small, either, as he's one of the few players on the list with multiple trophies, but I wonder if there is some star-struck quality to the rankings that sees him put this low. Bluntly put, this writer feels that his 6th place on this list will be made to look silly by SPL's end, and it's up to Nails to make me sound smart here.

• Team: 9-8 SPL RBY and overall
• Individual: RBY Invitational I and III finalist, RBY Cup IX semifinalist, 2023 RBY Circuit semifinalist

He's a known deviant in the builder. - McMeghan (2024)

Do you remember your first playthrough of Emerald? When you reached the Battle Tower for the first time and, suddenly, you were faced with nascent strategies, wacky combinations that you didn't know how to handle? Do you remember the feeling as your brain made connections between Pokémon and options, things like "oh I can use Surf and Shedinja, that'll work!"?

Kaz is us. Kaz is every Pokémon player that's fallen in love with the game, fallen in love with the creativity and novelty that only this RPG can really offer. As I write up these rankings, there are surely a lot of you that will shrug and say "Kaz who?", but I promise you that by the time this SPL is over you will ask no such question. I talked at length earlier of the roles some of the competitors in this tier occupy—whether it be ABR's spot as a conqueror, Nails's job to keep the others honest, or Troller's spot as the Emperor of Gen I. You might think that Kaz doesn't have a spot, that he might be eclipsed by those shadows. I am, however, here to tell you that you'd be wrong.

Rocky Balboa went the distance against Apollo Creed. Kaz will go the distance here.

• Team: N/A
• Individual: RBY Invitational III champion, 2021 RBY Circuit playoffs

Despite appearances, this is not a shiloh alt (thank God).

Stealing from Amaranth's words, "[Khaetis] can show up after a long time and play like he's never left ... Whenever he bothers to play, it's at a good level." Khaetis has shown a renewed interest in Pokémon through the year, with success in a few different formats. Coming into the pool for this year, he's going to want to leverage the fact that many of his competitors don't know him quite so well; it'll be that competitive advantage, a well timed double switch or insane prediction, that knocks his star-studded opponents off their feet.

• Team: 19-22 all-time SPL, 19-21 SPL RBY, and 19-22 overall
• Individual: RBY Invitational I champion, 2020 RBY Circuit semifinalist

In 2008, legendary American filmmaker Darren Aronofsky blessed the world with one of my personal favorite cinematic achievements: The Wrestler. The Wrestler follows the story of Randy "The Ram" Robinson, a professional wrestler past his heyday who has the opportunity to return to the ring for a 20th anniversary match against his old, greatest foe The Ayatollah. The film is a beautiful character study that shows us a portrait of a man desperate for fame, status, and recognition, and most importantly, desperate to recapture the flame that used to burn so brightly in his gut.

Amaranth finds himself at a similar junction in his Pokémon career. There is little doubt that the man has a significant amount of RBY experience and ability, this much is undeniable, but what he views around him is a pool that's growing stronger and stronger, not only by his old foes getting better, but also by new entrants into the competition that look to instantly establish themselves. These facts, along with a fairly difficult 2-7 performance in last SPL, make it such that Amaranth clearly has his back against the wall.

However, is this not where the best stories are told? Do we not all love an underdog story? Can you really stay silent when All Might puts down All for One, despite his failing body? I will speak directly to Amaranth now through this writeup: you stand at the edge of a cliff that is rapidly crumbling behind you. Soon there will be nowhere left to put your feet. In front of you stretches a chasm, but you can see a further path laid out for you to walk. Can you make the jump, or will you fall to the depths below? Can you live up to your own image of yourself, or will reality be cruel to you? I believe fully that you can make the leap. I believe fully that you can get to the other side. I believe fully that it will be difficult, challenging, brutal, and a struggle, but I also believe that these are the moments where the great among us distinguish themselves.

Get a winning record in this tournament and tell the chirpers not to call it a comeback: you've always been here.

• Team: N/A
• Individual: RBY Cup VIII quarterfinalist, 2022 RBY Circuit champion, 2023 RBY Circuit playoffs

After Draymond in the 2016 NBA finals, SPL XV has set the stage to once again see Green on fire. (Thank you for this line Tony, I do not know anything about basketball at all).

Let's cut to the chase: Green has an uphill battle here in the eyes of everyone that thinks they know something about RBY and SPL. I won't mince words, Green ends in the last spot on the rankings with a nearly unanimous 9th place pick. They do not believe in you, man, they do not think you can do it.

I don't know enough about you to say otherwise at this moment. I have not seen you play on SmogTours with a week on the line, I have not seen you come back from a 1/256 miss while hundreds of goofballs spam the chat, I have not witnessed you hit a Sing through Paralysis when your teamchat is typing "it's so over". The world is, fundamentally, open to you. Do you want to be a hero? Do you want to be the player that your teammates say "oh, don't worry, Green is still up so it's a free win"? I'm sure you do, I'm sure that it is tempting to see yourself that way.

Once upon a time I was brought into SPL with a huge amount of hopes on my back. I, luckily, managed to live up to those, and it set out a path of Pokémon as a hobby that has enriched the subsequent 10 years of my life in a major way. You have that same opportunity right now. Make the difference as a player the rest don't know. Make it so that they cannot afford to rank you 9th next year. Make this SPL a story you tell to new players in 5, 10 years time. Your Tauros works the same as Troller's, your Starmie can freeze just like ABR's, your Snorlax can explode just like Amaranth's. There is no reason for you to accept this ranking going forward, make everyone look stupid in the way only you can.

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