Hey, everyone! Couple of small updates!
- The pull request for slate 17 has been made! Sorry that I didn't do this right away last night - I had a looot going on yesterday although after seeing how quick and easy this one turned out to be, I think I probably could've had time and I don't think I should have made everyone wait OTL - but it is now complete and has been tested and submitted to Scoopapa! The Mega Stones, once they're available, will be
Nidoqueenite, 
Walreinite and 
Aurorite!
---
After some discussion on the Discord, we've found that it would be ideal to allow the option for best-of-three matches rather than best-of-one matches, as this is generally considered preferable in tournaments set over such a long timespan. The original decision to make it best-of-one was an effort to make it less of a time commitment and easier on players, particularly as the tournament is double-elimination, but I can absolutely see why some players would be against that, so:
This will be added to the post announcing round one as well!
---
Finally, some comments on specific submissions so far:
That said, after some discussion on the Discord, it seems like the consensus is that Dragon's Maw might be too strong of an Ability for your Tyrantrum - a 50% boost, even to moves of just one type, is big (especially on a sweeper like this with good bulk and Dragon Dance).
For context, the main reason Regidrago was able to get away with that Ability in a similar role is because it lacks good coverage to deal with Steel-types and especially Fairy-types, which leaves room for plenty of defensive counterplay.
I do see what you were going for here, and I don't think it's that far over the line - Tyrantrum's higher Attack (Regidrago doesn't usually run a boosting item on Dragon Dance sets, but the strongest one it could theoretically hold, a Life Orb, is still outdamaged by this), physical bulk and slightly better Speed are all obviously strong, but they're also definitely understandable tradeoffs for the one-per-team limit of the Mega and you don't really want to be perfectly even with your closest non-Mega equivalent, and I also really like your addition of a double-weakness to balance it out; if not for Tyrantrum's preexisting movepool, I think this would be more or less a fine submission. That said, I do think it hits too hard given the context that it's free to run Earthquake and Iron Head as coverage rather than having to rely on Fire Fang, so it would probably be best to lower its damage output a little.
If you still want its Dragon STAB to be boosted and would rather just tone it down a bit, one option you might consider is replacing Dragon's Maw with Adaptability and removing Dragon Hammer, which lowers the power of its Dragon moves so that it's more in line with other Dragon Dance-using Mega Evolutions, while still having an edge in its coverage, physical bulk and the cool Dark options it brings to the table.
BitBitio also brought up on the Discord that Strong Jaw like the base form could be a good choice for it, which might be more interesting than Adaptability - it lets it emphasize its Dark STAB (including your really cool addition of Jaw Lock!), which lets it reach almost as much attack power as what you have here but with an attacking type that doesn't leave it quite so hard to wall.
It's up to you how you want to go about this, and you could also do something totally different from either of those suggestions! I just thought it might help to put forward some examples of solutions to the problem so you had a starting point, haha.
Thanks for joining us!!
For reference, the main cases in which I would personally support a damage-boosting Ability like this are when it boosts only specific moves with shared drawbacks (like "all of them are the same type" or "all of them are resisted by this type" or "all of them are relatively weak before the boost") or when it only boosts moves in limited situations - so there are meaningful gaps in what the Ability can accomplish, and defensive counterplay is left intact in a healthy number of situations.
Hopefully that helps to understand why I would be less okay with this one - just boosting all of it, unconditionally, doesn't really leave this kind of gap in its power and instead just lets it tear through everything. This is especially true of something like Nidoking, which is already known both for its amazing Ground STAB and its amazing coverage to pair with it; I think this hits too hard right away and can effectively target too many Pokémon at full strength
For comparison, this is juuust slightly stronger than Mega Mawile, but it's also a lot faster (75 is a much better Speed tier than 50) and also has not only perfect neutral coverage but some of the widest super-effective coverage in the game (it can hit just under three quarters of all Pokémon super effectively in four moves) and the mixed offenses to use it well, and there's just not enough that can switch in on it and not enough of a drawback.
In general, I would really prefer if people stuck to more conditional damage-boosting Abilities rather than boosting every single move, or at least put them on Pokémon with worse movepools than Nidoking. I wouldn't really consider anything that boosts its Ground STAB alone beyond Mega Mawile levels to be acceptable, let alone something that boosts that and Bolt Beam and Stone Edge, I'm afraid. OTL
also, this isn't really related to whether it's vetoed, but whaaat is this flavor exactly? :'D I would tone it down a bit if you don't mind!
That said, I do get what you were trying to do with making it parallel Nidoqueen with an Ability that boosts its Attack stat by stages, and I would be interested in helping you to keep that without being quite on this level. If you're hoping to clone an Ability to boost Attack, could I suggest maybe giving it something like physical Berserk instead? This is definitely more conditional and less "free" than Intrepid Sword, but it still mirrors Nidoqueen in a way (boosting Attack when hurt), ultimately gives the same boost but probably does so only once per match, and even pairs well with the recovery access you gave it so it can potentially get away with more than one without being too reliable at it.
That's just one possible route, of course! I just felt like I should put that option forward in case you were struggling with ideas, since you do have a clear concept at work here and a reason to want this kind of Ability beyond just wanting it to hit hard - it would feel like a waste to say no to it without providing any alternatives, you know? But you're welcome to take another route or nerf it in any way you like! C:
also yesss that Tyrantrum is a great counterpart to Aurorus
Other than those three (unless I missed anything big please yell at me if I did), I think all of the rest of these should be fine in terms of balance! Thank you guys for making awesome subs as always - so many of these have me really excited, and I can already tell it's going to be as tough to vote as ever!
(Oh, clarifying edit: a lot of people have also been asking for balancing feedback on the Discord as well, even before they make their posts in the thread!
I totally understand it being hard to foresee things like this, especially when you're just starting out! I really hope no one feels bad about responses like this or thinks they're being called out - if it helps at all to know this, there are always plenty more people discussing balance issues and being asked to make changes than you'll see on the thread, and you're not the only ones!)
- The pull request for slate 17 has been made! Sorry that I didn't do this right away last night - I had a looot going on yesterday although after seeing how quick and easy this one turned out to be, I think I probably could've had time and I don't think I should have made everyone wait OTL - but it is now complete and has been tested and submitted to Scoopapa! The Mega Stones, once they're available, will be
Nidoqueenite, Walreinite and Aurorite!---
After some discussion on the Discord, we've found that it would be ideal to allow the option for best-of-three matches rather than best-of-one matches, as this is generally considered preferable in tournaments set over such a long timespan. The original decision to make it best-of-one was an effort to make it less of a time commitment and easier on players, particularly as the tournament is double-elimination, but I can absolutely see why some players would be against that, so:
Provided that you come to an agreement before your match and establish it somewhere public, such as the Discord or on one of your profile pages, you and your opponent may choose to do best-of-three rather than best-of-one for your matches in the tournament!
That means that either best-of-three or best-of-one is allowed as long as you're in agreement on it.
That means that either best-of-three or best-of-one is allowed as long as you're in agreement on it.
This will be added to the post announcing round one as well!
---
Finally, some comments on specific submissions so far:
First of all, welcome!! And thanks for responding immediately to BitBitio's feedback! Your Nidoking is definitely fine now, and Corrosion is always a super neat Ability - I really like your subs on the whole! C:Mega Tyrantrum
Typing - Dragon/Dark
New Ability: Dragon's Maw
New Stats
Hp: 82
Att: 121 -> 156 (+35)
Def: 119 -> 154 (+35)
Spec Att: 69 ->69
Spec Def: 59 -> 74 (+15)
Speed: 71 -> 86 (+15)
New Moves: Dragon Hammer, Jaw Lock, Power Trip
Description: Tyrantrum has a giant maw so dragon's maw makes sense giving it extra damage on its dragon moves to help it sweep with its huge attack stat. It has a lower speed so it isn't to strong. I never liked how all fossil pokemon where rock types (excluding the gen 8 fossils) so I think dark fits Tyrantrum well. It is strong, mean, and should evolve at night in my opinion. Dragon Hammer is a strong dragon move to add to its move set. Jaw Lock & Power Trip are some cool dark moves to add to it with Jaw Lock for its giant jaw and Power Trip for some extra. This is my first post btw so don't expect too much.
That said, after some discussion on the Discord, it seems like the consensus is that Dragon's Maw might be too strong of an Ability for your Tyrantrum - a 50% boost, even to moves of just one type, is big (especially on a sweeper like this with good bulk and Dragon Dance).
For context, the main reason Regidrago was able to get away with that Ability in a similar role is because it lacks good coverage to deal with Steel-types and especially Fairy-types, which leaves room for plenty of defensive counterplay.
I do see what you were going for here, and I don't think it's that far over the line - Tyrantrum's higher Attack (Regidrago doesn't usually run a boosting item on Dragon Dance sets, but the strongest one it could theoretically hold, a Life Orb, is still outdamaged by this), physical bulk and slightly better Speed are all obviously strong, but they're also definitely understandable tradeoffs for the one-per-team limit of the Mega and you don't really want to be perfectly even with your closest non-Mega equivalent, and I also really like your addition of a double-weakness to balance it out; if not for Tyrantrum's preexisting movepool, I think this would be more or less a fine submission. That said, I do think it hits too hard given the context that it's free to run Earthquake and Iron Head as coverage rather than having to rely on Fire Fang, so it would probably be best to lower its damage output a little.
If you still want its Dragon STAB to be boosted and would rather just tone it down a bit, one option you might consider is replacing Dragon's Maw with Adaptability and removing Dragon Hammer, which lowers the power of its Dragon moves so that it's more in line with other Dragon Dance-using Mega Evolutions, while still having an edge in its coverage, physical bulk and the cool Dark options it brings to the table.
BitBitio also brought up on the Discord that Strong Jaw like the base form could be a good choice for it, which might be more interesting than Adaptability - it lets it emphasize its Dark STAB (including your really cool addition of Jaw Lock!), which lets it reach almost as much attack power as what you have here but with an attacking type that doesn't leave it quite so hard to wall.
It's up to you how you want to go about this, and you could also do something totally different from either of those suggestions! I just thought it might help to put forward some examples of solutions to the problem so you had a starting point, haha.
Thanks for joining us!!
Hi! This one is also definitely gonna need to be vetoed - sort of the same idea as above, but this one just hits too hard right off the bat, in part because Ground is one of the most inherently-strong STAB types and in part because this boosts all of its moves, coverage included.Mega Nidoking
New Ability: A King's Wrath (all its attacks have 1.5* power)
Type: Poison/Ground
New stats:
HP: 81 -> 81
Attack: 102 -> 142(+40)
Defense: 77 -> 107(+30)
Special Attack: 85 -> 115(+30)
Special Defense: 75 -> 85(+10)
Speed: 85 -> 75(-10)
BST: 505 -> 605
Description: Mega Nidoking is a frightning wallbreaker with incredible power and good physical bulk, but lacking special bulk and speed making it very good against stall, semi stall and bulky balance but much worse against offense, which easily overwhelms it due to its low speed which is its worst trait. When nidoking protects its child with nidoqueen, they both mega evolve making nidoking much more agressive. A story from ancient times says that when a warrior ventured into a den inhabitted by mega nidoking, he was never seen alive again but his body was found in an increadibly mutilated form nearby. Though incrediby agressive around others, nidoking is very gentle around its child.
For reference, the main cases in which I would personally support a damage-boosting Ability like this are when it boosts only specific moves with shared drawbacks (like "all of them are the same type" or "all of them are resisted by this type" or "all of them are relatively weak before the boost") or when it only boosts moves in limited situations - so there are meaningful gaps in what the Ability can accomplish, and defensive counterplay is left intact in a healthy number of situations.
Hopefully that helps to understand why I would be less okay with this one - just boosting all of it, unconditionally, doesn't really leave this kind of gap in its power and instead just lets it tear through everything. This is especially true of something like Nidoking, which is already known both for its amazing Ground STAB and its amazing coverage to pair with it; I think this hits too hard right away and can effectively target too many Pokémon at full strength
For comparison, this is juuust slightly stronger than Mega Mawile, but it's also a lot faster (75 is a much better Speed tier than 50) and also has not only perfect neutral coverage but some of the widest super-effective coverage in the game (it can hit just under three quarters of all Pokémon super effectively in four moves) and the mixed offenses to use it well, and there's just not enough that can switch in on it and not enough of a drawback.
In general, I would really prefer if people stuck to more conditional damage-boosting Abilities rather than boosting every single move, or at least put them on Pokémon with worse movepools than Nidoking. I wouldn't really consider anything that boosts its Ground STAB alone beyond Mega Mawile levels to be acceptable, let alone something that boosts that and Bolt Beam and Stone Edge, I'm afraid. OTL
also, this isn't really related to whether it's vetoed, but whaaat is this flavor exactly? :'D I would tone it down a bit if you don't mind!
Hi! I am also going to have to ask you to nerf this one, for pretty much the same reason as above - this one isn't as likely to be crazy with Bolt Beam, at least, but it is much faster in return and still has the problem of very strong Earthquakes, haha.
Mega Nidoking
New Ability: Fighting Spirit (+1 Attack upon Switch-in (Intrepid Sword clone))
Type: Poison / Ground
New stats:
HP: 81
Attack: 132 (+30)
Defense: 107 (+20)
Special Attack: 85
Special Defense: 95 (+20)
Speed: 115 (+30)
(BST: 605)
New moves: Drain Punch
Description:
Basically a similar thing as Nidoqueen-Mega. Good Attack combined with Fighting Spirit and good moves makes this thing a monster to defeat. It’s also somewhat bulky, and can make use of Substitute + Hone Claws sets. However, it’s Attack and defenses are not the best, so it can be broken through by stronger Pokemon and mega evolutions.
That said, I do get what you were trying to do with making it parallel Nidoqueen with an Ability that boosts its Attack stat by stages, and I would be interested in helping you to keep that without being quite on this level. If you're hoping to clone an Ability to boost Attack, could I suggest maybe giving it something like physical Berserk instead? This is definitely more conditional and less "free" than Intrepid Sword, but it still mirrors Nidoqueen in a way (boosting Attack when hurt), ultimately gives the same boost but probably does so only once per match, and even pairs well with the recovery access you gave it so it can potentially get away with more than one without being too reliable at it.
That's just one possible route, of course! I just felt like I should put that option forward in case you were struggling with ideas, since you do have a clear concept at work here and a reason to want this kind of Ability beyond just wanting it to hit hard - it would feel like a waste to say no to it without providing any alternatives, you know? But you're welcome to take another route or nerf it in any way you like! C:
also yesss that Tyrantrum is a great counterpart to Aurorus
Other than those three (unless I missed anything big please yell at me if I did), I think all of the rest of these should be fine in terms of balance! Thank you guys for making awesome subs as always - so many of these have me really excited, and I can already tell it's going to be as tough to vote as ever!
(Oh, clarifying edit: a lot of people have also been asking for balancing feedback on the Discord as well, even before they make their posts in the thread!
I totally understand it being hard to foresee things like this, especially when you're just starting out! I really hope no one feels bad about responses like this or thinks they're being called out - if it helps at all to know this, there are always plenty more people discussing balance issues and being asked to make changes than you'll see on the thread, and you're not the only ones!)
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Trevenant-Mega
Tyrantrum-Mega
Mega Kricketune access to Triple Axel.
Mega Eelektross, 
Mega Dragalge and 
Mega Dhelmise!
Light of Ruin 
Let's Go! Pikachu and 
Let's Go! Eevee