Metagame 4v4 Doubles UU (Regulation M-B!)

[thebusinesspiggy]

Hey everyone! As usage stats have come out, we bid goodbye to Paldea and now move to Champions, starting with Regulation M-A!!
Here's the banlist:

And the challenge code:

New Challenge Code

/challenge gen9championsvgc2026regma@@@Force Open Team Sheets,Best Of = 3, -Sneasler, -Garchomp, -Incineroar, -Kingambit, -Basculegion, +Basculegion-F, -Sinistcha, -Floettite, -Aerodactyl, -Rotom-Wash, -Charizardite-Y, -Milotic, -Pelipper, -Aegislash, -Farigiraf, -Whimsicott, -Delphoxite, -Froslassite, -Tyranitarite, -Gengarite, -Archaludon, -Maushold, -Kommo-O, -Talonflame, -Scizorite, -Scovillainite, -Meganiumite, -Ninetales-Alola, -Excadrill, -Gardevoirite, -Venusaur, -King's Rock, -Quick Claw, -Bright Powder, Evasion Moves Clause, OHKO Clause, Evasion Abilities Clause, Gravity Sleep Clause

NOTE: UMCL will still be played in Regulation F Shift 2 Rules.

With this, comes the mark of every new VGC UU Regulation: our Kickoff tournament!! You can sign up by heading over to this link, with the registration code "gephicka rocks"!! It'll happen tomorrow, so you don't want to miss out!

That's all for now! I'll be back later to register my personal thoughts on the meta, but, for the moment, this is BP signing out, and I'll catch you in matchmaking :)

 

[thebusinesspiggy]

PRELIMINARY SAMPLE TEAMS
(use at your own risk.)

Made by the VGC UU Tiering Council

- - - - - - THE WALL
- - - - - - Dragonite Lucario Rain
- - - - - - Sand Bulky Offense
- - - - - - ZardX Snow Setup
- - - - - - Glimmora Sludgespam
- - - - - - Fabulous Sunroom
- - - - - - Serperior + Soak Samurott
- - - - - - Fire and Ice Fullroom
- - - - - - SD Scizor Setup
- - - - - - QD Volc Raidboss
- - - - - - Mega Kangaskhan BO
- - - - - - Chandelure Tailroom

These teams are experimental, but hopefully cover the basis for most archetypes. We encourage tinkering with them as you use them! See you all tomorrow for Kickoff!

 

[Sugarbear]

Can’t believe mega Kangaskhan is in UU, what a time. Even without Power up Punch I never thought this thing would be anything less than top 5 but here we are. This meta looks super fun, and those teams look great!

 

[pengu]

Early-Meta Thoughts

Rain
Rain is going to be very, very strong this format. We have most of the tools from regular Champions VGC; a good rain setter which can work even as a standalone Pokemon, Basculegion-F, who functions similarly to its male counterpart, just a bit weaker, a strong Dragon-type in Dragonite to deal with other weathers, Fighting-types like Lucario, etc etc. There are also very, very few Water-type resists aside from your own Rain Pokemon, and, since most get Ice attacks, Dragonite isn't too big of an issue. This is definitely the best weather right now and one to look out for.


This Pokemon is, in my opinion, the best Pokemon in the format. It provides as the only true reliable Water-type resistance, has amazing bulk, threatens a lot with Thunderbolt / Thunder + Leaf Storm, Volt Switch, amazing speed control in Electroweb, can burn foes with Will-O-Wisp, etc. Without Mega Charizard Y or Sneasler to bring it down, this Rotom forme really shines

Ground-Types
There are like, no good Ground-types. Our best options as of right now are Mamoswine and Krookodile, which I don't find either to be that great. I'm unsure if either will really make a huge splash in the format, given they kinda need Sash or Scarf to do something IMO (give me my garchomp NOW).


Please don't let this be like Regulation F. I heavily encourage people to explore this Pokemon because it genuinely will do amazing things (and I will be exploring it too!!!). Quiver Dance Volcarona in this low-power of a format is bound to be huge, just needs the right supports. Dragonite seems like a solid support option, maybe Mega to beat Rain???? Or a separate Dragon-type like Hydreigon????


Feels very easily to handle tbh, I don't think it'll be too scary outside of HardRoom (granted, I'm using Rain).

I think this format is very fun and well balanced; nothing jumps out to me being broken, aside from maybe Kang, though that's a huge stretch.

 

[Dead by Daylight]

got to 2nd in kickoff, some thoughts of mine on some of my picks


This thing is seriously underrated. Heliolisk with a Scarf is far and away the fastest Scarfer in the whole format, which opens up opportunities for the incredibly powerful Megas around (I paired it with a Mega Blastoise and a Mega Lucario, both of whom found incredible value from outspeeding foes they otherwise wouldn't have thanks to Helio's fast Electroweb). Furthermore, it's got really solid defensive utility - with Dry Skin, it has a Water immunity and actually hard-counters Basculegion and does well into Rain, while Hyper Voice gives it solid spread damage to where you can take 30% off most foes to chip them into range of a Bullet Punch or a Sucker Punch. Overall, it's a great speed controller with, dare I say, better defensive utility and a faster Electroweb than Mowtom. Definitely recommend it if your Grass-type is taken.

Speaking of Grass types:

Bonkers mon. Sash sets are great progress makers, Flower Trick eviscerates basically the whole tier, and Knock and Sucker take care of what it doesn't. The only issue is the Mega Lucario proliferation, but even so, at -1, Meow still threatens it heavily with its STABs. 100% would recommend for anyone looking for a solid breaker. I used Meow because it paired really well with Mega Blastoise: it was able to pick off annoying Water-types like Primarina and Politoed, while Mega Blastoise demolished Fire-types with Muddy Water.


I love this mon. I had to shelve it for Mega Lucario on many occasions, unfortunately, but trust me when I say this thing tears through whatever you put in front of it. Water Spout is a nuke; with Fake Out support from Tinkaton, it routinely destroyed lead pairings. Even at low HP, Muddy Water deals incredible damage. It's got solid defenses too. While you do have to build around it somewhat, rest assured it's going to get your money's worth.

 

[gephicka]

Speed Tiers

speed tier updated bang gg

 

[thebusinesspiggy]

BP's Very Consistent Analysis Series

Hello everyone! Welcome back to your completely unscheduled analysis post! In this one, I'll try to cover most meta-relevant Mega Evolutions, with one or two sets and a small paragraph to explain their roles, checks and comps, and a list of potentially usable 'mons near the end. Hope you enjoy!

Best of the Best

These are the best Mega Evolutions in the format, and all teams must have at least some lines into structures that include them.

Mega Lucario ​

Standard Sets

Physical Attacker (Lucario) @ Lucarionite
Ability: Inner Focus
Level: 50
EVs: 11 HP / 32 Atk / 23 Spe // 2 HP / 32 Atk / 32 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Close Combat
- Meteor Mash
- Bullet Punch / Swords Dance
- Protect


Special Attacker (Lucario) @ Lucarionite
Ability: Inner Focus
Level: 50
EVs: 11 HP / 32 SpA / 23 Spe // 2 HP / 32 SpA / 32 Spe
Timid Nature
- Aura Sphere
- Flash Cannon
- Vacuum Wave / Nasty Plot / Steel Beam
- Protect

Starting off with the (probably) best Mega in the tier, Lucario is here to prove that it can actually do some stuff, contrary to popular belief. With Regulation M-A UU, all the stars have aligned: Lucario's typing is phenomenal both offensively and defensively, its bulk is just good enough to live some crucial hits, and its Speed tier creeps many meta threats. Its base form's ability in Inner Focus renders it immune to both Fake Out and Intimidate, meaning you can delay the transformation to set up a Swords Dance boost or dodge an Intimidate proc and immediately go on the offensive. Its Close Combats also hit like literal trucks, which can (quite literally) punch holes into even the most defensive teams' foundations. +2 Adaptability Close Combat almost reminds me of a moth of the past, because it can just OHKO 'mons through resistance. That said, Lucario is slow enough that most mid-Speed mons can creep over it after a -1 drop, mainly from any of the various common Choice Scarf holders (such as the Rotoms, Zoroark-Hisui or Heliolisk), and it can't get over Noivern, meaning it can set up Tailwind in front of Lucario and potentially let its partner get the jump on it. It is also tremendously weak to Trick Room strategies, as it is hard walled by Mega Chandelure and its measly Bullet Punches and Vacuum Waves won't do enough damage to the other TR attackers/setters. Don't let this fool you, though; Lucario thrives on faster teams that just want to get in their opponent's face, due to synergizing immensely well with the best offensive options in the tier, but also in structures that allow it to set up and become an unstoppable monster. Supporting Lucario well is the key to victory.

Mega Charizard X ​

Standard Sets

TankZard (Charizard) @ Charizardite X
Ability: Blaze
Level: 50
EVs: 32 HP / 1 Def / 20 SpD / 13 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Flare Blitz
- Breaking Swipe
- Roost
- Protect

Dragon Dance Sweeper (Charizard) @ Charizardite X
Ability: Blaze
Level: 50
EVs: 30 HP / 10 Atk / 26 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Flare Blitz
- Breaking Swipe / Dragon Claw
- Protect / Roost
- Dragon Dance

Much like its Y counterpart up in regular VGC, Charizard X shows itself dominant in the meta, with a good variety of sets and nearly unstoppable breaking power if given the chance to set up. Its 2 sets are quite divergent in roles; DD sets want to click the button as many times as possible and then start deleting opponents off the board, accompanied by disruption such as Fake Out, redirectors like Clefable and Empoleon to punish Intimidaters, while tanky sets want to slow opponents down as much as possible by clicking Breaking Swipe and Roosting off chip, letting its partner survive crucial hits and winning the battle in the long term. You can also run a mixture of both sets, sacrificing power and bulk to act as this highly adaptable middle ground Set-up Tank 'mon. Out of all the Mega Evolutions in the Best of the Best tier, it is by far the most centralizing one from a teambuilding perspective; every aspect of ZardX teams have to be built to accomodate it, whether it be by mitigating incoming damage, allowing Charizard to outspeed its opponents or buying turns for it to set up. Charizard also lacks any form of Intimidate blocking, so it is of utmost importance to guarantee that either the Intimidate 'mon in the opposing side is properly checked, or that Charizard can remain useful despite getting cycled. However, moreso than Lucario, give it a chance to set up and watch as your entire game plan is blasted to bits by +2 Flare Blitz.

Mega Manectric ​

Standard Set

Manectric @ Manectite
Ability: Lightning Rod
Level: 50
EVs: 32 HP / 2 SpA / 32 Spe
Timid Nature
- Volt Switch
- Overheat
- Thunderbolt / Snarl
- Protect

In a tier with a notorious lack of splashable Electric-types (bar Rotom-Mow), Manectric estabilishes itself as a relevant meta threat. With one of the highest natural Speed tiers, rivaled only by Lopunny and Dragapult, Manectric can reliably outspeed opponents and mitigate damage to a complete halt, with Intimidate, which helps to contain the biggest threats in the tier, and its Volt Switches to allow constant pivoting to stack debuffs on top of potential Snarls, while still providing consistent damage with Thunderbolt or Overheat. Its base form also provides good utility in Lightning Rod; with so many Rotoms levitating around, you're bound to get a Special Attack boost, which can spiral completely out of control. Manectric's main weakness is direct damage output: given that it usually runs bulk to compliment its supportive moveset, and relies on its massive Speed stat, very little is being invested into SpA, which leads to it missing out on crucial KOs sometimes. It also suffers a bit from 4 Moveslot Syndrome, as it wants to fit all of Thunderbolt, Volt Switch, Snarl, Overheat, Protect and potentially more. Really, you have to pick your poison and sacrifice one or more of these when building Manectric. On top of all that, it can be a bit hard to position, with Choice Scarf Mamoswine and Krookodile specifically being very annoying, as they will outspeed and OHKO Manectric, regardless of its great 205 Speed. Still, Manectric provides Balance and Bulky Offense Teams some really good pivoting and Intimidate stacking to form an eventually unbreakable defensive backbone.

Mega Glimmora ​

Standard Set

Glimmora @ Glimmoranite
Ability: Toxic Debris
Level: 50
EVs: 1 HP / 32 SpA / 1 SpD / 32 Spe
Timid Nature
- Power Gem
- Sludge Bomb
- Earth Power / Sludge Wave / Substitute
- Protect

Glimmora, at first, might look like a weird choice (or downgrade/sidegrade from its base form with Focus Sash), but the truth is that multiple factors align to make this a mighty powerful attacker. Some of these factors include the very sore lack of Ground-types, bar Mamoswine (who falls to a single Power Gem) and Krookodile, the extremely high damage ceiling Glimmora can offer with Adaptability (which is made even more valuable due to the lack of Life Orb and Choice items), and its very good matchups into most of the top dogs, excluding a few which I'll get to in a bit. Its speed tier proves itself mighty useful, as there are many base 100 Speed 'mons (or slower) which are very meta-relevant: most of these can be outsped and comfortably OHKO'd by Glimmora's massive STABs. It also has some flexibility in moves, such as potentially running Sludge Wave to offer ridiculous spread damage matched by few mons (which requires more careful teambuilding), or Substitute to buy yourself crucial turns (which is helped by Spiky Shield). The main factor holding Glimmora back from greatness is the overall meta matchups: While it does outspeed and one-shot many threats, it also cannot do much in the face of Mega Lucario and Tinkaton, both very splashable and extremely relevant, as its Earth Powers won't kill them from full HP. It will not be picking up KOs on neutral 'mons either, and Palafin's Jet Punches can send it packing in a single turn. Overall, Glimmora is an unstable frail-ish attacker that can dish out scarily big damage into some meta threats while also being bullied by others. Success with it requires building an offensive team to match its pace and keep the pesky Choice Scarfers at bay.


Meta-Relevant Threats

These Megas are still good but not as meta-defining as the previous ones.

Mega Kangaskhan ​

Standard Set

Kangaskhan (F) @ Kangaskhanite
Ability: Scrappy
Level: 50
EVs: 25 HP / 15 Atk / 26 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Double-Edge
- Fake Out
- Drain Punch
- Sucker Punch / Protect

A two-for-one deal (in more ways than one), Mega Kangaskhan acts as a fundamental and unique piece of the bulkier teams of the format. The main value you'll get out of this duo is by treating it as a literal duo: Base Kangaskhan is slower and hits less hard, but possesses Scrappy, which allows it to Fake Out opposing Ghost-types and block Intimidate drops; Mega Kangaskhan, on the other hand, gains a very nice +20 Speed and the Parental Bond ability, on top of an increase to its Attack stat, letting it fire off Double-Edges with humongous damage and even picking up KOs on Sashed 'mons. Kang is also hard to remove from the field, given its very good bulk and decent defensive typing. All of this makes it a very skill-expressive mega, but also presents its biggest weakness: it can't have a mix of both traits. By delaying your Mega Evolution, Kang is potentially underspeeding targets or not firing off enough damage to pick up the KO; however, after the transformation, Kang can't hit Ghost-types outside of Sucker Punch and is very vulnerable to Intimidate drops. It is also outsped and one-shot by most Lucario, which makes it much trickier to position. Other notable bad matchups include Mega Glimmora, Mega Lopunny and even Volcarona (to some extent), who can all shut down its tools rather easily. It can also suffer from 4 Moveslot Syndrome, struggling to fit Protect on most of its sets. Generally, leveraging when to transform and how to navigate board states is crucial to succeeding when using this deadly Mother-Child pair.

Mega Dragonite ​

Standard Set

Dragonite @ Dragoninite
Ability: Multiscale
Level: 50
EVs: 2 HP / 32 SpA / 32 Spe
Modest Nature
- Draco Meteor / Dragon Pulse
- Hurricane
- Tailwind / Thunder / Extreme Speed / Focus Blast
- Protect

The centerpiece of Rain structures, Dragonite is a scarily strong offensive piece that can also support its team as needed. Multiscale allows it to survive crucial OHKOs, letting it sit on the field as long as possible while clicking Hurricanes off of its 145 SpA stat. Due to its insane variety of coverage, it can act as a soft check for most problematic matchups that may worry your team: Basculegion-F seems annoying? Tech Thunder! Don't like Focus Sash 'mons? Get rid of them with Extreme Speed. Want to one-shot Lucario? Focus Blast! Need Speed control? Tailwind's right there. The list, believe it or not, actually goes on and on. This does mean it has a little bit of 4 Moveslot Syndrome, though. On top of that, Dragonite is also very annoyed to lose Multiscale, and there's more than 1 Triple Axel user running around to get around Multiscale (with some Mamoswines even opting for Icicle Spear in Choice Scarf sets). It is also very reliant on the Rain actually being up, as you'll otherwise be either cutting your damage in half after every Draco hit, having to gamble on 70% accurate moves or not actually doing enough damage. Look past these issues, and Dragonite is quite the beast.

Mega Chandelure ​

Standard Set

Chandelure @ Chandelurite
Ability: Flash Fire
Level: 50
EVs: 32 HP / 25 SpA / 9 Spe
Modest Nature
- Heat Wave
- Shadow Ball
- Protect
- Trick Room

One of the best enablers of the Tailroom archetype, Chandelure combines its good bulk and typing with monstrous 175 SpA to burn away its opponents. While Chandelure's Speed tier may seem awkward at first, it is actually quite well-positioned: it can easily outspeed the speedsters in Tailwind without much investment while clicking Trick Room safely in front of most offensive teams. Its Fire- and Ghost-typing means it hard walls Lucario and firing off Heat Waves with this 'mon is a scary sight to behold, especially with support such as Sun. Infiltrator is a niche ability but generally means mitigating Chandelure's damage is trickier (heh) than normal. The main issue with Chandelure is also one of its boons: its Speed stat. While it is great into Balance-oriented teams, it does actually struggle to outpace teams that are hard committed to either Tailwind or Trick Room, and is quite vulnerable to a couple of meta threats such as Basculegion-F and Palafin. Overall, using Chandelure requires a read- and positioning-heavy playstyle that is extremely rewarding to execute properly, as its Heat Waves will wave the opponent goodbye.

Mega Lopunny ​

Standard Set

Lopunny @ Lopunnite
Ability: Limber
Level: 50
EVs: 2 HP / 32 Atk / 32 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Close Combat
- Fake Out
- Protect
- Triple Axel / Mach Punch / Play Rough / Encore

With blistering fast Speed and an almost unwallable offensive profile to make use of said Speed, Lopunny is a fantastic disruptor that makes use of its tools to pick off opponents. Speed tying Manectric is no small feat, and while it uses its tools to mitigate damage, Lopunny is a much better fit for Hyper Offense teams, being much frailer but making use of its newly acquired Scrappy ability to Fake Out and Close Combat Ghost-types and dodge Intimidate procs that would make it much more passive. It also has good options of coverage moves, such as Triple Axel, Mach Punch, etc., which lets it be a more versatile 'mon in the builder. Lopunny's core issues are a slight lack of damage (which leads to missing out on key OHKO's), lack of Normal STAB (your best options are Mega Kick or Facade), its glass cannon nature making it go down to some neutral hits, the fact Scrappy only activates after its transformation (leaving you vulnerable to Intimidate leads) and its slight 4 Moveslot Syndrome, given the sheer amount of options. Lopunny is a swift attacker that will often not be the star of the show, but will provide your team with the offensive pressure it needs.

Mega Blastoise ​

Standard Sets

Blastoise @ Blastoisinite
Ability: Torrent
Level: 50
EVs: 28 HP / 15 SpA / 23 Spe
Modest Nature
- Muddy Water / Water Spout
- Aura Sphere
- Ice Beam / Flash Cannon
- Fake Out


Shell Smash Sweeper (Blastoise) @ Blastoisinite
Ability: Torrent
Level: 50
EVs: 10 HP / 32 SpA / 24 Spe
Modest Nature
- Water Spout / Muddy Water
- Aura Sphere / Ice Beam / Flash Cannon
- Shell Smash
- Protect

A decently versatile Mega, Blastoise is an interesting 'mon with two polar opposite dynamics. In terms of sets, there's two big ones: Bulky Attacker and Shell Smash Sweeper. The first makes use of Blastoise's Fake Out to set up a positive board state, and then click powerful Muddy Waters to spread good damage and annoy people with Accuracy drops. This renders Blastoise a very annoying 'mon to get rid of that can also do good damage and tank a lot of hits. The latter set requires that Blastoise be the one getting support, with the massive payout of wiping unprepared teams in an instant. Blastoise, however, has 2 very big flaws: the first is opportunity cost. Simply put, the non-Mega Water-types can provide just as much utility or offensive power without taking a Mega slot, which makes running this Mega a little trickier to justify. The other is the fact that no matter the set, Blastoise is extremely vulnerable to the Choice Scarf Electroweb spammers (namely the rotoms, especially Rotom-Mow). Regardless, no matter which set you pick, if used correctly, Blastoise can be a great value pick.


The Trick Room Warriors​

The Sets

Ampharos @ Ampharosite
Ability: Static
Level: 50
EVs: 32 HP / 2 Def / 32 SpA
Quiet Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Dragon Pulse
- Power Gem / Substitute / Cotton Guard / Charge Beam
- Protect


Camerupt @ Cameruptite
Ability: Solid Rock
Level: 50
EVs: 32 HP / 2 Def / 32 SpA
Quiet Nature
- Heat Wave
- Earth Power
- Flamethrower / Ancient Power / Eruption
- Protect


Golurk @ Golurkite
Ability: Iron Fist
Level: 50
EVs: 32 HP / 32 Atk / 2 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Headlong Rush
- Poltergeist
- Shadow Punch / Substitute
- Protect


Abomasnow @ Abomasite
Ability: Snow Warning
Level: 50
EVs: 32 HP / 1 Def / 32 SpA / 1 SpD
Quiet Nature
- Blizzard
- Energy Ball
- Earth Power / Aurora Veil
- Protect


Crabominable @ Crabominite
Ability: Hyper Cutter
Level: 50
EVs: 32 HP / 32 Atk / 2 SpD
Brave Nature
- Ice Punch / Ice Hammer
- Drain Punch / Close Combat
- Thunder Punch / Earthquake / Bulk Up
- Protect

Here's a rapid-fire round of all the Trick Room Mega Evolutions:

Mega Ampharos
With the one of the best set of tools for Hard Trick Room, as it synergizes well with Torkoal, Amphy is a scary offensive powerhouse that gets access to multiple coverage moves. It can lack damage at times due to its relatively low Base Power moves and lack of set-up moves, and it lacks options to effectively punish passive plays inside TR, as well as being a sitting duck against multiple top dogs outside of TR.

Mega Camerupt
This camel can bring on the heat with its massive Sheer Force Heat Waves and Earth Powers. It is, however, quite redundant with Torkoal, which leaves big opportunity cost on the table, on top of its inability to switch in safely and limited coverage options.

Mega Golurk
Despite getting one of the best abilities a Trick Room mega could ask for, sadly Unseen Fist was nerfed, and 25% damage through Protect unfortunately isn't cutting it. Still, Golurk is Fake Out immune and with the addition of Headlong Rush can do meaningful damage in a meta with a lack of Ground-types.

Mega Abomasnow
Offering devastating spread firepower and quite good bulk, on top of weather control, Abomasnow is a very good TR sweeper. It has complete overlap and loses very hard to Torkoal, though.

Mega Crabominable
Despite its quite high damage ceiling and crazy bulk, Crab sadly still can't pose a major threat, and is, in my opinion, the worst of the Hard TR Mega Evolutions.

Note-worthy Pokémon

These have all crossed my mind as having potential. If you want to build with them, here are their qualities.

Mega Aggron - The Wall is probably fine.
Mega Alakazam - Can probably do something with Psychic Terrain Meowstic. Hates Choice Scarf 'mons tho.
Mega Altaria - Probably not worth it as there's a lot of competition for Fairy-types, but can setup well which is neat.
Mega Gallade - Could potentially work in Tailroom structures as a secondary mega? Gallade doesn't really mesh well with any other items in the game at the moment.
Mega Heracross - Has crazy damage output and decent offensive typing and coverage. Very hard to get online though.
Mega Medicham - Gallade but with Fake Out.
Mega Skarmory - DAMNNNNN this thing is kinda mid. Run dual STABs with Tailwind or Taunt.
Mega Slowbro - Probably works fine in Balance spamming Scald and IDBP.
Mega Emboar - HEY HOW DID YOU SNEAK IN HERE GET BACK IN MY TEAMBUILDER

And that's it for now! If you read through the entire post, thank you! I appreciate it a ton. Hopefully this is a decent enough resource to get you creative and make some teams! I'll be back sometime next week with the non-mega sets, as I'm waiting for the meta to develop a bit more.

And this is an official announcement: the Regulation F Slither Wing analysis is coming! It's... uh... quite huge... so it won't be out for a while. If you liked what you saw here, I will go way more in-depth on that one, so stay tuned! That's it for now, catch you next time :)​

 

[thebusinesspiggy]

Rapid-Fire Tiering Action

Item	gephicka	thebusinesspiggy	SeaWolfMikes	AndruApple	pengu	Sinnoy	Nocturne Nugget
Quick Claw	ban	ban	ban	ban	ban	ban	ban
Focus Band	ban	ban	do not ban	ban	do not ban	do not ban	ban

We've decided to put up a tiering vote for these items, as they were actually legal since we did not vote on them previously; Champions' item drought has now brought them into attention, and due to their uncompetitive nature, we have decided to ban them. Focus Band was a little more controversial given it has soft checks such as status and an arguably weaker effect, but ultimately met the same fate. gephicka fix the challenge code pls :)

 

[merrypasta]

Can finally post this since Lopunny won a tournament so the Lucaroids can't call it a fraud.

 

[bring it on]

Time for actual takes on reg m-a Meta.
This time I have been playing alot so know what I am talking about. The meta seems interesting.

First want to talk about the M of Reg M-A

This is my personal vr of megas. I feel alot of the megas are viable, c tier are niche or just not so good and i would say avoid them, B tier are solid mons which you can built around, a and s tier are also solid and top mons. I feel s to b tier, most of the megas are viable, some are easier to use. But the format is in a way you can kinda use all of these. Major issues for me in this meta are how the strong damage megas are too frail, and how the bulky megas kinda matches bad into meta even if do damage also.

This one imo is the best one. Cause Unlike the other 2 in s tier it is also bulky and you can run bulky set and instead set up. But also it feels awkward to use. Unlike the rest 2 in s tier, this one needs much more focus on teambuilding. And obv its your mega, but still, it feels more comfortable that if your mega dies, you can still win. I am looking forward to mix of the bulky and damage sets.

This feels the best due to results, adaptability cc is amazing and due to lack of tailwind immediate, being naturally fast makes it so good. Though few matchups it can be nuked very quick so be careful about that.

Prolly a superb underrated mega, everyone almost agrees its top 3 and yet very rarely anyone uses it. Due to rain being so good, this is amazing, also there is a bit lack of special attackers in the meta also, this helps you in that department. Intim post mega is really helpful. Also even faster than other stuff, this one imo can be the top 1 mega soon. It is also kinda frail but intim helps alot. Issue is the movepool, it has thunderbolt as best stab, and it has snarl which can help in special department, But it kinda wants stronger moves.

Only mega not in s tier I will talk about, cause even after losing pup, after loosing any normal stab, this is still good. This solves the issue of top mons either being frail or lack damage, it still has both, but it doesnt super excel at anything, damage is nice but can be managed by opp, and bulk is good, but the only typing its weak to, has 2 superb solid megas running rn in form of and

Now lets talk about the non-megas of this format.

This is my personal vr of the non mega. And before people get ragebaited, hear me out. The tier list i used didnt let me add another tier, otherwise b tier would be less crowded, dont worry.

I feel there is a lack of speed control in this meta. There is no priority tw, and the tr setters are good but none too crazy. Which makes naturally fast mons more better, but this doesnt change how the non-mega found a way for this. who i think is tad bit overrated, is pretty good scarf eweb guys, can set tw if it lives a rain meta, we got scarf , which is the 4th fastest non-mega without scarf, due to no naturally amazing speed control. People have found fun ways to deal with that issue there. Many things even run speed dropping moves either way like runs icy wind. The other main issue is typing issue. Especially ground type. There is no good ground type rn in meta, and there is lack of other types as well accordingly. Its not the most variety distribution meta, but sure lets have 10 water types which all outclassed by the next mon I want to talk about.
this is a copy of , cause multipliers are funny. It runs either scarf adapatability or swift swim mystic. It is really strong and in my opinion the strongest mon in meta and every team must need multiple ways to deal with rain and this. Only physical water type attacker it doesnt outclass is , both can replace one other depending on teams though.

I talked about how is it scarfer before, but it scarf sets also outspeed swift swim , making it so good. Protean moves let it nuke other speed controls also. Biggest issue is though its locked into one move, and if you triple axel turn 1 and they tect, then you are in another issue, or they cannot tect and you become blind and miss, and lose the entire tour. I AM NOT MAD AT YOU MEOW FOR MISSING THE TRIPLE AXEL, I SURELY AM NOT MAD AT YOU deletes from team for tsareena which also becomes blind. This is such a strong mon in my opnion.

This is the last mon I want to talk about, when the aeros and chomps took their rock moves to ou, this thing is suddenly so good and cool. It can redirect, it can provide support, it can quiver dance and sweep. Though i feel its still hyped a bit too up, esp when i see rain being no 1 thing. It is solid and i feel a tier obv, but s tier is too much. I feel it isnt the best mon.

Thats my thoughts on reg m-a uu till now, it feels a fun and variety metagame but few things not existing makes it very irritating. With the forums kickoff tour, the variety will be superb fun to see. Another successful session of likewhore done.

 

[merrypasta]

For those who missed it, this is how I got eliminated from classic cup

 

[gephicka]

Sample Teams:

new sample teams

 

[merrypasta]

My Thoughts on the Reg M-A Meta (Early VR)

I'll start by ranking the Mega Evolutions, and explaining some of my choices. Note that the tiers aren't ordered, I just typed in whatever came to mind first. I also grouped tiers together because I haven't had the time to think the specifics all through.

S to A+
A to B+
B to C+
C to D
			(No BP, the tiers aren't ordered. I think this one's much closer to C than D. Thanks for not angry reacting.)

I'll explain myself for some of these.

Lopunny: I think Lopunny's definitely been underrated by a lot of players. I don't blame them, given Lucario is very powerful, but Lopunny's ability to function as an offensive utility piece is very useful. And, while it's not taking most neutral targets down, a 136 Attack Close Combat is absolutely not something you can ignore. I've found Lopunny to be the most valuable Mega Evolution in the teambuilder for me so far, though I don't think it is the "best" in the metagame overall, unfortunately. However, the hyperfast Scrappy Fake Out is simply unrivaled disruption, and the 4th moveslot has a nice variety of options like Triple Axel for Dragonite, Mega Kick if you're a lunatic, Thunder Punch for Gyarados, Encore for even more utility, and Swords Dance if you're an even bigger lunatic. For a cool team that uses Lopunny, one of them is a sample team that I built alongside gephicka. It's nice if you want to try out Lopunny.

Dragonite: I used to consider this to be in the S tier, perhaps a little lower, but my rating of the rain archetype as a whole has kind of fallen off. Basculegion is great, and alongside Dragonite it turns threatening mons like Volcarona into extremely easy matchups, but to be honest Swift Swim Basculegion-F is just underwhelming. With only 92 Attack, it really needs Adaptability for its Last Respects to be doing any work. And while Scarf on rain is very workable, now you're open to getting outsped by mid-speed scarfers like Krookodile, Rotom, Gardevoir, Eternal Flower Floette, or even the mirror. Additionally, while I love Politoed, it's admittedly not very strong and kind of needs a Bold nature and a Sitrus Berry to tank physical hits properly. So, nowadays I don't think Dragonite is up there in the top tier. It's still very good if you are using rain, though.

Gyarados: Gyarados is this high up not because its Mega form is that broken, but because it's a very effective user of both of its forms strategically. While you're normally seeing Charizards protecting to win a weather war, Gardevoir not Mega Evolving to keep a Traced ability, or Scovillain protecting to gain a Moody boost, Gyarados actually wants to stay in its base form a lot of the time. And its base form is great! Intimidate and its typing allows it to tank hits from a lot of high-tier threats, including Kangaskhan, Lucario, and Lopunny (unless they're using Thunder Punch or something), however it's very weak to Electric damage and also has a semi-relevant Rock weakness. Mega Evolving allows it to tank these hits better and also ignore opposing abilities. This means that, unlike most physical attackers, it's not afraid of Volcarona's Flame Body. It's also chomping right through Dragonite's Multiscale, able to OHKO with Crunch after two Dragon Dances. Clefable's Unaware and potential Water Absorb / Sturdy users are also important things you can ignore with its ability. Thus, due to having two good formes it can use, it's ranked very high.

Clefable: In a similar vein, I don't think Mega Clefable would even be worthy of C-tier if it was used purely for its Mega Evolution, but it's Clefable. Clefable is an amazing redirector in this format, so I don't think Clefablite is unreasonable if you want to increase its bulk further and actually pack a punch with Moonblast. I think Mega Clefable is really cute, so I've tried Clefablite on a few occasions, but I'll admit it's usually better with recovery items or something like a Babiri Berry.

Now, onto the general ranking. For Pokemon like Dragonite or Lucario, I won't be factoring their Mega Evolutions. However, I'll note that Dragonite probably becomes the best in the tier overall if you count its Mega form, because having 2 supreme statlines with good utility to boot is something nothing else in the tier can boast. Maybe if Volcarona could turn into a souped-up Slither Wing it could, but we don't live in that world.

S
A+
A
A-
B+
B to B-

I won't do as many explanations since there are very many to make, but I'll do a few.

Volcarona: In my opinion it's the best Pokemon in the format, and it's honestly oftentimes more impactful than Mega Evolutions are in certain games. Not only can the Quiver Dance set do wonderful things, but Volcarona can be used as a redirector, as speed control, it can be used as a damage mitigator, or even run recovery. The only thing that's missing is physical attacker Volcarona, but I'm sure thebusinesspiggy will try someday. The only thing that holds Volcarona back from being totally broken is the fact Dragonite, Basculegion and Mega Glimmora are all very good. Volcarona teams can absolutely run tech to make these matchups winnable, but admittedly they make the game trickier to navigate.

Meowscarada: At first, several people said that Rotom-Mow was the best Grass-type in the tier, and I'm not going to say that it's unreasonable to think that, but in my opinion Meowscarada is absolutely better for being an absurdly fast attacker that can also serve a little bit of a utility purpose. Scarf sets outspeed every other scarfer, as well as Basculegion even when Swift Swim is active, and Knock Off is able to get rid of opposing scarves, berries, and other items. Sash sets can use Overgrow to make Flower Trick nightmarishly strong, and they can even run support options like Taunt or the pseudo-support that comes from Sucker Punch.

Zoroark: This Pokemon hasn't seen that much play so far but it's downright stupid on some teams. Scarf sets are faster than almost everything else with a Choice Scarf, and while Meowscarada is faster, it's not exactly itching to click Knock Off at a Clefable. It's also faster than the other Icy Wind / Electroweb users. Heliolisk in particular is embarrassingly 1 point slower, meaning it can't safely click Electroweb in front of the "Palafin."

Gallade: Gallade hasn't seen much play either but I think it's lowkey pretty good. It's able to set trick room and work in Tailwind at once, while most of the Trick Room setters in this format (such as Cofagrigus and Hatterene) are too slow to do so. Scarf Gallade is also pretty good, being able to outspeed and use Knock Off or Leaf Blade at Basculegion. It's a shame that the Mega doesn't have Sharpness though. Most of what goes for Gallade also goes for Gardevoir, but its Mega form is banned. It also has access to Icy Wind which is nice. That said, I've ranked Gardevoir lower because it has more direct non-mega competitors in Primarina and Eternal Floette, meanwhile the non-Mega Fighting-type pool is pretty empty.

Drampa: I don't think it's any better than B- tier, but I think people need to start considering this on some teams. It shuts down all weather with Cloud Nine, has access to great utility in Glare, Helping Hand, Icy Wind, Roost, Whirlwind, and an amazing special movepool with its STABs, and all the coverage of a classic Dragon-type. I won't list them all but you know what moves. It even gets Earth Power, which is pretty rare among specially-biased Dragon-types. A Special Attack stat of 135 is also very high for a non-mega; it's only rivaled by Volcarona, Hatterene, Chandelure and such.

Anyway, those are my thoughts on the M-A meta. I hope they age well.

 

[merrypasta]

Weekly #2 Winning Team

Today, I won the second weekly tournament of M-A UU, using the following team:



And I have to address the elephant in the room.

Why the hell is there an Orthworm?

Well, the team I have right now isn't great into Mega Glimmora. Volcarona needs a lot of setup to be able to survive a Power Gem, and Lopunny can't quite OHKO it with Close Combat. Meowscarada can win the 1v1 if it doesn't get poisoned, but that's a huge risk. And Dragonite is able to OHKO Glimmora, but it's a bit slow so it can be doubled without too much issue.

So, Orthworm, who is immune to Poison, resists Rock, and is immune to Ground, is great into Glimmora, alongside many physical attackers in this meta. Krookodile, Dragonite, Tinkaton, and some others are lacking in their ways to handle the worm, given they either don't carry moves that hit Steel-types, or rely on Ground-type moves to hit Steel-types.

Shed Tail is also very helpful. Primarina and Volcarona both appreciate the substitute a lot, and it makes Primarina in particular far better into Glimmora, because it's now protected from a Sludge Bomb and is able to safely OHKO with Hyper Voice. Here is an example of a game in which Shed Tail helped my Primarina live for longer, even as it clicked Hyper Voice at resists. (I may or may not have overpredicted.)

Anyway, Lopunny has won every single weekly so far. Bunny supremacy will continue.

 

[merrypasta]

Basic Role Compendium for M-A UU (subject to change, feel free to suggest)

Disclaimer: I will not be including every single Pokemon that fits each role, but if I've overlooked something good I'm willing to edit this post. For now though, Raichu isn't a good enough Fake Out user to be mentioned in that part of the compendium.

Also, the order isn't a meticulous ranking of which is the best at the given role, I just typed in whatever came to mind first.

1. Defensive utility roles

Redirectors

Follow Me:
Rage Powder:

Intimidate

Fake Out

Team Healing

Life Dew:
Pollen Puff:

Recovery

Morning Sun:
Moonlight:
Wish:

Screen Setters

Aurora Veil:
Reflect/Light Screen:

Priority Blocking

Queenly Majesty:
Psychic Terrain:

Wide Guard

Special Attack Droppers

Struggle Bug:
Snarl:

2. Other utility roles

Tailwind Setters

Speed Droppers

Electroweb:
Icy Wind:
String Shot:

Trick Room Setters

Weather Setters

Sand:
Rain:
Sun:
Snow:

Sleep Spreaders

Sleep Powder:

Burn Spreaders

Flame Body:
Will-o-Wisp:

Poison Spreaders

Toxic Debris:
Toxic Thread:

Paralysis Spreaders

Thunder Wave:
Glare:
Nuzzle:

Encore Users

Taunt Users

Partner Boosting

Coaching:
Howl:
Decorate:

Anti-Setup

Unaware:
Haze:

Substitute Passing

Shed Tail:
Baton Pass:

Hazard Setters

Toxic Spikes:
Spikes:
Stealth Rock:
Sticky Web:

Pivots

U-turn:
Flip Turn:
Volt Switch:
Baton Pass:
Shed Tail:

3. Offensive roles

Physical Breakers

Special Breakers

Mixed Attackers

Choice Scarfers

+ Pretty much anything with a decent speed stat and good damage is functional.

Trick Room Sweepers

+ Tailroom 'mons like Kangaskhan

Physical Setup Sweepers

Dragon Dance:
Swords Dance:
Iron Defense:
Belly Drum:

Special Setup Sweepers

Quiver Dance:
Calm Mind:
Nasty Plot:
Contrary:
Shell Smash:

Offensive Priority Users

Bullet Punch:
Extreme Speed:
Sucker Punch:
Shadow Sneak:
Jet Punch:

 

[sheepie]

Hazard Setters

HA SINGLES PLAYER SPOTTED!! point and laugh

 

[gephicka]

Regulation M-A Viability Rankings

go wild VRs are in style

 

[merrypasta]

https://pokepast.es/bfa88ed33aa86897
https://pokepast.es/b86c776bd25e8dfa
https://pokepast.es/8c8b52e7c612d2b0

Editable set boxes for M-A UU, hopefully I didn't make any major omissions. If a spread looks weirder and/or better than my others assume I stole it from someone

 

[thebusinesspiggy]

VGC UU Roadmap #1

Hello everyone! BP here, and, this time, with a new type of post. The intent of this roadmap is to estabilish clear communication with you, the community, which I believe is essential for healthy development. In this one, we'll go a bit in-depth on our tier's structure as a whole and the interesting challenges posed by Champions' release. Without further ado, let's get this show on the road! (ba dum tss)

On the works from BP

While I have been busy with finals, this doesn't mean I've slowed down my own work. An analysis, similar to the one I made about Megas, but of the non-Megas this time, is on its way, as a sort of "closer" for Reg M-A. More on that later. On top of that, I'm working on a team report for ALL the teams I have loaded in Open #1, an analysis about a specific 'mon, the Reg F Slither Wing analysis (which should release in around a month or so), and, finally, a couple of different contributions. Soon enough you'll see what I mean. The progress on all of these has been slow (man i HATE calculus), but the ones pertaining to M-A specifically should be out before the Regulation ends.

Our Second Ladder

As a reminder, our M-A ladder is currently up on PS! as part of the Ladder Spotlight! If you want a custom role in our Discord, now might be your chance, considering the player who ends #1 on the ladder at the end of the month will get one! Here's the top 10 at the time of writing:

On the topic of ladder, I've been very happy with the engagement it's gotten. Hopefully this means you all enjoy the tier as much as I do! Do also note that Sinnoy has been hosting ladder events over on the Discord, and they're a blast to play in, and also feature potential rewards such as custom tournaments or Circuit Points.

Pokémon Champions and M-B

If you've been active on the Discord lately, you'll know that I've been very vocal about shifting to M-B being undecided. I'd like to be clear about the process of shifting and how our decision has been impacted. In short, Champions proposes a very interesting challenge to tier around, as the game being released on mobile now means the playerbase is far broader, and it undoubtebly splits the playerbase a little between Champions and PS!. On top of that, the game having usage stats, incomplete and unfilterable as they are, raised a question as to how we'd tier moving forward. And now, with Regulation M-B coming out in the middle of the month, we discussed whether or not we'd actually shift to M-B in July or wait until the meta properly settled down and do so in August. That said, the conclusion was: we WILL be shifting to Regulation M-B in July, aka, a couple of days from now. Open will be in Round 7 when shifts happen, but the shifts will apply only in Round 8. This will also be stated in the actual tournament thread. I'm tackling this now because the Council has been talking about maybe changing how we tier 4v4 Doubles UU, and for that, I'd like to hear your opinion in the matter as well. Even if it's a simple "keep doing what you are" or "please change this is horrible", you can shoot me a DM on Discord or here in Smogon, and that would be greatly appreciated. Tier Shifts are what make 4v4 DUU, they're why the meta is constantly evolving and why it never feels old, and I feel like it'd only be fair to let the community have some say in this. On top of all of that, with the barrier of entry being torn down so much with the release of Champions, we have considered moving to the actual Champions game; this is still an active topic in discussion, and we'll likely have one or two tournaments in M-B be cart tours to test the waters. Speaking of tournaments...

The Open and Our Tournament Structure

Recently (around a month and a half ago actually... wow time flies), the first Open of 2026 started, and I'm extremely happy with how it's been going. Seeing the games played and the overall vibe of the tournament be so positive has meant the world for me. With some of the tier's best players, such as SeaWolfMikes (the current forums tour champion) and gephicka, already out, I wonder who you're all going to be rooting for. As mentioned above, just to reiterate, the Open will follow Regulation M-B UU rules from Round 8 onwards, which will, frankly, be a nice meta shift as, in my opinion, M-A has been getting stale. After the Open, keep your eyes out for something else that is sure to get you and your friends hyped up to play some 'mons. Of course, the Open is part of our Circuit, and, on top of the plenty of Circuit Points that placing well awards you, this is a reminder that winning the Open will auto-qualify you for our Circuit Playoffs. This is something that will carry over into 2027, aka, winning any Open in 2027 will auto-qualify you for the 2027 Circuit Playoffs as well. I talk about 2027 because, after a while debating, it is pretty unanimous in the Council that tournament structure as a whole will be changed moving forward. This will only take effect after the 2026 Circuit concludes, but what I can already tell you is that these changes aim to make the environment ever-so-slightly more competitive and incentivize long-term teambuilding and engagement. Lastly, if you're a fan of our livetours, don't forget to sign up to our last M-A "regional" over at our Limitless! These "regionals" are usually the biggest and most competitive livetours we have, so, if you're raring to give that special team a go, now's your time! Here's a handy link for you, and prepare to bid adieu to M-A!

What's Next

Truthfully, it's a great time to be a 4v4 Doubles UU fan. Champions just released, the tier is active and fun to play, and the community is great. I hope you all share my excitement! Moving forward, I'd like to post these Roadmaps every 3 months or so, always with the intent to communicate what is going on behind the scenes without spoiling all the fun or giving away too much. Again, I feel like clear communication is key to developing further in a healthy way, and so, I'll do all I can to estabilish said communication. Next time you see one of these, we'll be at the end of the Circuit, so I'll be detailing how the last two topics developed and what course of action will be taken for the tier. As always, if you have any suggestions, just send me a DM and I'll respond as soon as I can. This is BP, your grateful Tier Leader, signing out, and I hope to catch you in our next tournament! Bye bye!​

 

[sheepie]

67​

haha 67

 

[thebusinesspiggy]

haha 67

i'm genuinely going insane where did i type 67

 

[thebusinesspiggy]

Hey everyone! Two updates: first is the fact my analyses are all delayed because of Calculus. So fun!
Second: Tier Shifts are out!! For Reg M-B, we have the following banlist:

Challenge Code

/challenge gen9championsvgc2026regmb@@@Force Open Team Sheets,Best Of = 3, -Sneasler, -Garchomp, -Incineroar, -Kingambit, -Basculegion, +Basculegion-F, -Sinistcha, -Floettite, -Aerodactylite, -Charizardite-Y, -Milotic, -Pelipper, -Farigiraf, -Whimsicott, -Delphoxite, -Archaludon, -Maushold, -Ninetales-Alola, -Grimmsnarl, -Sylveon, -Swampertite, -Metagrossite, -Gholdengo, -Staraptite, -Raichunite Y, -Mawilite, -Hydreigon, -Torkoal, -King's Rock, -Quick Claw, -Bright Powder, Evasion Moves Clause, OHKO Moves Clause, Evasion Abilities Clause, Gravity Sleep Clause

As a reminder, the current week of the Open will still play Regulation M-A, with the tournament shifting to M-B next week, on Round 8.

Soon I'll update this post with the link to our Kickoff Limitless tournament, which happens at the start of every regulation and must conclude in order for tiering to take place. Hope to see you all there!

 

[pengu]

First Impressions

Pokemon we lost:
, ,
This one is a shock to no one. To be honest, I highly doubt losing this Pokemon will have a huge impact on the format. It was great previously, though we have Primarina as an already solid Fairy-type. While it does of course suck to lose Sylveon, I think it's not the worst thing that could happen. Hydreigon, on the other hand, is a huge thing to lose, considering its extremely strong matchups into foes like Basculegion. Losing the best Snarl Pokemon and probably the best Dragon-type (aside from Dragonite) around really does stink, though the same can't be said for Torkoal, who will only really affect Full Room teams that have seen little success anyways.

Pokemon we gained:
, , , , , , , , , , , , ,
We gained a lot of previously banned Pokemon, I'll list them off and what they'll add here:

- Probably not the most impactful because of Basculegion's strength and lack of super powerful spread moves outside of things like Volcarona's Heat Wave post-Quiver Dance. I imagine it'll work well on maybe 1 or 2 structures but not really anywhere else

- This one feels huge. Having fast Tailwind in a format without priority Tailwind as an option is absolutely absurd. Rock Slide is still solid without Mega Charizard Y to hit Volcarona and Dragonite instead, though now Dual Wingbeat may be droppable in the absence of Sneasler, possibly opening up for Taunt, Wide Guard, coverage, or weather-setting moves.

- Actually pretty easy to contain IMO. Mega Tyranitar I expect to be one of the top Mega Evolutions now and Froslass really struggles into that, not to mention the Rain teams that are already running around + Mega Lucario. It'll still be strong though, Blizzard from that Special Attack and Speed may just roll through teams.

- Bannable Pokemon. After losing Hydreigon, the only true answers to this are Jolly Choice Scarf Basculegion and Tyranitar (+its Mega). With the correct partners they become far more manageable and this Pokemon's base stats + ability are simply too strong for this tier to handle

im too lazy to talk about anything else but annihilape seems cool

 

[thebusinesspiggy]

Hey everyone! It's been a while since the last one, but we have a new Tiering Survey! You can access it here. Please vote on it, as your opinion is very important to us!

On a sidenote, my analyses have been delayed due to IRL stuff. Release date TBD but they should be out soon, with more stuff to compensate the wait. BP signing out!

 

[gephicka]

Sample Teams:

Regulation M-B

live from houston texas