Metagame 4v4 Doubles UU (Basculegion Suspect!)

[merrypasta]

Specs Iron Valiant 4th Move VR
I want to write a post about Iron Valiant's sets but haven't done so yet. Choice Specs seems to be very good though, so here's a VR of moves you can use on it besides Moonblast, Dazzling Gleam, and Aura Sphere.

S	Expanding Force	Vacuum Wave	Trick
A	Shadow Ball	Icy Wind	Psyshock
B	Psychic	Focus Blast	Thunderbolt
C	Quick Guard	Hyper Beam	Close Combat	Energy Ball
	Hyper Voice	Shadow Sneak
Use these to get Sizzle to use Iron Valiant the way a parent tells a child that the spoon is an airplane	Metronome	Hex	Destiny Bond	Hypnosis
	Future Sight

 

[ValiantValerie]

Seed 8 vs Seed 9
TheBusinessPiggy vs ditt8/Cubo - 55/45. BP can get in his own head and Cubo is a relatively strong clicker, but I think he would take prep a lot less seriously. I've seen how BP preps for even the less serious stuff, and what makes it scarier is that BP chose to branch out in Reg F. He likes to hyperfix on specific Pokemon (Slither Wing rn) but he can definitely pilot other cores, namely the standard Archaludon rain. It's a close match and I'm very hyped to see it


Seed 5 vs Seed 12
Sinnoy vs Skwovetboi - 65/35. Sinnoy's one of the stronger clickers in the tier and lives to build, even if it's so bad that sinnoyslop has become a 4v4 uu term. Think Sinnoy has this if he takes it seriously in the builder and doesn't bring checks notes Riolu or Impish Electric Seed Iron Hands


Seed 7 vs Seed 10
merrypasta vs Ev_Evan - 40/60. I think Evan's a more consistent clicker. He can sometimes overcook in the builder but he seemed really enthusiastic about making worlds, and enjoys Regulation F more, I think he'll bring a strong team. I wouldn't be surprised if pasta pulls a win here, since they're far from a bad clicker or builder themselves, and could definitely pull up with an unexpected Pokemon.


Seed 6 vs Seed 11
Pengu vs Nocturne Nugget - 45/55. Pengu has been burnt out for a while, I don't think he will put in as much effort towards Reg F or worlds/playoffs. Leila hasn't been able to make many tours either which makes this match very interesting. I think Leila is definitely stronger in the builder, but she's probably a worse clicker. I think this is slightly in her favour because Reg F rewards you in the builder a lot, and because she won in our second discord tournament's Losers Finals.

 

[sheepie]

thebusinesspiggy vs ditt8 - 40/60 ditt8 is a really strong clicker and consistent player, tbp is more hit or miss, whilst they can have great performances i dont tihnk they quite have the experience at a high level tohave the advantage in this mu, gonna be a hype match regardless though.

sinnoy vs skwovetboi - 65/35 THE GOAT, no but sinnoy is one of the best and most commited players of the format, whilst skwovet has had good success and is a strong player, their builds have been quite hit or miss for me (tho same can be said for sinnoy), another hype mu but I think that sinnoy is just the more consistent player and should take it.

pasta vs ev_evan - 55/45 pasta gets the advantage off motivation and general experience with the meta, though both are very strong players

pengu vs nocturne nugget - 49/51 both players are incredibly strong and this is easily the best match of the bunch, im super looking forward to watching it, giving nocturne the slight edge cause of their slight more involvement in reg f.

 

[thebusinesspiggy]

predicts for playoffs week 1!
me vs. ditt8 - no expectations, glhf to ditt8! uhhh just so you have something to read SLITHER WING IS AN S+ TIER POKEMON DON'T LET THEM CENSOR THE MOTH

Sinnoy vs. Skwovetboi - 60/40 i talk to both of them a lot and sinnoy seems to have a better grasp of the meta, having built multiple teams that all stand up in their own as off-meta menaces. however, skwovet dedicates a lot to multi-week tournaments like this and i can see them pulling up with some insane cook that manages to outpace sinnoy. both of them are very strong players imo, i'm just favored towards sinnoy because i've seen what the teams can do. also worth mentioning, i've seen both overcook and completely blow up the kitchen. most exciting match of the week for me (other than mine)


merrypasta vs. Ev_Evan - 55/45 favored towards pasta because i think evan can get a little lost in the builder sometimes. same thing as the two above, just some very interesting teambuilding. pasta can however be a little stuck in agenda sometimes (ival moment), but they have proven they can build quite diverse teams, like the one they brought against gephicka in the last open. i think this is definitely a good watch.


Pengu vs. Nocturne Nugget - 45/55 neither of them have played much recently but both played in the last 2 regionals and had very good finishes, both making top cut. favored towards nocturne because they're more involved with reg f so far. it's also a runback from open 2's loser side finals! certainly hyped to see it.

 

[merrypasta]

My predictions:

Seed 8 vs Seed 9
thebusinesspiggy vs ditt8 - 55/45. Ditt8 is good at the game, and was near the top of the Reg H ladder not too long ago. However, he hasn't been playing much of UU lately, so I'm actually doubtful regarding his chances. I'm sure his fundamental skills will still shine through, but BP has played a lot more of Reg F, both in practice and in tournaments. I'm sure if he doesn't use Slither Moth or whatever it's called he can take the win.


Seed 5 vs Seed 12
sinnoy vs skwovetboi - 60/40. Sinnoy is one of the best players in the tier, and while Skwovetboi was able to make it to #12, there's a reason Sinnoy is #5, barely missing a bye to skip Round 1. Despite his strange choices sometimes in teambuilding, I think he's able to make something work most of the time. Riolu making top 4 was very funny, and while I doubt he'll pull something like that out of his ass again, there is a good chance he has something up his sleeve that can give him a win. Skwovetboi's chances depend on whether or not he has enough restraint to prevent himself from using Chandelure.

Seed 7 vs Seed 10
pasta vs ev_evan - 50/50. I'm not going to make a judgment, as I'm part of this match. However, I do think Evan is very good at coming out of nowhere with a good team, as he did both during Reg H and yesterday's weekly. Regardless, Gephicka is definitely right that in tournaments like this, I tend to win off builder. I feel like my chances in this match depend on what Evan chooses to bring. I've never played him in a context like this, so I actually have no clue whether he's passive & repeats good teams or goes for an aggressive counter like I tend to lean toward.

Seed 6 vs Seed 11
Pengu vs Nocturne Nugget - 45/55. I think Leila is very good at the game, despite her recent lower activity in Reg J and F. If she can gain more familiarity with the format, I think she has a better chance to win, primarily because Pengu's inactivity has been even more long-lasting. From my match against them during the last Open, I think Pengu's predisposed to bringing teams with some meta members but uncommon mons as well. They brought a snow team featuring Tauros, Abomasnow, and Magmortar, alongside the more common Dragapult, Baxcalibur, and Glimmora. If I have to guess, Leila will bring a generally strong core in the format while Pengu will respond with something unexpected held together by glue such as Landorus-Therian, Brute Bonnet, or bulky attackers like Heatran and Iron Hands. I may be completely off though.

 

[merrypasta]

predicts for playoffs week 1!
me vs. ditt8 - no expectations, glhf to ditt8! uhhh just so you have something to read SLITHER WING IS AN S+ TIER POKEMON DON'T LET THEM CENSOR THE MOTH

Sinnoy vs. Skwovetboi - 60/40 i talk to both of them a lot and sinnoy seems to have a better grasp of the meta, having built multiple teams that all stand up in their own as off-meta menaces. however, skwovet dedicates a lot to multi-week tournaments like this and i can see them pulling up with some insane cook that manages to outpace sinnoy. both of them are very strong players imo, i'm just favored towards sinnoy because i've seen what the teams can do. also worth mentioning, i've seen both overcook and completely blow up the kitchen. most exciting match of the week for me (other than mine)


merrypasta vs. Ev_Evan - 55/45 favored towards pasta because i think evan can get a little lost in the builder sometimes. same thing as the two above, just some very interesting teambuilding. pasta can however be a little stuck in agenda sometimes (ival moment), but they have proven they can build quite diverse teams, like the one they brought against gephicka in the last open. i think this is definitely a good watch.


Pengu vs. Nocturne Nugget - 45/55 neither of them have played much recently but both played in the last 2 regionals and had very good finishes, both making top cut. favored towards nocturne because they're more involved with reg f so far. it's also a runback from open 2's loser side finals! certainly hyped to see it.

If I bring Iron Valiant to my match against Evan, it will have the move Metronome and I will beat him by getting a Dire Claw sleep from Metronome.

 

[thebusinesspiggy]

If I bring Iron Valiant to my match against Evan, it will have the move Metronome and I will beat him by getting a Dire Claw sleep from Metronome.

let's see it happen then i triple moth dare you

 

[ValiantValerie]

Sorry to ruin the fun but here are the results from Regulation F UU's first tiering survey!

Indeedee - General: 1.79, Qualified: 1.62
Basculegion - General: 1.95, Qualified: 1.92
Grimmsnarl - General: 2., Qualified: 1.92
These are quite central metagame forces that received one or two votes above a 3. Some of these may remain in future surveys to gauge community opinions but the council won't pay close attention to what are deemed complete non-issues.

Iron Hands

General: 2.6, Qualified: 2.77 - Iron Hands has been very dominant in 4v4 UU's tournaments, consistently topping the usage stats. Some concerns have arised thanks to how well it damage trades with the rest of the format, whether that be Swords Dance behind screens or Assault Vest on standard balance. However, the large majority of the playerbase believe Iron Hands to be fine, and further action is very unlikely unless major changes happen to benefit Iron Hands.

Archaludon

General: 3.4, Qualified: 3.7 - Archaludon has been dreaded even before usage stats were released, the Pokemon has narrowly avoided a quickban vote and is arguably the strongest threat in the metagame. After Enamorus and Annihilape received the ban hammer, Archaludon has evolved to use Stamina Body Press set up alongside Fezandipiti or Ogerpon, becoming extremely difficult to kill and having the potential to snowball games. The votes and opinions about Archaludon are extremely polarized, so the council has decided to watch Archaludon very closely, we are currently considering potential action.

Enjoyment: General - 7.2, Qualified - 7.15
Balance: General - 6.6, Qualified - 6.38
The playerbase seems to really enjoy the format right now, but the balance is brought down to a less than stellar number because of Archaludon's controversy. We don't believe any action is required yet, but again, the council will keep a very close eye on Archaludon and how the metagame reacts to it. Thanks to everyone for responding and Im happy to see most of you really enjoy 4v4 UU! Keep an eye out for our weekly live tournaments that happen on our Limitless Page and the Smogon kickoff tournament coming up soon <3

Reg H Enjoyment: General - 6.89, Qualified - 7.18
Reg H Balance: General - 6.89, Qualified - 6.9
Reg J Enjoyment: General - 6.71, Qualified - 6.5
Reg J Balance: General - 6.6, Qualified - 6.9
Our last formats were difficult to tier, as Regulation H had a significantly low power level and Regulation J naturally came with strong centralisation. Not to mention how they were run together, so burn out and lack of interest was more common. I'm personally quite happy that they approached a 7 in all these categories despite the struggles they faced.

 

[pengu]

this is pengu for those wondering

predicts

Seed 8 vs Seed 9
thebusinesspiggy vs ditt8 - 51/49
IMO this battle can go either way. BP is stronger in the builder for sure and has been I'd say more involved in this tier and can definitely whip out something saucy (rain probably LOL). cubox (ditt8) is a strong clicker for sure but I haven't seen much of their play do I'll be giving the edge to BP here.

Seed 5 vs Seed 12
sinnoy vs skwovetboi - 70/30
Sinnoy does really well in having surprisingly good builds although most of the niche mons they use are kinda shit and tag along instead of actually do something. Tbh skwovetboi has a similar issue where they use generally unviable Pokemon but both are strong in battle (from the few sets I've seen, I might be completely wrong), I think it's just a difference in experience honestly.

Seed 7 vs Seed 10
pasta vs ev_evan - 60/40
pasta is a strong clicker and decent builder (surely valiant isn't in EVERY set) and someone who I have played against quite a lot. Evan just isn't someone I'm familiar with though I've heard great things about their play and pasta can sell sometimes soooooo...

Seed 6 vs Seed 11
Pengu Linux OS vs Nocturne Nugget - 0/100
who's a pengu believer in the big reg f i mean cmon we left that shit in reg i

notes bans + survey results

I'll just be rattling through Pokemon lol


Yeah keep this girl locked the fuck up. Contrary is kinda stupid in a format lacking any good Steels aside from the Earth Power weak Heatran. Doesn't even need Tailwind support to be faster thanks to Scary Face, overall I don't have much to say.

keep cheese items banned yadayada we know we know


Tbh this guy is not banworthy. I have and will continue to experiment with Archaludon and in practice it doesn't always feel too strong thanks to the popularity of choices like Landorus-T, Iron Hands, and Ninetales-A, the first two can run AV as well. I like having Rain as a solid choice in the format so it might be a bias but Archaludon just doesn't feel mega banworthy (until we pull up with Sinsitcha + arch).


Another broken that I think definitely deserved to get banned, having no Rage Fist resists + very few fighting resists is really scary + scarf set variance can also fuck up your plans into Annihilape. BU sets are 100% the scariest though, Rage Fist goes unchecked and, without Enam, there aren't any huge ways to hit it tbh.


I think Sneasler should've been in the tier for a bit longer because I think the consensus on it is a bit skewed. Yes psychic seed sets are inherently broken but certainly able to be dealt with (redirection, lando). It being highly uncompetitive isn't even totally true; I'd argue that the fact that Close Combat goes nigh unresisted and its high speed are what are a bit more worrysome. I guess the ban makes sense but I could see a world with Sneasler in reg f as long as some drops happen or something.


Free Articuno and ban Snow Cloak. This is a hill I will die on for sure. While your at it, ban Sand Veil too. I think freezespam is perfectly fine to have in the tier as seen in most other tiers and is still present in the tier so idk why this should be an argument (while I get that bundle isn't as inherently bulky and can't fish for more freezes because of that but its damage more than makes up for that). OHKO moves aren't too big of an issue either; if they are hated so much then I think they should be banned alongside evasion boosting abilities.


Survey results

+
Honestly surprised these weren't voted a tad higher, maybe around 2-2.3 but eh. Strong Pokemon that have severe weaknesses, I think Indeedee can safely be removed from the survey but Basculegion should stay on. If it continues to warrant issues then suspect it or suspect Last Respects if that is the real issue.


Why is this guy even here? I think it just got onto the survey because of Light Screen Reflect TWave/Scary Face being annoying? In that case why wasn't Thundurus here as well? Tbh keep this guy off the next survey, annoying Pokemon for sure but not banworthy, similar to something like Ting-Lu + Gouging Fire in DOU - annoying but certainly not broken / oppressing enough to warrant a ban.


Same situation as Grimmsnarl tbh, far from banworthy and is probably high up in ratings because of it being so popular but would keep it on the survey in case something happens.


Read above

 

[Ev_Evan]

If I bring Iron Valiant to my match against Evan, it will have the move Metronome and I will beat him by getting a Dire Claw sleep from Metronome.

liar

 

[merrypasta]

I have won the first round of Playoffs against ev_evan, after a long period of deliberation as to what team I'd bring.

In the end, I settled on these six:



Paste

Brief summary

It's a pretty standard HO core. Specs Iron Valiant is one of the best breakers in the format, and paired with Fake Tears Whimsicott it decimates a wide swath of the format with Tera Fairy Moonblast, including special behemoths like Assault Vest Archaludon. Dazzling Gleam & Expanding Force provide nice spread damage that can't be ignored either. Heatran is a bulky attacker whose damage is nothing to sneeze at, and I'm running a lot of speed to cover for Scarf Landorus-Therian, Basculegion, and non-speed booster Iron Bundle. Ogerpon-Cornerstone is a redirector, but also primarily a fast attacker with great typing to help deal with things like Thundurus, Volcarona, and the like. As a physical attacker, it also helps to patch up my team's reliance on special damage, as even though Iron Valiant has a good Attack stat, I'm not using it. Indeedee sets terrain and chips opponents that aren't Dark type with Expanding Force. It also imprisons the move Trick Room, and can set it if I read a Tailwind, am fighting a super fast team, or want Heatran to go first. Iron Bundle is more speed control, with Icy Wind and good damage with Hydro Pump & Freeze-Dry.

However, there's more beneath the surface that I did to try and cover for specific matchups.

The most glaring example is the Ability Shield on Whimsicott. I had a feeling Evan may bring Weezing, as it's an annoying matchup for my teams. It's weak to Psyspam but the fact it turns off terrain and Prankster is annoying. In particular, something like Scarf Tera Flying Galarian Zapdos could outspeed and OHKO Iron Valiant with Brave Bird, even through Tera Fairy, and I couldn't do much about it. Thus, I added Ability Shield. This didn't end up hurting me in the long run so it's fine.

Additionally, Iron Valiant and Iron Bundle are both built to beat Rain teams. Valiant is able to OHKO Assault Vest Archaludon after a Fake Tears, Basculegion with Tera Fairy Moonblast, and, crucially, Pelipper with Tera Fairy Dazzling Gleam. During the "GeFF-i-tour," I noticed that SeaWolfMikes' Special Attack investment, of 156+, is annoying because it has a very high chance to OHKO Pelipper, but it's not 100. While most Pelipper are sashed, Scarf is a completely usable set that slightly skirts around Iron Valiant's good matchup into rain. You're not exactly going to Fake Tears + Tera Fairy Moonblast an Archaludon if there's a big Tera Stellar Weather Ball coming your way. Additionally, Basculegion with a little bit of bulk, as little as 12 SpD, would be able to give themselves a roll to live as well. So, I went with 188.

Iron Bundle, on the other hand, is completely standard in the EV department. However, Tera Ice allows Freeze-Dry to always OHKO Basculegion, and something like Assault Vest Landorus. The problem with Iron Valiant's dismantling of rain teams is that it's also knocked out by rain teams, with Archaludon's Flash Cannon, Basculegion's Wave Crash, or Pelipper's Hurricane if you don't tera. So, in case they pivot out the Basculegion, Tailwind ends, and I can't rely on something like Indeedee to finish it off, Bundle is a nice backup plan. It's also just good speed control in general.

 

[sheepie]

we are up to top 8 of worlds (get hyped) here are my predicts
thebusinesspiggy vs seawolfmikes - 30/70 piggy i love you and you are great at the game but swm is just too good, whilst i dont think this is a deadset win for swm they are definitely favoured here.
gephicka vs pasta - 60/40 I think pasta has more determination and time here, but geph has more experience and is largely the better player, plus pasta's builds often end up being fairly predictable. Whilst i think both players are fantastic and have a very very real chance to take the title im going to lean geph here, pasta prove me wrong
pengu vs nocturne nugget - same as last week, extended winner gets a bye. I really want to catch this one as with all the matches.

 

[thebusinesspiggy]

top 8 time! let's see here ummm uh oh
thebusinesspiggy vs seawolfmikes - 10/90 haha this will not be fun, welcome one and all to the most one-sided match in the entire playoffs bracket. for some context, i have never beaten swm, at most i got one game off during a J weekly. it was a good run while it lasted, i'll still try my best, though... i'm already happy with top 8 :)
gephicka vs pasta - 60/40 i think gephicka has the better prep and clicking, though pasta has won in the past... i think it'll be very matchup dependant but i can see pasta running away with a win here
sinnoy vs sheepie - 50/50 the best match of the week here, they're about evenly matched imo, and while sinnoy is infamously unlucky at crucial moments, i think he can pull through. meanwhile, sheepie has only gotten better since they started playing and this is actually a rematch of the most recent regional finals... incredibly hyped for this one!

 

[pengu]

thebusinesspiggy vs seawolfmikes - 35/65
Will more likely than not be a blowout in swm's favor. I will give bp credit that if they do get calls down and build something good they could pull through, especially because swm hasn't played much Regulation F, as to my knowledge.

gephicka vs pasta - 70/30
Pasta certainly has a shot but really only plays HO and gephicka has more general doubles knowledge so will likely be a skill difference or team difference.

sinnoy vs sheepie - 49/51
gonna be a great one to watch. I'm bolding sheepie here because imo they're a better clicker but sinnoy could be in the kitchen for this one.

hahhaha imagine not having a bye this week :)

 

[thebusinesspiggy]

As my Circuit Playoffs run comes to an end, I will say, I am incredibly happy with the result. I played 2 really fun sets, and, while obviously I feel like I could've done better, I know that's just retrospect intoxicating my mind. Still, I got a win and had a close game against seawolfmikes, who i have a 0% wr against. As such, I've made small team reports for both the teams brought :) I'd like to thank my friends for the teambuilding/testing help, the cheering and the support, even though I let them down by losing :( sorry for that everyone

TEAM 1 - THE MOTH, SLAYER OF ITALY


As I've been tinkering with Reg F more and more, I've slowly come to appreciate the setup -> sweep teamstyle. This all led to me finding a comfort pick in , nicknamed Radiance as a nod to Hollow Knight, one of my favorite games. As the core of the team, you'll note that it's incredibly bulk invested: given that the goal is to set up as many Quiver Dances as possible, with double redirection and Aurora Veil (more on this in a bit), I opted to invest very little into actual offense, as most of the time if I don't get 2 QD's it's over regardless. To help Radiance get going, we have the duo of and , my dual Grass-type redirectors. Nicknamed after my friends, they play extremely pivotal roles in letting Radiance set up at least twice, and also stopping any Trick Room and Encore attempts, giving me the opportunity to run away with the game. Of course, this poses an issue: and . How am I supposed to deal with these 2 beasts, that are immune to Heat Wave and resist Giga Drain before and after clicking Tera? You see, that's where comes in. after setting up Radiance , Spaghetti can come in, threatening both and also posing a problem on its own: if Radiance gets a double KO and Spaghetti can set a Swords Dance, the game is practically over. For matchups with higher pressure, such as the one I faced in r1, I also have , as that gives me immediate offensive pressure and sash-breaking with the combination of its dual STABs, U-turn and Tera Ground Stomping Tantrum, which makes it immune to pesky Thunder Waves. Defiant ensures that no or, much more importantly, , ever feels comfortable leading into my team, as they are easily taken down by +1 Brave Bird. Lastly, Broken (nickname because a friend kept calling it broken) is here to role-compress, with access to screens and weather at once, also giving me the interesting option of "slow" Encore. Overall, I'm happy with the team's performance, although this isn't the last I'd see of Radiance ...

TEAM 2 - YEAH, THESE ODDS ARE NOT GOOD


Radiance is back! This time, with a shiny new , providing a much needed +1 Defense boost, with the added benefit of Grassy Terrain giving Giga Drain a 1.3x boost in damage and the passive recovery of the now gone . And who other to set Grassy Terrain than (rilla is banned sadge), a mon I've come to really like using. Fake Out and Taunt give me answers into opposing setup, and Grassy Glide is a really nice priority move. also makes the psyspam matchup a lot more playable: after their terrain is disabled, Volcarona easily eats Expanding Forces from for breakfast. Notably, is also gone, replaced by . This is mainly due to Prankster being much more reliable in screen-setting and Thunder Wave being obnoxious. is also a new inclusion, replacing Spaghetti (you will be missed) especially considering how much I dislike running it. However, the thought of Intimidate and one-shotting Heatran was too tempting, so welcome aboard, tier's best fraud. Bundle is honestly just a slot-in, but it did prove very useful against Heatran and in other situations as well. I think I could've played better, but I'm happy to have taken it to game 3. Maybe I'm not so bad at the game huh. Nah I still am. I will die on this hill to ragebait you sinnoy :3

Anyway, that's it from yours truly. Let me know if you have any suggestions for the teams or questions on how to run them, and feel free to take them for a spin yourself in our upcoming tournaments or just in matchmaking! BP signing out.

 

[Drake.D.Blitz]

As my Circuit Playoffs run comes to an end, I will say, I am incredibly happy with the result. I played 2 really fun sets, and, while obviously I feel like I could've done better, I know that's just retrospect intoxicating my mind. Still, I got a win and had a close game against seawolfmikes, who i have a 0% wr against. As such, I've made small team reports for both the teams brought :) I'd like to thank my friends for the teambuilding/testing help, the cheering and the support, even though I let them down by losing :( sorry for that everyone

TEAM 1 - THE MOTH, SLAYER OF ITALY


As I've been tinkering with Reg F more and more, I've slowly come to appreciate the setup -> sweep teamstyle. This all led to me finding a comfort pick in , nicknamed Radiance as a nod to Hollow Knight, one of my favorite games. As the core of the team, you'll note that it's incredibly bulk invested: given that the goal is to set up as many Quiver Dances as possible, with double redirection and Aurora Veil (more on this in a bit), I opted to invest very little into actual offense, as most of the time if I don't get 2 QD's it's over regardless. To help Radiance get going, we have the duo of and , my dual Grass-type redirectors. Nicknamed after my friends, they play extremely pivotal roles in letting Radiance set up at least twice, and also stopping any Trick Room and Encore attempts, giving me the opportunity to run away with the game. Of course, this poses an issue: and . How am I supposed to deal with these 2 beasts, that are immune to Heat Wave and resist Giga Drain before and after clicking Tera? You see, that's where comes in. after setting up Radiance , Spaghetti can come in, threatening both and also posing a problem on its own: if Radiance gets a double KO and Spaghetti can set a Swords Dance, the game is practically over. For matchups with higher pressure, such as the one I faced in r1, I also have , as that gives me immediate offensive pressure and sash-breaking with the combination of its dual STABs, U-turn and Tera Ground Stomping Tantrum, which makes it immune to pesky Thunder Waves. Defiant ensures that no or, much more importantly, , ever feels comfortable leading into my team, as they are easily taken down by +1 Brave Bird. Lastly, Broken (nickname because a friend kept calling it broken) is here to role-compress, with access to screens and weather at once, also giving me the interesting option of "slow" Encore. Overall, I'm happy with the team's performance, although this isn't the last I'd see of Radiance ...

TEAM 2 - YEAH, THESE ODDS ARE NOT GOOD


Radiance is back! This time, with a shiny new , providing a much needed +1 Defense boost, with the added benefit of Grassy Terrain giving Giga Drain a 1.3x boost in damage and the passive recovery of the now gone . And who other to set Grassy Terrain than (rilla is banned sadge), a mon I've come to really like using. Fake Out and Taunt give me answers into opposing setup, and Grassy Glide is a really nice priority move. also makes the psyspam matchup a lot more playable: after their terrain is disabled, Volcarona easily eats Expanding Forces from for breakfast. Notably, is also gone, replaced by . This is mainly due to Prankster being much more reliable in screen-setting and Thunder Wave being obnoxious. is also a new inclusion, replacing Spaghetti (you will be missed) especially considering how much I dislike running it. However, the thought of Intimidate and one-shotting Heatran was too tempting, so welcome aboard, tier's best fraud. Bundle is honestly just a slot-in, but it did prove very useful against Heatran and in other situations as well. I think I could've played better, but I'm happy to have taken it to game 3. Maybe I'm not so bad at the game huh. Nah I still am. I will die on this hill to ragebait you sinnoy :3

Anyway, that's it from yours truly. Let me know if you have any suggestions for the teams or questions on how to run them, and feel free to take them for a spin yourself in our upcoming tournaments or just in matchmaking! BP signing

Good thing now I know exact spread!!
Bad thing now everyone knows about this team

Jokes aside these 2 teams are really strong ( copied them from discord before everyone else )
I have been using them and they can beat even pure reg f teams ( I have been doing that )

They are absolutes bangers and meta game defining

 

[Sizzlipede & Snom]

Meta Update: El Paso Regional

The Good Stuff:



I hate this core so much. Volcarona is a very straightforward 'mon to build and play. Quiver Dance, Protect, Heat Wave + one of the following between Giga Drain and Tera Blast. Choose a Tera between Grass, Water, Fairy, or Dragon. Click the Dance button until you can't anymore (protected by endless redirection and Fake Out), then brainlessly click Heat Wave / Giga Drain / Tera Blast until you win... or die. I honestly don't hate Volcarona by itself, but Ogerpon-Cornerstone puts this 'mon and its playstyle over the edge. Much of the counterplay for Quiver Dance Volcarona involves some of Encore, Taunt, Disable- something to deny setup. Follow Me Ogerpon-Cornerstone denies all of this, and Sturdy makes it even more annoying to break.
It's not banworthy, it's just... very, very annoying to play against. Especially calling the Protect / Attack 50/50's with Whimsicott into Volcarona.



This did very well, but it's not overwhelming in the sense that it completely consumes the builder into adding 2-3 mons worth of counterplay (ie adding Gastrodon, etc). I honestly think that the most broken part of this core is the Basculegion due to Last Respects, but that's another discussion. Rain has many hard and soft checks, from Landorus-Therian eating Electro Shot >> Forcing Tera (Stomping Tantrum) >> Tera Blast Flying chunking Archaludon pre-boosts >> Forcing Draco Meteor from Archaludon, as well as good old Iron Hands. Iron Valiant's rise also makes Archaludon Rain a lot easier to play around. Definitely still good. I've also seen a rise in Power Herb Sturdy Archaludon, which is a really good set on HO teams.



Short blurb here, mainly that people are preferring Heavy Slam > Ice Punch due to the rise in Iron Valiant and / or Whimsicott cores. Same fat blob.

New Good Stuff:


(My sincere apologies to sheepie_sheep.)

I must glaze this 'mon. Choice Specs Shadow Ball is insanely strong into this meta, with the only reliable resists being Moltres-Galar, Kingambit, and Brute Bonnet. The only one that does not drop to Specs Tera Blast Fairy is Kingambit, which isn't used much due to big Iron Hands. The blistering base 130 speed tier, only outdone by Regieleki, Iron Bundle, and TW / Scarfers, makes this a very scary threat.

/ + /

I always found this ridiculously hard to prep for in the builder outside of Tera Fire AV Iron Hands, and this fact still remains. Scarf Hyper-Offense mons such as Zapdos-G and Typhlosion-H paired with Weezing to shut down opposing speed control can easily punch a large enough hole for the rest of the team to clean up. A lot of the more offensive teams in the meta rely on abilities a lot right now (Psychic Surge Indeedee, Prankster Whimsicott, Booster Energy Speed) and a lot of them drop to Scarf Eruption / Close Combat / Brave Bird. Definitely something to be explored further. (Tera Ground Stomping Tantrum is 100% fake though, this isn't Reg F OU. Run Tera Flying Brave Bird + Coaching).



After Iron Valiant (sadly), it's probably the best Fairy-type attacker in the format. Extremely powerful with spread (Springtide / Gleam) and coverage (Earth Power), Overcoat for Brute Bonnet, it just has a lot of good qualities. It also did well during the regional. Gephicka would like to see more hard TR experimentation, so... I would expect to see a rise in usage of this mon. It's definitely good though, no larp.

 

[pengu]

This initially intended to be a targeted attack on Archaludon but my perspective has since changed. There is a different Pokemon I find to be an unhealthy presence in the tier and should realistically be banned, both as a VR council member and player. The Pokemon I'm talking about; you may know it. Water Ghost typing, seemingly just a menacing fish that shouldn't be broken but is. His name is...

That's right, it's Basculegion-M !​

the baseline

Basculegion isn't instinctively a great Pokemon; at least, judging by stats alone. 120 HP is really good, but not as amusing when backed up by bulk of only 65 Defense and 75 Special Defense. It has a good Attack stat at 112 which, by 4v4 DUU standards, is still kinda underwhelming. I mean, Barraskewda is there with better Attack and Speed (basculegion has speed of 78 only, a very middling speed tier which isn't terrible but isn't great either). This comparison may not make as much sense until I talk about the role that most players use Basculegion for and what is most obvious at a single glance of Basculegion.

Basculgeion, as viewed by the masses, is a good Rain sweeper. Using Swift Swim to give it a good Speed stat and let it nuke things with Wave Crash / Liquidation gives this Pokemon a solid standpoint (barrawskewda doesnt get wave crash lol). A similar level of power can even be achieved outside of Rain while maintaining the high speed with Choice Scarf + Adaptability. We don't talk about Mold Breaker though. Anyways, with all of this, Basculegion would just seem to be a Rain goober and nothing too stellar outside of that, right? Well, there is something I haven't told you yet...

the kicker

Basculegion has a "signature move" (fuck u houndstone) that is insanely broken; Last Respects. This move is a pretty bad 50 base power Ghost-type physical attack at the surface... is it just Astonish but a tad better? Well, no. The thing about Last Respects is that it gains 50 base power for each Pokemon that faints on your team. That means that if you're playing 6v6 and Basculegion is your last Pokemon, Last Respects will achieve 300 Base Power! This isn't the case for 4v4 DUU, as it's 4v4. Still, Last Respects reaches 200 Base Power. Technically if you revive your Pokemon and they keep dying then it can reach a theoretical limit of 5050 Base Power, although that's irrelevant here.

Anyways, with Speed control / support / sash, this move can turn Basculegion into an absolute monster. There really isn't any sugarcoating it; here are some calcs with a Choice Band set (commonly run on Rain teams) and one with a Adaptability set (commonly using Tera Ghost which will be shown here). Additionally, all will be with an Adamant nature + 150 Base Power:


-1 252+ Atk Choice Band Basculegion Last Respects (150 BP) vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Landorus-Therian: 139-165 (84.2 - 100%) -- 6.25% chance to OHKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Basculegion Last Respects (150 BP) vs. 76 HP / 28 Def Iron Hands: 174-205 (72.8 - 85.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Basculegion Last Respects (150 BP) vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Archaludon: 153-180 (77.6 - 91.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Basculegion Last Respects (150 BP) vs. 196 HP / 4 Def Okidogi: 169-199 (89.8 - 105.8%) -- 37.5% chance to OHKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Basculegion Last Respects (150 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Thundurus: 169-201 (90.8 - 108%) -- 50% chance to OHKO

Adaptability + Tera Ghost
-1 252+ Atk Adaptability Tera-Ghost Basculegion Last Respects (150 BP) vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Landorus-Therian: 139-166 (84.2 - 100.6%) -- 6.25% chance to OHKO
252+ Atk Adaptability Tera-Ghost Basculegion Last Respects (150 BP) vs. 76 HP / 28 Def Iron Hands: 175-207 (73.2 - 86.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Adaptability Tera-Ghost Basculegion Last Respects (150 BP) vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Archaludon: 153-180 (77.6 - 91.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Adaptability Tera-Ghost Basculegion Last Respects (150 BP) vs. 196 HP / 4 Def Okidogi: 169-200 (89.8 - 106.3%) -- 37.5% chance to OHKO
252+ Atk Adaptability Tera-Ghost Basculegion Last Respects (150 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Thundurus: 171-202 (91.9 - 108.6%) -- 50% chance to OHKO

Both are practically identical in power... important to note that this fish only has 112 BASE ATTACK, dealing this damage is insane. Not to mention on Rain teams Tera Water Wave Crash will OHKO nearly anything that doesn't resist it.

basculegion in action!

Here is a replay and my analysis on how Basculegion impacted the match.
----- vs -----
This was my week 2 kickoff set against bern (game 1). Here you can see that bern's team isn't too strong into opposing Basculegion, as they only have one Ghost-type resist, which happens to be threatened by half my team, scaring them of being too aggressive with it and forcing them to play around my threats. Capitalizing on the fact that they also didn't have too many Iron Hands answers after theirs was burned, I could safely remove Moltres-G and then sweep with Basculegion, giving them no chance of survival due to the sheer power of Last Respects.

Additionally, my Basculegion and the threat of Last Respects here in game two enabled me to bait them into thinking that Tera Dark was the right play in front of my Baxcalibur, allowing me to easily exterminate the rest of their Pokemon with Iron Hands, as Moltres-G (essentially their only way at clawing back in Trick Room) had no way to escape Wild Charge.

how to beat it

There are multiple ways to beat Basculegion. Akin to valerie's post on Archaludon, I'll go through these in no particular order.

- Sun is likely the easiest way to beat Basculegion, but only if they are the Choice Band variants on Rain teams. Shutting down Swift Swim allows you to easily threaten it with faster Pokemon like Walking Wake while also neutralizing the threat of Tera Water Wave Crash, allowing allies like Iron Hands to feel more safe to attack and OHKO Basculegion. Both of the mentioned Pokemon can set Sun, though Whimsicott can set Tailwind to let a faster ally like Sturdy Archaludon to outrun even Swift Swim Basculegion while Thundurus can use Thunder Wave to do the same, even using Electric STAB to threaten OHKOs.

- Likely the most obvious answer. Could just Rage Powder away attacks from Basculegion, or KO it with Black Glasses boosted Sucker Punch / Crunch, although Sitrus Berry is likely the better item for the matchup in case of Last Respects reaching high powers. Spore is also a very real option as well as Seed Bomb. Just be careful not to have Tera Fire Brute Bonnet in front of Basculegion though; consider how Tera can affect you late game vs early game.

- This Pokemon can threaten KOs on Basculegion early game although will need some boosts to survive attacks.

- A check that can work against non Rain variants, will again need some support, likely in the form of Intimidate or Trick Room or just needs to face a Basculegion without too many boosts.

- With booster energy, it outruns literally any Basculegion, even Swift Swim, and can offer huge damage with Freeze-Dry or slow it down with Icy Wind.

- Only works in the 1v1, Power Whip also needs to connect (ewww Horn Leech disgusting). Can also use Follow Me to allow allies to KO Basculegion, similar to Brute Bonnet minus the resists but with the addition of Sturdy.

In my opinion Basculegion is an overall unhealthy presence in the tier and should be banned. It can and does lose to many common Pokemon, yes, but quite a few of these matchups are flipped quickly around with support from other Pokemon or just more fortunate board positions / Tera / surprisingly bulky EV spreads. It can easily OHKO pretty much anything that isn't a resist / isn't a fucking Eternatus-Eternamax with Last Respects. I know in the past I had not been so strongly swayed in this direction but after playing my set with bern and other external matches I think I am able to come to the final verdict that I am certainly pro-ban on Basculegion.

A little note but I do think that because Basculegion can do so well solo really does help my argument. While there are arguably more detrimental pieces in this tier right now (ahem Archaludon don't you dare run away hey you too Smeargle I hate ur guts buddy) but Basculegion is definitely prominent from them due to how easy it is to just plop on a team and earn results. Ban this fish

 

[gephicka]

Regulation F Viability Rankings

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the official Regulation F VR is live!

 

[gephicka]

4v4 DUU Regulation F Suspect Process #1: "Spirit On the Water"

​

Rain has proven to be an incredibly controversial presence even before the initial ban slate went through, with Archaludon barely escaping the ban even then— but we aren't here to talk about Archaludon today. Basculegion has proven to be an even more controversial presence in the format than its partner in crime— due largely in part to its combination of raw power, speed, and comeback ability when used in Rain. Basculegion's base 112 Attack stat may not seem that significant at first glance, but when used in conjunction with high-base power moves like rain-boosted Wave Crash or 2-3 dead allies Last Respects it's able to nuke basically the entire metagame. Basculegion is also no slouch in the bulk department— its bulk rivals Amoonguss— it's able to live unboosted Super Effective attacks from Iron Bundle, Brute Bonnet, and Iron Hands with literally no defensive investment. In addition to its role on rain teams, Basculegion also serves as a very versatile offensive cleaner with its Choice Scarf set— able to clean though teams late game with Adaptability-boosted Last Respects.

some Basculegion calcs

Offensive
252+ Atk Choice Band Tera Water Basculegion Wave Crash vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Iron Hands in Rain: 286-338 (124.8 - 147.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Basculegion Wave Crash vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Iron Hands in Rain: 214-253 (93.4 - 110.4%) -- 62.5% chance to OHKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Tera Water Basculegion Wave Crash vs. 252 HP / 132+ Def Brute Bonnet in Rain: 123-145 (56.4 - 66.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Basculegion Wave Crash vs. 252 HP / 132+ Def Brute Bonnet in Rain: 92-108 (42.2 - 49.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Basculegion Wave Crash vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Brute Bonnet in Rain: 114-135 (52.2 - 61.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Tera Water Basculegion Wave Crash vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Iron Bundle in Rain: 137-162 (104.5 - 123.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Basculegion Last Respects vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Iron Bundle: 114-135 (87 - 103%) -- 18.8% chance to OHKO
Defensive
252 SpA Iron Bundle Freeze-Dry vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Basculegion: 282-332 (74 - 87.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
0 Atk Brute Bonnet Sucker Punch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Basculegion: 138-164 (70.7 - 84.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Brute Bonnet Sucker Punch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Basculegion: 186-218 (95.3 - 111.7%) -- 62.5% chance to OHKO
100+ Atk Black Glasses Brute Bonnet Sucker Punch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Basculegion: 198-234 (101.5 - 120%) -- guaranteed OHKO
156+ Atk Iron Hands Wild Charge vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Basculegion: 236-282 (121 - 144.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO

Basculegion does have its fair share of offensive and defensive counterplay, with Black Glasses Brute Bonnet being able to both defensively check it and consistently OHKO it with Sucker Punch, Sinistcha redirecting its Water-type attacks and being able to handle unboosted Last Respects, Iron Hands being able to live and threaten an OHKO back with Wild Charge, and Archaludon is also notably able to take advantage of Basculegion's rain with Electro Shot. Many argue that because of how many common defensive staples in the tier are able to handle it both offensively and defensively, it's not an overwhelming presence in the tier and should remain in the tier. While the arguments against Basculegion hinge on the idea that it's able to overwhelm its counters easily with its immense damage output and use in conjunction with Pelipper and Archaludon, who cover its offensive holes very effectively.

Two Basculegion Replays:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9vgc2026regfbo3-2507607937-8w05ddg5d14tltmjn42vv3om3emolw8pw
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9vgc2026regfbo3-2511409168-c8iu8wcctav17t00bnmeq4hgrkcaxf7pw

Reqs & Qualifications
this suspect test does NOT count for the Tiering Contributor Badge
There will be 3 ways of qualifying to vote for the suspect test:
El Paso Regional & 2025 Circuit Playoffs: If you placed within the top 4 at the El Paso Regional and/or top 8 of the 2025 Circuit Playoffs, you automatically qualify for reqs.
Matchmaking: Win 6 4v4 DUU Regulation F Bo3s in the suspect period (REPLAY PROOF REQUIRED), make sure to send them to the Tiering Councilors. Maximum of two bo3s per opponent. We reserve the right to reject replays if there any suspicious circumstances.
Suspect Tournament: There will be two suspect tournaments hosted in the UMs room, with top 2-4 being awarded Reqs based on turnout.
The first tour will be at: <t:1768071600:F>
The second tour will be at: <t:1768140000:F>

qualified voters

WIP

if you have any questions feel free to DM me on Discord @ gephicka

the deadline for reqs will be on <t:1768370340:F>​

 

[sheepie]

Basculegion: DNB

The offensive core of pelipper, archaludon and basculegion is undeniably extraordinarily powerful and almost impossible to realistically stop, and the core of this problem is either arch or basc which if rain loses it will become significantly more manageable, so either banning would work, but i do firmly believe that archaludon is the mon worthy of the banhammer for a few reasons:

1. outside of rain: both arch and basc are strong outside of rain and big aspects of the current meta, with basc running scarf adaptability flip turn / last respects spam foremost, whilst this set isn't anywhere near as broken as the band set in rain its still very strong and i think a very potent part of many common cores in the meta namely lando / volc | heatran / basc / rockpon, and is quite a positive presence in general imo.

arch's power herb is also a cornerstone of tailwind offense and many teams, im especially a fan of it, paired with whims, whilst assault vest + self attacks like beat up with damage reduction likes screens from grimmsnarl is a strong archetype if admittedly just like super unfun to play but that's not part of my point. i think largely, outside of rain, basc is the more influential mon on the meta, and basc's presence is generally more positive and central to the meta outside of rain, giving a top tier very powerful scarfer and water type to utilise, the latter of which the meta world otherwise be lacking really. (scarf lando is good but nowhere near as strong).

2. In rain brokenness: both arch and basc are stupid strong inside rain probably the most oppressive threats in the tier, with basc clicking wave crashes and lst respects of unparalleled power and arch becoming a snowballing monster almost impossible to take down. both have very limited checks, though i think that basc's checks are more widespread and concrete then arch's. brute bonnet, ogerpon cornerstone, regular ogerpon (which can also outspeed with tera), sucker punch kingambit, sunny day whims, tera water/grass hands (or defense invested) are all relatively solid checks to basc, same as tailwind or trick room if (which is an admittedly big if for trick room) you can get them off, whilst all of these can be mitigated by partners or wearing down checks they still are quite potent. basc itself when rain becomes a fish out of water, with it being easily outsped and losing a lot of damage output.

whilst arch too has quite a few checks such as hands, strong special attackers, weather disruption and being worn down, these can be mitigated by support such as sinistcha, using tera, or just are bowled over if arch accrues enough boosts. furthermore archaludon outside of rain is still a very strong threat, especially if you can use electro shot once or twice inside rain, being easily capable of muscling through many teams. for this as well, i think that arch is the more problematic pokemon and should be the one receiving the ban hammer to nerf rain

3. replacements: in the case of basculegion being banned, there are still many swift swimmers that can be used, none of which can really shine a candle to the power of basc m but many can come close, such as kingdra, basc f, and other more stupid options like floatzel which all could be used to some semblance of success imo. this makes it such that banning basc would nerf rain severely but it would still allow for broken arch to do broken arch things whilst the team can reasonably make sacrifices in the choice of swift swimmer on the team cause boosted water damage still goes stupid.

in contrast, nothing really replicates the force that is arch in rain, whilst you can supplement in the bulky dragon role nothing has the same combo of stamina body press and electro shot to become an unkillable monster, hence, if archaludon goes then rain will take a significant hit which it can't realistically find a way to make up for. whilst undeniably basc + pelipper would be very strong, their shared typing and weaknesses whilst pelipper being an ass mon itself makes it by and large easier to handle then bascless rain.


I very well could be proven wrong in time, but as things currenlty sit i think that archaludon is 100% the better mon to suspect for the health of the meta. i know the council will monitor arch after the suspect, whether basc is banned or not, but i think just going outright and suspecting arch would be the best course of action. that being said, if basc does end up being banned i wont be mad, and i think the meta will be relatively balanced with the presence of arch, but i will be disappointed that arch wasn't taken action on first, at the end of the day rain needs to take a hit and if its basc that has to take one for the team, so be it, however for the meantime my stance on basc is no ban, as i think its independently not a broken mon, instead just a beneficiary of rain's overwhelming influence over the meta. i hope to see more posts showing people's thoughts on basc and arch.