Smogon Premier League XVI - Commencement Thread

We're am
ADV players shoutouts:

Disclaimer: I am fuckin retired, stop coming in my discord DMs asking me to sign up, this tour is ass, my retirement will last till 2024

BluesEnergy00 -> Good player. 60% chance he shows up being at the same level or slighty above the pool, 20% chance he randomly trolls and brings Slaking, 20% chance you have to randomly sub him out, either way a 80% chance of having a fun time with him, hes a chaotic and cool chat presence and def deserves to be at least a sub

Endill -> Probably the best value pick of the entire tour when it comes to the ADV pool, not only its likely he goes cheap but he also has come with tremendous results the entire year, top6 in invite is nothing to scoff at and if u look beyond results, you will see he played most of the invite games extremely well to great amounts of precision, I reccomend this guy as possibly the best value starter of this entire SPL

charizardsnuts -> Great support, maybe can start but just for the support and great sub, he is worth it, nice results all around including a SSNL individual trophy, which talks about his skill, I have also seen him do well in a lot of teamtours and is generally very willing to help teammates but also very good at responding and taking criticism, incredible teammate to be with as I would know from my time in ROAPL

mielke -> same deal as Mayo (charizardsnuts) except hes genuinely a bit more overlooked, doesnt have that individual trophy to speak of, however make no mistake he is a threat, incredibely smart player whos also pretty good at taking criticism and at being a support, def reccomend as a sub who will clutch up games if your starter is gone/going on a bad streak, hes generally at the same skill level of Mayo and I recognize both as some of the greatest new ADVers the pool has to offer

Kollin7 -> great, great player who has been doing this for quite a bit, great skill level and honestly likely the most varied player bar Endill and maybe Mielke in this list, genuinely plays and tests with every archetype in the tier, extremely knowledgeable and great overall, has been doing exceptionally well in ladder for a while and silently doing well in tours as well, I def reccomend as a sub whos likely to be in the same deal as Mayo

Zpanther19 -> explosive recent result in Revival 2, top4 in such a excruciating and long tour is madly impressive, great player who has been constantly evolving the past few months, creating his own unique style and coming to be quite of a star of his own, to me I think he deserves his chance to prove that it wasnt just a "good tour fluke" and he is legit good as I believe him to be, genuinely very excited to see him play as he has shown up to have become silently great in these few months, also extremely nice as a individual and will be a good teammate

oliveroddish -> The ADV cup finalist. Great player, to be honest I haven't seen much else but he usually does solid and plays solid, in general a great pick and my interactions with him have been usually positive, I haven't teamed up with him but people who have usually say he is really really good as a teammate too and ofc his playing is great, after all he did went into a great run in ADV cup, def worth for a sub and managers should not be sleeping

AC7 -> Same deal as oliver, hes a very nice and enthusiastic guy who will be of great help, good player too and has won a individual too! I honestly think as advice for this guy, stop understimating yourself. You are genuinely good at the game, you just need to have some more confidence, anyway as long as you are able to fix that, I think this guy will do well in supporting and will be of good help to his team no matter what

ojr -> Honestly as overlooked as Mielke by the outsider community while also being incredibely underrated in the ADV spaces, a threat no doubt, some rage issues here and there and sometimes cooking too much for his own good, but generally very enthusiastic and does very well in most tours, will be a incredible and underrated 3-5k that will get as much value as some of the more expected new prospects, if not more, very great and worth it player

JabbaTheGriffin -> Don't know if this guy signed up but can we please stop letting him undrafted for practically no reason while also drafting worse players to start. Its genuinely stupid and idiotic, I know later I will say to stop relying on oldheads but give this old man a chance because if you actually looked upon recent years, you would know he actually did very well, either way its honestly stupid imo (it was especially stupid in CI6's year lol)


TLDR: This feels like a ton of glazing, I know and I am not the biggest fan of that, but honestly I just wanted to shoutout some new players who I think should have a place in SPL, except Endill, who I think should be looked upon more with his great year in 2024, im genuinely tired of these managers who have intelectual capability as similar of a leaf, except the leaf is probably genuinely smarter in 78% of the scenarios when it comes to knowing and understanding ADV talent, I also wanna say to the managers to not be afraid of subbing out some of the most "established ones" for these new players especially if the "established ones" are doing awfully, no need to be actively owning your team when theres a perfectly fine good player waiting in the wings, give a chance, I can guareentee that all of these I have shoutouted will not dissapoint you and will try to give their 100% no matter what in this tour. I just feel you guys need to stop drafting X oldhead from 2017-2018 and hope they go positive, theres a TON of players for ADV if you look right, arguably too much, so please managers, dont make dumb mistakes this time around when it comes to selecting ADV players. Peace out lol
Where am I?
 
The RBY pool this year is losing two of its long-time stalwarts in Heroic Troller and Nails (they played every SPL 2019-2024!) so this will definitely be an interesting season.

The known faces: Gefährlicher Random, Serpi, and good old me :heart: The two Germans at this point have been within the shortlist to win any RBY tournament they join for quite a while. I was pretty ass for a couple years but I got back to form and podiumed invitational this year, I'm probably good.

The johners: chuva de perereca, Sceptross. Their signups are nowhere to be seen, but word on the street is they're probably joining. While I don't think their 2024 was particularly strong results-wise, they've both been consistent high level competitors in this tier for years now (chuva with better results in SPL, but Sceptross arguably outperformed him in individuals historically). They both should be safe locks if (when) they sign up.

The flexible gamers: Isza, Laroxyl, Eeveeto. In recent years we have seen more people from other tiers integrate themselves into RBY, and these three are this year's finest example. They took turns crushing tournaments: Isza got 4th place in Invitational in style, narrowly missing on the money but looking rather impressive throughout (packed McMeghan and Conflict 2-0 in the first two rounds, to give you an idea). Eeveeto has brought his classic Eeveeto flair to RBY, reaching all the way to the Final of RBY Cup and winning a game there with a Lickitung. Managers and teammates will be pissed off by his team choices, but likely not by his results. And lastly, Laroxyl reached the final of the Global Championship (our third big Individual of the year alongside Invitational and Cup) and completed the year by clinching the Circuit ribbon in the final bracket.
These three players are 1. definitely ready to play a full season at this level and 2. good enough at other tiers to contribute to the team beyond their own slot; managers would be pretty silly to pass any of them up.
I will mention here that BlazingDark, Aliss and Vileman also could play this tier and do well, but I think their talents are likely best employed in GSC, whereas for the three above I'm fairly confident RBY is their best generation right now.

lax: Anything this guy types reads like trolling, but there is at least some credence to the notion he enjoys RBY - he got a neat 3-1 record playing PU in RBYPL. Establishing anything else about this guy's intentions is completely beyond me, but he is obviously extremely capable, familiar with the core mechanics of the generation, and will do well if he's serious.
I will also mention soulgazer, who is in a similar boat - clearly demonstrated competence in the past, but their motivation levels are a mystery (to me) and their ability to do well is entirely contingent on how willing they are to grind the tier a little bit and overall take the tournament seriously

The other guys with great 2024s: nicole7735, Genesis7, BeeOrSomething. nicole7735 has been quickly rising through the RBY ranks over the last two years, and her 2nd place Invitational run in 2024 was a clear statement: she's ready for the big leagues. The other two are my frontrunners to round out the pool: Genesis7 brings experience (he already played in SPL XI, and managed last year), has had his best individual year in a while imo, and should be a safe bet to bring a decent number of wins for cheap. However I think he is held back by his small comfort zone, and especially in an SPL pool where people are sweaty and very proficient at prepping, a flaw of that sort could prove fatal. BeeOrSomething's profile is pretty similar to nicole's, but a bit worse - rose rapidly in the last couple years, but his best achievement is an RBY Cup Semifinal (rather than an Invitational 2nd place), and his results across the board are just a little less consistent. The kid is good though, clearly above your run-of-the-mill mainer (combined for 12-4 across RoAPL and RBYPL) and would no doubt give it his all if given a chance. Even if managers are not ready to start him, he should probably be the #1 name on many backup plans for this tier.

The sleeping giant: Prinz signed up, swore in Commencement that he's serious this time, and topped the RBY ladder (for what little that's worth). He has done this a few times and deleted anyway in the past, but let's entertain the world in which he's serious: Prinz was one of the greatest in the tier, but to give you an idea of how long ago that was, Troller's entire career has started and ended in the meantime. It's clear he's still at a good level, between his laddering and occasional appearances in tournaments like RBYWCs, but there's a gap between "good level" and "SPL level", and it's very unclear where Prinz falls exactly. It seems silly to completely disregard him, but it also seems extremely dangerous to buy Prinz with no backup plan.

Wildcards & Support:
Rookies who have shown glimpses of greatness: Albi, NotVeryCake
Players that aren't ready to start, but will give 110% to support & be great team presences: 16bit, Acetylaldehyde, Sabelette, Torchic
Guys that could plausibly sub into RBY in emergency situations but should probably focus on other generations: Christos, Fogbound Lake, Quarante8, RaiZen1704, violet river


Contrary to Finch and others, if I have not mentioned you it is 100% because I hate you. I have not forgotten about you, this is not by mistake, I think you suck. Happy new year & let's have a good tournament
 
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happy new year.

don't sleep on a motivated Onraider and hellpowna this year managers.

Patiently but earnestly looking forward to Siatam SPL 2025, especially if we get to squabble.

if Santu w/ marginal support is so broken...hmmm. "It's giving ultra instinct".

dice stfu. haha!

this year feels like a banger's on our hands. the spark is there. Fervour.

recipes not finished but we about to start cooking I can smell it. Heh.

let's see how it all unfolds innit
 
Hello and Happy New Year.

At first I wasnt so sure to make a post here, but I decided I have to take a step further if I want to have even the smallest chance to get into SPL this year.

Im Luirromen, and I have been getting more into the competitive scene the last 2 years. My best achievements come from my individual performances. On 2024 I have achieved 2° Place on OU Stour tour (SV OU, SS OU and SM OU), a 4th and 5th/6th on SV OU Spring and Fall Seasonal respectively, qualify for Smogon Masters play offs with a 7-2 record, qualify for SV OU Circuit as Seed #2, and I keep constantly laddering and building for the SV OU tier. One of my biggest achievements was to get into SCL as well, tho despite my 2-4 record wasnt the best, I want to get a chance to redeem myself, gain more experience on official team tournaments and support my teammates.

On 2023, I achieved Top 16 on OST, won OU Last Chance Qualifier, qualified for SV OU Circuit as Seed #4 and got all the way into Semifinals, and played a lot of small team tournaments highlighting a 4-3 record on OUPL and getting to win the whole tournament with my teammates.

I can provide help around building and testing as well for my teammates, as building is one of my favorite parts about SV, and I would like to expand my building perspectives around high caliber players.
I know my list of achievemts might not be that amazing, but I also know I have the potential to be in SPL by either playing or helping my teammates on their needs. Thank you in advance if you took the time to read me.
Cya.
 
since its the last day of signups lemme get some stuff out of my mind before they close:

i wish all the people that constantly yap about tours would actually have the balls to sign up to play. i find it funny how chronically online people are not able to play 1(!!!) game of pokemon per week. even assuming extensive prep + building a new team every week that is like idk 5 hours max to spend on spl? if one is good one can probably get away with way less (see: watashi and his 3 spl trophies). such a copout reason to not play for most people but i guess talking others down is actually easier than showing up yourself.
kinda why i still have huge respect for people w bad records/sheet that are still willing to put themselves outta there year after year. atleast those people have some balls and arent afraid of potential losses. too many people are content with having 1 good spl and then pretending like they are fucking good, talking themselves up, when almost anyone can have 1 good run - what matters most is being able to consistently replicate that (kinda why soulwind was always seen as 10x the player than almost any other finalist he lost to before he got his breakthrough).
the people who feel offended by this paragraph: yes i was talking about you so stop being a john and sign up and show you still have it.

on another note: please for the love of god let me have a majority of humans on my spl team this year. let me get carried for once - i wanna have a lazy spl and win this shit being ass just 1 time in my life.
 
Hello everyone,

I am a new player having started smogon tournaments this year and despite the very low probability of being picked I would still like to be able to express myself. Player mainly playing SV OU but can also play SS. So what I accomplish are only very recent first on the French scene by making top 8 of the French OST and taking out the favorite DonSalvatore. My first smogon performance was a semi-final of a Tour for the smogon Tour lost against Santu and in total cumulative rounds I finished with a winrate ratio in SV OU in the top 10 of this tournament, I subsequently made the SV trio with Nemosse sse and FFK of which I reached the final in 4-2, final in lb of the ptlt and I made top 3 of the ssnl, qualified for the SV OU circuit. As for the team tours I made 2-0 BDPL, Won the EPL in 4-2,6-2 FCL, 2-1 OUPL and currently in 3-1 teamballo.

At the team level, during the SPL period I will often be free so whether it is to help the team or propose ideas therefore very active. Even if I am a new player I have already familiarized myself with the climates of the teams tours and that I know that even if the climate in SPL is not the same I will be able to adapt to it and be able to learn from the best Pokemon players. I am a player with a lot of imagination and So whether it's in the builds or something else, I'll help with my thoughts and be available for testing. That's it, thank you for reading ;).
 
since its the last day of signups lemme get some stuff out of my mind before they close:

i wish all the people that constantly yap about tours would actually have the balls to sign up to play. i find it funny how chronically online people are not able to play 1(!!!) game of pokemon per week. even assuming extensive prep + building a new team every week that is like idk 5 hours max to spend on spl? if one is good one can probably get away with way less (see: watashi and his 3 spl trophies). such a copout reason to not play for most people but i guess talking others down is actually easier than showing up yourself.
kinda why i still have huge respect for people w bad records/sheet that are still willing to put themselves outta there year after year. atleast those people have some balls and arent afraid of potential losses. too many people are content with having 1 good spl and then pretending like they are fucking good, talking themselves up, when almost anyone can have 1 good run - what matters most is being able to consistently replicate that (kinda why soulwind was always seen as 10x the player than almost any other finalist he lost to before he got his breakthrough).
the people who feel offended by this paragraph: yes i was talking about you so stop being a john and sign up and show you still have it.

on another note: please for the love of god let me have a majority of humans on my spl team this year. let me get carried for once - i wanna have a lazy spl and win this shit being ass just 1 time in my life.
Shortly clarifying that my haha react is not intended to be offensive and simply there because this is a funny post
 
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BIHI26000
Gefährlicher Random21000
Lily12000
crying10000
Triangles10000
Jytcampbell7500
choolio6000
pj6000
Hayburner5500
Eeveeto4500
Separation4500
avarice3000
MAVERICK SHOOTERS3000
Sabella3000
oldspicemike0
Niko20500
Gtcha19500
Don Eduardo17000
Prinz10000
S1nn0hC0nfirm3d8000
Sergio Aguero8000
ChrisPBacon4000
Raichy3500
dunoks3000
Lady Bug3000
LpZ3000
RoFnA3000
c0mp0
JJ09LIE0
Storm Zone0
mind gaming36500
Serpi23500
Finchinator16500
Fogbound Lake16000
Skarpherim8500
Pak7500
vani5500
JUST ONE GALATINA4500
Tenebricite3500
Always!3000
Amukamara3000
Christos3000
magialice3000
sayyonara3000
Stories3000
SoulWind33500
Skypenguin26000
emforbes18500
Ox the Fox17000
gorgie8500
nicole77356500
Laurel4000
Sadlysius4000
erz3500
Metallica1263500
Ash KetchumGamer3000
Baloor3000
BIG WILL3000
DugZa3000
TyCarter3000
Punny30000
NoName629316500
Rewer10500
baddummy7000
kingofking6500
RaiZen17046000
Mimikyu Stardust5000
Paprikaflow4500
Quarante84500
Chiharu3500
entrocefalo3000
Hiko3000
marsandback3000
MeEsSm3000
Mada0
myjava0
Rubyblood0
kumiko25500
Santu25000
Nat18000
ima10000
Isza10000
pdt10000
elodin8500
AC75500
BlazingDark5000
Dridri4574500
BluBirD3000
Chiles Habaneros3000
fade3000
Leavers3000
RichardMillePlain3000
Shitrock enjoyer3000
Siatam19000
Pkel SweeTforU12500
3d12000
Amaranth10000
Luthier10000
Pais10000
Charmflash9500
clean9500
zS9500
Laroxyl8000
Vileman6000
Zokuru6000
Monai4000
Nalorium4000
hellom0
Conflict33000
ACR119000
RufflesPro13000
watashi11000
twash10500
Sceptross8500
crucify6500
Stareal6000
JabbaTheGriffin5000
GeniusX4000
mielke3500
Savouras3500
ZDen3500
Ahsan-2193000
Attribute0
McMeghan31000
Garay oak19500
Eternal Spirit18500
Sacri'16000
We Three Kings11500
Mako8500
Poek8500
violet river4500
leng loi3500
Tace3500
Aliss3000
Cow3000
DAHLI3000
emma3000
London Beats3000
lax30000
dice24500
TDNT20500
GaryTheGengar10000
Luigi10000
robjr6500
-Tsunami-5000
16bit4000
ArcticBreeze4000
ziloXX3500
PZZ3000
Ruft3000
SFG3000
shiloh3000
Void0
mind gaming36500
SoulWind33500
Conflict33000
McMeghan31000
lax30000
Punny30000
BIHI26000
Skypenguin26000
kumiko25500
Santu25000
dice24500
Serpi23500
Gefährlicher Random21000
Niko20500
TDNT20500
Garay oak19500
Gtcha19500
ACR119000
Siatam19000
emforbes18500
Eternal Spirit18500
Nat18000
Don Eduardo17000
Ox the Fox17000
Finchinator16500
NoName629316500
Fogbound Lake16000
Sacri'16000
RufflesPro13000
Pkel SweeTforU12500
3d12000
Lily12000
We Three Kings11500
watashi11000
Rewer10500
twash10500
Amaranth10000
crying10000
GaryTheGengar10000
ima10000
Isza10000
Luigi10000
Luthier10000
Pais10000
pdt10000
Prinz10000
Triangles10000
Charmflash9500
clean9500
zS9500
elodin8500
gorgie8500
Mako8500
Poek8500
Sceptross8500
Skarpherim8500
Laroxyl8000
S1nn0hC0nfirm3d8000
Sergio Aguero8000
Jytcampbell7500
Pak7500
baddummy7000
crucify6500
kingofking6500
nicole77356500
robjr6500
choolio6000
pj6000
RaiZen17046000
Stareal6000
Vileman6000
Zokuru6000
AC75500
Hayburner5500
vani5500
-Tsunami-5000
BlazingDark5000
JabbaTheGriffin5000
Mimikyu Stardust5000
Dridri4574500
Eeveeto4500
JUST ONE GALATINA4500
Paprikaflow4500
Quarante84500
Separation4500
violet river4500
16bit4000
ArcticBreeze4000
ChrisPBacon4000
GeniusX4000
Laurel4000
Monai4000
Nalorium4000
Sadlysius4000
Chiharu3500
erz3500
leng loi3500
Metallica1263500
mielke3500
Raichy3500
Savouras3500
Tace3500
Tenebricite3500
ZDen3500
ziloXX3500
Ahsan-2193000
Aliss3000
Always!3000
Amukamara3000
Ash KetchumGamer3000
avarice3000
Baloor3000
BIG WILL3000
BluBirD3000
Chiles Habaneros3000
Christos3000
Cow3000
DAHLI3000
DugZa3000
dunoks3000
emma3000
entrocefalo3000
fade3000
Hiko3000
Lady Bug3000
Leavers3000
London Beats3000
LpZ3000
magialice3000
marsandback3000
MAVERICK SHOOTERS3000
MeEsSm3000
PZZ3000
RichardMillePlain3000
RoFnA3000
Ruft3000
Sabella3000
sayyonara3000
SFG3000
shiloh3000
Shitrock enjoyer3000
Stories3000
TyCarter3000
Attribute0
c0mp0
hellom0
JJ09LIE0
Mada0
myjava0
oldspicemike0
Rubyblood0
Storm Zone0
Void0

ruiners:
SV: oldspicemike
SV: Lily
SV: crying
SV: Sabella
SS: Jytcampbell
USUM: Hayburner
ORAS: pj
BW: Separation
DPP: BIHI
ADV: Triangles
GSC: choolio
RBY: Gefährlicher Random
Subs: avarice, Eeveeto, MAVERICK SHOOTERS

tigers:
sv storm zone
sv jj09lie
sv niko
sv s1nn0hc0nfirm3d
ss chrispbacon
sm comp
oras gtcha
bw sergio aguero
dpp lady bug
adv lpz
gsc don eduardo
rby prinz
sub1 raichy
sub2 rofna
sub3 dunoks

classiest:
SV1: mind gaming
SV2: Skarpherim
SV3: JUST ONE GALATINA
SV4: Amukamara
SS: Fogbound Lake
SM: Tenebricite
ORAS: Always!
BW: Finchinator
DPP: Christos
ADV: Pak
GSC: Vani
RBY: Serpi
Bench: stories, sayyonara, magialice

cryos:
SV - emforbes
SV - DugZa
SV - Baloor
SV - Ash KetchumGamer
SS - Ox The Fox
SM - Skypenguin
ORAS - erz
BW - Soulwind
DPP - Laurel
ADV - Sadlysius
GSC - gorgie
RBY - nicole7735

SUB - Metallica126
SUB - BIG WILL
SUB - TyCarter

tyrants:
SV OU - Mimikyu Stardust
SV OU - myjava
SV OU - Mada
SV OU - Hiko
SS OU - RaiZen1704
SM OU - Punny
ORAS OU - kingofking
BW OU - Rewer
DPP OU - NoName6293
ADV OU - baddummy
GSC OU - Rubyblood
RBY OU - Quarante8
subs: Chiharu, MeEsSm, Paprikaflow, marsandback, entrocefalo

bigs:
SV: Nat
SV: pdt
SV: ima
SV: RichardMillePlain
SS: Kumiko
SM: Fade
XY: Santu
BW: Elodin
DPP: Dridri457
ADV: AC7
GSC: BlazingDark
RBY: Isza

Bench: Leavers
Bench: BluBirD
Bench: Chiles Habaneros
Bench: Fruhdazi

scooters:
SV: Hellom
SV: Clean
SV: zS
SV: Pais
SS: Luthier
SM: Charmflash
ORAS: Vileman
BW: Monai
DPP: Pkel SweeTforU
ADV: Laroxyl
GSC: Siatam
RBY: Amaranth
Subs: 3d, Nalorium, Zokoru

sharks:
SV x4: ACR1, Stareal, Attribute, crucify
SS: GeniusX
SM: Ahsan-219
ORAS: RufflesPro
BW: watashi
DPP: twash
ADV: JabbaTheGriffith
GSC: Conflict
RBY: Sceptross

SUBS: mielke, ZDen, Savouras

raiders:
SV: Garay Oak
SV: Eternal Spirit
SV: Mako
SV: DAHLI
SS: Sacri'
SM: Tace
ORAS: Poek
BW: Cow
DPP: We Three Kings
ADV: violet river
GSC: McMeghan
RBY: Aliss

Bench: leng loi, London Beats, emma

wolfpack:
SV: lax
SV: ruft
SV: shiloh
SV: arcticbreeze
SS: TDNT
SM: Luigi
ORAS: dice
BW: GaryTheGengar
DPP: Void
ADV: robjr
GSC: ziloXX
RBY: Shake

Subs: PZZ, 16bit, SFG
 
I'm making this post for Fusien since he doesn't like reaching out but wants to play SPL.

He is a 2 times OUPL champion going 5-2 and 5-3 respectively, got semifinals in OU Championships 2021 (getting games vs Flex OKLM and insult), played for US West in WCOP 2023, qualified OLT 2022, and just last week he got #1 in SV OU ladder. Hes probably gotten more accolades he can show if he decides to post too.

He mains SS and SV, can both build and play. Please someone buy him (preferably alongside me too since we have been prepping together since I started playing pokemon :D)
 
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The RBY pool this year is losing two of its long-time stalwarts in Heroic Troller and Nails (they played every SPL 2019-2024!) so this will definitely be an interesting season.

The known faces: Gefährlicher Random, Serpi, and good old me :heart: The two Germans at this point have been within the shortlist to win any RBY tournament they join for quite a while. I was pretty ass for a couple years but I got back to form and podiumed invitational this year, I'm probably good.

The johners: chuva de perereca, Sceptross. Their signups are nowhere to be seen, but word on the street is they're probably joining. While I don't think their 2024 was particularly strong results-wise, they've both been consistent high level competitors in this tier for years now (chuva with better results in SPL, but Sceptross arguably outperformed him in individuals historically). They both should be safe locks if (when) they sign up.

The flexible gamers: Isza, Laroxyl, Eeveeto. In recent years we have seen more people from other tiers integrate themselves into RBY, and these three are this year's finest example. They took turns crushing tournaments: Isza got 4th place in Invitational in style, narrowly missing on the money but looking rather impressive throughout (packed McMeghan and Conflict 2-0 in the first two rounds, to give you an idea). Eeveeto has brought his classic Eeveeto flair to RBY, reaching all the way to the Final of RBY Cup and winning a game there with a Lickitung. Managers and teammates will be pissed off by his team choices, but likely not by his results. And lastly, Laroxyl reached the final of the Global Championship (our third big Individual of the year alongside Invitational and Cup) and completed the year by clinching the Circuit ribbon in the final bracket.
These three players are 1. definitely ready to play a full season at this level and 2. good enough at other tiers to contribute to the team beyond their own slot; managers would be pretty silly to pass any of them up.
I will mention here that BlazingDark, Aliss and Vileman also could play this tier and do well, but I think their talents are likely best employed in GSC, whereas for the three above I'm fairly confident RBY is their best generation right now.

lax: Anything this guy types reads like trolling, but there is at least some credence to the notion he enjoys RBY - he got a neat 3-1 record playing PU in RBYPL. Establishing anything else about this guy's intentions is completely beyond me, but he is obviously extremely capable, familiar with the core mechanics of the generation, and will do well if he's serious.
I will also mention soulgazer, who is in a similar boat - clearly demonstrated competence in the past, but their motivation levels are a mystery (to me) and their ability to do well is entirely contingent on how willing they are to grind the tier a little bit and overall take the tournament seriously

The other guys with great 2024s: nicole7735, Genesis7, BeeOrSomething. nicole7735 has been quickly rising through the RBY ranks over the last two years, and her 2nd place Invitational run in 2024 was a clear statement: she's ready for the big leagues. The other two are my frontrunners to round out the pool: Genesis7 brings experience (he already played in SPL XI, and managed last year), has had his best individual year in a while imo, and should be a safe bet to bring a decent number of wins for cheap. However I think he is held back by his small comfort zone, and especially in an SPL pool where people are sweaty and very proficient at prepping, a flaw of that sort could prove fatal. BeeOrSomething's profile is pretty similar to nicole's, but a bit worse - rose rapidly in the last couple years, but his best achievement is an RBY Cup Semifinal (rather than an Invitational 2nd place), and his results across the board are just a little less consistent. The kid is good though, clearly above your run-of-the-mill mainer (combined for 12-4 across RoAPL and RBYPL) and would no doubt give it his all if given a chance. Even if managers are not ready to start him, he should probably be the #1 name on many backup plans for this tier.

The sleeping giant: Prinz signed up, swore in Commencement that he's serious this time, and topped the RBY ladder (for what little that's worth). He has done this a few times and deleted anyway in the past, but let's entertain the world in which he's serious: Prinz was one of the greatest in the tier, but to give you an idea of how long ago that was, Troller's entire career has started and ended in the meantime. It's clear he's still at a good level, between his laddering and occasional appearances in tournaments like RBYWCs, but there's a gap between "good level" and "SPL level", and it's very unclear where Prinz falls exactly. It seems silly to completely disregard him, but it also seems extremely dangerous to buy Prinz with no backup plan.

Wildcards & Support:
Rookies who have shown glimpses of greatness: Albi, NotVeryCake
Players that aren't ready to start, but will give 110% to support & be great team presences: 16bit, Acetylaldehyde, Sabelette, Torchic
Guys that could plausibly sub into RBY in emergency situations but should probably focus on other generations: Christos, Fogbound Lake, Quarante8, RaiZen1704, violet river


Contrary to Finch and others, if I have not mentioned you it is 100% because I hate you. I have not forgotten about you, this is not by mistake, I think you suck. Happy new year & let's have a good tournament

I have been informed that some people with poor reading comprehension are unhappy with me listing nicole7735 and BeeOrSomething in the same breath. I didn't think it would need clarifying, since I already said it in the original message, but nicole's results are clearly better than Bee's. All the same I think it is fairer to lump Bee with that group rather than with the "others" at the end of the post, because of his year-long general crushing of random assorted mainers week in week out, including wins over players who will likely get to start this tournament such as Isza, Sceptross, nicole7735 herself, etc across RBYPL & RoAPL.

If this opinion still causes offense to your sensibilities, maybe like go see a therapist or something. Have a great day :heart:
 
since its the last day of signups lemme get some stuff out of my mind before they close:

i wish all the people that constantly yap about tours would actually have the balls to sign up to play. i find it funny how chronically online people are not able to play 1(!!!) game of pokemon per week. even assuming extensive prep + building a new team every week that is like idk 5 hours max to spend on spl? if one is good one can probably get away with way less (see: watashi and his 3 spl trophies). such a copout reason to not play for most people but i guess talking others down is actually easier than showing up yourself.
kinda why i still have huge respect for people w bad records/sheet that are still willing to put themselves outta there year after year. atleast those people have some balls and arent afraid of potential losses. too many people are content with having 1 good spl and then pretending like they are fucking good, talking themselves up, when almost anyone can have 1 good run - what matters most is being able to consistently replicate that (kinda why soulwind was always seen as 10x the player than almost any other finalist he lost to before he got his breakthrough).
the people who feel offended by this paragraph: yes i was talking about you so stop being a john and sign up and show you still have it.

on another note: please for the love of god let me have a majority of humans on my spl team this year. let me get carried for once - i wanna have a lazy spl and win this shit being ass just 1 time in my life.
Excal
 
Was thinking of making an SV list, but I’m pretty sure the majority of the 40 starters are known to managers/the public so ima talk about 3 players I think may be overlooked

Ahsan-219 went from shitting on him to being his biggest believer after he smoked me with Salamence + Blace in RCOP. He’s been playing a long time and is clearly very familiar with the nuances of SM and how to cteam the meta. His play has definitely increased over the years and seems to have reached his peak lately. He’s qualified for a gajillion tournaments and this should be his first (non-WCOP) official tour and I GUARANTEE he will do well.

DeeJ has been often overlooked for WCOP, but recently had an amazing masters run defeating many high profile gamers. He brought new techs (old forgotten techs) like DD Water Z Gyara in Rain and that shit made me go “oh this man knows what he’s cooking”. Qualified for OLT before as well so you know he’s strong and a certified tryhard to boot

Plague APiddy. The MINDGAMINGTHEGOAT endorsement from SCL and one of the more passionate and active teammates I’ve ever had. They’ve shown massive improvement in their gameplay since SCL and impressed me very much with their fast learning and desire for feedback. Would be a fantastic SV4 for teams

Conflict’s post is definitely correct, but to kinda tackle it from a different angle, if you think you’d have fun at ALL in SPL, you should sign up. Fuck a sheet record, fuck being overpriced (I’m gonna be the most expensive RBYer NOOOO and I’m literally bad). Don’t trip over anything besides if you’d have fun this tournament cuz that’s the shit that matters most. Lock in
 
gymleaderellie - This player is a force of nature. She reached a record 1430 ELO in the ADV OU No Grumpig Ladder Tournament, and was appointed subsequently as one of Smogon's first Gym Leaders (she was just Ellie beforehand). Before her Smogon breakout tour, she was probably more known in other international Pokemon forums for her incredible 4-5 record in Serbian SPL. She's now poised to do the same in the non-Serbian version of the tour, so the discerning manager definitely ought to take a look.
i appreciate the very kind words, but they are objectively untrue about me. perhaps you have the wrong gym leader ellie? dang, i kinda wanna make this post true now lol.
 
Hello everyone,

I am a new player having started smogon tournaments this year and despite the very low probability of being picked I would still like to be able to express myself. Player mainly playing SV OU but can also play SS. So what I accomplish are only very recent first on the French scene by making top 8 of the French OST and taking out the favorite DonSalvatore. My first smogon performance was a semi-final of a Tour for the smogon Tour lost against Santu and in total cumulative rounds I finished with a winrate ratio in SV OU in the top 10 of this tournament, I subsequently made the SV trio with Nemosse sse and FFK of which I reached the final in 4-2, final in lb of the ptlt and I made top 3 of the ssnl, qualified for the SV OU circuit. As for the team tours I made 2-0 BDPL, Won the EPL in 4-2,6-2 FCL, 2-1 OUPL and currently in 3-1 teamballo.

At the team level, during the SPL period I will often be free so whether it is to help the team or propose ideas therefore very active. Even if I am a new player I have already familiarized myself with the climates of the teams tours and that I know that even if the climate in SPL is not the same I will be able to adapt to it and be able to learn from the best Pokemon players. I am a player with a lot of imagination and So whether it's in the builds or something else, I'll help with my thoughts and be available for testing. That's it, thank you for reading ;).
I’m bad + my opinion doesn’t count at all but this guy is underrated trust, give him tryout games at least he deserves it :sphearical:, he’s getting better and better at the game everyday so yeah get him (at least he’s a good sub…)
Oh and please get a fckin pfp
 
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