OU SPL XV - RBY Discussion

emma

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SPL XV Introduction
Schedule
Spreadsheet

Hiiiii RBYers! With SPL XV underway, ten teams will be competing for the glorious red trophy. This thread will be used to discuss RBY related topics, whether it’s about the players, power rankings, metagame trends, match analysis, and so on. Teams, replays, and usage stats can be found here.

Auction Results:

Pricelist

RBY Player Cores (likely starters in Bold, manager support in Italics):
SPL XV RBY Smogcast ft. Amaranth, Kaz, shiloh, & emma
SPL XV RBY Power Rankings & Bingo
Alpha Ruiners - Khaetis
Circus Maximus Tigers - Green on fire, M Dragon, Genesis7
Congregation of the Classiest - Kaz, BIHI, Isza
Cryonicles - chuva de perereca, Vileman
Dragonspiral Tyrants - Heroic Troller, SoulWind
Ever Grande BIGS - Nails, Laroxyl, emma
Indie Scooters - Gefährlicher Random, Hayburner
Stark Sharks - Serpi, kumiko, Mako, Aliss
Team Raiders - Kenix, Amaranth, McMeghan
Wi-Fi Wolfpack - ABR, shiloh, ziloXX, Star
39k - ABR
25.5k - Heroic Troller
24k - Serpi
23.5k - Gefährlicher Random
14.5k - chuva de perereca
12.5k - Nails
9.5k - Kenix
7k - Khaetis
4k - Kaz
3k - Green on fire

9-3
Heroic Troller
6-3
Kenix
Serpi
6-4
Gefährlicher Random
5-4
chuva de perereca
4-2
ABR
4-6
Khaetis
4-7
Green on fire
3-6
Kaz
2-5
Nails
1-0
M Dragon
0-1
-Tsunami-
Charmflash
emma
Hayburner
Laroxyl
shiloh
ziloXX
 

phoopes

I did it again
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I've agonized about this long enough. I'll break the ice and be the first to post my starter power rankings:

1. Serpi
2. Heroic Troller
3. Felix
4. ABR
- (gap)
5. chuva
6. Nails
7. Khaetis
8. Kaz
- (gap)
9. GoF
10. Amaranth

At the top:
We've heard the comparison before, but marcoasd is Jordan and Troller is LeBron. That said, just like LeBron isn't the best player in the NBA anymore, I don't give Troller the #1 ranking in SPL anymore. Troller is still elite obviously (look at the record sheet) but Serpi is just That Dude IMO. I've been convinced of this I think since the 9-0 in RBYWC. He just performs too well too consistently to not be #1 IMO. But Troller is a close second. Felix won invitational this year, so a ranking of third might even be a little disrespectful lol. But with a pool this stacked someone has to go third. ABR won circuit this year, so a ranking of fourth might even be a little disrespectful lol. But with a pool this stacked someone has to go fourth. Honestly, you could rank these four in any order and I don't think I'd bat an eye. It's very close up at the top.

Next up:
I think chuva is the next best in the pool. Not enough to put a gap between him and the 6-8 slots but close. The guy is just really good at the game, simple as that. I don't think he's had the results that the top 4 have had in the past year, but I just have respect for his talent. 6-8 was tricky to rank, but I ultimately go with Nails at 6. Nails at 6 is actually ridiculous now that I say it out loud lol but the pool is stacked! Ultimately I give the edge over Khaetis and Kaz because I believe in emma's quantum scouts/support a lot, whereas Khaetis is flying solo and Kaz has two great players that can support but they're not RBYers like emma is. Speaking of Khaetis and Kaz, this was a tough one for me too but I went with Khaetis. I think Kaz has pushed the meta a lot and brought some real unorthodox things, but that's the thing... he might bring something too unorthodox and lose. I respsect the heat though. And we all know Khaetis is just a really good player so he gets the edge.

Bringing up the rear:
I can't believe we live in a world where I'm ranking Amaranth last in the starter pool but here we are. No disrespect my man, the field is just crazy this year. I'm obviously rooting for him to not be last but it's just how I see it shaking out unfortunately. Green on fire is Green on fire. Not going to say much else there. To be 100% real, I can't see either Amaranth or GoF going positive, 4-5 seems like the absolute ceiling to me. But I'm happy to be proven wrong!

---

Ultimately, with a field this stacked, I think 6-3 is going to be the top record from this pool, shared between like two or three players. When you look at this lineup, going 7-2 would be absurd and be a really commendable achievement. Maybe it'll happen, maybe it won't. Only time will tell.

Here's to a great SPL!
 
1. Felix (best rby atm)
2. Troller (best rby historically)
3. ABR (best year in rby on smogon + the goat)
4. Serpi (can't rank above abr atm bc of cup/circuit, but pretty much just as good as those above him)
5. chuva (as good as those above him too, just haven't seen it this past year outside of invitational)
(gap)
6. Nails (goated but hasn't been the top for the past 2 years in spl)
7. Kaz (high ceiling but not as consistent as those above him)
8. Khaetis (haven't seen much since he won inv but very good)
(larger gap)
9. GoF (good player)
10. Amaranth (it's been a while since we've seen tin at the forefront of rby -- maybe since spl 11/12ish? the ceiling/potential is there but it's gonna take work to get there...he can do it for sure tho)

i can see kaz/khaetis "overperforming" relative to the rank. gl all excited for the games
 
1.Troller
2.Serpi
3.Felix
4.ABR
5.chuva
gap
6.Khaetis
7.Kaz(6 and 7 very interchangeable)
gap
8.GoF
9.Nails(will explain this)
10.Amaranth

Top order:
troller and serpi are solidly 1,2 and you can defo interchange them sure but i think this is fine.
felix won invi so as phoopes mentioned 3 is low for him but ye also v good, any one of these 3 people can get 7 wins in regular season.
abr is good player
chuva is also good but less results from him as mentioned by excal

Middle Order:
Les Français sont très proches. ils peuvent tous les deux très bien faire, je pense juste que Khaetis est plus cohérent que Kaz rn
Translation:
The frenchmen are very close. they can both do very well, just think khaetis is more consistent than kaz rn

Lower Order:
Gof ama nails are good players, but this pool is goated af so ye low ranking

as for nails.
he just didnt look like no 6 or 7 to me looking at his spl xiv and invitational.
he can fsr outperform this, im just looking at this from a more critical eye.

thats my spl power rankings everybody.
 

Heroic Troller

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I have no doubt Amaranth will be the biggest return, number 10 my ass, i have him fifth. You guys weren't even here when he terrorized spl with victreebel.
As for myself, i don't mind being ranked lower. I do however find silly reading people saying in definitive manner about my skill level considering even i don't know where i rank currently, coming off another year long hiatus. My plan was to enjoy the last ride slowly and running some sillies but between going the full price, the managers requesting full effort right off the bat, and these rankings i don't think it will be possible. Chitchat can only do so much anyway as i prefer facts, see you on the battlefield.
 

emma

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Tier 1

1. Heroic Troller (Dragonspiral Tyrants)

Team: 39-15 all-time SPL (all RBY) and 42-16 overall
Invitational: 4-2 Record | Top 8 Finish
Individual: 5x Pokemon Perfect Top Player Ranking | 3x PP Season Winner | 7x PP Master Tour Winner | 4x Pokemon Perfect Cup Winner
For the fifth straight year, and to nobody's surprise, Heroic Troller is ranked first in the SPL RBY OU pool. He was retained for 24k, the highest price ever for an RBY starter, after a dominant 10-3 SPL XIII, which included back-to-back wins against FriendOfMrGolem120 in semifinals and semifinals tiebreaker. His superb SPL XIII came after three prior dominant seasons, bringing him to an insane 74.42% win rate in SPL, one of the highest of all time in any tier. Heroic Troller has been considered the best current RBY OUer since at least 2019 and is looking to solidfy his claim as the greatest RBY OU player of all time, over his Italian mentor marcoasd. Not only can he stick to his specific gameplan and outplay anyone, but he also is not afraid to create his own metagame trends or branch out when necessary. Say what you want about RBY, but Heroic Troller has been one of the most dominant players in any singular tier over the past few years and is projected to continue his success in SPL XIV.

It's Troller -- not only is he the single most dominant RBYer today, but he is also one of the most dominant players in any single tier over the past few years. 7-4, 10-3, 6-1, 7-3, and 8-3 in his five SPLs as a full time starter. Easy #1.

2. ABR (Wi-Fi Wolfpack)

Team: 43-20 all-time SPL (0-0 RBY) and 80-39 overall
Invitational: 3-2 Record | Top 8 Finish
Individual: Circuit 2023 Champion | Cup 2023 Champion | Smogon Classic 2021 Champion | Smogon Classic 2020 Finalist | Cup 2021 Finalist | Smogon Classic 2019 Semifinalis
Prepare to witness brilliance as ABR, the undisputed greatest Smogon player of all time, finally makes his Invitational debut. With a historic legacy that eclipses all others, ABR stands far-and-away as the embodiment of competitive Pokemon success. Unparalleled in his achievements, he stands alone with four individual trophies, a feat unmatched by any other, as well as the highest differential in team tournaments, with an absolutely ridiculous 80-39 (67%, +41!!!!) on the sheet. No corner of this site has eluded his grasp; ABR has won OST, Smogon Classic, back-to-back Smogon Tours, SPL twice, WCoP twice, CALLOUS Invitational, and even the title of most likely to get their Policy Review permissions revoked for posting something ridiculous. If the motivation is there, and he doesn't forget about Sleep Clause, ABR is one of the favorites to reinvent RBY OU as we know it and take the entire thing home.

ABR is ABR. The greatest Smogon player in history who won RBY Cup & RBY Circuit (including beating Serpi 2x, Kaz, Excal, and Green on fire along the way) once taking the tier seriously after RBY Invitational IV (& he even finished Top 8 there!). Now playing on the highest of playing fields and for his teammates, there is little doubt in my mind he will do very well.

3. Serpi (Stark Sharks)

Team: 18-11 all-time SPL (all RBY) and 18-11 overall
Invitational: 9-6 Record | Top 24, Top 8, and 4th Place Finishes
Individual: Global Championship 2023 Champion | Winter Seasonal 2021 Champion | Cup 2023 Finalist | Global Championship 2022 Finalist | Invitational 2021 Semifinalist | Cup 2021 Semifinalist | Summer Seasonal 2022 Semifinalist | Summer Seasonal 2021 Semifinalist | PP Circuit 2021 Champion
Dare I say, Serpi is the best RBY OU player on the planet at the moment. He went 8-3 in SPL XIV, including playoff victories over chuva de perereca and Heroic Troller to propel the Team Raiders to their second SPL title in as many years, and that doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of Serpi's RBY dominance. He has an absolutely absurd 23-6 (79%, +17!!!!) record in RBYPL and RBYWC, including a 7-0 run to lead Germany to the first ever RBYWC victory, dominated the 2021 and 2022 Circuits, and has 4th and Top 8 places in Invitational. Last Invitational, I asked if Serpi would finally find peak RBY OU success and solidify himself as the guy to beat, and he most certainly has. Quite possibly the favorite going in, can he further cement himself in RBY history with an Invitational IV win?

Mirroring chuva de perereca, we have Serpi, another continuously elite player throughout 2022 RBY OU, who thus moved up two spots from his SPL XIII ranking. One of the hottest RBY OU players at the moment, Serpi has had consistently excellent results across all tournaments: back-to-back positive SPLs, back-to-back 4th place finishes in RBY Invitational, and top finishes throughout the circuit. He's already transformed himself into one of the best modern-day RBY OU players after picking up the tier just a few years ago. Will the help of Aliss and his calculated playstyle help him continue to grow from up-and-comer in SPL XII to on the cusp in SPL XIII to solidifying himself as the guy to beat in SPL XIV, or will he be stuck at 5-4 for the third straight season?

Ranking Serpi third after a 8-3 SPL XIV, including beating Heroic Troller in Finals and forcing the Sharks not to pick RBY in tiebreaker, feels incredibly disrespectful and speaks to how absurd this pool is. The Germans are incredibly good at RBY and have shaped the tier over the past few years and would not be surprised if Serpi finishes with the best record.

4. Gefährlicher Random (Indie Scooters)

Team: 14-9 all-time SPL (6-3 RBY) and 36-20 overall
Invitational: 6-0 Record | 1st Place Finish
Individual: RBY Invitational 2023 Champion | Summer Seasonal 2022 Champion
In 2021, Gefährlicher Random had an absurd year in Official Team Tournaments, where he finished 3rd overall with 15 wins, including a dazzling 8-1 in in SCL I playing SS OU. In 2022, he made the switch to RBY from CG OU and lit the 2022 Circuit on fire, finishing Top 8 in the RBY Winter Seasonal, Top 8 in the RBY Global Championship, 1st in the RBY Summer Seasonal, and Top 16 in the RBY Circuit Championship. In 2023, we saw an incredible upset, where the Invitational Play Ins outcast finished with a brilliant 6-3 record in SPL XIV. Last year's biggest snub, Gefährlicher Random has made his way to this big stage; can his trademarked zoomer playstyle help usher in a new era of RBY?

Our third retain on this list, Gefährlicher Random is most well known for his SS OU expertise but has recently picked up RBY OU and is one of the hottest and most promising players today. He finished Top 8 in the RBY Winter Seasonal, Top 8 in the RBY Global Championship, 1st in the RBY Summer Seasonal, and Top 16 in the RBY Circuit Championship, taking down numerous SPL-level players and lighting the circuit scene on fire. He's worked closely with Serpi over the past year and has impressed everyone with his rapid improvement and exceptional piloting. With BIHI, who defeated chuva de perereca and Heroic Troller in back-to-back playoff tiebreaker series last SPL, waiting in the wings for a potential lineup shuffle and additional support from former RBY Invitational Champion Excal, the Indie Scooters have perhaps the most dangerous RBY OU slot in the tournament.

Ranking Felix fourth after a 6-3 SPL XIV and RBY Invitational IV win feels incredibly disrespectful and speaks to how absurd this pool is. The Germans are incredibly good at RBY and have shaped the tier over the past few years and would not be surprised if Felix finishes with the best record.

Tier 2

5. Kaz (Congregation of the Classiest)

Team: 9-8 all-time SPL (all RBY) and 9-8 overall
Invitational: 12-6 Record | Top 16, 2nd, and 2nd Place Finishes
Individual: RBY Invitational 2022 Finalist | RBY Invitational 2018 Finalist | Circuit 2023 Semifinalist | Cup 2023 Semifinalist | 2x PP Master Tour Winner
Kaz returned from the dead last year to participate in Invitational III and many wondered if he was ready for a full-on return to the competitive RBY OU scene. After another Invitational Silver Medal, including wins over chuva de perereca and marcoasd while only losing to the eventual champion Khaetis twice, and a 5-1 performance in RBYPL III, he's made it clear he still has it. One of the seven players to ever win multiple Pokemon Perfect Master Tournaments and the only player with two money finishes in Invitational, will this be the year he finally takes the entire thing home?

1705274175335.png


6. chuva de perereca (Cryonicles)

Team: 12-9 all-time SPL (all RBY) and 12-9 overall
Invitational: 6-4 Record | 2nd Place and Top 32 Finishes
Individual: RBY Invitational 2023 Finalist | Winter Seasonal 2022 Champion | RBY Circuit 2022 Finalist | RBY Circuit 2021 Semifinalist | Summer Seasonal 2021 Semifinalist | Winter Seasonal 2021 Semifinalist
chuvaToday at 1:20 PM
pls dont hype me im washed and i hate the game

Going from 10th to 2nd in the Power Rankings and no longer being able to dodge the dreaded spotlight, we have chuva de perereca, one of two who can claim to be the best overall RBY OU player throughout 2022. He was relatively unknown in 2021 before his SPL debut, but he dominated in 2022 with an 8-3 SPL XIII and a first place in RBY Winter Seasonal, top 3 in RBY Cup, and top 8 in RBY Winter Seasonal. While he struggled in RBY Invitational III, facing relatively obscure scouts with little to no information, he bounced back with a 5-1 RBY PL III, finished 2nd in the 2022 Circuit, and is primed to thrive in the data-filled SPL environment. He keeps up with metagame trends more than most and even creates his own, and as one of the best players and preparers in the tournament, chuva de perereca can be expected to begin 2023 with a bang.

1705274205864.png


7. Amaranth (Team Raiders)

Team: 19-22 all-time SPL (19-21 RBY) and 19-22 overall
Invitational: 10-6 Record | Top 16, Top 24, Top 16, and 1st Place Finishes
Individual: RBY Invitational 2018 Champion | Global Championship 2020 Champion | RBY Circuit 2020 Semifinalist | Global Championship 2021 Semifinalist
Although he claims to be retired, Amaranth can be found helping propel Team Italy to the finals of the inaugural RBY World Cup of Pokemon (while also hosting it!) with a 5-1 record (finally hitting .500 in RBY Forum Team Tours!) and berating his poor SPL XIV RBY OU player after she almost loses to Kingler. At his peak, Amaranth is one of the best RBY OU players of all time, dating back to the Pokemon Perfect days, with major Invitational, SPL, and Circuit success, including an Invitational I victory and a 7-4 SPL XI. With nothing left to prove, will we see the first ever Invitational repeat champion or will his finishes keep diminishing?

I have a lot of faith in Amaranth. Went 5-5 in SPL IX, the only other pool that rivals this one, has a 7-4 SPL & RBY Invitational win under his belt, one of the best at preparing in RBY Tournaments, and finally free'd from the shackles of Head TD and running RBY.

Tier 3

8. Khaetis (Alpha Ruiners)

Team: 0-0 all-time SPL and 0-0 overall
Invitational: 6-0 Record | 1st Place Finish
Individual: RBY Invitational 2022 Champion | Global Championship 2021 Finalist

I was very happy to see Khaetis come out of nowhere and signup for SPL. He seems to only signup for these high-level tournaments if he has the time to commit to them, and considering what we saw in RBY Invitational III, I'm quite excited. Of course, no SPL experience brings him towards the bottom of my rankings but don't get me wrong, he is dangerous.

9. Green on fire (Circus Maximus Tigers)

Team: 0-0 all-time SPL and 0-0 overall
Invitational: N/A
Individual: Majors Champion 2023 | Circuit Champion 2022

Green on fire was in my "Players who are likely on the cusp of playing in SPL / would likely get a chance to start or support this year if the pool wasn't the most stacked since SPL IX" tier. I would have taken Sceptross or SaDiSTiCNarwhal over him but I think he is quite good and is not an absurd pick. With no prior SPL / Invitational experience and no results that match up to everyone else, he finds himself at the bottom of my ranks.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is the most stacked SPL RBY Pool I've ever seen and I'm honored to be a part of it. Let's go BIGS.
 
Hello, here are my personal ranks. I think I might have submitted slightly different but the following is my present view.

Heroic Troller
Troller has been at the pinnacle of RBY OU since he began playing in SPL. He plays an aggressive yet precise game, uses good teams, and innovates when he needs to. There is nothing bad to say about him really. He will lose a few games as always but realistically will just get 7 wins like he always does.

Gefährlicher Random
Felix's resume is not as extensive as some other people's on this list, but he has done very well so far in what he has played. Honestly ranking him is like ranking myself, except he has less general goathood and more time playing RBY at a high level. That is a compliment yes.

Serpi
Serpi probably plays (and does well in) RBY tours more often than anyone else here. He had a great SPL, RBYWC, and made cup + circuit finals. He is extremely consistent and to be honest ranking him above felix would be fair as well. However, I am going to put him right below because I've beaten him and I haven't beaten (or faced) the other 2 above him. Maybe not the best metric but I need to use something to differentiate.

chuva de perereca
I feel like chuva had one super dominant breakout SPL (13), and then kinda mellowed out and kept a lower profile since then. He evidently just made invitational finals but besides that he seems less active and motivated. I also heard something about him being busier now but I didn't hear that directly from him. So I guess he has a higher ceiling but might just do average now.

Nails
Nails has been in the game for a while and usually does pretty well. I think the past few years he has seemed less impressive / uninspired, but maybe he has some new energy in him. I feel like he will go 4-5 or 5-4 and that's that, just depends who the 5 and 4 are vs. Maybe I'm wrong??? We will see week 1!

Kaz
Kaz is by far the most unpredictable in this pool. He can beat anyone but he can also lose to anyone. He can use sandslash, 0 normals, or 3 normals. I think his creativity is both a pro and a con, so it kind of depends if he threads the building needle correctly here. Obviously he is consistent enough to make semis in both cup/circuit so he has a reliable enough foundation to not do terribly. Still I would not be shocked to see him with literally any record.

Amaranth
I haven't seen TIN play in ages. He was my RBY teammate in SPL 9 which was iirc his first SPL, and put up a 5-5 record in a tough pool. He was always a big innovator and pushed the limits of what was viable in any given metagame. I don't really know what to expect from him this SPL (or how much he even plays over Kenix) but I am excited to see him in action regardless.

Khaetis
I have not seen Khaetis play a game of pokemon ever. All I know is that he is French and won an invitational. I don't have much to go off of and the people above him have more concrete things (and things I've seen) to their name so yea he will be 8th for now.

Green on fire
I actually think GoF is pretty solid and isn't a super obvious worst record or anything. Someone has to be last and he is just the safest bet for it, he hasn't played in an SPL before either. He plays well and might upset some people this tour.

Looking forward to playing everyone. May the best win, whoever that may be at any given time :heart:
 

Heroic Troller

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1 - ABR
Ever since i was a little scrub costing 3k and warming the bench ABR was my favorite player. Many you could say are more entertaining because willing to bet and lose full games on crazy risky plays (sometimes without a good reason) but if ever you were to apply the word perfect on a pokemon player that would be him. Precision is the name of the game, a couple of anti-cocky predicts there and then just to avoid being a punching bag but mostly sound and calculated plays. I just love his games, they fill me with joy. Now how does any of this translate to RBY? Damn well i'd say. It feels like yesterday when he started asking questions and poking around, now he beats Serpi and makes it look easy on top of that. If anyone can ignite my dying flame for this game it's you, i will count the days that divide our clash for the ages.

2 - Serpi
The son of my son, speaking of feeling old. If i close my eyes i can still see Serpi as the new guy costing 3k (insane value). But here we are, he did the numbers on me last year. To reiterate what i told him off memory, it was not some insane robbery, far from it. My Zapdos was overall on the wheelchair the whole bo3 which definetly stings as someone who only brings it once every new moon to avoid the worst mus and is regularly swept by it without Rhydon at hand. But truth be told with that same rng of bad luck being not getting a 20% in 6, 7, 8 tries i would have beaten most others, just not him. I would never rank anyone above ABR, so this second place can count as a first rank if you want.

2.5 - Don Eduardo Carapinga
2.5 Because i was given the rankings with Amaranth as starter, it is by all means number 3. I have followed Kenix closely since the conception of "Don Eduardo" and the terror of Gsc OU pool. One might say that it has nothing to do with today's discussion, but one might also be dead wrong + ignorant + ratio. Skill in pokemon is transformative. When you understand the game at his core you are ready to reign any of the tiers if you learn the viability, mechanics, and specifics of it. Kenix has shown to "get it", the few games of Rby i have seen from him were really high quality and with few mistakes if any. For some it's blasfemy to have him above other great ones, but who cares, this is my impression in my rankings. On top of that his support is Amaranth, now hate him all you want for his personality or whatnot. At theorycrafting and tier knowledge's he's an asset and a half. Kenix is sure to eat well this spl, if the tier clicks it's gonna be great. Carapinga.

3 - Nails
The master of comebacks, Nails plays very much like a drunk martial artist, in the sense that his teams are very hard to make head or tails about. By the time you realize the treat, your chansey is frozen and your tauros dead. He's extremely dangerous and understands odds conceptually better than most. This isn't to say that he is without flaws, i feel at times he lets won games get way more close than they should but really who doesn't? In the end Nails has no fear, he will put Chansey on Chansey and trade Sing or Ice Beams any time of the week, which makes him a walking nightmare for anyone who isn't ready to embrace rng. Still, while four starters costed 20k+, some are bound to flop and cause damage, meanwhile nails will chill with his 6-3 for mere 12k.

4 - Gefährlicher Random
I didn't feel like putting Felix any higher, simply because i didn't follow him at all. All i'm going off from is spl xiv where he was a fantastic opponent, although a bit too green and the fact that apparently he had a golden year, so shining and bright that people are willing to rank him "the best". Now i don't really trust the public perception at all. So my take away will be that he had a fantastic year and probably improved from his already solid form of last spl. Very excited to play you

5- Amaranth
Now then, for my scorcing hot take. Am i biased? Duh, every ranking is biased unless you use objective results as metric, which no one does. Still, as far as tier knowledge and experience he is second to none. Depending on how much he cares and is eager to test and uncrust he could prove fatal to many in this pool. Prime Amaranth would scan replays like a 3d printer and find some bullshit to rough you up, the question is which is he today? I am no psychologist, but i feel his last poor record + natural competitive side will emerge yet again, we will see.

6 - Kaz
Credit where credit is due, this is a stacked pool to rank Kaz out of the top 5. The one question is simple: will he bring solid teams or have eccessive fun with his jizz? Because no doubt, not a little bit that if he brings Sandslash, Venusaur or whatever NU mon of the week and doesn't get particularly lucky he's fucked. The competition is fierce and these mons are shit for a reason, they need insane setup to work and 99% of their wins are to be dated back to Chansey, Tauros or Snorlax doing the overwork earlier in the game, to the point where even Seaking would clean. Maybe it is a blantant show of bias but it is a good excuse to rank him low and have leeway in my rankings. If he actually brings standards, and is in good shape it will be fairly interesting.

7 - Chuva de perereca
Under normal circumstances, Chuva would be not only higher, but on the top 3, and easily at that. I am a very big fan of his. This place however is mostly the result of the rumor (that i just assume is more than that, since many sources repeat the same) that he will be busy and less incline to prep this season. Rby OU is a special tier, playing ability (and of course, luck) is your most important skill, you will rarely solve a game off match up. This is further emphasized by it being best of 3, so a lack of time to devolved honing yourself is a massive disadvantage. If the rumor ends up being false, we are in for a threat, and i certainly hope so. But if it is true, i doubt any natural talent will help you stay afloat in this pool.

Unranked - Khaetis + Green on fire
I have not seen any GOF game, ever. As of Khaetis, i have faint memories from maybe roapl, but nothing substantial either. There is nothing to rank then, my opinion is neutral and i hope you guys are strong. People say great things, invitetional this, circuit that. But to be blunt they always do, the masses love to idolize new results, the shining new toy is always the best etc. Show me what you have got.
 

Kenix

World Defender
Ig im gonna write some prs too just 4 fun

1. Heroic Troller
Not much to say here, he has already shown what he is capable of year after year. I think it doesnt really matter if u think theres someone better rn, u gotta put him first, its like if u think messi isnt in the best form but its messi and he might show why he is the goat even if u didnt expected it, at the end of the day people tend to have little memory. One could say he might have some rust as the last time we saw him playing seriously was one year ago, but he does that every year and ends up farming anyways. I dont expect different even if the pool this year is more challenging. I think he will own the pool.

2. Gefarlicher Random
Rooting for Gefarlicher Random. Gefarlicho is a player that understand the game itself so good, and so does with rby. I havent seen him making a lot of mistakes, if any, in his not that long rby career; it will be hard to see him choking. He kinda uses the same type of teams tho, however, rby is the tier where u can afford that if ure good enough to pilot them perfectly, and gefarlicho is. Very solid play. I think he will get a solid record.

3. Serpi
I think its fair to say its close between this slot and the number 2. I think both have similar styles, but felix being a little bit more patient and conservative. I put serpi below because ive seen him making more mistakes than felix. However, ive also seen him playing x10 more times than felix as he joins every rby random tour, so its normal ive seen him making more mistakes... so idk, its hard to rank in this dispar sample piece. Im a gefarlicho fan tho so ill give him the edge, but serpis play is also super solid and one of the best of the pool. I think he will get a solid record.

4. Nails
Ive seen a lot of people cap about his ranking, maybe im the one wrong. But he has been solid for a long time and everytime I see him playing I see a man that knows what he is doing. He manages his odds pretty well and the tier is about that. Idt anyone is going to have an easy time vs him, but ig it also depends on how much he cares. I think he will go positive.

5. ABR
ABR is the goat, but he hasnt earned that achievement precisely because of rby. However he has been grinding the tier a lot lately and he has now understood it better than what he did. He has had good results lately, but ive seen some games that ive really disliked, like his invitational set vs laroxyl, I couldnt understand what was going on. He won cup and circuit tho, but imo those arent really an indicative of how well will he do here, im not saying he wont, im saying idk yet. I think this is the tour i need to see to determine wheter im an rby ABR believer or not. I think his run could go either way.

6. Chuva de perereca
Perereca. I still cant believe this guy is spanish ive never seen him say a word in spanish. Anyways, i was doubting between this slot and the slot above, but as he will be busy... idk its the perfect excuse to decide. Chuva might be one of the funniest players to watch imo, as he does crazy reads and plays kinda reckless. However, this can backfire, if the reads go well he might look like he is god, if they go wrong he might get owned. Will the plays go well? I think his run could go either way.

7. Kaethis
Havent seen him playing in a lot, but last time i did he played solid and also won an invitational. Cant really put him higher cuz idk whats his current level, or how if he can derust for the tour. If he does he can make a solid performance but if he doesnt, he can get owned. So idk from now but it can be a wild card. I think he will go negative.

8. Kaz
Solid player, 8th is really low but the pool is stacked. He is kinda known as ¨that guy is the one thats gonna bring sandlash, venusaur and kabuto every week wow thats so fun #RarelyusedMonsMatter¨. But honestly, i think people are actually capping about the amount of unmons he will use. I can def see him bringing sandlash or whatever in one particular game, but i think most of his teams will just be normal teams, which he also knows how to use, but im not expecting more than 3 super weirds mons in like his whole run. It will interesting to see his matches. I think he will go negative.

9. Gof
Tbh i think there were some other better options in the avaliable pool (Narval Sádico and Sceptross mostly, id also say nicolenumbers and ctown were above). But idt he is bad. He has the level to upset people of this pool. Tbh i think everyone could beat anyone in this pool without it being an incredible surprise, thanks to how rby is, and to how stacked the pool is. But yea i def can see him winning some games so u cant sleep on him, but itll be interesting to see how he goes, and even more interesting to see if he calls someone a haxero. I think he will go negative.
 
I am objectively unqualified to be doing this and am just acting as nonsense thread clutter but Chuva and Sceptross ask so Chuva and Sceptross get. I will write on who I know semi-decent words on.

1. ABR
One of the best competitive players in Smogon history, I give him the crown simply for how quickly he has taken this tier and made it his, making this tier a side project to master it when some people called it the one tier he wasn't amazing at. Near mastering a tier with this much history and development in less than a year is something that could be considered impossible, but ABR did it anyway.

2. Heroic Troller
I don't feel like theres a lot to say that hasn't already been said verbatim about this man. "Has the entirety of RBY in the palm of his hand", "Plays in nothing but SPL and still goes positive", etc etc. This man has nothing left to prove to anyone, he is one of the best of the best, the only thing that got him to sign up for SPL XV was the thrill of the bo1 and bo3 debacle. There is no doubt he goes positive even in this monster of a pool.

3. Serpi
Serpi is on fire, with an absurd winrate in team tours and individuals, him being at the bottom of the top 3 is something else.

4. Nails
Nails can be the best player in the pool if he really put his all into it. Some people lately seem to be underestimating just how threatening of a player Nails is when he tries.

5. Gefährlicher Random
Felix not being in the top 3 goes to show the sheer strength of this years pool.

6.Chuva de pereca
Known for his eccentric playstyle, he is never afraid to make the most absurd play possible if he believes it will put him to an advantage. If he believes a line will give him the edge he will commit to it and see it through to the end. For him to be not be in the top 5 goes to show the absurdity of this pools strength.

7. Kaz
"Thinking outside of the box" is putting it lightly when it comes to Kaz's teambuilding style. It is impossible to predict what this man will bring to the table. Some say it weighs him down and prevents him from reaching his full potential as a player as these Pokemon and teams he brings are what could be considered as suboptimal to what other players bring, while some say this unpredictability and suprise factor give him an advantage in play. Him being put at 7 feels wrong when he would easily be top 5 at least in a weaker pool.

8. Kenix
No comment.
9. Amaranth
No comment.
10. Khaetis
No comment.

11. Green on Fire
Green on Fire, Green on Fire, everyones watching, staring, waiting impatiently for you to either succeed or fail. Will you prove the non-believers wrong and make a shocking debut, or will you end up as a fallen star with a 2-x record? Time will only tell if this is a master in the making, or another tale of Icarus flying too close to the sun.
 

emma

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SPL XV RBY Smogcast

Amaranth, Kaz, shiloh, & I recorded the SPL XV RBY Smogcast!
Tier 1
1. Dragonspiral Tyrants - Heroic Troller, SoulWind
2. Indie Scooters - Gefährlicher Random, Hayburner
3. Wi-Fi Wolfpack - ABR, shiloh, Star
4. Stark Sharks - Serpi, kumiko, Mako, Aliss

Tier 2
5. Cryonicles - chuva de perereca, Vileman
6. Ever Grande BIGS - Nails, Laroxyl, emma
7. Congregation of the Classiest - Kaz, BIHI, Isza
8. Alpha Ruiners - Khaetis

Tier 3

9. Team Raiders - Amaranth, Kenix, McMeghan
10. Circus Maximus Tigers - Green on fire, M Dragon, Genesis7


SPL XV Power Rankings

SPL XV Power Rankings are up! The RBY section was beautifully written by teal6!

SPL XV RBY Bingo

Bingo is back! See below for this year's card.


Gengar stays in and dies = Gengar stays in Turn 1 against Starmie / Alakazam and dies to Psychic

Wake into Paralysis = Somebody clicks Thunder Wave or Stun Spore into a Sleeping Pokemon expecting a switch, but it stays in, wakes up, and is now paralyzed

Jynx 1v1s Gengar = Gengar misses Hypnosis while Jynx lands Lovely Kiss Turn 1

Mainers Prevail = ABR goes negative in RBY

Kaz wins without Normals = Kaz wins a game without ALL of Tauros/Snorlax/Chansey

Nails brings the Nails team = Nails brings Jynx - Starmie - Jolteon with the original sets
 
We had our first game today, two players I think are extremely strong in Kaz and Troller. We are sort of getting to the point where Troller's performance is just unheard of, 40-15 (~73% win rate) is just completely nuts particularly over that number of games (there are a few people with "better" SPL records but they have a fraction of the games played, nowhere near the consistency).

The guy simply "gets" the tier at an incredible level.
 

emma

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Moderator
Weeks 3 & 4 Bingo Update

1707838699951.png

[W3] Rest Tauros swings a game - ABR vs. Kaz, Game 1
[W4] Nails brings the Nails team - Nails vs. Kenix, Game 1
 

Kenix

World Defender
I remember when I started I loved when the guys from these tours made a teamdump so I could use those teams for laddering and learning the tier, or for playing tours or whatever, they just made me want to get in those tiers and learn them. Also fsr I thought they were like the best teams one could have cuz they were in spl! (now i realized its not exactly like that, but oh well). Anyways, here is a teamdump of the teams I used in this spl, with the hope this makes the day of the random ladderer watching this, in whose position I was a few years ago. Also for the not that random that want good teams for tours and get in the tier, or for those who just want teams for tours like classic. For everyone!
I wasnt gonna talk about the teams cuz im lazy and it would take too much, but ig I will add some info based on literally nothing but me giving a fuck when seeing the teams (prolly when I think its necessary).
Also need to clarify that in the pastes names, ¨SS¨ means ¨sleepsack¨, so in the teams named ¨SSS¨ ure meant to sleepsack starmie, ¨SSG¨ sleepsack gengar... and well u can make an idea from that (at least try to sleepsack them for the team working well).
Another clarification, the nicks are the HP numbers where recover fail, one is the % number and the other the actual hp, so if u miss recover then skill issue.



Week 1 vs Serpi
https://pokepast.es/6e61171249013001
https://pokepast.es/f07aa7a8b9407aec
https://pokepast.es/64b3c0b59cf79c44

-In the g1, if u dont sleepsack egg (sleepsack mie), ur team becomes very tauros weak (ur fastest mon is tauros which makes it hard to rk), while also lacking enough para spread starmie gives you (egg doesnt spread para that well cuz has no recovery). Thats why in this 6 imo u needt o sleepsack eggy at all cost, which means going eggy even vs lead jynx (dw, no ones sick enough to click blizz t1 vs starmie), and means u need sing chansey to have ur owns sleeper. Otherwise this standard 6 is UNVIABLE.
-I dont recommend this team, the chans set is bad and fishy, some people freely bslam w lax vs chans when they see sing (and for good reason cuz twless is unviable) so u can catch that w counter but, as I said, twless is unviable and fishy.
-In this one u can (and i actually recommend) change the lax set to 4attacks, and the tauros set to a viable one. Literally.



Week 2 vs GoF
https://pokepast.es/f0c4731420ef8104
https://pokepast.es/d4365fca806f6079
https://pokepast.es/c35f3ebd12ddceae

-If u use my boy jolt use it properly, also this team just has too much goat sets together tf, but is prolly not as easy to master it.
-Ok nah this g2 team is just the GOAT, the GARDENERS themselves. This kinda is what rby HO looks like. Spread para w alakazam from the start, the more the better, then ure prolly forced to bring snorlax in, and then u have to position in a situation where victreebel gets in (for example, the turn snorlax rests). Then with victreebel u razor leaf things, wrap things, para things, and sleep threats like zapdos or zam or eggy or whatever looks dangerous. Its important u use victreebel as an enabler and venusaur as the sweeper, otherwise this wont work. Then when everything is set up, its venus turn to shine, u can get him in vs something in range, or something where he can sd or whatever, u prolly just want to keep him for the end when everything is weakened so it can actually sweep. Some things to consider, with vic try to wrap things considering venu (like chansey til its in venus+2hb range which is like 75%), and only sleep threats cuz otherwise u prefer to keep the sleep for venu, which can sleep whatever is in front (like tauros or snorlax) and this gives him a free sd the turn the opp has to switch, so ideally u keep the sleep for him. This team is fun, enjoy.
-Standard and solid.



Week 3 vs Troller
https://pokepast.es/ab9fbe550afeb80e
https://pokepast.es/47dc8eb57604891b

-Good zap team, not much to add.
-Its literally the same team posted twice for aesthetic reasons, espabila lokete.



Week 4 vs Nails
https://pokepast.es/ed4555dd9918c9a7
https://pokepast.es/bbb442ff2641c446

-Ok so first jynx team (with fake lead mie). This team can be tricky, cuz using jynx is not always reliable, and less with a fake lead (u literally always go jynx t1 no matter what). If jynx cant get sleepsacked (cuz u try but opp refuses to sleep u easily and try to para and kill jynx succesfully, or whatever), u have to sleepsack rhydon. This sounds crazy cuz this means u gotta go rhydon directly after jynx death and, even if u have an egg in front of u, just click bslam and try to bs the eggy, if they sleep u ure lucky, if they attack try to para/lower it enough for ur team denying his sleep. Otherwise u just lose to some other things longterm, believe me here this is the best sequence. But dw, later u have the same 6 with other sets that dont require these stuff soits easier to use (week 5 g2). U having leer rhydon means u need counterchans for monolax, which means u need hb lax for breaking better vs mie (and for being better vs zapdos in case u got ur rhydon sleep).
-This team is og, monoice chans sucks cuz starmie sits on u but here u can afford it cuz it means u para mie so cloy is happy. A sequence i wanna hl for people using lax cloy: use bslam as they go lax, then directly go cloy as they reflect/bslam. Then the next time ur lax comes in he can keep making progress cuz being full hp, dont stick to the lax mirror god u have a cloy.



Week 5 vs Kaz
https://pokepast.es/6ed3fd22234b7636
https://pokepast.es/e65b4ae41a0f78a0

-This 6 had 2 versions, I used the second one in week 9 and I prolly like that one more. Still, solid team, just try not play it very passive.
-So this is the more normal version. In case jynx goes south, u sleepsack mie, which is blizz cuz otherwise egg owns you even when jynx is succesfully sleepsacked, because surftbolt mie is walled so ure forced to go chans and if opp trades chans with egg then his starmie owns you, gg. And we talking about starmie and egg, not 2 randoms, so yeah u need that starmie set. That means u need tbolt chans cuz ur starmie cant even touch his starmie so u need something that pressures it. Counterless chans means u need rest rhydon as a normal lax switch in, cuz w rest ure not scared of para and can ppstall him. And u need ib lax for rhydon, in case ur starmie is asleep/gone with boom eggy/parad, ure still ok vs rhydon cuz he cant really switch in any mon.



Week 6 vs Chuva
https://pokepast.es/060f200eefece483
https://pokepast.es/2ff30f5caf43a4e7
https://pokepast.es/560a1f31dcdc0c99

-This team is interesting cuz backgar is not usual, but vs a no-eq lax its actually pretty good, go gar vs the lax, force him out bring chans, and this gives u a free lax switch in for you to make progress, easy. Oh btw, if u face lead jynx, or if u can realiable boom egg without regretting in the future for not having it rather sleep, then go for the boom, remember u have a fast sleep in the back at the end of the day.
-This team is GOAT number 2 and it sucks cuz im tired of writting already but oh well. This is more HO than the gardeners even id say. If u achieve to sleepsack gar, nice; if not, ure fine by sleepsacking egg dw. Vs everything but zam click hypno t1, vs zam go egg and sleep. If opp has a gengar and sleeps u, go egg and psy, he is scared to boom with ur gar there and u can miss, just take the 2hko psy kill and u can click boom safer with ur mons (if he booms u can too, but u want to have a sleep too preferably). If u sleep starmie, good MU for articuno; if u dont and its not mie rhydon, good MU for zapdos; if its actually mie don but lead jynx, gar hypno hitting/booming t1 gives u the lead too. So yeah theres nothing to worry about! well appart from the team being frail and u have to play supper aggro. If u go lax vs his rhydon and click surf (literally no sane person switchs like his eq is free) u likely put rhydon in peck zapdos range too, which can be huge. And u need tbolt in tauros for cloy, otherwise it cooks. With this team its important that u identify ur wincons well, and that u play aggro. Ure gonna have fun with this too.
-Pretty standard, like isnt this in the sample teams too? LOL, if u really wanna read something about this then go there lil kiddo.



Week 7 vs ZiloXX
https://pokepast.es/36b1702433cb22d2
https://pokepast.es/1a2e9f680942e89e

-Ok so literally same team than the previous one and u still here lol go to the sample teams lil mofo im fr. Ok im gonna add something smh, I think this team is good vs not that skilled people, or so says amaranth, and tbf i won a 4vs6 with this so he may have a point. So yeah it may be a good bring if u think ure way better than ur opp.
-Yo this team is heat too tf, no snorlax!! Tbh no lax has its niche, cuz it lets u bring cloy jolt and egg together, which means u got zapdos switch in, rhydon consistency switchs and good play around vs lax and tauros with the sets u got, as they hardly can get in. Worst scenario is they coming in with all ur team rested, but thatd mean u played passive enough so skill issue. So with the deffensive part snorlax does kinda covered, the offensive part which is breaking vs chans is also achieved with hb egg, clamp cloy and dk jolt, so yeah u kinda covered lax functions here. Obviously ure needing 3 mons for that, but these 3 mons have other rols too, so theres the niche. I also think this is good vs worse players as they need to position themselves well which isnt likely.



Week 8 vs Khaetis
https://pokepast.es/7ff26a78f60bf72f
https://pokepast.es/67acb5b40d404b7e

-Basically I think cloy zap teams are pretty good rn. With jynx version u need counter chans for monolax and u in general need boomlax here for zap or even for trading vs mie and make cloy a threat. Its an offensive team that works pretty good.
-Same but with gengar version, which means u dont need counter for monolax, but now u need sing. Also due to the lack of psy resist I also think u need hbeam here on lax, cuz otherwise zam cooks u (with jynx u could reset drops easier), so u have this lax set which makes the team even more offensive.



Week 9 vs Gefarlicher
https://pokepast.es/8188f2042dbdbb7f
https://pokepast.es/b5bbce873442cd87
https://pokepast.es/c3e0494587cedafd

-The version I talked before in week 5. Very solid team, imo the most solid u can run rn.
-Ok so this team is goated. It has no tauros but dont panic. So basically vs gar or jynx u stay and click lk and play a more normal game. Vs starmie/zam u go chansey in their tw t1 and u tw t2 them. Then they basically end up bring lax, with which u click counter. If they dont scout u kill, if they scout u go eggy next turn in the eq or reflect or whatever they doing. So now eggy can pressure the zam/starmie parad with 4 attacks, if u achieve to kill them withou booming ure the goat, if not, just boom and kill them. I dont wanna see eggy hitting the field twice in this scenario. So when this happens u go jynx, they most likely go tauros to try to bs you in the lk, but u have a low evs counter jynx to ohko them (btw, evs might not be optimised, i had other evs/ivs distribution right before the game and when i was challing felix it was not valid for whatever compatibility reason so i had to figure out these evs in the moment, so maybe they can be a little more optimal). If they crit and kill you, u say carapinga in the chat and dont panic, with slowbro alive u can always win literally. Then u have a free lk with jynx and u have killed his tauros and zam/mie, so if u lose from here ure unviable. If this ideal scenario doesnt happen, dont worry, try to para/sleep starmie anyways, make his egg boom ur chansey and spread paras. Ur slowbro will now have the good set up to sweep, and it works better cuz opp expects the obvious tauros so surprise factor gives u a lot for that set up.
-Standard team, vs eggy try to trade it with ur zam, dont let him boom in other things or u have problems. In some scenarious, booming with lax early vs his chansey opens a lot of paths for ur psychics to win so consider it.





Ok so this literally took me 1h of writting lol, cuz i wrote more than what i planned but whatever. I was gonna read to see if there are grammatical mistakes but I cba so if there are just take it. Anyways, I hope this gets new people in the tier, helps people who doesnt have teams or whatever. Carapinga.
 
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