RU 2023 RU Circuit Playoffs - Round One

Ampha

Ampha

"They don’t call me Greed for nothing!"
is a Community Contributoris a Tiering Contributor
op stolen from btboy which stole from Expulso
Approved by Feliburn

Welcome to the 2023 RarelyUsed Circuit Playoffs! This is what the entire year's RarelyUsed tournament circuit has led up to. After struggling through the year's many different versions of the RU metagame, we finally have our 16 playoff contestants. The winner of this tournament will receive the 2023 RarelyUsed ribbon as a reward for their hard work and accomplishments this year!

Congratulations to you all for accomplishing this, and good luck in the playoffs!

SPECIFIC RULES
  • This is a standard Gen 9 RarelyUsed tournament.
  • This tournament will be SINGLE Elimination.
  • Rounds 1 and 2 will be Best of 3; the semifinals and finals will be Best of 5.
  • You may switch teams in between battles of the same set.
  • Matches are to be played on Pokemon Showdown; you must play on either Smogtours or the main server.
  • Replays are mandatory for each game you play! I recommend playing on Smogtours so that they are automatically saved. DO NOT HIDE YOUR REPLAYS.

  • Baton Pass Clause: Baton Pass is banned
  • Sleep Clause Mod: Limit one foe put to sleep
  • Species Clause: Limit one of each Pokémon
  • OHKO Clause: OHKO moves are banned
  • Moody Clause: Moody is banned
  • Evasion Moves Clause: Evasion moves are banned
  • Endless Battle Clause: Forcing endless battles is banned
  • HP Percentage Mod: HP is shown in percentages

  1. Identity: I expect many battles to be completed under alts. This can be bad for tournament security, and thus I will make this clear: If I hear any whispers of identity theft (battling as someone you are not) or proxy battling (helping someone else battle through pm) I will not be pleased and I will take severe actions.
  2. Scouting: Don't leak teams. Keep in mind when laddering and testing teams that you may encounter another player on an alt account; thus, I recommend not playing under your Smogon username. (I also recommend you use a different avatar then usual). I give permission to all battlers to ask any person spectating their battle to leave if they do not want them watching, and recommend you follow the aforementioned procedure and /modjoin or /ionext for all test games. Keep in mind that everyone will have access to your replays from earlier rounds of this Circuit Tournament.
  3. Timer Clause: Keep Battle Timer on for these games. I recommend playing on Smogtours. Battle Timeout is a rule for a reason; timer management is a necessary skill, and if you run out of time, you lose, simple as that. It does not matter what your opponent says. If you ask your opponent to turn off timer due to internet issues, etc., they can do so, but it is their right to refuse. I recommend that all such requests be made only if necessary; if it is necessary, notify your opponent before the series begins. Do not battle if you think you will have to leave mid battle, and instead reschedule for a better time.
  4. Disconnections: Finally, in the case of a disconnect, the decision is in the hands of the player who did not disconnect. The options are: redo the battle move for move, redo the battle with the same teams but different moves, or redo the battle with completely different teams. If the battle was without a doubt over, they may also take the win. Any suspicion that a disconnect was committed on purpose to redo a match may be appealed to me, and if I feel this happened there will be severe consequences. Don't do it.

  1. EviGaro 795
  2. TheFranklin 704.1666667
  3. Floss 662.5
  4. GoldCat 616.6666667
  5. Guille 599.1666667
  6. NHelioX7 571.6666667
  7. Xiri 518.3333333
  8. Star 500
  9. Vulpix03 500
  10. Pepeduce 490.8333333
  11. Corperate n 450
  12. PokemonCestDur 440
  13. Danny 440
  14. eifo 431.6666667
  15. bb skarm 417.5
  16. dunoks 385

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[1] EviGaro vs. [16] dunoks

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[3] Floss vs. [14] eifo

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[4] GoldCat vs. [13] Danny

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[7] Xiri vs. [10] Pepeduce
Replay 1 / Replay 2
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[8] Star vs. [9] Vulpix03


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DEADLINE FOR ROUND 1 IS SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10TH, 2022 AT 11:59 PM GMT -3. REMEMBER THAT THIS ROUND IS BO3. LET THE GAMES BEGIN!
 
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Beraldo

Beraldo

is a Site Content Manageris a Forum Moderatoris a Community Contributoris a Tiering Contributor
RUPL Champion
[1] EviGaro vs. [16] dunoks
[2] TheFranklin vs. [15] bb skarm
[3] Floss vs. [14] eifo
[4] GoldCat vs. [13] Danny
[5] Guille vs. [12] PokemonCestDur
[6] NHelioX7 vs. [11] Corperate n
[7] Xiri vs. [10] Pepeduce
[8] Star vs. [9] Vulpix03

gl everyone
 
Feliburn

Feliburn

is a Community Leaderis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Top Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnus
RU Leader
[1] EviGaro vs. [16] dunoks - Evi has been enjoying this new generation a lot, and we've come to expect her to bring unconventional and effective teams that capitalize on the current meta. Dunoks had a respectable performance in RU overall this year, but Evi's performance this year and superior meta understanding make her the clear favorite in this matchup.
[2] TheFranklin vs. [15] bb skarm - I'll only say it in this prediction, but it's hard for me to predict against Franklin vs a lot of names in this tour. He had a good comeback phase in SCL, meaning his play is polished rn, and I'm sure the current meta is more favorable to his preferences in the builder. Skarm is a tricky opponent to play against, as he has a relentless offensive playstyle that's hard to beat if you don't know how to handle pressure, and he's coming off an OU seasonal win to attest to his overall Pokémon skills, but ultimately struggles in the builder which gives Franklin an advantage in that field.
[3] Floss vs. [14] eifo - I said this somewhere before, but a confident Floss is very scary to face against. He's coming off a positive SCL which should only make his confidence higher. I still think eifo hasn't found his footing in the builder yet, and that can translate to midgame matchup frustration. I don't doubt his playing skills, but entering a game with uncertainty usually makes his playstyle more passive than usual, which is all you could ask for if you are a somewhat aggressive player like Floss.
[4] GoldCat vs. [13] Danny - First lower seed I'm predicting to win. I didn't get to see much of GoldCat gaming wise lately, so I'm unsure as to how he stands at the moment. He played the last 2 weeks of SCL, but it was against a Franklin on fire, and I didn't get to see his match vs eifo (and probably won't cause replays are GONE). I'm mainly predicting Danny cause I think he has higher highs as a player than GoldCat, and I'm sure he's no stranger to current RU meta. The one thing I'll say, that I really haven't seen lately but I'll still say it, is that GoldCat has what it takes to go really wild in the builder. If he manages to make some GoldCat stuff as he has in the past, then this could very well go his way.
[5] Guille vs. [12] PokemonCestDur - This is a very even matchup. PCD made it to RU seasonal finals, while Guille made it to RU Penta finals. Obviously one tour is longer than the other but a second place is a second place. I'm bolding Guille cause he has had more exposure competitively lately, so I feel like he'll be more on point with teams and play.
[6] NHelioX7 vs. [11] Corperate n - While I'm not familiar with the extensive competitive history of either player beyond the RU tours I've witnessed, I believe NHelioX7 has a more solid play than corp, and he has the French armada to help with teams. The French teams are notoriously challenging to overcome if one doesn't have a deep understanding of the current meta.
[7] Xiri vs. [10] Pepeduce - My goat Pepe is back. I rate Pepe higher in terms of playing skill than Xiri at the moment, and he is one of the few people I see actively build in RU. He has been relatively quiet in the scene most of the year, besides his RULT performance, but we've all seen him play on the down low, so we know he isn't rusty. Xiri is a solid player, and he can pilot anything in any tier and perform well. How close this matchup is depends on the quality of teams Xiri will bring against the ever volatile Pepe squads.
[8] Star vs. [9] Vulpix03 - Rematch from RU Open Finals. Even if pix had won back then, I'm sure I'd be bolding Star here as well. It's hard not to bank on the more proven player to win, and Star's feats are way too many in comparison. Vulpix has stepped it up this year in RU tho. Making it to Open Finals and having a 7-1 RU record in an RUPL his team won is a solid year, so this game is closer than you'd think. Obviously the metas are different but the skill to adapt to RU is there. Team wise, both have access to quality builders, be it their SCL players or other connections they have that can build quality teams. This'll be the highlight of the round for sure.
 
Lime

Lime

o.o
is a Tiering Contributor
[1] EviGaro vs. [16] dunoks : Evi had a strong ssnl win without dropping a set, and i haven't seen dunoks much, tho i've heard they are a good player and can maybe pull it off.

[2] TheFranklin vs. [15] bb skarm : hm yeah, as feli said there aren't a lot of people you'd predict against franklin.

[3] Floss vs. [14] eifo : I think floss will win cuz they have the more tempo in the tier lately I think but I'd love to be proven wrong here.

[4] GoldCat vs. [13] Danny
IMG_20231205_213436.jpg

case closed :changry:

[5] Guille vs. [12] PokemonCestDur : PCD made finals of sv spring seasonals iirc and guille showing was more in penta which included more previous gens.

[6] NHelioX7 vs. [11] Corperate n : Don't know a lot of about them so going with the higher seed :smogduck:

[7] Xiri vs. [10] Pepeduce : Pepeduce has been playing more lately I think and is more invested in tier so favouring them here, Xiri is a strong player tho so should be a close call.

[8] Star vs. [9] Vulpix03 : Vulpix have more current ru than star who i think haven't played after the ru open, tho shouldn't be a big issue if they have good support, another very close mu.

Goodluck hf everyone!
 
Sneakyplanner

Sneakyplanner

is a Pre-Contributor
[1] EviGaro vs. [16] dunoks
[2] TheFranklin vs. [15] bb skarm
[3] Floss vs. [14] eifo
[4] GoldCat vs. [13] Danny
[5] Guille vs. [12] PokemonCestDur
[6] NHelioX7 vs. [11] Corperate n
[7] Xiri vs. [10] Pepeduce
[8] Star vs. [9] Vulpix03

Not much to say other than I am cheering for Evi, Vulpix and Skarm.
 
Yourwelcomethanku

Yourwelcomethanku

._.
is a Forum Moderatoris a Community Contributoris a Tiering Contributoris a Contributor to Smogonis a Site Content Manager Alumnus
Eveegauroe vs Dünawx:
Evi is in the trios tour and Dunoks isn't.

ThePhrainclin vs big boi skarmoree
After the turdles hatch and go towards the ocean, what do the birds do to them? Just imagine that as Skarm vs Franklin

Phlawce vs Eiphoe
Eifo did say their playoffs prep is pretty much done, and this was before it even started. Can Floss match that? Yeah, probably. They've even johned to Tuesday already.

Goaldkat vs Dannknee: Can you believe what my own teammate said? Do you really expect my support after all those things you said about me?
1701805919135.png

Geeyay vs Poekeemauncedyoo
PCD has shared with me more cat pictures than Guille has.

Enhilioeks vs Corpere'en
If he stalls Helio, what's stopping his victory? There was this guy that stalled Corperaten four games a row in the same set; if Corperaten does what they did, how could they lose?

Zearee vs Pepedüchay
Pepe uses fire teams, and Xiri I think sometimes uses fire teams in RU.

Starre vs Vulpaiks08
I've never seen Star say this
Screenshot 2023-12-05 3.35.07 PM.png
 
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HaxxSel

HaxxSel

:blobwizard: SALTY KING PREDICTIONS :blobwizard:

[1] EviGaro vs. [16] dunoks - Hard to choose one of my two friends, but I've gotta go with my 3-time RUPL captain, firstly to have a chance to be picked again, and secondly because she has done an impressive run during seasonal by not dropping a single set and being really solid during all games I saw, she's got the first seed, and if she manages to take this form back, she may pretend to take it all.

[2] TheFranklin vs. [15] bb skarm - Both had a mitigated record during SCL, but arce9 showed huge mental by coming back from 0-4 to 4-4, and even taking the only game Beraldoat didn't win (still so sad Beraldo isn't here...), and he's a RU circuit veteran, I don't see him losing first round already.

[3] Floss vs. [14] eifo - While eifo might have finally found a RU meta he likes after months of disillusion, Floss has been one of my favorites RU players to watch this year, being really consistent during every tournaments he played, both solo and team.

[4] GoldCat vs. [13] Danny - Really sad about GoldCat record during SCL, I was so hype about his first major tournament, I'm confident you'll get another chance and show your true talent! With that said, GK is accustomed to show an impressive gameplay during solos, and he probably have thirst for revenge to guide him.

[5] Guille vs. [12] PokemonCestDur - Both steady players during the whole year in all RU tours, this pairing might be really close, but PCD is probably the most consistent french RUer at the moment, he seems to really like current meta and will have help of FRENCH ARMY, whereas I don't really know how Guille feels in RU recently.

[6] NHelioX7 vs. [11] Corperate n - Same as last pairing, we have a pairing with two similar profiles, but this time we have two players who got their peak earlier in the year (LT and Seasonal), and are now on a downward slope. Same as before, the FRENCH ARMY will make the difference, and even is NHX isn't as impressive as before, he's still pretty solid currently and should be able to winning this first round.

[7] Xiri vs. [10] Pepeduce - Didn't really have news from Xiri this year, but I remember him being pretty good during seasonal, though on the other side we have Pepe "french old father" Duce, who's a bit less dominant in the french RU community with the new generation emerging, but is still a reference in the tier, he will probably know what to bring to shake Xiri who has not really played recently to my knowledge.

[8] Star vs. [9] Vulpix03 - Both didn't played a lot of RU tours, but made huge runs the few times they were in, with Star winning the RU Open, whereas Pix reached 2 finals (Open and Cup), losing both against Star and Franklin. Star is really good and don't really have to play the tier to take the best of most RU mainers, but I feel like Vulpix will take this one, to conclude in the best possible way a brilliant year on Smogon, especially in RU with his memorable 7-1 run to win RUPL.

Obviously cheering for french one to win it all!!!! PokemonCestDur Pepeduce NHelioX7 dunoks and not forgetting french speaker EviGaro :)
 
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Jordy004

Jordy004

is a Tiering Contributoris a Battle Simulator Staff Alumnus
[1] EviGaro vs. [16] dunoks - Predicting the upset here by a very small margin. Evi has been killing it in the circuit and is hard to prep against, but in my eyes dunoks has a higher playing skill cap. I'm only bolding dunoks assuming his motivation for making a deep run in this is high though, since he'll need more than just solid play to win this one. Not surprised if Evi does claim this.

[2] TheFranklin vs. [15] bb skarm - After a rocky start in SCL, Franklin has seemingly returned to his former glory with an RU Cup win to back it up. He's been in these playoffs for years straight and deserves to finally get that ribbon. As long as Franklin is willing to make some risks in-game here, I can't see him losing.

[3] Floss vs. [14] eifo - Very fun mu here. Floss has been looking solid as ever throughout the circuit and in SCL. eifo hasn't looked bad himself either and is a great player in his own right. As long as eifo doesn't just load whatever, puts in the prep and doesn't get tilted after a loss, he should have a slight upper hand.

[4] GoldCat vs. [13] Danny - gk has tons of potential in the builder and is known for putting some brazy ideas into practice. However, the recent SCL run doesn't inspire much confidence, especially when Danny is among the best lower tier builders himself and is able to adapt to new metas so quickly. Also gk hates gaming! Can you believe that??

[5] Guille vs. [12] PokemonCestDur - Guille has seemingly been improving in the builder throughout the new gen and has had some great performances in recent team tours like RUWC. PCD however has been playing at this level for 5000 years and is one of the nicest dudes on the site to boot. Hard to bold against PCD here, though Guille should by all means be considered as a serious threat.

[6] NHelioX7 vs. [11] Corperate n - Gut feeling

[7] Xiri vs. [10] Pepeduce - Hl mu of the round. Even when it seems like Pepe isn't active much these days, he's always lurking there at the top of the ladder. I loved some of his building ideas early-meta too and I'm stoked to see what he's bringing here. Xiri himself is one of the best lower tier players on the site and isn't shy from innovating in the builder either. I do think Pepe has kept up more with this tier throughout the new gen than Xiri, so this should be slightly in Pepe's favor.

[8] Star vs. [9] Vulpix03 - Star is one the best current players on the site, period. Even though pix has shown his lower tier prowess in Slam and probably has a slight advantage in the builder over Star, this shouldn't matter if Star takes some time to learn the new meta and manages to get proper support. It's incredibly hard to bold against Star.
 
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Pepeduce

Pepeduce

PepeDuce, le seul, l'unique ! #SGZ
is a Tiering Contributoris a Past SCL Champion
I still lost my r1 of PO Circuit, again and again. GG to Xiri you play that better than me.
I would offer a better prestation in circuit but I lose motivation each time anyway thanks for ppl who rooting for me and let's go PCD, NHX, Dunoks and BB Skarm.

ggwp on se revoit l'an prochain !
 
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