this tour was really fun, in part to the Shadow Riders and Mandibuzzes keeping it extremely tense right until the end, and my teammates for being really cool. I'd like to talk about some of the teams I made:
Galar AG:
I didn't actually get to play any Galar AG unfortunately though I'd have prob played it in event of a tiebreaker, but I did contribute to teambuilding, these are the teams I built:
![:shuckle:](/forums/media/minisprites/shuckle.png.m.1706070908)
![:necrozma-Dusk-Mane:](/forums/media/minisprites/necrozma-dusk-mane.png.m.1706070908)
![:Yveltal:](/forums/media/minisprites/yveltal.png.m.1706070908)
![:Regieleki:](/forums/media/minisprites/regieleki.png.m.1706070908)
![:Calyrex-Shadow:](/forums/media/minisprites/calyrex-shadow.png.m.1706070908)
W1 Royal vs aesf
This is just my Sample Webs, but they are really OP imo, they're easy to pilot and win vs most teams, having a doable MU vs even ditto teams (as seen in the replay), though it lost after a close game due to a miss
![:Eternatus:](/forums/media/minisprites/eternatus.png.m.1706070908)
![:Kyogre:](/forums/media/minisprites/kyogre.png.m.1706070908)
![:Necrozma-Dusk-Mane:](/forums/media/minisprites/necrozma-dusk-mane.png.m.1706070908)
![:Zacian-Crowned:](/forums/media/minisprites/zacian-crowned.png.m.1706070908)
![:Yveltal:](/forums/media/minisprites/yveltal.png.m.1706070908)
W1 Lotiasite vs Monsareeasy
At the time, the other playstyle I thought was best was Knock Spamming Hazard Stack, so I passed this team to Lotias. I think it had a pretty decent matchup here, but Mons just played well and got the win. Assurance Zacian is as broken as ever, and you can easily whittle down their Necrozma-DM with Spikes + Rain from bulky Calm Mind Kyogre, which makes any kind of long game for them extremely difficult. I don't think this particular team has aged that well though - it's pretty weak to HO.
Most of the teams w2-w6 I did chip in and help build, but fardin, royal and shivam built mainly so I don't want to post them myself.
![:ditto:](/forums/media/minisprites/ditto.png.m.1706070908)
![:eternatus:](/forums/media/minisprites/eternatus.png.m.1706070908)
![:Necrozma-Dusk-Mane:](/forums/media/minisprites/necrozma-dusk-mane.png.m.1706070908)
![:kyogre:](/forums/media/minisprites/kyogre.png.m.1706070908)
![:yveltal:](/forums/media/minisprites/yveltal.png.m.1706070908)
W6 Royal vs orch
When going through Orch's replays, I noticed that he never brought Eternatus. This made his teams TSpikes Eternatus food, and with his main fogger being Yveltal, a Choiced Calyrex could trick it early game and just ensure TSpikes stay up, meaning Zygardes, Zekroms, Xerneas and Calyrexes are far less effective. I also noticed that nearly all his winconditions (zac, xern, CShadow) were all very weak to a Ditto reverse sweep. And he relied on Kyurem-White mainly to check CM ogre, so with Substitute you completely blank Ditto and Sheer Cold Kyurems. Taunt Koff yveltal covers Ferrothorn
![:Calyrex-Shadow:](/forums/media/minisprites/calyrex-shadow.png.m.1706070908)
![:Ditto:](/forums/media/minisprites/ditto.png.m.1706070908)
![:Necrozma-Dusk-Mane:](/forums/media/minisprites/necrozma-dusk-mane.png.m.1706070908)
![:Yveltal:](/forums/media/minisprites/yveltal.png.m.1706070908)
![:Zygarde:](/forums/media/minisprites/zygarde.png.m.1706070908)
![:Eternatus:](/forums/media/minisprites/eternatus.png.m.1706070908)
W7
Royal vs Jerryl
We knew HO was coming so we brought Specs Trick Calyrex, Ditto, Defensive Zyg, Taunt Yveltal and Tspikes Etern - a really HO proofed team. Unfortunate crit however lead to NDM sweeping through.
![:zygarde:](/forums/media/minisprites/zygarde.png.m.1706070908)
![:Calyrex-Shadow:](/forums/media/minisprites/calyrex-shadow.png.m.1706070908)
![:eternatus:](/forums/media/minisprites/eternatus.png.m.1706070908)
![:yveltal:](/forums/media/minisprites/yveltal.png.m.1706070908)
![:Necrozma-Dusk-Mane:](/forums/media/minisprites/necrozma-dusk-mane.png.m.1706070908)
![:Kyogre:](/forums/media/minisprites/kyogre.png.m.1706070908)
W7
Shivam vs aesf
Coil Zygarde managed to pull through big time, If I remember correctly our plan here was just bulky setup sweepers and normal NP calyrex, which are all slightly hard for a ditto balance to handle - which we were expecting to come.
National Dex AG:
![:Calyrex-Shadow:](/forums/media/minisprites/calyrex-shadow.png.m.1706070908)
![:Yveltal:](/forums/media/minisprites/yveltal.png.m.1706070908)
![:Arceus:](/forums/media/minisprites/arceus.png.m.1706070908)
![:Arceus-Water:](/forums/media/minisprites/arceus-water.png.m.1706070908)
![:Necrozma-Dusk-Mane:](/forums/media/minisprites/necrozma-dusk-mane.png.m.1706070908)
W1 vs xavgb W
I knew BP Calyrex was broken so I wanted to abuse it in a game. In DLC 1 meta EK was a very underrated pick, and in DLC 2 it just got better since SD arcs in general prey on Calyrex counterplay, and EKiller can take hits from Calyrex decently well. TSpikes are nice in general as it heavily limits some of the more OP threats - Calyrex-S, Xern, Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre. In the end, I won due to BP Calyrex, totally balanced mon.
![:Zygarde-Complete:](/forums/media/minisprites/zygarde-complete.png.m.1706070908)
![:Zacian-Crowned:](/forums/media/minisprites/zacian-crowned.png.m.1706070908)
![:Arceus:](/forums/media/minisprites/arceus.png.m.1706070908)
![:Arceus:](/forums/media/minisprites/arceus.png.m.1706070908)
![:Necrozma-Dusk-Mane:](/forums/media/minisprites/necrozma-dusk-mane.png.m.1706070908)
W2 vs Andyboy W (No Caly agreement)
in this game I brought a comfortable team with Kyogre Primal + Zacian-C + Zygarde-C. It's insanely broken, since Zygarde-C will switch into Don and MRay decently well, Zacian is decent speed control and forces in NDM which Kyogre easily switches into and lowers the recovery of. Zac + Kyogre really puts the pressure on for Groudon Primal, which lets waterceus potentially win the endgame. Zygarde helps paralyze everything which makes Kyogre much more effective. Kyogre has rest to help sit on SupportCeus - especially perishpoolers. Waterceus has Ice Beam as a last-ditch defensive Dynamax vs Rayquaza, should it get to that. In this game, I swapped to Assurance Zacian rather than Rest as Andy doesn't use perish darkceus that much afaik, and I swapped to darkceus over fairy. Luckily, andy brought an extremely similar team to the one bacon did in circuit finals, where I also used this team, so I pretty much made the same plays.
![:arceus:](/forums/media/minisprites/arceus.png.m.1706070908)
![:arceus:](/forums/media/minisprites/arceus.png.m.1706070908)
![:arceus:](/forums/media/minisprites/arceus.png.m.1706070908)
![:necrozma-Dusk-mane:](/forums/media/minisprites/necrozma-dusk-mane.png.m.1706070908)
![:Zacian-Crowned:](/forums/media/minisprites/zacian-crowned.png.m.1706070908)
W3 vs Staxi W (No Caly agreement)
I expected balance and so brought SD groundy, as his teams in the past had been quite weak to it. Luckily, Zac+MRay still managed to do well vs HO, and luckily I had DD on NDM to cover for the sack Zacian into Smeargle strategy (which is extremely underrated)
![:Marshadow:](/forums/media/minisprites/marshadow.png.m.1706070908)
![:Necrozma-Dusk-Mane:](/forums/media/minisprites/necrozma-dusk-mane.png.m.1706070908)
![:Rayquaza-Mega:](/forums/media/minisprites/rayquaza-mega.png.m.1706070908)
![:Yveltal:](/forums/media/minisprites/yveltal.png.m.1706070908)
![:Arceus:](/forums/media/minisprites/arceus.png.m.1706070908)
W4 vs DNNP L
Got outplayed at the begining with his Groudon, (should've really just Ascented with Band Ray turn 1 but expected Bulky Xerneas), which really softened my team up for his CM Groundceus to just run through me. Didn't really have any expectations of what he would bring as I think this was his first AG game so I loaded on Caly/HO counterplay and unfortunately neglected a lot of other MUs, like Primal Groudon which showed.
![:Zacian-Crowned:](/forums/media/minisprites/zacian-crowned.png.m.1706070908)
![:Necrozma-Dusk-Mane:](/forums/media/minisprites/necrozma-dusk-mane.png.m.1706070908)
![:Zarude:](/forums/media/minisprites/zarude.png.m.1706070908)
![:Manaphy:](/forums/media/minisprites/manaphy.png.m.1706070908)
![:Arceus:](/forums/media/minisprites/arceus.png.m.1706070908)
W5 vs WSun1 L
Don't bring this team I simply brought it bc my team had made Playoffs
![:arceus:](/forums/media/minisprites/arceus.png.m.1706070908)
![:arceus:](/forums/media/minisprites/arceus.png.m.1706070908)
![:arceus:](/forums/media/minisprites/arceus.png.m.1706070908)
![:arceus:](/forums/media/minisprites/arceus.png.m.1706070908)
![:rayquaza-mega:](/forums/media/minisprites/rayquaza-mega.png.m.1706070908)
W6 vs DNNP L
I think this team was a great pick for vs DNNP, it completely prevents Primal Groudon putting Rocks up and statusing half my team (which is what costed me the game last time), while maintaining my own rocks. I think if you can ensure that they have rocks on their side of the field without having any on yours, it gets 100x easier to win any natdex AG game as some of the most dangerous threats such as Rayquaza and Yveltal get neutered. SD and CM ground nuke balance, so does MRay and nothing on the team lets Shadow Caly in with ease except NDM, which I won't be going into much at all hopefully, given that Zacian doesn't come in on my team that easily and Rocks are on Groundceus. Support EKiller is very underrated. Unfortunately, some endgame missplays on my end and crits caused me to lose.
![:arceus:](/forums/media/minisprites/arceus.png.m.1706070908)
![:arceus:](/forums/media/minisprites/arceus.png.m.1706070908)
![:ho-oh:](/forums/media/minisprites/ho-oh.png.m.1706070908)
![:zacian-crowned:](/forums/media/minisprites/zacian-crowned.png.m.1706070908)
![:necrozma-dusk-mane:](/forums/media/minisprites/necrozma-dusk-mane.png.m.1706070908)
W7 vs PDT W (No caly agreement)
This was a really good bring vs PDT, with sd ground and Ho-Oh being huge pests to his team. However, he just outplayed me in the early game - every single prediction I made was heavily punished (t1 zac, and precip on my hooh switching to NDM were key). With luck and some good endgame plays, I managed to get the rather underserved win
Overall, I had a lot of fun playing non Calyrex Natdex AG, but not so much fun playing DLC 2 unfortunately