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Welcome to this generation’s Pokemon Scarlet and Violet VGC Beginner’s Guide! Just like the previous I’ve done this serves the purpose of giving you an understanding of VGC while providing some useful tips and a clear direction to become a good VGC player.
What is VGC?
VGC stands for Video Game Championships and it’s the official format for Pokémon competitions.
The battle format is Doubles, where you have to bring a team of 6 Pokémon and choose 4 to battle after a team preview.
You can play this format by going into Ranked Doubles in the Battle Stadium and checking the rules for every season.
Understanding VGC Basics:
The first thing to know is that you’ll have to make important decisions during each battle. Will you attack with both Pokémon? Or do you anticipate one of them being targeted and decide to protect it? When should you Tera? – early or wait for your opponent to use theirs first?
Initially, you might not make the best decisions, but don’t worry! With each match, your decision-making skills will improve as you gain more knowledge of the meta.
Understanding the Meta:
The “meta” refers to the most optimal way of playing the game to achieve the best results. This involves selecting Pokémon that synergize well with each other and perform effectively against a majority of teams in the format.
As you gain experience, you’ll start to recognize common strategies used by opponents just by observing their team composition during the team preview phase.
To stay updated on the current meta, Victory Road is a great resource. They share results from recent tournaments and offer rental teams created by top VGC players. Using a rental team can be beneficial when you’re still learning the ropes.
You can find success without the need to train a full team from scratch, but make sure you familiarize yourself with the team’s strategy first! You can also find great teams by watching CybertronVGC play.
Team Building Tips:
Once you gain a better grasp of the game, you can venture into team building. However, it’s recommended not to build your team in-game right away, unless you have a lot of free time. Instead, use Pokémon Showdown, a Pokémon Battle Simulator, to quickly test your team in battle simulations.
This will help you identify any weaknesses or issues with your team before committing to breeding and EV-training your Pokémon in the main game.
Speed Tiers:
Understanding the speed tiers can help you anticipate which Pokémon might move first and plan your strategies accordingly. For instance, if you know your Pokémon’s speed is significantly lower than your opponent’s, you might decide to protect your Pokémon from potential attacks rather than risk an unsuccessful move.
Keep in mind that speed tiers can vary based on the format’s specific rules, available Pokémon, and the prevailing meta. As the metagame evolves, new strategies and Pokémon might emerge, impacting the relevance of certain speed tiers.
However, knowing that a certain Pokémon is faster or slower than the other might not be enough since the Pokémon might be holding a choice scarf making it much faster.
Paying attention to which abilities are activated first is a great way to test speed tiers in-battle. The faster Pokémon will always activate their ability first.
Accept the Uncertainty
There are elements that are out of your control.
In VGC, and Pokémon battles in general, you must learn to accept that certain moves don’t always hit due to their accuracy, such as Hypnosis or Sleep Powder. Moves with high damage output or those causing flinching also have their unpredictable elements.
Embrace these uncertainties and learn from them, as they add excitement and challenge to the battles.
Remember that there’s no perfect team, and every strategy has its counter-strategy. Even the most powerful team can be defeated by a well-prepared opponent. Stay calm, focus on making the best plays you can, and don’t be disheartened by losses.
Useful Links:
As a beginner, you might not delve into Breeding, Natures, and Ev-Training just yet, but here are some valuable resources for when you’re ready to explore those aspects:
Remember, the journey to mastering Pokémon Scarlet and Violet VGC is all about learning, adapting, and having fun. Enjoy the battles, and may you become a skilled Pokémon trainer in the VGC arena!