NPA XIV Power Rankings
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NPA is back for its 14th consecutive season, once again being hosted here on Smogon. One of VGC's premier team tournaments (alongside VGC World Cup), NPA has always been one of the best ways to prove yourself as a player against the international scene. This year is no different with over 450 international signups, all looking to be drafted onto one of the 10 participating teams. With many returning top players and a new pool of rising stars, competition this year will be even fiercer than usual as these teams battle it out to take home the NPA title and a fresh new custom avatar.
This year's iteration of NPA downsized a little bit, in spite of the increased number of signups. With only 10 teams and a team player cap of 13, only 125 players were drafted total. This resulted in a draft pool of almost exclusively proven players and brought the skill floor and ceiling much closer to each other compared to prior years. Every match of every week is sure to be intense, and results will be a great indicator of which players have mastered Regulation G the fastest.
1
Mistralton Aerial Aces
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Taking flight for their second season in NPA, the Mistralton Aerial Aces are back and ready to prove that their middling 5th place finish is far from what we should expect from their storied managers, trace and yuki. The Aces debuted in the Smogon VGC Winter League, where they finished the regular season as the second seed. Despite their strong showing, the Aces' journey ended in the playoffs against the eventual champions. This pattern repeated in VGCPL 2, where they once again reached the playoffs but fell short in top 4 to the Zui Zoruas, who went on to claim the title. Their final tournament prior to the Smogon X NPA merger was VGCPL 3. The Mistralton Aerial Aces dominated the regular season with 4 wins, 1 loss, and 2 ties to take the first seed and secure their best regular season finish to date; however, they faced heartbreak yet again at the hands of tyo's Zui Zoruas in top 4, who went on to win their second consecutive VGCPL title.
This year the Aces retained EternalSnowman and crystal_0302 for 12k and 15k, respectively. During the previous season EternalSnowman finished with a respectable 5-4 record after playing some strong players in the league such as the NPA MVP CICCIOTT. On the other hand, Crystal's season was a completely different story. Crystal started off the season in week 1 with a 0-2 loss against Symbionts' Darts and returned to the active roster in Week 3 with another 0-2 loss to Robbie, who finished the season with a 3-6 record. By retaining Crystal, the Aerial Aces are putting trust in his abilities and hoping that with him finishing his mandatory military service he will be able to put up a a stronger performance this season. In the draft they welcomed back three more familiar faces, with Feyy, Azulite, and Kuro all returning to the Aces' roster. They also reinforced their managerial squad by adding former player Pocoyo as an assistant manager. Pocoyo has previous managing experience in the VGCPL scene and is extensive in his scouting efforts and making sure his teammates are prepared for their matches every week.
Star Player: sempra
Two years ago, sempra (Abdullah Mohayyuddin) burst into the VGC scene with an incredible rookie season, taking the title of Vancouver Regional Champion and finishing Top 8 at the World Championships. Prior to these results he made his team tournament debut in the Smogon VGC Winter League 2 on Howkings' Kyoto Kingambits, the predecessor to the Blackthorn City Blades. sempra was one the last players to be drafted and put up a phenomenal 6-2 record as a 3k player and led the Kingambits to a 3rd place finish.
Following that success sempra was drafted to the Slateport City Cruisers in NPA 12. Despite finishing with a record of 2-4, this result was overshadowed by his regional victory that coincided with week 5 of NPA. For the final weeks of the season sempra rode the bench and supported his teammates as they secured a second place finish. sempra's next team tournament appearance was in VGCPL 3, which marked his first time teaming up with Trace and yuki in the Mistralton Aerial Aces. He put up a solid 4-3 record to contribute to his team's top 4 finish just weeks before his impressive Worlds Top 8 result.
In the most recent NPA season, sempra played for the Aether Paradise Symbionts, where he took the league by storm with his 7-2 performance. Throughout the season, he faced a challenging list of opponents, including a week 1 victory over one of NPA's winningest players, SNOW. The Symbionts finished in second place and sempra narrowly missed out on both the MVP title and the NPA championship, but he has without a doubt established himself as one of the best new NPA players.
Heading into NPA 14, the Aces' management decided that sempra is the missing piece needed to finally break their curse of losing to the eventual champions. Their decision has paid of immediately, as sempra kicked off the season with a decisive win over former Symbionts teammate, TheBattleRoom, and helped the Aces take a commanding week 1 win over the Mossui Masks.
Redemption Seeker: panda!
Entering his second NPA season, Justin Tang (panda!) is looking to prove he is far from a fish out of water in a team tournament setting. He's determined to deliver the masterclass performances we've come to expect from him in the VGC circuit. Last season he ended with a mediocre 4-4 record and was ranked 51st in NPA Elo. However, in the Aces' new environment, he hopes to be better prepared to take on this NPA season and help the team finally break past their reputation as the gatekept underdogs, being consistently stopped by the eventual champions.
Players to watch: charmdi and Fey
Nicholas Morales (charmdi) enters this NPA season riding the momentum of his recent regional victory in Baltimore, fittingly known as the "Charm City." His win solidified him as a rising star in the North American VGC scene, and he's looking to bring that same success to the Aerial Aces in his NPA debut. Charmdi has years of experience in VGC draft leagues, including playing alongside his teammate and friend Fey.
Fey returns to the Aerial Aces after an impressive debut season where he boasted a strong 5-1 record. Alongside charmdi, he adds a unique perspective to the Aces' roster thanks to his background in VGC draft leagues and Doubles OU. Fey's proven track record of consistent performances across multiple formats makes him one of the key players that the Aerial Aces will rely on each week to secure crucial wins for the team.
Together, charmdi and Fey were drafted for a combined 9.5k and look to become the X-Factor for their team this season. With their shared experiences and strong individual skills the duo has the potential to elevate the Aerial Aces to new heights.
2
Asukana Samurais
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Slice dice fuckos the Asukana Samurais are back for their fourth season in NPA with a sick as shit team from the managers to the players. For those unfamiliar, the NPA 12 champions have a new manager group consisting of ceree (the 2024 World Champion), marcofiero (three-time International Champion, “Wolfey con Perish…”, etc.), and Val16 (certified chill guy). In all seriousness, anyone would be excited to join a team with a management crew as accomplished and dedicated as these guys. They also aren't just some folks who only grind official tours like it's no tomorrow and suddenly decided to step into NPA. Au contraire, the Italian trio have a wealth of draft league experience, with ceree playing and winning last year's NPA with the Cruisers, Marco excelling with Team Italy in the VGC World Cup for years, and Val having a solid record with the Samurais last year as a player in addition to winning numerous Smogon VGC leagues over the years. However, after all that glazing, does the roster match up to the hype that this manager group brings?
The answer is a resounding... I think so? Maybe? Da Vinki? At least that's what it looks like on the surface given the lack of name value compared to other teams; however, let's hop in and take a deep dive. First, addressing the Copperajah in the room, the Samurais definitely left too much money on the board with 11.5k credits remaining, likely anticipating a higher price for some of their targeted players. However, when you start to look at the quality of the players drafted, one (aka me, and soon you) begins to think “damn these guys are pretty good.” There's the obvious top 2 with Sakura☆ (Aurélian Soula) and CICCIOTT (all caps when you say his name, aka Francesco Pio Pero). I mean, what can you say about Aurélian Soula that hasn't already been said, a quiet rising star in the SwSh era that has absolutely exploded on the scene from the moment SV was released. Even though his accomplishments haven't culminated in a win, there's a reasonable argument that he's the best European player in the world, and on top of that he has plenty of NPA experience with great individual and team records. Speaking of individual records, let's talk about last year's NPA MVP: CICCIOTT. Another dynamo on the scene right now, there are very few players as committed to the grind as CICCIOTT, an eager player wanting to repeat his success from last year's NPA and translate his work to his continued rise on the official circuit.
To further represent Italy alongside their managers and CICCIOTT, the Samurais drafted some sleepers for amazing value such as lildarkrai (Top 8 VR January Challenge), Dysi (Top 16 Stuttgart 2025), wjbax (Top 1 Birmingham 2025, 3.5k btw???), and eughe (old). In addition to the Italians, icebergvgc (Luca Paz) and Tabu_24 are a couple Spanish (or sometimes American in Luca's case) players known for their consistency on the official and online circuits. Lastly, we have Angry LouLou (Birmingham 2025 Seniors Champion), ArKaneVGC (Top 32 Worlds 2024), DayDay (numerous Day 2 results), shuli (one of the best Bo1 players in the world), and zgrzgr (Top 8 Birmingham 2025) to round out the roster, with each player rising on the scene and looking to build a name for themselves. Many of the Samurais worked together to achieve great results in official tournaments as well, further demonstrating the synergies in this roster. So, are the Samurais legit this year? Their low-cost picks will need to perform, but personally, I think so.
Star Player: CICCIOTT
We could obviously pick Aurélian Soula as the star here given his success on the circuit, previous results in NPA, and draft price of 26k (highest on the team). However, CICCIOTT was the MVP for a strong Blizzards team last season, and I don't want to discount his own stardom, so here we are. If you've been following the official circuit and the community as a whole, you'd know that CICCIOTT has been rising through the ranks as one of Italy's best players who's not afraid to turn his hat backwards when things get serious. A true VGC addict with plenty to prove, you can believe that CICCIOTT's gonna come out full force during this season to defend his throne.
X-Factor: zgrzgr
Given the number of low-cost picks on this roster, there's many different X-factors the Samurais will need to rely on to have a successful season, and zgrzgr definitely marks the spot. Also known as Junxi Zhu, zgrzgr is another rising star on the scene with a few Top 8 Regional finishes across the SV era in addition to a strong 8-3 record at the 2024 World Championships. Holding second place on the NA Championship Point leaderboard, the Samurais are absolutely looking for Junxi to translate his tournament success to his first-ever NPA.
Sleeper Pick: shuli
If you've ever played the Bo1 ladder, you've lost to shuli. Easily one of the most creative builders from China, there is no way to know what to expect if you're facing up against one of our scene's best ladder warriors. That's not to say it'll be all rainbows and Butterfrees here; after all, shuli had a modest 2-2 record last year in his first NPA with the Symbionts, and OTS Bo3 is a different beast. However, with some Bo3 experience now under his belt, in addition to some of the best advice you could get from his teammates and managers, don't be surprised if shuli has a breakout season as a 3k pick with the Samurais.
3
Snowbelle Blizzards
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The Snowbelle Blizzards have established themselves as one of the most consistent and successful teams in recent NPA history. Their team dates back to NPA 8, when they were inaugurated by managers Pd0nZ and JeanMarc and finished in 8th place. After a rather disappointing opening season they managed to completely flip the script and claim the championship in NPA 9. Since then they've made it to the playoffs every season, managing to maintain a high level of consistency despite several managerial changes each year. Raised in the Blizzards culture, RKD and Siddharth make their NPA managerial debut under long-time captain Temple's guidance. RKD was the manager of Blizzards B-team in NPAA last season and has plenty of experience with the way Blizzards run things, while Siddharth, who is new to managing, aims to make a name for himself.
Historically Blizzards have always trended towards being the NPA underdogs, with a lot of the field not really believing in their draft at the start of each season. In spite of this, they have continued to defy the odds by drafting players who are willing to put in a tremendous amount of work every season to perform well above their perceived draft value. This year, however, they have completely defied that underdog status, managing to draft a roster of incredible top players. In fact, with the top end of their draft consisting of very storied players like Joseph Ugarte (JoeUX9), Markus Stadter (13Random37), and Brady Smith (Brady1225), Blizzards might just have the strongest roster on paper. With such well-known players in the top end of their draft, you might expect the middle and lower ends of their draft to have suffered immensely, but this couldn't be further from the truth. With players like DubiousBulb, Kevin Salvetto (Wilfire10), Moma, PasDer, and Tim Edwards (fluttim man) rounding out the middle of their draft for very reasonable cost, Blizzards has no shortage of starter-level players this year and will be an absolute force to be reckoned with.
Blizzards have also managed to re-draft some of their comfort players in PasDer and moma. PasDer has been playing under the Blizzards banner since playing his first season during NPA 11. He was one of their retains for NPA 12 and has been someone that can be relied upon to bring home critical wins. Moma has been with the Blizzards for the last two seasons and has been a major part of the Blizzards' success the past seasons with records of 6-1 and 5-3.
Star Player: JoeUX9
Joseph Ugarte has been considered one of the best players in the world for the past few years, following a series of very consistent day 2s and top cuts dating all the way back to the 2019 VGC season. Besides his two Regional wins, Joe managed to top cut Worlds back to back in 2022 and 2023, a feat only ever accomplished by a very small number of players. Most recently he achieved a top 8 finish at Stuttgart Regional and reached finals at Sacramento Regional. Joe is a NPA veteran, first being drafted in NPA 8. Now going into his 7th season, Joe has an overall record of 34-21 and has yet to have a bad season. Blizzards were able to acquire him for 23k, a surprisingly low price for a player of his caliber. He is expected to be among the best performing players as usual and will be a key piece to Blizzards success this year.
Player to Watch: DubiousBulb1033
DubiousBulb will be making his NPA debut this season. Known as a grinder and an incredibly active presence, DubiousBulb is someone who can provide a lot of value to Blizzards outside of his individual performance. Despite this being his first NPA season, he has been on a very hot tournament streak recently, finishing top 16 at the 2024 Bologna Special Event and placing second in a large grassroots tournament online.
Besides his potential as a rising player, what makes DubiousBulb especially valuable for a tournament like NPA is his teambuilding ability. He has been the creator of multiple successful and impactful teams in the Regulation G meta, with a recent example being the Zamazenta team FedeCampo used to get top 4 at Birmingham.
With his potential and teambuilding skills combined, Blizzards spent 10.5k on Dubious, which is a lot for a NPA newcomer with limited results. This shows the confidence the management has in him. If he is able to step up to his potential and perform to his manager's expectations, there is no doubt we will see him become an NPA mainstay in the future.
X-Factor
The Blizzards' success this season hinges on the performance of their middle-priced players. While their top-tier stars like Joseph Ugarte, Brady Smith, and Markus Stadter can go toe-to-toe with the best players in the league, their season's outcome will be defined by how players such as PasDer, moma, and DubiousBulb will perform.
Key questions surround this group: will PasDer use his four years of NPA experience to mentor the newcomers effectively? Can moma maintain the excellent performance he has shown over the past two seasons? Will DubiousBulb be able to live up to his potential? And can Tim Edwards translate his impressive EUIC 2nd place last season?
If the answers to these questions is yes, Blizzards should have no trouble securing a playoff spot for their sixth consecutive season and will have a serious shot at winning their second title.
4
New Bark Loud Puppies
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Puppies are a historic team, having been inaugurated in NPA 7 by Platypus and Dawg. They are among the most successful franchises in the league, clinching their first championship in NPA 7 and securing back-to-back titles in NPA 10 and NPA 11. Notably, the Puppies were the team to dethrone the seemingly unstoppable Cruisers in NPA 10, defeating them in the playoffs. Current Puppies managers Teenspirit and ck49 are storied Puppies players, having played many NPAs under the Puppies. ck49 has notably been retained twice as a player, bringing his price tag from 4.5k to 16k, and has transitioned to a managerial role in this NPA season. On the other hand, Teenspirit got drafted in NPA 10 and worked his way up from helper to Puppies manager. As a result, both managers have been shaped by the philosophies of iconic Puppies leaders such as Platypus, Dawg, and Naociak. Their shared experience and deep understanding of the Puppies' successful strategies make them well positioned to guide the team to another strong season.
The Puppies' draft strategy this season focuses heavily on mid-tier players. Their sole player priced above 20k, FedeCampoVGC, has gained significant traction in the Scarlet and Violet era, with major wins at the Victory Road: Road to Honolulu tournament and the Gdansk Regionals last November. The team's mid-tier lineup includes a solid roster of players: ZanzibarVgc, Kiran Singh, KommanderVGC, Mastrota89, Hobbit_jr98, MyStars, patcon_5, DaWoblefet and blarajan. These players have consistently delivered strong performances in Reg G tournaments, both online and on the IRL circuit. Given the Puppies' legacy of nurturing top-tier talent, it would not be surprising to see these players exceed expectations and translate their success to the NPA stage. With a strong management team and a history of maximizing player performance, the Puppies are well equipped for a competitive season.
Star Player: FedeCampoVGC
FedeCampo is one of the more storied Italian players, having had a strong in the Reg G format getting top 32 at NAIC and winning the Victory Road: Road to Honolulu tournament. Looking at November last year, he won the Gdansk Regional Championships, cementing himself as a top player coming into the draft. Even after this, he went for 22k, which is a price befitting his status as a top-level competitor and could be even said to be low as compared to other top-level competitors in the draft known for their prowess in the IRL circuit such as Axior or MichaelderBeste2.
FedeCampo played for the Symbionts in NPA 12 and went 4-4, beating strong opposition such as Chongjun and lorcylovesyou, which shows that he definitely has what it takes to perform at a high level in NPA against other top-tier opposition. With his improved set of results at the regional level and international level, FedeCampo is likely to show up with a strong performance against the opposition he faces this NPA.
The Underpay of the Draft: DaWoblefet
DaWoblefet is one of the winningest players in NPA history and has never really had a horrible season outside of NPA 10, where he went 0-2. Outside of that, the Puppies mainstay has generally had good seasons, and with Teenspirit and Adi, two storied Puppies as the managers for the upcoming season, this probably means that we will get to see DaWoblefet at his best form, as they are surely aware of how to set up this VGC mainstay for success. Given that he is back at his old home, expect him to put up a very strong performance that may set him up for a retain in the next NPA season.
Looking at DaWoblefet, one of the primary skills that has allowed him to be one of the stronger players in NPA's time has been his ability to play a variety of teams at a very high level and his breadth of experience over many, many seasons of NPA that allows him to perform under pressure. These are qualities that can only be honed over many seasons of playing many different draft leagues and set DaWoblefet apart from the rest of the pool.
One to Watch: Mastrota89
Mastrota89 had a strong showing in 2024's Reg G, winning the Bologna Special and getting top 16 at the World Championships, with his tried-and-true Calyrex-Shadow. Now, these are fantastic results that show that he has a fantastic baseline and is able to pilot the dark horse to the highest of levels. But he has shown signs of being a bit more of a one-trick pony in the past, and in an environment such as NPA, where constant adaptability is a necessity, will he be able to pick up new teams and be able to pilot them at a high level consistently? Only time will really be able to tell.
5
Slateport City Cruisers
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The Slateport City Cruisers are returning for their ninth year in NPA, this time coming off the back of a huge win last year in NPA 13. Now managed by baaaaaat, Sven, and mema, Cruisers are a very storied NPA team with many playoffs qualifications, in addition to their recent win. This is in large part due to their consistent strategy of drafting a few very strong top players and rounding out their roster with very high-value cheaper picks. This year looks no different, with a draft top end consisting of the most recent 2nd place Worlds finisher Yuta Ishigaki; Spurrific, who is one of NPA's most winning players of all time in addition to all of his many tournament finishes; and Chongjun, who is widely considered one of the stronger players in the circuit with his many regional finishes. Rounding this out, Cruisers have picked up a good mix of tournament grinders and some really high-value cheaper picks in PqlarBear, mirai, AleK97, Triir, and YoshiandLugia. Given some of these players' results, its very surprising to see them drafted for little to no contention from other managers during this draft; Triir coming off a Day 2 Worlds and top 4 at Utrecht Special Event, AleK97 also getting Day 2 at Worlds and top 8 at Bologna Special Event, YoshiandLugia having several Worlds qualifications as well as top 4 at Fort Wayne Regionals in 2023, and Mirai coming off a top 32 Worlds and plenty of Regional day 2s. All of that being said, in spite of all of their success at official tournaments, many of the players on this year's Cruisers roster have very middle-of-the-road results in past NPA seasons or are entirely new to the field. Spurrific, previously manager of the Malie City Monarchs, had a very underwhelming 2-7 record in his last played season of NPA. Rounding out the draft are Pqlarbear going 3-4, Mirai going 4-3, Chongjun going 4-4, YoshiandLugia going 2-4, and Borghi going 3-2 in their respective last played seasons, as well as Yuta Triir OgreVGC and johnnychiou being completely new to NPA and perhaps team tournaments as a whole. The million dollar question in NPA is "Where are your five wins every week coming from?", and this roster has a lot to prove when it comes to getting that result and defending their NPA title.
Star Player: Spurrific
Spurrific is widely known as one of the stronger Calyrex-I players in this VGC format—one of the strongest archetypes there are. In combination with Yuta, who just placed second at Worlds with his own take on a Calyrex-I team, Justin is sure to bring some major innovation to the archetype over the course of this tournament. It wouldn't be surprising at all to see a lot of the other Cruisers players start to pick up the archetype at a high level as well.
Anyone who has been involved in the VGC scene for any amount of time knows who Spurrific is, and it's no surprise to see him drafted for a premium price of 27.5k this year. On top of his many Regional, International, and Worlds finishes he is also a longtime veteran when it comes to Pokémon team tournaments. Having managed the Malie City Monarchs for several years prior in NPA, he knows all there is to know about mentoring team tournament players to strong finishes, which will be absolutely essential for Cruisers this year given the number of NPA newbies they have. With Monarchs getting relegated and falling out of the league last year, Spurrific is making a return to show all these new kids how to really play.
Player to watch: Yuta Ishigaki
Its impossible to overstate how impressive Yuta's 2nd place Worlds finish was, and how high of a level he was playing at during that tournament and in this VGC format as a whole. The big question is: will he be able to replicate that official tournament success in a tournament like NPA? One of the most important factors for success in NPA is being able to switch up your teams week to week, to avoid getting scouted and counterteamed. This is quite a different experience from the official tournaments Yuta is used to, where your team is locked for the entire tournament and you are trying to build a team that covers all of your matchups. This will likely be a hurdle for him at first and will require some help from his teammates and managers to adjust. Additionally, Japan's official Worlds qualification circuit will be running alongside NPA and will be another major focus for Yuta in the coming months. If he is able to balance these two commitments and maintain a healthy NPA prep schedule, there is no doubt he will be among the most winning players this season and will be a key player to watch.
Value for money: AleK97
Alessandro is a long-time player who has been drafted in NPA several times in the past. Recently returning from a three-year break from VGC, he is looking to recapture his past success and reach new heights in VGC. Coming off of day 2 Worlds and a top 8 Regional placement in 2024, Alessandro is definitely a player punching way above his draft price in this tournament. In NPA 9, he had a positive record of 5-4 as a 3k draft on Postwick United. In NPA X, he exceeded that with an astonishing 5-2 record as a 4k draft on the Malie City Monarchs. This year, for a draft price of 6k, he may turn out to be the most value for money in the entire draft if he's able to match his prior performance. Alessandro's consistent performance and ability to elevate his teammates will be crucial for Cruisers this year.
6
Twinleaf Town Tycoons
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After a middling 7th place finish in their debut season, the Twinleaf Town Tycoons are back and ready to show the league what they're capable of. They're led by two of the most experienced managers in the league. Braverius is both a former manager and commissioner of the NPA, while Zelda has been a mainstay in NPA as a player for the last decade. They're also by far the most accomplished managers as players, with a combined nine regional championships between the two of them. However, this season marked a record number of signups for NPA, and VGC has seen tremendous growth in generation 9. The Tycoons splurged on three of strongest players in VGC history, with a long track record of success. The back half of their draft was filled with newer players who have mostly found success in recent formats. While the established talent is easy to spot, the true test of managerial prowess will come from scouting which of these newer players can succeed in NPA. Can these two seasoned veteran managers find the diamonds in the rough, or will they be left in the past?
Star Players: guest904, kingofmars, snow-pokepoke
The Tycoons splurged on what is likely the strongest big 3 in the league. They drafted Jiseok Lee (guest904) with their first pick. He is the 2016 Korean National champion and 2023 San Diego regional champion. He also won NPA 12 with the Samurais two years ago and went undefeated for the Symbionts the year prior. However, since then he has returned to Korea for mandatory military service and will have limited availability.
The second head of the Cerberus is Gavin Michaels (kingofmars). Gavin is the 2013 US National champion, 2023 Oceania International champion, and a four-time Regional champion. He was also one of the longest-tenured managers in NPA for the Brave Birds. While he is undoubtedly one of the greatest American players in VGC's history, he has his own question marks. He's coming off of a one-year ban from VGC, having not played an event since October of 2023. Will he be able to shake off the rust and hit the ground running in NPA? The Tycoons are betting on it.
Despite the laurels of Gavin and Jiseok, the undisputed star of the Tycoons is Tomoyuki Yoshimura, better known as SNOW. He finished third place at the World Championships in 2017 and third at Japan Nationals in 2022 and is coming off of winning Victory Road's 280-player grassroots tournament earlier this month. He is also the strongest player in NPA history. In NPA 9 he completed a perfect 11-0 season for the last-place White Forest Hams. He followed that up with a 9-2 season for the Hams in NPA 10, who once again finished in last place. He was 7th in the MVP race in NPA 11 with a 5-2 record, but his new team, the Cruisers, once again missed the playoffs. His first playoff appearance since his debut season came in NPA 12, where he once again led the league in wins and led the Cruisers to the finals—where he lost to Jiseok in the penultimate set of the tournament. His first negative performance of his NPA career came with the Aces last season. He is looking to bounce back with another MVP-level performance, and no one would be surprised if he led the league in wins once again.
X-Factor: DimtheSimVGC
Since his breakout season in NPA 9, Snow has been prohibitively expensive in this tour. When you spend 30% of your budget on a player, it makes it difficult to build a well-rounded roster. With a strong top 3 established, the Tycoon will need at least one breakout performance from the rest of their lower-budget picks to solidify their standing, and they're betting on it coming from Dimitri Koziaris (Dimthesimvgc).
This is Dimitri's first season in NPA and second season competing on the VGC circuit. After qualifying for his first World Championships last year, he made a splash this season with a second-place finish at Perth regionals in December. He has also backed that up with an undefeated 6-0 performance in the VGC World Cup for Team Australia, which included wins over Regional champion Federico Camporesi and Taiwan national champion Chyr Wei. Dimitri has burst on the scene as one of the most formidable Australian players, and Team Australia manager Zelda has bet heavily on his continued success.
Player to Watch: TsuyuVGC
While most teams focused on North American and European talent, the Tycoons picked up multiple players from Japan, Australia, and Korea to round out their roster. These players have fewer tournaments to show off their talents and can be difficult to scout. Seowon Kim (TsuyuVGC) is one such player. He has shown enormous potential in his few tournaments, and players around the world are excited to see more of this. He has two World Championship invites in the last two years, stemming from back-to-back top 12 finishes at Korean Nationals. Although he wasn't able to attend the World Championships in 2023, this past year he qualified for day 2 and finished 7-4 with Terapagos. He has also been remarkably consistent in team tours. He made it to the finals of the Smogon Classics League on the Turtwigs and was the most expensive player in the NPAA, winning the championship for the Tumbleweeds in the deciding match. He has shown his skill both in regulation G and in team tours, and everyone is excited to see what he can do against the best players in the world on a weekly basis.
7
Celestic Stars
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The Celestic Stars are the oldest team in NPA history, having been inaugurated in NPA 2. Despite being relegated after NPA 8, they returned under management of Jamie Kean in NPA 11, who continues to lead them today alongside Scottyw01 and JustifiedJoe. Despite ten years of history, however, the Stars have never once made it past the semifinal stage of the competition. Will they be able to build off their second-ever semifinal appearance last season?
While other teams looked to draft players with historic tournament success, the Stars prioritized NPA veterans with a history of team tour success. They had the most expensive retained player in the entire league this season in Jonathan Marston (JonoTV). Jonathan is a 2016 Regional champion and was one of the best players in the UK in generation 7. His performances in generation 8 and 9 tournaments had been underwhelming, but he had a 5-2 finish in last season's NPA. This past October he returned to his winning ways with a top 16 finish at Lille Regionals. While this is a solid resume, his price tag as a retain left him more expensive than players like Worlds runner-up Yuta Ishigaki and last season's MVP Cicciott, among others.
The Stars bid heavily on established players Justin Knox (45Mice) and Simone Sanvito (Sanvy) at the start of the draft. However, they were reluctant to bid on a lot of the other talent and ended the draft with over 10% of their initial budget still remaining, more money left over than any other team. They knew who they wanted, and those priorities clearly differed from other managers. Time will tell whether this gambit will pay off for them or whether they will continue their history of middling performances.
Star Player: 45Mice
Although one could claim this entire team is filled with Star players, their biggest catch was 45mice. Justin was a relative unknown when he won NPA 10 with the New Bark Loud Puppies with a 5-4 record. The next year he would take over management for the Loud Puppies, where he would lead them to a second straight NPA title. This coincided with his breakout performance as a player, as he finished top 8 at the North American Championships in 2023 with a unique Iron Moth team. This past season was his first year taking the circuit seriously, and he established himself as one of the top American players with a top 16 finish at his first World Championships. Now, after three seasons as a manager, he is back in the NPA player pool and looking to build his impressive resume with his third NPA championship.
X-Factor: SlushiW
Kian Campbell (SlushiW) had his breakout performance in Regulation G last year. He finished top 4 at Los Angeles Regionals with Zacian and followed that up with a top 32 finish at the World Championships with the same team. He got off to a strong start in the 2025 season as well, with a top 32 finish at Baltimore Regionals and an impressive 5-1 record for team USA in the World Cup. Kian is quickly cementing himself as one of the new wave of young, talented Americans. However, NPA is a different animal compared to in-person tournaments. While expertly using an off-meta team can yield results in tournament play, NPA players will prepare for those choices and force you to show off your range of playstyles. If Kian can play other teams as well as he can play Zacian, then he should lead the Stars to a second consecutive playoff appearance.
Player To Watch: Dr Gekko
The Stars picked up a number of high-potential players towards the end of the draft. Zachary Weed (Whimsicott956) and Nicholas Donnelly (GetNikkDon) are two younger American players who are eager to prove themselves. Alexander Ubaghs (King Blex) is a newer German player who is coming off a day 2 finish at the World Championships. Finally, Daniel Thorpe (TTTx) was previously managed by Jamie Kean in NPA 9, where he led the Islanders to a 2nd place finish. But the player to watch on the stars is undoubtedly Oliver Gausden (Dr Gekko).
Oliver has had a fantastic start to his 2025 season with back to back top 32 finishes at Lille and Gdansk Regionals in regulation H. He's best known for his creative teambuilding and unconventional team choices. His best finish was 9th place at the Utrecht Special Event last season, where he used a team centered around Okidogi and Iron Boulder. More recently in Regulation G he was featured on stream at Birmingham Regionals using Eternatus and Tinkaton. He is truly someone who could show up to a match with anything, which is one of the scariest types of opponents in a team tour like NPA. He brings an inspired presence to the Stars chat, and any match he plays in is likely one worth watching.
8
Blackthorn City Blades
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Blades are managed by Howkings, NJ11, and Teka and are the remnants of the former Kyoto Kingambits squad, who managed finals in the Smogon Winter League and Smogon VGCPL. However, these finals do not fully indicate the strength of the core managers, as Howkings is not a VGC player, and NJ11 is generally a very busy person in real life. This means that the general managerial weight has fallen onto a player they drafted in both their finals-reaching seasons, Sven, who is famously a chat booster and someone who is always happy to help other players with practice. After Sven moved to manage Cruisers with baaaaat, Teka has very big shoes to fill if they are going to reach the same level of greatness they had with Sven around.
In the previous NPA season, Blades showed early promise with strong performances in the first two weeks but failed to secure a single win thereafter, ending the season on a disappointing note. This suggests potential structural issues within the team, which could resurface if unresolved. Looking at their draft strategy, the team retained AhriVGC and Mava2 for 10k each and made an extremely bold move by drafting MichaelderBeste2 for 37k, making him one of the most expensive players in NPA history. The medium pool is highlighted by players such as CandyJP, a Japanese who had a strong showing in World Cup of Pokémon VGC; Feis and PresentLP, strong German players who are acquainted with Michael; and Genius, pietrofiero and The10Phoenix, Italians who are acquainted with Mava, and the Blades rounded their core with Latin American players such as DiegoGutiVGC, VictorKids, and Molten Tower, who are well acquainted with Gabriel Agati, one of the best Pokémon players of all time. While the team boasts a diverse and talented roster, stronger drafts from competing teams put Blades at a comparative disadvantage this season.
Star Player: MichaelderBeste2
MichaelderBeste2, or MDB, enters the season as undoubtedly one of the best players in the world, following a top 4 finish at the World Championships and a Regional championship last season. His price tag of 37k, however, is controversial. Dropping 37k on a single player after two retains has caused the Blades great pain in the draft, as they had to watch strong player after strong player go by without much ability to contest. Despite this price tag, MDB has consistently demonstrated exceptional versatility, excelling in both Smogon tiers and VGC. His pedigree includes success in other prestigious leagues like SCL, and his phenomenal track record suggests he is more than capable of justifying his price. If MDB can maintain his form and deliver results, he will be the cornerstone of the Blades' success this season.
The Retain: AhriVGC
AhriVGC is one of the stronger retains in the pool, going for 10k after a strong showing at the recent Perth Regionals, where he achieved a Top 4 finish. In recent years, Ahri has started traveling to international events and has consistently been improving his results. Beyond live events, Ahri is a known powerhouse in the online circuit, with standout performances in Smogon draft leagues and multiple qualifications for Team China, one of the most competitive World Cup teams.
As a player, he has extremely solid fundamentals and can play most teams to a high level. This has been a crucial strength that leads this competitor to consistent finishes, putting up monstrous showings even in his game losses. This ultimately is why it is not surprising that Howkings and NJ11 opted to retain AhriVGC, given his strengths as a player, and you can generally expect him to put up a strong showing.
One to Watch: The10Phoenix
The10Phoenix, or Francis, is a player whose performances tend to be polarizing. While he has achieved significant success in restricted formats, including a Top 16 finish at EUIC 2022, his draft league results have been inconsistent. A recurring trend in his draft league history is that you can generally tell the trend of this player from how he performs in the first week. If he wins the set, he is more likely than not going to have a stronger performance for the league, but if he loses, he is more likely than not going to struggle in the coming weeks. That being said, Francis has an undeniable history of being a strong restricted format player. If he is going to start off strong, you better believe that Francis is going to have a great season of play.
9
Mossui Masks
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Mossui Masks are the newest addition to the NPA roster, with a slew of new managers in z0mOG, marillzone, and Pearl. Those familiar with the non-VGC side of Smogon will certainly recognize z0mOG as a mainstay in other major team tournaments like SPL and SCL, going on his 9th year drafted in each of those prestigious tournaments. Pearl is another player who has been involved with the Smogon side of team tournaments on and off since 2012, both as a player and manager. On the other hand, marillzone is comparatively very new to managing team tournaments, having a bit of experience from one of VGC's more casual tournaments, Wacka World Tour. That being said, her draft skills and ability to spot strong players and build good synergies was very evident and led to a tournament win there.
This non-traditional set of NPA experience also brings a fresh perspective to the league, which is most evident in the draft strategy Masks decided to go with this year. Unlike most other teams, which aimed for the traditional dichotomy of expensive top players and cheap value drafts, Masks opted to spend less money on their "top end" and aimed for a more expensive mid-lower end of the draft. Rather than fighting other teams for the most storied players in the league, they spread their credits out and drafted a set of very solid players who all have potential to be starters and bring home wins. In fact, nearly every player on the Masks roster has either a standout performance in a past iteration of NPA or has achieved very recent results in the official circuit. Collin Heier (TheBattleRoom), Si Dawei (Snower), and Juan Manuel Odriozola (JMOdri) are no strangers to hot tournament streaks and will be the core of this team's ability to win each week. Additionally, some lesser-known players such as Finabas, MarsVGC, JoanG, and Galahad Excalibur have been on a tear at recent official tournaments and their ability to perform in a tournament like NPA will be instrumental for Masks success this year. Rounding out the draft, they picked up players like Eragon and DarkJorch, who have a ton of past team tournament experience, with Eragon being a DOU mainstay and DarkJorch going on five years of NPA experience among other VGC team tours. The biggest question going into this season is how Masks' draft strategy compares to the tried-and-true.
Wild Card: TheBattleRoom
Collin may just be the longest standing NPA player in the entire scene, starting all the way back in NPA 2 with the Fortree Brave Birds. Over the last decade of NPA he has almost always had a negative or even win/loss record, and he has not been able to reach the standout success of his first few seasons. That being said, last year in NPA 13 he performed very well for the Aether Paradise Symbionts, achieving a 5-2 record and taking the Symbionts all the way to finals of the tournament. Coming hot off of that season, Collin was poached by Masks this year and has taken on a lot of pressure to perform as one of the central pillars of this draft. He has historically been a very emotionally guided player who performs best when his team is winning and loses motivation when his team is losing, so it will be up to the Masks managers to keep him motivated and performing well. If Masks start their season strong, it would not be surprising to see Collin have another very positive run, but the reverse is also very possible.
Dark Horse: MarsVGC
Mars made his debut in NPA X and has been a draft mainstay since then. In contrast to his relatively unassuming list of official circuit achievements, Mars has always performed WELL above his draft price in NPA, always being the most winning player on his team. In NPA X, he went for 3.5k in draft and put up a 7-3 record, blowing the rest of the Snowpoint Stargazers out of the water. In NPA 11 he went for 8k to the Stars and tied Brede for most wins on the team at 4-3. In NPA 12 he was again tied for most wins on the New Bark Loud Puppies at 6-3 alongside Cedric but missed playoffs. Last year in NPA 13, he was re-drafted to the Puppies and once again led their roster in wins, at a 5-4 record. In spite of this crazy string of results his team has NEVER made playoffs in these four seasons, which is probably why his draft price has stayed pretty low each year. Time will tell if he is able to break the playoffs curse and qualify with the Masks this year.
Most to prove: Eragon
Eragon is a newer name to those in the VGC community, only having attended two official tournaments to date. However, he boasts a very impressive list of results on the non-VGC side of Smogon, being a key participant in most DOU team tournaments and leading Team US West in Doubles World Cup. A very fundamentally strong player, Eragon is one of those pickups that every manager loves to have because he just never stops building and grinding. In the most recent iteration of Doubles World Cup he almost singlehandedly led the team to their second victory by scouting opponents, building fresh teams each week, and prepping with each player until they were comfortable enough to win. Moving that skillset over to the VGC side of things is a large hurdle, but if he is able to successfully elevate his teammates and keep them prepped, he could be exactly the anchor that Masks need to have a very successful season.
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Aether Paradise Symbionts
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The Aether Paradise Symbionts are one of NPA's modern mainstays, with a history of making playoffs. Historically a LatAm and Spain-centric team, their new management has embraced a different draft strategy. Led by Symbionts veteran Avatar Fede and second-year manager Jackofspadesman, Symbionts are looking to follow up their NPA 13 second place finish with one even better. Featuring a North America and Asia-heavy draft, the Symbionts have the highest rate of returning players, with over half the roster returning from last year, clearly hoping to replicate last year's success.
This year, Symbionts retained Arekusabi and Megumi for 10k each, coming off of a 6-1 and 5-2 record, respectively. They followed this up by drafting a series of young players with strong recent performances, including Kylan Van Severen (PizzaGreedent), and Chris Han (Darts). They have a strong core of American players, like Jon Hu (JHufself), Aaron Brok (Clipperz), and Enosh Shachar (Human), who have historically performed well in NPA, as well as an Asian core, featuring players like Sanghyeon Na (Nash) and Melvin Keh (Deathstroke), who have impressive legacy irl results.
Symbionts have a strong set of players this year, but the central question is whether players will be able to replicate their NPA 13 performance. Without players like sempra, who was one of five players leading the league in wins last year, Symbionts may have a harder time defeating more top-heavy teams.
Star Player: PizzaGreedent
Despite management not splurging on any one player, Symbionts' standout player is probably Kylan Van Severen. All eyes are on him after he finished Top 16 in the World Championships this year, knocking out Wolfe Glick in Top 32. As one of the few players on Symbionts who have competed at this level in the modern era, he seems best equipped to compete against the top ELO players on opposing teams. While this is his first NPA, he had multiple strong World Cup performances for Team Canada, and his success in the irl circuit makes him a player to watch out for. While he's proven with Calyrex-S in Regulation G, he brought a variety of different teams to his World Cup sets during Regulation H. After drafting Kylan for only 13k, Symbionts were able to pick up a large roster filled with other talented players.
Player to Watch: Darts
Only a first-season master, Chris Han has made a name for himself, with a Top 8 at the Baltimore Regional Championships and a Top 32 in Toronto. Though he favors balanced teams, he has played a wide variety of teams in previous formats. As a senior, he's seen success in restricted formats before, including a victory at the 2022 North American International Championships. His success will be vital to a Symbionts repeat finals appearance. As one of the higher-priced players on Symbionts, he is likely going to face each team's stronger players. NPA is another proving ground for him to show how well he can handle competition at the highest level.
Value Picks: JHufself
Symbionts drafted many players for both significantly over and under an "appropriate" valuation. Notable steals from their draft include Aaron Brok and Jon Hu. Jon is returning to Symbionts after a 5-1 season last year. He's known for his creative teambuilding, which can only help in NPA's team tour format. He's incredibly talented at using "weird" team compositions and preparing for most meta builds that his opponents might bring. While this may be more hit or miss in irl tournaments, it's a tried-and-true draft tour strategy. He's moved to Japan recently, which may give the NA- and APAC-centric Symbionts a better insight into what kind of teams are being piloted in the Japanese circuit as well.
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