NU Premier League XII Power Rankings

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Welcome to the twelfth installment of the NeverUsed Premier League! With a disproportionate number of new faces this time, as well as some old veterans returning, we are going to see if you have what it takes to take home the win. As in any other team tour, an attempt was made to create an unbiased list of expected players for each tier played in NUPL by asking knowledgeable players to rank the new and old generation players in each respective format. The rankings were then averaged by each individual vote, resulting in what we hope looks like a mostly impartial list. This is all to bring hype and some sort of entertainment around the tournament—if your team or yourself was ranked too low or your feelings were hurt by some of the descriptions, prove the haters wrong and achieve victory!

A big thank you to the people who helped with the rankings and creation of this article: Thiago Nunes, TheFranklin, Elias PSY, Dr. Phd. BJ, Oblivion Wing, Kiyo, Swinubfan44, Master Chief, OranBerryBlissey10, damien the genius ,TDNT, rom1x38 ,shiloh, FadedCharm, Pokeslice LpZ, etern, Xiri, Lax, watashi, EviGaro, mncmt, ishtar, Xrn, feen, innovamania, Gondra, ManOfMany, Trade, havocknight, Stories, Tack, Finch, hellom, Lily, Bughouse, Rewer, SOMALIA, HSOWA, Monai, vivalospride, Floss, A Plague Doc, Wadley, and avarice.

An even bigger thanks to the people who helped with the writing, HTML, GP and QC checks, and much more: Stories, Ampha, Tuthur, Ninja, roxie, DugZa, Lily, and Lumari.

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1. GXE
2. Danny
3. Thiago Nunes
4. zS
5. xavgb
6. Kushalos
7. Kiyo
8. Elias PSY
9. Tuthur
10. Floss
11. Wadley
12. Dr. Phd. Bj
13. Soucou
14. robjr
15. TheFranklin
16. Welli0u
17. Axrtix
18. Shengineer
19. freezai
20. avarice
21. skierdude101
22. fish anemometer
23. Lilo
24. Mada
25. Phantomistix
26. Twinkay
27. roxie
28. tier
29. Oblivion Wing
30. azogue
31. RyuSnowシ
32. Kimius64

Danny is an absolute powerhouse in NU tournaments, qualifying for last year's circuit and always pumping out positive records in team tournaments. Not only is his gameplay top-notch, but he also is known for his diverse team building and support capabilities. In the second slot we have zS, who has won various NU tournaments throughout the past few years, along with being an SCL-level player. Known for his building skills and in-game play, zS will provide a level of variety to the teams used by the Vivillons that will be hard to match. Boasting an amazing 6-3 record in the last rendition of NUPL, Tuthur looks to make a return as a strong SV pilot capable of building for himself and others as well. Tuthur also demonstrated a respectable 2-2 in NUWC and took a first-place finish in the latest NU Seasonal. Welli0u, while not having much NU experience, is a decorated tournament player as two-time SCL winner and went positive in this most recent SPL. If given proper support, Welli0u will make for a fantastic pilot.

Foxes can boast from retaining one of the most consistent and successful players in the NU scene for the past years, GXE. It shouldn't surprise many to see him at the top of the rankings after his win in NU Open and amazing 7-2 record in SCL. Alongside him, there is yet another NU legend, Kushalos. The chef used to be one of the most consistent and fearsome NU players in previous generations, bolstering some excellent records in official team tournaments. While he skipped NU forum tournaments last year and had a disappointing season in SV NU in SCL, Kushalos can't be underestimated, and these don't erase his legacy as a NU spearhead. They are joined by their manager Floss, another SCL starter, yet in RU, who scored solid records over the past NU team tournaments and is well surrounded for this new campaign. Lastly, Phantomistix rounds up the core and finds himself ranked quite low. Despite an appearance in circuit playoff, he is still quite unproven in the tier; with only a 0-2 record from NUCL at his belt. That said, he is a very active community member, and his metagame knowledge should help his teammates who aren't known for having played SV NU more recently.

While everyone expected Kiyo to play ORAS in NUPL after his amazing 7-0 showing in NUWC, he was elected to lead Meri's SV core, just like he did for Cobras in NUCL. Kiyo is a veteran who has seen quite some success in SV NU recently, with a good placement in the latest NU Seasonal and a great 5-2 record in NUCL. Speaking of good recent experience, Soucou has slowly been making his niche in the NU tournament scene since his qualification in NULT; 3-0 in NUCL and a seasonal final are his most recent showings, and there is no doubt he is one of the most notable upcoming players in SV NU. On his side, ranked just below him, we can find robjr, who has a totally different profile. He is a well-established player on the bigger scene who hasn't skipped an official team tournament since 2017 and should pilot builds from his teammates well. Finally, fish anemometer is another big upcoming player, yet in the PU scene; as the defending PU Circuit and ZU Open champion, there is no doubt that fish anemometer is a great lower tiers player. He should prove to be a decent pilot who can bounce back teambuilding ideas but has to prove he can translate his PU and ZU skills into NU.

Talonflames find themselves with two NU starters from SCL in Elias PSY and Axtrix. However, the star of the team is xavgb, a player who has no history in NU but is seemingly successful at any tier he plays. A long-time OM player, sitting comfortably at the top of their hall of fame, stresh has since transitioned to official tiers, where he has been very successful, being 36-19 on the official tournament sheet and having an OST final under his belt. There is no doubt that xavgb is one of the best players on the site, and his very high ranking for a debut season is no mistake, especially paired with two ladder heroes, Elias PSY and Axrtix, who got great success in NU tournaments last year and made their debut in SCL. Elias scored a very respectable 5-4 in SCL, got the best record in SV NU in last NUPL, and went 4-0 in NUWC, while things have been a bit harder for Axtrix, with a deceptive 3-6 SCL and solid 4-2 in NUWC and NUPL. The last core member is tier, who subbed into SV NU in SCL, winning his debut game by Fire Blasting a Coalossal. Yes, he clicked Fire Blast against a Coalossal. Besides that minor hiccup, he is a solid player who competes in many forum team tournaments but still lacks the results to find himself ranked higher.

PLOOMS built themselves a SV core of active NU contributors and mainers. Wadley is the defending circuit champion and did quite well in the recent seasonal. However, he still hasn't proven himself in team tournaments, as his 1-0 record last NUPL and 1-4 record in NUCL don't reflect his individual performances. On the other hand, his manager drphdbj, has only proved himself in team tournaments, supporting the winning and best SV NU record in SCL and currently being 7-0 in NU team tournaments. These two players have a lot of potential, and they need to maintain their momentum. Paired with them are Shengineer and skierdude101, two very active teambuilders. Shengineer is still in the process of making his debut in tournaments, with only one game played in NUCL but an excellent showing at the 4th place of NU SSNL. skierdude101 hasn't had much success in individuals but has some team tournaments experience in NU, going 4-1 in NUCL and 2-4 in NUWC.

Thiago Nunes has been playing NU for years and has had great success in tournaments very recently. His 7-1 record in bo3 slot last season and OST semifinal appearance speak for themselves as to why TNunes was ranked so high and was the most expensive player in auctions. He is on fire, and things only seem to get better for him. avarice has also played quite some NU last year, with a qualification to circuit playoffs and a 3-3 record in SCL after slotting in for Meru. While these are good showings, avarice lacks an amazing one to be ranked higher in this competitive pool. Mada just won SPL with a 4-1 record but has no history in NU and lower tiers, so while he is without question a great player, there are some doubts in his ability to translate his SV OU skills to SV NU. I had no idea who azogue was before writing this; they apparently played in officials around SM and vanished afterwards, so their absence from the scene in recent years would explain their low ranking, but they could prove the rankings wrong if they show similar success as in 2018.

TheFranklin has been one of the most consistent RU players for a couple years now, with some pretty showings in NU, like his good finish in the latest NU Seasonal and positive record in NUPL XI. However, he had an underwhelming SCL season, which can explain why his ranking is a bit lower than you could have expected from a player of his caliber. He is paired with an NU SCL starter in freezai, the well known PokéTuber, who had a decent 4-5 record but isn't known for having kept up with the tier since then. Twinkay went 1-2 in NUCL with the Cobras, and that's basically all I have to say about them. roxie is a former forum mod and the team manager; however, they are not known for their SV capabilities, which explains their low ranking.

To nobody's surprise, the Cubones are ranked last with their Brazilian army. Lilo is a known NU face who had a decent NUPL last year but hasn't been seen playing SV NU since. The other three are newer faces who make their debuts in NUPL; Seraphz, RyuSnow, and Kimius64 played with decent success in NU SSNL and have been around lower tiers, so they shouldn't be underestimated too much, though they don't have any strong showing to attach to their name as far as I can tell.

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Coming off a dominant win in the most recent SV NU Seasonal, many would expect OBB to be placed in current gen; however, his love and strength in SS NU place him at first place in the Power Rankings. While his overall SS NU 14-17 leaves much to be desired, his recent successes outweigh his average past performance. All this to say that OBB is a strong player with years worth of experience in Sword and Shield who should have a successful tournament.

Despite not having that many games under his belt compared to the whopping 31 games for the first place, Pokeslice shows that he is a force to be reckoned with. One of the staples of current gen SS NU, he shows a solid 9-6 record with an impressive 5-0 NUWC record to highlight his strengths. Known for boring balance builds and crazy offenses, this is the time to prove whether or not the hype is deserved. If he isn't traveling the world or attending summer camp, Pokeslice should be able to net many wins for the Vivillons.

In third place we have TDNT, a former old gen circuit champion and renowned tournament player who is attempting to stake their claim in SS NU. Despite having no recent NU tournament experience, their overall prowess speaks to the high ranking. Support from Ren and Ninja should be able to provide solid teams. Their skills are certified, but whether or not those skills can translate to a successful tournament is up in the air.

Formerly known as TEAM CHARM, swinubfan44 comes in at the middle of the pack despite having a strong portfolio. The runner up for the most recent SS NU Cup, swinubfan44 is known for his out-of-the-box team choices and aggressive plays. With assistance from NU mainstays such as Rabia and skierdude101, it is easy to see swinubfan44 exceed expectations.

Despite being on Team Poland for ZUWC and Team Oceania for WCoP, damien the genius is on solid ground on the Foxes. With support from two of the best SS NU players in GXE and Kushalos, damien might end up better than his fifth-place record suggests. The doubts come from the lack of experience in the tier, and he might struggle vs a top-heavy pool. With only a 1-2 record in NUWC to show for himself, there is much doubt as to whether or not GXE and Kush teams can bring success for damien.

In sixth place we have Master Chief, who, despite what the name might suggest, is not the guy who teaches you how to do your taxes. One of the best SV RU players, Master Chief tries his hand again at SS NU, after a lackluster 2-4 performance in SSPL. His strength as a player might lead many to feel like he is underrated, which would be a fair assessment; however, questions about teambuilding arise when looking at the support options available. With only Meri Berry for support, will that be enough to pull out wins in this strong pool?

In 7th place we have Faded Charm, who is definitely the mystery slot of the pool. With very little tournament experience, Faded travels from Monotype to SS NU hoping to make a name for themselves. With very little support options besides Xiri, Faded Charm will have a tough time in a foreign tier.

In eighth place we have rom1x38, who is definitely the underdog of the pool. With an average 5-7, the expectations are surprisingly low for rom1x38. Facing steep competition, rom1x38 will have to prove why they were chosen for the starting spot every week. There is potential for a breakout season, however. The tools are there, and with Stories, roxie, and Lucario support, rom1x38 could prove the doubters wrong.

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12-7 SPL SM NU player and the best player on pool by far, lax is here to have another solid performance, and with Kushalos's support to boost his performance even further, the Foxes are looking to dominate the SM pool. lax holds one of the best SM NU records overall, and he is comfortable with the tier and has a plethora of ideas to help him succeed here.

Coming into second place we have watashi, a mainstay in the NU community. Known for putting up solid records for well over a decade, watashi slots into Sun and Moon this NUPL. While there might be some questions as to whether or not he will have the motivation for this tour, watashi's skill level radiates through this second place ranking. To support him, poh and ima will have to work double time, but there is very little doubt that watashi will put up a strong record.

Our Aussie tier leader comes in third place in the PRs, which is a testament to how stacked the pool is. The resident SM NU player, etern is currently in the finals for the SM NU Cup, demonstrating that he plays the tier actively. With stellar performances throughout various NU tournaments, etern needs very little introduction. His contemporary ideas for the tier will also help a lot against a pool of players who might be prone to reusing teams.

Xiri on the Absols hits the middle of the pack in the SM NU Power Rankings. Xiri has made his home in the SM lower tiers, being renowned for playing them for years at this point. Despite fluctuating results, his skill cannot be denied. Known for creative and out-of-the-box builds, Xiri will be a threat if he is able to catch their stride.

Cubone's star player and solid overall SPL/SCL performer, mncmt finds himself in a stacked SM pool with HANTSUKI and Ren-chon, two known SM NU performers, supporting him with decent SM knowledge. Having played SM NU during SM and NUPL XI, as well as a record of 3-3 in Bo3, mncmt has the tools to try to find success in the tier.

Another consistent SM NU player, EviGaro has had varying levels of success in this tier. Currently matched against etern and OranBerryBlissey10 (bro plays everything) in the SM NU Cup Finals, EviGaro is no slouch in this tier. It can be argued that she is ranked criminally low, but this stands again as proof of the strength of the SM pool. While there is some doubt about how she will perform when playing against players of this caliber, EviGaro's skill in the builder could lead to some upsets.

In seventh place we have tour player extraordinaire LpZ. A surprising slot, since LpZ mostly plays current generations or VERY old generations, though considering their skill as a pilot it makes sense. LpZ's low ranking may be due to the fact that there are questions as to where they are going to get teams from, as there appears to not be much SM NU support.

Last but not least we have Ishtar, who went 3-3 in last NUPL's SM pool. With a season's worth of experience behind her, one would expect a higher ranking, but there are some valid concerns about Ishtar's level of play in this stacked pool. Success in this pool requires a high level of player, and whether or not Ishtar will be able to rise to the occasion is yet to be seen. Her dedication to the tier last NUPL was on full display, however, so there is hope that she will prove the doubters wrong.

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In first place we unsurprisingly have quziel, the name synonymous with ORAS NU. quziel has played ORAS in NUPL for too many years to count, seemingly being the only person in love with the tier besides Kiyo (who finally ditched it in exchange for SV). quziel not only brings fresh teams almost every time he plays, he wins with them more times than not. Expectations are high for quziel, and whether or not he floats above the competition is solely in his own hands.

In second place we have Xrn, who is a new face to ORAS NU yet is well known in the tournament community. Typically a DOU and OU player, Xrn gets thrown into ORAS with no experience at all. Without a doubt his skill as a player will have to carry them, as the only support available is from Kushalos, whose ORAS experience is low at best. Xrn is expected to do well, however, as putting a top player on the site against an equally inexperienced pool generally is an equation for wins.

Another household name, Gondra his their hand at ORAS NU this time, after finding solid NUPL records throughout the years in various tiers. Gondra has some solid sources for support in avarice, Finchinator, and Xiri. There is not much to say about him, but a strong player with strong sources of teams can spell success.

In fourth place we have feen for the PLOOMS. With a 5-5 record in the most recent NU tours, with none of those games being ORAS, feen is going to have to work hard to learn the tier. Feen is a solid player, however, and will have to work closely with Rabia and Banbadoro to build teams and collect wins. According to the Power Rankings, it just might work.

He might be ManOfMany, but he is not the man of many ORAS NU games. While he does tend to play quite a bit of ORAS PU, the lack of tournament experience in the ORAS pool begins to really show here. ManOfMany might be better off here than some of the guys thrown into ORAS NU, however. With teams from ima, watashi, roxie, and Oathkeeper, there also is plenty of inspiration for the ManOfMany to base new ideas off of.

In sixth place we have Trade, another old head from the 2010s who is trying their luck in ORAS NU. Despite being around for a while, there are doubts as to whether or not Trade can translate their years on the site to wins on the sheet, which is why this otherwise solid player is rated so low. Trade does have some things going for them, such as etern and shiloh support.

innovamania comes in second, to last. This low ranking might be due to their lackluster 1-2 result from the most recent NUPL; however, their old manager Meri Berry decided to give them another chance. There is doubt as to whether this ORAS ZU player can translate those skills a couple tiers higher. It is important to point out that innovamania does have support from Kiyo, one of the most defining ORAS NU players on the site. This combination could lead to a breakout season, but also to another season as a sub.

Coming in last place we have havocknight, an extremely new user in comparison to the average age of the rest of the pool. There is no surprise as to why they were ranked last. No ORAS NU experience and very little tournament experience does not inspire much confidence. Even though the Cubones have 26 players, there seems to be a lack of people who actually play ORAS NU on the team. There is some hope, however. I hear that havocknight is extremely motivated and has very strong fundamentals. With hard work, who knows, maybe they will make a splash in the ORAS NU pool.

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Finchinator is undeniably the most well-rounded and consistent BW NU player alongside watashi. Finchinator has been consistently playing competitive BW NU since 2012, making him pretty knowledgeable on the tier. Despite Finchinator being upset by being priced at 25k with the anticipation of costing less due to his lowered expressed involvement, it's unexpected for Finchinator to underperform with such fluency in multiple NU old generations. In fact, Finchinator just made his return into NU team tournaments in our most recent NU Champions League for a solid 5-2 record.

Lily is a diverse BW player in general across most tiers from OU to ZU who ended up going 3-4 in a stacked BW pool last NUPL. She is a well-rounded tournament player who has the experience to perform very well in a fairly fresh BW pool, and her experience in most of these metagames and tendency to stay updated with what's meta very should consistently enlighten her to bring a colorful range of options. (Did I mention that this gives Lily an edge vs the majority of the pool..? Yes.)

NU team tournament gem Bughouse is ranked third place in the BW pool by simply having more experience and knowledge in the tier than others. Although the BW pool has high-performing tournament players this year, Bughouse has the knowledge and creativity to throw people off with his sets. Whether its a Quiver Dance + Iron Defense Dustox or a Butterfree, this BW pool might be in for a treat. Unfortunately, in NU Champions League, Bughouse ended up going 0-5, which leaves only higher expectations for him to perform better this tour with his the metagame knowledge edge.

hellom makes his debut in BW NU after an impressive 10-1 record in Smogon Premier League. Of course, if this record had been in BW NU, he'd be ranked a lot higher, but it's expected for hellom to perform fairly well despite having less knowledge in the tier in comparison to other starters. The Vivillons rely on shiloh and Django primarily to support hellom, which shouldn't be a huge problem.

Rewer is a very well-known player in the BW community due to his major success in BW tours, even scoring a Lapras win against SoulWind in the most recent SPL. While he has been around since BW was still the main generation, BW NU is a completely different tier than BW OU, and his support for the BW slot may be dire here, so we are all going to have to see if his success in BW OU translates well to BW NU or he is going to flop here.

Let's discuss the elephant in the room and the steal of the draft, Stories. Stories is an SCL player that has the knowledge and commitment to build and pick up nearly any tier. They are knowledgeable in BW NU and have been incredibly resourceful with the new age development of BW NU by updating sample teams and posting team dumps, VR changes, and takes for the community. Stories being at #6 might be a glitched error, but in reality Stories has a humongous edge by being both a competent and knowledged player in the tier.

Tack is an experienced player in most BW tiers with notable prominent success in lower tiers particularly. They build consistent and competent teams, and I don't think anything changes here with them being in BW NU. They've already started getting practice by doing well in BW Cups currently, and the low ranking is primarily due to Tack not being a common face in NU team tournaments.

Despite his low ranking, SOMALIA's commitment to win in new tiers makes him a Ball of Energy, enough to make any other team Jelli of his dedication. With him being well versed in BW mechanics and NU being quite the easy tier to pick up, it wouldn't surprise anyone if SOMALIA put up some amazing numbers this year.

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vivalospride, who has played DPP in the last two NUPLs, finds himself in first place. Overall, he's had average results, going 4-4 in NUPL IX and 3-4 in NUPL X. Despite that, he's an overall good player who is very enthusiastic about the tier, which is why he's expected to do well. He has played admirable DPP NU, and with help from the various experienced NU players on his team, expectations are high for vivalospride.

HSOWA has been one of the best DPP NU players in the last few years, going 18-7 in the last three NUPLs. He also has a lot of experience and good results in other DPP lower tiers. With staunch building support from Bughouse and innovamania, there's no reason to expect anything but another strong performance from him.

Monai is more known for his results in BW tiers, but he has played DPP NU in the last two team tours, to a 5-5 record. He should have valuable support from LpZ, who will be able to provide a strong sounding board for ideas. Monai is a very high-caliber player who does well in a variety of tiers.

In the middle of the pack we have Drud, another familiar face to the DPP NU scene. With solid records for years throughout various generations of lower tiers, we can expect a solid performance. There does seem to be some rumble about whether or not Drud even wants to play DPP, which might lead to some shifting in this slot.

FrankJosh, hariyana grande. The man of many names comes in at fifth place in the power rankings. Having played multiple tiers throughout various generations, hariyana might struggle in this new tier. There is not much to glean with regard to their DPP NU experience, and there are doubts as to whether or not they can succeed against seasoned veterans.

Jabba is one of the more experienced players of this pool overall. Usually, he's played ADV NU in NU team tours, but as a mainstay for the generation's OU, he shouldn't have too many problems switching to DPP. With great records for various years, its surprising to see him so low. Many cite doubts about his ability to translate his skills to a new tier, however.

Banbadoro finds himself in the lower end of the rankings despite finishing 6-1 in NUCL and reaching finals of the last DPP NU Cup. His propensity to play and build multiple tiers throughout various generations could give him a better record than the Power Rankings suggest. With help from Rabia, Banbadoro has the ability to surprise the rest of the pool.

a plague doc has never played DPP NU in any tours and might have trouble keeping up with the pool of more experienced players. However, they have some good results in Discord side tours, which led to being picked for Brazil's squad in WCoP and means they have some potential to do well if they can learn the tier.

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ima is a prominent SPL and SCL player, but what some may not know is he has a soft spot for ADV NU in particular as well, going undefeated in NUCL. With great ideas and motivation in the tier by participating in NUCL and ADVPL, he shows a commitment towards ADV NU. Despite not having as much ADV NU-specific tournament experience compared to some of the competition, it is unexpected for ima not to perform highly considering his debut results in the tier.

SEA is an ADV mainstay at the highest level of competition across all tiers, performing well in recent team tournaments in NU, such as a 6-3 record in the last NUPL. A close contender for rank 1, but ima's perfect record for NUCL gives him the edge.

In third place we have Heysup, another consistent face in NU team tours. Heysup comes in with a respectable 26-24 record, showing that he has been playing this game since before many of the SV players were born. With strong records throughout various years, there is no doubt that with good effort, Heysup will have another successful NUPL.

Real FV13 comes in at fourth place, with consistent records overall, though questions may arise as to whether this player can contend with the top-heavy pool. Real FV13 has put up strong records, however, and with a 15-11 record throughout NU tours, we can expect solid play. There might be some worry as to who could provide support.

In fifth place we have shitrock enjoyer. When they are not enjoying shitrocks, this player is stomping ADV OU in various tournaments, putting up consistent SPL-level records. Their lower ranking might be due to their lack of experience in ADV NU, but if the rumors are true, ASE will be able to adapt and overcome the tier in no time.

In sixth place we have Parpar, who is a relatively dark horse in this tier. With very little ADV NU experience, there can be doubts as to whether or not he can reliably build teams and win games throughout a grueling season. His experience in other ADV tiers will be helpful, however, as he strives to prove the haters wrong here.

Fogbound Lake finds himself in second-to-last place in the ADV Power Rankings. With zero ADV NU experience and very little ADV experience in general, this seems like a valid ranking for the player. Although a successful player in their own right, Fogbound is 3-4 in NU team tours and has a lot to prove before he gets any respect in ADV.

Medeia has made a point to compete in a myriad of older generations of NU, performing well in most portions of NU Classic while also performing solidly in current gens as well. This low ranking might be due to concerns about her most recent showings in team tours. With poor records through multiple tiers, there are doubts as to whether or not Medeia can get out of the slump and get into form. Needless to say, Medeia is a very diverse and highly motivated player, so despite the tough pool, she could easily carve out some wins.

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