RU Premier League XII Power Rankings

By Ming549, Amity, BigFatMantis, Clem, Feliburn, FlamPoke, gum, lighthouses, Master Chief, sol, THE_CHUNGLER. Released: 2025/03/31.

« Previous Article

Logo by DaWolfKid.

Welcome back to the twelfth installment of the RarelyUsed Premier League! Another year, another tournament, and this is promising to pan out into one of our most exciting yet! We have a host of newcomers and veterans both taking the reins for franchises new and old as well as filling out the rosters. With the reigning champions, the Supreme Crunchwrap Overlord Juniors, not returning this year, the winners' table is set for some new blood. All that's left to see is who will step up to win it all. As a disclaimer, all PRs come with some level of natural bias and are by no means objective in their ranking or writing. We asked the starters for each team to rank their respective pools, so shoutouts to all who participated!

691, umbry, Beraldo, passion, gum, Feliburn, Ming549, Ampha, Floss, GoldCat, Bouff, MachJacob, Lime, frankjosh, tko, Lyssa, Xrn, Kushalos, TheFranklin, eifo, LpZ, Ryu, FlamPoké, Metallica126, Cielau, feen, hjkhj, zS, Denial, SBPC, seraphz, Yay, Baddy, shiloh, Accel, ninjadog, Guille, Finchinator, The Strap, dunoks, BluBird, sol, C0nfiden1 0yster, Danny, OranBerryBlissey10, Meru, MrAldo, killintime, neomon, RealFV 13, EviGaro, Tenebricite, Gondra, lighthouses, Master Chief, Xiri, Finnick Odair, xXcrossbowXx, BloodAce, odr, Lyssa, pdt, Punny, Thiago Nunes, mielke, SpoiledBerries, Amity, Msousa, SEA, THE_CHUNGLER, Charmriah

Special thanks go out to everyone who volunteered to write for various PRs; without everyone chipping in, these would not have happened: Master Chief, Feliburn, Clem, sol, FlamPoké, Ming549, Amity, gum, lighthouses, BigFatMantis, THE_CHUNGLER. Also a big thank you to those involved in the QCing, GPing, and HTML processes: Lumari, Sir Tetris, and adorluigi.

Author's note: due to the recent banning of one of the competitors and the last-minute nature of this happening, they have been removed from their tier's ranking. The overall rankings have been left intact.

Party-Crashing Pranksters

SV: passion
SV: Floss
SV: 3d
SV: Ajna
SS: dunoks
SM: Finnick Odair
ORAS: Chaitanya
BW: Finchinator
ADV: Amity
Bo3: Feliburn
Subs: Daharan, ict, Flabeauf, Mindnight, Tack

Finding myself on the RU ladder in early 2024, sitting comfortably in the 1600s but still shy of #1, I sought out to continue my climb and showcase all I had to offer. In my journey I encountered RU staple Feliburn on many occasions; whistling was the name and loading solid teams was his game. During my countless matchups against him I took plenty of losses but also learned valuable lessons about how to improve in the builder and in-game; this illustrates what a valuable commodity he is to the tier. If you hang around in high ladder enough, however, you'll likely encounter Feliburn-Hisui. They load similar teams and play in similar fashion but are seemingly more cold-blooded in their conviction to beat you down for Elo. There was much speculation about who this person was when they first hit the scene: an imposter seeking validation by copying the known commodity? A second version that came from a parallel universe? A laddering alt that Feliburn used to troll the community? Well, in the middle of 2024 and after months of funny interactions, such as the infamous "I'm the upgrade" in the RU room, it was eventually revealed that they are a copycat, as the culprit behind the Hisuian equivalent was none other than Master Chief. Some had suspected him of being the imposter because of their shared teams and his impeccable ability to match the pace of Feliburn, a task that few are capable of doing. We're now a year removed from this commotion and we've reached an almost foregone conclusion with the pair combining their love of the game to form the newly-rebranded Party-Crashing Pranksters—a fitting name for these jokers.

Highlighting the Pranksters SV core is longtime Feliburn accomplice Ajna, who returns to the tier after his annual hiatus following the last RUPL. Despite being not particularly active in the community and apparently incapable of reading as he originally signed up as the co-manager for the Pranksters before realizing they couldn't self-buy both managers, he did help Feliburn put up a solid record in the most recent SCL and is surely hoping to fight his way back into the top three of the RU sheet after being supplanted by his dear friend and manager. If Ajna returns to even a fraction of his former glory, he will be a worthwhile investment as the key contributor to an otherwise lacking SV core. Speaking of lacking, Floss must not have inspired much confidence in former co-manager TheFranklin after he was left to fend for himself in the auction pool when Denial promptly took his place alongside the RUTL. Despite some recent struggles in the RU tour scene, notably having two consecutive negative records in RUPL and RUBD, Floss should not be discounted, as the trio of Ajna, Feliburn, and Master Chief will surely provide adequate teams that give him the chance to show he's still got it. Following Floss in the SV lineup is passion; if you're not familiar with the name, I wouldn't blame you, as they've been absent from the community for a long time after putting up a double digit negative differential on the RU sheet. While some may see that as a reason to be cautious in their expectations here, the Pranksters must be working in the dark arts with a form of necromancy that not only revives people from the dead but also brings them back at a higher power level than their previous state of being. The fourth SV slot at the moment is tournament main 3d; while they've surely got the raw capacity to play at a high level, concerns exist about their inexperience in the tier. In the event that black magic is banned from this tournament and the starting lineup flounders there is a competent trio of French players and builders waiting their turn to overthrow the hierarchy; Daharan, Flabeauf, and Mindnight all represent new-school building and playing that may directly clash with that of the otherwise ancient team philosophy.

Confident that they can squeeze out as much as possible in the older generations with ease, the Pranksters divided their efforts between established RUPL players, like Chaitanya and Finchinator, and relative newcomers to the block, like Amity and Finnick Odair. Wait a second, my sources are telling me this is incorrect; apparently Finnick Odair is actually sensei axew behind the mask! Much like a Scooby Doo villain, Finnick Odair lacks solid motivation for being here and doing what they're doing; those same sources from before are telling me that this may not be the wisest investment as the odds of Ryan contributing at a high level are equal to or lesser than the odds of Ryan disappearing from the team server without warning. Following up on Feliburn's investment in the French community brings us to SS starter dunoks, who had a pretty rough go at it last year with a meager 7-8 record in RU tours. Although this isn't particularly enticing, the odds are favorable that the Pranksters will pass solid teams and give dunoks a chance to rebound this year to commence the French RevolUtion. In ORAS and BW are longtime stalwarts Chaitanya and Finchinator, respectively; Chaitanya is a known commodity in the Venusaur tier and has put up solid records year-over-year, though concerns about his attitude and overall activity levels have been floated around. Unlike Chait, however, Finchinator is among the most active and helpful people across all of Smogon, with rumors spreading that he invests more time in the community than in helping his fiancee in wedding planning. While this may or may not be true, you can be sure that he will be a bit preoccupied with other matters and likely rely on the Pranksters' managers to prep his teams, which is fair when you've got one of the best to ever do it behind the sticks. In ADV is Amity, who is known for taking the tier very seriously and has committed plenty of time and effort defending it —sometimes not for the better —but they are clearly passionate and, with support from Tack and ADV Council member Feliburn, should be a solid starter. Speaking of Feliburn, the former RUTL and perhaps face of RU is tasked with assuming the best-of-three position yet again after a pretty lackluster showing last RUPL. Nobody should doubt that he has what it takes to build and play at a high level across all three tiers... though you should doubt the link he sends you is actually a $50 gift card...

Much like that fake gift card (seriously, somebody take away his ability to click on Discord hyperlinks), this team is pretty contingent on things working out at face value. Any team led by Feliburn and his Hisuian counterpart Master Chief is sure to have excellent team compositions in every slot, but the fact remains that last year these two both starred on floundering teams and the current collaboration between them is fairly reliant on slots that are boom-or-bust booming rather than busting. If anybody can rebound from a tough season, though, it is surely this dynamic duo... though the namesake does almost lead you to believe this whole thing might just be an elaborate ruse, just like the April Fools triple suspect of yesteryear.

Tenacious Technicians

SV: Metallica126
SV: zS
SV: fish anemometer
SV: DugZa
SS: OranBerryBlissey10
SM: lza
ORAS: Real FV13
BW: Accel
ADV: SpoiledBerries
Bo3: TheFranklin
Subs: sufys, fvkumean, hex, violet river, Plague

Spring is around the corner, and to celebrate the change in season I was invited yesterday to go and watch Better Man with our wholesome tier leader TheFranklin aka arce9. We shared a bucket of popcorn and had a few good laughs. On our way back, Franklin kept complaining about the kernel shells stuck in his teeth. "Do you want to borrow some floss?" I asked as I reached for a spool tucked away in my pocket. With a quizzical expression, he shrugged off the suggestion saying he would be fine. I asked him once again, but I found my reel tucked forcibly back into my pocket. "He said he's fine," said Denial with a stern expression on her face. For one reason or the other, an RU bromance has been broken up, and Franklin has opted to team up with Denial instead of Floss, with the public left wondering if Frank is really fine. Arce9 is hoping that the contrast in personalities between himself and Denial is more complementary than conflicting as the duo look to bring the Technicians back into the playoff picture. Words that personify our beloved tier leader are patient, calm, and calculating, as his monstrous 2024 showing was only marred by a poor SCL performance. For those unaware of his achievements, TheFranklin topped the RU circuit sheet by a landslide, won said circuit in dominant fashion, and went 8-0 in the most competitive slot last RUPL to top it off. While TheFranklin's resume is certainly laudable, his relatively quiet nature isn't always something that a team tournament environment needs. In that respect, he chose an appropriate partner in Denial who is chronically online and looks to fill the yapping void left by a certain user in the RU Discord. Denial is all about quantity over quality, as one wonders where her time goes, but keeping the team spirit alive is one thing she will excel at. Starting off with a strong managerial duo, did the Technicians get a team to match?

The Technicians have perhaps one of the strongest SV cores going into this tournament. Metallica has received an enormous amount of hype in the past year and with multiple official berths to his name, will be looking to translate his positive performances into a well-strung record. In the next slot we have zS, who has quickly established himself with multiple strong showings in individuals and team tournaments alike. zS has a very particular craft when it comes to SV and often incorporates quite under-utilized and slow pivots into his teams. If zS can find his stride this tournament with his brand of building, he's set for a good RUPL. Rounding out the core are fish, a relatively new tournament player who's looking to branch out from PU after carrying the asshole known as Ho3n, and DugZa, a tournament player who's looking to branch out from Monotype after carrying the asshole known as Floss. Fish appears to a breath of fresh air, contrasting the aroma you get at a fish market, and always puts his best foot forward when it comes to lower tier PLs in order to learn the intricacies of the tier and even tries his hand at building. Given the load of 5 SV teams a week, this will be a welcome break for the managers. After multiple very strong individual showings, DugZa is finally getting his time in the sun with his most notable recent result being an appearance in the Smogon Master's semifinals, which somehow was voted best tournament win —for a tournament that he didn't even win —in the Smogon awards. With a surplus of building power on the team, DugZa is poised to deliver and will be a welcome sight to see —hopefully, given the filth he brings in SM.

The Technicians continue their strong lineup going into the older generations. OBB is a player who has excelled in SS as a whole and is one of the best SS NU players to date. The managers will probably need to give him a head start in this tier so he can hit the ground running as soon as possible, so expect Sharpedo HO to premiere in the first few weeks. SM features lza who is likely to benefit with being drafted alongside Metallica. lza is quiet but dangerous in SM and, with a capable builder in Denial, is likely to turn out a decent record and exemplify the quintessential bargain buy this tournament. One can only hope, however, that not all the credit for his wins are hogged by the manager. In ORAS, we have perhaps a smart buy in Real FV13 who perennially skates by these tournaments as a last minute pickup but always delivers a serviceable performance. After performing a CT scan for their BW slot, I can indeed confirm that Accel is willingly putting himself into BW RU yet again. A UU mainstay, Accel was bought more than just to raise the average intelligence of the Discord but to pilot a tier he seems to love. Accel is also coming off a good RUBD showing in said tier, so with the rust shaken off, he should deliver. Lastly, in ADV we have SpoiledBerries who's another player who has extensively played ADV RU in —the more that I write about it—what seems like a stacked pool. She will be looking to prove this tournament that in a more competitive pool, she can definitely hold her own.

The Technicians boast quite a strong roster. One of the biggest selling points for their slots is that a majority of them are self-sufficient and have an idea of what they're doing. With active managers, this team has all the tools for success but they need to keep in mind that unlike what their manager will spam all season, they haven't won anything yet.

Deranged Hustlers

SV: Lime
SV: Ming549
SV: TJ
SV: Xrn
SS: Danny
SM: Gondra
ORAS: Piyu
BW: Guille
ADV: LpZ
Bo3: Nunes
Subs: eifo, Slikkles, RoFnA, wesleyy

If Smogon were compared to a Call of Duty map, it would most certainly be Nuketown. The two houses would be Brazil and France, from where endless players seem to spawn out of thin air every year hoping to make their mark on the scene. Starting out 4 years ago, Beraldo spawned and quickly established his killstreak in RU, taking out the competition and leading various teams to victory across various RU subforum tournaments. However, he seemingly quit after last year's RUPL and one thought that his motivation was caught by a stray grenade. This year, alongside his comrade in arms, Thiago Nunes, Baldo will look to show that he was just camping like a noob and has returned from the shadows to guide his team to reclaim lost territory and establish an indelible legacy. Purely managing this time around, it remains to be seen whether Beraldo will provide the carrot by building multiple teams for different slots or the stick by hurling useless one-liners at his players. What's certain is that Beraldo's antics always make the Hustlers a colorful bunch much like their papagio mascot, and Beraldo being the nexus of all the insults will only serve to bring the team together.

The Hustlers' SV lineup treads a nice balance between RU upstarts and established pilots who should bring a solid amount of wins over the season. Lime is the standout in this lineup, returning to the franchise after a more-than-successful stint in the big leagues. While his teammates (cough Denial cough) will try to take more than their fair share of credit for his wins, Lime combined very offensive leaning teams with aggressive play and took the pool by storm last SCL. Beraldo then smartly hired a workhorse to build the required 5 SV teams per week in Ming. Unlike the other RU Discord mains, Ming channels the glut of hours wasted on smogon to build a plethora of teams every week. Given that Beraldo probably burns his toast every morning, the Hustlers need to be careful about going too crazy in the kitchen and bringing too many Imprison Mews over the course of the tournament. The last two SV slots are known tournament commodities in TJ and Xrn. After spending an ample amount of time in Smogon jail, TJ signed up for basically everything this site has to offer. However, streaks of inactivity and motivation raise some eyebrows as to whether he stays in the lineup over the course of the 7+ weeks, but if need be, the Hustlers have capable players on the bench in eifo and Slikkles, though the former's motivation is—at times —even more questionable than TJ's. Xrn rounds up the SV core with a few questions as to who asked him to sign up. With the right support, Xrn is sure to put in good games and the Hustlers will hope they can turn what would be a pedestrian performance into more of a standout.

Turning our attention to the old gens, one of the first names that turns heads is Gondra, a player convinced before the tournament that he would be a Guardian but was snatched away from Lyssa who still maintains that was all part of the plan when she had about 75k left to spend for a majority of the draft. Without his favorite Italian girls, Alolan umbry is unlikely to speak more than 100 lines over the course of the tournament but Beraldo will hope that his repertoire of recycled SM builds is enough for Gondra to have a good tournament. In SS we have Danny, and it probably remains unclear as to whether he really wanted to play SS or is just papagio-holed (read: pigeonholed) there by the Brazilians. If things go south, eifo can always come into this slot and Danny won't be starved for good teams, so he has the potential to put forward a good performance. In ORAS we have Piyu, who was claimed to be the Guardians' savior last RUPL. RandBats mainers have somewhat taken the tournament scene in general by storm, but no one's rise has been as meteoric as Piyush, who seems to be an unstoppable force in multiple tiers. I would personally have put Piyu in SV given his recent results there, but he can still put in a decent performance in ORAS with the right teams. In BW we have Spiritomb spammer Guille. I recently took a sample of Guille's teams and showed them to a doctor; he recommended an immediate change in diet and exercise, but unfortunately I don't think Guille would unfortunately heed his advice. Guille sticks to his style and it often works, and with a supportive team environment, he's likely to be motivated to succeed to live up to his lofty price tag. Much like his Discord pfp, we have the third Brazilian head of the hydra in LpZ. 2024 was a fantastic year for LpZ, who won Grand Slam and had a slew of great records across older generations. He's continued his form in 2025 with a strong SPL showing thus far and is quite intimately versed in the ADV RU metagame. Given the relatively new nature of this tier, it's difficult to see him struggle unless the RNG doesn't break his way. Finishing off the lineup we have Thiago Nunes, who has also enjoyed a fairly meteoric rise over the last two years after years in the shadows. Nunes couples solid piloting with timely aggression, but whether he has the know-how to pilot teams across multiple generations—in what is always a stacked pool—remains to be seen.

Overall, Beraldo has assembled an eclectic cast of many tournament players coupled with a few new faces. Importantly, Beraldo puts a lot of trust into the players he drafts, and with a history of never missing playoffs as a manager, this team is poised to challenge for the title again. Beraldo claimed in his post that this was one last roll of the dice for him; the question now remains as to whether the good luck blow from the Brazilians gives him the numbers he wants or he falls agonizingly short like last year.

Noble Guardians

SV: umbry
SV: Bouff
SV: gum
SV: Lana
SS: Meru
SM: kumiko
ORAS: Tenebricite
BW: seraphz
ADV: Heysup
Bo3: Punny
Subs: MZ, Charmriah, DripLegend, Cow, BeeOrSomething

I recently went to Vegas to celebrate my tacky friend's wedding. While I was there I decided to stop by a casino and spectate a few rounds of poker for old time's sake. I came across a particularly interesting table called RUPL with 8 sets of managers locked in, eyeing each other up. Come round 10, one person caught my eye for their confident demeanor and boisterous spirit at the end of each hand. They would always overcall up till the last second and then get out before bets were made, not aware of what a check was. "It's fine, I won the first two rounds called Punny and umbry." "I upbid Beraldo to 15k for Gondra, I didn't really want him anyway." Everyone was confused as to what the manager's strategy really was during the rounds, but the shit talk certainly made the draft more entertaining for those involved. I didn't think eye rolls were audible, but I just heard 3 sets of eyes in Italy all making the loudest eye rolls known to man after reading this metaphor. The rest of the team will hope that over the course of the tournament, the Italian trio will be making more noise for their flashy plays, solid teams, and overall dominance as they've shown in recent RUPLs. After making the finals back-to-back, will this lineup be able to push the Guardians to lift the title?

The SV lineup is headlined by none other than superstar umbry, who is tasked with helping the guardians start every week 1-0. umbry stands out as head and shoulders above the rest as the most expensive player this auction with the retain, which she strangely tried to pricefix, purporting that she was too busy to put in hours for this tournament. However, most people will probably see it as a worthy investment. umbry's talent lies in not just piloting teams but having one of the best foresights of what works in a given metagame. In short, she's a trendsetter who will lead by example. After seeing the second name on this list, I think Lyssa recently coverted to Taoism because she has subscribed to the yin-yang philosophy. To offset the pleasant feeling of seeing umbry pilot, there are likely to be a couple of stress-induced headaches from seeing Bouff pilot umbry teams. Bouff's approach to the game is quite interesting as they try to map games out before they start. This is ordinarily quite a good strategy, but because they're entrenched in certain lines of play, it leaves little room for improvisation. Bouff will hope their opponents don't bring a PU mon this tournament, as they will likely flaff about likely in-game and instead hope that days of interrogating umbry during the week will give them the edge this tournament. Next, we have gum, who is a fan favorite of the Guardians for barbed insults and solid teams, in other words a discount version of col49. Two years ago, gum had a great tournament and was a big part of the Guardians' road to the finals, results which the Guardians will be hoping they can replicate this time around. The last SV slot here is Lana, who has had a steady branch-out from AG and is hoping to escape the brain rot crowd by having more normal conversations in other tiers. Overall, this SV lineup has an enormous amount of upside, and Bouff and the Guardians will be hoping they lead the charge every week.

The Guardians typically have been characterized by a heavy investment in SV and then bargain buys in older generations. This has often been their downfall in the finals, as sometimes their lineup improvisations seem a bit thrown together and their weaker slots drag them down when their SV somewhat falters. They seem to have changed this though, with heavy investments in SS, SM, and ADV. After years of solid results, Meru is no longer a cheap Ajna pick and has a large price tag attached to him now. The SS pool tends to be quite erratic, and having a solid pilot with one of the best SS builders in Punny is likely to turn in a number of wins over the tournament. In SM, we have kumiko, formerly 3DK. Whenever I mention their name, everyone remarks "oh yea, aren't they the person that invented Toxic rocks Necrozma?" While this invention can indeed be attributed to kumiko, the Guardians will hope they can fly solo in this tier for the duration of the tournament, as a number of the Guardians (cough Punny cough) have expressed a distaste for the tier. Rounding out the last of the oldgen headliners is Heysup, who went for a little cheaper than expected. Heysup lives and breathes oldgen lower tiers but, at nearly 60 years of age, still doesn't give up on incessantly complaining about RNG not breaking his way. Having recently won the ADV RU circuit, the Guardians' expectations of him will be high going into this tournament. Finishing off the older generations are two slight question marks in Tenebricite and seraphz. Tenebricite has played a number of older generations in various formats but often turns out fairly pedestrian records. Without a big helping hand to guide him through the ORAS minefield, it remains a question as to whether he will be told to click Scald and try to profit or he will struggle in this gen. seraphz is a bit more known, in the sense that he has turned out some good results in BW across different PLs. Without a known builder, however, it will be interesting to see how he performs, as the player skill is there but recycled kushalos builds from 2015 may not be enough. We finally round out the lineup with perhaps the player with the highest skill ceiling in the Guardians in Punny. Punny doesn't need an introduction, but for those living under a rock, he has won RU opens back-to-back when SS was the main generation and has sported some excellent records in recent times. Punny is likely to recycle for SS and SM but with one of the best player ceilings for this entire tournament, is poised to do well and lead the Guardians with umbry.

The name of the game for the Guardians is star power. Despite being upbid on some key players they wanted, Lyssa has put together a very impressive roster. The Guardians have always excelled in their SV but have struggled in the older generations, so if they can change the question marks in some slots to exclamation marks, they look formidable to face this tournament.

Toxic Chains

SV: xavgb
SV: Ampha
SV: tko
SV: avarice
SS: C0nfiden1 0yster
SM: xXcrossbowXx
ORAS: EviGaro
BW: Baddy
ADV: SEA
Bo3: robjr
Subs: toinha, Windsong, Heatranator, TyCarter, Sneakyplanner

Sir Alex Ferguson once famously said, "Give me 10 pieces of wood and Stresh, and I'll give you a RUPL". Wholeheartedly embracing this philosophy, the Toxic Chains are hoping that the laziness xavgb aka Stresh puts in his prep and the laziness in their team name choice isn't reflected in their performance. After managing more lower tier PLs than I can count, Oath returns this RUPL, hoping to elevate his recent RUPL playoff misses into hits. Alongside him comes the enigmatic Crossbow himself. How Crossbow established himself as an SM RU mainstay is a complete mystery to me. One moment he was just there and started winning, and here we are several years later with him still staying true to his favorite tier. He has learned to use Ground-resistant and Steel-type Pokémon over the past few years; in other words, he's not looking through the back alley garbage bins for inspiration for his teams these days. The managers themselves may not be world beaters but make up for it with their eagerness and support across several generations. Oath is likely to keep an active eye on the older generations while Crossbow helps in the SM-SV tiers. Together, they'll be looking to keep the ship afloat as they navigate the turbulent waters of RUPL.

The standout player in this draft comes in the form of a steal of a retain in Stresh. Stresh has cemented himself, with his recent OLT trophy, as one of the best modern gen players colorfully shaping any tier he touches. A superlative builder, there is perhaps no one else whose teams are stolen as much as the pioneering xavier over the past years. The teams he built last SCL quickly became ubiquitous all throughout RUBD, and more people will be looking to his games to take inspiration as he looks to set the pulse of the tier this RUPL. Sporting the best RU record in SCL, the only person who looks to stop Stresh this RUPL is himself, depending on how much he decides to apply himself. The rest of the SV core, though, will be looking to prove that they are no slouches and can keep up. Ampha has become a friendly face around RU and has a decent ability to pilot. The memeshow has come into his own over the past year, putting his negative results behind him and has stepped up his skill as he looks to bring a strong presence this tournament. avarice is another serviceable player who tends to be quiet in these tournaments but silently puts up respectable performances.

Stepping away from tournament mainstays, the Toxic Chains look to have turned to mainers to fill in the older generation slots. Oyster wasn't drafted during the main auction last RUPL and since then has silenced critics with a semifinals appearance in RU circuit and an overall positive year. In ORAS we have FRUTL EviGaro, whose biggest disservice to the tier is making feen TL again. Evi seems to be playing ORAS against her will and, much like Astro's bingo card, will probably be slotted into the wrong tier for far too long before her managers realize. Nonetheless, Evi has a storied history with ORAS and the capability is still there for her in this pool. In BW we have relative newcomer Baddy who made a name for himself using 2015 Kushalos teams. Baddy is capable as a player, as reflected by his price tag, but often needs to be fed teams to run the furthest distance. The source of this is currently unknown, but if he tries to build himself, it could go either way. The Toxic Chains probably made the smartest buy of their draft in SEA who's likely to be self-sufficient and throw her competitors out with her novel takes on the tier.

If you read the writeup once again, you'll notice that several of these players can put together solid performances if things fall into place. However, what this team severely lacks is chemistry. The Chains seem to be an assortment of players rather than a team, and the personalities are unlikely to light up the Discord in an overwhelmingly positive way. The early weeks of this tournament are likely to be the most important, and too many Ls accrued could mean that the team completely nosedives if motivation is lost for most of the players. Without a charismatic manager at the helm, the Toxic Chains will hope that even if their whole isn't greater than the sum of their parts, the parts have sizeable sums that can carry their weight.

Prime Protosynthesizers

SV: Kushalos
SV: LBN
SV: MachJacob
SV: 691
SS: The Strap
SM: Xiri
ORAS: MrAldo
BW: ninjadog
ADV: Msousa
Bo3: pdt
Subs: Mister Mclovin, Django, Larry, Stories, Ryu, LOOR, Void

I recently embarked on a road trip with some friends to visit the various attractions present in RUPL to tick an item off my bucket list. However, my mood was dampened on the first day as we suddenly got caught driving in a tepid drizzle. Out of nowhere, lightning struck our vehicle giving everyone a jump scare. I nervously replaced my grimace with a smile, proclaiming to everyone that we don't have anything to fear; lightning doesn't strike the same vehicle twice. Suddenly, someone placed their hand on my shoulder. "Does it not?" muttered Mr. Aldo. After flirting with RU anonymity for a good portion of last year, Aldo and Jeza look to prove the doubters, which is probably 95% of the RU community at this stage, wrong and prove their worth. Aldo's drafts have historically been quite unsuccessful, but his saving grace has been the one RUPL with the Slushers that he won out of probably nowhere when the team was ranked last in the PRs. Much like how Leicester city won the Premier League in 2015, Aldo will be looking to take a rag-tag bunch and elevate them to greatness, as otherwise they're likely staring into a deep abyss where the bottom dwellers lie.

Inheriting the winning team, Aldo retained Kushalos, who has had a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde appearance when he steps into SV tournaments. He dominated RU team tournaments over the past year but has sacrificed this for singular wins across 9 weeks in official tournaments. Though Ajna, Feli, and Nat wouldn't recognize him, he has inadvertently become an RU bully, preying on the weak but cowering in front of the strong. However, since RUPL isn't an official, Aldo can breathe a sigh of relief as he looks towards his talisman to put forth innovative ideas and another solid performance. The rest of the SV lineup, however, have their work cut out for them in order to match the level of the other SV slots this tournament. LBN was another name not drafted in last year's RUPL but has come roaring back through multiple VR and metagame thread posts and with his rather loud mic on RU Tube. MJ, otherwise known as "the Brit", looks to make the King proud and is coming off a good performance in RUBD. As he doesn't have Lyra in one ear, he is likely to be in a more mentally sound state this tournament and will be looking to continue his steady incline as he improves his playing ability with each passing tournament. Prior to this tournament, I knew 691 as a Chinese UU player, and that's about where my knowledge extends. As I finish this section with a question mark, this is probably how a lot of people feel about this SV core. The good news for Aldo is that he can call one of his *checks notes* 7 subs to slot in if need be.

The older generation core seems to a random mix of players, such that one wonders if they were not just failed upbids. While all are certainly capable, it's unlikely that anyone other than ninjadog and Aldo himself will be able to actively build in their respective tiers. With a bit of a supply shortage, Aldo will hope that recycling will be enough for multiple slots. Aldo's strategy seems to have started with The Strap, who will be looking to go deep within his builder to pull up with winning formulas. The Strap has quickly established himself as a household name in SS RU after probably being thrown in there randomly one tournament eons ago but is hoping to continue on with his good performances. Xiri finds himself in SM RU, a tier where he can comfortably rely on his Forretress builds without fear of ridicule. Xiri has a rather distinct building style in SM that relies on fatter builds around mons not commonly used like Florges, Dragalge, and the aforementioned basketball, but he will hope that his tier knowledge is enough to see him through to a good record. In ORAS, we have honest Aldo who will hope that bringing Venusaur is enough of a wincon as he spams nearly identical BOs in this tier. ninjadog is probably the second highlight of this lineup, as he doesn't seem to miss a beat when it comes to BW RU. Historically one of the most successful players over the past 2 years in this tier, ninjadog doesn't just put forth positive records but dominant ones and is yet to put forward a bad showing. It's likely that his success will be pivotal to the team starting out well. Lastly, we have Msousa, a Portuguese player who has played ADV RU before in RU subforum tournaments. A serviceable option, Msousa will be hoping he can compete with some of the bigger names across the ADV pool. Lastly, we finish with pdt, who hasn't enjoyed the best run of form in recent times. pdt embodies the phrase "go big or go home," as his game strategies often involve super aggressive plays and then something akin to tightening a grip around his opponent's throat as he looks to guarantee victory and not give up any lost ground. pdt has very high highs demonstrated by a Grand Slam IX position, and will be looking to bounce back to form this tournament.

It would be a bit harsh to call this draft lacking, but for lack of a better term, it seems a fitting way to describe this assembly of players. The SV is very heavily reliant on the chef to cook, but with 5 teams a week, Kushalos is likely to have his brain deep fried before he can burn the opposition to the ground as he commonly does. Without a unifying force, it will be difficult to see how this team comes together to challenge for RUPL. Despite this, Aldo can take solace in the fact that he's been here before and has silenced critics by winning RUPL with the Slushers, so time will tell which side of the coin he lands on: success or mediocrity.

Rockies' Defiant Payloaders

SV: hjkhj
SV: Sabella
SV: frankjosh
SV: hi.naming is hard
SS: BluBirD
SM: odr
ORAS: killintime
BW: Yay
ADV: THE_CHUNGLER
Bo3: lighthouses
Subs: flareblitzkreig, Hacker, tachi, tom holland

When I was learning neuroscience in university, one fact that really stuck with me was when they explained what Wernicke's and Broca's areas were in the brain and that they were responsible for language and speech. This is what differentiates humans from other animals and has allowed us to evolve and progress at such a frightening pace. Unfortunately for the Payloaders, the growth of these areas has been stunted in their manager GoldCat who responds primarily in binary terms like "hej" and "okej". The Payloaders will hope that his limited vocabulary doesn't limit the input he gives to the rest of the slots as the Payloaders look to defiantly plant their stake in the ground this RUPL. Alongside GK is tachi, formerly French aficionado Haxxsel, who self-bought and is... on the bench. It seems a little confusing as to why tachi has decided to bench himself after self-buying, but it looks like he's keeping his faith in the starting lineup to deliver.

The star of the SV show for the Payloaders is ladder hero hjkhj, who has probably taken the mantle for best RU ladder player from the former goat Pepeduce. This will be hjk's second RUPL after years of shadowing the tournament as he continued to rack up unfathomable GXE percentages. Hjk had a good outing last time but was apparently cautioned repeatedly by his team to not stick to his pure comfort zone of stall and branch out a bit. hjk managed to not bring stall, despite all his opponents prepping for it and his increased versatility makes him a more dangerous prospect this RUPL, as stall remains tucked in the corner in case he needs it. GoldCat then opted to get solid but probably underrated pilots for the other slots including tournament veteran Sabella, snatched Guardian frankjosh, and Chinese chatterbox hi.naming is hard aka gewwge. Sabella enjoyed a solid few months of interest last year in RU, stemming from winning the amazing RU Super Live Tour (shoutout to lars) and an RU Swiss finals appearance before cooling down thereafter. It's unclear where Sabella's state is at with regards to the metagame, but GoldCat and tachi will be there to provide him with teams and hope that his crazy doubles see him emerge victorious more often than not. What I remember most about frankjosh is the long trailing list of Os followed by LMFAO common in his messages. A solid pilot, frankjosh is perennially underrated but didn't seem underrated enough to end up on the Guardians. Last, but certainly not least, we have the loquacious gewwge who loves to talk during his games to try and throw the opponent off, but those antics probably won't work against his opponents with a mean age of 22 this tournament.

"Blast from the past" is what I'd use to describe some of the older generation slots. In SS we have BluBird, who I can only think will be sabotaged repeatedly by GK throughout this tournament. BluBird loves bringing his own unique takes to the tier, and his Wishiwashi team is something I still use for god-knows-what reason. If he has someone to give him ample input into the slot, he can do extremely well, but—equally—he has had some very poor showings in the past, and it'll up to the team environment to place him on the right side of the door. In SM we have probably the best player in the pool in odr. Unlike a lot of the older generation heads who'll be slot into this tier, odr continues to explore its intricacies and push the envelope when it comes to building. Given that he's likely to only focus on his slot, he will take this tournament seriously and his team will need him to be at his best to make a push for playoffs. The Payloaders' ORAS slot features none other than killintime himself, whose most famous RU game—funnily enough—was in SM, when he brought Oblivious Slowbro vs Tony's Taunt Mandibuzz and it worked. KT knows the ORAS tier well, but questions remain as to whether he can adapt himself to the few changes the recent metagame has undergone. However, he does have GoldCat in support, who recently smashed the competition in ORAS RU during RUBD and so is likely to offer some sensible input. GoldCat has opted to place his faith and his crafty teams in Yay's hands for BW. Yay disappears for most of the year and only reappears to put in a feature for an older generation RU. He probably wasn't visiting any Tibetian monastries during his time away. but the Payloaders will still hope that his mind is sharp for this tournament. On a three-laned highway, we find THE_CHUNGLER, who has pivoted away from SV to generation three of Pokémon. Keeping true to his MO but trading secondary effects for an increased critical hit ratio, THE_CHUNGLER has played numerous ADV RU tournaments since the tier's inception and will be calling on his experience and Zarel. Still living in 2020, Chungler accepted the retain, thinking that self-isolation is still the norm and he will be expected to man the station on his own. Finally, we find lighthouses aka diogo, who has reawakened but not to the extent of Sung Jin-woo. Having played an extensive amount of SM and ORAS recently, it will be quite interesting to see how diogo adapts to the competitive pool of Bo3 and what ideas and teams he brings to SS and SV. While he has the ability to succeed, the Payloaders will hope that he's not out of his depth in this slot.

The Freeloaders are an interesting bunch. Lots of their slots are quite underrated and would benefit from a good team environment in order to realize their potential. This team doesn't have any obvious chemistry, and GK isn't the most vocal guy in RU. Thus, a lot rides on the shoulders of some of their players to raise activity as otherwise if the only noise you can hear from the Discord are crickets chirping, they could have a rough time.

Pressure Cookers

SV: FlamPoke
SV: feen
SV: Lily
SV: Cielau
SS: sol
SM: BloodAce
ORAS: neomon
BW: shiloh
ADV: mielke
Subs: Kate, btboy, FastCarVroom!!!, SBPC, Evie, entrocefalo

During my RUPL pilgrimage, I made a stop by the windy city to take a glimpse of its architecture, deep-dish pizzas, and the world famous marathon happening at the time. At the start line I witnessed a very cute scene of a son hugging his long-legged father, wishing him good luck. "Don't go too fast at the start!" screamed the child. With a large, confident smirk on his face, the dad said, "Can't promise anything son. I'm a zoomer." Hoping to set the ground ablaze this RUPL comes the zoomer gang of FlamPoké and Seed Sower, looking to make a scintillating impression on RU's largest stage. After being praised for their high activity and ability to lead during recent RU team tours, the pair will be looking to translate this to lead a RUPL team for the first time, which begs the question as to how their initial stint at the helm will pan out for them. The Cookers' SV core features a cast of mostly SV RU mains, as is characteristic of most zoomer-led teams. The aforementioned FP leads the lineup and will be looking to show everyone that they don't need a Ground-immune, a Steel-type, or an Electric-immune Pokémon to win in this tier. FP often brings a creative flair to his teams, but this can come at the cost of having a solid backbone to fall back on, though he has improved upon this aspect in recent times. FP has the ability to pull the trigger, something that newer SV mains severely lack, and if he reins his wild ideas back in a little, he has the potential to succeed. They often say second is the best but after seeing more cursed reels than I ever cared for, I will not be endorsing feen to succeed this tournament. The FRUTL turned CRUTL has relied on a PhD in physics to take time to think through his games and not click his way through. While he may not be playing Eternal Spirit aka gama anytime soon, feen has lowered the ante on the flashiness of his plays and his overall increased level of play would now shock the likes of Chill Shadow. Lily comes in third with a treasure chest of fantastic SV records across an impressive number of tours. The newly appointed council member is coming off of carrying her team to victory in RUBD and an incredible SPL and she almost certainly has the billing to live up to her price tag as long as she's allowed to bring Bisharp. The Cookers will need her at her best to push for a playoffs position and hope that she doesn't compare Palafin to Lumineon in terms of viability again. Rounding up the SV core is Ciealu, whose most recognizable feat last year was making RU Swiss playoffs without winning a single set. Ciealu will luckily not be facing any maximum Special Attack Cobalion anytime this tournament and will hope to bounce back from a poor showing last RUPL. Moving onto SS, we find plastic Manchester city fan sol, the most expensive player of the auction. sol is synonymous with SS RU, and his mastery of the tier commanded a hefty price. He appeared to have put his past RUPL struggles behind him with a good RUBD showing, but expectations are a little more tepid this time around. In SM we have BloodAce, who had a decent RUBD but doesn't have a lot of experience prior to that. The SM pool is often very deep in RUPL, and if he struggles in this slot, the Cookers have the evergreen btboy to step in. In ORAS we find neomon, someone who impressed in RUGL and RUBD but has historically been overlooked for RUPL. The price tag reflects a bit of recency bias, but neomon will be looking to prove his worth this tournament. BW features shiloh, who is probably a bit confused as to which team he ended up on and is probably going to be fed 2015 Kushalos teams while everyone does a little prayer before his games. While he has the skill to succeed, he probably doesn't have the motivation to match, and the Cookers will need to feed him precise teams in order to get the most out of him. In ADV we find mielke for whom there's not a whole lot of info readily available given that he played SV in RUBD. From what we can gather, he plays ADV at a high level and is tipped to be one of the next ADV goats after his top 16 placement in ADV revival, so the Cookers will be hoping this translates into a great record and a steal —though perhaps not their biggest. The Cookers are exactly what you would expect from a zoomer team with a heavy emphasis on SV and some slightly weird older generation picks. The draft overall would have benefitted from getting more self-sufficient older generation slots, but FP and Seed will hope that enough digging around through team archives will help unlock the older generations to grab some wins this tour. The emphasis has very much been SV and without a near-flawless record for some of their players, the Cookers could find themselves under too much pressure to make playoffs.

xavgb
umbry
Lime
Kushalos
Metallica126
Lily
Ajna
DugZa
hjkhj
Floss
zS
Ming549
Sabella
feen
Bouff
Xrn
gum
frankjosh
avarice
TJ
passion
Flampoke
tko
fish anemometer
Ampha
691
Cielau
hi.naming is hard
3d
lana
LBN
MachJacob

1. Metallica126: 5 - Tenacious Technicians

1. DugZa: 8 - Tenacious Technicians

1. zS: 11 - Tenacious Technicians

1. fish anemometer: 24 - Tenacious Technicians

Leading the way for the first place Technicians is Metallica126, the star player who rallied team China to a finals tiebreak appearance in the most recent RUWC. After a solid 2024 in the RU tournament scene, with an overall record of 11-9, Metallica appears poised to lead this group to the promised land once again to start the new year off right. His high placement on the list represents both his ability to play at a high level and his creativity in the teambuilder, which can be described as boom-or-bust based on some of his less popular choices but is a necessary evil for a team reliant on their managers to do most of the teambuilding for the other three starters. Not too far behind him in the placements is teammate DugZa, who opted to forgo playing oldgens to start the season in the SV pool after an outstanding performance in the gen this SPL. Always a top-tier player in the RU scene, DugZa is sure to continue putting up solid campaigns even if treading in less familiar waters. Speaking of solid SPL players who did well in the last RUPL, zS was chosen as the retain for the Technicians after he did well for them last year as a cheap pickup in SV, going 4-3 overall. A positive record in the stacked SV pool in SPL is sure to reflect his ability to play this generation at a high level, assuming the managers can provide him with solid teams that let him shine. Last on the team is fish anemometer, a lower tier circuit player who just broke loose with a strong season in PU for the SCL Machines (alongside manager Denial, too). The bench for the Technicians is relatively shallow in SV with Plague, hex, and sufys all capable pilots but not much help in the teambuilding department, which the team is severely lacking in. This team invested heavily in SPL/SCL level players with the expectation that the managers (and Metallica) will be able to provide multiple teams each week —if this works out, they should be heavy favorites to dominate the SV pool.

2. Lime: 3 - Deranged Hustlers

2. Ming549: 12 - Deranged Hustlers

2. Xrn: 16 - Deranged Hustlers

2. TJ: 20 - Deranged Hustlers

In second place of the overall SV pool we have the Hustlers, who might be as Deranged as their namesake after a draft like this. Despite not retaining star player Lime this year the Hustlers were able to bring him back to follow up on his strong campaign in the last RUPL, where he broke out with a stellar 5-1 record. This carried him to an SCL bid, where he continued to play RU at a high level with support from the twenty teammates he had. While Lime has been on and off as a participant in RU events due to school and such, he still manages to remind people every time he plays that he's one of the great clickers and builders in the tier. Behind him is Ming, notable RU yapper and believer of Steel-types being unnecessary (true!). As one of the more prolific builders and players since his arrival last year, Ming will be tasked to carry the team after a strong seasonal performance that saw him lose to teammate Guille in the finals. His overall performance in RU tours has left a lot to be desired, though, so this will be a pivotal tournament for him to establish himself as an elite player. Xrn is third on the depth chart in the rankings and, with no showings in an RU tournament yet, is a bit of a wildcard here; with stellar records in UU, PU, and official tournaments, the Hustlers are banking on his ability to play the game at a high level to translate for them. Likewise, teammate TJ is a notable tournament player... but for slightly different reasons. After being banished from Smogon for a time, TJ is back and hoping to pick up where he left off —winning games slightly more often than he loses them. Xrn and TJ represent the Hustlers' willingness to gamble on established players that don't play the tier, banking on the "mons is mons" philosophy that may or may not be true in this situation. With teambuilding support coming from manager Beraldo and backup Slikkles alongside Ming's willingness to load anti-meta Pokémon and techs, the Hustlers will be interesting to watch, as they are truly a boom-or-bust team this time around.

3. umbry: 2 - Noble Guardians

3. Bouff: 15 - Noble Guardians

3. gum: 17 - Noble Guardians

3. Lana: 30 - Noble Guardians

The Noble Guardians' SV core is led by umbry, a top-tier lower tier player who has consistently put up impressive numbers, most notably in last year's RUPL, where she posted an outstanding 8-2 record. Since then, she's taken on a more low-key role as a builder, but her ability to both construct and pilot teams at the highest level makes her a crucial piece for this team's success. Next up is Bouff, whose 1-3 record in last year's RUPL was underwhelming, but they bounced back with stronger performances in RUWC, playing SM, and RUBD, where they secured a respectable 3-2 record in SV. Notably, Bouff had umbry assisting with teams in RUBD, so the existing chemistry between builder and player is already well established. Their job is simple: trust the teams they're given and bring their A-game as the right wing of the core. Following closely behind is gum, who has had the least involvement in RU out of all the players of this core. Despite not competing in any RU tours last year, he's ranked in the middle of the pack purely off of reputation. That alone speaks volumes about how much respect he commands and how much people trust him to pick up lower tiers. The real challenge will be how quickly he can adapt to the type-changing meta and its nuances. Last, but not least, we have Lana. While she sits at the bottom of the rankings due to a lack of high-profile experience compared to others, she's far from an easy opponent. Her 4-3 showing in RUBD proves she can hold her own, and her lower ranking likely comes from unfamiliarity rather than a gap in skill. This is her chance to earn respect, and if she can pull off another positive season, her value as a player will skyrocket as the Guardians' lowest-ranked SV player. If chemistry were a ranking factor, this core would undoubtedly be #1 among all teams. Now, it's up to them to prove that their synergy translates into results.

4. Ajna: 7 - Party-Crashing Pranksters

4. Floss: 10 - Party-Crashing Pranksters

4. passion: 21 - Party-Crashing Pranksters

4. 3d: 29 - Party-Crashing Pranksters

The Party-Crashing Pranksters find themselves in the fourth spot of these SV rankings, and, unsurprisingly, 23k Ajna leads their core. As he's probably the best RU player historically, it might be surprising to see him below the top 5, but his recent SV experience is quite lacking compared to other star players. Nevertheless, it's still Ajna, and he's proven that he can easily pick up whatever tier and excel at it; for an example that pertains to this tier, he put up a great 6-4 record during SCL III. To add on to that, he's most likely very motivated, as he's teaming up with his friends, and as such it would be a surprise to see him do badly. Why was no one upbidding him during the auction, by the way? As the Pranksters' second most expensive player, Floss also finds himself in the top 10 of the SV rankings. Much like Ajna, he might lack some recent results, but he's already proven that he can adapt to the tier no matter its state, so it would be very silly to write him off based on last year's RUPL. passion is very different from his teammates; his overall RU team tour record is actually quite awful, but he has had many recent showings in UU such as a 4-2 World Cup run to back him up. If you lock a certain user out of his channel, I'm sure he'll be very passionate about this tour. Similarly to passion, 3d might lack RU results, but he has more than enough experience to make up for that. It would be easy to write off these two, but with their unlimited access to solid teams, they might very well exceed expectations.

5. xavgb: 1 - Toxic Chains

5. avarice: 19 - Toxic Chains

5. tko: 23 - Toxic Chains

5. Ampha: 25 - Toxic Chains

Before the auction even started, the Toxic Chains managed to secure themselves the top ranked SV player for a mere 18k. Once an unfamiliar face in RU, xavgb quickly cemented himself as the best player in the tier after an incredible 8-2 record last SCL. Beyond just that though, he's recognized as one of the best overall players on the website, having won tournaments such as OLT. The Toxic Chains' placement in the lower half of the pool may therefore come as a surprise, but it seems voters think xavgb will have to do a lot of the heavy lifting; their second-highest ranked player is avarice at 19th. He's a solid player and builder, but his general lack of meta knowledge might set him behind compared to other players in the pool. However, he'll definitely get scarier as the tour goes on but only if he doesn't start 0-2. Four spots below avarice, tko aims to prove that his talents go beyond LC. He has the tools to succeed in this pool and underestimating him would be unwise, but he currently doesn't have any RU performances to back him up. Closing up the Chains' SV core, Ampha acts as the Starting Mainer. Being recognized as decent for a little bit now, the Toxic Chains are hoping he'll solidify his place within the tier's new talent. Overall, this core is not bad at all and is arguably the most dangerous one if the cards fall right.

6. hjkhj: 9 - Rockies' Defiant Payloaders

6. Sabella: 13 - Rockies' Defiant Payloaders

6. frankjosh: 18 - Rockies' Defiant Payloaders

6. hi.naming is hard: 28 - Rockies' Defiant Payloaders

Coming in 6th in PRs are the Rockies' Defiant Payloaders who have assembled a somewhat unusual cast of names for their SV core. Leading the charge is long time ladder legend hjkhj coming off a strong 2024, where as a relatively cheap 9k buy in last year's RUPL, he ended with an impressive 6-4 record and his team winning the entire tour. Since then, hjkhj has continued to show his prowess within the tier, consistently holding the #1 spot on the RU ladder and oftentimes laddering up other alts to join him within the top 10. Next up for the Payloaders is Sabella, winner of last year's RU Super Live tour and someone who has been getting more involved within RU as a whole, participating in tours such as RUWC and RUBD in the past year. A terrific player who has already proven himself on official stages such as WCoP, SPL, and SCL, the Payloaders are hoping that Sabella can put together another strong performance for them this year. Third in the Payloaders SV lineup is a somewhat surprising name to see in frankjosh. In what turned out to be a shocking upset during the draft, the Payloaders outbid frankjosh favorite the Noble Guardians to add him to their roster. After a strong 4-2 showing during RUPL XI, the Payloaders are hoping he can emulate his success from last year and end with a strong record again. Closing out the Payloaders' SV lineup is hi.naming is hard. Naming burst onto the scene in 2024 when he made the finals of the RU Ladder Tournament. Since then, he has competed in various tours throughout the year like RUWC and RUBD, putting together a respectable 7-5 record in those two efforts. While filled with respectable individual talent, the Payloaders' SV core's lack of bona fide star power as well as lack of obvious chemistry within the team has raised questions as to whether or not this team can find prolonged success throughout the season, and it will be up to them to play beyond their modest 6th place ranking.

7. Lily: 6 - Pressure Cookers

7. feen: 14 - Pressure Cookers

7. FlamPoké: 22 - Pressure Cookers

7. Cielau: 27 - Pressure Cookers

As we approach the backend of the SV cores we find the Pressure Cookers bringing up the rear ranked in 7th place. Leading the Cookers' core is UU tier leader Lily. After recently putting up a stunning 7-1 performance and winning the inaugural edition of the RU Blind Draft as well as clinching the UU circuit championship, Lily is looking to be in great form entering this RUPL season. Considering her standout performance in last year's RUPL as well where she fielded a solid 6-4 record across FOUR different tiers, expectations are high as the Cookers hope to see yet another quality season from her. Speaking of tier leaders, the Cookers next SV slot is the current RU tier leader feen. A quality builder and sporting years worth of team tour experience, the Cookers will rely on the RUTL to bring his A-game after a decent 2024, where he went 9-4 in RU team tours, and lead the way for their SV hopefuls. Next up is first time Cookers manager and a newer name to the RU scene, FlamPoké. A voracious builder and vocal contributor to the community, Flam has been known to put out both very standard and incredibly outlandish products that have led to mixed results. However, Flam was a key contributor for both his RUGL and RU Blind Draft teams during their championship and finals runs, respectively, and the Pressure Cookers will be relying on him to keep them afloat. Finally, we have Cielau rounding out the SV starters. Much like Lily, Cielau is fresh off of winning RU Blind Draft and is looking to keep up his good momentum. Although his 2-3 overall record was less than inspiring during that tournament, Cielau has proven that he can still be a quality contributing piece after showing out in other tours such as the French Community League and the Portuguese Premier League, where he was a part of his team's 1-5 comeback win in the finals. Overall, the Cooker's lineup is not necessarily lacking in star power as much as consistency. Whether or not they will be able to string together several winning performances will be the question of their season and the key to unlocking their full potential.

8. Kushalos: 4 - Prime Protosynthesizers

8. 691: 26 - Prime Protosynthesizers

8. LBN: 31 - Prime Protosynthesizers

8. MachJacob: 32 - Prime Protosynthesizers

Closing out this year's SV RU PR's are the Prime Protosynthesizers in 8th place. Their leading man is returning RUPL champion Kushalos. After a monstrous 9-2 season topped off with a tournament win in last year's RUPL coupled with a strong 5-2 showing in RUBD, Kushalos is back again to dominate the pool. However, his winless 2024 SCL showing has put some doubt into how consistent he truly is, which is partially responsible for his 4th place ranking despite his superlative performance last year. Next up is a relatively unknown name in the scene in 691. Despite having little to no current gen RU experience, 691 came highly lauded by Metallica126 as well as having been a support for last year's SCL winners the Power Plant Dynamos. So, although there are currently not really any results to speak of, the Protosynthesizers can be reasonably hopeful that 691 can quickly pick up the tier and make a decent run in this year's tournament. Next in the lineup is RU mainer LBN. Known for his sharp tongue and unhinged building, LBN is a true wild card. Although he has seen some success in the past year, he has also been liable to get lost in the sauce with a 1-3 record in RUWC being the extent of his participation in RU team tours in 2024. Whether he will be able to consistently field winning teams is a question mark for the Protosynthesizers, and only time will tell how his season will shake out. Finally, we have another RU mainer MachJacob making his RUPL starter debut. MJ is coming off a recent hot streak where he finished in the top 16 in the most recent RU Winter seasonal, as well as having earned a superb 4-1 record in RUBD. Coming into this tournament with all the momentum on his side, he will be looking to finally earn his stripes and hopefully establish himself as a mainstay within the RU team tournament scene. The Protosynthesizers have more questions than answers with their SV lineup this year. Between a somewhat inconsistent superstar investment in Kushalos and a starting cast of unproven RU talent, they will have to face stiff competition as they try to establish themselves as a group that truly belongs on the RUPL stage.

1. sol - Pressure Cookers

At the top of the SS rankings, we have the player who also claims the title for the most hated name change in the community in recent times: sol. A longtime SS RU enthusiast, sol built his career during the generation's runtime, making deep runs in various tours including official showings in SCL. While his 2-4 record in last year's RUPL wasn't stellar, his overall performances have been nothing short of impressive: a 4-1 in RUBD, 3-1 in RUWC, 3-0 in SSPL, and a managerial victory in RUGL. He understands the tier better than most and, unlike many players in our community, actually enjoys it. This is a good sign, as his team lacks dedicated SS RU support. However, for sol that's more of a luxury than a necessity. His team will be relying on him to carry the momentum from his recent success and dominate this pool, especially given that he was also the most expensive player in the entire draft. With his peers ranking him as the guy to beat, all signs point toward a strong season. That said, every match will feel like his to lose, so he'll need to stay locked in to justify his team's trust and prove why he sits at the top.

2. The Strap - Prime Protosynthesizers

The Strap is back for another RUPL; however this time he is starting in the SS RU slot. This might seem like an abrupt shift but when Sword and Shield was current gen, The Strap was a regular starter in the tier. Furthermore, he comes off the back of positive records in RUBD and RUWC, with the latter being an extremely strong 5-1. To add to this, The Strap has had a presence in the tour scene for a long while now and his in-game play does not belie his experience. In conjunction with his own proficiency in the tier and in-game, he has the support of a constant flow of new teams from Ryu —a big aficionado of the tier. All in all the combination of The Strap's history with the tier, recent success, plentiful 'mons experience, and the potentially new perspective provided by his supporting builders give the rankers plenty to be hopeful about.

3. dunoks - Party-Crashing Pranksters

dunoks is reprising his role as an SS RU starter this RUPL as well, although at a much higher ranking than past years, being ranked 7th last year. This might just be the rankers being behind the curve though, as dunoks has consistently put neutral—if not positive—records whenever he has played in RUPL. He also has—probably—the best support in the tour with all of Floss, Ajna, Feliburn, and Master Chief being able to help him bring the best possible teams. This combination of great piloting, a proven history in the tier, and excellent support means the rankers are very high on dunoks coming into the season, believing he is likely to replicate his 2023 form which led him to a 4-1 record in RUPL X.

4. Meru - Noble Guardians

Meru will be starting in SS RU for a second straight RUPL, with the rankers placing him two spots higher this year. This reflects his middle of the pack 3-4 record last year and also the weaker all-around pool this RUPL. Meru has a wealth of experience and brings whatever team they want; as an example, in one SS RU circuit finals game they brought a suicide lead Accelgor plus five bulky set up sweepers —one being the unknown Galarian Corsola —and if this writer remembers correctly, they stole it off ladder. This sets them up very well in the best-of-one format that RUPL is. If this were to fail, Meru can always lean on the support the Noble Guardians manager Punny can provide. All in all, Meru is set up to perform well in this season of RUPL with one of the highest floors in this pool.

5. BluBirD - Rockies' Defiant Payloaders

Coming in at a close fifth is BluBird, a relatively new player in the SS RU scene in comparison to Meru, breaking out in RUPL X —although he had been playing it quite a bit in friendlies during the previous SCL. His results in 2024 took a step back from his debut season, going 2-5 in RUPL XI. As the second most expensive player in the pool, only behind sol, he needs to show the rankers that last year was just a blip and regain the form displayed in his first RUPL season. BluBird's general tour experience, combined with support from GoldCat, tachi, hjkhj, and Flareblitzkreig, means the ceiling of this slot can be reflective of the 15.5k the Payloaders splashed out on him; however, his low placement seems to suggest the rankers believe this slot has a low floor.

6. Danny - Deranged Hustlers

Danny is an SS lower tier generalist who played SS RU in multiple RUPLs when Sword and Shield was current gen; however, he hasn't been present in RUPL since then. In RUPL IX, he went 4-4 on his way to winning the tournament with the Sleek Slush Rushers with wins coming against Thiago Nunes, Specs, Isza, and Jordy004. That meta was largely the same as the current one, with no bans or rises happening since then, so he shouldn't be completely unfamiliar with the tier and should settle in quickly. To complement this, he has the support of both eifo and Beraldo, meaning that he has plenty of teams available to him as well as plenty of people to play with in order to get to grips with the tier. His ranking does reflect concerns that his piloting ability might not be up to the standards of the players ranked above him while his metagame knowledge is also likely one of the lowest in the pool —all other players have featured in SS RU in a team tour just this past year.

7. OranBerryBlissey10 - Tenacious Technicians

OBB is the newest player to the SS RU stage in the pool, and it seems his ranking reflects it even though he went positive in his debut in RUBD —notching wins against The Strap, Taka, and Ryu. So there are positives to be found if you look for them; however, the relative inexperience in the tier does pose genuine concerns for how he will fare in a more high stakes setting. He will need to rely on his supporting cast in order to perform against the top of the pool, and even then the gap in familiarity might show in-game. All is not lost though, as his supporting cast in TheFranklin, Denial, and Metallica is probably the second best support available to this pool, meaning the teams provided will likely match up to the builds of sol, BluBird, its oyster time, etc.

8. C0nfiden1 0yster - Toxic Chains

C0nfiden1 0yster aka its oyster time is making his RUPL debut in SS RU, and his ranking reflects it. its oyster time is an SS RU main, meaning he might have the edge in metagame knowledge against some of the pool, and he will need that to bear fruit to make up for the experience gap that exists between him and the others. Furthermore, he and Danny are the third most expensive players in SS RU, meaning that there is an unusual amount of pressure on this debutant to perform. This is not to say there is no upside, however! its oyster time teamed up with xXcrossbowXx for RUGL last year, so he is close with the managers, which might be able to quell the pressure a bit. It also isn't like he never has played SS RU in a tournament before either, as he went 2-2 in RUWC —albeit against a weaker opposition. Summarily, its oyster time is new to the scene, meaning he will likely have a tough time against the experienced SS RU pool, although there isn't zero chance for an upset.

1. odr - Rockies' Defiant Payloaders

In what comes as the shock of the century, odr was ranked unanimously first in this year's SM RU pool. Before Random Battle mains were making a name for themselves, Code lyoko savant odr won RU Open out of nowhere and then embedded himself seamlessly into the community as one of the most promising upstarts. He continued his deep individual runs, making Open finals again and winning the RU Circuit. However, for many years odr would put up respectable but not outstanding team tournament records unfitting of the commanding tax his stock carried. odr seems to have silenced what few critics he had last year, though, having an outstanding 6-1 RUPL, and in what seems to be a pool lacking the traditional SM RU mains, he seems poised to dominate yet again. odr's defining trait in SM is his versatility. It's very easy to fall back on traditional cores and glues that work in SM, such as the likes of Registeel, Slowbro, and Mandibuzz. odr brings what seems to be multiple and thematic unique blends of Pokémon that suit his calculative playstyle. The pieces seem in place for him, and the question now remains as to whether he will dominate or regress to the mean.

2. Gondra - Deranged Hustlers

Gondra is probably best embodied by the fact that he used a different avatar for each game last season. A chameleon of a player, Ayaka used a wide variety of teams, although most looked like they were built by others. Gondra has previously excelled in the seventh generation, putting up strong numbers in both officials and subforum tournaments across multiple tiers, leading to his second-rank placing in this pool. Gondra typically uses strong and bulky wallbreakers to tear through his opponents' team with highly aggressive play and then keeps a firm grip to see the game through. However, while Gondra has high highs, he also has low lows. His past failings have stemmed from a combination of motivation and reliance on recycling, which means that there needs to be someone to provide oil to grease his wheels. Without an obvious candidate on the Hustlers, Gondra may stumble, as he lacks the industry to keep up with some of the other minds in the pool. If the Hustlers can suggest smart brings, Gondra has immense potential to punch holes not through just teams but the competition as a whole.

3. Finnick Odair - Party-Crashing Pranksters

Players who enjoy SM RU seem to come up with ghastly name changes. Finnick Odair, formerly sensei axew, joins this bizarre club. Finnick is perhaps one of the most tragic characters in the Hunger Games, and the Smogon user is hoping that there are no lizards crawling around the rest of the pool. After what looks to be a successful summon since the last RUPL, Finnick has been placed in what he claims is his favorite tier in SM RU. Finnick has had very successful stints across lower tiers in SCL, becoming a franchise staple of the Terrors prior to his retirement, and has won a lot in RU, including a ribbon. In SM, Finnick tends to stick to tried-and-true bulky offensive but get multiple key reads right without a fear of pulling any necessary triggers. While it's hard to dispute his skill as a pilot, it's easy to question his motivation this tournament, and without teams he's truly in sync with, his full potential may not be brought out. Alternatively, he could try to pull multiple Felis and write LMFAOOOOO in the Discord chat after, which is also a strong possibility (gum this is your cue to nod strongly in agreement). The Pranksters will hope Finnick comes prepped with a trident, as otherwise, he may be dragged too far down the sewers once again.

4. Xiri - Prime Protosynthesizers

A lot of PRs will have been written about Xiri, and a lot of them would have called him rather insipidly a jack of all trades, but there's perhaps no better way to describe the Korean phenomenon. Xiri has played everything under the sun when it comes to lower tiers, but "streaky" is perhaps a good word to describe some of his performances. A lot of his records are defined on the knowledge of the tier he possesses, and he's perhaps covered in this department by playing a tier he's frequented for many years. Xiri brings his own more unique brand to SM inspired from his Tours room goon phase and teams from retired user The Wall. Relying on fatter structures, Xiri relies on balance annoyers and a strong entry hazard game that flourishes more in mid- to longer-paced games. He values more unconventional picks for his defensive cores, and while he's used this to his advantage, it may also be his undoing. There's only so many times one can use Florges, after all, and get away with it. Xiri's propensity to use similar Pokémon means that prepping for this slot becomes a bit easier if he isn't fed teams that break the mold. If the plants (Protosynthesizers) can provide Xiri with an increased diversity of builds, he can punch above his middle ranking, but otherwise, he might struggle at Team Preview multiple weeks this tour.

5. kumiko - Noble Guardians

Several RUPLs ago, kumiko was a rising star bought for 3k on FV's team hoping to show what they are made off. Fast forward six years, and they've certainly made a name for themselves, coming in as one of the most expensive buys of the auction and an anticipation on par with the Rock's of what they're cooking. One of the most successful players ever, kumi is hoping to capture rapturous highs they've achieved so many times before and lead the Guardians as one of the three guaranteed wins claimed by their manager. kumiko's strength is in their unique building and innovative sets. Playing them is sometimes difficult because the novelty can easily catch you off guard, and by the time you know what's up, it feels like you're playing catch-up on a chess board they've controlled from the very beginning. Where four-starred general kumiko falls short, however, is that they bring a defined cast to the board and rely on teammates fulfilling specific roles to the tactic. If the tactic as a whole fails, there isn't enough maneuvering room to wiggle their way out, and they're forced to capitulate. After many absentee years from RUPL, there are more than a few heads turned in anticipation of what one of the veterans of the game is bringing to this tournament.

6. xXcrossbowXx - Toxic Chains

They say first impressions are what define perceptions, and that seems to have stuck to crossbow with what is a rather underrated ranking at 6. However, like the omnipresent Golisopod, crossbow will be looking to make an exit out of being ranked consistently in the bottom half of the pool and cement himself once and for all as a force to be reckoned with. crossbow started the tier with builds that lacked what seemed to most to be bare essentials of teams such as Ground resists, Psychic resists, and Steels. However, early-day crossbow followed this up with sharp aggressive plays and teams that were amalgamations of what can be called pain in the ass 'mons that were surprisingly difficult to play around. Since then, crossbow has increased the viability of the teams he tends to use but has maintained an overall solid record in the tier. crossbow's greatest modern-day weakness is to some extent his lack of long-term planning, as his previous teams heavily relied on turn-by-turn strategies rather than mapped-out win paths. This strategy falls short when it comes to his current teams, and micro mistakes can add up over time in longer games. crossbow will need a sharp and calculative mind this tournament to once and for all prove why he's made SM RU his home tier and that, unlike your average tenant, he runs the joint instead.

7. lza - Tenacious Technicians

"Good trainers create, great ones steal" - Professor Oak, 1996. Embodying this is the quiet Chinese player Iza who's hoping that his overall experience with SM will, by contrast, raise the roof. Iza has played SM OU at a high level, participating in multiple tournaments including WCoP and SPL. His general knack for the game shows that he's a solid pilot if he's fed the right team and matchup but has been heavily reliant on Metallica's recreations of teams to see him through. However, in this department, he won't have a shortage of service in Denial, who will be actively building and prepping for this slot week in and week out. Denial has increased her repertoire of structures, and tries to experiment with underappreciated picks backed by her favorite defensive backbones. If Denial can communicate the game plans effectively to her player, using Metallica as a medium, lza has the potential to put his low placing to shame, but otherwise, if strategies are lost in translation, he may stumble more than the Technicians would like.

8. BloodAce - Pressure Cookers

Last, and hopefully not least, we find neophyte BloodAce, who will be starting in SM RU for the first time in RUPL. Bloodace has played SM RU for the past year in other tournaments including SMPL, where he went positive, and has a strong 3-1 showing in RUBD. BloodAce seems to have stolen standard structures and pilots them in a straightforward manner, but whether this is enough to win in RUPL is what remains to be determined. He will need to balance being predictable in spamming Necrozma and Virizion with being able to pull the trigger and learn to thread a finer needle against tougher opposition. This will be uncharted territory for BloodAce, but armed with a thorough drilling of the tier in the past few months, he looks to show that he belongs at the big boys table this time around.

1. EviGaro - Toxic Chains

The former tier leader finds herself at the top of the ORAS RU rankings, despite not having played this generation in team tours as a starter in years. However, EviGaro was sent to ORAS RU when the opposing team picked ORAS as the tiebreak slot in both RUWC and RUBD, and she ended up winning both times, which only goes to show that she still has it when it comes to the sixth generation of Rarely Used. She has always been a very unorthodox builder, and ORAS RU, being the solved tier that it is, makes it really hard to prep for when it comes to facing her. You never know if you'll end up facing a Registeel standard, or even a Klinklang. This time around, she also has the support of one of the greatest RU players of all time in Windsong, who is sure to drop his game-winning vision in the prep channel. She might publicly say that she doesn't know what she is doing slotted in this generation, but her peers respect her enough to position her as the top player to beat in the pool. Will she be able to deliver? Are we going to see Clefairy and Aurorus again after so many years? There are too many questions that we'll only be able to answer as the season goes on.

2. Chaitanya - Party-Crashing Pranksters

Coming in second in this year's PRs is a household name of ORAS RU, Chaitanya. A sheet god, Chait comes into RUPL XII with a dazzling 41-19 overall RU team tour sheet record that places him 7th in all time wins, as well as giving him the highest winning percentage amongst the top 10. However, in recent times, one of RU's finest has perhaps found a hitch in his step, as 2024 proved to be a struggle for Chaitanya, with him finishing last year with a rather ordinary 3-2 ORAS record in RUPL XI and an uninspiring 1-2 in RUWC. Hoping to help him break out of this small slump will be his team's stacked ORAS core filled with all-time tier greats like Ajna, Feliburn, and, to a lesser extent, ict. With all of the aforementioned players having long histories playing the tier both when it was current gen and keeping up with trends over the years, their repository of knowledge will surely be useful as Chait attempts a return to form. It is also worth noting, however, that manager Feliburn and teammate Ajna have previously claimed that ORAS RU is a "solved" tier… which may prove to be a detriment to Chait should he try to coast reusing their old builds, as they have fallen victim to merciless counterteaming in the past. Whether or not Chait will be able to turn around what was a disappointing 2024 is yet to be seen, but the ORAS pool certainly feels that last year was the exception, not the trend, and all eyes remain on what is expected to be another strong season from the RUPL veteran.

3. Real FV13 - Tenacious Technicians

Rounding out the top 3, we have Real FV13, a long-time player who has consistently competed in various RU tours over the years. While he's no stranger to ORAS RU, this might be his first time playing the tier in an RUPL. With that in mind, there's little reason for concern, as he recently posted a 5-4 record in ORASPL, proving he can still clutch a positive record. Given the uncertainty in this pool, there's more reason for optimism than doubt that he'll perform just as well, if not better. In terms of support, Real FV13 has DugZa in his corner, one of the better ORAS RU performers from last year, who finished with a stellar 7-2 record. DugZa was known for bringing fresh ideas each week last year, so his presence should provide valuable insights and guidance on what to use in this slot. Having that level of support could be a real difference-maker for Real FV13's success. With all of this in mind, it's no surprise to see him ranked so highly. Now, it's up to him to bring his best to the table and turn his 7-10 all-time RU sheet record around, proving that he can step up for his team.

4. Killintime - Rockies' Defiant Payloaders

Another year, another tour where killintime can lab till his heart's content in ORAS U- wait, he is playing ORAS RU?! That's right, killintime has decided to take his deep love for ORAS to another level and signed up to play ORAS RU. He has been one of the best ORAS UU players in UU team tours for a while now, and his understanding of the generation as a whole has gained him enough respect to put him in the upper half of the pool. While we've mentioned his expertise of the generation a lot, killintime hasn't played ORAS RU probably… since the tier ended over nine years ago. On the bright side, he has the support of lighthouses, a veteran who was an active player during ORAS, and GoldCat, who has dabbled into ORAS more than most of the current post-generation players. Both players are well versed in the tier and will help killintime stay up to speed with newer postgen trends. It'll just be a matter of if he will follow lighthouses's more standard advice, or if he will stick to GoldCat's more devious anti-meta ideas. Regardless, this is the perfect opportunity for killintime to showcase his experience as a player in a less experienced pool.

5. MrAldo - Prime Protosynthesizers

Speaking of people with over ten years of experience, MrAldo finds himself in the middle of the pack this time around. While his tier knowledge and building skills are unquestionable, his performance as a player has always been a rollercoaster of highs and lows. However, he recently stepped up in RUBD, securing a solid 4-2 record in the ORAS RU pool. His team will be counting on him to carry that momentum forward and deliver an even stronger showing this time around. Aldo isn't someone who relies on support, as he has always been an involved player in this tier since it was the current generation, but he does have the legendary chef himself, Kushalos, backing him up. While Kush isn't exactly an active ORAS RU builder these days, his experience as one of the premier builders of his era is undeniable. At the very least, he should be able to suggest some off-meta picks (revival of the trifecta?!) that newer players might overlook, potentially giving Aldo an edge against a relatively untested pool. The biggest question mark remains: will Aldo's unique building and playstyle lead him to success in this field, or will he fall short when it matters most?

6. Piyu - Deranged Hustlers

Piyu's first involvement with ORAS RU dates back to 2023, when he got a respectable 3-3 record in ORASPL as a newcomer to the tier. However, that's the only notable ORAS RU experience we have on record. What stands out, though, is his dominant performance elsewhere, going 4-1 in SV RU during RUBD, right after an incredible 10-0 run in SV OU during SCL. While there's no doubt that Piyu has had a phenomenal few months in terms of results, that alone only secures him the #6 ranking in the ORAS RU pool. In his corner, he has his manager, Beraldo, alongside players with ORAS experience like eifo, but none are particularly known for deep building support. They'll be able to provide teams and ideas during prep, but the real challenge is whether they can avoid being too predictable without crossing into unviable territory. This uncertainty is what places Piyu on the lower end of the rankings, but his recent track record remains a major upside. If he can replicate the form we saw in those previous tournaments, this could turn into a strong season for the Hustlers's ORAS RU slot. Piyu will need to bring his A game to prove that he can dominate a non-type-changing generation just as effectively.

7. neomon - Pressure Cookers

Neomon's journey through the Smogon tournament scene has been a quiet but steady one. Having competed in the RUWC in 2018 and 2019, he showed his potential early on, getting a solid enough 5-5 record total in both tournaments, though in the years following this, he hasn't had any RU team tournament presence. It wasn't until the most recent edition of the RUBD that he re-entered the competitive RU scene. There, Neomon impressed with a solid 3-2 record, securing victories over well-known players like Chaitanya and MrAldo. These wins showcased his ability to compete at a high level. While Neomon may not have the most extensive tournament resume, his consistency and adaptability in varied and, let's say, "low-stakes" Smogon side tournaments, while often also dipping into RU, show a player who understands the fundamentals and can work his way through the nuances of teambuilding and playing. His teams are rarely flashy but are reliable enough (he uses Venusaur), giving him the foundation necessary for another solid record or perhaps even a surprise great run in the less experienced ORAS RU pool for this tournament, should he decide to bring a Steel-type more often than not.

8. Tenebricite - Noble Guardians

Last but not least, we have Tenebricite, who finds himself at the bottom of the ORAS RU rankings this year. While he has dabbled in the tier recently, with a 1-2 record in RUWC 2024 and a respectable 4-3 in last year's ORASPL, he is the player with the least proven experience in the tier, and in general, justifying the low ranking. There are some question marks in terms of building support. While most Guardians members have played the tier in different occasions, like shiloh and kumiko, none of them are known for being builders in it. They'll definitely be able to provide assistance with their long histories of playing the game in general, but Tenebricite will be challenged to come up with building ideas that allow him to go through all the different interactions that ORAS RU has in a more prep-heavy pool than that of the previous tours he has played in. All in all, it can only go up from here for Tenebricite, so it's only a matter of time before we see if he can dive deep enough into the meta, or if he will face some ancient low ladder tech he might never see coming…

1. ninjadog - Prime Protosynthesizers

Last year, the very first line of introduction for ninjadog's 1st place in Power Rankings was "In an RUPL without Finch, we finally have someone else in the first spot of the BW RU pool." After a outstanding season going 7-3, we have to take that back, as it's now no surprise seeing ninjadog get nigh unanimously ranked 1st of these Power Rankings. As one of the very few users on Smogon to actively play BW RU and one of the even fewer to get consistent results in this format, ninjadog will surely once again show other players whose Moltres can hit the most Hurricanes.

2. Finchinator - Party-Crashing Pranksters

Once again starting in BW RU this RUPL after a break last year, Finchinator comfortably sits at the 2nd place of these Power Rankings, and for good reason. Despite now being a Twitter main, Finchinator is far from washed, as he very likely has more experience in the 5th generation than the lower half of the pool combined. And with recent results like his 3-1 in BW RU for RUWC last year and his 6-3 in BW OU in SPL, there is little doubt that Finch is in top form. With support from BW knowers like Feliburn and Master Chief, Finch will likely once again shine in this tournament.

3. Guille - Deranged Hustlers

While still considered a newcomer last season, everyone whose even slightly interested in BW RU has heard of Guille one way or another. With picks that could be considered unorthodox and a playstyle that used to be quite fat oriented but is now more diversified, it's safe to say that Guille's unique builds and takes have brought a bit of fresh air to the BW RU metagame.

Despite still being relatively new to the tier when compared to players ranked above him, Guille has now quite a bit of experience in this tier, and we should all be looking forward to seeing his builds in action.

4. Accel - Tenacious Technicians

Rounding up the upper half of these Power Rankings is Accel, known for his lower tiers mastery, especially UU. While an overall neutral record in RUPL might not seem that impressive, Accel recently topped the BW pool in RUBD, going 4-2 in what seems to be his first time playing BW RU since RU Snake Draft and getting wins against newer and experienced BW RUers alike. If Accel is able to get back to top form in this format like in RUBD, we can expect another good season from him in RUPL.

5. shiloh - Pressure Cookers

Tiering admin shiloh is once again back to play an old gen lower tier in RUPL, moving up one tier from his usual BW NU to play BW RU. If shiloh isn't the most experienced BW RU player in the pool, he remains a great pilot with extensive knowledge of BW formats and will have support from teammates Lily and SBPC, both of whom BW RU experience in tournaments, with SBPC also having managed in last year's iteration of BWPL.

6. Baddy - Toxic Chains

Newcomer to RUPL and fresh off a good RUBD season going 4-2, Baddy is back to play a new tier and get decent to good results like he's been doing for the past year or so. The Toxic Chains's BW slot will benefit from great support from BW RU knowers EviGaro and Oathkeeper, and despite finding himself in the lower half of these rankings, Baddy has all the cards to get some upsets against more experienced players of this pool.

7. seraphz - Noble Guardians

Don't let Seraphz lack of experience in RU tours fool you, as he absolutely dominated the RU pool in the latest edition of BWPL. After decent results in RUGL last year playing SV, Seraphz switched to BW in both RUBD and this edition of RUPL. Despite good results over the past year, it's easy to see why Seraphz is ranked so low on these Power Rankings: lack of support and tough competition won't make this tour easy for him.

8. Yay - Rockies' Defiant Payloaders

After bowing down near the end of the previous generation, Yay finds himself taking the BW slot for the Payloaders for this edition of RUPL, his first time playing the tier in PL in over 3 years. Despite support from THE BW RU player, GoldCat, Yay will still need to show more than a few appearances in tournaments here and there to make himself a name in such a strong pool.

1. SEA - Toxic Chains

SEA has been one of ADV RU's best players across multiple tournaments with a 5-2 record in RUGL, a 6-1 record in RUWC, and a victory in the annual ADV RU individual in August 2024. Her deep level of skill and innovation when it comes to ADV has cemented her in #1, and this season will be exciting for what new innovations lie ahead in SEA's building.

2. Heysup - Noble Guardians

Heysup has been revered as the ADV lower tier legend since Smogon's inception, but his success in ADV RU is proof that old dogs can in fact learn new tricks. Heysup has had great recent performances featuring his debut in RUWC, a 3-2 record in RUBD, and a win in the ADV RU Circuit finals, so momentum is high going into the RUPL season, landing him a spot right below SEA at #2.

3. LpZ - Deranged Hustlers

LpZ has two things going for him this RUPL: he is one of Smogon's best all-around players, and he's a co-founder of ADV RU who stayed active within the scene since the tier's very beginnings. LpZ has won the RU tournament in ADV Grand Slam, and has put up good results in ADV RU Circuit finals and RUWC. While his results in ADV RU aren't at the upper echelon that SEA and Heysup's are at, LpZ is still projected to have a good season in the top half of the rankings.

4. SpoiledBerries - Tenacious Technicians

SpoiledBerries has been a regular in the ADV RU scene since early 2024. On top of a strong beginning by winning the Jumpluff suspect individual tour, she has put up good results in RUGL, RUWC, and RUBD. Her series in team tours tend to go solidly and she shows promise for RUPL with support from violet river, but her lack of general tour results only puts her in the middle of the pack, following in the footsteps of great players.

5. Amity - Party-Crashing Pranksters

Amity is probably the most passionate ADV RU player in the pool and a major contributor influencing the tier on Smogon. Although early tour success in the tier eluded her, she recently made it to the finals of the first edition of the ADV RU circuit tournament. Sitting in the middle of the pack of a strong ADV RU pool, Amity brings many positives to the table with her high level of activity and tier knowledge. However, with no previous ADV RU team tour games under her belt, it's anyone's guess as to how she'll perform in this stacked pool. However, she is still certainly capable of holding her own, and it will be interesting to see if she can gain her footing quickly as she tries to establish herself as a tour mainstay.

6. THE_CHUNGLER - Rockies' Defiant Payloaders

Fresh from the current gen playerbase, THE_CHUNGLER has a deep passion for learning ADV lower tiers, which has resulted in him going to finals for ADV Grand Slam and semifinals for ADV RU Circuit. These results alongside the prowess shown in SV are proven by themselves, but THE_CHUNGLER still has a mountain to overcome with the top players of the pool.

7. mielke - Pressure Cookers

While mielke hasn't played ADV RU in a competitive setting up to this point, he is a stellar ADV OU player who decided to dabble in lower tiers, with his most recent performance in ADV UU for ALTPL being a solid result. However, mielke is the last person in this pool to hop on the ADV RU train and will have to get up to speed a lot quicker, but he currently stands as a wildcard that might be able to take some names.

8. Msousa - Prime Protosynthesizers

Last but not least, Msousa had their ADV RU debut in RUWC, even taking names like SEA in the process, and got drafted for RUBD as well with a 2-3 record. These results aren't too shabby, but not impressive either compared to the rest of the pool, where competition will be a fierce uphill battle for Msousa. Nonetheless, Msousa's status as an RUPL starter is justified, and there's always a chance for this placing to be a fluke.

1. TheFranklin - Tenacious Technicians

The 2024 people's choice best overall RUer and RU tier leader TheFranklin is back at it in his Bo3 stomping grounds, where he is coming in hot as the number 1 ranked player in the pool. After a quite frankly dominating year where he won the RU Winter seasonal, RU Circuit Championship, completed an unprecedented 8-0 undefeated run in last year's Bo3 slot, and usurped Ajna as the most decorated RUer of all time, it makes sense to see where all the hype is coming from as everyone's eyes will be peeled to see what TheFranklin is bringing to Bo3 this year. A self-sufficient juggernaut in his own right, TheFranklin has also surrounded himself with a stacked supporting cast, being backed by names like Metallica126, one of the most prolific RU builders of 2024 across multiple generations and a premier pilot, and co manager Denial, who will be quick to tell you of her mighty contributions to her SCL team the Technical Machines in last year's tournament. Speaking of SCL, TheFranklin is also reuniting with his former SCL manager DugZa, who is sure to be another invaluable resource for both testing and bouncing ideas off of after their previous experience together. Will Franklin continue his dominance of RU, or will someone FINALLY crack the code behind taking down this titan of the game? The only thing to know for sure is that every week Franklin's game is sure to be a highlight.

2. Punny - Noble Guardians

For the first time in three years, Punny has been dethroned as the de facto top dog of Bo3, coming in second in the PRs. A household name at this point, it's become a common occurrence to see Punny dominating anything he sets his sights on. Whether it be SPL, where he currently holds a tournament best 6-3 record in the SM OU pool, or SCL, where he obliterated the UU pool with a tournament best 7-1 record, the lights never seem too bright for this veteran of the game. However, after a somewhat middling performance in last year's Bo3 pool, where he finished with a rather unimpressive 3-4 showing, Punny is looking to come correct this year and get back to his usual dominant form. Supporting him in his efforts is the usual Noble Guardians brain trust of umbry and gum. umbry, although not super involved with the tier, always gets up for RUPL season and is regarded as one of the stronger builders and pilots coming into the tour, as reflected by her own second place ranking in the PRs. gum took a back seat for the guardians last year as their shadow manager but is no stranger to the builder and often puts out creative and distinctive teams of their own that are sure to be a valuable asset to keep Punny ahead of the meta curve. Alongside the usual suspects, this year the Guardians have also added notable tournament try hard Bouff, who has long been lauded for their support capabilities across all generations and tiers. Equipped with these tools for success, Punny is looking to take the Bo3 pool by storm and prove once again that he is a force to be reckoned with.

3. Feliburn - Party-Crashing Pranksters

"Retired" RU tier leader Feliburn finds himself power ranked in third for this year's Bo3 pool. Unlike the two players above him, Feliburn had a comparatively much mellower 2024 in which he stepped down as the RU tier leader and took a step back from the limelight. Except not really at all lol. Since "retiring," Feliburn has continued to stay plugged in with the RU community, participating in every single circuit tournament and team tournament, and even playing for the SCL team Studio Gible as their RU starter. At this point, all the "retired" Feliburn talk has just become a meme reference to one of the tier's most active members. This high level of activity, Feliburn's first hand meta knowledge of all three Bo3 RU tiers, and his impressive results from last year, with him most recently going 5-2 in the inaugural edition of the RU Blind Draft as well as finishing with a 5-4 record in SCL, have all been reflected in his ranking, as his peers believed he was a dangerous enough competitor to warrant the third spot. Supporting Feliburn this year is longtime friend and potential identity theft risk Feliburn Hisui aka Alpha Rabbit aka Master Chief as well as newly placed second all time RU Hall of Famer Ajna. Although both Master Chief and Ajna have been largely absent from RU for the past few months, they both are regarded as some of the top RU minds in general, and from SCL to RUPL prep, both these guys have plenty of experience with Feliburn and how he likes to operate. After finishing with a lackluster 1-3 record in last year's Bo3 pool, Feliburn and co are hoping to turn the page and show that even retired, he still has the goods.

4. pdt - Prime Photosynthesizers

Coming in next for the Bo3 PRs is tour veteran pdt. After a brief hiatus last year, pdt makes his return to the RUPL stage seeking redemption for what was a lackluster 2-5 performance the last time we saw him in this slot two years ago. However, this year's pdt is not the same one that we saw playing back then. Since then, his skill across the game has only continued to grow, shown perhaps best by his SCL showings, where he has gone 13-8 in the UU pool across two iterations of that tour. Getting back into the swing of things and shaking off the rust will, however, be imperative if pdt wishes to have a good tournament and hope for a positive record in this pool. To that end, his manager Mr. Aldo and the support core of the Prime Protosynthesizers will have to work overtime to get pdt back up to speed and into best form. However, they are more than equipped for this task. Armed with the insights of a top 3 PR SV RU player and builder in his own right in Kushalos and perhaps the hottest SS RU player of 2024 in The Strap, pdt's future in these tiers is looking bright. However, the strength of the SM support is somewhat questionable for this team, needing to rely primarily on Xiri. Only time will tell how successful this team will be at equipping pdt with the necessary tools for success as this old Bo3 player starts a new journey in this slot.

5. robjr - Toxic Chains

Those of you familiar with robjr might be surprised to see this tour vet ranked so low in this year's PRs. This can in part be attributed just to the sheer talent that the Bo3 naturally attracts, but another part of that is the somewhat inconsistent results that rob has put up in the past with regards to SV RU. A feast or famine character, when rob has it going, he has it GOING, but when things aren't going right, they are going very wrong. This can be perfectly encapsulated in his most recent showings in this past year's RUPL, where he put up a baffling 0-4 showing before being benched for the rest of the season, but then followed it with a strong SCL, where he ended 6-4 and earned the third best record in the pool. Responsible for starting rob off on the right foot this year will be managers Oathkeeper and xXcrossbowXx, who both have a plethora of experience across multiple tiers, with crossbow being an especially notable name when it comes to SM RU. Beyond that, his team support includes big names such as xavgb, who has been regarded as THE preeminent name in RU; former RU tier leader Evigaro, who has intimate experience with the Bo3 tiers due to her tenure as TL; and C0nfident 0yster, who has been a SS RU enthusiast since it was the current generation. With this being said, however, robjr himself also has a plethora of experience, having played all of the Bo3 tiers as they were current gen. With his own personal history with the tier and the solid support he has coming from his team, robjr might just be in position to shock everyone who put him so low with another career season.

6. lighthouses - Rockies' Defiant Payloaders

A name that was conspicuously absent during last year's RUPL, lighthouses, more commonly known as diogo, has retaken the RUPL stage, this time in the Bo3 slot as the second to last ranked player. Although he is a veteran of the game who was mainly known for his intimate knowledge of older iterations of RU such as ORAS and SM, lighthouses has been out of the RU spotlight for quite some time when it comes to the two most recent inclusions for Bo3, leaving his familiarity with SV and SS questionable at best. However, this is still lighthouses we're talking about. Coming into this tour with the 5th most wins all time on the overall RU tournament sheet, there is no doubt that he can quickly adapt to the demands of the newer RUs and remain a competitive force within a stacked pool. To help get him over the hump will be his managers GoldCat and tachisan, who both have been extremely involved with RU during the time of lighthouses' absence. Alongside his manager support, lighthouses is also backed by resident ladder legend hjkhj, who has terrorized the RU ladder for multiple generations at this point; upstart SV talent and team retain THE_CHUNGLER, who has had a meteoric rise this past year; and SS savant BluBird, who is one of the most innovative SS RU builders around. Absolutely dripping with support for the generations he is less familiar with and a sturdy grasp of SM himself, lighthouses is more than capable of rising to the occasion and stringing together a strong tour.

7. Thiago Nunes - Deranged Hustlers

Last but not least is Thiago Nunes of the Deranged Hustlers. Returning for his third stint with the Hustlers, this year, the Brazilian has decided that it is time to take his talents outside of his normal SV stomping grounds. However, confidence seems to be low for Thiago as he makes his maiden voyage into the Bo3 pool. With little experience in SS and virtually no experience in SM, it will be a daunting task to not only learn these metagames but also perform to a degree in which he can actually close out wins for his team. Thankfully, TNunes will not have to take on this gargantuan task alone. Feeding him old gens support will be co-manager Beraldo, who took the tournament scene by storm two years ago; veteran eifo, whose extensive builder is sure to be crucial for success; and Gondra, who has established themselves as a premier SM RU player. Coupled with this old gens support is again the current gen support of Beraldo as well as 2024 RU breakout talent Lime and notable RU presence Ming549 to keep him up to date with the latest SV trends. Although experience wise, Thiago Nunes may be the least proven member in the pool, everyone loves to root for an underdog, and this one might just go on to shock the naysayers and put together a strong season.

Overall Team Rankings

Party-Crashing Pranksters	53
Tenacious Technicians	51
Deranged Hustlers	49
Noble Guardians	44
Toxic Chains	43
Prime Protosynthesizers	41
Rockies' Defiant Payloaders	40
Pressure Cookers	39

Planned by Ming549 | Graphics by Lily | HTML by Lumari, Quite Quiet, ant, and Spy | Script by Toast++.

« Previous Article