ZU Premier League VI Power Rankings

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Welcome to another Power Rankings article! It will cover ZeroUsed Premier League VI, the most important ZU tournament of the year, where eight teams face each other in ZU metagames from DPP to SV! We asked knowledgeable players of each team to rate starters and averaged the results to obtain the most objective power rankings possible. Keep in mind, these rankings are mostly for fun, and don't take it personally if you think you were underestimated. Pokémon is a game with a lot of variance, and ranking players perfectly is impossible.

A special thanks to all the rankers for making this article possible: 5Dots, 5gen, a fruitshop owner, AK, BaitWiz, BeeOrSomething, BloodAce, btboy, clean, Danny, diegoyuhhi, DurzaOffTopic, Drud, Finchinator, fish anemometer, Greybaum, havocknight, HSOWA, innovamania, Jett, LustfulLice, Mirbro, Monai, MZ, OranBerryBlissey10, SEA, Shing, skrimps, sleid, Tack, Tenebricite, TheFranklin, Thor, tier, TomatoZause, Toto, Tuthur, TWiTT, violet river, wooper, Zpice.

I would also like to thank all the people who helped in the writing, grammar checking, HTMLing, etc process: Ampha, BaitWiz, Danny, diegoyuhhi, fish anemometer, Lumari, Monai, skrimps, sleid, and Tuthur.

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1. fish anemometer
2. lax
3. Thiago Nunes
4. Beraldo
5. ima
6. zS
7. Stories
8. avarice
9. LustfulLice
10. Axrtix
11. Bouff
12. Taka
13. asa
14. Sylveon used calm mind
15. feen
16. AK
17. sufys
18. Baddy
19. yo cho
20. pokeslice
21. Ampha
22. Scarf Kricketune
23. justdrew
24. havocknight

lax brings the highest proven skill ceiling of any player in the tournament, having won last year's OLT as well as possessing a wealth of experience at the highest level with the highest stakes. With mons being mons, with proper support, lax will be able to pilot his way out the center of a category 5 hurricane and land safely to boot! Axrtix is a player proven to do well in various lower tiers PLs. His previous stints in NU and PU give him knowledge of many of the Pokémon that have since dropped to the trenches of ZU, and he'll be a solid player and competent builder. Rounding up the core, we can find Bouff, who has a similar profile to Axrtix as an experienced lower tier player and builder who had a decent season last year in SV ZU with the Sakura. There is no doubt Axrtix and Bouff will be able to figure out SV ZU and provide teambuilding support to lax, making this a deadly core worthy of its rank.

The Shiiny Shiinotics continue the trend of highly ranking tournament pros, really showing the focus on skill over experience in the tier. In third place we have Thiago Nunes, who had a relatively successful ZUPL last year with the Butterfrees, netting a respectable 5-4 record. After making OST semifinals and having a great year throughout various tiers, Thiago Nunes seems poised to run the field. His creative builds are accented perfectly by OranBerryBlissey10, who also likes to use out-of-the-box ideas. zS comes in at sixth place, another tournament crusher who has shown a penchant for ideas taking advantage of meta staples. Coming off a strong record and eventual win in NUPL, zS will have a great opportunity to take a stab at the newest of lower tiers. AK finishes this SV core and has a great chance to prove that he isn't just an OU player. With various high-level tournament games under his belt, his more traditional ideas will be able to help temper the insane choices some of his teammates will bring. This SV core seems extremely difficult to stop but will rely on activity from the players to be at peak form.

Beraldo is a premium-quality SV pilot in any tier you throw him in; he went 7-1 last SCL and 3-0 in ZUWC. He really has played it all and left his mark at every turn. He's known to build for his own slot too, taking the burden off the shoulders of the other Butterfree builders, who are needed for avarice. avarice is in ten billion tours at any given time, but mons is mons, and he's damn solid at mons. With a 13-4 record in ZU tournaments, always playing the current generation, he will for sure be fine. feen hasn't played SV ZU yet but probably heard a thing or two from TomatoZause and FlamPoké. There's no doubt he'll contribute to the Frees big time. He's a great teammate, and he'll adapt to the worse mons fast, with TWiTT at the ready to fill in any knowledge gaps.

ZU Open champion and ZUWC finalist fish anemometer has naturally been ranked at the top of the pool. Since the beginning of the generation, he has been one of the most feared lower tier players, with great results in PU and ZU but also a recent 6-2 record in NUPL. fish anemometer knows how to play and build in SV and he is the leader most teams would love to have for their SV core. He is joined by Baddy, who's been quite successful in the UM circuit with a playoff placement in UMGS and second place in UM Homefield. They also got a great 3-1 record in ZUWC, showing their proficiency as a ZU player. Their low ranking can be explained by it being their first ZUPL, as they still have to prove their worth. Finishing the core, Ampha has no record in ZU but recently reached semifinal of PULT and is an NUPL champion. Their lack of more solid results, and total lack thereof in ZU notably, meant they couldn't be ranked higher, but just like Baddy, they have the potential to do great things with the support of fish anemometer.

ima leads the Sakura's SV core, being a firmly established tournament player. ima is looking to make a dent in his first time playing ZU, and maybe find an oasis from all the unfortunate happenings for him in officials… Sylveon combines a troll pick and highly skilled pilot in one. There's a chance he says very few things during the tournament, but there's also a possibility he creates a good environment and makes some troll teams that Tuthur will swiftly veto but the team can laugh at and bond over. Scarf Kricketune has been making waves in the very recent memory of PU and ZU. He solidly makes playoffs of ladder tours, and his building is sound. The piloting still isn't trusted by everyone though.

Lice, hot off a win in ZU Triathlon, is taking his talents to SV ZU once again. He dominated the 2023 Circuit sheet and truly broke out during ZUPL V. He's a mainstay with the CASTLE guys and looks to pop off again. Taka is a universally beloved teammate, and with the yappers of CASTLE this will make for a great environment. He also has some experience in the not-so-distant ZUWC. Drew has teamed with Taka before; they both know their way around these former PU mons, and they'll both catch the scent of the meta's direction and float towards it like a cartoon character catching a whiff of that freshly baked pie.

DWAYNE GANG! I'm cooler than Tuthur, so I will refer to them as such. A team with the skipper: Danny, overseeing things across generations, and SV led by his second in command and ZUWC-winning teammate Stories. Stories has been doing really well in SV lately in various tournaments. She has a firm grasp on the pace of SV and finds opportune moments to pull off some disgusting wizardry on opponents, who despite expecting said wizardry still fall victim to the twists she spins on it. Sufys is a former OU room henchman turned crusader for anti-ban sentiments in lower tiers who has a good mind when it comes to teambuilding. After a good PULT, times were mid and dire for our hero; however, he is currently in a tiebreaker for Grand Slam playoffs, meaning he truly is no slouch at the game. Pokéslice is a NU and Fortnite main (same thing) who made finals of NU Championship and should be a good player that makes up for the low ranking by vibing with the team.

It's cliche to say that the lowest-ranked core is secretly a giant threat to the entire tournament, but with some certified Toto luck, the treasures dug up from the endless labor in btboy's mines, and the power of friendship, something is brewing here. asa is a top PU player in-game and in the builder, and ZU Pokémon are no surprise to her. She is ZUWC champion too, after all. yeehaw! Hailing from Montenegro, yo cho is a more enigmatic figure to ZU, but his rare appearances have proven that he can hang with the best. It was only last month, when he won OU Spring Seasonal over Finchinator from a tough losers bracket position. He has played ZU before, placing second in SV's kickoff tournament over a year ago, but times have changed, and yo cho will need to adapt to the new mons. He has demonstrated he can pilot and could be the dark horse of the tournament. havocknight first joined ZU during ZUWC, where they captained team Brazil. To everyone's thrill, they stuck around the tier after the tournament concluded, qualified for ladder tour playoffs, and continued to build competent teams. Their playing skill is under some question marks, as visible by the ranking, but seeing them in action, it really isn't a dramatic concern; I expect them to pick up some wins.

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Considered to be one of the best SS ZU players of all time, clean is back on the Butterfrees for the third year in a row to show the world he's still on top of the metagame. Bursting an incredible 20-11 record on the ZU sheet only playing SS ZU, clean has yet to go negative in a single ZU team tournament, between ZUPL IV, ZUPL V, ZU Olympiad I, and ZU Olympiad II. Thanks to his great skills in the tier, combined with support from his manager TWiTT, it's very likely that clean will put out a performance just as good as those of the previous years, with the chances of a clean sweep not being unrealistic.

In second place we find RU tier leader TheFranklin, back on the Morpekos after having amazing seasons with them in ZUPL III and IV playing SS ZU, with a combined 9-4 record. While he hasn't played SS ZU since then, he has stayed on the top in the official scene with great records in WCoP, SPL, and SCL and has a positive record in SV ZU across ZUPL V and ZUWC. There is no doubt that TheFranklin is a very strong and consistent player, and now that he is back in his most comfortable tier, he still rightfully sits in second position on the PR.

Danny should need no introduction; he is the current SV ZU Circuit winner, made two Grand Slam appearances and is always getting great records in lower tiers team tournaments and also in SCL. Danny's 15-5 SS ZU record across ZU team tournaments is nothing to sneeze at, and with a great semifinal appearance in ZU Triathlon, without dropping an SS game in playoffs, he looks to be in shape.

Despite a very poor season in SS last ZUPL and getting knocked out round 1 of SS ZU Cup, OranBerryBlissey10 and his unique teambuilding choices sit at a solid fourth place. With a great history in SS ZU Circuit with a ZU Circuit final and a win in ZU Major in 2022, but also good results in other SS lower tiers with a 6-2 record in NUPL and currently a 2-0 record in PUPL, there is no doubt that OBB is a fearsome player whose results could go either way, and as such the RosePawn lover takes a middle-of-the-pack position on the PR.

In fifth place we have Fogbound Lake, who is coming off of a strong showing in RUPL playing SS. His accomplishments include a recent SCL trophy, along with positive records throughout subforum tournaments. With support from Tuthur, it would not be surprising if he overperforms here, as the skill is apparent. With a strong 22-16 official tournament sheet record, Fogbound Lake is not to be underestimated. His inexperience in SS ZU might hurt him in the long run, and compared to the top half of the list he needs to get lots of help to succeed against some of the more successful players in the pool.

After going winless in ZUPL and ZU Olympiad last year, diegoyuhhi is once again starting in SS ZU. You may wonder how someone who went 0-8 can still manage to start on the next tournament and also not be ranked last. The answer is quite simple: diegoyuhhi has stepped up recently with a victory in SS ZU Cup. diegoyuhhi is also currently positive in 2024 ZU team tournaments, giving hopes for a redemption arc. Will diegoyuhhi keep his momentum from lower-stakes tournaments into ZUPL, or will he inexorably flop another season?

In seventh place we find Mada, a very experienced OU player and great actor of Tyrants win in SPL who has only limited experience in ZU, with a single game played in ZUPL V. Despite being new to the tier, Mada has great support from successful SS ZU players in 5gen and yovan33321, who gathered solid results in the format across the years and can provide helpful suggestions and aid in teambuilding. Compared to the rest of the pool, Mada will have to put in a lot of effort to make up for his inexperience and show that he is not to be underestimated.

In last place we have certified skibidi yapper TomatoZause, coming off a rough ZUPL V and an even rougher ADV season in ZU Olympiad II with a 3-4 and 0-4 record, respectively. He also didn't have much success in SS ZU recently, getting knocked out in the first round of SS ZU Cup. He shouldn't be underestimated though—despite his young age, he has shown to have what it takes to be successful in the ZU tier, with recent results such as Top 4 in ZULT, and his last place is a result of the pool being very stacked.

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With mountains of experience across several different formats, the leader of OU returns to ZU in an endeavor to repeat a performance resembling his blazing 6-2 run in SM from last year. It's no wonder that Finchinator's been ranked first between his depth of overall experience and time spent in SM ZU, having been playing it in ZUPL since the tournament's inception with only one year off and finding success every time. Furthermore, he's found plenty of success in many different team tournaments outside of ZU, whether in his home of OU or in other lower tiers across the years. This year, he'll be partnering with btboy for the second year in a row in an effort to mirror the duo's performance from last year, and if their synergy holds true, they'll be sure to dominate the competition once more.

Former PUTL MZ has made a name for himself in SM ZU over the past two years of tournaments, amassing an astounding 14-4 overall record in the tier in this time. MZ returns to the Shiinotics for the third year in a row. This time, he'll be working alongside Beka, who had his own respectable performance last year. With the two's combined expertise within SM ZU, MZ is more than capable of making results happen, and as this year's tournament begins, it seems that many believe that MZ is going to create amazing results once more.

ZU's Tier Leader being placed third in the SM pool is rather surprising to some. After all, Tuthur is one of the most consistent performers within ZU, sporting an excellent 23-14 record across all of ZU's team tournaments. Furthermore, and perhaps more impressively, he has an excellent 5-0 record in SM within team tournaments, and even on his run to finals in Triathlon, Tuthur never dropped a game of SM and won the SM Cup in the process. Perhaps most people's doubts in regards to Tuthur's potential compared to the other two players above him is that he has mostly played in current generations prior to this point, with his wins in SM being entirely relegated to lower-stakes tournaments like ZU Olympiad. Nevertheless, Tuthur is a force to be reckoned with, and those who doubt the Tier Leader's capabilities can easily find themselves proven wrong.

Just above the halfway line we find one of the more experienced overall players, yovan, an excellent player more than capable of causing serious damage with the support of his former co-manager DurzaOffTopic and former ZU Tier Leader 5gen. After a powerful 5-1 performance in the most recent iteration of ZU Olympiad, playing BW ZU, yovan has followed it up with monumental performances in both solo and team tours, making amazing runs in Smogon Tour and OU Seasonal and being one of Team Africa's major actors in WCoP. yovan returns to ZU in an endeavor to prove that his rather middling results in prior editions of ZUPL and ZUWC's first edition have just been a fluke. While some may feel that yovan is towards the middle of the pack, yovan has proven to be a player who always has the capability to rise above expectations and make a name for himself, if he makes sure to not forfeit before losing any Pokémon.

Greybaum used to be known for being DurzaOffTopic's partner in crime in the last ZUPL but this time around he is joining another former Flamenco, Danny. Since SM was the current generation, Greybaum has been putting consistent results in ZU and has always been ranked on the top of ZUPL power rankings. However, after an underwhelming 1-3 season in SM last year, with losses against players with no prior SM ZU history in JustFranco and DJ Breloominati♬ and no other record since then, naturally doubts have emerged on his capacity to take on the SM slot this year. All in all, Greybaum is a really solid SM ZU player who after a difficult season last year finds himself ranked below his usual spot in favor of players who have been more successful recently. He remains a fearsome opponent for them and could easily make rankings lie if he shows the same level of play as in ZUPL I through IV.

Formerly known as femen, azogue was a main actor of Pacifidlog Pitvipers victory in SSDI, with an impressive 5-0 record. However, they disappeared from the tournament scene shortly after, making a return recently with team Chile for WCoP, with a 1-2 record and a victory against Empo, and an appearance in NUPL with a neutral 3-3 record. While azogue seems to be far from their 2017 peak and has never played SM ZU, their ceiling as a player and overall experience in generation seven should give them a fair shot in ZUPL. They also have support from TWiTT and sasha, who should introduce them well to the tier.

In spite of a decent overall performance in ZU Olympiad, many are unconvinced that BloodAce can stand up versus many of the other players in the far more competitive environment of ZUPL in his first return to the tournament since ZUPL's third edition. With no dedicated support towards the slot, BloodAce will have to make things happen mostly on his own, which seems improbable considering his overall lack of results in SM ZU and in most tournaments across the board, having an underwhelming 1-2 record in SM ZU prior to this tour. With all of that being said, he is surrounded by several familiar teammates who were with him during the most recent edition of ZU Olympiad, so perhaps in similar conditions he'll find similar successes, contrary to the doubts of many going into the tournament.

Tenebricite is having a good season in SM Monotype in MPL, and they won OUPL as an SM OU starter with a negative record, which is pretty much everything noteworthy I could find about them recently. Their 12k price tag in auction was a real surprise, and in comparison to the rest of the pool, they lack both experience in SM ZU and significant results in similar tiers. Their ranking at the bottom was very much expected for a decent player with no previous record against a much more experienced pool.

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Mr. ORAS ZU himself is back in ZUPL VI with a surprising self-buy after solely managing the To Pimp a Butterfree's since his 1-0 run for the Fiery Flamencos in ZUPL III. “TWiTT support” has been a long-running phrase, since his players usually excel with his building abilities and testing prowess. TWiTT has taken part in five ZU team tournaments and won four of them, “only” making finals in the last one. The ORAS slot in all his teams, whether it was Jett, watashi, a fruitshop owner, Raichy, or Jett, always ended up with one of the best records of their pool. As a player, he won ORAS Cup II and III, so there's no doubt that his supporting abilities can definitely transfer onto the battlefield. TWiTT will be a scary opponent to face with how much innovation he has done for ORAS ZU in the past years, so expectations will be very high for him to do well.

Hot off of victory in ZUOL II, a fruitshop owner has been a powerhouse in ORAS ZU, and that is likely to continue in this iteration of ZUPL. He is the most consistent and seasoned ORAS player in this pool, having a positive record in most of his ZU team tournaments dating back to ZUPL I with a total record of 19-11. He is also very accomplished in individuals, winning the ZU Classic III tournament, ORAS Cup for ZU Classic IV, and SM Cup in ZU Classic III. He is well worth the price that the Sakuras paid for him and should find success in a pool that looks very similar to the last three ZU team tournaments, ZUOL II, ZUPL V, and ZUOL I.

ZUOL II winner Toto has found success in recent years in ORAS ZU with a solid record of 4-3 in ZUPL V and an individual win in ZU Triathlon I. He's a great overall player in other generations, having won the last two ZU Ladder Tournaments. All of these accomplishments have landed him second in the ZU Hall of Fame, and I'm sure he is eyeing the hardware from ZUPL VI help move himself to the top of the list. He has taken down many strong ORAS players like a fruitshop owner and Shaneghoul before, so there's definitely a high ceiling for him in this tournament.

Former Tier Leader and long-time ZU community member 5gen is back with the Fiery Flamencos for the third year in a row. He boasts a 10-8 record in ORAS ZU since ZUPL II while also being part of the winning team in ZUPL III. He is the most expensive ORAS player in the pool, but this is also due to his ability to help support the other old gens. He is a strong player with plenty of experience, so as long as he can lock in on his own prep, he is expected to have an above average season.

tier is back in ORAS again this ZUPL after a 2-3 performance with TWiTT support for the ZUPL V winning To Pimp a Butterfree team last year. tier is known for being a solid and active player amongst many other unofficial tiers like AG and ZU, as well as other lower tiers like PU. OranBerryBlissey10 will be great support for this ZUPL after their impressive Olympiad II run, where he went 4-1. tier is likely to have a good season ahead of him as long as he isn't too bogged down with helping other team slots and OranBerryBlissey10 has time to support him.

5Dots has been a middle-of-the-pack player in the last three ZU team tournaments, ZUOL II, ZUPL V, and ZUOL I, with his ORAS record totalling at 7-9. He is the current tier leader of ORAS ZU and can normally support himself, but having some help this tournament from various active teammates like diegoyuhhi and Zpice might be able to help him with team building and testing. He has been able to take down some strong players like the higher-ranked 5gen, Toto, and a fruitshop owner as well as OranBerryBlissey10 in ZUOL II, so if he can find some consistency, he might be able to make some waves.

sleid has been a massive ZU tryhard since the end of SS. There is no doubt that he is quite knowledgeable in ORAS ZU and will put dedication into his slot, especially coming off a 3-2 season in ZUOL II. However, beside this record, sleid hasn't had any significant tournament result that would make him rank higher. He didn't do well in the latest ORAS ZU Cup and didn't play in prior ZUPL. sleid appears as a really motivated underdog who will have to translate his ZUOL II results into ZUPL if he wants to stand a chance in this pool.

After winning ZUPL IV on the bench, spell is starting for the first time in a ZU team tournament, which explains her low ranking. She has been playing a lot of UU lately and is known for their high activity and supportive attitude. The Dwayne Gang were left without much money to spend on their ORAS slot, so they likely looked to spell as someone who would put in the effort to learn the tier and do well enough.

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LpZ finds himself at #1 in a very strong pool for a simple reason—he wins Pokémon games. As a perennial starter in lower tier premier leagues, LpZ has recently posted an 8-0 record in UUPL, a 6-2 record in RUGL, and a 6-2 record in NUPL, and he's currently 3-0 in PUPL. He's no stranger to BW ZU either, going 5-3 playing the metagame in the last iteration of ZUPL. His 10K price tag is an absolute steal for the returning champion Butterfrees, who likely see LpZ as the centerpiece of their plans to three-peat.

Monai sits at the #2 spot this year, just a hair behind LpZ. As the BW ZU leader, he has a deep knowledge of the metagame, and his success in Smogon tournaments overall is indicative of the skills needed to back that knowledge up. He recently posted a 3-2 record in ZU Olympiad, which is admittedly low for him—we're used to seeing the 5-1 and 4-2 records from ZUPL and the previous ZU Olympiad, respectively, and that 4-2 was actually 4-1 in BW. His lack of BW ZU support is not a concern at all, and it would be shocking to see him post a losing record this season, even in such a strong pool.

SEA has built a strong reputation as a highly skilled old gens player through numerous showings across Smogon, most notably in ADV metas. Better yet, they take special interest in a few niche metagames, and it seems that BW ZU is one of those. After a 4-2 showing in the last ZUPL, 16k retain SEA looks to post yet another quality season for the Sakuras. There doesn't appear to be much BW ZU support on the Sakura roster, but SEA will have no trouble as a self-sufficient slot worthy of their price tag.

Tack has been a lower tiers BW mainstay for quite some time, and the Morpeek-A-Boos wasted no time retaining them for 10K prior to the draft. They are a collective 16-8 in ZU team tournaments playing mostly BW ZU, though they haven't competed in BW ZU since the first ZU Olympiad, where they went 3-1 in the metagame. However, Tack recently posted a 7-2 record playing BW NU in NUPL and is currently 2-0 in BW PU in PUPL, so their knowledge of BW metagames is undoubtedly still sharp. They will be able to lean on their manager, btboy, for BW ZU support as well, so voters expect to see a solid performance from Tack once again.

innovamania returns to BW ZU after an impressive 4-2 showing in the last ZUPL. His middle-of-the-pack ranking is likely a reflection of his inconsistent tournament performances overall (and the perceived risk in drafting him after his disappearance from ZU Olympiad), but innovamania's unique building choices may just lead to yet another surprisingly strong record this upcoming season. He'll also have support from yovan33321, who recently delivered an impressive 4-1 record playing BW ZU in this year's ZU Olympiad.

Are we sure that he didn't mean to DPP? skrimps is a surprising addition to the BW ZU pool. His only prior ZU tournament play is the latest ZU Olympiad, where he posted a middling 2-2 record in DPP ZU. He is a collective 5-1 playing BW PU in team tournaments, demonstrating a competency of BW and its mechanics, but his lack of both BW ZU tournament experience and notable BW support is a turnoff for voters. He certainly has the ability to succeed as an underdog in this ZUPL, but he will face significant challenges along the way in this highly competitive pool.

Thor is mainly known for being a solid GSC and Ubers player, but they've established themselves in other BW lower tiers over the years. There are doubts, however, about their ability to translate that experience to the BW ZU metagame. After all, they're the first player in this BW ZU pool with no previous ZU record. That said, Pokémon is Pokémon, so they can surely outperform this ranking if they invest time into learning the metagame.

Like Thor, dawn to the dusk is a newcomer to the ZU tournament scene. They're a capable BW up-and-comer who recently got reqs in the BW OU Reuniclus suspect test. dawn to the dusk hasn't put forth many strong team tournament records so far in their career, sporting a 1-3 record last BWPL and a 3-3 record in the current iteration of RoAPL. However, as a promising BW player with good knowledge of the generation, they definitely have the ability to grab some wins in this pool.

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It's no surprise to see Drud at #1 in the rankings. He's a combined 12-3 across the most recent iterations of ZUPL and ZU Olympiad, winning the former and going undefeated in the latter. His battling alone would warrant high placement, but he often pushes the metagame forwards in the builder too with multiple now-standard sets to his name. He's expected to perform once again this ZUPL in a rather top-heavy pool, but there's no doubt that he'll deliver.

Heyup has been playing DPP lower tiers since before you were born, kid. His most recent DPP ZU showing last ZUPL was a dominant 6-1 using a variety of unorthodox sets with great success. His placement just below Drud is likely impacted by recency and overall involvement in DPP ZU, but make no mistake—if his availability allows, Heysup could easily be the #1 player in this pool by the end of the tournament.

HSOWA (aka “He whose acronym shall not be spelled out”) has become synonymous with the DPP slot in lower tier premier leagues. Managers pay for consistent players, and HSOWA is the epitome of DPP consistency—he went 3-3 in the most recent ZU Olympiad and 4-4 last ZUPL. Of the remaining players in the DPP ZU pool, HSOWA is the most familiar with the current metagame, so he'll likely maintain his consistency in the upcoming season.

Lazuli is a new face to ZU tournament play, but their overall DPP experience should lend itself to a solid performance this ZUPL. Lazuli is 4-1 playing DPP OU in the current RoAPL, so they clearly have enough knowledge of the generation to compete. He'll be able to lean on former DPP ZU leader wooper for building support too. Lazuli was essential to Team Chile's success in the most recent World Cup of Pokémon, so voters believe that a ZU team tournament won't be too much of a challenge for them.

Shing is no stranger to DPP metagames, going 5-1 in DPP OU in their last RoAPL showing and reaching top 8 of DPP circuit last year, though this appears to be their first tournament playing DPP ZU. Their motivation to play DPP ZU was clear in their signup, and Shiinotics management must be confident in Shing's ability to quickly learn the metagame considering he has no clear DPP ZU support.

violet river is a capable old gens player who will be making their first appearance in DPP ZU this ZUPL. They recently posted a quiet 2-2 record in DPPPL and have shown interesting results in ADV OU by going 6-2 (in Bo3) in the recent ADVPL and 2-5 in the recent RoAPL. Their strongest DPP ZU support will be plznostep, who has a fair grasp of the metagame and will likely pass violet river some unorthodox win conditions to hopefully sneak a win on unsuspecting opponents.

Hubriz is another new name in the DPP ZU pool, but their recent 3-0 showing in DPP NU for NUPL demonstrates a DPP competency that will hopefully extend to their ZU play. Frankly, their low ranking can be attributed to the question marks around their potential in this slot. Hubriz doesn't have any teammates with notable DPP ZU experience, so he'll need to be self-sufficient when building. Otherwise, we'll be seeing some Lunala teams from Toto's teambuilder mixed with a dash of btboy madness.

If this was a GSC ZU ranking, then BeeOrSomething would undoubtedly be first. However, this looks to be his first DPP showing in general, much less DPP ZU. While his competency in no-Preview metagames is clear, BeeOrSomething has a lot to prove in this slot, and he will be relying on his teammate (and DPP ZU leader) skrimps to get him up to speed quickly on the ins and outs of the metagame.

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