With the arrival of the new year, Series 12 was finally announced!
And this time, the ruleset will last seven full months, as it will be played until August. This makes Series 12 the longest format since VGC19 Ultra Series; marks the return of GS Cup since that same ruleset; and means that it will be what players all around the world will play when the official circuit is restarted and in the long-awaited 2022 World Championships!
Even though the pandemic still has a major impact in the world, the vaccination rates and the lessons learned throughout 2020 and 2021 have resulted in the creation of health protocols for large events, and all the major in-person events announced last autumn are scheduled to happen. For now, this includes 10 Regional-level events, 2 National Championships and 2 International Championships in 3 continents.
The online events will continue happening in the meantime, and several major grassroots organisations have prepared tournaments since the announcement of this ruleset. The largest one has seen over 500 players:
In this article we will introduce all that the new format of VGC brings to the table starting on 1 February and what to expect about it.
Table of Contents
Where we come from
It has already been three months since Series 11 started, being the least relevant format of this generation since Series 6. With no official live events outside of Taiwan, and no official online events whatsoever, this format lacked a lot of interest from the community. The major Series 11 tours have been:
- 2022 Kaohsiung Regionals
- Won by
Liu Jian-ting
- Won by
- VR Series 11 Challenge
- Won by
Joseph Ugarte
- Won by
- 2022 Taipei Regionals
- Won by Yang Chieh-lun
- Won by
Another factor which did not help this series was the release of Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl a mere three weeks into the format. Many players waited for Series 12 to be announced while playing an unofficial VGC format in the new games, which had a lot of support from grassroots communities but none from the official entities. The announcement of Pokémon Battle Festival Asia brought some hope, until it was later clarified that it would only feature single battles. Although VR Spain has a circuit in this format, the only major worldwide tournament with BDSP VGC has been:
But 2022 came and Series 12 was announced, and all attention is now drawn to this new format which will mark the competitive scene for the rest of this unusual three-year VGC season!
Restricted Pokémon
Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield players are at this point no strangers to the Restricted Pokémon, since they have been used in Series 8, 10 and 11. GS Cup rules, however, are new in this generation, but they have been previously used in the VGC formats of 2010, 2016 and the three series of 2019 (Sun, Moon and Ultra). This means that two Restricted Pokémon may be included in a team.
For all those players that have been waiting for this format to play, here you have the list of Restricted Pokémon eligible in Series 12 teams:
| Restricted Pokémon | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |  |  |  |
| Mewtwo | Lugia | Ho-Oh | Kyogre | Groudon | Rayquaza |
 |  |  |  |  |  |
| Dialga | Palkia | Giratina (Altered F.) | Giratina (Origin F.) | Reshiram | Zekrom |
 |  |  |  |  |  |
| Kyurem | White Kyurem | Black Kyurem | Xerneas | Yveltal | Zygarde (50% Forme) |
 |  |  |  |  |  |
| Zygarde (10% Forme) | Cosmog | Cosmoem | Solgaleo | Lunala | Necrozma |
 |  |  |  |  |  |
| Dusk Mane Necrozma | Dawn Wings Necrozma | Zacian (Hero of Many Battles) | Zacian (Crowned Sword) | Zamazenta (Hero of Many Battles) | Zamazenta (Crowned Shield) |
 |  |  |  | ||
| Eternatus | Calyrex | Ice Rider Calyrex | Shadow Rider Calyrex | ||
| Restricted Pokémon | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| | | |
| Mewtwo | Lugia | Ho-Oh | Kyogre |
| | | |
| Groudon | Rayquaza | Dialga | Palkia |
| | | |
| Giratina (Altered F.) | Giratina (Origin F.) | Reshiram | Zekrom |
| | | |
| Kyurem | White Kyurem | Black Kyurem | Xerneas |
| | | |
| Yveltal | Zygarde (50% Forme) | Zygarde (10% Forme) | Cosmog |
| | | |
| Cosmoem | Solgaleo | Lunala | Necrozma |
| | | |
| Dusk Mane Necrozma | Dawn Wings Necrozma | Zacian (Hero of Many Battles) | Zacian (Crowned Sword) |
| | | |
| Zamazenta (Hero of Many Battles) | Zamazenta (Crowned Shield) | Eternatus | Calyrex |
| | ||
| Ice Rider Calyrex | Shadow Rider Calyrex | ||
Teambuilding
The only difference of this new format with Series 11 is that two Restricted Pokémon can be included in a team. Some Series 11 teams can be adapted by replacing a non-Restricted Pokémon with a Restricted one with similar characteristics, like for example Galarian Moltres with Yveltal; while other cores will be developed with the new teambuilding options that having two such Pokémon provides.
Let’s take a look at the best ones here!
Incineroar
It does not matter that Incineroar is not a Restricted Pokémon. Even though it has seen a constant top usage throughout all the formats it has been available, its value is even greater in GS Cup formats. It was the case throughout VGC 2019, and it will be the case now.
Incineroar is not an offensive threat, but it does not lack damage potential either. It is not a big wall, but resists a lot of hits. Its versatile utility sets are intended to bother the opponent: stat drops with Parting Shot, Snarl and even just when switching in thanks to Intimidate; Fake Out pressure; repositioning options in U-turn and, again, Parting Shot; Fire/Dark-type coverage, which can make Zacian or Calyrex unconfortable…
To sum up, it is no wonder that almost two thirds of the VR Series 12 Challenge players used it in their teams, including over 85% of those who made top cut and all 8 quarter-finalists!
Zacian
It’s no news that Zacian will surely be the most used Restricted Pokémon in Series 12, as it previously was on Series 8, 10 and 11. The Crowned Sword form of Zacian may lack the option to Dynamax or to hold an item other than the Rusted Sword, but its high Attack and Speed stats, its Intrepid Sword Ability and its Behemoth Blade signature move make it the perfect partner of another Restricted that prefers to Dynamax.
In these weeks preparing for the format to begin, over half the players have been using Zacian in their teams. Its favourite partners are Kyogre, Yveltal and Palkia, but it seems that Groudon, Shadow Rider Calyrex and even Rayquaza can find huge benefits in pair with the popular Galarian Legendary.
Zacian has won every remarkable grassroots tour that has taken place! The biggest one was Spaniard Jesús Jiménez‘s Zacian + Palkia team that won the VR Series 12 Challenge. The most recent one was this Zacian + Calyrex team used by fellow Spaniard Jorge Tabuyo to win a fundraiser grassroots tournament.
Kyogre
Series 11 may have been Groudon’s time to shine, but this time the fellow Hoenn native Kyogre seems to be taking the upper hand. With its Drizzle Ability, this weather specialist takes advantage of hugely powerful spread moves in Water Spout and Origin Pulse, as well as a very good bulk overall.
Kyogre works well both Dynamaxing and in its base form, and is a very good ally in pairs with Restricted Pokémon weak to the Fire type, such as Zacian, Ice Rider Calyrex and Solgaleo. The most successful Kyogre teams so far have been 2018 World Champion Paul Ruiz‘s runner-up team in the VR Series 12 Challenge and Mexican Joan Chiu‘s Rain team which won a 175-player grassroots tournament.
Yveltal
The Kalos representative in Series 12 will be undisputed once again. Yveltal benefits from its bulk and its Dark Aura-boosted STAB moves, which also allow it to reduce the opponent’s special damage with Snarl and to demolish physical attackers with Foul Play. It also has access to the priority Sucker Punch and to dropping opponents’ Special Defense with Max Darkness.
Yveltal is most commonly paired with Zacian, Groudon and Solgaleo. The best Yveltal team so far is American Joseph Ugarte‘s Zacian + Yveltal team that won a 183-player grassroots event.
Other Restricted pairs
Even though the metagame seems more centralised than most past series, this format somehow makes many Restricted pairs viable options, even those that have not seen so much usage in Series 8 or 11!
Apart from the already familiar Groudon and both Calyrex alternate forms, the usage stats show a rise in teambuilding compositions with the likes of Solgaleo, Palkia and Lunala. We could also see a big variety of unexpected Pokémon in the top cut of the VR Series 12 Challenge, like Rayquaza, Xerneas or even Lugia, which could be the perfect fit in consistent teams.
Do not fear removing Zacian from your teambuilder, since other teams like the Calyrex + Groudon team piloted by American Kyle Geffner have reached very high places, in his case a top 4 spot in the VR Series 12 Challenge.
The rest of the team
The Restricted pairs are not alone in their teams. A big amount of work for their success is put by the other members of the teams. Apart from Incineroar‘s versatility, other roles can be filled with different Pokémon.
Support options are performed by the screen setter Grimmsnarl, the sleep-inducing Amoonguss or the returning Gastrodon. Offensive members make a very effective use of Dynamax, like Gigantamax Venusaur, Regieleki or Thundurus. Trick Room strategies are not so common in this early metagame, but even so Mimikyu, Ferrothorn and Porygon2 still have decent usage. And some new threats are being presented, as is the case with Seismitoad!
Useful resources
- Check out our Rental Teams hub!
- Find here the results of previous major Series 12 tournaments!
- Find here some team reports of Series 12 successful teams!
What's next?
We do not know when, but the official in-person circuit will be back very soon in many parts of the world! Big events have been announced in North America, Europe and some Asian countries, and we all hope the local scene is also back soon enough.
Victory Road will keep organising Series 12 tournaments periodically! The inclusive initiative of Hatterene Series is also organising its 4th edition for women and non-binary people in mid February. The first Regionals in Salt Lake City and Liverpool are less than two months from now. Not all of you are a fan of online tournaments, but you should be prepared for when it all comes!
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