Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: Best Trick Room Teams in Regulation D
| Tags: Pokemon
| Author Joseph Shay
The best Trick Room Teams in Regulation D turn the tides on the high and medium-speed attackers in favor of traditionally slower Pokémon.
These three teams from the Pokémon World Championship placed highest for Trick Room teams, all in Top 32.
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Trick Room Teams
In VGC Doubles, Trick Room is used by slow, typically bulky Pokémon to reverse the order of attack on the field. This means the Pokémon with the lowest Speed stat will go first, and the Pokémon with the highest Speed stat will go last. This enables Pokémon with high Attack or Special Attack stats and good typings to move first despite their typically poor Speed.
A long-time top-tier Trick Room setter is Cresselia, a bulky, slow legendary with the ability to heal itself and teammates. With that explanation alone it's easy to see why it's one of the best support Pokémon in the game. Generation 9, and especially Generation 8 added some really fantastic Trick Room setting Pokémon that have been viable and popular since their release. In Sword and Shield, Indeedee and Hatterene rose to the top almost immediately, making Trick Room a popular strategy all the way through the lifecycle of the generation. Meanwhile, in Scarlet and Violet, we received Farigiraf the evolution of Girafarig. Its ability to nullify priority moves and its role as a Trick Room setter that isn't affected by Ghost Type attacks makes it a niche fit for the role.
Best Trick Room Teams in Regulation D
Federico Camporesi – 2023 World Championship (4th)
Dragonite @ Choice Band Ability: Inner Focus Tera Type: - Tera Blast - Extreme Speed - Ice Spinner - Stomping Tantrum
Ursaluna @ Flame Orb Ability: Guts Tera Type: Ghost - Swords Dance - Earthquake - Facade - Protect
Cresselia @ Safety Goggles Ability: Levitate Tera Type: Water - Lunar Blessing - Trick Room - Ally Switch - Moonblast
Flutter Mane @ Booster Energy Ability: Protosynthesis Tera Type: Fairy - Icy Wind - Moonblast - Shadow Ball - Protect
Urshifu @ Focus Sash Ability: Unseen Fist Tera Type: Dark - Wicked Blow - Close Combat - Sucker Punch - Protect
Iron Hands @ Assault Vest Ability: Quark Drive Tera Type: Water - Fake Out - Wild Charge - Drain Punch - Heavy Slam
The best Trick Room team at the World Championship this year was actually a mixed speed tier team. Cresselia's Trick Room sets up Ursaluna and Iron Hands to really tear through the competition, but what about the faster Pokémon on the team? Well, Dragonite's Extreme Speed allows it to be a great fourth pick in the back, since it's able to outspeed anything with the attack. This team can also be played mixed, with high Speed tier Pokémon to start the game, with Cresselia and one of the slower attackers in the back for switch-in and late-game sweep. It is a Trick Room team that attempts to counter the meta by playing part of the meta. A very creative team overall. Not only did it perform well in the World Championship, but it can work for players as one of the best Trick Room Teams in Regulation D on ladder as well.
Yosuke Takayanagi – 2023 World Championship (12th)
Torkoal @ Charcoal Ability: Drought Tera Type: Grass - Eruption - Heat Wave - Earth Power - Protect
ゴッドハンド (Iron Hands) @ Assault Vest Ability: Quark Drive Tera Type: Fairy - Fake Out - Drain Punch - Wild Charge - Heavy Slam
Amoonguss @ Focus Sash Ability: Regenerator Tera Type: Water - Sludge Bomb - Leaf Storm - Spore - Protect
Ursaluna @ Flame Orb Ability: Guts Tera Type: Ghost - Earthquake - Facade - Swords Dance - Protect
Pフシギバナ (Flutter Mane) @ Choice Specs Ability: Protosynthesis Tera Type: Fairy - Moonblast - Dazzling Gleam - Shadow Ball - Thunderbolt
Yosuke's team is very focused on empowering slow-mode Pokémon, even turning the usually supportive Torkoal into an offensive powerhouse. Sticking with the idea that Flutter Mane is the best Pokémon in the format, Yosuke's team commits to including it by giving it a long-time top-tier support in Amoongus. Under Trick Room, most of this team will be moving first each turn barring the opponent's priority moves. With Flutter Mane being too fast to thrive alone in Trick Room, it has Amoongus to redirect attacks so Flutter Mane won't be knocked out before getting a chance to attack. Finding a way to play full Trick Room and still being able to play Flutter Mane is why this team is one of the best Trick Room teams in Regulation D.
Anthony Liuzzo – 2023 World Championship (21st)
Farigiraf @ Safety Goggles Ability: Armor Tail Tera Type: Fairy - Imprison - Dazzling Gleam - Trick Room - Helping Hand
Urshifu @ Focus Sash Ability: Unseen Fist Tera Type: Dark - Wicked Blow - Close Combat - Sucker Punch - Detect
Flutter Mane @ Choice Specs Ability: Protosynthesis Tera Type: Fairy - Moonblast - Shadow Ball - Dazzling Gleam - Psyshock
@ Mental Herb Ability: Prankster Tera Type: Ghost Bleakwind Storm - Sunny Day Tailwind - Protect
Ursaluna @ Flame Orb Ability: Guts Tera Type: Ghost - Facade - Earthquake - Swords Dance - Protect
The best performing non-Cresselia Trick Room team was piloted by French player Anthony Liuzzo. It carries both slow and fast modes of play with Trick Room and Tailwind, making it a great team for players who really understand the metagame and counterplays. It has three of the strongest attackers in Flutter Mane, Ursaluna, and Urshifu while also carrying two speed control Pokémon and Heatran, the counter for some of the strongest Pokémon in the meta. It is a very well rounded team from head to toe that expert players could play many different ways depending on what they're up against. That means this isn't only one of the best Trick Room Teams in Regulation D, but one of the best Tailwind, and mixed teams as well.