The Regulation D format for VGC in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet has been out for a month now, and through testing on the ladder, grassroots tournaments, and theorycrafting with friends, players have gotten a feel of what’s hot and what’s not in the all-new metagame.
With the Pokémon World Championships held in August being the first official tournament held with Reg. D rules, there’s not a lot of time, preparation, or information to go off of when it comes to choosing strong teams.
Luckily for you, we have compiled five potent teams for you that show a lot of promise when it comes to their prowess in winning games, down below.
Five best Regulation D teams in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
Quintessential Balance
If there will ever be a prime example of what a ‘balance’ team looks like, it’s this team.
Not only does the team have three forms of Speed control—the main being Tailwind from Zapdos—but each ‘mon also has an impeccable mixture of offense and bulk.
Related: Best Pokémon pairs to use for Regulation D in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
With Urshifu, Rillaboom, and Heatran forming a strong Fire-Water-Grass core, this team further solidifies its great neutral matchup into every archetype out there. Damage mitigation with Landorus-T through Intimidate and wild amounts of damage through Choice Specs-Flutter Mane round this team out well enough that it could even earn a first-place finish in a recent Regulation D invitational tournament.
Zapdos
- Zapdos @ Rocky Helmet
- Ability: Static
- Level: 50
- Tera Type: Steel
- EVs: 196 HP / 156 Def / 4 SpA / 52 SpD / 100 Spe
- Bold Nature
- IVs: 27 Atk
- Moves: Tailwind, Thunderbolt, Hurricane, Roost
Urshifu
- Urshifu-Rapid-Strike @ Mystic Water
- Ability: Unseen Fist
- Level: 50
- Tera Type: Water
- EVs: 132 HP / 124 Atk / 4 Def / 116 SpD / 132 Spe
- Adamant Nature
- Moves: Surging Strikes, Close Combat, Aqua Jet, Detect
Landorus – Therian
- Landorus-Therian @ Assault Vest
- Ability: Intimidate
- Level: 50
- Tera Type: Flying
- EVs: 124 HP / 36 Atk / 36 Def / 108 SpD / 204 Spe
- Adamant Nature
- Moves: Tera Blast, Rock Slide, U-turn, Stomping Tantrum
Rillaboom
- Rillaboom (M) @ Meadow Plate
- Ability: Grassy Surge
- Level: 50
- Tera Type: Fire
- EVs: 132 HP / 76 Atk / 36 Def / 188 SpD / 76 Spe
- Adamant Nature
- Moves: Drum Beating, Fake Out, Knock Off, U-turn
Heatran
- Heatran @ Leftovers
- Ability: Flash Fire
- Level: 50
- Tera Type: Grass
- EVs: 132 HP / 68 Def / 76 SpA / 4 SpD / 228 Spe
- Modest Nature
- Moves: Earth Power, Heat Wave, Flash Cannon, Protect
Flutter Mane
- Flutter Mane @ Choice Specs
- Ability: Protosynthesis
- Level: 50
- Tera Type: Fairy
- EVs: 156 HP / 116 Def / 36 SpA / 4 SpD / 196 Spe
- Modest Nature
- IVs: 0 Atk
- Moves: Moonblast, Shadow Ball, Dazzling Gleam, Icy Wind
Regidrago TailRoom
This is as hyper-offense as a team gets but with a twist. No, it’s not the Regidrago; we’ll get to that. It’s the Trick Room-Indeedee.
While this looks like a standard Tailwind-Offense composition, it turns out it actually acts as TailRoom, which comes in handy when facing off against opposing Tailwind teams, letting you outspeed them when under your Trick Room as they set up Tailwind.
But other than that, you just have a bunch of strong ‘mons, the standout pick being Regidrago here. Support Regidrago with Indeedee’s Follow Me to keep it healthy and its Dragon Plate-boosted Dragon Energy should blow away anything that doesn’t resist the move when it’s at full health.
Landorus – Therian
- Landorus-Therian @ Choice Scarf
- Ability: Intimidate
- Level: 50
- Tera Type: Water
- EVs: 108 HP / 140 Atk / 4 Def / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
- Adamant Nature
- Moves: Earthquake, Rock Slide, U-Turn, Stomping Tantrum
Tornadus – Incarnate
- Tornadus @ Mental Herb
- Ability: Prankster
- Level: 50
- Tera Type: Ghost
- EVs: 252 HP / 156 Def / 4 SpA / 84 SpD / 12 Spe
- Bold Nature
- IVs: 0 Atk
- Moves: Bleakwind Storm, Tailwind, Taunt, Protect
Regidrago
- Regidrago @ Draco Plate
- Ability: Dragon’s Maw
- Level: 50
- Tera Type: Steel
- EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
- Modest Nature
- IVs: 0 Atk
- Moves: Dragon Energy, Dragon Pulse, Tera Blast, Protect
Urshifu – Rapid Strike
- Urshifu-Rapid-Strike @ Focus Sash
- Ability: Unseen Fist
- Level: 50
- Tera Type: Water
- EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
- Jolly Nature
- Moves: Close Combat, Surging Strikes, Aqua Jet, Detect
Gholdengo
- Gholdengo @ Choice Specs
- Ability: Good as Gold
- Level: 50
- Tera Type: Water
- EVs: 204 HP / 4 Def / 132 SpA / 4 SpD / 164 Spe
- Modest Nature
- IVs: 0 Atk
- Moves: Make It Rain, Shadow Ball, Thunderbolt, Focus Blast
Indeedee – Female
- Indeedee-F @ Rocky Helmet
- Ability: Psychic Surge
- Level: 50
- Tera Type: Water
- EVs: 236 HP / 236 Def / 36 SpD
- Bold Nature
- IVs: 0 Atk
- Moves: Psychic, Follow Me, Trick Room, Protect
Pao-Nite SemiRoom
Being of the SemiRoom archetype, this team doesn’t necessarily need Trick Room to function and get wins but has a lot of key pieces that can dominate under reversed turn orders.
The Ursaluna, Heatran, Dragonite, and Flutter Mane are all built to have just enough Speed to outpace threats outside Trick Room while being slow enough to abuse Trick Room well too; it just depends on the matchup when it comes to deciding what mode you want to play in.
Chien Pao is the only ‘mon here with maximum Speed investment who also enables the very hard-hitting Physical attackers on this team. Cresselia rounds this composition off by not only setting up Trick Room but also healing itself and its partners while being a Rapid Strike counter due to its Rocky Helmet.
Chien Pao
- Chien-Pao @ Focus Sash
- Ability: Sword of Ruin
- Level: 50
- Tera Type: Ghost
- EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
- Jolly Nature
- Moves: Icicle Crash, Sacred Sword, Sucker Punch, Protect
Flutter Mane
- Flutter Mane @ Choice Specs
- Ability: Protosynthesis
- Level: 50
- Tera Type: Water
- EVs: 140 HP / 236 Def / 124 SpA / 4 SpD / 4 Spe
- Timid Nature
- IVs: 0 Atk
- Moves: Dazzling Gleam, Moonblast, Shadow Ball, Thunderbolt
Cresselia
- Cresselia @ Rocky Helmet
- Ability: Levitate
- Level: 50
- Tera Type: Fairy
- EVs: 252 HP / 156 Def / 100 SpD
- Bold Nature
- IVs: 0 Atk
- Moves: Moonblast, Ally Switch, Lunar Blessing, Trick Room
Heatran
- Heatran @ Leftovers
- Ability: Flash Fire
- Level: 50
- Tera Type: Grass
- EVs: 212 HP / 4 Def / 132 SpA / 4 SpD / 156 Spe
- Modest Nature
- IVs: 0 Atk
- Moves: Heat Wave, Earth Power, Substitute, Protect
Dragonite
- Dragonite @ Choice Band
- Ability: Multiscale
- Level: 50
- Tera Type: Normal
- EVs: 180 HP / 204 Atk / 124 Spe
- Adamant Nature
- Moves: Extreme Speed, Outrage, Stomping Tantrum, Giga Impact
Ursaluna
- Ursaluna @ Flame Orb
- Ability: Guts
- Level: 50
- Tera Type: Ghost
- EVs: 252 HP / 220 SpD / 36 Spe
- Adamant Nature
- Moves: Facade, Earthquake, Bulk Up, Protect
Psyspam SunRoom
This team was created by Alex Soto, a VGC pro who spearheaded the hard Trick Room archetype when no one else dared touch it in previous regulations and proceeded to get top results with his unorthodox teams, so you know this team is good.
This isn’t plain hard Trick Room however, it’s SunRoom. With Hisuian Lilligant and Torkoal being the star duo, you can go wild with the After You-Eruption shenanigans. If you really want to go slow and cause havoc with Armarouge and Ursaluna, however, don’t worry: You have three whole Trick Room setters to enable your sluggish hard-hitters.
Torkoal works through the After You mode and the TR mode, so you have a lot of flexibility when playing with this team.
Indeedee – Female
- Indeedee-F @ Psychic Seed
- Ability: Psychic Surge
- Level: 50
- Tera Type: Grass
- EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
- Relaxed Nature
- IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Moves: Dazzling Gleam, Helping Hand, Follow Me, Trick Room
Armarouge
- Armarouge @ Twisted Spoon
- Ability: Flash Fire
- Level: 50
- Tera Type: Grass
- EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA
- Quiet Nature
- IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Moves: Expanding Force, Heat Wave, Trick Room, Protect
Hatterene
- Hatterene @ Life Orb
- Ability: Magic Bounce
- Level: 50
- Tera Type: Water
- EVs: 212 HP / 36 Def / 252 SpA
- Quiet Nature
- IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Moves: Psychic, Dazzling Gleam, Trick Room, Protect
Torkoal
- Torkoal @ Charcoal
- Ability: Drought
- Level: 50
- Tera Type: Fire
- EVs: 252 HP / 12 Def / 244 SpA
- Quiet Nature
- IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Moves: Eruption, Flamethrower, Earth Power, Clear Smog
Ursaluna
- Ursaluna @ Flame Orb
- Ability: Guts
- Level: 50
- Tera Type: Normal
- EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
- Brave Nature
- IVs: 0 Spe
- Moves: Facade, Headlong Rush, Crunch, Protect
Lilligant-Hisui
- Lilligant-Hisui @ Focus Sash
- Ability: Chlorophyll
- Level: 50
- Tera Type: Ghost
- EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
- Jolly Nature
- Moves: Solar Blade, Close Combat, Sleep Powder, After You
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Hisuian Electrode Trick Room
Probably the only niche Hisuian Electrode will have in the format, setting up Choice Scarf-Annihilape by giving it four to five Rage Fist stacks through Loaded Dice-Bullet Seed makes this undead monkey incredibly strong, It also happens to be naturally fast as well, thanks to its item, letting it pick up quick KOs by leading this duo.
Another classic duo is Indeedee and Armarouge for Trick Room and Expanding Force spam. If you really want TR to go up, you can even send out Annihilape alongside a TR-setter as a suicide lead with Final Gambit.
The rest of the team is filled up with Assault Vest Enamorus – Therian who is amazing at countering Amoonguss under Trick Room thanks to Overcoat, and Booster Energy-Iron Hands for some solid damage potential.
Armarouge
- Armarouge @ Life Orb
- Ability: Flash Fire
- Level: 50
- Tera Type: Grass
- EVs: 244 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 4 Spe
- Modest Nature
- IVs: 0 Atk
- Moves: Expanding Force, Armor Cannon, Trick Room, Protect
Indeedee – Female
- Indeedee-F @ Psychic Seed
- Ability: Psychic Surge
- Level: 50
- Tera Type: Fairy
- EVs: 252 HP / 188 Def / 68 SpD
- Calm Nature
- IVs: 0 Atk
- Moves: Dazzling Gleam, Follow Me, Trick Room, Helping Hand
Annihilape
- Annihilape @ Choice Scarf
- Ability: Defiant
- Level: 50
- Tera Type: Ghost
- EVs: 124 HP / 196 Atk / 188 Spe
- Jolly Nature
- Moves: Close Combat, Rage Fist, Drain Punch, Final Gambit
Enamorus-Therian
- Enamorus-Therian (F) @ Assault Vest
- Ability: Overcoat
- Level: 50
- Tera Type: Fairy
- EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA
- Modest Nature
- IVs: 0 Atk
- Moves: Springtide Storm, Mystical Fire, Moonblast, Earth Power
Iron Hands
- Iron Hands @ Booster Energy
- Ability: Quark Drive
- Level: 50
- Tera Type: Electric
- EVs: 12 HP / 236 Atk / 12 Def / 244 SpD
- Brave Nature
- IVs: 0 Spe
- Moves: Drain Punch, Wild Charge, Ice Punch, Detect
Electrode-Hisui
- Electrode-Hisui @ Loaded Dice
- Ability: Aftermath
- Level: 50
- Tera Type: Ghost
- EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe
- Timid Nature
- IVs: 10 Atk
- Moves: Thunderbolt, Bullet Seed, Taunt, Screech
