Factions Battlefields, Season 2 Cycle 3

Well, it seems that Silph Arena Factions have settled into a standard pattern with this new season, so I have to settle into a standard way of reporting on them as well. My earlier reports were for Season 2, Cycle 1 and Season 2, Cycle 2, so this one is for the next Cycle in line, which incidentally just started off this week with the first Bout. And as expected, there are the usual suspects of the three leagues and two theme-format Battlefields, but also as expected, they all have nuances that are worth it (and necessary) to be explained.

For this Cycle, Ultra League returns to a (semi-)open format, which is adopted in similar structure for the Great League. The format now has two species restriction lists, one tagged with "S" and the other with "A" - that is, by rank. From the S list (which contains around 10 species), only one may be selected, and from the A list (which contains around 20 species), only two may be selected, while the rest of the team is made up of species that are on neither list. Strictly banned species are the Galarian birds for both and Sneasler for Great League. The lists are certainly different for both leagues and can be seen in the official bulletin.

Those who deal with Master League also face an entirely different challenge, as this time, the format is based on points. The maximum for a team is 8, and there are five point tiers: S (4 points), A (3 points), B (2 points), C (1 point), and D (0 points). As a big step forward, Mega-Evolved Pokémon - many currently available up to now - have also been assigned to these tiers and can be chosen in the teams accordingly; in fact, some have also been assigned to the ban list, as those for Charizard (Y), Gengar, Gyarados, Swampert, Latias, and Latios. One Mega Evolution may be chosen, and the rest is up for the Trainers to decide as above.

As for the two themed Battlefields, the first one starts off with a little spark for a great flame. It's called "Ember", and it features the types of Grass, Fire, Electric, and Ground - but there are 8 species of none of those types that are also allowed for a little "spice". Meanwhile, the ban list comprises Rock, Dragon, and Steel types, Water-and-Ground types (the "mud boys"), and 10 particular species, as well as Mega Evolution and Shadow Pokémon. It's a simple theme format with some room to play around with and without major counters, and the teams that Trainers conceive ought to make for engaging dynamics in battle.

More experienced Trainers will likely enjoy the second Battlefield, titled "Vanguard". This one is a slot-based format with the first slot allowing Water and Ice types (except for four), the second Rock, Ground, and Fighting, the third Ghost and Poison, the fourth Flying and Dragon, and the fifth and six any of the above except Ice, Fighting, Ghost, and Dragon. Bans comprise Mega Evolution, the Dark, Steel, and Fairy types, and any species and/or forms past the sixth generation, plus six particular species. If this arrangement sounds like a certain elite quartet, it is - and some Trainers should be happy to emulate all four of them in one go.

Quite a bit goes on in this Cycle, but a good deal should be familiar to many Trainers. There is particularly a good deal of pick-and-choosing with the lists and slots across the common formats to include those that can and should be accommodated and exclude those that are just not allowed or problematic. It's now a modern standard practice across formats in the Silph Arena and in particular Factions, and it continues to make way as Factions itself becomes a community standard for a grand team competition.

One year ago: Quickies: Letting the Charcoal Burn

Two years ago: GOtcha Podcast Episode 2: My Way of Playing Pokémon Go

Three years ago: Timeless and Forever

Four years ago: Local EX Raid (and the Power of Us), 12/7/2018

Five years ago: The Shops of Shuffle