Pokémon Announces Standard Format for VGC ’14 Season
The official rules document for the VGC ’14 season has been updated by The Pokémon Company International and is more or less what we reported on a few weeks back.
Standard Ruleset (VGC ’14)
- All matches are played in Doubles format
- Pokemon above Level 50 will be brought down to 50 for the match while those below 50 will stay as-is
- Players choose 4 of their 6 registered Pokemon after team preview
- Pokémon must meet all three of the following conditions to be eligible for use:
- Pokémon must be found in the Coastal Kalos, Central Kalos, or Mountain Kalos Pokédex (Full list can be found here)
- Pokémon must have been obtained in Pokémon X or Y (identifiable by a blue pentagon on the stats screen)
- Mewtwo, Xerneas, Yveltal, and Zygarde are banned
- Species Clause: No two Pokémon can share the same Pokédex number.
- Item Clause: No two Pokémon can hold the same held item.
You can find the full rules document here with the key bits taken out for you below:
Pokémon Organized Play supports several tournament formats for sanctioned play of the Pokémon video games. This document covers each of the approved formats and their variations. Tournaments that do not use one of the formats described here may not be sanctioned.
7. Standard Format Style
All sanctioned Pokémon video game tournaments require players to assemble a team of Pokémon, with items, prior to the start of the event. The standard format style for all Play! Pokémon tournaments is Double Battle.
7.1. Double Battle
In Double Battles, each player selects four Pokémon from his or her party of six to battle with. At the start of the battle, players send out the first two Pokémon in their party, making a total of four Pokémon on the battlefield. Game play continues until a player makes all four of his or her opponent’s Pokémon faint.
8. Standard Team Construction Rules
- When building a team for a Play! Pokémon tournament, all players must adhere to these standard construction rules.
- A player’s team cannot contain two Pokémon with the same Pokédex number.
- Each Pokémon on a player’s team can hold an item, though no two Pokémon may hold the same item.
- A player’s team cannot contain two Pokémon with the same nickname.
- A player’s team cannot contain a Pokémon nicknamed with the name of another Pokémon (for example, an Unfezant named “Pidove”).
- Pokémon may only use moves that have been learned through one of the following methods:
- By leveling up
- By TM or HM
- As an Egg Move, through breeding
- From a character in the game
- A move already known by a Pokémon received at an official Pokémon event or promotion
9. Sanctioned Format
Pokémon Organized Play supports one format for sanctioned play: Standard. Sanctioned events are listed on the POP website, and the results are reported to POP after the event concludes.
9.1. Standard Format
The Standard format is the standard tournament format for Play! Pokémon video game events. This format will be used at all premier events unless specified otherwise. The Standard format for the 2014 season will use the following restrictions:
- Only Pokémon X and Pokémon Y Game Cards or downloadable versions are permitted for use.
- Players may use Pokémon from the Central Kalos Pokédex from #001 to #150, Coastal Kalos Pokédex from #001 to #153, or Mountain Kalos Pokédex from #001 to #147.
- Pokémon must be placed in the Battle Box.
- Pokémon are allowed to Mega Evolve.
- Pokémon above Level 50 are permitted, but they are auto-leveled down to 50 for the duration of battle.
- Players may use Pokémon with Hidden Abilities.
- Players may use items that have been officially released via Pokémon X, Pokémon Y, the Pokémon Global Link, or an official event or promotion.
9.2. Kalos Native
Pokémon used in the Standard Format must be native to the Kalos region in Pokémon X or Pokémon Y. A native Pokémon is a Pokémon that is hatched or caught in Pokémon X or Pokémon Y. Pokémon that have been transferred to Pokémon X or Pokémon Y via Pokémon Bank or Poké Transporter are not native.
The primary difference (aside from everything that comes with using Pokémon X and Y of course) from the last season is that there will be a restriction on the Pokémon used based on Pokédex much like there was in the VGC ’11 season. Using Veekun’s filter, you can get a full list of Pokémon allowed (minus Xerneas, Yveltal, Zygarde, and Mewtwo). Additionally, the moves Sky Drop and Dark Void are no longer banned from use and we once again lose move tutor moves from previous generations.
As far as time goes, you will be allowed to take notes at any time during the match rather than just after you’ve taken your move. You will have 45 seconds to make your move as opposed to 60 seconds last season and we will return to a 15 minute time limit for each match like in the VGC ’12 season rather than 20 minutes.
4. Time Limits
Tournament staff is responsible for running a timely event. To assist in this effort, POP has established guidelines for time limits during various portions of the event. Players may take notes at any time during their match but must begin each match with a blank sheet.
4.1. Pre-game Time Limit
Players will have 90 seconds to view their opponent’s team and select their Pokémon.
4.2. Mid-game Time Limit
Any mid-game effects, such as selecting a move or retreating Pokémon, are to take place within the 45 seconds allocated per turn.
4.3. Match Time Limits
Single-game matches will be 15 minutes. For best-of-three matches, each game in the match will be 15 minutes.
About the Author
Firestorm is one of the co-founders of Nugget Bridge and the Community Manager for eSports Tournament Platform Battlefy. He has been playing Pokémon since 1999, competitively since 2007, and attending tournaments since 2010. He lives in Vancouver, Canada with a degree in Interactive Art & Technology + Communications. You can follow him on Twitter at @rushanshekar.
Related Posts
Nugget Bridge Update →
GS Cup Announced as Pokémon’s 2016 Ruleset →
2016 Pokémon World Championships Date & Location Surfaces →
NICKNAMES ARE BACK!!
They had the same things in the 2013 rules. I doubt it, though it’d be super-cool.
I bet they’ll patch the rules and ban DV just like Jirachi last year
I wouldn’t count on it.
This season is going to be a fun change of pace. I wonder what’s going to be popular since many of the past two years’ staples aren’t allowed. I’m really looking forward to it.
I really don’t think Dark Void is going to be a problem. Really, we learned how to shut it down in ’09 and we’ve got dozens of new ways to shut it down that didn’t exist back then.
I really, really, reeeeeally hope the NN lines mean that we get NNs. NNs are so much fun!
The nickname rule has always been there. Though Regionals+ block them in the Battle Box, there are still sanctioned events run at leagues or just separately that this ruleset applies to. Don’t get your hopes up!
where is the charizard y counter in that list of allowed pokemon
^
Yes, kalos only. Pokebank is a bummer, but you could still send flawless mons to use as breeding parents, so it will be fun.
I’m glad I called right and built a team like that. Dark void is unbanned Atm, because it is unavailable at the moment. I’ll be banned sooner or later.
Nicknames will not be displayed. It is not explicitely stated since it is more of a game setting – similar to battle animiatons being on. If this causes confusion the sentence can be re-added.
I like this new format. I am happy the old Move Tutor moves have become so restricted. It gives some Pokémon that were vastly overlooked before a real niche.
I’m just a little worried about the 45 second turns, being someone who did like to use the full minute to think things through before.
Again though, as already mentioned, it would be nice to have a place we can practise this format in the game!
Quick someone tell Paul smeargle is good again
Sketch mechanics aren’t explicitly defined – are we assuming any move is fair game?
clarification on whether Dark Void is going to be allowed would also be cool since that seems to be an important information as well
45 second turns concern me as well. There are lots of points where I really need to think my move through and weigh my options. Sometimes 60 seconds wasn’t enough, but I’d say it covered it a good majority of the time. 15 seconds could be that key amount of time to decide what the best play to make is. However, I can say that doesn’t happen all that often, so 45 seconds should cover it. Should.
Dv will be available right when pokebank comes out though right? If they were just waiting on it to become available then why state that Pokemon from pokebank aren’t allowed if pokebank isn’t even available yet
Just a bit of clarification for the wording for “Kalos Native”, just to make it absolutely clear. I think the wording should probably be fixed up in the document as well.
“A native Pokémon is a Pokémon that is hatched or caught in Pokémon X or Pokémon Y. Pokémon that have been transferred to Pokémon X or Pokémon Y via Pokémon Bank or Poké Transporter are not native.”
Does this refer to a pokemon that has the “pentagon” symbol, or does this refer to Pokemon on the Kalos Dex only?
A Pokemon that is transfered in from Bank/Transporter would not be allowed, but a Pokemon bred from it would be “hatched in X/Y”, even if the pokemon isn’t native to the Kalos Dex.
If the rules do refer to the presence of the “pentagon” symbol, it does change things up a bit, going from about 450 Pokemon to something closer to around 650-700 Pokemon, with the exculsion of the use of past gen tutors.
“Players may use Pokémon from the Central Kalos Pokédex from #001 to #150, Coastal Kalos Pokédex from #001 to #153, or Mountain Kalos Pokédex from #001 to #147.”
“Additionally, the moves Sky Drop and Dark Void are no longer banned from use”
This rule states we must use Kalos Dex Pokemon so I’m assuming we can’t breed non-Kalos dex mon from Pokebank and use them.
So it’s kalos mons only, no past tutors. okay.
Gess I can start coming up with a team a bit more seriously now.
^
9.1. Standard Format
The Standard format is the standard tournament format for Play! Pokémon video game events. This
format will be used at all premier events unless specified otherwise. The Standard format for the 2014
season will use the following restrictions:
Only Pokémon X and Pokémon Y Game Cards or downloadable versions are permitted for use.
Players may use Pokémon from the Central Kalos Pokédex from #001 to #150, Coastal Kalos
Pokédex from #001 to #153, or Mountain Kalos Pokédex from #001 to #147.
*sigh* disappointing, but I guess I’ll just have to suck it up and deal with it. The move tutor ban and the (current) lack of a place to practice in-game is just plain terrible though. People who think that banning move tutor moves from past games will allow for some different Pokemon to rise up don’t seem to realize that some other “unstandard” Pokemon people haven’t thought of get left out in the cold instead. Oh well.
As long as there is an ingame ladder for this ruleset I am fine with it, but if we don’t end up getting an ingame ladder for this I would be heavily against it. This is the first time in the game’s history that it is now, for the most part, finally preferable to play ingame instead of an online simulator. I think forcing people back to simulators would be a step backwards. I’m not sure how possible it would be to create an entirely new ladder with VGC 14 rules, but I’m sure changing the “special cup” rules to VGC 14 rules once the next gbu season starts and keeping it that way until worlds will work.
Moody Dark Void Smeargle is going to be the worst sacky Pokemon to lose to. I guess I better start breeding some Insomnia Gourgiest…
Do we know yet if the mechanics for Dark Void have changed at all in gen 6?
Before any of you start whining about Dark Void being allowed (well, some did already so I guess I´m kinda late with this^^): Don´t forget that Gen 6 actually gave birth to 2 Priority Safeguard users where one can outspeed the two users with Priority Taunt (Mega-Banette and Sableye to my knowledge) and the other one tieing with Mega-Banette (which can be easily worked around considering that the turn you mega evolve, the pre-evolution speed stat still is used, thus making a possible tie nonexistant, at least in the first round). Given the fact that Safeguard´s actually a common move now on many teams, this shouldn´t have as much of an impact as most think. That, and there´s also the possibility of you using Priority Taunt yourself. (or just use a strong Priority move – shouldn´t be too tough to OHKO a Smeargle) There´s a ton of other options I haven´t even mentioned like speed-rising abilities, lum/chesto+speed control or straight-out attack etc. Sure, you´ll most likely have to have some way to ensure you can get your counter measure going when you need it to (as in, no enemy FOs, faster Priority Taunts in the case of Safeguard or Taunt or prevent Quick Guard in the case of priority) but this should really not be a difficult task if you know what you´re doing. Like everything in the game, it can be worked around and only time will be able to tell how much of an impact it´ll actually have so there´s no real use in complaining right now, right?^^
Since I kinda wrote quite a bit already, I´ll just say I´m happy with the new format, for the reasons already stated in the Kalos Dex thread.^^ Admittedly quite selfish ones but, yeah, I don´t see the need to make myself the embodiment of the community and making assumptions about “what´s best for the game” because I view competitive Pokemon as a test of willpower: If you want it hard enough, you´ll wrap your mind around it. If not, then not.^^ Trivial things like that wouldn´t keep any dedicated person from playing and if all they have to offer as excuse for own failure is “well, X is banned. With it, I´d totally own” or “I won´t play because X is banned” chances are they never really tried or would even bother trying,^^
Sorry if this kind of shallow thinking is pissing anybody off: Since Pokemon´s just a game to me, I usually just go about it like I do with everything else meant to be for personal enjoyment: Try to max out own fun as much as possible which also means that I don´t really have/see the need to factor in the community there. Yeah, short-sighted and selfish but as I said, it´s just a game.^^
Keep in mind that Insomnia is a Hidden Ability which means you’ll need to grab it from the Safari and the only ones in the Safari are Medium. I don’t believe Gourgeist hordes exist.
Gonna point out, I don’t think the intent here was to ever allow Dark Void back in as it is only learnable if sketched off a Darkrai that’s been Pokebank’d up, which I think was an oversight by whoever put together the rules since Darkrai is not a Kalos Dex Pokemon, though Smeargle is.
That being said, if that’s not the case, better get your Lum, Chesto, Wide Guard and Insomnia Pokemon ready…