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Published on May 28th, 2015 | by Wyrms Eye

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VGC 2015 United Kingdom National Preview

I sincerely hoped everybody enjoyed their appetizer in the Germany National Championships, because the main course is about to be dished up this weekend in the second National event! Once again, players will be dining of a bountiful feast of Championship Points, with Europe’s finest Pokémon Trainers gearing up to do battle in Manchester, United Kingdom on the 30th and 31st May. In this preview article, we will have a quick look at how the European standings are looking following the results in Germany, having a small foray into the metagame by having a glance at the usage data for the top teams and going over the important details to be aware of regarding the event. After that, we’ll dive into the players and predictions, looking at who is hot and who is not.

Prizes

As expected, there is a mountain of Championship Points on the line for players attending, far above what has been seen so far at the Regional events. These points are critical for securing that important invite to the Pokémon World Championships that are being held in Boston, Massachusetts from 21st – 23rd August. In addition to the points, there will be some very valuable Pokémon and Nintendo prizes on offer to those who do well.

1st Place:

  • 1st Place ‘Pokemon VG National Champion’ Trophy
  • Nintendo Wii U Deluxe
  • 600 Championship Points

2nd Place:

  • 2nd Place ‘Pokemon VG National Finalist’ Trophy
  • A Nintendo 3DS XL system (or New 3DS if available)
  • 500 Championship Points

3rd & 4th Place:

  • 3rd and 4th Place ‘Pokemon VG National Semi-Finalist’ Trophies
  • A Nintendo 3DS XL system (or New 3DS if available)
  • 400 Championship Points

5th – 8th Place:

  • 300 Championship Points

9th – 16th Place:

  • 200 Championship Points

17th – 32nd Place:

  • 150 Championship Points

33rd – 64th Place:

  • 100 Championship Points [128+ Players Required]

65th – 128th Place:

  • 50 Championship Points [256+ Players Required]

Current CP Rankings (Top 16)

With the season now starting to reach a climax, each of the preview articles for the National Championships will feature the current CP Rankings in Europe. I will be focusing on the paid world invite positions, the Top 16 in Europe, as well as give the current cut-off for the unpaid invites for reference. These figures are correct as of the 23th May on Pokémon Global Link:

Pos. Name Nationality CP Pos. Change
1 Markus Stefan (Blacklag) DEU 778 +32
2 Baris Ackos (Billa) DEU 716
3 Tobias Koschitzski (TobySxE) DEU 600 +116
4 Luca Breitlig-Pause (sewadle) DEU 568 +34
5 Matteo Gini (Matty) ITA 536 +5
6 Davide Sperati ITA 442 +56
7 Adrian Baumann GER 436 +65
8 Tirso Buttafuoco (Fuoco24) ITA 406 +9
9 Yan Sym (Sogeking) GBR 374 -5
10 Kelly Mercier-White (KellsterCartier) IRE 356 -7
11 Huib Buijssen (Lolnub) NED 352 +7
12 Luigi Lo Giudice (LPROX) ITA 342 +11
13 Pietro Chiri (kirro) ITA 337 +13
14 Markus Stadter (13Yoshi37) GER 326 +20
15 Barry Anderson (Baz Anderson) GBR 316 -14
16 Christoph Kugeler (drug duck) DEU 315 -3
60 Daryl Olivier Sprenger SUI 181 +13

As expected, there was a very large shake-up of the positions that the head of the field. Unsurprisingly those that did very well saw some of the largest gains position-wise. This weekend will see the volatility of the top spots be much less pronounced than before. The estimation from the last article regarding the expected cut-off for the Top 16 was largely on point. However, the Top 60 moved substantially less than what I had personally expected and estimated for. While estimation and modelling can give us a good idea of the possible cut off points, it is by no means an exact science. Expect Top 16 after Manchester to be around 435 CP, with Top 60 looking at 260 CP.

The Metagame

The various events we have already had in Europe so far has given us a fairly narrow but otherwise important view of the metagame thus far. German Nationals will be a significant event that may define how players adapt to what was popular and what did well in general. I’m going to cover two separate breakdowns that I think are worth noting; the usage of Mega Pokemon and the overall usage stats.

Mega Pokemon Appearances Usage %
Kangaskhan 12 30.77%
Charizard-Y 9 23.08%
Venusaur 5 12.82%
Metagross 3 7.69%
Salamence 3 7.69%
Gardevoir 3 7.69%
Mawile 2 5.13%
Blaziken 1 2.56%
Lopunny 1 2.56%
Heracross 1 2.56%
Sharpedo 1 2.56%
Tyranitar 1 2.56%
Gengar 1 2.56%
Slowbro 1 2.56%
Swampert 1 2.56%
  • The first thing we should note is there was a surprisingly high diversity of Mega Pokemon used in the top cut, 15 different species across the 38 currently recorded teams. This diversity is wider than anticipated and has some very unorthodox picks such as Tyranitar, Sharpedo and Slowbro.
  • Kangaskhan remains the most popular Mega Pokemon to use on a team with around 30% of the usage. This certainly reflects its general consistency, but it is significantly lower than earlier in the season. More players are starting to diverge from the comfort zone and are choosing other popular options, a trend we can expect to see replicated as we carry on through the remainder of this year.
  • Charizard-Y has seen a notable upswing in usage with use on almost a quarter of top cut teams. In many ways this is not a surprise as Steel-types have been very common sight on nearly every team, so Charizard-Y is a natural pick, often backed up with a good supporting cast of teammates.
  • Venusaur remains a respectable Mega evolution choice among top players thanks to its superb bulk and ability to stick around for extended periods of time. It still showcases itself as a good choice to run on a double mega team on the whole, thanks in part to how it can often be good when the other mega struggles in specific matchups.
  • Metagross and Salamence have seen a massive fall from grace since the first half of the year in Europe. Metagross can be explained to struggle thanks to the glut of Fire-types now being used to rebuff the Steel-types that have become a common sight. Salamence’s drop is much harder to explain, and I expect through a combination of factors. Realistically, Salamence has not seen a set that has taken the meta by storm yet, so many people are still trying to experiment with it. It also needs good support to work effectively, something that I expect many have found difficult to work around.
  • Gardevoir looks to be creeping up in usage as a Mega, possibly as people try and imitate the surge of popularity it has seen in the Japanese community. I think this will be something people should be wary of in future National events, as it can provide versatility in strategies for a team, and Hyper Voice with Pixilate is not something that will go away quietly.
Pokemon Name Appearances Usage %
Landorus-T 23 58.97%
Thundurus 14 35.90%
Heatran 12 30.77%
Kangaskhan 12 30.77%
Aegislash 12 30.77%
Charizard 9 23.08%
Amoonguss 9 23.08%
Suicune 7 17.95%
Rotom-W 7 17.95%
Cresselia 6 15.38%
Terrakion 5 12.82%
Venusaur 5 12.82%
Hydreigon 5 12.82%
Sylveon 4 10.26%
Metagross 4 10.26%
Scrafty 4 10.26%
Gardevoir 4 10.26%
Breloom 4 10.26%
Whimsicott 4 10.26%
Thundurus-T 3 7.69%
Entei 3 7.69%
Virizion 3 7.69%
Rotom-H 3 7.69%
Bisharp 3 7.69%
Swampert 3 7.69%
Salamence 3 7.69%
Gengar 3 7.69%
Arcanine 3 7.69%
Milotic 3 7.69%
Raikou 2 5.13%
Volcarona 2 5.13%
Staraptor 2 5.13%
Scizor 2 5.13%
Mawile 2 5.13%
Chandelure 2 5.13%
Gastrodon 2 5.13%
Politoed 2 5.13%
Ferrothorn 2 5.13%
Conkeldurr 2 5.13%
Latias 1 2.56%
Zapdos 1 2.56%
Jellicent 1 2.56%
Hariyama 1 2.56%
Aurorus 1 2.56%
Hitmontop 1 2.56%
Rhydon 1 2.56%
Garchomp 1 2.56%
Venomoth 1 2.56%
Slowbro 1 2.56%
Audino 1 2.56%
Togekiss 1 2.56%
Greninja 1 2.56%
Rhyperior 1 2.56%
Blaziken 1 2.56%
Lopunny 1 2.56%
Heracross 1 2.56%
Sharpedo 1 2.56%
Tyranitar 1 2.56%
Ludicolo 1 2.56%
Mamoswine 1 2.56%
Cobalion 1 2.56%
Weavile 1 2.56%
Clefairy 1 2.56%
Talonflame 1 2.56%
Kingdra 1 2.56%
Escavalier 1 2.56%
Clefable 1 2.56%
  • Once again, the diversity of Pokemon being used at the top level is quite notable, with 67 different Pokemon choices being used across the known 38 teams. People are trying to experiment with new ideas, which is a good sign for the future National events and Worlds. Just over half of the various Pokemon saw usage on more than one team in the top cut.
  • Landorus-Therian was, unsurprisingly, the most common choice of Pokemon on teams with 23 appearances in total, including 7 of the Top 8 players using it on their respective teams. It’s possibly a testament to how good it actually is to see how many players are resorting to using it. It has the perfect storm of Rock Slide and Earthquake at its disposal which covers a wide array of the metagame, and has a plethora of other options such as Superpower, Knock Off, U-Turn etc. You have to be prepared for this threat. I expect this will be the peak of its usage, as people will be looking for ways to bring it under control.
  • Outside of the Pokemon commonly used as a Mega evolution, Thundurus, Heatran and Aegislash all saw healthy use across the top cut teams as generally expected. Thundurus is the de-facto best Prankster user in the game in terms of overall bulk, utility and damage output. It can be run with notable items such as Leftovers and Sitrus Berry, and most will carry a combination of Thunder Wave, Taunt, Swagger or Protect in addition to Thunderbolt and the largely common Hidden Power Ice.
  • Heatran stands out as the main bulky Fire-type in the meta as well as one of the best Steel-types which have been omniscient thus far this year. The conventional wisdom of how to run Heatran is slowly starting to fragment, as some opt to run Timid over the conventional Modest to out-speed in mirror-matches. General consensus still opts for the reliable Substitute variant with Leftovers, but be aware for the Shuca Berry and Air Balloon Heatran, as they will aim to force the hand of opposing trainers to march to their beat to remove it.
  • Aegislash is definitely finding itself as a solid choice for many trainers because of its offensive and defensive qualities that provide versatility in spades. Most Aegislash will run King’s Shield, Shadow Ball and Flash Cannon, and will commonly carry either Substitute or Wide Guard as a fourth move. Leftovers is the common choice of item on Substitute sets, but expect Weakness Policy or Life Orb otherwise.
  • Water types seem to be finding themselves gaining traction. Suicune has been a popular choice so far for most of the season after various popular players having success with it. Its bulk and useful team support options makes it a reliable choice. Rotom-Wash however has once more come to the fore with a formidable defensive typing, as well as a nifty Ground immunity. It provides reasonable versatility by being run either as a bulky wall or with a more aggressive preference. I can foresee Rotom-W gaining more use as we continue on towards Boston.
  • The fall from grace of Talonflame in Germany is an intriguing showcase that the metagame has shifted away from it at the top level. Only one in the top cut was a surprise to me, but perhaps the top players will say it has been a long time coming for its decline to occur. It can still pose a valid threat to certain Pokemon, but it lacks raw power that can only be truly achieved with the Life Orb or Choice Band. The kamikaze nature of Talonflame can be useful for tearing holes in a team, but often at the expense of leaving a gaping hole in your own.

The Main Event

Difficulty Rating:

vanilluxeponytamagikarpwingullhippowdon / 5

(Five Pokémon depicting a totally legitimate British experience at the seaside, honest!) / 5

Location: Event City, Phoenix Way, Barton Dock Road, Manchester, M41 7TB

Registration Time: 10.30am – 12.00pm (First seating planned to be around 12.45pm)

In addition to the above information, there are a couple of further points that are worth noting. Players are advised that there will be no lunch break during the swiss rounds. Players should take note that there is a 45 minute block scheduled between the close of registration to the first seating where the organisers have recommend getting lunch. Drinks and snacks will be offered at the venue, and players are advised to consume food and drinks between rounds. Please remember to take your Player ID to the event if you already have one. There will not be any byes awarded for the first round of swiss this year for those at the top of the CP Rankings, so everyone will starting on a level playing field regardless of their achievement this season to date.

As was the case in Stuttgart, the top cut portion of the event will see anyone with a X-2 record or better proceed to the single elimination stages, provided that the relevant age bracket has 65 or more players. It is pretty much a certainty that Masters will hit this modest threshold, and the Senior division may also hit the threshold. Juniors however may run according to fixed top cut numbers, but should be aware of the possibility.

You can find a complete rundown of the event times for the weekend here as well as a comprehensive view of the rules, regulations and schedule here. There may be streamed content, although at this stage this is merely a rumor and should be treated as such until confirmed. Should information become available about this, it will be mentioned in the comments.

Last Years’ Results:

  1. Albert Bañeres (Arbol Deku)
  2. Miguel Marti de la Torre (Sekiam)
  3. Carlo Arbelli (shinycarletto)
  4. Kelly Mercier-White (KellsterCartier)
  5. Jamie Miller (Blaze King7)
  6. Niall Crallan (The Last Sheikah)
  7. Baris Ackos (Billa)
  8. Joshua Schmidt (Gamebreak0r)
  9. Tyler Bakhtiari (Pokeguru01)
  10. Terence Dray (Ty Flowsion)
  11. Claudio Serpa (TrickSage)
  12. Luigi LoGuidice (LPROX)
  13. Ben Kyriakou (Kyriakou)
  14. Luke Chaplin
  15. Dario Crestani
  16. Lee Watson (Redemption003)
  17. Barry Anderson (Baz Anderson)
  18. Sam Bentham (SuperIntegration)
  19. Richard Fairbrother (Nidorich)
  20. Chris Foulds (Accelerator)
  21. Phillip de Sousa (P3DS)
  22. Raphael Candelaresi
  23. Lajos K. (Lajo)
  24. Simon He
  25. Steve Edgson (SirSmoke)
  26. Joe Wilson (Russian)
  27. Pedro Lima (Findow)
  28. Erik Anderson
  29. Lee Provost (Osirus)
  30. Daniel Nolan (Zog)
  31. Guillermo Sanavia
  32. William Tansley (StarKO)

The Scoop

Historically in Europe, the United Kingdom National event has always pulled in the largest participant numbers and with it, a notable slew of high-profile players. There’s a real expectation that this trend is likely to continue this year, both providing an exciting and daunting prospect for those attending in equal measure. The venue is fantastic in terms of size, is situated in a very convenient location with regard to local hotels and the shopping centre is literally a short walk away to get any required amenities. I do want to temper expectations with respect to the speed and efficiency we should expect at this event. The past couple of years have been notable for the wrong reasons in the view of many players. I am at least hopeful that the organisers will have learned from the mistakes and this event should be a significant improvement. Despite this though, the atmosphere will be electric inside the venue, and should provide some shockingly good battles!

Returning Top-Cut Players

With a top cut of 32 players last year, we have a host of key names to run through on the list, as just over half have confirmed that they will be returning, with a few more potentially also making the trip. Last years’ winner, Spain’s Albert Baneres is one of the few I do not have information on whether he will be back to try and reprise his title, but given the Spanish contingent at this event is likely to be pretty formidable, I’m fairly confident he will be amongst them. The runner-up of Miguel Marti de la Torre I have been given notice of attending thanks to a friendly source. I am hopeful both Albert and Miguel will showcase the strength of the Spanish scene, as they are generally under-appreciated on Nugget Bridge. Of the semi-finalists, I do not unfortunately have any information on Carlo Arbelli being in attendance, and with regards to Kelly Mercier-White, he will now be attending after a late change of plans. Apparently he had tickets to something called a ‘Foo Fighters Concert’ on the Saturday. Personally I think it’s shameful that some hyped-up band of musicians is more important than a National Pokemon event, but there you go! Joking aside, Kelly only managed to acquire 50 CP in Stuttgart, and while still resides in the Top 16, he now feels he needs to attend the UK event to give himself the best chance of the invite.

Three of the quarter-finalists from last year are returning in Jamie Miller, Niall Crallan and Baris Ackos. Jamie certainly made a huge statement of intent last year here going undefeated in his swiss flight and has subsequently followed up with a healthy run to the Top 16 in Stuttgart a couple of weeks ago. As a consequence of his superb performance, he now sits just outside the Top 16 in the rankings, on 306 CP. Niall Crallan is a Brit that has been on the scene for a little while now, but I have very little information to go on. I can only apologise to him for the lack of any meaningful information, hopefully I will get acquainted so I can do more justice to him for future previews. His attendance will be warmly welcomed and I’m he’ll be looking for another strong performance in Manchester potentially. Finally, Baris is here off the back of a very important 3rd Place result over in Stuttgart. He still however sits 2nd in Europe after Markus Stefan leapfrogged him in the standings. Despite this however, Baris should be pretty much confirmed for his paid invite, barring some star-aligning permutations. Once again, I expect he will secure another strong result in Manchester to really tighten the screw as he will no doubt want to head the standings at the close of the season.

The remaining players I’m covering are all individuals who have confirmed they will be in attendance. Tyler Bakhtiari will be looking to avenge his poor Sutton Coldfield result and earn some points from this event, something of a rare commodity for him presently with only 26 CP. In a similar situation, Terence Dray is also lacking points to his name with only 20 CP. Last year saw Terence have a breakout performance, but realistically we have yet to see any further notable results, so expectations will be kept in check. Ben Kyriakou meanwhile may be keen to invoke the spirit of past performances from this event given his season thus far. Ben did however claim championship points with his 5-4 result in Stuttgart, giving him a total of 92 CP thus far, and lies in 173rd position. Barry Anderson meanwhile was the agonising loser from the trip with 129th in the standings meaning he came away pointless from the trip and falls to 15th in the rankings. Richard Fairbrother will be at the event, currently he sits marginally in front of Ben Kyriakou in the standings at 170th. I’m honour bound to cut short any further mention because he didn’t want me to curse him again in the preview articles! In all seriousness, Richard will be looking to impress at this event, and I look forward to getting some more battles in with him at some stage.

One individual that we’ve yet to touch upon is the UK Regional winner Phillip de Sousa. Phillip has so far only attended the one event, but the 120 CP is enough to slot him neatly into 125th on the rankings, and reasonably within reach of the Top 60. I think a few people will be wary of his name, especially if he is continuing to pilot the team that he conquered Sutton Coldfield with. Lajos Kowalewski is another name that people will be worth keeping an eye on, after a Top 64 result in Stuttgart brings his total CP count to 266. This means Lajos makes a modest move up the rankings to 33rd Place. In a similar manner to Phillip, Lajos is within touching distance of the paid invite slots, a little under 50 points away. One player to bring down the curtain on a flawless Nationals top cut record was Steve Edgson, after he only managed to achieve a Top 128 placing. In all fairness, nobody can reasonably expect to cut every event they attend, so it is always a case of ‘if’ and not ‘when.’ Nonetheless, Steve bagged important points and climbed 23 places in the rankings to 70th place, but will most likely require a better result here in Manchester. Portuguese player Pedro Lima is also making an appearance in Manchester. His season thus far has seen him earn 142 CP, and is down in 97th in the rankings. It will be interesting to see how Pedro does here; a strong result here will put him in a strong position heading into Italian Nationals, otherwise it will be a last chance saloon. Lee Provost made the trip to Stuttgart and came away with 50 CP to increase his total to a very healthy 263 CP. Despite that, Lee did drop in the rankings to 34th Place, down 20 spots immediately prior to Stuttgart. I don’t have many reasons as to why Lee did not have as prominent a showing as would have been expected from him. The home advantage however will likely provide that added boost that’s needed at these sorts of events. I’m happy to say that Daniel Nolan will be once more gracing his holy presence in Manchester after also making the trip to Stuttgart to spread the Zog way of life, with the mystery of the floating Ringbrot just one more story to add to the collective tales. His wit, humour and fashion sense is quite literally infectious, and it is good to see him getting back into competing at more events. Expect a new series of the ‘Tales of Zog’ to appear soon. William Tansley rounds out our top cut players. His showing in Germany was less than stellar, falling outside of the points-paying positions. As a result, Will has fallen back into the main group vying for invites, to 50th Place.

There may be more names that made top cut last year that I’ve not mentioned who are going, but I cannot be certain due to a lack of information. Most will likely be present as in the case of Joe Wilson as an example, this is their home National event.

Players to look out for

So with the names of those that top cut from last year all accounted for, I’m going to turn my attention to the players at the head of the rankings who have yet to be given a warranted mention. Luca Breitlig-Pause is the highest name on this list at 4th spot in the rankings, up 34 places after a glorious Semi-Final finish. This is certainly a huge breakthrough for Luca, and will not doubt give him lots of confidence heading into the remaining events of the season, as he looks to claim a deserved paid invite spot. Matteo Gini certainly made a huge statement of intent with his Quarter-Finals run in Germany, with Baris being the player to halt his advance in the single elimination rounds. The healthy injection of points means he moves up 5 places to 5th in the rankings, with a total of 536 CP. His invite to worlds is essentially secured, but Matteo will be looking to lock up the paid invite with another strong performance in Manchester. Despite only achieving a Top 64 result in Stuttgart and having dropped five spots in the rankings, Yan Sym is looking much more likely to secure his first world’s invitation. Yan still needs another small injection of points to add to his 374 CP to be absolutely sure, but his consistency at earning points across events will stand him in good stead. Markus Stadter had a hard-earned Top 32 from his home regional, and the 150 points was a much needed boost to his tally to lift him 20 places to 14th in the rankings on 326 CP. Markus will be looking for another strong, assured performance in Manchester to maintain his position, as I feel he has not yet locked up his invite, so expect stiff opposition if you face him. Christoph Kugeler also has a day 2 and paid invite in his sights. The 100 CP he earned in Stuttgart was enough to cling onto the Top 16 in the rankings.

For the sake of completion, there are a few names that I have yet to be mentioned. Luigi Lo Giudice I believe could be in attendance, but I’ve not had any firm confirmation to confirm or deny, while Huib Buijssen was meant to also be attending, but I believe this is no longer the case owing to exams.

The Chasing Pack

Even with all the names mentioned thus far, we are only seeing the tip of the iceberg as there are still dozens of respected players who will be scrapping tooth and nail to win this event. Here are a few of the major names I’m tipping to be in the thick of proceedings:

UK

As expected, the cast of names from the UK is a long-winded affair, so the following names are my main picks.

  • Jake Birch (WhiteAfroKing92) – currently sits 58th in the rankings, is always a solid pick to do well at events like this generally, and is well-respected among the British contingent. He will need points to keep inside the invite threshold, something definitely not beyond him.
  • Brandon Ikin (Toquill) – currently sitting 92nd in the rankings, Brandon is a fan-favourite with a cult following. This could be his major breakthrough in the Masters’ division and has shown great form of late with his deep run in the Nugget Bridge Major 4.
  • Christopher Arthur (Koryo) – Chris’s earlier success in the season has hit something of a wall of late which has seen him fall down the rankings to 98th. Having come home without any CP from Stuttgart, Chris will be keen for a strong home showing to stop the rot.
  • Justin Miller (ThrillerMiller9) – In contrast to his brother Jamie, Justin went down the rankings and currently sits in 100th Place. Justin is more than capable of producing a virtuoso performance when on form, I’m hopeful this weekend will be the one.

Germany

Outside of the British players, Germany will have a high representation in Manchester, with many of the following names being well-respected players with a myriad of accolades between them.

  • Timo Koppetsch (37TimoK1) – Timo currently sits 29th in the standings after a modest Top 64 result in Stuttgart allowed him to keep in touching distance of the paid invite spots. Certainly one of the favourites amongst the German players listed here to potentially have a deep run.
  • Florian Wurdack (DaFlo) – At 35th in the standings, Florian had a low key German Nationals, only increasing his CP tally by 50. I don’t think he’s totally comfortable with the metagame at present, but I think it’s a feeling a lot of players have had this season. Either way, he’ll be keen to cement his place for Boston this weekend.
  • Matthias Suchodolski (Lega) – Sitting 43rd in the standings, Matthias was unable to add any points to his tally in Stuttgart. His visit to Manchester will therefore be a crucial test of nerve and understanding where improvements can be made.
  • Nemanja Sandic (Porengan) – currently sitting at 44th in the rankings, Nemanja was the top seed after swiss in Stuttgart and turned heads with some of his original interpretations for some Pokemon. Expect more of the same in Manchester, although will be interesting to see if he has more aces up his sleeve.
  • Jan Michelberger (Lati) – Jan slipped 31 places to 77th in the standings after Stuttgart, and will need a top cut result to guarantee he is inside the invite spots heading to Italy. Jan is certainly capable of achieving this, but again, this event will be a serious test of nerve.

Italy

While Italy has a heavy representation in the CP standings, as well as a rich history in the game, there will be substantially fewer players making the trip. With Italy Nationals only two weeks away being right on the doorstep, it’s understandable, but there will still be a few big names who will be keen to press home their advantage.

  • Arash Ommati (Mean) – 23rd in the standings after securing another 50 CP, the 2013 World Champion will certainly be looking to turn heads in Manchester. He can certainly evaluate a metagame to make the correct call as he has proven before, can he produce another spell of brilliance here?
  • Alberto Gini (BraindeadPrimeape) – Alby also earned 50 CP from Stuttgart and currently lies 26th in the standings. Once again, the Gini brothers are unrivalled in terms of skill compared to other sibling groups. Alberto will certainly be keen not be outdone once again by Matteo, so expect fireworks!

Ireland

While Kelly is going to be the main standard-bearer for Irish hopes this weekend, we should do well not to forget that there will be other Irish players who are making the trip who are more than capable of getting in the mix.

  • Conor McNamara (Garchamp) – Down in 94th place, Conor is much more of an unknown factor to many players, but as Kelly will attest to, he is definitely no pushover. This weekend will be his first major event this year, and do not be surprised to see his name near the top of the standings.

Outside of Masters…

In the Senior division, home-grown hopes will be firmly looking towards Mark McQuillan (woopahking) to get a big win. Unfortunately the CP lists have not updated with the points from Stuttgart as of writing, but Mark is likely to be within the Top 16 in the standings at a cursory glance. His biggest challenger will likely come from Italian Gabriele Spagnolo who is I am told expected to make the trip over, and will similarly expected to be within the Top 8 for Seniors after the update.

In the Junior division, we have four strong British entrants who will all likely be attending in Ethan K., Jaden D., Lisle C. and Rhys S. However, competition from the continent will be extremely fierce with Samet D. from Germany, Giovanni T. from Italy and Jocelyn A. from France possible opposition in Manchester as they battle for their own invites to Boston.

As an added extra…

Once again, I’ve had the pleasure to join Baz Anderson for one of his YouTube videos along with Jamie Miller and Szymon Wodjat. In this preview video, we discuss our thoughts and reflections from Stuttgart as well as looking forward to Manchester, among other topics. Please feel free to watch as Baz, Jamie, Szymon and I go over the main points of interest.



The Crystal Ball Predicts…: Once again, the high standard of players making their way to Manchester makes this event a very difficult one to predict. In much the same way that Germany’s top cut was largely comprised of home players, we should expect there to be a similar situation occur here. While we did see a sizeable number of established players make the cut a fortnight ago, we should also note that there were also many players for whom we were not aware of. I am this week going to make a prediction, and my head wins over my heart by opting for Markus Stadter. Given Markus is still chasing to guarantee his spot at worlds he will be giving it his all this weekend, and will certainly have made sensible adaptations to his team from Stuttgart to get ahead of the field.

Final Words…

I will be there! It feels like forever since my last major tournament outing, even though that was back in April, but this is definitely the one I’ve been very excited to attend since basically June last year. From sending out all the private messages and replies to obtain the information, I am certainly planning to introduce myself to a lot of people. Okay, so the game is meant to be the main event, but I am genuinely looking forward to hanging out this weekend. I’m looking into a T-Shirt with my Nugget Bridge username on it, but failing that, I’m sure I can recycle the “got lost going to Hawaii Worlds 2012” number I used at UK Regionals! Finally, I want to wish everyone attending this weekend the best of luck, and may the RNG forever be in your favour!

Please leave any comments and feedback as it is always gratefully received, and please feel free to share your opinions about any of the discursive points that have been made in this article.


About the Author

aka Nigel Gower started playing the VGC format in late 2013 following the release of Pokemon X and Y. Since then, his unusual style has seen him become a solid player within the community, culminating in an impressive NPA Season 3 run with the Mistralton Jets.



23 Responses to VGC 2015 United Kingdom National Preview

  1. ProfShroomish says:

    “Brandon is a fan-favourite with a cult following”

    HAIL

  2. Arbol Deku says:

    yup

  3. Arbol Deku says:

    PD: Delete the post up there ^. Thanks.

    I won’t be there unfortunately because this year i haven’t been able to travel due to exams during the weekends of the VGC and you know… it’s a wasted weekend because you have to go on friday and be back on monday and right now i’m quite busy to do that.
    I’m pretty nervous to see who’ll be the next UK champ! right now I’m still enjoying of being the raining champ for the last days so…. good luck to everyone and let’s see who takes my crown!

  4. EmbC says:

    Very solid article, Nigel! It must be really hard to put all this information together… Thank you for doing so!
    Sadly, I won’t be able to attend this year, but I’ll still try to get my invite at Italian Nats ^^
    Also happy to finally see Brandon on a preview! I’m sure he won’t disappoint me :3
    Good luck to everyone attending, I hope you get a smoother event this time x]

  5. Dorian06 says:

    Good luck to everyone! I obviously can’t go but this will be one of the most interesting regionals all year! excited to see results. And thank you wyrms for putting this together!

  6. lucalucario says:

    luigi lo giudice is going to go to manchester

  7. NidoRich says:

    I can see Brandon getting a top cut at the very least, after his performance in Sutton this past Saturday I can say he is one to watch. Hopefully I can get another top cut at UK nationals…or you know I could just bubble out again haha.

    But let’s remember this is more for hanging out with guys you like playing the game you love…maybe with some added alcohol for those of age ;)

  8. Biscuit says:

    I’m pretty sure Jamie Miller should actually be sitting inside that top 16, he picked up a second place PC finish on Saturday but Suzie has procrastinated a little on getting it uploaded :P

  9. Garchamp says:

    I’m extremely flattered that I got a mention but unfortunately, I won’t be attending this event. I’ll be too busy saying hi to Dave Grohl :D But regardless, a great article as usual and good luck to everyone attending!

  10. DoubleFried says:

    Nigel’s right about the Foo Fighters Garchamp. >=(

    Great report as always WyrmsEye! And you didnt misspell Buijssen this time. \(^o^)/

  11. WillVGC says:

    Great Article! Ill be participating however i dont think i will do well…

  12. NidoRich says:

    I’m extremely flattered that I got a mention but unfortunately, I won’t be attending this event. I’ll be too busy saying hi to Dave Grohl :D But regardless, a great article as usual and good luck to everyone attending!

    Just bring Mr. Grohl with you Connor. I know I’d welcome him ;)

  13. Lolnub says:

    Nigel’s right about the Foo Fighters Garchamp. >=(

    Great report as always WyrmsEye! And you didnt misspell Buijssen this time. (^o^)/

     
    He didn’t misspell my name but he got everything else about me wrong lol. Not sure who told you I can’t go because of family-related issues, but that is certainly not the case. You might have mistaken me with someone else (or got wrong information from someone), because the reason I am not going is that I am in the middle of my exams.
     
    Really nice job on the article nonetheless and good luck to everyone competing!

  14. Wyrms Eye says:

    I’m extremely flattered that I got a mention but unfortunately, I won’t be attending this event. I’ll be too busy saying hi to Dave Grohl :D But regardless, a great article as usual and good luck to everyone attending!

     
    Sorry Conor, I made an assumption you were coming, my bad. While I hold to my comments about the Foo Fighters, I hope you enjoy your time at the concert!
     

    He didn’t misspell my name but he got everything else about me wrong lol. Not sure who told you I can’t go because of family-related issues, but that is certainly not the case. You might have mistaken me with someone else (or got wrong information from someone), because the reason I am not going is that I am in the middle of my exams.
     
    Really nice job on the article nonetheless and good luck to everyone competing!

     
    And my apologies about the erroneous info, it’s my fault for as I obviously got information mixed up somewhere down the line. I’m not immune to the occasional blunder, and I’ve respectfully edited the article to accommodate the correct reason in this instance. Good luck in your exams, I’m sure you will pass with flying colours!
     
    I do appreciate you guys calling me up on these errors; I am working with a huge amount of info, so having the record set straight is important from my perspective. I do appreciate the praise and support being shown, but I also want to take on board the criticism to help improve these articles for the future. I’ll be back on the typewriter when I get back from Manchester, so anything you want to mention that you feel might improve the quality will be respectfully received and read. Thanks guys for reading, I know a lot of you have been very eager to read this, just from the amount of random messages I’ve received! 

  15. Benster says:

    As this is the first National since I started playing VGC where I don’t have exams surrounding it, I’m looking forward to playing on Saturday!
     
    Aiming to top cut, though my performance thus far has been less than stellar so I’m going to have to be on my game. I’ll have fun regardless.

  16. Khorneguy says:

    Still gutted I can’t make it. As an unemployed graduate, I don’t have the money to attend events this year and haven’t been to one since the Streetpass qualifiers in October :(

  17. Xenoblade Hero says:

    Great job with the preview, looking forward to this weekend ^^

  18. Havak says:

    Really hoping I can make at least the top 32 this year.
     
    Looking forward to seeing everyone again more though! Should be headed to the Trafford Centre for the arcade and bowling this evening if anyone fancies it. Also, it’s very possible that there will be a stream for this, likely the same people who did the stream for the UK Regional. I’ll be tweeting when possible @HavakPkmn so I’ll keep everyone posted. Look for #PlayPokemon tweets!
     
    I’ll try to hop on commentary at some point if there is any and I’m already eliminated. 

  19. Pyritie says:

    This’ll be my first nats too, coming with a quickly cobbled together team since I’m so out of practice

  20. Biscuit says:

    Really hoping I can make at least the top 32 this year.

    Looking forward to seeing everyone again more though! Should be headed to the Trafford Centre for the arcade and bowling this evening if anyone fancies it. Also, it’s very possible that there will be a stream for this, likely the same people who did the stream for the UK Regional. I’ll be tweeting when possible @HavakPkmn so I’ll keep everyone posted. Look for #PlayPokemon tweets!

    I’ll try to hop on commentary at some point if there is any and I’m already eliminated.

    The stream will be at http://www.twitch.tv/ypnvgc

    Might be a bit touch and go as to whether it happens though, as I heard yesterday that terry needs to build himself a new pc today to run it on xD

  21. Gideon says:

    Salamence’s drop is easily explained if you don’t consider it a uber-super-mega powerful pokemon like some people think. Anyway, i hope this national won’t be a Kangaskhan party galore and there will be a good amount of surprises.

  22. BrowneDemi says:

    Will of be streamed anywhere?and if so, what time?

  23. Biscuit says:

    Will of be streamed anywhere?and if so, what time?

    Literally 2 posts above this is the address for the stream. I’m not sure on times, but the vgc is scheduled to start at 1pm GMT+1.

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