As a nice surprise, The Pokemon Company has decided to give us all a little vacation from power-creep and announced Regulation H! From September to January, we'll essentially be returning to Series 1++ (Regulation A). This is a great opportunity for everyone to work on their fundamentals since it's going to be a massive knowledge check, and will definitely challenge your fundamentals as a player. Restricted formats, in my opinion, tend to somewhat cushion your mistakes due to the stronger tools you have at hand to overwhelm opponents, despite the thinner margin of error.

So, to avoid common pitfalls, Snorlax and I are here to give you the Double-Edge in your matches by giving you a whistle-stop tour of what to look out for!

The Open

Regulation H is essentially a repeat of Regulation A, with similar archetypes finding similar levels of success. However, the new Pokémon from the Teal Mask/Indigo Disk DLC also adds a different dynamic to the existing team compositions, creating a fairly varied metagame. The lower power level also allows more creative space to try out things such as personal favourites now!

Most notably, this post will be going through expected team archetypes, their variations, and highlight key members and strategies expressed by the chosen Pokémon.

• The Open

• The Meta

  • Rain

    • Standard Rain

    • Overqwil Variation

    • Maus-Ape Archaludon

    • Stalwart Offensive

  • Clefable Balance

  • Psyspam-Hard Trick Room

    • Psyspam-Lillikoal

    • Zoroark-Psyspam

  • Tailwind Hyper Offence

    • Gholdengo Variant

    • Typhlosion Variant

  • Set-Up Offensives

    • Maushold/Annihilape

    • Gholdengo/Talonflame

  • 2-2-2

    • Pawmot Variant

    • Glimmora Variant

  • Miscellaneous

    • Sand Offensive

    • P2-Ursaluna

The Meta

Rain

It's impossible to mention Rain in Regulation H without talking about Archaludon. From its introduction in the Indigo Disk, it has now taken over the metagame as one of the defining matchups one must prepare for.

With access to 3 useful abilities, strong base stats, great defensive typing, and a powerful signature move, respect must be paid.

• Electro Shot is a 130 BP Electric move that boosts Archaludon's Special Attack by 1 stage, and usually, this move takes 2 turns. However, the charge-up phase is removed when in Rain, essentially giving Archaludon access to ramping pressure.

• Stamina boosts Archaludon's Defence by 1 stage every time it is hit by an attack. This leads to some mitigation methods such as Snarl being unviable as an attempt to stop Archaludon from ramping up, as you end up only increasing its other snowball move, Body Press, which deals damage based on your Defence stat.

• Assault Vest being the most common item patches up Archaludon's weak Special Defence stat, making it difficult to remove.

All variations of Rain will have Pelipper + Archaludon acting as the vanguard, with extremely consistent coverage between the both of them. The self-sufficiency of this pairing gives rise to splashability, leading to major variation within this archetype. Please see the following variants:

Standard Rain

https://pokepast.es/499cfb46e1308b83

This would be the core set, with the base focusing on keeping Archaludon safe and comfortable to ramp up with either Electro Shot or Stamina boosts, with Basculegion acting as a late game insurance policy if the opponent manages to break through Archaludon.

Overqwil Variation

https://pokepast.es/7ac4b140e9129abb

This Overqwil variation utilizes Haze Overqwil as a Dondozo answer. Keeping to a similar concept as above, it can also feature something like a Choice Specs Gholdengo to up the tempo more rapidly, as Haze can clear the SpA drops!

Maus-Ape Archaludon

https://pokepast.es/a07539c1a5bb47dc

This is one that was featured on CybertronVGC's channel after winning a large Regulation H tour. Utilising the strong Maushold-Annihlape mode as a condensed powerhouse, Maushold can also additionally act as a relevant support for Archaludon, quickly boosting Body Press' damage output via Beat-Up to activate Stamina multiple times in a single turn. Combined with Sininstcha's Hospitality healing, it can be really difficult to break through this team due to it's flexibility and potential explosiveness.

Stalwart Offensive

https://pokepast.es/106bf2df247db690

Here is my personal take that I believe has potential as well: Stalwart Archaludon. A much more offensive variant that has quite the positive matchup into the mirror. Being able to ignore Redirection while having very high immediate damage output can punch holes into a lot of teams very rapidly and in ways they are unlikely to have prepared for.

Approach to Rain

Rain additionally has several more member options besides the ones detailed above, such as other Swift Swimmers like Ludicolo or even something weird like SpA Surf Dondozo-Tatsugiri.

The main core at least, and the approach to all of their teams, are fairly similar. Despite their consistent offense and strong defensive synergies, they still require, well, Rain.

This brings us to our approach:

• Weather changes. This prevents Archaludon's Electro Shot usage, reduces Hurricane accuracy, and negatively impact Pelipper's coverage due to it's common Weather Ball usage.

• Mitigation. This is a bit more difficult when dealing with something as consistent as Electro Shot, but combining this with the alteration of Weather will really slow down Rain's offensive pressure. Snarl, Parting Shot, Will-O-Wisp, Screens.

• Take down the pillars: Rain is a centralized sweeper team. Archaludon and Basculegion make up the majority of the offensive pressure on the team and aiming for an initial immediate KO on Archaludon and Basculegion can really swing the game in your favor, particularly because these slots rarely, if ever, carry Protect due to their item choice.

• Unaware. Expanding on this below, options such as Clefable, or Body Press Dondozo, can make life very difficult for Rain as they cannot actually take advantage of their cultivated boosts.

Clefable Balance

This is one great example of reactive meta-shift forming a new archetype. Clefable Balance has propped up in response to Rain's ramp-up style thanks to Unaware buying enough time for the rest of your team to turn the tide on Rain teams. Additionally, Clefable itself performs favorably against Dondozo.

The basis of this team composition surrounds Clefable, Kingambit, and Rillaboom which are then supported by other satellite pieces. Commonly, an FWG-core is completed with the utilization of Aqua-Tauros and Volcarona. Final pieces tend to be flexible, with people fitting in all sorts of options.

So it should look at something like this:

https://pokepast.es/73b4f8254b19f7fe

The main members being the first 5 members, with strong variation possible. Here, you complete FWG-core and Fantasy-core (Dragon, Steel, Fairy). The main goal is to lean on Clefable and get your offensive pieces all set up. Not to say you don't have immediate damage output, but the strength of this team is the difficulty in breaking it in the face of a set-up Volcarona and Kingambit when they're being protected by very strong defensive pieces.

Other common variations include the Gengar variant, sporting Haze to assist against Dondozo while having STAB Sludge Bomb to help against the Clefable mirror.

Approach to Clefable Balance

With any balanced team, their strength is through their flexibility. They have the utilized tools to essentially slow play through offensive pressure and set up to break more defensive board states. After set-up, it also requires you to play reactively rather than pro-actively. However, due to their flexibility, it's more dependent on an experienced pilot utilizing the available tools to their maximum. Mistakes are to be capitalized on.

• Match the pressure. One can take advantage of the set-up reliance and limited coverage of the team's set-up sweepers and utilise their own favorable set-up. This is particularly useful when you...

• KO the Clefable. Once Clefable goes down, you have clearer access to their sweeper. This is beneficial in conjunction with your own set-up Pokémon.

• Disruption. Taunt cripples Clefable and any potential set-up the sweepers might attempt if it can land. In combination with stat-clearing moves like Clear Smog or Haze, this can land you in a more favourable board state and take more control.

Psyspam-Hard Trick Room

A team everyone adores facing, Psyspam-HTR is one archetype every team should have some degree of answer towards. Due to their strong dual lead potential which requires different lines, it can be difficult to try and withstand their offensive.

Psyspam-Lillikoal

https://pokepast.es/ca7b0372fd88a797

Lilligant and Torkoal utilize a mix-up between After You Eruptions or Sleep Powders, while the alternative Psyspam lead in Indeedee-F and Armarouge generate strong board pressure with powerful Expanding Force spam or by setting Trick Room to further enable this, and other members such as Torkoal or Ursaluna. 

Some also entirely forego this fast Lilligant-Torkoal mode, showcased here by a team made by BravadoVGC featuring a trickier Hisuian-Zoroark variant which you can read more about here.

Zoroark-Psyspam

https://pokepast.es/e7fb3fde7cc65fd4

Even in OTS, Zoroark can still slip one by you and if you don't account for its potential position, especially against something as volatile as Psyspam, it can be game-losing.

Added bonus is that it has perfect immunity to Annihilape, although this is not a Pokémon Psyspam is concerned about.

Speaking of Annihilape, be aware that it can be an option for a lot of Trick Room teams due to it's access to Final Gambit!

Approach to Psyspam

Psyspam is an archetype that has a degree of dependancy on it Terrain, which enables it a lot. Psychic Terrain prevents priority moves such as Fake Out, which sometimes is key to helping control turns and stall out Trick Room. This also tends to remove a lot of offensive options that faster teams utilize when they cannot get speed control on board, such as Sucker Punch, Aqua Jet, or Extreme Speed.

Besides that, the nature of Psyspam and Trick Room makes it favorable for them

• Terrain Control. This can be incredibly key depending on your team composition. Overwriting terrain using abilities or removing it via something like Ice Spinner or Steel Roller can assist you in improving options to respond to sweepers in Trick Room, or assist in stalling out Trick Room. Additionally, removing Psychic Terrain returns Expanding Force to its weaker state.

• Denial. Preventing Trick Room altogether can be incredibly useful, as it's like taking a fish out of water. Particularly with teams that don't have a fast mode such as Lillikoal, they will have to fight an uphill battle. Methods include using Imprison, Taunts, or even resetting Trick Room yourself to buy another turn to take down the setters.

• Protect. Wide Guard can help against the main spread moves that Psyspam utilises such as Expanding Force and Eruption. Individual Protects can also be used to stall out turns of Trick Room.

• Specifics. Particularly against Lilligant-Torkoal, having a redirection user who is immune to Sleep Powder can prevent both the After You play and Sleep Powder play, leaving your side slot relatively safe. Additionally, changing the Weather can be detrimental for a Torkoal, especially if it's Rain.

Be on the lookout for Lilligant + Trick Room setter leads, as they can utilize After You to bypass most slow Imprison-Trick Room users!

Tailwind Hyper Offence

A classic choice for a lot of players, the introduction of dynamic speed has introduced higher tempo teams that can blow through an opposing team and leave little room for answer for an unprepared opponent.

Gholdengo Variant

https://pokepast.es/2b87cf39e2ba756a

A Regulation A callback, this team utilizes Gholdengo and Prankster Murkrow to gain speed control using Tailwind, while maintaining the offensive output through SpA drops using Haze.

A new additional option as a closer is Adaptability Basculegion. With Last Respects, it can act as a strong, self-sufficient, endgame closer against weakened teams.

Typhlosion Variant

https://pokepast.es/66234a3761a6bb48

Utilising more of our new DLC friends, Typhlosion and Ursaluna make a mean combo in a strong TailRoom team. With multiple options for anti-priority such as redirection, Armor Tail Farigiraf, and Upper Hand Decidueye, it can make it particularly difficult for opponents to respond to strong spread damage spam.

Approach to Hyper Offence

• Extremely lead dependent. As with any HO team, pilots have to get these leads right so they can get powerful momentum behind them from Turn 1.

• Anti-momentum. Any denial of the aforementioned momentum can be pretty difficult, as once this feast-or-famine style starts starving, recovery can be pretty difficult. Utilizing typing advantages and good defensive play can put you in a position to turn the tables rather quickly.

• Scouting. The linear nature of some of the offensive options these teams have, due to the usage of Choice items, opens them up to being scouted. This allows you to gain maximum information moving into your next turn and choosing how to respond appropriately.

• Hyper-er Offence. Having a more favorable version of Hyper Offence that can punch holes first tends to work fairly well against another Hyper Offence team. Due to the glass-cannon nature of the teams, the one that hits first tends to overwhelm the other.

Set-Up Offensives

Clefable Balance falls under this category, but I just made this section to showcase further examples of other archetypes that I can generally talk about.

These tools tend to be redirection such as Follow Me or Rage Powder, Fake Out support, Screens such as Reflect, Light Screen and Aurora Veil, or even just utilizing a favorable offensive board state to pressure the opponent into making more passive plays.

Maushold/Annihilape

https://pokepast.es/f4a280e6f1872a77

Maushold + Annihilape, briefly mentioned on one of the Rain teams, are a condensed pair that can run away with games due to the high availability of options they have between them. A boosted Rage Fist is a very dangerous thing, and when paired with other supporting tools such as extra redirection, Fake Out support, speed control, and up-front offense in necessary situations, it can be a very lead-based matchup.

The Gholdengo here can also be utilized as an alternate set-up attacker as well, using Nasty Plot, such as the following.

Gholdengo/Talonflame

https://pokepast.es/b8c6150fe8807b14

Electabuzz acting as a bulky redirectioner with great typing to approach Rain matchups gives Gholdengo a lot of comfort in setting up. This, combined with anti-priority options from Decidueye-Hisui, Talonflame for Tailwind, and Hydreigon and Primarina as satellite pieces to complete Dragon/Steel/Fairy core allows you to be on a constant offensive while having a defensive backbone that takes advantage of varied typings.

Both Primarina and Decidueye can run Haze to help with Dondozo matchups.

Some teams also include Glimmora as an additional offensive option!

Approach To Set-Up Offensives

There are a few moving pieces to keep in mind, but overall they boil down to the same point: If you remove their key piece, the rest of the team can lack the power to break through towards a victory.

• Remove the redirector. Easier said than done sometimes, depending on the pilot, but once you remove a redirection user early, you open up another path of access against their key Pokémon. Keep in mind this is not their only method of attaining set-up, as a lot of set-up teams have options such as Fake Out to get going.

• Limited coverage. Volcarona being one of the major offenders of this; due to the moveslots being used up for Protect and set-up moves, most Pokémon will only have 2 moves [usually STAB] as their coverage. Utilizing Pokémon with favourable type-matchups can be very helpful not allowing a run-away victory for the opposition. This is extra-useful in scenarios you're also...

• Matching the set-up. You too can take advantage of their passive turn and get set up as well.

• Go hard. Going for a strong offensive from the get-go and gaining strong momentum can make it hard for them to take advantage of the boosts if they have little HP remaining.

2-2-2

This sort of team archetype is commonly seen with Dondozo and Tatsugiri, utilizing strong condensed pairs that work well with each other and Dondozo/Tatsugiri to create a focused, highly offensive team that chokes out resources. Deal with one pair, and hope you still have enough for the next.

The tricky aspect of this team is the flexibility in Dondozo's sets as exemplified from all the way back in Regulation A. Standard Tera-Grass Offensive, Tera-Steel Body Press, Sub/Protect, or even Life Orb Tera-Water with Surf in Rain!

With Unaware on Dondozo, it also tends to be a waste of time trying to get boosts to not fall to the team as well.

Pawmot Variant

https://pokepast.es/24f486e40b31379f

This variation was recently featured on CybertronVGC's channel as well, as we previously mentioned. Strong offensive options that essentially clear the room for Dondozo to comfortably take time to close the game out. Highly recommend watching the video! Pawmot adds an extra layer to this team, capable of giving Dondozo an extra lease on life after it goes down.

Glimmora Variant

https://pokepast.es/e3bc69895b67a0d5

You're realistically more likely to see this variation, with Glimmora forcing a timer on opponents to try and get rid of the already hard-to-remove Dondozo. Between Meteor Beam nukes and Toxic Spikes, without clearly accounting for these specific things, it can be difficult to achieve a clean victory.

Approach to 2-2-2

The good thing here is that Dozogiri can sometimes be difficult to splash onto a team since it requires 2 slots, and because they are a rigid pair, can be difficult to also position around on the pilot's end. This means that the strongest 2-2-2 teams tend to be very similar, and can be very linear.

• Haze. Or any sort of stat-clear, really. Haze is the most consistent option one has to counter Dondozo-Tatsugiri through all their variations, and it can even be enough to deter one from bringing that mode altogether. Just be sure you can follow up afterward, as something like Palafin will still have a difficult time to deal with a physically bulky Water-type such as Dondozo

• Prep. Being aware of their sets, and their options, can give you very consistent lines due to the little variation in team members. Even against differing sets, you can tend to find lines into these teams very consistently.

• Know your team. There are multiple tools one can use to lock out Dondozo, such as Encore into a Protect, utilizing Unaware, or even out speeding and going for Critical Hits that ignore boosts. Building off the previous point, know your lines, and get creative with your tools to create a clear answer.

Miscellaneous

Here is just a quick run through of some other team archetypes you might see in Regulation H

Sand Offensive

https://pokepast.es/1052a4c541654882

Tyranitar with Tera-coverage, alongside two hard hitting sand abusers (three, if you want to count Glimmora) can go hard or go home. Just to note, Tyranitar is a pretty good standalone Pokémon too!

P2-Ursaluna

https://pokepast.es/5202373c783dcac2

A team that plays Balance, I think this is a strong variation of Balance at the moment since between P2 and Ursaluna, you get quite a lot of offensive coverage. Ice, Ground being premier coverage from Ice Beam and Headlong Rush, with Facade being an excellent neutral from Ursaluna. P2's Tera-type also dictates it's offensive coverage since it generally uses STAB Tera Blast.

END

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for some Regulation H teams coming your way from yours truly!

Acknowledgments

• Archaludon, Dondozo, and Tatsugiri sprites by RetroNC

• Gholdengo sprite from the Smogon Sprite Project

• Armarouge sprite by QDylm

Disclaimer: The opinions/stories expressed in the blog post are those of the author's and not necessarily reflective of the platform or its affiliates.