Pokemon Sword and Shield introduced some menacing competitive threats to the franchise. Dragapult, Urshifu, and Rillaboom all originated in Gen 8, and continue to be strong choices in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s Indigo Disk Regulation F metagame. That said, there is another Sword and Shield Pokemon that was initially feared once it became legal in Gen 9 but has not lived up to its expectations in the slightest.
Sword and Shield added two more members to Regigigas’ Legendary Titans: Regieleki and Regidrago. Compared to Hoenn’s original trio of Regis, the Electric and Dragon-types are more offensively oriented.
Regice, Regirock, and Registeel all have the Ability Clear Body, which prevents their stats from being lowered. Regieleki and Regidrago have the Abilities Transistor and Dragon’s Maw, respectively.
These allow for the Gen 8 titans to receive boosts in the power of their Electric and Dragon-type moves, increasing their damage output immensely. Regieleki dominated the Sword and Shield competitive metas it was legal in, as its base 200 Speed stat meant it could essentially outspeed every other Pokemon, providing speed control and damage with the move Electroweb. In a surprising turn of events, however, the Legendary Pokemon has been reduced to mediocrity in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.
Why Pokemon Legends: Arceus' Hisuian Typhlosion Drops the Ball in Scarlet and Violet
The conditions of the current meta along with its Ability make Hisuian Typhlosion a suboptimal pick in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.
Why Regieleki Is A Suboptimal Pick In Scarlet and Violet
With the announcement of Regulation D, it was revealed that certain Pokemon were going to be available in Scarlet and Violet via transfer from Pokemon Home. Regieleki made the cut, which meant that trainers would need to prepare for its inclusion in Regulation D. Furthermore, with the Terastal phenomenon allowing trainers to change Regieleki’s type and give it the coverage it desperately needs, it was assumed without question that it would completely dominate as it once did in the previous generation. With the start of Regulation F, though, its usage rate is still low.
Regieleki’s Ability, Transistor, Has Been Weakened
In Sword and Shield, Transistor gave Regieleki a 50 percent boost to all of its Electric-type attacks, making weaker moves such as Electroweb hit a lot harder than they normally would. In Scarlet and Violet, however, this Ability was altered so that its STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus) attacks only receive a 30 percent boost. While it may not seem like such a significant change, the decrease in power is unfortunate for Regieleki, as this makes it less versatile. Interestingly, Regidrago’s Ability Dragon’s Maw was not weakened and still gives it a 50 percent boost to its Dragon-type attacks.
Priority Attacks Have Taken Over Scarlet And Violet
Back in Sword and Shield, Dynamax was the main battling mechanic. This allowed trainers to double a single Pokemon’s HP and give them access to powerful moves with game-altering secondary effects. The HP increase in particular disincentivized trainers from using priority attacks, as they typically give up strength in return for almost always moving first.
As Dynamax no longer exists in Scarlet and Violet, moves such as Extreme Speed, Sucker Punch, Aqua Jet, and more have completely taken over the meta. Strong priority attack users such as Entei, Dragonite, and Chien Pao make Regieleki’s phenomenal Speed stat essentially irrelevant in battle. These three Pokemon can knock the Electric-type out before it can even get a move off.
The Ideal Regieleki Moveset And Stat Spread
Regieleki’s mediocre performance in Scarlet and Violet is also largely due to its obscurity in the format. So few trainers are experimenting with it and, as a result, it hasn’t been able to find a niche in Regulation F. The following set can take advantage of Regieleki’s tools and is relevant to the current meta:
- Item: Covert Cloak
- Ability: Transistor
- Level: 50
- Tera Type: Ice
- EVs: 252 Special Attack / 4 Defense / 252 Speed
- Modest Nature
- Moves: Protect, Tera Blast, Electroweb, Thunderbolt
Electroweb is a staple of Regieleki’s moveset, as it simultaneously deals damage and lowers the Speed stats of both opposing Pokemon. Thunderbolt is its traditional STAB move that it can consistently use to pick up late-game knock-outs. If a Ground-type faces Regieleki in battle, it can Terastalize into an Ice-type and knock out notable threats, such as Landorus, with Tera Blast. Finally, the Covert Cloak item allows the Legendary Pokemon to avoid flinches from Fake Out and Speed drops from Icy Wind.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 71 /100 Critics Rec: 48%
- Released
- November 18, 2022
- ESRB
- E For Everyone Due To Mild Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- Game Freak
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo, The Pokemon Company
- Engine
- Proprietary Engine
- Multiplayer
- Local Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- no
WHERE TO PLAY
The school that you’ve enrolled in as you play Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet hosts a special independent study project. The theme of this assignment is "A Treasure Hunt." Explore the world and seek out your very own treasure!
Three stories will be woven into your adventure while traversing the sprawling Paldea region. Along Victory Road, you will go to Gyms in different locations in order to to achieve Champion Rank. On the Path of Legends, you can join Arven in search of rare ingredients. And in ★ Starfall Street ★, you’ll challenge Team Star, a group of delinquents causing trouble for the school.
These stories are set in an open world, so where you go is all up to you. A world teeming with Pokémon and people to meet is waiting for you—traverse the Paldea region wherever you heart desires.
