With Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet coming to stores and the Nintendo eShop in November 2022, fans will take all sorts of new adventures with new Pokémon in the Paldea region.
There's a lot to look forward to with so many ways to play the Pokémon franchise. Fans can enjoy regular playthroughs, Nuzlockes, monotype challenges, and more. For many in the competitive community, the games are more about updating the competitive environment. One thing that includes is Draft Leagues, a fantasy football-like system where players draft Pokémon and then compete with the teams they've drafted. Any group can get started as long as they know a few simple rules.
Choose A Format Everyone Is Happy With
There are many ways to play competitive Pokémon, and not every group of friends will see eye to eye on how they want to approach a draft league. However, an ideal draft league is one that everyone in the group is satisfied with.
There are three primary ways to play competitive Pokémon: VGC (4v4 doubles,) 6v6 doubles, and 6v6 singles. After that's settled, choosing a generation is next. Most players use the current generation's pool, but draft leagues are running even today that draft from generations seven through one. Finally, there are a few different powerhouse Pokémon from any generation that should likely be banned ahead of time.
Divide Pokémon Into Tiers
It's no secret that some Pokémon are more popular than others, and the same is true in terms of power. Part of the fun of draft league is making the most out of all sorts of Pokémon, and that can be difficult if they aren't separated into tiers.
Typically, players will get two or three A-tier picks with two or three -tier, two to four C-tier, and two D-tier to back them up. For help separating the Pokémon into tiers, the ones used by the competitive Pokémon simulator Pokémon Showdown are a great place to start. Typically all Pokemon in the "Uber" tier are banned, with A-tier starting with "Overused," B-tier starting with "Underused," C-tier starting with "Rarelyused," and D-tier comprised of the "Neverused" and "PU" designations.
Draft Pokémon In A "Snake Draft"
It may seem like the first few players to pick will have access to the most powerful competitive Pokémon available. While that may be the case, the best solution is to draft in a "snake draft," a way of drafting where the order is reversed after every round.
The snake draft ensures the person who goes last in round one gets the first Pokémon of the second round. This makes the first, the middle, and the last pick all feel like unique and interesting places to be in the draft rather than being a blessing or curse. The snake draft is the fairest and the least random way to make all competitors feel like they have a fair shot at drafting a solid team they'll be happy with.
Draft Roughly 10 Pokémon
Eleven Pokémon is usually the gold standard for a Pokémon draft league, but some leagues have also been known to do nine or 10. The key is to have enough to give the player options while not making their weekly opponent feel like there are too many Pokémon to prepare for.
While the battles each week are 6v6 or 4v4s depending on the format, almost no draft leagues draft exactly that number. This is so that each week players will be able to choose the Pokémon they think will be the best matchup for their opponent, adding an extra bit of skill and dampening the randomness of bad matchups. Few players will be great at drafting right away, but part of the fun is learning how to cover almost every weakness.
Only 1 Or 2 Matches Per Week
Generally, draft leagues only play one match a week, with some playing two. It can be hard to find time to schedule, and dedicated preparation can take a while. This means it's best to respect everyone's time and keep games per week on the low side.
After a set number of regular season games, which can be either a full round-robin or a set conference schedule depending on the number of players, it becomes time for playoffs. Playoff matches are also typically once a week, and the championship match should be set ahead of time so that everyone can watch. It's also recommended to post replays of all games or post when they're happening in a group chat or Discord server.
Use Pokémon Showdown To Play
There are many different ways to enjoy Pokémon, and a lot of players choose to use the battle simulator Pokémon Showdown as their main way to play the game. While some are Nuzlocking or hatching shinies, some players purely play for the thrill of 6v6 battles.
Pokémon Showdown allows players to select any six Pokémon with any moves, abilities, items, EVs, IVs, etc. that the Pokémon could have in-game. This makes Showdown far superior for Draft Leagues than using the actual games, as players will be able to drastically alter their movesets and even EVs between games without having to worry about hatching an all-new Pokémon and training it up from scratch.
Allow A Few Swaps
Just like how fantasy leagues and actual sports allow for the trading of players mid-season, the same is true for Pokémon draft leagues. Typically, the Pokémon that weren't drafted will be available as picks in "free agency."
Participants usually get three total free agency swaps with the unused Pokémon to help make their team stronger or more cohesive throughout the season. All participants are also allowed to trade Pokémon with one another. However, it's recommended to make all trades and free agency swaps happen with ample time before that player's next game so that their opponent can properly prepare for the changes.
Remember Problematic Pokémon For Next Season
Pokemon are incredibly diverse. Some Pokémon are cute, some Pokémon are weird-looking, and some are insanely overpowered. If a league finds that one Pokémon is too heavily dominating or is just generally ruining people's experiences, it may go up a tier or be banned in the next season.
One example of this is Dragapult, a Pokémon that sits at the top of most singles leagues. However, it's so powerful and versatile that many leagues opt to simply ban it.Of course, the reverse is also true. Pokémon that don't see any play may need to fall a tier. After a few seasons of testing, leagues will finally start to find the right balance for their tiers and there won't be any obvious first picks or Pokémon that have no reason to be picked at all.
Give The Winner A Prize
Once playoffs are over, it's finally time to crown a champion. Some leagues play for the glory of the champion title alone, while some can be more like fantasy leagues and have a small financial or physical prize.
If the participants coordinated through a Discord server or group chat, which is the case for most leagues, they can also get a custom title or nickname. Some draft leagues also have the "franchising" tactic, where the champion from the previous season can reserve one Pokémon from their team to start the next season guaranteed. They still have to use one of their picks on it, but nobody else is allowed to draft that one franchised Pokémon.
Have Fun
Draft leagues can definitely be very competitive, but it's important always to remember that this is something friends are doing because they find it fun. One unlucky Focus Blast miss may be frustrating, but at the end of the day, it's just a game.
Having fun applies to both playing and drafting. Many participants will go with their favorite Pokémon even if they don't think that Pokémon is the next best pick. Just because something like Landorus-Therian might be the most powerful option available doesn't mean the participant shouldn't go with something they know they'd have more fun with. A world championship was won with Pachirisu, so fans should never be afraid to use their favorites.