Types of VGC Formats
Not all Pokémon formats are created equal.
Some reward creativity. Some reward matchup knowledge. And some… just reward bringing the best team and clicking buttons.
Today, we’re breaking down the three major shapes of Pokémon VGC formats:
Triangle Formats
Two-Team Formats
One-Team Formats
Each one teaches you how to build, how to play, and what to expect in your journey to improve as a player.
Triangle Formats: When the Meta Has Three Queens (or Kings)
Triangle formats are the healthiest, most fun metagames in VGC.
Three dominant archetypes keep each other in check, forcing creativity and adaptability. You can’t just prep for one team - you need a plan for all three.
2014: The Perfect Triangle Format
The 2014 format was defined by:
Mega Kangaskhan Balance (Fake Out, raw damage, balanced cores)
Mega Mawile Trick Room (Intimidate, Fairy STAB)
Mega Charizard-Y Sun (Explosive power, speed control with Tailwind, sun-boosted Heat Waves)
Each beat one and lost to another:
Kangaskhan teams beat Charizard with Rock Slide users like Garchomp and Tyranitar.
Charizard melted Mawile with sun-boosted Fire attacks.
Mawile walled Kangaskhan with Intimidate and Play Rough under Trick Room.
Everyone had a plan, but no one had a guarantee.
By Worlds, Kangaskhan fell out of top cut while Mawile and Charizard surged. The triangle self-regulated the meta. In triangle formats, you don’t just chase power—you chase stability and flexibility.
Two-Team Formats: When One Team Rules, But Another Can Beat It
Two-Team Formats see the meta narrow into a dominant team, but another rises to challenge it.
Example: Series 12 (2022) – Kyogre-Zacian vs. Rinya Sun
Series 12 allowed two restricted Pokémon per team, leading to Kyogre + Zacian dominating early:
Kyogre spammed Origin Pulses and Max Geysers.
Zacian swept with Intrepid Sword.
Teams that didn’t prep for Kyogre-Zacian often couldn’t compete.
But then came Rinya Sun:
Built by Rinya Kobayashi, refined by Eric Rios and Joseph Ugarte.
Charizard punished passive play with G-Max Wildfire chip damage.
Groudon set Sun, shutting down Kyogre.
Gastrodon absorbed Water moves.
Grimmsnarl and Incineroar layered disruption.
Zacian mirrored the opposing Zacian matchup.
Rinya Sun didn’t just beat Kyogre-Zacian; it reshaped the format, forcing everyone to prep for it or play it themselves.
One-Team Formats: When There’s Only One Real Choice
One-Team formats are the rarest—and often the most oppressive. Here, one team dominates everything, and the meta revolves around perfecting the mirror or finding a way to break it.
Example: VGC 2016 – The Year of the Big 6
The Big 6:
Primal Groudon
Xerneas
Mega Kangaskhan
Smeargle
Talonflame
Salamence
This team was everywhere, winning Regionals, Japan Cups, and shaping Worlds prep. Xerneas used Geomancy, Smeargle spammed Dark Void, Kangaskhan cleaned up, and Groudon swept under the Sun.
Then came Wolfe Glick at Worlds 2016.
Instead of playing the mirror, Wolfe countered it:
Primal Kyogre reversed Groudon’s weather.
Mega Rayquaza punished slow setups and removed weather with Air Lock.
Mega Gengar trapped and Taunted key threats while also having valuable Poison-type STAB (Same-Type-Attack-Bonus) for Xerneas.
Raichu provided speed control and Fake Out.
Hitmontop pivoted with Intimidate and Eject Button.
Bronzong set Trick Room to disrupt the Big 6 and used its item and the move Safeguard to prevent Smeargle from putting everything to sleep with Dark Void.
Wolfe didn’t just play the mirror better - he broke it, winning the World Championship by forcing the Big 6 to play his game. Breaking a One-Team format is one of the rarest and most celebrated feats in VGC.
Why This Matters for Your Teambuilding
Triangle Formats
Reward creativity and consistent skill.
You need flexibility to handle all three dominant archetypes.
Two-Team Formats
Force you to choose a side and perfect your counterplay.
Building requires deep matchup knowledge and mirror practice.
One-Team Formats
Demand mirror mastery or a format-breaking innovation.
Here, teambuilding is about exploiting cracks in the most popular team.
Conclusion: The Science of Formats, The Art of Playing Pokémon
Understanding the shape of the meta you are playing in is one of the most important teambuilding skills in VGC.
In Triangle Formats, build the best version of your playstyle.
In Two-Team Formats, pick your side and prepare for the war.
In One-Team Formats, perfect the mirror—or be bold enough to break it.
This is the science of formats. And the art of competitive Pokémon.
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Until Next Time…
Play Hard or Go Home!
