BEGINNER's Guide to Competitive Pokemon! | Pokemon Scarlet and Violet VGC 2024 Tips and Tricks!

[@KneeckohGaming]

What got you into competitive Pokemon?

[@GuruFernandez]

I participated in my first local event back in the ORAS days. Was super fun to play something I love competitively

[@AlexUsedSplash]

Shady Penguinn doing his WiFi battles against subscribers. They were singles battles. I can’t honestly remember when I first saw VGC. 😂

[@Dalborax]

Very informative video kneeckoh I watched your one from last year when I decided to step in this realm last week but I think this one was a bit more in depth very good job. To answer the question you were the final thing that got me into it! I watched some live streams from official channel in regionals vids from Wolfe from moxie boosted but something about you drew me in more and listening to you talk about all your decisions as you go as and I learned a lot from listening to you and watching your games play out and as you said in this vid I was one of the most recent who used your rentals to try I'd watch your vid then try the team. After seeing how you implemented it as a baseline guide because I've never done this before and I got to 8 with your teams getting so frustrated but learning every time then I tried one more team i found and hit master ball Sunday which put me at 4k something rating im master ball was a confidence boost and felt good so thank you for all you do. I haven't stepped back in yet been busy with work And I'm going to start grinding final dlc and raids so I can play with building some Pokemon of my own since very soon rank resets but you are the man kneeckoh

[@KneeckohGaming]

SwSh was my first time playing competitive

[@KneeckohGaming]

Glad my videos inspired you to start playing competitive!

[@eggpathy]

i felt really stupid watching a lot of other videos because they assume that i have previous competitive pokemon knowledge, but this video broke it down so well and not only made it seem less daunting, but made me genuinely excited to get into it! thank you so much for this :0)

[@KneeckohGaming]

That was my goal for this video! Glad I stuck the landing!

[@sweetboymatt3]

This is super important because I feel like the majority of VGC content is geared towards other VGC players. Great way to get more people into the game!

[@KneeckohGaming]

Thanks for the kind words! Really wanted to help out new comers with this one!

[@hunterkinsella5303]

I’ve wanted to get into VGC for a loooong time, but all my favorite Pokémon are dookie water (ampharos for example). I still wanna make it work and this is gonna help 🤙

[@KneeckohGaming]

You can win with niche picks no problem! Just gotta build around their strengths!

[@beezuhs3071]

Man just build a team around your fav Pokémon to cover their downsides - getting wins with teams you enjoy is satisfying

[@KneeckohGaming]

@@beezuhs3071 Extremely satisfying

[@mattietaylor7567]

I’ve always been really scared to get into vgc, but this video is super helpful. This is gonna be a great resource for me, thank you

[@KneeckohGaming]

Glad it was helpful!

[@steamboatbill4]

You are not kidding. My first video game was Pokémon red version. This year I got interested in competitive Pokémon, downloaded home, and between brilliant diamond, sword, shield, and violet have begun my journey. Breeding for perfect stats and planning my ev’s and have just started venturing online to try it out. It’s been a blast.

[@KneeckohGaming]

That's awesome!

[@jeffinkhobar5711]

A very content-rich video! Also, unlike many other Pokemon vloggers, your speech is clear despite speaking very rapidly. You introduced me to several online resources I’ve never heard of, too. Thanks for posting this!

[@KneeckohGaming]

Glad you found it helpful! Thanks for the kind words!

[@vernonhacker9134]

I started playing vgc about 5 months ago and I can't get enough lol so much fun

[@KneeckohGaming]

It is so fun! Glad you are enjoying it!

[@bigfootoncomputer357]

Really appreciate a video like this. I've been watching pokemon on and off for years but a lot of the competitive videos I've checked out go in with a lot of assumptions about everyone's knowledge level. Great work!

[@KneeckohGaming]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@williamlaing8942]

Paused at 30 seconds to say what a good intro. You nailed it. I feelclike im so into pokemon but never even touched vgc. Its terrifying not knowing how much set up is involved, how important ev's are, all that. Hopefully youre my coach moving forward

[@KneeckohGaming]

Hopefully the video helps!

[@MinteaJade]

Thank you for this video!! I've been learning TCG and playing that, but my local shop is considering hosting VGC soon! Competitive Pokémon motivates me to enjoy a franchise I've already loved, but in a more realistic way. I've never been a competitive person by nature, but these formats are just motivating! It's really nice to be around fans of the franchise and the Pokémon world feels like it comes to life through these events.

[@KneeckohGaming]

Glad you found the video helpful!

[@azjei]

I really love this guide. I was already smiling halfway because of how beginner friendly you're wording everything. I love how you directed them towards the resources as well. The don't be afraid of losing and keep practicing part was the most important for me. I got to learn a lot by going against different teams in the ladder. Eventually, you can kinda tell what certain gimmicks the team would feature based on their composition. The VGC community has really expanded because tera is such a great mechanic. And guides like these encourage more people to join in on the fun. Great vid! 💖

[@KneeckohGaming]

Glad you enjoyed the video! Really wanted to target brand new players with this guide cause I feel many other creators cater more toward players who are already playing VGC

[@GuruFernandez]

Not a beginner but happy to see this type of content to reground the basics.

[@KneeckohGaming]

Thanks for the kind words!

[@Windxchild]

I was a big Pokemon fan as a kid. But Red and Blue came out when I was 8. So after playing the first few titles, I discovered boys and kind of forgot about Pokemon 😂… Until Pokemon Go came out. I enjoyed that at first, but got annoyed that you cannot keep playing it for a long time. So then I started playing the console games again and now finally, 8 years later, I feel like I am ready to take this thing seriously and start VGC. Wish me luck!

[@KneeckohGaming]

Good luck! Check out the discord if you need help!

[@hopescapes]

Today was my first day ever getting into competitive i spent about 5 hours learning about competitive watching tutorials like yours, wolfeys, and a lot more. Mainly learning how to strategize with trick room teams. I gotta admit at first I had NO idea what I was doing but after I lost about 30-40 times I was able to somewhat analyze what I was doing wrong in the plays I was making. It’s almost like playing chess in a way but already playing for about 4 hours after I wasn’t doing well at first I started heavily improving in my faults and constant miss plays and I already became ultra ball rank within 10-14 hours overall. I’m starting to see a lot of the times it can be better to lose to be able to learn how to improve for the next game. Your team building video really helped me a lot because I didn’t have any clue on where to start. Thanks for the tutorial 🙏

[@KneeckohGaming]

Glad my vids were helpful and welcome to VGC!

[@thelanktheist2626]

Yippee! I wanna get into comp so badly but it’s just so big and scary :0

[@KneeckohGaming]

Don’t be afraid! Come join the fun!

[@idkwastaken]

​@@KneeckohGamingit is NOT fun, it's bad.

[@KneeckohGaming]

@@idkwastaken hot take

[@idkwastaken]

@@KneeckohGaming Hot, and true take. It's literally not fun. You literally have to tear your ass to beat a japanese player with tricky moves

[@KneeckohGaming]

@@idkwastaken Yeah no lol it's fine you don't like it, but its simply not true. I play with meme teams on ladder and do just fine in masterball

[@MirageUchiha]

Awesome guide! Not new to battling (Singles & 3v3) But new to VGC competitive. But it's styll a great vid to watch! 👌🏾 Great way to bring in new eyes! 👍🏾

[@KneeckohGaming]

Glad you enjoyed the video! Everyone likes to talk to existing players, I wanted to address people interested in hopping in

[@MirageUchiha]

​@@KneeckohGaming Agreed! Btw bro, can you make an "Advanced/Masters Guide for VGC Players" video next plz?¿‽ 🙏🏾 Tips for ppl like me, who play VGC, but aren't on Wolfie & Zhang levels yet. Explaining more things like; - When to Tera vs When to hold off. - In-depth EVing. - Flow-charting. - Predicting your opp. Etc...

[@Bluegoo]

Without a doubt the best intro video for any pvp-based game and I am beyond impressed. Bravo man, this is killing it.

[@KneeckohGaming]

Glad it was helpful!

[@thedarthbear]

Great Guide! As for me? Well... 🤔 I played against friedns when I first played years ago. I stopped after Gen 4, and came back around Pokemon Sw/Sh, figuring I'd just be a casual fan. My friends I played with had long since stopped and I did not follow VGC at all. (For that matter, wasn't even fully aware of VGC!) This stayed apace when I started Pokemon Scarlet. I got REALLY into Tera Raids, and in my search for more info, etc on them, KZbin started recommending me VGC vids! Got my start with Cybertron and Pokesports, and in turn, that got me brave enough to try! Here I am, and glad I did. The friends and experiences have been *fantastic!*

[@KneeckohGaming]

Glad you found your way to VGC! It is such a fun part of the game!

[@takua1495]

Super helpful guide, you covered a lot of basics but its also huge that you brought up the limitless tournaments. I wasn't aware of the site so that was a huge nugget for you to drop on us.

[@KneeckohGaming]

Glad that little tip was helpful

[@idkwastaken]

Instructions unclear, I now have 100 losses and 0 wins. I'm serious.

[@roswellgruver2212]

Somebody has to do it and unfortunately that's us :/

[@leoreyes1412]

Knowledge only goes so far. It's up to you to come up with strategies and every situation is unique. There is no 1 way to play. Try new things no matter how dumb it may seem. It's how we improve

[@fountgarde]

I believe you

[@DestructoDizcc]

Excellent guide for beginners. Start here!

[@KneeckohGaming]

Thank you!

[@Satojisan]

I was enjoying tcg in Korea, and I became interested in vgc, which is a really good video. It was not easy to find vgc information in Korea.. thx!!

[@KneeckohGaming]

Happy to help!

[@thrilite3981]

Thank you for this!!! I’ve always loved pokemon since I was 8 (first actual game I played was X&Y but I played the DS games for a bit as a child before that) and played showdown around ~2018. Always found comp pokemon really hard to get into due to how intricate it is, so I ended up always brushing it away outta fear, but I’ll give it a good shot at 18!

[@KneeckohGaming]

Welcome to the fun!

[@thrilite3981]

@@KneeckohGaming I’d like to ask a question for the future if that’s okay, I’m guessing I’ll be spending a lot of money on purchasing items for comp, what is the best way to farm money? Last time I really played S&V the money making method was an amulet and ace tournament (and any other little tips you may have please) If it is in another video I’d be happy to watch it

[@KneeckohGaming]

@@thrilite3981 Best way now is farm BP in Indigo Disk and use the item printer to farm items to sell.

[@doomnik461]

Great Guide, can only recommend this for any beginner!

[@KneeckohGaming]

Thank you!

[@michaelhowell2809]

Im 35 and I love how much thinking is reauired to play, however its daunting to get into it

[@KneeckohGaming]

Hop in, it’s a blast

[@Shad0WWalker]

Othoworm- 2 ev def per kill Paldean Tauros- 2 ev attk per kill Cyclizar- 2 ev speed per kill Gerafrig- 2 ev sp. Attk per kill Marill/azumaril- 2 ev hp per kill Floette- 2 ev sp. Def per kill Use appropriate power item and you only have to knock out 26 of any to maximize the stat ❤

[@Petra-six-face]

Thanks a ton for this, should be really good to refer to!

[@Shad0WWalker]

@@Petra-six-face I'm glad someone finds the info useful ❤️

[@juanortiz-du2tu]

So I got a copy of shield that I'm just now about to beat. I'm planning on getting a copy of violet and a couple of the older games at some point. But just with my copy of shield, where do I start for competitive?

[@KneeckohGaming]

Well competitive play in Sword and Shield is pretty dead at this point. Scarlet and Violet are the current competitive games, so that's where you'd want to start. However, having Shield is solid because it will allow you to move Pokemon that are good from that game into Scarlet and Violet. Until then you could start playing on Pokemon Showdown

[@juanortiz-du2tu]

@@KneeckohGaming I guess I can start breeding and catching to build up on stuff to transfer to violet

[@return2monke420]

I've never been in to the in-depth training and breeding, but I'm trying to get into it because I do want to try my hand at online battling. But I don't want to be at a disadvantage, as I imagine most players online ARE doing this stuff. I grew up playing the older gens of pokemon for the fun of building a team comp to beat the game with. With the added QoL features in SV, I'm much more interested in trying it out. It's waaaaay easier when everything is accessible in the pause menu.

[@KneeckohGaming]

You won’t be behind. Just send it

[@marc-andrelatremouille2558]

Hey love your video im a newbie in your channel and in VGC and thanks to you im WAY more motivated to try more competitive. my bro started to hype me at 100% but hearing your video made it way more into 300% hype XD thanks for the simple explaination and hope you have a great day. thanks again for the video you can guarante blue thumb subscribe and bell pressed.

[@KneeckohGaming]

Welcome aboard!

[@jasp5846]

Nice guide, a big problem that i have as a beginner, is understanding teams and knowing how to lead or analyse the enemies team. Any advice other than watching pros, like online guides for teams?

[@KneeckohGaming]

Cybertron is a good player to watch as well as Wolfe. A lot of leads come with practice. Being able to analyze the opposing teams strategy in team preview is the best way to pick the Pokémon that are going to benefit you most in a matchup.

[@mr.tiorias974]

Idk if i missed something but in the EVs training every 4EVs raise that stat by one but that only applies at level 100 In the ladder and on tournaments the level is set to 50 where the first 4EVs raise the stat by one but after that every 8EVs raise the stat by one Once again sorry if this was explained in the video and i just missed it

[@st.h.65]

I would love a video about where to find (online) tournaments as a beginner. And I would an explanation which tournaments and events give CP. I want to play more tournaments and maybe even collect a few CP, even though I probably won’t even get close to worlds.

[@KneeckohGaming]

Limitless is the best place for online tournaments. As far as tournaments that give CP, Locals will, as well as Regionals and Internationals, and certain online competitions in game will, which Pokémon will let us know which those are

[@tokki8282]

Could you maybe explain some of the more popular teams/restricted pokemon and how to play them? I'd really like to get into VGC but idk what team would be the best for a beginner to learn the fundamentals without being overwhelmed

[@soopakoopa6461]

I feel like I can add: if you're training HP, the route just outside the very first pokemon center is perfect for it. Wooper, Igglybuff, Lechonk, and Azurill ALL give 1 HP.

[@KneeckohGaming]

The area outside the first Pokemon center has all the Pokemon I listed

[@MirageUchiha]

Btw bro, can you make an "Advanced/Masters Guide for VGC Players" video next plz?¿‽ 🙏🏾 I think others would agree wit me! Tips for ppl like me, who play VGC, but aren't on Wolfie & Zhang levels yet. Explaining more things like; - When to Tera vs When to hold off. - In-depth EVing. - Flow-charting. - Predicting your opp. Etc...

[@KneeckohGaming]

Eventually perhaps!

[@MirageUchiha]

@KneeckohGaming Nice! 👍🏾 I'm looking forward to it if you do it, since you broke this first vid down so well!

[@Xilo_K]

I'm really an inch away from starting but all I really want to know is how disadvantaged will I be if I decide to pick the pokémons I like myself instead of the strongest? I heard Reshiram is not very strong but I don't really see myself competing without it... thanks!

[@KneeckohGaming]

Just depends if you build a solid team around the off meta picks

[@runeritari3]

I am trying make sneasler or lucario work (for sneasler thinking incineroar, ogerpon-wellspring and as restricted either koraidon or dawn-wing necrozma/lunala b but im unsure if i should use miraidon instead and just have electric seed on sneasler) , is it possible without needing something like tornadus, whimsicott, indeedee or type of support pokemon? i dont seem see anyway get those pokemons work without tailwind or trickroom or something else similar. But this is very informative and fun video. Keep doing good job!

[@KneeckohGaming]

Just played a Sneasler team on the channel yesterday! Check that video out! Could help with the teambuilding!

[@runeritari3]

@@KneeckohGaming i did check it out but it used tailwind so thats what im kinda worried about i cant do it without that and went also checking ways for me use it with other ways too haha so im stumped

[@KneeckohGaming]

I don’t think the tailwind is necessary, but it definitely helps

[@runeritari3]

@@KneeckohGaming hope so cuz been trying fiddle with hisui goodra ,incineroar and ogerpon rn but i think i should maybe drop hisui goodra as its probs not good team mate due how meta goes haha

[@sirpanxito]

Man i wish i could get into competitive Pokemon, I've been playing Pokemon since gen 6 but now that the online feature has been disabled i cant play competitive. Plus i dont have a switch lol

[@KneeckohGaming]

Showdown still exists!

[@sirpanxito]

@@KneeckohGaming right I forgot xD I was so used to using pokemon Oras I forgot about that website

[@Azzy2beamaster]

I Subscribed Dude!

[@KneeckohGaming]

Thanks and welcome to the community! If you are looking for a fun crew to team build with or just talk Pokemon, I cannot recommend the discord enough. Not saying it cause it is mine, but it is literally where I have met the people I talk to the most in the community! We have a great time over there!

[@Azzy2beamaster]

@@KneeckohGaming sure can you drop the link please???

[@KneeckohGaming]

In the video description!

[@evan7453]

When does the new format come out? I don’t wanna build on the format from four months ago and the new one comes out in a few days hsha

[@KneeckohGaming]

Reg H runs until January

[@evan7453]

@ ok and then it goes back to G I heard is that correct?

[@Dalborax]

This moght be a dumb question but how do you get these downloaded and edited since it seems you play the game itself not like a shogon showdown type thing just curious i know x box and PlayStation have like a live record thing built in but i havent seen with switch im just a noob so not trying to become a content creator but would be nice to know

[@KneeckohGaming]

I have an Elgato Capture card

[@Dalborax]

Thank you I made a book mark about it before this message you responded too I left one to you about your actual vid. Not digging for another response but if you didn't see it I answered and gave props/thanks

[@KneeckohGaming]

I just saw it haha!

[@FriendKevo]

I’ll use vitamins and feathers to max out two stats and then I’ll go to invest 4 more in another stat and I won’t have the option? Am I missing something?

[@KneeckohGaming]

I’m not following what you are asking

[@gymprincess995]

You might have already had some EVs somewhere else on the Pokémon or something of the sort

[@FriendKevo]

@@gymprincess995 Thanks, I did have a few unwanted Attack EVs and that was the issue 🥸

[@taboo5404]

Is this worth getting into if you find the gameplay of the regular game kinda slow and boring? Wanna try comp out but don’t wanna have to beat the game

[@KneeckohGaming]

Just Gen 🤷‍♂️

[@taboo5404]

@@KneeckohGaming I’m not sure what you mean by this comment 😅 but I’ll probs just try it out anyway to see if I enjoy it I guess

[@KneeckohGaming]

@@taboo5404 generate Pokemon. Then you don't have to beat the game. Otherwise you will need to beat the game

[@PapiLongSword]

Anyone have a rental team code for this Team? Pokemon S/V

[@KneeckohGaming]

Tons of rentals posted on the channel and in the discord

[@moritz272]

is Doubles the standard/most played format? Or Singles?

[@KneeckohGaming]

Doubles is the official format for tournaments held by The Pokemon Company. Singles is popular too, but Pokemon does not hold anything for it, it is all community organized

[@LightshaperQ]

I don’t even know what VGC stands for but I’m good at Pokémon. How do I start? How do I play VGC?

[@KneeckohGaming]

Follow the video 👍

[@LightshaperQ]

Oh yeah I hate VGC then. This means I HAVE to use a legendary or else I’m getting washed?

[@pownotthere]

​@@LightshaperQ VGC means Video Game Championships You aren't required to use legendaries but you will most likely lose without them. I encourage getting into competitive pokemon for a casual player to learn the depth and allowing you to have more favourite pokemon, at least that is how I see it. "Weak" pokemons can work, they just need to have a justification Butterfree has a niche of fast and accurate sleep as well as tailwind but most pokemon aren't as lucky.

[@danieldiaz7050]

Guy's is it worth it to hand train a team when everybody can just rent a perfect team already?

[@KneeckohGaming]

Yeah. It’s fun to build your own squads! Just won a local with a goofy team I threw together one morning 30 minutes before leaving for the event! It’s fun to come up with strategies that can counter the popular teams!

[@pokemercenary6511]

I decided to learn VGC. Was playing TCG, but I found it frustrating in many ways.

[@KneeckohGaming]

Welcome to the fun

[@blattblatt-ee7ue]

good video

[@KneeckohGaming]

Thanks

[@conc_7778]

why is it that not all the pokemon on your teams are lvl 100?

[@KneeckohGaming]

Idk 🤷‍♂️

[@TerabyteTigr]

Everything is auto leveled up/down to 50 for VGC so you don't need to level them all the way

[@TalesDelma]

even after watching your video, im still kinda afraid of stepping into this VGC business, with all those hacking going on ect, and the pokemon i dont have access to since transporter/home are not available anymore, im not sure if its even worth.

[@KneeckohGaming]

All the hacking? A Pokémon that doesn’t have legal stats/abilities cannot be used in competitive play. The game locks it. So regardless of if a person gens a legitimate pokemon or if they make it themselves, it comes down to skill at the end of the day

[@oSwordYToffical]

sike *hmmpph*

[@ilgattoyuumi]

love the content but hate the like subscribe before 1 minute thing, it's really annoying, dislike

[@KneeckohGaming]

Oh well 🤷‍♂️

[@jeffkidd2959]

Shinx and rookie are side by side early game that's speed and attack ev training in 1 spot

[@bowsette1802]

So I'm going to break this down for people that are having a hard time digesting First off about the EVS it's 510 points that can go into a single Pokemon but only 250 in a single stat therefore you only want to apply points into the Pokemon's stats that have closer to 250, let's call that talent stats the non-talent stats will be a lot weaker and and more punishing if boosted. There's also adjusters for stats. Feathers berries and vitamins some increase some decrease and some do other wonky stuff. My assumption is that you can actually remove a base starting stats to a negative and use that to create a positive in another stat area. Then there's attitude type stats which can be altered which saves you the time and energy from breeding constantly and not getting the right stat or getting the right attitude or both. And when training in the wild you want to only have one Pokemon on you because this can affect the EV training of your other Pokemon Finally you're probably worried about abilities affects and other stuff right. It's very daunting to and very overwhelming to learn about every single ability and every single stats this will take many years of playing or a long hours of playing so don't worry about it. Think of it like this It's like playing magic a gathering or Yu-Gi-Oh you don't read every single card in your deck no you read as you play so what I'm saying is you draw five cards you read each an individual card in your hand over time you start to learn your deck and over time you start to learn about the gimmicks and the trickery that you can play. And as you get more and more advanced you probably want to build your second team then a third team and then the fourth team and then the 5th and then you'll have a six and then the 17th team eventually you'll have build up 100 different teams so don't worry building teams is the whole point of the game once you learn about all the Pokemon and abilities and stuff you can then probably end up start mixing and matching and playing with Corky things making it unique to you and your own play style I think the Pokemon game and game freak should actually incorporate more gems and more things into the system to help teach people about advanced playing mechanics. With voice acting and talking instead of reading and texting. It'd be kind of interesting to have special limited edition type of Pokemon inside of certain things like or have certain TMS locked away or certain things locked away behind educational type things. But if you previously played a game you can actually instantly unlock these things I think this type of feature would actually greatly help people get into the meta

[@KneeckohGaming]

It’s 252 into a single stat.