Pokemon Fantasy Team guide: Best VGC team, how to play, and more

The Pokemon World Championships for 2023 are just a few days away, and players around the world are either preparing to compete or watch their favorite players and teams face off across multiple Pocket Monsters games. Fans can also play Fantasy Team and predict which TCG cards and monsters in the VGC tournament will dominate the competition.

Pokemon Fantasy Team is free to play and can be accessed by any player with a Trainer Club account. After logging in, you can set your lineup ahead of August 10, 2023, when the first day of Worlds will begin in Japan.

This article will explore the best VGC team to use in your Fantasy Team and how to play the game.

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Best VGC team for Pokemon Fantasy Team ahead of Worlds 2023

As Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's VGC has entered Season 8 in Regulation D, to be successful at Fantasy Team for Worlds 2023, you will have to be aware of the creatures that are seen and used often. Moreover, you have to predict which Pocket Monsters will have the highest rate of success during the three-day tournament.

Pokemon Fantasy Team will task fans with selecting one Paldean species, one Paradox, one Treasure of Ruin, two creatures that were made available in Regulation D, and one returning Pocket Monster that can be obtained in Generation IX. Based on these parameters, the recommended VGC team for fantasy is as follows:

• Paldean : Kingambit
• Paradox - Flutter Mane
• Treasure of Ruin - Chien-Pao
• Regulation D Arrivals - Incarnate Tornadus, Rapid Strike Urshifu
• Returning Pokemon - Amoonguss

This Fantasy Pokemon Team is based on usage and performance data in Regulation D. Flutter Mane is a lock due to its overwhelming usage and top-tier status since Scarlet and Violet's launch. Meanwhile, Kingambit's comeback mechanic has seen it skyrocket in use, and it is simply too good to ignore.

Chien-Pao's Sword of Ruin ability is essential for physical attackers and securing takedowns, and Amoonguss' Clear Smog build makes it an invaluable support on nearly any VGC team you can imagine. Lastly, Tornadus has shown huge success after returning to VGC post-Regulation D, and Urshifu's Rapid Strike style is extremely useful when it Terastallizes into a Water-type.

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What is Pokemon Fantasy Team and how do you play it?

As the name suggests, Pokemon Fantasy Team is similar to fantasy sports but for the upcoming World Championship competition. After logging in to your Trainer Club account, you can select six TCG cards and six VGC Pocket Monsters for two separate teams based on which picks you think will win regularly at Worlds.

Lastly, you will be tasked with estimating how many collective cards both players will have in their discard pile at the end of Grand Finals in the TCG. For the VGC, you will have to guess what the final health total of the winning Pokemon in Grand Finals will be when it lands the decisive blow in the finale.

How to pick your teams for Fantasy Team before Worlds 2023

1. Head to Fantasy Team's site and scroll down the page, and click the Get Started button.
2. Enter your Trainer Club account information or create an account, then continue.
3. Select your teams for both the VGC and TCG separately. The site will guide you through which Pocket Monsters/cards you can choose from before giving you the final tie-breaking question pertaining to final HP totals and discard piles.
4. Press the submit button to finish. You can return to this page and edit your team lineups if you change your mind. However, the deadline for setting and editing teams is August 10, 2023, at 8 am PDT, so make sure you're all set by then.

Currently, Fantasy Team is available for US residents living within the 50 states or the District of Columbia who are at least 18 years old. Based on the final Pokemon and card placement in the top eight contestants at Worlds, players are eligible to receive many different prizes, including:

• The top winner of both the VGC and TCG competitions will receive a large Spheal plush in addition to lower-tier prizes.
• The 100 best participants from both the TCG and VGC will win an Umbreon Sitting Cuties plush with a Booster Display Box of the TCG's Obsidian Flames expansion.
• The first 10,000 trainers to register for Fantasy Teams in either category will receive a code that can be redeemed for Stretchy Form Tatsugiri within Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.

It's important to have your correct address on your Trainer Club account to ensure you can receive any physical rewards from the Fantasy Team competition if you win. You have until August 31, 2023, at 11:59 pm PDT to add the correct address to receive physical rewards.

Fans have nothing to lose by participating, and joining Fantasy Teams is as easy as possible. The entire game ought to make Worlds 2023 much more compelling when the final eight participants in the card game and Scarlet and Violet take the stage.