Mar 3, 2023: Season 2 Cycle 4 Factions: Metas and Timeline

Season 2 of Silph Arena Factions has been building to this point! The final leg, Cycle 4, stretches from March to May. It’s time to ready your Faction, confirm roles, and strategize for what may be the most important Cycle yet!

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CYCLE 4 TIMELINE

Registration will open on Monday, March 6th at 00:00 UTC and close on Saturday, March 12th at 23:59 UTC. Between that time you will be able to create a Faction or update existing rosters and invite new members. Be sure to have all members in their designated role before registration closes. Cycle 4 will then commence on Tuesday, March 14th at 00:00 UTC. Like prior Cycles, this last Cycle will consist of nine weekly Bouts.

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BATTLEFIELD METAS AND RESTRICTIONS FOR GREAT, ULTRA, AND MASTER LEAGUES

(Due to it’s lack of accessibility prior to the Cycle 4 start, Hawlucha will be banned from all formats.)

GREAT LEAGUE

The restricted lists for Great League Specialist are changing. Specialists will now have 17 points available to build their team based on the point structure below.

S Tier: 7 Points
Altaria, Lanturn, Noctowl, Medicham, Galarian Stunfisk, Registeel

A Tier: 5 Points
Azumarill, Bastiodon, Deoxys Defense, Lickitung, Sableye, Swampert, Toxapex, Trevenant, Umbreon

B Tier: 2 Points
Abomasnow, Aurorus, Charizard, Cresselia, Cofagrigus, Diggersby, Drapion, Froslass, Machamp, Mantine, Mandibuzz, Alolan Ninetales, Obstagoon, Pelipper, Pidgeot, Scrafty, Skarmory, Tapu Fini, Venusaur, Walrein

C Tier: 1 Point
Any Pokémon not listed in Tiers S, A, and B.

 

ULTRA LEAGUE: JUSTICAR BATTLEFIELD

Fight for goodness in the Justicar Battlefield! Assemble a team with only Bug, Electric, Fairy, Fighting, Fire, Ice, and Poison-type Pokémon.

No ground-types, Toxicroak, Dragalge, Aurorus, Alolan Golem, Lanturn, Tapu Fini, or Megas are permitted in this battlefield.

 

MASTER LEAGUE

Specialists have 8 points available to build their team based on the point structure below.

S Tier: 4 Points
Mewtwo, Dialga, Zacian, Solgaleo, Groudon, Mega Aggron, Mega Scizor, Mega Salamence, Mega Gengar

A Tier: 3 Points
Lugia, Ho-oh, Kyogre, Giratina Origin, Giratina Altered, Meloetta, Zarude, Mega Blastoise, Mega Steelix

B Tier: 2 Points
Zekrom, Xerneas, Yveltal, Melmetal, Palkia, Dragonite, Reshiram, Kyurem, Rayquaza, Mega Charizard X

C Tier: 1 Point
Landorus Therian, Landorus Incarnate, Genesect, Mew, Florges, Buzzwole, Mega Venusaur, Mega Alakazam, Mega Blaziken, Mega Sceptile, Mega Abomasnow, Mega Altaria

D Tier: 0 Points
Any Pokémon not previously listed in Tiers S, A, B, and C. The following Mega Pokémon are permitted in this tier: Mega Beedrill, Mega Pidgeot, Mega Slowbro, Mega Kangaskhan, Mega Aerodactyl, Mega Ampharos, Mega Houndoom, Mega Manectric, Mega Absol, Mega Banette, Mega Lopunny, Mega Glalie

 

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FIELD SPECIALIST POSITIONS AND METAS

Of the four Field Specialists roles, two Specialists will compete in the Arcana Battlefield and two Specialists will compete in the Catacomb Battlefield.

ARCANA BATTLEFIELD

Assemble a team with only Ghost, Grass, Psychic, or Rock-type Pokémon as well as Gyarados, Scyther, Vespiquen, Honchkrow.

No Electric, Fairy, Ice, or Normal-types are permitted in this Battlefield. Additionally, Bastiodon, Probopass, Regirock, Trevenant, Sableye, Galarian Articuno, Tropius are also banned in this battlefield.

CATACOMB BATTLEFIELD

Build a team with only Bug, Dark, Grass, Ice, or Rock-typings plus Samurott, Seaking, Milotic, and Qwilfish.

No Legendaries, Mythicals, Regionals, Shadows, Steel, or Grass/Poison-typings are allowed in this battlefield. Scrafty, Obstagoon, Dewgong, Alolan Ninetales, Crustle, Aurorus, Amaura, Walrein, Hisuian Qwilfish, Overqwil, Araquanid, Trevenant, Magcargo, Dweeble are also not permitted in this Battlefield.

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POST SEASON

This is what you have been battling for! Glory and excellence in the highest Faction Tiers will go on to compete in Post Season tournaments, similar to Season 1.

WORLDS CHAMPIONSHIP

Five Factions from each conference (APAC, EMEA, NA, and LATAM) will compete in a two-phase tournament: a group stage and then a single-elimination bracket, to determine the Season 2 Factions Champions! Invitations will go to the winning Emerald Tier Factions from each Cycle. If a Faction won multiple Cycles, invites will cascade to the Faction(s) in that conference with the highest combined points scored over all four Cycles; eligible Factions must have played the entire season in Emerald (no relegations). The tiebreaker will be match wins. This season we are also inviting a wildcard Faction that must have competed in Emerald for Cycle 4, and has not been relegated from any Tier even once during the Season. This will be based on their performance in their last two Cycles (Diamond and/or Emerald Tiers) using this formula: 0.6xTOTAL POINTS OVER 2 LAST CYCLES + 0.4x(TOTAL WINS OVER 2 LAST CYCLES/7). This means the Worlds Championship will have 20 total Factions!

KING OF THE HILL

In an all-out brawl, 256 Factions will compete in a single-elimination King of the Hill style bracket tournament. This tournament is open to every Faction from Iron through Emerald Tiers (except Factions that have qualified for Worlds Championship). Open Tier Factions can also RSVP and will be placed in a waitlist. Open teams will be added to the tournament based on their RSVP time until all 256 slots are filled. Over 8 weeks, Factions will compete in a single-elimination tournament until crowning the first King of the Hill Champion!

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It’s time to start prepping for Cycle 4! Gather your Faction and develop your plan of attack!