Mid-Week Smoke #8 results: Kingambit anchors the top cut
Mid-Week Smoke #8 results: Kingambit anchors the top cut
Mid-Week Smoke #8 was a 32-player online tournament on Limitless, played on 2026-08-05 under Pokemon Champions Regulation Set M-B. The final round listing showed numnum11 vs binz, with binz winning, while the published standings were led by Niel Arveen Serrato [PH] at 7-1-0.
| Place | Player | Record | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Niel Arveen Serrato [PH] | 7-1-0 | Sylveon / Staraptor / Raichu / Glimmora / Kingambit / Farigiraf |
| 2 | Bien Aleco Gunhuran [PH] | 7-1-0 | Basculegion / Kingambit / Garchomp / Sylveon / Charizard / Aerodactyl |
| 3 | Jorge Norberto Miguel Tan [PH] | 5-2-0 | Whimsicott / Glimmora / Raichu / Farigiraf / Kingambit / Staraptor |
| 4 | Trevis Chard Dagondong [PH] | 5-2-0 | Froslass / Kingambit / Lycanroc Dusk / Basculegion / Scovillain / Sneasler |
Niel’s first-place team was a flexible balance build with several overlapping speed and damage plans. Sylveon carried Fairy Feather with Pixilate and a Modest nature, giving the team strong spread pressure through Hyper Voice while also threatening single-target burst with Hyper Beam and cleanup with Quick Attack. Staraptor added Intimidate and Tailwind, backed by Staraptite, Dual Wingbeat, Close Combat, and Protect.
Raichu was another key piece. With Raichunite Y, Lightning Rod, Timid nature, Fake Out, Zap Cannon, Focus Blast, and Charm, it supplied disruption while also covering Electric redirection. Glimmora’s Focus Sash and Toxic Debris gave the team a lead option that could trade effectively with Sludge Bomb, Power Gem, Earth Power, and Spiky Shield.
The endgame looked especially sturdy because Kingambit and Farigiraf covered different tempo states. Kingambit used Life Orb, Defiant, Sucker Punch, Kowtow Cleave, Swords Dance, and Protect, giving the team a dangerous punish option into stat drops and a priority closer. Farigiraf brought Sitrus Berry, Armor Tail, Psychic, Trick Room, Helping Hand, and Protect, letting the team pivot away from pure Tailwind play and deny opposing priority pressure.
Across the top teams, Kingambit was the clearest trend. All of the top four used it, with Defiant appearing each time and Sucker Punch plus Kowtow Cleave forming the common offensive core. Life Orb showed up on the first- and fourth-place versions, while Chople Berry appeared on the second- and third-place versions.
Sylveon was also prominent near the top, appearing on both 7-1-0 teams with Fairy Feather, Pixilate, Modest nature, Hyper Voice, Hyper Beam, Quick Attack, and Detect. Raichu, Farigiraf, Glimmora, and Staraptor overlapped between first and third, pointing to a shared structure built around speed control, redirection denial, and strong mid-speed damage. Focus Sash was another major item, appearing on Glimmora, Basculegion, and Lycanroc Dusk among the top four.
The fourth-place team showed a different lane with Froslassite Froslass, Scovillainite Scovillain, Lycanroc Dusk, Basculegion, Sneasler, and Kingambit, but even there the same themes remained: priority, Focus Sash pressure, and a Kingambit endgame.
Takeaway for ladder players: prepare for Kingambit in every phase of the game, and make sure your team has a real plan into both Tailwind pressure and Trick Room pivots.
Source: Limitless