TORNEO APERITARL 26 results: PadoVGC leads sand-heavy field
TORNEO APERITARL 26 results: PadoVGC leads sand-heavy field
TORNEO APERITARL 26 was played on 2026-07-24 on Limitless, with 41 players in Pokemon Champions Regulation Set M-B. PadoVGC [IT] finished first at 8-1-0. The listed final round matches were edkin over trinki, padovgc over moik, and kasekivgc over pujavgc.
| Place | Player | Record | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PadoVGC [IT] | 8-1-0 | Tyranitar, Excadrill, Milotic, Sinistcha, Staraptor, Gholdengo |
| 2 | Gianmaria Sorbino [IT] | 7-2-0 | Charizard, Venusaur, Garchomp, Incineroar, Toxapex, Annihilape |
| 3 | PietroXella [IT] | 6-2-0 | Tyranitar, Excadrill, Milotic, Gholdengo, Sinistcha, Staraptor |
| 4 | KasekiVGC [IT] | 6-2-0 | Venusaur, Charizard, Sableye, Garchomp, Basculegion, Archaludon |
PadoVGC’s winning team was a clear sand offense shell built around Tyranitar with Tyranitarite and Sand Stream plus Excadrill with Focus Sash and Sand Rush. Tyranitar’s Jolly set of Knock Off, Rock Slide, Low Kick, and Protect gave the team immediate pressure and utility, while Excadrill supplied fast damage through High Horsepower, Iron Head, and Rock Slide.
The supporting four made the composition less one-dimensional. Milotic used Sitrus Berry, Competitive, Scald, Ice Beam, Haze, and Protect, giving PadoVGC a strong answer into stat drops while also carrying Haze for board control. Sinistcha with Colbur Berry and Hospitality brought Matcha Gotcha, Shadow Ball, Rage Powder, and Protect, adding redirection and recovery support. Staraptor with Staraptite and Intimidate provided Tailwind alongside Brave Bird and Close Combat, letting the team operate outside of pure Sand Rush speed. Gholdengo rounded out the build with Life Orb, Good as Gold, Make It Rain, Shadow Ball, Nasty Plot, and Protect, offering a special attacking win condition that could punish passive turns.
The biggest trend near the top was how successful the Tyranitar and Excadrill structure was. PadoVGC, PietroXella, and Michele L all used the same six Pokemon: Tyranitar, Excadrill, Milotic, Gholdengo, Sinistcha, and Staraptor. The exact details varied, such as PadoVGC using Low Kick on Tyranitar while PietroXella used Dragon Dance, but the core concept was repeated across three of the top six.
Sun was the other major direction. Gianmaria Sorbino and KasekiVGC both used Charizard with Charizardite Y and Venusaur with Chlorophyll. Gianmaria’s version paired them with Garchomp, Incineroar, Toxapex, and Annihilape, while KasekiVGC used Venusaurite on Venusaur and added Sableye, Garchomp, Basculegion, and Archaludon.
Repeated items also stood out. Focus Sash appeared on Excadrill for the sand teams and on Annihilape for Gianmaria Sorbino. Life Orb was used on Gholdengo by both PadoVGC and PietroXella, and on Venusaur by Gianmaria Sorbino. Sitrus Berry showed up on Milotic, Incineroar, and Garchomp across the top four, while Leftovers appeared on Toxapex and Archaludon.
Takeaway for ladder players: prepare for both Tyranitar plus Excadrill sand and Charizard plus Venusaur sun, because both structures placed highly here.
Source: Limitless