Pokémon players prove less is usually better when discussing a competition staple

As with most games, Pokémon battles come in a variety of different formats. The two most well-known formats are Singles and Doubles, but the rules can vary within those formats as well.

For example, all Pokémon VGC matches follow a Doubles format in which you select four Pokémon from your team of six to bring to the battle. Meanwhile, Smogon Doubles has players bring all six Pokémon to battle.

Given these different variations of Double Battles, Reddit gamer Destinum asked fellow competitive players in two Pokémon communities (/r/VGC and /r/Stunfisk) how they really felt about the “bring six, pick four” rule in VGC—and most of the franchise’s brightest competitive minds were in agreement about the now-classic rule.

In general, most competitive players agreed the “bring six, pick four” rule was what’s best for creating exciting, high-stakes battles. One player points out how “it increases the amount of decision-making needed” and opens up interesting mind games.

This has a lot to do with team preview. While selecting which four Pokémon, VGC players can view their opponent’s team. From there, they have to decide which Pokémon to bring and which to leave behind—a decision that can sometimes make or break a match. Even before the battle begins, players are faced with this tough decision they wouldn’t have to worry about in a 6v6 situation where the whole team is there automatically.

Another positive impact of the “bring six, pick four” rule is how it affects the pace of the battle. Multiple players note games are significantly shorter when it’s 4v4 instead of 6v6. This is not only ideal for tournaments that are typically best of three but also for keeping the excitement of the battle. With fewer Pokémon per game, there’s less time for slower strategies that might involve a lot of switching out, hazards, or stalling.

A few players, however, still prefer the longer 6v6 battles.

Their main argument focuses on how Pokémon trainers have always had teams of six in the mainline games. And with a team of six, you’d naturally expect to use all of them in any given battle. It also means you’d have to commit to six Pokémon that need to be prepared for anything thrown at them from the other side of the field. You can’t just leave two Pokémon behind because they don’t match up well against the other team.

At the end of the day, players were all essentially in agreement that both rules have perks and neither is bad. However, most still prefer the shorter 4v4 format of VGC.