Retro Cup
Retro Cup excludes Dark, Steel, and Fairy types — only Gen 1-style coverage at 1500 CP. Charizard, Lapras, Jellicent, and Venusaur define the throwback meta.
Retro Cup is the "back to Kanto" format — the three types invented after Gen 1 (Dark, Steel, Fairy) are banned. The format harkens back to the original 15-type triangle and produces some of the most readable lead matchups in Battle League.
With Steel gone, Ice and Dragon damage roams without their best wall. With Fairy gone, the Dragons that ATE Fairy now eat everything else. Build around a Dragon-tail user + Ice-coverage closer for maximum efficiency.
- CP ≤ 1500.
- No Dark, Steel, or Fairy-typed mons may enter (including dual-types — even one banned typing disqualifies).
- Pure Gen 1-style coverage applies.
Fire Spin + Dragon Claw + Blast Burn. The all-format Charizard suddenly has no Fairy hard-counters.
Ice Shard + Surf + Ice Beam. Massive bulk + double-STAB Ice in a format with no Steel resists.
Hex + Bubble Beam / Ice Beam / Shadow Ball. Water/Ghost — works in Retro since Ghost is allowed.
Vine Whip + Frenzy Plant + Sludge Bomb. Same role as Spring Cup — Grass STAB pressure into Water leads.
For the full ranked tier list with movesets across the game, see the Hundo Hunter tier list. Cross-reference the open tier blocks for picks that fit this cup's ruleset.
What is Retro Cup?
Retro Cup excludes Dark, Steel, and Fairy types — only Gen 1-style coverage at 1500 CP. Charizard, Lapras, Jellicent, and Venusaur define the throwback meta.
What's the CP cap for Retro Cup?
Retro Cup is a 1500 CP cap format. Build for low-attack IVs to maximize bulk under the cap.
Which types are allowed in Retro Cup?
Retro Cup allows everything except Dark, Steel, Fairy. Dual-typed entries qualify if one of the typings is on the eligible list.
Who are the top picks in Retro Cup?
The signature meta picks are Charizard, Lapras, Jellicent. The full meta + anti-meta breakdown is above with movesets and rationale.
When does Retro Cup run?
Rotational themed cup; reruns each season under different names ("Retro Cup", "Gen 1 Cup").
When was this entry last updated?
This Cup entry was last reviewed on 2026-05-29. Hundo Hunter re-reviews each tournament Cup at the start of every season.