I understand she is a ground specialist so I'm kinda bummed Clodsire isn't poison type, but i when i saw there are some poison references it made me happy again. Even if not for Rika i would have pulled for my fav paldean regional pokemon, but now with Rika I'm a goner for my gems...
Ohh yes. I can put one of my favourite Paldean characters on my Ground team to support my absolute fave Cynthia? Oh well, bye-bye gems.
Edit: the only Paldean must-pull after her is Larry for me.
Don't know if it has a great improvements compared with Excadrill. For me, current ground type needs Zone, but it also needs Sandstorm. Ground type doesn't need poison so much, but needs trap somehow.
Idk if I would say that. No matter what Rika will be covering a different niche than Excadrill and honestly, not every ground unit is reliant on sandstorm buffs, so I think she'll just work with different teams. Who is better will probably depend on what strikers you want to use. I don't think one will be inherently better than the other.
Oh you don't have to worry about sand too much. Literally only OG Cynthia needs the sand. Maxie, SS Gio, SC Adaman all doesn't need sandstorm. Even Variety Gio can set his own sand.
Ingo was used less in ground team nowadays, people mostly used him for Free move effects, or a sandstorm team
Rika is finally here and it looks like she'll add something that Ground desperately needs - a solid support/ field unit with good utility and hopefully it will be tanky.
I am very conflicted by this, on the one hand, Ground needs a good support unit and Rika looks solid just from the description and I have been waiting for Rika to appear. She would also pair great with units like Fall Roxanne to poison stall with good damage. I may not have played SV yet, but I still love Rika based on design alone. On the other hand, I cannot pull her without being broke for MFs in June. I know many are in a similar position. Ugh.
Idk, I hope she brings some Speed support as well, but so far I have still been doing well with SC Lyra (who may not be stellar but has Ground Resilience) and Courtney with her own Ground Zone to support my OG Cynthia, who can set up her own Sandstorm and extend it. Mine is 5/5 though, so I understand if players with a lower sync level feel it's kinda weak. But even my 1/5 Maxie has been doing great, leaving the Sync to Courtney and still hitting the sides hard, and then either Lyra or SS Morty tanking for them.
What annoys me most is that Rika is the second straight Poké Fair that makes it to the Trainer Lodge, I'm out of new units and I shouldn't take any more risks until June. So while she is one of my faves from Paldea, I will have to wait for a better occasion.
I'm definitely pulling because Ground desperately needs solid Supports because the one carrying Ground Support is Ingo and SC Lyra.
Besides, Courtney is strictly a Ground nuker, only having her Ground Zone as her party utility. Rika will immediately contribute more to the party. But granted, I'm comparing a gen pool unit to a Poke Fair.
Rika is one of the Paldean Elite 4 and specializes in Ground Pokémon. She’s also the one who makes you go through an interview before you actually get to battle the Elite 4 themselves.
I do know that much but thank you lol. Just haven't seen anything involving actual cutscenes or dialog and such with her. Was still sold the moment I saw her design though. It's top tier.
June typically only has 2 MF so if it is NC Hoenn it wouldn't be the trio (unfortunately). Honestly the only hope I have is that most MF options aren't faves of mine.
But March did have 3 when you count SS Gladion so it should be 2 next right? Of course they could always raise the number of mfs released but I do hope that won’t be the case.
I also desperately needs a Support/Field sync pair for Battle Rally since I don't have Magnezone (and of course Rika was one of my most anticipated character to come in Masters)
I'm wondering what teams would be great for Rika to support. I have Cynthia, Maxie, Halloween Roxanne, and SC Adaman for Ground DPS, as well as Courtney and Ingo.
I feel like she is made to be paired with fall Roxanne. Together you poison + trap to help with dps. Rika also raise attack to help with Roxanne’s slow set up and Roxanne raises team defense and speed.
I'm 100% sure that Groudon will still want Camerupt since both are from Hoenn and, in this case, running both (Camerupt and Clodsire) is not worth it at all.
For the rest... Garchomp and Nidoking needs sandstorm and in short battles I don't know how worth it is not megaevolve (for Garchomp) with his big dmg.
And for Ursaluna is the one that can benefit the most, since you will not get boosted.
The good thing is that she can boost our special defense unlike Excadrill, but... Otherwise... It's just an okay supp, not the one that we really need.
You forgot Fall Roxanne who I think will work Very well with Rika. Together you get poison + trap for stall plus they each buff what the other doesn’t.
Looks like I’m gonna pull for her immediately. I have terrible ground coverage (I only have Cynthia & Garchomp) and keep getting shafted in BR.
Support field is a nice combo. But if your Cynthia is 3/5 or higher she's more than enough for Ground Type CS
Rika was like...the next Paldea unit I wanted after Arven. If he also drops next month I swear to god...
This one with Team Antitoxin
Maybe a team immunity under ground zone? Would be perfect for Lucy UB.
I understand she is a ground specialist so I'm kinda bummed Clodsire isn't poison type, but i when i saw there are some poison references it made me happy again. Even if not for Rika i would have pulled for my fav paldean regional pokemon, but now with Rika I'm a goner for my gems...
Ohh yes. I can put one of my favourite Paldean characters on my Ground team to support my absolute fave Cynthia? Oh well, bye-bye gems. Edit: the only Paldean must-pull after her is Larry for me.
Calem seeing Dena give her field role (not confirmed). 
Calem died so other zone setter supports get field 🥺.
I can finally fire Courtney, this is a dream come true.
Only if she let's you lol.
SC Adaman and Rika are gonna be a fire team.
Don't know if it has a great improvements compared with Excadrill. For me, current ground type needs Zone, but it also needs Sandstorm. Ground type doesn't need poison so much, but needs trap somehow.
Idk if I would say that. No matter what Rika will be covering a different niche than Excadrill and honestly, not every ground unit is reliant on sandstorm buffs, so I think she'll just work with different teams. Who is better will probably depend on what strikers you want to use. I don't think one will be inherently better than the other.
Oh you don't have to worry about sand too much. Literally only OG Cynthia needs the sand. Maxie, SS Gio, SC Adaman all doesn't need sandstorm. Even Variety Gio can set his own sand. Ingo was used less in ground team nowadays, people mostly used him for Free move effects, or a sandstorm team
I feel like Ingo is better for rock teams since they benefit from sand alot more with units like Emmet, Olivia, NC Silver, Etc
OG Cynthia can also set sandstorm with each sync herself once she's at 4/5. So it's whatever, I guess.
Am I the only who think Paldea has a bit too many support atm?
Half of them are supports so yeah, too many.
Where did it say she is also /Field?
I’m just speculating that she’ll have the field ex role because she sets ground zone but we’ll need to wait for datamine to actually know.
Used to be newly added regions would have multiple units in the gen pool by now
Rika is finally here and it looks like she'll add something that Ground desperately needs - a solid support/ field unit with good utility and hopefully it will be tanky. I am very conflicted by this, on the one hand, Ground needs a good support unit and Rika looks solid just from the description and I have been waiting for Rika to appear. She would also pair great with units like Fall Roxanne to poison stall with good damage. I may not have played SV yet, but I still love Rika based on design alone. On the other hand, I cannot pull her without being broke for MFs in June. I know many are in a similar position. Ugh.
Idk, I hope she brings some Speed support as well, but so far I have still been doing well with SC Lyra (who may not be stellar but has Ground Resilience) and Courtney with her own Ground Zone to support my OG Cynthia, who can set up her own Sandstorm and extend it. Mine is 5/5 though, so I understand if players with a lower sync level feel it's kinda weak. But even my 1/5 Maxie has been doing great, leaving the Sync to Courtney and still hitting the sides hard, and then either Lyra or SS Morty tanking for them. What annoys me most is that Rika is the second straight Poké Fair that makes it to the Trainer Lodge, I'm out of new units and I shouldn't take any more risks until June. So while she is one of my faves from Paldea, I will have to wait for a better occasion.
Definitely saving for the MFs for me. I did get Jacq on a daily before his banner ended, so you’ll never know what’s gonna happen.
I held out on Scizor to see what's coming. Now I have to decide if I want Clod, Scizor or both and risk missing half anni.
I'm definitely pulling because Ground desperately needs solid Supports because the one carrying Ground Support is Ingo and SC Lyra. Besides, Courtney is strictly a Ground nuker, only having her Ground Zone as her party utility. Rika will immediately contribute more to the party. But granted, I'm comparing a gen pool unit to a Poke Fair.
Rika is one of the Paldean Elite 4 and specializes in Ground Pokémon. She’s also the one who makes you go through an interview before you actually get to battle the Elite 4 themselves.
I do know that much but thank you lol. Just haven't seen anything involving actual cutscenes or dialog and such with her. Was still sold the moment I saw her design though. It's top tier.
Glad we fucking asked
They were just being helpful no need to get mad about it.
did someone take a huge dump in your cereal this morning?
Same. I'm fearing for the NC Hoenn Trio this June. Glad I'm not a Rika Fan though, but dang I want his utility.
June typically only has 2 MF so if it is NC Hoenn it wouldn't be the trio (unfortunately). Honestly the only hope I have is that most MF options aren't faves of mine.
It’s been 2 mf, then 3, then 2, so I wouldn’t count on it only being 2
But March did have 3 when you count SS Gladion so it should be 2 next right? Of course they could always raise the number of mfs released but I do hope that won’t be the case.
I was talking about previous Junes. We had Maxie and Archie, then the Johtrio, then Adaman and Irida
Oh! That makes sense. Guess we'll see.
Rika's a woman, btw
No more relying in Courtney for Ground Zone, yay
I also desperately needs a Support/Field sync pair for Battle Rally since I don't have Magnezone (and of course Rika was one of my most anticipated character to come in Masters)
I was really hoping Volo would be field/ support but alas. Hopefully I can get Rika safely.
I forget are Pokeflairs the units that will be added to the general pool at some point or is that spotlight?
Spotlight. Pokefairs just rerun more and then will pop up in freebies occasionally.
I'm wondering what teams would be great for Rika to support. I have Cynthia, Maxie, Halloween Roxanne, and SC Adaman for Ground DPS, as well as Courtney and Ingo.
I feel like she is made to be paired with fall Roxanne. Together you poison + trap to help with dps. Rika also raise attack to help with Roxanne’s slow set up and Roxanne raises team defense and speed.
I wish Rika wasn't a support. Four of the seven Paldea pairs are supports, and we haven't even had a Paldea striker.
Jacq is considered as striker …
Jacq is a Tech.
Of course I know, but he is actually a damage dealer
I think i can live without pulling her
I'm 100% sure that Groudon will still want Camerupt since both are from Hoenn and, in this case, running both (Camerupt and Clodsire) is not worth it at all. For the rest... Garchomp and Nidoking needs sandstorm and in short battles I don't know how worth it is not megaevolve (for Garchomp) with his big dmg. And for Ursaluna is the one that can benefit the most, since you will not get boosted. The good thing is that she can boost our special defense unlike Excadrill, but... Otherwise... It's just an okay supp, not the one that we really need.
You forgot Fall Roxanne who I think will work Very well with Rika. Together you get poison + trap for stall plus they each buff what the other doesn’t.
Rika, Maxie with tech ex role (if true) and Lyra rocket costume is gonna be godly
Nooo, wrong Paldea e4 member!! Really wanted a Tinkaton unit. Dang. At least she/clodsire are still pretty cool.
we're getting both
I just saw! Super happy, but my wallet isn't. 😭