📈 Ladder Top Builds

The core plan is to use Clefable as a setup pivot, then baton momentum into sweepers. Clefable runs Moonblast, Thunder Wave, Encore and Stealth Rock with Magic Bounce; it reliably eats a Timid Archaludon Flash Cannon and outspeeds a paralyzed max-speed Mega Delphox, serving as Mega slot 1 and the lead setter, though the author fears a missed Thunder Wave. Garchomp borrows someone else's bulky spread with Stealth Rock and Spikes, low usage but solid when picked. Volcarona boosts damage via Swarm plus Bug Buzz and actually got better as Charizard and Ceruledge declined. Mega slot 2 is Mega Gyarados, thrown at Mimikyu teams to snatch speed with one Dragon Dance. Basculegion runs Adamant plus Focus Sash and can beat the rain Pelipper-Swampert-Archaludon core. Kingambit got hard to use as Hippowdon, Blaziken, Staraptor and Hisuian Samurott rose, and the author admits it might be worth swappinBuild article →

The author is a Mawile devotee aiming for a Trick-Room-less Mega Mawile core. Mega Mawile runs Adamant with Sucker Punch, Play Rough, Knock Off and Swords Dance, sweeping via Sucker Punch pressure plus Swords Dance; the key is minimizing Sucker Punch mind-games in the first place. Its partner is Leftovers Dragon Dance Taunt Gyarados, the team MVP thrown almost every game, whose Intimidate supports the Mega and forms an Intimidate cycle with Mawile so one sets up while the other dances. Garchomp takes a solid bulky spread, outspeeds jolly Archaludon, carries Stealth Rock plus Spikes as the lead, and can strip Mimikyu's Disguise from above. Focus Sash Gengar runs Will-O-Wisp, Icy Wind, Venoshock and Sludge Wave to reliably handle lead Garchomp, burn physical attackers, and deter opponents from bringing walls. Mega Blaziken is a filler that outpaced Mawile in usage; it runs High Jump Kick oBuild article →

The author started from Mega Mawile, his favorite, built around its absurd Huge Power damage; Intimidate before Mega lets it drop an attack and even scout whether an opposing Archaludon holds White Herb to pick Swords Dance or a Sucker Punch kill. Mimikyu with Life Orb uses Disguise to guarantee Trick Room, and can attack solo too. The real ace is male Basculegion with Spell Tag: Grave Rush one-shots most neutral targets, and Substitute dodges Sucker Punch while it maneuvers. Garchomp is a flexible Ground attacker, Mega Greninja handles Meganium, Skeledirge and Delphox that Mawile hates, and Vanilluxe sets snow plus Aurora Veil for physical bulk. He notes Mimikyu with intact Disguise, Charizard Y and Umbreon are the roughest matchups.Build article →

The author loves the Hoenn region, so he built a Hoenn mono-team, locking in Blaziken, Swampert, Sableye, Milotic and Metagross first, then adding Sceptile for fun. He admits there's no firm core; it was meant as a rough draft that just kept winning. Mega Metagross handles the pivot cycle, while Blaziken uses Speed Boost to sweep or win one-on-ones. Swampert is trained as an attacker but carries Yawn and Stealth Rock to swap between offense and support, hard to read. Milotic is actually the heart of the team, wearing down physical attackers with Scald and Cute Charm and countering special ones with Mirror Coat, plus Haze against setup. Sableye uses Prankster Will-O-Wisp, Foul Play, Recover and Encore. Sceptile's Earth Power and high speed slot in well, even outrunning Choice Scarf Basculegion. He says the team hates entry Toxic Spikes and always leads Milotic versus Glimmora.Build article →

With four days left in the season and no team, the author found a Hydreigon + Metagross video build, clicked with it, and rode it to his target rank with a few tweaks. The core Mega Metagross runs Iron Head and Hammer Arm, using Iron Head to throw off opponents bracing for Psychic Fangs and Bullet Punch, with flinch upside. Hydreigon drops Choice Scarf for Lum Berry and Nasty Plot; since foes assume it's Choice-locked, it can steal Charizard with Dark Pulse into Draco Meteor, and its boosting beats Wash Rotom cycle teams and stall. Hippowdon is a standard Leftovers pivot. Primarina replaces Azumarill, giving a special breaker for Hippowdon and Garchomp and dominating lead Garchomp. Mimikyu holds Life Orb with Shadow Claw for reliable accuracy versus Aegislash, Gholdengo and Iron Defense Corviknight. Charizard Y is the hidden MVP with Overheat and Roost. He fears Mega Starmie, Crunch MegaBuild article →

The author built around Mega Staraptor this season, locking Brave Bird, Close Combat and Roost, with U-turn in the last slot to escape Ghosts that wall Close Combat and to hit Mimikyu. Its partner is Hisuian Zoroark, using Illusion to attack from unexpected angles, with Grass Knot burying Hippowdon, Hisuian Samurott and Mega Gyarados. To give the two attackers pivots, he runs a Solid Rock, Leftovers Archaludon whose bulk, boosted by pre-Mega Staraptor's Intimidate, walls many physical mons and stalls with Substitute. The special pivot is HD Sitrus Garchomp, switching in on Mega Raichu Y, Delphox and Gholdengo that Staraptor wants no part of. The last two slots are the classic Hydreigon + Metagross: Metagross adds Psychic Fangs to break walls, Hydreigon runs Lum Berry plus Nasty Plot against Hippowdon. He notes Stealth Rock Garchomp plus Mega Blaziken is the worst matchup, and Greninja anBuild article →

This is a pure one-way setup team with zero switching, built to sweep with boosts. The concept is safe setup via Encore plus a relay of setup sweepers: Whimsicott uses priority Taunt to block Stealth Rock, then Encore or Memento to open a window. The main sweeper is Dragon Dance Mega Gyarados, which pressures Hydreigon, rain, and Greninja teams after a single boost, with Dragon Dance Mega Charizard X added for grass matchups; running both makes opponents misread it as Charizard Y. Backup sweepers are Leftovers Vivillon to close and Belly Drum Azumarill to eat priority, plus Electric Ball Annihilape for Gholdengo and Stealth Rock. He says the main aces are so strong Vivillon often survives as the last mon to snowball endlessly; weak points are fast Mega Raichu Y and Focus Sash Meowscarada, and Azumarill overlapping typing with Gyarados.Build article →

The author hit Champion rank for the first time with a team built around two physical Megas, Mega Metagross and Mega Blaziken. Hippowdon runs a physical-wall spread, tanking physical hits and cycling with Substitute and Yawn, with extra Speed and Substitute tuned against Bellibolt. Choice Scarf Hydreigon sets Stealth Rock, huge against teams with Delphox or Charizard. Sitrus Berry Primarina is praised as bulky and hard-hitting, speed-crept to win the mirror. Vanilluxe is the surprise pick, using Snow plus a monster Blizzard and Taunt to beat Toxapex and Umbreon. Mega Metagross carries Grass Knot to punish Hippowdon, and Mega Blaziken copies a known bulky spread to survive enemy Blaziken's Close Combat. He notes the team struggles with Mega Charizard, Mega Delphox, Mega Staraptor, Basculegion, and Bellibolt, and loses outright to Quaquaval baton teams.Build article →

This is a Dragon monotype, based on someone's M-2 build using a lead Mega Dragonite plus Iron Defense Hisuian Goodra. The plan is to cycle with ground/fighting-blocking Mega Dragonite and physically bulky Archaludon, then break through with Choice Scarf Garchomp or the fortress Hisuian Goodra. The control core is Careful Hisuian Goodra, whose Shell Armor blocks crits so it can safely stall PP and flip games with Iron Defense plus Rest; the author says whether it can close out directly decides the match, especially against the late-meta surge of Hippowdon. Archaludon is invested heavily into physical defense to wall Meowscarada and Mimikyu, and carries Dark Pulse for Aegislash and Gholdengo. Life Orb Dragapult is the fast attacker, and Hydreigon breaks stall teams. He admits the biggest weakness is Hippowdon's Stealth Rock and Yawn setup, plus trouble handling Mega Floette, Aegislash, GhoBuild article →

The author built around his favorite pairing, Lucario and Mega Charizard X, after seeing a Lucario-Charizard-Hippowdon-Mimikyu themed tournament. The core is a Choice Scarf Greninja that leads with U-turn to scout the opposing Garchomp, Hydreigon or Archaludon and open a favorable path. The real sweeper is a special Nasty Plot Lucario with Focus Blast and Vacuum Wave, using Hippowdon's Stealth Rock and Yawn as setup fodder. Hippowdon runs a mixed bulk spread as the team's cushion, and when Lucario can't break Aegislash, Gholdengo or Skeledirge, he brings Swords Dance Tough Claws Mega Charizard X instead. Mimikyu and Water Rotom round it out as a filler and a Mega Starmie cushion. He says Greninja is the MVP but is forced onto Sludge Bomb to KO the Primarina that keeps showing up, and warns to be careful of a lead Scarf Meowscarada.Build article →

The author is a longtime pure stall player and started this build from how to wall the new Mega Mawile, landing on Mega Meganium: it outspeeds, heals fully with Chlorophyll Synthesis, and OHKOs a bulky Mega Mawile with an uninvested Weather Ball. Mega Slowbro is the physical wall for Mega Metagross, Mega Blaziken and Mega Staraptor, while Snorlax with Fissure serves as the special wall against Archaludon and Mega Charizard Y while cutting down draws. What those two can't catch, Life Orb Mimikyu, Ceruledge and physical Aegislash, goes to a Haze Toxapex whose Infestation plus Toxic grinds down anything that can't beat it. The last flex slot started as Tyranitar for Mega Delphox and Mega Gengar, then became a Choice Scarf Hisuian Samurott whose Ceaseless Edge spikes pressure the back line and outspeeds Delphox, Gengar and Gholdengo. A Mega Clefable covers Hippowdon, Kingambit and Garchomp. Build article →

The author built from the idea that with Hydreigon-Metagross cores exploding in the new format, Mega Scovillain might be a great answer. Since it can take a role against most physical attackers outside Fire types, he paired it with bulky, fast-recovering Milotic as complement. Milotic is the team MVP at 100% selection: fully special-invested, it pivots in on any special attacker and, with burns, drives the stall rotation while still hitting hard, and its physical bulk is tuned to survive a max Aqua Break from Mega Starmie. A Focus Sash mon guards against Scovillain getting set up on, favoring coverage over Scarf; a Curse Mimikyu and a Spell Tag physical attacker widen the breaking angles. He also runs an answer to the bulky rotation mons like Bellibolt and Skeledirge that Scovillain struggles with, tuned to survive an uninvested Draco Meteor from Mega Dragalge, plus a Mega Fire-type as aBuild article →

The author decided that in a format with no broken standout, stacking raw base stats beats trying to metagame it, so he anchored on Mega Dragonite, a 700-total mon with the format's top numbers. Aegislash, with matching typing and great stats, locked in almost immediately. Since both are soft to wide-coverage attackers like Mega Lopunny, Mimikyu and mixed Garchomp, he added Hippowdon as a stat wall running Stealth Rock and Yawn for pivot rotations. To fix the low Speed and add a setup-stopper, a Choice Scarf Meowscarada applies pressure from the top with fast STAB and U-turn. A bulky Hisuian Samurott, tanky enough to switch in and spread spikes plus lock things with priority, synergizes well with the other four rotators. The team's big weakness is setup like Mega Clefable, so he finished with a Toxic Mega Glimmora that, paired with Mega Dragonite, fakes a Focus Sash set while breaking stBuild article →

The author wanted a high-stat standard team he could grind mastery on, built around moves that lock the opponent down for natural upside. The core is a Jolly Mega Metagross that is tough, fast, and hits hard: Bullet Punch for priority, Thunder Punch for waters, and Ice Punch or Psychic Fangs sharing the last slot. Choice Scarf Hydreigon outspeeds and deletes Mega threats, running Fire Blast to punish the Mawile and Primarina that often drop their bulk. Hippowdon is the do-everything physical wall and lead, backup Calm Mind Primarina breaks walls, and Mega Delphox wins the fire mirror. Life Orb Mimikyu is the stopper for Staraptor and Blaziken. He admits Hydreigon is weak and mostly just clicks U-turn, and Delphox became droppable late.Build article →

The author plays a matchup-first, pick-what-stings style, and the finished core is Kingambit with Mega Gyarados and Delphox. The Delphox borrows a fast Agility spread that balances bulk, power, and enough speed to outrun Adamant Garchomp, countering Hydreigon/Metagross, Mawile, Kingambit, and Archaludon. Kingambit is the team MVP: a Swords Dance sweep three-for-oned constantly, and a +2 Sucker Punch even sniped a Sneasler on the last day. Sash Glimmora leads as a shield, chipping Archaludon early and setting Spikes to pair with Kingambit's Sucker Punch. Life Orb Mimikyu swapped to Wood Hammer to feed on the Hippowdon and Primarina that trouble Delphox. Rum Berry Garchomp is a stable lead answering Hippowdon, Venusaur, and Umbreon, while Mega Gyarados cleans up opposing Mega Gyarados that lack Focus Blast.Build article →

The author's plan is to counter the top of the meta and win on matchup. Hippowdon is the do-everything physical wall and lead with Earthquake, Yawn, Protect, and Slack Off, handling physical walling, weather overwrite, and stalling, staying useful all game. Mega Charizard X runs a classic Swords Dance build: set up off a lead, dance, and sweep with Flare Blitz, Nitro Charge, Dragon Claw, and Swords Dance, and since Scarfers vanished from the meta it rarely stops once its speed is up, making it MVP. Mega Gengar breaks bulk with Dazzling Gleam and pressures the heavy walls he struggles with. Focus Sash Defiant Empoleon leads to one-shot hazard setters with Surf, Flash Cannon, and Ice Beam, plus Vacuum Wave. Choice Scarf Hydreigon deletes fast Megas and catches things with U-turn. Inner Focus Annihilape refuses Stealth Rock and uses Taunt plus chip to set up Charizard X. He notes several HPBuild article →

The author had been stuck on the usual Hydreigon-Metagross build until an opponent's Toxic Spikes Mega Victreebel plus Umbreon steamrolled him, so he made that poison cycle his core this season. Umbreon whittles down with Toxic and Foul Play while Mega Victreebel lays Toxic Spikes and blows things up; Umbreon was his MVP. Bellibolt is the special wall that also checks Primarina and spreads poison via Soak; Choice Scarf Garchomp answers Mega Charizard, especially Y; Mimikyu covers Substitute Staraptor and revenge-kills; Mega Blaziken was a filler slot that became a hidden MVP, its pressure keeping Archaludon off the field. He admits real weaknesses: Substitute Archaludon and Staraptor that shrug off poison are nearly unbeatable, and Iron Defense Body Press Metagross walls him.Build article →

The author climbed to a final top-thousand finish built around his favorite, Kommo-o. He started by locking in longtime partner Mega Gyarados for Intimidate control and Dragon Dance sweeps, then added Volcarona to switch into Choice Scarf Meowscarada and Kommo-o to break Archaludon. Kommo-o led roughly 90% of games: Clanging Scales one-shots lead Garchomp, Aura Sphere hits Archaludon, Vacuum Wave mops up, and Bulletproof blocks Shadow Ball and Zap Cannon, making it the real core. Adaptability Basculegion is the Choice Scarf cleaner with Curse and Wave Crash, Corviknight pivots and walls physical attackers with Iron Defense and U-turn, and Mega Metagross uses Tough Claws Psychic Fangs to punish fairies like Floette. His toughest matchups are Ceruledge, Charizard, and Mega Scovillain; the team lacks flexible options, so when in doubt he leads the standard three.Build article →

The author started building around Floette's Light of Ruin power and finished around 670th. Floette is the high-damage fairy that moves first via Grassy Glide and works well as a lead or backline threat, paired with Charizard Y as the Mega slot to beat the steels it fears and swing weather. Choice Scarf Garchomp is valued for its play against Charizard and steels, running max Speed to at least tie opposing Garchomp. He originally ran Hippowdon for Stealth Rock and rain control, but rarely got to bring it, so he swapped to a HP-invested Archaludon that survives Mega Swampert's Earthquake on a good roll and uses Metal Burst to punish Gyarados and Staraptor. Corviknight clears Stealth Rock so the Charizard plan can function, and Focus Sash Greninja handles Sash Glimmora and is the team's only priority. He admits Archaludon is opponent-dependent and inconsistent.Build article →

This season the author chased hit-rate consistency, and once Light Clay was added they committed to a dual-screens team. The core is Gholdengo as the screen-setter: its ability blocks Encore, Curse, Taunt, Defog and Trick, and it can drop Memento after screens, tuned to survive key hits. Annihilape leads with Stealth Rock, Taunt and a speed-drop rock move, and it walls Charizard leads well. The real sweeper is Gyarados, whose Mold Breaker ignores Unaware and Mimikyu's disguise, and its Taunt turns Altaria, Hippowdon and Skeledirge into setup fodder for two or three Dragon Dances. Blaziken's Speed Boost applies selection pressure, baiting counters that Gyarados then eats. Hippowdon handles Mega Raichu and Ceruledge, and Vanilluxe covers rain. The author's admitted weak spots are the late-game rise of Starmie and Meowscarada, plus no answer to Ditto.Build article →

The author is a longtime sand player who built out from a sandstorm core. Tyranitar sets sand and doubles as a pivot, switching in on Alolan Ninetales, Vanilluxe and Pelipper; holding Smooth Rock it extends the sand turns to feed Life Orb Excadrill, the main gun, which OHKOs Meowscarada with Iron Head plus Stealth Rock chip. For the lead Mega, they first ran Mega Scovillain, whose Grass/Fire coverage synergizes with sand, cycling with Tyranitar to rack up burn, sand and rock chip until things fall into Excadrill's range. But it struggled against Garchomp, so the author swapped to Mega Meganium, which can pivot in safely and beats Garchomp on typing. The rest: Mega Dragonite covers Fire and Poison blind spots, Hippowdon handles Mega Blaziken and Mega Staraptor, and Aegislash beats Corviknight as the back-line core. The author admits the final day was full of Poison Jab Garchomp that brokeBuild article →