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This team is frankly built around landing low-accuracy moves — the author's motto is hit and win, miss and accept it. Mega Venusaur leads most matchups, using Sleep Powder and Leech Seed against physical threats or sleeping then double-hitting frail attackers; Espathra stacks Speed with Speed Boost while showing Hypnosis to warp opponent team selection and act as a Baton Pass relay for Clefable; Clefable comes in to tank Scizor with Miracle Seed-boosted attacks, sets Stealth Rock, and uses Healing Wish to revive Venusaur at full health; Snorlax runs Thunder Dive plus Explosion plus Yawn plus Fissure to lure in Basculegion; Mimikyu with Swords Dance and Shadow Claw cleans up; Mega Gengar finishes after Venusaur puts things to sleep. The Sleep Powder-Nasty Plot-Kingambit combination dominated Clefable and Baton Pass teams, but Substitute Gengar and sleep-immune leads were persistent problems.Build article →

The team is built around a standard Hippowdon pivot with Mega Dragonite and Mega Florges as the dual Mega pair, aiming to avoid speed ties and always have a usable Mega in the back. Hippowdon focuses on physical bulk to handle Garchomp, Mega Kangaskhan, and Mega Lopunny. Mega Dragonite runs max special attack without Speed investment and uses Roost plus Dragon Pulse, Air Slash, and Thunderbolt, applying unique pressure to Mega Venusaur and Corviknight. Mega Florges fills the complementary Mega slot on a high coverage basis against Lopunny matchups. Sneasler with Choice Scarf at max speed outruns Mega Gyarados and solves Mega Starmie, Mega Gengar, and even incidentally shuts down Primarina's Throat Spray. Meowscarada runs physical with Stealth Rock. Aegislash shifted to special late in the season and could bait opponents into letting it use Sacred Sword after they assumed special build. The author highlights Sneasler as the MVP for its exceptional Fighting-type coverage in this low-power-creep meta, and cites HD Corviknight as the team's largest structural weakness.Build article →

The author's starting point is a partner Infernape plus Whimsicott setup-enabler core: they found Whimsicott's Leech Seed and Encore pair beautifully with Stealth Rock, since both force switches and rack up rock chip. A Yache Berry Infernape lays Stealth Rock and drops attack with Will-O-Wisp, and can Encore-lock opponents into the Water and Ground moves aimed at it so Whimsicott's Leech Seed stays safe. The two setup sweepers are Dragon Dance Mega Gyarados and Iron Defense Mega Metagross; Gyarados flips games with Intimidate and super-effective coverage, while Metagross walls and grinds down Meowscarada, Umbreon, Scizor and the Metagross mirror. The last two are Life Orb Swords Dance Mimikyu and Focus Sash Aegislash to handle lead Greninja and Ceruledge, while baiting foes into thinking Aegislash lacks a Sash. The author's noted weakness is having few answers to Hippowdon's Yawn, so MetBuild article →

The team is anchored by Mega Starmie, conceived specifically to avoid ever using Hippowdon or Charizard. The author wanted Charizard-level neutral pressure and found physical Mega Starmie delivered that while adding pivot and priority options. Archaludon with Thunder Wave and Stealth Rock supports Starmie and exploits type versatility to force Gengar and Greninja to overcommit. Garchomp uses a Haban Berry with Swords Dance and Rock Tomb for pivot play and damage control against leading Charizard. Mega Heracross was added the day before the last ladder session to crush Mega Lopunny teams, with the option to stay un-Mega-Evolved and activate Guts against Scovillain. Primarina with a Lum Berry and Sleep Talk handles Toxic Spikes and Umbreon poison loops in conjunction with Archaludon paralysis. Snorlax with Leftovers and Thick Fat plus Yawn-Protect cuts Ghost and Ice coverage for the team and funnels Basculegion. The author rates Starmie as one of the best Megas in the format and identifies persistent Mega Lopunny matchups and Stamina Archaludon as the team's two worst matchups.Build article →

The author admits the team's completion isn't high but each slot packs a specific counter, winning on individual power. The centerpiece is an HA Starmie running a Bulk Up set; once it stacks even one boost the payoff is huge, and the unexpected set creates favorable reads only the pilot sees, like Bulking up into an Aegislash King's Shield or straight into a physically defensive Gyarados. AS Lopunny is dedicated to beating Archaludon, Greninja, Hydreigon and Meowscarada. A bulky Sylveon uses Yawn loops for board control and is nearly impossible to OHKO. Archaludon is the check to Mimikyu, Metagross, Gyarados, Starmie and Mawile. A Nasty Plot Substitute Hydreigon counters Skeledirge, Hippowdon, Aegislash and Umbreon, dodging Yawn in front of Hippowdon while keeping its Sub. Garchomp fills the last slot to handle Scovillain, Venusaur, Victreebel and Samurott. The author says the three hardBuild article →

After two months in this Mega-on, Tera-off format the author still couldn't make cycle teams click — win rate stuck around 50% — so he committed to a matchup-based offense built around a strong lead. Mega Victreebel trades at least 1-for-1 against most of the popular leads (Lopunny, Charizard, Floette, Garchomp, Gyarados, Meowscarada, Gengar), making it the anchor. Thick Fat Self-Destruct Snorlax follows up to either KO the second mon or blow it up, while Focus Sash Basculegion with Agility cleans up. The last three slots all exist to handle Archaludon: Flapple with G-Max Steelsurge stops Mimikyu and Clefable cold, Sitrus Primarina baits in Hisuian Samurott and Hydreigon when Basculegion is shown, and Mega Delphox dismantles stall. Confessed weak spots: Archaludon itself, Wish Delphox, Baton Pass Floette, Minimize Starmie, and any fast flinch user.Build article →

The team centers on the classic pivot chain of physical Mega Scizor using U-turn into high special attack Wash Rotom, a tactic the author traces back to generation five Latios-Scizor teams. Hippowdon and Garchomp form the base. Mega Scizor runs max Attack and U-turn is non-negotiable; the author regards dropping U-turn from Scizor as fundamentally wrong despite its low recorded usage rate in the format. Wash Rotom with an Oran Berry fires off Volt Switch at near-maximum special attack, uses Will-O-Wisp to neuter Garchomp and Umbreon, and also handles leading Araquanid. Florges provides meditation plus Moonblast plus Synthesis as the complementary Mega when Salandit is not threatened. Choice Scarf Hydreigon slots in last, and the rear U-turn into Choice Specs Draco Meteor landing combination against full-health targets is extremely powerful. The author notes Garchomp's actual team selection rate was surprisingly low and Volcarona remains the biggest structural problem.Build article →

Feeling the format was full of Metagross, the author started from the Mega slot that best beats it, Delphox, and built outward, with two accounts peaking at 2561 and finishing around 120th. Delphox runs Fire Blast, Psychic, Nasty Plot, and Substitute; Hippowdon is Leftovers Impish with Earthquake, Yawn, Slack Off, and Protect as the defensive-cycle pivot. Choice Scarf Meowscarada carries Trick Flower, Triple Axel, Thunder Punch, and U-turn, and gets thrown at almost any team with Gyarados. Empoleon runs Shuca Berry for water control plus Vacuum Wave, while Focus Sash Garchomp sets Stealth Rock plus Stone Edge and Lum Berry Kingambit Swords Dances to close. The usual lead is Garchomp or Empoleon plus Delphox and Kingambit, with Hippowdon only coming out when cycling looks better. His heaviest matchup is Mimikyu, which he only realized was a problem in the last hour, and Hisuian Samurott iBuild article →

This is a brief post recording a final rank 128 result. The team combines Garchomp, Basculegion, Volcarona, Clefable, Mega Gengar, and Mega Kangaskhan. The starting problem was unstable win rates against teams featuring Garchomp paired with Umbreon or Corviknight plus Gengar or Florges, which led to trying the SaKKu-style Clefable-Garchomp-Volcarona core. However, as Focus Sash Garchomp became more common, Clefable's move choices became unpredictable. The author switched to a Mystic Water Basculegion leading against Mega opponents and using Wave Crash to knock out at least one threat, opening the field for Garchomp or Volcarona to sweep. The author admits this tactic relies too heavily on luck but noted over a 90% win rate during a stretch, then dropped it afterward. Stamina Archaludon with Mirror Coat, Dragon Pulse, Stealth Rock, and Thunderbolt was consistently the hardest opponent to handle.Build article →

The author felt Mega Raichu Y played great among the new M-3 mons, loving how No Guard removes accuracy worries and Zap Cannon lets you push luck, so it became the core. Raichu is shockingly frail after Mega, so it got a Corviknight to absorb physical threats like Garchomp and Meowscarada, and a Snorlax cushion for special ones like Archaludon and Hydreigon. On offense, Garchomp handles matchup pressure and Stealth Rock, Starmie punishes bulky rock-setting Garchomp and is favored into Fire types, and Archaludon rounds it out as a heavy special breaker. Raichu runs Zap Cannon, Focus Blast, Grass Knot for Hippowdon, and Substitute, while Corviknight sweeps late off Bulk Up. The author was thrilled to reach final Champion tier for the first time, though bulky Iron Defense Metagross kept feeding on the team down the stretch.Build article →

Seeing Mega Scolipede's stats in ZA, the author was sure that with Speed Boost it would be strong no matter its ability, and started the team from it. Shell Armor pairs perfectly with screens, and with Light Clay unbanned this season, Aurora Veil Alolan Ninetales plus Scolipede became the core. Screen teams like to grab numbers and info advantage in one-on-ones before setting screens, so easy leads Mimikyu and Ceruledge got the nod. Scolipede snowballs off Speed Boost, Swords Dance, and Drain Punch recovery, while Focus Sash all-out Ceruledge is the best Sash mon in MB. Life Orb Mimikyu carries Curse and Trick Room, Mega Blastoise handles Metagross, Corviknight and Fire types, and Mega Scovillain specifically fights the Metagross-plus-Primarina-plus-Hippowdon combo. Maushold was the offline-event slot for breaking Umbreon-plus-Hippowdon stall, and it won the offline event. The author sayBuild article →

Returning since USUM, the author's idea was to stack high-BST mons and then tune moves and EVs to the meta so there's a win path against anything. The Mega slot is 700-BST Mega Dragonite to answer M-3's strong new Fighters (Blaziken, Staraptor, Annihilape) and combos like Hydreigon-plus-Metagross, backed by Mega Starmie for absurd damage off Huge Power. A Will-O-Wisp Quiver Dance Volcarona, near-max in Defense, works into both physical and special and was the team MVP, racking up 3HKOs. A Choice Scarf Jolly max-Speed Garchomp serves as stopper and sweeper. A Substitute plus Sheer Cold Vanilluxe specifically breaks stall cores. The last slot is Aegislash aimed at Staraptor and Floette, later switched to Life Orb physical but rarely brought. Dragonite must lead or Stealth Rock kills Multiscale. The author says special-leaning Archaludon stayed a problem all season, and lead Glimmora and GrBuild article →

The team revolves around Archaludon plus Mega Florges as the core pair, backed by Basculegion and Garchomp for offensive coverage. Florges added Baby-Doll Eyes as a key move that unexpectedly converts Aegislash and Kingambit into setup fodder, while Calm Mind handles special attackers; Archaludon carries an Oran Berry and Mirror Coat to eliminate special Mega leads immediately, with Stealth Rock plus Dragon Pulse plus Tail Slap plus Mirror Coat proving to be the season's essential combination. Garchomp with a Choice Scarf and Basculegion with a Focus Sash were swapped from the standard configuration to create mutual threat misreading — opponents expecting a Scarf on Basculegion encounter Scarf Garchomp instead. Scizor runs HD plus Swords Dance plus Roost to complement Florges in breaking tough matchups. Vivillon's Compound Eyes Sleep Powder acts as a deterrent that discourages opponents from bringing two defensive walls; it was used four times with three wins. The author cites HD Mirror Armor Corviknight, Mega Scovillain, and Mega Aerodactyl as the team's worst matchups.Build article →

This team prioritizes fast game-states and avoiding draws, centering on Mega Starmie after abandoning Hippowdon-Charizard late in the season. Archaludon runs Thunder Wave and Stealth Rock, leveraging its move-set variety to let Gengar and Greninja overextend. Garchomp carries a Haban Berry with Swords Dance and Rock Tomb for pivot play and reliable damage against leading Charizard; the author replaced Draco Meteor with Ice Fang after too many misses. Primarina with a Lum Berry and Sleep Talk neutralizes Toxic Spikes and Umbreon poison. Mega Heracross was added the final day as a direct counter to Mega Lopunny, and un-evolved Guts activation punishes Scovillain. Snorlax with Thick Fat, Leftovers, and Yawn-Protect closes Ghost-type and Ice-type coverage gaps and provides a reliable Basculegion counter. The author values Starmie as the team's consistent performer; Mega Lopunny and Stamina Archaludon remained the clearest structural weaknesses through the final day.Build article →

The author built around their favorite Typhlosion, finishing 140th in Champions M-1. The core idea is a Focus Sash Typhlosion running Inferno Overdrive plus Flail-style moves, with its Blaze ability enabling big damage at low HP. Mega Dragonite is the primary mega, mopping up opponents that Typhlosion chips down; Mega Lucario handles fairy-types that pressure Dragonite. Corviknight with Defog and U-turn maintains field control and enables the offensive duo to perform. Scarf Samurott (Hisui) handles fast megas like Starmie and Gengar, and also counters the Basculegion that Lucario tends to invite. Mimikyu covers the Garchomp + Florges + Basculegion core as a versatile safety net. The author notes the team's central weakness is electric-type coverage since there's no ground-type, making Bellibolt particularly threatening.Build article →