📈 Ladder Top Builds

The author started out building a rain team that closed games with Politoed Perish Song, then realised he could just force two knockouts with a surprise line and Perish from there, which led him to Mega Banette — Prankster, 165 Attack, and Destiny Bond in one package. The core play is a priority Swagger on his own Sneasler: with Attack doubled, Close Combat one-shots Life Orb Garchomp and Mega Swampert, Rock Slide kills Mega Charizard, and Throat Chop takes out Basculegion and Gholdengo, with Destiny Bond forcing extra trades until Politoed can Perish the last two. He insists the team is not one-dimensional — Frisk reveals opposing items so his reads get far more accurate, Banette can set Trick Room for Sylveon and Archaludon, and Corviknight simply Iron Defense-stalls out teams once its checks are gone. Swagger missing is both the team's greatest strength and its greatest weakness, and Build article →

The build starts from Maushold: it survives on a damage-reduction ability, using its signature attack when it can and hunkering behind Protect otherwise. Its partner Sinistcha is a Ghost type immune to Fake Out and redirection, and the two cover each other's weaknesses so whichever can act, does. Once one faints the other still has a redirect move up, feeding into the real core, Mega Staraptor, which handles Steel-types and Incineroar, with male Basculegion as closer. Mega Raichu Y is a second Mega for speed control around Trick Room, and the last slot became Politoed (from Pelipper) to grind down Kingambit-plus-Sinistcha stall pairs. The author reached Champion rank but struggled against that stall style, notes Floette and Delphox are bad matchups for Staraptor, and calls it solid but not overwhelmingly powerful.Build article →

The author reached rank 212 in Doubles Season M-1 by combining harsh-sunlight and Trick Room into a single team, reasoning that as a less-experienced player they needed a lineup they could pilot mechanically. The core lead is Torkoal + Venusaur, with Aerodactyl and Incineroar in the back, targeting the prevalent Charizard-Y / Florges standard archetype at roughly an 80% win rate. Torkoal's Heat Wave is the engine; Venusaur's Sleep Powder buys extra turns, Mega Aerodactyl flinches with Rock Slide at 46.7%, and Incineroar manages Intimidate and weather turns. The Trick Room route features Farigiraf and Mega Crabominable. The author's philosophy is that over enough ladder games probabilities converge, so accuracy-reliant moves like Sleep Powder and Heat Wave are always worth pressing. Weaknesses include rain teams and opponents skilled at wasting weather turns.Build article →

The author built around using the officially distributed Ash's Charizard, reaching rank 213 in Doubles Season M-1. The main lead is Lopunny + Sylveon, with Scarfless-Basculegion holding a Choice Band and Clawitzer in the back as sweepers. Sylveon's Hyper Voice spreads damage to soften up targets for Basculegion's Aqua Step or the priority Last Respects. Charizard is tuned for Trick Room, and Farigiraf provides Trick Room support. The author notes that Archaludon's guaranteed follow-up action paired with Basculegion gave a sense of reliability similar to a Gyarados-plus-Rotom core. Weaknesses included misidentifying which move to lock Archaludon into and unstable matchups against Florges and Vivillon teams.Build article →

The author loves Trick Room and built around Malamar as the setter. Its Contrary plus Superpower punishes Kingambit, Prankster tricks miss it, and with no Bug users around its only real weakness is Fairy. The core has Maushold using its multi-hit signature move and Follow Me to sneak surprise KOs, then Mega Mawile and Malamar sweep under Trick Room with a Focus Sash Basculegion as closer. To patch weaknesses to rain, Staraptor, and Pyroar-Torkoal, the author added Mr. Rime: Freeze-Dry OHKOs Pelipper and Mega Swampert, Ice Spinner ignores screens to drop Staraptor, and it can Charm to pump Malamar. Life Orb Kommo-o rounds it out against Pyroar and rain. The author admits stray Bug moves from Annihilape or Vivillon can catch them off guard.Build article →