📈 Ladder Top Builds

This doubles team is built around Mega Scovillain, whose ability and Overheat proved stronger than expected from the start. Aerodactyl was added to handle Charizard, Scovillain's fire-type weakness. The initial roster of Scovillain, Aerodactyl, Basculegion-M, Sneasler, Kingambit, and Kommo-o evolved as Kommo-o underperformed and Dragonite with Focus Blast replaced it for rain matchups, then Kleavor replaced Kingambit due to Florges pressure. For the final day, Sylveon replaced Mega Florges to synergize better with Scovillain, and Farigiraf with Choice Scarf at max speed replaced Kleavor to check Talonflame and Fake Out users. Farigiraf mostly used Psychic and Thunderbolt. The author is satisfied with the overall concept but notes rain teams remain a weakness; the Global Challenge was cleared 22-5 but PJCS qualifying ended 12-8, with a final ladder rank of 25th.Build article →

Yuyu likes long games, so the team is built around an Incineroar + Sinistcha + setup-sweeper rotation core. It evolved from the ladder's Ceruledge + Milotic archetype: he swapped the setup core from Ceruledge to Fire-type Ninetales (to wall Whimsicott, Floette and Charizard Y), added a Milotic that both counters Intimidate and can sleep the opponent to shut down Incineroar, and kept Sneasler to steal setup turns with Fake Out and act as a hidden threat. EVs mostly hit 11n physical bulk then dump the rest into special bulk; Sneasler runs Light weight to dodge poison and gamble a Rock Slide flinch late. Typical leads are double Fake Out + Sinistcha + an attacker, or Milotic + attacker + pivot pick-two. He rates it as heavily favored versus Gengar Perish-song, Blastoise-Ninetales setup and standard Calm Mind Floette, but a coinflip against Big Six, Charizard Y teams, and Metagross or VenusaBuild article →

This doubles team uses a Mega Kangaskhan Fake Out lead combined with Farigiraf's Amnesia Baton Pass to reliably set up a fortified Archaludon as the main sweeper. Blastoise was the original Fake Out user but often fainted by turn two, disrupting the baton timing; Kangaskhan replaced it by surviving through turn three more consistently. Farigiraf invests heavily in bulk so it can take hits before and after passing, leaving Archaludon to stack special defense via Stamina and sweep with Electro Beam. Primarina holds Mirror Coat to both shield Archaludon from physical hits and push damage through rain-boosted Hyper Voice; Kingambit handles Gengar and Froslass; Charizard X is reserved for Gengar-Kommo-o pairings. The author considers the concept genuinely original, notes a friend cleared the PJCS qualifier with the team, and finished 27th on the ladder, though in the main event Archaludon was knocked out by two critical Roar hits — resulting in an audible shout of disbelief.Build article →

This doubles team settles on Whimsicott plus Mega Charizard Y, Choice Scarf Garchomp, Archaludon with White Herb at max speed, Basculegion-M, and Kingambit. The original framework of Aerodactyl plus Garchomp was abandoned because tailwind mirror matchups were too inconsistent, and Whimsicott took over the wind role. Charizard Y was chosen specifically for meeting all three requirements of wide special coverage, fairy resistance, and steel-type moves, while Whimsicott naturally checks Garchomp and sun reduces opposing water damage. Archaludon holding White Herb efficiently chips opponents with Dragon Pulse, while Kingambit provides answers against trick room and Leafeon setups. The author highlights Whimsicott's Encore as a strong tool against opposing tailwind teams. The Global Challenge was cleared in the top 30 at rating 2500-plus, the PJCS qualifier was entered with this team, and the final rated standing was 2603 at 32nd place.Build article →

Mameta's first team article covers a doubles Tailwind Dragonite that hit 2420 and 33rd in Season M-3 doubles. It's based on Arukana's Mega Dragonite goodstuff. Tailwind Dragonite felt great but was thin into Garchomp, Trick Room, and Mega Froslass, so two screens were added: Mega Froslass sets Aurora Veil (immune to Fake Out) to shore up Trick Room and outspeeds mirrors with Shadow Ball, plus Alolan Ninetales to handle rain teams like Mega Swampert. Adamant Dragonite runs Protect for TR games, self-triggers Sitrus with Wave Crash, chips with Aqua Jet, and finishes bulky mons like Mega Venusaur, Archaludon, and Toxapex with Spirit Break/Poltergeist-type coverage (Ohaka-mairi). Sneasler pairs off Rock Slide, uses Close Combat on Archaludon and Raichu, Fatal Claws on Floette and Grimmsnarl, and Fake Out to steal Tailwind. Kingambit handles Basculegion, Floette, and Mawile. Ninetales runs BlBuild article →

This is a doubles team; out of sentiment the author committed to Mega Blaziken, using Speed Boost to catch even Tailwind and its high-Attack Fire/Fighting/Rock coverage to build endless wins off ultra-fast Rock Slide flinches. Being frail, it can't play a cycle, so it needs a partner sweeping alongside it: Life Orb Meowscarada, which snipes a non-Sash Basculegion with Sucker Punch before Aqua Jet and outspeeds Garchomp, patching Blaziken's weak grip on Steel/Fire. The front is White Herb Dragonite plus Timid Focus Sash Sylveon, meant to survive under Tailwind via Multiscale and Protect while chipping for the back. Filler slots add Inner Focus Curse Mudsdale to beat Mega Aerodactyl and Torkoal-Fairy screen setups, and Choice Scarf Gholdengo to handle Froslass and Staraptor. The author says Blaziken and Meowscarada side by side mowing everything down is the win condition; the hardest matchBuild article →

This is a doubles team. Starting from Corviknight and Glimmora as the core pair, the author noticed the environment was flooded with the pattern of Mega Pokemon plus Focus Sash Basculegion plus Kingambit in the back. Glimmora's coverage hits Mega Aerodactyl, Mega Charizard Y, and Mega Florges, while its Toxic Debris ability can destroy opponent Focus Sashes passively; combining this with Mega Charizard Y's well-rounded back-row damage proved very powerful. Garchomp was added to chip the opponent's Dragonite and beat Tailwind mirrors. Mystic Water Basculegion filled the last slot for coverage and Garchomp counter-play. Corviknight's Encore can lock opponents into passive moves during Tailwind races, freeing other members to attack freely. The team was tuned by four players; one member ran a modified version substituting Fairy Feather on Corviknight and Poison Jab replacing Protect on Garchomp, finishing first overall. The team's acknowledged weakness was an inability to find consistent answers to Lapras and Blastoise builds with Vivillon.Build article →

The author built around Mega Blastoise's Shell Smash + Water Spout sweep plan, with the rest of the team dedicated to letting Blastoise set up safely and protecting it afterward. Maushold uses Friend Guard plus Follow Me to soak single-target hits and chip with Super Fang, while Sinistcha's Hospitality keeps Blastoise at full HP to maintain Water Spout's power and takes over redirection with Rage Powder. Sneasler is brought in after a teammate faints, using Fake Out plus Upper Hand to blow up priority-heavy backlines like Kingambit and Incineroar. Kingambit itself runs Sash + max Attack/Speed, leveraging Supreme Overlord to break Basculegion and Aegislash lines. The last slot, Farigiraf with Armor Tail, is purely an anti-Whimsicott pick — the author says just having it on the team scared opponents off bringing Whimsicott, plus Imprison + Hyper Voice handles hard Trick Room mirrors. Self-reported ~80% winrate vs the standard Charizard Y / Garchomp / Floette lead, but the team lacks reliable damage into bulky Dragons.Build article →

The team is built around Mega Tyranitar with Dragon Dance, inspired by a reference build that used Rotom to set up paralysis and burn then swept with tailwind — but the author felt the tailwind sweeper lacked the necessary power. By having Tyranitar set up Dragon Dance instead, the team no longer needs tailwind to act first. Rotom disrupts the opponent, Corviknight sets tailwind or bulk-up, Sneasler applies fake-out pressure and can boost teammates with coaching, and Gallade runs Focus Sash with taunt to shut down trick room and Sableye, then one-shots Archaludon with Sacred Sword. The author rates the team highly for its explosive upswing plays but notes Tyranitar's many weaknesses and reliance on shaky-accuracy moves make every match mentally exhausting; surging Whimsicott teams late in the final day dropped the finish to 2560.Build article →