📈 Ladder Top Builds

The author finished 150th in Champions M-1 with a peak of 2660, building around Mega Florges, Garchomp, and Corviknight. Mega Florges is the centerpiece, using Moonblast coverage, Drain Kiss sustain, and Substitute stalling to defeat most lower-durability opponents outright. Garchomp enters with Rock Tomb to slow opponents, Dragon Tail to cycle out threats, and Stealth Rock plus Rough Skin for residual damage, pressuring the defensive cycling that counters Florges. Taunt-plus-Bulk Up Corviknight is called the real MVP: Taunt shuts stall loops, and accumulated Bulk Up turns it into an offensive threat that also handles physical opponents like Meowscarada that Florges cannot manage. Scarf Basculegion handles fast high-power attackers but met prepared opponents in upper ladder. Mega Delphox is self-described as a misfit — water-type coverage pierces the whole team and its role was too niche. Kingambit deals with Mega Dragonite, Aegislash, and ghost-type coverage threats. Key weaknesses are water-type coverage going unchecked and the supplementary slots not being cohesive.Build article →

The author rebuilt the Gen 7 Hippowdon/Garchomp/Aegislash/Greninja core for this format, with a rule of avoiding any inaccurate moves—only Dragonite's Air Slash slips through. Mega Greninja is the MVP: outspeeds Mega Lopunny, picks a move pre-Mega via Protean, then evolves on the predicted switch to fire the right STAB. Because Floette and Dragonite are also on the team, opponents rarely read Greninja as the Mega, giving it huge deception. Hippowdon handles physical attackers and often sweeps games alone after Greninja or Meowscarada flop. Mega Dragonite is the team's only Fire move, mandatory vs. Scizor, and at max Speed creeps Vivillon and Adamant Garchomp. Aegislash tanks special hits, though Close Combat loses to Calm Mind fairies and Iron Head got destroyed by Torrent Greninja in tests. Scarf Adamant Meowscarada keeps offensive pressure, and Mega Floette runs Psychic over Draining Kiss after drawing three straight games against Umbreon and Gengar.Build article →

The author hit Champion rank for the first time (final 151st, 2434) with a double-wall core: Mega Slowbro soaks physical hits, Hisui Goodra takes special ones, and four hard hitters clean up. Slowbro's Shell Armor blocks crits while White Herb Goodra uses Acid Spray to break walls, making the two a complementary backbone. Choice Scarf Staraptor is the fast sweeper, its Reckless one-shotting Charizard Y and Delphox; Primarina answers Hydreigon plus Metagross cores; Mamoswine sets Stealth Rock and hunts Dragonite; Mega Gengar patches the Fairy weakness. The author flags Charizard Y, Ceruledge, and especially non-Scarf item Basculegion as the hardest matchups.Build article →

The author finished 152nd in Champions M-1 at 2617, building around Mega Victreebel as a toxic spikes setter who keeps fighting after laying entry hazards. The core problem with traditional toxic spikes teams — losing the setter and immediately being down a Pokémon — is solved here: Mega Victreebel uses Wrap, Encore, Leech Seed, and its ability to force casualties in return, meaning giving it up always costs the opponent something. Against physical and slow opponents it can solo entire games through Wrap-lock plus Encore plus Leech Seed drain; special attackers are the main weakness since they break through before the drain loop can activate. Kingambit runs Attack-Speed max without Bullet Punch, outspeeding most Corviknight, Skeledirge, and Scizor to clean up as the team's other MVP. Primarina is heavily invested in HP and Special Defense to tank Archaludon and other special threats, with Encore providing extra pressure against setup moves and Fairy typing blocking Dragon Tail. Hippowdon serves as a second Archaludon check, with Earthquake, HD investment, and Sitrus Berry allowing it to absorb even White Herb-boosted Steel Beam. The author admits the last two team slots were never optimally filled and that Mega Gengar, Mega Dragonite, and Mega Charizard remain problematic.Build article →

The author built around the newly added Mega Mawile (final 152nd, 2434), an offense-leaning team. Huge Power Mawile spamming Play Rough is the star, backed by Mimikyu for Trick Room setup and matchup control, and Hippowdon as a cushion that sets Stealth Rock and clicks Yawn. Mega Delphox is the second Mega for wall breaking and games where Mawile can't be brought, its bulk letting it tank a hit and revenge Mega Blaziken, Mega Venusaur, and Metagross. Choice Scarf Hydreigon covers Mawile's typing and targets Mega Metagross; a Sash special Meowscarada spreads Toxic Spikes and baits Charizard or Archaludon leads for the kill. The author notes Primarina alone squeezes their team choices, and late Mega Gyarados plus Mega Meowstic are rough.Build article →

This team centers on Mega Charizard Y as the premier special attacker, paired with a Choice Scarf Garchomp as an offensive pivot using a Sash for matchup flexibility and Scale Shot to boost speed before pressuring foes. Mega Lopunny provides a high-damage physical alternative with Jump Kick and Sword Dance to deny defensive walls. Mimikyu with Life Orb handles matchups against Garchomp, Starmie, and Basculegion that trouble the core. The author notes the team's biggest flaw is its reliance on accuracy-imperfect moves — Overheat, Scale Shot, Jump Kick, and Play Rough all sit at 90% accuracy, making luck variance unavoidable over a long grind; Scarf Meowscarada is identified as the hardest counter with no clean answer.Build article →

The team is built around Mega Lopunny and Mega Gengar in a cycle structure, with the author reasoning that an aggressive, pressure-first style suits an unsettled first season. Mega Lopunny leads almost every game, using Fake Out to scout and chip, then Jumping Kick or Triple Axel to score KOs with its wide Normal/Fighting coverage. Mega Gengar waits in the back; U-turn and Flip Turn from teammates create a free switch-in, after which Shadow Tag lets it trap and dismantle opponents one by one. Corviknight buffs with Stealth Body Press, Primarina handles Hippowdon and provides Flip Turn support, Garchomp sets Stealth Rock, and Hydreigon with Choice Scarf provides a consistent U-turn pivot into Gengar. The author flags Aegislash's King's Shield punishing Jumping Kick and Scizor's matchup as the team's two main weaknesses left unresolved.Build article →

The author borrowed this team from friend Quri, with Gengar, Umbreon, and Garchomp as the three-Pokemon core, supported by Skeledirge and Araquanid. Umbreon serves as a universal physical wall and was selected in 100% of winning games; the author recommends treating it as a mandatory lead. Gengar's Will-O-Wisp plus Hex chip away at opponents, while Garchomp uses Scale Shot to reach maximum speed before acting as a de facto Choice Scarf sweeper. Skeledirge covers high-special-defense and sunny teams, using its priority move in combination with burn damage for attrition. The author notes that bad-luck losses usually traced back to subtle misplays rather than structural weaknesses, and cautions that Scale Shot's accuracy requires careful management.Build article →

A Pokemon UNITE pro built around Palafin, their SV-era partner, and climbed 400 points in a day (final 155th, 2433). The core is Palafin plus Mega Dragonite, backed by Bellibolt as a special wall and pivot that uses Soak from above Hippowdon. Choice Scarf Palafin with Zero to Hero leads roughly 90% of the time, chipping with Wave Crash and Flip Turn before sweeping. Special Mega Dragonite runs both Flamethrower and Thunderbolt plus Hurricane to smash Mega Venusaur and Mega Staraptor. Vanilluxe brings snow and Taunt to counter Garchomp, Meowscarada, and stall; Hippowdon cushions with Stealth Rock and Yawn; Mega Sceptile targets Mega Starmie. The author calls Meowscarada, Mega Floette, and Baton Pass teams the toughest.Build article →

The author opted for a high-pressure, face-value team built around Mega Lopunny, targeting the environment's most common threats with theoretical maximum output. The near-universal lead core was Mega Lopunny plus Aqua Jewel Basculegion plus Choice Scarf Garchomp. Mega Lopunny runs max speed with Fake Out, Mega Kick, Jumping Kick, and Triple Axel, all high-damage moves with accuracy trade-offs by design. Garchomp uses Rock Tomb to deny speed boosts from setup sweepers. Basculegion with the Mystic Water and Flip Turn counters Belly Drum and Mudsdale's setup while pivoting. Bellibolt's Soak plus Toxic chip away at walls; Corviknight walls physical attackers. Mega Charizard X is mainly a team preview lure and saw the least play. The author identifies passive defensive teams as the main structural weakness.Build article →