📈 Ladder Top Builds

The team is a water monotype built around Toxapex as the anchor, stalling most special attackers without Substitute or setup moves using Toxic, Recover and Wrap. Mega Slowbro walls physical threats like Garchomp and Gyarados with Iron Defense, Body Press, Scald and Slack Off. Greninja with Sash uses Sludge Wave to hit Fairy types and Mud Shot to cut Archaludon's speed, compensating for Toxapex's coverage gaps. Mega Sharpedo uses Destiny Bond and Protect to force 1-for-1 trades. Mega Gyarados runs Dragon Dance with Mold Breaker for clean sweeps against Multiscale and Levitate users. Hisuian Samurott covers the team's Gengar-Umbreon matchup with Encore and Sacred Sword. The author considers Florges and any Substitute user as near-unbeatable opponents, while Toxapex completely dominates special attackers without setup.Build article →

The author kept last season's lead-matchup core of Glimmora + Lopunny + Basculegion since it was already performing well, and built the rest of the team around supporting that opening trio. Sash Glimmora leads almost every game to set Stealth Rock and Toxic Spikes, chip the opponent, or drop their Speed before handing off to Mega Lopunny and Basculegion. Lopunny moved to a Jolly neutral-speed spread to mirror the rising Lopunny count, running Close Combat, Mach Punch, Fake Out, and Giga Impact. Basculegion holds Mystic Water — even fully physically defensive Hippowdon gets rolled by Wave Crash — and can bluff Scarf to force switches. Scarf Alolan Ninetales covers Dragonite, Vivillon, rain, and Archaludon, and survives Jolly Basculegion's Curse. Mimikyu uses Toxic Spikes + Protect to grind games out, with max Attack for rolls on Lopunny and Garchomp. Mega Charizard Y is the secondary Mega, slotted in specifically against Iron Defense Corviknight, Ceruledge, and bulky Archaludon. The author admits Toxapex cycle teams and Archaludon that gets a free defense boost are nearly unwinnable matchups.Build article →

The author built this team around two concepts: maximizing lead pressure and hard-countering Garchomp. Mega Charizard Y was picked as the centerpiece for its insane selection pressure, with Overheat in the slot so that Archaludon and Hippowdon — two common Stealth Rock setters — actually get blown up trying to lead, leaving only Garchomp and Glimmora as real rock threats. Hippowdon is the team's only true switch-in, laying Rocks and spamming Yawn, which synergizes nicely with SD Mimikyu and SD Mega Scizor. Focus Sash Gengar with Icy Wind is the dedicated answer to lead Garchomp, while Scarf Greninja covers a huge range and importantly hits Archaludon with special moves, which the author prefers over Meowscarada. Mega Scizor is the backup ace, handling Garchomp and Glimmora. The author admits the team is almost pure matchup-pressure with no real defensive cycle outside Hippowdon, and that their own piloting still needs work.Build article →

The author tried the new Pokemon but none clicked, so he brought back last season's face-to-face team almost unchanged, only tweaking items and EVs, and made Champion rank again (207th, plus 231st on an alt). The core is Vivillon, which sets up on slower foes and sweeps, and even when benched it baits out Gholdengo so Mega Lopunny or Greninja can punish. Mega Lopunny sweeps after Swords Dance and handles Vivillon's headaches like Hippowdon, Meowscarada and Mimikyu, while a Life Orb Mimikyu tanks priority and hits back. Espathra leads with a boosting beam to clear the way, Greninja's switch-reading Water Shuriken shreds Steel/Fairy pivots, and Archaludon patches Espathra's weak spots. He says the team plays fine any way you send it out, but struggles against Mega Venusaur plus Umbreon plus Skeledirge, and against Mega Scovillain plus Tyranitar.Build article →

The author's previous ladder team stopped working late in the season, so he borrowed Tamingyas's skeleton and filled in the spreads himself. The concept is a setup-relay built around two high-power cores: Garchomp and Mega Gyarados, using Meowscarada (the matchup the cores hate most) as fuel for the back line. Garchomp runs Adamant Focus Sash and goes first almost every game—Adamant lets two Earthquakes punch through Sitrus Stamina Archaludon, and Thunder Fang replaces Fire Fang specifically to handle Gyarados, the team's biggest weakness. Mega Gyarados then Dragon Dances over whatever Garchomp traded with; its Water/Dark typing lets it eat a priority hit after setting up. Mimikyu carries Fairy Feather with Swords Dance + Curse to muscle through walls and RNG abusers, while Scizor and Volcarona patch coverage holes and Mega Floette is pure selection pressure (0% pick rate). Hardest matchups: Meowscarada, Power Whip Gyarados, lead Hippowdon and Thunder Punch Lopunny.Build article →

Wanting a setup-cycle team, the author started from Blastoise, which newly learned Shell Smash, then paired Sneasler that can set up on Primarina and Meowscarada, the two things Blastoise struggles with. To make those setups, the front is Toucannon (burns physical attackers, has Encore) and Hisuian Samurott (breaks Focus Sash, also has Encore), rounded out with Metagross to check Fairies and Hydreigon to beat stall. The plan is to boost, hit from above to steal luck wins, and avoid getting worn down by playing reactively. Blastoise runs Water Pulse, Aura Sphere and Ice Beam to cover Steel and Garchomp; Sneasler doubles its attack and speed for a turn off Sitrus, setting up on Mimikyu and Primarina that wall Blastoise. Toucannon's Beak Blast is absurd, OHKOing Mega Gengar and burning on contact. Hydreigon was the hidden MVP, mistaken for Scarf, cleaning up Umbreon, Bellibolt and Toxapex wBuild article →

The author built around something that heavily limits the opponent's switches, landing on Mega Raichu Y: No Guard lets it fire Zap Cannon and Focus Blast reliably, so it's strong one-on-one, but the real edge is restricting the enemy's pivots. Grass Knot pressures every ground type except Garchomp, and Zap Cannon's paralysis makes them afraid to bring a Scarf mon in on the switch, so it acts like a pseudo Shadow Tag, paired with real Shadow Tag Mega Gengar for a double-trap concept. The Garchomp that Mega Raichu Y baits is handled by Orthworm, Hippowdon and Primarina: Orthworm's Earth Eater ignores Earthquake and slow Shed Tail brings Primarina in safely. Primarina sweeps with Calm Mind plus Rest and a Chesto Berry, while Hippowdon grinds with Yawn and Protect. Against pure walls, Mega Gengar uses Substitute plus Perish Song, and Scarf Hydreigon revenges fast, hard hitters like Mega StarBuild article →