📈 Ladder Top Builds

With Swampert unbanned everyone moved to Swampert rain, so the author deliberately went the other way and stuck with a Starmie core, and his reasoning is concrete: under rain Mega Starmie's Water move hits harder than Swampert's and takes no recoil, its coverage flattens Meganium, Venusaur and Dragonite, it has priority, and it still functions when rain is gone, which also lets it fight Mega Charizard Y and Alolan Ninetales. Focus Sash Pelipper sets rain with minimum Speed for slow U-turns, and Quick Attack is the key tech — Weather Ball then Quick Attack denies a lead Glimmora its Stealth Rock, and it also breaks Focus Sash and Multiscale to open a lane for Starmie. He rates Rest plus Chesto Berry Archaludon as better than either Mega slot, winning almost every one-on-one it takes. Calm Mind three-attack Floette is the second Mega, with Aegislash specifically for opposing Archaludon andBuild article →

The build starts from a Roost, modestly bulky Mega Charizard Y: manage its HP and it gets multiple turns against the format's best, giving him both one-on-one power and pivoting, and it answers the Archaludon, Hippowdon and Corviknight that are otherwise painful. To keep Stealth Rock from ruining that, he added Defog Corviknight, which doubles as a clean switch-in to the format's most-used Pokemon, Garchomp, then max-Speed Choice Scarf Garchomp of his own to cut the Electric-type spam and outrace opposing Garchomp — those three are his main three. The second line is Ice Spinner Mega Starmie with Leftovers Bellibolt, a special wall that still pivots with Volt Switch and specifically absorbs Mega Dragonite, finished by Hisuian Samurott laying Spikes and breaking, strong into Aegislash and Greninja and unafraid of Gyarados. He says what he actually fixed this season was his team selection rBuild article →

The team started from the idea that a Choice Scarf Sneasler could get good outcomes against the opponent's lead Choice Meowscarada, whether moving first or switching in later via U-turn, backed by baseline switch-ins for common threats. Garchomp sets Stealth Rock and Spikes with bulk to tank rival Garchomp, Mega Lopunny, Primarina and Archaludon's big hits; Gengar runs Focus Sash with an ice move, disguised as a possible Mega pick to snipe the opponent's lead Garchomp; Kingambit trades hits and cycles rather than breaking walls; Scarf Sneasler answers Meowscarada; Mega Dragonite is speed-tuned past Mimikyu while respecting max-speed Archaludon, with bulk to tank Garchomp's follow-ups; Slowking stalls and runs a bulk nature to soften Umbreon's Foul Play. The author felt the team's coverage worked well together and was easy to play around, with Scarf Sneasler shining against unfamiliar oppBuild article →

With 24 hours left in the season and neither a team nor a rating, the author just reused last season's Kingambit / Garchomp / Delphox / Gyarados core, switched Garchomp from Focus Sash to a Dragon Tail hazard set, and filled the last two slots with Sylveon and Choice Scarf Gholdengo. The plan is simple: Garchomp lays hazards, Sylveon loops Yawn to force switches and pile on chip damage, and Kingambit sweeps — plenty of games were won without Mega Evolving at all. Mega Gyarados uses Intimidate to blunt physical attackers and open setup windows for itself and Kingambit, while Delphox after a Nasty Plot removes Umbreon with Overheat and hits Slowbro and Milotic with Grass Knot, which with hazards makes stall almost unloseable. Gholdengo uses Scarf speed and Trick to pester Corviknight, Archaludon and Metagross. The author says Trick Room and Baton Pass gimmicks were the roughest matchups, wBuild article →

The author simply loves Mega Mawile and noticed how few things in the format beat it head-on: it hits hard enough that opponents can't switch freely, and once it gets a favourable matchup it takes half their team with it. What makes the team work is Musharna with Leftovers, Yawn, Healing Wish and Trick Room, which lets a used-up Mega Mawile or Primarina come back at full HP, went nearly undefeated against Gyarados teams, and unexpectedly became a reliable switch-in to Mega Lopunny. Primarina sits behind Mawile to answer Delphox, since it can come in on fire moves, Will-O-Wisp and Substitute alike, and it runs minimum Speed so it can attack and then pivot out after Sylveon comes in. Lum Berry Garchomp breaks Venusaur-style walls with Poison Jab for Mega Meganium and Hippowdon, Focus Sash Greninja shapes what the opponent leads with (and Mawile beats most of those leads), and Shadow Tag MeBuild article →