📈 Ladder Top Builds

The author targeted 452nd place and a peak 2537 rating in Champions S1 by deliberately nudging off the standard template to beat the teams designed to counter it. The core trio is Mega Florges plus Sash Garchomp plus Scarf Basculegion. Mega Florges hits astronomical special attack; one Calm Mind makes it effectively OHKO every neutral target, and the three-Fairy tech set is nearly impossible to prepare for. Garchomp lays Stealth Rock and Spikes while threatening Archaludon, Glimmora, and Gengar. Basculegion covers the fast Mega matchups that Florges cannot out-speed, and its Agility sweep potential after setup is enormous. Araquanid (Sitrus Berry) provides Sticky Web to slow down opposing fast Megas. Skeledirge (Leftovers, Unaware) stabilizes against Corviknight, Mimikyu, and Volcarona. Mega Skarmory fills the second Mega slot to beat Mega Gengar and Mega Venusaur and serve as the Florges mirror answer. The author identifies the lack of reliable Stealth Rock removal as the team's main weakness.Build article →

After studying a streamer's framework, the author refined a core of Sash Garchomp plus specially-defensive Obonn Archaludon and reached 454th place and 2518 rating in Champions S1. Garchomp ran Swords Dance and Scale Shot for aggressive pivoting, though late-season threats like Aqua-Jet Primarina and Will-o-Wisp Mega Delphox became increasingly difficult. Archaludon cushioned with Stealth Rock and Roar to handle setup sweepers, though the author later realized Flamethrower should have been Draco Meteor for better Dragon coverage. Mega Gyarados ditched both STAB Water and Dragon moves entirely in favor of Power Whip, Earthquake, Ice Fang, and Dragon Dance to OHKO Starmie, Basculegion, and Primarina. Mega Scizor's Swords Dance plus Knock Off kit swept Florges-heavy matchups. Scarf Primarina delivered unscouted Moon Force and Hydro Cannon. Skeledirge (Leftovers, Unaware) was the least-used and most regretted slot, cited as the main reason the author stalled out in late-season games.Build article →

The team is built around Mega Dragonite as the primary ace — after dabbling with Mega Metagross and Mega Mawile early on, the author was impressed by Dragonite's head-to-head performance and made it the season's centerpiece. To beat the common threats of Hydreigon+Metagross cores, screens, rain, and Delphox, the supporting cast includes Focus Sash Greninja (handles Hydreigon, Metagross, and Delphox), Life Orb Mimikyu (HP-invested enough to survive Mega Gyarados Waterfall), Never-Melt Ice Vanilluxe (counters Minimize users and Archaludon-heavy teams — credited as the MVP of this ranking), Aegislash (deals with Alolan Ninetales and Floette matchups), and Archaludon (Dragon Tail phasing against Mega Gyarados and burning screens turns). Mega Dragonite runs Dragon Pulse over Draco Meteor to avoid the Special Attack drop leaving it as setup fodder. The author's main regret is narrowly missing Build article →

Built around Mega Lopunny as a lead-and-win threat, the team reached a peak of 2629 and a final 456th place with 2518 rating in Champions S1. The core four locked-in slots are Mega Lopunny, Garchomp, Archaludon, and Basculegion as a selection-pressure anchor. Lopunny runs Fake Out, Giga Impact, and Hi Jump Kick as fixed moves; Mach Punch was chosen over Ice Punch and others specifically to clean up the Basculegion counters that Lopunny naturally lures, and the author made sure to use a male specimen to bait Milotic. Garchomp's Rock Slide targets specially-invested Charizard, but the author now believes Spikes would be better for the team's trouble matchups. Archaludon only appears against Corviknight-containing teams; its Mirror Armor also blocks stat drops from Meowstic. Basculegion's enormous pre-battle presence pulls out Gyarados, Meowscarada, and Gengar, which prevents opponents from anticipating a Scarf Garchomp. Corviknight with Eerie Impulse dismantles stall teams. Mega Starmie mostly served a threat-in-lead role and was never effectively integrated into battle plans.Build article →

The author built a three-Mega offensive team anchored by Mega Victreebel and reached 457th place with a 2518 rating in Champions S1. The team started as a four-Mega concept that was too inflexible in team selection, so Stealth-Rock White Herb Archaludon and Mega Scizor were added to bring it to three Megas. Mega Victreebel's Innards Out ability punishes the opponent regardless of the matchup by dealing damage equal to its remaining HP before fainting, making it an almost universal lead; Strength Sap hard-counters setup sweepers by recovering HP while depleting Swords Dance PP. Primarina (Leftovers) uses Calm Mind and Misty Terrain to set up on Umbreon and handle sleep tactics. Basculegion with a Sash runs Agility for a surprise finish instead of the expected Scarf, and was used in almost every game. Mega Dragonite brings broad coverage and handles matchups where Archaludon and Corviknight are problematic. Mega Scizor was slotted in only for the final seven games and never actually sent out, but its presence alone was enough to significantly deter opponent Florges selection.Build article →

A quirky baton-pass build that finished 462nd, which the author admits is rough but fun to pilot. Past stat-pass teams got shut down by Taunt, Encore or Roar in one move, so this time Mega Clefable is the relay piece, with a Substitute plus Hypnosis Espathra leading to force the chain Espathra to Clefable to sweeper. Corviknight uses Lash Out to convert stat boosts into damage as the main ace, with Incineroar as a backup specifically for Skeledirge; the last two slots are a Light Ball Fling plus Toxic Spikes Greninja and a Moody Scovillain to handle Mega Lucario. The author notes Clefable often swept solo, but overall power is too low, Dragon Tail users wreck the plan, and the Espathra set is genuinely bad and not worth copying.Build article →

The team is built around Grimmsnarl, newly available this season, serving as a non-screen cycle anchor with Parting Shot. Mega Delphox walls the vast majority of special attackers using its high SpDef and Mystical Fire, while Psychic Noise cuts off opponent recovery to prevent stall-outs, and Wish keeps Archaludon healthy so it becomes an infinite tank behind Parting Shot support. Toxapex backs up as a secondary physical wall specifically for Greninja, Blastoise, and other special-Water threats; Mega Meganium fills a second Mega slot to handle rain teams, Mawile teams, and special-Water matchups; and Choice Scarf Garchomp cleans up late while setting Stealth Rock. The team's strength is its cycle flexibility and built-in answers to gimmick teams via priority Taunt and Roar, but heavy role concentration from opponents is a genuine weak point, and Hisuian Samurott is listed as a near-unwinBuild article →

The author built this team around a Shell Smash Blastoise running Water Spout, spotted while digging through the box. Orthworm ignores Ground moves via its ability, so it switches safely into the most-used Garchomp and uses Baton Pass to set up a free Shell Smash for Blastoise, whose post-boost Water Spout hits hard enough to break through dedicated walls. Max Speed Blastoise also pressures opponents. Focus Sash Aegislash is the team's strongest piece, with a Ghost/Fighting coverage that rarely whiffs and a Sash that opponents struggle to read, while Mega Glimmora's Adaptability damage shreds bulky cores. The author admits offense is the strength but Garchomp is a clear threat, handled by leaning on Archaludon. The last slot Scovillain was pure matchup bait and never got brought.Build article →

The team is built around Mega Banette, designed to use Destiny Bond on the lead turn to trade 1-for-1, effectively turning the match into a 3-vs-2 advantage. Archaludon and Scarf Pelipper form the backbone, with Pelipper using Hydro Pump over Weather Ball to retain damage output even without rain. Hisui Samurott is brought as a fake Scarf Water ace that actually leads with Spikes to support Banette. Mega Scizor with Curse fills a second Mega slot with a completely different win condition from Banette, while Eternal-Flower Mega Florette is the counter to Umbreon. The team's fatal flaw is extreme Fire-type weakness — the moment a Fire user appears in team preview, both Scizor and Florette are effectively locked out, reducing the functional team to four members, which ultimately cost the author dearly on finals day.Build article →

This is a grass mono team built to lead Meowscarada for Toxic Spikes, set up, then bring Scovillain in to sweep. The engine is Meowscarada laying Toxic Spikes, Whimsicott forcing setup with Memento, and Scovillain grinding opponents out with Protect + Substitute + Leech Seed + Leftovers; as the team's pillar it also throws a rare Fire move and flips type disadvantages via Anger Point-style bulk. Against Poison-types it swaps in Serperior (Glare + Leech Seed self-setup), Grass Rotom walls Staraptor's flying moves with Will-O-Wisp and Toxic, and Mega Venusaur handles Skeledirge and opposing Venusaur that Scovillain hates. The author flags Skeledirge, Staraptor, Dragapult, and Delphox as tough, plus Perish/Curse and surprise Substitute users; grass mons are frail, so a single free setup turn can end the game.Build article →