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The team revolves around Archaludon plus Mega Florges as the core pair, backed by Basculegion and Garchomp for offensive coverage. Florges added Baby-Doll Eyes as a key move that unexpectedly converts Aegislash and Kingambit into setup fodder, while Calm Mind handles special attackers; Archaludon carries an Oran Berry and Mirror Coat to eliminate special Mega leads immediately, with Stealth Rock plus Dragon Pulse plus Tail Slap plus Mirror Coat proving to be the season's essential combination. Garchomp with a Choice Scarf and Basculegion with a Focus Sash were swapped from the standard configuration to create mutual threat misreading — opponents expecting a Scarf on Basculegion encounter Scarf Garchomp instead. Scizor runs HD plus Swords Dance plus Roost to complement Florges in breaking tough matchups. Vivillon's Compound Eyes Sleep Powder acts as a deterrent that discourages opponents from bringing two defensive walls; it was used four times with three wins. The author cites HD Mirror Armor Corviknight, Mega Scovillain, and Mega Aerodactyl as the team's worst matchups.Build article →

This team prioritizes fast game-states and avoiding draws, centering on Mega Starmie after abandoning Hippowdon-Charizard late in the season. Archaludon runs Thunder Wave and Stealth Rock, leveraging its move-set variety to let Gengar and Greninja overextend. Garchomp carries a Haban Berry with Swords Dance and Rock Tomb for pivot play and reliable damage against leading Charizard; the author replaced Draco Meteor with Ice Fang after too many misses. Primarina with a Lum Berry and Sleep Talk neutralizes Toxic Spikes and Umbreon poison. Mega Heracross was added the final day as a direct counter to Mega Lopunny, and un-evolved Guts activation punishes Scovillain. Snorlax with Thick Fat, Leftovers, and Yawn-Protect closes Ghost-type and Ice-type coverage gaps and provides a reliable Basculegion counter. The author values Starmie as the team's consistent performer; Mega Lopunny and Stamina Archaludon remained the clearest structural weaknesses through the final day.Build article →

The author built around their favorite Typhlosion, finishing 140th in Champions M-1. The core idea is a Focus Sash Typhlosion running Inferno Overdrive plus Flail-style moves, with its Blaze ability enabling big damage at low HP. Mega Dragonite is the primary mega, mopping up opponents that Typhlosion chips down; Mega Lucario handles fairy-types that pressure Dragonite. Corviknight with Defog and U-turn maintains field control and enables the offensive duo to perform. Scarf Samurott (Hisui) handles fast megas like Starmie and Gengar, and also counters the Basculegion that Lucario tends to invite. Mimikyu covers the Garchomp + Florges + Basculegion core as a versatile safety net. The author notes the team's central weakness is electric-type coverage since there's no ground-type, making Bellibolt particularly threatening.Build article →

The author built around Starmie and Conkeldurr, finishing 142nd in Champions M-1 at 2622 rating. Mega Starmie is a powerful physical attacker running Aqua Jet and Quick Turn, whose presence essentially guarantees Archaludon will be brought by opponents. Conkeldurr is built specifically to exploit those Archaludons, plus the dark-types and big physical threats that Starmie struggles with — the author calls it the MVP. Mega Clefable uses its pre-evolution's Unaware to wall setup attackers, then stacks Cosmic Power for a fortress mode that handles dark-types and Mimikyu. Archaludon runs White Herb for Sturdy-guaranteed action and can one-shot Florges with Steel Beam. Corviknight in HD spread uses Mirror Armor to bounce back stat drops from Florges, then stacks Bulk Up. Scarf Meowscarada handles speed control and pivoting. Key weaknesses are the absence of ground-types, making Slowbro and Bellibolt quite painful.Build article →

The author, a professional Pokemon Trading Card Game player, finished 145th in Champions M-1 at 2621 on their first ever ranked ladder. The approach was iterative: just run ranked games and add a counter whenever an unfixable matchup showed up, without deep analysis. Archaludon was the near-mandatory lead, using Mirror Coat and Roar to pressure almost every opponent, including Mega Florges trying to set up Moonblast. Scarf Garchomp with Adamant nature can reverse-sweep Basculegion more reliably after Stealth Rock damage, and Iron Tail gives a chance to OHKO Florges. Mimikyu holds Scope Lens for a 50% critical hit rate on Shadow Claw, letting it chip through walls like Corviknight over multiple tries and never left the team since day two. Primarina is only selected into Hippowdon matchups, carrying a Lum Berry to sleep-proof against the Hippowdon and Meowscarada core. Mega Lopunny breaks stall and counters Mega Scizor. Weaknesses include ghost-type coverage and stall teams.Build article →

The author finished 146th in Champions S1 with a face-forward team built around Mega Dragonite. Mega Dragonite's Multiscale plus wide coverage defeats most opponents head-on; main vulnerabilities are Triple Axel users like Mega Lopunny and Meowscarada, and Mega Florges. Mega Lucario runs HP and Speed max without Bullet Punch but with Swords Dance, letting it break through opponents that Dragonite would rather avoid, while surviving Meowscarada's kicks and Basculegion's Wave Crash. Scarf Meowscarada joined the last day to check leads. Corviknight with full physical bulk and Iron Head, Body Press, Iron Defense, and Roost defeats almost every physical attacker, with Iron Head added late to give more options into Florges. Primarina uses Sparkling Aria, Moonblast, Aqua Jet, and Encore in a balanced special spread, with Encore specifically denying setup plays — the author calls it co-strongest on the team. Scarf Basculegion handles speed control but faced dedicated answers in high ladder. Slowbro and Bellibolt remain unaddressed weaknesses.Build article →

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 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 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 →

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 →

The team is built around the author's favorite, Mega Charizard Y, with the central question being how to keep Stealth Rock from crippling it. Three solutions were pursued simultaneously: removing rocks via Scizor's Rapid Spin, not letting the opponent set them by threatening setup leads, and using Hippowdon as a setup target for Hatterene. Scizor carries Rapid Spin and U-turn to clear hazards and cycle; Choice Scarf Meowscarada handles pivoting and late-game sweeping; Hatterene with Magic Mirror blanks status moves and can sweep with Calm Mind once Hippowdon is out of the way. Garchomp holds a Focus Sash for Swords Dance pressure via lead matchup ambiguity; Mega Lopunny covers fast threats like Mega Dragonite with Ice Punch plus Swords Dance. The author identifies Primarina as the team's main persistent weakness and notes dissatisfaction with the final structure despite reaching Champion tier.Build article →

The team ran Mega Kangaskhan, Tsareena, and Swords Dance Garchomp for most of the season, but the author dropped Kangaskhan shortly before the final day because Stamina Archaludon counts were surging. Mega Lopunny with Fake Out and Giga Impact was slotted in as a last-minute replacement, and it worked better than expected against both Archaludon and the field. The lead play is to use Fake Out to gauge the opponent's HP investment, then decide whether to commit Giga Impact. Garchomp is described as dramatically stronger once the author reframed Scale Shot as a speed-raising move and paired it with Outrage, functionally acting like a Choice Scarf user that can still pick moves. Gengar is characterized as unstoppable once Will-O-Wisp connects. Corviknight handles physical threats, and a Corrosion Choice Scarf Glimmora rounds out the final slot vacated by Kangaskhan. The author acknowledges the composition was not fully satisfying and suspects Kangaskhan might still be better if Stamina Archaludon becomes less common.Build article →