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The author loves Charizard and built around Mega Charizard X winning the damage race in one-on-one matchups. They chose X over Y because X's higher Defense lets it combine the Speed to move first with the bulk to eat priority moves without compromise. The moveset is Flare Blitz, Outrage, Flame Charge and Swords Dance: Flame Charge sweeps offense teams with minimal chip, while high power plus Swords Dance forces through physical walls against cycle teams. Mega Gyarados is the complement, its point being to make opponents misread Charizard as the Y form, baiting them to swap a physical wall for a special wall and opening a free turn for a game-ending Swords Dance. The core lead is Sash Garchomp or Primarina for guaranteed action to grab a numbers lead, then Charizard X sweeps. Archaludon plus Primarina forms a defensive type-cycle, and bulky Life Orb Mimikyu covers the Garchomp that CharizBuild article →

With Light Clay unbanned, screen-based setup teams spiked, so the author figured Perish Song Gengar—which wins without attacking—had legs and picked it first. Gengar hates Mimikyu, so Leftovers Unaware Clefable comes in behind it; fearing Mega Charizard Y and Volcarona, they added Garchomp. The second Mega needed high stats and raw slugging power, so newly-unbanned Metagross got the nod—but not the usual all-out build. Instead it invests in Defense with Iron Defense plus Substitute so the sub tanks Hippowdon's Earthquake; trial runs showed Iron Defense Metagross was so often the win condition that it became the core. Support is bulky Foul Play Heat Rotom, which trades with Charizard Y and Gengar and absorbs physical threats like Garchomp, Mimikyu and Metagross. Mystic Water Torrent Greninja handles the Aegislash and Gholdengo that Metagross can't hit. The author says the off-meta builds 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 →

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 →

After cycling through many teams, the author returned to his best face-to-face build and rode a 12-win streak on the last day into Champion rank (218th). The core is the ultimate one-on-one pair, Kangaskhan and Garchomp: Mega Kangaskhan trades with Mega and regular mons alike using Body Slam, Earthquake and Ice Punch, and swapped in Facade to punish Delphox, Rotom and Scovillain that try to burn it. Garchomp runs Choice Scarf with an Adamant nature, locking in Outrage and Earthquake plus Rock Slide for Charizard and Stealth Rock to stop re-setup. He usually leads a Mega to grab tempo, with Mega Blastoise handling the Hippowdon and Skeledirge walls that Kangaskhan baits; its Water/Dark/Fighting/priority coverage is wide, but the team has no water answer so Primarina is rough. Volcarona beats physical Steels, sweeps after Quiver Dance and spreads Will-O-Wisp. Aegislash pivots into Mega StaBuild article →

Following the 5th-place finisher's ideas from last season, the author started from a Sitrus Hippowdon plus Leftovers Gyarados core and reached his first-ever Champion rank (219th). Hippowdon is the best support mon, with Earthquake, Yawn and Slack Off shutting down all kinds of one-way teams; wrecking the board with it, then closing with Gyarados and Archaludon, was the main win path, and Gyarados swapped to Dragon Dance because opponents kept playing its Leftovers like a Taunt. Archaludon was meant as a backup for when Dragonite couldn't come out, but as Dragonite's matchups worsened it became the main lead, and the author calls it a co-MVP alongside the Hippo core for landing near-lethal opening hits off the opponent's misreads. Dragonite has high stats and wide coverage, and its switch-reading Roost is oppressive; it leads to open lanes for Gyarados and Archaludon. Mega Floette is theBuild article →

The author started from Mawile simply because it is cute and built the Mega around it. To beat Mawile's nemeses Charizard and Archaludon, they added Focus Sash Garchomp; fearing Hydreigon-Metagross and Gyarados, Choice Scarf Meowscarada outspeeds them, and Primarina handles Blaziken and Greninja. Mega Mawile runs max Attack/Speed for brawling and using the opponent's Meowscarada as setup fodder, with Ice Punch even muscling through defense-lowered Hippowdon. Armarouge with Shuca Berry counters the surging grass-Mega squad and Meganium, and crucially fits on the field alongside Mawile. Mimikyu is the flex pick with Swords Dance. The author admits Meowscarada constantly baits Archaludon, clashing with the single-Mega core and dragging down win rate, while Corviknight and set-up Gholdengo stay tough.Build article →

This singles team wants Mega Metagross to play like a pseudo-Zamazenta steel wall, stacking Iron Defense and Substitute to sweep. After Mega evolving, one Iron Defense lets a Substitute survive Hippowdon's super-effective Earthquake, and its Speed clears adjusted Garchomp, max-speed Vivillon, and Archaludon. Dragalge spreads Draco Meteor plus Toxic and Toxic Spikes while tanking Jolly Garchomp's Earthquake. Maushold's signature move shreds even an unboosted Hippowdon for over 60%, and Encore stops it from becoming setup fodder. Sash Primarina and Hippowdon answer the troublesome Skeledirge, with Hippowdon's Whirlwind ignoring Protect to block boosting switches. Mimikyu covers Delphox. The author stresses staying flexible rather than always leading a Mega. The main holes are Skeledirge once Primarina falls or it can't be poisoned, plus set-up Gholdengo, which resists Whirlwind and Encore.Build article →

A veteran Mawile player rebuilt this core now that Mega Mawile is back after seven generations. Instead of a hyper-offense face, they run light cycling while winning the damage race, pairing Mawile with type-complementary Choice Scarf Hydreigon that can sweep once threats are chipped. Gyarados and Hippowdon act as buffers against rain, Blaziken, and Charizard. To break bulky cores, Life Orb Gholdengo uses the Corviknight that Mawile lures as setup fodder, with Gold Rush rolling to OHKO stallers like Garchomp and Hydreigon. Mega Glimmora is the back Mega for Meganium, Dragonite, Scovillain, and Floette. Mawile leans max Attack/HP with Knock Off applying constant pressure. The author notes Hippowdon is a closer but often gets broken by Swords Dance or Iron Defense sets, so don't overrely on it. Toughest are opposing Mawile, Mega Scizor, SD Blaziken, Garchomp, and Archaludon.Build article →

This team is built to read the opponent's leads and steamroll with high-value one-on-one pieces. In build order came Mega Delphox to menace the new Megas, then Kingambit for the Mega Starmie and Basculegion that Delphox hates, plus the Focus Sash Swords Dance three-attack Garchomp used since M-1. With leads too weak to Primarina and mirror Garchomp being silly, HB Leftovers Gyarados went in, followed by Life Orb Mimikyu as a flex piece and finally Mega Floette. In practice they almost never lead a Mega, picking three non-Megas with Gyarados usually leading and Garchomp sometimes. Gyarados uses Thunder Wave for Speed control, paralyzing enemy Dragon Dance Gyarados on the switch then pivoting to Garchomp to handle Mega Gyarados reliably. Mimikyu swaps Shadow Sneak for Wood Hammer to crush Hippowdon, a boosted hit KOing over half the time. The author says leads read easily here, but Mega FlBuild article →