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The build copies someone else's Stealth Rock + Delphox + Primarina + Kingambit skeleton, but swaps the hazard slot to Garchomp so it can also pivot in cycles, running Stealth Rock and Spikes. A Focus Sash Gengar was added as a lead to open games one-on-one, forming a Gengar + Delphox + Kingambit sweep line. The sixth slot flipped constantly between Mega Mawile and Mega Raichu to cover Gyarados and Greninja. Delphox spreads Will-O-Wisp, Encore and Mystical Fire debuffs, Garchomp chips with hazards, and Kingambit cleans; if that fails, Leftovers/Substitute Primarina runs cycles, or sash Gengar just blows something up with its coverage. The author admits nearly every win is luck: Will-O accuracy, Encore mindgames, Sucker Punch PP. Primarina is the only real "skill" slot. Weaknesses are massive: Garchomp, Primarina, Hippowdon, Gyarados, plus Basculegion, Dragonite, Dragapult, Blaziken all near-autolosses. He calls it the worst team he has ever built.Build article →

The team is centered on Mega Florges, chosen after thorough analysis of the Pokemon's properties. The key insight is that Florges' mid-speed tier becomes an asset rather than a weakness when combined with Grassy Glide, turning faster opponents into setup fodder and solving the problem of being outrun and worn down. Hisuian Basculegion with Mystic Water Wave Crash serves as the all-rounder that can sweep from the lead or the back and handles the Steel-types that Florges invites. A Focus Sash Garchomp sets Stealth Rock, Spikes, and Dragon Tail to build momentum. Mega Delphox runs Wish-Protect-Will-O-Wisp-Mystical Fire to force opponents into face-to-face play and debuff physical attackers. Meowscarada with Toxic Spikes and Focus Sash enables the team's Wish-stall tactic alongside Delphox and Archaludon. The team wins almost automatically against teams with no recovery moves and has a clear gameplan against Florges mirrors, but the draw rate is high and Poison-types plus some recovery users cause forced ties.Build article →

This team keeps last season's Mega Metagross + Mega Gengar core, reaching a 2500 rating with a better rank and 12th in August's Monthly Challenge. Mega Metagross is the ace: top power, speed and coverage for head-on fights, tanky enough to shrug off most super-effective hits. Mega Gengar is the real engine, using Shadow Tag to trap troublesome Pokemon for a Perish Song kill, which frees Hydreigon and Hippowdon to play more aggressively. Hydreigon is underpowered alone and weak to Fairies but pivots on its resistances; Hippowdon tanks physical hits while chipping with sand and Yawn; Primarina handles Hippowdon; Focus Sash Garchomp covers the team's one gap against setup sweepers and Archaludon. The team handles head-on, cycle and setup play alike, with flinch and poison effects giving it natural comeback potential.Build article →

The author started from the newly unbanned Mega Metagross, valuing it as a setup sweeper it never was before, using Iron Defense pressure and Body Press to bulldoze physical Pokemon. Focus Sash Garchomp and physically bulky Sylveon set the stage for it; stall cycles and Clefable Baton Pass teams it can't crack are handed to a Focus Energy guaranteed-crit Draco Meteor Archaludon, which the author says never lost to those after adoption. Dragonite is the backup Mega, using Thunder Wave to buy Archaludon turns and to pressure Fire Megas. The last slot was Swampert, but after IVs were removed every Hippowdon out-bulked it and its power fell short, so it was swapped for Choice Scarf Basculegion, which baits the Kingambit/Meowscarada/Mimikyu that Metagross loves and pressures Charizard/Delphox/Gholdengo teams out of selection; the author says the rating jumped 300 within a day of adding it. ThBuild article →

The author keeps last season's Umbreon + Glimmora + Mega Delphox core. Glimmora leads to lay Toxic Spikes, Mega Delphox breaks through with coverage that hits both Steel and Poison, and Umbreon stalls with Wish + Protect. This time Mega Delphox runs Protect + Encore to lock Choice Scarf Dark-types like Hydreigon and Meowscarada, while managing poison turns and Wish timing. With a speed creep tweak, Glimmora's Mud Shot plus Delphox's Fire Blast now KOs SpDef Archaludon, solving the team's worst matchup. Toxapex with Toxic Spikes covers Primarina, Mimikyu, Volcarona and Conkeldurr. Scarf Mimikyu handles Rain Archaludon via Destiny Bond and tricks SpDef Garchomp/Primarina to open lanes. Chesto Garchomp with Spikes patches Bellibolt, Samurott, Slowking and Gengar matchups. The author sees flexible selection and steady cycling as strengths; lead Bellibolt is still a clean sweep risk.Build article →

Starting from another player's proven structure, the author built around the core trio of Leftovers Aegislash, Hippowdon, and Mega Dragonite for their high base stats and reasonable coverage. However the team was severely threatened by a long list of common Pokemon including Starmie, Kangaskhan, Mimikyu, Gyarados, Corviknight, Bellibolt, Galarian Slowking, Greninja, and Volcarona. The author compensated by memorizing the opponent's predictable forced selections — for example, Volcarona is nearly always chosen so Dragonite is locked in with Toxic Spikes planned. Archaludon was converted to an HD Leftovers set and Shadow Ball replaced Poltergeist for consistency. The sixth slot went to Sneasler, whose Poison Touch ability combined with high-accuracy poisoning moves let the author land poison on Kangaskhan and Delphox at unexpected moments, turning games around multiple times.Build article →

The author started from the Mega Lucario + Water Rotom core that season 1's champion had run; it felt great, so he added the familiar and complementary Hippowdon and Hydreigon to lock in four members. Hippowdon was his top pick every game, and this season he swapped Slack Off for Whirlwind to punish levitating Substitute teams and Sleep Talk + Swords Dance Garchomp. Water Rotom uses Pain Split to hugely boost its number of turns and is bulky on both sides. Mega Lucario with Adaptability and Extreme Speed impressed him on first use; he dropped its Speed to invest in bulk so it could come in off Volt Switch to handle Primarina. Mimikyu is a standard Life Orb set covering Fighting coverage and bad matchups like Delphox, Garchomp and Floette, while Mega Metagross handles Dragonite-Aegislash cores without clashing with Lucario's slot.Build article →

With the meta leaning physical, the author built around Gyarados and Archaludon for their strong synergy: Gyarados runs Dragon Dance to check Hippowdon, while Archaludon leads with Stealth Rock or pivots in to disrupt the board. Too many Steel-types pushed Mega Meganium into the first Mega slot, and Choice Scarf Garchomp was added as a proactive attacker -- Meganium cleans up generic threats while Garchomp handles enemy Megas. To break Floette and Venusaur-Umbreon stall cores, Delphox became a Nasty Plot Mega for the second slot, and Toxapex was added late for Mimikyu and Glimmora match-ups. The author felt Meganium's plays get read too easily from team preview, that Scarf Garchomp often becomes the opponent's setup fodder even after winning face-offs, and that their real weakness is being unable to bluff through tough teams -- team-building itself is their biggest challenge.Build article →

Florges and Choice Scarf Garchomp form the dual core, chosen for their strong performance in this opening Mega season. Mega Charizard Y was added to handle the Steel-types that threaten Florges, and Corviknight was paired with it to manage Garchomp and remove Stealth Rock. Archaludon with an Oran Berry reliably sets Stealth Rock. The sixth slot changed many times before settling on Mystic Water Primarina to handle the increasing prevalence of Delphox and Hippowdon builds, with Encore to steal winning opportunities. The team's through-line is always creating a path for Florges to sweep; all selection decisions revolve around that. The author self-assesses the team's completion as low, with many wins coming from match rhythm and fortune rather than solid structure. Basculegion, Delphox, Ceruledge with Flash Fire, Mirror Coat Archaludon, and Dragonite-Aegislash combinations were consistent headaches.Build article →

The build starts from Mega Lucario: Swords Dance + Close Combat blows past physical walls, and Extreme Speed pins fast Megas. To set it up, the author picks a Sitrus Hippowdon lead — sand + Stealth Rock chip, Yawn to force switches into Lucario, Whirlwind to dodge setup. Gyarados handles the water types (Primarina, Mega Gyarados) that Hippowdon/Lucario struggle with, and Dragon Tail phazes setup and racks up Rock damage into Lucario's KO range. Leftovers isn't the item — it's Leftovers actually, used as a cushion via Intimidate. Band-Dragonite with Dragon Dance is the secondary win condition: opponents assume Mega Dragonite and send in special walls, giving free dance turns. Life Orb SD Mimikyu with Wood Hammer covers Staraptor and ghosts, plus another Hippowdon answer. Sash Glimmora leads into Primarina/Garchomp, spreads Toxic Spikes, and answers Mega Scovillain. Weak points: Bulk Up Staraptor is unwinnable, and max-speed 100–110s outpace the Jolly Lucario.Build article →

This team is a carryover from last season, since the switch to M-B actually favored it. The core Mega Scizor uses slow U-turn for pivoting, sending in a favorable attacker as a cushion, then converts into a Swords Dance + Bullet Punch sweeper once things are worn down; its bulk is invested to appear alongside Dragonite. Hippowdon sets Stealth Rock to support Scizor, usually led and built HD with Sitrus Berry to survive Charizard Y. Choice Scarf Hydreigon is the special sweeper launched into good matchups off high-power Draco Meteor, also covering Basculegion, Rotom and Delphox that Scizor dislikes. Mega Dragonite is the sub-Mega that breaks Corviknight cycles with Toxic Spikes plus Substitute, while Greninja holds a Focus Sash to lay Toxic Spikes and hit Fairies. The new addition Gholdengo is the breaker: Good as Gold ignores annoying moves, and Nasty Plot + Life Orb muscles through the Build article →