📈 Ladder Top Builds

After two rough seasons struggling against switch-based play and setup teams, the author rebuilt around a no-switching, head-to-head approach: lead Sash Primarina to win the first matchup with Torrent-boosted Sparkling Aria, then bring in Mega Dragonite to clean up with Quick Attack. Primarina also Encores opposing Glimmora, letting Kingambit follow up with Swords Dance sweeps. Mega Blaziken covered rain teams by stalling with Protect and accelerating, while Sturdy Archaludon with a White Herb handled fairy leads, and Scarf Garchomp provided a surprise answer to Mega Lopunny. Main weaknesses were Venusaur plus Umbreon plus Skeledirge combinations, Hippowdon sand into Mega Gyarados, and Scolipede Baton Pass chains into Espathra, all of which the team struggled to deal with.Build article →

The team is built around Mega Floette, which the author has used since last season; this time, the set was reworked to a physically bulky Flower Trick variant specifically to counter the rampant Mimikyu: Flower Trick strips Mimikyu's disguise, then Calm Mind plus Draining Kiss let Floette snowball while also boosting Speed for teammates. The core trio of Umbreon, Aegislash, and Floette handles most matchups — Umbreon cycles toxic pressure with Wish and Protect, Aegislash stacks Sword Dance under Umbreon's poison and cleans up with Shadow Sneak, and Basculegion checks Mega Blaziken while Retaliate sweeps late-game. Mega Delphox rounds out the team as a utility pick that beats Baton Pass and accumulative-boost strategies via Encore and Psychic Noise. The author acknowledges real weaknesses: Mimikyu still needs careful play outside Floette, a Body Press Mega Metagross causes team preview trBuild article →

While testing various new Mega evolutions, the author discovered that Archaludon paired with Pelipper and Swampert was exceptionally powerful, leading to a rain team built around Archaludon. Mega Raichu ended up being the primary attacker, seeing ten times more usage than Mega Swampert; Pelipper sets rain while covering Raichu's weaknesses and serving as a Trick Room setter. Archaludon is the MVP under rain and strong enough even without it, handling Reuniclus and Meowscarada matchups, while Mimikyu with Life Orb and Trick Room counters rain-counters like Blaziken and Gyarados that rely on speed boosts. The team's main weaknesses are Metagross, which no single member can beat cleanly, and Garchomp, which can run wild; the author finished at rank 324 — just one win short of Champion tier — and feels the core of Raichu, Pelipper, Archaludon, and Mimikyu still has untapped potential.Build article →

The author, with only one to two hours of play time after work and childcare, built a straightforward offense-first team to win games quickly. Drawing from a Mimikyu + Basculegion (Life Orb) team that performed well the previous month, he added Mega Mawile once it became legal alongside the Life Orb, forming the core: Mimikyu sets Trick Room, then Basculegion and Mega Mawile clean up as co-aces. Archaludon and Mega Blastoise handle the lead position, while Garchomp (Lum Berry + Swords Dance) was added late to pressure Hippowdon and create room for Mega Mawile to sweep. The team's strength is its simple game plan and consistent Mimikyu usage; weaknesses include near-zero answers to Mega Dragonite, ongoing trouble with Bellibolt, low overall Speed leading to bad secondary effects, and shaky accuracy on key moves — the author rates the team's overall quality as low and credits the result laBuild article →

The author built around a Mega Charizard Y weather-control core designed to counter Alolan Ninetales, basing the team on a top-ranked M-2 build that handles Stealth Rock well via Toxapex support. Mamoswine leads alongside the Mega, with Life Orb Scizor as the late-game sweeper specifically chosen to beat Life Orb Lopunny. Mega Greninja was added as a direct answer to the popular Delphox, and the Mamoswine + Greninja + Scizor trio overwhelms both the Hydreigon/Metagross archetype and the Alolan Ninetales/Garchomp combination. The author's main regret is not preparing a second save file — a maintenance reset invalidated the final battle, and the short season left no room to recover.Build article →

The team was built around physical bulk Mega Delphox, which the author found surprisingly effective against the current meta, paired with Vaporeon for Wish cycling and Scarf Meowscarada for speed control. Mega Glimmora fills the coverage gaps — everything Mega Delphox struggles against (Skeledirge, Clefable, Scovillain) gets handled by Glimmora, which can also delay its Mega Evolution to lay Toxic Spikes first for extra flexibility. The real MVP is Orthworm: its Ground immunity lets it safely switch in and set up a Substitute, bailing out Mega Glimmora whenever Hippowdon, Garchomp, or Mega Metagross appear — and the two together happen to counter the Hydreigon + Mega Metagross core extremely well. Diggersby with Focus Sash leads well, 2HKOs Archaludon, and blocks Ghost-type moves from running through the team. The author calls this their best-ever team build, though a misjudged ladder boBuild article →

The team was built around Mega Kangaskhan in doubles, aiming to win through raw damage-race strength rather than passive play. Annihilape with Choice Scarf covers the widest range of matchups and shuts down Incineroar's Intimidate via Defiant; Ceruledge uses Flash Fire to absorb fire moves from Mega Charizard Y and similar threats, then explodes with Poltergeist and Shadow Sneak behind a Focus Sash — the author calls it the team's first MVP. Aegislash was added late to replace Maushold, intentionally overlapping roles with multiple teammates to reduce losses from focused KOs, and became the second MVP. The author's self-assessed weaknesses are that Choice Scarf Annihilape was harder to pilot than expected due to lock-in, Froslass felt lacking in both firepower and bulk, and the peak rating of 2340 slipped before the final finish at 351st.Build article →

The author, primarily an FPS player, built this team around his three favorites — Volcarona, Mega Starmie, and Mega Floette — all sharing a high-pressure, raw-firepower style. Mega Starmie serves as a physical powerhouse that also clears entry hazards with Rapid Spin, punishing passive teams and discouraging the opponent from leading with Hippowdon. Sash Garchomp checks Blaziken and uses Swords Dance plus Scale Shot to break through opponents, while Scarf Meowscarada provides wide coverage and specifically handles Basculegion. Volcarona (with a berry) sets up Quiver Dance and threatens sweeps, running a defensive cycle with specially-defensive Leftovers Archaludon to handle Water-, Rock-, and Flying-type threats. Mega Floette fires off near-spammable Moonblast to dismantle Mawile-based teams, also luring in Steel-types as Volcarona setup bait. Main weaknesses the author acknowledges: MegBuild article →

This team is an M-2 build updated for M-3, keeping Garchomp, Dragonite, and Aegislash as the core trio while adding targeted answers to the new meta threats: fast Mimikyu from Life Orb being unbanned, increased wall builds and Ice-types from Light Clay being unbanned, and widespread Fairy-types running no Steel moves. The result is a bizarrely skewed composition with three Steel-types and three to four Dragon-types. Dragonite runs Substitute and Roost to grind down Hippowdon matchups and force draws against unbreakable teams; Archaludon with Choice Scarf disrupts lead wall-setters and lands surprise Hyper Beam damage, then holds its own against Mega Staraptor after firing; Gyarados walls Mimikyu physically and uses Roar against baton chains; Mawile targets Pixilate Clefable and provides Intimidate support against Mimikyu. The author notes Mawile's presence baited Hippowdon nearly every gBuild article →

The team is built around a Mega Gyarados and Archaludon cycle core, with Sylveon added for Wish support to offset Stealth Rock chip damage and Dragon-type vulnerabilities. The trio struggled with low Speed, Fairy-type coverage gaps, losing to Grass-type Megas, and limited wallbreaking, so Mega Delphox was brought in to cover all those holes — it pairs offensively with Gyarados and fits cleanly into the team's type matrix. The last two slots go to Focus Sash Garchomp, which removes Electric-type weaknesses and sets Stealth Rock versus threats Archaludon cannot handle, and physically defensive Toxapex with a Shuca Berry to absorb Fighting- and Fairy-type pressure from the likes of Staraptor, Mega Lopunny, Mimikyu, and Floette. The author notes that the non-Mega slots lack raw wallbreaking power and recommends defaulting to Mega Delphox in any tough matchup.Build article →

The team is built around Mega Delphox using Magical Flame + Wish + Protect to run a defensive cycle, paired with Archaludon (Iron Defense + Rest + Lum Berry) as the physical wall that single-handedly shuts down life orb Mimikyu teams and Mega Gyarados setup builds. Meowscarada (Focus Sash) lays Toxic Spikes and Leech Seed to set up win conditions against special Water-types; when Toxic Spikes have poor coverage, Sitrus Berry Garchomp takes over with Stealth Rock, Spikes, and Dragon Tail. Primarina (Leftovers) handles Hydreigon-centric cores and provides Perish Song as a reliable closer, while Choice Scarf Staraptor fills the last slot for speed control and Ghost-immunity pivoting — though the author concedes post-season that Mega Lopunny would likely have been the correct call. The team's core weakness is being too reactive: without enough offensive pressure, it struggled to close games Build article →

The team is built around Mega Victreebel with Toxic Spikes, pairing it with Umbreon for a cycle-based defensive core with good type synergy. Skeledirge handles dragon-types like Garchomp and covers the Encore-into-switch play to shut down setup; its Coba Berry lets it beat Gholdengo and Mimikyu. Excadrill is immune to both Dragon moves and poison, often winning games with Earthquake against teams lacking Ground-type immunities, though the author warns it is fragile and cannot be used as aggressively as Garchomp. Primarina covers Mega Victreebel's weaknesses, while Mega Delphox was added last to handle Excadrill-led pressure and the Steel/Poison types that Mega Victreebel tends to invite. The author notes that Archaludon's declining usage made Mega Victreebel easier to bring out, but overall did not reach Champion rank this season and aims to improve next time.Build article →

The team was built on impulse after the author got swept 3-on-1 by a friend's Conkeldurr, so he scrapped his old squad and rebuilt around it. Conkeldurr runs Life Orb with Sheer Force and Ice Punch/Fire Punch/Thunder Punch/Mach Punch to one-shot common threats like Primarina and Meowscarada; Mega Blastoise is paired specifically to force opponents into sending out exactly those two targets. Mega Delphox handles the heavy Hydreigon and Metagross matchups that were popular that season, while Choice Scarf Diggersby covers the Mimikyu weakness and out-tricks Mega Delphox mirrors. Archaludon sets up Stealth Rock and phazes away boosts to avoid being used as a setup target. The author openly admits the team is underdeveloped — it wins mainly by reading the opponent's team selection almost perfectly, and that prediction requirement is the core weakness.Build article →

The team is built around a Hippowdon-core Starmie squad adapted from another player's article, reworked to handle new threats like Mawile and Mega Metagross. Archaludon runs a specially defensive Sitrus Berry set, acting as a switch-in pivot for Greninja and Primarina matchups while also setting up Stealth Rock to enable Hippowdon's Yawn sweeping. Mega Lucario uses a Nasty Plot special set to punish Scarf Dark-types, Kingambit, and Slowbro cycles that Starmie struggles against. The default lead is Archaludon plus Hippowdon with a flexible third slot, ideally Starmie. The author considers Hippowdon the strongest member of the squad, generating endless advantage through Stealth Rock and Yawn; the main weakness is Lucario's win rate stubbornly hovering around 70% before dropping off, and Mamoswine barely saw play across the season.Build article →

The team started from a friend's build featuring Mega Staraptor, Gholdengo, Garchomp, Alolan Ninetales, Kingambit, and Choice Scarf Basculegion, then went through several revisions. Gholdengo was swapped for Choice Scarf Hydreigon due to being too frail, and Mega Delphox was added late to counter Mega Staraptor's counters while pairing well with Kingambit. The core gameplan is to lead with Focus Sash Glimmora to set Stealth Rock and clear the path for Mega Staraptor to sweep through type matchups; Kingambit cleans up after a Swords Dance and was selected in nearly every game; Mimikyu fills a flexible revenge-killing slot and Mega Delphox covers when Staraptor cannot be brought. The author identifies Greninja, Mega Raichu-Y, and Primarina as the hardest matchups, noting the team has no Ground-type to handle Mega Raichu-Y, and Hippowdon with Whirlwind can disrupt both Mega Staraptor and MeBuild article →

With many new Pokemon flooding the meta this season, the author kept the core simple: Archaludon sets Stealth Rock and Roars to deny setup, then Mega Blaziken and Choice Scarf Basculegion clean up — a trio that very few teams can fully handle. Mega Blaziken runs Stone Edge over Rock Slide to secure KOs on Mega Delphox and Mega Dragonite even without Stealth Rock support, and to threaten Skeledirge and Charizard in spots where switching to Basculegion is not an option; the trade-off is that Feint introduces some luck-based moments. Basculegion uses Flip Turn to cycle into favorable matchups and combos with Archaludon's Roar to deny Substitute before sweeping with Shadow Sneak. Mega Meganium with Leaf Storm handles Hippowdon and Mimikyu matchups; sash Garchomp keeps Charizard and Mawile in check; Taunt Corviknight dismantles stall cores. The main weakness is when Archaludon is forced out aBuild 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 →

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 →

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 →

This is a poison-based stall team; the author started from last season's core and rebuilt it around the new format's threats, aiming to give minimal answers to every popular mon. Toxapex is the dual-defensive core, spreading poison to the back with Toxic Spikes and pairing beautifully with Meganium, shifted to an HB spread to wall Life Orb Mimikyu. Slowbro is the main physical wall, locking down crit-fishing opponents with Iron Defense plus Shell Armor and eating a huge range of physical attackers like Blaziken, Metagross and Mamoswine. Meganium ignores weather on its recovery thanks to Mega ability, one-shots Mawile with Weather Ball, and pairs Substitute with the Toxic Spikes to freeload against Stealth Rock Garchomp. Snorlax is the special wall and anti-draw insurance, using Smack Down plus Fissure on floating, hard-to-break mons, and the author calls it MVP. Choice Scarf Hisuian SamuBuild article →

The author only knows how to play stall and, returning after three years away, just piled strong walls together. The core idea is that stall can't start without Toxapex, so it's the anchor and the team's only Toxic user, poisoning then pivoting out on Regenerator. Around it: Mega Chesnaught as a top physical wall that beats Hazard cycling better than Avalugg and blocks Mega Raichu via Bulletproof; Tyranitar as the special wall for Mega Delphox and Mega Gengar; Slowbro to take Mega Starmie and Mega Metagross, with Mega Shell Armor making late-game closing very safe. Then Milotic covers Archaludon and Gholdengo, and Mega Clefable uses Magic Bounce to beat hazard-setting Garchomp and reflect Taunt. The author says Mega Mawile, Rotom, and Bellibolt are the hardest, and that fielding Tyranitar and Chesnaught together often makes weather-turn timing tricky.Build article →

The team starts from wanting fast, high-power Electric Mega Raichu Y as the ace. Its three banes are Garchomp, bulky mons, and fast attackers, and it also struggles to move twice in front of the same Pokemon, so the author built around two axes: finite-cycle counterplay and setups that guarantee action turns. To that end: Orthworm tanks Garchomp and hands Raichu safety via Shed Tail; Mega Starmie breaks the bulky mons Raichu can't crack, using Bulk Up to plow through walls off an Orthworm handoff; Araquanid checks fast attackers, holding a Chople Berry to lay Sticky Web first so Raichu moves before threats. Whimsicott plays counter and closer with Leech Seed plus Sub/Protect, punishing every Garchomp variant, while Meowscarada patches gaps and opens a Toxic Spikes win route. The author says the team isn't fully polished, loads heavily on speed control, but is tight on both firepower and Build article →

This is a bulky stall team, and the author left notes on each member. Mega Slowbro walls special attackers first, then comes back in to grind down physical threats; sometimes he even ran Trick Room over Iron Defense. Umbreon is prized for beating the Hydreigon plus Metagross pair, and a Substitute-Taunt Hydreigon opponent is basically a free surrender. Scizor was slotted in for the annoying Kingambit and Mimikyu but rarely saw play. Glimmora is an attacker that also drops Toxic Spikes on the side, often leading against Delphox teams to chip with a Gem before pivoting out and copying it with Ditto. The author calls Ditto the team MVP, saying a stall team without it really struggles.Build article →