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Top ranked-ladder builds published at season end — most include full sets and the original build article.
The author Sakku built around Garchomp plus Mega Floette, valuing their complementary coverage and raw power as the core duo. The third slot needed to answer Archaludon (which neither core member handles reliably) while also cycling as a buffer for HP management — Rotom-Water fit perfectly, threatening Archaludon with its Electric move and following up with Volt Switch to bring in Floette safely. Scarf Meowscarada was added to handle fast threats like scarf Basculegion, Mega Gyarados, and Mega Starmie; Volcarona covered Mega Lopunny, Mega Lucario, and opposing Meowscarada. The final slot went to Mega Lucario with a Rock move to address Charizard and opposing Stealth Rock plus Floette threats. The author admits the team is not highly polished and that first place had some luck involved, with Stone Edge accuracy against Charizard being the biggest source of instability.Build article →
Source: バトルデータベース チャンピオンズ · GameWith
The author Ka_Cr built a fully-revealed cycle team with the philosophy of outplaying every opponent through skill alone. The team runs two main cores: Samurott-Hisui, Whimsicott, and Mega Glimmora as an offensive setup line, and Mega Starmie paired with Bellibolt and Corviknight as a bulky cycle. Samurott leads by laying hazards while trading hits, Whimsicott follows with Tailwind plus Endeavor for chip damage, and Mega Glimmora cleans up. The second core cycles Mega Starmie's overwhelming firepower behind Bellibolt's special bulk and Corviknight's physical bulk. The author emphasizes that selecting the right lead and studying each loss carefully — not fixed team strategies — is what drives improvement. The final second-place finish is accepted without regret; the author chose not to play out the final stretch.Build article →
The author, returning after a long break, finished third in Season 1 with a team built around the need to knock out all six opposing Pokemon rather than just three. Archaludon and Basculegion-M lead the offensive charge, backed by Vivillon, Mega Blastoise, Mega Scizor, and Gengar. Archaludon sets Stealth Rock and uses Dragon Tail to disrupt lineups; its immunity to residual damage and per-hit Defense boost make it extremely hard to remove consistently. Basculegion pairs Stealth Rock and Dragon Tail with Ghost-type coverage that, against teams lacking a Ghost resist, can simply end games with the Poltergeist-style burst. Vivillon is the standout tech pick: it circumvents Dragon Tail and Yawn with Substitute plus sleep turns, and its near-zero usage rate in the meta meant opponents were rarely prepared. Mega Blastoise was adjusted to outspeed scarf Meowscarada at +2. The author is satisfied finishing third in the very first season back.Build article →
Author ryza808 built a type-advantage cycle team anchored by Aegislash, chosen for its ability to pressure both Archaludon and Mega Floette while cycling against a wide range of threats — it was the most-selected Pokemon all season. Scarf Garchomp was added to handle fast attackers from above, and Mega Charizard-Y was brought in to punish the Ground-type counters that Garchomp naturally draws. Milotic handles opposing Stealth Rock setters: if an opposing Garchomp prioritizes Stealth Rock, Milotic takes the hit and deals severe chip; if it avoids, no rocks are laid, also a win. The Attract Body ability was chosen to cover Mega Kangaskhan, but Kangaskhan never showed up on the final day — the author regrets this choice. Mimikyu glues the team against Ghost-plus-Umbreon patterns and gives Charizard and Gyarados a safe landing against scarf Garchomp. Mega Gyarados filled the final slot to cover Mega Dragonite and cycle alongside Aegislash. The biggest weakness the author admits is Milotic's ability being entirely useless on the final day.Build article →
Author Kyouta inherited a Hippowdon-Excadrill sand team from a friend and refined it to a peak rating of 2800, finishing sixth. Through testing he found that Hippowdon, Mega Lucario, and Gyarados formed an exceptionally well-rounded trio and locked them in as the backbone. Scarf Greninja was added to revenge-kill threats like scarf Basculegion and handle Glimmora and Archaludon without giving either a free turn. The final Mega slot went through Gardevoir, Meganium, Froslass, Charizard, and Gengar before landing on Mega Sableye: it hard-counters Kangaskhan builds, and critically, simply showing it in team preview forces opponents to lead Clefable or Floette to answer it — which opens the sand core and Lucario. The author emphasizes this team preview pressure as the team's key strategic asset. Weaknesses are Mega Charizard-Y, Mega Dragonite, and Basculegion, which the team handles only passively.Build article →
The author finished seventh (rating 2776) with a brief notes-style article. The core idea was to use Gyarados and Hippowdon as pivot-buffers to minimize unfavorable matchups. Mega Gengar was added to handle the Primarina that Gyarados draws, and Bug Bite Mega Scizor was brought in to dismantle the Umbreon-Garchomp-Gengar-Floette core that the author identified as a serious threat. Scarf Meowscarada provides team-preview pressure against Basculegion, and Calm Mind Primarina was the answer to the flood of Reflect Archaludon leads that appeared on the final day — her typing meant almost no unfavorable leads against that strategy. The author admits the team carries many overlapping weaknesses (Mega Charizard-Y, Mega Dragonite, Basculegion, Mega Scizor, Mega Delphox, Kingambit, Build-Up Corviknight) and that a still-unsettled meta let many wins slide through on vibes. The goal remains a top-single-digit finish in future seasons.Build article →
Author Pitz finished eighth (rating 2776) with a rain team built on two goals: maximizing Archaludon's output and beating opposing Hippowdon at the team level. Rain naturally satisfies both — Archaludon fires off Electro Beam freely in rain, and the Water-type offense easily threatens Hippowdon. Pelipper and Archaludon were locked in first; Basculegion-M was run as a scarf Adaptability attacker rather than Swift Swim, giving it consistent power regardless of weather. Mega Starmie was added to leverage rain and was built to a high Special Defense spread specifically to beat Mega Gengar head-on. Floette covered the Mega Dragonite gap and blocked Yawn setups. The final slot went to Greninja to answer the Mega Dragonite plus residual-stall Aegislash pairing. The author argues Archaludon is the real anchor of the team, not the Water-types, and notes that Mega Starmie plus Basculegion's team-preview pressure distorts opponent selection in ways that directly benefit Floette and Archaludon.Build article →
Author Miruku finished ninth (rating 2769) after admitting to mostly playing other games until the final night, when he hastily assembled this Garchomp-Aegislash-Mega Dragonite team. Focus Sash Garchomp opens as a scout and Stealth Rock setter that consistently delivers around 85% value in any matchup; the key rule is not to force the sash — pivot to Dragonite or Aegislash whenever the positioning is better. Aegislash is the team's strongest Pokemon: Poltergeist, Shadow Sneak, King's Shield, and Swords Dance, with Floette's team-preview pressure deterring dark-type usage so thoroughly that the author says the moveset never felt restricted. Mega Dragonite uses Flamethrower to punish the Steel-types Garchomp draws, and Substitute plus Roost keeps it rolling; it was selected in almost every game on the final day. Archaludon is a powerful anonymous pivot that free-wins against Kangaskhan, Mimikyu, and Meowscarada. Scarf Meowscarada exists mainly for a one-shot play against Mega Lopunny and to pressure Basculegion in team preview. Floette was never brought to battle — three attempts, three losses — but its team-preview presence was described as outright dominant.Build article →
Author Sigma presented a detailed meta analysis before revealing his tenth-place team. He categorizes the M-A environment into fast scarf attackers, defensive tanks (Corviknight, Archaludon, Hippowdon), and mid-speed generalists — arguing that scarf pressure forces tanks into high usage, so every team's core selection needs a way to break them. Special Mega types are more valuable than physical ones because type-tanking physically is easier. This led to Mega Glimmora as the special Mega anchor, with sand-summoning Hippowdon as the natural partner — Hippowdon draws Garchomp and Corviknight which Glimmora handles well. Scarf Meowscarada rounds out the attacking core, and Archaludon covers Water-type and Stealth Rock duties; these four are the reliable core selection. Mega Starmie was added as the second Mega for team-preview pressure against Mega Lucario and Mega Delphox. The final slot, locked in at midnight on the final day, was Conkeldurr — because Mega Starmie draws Archaludon and Dark-types, and Conkeldurr beats both while refusing to be setup bait for Mega Floette's Calm Mind. The author is confident in the core but admits the supplementary slots have room to improve, with Mega Venusaur and Vivillon as the team's weak spots.Build article →
The team is built around Mega Gengar, prized for its Shadow Tag ability to trap targets and its Will-O-Wisp plus Hex combination for breaking defensive cores. Hipowdon partners with Gengar to enable the duo's main game plan: Hipowdon softens foes with Earthquake and forces switches with Yawn, creating openings for Gengar to trap and KO. Scarf Meowscarada handles the threatening Basculegion and Mega Starmie matchups while pivoting Gengar in safely. The remaining slots — Sash Garchomp, Obon Archaludon (Stealth Rock + Dragon Tail), and Mystic Water Primarina — cover fast offensive threats, special attackers, and annoying defensive pairs like Hipowdon or Umbreon builds. The author rates the team's chief strength as broad, flexible team selection, with Mega Starmie and Talonflame entry timing still noted as weak points.Build article →
Finishing 12th, the author abandoned the standard Mega-first approach and built around a Taunt-Bulk Down Corviknight instead. The reasoning: restricted items make Mega-only teams vulnerable to opposing Choice holders, whereas Corviknight can consistently stall and whittle down opponents. Sash Ceruledge pairs alongside it, covering a completely different breakdown angle. Mega Greninja was added to pressure Hipowdon plus Glimmora defensive cores and create team preview pressure. Archaludon lays Stealth Rock and Thunder Wave to support Corviknight against special threats like Dragonite. Scarf Basculegion patches the speed tier gap, and Mega Scovillain provides burn spread and anti-Lopunny coverage. The author rates the triple-breaker core of Greninja, Corviknight, and Ceruledge as nearly unbeatable in the cycle game, with Mega Meowscarada, Charizard Mega, and Delphox acknowledged as intentional weaknesses.Build article →
Placing 13th, this team centered on the Dragonite, Hipowdon, and Aegislash core. Mega Dragonite leads most matches as the main attacker, covering a wide range of types. Hipowdon sets Stealth Rock and uses Yawn to control the pace against setup threats. Aegislash runs a specially defensive spread to handle Primarina and Florges. Mystic Water Primarina counters Hipowdon and Umbreon Yawn loops with Misty Terrain while handling Blastoise and Mamoswine. Scarf Garchomp was the most selected Pokemon overall, sweeping from the back against Charizard, Basculegion, and Mega Gyarados. Mega Lucario rounds out the team as the breaker against Clefable and stall-heavy teams. The author credits a teammate for roughly 70% of the team construction, and highlights Meowscarada, Gyarados, and Greninja as unresolved matchup problems.Build article →
Finishing 14th while committing to favorite Mega Lucario as the core, the team pairs it with Charizard Y, Hipowdon, Wash Rotom, Scarf Meowscarada, and Mimikyu. Lucario uses Sacred Sword as a priority-ish option against Mega Lopunny and threatens with Sword Dance plus priority. Hipowdon sets Stealth Rock and Yawns to generate setup, with Whirlwind handling Substitute users. Rotom-Wash runs bulk-heavy to check Scarf Garchomp and counter Corviknight-based cycles. Mega Charizard Y busts Mega plus Hipowdon plus Aegislash stacks using Dragon Pulse, with Substitute dodging Yawn disruption. Scarf Meowscarada targets Charizard and Volcarona with Power Gem boosted by a special item. Mimikyu with Cursed Body item uses Shadow Claw to punish Basculegion while complementing Lucario. The author calls the complementary attack coverage and flexible team selection the main strength, with Mega Gyarados and Mega Starmie remaining tough matchups.Build article →
Reaching 16th, the author scrapped Stealth Rock plus setup-relay builds in favor of three pure attackers running together. The triple core of Swords Dance Mega Lopunny, Mystic Water Basculegion, and Swords Dance Curse Mimikyu was chosen because each draws out different defensive answers and weakens them for the others: Basculegion forces out Umbreon and Corviknight who cannot take its hits; Lopunny bullies Hipowdon and Aegislash to open lanes for Mimikyu; Mimikyu's Curse exit forces the opponent to choose between taking a KO or suffering major chip to the back line. Mega Scovillain covers the Corviknight and Hipowdon cycles Lopunny struggles with, leaning on its random stat boost ability plus poison chip. Sleep Berry Rotom-Wash blocks Garchomp's attack angles and handles physical walls. Scarf Garchomp rounds out the team for Charizard and Gyarados matchups. The author calls the forced-damage synergy the team's defining strength while cautioning that Scovillain needs careful positioning against Charizard and Gengar cores.Build article →
Finishing 17th with a team nicknamed after the Hipowdon plus Archaludon core. The two synergize tightly: Archaludon sets Stealth Rock, forces switches with Dragon Tail, and blasts with Meteor Storm, while Hipowdon's sandstorm effectively thickens Archaludon's special bulk over long cycles. Archaludon's Stamina ability makes it hard for physical attackers like Meowscarada and Mega Starmie to push through. Meowscarada handles Basculegion and Blastoise while pivoting and using Trick to create opportunities, though the author admits its EV spread was the hardest to nail down. Mega Skarmory is the Mega Evolution slot, entering with a Toxic-Charm ability proc then hitting hard once it has forced damage in. Starmie had its best day on the final day, cleaning up with Swords Dance under its ability activation. The sixth slot cycled through Starmie, Araquanid, and Primarina before returning to Starmie. The author calls the team's completion level modest and encourages adapting its key elements rather than copying wholesale.Build article →
Finishing 18th with a team centered on Mega Gengar and Corviknight attack cycling. Gengar's Shadow Tag traps physical walls, while Corviknight's U-turn safely delivers Gengar to favorable matchups. Sash Garchomp provides Stealth Rock and covers the fire-type threats dangerous to Corviknight. Scarf Hydreigon checks both Mega Gengar mirrors and Basculegion, its typing complementing both Mega slots' blind spots. Obon Primarina handles Delphox, Hipowdon, and Mega Dragonite. Mega Lucario was the last addition, targeting Mimikyu-laden offense teams and handling the Charizard Y plus Volcarona angle with Rock Slide — on the final day, the Corviknight plus Garchomp preview routinely baited opponents into bringing Charizard, and then Lucario's Rock Slide finished them off unexpectedly. The author cites broad, flexible team selection as the key strength, with Mega Lopunny handling and Aegislash suppression as remaining weak points needing improvement.Build article →
Finishing 19th, the author started construction from Samurott, which they favor as a lead water-type with strong action guarantee. Samurott's Sacred Sword threatens Stealth Rock setters, Encore disrupts setup moves, and Icicle Crash deals with every Garchomp set. Mega Gyarados and Volcarona sit in the back, ready to Dragon Dance or Quiver Dance after Samurott disrupts the opponent's game plan. Gyarados runs Power Whip for the increasing number of water-types, while Volcarona uses Will-O-Wisp plus Giga Drain to handle Charizard Y matchups. Hipowdon covers Charizard and Taunt Gyarados; Mega Florges runs Calm Mind, Substitute, and Synthesis to create pressure through stalling; and Mega Scizor uses Bulk Up with Slash to threaten Iron Defense Corviknight even without a setup opportunity. The base lead is Samurott with Gyarados and Volcarona in the back, with problematic matchups being roosting Charizard X, back-position Scarf Garchomp, stalling Volcarona mirrors, and Toxapex-based teams.Build article →
Finishing 20th, the team is built on a dual Mega core of Florges and Venusaur. The foundation is Florges paired with Archaludon, as both can participate in both direct combat and cycle play across a wide range of matchups. Sash Garchomp counters Charizard, while Scarf Basculegion handles the speed tier and binds fast Mega threats. Mega Venusaur was added as the second Mega slot to crack Hipowdon plus Aegislash defensive cycles: Thick Fat makes fire and ice moves nearly harmless, and Leech Seed plus Synthesis makes it nearly unkillable for non-boosted physical attackers. Umbreon replaced an earlier Kingambit slot, cycling with Venusaur and using Yawn to manufacture favorable switches for Florges and Basculegion. The author names Mega Venusaur the team MVP — its final-day selection rate eclipsed Florges's — and calls it an underrated pick in the current meta. The primary weakness is that the team leans defensive with modest offensive output, and Archaludon showed the lowest win rate among the six, suggesting a slot swap.Build article →
The team is built around Mega Delphox, valued for its fire and psychic coverage, ground immunity, and the ability to lock opponents into disadvantageous loops with Will-O-Wisp plus Encore. Choice Scarf Garchomp fills the speed control and revenge-killing role, while Primarina runs Calm Mind as a sweeper, Kingambit with Black Glasses serves as an aggressive wallbreaker, Empoleon uses Yawn and Stealth Rock to support cycles, and Toucannon rounds out the team to handle Scizor, Ceruledge, and Basculegion while blocking ghost and ground coverage. The core concept is maintaining flexibility between cycling and setup-sweep win conditions. The author notes that Will-O-Wisp misses and increased awareness of the Delphox set late in the season led to frequent guessing battles, and the final ranking of 21st fell short of expectations.Build article →
The team originally centered on Mega Delphox, but the author found the approach of using Sylveon to bait out steel-types and then sweeping with Delphox more natural, so Florges was swapped for Sylveon. The core sequence runs Sash Garchomp setting Stealth Rock, Sylveon using Yawn to force switches, and Delphox's Focus Blast punching through Umbreon. Gengar holds the second Mega slot to handle Starmie-based teams, while Gyarados uses Taunt plus Dragon Dance to turn defensive Mega setters into setup fodder as a third sweeper. The author considers the Sylveon-Umbreon double-Yawn support very consistent, but singles out Mega Gengar as the standout individual performer of the season. Final placing was 23rd.Build article →
The team is built around Mega Charizard Y, prized for its ability to one-shot Stamina Archaludon and Corviknight, counter water-type cycles via Weather Ball under sun, and close out games immediately from favorable matchups. Garchomp could not be handled by Charizard alone, so the author borrowed a friend's Lopunny-plus-Mega-Charizard Y framework and added Choice Scarf Garchomp to cut electric coverage, Corviknight as a hazard-clearing pivot, Mega Lopunny as a pure-power attacker using High Jump Kick and Giga Impact, Primarina as the sole special attacker against sand-based teams, and Choice Scarf Kingambit last to suppress pivot-stacking and Espathra pass teams. The author considers this breaker-pivot-scarf structure their strength and rates the team highly, though the Stealth Rock slot choice was one noted regret. Final placing was 24th.Build article →
Built in a single night near the end of the season, the team's central idea is using Mega Blastoise to suppress opponents who want to set Stealth Rock — without Shell Smash, it becomes a powerful immediate matchup threat that discourages opponents from freely setting up, letting the Sash-based attackers in the back shine. Mega Blastoise beats the rising Mega Gengar, Mega Lucario, Mega Delphox, and Mega Lopunny, while Water Pulse also handles Camerupt. Ceruledge runs a Sash set with Weak Armor for a speed boost on contact, cleaning through Corviknight; Scizor with Metal Coat threatens fairy and grass types; Mega Kangaskhan pressures Archaludon directly; Alolan Ninetales looks like a screener but actually carries Nasty Plot; and Choice Scarf Basculegion sweeps with Last Respects against dark and normal types. The author acknowledges the team was rushed and lacked polish, but its selection-screen pressure and matchup-fishing design carried it to 25th place.Build article →
