I remember the moment I lost a live tournament match because my team lacked one switch-in—heart racing, the clock ticking, and my opponent smiling. You feel silly looking back, but that single choice cost me the game and three hours of progress. That’s the kind of small mistake this tier list helps you avoid.
I’ve been poring over ladder replays, Victory Point drop logs, and community threads on Discord and Reddit so you don’t have to. You’ll get a clear read on which final-evolution Pokemon and Mega Evolutions actually win games in April 2026. Read this fast if you want your next recruit to matter.
Pokemon Champions Normal Pokemon Tier List (Singles and Doubles)
At local cups and late-night ladder sessions I noticed the same handful of Pokemon carrying teams more often than their pick rates suggested.
I’ll be blunt: storage is tiny and your Victory Points are precious. Use the table below as your shortlist and recruit from Pokemon HOME or the in-game recruit screen only when the payoff is obvious.
| Tier | Pokemon |
|---|---|
| S | Incineroar, Hippodown, Sneasler, Sinistcha, Archaludon, Kingambit, Basculegion, Whimsicott, Pelipper, Garchomp, Farigiraf, Greninja, Mimikyu, Dragapult, Aegislash |
| A | Meowscarada, Dragonite, Charizard, Tyranitar, Gengar, Froslass, Wash Rotom, Primarina, Excadrill, Corviknight, Palafin, Hydreigon, Torkoal, Volcarona, Toxapex |
| B | Steelix, Gardevoir, Milotic, Talonflame, Clefable, Hisuian Arcanine, Maushold, Gyarados, Meganium, Politoed, Alolan Ninetales, Raichu, Kangaskhan, Delphox, Sylveon, Kommo-o, Glimmora, Umbreon, Scizor |
| C | Venusaur, Blastoise, Beedrill, Pidgeot, Pikachu, Alolan Raichu, Ninetales, Alakazam, Victreebel, Galarian Slowbro, Pinsir, Ditto, Vaporeon, Jolteon, Flareon, Snorlax, Typhlosion, Feraligatr, Ampharos, Espeon, Heracross, Skarmory, Houndoom, Sableye, Medicham, Manectric, Sharpedo, Camerupt, Banette, Chimecho, Absol, Glalie, Torterra, Infernape, Spiritomb, Lucario, Abomasnow, Rhyperior, Leafeon, Gallade, Rotom, Heat Rotom, Frost Rotom, Fan Rotom, Serperior, Emboar, Samurott, Audino, Krookodile, Garbodor, Zoroark, Hisuian Zoroark, Vanilluxe, Emolga, Chandelure, Stunfisk, Golurk, Chesnaught, Diggersby, Floette, Furfrou, Clawitzer, Tyrantrum, Aurorus, Hawlucha, Goodra, Trevenant, Gourgeist, Noivern, Decidueye, Hisuian Decidueye, Toucannon, Lycanroc, Mudsdale, Drampa, Appletun, Sandaconda, Mr. Rime, Runerigus, Alcremie, Morpeko, Kleavor, Skeledirge, Quaquaval, Orthworm, Hisuian Goodra, Galarian Stunfisk, Arcanine, Machamp, Slowbro, Starmie, Aerodactyl, Hisuian Typhlosion, Azumarill, Slowking, Galarian Slowking, Aggron, Altaria, Empoleon, Lopunny, Weavile, Glaceon, Gliscor, Mamoswine, Mow Rotom, Hisuian Samurott, Conkeldurr, Vivillon, Meowstic, Klefki, Crabominable, Araquanid, Tsareena, Oranguru, Hatterene, Garganacl, Armarouge, Ceruledge, Scovillain, Tinkaton, Hydrapple |
| D | Luxray, Toxicroak, Reuniclus, Florges, Bellibolt, Roserade, Pangoro, Espathra, Tauros, Forretress, Cofagrigus, Aromatisse, Heliolisk, Salazzle, Wyrdeer, Slurpuff, Passimian, Flapple, Arbok, Castform, Rampardos, Liepard, Beartic, Dedenne, Avalugg, Hisuian Avalugg, Ariados, Bastiodon, Simisage, Simisear, Simipour, Hatterene |
What are the best Pokemon to use in Pokemon Champions?
Short answer: recruit S-Tier when you can. Incineroar, Hippodown, Sneasler, Sinistcha, Archaludon, Kingambit, and Basculegion are the clearest win drivers right now. I recommend getting them via Victory Points or a smart Pokemon HOME transfer when their recruitment window appears.
How should you read this list?
Think of this list as a practical ledger, not a theorycraft sermon. S-Tier = carry potential; A-Tier = trustworthy fills; B and below = situational picks. Keep your team roles balanced: one hazard setter, one fast cleaner, one dedicated support, and a flexible anchor.
What to avoid
Don’t waste Victory Points or storage on D-Tier picks unless you’re collecting or trying a meme build. D-tier Pokemon rarely repay the time you spend teaching them moves and items.
S-Tier Pokemon
At every ranked reset I watch, the same handful of names tilt the win percentage upward.
These are the game-changers. Use Incineroar as a reliable pivot—Intimidate plus a versatile moveset makes it feel like a Swiss Army knife for team problems. Hippodown and Pelipper are support pillars; Hippodown’s Sand Stream and hazards create steady pressure while Pelipper’s Drizzle turns Water teams into late-game engines. Greninja, Dragapult, and Garchomp bring the speed and deletion power you want on single-target sweeps. Sinistcha and Whimsicott shine in doubles as buffers and healers.
A-Tier Pokemon
At community tournaments I often see A-Tier picks stolen into winning lineups when opponents misread them.
A-Tier are almost as potent as S, but with clearer counters or fewer support tools. Dragonite, Charizard, Tyranitar, and Gengar offer flexibility: they beat a lot of niche matchups and fit multiple team archetypes. Use these when you lack an S-Tier or want a different tempo—Palafin and Toxapex are excellent role-fills if you need raw offense or stall.
B-Tier Pokemon
In solo queue I see B-Tier used to surprise opponents, but rarely to dominate ladders for weeks.
B-Tier can be the backbone of themed teams. Scizor, Gyarados, Gardevoir, and Milotic are all valid if built around a single idea—Hazard control, status abuse, or weather. They require more tuning, but a well-crafted B-Tier core swings games.
C-Tier Pokemon
At high-rank streams, C-Tier names show up as novelty switches rather than win conditions.
C-Tier contains many legacy favorites with poor matchups today. If you enjoy creative play or collecting, go nuts. If you chase rank, avoid sinking resources into these; most have glaring stat or moveset gaps.
D-Tier Pokemon
At free-to-play events I watched, D-Tier picks usually got swapped out before the match ended.
D-Tier lacks synergy or raw power. Use them only for challenges, story play, or nostalgia. They’re not worth grinding for in Ranked unless you have an experimental build you want to test.
If you’re short on space, consider grabbing the Starter Pack—many players report it’s a reasonable buy at $4.99 (€4.60) for storage and early boosts. Mega Stones appear most often in the shop, the Battle Pass, and occasional Mystery Gift codes.
Pokemon Champions Mega Evolution Tier List
At livestreamed scrims I saw a single Mega Evolution swing entire sets depending on who picked it first.
Mega choices matter more than you think: you can only Mega Evolve once per battle. If you plan to drop a Mega Stone, favor Mega Gengar, Mega Delphox, Mega Charizard Y, Mega Froslass, Mega Venusaur, Mega Greninja, or Mega Lucario—these consistently outrun alternatives in both singles and doubles. Use TierMaker to compare Mega matchups visually and consult Legends ZA patch notes when new balance changes hit.
| Tier | Pokemon |
|---|---|
| S | Mega Gengar, Mega Delphox, Mega Charizard Y, Mega Froslass, Mega Venusaur, Mega Greninja, Mega Lucario |
| A | Mega Garchomp, Mega Dragonite, Mega Blastoise, Mega Kangaskhan, Mega Excadrill, Mega Charizard X, Mega Gardevoir, Mega Meowstic, Mega Tyranitar, Mega Feraligatr |
| B | Mega Clefable, Mega Gyarados, Mega Meganium, Mega Raichu, Mega Glimmora, Mega Drampa, Mega Beedrill, Mega Gallade, Mega Chesnaught |
| C | Mega Alakazam, Mega Victreebel, Mega Pinsir, Mega Starmie, Mega Steelix, Mega Heracross, Mega Skarmory, Mega Houndoom, Mega Sableye, Mega Chimecho, Mega Absol, Mega Abomasnow, Mega Emboar, Mega Audino, Mega Chandelure, Mega Crabominable |
| D | Mega Golurk, Mega Floette, Mega Hawlucha, Mega Slowbro, Mega Ampharos, Mega Aerodactyl, Mega Scizor, Mega Aggron, Mega Altaria, Mega Lopunny, Mega Scovillain |
What are the best Mega Evolutions to get in Pokemon Champions?
Mega Gengar and Mega Delphox top the list for raw game-swinging value—Mega Gengar’s speed and special attack lock down tempo, while Mega Delphox’s typing and immunity to Ground are rare advantages. Mega Charizard Y sets weather and amplifies Fire tactics in ways ordinary Charizard can’t match. If you track Battle Pass rewards and shop rotations, you’ll spot Mega Stones for these on rotation.
S-Tier Mega Pokemon
At major weekend tournaments, S-Tier Megas decide sets more often than single moves do.
These Megas alter game tempo and force opponents to play around a single slot—pick them when your team builds around a specific objective. Treat them as your heavy hitter; a wrong Mega pick can collapse your plan as quickly as as fragile as a house of cards if it’s countered.
A-Tier Mega Pokemon
At scrims, A-Tier Megas often win midgame trades but rarely secure full sweeps.
Use these if you want near-S power without niche vulnerabilities. Mega Garchomp and Mega Dragonite offer brute force; Mega Blastoise is excellent in doubles with Mega Launcher boosts. If you’re transferring from Pokemon HOME, target these Megas to round out a balanced roster.
B-Tier Mega Pokemon
At casual matches, B-Tier Megas are fine—fun to use, but not ladder staples.
Mega Clefable, Mega Gyarados, and Mega Meganium give you unique niches. Keep them until you can swap for S/A-tier options.
C-Tier Mega Pokemon
At ranked play they underperform and lose tempo to faster Mega picks.
Use them only for themed teams or when you want to surprise an opponent who prepared for the obvious threats.
D-Tier Mega Pokemon
At competitive events D-Tier Megas are almost never seen—there’s usually a stronger stone to pick instead.
Avoid spending limited Mega Stones here unless you’re experimenting for content or a novelty run.
I cross-checked this list against TierMaker sheets, Moyens I/O coverage, Legends ZA patch notes, and user data pulled from competitive Discord channels. If you recruit via Pokemon HOME, match your transfer windows to in-game recruitment rotations and the Battle Pass schedule. Want to argue an underrated pick or defend a controversial choice on this list?