How to choose a Pokémon team using tournament data
How to use tournament results to choose a competitive Pokémon team: find the teams on top, read the patterns, import a team in one click and adapt it.
Tournament results show which teams win when the best players play. This guide shows how to read them, and how to turn a winning team into yours.
How is tournament data different from ladder data?
Ladder data comes from a very large number of games on Pokémon Showdown, played by people of every level; the rating filter on Meta & usage keeps only the stronger players. Tournament data covers far fewer teams, but they are the teams top players registered and brought to events.
The two complement each other: the ladder shows what is popular and how it is built, and tournaments show what wins when it matters.
Where do you find the teams that finished on top?
Best teams lists the top finishes of the current regulation, the Pokémon those teams use most and the pairs that keep coming back. Each card shows the player, the placing, the event and the six Pokémon; Tournament teams has the full list.
See the best teams · All tournament teams
What should you look for in the results?
Read the patterns before the winner. A Pokémon on a large share of the top teams, or a pair that appears again and again, is solid; a single winning team can depend on its player and on the matchups of one event.
Look at how the top teams answer the most used Pokémon: that is what your team will face.
How do you import a tournament team and make it yours?
- Open a team from Best teams or Tournament teams.
- Import it into the builder in one click: every set comes with it, with item, ability, moves and spread.
- Check the analysis for shared weaknesses and threats from the meta.
- Change one Pokémon at a time, and keep the core that made the team work.
How do you check that your version still works?
After each change, test the matchups that matter in the damage calculator and compare speeds in Speed tiers. If the new Pokémon breaks your speed plan or loses a key knockout, try another option for that slot.
Damage calculator · Speed tiers
How current is the data?
The tournament teams and the usage data are refreshed every day, and the pages say which regulation they count. When a new regulation starts the meta changes, so check that a team was built for the regulation you will play.
Frequently asked questions
Where do the tournament teams come from?
From VGCPastes, a community-maintained repository of the teams players used at VGC tournaments, with their full sets. PokemonBuilder refreshes its copy every day.
Can I use a team that someone else won with?
Yes. Many players start from a published team and adapt it, and the one-click import is made for that. Check the rules of your event for anything specific.
Can I take an imported team to Pokémon Showdown?
Yes. Import it into the builder, make your changes and use Export to Showdown to copy it in Showdown's format.