Doubles battles are the competitive backbone of Pokemon Champions, and the format rewards team construction far more than raw power. Knowing which Pokemon belong on your squad and which ones will drag you down the ladder makes all the difference between winning streaks and frustrating losses. This guide breaks down the current Doubles meta from S tier to C tier, explains what each pick actually does, and tells you which combinations are worth building around.
S Tier Pokemon
Incineroar
Incineroar (base stats: 95 HP / 115 Atk / 90 Def / 80 SpA / 90 SpD / 60 Spe) has been a fixture in VGC since Scarlet and Violet, and it carries that dominance directly into Pokemon Champions. Its Intimidate ability is the reason it sits at the top. Every time Incineroar switches in, it drops the Attack stat of all opposing Pokemon by one stage, which in Doubles means both opponents get weakened simultaneously. Pair that with Snarl to drop Special Attack and Parting Shot to debuff and pivot out, and you have a Pokemon that makes your entire team harder to kill.
The Fire/Dark typing gives Incineroar 6 resistances and 1 immunity, which helps it stay on the field long enough to be useful. The main downside is that it struggles to deal meaningful damage on its own, so it needs strong offensive partners. Kingambit and Feraligatr are both natural teammates.
Watch out for opponents running Defiant or Competitive on their own Pokemon. Those abilities turn Intimidate from an advantage into a free Attack boost for the opponent, which can flip the matchup entirely.
Kingambit
Kingambit (base stats: 100 HP / 135 Atk / 120 Def / 60 SpA / 85 SpD / 50 Spe) works as either a Defiant counter to Intimidate spam or a late-game Supreme Overlord sweeper. Its signature move Kowtow Cleave never misses, which removes the luck factor that plagues other high-power Dark moves. Sucker Punch gives it priority, helping compensate for its low Speed.
The Steel/Dark typing provides 9 resistances and 2 immunities, making Kingambit genuinely difficult to wear down. The one glaring weakness is a 4x vulnerability to Fighting, so teams running Kingambit need a plan for that matchup. Fast Special Attackers can also threaten it given its modest Special Defense.
Intimidate drops both foes at once
A Tier Pokemon
Garchomp
Garchomp (base stats: 108 HP / 130 Atk / 95 Def / 80 SpA / 85 SpD / 102 Spe) is the rare Pokemon that functions as a genuine threat in both formats. In Doubles, its access to area-of-effect moves makes it especially dangerous, since it can pressure both opponents simultaneously. Rough Skin punishes physical attackers who make contact, adding passive chip damage to its toolkit.
The 4x Ice weakness is Garchomp's biggest problem. Any team running Ice coverage can threaten it, and Choice Scarf users that outspeed it can check it before it acts. Keep it away from Ice types and it will threaten most meta teams.
Glimmora
Glimmora (base stats: 83 HP / 55 Atk / 90 Def / 130 SpA / 81 SpD / 86 Spe) plays a dual role as a hazard setter and Special Attacker. Its Toxic Debris ability automatically lays Toxic Spikes when hit by contact moves, punishing physical attackers for doing their job. It can also set Stealth Rock manually.
After Mega Evolution, Glimmora gains Adaptability, which amplifies its STAB Meteor Beam into a serious offensive threat. The 4x Ground weakness means you need to protect it from Ground moves, and Taunt can shut down its hazard setup entirely if your opponent predicts it.
Torkoal
Torkoal (base stats: 70 HP / 85 Atk / 140 Def / 85 SpA / 70 SpD / 20 Spe) is one of the most straightforward picks in the entire meta. Send it out, Drought activates automatically, sun goes up, and then Eruption hits at maximum power. That's the gameplan. The mono-Fire typing makes it predictable, and Pelipper with Drizzle can counter it by overwriting the weather, but as long as your team is built around sun, Torkoal does exactly what it needs to do.
Dragonite and Sinistcha
Dragonite (base stats: 91 HP / 134 Atk / 95 Def / 100 SpA / 100 SpD / 80 Spe) can be run as a physical attacker in its base form or converted into a Special Attacker via Mega Evolution. Mega Dragonite hits 145 base Special Attack and gets 100% accuracy on Hurricane or Blizzard depending on the weather, making it a strong partner for weather setters. The 4x Ice weakness applies here too, and Quick Guard can block Extreme Speed.
Sinistcha appears a notable A pick, a solid option alongside Garchomp and Kingambit in that tier. Sinistcha is a strong support-oriented pick that fits well into the current meta.
B Tier Pokemon
The A tier is where most team-building decisions actually happen. These Pokemon are strong but counterable, and their effectiveness depends heavily on team composition.
Whimsicott (base stats: 60 HP / 67 Atk / 85 Def / 77 SpA / 75 SpD / 116 Spe) is a support specialist. Prankster gives its status and support moves priority, letting it Encore opponents before they can act, locking them into unfavorable moves. Low defensive stats mean it goes down fast if targeted directly.
Pelipper (base stats: 60 HP / 50 Atk / 100 Def / 95 SpA / 70 SpD / 65 Spe) is the primary Rain setter via Drizzle, enabling Archaludon's Electro Shot and boosting Water moves across the team. It can also threaten with Hurricane under rain. Extremely fragile outside of its weather role.
Sneasler (base stats: 80 HP / 130 Atk / 60 Def / 40 SpA / 80 SpD / 120 Spe) is among the fastest non-Mega Pokemon in the game, according to Insider Gaming. Dire Claw applies random status effects that can disrupt opponent strategies significantly. The low defensive stats make it vulnerable to priority moves.
Maushold earns its A ranking through utility rather than damage. Friend Guard reduces damage taken by its Doubles partner, making your main attacker harder to knock out. Follow Me redirects attacks away from a setup sweeper, and it can also run Taunt and Helping Hand for additional support options. Don't expect it to threaten anything offensively.
Archaludon (base stats: 90 HP / 105 Atk / 130 Def / 125 SpA / 65 SpD / 85 Spe) thrives under Rain, where Electro Shot charges instantly instead of requiring a turn to charge. All three of its abilities (Stamina, Sturdy, Stalwart) have legitimate uses in ranked play. The weakness to Special Attackers and lack of priority or Speed-boosting options hold it back from A+.
Maushold's support moves, including Follow Me and Helping Hand, can be shut down by Taunt. If your opponent anticipates this, Maushold becomes a liability. Have a backup plan.
How should you build your Doubles team?
The most consistent approach is to start with a core of two Pokemon that cover each other's weaknesses and support each other's roles. The Incineroar + Kingambit core is the most common in the current meta because Incineroar's Intimidate softens physical threats for Kingambit, while Kingambit's Defiant turns any Intimidate the opponent tries to use back on them.
Weather teams are the other dominant archetype. Torkoal with sun support, or Pelipper enabling Archaludon under rain, are both proven structures. The key is building the rest of your team to either benefit from the weather or at least not be hurt by it.
For team construction beyond the core, consider:
- A fast disruptor (Whimsicott, Sneasler) to pressure opponents early
- A redirect user (Maushold) to protect setup sweepers
- A hazard setter (Glimmora) if your team benefits from entry hazard pressure
- Coverage for your core's main weaknesses (Fighting coverage for Kingambit, Ice coverage answers for Garchomp)
Moveset, Held Items, and Natures are all essential on top of Pokemon selection. A correctly built B-tier Pokemon will outperform a poorly built S-tier one in most matchups.
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