Best Pokemon Tier List For Ranked Battle | Pokemon Sword and Shield

This is our tier list for the strongest Pokemon for Ranked Battle in the games Pokemon Sword and Shield. If you're planning on getting into Ranked Battle, but don't know what Pokemon to start with, this list will get you started in the right direction. Mimikyu, Dragapult, Tyranitar - these are the names you'll get familiar with. Read on for details about which Pokemon the strongest trainers are using in online play.

List Of Battle Articles
Tier List	Best Builds	Best Teams

Tier List Updates as of 2020/1/6

Tier	Changes
Tier 1	Tyranitar ↑↑ Excadrill↑
Tier 2	Hydreigon ↑
Tier 3	Wash Rotom ↓ Sylveon↑ Hippowdon↑ Rhyperior ↑↑ Ferrothorn ↓ Conkeldurr ↑↑ Quagsire ↑↑ Cinderace ↑↑ Mow Rotom ↑↑
Tier 4	Gastrodon ↑ Inteleon ↑ Lapras ↑ Umbreon ↑ Hatterene ↑ Bisharp ↑ Chandelure ↑
Removed	Galarian Corsola ↓↓↓ Rillaboom ↓↓ Arcanine ↓↓ Galarian Weezing ↓ Cramorant ↓ Orbeetle ↓

Best Pokemon Tier List For Ranked Battle

Click a Pokemon to jump to their explanation.

Tier 1
Mimikyu	Dragapult	Tyranitar	Excadrill
Tier 2
Gyarados	Heat Rotom	Corviknight	Togekiss
Hydreigon
Tier 3
Grimmsnarl	Galarian Darmanitan	Duraludon	Cloyster
Toxapex	Snorlax	Durant	Wash Rotom
Ferrothorn	Sylveon	Hippowdon	Rhyperior
Conkeldurr	Quagsire	Cinderace	Mow Rotom
Tier 4
Dracovish	Haxorus	Dracozolt	Aegislash
Whimsicott	Charizard	Ditto	Gastrodon
Inteleon	Umbreon	Lapras	Hatterene
Bisharp	Chandelure

Best Pokemon - Tier 1

The current metagame is ruled by fast Physical attackers, and Tier 1 is no exception. Both Mimikyu and Dragapult use high Speed and Attack to their advantage to power up and sweep the opposing team.

Mimikyu

Moveset & Best Build for Mimikyu
Nature	Jolly (+Spd, -SpAtk)
EV Spread	Atk. 252 / Spd. 252 / HP 4
Ability	Disguise
Held Item	Life Orb
Moveset	・Swords Dance ・Play Rough ・Shadow Sneak ・Shadow Claw

Mimikyu's Strong Points

If there's one Pokemon from the Sword and Shield Metagame you should know about, it's Mimikyu. Mimikyu currently appears in about 99% of parties in Ranked Battle (note: plus or minus some heavy exaggeration). If you're not sure about which Pokemon you should use in your team, you can't go wrong with Mimikyu.

With its ability Disguise, Mimikyu is able to take one attack with damage equal to just 10% of its maximum HP, allowing it to pull off a Swords Dance without fail. With its Attack boosted by 2 stages for free at the onset, there's few and far between a foe that can take its Dynamax attacks head on. Mimikyu's power to confidently take out at least one of its opponent's Pokemon is what makes it a must on competitive teams.

Dragapult

Moveset & Best Build for Dragapult
Nature	Naive (+Spd, -SpDef)
EV Spread	Atk. 252 / Spd. 252 / HP 4
Ability	Clear Body
Held Item	Focus Sash / Choice Scarf / Choice Band / Weakness Policy
Moveset	・Dragon Darts ・Phantom Force ・Fire Blast ・Steel Wing

Dragapult's Strong Points

Dragapult is one of the few Pokemon appearing in Sword and Shield with total Base Stats in the 600+ range. In addition to the recommended Moves above, it's also capable of Thunderbolt, Shadow Ball, Will-o-Wisp, and other moves to trip up your opponent. Dragapult's strength is found in its unpredictability.

Tyranitar

Moveset & Best Build for Tyranitar
Nature	Adamant (+Atk, -SpAtk)
EV Spread	HP 252 / Atk. 252 / Spd. 4
Ability	Sand Stream
Held Item	Weakness Policy
Moveset	・Stone Edge ・Iron Tail ・Fire Punch ・Superpower

Tyranitar's Strong Points

Like Dragapult, Tyranitar is a rare Pokemon with 600+ total Base Stats. With its strong fortitude combined with the boost acquired from its Weakness Policy, Tyranitar is a force to be reckoned with when Dynamaxed. Even when fighting an opponent with a type advantage, Tyranitar can often break through and deal substantial damage, leading to its common use as a Lead Pokemon. Don't underestimate it!

Excadrill

Moveset & Best Build for Excadrill
Nature	Jolly (+Spd, -SpAtk)
EV Spread	Atk. 252 / Spd. 252 / HP 4
Ability	Mold Breaker
Held Item	Focus Sash / Assault Vest / Choice Scarf / Choice Band / Life Orb
Moveset	・Earthquake ・Iron Head ・Rock Tomb ・Horn Drill ・Fissure ・Stealth Rock

Excadrill's Strong Points

Excadrill is known as a powerful counter for Mimikyu and Rotom. With its ability Mold Breaker, it can break through Mimikyu's Disguise and Rotom's Levitate to hit both of their weak spots.

With a base Speed of 88, it's slightly faster than Rotom, so making sure Excadrill is as fast as possible is a must. With Rock Tomb, Excadrill can set up for its teammates to come in with an advantage after it's defeated, and with Horn Drill, it has a chance of defeating foes that it normally wouldn't be able to handle.

Best Pokemon - Tier 2

Although they can't top the Tier 1 Pokemon's elite status, the Pokemon in Tier 2 are essential to Ranked Battle. Even after about you've played about 200 online battles, Pokemon like Heat Rotom and Gyarados remain foes which all players must beware of in battle. When using these Pokemon, you'll understand the power that makes them belong in Tier 2.

Gyarados

Moveset & Best Build for Gyarados
Nature	Jolly (+Spd, -SpAtk)
EV Spread	Atk. 252 / Spd. 252 / HP 4
Ability	Moxie
Held Item	Lum Berry
Moveset	・Waterfall ・Bounce ・Power Whip ・Dragon Dance

Gyarados's Strong Points

A Pokemon beloved since Pokemon Red & Blue, Gyarados is back for more in Sword and Shield. With its ability Moxie and its Dynamax Move Max Airstream (from Bounce), Gyarados has the potential to snag an effect equivalent to Dragon Dance on its first turn out.

Against a weak party, Gyarados is known to sweep the whole team alone. And in addition to its killer Attack, its defensive stats are strong around the board, with a base 100 Special Defense standing out, allowing it to hold its own when taking hits as well.

Heat Rotom

Moveset & Best Build for Heat Rotom
Nature	Timid (+Spd, -Atk)
EV Spread	Sp.Atk. 252 / Spd. 252 / Atk. 4
Ability	Levitate
Held Item	Choice Scarf / Choice Specs
Moveset	・Overheat ・Discharge ・Volt Switch ・Trick ・Dark Pulse

Heat Rotom's Strong Points

Heat Rotom's combination of Fire and Electric types make it highly effective for handling a variety of threats.

When Dynamaxed, it can unleash a firestorm with Max Flare to deal heavy damage fast.

As there are a limited number of usable Fire-types in the current metagame, Heat Rotom serves an ever more essential niche with grace.

Corviknight

Moveset & Best Build for Corviknight
Nature	Impish (+Def, -SpAtk)
EV Spread	HP 252 / Def. 252 / Sp.Def. 4
Ability	Mirror Armor
Held Item	Rocky Helmet
Moveset	・Roost ・Iron Head ・Taunt ・Drill Peck

Corviknight's Strong Points

With Corviknight's high HP and Defense, it's great for taking heavy Physical hits. Its effective combination of Flying and Steel types keep its weakness count down to two, only Fire and Electric.

With its Ability Mirror Armor, it can ignore the Defense drop caused by Max Phantasm. As its Steel typing also makes it invulnerable to Toxic, it's an ideal tank Pokemon for your team.

Togekiss

Moveset & Best Build for Togekiss
Nature	Timid (+Spd, -Atk)
EV Spread	HP 244 / Spd. 236 / Sp.Atk. 30
Ability	Serene Grace
Held Item	Weakness Policy
Moveset	・Air Slash ・Fire Blast ・Dazzling Gleam ・Nasty Plot

Togekiss's Strong Points

Togekiss is revered for its ability to cause flincing with a 60% rate using its ability Serene Grace together with Air Slash.

It also has a good balance of Base Stats, making it generally easy to use.

When Dynamaxed, it can use Max Airstream to boost its Speed, making even more effective at outspeeding and causing flinching.

Hydreigon

Moveset & Best Build for Hydreigon
Nature	Timid (+Spd, -Atk)
EV Spread	Sp.Atk. 252 / Spd. 252 / HP 4
Ability	Levitate
Held Item	Choice Specs / Choice Scarf
Moveset	・Draco Meteor ・Fire Blast ・Hydro Pump ・Dark Pulse

Hydreigon's Strong Points

Like Dragapult and Tyranitar, Hydreigon has 600+ total Base Stats. As a powerful Special Attacker with Choise Specs, Hydreigon can put the pressure on the opponent with powerful attacks.

With a base Speed of 98, it's faster than Mimikyu, so Hydreigon can't help but bring the pain with its fast attacks. With attacks available in a variety of types, it's a great Pokemon to consider Dynamaxing.

Best Pokemon - Tier 3

The Pokemon in Tier 3 are used frequently as counters to those in Tiers 1 and 2. For example, Grimmsnarl is an exquisite match to handle Dragapult.

Grimmsnarl

Moveset & Best Build for Grimmsnarl
Nature	Adamant (+Atk, -SpAtk)
EV Spread	HP 252 / Atk. 252 / Def. 4
Ability	Prankster
Held Item	Sitrus Berry
Moveset	・Bulk Up ・Sucker Punch ・Substitute ・Play Rough

Grimmsnarl's Strong Points

Grimmsnarl is a holder of the rare ability Prankster. With its combination of the Dark and Fairy types, it's an ideal counter for Dragapult.

Prankster allows it to use Bulk Up first without fail, allowing it to raise its Defense before taking a hit, while Sucker Punch and Play Rough are great for taking down opponents.

Galarian Darmanitan

Moveset & Best Build for Galarian Darmanitan
Nature	Jolly
EV Spread	HP 4 / Atk. 252 / Spd. 252
Ability	Gorilla Tactics
Held Item	Choice Scarf / Choice Band
Moveset	・Flare Blitz ・Icicle Crash ・U-turn ・Stone Edge ・Superpower ・Earthquake

Galarian Darmanitan's Strong Points

Galarian Darmanitan's ability, Gorilla Tactics, gives it an immediate one-stage Attack boost. If it wears a Choice Item as well, the positive effects of the two will stack, and as the negative effects are the same, you can use them both for the price of one. This allows Galarian Damanitan to to opt for the Choice Scarf and outspeed many opponents while dealing heavy damage thanks to Gorilla Tactics.

Duraludon

Moveset & Best Build for Duraludon
Nature	Timid (+Spd, -Atk)
EV Spread	Sp.Atk. 252 / Spd. 236 / HP 20
Ability	Light Metal
Held Item	Choice Scarf
Moveset	・Draco Meteor ・Flash Cannon ・Thunderbolt ・Solar Beam

Duraludon's Strong Points

Duraludon is blessed with the useful Dragon/Steel type combination, with only two weaknesses, Fighting and Ground.

Armed with the Choice Scarf, it can outspeed a number of fast opponents, including Jolly Dragapult.

Cloyster

Moveset & Best Build for Cloyster
Nature	Jolly (+Spd, -SpAtk)
EV Spread	Atk. 252 / Spd. 180 / HP 78
Ability	Skill Link
Held Item	Focus Sash
Moveset	・Shell Smash ・Icicle Spear ・Rock Blast ・Ice Shard

Cloyster's Strong Points

Cloyster is able to learn the powerful stat-boosting move Shell Smash.

It also has the ability Skill Link, which allows it to land five hits for all multi-hit moves. This completely changes the reliability factor of these moves, allowing Cloyster to use moves like Icicle Spear reliably to take down threats and pierce through Mimikyu's Disguise.

Toxapex

Moveset & Best Build for Toxapex
Nature	Bold (+Def, -Atk)
EV Spread	HP 252 / Def. 252 / Sp.Atk. 4
Ability	Regenerator
Held Item	Black Sludge
Moveset	・Recover ・Baneful Bunker ・Scald ・Haze

Toxapex's Strong Points

With its high Defense, Toxapex is a mainstay among Physical defenders on Ranked Battle teams.

Its ability Regenerator also helps in this regard as it makes Toxapex's HP much easier to manage.

Snorlax

Moveset & Best Build for Snorlax
Nature	Impish (+Def, -SpAtk)
EV Spread	HP 252 / Def. 252 / Atk. 4
Ability	Gluttony
Held Item	Figy Berry
Moveset	・Recycle ・Body Slam ・Curse ・Fire Punch

Snorlax's Strong Points

With its high Special Defense, it plays a useful role as a sponge for Special attacks.

It also plays an important role on teams as a Normal-type to throw off the dominance of Ghost-type Moves.

Durant

Moveset & Best Build for Durant
Nature	Jolly (+Spd, -SpAtk)
EV Spread	Atk. 252 / Spd. 252 / HP 4
Ability	Hustle
Held Item	Life Orb
Moveset	・Iron Head ・X-Scissor ・Thunder Fang ・Superpower

Durant's Strong Points

By Dynamaxing, it can rid itself of the accuracy drop of its Hustle ability while retaining the Attack boost.

With a Speed of 109, it can outspeed a wide range of opponents.

Wash Rotom

Moveset & Best Build for Wash Rotom
Nature	Modest (+SpAtk, -Atk) or Timid (+Spd, -Atk)
EV Spread	HP 252 / Sp.Atk. 252 / Def. 4 or Sp.Atk. 252 / Spd. 252 / HP 4
Ability	Levitate
Held Item	Choice Specs / Choice Scarf / Sitrus Berry
Moveset	・Discharge ・Volt Switch ・Hydro Pump ・Will-o-Wisp ・Trick ・Dark Pulse

Wash Rotom's Strong Points

Wash Rotom has carried on its legacy as a strong contender from previous games. With its powerful combination of the Water and Electric types, and its Levitate ability to rid itself of its Ground weakness, Wash Rotom's power is easy to understand.

With a Timid Nature, it can boost its Base Speed as high as 156, and with a Choice Scarf on deck, it can reach a higher Speed than Dragapult and use a powerful Volt Switch first.

Ferrothorn

Moveset & Best Build for Ferrothorn
Nature	Relaxed (+Def, -Spd)
EV Spread	HP 252 / Def. 252 / Atk. 4
Ability	Iron Barbs
Held Item	Leftovers
Moveset	・Gyro Ball ・Leech Seed ・Protect ・Knock Off

Ferrothorn's Strong Points

Ferrothorn is without a doubt the most frequently found Tier 3 Pokemon. With its effective type combination of Grass and Steel, it's only weak to Fire and Fighting type moves.

If it seems like the opponent will use a Gyarados or Wash Rotom, stacking a Ferrothorn in your team is a no-brainer. By sapping the foe's HP with Iron Barbs and Protect, use Knock Off to get rid of the foe's Held Item.

Sylveon

Moveset & Best Build for Sylveon
Nature	Modest (+SpAtk, -Atk)
EV Spread	HP 236 / Sp.Atk. 252 / Spd. 20
Final Stat Values	HP 200 / Sp.Atk. 178 / Sp.Def 150 / Spd. 83 / Def. 85
Ability	Pixilate
Held Item	Choice Specs Throat Spray
Moveset	・Hyper Voice ・Quick Attack ・Mystical Fire ・Psyshock

Sylveon's Strong Points

Sylveon's Pixilate ability turns Hyper Voice into a STAB move with a 30% power boost as icing on the cake.

Its incredible Special Defense allows it to handle moves from powerful Special attackers without breaking a sweat.

Hippowdon

Moveset & Best Build for Hippowdon
Nature	Impish (+Def, -SpAtk)
EV Spread	HP 252 / Def. 252 / Sp.Def. 4
Ability	Sand Stream
Held Item	Rocky Helmet
Moveset	・Slack Off ・Yawn ・Earthquake ・Rock Tomb

Hippowdon's Strong Points

Hippowdon can use Yawn to force a switch, which can be an opportunity to set up Stealth Rock.

With its high Defense, it's also capable of taking hits from the variety of Physical attackers in the metagame.

Rhyperior

Moveset & Best Build for Rhyperior
Nature	Adamant (+Atk, -SpAtk)
EV Spread	HP 252 / Atk 252 / Def 4
Final Stat Values	HP 222 / Atk. 211 / Def. 151 / Sp.Def. 75 / Spd. 60
Ability	Solid Rock
Held Item	Weakness Policy
Moveset	・ Earthquake ・ Rock Blast ・ Fire Punch ・ Superpower

Rhyperior's Strong Points

Its high base Attack and Defense make it effective as a Physical attacker.
Also, its Ability Solid Rock reduces the damage it takes from super effective attacks, making it a capable user of Weakness Policy.

Conkeldurr

Moveset & Best Build for Conkeldurr
Nature	Adamant (+Atk, -SpAtk)
EV Spread	HP 252 / Atk. 252 / Sp.Def. 4
Final Stat Values	HP 212 / Atk. 211 / Def. 115 / Sp.Def. 86 / Spd. 65
Ability	Iron Fist
Held Item	Expert Belt Assault Vest
Moveset	・Mach Punch ・Drain Punch ・Thunder Punch ・Ice Punch

Conkeldurr's Strong Points

Thanks to its potential to heal damage with Drain Punch, it can handle a number of opponents despite its low Speed.

In a metagame with a dearth of Fighting types, it stands out as a strong exception.

Quagsire

Moveset & Best Build for Quagsire
Nature	Bold (+Def, -Atk)
EV Spread	HP 252 / Def. 252 / Sp.Def. 4
Final Stat Values	HP 202 / Def. 150 / Sp.Def. 85 / Sp.Def. 86 / Spd. 55
Ability	Unaware
Held Item	Leftovers Rocky Helmet
Moveset	・Scald ・Recover ・Toxic ・Stockpile

Quagsire's Strong Points

Its Ability Unaware, combined with a movepool of some of the best attacks in the metagame, allow it to handle a variety of threats.

It's also easy to use in most parties, due to its lack of weaknesses aside from Grass.

Cinderace

Moveset & Best Build for Cinderace
Nature	Jolly (+Spd, -SpAtk)
EV Spread	Atk. 252 / Spd. 252 / HP 4
Final Stat Values	HP 156 / Atk. 168 / Def. 95 / Sp.Def. 95 / Spd. 188
Ability	Blaze
Held Item	Life Orb Focus Sash
Moveset	・Pyro Ball ・High Jump Kick ・Sucker Punch ・Bounce

Cinderace's Strong Points

Its exclusive attack Pyro Ball can deal big damage.
Also, it has a wide movepool to counter a variety of potential opponents.

Mow Rotom

Moveset & Best Build for Mow Rotom
Nature	Modest (+SpAtk, -Atk)
EV Spread	HP 252 / Sp.Atk. 252 / Spd. 4
Final Stat Values	HP 157 / Def. 127 / Sp.Atk. 172 / Sp.Def. 127 / Spd. 107
Ability	Levitate
Held Item	Choice Specs
Moveset	・ Volt Switch ・ Leaf Storm ・ Discharge ・ Trick

Mow Rotom's Strong Points

Great for using against Water types, who are frequently used as Physical walls.
Volt Switch is also great to have for switch-heavy battles to avoid an unfavorable matchup.

Best Pokemon - Tier 4

When Tier 4 Pokemon come out, we can start to see a bit of individuality in each team. The presence of these Pokemon shows what Tier 1 or 2 Pokemon the user is afraid of. Tier 4 boasts Pokemon who are strong on their own, those who are strong against those in Tiers 1 to 3, and those who are a pain to deal with for all other Pokemon.

Dracovish

Moveset & Best Build for Dracovish
Nature	Jolly
EV Spread	Spd. 252 / Atk. 252 / HP 4
Ability	Strong Jaw
Held Item	Choice Scarf
Moveset	・Fishious Rend ・Draco Meteor ・Ice Fang ・Crunch

Dracovish's Strong Points

Dracovish's combination of the Water and Dragon types is incredibly defensive, with Dragon and Fairy being its only weaknesses.

With its ability Strong Jaw, together with the already-powerful Fishious Rend, makes for one attack with an unbelievable high Base Power.

Haxorus

Moveset & Best Build for Haxorus
Nature	Jolly (+Spd, -SpAtk)
EV Spread	HP 60 / Atk. 188 / Def. 4 / Sp.Def. 4 / Spd. 252
Final Stat Values	HP 159 / Atk. 191 / Def. 111 / Sp.Def. 91 / Spd. 163
Ability	Mold Breaker
Held Item	Haban Berry
Moveset	・ Outrage ・ Dragon Dance ・ Earthquake ・ Iron Tail

Haxorus's Strong Points

Haxorus's Mold Breaker Ability combined with Iron Tail can take down Mimikyu in one hit.

With its sky-high attack, it disallows easy switch-ins even for type advantaged Pokemon, allowing it to control the flow of battle.

Dracozolt

Moveset & Best Build for Dracozolt
Nature	Jolly (+Spd, -SpAtk)
EV Spread	Atk. 252 / Spd. 252 / Def. 4
Final Stat Values	HP 165 / Atk. 152 / Def. 111 / Sp.Atk. 90 / Sp.Def. 90 / Spd. 139
Ability	Hustle
Held Item	Choice Scarf
Moveset	・Bolt Beak ・Low Kick ・Earthquake ・Outrage

Dracozolt's Strong Points

With the disappearance of Mega Ampharos, Dracozolt is the only Electric/Dragon dual-type Pokemon in existence.

With its ability Volt Absorb, it can throw off the dominance of an Electric-type sweeper.

Its accuracy comes into question, but its ability Hustle allows it to deal heavy damage, and the accuracy drop can be removed by Dynamaxing.

Aegislash

Moveset & Best Build for Aegislash
Nature	Quiet
EV Spread	HP 252 / Sp.Atk. 252 / Sp.Def. 4
Ability	Stance Change
Held Item	Weakness Policy
Moveset	・Shadow Ball ・Sacred Sword ・Shadow Sneak ・King's Shield

Aegislash's Strong Points

By switching between its Blade Forme and Shield Forme, Aegislash's stat total of 500 effectively becomes 680, as it can avoid ever being damaged in Blade Forme.

As its Shield Forme has incredible Defense and Special Defense, it can hold its own against a variety of opponents.

Also, its access to Fighting-type moves provides it with a wide movepool.

Whimsicott

Moveset & Best Build for Whimsicott
Nature	Timid (+Spd, -Atk)
EV Spread	HP 204 / Def. 164 / Spd. 116 / Sp.Atk. 20 / Sp.Def. 4
Final Stat Values	HP 161 / Def. 126 / Sp.Atk. 100 / Sp.Def. 96 / Spd. 166
Ability	Prankster
Held Item	Leftovers
Moveset	・Cotton Guard ・Leech Seed ・Substitute ・Moonblast

Whimsicott's Strong Points

Whimsicott can use a powerful stall combo of Leech Seed → Substitute with its ability Prankster, which allows Status Moves to always move first.

It can also prevent the stall from being an opportunity for the opponent to stat boost by forcing the opponent to repeat a move with Encore.

Charizard

Moveset & Best Build for Charizard
Nature	Timid (+Spd, -Atk)
EV Spread	Sp.Atk. 252 / Spd. 252 / HP 4
Ability	Solar Power
Held Item	Weakness Policy / Life Orb / Expert Belt
Moveset	・Fire Blast ・Air Slash ・Solar Beam ・Dragon Pulse

Charizard's Strong Points

When it Dynamaxes, Charizard can use Max Airstream to boost its Speed, increasing its sweeping potential.

It can also use Max Flare when Dynamaxed to cause intense sunlight, activating its ability Solar Power to boost its Special Attack.

Ditto

Moveset & Best Build for Ditto
To Be Announced

Ditto's Strong Points

With Choice Scarf, Ditto can move faster than the Pokemon it has copied.

This is especially important to in battles where Speed is of the essence, such as against Dragapult.

Gastrodon

Moveset & Best Build for Gastrodon
Nature	Bold (+Def, -Atk)
EV Spread	HP 252 / Def. 252 / Sp.Def. 4
Final Stat Values	HP 218 / Def. 132 / Sp.Atk. 112 / Sp.Def. 103 / Spd. 59
Ability	Storm Drain
Held Item	Sitrus Berry Rocky Helmet Rindo Berry
Moveset	・Scald ・Clear Smog ・Recover ・Yawn

Gastrodon's Strong Points

Its type combination removes all its weaknesses except a 4x weakness to Grass.
Also, it's able to run a variety of builds, making it hard for the opponent to predict what it's up against.

Inteleon

Moveset & Best Build for Inteleon
Nature	Timid (+Spd, -Atk)
EV Spread	Sp.Atk. 252 / Def. 4 / Spd. 252
Final Stat Values	HP 145 / Atk. 94 / Def. 85 / Sp.Atk. 177 / Sp.Def. 86 / Spd. 189
Ability	Torrent
Held Item
Moveset	・ Hydro Cannon ・ Air Slash ・ Scald ・ Endure

Inteleon's Strong Points

Its high Speed allows it to move faster than most opponents.
In addition, its ability Torrent pairs well with Focus Sash to deal heavy damage.

Umbreon

Moveset & Best Build for Umbreon
Nature	Bold (+Def, -Atk)
EV Spread	Def. 252 / HP 244 / Sp.Def. 12
Final Stat Values	HP 201 / Def. 178 / Sp.Def. 152 / Spd. 85
Ability	Synchronize
Held Item	Rocky Helmet
Moveset	・Foul Play ・Wish ・Yawn ・Taunt

Umbreon's Strong Points

Its combination of high Defense and Special Defense make it a formidable wall.
On top of that, it can use Wish to restore its and its allies' HP.

Lapras

Moveset & Best Build for Umbreon
Nature	Quiet (+SpAtk, -Spd)
EV Spread	Sp.Atk. 252 / HP 132 / Def 84 / Sp.Def. 36 / Atk. 4
Final Stat Values	HP 222 / Atk. 106 / Def. 111 / Sp.Atk. 150 / Sp.Def. 120
Ability	Water Absorb
Held Item	Assault Vest
Moveset	・Freeze-Dry ・Surf ・Ice Shard ・Sheer Cold

Lapras's Strong Points

High Base Stats overall allow it to withstand attacks while simultaneously hitting back with powerful attacks of its own.

It also has the potential to break through a wall-heavy player's defenses for a one-hit KO with Sheer Cold.

Hatterene

Moveset & Best Build for Hatterene
Nature	Quiet (+SpAtk, -Spd)
EV Spread	HP 244 / Def. 76 / Sp.Atk. 188 (Spd. 0 Recommended)
Final Stat Values	HP 163 / Def. 125 / Sp.Atk. 198 / Sp.Def. 123 / Spd. 30
Ability	Magic Bounce
Held Item	Focus Sash Babiri Berry Kasib Berry
Moveset	・ Trick Room ・ Psychic ・ Dazzling Gleam ・ Mystical Fire

Hatterene's Strong Points

Can be used to set up Trick Room.
Its Ability Magic Bounce is highly useful for reflecting status moves.

Bisharp

Moveset & Best Build for Bisharp
Nature	Adamant (+Atk, -SpAtk)
EV Spread	HP 252 / Atk. 252 / Spd. 4
Final Stat Values	HP 172 / Atk. 194 / Def. 120 / Sp.Def. 90 / Spd. 91
Ability	Defiant
Held Item	Occa Berry
Moveset	・ Sucker Punch ・ Iron Head ・ Throat Chop ・ Swords Dance

Bisharp's Strong Points

Its Ability Defiant comes into its own in a Dynamax-focused metagame, where many Max Moves lower stats, causing Bisharp's Attack to sharply increase.
It's also quite proficient as an attacker in its own right.

Chandelure

Moveset & Best Build for Chandelure
Nature	Modest (+SpAtk, -Atk)
EV Spread	HP 252 / Sp.Atk. 252 / Spd. 4
Final Stat Values	HP 167 / Def. 110 / Sp.Atk. 216 / Sp.Def. 110 / Spd. 101
Ability	Infiltrator
Held Item	Choice Specs Expert Belt
Moveset	・ Shadow Ball ・ Flamethrower ・ Energy Ball ・ Psychic

Chandelure's Strong Points

Its sky-high Base Special Attack lets it pull off massive hits.
It's also able to set up Trick Room to benefit its teammates.

Trends of the Current Metagame

Mimikyu and Dragapult are featured on most teams

In the current Ranked Battle metagame environment, it's the going standard for most teams to feature both Mimikyu and Dragapult. These two Pokemon are both extremely difficult to withstand in their Dynamax forms, and it's necessary to have Pokemon who can counter them on your team. Pokemon who are able to fend these two off, such as Duraludon and Grimmsnarl, rise in the tier ranks accordingly.

Most teams take advantage of Dynamax

The boost which Dynamaxing provides to HP, as well as the effects of each Max Move are taken heavily into consideration when planning teams for Ranked Battle. The Move Max Airstream, with its effects increasing Speed, is particularly popular, and Pokemon who can use it effectively, such as Gyarados and Corviknight, gain popularity as a result.

Weakness Policy has become increasingly useful

The advent of Dynamax has allowed Pokemon who normally would faint in one hit from moves to survive, thanks to the HP boost it provides. This grants new potential for the item Weakness Policy, which activates when a Pokemon is hit by a super effective move and grants a two-stage Attack and Special Attack boost. Pokemon who otherwise would not have been able to survive a super effective hit now have the potential to hit back harder than ever.

Weakness Policy Effects and How to Obtain It

Physical Attackers are ever-present

In the current metagame, physical attackers appear significantly more frequently than special attackers. This makes Pokemon such as Toxapex, who can withstand heavy physical damage, all the more essential to have in your party.

Summary

And that's our latest Tier List of the Best Pokemon for Ranked Battle as of January 2020. There are many other Pokemon we'd like to introduce, but we'll keep it at these for now.

If you're thinking of getting into competitive play, or if you're having trouble winning online, some of the Pokemon in this article might be just what your team needs.

Here's hoping you can have as much fun playing online as we have. Check back soon as we continue updating with tier upsets, new additions and more individual Build pages!

Related Links

All Competitive Builds for Ranked Battle

Movesets & Best Builds for New Pokemon
Dragapult	Galarian Corsola	Toxtricity
Galarian Darmanitan	Corviknight	Dracovish
Grimmsnarl	Rillaboom	Duraludon
Cinderace	Alcremie	Dracozolt
Hatterene	Eiscue	Inteleon
Pincurchin	Frosmoth	Zacian
Sirfetch'd

Movesets & Best Builds for Returning Pokemon
Mimikyu	Wash Rotom	Gyarados
Ferrothorn	Aegislash	Excadrill
Tyranitar	Hydreigon	Heat Rotom
Arcanine	Mamoswine	Toxapex
Togekiss	Cloyster	Durant
Snorlax	Charizard	Sylveon
Lucario	Hippowdon	Umbreon
Conkeldurr	Quagsire	Gastrodon
Lapras	Whimsicott	Rhyperior
Goodra	Haxorus	Glaceon
Mow Rotom	Type: Null	Gengar
Milotic	Gardevoir	Flygon
Chandelure	Lanturn	Torkoal
Bisharp	Seismitoad	Silvally
Butterfree	Primarina	Incineroar
Blastoise	Decidueye

List Of Battle Articles
Tier List	Best Builds	Best Teams