Pokémon Champions – Fastest Speed Tiers

Speed is arguably the most important base stat in Pokémon battling. Whichever Pokémon has the higher Speed – yours or your opponent’s – moves first, disregarding priority moves. If both Pokémon have the same Speed, the attack order is determined randomly.

While it may appear that more Speed is always better, this isn’t necessarily the case. Maximizing Speed comes at the cost of reduced power or defenses because of how Stat Points work.

1. Speed Tier List

Speed is simple to understand, but how much higher a Pokémon’s Speed is than its opponent’s is irrelevant. In other words, it makes no difference if a Pokémon has 1 or 100 more points in its Speed than its opponent. That’s where the term ‘Speed Tier’ comes into play.

Aerodactyl Mega Evolves in Pokémon Champions.

2. How Speed Tiers Work

Though the fastest Pokémon in Pokémon Champions are listed on a chart for convenience, any Pokémon’s potential Speed can easily be found.

A shiny Talonflame in Pokémon Champions.

Determining a Pokémon’s Speed Tier requires three things:

• Unmodified Speed: Find it on your Pokémon’s stats screen while no Nature or Stat Points affect it.
  Alternatively, one can look up a Pokémon’s base Speed, then add 20 to it (e.g., Talonflame’s base 126 Speed becomes 146).
  Up to 32 additional points can be added to any stat using Stat Points (e.g., Talonflame’s 146 Speed becomes 178).
• Nature: Some Natures increase or decrease Speed by 10%, always rounded down to a whole number.
  With the above example, Talonflame’s 178 can go up or down by another 17.8 (195.8 or 160.2, rounded down to 195 or 160).
• Choice Scarf: Any Pokémon holding a Choice Scarf gains a 50% boost to its Speed after all other calculations, rounded down.
  With the above example, Talonflame’s Nature-boosted 195 becomes 292.5 (292), and its Nature-neutral 178 becomes 267.
  Since Mega Evolutions require a Mega Stone, they can’t hold a Choice Scarf.

3. Make Every Stat Point Count

Outpacing opponents is always good, but Trainers must consider each Pokémon’s intended purpose before tailoring its stats. It may not always be necessary to dump 32 Stat Points on Speed. For example, if a Trainer needs an answer to a fast Mega Evolution, Dragapult is very flexible for the task.

With a neutral Nature, Dragapult’s unmodified Speed is 162, and adding 50% raises it to 243. Since the highest Mega Evolution speed tier is 187 – 222, Dragapult only needs to hold a Choice Scarf to outspeed them, regardless of Stat Points.

Dragapult prepares a Draco Meteor in Pokémon Champions.

Follow these steps when allocating Stat Points:

1. Identify the desired Speed threshold: Determine which opposing Pokémon can outspeed and threaten yours (e.g., Weavile threatens Dragapult with super effective STAB attacks).
2. Adjust Speed accordingly: Put enough Stat Points into Speed so your Pokémon has at least 1 more point than that threat’s maximum Speed.
3. Calculate minimum investment: For the above example, Dragapult needs 195 Speed without a Choice Scarf to guarantee it outspeeds Weavile. With a Timid or Jolly Nature, it only requires 16 Stat Points, so the other 16 can be invested elsewhere.
4. Consider whether a Speed-boosting Nature is necessary: Some Pokémon may not need one to fulfill their role (e.g., Mega Beedrill reaches 182 Speed with 20 Stat Points, outspeeding Serperior’s maximum Speed regardless of Nature).
5. Account for edge cases: For the above example, a Choice Scarf Serperior is of little concern because it would be locked into Leaf Storm, which Beedrill heavily resists.

4. Use Speed Control

In some match-ups, an opposing Pokémon’s potential Speed will simply be too high to outspeed normally. While the majority of Speed-reduction moves won’t affect an opposing Pokémon until it moves first, one move may be effective: Sticky Web.

The field beneath Garchomp is covered in a Sticky Web in Pokémon Champions.

Things to consider if using Sticky Web:

• Limited distribution: Only three available Pokémon can use Sticky Web (Ariados, Slurpuff, and Araquanid).
• Entry hazard: Sticky Web only works if an opposing Pokémon switches in while it’s in effect.
  Sticky Web is useless against Flying-type/Levitating Pokemon (Aerodactyl, Talonflame, Mega Pidgeot, and Noivern fall under the former category).
• Don’t use Defog: It removes entry hazards from both sides of the battlefield.
  Consider Rapid Spin instead.

5. Use Priority Attacks

When in doubt, priority moves disregard Speed entirely. Some priority moves have higher precedence than others based on their priority level. If both Pokémon use a priority move with the same precedence, Speed is regarded normally.

Primarina is struck with a Bullet Punch in Pokémon Champions.

Best Guides for Pokémon Champions

How to Transfer Your Pokémon

Best Mega Evolutions

The Basics Of Competitive Battling