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Guide · Getting Started

Just downloaded Champions? Start here.

This page assumes zero competitive background. Fifteen minutes from now you will have a real tournament team loaded and know exactly which three numbers decide your battles.

Quick answer

How do I get started in Pokémon Champions?

Load a proven tournament team with a Replica Team code, learn the three numbers that decide fights (damage, speed, and stat spreads), then check live usage data to see what you will face in ranked. Champions is built for competitive play from minute one: every Pokémon battles at Level 50 with perfect IVs, so team choices and piloting are all that matter.
  • Battles are Level 50 doubles with perfect IVs
  • Stat Points replace EVs, 66 total per Pokémon
  • Replica Team codes give you a full team instantly

1Champions in 60 seconds

If you played any mainline Pokémon game, here is what changed:

  • Level 50, perfect IVs

    No grinding, no breeding, no hunting for perfect Pokémon. Everyone enters battle on an equal baseline.

  • Stat Points, not EVs

    You shape stats with Stat Points: up to 32 per stat and 66 total per Pokémon. Every point adds 1 to the final stat.

  • Doubles only

    Every battle is 2v2. You bring six Pokémon, see your opponent's full list in Team Preview, and pick four.

  • VP economy

    Victory Points are the currency. Recruiting Pokémon, adding Stat Points, and learning moves all cost VP, so budget matters.

  • Replica Teams

    Complete tournament teams you apply with a single in-game code. The fastest way to skip the blank-team problem.

2Your first competitive team in 10 minutes

Do not build from scratch on day one. Open Replica Teams and pick a squad that actually won a tournament. Every listing shows the player, the event, and all six Pokémon.

Each team has a team ID. In the game, go to Training, then Create teams using a team ID, and enter the code. The whole team is applied for you, spreads and items included.

After 10 or 20 matches you will want to make it yours. Load the same team in the Team Builder and swap one piece at a time. Changing one slot teaches you more than rebuilding all six.

3The three numbers that decide fights

Strip away the prediction mind games and most battles come down to three questions. There is a tool for each one.

Damage rolls

Will my hit KO, and will theirs? The damage calculator runs Champions math and is verified against Smogon's calc, so you can trust the rolls.

Damage Calculator

Speed tiers

Whoever moves first gets to act at all. Check your team against the live speed ladder before you queue up.

Speed Tool

SP spreads

Where your 66 Stat Points go is the difference between surviving a hit and not. The Spread Solver finds the cheapest spread that hits your benchmarks.

Spread Solver

4Read the meta in 2 minutes

Open the Meta Rankings before you play ranked. Usage percent tells you what share of tournament teams run each Pokémon. If something sits near the top, you will face it constantly, so your team needs an answer for it.

Then check Meta Movers to see what is rising and falling. The data syncs from real Champions tournaments around the clock, and every page shows when it was last updated. Fresh data matters because the meta shifts every week.

Quick answers

Is Pokémon Champions free?

Yes. Pokémon Champions is free to start on Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android, with optional in-game purchases. You can download it and battle without paying anything.

Do I need to transfer Pokémon from another game?

No. You can build competitive teams entirely inside Champions. Every Pokémon battles at Level 50 with perfect IVs, and a Replica Team code gives you a complete tournament-ready team.

What are Stat Points?

Stat Points replace EVs. Each Pokémon can spend up to 66 Stat Points across its six stats, with a max of 32 in any one stat. Each point adds 1 to the final stat at Level 50.

What is a Replica Team?

A Replica Team is a shareable team code. Enter it in-game under Training, Create teams using a team ID, and the full six-Pokémon team is applied to your account, ready to battle.

What format do Champions tournaments use?

Tournaments run Regulation M-A: Level 50 doubles where you bring six and pick four, with open team lists so both players see the full rosters in Team Preview.

Is Pokémon Champions the same as VGC?

It is doubles like VGC, but with its own ruleset: Stat Points instead of EVs, fixed Level 50 with perfect IVs, Replica Teams instead of rentals, and its own legal roster.

Stuck on something?

ChampDex is built by one person and shaped by player feedback. If this guide left a question open or a tool is missing something, say so. Most requests ship within the week.

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