Empoleon.
VGC 2026 Reg M-C usage profile · rank #95
september 2026 · 1.6M battles
september 2026 · 1.6M battles
Usage · September 2026
0.5%
Empoleon is ranked #95 in VGC 2026 Reg M-C, carried by 37,588 teams
TierD · outside the top 60
Ladder rank#95 of 277
Raw count37,588
Viability ceiling77
Month on month+0.48pp
13 month peak0.5%
FormatVGC 2026 Reg M-C
Base statsspecies values, before EVs and natureBST 530
HP
84
Atk
86
Def
88
SpA
111
SpD
101
Spe
60
Usage over time0.5%▲ 0.48pppeak 0.5% · Sep '26
hover a month for the exact figure · 13 months of ladder history
Most used set
13.6% of Empoleon teamsHP
32
Atk
0
Def
0
SpA
32
SpD
2
Spe
0
NatureModest
AbilityCompetitive · 99.8%
ItemLeftovers · 25.3%
EV spread32 HP / 32 SpA / 2 SpD
Moves
89.1%
75.0%
71.7%
63.0%
Alternative spreads
over 5% usageModest30 HP / 31 SpA / 5 Spe7.1%
Modest32 HP / 2 Def / 32 SpA6.0%
Moves
13 tracked89.1%
75.0%
71.7%
63.0%
17.5%
15.3%
13.4%
8.2%
7.1%
6.4%
6.1%
6.1%
5.0%
Items
25.3%
21.3%
19.1%
11.4%
5.7%
3.0%
2.9%
2.5%
2.2%
1.9%
Abilities
99.8%
0.2%
EV spreads
top 6Modest32 HP / 32 SpA / 2 SpD13.6%
Modest30 HP / 31 SpA / 5 Spe7.1%
Modest32 HP / 2 Def / 32 SpA6.0%
Modest30 HP / 5 Def / 19 SpA / 5 SpD / 7 Spe4.5%
Modest29 HP / 3 Def / 19 SpA / 15 Spe4.2%
Modest32 HP / 25 Def / 9 SpA3.6%
Top teammates
share of teams
Best Empoleon build for VGC 2026 Reg M-C
The set above is the one VGC 2026 Reg M-C players run most often, taken from 1,631,943 battles in September 2026. Empoleon sits at rank #95 with 0.5% usage, which puts it in D tier, up 0.48 points on the month before.
These are usage numbers, not a recommendation from a council. A move at 90% is close to mandatory; anything under 30% is a tech pick that answers a specific matchup. Read the spreads the same way: the top spread is the safe default, and the alternatives usually trade bulk for speed or the other way round.
The checks and counters table is generated from real games rather than a type chart, so it accounts for items, Tera choices, and how often the matchup ends in a switch instead of a knockout.