🛠️ Pokémon Champions M-B Patch Notes: Stat Changes, Move Updates & Nerfs

Full Pokémon Champions Reg M-B patch notes. Gholdengo Make It Rain nerf, Annihilape Rage Fist reset, Grimmsnarl losing Thunder Wave, new moves for Swampert and Sceptile, and every other M-B change.

Beyond the 22 new species and 16 new Mega Evolutions, Reg M-B changes a handful of moves, removes a few move-pool options, and unbans one item. This guide is the complete list of patch-note-style changes that affect your existing M-A teams. If you played M-A and want to know what suddenly does or does not work anymore, start here.

Move stat changes

Two moves had their effects changed in M-B. Both target dominant M-A win conditions and force the carrier to make harder decisions per turn.

Make It Rain — Gholdengo

• Accuracy: 100% → 95%
• Self Sp. Atk drop: -1 stage → -2 stages
• Other stats: unchanged (120 BP, Special, Steel-type, hits both opponents)

Gholdengo was the highest-pressure status-and-damage tool in M-A. Good as Gold blocked status moves outright, and clean 100% Make It Rain spam meant the only counterplay was outdamaging it on the same turn. The 95% accuracy roll plus 2-stage Sp. Atk drop changes the calculus: after one Make It Rain, Gholdengo is at -2 Sp. Atk and needs to either click Make It Rain again at half effective Sp. Atk or pivot. The move is still strong, but no longer turn-1 spammable.

Rage Fist — Annihilape

• Counter behavior: persisted across switches → resets to 0 on switch out
• Other stats: unchanged (50 BP base + 50 BP per hit taken, max 6 hits)

In mainline Pokémon, Rage Fist's hit counter persists even when Annihilape switches out, so a team can chip Annihilape early in the match, switch it out, and reuse the loaded Rage Fist later. In M-B, switching resets the counter. Annihilape has to stay in to scale damage, which makes Fake Out / phase-out moves significantly more useful against it.

Move pool additions (buffs)

Three species gained new moves in M-B. These are confirmed from the official update and any of them are run-worthy on the right build.

• Swampert learns Wave Crash. 120 BP physical Water STAB with 1/3 recoil. Replaces Liquidation as the primary physical Water option for both base and Mega Swampert. Combo with Swift Swim Mega Swampert in rain for the highest physical Water damage in the format.
• Sceptile learns Earth Power. 90 BP Special Ground move with 10% chance to drop target Sp. Def. Critical coverage for Mega Sceptile against Steel-types (Mega Metagross, Mawile, Kingambit) and Fire-types (Mega Pyroar, Mega Blaziken) that wall its STAB.
• Scolipede learns Leech Life and Trailblaze. Leech Life gives a 80 BP Bug STAB with 50% HP recovery on contact — sustains Scolipede through the matches it survives turn 1. Trailblaze gives +1 Speed on hit, useful on base Scolipede since Mega Scolipede loses 50 Speed on evolution.

Move pool removals (nerfs)

Four species lost legal moves in M-B. Any team that ran the removed moves needs to re-pick. Reg M-B refuses to load teams using these moves on these Pokémon.

• Grimmsnarl lost Thunder Wave and False Surrender. The Prankster status game is reduced: no more turn-1 Prankster Thunder Wave to neutralize fast threats. Replace with Reflect / Light Screen for the support role, or Spirit Break for offense.
• Metagross lost Heavy Slam and Knock Off. The two best coverage moves for Mega Metagross's role gone in one stroke. Replace with Bullet Punch (priority Steel STAB), Ice Punch (Dragon coverage), and Earthquake (Steel/Fire coverage).
• Scrafty lost Parting Shot. The signature pivot move that defined the M-A Scrafty role. Mega Scrafty's Intimidate role compensates somewhat, but the on-demand pivot game is gone.
• Annihilape lost Final Gambit. The full-HP sacrifice play disappears. Rage Fist is the primary scaling tool now, paired with Drain Punch sustain.

Item changes

One item was unbanned, 31 new items were added (16 Mega Stones, 15 utility items). Full Mega Stone availability is covered in a separate guide; the item-level changes that matter for general team-building are below.

Life Orb returns to the legal pool

Life Orb was banned in M-A as a balancing measure when the format launched. In M-B it joins the shop alongside the other utility items at 1,000 VP. Effect remains the standard: +30% damage to all moves, -1/10 max HP per attack landed. Significantly buffs any Pokémon whose role is to land 2-3 KOs in a match and then accept the damage cost. Best users are Sceptile, Mega Sceptile, and any frail attacker that already wanted offensive items but had no upgrade path from Type-boosting items.

Other notable utility additions

• Expert Belt (1,000 VP). +20% on super-effective hits only. Strong on coverage attackers without HP cost. Real alternative to Life Orb for sustained attackers.
• Damp Rock / Heat Rock / Icy Rock / Smooth Rock (700 VP each). Extend Rain / Sun / Snow / Sand to 8 turns. Mandatory on weather setters. Damp Rock was already legal; Heat Rock, Icy Rock, and Smooth Rock are new to Champions.
• Light Clay (1,000 VP). Extends Reflect / Light Screen / Aurora Veil to 8 turns. Mandatory on Mega Grimmsnarl screens user.
• Wide Lens (700 VP). +10% accuracy. Easy slot upgrade for any user of 70-80% accuracy moves (Mega Raichu Y benefits less because of No Guard, but Hydro Pump / Focus Blast users get reliability).
• Shed Shell (700 VP). Switch-out immunity. Counters Shadow Tag (Mega Gengar) and Arena Trap users.

What this means for M-A teams

If you played a Gholdengo + Whimsicott offense in M-A, the team still works but Gholdengo's win-condition turn is now slower. Add a backup damage source. If you played Annihilape stall, the build is broken — Rage Fist no longer carries over, so rebuild around a different scaling threat. If you played Grimmsnarl Trick Room, the screens role is intact, but Thunder Wave is gone — replace with Spirit Break or Reflect for the lost utility.

Run any existing M-A team through the team builder and Deep Dive+ will call out illegal moves, broken combos, and the highest-priority swap to make for M-B legality.