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Share Pokémon teams for free
Share Pokémon teams for free
Gen 8 OU is Smogon's main singles format for Pokémon Sword & Shield. It features Dynamax — every Pokémon can Dynamax once per battle, tripling HP and transforming moves into Max Moves. Battles are 6v6 singles. The format was highly contested during its run due to how central Dynamax was to every team's gameplan.
Gen 8 OU top threats include Landorus-Therian, Heatran, Clefable, Corviknight, Toxapex, Rillaboom, Urshifu-Rapid-Strike, Garchomp, and Dragapult. Landorus-T and Heatran have been mainstays across multiple generations. Rillaboom's Grassy Surge and Urshifu's Surging Strikes bypassing Dynamax Max Guard were defining mechanics of the tier.
Gen 8 OU uses Dynamax instead of Terastallization as its signature mechanic. Many Pokémon in Gen 8 OU were introduced in Sword & Shield and are not available in Gen 9, and vice versa. The overall power level and team archetypes differ significantly — Gen 8 has a more centralised defensive structure built around Dynamax turns.
Pokémon banned from Gen 8 OU to Ubers include Zacian-Crowned, Calyrex-Shadow, Calyrex-Ice, Eternatus, Blaziken, and many others. The Dynamax mechanic itself was suspected multiple times, and numerous Pokémon were banned specifically because they were too strong under Dynamax conditions.
Gen 8 OU teams are built with a Dynamax user in mind — typically a setup sweeper or breaker that can abuse Max Moves' secondary effects (like Max Airstream for speed boosts or Max Quake for special defense drops). Pair it with Landorus-T for pivot and Stealth Rock, Heatran for Fire coverage, and a defensive backbone. Check the sample teams above for current structures.
Click any team card to open it, then hit the copy button. Open Pokémon Showdown, go to the Teambuilder, click "Import from text", paste the team, and save. Select Gen 8 OU as the format.
This page shows Gen 8 OU teams shared on crob.at by the community. Official sample teams and resources are archived on the Smogon Gen 8 OU forum. The Pokémon Showdown Teambuilder also includes curated Gen 8 OU samples for players who want to experience the Dynamax era.