Smogon Gen 9 OU Meta Report — November 2026

Great Tusk led Smogon Gen 9 OU with 32.82% usage in October 2026 (-0.33 pts vs Sep), ahead of Gholdengo (26.97%) and Kingambit (26.88%) across 608,936 ladder battles. The tables below are generated directly from Smogon's weighted usage statistics; the analysis that follows is grounded in those numbers.

Usage at a glance — October 2026

What changed since September 2026

Ladder volume went from 574,541 battles in Sep to 608,936 in Oct.

Risers

Fallers

New to the meta (crossed 2% usage)

Dropped out (fell below 2% usage)

Notable set changes

How the builds themselves moved — each option's share of that Pokémon's own usage:

Where the meta stands

Great Tusk remains the format's anchor at 32.82% (-0.33), the only Pokémon clearing 30% and a near-mandatory ground/hazard-control pivot. Behind it sits a tight cluster: Gholdengo at 26.97% (+1.09) and Kingambit at 26.88% (-3.78), with Kingambit shedding nearly four points this month and surrendering the clear #2 spot it held in September. Zamazenta surged to 22.34% (+2.86) to lead the second tier, ahead of Dragonite (19.50%) and the Raging Bolt / Iron Valiant pair (both 18.56%).

The defensive and utility midfield tells the real story of the month. Ogerpon-Wellspring (17.70%, -2.66), Kyurem (14.49%, -2.52), Slowking-Galar (14.14%, -1.63), and Glimmora (12.97%, -2.13) all slid, while Iron Treads (13.37%, +2.53) and Ting-Lu (11.02%, +1.87) climbed. The hazard-control/hazard-setter war is clearly in flux: Glimmora is down but Iron Treads is up, and one of Kingambit's biggest build shifts (Leftovers 66.0%→50.8%, Black Glasses 12.4%→23.2%) reflects more offensive Black Glasses sets as its overall share falls.

Where it's heading

Zamazenta's series is choppy — 24.26% → 19.47% → 22.34% — so October's +2.86 looks like a rebound within its established band rather than a breakout; expect it to hover in the low-20s rather than keep climbing linearly. Iron Treads has the cleaner signal: after bottoming at 10.84% in September it jumped to 13.37%, and the item shift toward Booster Energy (33.4%→43.5%) points to a more offensive, splashable build that could sustain the gain. Kingambit's drop from a 30.66% September peak back to 26.88% reads as mean-reversion after an unusual spike, and its trajectory could soften further.

Among entrants, Kingdra is the one to watch: it leapt from 0.55% to 2.52% alongside a hard commitment to Choice Specs (30.0%→86.3%), suggesting a specific rain-based set has caught on and may keep growing off such a low base. Roaring Moon's debut at 2.39% (Booster Energy 80.8%) is a single data point — no trend to extrapolate yet. Kyurem's slide to 14.49% is backed by diluting item usage (Choice Specs and Assault Vest both down ~4 points), implying its role is being contested.

What to prepare for

• Hazard control is shifting, not shrinking. Glimmora (-2.13) is down but Iron Treads (+2.53, now more Booster Energy) is up — build your spinner/hazard plan expecting faster, offensive Treads rather than the pivot Glimmora lead. Great Tusk at 32.82% means Rapid Spin pressure is everywhere.
• Don't over-prep Kingambit, but don't drop it. Its -3.78 slide still leaves it at 26.88% and the Black Glasses share nearly doubled (12.4%→23.2%), so the sets you face lean more immediately offensive even as raw usage dips.
• Account for rain. Kingdra's spike to 2.52% on near-total Choice Specs, plus Kingdra being a rain abuser, signals a small but real weather presence worth a defensive answer to Water/Draco spam.
• Zamazenta is back near the top of tier two at 22.34% with Leftovers climbing (38.2%→42.6%) — the bulkier Body Press builds are prominent, so your physical walls and Encore/status answers earn their slot.

Common questions

Is Kingambit still worth running after its drop?

Yes — at 26.88% it's still the format's #3 Pokémon despite shedding 3.78 points from a September peak of 30.66%. The build has shifted offensive (Black Glasses up to 23.2%, Leftovers down to 50.8%), so it's trading longevity for immediate power rather than falling out of relevance.

Why is Iron Treads climbing?

Iron Treads jumped from 10.84% to 13.37% (+2.53), its best mark since July, and the item spread flipped to Booster Energy-first (43.5% vs Leftovers 27.6%). That points to a faster, more offensive Booster set being adopted, pairing hazard control (Rapid Spin 24.9%, Stealth Rock 19.3%) with real speed in a Great Tusk-dominated meta.

Is rain becoming a thing in OU?

It's emerging, not established. Kingdra climbed from 0.55% to 2.52% and committed hard to Choice Specs (86.3% of its sets), the clearest weather-abuser signal in the data. It's still a fringe 2.52% presence, so treat it as a niche to cover rather than a defining archetype.

Our calls for next month

Falsifiable predictions — we grade these in the next report: