Pokémon Masters EX Tier List 2026: Rank Up Faster with the Best Sync Pairs

Pokémon Masters EX tier lists help players cut through the noise and build winning teams for the Pokémon Masters League. This guide breaks down the best sync pairs for 2026, giving you a clear path to victory. We will explore the top-tier damage dealers, essential support units, and versatile hybrid pairs that dominate the current meta. Understanding these rankings allows you to invest your valuable resources wisely and conquer challenging content with confidence.

What Is a Pokémon Masters EX Tier List?

A Pokémon Masters EX tier list is a systematic ranking of the game’s sync pairs based on their overall power and utility. With over 200 collectable sync pairs available, these lists help players identify which partners offer the most strength and flexibility for their teams. Tier lists evaluate sync pairs on several key factors, including their damage-dealing or support capabilities, self-sufficiency, and versatility across different game modes like the Champion Stadium and Legendary Gauntlet. These rankings are inherently subjective and can change with game updates, but they provide a crucial foundation for building powerful teams.

Pokémon Masters EX Tier List 2026

The following tables categorize the games’ sync pairs into three primary roles: Damage Dealers, Support, and Hybrid. These rankings are based on their effectiveness in the late-2026 game meta.

Damage Dealer (Strike) Sync Pairs

Damage Dealers are your primary attackers, focused on defeating opponents quickly. The best ones have high offensive stats, powerful sync move multipliers, and abilities that boost their damage output.

Tier	Sync Pairs
Tier 1	Kieran & Hydrapple, EX Master Fair Red & Charizard, Arc Suit Blue & Mega Pidgeot, Ash & Pikachu, Sygna Suit Serena & Zygarde (Complete Form), Steven and Deoxys (Attack Form), Lucas & Dialga, Sygna Suit Hilda & Victini, Sygna Suit Lusamine & Necrozma (Ultra Form), Juliana & Koraidon, Brendan (Champion) & Shiny Primal Groudon, May (Champion) & Shiny Primal Kyogre, Lacey & Granbull, Sygna Suit Bede & Iron Valiant, Selene (Champion) & Necrozma
Tier 2	Lear & Hoopa, Sygna Suit Red & Mega Charizard X, Sygna Suit Erika & Leafeon, Sygna Suit Giovanni & Nidoking, Sygna Suit Ethan & Lugia, Drasna & Dragalge, Sonia & Tsareena, Leon & Charizard, Florian & Miraidon, Sygna Suit Red & Charizard, Sygna Suit Blue & Blastoise, Sygna Suit Cynthia & Kommo-o, Korrina & Marshadow, Diantha & Keldeo, Diantha & Gardevoir, Elesa (Palentine’s 2023) & Togetic, Hop (Champion) & Zapdos
Tier 3	Emmet & Escavalier, Leon & Eternatus, Clavell & Quaquaval, Cyrus & Palkia, N & Zoroark, Blue & Mega Aerodactyl, Archie & Kyogre, Lillie & Lunala, Lillie (Anniversary 2021) & Lunala, Sygna Suit Korrina & Marshadow, May (Anniversary 2022) & Latias, Emma & Crobat

Support Sync Pairs

Support sync pairs are the backbone of any team. They increase your team’s survivability by healing allies, raising their defensive and offensive stats, and tanking incoming enemy attacks.

Tier	Sync Pairs
S+ Tier	Sonia & Yamper, Aaron & Vespiquen, Jasmine & Celesteela, Kris & Suicune, Hilbert & Samurott, Blue & Mega Blastoise, Lillie & Poltergeist, Allister & Gourgeist, Mallow & Appletun, Mina & Tapu Fini, Burgh & Togepi, Blue & Zapdos, Cynthia & Lucario, Morty & Ho-Oh, Acerola & Tapu Bulu, Calem & Shiny Greninja
S Tier	(Not specified in detail in search results)
A Tier	(Not specified in detail in search results)

Hybrid (Tech) Sync Pairs

Hybrid, or Tech, sync pairs offer a mix of damage and strategic control. They excel at inflicting status conditions, changing the weather or terrain, and debuffing enemy stats, making them incredibly versatile.

Tier	Sync Pairs
Tier 1	Sygna Suit Red (Thunderbolt) & Pikachu, Gloria & Urshifu – Rapid Strike, Steven and Deoxys (Attack Form), Sygna Suit Lyra & Celebi, Maxie & Groudon, Cyrus & Darkrai
Tier 2	May & Mega Blaziken, Sygna Suit Cynthia & Giratina, Bianca & Musharna, Sygna Suit Hilbert & Genesect

How to Power Up Your Sync Pairs

Simply having a top-tier sync pair is not enough. You must develop their potential to unlock their true power. The game offers several systems for strengthening your team.

First, increase their level and level cap. Use Level-Up Manuals to quickly raise a sync pair’s level to 100. Then, use items from the Cap-Unlock Area in the Training Area to break their level cap and push their stats even higher. Second, increase their potential. Using Power-Up items to raise a sync pair’s star rating directly boosts all their stats. For 5* pairs, you can pursue 6* EX, which grants an alternate outfit and a drastically improved sync move.

Third, increase their move level. Raising a sync pair’s move level from 1/5 to 5/5 makes their attacks and sync moves stronger. A move level of 3/5 is especially important as it unlocks the full potential of their sync grid. You can do this by scouting duplicates or using rare Move Candy items. Fourth, unlock their sync grid. The sync grid allows you to spend sync orbs to unlock tiles that provide stat increases, power-up moves, and even add new passive skills. A fully developed sync grid can completely transform a unit’s capabilities.

Finally, teach them a lucky skill. Using Lucky Cookies, you can give a sync pair an additional passive skill. These can provide valuable effects such as preventing critical hits against them (Vigilance) or increasing the damage of critical hits (Critical Strike).

Benefits of Using a Tier List

Consulting a tier list before investing in your sync pairs offers significant advantages. Primarily, it leads to better resource management. Power-up items, sync orbs, and level-up manuals are time-consuming to acquire. A tier list ensures you spend these materials on sync pairs that provide the highest return on your investment. Furthermore, a tier list simplifies team building. It helps you quickly identify which sync pairs can form a strong team core, allowing you to plan effective synergies around top-tier units. Ultimately, this knowledge accelerates your progress and helps you tackle the game’s toughest battles.

Common Challenges and Solutions

Many players face similar hurdles when building their rosters. A common challenge is the lack of specific top-tier sync pairs. The solution is to maximize the potential of the pairs you do own. Many general pool and free-to-play sync pairs are very powerful when fully invested in. For example, Professor Sycamore & Xerneas is a legendary free unit that remains one of the best supports in the game.

Another frequent issue is poor resource management. New players often waste gems on multiple banners or spend power-up items on less useful pairs. The solution is to plan your pulls. Save your gems for Master Fair or Poké Fair banners, which feature stronger sync pairs and have a higher overall 5* pull rate. Focus your power-up resources on a few top-tier pairs that can form the core of multiple teams.

Expert Tips and Recommendations

To truly excel in Pokémon Masters EX, go beyond just the tier list. Here are five advanced tips for building dominant teams.

• Check sync pair stats: Before investing, review a sync pair’s base stats on dedicated websites. The highest-tier pairs often have total stat values exceeding 3,000.
• Prioritize 6* EX for supports: While strikers benefit from an EX sync move’s all-target damage, promoting a support pair to 6* EX first is often better. Their post-sync buff gives your entire team a double stat increase, boosting overall damage and survivability more consistently.
• Understand zone setters: Sync pairs that set a zone, like Lucas & Dialga with Dragon Zone, are incredibly valuable. A zone doubles the damage of all moves of that type for a limited time, providing a massive damage boost for your entire team.
• Leverage theme skills: Do not ignore theme skills. Using sync pairs that share themes, such as the same region or character trait, provides a stat bonus to the whole team, giving you an extra edge.
• Reroll strategically: If you are just starting, consider rerolling your account. This process involves restarting the game until you get one or two top-tier sync pairs from your initial gem pulls, setting your account up for long-term success.

Current Trends and Future Outlook

The meta in Pokémon Masters EX continues to evolve with the introduction of new sync pairs and game modes. Recently, Master Fair and Anniversary sync pairs have consistently dominated the top tiers due to their exceptional stats and unique abilities. Pairs that can set zones or terrains remain foundational for maximizing damage output. Looking ahead, we can expect power levels to gradually increase. DeNA typically releases new sync pairs that counter the previous meta, so staying informed about upcoming datamines and community discussions is key to maintaining a competitive edge.

Best Practices and Common Mistakes

To ensure success, follow these best practices and avoid common pitfalls. A best practice is to always build a balanced team. A well-rounded team typically consists of one damage dealer, one support tank, and one hybrid tech unit. This composition ensures you have damage, survivability, and strategic control. Another best practice is to farm sync orbs daily. The Sync Orb Area does not require stamina, so completing your daily replays is essential for building up your orb reserves over time.

A common mistake is overlooking move level requirements. Do not invest sync orbs into a pair’s grid until you have them at move level 3/5, as the most powerful tiles are locked behind this requirement. Another mistake is neglecting lucky skills. An appropriate lucky skill like Vigilance on your tank can be the difference between winning and losing a difficult battle.

Call to Action

Now that you are armed with the knowledge from this tier list, it is time to log in to Pokémon Masters EX and start building your ultimate team. Review your current roster, identify which top-tier pairs you already have, and begin funneling your resources into them. Check the in-game news for current and upcoming sync pair scouts to plan your gem spending. Share your own team compositions and success stories with the community to help other trainers on their journey.

Do Checkout: Lost Sword Tier List | Vampire Survivors Tier List | Hazbin Hotel Characters Tier List

Frequently Asked Questions

How often does the Pokémon Masters EX tier list change?

The tier list is dynamic and can change with almost every game update. The introduction of new sync pairs, balance adjustments, or new game modes can shift the meta. It is a good practice to check for updated tier lists every few months.

Are lower-tier sync pairs completely useless?

Not at all. Many lower-tier sync pairs are perfectly viable for completing the game’s main story and easier events. Furthermore, some can excel in specific niches or game modes, such as the Legendary Gauntlet, where having a deep roster is beneficial.

What is the most important factor in a sync pair’s ranking?

While high damage is important, flexibility and self-sufficiency are often more critical for top-tier placement. Sync pairs that can set up their own buffs, function in multiple team compositions, and perform well across various game modes are typically ranked highest.

Should I only invest in 5* sync pairs?

While 5* pairs are generally stronger, many 3* and 4* units are worth investing in. For example, Skyla & Swanna, who start as a 3*, become one of the best support units in the game when upgraded, and are a fantastic use of your power-up resources.

How does a sync pair’s move level impact its performance?

Move level is crucial. It not only increases the power of a sync pair’s moves but, more importantly, unlocks new and powerful tiles on their sync grid. Reaching move level 3/5 is often the key to making a sync pair truly powerful.