Why Speed decides so much
In a doubles battle, the order of attacks is decided first by move priority and then, within each priority, by Speed. Moving first means knocking out an opponent before it attacks, or using Protect and support moves in time. That is why speed control is not an extra: it decides who gets to play the turns that matter.
In Champions, Speed is also recalculated during the turn. If a Pokémon changes its side's or the opponent's Speed mid-turn, those that have not moved yet are reordered with the new numbers.
| Effect | Duration | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Tailwind | Four turns, counting the one it is used | Doubles your side's Speed |
| Trick Room | Five turns, counting the one it is used | Within each priority, the slower Pokémon moves first |
| Icy Wind and Electroweb | As long as the opponent stays in | One stage of Speed off both opponents |
| Thunder Wave | Until the paralysis is cured | Half Speed and a 12.5% chance of not moving |
Tailwind: four turns of doubled Speed
Tailwind doubles the Speed of your whole side for four turns, and the turn it is used counts as the first. In Reg M-C it is learned by Pelipper, Whimsicott, Talonflame, Corviknight, Salamence and Dragonite, among others.
Since it has priority 0, order matters: if the user moves before its partner, the partner already attacks with doubled Speed that same turn, because Speed is recalculated. If it moves after, that turn only sets it up, and you get three turns of advantage.
Against it, the most useful thing is to count: the opponent gets three useful turns, and with Protect or a well-timed switch you can burn one or two. A Trick Room set by your side turns it around: under it, being faster means moving later.
Trick Room: slowest first
Trick Room lasts five turns, counting the turn it is used, and during them, within each priority, the slower Pokémon moves first. It has -7 priority, so on the turn it is used it almost always goes last: the effect really kicks in from the next turn, and you get four.
It can be set by Farigiraf, Indeedee, Gardevoir and Reuniclus, among others. Farigiraf fits the role well: with Armor Tail, opponents cannot use priority moves against its side, so a Fake Out cannot stop it from setting it.
Against it, the key moment is the turn it is about to be used: attack or slow down the setter. And if Trick Room is already up, using it again cancels it, which your team can also do if it carries the move.
Priority above everything
Priority comes before Speed, and that does not change under Tailwind or Trick Room: a higher-priority move goes before a lower-priority one, whatever the Speed. Trick Room only reverses the order among moves of the same priority.
There are details worth keeping in mind. Grassy Glide only has priority in Grassy Terrain, and Psychic Terrain stops priority moves from hitting grounded opponents. Fake Out, on top of that, only works on its user's first turn on the field.
| Priority | Moves |
|---|---|
| +3 | Fake Out, Quick Guard |
| +2 | Extreme Speed, First Impression, Follow Me, Rage Powder |
| +1 | Sucker Punch, Aqua Jet, Bullet Punch; Grassy Glide in Grassy Terrain |
| 0 | Most attacks, Tailwind |
| -7 | Trick Room |
Slowing the opponent down
The other way to control Speed is to slow the opponent. Icy Wind and Electroweb hit both opponents and lower their Speed by one stage, leaving it at two thirds while they stay in. Thunder Wave paralyzes one: it halves its Speed and, in Champions, stops it from moving 12.5% of the time.
They pair very well with Tailwind: your side at double and the opponent at two thirds is a three-to-one gap. And they have an edge over the other two methods: they do not run out after a set number of turns, but when the opponent leaves the field or is cured.
Which one to pick
It depends on your team. If your attackers are fast, Tailwind gives them three turns with no rival; if they are slow and bulky, Trick Room makes them the first to move. Weather teams already bring their own control: Chlorophyll, Swift Swim and Sand Rush double Speed while the weather lasts, and Sneasler with Unburden reaches 378 on its own.
What you should not do is mix them without thinking: Tailwind and Trick Room work against each other: with both up, Tailwind's doubled Speed makes you slower under Trick Room. Pick one as your plan and keep the other, if you bring it, as an answer to the opponent's. On the Speed Tier page you can see which meta Pokémon you outspeed with each one.
