Garchomp (BW2 Update) [QC 3/3] [GP 2/2]

[Jirachee]

how would it be paralyzed? Is Amoonguss really that big?

a body slam from specially defensive Jirachi could paralyze it, and considering Garchomp can easily switch into it and use it as set up fodder this is a likely scenario

 

[GatoDelFuego]

Total oversight, that is a very real possibility.

 

[EonX]

Thanks GatoDelFuego. Need my 2nd check GP folks.

 

[RockRocks]

AM check!
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http://www.smogon.com/bw/pokemon/garchomp/ou

[Overview]

<p>Garchomp is one of the most versatile Pokemon in the OU metagame. Sporting great stat distribution across the board, a great typing, and above-average bulk, Garchomp is capable of filling many roles for a team. Garchomp's great Attack and Speed stats are augmented by powerful STAB moves, (RC) such as Outrage and Earthquake, (RC) that allow it to hit the majority of the tier for major damage with its STAB moves alone. While Ground / Dragon is a very good typing offensively, it would be unwise to sleep on it defensively. (This is phrased weirdly, and the expression is unclear as to what it means. Please rephrase) With an immunity to Electric, key resistances to Fire- and Rock-type moves, and above-average bulk, Garchomp is capable of checking strong attackers such as Thundurus-T, Tyranitar, and Victini.</p>

<p>Although Garchomp has a good Speed stat, base 102 Speed just isn't what it used to be. Powerful threats such as Keldeo, Latios, and Terrakion are just some of the dangerous Pokemon that sit just a little above Garchomp. While Garchomp's Ground / Dragon typing is generally good defensively, it does remove its Water- and Grass-type resistances while only amplifying an Ice-type weakness that quite a few common Pokemon can exploit. However, Garchomp is a very serious threat. It can begin to ("begin to wreak havoc" doesn't really go along with "at a moment's notice")wreck havoc at a moment's notice, so be sure you have a way to handle it.</p>

[SET]
name: Offensive Stealth Rock
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Outrage / Dragon Claw
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Fire Blast / Swords Dance
item: Rocky Helmet / Focus Sash
ability: Rough Skin
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Naive / Jolly

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>When one looks at Garchomp's stat distribution, a Stealth Rock setter probably isn't the first thing that comes to mind. However, this exploits Garchomp's high offensive presence and above-average bulk to create quite the powerful Stealth Rock user for offensive teams to use. Stealth Rock is the obvious first move as Garchomp's high offensive presence will deter the likes of Espeon and Xatu from trying to come in to block it. From there, Garchomp can proceed to inflict some serious damage on the opposing team. Outrage is Garchomp's strongest move, and is the move of choice whenever the opponent lacks a Steel-type to take it. Dragon Claw is a decent alternative that allows Garchomp to use spam (spam just kinda makes more sense IMO because you would usually spam Outrage and Dragon Claw. Also "use [move] more easily just doesn't sound right. It's up to you though) its Dragon-type STAB move more easily at the cost of power. Earthquake is here to deal with the Steel-types that want to try and to handle Garchomp's Dragon-type STAB. This It also swiftly eliminates Tentacruel, a common Rapid Spin user on rain teams. Fire Blast deals with Skarmory and Bronzong reliably as well as while also dealing with Forretress reliably, another common Rapid Spin user. If these Steel-types don't cause your team problems, Swords Dance is a good option to allow Garchomp the ability to set up and sweep teams later in the match.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EV spread is simple with the 4 extra EVs going into Special Attack. If Swords Dance is used, then these EVs should be allocated pto moved to Defense and the nature should be changed to Jolly. Rocky Helmet is the primary item choice, (AC) as it will prevent any Rapid Spin user from successfully removing hazards if they are at 29% HP or below, (AC) as the Rapid Spin user must survive any passive damage incurred from using Rapid Spin to remove the entry hazards. Focus Sash is an alternative if you're using Garchomp as more of a dedicated lead of sorts. This allows Garchomp to always beat opposing Lead Terrakion, another common Stealth Rock user for offensive teams.</p>

<p>This Garchomp can work very well on sun teams as they allow Garchomp to have a stronger Fire Blast, thus making Ninetales a good teammate. Sun sweepers such as Venusaur and Volcarona appreciate Garchomp's ability to not only setup set up Stealth Rock reliably, but to also be able to weaken or outright KO many of their checks and counters to ease their sweep. Outside of sun teams, Garchomp can work quite well in "Double Dragon" cores. Kyurem-B, Dragonite, and Haxorus are solid Dragon-types to use in this type of a core with Garchomp. This Garchomp can beat most spinners, but it can have a hard time with Donphan and Starmie. For this reason, Jellicent is a great spinblocker as it generally beats these two one-on-one while also being able to handle Forretress if Garchomp forgoes Fire Blast. Steel-types such as Heatran and Jirachi share good defensive synergy with Garchomp. Both have benefits as well, (AC) with Jirachi providing Garchomp with Wish support and Heatran being able to work on sun teams.</p>

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Outrage / Dragon Claw
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Fire Blast / Aqua Tail
item: Yache Berry / Lum Berry
ability: Rough Skin
nature: Naive / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4SpA 4 Sp
/ 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Thanks to its high base 130 Attack and solid base 102 Speed, Garchomp makes for a deadly Swords Dance sweeper. After a single boost, Garchomp can, at worst, 2HKO the entire tier with its STAB moves alone, bar Skarmory and Bronzong. Swords Dance boosts Garchomp's Attack stat to let it hit at megaton levels of power. Outrage is crushing all but the most defensive of Steel-types. However, due to the lock-in effect, Outrage is not always the right move. For this reason, Dragon Claw can provide a safer, albeit weaker, (AC) alternative if you don't want to lock Garchomp in the moment you need to use a Dragon-type STAB move. (This reads kind of awkwardly and is phrased weirdly. Rephrase) Earthquake provides great power and reliability as it gets rid of the likes of Ferrothorn and Jirachi that can otherwise tank an Outrage or two. Despite this being a physical set, Fire Blast is still preferred as, unlike Fire Fang, it 2HKOes Skarmory and OHKOes Scizor without the need to boost. This can allow Garchomp to sort of wallbreak for itself if the need arises. If you're using Garchomp on a rain team, Aqua Tail is a solid move to hit all Steel-types, (AC) sans besides Ferrothorn, while also smacking Hippowdon, Gliscor, and Landorus-T without having to lock itself into Outrage.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Naive is the preferred nature to lessen Garchomp's reliance on Stealth Rock to 2HKO Skarmory and OHKO Scizor with Fire Blast. If Fire Blast isn't used, Jolly is the better option. The item choice with this set gives Garchomp the ability to get past certain threats. With a Yache Berry, Garchomp is able to survive unboosted Ice-type coverage moves from the likes of Choice Scarf Jirachi, Choice Scarf Tyranitar, and Keldeo. On the other hand, Lum Berry allows Garchomp to shrug off a status ailment paralysis or burn (It can only get paralyzed by Stun Spore, Glare, and Body Slam which are all really uncommon. Also, poison inevitably wears it down and if it gets put to sleep or frozen? Well, you can forget the sweep. The point I'm trying to make is, all 5 major status ailments have a big effect on whether Garchomp sweeps or not, so it's better to say "to shrug off a status ailment" instead of specifying) that could otherwise quickly end its chances of sweeping. Life Orb is an alternate hold item to juice up Garchomp's attacks even more and lessen the need to use Swords Dance to inflict severe damage. Dragon Gem allows Garchomp to lure in and KO
tough physical walls, such as Landorus-T, Gliscor, and Hippowdon, that rely on their sheer bulk to stomach an Outrage.</p>

<p>Swords Dance Garchomp fits very nicely onto "DragMag" teams. Magnezone and Magneton can trap and remove Steel-types while using Volt Switch to give Garchomp an easier time switching in. Salamence, Haxorus, and Dragonite are good Dragon-types to use on such teams, (AC) as they can team up with Garchomp to overwhelm their checks and counters should Magneton and Magnezone be unable to trap all of the opposing Steel-types successfully. Garchomp appreciates Wish support from Jirachi and Vaporeon to give it more opportunities to set up and sweep. Jirachi has better defensive synergy with Garchomp thanks to its Dragon-type resistance, but Vaporeon has Heal Bell to lessen the need for Garchomp to run Lum Berry to avoid status ailments. Strong physical attackers such as Terrakion and Kyurem-B can be used to weaken physical walls for Garchomp, thus lessening the need for it to spend a turn setting up with Swords Dance.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Outrage
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Stone Edge / Fire Blasta
move 4: Dual Chop / Dragon Claw
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Rough Skin
nature: Jolly / Naive
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>With a great base 102 Speed and high-powered STAB moves, Garchomp makes for a great Choice Scarf user that is capable of revenge killing virtually every Speed booster in the OU tier. Outrage is Garchomp's strongest move and it is the ideal move to clean up with once Steel-types are removed. Earthquake is a strong, reliable STAB move that does serious damage to Steel-types. Stone Edge gets the nod in the third slot as it easily revenge kills the likes of Volcarona, Thundurus-T, and Salamence without having to resort to Outrage. Fire Blast is an option if you don't want Skarmory and Bronzong to walk all over this set. The last slot gives Garchomp a good Dragon-type STAB move to use early on. Dual Chop gets the nod as it can break through Substitutes and Focus Sashes. This can be very useful as Dual Chop will defeat Focus Sash Alakazam, a bothersome threat for most other Choice Scarf Pokemon. If the slight chance of a miss annoys you, Dragon Claw is a good alternative as it shares the same effective power, but lacks the ability to break Substitutes and Focus Sashes.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Jolly is the given nature, but if you decide to use Fire Blast over Stone Edge, Naive should be used and the extra 4 EVs should be allocated moved to Special Attack. Choice Scarf Garchomp is best classified as a glue Pokemon for offensive teams as it provides these teams with a solid revenge killer and late-game cleaner in one teamslot. This set struggles with bulky Steel-types as Garchomp lacks the power of most of its other sets. Magnezone is great for this as it can utilize Magnet Pull to trap and remove such bulky Steel-type Pokemon while also using a slow Volt Switch to get Garchomp in on favorable matchups. Another option is to use Jirachi in tandem with Dugtrio, (AC) as most Steel-types don't fear much of anything from Jirachi and it can use U-turn to get Dugtrio in before they can get back out. As Choice Scarf Garchomp is a solid late-game cleaner, teammates that can weaken physical walls are solid options. Terrakion, Dragonite, and Kyurem-B are ideal here as they share similar checks and counters for the most part. While Garchomp is a fast Choice Scarf user, Keldeo, Terrakion, and Latios are all faster. Breloom, Mamoswine, and Scizor have powerful priority moves that can keep these threats from running rampant on Garchomp's team.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Outrage
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Fire Fang / Aqua Tail
move 4: Dragon Claw / Dual Chop
item: Choice Band
ability: Rough Skin
nature: Jolly
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Do you need Garchomp to hit harder immediately? Choice Band is here to save your day. With a Choice Band equipped, Garchomp is capable of hitting really hard right off the bat to overpower many of its defensive switch-ins. Only the bulkiest of Steel-type Pokemon, such as Skarmory, Jirachi, and Bronzong, are able to stomach Choice Band Garchomp's Outrages, so it is going to be your main attack to use. Earthquake is a great complementary STAB move as it takes out most bulky Steel-types that can handle Outrage. Garchomp's coverage move generally depends on the rest of the team. Fire Fang is preferred on most teams as it hits Skarmory and Forretress really hard. However, should you be using Choice Band Garchomp on a rain team, Aqua Tail is the preferred option to hit these Steel-types with. The last slot gives Garchomp a safer Dragon-type STAB to use for when Steel-types are still around. Dragon Claw is generally preferred for its consistency and perfect accuracy. However, if you're worried about Substitute and Focus Sash users, Dual Chop is an option to deal with these threats.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Jolly is the preferred nature to outspeed the likes of Thundurus-T, Salamence, and Volcarona. Adamant is an option for the extra power though as this Garchomp is more of a wallbreaker. While this may sound ridiculous, most Pokemon sitting just below Garchomp's Speed tier rarely run Speed boosting natures. However, it is generally better to play it safe and make sure you stay ahead of Thundurus-T, Salamence, and friends.</p>

<p>Choice Band Garchomp fits onto almost any weather team thanks to its ability to beat down any weather inducer not named physically defensive Hippowdon. Sweepers found on sun teams, such as Venusaur, Volcarona, and Victini, appreciate Garchomp's ability to take out Heatran, Tyranitar, and Politoed with relative ease. This also powers up Garchomp's Fire Fang for when it needs to deal with Skarmory and Forretress. Keldeo is a potent offensive partner on rain teams as Garchomp is able to get past most defensive counters to Keldeo, only faltering against Latios and Latias. In general, having a way to remove Steel-types is good so Garchomp can unleash the full power of its Outrage. Magnezone has Magnet Pull to trap most defensive Steel-types, even Scizor should it be Choice-locked into Bullet Punch. Using a "Double Dragon" strategy isn't a bad idea as this can often overwhelm opposing Steel-types to let one of the Dragons sweep. Kyurem-B, Dragonite, and Haxorus are solid options to use with Garchomp for this strategy. Finally, Latios and Latias can outspeed and maim Garchomp with their powerful Draco Meteors before it can do anything to them. For this reason, Jirachi and Tyranitar are good options to deal with them. Jirachi resists Ice- and Dragon-type moves while providing Wish support and Tyranitar has STAB Pursuit to trap and KO Latios and Latias so Garchomp won't have to worry about them later.</p>

[SET]
name: Substitute + Swords Dance
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Swords Dance
move 3: Outrage / Dragon Claw
move 4: Earthquake
item: Salac Berry
ability: Rough Skin
nature: Jolly
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This is a different take on Swords Dance as it forgoes a coverage move to ease setup against defensive threats through the use of Substitute. Thanks to With Substitute, Garchomp is able to more reliably set up on defensive threats that rely on status to cripple beat Garchomp to beat it while also protecting Garchomp against common revenge killers such as Latios, Keldeo, and Terrakion. Outrage is the primary STAB move as it will take out most things after a Swords Dance boost. However, because this Garchomp will generally be low on HP when it sweeps, a single turn of confusion could end Garchomp's chances of sweeping. For this reason, Dragon Claw is an a safer alternative to remove this chance, but it lacks the power that Outrage has. Earthquake fills out the set by crushing any grounded Steel-type that tries to take an Outrage.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Salac Berry should almost always be used on this Garchomp, (AC) as the Speed boost makes it incredibly difficult to take down while smart use of Substitute can easily activate the berry. Leftovers is an option to get passive recovery that can allow for the use of a couple of more Substitutes, but this set has a hard time sweeping without a Salac Berry boost. This set absolutely needs Skarmory and Bronzong out of the way to have a chance shot ("Have a shot at" just sounds and flows better than "have a chance at") at sweeping. Magneton and Magnezone can easily trap and remove these two Steel-types so as long as neither is carrying a Shed Shell. While they can't trap these Steel-types, Heatran, Rotom-W, and Thundurus-T fare very well against them in most cases. Mamoswine can use Ice Shard to bypass a Salac Berry boost, meaning it will take out Garchomp if it lacks a Substitute. Rotom-W and Kyurem-B are solid responses to Mamoswine as the Ice Shard will be very predictable. Faster Choice Scarf users that can still outspeed Garchomp after the Salac Berry boost include Keldeo, Terrakion, and Latios. Scizor can check Terrakion and Latios with Bullet Punch and Pursuit respectively while a Latias or Latios of your own can deal with Keldeo most of the time.</p>

[SET]
name: Mixed
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Draco Meteor
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Fire Blast
item: Life Orb
ability: Rough Skin
nature: Naive
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>While most Garchomps Garchomp run around throwing dishing out powerful physical attacks, this set takes advantage of that by using heavy Special Attack investment and Draco Meteor to catch many of its typical responses off-guard off guard. Even with more of a focus on Special Attack, Garchomp's strong offensive presence makes it a reliable user of Stealth Rock for more offensive minded teams. Draco Meteor is the chosen Dragon-type STAB move for this set. Due to the heavy Special Attack investment, this allows Garchomp to deal serious damage to the likes of Landorus-T, Gliscor, and Hippowdon, all of which typically rely on their sheer physical bulk to tank Outrage and Earthquake. Earthquake is still the Ground-type STAB move despite the focus on Special Attack. This gives Garchomp a reliable physical STAB option to deal with special walls that may want to try their luck after Garchomp reveals Draco Meteor. Fire Blast rounds off the set by crushing Steel-types, such as Forretress, Skarmory, and Bronzong, that could take on this set with relative ease otherwise.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>As this set uses Draco Meteor to catch some of Garchomp's usual counters off-guard off guard, maximum Special Attack investment is used to make Draco Meteor, (AC) as well as and Fire Blast, as strong as possible. Naive is used so the power of Earthquake isn't gimped decreased. While Rocky Helmet is an option to quickly rack up damage on Rapid Spin and U-turn users, this set really needs the power provided from Life Orb to have the kick it needs behind Draco Meteor. Should you be using this set on a rain team, Surf should be used over Fire Blast.</p>

<p>As this Garchomp set is great at fleshing out the likes of Landorus-T, Gliscor, and Hippowdon and blasting them with Draco Meteor, it stands to reason that teammates that benefit from them being KOed or significantly weakened are great choices. Terrakion is a prime example of this as those are quite possibly the three best answers to most Terrakion sets. Lucario, Salamence, and Haxorus are other choices that can take advantage of these defensive stalwarts being weakened or outright KOed. While this Garchomp is great at removing physical walls, the opponent may be inclined to bring in a special wall after seeing Draco Meteor. For this reason, Volcarona, Starmie, and Latios can make for good teammates as Earthquake still ruins Chansey and Blissey. Ninetales is a good teammate as the sunlight it provides powers up Garchomp's Fire Blast and Garchomp can still handle Terrakion quite nicely. As with most other Garchomp sets, Steel-types such as Jirachi and Heatran are good options to soak up the Dragon- and Ice-type moves aimed at Garchomp.</p>

[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Stealth Rock / Substitute
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Dragon Claw / Dragon Tail
move 4: Fire Blast / Protect
item: Leftovers
ability: Rough Skin
nature: Jolly
EVs: 252 HP / 196 Def / 60 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This is a completely different take on Garchomp. Instead of focusing on its great Attack and STAB combination, this set focuses on Garchomp's solid defensive typing and above average bulk to support its team. Stealth Rock is always a good move on a defensive Pokemon, and Garchomp is no different. However, if this is already covered by a teammate, Substitute is a good option to use in place of it. Earthquake is a reliable STAB move that can dish out reliable damage whenever the need arises. Dragon Claw is another reliable STAB move and has great neutral coverage. If Garchomp's team has Spikes support, Dragon Tail is perfectly usable to exploit this. Fire Blast is there to deal some decent damage to the likes of Skarmory, Forretress, and Ferrothorn. If these threats aren't a concern for Garchomp's team, Protect can scout for dangerous moves from Choiced attackers and also give extra Leftovers recovery to possibly survive an incoming attack.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EV spread allows Garchomp to outspeed outpace max Speed Adamant Lucario and anything slower. The defensive EVs allow Garchomp to survive some really powerful physical attacks, such as a +2 Life Orb Breloom Mach Punch and Choice Band Terrakion's Close Combat. Even with this bulk, don't try to keep Garchomp in on Outrage, Ice Beam, or Draco Meteor as it will still get crushed by those. Toxic is an interesting move considering Earthquake deals with most Poison- and Steel-types, but there isn't really much room for it on this set.</p>

<p>This Garchomp can work well on sun and sand teams for different reasons. Ninetales provides Drought to boost the power of Garchomp's Fire Blast should the move be used while Garchomp offers sun teams a reliable check to Terrakion, a threat they typically have some problems with. As for sand teams, Garchomp appreciates the extra chip damage provided by sandstorm and Tyranitar is a solid response to Latios and Latias. Garchomp appreciates Spikes and Toxic Spikes users to really rack up passive damage through the use of Dragon Tail and Protect. Ferrothorn, Forretress, and Tentacruel are capable of providing this while having solid synergy with Garchomp. Heatran is a notable Stealth Rock user to use with Garchomp should you choose not to run the move on Garchomp. As Garchomp lacks reliable recovery of its own, Wish support is appreciated. Jirachi and Vaporeon both have good synergy with Garchomp and can provide this support rather easily.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>There isn't a lot of options that haven't already been talked about. Dragon Tail is an option on any set that uses Dragon Claw or Dual Chop as a secondary Dragon-type STAB move. Bulldoze can lower Speed of opponents, but it isn't nearly as strong as Earthquake. Rock Slide is more accurate than Stone Edge, but it lacks power. A combination of Protect, Toxic, and Rocky Helmet can cause incredible amounts of passive damage to physical attackers in conjunction with Garchomp's Rough Skin ability. Garchomp's only form of recovery is RestTalk, but this is far from reliable with the BW sleep mechanics, (AC) and Garchomp shares good synergy with two of the better Wish users in the tier anyway.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Garchomp is incredibly difficult to outright counter due to its versatility and wide movepool. Skarmory and Bronzong are generally the best choices as they resist Outrage and are immune to Earthquake. Just make sure to keep them away from Fire Blast, especially from the mixed set. Outside of these two, however, dealing with Garchomp defensively largely comes down to prediction as most defensive checks take one STAB move really well, but can easily fall to the other. Steel-types such as Heatran, Jirachi, Scizor, Ferrothorn, and Forretress can all take Outrage pretty well. However, all of them can be swiftly eliminated with Earthquake or Fire Blast. Landorus-T and Gliscor are immune to Earthquake, but repeated Outrages can take their toll while a Draco Meteor from the mixed set is maiming maims both of them on the spot.</p>

<p>Using Speed to beat Garchomp is generally the safer route to take thanks due to its movepool dealing with most defensive responses. Latios and Latias naturally outspeed Garchomp and can OHKO it with their powerful Draco Meteors a powerful Draco Meteor. Choice Scarf Latios is most notable as it will outspeed Garchomp even if it's benefiting from a Choice Scarf or Salac Berry boost. Choice Scarf Dragon-types such as Salamence, Kyurem-B, and Hydreigon can destroy Garchomp with their powerful Outrages and Draco Meteors so respective STAB moves as long as Garchomp isn't benefiting from a boost in Speed or a Substitute. Mamoswine can bypass Garchomp's high Speed with Ice Shard, but Yache Berry variants can survive the attack and retaliate. Weavile isn't nearly as common as Mamoswine, but it too has Ice Shard to bypass boosted Speed while Ice Punch allows it to bypass KO Yache Berry variants. Priority from the likes of Breloom, Scizor, and Lucario can finish off Garchomp, but they need it to be weakened a fair bit as Garchomp's physical bulk is nothing to scoff at.</p>

 

[Lumari]

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garchomp

http://www.smogon.com/bw/pokemon/garchomp/ou

[Overview]

<p>Garchomp is one of the most versatile Pokemon in the OU metagame. Sporting great stat distribution across the board, a great typing, and above-average bulk, Garchomp is capable of filling many roles for a team. Garchomp's great Attack and Speed stats are augmented by powerful STAB moves, such as Outrage and Earthquake, that allow it to hit the majority of the tier for major damage with its STAB moves alone. While Ground / Dragon is a very good typing offensively, it would be unwise to sleep on it cannot be disregarded defensively either (I don't know this expression and neither does Google; I think this is what you mean though). With an immunity to Electric, key resistances to Fire- and Rock-type moves, and above-average bulk, Garchomp is capable of checking strong attackers such as Thundurus-T, Tyranitar, and Victini.</p>

<p>Although Garchomp has a good Speed stat, base 102 Speed just isn't what it used to be. Powerful threats such as Keldeo, Latios, and Terrakion are just some of the dangerous Pokemon that sit just a little above Garchomp. While Garchomp's Ground / Dragon typing is generally good defensively, it does remove its Water- and Grass-type resistances while only amplifying an Ice-type weakness that quite a few common Pokemon can exploit. However, Garchomp is a very serious threat. It can begin to wreck wreak havoc at a moment's notice, so be sure you have a way to handle it.</p>

[SET]
name: Offensive Stealth Rock
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Outrage / Dragon Claw
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Fire Blast / Swords Dance
item: Rocky Helmet / Focus Sash
ability: Rough Skin
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Naive / Jolly

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>When one looks at Garchomp's stat distribution, a Stealth Rock setter probably isn't the first thing that comes to mind. However, this exploits Garchomp's high offensive presence and above-average bulk to create quite the powerful Stealth Rock user for offensive teams to use. Stealth Rock is the obvious first move, (AC) as Garchomp's high offensive presence will deter the likes of Espeon and Xatu from trying to come in to block it. From there, Garchomp can proceed to inflict some serious damage on the opposing team. Outrage is Garchomp's strongest move, and it is the move of choice whenever the opponent lacks a Steel-type to take it. Dragon Claw is a decent alternative that allows Garchomp to use its Dragon-type STAB move more easily can be used for reliability at the cost of power. Earthquake is here used to deal with the Steel-types that want to try and handle taking Garchomp's Dragon-type STAB moves. This It also swiftly eliminates Tentacruel, a common Rapid Spin user on rain teams. Fire Blast deals with Skarmory and Bronzong reliably while also dealing with as well as Forretress reliably, another common Rapid Spin user. If these Steel-types don't cause your team problems, Swords Dance is a good option to allow Garchomp the ability to set up and sweep teams later in the match.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EV spread is simple, (AC) with the 4 extra EVs going to Special Attack. If Swords Dance is used, then these EVs should be allocated to Defense and the nature should be changed to Jolly. Rocky Helmet is the primary item choice, (AC) as it will prevent any Rapid Spin user from successfully removing hazards if they are at 29% HP or below, (AC) as the Rapid Spin user must survive any passive damage incurred from using Rapid Spin to remove the entry hazards. Focus Sash is an alternative if you're using Garchomp as more of a dedicated lead of sorts. This allows Garchomp to always beat opposing lead Terrakion, another common Stealth Rock user for offensive teams.</p>

<p>This Garchomp can work very well on sun teams, (AC) as they allow the sun powers up Garchomp's to have a stronger Fire Blast, thus making Ninetales a good teammate. Sun sweepers such as Venusaur and Volcarona appreciate Garchomp's ability to not only set up (two words) Stealth Rock reliably, but to also be able to weaken or outright KO many of their checks and counters to ease their sweep. Outside of sun teams, Garchomp can work quite well in "Double Dragon" cores. Kyurem-B, Dragonite, and Haxorus are solid Dragon-types to use in this type of a core with Garchomp. This Garchomp can beat most spinners, but it can have a hard time with Donphan and Starmie. For this reason, Jellicent is a great spinblocker, (AC) as it generally beats these two one-on-one while also being able to handle Forretress if Garchomp forgoes Fire Blast. Steel-types such as Heatran and Jirachi share good defensive synergy with Garchomp. Both have benefits, (AC) with Jirachi providing Garchomp with Wish support and Heatran being able to work on sun teams.</p>

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Outrage / Dragon Claw
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Fire Blast / Aqua Tail
item: Yache Berry / Lum Berry
ability: Rough Skin
nature: Naive / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA (add space) / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Thanks to its high base 130 Attack and solid base 102 Speed, Garchomp makes for a deadly Swords Dance sweeper. After a single boost, Garchomp can, at worst, 2HKO the entire tier with its STAB moves alone, bar Skarmory and Bronzong. Swords Dance boosts Garchomp's Attack stat to let it hit at megaton levels of power. Outrage is crushing crushes all but the most defensive of Steel-types. However, due to the lock-in effect, Outrage is not always the right move. For this reason, Dragon Claw can provide a safer, albeit weaker, alternative if you don't want to that doesn't lock Garchomp in the moment you need to use a Dragon-type STAB move. Earthquake provides great power and reliability, (AC) as it gets rid of the likes of Ferrothorn and Jirachi, (AC) that which can otherwise tank an Outrage or two. Despite this being a physical set, Fire Blast is still preferred, (AC) as, unlike Fire Fang, it 2HKOes Skarmory and OHKOes Scizor without the need to boost, unlike Fire Fang. This can allow Garchomp to sort of wallbreak for itself if the need arises. If you're using Garchomp on a rain team, Aqua Tail is a solid move to hit all Steel-types, sans Ferrothorn, while also smacking Hippowdon, Gliscor, and Landorus-T without having to lock Garchomp into Outrage.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Naive is the preferred nature to lessen Garchomp's reliance on Stealth Rock to 2HKO Skarmory and OHKO Scizor with Fire Blast. If Fire Blast isn't used, Jolly is the better option. The item choice with this set gives Garchomp the ability to get past certain threats. With a Yache Berry, Garchomp is able to survive unboosted Ice-type coverage moves from the likes of Choice Scarf Jirachi, Choice Scarf Tyranitar, and Keldeo. On the other hand, Lum Berry allows Garchomp to shrug off a paralysis or burn that could otherwise quickly end its chances of sweeping. Life Orb is an alternate hold item to juice up Garchomp's attacks even more and lessen the need to use Swords Dance to inflict severe damage. Dragon Gem allows Garchomp to lure in and KO tough physical walls, such as Landorus-T, Gliscor, and Hippowdon, that rely on their sheer bulk to stomach an Outrage.</p>

<p>Swords Dance Garchomp fits very nicely onto "DragMag" teams. Magnezone and Magneton can trap and remove Steel-types while using Volt Switch to give Garchomp an easier time switching in. Salamence, Haxorus, and Dragonite are good Dragon-types to use on such teams, (AC) as they can team up with Garchomp to overwhelm their checks and counters should Magneton and Magnezone be unable to trap all of the opposing Steel-types successfully. Garchomp appreciates Wish support from Jirachi and Vaporeon to give it more opportunities to set up and sweep. Jirachi has better defensive synergy with Garchomp thanks to its Dragon-type resistance, but Vaporeon has Heal Bell to lessen the need for Garchomp to run Lum Berry to avoid status ailments. Strong physical attackers such as Terrakion and Kyurem-B can be used to weaken physical walls for Garchomp, thus lessening the need for it to spend a turn setting up with Swords Dance.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Outrage
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Stone Edge / Fire Blast
move 4: Dual Chop / Dragon Claw
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Rough Skin
nature: Jolly / Naive
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>With a great base 102 Speed and high-powered STAB moves, Garchomp makes for a great Choice Scarf user that is capable of revenge killing virtually every Speed booster Speed-boosting sweeper (not really sure if this is what you meant) in the OU tier. Outrage is Garchomp's strongest move and it is the ideal move to clean up with once Steel-types are have been removed. Earthquake is a strong, reliable STAB move that does serious damage to Steel-types. Stone Edge gets the nod in the third slot, (AC) as it easily revenge kills the likes of Volcarona, Thundurus-T, and Salamence without having to resort to Outrage. Fire Blast is an option if you don't want Skarmory and Bronzong to walk all over this set. The last slot gives Garchomp a good Dragon-type STAB move to use early on early-game. Dual Chop gets the nod, (AC) as it can break through Substitutes and Focus Sashes. This can be very useful, (AC) as Dual Chop will it allows Garchomp to defeat Focus Sash Alakazam, a bothersome threat for most other Choice Scarf Pokemon. If the slight chance of a miss annoys you, Dragon Claw is a good alternative, (AC) as it shares has (redundant with 'same')the same effective Base Power, (RC) but lacks the ability to break Substitutes and Focus Sashes.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Jolly is the given nature, but if you decide to use Fire Blast over Stone Edge, Naive should be used and the extra 4 EVs should be allocated to Special Attack. Choice Scarf Garchomp is best classified as a glue Pokemon for offensive teams, (AC) as it provides these teams with a solid revenge killer and late-game cleaner in one teamslot. This set struggles with bulky Steel-types, (AC) as Choice Scarf Garchomp lacks the power of most of its other sets. Magnezone is great for this, (AC) as it can utilize Magnet Pull to trap and remove such bulky Steel-type Pokemon while also using a slow Volt Switch to get Garchomp in on favorable matchups. Another option is to use Jirachi in tandem with Dugtrio, (AC) as Jirachi can lure in (clarification) most Steel-types don't fear much of anything from Jirachi and it can proceed to use U-turn to get Dugtrio in before they can get back out. As Choice Scarf Garchomp is a solid late-game cleaner, teammates that can weaken physical walls are solid options. Terrakion, Dragonite, and Kyurem-B are ideal here, (AC) as they share similar checks and counters for the most part. While Garchomp is a fast Choice Scarf user, Keldeo, Terrakion, and Latios are all faster. Breloom, Mamoswine, and Scizor have powerful priority moves that can keep these threats from running rampant on Garchomp's team.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Outrage
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Fire Fang / Aqua Tail
move 4: Dragon Claw / Dual Chop
item: Choice Band
ability: Rough Skin
nature: Jolly
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Do you need Garchomp to hit harder immediately? Choice Band is here to save your day. With a Choice Band equipped, Garchomp is capable of hitting really hard right off the bat to overpower many of its defensive switch-ins. Only the bulkiest of Steel-type Pokemon, such as Skarmory, Jirachi, and Bronzong, are able to stomach Choice Band Garchomp's Outrages, so it is going to be your Garchomp's main attack to use. Earthquake is a great complementary STAB move, (AC) as it takes out most bulky Steel-types that can handle stomach Outrage. Garchomp's coverage move generally depends on the rest of the team. Fire Fang is preferred on most teams, (AC) as it hits Skarmory and Forretress really hard. However, should you be using Choice Band Garchomp on a rain team, Aqua Tail is the preferred option to hit these Steel-types with. The last slot gives Garchomp a safer Dragon-type STAB move to use for when Steel-types are still around. Dragon Claw is generally preferred for its consistency and perfect accuracy. However, if you're worried about Substitute and Focus Sash users, Dual Chop is an option to deal with these threats.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Jolly is the preferred nature to outspeed the likes of Thundurus-T, Salamence, and Volcarona. Adamant is an option for the extra power though, (AC) as this Garchomp is more of a wallbreaker. While this may sound ridiculous, most Pokemon sitting just below Garchomp's Speed tier rarely run Speed-boosting (add hyphen) natures. However, it is generally better to play it safe and make sure you stay ahead of Thundurus-T, Salamence, and friends.</p>

<p>Choice Band Garchomp fits onto almost any weather team thanks to its ability to beat down any weather inducer not named physically defensive Hippowdon. Sweepers found on sun teams, such as Venusaur, Volcarona, and Victini, appreciate Garchomp's ability to take out Heatran, Tyranitar, and Politoed with relative ease. This also powers up Garchomp's Fire Fang for when it needs to deal with Skarmory and Forretress. Keldeo is a potent offensive partner on rain teams, (AC) as Garchomp is able to get past most defensive counters to Keldeo, only faltering against Latios and Latias. In general, having a way to remove Steel-types is good so Garchomp can unleash the full power of its Outrage. Magnezone has Magnet Pull to trap most defensive Steel-types, even Scizor should it be Choice-locked into Bullet Punch. Using a "Double Dragon" strategy isn't a bad idea as this can often overwhelm opposing Steel-types to let one of the Dragons sweep. Kyurem-B, Dragonite, and Haxorus are solid options to use with Garchomp for this strategy. Finally, having a way to deal with Latios and Latias is imperative, as they (clarification) can outspeed and maim Garchomp with their powerful Draco Meteors before it can do anything to them. For this reason, Jirachi and Tyranitar are good options to deal with them. Jirachi resists Ice- and Dragon-type moves while providing Wish support, (AC) and while Tyranitar has STAB Pursuit to trap and KO Latios and Latias so Garchomp won't have to worry about them later.</p>

[SET]
name: Substitute + Swords Dance
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Swords Dance
move 3: Outrage / Dragon Claw
move 4: Earthquake
item: Salac Berry
ability: Rough Skin
nature: Jolly
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This is a different take on Swords Dance, (AC) as it forgoes a coverage move to ease setup against defensive threats through the use of Substitute. Thanks to Substitute, Garchomp is able to more reliably set up on defensive threats that rely on status to cripple Garchomp to beat it, (AC) while also protecting Garchomp against common revenge killers such as Latios, Keldeo, and Terrakion. Outrage is the primary STAB move, (AC) as it will take out most things after a Swords Dance boost. However, because this Garchomp will generally be low on HP when it sweeps, a single turn of confusion could end Garchomp's chances of sweeping. For this reason, Dragon Claw is an safer alternative to remove this chance, but it lacks the power that Outrage has. Earthquake fills out the set by crushing any grounded Steel-type that tries to take Outrage.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Salac Berry should almost always be used on this Garchomp, (AC) as the Speed boost makes it incredibly difficult to take down, (AC) while smart use of Substitute can easily activate the Berry. Leftovers is an option to get passive recovery that can allow for the use of setting up a couple of more Substitutes, but this set has a hard time sweeping without a Salac Berry boost. This set absolutely needs Skarmory and Bronzong out of the way to have a chance at sweeping. Magneton and Magnezone can easily trap and remove these two Steel-types so as long as neither is carrying a Shed Shell. While they can't trap these Steel-types, Heatran, Rotom-W, and Thundurus-T fare very well against them in most cases. Mamoswine can use Ice Shard to bypass a Salac Berry boost, meaning it will take out Garchomp if it lacks a Substitute. Rotom-W and Kyurem-B are solid responses to Mamoswine, (AC) as the Ice Shard will be very predictable. Faster Choice Scarf users that can still outspeed Garchomp after the Salac Berry boost include Keldeo, Terrakion, and Latios. Scizor can check Terrakion and Latios with Bullet Punch and Pursuit, (AC) respectively, (AC) while a Latias or Latios of your own can deal with Keldeo most of the time.</p>

[SET]
name: Mixed
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Draco Meteor
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Fire Blast
item: Life Orb
ability: Rough Skin
nature: Naive
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>While most Garchomps Garchomp run around throwing out powerful physical attacks, this set takes advantage of that by using heavy Special Attack investment and Draco Meteor to catch many of its typical responses off-guard. Even with more of a focus on Special Attack, Garchomp's strong offensive presence makes it a reliable user of Stealth Rock for more offensive minded teams. Draco Meteor is the chosen Dragon-type STAB move for this set. Due to the heavy Special Attack investment, this allows Garchomp to deal serious damage to the likes of Landorus-T, Gliscor, and Hippowdon, all of which typically rely on their sheer physical bulk to tank Outrage and Earthquake. Earthquake is still the Ground-type STAB move despite the focus on Special Attack. This gives Garchomp a reliable physical STAB option to deal with special walls that may want to try their luck after Garchomp reveals Draco Meteor. Fire Blast rounds off the set by crushing Steel-types, such as Forretress, Skarmory, and Bronzong, that could take on this set with relative ease otherwise.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>As this set uses Draco Meteor to catch some of Garchomp's usual counters off-guard, maximum Special Attack investment is used to make Draco Meteor, as well as Fire Blast, as strong as possible. Naive is used so the power of Earthquake isn't gimped. While Rocky Helmet is an option to quickly rack up damage on Rapid Spin and U-turn users, this set really needs the power provided from Life Orb to have the kick it needs behind Draco Meteor. Should you be using this set on a rain team, Surf should be used over Fire Blast.</p>

<p>As this Garchomp set is great at fleshing out the likes of Landorus-T, Gliscor, and Hippowdon and blasting them with Draco Meteor, it stands to reason that teammates that benefit from them being KOed or significantly weakened are great choices. Terrakion is a prime example of this, (AC) as those are quite possibly the three best answers to most Terrakion sets. Lucario, Salamence, and Haxorus are other choices that can take advantage of these defensive stalwarts being weakened or outright KOed. While this Garchomp is great at removing physical walls, the opponent may be inclined to bring in a special wall after seeing Draco Meteor. For this reason, Volcarona, Starmie, and Latios can make for good teammates, (AC) as Earthquake still ruins Chansey and Blissey. Ninetales is a good teammate, (AC) as the sunlight it provides powers up Garchomp's Fire Blast, (AC) and while Garchomp can still handle Terrakion quite nicely. As with most other Garchomp sets, Steel-types such as Jirachi and Heatran are good options to soak up the Dragon- and Ice-type moves aimed at Garchomp.</p>

[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Stealth Rock / Substitute
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Dragon Claw / Dragon Tail
move 4: Fire Blast / Protect
item: Leftovers
ability: Rough Skin
nature: Jolly
EVs: 252 HP / 196 Def / 60 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This is a completely different take on Garchomp. Instead of focusing on its great Attack and STAB combination, this set focuses on Garchomp's solid defensive typing and above average bulk to support its team. Stealth Rock is always a good move on a defensive Pokemon, and Garchomp is no different. However, if this is already covered by a teammate, Substitute is a good option to use in place of it. Earthquake is a reliable STAB move that can dish out reliable damage whenever the need arises. Dragon Claw is another reliable STAB move and has great neutral coverage. If Garchomp's team has Spikes support, Dragon Tail is perfectly usable to exploit this. Fire Blast is there to deal some decent damage to the likes of Skarmory, Forretress, and Ferrothorn. If these threats aren't a concern for Garchomp's team, Protect can scout for dangerous moves from Choiced attackers and also give extra Leftovers recovery to possibly survive an incoming attack.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EV spread allows Garchomp to outspeed maximum Speed Adamant Lucario and anything slower. The defensive EVs allow Garchomp to survive some really powerful physical attacks, such as a +2 Life Orb Breloom's Mach Punch and Choice Band Terrakion's Close Combat. Even with this bulk, don't try to keep Garchomp in on Outrage, Ice Beam, or Draco Meteor, (AC) as it will still get crushed by those. Toxic is an interesting move considering Earthquake deals with most Poison- and Steel-types, but there isn't really much room for it on this set.</p>

<p>This Garchomp can work well on sun and sand teams for different reasons. Ninetales provides Drought to boost the power of Garchomp's Fire Blast should the move be used, (AC) while Garchomp offers sun teams a reliable check to Terrakion, a threat they typically have some problems with. As for sand teams, Garchomp appreciates the extra chip damage provided by sandstorm, (AC) and while Tyranitar is a solid response to Latios and Latias. Garchomp appreciates Spikes and Toxic Spikes users to really rack up passive damage through the use of Dragon Tail and Protect. Ferrothorn, Forretress, and Tentacruel are capable of providing this while having solid synergy with Garchomp. Heatran is a notable Stealth Rock user to use with Garchomp should you choose not to run the move on Garchomp. As Garchomp lacks reliable recovery of its own, Wish support is appreciated. Jirachi and Vaporeon both have good synergy with Garchomp and can provide this support rather easily.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>There isn't a lot of options that haven't already been talked about. Dragon Tail is an option on any set that uses Dragon Claw or Dual Chop as a secondary Dragon-type STAB move. Bulldoze can lower Speed of opponents, but it isn't nearly as strong as Earthquake. Rock Slide is more accurate than Stone Edge, but it lacks power. A combination of Protect, Toxic, and Rocky Helmet can cause incredible amounts of passive damage to physical attackers in conjunction with Garchomp's Rough Skin ability. Garchomp's only form of recovery is RestTalk, but this is far from reliable with the BW sleep mechanics and Garchomp shares good synergy with two of the better Wish users in the tier anyway.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Garchomp is incredibly difficult to outright counter due to its versatility and wide movepool. Skarmory and Bronzong are generally the best choices, (AC) as they resist Outrage and are immune to Earthquake. Just make sure to keep them away from Fire Blast, especially from the mixed set. Outside of these two, however, dealing with Garchomp defensively largely comes down to prediction, (AC) as most defensive checks take one STAB move really well, (RC) but can easily fall to the other. Steel-types such as Heatran, Jirachi, Scizor, Ferrothorn, and Forretress can all take Outrage pretty well. However, all of them can be swiftly eliminated with Earthquake or Fire Blast. Landorus-T and Gliscor are immune to Earthquake, but repeated Outrages can take their toll, (AC) while a Draco Meteor from the mixed set is maiming maims both of them on the spot.</p>

<p>Using Speed to beat Garchomp is generally the safer route to take thanks to its movepool dealing with most defensive responses. Latios and Latias naturally outspeed Garchomp and can OHKO it with their powerful Draco Meteors. Choice Scarf Latios is most notable, (AC) as it will outspeed Garchomp even if it's benefiting from a Choice Scarf or Salac Berry boost. Choice Scarf Dragon-types such as Salamence, Kyurem-B, and Hydreigon can destroy Garchomp with their powerful Outrages and Draco Meteors so as long as Garchomp isn't benefiting from a boost in Speed or a Substitute. Mamoswine can bypass Garchomp's high Speed with Ice Shard, but Yache Berry variants can survive the attack and retaliate. Weavile isn't nearly as common as Mamoswine, but it too has Ice Shard to bypass boosted Speed, (AC) while Ice Punch allows it to bypass KO Yache Berry variants. Priority from the likes of Breloom, Scizor, and Lucario can finish off Garchomp, but they need it to be weakened a fair bit, (AC) as Garchomp's physical bulk is nothing to scoff at.</p>

GP 2/2

 

[EonX]

Done and done. Don't think I'm supposed to upload this since I can't move it to the proper forum...

 

[Oglemi]

uploaded