[OVERVIEW]
Ground
========
* Garchomp is a good revenge killer and late-game cleaner in Ground teams due to its good offensive stats.
* It's part Dragon typing is a big advantage for Ground teams due to its neutrality to Grass and Water-type attacks.
* It has good bulk for an offensive Pokemon, allowing it to take some resisted hits.
* It's ability Rough Skin punishes Physical attackers at contact, which pairs well with Garchomp's good bulk.
* It's stats allow it to act both as a defensive tank or a sweeper depending on the teams needs.
* It has good coverage options in Stone Edge and Fire Blast, thus letting it hit Pokemons like Skarmory, Ferrothorn, Mega Scizor, Zapdos, and Mega Charizard Y which trouble Ground teams.
* It's stab combo has decent coverage, which few foes like Togekiss and Tapu Bulu can wall completely.
* Garchomp has a rather unfortunate 4X weakness to Ice-type moves, and many foes run Ice coverage.
* It's Speed stat, while good overall, fails to outspeed foes like Latios, Latias, Keldeo.
* Mega Garchomp is the only viable Mega Evolution in Ground teams.
* Mega Garchomp gains a big boost in its offensive stats, which allows it to be a devastating wallbreaker. It gains a new ability in Sand Force, which enables it hit harder with Earthquake and Stone Edge under sand.
* Due to the added boost in Special Attack, it can now run a mixed wallbreaker set.
* It also gains a boost in its bulk, thus it can take hits more effectively, for example, it can now avoid the 2HKO from Manaphy's Surf.
* However, its Speed stat is lowered upon Mega Evolving, and thus no longer outspeeds threats like Mega Charizard X, Kyurem-B, and Mimikyu.
[SET]
name: Mixed Wallbreaker (Ground)
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Stone Edge
item: Garchompite
ability: Rough Skin
nature: Naive
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Draco Meteor is Garchomp's strongest stab attack, and is useful for luring in physically defensive walls such as Slowbro and Hippowdon.
* Earthquake is Garchomp's most reliable stab and with no drawbacks.
* Fire Blast provides good coverage by hitting Skarmory, Celesteela, Ferrothorn, and Mega Scizor super effectively.
* Stone Edge hits Flying-types that are immune to Earthquake like Mantine, Zapdos and Mega Charizard Y.
Set Details
========
* Maximum investment in Special Attack is necessary to increase the power of Draco Meteor, and Garchomp already has decent Attack stat.
* Maximum investment in Speed with a Naive nature is used to be as fast as possible while not lowering the power of Garchomp's physical moves.
* Naive is preferred over Hasty as it allows Garchomp to take Azumarill's Aqua Jet and Mega Scizor's Bullet Punch better compared to Hasty.
* Garchompite is necessary for Garchomp to Mega Evolve, giving it a boost in all stats while lowering its Speed.
* Rough Skin is the preferred ability, as it allows it to rack some damage on Physical attackers should it choose not to Mega Evolve.
* After Mega Evolving, Garchomp gets the ability Sand Force, which increases the power of Earthquake and Stone Edge in Sand.
Usage Tips
========
* This set works best as an early to mid-game wallbreaker for weakening the opposition significantly.
* Use Draco Meteor against Physically Defensive Pokemon such as Hippowdon and Slowbro which are lured by Garchomp. However, it cannot beat them 1v1 because of Draco Meteor lowering its Special Attack and can only beat them if they switch in on a Draco Meteor or fail to go for a recovery move on the turn it uses Draco Meteor. It can also lure Physically Defensive walls like Skarmory with Fire Blast.
* Garchomp should not give away its full set quickly otherwise it will not be able to lure Physically Defensive walls effectively.
* Avoid status, as Toxic or Burn heavily limits Garchomp's longevity and wallbreaking capabilities.
* Sometimes, it may be better not to Mega Evolve, which enables it to check threats like Mega Charizard X and Y, which would otherwise outspeed Mega Garchomp.
Team Options
========
* Hippowdon is a great teammate for Garchomp as it can setup Stealth Rock which further increases Garchomp's wallbreaking capabilities and also providing Sand Stream which increases the power of Earthquake and Stone Edge. It also acts as a check to physical attackers like Mega Charizard X and Tyranitar due to its good physical bulk.
* Excadrill is a great teammate as it appreciates Garchomp's wallbreaking so that it may clean up late-game, while also removing Spikes and Toxic Spikes and deals with Fairy and Ice-types.
* Mamoswine is a great teammate due to it's ability to switch in Ice-type moves by Thick Fat, dealing with Dragon-types, and providing utility in Knock Off.
* Seismitoad and Gastrodon are great partners as they have immunity to Water-type attacks and neutrality to Ice.
* Landorus along with Garchomp can form a wallbreaking core, overwhelming the opposition. Landorus also dents physical walls, while Garchomp can deal with special walls for Landorus. Nidoking is also viable in this role, while also dealing with Fairy-types.
* Dugtrio is a great asset as it can trap problematic Pokemons, such as Greninja, and Alolan Raichu, and can also provide Memento support. Memento is particularly useful as it forces switches which Garchomp could capitalize by firing off a powerful attack or gaining momentum through double switch.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf (Ground)
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Outrage / Dragon Claw
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Fire Blast
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Rough Skin
nature: Naive
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Earthquake is the main stab due to high base power and no drawbacks.
* Outrage is a strong stab, dealing good damage but has the drawback of locking Garchomp in for two to three turns, and making it confused afterwards.
* Dragon Claw is a more reliable stab that does not lock Garchomp in the same move, but the drop in power is noticeable.
* Stone Edge is for dealing with Flying-types such as Mantine, Mega Charizard Y and Zapdos.
* Fire Blast is for Skarmory, Ferrothorn and Scizor on the switch, which would otherwise walled Garchomp.
Set Details
========
* Maximum investment in Attack lets Garchomp hit as hard as possible.
* Maximum investment in Speed with a Naive nature makes it as fast as possible while not lowering the power of Fire Blast. Naive is preferred over Hasty as it lets take hits from Aqua Jet Azumarill and Bullet Punch Scizor comparatively better.
* A Choice Scarf lets Garchomp outspeed the base 100 Speed Choice Scarf users such as Jirachi, Excadrill, Magnezone, Victini.
* Rough Skin is the preferred ability as Garchomp racks up chip damage on contact move users.
Usage Tips
========
* This set is primarily used as a revenge killer.
* It can also work as an effective late-game cleaner after all of its checks and counters have been removed or sufficiently weakened.
* Be careful when locking in on Outrage, as your opponent might utilize this by making Garchomp a setup fodder of Steel or Fairy-types. The same goes to Earthquake against Flying-types.
* Be careful of burns from Lava Plume, Scald, and Will-O-Wisp, as it heavily cripples Garchomp.
* Even with a Choice Scarf, be careful of Ice Shard from Mamoswine and Weavile.
Team Options
========
* Hippowdon is a good partner for Garchomp as it provides Stealth Rock which helps in late-game cleaning. It can also phaze setup sweepers like Mega Charizard X with Whirlwind.
* Garchomp appreciates strong wallbreakers like Landorus and Excadrill as they weaken the opposition before Garchomp can clean. Excadrill also helps against Fairy-types and Ice-types.
* Mamoswine can switch in on Ice-type attacks via its ability Thick Fat, while removing threats like Latios with Ice Shard. It can also provide utility with Knock Off.
* Dugtrio is a valuable partner as it can trap problematic Pokemons like Greninja, Alolan Raichu while also providing Memento.
* Seismitoad and Gastrodon are valuable partners for Garchomp due to their immunity to Water and neutrality to Ice. Seismitoad in particular can also deal with Azumarill with Sludge Wave.
* Nidoking is a powerful special attacker dealing with the physical walls Garchomp struggles to get past and Fairy-types.
[SET]
name: Swords Dance (Ground)
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Outrage
move 4: Fire Fang
item: Dragonium Z
ability: Rough Skin
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Swords Dance increases Garchomp's Attack by two stages and thus makes it a terrifying wallbreaker.
* Earthquake is a strong stab and hits Fire and Steel-types.
* Outrage is a strong stab with high base power hitting threats resistant to Earthquake, but it does have the drawback of preventing Garchomp from switching out for two to three turns.
* Dragonium Z turns Outrage into Devastating Drake, a strong 190 base power attack, which allows Garchomp to blow past physical walls such as Slowbro, Mega Venusaur, and Porygon2 at +2. It should be noted that Devastating Drake does not lock Garchomp in one move like Outrage.
* Fire Fang lets Garchomp get past Steel-types such as Ferrothorn, Tapu Bulu, and Mega Scizor.
Set Details
========
* Maximum investment in Attack to hit as hard as possible.
* Maximum investment in Speed with a Jolly nature is necessary to make Garchomp as fast as possible.
* Dragonium Z is important that allows Garchomp to use Devastating Drake, which helps it to break down walls.
* Rough Skin is the preferred ability as it allows Garchomp to damage contact move users.
Usage Tips
========
* This set functions as a strong early or mid-game wallbreaker, capable of weakening the opposition significantly prior to a teammate's sweep. It can also sweep late-game if its checks and counters have been sufficiently weakened.
* Preserve Garchomp if there is a wall that is essential for Garchomp's team to get past.
* Use Devastating Drake against bulky foes such as Slowbro and Porygon2, which Garchomp cannot break through otherwise. That being said, be careful if the opponent Fairy-type in their team, as it will waste its item and Garchomp can only use its Z-move once.
* This set is especially useful against bulky teams.
* Try to setup in front of passive Pokemon which cannot threaten Garchomp, such as Tyranitar.
* Do not attempt to setup if the opposition has something that checks Garchomp such as Weavile, Mamoswine, and Clefable.
* As a sweeper, Garchomp should be avoid getting hit by Toxic at all because it severely reduces its longevity. The same goes for burns, it decreases Garchomp's Attack stat and ruins its sweeping capabilities.
Team Options
========
* Hippowdon is a good partner for Garchomp as it provides Stealth Rock which enhances Garchomp's wallbreaking capabilities.
* Strong wallbreakers like Excadrill, Landorus, and Nidoking pairs good with Garchomp as they exert immense pressure on the opposition. Excadrill in particular is helpful due to its ability to deal with Fairy and Ice-types and can clear Spikes and Toxic Spikes with Rapid Spin. Landorus deals with physical walls while also covering Fairy-types with Sludge Wave. Nidoking can also hit physically defensive foes hard while dealing with Fairy-types with its Poison stab.
* Mamoswine is good partner due to its ability to switch in Ice attacks comfortably due to its ability Thick Fat, while also helping against Dragon-types with Ice Shard, and removing opposition's item with Knock Off.
* Dugtrio is a valuable partner as it can trap problematic Pokemons like Greninja, Alolan Raichu, Tapu Koko, Gengar while also providing Memento so that Garchomp can have easier time setting up.
* Seismitoad and Gastrodon are valuable partners for Garchomp due to their immunity to Water and neutrality to Ice, thus they can take on threats such as Azumarill and Manaphy.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Ground
--------
* A Physically Defensive set with Dragon Tail, Earthquake, Toxic, Stealth Rock could be used with Rocky Helmet, however Hippowdon is better in this role, as it has a neutrality to Dragon-type moves and isn't that vulnerable to Ice-type moves, and has better bulk with reliable recovery. Garchomp does have a neutrality to Grass and Water-type moves though.
* A Swords Dance set with Life Orb could be used to function as a late-game sweeper, as Life Orb deals more damage than Mega Garchomp. However, Garchomp does incur recoil, and it does not have the bulk like Mega Garchomp, significantly reducing its longevity. A Swords Dance set with Lum Berry could be used to avoid status once, but it sorely misses the power of Mega Garchomp.
* Z-stones such as Firium Z and Groundium Z can be used on Garchomp to get past specific Pokemons that wall it, but the power of Devastating Drake is preferred in most cases.
* Garchompite could be used on the Swords Dance set for immediate firepower and better bulk, but then Garchomp has trouble getting past physical walls and it lacks the Speed of regular Garchomp.
Checks and Counters
===================
Ground
--------
**Ice-types**: Ice-types such as Weavile and Mamoswine can reliably KO Garchomp with priority Ice Shard.
**Fairy-types**: Fairy-types such as Tapu Fini, Azumarill and Clefable has little to fear from Garchomp, as they have the bulk to take an Earthquake, and threaten Garchomp with their super effective stabs.
**Physically Defensive Pokemons**: Physically Defensive Pokemons like Porygon2 and Mega Slowbro can easily take Garchomp's hits, and recover of the damage with Recover or Slack Off. Although Mega Garchomp can KO them with Draco Meteor if they are weakened enough.
**Faster Pokemons**: Faster Pokemons such as Greninja, Keldeo and Latios can threaten Garchomp if not running Choice Scarf. Mega Garchomp is threatened by additional foes such as Kyurem-B, Mega Charizard X, and Mimikyu due to the Speed drop after Mega Evolving.
**Dragon-types**: Dragon-types like Choice Scarf Latios outspeeds Garchomp and OHKOes with stab. They must be wary of switching in though.
**Status**: Status like poison and burn heavily limits Garchomp's viability. Toxic puts Garchomp on a timer while burn severely reduces its attacking prowess.
Ground
========
* Garchomp is a good revenge killer and late-game cleaner in Ground teams due to its good offensive stats.
* It's part Dragon typing is a big advantage for Ground teams due to its neutrality to Grass and Water-type attacks.
* It has good bulk for an offensive Pokemon, allowing it to take some resisted hits.
* It's ability Rough Skin punishes Physical attackers at contact, which pairs well with Garchomp's good bulk.
* It's stats allow it to act both as a defensive tank or a sweeper depending on the teams needs.
* It has good coverage options in Stone Edge and Fire Blast, thus letting it hit Pokemons like Skarmory, Ferrothorn, Mega Scizor, Zapdos, and Mega Charizard Y which trouble Ground teams.
* It's stab combo has decent coverage, which few foes like Togekiss and Tapu Bulu can wall completely.
* Garchomp has a rather unfortunate 4X weakness to Ice-type moves, and many foes run Ice coverage.
* It's Speed stat, while good overall, fails to outspeed foes like Latios, Latias, Keldeo.
* Mega Garchomp is the only viable Mega Evolution in Ground teams.
* Mega Garchomp gains a big boost in its offensive stats, which allows it to be a devastating wallbreaker. It gains a new ability in Sand Force, which enables it hit harder with Earthquake and Stone Edge under sand.
* Due to the added boost in Special Attack, it can now run a mixed wallbreaker set.
* It also gains a boost in its bulk, thus it can take hits more effectively, for example, it can now avoid the 2HKO from Manaphy's Surf.
* However, its Speed stat is lowered upon Mega Evolving, and thus no longer outspeeds threats like Mega Charizard X, Kyurem-B, and Mimikyu.
[SET]
name: Mixed Wallbreaker (Ground)
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Stone Edge
item: Garchompite
ability: Rough Skin
nature: Naive
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Draco Meteor is Garchomp's strongest stab attack, and is useful for luring in physically defensive walls such as Slowbro and Hippowdon.
* Earthquake is Garchomp's most reliable stab and with no drawbacks.
* Fire Blast provides good coverage by hitting Skarmory, Celesteela, Ferrothorn, and Mega Scizor super effectively.
* Stone Edge hits Flying-types that are immune to Earthquake like Mantine, Zapdos and Mega Charizard Y.
Set Details
========
* Maximum investment in Special Attack is necessary to increase the power of Draco Meteor, and Garchomp already has decent Attack stat.
* Maximum investment in Speed with a Naive nature is used to be as fast as possible while not lowering the power of Garchomp's physical moves.
* Naive is preferred over Hasty as it allows Garchomp to take Azumarill's Aqua Jet and Mega Scizor's Bullet Punch better compared to Hasty.
* Garchompite is necessary for Garchomp to Mega Evolve, giving it a boost in all stats while lowering its Speed.
* Rough Skin is the preferred ability, as it allows it to rack some damage on Physical attackers should it choose not to Mega Evolve.
* After Mega Evolving, Garchomp gets the ability Sand Force, which increases the power of Earthquake and Stone Edge in Sand.
Usage Tips
========
* This set works best as an early to mid-game wallbreaker for weakening the opposition significantly.
* Use Draco Meteor against Physically Defensive Pokemon such as Hippowdon and Slowbro which are lured by Garchomp. However, it cannot beat them 1v1 because of Draco Meteor lowering its Special Attack and can only beat them if they switch in on a Draco Meteor or fail to go for a recovery move on the turn it uses Draco Meteor. It can also lure Physically Defensive walls like Skarmory with Fire Blast.
* Garchomp should not give away its full set quickly otherwise it will not be able to lure Physically Defensive walls effectively.
* Avoid status, as Toxic or Burn heavily limits Garchomp's longevity and wallbreaking capabilities.
* Sometimes, it may be better not to Mega Evolve, which enables it to check threats like Mega Charizard X and Y, which would otherwise outspeed Mega Garchomp.
Team Options
========
* Hippowdon is a great teammate for Garchomp as it can setup Stealth Rock which further increases Garchomp's wallbreaking capabilities and also providing Sand Stream which increases the power of Earthquake and Stone Edge. It also acts as a check to physical attackers like Mega Charizard X and Tyranitar due to its good physical bulk.
* Excadrill is a great teammate as it appreciates Garchomp's wallbreaking so that it may clean up late-game, while also removing Spikes and Toxic Spikes and deals with Fairy and Ice-types.
* Mamoswine is a great teammate due to it's ability to switch in Ice-type moves by Thick Fat, dealing with Dragon-types, and providing utility in Knock Off.
* Seismitoad and Gastrodon are great partners as they have immunity to Water-type attacks and neutrality to Ice.
* Landorus along with Garchomp can form a wallbreaking core, overwhelming the opposition. Landorus also dents physical walls, while Garchomp can deal with special walls for Landorus. Nidoking is also viable in this role, while also dealing with Fairy-types.
* Dugtrio is a great asset as it can trap problematic Pokemons, such as Greninja, and Alolan Raichu, and can also provide Memento support. Memento is particularly useful as it forces switches which Garchomp could capitalize by firing off a powerful attack or gaining momentum through double switch.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf (Ground)
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Outrage / Dragon Claw
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Fire Blast
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Rough Skin
nature: Naive
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Earthquake is the main stab due to high base power and no drawbacks.
* Outrage is a strong stab, dealing good damage but has the drawback of locking Garchomp in for two to three turns, and making it confused afterwards.
* Dragon Claw is a more reliable stab that does not lock Garchomp in the same move, but the drop in power is noticeable.
* Stone Edge is for dealing with Flying-types such as Mantine, Mega Charizard Y and Zapdos.
* Fire Blast is for Skarmory, Ferrothorn and Scizor on the switch, which would otherwise walled Garchomp.
Set Details
========
* Maximum investment in Attack lets Garchomp hit as hard as possible.
* Maximum investment in Speed with a Naive nature makes it as fast as possible while not lowering the power of Fire Blast. Naive is preferred over Hasty as it lets take hits from Aqua Jet Azumarill and Bullet Punch Scizor comparatively better.
* A Choice Scarf lets Garchomp outspeed the base 100 Speed Choice Scarf users such as Jirachi, Excadrill, Magnezone, Victini.
* Rough Skin is the preferred ability as Garchomp racks up chip damage on contact move users.
Usage Tips
========
* This set is primarily used as a revenge killer.
* It can also work as an effective late-game cleaner after all of its checks and counters have been removed or sufficiently weakened.
* Be careful when locking in on Outrage, as your opponent might utilize this by making Garchomp a setup fodder of Steel or Fairy-types. The same goes to Earthquake against Flying-types.
* Be careful of burns from Lava Plume, Scald, and Will-O-Wisp, as it heavily cripples Garchomp.
* Even with a Choice Scarf, be careful of Ice Shard from Mamoswine and Weavile.
Team Options
========
* Hippowdon is a good partner for Garchomp as it provides Stealth Rock which helps in late-game cleaning. It can also phaze setup sweepers like Mega Charizard X with Whirlwind.
* Garchomp appreciates strong wallbreakers like Landorus and Excadrill as they weaken the opposition before Garchomp can clean. Excadrill also helps against Fairy-types and Ice-types.
* Mamoswine can switch in on Ice-type attacks via its ability Thick Fat, while removing threats like Latios with Ice Shard. It can also provide utility with Knock Off.
* Dugtrio is a valuable partner as it can trap problematic Pokemons like Greninja, Alolan Raichu while also providing Memento.
* Seismitoad and Gastrodon are valuable partners for Garchomp due to their immunity to Water and neutrality to Ice. Seismitoad in particular can also deal with Azumarill with Sludge Wave.
* Nidoking is a powerful special attacker dealing with the physical walls Garchomp struggles to get past and Fairy-types.
[SET]
name: Swords Dance (Ground)
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Outrage
move 4: Fire Fang
item: Dragonium Z
ability: Rough Skin
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Swords Dance increases Garchomp's Attack by two stages and thus makes it a terrifying wallbreaker.
* Earthquake is a strong stab and hits Fire and Steel-types.
* Outrage is a strong stab with high base power hitting threats resistant to Earthquake, but it does have the drawback of preventing Garchomp from switching out for two to three turns.
* Dragonium Z turns Outrage into Devastating Drake, a strong 190 base power attack, which allows Garchomp to blow past physical walls such as Slowbro, Mega Venusaur, and Porygon2 at +2. It should be noted that Devastating Drake does not lock Garchomp in one move like Outrage.
* Fire Fang lets Garchomp get past Steel-types such as Ferrothorn, Tapu Bulu, and Mega Scizor.
Set Details
========
* Maximum investment in Attack to hit as hard as possible.
* Maximum investment in Speed with a Jolly nature is necessary to make Garchomp as fast as possible.
* Dragonium Z is important that allows Garchomp to use Devastating Drake, which helps it to break down walls.
* Rough Skin is the preferred ability as it allows Garchomp to damage contact move users.
Usage Tips
========
* This set functions as a strong early or mid-game wallbreaker, capable of weakening the opposition significantly prior to a teammate's sweep. It can also sweep late-game if its checks and counters have been sufficiently weakened.
* Preserve Garchomp if there is a wall that is essential for Garchomp's team to get past.
* Use Devastating Drake against bulky foes such as Slowbro and Porygon2, which Garchomp cannot break through otherwise. That being said, be careful if the opponent Fairy-type in their team, as it will waste its item and Garchomp can only use its Z-move once.
* This set is especially useful against bulky teams.
* Try to setup in front of passive Pokemon which cannot threaten Garchomp, such as Tyranitar.
* Do not attempt to setup if the opposition has something that checks Garchomp such as Weavile, Mamoswine, and Clefable.
* As a sweeper, Garchomp should be avoid getting hit by Toxic at all because it severely reduces its longevity. The same goes for burns, it decreases Garchomp's Attack stat and ruins its sweeping capabilities.
Team Options
========
* Hippowdon is a good partner for Garchomp as it provides Stealth Rock which enhances Garchomp's wallbreaking capabilities.
* Strong wallbreakers like Excadrill, Landorus, and Nidoking pairs good with Garchomp as they exert immense pressure on the opposition. Excadrill in particular is helpful due to its ability to deal with Fairy and Ice-types and can clear Spikes and Toxic Spikes with Rapid Spin. Landorus deals with physical walls while also covering Fairy-types with Sludge Wave. Nidoking can also hit physically defensive foes hard while dealing with Fairy-types with its Poison stab.
* Mamoswine is good partner due to its ability to switch in Ice attacks comfortably due to its ability Thick Fat, while also helping against Dragon-types with Ice Shard, and removing opposition's item with Knock Off.
* Dugtrio is a valuable partner as it can trap problematic Pokemons like Greninja, Alolan Raichu, Tapu Koko, Gengar while also providing Memento so that Garchomp can have easier time setting up.
* Seismitoad and Gastrodon are valuable partners for Garchomp due to their immunity to Water and neutrality to Ice, thus they can take on threats such as Azumarill and Manaphy.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Ground
--------
* A Physically Defensive set with Dragon Tail, Earthquake, Toxic, Stealth Rock could be used with Rocky Helmet, however Hippowdon is better in this role, as it has a neutrality to Dragon-type moves and isn't that vulnerable to Ice-type moves, and has better bulk with reliable recovery. Garchomp does have a neutrality to Grass and Water-type moves though.
* A Swords Dance set with Life Orb could be used to function as a late-game sweeper, as Life Orb deals more damage than Mega Garchomp. However, Garchomp does incur recoil, and it does not have the bulk like Mega Garchomp, significantly reducing its longevity. A Swords Dance set with Lum Berry could be used to avoid status once, but it sorely misses the power of Mega Garchomp.
* Z-stones such as Firium Z and Groundium Z can be used on Garchomp to get past specific Pokemons that wall it, but the power of Devastating Drake is preferred in most cases.
* Garchompite could be used on the Swords Dance set for immediate firepower and better bulk, but then Garchomp has trouble getting past physical walls and it lacks the Speed of regular Garchomp.
Checks and Counters
===================
Ground
--------
**Ice-types**: Ice-types such as Weavile and Mamoswine can reliably KO Garchomp with priority Ice Shard.
**Fairy-types**: Fairy-types such as Tapu Fini, Azumarill and Clefable has little to fear from Garchomp, as they have the bulk to take an Earthquake, and threaten Garchomp with their super effective stabs.
**Physically Defensive Pokemons**: Physically Defensive Pokemons like Porygon2 and Mega Slowbro can easily take Garchomp's hits, and recover of the damage with Recover or Slack Off. Although Mega Garchomp can KO them with Draco Meteor if they are weakened enough.
**Faster Pokemons**: Faster Pokemons such as Greninja, Keldeo and Latios can threaten Garchomp if not running Choice Scarf. Mega Garchomp is threatened by additional foes such as Kyurem-B, Mega Charizard X, and Mimikyu due to the Speed drop after Mega Evolving.
**Dragon-types**: Dragon-types like Choice Scarf Latios outspeeds Garchomp and OHKOes with stab. They must be wary of switching in though.
**Status**: Status like poison and burn heavily limits Garchomp's viability. Toxic puts Garchomp on a timer while burn severely reduces its attacking prowess.
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