[OVERVIEW]
Thanks to its access to Swords Dance, solid coverage moves, and good Speed and Attack stats, Garchomp is a strong wallbreaker, (RC) capable of threatening the majority of the tier. Its ability to put pressure on most Defoggers of the tier such as Tornadus-T and Zapdos by virtue of its Z-Move also makes it a reliable hazard setter. Performing a defensive role, Garchomp is capable of checking numerous threats, such as Heatran, Mega Scizor, (AC) and Hawlucha, either dealing with them completely or at least crippling them with the combination of Rough Skin and Rocky Helmet. Its role compression doesn't stop there, (AC) though, as it also can set up (add space) Stealth Rock and pressure opposing defoggers Defoggers with Toxic, while phazing out setup sweepers with Dragon Tail or Roar. As a Mega, Mega Garchomp's added bulk and firepower under sand makes it a formidable wallbreaker in this archetype, hitting hard anything that dares to keep in front of it with its STABs and coverage moves hard, while finding many opportunities to set up (add space) a with Swords Dance. Sadly Unfortunately, Garchomp faces competition in its roles. Offensively, Zygarde poses as a better option by virtue of due to Thousand Arrows and better bulk. (AC), while defensively Defensively, Gliscor can be a better choice on some teams, who as it can be a better check to non-offensive Heatran, has a reliable recovery move in Roost, (AC) and can either set up or remove hazards from the field. Also, Mega Garchomp, while being a powerful wallbreaker, faces huge competition from its normal forme and as a Mega slot, since the Speed that Mega Garchomp loses when it Mega evolve Evolve can be troublesome. (add period), (RC) leaving Upon Mega Evolving, it becomes slower than Tapu Lele and Hydreigon, two examples of Pokemon that can be dealt with the its non-Mega Speed stat. (add period), while the The tier in general has better options that fulfils fulfills the same role as it Mega Garchomp, (AC) such as Mega Mawile and Mega Medicham, providing better results than Mega Garchomp in most situations. (over usage of commas causes your writing to sound extremely awkward, so try to avoid this as much as possible)
[SET]
name: Offensive Stealth Rock
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Swords Dance
item: Rockium Z
ability: Rough Skin
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe (fixed the EV format a bit)
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Since Garchomp forces many switch-ins, it is a good user of Stealth Rock, setting them up against Pokémon Pokemon that fear being revenge-killed by it, such as Heatran, Mega Mawile and Mega Charizard X, maintaining the pressure against the opposing team and chiping away switch-ins. It also puts pressure on opposing Defoggers with the threat of being OHKOed by its Z-Move. Stone Edge, alongside with Rocknium Z, gives Garchomp the ability to break through Celesteela and Tapu Bulu with Continental Crush after a Swords Dance boost, while keeping the pressure against Defog users such as Tornadus-T and Zapdos after the use of the Z-Crystal. Outrage, together paired with Dragonium Z, (RC) is another viable option of Z-Crystal, transforming it into a 190-BP Devastating Drake, letting it OHKO Physically Defensive physically defensive Tangrowth, Zapdos, (AC) and Defensive defensive Landorus-T with Devastating Drake without the drawback of being trapped in a Dragon-type move, while pressures Defoggers to stay away and keep hazards on the opposing team (you've made the point that garchomp can pressure defoggers hard a lot already). Besides it, it It can still serve as a powerful STAB option, but keep in mind that it can bring in Fairy-types for free, (RC) unlike Stone Edge, so use it with cautioness. Swords Dance doubles Garchomp's Attack stat, making it possible to break much easier against bulky targets much easier, such as Clefable and Ferrothorn.
Set Details
========
Rough Skin punishes physical attackers that make contact with Garchomp, chipping away Pokemon such as Hawlucha, Kartana and Mega Medicham. Rockium Z allows Garchomp to use its Rock-type Z-move, helping it break through physically bulky Pokemon. If Outrage is being used instead of Stone Edge, Dragonium Z must be used to let Garchomp use Devastating Drake. (tbh all of this is common knowledge but i'll leave it up to the gpers on what to do)
Usage Tips
========
Setting Try to set up Stealth Rock on a predicted switch is usually a reliable way to bring the hazard up, since Garchomp forces a lot of switches and threatens to OHKO most of the hazards removers fear being OHKOed by it, even more if they are slower. Continental Crush should be used after a Swords Dance has been set up to break through Pokemon such as Tapu Bulu, Landorus-T, and Celesteela, (RC); (add semicolon) however, (AC) the latter two require some chip before they go down to the Z-Move. Even unboosted, Stone Edge still puts a lot of pressure against the likes of Tornadus-Therian and Zapdos, so it's unecessary unnecessary to waste the Z-Move if there is are other relevant targets. If using Outrage plus Dragonium Z and the opponent's counterplay to Garchomp is Tangrowth or defensive Landorus-T, setting up Swords Dance on the switch-in to them gives you the opportunity to OHKO both with Devastating Drake with little to no prior damage. Beware, however, of Fairy-types such as Choice Scarf Tapu Lele and Mega Diancie pivoting to swallow the Z-Move, since faster examples such as Choice Scarf Tapu Lele and Mega Diancie they can OHKO it on the following turn. (add period) Avoid using Outrage if there is still Fairy-types alive (pokemon don't die!!!) on the opposing team, since the effect to being locked on the move can be used as a setup opportunity for the likes of Tapu Bulu and Magearna or a free switch-in for the previous examples. Also, if If needed, Garchomp can be used to check Heatran and Magonezone, while not recomended tough, since but it risks losing its wallbreaking potential with losing HP and a possible status condition leaving it at low health or with a status can be detrimental when trying to wallbreak later.
Team Options
========
Greninja and or its Ash forme can form a good core with Garchomp, considering that both Greninja can setup Spikes or Toxic Spikes, forming a good hazard stacking core together and chipping away each other's checks. Wallbreakers such as Mega Mawile appreciates Steel-types and Landorus-Therian being gone, (RC) while dealing with Dragonium Z Garchomp's checks such as Tapu Bulu and Celesteela. Garchomp struggles with faster threats like Mega Latios and Mega Pinsir, so Pokemon to that can outspeed and OHKO them like Choice Scarf Tapu Lele and Weavile are good partners. On the defensive side, options such as Ferrothorn and Zapdos can be used as pivots into Fairy-types and against Mega Lopunny and Kartana, respectively, while having a good resistance synergy with Garchomp. A good hazard remover, such as Tornadus-Therian and Zapdos, are beneficial as partners to Garchomp, since the residual damage from hazards can leave Garchomp in range of attacks from Pokemon that it should defeat, such as +2 Mega Mawile's Sucker Punch, from Pokemon it should otherwise defeat, (AC) while bringing pivoting into Garchomp in in a safe way with U-Turn and Volt Switch.
[SET]
name: Tank Chomp
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Fire Blast / Roar / Dragon Tail
move 4: Toxic
item: Rocky Helmet
ability: Rough Skin
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 HP / 200 Def / 56 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Stealth Rock punishes switch-ins and provides pressure on the opposing team, being able to be setup which can be set up against and force out Heatran and Magnezone, two examples that are forced out fearing a possible Earthquake or desincourage discourage Tornadus-T and Zapdos from removing the hazards in front of Garchomp in fear of Toxic, considering that both are heavily crippled by Toxic, configuring Tank Chomp as a good user of the move. Fire Blast aims to hit Kartana, Ferrothorn, (AC) and Mega Scizor, three examples that all of which completely wall this set without it. If crippling the opposing team is more desired, Roar phazes out the opposing Pokemon, either those who are used as which include switch-ins to Garchomp, (RC) such as Tornadus-Therian and Tangrowth, those who may stay in and hard-hitters who want to attack Garchomp, (RC) such as Kartana and Mega Lopunny, or and Substitute setters those who try to set up a Substitute on Garchomp. Even if the opposing Pokemon is slower than Garchomp, the negative priority makes it move slower than its target, so it can be used to take advantage of Rough Skin and Rocky Helmet. Dragon Tail can be used instead of it, allowing to allow Garchomp to deal damage while phazing out, but due to the prevalence of Fairy-types in the tier, Roar is much more preferable this is not the most optmal move in this slot. Toxic cripples bulky Pokemon that it cannot touch, such as Landorus-Therian, Tapu Bulu, (AC) and Tornadus-T.
Set Details
========
56 Speed EVs ensure that Garchomp outspeeds everything up to max Speed Timid Heatran, letting Garchomp OHKO it with Earthquake without risking any damage. More Speed investment can be used though, such as However, sacrificing Defense EVs for 80 Speed EVs can be used to outspeed everything up to max Speed Hoopa-U or 120 EVs to outspeed max Speed Tapu Fini, but the descrease in Defense can be missable. Max HP investment and the rest in Defense is are used to help Garchomp endure some powerful physical attackers, such as Kartana, Hawlucha, (AC) and Mega Lopunny. Rough Skin, in tandem with Rocky Helmet, aims to chip a big chunk of damage of from U-Turn users and physical attackers that makes contact with Garchomp.
Usage Tips
========
It's recommended to set up (add space) rocks Stealth Rock against foes that Garchomp forces out, such as Heatran and Magnezone, in order to bring the hazard up without taking damage, since Garchomp outspeeds and OHKOes both are OHKOed and outspeeded by it. Afterwards bringing hazards up, if using Dragon Tail or Roar, the next step is to phaze out the opposing team with the opportunity strike the most you can. The damages from either Dragon Tail the move and the residual one from Stealth Rock are useful while trying to for OHKOing a target, so this play should work well in early-game. Pivoting Garchomp in predicted weak moves, such as Ferrothorn's Power Whip and Mega Lopunny's Fake Out is a good way to chip a good portion of HP from them, since a followed and Fire Blast can OHKO Ferrothorn if it was weakened a bit before. Garchomp can function as a last-ditch effort to stop setup sweepers such as Kartana and Mega Pinsir, as both only threaten to OHKO Garchomp with a OHKO with contact moves such as Leaf Blade and Return, repectively, leaving them in range of priority moves such as Ash-Greninja's Water Shuriken after making contact with Garchomp. Punishing U-Turn users that lack reliable recovery, (RC) like Landorus-Therian and Choice Scarf Greninja, (RC) can be useful in the long run, weakening them for Garchomp's teammates. However, beware of Hidden Power Ice and Ice Beam from them, respectively, since it can leave Garchomp with low health to the point that it's not able to do its job as well as before or outright OHKO it.
Team Options
========
Setup sweepers like Magearna find opportunities to set up (add space) against Pokémon Pokemon that scares Garchomp away, such as Greninja and Mega Latias, and can nuke or at least weaken the Regenerator pivots that don't care about Tank Chomp in Tornadus-Therian and Tangrowth. Fairy-type checks like such as Ferrothorn and Toxapex can be used to pivot into these type of moves, with the added benefit of bringing setting up Spikes and Toxic Spikes, (AC) up and which helpsing Garchomp to KO the opposing team racking up the opposing team, in this order.
[SET]
name: Mega Wallbreaker
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Dragon Claw / Stone Edge
move 4: Fire Fang / Stealth Rock
item: Garchompite
ability: Rough Skin
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Swords Dance doubles Mega Garchomp's attack, transforming it into a extremelly extremely powerful wallbreaker and helping it deal with its would-be checks. On sets with Dragon Claw, Stomping Tantrum must be used over Earthquake, in order to take advantage of its secondary effect against Fairy-types such as Tapu Bulu and Tapu Fini, OHKOing the former at +2 and the latter Fini even if unboosted, both under sandstorm. Also, it's worth noting that Grassy Terrain doesn't affect Stomping Tantrum's power, unlike with Earthquake. Stone Edge can also be used over Dragon Claw if Mega Garchomp is being used in on a sand team, considering that the power increase of Sand Force let it hits Tapu Bulu and Celesteela. Stealth Rock pressures switch-ins and helps Mega Garchomp and its teammates with achieving possibles OHKOes or 2HKOes, and due to the number of switches that is forces, it makes him it a good hazard user. Also, it It must be used with EdgeQuake coverage, however, (AC) since with coverage these moves, Mega Garchomp have has almost a free moveslot. Fire Fang allows Mega Garchomp to hit the same Pokemon as Stone Edge, but with the benefit of not being dependent of sand support. It also OHKOes both Ferrothorn and Mega Scizor at +2, avoiding losing much health HP by from Power Whip or and Bullet Punch. Substitute can be used over Stealth Rock, easiling to be used with predictions and allowing Mega Garchomp to delivers at least one powerful hit against its target without much many drawbacks.
Set Details
========
Rough Skin is the preferred ability previous pre-Mega Evolution, as it punishes physical attackers that make contact with Garchomp. After Mega evolving, Mega Garchomp recieves gains Sand Force, wich which powers up its Ground- and Rock-type moves while in sand. Garchompite allows Garchomp to Mega Evolve into Mega Garchomp, increasing it power and bulk, in trade of some speed Speed. (common knowledge but again up to the gpers)
Usage Tips
========
Mega Garchomp functions as an early- to mid-game wallbreaker, weakening or eliminating opposing bulky Pokemon for its teammates, such as Landorus-Therian and Ferrothorn. If the opposing team have has a Pokemon that regular Garchomp outspeeds and its Mega forme doesn't, (RC) like Kyurem-B and or Tapu Lele, preserve its Mega Evolution until this threats are is gone. Leaving those examples alive and Mega Evolving before KOing them can result in a momentum drainer, either by losing Mega Garchomp or by switching to take a hit from them. A Z-Move set can also be bluffed in order to lure in checks of this set, such as Tapu Bulu and Celesteela. That way, Garchomp can set up (add space) on the switch to them and Mega Evolve on the following turn in order to OHKO Swords Dance Tapu Bulu after Stealth Rock and do heavy damage against Celesteela with Fire Fang, leaving it weakened or be OHKOed if it got at least one third of its health chipped before the hit. Preserving Mega Garchomp until late-game can be useful too, since it can serve as a good cleaner against bulky teams, (RC) after its checks are gone.
Team Options
========
Since Mega Garchomp's real power is only available under sandstorm, Tyranitar and Hippowdon can support it with activating its ability in Sand Force, making its Mega Garchomp's Earthquakes even more powerful, while as well as dealing with Mega Latios and Mega Latias for it and setup and setting up Stealth Rock, (AC) in Hippowdon's case. Hazard setters like Clefable and Ash-Greninja fits well with Mega Garchomp, as with it, either hazards can put Tapu Bulu and Tangrowth can be put in range of +2 Fire Fang or Sand Force boosted Stone Edge, while bringing hazard support and defensive and offensive synergy to the table, respectively. Pivots such as Toxapex and Rotom-W can be used to help Mega Garchomp deal with opposing Greninja and Ice-types, while appreciatinges Garchomp's ability to deal with Heatran and Tapu Bulu. Rotom-Wash also provides Mega Garchomp a slow Volt Switch, allowing it to come switch in against a threat without too much worry. Defensive Steel-types, like such as Ferrothorn and Celesteela can be used to endure most of the Fairy-types of the tier, such as Tapu Koko and Tapu Lele, respectively. Last but not least, Glare support alliviates assists Mega Garchomp's awful speed mediocre Speed tier, letting it outspeed Pokemon like Mega Alakazam and Greninja. Serperior serves as a good user of the move, altough but both share a common weakness in Ice-types sharing the same Ice-type weakness with Garchomp.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
A mixed attacking set with Fire Blast over Stealth Rock and Life Orb over the a Z-Crystal has more power in the long run if compared to the Draconium Z variant, but but it will lacks a way to hit bulkier that way it lacks the nuke move to eliminate fatter targets reliably. Others Z-crystals, such as Groundium Z and Firium Z, can also be worth used in order to OHKO Tapu Fini at +2 with Tectonic Rage and Tangrowth, Celesteela and Skarmory with Firium Z in the same conditions, only needing minimum chip damage. Lastly, a Choice Scarf set with Earthquake, Outrage, Dragon Claw, and either Stone Edge or Rock Slide allows Garchomp to serve as a good revenge killer against Dragon Dance Zygarde and Volcarona, while also being a soft check to Tapu Koko, (AC) Mega Latios, and Mega Latias and the Mega Lati twins. However, it faces huge competition as a Ground-type Choice Scarf user from Landorus-T, which is able to function as a pivot thanks to its access to both Intimidate and U-turn, while both of Garchomp's STABs moves risks so much when locked into, since they are very easy to Garchomp being checked and makes it lose losing all the momentum.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ice-type moves Moves and Pokemon**: The commons Common Ice-type moves such as Ice Beam, Hidden Power Ice, (AC) and Ice Punch all do insane damage to Garchomp, letting it unable to crippling its ability to break, set up hazards, (AC) or function as bulky pivot well. Weavile and Mamoswine are formidable examples that utilize Ice-type moves of revenge killers, since both can eliminate revenge kill Garchomp with an Ice Shard.
**Fairy-type Pokemon**: Faster Fairy-types such as Choice Scarf Tapu Lele and Mega Diancie can all outspeed Garchomp and OHKO it with their Fairy-type STAB moves. Tapu Koko can achieve the same result with Hidden Power Ice or Dazzling Gleam if Garchomp was weakened before the hit. Clefable can endure a +2 Earthquake from a non-Mega Garchomp and have has a very good chance to survive a +2 Continental Crush at full health and retaliate back with Moonblast, while doing heavy damage against it with Moonblast. Mega Mawile can OHKO Garchomp with Sucker Punch if it was at +2, (AC) and provided that Garchomp have has been chipped a little beforehand the move hits. Tapu Bulu, altough not a good switch-in since it will fall to a +2 Continental Crush, can conter counter the Dragonium Z variant and set up on it, but it's not a good switch-in as it risks falling to a +2 Continental Crush since the only move that Garchomp have to hit it is Earthquake, leaving it as a setup fodder.
**Faster offensive Pokemon**: Greninja, Weavile, (AC) Mega Latios, Weavile and Mega Latias (pairing lati@s together just looks better) can all OHKO Garchomp with ease, (RC) without the risk of being hit by its moves. Grassium Z Kartana can achieve the same result, even without the a boost of from Swords Dance.
**Skarmory**: While Although it drops to a +2 Continental Crush followed by Stone Edge if it's a switch-in in to any of these moves, Skarmory can OHKO Garchomp with Counter if it endures the boosted Rock-Type Z-Move, while it completely countering the Dragonium Z variant.
**Physically defensive Pokémon Defensive Pokemon**: If it lacks the a Z-move, Pokémon Pokemon like Tangrowth and Slowbro can annoy Garchomp, pivoting into its moves and cripplinge it and its partners with Sleep Powder or a Scald burn, respectively. Mega Slowbro deverses deserves a special mention, as it survives even a +2 Devastating Drake after Stealth Rock damage and can OHKO Garchomp back with Ice Beam.
- Written by: [OldAmberPlays, 232261]
- Quality checked by: [Jordy, 395754], [lyd, 303291], [Leo, 328915]]
- Grammar checked by: [[<username1>, <userid1>], [<username2>, <username2>]][/QUOTE]
