Mixed Garchomp
Garchomp @ Life Orb
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 48 Atk / 208 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Earthquake
- Draco Meteor
- Fire Blast
- Swords Dance / Stone Edge / Stealth Rock
No introduction needed. If you are at all familiar with old gens, you know exactly what Mixed Garchomp is.
You've heard its legends, you've seen its power, and now, that power is being reborn into the realm of SS.
The EVs are fairly standard for Mixed Garchomp, the only difference being 48 Attack to ensure an OHKO on Band Tyranitar from full health, to allow Garchomp to consistently revenge kill it and use it as an opportunity to come in and start smashing.
Swords Dance is very easily the best choice in the last slot, as it ups Garchomp's potentcy to be able to muscle through would be checks to the set such as Hippowdon, Tapu Fini, and Magic Guard Clefable, Stone Edge is also a good option to be able to muscle past Assault Vest Tornadus, who otherwise takes on this set extremely well. Finally, Stealth Rock may also be considered if your team is in desperate need of a Stealth Rocker and cannot be fit anywhere else, however Garchomp much more prefers the options that bolster its potentcy to be able to wear down the opposing team.
This set pairs very well with Teammates that like foes such as Buzzwole, Hippowdon, Corviknight, Skarmory, Slowbro, Landorus Therian, and Tangrowth to be weakened or outright KO'd. Such teammates include Rapid Strike Urshifu, Kartana, Weavile, Zeraora, Tapu Koko, and Melmetal, as with Mixed Garchomp to lure and beat their usual checks, these Pokémon can become significantly more threatening when they hit the field, and in return. Many of these Pokémon can also assist in getting their checks into range of a surprise Draco Meteor or Fire Blast from Garchomp.
The best way to play this Garchomp normally into more defensive teams is to bluff a standard set by clicking Swords Dance when presented the opportunity, and bust through more passive or slower answers when they least expect it. This bluff is much harder to pull this off against more offensive teams and Landorus Therian can be quite the struggle occasionally. But, even with their specially defensive sets, they very much do not like it when Garchomp fires off a Draco Meteor, as it opens them up into range of so many other attacks that you could throw at it afterward.