[OVERVIEW]
Mega Garchomp is one of the tier's most powerful wallbreakers thanks to its exceptionally high Attack, great STAB coverage, and strong STAB moves. Its raw power practically mandates a sturdy Fur Coat user to check it, as even Celesteela, which at least resists both STAB types, is 2HKOed by Glaive Rush without Fur Coat. The excellent coverage from its STAB moves also allows it to have good flexibility with its remaining moveslots to snipe checks, and Mega Garchomp also in particular has a strong non-contact STAB move in Precipice Blades. Mega Garchomp also resists Stealth Rock, which allows it to enter the field more often and help differentiate it from other wallbreakers like Mega Blaziken and Mega Gardevoir. It is also able to run a setup set that can sweep weakened teams with the boosted Speed. However, Mega Garchomp has a very middling Speed stat without boosts, which leaves it outsped by several prominent walls, such as the Arceus formes and Zamazenta, mandating teammates that can prevent Strength Sap healing from them. It also means it is vulnerable to revenge killing from every other offensive Pokemon, such as Flutter Mane, Eternatus, and Mega Gardevoir. The setup sets lose out on some initial power and miss out on an often crucial coverage move. Mega Garchomp's STAB moves, while having good coverage, also both have fairly common immunities, requiring correct predictions.
[SET]
Choice Band (Garchomp-Mega) @ Choice Band
Ability: Sword of Ruin / Tough Claws
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Precipice Blades / Headlong Rush
- Glaive Rush
- V-create
- Sunsteel Strike / Bolt Strike / First Impression
[SET COMMENTS]
Precipice Blades is less accurate than Headlong Rush and requires Sword of Ruin, which hits Imposter users for less damage due to the ability cancelling out, but it is valuable as a non-contact move to avoid Rocky Helmet and moves like Burning Bulwark; Headlong Rush should be used with Tough Claws. V-create is the best option to hit Fur Coat Celesteela and Levitate Steel-types like Arceus-Steel and Melmetal. Sunsteel Strike allows Mega Garchomp to OHKO Fur Coat Mega Audino and Arceus-Fairy after Stealth Rock, while Bolt Strike 2HKOes Fur Coat Mega Slowbro and Dondozo. First Impression offers useful priority that can let Mega Garchomp threaten faster Pokemon like Ultra Necrozma and Mega Alakazam, though other priority moves like Extreme Speed or Shadow Sneak are also options depending on desired targets.
Mega Garchomp is most commonly seen on slower balance teams that can repeatedly pivot it in to gradually break down opposing teams. Thus, slow pivots, including RegenVest users like Dialga-O and Teleport users like Blissey, are excellent to safely bring it in. Mega Garchomp's slow Speed mandates teammates that can deny Strength Sap healing from its checks; Chansey and Blissey can block Strength Sap from most Fur Coat Arceus formes, but they cannot handle other users like Zamazenta and Secret Sword users, making Pokemon like utility Flutter Mane and Magic Bounce Clodsire or Arceus-Poison more reliable. Mega Garchomp also can pair well with Doom Desire and Future Sight users like Dialga-O and Mega Slowbro, with the former threatening Fairy-types and the latter hitting Zamazenta. Paralysis support from Pokemon such as the aforementioned RegenVest users can be helpful to slow down fast walls like Fur Coat Zamazenta as well as Imposter users. Mega Garchomp also appreciates Knock Off users removing items like Leftovers and Rocky Helmet. Imposter users can be useful to scout for Burning Bulwark and Beak Blast, and they also can take advantage of Fur Coat users that use Shore Up over Strength Sap. Thanks to its high damage output, Mega Garchomp can in return offensively Imposter-proof Pokemon weak to its STAB moves, such as the aforementioned Dialga-O, Blissey, and Poison-types. Mega Garchomp can be Imposter-proofed by most Fur Coat users that are not weak to its moves, such as the Arceus formes, Zamazenta, and Yveltal.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Choice Band sets can opt for a Jolly nature to outspeed certain Pokemon like neutral-nature Mega Blaziken and Yveltal, but the loss of power is notable against checks like Fur Coat Arceus formes. Setup sets can have some deviations. Swords Dance + Speed Boost trades lower initial power for boosting faster than Strength Sap's Attack drops and outspeeding Imposter users that are pivoted in, while Flame Orb + Guts provides pseudo status immunity and Knock Off resilience in return for lower damage output and residual damage.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fur Coat**: Fur Coat users that are not weak to Mega Garchomp's STAB moves or V-create can stave it off in the short term even if their healing from Strength Sap is denied, especially with Leftovers. Shore Up users can be particularly problematic, since they can handle Mega Garchomp for much longer due to the move not being blockable, requiring it to PP stall out their recovery.
**Faster Pokemon**: Mega Garchomp's low Speed tier means a majority of the tier can outspeed it. Offensive Pokemon like Mega Gardevoir and Eternatus threaten to OHKO it, while defensive Pokemon like Yveltal and the Arceus formes neutralize it with moves like Knock Off and Strength Sap.
**Ground-immune Pokemon**: While they fear V-create, as well as Bolt Strike particularly in Celesteela's case, Celesteela and Levitate Steel-types like Arceus-Steel and Melmetal resist Dragon and are immune to Ground. Regenerator Celesteela can scout the Choice Band set's Choice lock, while Fire-immune sets do not fear V-create and can sacrifice itself to burn Mega Garchomp with Beak Blast. These Pokemon also can answer the setup set depending on coverage.
**Pixilate**: Pixilate users like Iron Valiant and Mega Gardevoir carry Extreme Speed, which can revenge kill Shift Gear and Speed Boost Mega Garchomp variants after Headlong Rush's Defense drops or with Glaive Rush's effect.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/chessking345.355040/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/rightclicker.589755/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sammyce123.563422/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-blue-banana.649096/
Mega Garchomp is one of the tier's most powerful wallbreakers thanks to its exceptionally high Attack, great STAB coverage, and strong STAB moves. Its raw power practically mandates a sturdy Fur Coat user to check it, as even Celesteela, which at least resists both STAB types, is 2HKOed by Glaive Rush without Fur Coat. The excellent coverage from its STAB moves also allows it to have good flexibility with its remaining moveslots to snipe checks, and Mega Garchomp also in particular has a strong non-contact STAB move in Precipice Blades. Mega Garchomp also resists Stealth Rock, which allows it to enter the field more often and help differentiate it from other wallbreakers like Mega Blaziken and Mega Gardevoir. It is also able to run a setup set that can sweep weakened teams with the boosted Speed. However, Mega Garchomp has a very middling Speed stat without boosts, which leaves it outsped by several prominent walls, such as the Arceus formes and Zamazenta, mandating teammates that can prevent Strength Sap healing from them. It also means it is vulnerable to revenge killing from every other offensive Pokemon, such as Flutter Mane, Eternatus, and Mega Gardevoir. The setup sets lose out on some initial power and miss out on an often crucial coverage move. Mega Garchomp's STAB moves, while having good coverage, also both have fairly common immunities, requiring correct predictions.
[SET]
Choice Band (Garchomp-Mega) @ Choice Band
Ability: Sword of Ruin / Tough Claws
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Precipice Blades / Headlong Rush
- Glaive Rush
- V-create
- Sunsteel Strike / Bolt Strike / First Impression
[SET COMMENTS]
Precipice Blades is less accurate than Headlong Rush and requires Sword of Ruin, which hits Imposter users for less damage due to the ability cancelling out, but it is valuable as a non-contact move to avoid Rocky Helmet and moves like Burning Bulwark; Headlong Rush should be used with Tough Claws. V-create is the best option to hit Fur Coat Celesteela and Levitate Steel-types like Arceus-Steel and Melmetal. Sunsteel Strike allows Mega Garchomp to OHKO Fur Coat Mega Audino and Arceus-Fairy after Stealth Rock, while Bolt Strike 2HKOes Fur Coat Mega Slowbro and Dondozo. First Impression offers useful priority that can let Mega Garchomp threaten faster Pokemon like Ultra Necrozma and Mega Alakazam, though other priority moves like Extreme Speed or Shadow Sneak are also options depending on desired targets.
Mega Garchomp is most commonly seen on slower balance teams that can repeatedly pivot it in to gradually break down opposing teams. Thus, slow pivots, including RegenVest users like Dialga-O and Teleport users like Blissey, are excellent to safely bring it in. Mega Garchomp's slow Speed mandates teammates that can deny Strength Sap healing from its checks; Chansey and Blissey can block Strength Sap from most Fur Coat Arceus formes, but they cannot handle other users like Zamazenta and Secret Sword users, making Pokemon like utility Flutter Mane and Magic Bounce Clodsire or Arceus-Poison more reliable. Mega Garchomp also can pair well with Doom Desire and Future Sight users like Dialga-O and Mega Slowbro, with the former threatening Fairy-types and the latter hitting Zamazenta. Paralysis support from Pokemon such as the aforementioned RegenVest users can be helpful to slow down fast walls like Fur Coat Zamazenta as well as Imposter users. Mega Garchomp also appreciates Knock Off users removing items like Leftovers and Rocky Helmet. Imposter users can be useful to scout for Burning Bulwark and Beak Blast, and they also can take advantage of Fur Coat users that use Shore Up over Strength Sap. Thanks to its high damage output, Mega Garchomp can in return offensively Imposter-proof Pokemon weak to its STAB moves, such as the aforementioned Dialga-O, Blissey, and Poison-types. Mega Garchomp can be Imposter-proofed by most Fur Coat users that are not weak to its moves, such as the Arceus formes, Zamazenta, and Yveltal.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Choice Band sets can opt for a Jolly nature to outspeed certain Pokemon like neutral-nature Mega Blaziken and Yveltal, but the loss of power is notable against checks like Fur Coat Arceus formes. Setup sets can have some deviations. Swords Dance + Speed Boost trades lower initial power for boosting faster than Strength Sap's Attack drops and outspeeding Imposter users that are pivoted in, while Flame Orb + Guts provides pseudo status immunity and Knock Off resilience in return for lower damage output and residual damage.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fur Coat**: Fur Coat users that are not weak to Mega Garchomp's STAB moves or V-create can stave it off in the short term even if their healing from Strength Sap is denied, especially with Leftovers. Shore Up users can be particularly problematic, since they can handle Mega Garchomp for much longer due to the move not being blockable, requiring it to PP stall out their recovery.
**Faster Pokemon**: Mega Garchomp's low Speed tier means a majority of the tier can outspeed it. Offensive Pokemon like Mega Gardevoir and Eternatus threaten to OHKO it, while defensive Pokemon like Yveltal and the Arceus formes neutralize it with moves like Knock Off and Strength Sap.
**Ground-immune Pokemon**: While they fear V-create, as well as Bolt Strike particularly in Celesteela's case, Celesteela and Levitate Steel-types like Arceus-Steel and Melmetal resist Dragon and are immune to Ground. Regenerator Celesteela can scout the Choice Band set's Choice lock, while Fire-immune sets do not fear V-create and can sacrifice itself to burn Mega Garchomp with Beak Blast. These Pokemon also can answer the setup set depending on coverage.
**Pixilate**: Pixilate users like Iron Valiant and Mega Gardevoir carry Extreme Speed, which can revenge kill Shift Gear and Speed Boost Mega Garchomp variants after Headlong Rush's Defense drops or with Glaive Rush's effect.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/chessking345.355040/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/rightclicker.589755/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sammyce123.563422/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-blue-banana.649096/
Last edited:
