[SET]
Garchomp @ Rocky Helmet
Name: Entry Hazard Support (Dragon)
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Spikes
- Earthquake
- Dragon Tail
[SET COMMENTS]
Garchomp is a staple of offensive Dragon teams, serving as an unrivaled entry hazard setter, phazer, and threat to key foes such as Iron Treads, Cinderace, Jirachi, and Iron Hands. It excels at getting up multiple layers of entry hazards due to its good bulk and Speed, powerful STAB Earthquake, and access to Rough Skin. The combination of Rough Skin and Rocky Helmet is fantastic for deterring Rapid Spin from foes such as Great Tusk and Iron Treads. It should be noted that if Rapid Spin causes the user to faint due to contact damage, it will not clear entry hazards, making Garchomp particularly adept at keeping hazards up. Moreover, Garchomp has enough bulk to survive an unboosted Ice Spinner from Iron Treads and Quaquaval, so it is relatively unafraid of the metagame’s most common spinners. Outside of warding off spinners, Rocky Helmet + Rough Skin renders Garchomp broadly threatening to physical attackers in general, punishing U-turns from foes such as Sneasler and Cinderace, causing non-Punching Glove Urshifu-R to nearly KO itself from full HP if it uses Surging Strikes on Garchomp, and breaking Dragonite's Multiscale. Dragon Tail rounds out this set by allowing Garchomp to deal good chip damage while forcing out spinners such as Great Tusk and Quaquaval and phazing setup sweepers such as Volcarona and Scizor. The switch forcing capabilities of Dragon Tail synergize incredibly well with this hazard stacking set, enabling Garchomp to rack up entry hazard damage on the opposing team as it repeatedly forces foes out.
While Garchomp is excellent at deterring Rapid Spin by itself, Dragapult provides further security for its entry hazards by acting as a true spinblocker. Moreover, Choice Specs Dragapult greatly appreciates Garchomp’s entry hazards pushing foes into KO ranges and punishing switches, bolstering the already formidable offensive pressure these sets create. Dragapult further enjoys Garchomp’s ability to take on Kingambit, Assault Vest Iron Hands, and Alolan Muk, while Garchomp is grateful for Choice Specs Dragapult threatening Corviknight and thus preventing Defog. Alternatively to Choice Specs, Hex Dragapult can also become an extremely threatening late-game cleaner when combined with Garchomp's entry hazards, and the burns it spreads further help accumulate chip damage on the opposing team. Additionally, Dragapult serves as a crucial check to Iron Defense Zamazenta, which Garchomp cannot phaze if it's behind a Substitute. Hisuian Goodra makes a great pairing with Garchomp, being able to soak up the Ice and Fairy moves aimed at Garchomp from foes such as Alolan Ninetales, Flutter Mane, and Iron Valiant while crushing them in return with its Heavy Slam. Hisuian Goodra can also tank a hit from Chien-Pao and OHKO it in retaliation with Body Press, soak up hits from Choice Specs Greninja, and handle opposing Choice Specs Dragapult. In exchange, Garchomp can duel physical threats such as Great Tusk, Iron Treads, and Sneasler for Hisuian Goodra. Dragon’s various setup sweepers such as Baxcalibur, Kommo-o, Hydreigon, and Dragonite all greatly value Garchomp’s entry hazards pushing foes into KO ranges and breaking the Focus Sashes of foes such as Ceruledge and Breloom, enabling their sweeps. Of these, Kommo-o is especially notable, as its Vacuum Wave can OHKO Chien-Pao at neutral and Greninja following a Clangorous Soul and Throat Spray boost, both of which are incredibly deadly to Garchomp. Choice Scarf Roaring Moon is a great partner to Garchomp, appreciating Garchomp’s entry hazards and ability to wear down Great Tusk and Iron Treads facilitating its late-game cleaning. Roaring Moon in turn supports Garchomp by smashing through Flutter Mane and opposing Dragapult, as well as opening up foes such as Toxapex and Amoonguss to hazard damage by removing their Heavy-Duty Boots with its brutal STAB Knock Off. Choice Scarf Walking Wake appreciates Garchomp’s entry hazards in the same vein while removing threats such as Landorus, Gliscor, Great Tusk, +1 Baxcalibur, and Chien-Pao. If instead using Choice Specs, Walking Wake’s synergy with Garchomp increases even further, as it can blast through Corviknight, Mandibuzz, and Rotom-W with its powerful STAB attacks and coverage. Walking Wake can also use Flip Turn to pivot Garchomp in against foes such as Toxapex and Alolan Muk. Cyclizar can clear entry hazards from its side of the field while keeping Garchomp’s up with Rapid Spin; it can also prevent Defog from Corviknight and Mandibuzz with Taunt and remove Heavy-Duty Boots with Knock Off. Dragalge can compound on Garchomp’s entry hazards with its own Toxic Spikes and use its Fairy neutrality and fierce Adaptability-boosted Poison-type moves to eradicate Fairy-types such as Iron Valiant, Azumarill, and Clefable.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Dragon
--------
Though Garchomp benefits tremendously from Rocky Helmet deterring Rapid Spin, Focus Sash is an alternative item choice that can allow it to serve as a pure suicide lead, getting hazards up against foes that would normally OHKO it such as Flutter Mane and Greninja. Leftovers is also an option to extend Garchomp's longevity. Fire Blast run in conjunction with a Naive nature can be used over Spikes to threaten Avalugg and Forretress and catch Corviknight off guard. An EV spread of 232 HP / 36 Def / 240 Spe allows Garchomp to survive a +2 Poltergeist from Ceruledge; however, Garchomp will no longer outspeed Sandy Shocks using this. A Roseli Berry can be used with Iron Head and 96 Attack EVs to allow Garchomp to lure and remove Flutter Mane at the cost of rendering Garchomp generally less effective against the metagame as a whole.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/therealbigc.532450/
Dragon analysis by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/therealbigc.532450/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/giyu.574288/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/neko.542526/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/lumari.232216/
Garchomp @ Rocky Helmet
Name: Entry Hazard Support (Dragon)
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Spikes
- Earthquake
- Dragon Tail
[SET COMMENTS]
Garchomp is a staple of offensive Dragon teams, serving as an unrivaled entry hazard setter, phazer, and threat to key foes such as Iron Treads, Cinderace, Jirachi, and Iron Hands. It excels at getting up multiple layers of entry hazards due to its good bulk and Speed, powerful STAB Earthquake, and access to Rough Skin. The combination of Rough Skin and Rocky Helmet is fantastic for deterring Rapid Spin from foes such as Great Tusk and Iron Treads. It should be noted that if Rapid Spin causes the user to faint due to contact damage, it will not clear entry hazards, making Garchomp particularly adept at keeping hazards up. Moreover, Garchomp has enough bulk to survive an unboosted Ice Spinner from Iron Treads and Quaquaval, so it is relatively unafraid of the metagame’s most common spinners. Outside of warding off spinners, Rocky Helmet + Rough Skin renders Garchomp broadly threatening to physical attackers in general, punishing U-turns from foes such as Sneasler and Cinderace, causing non-Punching Glove Urshifu-R to nearly KO itself from full HP if it uses Surging Strikes on Garchomp, and breaking Dragonite's Multiscale. Dragon Tail rounds out this set by allowing Garchomp to deal good chip damage while forcing out spinners such as Great Tusk and Quaquaval and phazing setup sweepers such as Volcarona and Scizor. The switch forcing capabilities of Dragon Tail synergize incredibly well with this hazard stacking set, enabling Garchomp to rack up entry hazard damage on the opposing team as it repeatedly forces foes out.
While Garchomp is excellent at deterring Rapid Spin by itself, Dragapult provides further security for its entry hazards by acting as a true spinblocker. Moreover, Choice Specs Dragapult greatly appreciates Garchomp’s entry hazards pushing foes into KO ranges and punishing switches, bolstering the already formidable offensive pressure these sets create. Dragapult further enjoys Garchomp’s ability to take on Kingambit, Assault Vest Iron Hands, and Alolan Muk, while Garchomp is grateful for Choice Specs Dragapult threatening Corviknight and thus preventing Defog. Alternatively to Choice Specs, Hex Dragapult can also become an extremely threatening late-game cleaner when combined with Garchomp's entry hazards, and the burns it spreads further help accumulate chip damage on the opposing team. Additionally, Dragapult serves as a crucial check to Iron Defense Zamazenta, which Garchomp cannot phaze if it's behind a Substitute. Hisuian Goodra makes a great pairing with Garchomp, being able to soak up the Ice and Fairy moves aimed at Garchomp from foes such as Alolan Ninetales, Flutter Mane, and Iron Valiant while crushing them in return with its Heavy Slam. Hisuian Goodra can also tank a hit from Chien-Pao and OHKO it in retaliation with Body Press, soak up hits from Choice Specs Greninja, and handle opposing Choice Specs Dragapult. In exchange, Garchomp can duel physical threats such as Great Tusk, Iron Treads, and Sneasler for Hisuian Goodra. Dragon’s various setup sweepers such as Baxcalibur, Kommo-o, Hydreigon, and Dragonite all greatly value Garchomp’s entry hazards pushing foes into KO ranges and breaking the Focus Sashes of foes such as Ceruledge and Breloom, enabling their sweeps. Of these, Kommo-o is especially notable, as its Vacuum Wave can OHKO Chien-Pao at neutral and Greninja following a Clangorous Soul and Throat Spray boost, both of which are incredibly deadly to Garchomp. Choice Scarf Roaring Moon is a great partner to Garchomp, appreciating Garchomp’s entry hazards and ability to wear down Great Tusk and Iron Treads facilitating its late-game cleaning. Roaring Moon in turn supports Garchomp by smashing through Flutter Mane and opposing Dragapult, as well as opening up foes such as Toxapex and Amoonguss to hazard damage by removing their Heavy-Duty Boots with its brutal STAB Knock Off. Choice Scarf Walking Wake appreciates Garchomp’s entry hazards in the same vein while removing threats such as Landorus, Gliscor, Great Tusk, +1 Baxcalibur, and Chien-Pao. If instead using Choice Specs, Walking Wake’s synergy with Garchomp increases even further, as it can blast through Corviknight, Mandibuzz, and Rotom-W with its powerful STAB attacks and coverage. Walking Wake can also use Flip Turn to pivot Garchomp in against foes such as Toxapex and Alolan Muk. Cyclizar can clear entry hazards from its side of the field while keeping Garchomp’s up with Rapid Spin; it can also prevent Defog from Corviknight and Mandibuzz with Taunt and remove Heavy-Duty Boots with Knock Off. Dragalge can compound on Garchomp’s entry hazards with its own Toxic Spikes and use its Fairy neutrality and fierce Adaptability-boosted Poison-type moves to eradicate Fairy-types such as Iron Valiant, Azumarill, and Clefable.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Dragon
--------
Though Garchomp benefits tremendously from Rocky Helmet deterring Rapid Spin, Focus Sash is an alternative item choice that can allow it to serve as a pure suicide lead, getting hazards up against foes that would normally OHKO it such as Flutter Mane and Greninja. Leftovers is also an option to extend Garchomp's longevity. Fire Blast run in conjunction with a Naive nature can be used over Spikes to threaten Avalugg and Forretress and catch Corviknight off guard. An EV spread of 232 HP / 36 Def / 240 Spe allows Garchomp to survive a +2 Poltergeist from Ceruledge; however, Garchomp will no longer outspeed Sandy Shocks using this. A Roseli Berry can be used with Iron Head and 96 Attack EVs to allow Garchomp to lure and remove Flutter Mane at the cost of rendering Garchomp generally less effective against the metagame as a whole.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/therealbigc.532450/
Dragon analysis by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/therealbigc.532450/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/giyu.574288/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/neko.542526/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/lumari.232216/
Last edited:
