[OVERVIEW]
Garchomp's sky-high Attack stat after a Choice Band boost combined with its strong movepool and nice Speed tier makes it a premier offensive presence in the metagame. Its Speed stat allows it to just barely outspeed base 100 Speed Pokemon like Mega Gardevoir, Mega Charizard X, and Mega Charizard Y, which makes running Choice Scarf not much of a necessity. A useful Dragon / Ground typing that it and only a few other Pokemon possess gives it a powerful STAB Outrage and Earthquake able to take down common metagame threats like Mega Charizard X, Mega Charizard Y, non-Choice Scarf Kyurem-B, non-Metal Burst Mega Mawile, and Aegislash. This Dragon / Ground typing also has its cons, though, mainly being that Ice-type coverage is not rare in this metagame, and Garchomp can be OHKOed by most Pokemon with Ice-type moves. Though having a powerful offensive presence, there's much to be desired for with Garchomp's defensive capabilities. Almost any Pokemon holding a Choice Scarf can outspeed and KO it with ease, like Porygon-Z, Kyurem-B, Genesect, and Dragonite. It also has a hard time against threats that naturally outspeed it like Mega Lopunny and Greninja. Garchomp also struggles with physically defensive Pokemon that it can't KO turn one, which can usually set up and KO Garchomp or outright KO it, such as Metal Burst Mega Mawile, Mega Gyarados, and Mega Altaria.
[SET]
name: I'd Go Chomper Here (Choice Band)
move 1: Outrage
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Poison Jab
move 4: Fling / Fire Fang
item: Choice Band
ability: Rough Skin
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
========
Outrage is Garchomp's most powerful move on this set, able to take down Mega Charizard X, Mega Charizard Y, and non-Choice Scarf Kyurem-B. Earthquake provides great coverage against Steel-types such as non-Metal Burst Mega Mawile and Mega Metagross, Fire-types like Victini and Volcanion, and Rock-types like Mega Tyranitar, Diancie, and Terrakion. Poison Jab covers weak Fairy-types like Mega Gardevoir and Whimsicott. Fling in tandem Earthquake allows you to take down Air Balloon Heatran, since otherwise you'd be stuck with using an ineffective move against it. It can also help against Custap Berry Magnezone because they'd usually expect you to use Earthquake turn one. Alternatively, Fire Fang can be ran to beat Steel-types that Earthquake doesn't like Mega Scizor, Ferrothorn, and Choice Specs Genesect. Stone Edge can also be used to catch bulky Counter Mega Charizard X off guard, since it usually stays in its base forme. An alternative to Poison Jab is Iron Tail, which can solidify the matchup against bulky Sylveon and still take on Mega Gardevoir, but it has the downside of a miss chance and loses out on the Whimsicott matchup. Rough Skin is the preferred ability, since if both Pokemon are KOed on the same turn, the Garchomp user would win, which makes it much harder for physical Pokemon to EV for Garchomp and allows it to more reliably take down Mega Charizard X, non-Metal Burst Mega Mawile, and Mega Metagross, as well as FEAR Pokemon like Aron. Choice Band maximizes Garchomp's power due to its already high Speed tier.
EVs
========
252 Attack EVs maximize Garchomp's KOing capabilities. 252 Speed EVs and a Jolly nature let Garchomp outspeed up to base 101 Speed non-Choice Scarf Pokemon like Mega Charizard X, Mega Charizard Y, Mega Medicham, Mega Gardevoir, Volcarona, Genesect, and Landorus-I.
Strategy & Support
========
Garchomp generally has very straightforward matchups, but avoid sending it in if you know the opponent is going to choose Metal Burst Mega Mawile or Mega Aggron, as though you have a type advantage, these both can take a hit and KO back with Metal Burst. Though mostly outclassed by its regular forme, watch out for Protect Mega Diancie, as it can outspeed and KO you, whereas normally you'd be able to OHKO with Earthquake. If you are using Fling and the opposing team has an Air Balloon Heatran, keep in mind that they may be inclined to send it in due to it being able to wall most Garchomp sets, and you can catch them off guard. Using Fire Fang over Outrage against Crustle can give you a better chance to win against Counter variants due to the Rough Skin damage you give them. Garchomp appreciates bulky offensive teammates that can take hits from and beat hyper offensive Pokemon like Mega Lopunny, Choice Specs Greninja, and Choice Scarf Porygon-Z, which outspeed Garchomp and KO it with ease. This means that teammates like specially defensive Mega Charizard X and Manaphy make good teammates. In return, Garchomp can take down Occa Berry Whimsicott, offensive Mega Mawile, and Heatran. Garchomp also appreciates Steel-type teammates like Heatran, Mega Metagross, and Magnezone due to their ability to take down threatening Fairy-types that Garchomp can't already cover with its Poison-type coverage like Metal Burst Mega Mawile, Mega Altaria, and Sylveon. In return, Garchomp can take down opposing Heatran, Volcanion, and Volcarona. Garchomp's weakness to Dragon-types that can either outspeed and KO it or take a hit and KO back can be covered by Fairy-types like Mega Altaria, Mega Gardevoir, and Diancie. In return, Garchomp can take down Steel-type threats that they alone would normally struggle with, like Heatran if running Fling, Mega Scizor if running Fire Fang, Mega Metagross, and Aegislash.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
An alternative Choice Band spread of 176 Atk / 80 SpD / 252 Spe with a Jolly nature can be ran to always take a Hidden Power Ice from maximum Special Attack Heatran and non-Choice Specs Magnezone, so run this when running Fling to beat all Heatran variants. This does have its downfalls, though; your reliability against Mega Mawile and bulky Mega Charizard X lessens because now you can't always reliably get them into can be run to outspeed and beat Greninja and Choice Scarf Kyurem-B, although these matchups are reliant on favorable rolls, and this set loses out on the damage output that lets Garchomp win matchups like Mega Mawile, Mega Metagross, Mega Gardevoir, and Aegislash. Swords Dance paired with Fling can be used to stallbreak Pokemon like Chansey and Registeel.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ice-type Coverage**: Common threats like Choice Scarf Kyurem-B, Choice Scarf Genesect, Mega Lopunny, Manaphy, Choice Specs Magnezone, and Greninja that run Ice-type coverage are big threats to Garchomp due to them either outspeeding and KOing it or taking a hit and KOing it with relative ease due to its 4x weakness to Ice.
**Stall**: Stall Pokemon like Mega Sableye, Mega Slowbro, and Mega Venusaur all give Garchomp a tough time due to them being able to wear it out by either crippling Garchomp's Attack or raising their own Defense.
**Bulky Fairy-types**: Fairy-types like Mega Altaria and Sylveon give Garchomp a tough time due to them being able to KO it after taking a hit from it.
**Faster Pokemon**: Pokemon such as Protect Mega Diancie, Choice Scarf Porygon-Z, Latios, and Protect Mega Pinsir that normally outspeed Garchomp can OHKO it due to its bad defenses.
**Move Reflection**: Pokemon such as Mega Sableye, Mega Mawile, Mega Aggron, Rhyperior, defensive Mega Charizard X, and Mega Tyranitar that can take a hit from Garchomp and then respond with a stronger Metal Burst or Counter pose huge threats to it, since it's locked into an attack and can't play around the foe.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[pqs, 425798]]
- Quality checked by: [[DEG, 234355], [LittleRunnerXC, 289008]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Rabia, 336073], [Estronic, 240732]]
Garchomp's sky-high Attack stat after a Choice Band boost combined with its strong movepool and nice Speed tier makes it a premier offensive presence in the metagame. Its Speed stat allows it to just barely outspeed base 100 Speed Pokemon like Mega Gardevoir, Mega Charizard X, and Mega Charizard Y, which makes running Choice Scarf not much of a necessity. A useful Dragon / Ground typing that it and only a few other Pokemon possess gives it a powerful STAB Outrage and Earthquake able to take down common metagame threats like Mega Charizard X, Mega Charizard Y, non-Choice Scarf Kyurem-B, non-Metal Burst Mega Mawile, and Aegislash. This Dragon / Ground typing also has its cons, though, mainly being that Ice-type coverage is not rare in this metagame, and Garchomp can be OHKOed by most Pokemon with Ice-type moves. Though having a powerful offensive presence, there's much to be desired for with Garchomp's defensive capabilities. Almost any Pokemon holding a Choice Scarf can outspeed and KO it with ease, like Porygon-Z, Kyurem-B, Genesect, and Dragonite. It also has a hard time against threats that naturally outspeed it like Mega Lopunny and Greninja. Garchomp also struggles with physically defensive Pokemon that it can't KO turn one, which can usually set up and KO Garchomp or outright KO it, such as Metal Burst Mega Mawile, Mega Gyarados, and Mega Altaria.
[SET]
name: I'd Go Chomper Here (Choice Band)
move 1: Outrage
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Poison Jab
move 4: Fling / Fire Fang
item: Choice Band
ability: Rough Skin
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
========
Outrage is Garchomp's most powerful move on this set, able to take down Mega Charizard X, Mega Charizard Y, and non-Choice Scarf Kyurem-B. Earthquake provides great coverage against Steel-types such as non-Metal Burst Mega Mawile and Mega Metagross, Fire-types like Victini and Volcanion, and Rock-types like Mega Tyranitar, Diancie, and Terrakion. Poison Jab covers weak Fairy-types like Mega Gardevoir and Whimsicott. Fling in tandem Earthquake allows you to take down Air Balloon Heatran, since otherwise you'd be stuck with using an ineffective move against it. It can also help against Custap Berry Magnezone because they'd usually expect you to use Earthquake turn one. Alternatively, Fire Fang can be ran to beat Steel-types that Earthquake doesn't like Mega Scizor, Ferrothorn, and Choice Specs Genesect. Stone Edge can also be used to catch bulky Counter Mega Charizard X off guard, since it usually stays in its base forme. An alternative to Poison Jab is Iron Tail, which can solidify the matchup against bulky Sylveon and still take on Mega Gardevoir, but it has the downside of a miss chance and loses out on the Whimsicott matchup. Rough Skin is the preferred ability, since if both Pokemon are KOed on the same turn, the Garchomp user would win, which makes it much harder for physical Pokemon to EV for Garchomp and allows it to more reliably take down Mega Charizard X, non-Metal Burst Mega Mawile, and Mega Metagross, as well as FEAR Pokemon like Aron. Choice Band maximizes Garchomp's power due to its already high Speed tier.
EVs
========
252 Attack EVs maximize Garchomp's KOing capabilities. 252 Speed EVs and a Jolly nature let Garchomp outspeed up to base 101 Speed non-Choice Scarf Pokemon like Mega Charizard X, Mega Charizard Y, Mega Medicham, Mega Gardevoir, Volcarona, Genesect, and Landorus-I.
Strategy & Support
========
Garchomp generally has very straightforward matchups, but avoid sending it in if you know the opponent is going to choose Metal Burst Mega Mawile or Mega Aggron, as though you have a type advantage, these both can take a hit and KO back with Metal Burst. Though mostly outclassed by its regular forme, watch out for Protect Mega Diancie, as it can outspeed and KO you, whereas normally you'd be able to OHKO with Earthquake. If you are using Fling and the opposing team has an Air Balloon Heatran, keep in mind that they may be inclined to send it in due to it being able to wall most Garchomp sets, and you can catch them off guard. Using Fire Fang over Outrage against Crustle can give you a better chance to win against Counter variants due to the Rough Skin damage you give them. Garchomp appreciates bulky offensive teammates that can take hits from and beat hyper offensive Pokemon like Mega Lopunny, Choice Specs Greninja, and Choice Scarf Porygon-Z, which outspeed Garchomp and KO it with ease. This means that teammates like specially defensive Mega Charizard X and Manaphy make good teammates. In return, Garchomp can take down Occa Berry Whimsicott, offensive Mega Mawile, and Heatran. Garchomp also appreciates Steel-type teammates like Heatran, Mega Metagross, and Magnezone due to their ability to take down threatening Fairy-types that Garchomp can't already cover with its Poison-type coverage like Metal Burst Mega Mawile, Mega Altaria, and Sylveon. In return, Garchomp can take down opposing Heatran, Volcanion, and Volcarona. Garchomp's weakness to Dragon-types that can either outspeed and KO it or take a hit and KO back can be covered by Fairy-types like Mega Altaria, Mega Gardevoir, and Diancie. In return, Garchomp can take down Steel-type threats that they alone would normally struggle with, like Heatran if running Fling, Mega Scizor if running Fire Fang, Mega Metagross, and Aegislash.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
An alternative Choice Band spread of 176 Atk / 80 SpD / 252 Spe with a Jolly nature can be ran to always take a Hidden Power Ice from maximum Special Attack Heatran and non-Choice Specs Magnezone, so run this when running Fling to beat all Heatran variants. This does have its downfalls, though; your reliability against Mega Mawile and bulky Mega Charizard X lessens because now you can't always reliably get them into can be run to outspeed and beat Greninja and Choice Scarf Kyurem-B, although these matchups are reliant on favorable rolls, and this set loses out on the damage output that lets Garchomp win matchups like Mega Mawile, Mega Metagross, Mega Gardevoir, and Aegislash. Swords Dance paired with Fling can be used to stallbreak Pokemon like Chansey and Registeel.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ice-type Coverage**: Common threats like Choice Scarf Kyurem-B, Choice Scarf Genesect, Mega Lopunny, Manaphy, Choice Specs Magnezone, and Greninja that run Ice-type coverage are big threats to Garchomp due to them either outspeeding and KOing it or taking a hit and KOing it with relative ease due to its 4x weakness to Ice.
**Stall**: Stall Pokemon like Mega Sableye, Mega Slowbro, and Mega Venusaur all give Garchomp a tough time due to them being able to wear it out by either crippling Garchomp's Attack or raising their own Defense.
**Bulky Fairy-types**: Fairy-types like Mega Altaria and Sylveon give Garchomp a tough time due to them being able to KO it after taking a hit from it.
**Faster Pokemon**: Pokemon such as Protect Mega Diancie, Choice Scarf Porygon-Z, Latios, and Protect Mega Pinsir that normally outspeed Garchomp can OHKO it due to its bad defenses.
**Move Reflection**: Pokemon such as Mega Sableye, Mega Mawile, Mega Aggron, Rhyperior, defensive Mega Charizard X, and Mega Tyranitar that can take a hit from Garchomp and then respond with a stronger Metal Burst or Counter pose huge threats to it, since it's locked into an attack and can't play around the foe.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[pqs, 425798]]
- Quality checked by: [[DEG, 234355], [LittleRunnerXC, 289008]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Rabia, 336073], [Estronic, 240732]]
Last edited:
