[OVERVIEW]
Garchomp is one of the most versatile and unpredictable Pokemon Battle Spot Singles has to offer. It's awesome Attack and Speed stats lets it hold a wide variety of items, it has a great ability in Rough Skin, and good bulk makes predicting its item and moveset a deadly game. However, Garchomp is so common that most teams will have a gameplan for it, usually exploting its 4x weakness to Ice-type attacks.
Below are some sample sets. These sets are likely to be standard, but they will be expanded upon and updated as the metagame progresses.
[SET]
name: Versatile Attacker
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Outrage
move 3: Swords Dance / Stealth Rock
move 4: Rock Tomb / Fire Fang / Poison Jab
item: Focus Sash / Dragonium Z / Yache Berry
ability: Rough Skin
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
* This Garchomp's aim is to take advantage of its item holding unpredictability to sweep or cause serious damage early game. Earthquake is an incredible STAB attack, while Outrage works well late game once Steel and Fairy-types are taken out.
* Swords Dance gives Garchomp the power to sweep, though it isn't always needed in every game. It usually works best late game unless you have a specfic target in mind to take out.
* Garchomp makes a good Stealth Rock user if the team needs it, though this comes at the cost of sweeping.
* Rock Tomb provides speed control support, while Rock Slide has a chance to flinch.
* Fire Fang is weak, but its Garchomp's best shot at getting ahead of Celesteela after a Swords Dance.
* Poison Jab allows Garchomp to get past Tapu Bulu and the rare Togekiss, and does a bit more damage to Fairy-types than Earthquake.
* Focus Sash allows Garchomp to take one powerful hit such as Porygon2's Ice Beam when at full health. If you only care about Ice-type attacks, Yache Berry is also a reasonable choice to free up the Focus Sash slot for another Pokemon.
* Dragonium Z lets Garchomp use the powerful Z-Outrage to bust through floating walls such as Porygon2, Cresselia, and Mega Slowbro. As a bonus, Z-Outrage also does not lock Garchomp in. Groundium Z is also a reasonable choice against bulky Fairy-types such as Tapu Fini and Azumarill.
* Yache Berry lets Garchomp survive one Ice-type attack (unless its Icicle Spear), freeing up the Focus Sash slot for a different Pokemon.
* Life Orb gives Garchomp the most consistent power, at the cost of compromising its good bulk with recoil.
* If the team is desperate to get past Steel-types like Celesteela, Firium Z with Z-Fire Fang can be used. It also can put Aegislash into Earthquake KO range even if it uses King's Shield.
* You'll want some good wall breakers even if your Garchomp is prepared to deal with certain walls, since Garchomp's ways around them usually only have one shot. Walls to prepare for include Porygon2, Cresselia, Celesteela, and Mega Slowbro.
* Mamoswine and Cloyster are big threats, since their Icicile Spear will OHKO Garchomp even if its holding Focus Sash or Yache Berry.
[SET]
name: Choice Attacker
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Outrage
move 3: Rock Slide / Poison Jab
move 4: Poison Jab / Dual Chop / Fire Fang
item: Choice Scarf / Choice Band
ability: Rough Skin
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
* Choice Scarf makes Garchomp into an excellent revenge killer, letting it outspeed prominent boosting threats such as Mega Charizard X, Volcarona, and Dragonite. It also outspeeds non-Speed boosting threats such as Tapu Koko, Mega Gengar, and Greninja.
* Choice Band turns Garchomp into a powerhouse capable of breaking through weakened walls.
* Earthquake is Garchomp's reliable STAB, though use it sparingly if Flying-types and Levitate Pokemon are still around.
* Outrage is Garchomp's most powerful STAB. It's great for cleaning up weakened teams late game, but is risky early game due to Fairy- and Steel-types taking advnatage of Garchomp getting locked in.
* Rock Slide does good damage to Flying-types and has a shot at flinching, while Posion Jab hits Tapu Bulu hard.
* Dual Chop is a less risky Dragon-type move that happens to OHKO Pheromosa through its Focus Sash. With Choice Band, it also has a shot at OHKOing Breloom and Dragonite.
* Fire Fang allows Choice Band Garchomp to bust through Celesteela that don't heavily invest in Defense. However, it isn't very useful on the Choice Scarf set.
* This Garchomp has a harder time sweeping teams, so wall breakers are a good idea to carry.
Garchomp is one of the most versatile and unpredictable Pokemon Battle Spot Singles has to offer. It's awesome Attack and Speed stats lets it hold a wide variety of items, it has a great ability in Rough Skin, and good bulk makes predicting its item and moveset a deadly game. However, Garchomp is so common that most teams will have a gameplan for it, usually exploting its 4x weakness to Ice-type attacks.
Below are some sample sets. These sets are likely to be standard, but they will be expanded upon and updated as the metagame progresses.
[SET]
name: Versatile Attacker
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Outrage
move 3: Swords Dance / Stealth Rock
move 4: Rock Tomb / Fire Fang / Poison Jab
item: Focus Sash / Dragonium Z / Yache Berry
ability: Rough Skin
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
* This Garchomp's aim is to take advantage of its item holding unpredictability to sweep or cause serious damage early game. Earthquake is an incredible STAB attack, while Outrage works well late game once Steel and Fairy-types are taken out.
* Swords Dance gives Garchomp the power to sweep, though it isn't always needed in every game. It usually works best late game unless you have a specfic target in mind to take out.
* Garchomp makes a good Stealth Rock user if the team needs it, though this comes at the cost of sweeping.
* Rock Tomb provides speed control support, while Rock Slide has a chance to flinch.
* Fire Fang is weak, but its Garchomp's best shot at getting ahead of Celesteela after a Swords Dance.
* Poison Jab allows Garchomp to get past Tapu Bulu and the rare Togekiss, and does a bit more damage to Fairy-types than Earthquake.
* Focus Sash allows Garchomp to take one powerful hit such as Porygon2's Ice Beam when at full health. If you only care about Ice-type attacks, Yache Berry is also a reasonable choice to free up the Focus Sash slot for another Pokemon.
* Dragonium Z lets Garchomp use the powerful Z-Outrage to bust through floating walls such as Porygon2, Cresselia, and Mega Slowbro. As a bonus, Z-Outrage also does not lock Garchomp in. Groundium Z is also a reasonable choice against bulky Fairy-types such as Tapu Fini and Azumarill.
* Yache Berry lets Garchomp survive one Ice-type attack (unless its Icicle Spear), freeing up the Focus Sash slot for a different Pokemon.
* Life Orb gives Garchomp the most consistent power, at the cost of compromising its good bulk with recoil.
* If the team is desperate to get past Steel-types like Celesteela, Firium Z with Z-Fire Fang can be used. It also can put Aegislash into Earthquake KO range even if it uses King's Shield.
* You'll want some good wall breakers even if your Garchomp is prepared to deal with certain walls, since Garchomp's ways around them usually only have one shot. Walls to prepare for include Porygon2, Cresselia, Celesteela, and Mega Slowbro.
* Mamoswine and Cloyster are big threats, since their Icicile Spear will OHKO Garchomp even if its holding Focus Sash or Yache Berry.
[SET]
name: Choice Attacker
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Outrage
move 3: Rock Slide / Poison Jab
move 4: Poison Jab / Dual Chop / Fire Fang
item: Choice Scarf / Choice Band
ability: Rough Skin
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
* Choice Scarf makes Garchomp into an excellent revenge killer, letting it outspeed prominent boosting threats such as Mega Charizard X, Volcarona, and Dragonite. It also outspeeds non-Speed boosting threats such as Tapu Koko, Mega Gengar, and Greninja.
* Choice Band turns Garchomp into a powerhouse capable of breaking through weakened walls.
* Earthquake is Garchomp's reliable STAB, though use it sparingly if Flying-types and Levitate Pokemon are still around.
* Outrage is Garchomp's most powerful STAB. It's great for cleaning up weakened teams late game, but is risky early game due to Fairy- and Steel-types taking advnatage of Garchomp getting locked in.
* Rock Slide does good damage to Flying-types and has a shot at flinching, while Posion Jab hits Tapu Bulu hard.
* Dual Chop is a less risky Dragon-type move that happens to OHKO Pheromosa through its Focus Sash. With Choice Band, it also has a shot at OHKOing Breloom and Dragonite.
* Fire Fang allows Choice Band Garchomp to bust through Celesteela that don't heavily invest in Defense. However, it isn't very useful on the Choice Scarf set.
* This Garchomp has a harder time sweeping teams, so wall breakers are a good idea to carry.
Last edited:
