Garchomp Movesets & Competitive Sets

Set Description This set allows Garchomp to switch between its STAB and utility move options while retaining high damage output. Swords Dance allows it to boost versus foes like Tapu Bulu and Spectrier, which normally check Garchomp with Disable and Will-O-Wisp respectively, and then KO them. Life Orb-boosted Earthquake OHKOes Pokemon like Zeraora and Heatran. Scale Shot acts as a secondary boosting move by increasing Garchomp's Speed. It also counters stall Pokemon like Pressure Entei by breaking through Substitute. Poison Jab deals with Fairy-types like Tapu Bulu, whereas Outrage increases reliability versus Zapdos. EVs The 192 HP EVs secure the matchup versus Choice Specs Magnezone, as Garchomp survives Hyper Beam even after Life Orb recoil, and also assist versus stall Pokemon like Galarian Corsola and Registeel, ensuring that Night Shade and Seismic Toss take five hits to KO. 68 Defense EVs and the HP investment allow Garchomp to survive Outrage from Choice Band Zeraora. The 136 Speed EVs let Garchomp outspeed some faster Pokemon after Scale Shot, most notably Entei and Spectrier, while also outspeeding Pokemon like Dracozolt without the Speed boost. Usage Tips When versus Zeraora, use Earthquake, as you survive a Choice Band-boosted Outrage. Use Scale Shot versus Magnezone and other Sturdy users like Crustle to avoid risking Weakness Policy or Counter activation, respectively, and KO with Earthquake on turn 2. Scale Shot can also be used versus faster Pokemon like Entei and Spectrier to outspeed and KO in the following turns. The main use of Swords Dance is to break past passive stall Pokemon like Galarian Corsola and Registeel, as they cannot do enough damage before Garchomp KOes them. However, it also lets Garchomp KO some Pokemon more quickly, like Spectrier, as Swords Dance after a Scale Shot allows Garchomp to KO on turn 3.

Set Description Choice Band Garchomp deals gargantuan amounts of damage, with Outrage beating Dragon-types such as Goodra, opposing Garchomp, and non-Choice Scarf Haxorus while also heavily damaging neutral targets like Venusaur. Earthquake OHKOes many Fire- and Steel-types including Entei, most Metagross, and Aegislash. Fire Fang helps versus Steel-types that are not weak to Earthquake such as Ferrothorn, Kartana, and some Celesteela. Stone Edge lets it win versus prominent Pokemon like Togekiss more often. On the other hand, Poison Jab beats Tapu Bulu and non-Kebia Berry Whimsicott, so it can be considered. EVs 252 Speed EVs are used to Speed tie other Garchomp and outspeed base 100 Speed Pokemon like Entei, Volcarona, and Zapdos. The remaining EVs are invested into Attack to improve matchups versus Choice Scarf Togekiss and defensive Volcarona. Usage Tips Choice Band Garchomp is relatively straightforward to use, as either STAB attack will usually deal massive damage. Coverage for Fairy-types like Togekiss and Whimsicott should be used as necessary.

Set Description Choice Scarf Garchomp is able to outspeed many of its checks like Galarian Darmanitan and Togekiss, as well as opposing Dragon-types like Dragapult, OHKOing them with Stone Edge or Outrage. Earthquake is a strong STAB move that hits Electric-types like Zeraora and Tapu Koko hard, while Outrage deals with neutral targets like Zapdos and Spectrier. Flamethrower secures matchups versus Grass-types like Kartana and some Ferrothorn sets, which usually check Garchomp, while Poison Jab provides more reliability versus Togekiss and has the added bonus of beating non-Kebia Berry Whimsicott. EVs This set runs 252 Speed EVs in order to outspeed Galarian Darmanitan, Togekiss, and Kartana. If running Poison Jab over Flamethrower, the 4 Special Attack EVs can be used in a different stat, and the nature should be changed to Jolly over Naive. Usage Tips The vast majority of the time, Choice Scarf Garchomp wins by using the appropriate high-damage move. Stone Edge should be used over Outrage for Galarian Darmanitan, as its higher damage matters versus some bulkier sets. If running Poison Jab over Flamethrower, use it on Togekiss over Stone Edge for its higher accuracy. Flamethrower should only be used against Pokemon that are quadruply weak to it, like Ferrothorn and Kartana. Against other Grass-types like Rillaboom and Venusaur, Outrage will do higher damage.

Set Description Garchomp aims to surprise Pokemon such as Galarian Darmanitan, Naganadel, and Dragapult; the combination of Endure and Custap Berry allows it to move first and OHKO with its STAB moves. Outrage is also used to beat Dragon-types like Kommo-o that are naturally slower. Earthquake lets Garchomp beat Electric- and Fire-types like Zeraora, Tapu Koko, Regieleki, and Volcanion. Swords Dance gets past stall Pokemon like Chansey and Galarian Corsola. EVs 96 HP EVs allow Garchomp to survive Outrage from Life Orb Zeraora, while the 44 Special Defense EVs let it take Steam Eruption from Choice Specs Volcanion. 120 Speed EVs are used to outspeed base 85 Speed Pokemon like Kommo-o, and 248 Attack EVs allow for better OHKO odds versus Galarian Darmanitan. Alternatively, an EV spread of 176 HP / 112 Atk / 80 Def / 120 Spe secures the matchup versus Choice Band Zeraora, as it takes Outrage, though the reduced Attack does not let Garchomp OHKO Galarian Darmanitan. Usage Tips Using Earthquake on turn 1 is usually the best option versus Zeraora and Volcanion, as Garchomp tanks most of their hits, but Choice Band Outrage from Zeraora OHKOes Garchomp unless it has the alternate EV spread, so some prediction is required. Using Endure is the best option against Pokemon that OHKO it, like Galarian Darmanitan, Dragapult and Naganadel. When in Custap Berry range, Outrage will OHKO these targets before they can move. Swords Dance should be used twice or thrice versus stall like Chansey or Galarian Corsola, respectively.

Set Details Garchomp is CAP's premier wallbreaker, being able to sweep teams with its great STAB combination, above average Speed, and Swords Dance to boost its already stellar Attack. Scale Shot makes it nearly impossible to revenge kill, especially thanks to its good natural bulk, while also doubling up as a decently strong STAB move. Fire Fang allows Garchomp to break past the few Pokemon that resist its STAB combination, namely Corviknight, Equilibra, and Jumbao, while also being an effective tool to handle Ferrothorn. Stone Edge is an option to immediately dispose of Flying-types such as Mandibuzz and Zapdos. Leftovers provides more longevity, while a Life Orb boosts Garchomp's firepower and lets it blow past Clefable and Equilibra. Garchomp is a very self-sufficient Pokemon, helping its teammates moreso than getting help from them. Regardless, Future Sight support from Slowking or Slowbro is appreciated to prevent physical walls such as Tomohawk and Arghonaut from immediately switching in. Jumbao is another good partner, breaking past physical walls with its strong special attacks and potentially providing Drought for a stronger Fire Fang or Healing Wish support. Stealth Rock setters like Heatran and Tyranitar can take Ice-type moves to cover one of Garchomp's core weaknesses. Heatran also covers the Fairy-type matchup and can use Taunt on walls such as Tomohawk and Zapdos to prevent them from recovering their HP. Because Rillaboom can revenge kill -1 Defense Garchomp, Zapdos and Corviknight are good to resist its Grassy Glide, and they can also provide Defog. In return, Garchomp offensively checks Heatran, which threatens both of them. In hyper offense builds, Volcarona and Cawmodore both form good wallbreaking cores with Garchomp, with Volcarona disposing of Garchomp's checks in Jumbao and Tomohawk while Garchomp breaks through Heatran and Blissey. Cawmodore and Garchomp overwhelm their shared checks through repeated hits.

Set Details Defensive Garchomp has a great defensive typing, great natural bulk, and good Speed, allowing it to set up Stealth Rock quite comfortably despite not having reliable recovery. Rough Skin and Rocky Helmet hurt contact-reliant physical attackers such as Zeraora and Rillaboom as well as U-turn and Knock Off users like Tornadus-T. Toxic allows Garchomp to cripple common entry hazard removers such as Tomohawk, Mandibuzz, Zapdos, and Tornadus-T, which are immune to Earthquake, and the bulky Water- and Ground-types that want to switch into it. Endure works extremely well with the poison and contact damage that Garchomp deals. Another option is Rest, which gives Garchomp longevity while also turning it into a pseudo-status absorber against various foes it switches into, such as Heatran and Toxapex. Alternatively, Dragon Tail phazes foes and forces them to take damage from Stealth Rock. Fire-type coverage can be run to hit Steel-types such as Equilibra and Corviknight, which are otherwise immune to Garchomp's moveset and can remove Stealth Rock for free as it switches out. 120 Speed EVs with an Impish nature allow Garchomp to outspeed Adamant Rillaboom, while a Jolly nature allows it to outspeed Jolly Rillaboom, Timid Heatran, and Zapdos. Defensive Garchomp appreciates Knock Off support to get the most mileage out of its Stealth Rock by removing foes' Heavy-Duty Boots and Leftovers. Ferrothorn and Arghonaut both have Knock Off and appreciate Garchomp pressuring Defog users so they can set up their own hazards. Garchomp struggles against Fairy-types, so partners like Heatran, Corviknight, and Scizor are appreciated. Blissey is a great partner that can provide cleric support and sponge the commonly special Ice- and Dragon-type attacks Garchomp fears. In exchange, Garchomp can take on the physical attackers that threaten Blissey and most likely chip them as they make contact with it. Bulky Water-types like Slowking and Arghonaut and Flying-types like Tornadus-T all appreciate Garchomp checking Electric-type pivots such as Zeraora and Zapdos extremely well.

Garchomp is heavily reliant on Swords Dance for wallbreaking, with it missing out on some crucial OHKOs on Pokemon like Yveltal and Choice Specs Kyogre when unboosted. Earthquake is the main STAB move, netting a ton of OHKOs on neutral or Ground-weak targets, and it allows Garchomp to force Necrozma-DM out so it can set up. Scale Shot grants a Speed-boosting option; it lets Garchomp outrun targets like non-Choice Scarf Calyrex-S, Pheromosa, and Choice Scarf users like Yveltal after a boost, which can be crucial for its sweep. Stone Edge threatens the main Defog users in the metagame, Ho-Oh and Yveltal, which is important to keep entry hazards up for the hyper offense teams Garchomp finds itself on. Life Orb does wear down Garchomp, which makes it slightly more prediction-reliant if it wants to sweep before going down, but the damage output is worth it. It gets +2 Garchomp some good KOs, such as against Landorus and defensive Zygarde with three Scale Shot hits. A Jolly nature is important for Garchomp with its solid Speed tier, outrunning other common Pokemon like Yveltal, Landorus, and Zygarde. Slurpuff, Galvantula, and other Sticky Web setters are incredible partners for Garchomp, letting it outrun a lot of grounded faster threats like Calyrex-S, Marshadow, and Choice Scarf Kyogre, as well as Choice Scarf Calyrex-S after a Scale Shot. Yveltal can switch into Calyrex-S and force it out if Garchomp doesn't have its Speed boosted, as well as switching into Groudon's Precipice Blades and threatening it with Knock Off, which chips it down for Garchomp to break through it. Dragon Dance Necrozma-DM with Knock Off or Photon Geyser can effectively bait in Lunala and Buzzwole, respectively, freeing Garchomp from one of its main checks. Draco Meteor or Weather Ball Zekrom helps bait in and KO common checks to Dragon-types like Tangrowth and Buzzwole, opening up both of them for an easier sweep.

Set Description Garchomp's above average Speed and solid Attack translate very well when it dons a Choice Scarf. Dragon Claw enables Garchomp to revenge kill Dragon-types and other weakened offensive Pokemon like Starmie. Dual Chop is an alternative that always takes out the uncommon Focus Sash Alakazam, though it is less reliable overall and tends to get Garchomp punished by a foe's switch to Flame Body Heatran. Stone Edge is Garchomp's strongest attack to hit Togekiss. Poison Jab still hits it super effectively while also smacking Clefable and Tangrowth, threatening irritating poison on all of these. Fire Blast is actually better against Tangrowth and hits Skarmory hard as well. A Jolly nature gives Garchomp as much Speed as possible, getting the jump on Choice Scarf base 100 Speed foes. A Naive nature is preferred if using Fire Blast. However, if the extra power is desired, then an Adamant nature can be used to give up on outspeeding Choice Scarf Celebi while still outspeeding all other fast threats in the metagame. Team Options Choice Scarf Garchomp is excellent at revenge killing offensive Pokemon, but it thuds into defensive Pokemon and is forced out once it has taken the KO. Therefore, it wants two things on its team: Pokemon that can bring down the defensive Pokemon that stymie it and Pokemon that can switch into the offensive Pokemon that can force it out. Starting with the former, the likes of Togekiss, Clefable, Tangrowth, Gliscor, Skarmory, Milotic, and the rare Slowbro all shrug off Garchomp's attacks. Nidoking happens to be adept at threatening the first four of these, while Heatran is strong against the first three and Skarmory. A singular wallbreaker is unable to threaten all of these Pokemon together, so it's better to have a cohesive offensive gameplan, be it around entry hazards or around multiple offensive Pokemon, to ensure Garchomp can get the job done against balance teams. Several offensive Pokemon can come in on and resist Garchomp's attacking move once it has locked in; Scizor and Heatran take on Outrage, while Latias and Breloom handle Earthquake. Pokemon that can switch into these Pokemon, like Heatran for Scizor, Rotom-Wash for Heatran, Scizor for Latias, and Latias for Breloom, are all helpful to have; these Pokemon also happen to continue the offensive pressure that Garchomp wants to enable its sweep late-game. Garchomp also benefits from VoltTurn support from the likes Scizor, Rotom-Wash, and Celebi, as they can bring it in against threats it forces out like Heatran and Latias. In that vein, entry hazards like Stealth Rock from Heatran and Spikes from Skarmory and Roserade also push opposing threats into range of Garchomp's attacks.

Set Description Mixed Garchomp has the ability to beat physical walls like Tangrowth and Slowbro as well as Ground-immune foes like Rotom-Wash and Gliscor. All of these get absolutely ripped apart by an invested Life Orb Draco Meteor. Any Skarmory that would shrug off Garchomp's STAB moves is threatened by a powerful Fire Blast, which also threatens Tangrowth well. Maximum Special Attack investment and Life Orb give Draco Meteor and Fire Blast the power to really damage many of Garchomp's checks. With damage from Stealth Rock, which it can set up, Fire Blast is guaranteed to OHKO Tangrowth, and Draco Meteor is favored to do the same while heavily damaging Gliscor and Slowbro. As this Garchomp's damage primarily comes from special attacks, it is not as bothered by a burn from Rotom-Wash. Burns are still annoying, though, as they weaken Earthquake and put Garchomp on a fast-ticking timer. While doing so is uncommon and requires another Stealth Rock setter, replacing Stealth Rock with Outrage gives Garchomp the opportunity to surprise bulky Pokemon like Gliscor with big damage even after it has launched a Draco Meteor. Team Options Mixed Garchomp's ability to heavily damage physical walls benefits other physical attackers that struggle to break past them. Examples of these include Azumarill, Lucario, and Scizor. What Garchomp gives up to accomplish this is its ability to 2HKO Clefable on the switch with Earthquake; Pokemon that switch into Clefable like Heatran and Roserade are very beneficial as a result. Since Garchomp is the Stealth Rock setter, Heatran is able to forgo the move for an additional coverage move or an extra utility move like Substitute. Heatran may also go for a set like Choice Specs, Choice Scarf, or Power Herb that cannot fit Stealth Rock. Roserade is useful here because it switches into Water-types, particularly Milotic, that Garchomp struggles to break through, and it can pair Garchomp's Stealth Rock with its own Spikes to wear the opposing team into range of Garchomp and its teammates' attacks. In exchange, Roserade appreciates Garchomp's ability to threaten Heatran. Scizor is useful because it revenge kills Weavile and Alakazam, both of which outspeed and threaten Garchomp and its potential partners. Pokemon like Mew, Celebi, Rotom-Wash, and specially defensive Clefable are great at containing Starmie, which threatens to OHKO Garchomp with Ice Beam. Since Garchomp is setting Stealth Rock, none of these Pokemon are beholden to the move and can run other options; Mew can use Defog to ensure that entry hazard-stacking strategies don't diminish Garchomp's ability to throw out big damage, Celebi can run a second STAB move, and Clefable can use Thunder Wave to support Garchomp against Alakazam. Many of the aforementioned Pokemon like Heatran, Roserade, and Rotom-Wash are also able to check Togekiss, which completely walls this Garchomp set.

Set Description Garchomp can leverage its natural bulk to reliably set up Stealth Rock and dish out damage. Outrage will dent Defog Gliscor that tries to remove Garchomp's entry hazards, whereas Dragon Claw leaves Garchomp less vulnerable to Fairy-types and revenge killers. Swords Dance lets Garchomp further punish Defog Gliscor and Scizor with big damage, either taking them out itself or keeping Stealth Rock on the field. Protect lets Garchomp scout faster Choice item attackers like Choice Band Weavile, Choice Specs Latias, and Choice Scarf Rotom-Wash and gain extra recovery from Leftovers. The passive recovery offered by Leftovers lets Garchomp better take hits over the course of a game. Life Orb gives this up for extra power that lets it 2HKO Clefable with Earthquake after Stealth Rock damage Team Options Offensive teams appreciate Garchomp's ability to set up Stealth Rock while maintaining offensive pressure for them. Heatran counters Clefable and checks Togekiss for Garchomp, and it appreciates having a moveslot freed up as well as Stealth Rock pushing further passive damage onto foes alongside Magma Storm. Wish Clefable reinforces Garchomp's bulk, as it is not comfortable with repeatedly switching into threats like Heatran and Infernape due to its lack of reliable recovery. Roserade can take advantage of Water-types and Clefable that Garchomp draws in and pair its Stealth Rock with Spikes. Roserade's Spikes and, occasionally, Toxic Spikes are useful because they wear down Unaware Clefable so that Garchomp can make its way through it. Roserade also threatens Rapid Spin Starmie while appreciating Garchomp's ability to threaten Scizor and Heatran. Alternatively, Rotom-Wash and Celebi are still adept at taking the attacks of Starmie, which threatens Garchomp out and removes Stealth Rock, and other Water-types. Stealth Rock makes wallbreakers like Choice Band Weavile, Calm Mind Latias, and mixed Infernape more difficult to deal with, and Pokemon that use U-turn and Volt Switch like Scizor, Infernape, and Rotom-Wash punish the opposing team even harder for falling behind with Stealth Rock on the field. Finally, Pokemon that resist Ice like the aforementioned Rotom-Wash, Scizor, and Heatran are useful to ensure that Weavile doesn't get out of hand if Garchomp's hazards fail to stay on the field.

Set Description After a Swords Dance boost, Garchomp's STAB moves will melt even bulky Pokemon that don't resist them like Gliscor, Milotic, and Clefable. Fire Blast torches Skarmory and Tangrowth, Poison Jab reliably hits Togekiss while also hitting Clefable hard, and Stone Edge is the strongest attack to hit Togekiss. Life Orb is vastly preferred, as it allows Garchomp to 2HKO Unaware Clefable with Earthquake after Stealth Rock and cleanly OHKO Gliscor and Milotic with a +2 Outrage; it also powers up Garchomp's coverage moves to let them really threaten the Pokemon that can take on Garchomp's STAB moves. The passive recovery of Leftovers gives Garchomp the longevity to set up Swords Dance multiple times in a battle. However, Lum Berry lets Garchomp shake off Outrage's confusion and gives it an opportunity to set up against Will-O-Wisp Rotom-Wash. If Garchomp is using a Life Orb, it can 2HKO Tangrowth and physically defensive Skarmory with Fire Blast even with a Jolly nature. However, the drop in power when using another item can be made up for with a Naive nature. Team Options Swords Dance Garchomp is a great wallbreaker for offensive and balance teams, and it provides defensive utility in its ability to offensively check other offensive Pokemon like Nidoking and Lucario. Stealth Rock support from Heatran is greatly appreciated for Garchomp to be able to push through bulky Pokemon that could barely hold on against it; Heatran also switches into Clefable and the Ice-type attacks of Weavile. Rotom-Wash can switch into bulky Water-types and use Volt Switch to turn them into momentum for Garchomp's team. Scizor can also switch into Clefable and Weavile, can use U-turn to generate momentum for Garchomp's team, draws in Heatran for Garchomp to set up on, and adds a second Swords Dance sweeper alongside Garchomp. It can even chunk Togekiss for decent damage with Bullet Punch, preventing the latter from comfortably setting up on Garchomp. Faster Pokemon and Choice Scarf Pokemon are excellent at revenge killing Garchomp; this includes Choice Band Infernape, Latias, Starmie, Alakazam, Weavile, and opposing Choice Scarf Garchomp. Scizor is solid at switching into Latias, Alakazam, and Weavile, and Mew and specially defensive Clefable can switch into Latias, Starmie, and Alakazam. On a balanced team that has specially defensive Clefable, pairing it with Skarmory would be the easiest way to deal with both Weavile and Choice Scarf Garchomp in a single slot. Finally, Infernape can be held off by Latias and Gliscor.

Garchomp is a powerful physical attacker that is able to set entry hazards and pressure opposing Defog users with its high Attack stat and wide array of STAB options. Water / Ground Garchomp is the most prevalent set and utilizes Aqua Tail and Earthquake for this typing; this typing allows it to beat Victini and check Electric-types like Clefable. Aqua Tail enables it to hit Ground-immune Fire-types such as Hydreigon, Latias, and Tornadus-T. Iron Head can be used for a Ground / Steel typing to provide Garchomp with an immunity to Toxic, which allows it to beat bulkier setup sweepers, particularly Cresselia. Outrage can be used on both Steel / Dragon and Water / Dragon Garchomp to allow it to break past Water-types like Slowbro, Mew, Toxapex, and Latias once it has set up on them with Swords Dance, though this move should be used in combination with Lum Berry to prevent being inflicted with confusion. Swords Dance allows Garchomp to break past threats like Slowbro and Salamence and threaten Defog users like Mew, Tornadus-T, and Latias. Stealth Rock allows Garchomp to further pressure teams with chip damage. Garchomp is a particularly potent Stealth Rock user due to its ability to pressure the aforementioned Defog users and keep its entry hazards on the field. Rocky Helmet is used in conjunction with Rough Skin on most sets to deal massive damage to physical attackers like Landorus-T, Pheromosa, and Lycanroc-D. A Jolly nature is used to outspeed Pokemon such as Volcarona, offensive Mew, and Hydreigon. Garchomp is able to pressure Fire-types like Heatran, Hydreigon, and Victini, which benefits bulky Steel-type partners. Steel / Flying Mew is a particularly good partner for Garchomp, as the two can form an entry hazard core with Garchomp's Stealth Rock and Mew's Spikes. Garchomp is highly susceptible to Rillaboom and appreciates partners that can handle it such as Tornadus-T and Landorus-T; these two are able to provide Defog support for the team as well. Special attackers such as Latias, Spectrier, and Tornadus-T appreciate Garchomp's ability to pressure Poison / Dark Clefable, Toxapex, and opposing Tornadus-T, as they struggle to break past these specially defensive walls. In return, they are able to pressure Garchomp's checks as well, like Slowbro and Salamence.

This set has Garchomp utilizing its solid Speed stat to set Stealth Rock as fast as possible while damaging foes as much as possible before it gets knocked out. Earthquake and Stone Edge are solid moves for it to use, as the former is a high-powered Ground-type STAB move namely hitting Steel-types like Jirachi and Zapdos, and Slowbro. Garchomp's set is meant to enable other Dragon-types to decimate its foes through setup, revenge killing, and sheer power, to which Dragon teams has a large arsenal of teammates to work with. That being said, Dragon-types such as Dragapult.

Swords Dance allows Garchomp to become a dangerous wallbreaker by letting it OHKO Pokemon such as Tapu Fini with Earthquake and Kyurem with Scale Shot and beating walls such as Amoonguss and Celesteela with more ease. Scale Shot boosts Garchomp's Speed, allowing it to revenge kill faster threats such as Tapu Koko, but it drops Garchomp's Defense and makes it vulnerable to priority attacks such as Rillaboom's Grassy Glide and Bisharp's Sucker Punch. Stone Edge targets Flying-types such as Zapdos, Galarian Moltres, Mantine, and Mandibuzz. Fire Fang hits Grass- and Steel-types such as Tapu Bulu, Ferrothorn, and Celesteela; the latter two are not phased by Garchomp's other attacks. Life Orb allows Garchomp to be a stronger wallbreaker and gives it crucial rolls such as OHKOing bulky Tapu Fini with Swords Dance-boosted Earthquake. Alternatively, Lum Berry can be used to give Garchomp a safer chance to set up against status users such as Blissey, Amoonguss, and Toxapex. Rough Skin allows Garchomp to better handle physical threats such as Urshifu-R. Hippowdon provides residual damage chip on foes such as Tapu Fini and Tapu Bulu with Stealth Rock and sand and makes it easier for Garchomp to break through them. Excadrill benefits from Hippowdon's sand thanks to Sand Rush and can aid Garchomp by revenge killing Ice-, Fairy-, and Dragon-types such as Alolan Ninetales and Choice Scarf Tapu Lele and clearing entry hazards. Garchomp and Excadrill also benefit from each other breaking down shared checks such as Slowbro and Mandibuzz, allowing the other an easier time sweeping. Gastrodon and Seismitoad offer Garchomp a Water immunity. Gastrodon is the more sustainable option, as it provides a more consistent switch-in to threats such as Barraskewda due to it having reliable recovery, while Seismitoad can deal with threats like Belly Drum Azumarill. Choice Scarf Landorus-T can revenge kill threats such as Dragapult and Tapu Koko, while Gravity Landorus-T allows both itself and Garchomp to check Celesteela, Skarmory, and Corviknight without relying on Fire Fang. Mamoswine takes on Flying-, Dragon-, and Grass-types such as Landorus-T, Latios, and Amoonguss with its powerful Ice-type attacks while also being able to revenge kill Pokemon such as Dragapult for Garchomp. Additionally, Mamoswine can remove items such as Slowbro's Heavy-Duty Boots and Tapu Lele's Choice Scarf, opening up avenues Garchomp to beat them. Nidoking can help Garchomp take on the Steel and Flying matchups, hitting all Steel-types with Earth Power + Flamethrower and all Flying-types with BoltBeam coverage, and take pressure off it. Nidoking can break through Pokemon such as Celesteela, Corviknight, and Skarmory for Garchomp; in return, Garchomp can break past special walls such as Blissey. Choice Scarf Krookodile helps in the Ghost and Psychic matchups, allowing Garchomp to become more threatening by removing faster threats such as Spectrier, Dragapult, Latias, and Alakazam.

Garchomp is a dangerous setup sweeper with a better Speed stat under its belt. Swords Dance allows it to break past sturdy walls such as Corviknight and Landorus-T. Earthquake is strong and reliable, threatening common Pokemon such as Heatran and Galarian Slowking. Scale Shot allows Garchomp to attack while further raising its Speed, making it more difficult to revenge kill. Fire Fang targets Grass-type foes that can handle Earthquake like Tangrowth and Ferrothorn, as well as others like Skarmory and Corviknight, providing perfect neutral coverage alongside Earthquake and Scale Shot. Stone Edge can be used instead to heavily damage Yveltal, Mandibuzz, and Ho-Oh, with the former two heavily threatening Garchomp with Foul Play and the latter with a burn from Sacred Fire. Leftovers provides longevity as Garchomp sets up. Garchomp best fits on bulky offense teams as a late-game sweeper or hyper offense ones as a wallbreaker. A Speed donation from Zamazenta, Pheromosa, or Mewtwo helps it force more offensive Pokemon out such as Zygarde-10% and Noivern, allowing it to get a Swords Dance up more easily. Entry hazards, like Ferrothorn's Spikes and Heatran's Stealth Rock, compound damage throughout the game, putting Pokemon like Buzzwole and Slowking in Garchomp's KO range late-game. Magnezone can trap and eliminate Corviknight and Skarmory, making it a great partner. Special attackers that invite Heatran and Galarian Slowking in, especially those with a pivot move like Tapu Koko or Tornadus-T, are also great options. Pokemon such as Weavile and Kartana work with Garchomp to overwhelm shared checks, allowing one to sweep. The latter can also break past physically defensive Unaware walls like Clefable and Quagsire, which Garchomp can't get past. Dual screens support from the likes of Alolan Ninetales and Grimmsnarl helps Garchomp set up safely and remedies its Defense drop from Scale Shot. Scale Shot's inconsistency can make bulky Flying-type Pokemon, namely Ho-Oh and Landorus-T, troublesome, making teammates that can take advantage of them like Urshifu-R and Cloyster valuable. Psychic Surge from Tapu Lele can prevent priority attacks like Weavile's Ice Shard from exploiting Scale Shot's Defense drop.

Garchomp compresses Stealth Rock while being a solid check to the likes of Mega Lopunny and Volcarona, as well as forcing a lot of chip damage onto Pokemon such as Mega Lopunny and Mega Scizor with Rough Skin and Rocky Helmet. The HP investment also makes it solid at blocking Volt Switch. However, Garchomp's lack of reliable recovery and its susceptibility to chip damage make it unreliable in the long term, and it can easily be overwhelmed. Earthquake is Garchomp's best STAB option, allowing it to force out the likes of Heatran, Magnezone, and Tapu Koko effectively. Stomping Tantrum can also be run in place of Earthquake on teams that have Grassy Terrain, as its damage isn’t halved, although it is much weaker overall. Toxic lets Garchomp punish common switch-ins such as Landorus, Zapdos, Tangrowth, Slowbro, and Rotom-W, putting them on a timer. Dragon Tail lets Garchomp chip and wear down the likes of Corviknight, Gliscor, and the aforementioned Zapdos while dissuading setup attempts from Pokemon such as Volcarona, Gliscor, Gyarados, and Hawlucha. However, Flamethrower allows Garchomp to immediately chunk Mega Scizor and KO Kartana, letting it check it the former effectively when healthy while forcing out the latter. Flamethrower also surprises and heavily dents Skarmory and Tangrowth, which switch into other Garchomp sets well. The given EV spread allows Garchomp to outspeed offensive Heatran, while increasing its physical bulk lets it check Pokemon like Mega Lopunny better. Garchomp fills the role of a defensive pivot on bulky offense and offense teams, compressing a short-term check to Tapu Koko, Heatran, and Mega Lopunny in one Pokemon. Due to its glaring weaknesses to Ice and Fairy, Steel-types such as Mega Scizor, Ferrothorn, Melmetal, and Heatran pair amazingly well with it, checking the likes of Weavile, Kyurem, and Tapu Lele. In return, Garchomp pivots into Mega Lopunny and opposing Heatran, which force the aforementioned Steel-types out. Garchomp running Stealth Rock gives Heatran a free moveslot or vice versa. Physical attackers such as Mega Lopunny, Weavile, and Kartana are amazing teammates alongside it, as they appreciate their shared checks in Skarmory and Tangrowth being worn down. If you want to add Urshifu-R and Galarian Zapdos as well, you can. Spikes from Pokemon such as Greninja and the aforementioned Ferrothorn is exceptional alongside chip damage from Rocky Helmet and Rough Skin, and it synergizes extremely well with Dragon Tail variants.

Due to its colossal Attack stat, good bulk, typing, and solid coverage Mega Garchomp has established itself as a dangerous wallbreaker. Swords Dance boosts Mega Garchomp’s already immensely high Attack stat to allow it to break through the likes of Landorus-T, Slowbro, and Gliscor. Scale Shot is not only a decent multi-hit Dragon-type attack, but the Speed boost it confers means Mega Garchomp outspeeds the likes of Greninja, Zeraora, and Mega Lopunny. Fire Fang breaks through defensive threats such as Corviknight, Tangrowth, and Skarmory, though Fire Blast takes better advantage of the latter two’s lackluster Special Defense stats. However, the latter is not boosted by Swords Dance, is unable to reliably break through the likes of Tapu Bulu and Corviknight, and forces Mega Garchomp to sacrifice its bulk by running a Naive nature. This leaves it vulnerable to specially offensive threats such as Ash-Greninja, Volcarona, and Heatran. An Adamant nature offers more power against the likes of Pyukumuku, Quagsire, and Rotom-W, but Mega Garchomp is then more easily revenge killed by faster threats like Choice Scarf Landorus-T and Excadrill. Mega Garchomp tends to fit best on offensive teams with teammates that clean up after it has broken holes through the opposing team such as Kartana, Hawlucha, and Weavile. Mega Garchomp's weakness to Ice-type attacks makes Water- and Steel-types such as Tapu Fini and Jirachi, respectively, good partners, although the former weakens Mega Garchomp's Scale Shot due to Misty Terrain. Mega Garchomp struggles in a similar fashion against opposing Fairy-types such as Clefable and Tapu Bulu who are able to pivot into Scale Shot and prevent it from boosting its Speed. Running partners that can deal with these threats, such as Bisharp and Gengar, makes for good synergy. Volcarona switches into Ice- and Fairy-type attacks directed towards Mega Garchomp, which creates opportunity for it to set up. In return, Mega Garchomp beats common Volcarona checks such as Toxapex, Blissey, and Heatran. It also fuctions amazingly in tandem with dual screens support from the likes of Serperior, Tapu Koko, and Grimmsnarl, giving it plenty of opportunity to set up.

Because of its stellar Attack, good STAB combination and coverage moves, solid Speed tier, and above average bulk, Garchomp is one of the premier offensive Stealth Rock setters and wallbreakers in the tier. It also has some solid defensive utility with its typing, letting it provide an Electric immunity and check common Pokemon like Heatran and non-Hidden Power Zapdos. Swords Dance allows Garchomp to beat a lot of common Defoggers like Zapdos, Corviknight, Landorus-T, and Gliscor, allowing it to easily keep Stealth Rock up. Rockium Z with Stone Edge gives Garchomp a strong Rock-type move to beat Defoggers like Zapdos and Corviknight. Alternatively, Dragonium Z with Outrage allows Garchomp to deliver a harder hit on physically defensive Pokemon like Landorus-T, Tangrowth, and Slowbro, and it can also catch a Mega Latias expecting a Stone Edge off guard. However, having a much worse matchup against Corviknight and Skarmory and the lack of a spammable STAB move once Devastating Drake has been used, make Dragonium Z an inferior option overall. Rough Skin is the preferred ability on most sets, as it punishes physical attackers like Mega Scizor, Rillaboom, Mega Medicham, and Hawlucha. Due to its role as both a wallbreaker and Stealth Rock setter, Garchomp fits best on offensive teams, where it can be paired up with teammates that enjoy its ability to break down or threaten out bulkier Pokemon like Toxapex, Zapdos, and Blissey. Pokemon such as Tapu Koko, Ash-Greninja, Mega Lopunny, Mega Mawile, and Mega Medicham make for stellar teammates, as they benefit from its ability to break down defensive foes like Zapdos, Slowbro, and Corviknight. The former three can also bring Garchomp in safely on defensive Pokemon, allowing it to set up Stealth Rock or use Swords Dance easily. Garchomp is very easily forced out by faster offensive Pokemon such as Ash-Greninja, Weavile, Kartana, and Tapu Koko, so Pokemon that can deal with them, like Tapu Fini, Ferrothorn, Corviknight, and Gastrodon make for solid teammates. Tapu Fini is an especially good partner for non-Outrage sets, as Misty Terrain can let Garchomp freely switch into bulky Water-types like Toxapex, Slowbro, and Slowking without fearing a Scald burn. Due to it beating many of the common Defoggers in the tier, Garchomp pairs well with Spikes users like Ash-Greninja and Ferrothorn, as it can threaten opposing Defoggers and keep Spikes on the field. It also has some very good defensive utility, being able to check Pokemon like Heatran, Zapdos, Volcarona, and Victini.

Thanks to its great bulk and good typing, Garchomp can act as a blanket check to many common special attackers in AAA. With Regenerator, it is able to consistently switch into various Pokemon, such as Zapdos, Heatran, and Volcarona, and threaten them with its powerful attacks. Earthquake OHKOes Heatran and Tapu Koko and also deals consistent damage to defensive Pokemon, such as Jirachi and Blissey. Stone Edge allows Garchomp to OHKO Volcarona and threaten Flying-types, such as Zapdos, Mandibuzz, and Talonflame, that are immune to Earthquake. Swords Dance pressures bulkier teams, as Garchomp can set up on the switches it forces and, at +2, can beat defensive stalwarts like Ferrothorn and Tapu Fini that would otherwise check it. Stealth Rock is usually used in the last moveslot since common Defoggers, such as Corviknight and Tapu Fini, cannot OHKO Garchomp. Toxic is another option to punish would-be answers such as Unaware Mandibuzz and Dauntless Shield Hippowdon or just to wear down soft checks, such as Tapu Fini and Swampert. Lastly, Substitute can be used to capitalize on Garchomp's excellent bulk and freely set up on passive foes, such as Swampert and Corviknight, that would like to pivot out or to avoid status from various defensive Pokemon, such as Dauntless Shield Mew, Swampert, and Tapu Fini. The given Speed EVs allow Garchomp to outspeed Xurkitree and Modest Tapu Lele while maximizing its special bulk in order to reliably come in on Zapdos and Volcarona. Garchomp fits best on balance teams that appreciate its ability to soft check various special attackers with its numerous resistances, notably Heatran, Volcarona, and Zapdos. Particularly, Pokemon that are threatened by Zapdos and Heatran, such as Corviknight and Jirachi, are good partners. In return, they can check Fairy- and Dragon-types, such as Tapu Lele and Latios, that threaten Garchomp. Despite being a soft check to numerous threats, Garchomp is limited by its lack of reliable recovery outside of Regenerator, so secondary switch-ins to threats like Zapdos and Cinderace are useful. As such, it appreciates teammates like Jirachi and Primordial Sea users, such as Zapdos and Barraskewda, to help deal with powerful Fire- and Electric-type attacks. Garchomp also appreciates entry hazard removers, such as Corviknight, in order to maintain Regenerator's utility. Lastly, Garchomp appreciates partners that can wear down or threaten Intimidate Corviknight and Dauntless Shield Mew, so partners like Terrakion and Talonflame are appreciated.

Offensive Garchomp utilizes Regenerator to come in multiple times per game to wallbreak while not being bothered by Life Orb recoil. With Life Orb, Garchomp's attacks are extremely powerful and able to 2HKO defensive staples of the metagame, such as Tapu Fini, Swampert, and Ferrothorn, after entry hazard damage; Garchomp's wallbreaking ability is only further augmented by Swords Dance. Scale Shot is a good Dragon-type STAB move that can break through Flying-types, such as Landorus-T and Zapdos, while boosting Garchomp's Speed, making it very hard to revenge kill without priority moves. Stone Edge is another option to hit Tapu Bulu and Flying-types without lowering its Defense. Stealth Rock capitalizes on the switches Garchomp forces as well as its ability to heavily damage most Defoggers with its coverage. Fire Fang and Stone Edge are also viable options to hit Corviknight and Tapu Bulu better, especially in conjunction with Swords Dance. An Adamant nature is preferred to maximize damage rolls on Tapu Fini and Swampert, but a Jolly nature can be used to outspeed Pokemon with base 100 Speed, such as Zapdos. A bulkier spread with 156 EVs in Speed and the rest in HP or Special Defense can also be used to allow Garchomp to take hits from threats like Heatran and Zapdos better while still outspeeding Timid Heatran. Offensive Regenerator Garchomp fits best on bulky offense teams that appreciate its wallbreaking power and ability to switch in several times throughout a game. Pokemon that appreciate its ability to threaten Heatran and Tapu Fini, such as Tapu Koko and Barraskewda, are good partners. Fast, specially offensive pivots, such as Tapu Koko and Azelf, can bring Garchomp in on special walls, such as Blissey or RegenVest Jirachi. If Garchomp is not carrying Stealth Rock, entry hazards setters, such as Swampert and Ferrothorn, are good partners to wear down Garchomp's answers. It also appreciates entry hazards removers, such as Tapu Fini, to maximize the health given by Regenerator. Pokemon that can wear down Corviknight and Dauntless Shield Mew, such as Barraskewda and Zarude, are also good teammates. However, you need to be careful when pairing Garchomp with Zarude, as Grassy Terrain reduces Earthquake's power. Due to Garchomp's weakness to Fairy- and Dragon-types, Steel-types are often good teammates in order to check the likes of Tapu Lele, Togekiss, and Latios; accordingly, RegenVest Jirachi and Heatran make good partners. Since Garchomp is not particularly fast without Scale Shot's Speed boost, fast pivots, such as Scarf Azelf and Barraskewda, are appreciated to pressure faster foes.

Garchomp's Speed tier makes it good choice for revenge killing with Choice Scarf. Outrage may be a risky STAB due to locking Garchomp in, but outspeeding and slamming slower Dragon-types such as Salamence with it is extremely valuable. Rock Tomb may be weak, but it allows Garchomp to sacrifice itself for Speed control against Max Airstream sweepers. Stone Edge and Rock Slide are more powerful alternatives, especially if Garchomp is forced to Dynamax. Iron Head doesn't hit Mimikyu that much harder than Earthquake, but when Garchomp is forced to Dynamax, the Defense boost from Max Steelspike is very useful.

Garchomp's good bulk, power, and Speed make it a reasonable option for setting up Stealth Rock. Rock Tomb provides Speed control for the team, which is especially valauble against Max Airstream users like Zapdos and Galarian Moltres. If using Swords Dance, consider Scale Shot instead to increase Garchomp's chances of cleaning late-game. Outrage is a risky, but powerful STAB for Garchomp to use. Focus Sash gives Garchomp the best chance of setting up Stealth Rock.

With a unique Speed tier and good coverage, Garchomp is a solid choice as a sweeper. Scale Shot doesn't deal the most consistent damage, but the Speed boost makes Garchomp harder to revenge kill, and it still becomes a strong Max Wyrmwind while Dynamaxed. Fire Fang may be weak, but after a Swords Dance boost, it's Garchomp's best option against Celesteela, especially if Garchomp Dynamaxes. Items Focus Sash lets Garchomp set up Swords Dance more consistently, though it doesn't protect it from Icicle Spear from the likes of Glastrier and Mamoswine. Lum Berry protects Garchomp from status, so Yawn and Will-O-Wisp won't stop its sweep. Life Orb's power boost is very valuable when Garchomp Dynamaxes, and makes it less reliant on setting up Swords Dance to sweep.

Moves Outrage is Garchomp's most powerful STAB move, hitting Dragon-types such as offensive Mega Charizard X, Zygarde-C, and Kommo-o super effectively and dealing massive damage to Pokemon that do not resist it. It also has a minimal opportunity cost, as in most favorable matchups, Garchomp's raw power means the foe will be KOed before Garchomp gets confused. Earthquake's super effective coverage allows it to KO Pokemon like non-Ice Punch Mega Metagross, Excadrill, and non-Reversal Mega Blaziken. Poison Jab hits Fairy- and Grass-types super effectively, letting Garchomp OHKO Whimsicott, Tapu Bulu, and offensive Mega Gardevoir. Fire Fang lets it KO other Steel-types that are not hit super effectively by Earthquake such as Genesect, Ferrothorn, Celesteela, and Mega Scizor. Alternatively, Stone Edge gives Garchomp EdgeQuake coverage, which few Pokemon resist. Stone Edge can also be used against predicted bulky Mega Charizard X that may not decide to Mega Evolve, and it also OHKOes offensive Mega Charizard X regardless if it Mega Evolves or not. Fling can be used to defeat Air Balloon Heatran and Magnezone. Set Details 252 Speed EVs with a Jolly nature let Garchomp outspeed as many Pokemon as possible, including non-Choice Scarf base 100 Speed Pokemon and below such as Charizard, Landorus, Mega Gardevoir, and non-Choice Scarf Genesect. 252 Attack EVs with Choice Band allow Garchomp to hit as hard as possible, letting it KO Mega Charizard X, Mega Charizard Y, standard Magearna, and Aegislash. It also gives Choice Band the best possible odds against offensive Dragonite. Rough Skin is the ability of choice to hurt physical attackers that use contact moves, which makes Earthquake a guaranteed OHKO against non-Ice Punch Mega Metagross. Usage Tips Avoid sending it against most Sturdy Pokemon like Donphan, Mega Slowbro, and Mega Aggron, as they are able to knock Garchomp out with Counter. Physically defensive Pokemon hit neutrally by Garchomp like Mega Slowbro and Type: Null should also be avoided, who can PP stall Garchomp. Some Sturdy Pokemon can be beaten, however, most notably Electrium Z Magneton and Magnezone, as well as Crustle. Use Fire Fang over Outrage when facing Crustle, as the opponent may predict Garchomp to use Outrage and OHKO Garchomp with Counter. Fire Fang along with Rough Skin damage from Counter is a reliable 3HKO. Team Options Powerful special wallbreakers like Normalium Z Porygon-Z and Choice Specs Greninja are great teammates for Garchomp, as they can defeat physically defensive Pokemon like Mega Slowbro and Mega Blastoise, which Garchomp struggles against. Choice Scarf Porygon-Z can also check Mega Lopunny and Jumpluff for Garchomp. Pokemon that are able to defeat the prominent Mega Gyarados such as bulky Mega Charizard Y and Mega Venusaur are necessary and pair up well with Garchomp, as Mega Gyarados is able to KO it with Outrage after boosting its Attack. Mega Gyarados itself emerges as another great teammate for Garchomp, as it is capable of defeating Sturdy Pokemon and other Pokemon that Garchomp is not able to defeat like Mega Aggron, Dragonite, and Donphan. Garchomp has great synergy with Mega Venusaur, since Mega Venusaur beats Mega Gyarados, Donphan, Magnezone, Mega Altaria, and Mega Slowbro, which defeat Garchomp, while Garchomp can check the Pokemon that defeat Mega Venusaur such as Mega Charizard X, Mega Charizard Y, Mega Pinsir, and non-Ice Punch Mega Metagross. Aegislash and Genesect can be paired with Garchomp to scare off the abundant Fairy-types such as bulky Mega Mawile, Mega Altaria, and Choice Scarf Tapu Lele, which can be problematic for Garchomp. Arm Thrust Mega Heracross can defeat Mega Gyarados, Mega Slowbro, and all Sturdy Pokemon, which Garchomp appreciates.

Moves Swords Dance makes Tectonic Rage even more powerful against Pokemon like Mega Venusaur and Chansey. Earthquake lets Garchomp defeat Aegislash, non-Reversal Mega Blaziken, and Excadrill. With Tectonic Rage, Garchomp can also defeat defensive Mega Metagross as well as the faster variant without Ice Punch, Mega Mawile, Magearna, and Curse Mega Aggron. Rock Tomb's speed control lets Garchomp defeat Mega Charizard X if it doesn't Mega Evolve in order to avoid super effective damage, as well as beating Pokemon 4x weak to Rock-type moves, such as Mega Charizard Y and Volcarona. Substitute helps in scouting for moves, blocking status moves like Sleep Powder from Mega Venusaur and Charm from Chansey, taking Z-Moves like Tectonic Rage from Golem and rechargeable moves from Mega Blastoise and Meloetta, and blocking Counter from Sawk, Crustle, and Chansey. Set Details 252 Attack EVs and maximum Speed investment with a Jolly nature allow Garchomp to hit as hard as possible while outspeeding as many Pokemon as possible, including Mega Charizard X, Mega Charizard Y, and Mega Gardevoir. This specifically gives Garchomp the best odds at KOing bulky Tapu Lele. Groundium Z upgrades Earthquake into a devastating 180-Base Power Tectonic Rage. Rough Skin provides chip damage against contact move users. If desired, a spread of 176 Atk / 80 SpD / 252 Spe and a Jolly Nature can be run, in order to always live a Hidden Power Ice from Air Balloon Heatran and Magnezone, improving the matchups reliability, with the drop in Attack only affected bulky Tapu Lele and bulky Genesect's reliability. Usage Tips Garchomp is vulnerable to Sturdy Pokemon like Donphan, Pokemon with Ice-type attacks such as Porygon-Z and Greninja, and some of the faster Pokemon like Ice Punch Mega Lopunny or Ice Beam Greninja, so avoid sending it against them. Against Charizard, start with Substitute to block Counter or Outrage and scout for the Mega Evolution. Mega Charizard Y can be KOed with Rock Tomb. If it turns out to be Mega Charizard X and it Mega Evolves, KO it with Tectonic Rage. If Charizard does not Mega Evolve and uses Dragon Dance, use Rock Tomb until it breaks Garchomp's Substitute and then finish it off with Tectonic Rage. Team Options Powerful special attackers can help Garchomp with physically bulky Pokemon such as Mega Slowbro and Mega Gyarados. Mega Charizard Y with Flame Charge checks these Pokemon in addition to non-specially defensive Tapu Lele, Tapu Fini, and Greninja, which all threaten Garchomp. In return, Garchomp checks Meloetta, Chansey, Normalium Z Porygon-Z, offensive Tapu Lele, and Crustle. Curse Mega Aggron is a great team option for Garchomp, as it can defeat Tapu Lele, offensive Mega Metagross with Ice Punch, Mega Altaria, Greninja, Mega Lopunny, Mega Mawile, and some Sturdy Pokemon like Golem and Donphan while appreciating the positive matchup Garchomp has against bulky special attackers such as bulky Magearna and Aegislash. Sturdy Pokemon and Fairy-types also trouble Garchomp; Fairium Z Magearna defeats Sturdy Pokemon like Donphan and Golem and Fairy-types like Tapu Lele and Mega Altaria, and it can also beat Mega Gyarados and Porygon-Z. At the same time, Garchomp checks Mega Charizard X, Mega Charizard Y, Aegislash, Mega Venusaur, and Chansey, which can be troublesome for Magearna.

Moves Earthquake is Garchomp's primary STAB move, sporting a high Base Power and great super effective coverage. Dragon Claw can circumvent Wide Guard and threaten opposing Dragon-types. Fire Fang is an alternative for foes such as Kartana, particularly if you're worried about Tapu Fini's Misty Terrain. Poison Jab is used primarily to hit Fairy-types that threaten Garchomp and to hit Grass-types that resist Ground. Protect shields Garchomp for a turn, permitting an ally to eliminate a threat or switch to improve positioning. Set Details Groundium Z grants Garchomp a nuke capable of circumventing Wide Guard. Rough Skin is preferred due to consistently inflicting damage against contact attackers; particularly weaker hits. Sand Veil can be used when paired with Gigalith's Sand Stream, as this provides a means of reliably activating it. A 252 / 252 spread is fine on a Pokemon like Garchomp that aims to be as fast and hard-hitting as possible. Though, investing at least 76 SpD EVs is an option to survive Tapu Koko's Life Orb-boosted Hidden Power Ice. A Jolly nature is generally superior, but if you don't care about Garchomp Speed ties, Adamant offers more power. Usage Tips Garchomp generally serves as the offensive backbone to most teams, and will find itself bought to many matches. It's able to be relatively flexible with regards to timing. But bear in mind that leading with it risks a drop from Intimidate. Garchomp's good defensive stats and Rough Skin mean you shouldn't overly worry about taking hits to switch it in. Team Options Having at least one Flying-type such as Celesteela or Gyarados is a good idea so Garchomp can Earthquake freely. Celesteela along with other Steel-types like Kartana and Magnezone can additionally threaten Fairy-types. Magnezone, or other Electric-types like Tapu Koko and Alolan Raichu, can also beat Water-types and Celesteela. Fire-types such as Arcanine are another option for Celesteela, and can further threaten problematic Ice-types. Making use of Milotic to deter Intimidate can be useful to keep Garchomp's Attack unhindered by the opponent.

Moves Earthquake, being a strong spread move, serves as Garchomp's primary STAB move, with good coverage to boot. Dragon Claw is chosen as a reliable secondary STAB move that doesn't hit partners and isn't stopped by Wide Guard. Poison Jab hits Fairy-types hard, which Garchomp has a better chance to retaliate against thanks to Assault Vest. Fire Fang is used primarily for Kartana, but also helps deal with other Grass- and Steel-types like Celesteela. Rock Slide can be chosen if the above Pokemon are non-issues and complementing Earthquake is more valuable. Set Details Rough Skin is the standard ability, as the chip damage it inflicts is reliable and significant enough to aid KOing foes. However, you may opt to use Sand Veil instead if Garchomp is paired with Gigalith, making it more consistent. Assault Vest complements Garchomp's already good defensive stats by further boosting its Special Defense. The above, in combination with the EVs and nature, make Tapu Koko's Life Orb-boosted Dazzling Gleam a 3HKO. Usage Tips This set aims to be more of a pivot by taking advantage of good resistances and greater coverage from dropping Protect. For this reason, you'll generally want to keep Garchomp in the back, ready to switch in, rather than as a lead. Doing so also helps it avoid the Attack drops associated with Intimidate, as users of the ability are often led with. Don't be worried about taking big hits to get KOs, such as against Tapu Koko. It's what the set was designed for. While this set isn't restrained by a Choice item, still be cautious of using Earthquake into a potential Wide Guard. Team Options More than the other sets, this Garchomp enjoys partners that find a good balance between offense and defense. This is because frail attackers can't complete the kind of defensive cores that take advantage of this set's bulk. Flying-types such as Celesteela and Gyarados are nice partners, as Garchomp can Earthquake freely beside them. Celesteela, like other Steel-types such as Kartana and Magnezone, is also useful to threaten opposing Fairy-types. Electric-types like Tapu Koko and Alolan Raichu are useful to deal with threatening Water-types and Celesteela. Vikavolt joins the aforementioned, as its Levitate ability means Garchomp can Earthquake freely alongside it. Fire-types such as Arcanine provide another means for dealing with Celesteela, in addition to Ice-type Pokemon. Milotic is a consideration for providing a means of deterring opposing Intimidate from neutering Garchomp's Attack.

Moves Earthquake is the first, and most notable, of Garchomp's STAB moves by providing great coverage at high power. Dragon Claw can threaten opposing Dragon-types, more so than on other sets thanks to Choice Scarf. Poison Jab hits Fairy-types that threaten Garchomp super effectively as well as Grass-types that resist Ground. Rock Slide complements Earthquake's coverage and can easily flinch foes due to Garchomp's high Speed. Fire Fang provides an alternative for Steel-types such as Celesteela and Kartana, which can be problematic. Set Details Choice Scarf boosts Garchomp's Speed to new heights, outpacing threats such as Tapu Koko and Alolan Raichu. Rough Skin is the more consistent option over Sand Veil and inflicts chip damage to attackers that make contact. Sand Veil can be used over Rough Skin if sand can be reliably active thanks to an allied Gigalith's Sand Stream. The EVs are straightforward. An Adamant nature is used as the increased Speed from Jolly is now unneeded. One option, however, is to invest at least 76 SpD EVs to survive Tapu Koko's Life Orb-boosted Hidden Power Ice. Speed EVs can drop to just 220 to outpace Pheromosa, but matching opposing Garchomp is generally worthwhile. Usage Tips Garchomp is most effective when brought out mid-late game to finish weakened foes with its Speed. Don't be afraid to switch Garchomp into attacks, as Choice Scarf means foes will get fewer chances to follow up. This also presents a way to inflict chip damage on foes attempting weak contact attacks like Fake Out or Feint. Avoid locking Garchomp into Earthquake if it has no Flying-type allies, as it forces a switch the following turn. This set is especially vulnerable to Wide Guard, so ensure users of the move are a focus for Garchomp's partners. Team Options Flying-types such as Celesteela and Gyarados are good partners, as Garchomp can Earthquake freely beside them. Celesteela additionally joins other Steel-types such as Kartana and Magnezone in being able to threaten Fairy-types. Electric-types such as Tapu Koko and Alolan Raichu are great allies for threatening Water-types and Celesteela. Vikavolt is another great Electric-type teammate, as Levitate means Garchomp can Earthquake freely beside it. Fire-types such as Arcanine are another option for Celesteela, and, further, are a way of dealing with Ice-types. Milotic can be valuable as a way of deterring your opponent from investing heavily into Intimidate for Garchomp.

Moves Swords Dance allows Garchomp to raise its Attack stat, allowing it to blow past many Pokemon that are otherwise problematic for Ground, including Zapdos and Mega Venusaur. Earthquake is a powerful STAB move that is able to hit threats that don't resist it hard. Outrage, while a risky move by itself, is able to hit everything except Steel- and Fairy-types for neutral damage and hits most Flying-, Bug-, and Grass-types for neutral damage, unlike Earthquake. However, Outrage's main purpose is to allow Garchomp to fire off its powerful Devastating Drake, giving it extremely limited switch-ins after one use of Swords Dance and turning it into a deadly wallbreaker that is capable of breaking through the Chansey + Porygon2 core on Normal. Lastly, Fire Fang's main purpose is to allow +2 Garchomp to 2HKO Celesteela, OHKO Tapu Bulu after Stealth Rock damage, and OHKO Ferrothorn and Mega Scizor. Tapu Bulu is an especially noteworthy target, as it is a huge offensive threat to Ground teams. It is also worth mentioning that Fire Fang makes Garchomp hit the entire tier at least neutrally, maximizing its sweeping capabilities. Set Details The given EV spread maximizes Garchomp's Attack and Speed while also allowing Garchomp to survive Choice Scarf Tapu Bulu's Wood Hammer, letting Garchomp inflict two rounds of chip damage and giving it an opportunity to use Fire Fang. A Jolly nature is required, as it allows Garchomp to outspeed positive-natured base 90 Speed Pokemon and above. Dragonium Z allows Garchomp to fire off a powerful Dragon-type move without many drawbacks and break through many defensive Pokemon, including Suicune. Rough Skin enables Garchomp to deal chip damage when it is damaged by a contact move. This gives Garchomp the ability to wear down Rapid Spin users and attackers such as Tapu Bulu. Usage Tips Garchomp is best used early-game as a wallbreaker, allowing a teammate to sweep later with more ease. The player has to be wary about when to set up with Swords Dance, however. It is best to set up once all Fairy- and Steel-types have been KOed or worn down, as they can wear Garchomp down and waste its Z-Move. Faster revenge killers that can KO Garchomp such as Greninja and Mega Diancie should also be taken care of. Garchomp should set up against slower, more passive threats such as Staraptor and Armaldo, as its good natural bulk will give it a lot of opportunities to do so. This also goes well with Rough Skin inflicting useful chip damage on some of these Pokemon. Stealth Rock will give Garchomp an easier time with wallbreaking, as Garchomp naturally forces a lot of switches and Stealth Rock damage secures KO opportunities against Pokemon such as Suicune. Another thing to note is that it is important to be very selective when using Devastating Drake, as it is a one-time use move that resistant or immune Pokemon can take advantage of by simply switching in. Also, Garchomp should avoid getting poisoned or burned, as the former can wear it down throughout the game and the latter minimizes its usefulness. It is possible to use Garchomp as a late-game cleaner once all of its faster checks and defensive answers are weakened or fainted. Team Options Excadrill is a terrific teammate for Garchomp, as Garchomp can break down most defensive Pokemon and provide a switch-in to Fire-types, while Excadrill beats the pesky Fairy- and Ice-types that trouble Garchomp and discourage it from using its Dragon-type attacks. Sand also allows Excadrill to be a huge threat to more offensive teams, clearing the way for Garchomp to wallbreak. Hippowdon is a good Stealth Rock user that benefits Garchomp and the entire team with sand support, dealing chip damage to most Pokemon and giving the previously mentioned Excadrill a Speed boost. It's important to preserve Garchomp before setting up, so Hippowdon's ability to sponge many physical attacks is appreciated. Mamoswine is a good teammate that possesses a legitimate Ice resistance, giving Garchomp a switch-in to some of the Ice-type attacks it is so weak to such as Greninja's Ice Beam. Seismitoad can switch into the Scald users that threaten Garchomp and help beat some of the bulkier Ground- and Fairy-types that Garchomp may have trouble with, such as Hippowdon and Belly Drum Azumarill. Landorus and Garchomp form a deadly wallbreaking core that puts a large amount of pressure on balanced teams due to its combined coverage and sheer wallbreaking power. Dugtrio is a good team option that can effectively trap threats such as Tapu Bulu and other fast Pokemon that prevent Garchomp from setting up. Lastly, Gastrodon offers a useful Water immunity while walling Mega Diancie, which can otherwise outspeed and KO Garchomp. Toxic support from it can also gradually wear down walls that can take on Garchomp.

Moves Draco Meteor is Mega Garchomp's main STAB move, allowing Mega Garchomp to dent many Pokemon that don't resist it and outright OHKO frailer Pokemon. Earthquake is the secondary STAB move of choice, as it allows Garchomp to have physically offensive presence using its naturally great Attack and hits very hard even without investment. Fire Blast offers great coverage that primarily hits Skarmory. It also allows Garchomp to threaten Ferrothorn and Mega Scizor, which otherwise wall it. Finally, Stone Edge completes coverage and allows Mega Garchomp to nail Flying-types such as Zapdos and Mega Charizard Y. Set Details Maximum Special Attack and Speed are used to capitalize on Mega Garchomp's mixed wallbreaking potential. A Naive nature is chosen in order for Mega Garchomp to hit the highest Speed tier possible without lowering its Attack. In addition, being Naive allows Garchomp to always survive an Aqua Jet from +6 Azumarill after Stealth Rock, though it also gives Assault Vest Celesteela a chance to OHKO it with entry hazard support. Garchompite is required for Garchomp to Mega Evolve. Rough Skin is the preferred ability before Mega Evolving, as Garchomp may get some useful chip damage while switching in on attacks. Sand Force boosts the power of Earthquake and Stone Edge in sand, something Garchomp appreciates due to most Ground teams utilizing Hippowdon. Usage Tips Mega Garchomp is used best as an early-game wallbreaker under sand, as Hippowdon's Sand Stream will allow it to eliminate threats that may impede a faster Pokemon like Excadrill from sweeping late-game. Stealth Rock should be on the field early in the game, as the offensive pressure Mega Garchomp places on teams will also force a lot of switches, helping it rack up Stealth Rock and sand damage. Take advantage of Mega Garchomp's great bulk, as it can switch comfortably into weaker attacks such as Giga Drain from Mega Venusaur. However, while its bulk is great, Mega Garchomp lacks any kind of recovery, so it is not recommended to play recklessly with it. Mega Garchomp can be stalled by many walls due to Draco Meteor lowering Special Attack; because of this, Mega Garchomp can find some difficulty breaking through physical walls. Also, Mega Garchomp should be preserved in certain matchups such as Flying and Grass, as it becomes an important wincon against threats that can otherwise trouble the team. Mega Garchomp should avoid being inflicted with status as much as it can, since a burn can reduce its Attack stat and Toxic poison gradually wears it down. The player should not necessarily Mega Evolve Garchomp instantly, as Garchomp's Speed before Mega Evolving will allow it to outspeed Pokemon like those with base 100 Speed, Hydreigon, and Kyurem-B. However, Mega Evolving does give Garchomp much-improved bulk. Lastly, Mega Garchomp can bait the likes of Ferrothorn and Skarmory by not Mega Evolving immediately and not revealing Fire Blast. Team Options Excadrill forms a deadly sand core with Mega Garchomp, as Excadrill can easily take care of faster threats and double as a solid physical wallbreaker while Mega Garchomp can break through Skarmory and similar threats. Sand support from Hippowdon is also vital for Mega Garchomp, as it boosts the power of Earthquake and Stone Edge, allowing Mega Garchomp to more easily check Mega Venusaur and other such Pokemon. Dugtrio is a good teammate for Mega Garchomp. Between the two, they can consistently trap and eliminate Tapu Bulu, one of the biggest threats to Ground, thanks to Mega Garchomp’s Fire Blast and Dugtrio’s Sludge Wave. Landorus-T can pressure some of Mega Garchomp's switch-ins such as Mega Venusaur and additionally put pressure on more offensive teams due to its setup options in Swords Dance and Rock Polish. Mamoswine brings an Ice resistance that allows it to take on Greninja and other users of Ice-type moves that threaten Garchomp. Gastrodon is a great teammate that can wear down bulkier Pokemon such as Zapdos and Porygon2 with Toxic as well as offer a legitimate Water immunity, something the entire team appreciates. It is the preferred Water-immune Pokemon, as Seismitoad isn't needed to check Azumarill since Mega Garchomp takes a +6 Aqua Jet from it. Knock Off support is also appreciated in order to negate Leftovers recovery and remove Eviolite from Pokemon such as Porygon2. Landorus is another great teammate that can put a large amount of pressure on balanced teams in combination with Mega Garchomp. Additionally, Landorus can offer Gravity support to help Mega Garchomp with threats like Celesteela and Zapdos. Finally, Gliscor is a solid stallbreaker that can wear down many of Mega Garchomp's checks thanks to utility options such as Taunt and Toxic.

Moves Stealth Rock damages foes upon entry and is incredibly useful for weakening threatening Ice-types such as Weavile and Kyurem-B. Earthquake is Garchomp's best Ground-type STAB move and hits problematic Steel- and Poison-types such as Heatran, Jirachi, and Toxapex for super effective damage. Outrage is Garchomp's primary Dragon-type STAB move and most powerful move that really is meant to deal damage to Pokemon that are immune to or resist Ground such as Tornadus-T and Breloom. Alternatively, Toxic is an option against physically defensive foes or Defoggers such as Slowbro, Mantine, and Zapdos as a pressure tool, putting them on a timer. Fire Blast is used against Steel-types that are not weak to Earthquake, such as Celesteela and Ferrothorn. Set Details Maximum Speed and Attack EVs as well as a Naive nature allow Garchomp to hit as hard and as fast as possible, outspeeding threats such as Mega Charizard X and Landorus. Rough Skin enables Garchomp to slightly damage any foe that makes physical contact with it. Focus Sash allows Garchomp to take any hit from full health and is especially useful to let it threaten to KO Mega Diancie and Latios when completely healthy and guarantee setting Stealth Rock. Usage Tips This Garchomp set acts as the lead for many Dragon teams, as its main purpose is to set Stealth Rock to allow teammates like Dragonite and Kyurem-B to break down the vast majority of the metagame. Because of this role, Garchomp is quite expendable once Stealth Rock is safely on the field. However, keep Garchomp healthy against Steel teams, as its Ground- and Fire-type coverage can break down many bulky foes such as Heatran, Mega Scizor, and Ferrothorn. Avoid residual damage from entry hazards and status conditions, as they both break Garchomp's Focus Sash and allow foes such as Latios and Keldeo to OHKO it. While Garchomp acts as a lead, it can still effectively damage the foe. To deal more damage to the opponent once Stealth Rock is set, avoid being burned, as it inhibits Garchomp's damage output. Celesteela and Gliscor in particular are the two greatest pivots into anything Garchomp can do despite it having coverage for the former, so it's ideal to switch in Kyurem-B in anticipation of either foe switching in. In turn, this will consistently apply pressure to the opponent, forcing many switches while still keeping offensive momentum. Team Options Choice Scarf Latios acts as both a revenge killer and Defog user for Garchomp and can check certain foes that would otherwise threaten Garchomp, such as Keldeo and Nihilego. Kyurem-B has arguably the best BoltBeam coverage in the metagame, which pairs amazingly with Garchomp's Stealth Rock to blast through Flying teams. In return, Garchomp soft checks Steel-types that threaten Kyurem-B, such as Scizor and Ferrothorn. Mega Latias is a setup sweeper that appreciates Stealth Rock chipping down foes throughout the battle. It utilizes its insane bulk, Calm Mind, and Refresh to break down incredibly strong walls like Porygon2 and Mantine that Garchomp can't do much against without Toxic. Mega Altaria is another setup sweeper that can use Dragon Dance and Refresh to break down bulky pivots in Mega Sableye and Zapdos, as well as checking opposing Dragon-types in Mega Latias and Dragonite. Choice Band Dragonite is a powerful physical wallbreaker that can break down defensive walls such as Toxapex and Gliscor. Additionally, Dragonite's access to Extreme Speed is important for revenge killing faster threats like Choice Scarf Greninja and Weavile that would threaten Garchomp immensely. Kommo-o is a mixed setup sweeper that utilizes Kommonium Z to fire off a powerful attack against the foe while also boosting all of its stats, helping to break defensive pivots like Mega Venusaur and Mandibuzz. Together, Garchomp and Kommo-o create a Steel-breaking core through the combination of their coverage. Choice Scarf Hydreigon is a lesser-used team's way of keeping faster foes in check, but it has the ability to scare off Psychic-types that can wall Garchomp, such as Mew and Reuniclus. Its access to U-turn also allows Dragon teams to keep up offensive momentum.

Choice Scarf makes Garchomp into an excellent revenge killer, letting it outspeed and KO prominent boosting threats such as Mega Charizard X, Volcarona, and Dragonite. It also outspeeds naturally fast 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 most reliable STAB, though it should be used sparingly if Flying-types and Levitate Pokemon are still around. Outrage is Garchomp's most powerful STAB attack. It's great for cleaning up weakened teams late-game, but is risky early-game due to Fairy- and Steel-types taking advantage of Garchomp getting locked in. Rock Slide does good damage to Flying-types and has a shot at flinching, while Poison 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, whose Focus Sash and Multiscale, respectively, allow them to withstand Outrage. Fire Fang allows Choice Band Garchomp to bust through any Celesteela that don't heavily invest in Defense. However, it isn't very useful on a Choice Scarf set. This Garchomp has a harder time sweeping teams, so wall breakers are a good idea to carry.

This set'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 the ability to set up. Rock Tomb provides speed control support, while Rock Slide provides the same coverage and 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 most Fairy-types than Earthquake. Focus Sash allows Garchomp to survive one powerful hit, such as Porygon2's Ice Beam, when at full health. Dragonium Z lets Garchomp use the powerful Devastating Drake to bust through floating walls such as Porygon2, Cresselia, and Mega Slowbro. As a bonus, Outrage's Z-Move counterpart also does not lock Garchomp into the attack. Groundium Z is also a reasonable choice for facing bulky Fairy-types such as Tapu Fini and Azumarill. Yache Berry lets Garchomp survive almost any Ice-type attack (unless it's 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 damage. If the team is desperate to get past Steel-types like Celesteela, Firium Z with Fire Fang can be used. The resulting Inferno Overdrive also can put Aegislash into Earthquake KO range even if it uses King's Shield. You'll want some good wallbreakers, 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 Icicle Spear will OHKO Garchomp even if it's holding a Focus Sash or Yache Berry.

Set Description Iron Tail covers Mega Gardevoir, Togekiss, and Choice Specs Sylveon. Alternatively, Garchomp can use Poison Jab to beat Whimsicott and for its higher accuracy at the cost of worse Mega Gardevoir and Sylveon matchups due to its reduced power. Fire Fang can be ran to beat Steel-types that Earthquake doesn't like Mega Scizor, Ferrothorn, and Choice Specs Genesect. Fling allows Garchomp to take down Air Balloon Heatran and Custap Berry Magnezone. If using Swords Dance, Fling also allows Garchomp to beat Chansey, stall Manaphy, Registeel, and Mega Venusaur. Rough Skin is the preferred ability, since if both Pokemon are KOed on the same turn, the Garchomp user would win, which makes investing EVs for Garchomp much harder for physical foes and allows Garchomp to more reliably take down 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 Speed EVs and a Jolly nature let Garchomp outspeed up to base 101s, including non-Choice Scarf Pokemon like Mega Medicham, Mega Gardevoir, Volcarona, Genesect, and Landorus. An Adamant nature gives Garchomp a better chance against defensive variants of Meloetta, Counter Registeel, and defensive variants of Mega Mawile, but this makes Garchomp lose out on the aforementioned Jolly matchups, which is why it is largely outclassed. Strategy & Support Garchomp generally has very straightforward matchups, but be wary of sending it in if you know the opponent is going to choose Metal Burst Mega Mawile or Mega Aggron, as though Garchomp has a type advantage, both of them can take a hit and KO it back with Metal Burst. Watch out for Protect Mega Diancie, as it can outspeed and KO Garchomp before Garchomp can OHKO it with Earthquake. If Garchomp is using Fling and the opposing team has an Air Balloon Heatran, keep in mind that the opponent may be inclined to send Heatran out due to it being able to wall most Garchomp sets, allowing you to catch them off-guard. Using Fire Fang over Outrage against Crustle can give Garchomp a better chance to win against Counter variants due to the Rough Skin damage it gives them. Only give Garchomp Swords Dance if it already has Fling. 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 Pokemon like Manaphy, Mega Metagross, and Mega Gardevoir make good teammates. Garchomp, in return, can take down Victini, Aegislash, and, if running Fire Fang, Choice Specs Genesect for these teammates. 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 chosen coverage like Metal Burst Mega Mawile, Mega Altaria, and Custap Berry Sylveon. In return, Garchomp can take down opposing Heatran, Volcanion, and Volcarona. Garchomp's weakness to faster or adequately bulky Dragon-types like Choice Scarf Kyurem-B and Haban Berry Kyurem-B 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 Mega Metagross, Aegislash, Heatran if running Fling, and Mega Scizor if running Fire Fang.

Moves Garchomp is a durable and reliable setter of Stealth Rock, which accumulates useful chip damage on the opposing team. Earthquake is Garchomp's primary STAB option, dealing decent damage against neutral targets and helping Garchomp check foes such as Heatran and Mollux. Dragon Tail phazes common switch-ins to Garchomp, racking up even more chip damage on the opposing team when Stealth Rock is set up. Fire Blast provides coverage against Skarmory, Ferrothorn, and Mega Scizor. Toxic can be used instead to wear down various bulky switch-ins to Garchomp, such as Tomohawk, Arghonaut, and various Fairy-types. Endure can grant an extra turn of chip damage on the foe with Rough Skin and Rocky Helmet. Similarly, Rest can also provide extra opportunities to take advantage of Rough Skin and Rocky Helmet while also healing Garchomp and is a good option with Heal Bell or Aromatherapy support, but it has the drawback of potentially giving the opponent free turns. Set Details 100 Special Defense EVs are just enough to avoid the OHKO from Timid Life Orb Plasmanta's Hidden Power Ice and let Garchomp handle special attackers such as Aurumoth lacking an Ice-type attack, Keldeo, Mega Charizard Y, and Thundurus better. The remaining EVs and an Impish nature emphasize Garchomp's role as a physical tank. Rough Skin and Rocky Helmet are used to heavily punish users of contact moves such as Talonflame, Mega Beedrill, and Mega Scizor and discourage U-turn spam. Usage Tips Garchomp primarily functions as a bulky Stealth Rock setter. You can lead with it or use it as a pivot throughout the match to check physical attackers such as Talonflame and Mega Scizor. If your opponent's team contains several Pokemon that Garchomp can pivot into throughout the course of a match, preserve Garchomp to handle these threats and take full advantage of the combination of Rough Skin and Rocky Helmet. Once entry hazards have been set up, shuffle the opponent's team around with Dragon Tail. Keep in mind that it can be beneficial to preserve Garchomp even if it is at low health, as it can still deal a good chunk of damage to foes simply by switching into a contact move such as U-turn. Team Options Several offensive Pokemon such as Cawmodore, Aurumoth, Keldeo, and Mega Lopunny all appreciate Garchomp setting up Stealth Rock reliably as well as its ability to check Talonflame. Dark-types such as Colossoil, Tyranitar, and Mega Sharpedo attract users of contact moves such as Arghonaut, Revenankh, and Mega Scizor, so they appreciate Garchomp's ability to punish these Pokemon. Pokemon like Aurumoth and Celebi highly despise U-turn, so they can also benefit from having Garchomp as a partner. A Steel-type teammate such as Mega Metagross, Mega Scizor, or Kitsunoh is useful to handle the Fairy- and Ice-types that threaten Garchomp.

Moves Outrage is a very strong STAB option and a good tool for late-game cleaning. Earthquake provides great coverage alongside Outrage, dealing great damage to foes that aren't resistant or immune to the move. Dragon Claw may initially seem redundant alongside Outrage, but it provides Garchomp with a more reliable, albeit weaker, Dragon-type STAB move for revenge killing in situations where locking Garchomp into Outrage would be unfavorable. Garchomp's final moveslot admittedly doesn't see much use, as locking Garchomp into these moves can leave it easily taken advantage of the next turn, but the chosen move can be helpful in specific luring or revenge killing scenarios. Stone Edge handles Flying-types such as Togekiss and Zapdos, while Fire Blast hits Steel-types such as Ferrothorn, Mega Scizor, Cawmodore, and Skarmory. Set Details Maximum Speed investment, a positive nature, and a Choice Scarf ensure that Garchomp can outspeed and revenge kill threats such as +1 Mega Charizard X, +1 Naviathan, and +1 Aurumoth. A Jolly nature is preferred unless Fire Blast is being used, in which case Naive is the superior option. Maximum Attack investment gives Garchomp the highest offensive potential. Rough Skin can hurt opposing users of contact moves. Usage Tips Garchomp is best used as a mid-game revenge killer or a late-game cleaner thanks to its high Speed and great Attack. Being one of Garchomp's lesser-used sets, Choice Scarf can help Garchomp grab some unexpected KOs against normally faster threats such as Mega Diancie and Krilowatt. Always consider the advantages and disadvantages of Outrage and Dragon Claw when attacking with Garchomp. For example, don't lock Garchomp into Outrage if it could grant a dangerous foe such as Mega Altaria a free turn of setup. Team Options Garchomp needs teammates to handle physical walls, as it is unable to muscle past or wear down bulky foes such as Slowbro, Togekiss, Skarmory, Arghonaut, and Tomohawk on its own. Magnezone can reliably trap Skarmory and Ferrothorn to help facilitate a sweep for Garchomp. Strong wallbreakers such as Kyurem-B, Mega Gardevoir, Keldeo, Manaphy, and Aurumoth can help weaken the opposing team, as bulky Pokemon such as Landorus-T and Clefable could prove to be real issues for Garchomp otherwise.