[OVERVIEW]-------
* Mega Garchomp is an extremely threatening wallbreaker in the metagame because of its access to STAB Dragon- and Ground-type moves which can hit the metagame's many Dragon- and Steel-type walls, such as Giratina, Registeel, and Zygarde-C, supereffectively with its base 170 Attack.
* Mega Garchomp's unique base 92 Speed allows it to outspeed a unique pallet of offensive threats, including Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre, Mega Tyranitar, and Adamant Mega Blaziken, letting it serve as a decent check to them.
* Mega Garchomp has a respectable base 120 Special Attack, allowing it to run a mixed attacking lure set with Dragonium-Z to remove Zygarde-C and Giratina, which could check it otherwise with Prankster or Fur Coat.
* Respectable bulk lets it survive some fairly powerful neutral hits such as Regigigas +1 Facade and Mega Gengar's Spooky Plate Judgment.
* Bad defensive typing leaves it vulnerable to Ice-type coverage as well as common -ate attackers such as Mega-Diancie, Kyurem-B, and Mega Rayquaza.
* Faces competition from Primal Groudon, which can live longer, and has a lot more resistances like Mega Diancie. However, Mega Garchomp can easily break through Dragon-types that Primal Groudon has trouble against, and can run a diverse selection of abilities and items unlike Primal Groudon, which must run Red Orb.
* Mega Garchomp finds it difficult to hurt Pokemon on offensive teams, but excels against defensive ones, as many teams don't have a reliable switch-in to it.
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Thousand Arrows
move 2: Dragon Hammer
move 3: Precipice Blades / Bolt Strike
move 4: Sunsteel Strike / Trick / U-Turn
item: Choice Band
aBility: Adaptability
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 Spd / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Thousand Arrows is a reliable STAB move, with full accuracy and the ability to hit Flying-types such as Celesteela and Ho-Oh.
* Dragon Hammer hits Giratina and Zygarde-C for 2hKOs, but can be easily exploited by Fairy-types.
* Precipice Blades is a good deal more powerful than Thousand Arrows, 2hKOing Mega Audino without a Choice Band boost. It should always be ran on the Choice Scarf set to hit Mega Mewtwo Y and Kartana.
* Bolt Strike OHKOs Mega Slowbro and Tapu Fini and can OHKO Yveltal, but Thousand Arrows can 2hKO all of these targets as they switch in provided that they are not running Fur Coat.
* Sunsteel Strike can surprise Sturdy Shedinja, which walls the set otherwise.
* Trick can cripple a wall with a Choice item, but the loss in power or speed is noticeable.
* U-Turn lets Mega Garchomp pivot on predicted switches and chip at its switch-ins early game. It deals super effective damage against Mega Slowbro, a compulsive switch-in on many teams, usually forcing the Slowbro to recover next turn while giving its team momentum.
Set Details
=====
* A Jolly nature is vital to outspeed Pokemon such as Primal Groudon, Modest Kyurem-W, and Adamant Mega Blaziken.
* Adaptability makes Garchomp's STAB moves extremely difficult to switch into for defensive cores.
* Choice Band lets Mega Garchomp play as a wallbreaker, letting it achieve important damage benchmarks such as a KO on Registeel with Thousand Arrows, and a 2hKO on Mega Audino with Precipice Blades.
* Choice Scarf lets Garchomp work as a surprise revenge killer and cleaner. If holding a Choice Scarf, Adamant is an option, which still allows Mega Garchomp to outspeed up to Mega Mewtwo Y while being strong enough to revenge kill it after Stealth Rock damage with Precipice Blades. However, this set is sorely lacking in power, and must wait until defensive teams have been significantly weakened before it can clean up.
Usage Tips
====
* Bring Mega Garchomp in with a slow pivot move or a double switch on something that it can KO immediately such as Primal Groudon, a Steel-type, or a weakened Dragon-type. Do not blindly switch it in against defensive Pokemon, as moves such as Knock Off and Will-o-Wisp, can cripple it, while U-Turn will force it right back out. IN a similar vein, Garchomp should generally avoid facing a defensive Pokemon that can survive its attacks, as the retaliation will probably be crippling. Garchomp does most of its wallbreaking by hitting targets as they switch in.
* Mega Garchomp can also check some slower wallbreakers, such as Modest Choice Specs Kyurem-W locked into Boomburst or Choice Band Mega Tyranitar, after one of its teammates has been KOed.
* If you can't predict what will come in, Thousand Arrows or U-Turn are safe moves to choose because nothing is immune to them.
* Be wary of locking Mega Garchomp into Dragon Hammer, as Fairy-types such as Xerneas or Mega Diancie can take advantage of it to set up.
* If your opponent has Sturdy Shedinja and you are running Sunsteel Strike, you may want to wait to reveal it until your opponent believes that Shedinja is a safe switch in.
Team Options
=====
* teammates such as Fur Coat Giratina, Fur Coat Zygarde-C, Sturdy Shedinja, or Fur Coat Chansey are needed to imposter-proof the set.
* Garchomp is weak to most -ate users. Counters to common -ate attackers such as Soundproof Mega Slowbro, Prankster Registeel or Flash Fire Aegislash are useful to protect it from them.
* An Imposter or an Assault Vest user such as Dialga running Spectral Thief can help to scout the movesets of Special attackers for super-effective moves, and also works as a special setup and Contrary check.
* Z move Dialga is useful as it pressures checks such as Xerneas, Mega Slowbro and Mega Audino while also working as a countermeasure against Normalize Mega Gengar
* Entry Hazard setters such as Primal Groudon or Poison Heal Mega Mewtwo X prevent Sturdy Shedinja from switching in, and allow Mega Garchomp to get OHKOs or 2hKOs it would miss out on otherwise, especially the Scarf variant. Sticky Web is also extremely potent, preventing fast attackers such as Mega Mewtwo Y and Mega Gengar from checking the Choice Band set reliably, but is harder to fit on to teams.
* A special wallbreaker pairs nicely with Mega Garchomp to help weaken Pokemon that trouble Mega Garchomp, such as Fur Coat users. Mega Gengar, Aerilate Mega Rayquaza, and Mega Sceptile are good options. They can also run coverage moves to defeat Sturdy Shedinja
* Another check against setup sweepers, such as Prankster Aegislash or Prankster Crescelia, is useful since Mega Garchomp will be switching in and out often against the offensive teams that run them. Mega Mewtwo Y and Mega Sceptile are both very threatening to Mega Garchomp, and Prankster Crescelia is a solid switch-in check to both of them.
[SET]
name: Mixed Adaptability
move 1: Precipice Blades / Thousand Arrows
move 2: Dragon Hammer
move 3: Bolt Strike / Sunsteel Strike
move 4: Draco Meteor
item: Dragonium-Z
aBility: Adaptability
nature: Naive
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 Spd / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Precipice Blades is the strongest Ground-type STAB available, and though its accuracy is bad, it is required to do the most damage against targets such as Mega Slowbro that can avoid a 2hKO from Thousand Arrows after Stealth Rock damage.
* Thousand Arrows is a reliable STAB move, with full accuracy and the ability to hit Flying-types such as Celesteela and Ho-Oh.
* Dragon Hammer hits Giratina and Zygarde-C for 2hKOs, but can be easily exploited by Fairy-types. With Dragonium-Z, Mega Garchomp can hit Normalize Mega Gengar for a OHKO, but this set should not be used as the sole Mega Gengar check.
* Bolt Strike OHKOs Mega Slowbro, Primal Kyogre, and Tapu Fini and can OHKO Yveltal and Celesteela. It provides excellent neutral coverage along with Precipice Blades.
* Sunsteel Strike can surprise Sturdy Shedinja, which walls the set otherwise, but must be ran with Thousand Arrows to deal with Flying-Types harder.
* Draco Meteor boosted by Dragonium-z is an excellent surprise against physically defensive Pokemon, such as Giratina, Zygarde-C, and Mega Slowbro, that would otherwise switch into it easily, landing KOs on all of them after a switch into Stealth Rock or minor chip damage. However, the Z version can only be used once.
Set Details
=====
* A Jolly nature is vital to outspeed Pokemon such as Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre, and defensive Yveltal.
* Adaptability makes Garchomp's STAB moves extremely difficult to switch into for defensive cores, and is required to OHKO Giratina and Zygarde-C with Z Draco Meteor.
Usage Tips
====
* At Team Preview, identify the target of your Z move. Giratina, Zygarde-C, or Mega Slowbro are common targets.
* Bring Mega Garchomp in with a slow pivot move or a double switch on something that it can KO immediately such as Primal Groudon, a Steel-type, or a weakened Dragon-type. Do not blindly switch it in against defensive Pokemon, as moves such as Knock Off and Will-o-Wisp, can cripple it, while U-Turn will force it right back out. IN a similar vein, Garchomp should generally avoid facing a defensive Pokemon that can survive its attacks, as the retaliation will probably be crippling.
* Mega Garchomp can also check some slower wallbreakers, such as Modest Choice Specs Kyurem-W locked into Boomburst or Choice Band Mega Tyranitar, after one of its teammates has been KOed.
* Try to keep Mega Garchomp's moves hidden from Imposter users, as the presence of Draco Meteor will give the set away and make it far more difficult to use.
* This set requires less prediction because there is no choice lock, but it might be a better idea to bluff being choice-locked during the early game so that your opponent's response is easier to predict. It is usually best to use Dragon Hammer or a Ground-Type move as the opponent reacts to Garchomp, then switch out. The next time you force a Pokemon out with Garchomp, hit whatever switches in with the most powerful attack. The same goes for the Z-move: you may be able to lull your opponent into staying in with their Prankster Giratina to Strength Sap, which will let you get the KO with Z Draco Meteor.
Team Options
=====
* teammates such as Ferrothorn, Sturdy Shedinja, or Fur Coat Chansey are needed to imposter-proof the set. Sturdy Shedinja also detests Giratina, which can block it from spamming Endeavor, and Mega Garchomp can take care of that.
* Physically offensive Pokemon such as Choice Band Mega Mewtwo X, Mega Beedrill, and Primal Groudon appreciate that Mega Garchomp can remove Giratina, Zygarde-C, or Mega Slowbro.
* Entry Hazard setters such as Flash Fire Registeel, Primal Groudon, or Mega Mewtwo X can help to wear down Mega Garchomps' switch-ins, which can let it get KOs without resorting to its Z move too early.
* Garchomp is weak to most -ate users. A Dazzling user, such as Mega Mewtwo X with Shell Smash, can take advantage of their presence to set up, and appreciates that Mega Garchomp lured and KOed Prankster Haze Giratina or Zygarde-C earlier.
* An Imposter or an Assault Vest user such as Dialga running Spectral Thief can help to scout the movesets of Special attackers for super-effective moves, and also works as a special setup and Contrary check.
* Z move Dialga is useful as it pressures checks such as Xerneas, Mega Slowbro and Mega Audino while also working as a countermeasure against Normalize Mega Gengar
* Another check against setup sweepers, such as Prankster Aegislash or Prankster Crescelia, is useful since Mega Garchomp will be switching in and out often against the offensive teams that run them. Mega Mewtwo Y and Mega Sceptile are both very threatening to Mega Garchomp, and Prankster Crescelia is a solid switch-in check to both of them.
Strategy Comments
Other Options
======
* Choice Band Mold Breaker with Thousand Arrows, Dragon Hammer, Pursuit, and Stealth Rock / First Impression is a useful utility set. It can remove Sturdy Shedinja with Pursuit, and Mold Breaker First Impression lets it revenge kill many Shell Smash sweepers through Dazzling. Stealth Rock is also an option thanks to the number of switches mega Garchomp forces. However, Mega Garchomp is setup bait when locked into non-STAB moves.
* A Sand Rush set with Thousand Arrows, Dragon Hammer, Sunsteel Strike, and U-Turn or Ice Hammer can be extremely threatening to offensive teams when paired with a Sand setter such as Tyranitar or Mega Steelix. A Choice Band is the best item for this set, as Thousand Arrows is still a great move to use and will 2hKO most offensive Pokemon at worst. A Fur Coat Pokemon that only takes neutral damage from the moves such as Primal Kyogre or Arceus can work as an Imposterproof.
* Offensive Poison Heal with Shift Gear, Knock Off, Thousand Arrows and Will-o-Wisp is an Imposterproof setup sweeper that can win 1v1 against many offensive Pokemon such as mixed Aerilate Mega Rayquaza, some Mega Mewtwo Y, and Mega Sceptile variants after a single Shift Gear, but is too easy to force out and outclassed by other Poison Heal sweepers.
* Choice Scarf Mega Garchomp can run Dazzling to surprise Mega Diancie and Kyurem-B, which it can OHKO with its STAB moves, but gives up a lot of power to do so and should be used only if you absolutely need the role compression.
Checks and Counters
=====
* Fairy-Types and coverage: Xerneas and Mega Diancie are able to outspeed Mega Garchomp and hit it with their STAB moves, at worst 2hKOing it. Pixilate sets can KO Garchomp with Extreme Speed no matter how fast it is. Mega Audino cannot safely switch in, but can threaten to Knock Off or Burn Mega Garchomp, newtering its threat value. Special attackers such as Mega Mewtwo Y and Primal Kyogre often run Moonblast as well.
* Ice-types and coverage: Kyurem-b and Kyurem-w can easily remove Mega Garchomp with Refrigerate Extreme Speed. Fast Wallbreakers such as Mega Mewtwo X and Mega Mewtwo Y often run Ice Hammer or Ice Beam as well.
* Prankster Pokemon: If they can get in safely, Prankster Pokemon can threaten to Destiny Bond as Garchomp attacks, removing it. Prankster Giratina and Zygarde-C have enough bulk to switch in on Dragon Hammer with Stealth Rock up, and can Strength Sap Mega Garchomp to weaken it. However, they can be lured by the mixed Adaptability set or tricked a choice item.
* Fur Coat: Fur Coat walls such as Giratina and Zygarde-C can switch into attacks from the Choice Band set and force it out, but they don't like being tricked choice items, and lose to the Mixed Adaptability set.
* Imposter: Imposter users force Mega Garchomp out, but cannot switch in without taken significant chip damage.
* Faster wallbreakers: Mega Garchomp generally does not like to confront faster Pokemon head to head, though it does have enough bulk to survive some impressively strong neutral attacks such as Steelworker Kartana's Choice Band Sunsteel Strike or Mega Gengar's Judgment one time. However, super effective moves from wallbreakers are usually KOs.
* Core Enforcer: Core Enforcer users that can survive an attack from Mega Garchomp, such as Giratina and Fur Coat Dialga, can easily remove 50% or more of its HP as well as its ability, forcing it to switch out.
* Normalize Mega Gengar: Normalize Mega Gengar outspeeds Choice Band Mega Garchomp and can make itself immune to all of Mega Garchomp's attacks with Entrainment. However, it cannot switch in, and loses 1v1 against the Choice Scarf set. In a desperate situation, Mega Garchomp can newter Mega Gengar by tricking it, depriving it of its Spooky Plate.
* Status: Garchomp does not like being afflicted by any status. Sleep can put it out of commission, Paralysis ruins its great Speed tier, Burn makes its attacks pitiful, and Poisoning puts it on a timer.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[SuperSkylake, 323219]]
- Quality checked by: [[<username1>, <userid1>], [<username2>, <userid2>], [<username3>, <userid3>]]
- Grammar checked by: [[<username1>, <userid1>], [<username2>, <userid2>]]
* Mega Garchomp is an extremely threatening wallbreaker in the metagame because of its access to STAB Dragon- and Ground-type moves which can hit the metagame's many Dragon- and Steel-type walls, such as Giratina, Registeel, and Zygarde-C, supereffectively with its base 170 Attack.
* Mega Garchomp's unique base 92 Speed allows it to outspeed a unique pallet of offensive threats, including Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre, Mega Tyranitar, and Adamant Mega Blaziken, letting it serve as a decent check to them.
* Mega Garchomp has a respectable base 120 Special Attack, allowing it to run a mixed attacking lure set with Dragonium-Z to remove Zygarde-C and Giratina, which could check it otherwise with Prankster or Fur Coat.
* Respectable bulk lets it survive some fairly powerful neutral hits such as Regigigas +1 Facade and Mega Gengar's Spooky Plate Judgment.
* Bad defensive typing leaves it vulnerable to Ice-type coverage as well as common -ate attackers such as Mega-Diancie, Kyurem-B, and Mega Rayquaza.
* Faces competition from Primal Groudon, which can live longer, and has a lot more resistances like Mega Diancie. However, Mega Garchomp can easily break through Dragon-types that Primal Groudon has trouble against, and can run a diverse selection of abilities and items unlike Primal Groudon, which must run Red Orb.
* Mega Garchomp finds it difficult to hurt Pokemon on offensive teams, but excels against defensive ones, as many teams don't have a reliable switch-in to it.
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Thousand Arrows
move 2: Dragon Hammer
move 3: Precipice Blades / Bolt Strike
move 4: Sunsteel Strike / Trick / U-Turn
item: Choice Band
aBility: Adaptability
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 Spd / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Thousand Arrows is a reliable STAB move, with full accuracy and the ability to hit Flying-types such as Celesteela and Ho-Oh.
* Dragon Hammer hits Giratina and Zygarde-C for 2hKOs, but can be easily exploited by Fairy-types.
* Precipice Blades is a good deal more powerful than Thousand Arrows, 2hKOing Mega Audino without a Choice Band boost. It should always be ran on the Choice Scarf set to hit Mega Mewtwo Y and Kartana.
* Bolt Strike OHKOs Mega Slowbro and Tapu Fini and can OHKO Yveltal, but Thousand Arrows can 2hKO all of these targets as they switch in provided that they are not running Fur Coat.
* Sunsteel Strike can surprise Sturdy Shedinja, which walls the set otherwise.
* Trick can cripple a wall with a Choice item, but the loss in power or speed is noticeable.
* U-Turn lets Mega Garchomp pivot on predicted switches and chip at its switch-ins early game. It deals super effective damage against Mega Slowbro, a compulsive switch-in on many teams, usually forcing the Slowbro to recover next turn while giving its team momentum.
Set Details
=====
* A Jolly nature is vital to outspeed Pokemon such as Primal Groudon, Modest Kyurem-W, and Adamant Mega Blaziken.
* Adaptability makes Garchomp's STAB moves extremely difficult to switch into for defensive cores.
* Choice Band lets Mega Garchomp play as a wallbreaker, letting it achieve important damage benchmarks such as a KO on Registeel with Thousand Arrows, and a 2hKO on Mega Audino with Precipice Blades.
* Choice Scarf lets Garchomp work as a surprise revenge killer and cleaner. If holding a Choice Scarf, Adamant is an option, which still allows Mega Garchomp to outspeed up to Mega Mewtwo Y while being strong enough to revenge kill it after Stealth Rock damage with Precipice Blades. However, this set is sorely lacking in power, and must wait until defensive teams have been significantly weakened before it can clean up.
Usage Tips
====
* Bring Mega Garchomp in with a slow pivot move or a double switch on something that it can KO immediately such as Primal Groudon, a Steel-type, or a weakened Dragon-type. Do not blindly switch it in against defensive Pokemon, as moves such as Knock Off and Will-o-Wisp, can cripple it, while U-Turn will force it right back out. IN a similar vein, Garchomp should generally avoid facing a defensive Pokemon that can survive its attacks, as the retaliation will probably be crippling. Garchomp does most of its wallbreaking by hitting targets as they switch in.
* Mega Garchomp can also check some slower wallbreakers, such as Modest Choice Specs Kyurem-W locked into Boomburst or Choice Band Mega Tyranitar, after one of its teammates has been KOed.
* If you can't predict what will come in, Thousand Arrows or U-Turn are safe moves to choose because nothing is immune to them.
* Be wary of locking Mega Garchomp into Dragon Hammer, as Fairy-types such as Xerneas or Mega Diancie can take advantage of it to set up.
* If your opponent has Sturdy Shedinja and you are running Sunsteel Strike, you may want to wait to reveal it until your opponent believes that Shedinja is a safe switch in.
Team Options
=====
* teammates such as Fur Coat Giratina, Fur Coat Zygarde-C, Sturdy Shedinja, or Fur Coat Chansey are needed to imposter-proof the set.
* Garchomp is weak to most -ate users. Counters to common -ate attackers such as Soundproof Mega Slowbro, Prankster Registeel or Flash Fire Aegislash are useful to protect it from them.
* An Imposter or an Assault Vest user such as Dialga running Spectral Thief can help to scout the movesets of Special attackers for super-effective moves, and also works as a special setup and Contrary check.
* Z move Dialga is useful as it pressures checks such as Xerneas, Mega Slowbro and Mega Audino while also working as a countermeasure against Normalize Mega Gengar
* Entry Hazard setters such as Primal Groudon or Poison Heal Mega Mewtwo X prevent Sturdy Shedinja from switching in, and allow Mega Garchomp to get OHKOs or 2hKOs it would miss out on otherwise, especially the Scarf variant. Sticky Web is also extremely potent, preventing fast attackers such as Mega Mewtwo Y and Mega Gengar from checking the Choice Band set reliably, but is harder to fit on to teams.
* A special wallbreaker pairs nicely with Mega Garchomp to help weaken Pokemon that trouble Mega Garchomp, such as Fur Coat users. Mega Gengar, Aerilate Mega Rayquaza, and Mega Sceptile are good options. They can also run coverage moves to defeat Sturdy Shedinja
* Another check against setup sweepers, such as Prankster Aegislash or Prankster Crescelia, is useful since Mega Garchomp will be switching in and out often against the offensive teams that run them. Mega Mewtwo Y and Mega Sceptile are both very threatening to Mega Garchomp, and Prankster Crescelia is a solid switch-in check to both of them.
[SET]
name: Mixed Adaptability
move 1: Precipice Blades / Thousand Arrows
move 2: Dragon Hammer
move 3: Bolt Strike / Sunsteel Strike
move 4: Draco Meteor
item: Dragonium-Z
aBility: Adaptability
nature: Naive
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 Spd / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Precipice Blades is the strongest Ground-type STAB available, and though its accuracy is bad, it is required to do the most damage against targets such as Mega Slowbro that can avoid a 2hKO from Thousand Arrows after Stealth Rock damage.
* Thousand Arrows is a reliable STAB move, with full accuracy and the ability to hit Flying-types such as Celesteela and Ho-Oh.
* Dragon Hammer hits Giratina and Zygarde-C for 2hKOs, but can be easily exploited by Fairy-types. With Dragonium-Z, Mega Garchomp can hit Normalize Mega Gengar for a OHKO, but this set should not be used as the sole Mega Gengar check.
* Bolt Strike OHKOs Mega Slowbro, Primal Kyogre, and Tapu Fini and can OHKO Yveltal and Celesteela. It provides excellent neutral coverage along with Precipice Blades.
* Sunsteel Strike can surprise Sturdy Shedinja, which walls the set otherwise, but must be ran with Thousand Arrows to deal with Flying-Types harder.
* Draco Meteor boosted by Dragonium-z is an excellent surprise against physically defensive Pokemon, such as Giratina, Zygarde-C, and Mega Slowbro, that would otherwise switch into it easily, landing KOs on all of them after a switch into Stealth Rock or minor chip damage. However, the Z version can only be used once.
Set Details
=====
* A Jolly nature is vital to outspeed Pokemon such as Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre, and defensive Yveltal.
* Adaptability makes Garchomp's STAB moves extremely difficult to switch into for defensive cores, and is required to OHKO Giratina and Zygarde-C with Z Draco Meteor.
Usage Tips
====
* At Team Preview, identify the target of your Z move. Giratina, Zygarde-C, or Mega Slowbro are common targets.
* Bring Mega Garchomp in with a slow pivot move or a double switch on something that it can KO immediately such as Primal Groudon, a Steel-type, or a weakened Dragon-type. Do not blindly switch it in against defensive Pokemon, as moves such as Knock Off and Will-o-Wisp, can cripple it, while U-Turn will force it right back out. IN a similar vein, Garchomp should generally avoid facing a defensive Pokemon that can survive its attacks, as the retaliation will probably be crippling.
* Mega Garchomp can also check some slower wallbreakers, such as Modest Choice Specs Kyurem-W locked into Boomburst or Choice Band Mega Tyranitar, after one of its teammates has been KOed.
* Try to keep Mega Garchomp's moves hidden from Imposter users, as the presence of Draco Meteor will give the set away and make it far more difficult to use.
* This set requires less prediction because there is no choice lock, but it might be a better idea to bluff being choice-locked during the early game so that your opponent's response is easier to predict. It is usually best to use Dragon Hammer or a Ground-Type move as the opponent reacts to Garchomp, then switch out. The next time you force a Pokemon out with Garchomp, hit whatever switches in with the most powerful attack. The same goes for the Z-move: you may be able to lull your opponent into staying in with their Prankster Giratina to Strength Sap, which will let you get the KO with Z Draco Meteor.
Team Options
=====
* teammates such as Ferrothorn, Sturdy Shedinja, or Fur Coat Chansey are needed to imposter-proof the set. Sturdy Shedinja also detests Giratina, which can block it from spamming Endeavor, and Mega Garchomp can take care of that.
* Physically offensive Pokemon such as Choice Band Mega Mewtwo X, Mega Beedrill, and Primal Groudon appreciate that Mega Garchomp can remove Giratina, Zygarde-C, or Mega Slowbro.
* Entry Hazard setters such as Flash Fire Registeel, Primal Groudon, or Mega Mewtwo X can help to wear down Mega Garchomps' switch-ins, which can let it get KOs without resorting to its Z move too early.
* Garchomp is weak to most -ate users. A Dazzling user, such as Mega Mewtwo X with Shell Smash, can take advantage of their presence to set up, and appreciates that Mega Garchomp lured and KOed Prankster Haze Giratina or Zygarde-C earlier.
* An Imposter or an Assault Vest user such as Dialga running Spectral Thief can help to scout the movesets of Special attackers for super-effective moves, and also works as a special setup and Contrary check.
* Z move Dialga is useful as it pressures checks such as Xerneas, Mega Slowbro and Mega Audino while also working as a countermeasure against Normalize Mega Gengar
* Another check against setup sweepers, such as Prankster Aegislash or Prankster Crescelia, is useful since Mega Garchomp will be switching in and out often against the offensive teams that run them. Mega Mewtwo Y and Mega Sceptile are both very threatening to Mega Garchomp, and Prankster Crescelia is a solid switch-in check to both of them.
Strategy Comments
Other Options
======
* Choice Band Mold Breaker with Thousand Arrows, Dragon Hammer, Pursuit, and Stealth Rock / First Impression is a useful utility set. It can remove Sturdy Shedinja with Pursuit, and Mold Breaker First Impression lets it revenge kill many Shell Smash sweepers through Dazzling. Stealth Rock is also an option thanks to the number of switches mega Garchomp forces. However, Mega Garchomp is setup bait when locked into non-STAB moves.
* A Sand Rush set with Thousand Arrows, Dragon Hammer, Sunsteel Strike, and U-Turn or Ice Hammer can be extremely threatening to offensive teams when paired with a Sand setter such as Tyranitar or Mega Steelix. A Choice Band is the best item for this set, as Thousand Arrows is still a great move to use and will 2hKO most offensive Pokemon at worst. A Fur Coat Pokemon that only takes neutral damage from the moves such as Primal Kyogre or Arceus can work as an Imposterproof.
* Offensive Poison Heal with Shift Gear, Knock Off, Thousand Arrows and Will-o-Wisp is an Imposterproof setup sweeper that can win 1v1 against many offensive Pokemon such as mixed Aerilate Mega Rayquaza, some Mega Mewtwo Y, and Mega Sceptile variants after a single Shift Gear, but is too easy to force out and outclassed by other Poison Heal sweepers.
* Choice Scarf Mega Garchomp can run Dazzling to surprise Mega Diancie and Kyurem-B, which it can OHKO with its STAB moves, but gives up a lot of power to do so and should be used only if you absolutely need the role compression.
Checks and Counters
=====
* Fairy-Types and coverage: Xerneas and Mega Diancie are able to outspeed Mega Garchomp and hit it with their STAB moves, at worst 2hKOing it. Pixilate sets can KO Garchomp with Extreme Speed no matter how fast it is. Mega Audino cannot safely switch in, but can threaten to Knock Off or Burn Mega Garchomp, newtering its threat value. Special attackers such as Mega Mewtwo Y and Primal Kyogre often run Moonblast as well.
* Ice-types and coverage: Kyurem-b and Kyurem-w can easily remove Mega Garchomp with Refrigerate Extreme Speed. Fast Wallbreakers such as Mega Mewtwo X and Mega Mewtwo Y often run Ice Hammer or Ice Beam as well.
* Prankster Pokemon: If they can get in safely, Prankster Pokemon can threaten to Destiny Bond as Garchomp attacks, removing it. Prankster Giratina and Zygarde-C have enough bulk to switch in on Dragon Hammer with Stealth Rock up, and can Strength Sap Mega Garchomp to weaken it. However, they can be lured by the mixed Adaptability set or tricked a choice item.
* Fur Coat: Fur Coat walls such as Giratina and Zygarde-C can switch into attacks from the Choice Band set and force it out, but they don't like being tricked choice items, and lose to the Mixed Adaptability set.
* Imposter: Imposter users force Mega Garchomp out, but cannot switch in without taken significant chip damage.
* Faster wallbreakers: Mega Garchomp generally does not like to confront faster Pokemon head to head, though it does have enough bulk to survive some impressively strong neutral attacks such as Steelworker Kartana's Choice Band Sunsteel Strike or Mega Gengar's Judgment one time. However, super effective moves from wallbreakers are usually KOs.
* Core Enforcer: Core Enforcer users that can survive an attack from Mega Garchomp, such as Giratina and Fur Coat Dialga, can easily remove 50% or more of its HP as well as its ability, forcing it to switch out.
* Normalize Mega Gengar: Normalize Mega Gengar outspeeds Choice Band Mega Garchomp and can make itself immune to all of Mega Garchomp's attacks with Entrainment. However, it cannot switch in, and loses 1v1 against the Choice Scarf set. In a desperate situation, Mega Garchomp can newter Mega Gengar by tricking it, depriving it of its Spooky Plate.
* Status: Garchomp does not like being afflicted by any status. Sleep can put it out of commission, Paralysis ruins its great Speed tier, Burn makes its attacks pitiful, and Poisoning puts it on a timer.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[SuperSkylake, 323219]]
- Quality checked by: [[<username1>, <userid1>], [<username2>, <userid2>], [<username3>, <userid3>]]
- Grammar checked by: [[<username1>, <userid1>], [<username2>, <userid2>]]
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