[OVERVIEW]
- Primal Groudon is the best Pokemon in the tier.
- It is nigh on mandatory on competitive teams because it just does so much and can fit into any team archetype.
- Primal Groudon compresses a plethora of defensive roles into one slot. It is the best Stealth Rock user in the tier; provides Water- and Electric-type immunities; checks very powerful Pokemon such as Xerneas, Primal Kyogre, Ho-Oh, and many others; and is also good at phazing and spreading status.
- It has exceptional offensive power with its base 180 Attack, good STAB attacks, access to Swords Dance and Rock Polish, burn immunity, and solid coverage options.
- However, Primal Groudon is slow without Rock Polish and has relatively low special bulk without investment.
- Primal Groudon's Ground weakness is annoying as it is a common offensive type, and it lacks recovery options too, with no Leftovers due to Red Orb being mandatory.
- The burn and paralysis nerfs make it somewhat less proficient at wearing down checks.
- The Soul Dew nerf is a double-edged sword: while Primal Groudon enjoys Latios and Latias being gone, it does not like Primal Kyogre being more useful.
name: Defensive Stealth Rock
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Precipice Blades
move 3: Roar
move 4: Lava Plume / Rock Slide
item: Red Orb
ability: Drought
nature: Careful
evs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
- Primal Groudon can consistently set up Stealth Rock due to its solid defenses and ability to force switches.
- Precipice Blades is the chief STAB move, 2HKOing Xerneas and Primal Kyogre while hitting defensive Arceus formes and most grounded Pokemon for nice chunks of damage.
- Roar allows Primal Groudon to phaze out Geomancy Xerneas, thus reliably checking it. Phazing is also useful in general against other threats such as Mega Salamence.
- Lava Plume does solid damage with STAB and sunlight, and the 30% burn rate can be hazardous to potential checks as well.
- Rock Slide OHKOes Ho-Oh and hits Rayquaza and offensive Yveltal for 2HKOes
- Toxic can be used in the fourth moveslot to cripple Defog users such as support Arceus formes at the expense of a move to hit Ground-immune Pokemon.
- Fire Punch can be used instead of Lava Plume if a stronger Fire move is desired, though it lacks the 30% burn chance.
Set Details
========
- HP and Special Defense are maxed out with a Careful nature to let Primal Groudon take special hits as well as possible. This helps greatly against Xerneas and Primal Kyogre.
- The Special Attack drop from running a Careful nature doesn't matter as Lava Plume still does sufficient damage and is mostly used for burns.
- However, an Impish nature can be used instead to take less damage from Ho-Oh and Mega Salamence.
Usage Tips
========
- Primal Groudon lacks recovery, so it requires a bit of care to play efficiently—don't be too reckless with it.
- Try to set up Stealth Rock as quickly as possible.
- Lava Plume is pretty spammable as it covers most switch-ins with the threat of burns.
- Though Primal Groudon can check Ho-Oh with Rock Slide, switching into it is risky as Brave Bird does a lot of damage.
- Do not go for Speed ties against other base 90 Speed Pokemon, as you will almost always lose due to having no investment.
- Watch out for Toxic as it will wear down Primal Groudon quite quickly.
Team Options
========
- Defog support is nice to stop hazards from chipping down at Primal Groudon's precious health. Giratina-O and Mega Salamence provide Defog support as well as sturdy Ground immunities.
- Arceus-Water isn't immune to Ground, but nonetheless, it checks Ground-types well, Defogs, and can act as a buffer against Primal Kyogre.
- Fairy-types such as Xerneas, Arceus-Fairy, Klefki, and Magearna can switch into Yveltal as well as Dragon-types such as Mega Salamence, Giratina-O, and Zygarde-C that threaten Primal Groudon.
- Ho-Oh can help Primal Groudon against special attackers and helps beat down its checks.
- Mega Gengar can readily take advantage of the burns caused by Lava Plume with Hex.
- Extreme Killer Arceus and Arceus-Ground make nice offensive complements as Primal Groudon can help wear down their checks.
- Countermeasures against Toxic are helpful: Mega Sableye can bounce it back; Steel-types such as Klefki, Mega Lucario, Magearna, and Ferrothorn are immune to it; and Xerneas can provide Aromatherapy support.
- Spikes from Klefki or Ferrothorn can make Roar more effective.
- Though it may be hard to fit, Wish support from Clefable or Blissey offers Primal Groudon a welcome means of recovery.
[SET]
name: Rock Polish
move 1: Rock Polish
move 2: Precipice Blades
move 3: Swords Dance / Dragon Claw
move 4: Stone Edge / Rock Slide / Fire Punch
item: Red Orb
ability: Drought
nature: Adamant
evs: 168 HP / 240 Atk / 34 SpD / 64 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
- Rock Polish fixes Primal Groudon's low Speed and makes it one of the deadliest setup sweepers in the tier.
- STAB Precipice Blades off 500+ Attack will demolish most things.
- Swords Dance gives Primal Groudon a huge power boost to bust through walls it could not otherwise break, such as defensive Arceus formes, Zygarde-C, and Lugia, although it can be hard to grab both a Swords Dance and a Rock Polish.
- Dragon Claw 2HKOes Giratina-O after Stealth Rock and nails the rare Flygon.
- Stone Edge is mainly for Flying-types, OHKOing Ho-Oh, Rayquaza, and offensive Yveltal while doing heavy damage to Mega Salamence and Lugia.
- Though weaker than Stone Edge, Rock Slide has better accuracy and a useful flinch chance.
- Fire Punch can be used instead of Rock coverage to hit Ground-immune Steel-types while still hitting many Flying-types hard.
Set Details
========
- 240 Attack with an Adamant nature maximizes damage output and meets some important benchmarks: maximum HP Primal Groudon is OHKOed, defensive Primal Kyogre is OHKOed at +2, and Mega Salamence is OHKOed at +1.
- 64 Speed allows Primal Groudon to outspeed Choice Scarf Landorus-T at +2.
- The HP and Special Defense EVs maximize overall bulk while guaranteeing that Primal Groudon survives +2 Hidden Power Ground from Geomancy Xerneas after Stealth Rock damage.
Usage Tips
========
- Setting up Rock Polish or Swords Dance when forcing a switch is ideal.
- Natural bulk can usually let Primal Groudon survive one hit, but it is generally not recommended unless the trade is worth it or you already have one of your two boosts
- Don't let Primal Groudon take too much damage; otherwise, it may not be able to set up properly.
- Try to weaken checks before attempting to sweep.
- Primal Groudon can just use Swords Dance to wallbreak if your gameplan is more suitable to having a teammate sweep.
Team Options
========
- An offensive Stealth Rock user is mandatory: Deoxys-S, Deoxys-A, Dialga, Excadrill, or Tyranitar all work.
- Mega Salamence, Rayquaza, and Yveltal are offensive teammates that cover Primal Groudon's weakness to Ground.
- Swords Dance Arceus formes pair well with this set, working in tandem with Primal Groudon to knock down walls.
- Xerneas or Arceus-Fairy is recommended to pressure Dragon-types such as Giratina-O and Zygarde-C .
- Mega Gengar, Lunala, and Yveltal can help pressure physical tanks.
[SET]
name: Offensive Stealth Rock
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Precipice Blades
move 3: Dragon Tail / Fire Punch
move 4: Stone Edge / Rock Tomb
item: Red Orb
ability: Drought
nature: Adamant
evs: 152 HP / 236 Atk / 44 SpD / 76 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
- This is another set intended to set up Stealth Rock, though it relies more on sheer offensive power rather than invested bulk to get and keep them up.
- Precipice Blades is STAB and does tremendous damage, 2HKOing both defensive Xerneas and defensive Primal Kyogre. It also OHKOes opposing Primal Groudon if they do not invest in Defense.
- Dragon Tail keeps Dragon-type Defog users such as Mega Salamence and Giratina-O at bay while chipping them down, though phazing is also useful in general.
- Fire Punch is an accurate alternative STAB that does lots of damage backed by STAB and sunlight, also wrecking Ground-immune Steel-types.
- Stone Edge destroys Flying-types such as Ho-Oh, Mega Rayquaza, and offensive Yveltal.
- Rock Tomb is a more accurate Rock-type move that still KOes Ho-Oh and can annoy other potential checks with Speed drops. It can notably keep Mega Salamence from setting up on Primal Groudon if you opt not to use Dragon Tail.
Set Details
========
- 76 Speed EVs help beat uninvested Xerneas and Yveltal.
- The HP and Special Defense EVs guarantee survival of +2 Hidden Power Ground from Geomancy Xerneas after Stealth Rock damage.
- The remainder goes into Attack to maximize damage output, along with an Adamant nature.
- 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD can also be used if Speed is not necessary and more physical bulk is desired.
Usage Tips
========
- Again, play with care due to lack of recovery, especially if you need Primal Groudon to check Xerneas later in a game.
- Forcing a switch is a good opportunity to set up Stealth Rock.
- Dragon Tail is nice to use if predicting a switch to a Defog user or an attempt to setup.
- Fire Punch is generally safe if you have it—it is accurate and hits many Ground-immune Pokemon for good damage.
Team Options
========
- Offensive Pokemon immune to Ground such as Rayquaza, Mega Salamence, Yveltal, and Ho-Oh make good partners. Ho-Oh is particularly nice if using a bulky offense team since it can help Primal Groudon conserve its health against Xerneas and other special attackers.
- Most offensive Arceus formes (most Swords Dance sets and Calm Mind Arceus-Dark) synergize well with Primal Groudon.
- Fairy-types are helpful to take on Dragon-types such as Giratina-O and Mega Salamence: Xerneas, Arceus-Fairy, Klefki, and Magearna are generally good at this.
- Offensive Ghost-types such as Mega Gengar and Lunala can help threaten defensive teams.
[SET]
name: Stealth Rock + Swords Dance
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Swords Dance
move 3: Precipice Blades
move 4: Stone Edge / Rock Slide
item: Red Orb
ability: Drought
nature: Jolly
evs: 160 Atk / 152 SpD / 196 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
- Stealth Rock and Swords Dance together allow Primal Groudont to compress stallbreaking and support roles into one moveset.
- Swords Dance and high Speed investment allow this set to function as a stallbreaker, easily breaking support Arceus formes and walls such as defensive Yveltal and slower Lugia variants.
- Precipice Blades is Primal Groudon's strongest STAB option.
- Stone Edge takes care of most Ground-immune Pokemon after a Swords Dance
- Rock Slide is weaker, but has better accuracy, and this set can potentially utilise the flinch chance.
Set Details
========
- 196 Speed EVs + Jolly nature beats neutral-natured base 90 Speed Pokemon.
- 152 Special Defense EVs help survive +2 Hidden Power Ground from Geomancy Xerneas after Stealth Rock.
- The remaining EVs go to Attack for power.
- You can opt to use 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe if checking Xerneas isn't a concern and more Speed + Attack is desired.
Usage Tips
========
- This set works best on bulky offense or balance teams that need a Stealth Rock user + wallbreaker in one slot.
- Set Stealth Rock up as early as possible.
- You can try to bluff the other Stealth Rock sets if you don't reveal Swords Dance.
- A good time to Swords Dance is when you anticipate a switch to a Defog user that will get KOed by a boosted hit (especially if Stealth Rock is already up).
- Double-switching against any Defog user that won't be KOed by a boosted hit is preferable.
Team Options
========
- Primal Groudon works well with other setup sweepers such as Mega Salamence, Arceus, and Xerneas to break down defensive cores.
- Mega Salamence and Giratina-O provide Ground immunities as well as a Water resistance for pivoting against Primal Kyogre.
- Primal Groudon likes being paired with sturdier Xerneas checks such as Ho-Oh, Solgaleo, or Magearna. Klefki can also throw Spikes in and paralyze Geomancy Xerneas to make it easier for Primal Groudon to revenge kill.
- Ferrothorn can add Spikes and appreciates Primal Groudon's ability to break down Defog users quickly; it also checks Primal Kyogre.
- Fairy-types such as Xerneas, Fairy Arceus, Klefki, and Magearna are once again useful to check Dragon-types.
- Offensive Ghost and Dark-types such as Mega Gengar, Lunala, and Yveltal can help break defensive cores.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
- Thunder Wave can spread paralysis and can be useful in conjunction with Swords Dance, though it is no longer sufficient for Primal Groudon to check Geomancy Xerneas, which makes this less attractive
- Primal Groudon can make use of its base 150 Special Attack with a mixed Rock Polish set, using Fire Blast and Dragon Pulse to surprise checks such as Mega Salamence and Arceus-Ground. However, this set fares poorly against bulky Water-types, especially Primal Kyogre. Dragon Pulse also does not do enough damage to break Zygarde-C.
- Rest in conjunction with Sleep Talk provides Primal Groudon with a means of recovery, but also leaves it strapped for moveslots.
- Regular Groudon can be used with Leftovers for weather support and a check to physical attackers that like to use Earthquake, but it is almost always inferior to just using Red Orb.
- Overheat is very strong with STAB and sunlight, though offensive sets prefer Fire Punch and defensive sets tend to get more value out of Lava Plume burns.
- Eruption is extremely powerful with Special Attack investment, but its power is dependent on Primal Groudon's HP, and it cannot inflict burns.
- Solar Beam can surprise Arceus-Water and Arceus-Ground, but it tends to be inferior at doing so than just using a physical set with Swords Dance, and using Solar Beam is extremely risky if there is a Primal Kyogre or Rayquaza on the opposing team.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Lugia**: Lugia is immune to Ground, tanks hits easily with high bulk and Multiscale, and can Toxic stall Primal Groudon out most of the time.
**Mega Salamence**: Mega Salamence is immune to Ground, resists Fire, can drop Attack with Intimidate on top of high Defense, and hits hard with STAB Double-Edge or Earthquake. Facade can let it turn status against Primal Groudon as well. However, it is annoyed significantly by Dragon Tail, and a boosted Stone Edge will easily slay Mega Salamence.
**Zygarde-C**: Zygarde-C shrugs off almost any attack with its ridiculous bulk and can beat down Primal Groudon with Thousand Arrows or phaze it with Dragon Tail. However, it must take some caution before it transforms and it cannot beat Swords Dance sets 1v1, although it can easily take one hit and phaze them out.
**Arceus-Ground**: Arceus-Ground is faster, hits Primal Groudon hard with Ground-type STAB, and can switch into most of Primal Groudon's attack and Recover off the damage.
**Arceus-Water and Arceus-Dragon**: These Arceus formes can generally shrug off most attacks and aren't bothered too much by Lava Plume due to their Fire resistance. They can Defog away Stealth Rock and easily Toxic stall Primal Groudon. Take care that Arceus-Water cannot beat Swords Dance Primal Groudon on its own, as Toxic will not KO Primal Groudon before it is able to KO Arceus-Water.
**Giratina-O**: Giratina-O has high bulk, is immune to Ground and resists Fire, can Defog away Stealth Rock, and hits Primal Groudon hard with Draco Meteor or Earthquake. Dragon Claw and Dragon Tail hurt though, and Giratina-O can't take too many boosted Stone Edges.
**Rayquaza**: Rayquaza is usually faster than Primal Groudon and can OHKO it with Water-type attacks through Desolate Land thanks to Air Lock. Its immunity to Ground and Fire resistance grant Rayquaza some switch-in opportunities, though most Dragon- and Rock-type coverage moves will KO Rayquaza.
**Primal Kyogre**: Assuming it comes in after Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre can erase Desolate Land and destroy Primal Groudon with Water-type STAB. Defensive sets can usually take any one hit, though a Swords Dance-boosted Precipice Blades will OHKO any Primal Kyogre variant.
**Landorus-T**: Landorus-T hates Fire-type STAB, but can make use of its typing and Intimidate to easily switch in on most other attacks and KO Primal Groudon with Earthquake.
**Mega Slowbro**: Mega Slowbro can shrug off most attacks with its enormous physical bulk and Toxic stall Primal Groudon. Iron Defense can even let Mega Slowbro prevail against Swords Dance sets.
**Yveltal**: Yveltal is immune to Ground-type moves and can outspeed and heavily damage Primal Groudon with Dark Pulse or Foul Play, although most of Primal Groudon's other coverage moves will deal heavy damage.
**Ground-immune Steel-types**: Skarmory, Bronzong, and Celesteela can comfortably take on Primal Groudon if it leaves home without Fire-type moves.
Last edited:
