What is a good moveset for Garchomp?

Question

Share your best competitive movesets for Garchomp on this thread! Movesets for Mega Garchomp can also be posted here, as well as for Gible and Gabite.

Check the submission guidelines before posting! Only competitive movesets with all relevant details (item, nature, exact EVs, ability, moves) and a solid explanation will be accepted.

Garchomp Pokédex and learnset for reference.

Answer 1

I'm amazed. 67 answers, but still no Scale Shot chomp. This is probably one of the most dangerous sweepers in the meta right now.

Garchomp @ Leftovers / Life Orb / Wide Lens
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Swords Dance
- Scale Shot
- Stone Edge / Fire Fang

Alright well, this is pretty self explanatory. SD up, then Scale Shot, nothing outspeeds you it's gg. Earthquake is STAB, Scale Shot boosts Speed, SD for extra power and Stone Edge for problematic Moltres or Zapdos, or Fire Fang for Kartana and Ferrothorn. Lefties can recover, possible saving you from a revenge killing attempt, but generally the worst of the three. Next is Life Orb, possibly the best of the three items, as it gives you an extra boost in power that can help you take KOs. Finally, Wide Lens. I found this to be helpful, as my insane rng means I miss every Scale Shot. Aka lose. So, with Wide Lens you can hit more and hopefully miss none. Also, it helps with Fire Fang and Stone Edge, making Fire Fang perfectly accurate instead of 95 accuracy. Stone Edge also becomes 88 accuracy, hopefully making it miss less.

Answer 2

Gen 5 OU

Garchomp @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Claw
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Fire Fang

Dragon Claw and Equake are STABs. Stone Edge is coverage and makes EdgeQuake and Fire Fang can kill Ferrothorn and Scizor.

Answer 3

Gen 7 Doubles OU

Garchomp @ Garchompite
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake / Stomping Tantrum
- Protect
- Rock Slide
- Swords Dance / Iron Head

This should be used with Tailwind and Sand support. Tyranitar is the best option for a send setter, and Zapdos works best as a Tailwind setter for Mega Garchomp. Earthquake and Stomping Tantrum are STAB options. The former hits both opponents but also hits your ally (they can still use Protect though) and is blocked by Wide Guard, while the latter only hits one opponent.

Due to how spread moves have their damage cut by 25% in Doubles, both Earthquake and Stomping Tantrum do roughly the same amount of damage. Earthquake also allows for Garchomp to be part of a Dis-Quake combo with Zapdos, where the two can spam Earthquake and Discharge without worrying about hitting each other. Both are boosted by Sand Force, with the Sandstorm provided by Tyranitar.

Protect keeps Garchomp safe for a turn and can also be used to scout for the opponent's attacks, and be safe while Zapdos sets Tailwind. Rock Slide, also boosted by Sand Force, hits both opponents and has a chance to flinch them. Swords Dance is to boost Garchomp's attack, while Iron Head hits Fairy and Ice types hard, and is also boosted by Sand Force.

Answer 4

Gen 9 Monotype Choice Specs (Ground)

Garchomp @ Choice Specs
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Earth Power
- Power Gem
- Flamethrower

Yes, Choice Specs Garchomp is a thing in Monotype. Yes, Choice Specs Garchomp is actually viable on Ground teams in Monotype. Choice Specs Garchomp provides a way for Garchomp to break past Pokemon such as Great Tusk and Corviknight, Pokemon Garchomp would otherwise struggle with when using a Swords Dance set. Draco Meteor is used for a powerful Dragon STAB that OHKOs offensive Great Tusk and does a nice amount of chip damage to defensive Great Tusk. Earth Power is used for Ground STAB. Power Gem allows Garchomp hit Volcarona super effectively. Flamethrower provides coverage against Pokemon such as Orthworm, Scizor, Forretress and allows you to 2HKO Physically Defensive Corviknight.

Why Choice Specs Garchomp is used:
For those of you wondering: "Why use Choice Specs Garchomp over Sandy Shocks?", let me explain. Sandy Shocks' typing leaves it with a weakness to Ground, something it does not like having. Garchomp also has a neutrality to Grass-type moves unlike Sandy Shocks. The Dragon/Ground typing lets Garchomp take hits from Bullet Seed Breloom and Power Whip Brambleghast better. Fun fact, Choice Specs Sandy Shocks' Earth Power has a 56.3% chance to OHKO offensive Great Tusk (without Stealth Rock), while Draco Meteor from Specs Garchomp outright OHKOs offensive Great Tusk, as shown by these calcs:

252 SpA Choice Specs Sandy Shocks Earth Power vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Great Tusk: 346-408 (93.2 - 109.9%) -- 56.3% chance to OHKO

---

252 SpA Choice Specs Garchomp Draco Meteor vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Great Tusk: 379-447 (102.1 - 120.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO

Answer 5

Gen 9 Monotype Physical Choiced

Garchomp @ Choice Band / Choice Scarf
Ability: Rough Skin
Tera Type: Dragon
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Outrage
- Dragon Claw
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge

Should you decide to use Sandy Shocks on Ground teams in Gen 9 Monotype, Garchomp uses either a Choice Band set for immediate breaking power, or a Scarf set to provide speed control, depending on on if Sandy Shocks is Choice Specs or Choice Scarf. Garchomp uses Outrage alongside Dragon Claw so it can have a powerful Dragon STAB and a Dragon STAB that is safer to use without being unable to switch for 2-3 turns. Earthquake provides Garchomp with a powerful Ground STAB. Stone Edge provides coverage against Flying-types and forms the EdgeQuake combo. You could slot Fire Fang over Stone Edge if you use Choice Band so it can 2HKO Corviknight switching in.

Answer 6

Here's what I use for Gen 9 Violet Competitive:

Garchomp @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Tera Type: Fairy
Adamant Nature
- Spikes
- Stealth Rock
- Dragon Tail
- Protect

So the strategy for this moveset is to set up Spikes and Stealth Rock, then use Dragon Tail to switch out opposing Pokémon. This damages almost half the opposing Pokémon's HP. Also Protect just in case.

Tera Fairy is used to get the jump on Pokemon like Dragonite and Dragapult. This ensures Garchomp can phaze them out without fear of being OHKOed.

Comments

I use other Pokémon with this moveset.

---

You could also put Endure instead of Protect here to rack up damage on contact using physical attackers. Rocky Helmet + Rough Skin takes out a lot of HP.

---

Great Idea

---

What Tera type is this?

---

I've added Tera Fairy to this set to address common Dragon types. I don't know what format this answer is for, and Garchomp may be better off with something like Water or Steel depending on which Pokemon you're more likely to face.

Answer 7

Super cool Pokémon, though it's not my preferred powerhouse.

Garchomp @ Muscle Band
Ability: Rough Skin / Sand Veil
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant / Jolly Nature
- Dual Chop
- Earthquake
- Fire Fang
- Stone Edge

• Dual Chop: STAB, more powerful than Dragon Claw, ok accuracy.
• Earthquake: STAB, why wouldn't someone teach it to him.
• Fire Fang: Deals with weakness chance to burn or flinch and type coverage.
• Stone Edge: Good power and type coverage.

Mine is used in my sandstorm team making it hard to hit due to its Ability, if you want to be more annoying you can throw in a Double Team in his set.

Comments

Dual Chop and Dragon Claw are the same power.
Double Team is banned in most competitive play.

---

ya but actually dragon claw is better but dual chop can break subs and make sturdy useless

Answer 8

One of my favs ;-1

Garchomp @ Life Orb / Leftovers
Ability: Sand Veil
EVs: 6 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant / Jolly Nature
- Sandstorm / Crunch
- Stone Edge / Iron Head / Iron Tail / Fire Fang
- Dragon Rush / Dual Chop
- Dig / Earthquake

I use Sandstorm because of his ability. The second slot is coverage against Ice Pokemon. For the third... Dragon power! In last slot I use Dig, sorry :C

Comments

i still dont under stand:)

---

Dig is absolutely awful, there is no point in using it over Earthquake.

---

It is good if you wish to avoid damage but I too would go with Equake

Answer 9

This guy is a beast!!! He is my fav dragon ever!

Garchomp @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Sand Veil
Jolly Nature
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
- Outrage
- Earthquake
- Fire Fang
- Crunch / Aerial Ace

• Outrage: amazing STAB
• Earthquake: I should not need to explain
• Fire Fang: Ice coverage, can flinch and burn
• Crunch / Aerial Ace: either one for coverage

Hope I helped

Comments

Aerial Ace is weak, and should only be used for Max Airstream. It's not something you want to be choice locked into.

---

I would use Dragon Rush/Claw as the opponent may switch into a fairy type and hit Garchomp w/ Moonblast

Answer 10

The beasty sandshark. Mine's in a Sandstorm team.

Garchomp @ Bright Powder
Ability: Sand Veil
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Outrage
- Earthquake
- Aqua Tail
- Fire Fang

• Outrage: STAB, high power, high accuracy, perfect move for dragons like this one
• Earthquake: STAB, high power...why even, it's so obvious.
• Aqua Tail: Type coverage, not easily expected.
• Fire Fang: More type coverage and deals with Ice types.

If you want this guy to be more annoying, add Double Team.

Comments

Iron Head is generally better at covering Ice types than Fire Fang.

Answer 11

Scarfmance Killer

This set is mainly for getting rid of Scarf Mence or any other scarfers at that.

Garchomp (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Outrage / Dual Chop
- Stone Edge / Fire Blast
- Poison Jab

Earthquake -Best STAB move for any physical ground types
Outrage/Dual Chop -STAB STAB die/STAB + Get rid of subs
Stone Edge/Fire Blast - Hits those ice types/Skarmory killer
Poison Jab/ filler -I have to put something here, don't I?

Answer 12

Sweeper

Garchomp @ Choice Band
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 64 HP / 252 Atk / 192 Spe
Adamant / Jolly Nature
- Dragon Rush / Dragon Claw
- Earthquake
- Fire Fang
- Stone Edge

---

Dragon Rush should be used with Hone Claws and Stone Edge (it would probably be smarter to have a wall use Hone Claws and use Baton Pass to introduce Garchomp). Dragon Claw is only if you just have a different style.
Earthquake is just obvious. 150 power (STAB included) and 100 accuracy are obviously needed for any Garchomp.
Fire Fang gives you some protection against Ice types. Fire and Dragon is unresisted neutral coverage.
Stone Edge abuses Hone Claws boost.

This Garchomp (with full Hone Claws) would be able to knock out a team faster than you can blink.

Answer 13

Garchomp @ Wide Lens
Ability: Sand Veil
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant / Jolly Nature
- Dragon Rush
- Earthquake
- Brick Break
- Stone Edge / Fire Fang

• Dragon Rush: STAB + Wide Lens = BEAST!!
• Earthquake: STAB + Duh...
• Brick Break: for those annoying Screeners
• Stone Edge / Fire Fang: coverage against Ice, choose between power and burning/flinching

I use Stone Edge for the reason I like the power, but I used Fire Fang a couple of times and it also works out...Wide Lens is just perfect with this moveset.

Answer 14

My opinion of a perfect moveset and nature is:

Garchomp @ Garchompite
Ability: Sand Veil
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Fire Fang
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Dragon Claw

Fire Fang: Fire Fang against Ice weakness
Earthquake: Best Ground move ever + STAB (in mega 130 base power)
Stone Edge: Powerful, takes down a lot of types (like Earthquake, 130 base power in mega + STAB)
Dragon Claw: Better then Outrage, because doesn't leave with confusion, + you can use other attacks. also STAB.

if you disagree, or have other good ideas, please reply :)

Comments

It can't learn Dragon Dance.

Answer 15

Garchomp (M) @ Garchompite
Ability: Sand Veil / Rough Skin
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Claw / Outrage
- Iron Head / Iron Tail
- Earthquake
- Swords Dance / Iron Tail

• Dragon Claw / Outrage: I would go with Dragon Claw, reliability > power.
• Iron Head / Iron Tail: Again, reliability > power.
• Earthquake: STAB
• Swords Dance / Hone Claws: Swords Dance with Iron Head, Hone Claws with Iron Tail

Comments

if you want to use Hone Claws, then you could consider using Dragon Rush

Answer 16

Garchomp (F) @ Garchompite
Ability: Sand Veil
Jolly Nature
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
- Dragon Claw
- Poison jab
- Earthquake
- Sandstorm

Dragon Claw: STAB, and covers Dragon weakness.
Poison Jab: Covers Fairy weakness, slight poison chance.
Earthquake: Perhaps the most important move for a Garchomp. Mega Garchomp's Sand Force, combined with STAB, can cause some serious wreckage. Also covers Ice weakness.
Sandstorm: Extra evasiveness, and for reasons explained above. Plus additional damage to the opponent.

If not Gen VI, Soft Sand over Garchompite.

I hope this helps you as much as it did me. Thanks for reading!

Answer 17

Garchomp @ Choice Band
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Dragon Claw / Outrage
- Rock Slide / Stone Edge
- Iron Head

Earthquake is for STAB and coverage, Dragon Claw is for accuracy and consistency. Even though Outrage works well with Choice Band, you can't predict which Pokemon it will hit. Rock Slide is because you get more accuracy than Stone Edge, and it hits both Pokemon. Iron Head for coverage.

Answer 18

I got a pretty awesome set here

Garchomp @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Hone Claws
- Dragon Rush
- Iron Tail
- Earthquake

Hone Claws - Beefs up attack and sharpens accuracy
Dragon Rush - STAB, almost never misses with Hone Claws
Iron Tail - Fairy coverage, almost never misses with Hone Claws.
Earthquake - For those of you who don't know, STAB, high power, 100% accuracy

Rough Skin + Rocky Helmet will make any contact moves have pretty high recoil for the opponent. You can replace Rocky Helmet with Garchompite if you want a mega on your team, but if you do, I recommend using an ally with Sand Stream to take advantage of Sand Force. Normally when using this set, set up Hone Claws when you have the chance and start sweeping. Mawile won't be KO'd by Iron Tail since its also a Steel type? No problem! Earthquake's got you covered.

Answer 19

Too bad that Garchomp's Mega form gets a small decrease in its Speed because some Fairy-, Dragon- and Ice-types can have a big advantage on it even though it has high attack. Anyways, Garchomp is a great physical attacker and Dragon- / Ground-type for your team, poor Electric-types don't even have an advantage because of Garchomp's typing unless it knows Hidden Power [Ice] and then you are screwed. In this set it'll make it fast and very offensive as if it already has the perfect IVs for attack and speed or as if it had both an Adamant and a Jolly nature!

Garchomp @ Rocky Helmet / Choice Scarf
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Claw
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
- Stone Edge (if you are going with the Choice Scarf) / Swords Dance (If you are going with the Rocky Helmet)

With a Jolly nature, Garchomp will be faster than usual. With Rough Skin paired up with a Rocky Helmet, it would do serious damage to the opponent if it has a contacting move, or you can Scarf it with a Choice Scarf and make its great physical moves monstrous. Dragon Claw is for STAB, great power and perfect accuracy, Earthquake is also a STAB move and has the perfect accuracy and hits a lot of your opponents, but also your allies in Double or Triple Battles, but it's still a great move. Iron Head is for coverage against those big mean sneaky Ice types, and those pesky Fairy types, and it has 30% chance of causing a flinch. Swords Dance raises Attack by 2 stages or you can go with Stone Edge for greater power and a small chance of causing critical hits.

READ THIS: Just so you know, Iron Head is an egg move so you may have to do a mating spree with your Garchomps.

Answer 20

Garchomp @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature / Adamant Nature
- Rock Slide
- Dragon Claw
- Iron Head
- Earthquake

Honestly as a Garchomp user and always will use and have Garchomp on my team. This is what I've seen works best with him, based on the times I've had to modify him to work the best he can.

The reason you want to have a Rocky Helmet is for three main reasons. Reason #1 Talonflame, a Brave Bird from a Talonflame unto a chomp with Rough Skin and Rocky Helmet could cost it a KO without having to even attack it (that's if if has a Life Orb)
Reason #2 Mega Kangaskhan and Fake Out users, a Fake Out from a Mega Kangaskhan unto a Garchomp might drop it's HP in half do to its Ability and Item. Any other will waste a turn and damage itself. Reason #3 Synergy with Rough Skin

A Jolly Garchomp is really fast and faster this way and is already a hard hitter if your willing to risk another chomp hitting you might as well Mega with Baton Pass speed, Scarf or Band

The EVs make it hit hard, fast and take a hit while still damaging the opponent because of its Ability

• Rock Slide (covers Thundurus, Talonflame, Volcarona, etc)
• Dragon Claw (STAB!!...and always hits)
• Iron Head (Two words: Fairies and Ice)
• Earthquake (STAB and easy to take down defensive threats)

Pokemon that he has good Synergy with:
Semi-support Speed Boost Mega Blaziken
Fast Offensive Greninja
Contrary Serperior
Charizard Y
Any good Baton Passer
Tip: Most should have protect to keep from getting harmed from an EQ