Moves

This is the Garchomp to use if you want to take advantage of its versatility and mind game-playing power! Earthquake is Garchomp's strong, reliable STAB move and its way of tearing up Steel-types. Outrage is riskier because it locks Garchomp in, but it provides an immense amount of immediate power and slams Levitate users and Flying-types particularly hard. The third moveslot is generally open for one of Garchomp's support moves. While Stealth Rock can be a bit difficult to use in Battle Spot Singles, Garchomp is one of the best users of the entry hazard thanks to its reasonable bulk and offensive presence. Swords Dance, on the other hand, gives Garchomp potent sweeping power, especially late-game! A third option is Toxic. While Toxic may seem like an oddball choice on an offensive Pokemon, running it on Garchomp can be an effective way to cripple Porygon2 and Cresselia.

The fourth moveslot is where the customization begins full force! Rock Tomb might seem rather weak, but in addition to smashing Talonflame without locking Garchomp into Outrage, it provides speed control, which can screw up desperate Garchomp switch-ins such as Greninja. If you prefer slightly more power and the ability to cause foes to flinch, Rock Slide is a reasonable alternative. Stone Edge is Garchomp's most powerful Rock-type attack, but it comes with the cost of having the highest miss rate.

If Rock-type moves don't fit your team, Dragon Claw gives Garchomp a reliable Dragon-type STAB move to hit weakened foes such as Mega Salamence and Hydreigon. If you run Swords Dance, Dual Chop becomes the more attractive option, because unlike Dragon Claw, Dual Chop can smash through Focus Sash Pokemon after a boost. Just note, opposing Rocky Helmet users become more of an issue when running Dual Chop, and it has a 10% chance to miss. While not particularly strong, Fire Blast is also a good option, as it 2HKOes Skarmory and Ferrothorn. Finally, if you just can't decide between Stealth Rock and Swords Dance, using both is actually a viable possibility, giving Garchomp both early-game and late-game utility. However, this comes at a serious cost: you will have to choose between making Garchomp far easier to revenge kill due to Outrage and severely reducing Garchomp's immediate power with Dual Chop.

Set Details

Garchomp's given nature and EVs maximize its Speed and Attack, while Rough Skin allows Garchomp to get some extra damage in via switching into contact moves (especially painful in Mega Kangaskhan's case). If you want a bit of extra power for Fire Blast and aren't using a Yache Berry, feel free to use a Naive nature.

There are many items to choose from for this Garchomp. While Focus Sash might seem a bit strange to use considering Garchomp's bulk, Garchomp still happens to be one of the most effective Focus Sash users in the game, thanks to its sandstorm immunity and offensive power! This item gives Garchomp an edge against many foes early-game, especially if you need to set up Stealth Rock. If you manage to hold onto Focus Sash later in the game, Garchomp can act as an emergency check to many offensive threats and can even set up a surprise Swords Dance, potentially devastating your opponent's team! If you want Garchomp to have more late-game value, Lum Berry is an excellent choice. A common way to deal with Garchomp is to burn it with Pokemon such as Rotom-W. With Lum Berry and Swords Dance, Garchomp can set up on and devastate some of these threats when they are weakened. It also allows Garchomp to act as an emergency Spore absorber against Breloom. If you want to take advantage of Rough Skin, consider using Rocky Helmet Garchomp. With a Rocky Helmet in tow, most Pokemon will take 24% damage from touching Garchomp, which can be enough to push some foes into its KO range. In particular, Mega Kangaskhan takes a devastating 58% damage, which can potentially save you from this fearsome monster! If you thirst for more specialized luring power, Yache Berry should be on the top of your list. Most non-STAB Ice-type moves will fail to OHKO Garchomp when it holds a Yache Berry, allowing Swords Dance Garchomp to potentially smash through some of its checks! If you are more worried about faster Dragon-types, Haban Berry can work as well. Finally, if you just want to give Garchomp some added bulk, Leftovers can work just fine. Just remember, Leftovers will give away Garchomp's item immediately, reducing its mind gaming power.

Usage Tips

If you're using Garchomp as a lead, Focus Sash is recommended, as it gives Garchomp the edge versus possible leading checks such as Life Orb Greninja. Try to set up Stealth Rock if your opponent has Pokemon that are greatly harmed by entry hazards, such as Focus Sash Breloom and Talonflame. Regardless of what Garchomp variant you are using, just try to do as much lasting damage to the opponent's team as possible. As long as Garchomp doesn't get KOed before it can do any damage, it will usually have done its job. Just make sure that, when using Garchomp earlier in the game, you don't overly rely on Garchomp to defeat a certain threat!

If you plan on using Swords Dance, Garchomp usually becomes more effective later in the game. The key to making Garchomp a sweeping force late-game is to try as hard as possible to keep Garchomp's item hidden. Garchomp is at its most dangerous when your opponent has as little information as possible, as your opponent guessing Garchomp's item incorrectly can lead your team to victory! Tactics to maximize Garchomp's luring power include scouting your opponent's team for their Garchomp checks and switching Garchomp into attacks that don't give away its item, such as Electric-type moves.

Team Options

This Garchomp set is extremely easy to fit on most teams, thanks to its versatility. While Garchomp will enjoy teammates that can take care of foes such as Porygon2, Cresselia, Greninja, and Mega Salamence, the point of this set is less about being the star of your team and more about supporting your team in key ways. In general, you should pair Garchomp up with teammates that benefit from its item-based mind games. For example, using Focus Sash Garchomp can free up teamslots thanks to its increased checking power. Using Lum Berry Garchomp to smash through Will-O-Wisp-using checks is great news for physical attackers such as Mega Kangaskhan. Rocky Helmet Garchomp, on the other hand, pairs up well with Pokemon that fear Mega Kangaskhan. Finally, Yache Berry Garchomp tends to pair well with Pokemon that prefer having fast Hidden Power users such as Thundurus and bulkier Ice Beam users such as Porygon2 and Cresselia out of the way.

Most fast, offensive Pokemon will enjoy Stealth Rock support aiding their cleaning capabilities, especially Pokemon that want Talonflame and Charizard out of the way (as both take 50% from Stealth Rock). Offensive Fighting-types love Stealth Rock support, as having Talonflame out of way greatly increases their offensive presence, and they can even help deal with Porygon2 for Garchomp. Blaziken can switch into weak Ice-type attacks and provide potent sweeping power with Speed Boost, while Heracross is one of the few Fighting-types that can muscle past Cresselia for Garchomp. Aegislash helps deal with Cresselia, can switch into super effective attacks for Garchomp, and has an easier time sweeping weakened teams with Shadow Sneak when Stealth Rock is up. While it doesn't have as much synergy with Garchomp, Belly Drum Azumarill also appreciates Stealth Rock's support in getting the residual damage it needs to sweep a team.

While Swords Dance tends to be one of this set's more situational moves, supporting Garchomp's sweeping power is not a bad idea if you can fit in teammates for it. Paralysis support is a good idea no matter what item Garchomp is running, as paralyzing faster threats can conserve Garchomp's Focus Sash or, if running another item, simply make Garchomp even harder to check! Bulky Thunder Wave users such as Porygon2, Gyarados, and Ferrothorn will work just fine for this role. If you prefer a more direct answer to defensive Pokemon, Mega Gengar is one of the best teammates available! Shadow Tag allows Mega Gengar to toy with defensive threats through the use of tools such as Destiny Bond and Taunt, and it has the bonus of being able to wear down physical threats with Will-O-Wisp.

Moves

Earthquake, is a strong, reliable attack, while Outrage reaches obscene levels of power with Choice Band, being able to net 2HKOs against troublesome threats such as Rotom-W. Just remember, Outrage leaves Garchomp very vulnerable to revenge killing. Most Choice Band Garchomp will want to carry a safer, secondary Dragon-type attack to avoid situations where Outrage Garchomp makes Garchomp setup bait. Dual Chop works fantastically here. Thanks to Choice Band, Dual Chop can actually OHKO some Pokemon, such as opposing Garchomp and Greninja, through their Focus Sash, preventing Garchomp from being revenge killed so easily! As a bonus, it can also deal good damage to Pokemon that use Substitute. If your team has residual damage support or you're worried about Dual Chop's 10% miss rate and Rocky Helmet users, you can use Dragon Claw instead.

The final moveslot is saved for Garchomp's more situational options. The most common option is a Rock-type move. Rock Slide allows Garchomp to OHKO Thundurus and maximum HP Talonflame and 2HKO Zapdos without resorting to Outrage. While Rock Slide's flinch chance can be handy, Stone Edge is a reasonable choice if you aren't worried about its 20% chance to miss, as it has significantly more power than Rock Slide. Rock Tomb can help get some surprise wins thanks to its ability to lower the foe's Speed, but Zapdos can unfortunately avoid a 2HKO from Rock Tomb.

If Rock-type attacks don't suit your fancy, Garchomp has more tricks up its sleeve! Poison Jab might seem redundant because Azumarill takes almost as much damage from Earthquake, but because Garchomp is running Choice Band Poison Jab can allow Garchomp to OHKO Azumarill and then finish off weakened Levitate users and Flying-type threats. Fire Fang does more damage to Ferrothorn than Garchomp's other options do, while Fire Blast can be used to nab a potential 2HKO against Skarmory. Toxic, while usually ill-fitting for a Choice set, is notable for crippling Porygon2 and Cresselia switch-ins, which is especially useful because both of them can be 2HKOed by Outrage with some residual damage!

Set Details

A Choice Band is obviously needed here, as it's the theme of the set! A Jolly nature with maximum Attack and Speed investment is needed for Garchomp to slam many of Battle Spot Singles's faster threats, such as Mega Kangaskhan and Mega Charizard Y. Rough Skin is preferred over Sand Veil, as the residual damage of Rough Skin can get Garchomp some extra KOs.

Usage Tips

It might seem tempting to immediately try to plough through your opponent's team with Outrage, but keep that trigger finger steady; using Outrage early-game will usually lead to a KOed Garchomp and not much to show for it! Generally, Earthquake and Dual Chop or Dragon Claw will be the moves you use earlier in the game, depending on your opponent's team.

Choice Band Garchomp tends to be at its most dangerous later in the game, especially if your opponent is carrying Pokemon that are immune to Ground and Dragon. Knowing what your opponent has chosen makes Choice Band Garchomp less prone to being set up on. Most importantly, though, Choice Band Garchomp excels at smashing through weakened teams. Try to get your opponent's team weakened by chip damage so Garchomp can clean up with its Choice Band-boosted Outrage.

Team Options

The first and most easy kind of support is paralysis support. Garchomp might be fast, but faster Pokemon can often stop Garchomp right in its tracks. Pokemon such as Porygon2, Gyarados, and Ferrothorn are reasonable choices for bulky Thunder Wave users. For a more offensive twist on this kind of support, Thundurus can use its Prankster Thunder Wave to cripple fast, offensive threats. While Tailwind can be harder to pull off due to its time limit, it can be used late in the game as a suicidal move of sorts to give Garchomp the last push it needs to sweep a team! Talonflame is usually your best choice for a clutch Tailwind user.

The tougher, but still rewarding, kind of support Choice Band Garchomp loves is residual damage. With just a bit of extra damage, Garchomp gains the ability to 2HKO common switch-ins such as Cresselia and Porygon2 with Outrage! The easiest way to pull this off is to pair Garchomp with good users of Will-O-Wisp and Toxic. Rotom-W is one of the best users of Will-O-Wisp users around, and it even provides Garchomp with a teammate that resists Ice. Talonflame is much more frail, but it tends to lure in Porygon2 and Cresselia more often, and Talonflame's priority Brave Bird can smash up faster offensive threats for Garchomp. Mega Gengar is in a similar boat to Talonflame, but it has the bonus of Shadow Tag to toy with defensive threats. Almost every Pokemon learns Toxic, so feel free to use it on more unexpected (but viable) Pokemon to support Garchomp! Finally, Stealth Rock can be tough to set up, but it often does enough damage to turn 3HKOs into 2HKOs for Garchomp! If you can't fit status support on your team, you can use Tyranitar or Hippowdon for their Sand Stream Unlike status moves, Sand Stream requires no moveslots or particularly careful planning to use, but unfortunately, several of Garchomp's checks, Suicune and Mamoswine, also give Tyranitar and Hippowdon problems.

Moves

Outrage is integral to Choice Scarf Garchomp's success. While it's a move that must be used sparingly, its power and STAB boost allow Garchomp to become a dangerous sweeper against weakened teams. Outrage also differentiates Garchomp from the other Ground-type Choice Scarf users: Landorus-T, Excadrill, and Mamoswine. Earthquake is Garchomp's less risky STAB attack and main weapon for burying Steel-type Pokemon. A Rock-type attack is heavily recommended, as using Outrage against Flying-types too early can spell doom for Garchomp. Rock Slide fits perfectly on Choice Scarf Garchomp. While it's rather weak, it still nabs an OHKO against Talonflame and Mega Charizard Y, and its 30% flinch rate can get Garchomp out of some tricky situations. Stone Edge's 20% chance to miss can be absolutely brutal, but the extra power is welcomed on this set. Stone Edge is Garchomp's only chance of OHKOing Thundurus outside of Outrage, and it can also 2HKO Zapdos switch-ins with a bit of residual damage. If you only care about shattering Talonflame and Mega Charizard Y, Rock Tomb can be used for its Speed-dropping capabilities in emergencies.

The last slot can be a bit of a toss-up depending on what you need to hit the most. Dragon Claw offers Garchomp a more reliable Dragon-type attack to use and is an especially valuable tool when picking off weakened Dragon-types and Pokemon immune to Earthquake. Dual Chop is usually the lesser option on Choice Scarf Garchomp, because unlike other sets, it doesn't have the power to break through most Focus Sash Pokemon, and the 10% chance to miss plus the extra Rocky Helmet damage can be worrisome. However, if you are especially worried about Substitute Pokemon and extremely frail Focus Sash users such as Smeargle, Dual Chop may fit your team better.

If the lower power and more situational use of Garchomp's secondary Dragon-type move or Rock-type move don't appeal to you, Garchomp has some more options that may fit your team better. Toxic is normally a silly move on a Choice Pokemon, but Choice Scarf Garchomp's problems with defensive Pokemon such as Porygon2 and Cresselia are so severe that it becomes viable to use earlier in the game. Poison Jab, while only slightly more powerful against Fairy-types than Earthquake is, hits Flying-types, making it a game-winning move to be locked into in a few situations! Garchomp's final option is Fire Blast; it is a weak move that can be dangerous to be locked into, but it's Garchomp's best shot against Skarmory and Ferrothorn.

Set Details

Rough Skin is the best ability for weakening Pokemon that rely on contact moves, while a Jolly nature and the listed EV spread give Garchomp the Speed and power it needs to be an effective user of Choice Scarf. Unlike on other Garchomp sets, Adamant is a reasonable nature to consider here. An Adamant nature allows Choice Scarf Garchomp to rampage through weaker teams more easily, but makes Garchomp a less effective revenge killer. At best, Adamant Choice Scarf Garchomp Speed ties with Jolly Choice Scarf Excadrill, and it loses its ability to revenge kill potentially faster threats such as both Mega Charizard, Mega Blaziken, and Hydreigon if they have a Speed boost of any kind.

Usage Tips

Choice Scarf Garchomp is at its most effective later in the game, when you know what Pokemon your opponent has chosen and they have been weakened enough to get picked off by Garchomp. The other big reason to keep Garchomp in hiding is the surprise value Choice Scarf offers. Try to KO slower Pokemon so you don't reveal Garchomp's item. This can goad your opponent into switching in a fast revenge killer, only for them to suffer two devastating consecutive KOs!

This isn't to say that Choice Scarf Garchomp shouldn't be used for revenge killing, though, as its Speed can save your team against a wide variety of sweepers. However, blindly revenge killing Pokemon can easily end in disaster for Garchomp, as this set is especially vulnerable to being set up on or revenge killed. Once again, saving Choice Scarf Garchomp until later will help you decide if your other two chosen Pokemon can handle Garchomp getting set up on. Blindly revenge killing Pokemon with Garchomp is usually only recommended if you feel that you have no other choices.

Choice Scarf Garchomp has huge problems against most stall teams. Often times, it's best to just leave Garchomp unselected if you come across them, as this set offers almost no wallbreaking power. This Garchomp set is better off being sent out against more offensively based teams that have a difficult time dealing with Choice Scarf Garchomp's surprise value.

Team Options

Choice Scarf Garchomp has one very serious problem that needs to be addressed: its issues against defensive Pokemon. Garchomp is a sitting duck against most of Battle Spot Singles's defensive Pokemon, so pairing up Garchomp with wallbreakers is a necessity. When it comes to wallbreakers, Mega Gengar is a fantastic choice. Thanks to Shadow Tag, it can trap the walls that plague Garchomp and either toy with them via its status moves, take them down directly, or even use Taunt and Destiny Bond to ensure that they won't block Garchomp's attempts at sweeping! If you desire bulkier wallbreakers, Taunt Gyarados, Mega Mawile, and Mega Heracross can work well, too.

Moves

Earthquake is Garchomp's reliable damage dealer, avoiding Rocky Helmet damage and demolishing most Steel-types. Outrage, thanks to the Life Orb boost, deals a ton of damage to any offensive Pokemon that doesn't resist it. Swords Dance boosts Garchomp's already high Attack to explosive levels, allowing Garchomp to OHKO Rotom-W with Outrage and deal over 70% to Porygon2 and Cresselia. Setting up Swords Dance can be a bit difficult, though, so if you prefer to, you can replace Swords Dance with Substitute. Substitute might seem strange with Life Orb, but it can ease prediction and harm Mega Kangaskhan and Mega Mawile's ability to pick off Garchomp with Sucker Punch. If you're worried about Life Orb recoil limiting Garchomp's early-game potential, you can use Toxic to cripple Garchomp's more defensive switch-ins. If none of these support or sweeping options appeal to you, Garchomp can also simply run another attack for more coverage.

The last move depends on what targets you want Garchomp to slam the hardest. Dual Chop is a less risky move than Outrage, and thanks to the power increase and potential Swords Dance boost, it can bust through Focus Sash Pokemon that would normally stop Garchomp's sweep. Garchomp might have mediocre Special Attack, but Draco Meteor can be a great option for surprising some of Garchomp's physically defensive switch-ins. Most notably, it also means that Mega Salamence won't be able survive Garchomp's Dragon-type moves after Intimidate. If you are worried about Ferrothorn and Skarmory, Fire Blast 2HKOes both of them while avoiding Rocky Helmet damage. Finally, Garchomp can run a Rock-type attack to get around Flying-type Pokemon hoping to switch in on an Earthquake. While Stone Edge has a nasty habit of missing, it's the preferred option because after a Swords Dance, it's able to OHKO defensive Zapdos. If you care more about Talonflame and Mega Charizard Y, you can run Rock Slide, which can cause foes to flinch, or Rock Tomb, which provides speed control.

Set Details

Rough Skin is Garchomp's best ability due to the residual damage it causes, and maximum Attack and Speed are needed to make Garchomp effective. If you're only using physical moves, go with a Jolly nature. If you decide to use special moves, use a Naive nature, as Garchomp cares more about taking priority attacks than Ice Beams, and Life Orb will wear down Garchomp anyways.

Life Orb boosts Garchomp's power while still giving it the freedom to switch moves. However, if you aren't able to fit Life Orb in due to Item Clause but still want its versatility and power, there is one solution: Garchompite. Mega Garchomp has almost as much physical power as Life Orb Garchomp does, and its dramatically increased Special Attack makes it a more effective mixed attacker. This comes at a serious cost, though: Mega Garchomp loses 10 base Speed, letting it get outsped by important Pokemon such as Mega Kangaskhan and both Mega Charizard. If you feel you need to dedicate a Mega slot for Mega Garchomp, make sure you give it speed control support!

Usage Tips

This set makes Garchomp an extremely hard hitter without locking it in with a Choice item, making Garchomp very difficult to switch into! The beauty of this Garchomp set is not only its attacking versatility, but its ability to adapt to the flow of the match. This Garchomp can function fine earlier in the game, with Life Orb giving Garchomp enough power to become a threat before setting up! Using a low-risk attack can be perfect for scouting the Pokemon your opponent has chosen. However, because Life Orb recoil puts Garchomp's lifespan on a countdown, feel free to use Swords Dance or Toxic earlier in the game if your opponent has more defensive checks to Garchomp.

Garchomp may work fine in the earlier stages of the game, but late-game is where it becomes especially brutal. Because many of Garchomp's defensive checks take a massive amount of damage after a Swords Dance, try to put pressure on them with your other Pokemon. Forcing Pokemon such as Cresselia out with even 70% of their health can allow Garchomp to OHKO them with a boosted Outrage! Just make sure you avoid Fairy-type Pokemon in this case, as a common desperation tactic is to goad Garchomp into Outrage to make it setup bait for Azumarill or Mega Mawile.

Team Options

A major part of what makes this Garchomp so deadly is its ability to defeat its common defensive checks with some previous damage. While you can maintain this with simple offensive pressure, you can also elect to use Will-O-Wisp or Toxic support. On the Will-O-Wisp front, Rotom-W is one of the easiest Pokemon to fit on teams, while Talonflame can lure in some of Garchomp's defensive checks. Most defensive Pokemon make fine use of Toxic, but putting it on offensive but viable users such as offensive Porygon2 and Aegislash can be a good way to lure in Garchomp's defensive checks!

Life Orb's awesome power unfortunately doesn't solve Garchomp's problems against faster revenge killers. This makes speed control an effective tactic that can allow Garchomp to blast through more offensive teams! Thunder Wave support is the easiest option here, as a multitude of bulky Pokemon such as Porygon2, Gyarados, and Ferrothorn are effective users of it. On the more risky and clutch side, Tailwind can be used at the right moment to devastate weakened teams. Talonflame is the best user of Tailwind, because while Talonflame doesn't last long, Gale Wings usually ensures that it fire off a Tailwind before it goes down.

Just because Garchomp can now bust through some of its defensive checks doesn't mean that they aren't a problem, especially if you aren't using Swords Dance! Garchomp heavily relies on boosted Outrages to slam defensive Pokemon, making it extremely vulnerable to Steel- and Fairy-types stopping its sweep. This makes Mega Gengar an amazing Pokemon to directly deal with these defensive Pokemon! Mega Gengar can trap most defensive Pokemon and use a combination of Taunt and Destiny Bond to effectively remove them from the game, allowing Garchomp to get away with sweeping using its less powerful options more often! Other wallbreakers such as Mega Heracross, Taunt Gyarados, and Mega Mawile are also good teammates.