Garchomp with Earth Power Meta Analysis

Garchomp DragonGround

Your guide to understanding Garchomp & Mega Garchomp in the meta and their viability with Earth Power post the Community Day. Also includes an analysis of the updated Dragon Tail. 

What has been probably the most anticipated Community Day ever, Niantic finally decided to grace us with the Gible Community Day with a sassy tweet. Needless to say, it got the Pokémon Go world spinning with hype. 

This event will help countless trainers get their first shiny Gible and/or grind Candy XL for the little land shark dragon to evolve into a level 50 monstrosity called XL Garchomp. 

While everyone was aboard the hype train to June 6th, we waited with bated breath for the exclusive move reveal. And finally, we have it! Garchomp will learn the powerful Ground type charged move:

Earth Power.

Yes, expectations were rife for something like Dragon Rush, which would undeniably have been the most exciting prospect. Dragon Rush, which quite honestly, would have been the best-case scenario with the right stats (a Meteor Mash clone?). But regardless, we shouldn’t really crib about it. Unlike Altaria, Garchomp did receive an amazing move that could spell great potential for Sinnoh’s pseudo legendary. 

This article aims to explore how Garchomp would fare with the newest weapon in its arsenal. There are bound to be numerous questions…

How is Earth Power better than Earthquake? 

What about Sand Tomb?

Which Ground type move to use in ML?

Is Garchomp now better than ever for both PvE and PvP? 

Which moveset to pick?

How does Garchomp compare with other Dragon and Ground types in the meta it excels in?

How good is XL Garchomp?

Just how viable is Earth Power Garchomp in the overall meta?

And more…

It goes without saying that the Gible Community Day is undoubtedly one of the best ever hosted. So there is a lot to cover and I will do exactly that!

Note #1: I will also give you a thorough and detailed coverage of Garchomp’s other charged moves as Earth Power naturally invites comparisons.

Note #2: It is also worth mentioning that I will also explore Earth Power Mega Garchomp and its dominance in the meta. However, do note that, unlike Altaria, Mega Garchomp will not be released during the Gible Community Day.

So brace yourselves as we go deep into the caves of the Pokémon Go meta and discover the viability, meta relevance and strength of Garchomp with Earth Power!

Typing and Match-ups

Garchomp has a Max CP of 3962 at Level 40 and a Max CP of 4479 at Level 50.

It has a dual typing of Dragon and Ground and as such, is weak to the Dragon Ice and Fairy types, with the Ice type weakness being 2x.

Garchomp’s set of resistances include the  following:

The biggest USPs of Garchomp’s typing and match-ups

• Garchomp triple resists the Electric type courtesy of its fantastic dual typing and as such, is a premier Pokémon to use against Electric attacks and raid bosses
• Garchomp is also one of the few Dragon types that deal super-effective damage to Steel types, the only type (along with Fairy) that resists Dragon attacks. This is undoubtedly one of Garchomp’s biggest USPs as Steel is the best defensive type in the meta and is almost always a bother to Dragon types
• With Garchomp’s dual typing, it can deliver neutral or super-effective damage to every type combination in the meta except Steel/Flying and Fairy/Flying. Do consider the fact that Garchomp in Pokémon Go learns Fire Blast, which can arrest the Steel Flying shenanigans quite effectively

So Garchomp comes with an extremely viable offensive and defensive typing. Let’s see how the stats complement the dragon.

Stats

Garchomp has the following stat distribution in Pokémon Go:

Garchomp DragonGround
Level 40 CP 3962 | Level 50 CP 4479
ATK 261		DEF 193		HP 239
Weak to			Strong Against
Dragon Fairy Ice			Dragon Fire Electric Rock Poison Steel

Garchomp is one of the best pseudo legendaries out there and it is easy to see why, courtesy of its exemplary stats. Furthermore, Garchomp’s stats make it very balanced, giving it excellent ATK and bulk to boot.

It is interesting to see that Garchomp’s stats give it massive viability in both PvE and PvP, something that only a few elite Pokémon can boast of. This itself is a huge draw for our land shark jet dragon. 

But it’s Pokémon Go and a monster dominates chiefly because of its moveset. And after all, this article revolves around the latest move in the Chomp arsenal, doesn’t it?!

Garchomp is already a top-tier threat in both PvP and PvE. We will find out how Earth Power affects that standing. 

With that being said, let’s check out Garchomp’s moves…

Moveset Analysis

Garchomp can learn the following moves in Pokémon Go:

*denotes the Community Day exclusive move

It goes without saying that Garchomp is extremely versatile and is blessed with a really good movepool, thereby giving rise to multiple combinations. And interestingly, each of them works!

The Outrage-ously Fast Dragon

Like many of its draconic crewmates, Garchomp has the flagship Dragon type moveset of Dragon Tail and Outrage. While this is definitely a powerful set, it is not what makes Garchomp so stellar. However, Garchomp’s bulk combined with its high ATK stat gives it excellent TDO. So overall, it is a really powerful dragon to use with other Dragon types, some of which have higher DPS. 

What makes Garchomp truly dangerous is Mud Shot. 

With high energy gains of 7 in PvE and 9 in PvP, Garchomp holds the distinction of having access to the fastest Outrage in the entire meta with Mud Shot (so does Flygon, but hey… Garchomp is just more powerful). With an energy requirement of 60 in PvP, Outrage is traditionally classified as an expensive charged move. But Mud Shot has a super impressive EPS of 9, it would hardly take time before you face the Outrage of this dragon. 

As such, for Dragon types like Reshiram, Zekrom, Mega Charizard X and the future Eternatus, Garchomp’s Mud Shot + Outrage is sheer destruction material.

Even in PvE, Mud Shot makes Garchomp reach Outrage super fast and deal massive damage, dishing out a whopping 110 DMG with the added perk of being a 2-bar charged move. As a result, while Garchomp didn’t receive Dragon Rush or for that matter, Dragon Breath or Dragon Claw, Outrage is a marvellous Dragon type move to use that is complemented by the lightning fast energy gains of Mud Shot. 

Dragons Spit Fire (Blast)

Fire Blast is possibly the least viable move for Garchomp. While it is a hard-hitting 140 DMG 1-bar charged move in PvE, it is Garchomp’s costliest move in PvP as it requires a crazy 80 energy value!

Add the fact that Fire Blast lacks STAB, one would assume that Fire Blast holds no meaning on the Chomper dragon. But guess what? Fire Blast can make Garchomp a super spicy dragon in the Master League. 

• Fire Blast is Garchomp’s only card against its nemesis Togekiss. Usually, a Togekiss would hardly ever shield a move from Garchomp. Since hardly anyone ever runs Fire Blast, it would tend to go unshielded. With 140 DMG and unresisted, Fire Blast would surely do quite a number on Togekiss’ HP
• It lacks STAB but Fire Blast can still hit Steel types for heavy super-effective damage

So is Fire Blast viable? Can’t say no to that! It is definitely a spicy 2nd charged move that can throw a huge (and hot) surprise to your opponents!

Burying Opponents Under The Sand Tomb

Sand Tomb was added to Garchomp as a part of a move rebalance a while back. Before anything else, it should be understood that Sand Tomb is a horrible move for PvE. A 3-bar charged move sporting 60 DMG with a massive cooldown of 4s (lower than Earth Power, Earthquake and Outrage) performs badly in battles. So let’s stick to where it really matters… PvP. 

While Sand Tomb sports only a meagre 25 DMG in PvP, it has two extremely important factors going in its favour:

• Sand Tomb requires only a cheap 40 energy to get charged. With Mud Shot in the mix, Garchomp throws Sand Tomb attacks left and right
• Sand Tomb comes with a guaranteed chance to debuff your opponent’s DEF stat even when shielded

These two make Garchomp an incredibly deadly lead to use in PvP and an MVP in Team Go Rocket battles. 

To put it into perspective, Sand Tomb Garchomp fulfils an altogether different niche when compared to Earthquake or Earth Power.

In fact, Sand Tomb Garchomp has a 92.2% win rate in the Master League Classic and a 93.8% win rate in the Open Master League:

Garchomp with Sand Tomb has the supreme performance in the Master League, in both Classic and Open formats. So does this mean that Sand Tomb Garchomp is better than Earth power Garchomp?

Not necessarily.

While Sand Tomb Chomp delivers the numbers, it is not the most reliable or viable option. After all, Garchomp is so versatile that mere numbers aren’t enough to judge its usage. And that’s exactly why my article is so big!

Mud Shot Garchomp does not beat Dialga in the no shields scenario of either the Master League Classic or the Open Master League, a rather common occurrence in hard-fought battles with great teams.

However, Earth Power is the median between Sand Tomb and Earthquake, basically being ‘more’ Earthquake with a dash of Sand Tomb.

So how will Earth Power Garchomp perform in situations similar to the Sand Tomb ones stated above? You will find out when I analyse Earth Power Garchomp in the Master League!

“Garchomp Used Earthquake”. Enough Said.

Earthquake has been Garchomp’s primary nuke and its most feared move across generations and different meta. It is Garchomp’s main weapon against Dialga, Metagross, Melmetal, Tyranitar and basically, any Pokémon (minus the dragons and Togekiss) that it wants to dish out ‘DMG Maxima’. 

With shields down and a Garchomp with Earthquake, it is more or less game over. It hits with an Earthquake and it will OHKO. Period. 

But it should be elaborated that next to the non-STAB and super expensive Fire Blast, Earthquake is Chomp’s most expensive move. With a high 65 energy requirement, Garchomp needs respectable energy gains with Mud Shot to nail this powerful move. 

So Garchomp’s most powerful moves, Outrage and Earthquake, have a relatively costly energy requirement of 60 and 65 respectively in PvP. Hmm, not really bad but what if there was a cheaper move with STAB? 

Oh yes, there’s Sand Tomb. But hey, if you’re up against a Steel type towards the end of the battle (which frankly, happens a LOT!), Mud Shot and Sand Tomb don’t exactly make a high damaging pair. Outrage is resisted and Fire Blast takes forever to charge. 

So… so what if there was a STAB charged move that has a lower energy requirement than either Outrage and Earthquake, hits way harder than Sand Tomb and can possibly debuff the opponent’s DEF stat? 

Don’t you feel that would be absolutely amazing? Fortunately, Niantic has mutual feelings.

Because the exclusive move for Garchomp on its Community Day is…

The Groundbreaking Earth Power… Quite Literally

Earth Power it is. Honestly, from all available moves in Pokémon Go, Earth Power was undoubtedly the most viable move for Garchomp. Yes, Dragon Claw and Dragon Breath are nice but they lack the raw power you associate with Garchomp. Plus, they don’t have any real meaning in PvE. 

As such, Earth Power is the best Garchomp could get. And it did!

There has been a huge gap between Earthquake and Sand Tomb for a long, long time. There was no real answer to which one is better. Each has its perks and applications. It would have been wishful thinking to have a move that combines the intricacies of both moves and here we are!

Earth Power bridges the gap between Earthquake and Sand Tomb. Let’s see how shall we?

Garchomp is grounded and Earth Power is its way out! 

Comparing Earth Power with Earthquake and Sand Tomb

Vs Earthquake

Earthquake has been the poster child of Ground type moves since the inception of the Pokémon meta. It was initially underwhelming in Pokémon Go but it received a buff later on, resulting in 140 DMG for PvE and 120 DMG for PvP. 

Pretty neat and exemplary of Earthquake’s raw damage.

But isn’t it expensive in terms of energy?! 

As mentioned, it is a 1-bar charged move in PvE and a 65 energy charged move in PvP for 120 DMG. 

Whereas Earth Power is a 2-bar charged move in PvE and a 55 energy charged move in PvP for 90 DMG, with a chance of debuffing the opponent’s DEF stat. 

This shows that in PvP, Earth Power requires 10 less energy to charge up and is definitely the quicker and more energy-efficient option, making Garchomp faster and meaner in the Master League. 

From a comparison of raw stats between the two from our Go Hub DPS/TDO Comparison, it is pretty clear that Earth Power Garchomp has superior DPS and TDO when compared to Earthquake Garchomp. This makes Earth Power the go-to Ground type move in terms of more damage in raids and gym battles. 

In terms of Total Performance, Earth Power Garchomp is 8.77% better than Earthquake Garchomp.

Earth Power wins.

Vs Sand Tomb

This is where it gets more interesting, though less complicated. 

Sand Tomb stands no chance in PvE. It’s too weak to be even compared to the other two Ground type charged moves (or any of Garchomp’s moves, for that matter)

However, the Sand Tomb presents a strong case in PvP. The guaranteed debuffs and shield baits make Sand Tomb the unanimous move for a lead Garchomp. Even against Togekiss (when it cannot get to a potential Fire Blast), Sand Tomb at least makes Togekiss weaker in terms of taking damage. 

So while the viability of Sand Tomb will stand, it goes kaput when Garchomp is used late game. Imagine going up against the mighty Steel types and a second charged move Outrage is your only bet at making any meaningful damage. But hey, remember Outrage is resisted by those steely monsters. You lose or would hardly win in lucky situations. 

With only 55 energy, Earth Power charges very quickly and yet, sports enough DMG to annihilate the opposition.

Once again…

Earth Power wins.

The Ground type move verdict

Garchomp is an incredibly flexible and versatile Pokémon. Always has been. But this is more evident than ever courtesy of its Ground type charged moves. 

Both Sand Tomb and Earthquake will continue having their uses but Earth Power is the ultimate crossover between the two. 

You essentially get the perks of both in a sweet and chompy way. 

Therefore, the verdict: Earth Power is Garchomp’s best Ground type charged move! 

This affirms the fact that Earth Power is a clear improvement over both Earthquake and Sand Tomb. 

With that settled, let us dig into Earth Power Garchomp’s performance in PvE and PvP!

Garchomp with the updated Dragon Tail: The Tailer Meta

Dragon Tail received an amazing buff in the move rebalance from the Season 8 of GBL. It now sports a (DPT/EPT) set of (4.33/3.00) while Dragon Breath has (4.00/3.00).

While Dragon Tail still has a higher cooldown, Dragon Tail clearly deals more damage. This is great news for people who wanted Dragon Breath for Garchomp in its Community Day. Dragon Tail is now one of the most damaging fast moves in PvP, behind only Charm [(5.33/2.00)] and Razor Leaf [(5.00/2.00)]. However, as it can be seen, Dragon Tail has 50% more energy gains than either of those two fast moves! As such, Dragon Tail is theoretically the 2nd best fast move in PvP behind Counter [(4.00/3.50)].

With Dragon Tail, Garchomp’s role as a Steel killer switches to a different ballgame altogether. While still being competent enough to challenge Steel types, Garchomp takes up a complimentary role wherein it severely threatens those Pokémon that Mud Shot Garchomp struggled against. So essentially, Mud Shot and Dragon Tail for Garchomp have a natural fit and synergy with each other: one deals with something that the other couldn’t effectively do and vice versa. It’s a perfect balance!

With Dragon Tail on Garchomp, you should ideally have a teammate that checks Steel types and give Garchomp the freedom to unleash its draconic powers without mercy.

So how about we check out Dragon Tail Garchomp with Outrage and Earth power first?

In the Open Master League, with Dragon Tail paired with Outrage and Earth Power, Garchomp has an 82.6% win rate:

This is undoubtedly a really good performance by Garchomp. However, if you are going to run Dragon Tail on Garchomp, Sand Tomb is all but mandatory. Dragon Tail is one of the most damaging moves in PvP now and having Sand Tomb paired up offers two huge perks to Dragon Tail Chompy:

• Sand Tomb’s guaranteed debuffs elevate the damage numbers of Dragon Tail to dangerous levels
• Sand Tomb is Garchomp’s cheapest charged move and therefore, easier to fire off with the decent energy gains of Dragon Tail

But here’s the catch: Sand Tomb does poor damage and an offensive beast like Garchomp obviously cannot rely on Sand Tomb alone to win battles.

As such, the combination of Sand Tomb with Outrage or Earth Power produces some really interesting results that aren’t always feasible with Mud Shot. So let’s see how formidable Dragon Tail + Sand Tomb Garchomp gets by adding Outrage and Earth Power!

Dragon Tail Garchomp with Sand Tomb and Outrage

Dragon Tail is as good a moveset update to Garchomp as Earth Power. With Sand Tomb and Outrage, Dragon Tail Garchomp is one of the most dangerous variants of this dragon, functioning as an efficient Dragon type generalist and rampaging its way through a huge chunk of the meta.

In the Open Master League, with Dragon Tail paired with Outrage and Sand Tomb, Garchomp has an 89.4% win rate:

Garchomp with Dragon Tail paired with Outrage and Sand Tomb is a red alert threat of massive proportions in the meta.

This Garchomp chomps through the Open ML meta with the following wins:

• Beats Goodra in (1-1) and (0-0)
• Beats Kyogre in (0-0)
• Beats Groudon in (1-1) and (0-0)
• Beats Yveltal in (1-1) and (0-0)
• Beats Landorus (Therian) in the (1-1) and (0-0)
• Beats Giratina (Origin) in the (1-1) and (0-0)
• Beats Giratina (Altered) in the (1-1) and (0-0)
• Beats Palkia in (0-0) and ties with it in (1-1)
• Ties with Dialga in (1-1)
• Beats Zarude in (1-1) and (0-0)
• Beats Zamazenta (Hero) in (1-1) and (0-0)
• Beats Dragon Tail Dragonite in the (1-1)
• Beats Swampert in (1-1) and (0-0)
• Beats Conkeldurr in (1-1) and (0-0)
• Beats Machamp in (1-1) and (0-0)
• Beats Gyarados in (0-0)
• Beats Melmetal in (1-1) and (0-0)

With this moveset, Garchomp gains a lot of control against Flying type threats like Landorus (Therian), Yveltal and Gyarados; all of which had an advantage over Garchomp previously. Needless to say, this is a massive boost to Garchomp’s prowess as these Flying types that it now wins against, are some of the top picks in the ML meta.

Dragon Tail Garchomp with Sand Tomb and Earth Power

The combination of the newest moves in Garchomp’s arsenal (the updated Dragon Tail is more or less a new move on Garchomp, after all).

In the Open Master League, with Dragon Tail paired with Earth Power and Sand Tomb, Garchomp has a 90.4% win rate:

With the above moveset of Dragon Tail paired with Earth Power and Sand Tomb, Garchomp gains the following wins in the Open Master League:

• Beats Goodra in (1-1) and (0-0)
• Beats Kyogre in (0-0)
• Beats Groudon in (1-1) and (0-0)
• Beats Landorus (Therian) in (1-1) and (0-0)
• Beats Giratina (Origin) in (1-1) and (0-0)
• Beats Giratina (Altered) in (1-1) and (0-0)
• Beats Palkia in (0-0)
• Beats Zarude in (1-1)
• Beats Zamazenta (Hero) in (0-0)
• Ties with Dialga in (1-1)
• Beats Swampert in (1-1) and (0-0)
• Beats Machamp in (1-1) and (0-0)
• Beats Conkeldurr in (1-1) and (0-0)
• Beats Melmetal in (1-1) and (0-0)
• Beats Metagross in (0-0)
• Beats Excadrill in (1-1) and (0-0)

This moveset gives another stellar performance with a lower reliance on beating the Flying types but Chompy gains a strong standing against the Steel types. Earth power is cheaper in terms of energy when compared to Outrage and it gives Garchomp a pseudo Steel killer status. Undeniably, it takes Garchomp’s viability to an amazing level.

Mud Shot and Earth Power Garchomp: Performance in PvE

Garchomp with Mud Shot and Earthquake was already fantastic for PvE. With the addition of Earth power, it becomes a more efficient raid monster for Pokémon weak to the Ground typing.

With the same cooldown values for both moves, Garchomp deals 200 DMG with Earth Power (a 2-bar charged move) in the same amount of time that Garchomp deals 140 DMG with Earthquake (a 1-bar charged move).

Therefore, Garchomp convincingly outclasses its previously most destructive Ground type moveset.

But where does it stand in comparison to the other meta relevant Ground types?

From a comparison of raw stats among the meta relevant Ground types in the game from our Go Hub DPS/TDO Comparison, we find that Earth power Garchomp is still outclassed by both formes of Landorus and Groudon in terms of Total Performance.

But I would still say that Garchomp is the best of the lot. 

Surprised? Let me explain:

• Garchomp has arguably the best typing of all the Pokémon present in the list. The combination of Dragon and Ground makes Garchomp triple resist Electric type attacks, which is essentially the main USP of Ground types
• With Outrage, Garchomp delivers unresisted damage to 16 out of the 18 Pokémon types. However, Garchomp’s STAB Ground type attacks take out the Steel types. As such, Garchomp truly only has problems with the Fairy type
• Candy XL for Garchomp is easier to obtain when compared to legendaries like Groudon and the Landorus formes
• Is not toothless against Water types like Kyogre, unlike the other Ground types
• Can counter all the Dragon types rampaging around the Master League

With all parameters taken into perspective, Garchomp is undoubtedly the most viable and versatile Ground type, particularly in PvP.

With good stats across the board, a powerful move in Earth Power, the triple resistance to Electric attacks and a dominant typing, Earth Power Garchomp is a top-notch Pokémon in PvP.

Mud Shot and Earth Power Garchomp: Performance in PvP

This is what you have been waiting for, right?

Before I begin, let me tell you that Garchomp, per se, is not really viable for the Great League and Ultra League. Even PVPoke was adamant in their tweets that Flygon or even Vibrava find themselves more viable in the lower leagues for being the premier Ground Dragon Pokémon.

As such, my analysis of Earth power Garchomp in PvP will be strictly limited to the Master League Classic and Open Master League meta. This pseudo legendary land shark jet dragon is all ML material! Also, this will be about the Mud Shot + Earth Power set as it makes the best use of Earth Power.

With that being said, let’s dig in (to the ground)!

Master League Classic

Not everyone has XL Pokémon. In fact, some aren’t even enthusiastic about XL Pokémon. And you know what? That’s totally cool! Level 40 will always have its charm. Umm, wrong wording in a Garchomp article (*cough* charm *cough).

Anyway, so the Master League Classic!

In general, Garchomp with Mud Shot paired with Outrage and Earthquake has a 78.4% win rate against the meta:

With Mud Shot paired with Outrage and Earth Power, Garchomp has an 80.6% win rate against the meta:

2 specific match-ups of interest where Earth Power Garchomp is an upgrade in the Master League Classic:

Dialga

More often than not, Dialga is the Pokémon to beat in Master League. With high offensive prowess and the dreaded Dragon Breath, Dialga always gets the better of Earthquake Garchomp. But how would Earth power Garchomp fare against the Master of Time?

In the 1 on 1 shield scenario, Earthquake Garchomp vs Dialga yields the following:

In the 1 on 1 shield scenario, Earth Power Garchomp vs Dialga yields the following:

With Earth Power, Garchomp beats Dialga (1-1 shield) in the Master League Classic!!

Kyogre

Kyogre is a formidable check to Garchomp with Earthquake. Heavy STAB neutral damage with Waterfall and Surf is a major challenge. Will Earth Power turn the tide to Garchomp’s favour? Let’s find out:

In the 0 shield scenario, Earthquake Garchomp vs Kyogre yields the following:

In the 0 shield scenario, Earth Power Garchomp vs Kyogre yields the following:

With Earth Power, Garchomp beats Kyogre (0-0 shield) in the Master League Classic!!

Master League Classic Verdict for Earth Power Garchomp

While the remainder of equalized match-ups remain more or less the same, Earth Power Garchomp beats Dialga (1-1 shield) and Kyogre (0-0) that it couldn’t do with Earthquake.

Open Master League

With the rise of XL Pokémon on the horizon and the Gible Community Day, many are bound to end up with their own XL Garchomp. As such, it is inevitable to see more and more XL Garchomp in the Open Master League. The Open ML is the ultimate PvP league… wherein the meanest versions of your pocket monsters battle it out to earn victories and bragging rights. 

XL Garchomp with Earth Power is the newest monster in town. How does this powerful dragon perform in its XL version? Over to the sims!

In general, Garchomp with Mud Shot paired with Outrage and Earthquake has an 84% win rate against the meta:

With Mud Shot paired with Outrage and Earth Power, Garchomp has an 86% win rate against the meta:

2 specific match-ups of interest where Earth Power Garchomp is an upgrade in the Master League Classic:

XL Kyogre

Will XL Garchomp with Earth Power in the Open ML replicate its ML Classic shenanigans against the might of XL Kyogre?

In the 0 shield scenario, Earthquake Garchomp vs Kyogre yields the following:

In the 0 shield scenario, Earth Power Garchomp vs Kyogre yields the following:

With Earth Power, Garchomp beats Kyogre (0-0 shield) in the Open Master League!!

XL Groudon

Garchomp in the Master League Classic struggles against Groudon, be it Earthquake or Earth Power. In the Open Master League, let’s see how XL Chomper stands up to the Continent Pokémon!

In the 1 on 1 shield scenario, Earthquake Garchomp vs Groudon yields the following results:

In the 1 on 1 shield scenario, Earth Power Garchomp vs Groudon yields the following results:

With Earth Power, XL Garchomp beats XL Groudon (1-1 shield) in the Open Master League!!

Open Master League Verdict for Earth Power Garchomp

While the remainder of equalized match-ups remains more or less the same, Earth Power XL Garchomp beats XL Groudon (1-1 shield) and XL Kyogre (0-0) that it couldn’t do with Earthquake.

Note: Regardless of Earthquake or Earth Power, XL Garchomp beats XL Dialga in both the (0-0) and (1-1) shield scenarios. 

The Match-up Against Dialga

This definitely requires a special section. As it is quite evident, Dialga is, more often than not, the Pokémon to beat in the Master League meta. So how did Garchomp perform previously with Sand Tomb and Earthquake?

With Sand Tomb

In the Master League Classic, Garchomp with Sand Tomb wins against Dialga in the (1-1) shield scenario but loses against Dialga in the (0-0) shield scenario.

A similar situation is replicated in the Open Master League where Garchomp with Sand Tomb wins in the (1-1) but loses in the (0-0) against Dialga.

With Earthquake

In the Master League Classic, Garchomp with Earthquake wins against Dialga in the (0-0) shield scenario but loses against Dialga in the (1-1) shield scenario.

Again, a similar situation is replicated in the Open Master League where Garchomp with Earthquake wins in the (0-0) but loses in the (1-1) against Dialga.

With Earth Power

As it is seen from above, Sand Tomb Garchomp loses to Dialga in the (0-0) and Earthquake Garchomp loses to Dialga in the (1-1).

Remember me telling you that Earth Power bridges the gap between Sand Tomb and Earthquake? Well, the match-up against Dialga makes this more evident than ever.

To summarise, Earth Power Garchomp wins against Dialga in all the following scenarios:

• (0-0) Master League Classic
• (1-1) Master League Classic
• (0-0) Open Master League
• (1-1) Open Master League

So, Earth Power Garchomp beats Dialga in scenarios where Sand Tomb and Earthquake don’t make the cut.

But to give you a true perspective on how good Earth Power Garchomp is against Dialga, check this out:

In the Open Master League, a non-Best Buddy Earth Power Garchomp beats a Best Buddy Dialga in the (1-1) scenario!

Needless to say, a non-Best Buddy Earth Power Garchomp loses to Best Buddy Dialga in the (0-0) but takes back the win in (0-0) when Garchomp itself is a Best Buddy.

In a nutshell, Earth Power Garchomp is a bigger threat and bags key wins against Dialga that it couldn’t achieve with Sand Tomb or Earthquake. 

Versus The Entire Open ML Meta

With Mud Shot paired with Earth Power and Outrage, Garchomp registers the following wins in the Open Master League:

• Beats Goodra in (1-1)
• Beats Dialga in (1-1) and (0-0)
• Beats Metagross in (1-1) and (0-0)
• Beats Groudon in (0-0)
• Beats Kyogre in (0-0)
• Beats Landorus (Therian) in (0-0)
• Beats Melmetal in (1-1) and (0-0)
• Beats Swampert in (0-0)
• Beats Yveltal in (0-0)
• Beats Zarude in (1-1)
• Beats Zacian (Hero) in (1-1) and (0-0)
• Beats Machamp in (1-1) and (0-0)
• Beats Conkeldurr in (0-0)
• Beats Giratina (Origin) in (1-1) and (0-0)
• Beats Giratina (Altered) in (0-0)

Playing Mind Games in the Master League with Garchomp

One major advantage of using Garchomp is its unpredictability. Courtesy of Mud Shot’s exceptional energy gains, you never really know what is hitting you! It can be Sand Tomb, Outrage or even Earthquake. But the fact remains that Outrage and Earthquake are still expensive charged moves.

The addition of Earth Power just takes the unpredictability associated with Garchomp to another level! With 55 energy requirement, Earth Power charges quicker than either Outrage or Earthquake, making your opponent more unsure than ever on whether to use a shield or not. Backed with Garchomp’s phenomenal 261 ATK stat, an Earth Power left unshielded can cause massive damage.

So when you are facing a Garchomp ready to hit, is it Sand Tomb or is it Earth Power? Should you shield or should you not? The mind games are on!

With Dragon Tail in the mix now, the meta is dreading the massive amounts of damage that Garchomp would do with its deadly new weapon. Coupled with Sand Tomb’s debuffs and the nuke from Outrage/Earth Power, Dragon Tail Garchomp is literally going to thrash its opponents with a mean streak. Dragon Tail does so much damage already, that either Outrage or Warth Power would be mercy!

There’s a land shark out there and the meta best be prepared for the mind games from this apex pseudo legendary!

Rating Garchomp’s Top 3 Moveset Combinations

Mud Shot with Earth Power/Earthquake and Outrage? Mud Shot with Sand Tomb and Outrage? Dragon Tail with Outrage and Sand Tomb/Earth Power? Dragon Tail with Earth Power and Sand Tomb? Fire Blast?

Once again, the movepool makes it is easy to see why Garchomp is such a viable and versatile Pokémon in the meta. Honestly, the choice is all yours and you can have fun and win battles with literally any moveset. But I won’t’ leave you in a loop of confusion as there is a top 3!

Do note that these ratings are not based on Garchomp’s win rates or position as a lead or closer. It is a generic outlook on the viability of Garchomp as a whole.

With that being said, let me rate Garchomp’s top 3 moveset combinations and tell you why they have achieved those ranks.

1. Mud Shot with Outrage and Earth Power

This was expected, right? Mud Shot makes Garchomp scary and unpredictable, Earth Power is the perfect blend of low energy/high damage, and Outrage is the deadly nuke. This moveset has it all and makes Garchomp a complete package that shreds almost the entire meta. Undoubtedly, the Swiss Army Knife version of Garchomp!

2. Dragon Tail with Sand Tomb and Outrage (OR) Dragon Tail with Sand Tomb and Earth Power

I apologise but this had to be a tie. These two movesets are different and yet they are so much the same! This can be attributed to the fact that the success of this moveset is based on the [Dragon Tail with Sand Tomb + Anything] fundamental. Both work more or less the same, with the Outrage variant having a higher rate of success against the Flying types and the Earth Power variant, against the Steel types.

I remember I promised you that I’ll not leave you in the loop? So if you are split between the two, I’d say use the Outrage variant if you have a counter for Steel types in your team (like Excadriil, Conkeldurr, Machamp or Groudon). Otherwise, go for the Earth Power variant to deal with Steel types better through Garchomp alone. I’m personally going to go for the Dragon Tail with Sand Tomb and Outrage variant.

3. Mud Shot with Sand Tomb and Outrage

We have ALL used this or faced this version of Garchomp at some point in time of our battles in ML! This variant relies on spamming Sand Tomb debuffs and then hitting the opponent with a nuke Outrage. It is tried and tested and is undeniably the best moveset in Team Go Rocket battles. But Dragon Tail and Earth Power, with their permutations and combinations, make for a deadlier and more powerful set. Plus, this Mud Shot with Sand Tomb + Outrage is riskier than the #1 and #2 spots and therefore, it gets rated at #3.

Mirror, Mirror on the Meta: Mud Shot Garchomp vs. Dragon Tail Garchomp

I have detailed various match-ups of both Mud Shot and Dragon Tail Garchomp. But what happens when they both face each other in a mirror match?

Mud Shot’s speedy energy gains to Outrage?

Dragon Tail’s raw draconic damage?

Mud Shot with Earth Power/Outrage vs. Dragon Tail with Sand Tomb/Outrage (Open Master League)

In the (1-1) shield scenario, Mud Shot Garchomp wins:

In the (0-0) shield scenario, Mud Shot Garchomp wins:

In the (2-2) shield scenario, Dragon Tail Garchomp wins:

Pro Tips for using Garchomp

Garchomp brings forward its trademark USP from the main series games: Versatility.

Indeed, Garchomp is and will always be one of the most versatile Pokémon in general. This is complemented in Pokémon Go with Garchomp’s diverse movepool.

Garchomp has only two fast moves: Mud Shot and Dragon Tail. Accordingly, can use your Fast TMs to alternate Garchomp between a dependable Steel type killer that relies on blitzkrieg speed or a Dragon type generalist that relies on raw damage output. Basically, your Mud Shot is a Jolly natured Garchomp and your Dragon Tail is an Adamant natured Garchomp!

There are just so many possibilities with Garchomp now. The field is all yours!

It is strongly suggested to have multiple Garchomp variants for yourself or at least, access to a good number of Fast and Charged TMs.

Mega Garchomp: A Mega-lodon Monster

Ah, Mega Garchomp. Garchomp’s mega evolution is sheer and brutal power. It is one of the most dominating mega evolutions and Pokémon alike. And whoa, it’s super scary!

Before I go any further, check out the stats of Mega Garchomp:

Level 40 CP 5424 | Level 50 CP 6132
ATK 339		DEF 222		HP 239
Weak to			Strong Against
Dragon Fairy Ice			Dragon Fire Electric Rock Poison Steel

That. Is. Insane.

339 ATK stat and that bulk? This thing is a boss-level monstrosity! With those stats, the right moves and no nerf on the horizon, Mega Garchomp is slated to be one of the most powerful Pokémon EVER. 

So how does the power of Mega Garchomp justify its two types?

As a Dragon type

Mega Garchomp trails only behind the almighty Mega Rayquaza in terms of raw damage. However, Mega Chomp has the following advantages over Mega Ray Ray:

• Mega Garchomp has better typing. After all, Ground is more useful than Flying any day
• Mega Rayquaza has an additional weakness go the Rock typing that Mega Garchomp resists
• Mega Rayquaza could face the 9% nerf hammer on its release

As a Ground type

Mega Garchomp is the leading Ground type in the meta, with both Earthquake and Earth Power Mega Garchomp beating out Earthquake Primal Groudon convincingly. In fact, Mega Garchomp has a higher ATK stat (339) than Primal Groudon (331). The only way Primal Groudon can surpass Mega Garchomp is through its signature move: Precipice Blades

Mega Garchomp has the following advantages over Primal Groudon:

• Once again, Mega Garchomp has better typing. The combination of Dragon and Ground triple resists the Electric typing
• Mega Garchomp has a higher ATK stat than Primal Groudon
• If Primal Groudon faces the 9% nerf hammer, even Precipice Blades cannot help it to out-DPS Mega Garchomp

With all parameters taken into perspective, the accessibility of Garchomp and its Candy XL through Gible Community Day makes it reliable for being the go-to Dragon and Ground type attacker in the game.

You are totally going to want Mega Garchomp whenever it is released in Pokémon Go! Needless to say, Earth Power Mega Garchomp is more terrifying than Earthquake Mega Garchomp.

BONUS: Shiny Mega Garchomp is stunning!!!

Conclusion

Garchomp is surely going to be one of the major highlights of the concept of Community Day. A hugely popular and iconic Pokémon with fantastic design and lore, Garchomp has consistently cemented an absolutely dominating position for itself in every game it has been a part of. Pokémon Go is no different!

Garchomp was already good. It just got better!

So let’s address the elephant in the room: Is Earth Power Garchomp worth it? Does your maxed out Garchomp deserve an Elite Charged TM from Earthquake to Earth power?

The answer: A MEGA YES!

Earth Power Garchomp bags several key wins that it couldn’t manage with Earthquake against the likes of Dilaga, Kyogre and Groudon. That itself goes on to show just how much of an improvement Earth Power Garchomp is! Even in raids, Earth power Garchomp is a bigger and more formidable terror in the meta.

Mega Garchomp is simply Garchomp soaring on astronomical levels. It is undeniably one of the best Pokémon in the game. EVER. This is a mega evolution that defines the power and dominance associated with mega evolved Pokémon

Even if you are on the ‘Sand Tomb Team’, it is totally worth raising an Earth power Garchomp or even an Earth Power XL Garchomp. This powerful pseudo legendary dragon will never disappoint you. Rather, it will amaze you!

So get your Earth Power Garchomp and watch it chomp through the meta. Because that’s what Garchomp does!

Dracarys.