Non-Legendary Dragons in the Pokémon GO Meta

The Dragon types have captured the fantasy and imagination of almost every Pokémon trainer from day 1. With awe-inspiring draconic powers, amazing stats and cool designs, it goes without saying that Dragon types are an absolutely fantastic addition to any meta or playthrough. 

However, when I say Dragon type Pokémon, which monsters come to your mind? Rayquaza? Garchomp? Dragonite? Kyurem? It is easy to assume that most of you would think of the legendary or pseudo legendary dragons in the world of Pokémon. 

In the main series games and competitive scene, factors like the right ability, speed, weather, items and immunity can make almost any Pokémon relevant (just look at the monstrosity known as Dracovish in Gen 8). 

Therefore, trainers in Pokémon Go resort to giving priority to the elite list of legendary and pseudo legendary dragons in battles. 

But a true Dragon Master can use any dragon effectively by discovering and utilising the niche in which the said dragon excels. 

This is the very premise on which I have jotted down this write-up. Being an experienced Dragon type expert on Smogon’s Pokémon Showdown, I have always held a special place for the dragons in Pokémon Go. 

As such, I will highlight the niche uses of all those underrated ‘normal’ dragons in the meta. Some would be amazing while some might have very specific uses. Nevertheless, it is pretty obvious that Dragon types would always find at least an iota of viability in the Pokémon Go meta. 

After all, Dragon types occupy a lion’s share (umm, dragon’s share?) among the legendary and the pseudos. As such, you’re not to be blamed if these categories of dragons are the first to pop up on hearing/seeing the mention of Dragon type Pokémon. 

But it just can’t be denied that even the non-legendary and non-pseudo legendary dragons are amazing in their own right. 

Sadly, it is difficult to appreciate the powers of the ‘normal’ dragons in Pokémon Go. That’s why this article is your guide to truly use Dragon type Pokémon in a way that justifies their majestic powers and glory. 

With that being said, let’s soar into the skies, dive into the seas and venture into the caves to find out how you can become a true Dragon Master in Pokémon Go

Mega Charizard X

Charizard (Mega X) FireDragon
Max CP 3850
ATK 273		DEF 213		HP 186
Weak to			Strong Against
Rock Ground Dragon			Grass Bug Steel Dragon Ice

Mega Charizard X holds major value among the Pokémon fanbase from all around the world.

As kids, we always wondered why Charizard, with its conventional dragon looks and vibes, wasn’t a Dragon type in the first place. 

Since the final forms of the starter Pokémon being an elusive Dragon type didn’t make sense, the introduction of mega evolutions in Gen 6 changed the landscape of the meta. 

Charizard, along with the almighty Mewtwo, holds the distinction of having 2 mega evolutions. Much to the delight of countless Pokémon fans, Mega Charizard X was a Dragon type. 

While Mega Charizard X became an instant hit due to the Dragon typing, the cool black colours and the blue flames… one often doesn’t realise that Mega Charizard X is competitively inferior to the deadlier Mega Charizard Y. 

The same applies to Pokémon Go as well wherein Mega Charizard Y has a monstrous 319 ATK stat compared to X’s 273. 

But, we’re talking about dragons here so Y can soar in the high skies for now. 

Coming to the movepool, Charizard is also the only recipient of two Community Day events to its credit, with the October 2020 showdown giving it access to Dragon Breath as a nod to X. 

Mega Charizard X with Dragon Breath, Dragon Claw and Blast Burn lets it occupy a niche of its own. 

Mega Charizard X doesn’t have that nagging Fairy type and Ice type weaknesses and, just like base form Charizard, it also resists the Steel type. 

While the combination of Dragon Breath and Dragon Claw lacks the raw power associated with most dragons, it is still in a position to deal super-effective damage to both Steel and Ice, while also dealing heavy neutral damage to Fairy. However, it’s worth noting that this unique viability of a Dragon type like Charizard lies in its Fire typing. As such, Blast Burn is mandatory to be included in Mega Charizard X’s arsenal. 

In PvE, its ATK stat of 273 and impressive bulk lets it deal a good amount of damage in quick succession. Plus, you also give the mega boost to your raid party. 

For now, Elite Charged TMs are your best bet in giving Blast Burn to your Dragon Breath Mega Charizard X. 

Or…

You can use the Elite Fast TM from GBL Season 4 to give Dragon Breath to a Blast Burn Charizard.  

In a nutshell, Mega Charizard X hampers your opponents preparation towards countering your Dragon type(s) by successfully dealing with Ice, Dragon, Fairy and Steel types. 

Just be careful with Garchomp and Mega Garchomp though…

Note: Mega evolutions are not permitted in the Go Battle League (GBL) yet. 

However, you can use them in your PvP battles in general.

Alolan Exeggutor

Exeggutor (Alola) GrassDragon
Max CP 3014
ATK 230		DEF 153		HP 216
Weak to			Strong Against
Ice Bug Dragon Fairy Flying Poison			Dragon Ground Rock Water

Whoever thought that a tall palm tree would be a Dragon type!

Its Dragon typing is a reference to the Dracaena genus of trees. Inquisitive!

That said, Alolan Exeggutor stands tall (really tall) among Dragon types with resistances to the Electric, Grass, Water and Ground types… some of the most common types out there. 

This makes Alolan Exeggutor an amazing Grass type to use against Water types as long as they don’t carry Ice type moves for coverage. 

It has a pretty near set of moves to its credit. 

Bullet Seed received a buff, letting it charge super fast and spam the low energy cost Seed Bomb. This lets Alolan Exeggutor act as an excellent shield baiting machine. 

One can even go with Dragon Tail for the extra damage but Bullet Seed is anyday more fun to use. 

Dragon Pulse can punish Dragon types in favourable match-ups. 

However, Alolan Exeggutor’s viability is inclined towards PvE wherein its double resistance to Water type lets it performs very well, something it does better than its Kanto counterpart. 

Not to mention, it looks hilarious in every way!

It is worth noting that Alolan Exeggutor has a signature Dragon type move in Dragon Hammer. An Alolan Exeggutor raid day in the future that features Dragon Hammer (just like we got Alolan Marowak raid day with Shadow Bone) could increase its viability in PvP. 

Also, Dragon Hammer does justice to Alolan Exeggutor’s animation of hitting its opponents with its head, like a hammer!

Let’s hope Dragon Hammer, if and when it arrives, lets this Pokémon hammer down its opponents just like it should.

Mega Ampharos

Ampharos (Mega) ElectricDragon
Max CP 4245
ATK 294		DEF 203		HP 207
Weak to			Strong Against
Dragon Fairy Ground Ice			Dragon Flying Water

Once again, I’ll be referring to Community Day here… 

Ampharos was one of the earliest recipients of a Community Day and arguably, the first indication of mega evolutions in the game owing to its exclusive move: Dragon Pulse

Mega Ampharos has monstrous stats and a max CP of 4000+, making it a premier Electric type pick for the Master League. 

Its uber-high ATK stat of 294 and good bulk make it a tremendous threat for both PvP and PvE. 

With the amazing Volt Switch, spammy Thunder Punch and Dragon Pulse to boot, Ampharos wouldn’t be going down to Togekiss without a fight and also poses a massive threat to Dragon, Water and Flying types through STAB moves. 

Special acknowledgement of the fact that Mega Ampharos’ mane is gorgeous! And this Pokémon is exemplary of style with substance. 

L’Oréal Kalos (based on Paris, ironically). Because Mega Ampharos is definitely worth it!

Kingdra

Kingdra WaterDragon
Max CP 2641
ATK 194		DEF 194		HP 181
Weak to			Strong Against
Dragon Fairy			Fire Ground Rock Dragon

This deep-sea monster is blessed with the absolutely amazing typing of Water and Dragon, nullifying its weakness to Ice and leaving it only weak to Dragon and Fairy.

Furthermore, it also resists the Water, Fire and most importantly, the Steel type.

Indeed! A Dragon type resisting the Steel type is a major bonus!

Kingdra has overall balanced stats and an amazing STAB movepool to back it up. 

From the Water side, Kingdra literally got everything it could ask for…

It learns both Waterfall and Water Gun (legacy), and is aptly supported by the nuking Hydro Pump and the latest addition to its Water type arsenal: the amazing Octazooka. With just 50 energy to boot and a wholesome 50% chance to debuff the opponent’s ATK stat by 2 stages, Kingdra is truly a fearsome Water dragon

Speaking of dragons, Kingdra wins once again with the fearsome Dragon Breath and the ever-powerful Outrage.

All of this makes Kingdra an absolutely amazing Pokémon to use in the Ultra League. 

Pairing Dragon Breath with Octazooka and Outrage/Hydro Pump makes Kingdra a knight in the Ultra League. Check out my detailed analysis of Kingdra for more!

Mega Sceptile

Sceptile (Mega) GrassDragon
Max CP 4056
ATK 320		DEF 186		HP 172
Weak to			Strong Against
Ice Bug Dragon Fairy Flying Poison			Dragon Ground Rock Water

The second Grass/Dragon type in the list, Mega Sceptile is a monster. 

Mega Sceptile is so good that it honestly doesn’t need access to its Community Day exclusive move, Frenzy Plant. 

With the super-fast Bullet Seed and spammy moves like Dragon Claw and Leaf Blade, Mega Sceptile is a ‘blink-and-you-miss’ killing machine. 

Frenzy Plant is undoubtedly an extremely powerful move and Mega Sceptile has a crazy ATK stat of 320, establishing it as the best Grass type in the game. 

However, Leaf Blade is just too good. 

70 DMG at just 35 energy is wild. 

See, two Frenzy Plant attacks would require 90 energy and deal 200 DMG.

Two Leaf Blade attacks, on the other hand, deals 140 DMG at just 70 energy. 

It is worth noting that Mega Sceptile is not the bulkiest dragon. 

As such, energy is more of a defining parameter than damage when it comes to Mega Sceptile.

Therefore, Leaf Blade is much more economical and when paired with Dragon Claw, lets Mega Sceptile burn the opponent’s shields and also deal massive damage when unshielded. 

This Christmas Tree Pokémon is a nightmare to deal with in battle and while it lacks the bulk, it is definitely one of the most dangerous mega evolutions out there.

Flygon

Flygon GroundDragon
Max CP 2661
ATK 205		DEF 168		HP 190
Weak to			Strong Against
Dragon Fairy Ice			Dragon Fire Electric Rock Poison Steel

The first-ever Ground and Dragon type Pokémon has always got overshadowed by Garchomp and more recently, by Zygarde. 

Being in contention with arguably the best pseudo legendary Pokémon and a very powerful legendary Pokémon is not exactly a good position to be in, but Flygon does have its uses owing to the fantastic dual typing of Ground and Dragon, 2 of the best offensive types in the meta. 

It learns the infamous Mud Shot and the ever-dependable Dragon Tail as fast moves. 

While Earthquake, Dragon Claw and Stone Edge make up its charged moves, its Community Day blessed it with the amazing Earth Power,

At the decent energy of 55 and a very impressive DMG of 90, Flygon can fire off Earth Power, which also has a 10% chance to buff the opponent’s DEF by one stage (0.60x)

The biggest trick in Flygon’s sleeve (umm, wings?) is its access to Mud Shot. 

With the extremely fast energy gains of Mud Shot, pairing it with Earth Power and Dragon Claw make Flygon a shield baiting and high damage churning monster. 

The need for a Ground and Dragon is a welcome addition to the Ultra League. With Steel types always running rampant in the PvP meta and the omnipresence of Giratina’s two forms, a spammable sand dragon can go a long way in sealing the bout for you. 

Costing the same energy as Earth Power, you can also go with Stone Edge to deal a shocking blow to threatening Flying types such as Gyarados, Charizard and the notorious Togekiss. 

To summarise, its uses are limited but they are also pretty effective

This beautiful dragon couldn’t receive a mega evolution due to an artist’s block by Ken Sugimori, the brain behind some of the most iconic Pokémon designs (There’s loads of awesome Mega Flygon fan art on the internet, you know). How about we at least get a pioneering and much overdue Bug and Dragon regional variant of Flygon in Gen 9? 

Only time will tell. 

Altaria & Mega Altaria

Altaria DragonFlying
Max CP 2004
ATK 141		DEF 201		HP 181
Weak to			Strong Against
Fairy Ice Poison Steel			Dragon Dark Fighting

Well before the inception of the Community Day in Pokémon Go, Swablu’s entry into the game was coupled with a surprising 400 candies requirement for evolution into the underwhelming Altaria. 

That was a time when Niantic tried to make the achievement of the Dragon gold badge a prestigious ride. How times have changed!

Altaria didn’t have even a decent showing when it first came out. Its typing of Dragon and Flying put it in the same subset as the OG and OP Dragonite from Gen 1, the formidable and ‘destined-to-be-among-the-best’ Gen 3 counterpart: Salamence, and the crown dragon itself: the mighty Rayquaza. 

Altaria was never meant to be in contention with any dragons in the meta until…

PvP

Altaria stats, bulk and moveset put this fluffy bird dragon among the clouds (see what I do there?) of the Great League meta. 

And whoa… it still dominates!!!

Armed with the dangerous PvP weapon in Dragon Breath and the hard-hitting Sky Attack, Altaria did justice to both the Dragon and the Flying types. 

Something which only Rayquaza is able to do and not Dragonite or Salamence. 

Another bonus is the cheap 10,000 stardust and 25 candies requirement in getting a second charged move. This lets Altaria pair Sky Attack with Dragon Pulse or Dazzling Gleam, two really neat secondary charged moves to have in general. 

Does the inclusion of Dazzling Gleam into Altaria’s arsenal remind you of something?

Altaria (Mega) DragonFairy
Max CP 3163
ATK 222		DEF 218		HP 181
Weak to			Strong Against
Fairy Ice Poison Steel			Dragon Dark Fighting

Altaria’s mega evolution is not just any mega evolution…

It’s currently the only Dragon/Fairy type in the entire Pokémon franchise!

• Mega Altaria has a very good set of resistances, that include: Bug Dark Dragon Electric Fighting Fire Grass and Water
• It is not weak to the Dragon type. In fact, it resists them and delivers super-effective damage in return. 
• Its stats and typing make it shine in the Ultra League meta
• Has overall balanced stats, making it a very good Pokémon to bank on

A very dependable fairy-powered dragon that will definitely be on cloud nine of the Pokémon Go meta.

Haxorus

Haxorus Dragon
Max CP 3593
ATK 284		DEF 172		HP 181
Weak to			Strong Against
Dragon Fairy Ice			Dragon

Gen 4 lay low with regards to Dragon types, giving us only a few, but extremely powerful dragons such as the pseudo legendary Garchomp and the legendary Creation trio: Giratina, Dialga and Palkia. 

Having a few dragons makes sense as the Sinnoh region is regarded as the coldest and Dragon types don’t like the cold at all. 

So having only Garchomp, the toughest pseudo legendary, in the land of Sinnoh (the Creation trio live in other dimensions) seems legit. 

But Gen 5 onwards, the Pokémon world started blessing us with a diverse range of Dragon types! 

And the first dragon I’m going to talk about was widely regarded as the pseudo legendary of this region. 

With an ATK stat equally that of legendaries, a fearsome appearance, mind-blowing design and a typical 3-stage evolution gimmick… Haxorus should probably have been the pseudo legendary Pokémon of the Unova region. 

It goes without saying that people were left utterly disappointed when Haxorus did not turn out to be the pseudo legendary of the region.

But that did not stop it from becoming a fan favourite!

Get this: Haxorus’ ATK stat of 284 is equal to that of Rayquaza!  

Its DEF is slightly higher than Rayquaza’s while its HP falls significantly below Rayquaza’s. 

As such, Haxorus is literally a less bulky version of Rayquaza, without the 4x weakness to Ice and the Rock type weakness. 

Haxorus learns Dragon Tail as well as Counter. While Counter lacks STAB, Haxorus’ high ATK stat lets it deal a lot of damage and often performs better than Dragon Tail in PvP. 

Dragon Claw is spammy and does quite a number.

Surf is a good choice as it requires only 40 energy and does decent damage. 

Night Slash is weak but spammy. However, the off chance of getting an ATK can take Haxorus to unbeatable levels. 

Earthquake is underwhelming and Haxorus’ bulk doesn’t sync with its usage. 

The biggest USP of Haxorus at this point is the potential Community that it could receive. 

From its learnset, Outrage seems to be the most logical and natural inclusion unless Niantic decides to throw a number. 

Do note that with Dragon Tail and Outrage, Haxorus will hold the crown of the best non-legendary Dragon type in the game with its DPS even surpassing that of Salamence!

Haxorus is honestly the epitome of this write-up. With Outrage, it excels almost every other dragon in sheer damage potential. Check out my detailed analysis on Haxorus for more!

Druddigon

Druddigon Dragon
Max CP 2732
ATK 213		DEF 170		HP 184
Weak to			Strong Against
Dragon Fairy Ice			Dragon

Let’s be honest. People not acquainted with Pokémon other than Pokémon Go would never have even heard of Druddigon. Its only claim to fame is probably its appearances in the anime: As a part of the Unova Dragon type Gym Leader Drayden’s team along with Haxorus and the shiny Druddigon that the Johto Dragon type Gym Leader Clair caught and battled the wannabe Iris with. 

Druddigon is a neat little pure Dragon type Pokémon from Gen 5. And though it receives a lot of flak for its lego-like design, underwhelming competitive presence and so-called “ugliness”… Druddigon ironically has one of the most draconic designs in the franchise, reminiscent of evil cave-dwelling dragons in myths that eat humans and is slain by the prince in shining armour.

Druddigon has appreciable stats for the Ultra League. Dragon Tail coupled with Dragon Claw and Night Slash let it act as a decent addition to your battle line-up. 

It surely doesn’t excel in anything, its good moveset lets it strike a red alert in Ultra League PvP battles. 

With just a few Gen 5 Pokémon left in the unreleased roster, Druddigon could figure out as your 10 km hatch any day now. It definitely deserves a lot more love than it gets.

Gen 6 Dragon types in Pokémon GO

With Gen 6 upon us, we now know how the Kalos Dragon types will fare in Pokémon Go!

The legendary Zygarde (and its forms) and pseudo legendary Goodra could be amazing in PvP given the right moveset. I would have told you more but this write-up is not for pseudo/legendary Pokémon.

It’s for the following dragons:

Dragalge

Dragalge PoisonDragon
Max CP 2383
ATK 177		DEF 207		HP 163
Weak to			Strong Against
Dragon Ground Ice Psychic			Dragon Fairy Grass

Dragalge’s stats are too underwhelming to truly make an impact. But hey, it looks cool, has a really solid typing, a widespread movepool and a very specific niche!

As a Poison and Dragon type, it no longer takes super-effective damage from the Fairy types.

Instead, it hits back with STAB Poison type super-effective damage of its own!

The combination of Acid and Gunk Shot can kill fairies. It is backed up with the ever-dependable Dragon Tail and Outrage, and finally, it gets access to Water Gun, Aqua Tail and Hydro Pump.

It can fit into your lower league PvP teams for fun and you can give opposing Fairy types a really tough time with Dragalge.

Oh, did I mention that it will take 400 candies to evolve Skrelp into Dragalge? The 400 Club grind is back!

Tyrantrum

Tyrantrum RockDragon
Max CP 3128
ATK 227		DEF 191		HP 193
Weak to			Strong Against
Dragon Fairy Fighting Ground Ice Steel			Dragon Bug Fire Flying Ice

A fossil Pokémon that’s a T-Rex and a Dragon type? 

Yes, please! 

Tyrantrum has pretty good stats and a solid offensive typing. With access to STAB moves in both its Rock and Dragon typing complemented with the fact that it got the best moves it could have possibly learnt from a Dragon type perspective, Tyrantrum is a treat.

Its flagship Dragon Tail and Outrage combination makes it a worthwhile addition to a Dragon type raid party.

Furthermore, it does ideally with its current Rock Throw and Stone Edge Rock type moveset. But, it can still get better with the possible addition of Head Smash! Fingers crossed.

This T-Rex doesn’t go down to Togekiss without a fight! Plus, it can also threaten Ice types. As such, Tyrantrum’s Rock type moveset is more viable.

BONUS: Just imagine Tyrantrum as your buddy!

Noivern

Noivern FlyingDragon
Max CP 2764
ATK 205		DEF 175		HP 198
Weak to			Strong Against
Dragon Fairy Ice Rock			Dragon Bug Fighting Grass

A ferocious Wyvern in all its glory!

It’s a bat that’s a dragon and emits dangerous sonic booms… how cool is that!

There aren’t many Flying types in the meta that have both a fast and charged Flying type move in their arsenal and luckily, Noivern gets them both.

With access to Air Slash and Hurricane, Noivern isn’t exactly going to be a top-notch Flying type. It stills learns moves like Sky Attack, Aerial Ace and even Fly. So it has a lot of room for improvement in its primary Flying typing.

However, it can still pack a punch against Grass types with access to Heat Wave that also threatens Steel types.

Noivern is anotherDragon type and Pokémon from Gen 6 to require 400 candies for its evolution from Noibat! Brace yourselves!

Conclusion

So there you have it. 

These dragons are neither legendary nor pseudo legendary, and yet, they are amazing in their own right. 

Some of them are absolutely fantastic in areas that even the pseudo/legendary dragons can’t fulfil! 

The realm of Dragon type Pokémon is amazing and you don’t always need something like a Garchomp, Salamence, Rayquaza or Dialga or excel…

Each of them is a proud dragon with powers that, if used right, can shake up the meta in different ways. 

So, Imagine Dragons…

And live them!!!

Dracarys