
It’s always an exciting affair when a new Dragon type makes its debut in Pokémon GO. And it’s even more exciting when the Pokémon is a “cool one”. This Pokémon’s design doesn’t get any better because it’s literally a T-Rex!!
Isn’t it surprising that it took 6 generations for us to get a Pokémon based on the iconic Tyrannosaurus Rex?! But regardless, here we are with amazing-looking Tyrantrum, the first-ever fossil Pokémon to be a Dragon type.
So how does this Rock/Dragon fare in the meta? It looks incredible as a buddy, but does this Jurassic mon have the bite to make a dent in PvP and PvE? Will its roar echo throughout the meta or will Tyrantrum face extinction?
We’ll find out!
Typing, Strengths and Weaknesses
Tyrantrum is a Rock/Dragon type Pokémon and as such, is weak to the Dragon, Fairy, Fighting, Ice and Steel types types.
Well, six weaknesses to common types isn’t a good sign for our ‘rex. 😐
Its dual typing grants it the following resistances:
0.391x damage from | 0.625x damage from |
Fire | Electric |
Normal | |
Poison |
Tyrantrum’s resistances are a decent set, making it potentially useable in the lower PvP leagues.
As mentioned previously, its glaring weaknesses to some really common and meta-relevant types put it in a tight spot. So while its typing is offensively good, it struggles on a defensive standpoint.
Let’s check out Tyrantrum’s stats now.
Stats
Tyrantrum has the following stats in Pokémon GO:
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Max CP at Level 40 3128 | Max CP at Level 50 3537 | |||||
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ATK 227 | DEF 191 | HP 193 | |||
Weak to | Strong Against | ||||
Dragon Fairy Fighting Ground Ice Steel | Dragon Bug Fire Ice |
Tyrantrum’s stats are oriented towards ATK, with decent bulk to boot. Basically, a good moveset can bring the meta in Tyrantrum’s favour. So let’s see what moves ‘rex has in the game:
Moveset Analysis
Tyrantrum learns the following moves in Pokémon GO:
Fast Moves | Charged Moves |
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At first glance, Ttrum does have some very interesting moves from both the Rock and Dragon typing. And Charm, lol.
Well, let’s see how it performs in PvP and PvE.
Fast move analysis
Fast move | Damage Per Turn [DPT] | Energy Per Turn [EPT] | Cooldown |
Dragon Tail | 4.33 | 3.00 | 1.50 sec |
Rock Throw | 4.00 | 2.50 | 1.00 sec |
Charm | 5.33 | 2.00 | 1.50 sec |
Between Dragon Tail and Rock Throw, Dragon Tail is the clear winner. Higher damage and higher energy gains make Dragon Tail the go-to fast move for Ttrum.
What about Charm?
It’s ridiculous to see Charm in a Dragon type that’s based on a T-Rex. Is it viable on it?
Not really.
Dragon Tail can deal super-effectively with other Dragon types while Charm lacks STAB and synergy with moves like Stone Edge or Outrage. Though Charm can help Ttrum stand up to Fighting types and give it good damage potential, it just isn’t viable in the long run.
So Dragon Tail it is!
Charged move analysis
Charged move | Damage | Energy required |
Outrage | 110 | 60 |
Stone Edge | 55 | 55 |
Crunch | 70 | 45 |
Earthquake | 120 | 65 |
Crunch is Tyrantrum’s cheapest charged move and it has a 30% chance to debuff the opponent’s DEF. This makes Crunch a very viable move despite the fact that it lacks STAB.
Stone Edge is cheaper than Outrage and gives Ttrum its Rock type shenanigans through the usage of Dragon Tail.
Earthquake lacks STAB, is expensive and doesn’t make sense to use.
So what is Tyrantrum’s ideal moveset?
Tyrantrum’s ideal moveset is Dragon Tail paired with Stone Edge and Crunch.
Performance in PvP
Tyrantrum is left in an awkward spot when it comes to PvP. Its Rock and Dragon typing brings with it a flurry of weaknesses that really hit it hard and difficult to use in any of the PvP leagues. It needs a cheaper fast move to truly make good use of its charged moves. While Dragon Tail is indeed damaging, it doesn’t have the respectable bulk necessary to salvage its moveset or decent ATK.
Performance in the Great League
Tyrantrum runs into some serious trouble with various mons exploiting its many weakness and unimpressive bulk. Don’t expect it to do much in any unfavourable matchups.
Performance in the Ultra League
Tyrantrum’s woes continue in the Ultra Leagues, with Dragon and Steel Pokémon growing increasingly prominent. However, Rock is still a very good offensive type and Dragon Tail does deal some really neat damage. As a result, Tyrantrum shows some sparks in the UL meta, standing tall against a good deal of Pokémon and even going down only after putting up a fight. Overall, UL is undoubtedly Tyrantrum’s best bet in PvP.
Performance in the Master League
Tyrantrum’s stats and more importantly, its moveset hold it back from posing any viable threat to the meta mons in this format. Honestly, it’s not too shabby per see. It’s just that Tyrantrum is severely outclassed by various pseudo legendary and legendary Pokémon with their superior stats, moveset and typing.
PvP in a nutshell
It really pains me to put it this way: Tyrantrum is bad in PvP. It has problems all across the board, be it stats, moveset or typing. You can still use it as a spice pick in UL probably. Alas, such an amazing Pokémon but limited viability.
Performance in PvE
With just a 227 ATK stat and a max CP at level 50 just above CP 3500, Tyrantrum is lost in the crowd of the several Pokémon dominating the meta.
As a Rock type
Rock Throw is its only shot at a Rock type fast move. It doesn’t learn Smack Down or Rollout.
That said, it learns Rock Slide as a charged move and that would certainly be a significant improvement for the T-Rex dragon. Moreover, it can also get Head Smash as a powerful charged move and make it dangerous. It’s underwhelming but certainly not bad.
As a Dragon type
While Tyrantrum does have some future potential in the Rock department, it simply doesn’t make the cut as a Dragon type. In a meta held by legendary and pseudo legendary monsters, Tyrantrum won’t be a top-notch choice even though it has the best possible Dragon moveset of Dragon Tail and Outrage.
PvE in a nutshell
Tyrantrum’s stance in PvE is definitely better than what it is in PvP.
As a Dragon type, it doesn’t have any hope, tbh. However, you can still use it in raids for fun, as it looks freaking badass!
As a Rock type, there is hope. With a move rebalance or possible addition of Head Smash, Tyrantrum can do much better.
Parting Words
I usually go to more depth to analyze Dragon type Pokémon but Tyrantrum isn’t good enough to make a home run in the meta. 😥
You got to feel bad about this Pokémon. A unique type combination, acceptable stats, jaw-dropping design and good potential, it just isn’t dependable enough in the current meta. With this prehistoric regal Pokémon brought back to life, it certainly deserves to be treated better. Even the supposedly weaker Aurorus with a terrible type combination of Rock and Ice does better in PvP than Tyrantrum!
I’ll sign off with the hope that Tyrantrum receives some love from Niantic (yes folks, giving it Charm wasn’t any form of love at all!), and can actually leave a formidable footprint on the meta. When dinosaurs ruled, Tyrantrum was literally a king. Give it some glory in the current world!