Why is Garchomp so good? A Comprehensive Overview of This Dragon‘s Dominance

For those passionate about competitive Pokémon battles, it‘s no secret that Garchomp has cemented itself as one of the greatest non-legendary threats in the game. This dual Dragon/Ground-type dynamo has been wrecking unprepared teams ever since its debut in Generation IV, combining devastating power with blazing speed. But what exactly makes Garchomp such a formidable force across generations? As a longtime competitive battler myself, let‘s dive deep into the stats, moves, and strategies that enable Garchomp‘s consistent success.

Well-Rounded Base Stats Give Garchomp Both Offense and Bulk

Right out of the gate, Garchomp impresses with its excellent base stat distribution of 108 HP / 130 Atk / 95 Def / 80 SpA / 85 SpD / 102 Spe. This spreads bulk and offense judiciously, giving Garchomp the ability to take hits while dishing out damage. Its Attack in particular is exceptional – only 18 Pokemon in existence have a higher base Attack stat, putting Garchomp in truly elite company.

When compared to rivals like Tyranitar (100/134/110/95/100/61) and Dragonite (91/134/95/100/100/80), Garchomp trades a bit of their specialized bulk for blistering 102 base Speed – and this allows it to consistently strike first with heavy hits. Very few Pokemon with equivalent offensive stats, such as Deoxys-A, can actually outpace Garchomp. This combination of power and priority makes Garchomp incredibly hard to switch into safely. Even defensively oriented ‘mons have reason to fear that 102 Speed and sky-high 130 Attack.

Movepool Provides Wide Coverage Options for Different Team Roles

In addition to its stellar stats, Garchomp also benefits greatly from an expansive movepool that enables it to fulfill multiple roles. STAB Earthquake coming off that massive 130 Attack stat hits most Pokemon for at least neutral damage – and lets Garchomp squash common Fire, Electric, Poison, Rock, and Steel-types with super effective blows. Dragon-type coverage in the form of Outrage or Dragon Claw hits fellow dragons hard, while also blasting bulky Grass-types.

But Garchomp isn‘t content with just its STAB moves. It also learns strong coverage options like Fire Fang, Poison Jab, and Stone Edge to crush Ice, Fairy, and Flying-types that resist its Dragon STAB. Swords Dance gives Garchomp boosting capability, potentially letting it sweep late-game with boosted attacks after the checks to it have been eliminated. It even gets utility with Stealth Rock, allowing it to support teammates as a solid wallbreaker and hazard setter.

This wide movepool means Garchomp can fill numerous roles beyond wallbreaking, keeping opponents guessing. Basic damage calcs show these coverage moves pack serious punch:

• Stone Edge vs Talonflame: 438-516 (144.1 – 169.4%) — guaranteed OHKO
• Fire Fang vs Ferrothorn: 216-254 (61.3 – 72.2%) — guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
• Poison Jab vs Clefable 196-232 (50 – 59.1%) — guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

Abilities Add Both Offense and Defense Through Added Effects

Garchomp‘s abilities expand its capability even further. Its default Sand Veil raises evasion in sandstorms, giving it a solid defensive boost alongside the Special Defense buff sand provides. But its true gem is the hidden Rough Skin ability, which damages any Pokemon making physical contact with Garchomp. This pressures physical attackers and racks up residual damage that can enable crucial KOs.

As an example, Gliscor‘s Earthquake vs standard Garchomp: 171-202 (47.7 – 56.4%) — approx. 2HKO after Leftovers recovery. But vs Rough Skin Garchomp, that Earthquake also causes Gliscor to take 12% recoil damage from Rough Skin – turning a guaranteed 2HKO into a 3HKO, and giving Garchomp more chances to strike back. Rough Skin‘s added damage against fragile physical sweepers forces them to respect Garchomp.

Checks Common Threats in OU Metagame with Coverage

A major factor in Garchomp‘s success is its ability to check many of the top offensive threats with its coverage and power. For instance, by running Earthquake and Stone Edge, Garchomp can smash the ever-common Volcarona after a single Quiver Dance:

• +1 0 SpA Volcarona Hidden Power Ice vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Garchomp: 216-256 (60.4 – 71.6%) — guaranteed 2HKO
• Garchomp Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Volcarona: 432-512 (151.7 – 179.7%) — guaranteed OHKO

This pattern holds true for many setup sweepers – Garchomp can revenge kill them with proper coverage before they fully set up. Even powerful wallbreakers like Mega Medicham and Terrakion have difficulty switching into Garchomp‘s attacks:

• Mega Medicham High Jump Kick vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Garchomp: 175-207 (48.9 – 57.9%) — 94.5% chance to 2HKO after Rough Skin damage
• Garchomp Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Mega Medicham: 418-492 (168.3 – 198.3%) — guaranteed OHKO

By packing solid neutral coverage along with its STAB options, Garchomp is ready to check the vast majority of the tier with proper prediction.

Thrives On Sand Teams With Added Boosts

While Garchomp is already formidable on its own, it becomes even deadlier on Sand teams alongside the likes of Tyranitar or Hippowdon. Here, the passive Special Defense boost smooths out Garchomp‘s weaker Special bulk, while Sand Veil provides handy evasion. Meanwhile, residual Sandstorm damage weakens special walls that could check Garchomp like Slowbro.

This synergy makes Sand/Garchomp offense a consistent threat – opponents are pressured to remove the sand quickly while also respecting the immediate power Garchomp provides. In a metagame where Sand is limited to only a few abusers outside of Garchomp, it can be difficult to teambuild to effectively handle this combination of snowballing sand boosts and savage dragon.

Consistent High Usage and Tourney Wins Prove Competitive Dominance

One of the best measures of a Pokemon‘s competitive viability is its usage stats over generations – and Garchomp has remained consistently among the top threats since Diamond/Pearl. In D/P OU it reached as high as #3 in usage, while it peaked at #2 in both BW and XY. Even in modern SS OU, it sits comfortably among the top 10 most used Pokemon despite the introduction of new legendary and mega threats.

Garchomp‘s sustained OU dominance is a testament to its versatility and reliability across different metagames. Unlike more one-dimensional sweepers, Garchomp adapts its moves and sets to remain highly splashable on balance, stall, and offense teams alike. And as one of the premier Mega Gengar and offense checks, its value only rises against hyper offensive play.

It has also seen great tournament success in players‘ hands, including Top 8 appearances at past World Championships. A well-used Garchomp can eliminate counterplay and enable endgame sweeps in high level competition – a feared scenario for opponents.

How Does Garchomp Stack Up To Rival Dragons and Pseudos?

As one of the strongest non-legendary Dragon types around, how does Garchomp compare to other pseudo-legendary threats? Let‘s evaluate a few key matchups:

Dragonite – Garchomp wins handily here. Its 102 Speed lets it outrun even Jolly Dragonite, and OHKO with Outrage or crush with STAB Earthquake. Dragonite‘s ExtremeSpeed is its only hope, but Rough Skin and Rocky Helmet chip can make it a losing exchange.

Tyranitar – A closer matchup, but Garchomp maintains the edge unless TTar runs a Scarf set. Garchomp wins 1v1, but Tyranitar has higher physical bulk and can trap with Pursuit, so it remains threatening. Both see great usage on Sand teams together.

Salamence – These cousins are neck and neck, with Mence‘s Intimidate and Draco Meteor power matching up against Garchomp‘s Rough Skin and Speed. Versus offensive Mence it‘s a toss-up, while bulkier sets lose out.

Metagross – Surprisingly, Metagross can check Garchomp with its monstrous Defense stat, resisting Garchomp‘s STABs. But Garchomp rocks Metagross with Earthquake on the switch. Clear win for Garchomp unless Mega Gross gets a chance to set up.

Hydreigon – Hydreigon packs the Special Attack to blast Garchomp with Dark Pulse or Draco Meteor. But it fears switching into any of Garchomp‘s attacks, making the matchup very risky. Slight advantage to Hydreigon if it gets free switches.

So while select legendaries and Megas can overpower Garchomp, it remains clearly the strongest non-restricted Dragon around. And its Speed and coverage enable it to battle even its super effective counters effectively with smart play.

Conclusion: A Legendary-Level Threat That Lives Up to the Hype

After reviewing all of Garchomp‘s strengths – from stats to abilities to moves – it‘s easy to see why this mach-speed dragon strikes fear into the hearts of competitive players everywhere. Very few Pokemon can blend power, bulk, versatility, and utility as effectively as Garchomp, leading to its domination of the OU tier ever since inception. Its ability to check threats, support the team, and sweep late-game makes Garchomp a valuable addition to nearly any squad.

While Ice, Dragon and Fairy-type attacks keep it from being truly unstoppable, a well-played Garchomp remains exceedingly difficult to stop once its checks are removed. I‘ve personally used Garchomp to devasting effect in online competitive battles thanks to proper preparation and support. So the next time you see this landshark dragon staring you down, make sure to pack plenty of counters and play intelligently around it – or else risk getting swept by one of the greatest non-legendary Pokemon around!