Individual Pokemon Analysis - Garchomp

Hey guys! Today I really wanted to do a write up on one of my favorite Pokemon, Garchomp! Garchomp is an interesting Pokemon as it has always been seen as a worse Landorus. Garchomp Has a few specific niches over Landorus however, which should make you consider it for your team, as a few others have in the past.

Base Stats

HP: 108 Attack: 130 Defense: 95 Sp.Atk: 80 Sp.Def: 85 Speed: 102 Total: 600

As you can see, Garchomp has quite the set of base stats to support an offensive set. Base 102 Speed is very helpful as it allows you to get over several Pokemon that would commonly threaten Landorus such as Charizard-Y and Kangaskhan. 

Garchomp also has much better natural bulk than Landorus. Landorus does however gain artificial bulk from a much better ability in Intimidate, but Rough Skin can help with weakening other Pokemon for KO's. Garchomps 108, 95, 85 is 29 base stat points better than Landorus' 89, 90, 80. This allows it to take Ice Beams better from Pokemon such as Thundurus and Cresselia.

Usable Moves

-Protect: Protect is Protect. If you don't understand the concept of why this move is good by now, I'm sorry but I've given up hope on helping you. 

-Rock Slide: This is a neat move that helps with Pokemon such as Charizard, Zapdos, and Thundurus (depending on how fast they are). Also with the base 102 Speed stat, it can allow you to flinch Pokemon like Kangaskhan without having to use a Choice Scarfed Landorus.

-Dragon Claw: A strong single-target STAB move is never a bad thing. This is also something Garchomp has over Landorus, a usable secondary STAB option. Does respectable damage to anything on neutral, and can allow you to hit Salamence hard if they don't carry Draco Meteor.

- Earthquake: A strong STAB spread option. Just does solid damage, and has great synergy if you have plenty of Flying Types/Levitaters or Pokemon with Protect on your team. 

-Stone Edge: An option to run over Rock Slide. Not too common but can be useful for getting past an opponents Wide Guard in order to KO an enemy Volcarona or Charizard. It also has the potential to KO non-Bold Nature Thundurus if you carry a Life Orb.

Abilities

-Sand Veil: This has some synergy with Tyranitar. An oldy but goody is to slap Bright Powder onto it and have Tyranitar out at the same time in order to make Garchomp a big nuisance for the opponent to deal with.

-Rough Skin: This gives you an artificial offensive option too, as it can do some respectable damage to opponents, especially if switched in on say a Kangaskhan's Fake Out. With either a Life Orb or a Rocky Helmet, the Rough Skin damage onto Kangaskhan will usually put it into Dragon Claw KO range if they are not too bulky.

Usable Items

-Lum Berry: This is just a solid item in general. Helps with Rotom's that like to try and burn you, and can help against random status inflictions such as freeze and that random Glare Serperior you'll run into eventually.

-Rocky Helmet: More of a 2014 item which was used for some powerful Kangaskhan hate. After switching in or a Fake Out or a Return (Depending on how strong they are) usually won't put you into Sucker Punch range and will allow you to KO them back with a Dragon Claw.

-Life Orb: This just helps you do some solid damage. Once again, it was more of a 2014 thing so it would be able to KO bulkier Hydreigon's but now the main appeal of it is the ability to KO bulkier Charizard's and Volcarnoa's, even at -1 Attack.

-Focus Sash: Helps Garchomp take an extra Ice hit that it normally wouldn't. The main appeal is to give you a second chance against offensive Life Orb Thundurus and the occasional Mamoswine.

-Bright Powder: Once again only used on the set that is trying to abuse Sand and Sand Veil. This is relatively weaker, and relies much more on luck, so I suggest against it.

Threats

Offensive Thundurus is an obvious threat due to the fact that it out speeds you and can OHKO you with a HP Ice, as simple as that. Also if you can't 2hko it with your Rock Slide, you will definitely be going down to 2 HP Ice's 

Ice Types in general are also a problem. Mamoswine has the option of being Choice Scarfed or carrying Ice Shard, as well as Weavile always being able to OHKO, both of which can be temporarily remedied by utilizing the Focus Sash. Other Pokemon that carry Ice Type moves such as Cresselia and Suicune can be problematic because of the fact that Garchomp can't touch them hard, and will usually be 2hko'd by them. 

Sample Set

Garchomp @ Lum Berry

Ability: Rough Skin

EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

Jolly Nature

- Protect

- Rock Slide

- Dragon Claw

- Earthquake

Nothing too strange here. This is what you should normally expect to see on a Garchomp if you ever see one in competition. You can make the argument to drop 8 EVs in Speed to put them in bulk, and I would say that is just fine as nothing relevant hits the 101 tier, and you are still outspeeding base 100's. Other Garchomp aren't common enough to worry about, so I would say that is just fine.

Welp, I hope you guys enjoyed! I worked hard on this, and I was able to finish it in one class time with some time to spare to play Clash Of Clans, so that makes me really happy. Let me know what you think of Garchomp over at my twitter: @_LightCore , and let me know what Pokemon you would like to see next! See you all next time!