Pokemon Garchomp weaknesses & best counters

Daniel Megarry
Garchomp appearing in Pokemon with its weaknesses

Garchomp is one of the strongest Pokemon in the franchise’s history, including in gamess like Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl and Legends Arceus. So, you’ll need to know its weaknesses and the best counters to be able to defeat it.

The dual Dragon/Ground-type Garchomp first appeared in Diamond & Pearl’s Sinnoh region as Gible’s final evolution. It is known in the Pokedex as the Mach Pokemon, and it evolves from Gabite at Level 48.

While this pseudo-Legendary creature has become a fan favorite, it’s also gained a reputation for being incredibly frustrating to defeat, especially when it appears on Cynthia’s team in Diamond & Pearl.

So whether you’re playing the popular mobile game Pokemon Go or a mainline entry like Pokemon Legends Arceus, knowing Garchomp’s weaknesses is essential to defeating this powerful opponent.


Contents


Garchomp appearing in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl

Garchomp weaknesses in Pokemon

  • Dragon
  • Fairy
  • Ice

With three clear weaknesses, it shouldn’t be too difficult to find a counter that can defeat Garchomp. The main thing to worry about is its high Attack stat and powerful moves that can one-shot weaker Pokemon.

It’s worth noting that Garchomp actually has a double weakness to Ice-type attacks (4x damage), so it’s definitely best to focus on those moves where possible.

Garchomp resistances in Pokemon

  • Electric
  • Fire
  • Poison
  • Rock

As a Ground/Dragon-type Pokemon, Garchomp is resistant to Electric, Fire, Poison, and Rock-type attacks, so avoid using those wherever possible as they won’t do much damage at all.

In the mainline games like Legends Arceus and Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, Garchomp is actually immune to Electric-type attacks, so don’t even bother using them.

Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl Garchomp evolution screen.

Best counters for Garchomp in Pokemon

These are some of the best counters you can use to defeat Garchomp in different Pokemon games:

Pokemon Best Attacks
Mamoswine Powder Snow and Avalanche
Abomasnow Powder Snow and Weather Ball
Weavile Ice Shard and Avalanche
Glaceon Frost Breath and Avalanche
Dialga Dragon Breath and Draco Meteor
Glalie Ice Shard and Avalanche
Alolan Ninetales Powder Snow and Weather Ball
Froslass Powder Snow and Avalanche
Palkia Dragon Tail and Draco Meteor

Most of our recommended counters are Ice-type, as they’re the best to target Garchomp’s weaknesses, but you can also try Fairy-types like Gardevoir or Togekiss.

Not all of our suggested counters are available in every game, but there should be at least one you can catch and use to defeat Garchomp.

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About The Author

Daniel graduated from university with a degree in Journalism and English Language, before spending five years at GAY TIMES covering LGBTQ+ news and entertainment. He then made the switch to video game journalism where he produces news, features, and guides for Pokemon, Fortnite, Nintendo, and PlayStation games. Daniel also has a passion for any games with queer representation.