7 best non-legendary Dragon-types in Pokemon GO

There are many different Dragon-types in Pokemon GO, but only a few can be truly classified as some of the best. While a lot of these dragons belong under the Legendary classification, not every player has access to these sorts of monsters, nor might they find themselves with optimal conditions for raids that would feature them.

Thankfully, there are still plenty of great dragons that are much more accessible to the average player. Here is a list of the seven best choices players can have for both PvE and PvP. As a disclaimer, monsters included on this list will have their Megas and Shadow variants in mind to avoid having multiple variants of the same creature from taking up entries.

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Pokemon GO's 7 best non-legendary Dragon-types

1) Mega Sceptile

Mega Sceptile as seen in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Since Mega Sceptile is the only member of its evolutionary line to possess the Dragon typing, it barely made it to the list. Mega Sceptile possesses amazing stats and a very spammable moveset in Pokemon GO, making it great for quickly taking out low-level raid bosses or weaker gyms.

With a moveset of Fury Cutter, Frenzy Plant, and Dragon Claw, Mega Sceptile can spam charged attacks with amazing speed while having a decent array of coverage options.

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2) Haxorus

Haxorus as seen in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Haxorus, despite not being its region's respective Pseudo-Legendary, has much better damage output than many of the other dragons from the Unova region. In fact, many players choose to use Haxorus over Hydreigon despite its lower stats, thanks to its much better typing of pure Dragon.

Haxorus also has great versatility as it can run both Counter, the most powerful Fighting-type fast attack in the game, and Dragoin Tail, a great Dragon-type move that deals a lot of damage thanks to the same-type attack bonus. For charged attacks, Haxorus mostly runs Breaking Swipe and Night Slash.

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3) Salamence

Salamence as seen in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Salamence has seen a lot of love from Niantic as it has both a shadow variant and a Mega Evolution available in Pokemon GO. As such, having so many different varieties to choose from makes Salamence a very versatile pick already. However, its capability to Mega Evolve makes it a total menace in the PvE scene, with it being the best Dragon-type until Mega Rayquaza was added to the game.

A moveset of Dragon Tail, Draco Meteor, and Outrage should give Salamence the best possible damage output in most situations where the Dragon element is at least neutrally effective.

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4) Garchomp

Garchomp as seen in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Garchomp is very similar to Salamence in Pokemon GO in the context of it having the advantage of having both a Mega and a shadow form. This allows players to maximize Garchomp's damage output in PvE with the Mega and PvP with the shadow variant. It also has the secondary Ground typing, making it much better offensively.

A moveset of Dragon Tail, Outrage, and Earthquake will be great for dealing with strong opponents after their shields have all been depleted. It will also provide Garchomp with both damage and coverage in PvE.

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5) Dragonite

Dragonite as seen in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Much like Salamence and Garchomp, Dragonite is a competitive asset thanks to the existence of its shadow variant. Shadow Dragonite has some of the highest damage output potential out of all the other dragons in Pokemon GO. Thanks to its high stats, it's also fairly tanky and strong at the same time.

Dragonite is best to run with a moveset of either Dragon Breath or Dragon Tail, followed by charged attacks Superpower and Draco Meteor. This set will help the Pokemon deal as much damage as possible while allowing it to stand its ground against some Ice-types that may switch into it.

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6) Baxcalibur

Baxcalibur's Pokedex picture in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet (Image via Game Freak)

Baxcalibur is the newest Pseudo-Legendary to be introduced into Pokemon GO. Due to its secondary Ice-typing, many players were unsure whether it could stand a chance in the current meta. While not a top contender, Baxcalibur has still carved out a decent niche for itself, thanks to its high stats and somewhat unique typing.

With a moveset of Dragon Breath, Avalanche, and Outrage, Baxcalibur should be perfectly prepared for any raid boss or opposing trainer you throw it at. However, players should be wary of its many counters in higher tiers of play.

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7) Mega Charizard X

Mega Charizard X as seen in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Though Mega Charizard X does obtain the secondary Dragon typing upon Mega Evolving, it doesn't exactly use it very well. Thanks to its secondary Mega Evolution, Charizard's moveset in Pokemon GO is in a bit of a weird state. It only has one Dragon-type fast attack and one Dragon-type charged attack.

With a moveset of Fire Spin, Blast Burn, and Dragon Claw, players who want to use Mega Charizard X can get ample use of its Dragon typing's offensive benefits without sacrificing any damage output.

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