Is Mega Garchomp worth it in Pokemon GO PvE?

Mega Garchomp makes its debut on November 11, 2023, during Pokemon GO's Raid Day. The event will be live from 2 pm local time to 5 pm local time. Trainers across the world will be able to participate in multiple raids, fighting this formidable raid boss and collecting Mega Energy to evolve Garchomp.

Garchomp found in these raids may be shiny, and the critter will have boosted shiny odds of 1-in-10 during the event. Mega Garchomp raids will also be available from November 12 to November 16 in Niantic's mobile game, with regular raiding rules in place.

The Mega Evolved version of the Sinnoh-region Pseudo-Legendary species has been one of the most anticipated creatures in Pokemon GO for a while. With its arrival, you might be wondering if it will match up to the hype around it.

This article provides a simplified overview to help you determine if spending resources on this creature is worth it.

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How will Mega Garchomp perform as a raid attacker in Pokemon GO?

Mega Garchomp in Pokemon GO (Image via Niantic)

At the outset, you must know Mega Garchomp's elemental typing, base stats, and move pool in Pokemon GO. They are as follows:

• Type: Dragon and Ground
• Base stats: Attack - 339, Defense - 222, Stamina - 239
• Fast Attacks: Dragon Tail, Mud Shot
• Charged Attacks: Outrage, Sand Tomb, Earth Power (Event-exclusive move, Elite TM needed), Earthquake, Fire Blast

You should also know that Garchomp caught during November 2023 will not know Earth Power by default. To have Mega Garchomp with Earth Power, you must already possess one with the attack or invest in an Elite Charged TM.

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Mega Garchomp vs Primal Groudon/Mega Raquaza: Damage output

Primal Groudon and Mega Rayquaza (Image via Niantic)

Mega Garchomp has the potential to be one of the strongest Dragon- and Ground-type attackers. However, it is outclassed by one Pokemon in each category: Mega Rayquaza as a Dragon-type species and Primal Groudon as a Ground-type creature.

Here are the damage calculations for both Mega Garchomp with its best Ground- and Dragon-type attack set and how it compares to Primal Groudon and Mega Rayquaza, respectively.

Ground-type

• Mega Garchomp (Mud Shot + Earth Power*): 19.93 DPS / 832.56 TDO
• Primal Groudon (Mud Shot + Precipice Blades*): 22.74 / 1040.63 TDO

Dragon-type

• Mega Garchomp (Dragon Tail + Outrage): 21.65 DPS / 904.36 TDO
• Mega Rayquaza (Dragon Tail + Breaking Swipe*): 23.94 DPS / 904.80 TDO
• Mega Rayquaza (Dragon Tail + Outrage): 23.51 DPS / 888.35 TDO

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Primal Groudon and Mega Rayquaza's permanent boost in raids

Other than the raw damage output being higher when using Primal Groudon or Mega Rayquaza in Pokemon GO raids, compared to Mega Garchomp, they also bring a constant 30% raid boost to all attackers that match one of their types. In Mega Garchomp's case, this only applies when it is on the field, and the boost is only to the tune of 10%.

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Mega Garchomp outclasses the Hoenn Legendaries in one case

There are no cases where Mega Garchomp can outclass the power that Mega Rayquaza brings to the table in Pokemon GO. However, it is the better Mega to take into battle when fighting Dialga in 5-star raids in the title (compared to Primal Groudon).

This is because Mega Garchomp's Dragon and Ground typing lets it exert offensive pressure and helps you farm additional Candy XL at the end of the battle.

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Verdict

Mega Garchomp (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Whatever Mega Garchomp can do, Primal Groudon and Mega Rayquaza can do better. However, considering Pokemon GO's Mega Evolution mechanic applies cooldowns on the creature (of at least three days, at the highest Mega level), and most players won't have multiple maxed-out versions of Groudon and Rayquaza, you will get the opportunity to use Mega Garchomp.

Sinnoh region's beloved Dragon might not finish first on the podium in most cases, but even with a silver medal, it can deliver brilliantly.

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As strong as Mega Garchomp is, it can be solo-ed in Mega raids, and here's how you can do it.