The Best Counters for Druddigon in Pokemon GO

Druddigon makes its debut in Pokemon GO today. With the Season of Heritage finally here, the first event of the season, Dragonspiral Descent, Druddigon makes its first appearance in the game.

First appearing in Pokemon Black and White for the Nintendo DS, Druddigon was found outside of the Dragonspiral Tower which has great significance in the story. Dragonspiral Tower is where the player goes to see the rival character N awaken the Legendary Pokemon opposite of the one in the version the player has. The eighth gym leader also has a Druddigon on their team.

Whenever there is a new Pokemon added to Pokemon GO, there is inevitably a spike in its usage due to players testing its viability. Since it is new, many players may not know the best way to counter this Pokemon or how it can be used.

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Druddigon in Pokemon GO: An Analysis

Druddigon as it appears in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Druddiogon is a pure Dragon-type Pokemon. This means that Druddigon has a weakness to Ice and Fairy-type attacks, as well as other Dragon-type attacks. However, Druddigon also resists many of the most common attacking types like Fire, Water, Grass, and Electric-type attacks.

While Druddigon has a maximum combat power of 2,732, it's predicted for Druddigon to have more of an impact in Pokemon GO's Great League with a small niche in Ultra League, despite it being eligible for all tiers. This is due to Druddigon's fairly low stats. While it has a nice attack stat of 213, this is its highest stat.

This attacking power is simply lacking compared to other commonplace Dragon-type Pokemon like Salamance and Dragonite. However, thanks to Druddigon's access to Bite and Night Slash, it may help against Giratina in Ultra League. Druddigon also sports a defense stat of 170 and a stamina stat of 184.

Druddigon's biggest counter will be Charm users. Pokemon like Whimsicott, Azumarill, Wigglytuff, and Gardevoir will delete Druddigon before it even has the chance to fire off a charged attack. Bulky Ices like Mamoswine and Galarian Darmanitan will also make quick work of Druddigon thanks to its defense stat, which might not be the worst, but will leave it to be absolutely folded by Pokemon that are better in Pokemon GO.

In summary, it's doubtful Druddigon will drastically change the metagame of Pokemon GO. It will provide players with a more accessible Dragon-type Pokemon, which indirectly buffs Fairy-type Pokemon, giving them more relivancy and usage. Druddigon's lack of reliable bulk will place it on the weaker end of Pokemon GO's competitive spectrum.

Note: This article contains the writer's personal opinion.