Groudon
PvE Analysis
Groudon, the cover legendary of Pokemon Ruby, made an abrupt appearance in Pokemon GO shortly after Gen 3's partial release in December 2017. The creator of continents was by far the most powerful Pokemon to have been released in the generation's short life span.
Groudon is actually near the pinnacle of Ground types and a worth-while Pokemon to have on your team, even when not undergoing Primal Reversion. Precipice Blades is an outstanding move, and it gives Groudon an outstanding amount of power that causes anything weak to Ground to quake at the approach of this behemoth of the land!
Best PvE Offensive Moveset
Mud Shot + Precipice Blades* | Best |
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- Mud Shot is superior to Dragon Tail, with higher overall damage output, weather compatibility with charge moves, and better meta-relevant coverage.
- Precipice Blades* is the charged move of choice, providing strong STAB damage.
- Earthquake is significantly outclassed, but still functions decently if you can't get your hands on a Precipice Blades Groudon.
- Solar Beam leaves Groudon as a surprisingly competent (though consistently outclassed) Grass attacker if you're desperate.
- Fire Blast can’t compete with Groudon’s other charge moves.
- Fire Punch* comes out fast due to being multi-bar, but it's not recommended in PvE
PvP Analysis
Mud Shot or Dragon Tail + Fire Punch* and Precipice Blades* |
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Mud Shot is recommended for its incredible energy generation, which lets Groudon access its powerful charge moves sooner. Dragon Tail is a surprisingly powerful option, sacrificing energy generation for incredible up-front damage, and a much stronger matchup against any Flying-types in the format.
Fire Punch is almost mandatory due to its significantly cheaper energy cost, which gives Groudon more plays with shield-baiting, in addition to more consistent damage. Groudon's signature move, Precipice Blades, serves as Groudon's primary threat, dealing very heavy STAB damage and severely denting anything that doesn't resist it. You could run Solar Beam to try to catch a Kyogre off-guard, but it's really not worth it. Earthquake is strictly outclassed by Precipice Blades, but was once Groudon's primary STAB attack.
Great League | N/A |
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Groudon's CP is too high to enter the Great League. | |
Ultra League | 0 / 5 |
Groudon sadly does not perform very well in the ultra league. At this level, its huge stats are too restricted to be terribly effective, and its typing/moveset isn't as needed as it is in the Master League due to a lack of relevant Pokemon that it directly counters well. It can use its quickly charging moves to act as a closer, but frankly, it's not exactly a top choice for the tier by any meaningful metric. | |
Master League | 4 / 5 |
Groudon was once a top Pokemon in the Master League, standing tall on the unbridled force of its immense stats, the power of its moveset, and the effectiveness of its typing. Even today, none of these qualities have disappeared, and Groudon is still a terrifying Pokemon. Groudon's biggest flaw is that it lacks proper anti-Flying coverage; as Flying-type Pokemon are common in the Master League, Groudon often finds itself being a somewhat feast or famine Pokemon. Despite that issue, Groudon was still able to maintain a top presence in the metagame when its signature move, Precipice Blades, was added onto its movepool. However, its impact on the metagame was diminished by a significant buff to another Ground-type Pokemon - Landorus-T. Landorus-T packs a much more flexible moveset due to possessing a cheaper Ground-type attack and anti-Flying coverage, making it the preferred Ground-type option for most teams. To make matters worse for Groudon, Landorus-T is also a counter to it. Despite this, Groudon does possess a handful of advantages over its floating counterpart. It is bulkier and has a greater closing potential, leaving less room for Pokemon such as Dialga, Mewtwo, Zacian, and Xerneas to retaliate. It can also opt to use Dragon Tail to shift its coverage profile, strengthening its matchups against Flying- and Dragon-type Pokemon at the expense of reliability against Steel- and Fairy-type Pokemon. Groudon is at its most terrifying when shields are down, mowing down enemies with its immensely powerful Precipice Blades. |