Groudon Movesets and Best Builds

This is a guide to movesets and best builds for using Groudon in competitive play for the games Pokemon Scarlet and Violet (SV). Read on for tips on the best Nature, EV spreads, Movesets, Tera Type, and Held Items to use with Groudon, as well as its strengths and weaknesses.

Groudon - Related Guides
Evolution and Learnset	Moveset for Ranked Battle	Tera Raid Build

Groudon Base Stats, Type, Ability and Weakness

Nat. Dex #383		Type
Groudon
		Abilities
		Drought
Weak to:
	(2x)
Damaged Normally By:	(1x)
Resists:	(0.5x)
Immune to:	(0x)

What is Type Effectiveness?

Ability Name		Description
Drought		The user changes the weather to Harsh Sunlight for five turns.

Base Stats

Best Nature for Groudon

Best Natures
Adamant （+Atk, -Sp. Atk）	Jolly （+Spe, -Sp. Atk）

What are Natures?

Singles Movesets for Groudon

Build Name	Recommendation
Assault Vest	★★★★★
Setup Sweeper	★★★★
Offensive Lead	★★★★

Assault Vest Moveset & Best Build

Nature	Adamant (+Atk, -Sp. Atk)
EV Spread	HP 252 / Atk 252 / Sp. Def 4
Final Stat Values	HP 207 / Atk 222 / Def 160 / Sp. Def 111 / Spe 110
Ability	Drought
Tera Type
Held Item	Assault Vest
Moveset	・ Precipice Blades ・ Stone Edge ・ Heat Crash ・ Heavy Slam

Summary

Naturally very bulky, especially with an Assault Vest. Automatically sets up the Sun, making Water attacks weaker. Strong offensive coverage with Ground and Rock attacks.

Ability and Held Item

Ability	Held Item
Drought	Assault Vest

Groudon's only ability is Drought, which automatically sets up the Sun. This will reduce the damage of Water-type attacks that are super-effective into Groudon, and it will also increase the damage of Groudon's Heat Crash.

The item chosen for this build is an Assault Vest. This improves on Groudon's naturally great bulk by boosting its relatively lower Special Defense stat by 50%.

Alternatively, it could run a Choice Scarf with 252 Speed EVs instead of HP for a more offensive set.

Moves Breakdown

Precipice Blades	Stone Edge
Heat Crash	Heavy Slam

Precipice Blades is its strongest Ground-type STAB move, but it only has 85% accuracy.

Stone Edge is its main coverage move. When combined with Precipice Blades, both moves create a near-perfect offensive coverage with only a few Pokemon being able to resist it.

Heat Crash and Heavy Slam are its other coverage moves that gain more power depending on how much heavier Groudon is compared to the target.

Best Tera Type: Steel

Steel Tera Type Matchup
Weak to:
	(2x)
Damaged Normally By:	(1x)
Resists:	(0.5x)
Immune to:	(0x)

Steel is the best Tera Type for this build because it turns Groudon's Grass and Ice weaknesses into resists while also being the best defensive type in the game.

A Steel Tera will also boost the damage of Groudon's Heavy Slam, or any other Steel-type move it may use.

Best Steel (Tera) Type Pokemon for Ranked Battle

EV Spread and Nature

A full 252 EVs are placed in Groudon's HP and Attack to make it as bulky as possible while still being able to hit hard. The extra 4 EVs are put into its Sp. Def to help round out its bulk, especially with an Assault Vest equipped.

An Adamant nature is preferred to maximize Groudon's damage output.

Other Viable Moves

Earthquake	Does less damage than Precipice Blades, but is 100% accurate instead of 85%
Rock Blast	Does the same amount of damage as Stone Edge if it hits 4 times, and does even more if it hits all 5.
Rock Slide	Does the same amount of damage as if 3 Rock Blasts hit, making it the most consistent option out of all of the alternatives to Stone Edge.
Rock Tomb	Does the least amount of damage out of all the Rock-type moves, but is guaranteed to lower the target's Speed by one stage.
Thunder Punch	Another coverage move that helps Groudon deal with Water-types.
Fire Punch + Iron Head	Used over Heat Crash and Heavy Slam for cases where the opponent is in a similar weight range or heavier than Groudon.

Setup Sweeper Moveset & Best Build

Nature	Adamant (+Atk, -Sp. Atk)
EV Spread	HP 252 / Atk 252 / Sp. Def 4
Final Stat Values	HP 207 / Atk 222 / Def 160 / Sp. Def 111 / Spe 110
Ability	Drought
Tera Type
Held Item	Leftovers
Moveset	・ Earthquake ・ Rock Blast ・ Heat Crash ・ Bulk Up

Summary

Good physical bulk, especially after Bulk Up boosts. Automatically sets up the Sun, making Water attacks weaker. Strong offensive coverage with Ground and Rock attacks.

Ability and Held Item

Ability	Held Item
Drought	Leftovers

Groudon's only ability is Drought, which automatically sets up the Sun. This will reduce the damage of Water-type attacks that are super-effective into Groudon, and it will also increase the damage of Groudon's Heat Crash.

The item chosen for this build is Leftovers. This helps Groudon passively recover HP, making it stick around in battle longer.

Moves Breakdown

Earthquake	Rock Blast
Heat Crash	Bulk Up

Earthquake is its best Ground-type STAB move with no downsides.

Rock Blast is its main coverage move. When combined with Precipice Blades, both moves create a near-perfect offensive coverage with only a few Pokemon being able to resist it.

Heat Crash is its other coverage move that has its damage boosted under the Sun and when Groudon Terastallizes.

Bulk Up is used to boost Groudon's already amazing Attack and Defense stats, making it difficult for opposing physical attackers to come in and fight it.

Best Tera Type: Fire

Fire Tera Type Matchup
Weak to:
	(2x)
Damaged Normally By:	(1x)
Resists:	(0.5x)

Fire is the best Tera Type for this build because it turns Groudon's Grass and Ice weaknesses into resists while also boosting the damage output of Heat Crash.

Do note that Groudon will still be weak to Water, but Drought can help reduce the damage by halving the damage of Water-type moves thanks to the Sun.

Best Fire (Tera) Type Pokemon for Ranked Battle

EV Spread and Nature

A full 252 EVs are placed in Groudon's HP and Attack to make it as bulky as possible while still being able to hit hard. The extra 4 EVs are put into its Sp. Def to help round out its bulk.

An Adamant nature is preferred to maximize Groudon's damage output.

Other Viable Moves

Precipice Blades	Does more damage than Earthquake, but is not as accurate.
Stone Edge	Does more damage than Rock Blast, but is not as accurate.
Rock Slide	Does the same amount of damage as if 3 Rock Blasts hit, making it the most consistent option out of all of the alternatives to Rock Blast.
Rock Tomb	Does the least amount of damage out of all the Rock-type moves, but is guaranteed to lower the target's Speed by one stage.
Fire Punch	Used over Heat Crash for cases where the opponent is in a similar weight range or heavier than Groudon.
Swords Dance	Boosts Groudon's Attack by two stages instead of one, but will not boost its Defense.

Offensive Lead Moveset & Best Build

Nature	Jolly (+Spe, -Atk)
EV Spread	HP 4 / Atk 252 / Spe 252
Final Stat Values	HP 176 / Atk 202 / Def 160 / Sp. Def 110 / Spe 156
Ability	Drought
Tera Type
Held Item	Sitrus Berry
Moveset	・ Earthquake ・ Rock Blast ・ Heat Crash ・ Stealth Rock

Summary

Can act as a full-on attacker or a hazards setter to support its team. Automatically sets up the Sun, making Water attacks weaker. Strong offensive coverage with Ground and Rock attacks.

Ability and Held Item

Ability	Held Item
Drought	Sitrus Berry

Groudon's only ability is Drought, which automatically sets up the Sun. This will reduce the damage of Water-type attacks that are super-effective into Groudon, and it will also increase the damage of Groudon's Heat Crash.

The item chosen for this build is a Sitrus Berry. This lets Groudon recover some of its lost health once it reaches 50% HP.

Moves Breakdown

Earthquake	Rock Blast
Heat Crash	Stealth Rock

Earthquake is its best Ground-type STAB move with no downsides.

Rock Blast is its main coverage move. When combined with Precipice Blades, both moves create a near-perfect offensive coverage with only a few Pokemon being able to resist it.

Heat Crash is its other coverage move that has its damage boosted under the Sun and when Groudon Terastallizes.

Stealth Rock is used to chip away at the opponent's HP whenever they switch in. This is useful to support its allies by disabling any items and abilities like Focus Sash or Multiscale that require the user to be at full HP.

Best Tera Type: Fire

Fire Tera Type Matchup
Weak to:
	(2x)
Damaged Normally By:	(1x)
Resists:	(0.5x)

Fire is the best Tera Type for this build because it turns Groudon's Grass and Ice weaknesses into resists while also boosting the damage output of Heat Crash.

Do note that Groudon will still be weak to Water, but Drought can help reduce the damage by halving the damage of Water-type moves thanks to the Sun.

Best Fire (Tera) Type Pokemon for Ranked Battle

EV Spread and Nature

A full 252 EVs are placed in Groudon's Attack and Speed to make it hit as hard and fast as possible. The extra 4 EVs are put into its HP to help round out its bulk.

A Jolly nature is preferred to help Groudon outspeed as many Pokemon as possible.

Other Viable Moves

Precipice Blades	Does more damage than Earthquake, but is not as accurate.
Stone Edge	Does more damage than Rock Blast, but is not as accurate.
Rock Slide	Does the same amount of damage as if 3 Rock Blasts hit, making it the most consistent option out of all of the alternatives to Rock Blast.
Rock Tomb	Does the least amount of damage out of all the Rock-type moves, but is guaranteed to lower the target's Speed by one stage.
Fire Punch	Used over Heat Crash for cases where the opponent is in a similar weight range or heavier than Groudon.

Doubles Movesets for Groudon

Build Name	Recommendation
Regulation G Bulky Attacker	★★★★

Regulation G Bulky Attacker Moveset & Best Build

Nature	Adamant (+Atk, -Sp. Atk)
EV Spread	HP 252 / Atk 252 / Sp. Def 4
Final Stat Values	HP 207 / Atk 222 / Def 160 / Sp. Def 111 / Spe 110
Ability	Drought
Tera Type
Held Item	Clear Amulet
Moveset	・ Precipice Blades ・ Fire Punch ・ Swords Dance ・ Protect

Summary

Good natural physical bulk. Automatically sets up the Sun, making Water attacks weaker. Strong offensive coverage with Ground and Fire attacks.

Ability and Held Item

Ability	Held Item
Drought	Clear Amulet

Groudon's only ability is Drought, which automatically sets up the Sun. This will reduce the damage of Water-type attacks that are super-effective into Groudon, and it will also increase the damage of Groudon's Fire Punch.

The item chosen for this build is Clear Amulet, which allows Groudon to shrug off Incineroar's Intimidate Attack debuff.

Moves Breakdown

Precipice Blades	Fire Punch
Swords Dance	Protect

Precipice Blades is a great Ground-type STAB option that comes at the cost of some accuracy.

Fire Punch is a consistent Fire-type Attack that is further boosted by Sun.

Swords Dance can punish passive turns, and set Groudon up to sweep

The final move slot for Kyogre is Protect, as Groudon may be a hot target when it is on the field, and is always in danger of getting double-targeted.

Best Tera Type: Fire

Fire Tera Type Matchup
Weak to:
	(2x)
Damaged Normally By:	(1x)
Resists:	(0.5x)

Fire is the best Tera Type for this build because it turns Groudon's Grass and Ice weaknesses into resists while also boosting the damage output of Fire Punch.

Do note that Groudon will still be weak to Water, but Drought can help reduce the damage by halving the damage of Water-type moves thanks to the Sun.

Best Fire (Tera) Type Pokemon for Ranked Battle

EV Spread and Nature

A full 252 EVs are placed in Groudon's HP and Attack to make it as bulky as possible while still being able to hit hard. The extra 4 EVs are put into its Sp. Def to help round out its bulk.

An Adamant nature is preferred to maximize Groudon's damage output.

Other Viable Moves

Rock Slide	Does the same amount of damage as if 3 Rock Blasts hit, making it the most consistent option out of all of the alternatives to Rock Blast.
Rock Tomb	Does the least amount of damage out of all the Rock-type moves, but is guaranteed to lower the target's Speed by one stage.

How to Use Groudon Effectively

Maximize the Usage of Groudon's Drought

Drought is very important for Groudon's game plan because it increases the damage of Heat Crash and reduces the damage of incoming Water-type attacks.

Make sure to keep the Sun up and don't let the opponent change the weather to something that is more favourable for them, especially Rain.

How to Build a Team with Groudon

Groudon appreciates allies that can either remove its counters, or make use of the Sun with moves like Solar Beam or Solar Blade and abilities like Protosynthesis or Chlorophyll.

Sample Singles Build

Offensive Lead	Physical Attacker	Special Attacker
Groudon	Ogerpon (Hearthflame Mask)	Flutter Mane

Groudon is used as an offensive lead to deal massive damage and set up the Sun for Pokemon like Hearthflame Ogerpon to get quick knockouts with boosted Ivy Cudgels or an unexpected Solar Blade. Flutter Mane can also come in to activate its Protosynthesis boost, which means that it can run a different item like Choice Specs instead of a Booster Energy.

Sample Doubles Team

Physical Attacker / Sun Setter	Support / Special Attacker
Groudon	Venusaur
Support / Physical Attacker	Support / Physical Attacker
Incineroar	Rillaboom

Venusaur can be an effective partner to Groudon in Regulation G, as it has in the past, offering disruptive support with Sleep Powder, as well as being able to threaten Water-types that Groudon may have trouble with.

Rillaboom can protect Groudon from Water-types as well with its Priority Grassy Glide.

Incineroar can offer consistent support in a team with Sun, as it can Intimidate and pivot out with U-Turn or Parting Shot, as well as enjoy Sun-boosted Flare Blitz.

Counters for Groudon

Target Its Weaker Sp. Def Stat

Best Pokemon to Use

Pokemon	Description
Walking Wake	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Naturally outspeeds any non-Speed boosted Groudon sets. ・Protosynthesis + Hydro Steam make it an incredible attacker under the Sun. ▶️ Walking Wake Best Movesets
Kyogre	Ranking: ★★★★ ・Needs to under speed Groudon to ensure that the weather is Raining instead of Harsh Sunlight. ・A full HP Kyogre has a 75% chance to OHKO Groudon with Water Spout under the Sun. ▶️ Kyogre Best Movesets
Sinistcha	Ranking: ★★★★ ・Runs Heatproof in Singles to reduce the damage of Fire-type attacks. ・Can wall Groudon with Matcha Gotcha and Scald burns, Strength Sap's Attack drops, and its naturally high Defense stat. ▶️ Sinistcha Best Movesets

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