Groudon - Moveset & Best Build for Ranked Battle

This is a strategy guide for using Groudon in competitive play for the games Pokemon Sword and Shield. Read on for tips on the best Nature, EV spreads, Movesets, and Held Items to use with Groudon, as well as its strengths and weak points.

Groudon - Related Guides
Evolution and Learnset	Build for Ranked Battle

Basic Information for Groudon

Types and Abilities

Pokemon	Type 1	Type 2
Groudon
Abilities
Drought	Turns the sunlight harsh when the Pokemon enters a battle.

Groudon Weaknesses and Resistances

	Type
Takes 4x damage	-
Takes 2x damage
Takes 0.5x damage
Takes 1/4x damage	-
Takes 0x damage

What is Type Effectiveness?

Base Stats

Best Nature for Groudon

What are Natures?

Singles Movesets for Groudon

Assault Vest Moveset & Best Build

About Groudon's Moves

Precipice Blades works as Groudon's signature move. This 120BP STAB-move is guaranteed to deal significant damage. Additionally it grants Groudon additional Sp.Def boosts when used as Max Quake. It's exceptional to consider that after one Max Quake, Groudon can live a Max Geyser from Kyogre in the rain.

Fire Punch and Thunder Punch serve as great coverage moves for Groudon. Both of these moves can help Groudon against the types its' weak to and provide added utility by inflicting status. Notably, Fire Punch also gets a boost from the sun.

Solar Beam serves as the final coverage move for Groudon which can become a one-turn move in the sun. But it also has the added benefit of adding Grassy Terrain thanks to Max Overgrowth. This will provide Groudon with passive recovery.

About Groudon's EV Spread

This moveset utilizes a bulky physical attacker spread with maximum investment in HP and Atk. The remaining EVs can be placed in Sp.Def to distribute bulk.

About Groudon's Ability

Drought lets Groudon set the sun as he enters the battlefield. This can help boost the power of Fire-type attacks, while also effectively eliminating its Water-type weakness.

About Groudon's Held Item

Assault Vest raises Groudon's Sp.Def by 50%, further increasing its bulk, while restricting it to use only attacking moves.

Other Viable Moves

Weakness Policy Moveset & Best Build

About Groudon's EV Spread

This moveset has EVs set up in a way that it can survive against Kyogre, while being able to revenge kill it with Max Lightning after the Weakness Policy Boost. Enough Speed EVs are also given to make sure it's slower than Kyogre (which means that sun will be set when they're switched into the battlefield at the same time.)

About Groudon's Held Item

This set revolves around Groudon receiving a boost from Weakness Policy, ideally from being hit by a water-type move. Despite being super-effective, Drought actually reduces the damage dealt by water-type moves. This allows Groudon to benefit from Weakness Policy, without receiving increased damage.

Other Viable Moves

Doubles Moveset for Groudon

Bulky Physical Attacker Moveset & Best Build

Groudon is a powerful Pokemon that is able to set up Sun as well as being able to hit really hard thanks to its monstrous Attack stat.

About Groudon's Moves

Rock Slide and Precipice Blades are powerful multi-hit moves that allow Groudon to take out threats to its teammates. Swords Dance is for passive turns where an opponent may switch out their Pokemon or use a status move. Protect helps Groudon on turns where it could get double-targeted.

About Groudon's EV Spread

This set maximizes Groudon's HP as well as its Attack stat so that it can tank as many hits as possible, while dealing as much damage as possible. No EVs are invested in Speed so that it can reliably set up Sun at the beginning of matches.

About Groudon's Ability

Drought is Groudon's only Ability and sets up Sunny Day for 5 turns. This is also good for enabling Chlorophyll users on your team as well as reducing the damage of Water-type attacks.

About Groudon's Held Item

Sitrus Berry gives Groudon a little bit more HP so that it stays in the game longer.

Other Viable Moves

How to Use Groudon Effectively

Keeping Groudon healthy and avoiding Intimidate are key to finding success with this Pokemon. Use its offensive moves to take out Electric-types that its teammates have trouble with are important to any match. Switching it out to reestablish weather late-game is also important for Groudon teams.

Finding the right turns to set up a Swords Dance or use Protect is also a sure way to succeed with Groudon.

How to Build a Team with Groudon

Groudon is often paired with a Chlorophyll user or a Fire-type Pokemon. These Pokemon naturally have synergy with each other, boosting each other's strengths and covering each others' weaknesses

Physical Attacker in a Sun Team

Example Sun Team

Special Attacker	Physical Attacker	Secondary Special Attacker
Venusaur	Groudon	Charizard

Venusaur and Charizard are staples in Sun teams. The usual counters for them are Electric-types. Setting up Electric Terrain with Max Lightning prevents Venusaur from using Sleep Powder. Max Lightning also threatens Charizard.

Groudon can handily take care of Electric types with its powerful offensive moves in Rock Slide and Precipice Blades.

How to Build a Weather Team

Counters for Groudon

Weakness

Knock Out Groudon with Super-effective Damage or Render it Ineffective with Debuffs

Super-effective Special Attacks are good to use against Groudon. Cycling Intimidates is also good for rendering Groudon's offense ineffective.

Best Pokemon to Use

Pokemon	Description
Venusaur	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・An opposing Venusaur can threaten Groudon by Gigantamaxing and using G-Max Vine Lash. Moveset & Best Build for Venusaur
Palkia	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Palkia can threaten Groudon even in Sun with a powerful Max Geyser. Moveset & Best Build for Palkia
Incineroar	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Intimidate can neuter Groudon's offensive capabilities. ・Incineroar can sometimes outspeed Groudon and escape using Parting Shot. Moveset & Best Build for Incineroar
Hitmontop	Ranking: ★★★★ ・Intimidate can neuter Groudon's offensive capabilities. ・Has access to Wide Guard, which can stop both of our Groudon set's attacking moves. Moveset & Best Build for Hitmontop

Related Links

All Competitive Builds for Ranked Battle

Competitive Guides for Pokemon Sword and Shield

Competitive Pokemon Battle Guides
Tier List		Best Builds		Series 10 List of Contenders
Doubles Tier List		Team Building		Rental Teams

Best Builds for The Crown Tundra Pokemon

Movesets & Best Builds for The Crown Tundra Pokemon
Galarian Articuno	Galarian Zapdos	Galarian Moltres
Raikou	Entei	Suicune
Articuno	Zapdos	Moltres
Tornadus	Thundurus	Landorus
Tapu Koko	Tapu Lele	Tapu Bulu
Tapu Fini	Regieleki	Regidrago
Latios	Latias	Heatran
Cresselia	Glastrier	Spectrier
Nidoking	Swampert	Dragonite
Salamence	Garchomp	Metagross
Galarian Slowking	Nihilego	Naganadel
Pheromosa	Buzzwole	Celesteela
Kartana	Stakataka	Blaziken
Kyogre	Yveltal	Xerneas
Necrozma (Dusk Mane)	Calyrex (Shadow Rider)	Mewtwo
Calyrex (Ice Rider)	Dialga	Lugia
Black Kyurem	Zekrom	Ho-Oh
Rayquaza	Zygarde	Reshiram
White Kyurem	Groudon	Regirock
Palkia	Regigigas	Registeel
Regice	Giratina	Solgaleo
Lunala	Kyurem	Necrozma
Uxie	Mesprit	Azelf
Calyrex