and if i go out, i'll go out screaming
QC 3/3 (Minority, Hack, CKW)
GP 2/2 (The Dutch Plumberjack, A Cake Wearing A Hat)
[OVERVIEW]
* Primal Groudon is the most versatile and threatening Pokemon in Ubers and is therefore a Pokemon that cannot be ignored when building and playing in the tier.
* Great attacking stats and Desolate Land give Primal Groudon crazy offensive prowess both physically and specially, making it difficult to properly handle.
* A very good typing combined with solid bulk, a great movepool, and Desolate Land also give it huge defensive utility, even when running offensive sets.
* All of the above combine to make Primal Groudon a Pokemon that can be seen as a blanket check to the majority of the metagame, having an option against whatever it desires to beat or otherwise counteract.
* A forced item slot, average Speed tier, lack of recovery, and weakness to Ground are all notable downsides, but they do not hinder Primal Groudon's dominance in the metagame in any significant way.
[SET]
name: Defensive Support
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Precipice Blades
move 3: Overheat
move 4: Toxic
item: Red Orb
ability: Drought
nature: Relaxed
evs: 252 HP / 56 Def / 200 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Stealth Rock is a vital entry hazard to any team, and Primal Groudon's ability to force many switches make it effective at setting it.
* STAB Precipice Blades from a base 180 Attack stat is capable of 2HKOing common threats such as offensive Xerneas and Primal Kyogre even without Attack investment, reducing this set's passivity.
* Overheat limits potential switch-ins to Primal Groudon courtesy of a boost in power from Desolate Land and a high base Special Attack stat. It can also open up a free turn by forcing recovery options from common switch-ins such as Arceus-Ground and Mega Salamence, as well as OHKO Marshadow, something that Precipice Blades cannot do without Attack investment.
* Toxic cripples many Defog users, making it difficult for them to remove Primal Groudon's Stealth Rock in the long run. It also punishes most Pokemon that would hope to take both of Primal Groudon's STAB attacks, such as Ho-Oh.
* Lava Plume could be used over Overheat, trading burst damage for consistency along with a good burn rate, further improving Primal Groudon's ability to spread status among the enemy team. This can lead to Primal Groudon pressuring the opponent less due to the lower damage output, however, and it is much more beneficial to afflict some Pokemon such as Arceus-Water with Toxic poison than with a burn.
* Thunder Wave can be used over Toxic to remove the Speed advantage that Mega Salamence and support Arceus formes have over Primal Groudon, improving the odds of fellow team members and Primal Groudon itself breaking through them. The residual damage of Toxic generally proves more useful, however.
* Roar can be used over a status option to phaze boosting attackers such as Geomancy Xerneas and bypass Substitute from the likes of Marshadow and Dragon Dance variants of Zygarde-C and Mega Salamence.
Set Details
========
* Maximum HP investment increases Primal Groudon's overall bulk, allowing it to tank notable hits in combination with further defensive investment.
* 56 Defense EVs and a Relaxed nature buff Primal Groudon's already impressive Defense stat to the point that it can handle common physical threats. Specifically, this spread can survive a +2 Earthquake from Necrozma-DM, take a +2 Close Combat from Mega Lucario, avoid the 2HKO from Marshadow, and also avoid the OHKO from Dugtrio's Tectonic Rage. Defense investment assists against physical variants of Primal Kyogre as well.
* The remaining EVs are used in Special Defense to handle typical special attackers such as Primal Kyogre and Xerneas. Primal Groudon can avoid the 2HKO from Primal Kyogre's Ice Beam and avoid the OHKO from boosted Geomancy Xerneas. It also avoids the 2HKO from Choice Scarf Yveltal's Dark Pulse should it ever prove necessary.
* Red Orb is required for Primal Reversion.
Usage Tips
========
* The main goal of this set is to support the team by acting as a blanket check to common Pokemon in Ubers, setting Stealth Rock, and forcing predictable plays from the opponent with the usage of Overheat.
* Aim to set Stealth Rock on forced switches or otherwise free turns, but have a plan on how you will play around the opponent's methods of entry hazard removal. This can range from using Toxic as the enemy Pokemon uses Defog to attacking instead of setting Stealth Rock.
* Be careful around opposing Primal Kyogre, as they are capable of switching directly into Primal Groudon's Overheat or Stealth Rock and forcing it out immediately. This can cause significant problems if Primal Groudon is the only answer to Primal Kyogre.
* Primal Groudon's HP is a very important resource, as it is generally the first answer to many different Pokemon in Ubers. Avoid taking unneccessary damage from Pokemon aiming to chip Primal Groudon's HP into range of another foe such as Geomancy Xerneas.
* This also means avoiding Toxic unless the situation calls for it. Having a cleric on the team makes trading Toxic with enemy Defog users such as Arceus-Water an easier decision.
Team Options
========
* Support Primal Groudon is capable of fitting with just about every Pokemon in the tier, as its utility and power offer a large amount of usefulness to a team. It tends to find a place on balanced or bulky offense teams.
* A secondary Water-type resistance is helpful alongside this set, as it can struggle to contain Primal Kyogre by itself. Arceus-Water and Ferrothorn can be common partners to Primal Groudon on balance teams for this reason.
* Necrozma-DM and Primal Groudon work rather well in tandem with each other, helping to cover Xerneas between them. With Stealth Rock on Primal Groudon, Necrozma-DM can use a variety of offensive sets or even use Stealth Rock as well to gain more chances of keeping the entry hazard up against some teams.
* Ground-type checks are also wanted alongside Primal Groudon, as it can prove to be an annoying weakness to deal with. Celesteela, Giratina-O, and Zygarde-C can all be good for this purpose, with some combination between the three being plausible.
* Defog users are helpful to prevent entry hazard damage wearing at Primal Groudon's precious HP. Support Arceus formes, Giratina-O, and Mega Salamence are all good ideas, but more offensive Defoggers such as Choice Scarf Xerneas and Yveltal can also prove useful depending on overall team structure.
* Although it can be difficult to find and more difficult to fit, a cleric will make Primal Groudon's life much easier when dealing with common Toxic users such as Arceus-Water. Some Xerneas variants are capable of providing this support, as is Heal Bell Magearna.
[SET]
name: Offensive Support
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Precipice Blades
move 3: Overheat
move 4: Toxic / Hidden Power Ice / Rock Tomb
item: Red Orb
ability: Drought
nature: Mild
evs: 180 HP / 252 SpA / 76 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Stealth Rock's importance to a competitive team is huge, and this Primal Groudon set is capable of setting it while also offensively disrupting common Defog users.
* STAB Precipice Blades from a base 180 Attack stat is capable of 2HKOing common threats such as offensive Xerneas and Primal Kyogre even without investment.
* Overheat's damage output when factoring in harsh sunlight and maximum Special Attack investment is lethal to the majority of the tier. Even against Pokemon that resist it, it can easily force recovery moves or chunk them for a lot of damage. For example, if an offensive Salamence switches into this Primal Groudon set prior to Mega Evolution, it can be outright OHKOed by Overheat after Stealth Rock damage.
* Toxic helps greatly with pressuring common Defog users that would want to switch into Primal Groudon and remove its hazards, such as Arceus-Water and Giratina-O.
* Rock Tomb slows down faster Pokemon that may try to take advantage of a resistance or immunity to Primal Groudon's STAB moves. This can be effective against Ho-Oh, Yveltal, Adamant variants of Mega Salamence, and varying support Arceus formes.
* Hidden Power Ice is typically unexpected on a Stealth Rock set, and with Special Attack investment it will catch the likes of Mega Salamence, Zygarde, and Giratina-O for varying levels of damage, or lethal amounts in the case of Mega Salamence.
* Dragon Tail is another option for the fourth slot that forces Defog users such as support Arceus formes, Mega Salamence, and Giratina-O to take a good chunk of damage and be forced into choosing one move before being phazed, limiting their effectiveness as Defog users. This works even better if they can be caught on the switch.
Set Details
========
* 180 HP EVs are used to avoid the 2HKO from Primal Kyogre's Ice Beam after Stealth Rock damage, assuming said chip damage is taken before Primal Reversion. It is also very likely to avoid the OHKO from a +1 Mega Salamence's Double-Edge, assuming the same conditions.
* A Mild nature and maximum Special Attack investment turn Primal Groudon's Overheat into an extremely powerful nuke, giving it a lot of offensive presence. To showcase Overheat's power, Swords Dance Arceus-Ground variants can be OHKOed after Stealth Rock damage.
* 76 Speed EVs outspeeds defensive variants of Xerneas and Yveltal, but they can also be useful to outspeed common defensive walls such as Zygarde.
* Red Orb is required for Primal Reversion.
Usage Tips
========
* As this set is relatively proactive against common Defog users, setting up Stealth Rock early can be a good idea.
* Depending on what fourth move Primal Groudon is running, the matchup against specific Defog users can change.
* Toxic is capable of messing with any Defog user that switches into Primal Groudon when combined with the threat of its STAB options.
* The usage of Stealth Rock may lure Zygarde into a false sense of security, which can be taken advantage of with Hidden Power Ice should it switch in.
* Hidden Power Ice is also very effective against Mega Salamence, a potential Defog user that handles most of Primal Groudon's attacks.
* Rock Tomb is effective against faster switch-ins and may scare them out with the fear of Overheat next turn, but it most notably gives this set the ability to hit Ho-Oh, which can be another potential Defog user to watch out for.
* Using Rock Tomb or Hidden Power Ice can make this set pretty helpless against Arceus-Water, so be ready to handle it with other methods.
* Be careful with Overheat usage, as it may end up giving away a free turn to Primal Kyogre or a setup sweeper if Primal Groudon is at -2.
* Dragon Tail forces most Defog users to decide between healing themselves, removing Stealth Rock, or damaging Primal Groudon in some way before being phazed out. It's best used after Stealth Rock has already been set.
* After Primal Groudon phazes an incoming check with Dragon Tail, it may be unable to come in again without being KOed by Overheat. This applies to Arceus-Ground and Mega Salamence specifically.
Team Options
========
* This set better fits teams that want Stealth Rock support to come from Primal Groudon, but without the lower damage output of a defensive support set. Some form of an overall offensive team will be desired, as this set cannot stand up to strong attackers for very long.
* Due to this set's offensive EV investment, it cannot handle Xerneas very reliably. Support from Magearna or Necrozma-DM is highly valued to assist against it.
* Mega Salamence, whether it be a Defog or Dragon Dance variant, stands out as a partner that can support this Primal Groudon's playstyle of a good offense being a good defense. It can take on opposing Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh while also functioning somewhat as a revenge killer.
* Giratina-O follows a similar train of thought by offensively checking opposing Primal Groudon while spreading status to boost the damage of its own Hex against the likes of support Arceus formes.
* Dragon Dance Zygarde and Swords Dance Arceus-Ground are able to take advantage of this set's ability to mess with Giratina-O and Mega Salamence.
* This set can struggle to keep Stealth Rock up against some Defog Arceus formes such as Arceus-Water in the long run if Toxic isn't being used, and it will require some assistance to prevent them from keeping their side of the field clear of entry hazards. This can come from Shadow Tag users such as Gothitelle and Mega Gengar or from the likes of Thunder Primal Kyogre and Life Orb Yveltal, which can attempt to break through it.
[SET]
name: Double Dance
move 1: Rock Polish
move 2: Swords Dance
move 3: Precipice Blades
move 4: Stone Edge / Fire Punch
item: Red Orb
ability: Drought
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 100 SpD / 156 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Rock Polish boosts Primal Groudon's otherwise average Speed tier into an area that only faster boosting attackers can reach. This makes Rock Polish Primal Groudon very scary for opposing offensive teams.
* A boost from Swords Dance makes Primal Groudon very difficult to defensively check, leaving only the bulkiest physical walls such as Zygarde-C and Giratina able to stomach a boosted Precipice Blades.
* Precipice Blades with maximum Attack investment hits very hard and can even 2HKO common support Arceus formes by itself.
* Stone Edge offers the best dual attack coverage, ensuring that Ground-immune Pokemon such as Lugia, Giratina-O and physically defensive Yveltal are not safe switch-ins.
* Fire Punch is an alternative option that better hits Celesteela and Skarmory while also maintaining perfect accuracy against the likes of Lugia.
Set Details
========
* Maximum Attack investment with an Adamant nature gives Primal Groudon the best possible damage output. This allows Primal Groudon to OHKO against the likes of Arceus-Water with a boosted Precipice Blades.
* 156 Speed EVs ensure that Primal Groudon will be faster than Adamant Necrozma-DM assuming equal Speed boosts while also outspeeding a +1 Adamant maximum Speed Mega Salamence after Rock Polish.
* The rest of the EVs are allocated to Special Defense, which most notably lets Primal Groudon survive any boosted move from Geomancy Xerneas at full health.
* Taking investment away from Attack or Speed to invest 144 EVs into Special Defense allows Primal Groudon to take any boosted move from Geomancy Xerneas even after Stealth Rock damage, but this comes at the cost of lowered damage output or a compromised Speed benchmark.
* Red Orb is required for Primal Reversion.
Usage Tips
========
* Double Dance Primal Groudon is a wallbreaker and sweeper packed into one set. If it can get a clean setup opportunity, it will prove very hard to stop.
* This means that this set should be played a bit more cautiously. Avoid switching into strong attacks if it can be helped, because the healthier Primal Groudon is, the easier it becomes to get one boost or even both of them. It isn't uncommon for this set to be preserved until late-game.
* This set can be brought out early-game in order to be used as a wallbreaker in matchups that it may struggle to do work in, however.
* Pokemon such as Celesteela and Skarmory should be weakened or removed prior to setting up. It is a waste of Primal Groudon's HP trying to break through these checks if they are healthy. This is irrelevant if Primal Groudon is carrying Fire Punch on this set though, as it will break through them easily with it.
* Lugia can also prove troublesome if Multiscale is intact, while Ho-Oh proves annoying to Fire Punch variants. Keeping Stealth Rock up will greatly help this set's ability to break both of these Pokemon, regardless of coverage.
* Forcing a switch can give Primal Groudon the chance to get one boost, and if the opponent did not expect a Double Dance set, they may even send out a Pokemon that this set is intended to beat such as Arceus-Water, giving the opportunity to grab both boosts. This is when Primal Groudon becomes extremely threatening.
* When the time comes to set up, don't be afraid to take some damage doing so. Do not take damage twice in exchange for both boosts, however, as Primal Groudon may then be too weakened to take down many Pokemon.
* If this set gets afflicted with Toxic poison while setting up, be prepared to predict around the opponent's switches afterwards. It is likely they will try to minimize their losses to a rampaging Primal Groudon until Toxic damage takes its toll.
Team Options
========
* Stealth Rock support from Arceus-Fairy, Necrozma-DM, or a dedicated lead such as Deoxys-S or Excadrill is almost essential to increase Primal Groudon's chances of breaking through the enemy team's defenses.
* Double Dance Primal Groudon enjoys having offensive partners that can assist and follow up on any breakthroughs each one makes.
* Mega Salamence, Rayquaza, and Yveltal are all capable of damaging different Pokemon to make Primal Groudon's life easier while also helping to cover its Ground-type weakness. Mega Salamence and Rayquaza can share some checks with Primal Groudon, meaning that one can take advantage of an opening from the other.
* Trappers such as Gothitelle and Mega Gengar are able to trap and KO Pokemon such as support Arceus-Ground and Lugia to make way for Primal Groudon.
* Offensive Xerneas variants are able to pressure offensive checks to Primal Groudon such as Giratina-O, Rayquaza, Yveltal, and Zygarde-C.
* Marshadow is also capable of threatening typical checks to this set with its anti-offensive abilities and wallbreaking potential.
[SET]
name: Mixed Rock Polish
move 1: Rock Polish
move 2: Precipice Blades
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Hidden Power Ice / Dragon Pulse
item: Red Orb
ability: Drought
nature: Mild
evs: 252 SpA / 100 SpD / 156 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Rock Polish boosts Primal Groudon's otherwise average Speed tier into an area that only faster boosting attackers can reach. With a mixed moveset alongside Rock Polish, offensive teams struggle to get their ideal damage onto Primal Groudon.
* Precipice Blades is still used over Earth Power to prevent Primal Groudon from being hopelessly walled by the likes of Blissey and Chansey, and it also comes in handy against Primal Kyogre.
* Fire Blast is a very powerful attack when boosted by Desolate Land and Special Attack investment. Against neutral targets, it outdamages a maximum Attack Precipice Blades by a decent margin.
* Hidden Power Ice hits most targets that Primal Groudon's STAB combination misses out on, and it notably allows Primal Groudon to beat Pokemon such as Zygarde-C and Mega Salamence with greater ease than other sets.
* Dragon Pulse is an alternative option to Hidden Power Ice that trades a 4x super effective hit on Zygarde-C and Mega Salamence in exchange for a 2HKO on Giratina-O.
Set Details
========
* Maximum Special Attack investment with a Mild nature offers the most power to Fire Blast and Primal Groudon's coverage. Attack investment isn't necessary for this set, as a base 180 Attack stat and the high Base Power of Precipice Blades are enough to still strike special walls hard.
* 156 Speed EVs ensures that Primal Groudon will be faster than Adamant Necrozma-DM assuming equal Speed boosts while also outspeeding a +1 Adamant maximum Speed Mega Salamence after Rock Polish.
* The rest of the EVs are allocated to Special Defense, which most notably lets Primal Groudon survive any boosted move from Geomancy Xerneas at full health.
* Taking investment away from Special Attack or Speed to invest 144 EVs into Special Defense allows Primal Groudon to take any boosted move from Geomancy Xerneas even after Stealth Rock damage, assuming Stealth Rock damage is taken as base forme Groudon, but this comes at the cost of lowered damage output or a compromised Speed benchmark.
* Red Orb is required for Primal Reversion.
Usage Tips
========
* Mixed Rock Polish Primal Groudon aims to take advantage of the checks that offensive teams commonly employ as offensive answers to Primal Groudon, namely Arceus-Ground, Mega Salamence, and offensive Zygarde-C. The sheer power behind a neutral Fire Blast can also limit Pokemon such as Yveltal from switching in safely.
* This set can struggle against balance teams, however, as checks such as Giratina-O, Primal Kyogre, Ho-Oh, and most importantly Arceus-Water are all commonly seen on them. It is wise to get them out of the way or considerably weaken them before attempting to sweep.
* Set up Rock Polish against offensive teams whenever a suitable chance is given, but avoid taking too much damage while doing so.
* As this set doesn't boost its own attacking stats, weakening the enemy team into the range for Primal Groudon to clean up is ideal. Stealth Rock support helps immensely with this.
* Note that due to running no physical bulk and a Mild nature, Primal Groudon will take more damage from physical attacks than usual. This also applies to priority attacks, making this set a little easier to revenge kill.
Team Options
========
* As this set is good at dealing with typical offensive checks to Primal Groudon, wallbreakers make for good partners to assist in dealing with bulky Pokemon that this set struggles with.
* Stealth Rock support is very helpful against Ho-Oh, which otherwise walls this set pretty easily. This best comes from dedicated leads such as Deoxys-S and Excadrill, as Stealth Rock Arceus-Fairy and Necrozma-DM struggle against Ho-Oh without Stone Edge, which can be difficult to fit onto their movesets.
* Wallbreakers such as Rayquaza, Yveltal, and Mega Lucario are all capable partners that can assist in punching holes into the enemy team in order to make Primal Groudon's sweep easier.
* Ways of pressuring support Arceus formes such as Arceus-Ground and Arceus-Water will be required to prevent them from easily walling this set. Trapping them with Shadow Tag users such as Gothitelle and Mega Gengar is a possible idea, as is simply overpowering them with other Pokemon such as Primal Kyogre.
* If using this set on a more balanced team, Zygarde-C makes for a great Ho-Oh answer, a very desirable trait in a partner.
[SET]
name: Mixed Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Precipice Blades
move 3: Rock Tomb
move 4: Overheat
item: Red Orb
ability: Drought
nature: Mild
evs: 212 SpA / 144 SpD / 152 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Swords Dance may not seem like a sensible option without Attack investment, but it serves to limit the potential number of defensive walls that may try to handle Primal Groudon and makes the set overall more threatening against balance teams. The likes of Zygarde and Arceus-Water can still be 2HKOed by a boosted Precipice Blades, despite the lack of Attack investment.
* Precipice Blades serves as the main physical attack on the set that Swords Dance aims to boost the damage of, and it is very useful for taking on most Pokemon that try to handle this set's other moves such as Primal Kyogre and support Arceus formes.
* Rock Tomb's purpose is to take down Ho-Oh, which handles Primal Groudon's STAB options, and slow down faster Pokemon that try to switch in. Anything between this set's Speed investment and maximum Speed Arceus formes will be slowed down to the point that Primal Groudon will move first.
* Overheat is used for immediate burst damage against the majority of the tier, but Fire Blast can be considered for more consistent damage.
* Eruption can combine well with Rock Tomb in place of Overheat, and it is Primal Groudon's strongest possible attack when at full HP, OHKOing Arceus-Ground on the switch and having a good chance to OHKO offensive Mega Salamence after Stealth Rock damage. It has the notable downside of losing effectiveness as Primal Groudon takes damage, however.
Set Details
========
* 152 Speed EVs allow Primal Groudon to outspeed Adamant Necrozma-DM while also outspeeding Pokemon up to maximum Speed Arceus formes and Mega Salamence after their Speed has been lowered by Rock Tomb.
* 144 Special Defense EVs help to prevent special attackers such as Geomancy Xerneas and Primal Kyogre from overpowering Primal Groudon with coverage moves. It will survive any +2 attack from Geomancy Xerneas after Stealth Rock damage, assuming Stealth Rock damage is taken as base forme Groudon.
* The remaining EVs are used in Special Attack to boost the power of Primal Groudon's special Fire-type move. Swords Dance acts as the damage boost to Precipice Blades on this set, meaning investment in Attack isn't as necessary.
* Red Orb is required for Primal Reversion.
Usage Tips
========
* Mixed Swords Dance sets are all-out offensive in nature and aim to punch holes into the enemy team. Bulky teams can struggle to contain a Primal Groudon set that has the ability to hit hard both physically and specially.
* However, there are bulky Pokemon capable of handling this set. A healthy Zygarde-C is a pretty good answer, for instance, which means that careful play will be required to keep Zygarde from activating Power Construct safely.
* Getting Primal Groudon in safely and keeping it healthy via U-turn and Volt Switch from the likes of Mega Scizor or Magearna can give a good opportunity to start punching holes.
* Against offensive teams, this set is likely to play more of a burst damage-dealing role with the usage of Rock Tomb and Fire-type coverage. Swords Dance isn't likely to be of much use in such a matchup.
* This combination of moves can prove very difficult for the opponent to scout without taking heavy damage on a crucial Pokemon in the process, which can give Primal Groudon a great advantage. Until all four moves are revealed, this set can prove to be unpredictable.
* If using Eruption, avoid taking any damage when switching in. It only takes 13% worth of chip damage on Primal Groudon for Eruption to lose enough power to where Overheat is equal in damage output, and it will only get worse.
Team Options
========
* This set best fits on bulky offense teams that can support the idea of their Primal Groudon being an all-out offensive variant, with a solid backup plan to handling things that Primal Groudon would usually be the first answer to.
* Bringing methods of getting Primal Groudon in safely and keeping it from heavy damage is also a good strategy.
* Magearna is a great teammate that suits the above criteria well, being able to act as a good primary answer to Xerneas in place of Primal Groudon while also helping this set get in against ideal targets such as slower Steel-types with Volt Switch.
* Stealth Rock setters such as Necrozma-DM and Dialga can prove useful for added chip damage. Necrozma-DM provides another Xerneas check, while Dialga is able to offensively pressure Mega Salamence and Giratina-O a little better.
* U-turn from the likes of Mega Scizor or Choice item variants of Yveltal are also handy to get Primal Groudon in safely.
* Arceus-Water can provide a good fallback against Primal Kyogre and opposing Ground-type Pokemon.
* Ferrothorn is also capable of checking Primal Kyogre while providing Spikes support to help Primal Groudon with its wallbreaking efforts.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* A set using Stealth Rock and Swords Dance can set the entry hazard while also beating some Defog users such as Arceus-Water at the same time, but it can struggle against Arceus-Ground and Celesteela.
* Rock Slide is a potential coverage option whenever Rock-type coverage is necessary, coming with an added flinch chance. The Speed lowering ability of Rock Tomb or the damage of Stone Edge is typically preferred across Primal Groudon's sets, however.
* Earthquake can be used in place of Precipice Blades if accuracy is a concern, but the damage difference can prove annoying.
* Swords Dance + 3 physical attack sets can be viable on Sticky Web teams, but such a team style is not as effective, and other sets are capable of fitting these teams just as easily.
* Dragon Claw targets many airborne Dragon-types in Ubers that may want to switch into Primal Groudon, but is hard to fit onto any movesets.
* Earth Power can be used on the mixed Rock Polish set in place of Precipice Blades to hit opposing Primal Groudon harder and also OHKO Toxapex after Stealth Rock damage, but it does less damage than Precipice Blades against most Pokemon in Ubers, even though this set lacks Attack investment.
* A Substitute + Swords Dance set can be used in order to pose a greater threat to stall teams thanks to its ability to avoid Toxic, but this set suffers many of the same issues as the Swords Dance + 3 attacks set.
* Rest can be used on defensive sets to avoid dealing with Toxic and provide some form of longevity for Primal Groudon. However, it is difficult to fit.
* Solar Beam finds a small niche on the mixed Rock Polish set, as it is able to beat Arceus-Water, a Pokemon that such a set cannot reasonably beat otherwise. It is useless outside of this, however.
* Base forme Groudon has a couple of options such as a physically defensive set, a Choice Band set, or a Swords Dance set utilizing a Z-Move. However, the opportunity cost of skipping Primal Groudon for this is extremely high, so it should never see serious use.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Arceus-Water and Arceus-Dragon**: These two Arceus formes are resistant to Fire and neutral to Ground, have access to reliable recovery and Defog, and are also faster than Primal Groudon, making them effective countermeasures against most of its sets. Arceus-Water has trouble actually damaging Primal Groudon with attacks, however, and typically tries to Toxic stall it instead. Primal Groudon is capable of breaking these Pokemon with a Swords Dance set or crippling them back with its own Toxic, but otherwise they make for effective checks, meaning Primal Groudon is likely to require the assistance of its teammates to beat them.
**Zygarde-C**: Zygarde-C is capable of switching into a good number of Primal Groudon's sets thanks to its high bulk and resistance to Fire, while hitting back with Thousand Arrows or paralyzing Primal Groudon with Glare. It should be noted that Zygarde's effectiveness against Primal Groudon can vary a lot on how well one plays around Power Construct. Zygarde-C is also vulnerable to Hidden Power Ice from specially oriented Primal Groudon sets, and base forme Zygarde can be OHKOed by a +2 Precipice Blades from the Double Dance set if it is slightly damaged.
**Arceus-Ground**: Arceus-Ground is one of the best offensive checks to Primal Groudon, as its Ground-type STAB attacks are capable of hitting Primal Groudon very hard, OHKOing it in some instances. However, Arceus-Ground will take severe damage if it switches into Fire Blast or Overheat and be OHKOed by a full-power Eruption.
**Lugia**: With its high bulk, good Speed, and Multiscale ability, Lugia is capable of switching into Primal Groudon easily and healing any damage taken with Roost. However, Lugia can be vulnerable to some of Primal Groudon's attacks if Multiscale is broken, and it does not appreciate Toxic poison because this makes keeping Multiscale up very difficult.
**Giratina and Giratina-O**: Both Giratina formes can take on Primal Groudon relatively well. Giratina's higher bulk and typical use of Rest means that it stands a better chance of handling Primal Groudon throughout the match, but it can be beaten by Swords Dance sets. Giratina-O handles Primal Groudon in a more offensive manner, hitting it hard with Draco Meteor or other offensive moves while trying to remove Stealth Rock with Defog if Primal Groudon has set it. Giratina-O is vulnerable to being worn down and can be hit hard by boosted attacks or Dragon Pulse, however.
**Mega Salamence**: Mega Salamence is a great offensive check to some Primal Groudon sets, as the usage of Intimidate prior to Mega Evolution makes switching in easier. Mega Salamence also has an immunity or a resistance to both of Primal Groudon's STAB attacks, on top of having access to reliable recovery and Defog to assist it in dealing with Primal Groudon's sets. Primal Groudon can still retaliate with a boosted Stone Edge or with Hidden Power Ice from a specially oriented set or force Mega Salamence to Roost with Overheat, which can make the matchup dangerous.
**Ho-Oh**: Ho-Oh can easily handle Primal Groudon's STAB attacks and hit back hard with Brave Bird, provided it is an offensive set. Defensive sets can Toxic stall Primal Groudon or Defog its Stealth Rock away as well. It should be noted that a 4x weakness to Rock means that Ho-Oh has to be very wary of Primal Groudon's coverage when attempting to take it on.
**Primal Kyogre**: While Primal Kyogre takes the risk of being hit hard by Precipice Blades, it is capable of switching into Primal Groudon when it is predicted that it will use a move that isn't as threatening, forcing Primal Groudon out immediately. Primal Kyogre can take advantage of Primal Groudon's usage of Fire-type moves thanks to Primordial Sea. Even when Primal Groudon has the weather advantage, Earthquake from physical variants of Primal Kyogre will still hurt. An Attack-invested Precipice Blades will severely damage Primal Kyogre, though, sometimes even OHKOing it after Stealth Rock damage, so it has to be very careful.
**Ground-immune Steel-types**: Celesteela and Skarmory are capable of handing Primal Groudon sets that do not often carry Fire-type coverage, such as the Double Dance set, courtesy of their typing and different recovery options. A large number of Primal Groudon sets do carry Fire-type coverage, however, making them very risky switch-ins.
**Offensive Ground-immune Pokemon**: Pokemon such as Yveltal, Rayquaza, and Arceus-Flying are capable of switching into Primal Groudon's Precipice Blades or otherwise non-lethal moves and threatening it with heavy damage if it stays in. Predicting wrong and then taking a Fire-type move from Primal Groudon will severely damage these Pokemon, though.
**Lunala**: Courtesy of Shadow Shield, Lunala is more capable than other offensive Pokemon at offensively checking Primal Groudon. With Shadow Shield intact, it can survive any attack, even a +2 Precipice Blades, and inflict heavy damage back with Moongeist Beam or Menacing Moonraze Maelstrom.
**Toxic**: Due to a complete lack of recovery, inflicting Primal Groudon with Toxic poison will greatly limit its longevity in a match.
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