Pokémon Unite is a fun multiplayer game that challenges players to use different abilities on different champions and fight in a real arena. Garchomp is one of the high skilled Pokémon in this game, as he really needs time to scale to his evolution at level 10.
While playing him as a beginner isn't out of the question, it's important to be aware that he will take practice and patience to learn how he works. All this being said, there are many things that players should know and keep in mind when picking up the character in the game.
Pick The Right Held Items
Picking the proper held items for Garchomp before the game starts is a great way to fill in some of the gaps in the character's design. For instance, Buddy Barrier and Muscle Band are both great for Garchomp, but Buddy Barrier is better because it gives him a shield.
Because this Pokémon is squish early, especially for a melee character, he needs a little help with sustain. Muscle band is also a great option for increased attack damage.
Stack Attack Speed
Garchomp is a special champion due to the fact that his attack damage is way more important than his actual moves. Additionally, his fifth attack always does increased damage and has life steal.
Getting close enough to attack in melee range early can be difficult, but remembering that his auto attack is what is going to do the majority of the damage is vital to his play style. Stacking like this becomes way easier in late-game team fights, and his autos can singlehandedly take objectives, too.
Attack Other Melee Champs
Garchomp's passive reflects melee attack damage back at an attacker, so he is especially strong against other melee characters such as Absol (who also requires learning tips to understand how to play him).
This passive is one of the only things that makes him a little bit good in the early game, but if he is laning against a long-range champion like Venusaur, it's better that he stays back.
Farm Early
Farming early is a great way for Garchomp to increase his experience points and level up without being in imminent danger of fighting enemy players.
Because he really doesn't gain his full strength until he's level 10 or about halfway through the game, he has to spend a lot of time trying to get points to score safely and trying to level up in areas void of lots of enemy pressure.
Pick Moves Based On Lane
When first picking abilities for this Pokémon, figuring out if he is going to jungle or lane is extremely important because certain moves are better for each.
For the jungle role, Garchomp does really well with Sand Attack and Dig because they are both moves that catch enemy Pokémon off guard when he comes into a lane to help his teammates. In lane, Garchomp should start with bulldoze and then try to get Dragon Rush to do maximum damage.
Lane With A Support
While it's not always possible to get a support character like Blissey or Crustle, they can make the early game a little more bearable for a weak Gible. These characters can make it easier for him to farm and push up in lane without the fear of being blindsided and instantly killed.
They can also help block the goal, in an easy way, from enemies scoring while Garchomp farms. This just makes the game more fun and it allows Garchomp players to focus on stacking damage and leveling quickly.
Don't Chase
One thing to keep in mind with Garchomp is that he really isn't fast, and even his moves that help him dash aren't as helpful as some other characters' like Zeraora or Lucario (who recently has a Halloween skin released in-game).
Even trying to use his ultimate move to follow a Pokémon doesn't guarantee that he will last hit, and he will most likely get swarmed from behind by the enemy team when he does it.
Stay On Goals When Possible
Especially for the first 5 minutes of the game, Gible is super weak and has very little health, which means that if the enemy laner is aggressive he could still be killed on his goal and it may be necessary to surrender that match in Pokémon Unite because there's no ability to scale.
That being said, if he tries to trade attacks then goes back and forth, healing from the goal, he will more than make up for his lack of sustain.
Go Dragon Rush and Dragon Claw
To deal maximum damage in the late game, Garchomp should perfect his Dragon Rush and Dragon Claw combination. dashing with Dragon Rush and instantly using Dragon Claw right after disorients enemies and allows him to get some auto attacks off before they can fully react to him.
While these moves aren't ideal for him playing jungle, they do synergize better with his late-game abilities and the critical damage that he does with his attacks.
Don't Fight Without The Team
Last but not least, Garchomp is nothing without a strong team that helps him carry. In other words, other characters need to be the aggressors early on, but as he reaches his final evolution, this character just needs teammates to help fight off enemy characters with moves that stun or immobilize him.
Having team members around in any capacity in the game only increases the chances that he will carry later on in the match.