First Impressions: Mega Garchomp Z

And I think this is the most interesting point of this new form: Mega Garchomp Z can be very good without necessarily being better than Garchomp.

This distinction is important. It doesn't seem to be a Mega Evolution created to turn Garchomp into a completely absurd threat. Instead, it offers an alternative to traditional Garchomp. It's practically a "sidegrade."

And that explains a lot of the community's negative reaction. Many players expected a Mega Evolution of an already powerful Pokémon to be a clear, direct upgrade. In recent discussions, the main criticism has been precisely that the cost of using the Mega doesn't seem to compensate for the loss of the Ground type and its corresponding STAB.

Sand is probably the most interesting niche for Mega Garchomp Z, but for a very different reason than traditional Mega Garchomp.

The central point is that it can function as the Earthquake-immune partner within a Sand core, especially alongside Excadrill.

Mega Garchomp Z loses the Ground type and becomes pure Dragon with Levitate. That sounds bad individually, but in Doubles it creates a very interesting interaction:

• Excadrill → Earthquake
• Mega Garchomp Z → Levitate

In other words: you can pressure both opponents with Earthquake while Garchomp Z itself remains completely protected from the move. This interaction is already being pointed out by the community as one of the most promising ways to utilize the form.

And that completely changes how I would read it.

I wouldn't use Mega Garchomp Z as the main abuser of Sand. That is precisely the mistake of trying to compare it to traditional Mega Garchomp. Conventional Mega Garchomp has Sand Force, so Sand boosts its Ground, Rock, and Steel moves by 30%, in addition to granting immunity to Sandstorm chip damage. The Z form, on the other hand, does not get that benefit.

So its function would be almost complementary:

• Tyranitar → Sets Sand
• Excadrill → Abuses Sand Rush
• Mega Garchomp Z → Uses Levitate to enable Excadrill's Earthquake + offers an extremely fast threat

This is much more interesting.

And Here Comes the 151 Speed

You can have Excadrill ridiculously fast thanks to Sand Rush and, right beside it, a Mega Garchomp Z with natural 151 Speed. This creates a duo where both Pokémon can exert immediate pressure without needing any setup.

Excadrill can use Earthquake while Garchomp Z stays immune, and Garchomp can attack individually with options like Draco Meteor, Fire Blast, or Rock Slide. The combination is particularly interesting because Excadrill is already considered the central core of Sand teams, specifically due to the interaction between Sand Stream and Sand Rush.

Garchomp Z Protects Excadrill From One of Its Biggest Limitations

Excadrill is extremely threatening under Sand Rush, but its bulk is not particularly impressive. It frequently needs to enter, claim the KO, and leave before being punished. With Mega Garchomp Z by its side, you gain a way to click Earthquake without hitting your own partner.

And There Is a Second Layer: Offensive Coverage

What is most interesting is that Tyranitar and Excadrill face certain offensive roadblocks that Garchomp can target from the other side.

For example, Excadrill tends to be extremely strong against:

• Fairy
• Rock
• Steel
• Electric
• Poison

But it can run into trouble against Pokémon that resist Ground/Steel or can survive its hits. On top of that, it suffers from Intimidate as a physical attacker.

Garchomp Z can exploit this with its tremendous speed and access to special coverage.

Fire coverage (Fire Blast / Flamethrower): This is particularly interesting because you no longer need to rely on Excadrill to handle certain Steel-types, or a potential new threat to this Sand core that comes in the form of Rillaboom. Garchomp can take on that role. Plus, having access to an absurdly powerful Draco Meteor acts as a delete button for many Pokémon taking neutral damage from Dragon.