Ground type Ground Type Top 30 Updated

Best Ground Attackers — Pokemon GO

Top 30 Ground-type raid attackers ranked by DPS with best movesets and tier rankings.

Super effective vs: Electric type Electric Fire type Fire Poison type Poison Rock type Rock Steel type Steel

The Ground-type attacker tier list ranks the top 30 Pokemon by raid DPS in 2026. Use Ground-type attackers against Electric, Fire, Poison, Rock-type raid bosses. Shadow Pokemon deal 20% more damage, while Mega evolutions boost the entire raid team.

Rankings are calculated by simulating every possible fast and charged move combination for each Pokemon at level 40 against a generic Tier 5 raid boss. We measure DPS (Damage Per Second), TDO (Total Damage Output before fainting), and eDPS (a composite metric that balances raw damage with survivability). The final ranking weighs type-specific DPS at 70% and overall DPS at 30%, so Pokemon with strong same-type moves are prioritized while off-type coverage is still rewarded.

How We Calculate Raid DPS Rankings

Our raid attacker rankings simulate actual battle performance using Pokemon GO's damage formula. Here's how each metric is computed:

DPS — Damage Per Second

Calculated using the Pokemon GO damage formula: floor(0.5 × Power × Atk/Def × STAB) + 1. We simulate a full attack cycle (enough fast moves to charge one charged move) and divide total damage by cycle time. Higher DPS means faster raid clears.

TDO — Total Damage Output

Total damage dealt before fainting, calculated as DPS × Time Alive. Survival time is based on the Pokemon's effective HP and the boss's estimated damage output. TDO rewards bulky Pokemon that stay in the fight longer and need fewer revives.

eDPS — Effective DPS

A composite metric: (DPS³ × TDO)0.25. This balances raw speed with durability — a glass cannon with sky-high DPS but terrible TDO gets penalized, while a tanky attacker that's too slow also won't rank well. eDPS identifies the best all-round raiders.

STAB & Move Selection

Same Type Attack Bonus (STAB) adds a 1.2× multiplier when a move's type matches the Pokemon's type. At least one move must be Ground-type to qualify. We test every fast + charged combination and select the one with the highest ranking score.

Shadow & Mega Variants

Shadow Pokemon receive a 20% Attack boost with a ~17% Defense penalty, making them high-DPS glass cannons. Mega Pokemon are evaluated with their boosted base stats. Both variants are ranked alongside regular forms so you can compare them directly.

Tier Assignment

Pokemon are placed into tiers based on how their DPS compares to the #1 attacker:

S-Tier: Top 5% or Top 3 A-Tier: Top 15% or Top 8 B-Tier: Top 25% or Top 15 C-Tier: Top 35% or Top 22 D-Tier: Remaining

All simulations use level 40 stats (CPM 0.7903) against a generic Tier 5 raid boss with 160 effective Defense. Rankings are recalculated daily to reflect the latest move updates and balance changes.

S

S-Tier — Best in Class

3 Pokemon

1 Shadow Landorus (Therian)
Shadow Landorus (Therian) Shadow
21.818 DPS 471.27 TDO
F Mud Shot C Sandsear Storm
2 Primal Groudon
Primal Groudon Mega
21.100 DPS 483.89 TDO
F Mud Shot C Precipice Blades
3 Mega Garchomp
Mega Garchomp Mega
18.833 DPS 472.09 TDO
F Mud Shot C Earthquake
A

A-Tier — Top Picks

5 Pokemon

4 Shadow Groudon
Shadow Groudon Shadow
18.400 DPS 397.44 TDO
F Mud Shot C Precipice Blades
5 Landorus (Therian)
Landorus (Therian)
17.909 DPS 386.84 TDO
F Mud Shot C Sandsear Storm
6 Shadow Excadrill
Shadow Excadrill Shadow
17.484 DPS 445.26 TDO
F Mud Slap C Earthquake
7 Shadow Mamoswine
Shadow Mamoswine Shadow
16.963 DPS 431.99 TDO
F Mud Slap C High Horsepower
8 Mega Heracross
Mega Heracross Mega
16.800 DPS 336.00 TDO
F Fury Cutter C Earthquake
B

B-Tier — Solid Options

7 Pokemon

9 Shadow Ursaluna
Shadow Ursaluna Shadow
16.609 DPS 482.76 TDO
F Tackle C High Horsepower
10 Shadow Rhyperior
Shadow Rhyperior Shadow
16.516 DPS 436.03 TDO
F Mud Slap C Earthquake
11 Groudon
Groudon
16.500 DPS 356.40 TDO
F Mud Shot C Precipice Blades
12 Shadow Garchomp
Shadow Garchomp Shadow
16.500 DPS 413.60 TDO
F Mud Shot C Earthquake
13 Mega Sceptile
Mega Sceptile Mega
16.300 DPS 293.40 TDO
F Fury Cutter C Earthquake
14 Shadow Staraptor
Shadow Staraptor Shadow
16.211 DPS 337.18 TDO
F Sand Attack C Brave Bird
15 Shadow Landorus (Incarnate)
Shadow Landorus (Incarnate) Shadow
16.125 DPS 348.30 TDO
F Mud Shot C Earth Power
C

C-Tier — Usable

15 Pokemon

16 Shadow Vikavolt
Shadow Vikavolt Shadow
16.000 DPS 309.33 TDO
F Mud Slap C Fly
17 Shadow Metagross
Shadow Metagross Shadow
15.900 DPS 318.00 TDO
F Fury Cutter C Earthquake
18 Mega Swampert
Mega Swampert Mega
15.500 DPS 365.80 TDO
F Mud Shot C Earthquake
19 Shadow Gigalith
Shadow Gigalith Shadow
15.500 DPS 322.40 TDO
F Mud Slap C Meteor Beam
20 Haxorus
Haxorus
15.455 DPS 296.73 TDO
F Dragon Tail C Earthquake
21 Shadow Rhydon
Shadow Rhydon Shadow
15.419 DPS 378.29 TDO
F Mud Slap C Earthquake
22 Shadow Kingler
Shadow Kingler Shadow
15.385 DPS 235.90 TDO
F Mud Shot C Crabhammer
23 Shadow Tyrantrum
Shadow Tyrantrum Shadow
15.212 DPS 308.30 TDO
F Dragon Tail C Earthquake
24 Shadow Golurk
Shadow Golurk Shadow
15.053 DPS 325.14 TDO
F Mud Slap C Earth Power
25 Mega Aerodactyl
Mega Aerodactyl Mega
14.952 DPS 299.05 TDO
F Rock Throw C Earth Power
26 Garchomp
Garchomp
14.750 DPS 369.73 TDO
F Mud Shot C Earthquake
27 Shadow Donphan
Shadow Donphan Shadow
14.645 DPS 318.29 TDO
F Mud Slap C Earthquake
28 Shadow Golem
Shadow Golem Shadow
14.581 DPS 291.61 TDO
F Mud Slap C Earthquake
29 Excadrill
Excadrill
14.581 DPS 371.32 TDO
F Mud Slap C Earthquake
30 Shadow Entei
Shadow Entei Shadow
14.333 DPS 378.40 TDO
F Fire Spin C Scorching Sands

Ground Type in Pokemon GO — Overview

Ground-type Pokemon GO is one of the highest-DPS attacking types in the game, with Therian Landorus, Mega Garchomp, Excadrill, Groudon, and Primal Groudon sitting at the top of the rankings. Ground moves are super-effective against Electric, Fire, Poison, Rock, and Steel — five of the most common defensive typings — and Ground is one of only two types (alongside Fighting) that hits Steel super-effectively. Signature Ground moves include Earthquake, Earth Power, High Horsepower, Drill Run, Bulldoze, Mud Shot, and Precipice Blades (Primal Groudon’s signature). Ground types are weak to Water, Grass, and Ice, with most dual-Ground combos picking up additional weaknesses.

Top Ground Attackers Explained

The top Ground attackers are Primal Groudon, Mega Garchomp, Therian Landorus, Groudon, and Mega Rhyperior. Primal Groudon with Mud Shot and Precipice Blades has the highest Ground DPS in the game and doubles as a top Fire attacker. Therian Landorus with Mud Shot and Earthquake is the best non-Mega, non-Primal Ground attacker thanks to its 289 Attack stat. Mega Garchomp with Mud Shot and Earth Power tops the Mega tier alongside Mega Rhyperior. Excadrill, Garchomp, Rhyperior, Mamoswine (Ice/Ground dual), and Hippowdon are budget options. Shadow Garchomp and Shadow Rhyperior round out the Shadow tier.

Ground Attackers in PvP & GO Battle League

Ground types are PvP fixtures across all leagues. Swampert (Water/Ground) with Mud Shot and Hydro Cannon is one of the strongest Great League picks ever, dominating the open league for years. Galarian Stunfisk (Steel/Ground), Whiscash (Water/Ground), Quagsire, and Mud Boy (Marshtomp) are core Great League options. In Ultra League, Swampert, Excadrill, Walrein, and Therian Landorus flex into core teams. In Master League, Groudon, Primal Groudon, Garchomp, Excadrill, and Therian Landorus see top usage. Ground types pair extremely well with Water-resist or Grass-resist secondaries, and Ground/Steel duals immunize themselves to Poison.

Matchups, Weaknesses & When to Field Ground Attackers

Ground attackers shine against Electric (Zekrom, Xurkitree, Therian Thundurus), Fire (Mega Charizard Y, Heatran, Reshiram), Poison (Mega Gengar, Crobat, Roserade), Rock (Tyranitar, Rhyperior), and Steel (Metagross, Heatran, Excadrill mirror match). They are 1.6× weak to Water, Grass, and Ice — and most Ground/Rock duals like Rhyperior take 4× damage from Water and Grass moves. Sunny weather boosts Ground by 1.2×. Avoid Ground attackers against Kyogre, Mega Sceptile, Mega Abomasnow, Galarian Darmanitan, and Mamoswine. Ground is the most universally useful raid type after Dragon and Fairy, since five different defensive typings fold to Ground STAB.

Community Day Picks & Notable Ground Investments

Ground Community Days have included Mudkip → Swampert with Hydro Cannon, Trapinch → Flygon with Earth Power, Drilbur → Excadrill with Drill Run, Sandshrew → Sandslash, Cubone → Marowak (and Alolan Marowak) with Bone Club, Cyndaquil/Hisuian Typhlosion-related events, and Phanpy → Donphan. Therian Landorus debuted in 2021 and immediately became the top non-Mega Ground attacker. Groudon Raid Days in 2024 unlocked the Origin Pulse-equivalent Precipice Blades through Primal Reversion. Mega Garchomp arrived in 2025 with the largest CP among Ground Megas. Shadow Garchomp and Shadow Rhyperior remain top-tier farms during Team Rocket takeover events.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the #1 ranked Ground-type attacker right now?

Based on our DPS simulations, Shadow Landorus (Therian) currently ranks first among Ground-type attackers in Pokemon GO, followed by Shadow Landorus (Therian), Primal Groudon, Mega Garchomp. The full tier list above shows every viable Ground attacker with its optimal moveset, DPS, TDO, and eDPS values.

Which raid bosses should I use Ground attackers against?

Ground-type attacks deal super-effective damage to Electric, Fire, Poison, Rock-type Pokemon, so use Ground attackers when those types appear in 5-Star, Mega, Elite, or Primal raids. Always weather-check the boss before launching the raid to maximize damage with the appropriate weather boost.

What is the best Ground-type attacker in Pokemon GO?

Primal Groudon is the strongest Ground attacker in the game, followed by Mega Garchomp, Therian Landorus, Groudon, and Mega Rhyperior. For non-Mega rosters, Therian Landorus with Mud Shot and Earthquake is the gold standard, and Excadrill remains a solid Community Day budget pick.

Why is Ground so good against Electric?

Ground-type moves deal 1.6× damage to Electric types, and Ground is the only type that Electric is weak to. Combined with the fact that Ground is also super-effective against four other types (Fire, Poison, Rock, Steel), this makes Ground one of the most versatile raid attacking types in the game.

What are Ground types weak to?

Ground types take 1.6× damage from Water, Grass, and Ice moves. Ground/Rock duals like Rhyperior, Tyranitar (Rock/Dark, but takes 4× from Fighting), and Golem take 4× damage from Water and Grass. Mamoswine (Ice/Ground) takes 4× from Fighting. Plan around dual-type weaknesses when fielding Ground attackers.

Is Therian Landorus worth powering up?

Yes. Therian Landorus is the best non-Mega, non-Primal Ground attacker in the game thanks to its 289 Attack stat and Mud Shot/Earthquake moveset. It also flexes into Master League PvP as a top-five Ground PvP pick. Powering up two Therian Landorus is a high-priority investment for any raid team.

What weather boosts Ground-type moves?

Sunny weather boosts Ground-type moves by 1.2× and increases catch CP and IV floor of wild Ground spawns. Sunny also boosts Fire and Grass. Sunny windows are the optimal time to grind Ground Community Days and run Therian Landorus, Excadrill, and Garchomp in raids.

Related

Ground Type Pokedex

All Ground-type Pokemon with stats and moves.

Raid Counters

Best counters for every current raid boss.

PvP Tier Lists

Great, Ultra, and Master League rankings.