Ground Pokémon are among the most intimidating to look at, with Garchomp, Rhyperior, Donphan, and Landorus among their ranks. Well, it's not just a bark that these creatures have, as their powerful appearance often has the bite of strong battle capabilities. Of course, some ground-types are better than others, so let's take a look at who the best ground Pokémon are, so your team has a defensive tank available.
If this isn't the type for you, and you prefer to float like a Butterfree or sting like a Beedrill, you can check out our picks for the best bug Pokémon and fighting Pokémon, both of which can deal with some tough-to-handle types, including steel.
Here are our picks for the best ground Pokémon in Pokémon Go:
Garchomp / Mega Garchomp
- Abilities: Sand Veil, Rough Skin (hidden)
- Mega Abilities: Sand Force
If you think Garchomp is one of the best dragon Pokémon, wait until you meet its mega evolution, an absolute powerhouse. Garchomp boasts an excellent 130 base attack stat, and has solid enough HP, defense, and speed, that, by itself, it can be a formidable unit. However, Mega Garchomp is of course where the real magic is, with an insane base attack of 170, and all other base stats being over 90.
As a combined ground and dragon 'mon, Garchomp can learn a huge number of moves, including some heavy hitters like Draco Meteor. As for its ground moves, you'll want to make it into a beast with Earthquake, Dig, and Earth Power to see this lad's full potential as a ground-type legend.
Groudon / Primal Groudon
- Abilities: Drought
- Primal Abilities: Desolate Land
Yes, this legend is here, and if you know what's good for you, you're going to go out of your way to get this beast on your team. We can't oversell how good Groudon is, and if you're in the market for a ground-type, you can do no better than this legendary beast.
Just to really hammer the point home, Groudon has a base attack stat of 150, which is even bigger than Garchomp and Landorus, and its Primal form reaches a whopping 180. Plus, Primal Groudon's defense and attack speed numbers are 160 and 150 respectively, making it a fierce ally or foe on the battlefield.
Rhyperior
- Abilities: Lightning Rod, Solid Rock, and Reckless (hidden)
Rhyperior has been a familiar, rocky face of the franchise for a hot minute, first making an appearance way back in gen four. This tanky 'mon can pack a huge punch and has a respectable amount of HP, meaning it can be tough to take down. Cosmetically, we do still consider Rhyperior to be a Pokémon evolution downgrade thanks to its silly roundness, but some things just can't be helped. Regardless, when it comes to effectiveness on the battlefield, that doesn't really matter all that much. Right?
What Rhyperior lacks in speed, it makes up for in just about everything else. Because of its slow nature, it's best to pair this friend with some more rapid-fire hitters, in case you get stuck in a pinch. That being said, get High Horsepower and Earthquake on it if you can, because when you do need a heavy hitter, Rhyperior is there for you.
Landorus / Landorus Therian Forme
- Abilities: Sand Force, Sheer Force (hidden)
- Therian Forme abilities: Intimidate
Of course, Landorus is on this list for the best ground Pokémon in Pokémon Go. This 'mon is a rock-solid choice for a powerful ground 'mon, so if you're ever faced with the opportunity to capture one, we highly recommend throwing everything you can at it.
The Incarnate Forme is, naturally, very powerful but we actually suggest you utilize Landorus's Therian Forme, since it can pack even more of a punch with its 145 base attack stat. Both Landorus types can learn an absolutely huge number of moves as of Gen 9, so you may find you have too many to choice from. Despite this, there are lots of excellent ground moves to learn, like Sandsear Storm, Fissure, and more.
Excadrill / Mega Excadrill
- Abilities: Sand Force, Sand Rush, Mold Breaker (hidden)
Excadrill is a tough 'mon to defeat, especially since it's a combination of ground and steel-types, which means you've got access to some unique move combinations that can cause more than a few problems for your rivals. To compensate, it's got some more lacklustre base stats in the defense and speed departments.
What's really interesting about Excadrill is that it now has a mega form, introduced in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. This turns the unit into a truly magnificent pick for your team, if you can get your hands on it. We recommend Earthquake, as usual, Rock Blast, and Bulldoze to get the most bang from your Excadrill buck.
Mamoswine
- Abilities: Oblivious, Snow Cloak, Thick Fat (hidden)
Yes, one of the best ice Pokémon just so happens to also be one of the best ground Pokémon too, and thanks to its hybrid nature, Mamoswine can freeze your opponents and then crush them into the ground - either way, victory is yours.
Getting into the specifics, Mamoswine has a base attack stat of 130 with good HP and decent defense stats, putting it in good standing on this list. If you want Mamoswine to use only ground Pokémon moves, we recommend you give it Mud Slap and High Horsepower. If you want the very best it has to offer, consider learning Blizzard or Avalanche.
Golem
- Abilities: Rock Heady, Sturdy, Sand Veil (hidden)
When all of you old school Pokémon fans think of ground types, Golem is probably one of the first to pop into your heads. This bouldery ground type is… well, literally a ball of rock. Dating all the way back to the first gen, this 'mon is one of the OGs when it comes to ground types, and is the best from that gen in our opinion. It's no surprise that Golem can bulldoze the competition (pun intended).
While Golem doesn't wow with its slow speed, you can guarantee some excellent ground move action with it on your team - a high defense stat at 130 base means it can hold its own even if it does crawl along.
Donphan
- Abilities: Sturdy, Sand Veil (hidden)
Donphan doesn't borrow from secondary types, like most other 'mon, and this tanky guy is one of the few pure-bred ground Pokémon around. This only serves to prove just how much of a hard-hitter it can be, because Donphan has some pretty impressive defense stats (which makes sense, considering it has built in armor) and can take out your foes with ease.
You can give this 'mon any number of fun moves, including fairy or poison type, because why the heck not? If you're looking to only give it ground moves, it's a great fit for Stomping Tantrum, High Horsepower, and the classic Earthquake.