"Pokémon GO" Dragon Type Tier List
Sigbog is an avid Level 40 "Pokémon GO" player and raider with lots of knowledge and experience to draw from.
Dragon Type Tier List
Dragon Types
Dragon type Pokémon feature some of the most powerful and desirable Pokémon in the series. Usually boasting incredible stats, your lineup can almost always benefit from a Dragon Pokémon. However, while Dragon types are incredibly powerful, they are only strong against other Dragon types. While other Pokémon clearly counter certain types, such as Charmander dealing extra damage with a fire move against Bulbasaur, Dragons aren't like this. They instead counter themselves. This means while it's often best to take Dragon types into fights against other Dragons, you'll end up burning a lot of potions and revives. They do act as very good generalist fighters if you can't build a perfect team due to their high raw power so it is a very desirable type of team to build.
Dragon Type Effectiveness
Just a quick recap regarding what Dragon type Pokémon are strong or weak against so you know what purpose they serve in your raid teams.
Dragons deal extra damage to:
- Dragon
Dragons take extra damage from:
- Dragon
- Ice
- Fairy
Dragons deal reduced damage to:
- Steel
- Fairy
Dragons take reduced damage from:
- Water
- Fire
- Plant
- Electric
S Tier
Rayquaza
It's fairly obvious that Rayquaza belongs at the top of the list. Rayquaza's DPS is unmatched, you simply cannot find a more powerful Dragon option. Other options may be tankier, but the raw damage output is more than worth it.
Rayquaza can learn the following fast moves:
- Dragon Tail (Dragon)
- Air Slash (Flying)
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Rayquaza can learn the following charge moves:
- Outrage (Dragon)
- Aerial Ace (Flying)
Obviously, Dragon Tail + Outrage is the way to go to fully benefit from STAB (Same type attack bonus, increasing damage for moves that match the same type as the Pokémon that is using the move). Beyond such incredible raw DPS, Outrage is such an awesome move housing both a ton of damage as well as it being split into a two charge move bar, allowing you to more frequently and efficiently dish out attacks.
Rayquaza is a raid of only Legendary Pokémon, so they are not available very often, but when they are, be sure to stock up.
A Tier
Palkia, Salamence
Palkia and Salamence are both runner-ups when it comes to DPS. They can't match Rayquaza, but are still able to deliver plenty of damage. Palkia specifically is also fairly tanky. You likely won't notice much of a difference between running these two or a Rayquaza, the difference is mostly in minor optimization. It may be relevant if you're aiming to complete raids with very small groups, or if you're really trying to knock seconds off your raid times. Palkia is a raid exclusive whereas Salamence is just incredibly rare (evolving from Bagon to Shelgon to Salamence).
You'll want to run Dragon Tail and Draco Meteor on both of them to get the most of their capabilities.
B Tier
Garchomp, Dragonite, Dialga
Similar to A tier, these options feature a decent amount of DPS, not significantly below the higher tiers. They are perfectly viable options with no major faults though they are quite rare. Dragonite is not a raid exclusive, but is probably rarer than most raid exclusives unless you were around for the Dratini Community Day. Dialga is a raid exclusive. Garchomp is a recent release and thus also quite rare. Garchomp also does edge out a bit for being tankier, but it's a slim margin. You'll want the following move sets:
- Garchomp: Dragon Tail / Outrage
- Dragonite: Dragon Tail / Outrage
- Dialga: Dragon Breath / Draco Meteor
C Tier
Latios, Latias, Giratina
From here onward there is a bit of separation. The C Tier Dragons do take a noticeable step down in DPS. They're all still viable, and Latios among this list is not bad at all. However, you will notice a difference in your damage output and raid times. Giratina is also fairly close to being demoted downward, but gets some bonus points for having very high health and being able to save you some potions and revives. These options are also still Legendary raid bosses, so they're quite rare to come by. Your best move set choices are:
- Latios: Dragon Breath / Dragon Claw
- Latias: Dragon Breath / Outrage
- Giratina: Dragon Breath / Dragon Claw
D Tier
Gyarados, Alolan Exeggutor
These options are starting to really make your performance as a team suffer. Gyarados is a strong Pokémon, but does not benefit from STAB for its Dragon moves. Alolan Exeggutor simply doesn't have the raw power to be a strong choice. These are more desperate options but they're also more accessible in they are not nearly as exclusive or difficult to acquire. Your best move sets are:
- Gyarados: Dragon Tail / Outrage
- Alolan Exeggutor: Dragon Tail / Dragon Pulse
Honorable Mentions
Flygon, Kingdra
Obviously these are fairly poor choices, but are also generally much more accessible than many of the Legendaries above. You won't be carrying a raid with them, but you'll be able to do some damage.
