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Gyarados
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Best Gyarados Build - Dragon Breath Meta Guide
Intermediate
A-Tier current patch
Win Conditions
Successfully survive to level 5 evolution, then dominate mid-game team fights by diving and eliminating enemy carries before they can deal significant damage
Power Spikes
Level 5 (Gyarados evolution with Bounce), Level 7 (Dragon Breath unlock for full combo), Level 9 (move upgrades significantly increase damage output and shield values)
Team Role
Primary dive initiator and sustained damage dealer who creates space for teammates by forcing enemy backlines to reposition while outputting consistent DPS throughout extended fights
Game Strategy
Early Game
- Survive the vulnerable Magikarp phase by playing safe near your goal zone and using Flail's HP-based damage when low to secure last hits on wild Pokemon
- Focus on reaching level 5 as quickly as possible to evolve into Gyarados - prioritize farm over risky plays and communicate with teammates for protection
- Once evolved at level 5, immediately look for opportunities to pressure opponents with your newfound mobility and damage output
Mid Game
- Use Bounce to initiate on priority targets like enemy Attackers or Supporters, utilizing the shield to absorb initial burst damage while your team follows up
- Activate Dragon Breath immediately after landing from Bounce to maximize your attack speed window and melt targets with enhanced basic attacks
- Position aggressively during objective fights at Drednaw and Rotom, using your All-Rounder durability to zone enemies while dealing consistent DPS
Late Game
- During Rayquaza fights, use Bounce to disrupt enemy positioning and create openings for your team to secure the objective
- Focus on eliminating high-value targets in the backline during final stretch team fights, trusting your items and emblems to provide enough survivability
- Coordinate Bounce engages with your team's crowd control abilities to chain disable priority targets and prevent enemy counterplay
Advanced Tips
Item Synergies
- Muscle Band + Dragon Breath creates a devastating attack speed loop where faster attacks trigger Muscle Band's percentage damage more frequently, shredding tanky opponents
- Scope Lens + Weakness Policy amplifies your critical strike potential while providing the HP buffer needed to survive dive engagements and trigger Weakness Policy's attack boost
- Full Heal ensures you can execute your full Dragon Breath combo without being interrupted by stuns or slows, maximizing your damage window
Matchups
- Strong against squishy Attackers like Pikachu, Gardevoir, and Glaceon who cannot escape Bounce's dive and melt quickly to Dragon Breath enhanced attacks
- Weak against heavy crowd control Defenders like Snorlax and Mamoswine who can lock you down during your dive, and ranged kiting Speedsters like Dodrio who can outmaneuver Bounce
Additional Notes
- The Dragon Breath + Bounce build is the most balanced and beginner-friendly Gyarados setup, focusing on diving opponents with Bounce's mobility and shield, then unleashing devastating attack speed-buffed basic attacks through Dragon Breath. This combination provides excellent crowd control, survivability, and sustained DPS.
- Muscle Band synergizes perfectly with Dragon Breath's attack speed buff, allowing Gyarados to shred through enemy HP with rapid basic attacks. Scope Lens amplifies critical hit damage during the Dragon Breath window, while Weakness Policy provides both offensive and defensive scaling that works exceptionally well with Flail's HP-based damage in the early Magikarp phase.
- Full Heal is essential for this dive-heavy playstyle, protecting Gyarados from disables and crowd control while deep in enemy territory. The Brown and White emblem combination balances offensive power with survivability, ensuring Gyarados can both deal damage and survive extended team fights.
Moves
Flail
Dragon Breath
Bounce
Items
Muscle Band
Scope Lens
Weakness Policy
Battle Item
Full Heal
Emblems
Stat
Focus
6 Brown Emblems (Attack), 6 White Emblems (HP)
Best Gyarados Build - Dragon Breath Waterfall Aggressive Guide
Advanced
A-Tier current patch
Win Conditions
Snowball early kills after evolution into mid-game dominance, using superior mobility to secure objectives and hunt isolated targets across the map
Power Spikes
Level 5 (evolution with Waterfall mobility), Level 7 (Dragon Breath unlock for full offensive combo), Level 9 (move upgrades enhance both damage and dash distance)
Team Role
Aggressive skirmisher and assassin who excels at securing kills on priority targets, split-pushing lanes, and creating map pressure through superior mobility and chase potential
Game Strategy
Early Game
- Play conservatively as Magikarp, using Flail's increased damage at low HP to trade effectively when opponents overcommit to diving you
- Coordinate with your lane partner to set up kills immediately after evolving at level 5, as Waterfall provides instant gap-closing potential
- Prioritize farming efficiently to reach level 7 Dragon Breath power spike as quickly as possible
Mid Game
- Use Waterfall aggressively to chase down low HP enemies attempting to retreat, following up with Dragon Breath to finish kills with enhanced attack speed
- During objective contests, Waterfall allows you to quickly reposition between frontline and backline targets based on priority and opportunity
- The multiple dashes from Waterfall enable you to dodge high-impact skill shots like Pikachu's Thunderbolt or Cinderace's Blaze Kick while maintaining offensive pressure
Late Game
- In final stretch team fights, use Waterfall to quickly eliminate scoring threats before they can dunk crucial points
- Waterfall's mobility allows you to split-push side lanes and escape when enemies rotate to stop you, creating map pressure for your team
- During Rayquaza, use Waterfall to zone enemies away from the objective while your team secures it, or dive to steal with the quick gap-close
Advanced Tips
Item Synergies
- Muscle Band's attack speed bonus stacks multiplicatively with Dragon Breath's buff, and Waterfall keeps you in melee range to utilize every enhanced basic attack
- Scope Lens critical hits become more reliable with the extended time on target that Waterfall provides, maximizing your DPS during Dragon Breath windows
- Weakness Policy's attack boost activates frequently in aggressive dives, and the HP bonus ensures you survive long enough to use Waterfall's repositioning to escape
Matchups
- Dominates immobile Attackers and Supporters like Venusaur, Alolan Ninetales, and Mr. Mime who cannot escape Waterfall's repeated dashes
- Struggles against burst-damage All-Rounders like Machamp and Tsareena who can outduel you in extended melee range fights, and against coordinated teams with layered crowd control
Additional Notes
- The Dragon Breath + Waterfall build offers a more aggressive, chase-focused playstyle compared to the Bounce variant. Waterfall provides superior gap-closing ability and repositioning flexibility, making this build ideal for hunting down fleeing enemies and maintaining pressure in extended skirmishes.
- This build maintains the same core item philosophy as the Bounce build, maximizing Dragon Breath's attack speed buff through Muscle Band and Scope Lens. The key difference lies in Waterfall's ability to reposition multiple times during fights, allowing Gyarados to stick to targets more effectively and dodge enemy skill shots.
- Waterfall's dash mechanic synergizes with Dragon Breath by keeping you in optimal basic attack range throughout the entire buff duration. This build excels in solo queue where securing kills on isolated targets is crucial, and the additional mobility helps compensate for lack of coordinated team dives.
Moves
Flail
Dragon Breath
Waterfall
Items
Muscle Band
Scope Lens
Weakness Policy
Battle Item
Full Heal
Emblems
Stat
Focus
6 Brown Emblems (Attack), 6 White Emblems (HP)
Best Gyarados Build - Aqua Tail Burst Damage Guide
Advanced
B-Tier current patch
Win Conditions
Successfully stack Attack Weight through early and mid-game scoring, then use overwhelming burst damage to eliminate enemy carries during crucial late-game objective fights
Power Spikes
Level 5 (evolution with Bounce), Level 7 (Aqua Tail unlock), Level 9 (move upgrades), and every 6 Attack Weight stacks (maximum damage potential at 6 stacks)
Team Role
Burst damage assassin who specializes in eliminating single high-value targets during team fights, requiring team coordination to create opportunities for successful Aqua Tail channels
Game Strategy
Early Game
- Focus heavily on scoring small goals to stack Attack Weight as quickly as possible - even 10-20 point dunks are valuable for permanent attack increases
- Play around your goal zone as Magikarp to safely farm and look for scoring opportunities when enemies rotate away
- Communicate with teammates to create scoring windows through enemy pressure, as each Attack Weight stack significantly increases your late-game damage potential
Mid Game
- Use Bounce to dive onto high-priority targets, then immediately begin charging Aqua Tail while protected by Bounce's shield
- Activate Full Heal preemptively if you see enemy crowd control abilities available, ensuring your Aqua Tail channel completes for maximum damage
- During Drednaw and Rotom fights, position to Bounce onto enemy Attackers or Supporters and delete them with a fully charged Aqua Tail before they can impact the objective fight
Late Game
- In Rayquaza contests, use Bounce + Aqua Tail combo to instantly eliminate enemy junglers or carries attempting to secure the objective with their Unite moves
- Continue stacking Attack Weight whenever safe scoring opportunities present themselves, as each stack makes your burst combo more lethal
- Focus on assassination plays rather than sustained fighting - your goal is to remove one key target from each fight, not to DPS multiple enemies
Advanced Tips
Item Synergies
- Attack Weight + Aqua Tail creates exponential damage scaling where each goal scored permanently increases your burst potential, making late-game fully charged hits devastating
- Muscle Band provides consistent basic attack damage between Aqua Tail cooldowns, ensuring you remain threatening even when your burst combo is unavailable
- Weakness Policy's attack boost activates during dives and synergizes with both Aqua Tail's damage and the HP needed to survive long enough to channel your attacks
Matchups
- Excels at deleting squishy, immobile targets like Pikachu, Gardevoir, Sylveon, and Cramorant who cannot survive a fully charged Aqua Tail combo
- Vulnerable to crowd control-heavy teams with Defenders like Slowbro and Blastoise who can interrupt Aqua Tail channels, and struggles against highly mobile Speedsters who can dodge the telegraphed attack
Additional Notes
- The Aqua Tail + Bounce build transforms Gyarados into a burst damage assassin capable of deleting squishy targets in seconds. This build sacrifices the sustained DPS of Dragon Breath for the massive single-target damage of a fully charged Aqua Tail, making it ideal for securing crucial kills on enemy carries during objective fights.
- Attack Weight becomes the centerpiece of this build, stacking permanent attack bonuses throughout the match as you score goals. Combined with Muscle Band and Weakness Policy, this item combination maximizes Aqua Tail's already impressive damage scaling, allowing fully charged hits to deal over 4500 damage to priority targets.
- This build requires more mechanical skill than Dragon Breath variants, as Aqua Tail's channeling can be interrupted by crowd control. Full Heal is absolutely essential to ensure you can complete your charged attacks, and Bounce provides the initiation tool and shield needed to get into position safely.
Moves
Flail
Aqua Tail
Bounce
Items
Muscle Band
Attack Weight
Weakness Policy
Battle Item
Full Heal
Emblems
Stat
Focus
6 Brown Emblems (Attack), 6 White Emblems (HP)
