Adamant or Jolly Garchomp?
Compare Attack and Speed at level 50 to choose the right nature for your team.
By Pokémonism · Maintained by Stone Baldwin · Published · Sources & editorial policy
Choose the matchup you want to improve
Choose Jolly to move first against a specific opponent. Choose Adamant when the extra damage secures a knockout, or when your team already handles Speed with support moves. Start with the opponent you need Garchomp to beat.
This example uses ordinary Garchomp at level 50 in the main-series EV system: base Attack 130, base Speed 102, 31 IVs and 252 EVs in each stat. No item, weather, stat boost or field effect changes its Speed.
Calculate Attack and Speed
For a non-HP stat, first calculate floor((2 × base + IV + floor(EV / 4)) × level / 100) + 5. Then apply the nature multiplier and round down again. With 252 EVs, floor(EV / 4) is 63. Garchomp's neutral Speed is floor((204 + 31 + 63) × 0.5) + 5 = 154. Jolly multiplies that by 1.1: floor(169.4) = 169.
Neutral Attack is floor((260 + 31 + 63) × 0.5) + 5 = 182. Adamant raises it to floor(200.2) = 200. Both natures reduce Special Attack, so this is a meaningful comparison for a physical set. A mixed set needs a different tradeoff.
| Nature | Attack | Speed |
|---|---|---|
| Adamant | 200 | 154 |
| Jolly | 182 | 169 |
Which opponents does Jolly outrun?
Against an opponent with 155–168 Speed, Jolly Garchomp moves first while Adamant Garchomp moves second, provided both moves have the same priority. At 154 or 169, one build ties. Outside that range, the nature alone won’t change who goes first.
A base-100 opponent at the same level with 31 IVs, 252 EVs and a Speed-boosting nature reaches 167. Jolly Garchomp reaches 169 and outruns it; Adamant reaches 154. Look for opponents in your format near that benchmark.
Test damage before giving up Speed
Adamant adds 18 Attack, about 9.9% over Jolly. The resulting damage depends on rounding, the move, the defender and battle conditions. Compare both builds in the damage calculator: does Adamant turn a possible knockout into a guaranteed one?
If your plan relies on Tailwind, paralysis, a Choice Scarf or Trick Room, recalculate the actual turn order. Priority moves can also ignore the ordinary Speed comparison. Record the support your team needs, because a benchmark that works only while one teammate remains on the field is a conditional plan.
Choose your EV spread
Write down the legal format and level, one opponent you must outrun, and one damage benchmark you must meet. Test both natures with those exact assumptions. Only then move spare EVs into bulk and recalculate. At level 50, rounding means every additional four EVs does not necessarily add a stat point; check the final number rather than assuming it does.
Save the spread with its purpose, such as '169 Speed to clear a 167 benchmark.' That note survives a metagame change better than a label like best build. If the relevant opponent disappears or your team gains reliable Speed control, revisit the nature instead of treating the old recommendation as permanent.
Sources and scope
Written with AI assistance. Examples use the linked game data and Pokémonism calculators.
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