Cynthia & Garchomp’s sync grid added some much needed tiles to this Ground-type pair even though they were powerful before. With their frail defenses and the damage they took with each action in a sandstorm, they needed all the support they could get to keep them in the battle. Now, their grid has cut down on a lot of those problems, but they’ll benefit from having a Defense and Sp. Defense boosting ally.

The best sync grid build for Cynthia & Garchomp would be to go for Earthquake Power, This Match Is Too Much Fun! MP Refresh, and Sand Shelter.

Sync Grid Builds

Sand Shark (2/5) is a sync level 2 build that is able to pick up the best tiles it has access to for a build suited to benefitting from a sandstorm.

Swift Strike (3/5) is less reliant on a sandstorm and can be put in other sync pair combinations for a quick assault with a fully upgraded Earthquake. Waves of Sand (3/5) should only be used in a sandstorm because much of its power comes from stacking multiple sources of the Surging Sand skill.

Universal Upgrades

• HP +10
• Attack +10
• Defense +5
• Sp. Def +5
• Speed +5
• Earthquake Power +6
• This Match Is Too Much Fun! MP Refresh 3
• Sand Shelter

Universal Lucky Skill Recommendation:
Surging Sand 3

Sand Shelter should be taken for every build since Garchomp wants to always have a sandstorm going. Additionally, This Match Is Too Much Fun! MP Refresh 3 is also an essential tile to potentially max Speed if used three times in a sandstorm. Earthquake Power +6 is in each grid because it is the only attacking move worth using before or after using the sync move.

Since you want Cynthia & Garchomp to always be in a sandstorm, picking Surging Sand 3 for your lucky skill is actually better than the typical Striker suggestion of Critical Strike 2.

Sand Shark Build (Sync Level 2/5)

(build link)

Total Sync Orb Cost: 738
Total Energy Used: 59
Unique Upgrades:

• Sp. Def +5
• Earthquake Power +3
• X Attack MP Refresh 3
• Earthquake of Ancient Lore Power +25
• Sand Screen
• Sands of Time 2
• Soothing Sand 1

With many of the best and remaining skills locked away, this build functions as a good all around Striker moveset to come in, set up after the sandstorm starts, and hammer away at opponents with Earthquake.

At sync level 2, you have enough energy to pick up X Attack MP Refresh 3. This will allow for Cynthia & Garchomp to be used repeatedly in Battle Villa. Also, Earthquake of Ancient Lore gains +25 power to boost the sync move.

Three skill tiles all activate only in a sandstorm: Sand Screen, Sands of Time 2, and Soothing Sand 1. Sands of Time 2 will speed up the charge on the move gauge, meaning you will be able to use Earthquake more often. Whenever Garchomp performs an action in a sandstorm, Soothing Sand 1 will restore a small portion of her HP. Finally, Sand Screen will increase Garchomp’s Sp. Def by 50%.

Swift Strike Build (Sync Level 3/5)

(build link)

Total Sync Orb Cost: 750
Total Energy Used: 60
Unique Upgrades:

• Attack +5
• Earthquake Power +6
• Earthquake Move Gauge Refresh 4
• Earthquake of Ancient Lore Power +25
• Ramming Speed
• Sharp Entry 1

When you’re looking to end a battle quickly, this build pushes to take opponents down quickly even if you do not have the pair in a sand team.

The build picks up two additional tiles to add +6 power to Earthquake. More importantly, Earthquake gains Move Gauge Refresh 4 which will regain one bar on the move gauge 50% of the time.

Earthquake of Ancient Lore gains +25 power, but it is picked up as the cheapest way to reach Sharp Entry 1, which will give Garchomp +1 to her critical-hit rate when she enters the battle. With two uses of This Match Is Too Much Fun!, you will reach max critical-hit rate. Finally, Ramming Speed will increase a move’s damage the more Garchomp’s speed has been raised.

Waves of Sand Build (Sync Level 3/5)

(build link)

Total Sync Orb Cost: 738
Total Energy Used: 59
Unique Upgrades:

• Sp. Def +5
• Speed +10
• Earthquake Move Gauge Refresh 4
• Ramming Speed
• Soothing Sand 1
• Surging Sand 3

This build should only be used in a sand team since so many abilities only activate in a sandstorm. It’s able to reach max Speed and critical-hit rate, but the best boosts in damage are from the many different sources of damage boosting working together.

Earthquake Move Gauge Refresh 4 will give you a 50% chance for a bar to be returned to the move gauge after each attack. With sand and the MP Refresh on Cynthia’s Trainer move, Ramming Speed becomes very powerful if you can reach max Speed. It will boost damage for all of Garchomp’s moves, but not her sync move.

Soothing Sand 1 will regenerate some of Garchomp’s HP each time she uses a move which helps with her survivability. Finally, Surging Sand 3 powers up moves in a sandstorm. This will combine in power with Garchomp’s passive skill Surging Sand 5 as well as the lucky Skill Surging Sand 3 if you give it to this sync pair.