Houndoom likes pudding
[OVERVIEW]
- Houndoom carves a niche for itself in the metagame as a stall and balance breaker due to its access to both Nasty Plot and Taunt, allowing it to boost on and remove Pyukumuku as well as blasting through would-be responses like Altaria and Vaporeon.
- Also capable of functioning as a consistent Pursuit user, separating itself from Sneasel with its good typing and its ability to semi-consistently switch into Delphox courtesy of Flash Fire.
- Access to Sucker Punch allows Houndoom to force its targets into single-turn 50:50s without suffering from the issues that being locked into Knock Off can cause, further separating itself from Sneasel in the role.
- In addition, Houndoom's Speed stat allows it to outrun Rotom without a Choice Scarf while also outrunning a number of boosted Pokemon with one, including +1 Vivillon, Choice Scarf Rotom, and Choice Scarf Hitmonlee.
- Houndoom's weakness to Stealth Rock limits how many times it can switch in safely, wearing it down very quickly if not accounted for carefully–further compounded by its susceptibility to being taken advantage of by the omnipresent Emboar.
- Houndoom's typing in conjunction with its pathetic defenses mean that it can't be used to reliably check Whimsicott like is the case with other Fire-types like Delphox or Magmortar, which is a noticable restriction when teambuilding.
- Additionally, Houndoom faces heavy competition from a range of Pokemon across all of its roles, whether that be from Incineroar and Guzzlord as a check to Ghost- and Psychic-types, from Sneasel as a directly comparable Pursuit user, from Calm Mind Delphox and Toxicroak as a balance breaker, or from Taunt + Nasty Plot Mismagius and the Nasty Plot Toxicroak as a stallbreaker.
[SET]
name: Nasty Plot
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Dark Pulse
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Taunt / Flame Charge
item: Darkinium Z / Life Orb
ability: Flash Fire
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
- Nasty Plot bolsters Houndoom's Special Attack stat, helping it break through defensive Pokemon like Altaria, Audino and Vaporeon with its STAB moves.
- Dark Pulse is a 100% accurate STAB move that hits most of the tier neutrally, meanwhile Fire Blast is a substantially stroger option that allows Houndoom to pose as a major threat to Steel-, Ice-, and Grass-type Pokemon while also providing solid neutral coverage versus Mega Audino, Aromatisse, and various Fighting-types.
- Taunt allows Houndoom to pose as a massive threat to stall teams, shutting down Pyukumuku and allowing Houndoom to break through it with Dark Pulse as well as shutting down attempts at a last-ditch Stealth Rock or healing attempt.
- Flame Charge, on the other hand, is useful to help alleviate Houndoom's somewhat iffy offense matchup.
Set Details
========
- Maximum investment in Special Attack and Speed allows Houndoom to hit as hard and fast as possble, with a timid nature allowing it to outrun Pokemon like Rotom.
- Darkinium Z gives Houndoom a one-time nuke that helps it break through various Fire-resistant Pokemon like Vaporeon and the uncommon Thick Fat Miltank after a boost; it is also useful versus somewhat frail Pokemon that resist both of Houndoom's STABs, with perhaps the most noteworthy example being its ability to OHKO Swords Dance Incineroar after Stealth Rock at +2.
- Life Orb is also an option that consistently boosts both of Houndoom's STAB moves at the cost of a little HP on every attack, ataining a number of KOs including an OHKO versus Assault Vest Slowking after Stealth Rock at +2.
- Flash Fire allows Houndoom to consistently switch into and check Pokemon like Delphox, helping to alleviate Houndoom's frailty somewhat, and rewards switching into Fire-type moves with a large boost to the potency of Fire Blast and Flame Charge.
Usage Tips
========
Describe how to use the Pokemon in question.
Team Options
========
Describe some teammates that would be a good idea to pair with this Pokemon.
[SET]
name: Black Glasses
move 1: Pursuit
move 2: Sucker Punch
move 3: Dark Pulse
move 4: Fire Blast
item: Black Glasses
ability: Flash Fire
nature: Hasty
evs: 20 Atk / 236 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
- Pursuit allows Houndoom to trap and remove Ghost- and Psychic-type Pokemon like Delphox and Rotom.
- Sucker Punch works alongside Pursuit to force 50:50s with faster Psychic-types like Sigilyph and Fairium Z Delphox, which can otherwise pose as major threats to it due to their speed and firepower.
- Dark Pulse achieves the same type of thing as Sucker Punch versus slower Ghost- and Psychic-types without risking being totally useless if they switch or otherwise don't attack; it generally functions as an accurate, reliable STAB move.
- Fire Blast is Houndoom's strongest attack and is its best option to hit both Pokemon that resist Dark, such as Whimsicott, Mega Audino, and Passimian, and Pokemon which are weak to Fire, such as Steelix and Venusaur.
Set Details
========
- EVs always KO 4 Def Delphox with Sucker Punch after Stealth Rock while maximising its firepower on the special side.
- 44 Atk can also be run to always OHKO 4 Def Mismagius with Sucker Punch, protecting Houndoom from a potential +2 Twinkle Tackle.
- Maximum Speed alongside a hasty nature puts Houndoom above threats like Rotom, which in turn allows it to fill its role as a Pursuit trapper and special attacker as consistently as possible.
- Black Glasses bolsters three of Houndoom's four attacks without locking it into one attack or chipping away at its health.
- Flash Fire allows it to switch into Fire-type moves safely, most notably allowing it to check Delphox on a consistent basis.
Usage Tips
========
Describe how to use the Pokemon in question.
Team Options
========
Describe some teammates that would be a good idea to pair with this Pokemon.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Pursuit
move 2: Dark Pulse
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Destiny Bond
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Flash Fire
nature: Hasty
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
- Pursuit allows Houndoom to trap and remove dangerous Pokemon like Mismagius, Sigilyph, and Delphox consistently.
- Dark Pulse works alongside it to create a mindgame with Pursuit's targets; it also functions as a consistent, perfectly accurate STAB attack to use when revenge killing or cleaning up late-game.
- Fire Blast is Houndoom's best option versus Dark-resistant Pokemon as well as versus Steel- and Grass-types; it notably allows Houndoom to consistently revenge kill Whimsicott and can also remove boosted Z-Celebrate Venusaur after a little prior damage.
- Destiny Bond allows Houndoom to remove a Pokemon that it is faster than but can't KO with another attack, which in turn allows it to function as a last-ditch effort to put an end to a sweep; it is also useful as it allows Houndoom to remove something while potentially not sacrificing momentum because it forces a double KO, meaning that the opponent doesn't know what will be on the field when choosing what to send out next.
Set Details
========
- Choice Scarf turns Houndoom into a decent revenge killer, with its Speed stat sitting above a number of boosted Pokemon like +1 Vivillon and +2 Scrafty as well as speed tying with Choice Scarf Haunter and outrunning any slower Choice Scarf user. It is also helpful for improving the consistency with which Houndoom can pursuit trap faster Pokemon due to not relying on playing mind-games with Sucker Punch when compared to Black Glasses variants, but this comes at the expense of firepower versus slower targets and means that most targets need a little more weakening before they are in knock-out range.
- Maximum Special Attack and Speed investment alongside a hasty nature allows Houndoom to hit as hard and fast as possible, making the best use of its stat spread and allowing it to outrun Pokemon like Choice Scarf Rotom and +1 Vivillon.
- Flash Fire lets Houndoom switch into Fire-type attacks safely, most notably allowing it to consistently switch into Delphox to attempt a Pursuit trap.
Usage Tips
========
Describe how to use the Pokemon in question.
Team Options
========
Describe some teammates that would be a good idea to pair with this Pokemon.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
- Crunch can be used over Dark Pulse alongside maximum Attack on the Black Glasses set due to its better synergy with Sucker Punch and Pursuit, but its Attack stat is noticably lower, which in turn means that it isn't as dangerous when simply used for a consistent attacking move.
- Hidden Power Water hits Rhydon and Incineroar harder than any other move and to hit opposing Houndoom hard, but its uses are very limited beyond that.
- Flamethrower can be used over Fire Blast for its higher accuracy, but its firepower is severely lacking by comparison, so it isn't usually worth it.
- Firium Z can be used to turn Fire Blast into a perfectly accurate single-use nuke, but Darkinium is generally more useful when it comes to breaking through traditional Houndoom stops.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Insert Threat Here**: Describe why the Pokemon is a threat.
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