Base Stats: 60 HP / 110 Atk / 70 Def / 60 SpA / 60 SpD / 110 Spe
Abilities: Run Away / Early Bird / Tangled Feet
Notable Moves:
Brave Bird
Double-Edge
Drill Run
Knock Off
Low Kick
Quick Attack
Stomping Tantrum
Swords Dance
Thrash
Trailblaze
Taunt
Tera Blast
Level-Up
Tri Attack
Growl
Peck
Quick Attack
Fury Attack
Pluck
Double Hit
Agility
Uproar
Acupressure
Swords Dance
Drill Peck
Endeavor
Thrash
Egg
Whirlwind
Sky Attack
Flail
Assurance
TM
Take Down
Agility
Mud-Slap
Scary Face
Protect
Low Kick
Acrobatics
Thief
Trailblaze
Pounce
Facade
Aerial Ace
Swift
Endure
Sunny Day
Rain Dance
Body Slam
Sleep Talk
Stomping Tantrum
Rest
Taunt
Swords Dance
Fly
Substitute
Drill Run
Tailwind
Helping Hand
Baton Pass
Giga Impact
Hyper Beam
Brave Bird
Tera Blast
Knock Off
Lunge
Uproar
Double-Edge
Endeavor
Feather Dance
Throat Chop
Tri Attack
Growl
Peck
Quick Attack
Fury Attack
Pluck
Double Hit
Agility
Uproar
Acupressure
Swords Dance
Drill Peck
Endeavor
Thrash
Egg
Whirlwind
Sky Attack
Flail
Assurance
TM
Take Down
Agility
Mud-Slap
Scary Face
Protect
Low Kick
Acrobatics
Thief
Trailblaze
Pounce
Facade
Aerial Ace
Swift
Endure
Sunny Day
Rain Dance
Body Slam
Sleep Talk
Stomping Tantrum
Rest
Taunt
Swords Dance
Fly
Substitute
Drill Run
Tailwind
Helping Hand
Baton Pass
Giga Impact
Hyper Beam
Brave Bird
Tera Blast
Knock Off
Lunge
Uproar
Double-Edge
Endeavor
Feather Dance
Throat Chop
- Dodrio's decent 110 Attack and good 110 Speed gives it a good amount of offensive presence, able to hit fast and hard, and getting the jump on the likes of Walking Wake, the Swords of Justice, and Enamorus
- Dodrio sports two super powerful STAB moves in Double-Edge and Brave Bird, nailing anything that doesn't resist them for good damage
- Dodrio's Flying-typing gives it some switch-in opportunities on predicted Ground-type moves, which is great for such a frail Pokemon
- Access to Knock Off, Low Kick, and Stomping Tantrum/Drill Run allows Dodrio to handle a number of Pokemon that resist its dual STAB, like Gholdengo and Heatran
- Access to Swords Dance is unique among Flying-types that are both as fast and as powerful as Dodrio, giving it a powerful sweeping option
Cons:
- Dodrio's awful 60/70/60 bulk makes it extremely hard to get in multiple times a game, requiring pivoting from teammates, a free switch, or careful prediction. This also makes setting up a Swords Dance difficult
- Dodrio's good 110 Speed is still not fast enough to avoid being revenge killed by the likes of Zamazenta, Darkrai, Dragapult, Greninja, and more
- Dodrio's frailty also makes it extremely weak to priority moves, which makes it even harder to get a sweep off with Swords Dance
- Dodrio's coverage fails to cover some Normal and Flying resists, most notably Corviknight
- Both Double-Edge and Brave Bird deal recoil damage to Dodrio, cutting its longevity even more
- Dodrio is almost always outclassed by the similar Staraptor and Zapdos-Galar due their much significantly higher Attack stats, access to stronger coverage for Steel-types, and most notably their access to U-Turn. This almost forces Dodrio into using Swords Dance sets, since that's something that Staraptor and Zapdos can't do, which is hard to pull off for aforementioned reasons
Tera Potential
Dodrio greatly appreciates Terastalization when trying to pull off a sweep, as a well-timed Tera to help it get past its extreme frailty could mean that Dodrio gets one or two more KOs than it was supposed to
Potential Sets
Swords Dance
Dodrio @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Early Bird
Tera Type: Fighting / Fairy
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Brave Bird
- Low Kick / Stomping Tantrum
- Knock Off / Trailblaze
- Swords Dance
If you're able to get Dodrio in a safe position, you can simply click Swords Dance and attempt to go for a sweep from there. Brave Bird is your STAB move of choice and is extremely powerful at +2, Low Kick hits Flying resists like Kingambit and Archaludon and can be powered up by Tera Fighting, and Knock Off hits Gholdengo while always being a great way to make progress. Trailblaze can also be ran to give Dodrio both the power and Speed it needs to complete a sweep, but you will need a way to get past Gholdengo or run Stomping Tantrum, which is weaker into other Steel-types. Tera Fighting, Fairy, and Ground can all make setting up easier by shedding Dodrio's common weaknesses, while Fighting and Ground also boost its coverage moves.
Tangled Feet
Dodrio @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Tangled Feet
Tera Type: Normal
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Thrash
- Brave Bird
- Knock Off
- Low Kick
This set is extremely gimmicky, but the idea is that Scarf Dodrio has a fast and powerful Thrash, allowing it to Tera Normal and nab KOs with Thrash, which then confuses it and activates Tangled Feet, giving Dodrio the potential to get even more Thrashes off with potential lucky dodges. Scarf Brave Bird, Low Kick, Knock Off also allow Dodrio to revenge kill Zamazenta, Roaring Moon, and Dragapult respecitvely, among others.
Choice Band
Dodrio @ Choice Band
Ability: Early Bird
Tera Type: Flying / Fighting
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Double-Edge
- Brave Bird
- Knock Off
- Low Kick
While done better by Staraptor and Zapdos-Galar, Choice Band is still a powerful option on Dodrio, allowing it to hit extremely hard with its strong STAB moves, which can be boosted further by Tera.
Conclusion
Dodrio will likely spend another generation in a lower tier like NU or PU where it doesn't find itself outclassed, too weak, or too slow to function like it does in OU. While it simply doesn't have the stats to survive in an OU atmosphere, you could definitely do a lot worse, though, as its combination of Speed and power is still quite unique among Flying-types. So while it's definitely not recommended for use in OU, Dodrio at least has a little uniqueness it can bring to the table, which is more than what a lot of other Pokémon can say.
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