http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/houndoom
Alright, KD24 and I have been working on Houndoom for a while now, and we've finished at last. Everything has been done to the best of our abilities. Here's the list of what KD has done, and what I have done:
KD24
Nasty Plot set
Choice Scarf set
Mixed set
Team Options
Fuzznip
Choice Specs set
Lead set
Counters
Opinion
Other Options
EVs
Changes:
- Rewrote sets
- Added Team Options
- Added "Lead" set
- Removed sections containing OU information, replaced with UU information
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[SET]
name: Nasty Plot Sweeper
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Fire Blast / Flamethrower
move 3: Dark Pulse
move 4: Hidden Power Flying
item: Life Orb / Leftovers
ability: Flash Fire
nature: Timid
evs: 6 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Houndoom's base 110 Special Attack makes it the most powerful Nasty Plot user in UU, and if you plan on using Houndoom, this set is arguably the most effective. The threat of strong Fire-type attacks combined with Houndoom's Fire and Psychic-type immunities can force switches that allow you to have a free turn to set up Nasty Plot.</p>
<p>To give an example of just how powerful a Nasty Plot Fire Blast is with a Flash Fire boost and Life Orb, it can 2HKO Calm 252 SpD Chansey 100% of the time. If you are unable to achieve the Flash Fire Boost, you can still be looking at a comfortable 3HKO, something that is almost unheard of in UU. If you don't wish to rely on Fire Blast's 85% accuracy, Flamethrower is a much safer option, however, you will lose a significant amount of power with the change. Dark Pulse provides Houndoom with a strong secondary STAB attack that can take out Pokémon resistant to Fire Blast such as Slowbro and has a much safer 100% accuracy as well as a chance to flinch. Most Pokémon that resist the Fire and Dark-type combo are weak to Flying and Psychic attacks. Hidden Power Flying is the better option, though, because Hidden Power Flying is not resisted by any of the Pokémon that resist the Dark and Fire-type combo, while three of them (Crawdaunt, Sharpedo, and Houndoom) are immune to Hidden Power Psychic, making Hidden Power Flying the superior option. Although, Sharpedo and Crawdaunt are hit harder by Flamethrower than Hidden Power Flying.</p>
<p>Houndoom will generally want to max Speed to avoid losing to other Pokemon with base 95 Speed. However, with Houndoom's frailness, it isn't best to rely on winning too many speed ties.</p>
<p>Nasty Plot Houndoom works extremely well with Encore users such as Shuckle and Clefable who can provide Houndoom a free turn of set up. Houndoom also works well with Grass and Bug-types who can lure in Fire-type attacks. Dry Skin Toxicroak is a great Pokemon as well, absorbing Water-type attacks for Houndoom while Houndoom absorbs Fire and Psychic-type attacks thrown at Toxicroak. Both must be wary of Ground-type attacks such as Earthquake though. Houndoom's biggest issue is its Speed stat, which allows it to be easily revenge killed by faster Pokemon. With its frailness and Life Orb, Houndoom will have trouble surviving. However, when using Houndoom, you can take comfort in the fact that after you Nasty Plot, your opponent will not be able to survive much either since most Pokemon attempting to switch-in will be hit for hard damage with Fire Blast or Dark Pulse. Houndoom must to be wary of Mantine as well, it can generally survive all of Houndoom's attacks, however, after Stealth Rock damage and Nasty Plot, Dark Pulse can give Mantine trouble. Now that Dugtrio has entered the UU metagame, it can potentially revenge-kill Houndoom as it can easily switch into Houndoom as it uses Nasty Plot, and can finish Houndoom with Earthquake. Dugtrio also has a chance at survival if you attack instead of setting up, depending on the item you use that is. An unboosted Life Orb Flamethrower will always OHKO Dugtrio, while a Leftovers Dark Pulse will not.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Fire Blast / Overheat
move 2: Dark Pulse
move 3: Hidden Power Flying / Hidden Power Grass
move 4: Pursuit / Flamethrower
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Mild / Modest
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Houndoom's biggest issue is a Speed stat that is only decent at best. On a sweeper like Houndoom, this is a really big setback. Choice Scarf eliminates this "weakness" and can also give Houndoom some surprise kills on faster Pokémon.</p>
<p>Fire Blast is a great option like always, but Overheat may prove very successful as well. Overheat has a better accuracy than Fire Blast and 20 more Base Power. This advantage come with one big disadvantage, a -2 Special Attack drop after one use. The reason it has merit on this set is that this Houndoom is meant to hit and run. However, if you wish to sweep with Houndoom in the lategame, Fire Blast is the better option.</p>
<p>Dark Pulse and Hidden Power Flying are the same as always, covering anything Fire Blast does not. Dark Pulse is even more effective on this set than before as the flinch rate will be a constant threat to your opponent, assuming Houndoom is moving first every turn. The last slot can go to Flamethrower or Pursuit, both of which are viable. Pursuit is great for removing Ghost-types from the game and can be a smart way to wear down obvious switch-ins. Flamethrower provides the 100% accuracy attack and runs off Houndoom's much higher Special Attack.</p>
<p>Houndoom's counters have remained the same in this set, although relying on using faster Pokémon to revenge kill is not as viable anymore. However, with no Life Orb or Choice Specs, Houndoom will have an extremely hard time being able to take down bulky Water-types, such as Milotic, and strong special walls, such as Hariyama and Chansey. To help deal with these threats, strong Grass-types can be very helpful. Honchkrow and Toxicroak are also very good partners for Houndoom, the former can OHKO Chansey and specially defensive Hariyama with Drill Peck while the latter can absorb Water-type attacks and OHKO Chansey as well with Cross Chop. Toxicroak's weakness to Fire can also draw Fire-type attacks in for Houndoom, giving it a Flash Fire boost. Since Houndoom will be constantly switching out and in, Stealth Rock damage will rack up quickly, scraping off 25% health each time Houndoom attempts to switch in. This isn't necessarily a good thing for Houndoom, so it's best to use a Rapid Spinner to blow away the rocks. Claydol is an excellent option, as it resists Houndoom's weakness to Fighting- and Ground-type attacks, and can blow away entry hazards with Rapid Spin while setting up Stealth Rock afterwards. Once Houndoom has finished off one of the opponent's Pokemon, Dugtrio can switch in on Houndoom if it's using a move that Dugtrio isn't threatened with and can easily eliminate it with Earthquake. </p>
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Overheat / Fire Blast
move 2: Dark Pulse
move 3: Hidden Power Flying
move 4: Flamethrower
item: Choice Specs
ability: Flash Fire
nature: Timid
evs: 6 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Houndoom equipped with Choice Specs makes it an extremely threatening Pokémon, scoring massive amounts of damage with its powerful STAB moves. Choice Specs allow Houndoom to reach a respectable 478 SpA stat coupled with a decent base 95 Speed.</p>
<p>Overheat is your primary choice as it can severely dent (or possibly OHKO) Pokémon that don’t resist it, but the side-effect is that it makes Houndoom switch out a lot, which is not necessarily good due to its Stealth Rock weakness. Although, Fire Blast makes an excellent alternative option as it allows Houndoom to stay in play longer and still do severe damage to Pokémon without losing any power. Dark Pulse is Houndoom’s second strongest option, as it receives the STAB and has the potential to flinch which Houndoom can benefit from greatly. Hidden Power Flying is recommended as it allows Houndoom not to be completely walled by Pokemon that resist Houndoom's STAB moves such as Hariyama and Poliwrath. The last move slot is mainly used as a filler, so Flamethrower is your best option. Flamethrower is used to ensure kills since Fire Blast has a chance at missing which could be very risky considering Houndoom’s frail defenses.</p>
<p>Flash Fire is the best ability for this set as it makes your STAB Fire-type moves even scarier. If Houndoom is able to get in a Flash Fire boost, Fire Blast is powerful enough to have a 35% chance at 2HKOing max SpD Chansey, meaning anything that is defensively weaker then Chansey and doesn't resist Fire Blast will definitely have a hard time combatting Houndoom.</p>
<p>As always, being locked into a move allows many counters to come in and absorb the predicted hit. Milotic, Slowbro, and Poliwrath absorb Houndoom’s Fire moves with ease, so it’s best to take them out as soon as possible. Roserade is an excellent choice at scaring them off, as it resists their STAB Water-attacks. Chansey can wreak havoc for Houndoom if it's unable to achieve a Flash Fire boost, not to mention the low PP Fire Blast has. Removing Chansey from the field is recommended since it can switch in on any of Houndoom's attacks and cripple or stall it from there. Strong Fighting-types can eliminate Chansey with ease, threatening it with their powerful attacks. Hariyama is a fine choice, having access to Guts, making Chansey think twice before crippling it, and having a reasonably powerful Force Palm which can destroy Chansey. Once again, Stealth Rock becomes Houndoom's worst enemy. Scraping off 25% of Houndoom's health every switch in, it can be very brutal. Packing a Rapid Spinner is definitely recommended, and this is when Claydol fits the perfect bill. Being resistant to Houndoom's Fighting- and Ground-type weaknesses and having decent bulk, Claydol is capable of blowing away Stealth Rock with Rapid Spin and attempt to set up its own Stealth Rock which Houndoom can benefit from. Once again, Dugtrio becomes a pretty big threat once it switches in safely. It can easily use Earthquake without any worry and easily destroy Houndoom. There's nothing you can really do about this, you just have to try to remove Dugtrio from the playing field before switching Houndoom out.</p>
[SET]
name: Lead
move 1: Fire Blast
move 2: Dark Pulse / Sucker Punch
move 3: Counter
move 4: Taunt / Protect
item: Focus Sash
ability: Early Bird
nature: Hasty
evs: 6 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With Houndoom’s decent Speed and great Special Attack stat, it can serve as a very effective lead. It can stop many opposing leads from setting up and threaten them with high powered STAB moves.</p>
<p>The combination of Fire Blast and Dark Pulse allow Houndoom to hit everything for neutral or super effective damage, only resisted by Poliwrath, Blaziken, Hariyama, and opposing Houndoom in UU. Fire Blast is a great option for Houndoom as it can dent many holes in others because of the STAB and high power. STAB Dark Pulse can also do serious damage, and the chance to flinch is always a plus. With Focus Sash and Counter, Houndoom can score surprise OHKOs on Pokemon that it has trouble harming, such as Hitmontop with Mach Punch. Taunt is used to stop the opponent from trying to set up which is always helpful, but Protect allows you to block Fake Out damage which would otherwise cripple your Focus Sash, and it acts as a decent scouting move. Will-O-Wisp can also be used if you want to cripple opposing physical sweepers if needed. If you want Houndoom to revenge-kill more often and beat Focus Sash leads, Sucker Punch is your best bet to do so and is not to be underlooked.</p>
<p>With this set, both of Houndoom’s abilities can be used. Early Bird is the primary choice as it allows Houndoom to wake up 50% faster than usual, which would help against opposing sleepers such as Roserade. Flash Fire is used if you want to use Houndoom later in the game to absorb the Fire-type attacks to increase Fire Blast’s power, making it a deadlier move.</p>
<p>As mentioned above, this Houndoom has a lot of trouble dealing with other Houndoom, Poliwrath, Blaziken, and Hariyama. Milotic or Blastoise are both great options against opposing Houndoom and Blaziken because of their overall bulk and access to STAB Surf. Grass-type pokemon such as Roserade are excellent switch-ins on Poliwrath, with resistances to both of Poliwrath’s STAB moves and access to powerful super effective Grass-type moves. On the other hand, Hariyama can be threatened by switching in Pokemon like Weezing or Spiritomb, both of whom resist Hariyama’s STAB moves and have access to Will-O-Wisp and Pain Split. Since Milotic or Blastoise are good switch-ins for opposing Houndoom, this Houndoom will also have trouble dealing with these Pokemon. As mentioned, powerful Grass-types like Roserade does great against Milotic as it resist Milotic’s STAB moves and resists the common Toxic, while threatening Milotic with its own STAB moves.</p>
[SET]
name: Mixed
move 1: Overheat
move 2: Crunch / Sucker Punch
move 3: Pursuit
move 4: Thunder Fang
item: Life Orb
nature: Naughty
evs: 252 Atk / 180 Spe / 76 SpA
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Houndoom also has a respectable base 90 attack, along with one attack Arcanine does not have: Pursuit. With Pursuit, Houndoom can actually use a mixed attacking set to some extent, especially helpful for teams who need a way to eliminate Ghost-types for their Rapid Spinners.</p>
<p>Overheat is still extremely strong and should be used as this set is geared more for the physical side. If you plan on using your Fire-type attack for multiple turns, you may just want to use a special attacking set and use Fire Blast. Crunch is a great move that can lower Defense and help defeat Slowbro, as well as other Fire-types. However, Sucker Punch gives Houndoom much needed priority, and it has the same base power as Dark Pulse. Sucker Punch does require more prediction though and if you do use it, you may be interested in using Taunt over Thunder Fang in the last slot. Pursuit is the real reason to use this set, being able to knock switching Ghost-types such as Mismagius and Rotom into oblivion. Thunder Fang is for bulky Water-types and also has a nasty flinch and paralysis chance.</p>
<p>180 Speed EVs allow Houndoom to outspeed Adamant Toxicroak and attempt to OHKO with Overheat, which is a decent amount of Speed for this set to function properly.</p>
<p>This Houndoom should only be used on teams looking for a huge surprise element as well as a decent mixed attacker. This set can beat Chansey however, assuming Crunch eventually gets a Defense drop. Houndoom's luck is that its main physical STAB Dark-type attacks are mostly walled by Steel-types which is what its other STAB, Overheat, eliminates. This set really enjoys help from Stealth Rock and Spikes support, as well as Rapid Spinners, who can eliminate Stealth Rock after Houndoom eliminates the Ghost-types. Also, this set doesn't necessarily have to worry about Dugtrio putting an end to it. Sucker Punch will always OHKO Dugtrio assuming it's not running any Defense or HP EVs, which can give Houndoom and your whole team in general a much easier time.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Houndoom can go for a defensive set with Will-O-Wisp, Roar, and Taunt in its moveset. However, Houndoom is so frail that physical attacks will still most likely finish it even after a Will-O-Wisp. If you need a great way to eliminate Ghost-types who can block your Rapid Spin, Choice Band Houndoom could work, being able to fire off STAB Pursuit and Sucker Punch to take out Ghost-types. However, Houndoom’s Attack is much lower than his Special Attack, therefore it should be avoided.</p>
<p>Houndoom also has access to the popular Endure + Reversal combo, and it can become quite surprising. Psych Up acts as a decent way to copy stat changes from your opponent, although with Houndoom's frailty, it's much harder to successfully achieve this. Houndoom can become quite threatening by using Sunny Day and Solarbeam, as it now has a chance to definitely hurt bulky Water-types like Milotic. Heat Wave is not a bad choice in double battles, being able to hit two targets instead of one. Beat Up and Iron Tail can also be used with Houndoom's workable base 90 Attack stat, as Beat Up becomes a strong multiple hit move and Iron Tail a reasonably answer to Rock-types.</p>
[EVs]
<p>Houndoom should usually stick to maxing out Speed and Special Attack to tie with other Pokemon such as Arcanine and Jynx.</p>
<p>40 HP / 252 SpA / 216 Spe allows Houdoom to survive three Seismic Tosses which can help when taking on Chansey.</p>
<p>80 Atk / 252 SpA / 176 Spe with a Mild nature for the Choice Scarf set allows Houndoom to outspeed Choice Scarf Pokemon with a base speed of 85, such as Pinsir.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>Since Stealth Rock damage is harsh towards Houndoom, it would definitely need a reliable Rapid Spinner to blow away the brutal entry hazard. Claydol is by far the best Rapid Spinner to pair up with Houndoom, since it resists Houndoom's weakness to Fighting- and Ground-type attacks, while having decent bulk to set up Stealth Rock afterwards.</p>
<p>Houndoom should always be paired with a strong Grass-type, usually Roserade or Sceptile. Not only do these Grass-types lure in Fire-type attacks to activate Flash Fire, but they also eliminate the bulky Water-types that Houndoom cannot deal with, like Milotic. Roserade or Sceptile can also wear down Chansey down a lot with Substitute and Leech Seed. Strong Fighting-types such as Toxicroak and Hariyama are also great choices, being able to take down Chansey with ease, meaning that Chansey can no longer sponge Houndoom's attacks. Honchkrow also works well, knocking out Hariyama, Poliwrath, and Chansey, relatively easily and also has an immunity to Ground-type attacks.</p>
[Opinion]
<p>Although Houndoom does have two immunities that help it switch in, its weakness to Stealth Rock can wear it down rather quickly. Don’t let this fool you though as Houndoom can live long enough to completely terrorize the metagame. Houndoom’s speed will be its downfall in many cases, however, keeping Houndoom in reserve until the opponent’s speed demons are gone will give you a clear chance to sweep.</p>
<p>Houndoom should generally stay away from OU play when other options such as Infernape are more viable.</p>
[Counters]
<p>When it comes to countering Houndoom, Hariyama is by far the best choice. With Thick Fat, Hariyama is resistant to both of Houndoom’s STAB attacks. Its overall bulk and access to super effective STAB moves allow it to fend off Houndoom with ease, but it does take hard damage from the unexpected Hidden Power Flying. Specially defensive Hitmontop can switch in on Houndom and KO it with Mach Punch.</p>
<p>Chansey will generally beat Houndoom all the time, shrugging off unboosted Fire Blasts and 3HKOing Houndoom with Seismic Toss. Altaria also resists Fire Blast, giving it a great opportunity to set up Dragon Dance and OHKO with Earthquake.</p>
<p>Poliwrath’s unique typing also allows it to resist both of Houndoom’s STAB attacks, but it fears Hidden Power Flying. Specially Defensive variants have a shot at survival assuming Houndoom doesn't have Nasty Plot under its belt, which allows Poliwrath to score an OHKO with Waterfall. Other bulky Water-types such as Mantine and Milotic can defeat Houndoom as well. Milotic in particular is a fine choice to deal with Houndoom. Being able to put it to sleep with Hypnosis, outstalling it with Toxic and Recover, or just outright OHKOing it with Surf. Kabutops and Azumarill can easily switch in on Fire Blast and threaten to revenge-kill Houndoom with Aqua Jet.</p>
<p>Regirock also has to the bulk to also withstand a boosted Dark Pulse and can come back with an easy OHKO with Stone Edge, while Shuckle can Encore Nasty Plots which allows you to get in a free switch-in, or you can use Toxic to cripple Houndom and finish it off faster. Dugtrio, although not necessarily a counter, can easily switch in against Houndoom once it has killed one of Dugtrio's teammates and can easily destroy it with Earthquake.</p>
Alright, KD24 and I have been working on Houndoom for a while now, and we've finished at last. Everything has been done to the best of our abilities. Here's the list of what KD has done, and what I have done:
KD24
Nasty Plot set
Choice Scarf set
Mixed set
Team Options
Fuzznip
Choice Specs set
Lead set
Counters
Opinion
Other Options
EVs
Changes:
- Rewrote sets
- Added Team Options
- Added "Lead" set
- Removed sections containing OU information, replaced with UU information
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[SET]
name: Nasty Plot Sweeper
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Fire Blast / Flamethrower
move 3: Dark Pulse
move 4: Hidden Power Flying
item: Life Orb / Leftovers
ability: Flash Fire
nature: Timid
evs: 6 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Houndoom's base 110 Special Attack makes it the most powerful Nasty Plot user in UU, and if you plan on using Houndoom, this set is arguably the most effective. The threat of strong Fire-type attacks combined with Houndoom's Fire and Psychic-type immunities can force switches that allow you to have a free turn to set up Nasty Plot.</p>
<p>To give an example of just how powerful a Nasty Plot Fire Blast is with a Flash Fire boost and Life Orb, it can 2HKO Calm 252 SpD Chansey 100% of the time. If you are unable to achieve the Flash Fire Boost, you can still be looking at a comfortable 3HKO, something that is almost unheard of in UU. If you don't wish to rely on Fire Blast's 85% accuracy, Flamethrower is a much safer option, however, you will lose a significant amount of power with the change. Dark Pulse provides Houndoom with a strong secondary STAB attack that can take out Pokémon resistant to Fire Blast such as Slowbro and has a much safer 100% accuracy as well as a chance to flinch. Most Pokémon that resist the Fire and Dark-type combo are weak to Flying and Psychic attacks. Hidden Power Flying is the better option, though, because Hidden Power Flying is not resisted by any of the Pokémon that resist the Dark and Fire-type combo, while three of them (Crawdaunt, Sharpedo, and Houndoom) are immune to Hidden Power Psychic, making Hidden Power Flying the superior option. Although, Sharpedo and Crawdaunt are hit harder by Flamethrower than Hidden Power Flying.</p>
<p>Houndoom will generally want to max Speed to avoid losing to other Pokemon with base 95 Speed. However, with Houndoom's frailness, it isn't best to rely on winning too many speed ties.</p>
<p>Nasty Plot Houndoom works extremely well with Encore users such as Shuckle and Clefable who can provide Houndoom a free turn of set up. Houndoom also works well with Grass and Bug-types who can lure in Fire-type attacks. Dry Skin Toxicroak is a great Pokemon as well, absorbing Water-type attacks for Houndoom while Houndoom absorbs Fire and Psychic-type attacks thrown at Toxicroak. Both must be wary of Ground-type attacks such as Earthquake though. Houndoom's biggest issue is its Speed stat, which allows it to be easily revenge killed by faster Pokemon. With its frailness and Life Orb, Houndoom will have trouble surviving. However, when using Houndoom, you can take comfort in the fact that after you Nasty Plot, your opponent will not be able to survive much either since most Pokemon attempting to switch-in will be hit for hard damage with Fire Blast or Dark Pulse. Houndoom must to be wary of Mantine as well, it can generally survive all of Houndoom's attacks, however, after Stealth Rock damage and Nasty Plot, Dark Pulse can give Mantine trouble. Now that Dugtrio has entered the UU metagame, it can potentially revenge-kill Houndoom as it can easily switch into Houndoom as it uses Nasty Plot, and can finish Houndoom with Earthquake. Dugtrio also has a chance at survival if you attack instead of setting up, depending on the item you use that is. An unboosted Life Orb Flamethrower will always OHKO Dugtrio, while a Leftovers Dark Pulse will not.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Fire Blast / Overheat
move 2: Dark Pulse
move 3: Hidden Power Flying / Hidden Power Grass
move 4: Pursuit / Flamethrower
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Mild / Modest
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Houndoom's biggest issue is a Speed stat that is only decent at best. On a sweeper like Houndoom, this is a really big setback. Choice Scarf eliminates this "weakness" and can also give Houndoom some surprise kills on faster Pokémon.</p>
<p>Fire Blast is a great option like always, but Overheat may prove very successful as well. Overheat has a better accuracy than Fire Blast and 20 more Base Power. This advantage come with one big disadvantage, a -2 Special Attack drop after one use. The reason it has merit on this set is that this Houndoom is meant to hit and run. However, if you wish to sweep with Houndoom in the lategame, Fire Blast is the better option.</p>
<p>Dark Pulse and Hidden Power Flying are the same as always, covering anything Fire Blast does not. Dark Pulse is even more effective on this set than before as the flinch rate will be a constant threat to your opponent, assuming Houndoom is moving first every turn. The last slot can go to Flamethrower or Pursuit, both of which are viable. Pursuit is great for removing Ghost-types from the game and can be a smart way to wear down obvious switch-ins. Flamethrower provides the 100% accuracy attack and runs off Houndoom's much higher Special Attack.</p>
<p>Houndoom's counters have remained the same in this set, although relying on using faster Pokémon to revenge kill is not as viable anymore. However, with no Life Orb or Choice Specs, Houndoom will have an extremely hard time being able to take down bulky Water-types, such as Milotic, and strong special walls, such as Hariyama and Chansey. To help deal with these threats, strong Grass-types can be very helpful. Honchkrow and Toxicroak are also very good partners for Houndoom, the former can OHKO Chansey and specially defensive Hariyama with Drill Peck while the latter can absorb Water-type attacks and OHKO Chansey as well with Cross Chop. Toxicroak's weakness to Fire can also draw Fire-type attacks in for Houndoom, giving it a Flash Fire boost. Since Houndoom will be constantly switching out and in, Stealth Rock damage will rack up quickly, scraping off 25% health each time Houndoom attempts to switch in. This isn't necessarily a good thing for Houndoom, so it's best to use a Rapid Spinner to blow away the rocks. Claydol is an excellent option, as it resists Houndoom's weakness to Fighting- and Ground-type attacks, and can blow away entry hazards with Rapid Spin while setting up Stealth Rock afterwards. Once Houndoom has finished off one of the opponent's Pokemon, Dugtrio can switch in on Houndoom if it's using a move that Dugtrio isn't threatened with and can easily eliminate it with Earthquake. </p>
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Overheat / Fire Blast
move 2: Dark Pulse
move 3: Hidden Power Flying
move 4: Flamethrower
item: Choice Specs
ability: Flash Fire
nature: Timid
evs: 6 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Houndoom equipped with Choice Specs makes it an extremely threatening Pokémon, scoring massive amounts of damage with its powerful STAB moves. Choice Specs allow Houndoom to reach a respectable 478 SpA stat coupled with a decent base 95 Speed.</p>
<p>Overheat is your primary choice as it can severely dent (or possibly OHKO) Pokémon that don’t resist it, but the side-effect is that it makes Houndoom switch out a lot, which is not necessarily good due to its Stealth Rock weakness. Although, Fire Blast makes an excellent alternative option as it allows Houndoom to stay in play longer and still do severe damage to Pokémon without losing any power. Dark Pulse is Houndoom’s second strongest option, as it receives the STAB and has the potential to flinch which Houndoom can benefit from greatly. Hidden Power Flying is recommended as it allows Houndoom not to be completely walled by Pokemon that resist Houndoom's STAB moves such as Hariyama and Poliwrath. The last move slot is mainly used as a filler, so Flamethrower is your best option. Flamethrower is used to ensure kills since Fire Blast has a chance at missing which could be very risky considering Houndoom’s frail defenses.</p>
<p>Flash Fire is the best ability for this set as it makes your STAB Fire-type moves even scarier. If Houndoom is able to get in a Flash Fire boost, Fire Blast is powerful enough to have a 35% chance at 2HKOing max SpD Chansey, meaning anything that is defensively weaker then Chansey and doesn't resist Fire Blast will definitely have a hard time combatting Houndoom.</p>
<p>As always, being locked into a move allows many counters to come in and absorb the predicted hit. Milotic, Slowbro, and Poliwrath absorb Houndoom’s Fire moves with ease, so it’s best to take them out as soon as possible. Roserade is an excellent choice at scaring them off, as it resists their STAB Water-attacks. Chansey can wreak havoc for Houndoom if it's unable to achieve a Flash Fire boost, not to mention the low PP Fire Blast has. Removing Chansey from the field is recommended since it can switch in on any of Houndoom's attacks and cripple or stall it from there. Strong Fighting-types can eliminate Chansey with ease, threatening it with their powerful attacks. Hariyama is a fine choice, having access to Guts, making Chansey think twice before crippling it, and having a reasonably powerful Force Palm which can destroy Chansey. Once again, Stealth Rock becomes Houndoom's worst enemy. Scraping off 25% of Houndoom's health every switch in, it can be very brutal. Packing a Rapid Spinner is definitely recommended, and this is when Claydol fits the perfect bill. Being resistant to Houndoom's Fighting- and Ground-type weaknesses and having decent bulk, Claydol is capable of blowing away Stealth Rock with Rapid Spin and attempt to set up its own Stealth Rock which Houndoom can benefit from. Once again, Dugtrio becomes a pretty big threat once it switches in safely. It can easily use Earthquake without any worry and easily destroy Houndoom. There's nothing you can really do about this, you just have to try to remove Dugtrio from the playing field before switching Houndoom out.</p>
[SET]
name: Lead
move 1: Fire Blast
move 2: Dark Pulse / Sucker Punch
move 3: Counter
move 4: Taunt / Protect
item: Focus Sash
ability: Early Bird
nature: Hasty
evs: 6 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With Houndoom’s decent Speed and great Special Attack stat, it can serve as a very effective lead. It can stop many opposing leads from setting up and threaten them with high powered STAB moves.</p>
<p>The combination of Fire Blast and Dark Pulse allow Houndoom to hit everything for neutral or super effective damage, only resisted by Poliwrath, Blaziken, Hariyama, and opposing Houndoom in UU. Fire Blast is a great option for Houndoom as it can dent many holes in others because of the STAB and high power. STAB Dark Pulse can also do serious damage, and the chance to flinch is always a plus. With Focus Sash and Counter, Houndoom can score surprise OHKOs on Pokemon that it has trouble harming, such as Hitmontop with Mach Punch. Taunt is used to stop the opponent from trying to set up which is always helpful, but Protect allows you to block Fake Out damage which would otherwise cripple your Focus Sash, and it acts as a decent scouting move. Will-O-Wisp can also be used if you want to cripple opposing physical sweepers if needed. If you want Houndoom to revenge-kill more often and beat Focus Sash leads, Sucker Punch is your best bet to do so and is not to be underlooked.</p>
<p>With this set, both of Houndoom’s abilities can be used. Early Bird is the primary choice as it allows Houndoom to wake up 50% faster than usual, which would help against opposing sleepers such as Roserade. Flash Fire is used if you want to use Houndoom later in the game to absorb the Fire-type attacks to increase Fire Blast’s power, making it a deadlier move.</p>
<p>As mentioned above, this Houndoom has a lot of trouble dealing with other Houndoom, Poliwrath, Blaziken, and Hariyama. Milotic or Blastoise are both great options against opposing Houndoom and Blaziken because of their overall bulk and access to STAB Surf. Grass-type pokemon such as Roserade are excellent switch-ins on Poliwrath, with resistances to both of Poliwrath’s STAB moves and access to powerful super effective Grass-type moves. On the other hand, Hariyama can be threatened by switching in Pokemon like Weezing or Spiritomb, both of whom resist Hariyama’s STAB moves and have access to Will-O-Wisp and Pain Split. Since Milotic or Blastoise are good switch-ins for opposing Houndoom, this Houndoom will also have trouble dealing with these Pokemon. As mentioned, powerful Grass-types like Roserade does great against Milotic as it resist Milotic’s STAB moves and resists the common Toxic, while threatening Milotic with its own STAB moves.</p>
[SET]
name: Mixed
move 1: Overheat
move 2: Crunch / Sucker Punch
move 3: Pursuit
move 4: Thunder Fang
item: Life Orb
nature: Naughty
evs: 252 Atk / 180 Spe / 76 SpA
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Houndoom also has a respectable base 90 attack, along with one attack Arcanine does not have: Pursuit. With Pursuit, Houndoom can actually use a mixed attacking set to some extent, especially helpful for teams who need a way to eliminate Ghost-types for their Rapid Spinners.</p>
<p>Overheat is still extremely strong and should be used as this set is geared more for the physical side. If you plan on using your Fire-type attack for multiple turns, you may just want to use a special attacking set and use Fire Blast. Crunch is a great move that can lower Defense and help defeat Slowbro, as well as other Fire-types. However, Sucker Punch gives Houndoom much needed priority, and it has the same base power as Dark Pulse. Sucker Punch does require more prediction though and if you do use it, you may be interested in using Taunt over Thunder Fang in the last slot. Pursuit is the real reason to use this set, being able to knock switching Ghost-types such as Mismagius and Rotom into oblivion. Thunder Fang is for bulky Water-types and also has a nasty flinch and paralysis chance.</p>
<p>180 Speed EVs allow Houndoom to outspeed Adamant Toxicroak and attempt to OHKO with Overheat, which is a decent amount of Speed for this set to function properly.</p>
<p>This Houndoom should only be used on teams looking for a huge surprise element as well as a decent mixed attacker. This set can beat Chansey however, assuming Crunch eventually gets a Defense drop. Houndoom's luck is that its main physical STAB Dark-type attacks are mostly walled by Steel-types which is what its other STAB, Overheat, eliminates. This set really enjoys help from Stealth Rock and Spikes support, as well as Rapid Spinners, who can eliminate Stealth Rock after Houndoom eliminates the Ghost-types. Also, this set doesn't necessarily have to worry about Dugtrio putting an end to it. Sucker Punch will always OHKO Dugtrio assuming it's not running any Defense or HP EVs, which can give Houndoom and your whole team in general a much easier time.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Houndoom can go for a defensive set with Will-O-Wisp, Roar, and Taunt in its moveset. However, Houndoom is so frail that physical attacks will still most likely finish it even after a Will-O-Wisp. If you need a great way to eliminate Ghost-types who can block your Rapid Spin, Choice Band Houndoom could work, being able to fire off STAB Pursuit and Sucker Punch to take out Ghost-types. However, Houndoom’s Attack is much lower than his Special Attack, therefore it should be avoided.</p>
<p>Houndoom also has access to the popular Endure + Reversal combo, and it can become quite surprising. Psych Up acts as a decent way to copy stat changes from your opponent, although with Houndoom's frailty, it's much harder to successfully achieve this. Houndoom can become quite threatening by using Sunny Day and Solarbeam, as it now has a chance to definitely hurt bulky Water-types like Milotic. Heat Wave is not a bad choice in double battles, being able to hit two targets instead of one. Beat Up and Iron Tail can also be used with Houndoom's workable base 90 Attack stat, as Beat Up becomes a strong multiple hit move and Iron Tail a reasonably answer to Rock-types.</p>
[EVs]
<p>Houndoom should usually stick to maxing out Speed and Special Attack to tie with other Pokemon such as Arcanine and Jynx.</p>
<p>40 HP / 252 SpA / 216 Spe allows Houdoom to survive three Seismic Tosses which can help when taking on Chansey.</p>
<p>80 Atk / 252 SpA / 176 Spe with a Mild nature for the Choice Scarf set allows Houndoom to outspeed Choice Scarf Pokemon with a base speed of 85, such as Pinsir.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>Since Stealth Rock damage is harsh towards Houndoom, it would definitely need a reliable Rapid Spinner to blow away the brutal entry hazard. Claydol is by far the best Rapid Spinner to pair up with Houndoom, since it resists Houndoom's weakness to Fighting- and Ground-type attacks, while having decent bulk to set up Stealth Rock afterwards.</p>
<p>Houndoom should always be paired with a strong Grass-type, usually Roserade or Sceptile. Not only do these Grass-types lure in Fire-type attacks to activate Flash Fire, but they also eliminate the bulky Water-types that Houndoom cannot deal with, like Milotic. Roserade or Sceptile can also wear down Chansey down a lot with Substitute and Leech Seed. Strong Fighting-types such as Toxicroak and Hariyama are also great choices, being able to take down Chansey with ease, meaning that Chansey can no longer sponge Houndoom's attacks. Honchkrow also works well, knocking out Hariyama, Poliwrath, and Chansey, relatively easily and also has an immunity to Ground-type attacks.</p>
[Opinion]
<p>Although Houndoom does have two immunities that help it switch in, its weakness to Stealth Rock can wear it down rather quickly. Don’t let this fool you though as Houndoom can live long enough to completely terrorize the metagame. Houndoom’s speed will be its downfall in many cases, however, keeping Houndoom in reserve until the opponent’s speed demons are gone will give you a clear chance to sweep.</p>
<p>Houndoom should generally stay away from OU play when other options such as Infernape are more viable.</p>
[Counters]
<p>When it comes to countering Houndoom, Hariyama is by far the best choice. With Thick Fat, Hariyama is resistant to both of Houndoom’s STAB attacks. Its overall bulk and access to super effective STAB moves allow it to fend off Houndoom with ease, but it does take hard damage from the unexpected Hidden Power Flying. Specially defensive Hitmontop can switch in on Houndom and KO it with Mach Punch.</p>
<p>Chansey will generally beat Houndoom all the time, shrugging off unboosted Fire Blasts and 3HKOing Houndoom with Seismic Toss. Altaria also resists Fire Blast, giving it a great opportunity to set up Dragon Dance and OHKO with Earthquake.</p>
<p>Poliwrath’s unique typing also allows it to resist both of Houndoom’s STAB attacks, but it fears Hidden Power Flying. Specially Defensive variants have a shot at survival assuming Houndoom doesn't have Nasty Plot under its belt, which allows Poliwrath to score an OHKO with Waterfall. Other bulky Water-types such as Mantine and Milotic can defeat Houndoom as well. Milotic in particular is a fine choice to deal with Houndoom. Being able to put it to sleep with Hypnosis, outstalling it with Toxic and Recover, or just outright OHKOing it with Surf. Kabutops and Azumarill can easily switch in on Fire Blast and threaten to revenge-kill Houndoom with Aqua Jet.</p>
<p>Regirock also has to the bulk to also withstand a boosted Dark Pulse and can come back with an easy OHKO with Stone Edge, while Shuckle can Encore Nasty Plots which allows you to get in a free switch-in, or you can use Toxic to cripple Houndom and finish it off faster. Dugtrio, although not necessarily a counter, can easily switch in against Houndoom once it has killed one of Dugtrio's teammates and can easily destroy it with Earthquake.</p>
