Pokémon Houndstone

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lydian

lydian

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Stats:
  • Type: Ghost
  • Abilities: Sand Rush / Fluffy (hidden ability)
  • HP: 72
  • Atk: 101
  • Def: 100
  • SpA: 50
  • SpD: 97
  • Spe: 68
Notable moves:
  • Last Respects (Ghost — Physical — 50 BP — 100 Acc — 10 PP — The user attacks to avenge its allies. The more defeated allies there are in the user's party, the greater the move's power. +50 BP per fainted ally).
  • Play Rough
  • Body Press
  • Will-O-Wisp
  • Trick
  • Tera Blast
  • Shadow Sneak
Full Movepool:
Level Up Moves:
- [00] Last Respects
- [01] Tackle
- [01] Growl
- [03] Lick
- [06] Tail Whip
- [06] Bite
- [09] Roar
- [12] Headbutt
- [16] Dig
- [24] Rest
- [28] Crunch
- [36] Play Rough
- [41] Helping Hand
- [46] Phantom Force
- [51] Charm
- [58] Double-Edge
TM Learn:
- [TM001] Take Down
- [TM002] Charm
- [TM005] Mud-Slap
- [TM006] Scary Face
- [TM007] Protect
- [TM008] Fire Fang
- [TM009] Thunder Fang
- [TM010] Ice Fang
- [TM017] Confuse Ray
- [TM018] Thief
- [TM025] Facade
- [TM028] Bulldoze
- [TM029] Hex
- [TM030] Snarl
- [TM035] Mud Shot
- [TM042] Night Shade
- [TM047] Endure
- [TM049] Sunny Day
- [TM050] Rain Dance
- [TM051] Sandstorm
- [TM055] Dig
- [TM063] Psychic Fangs
- [TM070] Sleep Talk
- [TM084] Stomping Tantrum
- [TM085] Rest
- [TM089] Body Press
- [TM103] Substitute
- [TM107] Will-O-Wisp
- [TM108] Crunch
- [TM109] Trick
- [TM114] Shadow Ball
- [TM127] Play Rough
- [TM130] Helping Hand
- [TM151] Phantom Force
- [TM152] Giga Impact
- [TM163] Hyper Beam
- [TM171] Tera Blast
Egg Moves:
- Disable
- Destiny Bond
- Memento
- Yawn
- Howl
- Shadow Sneak
- Ally Switch
Pros:
  • Last Respects is arguably one of the strongest moves Game Freak has ever devised for a 6v6 singles meta, it reaches up to 300BP, needless to say how strong it is.
  • Houndstone can reach blistering speeds combining Sand Rush and a Choice Scarf, given it doesn't need to switch moves all that often when it has a 300BP option, and Choice Band isn't needed when it — again — has a 300BP option. This lets it seamlessly outspeed the fastest of the fastest in the tier, from Flutter Mane with active Protosynthesis, up to the even possible Choice Scarf Dragapult.
  • If you're not using Houndstone
Cons:
  • Very succeptible to priority, which is rightfully running rampant in the tier as of now.
  • Normal-types are immune to Last Respects, which could be a problem since a smart opponent knows they've lost the game to Houndstone once they drop their Normal-type, and surprise Normal Tera types make this even worse. Houndstone has a few tricks up its sleeve to deal with Normal-types, but it does come at an opportunity cost.
Potential Sets:
  • Choice Scarf:
Houndstone @ Choice Scarf​
Ability: Sand Rush​
Tera Type: Ghost / Fighting​
EVs: 252 Atk / 100 Def / 156 Spe​
Adamant Nature​
- Last Respects​
- Body Press​
- Will-O-Wisp / Play Rough​
- Trick​
  • 156 Spe gives you enough to outspeed Choice Scarf Dragapult in sand, or regular Dragapult if you've tricked away your Choice Scarf.
  • The remainder in Defense helps boost your Body Presses to deal with Normal types and helps tank priority such as Jet Punch a little bit better.
  • Ghost Tera type boosts Last Respects even further to help get past Pokémon like Tyranitar, and the Ruinous quartet and other non-Normal resists. Fighting-type helps it tank Sucker Punch from Kingambit and Chien-Pao without having to had Tricked away its Choice Scarf first, and also boosts Body Press. Losing some Last Respects power could be undesirable, though.
  • Will-O-Wisp is also an option to deal with the aforementioned Sucker Punchers, provided you Trick your Choice Scarf beforehand in planning for them, whereas Play Rough provides a slightly stronger hit than Body Press against the average Dark-type
  • Going with more Speed is an option too, to tie with other Houndstone, or even running Jolly. But that does compromise some other aspects of Houndstone's.
  • Other options such as a Fluffy set out of sand could be considered, but the lack of speed makes it strongly undesirable, especially since it won't be great as a wallbreaker, as you need to be down a few Pokémon to amp up Last Respects, which gives your opponent the initiative after every KO if they have a faster Pokémon that can take out Houndstone, which they likely will, which will further put you at disadvantage.
  • Choice Band could also be considered, but the extra power isn't worth missing out on Flutter Mane with Protosynthesis active.
  • I've also considered some stupid gimmicks with Ring Target and Trick, but again, missing out on Flutter Mane hurts much more than not being able to hit the comparatively rare Normal-type.
 
+2 roaring moon might be relevant. If they do 1 DD and they have a proto speed boost (if they lower attack EVs for a speed boost). They could also do proto speed with scarf but i doubt anyone runs that. 212 speed EVs outruns that if i did the math right

Also 188 defense EVs lives tera water band jet punch after rocks
 
I think this set deserves to be highlited:

Houndstone @ Choice Band
Ability: Fluffy
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Last Respects
- Body Press
- Shadow Sneak
- Will-O-Wisp

Fluffy makes it extremely bulky on the physical side, making it able to take basically any physical hit and ohko in responce with last respects in the end game, in the early game it can easily sit in the face on physical mons and spread burns with will-o-wisp.
 
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