[OVERVIEW]
Doduo is an incredibly threatening wallbreaker due to its high Attack and Speed stats. With a strong Flying-type STAB move in Brave Bird, Doduo has very few reliable switch-ins and will often heavily damage several foes. Doduo can also don a Choice Scarf to become an extremely potent revenge killer. However, Doduo's defenses leave much to be desired, which often means that almost anything Doduo cannot OHKO will KO it in return. Furthermore, the Choice Scarf set cedes a lot of momentum after it scores a KO. Priority is also a massive issue for all Doduo sets and often disposes of Doduo before it can do anything.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: Return
move 3: Pursuit
move 4: Hidden Power Fighting / Hidden Power Grass / Sleep Talk
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Early Bird
nature: Jolly
evs: 240 Atk / 240 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Brave Bird is Doduo's most spammable attack, as it is high powered and resisted by few Pokemon. Return is Doduo's secondary STAB attack and also its most powerful recoil-free option. Pursuit allows Doduo to chip down important Pokemon, such as Misdreavus. Doduo's fourth attack depends on its team's needs. With Hidden Power Fighting, Doduo can outspeed and KO weakened boosted Shell Smash users and Pawniard and also do decent damage to Ferroseed and Magnemite. On the other hand, Hidden Power Grass allows Doduo to OHKO all boosted Shell Smash users with minimal prior damage. Sleep Talk is the last option to consider, as Doduo switches into most sleep inducers well enough. However, Early Bird increases the risk of an untimely wake, making Sleep Talk less useful than normal. Knock Off can also be used here, but it is painfully weak and usually horrible to be locked into.
[ADDITIONAL SET COMMENTS]
A Jolly nature allows Doduo to outpace most other Choice Scarf users, such as the threatening Choice Scarf Mienfoo and Snover. Notably, Doduo can also outspeed most boosted sweepers, including Shell Smash users, and KO them after they have set up. The EVs are fairly straightforward, maximizing Doduo's offensive output and Speed.
Rapid Spin users are needed to prevent Doduo from sustaining entry hazard damage, as Doduo's HP is a valuable asset and quickly spent even without the added Stealth Rock damage. Magnemite also makes for a good partner with Doduo, trapping Bronzor, Ferroseed, and other troublesome Steel-types that take little from Doduo's attacks. In return, Magnemite enjoys Doduo substantially weakening Chinchou for it. In general, pivots pair greatly with Doduo. For instance, Chinchou can spam Volt Switch on the incoming Grass-types and get Doduo in on its prime targets unscathed. Mienfoo performs similarly against Ghost-types while providing some Eviolite removal with Knock Off and great coverage against the troublesome Steel-types of the tier. Wallbreakers such as Life Orb Abra pair well with Doduo as well, helping to punish the extremely bulky cores that Choice Scarf Doduo cannot bust through alone. Other Flying-types such as Vullaby and Taillow pair nicely with Doduo, which destroys most Flying-resistant Pokemon.
[SET]
name: Life Orb Attacker
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: Return
move 3: Quick Attack
move 4: Hidden Power Fighting / Hidden Power Grass
item: Life Orb
ability: Early Bird
nature: Naive
evs: 240 Atk / 240 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
With a Life Orb, Doduo packs an incredible punch. Brave Bird is ridiculously strong and usually the attack used. Return is also fairly strong and does not incur any recoil, making it ideal for finishing off weakened foes. Quick Attack gives Doduo some priority and is helpful against some Choice Scarf Pokemon and sand sweepers that try to revenge kill Doduo. The last slot is dedicated to coverage, with Hidden Power Grass being useful for OHKOing incoming Tirtouga and Omanyte.
On the other hand, Hidden Power Fighting is the more common option and specifically targets Pawniard while providing useful coverage against most other Rock- and Steel-types.
[ADDITIONAL SET COMMENTS]
The EV spread aims to make Doduo hit absurdly hard and as quick as possible. A Naive nature is chosen to allow Doduo to outpace most of the unboosted metagame while maximizing the power of its Hidden Power of choice. The loss of Special Defense is barely noticeable anyway, as Doduo gets worn down rather quickly between Brave Bird and Life Orb recoil. As for other options on this set, Sleep Talk can be used to some success but can be less than ideal, as it requires giving up either priority or crucial coverage for the situational move. Hidden Power Fire also can be used to hit Bronzor and Ferroseed harder, though most often these foes are better left to Doduo's teammates.
Rapid Spin users are obligatory in order to help keep Doduo healthy enough to fire off its powerful attacks. Due to Doduo's insane power, other Flying-types pair well with it, appreciating its ability to break down Flying-resistant Pokemon. Chinchou also pairs well, handling the Electric-types that frequently revenge kill Doduo well. Additionally, Chinchou can pivot Doduo in against Grass-types and allow Doduo to spam its powerful attacks. Pursuit support from Pawniard and Houndour is also helpful, as they can trap and remove Snover and Misdreavus for Doduo.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=========
Doduo has a barren movepool, which leaves it with few other options. Of its few other options, Roost can be somewhat useful in theory, but most often, attacking with Doduo is more productive than recovering up; plus, Doduo hardly has the moveslots to dedicate to Roost. Double-Edge is much more powerful than Return but gives up the advantage of no recoil for little gain.
Checks and Counters
==============
Doduo has few checks and counters. The most reliable of these counters are physically defensive Hippopotas and bulky Tirtouga, which can switch into the most common Doduo sets. However, even these are only reliable for two switch-ins. The easiest way to handle Doduo is generally to revenge kill it, especially with Misdreavus, which naturally outspeeds it and is immune to Quick Attack. Any healthy Choice Scarf user—especially Steel- and Rock-types, which resist Quick Attack, such as Pawniard, Magnemite, and Cranidos—will easily outspeed Life Orb Doduo and can revenge kill it with ease. On the other hand, a Choice-locked Doduo is hard to outspeed and revenge kill, but it is much weaker and easier to handle. Anything that resists the attack Doduo is locked into can revenge kill Doduo fairly easily.
Doduo is an incredibly threatening wallbreaker due to its high Attack and Speed stats. With a strong Flying-type STAB move in Brave Bird, Doduo has very few reliable switch-ins and will often heavily damage several foes. Doduo can also don a Choice Scarf to become an extremely potent revenge killer. However, Doduo's defenses leave much to be desired, which often means that almost anything Doduo cannot OHKO will KO it in return. Furthermore, the Choice Scarf set cedes a lot of momentum after it scores a KO. Priority is also a massive issue for all Doduo sets and often disposes of Doduo before it can do anything.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: Return
move 3: Pursuit
move 4: Hidden Power Fighting / Hidden Power Grass / Sleep Talk
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Early Bird
nature: Jolly
evs: 240 Atk / 240 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Brave Bird is Doduo's most spammable attack, as it is high powered and resisted by few Pokemon. Return is Doduo's secondary STAB attack and also its most powerful recoil-free option. Pursuit allows Doduo to chip down important Pokemon, such as Misdreavus. Doduo's fourth attack depends on its team's needs. With Hidden Power Fighting, Doduo can outspeed and KO weakened boosted Shell Smash users and Pawniard and also do decent damage to Ferroseed and Magnemite. On the other hand, Hidden Power Grass allows Doduo to OHKO all boosted Shell Smash users with minimal prior damage. Sleep Talk is the last option to consider, as Doduo switches into most sleep inducers well enough. However, Early Bird increases the risk of an untimely wake, making Sleep Talk less useful than normal. Knock Off can also be used here, but it is painfully weak and usually horrible to be locked into.
[ADDITIONAL SET COMMENTS]
A Jolly nature allows Doduo to outpace most other Choice Scarf users, such as the threatening Choice Scarf Mienfoo and Snover. Notably, Doduo can also outspeed most boosted sweepers, including Shell Smash users, and KO them after they have set up. The EVs are fairly straightforward, maximizing Doduo's offensive output and Speed.
Rapid Spin users are needed to prevent Doduo from sustaining entry hazard damage, as Doduo's HP is a valuable asset and quickly spent even without the added Stealth Rock damage. Magnemite also makes for a good partner with Doduo, trapping Bronzor, Ferroseed, and other troublesome Steel-types that take little from Doduo's attacks. In return, Magnemite enjoys Doduo substantially weakening Chinchou for it. In general, pivots pair greatly with Doduo. For instance, Chinchou can spam Volt Switch on the incoming Grass-types and get Doduo in on its prime targets unscathed. Mienfoo performs similarly against Ghost-types while providing some Eviolite removal with Knock Off and great coverage against the troublesome Steel-types of the tier. Wallbreakers such as Life Orb Abra pair well with Doduo as well, helping to punish the extremely bulky cores that Choice Scarf Doduo cannot bust through alone. Other Flying-types such as Vullaby and Taillow pair nicely with Doduo, which destroys most Flying-resistant Pokemon.
[SET]
name: Life Orb Attacker
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: Return
move 3: Quick Attack
move 4: Hidden Power Fighting / Hidden Power Grass
item: Life Orb
ability: Early Bird
nature: Naive
evs: 240 Atk / 240 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
With a Life Orb, Doduo packs an incredible punch. Brave Bird is ridiculously strong and usually the attack used. Return is also fairly strong and does not incur any recoil, making it ideal for finishing off weakened foes. Quick Attack gives Doduo some priority and is helpful against some Choice Scarf Pokemon and sand sweepers that try to revenge kill Doduo. The last slot is dedicated to coverage, with Hidden Power Grass being useful for OHKOing incoming Tirtouga and Omanyte.
On the other hand, Hidden Power Fighting is the more common option and specifically targets Pawniard while providing useful coverage against most other Rock- and Steel-types.
[ADDITIONAL SET COMMENTS]
The EV spread aims to make Doduo hit absurdly hard and as quick as possible. A Naive nature is chosen to allow Doduo to outpace most of the unboosted metagame while maximizing the power of its Hidden Power of choice. The loss of Special Defense is barely noticeable anyway, as Doduo gets worn down rather quickly between Brave Bird and Life Orb recoil. As for other options on this set, Sleep Talk can be used to some success but can be less than ideal, as it requires giving up either priority or crucial coverage for the situational move. Hidden Power Fire also can be used to hit Bronzor and Ferroseed harder, though most often these foes are better left to Doduo's teammates.
Rapid Spin users are obligatory in order to help keep Doduo healthy enough to fire off its powerful attacks. Due to Doduo's insane power, other Flying-types pair well with it, appreciating its ability to break down Flying-resistant Pokemon. Chinchou also pairs well, handling the Electric-types that frequently revenge kill Doduo well. Additionally, Chinchou can pivot Doduo in against Grass-types and allow Doduo to spam its powerful attacks. Pursuit support from Pawniard and Houndour is also helpful, as they can trap and remove Snover and Misdreavus for Doduo.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=========
Doduo has a barren movepool, which leaves it with few other options. Of its few other options, Roost can be somewhat useful in theory, but most often, attacking with Doduo is more productive than recovering up; plus, Doduo hardly has the moveslots to dedicate to Roost. Double-Edge is much more powerful than Return but gives up the advantage of no recoil for little gain.
Checks and Counters
==============
Doduo has few checks and counters. The most reliable of these counters are physically defensive Hippopotas and bulky Tirtouga, which can switch into the most common Doduo sets. However, even these are only reliable for two switch-ins. The easiest way to handle Doduo is generally to revenge kill it, especially with Misdreavus, which naturally outspeeds it and is immune to Quick Attack. Any healthy Choice Scarf user—especially Steel- and Rock-types, which resist Quick Attack, such as Pawniard, Magnemite, and Cranidos—will easily outspeed Life Orb Doduo and can revenge kill it with ease. On the other hand, a Choice-locked Doduo is hard to outspeed and revenge kill, but it is much weaker and easier to handle. Anything that resists the attack Doduo is locked into can revenge kill Doduo fairly easily.
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