Gettin this jazz restamped!
Credit to ogasian for the initial skeleton
Overview
########
With a quick glance over Hippowdon, one may think it has no place in Ubers because it seems outclassed by other bulky Ground-types in the tier, such as Groudon and Landorus-T. Fortunately, this is simply not the case for Hippowdon. It has some very defining traits, foremost among them is the ability Sand Stream to set damaging weather; add to the mix a reliable recovery move in Slack Off, and Hippowdon can give any competition a run for its money. It also has access to Whirlwind, giving it an advantage over Landorus-T and Gliscor. Its great physical bulk, useful Ground STAB, and access to Stealth Rock allow Hippowdon to take on physical sweepers with great results. However, Hippowdon's Speed is anything but good, meaning most attackers can hit it before it can use Slack Off. This, in turn, pressures Hippowdon to repeatedly use Slack Off in order to survive. Pesky weaknesses to Water-, Grass-, and Ice-type moves are not appreciated either, and Hippowdon cannot remedy its Water-type weakness like Groudon can. Because of these flaws, Hippowdon still has to compete with Landorus-T and Groudon for a teamslot.
Physical Wall
########
name: Physical Wall
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Slack Off
move 3: Whirlwind / Toxic
move 4: Earthquake
ability: Sand Stream
item: Leftovers
evs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
nature: Impish
Moves
========
Hippowdon's physical bulk allows it to set up Stealth Rock multiple times throughout the match. Slack Off can keep Hippowdon healthy over the course of a game and prevents it from being worn down. Hippowdon wishes to check physical sweepers instead of becoming setup fodder to them, and Whirlwind can phaze these sweepers out, also racking up residual damage with Stealth Rock. If that does not sound appealing to you, Toxic can be used to stall out attackers, with Sand Stream negating Leftovers recovery of non Ground-, Rock-, and Steel-types. Earthquake is a solid attacking move to use, as it keeps Hippowdon from being Taunt bait and can OHKO Mega Gengar after it has Mega Evolved.
Set Details
=========
Hippowdon should run a physically defensive EV spread with Leftovers to check threats such as Mega Blaziken and Mega Lucario. Because of this, try not to deviate from this spread so that Hippowdon can be as helpful as it can.
Usage Tips
=========
As Hippowdon is a physical wall, try to avoid special attackers as its special bulk is somewhat lacking. Also, Zekrom carries Draco Meteor to defeat bulky Ground-types, so be careful when attempting to switch into it. Getting burned or poisoned by Toxic is not something Hippowdon wants to deal with because it uses Slack Off a lot, so avoid these status conditions as much as possible. When facing extremely strong physical attackers like Rayquaza and Choice Band users, try using Slack Off repeatedly if they do not carry boosting moves to stall them out; however exercise caution while doing the same, because while Hippowdon might have large physical bulk, it can still be 3HKOed or 2HKOed by powerful physical attacks.
Team Options
=========
Specially defensive clerics like Sylveon and Xerneas can not only heal Hippowdon of status, but also deal with Yveltal very well, and Xerneas can deal with mixed Zekrom variants. This also applies to special tanks like Aegislash and walls like Blissey. A Kyogre check is also very appreciated; Palkia, Grass Arceus, and Amoonguss can do nicely. As Hippowdon can check Zekrom well, Water-types such as Water Arceus and Kyogre pair up well with Hippowdon. Ferrothorn can partner up with Hippowdon to form an entry hazard core if Ferrothorn chooses to run Spikes, but a Fire-type resistance would be required to make the core better. Finally, Sand Rush users such as Excadrill love Hippowdon's presence and the weather it brings with it so they can sweep or clean.
Other Options
########
Hippowdon has good support options in both items and moves. Smooth Rock is an excellent option to support Sand Rush users such as Excadrill, but Hippowdon loses Leftovers recovery, which is very important to its success. If residual damage from sand is not ideal for specific teams like stall, Sand Force is actually a good option, and can give Hippowdon an extra boost to its Earthquake should the opponent activate the weather condition. Ice Fang can hit Landorus-T and Gliscor, but doesn't do much outside of that. Stone Edge, on the other hand, can give Hippowdon not only the EdgeQuake combo, but also the ability to reliably deal with Ho-Oh and Yveltal. Finally, Yawn can force out sweepers with the threat of falling asleep, but Whirlwind has immediate phazing effects and can scare off sweepers a lot more efficiently.
Checks and Counters
########
**Offensive Water-types**: Water-types like Kyogre and Palkia can usually outspeed Hippowdon and also KO with powerful Water moves due to its poor special bulk.
**Landorus-T and Gliscor**: Hippowdon cannot do much to Gliscor and Landorus-T without Ice Fang other than phaze them out, while Landorus-T can annoy Hippowdon with Stealth Rock and Toxic and Gliscor can wall Hippowdon with Taunt, Toxic, and Roost.
**Yveltal**: Outside of Toxic and a possible Stone Edge, Yveltal can freely switch into Hippowdon, cripple it with Taunt and/or Toxic, and hit it hard with a Dark Aura-boosted Dark Pulse.
**Skarmory**: Though Hippowdon can hit Skarmory hard with Earthquake after it Roosts, it cannot do anything else to Skarmory because Skarmory can phaze first with Whirlwind.
**Gengar**: Though Mega Gengar can trap Hippowdon, it loses to Earthquake. Gengar, on the other hand, can outright wall Hippowdon if it does not carry other damaging moves due to Levitate.
**Taunt Users**: Taunt can heavily annoy Hippowdon, and users like Thundurus, Sableye, and Darkrai can really mess it up and take advantage of Hippowdon when it has been Taunted. Thundurus can threaten to OHKO Hippowdon with Grass Knot.
**Grass-types**: As they resist Earthquake, Grass-types can take advantage of Hippowdon if it does not carry Toxic, and because Hippowdon weighs a lot, it can be easily KOed by a common Grass STAB move in Grass Knot.
**Strong Special Attackers**: As mentioned before, because Hippowdon has low special bulk, powerful special attackers and Choice Specs users such as Kyurem-W and Kyogre can KO Hippowdon with coverage or STAB moves.
**Status**: Toxic is something Hippowdon does not like, as opponents can wear it out to the point where it is either KOed easily or dead weight for the match. Though a burn isn't as serious as Toxic, it can prevent Hippowdon from doing damage with Earthquake, making it more likely to be forced out or used as setup fodder.
Overview
########
Physical Wall
########
name: Physical Wall
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Slack Off
move 3: Whirlwind / Toxic
move 4: Earthquake
ability: Sand Stream
item: Leftovers
evs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
nature: Impish
Moves
========
Set Details
=========
Usage Tips
=========
Team Options
=========
Other Options
########
Checks and Counters
########
Credit to ogasian for the initial skeleton
Overview
########
With a quick glance over Hippowdon, one may think it has no place in Ubers because it seems outclassed by other bulky Ground-types in the tier, such as Groudon and Landorus-T. Fortunately, this is simply not the case for Hippowdon. It has some very defining traits, foremost among them is the ability Sand Stream to set damaging weather; add to the mix a reliable recovery move in Slack Off, and Hippowdon can give any competition a run for its money. It also has access to Whirlwind, giving it an advantage over Landorus-T and Gliscor. Its great physical bulk, useful Ground STAB, and access to Stealth Rock allow Hippowdon to take on physical sweepers with great results. However, Hippowdon's Speed is anything but good, meaning most attackers can hit it before it can use Slack Off. This, in turn, pressures Hippowdon to repeatedly use Slack Off in order to survive. Pesky weaknesses to Water-, Grass-, and Ice-type moves are not appreciated either, and Hippowdon cannot remedy its Water-type weakness like Groudon can. Because of these flaws, Hippowdon still has to compete with Landorus-T and Groudon for a teamslot.
Physical Wall
########
name: Physical Wall
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Slack Off
move 3: Whirlwind / Toxic
move 4: Earthquake
ability: Sand Stream
item: Leftovers
evs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
nature: Impish
Moves
========
Hippowdon's physical bulk allows it to set up Stealth Rock multiple times throughout the match. Slack Off can keep Hippowdon healthy over the course of a game and prevents it from being worn down. Hippowdon wishes to check physical sweepers instead of becoming setup fodder to them, and Whirlwind can phaze these sweepers out, also racking up residual damage with Stealth Rock. If that does not sound appealing to you, Toxic can be used to stall out attackers, with Sand Stream negating Leftovers recovery of non Ground-, Rock-, and Steel-types. Earthquake is a solid attacking move to use, as it keeps Hippowdon from being Taunt bait and can OHKO Mega Gengar after it has Mega Evolved.
Set Details
=========
Hippowdon should run a physically defensive EV spread with Leftovers to check threats such as Mega Blaziken and Mega Lucario. Because of this, try not to deviate from this spread so that Hippowdon can be as helpful as it can.
Usage Tips
=========
As Hippowdon is a physical wall, try to avoid special attackers as its special bulk is somewhat lacking. Also, Zekrom carries Draco Meteor to defeat bulky Ground-types, so be careful when attempting to switch into it. Getting burned or poisoned by Toxic is not something Hippowdon wants to deal with because it uses Slack Off a lot, so avoid these status conditions as much as possible. When facing extremely strong physical attackers like Rayquaza and Choice Band users, try using Slack Off repeatedly if they do not carry boosting moves to stall them out; however exercise caution while doing the same, because while Hippowdon might have large physical bulk, it can still be 3HKOed or 2HKOed by powerful physical attacks.
Team Options
=========
Specially defensive clerics like Sylveon and Xerneas can not only heal Hippowdon of status, but also deal with Yveltal very well, and Xerneas can deal with mixed Zekrom variants. This also applies to special tanks like Aegislash and walls like Blissey. A Kyogre check is also very appreciated; Palkia, Grass Arceus, and Amoonguss can do nicely. As Hippowdon can check Zekrom well, Water-types such as Water Arceus and Kyogre pair up well with Hippowdon. Ferrothorn can partner up with Hippowdon to form an entry hazard core if Ferrothorn chooses to run Spikes, but a Fire-type resistance would be required to make the core better. Finally, Sand Rush users such as Excadrill love Hippowdon's presence and the weather it brings with it so they can sweep or clean.
Other Options
########
Hippowdon has good support options in both items and moves. Smooth Rock is an excellent option to support Sand Rush users such as Excadrill, but Hippowdon loses Leftovers recovery, which is very important to its success. If residual damage from sand is not ideal for specific teams like stall, Sand Force is actually a good option, and can give Hippowdon an extra boost to its Earthquake should the opponent activate the weather condition. Ice Fang can hit Landorus-T and Gliscor, but doesn't do much outside of that. Stone Edge, on the other hand, can give Hippowdon not only the EdgeQuake combo, but also the ability to reliably deal with Ho-Oh and Yveltal. Finally, Yawn can force out sweepers with the threat of falling asleep, but Whirlwind has immediate phazing effects and can scare off sweepers a lot more efficiently.
Checks and Counters
########
**Offensive Water-types**: Water-types like Kyogre and Palkia can usually outspeed Hippowdon and also KO with powerful Water moves due to its poor special bulk.
**Landorus-T and Gliscor**: Hippowdon cannot do much to Gliscor and Landorus-T without Ice Fang other than phaze them out, while Landorus-T can annoy Hippowdon with Stealth Rock and Toxic and Gliscor can wall Hippowdon with Taunt, Toxic, and Roost.
**Yveltal**: Outside of Toxic and a possible Stone Edge, Yveltal can freely switch into Hippowdon, cripple it with Taunt and/or Toxic, and hit it hard with a Dark Aura-boosted Dark Pulse.
**Skarmory**: Though Hippowdon can hit Skarmory hard with Earthquake after it Roosts, it cannot do anything else to Skarmory because Skarmory can phaze first with Whirlwind.
**Gengar**: Though Mega Gengar can trap Hippowdon, it loses to Earthquake. Gengar, on the other hand, can outright wall Hippowdon if it does not carry other damaging moves due to Levitate.
**Taunt Users**: Taunt can heavily annoy Hippowdon, and users like Thundurus, Sableye, and Darkrai can really mess it up and take advantage of Hippowdon when it has been Taunted. Thundurus can threaten to OHKO Hippowdon with Grass Knot.
**Grass-types**: As they resist Earthquake, Grass-types can take advantage of Hippowdon if it does not carry Toxic, and because Hippowdon weighs a lot, it can be easily KOed by a common Grass STAB move in Grass Knot.
**Strong Special Attackers**: As mentioned before, because Hippowdon has low special bulk, powerful special attackers and Choice Specs users such as Kyurem-W and Kyogre can KO Hippowdon with coverage or STAB moves.
**Status**: Toxic is something Hippowdon does not like, as opponents can wear it out to the point where it is either KOed easily or dead weight for the match. Though a burn isn't as serious as Toxic, it can prevent Hippowdon from doing damage with Earthquake, making it more likely to be forced out or used as setup fodder.
Overview
########
- Great physical bulk
- Can support team with weather
- Ground STAB, access to SR
- FACKING RECOVERY GAIS
- Really, really slow
- Offensive pressure forces Hippo to Slack Off often
- Annoying weaknesses and bad special bulk
- Faces competition from Groudon + Lando-T
Physical Wall
########
name: Physical Wall
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Slack Off
move 3: Whirlwind / Toxic
move 4: Earthquake
ability: Sand Stream
item: Leftovers
evs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
nature: Impish
Moves
========
- SR is a troll. What a good move. SR = mr.troll
- Slack Off helps Hippowdon stand out with reliable recovery
- Whirlwind phazes sweepers that try to setup on you
- Toxic can kill things fast with sandstorm damage
- EQ is great bc a) not Taunt bait b) Can KO MegaGar and Ground is a good STAB
Set Details
=========
- EVs are for Hippowdon to physically wall stuff. Nuff said
Usage Tips
=========
- Don't try to wall special attackers, idiot
- Be wary of mixed Zekrom variants with Draco
- Avoid status pls
- Try stalling out non-boosting physical attackers with Slack Off
Team Options
=========
- Specially Defensive Clerics (Xern, Sylveon)
- Aegislash
- Blissey
- Kyogre check (Palk, Grassceus, Amoonguss)
- Water-types (Waterceus, Kyogre)
- Ferrothorn
- Excadrill (cuz Sand Rush)
Other Options
########
- Smooth Rock
- Sand Force
- Ice Fang
- Stone Edge
- Yawn
Checks and Counters
########
- Offensive Water-types (Kyogre in particular)
- Lando-T and Gliscor
- Skarmory
- Yveltal
- Gengar (Normal walls it)
- Taunt
- Grass-types (For SE damage and specially offensive)
- Strong Special Attackers
- Status (Toxic; Burns)
Last edited:
