Hoping to do christmas decorations here, but annoyingly your writing is pretty much impeccable from my standpoint. I didn't have many changes to make, mostly stylistic complaints, and prosaically it was fine. Kudos.
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[OVERVIEW]
<p>Houndoom is UU’s most powerful Nasty Plot sweeper, and often the most deadly as well. Its great dual STAB and auspicious stat distribution mean Houndoom can plow through unprepared or weakened teams like a knife through butter (not that this is important or anything but knives don't really 'plow' through butter... can we have a different verb like 'cleave' or something?). Although its function is one-dimensional, Houndoom’s methods can vary greatly between different sets, and this versatility is what makes Houndoom such a dangerous threat. Each of its different sets has a different trick up its sleeve, and making assumptions about which set you’re playing opposing (subject of 'play' not entirely obvious) can often lead to your demise. Unfortunately, Houndoom’s Stealth Rock weakness and subpar defensive stats means it cannot take hits nearly as well as it gives them out.</p>
[SET]
name: Mixed Nasty Plot
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Dark Pulse
move 4: Sucker Punch
item: Life Orb
ability: Flash Fire
nature: Hasty
evs: 100 Atk / 184 SpA / 224 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This is Houndoom’s bread-and-butter Nasty Plot set. Fire Blast and Dark Pulse are both used on this set to make the most of the excellent coverage afforded by Houndoom’s dual STAB. More specifically, To elaborate, Fire Blast is Houndoom’s preferred sweeping move due to its high Base Power, while Dark Pulse hits the Fire-, Water-, and Rock-type Pokemon who resist Fire Blast for heavy damage. After a Nasty Plot, Moltres, Arcanine, and Rhyperior are OHKOed, and Milotic loses upwards of 70% HP.</p>
<p>It may be odd to see Sucker Punch, a physical attack, on a Nasty Plot set, but the move is actually an excellent tool for Houndoom both in assisting its own sweep and in putting a stop to opposing sweepers. Sucker Punch always OHKOes 4 HP Dugtrio after Stealth Rock, which means without Substitute and good prediction it cannot stop Houndoom’s sweep. Sucker Punch also prevents Choice Scarf Rotom, most Alakazam, and some Mismagius from revenge killing Houndoom. Finally, even when Houndoom is not attempting a sweep, Sucker Punch allows it to finish off faster, (comma) weakened foes.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Flash Fire is used instead of Early Bird to boost Houndoom’s offensive potential; for example, if Houndoom switches into Weezing’s or Arcanine’s Will-O-Wisp, the subsequent Nasty Plotted Fire Blast will be able sufficiently powerful to 2HKO Chansey (kinda confusing sentence). Without Rest on the set, the benefits of Early Bird are too situational. Since Houndoom is using both physical and special attacks, a Timid nature isn’t optimal. Hasty is chosen advisable (personally I prefer to avoid reference to choice that isn't the reader's own) instead of Naive because it makes more sense to lower Houndoom’s already dismal Defense rather than to sacrifice its decent Special Defense. Also, Houndoom’s resistances are usually seen in the form of special attacks (notably Shadow Ball), and higher Special Defense means it is easier to set up on weak special attackers, such as Weezing with Sludge Bomb.</p>
<p>The EVs may seem complicated at first glance, but fulfill specific purposes. 224 Speed EVs and a Hasty nature are used to outpace Timid Rotom along with all slower Pokemon, including Timid Moltres and Timid/Jolly Venusaur. 100 Attack EVs with a Life Orb are necessary to ensure Sucker Punch always OHKOes 4 HP Dugtrio after Stealth Rock damage. The remaining EVs are put into Special Attack to maximize Houndoom’s offensive punch. If you want Houndoom to tie with opposing base 95 Speed Pokemon, such as Leafeon and Drapion, you can shift a few EVs into Speed; however, this isn’t the recommended spread since Houndoom needs as many EVs as possible to spread between its attacking stats.</p>
<p>Houndoom is hard to counter perfectly because of its high raw damage output, but there are a few Pokemon who are good switch-ins. Milotic, particularly specially defensive variants, can take a boosted Dark Pulse at full health and KO with Surf. Physically defensive Milotic should be wary of taking too much previous damage, though, as Dark Pulse deals 63.4% - 74.8%. Chansey can stall Houndoom out with Toxic and Wish/Protect as long as Houndoom doesn’t get a Flash Fire boost. Note that if Houndoom starts using Nasty Plot on Protect, Chansey will probably have to switch out a turn or two before Toxic kills Houndoom (perhaps to a Fire resister/immunity or a sacrifice). Azumarill resists Houndoom’s primary STAB, doesn’t lose too much HP to an unboosted Dark Pulse, and can use its priority Aqua Jet to OHKO Houndoom before Houndoom can attack again. There are four Pokemon in UU that resist the combination of Fire- and Dark-type attacks: Houndoom, Blaziken, Poliwrath, and Thick Fat Hariyama (Not to mention Sharpedo and Crawdaunt... Not exactly relevant but it's still a false statement without them). Against other Houndoom, the Houndoom who has more boosts under its belt wins with Dark Pulse. Blaziken is frail and doesn’t appreciate eating Fire Blast too often, but its Vacuum Wave makes quick work of Houndoom. Poliwrath and Thick Fat Hariyama with specially defensive spreads are both excellent Houndoom counters, and their only “weakness” is their relatively low usage (not really relevant imo, can we change this to something like 'low comparative utility outside of this role' or something along those lines, or just change 'usage' to 'usability', I dunno). Faster Pokemon who can take a Sucker Punch, such as Tauros, Scyther, and Ambipom, are good revenge killers.</p>
<p>If you’re not keen on using Sucker Punch on this set, there are some Hidden Powers that may interest you. Hidden Power Flying hits three of the four UU Pokemon who resist Houndoom’s STAB combination (the last, other Houndoom, is not a big concern) super effectively (again, Sharpedo/Crawdaunt), but has no utility outside of that. Hidden Power Grass is one-sixth more powerful than Dark Pulse against Water-types, but even so, cannot OHKO Milotic. Obviously, if you use Hidden Power in the last slot, Houndoom doesn’t require any Attack EVs, so a simple 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe spread with a Timid nature works best. A Special Attack-boosting Modest (doesn't really seem like any other option tbh) nature also becomes more viable with Hidden Power Grass, since Houndoom can then OHKO Bold Milotic with a bit of residual damage.</p>
[SET]
name: MixDoom
move 1: Pursuit
move 2: Sucker Punch
move 3: Crunch / Thunder Fang
move 4: Fire Blast / Overheat
item: Life Orb
ability: Flash Fire
nature: Hasty
evs: 252 Atk / 32 SpA / 224 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Even though Houndoom's higher offensive stat is its Special Attack, it would be a shame to waste its base 90 Attack stat, especially when it is backed up by attacks like Pursuit and Sucker Punch. The main draw of this set is its ability to efficiently eliminate opposing Ghost-types, in particular Rotom and Mismagius. While there are several viable UU Pokemon with STAB Pursuit, Houndoom is the only one who is immune to Will-O-Wisp, which drastically greatly (drastically isn't really the right adverb here, as it implies a negative aspect) enhances his performance against defensive Ghost-types.</p>
<p>Pursuit is a given to take advantage of Houndoom’s ghostbusting abilities. Sucker Punch is an excellent utility move for Houndoom, as with proper prediction it allows him to eliminate weakened sweepers and faster threats like Alakazam. Crunch is the preferred option in the third slot; while it may seem odd to use three physical Dark-type attacks on the same set, Pursuit and Sucker Punch are only situationally useful attacks, while Crunch provides reliable power. Thunder Fang is also an option in this slot if you're concerned about hitting Moltres and Milotic for more damage. It almost always OHKOes Moltres after Stealth Rock damage (Crunch doesn’t on average) and means Milotic must think twice before switching in if it has been weakened (this seems like an overly optimistic statement, but is fine prosaically). Finally, Houndoom uses a high-powered special Fire-type attack in the last slot to blast through Pokemon like Donphan, Tangrowth, Venusaur, and Registeel. Fire Blast deals more damage than Overheat over two turns, but Overheat is more effective against physically bulky targets neutral to Fire, such as Donphan, and against Pokemon who would force Houndoom out before it gets a second chance to attack.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The Speed EVs let Houndoom outpace Timid Rotom. Attack is maximized, and the remainder are placed into Special Attack to power up Fire Blast. Houndoom needs a Speed-boosting nature that doesn't lower either of its offensive stats; Naive is out of the question as it means Houndoom takes more damage from Mismagius’s and Rotom's Shadow Ball and Thunderbolt, so Hasty is chosen.</p>
<p>Mixed Houndoom is hands-down the best way to eliminate Ghost-type Pokemon in UU (really? this seems like hyperbole a tad, can it be reworded?). It cannot be burnt, and the combination of Pursuit and Sucker Punch means Rotom and Mismagius will have only a coin flip’s chance at escaping—provided they use the correct move on the switch (how do they use a move while switching? do you mean houndoom? and a coin flip isn't really the best metaphor to use here, since it's more choice than pure luck really). Spiritomb is not hit super effectively by Houndoom’s Dark-type attacks, but it usually cannot deal any significant damage in return. Combined with the possibility of Houndoom using Nasty Plot, this means Spiritomb is likely to switch out, allowing Houndoom to weaken it with Pursuit. Pokemon who benefit from the absence of Ghosts are good teammates for Houndoom. Donphan is probably the most effective; Houndoom traps and eliminates the Ghost-types who threaten to block Rapid Spin, and in return Donphan spins away Stealth Rock for Houndoom. The pair also have decent synergy together, as Mismagius or Rotom who switch into Donphan are more likely to use Shadow Ball or Will-O-Wisp than Thunderbolt or Hidden Power Fighting. Choice Band users like Tauros or Hitmonlee also enjoy Ghost-types out of the way so they can use their STAB attacks with greater freedom. Swords Dance Toxicroak is also a very effective partner. Defensively, Toxicroak loves switching into Water attacks aimed at Houndoom, while Houndoom gets free switches when Toxicroak is targeted by Psychic. Many teams counter Swords Dance Toxicroak with either a Ghost-type packing Will-O-Wisp or a Psychic-type like Uxie; Houndoom is able to remove both of those counters, although it might get paralyzed by Uxie’s Thunder Wave.</p>
<p>Using a specially oriented spread and Dark Pulse over Crunch is also an option. 100 Atk / 184 SpA / 224 Spe is recommended; the Attack EVs guarantee a Sucker Punch OHKO on Dugtrio after Stealth Rock. This variant performs better against Registeel, Slowbro, Moltres (Dark Pulse OHKOes with Stealth Rock while Crunch does not on average), and Intimidate Arcanine, but cannot 2HKO Chansey and deals less damage to Milotic. Pursuit and Sucker Punch will be weaker as well; while Houndoom will still OHKO switching Rotom and Mismagius with Pursuit, the decrease in power will be noticeable when using non-switch Pursuit and Sucker Punch.</p>
[SET]
name: Specialized Nasty Plot
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Dark Pulse
move 4: Hidden Power Grass / Beat Up
item: Passho Berry
ability: Flash Fire
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Standard Nasty Plot Houndoom has issues getting past Water-type Pokemon—both defensive ones, such as Milotic, and offensive ones with Aqua Jet, such as Azumarill and Kabutops. With a Passho Berry, Houndoom has a good shot at beating all three. Hidden Power Grass 2HKOes Milotic, OHKOes Kabutops, and has a good shot to OHKO Azumarill after Stealth Rock damage. Fire Blast and Dark Pulse provide great coverage in tandem, hitting every UU Pokemon outside of Blaziken, Houndoom, Thick Fat Hariyama, and Poliwrath (Sharpedo and Crawdaunt) for at least neutral damage. Beat Up can be used instead of Hidden Power Grass in the last slot. If your team has three or four healthy team members left, it will usually OHKO Chansey, who otherwise has a good shot at beating this set. This does make Houndoom less effective against opposing Water-types, but Dark Pulse can usually pick up the slack, as it will still OHKO Kabutops and 2HKO Bold Milotic.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>A Timid nature and straightforward EV spread are used to maximize sweeping potential (same for Beat Up sets?). To deal more damage to specially defensive Milotic, especially those with Haze, a Modest nature can be used instead. This still allows Houndoom to outpace base 80 Speed Pokemon like Venusaur and Kabutops, but means it will now be slower than Rotom, Moltres, Toxicroak, and Qwilfish.</p>
<p>In contrast to most Houndoom sets, this one is supposed to take a hit when it attempts a sweep. This means you should take care in keeping Houndoom's health relatively high, lest it gets weakened to the point that a Water attack KOes it through the Passho Berry. For example, Azumarill's Choice Band Aqua Jet has a fair chance to OHKO Houndoom if it has taken Stealth Rock damage but cannot KO a full HP Houndoom. Alternatively, if Houndoom switches into a mispredicted Sludge Bomb from defensive Weezing and Stealth Rock is up, it won't have enough health left to survive Milotic's Surf. Beyond highlighting the importance of playing this set carefully, these examples also illustrate why Rapid Spin support is important for this Houndoom. Donphan and Kabutops are the spinners most likely to fit on a team with Houndoom due to their offensive nature, but Hitmontop and Blastoise are solid choices as well.</p>
<p>Since Houndoom will often lure and KO the opposing team’s bulky Water, it makes a good teammate for Pokemon that appreciate their absence. Feraligatr, especially bulky variants, have a much easier time sweeping when Milotic is eliminated. Bulky stat boosters like Curse Registeel, Calm Mind Spiritomb, and Calm Mind Clefable also benefit from the absence of Haze Milotic, since Milotic is many teams’ primary counter to these Pokemon. Rock Polish Rhyperior and Aggron become more effective when Aqua Jet Azumarill and Kabutops are eliminated, and they also certainly don’t mind Houndoom weakening Milotic and Blastoise. </p>
<p>This set mainly has problems with faster sweepers, priority attacks, and Chansey. Alakazam, Swellow, Scyther, Dugtrio, and most other faster, moderately powered sweepers can take Houndoom down with a STAB or super effective attack. While Passho Berry provides a buffer against Aqua Jet, it does nothing to alleviate the damage done by Arcanine's ExtremeSpeed or Blaziken's Vacuum Wave, both of which deal upwards of 70% to Houndoom.</p>
[SET]
name: Lead
move 1: Fire Blast
move 2: Dark Pulse
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Hidden Power Grass / Pursuit
item: Focus Sash / Lum Berry
ability: Early Bird / Flash Fire
nature: Naive
evs: 32 Atk / 252 SpA / 224 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Houndoom has the Speed and offensive capabilities to act as an effective anti-lead. It has great coverage with its dual STABs, and the given moveset allows Houndoom to effectively deal with the most common UU leads. Dark Pulse deals with Uxie, Mesprit, and Alakazam, while Fire Blast is useful against Spiritomb, Scyther, Nidoking, and Pinsir. Sucker Punch gives Houndoom the advantage over other attacking leads as it allows him to beat Focus Sash and priority users. Hidden Power Grass allows Houndoom to win against Cloyster, Omastar, Kabutops, and Rhyperior leads, but Pursuit can be used to trap leads like Mismagius who will most likely switch out.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Houndoom has a variety of options to choose from depending on specific team needs. A Focus Sash protects Houndoom against faster Pokemon and mispredictions, while using a Lum Berry aides it against Uxie's Thunder Wave. Counter, when combined with a Hasty nature, Defense IV of 0, and Focus Sash, can be used to score a surprise KO against physical leads. Taunt prevents entry hazards from being set up. An alternative EV spread of 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe can be used to Speed tie Leafeon and Arcanine at the cost of a slightly weaker Sucker Punch. Picking Early Bird will make it easier for Houndoom to come out on top against sleep-inducing leads, while but Flash Fire has more overall utility.</p>
<p>Although Houndoom is frail, it still has its uses later in the game. The given EVs allow it to outspeed Rotom, which also means it is faster than Moltres and Venusaur. Toxicroak makes a great teammate for Houndoom as it loves switching into Milotic, one of the most reliable counters for this set.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Overheat
move 2: Dark Pulse
move 3: Pursuit
move 4: Hidden Power Grass / Toxic
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Hasty
ability: Flash Fire
evs: 84 Atk / 196 SpA / 228 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Houndoom usually doesn't have Speed issues, but attaching a Choice Scarf makes it a competent revenge killer for Rock Polish sweepers as well as naturally faster Pokemon like Mismagius, Alakazam, and Sceptile. Houndoom's Overheat and Dark Pulse provide great coverage, by hitting the majority of the metagame for at least neutral damage. Pursuit is really what sets Houndoom apart from other Choice Scarf Pokemon, though, since it places Rotom and Mismagius in a checkmate position. Hidden Power Grass hits Rhyperior for big damage, while Toxic can cripple a predicted Milotic switch-in.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>228 Speed EVs ensures Houndoom is one point faster than Jolly Rock Polish Torterra and three points faster than Timid Choice Scarf Rotom. It takes too many Attack EVs to guarantee that Pursuit always OHKOes a switching 252 HP Mismagius, but 84 EVs ensures that if Stealth Rock is up and Mismagius switches out of Pursuit, it cannot switch back in without fainting to entry hazards (in other words, Pursuit will deal at least 13/16th of Mismagius's HP). The remaining EVs are dumped into Special Attack to power up Houndoom's main moves. If you find this set not hitting hard enough, changing its nature to Mild and/or shifting EVs into Special Attack is acceptable. A Mild nature and 160 Speed EVs will beat Jolly Rock Polish Aggron, while 124 EVs are required to outpace Adamant Rock Polish Torterra. As always, a Defense-lowering nature is preferred to make the most of Houndoom's decent Special Defense and resistance to Ghost- and Dark-type attacks.</p>
<p>As with most revenge killers, Houndoom is prone to being setup bait after it scores a KO. Opposing Houndoom and Blaziken set up on all of Houndoom's attacks; Water-type sweepers like Kabutops and Feraligatr set up on Overheat; and Toxicroak and its fellow Fighting-types set up on Dark Pulse. Finding Pokemon to cover every possible sweeper isn't very efficient, so checking to see if your team can handle the opponents’ likely set-up sweeper during a battle is recommended before you lock Houndoom into an attack. It may be tempting to use Fire Blast instead of Overheat to let less Pokemon set up, but Overheat's extra power is appreciated for a set that doesn't have a boosting item or maximized Special Attack. Plus, any Pokemon that can set up on -2 Overheat can probably also set up on Fire Blast.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>Houndoom is largely a self-sufficient sweeper; hard counters are few and far in between, which means many teams rely on redundant checks to stop Houndoom. Despite this, there are some support options that Houndoom particularly appreciates. The first is Stealth Rock support. Even though the majority of its checks and counters are aren't weak to Rock, the extra 12.5% damage inflicted on every switch puts many Pokemon, such as Azumarill, Milotic, and Dugtrio, into Houndoom's OHKO or 2HKO range. Since so many Pokemon can set up Stealth Rock, there isn't really a reason not to use it. Rapid Spin support gives Houndoom greater freedom in switching in and out of battle, letting it pressure the opponent throughout the match much more effectively. Kabutops and Donphan tend to fit best with Houndoom due to their offensive nature, but Blastoise is a sturdier option who can switch into Water-type attacks aimed at Houndoom.</p>
<p>Toxicroak is the single UU Pokemon who has the best synergy with Houndoom in UU, both offensively and defensively. While Houndoom bears a prominent weakness to Water-type moves, Toxicroak's Dry Skin ability grants him 25% HP healing every time he is hit by one. In return, Houndoom packs an immunity to Toxicroak's 4x Psychic weakness, although variants without Sucker Punch should beware of Alakazam's Focus Blast. Houndoom's primary checks and counters are Water-type Pokemon, who present Toxicroak with easy switch-in opportunities; Toxicroak should beware of Double-Edge Azumarill and the very rare Hidden Power Psychic Milotic, though. Conversely, Toxicroak is beaten by Weezing, Uxie, and Psychic Spiritomb, all of whom Houndoom easily beats. Houndoom may not be the best initial switch into Uxie until you've scouted its set fully, though, since it commonly packs Thunder Wave. One potential downside with this combination is that since their counters are so diametrically opposed from each other, you might switch out Houndoom or Toxicroak to set up the other, only to find that a completely different Pokemon on your opponent's team walls your now-active sweeper. Usually, intelligent attacking/switching attacking and switching, along with using other Pokemon like Rotom and Torterra who can wear down these walls, will let you break through the opposing defense.</p>
<p>To defensively support Houndoom, the most obvious choice is a Pokemon who switches easily into Water-type attacks. On top of Toxicroak, Venusaur and Sceptile are both good options for offensive teams; your own Milotic (if it has Toxic) or Clefable work as well. Faster Pokemon and those with priority are Houndoom's most popular revenge killers. Aqua Jet, Vacuum Wave, Mach Punch, and ExtremeSpeed maim—if not outright KO—Houndoom, but a Milotic or Rotom can absorb these hits. Spiritomb beats Hitmontop and Hitmonlee using Mach Punch as it can switch in on Mach Punch and traps Alakazam with Pursuit, but is ineffective against Blaziken and Arcanine, the most common users of Vacuum Wave and ExtremeSpeed, respectively. Many faster Pokemon (Scyther, Tauros, and Swellow) use Normal- and Flying-type attacks, while most others are primarily special attackers (Mismagius, Manectric, and Sceptile), which makes Registeel a great defensive pivot for Houndoom. Houndoom with Sucker Punch can handle some of these threats itself, but appreciates extra support regardless.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<p>For all sets using Life Orb, a 29 HP IV will decrease Life Orb recoil. With a perfect IV, Houndoom has an HP stat of 291, meaning it loses 29 HP to Life Orb recoil, while with a 29 HP IV it only has an HP stat of 289, corresponding to 28 HP lost to recoil. Although 29 HP IV Houndoom initially starts off with two fewer HP than 31 HP IV Houndoom, it gains one point relative to its counterpart every time it attacks; after two attacks, both Houndoom have equal HP, and at three or more attacks, 29 HP IV Houndoom comes out ahead. Basically, your choice should come down to how many attacks you expect Houndoom to get off before it is KOed.</p>
<p>Essentially all of Houndoom’s viable moves and items have been mentioned on one set or another, and you can mix and match these moves and items to other sets to fit specific needs. For example, if you find that you like the power that Life Orb brings but want to retain the ability to OHKO Chansey with Beat Up, you can replace Sucker Punch with Beat Up on the Life Orb set. One option that hasn’t been mentioned, though, is the Rest + Early Bird combination. This grants Houndoom the ability to fully restore HP and remove status effects at the cost of only one turn. Early Bird Houndoom can use Nasty Plot along with Flamethrower and Dark Pulse, or it can even use Flamethrower, Toxic, and Taunt with a specially defensive spread to serve as a stallbreaker.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Houndoom’s most reliable counter is specially defensive Milotic with Haze. Physically defensive Milotic also works quite well in most cases, although it has issues dealing with the uncommon Passho Berry Houndoom. Other Water-type Pokemon are also good switch-ins since they resist Houndoom’s main STAB attack. The physically oriented ones, such as Azumarill, Kabutops, and Feraligatr, commonly pack Aqua Jet, which can KO Houndoom before it is able to attack. Blastoise is essentially a lesser Milotic in terms of countering Houndoom, but can check it neatly in a pinch. Unfortunately, Omastar, Slowbro, and Slowking should keep away from Houndoom, the former due to its low special defense Special Defense and the latter two due to their weakness to Dark-type attacks.</p>
<p>Priority attacks are also a great way to check Houndoom. Arcanine’s ExtremeSpeed, Blaziken’s Vacuum Wave, Hitmontop’s Mach Punch, and the aforementioned Aqua Jet all guarantee OHKOes on Houndoom with Stealth Rock damage. Speaking of Arcanine, specially defensive versions counter Houndoom as well , too, since ExtremeSpeed (even without Attack investment) 2HKOes while a boosted Dark Pulse doesn’t OHKO. Finally, Houndoom’s frailty leaves it easy prey for faster Pokemon with a decently powered attack, such as Scyther, Tauros, Sceptile, and Swellow. Dugtrio deserves a special mention since Houndoom cannot switch out of its Earthquake due to Arena Trap. Note that However, if Houndoom has Sucker Punch, Mismagius and Alakazam should be careful when revenge killing, and Dugtrio needs Substitute to come out on top.</p>
<p>Houndoom is UU’s most powerful Nasty Plot sweeper, and often the most deadly as well. Its great dual STAB and auspicious stat distribution mean Houndoom can plow through unprepared or weakened teams like a knife through butter (not that this is important or anything but knives don't really 'plow' through butter... can we have a different verb like 'cleave' or something?). Although its function is one-dimensional, Houndoom’s methods can vary greatly between different sets, and this versatility is what makes Houndoom such a dangerous threat. Each of its different sets has a different trick up its sleeve, and making assumptions about which set you’re playing opposing (subject of 'play' not entirely obvious) can often lead to your demise. Unfortunately, Houndoom’s Stealth Rock weakness and subpar defensive stats means it cannot take hits nearly as well as it gives them out.</p>
[SET]
name: Mixed Nasty Plot
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Dark Pulse
move 4: Sucker Punch
item: Life Orb
ability: Flash Fire
nature: Hasty
evs: 100 Atk / 184 SpA / 224 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This is Houndoom’s bread-and-butter Nasty Plot set. Fire Blast and Dark Pulse are both used on this set to make the most of the excellent coverage afforded by Houndoom’s dual STAB. More specifically, To elaborate, Fire Blast is Houndoom’s preferred sweeping move due to its high Base Power, while Dark Pulse hits the Fire-, Water-, and Rock-type Pokemon who resist Fire Blast for heavy damage. After a Nasty Plot, Moltres, Arcanine, and Rhyperior are OHKOed, and Milotic loses upwards of 70% HP.</p>
<p>It may be odd to see Sucker Punch, a physical attack, on a Nasty Plot set, but the move is actually an excellent tool for Houndoom both in assisting its own sweep and in putting a stop to opposing sweepers. Sucker Punch always OHKOes 4 HP Dugtrio after Stealth Rock, which means without Substitute and good prediction it cannot stop Houndoom’s sweep. Sucker Punch also prevents Choice Scarf Rotom, most Alakazam, and some Mismagius from revenge killing Houndoom. Finally, even when Houndoom is not attempting a sweep, Sucker Punch allows it to finish off faster, (comma) weakened foes.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Flash Fire is used instead of Early Bird to boost Houndoom’s offensive potential; for example, if Houndoom switches into Weezing’s or Arcanine’s Will-O-Wisp, the subsequent Nasty Plotted Fire Blast will be able sufficiently powerful to 2HKO Chansey (kinda confusing sentence). Without Rest on the set, the benefits of Early Bird are too situational. Since Houndoom is using both physical and special attacks, a Timid nature isn’t optimal. Hasty is chosen advisable (personally I prefer to avoid reference to choice that isn't the reader's own) instead of Naive because it makes more sense to lower Houndoom’s already dismal Defense rather than to sacrifice its decent Special Defense. Also, Houndoom’s resistances are usually seen in the form of special attacks (notably Shadow Ball), and higher Special Defense means it is easier to set up on weak special attackers, such as Weezing with Sludge Bomb.</p>
<p>The EVs may seem complicated at first glance, but fulfill specific purposes. 224 Speed EVs and a Hasty nature are used to outpace Timid Rotom along with all slower Pokemon, including Timid Moltres and Timid/Jolly Venusaur. 100 Attack EVs with a Life Orb are necessary to ensure Sucker Punch always OHKOes 4 HP Dugtrio after Stealth Rock damage. The remaining EVs are put into Special Attack to maximize Houndoom’s offensive punch. If you want Houndoom to tie with opposing base 95 Speed Pokemon, such as Leafeon and Drapion, you can shift a few EVs into Speed; however, this isn’t the recommended spread since Houndoom needs as many EVs as possible to spread between its attacking stats.</p>
<p>Houndoom is hard to counter perfectly because of its high raw damage output, but there are a few Pokemon who are good switch-ins. Milotic, particularly specially defensive variants, can take a boosted Dark Pulse at full health and KO with Surf. Physically defensive Milotic should be wary of taking too much previous damage, though, as Dark Pulse deals 63.4% - 74.8%. Chansey can stall Houndoom out with Toxic and Wish/Protect as long as Houndoom doesn’t get a Flash Fire boost. Note that if Houndoom starts using Nasty Plot on Protect, Chansey will probably have to switch out a turn or two before Toxic kills Houndoom (perhaps to a Fire resister/immunity or a sacrifice). Azumarill resists Houndoom’s primary STAB, doesn’t lose too much HP to an unboosted Dark Pulse, and can use its priority Aqua Jet to OHKO Houndoom before Houndoom can attack again. There are four Pokemon in UU that resist the combination of Fire- and Dark-type attacks: Houndoom, Blaziken, Poliwrath, and Thick Fat Hariyama (Not to mention Sharpedo and Crawdaunt... Not exactly relevant but it's still a false statement without them). Against other Houndoom, the Houndoom who has more boosts under its belt wins with Dark Pulse. Blaziken is frail and doesn’t appreciate eating Fire Blast too often, but its Vacuum Wave makes quick work of Houndoom. Poliwrath and Thick Fat Hariyama with specially defensive spreads are both excellent Houndoom counters, and their only “weakness” is their relatively low usage (not really relevant imo, can we change this to something like 'low comparative utility outside of this role' or something along those lines, or just change 'usage' to 'usability', I dunno). Faster Pokemon who can take a Sucker Punch, such as Tauros, Scyther, and Ambipom, are good revenge killers.</p>
<p>If you’re not keen on using Sucker Punch on this set, there are some Hidden Powers that may interest you. Hidden Power Flying hits three of the four UU Pokemon who resist Houndoom’s STAB combination (the last, other Houndoom, is not a big concern) super effectively (again, Sharpedo/Crawdaunt), but has no utility outside of that. Hidden Power Grass is one-sixth more powerful than Dark Pulse against Water-types, but even so, cannot OHKO Milotic. Obviously, if you use Hidden Power in the last slot, Houndoom doesn’t require any Attack EVs, so a simple 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe spread with a Timid nature works best. A Special Attack-boosting Modest (doesn't really seem like any other option tbh) nature also becomes more viable with Hidden Power Grass, since Houndoom can then OHKO Bold Milotic with a bit of residual damage.</p>
[SET]
name: MixDoom
move 1: Pursuit
move 2: Sucker Punch
move 3: Crunch / Thunder Fang
move 4: Fire Blast / Overheat
item: Life Orb
ability: Flash Fire
nature: Hasty
evs: 252 Atk / 32 SpA / 224 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Even though Houndoom's higher offensive stat is its Special Attack, it would be a shame to waste its base 90 Attack stat, especially when it is backed up by attacks like Pursuit and Sucker Punch. The main draw of this set is its ability to efficiently eliminate opposing Ghost-types, in particular Rotom and Mismagius. While there are several viable UU Pokemon with STAB Pursuit, Houndoom is the only one who is immune to Will-O-Wisp, which drastically greatly (drastically isn't really the right adverb here, as it implies a negative aspect) enhances his performance against defensive Ghost-types.</p>
<p>Pursuit is a given to take advantage of Houndoom’s ghostbusting abilities. Sucker Punch is an excellent utility move for Houndoom, as with proper prediction it allows him to eliminate weakened sweepers and faster threats like Alakazam. Crunch is the preferred option in the third slot; while it may seem odd to use three physical Dark-type attacks on the same set, Pursuit and Sucker Punch are only situationally useful attacks, while Crunch provides reliable power. Thunder Fang is also an option in this slot if you're concerned about hitting Moltres and Milotic for more damage. It almost always OHKOes Moltres after Stealth Rock damage (Crunch doesn’t on average) and means Milotic must think twice before switching in if it has been weakened (this seems like an overly optimistic statement, but is fine prosaically). Finally, Houndoom uses a high-powered special Fire-type attack in the last slot to blast through Pokemon like Donphan, Tangrowth, Venusaur, and Registeel. Fire Blast deals more damage than Overheat over two turns, but Overheat is more effective against physically bulky targets neutral to Fire, such as Donphan, and against Pokemon who would force Houndoom out before it gets a second chance to attack.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The Speed EVs let Houndoom outpace Timid Rotom. Attack is maximized, and the remainder are placed into Special Attack to power up Fire Blast. Houndoom needs a Speed-boosting nature that doesn't lower either of its offensive stats; Naive is out of the question as it means Houndoom takes more damage from Mismagius’s and Rotom's Shadow Ball and Thunderbolt, so Hasty is chosen.</p>
<p>Mixed Houndoom is hands-down the best way to eliminate Ghost-type Pokemon in UU (really? this seems like hyperbole a tad, can it be reworded?). It cannot be burnt, and the combination of Pursuit and Sucker Punch means Rotom and Mismagius will have only a coin flip’s chance at escaping—provided they use the correct move on the switch (how do they use a move while switching? do you mean houndoom? and a coin flip isn't really the best metaphor to use here, since it's more choice than pure luck really). Spiritomb is not hit super effectively by Houndoom’s Dark-type attacks, but it usually cannot deal any significant damage in return. Combined with the possibility of Houndoom using Nasty Plot, this means Spiritomb is likely to switch out, allowing Houndoom to weaken it with Pursuit. Pokemon who benefit from the absence of Ghosts are good teammates for Houndoom. Donphan is probably the most effective; Houndoom traps and eliminates the Ghost-types who threaten to block Rapid Spin, and in return Donphan spins away Stealth Rock for Houndoom. The pair also have decent synergy together, as Mismagius or Rotom who switch into Donphan are more likely to use Shadow Ball or Will-O-Wisp than Thunderbolt or Hidden Power Fighting. Choice Band users like Tauros or Hitmonlee also enjoy Ghost-types out of the way so they can use their STAB attacks with greater freedom. Swords Dance Toxicroak is also a very effective partner. Defensively, Toxicroak loves switching into Water attacks aimed at Houndoom, while Houndoom gets free switches when Toxicroak is targeted by Psychic. Many teams counter Swords Dance Toxicroak with either a Ghost-type packing Will-O-Wisp or a Psychic-type like Uxie; Houndoom is able to remove both of those counters, although it might get paralyzed by Uxie’s Thunder Wave.</p>
<p>Using a specially oriented spread and Dark Pulse over Crunch is also an option. 100 Atk / 184 SpA / 224 Spe is recommended; the Attack EVs guarantee a Sucker Punch OHKO on Dugtrio after Stealth Rock. This variant performs better against Registeel, Slowbro, Moltres (Dark Pulse OHKOes with Stealth Rock while Crunch does not on average), and Intimidate Arcanine, but cannot 2HKO Chansey and deals less damage to Milotic. Pursuit and Sucker Punch will be weaker as well; while Houndoom will still OHKO switching Rotom and Mismagius with Pursuit, the decrease in power will be noticeable when using non-switch Pursuit and Sucker Punch.</p>
[SET]
name: Specialized Nasty Plot
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Dark Pulse
move 4: Hidden Power Grass / Beat Up
item: Passho Berry
ability: Flash Fire
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Standard Nasty Plot Houndoom has issues getting past Water-type Pokemon—both defensive ones, such as Milotic, and offensive ones with Aqua Jet, such as Azumarill and Kabutops. With a Passho Berry, Houndoom has a good shot at beating all three. Hidden Power Grass 2HKOes Milotic, OHKOes Kabutops, and has a good shot to OHKO Azumarill after Stealth Rock damage. Fire Blast and Dark Pulse provide great coverage in tandem, hitting every UU Pokemon outside of Blaziken, Houndoom, Thick Fat Hariyama, and Poliwrath (Sharpedo and Crawdaunt) for at least neutral damage. Beat Up can be used instead of Hidden Power Grass in the last slot. If your team has three or four healthy team members left, it will usually OHKO Chansey, who otherwise has a good shot at beating this set. This does make Houndoom less effective against opposing Water-types, but Dark Pulse can usually pick up the slack, as it will still OHKO Kabutops and 2HKO Bold Milotic.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>A Timid nature and straightforward EV spread are used to maximize sweeping potential (same for Beat Up sets?). To deal more damage to specially defensive Milotic, especially those with Haze, a Modest nature can be used instead. This still allows Houndoom to outpace base 80 Speed Pokemon like Venusaur and Kabutops, but means it will now be slower than Rotom, Moltres, Toxicroak, and Qwilfish.</p>
<p>In contrast to most Houndoom sets, this one is supposed to take a hit when it attempts a sweep. This means you should take care in keeping Houndoom's health relatively high, lest it gets weakened to the point that a Water attack KOes it through the Passho Berry. For example, Azumarill's Choice Band Aqua Jet has a fair chance to OHKO Houndoom if it has taken Stealth Rock damage but cannot KO a full HP Houndoom. Alternatively, if Houndoom switches into a mispredicted Sludge Bomb from defensive Weezing and Stealth Rock is up, it won't have enough health left to survive Milotic's Surf. Beyond highlighting the importance of playing this set carefully, these examples also illustrate why Rapid Spin support is important for this Houndoom. Donphan and Kabutops are the spinners most likely to fit on a team with Houndoom due to their offensive nature, but Hitmontop and Blastoise are solid choices as well.</p>
<p>Since Houndoom will often lure and KO the opposing team’s bulky Water, it makes a good teammate for Pokemon that appreciate their absence. Feraligatr, especially bulky variants, have a much easier time sweeping when Milotic is eliminated. Bulky stat boosters like Curse Registeel, Calm Mind Spiritomb, and Calm Mind Clefable also benefit from the absence of Haze Milotic, since Milotic is many teams’ primary counter to these Pokemon. Rock Polish Rhyperior and Aggron become more effective when Aqua Jet Azumarill and Kabutops are eliminated, and they also certainly don’t mind Houndoom weakening Milotic and Blastoise. </p>
<p>This set mainly has problems with faster sweepers, priority attacks, and Chansey. Alakazam, Swellow, Scyther, Dugtrio, and most other faster, moderately powered sweepers can take Houndoom down with a STAB or super effective attack. While Passho Berry provides a buffer against Aqua Jet, it does nothing to alleviate the damage done by Arcanine's ExtremeSpeed or Blaziken's Vacuum Wave, both of which deal upwards of 70% to Houndoom.</p>
[SET]
name: Lead
move 1: Fire Blast
move 2: Dark Pulse
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Hidden Power Grass / Pursuit
item: Focus Sash / Lum Berry
ability: Early Bird / Flash Fire
nature: Naive
evs: 32 Atk / 252 SpA / 224 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Houndoom has the Speed and offensive capabilities to act as an effective anti-lead. It has great coverage with its dual STABs, and the given moveset allows Houndoom to effectively deal with the most common UU leads. Dark Pulse deals with Uxie, Mesprit, and Alakazam, while Fire Blast is useful against Spiritomb, Scyther, Nidoking, and Pinsir. Sucker Punch gives Houndoom the advantage over other attacking leads as it allows him to beat Focus Sash and priority users. Hidden Power Grass allows Houndoom to win against Cloyster, Omastar, Kabutops, and Rhyperior leads, but Pursuit can be used to trap leads like Mismagius who will most likely switch out.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Houndoom has a variety of options to choose from depending on specific team needs. A Focus Sash protects Houndoom against faster Pokemon and mispredictions, while using a Lum Berry aides it against Uxie's Thunder Wave. Counter, when combined with a Hasty nature, Defense IV of 0, and Focus Sash, can be used to score a surprise KO against physical leads. Taunt prevents entry hazards from being set up. An alternative EV spread of 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe can be used to Speed tie Leafeon and Arcanine at the cost of a slightly weaker Sucker Punch. Picking Early Bird will make it easier for Houndoom to come out on top against sleep-inducing leads, while but Flash Fire has more overall utility.</p>
<p>Although Houndoom is frail, it still has its uses later in the game. The given EVs allow it to outspeed Rotom, which also means it is faster than Moltres and Venusaur. Toxicroak makes a great teammate for Houndoom as it loves switching into Milotic, one of the most reliable counters for this set.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Overheat
move 2: Dark Pulse
move 3: Pursuit
move 4: Hidden Power Grass / Toxic
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Hasty
ability: Flash Fire
evs: 84 Atk / 196 SpA / 228 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Houndoom usually doesn't have Speed issues, but attaching a Choice Scarf makes it a competent revenge killer for Rock Polish sweepers as well as naturally faster Pokemon like Mismagius, Alakazam, and Sceptile. Houndoom's Overheat and Dark Pulse provide great coverage, by hitting the majority of the metagame for at least neutral damage. Pursuit is really what sets Houndoom apart from other Choice Scarf Pokemon, though, since it places Rotom and Mismagius in a checkmate position. Hidden Power Grass hits Rhyperior for big damage, while Toxic can cripple a predicted Milotic switch-in.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>228 Speed EVs ensures Houndoom is one point faster than Jolly Rock Polish Torterra and three points faster than Timid Choice Scarf Rotom. It takes too many Attack EVs to guarantee that Pursuit always OHKOes a switching 252 HP Mismagius, but 84 EVs ensures that if Stealth Rock is up and Mismagius switches out of Pursuit, it cannot switch back in without fainting to entry hazards (in other words, Pursuit will deal at least 13/16th of Mismagius's HP). The remaining EVs are dumped into Special Attack to power up Houndoom's main moves. If you find this set not hitting hard enough, changing its nature to Mild and/or shifting EVs into Special Attack is acceptable. A Mild nature and 160 Speed EVs will beat Jolly Rock Polish Aggron, while 124 EVs are required to outpace Adamant Rock Polish Torterra. As always, a Defense-lowering nature is preferred to make the most of Houndoom's decent Special Defense and resistance to Ghost- and Dark-type attacks.</p>
<p>As with most revenge killers, Houndoom is prone to being setup bait after it scores a KO. Opposing Houndoom and Blaziken set up on all of Houndoom's attacks; Water-type sweepers like Kabutops and Feraligatr set up on Overheat; and Toxicroak and its fellow Fighting-types set up on Dark Pulse. Finding Pokemon to cover every possible sweeper isn't very efficient, so checking to see if your team can handle the opponents’ likely set-up sweeper during a battle is recommended before you lock Houndoom into an attack. It may be tempting to use Fire Blast instead of Overheat to let less Pokemon set up, but Overheat's extra power is appreciated for a set that doesn't have a boosting item or maximized Special Attack. Plus, any Pokemon that can set up on -2 Overheat can probably also set up on Fire Blast.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>Houndoom is largely a self-sufficient sweeper; hard counters are few and far in between, which means many teams rely on redundant checks to stop Houndoom. Despite this, there are some support options that Houndoom particularly appreciates. The first is Stealth Rock support. Even though the majority of its checks and counters are aren't weak to Rock, the extra 12.5% damage inflicted on every switch puts many Pokemon, such as Azumarill, Milotic, and Dugtrio, into Houndoom's OHKO or 2HKO range. Since so many Pokemon can set up Stealth Rock, there isn't really a reason not to use it. Rapid Spin support gives Houndoom greater freedom in switching in and out of battle, letting it pressure the opponent throughout the match much more effectively. Kabutops and Donphan tend to fit best with Houndoom due to their offensive nature, but Blastoise is a sturdier option who can switch into Water-type attacks aimed at Houndoom.</p>
<p>Toxicroak is the single UU Pokemon who has the best synergy with Houndoom in UU, both offensively and defensively. While Houndoom bears a prominent weakness to Water-type moves, Toxicroak's Dry Skin ability grants him 25% HP healing every time he is hit by one. In return, Houndoom packs an immunity to Toxicroak's 4x Psychic weakness, although variants without Sucker Punch should beware of Alakazam's Focus Blast. Houndoom's primary checks and counters are Water-type Pokemon, who present Toxicroak with easy switch-in opportunities; Toxicroak should beware of Double-Edge Azumarill and the very rare Hidden Power Psychic Milotic, though. Conversely, Toxicroak is beaten by Weezing, Uxie, and Psychic Spiritomb, all of whom Houndoom easily beats. Houndoom may not be the best initial switch into Uxie until you've scouted its set fully, though, since it commonly packs Thunder Wave. One potential downside with this combination is that since their counters are so diametrically opposed from each other, you might switch out Houndoom or Toxicroak to set up the other, only to find that a completely different Pokemon on your opponent's team walls your now-active sweeper. Usually, intelligent attacking/switching attacking and switching, along with using other Pokemon like Rotom and Torterra who can wear down these walls, will let you break through the opposing defense.</p>
<p>To defensively support Houndoom, the most obvious choice is a Pokemon who switches easily into Water-type attacks. On top of Toxicroak, Venusaur and Sceptile are both good options for offensive teams; your own Milotic (if it has Toxic) or Clefable work as well. Faster Pokemon and those with priority are Houndoom's most popular revenge killers. Aqua Jet, Vacuum Wave, Mach Punch, and ExtremeSpeed maim—if not outright KO—Houndoom, but a Milotic or Rotom can absorb these hits. Spiritomb beats Hitmontop and Hitmonlee using Mach Punch as it can switch in on Mach Punch and traps Alakazam with Pursuit, but is ineffective against Blaziken and Arcanine, the most common users of Vacuum Wave and ExtremeSpeed, respectively. Many faster Pokemon (Scyther, Tauros, and Swellow) use Normal- and Flying-type attacks, while most others are primarily special attackers (Mismagius, Manectric, and Sceptile), which makes Registeel a great defensive pivot for Houndoom. Houndoom with Sucker Punch can handle some of these threats itself, but appreciates extra support regardless.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<p>For all sets using Life Orb, a 29 HP IV will decrease Life Orb recoil. With a perfect IV, Houndoom has an HP stat of 291, meaning it loses 29 HP to Life Orb recoil, while with a 29 HP IV it only has an HP stat of 289, corresponding to 28 HP lost to recoil. Although 29 HP IV Houndoom initially starts off with two fewer HP than 31 HP IV Houndoom, it gains one point relative to its counterpart every time it attacks; after two attacks, both Houndoom have equal HP, and at three or more attacks, 29 HP IV Houndoom comes out ahead. Basically, your choice should come down to how many attacks you expect Houndoom to get off before it is KOed.</p>
<p>Essentially all of Houndoom’s viable moves and items have been mentioned on one set or another, and you can mix and match these moves and items to other sets to fit specific needs. For example, if you find that you like the power that Life Orb brings but want to retain the ability to OHKO Chansey with Beat Up, you can replace Sucker Punch with Beat Up on the Life Orb set. One option that hasn’t been mentioned, though, is the Rest + Early Bird combination. This grants Houndoom the ability to fully restore HP and remove status effects at the cost of only one turn. Early Bird Houndoom can use Nasty Plot along with Flamethrower and Dark Pulse, or it can even use Flamethrower, Toxic, and Taunt with a specially defensive spread to serve as a stallbreaker.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Houndoom’s most reliable counter is specially defensive Milotic with Haze. Physically defensive Milotic also works quite well in most cases, although it has issues dealing with the uncommon Passho Berry Houndoom. Other Water-type Pokemon are also good switch-ins since they resist Houndoom’s main STAB attack. The physically oriented ones, such as Azumarill, Kabutops, and Feraligatr, commonly pack Aqua Jet, which can KO Houndoom before it is able to attack. Blastoise is essentially a lesser Milotic in terms of countering Houndoom, but can check it neatly in a pinch. Unfortunately, Omastar, Slowbro, and Slowking should keep away from Houndoom, the former due to its low special defense Special Defense and the latter two due to their weakness to Dark-type attacks.</p>
<p>Priority attacks are also a great way to check Houndoom. Arcanine’s ExtremeSpeed, Blaziken’s Vacuum Wave, Hitmontop’s Mach Punch, and the aforementioned Aqua Jet all guarantee OHKOes on Houndoom with Stealth Rock damage. Speaking of Arcanine, specially defensive versions counter Houndoom as well , too, since ExtremeSpeed (even without Attack investment) 2HKOes while a boosted Dark Pulse doesn’t OHKO. Finally, Houndoom’s frailty leaves it easy prey for faster Pokemon with a decently powered attack, such as Scyther, Tauros, Sceptile, and Swellow. Dugtrio deserves a special mention since Houndoom cannot switch out of its Earthquake due to Arena Trap. Note that However, if Houndoom has Sucker Punch, Mismagius and Alakazam should be careful when revenge killing, and Dugtrio needs Substitute to come out on top.</p>
