Statistics
|
Min- |
Min |
Max |
Max+ |
| HP |
90
|
- |
321 |
384 |
- |
| Atk |
120
|
248 |
276 |
339 |
372 |
| Def |
120
|
248 |
276 |
339 |
372 |
| SpA |
60
|
140 |
156 |
219 |
240 |
| SpD |
60
|
140 |
156 |
219 |
240 |
| Spe |
50
|
122 |
136 |
199 |
218 |
Donphan is your typical physical tank and Rapid Spinner. Switch it into one of the many physical attacking Pokémon that it can handle, and Donphan can attack or Rapid Spin. Thanks to its high base Attack and powerful STAB Earthquake, Donphan's damage output is a lot higher than almost every physical wall in OU. Hidden Power Rock is generally superior to Rock Slide because Donphan is too slow to go for the flinch on anything he'd be using Rock Slide on. Also, Hidden Power Rock does more average damage and has more PP (which can be quite useful vs. a stall team, which is when Rapid Spin Donphan really shines). While Donphan is one of the few good users of Rapid Spin, it can also use Roar to function as a pseudo hazer against Pokémon like Snorlax, Salamence, and Ninjask.
This set is useful for four big reasons. The first is that as long as your opponent has Dusclops, Gengar, or some other Ghost alive, you won't be able to Rapid Spin. The Choice Band allows Donphan to 2HKO Dusclops with Earthquake and 2HKO Gengar with Rock Slide. The second is that Donphan has a horrible typing, as far as special resistances go, and matches it with an equally bad Special Defense. For this reason, Donphan has to either kill whatever special attacker is coming in with one hit, or switch out. Choice Band perfectly suits this sort of hit-and-run style of play. The third reason is that Donphan has a massive Attack stat. The fourth is sheer surprise. Donphan OHKOes Celebi with Hidden Power Bug, for instance, and nearly 2HKOes Suicune (it does 2HKO all other Waters) with Earthquake. Hidden Power Ghost can be used over Hidden Power Bug to knock out Gengar in one hit and still do some damage to Celebi.
Other Options
Counter is a nice surprise, although Donphan shouldn't be taking much physical damage anyways, and it does enough to Tyranitar with STAB Earthquake. Body Slam can paralyze, but that's about it. Substitute can be used on the Rapid Spinner in place of Rest to beat Dusclops one on one and ease prediction, but Donphan will be worn down much quicker. Toxic can be used to cripple Swampert and other Waters that often switch in on Donphan.
EVs
You'll generally want max HP and fairly equal Attack and Defense. 24 Speed EVs allows Donphan to outspeed Relaxed Swampert, but if you aren't worried about the mudfish, you can dump the EVs into Attack or Defense instead. The Choice Bander needs a bit more Attack than the Rapid Spinner. The remaining EVs are split between HP and Defense for maximum physical survivability.
Opinion
Donphan has the advantage over Claydol, Starmie, and other Rapid Spinners of actually being able to hurt the number one Rapid Spinner threat, Dusclops. However, it has serious problems with a lack of a real recovery move, and the fact that it's hurt by the Spikes that it's coming in to spin. With how popular Substitute Skarmory has become, Donphan is a rather sad elephant when it's unable to spin vs. the flying tin can on Netbattle. It also has trouble with the poison status, something Starmie can shrug off thanks to Natural Cure. It makes an excellent Dragon Dance Tyranitar counter, but has some troubles with Boah.
Counters
Donphan dies to anything special. Anything. Probably even another Donphan with Hidden Power Grass. It would not be surprising. The trick is just to get them in without dying to Donphan's massive Attack. With that in mind, bulky Water-types and Celebi make solid counters to the defensive set, but the Choice Bander do can serious damage to almost all of them. Skarmory and Flygon make good counters to the Choice Bander, and prediction in general will usually work.
