[OVERVIEW]
Dodrio's high Attack and Normal-type STAB make it one of the strongest physical attackers in the tier. Its high Speed—tied with the dominant Tentacruel, gives it a 19.5% critical hit rate, further improving its offensive prowess. These attributes, along with the paralysis chance of Body Slam make Dodrio very hard to switch into. Body Slam into Hyper Beam is capable of KOing foes such as Tentacruel and opposing Dodrio, while a critical hit on either move can allow Dodrio to take out bulkier threats such as Kangaskhan and Dragonite. Dodrio's Flying typing grants it STAB Drill Peck to 2HKO the Normal-resistant Haunter, as well as a Ground immunity, which is especially helpful against Dugtrio. Dodrio can be used at any point in the game. It can be an effective lead, a mid-game wallbreaker, or a late-game sweeper, making it one of the most important offensive Pokemon in the tier.
Despite these upsides, Dodrio suffers from its frailty. The aforementioned Flying typing gives it weaknesses to Ice-, Electric-, and Rock-type attacks, making it struggle defensively many common Pokemon such as Dewgong, Electabuzz, and Electrode, as well as Rock Slide from Dugtrio. Dodrio doesn't love taking neutral hits either; it has a 69.6% chance to be 2HKOed by Kadabra's Psychic, a 43.6% chance to be OHKOed by a critical hit, and is likely to be KOed by Kangaskhan's Body Slam followed up by Hyper Beam. Although Dodrio is quite fast, it it still outsped by Kadabra, Dugtrio, Electabuzz, Electrode, Persian, and the rare Aerodactyl. Dodrio's frailty also means it hates paralysis, as it relies on its Speed to be an effective wallbreaker. Although this is somewhat alleviated by Agility, Dodrio's frailty makes setting up difficult. Dodrio is also walled by Golem and Omastar—they both shrug off Dodrio's attacks and can hit it back with super-effective moves.
[SET]
name: Physical Attacker
move 1: Body Slam
move 2: Hyper Beam
move 3: Drill Peck
move 4: Agility
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Body Slam is Dodrio's primary STAB option, doing heavy damage to a significant portion of the tier coupled with a 30% paralysis chance. Dodrio's Hyper Beam is the strongest physical attack in the tier outside of Explosion, and it makes Dodrio very hard to switch into. Hyper Beam following a Body Slam is capable of KOing many frailer foes—most notably Tentacruel, and if Body Slam lands a critical hit, every non-resistant foe is put into range of Hyper Beam. Drill Peck allows Dodrio to 2HKO Haunter and Tangela, along with rarer foes such as Venusaur and Poliwrath. Drill Peck also allows Dodrio to hit Kangaskhan without having to worry about Counter. Lastly, Agility allows Dodrio to outspeed foes such as Kadabra and Dugtrio, while also letting it negate the Speed drop from paralysis.
Dodrio can be used as a lead in order to start dealing heavy damage to the opposing team from the first turn. It is outsped and 2HKOed by the common Electabuzz lead, so it is often worth switching into a Ground-type such as Dugtrio. However, Electabuzz can predict this switch and use Body Slam to catch Dugtrio coming in. If the Dodrio user thinks Electabuzz will do this, they can also stay in and use Body Slam on Electabuzz. Even if Electabuzz uses Thunderbolt, it needs to be a critical hit to KO Dodrio, and if Dodrio paralyzes Electabuzz with Body Slam, a follow-up Hyper Beam is a guaranteed KO. However, this is risky and Dodrio should switch out most of the time. Against Kadabra, Dodrio can use Hyper Beam to OHKO it or use Body Slam to catch a predicted switch. Against Dragonite and Clefable leads, Dodrio is best off attacking from the first turn. Against Dragonite, it should use Body Slam to attempt to paralyze it, while against Clefable it can try to use Hyper Beam as a critical hit will KO, although Sing Clefable can put Dodrio to sleep on the recharge turn after paralyzing Dodrio in the first turn. Dodrio Speed ties Ninetales and must be wary of Burn, but Body Slam into Hyper Beam is favored to KO, although switching into a Water-type such as Tentacruel to take Fire Blast is also an option. Against Kangaskhan, Dodrio should use Drill Peck instead of Body Slam since it covers Counter, and the upsides of Body Slam are basically nonexistent since the damage difference is trivial and Kangaskhan cannot be paralyzed. If Kangaskhan uses Counter and it fails, Dodrio is heavily favored to beat it 1-on-1. Even if Kangaskhan doesn't use Counter, Dodrio can still win if it lands a critical hit.
In the back, Dodrio can function as both a mid-game wallbreaker and a late-game cleaner. Dodrio's frailty means it often has trouble switching in. Dodrio can enter the field by either revenge killing a foe, being pivoted in with Wrap from Tentacruel or Dragonite, or on a predicted Earthquake from Dugtrio, although it must be weary of Slash. Although it is hard for any non-Rock-type to switch in directly, an unboosted Dodrio can be revenge killed by Electric-types, Kadabra, Persian, Dugtrio, and the rare Aerodactyl once its at low HP. Although they are slower, Dragonite, Clefable and Dewgong, can come in after a KO; the former two threaten Dodrio with paralysis, while the latter OHKOes with Blizzard. If Dodrio is able to find an opportunity to set up Agility, it outspeeds and OHKOes Kadabra and Dugtrio, and is favored to beat Tentacruel one-on-one. However, Dodrio's frailty makes setting up difficult, and it should typically only be used when a sweep is imminent, or if the foe is faster and has no reason to switch out. In any other case, such as against a slower foe or a faster one that will likely switch out, it is better for Dodrio to directly attack.
Water-types are fantastic teammates for Dodrio. They are able to check Golem, Dragonite and switch into Ice-type attacks. Tentacruel and Vaporeon can also switch into lead Ninetales if Dodrio doesn't want to take the damage from Fire Blast. Tentacruel also deserves a special mention as its Wrap allows Dodrio to find safe entry, and Dodrio can also switch directly into an Earthquake from Dugtrio aimed at Tentacruel. Clefable is also a good teammate that can switch into Golem. Other Normal-types such as Kangaskhan and Persian synergize well with Dodrio; they can take advantage of the Normal-type's scarcity of resistances to overwhelm the opposing team offensively. Kangaskhan is a great switch-in to Golem, while Persian 2HKOes it with Bubble Beam, and in return Dodrio 2HKOes Haunter to support Persian.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Other options are typically not advised on Dodrio, but Agility can sometimes be dropped for alternatives. Substitute lets Dodrio punish an opponent attempting to sacrifice a sleeping or low-HP pokemon for momentum, but Dodrio can still be paralyzed behind a Substitute, and a lack of Agility makes paralysis much worse for it. Dodrio can use Double-Edge in order to do slightly more damage than Body Slam, but Body Slam's chance for paralysis and Double-Edge's recoil make Body Slam a generally superior option. Notably, a small amount of recoil puts Dodrio in range of Tentacruel's Blizzard, Thunderbolt from Electabuzz and Electrode, and 2HKO range from Kangaskhan's Rock Slide.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Rock-types**: Golem and Omastar are the only Pokemon that can comfortably switch into Dodrio's attacks. Golem 2HKOes Dodrio with Rock Slide, and Omastar has a 92.3% chance to 2HKO with Surf. Golem can also use Earthquake to catch whatever teammate Dodrio switches out to, and well as Fire Blast which threatens a potential Kangaskhan switch-in with Burn, while also covering Dodrio staying and Tangela switching in. Aerodactyl is a much shakier check due to its lower physical bulk and power, while also being ruined by Body Slam paralysis. However, it is still a decent switch-in to Drill Peck and Hyper Beam, and it can revenge kill Dodrio at low HP.
**Dewgong**: Dewgong is bulky enough to survive Body Slam into Hyper Beam, and OHKOes Dodrio with Blizzard. However, Dewgong is always OHKOed by a critical hit Hyper Beam isn't able to exploit Dodrio's recharge turn with setup, making Hyper Beam a safe last-resort option for Dodrio.
**Electric-types**: Although they cannot switch in as they hate Body Slam paralysis and are KOed by Body Slam into Hyper Beam, Electabuzz and Electrode both outspeed and 2HKO Dodrio. They both also have high critical hit rates and OHKO Dodrio if they get a critical hit. The less common Raichu also 2HKOes Dodrio, but the matchup is closer to a 50/50 since it Speed ties.
**Other Special Attackers**: Dragonite and Clefable are both bulky paralysis users which 2HKO Dodrio with Blizzard or Thunderbolt, meaning they can hit Dodrio for massive damage if it tries to use Agility after it becomes paralyzed. Dragonite can also deny Agility by using Wrap on Dodrio if it does not get paralyzed by Body Slam, and chipping it until it's in OHKO range. Gyarados lives Body Slam into Hyper Beam and can 2HKO with either Thunderbolt or Blizzard. Vaporeon similarly lives Body Slam into Hyper Beam and has a 64.2% chance 2HKO it back with Surf. If Vaporeon doesn't get the 2HKO, it can finish it off with Quick Attack, which can also be used to revenge kill a low-HP Dodrio. Acid Armor can also protect Vaporeon from Dodrio, but setting up Acid Armor in front of an unparalyzed Dodrio is unadvisable. Tentacruel usually does not live Body Slam into Hyper Beam, but it does Speed tie while 2HKOing with Surf or dealing up to 92% with Blizzard. In the lead slot, Ninetales Speed ties, 2HKOes and threatens burn with Fire Blast, and sometimes lives Body Slam into Hyper Beam.
**Offensive Normal-Types**: Persian outspeeds Dodrio and is favored to win one-on-one if it carries Hyper Beam. Although Kangaskhan is slower, it is also favored to win one-on-one provided Dodrio does not get a critical hit. Dodrio itself can also be a revenge killer, since Hyper Beam does a minimum of 67.1%.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gastlies.540559/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sabelette.583793/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/juoean.486979/
Grammar checked by:
Dodrio's high Attack and Normal-type STAB make it one of the strongest physical attackers in the tier. Its high Speed—tied with the dominant Tentacruel, gives it a 19.5% critical hit rate, further improving its offensive prowess. These attributes, along with the paralysis chance of Body Slam make Dodrio very hard to switch into. Body Slam into Hyper Beam is capable of KOing foes such as Tentacruel and opposing Dodrio, while a critical hit on either move can allow Dodrio to take out bulkier threats such as Kangaskhan and Dragonite. Dodrio's Flying typing grants it STAB Drill Peck to 2HKO the Normal-resistant Haunter, as well as a Ground immunity, which is especially helpful against Dugtrio. Dodrio can be used at any point in the game. It can be an effective lead, a mid-game wallbreaker, or a late-game sweeper, making it one of the most important offensive Pokemon in the tier.
Despite these upsides, Dodrio suffers from its frailty. The aforementioned Flying typing gives it weaknesses to Ice-, Electric-, and Rock-type attacks, making it struggle defensively many common Pokemon such as Dewgong, Electabuzz, and Electrode, as well as Rock Slide from Dugtrio. Dodrio doesn't love taking neutral hits either; it has a 69.6% chance to be 2HKOed by Kadabra's Psychic, a 43.6% chance to be OHKOed by a critical hit, and is likely to be KOed by Kangaskhan's Body Slam followed up by Hyper Beam. Although Dodrio is quite fast, it it still outsped by Kadabra, Dugtrio, Electabuzz, Electrode, Persian, and the rare Aerodactyl. Dodrio's frailty also means it hates paralysis, as it relies on its Speed to be an effective wallbreaker. Although this is somewhat alleviated by Agility, Dodrio's frailty makes setting up difficult. Dodrio is also walled by Golem and Omastar—they both shrug off Dodrio's attacks and can hit it back with super-effective moves.
[SET]
name: Physical Attacker
move 1: Body Slam
move 2: Hyper Beam
move 3: Drill Peck
move 4: Agility
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Body Slam is Dodrio's primary STAB option, doing heavy damage to a significant portion of the tier coupled with a 30% paralysis chance. Dodrio's Hyper Beam is the strongest physical attack in the tier outside of Explosion, and it makes Dodrio very hard to switch into. Hyper Beam following a Body Slam is capable of KOing many frailer foes—most notably Tentacruel, and if Body Slam lands a critical hit, every non-resistant foe is put into range of Hyper Beam. Drill Peck allows Dodrio to 2HKO Haunter and Tangela, along with rarer foes such as Venusaur and Poliwrath. Drill Peck also allows Dodrio to hit Kangaskhan without having to worry about Counter. Lastly, Agility allows Dodrio to outspeed foes such as Kadabra and Dugtrio, while also letting it negate the Speed drop from paralysis.
Dodrio can be used as a lead in order to start dealing heavy damage to the opposing team from the first turn. It is outsped and 2HKOed by the common Electabuzz lead, so it is often worth switching into a Ground-type such as Dugtrio. However, Electabuzz can predict this switch and use Body Slam to catch Dugtrio coming in. If the Dodrio user thinks Electabuzz will do this, they can also stay in and use Body Slam on Electabuzz. Even if Electabuzz uses Thunderbolt, it needs to be a critical hit to KO Dodrio, and if Dodrio paralyzes Electabuzz with Body Slam, a follow-up Hyper Beam is a guaranteed KO. However, this is risky and Dodrio should switch out most of the time. Against Kadabra, Dodrio can use Hyper Beam to OHKO it or use Body Slam to catch a predicted switch. Against Dragonite and Clefable leads, Dodrio is best off attacking from the first turn. Against Dragonite, it should use Body Slam to attempt to paralyze it, while against Clefable it can try to use Hyper Beam as a critical hit will KO, although Sing Clefable can put Dodrio to sleep on the recharge turn after paralyzing Dodrio in the first turn. Dodrio Speed ties Ninetales and must be wary of Burn, but Body Slam into Hyper Beam is favored to KO, although switching into a Water-type such as Tentacruel to take Fire Blast is also an option. Against Kangaskhan, Dodrio should use Drill Peck instead of Body Slam since it covers Counter, and the upsides of Body Slam are basically nonexistent since the damage difference is trivial and Kangaskhan cannot be paralyzed. If Kangaskhan uses Counter and it fails, Dodrio is heavily favored to beat it 1-on-1. Even if Kangaskhan doesn't use Counter, Dodrio can still win if it lands a critical hit.
In the back, Dodrio can function as both a mid-game wallbreaker and a late-game cleaner. Dodrio's frailty means it often has trouble switching in. Dodrio can enter the field by either revenge killing a foe, being pivoted in with Wrap from Tentacruel or Dragonite, or on a predicted Earthquake from Dugtrio, although it must be weary of Slash. Although it is hard for any non-Rock-type to switch in directly, an unboosted Dodrio can be revenge killed by Electric-types, Kadabra, Persian, Dugtrio, and the rare Aerodactyl once its at low HP. Although they are slower, Dragonite, Clefable and Dewgong, can come in after a KO; the former two threaten Dodrio with paralysis, while the latter OHKOes with Blizzard. If Dodrio is able to find an opportunity to set up Agility, it outspeeds and OHKOes Kadabra and Dugtrio, and is favored to beat Tentacruel one-on-one. However, Dodrio's frailty makes setting up difficult, and it should typically only be used when a sweep is imminent, or if the foe is faster and has no reason to switch out. In any other case, such as against a slower foe or a faster one that will likely switch out, it is better for Dodrio to directly attack.
Water-types are fantastic teammates for Dodrio. They are able to check Golem, Dragonite and switch into Ice-type attacks. Tentacruel and Vaporeon can also switch into lead Ninetales if Dodrio doesn't want to take the damage from Fire Blast. Tentacruel also deserves a special mention as its Wrap allows Dodrio to find safe entry, and Dodrio can also switch directly into an Earthquake from Dugtrio aimed at Tentacruel. Clefable is also a good teammate that can switch into Golem. Other Normal-types such as Kangaskhan and Persian synergize well with Dodrio; they can take advantage of the Normal-type's scarcity of resistances to overwhelm the opposing team offensively. Kangaskhan is a great switch-in to Golem, while Persian 2HKOes it with Bubble Beam, and in return Dodrio 2HKOes Haunter to support Persian.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Other options are typically not advised on Dodrio, but Agility can sometimes be dropped for alternatives. Substitute lets Dodrio punish an opponent attempting to sacrifice a sleeping or low-HP pokemon for momentum, but Dodrio can still be paralyzed behind a Substitute, and a lack of Agility makes paralysis much worse for it. Dodrio can use Double-Edge in order to do slightly more damage than Body Slam, but Body Slam's chance for paralysis and Double-Edge's recoil make Body Slam a generally superior option. Notably, a small amount of recoil puts Dodrio in range of Tentacruel's Blizzard, Thunderbolt from Electabuzz and Electrode, and 2HKO range from Kangaskhan's Rock Slide.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Rock-types**: Golem and Omastar are the only Pokemon that can comfortably switch into Dodrio's attacks. Golem 2HKOes Dodrio with Rock Slide, and Omastar has a 92.3% chance to 2HKO with Surf. Golem can also use Earthquake to catch whatever teammate Dodrio switches out to, and well as Fire Blast which threatens a potential Kangaskhan switch-in with Burn, while also covering Dodrio staying and Tangela switching in. Aerodactyl is a much shakier check due to its lower physical bulk and power, while also being ruined by Body Slam paralysis. However, it is still a decent switch-in to Drill Peck and Hyper Beam, and it can revenge kill Dodrio at low HP.
**Dewgong**: Dewgong is bulky enough to survive Body Slam into Hyper Beam, and OHKOes Dodrio with Blizzard. However, Dewgong is always OHKOed by a critical hit Hyper Beam isn't able to exploit Dodrio's recharge turn with setup, making Hyper Beam a safe last-resort option for Dodrio.
**Electric-types**: Although they cannot switch in as they hate Body Slam paralysis and are KOed by Body Slam into Hyper Beam, Electabuzz and Electrode both outspeed and 2HKO Dodrio. They both also have high critical hit rates and OHKO Dodrio if they get a critical hit. The less common Raichu also 2HKOes Dodrio, but the matchup is closer to a 50/50 since it Speed ties.
**Other Special Attackers**: Dragonite and Clefable are both bulky paralysis users which 2HKO Dodrio with Blizzard or Thunderbolt, meaning they can hit Dodrio for massive damage if it tries to use Agility after it becomes paralyzed. Dragonite can also deny Agility by using Wrap on Dodrio if it does not get paralyzed by Body Slam, and chipping it until it's in OHKO range. Gyarados lives Body Slam into Hyper Beam and can 2HKO with either Thunderbolt or Blizzard. Vaporeon similarly lives Body Slam into Hyper Beam and has a 64.2% chance 2HKO it back with Surf. If Vaporeon doesn't get the 2HKO, it can finish it off with Quick Attack, which can also be used to revenge kill a low-HP Dodrio. Acid Armor can also protect Vaporeon from Dodrio, but setting up Acid Armor in front of an unparalyzed Dodrio is unadvisable. Tentacruel usually does not live Body Slam into Hyper Beam, but it does Speed tie while 2HKOing with Surf or dealing up to 92% with Blizzard. In the lead slot, Ninetales Speed ties, 2HKOes and threatens burn with Fire Blast, and sometimes lives Body Slam into Hyper Beam.
**Offensive Normal-Types**: Persian outspeeds Dodrio and is favored to win one-on-one if it carries Hyper Beam. Although Kangaskhan is slower, it is also favored to win one-on-one provided Dodrio does not get a critical hit. Dodrio itself can also be a revenge killer, since Hyper Beam does a minimum of 67.1%.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gastlies.540559/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sabelette.583793/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/juoean.486979/
Grammar checked by:
Last edited:
