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The Great Mighty Houndoom
Overview
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-Blessed with a Mega Evo this gen
-Sucker Punch makes it stand out against other special sweepers
-Poor typing makes Houndoom have a weakness to common types
-Heat Wave is illegal this gen giving Houndoom not viable spread moves
-Poor bulk in regular form while Mega has better but not great bulk
Death(Mega Houndoom)
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Name: Death
Move 1: Sucker Punch
Move 2: Flamethrower / Fire Blast
Move 3: Dark Pulse
Move 4: Protect / Hidden Power(Ice)
Ability: Flash Fire->Solar Power
Item: Houndoomite
Nature: Naive
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpAtk / 252 Spd
IVs: 30 HP / 30 Def
Moves
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-Sucker Punch for STAB priority
-Flamethrower / Fire Blast for a strong Fire STAB
-Dark Pulse for a strong Dark STAB with a chance to Flinch
-Protect is common in VGC and can help stall a turn
-Hidden Power(Ice) can help deal with pokemon that would normally wall it
Set Details
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-Fairly standard EV spread for a special sweeper;only difference being 4 in Attack for a slightly stronger Sucker Punch
-Naive to boost Speed while not lowering Attack
-IV's are the optimal choice if running HP(Ice)
-Mega set, therefore Mega stone
Usage Tips
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-Can be a sun sweeper if you have someone to bring sun in
-Late game clean up when all its threats are out of the way
-Sucker Punch can help make it a psuedo-revenge killer
Team Options
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-Sun bringer if you wish(I.E. Klefki)
-If sun, Trevenant synergizes and can run a stall like Harvest+Sitrus set
-Rage Powder user(I.E. Amoonguss)
Other Options
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-Sub+Nasty Plot set is possible but is outclassed in doubles
-Life Orb regular Houndoom set so you can pair with Mega Charizard Y
-Solar Beam or Sludge Bomb for coverage if needed
-Support like set with Taunt+Snarl+Unnerve
Checks & Counters
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-Ground-types if not using HP(Ice)
-Rock-types if not using HP(Ice)
-Mach Punch users
Overview
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For the longest while, there was not a major reason to take Houndoom. It was inferior to other pokemon that had similar roles and played nearly identical parts on a team. Chandelure, for example, had a similar role as Houndoom but was better. It had an immunity to Fighting-type moves like Mach Punch, Flash Fire ability which meant an immunity to Fire-type moves, and better bulk as well as offenses. One thing that set it apart from others was access to Sucker Punch. With Gen 6 coming along and the addition of Mega Evolutions, Houndoom was lucky enough to make the cut and get one itself. As expected, it is the same pokemon with the same role, just a cooler design and higher base stats making it more viable. Higher Special Attack, better Defense, a high Speed. In addition to this, Mega Houndoom now has Solar Power, which can make it a potent sun team sweeper. All of these being great qualities to have especially when put together with Sucker Punch. Houndoom still suffers though, as the typing is still the same Fire-Dark combo which really does not help it at all. Being weak to common types really hinders the ability to fully sweep a team. All this aside, Houndoom is still a very good special sweeper and should definitely be taken into consideration when consideration when creating your team.
Death(Mega Houndoom)
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Name: Death
Move 1: Sucker Punch
Move 2: Flamethrower / Fire Blast
Move 3: Dark Pulse
Move 4: Protect / Hidden Power(Ice)
Ability: Flash Fire->Solar Power
Item: Houndoomite
Nature: Naive
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpAtk / 252 Spd
IVs: 30 HP / 30 Def
Moves
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With Houndoom, Sucker Punch is a must have as that is a major reason to pick Houndoom over the other choices in the first place. It is especially helpful now that those pesky Steel-types have lost the resistance(I am looking at you Scizor). At this point, Heat Wave is sadly not legal on Houndoom. Therefore, Flamethrower will take the place for now as a reliable Fire STAB. Also, Fire Blast may be put in this place if you are willing to take the chance. It is more risky to use but the added power may nab to a close game. Dark Pulse is the choice for a special Dark STAB move as the chance to flinch is a nice added bonus. Lastly, Protect is a common move in VGC and is always a good moveslot. On the other hand, Hidden Power Ice can help take out Mega Garchomp as it is a pain for Houndoom to deal with.
Set Details
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The EV spread used is the common one for a special sweeper. The only minor change is the minor investment in Attack to make Sucker Punch a little stronger. The chosen nature is meant to boost Speed while not hindering Attack as you want Sucker Punch to do as much as possible while still having a high Special Attack. If running HP Ice, this IV spread will help make sure that none of its offenses are being hindered as sometimes that one point can make all the difference. Considering this set is made for Mega Houndoom, the Houndoomite must be the item of choice.
Usage Tips
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Houndoom is often overlooked due to it seeming inferior to other pokemon that have similar roles. Then, thanks to the 6th Gen and Mega Evos, Houndoom was given a Mega and this set was meant to take full advantage of Mega Houndoom and his offensive skills. Mega Houndoom functions well in a sun team thanks to having Solar Power as an ability. It can deal a good amount of damage to anything in the sun but this is just an added bonus when using Houndoom. Houndoom is used more like a clean up or later game type pokemon. You need to make sure any threat that you absolutely cannot handle is off the playing field. Then, Houndoom can come in a revenge kill with Sucker Punch before proceeding to sweep. When deciding on your Mega Evolution, Houndoom is a great choice for any team lacking a Special Sweeper.
Team Options
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Following from the last section, a pokemon that will bring sun into play is definitely a good teammate for Houndoom as it helps to add to its power. Having sun up would help by boosting its power but at this point in time, only one pokemon allowed in the ruleset has drought, Charizard Y, another Mega Evo. In addition, a pokemon with Rage Powder or Follow Me is a good teammate for Houndoom. Considering this is a fully offensive set, you want it to deal as much damage as possible and stay on as long as possible. Therefore, redirecting damage away from it will be greatly beneficial. Also, a pokemon like Trevenant would synergize well with Houndoom. It can cover the water weakness as well as being immune to Fighting-types. Another bonus is that if you are running a sun team, Trevenant can run Harvest and play a stall-like set with a Sitrus Berry.
Other Options
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Going to rework this
Checks & Counters
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Dark / Fire typing is not really the best and therefore causes him to have some common weaknesses. Some of them are included below.
-(Mega)Garchomp: Completely destroys any set that does not include HP Ice. Even when you do, it needs to be taken out quickly as Rock Slide or Earthquake is a major threat.
-Mach Punch: Some of these include Conkeldurr and Breloom. Neither of these are a major issue if you are using a Follow Me or Rage Powder team mate. Otherwise, they would be hard to take out.
-(Mega)Tyranitar: Another pokemon that is a total pain to deal with. Unlike Garchomp, Tyranitar does not have a 4x weakness to HP Ice, making it even harder to take out. It can resist both STAB moves and hit back hard with a STAB Rock Slide or Stone Edge.
