[SET]
Offensive (Houndstone) @ Spell Tag / Heavy-Duty Boots / Leftovers
Ability: Fluffy
Tera Type: Fairy / Ghost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Poltergeist
- Shadow Sneak
- Play Rough
- Roar
[SET COMMENTS]
While it faces tight competition from Decidueye and Golurk, which are both stronger, Houndstone dual functions as an effective wallbreaker and spinblocker. Fluffy is a noteworthy niche over the aforementioned Ghost-types, preventing Houndstone from being immediately ruined by moves like Knock Off and letting it trade more easily with physical attackers like Pawmot and Flamigo. Houndstone also has access to Play Rough, which hits Staraptor and Dark-types like Scrafty and Bombirdier harder than Decidueye often can, in addition to Shadow Sneak, which Golurk notably lacks. Roar prevents setup sweepers like Paldean Tauros-W, Arcanine, Scream Tail, and Dudunsparce from exploiting Houndstone or getting out of hand and spreads chip damage if entry hazards are up. Pain Split can be used instead of Roar to improve Houndstone's longevity, which bulkier teams may find more useful. Will-O-Wisp is another option that wears down walls like Wo-Chien while still punishing threats like Skuntank and slowing setup sweepers like Paldean Tauros-W down. Both options are less consistent than Roar, though, due to being predictable and having imperfect accuracy, respectively. Body Press nails Normal-types like Tera Normal Scream Tail and offers accurate coverage for Dark-types, but it's not very useful otherwise. Spell Tag allows Poltergeist to 2HKO Florges and OHKO Galarian Slowbro after Stealth Rock and one layer of Spikes. It also turns Shadow Sneak a better revenge killing tool. Spell Tag is generally better than Choice Band, even with the added power and Houndstone's access to Trick, since it gives Houndstone more room for error against Dark-types. Either Heavy-Duty Boots or Leftovers can be used to give Houndstone more staying power, which may be desirable on bulkier teams, but it loses quite a bit of power without Spell Tag. Tera Fairy removes Houndstone's weaknesses to Dark and Ghost, allowing it to get past threats like Bombirdier and Decidueye. It also boosts Play Rough and blocks Tatsugiri's Draco Meteor, which gives Houndstone an easier time denying its Rapid Spin. Tera Ghost gives Spell Tag-boosted Poltergeist the strength to 2HKO physical walls like Bellibolt after Stealth Rock and makes up for the power Houndstone loses if it forgoes Spell Tag.
Houndstone's great matchup against entry hazard removers like Alolan Sandslash and Scyther make it a good fit on hazard-stacking teams, though its wallbreaking potential and Fluffy-boosted bulk are valuable traits for bulky offense in general. Gastrodon is an amazing partner, blanking special Fire-types like Delphox and Salazzle and standing up to spinners that can pressure Houndstone out of switching in, such as Tatsugiri and Coalossal. Sturdier physical walls like Mudsdale and Gligar can cover Houndstone against threats like Arcanine, Bombirdier, and Paldean Tauros-F while still offering hazard support to help it push past bulky foes like Duraludon. Gligar should strongly consider not running Knock Off when pairing with Houndstone, though, since the move synergizes poorly with Poltergeist. Houndstone is virtually helpless against Normal-types like Dudunsparce and also struggles with Dark-types like Skuntank and Zoroark, which makes Fighting-types like Paldean Tauros-W and Flamigo excellent offensive teammates. In return, Houndstone offers these Pokemon some safety against revenge killers like Scyther and Ambipom, pressures physical walls like Bellibolt, and threatens Psychic-types like Galarian Slowbro and Scream Tail. Sticky Web teams love the role compression that Houndstone provides and are more than capable of punishing the spinners that do threaten it, with the best setters being Vikavolt and Smeargle.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/asa.400292/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/bella.567483/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/uberskitty.355061/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/autumn.384270/
Offensive (Houndstone) @ Spell Tag / Heavy-Duty Boots / Leftovers
Ability: Fluffy
Tera Type: Fairy / Ghost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Poltergeist
- Shadow Sneak
- Play Rough
- Roar
[SET COMMENTS]
While it faces tight competition from Decidueye and Golurk, which are both stronger, Houndstone dual functions as an effective wallbreaker and spinblocker. Fluffy is a noteworthy niche over the aforementioned Ghost-types, preventing Houndstone from being immediately ruined by moves like Knock Off and letting it trade more easily with physical attackers like Pawmot and Flamigo. Houndstone also has access to Play Rough, which hits Staraptor and Dark-types like Scrafty and Bombirdier harder than Decidueye often can, in addition to Shadow Sneak, which Golurk notably lacks. Roar prevents setup sweepers like Paldean Tauros-W, Arcanine, Scream Tail, and Dudunsparce from exploiting Houndstone or getting out of hand and spreads chip damage if entry hazards are up. Pain Split can be used instead of Roar to improve Houndstone's longevity, which bulkier teams may find more useful. Will-O-Wisp is another option that wears down walls like Wo-Chien while still punishing threats like Skuntank and slowing setup sweepers like Paldean Tauros-W down. Both options are less consistent than Roar, though, due to being predictable and having imperfect accuracy, respectively. Body Press nails Normal-types like Tera Normal Scream Tail and offers accurate coverage for Dark-types, but it's not very useful otherwise. Spell Tag allows Poltergeist to 2HKO Florges and OHKO Galarian Slowbro after Stealth Rock and one layer of Spikes. It also turns Shadow Sneak a better revenge killing tool. Spell Tag is generally better than Choice Band, even with the added power and Houndstone's access to Trick, since it gives Houndstone more room for error against Dark-types. Either Heavy-Duty Boots or Leftovers can be used to give Houndstone more staying power, which may be desirable on bulkier teams, but it loses quite a bit of power without Spell Tag. Tera Fairy removes Houndstone's weaknesses to Dark and Ghost, allowing it to get past threats like Bombirdier and Decidueye. It also boosts Play Rough and blocks Tatsugiri's Draco Meteor, which gives Houndstone an easier time denying its Rapid Spin. Tera Ghost gives Spell Tag-boosted Poltergeist the strength to 2HKO physical walls like Bellibolt after Stealth Rock and makes up for the power Houndstone loses if it forgoes Spell Tag.
Houndstone's great matchup against entry hazard removers like Alolan Sandslash and Scyther make it a good fit on hazard-stacking teams, though its wallbreaking potential and Fluffy-boosted bulk are valuable traits for bulky offense in general. Gastrodon is an amazing partner, blanking special Fire-types like Delphox and Salazzle and standing up to spinners that can pressure Houndstone out of switching in, such as Tatsugiri and Coalossal. Sturdier physical walls like Mudsdale and Gligar can cover Houndstone against threats like Arcanine, Bombirdier, and Paldean Tauros-F while still offering hazard support to help it push past bulky foes like Duraludon. Gligar should strongly consider not running Knock Off when pairing with Houndstone, though, since the move synergizes poorly with Poltergeist. Houndstone is virtually helpless against Normal-types like Dudunsparce and also struggles with Dark-types like Skuntank and Zoroark, which makes Fighting-types like Paldean Tauros-W and Flamigo excellent offensive teammates. In return, Houndstone offers these Pokemon some safety against revenge killers like Scyther and Ambipom, pressures physical walls like Bellibolt, and threatens Psychic-types like Galarian Slowbro and Scream Tail. Sticky Web teams love the role compression that Houndstone provides and are more than capable of punishing the spinners that do threaten it, with the best setters being Vikavolt and Smeargle.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/asa.400292/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/bella.567483/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/uberskitty.355061/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/autumn.384270/
Last edited:
