[OVERVIEW]
The notable Special Attack and Speed boosts Houndoom receives upon Mega Evolution make it a respectable sweeper in the UU metagame. Its movepool complements its massive Special Attack stat and strong offensive typing perfectly, containing high-Base Power STAB moves, a great boosting move in Nasty Plot, and other intriguing options such as Sludge Bomb, Taunt, and Destiny Bond. With its high Speed, Mega Houndoom outspeeds much of the unboosted tier, notably including Pokemon like Cobalion, Latias, Serperior, and Gengar. However, while its Dark / Fire typing is solid offensively, it leaves Mega Houndoom weak to the tier's common Water-, Fighting-, and Ground-type attacks. Mega Houndoom also finds itself vulnerable to all entry hazards, including a notable weakness to Stealth Rock, which in combination with its average bulk does not leave Mega Houndoom with many opportunities to fulfill its role. It also has some rough one-on-one matchups with top-tier Pokemon like Hydreigon and Mega Aerodactyl, as well as Gliscor, if it does not have a Nasty Plot boost, putting more pressure on the rest of the team to shore up those recurring weaknesses.
[SET]
name: Nasty Plot
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Dark Pulse
move 4: Sludge Bomb / Taunt
item: Houndoominite
ability: Flash Fire
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
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Nasty Plot raises Mega Houndoom's Special Attack two stages, immediately making it a threatening sweeper. Fire Blast provides Mega Houndoom with a high-Base Power STAB move, though it does possess a chance to miss. Dark Pulse is a more consistent STAB option, hitting much of the tier for solid damage and having a decent chance to cause foes to flinch. Sludge Bomb allows Mega Houndoom to threaten troublesome Fairy-types like Azumarill, Mega Altaria, and Primarina, which effectively wall its two STAB moves. Alternatively, Taunt prevents special walls like Mantine and Blissey from healing, aiding Mega Houndoom in sweeping later on in the match.
Set Details
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252 Special Attack EVs allow Mega Houndoom to hit as hard as possible. Maximum Speed investment with a Timid nature lets Mega Houndoom outspeed common threats like Cobalion, Latias, and Serperior. Houndoominite is necessary for Houndoom to Mega Evolve. Flash Fire is the preferred ability prior to Mega Evolution, as it makes it possible for Houndoom to take advantage of Choice-locked Fire-types like Infernape and Volcanion.
Usage Tips
========
Bring Mega Houndoom in mid- or late-game to either throw out strong attacks or sweep. Use Nasty Plot only when it is safe to do so and when its checks have been weakened to the point where Mega Houndoom can break through. Due to its middling bulk and weakness to entry hazards, try to bring Mega Houndoom when it is safe to do so, such as through U-turn or double switches. If necessary, Mega Houndoom can revenge kill threats like Serperior and Latias. Use Taunt against special walls when expecting recovery moves, whittling them and hindering their effectiveness later on.
Team Options
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Mega Houndoom fits best on bulky offense teams that appreciate its revenge killing and sweeping capabilities. Physical wallbreakers like Heracross and Choice Band Azumarill are essential alongside Mega Houndoom, as it struggles to break through more specially inclined walls like Blissey. Azumarill deserves a special mention, as it also counters Hydreigon, Mega Houndoom's most common answer. U-turn and Volt Switch users such as Scizor, Gliscor, and Rotom-C can bring Mega Houndoom in safely, giving it more opportunities to throw out powerful attacks or set up and sweep. Grass-types like Celebi, Amoonguss, and Serperior punish the bulky Water-types that Mega Houndoom may struggle to break through. On the other hand, bulky Water-types such as Tentacruel, Empoleon, and Swampert can help shore up some of Mega Houndoom's weaknesses, making them solid defensive partners. Due to its weakness to Stealth Rock, Mega Houndoom pairs nicely with entry hazard removers like Serperior, Latias, and the aforementioned Tentacruel and Empoleon. Entry hazard setters such as Klefki and Nihilego aid Mega Houndoom in wearing Blissey down, coupled with Mega Houndoom's Taunt.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Mega Houndoom has a wide variety of options for its flexible fourth moveslot, though they are generally less effective than the options listed above. Destiny Bond lets Mega Houndoom sacrifice itself in order to take slower Pokemon down with it, but it is fairly situational. Flame Charge gives Mega Houndoom +1 Speed, though it possesses low Base Power and there are few opportunities to viably pull it off. Hidden Power Ice hits Gliscor and Hydreigon harder than Mega Houndoom's other attacking moves, but it has little use otherwise. Hidden Power Electric punishes Mantine while maintaining respectable damage against Azumarill, but again, other options are generally much better. Sunny Day in combination with Solar Beam lets Mega Houndoom take advantage of its Solar Power ability and act as a monstrous wallbreaker, but the recoil and lack of setup opportunities often make it less useful than a simple Nasty Plot boost.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Hydreigon**: Hydreigon fears little from any of Mega Houndoom's common attacking moves and can proceed to throw out free attacks of its own.
**Special Walls**: Even with Taunt, Mega Houndoom struggles to break through sturdier special walls like Blissey, Mantine, and Snorlax due to its initial damage output against them.
**Faster Pokemon**: Fast Pokemon like Mega Beedrill, Choice Scarf Infernape, and Choice Scarf Krookodile all outspeed Mega Houndoom and can deal heavy damage to it.
**Rock-types**: Nihilego and Mega Aerodactyl shrug off any of Mega Houndoom's unboosted attacking moves and can KO it in return.
**Bulky Water-types**: Suicune, Empoleon, and Swampert can all stomach Mega Houndoom's neutral hits and deal huge damage with their STAB moves.
**Priority**: Mega Houndoom is easily picked off by common priority moves like Breloom's Mach Punch and Choice Band Azumarill's Aqua Jet.
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