https://pokepast.es/ab8f2128f3837253
Hey y'all, looking to improve upon this team concept I've been iterating on based around several Pokemon I've found highly effective in the current meta, primarily Dondozo and hazards Garchomp, as well as CB Roaring Moon. It's not perfect though and there's some trouble spots for the team I haven't worked out yet which is where I'm hoping you all come in. For reference this build has climbed to the 1700 level without any difficulties and it's now where I feel it needs to be improved.
Couple things in advance, I'm not looking to build a stall team. I value offensive pressure and forcing the opponent to respond to my game plan more than I do reactive play. I want each member of my team to be consistently able to advance my game state. I'm willing to change up the team composition to an extent, switching around team members, replacing different members for the pacing as long as Dondozo remains on the team, but I'm more amenable to structural changes that lean offensive than defensive. I'm a balance player with an attacking heart and that's the direction I want to keep the team focused.
One of my favorite mons at the moment, it's extremely rare that this Garchomp doesn't put in significant work into any team structure. Bulky enough to live almost any hit, usually multiple, strong enough to threaten most offensive Pokemon, and advances the game plan by setting the hazards that turn the defensive walls into offensive pressure. Rocky Helmet+Rough Skin is part of the spinblocking plan and provides serious passive chip damage in the right setting. Dragon Tail is a backup plan against certain sweepers and teams and part of the main offensive pressure plan against any Annihilape that thinks they can set up freely. Ting-Lu is a consideration for this slot using the SR/EQ/WW/Ruination max Sdef set.
My latest flavor of the week passion, Skeledirge has been a necessary addition to the original team structure which has given it important backbone against special sweeping threats, most notably including Volcarona, Iron Moth, and Iron Valiant, as well as opposing Skeledirge. Without Dirge I frequently found myself in positions where their power and coverage would overwhelm the rest of the team; with Skeledirge they are significantly less threatening (excepting Tera Ghost Shadow Ball/Knock Off mixed Iron Valiant). Tera Fairy has been the main thing making the set work giving Dirge serious flexibility in what it can cover defensively. The set is self-explanatory, Dirge occasionally functions as a late game sweeper when unable to be checked.
My favorite mon at the moment and the main reason to play balance in my opinion. Full defensive Dondozo is a brick shithouse that single handedly invalidates a third of the tier. Walls every Roaring Moon, Dragonite, and Chien-Pao forever, as well as stalling out opposing Curse Dozo sets. In my opinion RestTalk two attacks is the current best set Dozo can run though I understand the appeal of Curse sets. There are simply too many occasions where both attacking moves are necessary to maintain pressure against the opponent, particularly while sleeping to continue to be a threat while resting and to not let something like CB Chien-Pao fish for Crunch defense drops. Originally I had Tera Grass but I found it didn't come up much, Tera Dark is chosen instead to take advantage of bold Chi-Yu switchins who then get OTKed by Liquidation when their Dark Pulse no longer kills.
The natural glue to the hazard stacking game plan, Dengo is more or less mandatory (or is it?) on this type of team structure. I have found Scarf to be very useful in assisting with checking Iron Valiant and Dragapult in particular, with Trick also supporting stallbreaking attempts in the mid to late game, but I have considered other sets as well, SubNP could be very dangerous. Focus Blast is used on this set as a backup plan vs Chi-Yu which otherwise can come in comfortably, the Boots set in particular. Tera Fighting is chosen as a backup coverage plan against Kingambit though it is rarely used. I have also experimented with Boots Hex/Willo/Uturn Dragapult on the same team but I found the roles to overlap too heavily with Gholdengo. I am interested in using Tera Ghost Specs Dragapult as well, but am concerned about the same issue defensively.
Currently the slot I'm least sure about, Tusk has been a mixed bag of results. On the one hand, it carries serious speed and power as a supporting physical attacker to Garchomp who can help break down offensive cores. It breaks Gholdengo supporting my own hazard game, particularly effective against Ting-Lu and Toxic Spikes teams which - while not the most threatening thing in the world - do need to be addressed so that Dondozo doesn't get broken through. Also bulky enough to take a serious number of hits even without investment. I tried an Assault Vest set but I did find the speed to be important to achieve the Spin function. On the other hand it often finds itself out of place, it doesn't have the easiest time switching in against certain teams and when it does it often overlaps defensive functions with Garchomp or Dondozo. Vs especially offensive teams it rarely finds time to get in at all with the danger of boosted Moonblasts, Shadow Balls, Icicle Crashes, or Acrobatics lurking. In some respects this is to be expected, it finds the most value against opposing mid-range teams, but the slot value has been a consistent question mark through the team builds. Other members I have experimented with here include Corviknight and Talonflame.
Finally there is the unexpected team slot that I have come to love in Banded Roaring Moon. When I was building the original team structure one of my philosophies as a Dondozo user was the desire to build in such a way as to blank the effectiveness of opposing Dozo, ruling out DD Acro/Booster energy moon sets. Instead, CB was my set of choice alongside the aforementioned Dragapult. In principle the Banded U-turns provided by Moon provide consistent momentum pressure throughout the mid-game while Crunch and Earthquake offer needed revenge killing potential, before Crunch overpowers opponents for a late-game cleaning. Tera Steel and Iron Head have been another concession against the power Fairy types of the tier, including Valiant, Hatterene, and terastallized Skeledirge. Have not experimented with this slot much, but it's possible it may not synergize with this build as it once did with Dragapult as a U-turn core - or that a return to that core may be desired.
Threat list:
Annihilape: A top tier threat to any balance team and something I prioritize to deal with at team preview immediately. Primary game plan is to maintain hazards and offensive pressure through Garchomp, Tusk, and Dengo. In a pinch Roaring Moon is strong enough to take it out from fairly high HP at +1, and Skeledirge burns/Tera Blasts can help pressure. Considering it's a Dondozo team, any structural changes must keep Annihilape in mind and have the ability to apply pressure to it and prevent it from snowballing.
Dragapult: Simply put, I don't have a switch in to Specs Tera Shadow Ball. I can play around Pult to an extent and force it out with Dengo after a sac, and when I'm in a decent position Tera Fairy Skeledirge can keep it in check, but when the opponent's team or play gives them the offensive pressure Specs Pult can overwhelm this structure.
Chi-Yu: Strong. Fortunately the speed tier and susceptibility to hazards mean that my own game plan is usually enough to keep it in check with all the fast Earthquakes running around give or take a coupe layers of hazards. However if the opponent is able to keep hazards clear or maintain Sticky Webs it can be a difficult problem to deal with. Requires careful play to manage, any structural changes must consider how they affect the Chi-Yu matchup. Heavy Duty Boots Tera Grass sets are also a notable threat.
Glimmora: The hazards sets are relatively trivial for Garchomp to handle, conceding the early layers is not especially concerning for this team. The attacking sets are more concerning however, particularly before the set is known. Has yet to be a severe threat, but a potential trouble spot I've noted.
Great Tusk: Tusk isn't a true threat in the physical sense because Dondozo can always switch in, the problem is that it forces out the remainder of the team consistently and presents an unpleasant obstacle to overcome to achieve my hazards game plan. Wearing it down with pressure often costs a lot of tempo from my own team and so hyper offensive teams backed by a Great Tusk (especially paired with a Hatterene or Specs Pult) become very difficult to handle because they force my own hand into Dozo.
Hatterene: Blanks Garchomp and thus sets my game plan back significantly in tempo. No way to avoid the hazard protection it offers but the team could benefit from a clearer way to abuse its presence.
Meowscarada: Uncommon, but Banded Flower Trick is not trivial to manage. Hazards/chip control it for the most part but it can late-game sweep me if I'm not careful.
Garganacl: Has yet to accomplish much in a game against me but could in theory. Dragon Tail+Hazards+strong physical pressure keeps it effectively in check, but any passive changes must consider it.
Cyclizar and co.: As threatening as you allow them to be, the design philosophy of always applying offensive pressure in combination with hazards, Dragon Tail, and Unaware means that smart and careful play usually prevents the Cyclizar player from accomplishing their goal. Somewhat team dependent however, Shed Tail passing to a NP Dengo for example can be a serious threat and one that made me sorely miss Infiltrator Dragapult on one situation.
Iron Hands: At the moment, it typically trades with one Pokemon due to its sheer bulk. However future changes should keep it in mind as Dozo does allow it in more or less safely and certain builds could become vulnerable to it.
Looking forward to hearing your suggestions! Please read the top of the post when you consider any changes!
Hey y'all, looking to improve upon this team concept I've been iterating on based around several Pokemon I've found highly effective in the current meta, primarily Dondozo and hazards Garchomp, as well as CB Roaring Moon. It's not perfect though and there's some trouble spots for the team I haven't worked out yet which is where I'm hoping you all come in. For reference this build has climbed to the 1700 level without any difficulties and it's now where I feel it needs to be improved.
Couple things in advance, I'm not looking to build a stall team. I value offensive pressure and forcing the opponent to respond to my game plan more than I do reactive play. I want each member of my team to be consistently able to advance my game state. I'm willing to change up the team composition to an extent, switching around team members, replacing different members for the pacing as long as Dondozo remains on the team, but I'm more amenable to structural changes that lean offensive than defensive. I'm a balance player with an attacking heart and that's the direction I want to keep the team focused.
One of my favorite mons at the moment, it's extremely rare that this Garchomp doesn't put in significant work into any team structure. Bulky enough to live almost any hit, usually multiple, strong enough to threaten most offensive Pokemon, and advances the game plan by setting the hazards that turn the defensive walls into offensive pressure. Rocky Helmet+Rough Skin is part of the spinblocking plan and provides serious passive chip damage in the right setting. Dragon Tail is a backup plan against certain sweepers and teams and part of the main offensive pressure plan against any Annihilape that thinks they can set up freely. Ting-Lu is a consideration for this slot using the SR/EQ/WW/Ruination max Sdef set.
My latest flavor of the week passion, Skeledirge has been a necessary addition to the original team structure which has given it important backbone against special sweeping threats, most notably including Volcarona, Iron Moth, and Iron Valiant, as well as opposing Skeledirge. Without Dirge I frequently found myself in positions where their power and coverage would overwhelm the rest of the team; with Skeledirge they are significantly less threatening (excepting Tera Ghost Shadow Ball/Knock Off mixed Iron Valiant). Tera Fairy has been the main thing making the set work giving Dirge serious flexibility in what it can cover defensively. The set is self-explanatory, Dirge occasionally functions as a late game sweeper when unable to be checked.
My favorite mon at the moment and the main reason to play balance in my opinion. Full defensive Dondozo is a brick shithouse that single handedly invalidates a third of the tier. Walls every Roaring Moon, Dragonite, and Chien-Pao forever, as well as stalling out opposing Curse Dozo sets. In my opinion RestTalk two attacks is the current best set Dozo can run though I understand the appeal of Curse sets. There are simply too many occasions where both attacking moves are necessary to maintain pressure against the opponent, particularly while sleeping to continue to be a threat while resting and to not let something like CB Chien-Pao fish for Crunch defense drops. Originally I had Tera Grass but I found it didn't come up much, Tera Dark is chosen instead to take advantage of bold Chi-Yu switchins who then get OTKed by Liquidation when their Dark Pulse no longer kills.
The natural glue to the hazard stacking game plan, Dengo is more or less mandatory (or is it?) on this type of team structure. I have found Scarf to be very useful in assisting with checking Iron Valiant and Dragapult in particular, with Trick also supporting stallbreaking attempts in the mid to late game, but I have considered other sets as well, SubNP could be very dangerous. Focus Blast is used on this set as a backup plan vs Chi-Yu which otherwise can come in comfortably, the Boots set in particular. Tera Fighting is chosen as a backup coverage plan against Kingambit though it is rarely used. I have also experimented with Boots Hex/Willo/Uturn Dragapult on the same team but I found the roles to overlap too heavily with Gholdengo. I am interested in using Tera Ghost Specs Dragapult as well, but am concerned about the same issue defensively.
Currently the slot I'm least sure about, Tusk has been a mixed bag of results. On the one hand, it carries serious speed and power as a supporting physical attacker to Garchomp who can help break down offensive cores. It breaks Gholdengo supporting my own hazard game, particularly effective against Ting-Lu and Toxic Spikes teams which - while not the most threatening thing in the world - do need to be addressed so that Dondozo doesn't get broken through. Also bulky enough to take a serious number of hits even without investment. I tried an Assault Vest set but I did find the speed to be important to achieve the Spin function. On the other hand it often finds itself out of place, it doesn't have the easiest time switching in against certain teams and when it does it often overlaps defensive functions with Garchomp or Dondozo. Vs especially offensive teams it rarely finds time to get in at all with the danger of boosted Moonblasts, Shadow Balls, Icicle Crashes, or Acrobatics lurking. In some respects this is to be expected, it finds the most value against opposing mid-range teams, but the slot value has been a consistent question mark through the team builds. Other members I have experimented with here include Corviknight and Talonflame.
Finally there is the unexpected team slot that I have come to love in Banded Roaring Moon. When I was building the original team structure one of my philosophies as a Dondozo user was the desire to build in such a way as to blank the effectiveness of opposing Dozo, ruling out DD Acro/Booster energy moon sets. Instead, CB was my set of choice alongside the aforementioned Dragapult. In principle the Banded U-turns provided by Moon provide consistent momentum pressure throughout the mid-game while Crunch and Earthquake offer needed revenge killing potential, before Crunch overpowers opponents for a late-game cleaning. Tera Steel and Iron Head have been another concession against the power Fairy types of the tier, including Valiant, Hatterene, and terastallized Skeledirge. Have not experimented with this slot much, but it's possible it may not synergize with this build as it once did with Dragapult as a U-turn core - or that a return to that core may be desired.
Threat list:
Annihilape: A top tier threat to any balance team and something I prioritize to deal with at team preview immediately. Primary game plan is to maintain hazards and offensive pressure through Garchomp, Tusk, and Dengo. In a pinch Roaring Moon is strong enough to take it out from fairly high HP at +1, and Skeledirge burns/Tera Blasts can help pressure. Considering it's a Dondozo team, any structural changes must keep Annihilape in mind and have the ability to apply pressure to it and prevent it from snowballing.
Dragapult: Simply put, I don't have a switch in to Specs Tera Shadow Ball. I can play around Pult to an extent and force it out with Dengo after a sac, and when I'm in a decent position Tera Fairy Skeledirge can keep it in check, but when the opponent's team or play gives them the offensive pressure Specs Pult can overwhelm this structure.
Chi-Yu: Strong. Fortunately the speed tier and susceptibility to hazards mean that my own game plan is usually enough to keep it in check with all the fast Earthquakes running around give or take a coupe layers of hazards. However if the opponent is able to keep hazards clear or maintain Sticky Webs it can be a difficult problem to deal with. Requires careful play to manage, any structural changes must consider how they affect the Chi-Yu matchup. Heavy Duty Boots Tera Grass sets are also a notable threat.
Glimmora: The hazards sets are relatively trivial for Garchomp to handle, conceding the early layers is not especially concerning for this team. The attacking sets are more concerning however, particularly before the set is known. Has yet to be a severe threat, but a potential trouble spot I've noted.
Great Tusk: Tusk isn't a true threat in the physical sense because Dondozo can always switch in, the problem is that it forces out the remainder of the team consistently and presents an unpleasant obstacle to overcome to achieve my hazards game plan. Wearing it down with pressure often costs a lot of tempo from my own team and so hyper offensive teams backed by a Great Tusk (especially paired with a Hatterene or Specs Pult) become very difficult to handle because they force my own hand into Dozo.
Hatterene: Blanks Garchomp and thus sets my game plan back significantly in tempo. No way to avoid the hazard protection it offers but the team could benefit from a clearer way to abuse its presence.
Meowscarada: Uncommon, but Banded Flower Trick is not trivial to manage. Hazards/chip control it for the most part but it can late-game sweep me if I'm not careful.
Garganacl: Has yet to accomplish much in a game against me but could in theory. Dragon Tail+Hazards+strong physical pressure keeps it effectively in check, but any passive changes must consider it.
Cyclizar and co.: As threatening as you allow them to be, the design philosophy of always applying offensive pressure in combination with hazards, Dragon Tail, and Unaware means that smart and careful play usually prevents the Cyclizar player from accomplishing their goal. Somewhat team dependent however, Shed Tail passing to a NP Dengo for example can be a serious threat and one that made me sorely miss Infiltrator Dragapult on one situation.
Iron Hands: At the moment, it typically trades with one Pokemon due to its sheer bulk. However future changes should keep it in mind as Dozo does allow it in more or less safely and certain builds could become vulnerable to it.
Looking forward to hearing your suggestions! Please read the top of the post when you consider any changes!
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my first recommended change is changing roaring moon to ting-lu. chi-yu and dragapults are very big threats to this team as mentioned and spdef tinglu does a fine job of 
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with the removal of roaring moon we lost out on much needed speed control. because of this i recommend booster energy iron treads. while it only procs once a game, it serves to be a very nice way of revenge