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Moves Nasty Plot lets Houndoom boost its Special Attack to scary levels. Dark Pulse is Houndoom's strongest, most reliable STAB attack that can be boosted by Darkinium Z for a one-time nuke. Fire Blast is Houndoom's secondary STAB attack that hits harder at the cost of accuracy. Taunt lets Houndoom get around Pokemon like Toxic Mandibuzz and lets it decimate stall staples like Pyukumuku. It is also fantastic for stopping Pokemon like Porygon2 from healing. Set Details Maximum Speed EVs along with a Timid nature let Houndoom outpace Pokemon like Roserade. Darkinium Z lets Houndoom break through defensive counterplay like Milotic after boosting. Flash Fire gives Houndoom some defensive utility, letting it hard counter Ninetales. Usage Tips Understand that many Fire-, Psychic-, and Ghost-types are free setup for Houndoom, so use this to your advantage by positioning Houndoom against Pokemon like Ninetales and Sigilyph. Keep in mind that using unboosted Dark Pulse and sometimes Fire Blast is a great middle-ground play that can discourage offensive early-game plays like hard switching to revenge killers, notably Tyrantrum and Virizion. Chip down defensive threats such as specially defensive Milotic and clear entry hazards from your side of the field so as to give Houndoom an easier time at breaking the opposing team. If given the opportunity, eliminate revenge killers that threaten Houndoom. Use Taunt against stall to prevent Pokemon like Toxic Pyukumuku and Toxic Cresselia from crippling Houndoom. Similarly, prevent walls like Porygon2 and Mantine from healing by using Taunt on them. Team Options Slow pivots like U-turn Noivern, Volt Switch Raikou or Mega Ampharos can bring Houndoom in freely, giving it more setup opportunities. Roserade provides Spikes, which is fantastic for softening walls, and can take on a few specific checks to Houndoom, notably Mega Blastoise and specially defensive Milotic. If using Houndoom on a balance team, make sure to pack answers to common Pokemon that force it out. For example, Registeel can take on opposing Choice Scarf Tyrantrum and provide Stealth Rock, and Mandibuzz can answer Zygarde-10% and Virizion. Pair Houndoom with entry hazard removers like Mega Blastoise so that when it comes in to set up it won't drop to a weak attack. Be wary of stacking heavy weakness when teambuilding with Houndoom. For example, it's very easy to stack a Ground weakness when using a core like Houndoom + Toxicroak, so make sure to patch up the team later on with a sturdy answer to Ground-types, notably physically defensive Mandibuzz or Tsareena.

Moves Hidden Power Ice is able to OHKO Zygarde-10% and Noivern, the latter after Stealth Rock damage, which can otherwise take a hit and KO Houndoom one-on-one. Destiny Bond allows Houndoom to take out foes that could otherwise soak up its attacks like Goodra and Snorlax, but keep in mind that it can't be used in rapid succession. Overheat serves as a powerful STAB move that achieves KOs against Pokemon that Fire Blast misses out on such as Virizion and Raikou while boasting generally higher power and slightly better accuracy. However, note that the Special Attack drop upon use makes it difficult to spam repeatedly. Toxic cripples defensive switch-ins like Milotic and Mantine, putting them on a timer. Hidden Power Grass is a viable alternative to Hidden Power Ice that takes out Rhyperior and Seismitoad at the expense of missing out on Hidden Power Ice targets like Zygarde-10% and Noivern. Set Details 12 Defense EVs allow Houndoom to always survive Choice Band Zygarde-10%'s Extreme Speed after Stealth Rock damage. The remaining EVs are tailored to maximizing both Houndoom's damage output and Speed, and a Timid nature ensures that it outpaces Pokemon like Choice Scarf Toxicroak and +1 Adamant Flygon. A Modest nature is a viable option with its ability to more reliably 2HKO Arcanine and OHKO Mismagius, but it leaves Houndoom unable to outspeed the Pokemon previously mentioned. Flash Fire grants Houndoom an immunity to Fire-type attacks, allowing it to better take on Pokemon like Ninetales. Usage Tips Choice Scarf Houndoom operates as a revenge killer as well as a late-game cleaner once checks such as Milotic and Florges are disposed of. Utilizing its Speed tier and decently powerful attacks, Houndoom can revenge kill generally fast Pokemon such as Mega Sceptile and Choice Scarf Tyrantrum. Choosing to not reveal Houndoom's item also allows it to surprise and take out foes like Virizion and Zygarde-10% one-on-one, which could otherwise outspeed and OHKO it. Houndoom can make use of Flash Fire to pivot into Pokemon like Ninetales and Choice-locked Salazzle, which pose no threat to Houndoom and give it a chance to freely fire off a move. While it can switch into weaker attacks like Mega Abomasnow's Ice Shard, Houndoom generally wants to be brought in through slow pivots, as its poor bulk limits its chances of directly switching into most Pokemon. Finally, while Houndoom's fourth moveslot options are effective for dealing with its checks or breaking past certain Pokemon, it is ill-advised to use these moves recklessly, as being Choice-locked into any one of these moves can be highly exploitable by setup sweepers and wallbreakers alike. Team Options Powerful wallbreakers such as Choice Band Zygarde-10%, Mega Ampharos, and Machamp help break down Pokemon that Houndoom struggles against like Diancie, Mandibuzz, and Porygon2 while also being generally strong Pokemon that can weaken teams to aid Houndoom in cleaning late-game. The likes of Zygarde-10% and Raikou also appreciate Houndoom's ability to break past Grass- and Ice-types like Shaymin and Sneasel. Entry hazard setters such as Metagross and Rhyperior can chip down the opposing team, giving Houndoom more leeway when attempting to revenge kill or clean. Metagross also possesses the firepower to dismantle many of Houndoom's checks, including Florges, Gigalith, and Mantine if running Thunder Punch, while providing both momentum and wallbreaking potential with Explosion. Entry hazard removal from Pokemon like Mega Blastoise, Tsareena, and Florges allows Houndoom to enter play more often, and Tsareena can provide additional pivoting capabilities through U-turn. Choice Scarf Houndoom fails to outspeed particularly fast Pokemon like Choice Scarf Flygon and +1 Shaymin, so Pokemon like Tangela and Goodra can be switched in to sponge attacks that would otherwise power through it.

Moves Nasty Plot allows Mega Houndoom to sweep teams with ease once its checks and counters have been removed, and thanks to its great typing, it can force out and set up on Pokemon such as Ferrothorn, Skarmory, Mew, Mega Sableye, and Slowbro. Fire Blast and Dark Pulse are great STAB moves that have good neutral coverage. Will-O-Wisp is useful against offensive teams and can cripple common switch-ins to Mega Houndoom such as Azumarill, Tyranitar, Terrakion, and Garchomp. It also allows Mega Houndoom to check Bisharp. Taunt can be used to stallbreak, but if it used, Mega Houndoom loses out on the utility of Will-O-Wisp. Hidden Power Grass and Sludge Bomb can be used in the last moveslot to hit Pokemon that otherwise wall Mega Houndoom, such as Azumarill, Keldeo, Terrakion, Tyranitar, Togekiss, and Mega Altaria, though Will-O-Wisp usually cripples most of these, and its utility will be missed. Sunny Day can be used to utilize Solar Power, heightening Mega Houndoom's damage output, but it can be worn down easily; Solar Beam is also easy for an opponent to take advantage of. Set Details The given EVs allow Mega Houndoom to survive 3 Seismic Tosses from Chansey and Choice Band Talonflame's Brave Bird. Flash Fire allows Mega Houndoom to switch-into Fire-type moves such as Volcarona's Fire Blast and Mega Charizard Y's Fire Blast, as well as Heatran's Lava Plume. Against Mega Charizard Y's case, a boost can be very important because it gives Mega Houndoom a Solar Power boost meaning it can do a huge amount of damage, while Tyranitar, a common teammate of Mega Charizard Y, is neutered by Will-O-Wisp. Usage Tips Offensive teams have trouble dealing with Mega Houndoom, so using Will-O-Wisp to target predicted switch-ins is vital to its success. Mega Houndoom can take advantage of stall teams' weakness to Taunt by double switching many times to wear Chansey down with Stealth Rock and then, when Chansey is weakened, Taunting it so that it cannot heal and setting up on it with Nasty Plot. Team Options Gengar and Latios make for great teammates to pair with Mega Houndoom. They appreciate Tyranitar being burned so they cannot be reliably Pursuit trapped, allowing them to wreak havoc with Shadow Ball and Draco Meteor, respectively; Earthquake Latios gets a special mention for the ability to eliminate Heatran, a check to Mega Houndoom. Gyarados has excellent synergy with Mega Houndoom and is able to set up on a bunch of switch-ins to Mega Houndoom. Mega Houndoom is also able to deal with Ferrothorn, a Pokemon that walls Gyarados. Starmie, Excadrill, Latias, and Latios can remove hazards and share nice synergy with Mega Houndoom. Toxicroak is an underrated teammate that has plenty of opportunities to spam Gunk Shot against Mega Houndoom's checks and counters such as Tyranitar, Chansey, Keldeo, Unaware Clefable, Terrakion, and Mega Altaria, if expecting a double switch.

Houndoom's unique STAB combination of Fire and Dark has valuable offensive options on the special side. For this reason, Houndoom is a threatening Nasty Plot user. With this move, Houndoom reaches 638 Special Attack at +2, which means it's going to hit hard no matter what. Fire Blast is Houndoom's Fire-type move of choice. Dark Pulse is Houndoom's strongest Dark-type move and it also gives a 20% chance of flinching your opponent. Both moves combined provide Houndoom with a very good offensive coverage, only resisted by opposing Houndoom and Sharpedo. Hidden Power Fighting strikes both resisters, Porygon2, and Snorlax hard, whereas Hidden Power Grass is there for bulky Water-types such as Suicune, Blastoise, and Milotic plus hitting Rhyperior on the spot. The EV spread is pretty straightforward: Special Attack and Speed are maximized to increase Houndoom's sweeping potential as much as possible. If you are looking to use Houndoom as an effective stallbreaker, Taunt can be used in the last slot to shut down status inducing moves and Substitute users. Rapid Spin support is mandatory: both Hitmontop and Blastoise are good options, the former takes care of Rock- and Fighting-types while the latter faces Water-types and Rhyperior better. Stealth Rock and Spikes are also important for Houndoom, as they weaken the opponent's team very quickly to the point where Houndoom can come in after setting up and clean up the remaining Pokemon of the opponent's team without too much effort. Bronzong, Swampert, and Roserade fit this role perfectly.

While Houndoom doesn't have a stellar Attack stat, it's still perfectly capable of functioning as a powerful mixed attacker. Being immune to Psychic-type moves is a huge bonus for Houndoom and this set makes use of that factor. With Pursuit in its arsenal, Houndoom becomes the ultimate threat to Mismagius and Psychic-types, such as Azelf, Meloetta, Xatu, Mew, and Victini, trapping them when they think they can safely switch out. However, we all know that Pursuit is not that strong if the opponent decides to stay in. That's where Sucker Punch kicks in: it not only fixes Houndoom's middling Speed, but also creates an intense mindgame alongside Pursuit where mispredicting will end up badly for the opponent. Fire Blast is Houndoom's best option as a Fire-type STAB move and hits very hard, even without heavy investment, taking out threats such as Heracross and Roserade. Crunch is a more consistent Dark-type attack when compared to Pursuit and Sucker Punch which eases prediction, whereas Hidden Power Grass hits bulky Water-types, such as Suicune, Blastoise, and Milotic, for super effective damage and destroys Rhyperior and Swampert, who are both taking close to nothing from any of Houndoom's other attacks. Since Houndoom is not going to be taking physical hits and it needs its Special Attack stat, Hasty nature is preferred to raise Houndoom's Speed to the max. It already has a decent Special Attack, so the remaining EVs are mainly allocated into Attack to take full potential of most of the moves listed. In the last slot, Dark Pulse can be used over Crunch to make sure Houndoom packs a Dark-type STAB move which hits on the special side. Overheat can be used over Fire Blast for more immediate power, but it often requires a switch when it needs to strike again with the same move. This problem is further compounded by the fact that Houndoom is vulnerable to every kind of entry hazard and has a weakness to Stealth Rock. Therefore, Rapid Spin support is highly recommended. Hitmontop can take on Fighting- and Rock-type Pokemon due to its defensive typing and Intimidate, and Blastoise can take hits from Water-types and put up a threat to Rock-types like Rhyperior. Entry hazard support is also advisable in order to make some KOs possible, mainly Victini. For this reason, Stealth Rock plays a huge role in Houndoom's sweep. Bronzong and Swampert are good partners. Roserade is also a good option, as it beats Water-types with ease and sets up Spikes.

Houndoom has the Speed and offensive capabilities to act as an effective anti-lead. It has great coverage with its dual STAB, and the given moveset allows Houndoom to effectively deal with the most common UU leads. Dark Pulse deals with Uxie, Mesprit, and Alakazam, while Fire Blast is useful against Spiritomb, Scyther, Nidoking, and Pinsir. Sucker Punch gives Houndoom the advantage over other attacking leads as it allows him to beat Focus Sash and priority users. Hidden Power Grass allows Houndoom to win against Cloyster, Omastar, Kabutops, and Rhyperior leads, but Pursuit can be used to trap leads like Mismagius who will most likely switch out. Houndoom has a variety of options to choose from depending on specific team needs. Focus Sash protects Houndoom against faster Pokemon and mispredictions, while using Lum Berry aids it against Uxie's Thunder Wave. Counter, when combined with a Hasty nature, Defense IV of 0, and Focus Sash, can be used to score a surprise KO against physical leads. Taunt prevents entry hazards from being set up. An alternative EV spread of 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe can be used to Speed tie with Leafeon and Arcanine at the cost of a slightly weaker Sucker Punch. Picking Early Bird will make it easier for Houndoom to come out on top against sleep-inducing leads, but Flash Fire has more overall utility. Although Houndoom is frail, it still has its uses later in the game. The given EVs allow it to outspeed Rotom, which also means it is faster than Moltres and Venusaur. Toxicroak makes a great teammate for Houndoom as it loves switching into Milotic, one of the most reliable counters for this set.

Standard Nasty Plot Houndoom has issues getting past Water-type Pokemon--both defensive ones, such as Milotic, and offensive ones with Aqua Jet, such as Azumarill and Kabutops. With a Passho Berry, Houndoom has a good shot at beating all three. After one Nasty Plot, Hidden Power Grass 2HKOes Milotic, OHKOes Kabutops, and has a good chance of OHKOing Azumarill after Stealth Rock damage. Fire Blast and Dark Pulse provide great coverage in tandem, hitting every UU Pokemon outside of Blaziken, Houndoom, and Thick Fat Hariyama for at least neutral damage. Beat Up can be used instead of Hidden Power Grass in the last slot. If your team has three or four healthy team members left, it will usually OHKO Chansey, who otherwise walls this set. This does make Houndoom less effective against opposing Water-types, but Dark Pulse can usually pick up the slack, as it will still OHKO Kabutops and 2HKO Bold Milotic. A Timid nature and straightforward EV spread are used to maximize sweeping potential. To deal more damage to specially defensive Milotic, especially variants with Haze, a Modest nature can be used instead. This still allows Houndoom to outpace base 80 Speed Pokemon like Venusaur and Kabutops, but makes it slower than Rotom, Moltres, Toxicroak, and Qwilfish. In contrast to most Houndoom sets, this one is supposed to take a hit when it attempts a sweep. This means you should take care in keeping Houndoom's health relatively high, lest it gets weakened to the point that a Water attack KOes it through the Passho Berry. For example, Azumarill's Choice Band Aqua Jet has a fair chance to OHKO Houndoom if it has taken Stealth Rock damage but cannot KO a full HP Houndoom. Alternatively, if Houndoom switches into a mispredicted Sludge Bomb from defensive Weezing and Stealth Rock is up, it won't have enough health left to survive Milotic's Surf. Beyond highlighting the importance of playing this set carefully, these examples also illustrate why Rapid Spin support is important for this Houndoom. Donphan and Kabutops are the spinners most likely to fit on a team with Houndoom due to their offensive nature, but Hitmontop and Blastoise are solid choices as well. Since Houndoom often lures and KOes the opposing team's bulky Water, it makes a good teammate for Pokemon that appreciate their absence. Feraligatr, especially bulky variants, have a much easier time sweeping when Milotic is eliminated. Bulky stat boosters like Curse Registeel, Calm Mind Spiritomb, and Calm Mind Clefable also benefit from the absence of Haze Milotic, since Milotic is many teams' primary counter to these Pokemon. Rock Polish Rhyperior and Aggron become more effective when Aqua Jet Azumarill and Kabutops are eliminated, and they certainly don't mind Houndoom weakening Milotic and Blastoise. This set mainly has problems with faster sweepers, priority attacks, and Chansey. Alakazam, Swellow, Scyther, Dugtrio, and most other faster, moderately powered sweepers can take Houndoom down with a STAB or super effective attack. While Passho Berry provides a buffer against Aqua Jet, it does nothing to alleviate the damage done by Arcanine's Extreme Speed or Blaziken's Vacuum Wave, both of which deal upwards of 70% to Houndoom.

Houndoom usually doesn't have Speed issues, but attaching a Choice Scarf makes it a competent revenge killer for Rock Polish sweepers as well as naturally faster Pokemon like Mismagius, Alakazam, and Sceptile. Houndoom's Overheat and Dark Pulse provide great coverage, hitting the majority of the metagame for at least neutral damage. Pursuit is really what sets Houndoom apart from other Choice Scarf Pokemon, since it places Rotom and Mismagius in a checkmate position. Hidden Power Grass hits Rhyperior for big damage, while Toxic can cripple a predicted Milotic switch-in. 228 Speed EVs ensure Houndoom is one point faster than Jolly Rock Polish Torterra and three points faster than Timid Choice Scarf Rotom. It takes too many Attack EVs to guarantee that Pursuit always OHKOes a switching 252 HP Mismagius, but 84 EVs ensures that if Stealth Rock is up and Mismagius switches out of Pursuit, it cannot switch back in without fainting to entry hazards (in other words, Pursuit takes off at least 13/16th of Mismagius's HP). The remaining EVs are dumped into Special Attack to power up Houndoom's main moves. If you find this set isn't hitting hard enough, changing its nature to Mild and / or shifting EVs into Special Attack is acceptable. A Mild nature and 160 Speed EVs will beat Jolly Rock Polish Aggron, while 124 EVs are required to outpace Adamant Rock Polish Torterra. As always, a Defense-lowering nature is preferable to make the most of Houndoom's decent Special Defense and resistance to Ghost- and Dark-type attacks. As with most revenge killers, Houndoom is prone to being setup bait after it scores a KO. Opposing Houndoom and Blaziken set up on all of Houndoom's attacks, Water-type sweepers like Kabutops and Feraligatr set up on Overheat, and Toxicroak and its fellow Fighting-types set up on Dark Pulse. Finding Pokemon to cover every possible sweeper isn't very efficient, so checking to see if your team can handle the opponent's likely set-up sweeper during a battle is recommended before you lock Houndoom into an attack. It may be tempting to use Fire Blast instead of Overheat to let less Pokemon set up, but Overheat's extra power is appreciated for a set that doesn't have a boosting item or maximized Special Attack. Plus, any Pokemon that can set up on -2 Overheat can probably also set up on Fire Blast.

Even though Houndoom's higher offensive stat is Special Attack, it would be a shame to waste its base 90 Attack stat, especially when it is backed up by STAB attacks like Pursuit and Sucker Punch. The main draw of this set is its ability to efficiently eliminate opposing Ghost-types, especially Rotom and Mismagius. While there are several viable UU Pokemon with STAB Pursuit, Houndoom is the only one immune to Will-O-Wisp, which greatly enhances its performance against defensive Ghost-types. Pursuit is a given to take advantage of Houndoom's ghostbusting abilities. Sucker Punch is an excellent utility move for Houndoom, as with proper prediction it allows Houndoom to eliminate weakened sweepers and faster threats like Alakazam. Crunch is the preferred option in the third slot; while it may seem odd to use three physical Dark-type attacks on the same set, Pursuit and Sucker Punch are only situationally useful attacks, while Crunch provides reliable power. Thunder Fang is also an option in this slot if you're concerned about hitting Moltres and Milotic for more damage. It almost always OHKOes Moltres after Stealth Rock damage (Crunch doesn't on average) and means Milotic must think twice before switching in if it is moderately weakened. Finally, Houndoom uses a high-powered special Fire-type attack in the last slot to blast through Pokemon like Donphan, Tangrowth, Venusaur, and Registeel. Fire Blast deals more damage than Overheat over two turns, but Overheat is more effective against physically bulky targets neutral to Fire, such as Donphan, and against Pokemon who would force Houndoom out before it gets a second chance to attack. The Speed EVs let Houndoom outpace Timid Rotom. Attack is maximized, and the remaining EVs are placed into Special Attack to power up Fire Blast. Houndoom needs a Speed-boosting nature that doesn't lower either of its offensive stats; Naive is out of the question as it makes Houndoom take more damage from Mismagius's and Rotom's Shadow Ball and Thunderbolt, so Hasty is chosen. Mixed Houndoom is arguably the best way to eliminate Ghost-type Pokemon in UU. It cannot be burned, and the combination of Pursuit and Sucker Punch means the only way Rotom and Mismagius can escape is if they use Thunderbolt or Hidden Power Fighting on the switch and also win the subsequent prediction game. Spiritomb, the final UU Ghost-type, is not hit super effectively by Houndoom's Dark-type attacks, but usually cannot deal any significant damage in return. Combined with the possibility of Houndoom using Nasty Plot, Spiritomb is likely to switch out, allowing Houndoom to weaken it with Pursuit. Pokemon that benefit from the absence of Ghosts are good teammates for Houndoom. Donphan is probably the most effective; Houndoom traps and eliminates the Ghost-types that threaten to block Rapid Spin, and in return Donphan spins away Stealth Rock for Houndoom. The pair also have decent synergy together, as Mismagius or Rotom switching into Donphan are more likely to use Shadow Ball or Will-O-Wisp than Thunderbolt or Hidden Power Fighting. Choice Band users like Tauros or Hitmonlee also enjoy Ghost-types out of the way so they can use their STAB attacks with greater freedom. Swords Dance Toxicroak is also a very effective partner. Defensively, Toxicroak loves switching into Water attacks aimed at Houndoom, while Houndoom gets free switches when Toxicroak is targeted by Psychic-type moves. Many teams counter Swords Dance Toxicroak with either a Ghost-type packing Will-O-Wisp or a Psychic-type like Uxie; Houndoom is able to remove both of those counters, although it might get paralyzed by Uxie's Thunder Wave. Using a specially-based spread and Dark Pulse over Crunch is also an option. 100 Atk / 184 SpA / 224 Spe is recommended; the Attack EVs guarantee a Sucker Punch OHKO on Dugtrio after Stealth Rock. This variant performs better against Registeel, Slowbro, Moltres (Dark Pulse OHKOes with Stealth Rock while Crunch does not on average), and Intimidate Arcanine, but cannot 2HKO Chansey and deals less damage to Milotic. Pursuit and Sucker Punch become weaker as well; while Houndoom still OHKOes switching Rotom and Mismagius with Pursuit, the decrease in power is noticeable when using non-switch Pursuit and Sucker Punch.

This is Houndoom's bread-and-butter Nasty Plot set. Fire Blast and Dark Pulse are both used on this set to make the most of the excellent coverage afforded by Houndoom's dual STABs. Fire Blast is Houndoom's preferred sweeping move due to its high Base Power, while Dark Pulse hits the Fire-, Water-, and Rock-type Pokemon who resist Fire Blast for heavy damage. After a Nasty Plot, Moltres, Arcanine, and Rhyperior are OHKOed, and Milotic loses upwards of 70% HP. It may be odd to see Sucker Punch, a physical attack, on a Nasty Plot set, but the move is actually an excellent tool for Houndoom, both in assisting its own sweep and in putting a stop to opposing sweepers. Sucker Punch always OHKOes 4 HP Dugtrio after Stealth Rock, which means without Substitute and good prediction it cannot stop Houndoom's sweep. Sucker Punch also prevents Choice Scarf Rotom, most Alakazam, and some Mismagius from revenge killing Houndoom. Finally, even when Houndoom is not attempting a sweep, Sucker Punch allows it to finish off faster, weakened foes. Flash Fire is used instead of Early Bird to boost Houndoom's offensive potential; for example, if Houndoom switches into Weezing's or Arcanine's Will-O-Wisp, the subsequent +2 Fire Blast will be able to 2HKO Chansey. Since Houndoom is using both physical and special attacks, a Timid nature isn't optimal. Hasty is advisable instead of Naive because it makes more sense to lower Houndoom's already dismal Defense rather than to sacrifice its decent Special Defense. Also, Houndoom's resistances are usually seen in the form of special attacks (notably Shadow Ball), and higher Special Defense means it is easier to set up on weak special attackers, such as Weezing with Sludge Bomb. The EVs may seem complicated at first glance, but fulfill specific purposes. 224 Speed EVs and a Hasty nature are used to outpace Timid Rotom along with all slower Pokemon, including Timid Moltres and Venusaur. 100 Attack EVs with a Life Orb are necessary to ensure Sucker Punch always OHKOes 4 HP Dugtrio after Stealth Rock damage. The remaining EVs are put into Special Attack to maximize Houndoom's offensive punch. If you want Houndoom to tie with opposing base 95 Speed Pokemon, such as Leafeon and Drapion, you can shift a few EVs into Speed; however, this isn't the recommended spread since Houndoom needs as many EVs as possible to spread between its attacking stats. Houndoom is hard to counter perfectly because of its high damage output, but there are a few Pokemon who are good switch-ins. Milotic, particularly specially defensive variants, can take a boosted Dark Pulse at full health and KO Houndoom with Surf. Physically defensive Milotic should be wary of taking too much previous damage, though, as Dark Pulse deals 63.4% - 74.8%. Chansey can stall Houndoom out with Toxic and Wish / Protect as long as Houndoom doesn't get a Flash Fire boost. Note that if Houndoom starts using Nasty Plot on Protect, Chansey will probably have to switch out a turn or two before Toxic kills Houndoom (perhaps to a Pokemon who resists or is immune to Fire, or a sacrifice). Azumarill resists Houndoom's primary STAB, doesn't lose too much HP to an unboosted Dark Pulse, and can use its priority Aqua Jet to OHKO Houndoom before Houndoom can attack again. There are three Pokemon in UU that resist the combination of Fire- and Dark-type attacks: Houndoom, Blaziken, and Thick Fat Hariyama. Against other Houndoom, the Houndoom who has more boosts under its belt wins with Dark Pulse. Blaziken is frail and doesn't appreciate eating Fire Blast too often, but its Vacuum Wave makes quick work of Houndoom. Thick Fat Hariyama with a specially defensive spread is an excellent Houndoom counter. Its "weakness" is its low utility outside of this role, as other common Fire-types in UU either have strong physical attacks (Arcanine and Blaziken) or have a super effective STAB attack (Moltres). Faster Pokemon who can take a Sucker Punch, such as Tauros, Scyther, and Ambipom, are good revenge killers. If you're not keen on using Sucker Punch on this set, there are some Hidden Powers that may interest you. Hidden Power Flying hits two of the three UU Pokemon who resist Houndoom's STAB combination (the last, other Houndoom, is not a big concern) super effectively, but has no utility outside of that. Hidden Power Grass is one-sixth more powerful than Dark Pulse against Water-types, but even so, cannot OHKO Milotic. Obviously, if you use Hidden Power in the last slot, Houndoom doesn't require any Attack EVs, so a simple 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe spread with a Timid nature works best. A Modest nature also becomes more viable with Hidden Power Grass, since Houndoom can then OHKO Bold Milotic with a bit of residual damage.

This set has a very simple premise behind it—defeat Ghost-types with maximum efficiency. Pursuit does exactly that, catching spinblockers switching out for double damage. Fire Blast is generally the better choice for the next slot, as Flamethrower can fail to OHKO the likes of Metagross with some HP investment. Crunch is the primary choice for the third slot, as the threat of Pursuit often dissuades Gengar from switching out and it can land an OHKO on any brazen enough to stay in. Crunch can also actively threaten the rarer Dusclops, which can weaken Houndoom if it only has Pursuit. Hidden Power Grass can also fill the third slot to take a huge chunk out of Swampert and dent other Water-types. Finally, Hidden Power Ice can take out Salamence and Flygon, as Houndoom outspeeds their standard sets. The fourth slot can be filled by one of two status moves, namely Will-O-Wisp or Toxic. Will-O-Wisp is better against physical attackers such as Gyarados, Flygon, Tyranitar, Aerodactyl, Utilitylax, and Salamence, while Toxic cripples non-Rest Swampert and Milotic, and is also better in last-Pokemon situations. The EVs given hit 300 Speed, beating all standard Salamence and Flygon. If using Hidden Power Ice, you should drop Houndoom's Attack and Defense IVs to 30 as opposed to dropping its Speed IV. 56 HP gives a total divisible by 16 for optimal Leftovers gain. Maximum Special Attack is used rather than significant defensive investment because Houndoom is painfully frail and unlikely to stay around for a prolonged period of time. Houndoom is a useful partner for the Spikes-laying spinners Forretress and Cloyster, as the pair have difficulty successfully executing a spin against more defensive Gengar and Dusclops in Cloyster's case and any Ghost-type whatsoever in Forretress's. With spinblockers out of the way, both Forretress and Cloyster will be able to more effectively keep Spikes off your side of the field. Houndoom also synergizes very well with Gengar, being immune to Psychic-type moves and resisting Ghost- and Dark-type moves, whilst Gengar is immune to Fighting- and Ground-type moves and can help Houndoom's Spikes-using partners keep their entry hazards up. Roar also works very well in conjunction with this combination of Pokemon to take advantage of Spikes to their fullest. However, this can be a dangerous strategy if the opponent has Dugtrio. Houndoom also enjoys support from Pokemon that are able to switch into bulky Water-types, such as RestTalk Zapdos and Celebi. Zapdos is useful in that it can absorb Gengar's Hypnosis, which can put Houndoom out of commission for a while, and also does not share a weakness to Dugtrio. However, Celebi also checks Snorlax and Blissey with the combination of Leech Seed and Calm Mind.

Set Description This set trades some of the utility of a more focused Pursuit set for more firepower and an improved matchup against Water-types, allowing Houndoom to wallbreak better. Sunny Day lets Fire Blast 2HKO even neutral foes and do as much as 40% to Snorlax, making it a potentially shaky switch-in where it is a reliable check otherwise. It also lowers the accuracy of Thunder, which is a problem for the very popular Electric-types Zapdos and Raikou. Sunny Day also allows Houndoom to use Solar Beam, improving its matchups against Rock- and Water-types, most notably 3HKOing Vaporeon and Suicune. Pursuit remains the main justification to using Houndoom and gives it versatility. However, lacking Crunch means that the set is less reliable for KOing Gengar and Misdreavus. This set does not need to set up sun in order to function. Houndoom's Fire Blast is still strong without sun, and its ability to Pursuit trap is always invaluable; keep in mind that Pursuit damage is sometimes more valuable than setting up sun. Additionally, due to Houndoom's low defenses and common checks, setting up sun can be difficult, so it is sometimes better to simply attack and wait for a better moment to set up sun, such as when the opponent has made it clear that they will switch to a Water-type, Electric-type, or sleeping Snorlax against Houndoom. Team Options Even with the power boost from Sunny Day, Houndoom can have a difficult time breaking through specially defensive Pokemon such as Blissey and RestTalk Snorlax. Because of this, partners that can pressure or simply eliminate these walls, such as Machamp or Explosion Cloyster, are a great help. Prior Spikes can make the difference between 2HKOs and 3HKOs, encouraging setters like Cloyster and Forretress. Golem is also noteworthy for providing Rapid Spin while being able to check Snorlax thanks to its resistances. Even though this set takes a more offensive focus, Houndoom is still able to support its team. Pursuit can still be reliably used to KO Ghost- and Psychic-types early- and mid-game, which is a big help for teammates like Machamp. This set is primarily a wallbreaker and less of wincon, great at wearing down foes for sweepers later in the game. Excellent choices for these sweepers include Machamp, which also provides defensive synergy, as well as Tentacruel and Vaporeon.

Set Description Fire Blast is Houndoom's primary STAB move, with Crunch being excellent coverage for would-be threats like Gengar and Starmie on the switch. Being forced to switch out for fear of taking a strong Fire Blast or Crunch plays directly into Houndoom's excellent Pursuit, allowing it to trap valuable targets such as Exeggutor, Gengar, Jynx, Misdreavus, and even Cloyster effectively. Houndoom further differentiates itself from fellow Pursuit user Tyranitar by resisting Giga Drain from Exeggutor, making the Pursuit trap considerably cleaner. Houndoom can also relatively easily double switch in on its preferred targets due to how predictable they can be coming in. A Gengar coming in to block Rapid Spin against Forretress or a Cloyster seeing an easy opportunity to set Spikes against Golem are both fairly easy double switches for Houndoom to Pursuit trap. In fact, thanks to Houndoom's frailty, it prefers this method of coming in. Roar and Counter are both good choices for the fourth moveslot. Roar prevents threats such as Snorlax from using Houndoom as a setup opportunity, and it can also drag in a valuable Pursuit target on which to force heavy damage. Due to its negative priority, however, Roar can leave Houndoom open to attack, which is risky due to its low defenses. Counter is another option for punishing what would normally be a safe attack from Snorlax, but a Counter used at the wrong time loses all surprise factor, and it makes Houndoom a true sitting duck against Curse Snorlax. Team Options Houndoom's Pursuit is extremely effective at removing Ghost- and Psychic-types. This is heavily appreciated by partners such as Snorlax, Machamp, and Golem, which can struggle against Pokemon such as Misdreavus and Exeggutor otherwise. Teammates that can switch in on the common Water- and Ground-type attacks thrown at Houndoom, such as Exeggutor, are also appreciated to help offset Houndoom's low bulk and improve team cohesion. Machamp gets a special mention for its ability to reliably switch in on Tyranitar and ward off Snorlax, Houndoom's two biggest counters. Ground-types such as Nidoking are also useful for switching into Electric-types such as Raikou that Houndoom is not keen on taking on. Spikes support is always handy for additional damage to further solidify potential 2HKOs and 3HKOs. It also lets Roar rack up more damage. Cloyster and Forretress both excel in setting Spikes and can even keep Spikes off of Houndoom's side. Houndoom doubles down on the synergy by Pursuit trapping the Ghost-types that would try to block the aforementioned spinners.