What is a good moveset for Houndstone?
If you have a good competitive moveset for Houndstone,post an answer below and upvote the best ones. Movesets for any of its pre-evolutions can also be shared on this thread.
Be sure to includefull set details in your post, e.g. items, abilities, natures and EVs. Some explanation, including the intended game mode for your set, is also appreciated.Access the full list of guidelines here.
Houndstone Pokedex & learnsetfor reference.
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For the funny
Gen 9 NU Physically DefensiveGreavard @ EvioliteAbility: FluffyTera Type: FairyEVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpDBold / Impish Nature- Night Shade- Rest- Sleep Talk- Roar / Shadow Sneak / Confuse Ray
Even though Greavard is an LC Pokemon, it has a niche as a niche Physically Defensive Wall that can tank attacks from Pokemon such as Medicham and Bruxish thanks to Fluffy and an item called Eviolite. However, Greavard is passive, only fits on stall and bulky offense teams, and is susceptible to Knock Off since it relies on Eviolite for its bulk.
Night Shade is used as Greavard’s main source of damage since it is consistent. Rest is used to give Greavard recovery. Sleep Talk is used to make Greavard not as passive while it is asleep. The last slot is pretty much a filler move. Roar allows Greavard to force Pokemon off of the field and works well with hazards on the opposing team’s side. Shadow Sneak can be used for priority to revenge kill weakened Pokemon. Confuse Ray is also an option for a filler move. Before you ask why I have Confuse Ray as an option or tell me that Confuse Ray is bad, etc. etc., it’s because Greavard doesn’t really have much other options lol. Tera Fairy is used to allow Greavard to resist Dark-type moves.
Sand Rush + Last Respects go brrrr
Houndstone @ Choice BandAbility: Sand RushTera Type: GhostEVs: 252 Atk / 4SpD/ 252 SpeAdamant Nature- Last Respects- Body Press- Play Rough- Shadow Sneak
Can’t believe no one posted this yet. The plan is simple: set up sand, wait for your own Pokemon to die, and sweep with Last Respects. Body Press and Play Rough are for coverage and Shadow Sneak is for priority users/revenge killing, though you’d probably never use them anyways. Tera Type Ghost for maximum damage output.
Graveyard (Houndstone) @ Smooth RockAbility: Sand RushTera Type: GhostEVs: 212 HP / 108 Atk / 188 SpeJolly Nature- Sandstorm- Last Respects- Play Rough- Shadow Sneak
Houndstone is the living embodiment of a tombstone, which are found in Graveyards. And so Graveyard here, has a Sandstorm centric strategy. Start it’s first turn with Sandstorm, which will take longer for it to dissipate because of Smooth Rock and Sand Rush will have Houndstone turning into Speedy Gonzalez. This is complimented by his Jolly Nature. He has STAB boosted Last Respects and Shadow Sneak, with Ghost Tera, just in case he cannot be sent in last. Graveyard also has Play Rough to counter Dark Types.
Most people will expect the average speedy Houndstone to sweep, but this is meant to be bulky and eliminate any Pokemon causing problems for you, so like mid game. Usable in either Doubles VGC or Singles UbersHoundstone @ Assault VestAbility: FluffyTera Type: FairyEVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpDAdamant Nature- Last Respects- Play Rough- Crunch- Shadow SneakFluffy and Assault Vest makes this thing quite bulky, and can help it take on Pokemon that will try and use Pokemon like Dragapult to stop it thanks to Tera Fairy. Besides the bulky item and ev spread its pretty average.
Houndstone Bulky Revenge Killing Set:Evs: 252 Atk , 252 Def , 4 HpAbility: FluffyItem:LeftoversTera Type: FairyAdamant NatureMoves:Body PressLast RespectsCrunchShadow Sneak/Rest/Play Rough
This set is pretty insane due to houndstone’s nice bulk and access to body press and of course last respects itself is amazing.
Body Press is for normal types and last respects destroys everything depending on how many allies you lost.
Crunch covers Hisuian Zoroak which might not be prominent BUT just in case.
Shadow sneak can be used to revenge kill sweepers or simply go first in general
Rest can be recovery but you’ll sleep for two turns
And Play rough is a coverage move.Which one you choose is up to personal preference.Tera fairy resist dark for you which is a prominent type in the meta.Leftovers is nice passive recovery.Have fun
Gen 9 Ubers Late-Game Cleaner
Houndstone @ Choice ScarfAbility: FluffyTera Type: GhostEVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 SpeJolly Nature- Last Respects- Trick- Yawn- Body Press
Ah yes, the notorious LR abuser. I find that sand is a bit finicky to use in Ubers, so a Choice Scarf can replace Sand Rush, and Trick complements this well. Fluffy halves physical damage, Yawn forces switches or puts them to sleep, and Body Press deals with the occasional Dark or Normal type. General physical sweeper investment. Send this last, and let the CS do its thing.
Gen 9 Monotype Physically Defensive (Ghost)Houndstone @ LeftoversAbility: FluffyTera Type: GhostEVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpDBold NatureIVs: 0 Atk- Will-O-Wisp- Protect- Body Press- Night Shade
With HOME being released, there would be another Last Respects user in Basculegion. Just like OU, Monotype decided to ban Last Respects, which allows Houndstone to be unbanned and useable in Monotype. This set utilizes Houndstone’s Ability Fluffy to check physical wallbreakers such as Hisuian Samurott and Chien-Pao. This set is essentially the defensive set used in AG and Ubers, but with Night Shade over Last Respects and Protect over Rest. Will-O-Wisp lets Houndstone spread status and allows it to cripple physical wallbreakers such as Hisuian Samurott and Chien-Pao. Protect allows Houndstone to get a free turn of Leftovers recovery as well as scout for choice locked Pokemon. Body Press is a nice move that takes advantage of Houndstone’s Defense stat and allows Houndstone to hit Dark-types such as Kingambit, Ting-Lu, Hisuian Samurott, and Chien-Pao super effectively. Night Shade is used for a move that does fixed damage against Pokemon that aren’t Normal-types. Leftovers is used to give Houndstone some HP recovery.
Gen 9 NU Choice BandHoundstone @ Choice BandAbility: Sand RushTera Type: Ghost / FairyEVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 SpeAdamant Nature- Poltergeist- Shadow Sneak- Play Rough- Trick
A Choice Band set that should be used on Sand teams in NU. Houndstone gets Poltergeist now, which is nice as it gives Houndstone a strong Ghost STAB since Last Respects isn’t allowed in NU. Shadow Sneak gives Houndstone a priority Ghost STAB that is useful outside of sand. Play Rough provides coverage against Dark-types such as Sneasel and Grimmsnarl. Plus, there aren’t Pokemon who resist Ghost and Dark moves except for Pyroar, who rarely, if ever gets used in NU. Trick is honestly used as a filler move that can potentially cripple defensive Pokemon. Tera Ghost allows Houndstone to have extra power to its Ghost STABs, while Tera Fairy turns Houndstone’s Dark weakness into a resist and makes Play Rough a STAB move.
Gen 9 NU Physically DefensiveHoundstone @ Rocky Helmet / Leftovers / Heavy-Duty BootsAbility: FluffyTera Type: FairyEVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 DefImpish Nature- Will-O-Wisp- Poltergeist- Body Press / Play Rough- Pain Split
With Tsareena being a really good Rapid Spinner in NU, Houndstone has a niche of being the best spinblocker against Tsareena, as it cannot break past this fluffy dog. Houndstone can also give physical wallbreakers a hard time in addition to spinblocking Tsareena. Will-O-Wisp lets Houndstone threaten physical wallbreakers with a burn and is also useful to chip opposing Pokemon. Poltergeist is used for the Ghost STAB since it can chip down opposing Pokemon, often doing more damage than Night Shade. Body Press is used to deal super effective damage to Dark-types such as Brute Bonnet, Scrafty, and Umbreon. Play Rough may be used instead to hit Scrafty, Dragon-, and Fighting-types such as Flygon, Pawmot, Tauros-Paldea-Aqua, Alolan Exeggutor, and Flamigo harder. DLC 2 gave Houndstone access to Pain Split, which is nice as it can let Houndstone recover some HP and take away some HP of opposing Pokemon. Rocky Helmet is used to force chip damage on Pokemon who use contact moves against Houndstone. Leftovers can be used to give Houndstone a little HP recovery. Heavy-Duty Boots can be used so Houndstone doesn’t take chip from entry hazards. Tera Fairy allows Houndstone to turn its Dark weakness into a resist and can boost Play Rough if you use it over Body Press.
