[OVERVIEW]
Druddigon is a special utility Pokemon due its ability to get up Stealth Rock up versus Xatu because of Mold Breaker. Its mono-Dragon typing allows it to resist Water-, Electric-, Grass-, and Fire-type moves, which, when combined with its great bulk, can help it take care of the bigger threats in the tier, such as Slowbro, Incineroar, and Heliolisk. While slow, Druddigon is faster than a number of other Stealth Rock setters such as Steelix and can use Taunt on them to shut them down. However, Druddigon's poor Speed tier, which means it is outrun by a lot of the tier, along with lack of reliable recovery makes it easy to wear down and takes a big toll out of Druddigon, especially when it's not running Leftovers. This mediocre longevity also means that it is forced to rely on teammates like Vaporeon and Audino to remain healthy with Wish support. Even Druddigon's mono-Dragon typing leaves it susceptible to frequent Ice- and Fairy-type moves, which allows top-tier threats such as Comfey, Whimsicott, Sneasel, and Vanilluxe to easily wear it down or KO it. Also, with its mediocre damage output, Druddigon tends to get very passive in the long run.
[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Toxic / Glare / Taunt
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Dragon Tail / Protect / Toxic
item: Leftovers / Rocky Helmet
ability: Mold Breaker
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Stealth Rock is the basic utility Druddigon needs to wear down opposing Pokemon that come in, and it wears down Ice-types effectively, which Druddigon has a weakness to. Mold Breaker also allows Druddigon to set it up against Xatu, which makes up much of its niche. Toxic is run to wear down Pokemon and rack up more damage over time, which helps in the long run against Pokemon such as Slowbro, Comfey, and Xatu. Glare is able to incapacitate fast Pokemon such as Sneasel and Sceptile and Choice Scarf users such as Delphox and Passimian without fail. Earthquake is mainly for Steel-types such as Silvally-Steel, allowing Druddigon to punish its Defog, and Electric-types, which cannot be paralyzed by Glare. Earthquake is also useful due to Mold Breaker allowing it to hit Rotom and Vikavolt and its ability to weaken most Stealth Rock setters such as Diancie, Rhydon, and Steelix. Protect with Leftovers makes Druddigon a much more sustainable Pokemon, allowing to to get recovery it may need in the long run. It also allows Druddigon to scout for Choice Scarf users, such as Passimian and Vanilluxe. Dragon Tail is used to phaze other Pokemon to rack up damage with Stealth Rock. This move also forces out potential setup Pokemon such as Block Slowbro and Swords Dance Incineroar, which makes Druddigon less passive then other entry hazard setters. It can also run Taunt over Glare to prevent opposing Stealth Rock from being set up by Pokemon such as Steelix or setup from slower Pokemon like Calm Mind Slowbro, but this doesn't end up always being reliable due to Druddigon's lack of Speed.
Set Details
========
Maximum HP and Defense EVs with an Impish nature allow Druddigon to maximize its physical bulk to better take on physical attackers such as Passimian, Incineroar, and Cincinno. Leftovers gives Druddigon the longevity it needs, since it doesn't have reliable recovery, giving several opportunities to switch into Pokemon such as Delphox, Slowbro, and Sceptile. Rocky Helmet is able to rack up chip damage onto Pokemon like Incineroar, Passimian, potential spinners, and other hard-hitting physical attackers. Mold Breaker is to ensure that Druddigon can set up Stealth Rock against Xatu and potentially cripple it. Running maximum Special Defense is an alternative option that allows Druddigon to soak up special damage and give it that longevity it needs against Pokemon such as Slowbro, Heliolisk, Delphox, and Sceptile.
Usage Tips
========
Druddigon should be used early-game to set up Stealth Rock as its primary goal. Stealth Rock can always be set up quickly unless a Taunt user is on the field, as Druddigon is unbothered by Xatu's Magic Bounce. It's in your best interest to start spreading status to fast, frail Pokemon, such as Comfey and Sceptile, after getting the chance of getting Stealth Rock up to get any necessary chip needed for future turns. It is also used to check Pokemon it answers by virtue of its defensive typing and physical attackers such as Slowbro, Passimian, and defensive Incineroar, and it can take advantage of these Pokemon to set up Stealth Rock. Dragon Tail prevents setup from threats such as Swords Dance Incineroar, Calm Mind Delphox, and Calm Mind Slowbro while also being able to get important chip damage on them. This can also be used to get chip damage on wallbreakers such as Vanilluxe switching in on a predicted Stealth Rock. Taunt gives Druddigon the option to shut down other slower Stealth Rock such as Steelix or Palossand, while also being able to get up its own Stealth Rock and potentially crippling it with status. Druddigon can also pressure entry hazard removers such as Silvally-Steel and Rotom and even cripple them with Glare or Toxic. It can also pressure spinners with chip damage from Rocky Helmet and status and really force the opponent to think twice before using Rapid Spin. Scald burns can basically render Druddigon useless, so it's important to be wary of that.
Team Options
========
Generally, you want to have something to cover Druddigon's weaknesses. Fire-types like Incineroar, Delphox, and Magmortar cover all of Druddigon's relevant weaknesses, and in return Druddigon even covers their weakness to Water-type moves. Another option would be pairing Druddigon with a cleric such as Vaporeon, with the two of them covering each other's weaknesses, or Mega Audino, which is a much bulkier Pokemon with Regenerator before it Mega Evolves, and both of these Pokemon also have access to Heal Bell, which gets rid of being weakened by status and getting worn down so easily. Adding a Spikes setter such as Garbodor or Accelgor can be another option, since Xatu easily gets worn down by Druddigon, and Spikes also synergize with Dragon Tail well. You can also pair Druddigon with a slow wallbreaker, since it is able to cripple faster Pokemon with Glare, with Pokemon such as Dhelmise, Guzzlord, and even Clawitzer having a nice pairing with this Pokemon. Silvally-Steel has great synergy with Druddigon, as they both cover each others weaknesses while Silvally-Steel also has a pivot option to get Druddigon back in. Reliable Fairy-type checks such as Vileplume and Golbat are nice options, as they serve as a safe switch-in most of the time. Setup sweepers and breakers such as Mismagius, Sceptile, and Delphox also appreciate Stealth Rock always being on the field, weakening foes like Incineroar and Slowbro, as well as other defensive answers to breakers.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Due to Druddigon's decent Attack and access to Sheer Force and Mold Breaker, it can also run a more offensive Stealth Rock set consisting of three of Iron Head, Outrage, Fire Punch, Thunder Punch, and Sucker Punch as well as Stealth Rock; however, due to its vulnerability to Scald burns, poor Speed, and lack of recovery options, it doesn't make the best offensive Stealth Rock setter and is often forced to run Sucker Punch, which isn't reliable most of the time. Rough Skin paired with Rocky Helmet allows Druddigon to heavily chip physical Pokemon such as Passimian and Incineroar. Generally, though, this makes Druddigon more vulnerable to Xatu, thus losing its niche. Roseli Berry can also be run to take a Fairy-type attack as well as hit something hard with Iron Head or Gunk Shot in return, but this is for the most part a waste of a moveslot and item slot for a one-time attack.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fairy-types**: Prominent Fairy-types such as Diancie, Comfey, and Whimsicott usually force Druddigon out. Diancie and Comfey can also use it as setup fodder, since they are immune to Dragon Tail, which is why it is important to run a status move. Mega Audino reliably comes in and walls this set due to being immune to Dragon Tail and having Heal Bell to get rid of status that was potentially spread throughout the opponent's team.
**Ice-types**: Offensive Ice-types such as Vanilluxe and Sneasel can easily OHKO or do massive damage to Druddigon with their respective STAB moves. Piloswine also doesn't generally care about status and can proceed to set up Stealth Rock and dish out massive damage with Icicle Crash.
**Special Wallbreakers**: Since Druddigon doesn't commonly run a lot of Special Defense EVs, it is very easily worn down by super effective, neutral, or even some resisted special attacks. Pokemon such as Choice Specs Heliolisk, Delphox, and even Accelgor are good examples of this.
**Status**: Toxic wears down Druddigon easily, since it doesn't have reliable recovery. Burns render this set useless due to an Attack decrease.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Go0d, 380326]]
- Earlier versions by: [[ChrystalFalchion, 278934]]
- Quality checked by: [[Rabia, 336073], [quziel, 297859], [banks, 379208]]
- Grammar checked by: [[martha, 384270], [The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216]]
Druddigon is a special utility Pokemon due its ability to get up Stealth Rock up versus Xatu because of Mold Breaker. Its mono-Dragon typing allows it to resist Water-, Electric-, Grass-, and Fire-type moves, which, when combined with its great bulk, can help it take care of the bigger threats in the tier, such as Slowbro, Incineroar, and Heliolisk. While slow, Druddigon is faster than a number of other Stealth Rock setters such as Steelix and can use Taunt on them to shut them down. However, Druddigon's poor Speed tier, which means it is outrun by a lot of the tier, along with lack of reliable recovery makes it easy to wear down and takes a big toll out of Druddigon, especially when it's not running Leftovers. This mediocre longevity also means that it is forced to rely on teammates like Vaporeon and Audino to remain healthy with Wish support. Even Druddigon's mono-Dragon typing leaves it susceptible to frequent Ice- and Fairy-type moves, which allows top-tier threats such as Comfey, Whimsicott, Sneasel, and Vanilluxe to easily wear it down or KO it. Also, with its mediocre damage output, Druddigon tends to get very passive in the long run.
[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Toxic / Glare / Taunt
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Dragon Tail / Protect / Toxic
item: Leftovers / Rocky Helmet
ability: Mold Breaker
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Stealth Rock is the basic utility Druddigon needs to wear down opposing Pokemon that come in, and it wears down Ice-types effectively, which Druddigon has a weakness to. Mold Breaker also allows Druddigon to set it up against Xatu, which makes up much of its niche. Toxic is run to wear down Pokemon and rack up more damage over time, which helps in the long run against Pokemon such as Slowbro, Comfey, and Xatu. Glare is able to incapacitate fast Pokemon such as Sneasel and Sceptile and Choice Scarf users such as Delphox and Passimian without fail. Earthquake is mainly for Steel-types such as Silvally-Steel, allowing Druddigon to punish its Defog, and Electric-types, which cannot be paralyzed by Glare. Earthquake is also useful due to Mold Breaker allowing it to hit Rotom and Vikavolt and its ability to weaken most Stealth Rock setters such as Diancie, Rhydon, and Steelix. Protect with Leftovers makes Druddigon a much more sustainable Pokemon, allowing to to get recovery it may need in the long run. It also allows Druddigon to scout for Choice Scarf users, such as Passimian and Vanilluxe. Dragon Tail is used to phaze other Pokemon to rack up damage with Stealth Rock. This move also forces out potential setup Pokemon such as Block Slowbro and Swords Dance Incineroar, which makes Druddigon less passive then other entry hazard setters. It can also run Taunt over Glare to prevent opposing Stealth Rock from being set up by Pokemon such as Steelix or setup from slower Pokemon like Calm Mind Slowbro, but this doesn't end up always being reliable due to Druddigon's lack of Speed.
Set Details
========
Maximum HP and Defense EVs with an Impish nature allow Druddigon to maximize its physical bulk to better take on physical attackers such as Passimian, Incineroar, and Cincinno. Leftovers gives Druddigon the longevity it needs, since it doesn't have reliable recovery, giving several opportunities to switch into Pokemon such as Delphox, Slowbro, and Sceptile. Rocky Helmet is able to rack up chip damage onto Pokemon like Incineroar, Passimian, potential spinners, and other hard-hitting physical attackers. Mold Breaker is to ensure that Druddigon can set up Stealth Rock against Xatu and potentially cripple it. Running maximum Special Defense is an alternative option that allows Druddigon to soak up special damage and give it that longevity it needs against Pokemon such as Slowbro, Heliolisk, Delphox, and Sceptile.
Usage Tips
========
Druddigon should be used early-game to set up Stealth Rock as its primary goal. Stealth Rock can always be set up quickly unless a Taunt user is on the field, as Druddigon is unbothered by Xatu's Magic Bounce. It's in your best interest to start spreading status to fast, frail Pokemon, such as Comfey and Sceptile, after getting the chance of getting Stealth Rock up to get any necessary chip needed for future turns. It is also used to check Pokemon it answers by virtue of its defensive typing and physical attackers such as Slowbro, Passimian, and defensive Incineroar, and it can take advantage of these Pokemon to set up Stealth Rock. Dragon Tail prevents setup from threats such as Swords Dance Incineroar, Calm Mind Delphox, and Calm Mind Slowbro while also being able to get important chip damage on them. This can also be used to get chip damage on wallbreakers such as Vanilluxe switching in on a predicted Stealth Rock. Taunt gives Druddigon the option to shut down other slower Stealth Rock such as Steelix or Palossand, while also being able to get up its own Stealth Rock and potentially crippling it with status. Druddigon can also pressure entry hazard removers such as Silvally-Steel and Rotom and even cripple them with Glare or Toxic. It can also pressure spinners with chip damage from Rocky Helmet and status and really force the opponent to think twice before using Rapid Spin. Scald burns can basically render Druddigon useless, so it's important to be wary of that.
Team Options
========
Generally, you want to have something to cover Druddigon's weaknesses. Fire-types like Incineroar, Delphox, and Magmortar cover all of Druddigon's relevant weaknesses, and in return Druddigon even covers their weakness to Water-type moves. Another option would be pairing Druddigon with a cleric such as Vaporeon, with the two of them covering each other's weaknesses, or Mega Audino, which is a much bulkier Pokemon with Regenerator before it Mega Evolves, and both of these Pokemon also have access to Heal Bell, which gets rid of being weakened by status and getting worn down so easily. Adding a Spikes setter such as Garbodor or Accelgor can be another option, since Xatu easily gets worn down by Druddigon, and Spikes also synergize with Dragon Tail well. You can also pair Druddigon with a slow wallbreaker, since it is able to cripple faster Pokemon with Glare, with Pokemon such as Dhelmise, Guzzlord, and even Clawitzer having a nice pairing with this Pokemon. Silvally-Steel has great synergy with Druddigon, as they both cover each others weaknesses while Silvally-Steel also has a pivot option to get Druddigon back in. Reliable Fairy-type checks such as Vileplume and Golbat are nice options, as they serve as a safe switch-in most of the time. Setup sweepers and breakers such as Mismagius, Sceptile, and Delphox also appreciate Stealth Rock always being on the field, weakening foes like Incineroar and Slowbro, as well as other defensive answers to breakers.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Due to Druddigon's decent Attack and access to Sheer Force and Mold Breaker, it can also run a more offensive Stealth Rock set consisting of three of Iron Head, Outrage, Fire Punch, Thunder Punch, and Sucker Punch as well as Stealth Rock; however, due to its vulnerability to Scald burns, poor Speed, and lack of recovery options, it doesn't make the best offensive Stealth Rock setter and is often forced to run Sucker Punch, which isn't reliable most of the time. Rough Skin paired with Rocky Helmet allows Druddigon to heavily chip physical Pokemon such as Passimian and Incineroar. Generally, though, this makes Druddigon more vulnerable to Xatu, thus losing its niche. Roseli Berry can also be run to take a Fairy-type attack as well as hit something hard with Iron Head or Gunk Shot in return, but this is for the most part a waste of a moveslot and item slot for a one-time attack.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fairy-types**: Prominent Fairy-types such as Diancie, Comfey, and Whimsicott usually force Druddigon out. Diancie and Comfey can also use it as setup fodder, since they are immune to Dragon Tail, which is why it is important to run a status move. Mega Audino reliably comes in and walls this set due to being immune to Dragon Tail and having Heal Bell to get rid of status that was potentially spread throughout the opponent's team.
**Ice-types**: Offensive Ice-types such as Vanilluxe and Sneasel can easily OHKO or do massive damage to Druddigon with their respective STAB moves. Piloswine also doesn't generally care about status and can proceed to set up Stealth Rock and dish out massive damage with Icicle Crash.
**Special Wallbreakers**: Since Druddigon doesn't commonly run a lot of Special Defense EVs, it is very easily worn down by super effective, neutral, or even some resisted special attacks. Pokemon such as Choice Specs Heliolisk, Delphox, and even Accelgor are good examples of this.
**Status**: Toxic wears down Druddigon easily, since it doesn't have reliable recovery. Burns render this set useless due to an Attack decrease.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Go0d, 380326]]
- Earlier versions by: [[ChrystalFalchion, 278934]]
- Quality checked by: [[Rabia, 336073], [quziel, 297859], [banks, 379208]]
- Grammar checked by: [[martha, 384270], [The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216]]
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