Level 24To Houndoom

HoundoomLast stage shown

#0229 · GENERATION 2

Houndoom Build Guide

DarkFire

Special setup attacker with Fire immunity

Build a Houndoom team ↓

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Custom Pokédex collection.

Starter moveset

Generation 9 · casual singles · base form

ITEMHeavy-Duty Boots

ABILITYFlash Fire

NATURETimid

Flamethrower

Dark Pulse

Sludge Bomb

Nasty Plot

How to play

A predicted Fire attack can activate Flash Fire, providing Fire immunity and strengthening its Fire attacks. Use a safe Nasty Plot turn before attacking a favorable target.

Watch out for

Key risk. Water, Fighting, Ground and Rock attacks are super effective. Boots do not reduce direct damage and coverage does not guarantee a safe matchup. Ability-ignoring effects can bypass Flash Fire.

About this example

This editorial starting point is not a ranked-format recommendation or a legality check. It does not specify EVs or Tera type. Moves, items and abilities here do not change the builder score.

BATTLE PLAN

When to attack, set up or switch

A predicted Fire attack can activate Flash Fire, providing Fire immunity and strengthening its Fire attacks. Use a safe Nasty Plot turn before attacking a favorable target.

A Fire attack is aimed at you

Absorb it and the next Flamethrower hits harder — but Water, Fighting, Ground and Rock each deal 2× to a Dark and Fire type, and none of those are the ability’s problem to solve. Heavy-Duty Boots stop hazards, not those four types.

A Fairy type switches in

Dark deals 0.5× and Fire deals 1× to Fairy, so the two STAB moves are blunted exactly when the setup is finished. Sludge Bomb hits Fairy for 2×, which is why the coverage slot is not decoration.

You want the Nasty Plot turn

The raise is on the special side, so a physical hit arrives at full strength on the turn you boosted, and Flash Fire only protects against the one move it reads. A predicted Fire is a free turn; a predicted anything else is a coin flip on the whole game plan.

What does a safe pivot mean?

A teammate uses a switching move to bring Houndoom in. A slower pivot may take the opponent’s hit first. Turn order and the opponent’s move still matter.

ITEM & ABILITY

How this build works

Flash Fire turns a predicted Fire attack into both an immunity and a boost to Houndoom’s own Fire damage, which is the one turn the set wins without spending a move. Nasty Plot raises Special Attack by two stages, and a boost that has to be set up is a boost the bulk cannot buy back.

Watch the tradeoff. Water, Fighting, Ground and Rock attacks are super effective. Boots do not reduce direct damage and coverage does not guarantee a safe matchup. Ability-ignoring effects can bypass Flash Fire.

These battle mechanics do not change the builder’s type-and-base-stat score. The tool does not simulate moves, abilities, held items or damage.

COMPARE YOUR OPTIONS

Houndoom or Chandelure?

Chandelure offers Ghost typing and a different Flash Fire special attacking role.

Base stats · standard forms in the local Generation 9 dataset
Stat	Houndoom	Chandelure
HP	75	60
Attack	90	55
Defense	50	90
Sp. Attack	110	145
Sp. Defense	80	90
Speed	95	80

Base stats are not final battle stats. Level, nature, IVs, EVs and battle effects affect the result. Check availability in your game before choosing an alternative.

Teammate ideas

A Flying teammate covers Ground and can resist Fighting. A Water partner helps against Water and Rock attackers.

Gyarados

Immune to Ground and resists Water and Fighting attacks.

Read Gyarados guide →Compare teammates →

Milotic

Resists Water and adds recovery alongside a frailer attacker.

Read Milotic guide →Compare teammates →

These are typing-based starting pairs, not a complete competitive team. Check the remaining four slots and your game’s rules.

Compare computed teammate suggestions →

Alternative: Chandelure

Chandelure offers Ghost typing and a different Flash Fire special attacking role.

Read Chandelure guide →

Try Chandelure →

Type matchups

Weak to

Water2×Fighting2×Ground2×Rock2×

Resistances and immunities

Fire0.5×Grass0.5×Ice0.5×Psychic0×Ghost0.5×Dark0.5×Steel0.5×

Typing only. Abilities, items and battle effects can change these matchups.

HP75

Attack90

Defense50

Sp. Attack110

Sp. Defense80

Speed95

Evolution chain

Houndour#228
Level 24
Houndoom#229

Standard main-series evolution conditions. Regional forms and games with special evolution systems can differ.

Build your Houndoom team

Start with Houndoom. Add teammates and compare your type-and-base-stat score.

Gen 9 · National Dex · Casual Settings & scope

GameFormat

Format scope · casual planning

Base species #001–1025, using Generation 9 data. A casual planning pool, not a VGC, ranked, or Showdown National Dex legality validator. Regional, Mega and alternate forms are not included yet.

SLOT 01#229

Houndoom

DarkFire

SLOT 02

SLOT 03

SLOT 04

SLOT 05

SLOT 06

Understand your team

Offense88

Defense66

Coverage33

Synergy8

Types & base stats only · Not a win probability.

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Key insights

Fighting attacks threaten 1 of 1 teammates, with no teammate resisting them by type.
Ground attacks threaten 1 of 1 teammates, with no teammate resisting them by type.
Your own types can hit 6 of 18 single-type targets super effectively. Actual move coverage can differ.
No teammate has a base Speed of 100 or higher. Consider adding a faster option.

Detailed type analysis · all 18 types

Incoming damage assumes typing only. 0× = immune, ½× / ¼× = resistant, 2× / 4× = weak. Resistance counts include immunities.

Incoming damage by attacking type
Attack	Houndoom	Weak	Resist
Normal	1×	0	0
Fire	½×	0	1
Water	2×	1	0
Electric	1×	0	0
Grass	½×	0	1
Ice	½×	0	1
Fighting	2×	1	0
Poison	1×	0	0
Ground	2×	1	0
Flying	1×	0	0
Psychic	0×	0	1
Bug	1×	0	0
Rock	2×	1	0
Ghost	½×	0	1
Dragon	1×	0	0
Dark	½×	0	1
Steel	½×	0	1
Fairy	1×	0	0

Offensive type coverage

Against single-type targets, using only same-type attacks. This is not coverage against every dual-type species.

NormalNeutral

FireNeutral

WaterNeutral

ElectricNeutral

Grass✓ Super effective

Ice✓ Super effective

FightingNeutral

PoisonNeutral

GroundNeutral

FlyingNeutral

Psychic✓ Super effective

Bug✓ Super effective

RockNeutral

Ghost✓ Super effective

DragonNeutral

DarkNeutral

Steel✓ Super effective

FairyNeutral

How is the score calculated?

Offense (25%): neutral-or-better type coverage and strongest attacking base stats. Defense (30%): team resistances, unprotected and repeated weaknesses, and 4× vulnerabilities. Coverage (25%): fraction of 18 single-type targets hit super effectively by your own types. Synergy (20%): teammates resisting each other’s weaknesses, physical/special/bulk stat signals and base Speed ≥100. Scores are rounded to 0–100; the total uses the displayed subscores.

Rating bands: Excellent ≥80, Good ≥65, Fair ≥45, Poor below 45. An empty team has no rating.

Small teams are provisional and are not given a separate completion bonus. Adding a Pokémon can lower the score if it creates new weaknesses or lowers averages. These initial heuristics have not been calibrated against battle outcomes.