Dhelmise Movesets & Competitive Sets

Moves Dhelmise is a reliable spinner thanks to its ability to beat common Stealth Rock setters either with its powerful moves or by trapping and stalling them out. Power Whip is Dhelmise's strongest STAB move and hits Stealth Rock setters like Rhyperior, Nidoqueen, and Palossand very hard. Thanks to Dhelmise's ability in Steelworker, Anchor Shot receives the same power boost as a STAB move, which allows Dhelmise to OHKO Diancie and hit Flying- and Grass-types like Noivern, Virizion, and Roserade for good damage. It also traps opposing Pokemon and gives Dhelmise the ability to prevent double switches as well as PP stall walls like Registeel and Bronzong with Rest. Rest is used over Synthesis because it gives Dhelmise a better matchup versus Bronzong and Registeel and allows it to act as a status absorber for the team. However, Synthesis can be used to better check threats like Virizion, Zygarde-10%, and Raikou. However, Synthesis has low PP, and without Rest, Dhelmise can't beat Registeel and Bronzong. Set Details The given Attack investment with an Adamant nature allows Dhelmise to OHKO Zygarde-10% with Power Whip and 2HKO Virizion with Anchor Shot. 84 Speed EVs enable Dhelmise to outspeed uninvested base 50 Speed Pokemon like Registeel, Donphan, and Diancie. The remaining EVs are placed in HP and Defense to check threats like Virizion, Zygarde-10%, and Raikou more effectively. Colbur Berry allows Dhelmise to take a Dark-type move such as Mega Blastoise's Dark Pulse better as well as weaken Knock Off or Pursuit from Pokemon like Donphan, Machamp, and Drapion. If running Steelium Z, Dhelmise can OHKO Virizion from full with Corkscrew Crash. Optionally, Dhelmise can use 100 Attack EVs to ensure that it OHKOes Noivern from full with Corkscrew Crash. However, without Colbur Berry, Dhelmise is more easily Pursuit trapped and KOed by strong Dark-type moves like Dark Pulse from Mega Blastoise and Pangoro. Usage Tips Dhelmise should be brought in on Stealth Rock setters and Pokemon that can't threaten it such as Rhyperior, Registeel, and Virizion. These are matchups where Dhelmise can easily use Rapid Spin to clear the field of entry hazards, if needed. Keep in mind that every Pokemon can be brought into Rapid Spin due to its lack of power. Thus, in some cases, it can be better to predict a switch with Power Whip or Anchor Shot. Anchor Shot is a good move in general because it can trap the opposing Pokemon and prevent a double switch. If the opponent has Bronzong, Registeel, or Forretress without Volt Switch as their Stealth Rock setter, try to trap it with Anchor Shot and stall its PP out. If using Rest, Dhelmise can be used as a status absorber for the team. However, keep in mind that Dhelmise will be forced to sleep for two turns, which allows various Pokemon to take advantage of it, especially setup sweepers like Barbaracle, Necrozma, and Toxicroak. If using Synthesis, Dhelmise can check physical threats like Virizion and Zygarde-10% more effectively as well as pivot into resisted or weak hits like Leaf Storm from Mega Sceptile and Roserade or Moonblast from Florges. However, without Rest, Dhelmise is unable to beat Registeel and Bronzong and can't be used as a status absorber for the team. Dhelmise should also avoid switching into a potential Scald from a Water-type like Slowbro or Milotic. Steelium Z allows Dhelmise to use Corkscrew Crash in order to KO Pokemon that can usually take a hit from it like Noivern and Bewear. In case of softer checks like Noivern, try to use the Z-Move on their switch to KO them. Bulky Pokemon like Bewear will need to be chipped before Dhelmise can KO them. Team Options Dhelmise fits best on balance and bulky offensive teams because it is able to compress the role of entry hazard control and act as a check to common threats like Virizion, Zygarde-10%, and Raikou, which is very valuable for these archetypes. Pokemon weak to Stealth Rock, such as Ninetales, Salazzle, and Noivern, appreciate Dhelmise's ability to act as a reliable spinner. They also take advantage of its ability to switch into strong attacks for them. Entry hazard setters like Golisopod and Dragalge or just Stealth Rock setters in general like Nidoqueen, Bronzong, and Diancie appreciate that Dhelmise can spinblock foes like Forretress, Tsareena, and Donphan. They also like that Dhelmise doesn't clear their own entry hazards away with Defog. Wish support from Pokemon like Florges and Vaporeon is very helpful so that Dhelmise is not always forced to recover up with Rest. Both of them can also support Dhelmise with Heal Bell. Water-types like Slowbro, Mantine, and Gastrodon are in general very good teammates because they can switch into Fire- and Ice-types moves. Dhelmise, in return, can switch into Grass- and Electric-types moves for them. Pokemon like Bewear, Florges, and Diancie are capable of checking Dark-types like Drapion and Mandibuzz and can switch into Knock Off from opposing Pokemon. Diancie can also switch into Flying-types like Noivern and supports Dhelmise with Heal Bell. Hariyama deserves a special mention, as it can check Dark-types while also providing a Fire- and Ice-type resistance with Thick Fat. Last but not least, since Dhelmise is not a check to Mega Blastoise, it's important to have a Pokemon that can switch into Mega Blastoise's attacks such as Florges, Gastrodon, and Hariyama.

Moves Heavy Slam or Anchor Shot is Dhelmise's main source of damage, OHKOing most things that it hits super effectively and 2HKOing most things that it hits neutrally. Heavy Slam is more powerful than Anchor Shot in most situations, but if you feel that preventing things from switching will be useful to your team or you have trouble dealing with heavy Pokemon such as Snorlax, Anchor Shot should be chosen. Note that Anchor Shot still OHKOes all of the island guardians except for Tapu Fini. Power Whip hits almost everything that resists Steel for super effective or neutral damage. Shadow Claw serves as Dhelmise's last resort for coverage due to its low Base Power. Protect allows Dhelmise to block strong attacks, and if led alongside a Trick Room setter (which is not advised), it can use Protect to wait for Trick Room to go up. Set Details Steelworker is Dhelmise's only released ability, giving it a 50% boost to Steel-type attacks. Brave is its nature of choice in order to deal maximum damage while being slow as possible, which allows it to move before Alolan Marowak and Araquanid in Trick Room. The offensive investment along with Life Orb allows it to OHKO all things it hits super effectively (unless it's using Shadow Claw) along with Tapu Koko, Gyarados, Pelipper, and Xurkitree while also having a 68.8% chance to OHKO Alolan Marowak that have no investment in Defense. Life Orb is important here, for it allows a good portion of Dhelmise's OHKOs. You may alternatively use Grassium Z, allowing Dhelmise to get the same OHKOs with Power Whip as Life Orb would along with perfect accuracy and the ability to OHKO Araquanid, Hariyama, and Garchomp, but such an OHKO is only feasible once due to being a Z-Move. Its defensive investment allows it to take a Shadow Ball from Gengar or a Crunch from Krookodile while also minimizing the recoil from Life Orb. Usage Tips Dhelmise sees the most use as a mid-game wallbreaker when any Alolan Muk or Arcanine is gone while Trick Room is up. Never lead with it. An exception to this would be if the opponent's team has no checks to it, but even then, you should keep it out of battle until the time is right. It can serve as a good switch-in, but it isn't a good situation to do so when there's a Pokemon that threatens it on the field and Trick Room isn't up. If Power Whip and Heavy Slam would deal the same amount of damage to a Pokemon, use Heavy Slam because it has more accuracy. Team Options If you are using Dhelmise, you should be using it on a Trick Room team, and Porygon2 serves as almost non-debatably the best Trick Room setter in the game. However, Porygon2 is not the only setter out there, and there may be one that better fits the roles you need for your team. Tapu Fini serves as a good supporter for Dhelmise. It walls Fire, Ice, and Dark-types for Dhelmise, while Dhelmise walls Electric and Grass-types for Tapu Fini. Tapu Fini also gives Dhelmise immunity to Will-O-Wisp with its Terrain, and it has solid support options for it such as Heal Pulse and Swagger. Araquanid helps Dhelmise with similar resistances while threatening most of the things that Dhelmise is threatened by. It also appreciates being in Trick Room along with Dhelmise.

Moves Heavy Slam is Dhelmise's main source of damage, OHKOing most things that it hits super effectively and 2HKOing most things that it hits neutrally. Heavy Slam is used over Anchor Shot because Dhelmise does not have the Life Orb boost to make Anchor Shot OHKO most things that Heavy Slam also does. Power Whip hits almost everything super effectively/neutrally that its Steel STAB doesn't hit super effectively. Shadow Claw serves as Dhelmise's last resort of coverage due to its low base power. Rock Slide gives coverage against Arcanine and a few others as well as giving a flinch chance while under Trick Room. Set Details Steelworker is its only released ability, giving it a 50% boost to Steel-type attacks. Brave is the preferred nature, for it maximizes damage and minimizes speed for Trick Room, allowing it to move before Alolan Marowak and Araquanid. The offensive investment allows it to OHKO most things it hits super effectively (unless it's using Shadow Claw). However, it will require some prior damage to take out certain Pokemon, most notably Tapu Koko. Its defensive investment allows it to almost always tank a maximum attack Krookodile's Crunch. Assault Vest along with the investment in Special Defense allows it to withstand two of Alolan Ninetales's Blizzard after hail's chip damage 93.7% of the time, always tank 2 Tapu Lele Psychics when Psychic Terrain isn't up, and always survive an Arcanine's Burn Up. Usage Tips Dhelmise sees the most use as a switch-in or late-game wincon when all of its checks are gone. Never lead with it. An exception to this would be if the opponent's team has no checks to it, but even then, you should reserve it for switching into hits or winning the match. Since it has an Assault Vest, one of its best qualities is being a reliable switch-in; unless Alolan Muk or Arcanine is on the field, throwing out Dhelmise to tank an Earthquake or Thunderbolt is almost never a bad idea. However, you still need to mind faster Pokemon. If Power Whip and Heavy Slam would deal the same amount of damage to a Pokemon, use Heavy Slam, since it has more accuracy. Team Options If you are using Dhelmise, you should be using it on a Trick Room team, and Porygon2 assists Dhelmise in finishing off Pokemon with its flexible offensive movepool. Mimikyu also serves well as a Trick Room user, although it is not fully reliable due to its frailty and vulnerability to double targeting. Tapu Fini serves as a good supporter for Dhelmise. It walls Fire, Ice, and Dark-types for Dhelmise, while Dhelmise walls Electric-types and Grass-types for Tapu Fini. Tapu Fini also gives Dhelmise immunity to Will-O-Wisp with its Terrain, and it has solid support options for it such as Heal Pulse and Swagger. Araquanid helps Dhelmise with similar resistances while threatening most of the things that Dhelmise is threatened by. It also appreciates being in Trick Room along with Dhelmise. Alolan Muk appreciates Dhelmise's resistance to Ground, while Dhelmise appreciates Alolan Muk's resistance to Dark. Alolan Muk can also help pick off foes with Shadow Sneak. Pokemon with Intimidate or Will-O-Wisp help Assault Vest Dhelmise a lot, since it lacks investment in the Defense stat. Arcanine is the most notable of both and has access to both.