Donphan Movesets & Competitive Sets

Moves Rapid Spin is the most important move in this set because it removes entry hazards such as Stealth Rock and Spikes for its team. Earthquake is Donphan's most powerful STAB move that deals with Pokemon such as Metagross, Arcanine, and Tyrantrum. Knock Off further supports Donphan's team by crippling Pokemon reliant on their items such as Bronzong, Porygon2, and Registeel. It is also great against Ghost-type Pokemon such as Mismagius that try to switch in on Rapid Spin. Ice Shard is crucial so that Donphan can check weakened offensive threats such as Roserade, Virizion, and Noivern. The move is also a guaranteed OHKO against Zygarde-10% after Stealth Rock. Gunk Shot can be utilized to gain momentum against any Grass-type Pokemon that tries to switch into Donphan such as Shaymin and Virizion, as well as to damage Gardevoir and Florges more. Stealth Rock can be utilized if Donphan’s team lacks a dedicated user of the move. Set Details The listed EV set allows Donphan to be as strong and sturdy as possible. Leftovers gives Donphan a little extra health back every turn so that it has an easier time checking Pokemon such as Zygarde-10%, Tyrantrum, and Toxicroak, allowing Donphan to Rapid Spin more often by restoring its Sturdy if it comes in on Stealth Rock. Usage Tips Donphan is a Rapid Spinner designed to tank hits from physically attacking Pokemon such as Zygarde-10%, Tyrantrum, and Toxicroak, so it needs to be as healthy as possible throughout the match. This is especially true if the opponent still has an entry hazard setter and if Donphan has a teammate that needs hazard control. Donphan can easily come in on Stealth Rock users that do not threaten it very much, such as Metagross, Registeel, or Tank Rhyperior. It can also come into battle with a slow U-turn or Volt Switch if a teammate has fainted or from an aggressive double switch. From there, Donphan can threaten the opponent out with a powerful Earthquake or revenge kill with Ice Shard if the foe is weakened enough. If the opponent has a Ghost-type Pokemon such as Mismagius or Alolan Marowak and switches them in on Donphan expecting it to go for Rapid Spin, then it is advised to go for Knock Off, as the move does massive damage to these Pokemon, putting Mismagius within Ice Shard KO range and heavily crippling Alolan Marowak. Do not let Donphan take any status conditions, as poison from Toxic severely limits its longevity and the number of times it can switch in on Pokemon it is supposed to check. Being burned from Will-O-Wisp, meanwhile, makes Donphan lose offensive pressure. Team Options Donphan appreciates support from clerics such as Umbreon or Vaporeon or Healing Wish users such as Shaymin and Gardevoir, as Donphan itself lacks a reliable form of recovery. Pokemon such as Ninetales, Noivern, Salazzle, and Swellow appreciate Donphan's ability to clear entry hazards away and threaten Stealth Rock users. These Pokemon also appreciate Donphan's ability to threaten out Zygarde-10%. Teammates that can absorb Water-type attacks aimed at Donphan such as Virizion, Toxicroak, Mantine, and Seismitoad are needed. On that note, partners like Roserade, Shaymin, and Raikou can also keep Water-type Pokemon in check. Donphan also needs partners that can take Grass-type attacks such as Ninetales, Metagross, or Registeel. Metagross and Registeel also provide entry hazards for Donphan's team. Donphan, in return, can check Ground-types for Metagross and Registeel. Spikes setters such as Roserade and Golisopod love that Donphan can remove entry hazards without removing their own Spikes. Slow pivots such as Mega Ampharos, Mandibuzz, or Forretress can help bring Donphan safely into battle. Specially defensive Pokemon such as Snorlax, Florges, and Goodra can help take attacks that target Donphan's weaker Special Defense.

Moves Earthquake is Donphan's most reliable STAB attack and hits incredibly hard with Choice Band. Ice Shard is Donphan's only form of priority and provides pretty good coverage. Knock Off allows Donphan to cripple switch-ins as well as hit Pokemon such as Bronzong and Cresselia super effectively. Gunk Shot gives Donphan a stronger super effective move against Grass-types, punishing the majority that switch in as well as allowing it to OHKO Florges and Aromatisse. Seed Bomb gets a mention on the last slot, as it allows Donphan to OHKO Swampert and get crucial 2HKOs on bulky Water-types such as Suicune and Alomomola after Stealth Rock. Set Details 204 Speed EVs allow Donphan to outspeed everything up to uninvested base 75 Speed Pokemon such as Florges. Choice Band gives Donphan the Attack boost necessary for it to support its teammates by breaking through walls it such as Suicune, Alomomola, and Chesnaught. Sturdy is the ability of choice because it lets Donphan survive a hit from full health and because Sand Veil is extremely luck-based and should not be used. An alternative EV spread of 132 HP / 252 Atk / 124 Spe can be used to give Donphan more bulk while still outspeeding base 65 Speed Pokemon such as Vaporeon and Umbreon. Usage Tips Send Donphan in on anything it would normally wall to an extent, such as Toxicroak. Look at what the opponent would switch into, and attack accordingly. You can also send Donphan in on walls it can deal with, such as Florges, and take them out of the picture. Try to ensure Sturdy is kept intact as much as possible through Wish support, as Sturdy is needed to let Donphan survive hits from sweepers that have already set up. It also helps Donphan deal with Grass-types such as Roserade and Shaymin, as Donphan can survive a hit and either KO or hit hard enough so that a teammate can revenge kill them. Team Options Sweepers that appreciate the removal or weakening of walls that Donphan can lure in make for good partners, so consider using Lucario, Dragon Dance Haxorus, or Swords Dance Mega Absol. Wish passers and clerics such as Florges and Vaporeon make for good partners as well since they can remove status from Donphan and heal it back with Wish. Volt Switch and U-turn users such as Mega Ampharos and Hydreigon make for good partners as they can safely bring Donphan in. Grass-types such as Roserade and Mega Sceptile can beat bulky Water-types, Donphan's best checks, so they are good teammates. Dark-types such as Krookodile and Mega Sharpedo also are good partners for Donphan as they help beat its hardest counter, Cresselia.

Moves Earthquake is the most reliable STAB attack for any physically offensive Ground-type and provides a whopping 100 Base Power and consistent damage output. Rapid Spin allows Donphan to remove entry hazards on it's side of the field. Stealth Rock allows Donphan to set up its own entry hazards and wear down opposing Pokemon each time they switch in. The last slot can be used for one of three possible moves. The first is Knock Off, as it allows Donphan to cripple the opposing Pokemon by removing its item. The second is Toxic, as it allows Donphan to cripple any defensive switch-in that isn't immune to Poison-type moves. The last is Roar, which allows Donphan to phaze and gives it a way to make sure it isn't setup fodder. Set Details Maximum Defense and HP EVs with an Impish nature allow Donphan to have as much physical bulk as it can muster, and Sturdy allows for Donphan to survive any one hit and either retaliate with Earthquake or Knock Off, cripple it with Toxic, set up hazards with Stealth Rock, or remove entry hazards with Rapid Spin. Leftovers is the item of the set as it gives Donphan passive recovery. Usage Tips Send Donphan in against Pokemon that it can check to an extent, such as Toxicroak, Mega Aerodactyl, and Mega Beedrill. This set's main purpose is to remove entry hazards while being a nice defensive presence, so use it to remove hazards whenever it is in a fairly decent matchup against the opposing Pokemon. If Donphan's Sturdy is needed to check a threat on the opposing team, try to make sure it is intact for as long as possible until it isn't needed anymore. Donphan, despite its good Defense stat, must be wary when switching into hard-hitting physical attackers such as Heracross and Darmanitan. Team Options Donphan lacks a form of solid recovery besides Rest, so it appreciates Wish-passing partners that can act as special walls, such as Blissey and Florges. Bulky Water-types such as Suicune and Vaporeon make for good partners, as they can tank Water- and Ice-type attacks aimed at Donphan; however, they do share a Grass-type weakness, so be sure to pack a Pokemon that resists Grass when pairing Donphan with a bulky Water-type. Crobat has excellent synergy with Donphan, as Donphan can tank Electric- and Rock-type attacks aimed at Crobat and Crobat has a 4x resistance to Grass and can take hard-hitting Fighting-type attacks aimed at Donphan, such as Machamp's Close Combat. Grass-types such as Roserade and Chesnaught make for good teammates for Donphan as well, as they resist Water-type and Grass-type moves aimed at Donphan. Pokemon that have a weakness to Stealth Rock, such as Darmanitan and Beedrill, would also appreciate being on the same team as Donphan, as it can remove entry hazards for them.

Moves Rapid Spin allows for entry hazard removal. Earthquake is an obligatory STAB attack that deals consistent damage. Knock Off is a nice move with the ability to remove the foe's item. Ice Shard allows Donphan to have some sort of priority but is very weak, so don't rely on it to KO the opposing Pokemon unless the opposing Pokemon is either very frail or weak to Ice. Stealth Rock lets Donphan set up its own entry hazard but should not be used should you choose to run Assault Vest, as it makes Donphan incapable of using this move. Set Details Maximum Attack investment and an Adamant nature allow Donphan to hit as hard as possible. 84 Speed EVs allow Donphan to outspeed neutral-natured base 60 Speed Pokemon and anything slower. The remaining 172 EVs are put into HP to give Donphan as much bulk as possible. Leftovers gives Donphan a form of recovery and allows Donphan to use support moves, whereas Assault Vest gives Donphan more special bulk, allowing it to check some special threats such as Mega Ampharos and Rotom-H variants lacking Will-O-Wisp. Usage Tips This Donphan set should be sent in on anything that it can check well, especially Choice-locked Electric-types such as Choice Scarf Rotom-H. Try to ensure Donphan is as healthy as possible at all times should you have teammates that require entry hazard removal. Donphan can take out most, if not all, Rapid Spin blockers with Earthquake, Knock Off, Ice Shard, or even a combination of the three, so correct predictions are key to Donphan doing its job successfully. Team Options Donphan appreciates Wish and cleric support, so Florges and Vaporeon make for good partners. In general, Pokemon that appreciate Donphan's ability to remove entry hazards, particularly Stealth Rock, make for good partners, although Fire-types and Flying-types get special mentions. Fire-types such as Rotom-H and Entei don't have access to reliable recovery and can threaten Grass-types, which would otherwise scare Donphan out. Flying-types are also able to deal with a majority of Grass-types and have having good synergy with Donphan; Mega Aerodactyl and Crobat fit this category nicely.

Moves Beyond the obligatory Rapid Spin, Earthquake gives Donphan the power to threaten Tyranitar and Steel-types such as Metagross, Jirachi, and Lucario, as it generally at least 2HKOes foes weak to it. Donphan’s physical bulk and the threat of Rapid Spin affords it the turn it needs to set up Stealth Rock. As Donphan only needs Earthquake and Rapid Spin, it has a wide variety of available options, especially if another Pokemon can set up Stealth Rock. Odor Sleuth is excellent for more defensive approaches, as it guarantees Donphan will be able to use Rapid Spin, even against Ghost-types, especially when paired with Rest to heal off burns and keep Donphan alive against residual damage. Ice Shard is effective on more offensive slants, as despite the fact it’s weak, it gives almost perfect coverage and helps to revenge kill foes 4x weak to it like Dragonite, Flygon, and Gliscor. Knock Off is also very effective at removing items from Ghost-types and other Ground-immune Pokemon. It also helps break opposing Donphan. With Stealth Rock up, Assurance is an excellent option to hit Ghost-types on the switch, as it OHKOes Gengar and offensive Rotom-A. Unfortunately it doesn’t do enough damage to them if Donphan doesn’t predict the switch-in due to the power loss. Head Smash is another option, as hits Gengar and Gyarados very hard, but the accuracy and recoil are painful and it doesn’t have much utility against defensive Pokemon. Set Details As Donphan only needs 252 HP EVs to do its job, it has a wide variety of available EV spreads. That said, maximum Defense EVs and an Impish nature is very helpful to help it against Tyranitar, physical Dragonite, Metagross, and Jirachi, as the increased bulk allows Donphan to withstand multiple attacks against Dragon Dance and other physical sweepers and either retaliate or Rapid Spin away Stealth Rock. Donphan can also fully invest in its Special Defense with a Careful nature to better survive attacks from Gengar, Rotom-A, and Heatran, but the loss in physical bulk is noticeable. Donphan can also use an Adamant nature and heavy Defense investment, especially with Assurance or Head Smash, as the nature guarantees an OHKO on Gengar while KOing Rotom-A on the next switch in of Stealth Rock. Usage Tips How Donphan should be played generally depends on if it has Stealth Rock. Stealth Rock Donphan typically hits the field fairly early to set up Stealth Rock on Pokemon that don't threaten it very much such as Tyranitar. However, without Stealth Rock or if Stealth Rock is already up, Donphan typically is played more cautiously, as it has lopsided defensive stats and despises status and residual damage. Donphan's teammates typically don't 100% need Stealth Rock off at all times; KOing or otherwise heavily weakening the opposing entry hazard user and then sending in Donphan to spin away the entry hazards can make Donphan's job way easier. However, if Donphan is needed defensively, do not hesitate to send it in, as a full health physically Donphan will stop most physical sweepers besides Gyarados. Predicting Ghost-types switching in can be very helpful in weakening them, regardless if Donphan has Assurance or not. If Toxic Spikes are up and Donphan doesn't have Rest, be very careful about when you decide to send it in, as you can only remove them once before Donphan is permanently incapacitated. For more defensive teams with two Rapid Spin users, Donphan should often be the second one sent in, as both Forretress and Starmie better handle Ghost-types. Before Donphan's two additional moves are revealed, they can potentially catch the opponent offguard, so don't hesitate to take advantage of this. Team Options Donphan is highly effective on more balanced teams to support offensive threats such as Choice Band Tyranitar, Choice Specs Heatran, and Choice Specs Empoleon alongside a strong defensive core. It also is very effective supporting Pokemon like Machamp and Gyarados alongside paralysis support, and with another spinner such as Starmie or Forretress to support Pokemon debilitated by entry hazards such as Zapdos, Abomasnow, and Togekiss. Donphan is fantastic alongside physically defensive Zapdos, as it can Rapid Spin for it, Donphan helps against Dragon Dance Tyranitar, and Zapdos covers many Water- and Grass-types Donphan loathes to take on. Jirachi is also an excellent partner, as Donphan removes Spikes and Jirachi is bulky enough to deal with many special attackers such as Latias and can provide Wish support for Donphan. This partnership is fantastic in supporting strong Choiced wall breakers, as Zapdos, Donphan, and Jirachi cover much of the metagame between them. Choice Band Tyranitar and Choice Specs Heatran are fantastic against Rotom-A, as Tyranitar traps it and Heatran gets a Flash Fire boost from Will-O-Wisp. Bulkier Water-types such as Milotic and Slowbro are also excellent partners to give a sturdy Water- and Fire- resistance as well as spread paralysis. For more offensive partners, Gyarados and Machamp are excellent options. Removing entry hazards are paramount for these Pokemon, especially Stealth Rock for Gyarados and (Toxic) Spikes for Machamp. In return, they provide offensive pressure and potentially KO entry hazards users so Donphan doesn’t have to Rapid Spin them away again. Donphan also supports Choice Scarf Latias well due to handling Dragon Dance Tyranitar. Another way to help Donphan clear Stealth Rock is to either use a Trick + Choice Scarf lead such as Uxie, Metagross, Azelf, or Latias, or use Magnezone or Magneton to trap them. Locking often slower Stealth Rock users into a move or trapping Steel-types helps Donphan a lot in removing entry hazards. For more defensive teams, Donphan can support teammates heavily hampered by entry hazards. More defensive partners such as Clefable and Blissey are excellent partners, as they can potentially use Heal Bell for Rest Donphan. Other Rapid Spin partners such as Tentacruel can work, as can Pokemon that don’t enjoy Spikes and let them up easily such as Swords Dance Breloom and Calm Mind + Rest Suicune. Donphan can potentially support very uncommon Pokemon such as Moltres, Registeel, and Yanmega deal with entry hazards.

Donphan is a typical physical tank and spinner. Switch it into one of the many physical attackers it can handle, then fire off attacks or use Rapid Spin. Thanks to its high base Attack stat and powerful STAB Earthquake, Donphan's damage output is a lot higher than almost every physical wall in OU. Hidden Power Rock is generally superior to Rock Slide because Donphan is too slow to take advantage of the flinch chance, and Hidden Power Rock does more damage on average. Additionally, Hidden Power Rock has more PP; this can be quite useful when facing a stall team, which is when Rapid Spin Donphan really shines. While Donphan is one of the few good users of Rapid Spin, it can also use Roar to phaze Pokemon such as Snorlax, Salamence, and Ninjask. You'll generally want to maximize Donphan's HP and invest fairly equally into its Attack and Defense. 24 Speed EVs allow Donphan to outspeed Relaxed Swampert, but if you aren't worried about the mudfish, you can dump the EVs into Attack or Defense instead.

This set is useful for multiple reasons. The first is that as long as your opponent packs a Ghost, such as Dusclops or Gengar, standard Donphan won't be able to Rapid Spin. With a Choice Band, however, Donphan can 2HKO Dusclops with Earthquake and Gengar with Rock Slide. Second, Donphan has a horrible typing, as far as special resistances go, in addition to an equally bad Special Defense stat. It will therefore have to either OHKO the incoming special attacker or switch out; Choice Band perfectly suits this sort of hit-and-run style of play. The final reason is sheer surprise: Donphan OHKOes Celebi with Hidden Power Bug, for instance, and 2HKOes all bulky Waters bar Suicune with Earthquake. Hidden Power Ghost can be used over Hidden Power Bug to OHKO Gengar and still do some damage to Celebi. Choice Band Donphan needs a bit more Attack than its Rapid Spin counterpart does. The remaining EVs are split between HP and Defense for maximum physical survivability.

Set Description This set is simple yet effective, seeking to leverage Donphan's natural defensive profile to check common threats throughout the course of a game. STAB Earthquake gives Donphan solid offensive presence at all times, letting it 2HKO every Ground-weak Pokemon in the metagame besides Steelix without needing Spikes support. It also threatens an immediate OHKO on Gengar and 2HKO on Misdreavus, ensuring Donphan can remove Spikes from the field in peace. Rapid Spin is Donphan's most important supportive tool, letting it clear Spikes from its team's side of the field, which greatly assists grounded teammates such as Snorlax. Rest is Donphan's only form of recovery outside of Leftovers, making it mandatory in order to stay healthy for as long as possible. Sleep Talk is used alongside Rest to limit downtime as much as possible, letting Donphan continuously fire off Earthquakes against targets that might otherwise take advantage of it to rack up Curse boosts, such as Rhydon. Sleep Talk also makes Donphan a decent switch-in against Hypnosis from Ghost-types and Lovely Kiss from Snorlax and Nidoking, although its vulnerability to Jynx and Exeggutor makes it awkward to use as a team's sole sleep absorber. Team Options RestTalk Donphan's lack of a Normal resistance and inability to fit Roar mean it needs a teammate that can provide both of these tools. Tyranitar is a standout candidate, easily switching into Snorlax and phazing it to negate any Curse boosts; its STAB Rock Slide also dishes out some serious pain against Zapdos and Cloyster, which easily beat Donphan. Raikou is the go-to choice for a dedicated Zapdos check thanks to its Electric resistance and powerful Thunder, and Zapdos itself is a crucial teammate for checking threats that bowl over the Donphan + Tyranitar pairing, such as Heracross and Curse Machamp. As a result, Donphan most commonly finds itself on double-Electric teams that seek to limit Cloyster's opportunities to repeatedly lay Spikes; such teams might refrain from using Starmie for Rapid Spin duty, since it stacks too many weaknesses to opposing Raikou. Skarmory and Misdreavus can take Tyranitar's place on bulkier teams, forming an excellent defensive pairing with Donphan that checks every Snorlax variant on its own, leaving Donphan free to deal with Raikou, Tyranitar, and the Ground-types. RestTalk Donphan also compresses a decent Gengar check and a sleep absorber into one team slot, which can free up a team's Snorlax to run a mono-attacking or mixed set. Thunder Snorlax is especially useful for pestering Skarmory, which Donphan can't scratch at all, and Cloyster. Alternatively, Snorlax can still run a set with Sleep Talk if the team finds itself weak to Jynx.

Set Description This set is difficult to justify using due to its similarity to Golem's common sets, but it remains useful for teams seeking a Rapid Spin option that matches up better against opposing Ground-types, Tyranitar, and Giga Drain Forretress. Earthquake is Donphan's main source of damage, striking fear into common Ground-weak Pokemon such as Rhydon, Golem, Steelix, and Tyranitar and generally providing good neutral damage. Rapid Spin lets Donphan rid the field of Spikes if it finds an opportunity, which is especially useful because Gengar and Misdreavus want nothing to do with its Earthquake and are thus unlikely to switch in. Hidden Power Rock covers Flying-types that commonly switch into Earthquake looking for free turns, mainly Zapdos but also Dragonite, Moltres, and Charizard; however, Donphan doesn't beat the former two one-on-one despite the super effective coverage. Toxic is a decent alternative that puts much more pressure on Cloyster, letting Donphan punish it for switching in on a predicted Rapid Spin and trying to lay Spikes again; it also has applications against Ground-resistant foes such as Exeggutor and Heracross, and it still applies some pressure to the aforementioned Flying-type targets as well. The last moveslot is somewhat flexible: Roar lets Donphan phaze certain Curse users such as Tyranitar, Steelix, Machamp, and even Snorlax in a pinch before they snowball out of control. Roar in conjunction with Spikes support is also a powerful offensive tool that can quickly rack up chip damage against the opponent's team. Alternatively, Protect lets Donphan maximize its Leftovers recovery, which is especially important, since this set doesn't have room for RestTalk. It's also useful for stalling out Toxic damage and wasting low-PP moves such as Cross Chop from Machamp and Giga Drain from Exeggutor and Forretress, making those threats significantly easier to play around. Team Options Since this Donphan sacrifices the longevity of Rest for additional offensive coverage, its team should appropriately match the fast pace it wants to play at. Cloyster is an ideal teammate for this set, providing a backup non-Curse Snorlax check, Spikes that Donphan can leverage with Roar, Toxic that Donphan can accentuate with Protect, and even Explosion to lure and remove Zapdos. Tyranitar is an excellent choice for the Normal resistance, phazing, and offensive presence it provides, and Donphan's good matchups against the tier's spinblockers can potentially free it up to run a Curse set. The Donphan + Tyranitar pairing is also useful in that it handles Gengar extremely well and thus reduces the pressure on Snorlax to run a set with Earthquake, giving it more options overall. A mono-attacking Snorlax set with Curse, Rest, and Sleep Talk pairs very well with this Donphan, providing a special sponge, win condition, and sleep absorber in the same team slot. Raikou is a useful teammate for providing extra insurance against Zapdos, and it can also viably run a Sleep Talk set depending on the needs of the team. Gengar can ensure Spikes remain on the field for Donphan's team, check Heracross and Machamp, and pressure nearly the entire tier with its coverage and Hypnosis; it also discourages Steelix and Golem from trying to trade with Donphan via Explosion, which is especially useful if Donphan isn't running Protect.