What is a good moveset for Houndstone?

Question

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 include full 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 & learnset for reference.

Answer 1

For the funny

Gen 9 NU Physically Defensive

Greavard @ Eviolite
Ability: Fluffy
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold / 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.

Answer 2

Sand Rush + Last Respects go brrrr

Houndstone @ Choice Band
Ability: Sand Rush
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4SpD/ 252 Spe
Adamant 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.

Answer 3

Gen 9 NU Choice Band

Houndstone @ Choice Band
Ability: Sand Rush
Tera Type: Ghost / Fairy
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant 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.

Answer 4

Graveyard (Houndstone) @ Smooth Rock
Ability: Sand Rush
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 212 HP / 108 Atk / 188 Spe
Jolly 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.

Answer 5

Gen 9 NU Offensive 3 Attacks

Houndstone @ Spell Tag / Weakness Policy
Ability: Fluffy
Tera Type: Ghost / Fighting
EVs: 248 Atk / 200 Def / 60 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Poltergeist
- Body Press
- Shadow Sneak
- Pain Split

A set that takes a more offensive approach to Houndstone that is used in Gen 9 NU. Houndstone has been seeing use as an offensive Pokemon (even being a late-game sweeper with Weakness Policy), being able to throw off powerful attacks while still being able to vibe check Pokemon such as Tsareena, Munkidori, Scale Shot Flygon, Flamigo, Barraskewda, and Aqua Tauros. Poltergeist gives Houndstone a powerful Ghost STAB (since Houndstone can't use Last Respects in NU) to use when attacking Pokemon that don't resist or are immune to Ghost moves. Body Press allows Houndstone to deal super effective damage to Pokemon who resist or are immune to Poltergeist such as Incinceroar, Cinccino, Scrafty, and Wo-Chien. Shadow Sneak gives Houndstone a priority move that is useful to pick off faster Pokemon that are weakened such as Munkidori and Chandelure.

Spell Tag is used to boost the power of Poltergeist and Shadow Sneak without having to use Life Orb. Weakness Policy is an alternative to allow Houndstone to get a +2 attack boost to have a more offensive presence, which is useful if it is hit from attacks like a Knock Off from Tsareena. Tera Ghost is used to boost the power of Poltergeist and Shadow Sneak, while Tera Fighting can be used to boost the power of Body Press, which is useful to be able to 2HKO Incineroar.

The EV spread was created by Showdown player/Smogon user Shengineer. 60 Speed EVs allow Houndstone to outspeed Klefki. 200 Defense EVs are used in Defense for calcs against Incineroar with Body Press.(to be honest I'm not exactly sure which calcs, so you could probably get away with doing 252 Atk / 196 Def instead) 248 Attack EVs are used to give Houndstone as much attack as possible while still hitting a jump point for its Attack stat.

This set works on hazard stack teams, and can even be used on Sticky Web teams as a spinblocker on those teams, helping you keep Webs up on the opponent's side.

Comments

"Offensive Houndstone has been seeing use as an offensive Pokemon"

Answer 6

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 Ubers
Houndstone @ Assault Vest
Ability: Fluffy
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Last Respects
- Play Rough
- Crunch
- Shadow Sneak
Fluffy 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.

Comments

This is the exact moveset I use, it works rlly well

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I use this as well and I thought it was so cool cause with terra dark I could literally wall houndstone
I thought no one else would have thought of it

Answer 7

Houndstone Bulky Revenge Killing Set:
Evs: 252 Atk , 252 Def , 4 Hp
Ability: Fluffy
Item:Leftovers
Tera Type: Fairy
Adamant Nature
Moves:
Body Press
Last Respects
Crunch
Shadow 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

Comments

What nature?

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Since you mentioned H-Zoroark, what format is this?

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I would guess Ubers because Houndstone is in that tier, but not 100% sure

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Speaking of Crunch against H-Zoroark, it would be better to just have Play Rough for neutral damage, since Crunch only hits Ghost and Psychic for super effective damage, same as Ghost.

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It's for ubers/anything goes and ik H-Zoroark probably wouldn't be in ubers but ya gotta be cautious.

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H-Zoroark is only in NatDex, so I’m assuming you mean NatDex Ubers/AG.

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*Takes breath* BUDDY H-Zoroark is in the game already and currently ou

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My bad, just realized this after a bit of research. Smogon doesn’t have a whole lot of coverage on this, so I assumed it was still only in NatDex.

Answer 8

Gen 9 Ubers Late-Game Cleaner

Houndstone @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Fluffy
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly 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.

Answer 9

Gen 9 Monotype Physically Defensive (Ghost)

Houndstone @ Leftovers
Ability: Fluffy
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 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.

Answer 10

Gen 9 NU Physically Defensive

Houndstone @ Rocky Helmet / Leftovers / Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Fluffy
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Impish 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.