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Community POTW #008

Serebii

Serebii

And, as if by magic, the webmaster appeared...
Staff member
Admin
Time for the next Pokémon and today we return to Johto!

232.png


It's Donphan!

www.serebii.net

Donphan #232 - Serebii.net Pokédex

Donphan Pokémon Serebii.net Pokédex providing all details on moves, stats, abilities, evolution data and locations for Pokémon Scarlet & Violet
www.serebii.net www.serebii.net
 
Yveltal91057

Yveltal91057

It’s Kalos season!
Properly making a grand entrance into the Gen 9 competitive scene and returning from BDSP, Donphan which originated in Gen 2 is one of the better Ground type Pokémon in Scarlet and Violet especially with the current absence of Flygon, Swampert, Groudon which is transfer only, Nidoqueen, Nidoking and Golurk.

Donphan enjoys hitting hard and fast, gets a new move this generation in Ice Spinner and is perfect for any playthrough or competitive team.

Donphan

Ability: Sand Veil
Nature: Jolly
EV spread: 252 Attack/252 Speed/4 HP
Held item: Chesto Berry

Moveset

Earthquake
Ice Spinner
Iron Defense
Seed Bomb

Other moveset options

Iron Head
Poison Jab
Assurance
Knock Off
Scary Face
Trailblaze
Stomping Tantrum
Bulldoze
Rest
Body Press
Sleep Talk
Charm
Sandstorm
 
Yveltal91057

Yveltal91057

It’s Kalos season!
KyogreThunder said:
Donphan
Ability: Sturdy
Adamant nature/Jolly nature
@Choice Scarf/Choice Band
EVs: 252 Attack/252 Speed/4 HP
-Earthquake
-Knock Off
-Fire Fang
-Seed Bomb/Play Rough/Ice Shard
Click to expand...
Generally speaking, most people who use Donphan in Gen 9 competitively would use Ice Spinner over Ice Shard or Ice Fang. Ice Spinner has 80 base power and 100% accuracy.
 
Divine Retribution

Divine Retribution

Conquistador de pan
Ice Shard can revengekill things like Tera Flying Roaring Moon or non-Terastallyzed Dragonite in many circumstances where Ice Spinner cannot.

That being said, almost nobody is using Donphan in Gen 9 to begin with when you have two flavors of Donphan but better to choose from instead in Great Tusk (one of the most solid Pokemon in the game and a presence on the majority of teams) and Iron Treads (who has the same overall defensive profile as base Donphan but with a better defensive typing and higher stats). Technically species clause doesn't stop you from using both Donphan and a paradox Donphan form as they're entirely separate species, but they're all bulky Ground types that generally fulfill the same role, albeit in slightly different ways, so it's hard to fit more than one on the same team, and especially base Donphan, the most lacklustre of the trio.

Also shoutout to the Donphan set with Iron Defense and a Chesto Berry... and no Rest.
 
XaelOstigian

XaelOstigian

Competitive...kinda
Donphan has an interesting history as a Pokemon. It alongside Marill and Snubbull was one of the first new Pokemon ever teased for a future generation in the first Pokemon Movie:
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It was also a potent gen 2 Ground type possessing excellent HP, attack, and defense, though it was unavailable in Gold version and even in Silver you had to wait until your 8th badge to catch it via its adorable pre-evolution Phanpy. However, in Crystal version if you went looking in the wild grass in the Route just north of New Bark Town that is blocked by cliffs in the morning you could catch yourself an early Phanpy for your team. What a deal!
maxresdefault.jpg

Donphan sadly lacks the reliable recovery it needs to serve as a great tank for your team, which feels like a waste given how weirdly wide its movepool is possessing attacks like Ice Shard, Seed Bomb, and the elemental fangs. It's also sadly outclassed by its own past and future paradox forms in Great Tusk and Iron Treads.
All-Paradox-Pokemon-Forms-Leaked-for-Scarlet-Violet-960x540.jpg.webp

But Donphan is still a greatly respected Ground type at least in my eyes, and can still lead you to victory despite what naysayers may say.
0blr9hfuyaq91.jpg

Tactical Elephant
Ability: Sturdy
Item: Assault Vest
Nature: Adamant
EVs: (HP 252) (Attack 252) (Defense 4)
Tera Type: Ground, Ice, or Steel

Moves:
Earthquake
Stone Edge
Knock Off
Fire Fang/Ice Shard/Play Rough/Seed Bomb

Set Details:
Slap on an Assault Vest to give extra special bulk and go to town. Earthquake is your reliable STAB, Stone Edge is powerful and has great coverage with Earthquake, and Knock Off is great neutral coverage and perfect for item reliant opponents. The last slot is your choice since Fire Fang handles Scizor, Ice Shard offers priority and a nasty surprise for the x4 weak pseudo-legendary Dragons, Play Rough offers coverage against Fighting, Dragon, and Dark types, and Seed Bomb surprises the Water/Ground threats. Invest everything into physical attack and HP for max power and bulk. Tera typing can go to either Ground for stronger Eartquakes, Ice for a much stronger Ice Shard in terms of base power and the added STAB, or Steel to bestow better defensive typing and a means to survive an oncoming Grass or Ice attack.

 
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Mestorn

Mestorn

Wandering Battler
Donphan really falls into the shadow of its own Paradox forms. If one of them didn't exist, Donphan could arguably have a niche (Donphan has higher Attack than Iron Treads, and unlike Great Tusk, it gets Knock Off [as it turns out Great Tusk does get Knock Off. Thanks Divine for calling me out]), but with both of them, any niche Donphan has vanishes into the ether. Which is a shame, as Donphan's story has been that of competing with others Pokémon for awhile now, namely Excadrill for a Ground type Rapid Spinner and how Donphan is currently plying its trade, Mamoswine due to their similar offensive profiles.

For the one thing Donphan has that its Paradox forms don't is Ice Shard. So currently it has been running around as Mamoswine-lite spamming Ground STAB and Ice coverage, if not falling back to its old standby of a support role in formats where its Paradox forms are not allowed.

Tired old Tire
Donphan
Ability: Sturdy
Item: Leftovers
-Rapid Spin
-Stealth Rock
-Knock Off
-Earthquake
EVs: 252 HP / 252 DEF / 4 SDEF
Nature: Impish
Tera Type: Steel

Donphan doubles down in its role as a physical wall/supported with this set. Rapid Spin is an incredible move, its Speed boosting effect patching up one of Donphan's weakest points. Stealth Rock is a natural inclusion -Sturdy's built in Focus Sash means Donphan is guaranteed to get it up once and Donphan's excellent physical bulk enables multiple setups if given the chance. Knock Off is great utility and whacks Ghost types looking to Spin Block hard, and STAB Earthquake goes without saying.

Tera Steel is best for this Donphan -turning its weaknesses to Grass and Ice into resistances and giving it a neutrality to Water on top of the many other resists Steel gets.
 
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Divine Retribution

Divine Retribution

Conquistador de pan
Mestorn said:
unlike Great Tusk, it gets Knock Off
Click to expand...

Great Tusk does get Knock Off (via level-up at level 42 if I recall correctly). The only real things that Donphan has over it are Sturdy and Ice Shard (and mono-Ground arguably being a better defensive typing than Ground/Fighting in some circumstances).

EDIT: This wasn't supposed to be a "call out", I've made mistakes plenty of times myself.
 
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