Competitive Information for Donphan [Ruby/Sapphire]
Ground
Abilities:
OHKO moves fail when used against this Pokemon.
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Movesets for Singles
Looking for a competitive moveset for Donphan? These builds are optimized for Ruby/Sapphire Single Battles. The movesets and EVs are designed to maximize damage against common opponents and threats in the Ruby/Sapphire metagame. Check out the expert movesets below to boost your battle performance and dominate your opponents!
Get ready to meet Donphan, the spectacular Ground-typed Pokémon! It's a sight to see Donphan out in the 3rd generation battlefield. It is weak to Grass, Ice, and Water-typed attacks. Explore the movesets below to see how Donphan performs in battles.
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
Nature: Impish (+Def, -SpA)
EVs: 252 Hp / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Moveset:
- Earthquake
- Rapid Spin
- Protect
- Toxic
Donphan makes an a pretty decent Physical Wall in single battles. It is meant to absorb physical damage and return fire with decent force. Before Generation IV, a move's damage category was determined by its type. Leftovers are always a great recovery option to ensure Donphan last longer regaining it's healthiness every turn. With Sturdy, ohko moves fail when used against Donphan.
◆ Rapid Spin is a physical 20-base power Normal-type move (frees Donphan from hazards, binding, leech seed).
◆ Protect is a status move (prevents moves from affecting your Donphan this turn).
◆ Toxic is a status move (badly poisons the target).
Link (click to copy):
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Item: Shell Bell / Choice Band
Ability: Sturdy
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
EVs: 92 Hp / 252 Atk / 164 SpD
Moveset:
- Earthquake / Mud-Slap
- Double-Edge / Return
- Rock Slide / Ancient Power
- Rock Smash / Counter
In single battles, Donphan is known as a stupendous Physical Sweeper. It's purpose is to take down the opponent's team with formidable physical power. Remember before Generation IV, a move's damage category was determined by its type. Choice Band will increase the damage of Donphan's physical moves by 1.5x at the cost of locking you into the first move you pick. The Shell Bell item option is to help Donphan recover from the recoil damage it may take from Double-Edge. With Sturdy, ohko moves fail when used against Donphan.
◆ Mud-Slap is a physical STAB-boosted 20-base power Ground-type move (100% chance to lower the target's accuracy by 1 stage).
◆ Double-Edge is a physical 120-base power Normal-type move (has 1/3 recoil).
◆ Return is a physical 0-base power Normal-type move (max 102 power at maximum happiness).
◆ Rock Slide is a physical 75-base power Rock-type move (30% chance to make the foes flinch).
◆ Ancient Power is a physical 60-base power Rock-type move (10% chance to raise all stats by 1 stage (not acc/eva)).
◆ Rock Smash is a physical 20-base power Fighting-type move (50% chance to lower the target's defense by 1 stage).
◆ Counter is a physical 0-base power Fighting-type move (if hit by physical attack, returns double damage).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/cbae8
Movesets for Doubles
Need a strong doubles moveset for Donphan? These builds are perfect for VGC (Pokémon Video Game Championship) and other competitive Ruby/Sapphire Double Battles. The VGC is the ultimate test of strategy and skill, and these movesets and EVs are designed to excel against multiple opponents at once while providing essential support to your team. Dominate the Ruby/Sapphire metagame with these expert-crafted setups!
Item: Shell Bell / Choice Band
Ability: Sturdy
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
EVs: 92 Hp / 252 Atk / 164 SpD
Moveset:
- Earthquake / Mud-Slap
- Rock Slide / Ancient Power
- Double-Edge / Return
- Rock Smash / Counter
Donphan makes an a distinguished Physical Sweeper in double battles. It is meant to crush rivals using brute physical attacks. Years before Generation IV, a move's damage category was determined by its type. Choice Band will increase the damage of Donphan's physical moves by 1.5x at the cost of locking you into the first move you pick. The Shell Bell item option is to help Donphan recover from the recoil damage it may take from Double-Edge. With Sturdy, ohko moves fail when used against Donphan.
◆ Mud-Slap is a physical STAB-boosted 20-base power Ground-type move (100% chance to lower the target's accuracy by 1 stage).
◆ Rock Slide is a physical 75-base power Rock-type move (30% chance to make the foes flinch).
◆ Ancient Power is a physical 60-base power Rock-type move (10% chance to raise all stats by 1 stage (not acc/eva)).
◆ Double-Edge is a physical 120-base power Normal-type move (has 1/3 recoil).
◆ Return is a physical 0-base power Normal-type move (max 102 power at maximum happiness).
◆ Rock Smash is a physical 20-base power Fighting-type move (50% chance to lower the target's defense by 1 stage).
◆ Counter is a physical 0-base power Fighting-type move (if hit by physical attack, returns double damage).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/daae8
Movepool
Want to know what moves Donphan can learn? Check out the full list of moves available in the Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire generation.
Sort and organize the learnset by type, category, accuracy, and power. Moves in bold get the same-type attack bonus (STAB) when used by Donphan.
Damage Modifiers:
Combo List
These are a list of several common move combinations Donphan can perform in Ruby/Sapphire. Not every combo going to be game-changing, but some can be pretty fun to play with. Sometimes these can be easily overlooked or forgotten, hence why we find and list them here. Discover what items, abilities, and moves this Pokemon can use in combination with each other to gain a strategic advantage in competitive battles.
Competitive RS Move and Ability Combos for Donphan
- Moves: Defense curl + Rollout
- Moves: Endure + Flail
- Moves: Rest + Sleep talk
- Moves: Rest + Snore
- Move: Swagger + Item: Mirror Herb
- Move: Facade + Item: Flame Orb
- Move: Facade + Item: Toxic Orb
- Moves with Priority: Endure, Protect
- Moves that inflict status: Toxic
Moves that boost Donphan's stats
- Ancient Power
- Defense Curl
- Rapid Spin
Most notable and possible best moves for Donphan
- Earthquake
- Protect
- Rapid Spin
- Rest
- Toxic
Common Effort Values for Donphan in Ruby and Sapphire
- Impish Nature ( 252/0/252/0/4/0/ )
- Impish Nature ( 248/0/52/0/160/48/ )
- Optimize Donphan's Defensive EV-spread for Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire
Usage Data
Explore the latest analytical usage data for this Pokémon from various VGC and online competitions. We use this data to develop our strategies and movesets. The data is categorized by competition and skill level: top-ranking trainers, mid-level players, and entry-level players.
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Here are the best movesets for Donphan. Top rated Donphan Ruby/Sapphire movesets. You can find Donphan builds Ruby/Sapphire. Donphan movesets Ruby/Sapphire are listed here. VGC Donphan Competitive Movesets can be found here. Find various EV spreads, find the best nature for Donphan in Ruby/Sapphire along with competitive movesets. Basic info and Movesets for evolution