Shadow Donphan
Attack
Defense
Stamina
Best Movesets
Analysis
The Shadow boost helped Donphan... but not enough for it to attain any sort of real relevance, especially as the game's big-name Ground types have made themselves known. Sadly, there's no reason to raise it.
Offense
- Mud Slap and Earthquake is the optimal moveset for an offensive Shadow Donphan.
- Charm and Play Rough work if you're desperate for Fairy coverage
- Tackle, Counter, Heavy Slam, Body Slam, and Trailblaze have no real value here.
Defense
- Charm is one of the best Fast Moves on defense, and arguably the optimal choice.
- Mud Slap has neutral damage that compares directly with Charm post-stab, though its coverage tends to be a bit less important.
- Counter and Tackle pale in comparison.
- Body Slam has 3 bars and great neutral coverage
- Trailblaze has valuable counter-coverage for Water Types
- Iron Head threatens Ice Type counters
- Play Rough heavily damages common Dragon and Fighting Types
- Earthquake hits hard, but Shadow Donphan probably won't have a shot to launch it.
Mud Slap has STAB, excellent damage output, and reasonable energy gain. Counter used to be great, but it is now an underwhelming option for Donphan after its nerf in Pokemon GO: Max Out. Charm is a niche choice allows Donphan to deal consistent Fairy-type damage. Tackle is the worst overall option.
The addition of Body Slam following the GBL Season 10 update is an improvement for Donphan, enabling it to access a decent Charged Move without consuming a large amount of energy. Trailblaze provides coverage against Water-type Pokemon, and its Attack boost can make Mud Slap even more oppressive. Play Rough is run to handle Dragon-types (and have great neutral damage). Heavy Slam is cheaper and effective for shield baits, but doesn't provide meaningful coverage. Earthquake is largely redundant with Mud Slap already dealing heavy Ground-type damage.
Donphan is a fairly good Ground-type option with fairly unique coverage options such as Trailblaze and Play Rough. However, it tends to lack a defined niche in the open Great League. Many Ground-type Pokemon have useful secondary typings, such as Gastrodon and Clodsire. Additionally, Marowak is another Ground-type Pokemon with higher bulk and an overall superior moveset, leaving Donphan largely outclassed outside of certain cups.
