What is a good moveset for Dondozo?

Question

If you have a good competitive moveset for Dondozo, post an answer below and upvote the best ones.

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.

Dondozo Pokedex & learnset for reference.

Answer 1

Apparently Dondozo + Tatsugiri is great in Doubles... but I don't know enough about those formats, so here's a generic wall moveset instead.

Gen 9 OU

Dondozo @ Leftovers
Ability: Unaware
Tera Type: Grass
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Impish Nature
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Body Press
- Yawn / Wave Crash

There are three Unaware Pokemon in OU currently (Clodsire and Skeledirge are the other two), so Dondozo has competition, but it can be justified on a team over the others if you really need a bulky Water type. It has the best physical bulk of the three, so it helps invalidate Baxcalibur and most other non-super effective moves. Dondozo also acts as a decent Chi-Yu check, but its passivity makes it easy for Nasty Plot variants to set up on it.

This is a pretty standard RestTalk set. The EVs give it crazy high bulk (504 HP and 361 Defense!), so it's fairly straightforward to heal against a physical attacker if need be, especially with Leftovers. Body Press means no EVs need to be invested into Attack, and it's great against Chi-Yu, Chien-Pao, and other foes weak to Fighting. Yawn helps with controlling momentum and forcing out setup Pokemon like Dragon Dance Dragonite. You could also use Wave Crash instead so you aren't completely walled by Annihilape and Gholdengo, plus the damage can be healed off with Rest. Tera Grass lets Dondozo soak up Electric and Grass moves while still resisting Water.

Good teammates

Chi-Yu
Chi-Yu is great against Grass and Ghost types that Dondozo can't do much against. In return, Dondozo can deal with Tyranitar and other Pokemon that might stop a Chi-Yu sweep.

Gholdengo
In the same vein as Chi-Yu, Gholdengo is solid against Ghost types. Dondozo also appreciates it soaking up statuses if it's not in a position to Rest.

Clodsire
Why stop at one Unaware user? Clodsire is a good switch-in to Iron Hands due to the Electric immunity, and its special bulk complements Dondozo's physical longevity. It should be noted that Gen 9 OU is a very offensive metagame, though, so more offensive options might be more viable.

Answer 2

Guess I'll post a specially defensive Dondozo set

Gen 9 Monotype Specifically Defensive (Water)

Dondozo @ Leftovers
Ability: Unaware
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Liquidation / Wave Crash
- Curse
- Rest
- Sleep Talk

The standard Curse RestTalk set Dondozo uses in Gen 9 Monotype. This set should be used once water immunities and strong Special Wallbreakers are knocked out. Liquidation / Wave Crash is used for Water STAB. Liquidation is used if you don't want to deal with the recoil from Wave Crash, while Wave Crash is stronger if you don't mind the recoil. Curse makes it harder for physical attacks to break past it and boosts Dondozo's attack. Rest gives Dondozo a form of recovery, and Sleep Talk lets Dondozo not be too passive while you're asleep.

Answer 3

Gen 9 OU doubles Tatsugiri strat set
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Unaware
Tera Type: Dragon (chose it because I thought it would be funny for it to have a Dragon Tera Type because Tatsugiri is part Dragon Type)
EVs: 252 HP, 252 Atk, 6 Def
Nature: Adamant (lowers SpA, boosts Atk)
- Liquidation
- Order Up
- Avalanche
- Body Press/Heavy Slam

Liquidation is STAB. Order Up is for Dragon Tera STAB and could potentially boost Atk or Def. Avalanche is to handle other Dragon types, and its power is doubled if the user gets hit before it uses the move, and it has decreased priority so that’s basically guaranteed. The last moveslot could be either Body Press or Heavy Slam to handle Ice or Fairy types respectively.

Answer 4

What am I doing.

Dondozo @ Choice Band
Ability: Unaware
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Brave Nature
- Avalanche
- Crunch
- Earthquake
- Liquidation

Interesting set, I know. I would give it an Assault Vest, but Banded Avalanche was too much to give up. Tera Water to give your Liquidations extra hurty. This man will hurt very much. And not sacrificing very much in return except not having an Assault Vest.

Things you beat:
Garchomp
Most Dragapult
Setup Sweepers

Things to Watch Out For:
Iron Moth with Energy Ball
Resists (Due to it's low attacking prowess compared to other bands, it can't quite break resists as well as other Bands)
Ting-Lu
Hattrene

I'm going to try to do a moveset a day on weekdays, hope you liked this one!

MrKensa

Answer 5

He is a thick whale.
OU

Dondozo @ Leftovers
Ability: Unaware
Tera Type: Dragon
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD OR 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
Careful / Adamant Nature
- Rest
- Liquidation / Wave Crash
- Earthquake
- Avalanche / Sleep Talk / Curse

Wave Crash is STAB, but you can use Liquidation if you don't like recoil. Earthquake gives it some good coverage. Rest is its only way to heal. Sleep Talk works well with Rest, but if you find it annoying when it keeps calling Rest again and wasting your turn (like me), you can use Avalanche to get more coverage or Curse to setup. This can work either as a special tank or a bulky attacker.