Dusknoir

[BattleStar]

HP:45
Attack:100
Defense: 135
Sp.Attack:65
Sp.Defense: 135
Speed:45​

Notable Traits: Dusknoir easily said is a defensive Pokemon. It has access to Pain Split, which can heal itself and damage it's foe. Also Dusknoir is a big abuser of Will-O-Wisp, which helps it take physical damage better. It also has the option to plays other roles with gravity, pursuit, and disable. Dusknoir is, overall, a wall to be cautious around, able to easily block most sweepers.

Standard-Noir

Dusknoir@Leftovers
Impish/Careful
252 HP/ 252 Def/ Sp.Def 4
-Will-O-Wisp
-Pain Split
- Shadow Sneak/ Shadow Punch
- Return/Fire Punch

This is pretty much the standard Dusknoir. You always want to max out its little HP. Pain is its main recovery option and great for weakening new Pokemon. Shadow Sneak is for priority to compensate its low speed. How Shadow punch may be used to stop the Double Team/ Minamizers/ Sand Attack users. Return is there for a fill in move and is the only move to hit normal types with.

Other Options: You may consider running Dusknoir on a Special Defensive set due to the already strong physical defense with Will-O-Wisp.
Unlikely seen set are offensive ones. You can consider running a Trick room set that fits well with him due to low speed. Another option is to use a subpunch Set, however other out class dusknoir.
A lum berry can also be incorporated to get rid of status effect which cripple dusknoir. Rest and Sleep talk may be seen as well

Counters: Dusknoir gets serverly crippled by status moves. Dusknoir can really have trouble with other ghost types. Most are on the special side which is dusknoir weak point. Chandelure is a large counter being able to switch in to a Will-O-wisp to suck it up, powering up a fire move. Anything that really can benefit from its status inducing moves is a counter.

 

[Joel]

You listed the SpDef base stat twice.

Just sayin'.

 

[BattleStar]

Thank you for your cooperation.

 

[cosmicexplorer]

Pain is its main recovery option

lol

Earthquake and Fire Punch are also good offensive options for Dusknoir, with excellent coverage together or alongside Shadow Punch.

 

[breh]

Why are you using dusknoir? seriously. Just use dusclops. It will actually do damage with its move of choice (Night Shade or S-toss) and takes hits far better.

 

[BattleStar]

lol

Earthquake and Fire Punch are also good offensive options for Dusknoir, with excellent coverage together or alongside Shadow Punch or Shadow Sneak.

Yeah, but Dusknoir will totally be stoped by flying types. Stab and earthquake due the same damage and nothing is immune to it.Plus if they are normal he is done for. Especially if it's swellow who has guts, and loves will-o-wisp. He won't even need a flame orb!

Also dusknoir has a little extra HP and a stronger attack. It can actually use be able to use physical moves.

 

[cosmicexplorer]

Earthquake and Fire Punch are meant to hit Steel-types which resist Shadow Punch or Shadow Sneak, and Fire-types that are immune to Will-O-Wisp. Return, while it gets good neutral coverage, doesn't hit either of those targets for enough damage, which is why those two are useful.

Breludicolo, those moves and Dusknoir's good Attack are the reason to use it over Dusclops in singles. Sure, it's a precise niche, but it's definitely usable. For example, Dusknoir can serve as an effective check to Blaziken with Earthquake, but Dusclops only has Night Shade, and is 2HKOed by sun-boosted Fire Blast or Flare Blitz.

 

[Solace]

ok this one will get my formatting fixes shortly

 

[Jibaku]

I think Ice Punch / Earthquake is another formidable offensive combo you can use. First and foremost, Ice Punch smacks Gliscor who is either walling your Will-O-Wisps with Toxic Orb + Poison Heal or Substitute (Dusknoir's other attacks are too weak to break even uninvested Gliscor subs). Ice Punch is also great for hitting a whole bunch of other things SE, such as the omnipresent Garchomp and Dragonite. Ice Punch + Shadow Sneak is a terrible offensive combo, though :(

Unfortunately Dusknoir really suffers from a 4 moveslot syndrome and being...very average in singles. Its main selling point is probably...burning stuff and being annoying in general. And as far as annoying goes it has severe competition with Jellicent. It's probably best left for doubles to set up Trick Room with.

 

[cosmicexplorer]

Dusknoir is almost 100% outclassed by Dusclops in doubles, though, thanks to its pre-evo's much higher defenses. That doesn't leave much of a niche for Dusknoir in any tier.

 

[muffinhead]

RE Dusclops vs Dusknoir -

Dusclops becomes incredibly bulky with an Eviolite, but lacks offensive presence. Dusknoir's offense is not good enough to make it superior to Dusclops. The held item is the big difference. Dusknoir can hold Lum Berry, Sitrus Berry, or Mental Herb. This makes it a safer Trick Room user, whereas Dusclops enjoys just sitting there spamming w-o-w or hh.

 

[Human]

Something that I remember seeing in one of the VGC 2009 tournaments on here once was an Imprison set. Trick Room Protect Imprison Shadow Ball. It was used alongside Explosion and if you want to make a team like that Dusknoir is still one of the best ones due to the ability to use Mental Herb or Lum.

I agree with muffinhead though, its only advantage over dusclops is the ability to use a safer item.

 

[~Golden Emp]

I think Trick Room should have a bigger focus in this analysis....It's the best job Dusknoir can do in doubles....it's just amazing :)

 

[risenreturn]

Gravity also deserves more of a shout-out to IMO, which means with a good partner it can easily support a sweep. Also one of the bulkiest pokemon that can use Gravity as well, as an added bonus. IMO it's the 2nd best thing Dusknoir can do, behind Trick Room(only because Dusknoir doesn't really have much of a usable gravity movepool outside of Earthquake that hits everything)

Mimic can also be mentioned here, although it takes far more work than many would want to go through to get it.(catch in 3rd gen game, teach Mimic via. move tutor, transfer to 4th gen game, transfer to 5th gen game, evolve into Dusknoir) but can give it a plethora of new ways to do things. it can get an instant recovery move by mimicing a recover or a moonlight, or another annoying move like thunder wave to greatly help it in it's time around.