Dubwool, the Sheep Pokémon. Weave a carpet from its springy wool, and you end up with something closer to a trampoline. You'll start to bounce the moment you set foot on it. Its majestic horns are meant only to impress the opposite gender. They never see use in battle.

Overview

While the wider community fell in love with Wooloo when it was first revealed, any accolades Dubwool has earned of been from aesthetics and not mechanics. Dubwool does have some good traits -Bulletproof and Fluffy are fantastic abilities that do enable a bit of mind games, shifting around Dubwool’s weaknesses. Base 100 Defense synergizes beautifully with Cotton Guard and Body Press, making Dubwool very hard to break on the physical side while giving it a potent offensive tool.

However, that is where the good ends. Pure Normal typing is horrible defensively unless you have truly ludicrously high defenses, which Dubwool does not. Lack of reliable recovery hurts as well, leaving Dubwool liable to be worn down. Dubwool’s HP and Special Defense, while not bad, are not excellent either and remain a glaring achilles heel post Cotton Guard. And this is not even getting into how inconsistent Defense boosting strategies are, since all your boosts can be invalidated by a single crit. Normal types losing Return in the generational shift deprives Dubwool of a badly needed STAB that doesn’t compromise its bulk. In the end, Dubwool joins the ranks as yet another forgettable Normal type running a gimmick.
Positives
Fluffy and Bulletproof are amazing abilities, with Fluffy having more general application with its contact reduction, while Bulletproof blocks Aura Sphere and Focus Blast.
Base 100 Defense and Cotton Guard and Fluffy makes Dubwool nigh unbreakable on the physical side while still being able to output good damage with Body Press.

Negatives
No reliable recovery prevents Dubwool from taking repeated hits and prevents it from pivoting in throughout a match.
Lack of resistances and Defense only being truly impressive after a Cotton Guard further sabotages Dubwool’s durability.
Outclassed by other dedicated physical walls who have better typings, defenses and offensive presence.

Movesets

Counting Sheep

-Cotton Guard
-Body Press
-Rest
-Payback
Ability: Fluffy
Item: Chesto Berry
EVs and Nature:
252 HP / 8 Def / 248 SDef
Impish Nature

Dubwool tries to set itself up as a physical wall and late game sweeper with this set. Cotton Guard boosts Dubwool’s already good Defense to amazing heights able to tank incredibly powerful physical blows from wallbreakers like Belly Drum Azumarill, Banded Crawdaunt, Guts Boosted Heracross, etc. Body Press synergizes well with this, having impressive coverage and enabling Dubwool to wield its Defense as a weapon. Rest is Dubwool’s only form of recovery, but gives it a shield against status like Toxic and Will-o-Wisp, making it that much harder to take down. Payback rounds out the set, giving Dubwool a way to threaten Ghost types that otherwise blank its main attack.

DYNAMAX:
Highly advised against. Dubwool needs Body Press for damage and Rest for recovery and status protection and it doesn’t have access to either while Dynamaxed. While Payback becoming a stronger Max Darkness is nice, that does not make up for what Dubwool loses.

EVs and Items:
Max HP and Special Defense is recommended to get the most out of Dubwool’s bulk since your opponents will be targeting that, especially after a Cotton Guard. However, if going all in on end game sweeper, or being confident in your ability to remove your opponent’s special attackers, you maximize investment in Defense to get the strongest Body Press possible. Speed investment is worth consideration if not running Payback-Dubwool is surprisingly fast for an otherwise defensive Pokémon and being able to throw up a Cotton Guard before being hit can keep Dubwool healthier for longer. 192 Speed outspeeds neutral base 80 targets while 156 Speed outspeeds positive base 65 targets like Sirfetch’d. Chesto Berry is recommended for free rest, but if running Sleep Talk, Leftovers is great for continued durability.

Partners:
Partners that can eliminate Special Attackers are greatly appreciated as they can bypass Dubwool’s boosted Defense. Umbreon stands out, having superb Special Defense, being able to spread around Toxic to sabotage would be checks, Heal Bell and Wish provide excellent clerical support, enabling Dubwool to have a more active role in the midgame. Other special walls like Sylveon, Mantine and Goodra also compliment Dubwool fairly well. Answers to Ghost and Fighting types are greatly appreciated as they otherwise stymie Dubwool offensively and defensively. Grimmsnarl works well, having super effective STABs and offering invaluable support, while Spiritomb and Sableye can both cripple opposing Ghost and Fighting types with their STABs and status moves. Physical wallbreakers are also needed as Dubwool does struggle to bypass such strudy targets on its own. Charizard is an excellent pick, resisting Fighting and Fairy type moves while melting most physical walls with its own phenomenal Special Attack.

Other Options:
Sleep Talk -makes Dubwool less reliant on cleric support and makes losing its item from Knock Off less impactful, but Dubwool will need support to take out Ghost types.
Baton Pass -makes for a great pivoting/scouting move if you expect your opponent to switch after a Cotton Guard. Additionally, Dubwool can also pass Swords Dance, but it is outclassed as a dedicated Baton Passer.
Bulletproof -while Dubwool prefers Fluffy 90% of the time. Being able to stop errant Aura Spheres and Focus Blasts can help Dubwool invalidate some of its checks.

Countering Dubwool

Faster Special Attackers are Dubwool’s bane, ignoring its better, boosted Defense and able to strike it down. Charizard, Blacephelon and Chandelure stand out, resisting Dubwool’s Body Press while striking back at its added Fire weakness thanks to Fluffy (and doing serious damage regardless if Dubwool is Bulletproof).

Pokémon that can tank Body Press can outright counter Dubwool. Ghost types wall any set not running Payback, while Togekiss, Swoobat, Gardevoir and Hatterene take pittance from both Body Press and (bar Swoobat) Payback.

Forcing Dubwool to Rest can lead to its own downfall as it cannot control its actions with Sleep Talk or be helpless for 2 Turns, enabling more Pokémon safely setup and/or KO it.

Anime Appearences

Dubwool has made a few appearances in the anime. Most notably Team Rocket used one while in Wyndon # -English Episode Name- -Jp. Episode Name- Pics M22 Pokémon: Secrets of the Jungle Pokémon: Koko   1216 Just a Scone's Throw From Here Goh and Cinderace! The Place Where It All Began!! Pics