AM QC Check: Tyke
QC: Eien / Tyke / Moosical
AM GP Check: Aaronboyer
GP: lotiasite / The Dutch Plumberjack
[OVERVIEW]
Dugtrio's ability Arena Trap is the main reason to use it in the first place, as it prevents grounded Pokemon from switching out, letting Dugtrio act as the most effective and reliable revenge killer for Ground teams. With a Focus Sash in conjunction with Arena Trap, Dugtrio can guarantee the removal of dangerous grounded threats like Choice Scarf Greninja locked into Ice Beam (or variants not carrying U-turn) and Excadrill. Dugtrio's reliability in disposing of specific threats for Ground teams is one of its greatest assets. In addition to sporting a fantastic ability, Dugtrio has a nice, uncrowded Speed tier that lets it outspeed troublesome grounded foes like Choice Specs Keldeo. Having access to Sucker Punch, Dugtrio can check faster and weakened threats in addition to some Psychic- and Ghost-types, the latter of which cannot be trapped, while preserving its Focus Sash. Furthermore, despite its atrocious Special Attack, Dugtrio actually becomes one the best checks to Tapu Bulu, Ground's greatest threat, with Sludge Wave. With Gravity support, Dugtrio can even trap and eliminate numerous airborne threats like Mega Charizard Y, Celesteela, and Zapdos. While Dugtrio's horrible defensive stats let it activate its Focus Sash and boost Reversal's Base Power to 200 more easily, they also make it really vulnerable to opposing revenge killers and let it easily fall prey to weaker moves and priority attacks. Dugtrio needs considerable team support in order to properly function; due to its frailty, it needs a safe way to enter the field, be it with a double switch, after a teammate's U-turn, or after a teammate has been KOed. Dugtrio also needs entry hazard control to keep its Focus Sash intact, or else it won't be able to properly fulfill its purpose of trapping and removing opposing threats. Without the help of Gravity, Dugtrio becomes near-useless against airborne threats, as it cannot seriously harm them with any of its moves. Finally, even though Dugtrio's Attack stat isn't that bad, it's not that great either, so opposing Pokemon need more often than not to be weakened before Dugtrio can properly revenge kill them. It's also too weak to seriously threaten most walls.
[SET]
name: Revenge Killer
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Reversal
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Sludge Wave
item: Focus Sash
ability: Arena Trap
nature: Naive
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
ivs: 21 HP / 0 Def / 0 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Earthquake is Dugtrio's strongest and only recommended STAB move and its best option against most opposing Pokemon. When Dugtrio is at 1 to 8 HP, Reversal becomes a powerful 200-Base Power attack that can deal significant damage to Pokemon such as Chansey and Kyurem-B. Sucker Punch allows Dugtrio to revenge kill faster threats like Alolan Raichu in Electric Terrain and weakened foes without breaking its Focus Sash, letting it trap a wide array of Pokemon during the course of the match. Sludge Wave takes the last moveslot specifically to check Tapu Bulu, as it's one of the greatest threats to Ground teams. While Dugtrio can't actually OHKO Tapu Bulu, it will almost always be in range of being KOed after some chip damage, which can be easily attained from Wood Hammer's recoil.
Set Details
========
Maximum investment in Attack and Speed is needed for Dugtrio to be as strong and fast as possible. A Naive nature is chosen over a Hasty one, as it lets Dugtrio have less bulk overall, meaning it will activate its Focus Sash and boost Reversal's Base Power more easily. Focus Sash is the item of choice, as it lets Dugtrio survive a single attack from full health and even revenge kill faster Pokemon. Arena Trap should be the only ability used by Dugtrio, as it lets Dugtrio trap and remove dangerous threats for Ground teams like Choice Specs Keldeo. The suggested IVs serve specific purposes: 21 HP IVs let Dugtrio have 201 HP, which is the minimal amount to survive two Seismic Tosses from Chansey, and 0 Defense and Special Defense IVs guarantee an OHKO against Ditto in addition to making Dugtrio as frail as possible both physically and specially.
Usage Tips
========
Avoid directly switching Dugtrio into attacks as much as possible and clear any entry hazards away before switching in, as it relies on its Focus Sash to trap and revenge kill most threats. Double switches, a teammate's U-turn, and going on the field after one of Dugtrio's teammates has been KOed all are effective ways to safely bring it on the field. Without Gravity support, Dugtrio should not try to face off against Flying-types, as they can't be trapped or seriously harmed by any of its moves, meaning that against Flying teams, Dugtrio should not come on the field unless Gravity is active. Dangerous threats like Choice Specs Keldeo should be trapped by Dugtrio early-game before they severely dent the Ground team beyond repair. Dugtrio is unable to trap Ghost-types, so it will have a hard time revenge killing them. Additionally, since most of them fear Sucker Punch, they will switch out to one of their teammates that wall Dugtrio. Therefore, the best option most of the time is for Dugtrio to switch out as well to keep the momentum of the game. Against faster threats that don't care about Sucker Punch, it's advised to preserve Dugtrio's Focus Sash in order to properly dispose of them. In some of those cases, such as against Choice Scarf Kyurem-B, it might be needed to use Reversal right away, just before an incoming attack that will activate Dugtrio's Focus Sash, to KO the opposing Pokemon. Even though Dugtrio is most vulnerable to priority attacks, it can try and revenge kill opposing priority users like Mimikyu with its own priority Sucker Punch to keep its Focus Sash intact while doing so, but beware of its deceptively low damage output against neutral and even some super effective targets.
Team Options
========
Landorus brings crucial Gravity support for Dugtrio so it can trap and remove airborne threats on Flying and Steel teams like Mega Charizard Y and Celesteela. Landorus can also defeat Skarmory for Dugtrio after it has set up its Gravity. In return, Dugtrio can remove special walls like Chansey for Landorus. Additionally, Choice Scarf users that wouldn't normally outspeed Landorus like Tapu Bulu and Kyurem-B can be dealt with via Dugtrio's Sludge Wave and Reversal, respectively. In order to keep Dugtrio's Focus Sash intact so it can trap as many Pokemon as possible, entry hazard control from Rapid Spin Excadrill is really appreciated, if not mandatory. In return, Dugtrio can take out Torkoal and Mega Charizard Y (the latter with Gravity support) with Earthquake for Sand Rush Excadrill. For Dugtrio to achieve certain KOs, such as against Zapdos (with Gravity support) and Galvantula, it needs a teammate to set up Stealth Rock. Hippowdon is the best Stealth Rock setter Ground teams have to offer and is a great switch-in to most priority moves, which Dugtrio is very vulnerable to. As a bonus, Hippowdon can even forgo its Leftovers to use an Eject Button so that Dugtrio can safely enter the field after the former has been hit by an attacking move. One of Gastrodon and Seismitoad can be Dugtrio's teammate to switch into Water-type moves, with the former having the better overall bulk and longevity and the latter having better offensive stats, access to Knock Off, and the ability to check Azumarill, a dangerous threat to Ground teams. Garchomp or its Mega counterpart can be used as a setup sweeper or mixed wallbreaker to blast through physical walls like Skarmory and Mega Venusaur and other Steel-type Pokemon like Mega Scizor and Ferrothorn that are neutral to Ground-type moves, while Dugtrio traps and KOes troublesome Fairy-types like Mega Diancie and non-U-turn Tapu Koko for it. Mamoswine can wallbreak against Grass and Flying teams for Dugtrio and brings another priority move for Ground teams, which is always appreciated. Choice Scarf Landorus-T is one of the few Ground-type Pokemon to learn U-turn and can put it to good use to safely bring Dugtrio onto the field.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Memento can replace Sucker Punch to instead halve an opposing Pokemon's damage output and bring a setup sweeper like Swords Dance Excadrill, Garchomp, or Mega Garchomp or a wallbreaker like Mamoswine on the field so they get a free turn to boost their stats or punch a hole in the opposing team, respectively. However, not using Sucker Punch on Dugtrio means losing out on checking faster and weakened threats, greatly diminishing Dugtrio's overall trapping utility and potential. Toxic can be used to cripple walls like Slowbro, Porygon2, and Hippowdon, but again, that means Dugtrio won't be able to trap and check faster threats, which Ground teams really appreciate from it.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Walls**: Dugtrio isn't powerful enough to blast through walls, being completely walled by most physically defensive Pokemon like Skarmory (even with Gravity support) and Mega Venusaur and even some specially defensive ones like Mega Scizor and Ferrothorn.
**Flying-types**: Dugtrio needs Gravity support to actually threaten most Flying-types by trapping and eliminating them for its teammates. However, without Gravity support, Flying-types force Dugtrio out, as they're naturally immune to Earthquake, and even the frailest ones, such as Mega Charizard Y, take minimal damage from its other moves.
**Ghost-types**: Dugtrio cannot trap Ghost-types, so it's often best to switch out against them to avoid either being walled by Mega Sableye or Jellicent or losing momentum against opposing Pokemon switching out fearing Sucker Punch, like Choice Scarf Gengar and Blacephalon.
**Bug-types**: Most Bug-types force Dugtrio out, since they either resist Dugtrio's moves, outspeed it, or outright wall it. For example, Mega Pinsir is immune to Earthquake, has a 4x resistance to Reversal, and has decent physical bulk that lets it take minimal damage from Dugtrio's Sucker Punch, meaning it can freely set up Swords Dances against Dugtrio.
**Revenge Killers**: Due to Dugtrio's horrendous bulk, opposing revenge killers like Choice Scarf Keldeo and Mega Lopunny and priority users like Azumarill and Breloom can easily dispose of Dugtrio once its Focus Sash is broken.
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