Diglett (Analysis)'

Fuzznip · Dec 21, 2009

Because of Erodent's departure, I've decided to take over his Diglett analysis. I kept his Set Comments, since he did finish it, but I made a few changes and proofread it multiple times. I have also concised it a lot since his analysis was huge. I'm still in the process of concising the other parts of his analysis, so they will come up soon.

His analysis: http://www.smogon.com/forums/showthread.php?t=60108

Status: COMPLETE (ready for uploading)
___________________________

[Overview]

If there is one thing to say about Diglett, it's that it follows in its evolution Dugtrio's footsteps. They both have pathetic defenses and an average Attack stat, but what makes them unique is Arena Trap. In Little Cup, Diglett is a threat that must certainly be watched out for. While it seems that Diglett lacks enough Attack to function as a revenge killer, don't let this fool you, as many Pokemon in Little Cup are not too defensively-oriented. With powerful moves available to it and with absolutely amazing Speed, Diglett is definitely one of the most unique Little Cup Pokemon.

[SET]
name: Lead
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Sucker Punch / Shadow Claw
move 4: Protect
item: Focus Sash
ability: Arena Trap
nature: Jolly
evs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 236 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

While Diglett is tailored to be a successful revenge killer, it functions as a very effective lead as well. The qualities that make it a successful lead include Arena Trap (which gives it solid anti-lead capabilities), high Attack and Speed stats, powerful priority, and access to Stealth Rock. Arena Trap is particularly important, since it it stops your opponent from switching out of a bad lead match up.

Diglett is one of the most successful Stealth Rock leads in Little Cup, as its extraordinary Speed allows it to outpace nearly every lead outside of Voltorb, meaning it will almost always move first. Earthquake is Diglett's most powerful move and cannot be ignored on any set. The choice between Shadow Claw and Sucker Punch depends on your personal preference, as they both have their positive and negative points. Shadow Claw allows Diglett to deal with Substituting Ghost-types, such as Drifloon, all of the time, which Sucker Punch can't accomplish. Sucker Punch, however, is the strongest priority move in the game (tying with ExtremeSpeed), and it is necessary to pick off Focus Sashes and priority-using leads. Finally, Protect is a must in Diglett's fourth move slot. Lacking Protect will allow Fake Out leads like Meowth and Buneary to render Diglett's Focus Sash useless and defeat it after that with their STAB Returns.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Although it can frequently set up Stealth Rock, Diglett has problems with several other leads that are bulky enough to take a hit, such as Phanpy and Hippopotas. Phanpy's Ice Shard can finish Diglett off, and both Phanpy and Hippopotas can also set up their own Stealth Rock with ease. If you decide to use Sucker Punch, Diglett will certainly have problems with Drifloon leads, who can put Diglett to sleep with Hypnosis and KO it with Shadow Ball, or set up Substitute and Baton Pass to a Pokemon that can deal with Diglett. You will experience similar problems against Gastly; for this reason, Shadow Claw is probably the superior choice, hitting them even if they decide to set up Substitute. As always, opposing Bronzor, whether or not they are leads, will give Diglett problems. With Levitate and a decently powered Gyro Ball, Diglett will find that it is easily defeated. Snover can also demolish Diglett in one turn with its STAB Ice Shard or Blizzard, and the hail will eliminate Diglett's Focus Sash.

Having a Houndour partner up with Diglett can help your team immensely. Houndour can use its specially-based moves to pick on Phanpy, Gligar, and Hippopotas's weaker Special Defense and KO them; however, be wary of switching in Houndour against Earthquake. Houndour also resists Shadow Ball, meaning that it can switch in on either Drifloon or Gastly's Shadow Ball and retaliate with either Pursuit or Dark Pulse. Houndour is also capable of destroying Bronzor, sporting a resistance to Gyro Ball and immunity to Psychic; at the same time, Houndour also resists both of Snover's STAB attacks and can use Fire Blast to finish it off. While this set is played differently than the offensive sets, don't forget that Diglett can still make short work of the likes of Magby, Elekid, and Chinchou. To assist its sweeping process, it is advised that a Water-type that can pack a punch, such as Chinchou or Staryu, be partnered with Diglett to secure both an offensive and defensive combination, as they complement most of each other's weaknesses well.

[SET]
name: Non-Choice Revenge Killer
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Sucker Punch
move 3: Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Substitute / Rock Slide / Shadow Claw
item: Life Orb / Focus Sash
ability: Arena Trap
nature: Hasty
evs: 240 Atk / 236 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

When equipped with a Life Orb or Focus Sash, Diglett is able to use all four of its deadly moves, as opposed to its Choice set. This set can really threaten the Little Cup metagame, as Diglett is one of the best revenge killers available.

The main point that makes this set different from the others is the presence of Substitute. In the process of revenge killing, Diglett may sometimes manage to switch into a Choiced Electric-type move, so it can set up a Substitute for free and finish off the foe with the appropriate attack. Earthquake is Diglett's main STAB attack. Sucker Punch provides Diglett with a useful priority move that helps against Choice Scarfed foes that can OHKO Diglett. Note that if Diglett does have a Substitute up, and your opponent is faster than it and breaks Diglett's Substitute, you can almost be sure that it is Scarfed, a fact that can be exploited by the rest of your team. Next, Hidden Power Ice is necessary to combat Gligar; without it, Gligar will wall this set all day long, while able to launch Earthquakes that will OHKO Diglett instantly. Hidden Power Ice is also Diglett's best option (besides Aerial Ace) to hit Grass-types that resist Earthquake for super effective damage. If Substitute is not preferable, you may choose to use a Focus Sash as well. In this case, it is recommended that you use either Rock Slide or Shadow Claw for a broader range of attacking options.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Not too many Pokemon enjoy facing this Diglett, since it sports power, Speed, and powerful moves that can severely injure opponents. Unfortunately, there are also a number of Pokemon that make setting up Diglett's Substitute useless. Bronzor is the perfect counter, being immune to Earthquake while taking ridiculously low amounts of damage from anything else Diglett uses. It will have no trouble breaking Diglett's Substitutes either, as Gyro Ball is powered up to a great level due to Diglett's high Speed stat. Phanpy and Hippopotas are also fantastic at the job, being able to take an Earthquake and break Diglett's Substitute. Phanpy also boasts Ice Shard that can trouble Diglett before it can KO Phanpy. Next, priority users and Choice Scarfers are also problematic. If Diglett cannot OHKO them from behind its Substitute, it risks the threat of dying to a priority move. Its low defenses don't help either, and moves like Aqua Jet and Ice Shard tend to mark the end of Diglett's journey. These moves are usually wielded by the likes of Buizel, Carvanha, and the aforementioned Phanpy.

This Diglett pairs up perfectly with Water-types, especially Mantyke. Mantyke often attracts Chinchou, so Diglett can come in on its Thunderbolt and attempt to set up a Substitute. Mantyke can also clear Diglett's path to sweep by eliminating bulky Ground-types, most notably Gligar, Hippopotas, and Phanpy. Using a Pokemon to take out Bronzor, such as Houndour or Ponyta, is recommended to give Diglett an easier time sweeping. This set also faces difficulties against Ghost-type Substitute users, like Drifloon and Gastly, as they can avoid Diglett's Sucker Punch and take minimal damage from its Hidden Power Ice in Gastly's case. To remedy this problem, having Munchlax on your side can help; neither Drifloon nor Gastly will be able OHKO it, while it can trap them with Pursuit in return.

[SET]
name: Choice Revenge Killer
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Hidden Power Ice
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Shadow Claw / Rock Slide
item: Choice Band / Choice Scarf
ability: Arena Trap
nature: Hasty
evs: 240 Atk / 236 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Diglett is a prevalent and terrorizing force in Little Cup, as it can easily trap and dispatch of its opponents thanks to Arena Trap. Add a series of particularly powerful moves to the mix, and Diglett becomes one of the best revenge killers in Little Cup, able to OHKO a variety of Pokemon.

Earthquake is Diglett's most powerful attack. Even if it seems to lack the Attack stat to do much damage, a STAB Earthquake can actually strip off large amounts of health from anything that is not resistant or immune to it. Hidden Power Ice may seem odd on Diglett at first glance, but in fact, it is Diglett's only way to deal massive damage to Gligar, while also hitting other Grass-types that resist Earthquake for super effective damage. Sucker Punch is Diglett's best bet against Ghost-types, particularly Choiced ones like Gastly. Even if Diglett is already fast, Sucker Punch's priority can help it out against faster opponents and other users of priority attacks. The last moveslot has two interesting options. Shadow Claw is mainly used to keep Ghost-types from setting up against Sucker Punch, such as Drifloon and Gastly. On the other hand, Rock Slide can also be used to provide near perfect coverage alongside Earthquake (only resisted by Bronzor and Baltoy) and hit most Flying-types, such as Mantyke and Taillow, for super effective damage.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Diglett can make great use of a Choice Band or Choice Scarf. With a Choice Band equipped, Diglett can have up to 22 Attack with a Hasty nature, which is quite reasonable. With a Choice Scarf equipped, Diglett can have up to 30 Speed with a Hasty nature, letting it outpace several Choice Scarfers, particularly Jolly Gligar. Unfortunately, it will have significantly less Attack than its Choice Band counterpart; therefore, when using Choice Scarf Diglett, know what Diglett can and cannot kill before sending it out to play.

To maximize Diglett's revenge killing potential, do it a favor by eliminating some of its common counters first. Bronzor completely destroys Diglett, as it laughs at everything Diglett uses and threatens to KO with Gyro Ball or Psychic. Magnet Rise Magnemite can be used because of this, setting up Magnet Rise to avoid Earthquake and beating Bronzor from there. Bulky Ground-types, such as Phanpy (who also has access to Ice Shard) and Hippopotas, can also survive a few of Diglett's attacks, and return with a death-inducing Earthquake. Staryu can deal with these threats by soaking them with its powerful Hydro Pump. To deal with Ghost-types that make prediction hard for Diglett, consider using Pursuit users, particularly Stunky. Stunky can easily switch in on their Shadow Ball and finish them off with Pursuit. In terms of helping Diglett defensively, Water-types work well with it. Mantyke in particular deserves a special mention for being bulky enough on the special side to take many Water-, Ice-, and Grass-type attacks aimed at Diglett. Mantyke also appreciates Chinchou being removed, which a Choice Scarf Diglett works exceptionally well at doing.

[Team Options]

When it comes to sweeping, Diglett has huge problems against Pokemon that pack good defensive bulk and can harm Diglett greatly. Bronzor, Hippopotas, and Phanpy are some of the few Pokemon that can take a couple of Diglett's hits and threaten to 2HKO or OHKO in return. To deal with Bronzor, who walls Diglett to no end, Magnemite is an impressive Pokemon to bring it down all the time. It can set up Magnet Rise as Bronzor attempts to Earthquake it, set up an unbreakable Substitute, and then fire off repeated Thunderbolts. As for dealing with Hippopotas and Phanpy, Water-types are recommended. Staryu (who can also Rapid Spin any entry hazards that make Focus Sash Diglett useless) and Mantyke are powerful sweepers that can easily dispose of the aforementioned Ground-types with their STAB Hydro Pump. They can also take the Water- and Ice-type attacks directed at Diglett, while Diglett can absorb Electric-type attacks aimed at them.

A common problem that Diglett encounters is the presence of Ghost-types. Many Ghost-types, like Duskull, Gastly, and Drifloon, have the ability Levitate (Drifloon being part Flying), and all of them have ways of getting around Diglett. Duskull is bulky enough to take a Sucker Punch or Shadow Claw and can threaten Diglett with Will-O-Wisp; Gastly and Drifloon can both set up Substitutes if Diglett is locked into the wrong move or if Diglett uses Sucker Punch. Diglett's defenses are by no means impressive, so all of these opponents can fire off moves like Shadow Ball to dispose of Diglett quickly. With that said, Houndour and Stunky are perfect Pokemon to deal with these threats, as both of them resist their Ghost-type STAB attacks and have access to Pursuit.

Priority users are a huge pain for Diglett. With Diglett's pathetic defenses, priority moves can easily knock off a huge chunk of Diglett's HP and usually OHKO it. Fake Out Meowth, Aqua Jet Kabuto, and Fake Out + Vacuum Wave Croagunk are common priority users that can cause a serious amount of damage to Diglett, if not KOing it. Diglett can use Sucker Punch to avoid being hit first by their priority attacks, but due to their decent defenses, Sucker Punch won't be doing anything significant. It's difficult to have Pokemon that can demolish all priority users; however, there are a few that can switch in on a wide variety of them with ease. Gligar immediately comes to mind, taking all priority moves but Aqua Jet with ease, thanks to its great Defense and HP. Duskull is also a reliable option for taking priority hits, as it too has decent defensive bulk and typing. It also has access to Will-O-Wisp to cripple the physical priority users.

[Optional Changes]

Diglett doesn't have too many other useful options to use, as its movepool is rather limited. Pursuit can be used to trap Levitating Ghost- or Psychic-types that try to avoid Diglett's Arena Trap, and Aerial Ace can be used to hit Grass-types.

[Counters]

Diglett can be easily dealt with by having a physically defensive Pokemon, particularly Bronzor, Gligar, or Phanpy. The aforementioned Pokemon are capable of taking several hits from Diglett and return with their STAB attacks. Bronzor is Diglett's best counter, since it has Levitate and takes pathetic damage from any of its other moves.

Substitute-using Ghost-types, like Drifloon and Gastly, are also solid counters if Diglett lacks Shadow Claw. They can set up a Substitute as Diglett attempts to Sucker Punch them, allowing them to finish off Diglett with Shadow Ball safely.

Grass-types like Paras and Snover can take Diglett's Earthquake and OHKO it back with their STAB Grass-type (or Ice-type in Snover's case) moves. Hidden Power Ice can hurt them, but they are not wounded too badly. However, Paras and Snover should watch out for Rock Slide.

Pokemon that are faster than Diglett spell trouble, because even moderately powered attacks can finish it off instantly. Examples of these are Choice Scarf Machop, Staryu, and Mankey, assuming Diglett is not Scarfed as well.
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Thanks!

Heysup · Dec 22, 2009

I think Stealth Rock should be mentioned on the non-Lead set. With a Focus Sash, Diglett is easily able to get Stealth Rock up. Especially since Chinchou has become so common.

Black Buddha · Dec 22, 2009

"Snover can easily demolish Dugtrio"

Diglett > Dugtrio :)

Frizy · Dec 22, 2009

Lead:

[SET]
name: Lead
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Stealth Rock
move 3: Sucker Punch / Shadow Claw
move 4: Protect
item: Focus Sash
ability: Arena Trap
nature: Adamant / Jolly (Wouldn't Jolly be better for him to hit the 20 speed mark?)
evs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 236 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

While typically seen as a revenge killer, Diglett can function as a very effective lead as well. The qualities that make it a successful lead include: its ability, (You already mention Arena Trap, so it's reductant to say "its ability" imo) Arena Trap (which gives it a slight anti-lead bias), high Attack and Speed stats, powerful priority, and access to Stealth Rock.

Lead Diglett's moveset has undergone some dramatic changes when compared to its other traditional all-out attacking sets. Earthquake is Diglett's most powerful move and cannot be ignored on any set. Diglett is one of the most successful Stealth Rock leads in Little Cup, as its extraordinary Speed allows (Flows better) it to outpace nearly every lead outside of Voltorb, meaning it will almost always move first. The choice between Shadow Claw or Sucker Punch depends on your personal preference - both have their positive and negative points. Shadow Claw allows Diglett to deal with Substituting Ghost-types, particularly Misdreavus, all of the time, which Sucker Punch can't accomplish. Sucker Punch, however, is the strongest priority move in the game (tying with ExtremeSpeed), something that many leads have in order to eliminate Focus Sash users and other leads that use priority attacks (This sentance should be changed to something similar to "something that is required to pick off other Focus Sash and priority leads"). Finally, Protect is a must in Diglett's fourth move slot. Lacking Protect will allow Fake Out leads, like Meowth and Buneary, to knock off Diglett's Focus Sash and defeat it after that with their STAB Return.

Although rarely will it find itself unable to set up Stealth Rock (Flows better), Diglett has problems with several other leads that are bulky enough to take a hit. Phanpy and Hippopotas can not only take an Earthquake, but they can also respond to it. Additionally, Phanpy has Ice Shard that can be used to finish Diglett off. Both Hippopotas and Phanpy can also set up their own Stealth Rock with ease. If you decide to use Sucker Punch, you will certainly have problems with Lead Drifloon, who can put you to sleep with Hypnosis and KO you with Shadow Ball, or set up Substitute and Baton Pass it to a Pokemon that can easily deal with Diglett. You will experience similar problems against Misdreavus and Gastly; for this reason, Shadow Claw can be the superior choice, hitting them even if they decide to set up Substitute. As always, opposing Bronzor, whether or not they are leads, will give Diglett problems. With Levitate and a decently powered Gyro Ball, Diglett will find that it is unable to touch Bronzor at all. Snover can easily demolish Dugtrio (I think you mean Diglett) in one turn with its STAB Ice Shard or Blizzard, and hail's residual damage will eliminate Diglett's Focus Sash.

Having a Houndour partner up with Diglett can help your team spectacularly. Houndour can use its special-based moves to pick on Phanpy, Gligar, and Hippopotas's weaker Special Defense and KO them (Removed "sooner or later"); however, be wary of switching in Houndour against Earthquake. Houndour also resists Shadow Ball, meaning that it can switch into either Misdreavus, Drifloon, or Gastly's Shadow Ball and retaliate with either Pursuit or Dark Pulse. Houndour is also capable of destroying Bronzor, while sporting a resistance to Gyro Ball at the same time. Houndour (For consistency sake) also resists both of Snover's STAB attacks and can use Fire Blast to finish it off. While this set is played differently to the offensive ones, don't forget that Diglett can still make short work of the likes of Magby, Elekid, and Chinchou. To assist its sweeping process, it is advised that a Water-type that can pack a punch, like Chinchou or Staryu, be partnered with Diglett to secure both an offensive and defensive combination, as they compliment most of each others weaknesses well.

Non-Choice Revenge Killer:

[SET]
name: Non-Choice Revenge Killer
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Sucker Punch
move 3: Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Substitute / Rock Slide / Shadow Claw
item: Life Orb / Focus Sash
ability: Arena Trap
nature: Hasty
evs: 240 Atk / 236 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

This set attempts to use Diglett with a different approach. When equipped with a Life Orb or Focus Sash, Diglett is able to use all four of its deadly moves, as opposed to its Choice set (Only one choice set), which is (Removed "in" and "it".) forced to be locked into one move. This set can really threaten the Little Cup metagame, as Diglett is one of the best revenge-killers available.

The main point that makes this set different from the others is the presence of Substitute. In the process of revenge killing, Diglett may sometimes manage to switch into a Choiced Electric-type move, which it is immune to. When this happens, Diglett can not only win the match-up, but also set up a Substitute (Removed "in the process") for free. From behind its Substitute, Diglett has a number of attacking options available to it. Earthquake is ever-present and can hit especially hard thanks to the attacking bonus gained from Life Orb. Sucker Punch provides Diglett with some much-needed priority, especially against Choice Scarved foes that can easily OHKO Diglett. Note that if you do have a Substitute up, and your opponent is faster than you and breaks your Substitute, you can almost be sure that it is Scarved. From there, you can switch to an appropriate counter (In my opinion, I don't think this sentance and the last one is necessary as it is rather obvious. But if you wish to keep them I won't object.). Next, Hidden Power Ice is necessary to combat Gligar; without it, Gligar will wall this set all day long, while able to launch Earthquakes that will OHKO Diglett instantly. Hidden Power Ice is also Diglett's best option (besides Aerial Ace) to hit Grass-types that resist Earthquake for super effective damage. If Substitute is not preferable, you may choose to use a Focus Sash as well. In this case, it is recommended that you use either Rock Slide or Shadow Claw for a broader range of attacking options.

Not too many Pokemon enjoy facing this Diglett, since it sports power, Speed, and powerful moves that can injure opponents. Unfortunately, there are also a number of Pokemon that make Diglett's setting up of its Substitute useless. Bronzor is the perfect counter, being immune to Earthquake, while taking ridiculously low amounts of damage from anything else Diglett uses against it. It will have no trouble breaking Diglett's Substitutes either, as Gyro Ball (Isn't Psychic/Flash Cannon the preffered option for Bronzor?) is powered up to a great level due to Diglett's high Speed stat. Phanpy and Hippopotas are also fantastic at the job, being able to take an Earthquake and break Diglett's Substitute, at the very least. Phanpy even boasts Ice Shard that can trouble Diglett before it can knock Phanpy out. Next, priority users and Choice Scarvers are also problematic. If Diglett cannot OHKO them from behind its Substitute, it risks the threat of dying to a priority move. Its low defenses doesn't help either, and moves like Aqua Jet and Ice Shard tend to mark the end of Diglett's journey. These moves are usually wielded by the likes of Buizel, Carvanha, and the aforementioned Phanpy.

This Diglett complements (I see what you're trying to say, but complements doesn't really make sense by itself. Maybe something like "This Diglett pairs up perfectly with Water-types etc, etc.") perfectly with Water-types, especially Mantyke. Mantyke often attracts Electric-type attacks, so Diglett can come in on those moves and attempt to set up a Substitute. Mantyke can also clear Diglett's path to sweep by eliminating bulky Ground-types, most notably Gligar, Hippopotas, and Phanpy. Using a Pokemon to take out Bronzor, such as Houndour and Ponyta, is recommended to give Diglett an easier time sweeping. This set also faces difficulties against Ghost-type Substituters, like Misdreavus and Gastly, as they can avoid Diglett’s Sucker Punch and take minimal damage from its Hidden Power Ice. To remedy this problem, having Munchlax on your side can help; neither Misdreavus nor Gastly will be able OHKO it, while it can trap them with Pursuit in return.

Choice Revenge Killer:

[SET]
name: Choice Revenge Killer
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Hidden Power Ice
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Shadow Claw / Rock Slide
item: Choice Band / Choice Scarf
ability: Arena Trap
nature: Hasty / Lonely (Since Choice Band is the main option, Hasty should be the first slash.)
evs:240 Atk / 236 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Diglett is a prevalent and terrorizing force in Little Cup, as it can easily trap and dispatch its opponents, thanks to Arena Trap. Add a series of particularly powerful moves to the mix, and Diglett becomes one of the best revenge killers in Little Cup, being able to OHKO a variety of Pokemon instantly.

Earthquake is Diglett's most powerful attack. Even if it seems to lack the Attack stat to do much damage, a STAB Earthquake can actually strip off large amounts of health from anything that is not resistant or immune to it. Hidden Power Ice may seem odd on Diglett as first glance, but in fact, it is Diglett's only way to deal massive damage to Gligar, while also hitting other Grass-types that resist Earthquake for super effective damage. Sucker Punch is Diglett's best bet against Ghost-types, particularly Choiced ones, like Gastly. Even if Diglett is already fast, Sucker Punch's priority can help it out against faster opponents and other users of priority (Removed "attacks".).

The last moveslot has two interesting options. Shadow Claw is mainly used to keep Ghost-types from setting up against Sucker Punch, such as Misdreavus and Gastly setting up Substitute. On the other hand, Rock Slide can also be used; as it provides excellent coverage alongside Earthquake, hitting most Flying-types, such as Mantyke and Taillow, for super effective damage.

Diglett can make great use of a Choice Band or Choice Scarf. With a Choice Band equipped, Diglett can have up to 22 Attack with a Hasty nature, which is quite reasonable. With a Choice Scarf equipped, Diglett can have up to 28 Speed with a Lonely nature, letting it outpace several Choice Scarvers, particularly Adamant Gligar. Unfortunately, it will have significantly less Attack than its Choice Band counterpart; therefore, when using Choice Scarf Diglett, know what Diglett can and cannot kill before sending it out to play.

To maximize Diglett's revenge killing potential, do it a favor by eliminating some of its common counters first. Bronzor completely destroys Diglett, as it laughs at nearly anything Diglett uses and can threaten to KO with Gyro Ball. Magnet Rise Magnemite can be used because of this, setting up Magnet Rise to avoid Earthquake and beating Bronzor from there. Bulky Ground-types, like Phanpy (who also has access to Ice Shard) and Hippopotas, can also survive a few of Diglett’s attacks and return with a death-inducing Earthquake. Staryu can deal with these threats by soaking them with its powerful Hydro Pump. To deal with Ghost-types that make predicting hard for Diglett, consider using Pursuit users, particularly Stunky. Stunky can easily switch into their Shadow Ball and finish them off with Pursuit. In terms of helping Diglett defensively, Water-types work well with it; Mantyke deserve a special mention for being bulky enough on the special side to take many Water-, Ice-, and Grass-type attacks aimed at Diglett. Finally, a few entry hazards of your own are recommended to help Diglett sweep easier, especially Stealth Rock and Spikes. Stealth Rock can be set up by Kabuto very well, thanks to its great Speed and Defense. Omanyte is one of the most common Spikes supporters in LC, it too having great Defense.

Good job!

Edit: Oh right, forgot about Hidden Power. Sorry!

Heysup · Dec 22, 2009

And also I agree with Frizy's suggestion about the nature.

So do most others:

Code:

| Diglett    | Nature       | Hasty            |    47.5 |
| Diglett    | Nature       | Jolly            |    32.3 |
| Diglett    | Nature       | Adamant          |    12.1 |

Fuzznip · Dec 22, 2009

I included a slight mention of Stealth Rock on the Non-Choiced Revenge Killer, changed the nature of the Lead set to just Jolly, and edited the corrections.

Thanks for the comments so far and the proofread Frizy!

Forgot to mention one thing, I kept the EV spread of 240 Atk / 236 Spe on the Non-Choice Revenge Killer. The reason for that is because of Hidden Power Ice. Since it reduces Diglett's Attack stat by 1, you need to invest in 4 more EVs so it won't be reduced. That's why 240 Atk EVs are needed.

mtr · Dec 24, 2009

All right, edits in my trademark hot pink.

EDIT: Damn, I couldn't get too many grammatical mistakes. Good work.

Fuzznip said:
[SET]
name: Lead
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Stealth Rock
move 3: Sucker Punch / Shadow Claw
move 4: Protect
item: Focus Sash
ability: Arena Trap
nature: Jolly
evs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 236 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

While typically seen as a revenge killer, Diglett can function as a very effective lead as well. The qualities that make it a successful lead include: Arena Trap (which gives it solid anti-lead capabilities), high Attack and Speed stats, powerful priority, and access to Stealth Rock.

Lead Diglett's moveset is dramatically different compared to its other traditional all-out attacking sets. Earthquake is Diglett's most powerful move and cannot be ignored on any set. Diglett is one of the most successful Stealth Rock leads in Little Cup, as its extraordinary Speed allows it to outpace nearly every lead outside of Voltorb, meaning it will almost always move first. The choice between Shadow Claw or Sucker Punch depends on your personal preference - both have their positive and negative points. Shadow Claw allows Diglett to deal with Substituting Ghost-types, particularly Misdreavus, all of the time, which Sucker Punch can't accomplish. Sucker Punch, however, is the strongest priority move in the game (tying with ExtremeSpeed), and it is necessary to pick off Focus Sashes and priority-using leads. Finally, Protect is a must in Diglett's fourth move slot. Lacking Protect will allow Fake Out leads, like Meowth and Buneary, to knock off Diglett's Focus Sash and defeat it after that with their STAB Return.

Although it can frequently set up Stealth Rock, Diglett has problems with several other leads that are bulky enough to take a hit, such as Phanpy and Hippopotas. (deleted rest for redundancy). Phanpy has Ice Shard that can be used to finish Diglett off, and both of them can also set up their own Stealth Rock with ease. If you decide to use Sucker Punch, you will certainly have problems with Lead Drifloon, who can put you to sleep with Hypnosis and KO you with Shadow Ball, or set up Substitute and Baton Pass it to a Pokemon that can easily deal with Diglett. You will experience similar problems against Misdreavus and Gastly; for this reason, Shadow Claw can be the superior choice, hitting them even if they decide to set up Substitute. As always, opposing Bronzor, whether or not they are leads, will give Diglett problems. With Levitate and a decently powered Gyro Ball, Diglett will find that it is easily defeated by Bronzor. (makes more sense, as Gyro Ball has nothing to do with Bronzor's great defenses). Snover can easily demolish Diglett in one turn with its STAB Ice Shard or Blizzard, and hail's residual damage will eliminate Diglett's Focus Sash.

Having a Houndour partner up with Diglett can help your team spectacularly. Houndour can use its special-based moves to pick on Phanpy, Gligar, and Hippopotas's weaker Special Defense and KO them; however, be wary of switching in Houndour against Earthquake. Houndour also resists Shadow Ball, meaning that it can switch into either Misdreavus, Drifloon, or Gastly's Shadow Ball and retaliate with either Pursuit or Dark Pulse. Finally, Houndour is capable of destroying Bronzor, sporting a resistance to Gyro Ball; at the same time, Houndour also resists both of Snover's STAB attacks and can use Fire Blast to finish it off. (vary the beginnings of your sentences). While this set is played differently to the offensive ones, don't forget that Diglett can still make short work of the likes of Magby, Elekid, and Chinchou. To assist its sweeping process, it is advised that a Water-type that can pack a punch, like Chinchou or Staryu, be partnered with Diglett to secure both an offensive and defensive combination, as they compliment most of each others weaknesses well.

[SET]
name: Non-Choice Revenge Killer
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Sucker Punch
move 3: Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Substitute / Rock Slide / Shadow Claw
item: Life Orb / Focus Sash
ability: Arena Trap
nature: Hasty
evs: 240 Atk / 236 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

This set attempts to use Diglett with a different approach. (I don't mean to be rude, but you said the same thing about the Lead. What is it different to? And why isn't the standard set listed first, as is customary?) When equipped with a Life Orb or Focus Sash, Diglett is able to use all four of its deadly moves, as opposed to its Choice set, which is forced to use one move. This set can really threaten the Little Cup metagame, as Diglett is one of the best revenge-killers available.

The main point that makes this set different from the others is the presence of Substitute. In the process of revenge killing, Diglett may sometimes manage to switch into a Choiced Electric-type move, which it is immune to. When this happens, Diglett can not only win the match-up, but also set up a Substitute for free. From behind its Substitute, Diglett has a number of attacking options available to it. Earthquake is ever-present and can hit especially hard thanks to the attacking bonus gained from Life Orb. Sucker Punch provides Diglett with some much-needed priority, especially against Choice Scarfed foes that can easily OHKO Diglett. Note that if you do have a Substitute up, and your opponent is faster than you and breaks your Substitute, you can almost be sure that it is Scarfed, a fact that can be exploited by the rest of your team. Next, Hidden Power Ice is necessary to combat Gligar; without it, Gligar will wall this set all day long, while able to launch Earthquakes that will OHKO Diglett instantly. Hidden Power Ice is also Diglett's best option (besides Aerial Ace) to hit Grass-types that resist Earthquake for super effective damage. If Substitute is not preferable, you may choose to use a Focus Sash as well. In this case, it is recommended that you use either Rock Slide or Shadow Claw for a broader range of attacking options.

Not too many Pokemon enjoy facing this Diglett, since it sports power, Speed, and powerful moves that can injure opponents. Unfortunately, there are also a number of Pokemon that make Diglett's setting up of its Substitute useless. Bronzor is the perfect counter, being immune to Earthquake, while taking ridiculously low amounts of damage from anything else Diglett uses against it. It will have no trouble breaking Diglett's Substitutes either, as Gyro Ball is powered up to a great level due to Diglett's high Speed stat. Phanpy and Hippopotas are also fantastic at the job, being able to take an Earthquake and break Diglett's Substitute. (deleted 'at the very least'). Phanpy even boasts Ice Shard that can trouble Diglett before it can knock Phanpy out. Next, priority users and Choice Scarfers are also problematic. If Diglett cannot OHKO them from behind its Substitute, it risks the threat of dying to a priority move. Its low defenses doesn't help either, and moves like Aqua Jet and Ice Shard tend to mark the end of Diglett's journey. These moves are usually wielded by the likes of Buizel, Carvanha, and the aforementioned Phanpy.

This Diglett pairs up perfectly with Water-types, especially Mantyke. Mantyke often attracts Electric-type attacks, so Diglett can come in on those moves and attempt to set up a Substitute. Mantyke can also clear Diglett's path to sweep by eliminating bulky Ground-types, most notably Gligar, Hippopotas, and Phanpy. Using a Pokemon to take out Bronzor, such as Houndour and Ponyta, is recommended to give Diglett an easier time sweeping. This set also faces difficulties against Ghost-type Substitute-users, like Misdreavus and Gastly, as they can avoid Diglett’s Sucker Punch and take minimal damage from its Hidden Power Ice. To remedy this problem, having Munchlax on your side can help; neither Misdreavus nor Gastly will be able OHKO it, while it can trap them with Pursuit in return.

[SET]
name: Choice Revenge Killer
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Hidden Power Ice
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Shadow Claw / Rock Slide
item: Choice Band / Choice Scarf
ability: Arena Trap
nature: Lonely / Hasty
evs: 240 Atk / 236 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Diglett is a prevalent and terrorizing force in Little Cup, as it can easily trap and dispatch its opponents, thanks to Arena Trap. Add a series of particularly powerful moves to the mix, and Diglett becomes one of the best revenge killers in Little Cup, able to OHKO a variety of Pokemon instantly.

Earthquake is Diglett's most powerful attack. Even if it seems to lack the Attack stat to do much damage, a STAB Earthquake can actually strip off large amounts of health from anything that is not resistant or immune to it. Hidden Power Ice may seem odd on Diglett as first glance, but in fact, it is Diglett's only way to deal massive damage to Gligar, while also hitting other Grass-types that resist Earthquake for super effective damage. Sucker Punch is Diglett's best bet against Ghost-types, particularly Choiced ones, like Gastly. Even if Diglett is already fast, Sucker Punch's priority can help it out against faster opponents and other users of priority attacks.

The last moveslot has two interesting options. Shadow Claw is mainly used to keep Ghost-types from setting up against Sucker Punch, such as Misdreavus and Gastly setting up Substitute. On the other hand, Rock Slide can also be used; it provides excellent coverage alongside Earthquake, hitting most Flying-types, such as Mantyke and Taillow, for super effective damage. (maybe mention that Rock/Ground is a great attacking combo in general).

Diglett can make great use of a Choice Band or Choice Scarf. With a Choice Band equipped, Diglett can have up to 22 Attack with a Hasty nature, which is quite reasonable. With a Choice Scarf equipped, Diglett can have up to 28 Speed with a Lonely nature, letting it outpace several Choice Scarfers, particularly Adamant Gligar. Unfortunately, it will have significantly less Attack than its Choice Band counterpart; therefore, when using Choice Scarf Diglett, know what Diglett can and cannot kill before sending it out to play. Why not mention a few, say, 2 or 3 specific KOes you miss out on when using a Scarf as opposed to a Band?

To maximize Diglett's revenge killing potential, do it a favor by eliminating some of its common counters first. Bronzor completely destroys Diglett, as it laughs at nearly anything Diglett uses and can threaten to KO with Gyro Ball. Magnet Rise Magnemite can be used because of this, setting up Magnet Rise to avoid Earthquake and beating Bronzor from there. Bulky Ground-types, like Phanpy (who also has access to Ice Shard) and Hippopotas, can also survive a few of Diglett’s attacks and return with a death-inducing Earthquake. Staryu can deal with these threats by soaking them with its powerful Hydro Pump. To deal with Ghost-types that make predicting hard for Diglett, consider using Pursuit users, particularly Stunky. Stunky can easily switch into their Shadow Ball and finish them off with Pursuit. In terms of helping Diglett defensively, Water-types work well with it. Mantyke in particular deserve a special mention for being bulky enough on the special side to take many Water-, Ice-, and Grass-type attacks aimed at Diglett. Finally, a few entry hazards of your own are recommended to help Diglett sweep easier, especially Stealth Rock and Spikes. Stealth Rock can be set up by Kabuto very well, thanks to its great Speed and Defense. Omanyte is one of the most common Spikes supporters in LC, due to its great Defense.

[Team Options]

When it comes to sweeping, Diglett has huge problems against Pokemon that pack good defensive bulk and can harm Diglett greatly. Bronzor, Hippopotas, and Phanpy are one of the few Pokemon that can take a couple of Diglett’s hits and threaten to 2HKO or OHKO in return. To deal with Bronzor, who walls Diglett to no end, Magnemite is an impressive Pokemon to bring it down all the time. It can set up Magnet Rise as Bronzor attempts to Earthquake it, then set up an unbreakable Substitute, and then fire off repeated Thunderbolts. As for dealing with Hippopotas and Phanpy, Water-types are recommended. Staryu (who can also Rapid Spin any entry hazards that make Focus Sashed Diglett useless) and Mantyke are powerful sweepers that can easily dispose of the aforementioned Ground-types with their STAB Hydro Pump. Not only that, but they can take the Water- and Ice-type attacks directed at Diglett, while Diglett can absorb Electric-type attacks aimed at them.

A common problem that Diglett encounters is the presence of Ghost-types. Many Ghost-types, like Duskull, Gastly, and Misdreavus, have the ability Levitate, and all of them have ways of getting around Diglett. Duskull is bulky enough to take a Sucker Punch or Shadow Claw and can threaten Diglett with Will-O-Wisp; Gastly and Misdreavus can both set up Substitutes if Diglett is locked into the wrong move or if Diglett uses Sucker Punch. Diglett's defenses are by no means impressive, so all of these opponents can fire off moves like Shadow Ball and Shadow Sneak to dispose of Diglett fast. With that being said, Houndour and Stunky are perfect Pokemon to deal with these threats, both of them resisting their Ghost-type STAB and having access to Pursuit.

Priority users are a pain in the behind to Diglett. With Diglett’s pathetic defenses, priority moves can easily knock off a huge chunk of Diglett’s HP. Fake Out Meowth, Aqua Jet Kabuto, and Fake Out + Vacuum Wave Croagunk are common priority users that can cause a serious amount of damage to Diglett, if not KOing it. Diglett can use Sucker Punch to avoid being hit first by their priority attacks, but with them having decent defenses, Sucker Punch won’t be doing anything significant. It’s difficult to have Pokemon that can demolish all priority users; however, there are a few that can switch into a wide variety of them with ease. Gligar immediately comes to mind, taking all priority moves but Aqua Jet with ease, thanks to its great Defense and HP stat. Misdreavus is also a reliable option for taking priority hits, as it too has decent defensive bulk (and typing? its immune to Fake Out and Vaccuum Wave) and has access to Will-O-Wisp to cripple the physical priority users.
________________

Thanks!

Fuzznip · Dec 24, 2009

Excellent, thank you mtr!

Edit: Diglett's done now. Proofreads appreciated!

Fuzznip · Mar 7, 2010

Updated to reflect new format. Checks please!

EDIT: Removed Misdreavus mentions.

Heysup · Mar 8, 2010

Looks practically ready, but I have one question:

optional changes said:
On sets that sport Hidden Power Ice, Diglett's Attack IV is reduced by 1, which then reduces Diglett’s Attack stat. For this reason, the optimal offensive spread is 240 Atk / 236 Spe with a Hasty nature to keep Diglett’s Attack the same.

Why is this in optional changes? It isn't an optional change......

To my understanding, if there are no options EV-wise then you just completely remove the section.

Fuzznip · Mar 8, 2010

Whoops! Fixed that. If I can just get a couple of proofreads, that will be nice.

Snorlaxe · Mar 20, 2010

[Overview]

If there is one thing to say about Diglett, it's probably that it follows in its evolution Dugtrio's footsteps. They both have pathetic defenses and an average Attack stat, but what makes them unique is Arena Trap. In Little Cup, Diglett is a threat that must certainly be watched out for; it's just that good. While it seems that Diglett lacks enough Attack to function as a revenge killer, don't let this fool you, as many Pokemon in Little Cup are not too defensively oriented. With powerful moves available to it and with absolutely amazing Speed, Diglett is definitely one of the best Little Cup sweepers out there.

[SET]
name: Lead
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Stealth Rock
move 3: Sucker Punch / Shadow Claw
move 4: Protect
item: Focus Sash
ability: Arena Trap
nature: Jolly
evs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 236 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

While typically seen as a revenge killer, Diglett can function as a very effective lead as well. The qualities that make it a successful lead include Arena Trap (which gives it solid anti-lead capabilities), high Attack and Speed stats, powerful priority, and access to Stealth Rock.

Lead Diglett's moveset is dramatically different compared to its other traditional all-out attacking sets. Earthquake is Diglett's most powerful move, and cannot be ignored on any set. Diglett is one of the most successful Stealth Rock leads in Little Cup, as its extraordinary Speed allows it to outpace nearly every lead outside of Voltorb, meaning it will almost always move first. The choice between Shadow Claw and Sucker Punch depends on your personal preference, as both have their positive and negative points. Shadow Claw allows Diglett to deal with Substituting Ghost-types, such as Drifloon, all of the time, which Sucker Punch can't accomplish. Sucker Punch, however, is the strongest priority move in the game (tying with ExtremeSpeed), and it is necessary to pick off Focus Sashes and priority-using leads. Finally, Protect is a must in Diglett's fourth move slot. Lacking Protect will allow Fake Out leads, like Meowth and Buneary, to knock off Diglett's Focus Sash and defeat it after that with their STAB Returns.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Although it can frequently set up Stealth Rock, Diglett has problems with several other leads that are bulky enough to take a hit, such as Phanpy and Hippopotas. Phanpy has Ice Shard that can be used to finish Diglett off, and both Phanpy and Hippopotas can also set up their own Stealth Rock with ease. If you decide to use Sucker Punch, Diglett will certainly have problems with Drifloon leads, who can put Diglett to sleep with Hypnosis and KO it with Shadow Ball, or set up Substitute and Baton Pass it to a Pokemon that can easily deal with Diglett. You will experience similar problems against Gastly; for this reason, Shadow Claw can be the superior choice, hitting them even if they decide to set up Substitute. As always, opposing Bronzor, whether or not they are leads, will give Diglett problems. With Levitate and a decently powered Gyro Ball, Diglett will find that it is easily defeated by Bronzor. Snover can easily demolish Diglett in one turn with its STAB Ice Shard or Blizzard, and hail's residual damage will eliminate Diglett's Focus Sash.

Having a Houndour partner up with Diglett can help your team spectacularly. Houndour can use its specially-based moves to pick on Phanpy, Gligar, and Hippopotas's weaker Special Defense and KO them; however, be wary of switching in Houndour against Earthquake. Houndour also resists Shadow Ball, meaning that it can switch in on either Drifloon or Gastly's Shadow Ball and retaliate with either Pursuit or Dark Pulse. Houndour is also capable of destroying Bronzor, sporting a resistance to Gyro Ball; at the same time, Houndour also resists both of Snover's STAB attacks, and can use Fire Blast to finish it off. While this set is played differently than the offensive ones, don't forget that Diglett can still make short work of the likes of Magby, Elekid, and Chinchou. To assist its sweeping process, it is advised that a Water-type that can pack a punch, like Chinchou or Staryu, be partnered with Diglett to secure both an offensive and defensive combination, as they compliment most of each others weaknesses well.

[SET]
name: Non-Choice Revenge Killer
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Sucker Punch
move 3: Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Substitute / Rock Slide / Shadow Claw
item: Life Orb / Focus Sash
ability: Arena Trap
nature: Hasty
evs: 240 Atk / 236 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

When equipped with a Life Orb or Focus Sash, Diglett is able to use all four of its deadly moves, as opposed to its Choice set, which is forced to use one move. This set can really threaten the Little Cup metagame, as Diglett is one of the best revenge killers available.

The main point that makes this set different from the others is the presence of Substitute. In the process of revenge killing, Diglett may sometimes manage to switch in on a Choice-locked Electric-type move, which it is immune to. When this happens, Diglett can not only win the match-up, but also set up a Substitute for free. From behind its Substitute, Diglett has a number of attacking options available to it. Earthquake is ever-present, and can hit especially hard thanks to the attacking bonus gained from Life Orb. Sucker Punch provides Diglett with some much-needed priority, especially against Choice Scarfed foes that can easily OHKO Diglett. Note that if Diglett does have a Substitute up, and your opponent is faster than it and breaks Diglett's Substitute, you can almost be sure that it is Scarfed, a fact that can be exploited by the rest of your team. Next, Hidden Power Ice is necessary to combat Gligar; without it, Gligar will wall this set all day long, while able to launch Earthquakes that will OHKO Diglett instantly. Hidden Power Ice is also Diglett's best option (besides Aerial Ace) to hit Grass-types that resist Earthquake for super effective damage. If Substitute is not preferable, you may choose to use a Focus Sash as well. In this case, it is recommended that you use either Rock Slide or Shadow Claw for a broader range of attacking options.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Not too many Pokemon enjoy facing this Diglett, since it sports power, Speed, and powerful moves that can injure opponents. Unfortunately, there are also a number of Pokemon that make setting up Diglett's Substitute useless. Bronzor is the perfect counter, being immune to Earthquake, while taking ridiculously low amounts of damage from anything else Diglett uses against it. It will have no trouble breaking Diglett's Substitutes either, as Gyro Ball is powered up to a great level due to Diglett's high Speed stat. Phanpy and Hippopotas are also fantastic at the job, being able to take an Earthquake and break Diglett's Substitute. Phanpy even boasts Ice Shard that can trouble Diglett before it can KO Phanpy. Next, priority users and Choice Scarfers are also problematic. If Diglett cannot OHKO them from behind its Substitute, it risks the threat of dying to a priority move. Its low defenses don't help either, and moves like Aqua Jet and Ice Shard tend to mark the end of Diglett's journey. These moves are usually wielded by the likes of Buizel, Carvanha, and the aforementioned Phanpy.

This Diglett pairs up perfectly with Water-types, especially Mantyke. Mantyke often attracts Electric-type attacks, so Diglett can come in on those moves and attempt to set up a Substitute. Mantyke can also clear Diglett's path to sweeping by eliminating bulky Ground-types, most notably Gligar, Hippopotas, and Phanpy. Using a Pokemon to take out Bronzor, such as Houndour and Ponyta, is recommended to give Diglett an easier time sweeping. This set also faces difficulties against Ghost-type Substitute users, like Drifloon and Gastly, as they can avoid Diglett’s Sucker Punch and take minimal damage from its Hidden Power Ice. To remedy this problem, having Munchlax on your side can help; neither Drifloon nor Gastly will be able OHKO it, while it can trap them with Pursuit in return.

[SET]
name: Choice Revenge Killer
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Hidden Power Ice
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Shadow Claw / Rock Slide
item: Choice Band / Choice Scarf
ability: Arena Trap
nature: Lonely / Hasty
evs: 240 Atk / 236 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Diglett is a prevalent and terrorizing force in Little Cup, as it can easily trap and dispatch of its opponents thanks to Arena Trap. Add a series of particularly powerful moves to the mix, and Diglett becomes one of the best revenge killers in Little Cup, able to OHKO a variety of Pokemon instantly.

Earthquake is Diglett's most powerful attack. Even if it seems to lack the Attack stat to do much damage, a STAB Earthquake can actually strip off large amounts of health from anything that is not resistant or immune to it. Hidden Power Ice may seem odd on Diglett as first glance, but in fact, it is Diglett's only way to deal massive damage to Gligar, while also hitting other Grass-types that resist Earthquake for super effective damage. Sucker Punch is Diglett's best bet against Ghost-types, particularly Choiced ones like Gastly. Even if Diglett is already fast, Sucker Punch's priority can help it out against faster opponents and other users of priority attacks. The last moveslot has two interesting options. Shadow Claw is mainly used to keep Ghost-types from setting up against Sucker Punch, such as Drifloon and Gastly setting up a Substitute. On the other hand, Rock Slide can also be used; it provides near perfect coverage alongside Earthquake (only resisted by Bronzor and Baltoy), hitting most Flying-types, such as Mantyke and Taillow, for super effective damage.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Diglett can make great use of a Choice Band or Choice Scarf. With a Choice Band equipped, Diglett can have up to 22 Attack with a Hasty nature, which is quite reasonable. With a Choice Scarf equipped, Diglett can have up to 28 Speed with a Lonely nature, letting it outpace several Choice Scarfers, particularly Adamant Gligar. Unfortunately, it will have significantly less Attack than its Choice Band counterpart; therefore, when using Choice Scarf Diglett, know what Diglett can and cannot kill before sending it out to play.

To maximize Diglett's revenge killing potential, do it a favor by eliminating some of its common counters first. Bronzor completely destroys Diglett, as it laughs at nearly anything Diglett uses, and can threaten to KO with Gyro Ball. Magnet Rise Magnemite can be used because of this, setting up Magnet Rise to avoid Earthquake and beating Bronzor from there. Bulky Ground-types, like Phanpy (who also has access to Ice Shard) and Hippopotas, can also survive a few of Diglett’s attacks, and return with a death-inducing Earthquake. Staryu can deal with these threats by soaking them with its powerful Hydro Pump. To deal with Ghost-types that make prediction hard for Diglett, consider using Pursuit users, particularly Stunky. Stunky can easily switch in on their Shadow Ball and finish them off with Pursuit. In terms of helping Diglett defensively, Water-types work well with it. Mantyke in particular deserves a special mention for being bulky enough on the special side to take many Water-, Ice-, and Grass-type attacks aimed at Diglett. Finally, a few entry hazards of your own are recommended to help Diglett sweep easier, especially Stealth Rock and Spikes. Stealth Rock can be set up by Kabuto very well, thanks to its great Speed and Defense. Omanyte is one of the most common Spikes supporters in Little Cup, due to its great Defense.

[Team Options]

When it comes to sweeping, Diglett has huge problems against Pokemon that pack good defensive bulk and can harm Diglett greatly. Bronzor, Hippopotas, and Phanpy are some of the few Pokemon that can take a couple of Diglett’s hits and threaten to 2HKO or OHKO in return. To deal with Bronzor, who walls Diglett to no end, Magnemite is an impressive Pokemon to bring it down all the time. It can set up Magnet Rise as Bronzor attempts to Earthquake it, then set up an unbreakable Substitute, and then fire off repeated Thunderbolts. As for dealing with Hippopotas and Phanpy, Water-types are recommended. Staryu (who can also Rapid Spin any entry hazards that make Focus Sashed Diglett useless) and Mantyke are powerful sweepers that can easily dispose of the aforementioned Ground-types with their STAB Hydro Pump.They can also take the Water- and Ice-type attacks directed at Diglett, while Diglett can absorb Electric-type attacks aimed at them.

A common problem that Diglett encounters is the presence of Ghost-types. Many Ghost-types, like Duskull, Gastly, and Drifloon, have the ability Levitate (Drifloon being part Flying), and all of them have ways of getting around Diglett. Duskull is bulky enough to take a Sucker Punch or Shadow Claw, and can threaten Diglett with Will-O-Wisp; Gastly and Drifloon can both set up Substitutes if Diglett is locked into the wrong move or if Diglett uses Sucker Punch. Diglett's defenses are by no means impressive, so all of these opponents can fire off moves like Shadow Ball and Shadow Sneak to dispose of Diglett quickly. With that being said, Houndour and Stunky are perfect Pokemon to deal with these threats, both of them resisting their Ghost-type STAB and having access to Pursuit.

Priority users are a pain in the behind for Diglett. With Diglett’s pathetic defenses, priority moves can easily knock off a huge chunk of Diglett’s HP. Fake Out Meowth, Aqua Jet Kabuto, and Fake Out + Vacuum Wave Croagunk are common priority users that can cause a serious amount of damage to Diglett, if not KOing it. Diglett can use Sucker Punch to avoid being hit first by their priority attacks, but due to their decent defenses, Sucker Punch won’t be doing anything significant. It’s difficult to have Pokemon that can demolish all priority users; however, there are a few that can switch in on a wide variety of them with ease. Gligar immediately comes to mind, taking all priority moves but Aqua Jet with ease, thanks to its great Defense and HP stats. Duskull is also a reliable option for taking priority hits, as it too has decent defensive bulk and typing and has access to Will-O-Wisp to cripple the physical priority users.

[Optional Changes]

Diglett doesn't have too many other useful options to use, as its movepool is rather limited. Pursuit can be used to trap Levitating Ghost- or Psychic-types that try to avoid Diglett’s Arena Trap, and Aerial Ace can be used to hit Grass-types. Unfortunately, those are about it.

[Counters]

Diglett can be easily dealt with by having a physically defensive Pokemon, particularly Bronzor, Gligar, or Phanpy. The aforementioned Pokemon are capable of taking several hits from Diglett, and return with their STAB attacks. Bronzor is Diglett's best counter, since it has Levitate and takes pathetic damage from any of its other moves.

Substitute using Ghost-types, like Drifloon and Gastly, are also solid counters if Diglett lacks Shadow Claw. They can set up a Substitute as Diglett attempts to Sucker Punch them, allowing them to finish off Diglett with Shadow Ball safely.

Grass-types, like Paras and Snover, can take Diglett's Earthquake and OHKO it back with their STAB Grass-type (or Ice-type in Snover’s case) moves. Hidden Power Ice can hurt them, but they are not wounded too badly. However, Paras and Snover should watch out for Rock Slide should you use them.

Pokemon that are faster than Diglett spell trouble, because even relatively powerful attacks can finish it off instantly. Examples of these are Choice Scarf Machop, Staryu, and Mankey, assuming Diglett is not Scarfed as well. The lesson to be learned is that you should always do a little scouting before sending Diglett in to be sure of the opposing Pokemon’s item.

Since most of the Little Cup metagame takes a large amount of damage from Diglett's Earthquake, its counters are rather limited, so make sure that your team is prepared for its assaults.

Fuzznip · Mar 21, 2010

Thanks a lot for the proofread Snorlaxe!

Fuzznip · May 22, 2010

This has been sitting here for an incredibly long time. Could I get a proofread or two so it can be uploaded soon?

Heysup · May 22, 2010

Just to help with the process.

Ray Jay · May 22, 2010

Fuzznip said:
Because of Erodent's departure, I've decided to take over his Diglett analysis. I kept his Set Comments, since he did finish it, but I made a few changes and proofread it multiple times. I have also concised it a lot since his analysis was huge. I'm still in the process of concising the other parts of his analysis, so they will come up soon.

His analysis: http://www.smogon.com/forums/showthread.php?t=60108

Status: INCOMPLETE (needs proofreading)
___________________________

[Overview]

If there is one thing to say about Diglett, it's probably that it follows in its evolution Dugtrio's footsteps. They both have pathetic defenses and an average Attack stat, but what makes them unique is Arena Trap. In Little Cup, Diglett is a threat that must certainly be watched out for; it's just that good. While it seems that Diglett lacks enough Attack to function as a revenge killer, don't let this fool you, as many Pokemon in Little Cup are not too defensively oriented. With powerful moves available to it and with absolutely amazing Speed, Diglett is definitely one of the best Little Cup sweepers out there.

[SET]
name: Lead
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Stealth Rock
move 3: Sucker Punch / Shadow Claw
move 4: Protect
item: Focus Sash
ability: Arena Trap
nature: Jolly
evs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 236 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

While typically seen as a revenge killer, Diglett can function as a very effective lead as well. The qualities that make it a successful lead include Arena Trap (which gives it solid anti-lead capabilities), high Attack and Speed stats, powerful priority, and access to Stealth Rock.

Lead Diglett's moveset is dramatically different compared to its other traditional all-out attacking sets. Earthquake is Diglett's most powerful move and cannot be ignored on any set. Diglett is one of the most successful Stealth Rock leads in Little Cup, as its extraordinary Speed allows it to outpace nearly every lead outside of Voltorb, meaning it will almost always move first. The choice between Shadow Claw and Sucker Punch depends on your personal preference, as they both have their positive and negative points. Shadow Claw allows Diglett to deal with Substituting Ghost-types, such as Drifloon, all of the time, which Sucker Punch can't accomplish. Sucker Punch, however, is the strongest priority move in the game (tying with ExtremeSpeed), and it is necessary to pick off Focus Sashes and priority-using leads. Finally, Protect is a must in Diglett's fourth move slot. Lacking Protect will allow Fake Out leads, like Meowth and Buneary, to knock off Diglett's Focus Sash and defeat it after that with their STAB Returns.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Although it can frequently set up Stealth Rock, Diglett has problems with several other leads that are bulky enough to take a hit, such as Phanpy and Hippopotas. Phanpy has Ice Shard that can be used to finish Diglett off, and both Phanpy and Hippopotas can also set up their own Stealth Rock with ease. If you decide to use Sucker Punch, Diglett will certainly have problems with Drifloon leads, who can put Diglett to sleep with Hypnosis and KO it with Shadow Ball, or set up Substitute and Baton Pass it to a Pokemon that can easily deal with Diglett. You will experience similar problems against Gastly; for this reason, Shadow Claw can be the superior choice, hitting them even if they decide to set up Substitute. As always, opposing Bronzor, whether or not they are leads, will give Diglett problems. With Levitate and a decently powered Gyro Ball, Diglett will find that it is easily defeated by Bronzor. Snover can easily demolish Diglett in one turn with its STAB Ice Shard or Blizzard, and hail's residual damage will eliminate Diglett's Focus Sash.

Having a Houndour partner up with Diglett can help your team spectacularly. Houndour can use its specially-based moves to pick on Phanpy, Gligar, and Hippopotas's weaker Special Defense and KO them; however, be wary of switching in Houndour against Earthquake. Houndour also resists Shadow Ball, meaning that it can switch in on either Drifloon or Gastly's Shadow Ball and retaliate with either Pursuit or Dark Pulse. Houndour is also capable of destroying Bronzor, sporting a resistance to Gyro Ball; at the same time, Houndour also resists both of Snover's STAB attacks, and can use Fire Blast to finish it off. While this set is played differently than the offensive ones, don't forget that Diglett can still make short work of the likes of Magby, Elekid, and Chinchou. To assist its sweeping process, it is advised that a Water-type that can pack a punch, like Chinchou or Staryu, be partnered with Diglett to secure both an offensive and defensive combination, as they compliment most of each others weaknesses well.

[SET]
name: Non-Choice Revenge Killer
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Sucker Punch
move 3: Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Substitute / Rock Slide / Shadow Claw
item: Life Orb / Focus Sash
ability: Arena Trap
nature: Hasty
evs: 240 Atk / 236 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

When equipped with a Life Orb or Focus Sash, Diglett is able to use all four of its deadly moves, as opposed to its Choice set, which is forced to use one move. This set can really threaten the Little Cup metagame, as Diglett is one of the best revenge killers available.

The main point that makes this set different from the others is the presence of Substitute. In the process of revenge killing, Diglett may sometimes manage to switch into a Choiced Electric-type move, which it is immune to. When this happens, Diglett can not only win the match-up, but also set up a Substitute for free. From behind its Substitute, Diglett has a number of attacking options available to it. Earthquake is ever-present and can hit especially hard thanks to the attacking bonus gained from Life Orb. Sucker Punch provides Diglett with some much-needed priority, especially against Choice Scarfed foes that can easily OHKO Diglett. Note that if Diglett does have a Substitute up, and your opponent is faster than it and breaks Diglett's Substitute, you can almost be sure that it is Scarfed, a fact that can be exploited by the rest of your team. Next, Hidden Power Ice is necessary to combat Gligar; without it, Gligar will wall this set all day long, while able to launch Earthquakes that will OHKO Diglett instantly. Hidden Power Ice is also Diglett's best option (besides Aerial Ace) to hit Grass-types that resist Earthquake for super effective damage. If Substitute is not preferable, you may choose to use a Focus Sash as well. In this case, it is recommended that you use either Rock Slide or Shadow Claw for a broader range of attacking options.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Not too many Pokemon enjoy facing this Diglett, since it sports power, Speed, and powerful moves that can injure opponents. Unfortunately, there are also a number of Pokemon that make setting up Diglett's Substitute useless. Bronzor is the perfect counter, being immune to Earthquake, while taking ridiculously low amounts of damage from anything else Diglett uses against it. It will have no trouble breaking Diglett's Substitutes either, as Gyro Ball is powered up to a great level due to Diglett's high Speed stat. Phanpy and Hippopotas are also fantastic at the job, being able to take an Earthquake and break Diglett's Substitute. Phanpy even boasts Ice Shard that can trouble Diglett before it can KO Phanpy. Next, priority users and Choice Scarfers are also problematic. If Diglett cannot OHKO them from behind its Substitute, it risks the threat of dying to a priority move. Its low defenses don't help either, and moves like Aqua Jet and Ice Shard tend to mark the end of Diglett's journey. These moves are usually wielded by the likes of Buizel, Carvanha, and the aforementioned Phanpy.

This Diglett pairs up perfectly with Water-types, especially Mantyke. Mantyke often attracts Electric-type attacks, so Diglett can come in on those moves and attempt to set up a Substitute. Mantyke can also clear Diglett's path to sweep by eliminating bulky Ground-types, most notably Gligar, Hippopotas, and Phanpy. Using a Pokemon to take out Bronzor, such as Houndour and Ponyta, is recommended to give Diglett an easier time sweeping. This set also faces difficulties against Ghost-type Substitute users, like Drifloon and Gastly, as they can avoid Diglett's Sucker Punch and take minimal damage from its Hidden Power Ice. To remedy this problem, having Munchlax on your side can help; neither Drifloon nor Gastly will be able OHKO it, while it can trap them with Pursuit in return.

[SET]
name: Choice Revenge Killer
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Hidden Power Ice
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Shadow Claw / Rock Slide
item: Choice Band / Choice Scarf
ability: Arena Trap
nature: Lonely / Hasty
evs: 240 Atk / 236 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Diglett is a prevalent and terrorizing force in Little Cup, as it can easily trap and dispatch of its opponents thanks to Arena Trap. Add a series of particularly powerful moves to the mix, and Diglett becomes one of the best revenge killers in Little Cup, able to OHKO a variety of Pokemon instantly.

Earthquake is Diglett's most powerful attack. Even if it seems to lack the Attack stat to do much damage, a STAB Earthquake can actually strip off large amounts of health from anything that is not resistant or immune to it. Hidden Power Ice may seem odd on Diglett as first glance, but in fact, it is Diglett's only way to deal massive damage to Gligar, while also hitting other Grass-types that resist Earthquake for super effective damage. Sucker Punch is Diglett's best bet against Ghost-types, particularly Choiced ones like Gastly. Even if Diglett is already fast, Sucker Punch's priority can help it out against faster opponents and other users of priority attacks. The last moveslot has two interesting options. Shadow Claw is mainly used to keep Ghost-types from setting up against Sucker Punch, such as Drifloon and Gastly setting up Substitute. On the other hand, Rock Slide can also be used; it provides near perfect coverage alongside Earthquake (only resisted by Bronzor and Baltoy), hitting most Flying-types, such as Mantyke and Taillow, for super effective damage.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Diglett can make great use of a Choice Band or Choice Scarf. With a Choice Band equipped, Diglett can have up to 22 Attack with a Hasty nature, which is quite reasonable. With a Choice Scarf equipped, Diglett can have up to 28 Speed with a Lonely nature, letting it outpace several Choice Scarfers, particularly Adamant Gligar. Unfortunately, it will have significantly less Attack than its Choice Band counterpart; therefore, when using Choice Scarf Diglett, know what Diglett can and cannot kill before sending it out to play.

To maximize Diglett's revenge killing potential, do it a favor by eliminating some of its common counters first. Bronzor completely destroys Diglett, as it laughs at nearly anything Diglett uses and can threaten to KO with Gyro Ball. Magnet Rise Magnemite can be used because of this, setting up Magnet Rise to avoid Earthquake and beating Bronzor from there. Bulky Ground-types, such as Phanpy (who also has access to Ice Shard) and Hippopotas, can also survive a few of Diglett's attacks, and return with a death-inducing Earthquake. Staryu can deal with these threats by soaking them with its powerful Hydro Pump. To deal with Ghost-types that make prediction hard for Diglett, consider using Pursuit users, particularly Stunky. Stunky can easily switch in on their Shadow Ball and finish them off with Pursuit. In terms of helping Diglett defensively, Water-types work well with it. Mantyke in particular deserves a special mention for being bulky enough on the special side to take many Water-, Ice-, and Grass-type attacks aimed at Diglett. Finally, a few entry hazards of your own are recommended to help Diglett sweep easier, especially Stealth Rock and Spikes. Stealth Rock can be set up by Kabuto very well, thanks to its great Speed and Defense. Omanyte is one of the most common Spikes supporters in Little Cup, due to its great Defense.

[Team Options]

When it comes to sweeping, Diglett has huge problems against Pokemon that pack good defensive bulk and can harm Diglett greatly. Bronzor, Hippopotas, and Phanpy are some of the few Pokemon that can take a couple of Diglett's hits and threaten to 2HKO or OHKO in return. To deal with Bronzor, who walls Diglett to no end, Magnemite is an impressive Pokemon to bring it down all the time. It can set up Magnet Rise as Bronzor attempts to Earthquake it, then set up an unbreakable Substitute, and then fire off repeated Thunderbolts. As for dealing with Hippopotas and Phanpy, Water-types are recommended. Staryu (who can also Rapid Spin any entry hazards that make Focus Sashed Diglett useless) and Mantyke are powerful sweepers that can easily dispose of the aforementioned Ground-types with their STAB Hydro Pump. They can also take the Water- and Ice-type attacks directed at Diglett, while Diglett can absorb Electric-type attacks aimed at them.

A common problem that Diglett encounters is the presence of Ghost-types. Many Ghost-types, like Duskull, Gastly, and Drifloon, have the ability Levitate (Drifloon being part Flying), and all of them have ways of getting around Diglett. Duskull is bulky enough to take a Sucker Punch or Shadow Claw and can threaten Diglett with Will-O-Wisp; Gastly and Drifloon can both set up Substitutes if Diglett is locked into the wrong move or if Diglett uses Sucker Punch. Diglett's defenses are by no means impressive, so all of these opponents can fire off moves like Shadow Ball and Shadow Sneak to dispose of Diglett quickly. With that being said, Houndour and Stunky are perfect Pokemon to deal with these threats, as both of them resist their Ghost-type STAB and have access to Pursuit. (some tense change was needed, it sounded awkward and changed tense in the middle of the sentence)

Priority users are a pain in the behind for Diglett. With Diglett's pathetic defenses, priority moves can easily knock off a huge chunk of Diglett's HP. Fake Out Meowth, Aqua Jet Kabuto, and Fake Out + Vacuum Wave Croagunk are common priority users that can cause a serious amount of damage to Diglett, if not KOing it. Diglett can use Sucker Punch to avoid being hit first by their priority attacks, but due to their decent defenses, Sucker Punch won't be doing anything significant. It's difficult to have Pokemon that can demolish all priority users; however, there are a few that can switch in on a wide variety of them with ease. Gligar immediately comes to mind, taking all priority moves but Aqua Jet with ease, thanks to its great Defense and HP stats. Duskull is also a reliable option for taking priority hits, as it too has decent defensive bulk and typing and has access to Will-O-Wisp to cripple the physical priority users.

[Optional Changes]

Diglett doesn't have too many other useful options to use, as its movepool is rather limited. Pursuit can be used to trap Levitating Ghost- or Psychic-types that try to avoid Diglett's Arena Trap, and Aerial Ace can be used to hit Grass-types. Unfortunately, those are about it.

[Counters]

Diglett can be easily dealt with by having a physically defensive Pokemon, particularly Bronzor, Gligar, or Phanpy. The aforementioned Pokemon are capable of taking several hits from Diglett and return with their STAB attacks. Bronzor is Diglett's best counter, since it has Levitate and takes pathetic damage from any of its other moves.

Substitute-using Ghost-types, like Drifloon and Gastly, are also solid counters if Diglett lacks Shadow Claw. They can set up a Substitute as Diglett attempts to Sucker Punch them, allowing them to finish off Diglett with Shadow Ball safely.

Grass-types, like Paras and Snover, can take Diglett's Earthquake and OHKO it back with their STAB Grass-type (or Ice-type in Snover's case) moves. Hidden Power Ice can hurt them, but they are not wounded too badly. However, Paras and Snover should watch out for Rock Slide should you use them.

Pokemon that are faster than Diglett spell trouble, because even relatively powered attacks can finish it off instantly. Examples of these are Choice Scarf Machop, Staryu, and Mankey, assuming Diglett is not Scarfed as well. The lesson to be learned is that you should always do a little scouting before sending Diglett in to be sure of the opposing Pokemon's item.

Since most of the Little Cup metagame takes a large amount of damage from Diglett's Earthquake, its counters are rather limited, so make sure that your team is prepared for its assaults.
________________

Thanks!

There, only like two small corrections, hope I helped.

Fuzznip · May 22, 2010

Thanks. Edited those in.

Fuzznip · May 28, 2010

Just posting to say that I read through this again and fixed up some errors/concised it. A proofread is welcome.

Demoness · May 28, 2010

[Overview]

If there is one thing to say about Diglett, it's that it follows in its evolution Dugtrio's footsteps. They both have pathetic defenses and an average Attack stat, but what makes them unique is Arena Trap. In Little Cup, Diglett is a threat that must certainly be watched out for. While it seems that Diglett lacks enough Attack to function as a revenge killer, don't let this fool you, as many Pokemon in Little Cup are not too defensively-oriented. With powerful moves available to it and with absolutely amazing Speed, Diglett is definitely one of the best Little Cup sweepers out there.

[SET]
name: Lead
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Sucker Punch / Shadow Claw
move 4: Protect
item: Focus Sash
ability: Arena Trap
nature: Jolly
evs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 236 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

While typically seen as a revenge killer, Diglett functions as a very effective lead as well. The qualities that make it a successful lead include Arena Trap (which gives it solid anti-lead capabilities), high Attack and Speed stats, powerful priority, and access to Stealth Rock.

Diglett is one of the most successful Stealth Rock leads in Little Cup, as its extraordinary Speed allows it to outpace nearly every lead outside of Voltorb, meaning it will almost always move first. Earthquake is Diglett's most powerful move and cannot be ignored on any set. The choice between Shadow Claw and Sucker Punch depends on your personal preference, as they both have their positive and negative points. Shadow Claw allows Diglett to deal with Substituting Ghost-types, such as Drifloon, all of the time, which Sucker Punch can't accomplish. Sucker Punch, however, is the strongest priority move in the game (tying with ExtremeSpeed), and it is necessary to pick off Focus Sashes and priority-using leads. Finally, Protect is a must in Diglett's fourth move slot. Lacking Protect will allow Fake Out leads like Meowth and Buneary to knock off Diglett's Focus Sash( It doesn't knock it off, just makes it usless, how about " render Diglett's Focus Sash usless"?) and defeat it after that with their STAB Returns.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Although it can frequently set up Stealth Rock, Diglett has problems with several other leads that are bulky enough to take a hit, such as Phanpy and Hippopotas. Phanpy's Ice Shard can finish Diglett off, and both Phanpy and Hippopotas can also set up their own Stealth Rock with ease. If you decide to use Sucker Punch, Diglett will certainly have problems with Drifloon leads, who can put Diglett to sleep with Hypnosis and KO it with Shadow Ball, or set up Substitute and Baton Pass to a Pokemon that can deal with Diglett. You will experience similar problems against Gastly; for this reason, Shadow Claw is probably the superior choice, hitting them even if they decide to set up Substitute. As always, opposing Bronzor, whether or not they are leads, will give Diglett problems. With Levitate and a decently powered Gyro Ball and Psychic, Diglett will find that it is easily defeated. Snover can also demolish Diglett in one turn with its STAB Ice Shard or Blizzard, and the hail will eliminate Diglett's Focus Sash.

Having a Houndour partner up with Diglett can help your team spectacularly. Houndour can use its specially-based moves to pick on Phanpy, Gligar, and Hippopotas's weaker Special Defense and KO them; however, be wary of switching in Houndour against Earthquake. Houndour also resists Shadow Ball, meaning that it can switch in on either Drifloon or Gastly's Shadow Ball and retaliate with either Pursuit or Dark Pulse. Houndour is also capable of destroying Bronzor, sporting a resistance to Gyro Ball and immunity to Psychic; at the same time, Houndour also resists both of Snover's STAB attacks and can use Fire Blast to finish it off. While this set is played differently than the offensive sets, don't forget that Diglett can still make short work of the likes of Magby, Elekid, and Chinchou. To assist its sweeping process, it is advised that a Water-type that can pack a punch, such as Chinchou or Staryu, be partnered with Diglett to secure both an offensive and defensive combination, as they complement most of each other's weaknesses well.

[SET]
name: Non-Choice Revenge Killer
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Sucker Punch
move 3: Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Substitute / Rock Slide / Shadow Claw
item: Life Orb / Focus Sash
ability: Arena Trap
nature: Hasty
evs: 240 Atk / 236 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

When equipped with a Life Orb or Focus Sash, Diglett is able to use all four of its deadly moves, as opposed to its Choice set, which is forced to use one move. This set can really threaten the Little Cup metagame, as Diglett is one of the best revenge killers available.

The main point that makes this set different from the others is the presence of Substitute. In the process of revenge killing, Diglett may sometimes manage to switch into a Choiced Electric-type move, which it is immune to, so it can set up a Substitute for free and finish off the foe with the appropriate attack. Earthquake is ever-present and can hit especially hard thanks to the attacking bonus gained from Life Orb. Sucker Punch provides Diglett with some much-needed priority, especially against Choice Scarfed foes that can OHKO Diglett. Note that if Diglett does have a Substitute up, and your opponent is faster than it and breaks Diglett's Substitute, you can almost be sure that it is Scarfed, a fact that can be exploited by the rest of your team. Next, Hidden Power Ice is necessary to combat Gligar; without it, Gligar will wall this set all day long, while able to launch Earthquakes that will OHKO Diglett instantly. Hidden Power Ice is also Diglett's best option (besides Aerial Ace) to hit Grass-types that resist Earthquake for super effective damage. If Substitute is not preferable, you may choose to use a Focus Sash as well. In this case, it is recommended that you use either Rock Slide or Shadow Claw for a broader range of attacking options.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Not too many Pokemon enjoy facing this Diglett, since it sports power, Speed, and powerful moves that can injure opponents. Unfortunately, there are also a number of Pokemon that make setting up Diglett's Substitute useless. Bronzor is the perfect counter, being immune to Earthquake while taking ridiculously low amounts of damage from anything else Diglett uses. It will have no trouble breaking Diglett's Substitutes either, as Gyro Ball is powered up to a great level due to Diglett's high Speed stat. Phanpy and Hippopotas are also fantastic at the job, being able to take an Earthquake and break Diglett's Substitute. Phanpy also boasts Ice Shard that can trouble Diglett before it can KO Phanpy. Next, priority users and Choice Scarfers are also problematic. If Diglett cannot OHKO them from behind its Substitute, it risks the threat of dying to a priority move. Its low defenses don't help either, and moves like Aqua Jet and Ice Shard tend to mark the end of Diglett's journey. These moves are usually wielded by the likes of Buizel, Carvanha, and the aforementioned Phanpy.

This Diglett pairs up perfectly with Water-types, especially Mantyke. Mantyke often attracts Electric-type attacks, so Diglett can come in on those moves and attempt to set up a Substitute. Mantyke can also clear Diglett's path to sweep by eliminating bulky Ground-types, most notably Gligar, Hippopotas, and Phanpy. Using a Pokemon to take out Bronzor, such as Houndour or Ponyta, is recommended to give Diglett an easier time sweeping. This set also faces difficulties against Ghost-type Substitute users, like Drifloon and Gastly, as they can avoid Diglett's Sucker Punch and take minimal damage from its Hidden Power Ice in Gastly's case. To remedy this problem, having Munchlax on your side can help; neither Drifloon nor Gastly will be able OHKO it, while it can trap them with Pursuit in return.

[SET]
name: Choice Revenge Killer
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Hidden Power Ice
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Shadow Claw / Rock Slide
item: Choice Band / Choice Scarf
ability: Arena Trap
nature: Lonely / Hasty
evs: 240 Atk / 236 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Diglett is a prevalent and terrorizing force in Little Cup, as it can easily trap and dispatch of its opponents thanks to Arena Trap. Add a series of particularly powerful moves to the mix, and Diglett becomes one of the best revenge killers in Little Cup, able to OHKO a variety of Pokemon instantly.

Earthquake is Diglett's most powerful attack. Even if it seems to lack the Attack stat to do much damage, a STAB Earthquake can actually strip off large amounts of health from anything that is not resistant or immune to it. Hidden Power Ice may seem odd on Diglett as first glance, but in fact, it is Diglett's only way to deal massive damage to Gligar, while also hitting other Grass-types that resist Earthquake for super effective damage. Sucker Punch is Diglett's best bet against Ghost-types, particularly Choiced ones like Gastly. Even if Diglett is already fast, Sucker Punch's priority can help it out against faster opponents and other users of priority attacks. The last moveslot has two interesting options. Shadow Claw is mainly used to keep Ghost-types from setting up against Sucker Punch, such as Drifloon and Gastly. On the other hand, Rock Slide can also be used to provide near perfect coverage alongside Earthquake (only resisted by Bronzor and Baltoy) and hit most Flying-types, such as Mantyke and Taillow, for super effective damage.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Diglett can make great use of a Choice Band or Choice Scarf. With a Choice Band equipped, Diglett can have up to 22 Attack with a Hasty nature, which is quite reasonable. With a Choice Scarf equipped, Diglett can have up to 28 Speed with a Lonely nature, letting it outpace several Choice Scarfers, particularly Adamant Gligar. Unfortunately, it will have significantly less Attack than its Choice Band counterpart; therefore, when using Choice Scarf Diglett, know what Diglett can and cannot kill before sending it out to play.

To maximize Diglett's revenge killing potential, do it a favor by eliminating some of its common counters first. Bronzor completely destroys Diglett, as it laughs at everything Diglett uses and threatens to KO with Gyro Ball or Psychic. Magnet Rise Magnemite can be used because of this, setting up Magnet Rise to avoid Earthquake and beating Bronzor from there. Bulky Ground-types, such as Phanpy (who also has access to Ice Shard) and Hippopotas, can also survive a few of Diglett's attacks, and return with a death-inducing Earthquake. Staryu can deal with these threats by soaking them with its powerful Hydro Pump. To deal with Ghost-types that make prediction hard for Diglett, consider using Pursuit users, particularly Stunky. Stunky can easily switch in on their Shadow Ball and finish them off with Pursuit. In terms of helping Diglett defensively, Water-types work well with it. Mantyke in particular deserves a special mention for being bulky enough on the special side to take many Water-, Ice-, and Grass-type attacks aimed at Diglett. Finally, a few entry hazards of your own are recommended to help Diglett sweep easier, especially Stealth Rock and Spikes. Stealth Rock can be set up by Kabuto very well, thanks to its great Speed and Defense, while Omanyte is one of the most effective Spikes supporters with its great Defense and reasonable typing.

[Team Options]

When it comes to sweeping, Diglett has huge problems against Pokemon that pack good defensive bulk and can harm Diglett greatly. Bronzor, Hippopotas, and Phanpy are some of the few Pokemon that can take a couple of Diglett's hits and threaten to 2HKO or OHKO in return. To deal with Bronzor, who walls Diglett to no end, Magnemite is an impressive Pokemon to bring it down all the time. It can set up Magnet Rise as Bronzor attempts to Earthquake it, set up an unbreakable Substitute, and then fire off repeated Thunderbolts. As for dealing with Hippopotas and Phanpy, Water-types are recommended. Staryu (who can also Rapid Spin any entry hazards that make Focus Sash Diglett useless) and Mantyke are powerful sweepers that can easily dispose of the aforementioned Ground-types with their STAB Hydro Pump. They can also take the Water- and Ice-type attacks directed at Diglett, while Diglett can absorb Electric-type attacks aimed at them.

A common problem that Diglett encounters is the presence of Ghost-types. Many Ghost-types, like Duskull, Gastly, and Drifloon, have the ability Levitate (Drifloon being part Flying), and all of them have ways of getting around Diglett. Duskull is bulky enough to take a Sucker Punch or Shadow Claw and can threaten Diglett with Will-O-Wisp; Gastly and Drifloon can both set up Substitutes if Diglett is locked into the wrong move or if Diglett uses Sucker Punch. Diglett's defenses are by no means impressive, so all of these opponents can fire off moves like Shadow Ball and Shadow Sneak to dispose of Diglett quickly. With that said, Houndour and Stunky are perfect Pokemon to deal with these threats, as both of them resist their Ghost-type STAB attacks and have access to Pursuit.

Priority users are a pain in the behind for Diglett. With Diglett's pathetic defenses, priority moves can easily knock off a huge chunk of Diglett's HP. Fake Out Meowth, Aqua Jet Kabuto, and Fake Out + Vacuum Wave Croagunk are common priority users that can cause a serious amount of damage to Diglett, if not KOing it. Diglett can use Sucker Punch to avoid being hit first by their priority attacks, but due to their decent defenses, Sucker Punch won't be doing anything significant. It's difficult to have Pokemon that can demolish all priority users; however, there are a few that can switch in on a wide variety of them with ease. Gligar immediately comes to mind, taking all priority moves but Aqua Jet with ease, thanks to its great Defense and HP stats. Duskull is also a reliable option for taking priority hits, as it too has decent defensive bulk and typing and has access to Will-O-Wisp to cripple the physical priority users.

[Optional Changes]

Diglett doesn't have too many other useful options to use, as its movepool is rather limited. Pursuit can be used to trap Levitating Ghost- or Psychic-types that try to avoid Diglett's Arena Trap, and Aerial Ace can be used to hit Grass-types.

[Counters]

Diglett can be easily dealt with by having a physically defensive Pokemon, particularly Bronzor, Gligar, or Phanpy. The aforementioned Pokemon are capable of taking several hits from Diglett and return with their STAB attacks. Bronzor is Diglett's best counter, since it has Levitate and takes pathetic damage from any of its other moves.

Substitute-using Ghost-types, like Drifloon and Gastly, are also solid counters if Diglett lacks Shadow Claw. They can set up a Substitute as Diglett attempts to Sucker Punch them, allowing them to finish off Diglett with Shadow Ball safely.

Grass-types like Paras and Snover can take Diglett's Earthquake and OHKO it back with their STAB Grass-type (or Ice-type in Snover's case) moves. Hidden Power Ice can hurt them, but they are not wounded too badly. However, Paras and Snover should watch out for Rock Slide should you use it.

Pokemon that are faster than Diglett spell trouble, because even relatively powered attacks can finish it off instantly. Examples of these are Choice Scarf Machop, Staryu, and Mankey, assuming Diglett is not Scarfed as well.

Bold means change

tangramman · May 28, 2010

Changes in Blue.
Comments in Red.

While Diglett is tailored to be a successful revenge killer, If he is typically seen as a revenge killer, that should be the first set listed he functions as a very effective lead as well.

When equipped with a Life Orb or Focus Sash, Diglett is able to use all four of its deadly moves, as opposed to its Choice set. Simply omitted the last part; more concise and most everyone know what Choice items are for

In the process of revenge killing, Diglett may sometimes manage to switch into a Choiced Electric-type move, Omitted; again, most battlers know that Ground types are immune to Electric attacks so it can set up a Substitute for free and finish off the foe with the appropriate attack.

Not too many Pokemon enjoy facing this Diglett, since it sports power, Speed, and powerful moves that can severely Just a personal preference here injure opponents.

Hidden Power Ice may seem odd on Diglett at first actual grammatical error first glance, but in fact, it is Diglett's only way to deal massive damage to Gligar, while also hitting other Grass-types that resist Earthquake for super effective damage.

Unfortunately, it will have significantly less Attack than its Choice Band counterpart; therefore, when using Choice Scarf Diglett, know what Diglett can and cannot kill before sending it out to play. Some calcs regarding important OHKOs->2HKO and 2HKOs->3HKOs would be useful; I would contribute but I don't know the LC meta at all

They can also take the Water- and Ice-type attacks directed at Diglett, while Diglett can absorb Electric-type attacks aimed at them. Perhaps a mention of Grass-types has some merit, though Staryu could carry Ice Beam; again, I know nothing of the LC meta

Duskull is also a reliable option for taking priority hits, as it too has decent defensive bulk and typing and has access to Will-O-Wisp to cripple the physical priority users. Perhaps mention Sucker Punch users here?

Pokemon that are faster than Diglett spell trouble, because even mildly powerful attacks can finish it off instantly.

... well, there ya go.

Hope I helped.

Fuzznip · Jun 10, 2010

Thanks bud. Edited in most of your changes.

Heysup · Jun 12, 2010

uploading

Diglett (Analysis)'

Fuzznip

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Black Buddha

Frizy

dont change my ct fuckers

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mtr

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Snorlaxe

2 kawaii 4 u

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Ray Jay

"Jump first, ask questions later, oui oui!"

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