Overview
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Dugtrio is the only fully evolved Pokemon with access to Arena Trap, which, along with its very high Speed stat, allows Dugtrio to trap any grounded Pokemon on the opposing team bar Ghost-types. It can then weaken or KO the trapped Pokemon, potentially supporting a teammate to sweep. However, Dugtrio's other base stats are below average. Its low defenses and HP stats mean Dugtrio has to rely on Focus Sash to survive any moderately powerful attack, and its Attack stat leaves a lot to be desired. Moreover, it faces competition from Gothitelle, which has more power, better coverage, and can trap a wider range of enemies thanks to Shadow Tag. However, Dugtrio has a somewhat better matchup against offensive teams and traps Tyranitar more reliably.
Trapper
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name: Trapper
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Reversal
move 3: Memento / Toxic / Stone Edge / Substitute
move 4: Stealth Rock
ability: Arena Trap
item: Focus Sash
evs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
ivs: 21 HP / 0 Def / 0 SpD
nature: Naive / Hasty
Moves
========
Earthquake is Dugtrio's most powerful STAB move and allows it to KO trapped Heatran and Magnezone as well as revenge kill weakened enemies. Reversal becomes a 200 Base Power Fighting-type attack when Dugtrio is at 1 HP, even outdamaging STAB Earthquake. It deals huge damage to Pokemon such as Tyranitar and Terrakion, OHKOing all variants except maximum Defense Tyranitar. Memento provides an easy setup oppurtunity for a teammate after Dugtrio has done its job. Toxic allows it to cripple Pokemon which otherwise wall it such as, Landorus-T, Rotom-W, and Slowbro. Stone Edge hits Flying-types, which are immune to Arena Trap and Earthquake, and OHKOes Volcarona. Substitute makes sure that Dugtrio beats all variants of Chansey, as the ones carrying Toxic can potentially beat it by first using Toxic, followed by two Seismic Tosses. Stealth Rock provides huge team support to any kind of team by breaking Sturdy and Focus Sash as well as converting some 2HKOs to OHKOs.
Set Details
========
Arena Trap is Dugtrio's only niche in OU. Focus Sash allows Dugtrio to survive an attack if it is at full HP and makes Reversal a 200 Base Power attack. The EV spread maximizes Attack and Speed to make Dugtrio as fast and powerful as possible. The remaining 4 EVs are not needed as Dugtrio needs to be as frail as possible to take full advantage of Reversal. The nature boosts Speed at the cost of one of Dugtrio's unnecessary defenses. 0 Defense and Special Defense IVs are used for again minimizing Dugtrio's bulk.
Usage Tips
========
Dugtrio fits on teams that need to eliminate Pokemon such as Tyranitar and Heatran to open a sweep for another Pokemon. Dugtrio should not be switched in with entry hazards on its side of the field, as entry hazards break its Focus Sash, hugely crippling it. Don't switch Dugtrio into any attack, as even resisted hits do a lot of damage. Instead bring Dugtrio in with slow Volt Switches and U-turns, through predicted double switches, or after a teammate has been KOed. Use Team Preview to analyze which Pokemon Dugtrio can trap and use it conservatively until that Pokemon has been KOed. Sometimes, Dugtrio won't have much use in a match; feel free to sacrifice it in such matches. Use Memento if Dugtrio has trapped and KOed the opposing Pokemon that it was supposed to trap, giving a teammate a free switch and a chance to boost and sweep.
Team Options
========
Pokemon that are checked or countered by Heatran and Tyranitar are the best teammates for Dugtrio. Talonflame appreciates Dugtrio's ability to deal with them, as it can easily sweep a team after they are KOed. It can also provide opportunities for Dugtrio to switch in with U-turn. Serperior and Volcarona also like the removal of Heatran, as the former can then freely use Contrary Leaf Storm and the latter no longer has to run Hidden Power Ground. Mega Sceptile, Mega Gardevoir, and Mega Charizard Y also appreciate the removal of Heatran, as they no longer have to rely on Focus Blast to hit it. Defog or Rapid Spin support is mandatory if you are using Dugtrio , because entry hazards will prematurely break its Focus Sash. Latias and Latios are very good options, as they hugely appreciate the removal of Tyranitar and Heatran. Mandibuzz, Starmie, and Zapdos are also good options. Pokemon such as Landorus-T and Rotom-W can allow Dugtrio to switch in safely with their slow U-turn and Volt Switch, respectively. Setup sweepers such as Gyarados and Azumarill can take advantage of Memento to set up and sweep.
Other Options
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Sucker Punch can be used to hit Gengar, Latios, and Latias and to pick off faster weakened foes. However, it will not do much damage to anything else, as it is coming off of Dugtrio's low Attack stat. Choice Band can be used for more power, and it works well with Pursuit to checkmate Pokemon such as Latios, Latias, and Gengar.
Checks & Counters
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By definition, nothing counters Dugtrio if it is revenge killing foes that are trapped, because counters need to switch in. However, it is possible to play around it, as a switch to Dugtrio is often quite obvious and a double switch to a check can often leave the Dugtrio user in a bad position.
**Physically Bulky Pokemon**: Because Dugtrio lacks power, physically bulky Pokemon that are not weak to Dugtrio's attacks, such as Landorus-T, Gliscor, and Skarmory, can set up entry hazards on Dugtrio or outright KO it.
**Bulky Water-types**: Bulky Water-types, such as Slowbro, Suicune, Gyarados, and Rotom-W, can easily take any attack Dugtrio throws at them and can either set up or outright KO Dugtrio.
**Grass-types**: Grass-types are resistant to Earthquake and can hit Dugtrio super effectively. Breloom can bypass Dugtrio's Focus Sash with Bullet Seed. Mega Venusaur KOes with Giga Drain and recovers HP in the process. Chesnaught can set up Spikes and Celebi can set up Nasty Plot or Swords Dance and pass the boosts to a teammate that can sweep Dugtrio's team.
**Priority users**: Due to its pitiful bulk, Dugtrio is susceptible to every priority attack in OU. Talonflame, Scizor, and Azumarill can easily KO with their respective priority attacks. However, Talonflame should be wary of Stone Edge if Dugtrio's Focus Sash has not yet been broken.
**Entry Hazards**: Due to its reliance on Focus Sash, Dugtrio is hugely crippled by entry hazards, especially against offensive teams, as they can easily take advantage of Defog or Rapid Spin.
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Dugtrio is the only fully evolved Pokemon with access to Arena Trap, which, along with its very high Speed stat, allows Dugtrio to trap any grounded Pokemon on the opposing team bar Ghost-types. It can then weaken or KO the trapped Pokemon, potentially supporting a teammate to sweep. However, Dugtrio's other base stats are below average. Its low defenses and HP stats mean Dugtrio has to rely on Focus Sash to survive any moderately powerful attack, and its Attack stat leaves a lot to be desired. Moreover, it faces competition from Gothitelle, which has more power, better coverage, and can trap a wider range of enemies thanks to Shadow Tag. However, Dugtrio has a somewhat better matchup against offensive teams and traps Tyranitar more reliably.
Trapper
########
name: Trapper
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Reversal
move 3: Memento / Toxic / Stone Edge / Substitute
move 4: Stealth Rock
ability: Arena Trap
item: Focus Sash
evs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
ivs: 21 HP / 0 Def / 0 SpD
nature: Naive / Hasty
Moves
========
Earthquake is Dugtrio's most powerful STAB move and allows it to KO trapped Heatran and Magnezone as well as revenge kill weakened enemies. Reversal becomes a 200 Base Power Fighting-type attack when Dugtrio is at 1 HP, even outdamaging STAB Earthquake. It deals huge damage to Pokemon such as Tyranitar and Terrakion, OHKOing all variants except maximum Defense Tyranitar. Memento provides an easy setup oppurtunity for a teammate after Dugtrio has done its job. Toxic allows it to cripple Pokemon which otherwise wall it such as, Landorus-T, Rotom-W, and Slowbro. Stone Edge hits Flying-types, which are immune to Arena Trap and Earthquake, and OHKOes Volcarona. Substitute makes sure that Dugtrio beats all variants of Chansey, as the ones carrying Toxic can potentially beat it by first using Toxic, followed by two Seismic Tosses. Stealth Rock provides huge team support to any kind of team by breaking Sturdy and Focus Sash as well as converting some 2HKOs to OHKOs.
Set Details
========
Arena Trap is Dugtrio's only niche in OU. Focus Sash allows Dugtrio to survive an attack if it is at full HP and makes Reversal a 200 Base Power attack. The EV spread maximizes Attack and Speed to make Dugtrio as fast and powerful as possible. The remaining 4 EVs are not needed as Dugtrio needs to be as frail as possible to take full advantage of Reversal. The nature boosts Speed at the cost of one of Dugtrio's unnecessary defenses. 0 Defense and Special Defense IVs are used for again minimizing Dugtrio's bulk.
Usage Tips
========
Dugtrio fits on teams that need to eliminate Pokemon such as Tyranitar and Heatran to open a sweep for another Pokemon. Dugtrio should not be switched in with entry hazards on its side of the field, as entry hazards break its Focus Sash, hugely crippling it. Don't switch Dugtrio into any attack, as even resisted hits do a lot of damage. Instead bring Dugtrio in with slow Volt Switches and U-turns, through predicted double switches, or after a teammate has been KOed. Use Team Preview to analyze which Pokemon Dugtrio can trap and use it conservatively until that Pokemon has been KOed. Sometimes, Dugtrio won't have much use in a match; feel free to sacrifice it in such matches. Use Memento if Dugtrio has trapped and KOed the opposing Pokemon that it was supposed to trap, giving a teammate a free switch and a chance to boost and sweep.
Team Options
========
Pokemon that are checked or countered by Heatran and Tyranitar are the best teammates for Dugtrio. Talonflame appreciates Dugtrio's ability to deal with them, as it can easily sweep a team after they are KOed. It can also provide opportunities for Dugtrio to switch in with U-turn. Serperior and Volcarona also like the removal of Heatran, as the former can then freely use Contrary Leaf Storm and the latter no longer has to run Hidden Power Ground. Mega Sceptile, Mega Gardevoir, and Mega Charizard Y also appreciate the removal of Heatran, as they no longer have to rely on Focus Blast to hit it. Defog or Rapid Spin support is mandatory if you are using Dugtrio , because entry hazards will prematurely break its Focus Sash. Latias and Latios are very good options, as they hugely appreciate the removal of Tyranitar and Heatran. Mandibuzz, Starmie, and Zapdos are also good options. Pokemon such as Landorus-T and Rotom-W can allow Dugtrio to switch in safely with their slow U-turn and Volt Switch, respectively. Setup sweepers such as Gyarados and Azumarill can take advantage of Memento to set up and sweep.
Other Options
########
Sucker Punch can be used to hit Gengar, Latios, and Latias and to pick off faster weakened foes. However, it will not do much damage to anything else, as it is coming off of Dugtrio's low Attack stat. Choice Band can be used for more power, and it works well with Pursuit to checkmate Pokemon such as Latios, Latias, and Gengar.
Checks & Counters
########
By definition, nothing counters Dugtrio if it is revenge killing foes that are trapped, because counters need to switch in. However, it is possible to play around it, as a switch to Dugtrio is often quite obvious and a double switch to a check can often leave the Dugtrio user in a bad position.
**Physically Bulky Pokemon**: Because Dugtrio lacks power, physically bulky Pokemon that are not weak to Dugtrio's attacks, such as Landorus-T, Gliscor, and Skarmory, can set up entry hazards on Dugtrio or outright KO it.
**Bulky Water-types**: Bulky Water-types, such as Slowbro, Suicune, Gyarados, and Rotom-W, can easily take any attack Dugtrio throws at them and can either set up or outright KO Dugtrio.
**Grass-types**: Grass-types are resistant to Earthquake and can hit Dugtrio super effectively. Breloom can bypass Dugtrio's Focus Sash with Bullet Seed. Mega Venusaur KOes with Giga Drain and recovers HP in the process. Chesnaught can set up Spikes and Celebi can set up Nasty Plot or Swords Dance and pass the boosts to a teammate that can sweep Dugtrio's team.
**Priority users**: Due to its pitiful bulk, Dugtrio is susceptible to every priority attack in OU. Talonflame, Scizor, and Azumarill can easily KO with their respective priority attacks. However, Talonflame should be wary of Stone Edge if Dugtrio's Focus Sash has not yet been broken.
**Entry Hazards**: Due to its reliance on Focus Sash, Dugtrio is hugely crippled by entry hazards, especially against offensive teams, as they can easily take advantage of Defog or Rapid Spin.
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