[OVERVIEW]
Dugtrio has a good ability in Arena Trap, decent base 120 Speed, and a good Ground typing that let it trap, outspeed, and OHKO prominent Electric-, Rock-, and Fire-types like Raikou, Mega Manectric, Mega Diancie, Tyranitar, Terrakion, Heatran, and Volcanion. Dugtrio also has access to moves like Screech, which lets it cripple bulkier Pokemon like Chansey and Clefable for it or its teammates to finish off. Low bulk makes Dugtrio very frail, however, which prevents it from switching in on almost anything without losing too much health, meaning that it has to rely on a Focus Sash to trap anything reliably, making teammates with Defog, Rapid Spin, or Magic Bounce a necessity. Using Dugtrio as a Ground-type is both good and bad. Although it gives your team a way to trap and KO threatening Pokemon, Dugtrio offers no defensive synergy, unlike other Ground-types such as Landorus-T, Garchomp, and Excadrill. Dugtrio is a matchup-based Pokemon by nature, which means that it can tend to be deadweight quite often, which overlaps with the issue of using it over another Ground-type.
[SET]
name: Trapper
Move 1: Earthquake
Move 2: Reversal
Move 3: Screech
Move 4: Memento / Stealth Rock / Toxic
item: Focus Sash
ability: Arena Trap
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
ivs: 28 HP
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Earthquake is Dugtrio's main STAB move, allowing it to take out most of the Pokemon that it traps, like Heatran, Magnezone, Choice Scarf Tyranitar, Raikou, Mega Diancie, Volcanion, and Terrakion, with ease. Reversal allows Dugtrio to take advantage of its horrendous bulk and gives it access to a very strong 200 Base Power coverage move, which lets it easily OHKO bulkier threats like Chansey, Air Balloon Heatran, and Ferrothorn. Screech lets Dugtrio cripple bulky foes like Chansey by lowering their Defense, thus allowing Dugtrio or one of its teammates to beat them one-on-one. Dugtrio's last moveslot is completely filler and is very versatile. Memento lets Dugtrio's team gain momentum by lowering the foe's attacking stats, letting a teammate easily switch in and set up if needed. Stealth Rock is another option if you don't already have another entry hazard setter on your team, and it gives Dugtrio's teammates more KOs. Toxic can be used over the other two moves to cripple bulky Water-, Grass-, and Ground-types like Rotom-W, Slowbro, Tangrowth, Garchomp, and Landorus-T on the switch.
Set Details
========
Maximum Attack and Speed investment, alongside a Jolly nature, allow Dugtrio to hit as hard and as fast as possible, which is useful for trapping and revenge killing most threatening Pokemon. More specifically, maximum Speed investment and a Jolly nature allow Dugtrio to outspeed Raikou, Mega Diancie, and Choice Scarf Tyranitar. 28 HP IVs allow Dugtrio to survive two Seismic Tosses from Chansey and still end up with a 200 Base Power Reversal. Focus Sash lets Dugtrio always survive at least one hit and hit threats like Mega Diancie, Tyranitar, Terrakion, and Volcanion in return, and it guarantees that Dugtrio has a maximum power Reversal. Arena Trap allows Dugtrio to trap and KO grounded threats.
Usage Tips
========
Try not to hard switch Dugtrio in due to its frailty. For example, don't switch Dugtrio in on Heatran on a hard switch, as there is a 30% chance it will just get burned by Lava Plume and get knocked out instantly. Try to avoid bringing Dugtrio in if entry hazards are up on your side because otherwise it cannot be brought down to its Focus Sash and therefore won't be able to take advantage of a full-power Reversal. The best way to bring Dugtrio in is with double switches, especially against obvious scenarios like Heatran being brought in on Ferrothorn, or Tyranitar being brought in on Latios. Know when Earthquake will 2HKO or OHKO a Pokemon; this is crucial for knowing when to trap foes or when to set up Stealth Rock. Dugtrio can afford to set up Stealth Rock on the first turn and use Earthquake the next turn against some foes; however, against others, Dugtrio needs to use Earthquake both turns to guarantee that a foe will get KOed, so understanding the trade-offs is crucial.
Team Options
========
Flying-types like Talonflame, Togekiss, Tornadus-T, and U-turn Mega Pidgeot appreciate Dugtrio's ability to take care of Heatran and Tyranitar, as they all struggle to deal with them. Dragon-types that lack Ground coverage, like Latios, Latias, Hydreigon, and non-Earthquake Mega Charizard X, appreciate Dugtrio's ability to take care of Heatran and Choice Scarf Tyranitar as well. Non-Hidden Power Ground Volcarona and Serperior also appreciate Dugtrio's ability to trap and KO Heatran, as they both get walled by it. Defoggers and spinners like Latios, Latias, and Starmie are good teammates for Dugtrio, as they can remove the entry hazards that prevent Dugtrio from keeping its Focus Sash intact. Mega Sableye is a good teammate as well, as its ability to bounce back entry hazards is greatly appreciated for switching Dugtrio in, and in return, Dugtrio can take care of Heatran and Mega Charizard X, which Mega Sableye commonly struggles with. VoltTurn users like Tornadus-T, Mega Pidgeot, and Magnezone are appreciated because they can pivot into Dugtrio so it can trap their respective checks. Dugtrio is good on stall teams in general as well because it can easily take care of threatening stallbreakers like Choice Band Tyranitar, Heatran, and Mega Gardevoir, which threaten stall teams immensely. Dugtrio can also trap Chansey, which is very useful in stall versus stall matchups.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
========
Choice Band can be used over Focus Sash if you want to boost Dugtrio's mediocre Attack, which is useful for hitting threatening Pokemon such as Volcanion and Tyranitar for more damage, even without Stealth Rock being up on the opponent's side. Endure + Custap Berry allows Dugtrio to outspeed and KO faster threats like Mega Manectric, Sand Rush Excadrill, +1 Mega Charizard X, Choice Scarf Terrakion, and Mega Lopunny. Sucker Punch can be used in the filler slot to give Dugtrio a way to hit Gengar, Latios, and Mega Alakazam; this is recommended only if your team needs a specific form of priority to beat these threats. However, using Sucker Punch in lieu of one of the other filler moves can be problematic, as it causes Dugtrio to become setup fodder. Protect can be used to give Dugtrio a way of avoiding Mega Lopunny's and Mega Sableye's Fake Outs, preserving its Focus Sash. Aerial Ace can be used for when Dugtrio traps Mega Heracross and Breloom, as it can deal heavy damage to Mega Heracross and can trap and OHKO Breloom if its Focus Sash is still intact.
Checks and Counters
================
**Non-Grounded Pokemon**: Flying-types and Levitate users like Tornadus-T, Talonflame, Latios, and Gengar easily take care of Dugtrio because they all resist or are immune to both of Dugtrio's moves and won't get trapped, making it fodder against them.
**Physically Bulky Pokemon**: Physically bulky Pokemon like Gliscor, Skarmory, Landorus-T, and Garchomp easily survive hits from Dugtrio and can force it to switch out, KO it, or waste its PP.
**Bulky Water-types**: Bulky Water-types like Slowbro, Manaphy, Suicune, and Rotom-W take virtually no damage from any of Dugtrio's attacks and can easily KO it with Scald and potentially burn it to break its Focus Sash.
**Grass-types**: Grass-types like Serperior, Tangrowth, Celebi, Mega Veunsaur, and Breloom survive Dugtrio's attacks and can either set up on it or KO it in return with their respective STAB moves. However, Breloom must be wary, as if Dugtrio is running Aerial Ace and still has its Focus Sash intact, Breloom can get OHKOed.
**Priority Users**: Priority users like Scizor, Azumarill, Breloom, Talonflame, and Bisharp can easily KO Dugtrio as it attacks them. However, Breloom must be wary of potential Aerial Aces, and Bisharp must be wary if it uses Sucker Punch and Dugtrio's Focus Sash is still intact, because then it will get OHKOed by Reversal if you predict. However, if Dugtrio is already at 1 HP and a priority user comes in, Dugtrio becomes death fodder.
Dugtrio has a good ability in Arena Trap, decent base 120 Speed, and a good Ground typing that let it trap, outspeed, and OHKO prominent Electric-, Rock-, and Fire-types like Raikou, Mega Manectric, Mega Diancie, Tyranitar, Terrakion, Heatran, and Volcanion. Dugtrio also has access to moves like Screech, which lets it cripple bulkier Pokemon like Chansey and Clefable for it or its teammates to finish off. Low bulk makes Dugtrio very frail, however, which prevents it from switching in on almost anything without losing too much health, meaning that it has to rely on a Focus Sash to trap anything reliably, making teammates with Defog, Rapid Spin, or Magic Bounce a necessity. Using Dugtrio as a Ground-type is both good and bad. Although it gives your team a way to trap and KO threatening Pokemon, Dugtrio offers no defensive synergy, unlike other Ground-types such as Landorus-T, Garchomp, and Excadrill. Dugtrio is a matchup-based Pokemon by nature, which means that it can tend to be deadweight quite often, which overlaps with the issue of using it over another Ground-type.
[SET]
name: Trapper
Move 1: Earthquake
Move 2: Reversal
Move 3: Screech
Move 4: Memento / Stealth Rock / Toxic
item: Focus Sash
ability: Arena Trap
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
ivs: 28 HP
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Earthquake is Dugtrio's main STAB move, allowing it to take out most of the Pokemon that it traps, like Heatran, Magnezone, Choice Scarf Tyranitar, Raikou, Mega Diancie, Volcanion, and Terrakion, with ease. Reversal allows Dugtrio to take advantage of its horrendous bulk and gives it access to a very strong 200 Base Power coverage move, which lets it easily OHKO bulkier threats like Chansey, Air Balloon Heatran, and Ferrothorn. Screech lets Dugtrio cripple bulky foes like Chansey by lowering their Defense, thus allowing Dugtrio or one of its teammates to beat them one-on-one. Dugtrio's last moveslot is completely filler and is very versatile. Memento lets Dugtrio's team gain momentum by lowering the foe's attacking stats, letting a teammate easily switch in and set up if needed. Stealth Rock is another option if you don't already have another entry hazard setter on your team, and it gives Dugtrio's teammates more KOs. Toxic can be used over the other two moves to cripple bulky Water-, Grass-, and Ground-types like Rotom-W, Slowbro, Tangrowth, Garchomp, and Landorus-T on the switch.
Set Details
========
Maximum Attack and Speed investment, alongside a Jolly nature, allow Dugtrio to hit as hard and as fast as possible, which is useful for trapping and revenge killing most threatening Pokemon. More specifically, maximum Speed investment and a Jolly nature allow Dugtrio to outspeed Raikou, Mega Diancie, and Choice Scarf Tyranitar. 28 HP IVs allow Dugtrio to survive two Seismic Tosses from Chansey and still end up with a 200 Base Power Reversal. Focus Sash lets Dugtrio always survive at least one hit and hit threats like Mega Diancie, Tyranitar, Terrakion, and Volcanion in return, and it guarantees that Dugtrio has a maximum power Reversal. Arena Trap allows Dugtrio to trap and KO grounded threats.
Usage Tips
========
Try not to hard switch Dugtrio in due to its frailty. For example, don't switch Dugtrio in on Heatran on a hard switch, as there is a 30% chance it will just get burned by Lava Plume and get knocked out instantly. Try to avoid bringing Dugtrio in if entry hazards are up on your side because otherwise it cannot be brought down to its Focus Sash and therefore won't be able to take advantage of a full-power Reversal. The best way to bring Dugtrio in is with double switches, especially against obvious scenarios like Heatran being brought in on Ferrothorn, or Tyranitar being brought in on Latios. Know when Earthquake will 2HKO or OHKO a Pokemon; this is crucial for knowing when to trap foes or when to set up Stealth Rock. Dugtrio can afford to set up Stealth Rock on the first turn and use Earthquake the next turn against some foes; however, against others, Dugtrio needs to use Earthquake both turns to guarantee that a foe will get KOed, so understanding the trade-offs is crucial.
Team Options
========
Flying-types like Talonflame, Togekiss, Tornadus-T, and U-turn Mega Pidgeot appreciate Dugtrio's ability to take care of Heatran and Tyranitar, as they all struggle to deal with them. Dragon-types that lack Ground coverage, like Latios, Latias, Hydreigon, and non-Earthquake Mega Charizard X, appreciate Dugtrio's ability to take care of Heatran and Choice Scarf Tyranitar as well. Non-Hidden Power Ground Volcarona and Serperior also appreciate Dugtrio's ability to trap and KO Heatran, as they both get walled by it. Defoggers and spinners like Latios, Latias, and Starmie are good teammates for Dugtrio, as they can remove the entry hazards that prevent Dugtrio from keeping its Focus Sash intact. Mega Sableye is a good teammate as well, as its ability to bounce back entry hazards is greatly appreciated for switching Dugtrio in, and in return, Dugtrio can take care of Heatran and Mega Charizard X, which Mega Sableye commonly struggles with. VoltTurn users like Tornadus-T, Mega Pidgeot, and Magnezone are appreciated because they can pivot into Dugtrio so it can trap their respective checks. Dugtrio is good on stall teams in general as well because it can easily take care of threatening stallbreakers like Choice Band Tyranitar, Heatran, and Mega Gardevoir, which threaten stall teams immensely. Dugtrio can also trap Chansey, which is very useful in stall versus stall matchups.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
========
Choice Band can be used over Focus Sash if you want to boost Dugtrio's mediocre Attack, which is useful for hitting threatening Pokemon such as Volcanion and Tyranitar for more damage, even without Stealth Rock being up on the opponent's side. Endure + Custap Berry allows Dugtrio to outspeed and KO faster threats like Mega Manectric, Sand Rush Excadrill, +1 Mega Charizard X, Choice Scarf Terrakion, and Mega Lopunny. Sucker Punch can be used in the filler slot to give Dugtrio a way to hit Gengar, Latios, and Mega Alakazam; this is recommended only if your team needs a specific form of priority to beat these threats. However, using Sucker Punch in lieu of one of the other filler moves can be problematic, as it causes Dugtrio to become setup fodder. Protect can be used to give Dugtrio a way of avoiding Mega Lopunny's and Mega Sableye's Fake Outs, preserving its Focus Sash. Aerial Ace can be used for when Dugtrio traps Mega Heracross and Breloom, as it can deal heavy damage to Mega Heracross and can trap and OHKO Breloom if its Focus Sash is still intact.
Checks and Counters
================
**Non-Grounded Pokemon**: Flying-types and Levitate users like Tornadus-T, Talonflame, Latios, and Gengar easily take care of Dugtrio because they all resist or are immune to both of Dugtrio's moves and won't get trapped, making it fodder against them.
**Physically Bulky Pokemon**: Physically bulky Pokemon like Gliscor, Skarmory, Landorus-T, and Garchomp easily survive hits from Dugtrio and can force it to switch out, KO it, or waste its PP.
**Bulky Water-types**: Bulky Water-types like Slowbro, Manaphy, Suicune, and Rotom-W take virtually no damage from any of Dugtrio's attacks and can easily KO it with Scald and potentially burn it to break its Focus Sash.
**Grass-types**: Grass-types like Serperior, Tangrowth, Celebi, Mega Veunsaur, and Breloom survive Dugtrio's attacks and can either set up on it or KO it in return with their respective STAB moves. However, Breloom must be wary, as if Dugtrio is running Aerial Ace and still has its Focus Sash intact, Breloom can get OHKOed.
**Priority Users**: Priority users like Scizor, Azumarill, Breloom, Talonflame, and Bisharp can easily KO Dugtrio as it attacks them. However, Breloom must be wary of potential Aerial Aces, and Bisharp must be wary if it uses Sucker Punch and Dugtrio's Focus Sash is still intact, because then it will get OHKOed by Reversal if you predict. However, if Dugtrio is already at 1 HP and a priority user comes in, Dugtrio becomes death fodder.
Last edited:
