Dugtrio
Standard OU Analysis
[Overview]
<p>Dugtrio is the epitome of living life in the fast lane. With an outstanding base 120 Speed stat, usable Attack, and access to one of the most lethal abilities in the game in Arena Trap, Dugtrio holds the title of one of the metagame's best revenge killers. However, the Dream World has introduced Shadow Tag Chandelure, a Pokemon that gives Dugtrio quite the literal run for its money when it comes to trapping and revenge killing. Though Chandelure is naturally slower than Dugtrio, its attacking prowess is much higher, allowing it to rip through its trapped foes more easily. Dugtrio, however, retains an important role in a metagame that continues to be dominated by weather—that of a strong weather counter and exceptional ally to rain teams. Dugtrio is able to outpace and destroy opposing Ninetales, Tyranitar, and Abomasnow, allowing rain teams to easily control the weather of a match. With its role as the game's best revenge killer in jeopardy, Dugtrio must rely on its ability to check key threats to retain its usefulness in the Dream World tier.</p>
[SET]
name: Reversal
move 1: Reversal
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Stealth Rock
move 4: Stone Edge / Sucker Punch / Substitute
item: Focus Sash / Fighting Gem / Expert Belt
ability: Arena Trap
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While Dugtrio serves its role as a weather counter quite well, it is often let down by its inability to guarantee an OHKO on Tyranitar, which can dispatch Dugtrio easily in return. This set looks to remedy this problem by using Reversal in tandem with a Focus Sash, allowing Dugtrio to defeat any Tyranitar lacking a Chople Berry and even some that do carry it. Reversal is also Dugtrio's best option for countering Chansey and Blissey, which will be backed into a tight corner thanks to Dugtrio's massive Speed and immunity to Thunder Wave. Earthquake is necessary not only for STAB, but also because it allows Dugtrio to retain its role as a revenge killer without having to lower its health. Even without an item boost, many weakened enemies can still be picked off by the move. For example, if Dugtrio switches in safely on Chandelure, it can OHKO with Earthquake. Even if Chandelure holds a Choice Scarf, Dugtrio's Focus Sash will prevent it from losing to the opposing trapper. Stealth Rock is somewhat situational, but it's the best move in the the third slot. If Dugtrio finds itself at full health against a Tyranitar, Stealth Rock allows Dugtrio to support its team while it waits for Tyranitar to break its Focus Sash and bring it down to optimal Reversal range.</p>
<p>Dugtrio's fourth move should depend on what your team needs it to handle. Stone Edge gives Dugtrio fantastic type coverage, allowing it to serve as both a revenge killer and a Tyranitar counter, and also deal massive damage to Flying-types that are immune to Arena Trap. Sucker Punch, however, is useful for damaging Pokemon with priority moves, which can otherwise wreck Dugtrio after it has been brought down to 1 HP. Substitute is the final option; as it grants Dugtrio immunity to status, it lets Dugtrio handle Chansey and Blissey much more easily. Additionally, it lowers Dugtrio's health into Reversal range if the opponent is hesitant to attack. </p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>When it comes to items, Focus Sash stands out as a fantastic option that allows Dugtrio to survive fatal hits—in other words, most hits—and strike back with a maximum-power Reversal. However, if you're confident that Dugtrio can reach minimum HP on its own via Substitute, then a Fighting Gem is a fantastic supplement. With the Fighting Gem attached, maximum-power Reversal is a guaranteed OHKO on even Chople Berry Tyranitar, as well as the only way that Dugtrio can hope to OHKO Chansey and Blissey. An Expert Belt is another viable option, as an unboosted Earthquake will sometimes fail to OHKO Ninetales, which can be a huge pain for rain teams. With regard to other moves, if another Pokemon can provide Stealth Rock support, Substitute and Hone Claws can fill the last two moveslots, allowing Dugtrio to boost up against any enemies that are Choice-locked into Electric-type moves, such as Jolteon.</p>
<p>The EV spread for this set is quite standard for a revenge killer: maximum investment in Attack and Speed, along with a Jolly nature, ensures that Dugtrio outspeeds everything it possibly can while crumpling weakened foes underneath its attacks. This set is not necessarily set in stone, however: 8 EVs can be removed from either Attack or Speed and placed into HP, allowing Dugtrio to switch into Stealth Rock, take two Seismic Tosses, and survive with 1 HP. If Stealth Rock is not a concern thanks to Rapid Spin support, Dugtrio can use 0 HP EVs and a 21 HP IV to take two Seismic Tosses and survive with 1 HP. Additionally, an Adamant nature can be considered on this set so that Dugtrio can make up for the lack of a power-boosting item, but it will lose the ability to outrun maximum Speed base 115s, such as Espeon and Raikou.</p>
<p>Though this set is perfect for removing Tyranitar, the additional ability to remove the bulky special walls Chansey and Blissey makes this Dugtrio extremely applicable outside of its niche in weather teams. When it comes to teammates, Pokemon that appreciate the removal of the three aforementioned threats make excellent options. Calm Mind Espeon can take advantage of Dugtrio's ability to eliminate Chansey for it, while Dugtrio can also use Reversal to remove other Dark-types that threaten Espeon. Magic Bounce can also be extremely useful for setting Stealth Rock up if Dugtrio doesn't get the opportunity. Volcarona is another powerful special sweeper that appreciates the removal of Chansey and Blissey. Additionally, Volcarona can come in on the Ice- and Grass-type moves that Dugtrio draws, while Dugtrio can save Volcarona from potentially deadly Rock-type attacks, though both are weak to Water-type attacks. Espeon works well alongside Volcarona too, as Magic Bounce can keep Stealth Rock off the field. Choice Specs Latios appreciates the removal of Tyranitar, and can Trick its item onto Blissey to remove its Shed Shell, preventing it from escaping from Dugtrio.</p>
<p>While this Dugtrio has the capability to set up Stealth Rock, it nonetheless appreciates other entry hazards. Ferrothorn has excellent defensive synergy with Dugtrio, as it resists Water- and Grass-type attacks, can set up Spikes, and can provide Thunder Wave support for Dugtrio. The additional hazard damage allows Dugtrio to potentially run an Adamant nature or place extra EVs in Defense to avoid getting OHKOed by Pursuit or priority attacks. Rapid Spin support is also mandatory for this set, as its Focus Sash will be useless otherwise. Tentacruel makes for a great partner thanks to its resistance to Water-type attacks and ability to immediately remove Toxic Spikes. This Dugtrio, though specifically a Tyranitar counter rather than a weather counter in general, can still break through Ninetales and Abomasnow, making it a strong contender for a place on a rain team. With Drizzle and a resistance to Water-type attacks, Politoed would work well in tandem with Dugtrio and a rain Volcarona.</p>
[SET]
name: Offensive
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Shadow Claw / Substitute
item: Choice Band / Life Orb
ability: Arena Trap
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 32 Def / 224 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>The combination of blistering Speed, moderate attacking prowess, and Arena Trap makes Dugtrio a deadly threat to unprepared teams, which will often be forced to sacrifice a Pokemon to Dugtrio's wrath. Earthquake is the most powerful move on this set thanks to STAB, allowing Dugtrio to forcibly strike the Pokemon it has trapped for heavy damage, often resulting in a casualty if the opponent has taken prior damage. Stone Edge is an excellent move for this set, granting great coverage alongside Earthquake. Stone Edge is also incredibly powerful, especially against the Flying-type Pokemon that are immune to Arena Trap. Levitate users, unfortunately, also manage to avoid Arena Trap. Thankfully, many of them are weak to Dark- and Ghost-type attacks, making Sucker Punch and Shadow Claw excellent options for the last two slots. Sucker Punch is also incredibly useful for damaging Pokemon that outspeed Dugtrio, such as Choice Scarf Chandelure, which will always be OHKOed after Stealth Rock.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Choice Band is the preferred item on Dugtrio to maximize its damage output. As Dugtrio will often be switching in and out anyway thanks to its terrible bulk and inability to survive even weak attacks, it doesn't mind being locked into one move. A Life Orb, however, can be used instead so that Dugtrio doesn't have to switch immediately after a revenge kill; this can also quite possibly surprise opponents expecting to use Dugtrio as setup bait. If using a Life Orb, Substitute can be used over Shadow Claw to let Dugtrio set up against threats locked into Electric-type moves, such as Choice Scarf Genesect locked into Thunderbolt. The EVs are quite simple: maximum investment in Attack allows Dugtrio to net as many KOs as possible, while a Jolly nature and 224 Speed EVs allow Dugtrio to outspeed all base 115 Speed foes, including Starmie and Choice Scarf Tyranitar. The remaining 32 EVs are put in Defense so that Dugtrio can avoid getting KOed by priority attacks or weaker Pursuits.</p>
<p>In a metagame so strongly influenced by weather, Dugtrio makes an excellent addition to any weather-based team that wishes to swing the forces of nature in its own favor. In particular, it shines especially brightly on a rain team, because Choice Band Dugtrio OHKOes Ninetales with Earthquake and Abomasnow with Stone Edge, and possibly Tyranitar too after one round of Stealth Rock damage. This ability to trap and defeat opposing weather inducers is absolutely incredible for any rain team. Dugtrio's inability to deal with opposing Politoed doesn't hamper its usefulness either, as rain will be up regardless. A Politoed of your own is necessary on a rain team. Politoed's resistance to Water- and Ice-type attacks means it synergizes well with Dugtrio, which in return is immune to Electric-type attacks that will fry Politoed. Tentacruel is another great partner that provides Rapid Spin support for the team, which is quite useful due to Dugtrio's terrible HP stat. Additionally, Tentacruel's Water / Poison typing gives it a neutrality to the Grass-type attacks that harm both Dugtrio and Politoed, while it benefits hugely from Drizzle thanks to Rain Dish. Tentacruel also has the fantastic ability to set up Toxic Spikes, which allows Dugtrio to defeat Chansey and Blissey that lack Aromatherapy.</p>
<p>Entry hazards are incredibly useful for this revenge killer; in particular, Stealth Rock enables Dugtrio to OHKO some variants of Tyranitar, as well as all variants of Chandelure. Flying-types that are immune to Arena Trap will also be more hesitant to face Dugtrio if Stealth Rock is on the field, as they will take massive damage when they switch in. Ferrothorn's excellent typing provides it with resistances to Water-, Grass-, and Electric-type moves, with the latter two being especially important to rain teams. The weakening of Fire-type moves under rain also improves Ferrothorn's chances of surviving a stray Flamethrower or Hidden Power Fire. Most importantly, Ferrothorn's ability to deal indirect damage to the opponent via Stealth Rock, Spikes, Leech Seed, and Iron Barbs, as well as its ability to provide paralysis support with Thunder Wave, allows Dugtrio to net more KOs with its powerful moves.</p>
<p>Dugtrio is a rather good counter to Rapid Spin users as well: Cloyster loses to Stone Edge, Tentacruel falls to Earthquake, and Starmie is OHKOed by Sucker Punch after Stealth Rock damage. Forretress's mighty Gyro Ball and Earthquake pose problems for Dugtrio, but variants with only Volt Switch are absolutely helpless against it. Dugtrio does have many problems dealing with Donphan, however, as its massive Defense stat means that it isn't as easily taken out as the other spinners are. Additionally, Donphan's access to Toxic and Roar practically force Dugtrio to flee for its life. Conversely, though, Donphan will struggle against the other members of a rain team, including Politoed itself, as well as Rotom-W. Lastly, Dugtrio struggles to defeat Pokemon that utilize Shed Shell, such as Blissey, making Trick users such as Choice Specs Latios ideal teammates.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Aerial Ace is a possibility in the fourth slot of the Reversal set in order to deal with Pokemon such as Virizion and Heracross, but it is relatively useless outside of those threats. Additionally, Dugtrio can no longer effectively check Breloom in the Dream World metagame as Technician Bullet Seed will break Dugtrio's Focus Sash and always KO in only two hits. Rock Slide might seem tempting over Stone Edge due to the latter's accuracy issues, but the low Base Power in conjunction with Dugtrio's fairly unimpressive Attack stat makes it a rather poor choice. In fact, a resisted Earthquake and a neutral Rock Slide have the same Base Power due to STAB, making Stone Edge the obvious choice. If Reversal Dugtrio isn't running a Focus Sash, Endure is a decent option that, along with a Fighting Gem, makes sure that Dugtrio wins against Chople Berry Tyranitar. Beat Up is gimmicky due to its reliance on Dugtrio's teammates, but it can catch an opponent off-guard and deal heavy damage at the beginning of a match.</p>
<p>Dugtrio can only boost its Attack through Hone Claws, which might seem appealing as the accuracy boost also makes Stone Edge much more reliable. Dugtrio's ability to trap opponents means that it can come in on an opponent Choice-locked into an Electric-type move, such as Jolteon or Genesect, and boost up for a sweep. However, situations such as these are likely to be rare, and Dugtrio's terrible bulk will give it very few other chances to set up. Additionally, Dugtrio is largely outclassed as a Ground-type boosting sweeper by the likes of Landorus. Using a Choice Scarf with an Adamant nature might seem appealing, but the boosting nature will still not make Dugtrio powerful enough to break through many common Pokemon and also prevents Dugtrio from outspeeding other common Choice Scarf Pokemon, such as Terrakion, Mienshao, and Starmie.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Thanks to Dugtrio's awful base HP stat and poor defenses, it will easily fall to most hits. Of course, its ability and incredible Speed stat make it hard to counter effectively, but many Pokemon that can survive an attack from Dugtrio will be able to demolish it in return. Priority users such as Scizor are incredibly bothersome for Dugtrio, as they force it to rely on Sucker Punch to damage them before it gets KOed. With the boost in ExtremeSpeed's priority, Dragonite makes an excellent counter to Dugtrio because it cannot be checked by Sucker Punch; furthermore, if Multiscale is active, Stone Edge will not KO it either. Though it does not commonly do so, Dragonite can also elect to run Aqua Jet, which in rain which will utterly annihilate Dugtrio. Breloom is another excellent counter to Dugtrio as its Bullet Seed breaks Dugtrio's Substitutes and Focus Sash; it is also not KOed by any of Dugtrio's attacks.</p>
<p>Flying-types and Pokemon with the Levitate ability all avoid the trapping effect of Arena Trap, making them fairly useful for disrupting Dugtrio's most important role. However, the former Pokemon must be wary of Stone Edge, which will quickly dispose of them. Skarmory is practically untouchable, however, and doesn't even have to run Shed Shell to escape from Dugtrio after it finishes laying Spikes with absolute impunity. Latios has access to Levitate and often runs Surf, which will quickly dispose of Dugtrio, but it must be extremely cautious around Sucker Punch variants. One of the best possible ways to counter Dugtrio is to determine what set it has, which can be quite easy as they are very different from each other. Though one will often have to sacrifice a Pokemon to the Choice Band variant to get a favorable match-up, after that, it's quite easy to bring in a resist and set up. The Reversal set is a bit harder to counter due to the incredible power that Reversal packs once Dugtrio has been brought down to 1 HP, but these variants of Dugtrio often lack Sucker Punch, making priority an easy way to dispose of them.</p>
