[Overview]
<p>Drilbur, despite being a newcomer to the Little Cup scene, has already made a defining impact. While its Speed is only decent, it can be doubled courtesy of Sand Rush. With its large Attack and boosted Speed, Drilbur can tear through teams that are not prepared for it. Though the reintroduction of Gligar has given Drilbur some problems, Drilbur can still work efficiently on offensive sandstorm teams, even if it will be harder to set up Swords Dance. All in all, though Drilbur's number of counters has increased, it can still be a beast with the proper support.</p>
[SET]
name: All-Out Offense
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Shadow Claw
move 4: Hidden Power Ice
item: Life Orb
ability: Sand Rush
nature: Naughty
evs: 236 Atk / 116 SpA / 136 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>The best way for Drilbur to take out threats is to pack four moves that have great coverage and can sweep through battered teams. In a sandstorm, Drilbur will reach 30 Speed, more than enough to outpace any Pokemon in the metagame at +1. Earthquake is the perfect STAB attack for Drilbur to have, as it easily 2HKOes anything not resistant or immune to it. Rock Slide nets increased coverage for Drilbur and is the perfect move to smack Snover on the switch if it thinks that you will be using Swords Dance or Earthquake. Shadow Claw is an easy 2HKO on Misdreavus, a Pokemon that will often attempt to switch in on Drilbur expecting an Earthquake. Finally, Hidden Power Ice is necessary in the final slot in order to grant Drilbur an assured OHKO on Gligar, one of its top enemies. Life Orb is required to get these KOs, as Drilbur loses a lot of power by forgoing Life Orb and Swords Dance.</p>
[Additional Comments]
<p>The given EVs on this set maximize Drilbur's Attack and give it 15 Speed. The remaining EVs go to pump up Drilbur's Special Attack. A Naughty nature improves Drilbur's Attack without having to sacrifice its Special Attack or Speed. Rapid Spin is an option for this set as it allows Drilbur to act as an offensive pivot for teams that are susceptible to Stealth Rock. As for teammates, Hippopotas is absolutely necessary for Drilbur to have a permanent boost to its Speed. Munchlax is another great teammate for this set, as it resists Snover's Blizzard (thanks to Thick Fat) and can trap Snover with Pursuit (albeit a weak one). A strong special attacker such as Chinchou can also work well to beat Staryu, a strong check to most sandstorm teams lacking Lileep.</p>
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Rock Slide
move 4: Shadow Claw / Protect
item: Eviolite
ability: Sand Rush
nature: Adamant
evs: 236 Atk / 36 Def / 76 SpD / 132 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set works best after opposing Bronzor, Gligar, and Snover have already been removed. Swords Dance boosts Drilbur's already great Attack to sky-high levels, assuring at least a 2HKO on the entire metagame minus the two Pokemon previously mentioned. Earthquake and Rock Slide grant Drilbur fantastic coverage for only two attacking moves; only Bronzor and Baltoy resist the combination in Little Cup, and only Bronzor is common. To demonstrate the power of Drilbur, a boosted Earthquake will easily OHKO Mienfoo and Scraggy, two of the most common Fighting-types in Little Cup. Slowpoke and Staryu must rely on Scald to burn Drilbur, as neither can OHKO, while Drilbur will defeat them both with a Swords Dance boost and Earthquake if Stealth Rock is up. A boosted Shadow Claw can OHKO Misdreavus after Stealth Rock, while Protect allows Drilbur to avoid priority attacks from the likes of Croagunk much more easily. Eviolite is very important to this set as it allows for a very reliable setup of Swords Dance, something that other variants would not be able to do as effectively.</p>
[Additional Comments]
<p>The EVs on this spread maximize Attack while raising Drilbur's Speed to 15. The remaining EVs go into Defense and Special Defense. Once again, Hippopotas is a required teammate because it provides Drilbur with the sandstorm to double its Speed. This set desperately needs support to beat both Snover and Bronzor, as it cannot sweep effectively if these two Pokemon do not go down early in the match. Thankfully, Magnemite beats both, as it traps the latter with Magnet Pull and resists both of the former's STAB attacks. Larvesta is another great teammate, as it also has resistances to Ice- and Grass-type attacks, and can easily OHKO both of the aforementioned threats with its powerful Flare Blitz.</p>
<p>If you're the type of person who enjoys going big or going home, a Life Orb can be equipped over Eviolite if you want absolutely absurd offensive strength at the great cost of survivability. Though this set will not be able to withstand attacks nearly as well as one with an Eviolite will, it will be able to convert many 2HKOs—especially ones on Staryu, Lileep, and Slowpoke—into swift OHKOs. This comes with a very stiff price, as all three of those Pokemon can OHKO Drilbur with their STAB attacks.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Drilbur really doesn't have many other options to utilize; its best sets have already been listed. It has Sand Force to raise its Attack instead of Speed, but the Speed boost is preferred so that Drilbur can get a preemptive strike against its opposition. Brick Break is a decent attack, but Earthquake will be doing at least equal damage in almost all cases. Maximum Speed with a Jolly nature can be used for a set outside sandstorm for 17 Speed, but a Drilbur in sandstorm will be much happier. Finally, X-Scissor can be used to hit Grass-types.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Bronzor is the best counter to Drilbur, as it resists both Earthquake and Rock Slide and possesses a large Defense stat. Gligar is definitely the second-best counter to Drilbur, as it does not take much damage from Rock Slide, though it is OHKOed by Hidden Power Ice. Choice Scarf Snover is a great revenge killer, as it removes sandstorm and OHKOes Drilbur with its powerful Blizzard. Porygon can withstand an Earthquake and KO back with Ice Beam, but cannot directly switch in on Drilbur. Staryu and Slowpoke can dent Drilbur with Scald, but they cannot suffer too much previous damage or they will be KOed by a boosted Earthquake. Finally, Lileep and Ferroseed can KO Drilbur with Energy Ball and Seed Bomb, respectively, but they must have at least 80% of their health if they do not want to fall to Earthquake.</p>
<p>Drilbur, despite being a newcomer to the Little Cup scene, has already made a defining impact. While its Speed is only decent, it can be doubled courtesy of Sand Rush. With its large Attack and boosted Speed, Drilbur can tear through teams that are not prepared for it. Though the reintroduction of Gligar has given Drilbur some problems, Drilbur can still work efficiently on offensive sandstorm teams, even if it will be harder to set up Swords Dance. All in all, though Drilbur's number of counters has increased, it can still be a beast with the proper support.</p>
[SET]
name: All-Out Offense
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Shadow Claw
move 4: Hidden Power Ice
item: Life Orb
ability: Sand Rush
nature: Naughty
evs: 236 Atk / 116 SpA / 136 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>The best way for Drilbur to take out threats is to pack four moves that have great coverage and can sweep through battered teams. In a sandstorm, Drilbur will reach 30 Speed, more than enough to outpace any Pokemon in the metagame at +1. Earthquake is the perfect STAB attack for Drilbur to have, as it easily 2HKOes anything not resistant or immune to it. Rock Slide nets increased coverage for Drilbur and is the perfect move to smack Snover on the switch if it thinks that you will be using Swords Dance or Earthquake. Shadow Claw is an easy 2HKO on Misdreavus, a Pokemon that will often attempt to switch in on Drilbur expecting an Earthquake. Finally, Hidden Power Ice is necessary in the final slot in order to grant Drilbur an assured OHKO on Gligar, one of its top enemies. Life Orb is required to get these KOs, as Drilbur loses a lot of power by forgoing Life Orb and Swords Dance.</p>
[Additional Comments]
<p>The given EVs on this set maximize Drilbur's Attack and give it 15 Speed. The remaining EVs go to pump up Drilbur's Special Attack. A Naughty nature improves Drilbur's Attack without having to sacrifice its Special Attack or Speed. Rapid Spin is an option for this set as it allows Drilbur to act as an offensive pivot for teams that are susceptible to Stealth Rock. As for teammates, Hippopotas is absolutely necessary for Drilbur to have a permanent boost to its Speed. Munchlax is another great teammate for this set, as it resists Snover's Blizzard (thanks to Thick Fat) and can trap Snover with Pursuit (albeit a weak one). A strong special attacker such as Chinchou can also work well to beat Staryu, a strong check to most sandstorm teams lacking Lileep.</p>
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Rock Slide
move 4: Shadow Claw / Protect
item: Eviolite
ability: Sand Rush
nature: Adamant
evs: 236 Atk / 36 Def / 76 SpD / 132 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set works best after opposing Bronzor, Gligar, and Snover have already been removed. Swords Dance boosts Drilbur's already great Attack to sky-high levels, assuring at least a 2HKO on the entire metagame minus the two Pokemon previously mentioned. Earthquake and Rock Slide grant Drilbur fantastic coverage for only two attacking moves; only Bronzor and Baltoy resist the combination in Little Cup, and only Bronzor is common. To demonstrate the power of Drilbur, a boosted Earthquake will easily OHKO Mienfoo and Scraggy, two of the most common Fighting-types in Little Cup. Slowpoke and Staryu must rely on Scald to burn Drilbur, as neither can OHKO, while Drilbur will defeat them both with a Swords Dance boost and Earthquake if Stealth Rock is up. A boosted Shadow Claw can OHKO Misdreavus after Stealth Rock, while Protect allows Drilbur to avoid priority attacks from the likes of Croagunk much more easily. Eviolite is very important to this set as it allows for a very reliable setup of Swords Dance, something that other variants would not be able to do as effectively.</p>
[Additional Comments]
<p>The EVs on this spread maximize Attack while raising Drilbur's Speed to 15. The remaining EVs go into Defense and Special Defense. Once again, Hippopotas is a required teammate because it provides Drilbur with the sandstorm to double its Speed. This set desperately needs support to beat both Snover and Bronzor, as it cannot sweep effectively if these two Pokemon do not go down early in the match. Thankfully, Magnemite beats both, as it traps the latter with Magnet Pull and resists both of the former's STAB attacks. Larvesta is another great teammate, as it also has resistances to Ice- and Grass-type attacks, and can easily OHKO both of the aforementioned threats with its powerful Flare Blitz.</p>
<p>If you're the type of person who enjoys going big or going home, a Life Orb can be equipped over Eviolite if you want absolutely absurd offensive strength at the great cost of survivability. Though this set will not be able to withstand attacks nearly as well as one with an Eviolite will, it will be able to convert many 2HKOs—especially ones on Staryu, Lileep, and Slowpoke—into swift OHKOs. This comes with a very stiff price, as all three of those Pokemon can OHKO Drilbur with their STAB attacks.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Drilbur really doesn't have many other options to utilize; its best sets have already been listed. It has Sand Force to raise its Attack instead of Speed, but the Speed boost is preferred so that Drilbur can get a preemptive strike against its opposition. Brick Break is a decent attack, but Earthquake will be doing at least equal damage in almost all cases. Maximum Speed with a Jolly nature can be used for a set outside sandstorm for 17 Speed, but a Drilbur in sandstorm will be much happier. Finally, X-Scissor can be used to hit Grass-types.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Bronzor is the best counter to Drilbur, as it resists both Earthquake and Rock Slide and possesses a large Defense stat. Gligar is definitely the second-best counter to Drilbur, as it does not take much damage from Rock Slide, though it is OHKOed by Hidden Power Ice. Choice Scarf Snover is a great revenge killer, as it removes sandstorm and OHKOes Drilbur with its powerful Blizzard. Porygon can withstand an Earthquake and KO back with Ice Beam, but cannot directly switch in on Drilbur. Staryu and Slowpoke can dent Drilbur with Scald, but they cannot suffer too much previous damage or they will be KOed by a boosted Earthquake. Finally, Lileep and Ferroseed can KO Drilbur with Energy Ball and Seed Bomb, respectively, but they must have at least 80% of their health if they do not want to fall to Earthquake.</p>
