Dugtrio (QC Approved 0/2)

[ParaChomp]

[Overview]

• nothing that spectacular happened to Dugtrio in the 5th generation
• it did get some new tricks but it's the same as it always was, a speedy revenge killer with an adequate offence

[SET]
name: Basic Trapper
move1: Earthquake
move2: Stone Edge/Rock Slide
move3: Night Slash/Sucker Punch
move4: Memento
item: Choice Band/Life Orb
nature: Jolly
ability: Arena Trap
evs: 4 def, 252 atk, 252 spe

[SET COMMENTS]

• Earthquake is mandatory
• Stone Edge or Rock Slide, power or accuracy
• Night Slash is weaker than Sucker Punch but it has a high critical hit ratio and can be used when the foe is not attacking
• Memento lowers the foes offence as a last resort

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

• Choice Band gives a 50% attack boost but locks you into one move
• Life Orb powers up moves by 1/3 but there's the recoil
• Arena Trap doesn't work on those that resist ground type moves
• the move set works poorly on non-psychic levitating steel type

[SET]
name: Hone Claws
move1: Earthquake
move2: Stone Edge
move3: Hone Claws
move4: Substitute
item: Balloon
nature: Jolly
ability: Arena Trap
evs: 4 def, 252 atk, 252 spe

[SET COMMENTS]

• Earthquake and Stone Edge work in tandem
• Hone Claws (the North American name for Claw Sharpen) is to raise attack and accuracy
• Balloon makes Dugtrio resistant to ground type moves so it's best to throw it out when the foe uses a choice electric or ground type move

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

• it is better to send out this set after a teammate faints from a choice electric or ground type move
• Substitute is for safety, it prevents many things that could ruin Dugtrio's game

[Team Options]

• entry hazards and lots of them
• water and/or flying types to lure out choice electric type moves
• fire, rock, steel and/or poison types to lure out choice ground type moves
• Trick a choice item to make the above possible
• if you are using one of Dugtrio's other abilities, have a teammate with the Sand Stream ability

[Optional Changes]

• Rock Tomb and Level Ground both lower speed but the drop of power isn't favorable
• Reversal is a strong move and Dugtrio does have the speed but lacks the power to use it well
• an evasion set is an idea but with such frailty, it's not that great
• Arial Ace is a low powered flying type move and doesn't provide Dugtrio with much
• Life Gamble can take off 247 HP when Dugtrio is at full health with max HP but this requires Dugtrio to sacrifice itself
• Dugtrio can use Stealth Rock but with such poor attack it doesn't work that well

[Counters]

• anything faster
• anything with priority moves
• Trick Room
• steel types that are resistant to ground

[Dream World]

• Sand Strength ability
• boosts the power of rock, ground and steel type moves by 1/3 in a sandstorm
• Dugtrio could do more damage with the boost but the loss of Arena Trap is a bit vital
• this hasn't been released yet

 

[Colonel M]

Sorry but, this can't be serious...

First off, we have something that relies on Evasion (which means goodbye Arena Trap) for some gimmicky shit that Garchomp of all Pokemon can pull off better. If you're going to use Dugtrio, you're going to use it for Arena Trap. Sand Strength is pretty mediocre (not to mention currently illegal) and you mention that the moves are basically a third of their power (you should really say "by 1.3" imo).

Look, here's the sets that I would use:

[SET]
name: Basic Trapper
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Stone Edge / Rock Slide
move 3: Night Slash / Sucker Punch
move 4: Memento
item: Choice Band / Life Orb
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET]
name: Hone Claws
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Hone Claws
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Stone Edge
item: Balloon / Life Orb

Not sure on the item for the second set, though Balloon gives Dugtrio a second immunity to take advantage of if the opponent uses Choice Earthquakes. As for how common it is... probably isn't that common to begin with sadly, so Life Orb (or Expert Belt) is probably preferred.

Then maybe Choice Scarf.

That's all I would put for movesets in the analysis.

 

[Eo Ut Mortus]

QC Rejected 1/2

Sorry, but these sets are pretty gimmicky. Dugtrio's main and arguably only niche is as a revenge killer, and you have that as the second set...with Reversal.

 

[Ahhhhhh......Clefable.]

I agree that Dugtrio is pointless without Arena Trap. He is far, FAR to frail to try to run an evasion-abusing set, even if he has Substitute.

Dugtrio's offenses and defenses are so outclassed by many, many other Ground types that you need to stick with its niche : Arena Trap. Otherwise, there is little-to-no reason to use Dugtrio.

 

[Calm Pokemaster]

Screech is a bad idea for something as frail as Dugtrio; also, there is no mention of a CB Dugtrio set anywhere. The Reversal set completely sucks; I suggest you delete it, and work on this analysis a bit more. Look at Colonel M's post, I think he has pretty much mentioned all viable sets for Dugtrio.


Off-topic: W00t, Post no. 250.

 

[ParaChomp]

[SET]
name: Basic Trapper
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Stone Edge / Rock Slide
move 3: Night Slash / Sucker Punch
move 4: Memento
item: Choice Band / Life Orb
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET]
name: Hone Claws
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Hone Claws
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Stone Edge
item: Balloon / Life Orb

My Dugtrio uses a Reversal set and it does adequately. I took your advice and crammed all of my other ideas into the Optional Changes section.

 

[Setsuna]

Locking under inactivity.