OU Dugtrio

horyzhnz

[10:02:17 AM] flcl: its hory xD
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original analysis done by Alter / Labyrinthine

Overview
########

As the only fully evolved Pokemon with access to Arena Trap, Dugtrio has a very specific niche in the OU metagame as a unique trapper and revenge killer. Dugtrio's blazing Speed stat complements this excellently, allowing it to trap and finish off a wide range of weakened threats. It also has a decent movepool that includes useful support moves such as Memento and Stealth Rock. However, Dugtrio certainly does have some flaws preventing it from being a common sight in the OU metagame. Its mediocre Attack means it will have some trouble taking out some bulkier opponents, and its pitiful defenses mean it will be KOed very easily, even by resisted hits. In addition to this, Dugtrio's lack of priority outside of Sucker Punch and weakness to the common Aqua Jet only compounds its frailty, leaving it susceptible to opposing revenge killers. Furthermore, Arena Trap is generally inferior to Shadow Tag, as Dugtrio cannot trap Levitate users and Flying-types. Although Dugtrio can almost always successfully trap and revenge kill a weakened opponent, including some of the tier's powerhouses such as Mega Gyarados, Terrakion, Kyurem-B, and Mega Medicham, it is not very useful outside of its niche and should be played very carefully to not be a waste of a teamslot.

Trapper
########
name: Trapper
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Reversal
move 3: Memento / Stone Edge
move 4: Stealth Rock / Substitute
ability: Arena Trap
item: Focus Sash
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
ivs: 21 HP / 0 Def / 0 SpD
nature: Naive / Hasty

Moves
========

Earthquake is Dugtrio's main move and most powerful STAB option. Earthquake's main use is to revenge kill weakened Pokemon and take out Heatran. Reversal works well with a Focus Sash and provides a great source of Fighting-type coverage; at 1 HP, Reversal is stronger than even Earthquake. It hits Pokemon such as Tyranitar and Terrakion for massive damage. Stone Edge has great coverage with Earthquake, KOing Volcarona and weakening the Flying-types which are immune to Arena Trap. Memento opens up setup opportunities for teammates and cripples whatever switches into Dugtrio after it has KOed a trapped Pokemon. Stealth Rock, a mandatory form of support, is a good option to use if you can't fit it onto another Pokemon. Alternatively, Substitute could be used as an option to give Dugtrio a shield against priority. It also allows Dugtrio to inflict massive amounts of damage to Chansey and Blissey when Dugtrio reaches full power for Reversal.

Set Details
========

Full investment in Attack and Speed maximizes Dugtrio's revenge killing capabilities, and a Hasty nature ensures that it outruns the many threats in the 100-115 Speed tier that often run Speed boosting natures, while lowing its Defense to abuse Reversal. A Focus Sash somewhat remedies Dugtrio's paper-thin defenses, allowing it to take at least one hit before it faints, as well as giving it a shield against priority. 21 HP IVs allow Reversal to reach full power more easily, especially on resisted hits such as Tyranitar's Stone Edge.

Usage Tips
========

Dugtrio is a Pokemon best brought in to revenge kill opposing Pokemon or on other free switches to secure KOs. This means that it can be brought in on U-turn or Volt Switch off predicted switch-ins of its primary targets, such as Tyranitar and Heatran. Because it might need to trap a Pokemon at any time, Dugtrio doesn't really excel at any particular point of the game. Due to its excellent Speed, Dugtrio can also trap many slower Choice Scarf users, notably Tyranitar. In addition, due to its mediocre power, it can generally only KO frail and weakened threats. Memento and Stealth Rock are best used after Dugtrio has already performed its trapping duties so that it can provide a form of utility outside of its offensive role.

Team Options
========

Defog or Rapid Spin support is highly recommended when using Dugtrio in order to ensure that its Focus Sash stays intact; however, Rapid Spin support is preferred when using Stealth Rock to keep Dugtrio's hazards intact. Examples of teammates that can provide this support include Latios, Starmie, and Mandibuzz. Pokemon that can use Volt Switch or U-turn are excellent partners, too, as they can bring Dugtrio in safely on threats it is supposed to trap. Talonflame and Thundurus are both good partners in this regard. Dugtrio reciprocates this support by trapping and KOing troublesome counters to these Pokemon. Indeed, Dugtrio is one of the best Pokemon to pair with Talonflame by virtue of the fact that it can trap and KO one of Talonflame's best counters: Heatran. This also extends to Ferrothorn, as Dugtrio can also trap Magnezone, which is extremely threatening to to Ferrothorn.

Other Options
########

Dugtrio does not have many other options due to its relatively small niche. An Adamant nature can be used along with Rock Tomb to hit Mega Charizard X and slow it down, then finish it off with Earthquake. This set also gives Dugtrio a 75% chance to OHKO Bisharp. Aerial Ace can be used to hit Mega Heracross and Breloom, two much more prominent threats that are now increasing in usage. Sucker Punch can also be used to hit Mega Alakazam, Latias, and Latios, but it is not recommended. A Choice Band set with Pursuit for Pokemon like Gengar, Latias, and Latios can also be used to some effect.

Checks & Counters
########

By definition, nothing counters Dugtrio if it is revenge killing opponents that can be trapped by Arena Trap, because counters need to switch in. Although it can sometimes defeat threats, given the right conditions, there are still plenty of checks to Dugtrio. One of the best ways to beat Dugtrio is to not let it actually trap what it wants to through the use of moves like Baton Pass and U-turn. Moreover, Flying-types, Ghost-types, and Pokemon with Levitate can always escape the clutches of Dugtrio's Arena Trap.

**Physically Bulky Pokemon**: It is no secret that Dugtrio falls far behind typical OU attacking standards, and, as a result of this, most Pokemon with decent physical bulk that aren't weak to the EdgeQuake combination can take on Dugtrio relatively well. Skarmory, Gliscor, and Landorus-T wall all of Dugtrio's attacks and proceed to set up hazards in its face or outright KO it.

**Water-types**: Bulky Water-type Pokemon almost always make for excellent Dugtrio checks. Slowbro, Vaporeon, and Suicune can all wash away Dugtrio with their super effective Scalds and take relatively low damage from its Earthquake and Reversal.

**Grass-types**: Thanks to their resistance to Ground and/or ability to hit Dugtrio super effectively, many Grass-type Pokemon make for great Dugtrio checks. Trevenant and Gourgeist can take any of Dugtrio's attacks with ease and either burn it or outright KO it with an appropriate move. Breloom resists both Ground and Rock while simultaneously packing priority in the form of Mach Punch. Lastly, Mega Venusaur can use its stupendous defensive stats to wall anything that Dugtrio attempts to throw at it and proceed to KO it with a super effective Giga Drain.

**Priority**: Because Dugtrio has very pitiful defensive stats, virtually every form of priority is threatening to it. Scizor, Azumarill, and Talonflame are all good users of priority moves and can take down Dugtrio with a swift revenge kill. However, Talonflame must watch out for a potential Stone Edge if Dugtrio still has its Focus Sash intact. Bisharp can also strike down Dugtrio with its powerful Sucker Punch or take advantage of Memento, gaining an Attack boost, though it cannot take an Earthquake. Finally, despite their weakness to Reversal, Mamoswine and Weavile can both pack priority Ice Shard to pick off Dugtrio.
 
Last edited:

CyclicCompound

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Two things I would make mention of:
  1. A good player will likely not allow you to revenge kill an important team member with Dugtrio (e.g. if they have a Heatran that's stopping your Mega Mawile from sweeping the rest of their team, they're not going to blindly let Heatran KO something). So put something about luring in Dugtrio's targets while double-switching and the like. Also note that by virtue of the threat of Dugtrio being able to trap, a competent opponent will most likely attempt to fake you out by double-switching themselves.
  2. Pursuit is a huge problem for Dugtrio and should be noted in checks and counters. If the opponent successfully fakes you out and baits you to switch in Dugtrio while they get to a Pursuit user (most notably Scizor but Bisharp and Aegislash also count), you may end up losing it before it does its job.
 
Unless I'm missing something, shouldn't Stone Edge be listed in the 3rd slot, with Memento/SR in the last? The wording in Moves doesn't match the listed set.
 
Two things I would make mention of:
  1. A good player will likely not allow you to revenge kill an important team member with Dugtrio (e.g. if they have a Heatran that's stopping your Mega Mawile from sweeping the rest of their team, they're not going to blindly let Heatran KO something). So put something about luring in Dugtrio's targets while double-switching and the like. Also note that by virtue of the threat of Dugtrio being able to trap, a competent opponent will most likely attempt to fake you out by double-switching themselves.
  2. Pursuit is a huge problem for Dugtrio and should be noted in checks and counters. If the opponent successfully fakes you out and baits you to switch in Dugtrio while they get to a Pursuit user (most notably Scizor but Bisharp and Aegislash also count), you may end up losing it before it does its job.
For #1, it should also be noted that if you've got something to sac then they can't really do anything to prevent you from trapping whatever you need KOed.

As for #2, I've played close to 1000 matches using Dugtrio and the only times mine has been hit by the move was because I was trapping Choice-locked Tyranitar.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Mentioning that Dugtrio hits max Reversal range after 2 Seismic Toss uses with 28 HP IVs. 27 IVs allows it to use Substitute four times if you've got the move.*

This should be the set's moves:
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Reversal
move 3: Stone Edge / Memento
move 4: Stealth Rock / Substitute

Stone Edge hits and prevents you from becoming set up fodder for certain offensive threats. KOing them is obviously better than having to sac Dugtrio only to force them out once, Memento's only coming in play when you have a sweeper that can successfully sweep/cripple the opposing team or when it's needed as an emergency stop for something.

Stealth Rock is Stealth Rock. Substitute's a good filler move if you already have a Stealth Rock setter and is mostly for Bisharp and Mawile, which Sucker Punch first and ask questions later the vast majority of the time. It can also be used to Sub down and get good Reversal damage against the common Toxic Chansey. I don't think Substitute should be slashed in move 3, because it's hardly going to be worth having over the other 2 moves.

There's no way Choice Band, Life Orb, or Hone Claws sets are viable enough to mention in OO. If ya really need something for that section then I'd have to recommend Rock Tomb in move 3 and/or a +Atk nature. Rock Tomb and a +Atk nature guarantees a KO against Charizard X and Dugtrio can even come in when it has gotten a boost. The nature also gets you a 75% chance to OHKO Bisharp and guarantees Mega Mawile goes down after it has used a Substitute (or has taken some other form of chip damage).

It should also be mentioned that Dugtrio is capable of trapping and KOing some of the tier's other wall breakers/power houses, ie. Mega Gyarados, Terrakion, Kyurem-B, Mega Gardevoir, Mega Medicham, Lucario, Victini etc. Although Dugtrio is a niche Pokemon, very rarely will it be doing nothing - there's almost always something for it to trap.

Tagging Jukain and horyzhnz for feedback on my suggestions.

Lastly, is there a point in having any sort of bulk on Dugtrio? The IVs I run are 21 HP / 0 Def / 0 SpD so that some resisted attacks (Tyranitar's Stone Edge) and other stray hits (LO Kyurem-B's Earth Power) knocks my Dugtrio into Reversal range.
 
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horyzhnz

[10:02:17 AM] flcl: its hory xD
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TFL implementing all suggestions. and imo, 21 hp ivs are probably better; seismic toss isn't really relevant any more since blissey got the boot, and dugtrio can still usually get rid of a weakened chansey anyway.

Jukain could you look over the overview, moves, and oo? everything else is largely the same, except for a few spelling errors i found.
 

CyclicCompound

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I would add Choice Band to OO or Set Details... lack of protection vs. priority/faster mons makes focus sash the better option, but CB rather drastically increases Dugtrio's killing power (right in-between Jolly & Adamant Excadrill, for easy reference), which means much less reliance on wearing down stuff before you snipe it. It also makes Dugtrio complete setup bait which is unfortunate, but it's not like sash Dugtrio is the hardest to set up on either. So yeah, definitely Choice Band in OO, maybe Set Details depending on what others think.
 
Earthquake is Dugtrio's main move and most powerful STAB option when at full health. Its main use is to revenge kill weakened Pokemon and take out Heatran and Aegislash.
Might want to take out Aegislash now that it's banned from OU. Also,

Dugtrio is a Pokemon best brought in to revenge kill opposing Pokemon or on other free switches to secure KOs. This means that it can be brought in on U-turn or Volt Switch off predicted switch-ins of its primary targets, such as Tyranitar and Heatran. Because it might need to trap at any time, Dugtrio doesn't really excel at any particular point of the game. In addition, due to its mediocre power, it can only KO frail and weakened threats, generally. Memento or Stealth Rock are best used after Dugtrio has already performed its trapping duties so that it can provide a form of utility outside of its offensive role.
Wouldn't bringing Dugtrio in on U-turn 1. allow the opponent to counter you as needed and 2. break your sash?
 

Valentine

Banned deucer.
give it 0 ivs in each defense and a naive or hasty nature, to abuse reversal. aeriel ace can be used to hit both breloom and mega heracross which is pretty relevant, make sure that gets a mention somewhere. you can also mention sucker punch for lati@s/alakazam, or not, i'd probably never ever run it.

1/3
 

Lumari

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Might want to take out Aegislash now that it's banned from OU. Also,



Wouldn't bringing Dugtrio in on U-turn 1. allow the opponent to counter you as needed and 2. break your sash?
He means bring Dugtrio in via U-turn (e.g. your Scizor uses U-turn as the opponent switches, you switch in Dugtrio), not switch it in on the opponent's U-turn ;)
 

aim

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2/3 fren id also mention a cb set in other options with pursuit for stuff like gengar and the lati twins
 

alexwolf

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The ability to trap Magnezone should definitely be mentioned somewhere. Trapping and KOing Magnezone + Heatran means that Dugtrio is a great partner for Ferrothrorn, on offensive teams able to capitalize on the Pokemon that Dugtrio traps and eliminates obviously.
 

fleurdyleurse

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hi
Overview
########
As the only fully evolved Pokemon with access to Arena Trap, Dugtrio has a very specific niche in the OU metagame as a unique trapper and revenge killer. Dugtrio's blazing Speed stat complements this excellently, allowing it to trap and finish off a wide range of weakened threats. It also has a decent offensive movepool coupled withthat includes useful support moves insuch as Memento and Stealth Rock. However, Dugtrio certainly does have some flaws preventing it from being a common sight in the OU metagame. Its mediocre Attack means it will have some trouble taking out some bulkier opponents, and its pitiful defenses mean it will be KOed very easily, even by resisted hits. In addition to this, Dugtrio's lack of priority and weakness to the common Aqua Jet only compounds its frailty, leaving it susceptible to opposing revenge killers. Furthermore, Arena Trap is generally inferior to Shadow Tag, asince Dugtrio cannot trap Pokemon with Levitate orusers and Flying-types. Although Dugtrio can almost always successfully trap and revenge kill a weakened opponent, including some of the tier's powerhouses / wallbreakers such as Mega Gyarados, Terrakion, Kyurem-B, and Mega Medicham, it is not very useful outside of its only niche, and should be played very carefully if it does not want to be a waste of a teamslot.
Trapper
########
name: Trapper
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Reversal
move 3: Memento / Stone Edge
move 4: Stealth Rock / Substitute
ability: Arena Trap
item: Focus Sash
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
ivs: 21 HP / 0 Def / 0 SpD
nature: Naive / Hasty
Moves
========
Earthquake is Dugtrio's main move and most powerful STAB option when at full health. Its main use is to revenge kill weakened Pokemon and take out Heatran. Reversal works well with a Focus Sash and provides a great source of Fighting-type coverage; at 1 HP, Reversal is stronger than even Earthquake. It hits Pokemon such as Tyranitar and Terrakion for massive damage. Stone Edge has great coverage with Earthquake, KOing Volcarona and weakening the Flying-types unaffected bywhich are immune to Arena Trap. Dugtrio's last moveslot is filled weith some form of support for its er Memento or Steammateslth Rock. Memento opens up setup opportunities for teammates and cripples whatever switches into Dugtrio after it has KOed a trapped Pokemon. However, Stealth Rock is also a good option to user if you can't fit it onto another Pokemon, and is a nigh mandatory form of support for every team. Alternatively, Substitute could be used as an option to give Dugtrio a shield against priority. It also allows Dugtrio to inflict massive amounts of damage to Chansey and Blissey when Dugtrio reaches full power for Reversal.
Set Details
========
Full investment in Attack and Speed maximizes Dugtrio's revenge killing capabilities, and a Hasty nature ensures that it outruns the many threats in the 100- Speed to 115 rangeSpeed tier that often run Speed -boosting natures, while lowing its Defense to abuse Reversal. A Focus Sash somewhat remedies Dugtrio's paper-thin defenses, allowing it to take at least one hit before it faints, as well as giving it a shield against priority. 21 HP IVs allow Reversal to reach full power more easily, especially on resisted hits likesuch as Tyranitar's Stone Edge.
Usage Tips
========
Dugtrio is a Pokemon best brought in to revenge kill opposing Pokemon or on other free switches to secure KOs. This means that it can be brought in on U-turn or Volt Switch off predicted switch-ins of its primary targets, such as Tyranitar and Heatran. Because it might need to trap a Pokemom at any time, Dugtrio doesn't reallycan excel at any particular point of the game. Due to its excellent Speed, Dugtrio can also trap many slower Choice Scarf users, including notably Tyranitar in particular. In addition, due to its mediocre power, it can only KO frail and weakened threats, generally. Memento or Stealth Rock are best used after Dugtrio has already performed its trapping duties so that it can provide a form of utility outside of its offensive role.
Team Options
========
Defog (if you run Memento) or Rapid Spin support is highly recommended when using Dugtrio in order to ensure that its Focus Sash stays intact; however, Rapid Spin support is preferred when using Stealth Rock to keep Dugtrio's hazards intact. Examples of teammates that can provide this support include Latios, Starmie, and Mandibuzz. Pokemon that can use Volt Switch or U-turn are excellent partners, too, as they can bring Dugtrio in safely on threats it is supposed to trap. Talonflame and Thundurus are all good partners in this regard. Dugtrio reciprocates this support by trapping and KOing troublesome counters to these Pokemon. Indeed, Dugtrio is one of the best Pokemon to pair with Talonflame by virtue of the fact that it can trap and KO one of itTalonflame's best counters: Heatran. This also extends to Ferrothorn, as Dugtrio can also trap Magnezone, which has been risis extremely threatening in usageto Ferrothorn.
Other Options
########
Dugtrio has little in the wadoes not have many of other options due to its relatively small niche. An Adamant nature can be used along with Rock Tomb to hit Mega Charizard X and slow it down, then finish it off with Earthquake. This set also gives Dugtrio a 75% chance to OHKO Bisharp, along with Mega Mawile if it has taken any prior damage. Aerial Ace can be used to hit Mega Heracross and Breloom, two much more prominent threats that are now increasing in usage. Sucker Punch can also be used to hit Mega Alakazam, Latias, and the Lati twinos, but it is not recommended. A Choice Band set with Pursuit for thingsPokemon like Gengar and the Lati twins can also be used to some effect.
Checks & Counters
########
By definition, nothing counters Dugtrio if it is revenge killing opponents that can be trapped by Arena Trap, because counters need to switch in. Although it can sometimes defeat threats, given the right conditions, there are still plenty of checks to Dugtrio. One of the best ways to beat Dugtrio is to not letting it actually trap what it wants to through the use of moves such aslike Baton Pass and U-turn. Moreover, Pokemon with Levitate, Flying-types, and Ghost-types can always escape the clutches of Dugtrio's Arena Trap.
**Physically Bulky Pokemon**: It is no secret that Dugtrio falls far behind typical OU attacking standards and, as a result of this, most Pokemon with decent physical bulk that aren't weak to the EdgeQuake combination can take on Dugtrio relatively well. Skarmory, Gliscor, and Landorus-T wall all of Dugtrio's attacks and proceed to set up hazards in its face or outright KO it.
**Water-types**: SturdBulky Water-type Pokemon almost always make for excellent Dugtrio checks. Slowbro, Vaporeon, and Suicune can all wash away Dugtrio with their super effective Scalds and take relatively low damage from its Earthquake and Reversal.
**Grass-types**: Thanks to their resistance to Ground and/or ability to hit Dugtrio super effectively, many Grass-type Pokemon make for great Dugtrio checks. Trevenant and Gourgeist can take any of Dugtrio's attacks with ease and either burn it or outright KO it with an appropriate move. Breloom resists both Ground and Rock while simultaneously packing priority in the form of Mach Punch. Lastly, Mega Venusaur can use its stupendous defensive stats to wall anything that Dugtrio attempts to throw at it and proceed to KO it with a super effective Giga Drain.
**Priority**: Because Dugtrio has very pitiful defensive stats, virtually every form of priority is threatening to it. Scizor, Azumarill, and Talonflame are all good users of priority moves and can take down Dugtrio with a swift revenge kill. However, Talonflame must watch out for a potential Stone Edge if Dugtrio still has its Focus Sash intact. Bisharp can also strike down Dugtrio with its powerful Sucker Punch or take advantage of Memento, gaining an Attack boost, but cannot take an Earthquake. Finally, despite their weakness to Reversal, Mamoswine and Weavile can both pack priority Ice Shard to pick off Dugtrio.

GP 1/2
 
Last edited:

Alter

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^ how can a decent offensive movepool include support moves? :o or am I misunderstanding the meaning of 'offensive moves' in this context?

edit: btw this wasn't meant to come off as attacking! sorry if it had that effect! :toast:
 
Last edited:

frenzyplant

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2/2 horyzhnz :)

add remove (comments)

Overview
########

As the only fully evolved Pokemon with access to Arena Trap, Dugtrio has a very specific niche in the OU metagame as a unique trapper and revenge killer. Dugtrio's blazing Speed stat complements this excellently, allowing it to trap and finish off a wide range of weakened threats. It also has a decent movepool that includes useful support moves such as Memento and Stealth Rock. However, Dugtrio certainly does have some flaws preventing it from being a common sight in the OU metagame. Its mediocre Attack means it will have some trouble taking out some bulkier opponents, and its pitiful defenses mean it will be KOed very easily, even by resisted hits. In addition to this, Dugtrio's lack of priority outside of Sucker Punch and weakness to the common Aqua Jet only compounds its frailty, leaving it susceptible to opposing revenge killers. Furthermore, Arena Trap is generally inferior to Shadow Tag, as Dugtrio cannot trap Levitate users and Flying-types. Although Dugtrio can almost always successfully trap and revenge kill a weakened opponent, including some of the tier's powerhouses such as Mega Gyarados, Terrakion, Kyurem-B, and Mega Medicham, it is not very useful outside of its niche, (remove comma) and should be played very carefully to not be a waste of a teamslot.

Trapper
########
name: Trapper
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Reversal
move 3: Memento / Stone Edge
move 4: Stealth Rock / Substitute
ability: Arena Trap
item: Focus Sash
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
ivs: 21 HP / 0 Def / 0 SpD
nature: Naive / Hasty

Moves
========

Earthquake is Dugtrio's main move and most powerful STAB option. Its Earthquake's main use is to revenge kill weakened Pokemon and take out Heatran. Reversal works well with a Focus Sash and provides a great source of Fighting-type coverage; at 1 HP, Reversal is stronger than even Earthquake. It hits Pokemon such as Tyranitar and Terrakion for massive damage. Stone Edge has great coverage with Earthquake, KOing Volcarona and weakening the Flying-types which are immune to Arena Trap. Memento opens up setup opportunities for teammates and cripples whatever switches into Dugtrio after it has KOed a trapped Pokemon. However, (it's slashed with Substitute, not Memento) Stealth Rock, a mandatory form of support, is also a good option to use if you can't fit it onto another Pokemon, and is a mandatory form of support for every team. Alternatively, Substitute could be used as an option to give Dugtrio a shield against priority. It also allows Dugtrio to inflict massive amounts of damage to Chansey and Blissey when Dugtrio reaches full power for Reversal.

Set Details
========

Full investment in Attack and Speed maximizes Dugtrio's revenge killing capabilities, and a Hasty nature ensures that it outruns the many threats in the 100-115 Speed tier that often run Speed-boosting (dash) natures, while lowering its Defense to abuse Reversal. A Focus Sash somewhat remedies Dugtrio's paper-thin defenses, allowing it to take at least one hit before it faints, as well as giving it a shield against priority. 21 HP IVs allow Reversal to reach full power more easily, especially on resisted hits such as Tyranitar's Stone Edge.

Usage Tips
========

Dugtrio is a Pokemon best brought in to revenge kill opposing Pokemon or on other free switches to secure KOs. This means that it can be brought in on U-turn or Volt Switch off predicted switch-ins of its primary targets, such as Tyranitar and Heatran. Because it might need to trap a Pokemon at any time, Dugtrio doesn't really excel at any particular point of the game. Due to its excellent Speed, Dugtrio can also trap many slower Choice Scarf users, notably Tyranitar. In addition, due to its mediocre power, it can generally only KO frail and weakened threats, generally. Memento or and Stealth Rock are best used after Dugtrio has already performed its trapping duties so that it can provide a form of utility outside of its offensive role.

Team Options
========

Defog or Rapid Spin support is highly recommended when using Dugtrio in order to ensure that its Focus Sash stays intact; however, Rapid Spin support is preferred when using Stealth Rock to keep Dugtrio's hazards intact. Examples of teammates that can provide this support include Latios, Starmie, and Mandibuzz. Pokemon that can use Volt Switch or U-turn are excellent partners, too, as they can bring Dugtrio in safely on threats it is supposed to trap. Talonflame and Thundurus are all both good partners in this regard. Dugtrio reciprocates this support by trapping and KOing troublesome counters to these Pokemon. Indeed, Dugtrio is one of the best Pokemon to pair with Talonflame by virtue of the fact that it can trap and KO one of Talonflame's best counters: Heatran. This also extends to Ferrothorn, as Dugtrio can also trap Magnezone, which is extremely threatening to to Ferrothorn.

Other Options
########

Dugtrio does not have many other options due to its relatively small niche. An Adamant nature can be used along with Rock Tomb to hit Mega Charizard X and slow it down, then finish it off with Earthquake. This set also gives Dugtrio a 75% chance to OHKO Bisharp, along with weakened Mega Mawile if it has taken any prior damage. Aerial Ace can be used to hit Mega Heracross and Breloom, two much more prominent threats that are now increasing in usage. Sucker Punch can also be used to hit Mega Alakazam, Latias, and Latios, but it is not recommended. A Choice Band set with Pursuit for Pokemon like Gengar, Latias, and Latios can also be used to some effect.

Checks & Counters
########

By definition, nothing counters Dugtrio if it is revenge killing opponents that can be trapped by Arena Trap, because counters need to switch in. Although it can sometimes defeat threats, given the right conditions, there are still plenty of checks to Dugtrio. One of the best ways to beat Dugtrio is to not let it actually trap what it wants to through the use of moves like Baton Pass and U-turn. Moreover, Pokemon with Levitate, Flying-types, and Ghost-types, and Pokemon with Levitate can always escape the clutches of Dugtrio's Arena Trap.

**Physically Bulky Pokemon**: It is no secret that Dugtrio falls far behind typical OU attacking standards, (comma) and, as a result of this, most Pokemon with decent physical bulk that aren't weak to the EdgeQuake combination can take on Dugtrio relatively well. Skarmory, Gliscor, and Landorus-T wall all of Dugtrio's attacks and proceed to set up hazards in its face or outright KO it.

**Water-types**: Bulky Water-type Pokemon almost always make for excellent Dugtrio checks. Slowbro, Vaporeon, and Suicune can all wash away Dugtrio with their super effective Scalds and take relatively low damage from its Earthquake and Reversal.

**Grass-types**: Thanks to their resistance to Ground and/or ability to hit Dugtrio super effectively, many Grass-type Pokemon make for great Dugtrio checks. Trevenant and Gourgeist can take any of Dugtrio's attacks with ease and either burn it or outright KO it with an appropriate move. Breloom resists both Ground and Rock while simultaneously packing priority in the form of Mach Punch. Lastly, Mega Venusaur can use its stupendous defensive stats to wall anything that Dugtrio attempts to throw at it and proceed to KO it with a super effective Giga Drain.

**Priority**: Because Dugtrio has very pitiful defensive stats, virtually every form of priority is threatening to it. Scizor, Azumarill, and Talonflame are all good users of priority moves and can take down Dugtrio with a swift revenge kill. However, Talonflame must watch out for a potential Stone Edge if Dugtrio still has its Focus Sash intact. Bisharp can also strike down Dugtrio with its powerful Sucker Punch or take advantage of Memento, gaining an Attack boost, but though it cannot take an Earthquake. Finally, despite their weakness to Reversal, Mamoswine and Weavile can both pack priority Ice Shard to pick off Dugtrio.
 

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