FINISHED - READY FOR CRITIQUE
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/trapinch
[Overview]
<p>Given Trapinch’s combination of impressive Attack, inability to take hits, abysmal speed, and excellent ability in Arena Trap, there’s really only one way to effectively use him: inside of Trick Room. Under its effects, Trapinch essentially becomes Diglett on steroids, trapping foes and easily KO'ing with his powerful attacks. Despite a fundamentally shallow movepool, this humble little termite can be a real force to be reckoned with under the right conditions, and it makes an excellent offensive addition to any Trick Room team. </p>
[SET]
name: Trick Room Sweeper
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Quick Attack
move 3: Crunch
move 4: Bug Bite / Rock Slide
item: Life Orb
ability: Arena Trap
nature: Brave
evs: 196 Atk / 156 Def / 156 SDef
ivs: 0 HP / 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p> The only way to use Trapinch is with the effects of Trick Room in play. The vital tools in Trapinch’s arsenal are Earthquake, Crunch, and Quick Attack-- giving strong STAB, a way to deal with Ghosts, and an answer to opposing priority. With the given moves and stat spread, Trapinch has a few key advantages over his rival Ground-type Trick Room sweeper, Cubone: the ability to keep opponents from switching with Arena Trap, a lower minimum speed (outspeeding everyone but Munchlax tying with min-speed Slowpoke), and access to a priority attack, making it harder to revenge-kill, even when Trick Room has expired. </p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Trapinch’s last moveslot comes down to a number of filler options. Bug Bite is probably the best of these, as it gives Trapinch a means of recovery while depriving the likes of Wynaut, Paras, Bronzor, and Munchlax of their much-needed Oran Berries. Bug Bite + Quick Attack also allows Trapinch to beat Snover that hold Oran Berry one-on-one, who it would otherwise lose to. Rock Slide complements Trapinch’s STAB Earthquake well and allows Trapinch to beat Mantyke. </p>
<p>The EVs listed max out Trapinch’s Attack and give two extra points in each defense, while the IV spread minimizes recoil from Life Orb and maximizes its speed under Trick Room. If you opt for an item other than Life Orb, an alternate EV spread of 156 HP / 196 Atk / 76 Def / 76 SpD with full HP IVs can be used. </p>
[Team Options]
<p>Bronzor and Slowpoke make excellent teammates for Trapinch, resisting its Ice-/Grass-type and Ice-/Water-type weaknesses respectively. In addition to setting up Trick Room for Trapinch’s sweep, Bronzor can also run dual screens that make it easier to get Trapinch on the field. Slowpoke can abuse Trick Room’s effects as well as Trapinch can, and after setting up can be used as bait to lure Electric-type attacks that will give Trapinch a free switch-in. Duskull can set up Trick Room while providing support in the form of Will-O-Wisp and possibly moves like Taunt and Disable. Gastly can Trick Room and explode in order to give Trapinch a free turn to switch in and start his rampage. </p>
<p>The best teammates for Trapinch barring Trick Room-users are Baton Passers who can relay an Agility or Rock Polish boost, like Gligar, or to a lesser extent, Spinarak. If possible, it's best to get in an extra Rock Polish / Agility or two, since Trapinch's horrific speed needs all the help it can get if you decide to go that route. Generally, Cubone is superior to Trapinch at taking Baton Pass Boosts, and Trapinch functions better in Trick Room than Cubone does. Needless to say, using Trapinch in this fashion requires a different nature and EV spread with maxed speed and, preferably, a Jolly nature. </p>
[Optional Changes]
<p>Substitute is useful to set up an added buffer to extend Trapinch’s sweep beyond the duration of TR, but it can be difficult to set up since Arena Trap prevents the switches that would normally be your opening to do so. Your only hope of getting a Substitute up is dependent upon your opponent using a non-attacking move (such as Protect, which your opponent can and will use to stall out your Trick Room turns if he / she has it available). </p>
<p>Flail is an option that can be run on sets that don't use Life Orb, but Flail is illegal with Quick Attack, which you'll almost always be wanting instead. </p>
<p>Choice Band was not mentioned in this analysis, but a Choice Band set shows some promise, since Arena Trap negates the necessity to predict switches, since that can't happen. A Banded Trapinch can switch in on Choice-locked Electric-type attacks with impunity, and the Attack boost also makes Quick Attack that much more potent-- but it also makes Trapinch much more vulnerable to switchins from Ghosts like Gastly, who will use the opening to set up a Sub and start screwing you. Generally, this isn't as good of an idea, and Trapinch wants to be able to change between moves. </p>
[Counters]
<p>The most significant threat to Trapinch’s sweep is anyone who runs Aqua Jet or Ice Shard. Carvahna is particularly scary, packing one of the best Aqua Jets in Little Cup with the capability of OHKOing Trapinch. Totodile will also OHKO Trapinch even with an unboosted Aqua Jet. Squirtle can tank Trapinch’s hits and 2HKO with Aqua Jet easily. Snover with Ice Shard will fall just short of the OHKO, but Life Orb recoil from Quick Attack + Bug Bite or Rock Slide will assure that Snover takes down Trapinch with it. Croagunk, Stunky, and Houndour, while weak to Earthquake, can easily pick off a weakened Trapinch with Sucker Punch outside of Trick Room. If Trapinch is ever going up against any of these Pokemon, it needs to have them in KO range of its Quick Attack while in Trick Room if he wants to come out unscathed. </p>
<p>Other threats that Trapinch will have problems with are bulky things that it can't hit super effectively, namely Gligar and Bronzor. Even non-defensive Gligar aren't bothered by any move Trapinch has other than Bug Bite, which only provides an annoyance to defensive variants packing an Oran Berry, and Gligar can easily wipe out Trapinch with Aqua Tail. Bronzor can be handled a bit more easily with Crunch and Bug Bite, but never goes down easily and can usually deal some threatening damage if it packs multiple offensive moves. </p>
<p>Inside of Trick Room, Trapinch has some speed issues with a few key foes. Munchlax is a pretty serious threat; any that run Brave or Sassy as their nature will speed-tie with Trapinch under the effects of Trick Room, and said Munchlax with 0 Speed IVs will always outspeed Trapinch in Trick Room, and can land a solid 2HKO with Return. Minimum Speed Slowpoke will also speed tie with Trapinch, and can threaten it with STAB Surfs or Aqua Tails. The only other Pokemon slow enough to speed tie with them is minimum Speed Bonsly, who while rarely seen, still poses a threat with Sucker Punch and Explosion. </p>
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/trapinch
[Overview]
<p>Given Trapinch’s combination of impressive Attack, inability to take hits, abysmal speed, and excellent ability in Arena Trap, there’s really only one way to effectively use him: inside of Trick Room. Under its effects, Trapinch essentially becomes Diglett on steroids, trapping foes and easily KO'ing with his powerful attacks. Despite a fundamentally shallow movepool, this humble little termite can be a real force to be reckoned with under the right conditions, and it makes an excellent offensive addition to any Trick Room team. </p>
[SET]
name: Trick Room Sweeper
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Quick Attack
move 3: Crunch
move 4: Bug Bite / Rock Slide
item: Life Orb
ability: Arena Trap
nature: Brave
evs: 196 Atk / 156 Def / 156 SDef
ivs: 0 HP / 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p> The only way to use Trapinch is with the effects of Trick Room in play. The vital tools in Trapinch’s arsenal are Earthquake, Crunch, and Quick Attack-- giving strong STAB, a way to deal with Ghosts, and an answer to opposing priority. With the given moves and stat spread, Trapinch has a few key advantages over his rival Ground-type Trick Room sweeper, Cubone: the ability to keep opponents from switching with Arena Trap, a lower minimum speed (outspeeding everyone but Munchlax tying with min-speed Slowpoke), and access to a priority attack, making it harder to revenge-kill, even when Trick Room has expired. </p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Trapinch’s last moveslot comes down to a number of filler options. Bug Bite is probably the best of these, as it gives Trapinch a means of recovery while depriving the likes of Wynaut, Paras, Bronzor, and Munchlax of their much-needed Oran Berries. Bug Bite + Quick Attack also allows Trapinch to beat Snover that hold Oran Berry one-on-one, who it would otherwise lose to. Rock Slide complements Trapinch’s STAB Earthquake well and allows Trapinch to beat Mantyke. </p>
<p>The EVs listed max out Trapinch’s Attack and give two extra points in each defense, while the IV spread minimizes recoil from Life Orb and maximizes its speed under Trick Room. If you opt for an item other than Life Orb, an alternate EV spread of 156 HP / 196 Atk / 76 Def / 76 SpD with full HP IVs can be used. </p>
[Team Options]
<p>Bronzor and Slowpoke make excellent teammates for Trapinch, resisting its Ice-/Grass-type and Ice-/Water-type weaknesses respectively. In addition to setting up Trick Room for Trapinch’s sweep, Bronzor can also run dual screens that make it easier to get Trapinch on the field. Slowpoke can abuse Trick Room’s effects as well as Trapinch can, and after setting up can be used as bait to lure Electric-type attacks that will give Trapinch a free switch-in. Duskull can set up Trick Room while providing support in the form of Will-O-Wisp and possibly moves like Taunt and Disable. Gastly can Trick Room and explode in order to give Trapinch a free turn to switch in and start his rampage. </p>
<p>The best teammates for Trapinch barring Trick Room-users are Baton Passers who can relay an Agility or Rock Polish boost, like Gligar, or to a lesser extent, Spinarak. If possible, it's best to get in an extra Rock Polish / Agility or two, since Trapinch's horrific speed needs all the help it can get if you decide to go that route. Generally, Cubone is superior to Trapinch at taking Baton Pass Boosts, and Trapinch functions better in Trick Room than Cubone does. Needless to say, using Trapinch in this fashion requires a different nature and EV spread with maxed speed and, preferably, a Jolly nature. </p>
[Optional Changes]
<p>Substitute is useful to set up an added buffer to extend Trapinch’s sweep beyond the duration of TR, but it can be difficult to set up since Arena Trap prevents the switches that would normally be your opening to do so. Your only hope of getting a Substitute up is dependent upon your opponent using a non-attacking move (such as Protect, which your opponent can and will use to stall out your Trick Room turns if he / she has it available). </p>
<p>Flail is an option that can be run on sets that don't use Life Orb, but Flail is illegal with Quick Attack, which you'll almost always be wanting instead. </p>
<p>Choice Band was not mentioned in this analysis, but a Choice Band set shows some promise, since Arena Trap negates the necessity to predict switches, since that can't happen. A Banded Trapinch can switch in on Choice-locked Electric-type attacks with impunity, and the Attack boost also makes Quick Attack that much more potent-- but it also makes Trapinch much more vulnerable to switchins from Ghosts like Gastly, who will use the opening to set up a Sub and start screwing you. Generally, this isn't as good of an idea, and Trapinch wants to be able to change between moves. </p>
[Counters]
<p>The most significant threat to Trapinch’s sweep is anyone who runs Aqua Jet or Ice Shard. Carvahna is particularly scary, packing one of the best Aqua Jets in Little Cup with the capability of OHKOing Trapinch. Totodile will also OHKO Trapinch even with an unboosted Aqua Jet. Squirtle can tank Trapinch’s hits and 2HKO with Aqua Jet easily. Snover with Ice Shard will fall just short of the OHKO, but Life Orb recoil from Quick Attack + Bug Bite or Rock Slide will assure that Snover takes down Trapinch with it. Croagunk, Stunky, and Houndour, while weak to Earthquake, can easily pick off a weakened Trapinch with Sucker Punch outside of Trick Room. If Trapinch is ever going up against any of these Pokemon, it needs to have them in KO range of its Quick Attack while in Trick Room if he wants to come out unscathed. </p>
<p>Other threats that Trapinch will have problems with are bulky things that it can't hit super effectively, namely Gligar and Bronzor. Even non-defensive Gligar aren't bothered by any move Trapinch has other than Bug Bite, which only provides an annoyance to defensive variants packing an Oran Berry, and Gligar can easily wipe out Trapinch with Aqua Tail. Bronzor can be handled a bit more easily with Crunch and Bug Bite, but never goes down easily and can usually deal some threatening damage if it packs multiple offensive moves. </p>
<p>Inside of Trick Room, Trapinch has some speed issues with a few key foes. Munchlax is a pretty serious threat; any that run Brave or Sassy as their nature will speed-tie with Trapinch under the effects of Trick Room, and said Munchlax with 0 Speed IVs will always outspeed Trapinch in Trick Room, and can land a solid 2HKO with Return. Minimum Speed Slowpoke will also speed tie with Trapinch, and can threaten it with STAB Surfs or Aqua Tails. The only other Pokemon slow enough to speed tie with them is minimum Speed Bonsly, who while rarely seen, still poses a threat with Sucker Punch and Explosion. </p>
