[OVERVIEW]
Trubbish has a hard time surviving in the hostile meta of LC at the moment, but it occupies a niche in its access to sticky hold combined with it's good overall bulk and defensive typing. Sticky hold acts as a double-edged sword, allowing Tubbish to switch into knock-off without losing it's berry juice, yet forcing it to take the full damage every time it does so. As such, Trubbish is often called upon to wall fighting types and the ever-so-popular Pawniard, in spite of their access to knock-off. It's high overall bulk provides it with the ability to reliably set up spikes against almost any lead. Its access to recycle allows it to keep it's health up while it lays spikes and capitalizes on it's bulk. While Trubbish can be surprisingly fast with the right EVs, it is fairly passive, and is very vulnerable to Diglett.
[SET]
name: Spikes
move 1: Spikes
move 2: Recycle
move 3: Gunk Shot
move 4: Drain punch
item: Berry Juice
ability: Sticky Hold
nature: Jolly
evs: 116 HP / 36 Atk / 100 Def / 20 SpD / 236 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Spikes is Trubbish's bread and butter, or in this case, his bin and truck. Unfortunately, Trubbish is not bulky enough to lay three spikes without dying first. Luckily, it's access to recycle provides a powerful source of recovery along with berry Juice. To keep it's health even higher, Trubbish is able to use Drain punch as an answer to ice types, dark types, and even occasionally a rock type. Drain punch also allows Trubbish to act as a Pawniard check when combined with sticky hold and it's unmatched speed. Finally, Gunk shot is a strong STAB move capable of hitting Fairy and grass-types.
Set Details
========
Berry Juice keeps Trubbish topped up so it can set up in safety, while also providing recovery combined with recycle. The maximum EVs put into speed can mean the difference between life and death, allowing
Trubbish to drain punch/recycle before even the likes of unscarfed Pawniard can hit it. The rest of the EVs are invested in bulk and attack to allow Trubbish to comfortably switch into most attacks, while still providing as much offensive pressure as possible.
Usage Tips
========
Trubbish can switch into fighting/fairy types relatively safely while provoking a switch. It should also be switching into knock-off as often as possible to allow it's teammates to hold on to their important items such as eviolite and berry juice. When the opponent is predicted to switch, Trubbish should use Recycle so it can come back in to the battle when necessary after it switches out. Unfortuantely Trubbish may have to wait on the bench against teams with a Diglett, which can remove Trubbish from play without much counterplay on Tribbish's part.
Team Options
========
Trubbish is a spikesetter, and as such it is near-necessary to pair it with a spinblocker such as Pumpkaboo-Super, which covers trubbish's weakness to ground-types, while Trubbish checks dark-types via drain punch. Sweepers able to capitalize on the free damage provided by the spikes as they finish off the pre-damaged Pokemon. Sweepers such as Shellder and Carvannah appreciate spikes as they hurt fighting types for more damage than stealth rocks would, and they are able to finish off the pre-damaged Pokemon without being killed. Likewise, phasers such as munchlax can force the opponent's team can force the opposing team to cycle through their Pokemon and make them take additional spike damage. Finally, Pokemon such as Houndour that appreciate a check to fighting types will always be happy with Trubbish by it's side. Likewise, Trubbish enjoys the ghost-type coverage that dark-types provide with pursuit. Pawniard is the most notable example of this, as it can also serve as a defog deterrent, allowing Trubbish's spikes to stay up for longer.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
On slower teams, Trubbish can opt for toxic spikes instead of spikes. Clear smog is also usable to prevent the opponent from setting up on Trubbish, which is complimented by Trubbish's high speed. Rock blast can be considered as an additional coverage move to deal with the likes of weak armor Vullaby and Dwebble, as well as providing a chance to OHKO Abra despite it's use of focus sash. Similarly, seed bomb can be included to hit the likes of Staryu and Squirtle , which would otherwise spin away Trubbish's spikes. Alternatively, a specially offensive version of the set can be considered, replacing gunk shot with sludge bomb, and drain punch with giga drain for water/ground type coverage and to deal with most of the common rapid spinners in the tier. On such sets, Dark pulse is a viable option to hurt ghost types that would otherwise wall Trubbish
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ghost types**: Trubbish has a hard time hurting the likes of ghastly, and his lack of dark-type coverage does not help the matter.
**Ground types**: a STAB earthquake will OHKO Trubbish. Drain punch will do very little against most of the ground-type threats in the tier, and while a seed bomb may be supereffective, it lacks accuracy as well as falling short to the likes of mudbray, who maxes it's special defense. Drillbur can switch in with ease and swords dance/rapid spin while Trubbish is forced to switch out.Diglett, as mentioned before, will neutralize Trubbish entirely, without taking much damage in return.
**Setup** Pokemon such as croagunk and scraggy (which Trubbish is supposed to wall) can set up on Trubbish without taking much damage in return.
**Hazard removal** without a spinblocker on it's team, Trubbish fails to deal with the defoggers and rapid spinners in the tier such as Staryu and Vullaby. Trubbish's low offensive power allows even the frailest of defoggers to survive long enough to defog, even if all the gunk shots hit
**Psychic types** Despite the obvious type advantage, every relevant psychic type has a way of dealing with Trubbish. Abra and Slowpoke are not especially affected by spikes, and do not care about Trubbish's high speed. Due to trubbish being dead/crippled after taking a hit from either psychic type respectively, he may be forced to forgo laying spikes against teams that include a psychic type.
Trubbish has a hard time surviving in the hostile meta of LC at the moment, but it occupies a niche in its access to sticky hold combined with it's good overall bulk and defensive typing. Sticky hold acts as a double-edged sword, allowing Tubbish to switch into knock-off without losing it's berry juice, yet forcing it to take the full damage every time it does so. As such, Trubbish is often called upon to wall fighting types and the ever-so-popular Pawniard, in spite of their access to knock-off. It's high overall bulk provides it with the ability to reliably set up spikes against almost any lead. Its access to recycle allows it to keep it's health up while it lays spikes and capitalizes on it's bulk. While Trubbish can be surprisingly fast with the right EVs, it is fairly passive, and is very vulnerable to Diglett.
[SET]
name: Spikes
move 1: Spikes
move 2: Recycle
move 3: Gunk Shot
move 4: Drain punch
item: Berry Juice
ability: Sticky Hold
nature: Jolly
evs: 116 HP / 36 Atk / 100 Def / 20 SpD / 236 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Spikes is Trubbish's bread and butter, or in this case, his bin and truck. Unfortunately, Trubbish is not bulky enough to lay three spikes without dying first. Luckily, it's access to recycle provides a powerful source of recovery along with berry Juice. To keep it's health even higher, Trubbish is able to use Drain punch as an answer to ice types, dark types, and even occasionally a rock type. Drain punch also allows Trubbish to act as a Pawniard check when combined with sticky hold and it's unmatched speed. Finally, Gunk shot is a strong STAB move capable of hitting Fairy and grass-types.
Set Details
========
Berry Juice keeps Trubbish topped up so it can set up in safety, while also providing recovery combined with recycle. The maximum EVs put into speed can mean the difference between life and death, allowing
Trubbish to drain punch/recycle before even the likes of unscarfed Pawniard can hit it. The rest of the EVs are invested in bulk and attack to allow Trubbish to comfortably switch into most attacks, while still providing as much offensive pressure as possible.
Usage Tips
========
Trubbish can switch into fighting/fairy types relatively safely while provoking a switch. It should also be switching into knock-off as often as possible to allow it's teammates to hold on to their important items such as eviolite and berry juice. When the opponent is predicted to switch, Trubbish should use Recycle so it can come back in to the battle when necessary after it switches out. Unfortuantely Trubbish may have to wait on the bench against teams with a Diglett, which can remove Trubbish from play without much counterplay on Tribbish's part.
Team Options
========
Trubbish is a spikesetter, and as such it is near-necessary to pair it with a spinblocker such as Pumpkaboo-Super, which covers trubbish's weakness to ground-types, while Trubbish checks dark-types via drain punch. Sweepers able to capitalize on the free damage provided by the spikes as they finish off the pre-damaged Pokemon. Sweepers such as Shellder and Carvannah appreciate spikes as they hurt fighting types for more damage than stealth rocks would, and they are able to finish off the pre-damaged Pokemon without being killed. Likewise, phasers such as munchlax can force the opponent's team can force the opposing team to cycle through their Pokemon and make them take additional spike damage. Finally, Pokemon such as Houndour that appreciate a check to fighting types will always be happy with Trubbish by it's side. Likewise, Trubbish enjoys the ghost-type coverage that dark-types provide with pursuit. Pawniard is the most notable example of this, as it can also serve as a defog deterrent, allowing Trubbish's spikes to stay up for longer.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
On slower teams, Trubbish can opt for toxic spikes instead of spikes. Clear smog is also usable to prevent the opponent from setting up on Trubbish, which is complimented by Trubbish's high speed. Rock blast can be considered as an additional coverage move to deal with the likes of weak armor Vullaby and Dwebble, as well as providing a chance to OHKO Abra despite it's use of focus sash. Similarly, seed bomb can be included to hit the likes of Staryu and Squirtle , which would otherwise spin away Trubbish's spikes. Alternatively, a specially offensive version of the set can be considered, replacing gunk shot with sludge bomb, and drain punch with giga drain for water/ground type coverage and to deal with most of the common rapid spinners in the tier. On such sets, Dark pulse is a viable option to hurt ghost types that would otherwise wall Trubbish
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ghost types**: Trubbish has a hard time hurting the likes of ghastly, and his lack of dark-type coverage does not help the matter.
**Ground types**: a STAB earthquake will OHKO Trubbish. Drain punch will do very little against most of the ground-type threats in the tier, and while a seed bomb may be supereffective, it lacks accuracy as well as falling short to the likes of mudbray, who maxes it's special defense. Drillbur can switch in with ease and swords dance/rapid spin while Trubbish is forced to switch out.Diglett, as mentioned before, will neutralize Trubbish entirely, without taking much damage in return.
**Setup** Pokemon such as croagunk and scraggy (which Trubbish is supposed to wall) can set up on Trubbish without taking much damage in return.
**Hazard removal** without a spinblocker on it's team, Trubbish fails to deal with the defoggers and rapid spinners in the tier such as Staryu and Vullaby. Trubbish's low offensive power allows even the frailest of defoggers to survive long enough to defog, even if all the gunk shots hit
**Psychic types** Despite the obvious type advantage, every relevant psychic type has a way of dealing with Trubbish. Abra and Slowpoke are not especially affected by spikes, and do not care about Trubbish's high speed. Due to trubbish being dead/crippled after taking a hit from either psychic type respectively, he may be forced to forgo laying spikes against teams that include a psychic type.
Last edited:
