Temperley
Banned deucer.
Quality Control: OP / tahu / Rowan (all in old thread) / Elec. (amcheck) / Xayah
Grammar Prose: frenzyplant / Fireflame479
[OVERVIEW]
Trubbish occupies a niche among entry hazard setters thanks to its ability Sticky Hold combined with its good bulk, defensive typing, and access to Spikes. Sticky Hold allows Trubbish to switch into the very common Knock Off without losing its Berry Juice and works well with Recycle, which lets it capitalize on its bulk and stay healthy while it sets up Spikes. This makes Trubbish a great wall to Fighting-types and the popular Pawniard. Trubbish's high bulk in conjunction with its high Speed enables it to reliably set up Spikes against almost any lead. However, Knock Off still deals extra damage to Trubbish because it is holding an item, giving users of the move a way to exploit its ability. Trubbish also often struggles with spinners, as they can easily remove the Spikes that it sets up, and Staryu and Drilbur in particular can threaten it with their STAB moves. Lastly, Trubbish's Poison typing makes it very vulnerable to the common 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
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Spikes allows Trubbish to wear down the opposition, and its good Speed stat combined with its decent bulk allows it to usually set one or two layers easily. Recycle provides a sustainable source of recovery along with Berry Juice. Gunk Shot hits Fairy- and Grass-types, such as Spritzee and Snivy, super effectively. Drain Punch acts as an answer to Steel-, Dark-, and occasionally Rock-types, such as Pawniard and Amaura, and allows Trubbish to further keep itself healthy. Drain Punch also allows Trubbish to act as a Pawniard check when combined with Sticky Hold and its higher Speed.
Set Details
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Sticky Hold prevents Trubbish's item from being removed by Knock Off in particular. The ability works well with Recycle in letting Trubbish reuse its Berry Juice so that it can stay healthy and lay down Spikes. Maximum Speed EVs allow Trubbish to outspeed and thus check non-Choice Scarf Pawniard. The HP and Defense investment lets Trubbish nearly always take two Knock Offs from Mienfoo and Timburr after Stealth Rock damage. The rest of the EVs are put into Attack and Special Defense to increase both by one point.
Usage Tips
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Trubbish can switch into Fighting- and Fairy-types relatively safely and provoke a switch. Trubbish should always set Spikes when it forces the foe out; this should be its main priority. It should also be switching into Knock Off as often as possible to allow its teammates to hold on to their important items. When you predict the foe to switch and Trubbish has consumed its Berry Juice, Trubbish should use Recycle so it can come back into the battle when necessary after it switches out. Trubbish struggles against teams with Diglett, which can remove Trubbish from play without much possible counterplay. Against Diglett, you should play Trubbish carefully and switch out if you predict it coming in.
Team Options
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Trubbish is a Spikes setter, so it is necessary to pair it with spinblockers such as Pumpkaboo-XL, which also covers Trubbish's weakness to Ground-types. In return, Trubbish checks Dark-types with Drain Punch. Sweepers such as Shellder and Carvanha are able to take advantage of the chip damage from Trubbish's Spikes. Phazers like Munchlax can force a foe out, making the opposition take additional Spikes damage. Dark-type Pokemon like Houndour appreciate a check to Fighting-types, while Trubbish enjoys the coverage that Dark-types provide against Psychic-types. Pawniard is a great teammate in particular, as it serves as a Defog deterrent, allowing Spikes to stay up for longer. Stealth Rock setters such as Pawniard and Onix can stack entry hazards alongside Trubbish.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
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On bulkier teams, Trubbish can opt for Toxic Spikes instead of Spikes to let its team stall out foes. Clear Smog is also usable to prevent a foe from setting up on Trubbish and is complemented 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 through Focus Sash. Seed Bomb can be used to hit Staryu, Kabuto, and Drilbur hard, making it harder for them to remove Trubbish's Spikes. In addition, it's Trubbish's best way to hit Onix.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ground-types**: STAB Earthquake from Pokemon such as Diglett, Onix, and Drilbur easily OHKOes Trubbish. Drain Punch does very little against most of the Ground-type threats in the tier, and while Seed Bomb may be super effective against them, it falls short to Mudbray, which boosts its Defense with Stamina. Drilbur switches in on Trubbish with ease and can set up with Swords Dance after forcing Trubbish out or, more importantly, remove Spikes with Rapid Spin, neutralizing Trubbish entirely without taking much damage in return. Diglett can trap and remove Trubbish, which cannot do much in return.
**Setup Sweepers**: Many setup sweepers such as Croagunk and Vullaby can set up on Trubbish without taking much damage in return.
**Ghost-types**: Trubbish lacks Dark-type coverage and has a hard time hurting the likes of Gastly. Ghost-types such as Gastly and Pumpkaboo-XL can also cripple Trubbish with Will-O-Wisp, making it even more passive and weak.
**Entry Hazard Removal**: Without a spinblocker on its team, Trubbish fails to deal with many of the Defoggers and Rapid Spin users in the tier, such as Staryu and Vullaby.
**Psychic-types**: 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. Abra can easily OHKO Trubbish, while Slowpoke can cripple it with status. As a result, Trubbish usually fails to even lay Spikes against teams with Psychic-types. Furthermore, Staryu can run Psychic to dent Trubbish and can recover health easily with Recover.
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