KM
slayification
[OVERVIEW]
Diancie is a reliable Stealth Rock setter for balance and bulky offense teams that also checks many of the strongest offensive threats in UU. Respectable offensive stats and strong mixed coverage in Diamond Storm, Moonblast, and Mystical Fire make it more versatile than other Stealth Rock setters. Diancie's typing and bulk allow it to check threats like Salamence, Galarian Moltres, Thundurus-T, and Kommo-o, although a lack of reliable recovery makes it hard to check multiple threats at once. Diancie doesn't fit as easily onto multiple team compositions as Krookodile and Rhyperior, but it offers unique role compression that makes it the perfect fit for certain teams. Because of its Rock typing, Diancie has a variety of weaknesses that limit the Pokemon it can effectively wall, and its lackluster Speed means it gets heavily damaged by slower wallbreakers like Primarina and Diggersby. While Diancie's mixed coverage is strong enough to punish frailer, more offensive teams, bulky offensive threats like Primarina can switch in without any fear of being 2HKOed.
[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Diamond Storm
move 2: Moonblast
move 3: Mystical Fire / Heal Bell
move 4: Stealth Rock
item: Leftovers
ability: Clear Body
nature: Sassy
evs: 252 HP / 32 Atk / 96 Def / 128 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Diamond Storm hits most of the tier neutrally and offers a 50% chance for a +2 Defense boost, allowing Diancie to stay in and threaten Scizor with Mystical Fire or trade with Zarude or Krookodile. It also allows Diancie to pressure Pokemon like Thundurus-T, Chandelure, Moltres, and Galarian Moltres, but make sure to be careful of its low PP. Moonblast deals with threats like Kommo-o, Krookodile, and Buzzwole. Mystical Fire allows Diancie to OHKO offensive Scizor variants and heavily damage bulkier ones, which prevents it from being setup bait. It also deals respectable damage to Pokemon like Aegislash and Jirachi that otherwise wall Diancie. Also, the guaranteed Special Attack drop makes pivoting around threats like bulky Primarina and Nidoqueen much easier. Alternatively, Heal Bell gives Diancie utility as a cleric and allows it to extend its own and its teammates' longevity, further improving its excellent matchup against Defoggers like Rotom-H and Salamence. 32 Attack EVs guarantee the OHKO on Thundurus-T, and 96 Defense EVs ensure that Diancie isn't 2HKOed by Life Orb Kommo-o's Close Combat after Stealth Rock damage. A Sassy nature boosts Diancie's Special Defense without decreasing its mixed damage output.
Diancie works best on balance and bulky offense structures, as it pairs well with defensive cores that can patch up its many weaknesses. In return, it offers a crucial check to wallbreakers like Galarian Moltres that could typically dismantle defensive cores. Moltres is a phenomenal partner, offering a Ground-type immunity and a resistance to Grass- and Steel-type moves—additionally, Moltres's Flame Body can cripple threats like Zarude and Scizor as they pivot with U-turn and allow Diancie to stay in against them in the future. Similarly, Rocky Helmet Buzzwole pairs well with Diancie, as it punishes physical threats that try and use Diancie as momentum and covers several of its type weaknesses. Diancie pairs well with bulky Grass-types like Tangrowth and Amoonguss, as they account for its weaknesses to Water- and Ground-type moves like Keldeo's Surf and Krookodile's Earthquake. Diancie appreciates entry hazard removal; Tentacruel makes a great partner due to its ability to check Primarina and Keldeo and remove entry hazards with Rapid Spin. Starmie can also provide Rapid Spin support and ease the matchup against Spikes Mew. Defog users like Salamence and Rotom-W can work well too. Diancie works well with offensive Pokemon like Swords Dance Scizor, Zarude, and Buzzwole, which appreciate its ability to switch into Moltres and defensive Salamence and remove status with Heal Bell.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Body Press can be run over Mystical Fire or Heal Bell to take advantage of Diamond Storm's Defense boosts and threaten Pokemon like Chansey, but it's inconsistent and matchup-reliant. Toxic can be an alternative to punish switch-ins like Tangrowth and Tapu Bulu, but it makes Diancie even more vulnerable to Steel-types and limits its versatility.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Steel-types**: Diancie's 4x weakness to Steel makes it extremely vulnerable to Steel-type STAB moves from Scizor, Jirachi, Cobalion, Celesteela, and Aegislash. Scizor, Aegislash, and Cobalion are especially problematic, as they can set up with Swords Dance and threaten the rest of the team.
**Water-types**: Keldeo and Primarina can both easily OHKO Diancie with Hydro Pump, and Primarina especially can switch into any of Diancie's moves without taking too much damage and heal it off with Rest. Defensive Water-types like Seismitoad and Milotic can sponge Diancie's attacks and force it out with their own.
**Grass-types**: Assault Vest Tangrowth and Amoonguss take only moderate damage from Diancie's attacks and are able to heal it off. Zarude can't easily switch in, but it beats Diancie one-on-one.
**Entry Hazards, Status, and Knock Off**: Diancie is vulnerable to all entry hazards, and its lack of reliable recovery neuters its ability to effectively check offensive threats in the long run. Its only form of recovery is Leftovers, so Knock Off limits the number of times it can switch in throughout the game.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[KittenMilk, 180416]]
- Quality checked by: [[Avarice, 346653], [Lilburr, 481709], [Twilight, 344575]]
- Grammar checked by: [[deetah, 297659], [Bandkrook, 301217]]
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