[OVERVIEW]
Diancie is one of most influential Pokemon in the RU tier, as it possesses phenomenal defensive capabilities and stellar offenses thanks to its good movepool and Fairy typing. With fantastic defensive stats and a decent support movepool, Diancie is able to provide plenty of team support throughout a match while holding back dangerous Fire-, Flying-, and Dark-types thanks to its typing. Solid high Base Power STAB moves in Moonblast and Diamond Storm alongside respectable attacking stats also means that Diancie can remove some opposing Pokemon, such as Fletchinder, Sigilyph, and Tyrantrum, quickly before they cause too much trouble. However, providing defensive support isn't the only thing Diancie can do. Its access to Calm Mind, solid defensive typing, and high defenses mean it can use a mono-attacking set to slowly wear down and sweep opposing teams. Diancie even has good coverage moves, such as Earth Power, Psychic, and Hidden Power Fire, allowing it to put good use to a Trick Room sweeper set. Diancie's fantastic defensive stats are undermined slightly by its low base HP, and a low base Speed stat means Diancie will really only be able to sweep offensively with Trick Room. Diancie's movepool gives it most of the things it wants, but it lacks a strong physical Fairy-type move and special Rock-type move, meaning it usually has to to resort to going mixed for many of its sets. Most importantly, it also lacks a reliable recovery move, reducing its longevity as a defensive stalwart.
[SET]
name: Specially Defensive
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Heal Bell
move 3: Moonblast
move 4: Diamond Storm
item: Leftovers
ability: Clear Body
nature: Sassy
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Diancie's typing and stats are put to good use with this set. Stealth Rock and Heal Bell let Diancie provide a team with entry hazards and cleric support. Moonblast is Diancie's main STAB option, allowing it to challenge and beat the likes of Flygon, Tyrantrum, and Gurdurr. Diamond Storm is a good secondary STAB move that allows Diancie to pressure Delphox, Sigilyph, and Fletchinder. If Diancie has a teammate that can cover Stealth Rock, there are a few other options to consider. Earth Power is notable for quickly chipping down Mega Steelix and hitting Houndoom harder than Moonblast. Toxic can catch bulky Water-types, such as Alomomola and Slowking, trying to switch in for free. Finally, Protect can be used to stall for Leftovers recovery and to scout for dangerous coverage moves the opponent might be trying to use after lulling Diancie into a false sense of security.
Set Details
========
Diancie's EV spread focuses on its special bulk, as its typing is more conducive to walling special attackers. Leftovers is mandatory on this set, as Diancie lacks recovery of any other kind. A more physically defensive spread of 252 HP / 164 Def / 92 SpD with a Relaxed nature can be used for more reliability against Absol and Gurdurr, but keep in mind that Absol commonly carries Iron Tail and Gurdurr has Fighting-type STAB moves to still wear down Diancie quicker than it would like. A Sassy nature is used because Diancie uses both of its attacking stats and doesn't really miss out on much from reducing its Speed a little. If your team needs something to outspeed Druddigon, Calm can be used, but stick to Sassy otherwise.
Usage Tips
========
Diancie is a strong defensive Pokemon, but one must be careful to not put too much pressure on it, as it lacks a reliable recovery move. Diancie should aim to set up Stealth Rock or provide Heal Bell support whenever it switches into the likes of Houndoom, Fletchinder, and Exploud. If Stealth Rock is already up and Heal Bell isn't needed, Diancie should just use the appropriate STAB move. Diancie's options over Stealth Rock should be used in specific situations, such as using Earth Power on predicted Mega Steelix switch-ins, catching Alomomola and Slowking with Toxic, or using Protect against Absol to see if it's carrying Iron Tail. As Diancie's only recovery is through Leftovers, it should not be exposed to Knock Off or super effective coverage moves early-game if it can be helped. Lastly, Diancie's STAB moves have notable secondary effects, especially Diamond Storm with its 50% chance to boost Diancie's Defense. While these shouldn't be relied upon, they can bail out Diancie in tight situations at times.
Team Options
========
Diancie has a very difficult time fending off Steel-, Water-, and Grass-type Pokemon, so its teammates should ideally be able to handle most of these. Alomomola is an ideal partner, as it not only provides Wish support for Diancie but also can check most Steel-types and hit most opposing Water-types with Toxic without fear thanks to Diancie's Heal Bell support. Venusaur, Virizion, and Tangrowth can handle most Water-types and can threaten most Steel-types either with a coverage move or with a secondary STAB option. Venusaur is most notable, as it has STAB Sludge Bomb for opposing Grass-types. Diancie's Heal Bell also makes it much easier for these Grass-types to switch into Scald. The rest of Diancie's preferred teammates generally depend on the type of team this set is used on. When on a stall team, Diancie likes Toxic Spikes support from the likes of Qwilfish, Weezing, and Cofagrigus, while Diancie's Heal Bell can keep status ailments from crippling them. Roselia is very notable due to its strong matchup against most Grass- and Water-types and its ability to run both Spikes and Toxic Spikes. Bulky offensive Pokemon, such as Seismitoad, the previously mentioned Venusaur, and Escavalier, work very well on balance and bulky offense teams because they have good defensive synergy with Diancie and appreciate its Heal Bell support in return. Bronzong and Jellicent are notable defensive partners for Diancie. Bronzong can run Stealth Rock to free up a moveslot for Diancie, check dangerous physical threats, and even provide a secondary check to Exploud, and Jellicent can keep Blastoise and Hitmontop from spinning away Stealth Rock with its typing and access to Taunt.
[SET]
name: Offensive Trick Room
move 1: Trick Room
move 2: Moonblast
move 3: Earth Power
move 4: Psychic / Diamond Storm / Explosion
item: Life Orb
ability: Clear Body
nature: Quiet
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA
ivs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
This set utilizes Trick Room to take advantage of Diancie's good coverage and low Speed to sweep. Trick Room is what makes a sweep possible, as it turns Diancie's low base 50 Speed into an asset by flipping turn order in order to turn the tables on fast offensive Pokemon. Moonblast is the primary move, as it has good Base Power, is backed by STAB, and has no drawbacks. Earth Power is necessary to hit Mega Steelix and Qwilfish for heavy damage. Psychic is preferred in the last slot to deal serious damage to Venusaur, Weezing, and Fletchinder. Diamond Storm is another option, as it gives Diancie a physical attack to hit Meloetta a bit harder and ensure that Fletchinder is OHKOed. Explosion can be useful if neither Psychic nor Diamond Storm is needed, as it can let Diancie go out with a bang and possibly get a teammate in for free to sweep with Trick Room. Hidden Power Fire can be a neat option to hit Durant, Escavalier, and Bronzong harder than any other move on the set, but it makes Diancie quite susceptible to Fletchinder.
Set Details
========
The EV spread maximizes Diancie's overall bulk and damage output. If Diancie uses Diamond Storm or Explosion over Psychic, make sure the leftover EVs are shifted from Defense to Attack. Life Orb is the best item with this set to crank up Diancie's damage output.
Usage Tips
========
As Diancie wields Life Orb and lacks full defensive investment, one needs to be much more selective about what to switch it into. Fletchinder and Houndoom are ideal targets that Diancie reliably checks and can use to set up Trick Room. Diancie is just below the base 30 Speed threshold at 94 Speed with this spread, but this means that Mega Camerupt and Escavalier not investing in Speed can still outspeed Diancie under Trick Room. While these are very rare occurences, it would be a shame to lose Diancie to these, so guard against this by hitting them with Earth Power upon switch in to try and wear them down. Remember that Trick Room's negative priority will make it go even after Roar and Whirlwind, so make sure to use the appropriate offensive move against users of these moves so that they can be worn down. This set's coverage can allow Diancie to sweep or break down defensive cores depending on the opposing team. Save it for late-game if possible if Diancie can sweep, but don't be afraid to use that coverage earlier if it can break down defensive cores more reliably. When using Explosion, it's best used after Diancie has set up Trick Room and is too low on HP to finish a sweep on its own so that a teammate can come in for free to finish the job.
Team Options
========
Emboar and Abomasnow are perhaps the most notable teammates for Diancie. Both benefit from Trick Room, and Emboar is able to easily push past bothersome Steel-type Pokemon, while Abomasnow shares similar checks and counters to Diancie, thus allowing both to overwhelm them. Trick Room setters, such as Mesprit, Slowking, and Bronzong, are noteworthy to lessen the pressure on Diancie to keep Trick Room up. Mesprit provides added support with Stealth Rock and Healing Wish, Slowking is able to check Mega Steelix while running Fire-type coverage for Escavalier, and Bronzong can utilize Stealth Rock and get Diancie in safely with Explosion. This set can still be used as a standalone sweeper, so non-Trick Room teammates are perfectly viable options. Samurott, Venusaur, Hitmonlee, and Gallade are more than capable of pressuring most defensive cores for Diancie. No matter what this set runs, Bronzong is a major annoyance, so make sure there's at least a couple of teammates that can pressure it or take it out. Emboar and Gallade are great options that have already been mentioned. Pursuit support from Absol, Spiritomb, Escavalier, and Houndoom is another option to quickly wear down Bronzong for Diancie.
[SET]
name: Mono Attacker
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Rest
move 3: Sleep Talk
move 4: Moonblast
item: Leftovers
ability: Clear Body
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
nature: Bold
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
This set takes a different defensive approach to Diancie. Instead of focusing on just walling threats and providing support, this set attempts to slowly set up and sweep. Calm Mind slowly boosts Diancie's Special Attack and Special Defense to incredible levels, making it very difficult to remove once it gets going. Rest and Sleep Talk are necessary so Diancie doesn't get worn down before its sweep is finished. Moonblast is a powerful STAB move that has no drawbacks and solid coverage in the tier.
Set Details
========
Diancie's EV spread focuses on physical bulk because it will be boosting its Special Attack and Special Defense in order to sweep. Leftovers provides much-needed passive recovery so Diancie is not forced to Rest quite as often.
Usage Tips
========
Diancie shouldn't try to set up a sweep until the end of the game. Until then, it should use its typing and great physical bulk to check the likes of Houndoom, Fletchinder, and Delphox. It can generally play aggressively against these Pokemon because it has Rest to heal itself and stay healthy. When the opponent still has a healthy Steel-type, such as Mega Steelix or Escavalier, Diancie is best off hitting them with Moonblast or switching out as they come in so that they can be worn down. If you suspect the opponent has a Roar or Whirlwind user, such Blastoise or Drapion, hit them with +1 Moonblasts so that they're worn down quickly. Beware of possible Encore users, and don't try to set up if you suspect one might come in. Instead, weaken them with Moonblast or keep Diancie healthy by using Rest as they come in.
Team Options
========
Diancie will struggle to sweep if any Steel-type is remaining on the opposing team, as they resist Moonblast and can threaten it with 4x super effective STAB moves. Emboar can generally handle Escavalier, Bronzong, and Durant reliably, while Mega Steelix struggles with bulky Water-types, such as Slowking, Alomomola, and Seismitoad. Magneton is extremely notable, as it can utilize Magnet Rise alongside its Magnet Pull ability to trap and KO Escavalier, Bronzong, and Mega Steelix pretty easily. An Escavalier of your own can wear down Mega Steelix with Drill Run and Pursuit trap Bronzong. Toxic Spikes support is welcome to wear down bulky Water-type Pokemon, so Weezing, Roselia, and Qwilfish are useful teammates. Taunt and Roar users can also trouble this set to an extent. Qwilfish is the most common Taunt user, so powerful Psychic- and Electric-type Pokemon, such as Sigilyph, Meloetta, and Manectric, are very helpful. Blastoise is the most common Roar user and is troubled by similar Pokemon as well as Grass-types, such as Venusaur and Amoonguss.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Diancie's movepool is somewhat sparse, but there are still some decent alternatives to consider. Calm Mind can be used more offensively with three attacks or Substitute, Calm Mind, and two attacks. Diancie can run a more support-oriented variation of its Trick Room set with Stealth Rock and Explosion alongside Trick Room and Moonblast. Sunny Day can be used on the defensive set, but it's strapped for moveslots as it is despite Diancie's good typing for sun-based teams. Finally, Diancie has access to Rock Polish to fix its Speed. However, it's weaker than the Trick Room set, and Diancie would have to give up a lot of its bulk to make the set work, often making it an inferior way to fix Diancie's Speed compared to Trick Room.
Checks and Counters
==============
**Steel-types**: Aside from Earth Power on the Trick Room set, Steel-types fear very little from Diancie. Bronzong is the most notable, as it doesn't even care for Earth Power thanks to Levitate. Escavalier, Mega Steelix, and Durant are other notable powerful Steel-types that can generally beat Diancie. Note that Durant can take heavy damage from most of Diancie's moves, though.
**Water- and Grass-types**: Most Water- and Grass-types aren't weak to any of Diancie's attacks and can hit it hard in return with super effective STAB moves. Slowking, Venusaur, Tangrowth, and Samurott can pretty easily overpower Diancie, but they can't waste time with the mono attacker set. Qwilfish and Seismitoad are more passive Water-types that can set up entry hazards, but generally lose to the mono attacker set. Qwilfish can use Taunt to slow it down, though.
**Steel-type coverage moves**: With twin 150 base defenses and virtually all sets having some sort of defensive investment, 2x super effective moves usually aren't enough to 2HKO Diancie without a boost. However, Pokemon Diancie commonly switches into that are capable of using Steel-type moves can surprise it with an OHKO or very heavy damage. Iron Tail Absol is the most notable example, but Houndoom and Druddigon are also quite capable of catching Diancie by surprise with Iron Tail.
Diancie is one of most influential Pokemon in the RU tier, as it possesses phenomenal defensive capabilities and stellar offenses thanks to its good movepool and Fairy typing. With fantastic defensive stats and a decent support movepool, Diancie is able to provide plenty of team support throughout a match while holding back dangerous Fire-, Flying-, and Dark-types thanks to its typing. Solid high Base Power STAB moves in Moonblast and Diamond Storm alongside respectable attacking stats also means that Diancie can remove some opposing Pokemon, such as Fletchinder, Sigilyph, and Tyrantrum, quickly before they cause too much trouble. However, providing defensive support isn't the only thing Diancie can do. Its access to Calm Mind, solid defensive typing, and high defenses mean it can use a mono-attacking set to slowly wear down and sweep opposing teams. Diancie even has good coverage moves, such as Earth Power, Psychic, and Hidden Power Fire, allowing it to put good use to a Trick Room sweeper set. Diancie's fantastic defensive stats are undermined slightly by its low base HP, and a low base Speed stat means Diancie will really only be able to sweep offensively with Trick Room. Diancie's movepool gives it most of the things it wants, but it lacks a strong physical Fairy-type move and special Rock-type move, meaning it usually has to to resort to going mixed for many of its sets. Most importantly, it also lacks a reliable recovery move, reducing its longevity as a defensive stalwart.
[SET]
name: Specially Defensive
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Heal Bell
move 3: Moonblast
move 4: Diamond Storm
item: Leftovers
ability: Clear Body
nature: Sassy
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Diancie's typing and stats are put to good use with this set. Stealth Rock and Heal Bell let Diancie provide a team with entry hazards and cleric support. Moonblast is Diancie's main STAB option, allowing it to challenge and beat the likes of Flygon, Tyrantrum, and Gurdurr. Diamond Storm is a good secondary STAB move that allows Diancie to pressure Delphox, Sigilyph, and Fletchinder. If Diancie has a teammate that can cover Stealth Rock, there are a few other options to consider. Earth Power is notable for quickly chipping down Mega Steelix and hitting Houndoom harder than Moonblast. Toxic can catch bulky Water-types, such as Alomomola and Slowking, trying to switch in for free. Finally, Protect can be used to stall for Leftovers recovery and to scout for dangerous coverage moves the opponent might be trying to use after lulling Diancie into a false sense of security.
Set Details
========
Diancie's EV spread focuses on its special bulk, as its typing is more conducive to walling special attackers. Leftovers is mandatory on this set, as Diancie lacks recovery of any other kind. A more physically defensive spread of 252 HP / 164 Def / 92 SpD with a Relaxed nature can be used for more reliability against Absol and Gurdurr, but keep in mind that Absol commonly carries Iron Tail and Gurdurr has Fighting-type STAB moves to still wear down Diancie quicker than it would like. A Sassy nature is used because Diancie uses both of its attacking stats and doesn't really miss out on much from reducing its Speed a little. If your team needs something to outspeed Druddigon, Calm can be used, but stick to Sassy otherwise.
Usage Tips
========
Diancie is a strong defensive Pokemon, but one must be careful to not put too much pressure on it, as it lacks a reliable recovery move. Diancie should aim to set up Stealth Rock or provide Heal Bell support whenever it switches into the likes of Houndoom, Fletchinder, and Exploud. If Stealth Rock is already up and Heal Bell isn't needed, Diancie should just use the appropriate STAB move. Diancie's options over Stealth Rock should be used in specific situations, such as using Earth Power on predicted Mega Steelix switch-ins, catching Alomomola and Slowking with Toxic, or using Protect against Absol to see if it's carrying Iron Tail. As Diancie's only recovery is through Leftovers, it should not be exposed to Knock Off or super effective coverage moves early-game if it can be helped. Lastly, Diancie's STAB moves have notable secondary effects, especially Diamond Storm with its 50% chance to boost Diancie's Defense. While these shouldn't be relied upon, they can bail out Diancie in tight situations at times.
Team Options
========
Diancie has a very difficult time fending off Steel-, Water-, and Grass-type Pokemon, so its teammates should ideally be able to handle most of these. Alomomola is an ideal partner, as it not only provides Wish support for Diancie but also can check most Steel-types and hit most opposing Water-types with Toxic without fear thanks to Diancie's Heal Bell support. Venusaur, Virizion, and Tangrowth can handle most Water-types and can threaten most Steel-types either with a coverage move or with a secondary STAB option. Venusaur is most notable, as it has STAB Sludge Bomb for opposing Grass-types. Diancie's Heal Bell also makes it much easier for these Grass-types to switch into Scald. The rest of Diancie's preferred teammates generally depend on the type of team this set is used on. When on a stall team, Diancie likes Toxic Spikes support from the likes of Qwilfish, Weezing, and Cofagrigus, while Diancie's Heal Bell can keep status ailments from crippling them. Roselia is very notable due to its strong matchup against most Grass- and Water-types and its ability to run both Spikes and Toxic Spikes. Bulky offensive Pokemon, such as Seismitoad, the previously mentioned Venusaur, and Escavalier, work very well on balance and bulky offense teams because they have good defensive synergy with Diancie and appreciate its Heal Bell support in return. Bronzong and Jellicent are notable defensive partners for Diancie. Bronzong can run Stealth Rock to free up a moveslot for Diancie, check dangerous physical threats, and even provide a secondary check to Exploud, and Jellicent can keep Blastoise and Hitmontop from spinning away Stealth Rock with its typing and access to Taunt.
[SET]
name: Offensive Trick Room
move 1: Trick Room
move 2: Moonblast
move 3: Earth Power
move 4: Psychic / Diamond Storm / Explosion
item: Life Orb
ability: Clear Body
nature: Quiet
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA
ivs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
This set utilizes Trick Room to take advantage of Diancie's good coverage and low Speed to sweep. Trick Room is what makes a sweep possible, as it turns Diancie's low base 50 Speed into an asset by flipping turn order in order to turn the tables on fast offensive Pokemon. Moonblast is the primary move, as it has good Base Power, is backed by STAB, and has no drawbacks. Earth Power is necessary to hit Mega Steelix and Qwilfish for heavy damage. Psychic is preferred in the last slot to deal serious damage to Venusaur, Weezing, and Fletchinder. Diamond Storm is another option, as it gives Diancie a physical attack to hit Meloetta a bit harder and ensure that Fletchinder is OHKOed. Explosion can be useful if neither Psychic nor Diamond Storm is needed, as it can let Diancie go out with a bang and possibly get a teammate in for free to sweep with Trick Room. Hidden Power Fire can be a neat option to hit Durant, Escavalier, and Bronzong harder than any other move on the set, but it makes Diancie quite susceptible to Fletchinder.
Set Details
========
The EV spread maximizes Diancie's overall bulk and damage output. If Diancie uses Diamond Storm or Explosion over Psychic, make sure the leftover EVs are shifted from Defense to Attack. Life Orb is the best item with this set to crank up Diancie's damage output.
Usage Tips
========
As Diancie wields Life Orb and lacks full defensive investment, one needs to be much more selective about what to switch it into. Fletchinder and Houndoom are ideal targets that Diancie reliably checks and can use to set up Trick Room. Diancie is just below the base 30 Speed threshold at 94 Speed with this spread, but this means that Mega Camerupt and Escavalier not investing in Speed can still outspeed Diancie under Trick Room. While these are very rare occurences, it would be a shame to lose Diancie to these, so guard against this by hitting them with Earth Power upon switch in to try and wear them down. Remember that Trick Room's negative priority will make it go even after Roar and Whirlwind, so make sure to use the appropriate offensive move against users of these moves so that they can be worn down. This set's coverage can allow Diancie to sweep or break down defensive cores depending on the opposing team. Save it for late-game if possible if Diancie can sweep, but don't be afraid to use that coverage earlier if it can break down defensive cores more reliably. When using Explosion, it's best used after Diancie has set up Trick Room and is too low on HP to finish a sweep on its own so that a teammate can come in for free to finish the job.
Team Options
========
Emboar and Abomasnow are perhaps the most notable teammates for Diancie. Both benefit from Trick Room, and Emboar is able to easily push past bothersome Steel-type Pokemon, while Abomasnow shares similar checks and counters to Diancie, thus allowing both to overwhelm them. Trick Room setters, such as Mesprit, Slowking, and Bronzong, are noteworthy to lessen the pressure on Diancie to keep Trick Room up. Mesprit provides added support with Stealth Rock and Healing Wish, Slowking is able to check Mega Steelix while running Fire-type coverage for Escavalier, and Bronzong can utilize Stealth Rock and get Diancie in safely with Explosion. This set can still be used as a standalone sweeper, so non-Trick Room teammates are perfectly viable options. Samurott, Venusaur, Hitmonlee, and Gallade are more than capable of pressuring most defensive cores for Diancie. No matter what this set runs, Bronzong is a major annoyance, so make sure there's at least a couple of teammates that can pressure it or take it out. Emboar and Gallade are great options that have already been mentioned. Pursuit support from Absol, Spiritomb, Escavalier, and Houndoom is another option to quickly wear down Bronzong for Diancie.
[SET]
name: Mono Attacker
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Rest
move 3: Sleep Talk
move 4: Moonblast
item: Leftovers
ability: Clear Body
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
nature: Bold
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
This set takes a different defensive approach to Diancie. Instead of focusing on just walling threats and providing support, this set attempts to slowly set up and sweep. Calm Mind slowly boosts Diancie's Special Attack and Special Defense to incredible levels, making it very difficult to remove once it gets going. Rest and Sleep Talk are necessary so Diancie doesn't get worn down before its sweep is finished. Moonblast is a powerful STAB move that has no drawbacks and solid coverage in the tier.
Set Details
========
Diancie's EV spread focuses on physical bulk because it will be boosting its Special Attack and Special Defense in order to sweep. Leftovers provides much-needed passive recovery so Diancie is not forced to Rest quite as often.
Usage Tips
========
Diancie shouldn't try to set up a sweep until the end of the game. Until then, it should use its typing and great physical bulk to check the likes of Houndoom, Fletchinder, and Delphox. It can generally play aggressively against these Pokemon because it has Rest to heal itself and stay healthy. When the opponent still has a healthy Steel-type, such as Mega Steelix or Escavalier, Diancie is best off hitting them with Moonblast or switching out as they come in so that they can be worn down. If you suspect the opponent has a Roar or Whirlwind user, such Blastoise or Drapion, hit them with +1 Moonblasts so that they're worn down quickly. Beware of possible Encore users, and don't try to set up if you suspect one might come in. Instead, weaken them with Moonblast or keep Diancie healthy by using Rest as they come in.
Team Options
========
Diancie will struggle to sweep if any Steel-type is remaining on the opposing team, as they resist Moonblast and can threaten it with 4x super effective STAB moves. Emboar can generally handle Escavalier, Bronzong, and Durant reliably, while Mega Steelix struggles with bulky Water-types, such as Slowking, Alomomola, and Seismitoad. Magneton is extremely notable, as it can utilize Magnet Rise alongside its Magnet Pull ability to trap and KO Escavalier, Bronzong, and Mega Steelix pretty easily. An Escavalier of your own can wear down Mega Steelix with Drill Run and Pursuit trap Bronzong. Toxic Spikes support is welcome to wear down bulky Water-type Pokemon, so Weezing, Roselia, and Qwilfish are useful teammates. Taunt and Roar users can also trouble this set to an extent. Qwilfish is the most common Taunt user, so powerful Psychic- and Electric-type Pokemon, such as Sigilyph, Meloetta, and Manectric, are very helpful. Blastoise is the most common Roar user and is troubled by similar Pokemon as well as Grass-types, such as Venusaur and Amoonguss.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Diancie's movepool is somewhat sparse, but there are still some decent alternatives to consider. Calm Mind can be used more offensively with three attacks or Substitute, Calm Mind, and two attacks. Diancie can run a more support-oriented variation of its Trick Room set with Stealth Rock and Explosion alongside Trick Room and Moonblast. Sunny Day can be used on the defensive set, but it's strapped for moveslots as it is despite Diancie's good typing for sun-based teams. Finally, Diancie has access to Rock Polish to fix its Speed. However, it's weaker than the Trick Room set, and Diancie would have to give up a lot of its bulk to make the set work, often making it an inferior way to fix Diancie's Speed compared to Trick Room.
Checks and Counters
==============
**Steel-types**: Aside from Earth Power on the Trick Room set, Steel-types fear very little from Diancie. Bronzong is the most notable, as it doesn't even care for Earth Power thanks to Levitate. Escavalier, Mega Steelix, and Durant are other notable powerful Steel-types that can generally beat Diancie. Note that Durant can take heavy damage from most of Diancie's moves, though.
**Water- and Grass-types**: Most Water- and Grass-types aren't weak to any of Diancie's attacks and can hit it hard in return with super effective STAB moves. Slowking, Venusaur, Tangrowth, and Samurott can pretty easily overpower Diancie, but they can't waste time with the mono attacker set. Qwilfish and Seismitoad are more passive Water-types that can set up entry hazards, but generally lose to the mono attacker set. Qwilfish can use Taunt to slow it down, though.
**Steel-type coverage moves**: With twin 150 base defenses and virtually all sets having some sort of defensive investment, 2x super effective moves usually aren't enough to 2HKO Diancie without a boost. However, Pokemon Diancie commonly switches into that are capable of using Steel-type moves can surprise it with an OHKO or very heavy damage. Iron Tail Absol is the most notable example, but Houndoom and Druddigon are also quite capable of catching Diancie by surprise with Iron Tail.
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