[SET]
name: Substitute + Endeavor
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Endeavor
move 3: Moonblast
move 4: Diamond Storm
item: Diancite
ability: Clear Body
nature: Naive / Hasty
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
The combination of Substitute and Endeavor allows Diancie break some of its best counters in Chansey, Mega Venusaur, and Gastrodon. It also lets Diancie heavily chip Assault Vest Magearna for teammates. Moonblast is Diancie's strongest invested STAB move that hits anything that doesn't resist it for solid damage. Diamond Storm is the secondary STAB move of choice, picking off Mega Venusaur and Chansey after a well-timed Endeavor and pressuring Pokemon such as Toxapex, Heatran, and Assault Vest Tapu Bulu. Dropping Diamond Storm for a coverage move such as Hidden Power Fire or Earth Power seems viable, but it is better to rely on Magnezone to trap Steel-types, since Diancie will have to sacrifice more HP with Substitute to pressure some of the aforementioned Pokemon.
Set Details
========
Maximum Speed and a Naive nature is mandatory to outpace Pokemon such as Kartana and Mega Pinsir. The remaining EVs are invested into Special Attack so Moonblast can hit as hard as possible. Running maximum Attack investment instead of Special Attack is not recommended, since Substitute + Endeavor pressures everything that Diamond Storm's extra damage output can be used against. Some Special Attack can be allocated into Attack, however, to put a little more pressure on Toxapex. Naive is a good nature when factoring Diamond Storm has a chance of greatly raising Mega Diancie's Defense; however, a Hasty nature can be used instead to ensure better chances of survival against strong special attackers such as Tapu Koko.
Usage Tips
========
If the opposing team has a defensive stop to Diancie that cannot be trapped by Magnezone, set up Substitute on a Pokemon Diancie forces out and heavily weaken the incoming defensive threat with Endeavor. Even if fighting a team that naturally loses to Diancie and Magnezone, Substitute still has great uses without Endeavor, since it allows you to scout switches and Mega Evolve Diancie safely versus slower Pokemon that it cannot stay in on. Mega Evolving early with Substitute is never a bad idea, since it makes Diancie's Endeavor more deadly thanks to Substitute depleting 25% of its health, while having Magic Bounce can discourage the opponent from mindlessly setting up entry hazards. Diancie's Moonblast is strong, but sometimes not powerful enough; it should not stay in on offensive Pokemon that are not in range of being KOed by Moonblast or Diamond Storm.
Team Options
========
This variant of Diancie best fits on balance and bulky offense teams with Magnezone. Magnezone traps and removes Steel-types such as Ferrothorn, Mega Scizor, Celesteela, and Choice Scarf Kartana that Diancie cannot touch due to the lack of coverage It can also put Landorus-T in range of being KOed by Diancie's Moonblast with Flash Cannon. Toxapex is also a solid teammate because Diancie lures in Gliscor and Mega Venusaur, some of the best answers to Toxapex's Toxic Spikes. Knock Off can be used on Toxapex too for opposing Toxapex, as it will have a very hard time checking Diancie when it does not have an item. Volcarona is a great teammate, as Diancie can block Stealth Rock, while Volcarona can remove Toxapex with Shattered Psyche.
A lot of these builds tend to stack Ground weaknesses, so answers to Landorus-T and Zygarde will need to be prioritized; defensive Landorus-T, Tapu Bulu, and Clefable are solid options. Despite Diancie having Magic Bounce, it will rarely come in on hazard setters, so pair it with a Defog user. Rotom-W can not only use Defog, but it can also burn Pokemon such as Mega Venusaur and Gastrodon, making Diancie's job easier. Mew can remove hazards and is a solid switch-in to Landorus-T and Zygarde. Choice Scarf Tapu Koko with Defog is a valid option due to it compressing roles, and the combination of Substitute + Endeavor Diancie and Magnezone destroy a lot of defensive cores that Tapu Koko struggles with.
name: Substitute + Endeavor
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Endeavor
move 3: Moonblast
move 4: Diamond Storm
item: Diancite
ability: Clear Body
nature: Naive / Hasty
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
The combination of Substitute and Endeavor allows Diancie break some of its best counters in Chansey, Mega Venusaur, and Gastrodon. It also lets Diancie heavily chip Assault Vest Magearna for teammates. Moonblast is Diancie's strongest invested STAB move that hits anything that doesn't resist it for solid damage. Diamond Storm is the secondary STAB move of choice, picking off Mega Venusaur and Chansey after a well-timed Endeavor and pressuring Pokemon such as Toxapex, Heatran, and Assault Vest Tapu Bulu. Dropping Diamond Storm for a coverage move such as Hidden Power Fire or Earth Power seems viable, but it is better to rely on Magnezone to trap Steel-types, since Diancie will have to sacrifice more HP with Substitute to pressure some of the aforementioned Pokemon.
Set Details
========
Maximum Speed and a Naive nature is mandatory to outpace Pokemon such as Kartana and Mega Pinsir. The remaining EVs are invested into Special Attack so Moonblast can hit as hard as possible. Running maximum Attack investment instead of Special Attack is not recommended, since Substitute + Endeavor pressures everything that Diamond Storm's extra damage output can be used against. Some Special Attack can be allocated into Attack, however, to put a little more pressure on Toxapex. Naive is a good nature when factoring Diamond Storm has a chance of greatly raising Mega Diancie's Defense; however, a Hasty nature can be used instead to ensure better chances of survival against strong special attackers such as Tapu Koko.
Usage Tips
========
If the opposing team has a defensive stop to Diancie that cannot be trapped by Magnezone, set up Substitute on a Pokemon Diancie forces out and heavily weaken the incoming defensive threat with Endeavor. Even if fighting a team that naturally loses to Diancie and Magnezone, Substitute still has great uses without Endeavor, since it allows you to scout switches and Mega Evolve Diancie safely versus slower Pokemon that it cannot stay in on. Mega Evolving early with Substitute is never a bad idea, since it makes Diancie's Endeavor more deadly thanks to Substitute depleting 25% of its health, while having Magic Bounce can discourage the opponent from mindlessly setting up entry hazards. Diancie's Moonblast is strong, but sometimes not powerful enough; it should not stay in on offensive Pokemon that are not in range of being KOed by Moonblast or Diamond Storm.
Team Options
========
This variant of Diancie best fits on balance and bulky offense teams with Magnezone. Magnezone traps and removes Steel-types such as Ferrothorn, Mega Scizor, Celesteela, and Choice Scarf Kartana that Diancie cannot touch due to the lack of coverage It can also put Landorus-T in range of being KOed by Diancie's Moonblast with Flash Cannon. Toxapex is also a solid teammate because Diancie lures in Gliscor and Mega Venusaur, some of the best answers to Toxapex's Toxic Spikes. Knock Off can be used on Toxapex too for opposing Toxapex, as it will have a very hard time checking Diancie when it does not have an item. Volcarona is a great teammate, as Diancie can block Stealth Rock, while Volcarona can remove Toxapex with Shattered Psyche.
A lot of these builds tend to stack Ground weaknesses, so answers to Landorus-T and Zygarde will need to be prioritized; defensive Landorus-T, Tapu Bulu, and Clefable are solid options. Despite Diancie having Magic Bounce, it will rarely come in on hazard setters, so pair it with a Defog user. Rotom-W can not only use Defog, but it can also burn Pokemon such as Mega Venusaur and Gastrodon, making Diancie's job easier. Mew can remove hazards and is a solid switch-in to Landorus-T and Zygarde. Choice Scarf Tapu Koko with Defog is a valid option due to it compressing roles, and the combination of Substitute + Endeavor Diancie and Magnezone destroy a lot of defensive cores that Tapu Koko struggles with.
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