
[OVERVIEW]
Diggersby is one of the best revenge killers in UU due to its potent STAB combination backed by the deadly Huge Power. With a Choice Scarf, Diggersby can easily outspeed and KO common fast threats like Azelf, Cobalion, Crobat, and Zygarde-10%, as well as setup sweepers like Gyarados and Necrozma. U-turn indirectly enhances Diggersby's revenge killing capabilities, allowing it to pivot on Pokemon it cannot break through like Skarmory, Hippowdon, and Tangrowth and bring in powerful teammates that can take them on, like three attacks Primarina and Choice Specs Hydreigon. Moreover, Diggersby's resistance to Stealth Rock gives it many opportunities to wallbreak and pressure frail threats like Azelf throughout a game. Diggersby also can run a Swords Dance wallbreaker set to become nearly impossible to counter, OHKOing physical walls like Amoonguss, Celesteela, and Hippowdon at +2 while picking off faster threats like Thundurus-T and Keldeo with Quick Attack. However, Diggersby is quite prediction reliant, hating being locked into any move because common foes like Salamence, Skarmory, Scizor, and Cobalion are immune to Ground or resist Normal. Diggersby also offers next to zero defensive utility bar deterring Volt Switch from Thundurus-T and checking Nihilego in an emergency, as it is weak to common types like Grass, Fighting, and Water and frail. This poor defensive profile also limits setup opportunities for its Swords Dance set. Additionally, it gets worn down by Rocky Helmet from threats like Amoonguss, Skarmory, and Hippowdon. Choice Scarf Diggersby fails to revenge kill boosting sweepers like Dragon Dance Salamence, and other Choice Scarf users like Hydreigon outspeed it. Diggersby is also very vulnerable to common priority attacks from Mamoswine, Conkeldurr, Scizor, and Azumarill, which can pick it off with slight chip damage.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Body Slam
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Knock Off / Fire Punch
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Huge Power
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Diggersby's STAB combination is exceptionally powerful in UU, covering many common threats like Nihilego, Thundurus-T, and Cobalion. Defensive Salamence takes almost 40% even after Intimidate from Body Slam. Additionally, the move's paralysis chance can badly hinder switch-ins like Cobalion and Scizor. U-turn gains momentum off of switch-ins like Skarmory, Hippowdon, and Tangrowth. Knock Off removes Rocky Helmet from Skarmory and Amoonguss, keeping Diggersby from getting worn down by attacking, as well as crippling otherwise great (RH) answers in Mandibuzz, Celesteela, and Salamence by removing their items. Alternatively, Fire Punch allows Diggersby to break past Celesteela and Tangrowth with good prediction and cleanly OHKO Scizor. Diggersby can run Spikes in the fourth moveslot thanks to it forcing switches against common foes like Nihilego, helping wear down threats like Hippowdon and Tangrowth, but being locked into the move / a non-damaging move / w/e creates opportunities for dangerous sweepers like Swords Dance Cobalion and Dragon Dance Gyarados. A Jolly nature is needed to outspeed Crobat and Adamant Dragon Dance Gyarados, threats Diggersby is tasked with revenge killing. However, Adamant can be used if Diggersby's team has insurance against those threats to KO foes like Keldeo more easily.
Choice Scarf Diggersby best fits on VoltTurn, bulky offense, and balance teams that appreciate its revenge killing capabilities. Additional pivots like Zarude, Thundurus-T, and Slowking form potent momentum cores with Diggersby, bringing it into the likes of Cobalion, Nihilego, and opposing Zarude while threatening switch-ins to Diggersby like Hippowdon, Scizor, and Skarmory. Rotom-W is another exceptional pivot that can handle Mamoswine in addition to threats like Celesteela, Hippowdon, and Moltres. It can also use Defog to stop Spikes from wearing Diggersby down. Wallbreakers like Choice Specs Hydreigon and Keldeo pressure switch-ins to Diggersby like Mandibuzz, Hippowdon, and Skarmory. Body Slam's paralysis chance helps them deal with Salamence more easily and not risk getting outsped by Cobalion. Stealth Rock support from the likes of Nihilego and Cobalion can wear down Celesteela and Tangrowth for Diggersby. They both overwhelm Hippowdon and the aforementioned Celesteela too, with Nihilego also taking on common Ground-immune Pokemon like Salamence, Skarmory, and Moltres. Defensive Grass-types like Tangrowth and Amoonguss can cover threatening Water-types like Keldeo, Rotom-W, and Primarina. Since Rocky Helmet damage is detrimental to Diggersby's longevity, Knock Off users like Scizor and the aforementioned Tangrowth are good to bait in Amoonguss, Skarmory, and Cobalion and remove their item. They can also heal off the resulting chip damage, unlike Diggersby, and they free up its Knock Off moveslot for Fire Punch as well.
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Quick Attack
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Fire Punch / Mega Kick
item: Life Orb / Silk Scarf
ability: Huge Power
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Swords Dance skyrockets Diggersby's Attack to absurd levels, letting it break past nearly everything in the tier. A +2 Quick Attack wipes out faster threats like Thundurus-T, Azelf, Zarude, and Keldeo, though the latter two do need to be chipped a bit. Fire Punch allows Diggersby to break past Celesteela, Skarmory, and Tangrowth. Alternatively, Mega Kick is Diggersby's best option to hit Mandibuzz and punishes potential switch-ins like Rotom-W and Salamence. It still covers Tangrowth and even Celesteela, the latter being 2HKOed by it, but Diggersby misses out on breaking past Skarmory, and the move comes with shaky accuracy. A Life Orb maximizes Diggersby's wallbreaking potential, letting it OHKO Hippowdon with +2 Earthquake. However, Silk Scarf can be used to boost the power of Quick Attack and Mega Kick without wearing Diggersby down.
Because Swords Dance Diggersby tends to be an all-or-nothing sweeper, this set mostly fits on heavy offense teams that give it ample opportunities to wallbreak, though it can work as a late-game cleaner on bulky offense teams as well. Entry hazard setters like Excadrill, Krookodile, and Scolipede provide valuable support to wear down threats like Hippowdon, Amoonguss, and Keldeo for Diggersby. Sticky Web support from Ribombee can offset Diggersby's poor Speed, letting it pick off threats like Cobalion that would normally revenge kill it. Other sweepers like Nasty Plot Thundurus-T and Meteor Beam Nihilego can break past Pokemon like Celesteela, Mandibuzz, and Rotom-W that trouble Diggersby. They can also help overwhelm Hippowdon and keep threats that discourage setup, like Amoonguss, off the field. Autotomize Celesteela takes advantage of Diggersby drawing in Zarude and Skarmory, using them as setup bait, and it lures in Chansey for Diggersby to come in on, as Chansey is one of the few Pokemon Diggersby can reliably boost against. Azelf outspeeds and wipes out faster threats like Keldeo and Cobalion, appreciating Diggersby beating down Slowking and Mandibuzz to the point where Azelf can clean late-game. On more bulky offense teams, paralysis spreaders like Thunder Wave Togekiss and Stun Spore Amoonguss can be valuable to cripple offensive checks to Diggersby like Cobalion. Magneton can trap and remove hindrances to Diggersby like Celesteela, Skarmory, and Scizor, allowing it to drop Fire Punch and run Mega Kick for Mandibuzz.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Choice Band turns Diggersby into a devastating wallbreaker with immediate power, using its STAB combination to hit most of the tier for heavy damage while using coverage options in U-turn to wear down Rotom-W and Fire Punch to get past Skarmory and Celesteela. This set works exceptionally well on paralysis spam offense teams, which neuter faster threats like Salamence and Cobalion. However, this set is very slow and prediction reliant, being prey to top threats like Zarude and Keldeo, as well as to foes like Slowking and Hippowdon that are bulky enough to scout a hit. Agility + three Attacks offsets Diggersby's biggest issue in its base Speed, letting it outspeed and KO fast threats like Cobalion and Choice Scarf Hydreigon. However, like the Swords Dance set, Agility Diggersby has limited opportunities to reliably boost; it must rely on forcing out a chipped threat to get a setup chance. Its inability to boost its Attack also keeps it from breaking past Tangrowth and Hippowdon.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Faster Threats and Priority Moves**: Choice Scarf Diggersby, while fast, still gets outpaced by other Choice Scarf users like Zarude and Hydreigon. Common priority move users like Mamoswine, Scizor, Conkeldurr, and Azumarill can all pick off Diggersby after slight chip damage. The presence of faster threats like Keldeo, Cobalion, and Zarude means Swords Dance Diggersby can struggle to reliably boost and sweep through teams, limiting the effectiveness of the set. Even Choice Scarf Diggersby can fail to beat Cobalion if it is holding a Shuca Berry.
**Ground-immune Pokemon**: Rotom-W discourages Diggersby from firing off Earthquake and can KO it with Hydro Pump. Skarmory, Celesteela, Mandibuzz, and defensive Salamence can reliably take on Choice Scarf Diggersby, being unfazed by its attacks even in the long run thanks to their recovery and moves that threaten it back. However, all but Skarmory hate Knock Off. Swords Dance Diggersby can also break past all of them, though it needs Fire Punch for Skarmory and Mega Kick for Mandibuzz, meaning at least one of the two can limit it.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Monky25, 515132]]
- Quality checked by: [[Mystras Leoxses, 530118], [Estarossa, 461329]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Adeleine, 517429], [Lumari, 232216]]
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