[OVERVIEW]
Dugtrio is the most prominent trapper in ADV. Almost every team has trap targets, such as physically bulky Pokemon, Calm Mind users, special walls, Fighting-types, bulky setup tanks, and even other trappers. This lets it support a variety of offensive and defensive teamstyles. Dugtrio's high Speed also makes it a great revenge killer against many offensive Pokemon such as Endeavor Swampert and Starmie. These properties make it a common sight on specially offensive teams, Spikes teams, and teams dedicated to supporting bulky setup tanks.
Dugtrio's biggest weakness is its frailty. If it fails to KO the trap target, it is very likely to be OHKOed in return. Dugtrio also can be exploited when Choice locked, giving sweepers like Dragon Dance Salamence free setup turns. Ironically, being Choice locked also lets opposing Dugtrio countertrap Dugtrio; likewise, Porygon2 can trap it by copying Arena Trap with Trace. Both foes can punish teams for relying on Dugtrio to trap multiple Pokemon, its biggest strength: the first target can bait Dugtrio in for either countertrapper to revenge kill it, letting the second target wreak havoc.
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Hidden Power Bug
move 3: Aerial Ace
move 4: Rock Slide / Beat Up / Sunny Day
item: Choice Band
ability: Arena Trap
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Earthquake's primary targets are Tyranitar, Metagross, Jirachi, Magneton, Blissey, and Starmie. Bulky Tyranitar, Metagross, Jirachi, and Starmie fall after a tiny amount of chip damage, Magneton gets OHKOed, and Blissey gets 2HKOed in sand. Earthquake also hits Snorlax and Suicune hard, allowing Dugtrio to revenge kill offensive variants and sometimes take out defensive variants by coming in on a Rest turn. Hidden Power Bug takes out Celebi with some chip damage. Aerial Ace OHKOes Heracross and Breloom. Rock Slide is the generic option in the last moveslot for hitting threatening Flying-types like Zapdos, Salamence, Moltres; this especially strengthens Dugtrio as an emergency pivot into Zapdos. Sunny Day is a common move alongside tanks that are affected by sand, namely defensive Suicune and Snorlax.
Beat Up is a niche option on specially offensive teams. It has several advantages over Earthquake in dealing with Blissey. First, many specially offensive partners like Zapdos, Celebi, Suicune, and Raikou have high base Attack, and Beat Up does damage based on the base Attack stats of all team members, so it more often than not does massive damage to Blissey, 2HKOing it comfortably even without sand. Alternatively, a specially offensive Pokemon can lure Blissey in, apply Toxic poison, and switch to Beat Up Dugtrio, which deals enough damage that Blissey won't ever be able to heal. Second, as Beat Up damage is independent of natures and EVs, Dugtrio is free to drop Attack investment in favor of bulk and Speed; the bulk helps Dugtrio survive Blissey's Ice Beam, Jirachi's Ice Punch, and Celebi's Grass-type attacks, increasing its reliability in trapping special walls; the Speed helps it revenge kill offensive Jirachi, offensive Celebi, and Dragon Dance Tyranitar. Third, Counter fails on Beat Up, so Blissey has no way to OHKO bulky Dugtrio back. Note that Beat Up does not necessarily have to be used with a bulky EV spread.
Dugtrio usually wants all the Attack it can get to reduce the amount of chip damage needed to KO its targets. Maximum Speed is useful for tying other Dugtrio that might try to revenge kill Dugtrio itself; otherwise, an EV spread of 8 HP / 252 Atk / 20 SpD / 228 Spe with IVs of 30 SpD / 30 Spe lets Adamant / Jolly Dugtrio outspeed neutral / positive nature +1 Dragon Dance Tyranitar, respectively. The extra bulk gives Dugtrio greater odds of surviving attacks like Hidden Power Ice or Grass from specially offensive Pokemon and super effective coverage from Blissey, Celebi, and Jirachi. One should avoid placing the remaining 4 EVs into HP, though it may seem inconsequential, as Dugtrio otherwise faints from four times of switching into three layers of Spikes. This may occur if Skarmory continuously forces Dugtrio in.
Note that the above EV spreads more often than not do not apply to Beat Up Dugtrio, which frequently runs bulky spreads to survive Blissey's Ice Beam under various conditions. For example, 8 HP / 228 Atk / 164 SpD / 108 Spe, with IVs of 30 SpD / 30 Spe and a Jolly nature, allows Dugtrio to survive Bold Blissey's Ice Beam after Spikes and Modest Blissey's Ice Beam without Spikes. It also lets Dugtrio outrun neutral-natured Dragon Dance Tyranitar at +1. One can even consider 8 HP / 176 Atk / 216 SpD / 108 Spe for surviving Bold Blissey's Ice Beam after two layers of Spikes. Alternatively, one can invest in HP for better odds of surviving Earthquake from Adamant Tyranitar and Metagross—112 HP / 248 Atk / 40 SpD / 108 Spe still survives Modest Blissey's Ice Beam without Spikes.
A Jolly nature allows Dugtrio to outspeed all +1 Dragon Dance Tyranitar, Starmie, and Salac Berry-boosted Endeavor Swampert. This is the better nature for revenge killing. An Adamant nature, however, ensures the OHKO on uninvested Tyranitar, requires less chip damage to KO many targets, and also gives Dugtrio a good chance to 3HKO defensive Suicune and defensive Snorlax after a Curse. Adamant is really helpful on defensive Suicune teams, where Dugtrio can eliminate bulky Tyranitar as fast as possible before Suicune takes too much damage to set up, and defensive Toxic, Sandstorm, and Spikes (TSS) teams, where Dugtrio provides the sole offensive pressure needed against a late-game Suicune or Snorlax. Occasionally, maximizing the odds of revenge killing a full HP Tyranitar is also useful, such as when Tyranitar OHKOes Jynx after it misses Lovely Kiss and when Charizard uses Focus Punch to stop Dragon Dance Tyranitar from setting up but gets OHKOed by Rock Slide.
When using balance teams where every Pokemon fulfills mostly an indispensable role and cannot easily be sacrificed, Dugtrio is best brought in on a predicted switch into the trap target after it has been chipped. On offensive teams, however, in addition to trapping special walls, Dugtrio can be used more as a revenge killer, performing one-for-one trades. Frequently, Baton Pass users like Zapdos and Celebi help ease predictions and guide Dugtrio into Blissey and Tyranitar, for example.
Team Options
========
Dugtrio's targets can generally be categorized into physically bulky Pokemon, Calm Mind users, special walls, Fighting-types, bulky setup tanks, and trappers. Dugtrio teams can be broadly categorized into specially offensive teams, Skarmory or Forretress + Dugtrio stall teams, and teams dedicated to setting up bulky tanks.
Specially offensive teams with offensive Calm Mind users like Celebi, Jirachi, and Suicune, or special sweepers like Starmie and Rain Dance users Kingdra and Ludicolo, all appreciate special walls removed. A great way of luring in special walls, particularly Blissey, is through using Zapdos, which can use Baton Pass to eliminate prediction involved in safely bringing Dugtrio in. A niche Pokemon that also does the job is lead Jynx, which frequently forces the opponent to go to Blissey right after having a Pokemon slept. As physically bulky Pokemon like Tyranitar, Metagross, and Snorlax are checks to Calm Mind users, Dugtrio removing, or at least weakening, these checks also helps them. Removing Tyranitar also allows Kingdra and Ludicolo to use Rain Dance unimpeded. Sometimes, specially offensive teams carry Gengar, which not only can use Explosion with Dugtrio as follow-up to remove special walls, but can also lure in and eliminate Pursuit Tyranitar to help these Rain Dance users keep rain up. As specially offensive teams frequently use frail Zapdos as a Fighting-type check, Dugtrio helps to revenge kill Heracross and Breloom.
One common theme in offensive Dugtrio teams is using two Pokemon that are weak to Dugtrio: one lures in opposing Dugtrio to be counter-trapped, which enables the other. Most prominently, Celebi luring in Dugtrio allows Jirachi free rein. Heracross and Breloom act similarly; although they are not specially offensive, some offensive Dugtrio teams appreciate them pressuring Blissey and hurting Skarmory decently. Breloom also appreciates Dugtrio's trades reducing the game to a small number of Pokemon, making Spore much more devastating. Mixed and Choice Band Tyranitar are also physically offensive presences with good Dugtrio synergy. Mixed Tyranitar has the coverage to nail the Pokemon that Dugtrio cannot trap and eliminate easily—Swampert and Flying-types—and Dugtrio can trap those that it has trouble with—Metagross, Jirachi, and Celebi. Choice Band Tyranitar similarly deters Flying-types with Rock Slide and has Focus Punch to hit Water-types hard; should it mistakenly lock itself with Rock Slide or Double-Edge into Metagross or Jirachi, Dugtrio can revenge kill them. Like Zapdos, the uncommon offensive Vaporeon can lure in special walls and guide Dugtrio safely in, especially against Blissey, with Baton Pass and its 101 HP Substitutes. However, one must be keenly aware of the possible physical weaknesses that come with using both offensive Vaporeon and Dugtrio on the same team. Finally, as a general point, specially offensive teams frequently lack phazers, so they can run into serious trouble should opposing offensive Calm Mind users set up first. In this scenario, having Dugtrio as a revenge killer is very useful too.
Skarmory and Dugtrio have amazing synergy on stall teams. Skarmory's Spikes provide the chip damage necessary for Dugtrio to remove Tyranitar, Metagross, Celebi, and Jirachi. In turn, Dugtrio traps Magneton, as well as offensive Starmie after chip damage from Spikes or Toxic to prevent it from spinning. Taking down physical wallbreakers like Tyranitar and Metagross, and letting Skarmory handle them for longer against Magneton teams, protects Water-types that are vulnerable to sand and Spikes like Suicune and Milotic from being overwhelmed or eating an Explosion. Removing Tyranitar also allows one to clear sand, possibly with Sunny Day, extending Suicune's longevity. Dugtrio also mitigates the propensity of these Water-types to be set up on or neutered with Leech Seed by Jirachi and Celebi. Defensive Gengar forms a fantastic core with Skarmory and Dugtrio, as it can spinblock and have Dugtrio severely weaken or remove Pursuit Tyranitar. Spinners are good Dugtrio partners on stall teams, as opposing Skarmory gets to set Spikes freely after a revenge kill, and stall teams frequently lack offensive pressure against Skarmory. Claydol, apart from removing Spikes to ease the pressure on Suicune, Milotic, and Blissey, works with Dugtrio to strengthen the team's defenses against Tyranitar and Aerodactyl. Claydol can also be sacrificed to Heracross for Dugtrio to revenge kill it, since Heracross rarely comes with Spikes. Forretress is another Spiker and spinner that synergizes with Dugtrio. Even though Forretress, unlike Skarmory, can run Earthquake to address Magneton switch-ins, Dugtrio trapping Magneton allows Forretress to use Hidden Power Bug and Explosion simultaneously. Dugtrio also makes up for Forretress's inability to threaten Fighting-types, trapping Heracross and Breloom, or phaze like Skarmory. Dugtrio prevents the opponent from exploiting Forretress's passivity by trapping Calm Mind Celebi and Jirachi, as well as safeguarding against Metagross, which can easily run through Forretress if it has Choice Band, gets a boost from Meteor Mash, or Forretress is previously chipped significantly. Although it is common to overlook the offensive properties of Claydol and Forretress on stall teams, in many cases, their Explosions guarantee a trade when Dugtrio is available for revenge killing. Trading with Tyranitar eases the pressure on Blissey and Suicune and allows sand to be cleared permanently, while trading with Metagross eliminates the potential threat of Explosion to Suicune and Milotic. Finally, there is a small but noteworthy fraction of Skarmory + Dugtrio teams that use Swampert. These are usually Toxic, Spikes and Sandstorm (TSS) teams that don't do well against defensive Suicune if Skarmory is trapped and Spikes are removed; in this case, having Dugtrio to beat Rest Suicune can be important.
Teams dedicated to supporting setup tanks like defensive Suicune, defensive Curse Snorlax, and Calm Mind + Wish Jirachi form the remainder of Dugtrio-based teams. Suicune has been explained above, and the arguments pertaining to Snorlax and Jirachi are similar. Once again, Tyranitar, Metagross, Celebi, and Jirachi are prime trap targets. Tyranitar's sand hurts Snorlax's longevity, and Tyranitar walls Snorlax and Jirachi. Metagross also walls Snorlax and can hit it with Explosion, and Jirachi without Fire Punch finds it difficult to get past Metagross. Leech Seed Celebi makes it very difficult for these tanks to set up, while Calm Mind + Baton Pass Celebi can exploit the lack of early-game pressure from these teams to pass boosts to threatening offensive Pokemon. Opposing Calm Mind Jirachi can set up on Snorlax, and it is never good to get your Jirachi into a Calm Mind war with opposing Jirachi; even if one's Jirachi wins the tussle, there is a good chance that it will be crippled by burn or paralysis. Removing opposing trappers can also be a benefit in rather subtle ways. Opposing Magneton and Dugtrio can keep forcing Snorlax to use Rest until they score a critical hit, and Magneton can also paralyze Jirachi in a pinch, whereas Dugtrio can trap and severely weaken, if not remove, Jirachi. These setup-based teams tend to be weak to Fighting-types, so removing Heracross and Breloom is also important. Finally, if one does not use Spikes, then one needs an alternative way to chip trap targets into range. Defensive Celebi's Leech Seed and Blissey's Toxic are prominent methods of inducing chip damage on stall teams lacking Spikes. Celebi can also lure in Tyranitar and Metagross and use Baton Pass to safely switch to Dugtrio, eliminating the need for prediction.
Occasionally, Dugtrio appears on balance teams that do not necessarily use Spikes, but use Pokemon mentioned above and follow similar logic. These include Choice Band Tyranitar, Wish Jirachi, and Claydol.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Dugtrio's last moveslot is usually disposable. As a result, a variety of different moves can be run at almost no cost. Substitute or Protect can be used in conjunction with Perish Song Gengar to provide the additional turns needed for Perish Song to take effect. Screech can be used to defeat defensive Suicune and Snorlax; one can force them to use Rest, then go to Dugtrio and use Screech. Dugtrio can take them out the next time Rest is used, or it can just be sacrificed to apply a -4 Defense drop so that a physically offensive Pokemon can follow up and break through. Rock Tomb is an alternative to Rock Slide to be used while sacrificing Dugtrio. It can help a slow Pokemon to come in next and prevents Dugtrio from being setup bait for Dragon Dance Salamence; its poor accuracy makes it unreliable, though. Toxic can be used as a catch-all against a variety of Pokemon like Zapdos, Moltres, Salamence, Flygon, and Swampert.
Dugtrio can also carry other items. The most prominent alternative is Salac Berry, which, when used with Endure, allows Dugtrio to reliably trap other Dugtrio. This also lets it run considerably less Speed investment in favor of bulk to trap Blissey and remove it with Beat Up. Occasionally, Endure and Salac Berry also turn the tides against Dragon Dance Tyranitar, Jolteon, and Starmie, which the opponent may bring in with the intent of outspeeding Dugtrio, especially after noticing the bulky EVs. Soft Sand can be used on Jolly bulky Dugtrio in conjunction with Timid Zapdos, letting Dugtrio still have enough power to revenge kill Tyranitar after Zapdos sacrifices itself to Tyranitar by using Thunderbolt. When Soft Sand is used in conjunction with Toxic, Dugtrio can lure in opposing Zapdos, prevent Salamence from setting up freely, and also weaken Porygon2 trying to countertrap it. King's Rock gives Beat Up an appreciable chance to flinch, but not quite enough for it to be reliable at removing Blissey without Dugtrio taking damage. These alternative items, while offering the flexibility of move choice, pale greatly in comparison to Choice Band because Dugtrio's power is greatly reduced when trapping anything apart from Blissey.
Checks and Counters
===================
As Dugtrio is a trapper, it has no true checks. However, it can be countertrapped or exploited in the following ways.
**Porygon2**: Porygon2 is the universal answer to Dugtrio, as it can safely come in on any of its moves, copy Arena Trap with Trace, and take Dugtrio out with Ice Beam.
**Dugtrio**: Dugtrio can be countertrapped by opposing Dugtrio should it be slow or use a move other than Earthquake. This usually occurs after Dugtrio traps Celebi, Heracross, or Breloom. Opposing Celebi is able to use Baton Pass, should it survive Hidden Power Bug, to bring opposing Dugtrio in safely.
**Pursuit Tyranitar**: If Dugtrio is chipped, Pursuit Tyranitar can trap Dugtrio locked onto any move other than Earthquake. This usually occurs when Spikes are present or when Breloom fires off a Mach Punch before Dugtrio KOes it.
**Speed-boosting Setup Sweepers**: After a KO, Dugtrio is very vulnerable to getting set up on. Dragon Dance Salamence and Agility Zapdos get a free boost; Salamence can proceed to sweep frail teams that rely on Dugtrio too much for checking physical threats, while Agility Zapdos can pass the boost to a slow teammate that then outspeeds Dugtrio and cannot be revenge killed by it anymore. Even Agility Metagross and Dragon Dance Tyranitar can set up on Dugtrio locked into any move other than Earthquake. Ninjask, while rare, is one of the biggest threats to Dugtrio teams without a phazer, as it can pass both Speed and Attack boosts to a sweeper with merely a single setup turn.
**Flying-types**: Many Flying-types like mixed and Choice Band Salamence, Aerodactyl, Zapdos, and Moltres have the immediate firepower to be particularly threatening after Dugtrio removes a foe. Even Skarmory can exploit the free turn to lay Spikes, and Gengar, while not a Flying-type, is immune to Earthquake and can fire off a devastating Will-O-Wisp.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[vapicuno, 5454]]
- Quality checked by: [[johnnyg2, 57904], [Altina, 259041]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429], [Rabia, 336073]]
Dugtrio is the most prominent trapper in ADV. Almost every team has trap targets, such as physically bulky Pokemon, Calm Mind users, special walls, Fighting-types, bulky setup tanks, and even other trappers. This lets it support a variety of offensive and defensive teamstyles. Dugtrio's high Speed also makes it a great revenge killer against many offensive Pokemon such as Endeavor Swampert and Starmie. These properties make it a common sight on specially offensive teams, Spikes teams, and teams dedicated to supporting bulky setup tanks.
Dugtrio's biggest weakness is its frailty. If it fails to KO the trap target, it is very likely to be OHKOed in return. Dugtrio also can be exploited when Choice locked, giving sweepers like Dragon Dance Salamence free setup turns. Ironically, being Choice locked also lets opposing Dugtrio countertrap Dugtrio; likewise, Porygon2 can trap it by copying Arena Trap with Trace. Both foes can punish teams for relying on Dugtrio to trap multiple Pokemon, its biggest strength: the first target can bait Dugtrio in for either countertrapper to revenge kill it, letting the second target wreak havoc.
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Hidden Power Bug
move 3: Aerial Ace
move 4: Rock Slide / Beat Up / Sunny Day
item: Choice Band
ability: Arena Trap
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Earthquake's primary targets are Tyranitar, Metagross, Jirachi, Magneton, Blissey, and Starmie. Bulky Tyranitar, Metagross, Jirachi, and Starmie fall after a tiny amount of chip damage, Magneton gets OHKOed, and Blissey gets 2HKOed in sand. Earthquake also hits Snorlax and Suicune hard, allowing Dugtrio to revenge kill offensive variants and sometimes take out defensive variants by coming in on a Rest turn. Hidden Power Bug takes out Celebi with some chip damage. Aerial Ace OHKOes Heracross and Breloom. Rock Slide is the generic option in the last moveslot for hitting threatening Flying-types like Zapdos, Salamence, Moltres; this especially strengthens Dugtrio as an emergency pivot into Zapdos. Sunny Day is a common move alongside tanks that are affected by sand, namely defensive Suicune and Snorlax.
Beat Up is a niche option on specially offensive teams. It has several advantages over Earthquake in dealing with Blissey. First, many specially offensive partners like Zapdos, Celebi, Suicune, and Raikou have high base Attack, and Beat Up does damage based on the base Attack stats of all team members, so it more often than not does massive damage to Blissey, 2HKOing it comfortably even without sand. Alternatively, a specially offensive Pokemon can lure Blissey in, apply Toxic poison, and switch to Beat Up Dugtrio, which deals enough damage that Blissey won't ever be able to heal. Second, as Beat Up damage is independent of natures and EVs, Dugtrio is free to drop Attack investment in favor of bulk and Speed; the bulk helps Dugtrio survive Blissey's Ice Beam, Jirachi's Ice Punch, and Celebi's Grass-type attacks, increasing its reliability in trapping special walls; the Speed helps it revenge kill offensive Jirachi, offensive Celebi, and Dragon Dance Tyranitar. Third, Counter fails on Beat Up, so Blissey has no way to OHKO bulky Dugtrio back. Note that Beat Up does not necessarily have to be used with a bulky EV spread.
Dugtrio usually wants all the Attack it can get to reduce the amount of chip damage needed to KO its targets. Maximum Speed is useful for tying other Dugtrio that might try to revenge kill Dugtrio itself; otherwise, an EV spread of 8 HP / 252 Atk / 20 SpD / 228 Spe with IVs of 30 SpD / 30 Spe lets Adamant / Jolly Dugtrio outspeed neutral / positive nature +1 Dragon Dance Tyranitar, respectively. The extra bulk gives Dugtrio greater odds of surviving attacks like Hidden Power Ice or Grass from specially offensive Pokemon and super effective coverage from Blissey, Celebi, and Jirachi. One should avoid placing the remaining 4 EVs into HP, though it may seem inconsequential, as Dugtrio otherwise faints from four times of switching into three layers of Spikes. This may occur if Skarmory continuously forces Dugtrio in.
Note that the above EV spreads more often than not do not apply to Beat Up Dugtrio, which frequently runs bulky spreads to survive Blissey's Ice Beam under various conditions. For example, 8 HP / 228 Atk / 164 SpD / 108 Spe, with IVs of 30 SpD / 30 Spe and a Jolly nature, allows Dugtrio to survive Bold Blissey's Ice Beam after Spikes and Modest Blissey's Ice Beam without Spikes. It also lets Dugtrio outrun neutral-natured Dragon Dance Tyranitar at +1. One can even consider 8 HP / 176 Atk / 216 SpD / 108 Spe for surviving Bold Blissey's Ice Beam after two layers of Spikes. Alternatively, one can invest in HP for better odds of surviving Earthquake from Adamant Tyranitar and Metagross—112 HP / 248 Atk / 40 SpD / 108 Spe still survives Modest Blissey's Ice Beam without Spikes.
A Jolly nature allows Dugtrio to outspeed all +1 Dragon Dance Tyranitar, Starmie, and Salac Berry-boosted Endeavor Swampert. This is the better nature for revenge killing. An Adamant nature, however, ensures the OHKO on uninvested Tyranitar, requires less chip damage to KO many targets, and also gives Dugtrio a good chance to 3HKO defensive Suicune and defensive Snorlax after a Curse. Adamant is really helpful on defensive Suicune teams, where Dugtrio can eliminate bulky Tyranitar as fast as possible before Suicune takes too much damage to set up, and defensive Toxic, Sandstorm, and Spikes (TSS) teams, where Dugtrio provides the sole offensive pressure needed against a late-game Suicune or Snorlax. Occasionally, maximizing the odds of revenge killing a full HP Tyranitar is also useful, such as when Tyranitar OHKOes Jynx after it misses Lovely Kiss and when Charizard uses Focus Punch to stop Dragon Dance Tyranitar from setting up but gets OHKOed by Rock Slide.
When using balance teams where every Pokemon fulfills mostly an indispensable role and cannot easily be sacrificed, Dugtrio is best brought in on a predicted switch into the trap target after it has been chipped. On offensive teams, however, in addition to trapping special walls, Dugtrio can be used more as a revenge killer, performing one-for-one trades. Frequently, Baton Pass users like Zapdos and Celebi help ease predictions and guide Dugtrio into Blissey and Tyranitar, for example.
Team Options
========
Dugtrio's targets can generally be categorized into physically bulky Pokemon, Calm Mind users, special walls, Fighting-types, bulky setup tanks, and trappers. Dugtrio teams can be broadly categorized into specially offensive teams, Skarmory or Forretress + Dugtrio stall teams, and teams dedicated to setting up bulky tanks.
Specially offensive teams with offensive Calm Mind users like Celebi, Jirachi, and Suicune, or special sweepers like Starmie and Rain Dance users Kingdra and Ludicolo, all appreciate special walls removed. A great way of luring in special walls, particularly Blissey, is through using Zapdos, which can use Baton Pass to eliminate prediction involved in safely bringing Dugtrio in. A niche Pokemon that also does the job is lead Jynx, which frequently forces the opponent to go to Blissey right after having a Pokemon slept. As physically bulky Pokemon like Tyranitar, Metagross, and Snorlax are checks to Calm Mind users, Dugtrio removing, or at least weakening, these checks also helps them. Removing Tyranitar also allows Kingdra and Ludicolo to use Rain Dance unimpeded. Sometimes, specially offensive teams carry Gengar, which not only can use Explosion with Dugtrio as follow-up to remove special walls, but can also lure in and eliminate Pursuit Tyranitar to help these Rain Dance users keep rain up. As specially offensive teams frequently use frail Zapdos as a Fighting-type check, Dugtrio helps to revenge kill Heracross and Breloom.
One common theme in offensive Dugtrio teams is using two Pokemon that are weak to Dugtrio: one lures in opposing Dugtrio to be counter-trapped, which enables the other. Most prominently, Celebi luring in Dugtrio allows Jirachi free rein. Heracross and Breloom act similarly; although they are not specially offensive, some offensive Dugtrio teams appreciate them pressuring Blissey and hurting Skarmory decently. Breloom also appreciates Dugtrio's trades reducing the game to a small number of Pokemon, making Spore much more devastating. Mixed and Choice Band Tyranitar are also physically offensive presences with good Dugtrio synergy. Mixed Tyranitar has the coverage to nail the Pokemon that Dugtrio cannot trap and eliminate easily—Swampert and Flying-types—and Dugtrio can trap those that it has trouble with—Metagross, Jirachi, and Celebi. Choice Band Tyranitar similarly deters Flying-types with Rock Slide and has Focus Punch to hit Water-types hard; should it mistakenly lock itself with Rock Slide or Double-Edge into Metagross or Jirachi, Dugtrio can revenge kill them. Like Zapdos, the uncommon offensive Vaporeon can lure in special walls and guide Dugtrio safely in, especially against Blissey, with Baton Pass and its 101 HP Substitutes. However, one must be keenly aware of the possible physical weaknesses that come with using both offensive Vaporeon and Dugtrio on the same team. Finally, as a general point, specially offensive teams frequently lack phazers, so they can run into serious trouble should opposing offensive Calm Mind users set up first. In this scenario, having Dugtrio as a revenge killer is very useful too.
Skarmory and Dugtrio have amazing synergy on stall teams. Skarmory's Spikes provide the chip damage necessary for Dugtrio to remove Tyranitar, Metagross, Celebi, and Jirachi. In turn, Dugtrio traps Magneton, as well as offensive Starmie after chip damage from Spikes or Toxic to prevent it from spinning. Taking down physical wallbreakers like Tyranitar and Metagross, and letting Skarmory handle them for longer against Magneton teams, protects Water-types that are vulnerable to sand and Spikes like Suicune and Milotic from being overwhelmed or eating an Explosion. Removing Tyranitar also allows one to clear sand, possibly with Sunny Day, extending Suicune's longevity. Dugtrio also mitigates the propensity of these Water-types to be set up on or neutered with Leech Seed by Jirachi and Celebi. Defensive Gengar forms a fantastic core with Skarmory and Dugtrio, as it can spinblock and have Dugtrio severely weaken or remove Pursuit Tyranitar. Spinners are good Dugtrio partners on stall teams, as opposing Skarmory gets to set Spikes freely after a revenge kill, and stall teams frequently lack offensive pressure against Skarmory. Claydol, apart from removing Spikes to ease the pressure on Suicune, Milotic, and Blissey, works with Dugtrio to strengthen the team's defenses against Tyranitar and Aerodactyl. Claydol can also be sacrificed to Heracross for Dugtrio to revenge kill it, since Heracross rarely comes with Spikes. Forretress is another Spiker and spinner that synergizes with Dugtrio. Even though Forretress, unlike Skarmory, can run Earthquake to address Magneton switch-ins, Dugtrio trapping Magneton allows Forretress to use Hidden Power Bug and Explosion simultaneously. Dugtrio also makes up for Forretress's inability to threaten Fighting-types, trapping Heracross and Breloom, or phaze like Skarmory. Dugtrio prevents the opponent from exploiting Forretress's passivity by trapping Calm Mind Celebi and Jirachi, as well as safeguarding against Metagross, which can easily run through Forretress if it has Choice Band, gets a boost from Meteor Mash, or Forretress is previously chipped significantly. Although it is common to overlook the offensive properties of Claydol and Forretress on stall teams, in many cases, their Explosions guarantee a trade when Dugtrio is available for revenge killing. Trading with Tyranitar eases the pressure on Blissey and Suicune and allows sand to be cleared permanently, while trading with Metagross eliminates the potential threat of Explosion to Suicune and Milotic. Finally, there is a small but noteworthy fraction of Skarmory + Dugtrio teams that use Swampert. These are usually Toxic, Spikes and Sandstorm (TSS) teams that don't do well against defensive Suicune if Skarmory is trapped and Spikes are removed; in this case, having Dugtrio to beat Rest Suicune can be important.
Teams dedicated to supporting setup tanks like defensive Suicune, defensive Curse Snorlax, and Calm Mind + Wish Jirachi form the remainder of Dugtrio-based teams. Suicune has been explained above, and the arguments pertaining to Snorlax and Jirachi are similar. Once again, Tyranitar, Metagross, Celebi, and Jirachi are prime trap targets. Tyranitar's sand hurts Snorlax's longevity, and Tyranitar walls Snorlax and Jirachi. Metagross also walls Snorlax and can hit it with Explosion, and Jirachi without Fire Punch finds it difficult to get past Metagross. Leech Seed Celebi makes it very difficult for these tanks to set up, while Calm Mind + Baton Pass Celebi can exploit the lack of early-game pressure from these teams to pass boosts to threatening offensive Pokemon. Opposing Calm Mind Jirachi can set up on Snorlax, and it is never good to get your Jirachi into a Calm Mind war with opposing Jirachi; even if one's Jirachi wins the tussle, there is a good chance that it will be crippled by burn or paralysis. Removing opposing trappers can also be a benefit in rather subtle ways. Opposing Magneton and Dugtrio can keep forcing Snorlax to use Rest until they score a critical hit, and Magneton can also paralyze Jirachi in a pinch, whereas Dugtrio can trap and severely weaken, if not remove, Jirachi. These setup-based teams tend to be weak to Fighting-types, so removing Heracross and Breloom is also important. Finally, if one does not use Spikes, then one needs an alternative way to chip trap targets into range. Defensive Celebi's Leech Seed and Blissey's Toxic are prominent methods of inducing chip damage on stall teams lacking Spikes. Celebi can also lure in Tyranitar and Metagross and use Baton Pass to safely switch to Dugtrio, eliminating the need for prediction.
Occasionally, Dugtrio appears on balance teams that do not necessarily use Spikes, but use Pokemon mentioned above and follow similar logic. These include Choice Band Tyranitar, Wish Jirachi, and Claydol.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Dugtrio's last moveslot is usually disposable. As a result, a variety of different moves can be run at almost no cost. Substitute or Protect can be used in conjunction with Perish Song Gengar to provide the additional turns needed for Perish Song to take effect. Screech can be used to defeat defensive Suicune and Snorlax; one can force them to use Rest, then go to Dugtrio and use Screech. Dugtrio can take them out the next time Rest is used, or it can just be sacrificed to apply a -4 Defense drop so that a physically offensive Pokemon can follow up and break through. Rock Tomb is an alternative to Rock Slide to be used while sacrificing Dugtrio. It can help a slow Pokemon to come in next and prevents Dugtrio from being setup bait for Dragon Dance Salamence; its poor accuracy makes it unreliable, though. Toxic can be used as a catch-all against a variety of Pokemon like Zapdos, Moltres, Salamence, Flygon, and Swampert.
Dugtrio can also carry other items. The most prominent alternative is Salac Berry, which, when used with Endure, allows Dugtrio to reliably trap other Dugtrio. This also lets it run considerably less Speed investment in favor of bulk to trap Blissey and remove it with Beat Up. Occasionally, Endure and Salac Berry also turn the tides against Dragon Dance Tyranitar, Jolteon, and Starmie, which the opponent may bring in with the intent of outspeeding Dugtrio, especially after noticing the bulky EVs. Soft Sand can be used on Jolly bulky Dugtrio in conjunction with Timid Zapdos, letting Dugtrio still have enough power to revenge kill Tyranitar after Zapdos sacrifices itself to Tyranitar by using Thunderbolt. When Soft Sand is used in conjunction with Toxic, Dugtrio can lure in opposing Zapdos, prevent Salamence from setting up freely, and also weaken Porygon2 trying to countertrap it. King's Rock gives Beat Up an appreciable chance to flinch, but not quite enough for it to be reliable at removing Blissey without Dugtrio taking damage. These alternative items, while offering the flexibility of move choice, pale greatly in comparison to Choice Band because Dugtrio's power is greatly reduced when trapping anything apart from Blissey.
Checks and Counters
===================
As Dugtrio is a trapper, it has no true checks. However, it can be countertrapped or exploited in the following ways.
**Porygon2**: Porygon2 is the universal answer to Dugtrio, as it can safely come in on any of its moves, copy Arena Trap with Trace, and take Dugtrio out with Ice Beam.
**Dugtrio**: Dugtrio can be countertrapped by opposing Dugtrio should it be slow or use a move other than Earthquake. This usually occurs after Dugtrio traps Celebi, Heracross, or Breloom. Opposing Celebi is able to use Baton Pass, should it survive Hidden Power Bug, to bring opposing Dugtrio in safely.
**Pursuit Tyranitar**: If Dugtrio is chipped, Pursuit Tyranitar can trap Dugtrio locked onto any move other than Earthquake. This usually occurs when Spikes are present or when Breloom fires off a Mach Punch before Dugtrio KOes it.
**Speed-boosting Setup Sweepers**: After a KO, Dugtrio is very vulnerable to getting set up on. Dragon Dance Salamence and Agility Zapdos get a free boost; Salamence can proceed to sweep frail teams that rely on Dugtrio too much for checking physical threats, while Agility Zapdos can pass the boost to a slow teammate that then outspeeds Dugtrio and cannot be revenge killed by it anymore. Even Agility Metagross and Dragon Dance Tyranitar can set up on Dugtrio locked into any move other than Earthquake. Ninjask, while rare, is one of the biggest threats to Dugtrio teams without a phazer, as it can pass both Speed and Attack boosts to a sweeper with merely a single setup turn.
**Flying-types**: Many Flying-types like mixed and Choice Band Salamence, Aerodactyl, Zapdos, and Moltres have the immediate firepower to be particularly threatening after Dugtrio removes a foe. Even Skarmory can exploit the free turn to lay Spikes, and Gengar, while not a Flying-type, is immune to Earthquake and can fire off a devastating Will-O-Wisp.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[vapicuno, 5454]]
- Quality checked by: [[johnnyg2, 57904], [Altina, 259041]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429], [Rabia, 336073]]
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