Bughouse
Like ships in the night, you're passing me by
Where do you think you're going?
[Pros]
<ul>
<li>Arena Trap lets Dugtrio trap and kill opposing Pokemon.</li>
<li>Of all the trappers, Dugtrio is the only physical attacker, and thus the best suited to take out certain targets.</li>
<li>Dugtrio's high Speed enables it to trap almost anything unboosted.</li>
</ul>
[Cons]
<ul>
<li>There is a more limited pool of things it can trap compared to Shadow Tag uers.</li>
<li>Dugtrio is incredibly frail and not even all that powerful.</li>
<p>Reliance on Focus Sash means that Dugtrio can be crippled by entry hazards and multi-hit moves.</p>
</ul>
[Set Recommendations]
<p>name: Trapper<br />
move 1: Earthquake<br />
move 2: Stone Edge<br />
move 3: Reversal<br />
move 4: Memento / Sucker Punch<br />
nature: Jolly<br />
ability: Arena Trap<br />
item: Focus Sash<br />
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe</p>
<p>With this moveset, Dugtrio targets a wide array of Pokemon: Volcarona, Klefki, Excadrill, Heliolisk, Magnezone, Dragalge, Ninetales, Lucario, and, most notably, Tyranitar. However, since Dugtrio isn't overly strong, many of these threats won't be KOed without prior damage. Moreover, some might boost their Speed, such as Volcarona with Quiver Dance or Excadrill with sand support, and some might just have priority, such as Lucario. In many cases, Dugtrio will need Focus Sash to remain intact to work at all, so you should pair Dugtrio with either Xatu or Espeon for Magic Bounce for best results, or at least a reliable Defog or Rapid Spin user. However, don't expect too much out of Focus Sash Dugtrio in terms of power. You should use a Choice Band or Life Orb if you need that extra power, but be aware of how Dugtrio no longer reliably deals with boost their Speed or utilize priority. Also note that you won't be able to freely switch Dugtrio into what you want to trap most of the time.</p>
<p>The final moveslot can be played in two interesting ways. Memento provides help to your team if you have a notable set up sweeper that can become very threatening in one move, such as Azumarill, Talonflame, or Volcarona. On the other hand, Sucker Punch will provide Dugtrio with some protection against faster Pokemon and Choice Scarf users as well as an extra priority move against many Pokemon that your team might struggle with otherwise.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>The best way to render Dugtrio useless is to not use anything it is particularly effective at trapping, since if it traps one of your non-Levitating, Flying-, Ghost-type Pokemon, you can't switch out to a check or counter. Additionally, since Dugtrio is so reliant on Focus Sash remaining intact, keeping your entry hazards up will severely limit Dugtrio's viability. Dugtrio is incredibly frail and can be revenge killed by almost anything. Some priority users, such as Weavile and Scizor, and almost anything that outspeeds it with a Choice Scarf, are great options. But you don't have to outspeed Dugtrio to beat it. Many things also don't mind Dugtrio's attacks and are good options despite being slower, such as Gourgeist, Trevenant, Rotom-W, Gliscor, Hippowdon, and Skarmory.</p>
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