[OVERVIEW]
Diglett's blazing 20 speed sets it at the very top of the speed tier, and ability Arena Trap allow it to function as a top tier revenge killer. Its useful offensive typing and STAB Earthquake allow it to take out or threaten many key Pokemon in the tier. While options are not too varied, Diglett has all the right tools, with Sucker Punch allowing it access to one of the fastest Priority moves in the tier, Rock Slide, to help with opposing Flying-types. Diglett is also able to support its team with a variety of support moves for after its trapping duties are complete.
Where there is light there is also darkness and nothing shines on Digletts defensive stats, making it difficult to switch in and vulnerable to opposing priority moves. It also finds itself between a rock and a hard place with items; an Eviolite lacks the damage output that is gained from a Life Orb, while the latter has fewer opportunities to safely switch in. Diglett faces competition for a trapping role with Trapinch, who hits harder and has more defensive prowess than Diglett. Even with a Life Orb, Diglett is still quite weak, as it only reaches 15 Attack and may need some support. Diglett itself is also easy to be revenge killed or set up on by bulkier attackers.
[SET]
name: Offensive Trapper
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Memento / Stealth Rock / Substitute
item: Life Orb
ability: Arena Trap
nature: Jolly
evs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 236 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Earthquake is Diglett's strongest and most reliable STAB move and allows Diglett to remove major threats such as Onix, Pawniard and Mareanie. Rock Slide allows Diglett to hit Pokemon that are immune to Earthquake, such as Vullaby, Wingull and Koffing, albeit weakly on the latter. Sucker Punch gives Diglett a means to fend off revenge killers like Corpish and creates 50/50 situations with weakened boosted sweepers like Shellder and Dwebble. Memento allows Diglett to create an opening for a set-up sweeper teammate by lowering the opponents offensive stats, forcing a switch. Stealth Rock let's Diglett support teammates long term by laying down some entry hazards. Substitute is an equally attractive to the afforementioned moves, allows Diglett to play mindgames with Sucker Punch users and also blocks status moves like Sleep Powder or Stun Spore, which would otherwise cripple Diglett's effectiveness.
Set Details
========
Maximum speed and maximum attack allow Diglett to outspeed the entire unboosted metagame and hit as hard as possible. The remaining EVs are thrown into HP, but it doesn't really matter where they go. With 236 Speed EVs and a Jolly nature, Diglett reaches 20 speed, which is top in the tier and outpaces other major threats such as Ponyta and Wingull. 236 Attack EVs give Diglett an attack stat of 15, which isn't anything to write home about, but thanks to a strong STAB move and Life Orb yields a respectable damage output. Thanks to Diglett's low HP, it also only takes 1 HP damage per turn from Life Orb recoil. Arena Trap is necessary for Diglett to perform its role of trapping in your opponents' Pokemon.
Usage Tips
========
This set aims to trap and revenge kill an opponent's Pokemon or remove common metagame threats such as Onix, Pawniard, Mareanie and Ponyta. Diglett can do this very well with a slow pivot teammate or after one of the user's Pokemon has fainted. A good strategy is to bring a teammate that lure's in the previously listed threats, offering Diglett a window to do its job. Utilizing entry hazards, such as Stealth Rock or (Toxic) Spikes in conjuction with status conditions help Diglett succeed thanks to chip damage over time to cripple Pokemon that Diglett has a difficult time getting around.
Team Options
========
Spritzee makes an excellent partner as Diglett has no problems clearing out Mareanie and Pawniard from the field. Sun-based teams also benefit once Diglett has removed Ponyta as well as the other aforementioned Pokemon. Slow pivots, such as Pancham and Vullaby, also provide great synergy as a lure for Diglett to trap and eliminate a threat. Knock Off users such as Timburr and Pawniard are beneficial teammates for Diglett as well, to ensure more KOs by removing Eviolite and Berry Juice items from the opponent's bulkier Pokemon, such as Sturdy Onix, Mareanie and Pawniard. For example, Diglett cannot OHKO Mareanie from full HP with an eviolite, but can once the item is removed. Additionally, removing Choice Scarves from faster, would be revenge killers, such as Chinchou or Krabby, helps Diglett eliminate those threats. Even though Diglett is the natural fastest Pokemon in the tier, it still enjoys support from Sticky Web, as it can help eliminate the concern of Choice Scarf users altogether. Finally, anything that can help eliminate Flying-type or Levitate enemies makes Diglett's job a lot easier, good choices for this are Chinchou or Onix. Lastly, Diglett appreciates Ferroseed or Oddish to handle Mudbray and Weak Armor Onix, in addition to Water-type threats such as Chinchou, Krabby and Corpish.
[SET]
name: Eviolite Trapper
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Earth Power
move 3: Rock Slide
move 4: Final Gambit / Sucker Punch
item: Eviolite
ability: Arena Trap
nature: Hasty / Naive
evs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 236 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
While Diglett's stats don't make Eviolite an obvious item choice, it can provide just that little bit of cushioning which allows Diglett an easier chance to switch in. Primarily, it allows Diglett to better take unboosted, not Super-Effective priority moves. Earthquake is still Diglett's strongest move and best chance to net KOs. Earth Power may seem like an odd choice, but helps Diglett avoid activating Weak Armor on Onix, and is a means to get around Iron Defense Mareanie. Rock Slide once again is present for coverage against Vullaby and Wingull, and any other Earthquake-immune Pokemon. In the last slot, Final Gambit can be a nice choice to get a final KO on a particularly difficult Pokemon, or just to take a chunk of HP out and give another teammate a chance to finish off. However, Final Gambit does sacrifice Diglett, so it should be used sparingly. Sucker Punch is also an equally attractive option, allowing Diglett to deal with revenge killers, such as Corpish or forcing mind-games with Shell Smashers such as Diglett or Dwebble. Sludge Bomb can be used over Rock Slide if Weak Armor Vullaby or Cottonnee is a concern.
Set Details
========
Diglett requires max Speed investment to reach the coveted 20 Speed milestone. A Hasty or Naive nature is recommended to get more damage out of Earth Power and keeping topspeed. The cost of using an Eviolite is the loss of damage output which is granted by Life Orb. Neither Earthquake or Earth Power will OHKO Eviolite Onix from full health. Pawniard also has only a small chance to be OHKOd by Earthquake after Stealth Rock. Sucker Punch remains Diglett's best defense against opposing priority users, if chosen over Final Gambit. Due to the lack of damage output, this set benefits from entry hazards and status chip damage. If Sludge Bomb is opted over Rock Slide, 156 Special Attack investment will be required to OHKO Cottonnee.
Usage Tips
========
Eviolite grants Diglett some more flexibility in play compared to a Life Orb, at the cost of damage. The end goal is to still trap and remove common walls and offensive threats present in the Little Cup metagame. Some prime targets for Diglett are Mareanie, Onix, Pawniard and Ponyta. Thanks to carrying Earth Power, Diglett isn't worried about switching into a Will-O-Wisp and can still handle Ponyta well even with burn status. Earth Power also avoids to activate Weak Armor on Onix, making it easier to deal and clear. Particularly, this set excels at handling Iron Defense Mareanie who can shrug off Earthquakes, even if Diglett has a Life Orb. One should note that even if he opposing Mareanie is not holding an Eviolite, Earth Power will still not OHKO, so chip damage or teammate support will be required.
Team Options
========
As with the Life Orb set, many of the same teammates will still be desired for the Eviolite Trapper. Vullaby and Pancham make great slowturners to lure in Onix and Pawniward or Mareanie, respectively. As mentioned, because of the low damage output from not having a Life Orb, entry hazards are much appreciated by Diglett. Ferroseed is an excellent choice and also eases the threat of opposing Water-types, such as Corpish and Shellder, and also can work as a lure for Ponyta. Spritzee is a good teammate as well, with its synergy from Wish-passing and also can lure in Mareanie to be trapped by Diglett.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Diglett has many niche moves and sets to fill several roles. With a Focus Sash, Diglett can be a good dedicated lead to get out to an early start for offensive-minded teams. Reversal is a good 4th move on this set to take full advantage of Focus Sash. Memento also works well to create an opening for Diglett's teammates. Diglett can also make use of a Choice Scarf to outpseed other Choice Scarf users and revenge trap Flame Charge Ponyta, as well as outpace other Diglett. Sludge Bomb can be a solid choice to damage Vullaby without triggering Weak Armor, but is a fairly weak choice. If one absolutely needs Stealth Rock and can't find another teammate to take over the role, Diglett can set Stealth Rock quite easily with it's fast speed, and compress multiple roles into one, but runs the risk of being a proverbial jack of all trades. Lastly, if running a manual Sun team, Diglett is the fastest non-Prankster Sunny Day setter in the tier.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Non-grounded Pokemon**: Flying-type Pokemon don't fear Diglett as they are immune to its STAB and strongest attack. Koffing and Bronzor are also great counters to Diglett, given their natural physical bulkiness and immunity to Diglett's STAB. Bulkier Flying-types such as Vullaby are also able to setup on Diglett which can be very difficult to play against. Diglett's very weak defenses also do it no favours when having to deal with attacks from Flying-type Pokemon, as a STAB Brave Bird or Air Slash can shred through Diglett's paper defenses.
**Strong Priority Users**: Building on the last point of Diglett's abysmal defense stats, a strong priority move such as a Sucker Punch from Pawniard, Mach Punch from Timburr or Aqua Jet from anything, will also nullify Diglett. Only priority users who are weak to Sucker Punch, of which there are not many, can Diglett reliably take on. Additionally, any bulky priority user can likely shrug off one of Diglett's attacks and either setup or just outright beat Diglett.
**Grass-types**: Ferroseed and Oddish are the biggest Grass-type threats in the tier. Diglett can only hope for high rolls to 2HKO either, even with Stealth Rock damage. Bullet Seed Ferroseed can also break any Substitutes Diglett has set up while Oddish can shrug off damage and crippled Diglett with Strength Sap or just KO with Giga Drain.
**Bulky Pokemon**: Because Diglett doesn't have a reliable way to boost its damage output, bulky pokemon can either wear Diglett out, or set the conditions for the opposing team to initiate their own setup sweepers. Even with a Life Orb, Diglett's non super effective hits are relatively weak. This allows, but is not limited to, Pokemon like Shellder, Corpish, Scrafty, Timburr, Mareanie and others to shrug off Diglett's attempts and get in position to wreak havoc.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Alan, 43880]]
- Quality checked by: [[KSG,32350 ], [Stoward,420389], [, ]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]
I think this is done, as in ready to be checked. I decided to leave off the Choice Scarf set since Elekid is no longer a thing, and it just doesn't seem as useful with Webs being such a critical part of the current LC metagame. It also doesn't hit very hard and its kinda just underwhelming in my experience, and being locked into Earthquake makes it way too easy for Vullaby, Wingull, Cutiefly or any number of mons to switch in and get a free setup which can easily wreck a team. I also didn't make a special diglett set because a) I've never used it and b) it seems hella niche and probably could do with being in Other Options if you guys think so. Anyway cheers.
Diglett's blazing 20 speed sets it at the very top of the speed tier, and ability Arena Trap allow it to function as a top tier revenge killer. Its useful offensive typing and STAB Earthquake allow it to take out or threaten many key Pokemon in the tier. While options are not too varied, Diglett has all the right tools, with Sucker Punch allowing it access to one of the fastest Priority moves in the tier, Rock Slide, to help with opposing Flying-types. Diglett is also able to support its team with a variety of support moves for after its trapping duties are complete.
Where there is light there is also darkness and nothing shines on Digletts defensive stats, making it difficult to switch in and vulnerable to opposing priority moves. It also finds itself between a rock and a hard place with items; an Eviolite lacks the damage output that is gained from a Life Orb, while the latter has fewer opportunities to safely switch in. Diglett faces competition for a trapping role with Trapinch, who hits harder and has more defensive prowess than Diglett. Even with a Life Orb, Diglett is still quite weak, as it only reaches 15 Attack and may need some support. Diglett itself is also easy to be revenge killed or set up on by bulkier attackers.
[SET]
name: Offensive Trapper
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Memento / Stealth Rock / Substitute
item: Life Orb
ability: Arena Trap
nature: Jolly
evs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 236 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Earthquake is Diglett's strongest and most reliable STAB move and allows Diglett to remove major threats such as Onix, Pawniard and Mareanie. Rock Slide allows Diglett to hit Pokemon that are immune to Earthquake, such as Vullaby, Wingull and Koffing, albeit weakly on the latter. Sucker Punch gives Diglett a means to fend off revenge killers like Corpish and creates 50/50 situations with weakened boosted sweepers like Shellder and Dwebble. Memento allows Diglett to create an opening for a set-up sweeper teammate by lowering the opponents offensive stats, forcing a switch. Stealth Rock let's Diglett support teammates long term by laying down some entry hazards. Substitute is an equally attractive to the afforementioned moves, allows Diglett to play mindgames with Sucker Punch users and also blocks status moves like Sleep Powder or Stun Spore, which would otherwise cripple Diglett's effectiveness.
Set Details
========
Maximum speed and maximum attack allow Diglett to outspeed the entire unboosted metagame and hit as hard as possible. The remaining EVs are thrown into HP, but it doesn't really matter where they go. With 236 Speed EVs and a Jolly nature, Diglett reaches 20 speed, which is top in the tier and outpaces other major threats such as Ponyta and Wingull. 236 Attack EVs give Diglett an attack stat of 15, which isn't anything to write home about, but thanks to a strong STAB move and Life Orb yields a respectable damage output. Thanks to Diglett's low HP, it also only takes 1 HP damage per turn from Life Orb recoil. Arena Trap is necessary for Diglett to perform its role of trapping in your opponents' Pokemon.
Usage Tips
========
This set aims to trap and revenge kill an opponent's Pokemon or remove common metagame threats such as Onix, Pawniard, Mareanie and Ponyta. Diglett can do this very well with a slow pivot teammate or after one of the user's Pokemon has fainted. A good strategy is to bring a teammate that lure's in the previously listed threats, offering Diglett a window to do its job. Utilizing entry hazards, such as Stealth Rock or (Toxic) Spikes in conjuction with status conditions help Diglett succeed thanks to chip damage over time to cripple Pokemon that Diglett has a difficult time getting around.
Team Options
========
Spritzee makes an excellent partner as Diglett has no problems clearing out Mareanie and Pawniard from the field. Sun-based teams also benefit once Diglett has removed Ponyta as well as the other aforementioned Pokemon. Slow pivots, such as Pancham and Vullaby, also provide great synergy as a lure for Diglett to trap and eliminate a threat. Knock Off users such as Timburr and Pawniard are beneficial teammates for Diglett as well, to ensure more KOs by removing Eviolite and Berry Juice items from the opponent's bulkier Pokemon, such as Sturdy Onix, Mareanie and Pawniard. For example, Diglett cannot OHKO Mareanie from full HP with an eviolite, but can once the item is removed. Additionally, removing Choice Scarves from faster, would be revenge killers, such as Chinchou or Krabby, helps Diglett eliminate those threats. Even though Diglett is the natural fastest Pokemon in the tier, it still enjoys support from Sticky Web, as it can help eliminate the concern of Choice Scarf users altogether. Finally, anything that can help eliminate Flying-type or Levitate enemies makes Diglett's job a lot easier, good choices for this are Chinchou or Onix. Lastly, Diglett appreciates Ferroseed or Oddish to handle Mudbray and Weak Armor Onix, in addition to Water-type threats such as Chinchou, Krabby and Corpish.
[SET]
name: Eviolite Trapper
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Earth Power
move 3: Rock Slide
move 4: Final Gambit / Sucker Punch
item: Eviolite
ability: Arena Trap
nature: Hasty / Naive
evs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 236 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
While Diglett's stats don't make Eviolite an obvious item choice, it can provide just that little bit of cushioning which allows Diglett an easier chance to switch in. Primarily, it allows Diglett to better take unboosted, not Super-Effective priority moves. Earthquake is still Diglett's strongest move and best chance to net KOs. Earth Power may seem like an odd choice, but helps Diglett avoid activating Weak Armor on Onix, and is a means to get around Iron Defense Mareanie. Rock Slide once again is present for coverage against Vullaby and Wingull, and any other Earthquake-immune Pokemon. In the last slot, Final Gambit can be a nice choice to get a final KO on a particularly difficult Pokemon, or just to take a chunk of HP out and give another teammate a chance to finish off. However, Final Gambit does sacrifice Diglett, so it should be used sparingly. Sucker Punch is also an equally attractive option, allowing Diglett to deal with revenge killers, such as Corpish or forcing mind-games with Shell Smashers such as Diglett or Dwebble. Sludge Bomb can be used over Rock Slide if Weak Armor Vullaby or Cottonnee is a concern.
Set Details
========
Diglett requires max Speed investment to reach the coveted 20 Speed milestone. A Hasty or Naive nature is recommended to get more damage out of Earth Power and keeping topspeed. The cost of using an Eviolite is the loss of damage output which is granted by Life Orb. Neither Earthquake or Earth Power will OHKO Eviolite Onix from full health. Pawniard also has only a small chance to be OHKOd by Earthquake after Stealth Rock. Sucker Punch remains Diglett's best defense against opposing priority users, if chosen over Final Gambit. Due to the lack of damage output, this set benefits from entry hazards and status chip damage. If Sludge Bomb is opted over Rock Slide, 156 Special Attack investment will be required to OHKO Cottonnee.
Usage Tips
========
Eviolite grants Diglett some more flexibility in play compared to a Life Orb, at the cost of damage. The end goal is to still trap and remove common walls and offensive threats present in the Little Cup metagame. Some prime targets for Diglett are Mareanie, Onix, Pawniard and Ponyta. Thanks to carrying Earth Power, Diglett isn't worried about switching into a Will-O-Wisp and can still handle Ponyta well even with burn status. Earth Power also avoids to activate Weak Armor on Onix, making it easier to deal and clear. Particularly, this set excels at handling Iron Defense Mareanie who can shrug off Earthquakes, even if Diglett has a Life Orb. One should note that even if he opposing Mareanie is not holding an Eviolite, Earth Power will still not OHKO, so chip damage or teammate support will be required.
Team Options
========
As with the Life Orb set, many of the same teammates will still be desired for the Eviolite Trapper. Vullaby and Pancham make great slowturners to lure in Onix and Pawniward or Mareanie, respectively. As mentioned, because of the low damage output from not having a Life Orb, entry hazards are much appreciated by Diglett. Ferroseed is an excellent choice and also eases the threat of opposing Water-types, such as Corpish and Shellder, and also can work as a lure for Ponyta. Spritzee is a good teammate as well, with its synergy from Wish-passing and also can lure in Mareanie to be trapped by Diglett.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Diglett has many niche moves and sets to fill several roles. With a Focus Sash, Diglett can be a good dedicated lead to get out to an early start for offensive-minded teams. Reversal is a good 4th move on this set to take full advantage of Focus Sash. Memento also works well to create an opening for Diglett's teammates. Diglett can also make use of a Choice Scarf to outpseed other Choice Scarf users and revenge trap Flame Charge Ponyta, as well as outpace other Diglett. Sludge Bomb can be a solid choice to damage Vullaby without triggering Weak Armor, but is a fairly weak choice. If one absolutely needs Stealth Rock and can't find another teammate to take over the role, Diglett can set Stealth Rock quite easily with it's fast speed, and compress multiple roles into one, but runs the risk of being a proverbial jack of all trades. Lastly, if running a manual Sun team, Diglett is the fastest non-Prankster Sunny Day setter in the tier.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Non-grounded Pokemon**: Flying-type Pokemon don't fear Diglett as they are immune to its STAB and strongest attack. Koffing and Bronzor are also great counters to Diglett, given their natural physical bulkiness and immunity to Diglett's STAB. Bulkier Flying-types such as Vullaby are also able to setup on Diglett which can be very difficult to play against. Diglett's very weak defenses also do it no favours when having to deal with attacks from Flying-type Pokemon, as a STAB Brave Bird or Air Slash can shred through Diglett's paper defenses.
**Strong Priority Users**: Building on the last point of Diglett's abysmal defense stats, a strong priority move such as a Sucker Punch from Pawniard, Mach Punch from Timburr or Aqua Jet from anything, will also nullify Diglett. Only priority users who are weak to Sucker Punch, of which there are not many, can Diglett reliably take on. Additionally, any bulky priority user can likely shrug off one of Diglett's attacks and either setup or just outright beat Diglett.
**Grass-types**: Ferroseed and Oddish are the biggest Grass-type threats in the tier. Diglett can only hope for high rolls to 2HKO either, even with Stealth Rock damage. Bullet Seed Ferroseed can also break any Substitutes Diglett has set up while Oddish can shrug off damage and crippled Diglett with Strength Sap or just KO with Giga Drain.
**Bulky Pokemon**: Because Diglett doesn't have a reliable way to boost its damage output, bulky pokemon can either wear Diglett out, or set the conditions for the opposing team to initiate their own setup sweepers. Even with a Life Orb, Diglett's non super effective hits are relatively weak. This allows, but is not limited to, Pokemon like Shellder, Corpish, Scrafty, Timburr, Mareanie and others to shrug off Diglett's attempts and get in position to wreak havoc.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Alan, 43880]]
- Quality checked by: [[KSG,32350 ], [Stoward,420389], [, ]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]
I think this is done, as in ready to be checked. I decided to leave off the Choice Scarf set since Elekid is no longer a thing, and it just doesn't seem as useful with Webs being such a critical part of the current LC metagame. It also doesn't hit very hard and its kinda just underwhelming in my experience, and being locked into Earthquake makes it way too easy for Vullaby, Wingull, Cutiefly or any number of mons to switch in and get a free setup which can easily wreck a team. I also didn't make a special diglett set because a) I've never used it and b) it seems hella niche and probably could do with being in Other Options if you guys think so. Anyway cheers.
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