Sadly the sweet hair came at the cost of Arena Trap...
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[OVERVIEW]
* Arena Trap, Ground typing, high base Speed, and passable base Attack allow Dugtrio to carve a small niche for itself as a trapper against Primal Groudon and certain bulky Steel-types such as Solgaleo and Magearna.
* Z-moves give Dugtrio just enough power to reliably take out its targets while giving it some general use at revenge killing weakened foes.
* Dugtrio's trapping prowess makes it an interesting partner for dangerous sweepers such as Geomancy Xerneas, as it can trap and eliminate the vast majority of Xerneas's checks.
* Dugtrio has awful bulk and will faint in one hit to most attacks, so it must be used with care.
* Dugtrio is not useful for much outside of its niche, so a team featuring Dugtrio must derive every advantage it can out of Dugtrio's trapping abilities to make it useful.
[SET]
name: Z-move Trapper
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Memento
move 3: Toxic
move 4: Stealth Rock
item: Groundium Z
ability: Arena Trap
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
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* Earthquake is Dugtrio's best STAB move and gives it a 180-BP Tectonic Rage, allowing it to OHKO Magearna and 252 HP Solgaleo as well as 252 HP Primal Groudon after Stealth Rock damage or a minor amount of chip damage.
* The remaining moves are all meant to minimize the extent to which Dugtrio can be punished after it has successfully done its job.
* Memento prevents Dugtrio from becoming setup bait for offensive sweepers after it has done its job by neutering their offense. Memento can also grant a setup opportunity for a sweeper after Dugtrio has eliminated its counter.
* Toxic prevents Dugtrio from becoming setup bait for defensive walls by crippling their tanking ability.
* Stealth Rock is mostly a filler option, although Dugtrio's high Speed can often let it set the entry hazard up if it has nothing to trap.
Set Details
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* Maximum Attack with an Adamant nature is necessary to secure the OHKO on defensive Primal Groudon after Stealth Rock damage.
* Maximum Speed allows Dugtrio to outspeed Jolly Solgaleo and Adamant Mega Lucario.
* A Jolly Nature can be used to trap Jolly Mega Lucario, since Dugtrio barely survives Bullet Punch after Stealth Rock damage and KOes in return with Earthquake. However, Dugtrio will then need more chip damage to reliably OHKO defensive Primal Groudon with Tectonic Rage.
* Groundium Z allows Dugtrio to use Tectonic Rage.
Usage Tips
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* Dugtrio should only be used on offensive teams that are prepared to make the most of its trapping abilities.
* Dugtrio's awful bulk means it will need help getting into play against its targets. Double switches and U-turn support are generally the vehicles it will use to switch in safely, though it can try to come in on a non-attacking move in a pinch.
* Dugtrio's primary targets are Primal Groudon, Tyranitar, Blissey, and bulky grounded Steel-types such as Solgaleo, Magearna, Klefki, and potentially Excadrill if sand is not active.
* Keep a damage calculator handy—knowing when Earthquake alone is sufficient to KO the enemy Primal Groudon or grounded Steel-type can keep Dugtrio from wasting Tectonic Rage, perhaps allowing it to revenge kill another threat on the opponent's team using the Z-move in an emergency.
* Dugtrio is expendable once all its targets are eliminated. Feel free to use Dugtrio as a sacrifice (possibly with Memento) to help a sweeper set up after its job is done.
Team Options
========
* Geomancy Xerneas is the ideal partner. Most of Dugtrio's targets are Geomancy Xerneas checks, allowing it to easily sweep once they are trapped and eliminated.
* U-turn and/or Volt Switch support is invaluable for allowing Dugtrio to get safely into play. Mega Scizor is by far the best teammate for this purpose, since it tends to lure in Primal Groudon, getting enough chip damage with U-turn to where Dugtrio can secure the OHKO with Tectonic Rage. Tapu Koko can also work as a Primal Groudon lure with U-turn. Magearna can potentially surprise Klefki or Solgaleo with Volt Switch, pivoting into Dugtrio to snag the easy KO.
* Primal Kyogre benefits immensely from Dugtrio's ability to trap and KO Primal Groudon. Due to Primal Kyogre's sheer threat level, it can be used as bait to try to catch Primal Groudon with Dugtrio on a double switch.
* Yveltal provides Dugtrio with U-turn support and can switch into the speedy Ghost- and Psychic-types that will often go for the revenge kill on Dugtrio after it eliminates a target. Dugtrio also helps Yveltal by trapping some of its checks such as Blissey, Magearna, and Tyranitar.
* Arceus-Water provides a buffer against Primal Groudon until Dugtrio can find its way into battle, and it can check physically offensive Flying-types that may try to revenge kill Dugtrio such as Rayquaza, Mega Salamence, and Ho-Oh.
* Arceus-Electric checks Water- and Flying-types and benefits immensely from Dugtrio's ability to reliably take out Primal Groudon.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
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* Focus Sash allows Dugtrio to take one attack and can help it switch into battle, although it has less general utility than Groundium Z and makes Dugtrio dependent on anti-entry hazard support.
* Sucker Punch allows Dugtrip to get in a parting shot against fast Ghost- and Psychic-types trying to revenge kill it such as Mega Gengar, Mewtwo, and Choice Scarf Lunala.
* Stone Edge gives Dugtrio a way to hit Flying-types, though only Ho-Oh is really threatened by it.
* Choice Band or Life Orb gives Dugtrio a general power boost, though neither item gives Dugtrio sufficient power to OHKO Primal Groudon, making them both inferior to Groundium Z.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Non-Grounded Pokemon**: Dugtrio cannot trap or even damage any Flying-type Pokemon or Levitate users such as Bronzong or Giratina-O, making it useless against these threats.
**Physically Bulky Pokemon**: Physically defensive Pokemon such as defensive Primal Kyogre, bulky Xerneas, support Arceus formes, and Buzzwole can all take even Tectonic Rage from Dugtrio with ease and OHKO it back. Mega Sableye is especially annoying, as Magic Bounce prevents Dugtrio from getting value out of its support options.
**Priority Users**: Swords Dance Arceus, Rayquaza, Yveltal, Deoxys-A, Mega Scizor, and Adamant Mega Lucario can all easily take out Dugtrio in one hit with a powerful priority attack, bypassing Dugtrio's great Speed.
**Revenge Killers**: Any Pokemon faster than 339 Speed with a decently powerful STAB attack can easily take out Dugtrio. Prominent examples include Mewtwo, Mega Gengar, Deoxys-A, Darkrai, Shaymin-S, Pheromosa, and most users of Choice Scarf such as Lunala, Xerneas, Kyurem-W, and Landorus-T.
**Shed Shell**: Shed Shell undermines Dugtrio's purpose by negating Arena Trap, though only Blissey commonly uses it.
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