**Draft Order**: Round 5 onwards
**Price Range**: 8-10 points
**Overview**: Diancie's stat spread lends it to being primarily a defensive Pokemon, boasting high defenses alongside a typing that grants it some key resistances. This combos well with its support movepool, allowing it to assume a plethora of roles. However, it also has decent attacking stats, granting it the ability to be offensive, using its great STAB moves, useful coverage, and range of setup moves to enable itself. On the flip side, Diancie has several shortcomings, such as its typing having several common weaknesses, with Steel-types in particular being extremely dangerous for it. In addition, it has low HP and Speed stats, both of which can potentially compromise its offensive and defensive capabilities.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Entry Hazard Setter**: Diancie gets access to both Stealth Rock and Spikes, meaning it can attempt to stack as many hazards as possible. This set aims to either stack hazards at the start of a game to immediately pressure the opposing team or use its numerous switch in opportunities to set hazards gradually over the course of a game.
**Bulky Support**: Dipping into its support movepool, Diancie has numerous ways to enable its teammates, such as Baton Pass, Encore, and dual screens. By maxing out its bulk, it can hit the field multiple times to continue to support throughout the match.
**Setup Sweeper**: Diancie has access to numerous setup moves. Rock Polish and Trick Room offer speed control, Calm Mind boosts Diancie's offense to more threatening levels, and Iron Defense and Diamond Storm pair well with Body Press to create a defensive and offensive threat. Since its offenses are not world-breaking, it needs support to weaken the opposing team if it intends to attempt a sweep.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Diamond Storm, Power Gem, Meteor Beam, Moonblast, Draining Kiss, Play Rough
**Setup Moves**: Rock Polish, Calm Mind, Iron Defense
**Utility Moves**: Stealth Rock, Spikes, Encore, Light Screen, Reflect, Baton Pass, Trick Room, Rock Tomb, Bulldoze
**Coverage**: Earth Power, Flash Cannon, Psyshock, Psychic, Body Press, Gyro Ball, Tera Blast
Niche Moves
========
**Scorching Sands**: Scorching Sands is an alternate option to Earth Power that is slightly weaker but allows Diancie to potentially spread burn. This should be used solely on support sets, as offensive sets need as much power available as possible.
**Stored Power**: Some sets focus on Diancie attempting to acquire as many stat boosts as possible. This strategy pairs perfectly with Stored Power, making it ridiculously strong under these conditions.
**Endeavor**: Diancie's defensive stat spread often means it will be knocked down to low HP, powering up Endeavor and allowing it to bypass its normally lackluster offenses to deal massive damage to the foe. When paired with Endure, Diancie can potentially knock down foes to just 1 HP.
Common Items
========
**Leftovers**: Diancie has no reliable recovery outside of Rest and Draining Kiss, meaning Leftovers is an invaluable item for it. This can be paired with Protect to extract as much use out of Leftovers as possible.
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Being vulnerable to all entry hazards, Diancie can find itself worn down easily. Heavy-Duty Boots sacrifices passive recovery to allow Diancie to switch in and out more frequently throughout a game, as well as avoid the potentially game-ending Toxic Spikes.
**Sitrus Berry**: In situations where Diancie will be taking big hits, Sitrus Berry can provide a burst of health recovery, putting its health above the threshold needed for the foe to KO it and granting Diancie more turns on the field.
Niche Items
========
**Resistance Berries**: Diancie has a few weaknesses to common types, allowing foes to easily slot in coverage moves to break it down. Resistance Berries such as Babiri and Shuca Berry can allow Diancie to survive a potential KO from these attacks.
**Air Balloon**: Ground-type moves are common in the format, and being weak to them means Diancie appreciates the support of an Air Balloon, providing it a potential free switch against said moves with the added benefit of avoiding Spikes and Toxic Spikes.
**Light Clay**: Used solely on sets that focus on setting dual screens, Light Clay will extend the duration of these moves, granting its teammates more time to take advantage of them.
**Power Herb**: This should be used on sets using Meteor Beam, allowing Diancie to bypass its charging turn.
**Custap Berry**: In a similar vein to Endeavor, Diancie being knocked down to low health can enable Custap Berry, allowing it to bypass its low Speed to fire off an attack or support move in a pinch. This can also be paired with Endure to ensure it activates safely.
Tera
========
Although Diancie shouldn't be considered for your main Tera Captain, it makes for an excellent backup Tera Captain. Diancie will primarily be using Tera to allow itself to set up more easily using one or more of its many setup moves, using Tera types such as Tera Fairy, Water, and Steel for this purpose. Also, offensive sets can also take advantage of powerful coverage options provided by Tera, with Tera types such as Tera Fire and Ground able to grant Diancie options to bypass Steel-types. Finally, Tera Fighting can give Diancie STAB on Body Press, making it a perfect candidate for an Iron Defense set.
Draft Strategy
========
Diancie is not a Pokemon you center a draft around. Instead, it should be drafted with the aim of supporting other Pokemon with its vast array of utility moves, whether that be with entry hazards, dual screens, or something else. There are many different Pokemon that work in tandem with Diancie's support, which can also work to support it in the process.
**Wallbreakers / Cleaners**: Thanks to the numerous entry hazards Diancie can set up, it is able to support dangerous wallbreakers and cleaners that have their switch-ins constantly chipped down throughout the game. Additionally, Diancie can also be a slow pivot thanks to its low Speed and access to Baton Pass, allowing it to bring teammates in safely. Wallbreakers such as Palafin and frail cleaners such as Iron Valiant and Weavile benefit greatly from this kind of support.
**Setup Sweepers**: Diancie can provide multiple opportunities for teammates to safely switch in and start setting up, whether it's by using Encore or setting up dual screens. This can allow it to create potential endgame scenarios when paired with the right teammates. Setup sweepers such as Baxcalibur, Dragonite, and Volcarona become extremely dangerous when given free turns thanks to Diancie.
**Steel-type Answers**: Steel-types are the absolute best answer to Diancie, and as such, it benefits from teammates that can KO Steel-types for it as well as sponge their attacks. Fire-types such as Cinderace and Skeledirge and Ground-types such as Garchomp are able to take on Steel-types offensively and threaten them with powerful super effective STAB attacks, reducing the number of threats Diancie has to deal with.
**Naturally Faster Teammates**: Diancie is naturally slow, and thus it is reliant on a turn to set up if running some form of speed control such as Rock Polish. A way to offset this reliance is to pair Diancie with naturally faster teammates that can take over for it in a pinch. Pokemon such as Meowscarada, Greninja, and Cinderace are examples of naturally fast Pokemon that can work in this role.
Checks and Counters
========
**Steel-type Pokemon and Coverage**: Diancie suffers from a nasty 4x weakness to Steel, meaning not only do Steel-types themselves have a major advantage over it, but many Pokemon can run Steel-type coverage moves to lure it and score a surprise KO. Scizor and Metagross are prime examples of bulky Steel-types that can take Diancie's attacks and threaten it with Bullet Punch in return. Additionally, Pokemon that Diancie may usually check such as Urshifu-S can run moves like Iron Head to lure Diancie and render it useless.
**Residual Damage**: Lacking reliable recovery means Diancie is prone to being worn down throughout a game, notably through passive damage, and it cannot run every item it wants to try and compensate for this. Simply switching into attacks all game will rack up damage, especially if lacking Leftovers, leaving Diancie prone to being KOed more easily the longer a game goes on.
**Bulky Walls**: Although Diancie has some nice offensive traits, it lacks initial power to break through some bulkier Pokemon. As such, Pokemon that can take Diancie's attacks and wall it make for good counters that can wear it down and take advantage of its lack of reliable recovery. Bulky Pokemon such as Skarmory, Gholdengo, and Vaporeon can sponge Diancie's attacks, heal themselves, and threaten Diancie with their attacks in return.
**Entry Hazard Removers**: While simply removing hazards doesn't hurt Diancie directly, it is worth noting that Diancie has a poor matchup against most spinners, many of which are Ground-, Water- and Grass-types with STAB attacks that threaten Diancie with super effective damage and thus allow them to more easily keep hazards off the field. These include Iron Treads, Forretress, and Excadrill, which also boast a Steel typing that greatly threatens Diancie.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/deranged_lime.272077/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/scionicle.599989/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/nyx.564960/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/solarbeam.470115/
**Price Range**: 8-10 points
**Overview**: Diancie's stat spread lends it to being primarily a defensive Pokemon, boasting high defenses alongside a typing that grants it some key resistances. This combos well with its support movepool, allowing it to assume a plethora of roles. However, it also has decent attacking stats, granting it the ability to be offensive, using its great STAB moves, useful coverage, and range of setup moves to enable itself. On the flip side, Diancie has several shortcomings, such as its typing having several common weaknesses, with Steel-types in particular being extremely dangerous for it. In addition, it has low HP and Speed stats, both of which can potentially compromise its offensive and defensive capabilities.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Entry Hazard Setter**: Diancie gets access to both Stealth Rock and Spikes, meaning it can attempt to stack as many hazards as possible. This set aims to either stack hazards at the start of a game to immediately pressure the opposing team or use its numerous switch in opportunities to set hazards gradually over the course of a game.
**Bulky Support**: Dipping into its support movepool, Diancie has numerous ways to enable its teammates, such as Baton Pass, Encore, and dual screens. By maxing out its bulk, it can hit the field multiple times to continue to support throughout the match.
**Setup Sweeper**: Diancie has access to numerous setup moves. Rock Polish and Trick Room offer speed control, Calm Mind boosts Diancie's offense to more threatening levels, and Iron Defense and Diamond Storm pair well with Body Press to create a defensive and offensive threat. Since its offenses are not world-breaking, it needs support to weaken the opposing team if it intends to attempt a sweep.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Diamond Storm, Power Gem, Meteor Beam, Moonblast, Draining Kiss, Play Rough
**Setup Moves**: Rock Polish, Calm Mind, Iron Defense
**Utility Moves**: Stealth Rock, Spikes, Encore, Light Screen, Reflect, Baton Pass, Trick Room, Rock Tomb, Bulldoze
**Coverage**: Earth Power, Flash Cannon, Psyshock, Psychic, Body Press, Gyro Ball, Tera Blast
Niche Moves
========
**Scorching Sands**: Scorching Sands is an alternate option to Earth Power that is slightly weaker but allows Diancie to potentially spread burn. This should be used solely on support sets, as offensive sets need as much power available as possible.
**Stored Power**: Some sets focus on Diancie attempting to acquire as many stat boosts as possible. This strategy pairs perfectly with Stored Power, making it ridiculously strong under these conditions.
**Endeavor**: Diancie's defensive stat spread often means it will be knocked down to low HP, powering up Endeavor and allowing it to bypass its normally lackluster offenses to deal massive damage to the foe. When paired with Endure, Diancie can potentially knock down foes to just 1 HP.
Common Items
========
**Leftovers**: Diancie has no reliable recovery outside of Rest and Draining Kiss, meaning Leftovers is an invaluable item for it. This can be paired with Protect to extract as much use out of Leftovers as possible.
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Being vulnerable to all entry hazards, Diancie can find itself worn down easily. Heavy-Duty Boots sacrifices passive recovery to allow Diancie to switch in and out more frequently throughout a game, as well as avoid the potentially game-ending Toxic Spikes.
**Sitrus Berry**: In situations where Diancie will be taking big hits, Sitrus Berry can provide a burst of health recovery, putting its health above the threshold needed for the foe to KO it and granting Diancie more turns on the field.
Niche Items
========
**Resistance Berries**: Diancie has a few weaknesses to common types, allowing foes to easily slot in coverage moves to break it down. Resistance Berries such as Babiri and Shuca Berry can allow Diancie to survive a potential KO from these attacks.
**Air Balloon**: Ground-type moves are common in the format, and being weak to them means Diancie appreciates the support of an Air Balloon, providing it a potential free switch against said moves with the added benefit of avoiding Spikes and Toxic Spikes.
**Light Clay**: Used solely on sets that focus on setting dual screens, Light Clay will extend the duration of these moves, granting its teammates more time to take advantage of them.
**Power Herb**: This should be used on sets using Meteor Beam, allowing Diancie to bypass its charging turn.
**Custap Berry**: In a similar vein to Endeavor, Diancie being knocked down to low health can enable Custap Berry, allowing it to bypass its low Speed to fire off an attack or support move in a pinch. This can also be paired with Endure to ensure it activates safely.
Tera
========
Although Diancie shouldn't be considered for your main Tera Captain, it makes for an excellent backup Tera Captain. Diancie will primarily be using Tera to allow itself to set up more easily using one or more of its many setup moves, using Tera types such as Tera Fairy, Water, and Steel for this purpose. Also, offensive sets can also take advantage of powerful coverage options provided by Tera, with Tera types such as Tera Fire and Ground able to grant Diancie options to bypass Steel-types. Finally, Tera Fighting can give Diancie STAB on Body Press, making it a perfect candidate for an Iron Defense set.
Draft Strategy
========
Diancie is not a Pokemon you center a draft around. Instead, it should be drafted with the aim of supporting other Pokemon with its vast array of utility moves, whether that be with entry hazards, dual screens, or something else. There are many different Pokemon that work in tandem with Diancie's support, which can also work to support it in the process.
**Wallbreakers / Cleaners**: Thanks to the numerous entry hazards Diancie can set up, it is able to support dangerous wallbreakers and cleaners that have their switch-ins constantly chipped down throughout the game. Additionally, Diancie can also be a slow pivot thanks to its low Speed and access to Baton Pass, allowing it to bring teammates in safely. Wallbreakers such as Palafin and frail cleaners such as Iron Valiant and Weavile benefit greatly from this kind of support.
**Setup Sweepers**: Diancie can provide multiple opportunities for teammates to safely switch in and start setting up, whether it's by using Encore or setting up dual screens. This can allow it to create potential endgame scenarios when paired with the right teammates. Setup sweepers such as Baxcalibur, Dragonite, and Volcarona become extremely dangerous when given free turns thanks to Diancie.
**Steel-type Answers**: Steel-types are the absolute best answer to Diancie, and as such, it benefits from teammates that can KO Steel-types for it as well as sponge their attacks. Fire-types such as Cinderace and Skeledirge and Ground-types such as Garchomp are able to take on Steel-types offensively and threaten them with powerful super effective STAB attacks, reducing the number of threats Diancie has to deal with.
**Naturally Faster Teammates**: Diancie is naturally slow, and thus it is reliant on a turn to set up if running some form of speed control such as Rock Polish. A way to offset this reliance is to pair Diancie with naturally faster teammates that can take over for it in a pinch. Pokemon such as Meowscarada, Greninja, and Cinderace are examples of naturally fast Pokemon that can work in this role.
Checks and Counters
========
**Steel-type Pokemon and Coverage**: Diancie suffers from a nasty 4x weakness to Steel, meaning not only do Steel-types themselves have a major advantage over it, but many Pokemon can run Steel-type coverage moves to lure it and score a surprise KO. Scizor and Metagross are prime examples of bulky Steel-types that can take Diancie's attacks and threaten it with Bullet Punch in return. Additionally, Pokemon that Diancie may usually check such as Urshifu-S can run moves like Iron Head to lure Diancie and render it useless.
**Residual Damage**: Lacking reliable recovery means Diancie is prone to being worn down throughout a game, notably through passive damage, and it cannot run every item it wants to try and compensate for this. Simply switching into attacks all game will rack up damage, especially if lacking Leftovers, leaving Diancie prone to being KOed more easily the longer a game goes on.
**Bulky Walls**: Although Diancie has some nice offensive traits, it lacks initial power to break through some bulkier Pokemon. As such, Pokemon that can take Diancie's attacks and wall it make for good counters that can wear it down and take advantage of its lack of reliable recovery. Bulky Pokemon such as Skarmory, Gholdengo, and Vaporeon can sponge Diancie's attacks, heal themselves, and threaten Diancie with their attacks in return.
**Entry Hazard Removers**: While simply removing hazards doesn't hurt Diancie directly, it is worth noting that Diancie has a poor matchup against most spinners, many of which are Ground-, Water- and Grass-types with STAB attacks that threaten Diancie with super effective damage and thus allow them to more easily keep hazards off the field. These include Iron Treads, Forretress, and Excadrill, which also boast a Steel typing that greatly threatens Diancie.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/deranged_lime.272077/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/scionicle.599989/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/nyx.564960/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/solarbeam.470115/
Last edited: