http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/dugtrio
[SET]
name: Revenge
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Stone Edge / Rock Slide
move 3: Sucker Punch / Night Slash
move 4: Aerial Ace / Pursuit
item: Choice Band / Life Orb
ability: Arena Trap
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 40 HP / 252 Atk / 216 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With its high Speed stat coupled with Arena Trap, Dugtrio has generally been a very reliable revenge killer since Advance. Earthquake is your primary attack, not only because it is Dugtrio's only STAB move, but because it can score some useful OHKOs against Heatran, Magnezone, and sometimes Tyranitar. Because of Dugtrio's mediocre Attack stat, you will need to score as many super effective hits as possible with your remaining moves. Stone Edge is needed to hit those Flying-types who are immune to Earthquake. You may prefer Rock Slide's higher accuracy and 30% flinch rate, which can be helpful when considering Dugtrio's frailty and the flinch rate is complemented by Dugtrio's excellent Speed. However, Stone Edge's higher base power is generally more important as it will almost always be able to 2HKO minimum Defense Gyarados, Zapdos, and Salamence. Sucker Punch's priority will allow you to beat the occasional Alakazam. It will also OHKO Azelf and Gengar, though they can easily switch out since they have Levitate. Sucker Punch's low PP can also be easily abused by these two Pokemon, as both are often packing non-attacking moves. Because of this, you may opt for Night Slash instead. Aerial Ace is in your last slot as is your only reliable method for revenge killing Heracross and Breloom. However, since both aren't that common, you can use Pursuit instead, as it will grant you a kill against Azelf and Gengar.</p>
<p>Jolly nature is preferred, as you will be able to outspeed everything up to positive natured base 115 Speed Pokemon with the given EVs. This will allow you to get that crucial revenge kill on several Pokemon, most notably Infernape, Choice Scarf Magnezone, and Tyranitar with a single Dragon Dance. Unless you are worried about OHKOing max HP Tyranitar, Adamant is generally unnecessary.</p>
<p>Choosing your item is a matter of preferences. Choice Band provides you enough power to get that crucial 2HKO against Blissey as well as an OHKO against most Tyranitar, with Stealth Rock factored in. However, many bulkier Pokemon like Scizor, Heracross, Metagross, and even Tyranitar can easily revenge kill Dugtrio with Pursuit if it is stuck on the wrong move. If you use Life Orb, this is no longer a problem, and your attacks will still have enough power to finish off more frail Pokemon, but you will no longer be able to reliably 2HKO Blissey or OHKO Tyranitar, even with Stealth Rock factored in. If you are having trouble deciding, then you may refer to <a href="/forums/showthread.php?t=17835">this discussion thread</a> to determine which item is better for your needs.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Night Slash / Sucker Punch
move 4: Aerial Ace
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Arena Trap
nature: Adamant
evs: 88 HP / 252 Atk / 168 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While Dugtrio is certainly fast, there are still a wide array of Choice Scarf users that outspeed the standard Revenge set. With 168 Speed EVs and a Choice Scarf, however, Dugtrio will reach 477 speed, which will outspeed most scarfed Pokemon with ease, most notably Heatran, neutral Speed natured Infernape, and Heracross.</p>
<p>Your attacking moves are virtually the same as those on the Revenge set. However, since you no longer have the boosts from Choice Band or Life Orb, you will generally have a much more difficult time scoring OHKOs. Earthquake will still OHKO Heatran, Infernape, and Magnezone, but will never OHKO min HP / min Def Tyranitar. Since you outspeed all Salamence and Gyarados after 1 Dragon Dance, you can catch a surprise hit with Stone Edge, though you will very rarely ever KO them without Stealth Rock support. Night Slash is used over Sucker Punch, primarily because you will never need the priority as you outspeed almost everything, save the occasional Timid Scarf Gengar or Azelf. Keep in mind that they are not OHKOed by either of these moves. Aerial Ace is there for Choice Scarf Heracross, but it will rarely OHKO unless Stealth Rock is in play.</p>
<p>Adamant nature is a must as you will need as much attack as possible if you want to reliably revenge kill several of the aforementioned threats.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Beyond the moves already listed, Dugtrio's physical movepool is pretty barren. Dugtrio can potentially be used as a lead if it runs Stealth Rock and Protect with Pursuit and while holding a Focus Sash, though its use is very limited when compared to the other two sets.</p>
[EVs]
<p>252 Attack EVs on all sets is a no brainer, especially because of Dugtrio's less than stellar attack stat. While you may just as easily dump 252 EVs into Speed, 40 EVs in HP are useful because they will give you a high chance of survival from an ExtremeSpeed from an Adamant Lucario with Life Orb. This will leave you with 216 Speed EVs, which is still enough to outspeed base 115 Speed Pokemon if you are running a Jolly nature. Although this means you will no longer have the chance to tie other base 120s, the only one remotely common in OU is Alakazam, which is not a problem thanks to Sucker Punch. For the Choice Scarf set, 168 Speed EVs are enough to outrun Electivire with a Motor Drive boost.</p>
[Opinion]
<p>Dugtrio has not changed very much since Advance, as it is still good at doing what it does best best, which is revenge killing. However, there are also many factors that have hampered Dugtrio's usefulness. Several Pokemon now have access to Physical Pursuit, most notably Metagross, Weavile, Tyranitar, and Scizor. Due to the effects of the Choice items Dugtrio commonly carries, it is often a sitting duck after it gets its kill. This also means that Dugtrio faces serious competition as far as revenge killing goes, as all of the previously mentioned Pokemon have much better Attack and Defensive stats. Worse yet, there is also an abundance of priority users that can prey on Dugtrio's terrible defenses, such as Lucario and Scizor. Lastly, the prevalence of Trick and Choice Scarf has reduced the number of Pokemon that Dugtrio can reliably revenge kill, which sometimes forces it to use a Choice Scarf of its own at the cost of putting up with its mediocre Attack.</p>
<p>However, despite these issues, Dugtrio's revenge killing abilities can be a great asset for most teams in the currently fast-paced and offensive metagame. Even just one surprise kill from Dugtrio can stop your opponent's sweep, or sometimes create an opening for a sweep of your own. While Dugtrio is helpful in this regard, you will need to be cautious.</p>
[Counters]
<p>No team should ever expect to be fully prepared for Dugtrio as being unable to switch due to Arena Trap will almost always guarantee it at least one KO. However, after Dugtrio makes its kill, it is very easily stopped with a revenge killer of your own thanks to its low defenses. Scizor can easily OHKO it with a Bullet Bunch and Life Orb if it decides to stay in, or it can simply use Pursuit if it attempts to switch out. Weavile is also a great contender for similar reasons. It can OHKO it with Pursuit if it switches out, or it can finish it off with Ice Punch if it stays in. Porygon2 can Trace Arena Trap and KO it with Ice Beam. Even a Dugtrio of your own can work if your opponent's Dugtrio is stuck on Stone Edge.</p>
