Status: Complete, but need Proofreading!
Updates:
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/diglett
Little Cup is really very interesting. So far, I've only come up with the "Revenge Killer" set, so anything else is appreciated.
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[SET]
name: Lead
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Stealth Rock
move 3: Sucker Punch / Shadow Claw
move 4: Protect
item: Focus Sash
ability: Arena Trap
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 236 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While typically used as a revenge killer, Diglett can function as a reasonably effective lead as well. The qualities that make it a successful lead include its Arena Trap ability (which transforms it into a kind of anti-lead), high Attack and Speed stats, and access to Stealth Rock.</p>
<p>Lead Diglett's moveset has undergone some dramatic changes when compared to its other traditional all-out attacking sets. Earthquake is Diglett's most powerful move and cannot be ignored on any set. Having Stealth Rock up early in the battle is never a bad idea; it is something many teams tend to rely on. Furthermore, since Diglett is commonly found on offensive teams, it makes a fine lead on hyper offensive ones. The choice between Shadow Claw or Sucker Punch depends on your personal preference - both have their positive and negative points. Shadow Claw allows Diglett to deal with Substitute + Calm Mind Ghost-types one hundred percent of the time; Sucker Punch does not. Note that Shadow Claw is unable to hit Normal-types. (Diglett does not learn Night Slash). Sucker Punch, however, is a priority move, something that many leads have in order to eliminate Focus Sash users. Finally, Protect is a must in Diglett's fourth move slot. Lacking Protect will allow Fake Out Leads like Meowth to get rid of Diglett's Focus Sash, and Diglett's poor defenses almost always means that it will be OHKOed after a Fake Out.</p>
<p>One thing that Lead Diglett can boast about is that it is almost always able to set up Stealth Rock. With such high Speed, a Focus Sash, and Protect, setting up Stealth Rock immediately is basically guaranteed unless Diglett is Taunted by a faster Pokemon or a Pokemon that ties in Speed with it. An example of such a Pokemon would be Voltorb, but Diglett can easily KO it with Earthquake. Another way to prevent Diglett from setting up Stealth Rock would be to put it to sleep; however, not many Pokemon are faster than Diglett! Bar several Choice Scarf leads, nothing much can outrun Diglett, and even if Choice Scarf leads decide to put Diglett to sleep, they will be forced to lock into their sleep move until it is out of PP. Diglett can then comfortably wake up, set up Stealth Rock, and wait until its Choice Scarf Sleep-inducing opponent kills itself with Struggle. Protect comes in handy against leads like Meowth - Diglett should Protect on the fake out, and proceed to set up Stealth Rock or OHKO Meowth right away.</p>
<p>Although rarely will it find itself being stopped from setting up Stealth Rock, Diglett has problems with several other leads that are bulky enough to take a hit. Phanpy and Hippopotas can not only take an Earthquake, but also respond to it. Additionally, Phanpy has a priority Ice Shard that can come in useful when dealing with Diglett. Both Hippopotas and Phanpy can set up their own Stealth Rocks, too. If you decide to use Sucker Punch, you will certainly have problems with Lead Drifloon, who can put you to sleep with Hypnosis and KO you with Shadow Ball or set up a Substitute and Baton Pass it away to something that can easily deal with Diglett. You will experience similar problems against Misdreavus and Gastly; for this reason, Shadow Claw can be the superior choice that hits them even if they decide to set up Substitutes. While it seems that you can trap and defeat Lead Meowth with ease, it can U-turn away into an appopriate Diglett counter. As always, opposing Bronzor, whether or not they are leads, will give Diglett problems. With Levitate and a decently powered Gyro Ball, Diglett will find that it is unable to touch Bronzor at all. The rare Snover lead can easily demolish Dugtrio in one turn with an Ice-type move and hail's residual damage as well. Finally, you may choose to employ Hidden Power Ice on this set to have an easier time with Gligar.</p>
<p>Having a Houndour partner up with Diglett can help your team spectacularly. Houndour can use its specially-based moves to pick on Phanpy's, Gligar's, and Hippopotas' weaker Special Defense and KO them sooner or later. Houndour also resists Shadow Ball, meaning that it can switch into either Misdreavus', Drifloon's, or Gastly's Shadow Balls and retaliate with either Pursuit or Dark Pulse. Houndour is also capable of damaging Bronzor, while sporting a resistance to Gyro Ball at the same time. It also resists Snover's Dual-STAB and can use Flamethrower to barbecue the tiny christmas tree for 4x super effective damage. While this set is played differently to the offensive ones, don't forget that Diglett can still make short work of the likes of Magby, Elekid, and Chinchou. To assist its sweeping process, it is advised that a Water-type that can pack a punch, like Chinchou or Staryu, be partnered with Diglett to secure both an offensive and defensive combination (Water-types can cushion Water- and Ice-type attacks directed at Diglett, while Diglett is immune to Electric-type attacks that easily electrocute its Water-type partner).</p>
[SET]
name: Non-Choice Revenge Killer
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Sucker Punch
move 3: Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Substitute / Rock Slide / Shadow Claw
item: Life Orb / Focus Sash
ability: Arena Trap
nature: Hasty
evs: 240 Atk / 236 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set provides a different approach to using Diglett. Obviously, Diglett experiences a decrease in Attack or Speed without the use of a Choice Band or Choice Scarf. However, when equipped with a Life Orb or Focus Sash, it is able to use all four of its moves, as opposed to its Choice sets, in which it is forced to lock into one move. With deadly attacking moves and Substitute, this set can really go the distance in Little Cup.</p>
<p>The main point that makes this set different from others is the presence of Substitute. In the process of revenge killing, Diglett may sometimes manage to switch into a Choiced Electric-type move, which it is immune to. When this happens, Diglett can not only win the matchup, but also set up a Substitute in the process! As is known, Diglett's attacks can 2HKO most Pokemon in Little Cup. If Diglett does manage to set up a Substitute, it will not only 2HKO its opponent, but also remain healthy at the same time (unless an opponent uses priority moves). From behind its Substitute, Diglett has a number of attacking options available to it. Earthquake is ever-present and can hit especially hard thanks to the attacking bonus gained from Life Orb. Sucker Punch provides Diglett some much-needed priority, especially against Choice Scarfed foes that can easily OHKO it. Note that if you do have a Substitute up, and your opponent is faster than you and breaks your Substitute, you can almost be sure that it is Scarfed. From there, you can switch to an appropriate counter. Next, Hidden Power Ice is necessary to combat Gligar; without it, Gligar will wall this set all day long, while able to launch Earthquakes that will OHKO Diglett sooner or later. Hidden Power is also Diglett's best way (besides Aerial Ace) to hit Grass-types that resist Earthquake for super effective damage. If Substitute is not preferable, you may choose to use a Focus Sash as well. In this case, it is recommended that you use either Rock Slide or Shadow Claw for a broader range of attacking options.</p>
<p>Not too many Pokemon enjoy facing this Diglett set, since it both sports power, Speed, and excellent and powerful moves that can injure opponents. Unfortunately, there are also a number of Pokemon that make Diglett's setting up of its Substitute useless. Bronzor is the perfect counter, being immune to Earthquake, while taking ridiculously low amounts of damage from anything else Diglett uses against it. It will have no trouble breaking Diglett's Substitutes either, as Gyro Ball is powered up to great levels due to Diglett's high Speed stat. Phanpy and Hippopotas are also fantastic at the job, able to take an Earthquake and break Diglett's Substitute, at the very least. Phanpy even boasts a priority Ice Shard that can trouble Diglett before it can knock Phanpy out. Next, priority users or Pokemon faster than Diglett in general are also problematic. If Diglett cannot OHKO them from behind its Substitute, it risks the threat of dying to a priority move! Its low defenses doesn't help either, and moves like Aqua Jet and Ice Shard tend to mark the end of Diglett's journey. These moves are usually wielded by the likes of Buizel, Carvanha, and the aforementioned Phanpy.</p>
<p>This Diglett complements perfectly with Water-types. Water-types often attract Electric-type attacks, so Diglett can come in on moves like Thunderbolt and ThunderPunch, and possibly set up a Substitute along the way! Water-types can also clear Diglett's path to sweep by eliminating bulky Ground-types, most notably Gligar, Hippopotas, and Phanpy. By repeatedly damaging Bronzor and knocking it out of play if possible, Diglett will have a much easier time in its quest to sweep. This set also faces difficulties against Substitute + Calm Mind Ghost-types, as they can take advantage of Diglett's weak or non-effective attacks to set up along the way. To remedy this problem, having a Specially Defensive Munchlax on your side can help; neither Misdreavus nor Gastly will be able OHKO it without enough boosts, while it can harm them with Fire Punch or Pursuit in return.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Revenge Killer
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Hidden Power Ice
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Shadow Claw / Rock Slide
item: Choice Band / Choice Scarf
ability: Arena Trap
nature: Lonely / Hasty
evs: 240 Atk / 236 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Diglett is a prevalent and terrorizing force in Little Cup as it can easily trap and dispatch its opponents. Its Arena Trap grants it the ability to prevent a wide range of opponents, with the exception of Flying-types and Levitating Pokemon, from switching out. Add a series of particularly powerful moves to the mix, and Diglett becomes one of the best revenge killers in Little Cup, able to OHKO a variety of walls and sweepers without a second thought.</p>
<p>Earthquake is Diglett's most powerful attack. Even if it seems to lack the Attack stat to do much damage, a STAB Earthquake can actually strip off large amounts of health from anything that is not resistant or immune to it. Earthquake is also Diglett's greatest weapon against the likes of Chinchou and Munchlax, while severely harming offensively-based Pokemon like Elekid, Magby, and Houndour. Hidden Power Ice may seem odd on Diglett as first glance, but in fact it is Diglett's only way to deal massive damage to Gligar, while also hitting other Grass-types that resist Earthquake for super effective damage. Sucker Punch is Diglett's best bet against Ghost-types, particularly Choiced ones like Gastly. Even if Diglett is already quite fast, Sucker Punch's priority can help it out against the opponents that can be faster than its non-Choice variant, such as Choice Scarf Abra or Choice Scarf Staryu.</p>
<p>The last moveslot has three interesting options. Shadow Claw is mainly used to hit Misdreavus and Gastly for super effective damage. A primary reason to use Shadow Claw over Sucker Punch is because Sucker Punch can certainly be unreliable at times, especially if you are doing battle with a Pokemon such as Substitute + Calm Mind Misdreavus. Finally, Rock Slide can also be used; it provides excellent coverage alongside Earthquake, hitting most nasty Flying-types that resist Earthquake for super effective damage. Examples of these include Mantyke and Taillow, although the latter can be dealt with Sucker Punch if it is weakened by its Flame Orb or Toxic Orb recoil damage.</p>
<p>Diglett can make use of a number of useful items; the item it is equipped with determines how it is to be used. Its EVs, however, are universal, as they maximize its offensive prowess. With a Choice Band equipped, Diglett can have up to 24 Attack, which is the hardest Attack stat from which it can hit. It will also have a Speed stat of 19 (assuming an Lonely nature), which, by Little Cup standards, is not too bad. With a Choice Scarf equipped, Diglett can have up to 30 Speed with a Hasty nature, which is generally recognized as the apex of Little Cup's speed tiers. Unfortunately, it will have significantly less Attack than its Choice Band counterpart; therefore, when using Choice Scarf Diglett, know what Diglett can and cannot kill before sending it out to play. Life Orb is also an alternative as it gives access to all of Diglett's moves while allowing it to fire off attacks with reasonable power. Diglett can also equip a Focus Sash, although it really becomes wasted if Diglett switches into DPP's new and ever-present entry hazard: Stealth Rock. For this reason, it is recommended that you stick with items that assist Diglett offensively.</p>
<p>Even though it can trap many opponents, it struggles to OHKO many. Diglett has horrible defenses, and opponents should make use of this fact if they manage to get a hit against Diglett. Diglett also encounters problems against extremely bulky walls like Bronzor and Hippopotas, who can survive a number of hits and OHKO Diglett in return. Bronzor is arguably one of Diglett's greatest counters as it takes little to no damage from anything hurled at it. With its Levitate ability, Bronzor is immune to Earthquake, Diglett's most powerful move, while having the ability to freely switch in and out of Arena Trap. Bronzor can then threaten Diglett with a powerful Gyro Ball or even Earthquake. Similarly, Phanpy and Hippopotas can use their bulky defenses to counter Diglett; the first can even use a priority Ice Shard against it. If Diglett predicts incorrectly, Levitating and Flying-type Pokemon are just ready to switch in without a moment's hesitation. Even though Diglett has ways to deal with Calm Mind Misdreavus, it will not like getting locked into Sucker Punch while Misdreavus sets up a Substitute! If Diglett is not Choice Scarfed, there is a large number of Pokemon that are faster than it. Therefore, don't get overconfident against foes like Abra and Cranidos. Even if you believe you have the upper hand, the lack of scouting may often lead to Diglett's uneventful and careless death.</p>
<p>To maximize Diglett's revenge killing potential, do it a favor by eliminating some of its common counters first. Bronzor can be defeated by Magnet Rise Magnemite, although you must beware if Bronzor has a Shed Shell. Bulky Ground-types like Hippowdon and Phanpy can be OHKOed by powerful moves that do super effective damage to them. With moves like Surf and Ice Beam, Staryu can potentially OHKO them easily. Staryu can also help Diglett resist its weaknesses to common attacking types that Ground-types are weak to: Ice-, Grass-, and Water-type moves. Both of them work well together because of their presence on the same type of team: hyper offensive teams. Psyduck works similarly to Staryu as well. To deal with Ghost-types that make predicting for Diglett hard, consider using Pursuit users like Houndour and Cranidos. Houndour can easily switch into a Shadow Ball and do whatever it sees fit (either use Dark Pulse or Pursuit) from there. When running Focus Sash Diglett, remember to keep a Rapid Spinner in your team, as Focus Sash heavily relies on a field clear of entry hazards to function well. In terms of helping Diglett defensively, Water-types work well with it; Chinchou deserves a special mention for being bulky enough to take many Water-, Ice-, or even special Grass-type attacks. Otherwise, Munchlax can help it take hits from the special spectrum, while Bronzor can help it take hits from the physical spectrum.</p>
<p>Finally, a few entry hazards of your own (Stealth Rock is of utmost importance) ensures that Diglett does its job in the best way it possibly can - chip off opponents' health with Stealth Rock or even Spikes and Toxic Spikes, and let Diglett clean up whatever managed to survive the layers of residual damage.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Diglett doesn't have too many other useful options in its movepool. Pursuit can be used to trap Levitating Ghost- or Psychic-types from fleeing, Toxic can be used to cripple Gligar, and Aerial Ace can be used to hit Shroomish, but unfortunately, those are about it. Hidden Power Ice can be used on the Lead set to KO Gligar, and Stealth Rock can be used on the Non-Choice Revenge Killer; feel free to use these moves to suit your needs.</p>
[EVs]
<p>Diglett's EVs are incredibly simple to understand. Its listed spread of 36 HP / 236 Atk / 236 Spe is used to maximize its overall physical offensive potential by investing EVs into the stats that are worth it. No matter what Choice item or nature you assume, 236 Atk / 236 Spe EVs maximizes Diglett's Attack and Speed to the highest stat values that they can get to. 36 HP is a leftover investment that increases Diglett's HP stat by a value of one. However, on sets that sport Hidden Power Ice, Diglett's Attack IV is reduced by 1. For this reason, the optimal offensive spread is 240 Atk / 236 Spe with a Hasty nature.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>Since Diglett is generally an offensively-based Pokemon, expect to find it in a team with multiple sweepers and revenge killers. As has been mentioned before, it has problems with Pokemon that can take at least one hit and OHKO it in return: examples of these are Bronzor, Phanpy, and Hippopotas. Magnemite is an impressive revenge killing partner alongside Diglett, as Magnet Rise variants can easily take care of Bronzor without Shed Shell. With powerful elemental moves, Staryu and Psyduck make short work of Phanpy and Hippopotas; they can even chip off Bronzor's health continuously. Another problem that Diglett encounters is the presence of Ghost-types. Many Ghost-types, like Duskull, Gastly, and Misdreavus have the ability Levitate, and all of them have ways of getting around Diglett. Duskull is bulky enough to take a Sucker Punch or Shadow Claw, is immune to Earthquake, and doesn't take much damage from Rock Slide. Gastly and Misdreavus can both set up Substitutes if Diglett is locked into the wrong move. Diglett's defenses are by no means impressive, so all of these opponents can fire off moves like Shadow Ball and Shadow Sneak to dispose of Diglett.</p>
<p>If you seek more defensive support, Water-types can cushion Ice-, Grass-, and Water-type attacks directed at Diglett, while Diglett loves coming on Electric-type attacks that can finish off its Water-type partner. Diglett can usually OHKO Pokemon that launch the previously mentioned Electric-type moves, like Elekid and Chinchou, so this will make its Water-type partner's life much easier. Another thing about Diglett that makes it excellent is its purpose in the late-game. If its team members have access to moves that set up entry hazards, Diglett can simply be sent in to clean up the match.</p>
<p>When running Diglett sets with Focus Sash, having a Rapid Spinner on your side is always a fine idea. Staryu is perfect for the job for reasons outlined in the previous paragraph.</p>
<p>Residual damage will, sooner or later, take their toll upon anything switching into them and deem Diglett's opponents victims. If opponents' heath have been sufficiently removed, then Diglett can simply use its well-powered moves to pick opponents off one by one.</p>
[Opinion]
<p>If there is one thing to say about Diglett, it's probably that it follows in its evolution Dugtrio's footsteps. They both have pathetic defenses and an average Attack stat, but what turns them on is Arena Trap. In Little Cup, Diglett is a threat that must certainly be watched out for; it's just that good. While it seems that Diglett lacks enough Attack to function as a revenge killer, don't let this fool you, as many Pokemon in Little Cup are not too defensively oriented. With powerful enough moves available to it, and with absolutely amazing Speed, Diglett is definitely one of the best Little Cup Pokemon out there.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Have a bulky Pokemon that can take a hit coming from Diglett and you will do fine. Pokemon like Hippopotas, Gligar, and Phanpy are physically defensive enough to do this and can respond with powerful Earthquakes. Bronzor is one of Diglett's greatest counters, since it has Levitate and takes little damage from any of its other moves. Substitute + Calm Mind also makes a solid counter if Diglett does not have Shadow Claw. Next, Grass-types like Paras and Shroomish can take Diglett's Earthquake and OHKO it back with their Grass-type moves. Hidden Power Ice can hurt them, but they are not wounded too badly. Pokemon that are faster than Diglett spell trouble, because even relatively well-powered attacks can finish it off. Examples of these are Choice Scarf Abra, Choice Scarf Staryu (who can take one Earthquake and OHKO Diglett back with Surf) and Choice Scarf Mankey (if Diglett itself is not a Choice Scarf variant). Even an opposing Diglett (or Porygon with Trace) can finsh it off! The lesson to be learned is that you should always do a little scouting before sending Diglett in; at least be sure of your opponent's item! Since most of the Little Cup metagame takes a large amount of damage from Diglett's Earthquake, its counters are rather limited, so make sure that your team is heavily prepared for its assaults.</p>
Updates:
- 21 Aug: Added "Choice Revenge Killer" set
- Added all appropriate Sub-Sections
- "Team Options" in green
- 23 Aug: Added "Lead" set
- 29 Aug: Added "Non-Choice Revenge Killer" set
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/diglett
Little Cup is really very interesting. So far, I've only come up with the "Revenge Killer" set, so anything else is appreciated.
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[SET]
name: Lead
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Stealth Rock
move 3: Sucker Punch / Shadow Claw
move 4: Protect
item: Focus Sash
ability: Arena Trap
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 236 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While typically used as a revenge killer, Diglett can function as a reasonably effective lead as well. The qualities that make it a successful lead include its Arena Trap ability (which transforms it into a kind of anti-lead), high Attack and Speed stats, and access to Stealth Rock.</p>
<p>Lead Diglett's moveset has undergone some dramatic changes when compared to its other traditional all-out attacking sets. Earthquake is Diglett's most powerful move and cannot be ignored on any set. Having Stealth Rock up early in the battle is never a bad idea; it is something many teams tend to rely on. Furthermore, since Diglett is commonly found on offensive teams, it makes a fine lead on hyper offensive ones. The choice between Shadow Claw or Sucker Punch depends on your personal preference - both have their positive and negative points. Shadow Claw allows Diglett to deal with Substitute + Calm Mind Ghost-types one hundred percent of the time; Sucker Punch does not. Note that Shadow Claw is unable to hit Normal-types. (Diglett does not learn Night Slash). Sucker Punch, however, is a priority move, something that many leads have in order to eliminate Focus Sash users. Finally, Protect is a must in Diglett's fourth move slot. Lacking Protect will allow Fake Out Leads like Meowth to get rid of Diglett's Focus Sash, and Diglett's poor defenses almost always means that it will be OHKOed after a Fake Out.</p>
<p>One thing that Lead Diglett can boast about is that it is almost always able to set up Stealth Rock. With such high Speed, a Focus Sash, and Protect, setting up Stealth Rock immediately is basically guaranteed unless Diglett is Taunted by a faster Pokemon or a Pokemon that ties in Speed with it. An example of such a Pokemon would be Voltorb, but Diglett can easily KO it with Earthquake. Another way to prevent Diglett from setting up Stealth Rock would be to put it to sleep; however, not many Pokemon are faster than Diglett! Bar several Choice Scarf leads, nothing much can outrun Diglett, and even if Choice Scarf leads decide to put Diglett to sleep, they will be forced to lock into their sleep move until it is out of PP. Diglett can then comfortably wake up, set up Stealth Rock, and wait until its Choice Scarf Sleep-inducing opponent kills itself with Struggle. Protect comes in handy against leads like Meowth - Diglett should Protect on the fake out, and proceed to set up Stealth Rock or OHKO Meowth right away.</p>
<p>Although rarely will it find itself being stopped from setting up Stealth Rock, Diglett has problems with several other leads that are bulky enough to take a hit. Phanpy and Hippopotas can not only take an Earthquake, but also respond to it. Additionally, Phanpy has a priority Ice Shard that can come in useful when dealing with Diglett. Both Hippopotas and Phanpy can set up their own Stealth Rocks, too. If you decide to use Sucker Punch, you will certainly have problems with Lead Drifloon, who can put you to sleep with Hypnosis and KO you with Shadow Ball or set up a Substitute and Baton Pass it away to something that can easily deal with Diglett. You will experience similar problems against Misdreavus and Gastly; for this reason, Shadow Claw can be the superior choice that hits them even if they decide to set up Substitutes. While it seems that you can trap and defeat Lead Meowth with ease, it can U-turn away into an appopriate Diglett counter. As always, opposing Bronzor, whether or not they are leads, will give Diglett problems. With Levitate and a decently powered Gyro Ball, Diglett will find that it is unable to touch Bronzor at all. The rare Snover lead can easily demolish Dugtrio in one turn with an Ice-type move and hail's residual damage as well. Finally, you may choose to employ Hidden Power Ice on this set to have an easier time with Gligar.</p>
<p>Having a Houndour partner up with Diglett can help your team spectacularly. Houndour can use its specially-based moves to pick on Phanpy's, Gligar's, and Hippopotas' weaker Special Defense and KO them sooner or later. Houndour also resists Shadow Ball, meaning that it can switch into either Misdreavus', Drifloon's, or Gastly's Shadow Balls and retaliate with either Pursuit or Dark Pulse. Houndour is also capable of damaging Bronzor, while sporting a resistance to Gyro Ball at the same time. It also resists Snover's Dual-STAB and can use Flamethrower to barbecue the tiny christmas tree for 4x super effective damage. While this set is played differently to the offensive ones, don't forget that Diglett can still make short work of the likes of Magby, Elekid, and Chinchou. To assist its sweeping process, it is advised that a Water-type that can pack a punch, like Chinchou or Staryu, be partnered with Diglett to secure both an offensive and defensive combination (Water-types can cushion Water- and Ice-type attacks directed at Diglett, while Diglett is immune to Electric-type attacks that easily electrocute its Water-type partner).</p>
[SET]
name: Non-Choice Revenge Killer
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Sucker Punch
move 3: Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Substitute / Rock Slide / Shadow Claw
item: Life Orb / Focus Sash
ability: Arena Trap
nature: Hasty
evs: 240 Atk / 236 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set provides a different approach to using Diglett. Obviously, Diglett experiences a decrease in Attack or Speed without the use of a Choice Band or Choice Scarf. However, when equipped with a Life Orb or Focus Sash, it is able to use all four of its moves, as opposed to its Choice sets, in which it is forced to lock into one move. With deadly attacking moves and Substitute, this set can really go the distance in Little Cup.</p>
<p>The main point that makes this set different from others is the presence of Substitute. In the process of revenge killing, Diglett may sometimes manage to switch into a Choiced Electric-type move, which it is immune to. When this happens, Diglett can not only win the matchup, but also set up a Substitute in the process! As is known, Diglett's attacks can 2HKO most Pokemon in Little Cup. If Diglett does manage to set up a Substitute, it will not only 2HKO its opponent, but also remain healthy at the same time (unless an opponent uses priority moves). From behind its Substitute, Diglett has a number of attacking options available to it. Earthquake is ever-present and can hit especially hard thanks to the attacking bonus gained from Life Orb. Sucker Punch provides Diglett some much-needed priority, especially against Choice Scarfed foes that can easily OHKO it. Note that if you do have a Substitute up, and your opponent is faster than you and breaks your Substitute, you can almost be sure that it is Scarfed. From there, you can switch to an appropriate counter. Next, Hidden Power Ice is necessary to combat Gligar; without it, Gligar will wall this set all day long, while able to launch Earthquakes that will OHKO Diglett sooner or later. Hidden Power is also Diglett's best way (besides Aerial Ace) to hit Grass-types that resist Earthquake for super effective damage. If Substitute is not preferable, you may choose to use a Focus Sash as well. In this case, it is recommended that you use either Rock Slide or Shadow Claw for a broader range of attacking options.</p>
<p>Not too many Pokemon enjoy facing this Diglett set, since it both sports power, Speed, and excellent and powerful moves that can injure opponents. Unfortunately, there are also a number of Pokemon that make Diglett's setting up of its Substitute useless. Bronzor is the perfect counter, being immune to Earthquake, while taking ridiculously low amounts of damage from anything else Diglett uses against it. It will have no trouble breaking Diglett's Substitutes either, as Gyro Ball is powered up to great levels due to Diglett's high Speed stat. Phanpy and Hippopotas are also fantastic at the job, able to take an Earthquake and break Diglett's Substitute, at the very least. Phanpy even boasts a priority Ice Shard that can trouble Diglett before it can knock Phanpy out. Next, priority users or Pokemon faster than Diglett in general are also problematic. If Diglett cannot OHKO them from behind its Substitute, it risks the threat of dying to a priority move! Its low defenses doesn't help either, and moves like Aqua Jet and Ice Shard tend to mark the end of Diglett's journey. These moves are usually wielded by the likes of Buizel, Carvanha, and the aforementioned Phanpy.</p>
<p>This Diglett complements perfectly with Water-types. Water-types often attract Electric-type attacks, so Diglett can come in on moves like Thunderbolt and ThunderPunch, and possibly set up a Substitute along the way! Water-types can also clear Diglett's path to sweep by eliminating bulky Ground-types, most notably Gligar, Hippopotas, and Phanpy. By repeatedly damaging Bronzor and knocking it out of play if possible, Diglett will have a much easier time in its quest to sweep. This set also faces difficulties against Substitute + Calm Mind Ghost-types, as they can take advantage of Diglett's weak or non-effective attacks to set up along the way. To remedy this problem, having a Specially Defensive Munchlax on your side can help; neither Misdreavus nor Gastly will be able OHKO it without enough boosts, while it can harm them with Fire Punch or Pursuit in return.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Revenge Killer
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Hidden Power Ice
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Shadow Claw / Rock Slide
item: Choice Band / Choice Scarf
ability: Arena Trap
nature: Lonely / Hasty
evs: 240 Atk / 236 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Diglett is a prevalent and terrorizing force in Little Cup as it can easily trap and dispatch its opponents. Its Arena Trap grants it the ability to prevent a wide range of opponents, with the exception of Flying-types and Levitating Pokemon, from switching out. Add a series of particularly powerful moves to the mix, and Diglett becomes one of the best revenge killers in Little Cup, able to OHKO a variety of walls and sweepers without a second thought.</p>
<p>Earthquake is Diglett's most powerful attack. Even if it seems to lack the Attack stat to do much damage, a STAB Earthquake can actually strip off large amounts of health from anything that is not resistant or immune to it. Earthquake is also Diglett's greatest weapon against the likes of Chinchou and Munchlax, while severely harming offensively-based Pokemon like Elekid, Magby, and Houndour. Hidden Power Ice may seem odd on Diglett as first glance, but in fact it is Diglett's only way to deal massive damage to Gligar, while also hitting other Grass-types that resist Earthquake for super effective damage. Sucker Punch is Diglett's best bet against Ghost-types, particularly Choiced ones like Gastly. Even if Diglett is already quite fast, Sucker Punch's priority can help it out against the opponents that can be faster than its non-Choice variant, such as Choice Scarf Abra or Choice Scarf Staryu.</p>
<p>The last moveslot has three interesting options. Shadow Claw is mainly used to hit Misdreavus and Gastly for super effective damage. A primary reason to use Shadow Claw over Sucker Punch is because Sucker Punch can certainly be unreliable at times, especially if you are doing battle with a Pokemon such as Substitute + Calm Mind Misdreavus. Finally, Rock Slide can also be used; it provides excellent coverage alongside Earthquake, hitting most nasty Flying-types that resist Earthquake for super effective damage. Examples of these include Mantyke and Taillow, although the latter can be dealt with Sucker Punch if it is weakened by its Flame Orb or Toxic Orb recoil damage.</p>
<p>Diglett can make use of a number of useful items; the item it is equipped with determines how it is to be used. Its EVs, however, are universal, as they maximize its offensive prowess. With a Choice Band equipped, Diglett can have up to 24 Attack, which is the hardest Attack stat from which it can hit. It will also have a Speed stat of 19 (assuming an Lonely nature), which, by Little Cup standards, is not too bad. With a Choice Scarf equipped, Diglett can have up to 30 Speed with a Hasty nature, which is generally recognized as the apex of Little Cup's speed tiers. Unfortunately, it will have significantly less Attack than its Choice Band counterpart; therefore, when using Choice Scarf Diglett, know what Diglett can and cannot kill before sending it out to play. Life Orb is also an alternative as it gives access to all of Diglett's moves while allowing it to fire off attacks with reasonable power. Diglett can also equip a Focus Sash, although it really becomes wasted if Diglett switches into DPP's new and ever-present entry hazard: Stealth Rock. For this reason, it is recommended that you stick with items that assist Diglett offensively.</p>
<p>Even though it can trap many opponents, it struggles to OHKO many. Diglett has horrible defenses, and opponents should make use of this fact if they manage to get a hit against Diglett. Diglett also encounters problems against extremely bulky walls like Bronzor and Hippopotas, who can survive a number of hits and OHKO Diglett in return. Bronzor is arguably one of Diglett's greatest counters as it takes little to no damage from anything hurled at it. With its Levitate ability, Bronzor is immune to Earthquake, Diglett's most powerful move, while having the ability to freely switch in and out of Arena Trap. Bronzor can then threaten Diglett with a powerful Gyro Ball or even Earthquake. Similarly, Phanpy and Hippopotas can use their bulky defenses to counter Diglett; the first can even use a priority Ice Shard against it. If Diglett predicts incorrectly, Levitating and Flying-type Pokemon are just ready to switch in without a moment's hesitation. Even though Diglett has ways to deal with Calm Mind Misdreavus, it will not like getting locked into Sucker Punch while Misdreavus sets up a Substitute! If Diglett is not Choice Scarfed, there is a large number of Pokemon that are faster than it. Therefore, don't get overconfident against foes like Abra and Cranidos. Even if you believe you have the upper hand, the lack of scouting may often lead to Diglett's uneventful and careless death.</p>
<p>To maximize Diglett's revenge killing potential, do it a favor by eliminating some of its common counters first. Bronzor can be defeated by Magnet Rise Magnemite, although you must beware if Bronzor has a Shed Shell. Bulky Ground-types like Hippowdon and Phanpy can be OHKOed by powerful moves that do super effective damage to them. With moves like Surf and Ice Beam, Staryu can potentially OHKO them easily. Staryu can also help Diglett resist its weaknesses to common attacking types that Ground-types are weak to: Ice-, Grass-, and Water-type moves. Both of them work well together because of their presence on the same type of team: hyper offensive teams. Psyduck works similarly to Staryu as well. To deal with Ghost-types that make predicting for Diglett hard, consider using Pursuit users like Houndour and Cranidos. Houndour can easily switch into a Shadow Ball and do whatever it sees fit (either use Dark Pulse or Pursuit) from there. When running Focus Sash Diglett, remember to keep a Rapid Spinner in your team, as Focus Sash heavily relies on a field clear of entry hazards to function well. In terms of helping Diglett defensively, Water-types work well with it; Chinchou deserves a special mention for being bulky enough to take many Water-, Ice-, or even special Grass-type attacks. Otherwise, Munchlax can help it take hits from the special spectrum, while Bronzor can help it take hits from the physical spectrum.</p>
<p>Finally, a few entry hazards of your own (Stealth Rock is of utmost importance) ensures that Diglett does its job in the best way it possibly can - chip off opponents' health with Stealth Rock or even Spikes and Toxic Spikes, and let Diglett clean up whatever managed to survive the layers of residual damage.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Diglett doesn't have too many other useful options in its movepool. Pursuit can be used to trap Levitating Ghost- or Psychic-types from fleeing, Toxic can be used to cripple Gligar, and Aerial Ace can be used to hit Shroomish, but unfortunately, those are about it. Hidden Power Ice can be used on the Lead set to KO Gligar, and Stealth Rock can be used on the Non-Choice Revenge Killer; feel free to use these moves to suit your needs.</p>
[EVs]
<p>Diglett's EVs are incredibly simple to understand. Its listed spread of 36 HP / 236 Atk / 236 Spe is used to maximize its overall physical offensive potential by investing EVs into the stats that are worth it. No matter what Choice item or nature you assume, 236 Atk / 236 Spe EVs maximizes Diglett's Attack and Speed to the highest stat values that they can get to. 36 HP is a leftover investment that increases Diglett's HP stat by a value of one. However, on sets that sport Hidden Power Ice, Diglett's Attack IV is reduced by 1. For this reason, the optimal offensive spread is 240 Atk / 236 Spe with a Hasty nature.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>Since Diglett is generally an offensively-based Pokemon, expect to find it in a team with multiple sweepers and revenge killers. As has been mentioned before, it has problems with Pokemon that can take at least one hit and OHKO it in return: examples of these are Bronzor, Phanpy, and Hippopotas. Magnemite is an impressive revenge killing partner alongside Diglett, as Magnet Rise variants can easily take care of Bronzor without Shed Shell. With powerful elemental moves, Staryu and Psyduck make short work of Phanpy and Hippopotas; they can even chip off Bronzor's health continuously. Another problem that Diglett encounters is the presence of Ghost-types. Many Ghost-types, like Duskull, Gastly, and Misdreavus have the ability Levitate, and all of them have ways of getting around Diglett. Duskull is bulky enough to take a Sucker Punch or Shadow Claw, is immune to Earthquake, and doesn't take much damage from Rock Slide. Gastly and Misdreavus can both set up Substitutes if Diglett is locked into the wrong move. Diglett's defenses are by no means impressive, so all of these opponents can fire off moves like Shadow Ball and Shadow Sneak to dispose of Diglett.</p>
<p>If you seek more defensive support, Water-types can cushion Ice-, Grass-, and Water-type attacks directed at Diglett, while Diglett loves coming on Electric-type attacks that can finish off its Water-type partner. Diglett can usually OHKO Pokemon that launch the previously mentioned Electric-type moves, like Elekid and Chinchou, so this will make its Water-type partner's life much easier. Another thing about Diglett that makes it excellent is its purpose in the late-game. If its team members have access to moves that set up entry hazards, Diglett can simply be sent in to clean up the match.</p>
<p>When running Diglett sets with Focus Sash, having a Rapid Spinner on your side is always a fine idea. Staryu is perfect for the job for reasons outlined in the previous paragraph.</p>
<p>Residual damage will, sooner or later, take their toll upon anything switching into them and deem Diglett's opponents victims. If opponents' heath have been sufficiently removed, then Diglett can simply use its well-powered moves to pick opponents off one by one.</p>
[Opinion]
<p>If there is one thing to say about Diglett, it's probably that it follows in its evolution Dugtrio's footsteps. They both have pathetic defenses and an average Attack stat, but what turns them on is Arena Trap. In Little Cup, Diglett is a threat that must certainly be watched out for; it's just that good. While it seems that Diglett lacks enough Attack to function as a revenge killer, don't let this fool you, as many Pokemon in Little Cup are not too defensively oriented. With powerful enough moves available to it, and with absolutely amazing Speed, Diglett is definitely one of the best Little Cup Pokemon out there.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Have a bulky Pokemon that can take a hit coming from Diglett and you will do fine. Pokemon like Hippopotas, Gligar, and Phanpy are physically defensive enough to do this and can respond with powerful Earthquakes. Bronzor is one of Diglett's greatest counters, since it has Levitate and takes little damage from any of its other moves. Substitute + Calm Mind also makes a solid counter if Diglett does not have Shadow Claw. Next, Grass-types like Paras and Shroomish can take Diglett's Earthquake and OHKO it back with their Grass-type moves. Hidden Power Ice can hurt them, but they are not wounded too badly. Pokemon that are faster than Diglett spell trouble, because even relatively well-powered attacks can finish it off. Examples of these are Choice Scarf Abra, Choice Scarf Staryu (who can take one Earthquake and OHKO Diglett back with Surf) and Choice Scarf Mankey (if Diglett itself is not a Choice Scarf variant). Even an opposing Diglett (or Porygon with Trace) can finsh it off! The lesson to be learned is that you should always do a little scouting before sending Diglett in; at least be sure of your opponent's item! Since most of the Little Cup metagame takes a large amount of damage from Diglett's Earthquake, its counters are rather limited, so make sure that your team is heavily prepared for its assaults.</p>