DISCLAIMER: I did not build this team. I don't recall where it came from but it must be kind of old, since the team had baton pass on it. Nobody recognised the team on the ladder so I assume it is not well known. The goal is to give some players a fun (and cheesy) alternative to the tspike+heatran/paraspam balance stuff that I see all the time.
Hopefully this post can put in light one of the unhealthy playstyles dugtrio can set up, and maybe question his place in the tier.
After many failed attempts to make ADV-ish teams that trap tyranitar+remove weather for snorlax in DPP, I randomly found this team on my builder with the cute name of "sheddy aids". The concept being close to what I wanted to do and the unorthodox mons in it made me want to try it. Playing this team was a blast. Seeing your opponent forfeting with 4 full health pokemons because he can't touch shedinja is simply amazing.
This team match-up dependent, and while rain and dragmag are nearly 100-0 favored, teams having good defense vs hazard removal (aka defensive rotom) will be very hard to deal with.
Starmie @ Flame Orb
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Trick
- Surf
- Recover
- Rapid Spin
Starmie usually doesn't last very long. You trick turn 1 and try to spin the hazards asap to keep your side cleared.
In the unfortunate event that your opponent has spinblock, you will have to make slightly unfavorable trades with starmie-heatran-donphan to bring it down. Most of the time when they spot starmie is a trick variant they just go to tyranitar and crunch it, letting you trap it with our next member.
Dugtrio (M) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Arena Trap
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
IVs: 21 HP / 0 Def / 0 SpD
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Sunny Day
- Reversal
Dugtrio has 3 main targets: Tyranitar, Jirachi and Heatran.
Tyranitar is very easy to bait in, between lead starmie and Cresselia, you shouldn't struggle to make him come in the 3-4th turns (even tho cresselia screams dug from a mile away). Jirachi's trap can usually be delayed, as you can wall it with the rest of your team. Heatran will usually require a sac/dugtrio's sash because starmie doesn't last long and the other members can't take this thing 1 on 1.
Secondary targets include roserade, non-knock-off clefable, infernape, magnezone and sometimes, opposing dugtrios.
If you know duggy has done its job you can simply reset the weather and sac it. 21IVs makes it so it goes to 1hp after 2 seismic toss for reversal.
Shedinja @ Focus Sash
Ability: Wonder Guard
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Sunny Day
- X-Scissor
- Will-O-Wisp
- Shadow Sneak
The last move used to be baton pass to make trapping an easier task, but with the ban I had to change it. I used protect to scout for toxic, then switched to shadow sneak for gengar and to win the 1v1 against opposing dugtrio. Unfortunately shedinja's movepool is very shallow so you could only replace the last move with swords dance/toxic/agiliy/aerial ace. I guess you could play heal block too.
Will o wisp is mandatory because banded pokemons like scizor and gyarados are very threatening, and you want to soften their blows to help cresselia set up. Sunny day shares the same pupose, and can be used as a last resort allow shedinja to remove the sandstorm. X-scissor does not have immunities like shadow claw does, and allows you to do some 15~20% on the switch.
You should NOT reveal this pokemon until mid-late game (therefore I feel bp loss wasn't a bit deal to this team). If you reveal it too early, the opponent will keep their stealth rocker healthy and you will have to go for a cresselia sweep. If the opponent has too many super effective moves, you will also have to go for a cresselia sweep and status as many pokemons as possible.
Donphan @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 188 Atk / 68 Def
Adamant Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Earthquake
- Assurance
- Ice Shard
This is our secondary spinner and our reliable-ish physical tank. Assurance is here to fight the pesky ghosts, while ice shard anlognside shedinja ensures the dragmag matchup is autowin. Apparently odor sloth has picked up in popularity so i might try that.
While starmie will die early, donphan should be saved mid-late game to ensure a spin and switch into moves that cresselia and shedinja dont want to take, like fire punch, crunch or stone edge.
Heatran @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Stealth Rock
- Lava Plume
- Sunny Day
- Toxic
This is the draco switch in. In general Heatran ensures the team can buy enough time for dugtrio to do its job. Its steel styping also allows it to switch into toxic, a very dangerous move, aswell as poisoning the threats he's facing. This is the main sunny day setter, I use rock when I have free turns aka rarely. Against ground types that carry stealth rocks/roar/toxic, I will toxic them as a last resort. Sunny day also supports the second star of the team, and late game sweeper, Cresselia.
Cresselia @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 76 Def / 80 SpD / 100 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Substitute
- Calm Mind
- Psychic
- Moonlight
Above Snorlax and Suicune, Cresselia is probably the pokemon that despises sandstorm the most. However, considering the support already dedicated to shedinja, cresselia can find its place here as a slow setup sweeper, with titanic bulk even pre setup (ground immunity is also pretty cool). Substitute to avoid status/crits, Moonlight takes advantage of the sunny day users and Psychic as the stab, because even at +6, this cresselia can struggle to break through walls like jirachi/blissey/spedef skarmory. It also loses to opposing calm minders because of its lower amount of pps, so you will have to rely on shedinja for that.
However, this is your way out of the game if you see that shedinja can't do it.
I didnt change the original spread, but tldr is 252/80 lives 2 dracos from latias, timid+100evs outspeeds modest heatran and rest is dumped into defense.
If you haven't played this team I would highly recommend you to do so. It is most likely not tournament viable, unless you want to counterteam or something, but it is definitly possible to bring it on the ladder and have a good time.
Bad gxe i know :(
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen4ou-1168899251
Hopefully this post can put in light one of the unhealthy playstyles dugtrio can set up, and maybe question his place in the tier.
After many failed attempts to make ADV-ish teams that trap tyranitar+remove weather for snorlax in DPP, I randomly found this team on my builder with the cute name of "sheddy aids". The concept being close to what I wanted to do and the unorthodox mons in it made me want to try it. Playing this team was a blast. Seeing your opponent forfeting with 4 full health pokemons because he can't touch shedinja is simply amazing.
This team match-up dependent, and while rain and dragmag are nearly 100-0 favored, teams having good defense vs hazard removal (aka defensive rotom) will be very hard to deal with.
Starmie @ Flame Orb
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Trick
- Surf
- Recover
- Rapid Spin
Starmie usually doesn't last very long. You trick turn 1 and try to spin the hazards asap to keep your side cleared.
In the unfortunate event that your opponent has spinblock, you will have to make slightly unfavorable trades with starmie-heatran-donphan to bring it down. Most of the time when they spot starmie is a trick variant they just go to tyranitar and crunch it, letting you trap it with our next member.
Dugtrio (M) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Arena Trap
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
IVs: 21 HP / 0 Def / 0 SpD
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Sunny Day
- Reversal
Dugtrio has 3 main targets: Tyranitar, Jirachi and Heatran.
Tyranitar is very easy to bait in, between lead starmie and Cresselia, you shouldn't struggle to make him come in the 3-4th turns (even tho cresselia screams dug from a mile away). Jirachi's trap can usually be delayed, as you can wall it with the rest of your team. Heatran will usually require a sac/dugtrio's sash because starmie doesn't last long and the other members can't take this thing 1 on 1.
Secondary targets include roserade, non-knock-off clefable, infernape, magnezone and sometimes, opposing dugtrios.
If you know duggy has done its job you can simply reset the weather and sac it. 21IVs makes it so it goes to 1hp after 2 seismic toss for reversal.
Shedinja @ Focus Sash
Ability: Wonder Guard
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Sunny Day
- X-Scissor
- Will-O-Wisp
- Shadow Sneak
The last move used to be baton pass to make trapping an easier task, but with the ban I had to change it. I used protect to scout for toxic, then switched to shadow sneak for gengar and to win the 1v1 against opposing dugtrio. Unfortunately shedinja's movepool is very shallow so you could only replace the last move with swords dance/toxic/agiliy/aerial ace. I guess you could play heal block too.
Will o wisp is mandatory because banded pokemons like scizor and gyarados are very threatening, and you want to soften their blows to help cresselia set up. Sunny day shares the same pupose, and can be used as a last resort allow shedinja to remove the sandstorm. X-scissor does not have immunities like shadow claw does, and allows you to do some 15~20% on the switch.
You should NOT reveal this pokemon until mid-late game (therefore I feel bp loss wasn't a bit deal to this team). If you reveal it too early, the opponent will keep their stealth rocker healthy and you will have to go for a cresselia sweep. If the opponent has too many super effective moves, you will also have to go for a cresselia sweep and status as many pokemons as possible.
Donphan @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 188 Atk / 68 Def
Adamant Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Earthquake
- Assurance
- Ice Shard
This is our secondary spinner and our reliable-ish physical tank. Assurance is here to fight the pesky ghosts, while ice shard anlognside shedinja ensures the dragmag matchup is autowin. Apparently odor sloth has picked up in popularity so i might try that.
While starmie will die early, donphan should be saved mid-late game to ensure a spin and switch into moves that cresselia and shedinja dont want to take, like fire punch, crunch or stone edge.
Heatran @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Stealth Rock
- Lava Plume
- Sunny Day
- Toxic
This is the draco switch in. In general Heatran ensures the team can buy enough time for dugtrio to do its job. Its steel styping also allows it to switch into toxic, a very dangerous move, aswell as poisoning the threats he's facing. This is the main sunny day setter, I use rock when I have free turns aka rarely. Against ground types that carry stealth rocks/roar/toxic, I will toxic them as a last resort. Sunny day also supports the second star of the team, and late game sweeper, Cresselia.
Cresselia @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 76 Def / 80 SpD / 100 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Substitute
- Calm Mind
- Psychic
- Moonlight
Above Snorlax and Suicune, Cresselia is probably the pokemon that despises sandstorm the most. However, considering the support already dedicated to shedinja, cresselia can find its place here as a slow setup sweeper, with titanic bulk even pre setup (ground immunity is also pretty cool). Substitute to avoid status/crits, Moonlight takes advantage of the sunny day users and Psychic as the stab, because even at +6, this cresselia can struggle to break through walls like jirachi/blissey/spedef skarmory. It also loses to opposing calm minders because of its lower amount of pps, so you will have to rely on shedinja for that.
However, this is your way out of the game if you see that shedinja can't do it.
I didnt change the original spread, but tldr is 252/80 lives 2 dracos from latias, timid+100evs outspeeds modest heatran and rest is dumped into defense.
If you haven't played this team I would highly recommend you to do so. It is most likely not tournament viable, unless you want to counterteam or something, but it is definitly possible to bring it on the ladder and have a good time.
Bad gxe i know :(
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen4ou-1168899251
