Diggersby - Moveset & Best Build for Ranked Battle

This is a strategy guide for using Diggersby in competitive play for the games Pokemon Sword and Shield. Read on for tips on the best Nature, EV spreads, Movesets, and Held Items to use with Diggersby, as well as its strengths and weak points.

Diggersby - Related Guides
Evolution and Learnset	Build for Ranked Battle

Basic Information for Diggersby

Types and Abilities

Pokemon	Type 1	Type 2
Diggersby
Abilities
Cheek Pouch	Restores additional HP when a Berry is consumed.
Pickup	The Pokemon may pick up items.
Huge Power (Hidden)	Raises the Pokemon's Attack stat.

Diggersby Weaknesses and Resistances

	Type
Takes 4x damage	-
Takes 2x damage
Takes 0.5x damage
Takes 1/4x damage	-
Takes 0x damage

What is Type Effectiveness?

Base Stats

HP	Attack	Defense	Sp. Atk	Sp. Def	Speed
85	56	77	50	77	78

Best Nature for Diggersby

Best Natures
Adamant (+Atk, -Sp.Atk)	Jolly (+Spd, -Sp.Atk)

Singles Movesets for Diggersby

Choice Scarf Moveset & Best Build

Nature	Jolly (+Spd, -Sp.Atk)
EV Spread	HP 4 / Atk 252 / Spd 252
Final Stat Values	HP 161 /Atk 108 / Def 97 / Sp.Def 97 / Spd 143
Ability	Huge Power
Held Item	Choice Scarf
Moveset	・Earthquake ・Bounce ・U-Turn ・Fire Punch

Diggersby's power is undermined by its rather low Speed Stat. Choice Scarf remedies this, allowing it to surprise its usual counters and checks to potentially KO them with its moves.

About Diggersby's Moves

Earthquake is Diggersby's main STAB move, boasting neutral coverage and hits Rock, Electric, Fire, and Steel-types for ssuper effective damage. Bounce is its main coverage move, letting it hit Grass-types that resist its STAB. It also has a 30% chance to paralyze the target.

U-Turn lets it quickly pivot from the battle and is useful if it encounters a Pokemon it can't hit with its attacks. It's last move is Fire Punch, which lets it hit Grass-types that would otherwise wall it.

About Diggersby's EV Spread

We're using a straighforward EV spread with full investment on Attack and Speed to ensure Diggersby hits hard and manages to outrun slower walls and support Pokemon. The remaining 4 EVs go to HP to round up its bulk.

About Diggersby's Ability

Huge Power is Diggersby's best ability and should always be the one used competitively. This ability doubles Diggersby's attack, allowing it to hit hard despite its rather low base attack stat.

At level 50 with the given EV spreads, Diggersby has an effective attack stat of 236!

About Diggersby's Held Item

This build relies on Diggersby dropping down to 1 HP to ensure that Flail reaches its highest base power. Focus Sash ensures that Diggersby survives a ssuper effective move with 1 HP.

Other Viable Moves

Swords Dance	Boosts Diggersby's Attack by 2 stages.
Superpower	A great alternative coverage move that lets Diggersby hit Fairy-types. It also becomes Max Steelspike during Dynamax.
Fire Punch	An alternative Fire-type coverage move that lets Diggersby hit Grass-types.
Thunder Punch	An alternative Electric-type coverage move that lets Diggersby hit Water and Flying-types.
Ice Punch	An alternative Ice-type coverage move that lets Diggersby hit Ground and Flying-types.

Focus Sash + Flail Moveset & Best Build

Nature	Jolly (+Spd, -Sp.Atk)
EV Spread	HP 4 / Atk 252 / Spd 252
Final Stat Values	HP 161 /Atk 108 / Def 97 / Sp.Def 97 / Spd 143
Ability	Huge Power
Held Item	Focus Sash
Moveset	・Flail ・Earthquake ・Bounce ・Quick Attack

This Diggersby is a great alterantive to the usual Dynamax or Swords Dance Lead, surprising its usual counters and checks and KOing them with flail.

About Diggersby's Moves

Flail becomes a 200 Base Power STAB move when Diggersby's HP drops down to 1, allowing it to potentially KO its usual check and switch-ins. Earthquake is its secondary STAB move and hits Rock and Steel-types that resist its normal STAB.

Bounce is Diggersby's main coverage move, letting it hit Grass-types that resist its STAB. It also has a 30% chance to paralyze the target. It's last move is Quick Attack, which lets Diggersby hit and deal heavy damage against faster and frailer Pokemon.

About Diggersby's EV Spread

We're using a straighforward EV spread with full investment on Attack and Speed to ensure Diggersby hits hard and manages to outrun slower walls and support Pokemon. The remaining 4 EVs go to HP to round up its bulk.

About Diggersby's Ability

Huge Power is Diggersby's best ability and should always be the one used competitively. This ability doubles Diggersby's attack, allowing it to hit hard despite its rather low base attack stat.

At level 50 with the given EV spreads, Diggersby has an effective attack stat of 236!

About Diggersby's Held Item

This build requires Diggersby to hold a Choice Scarf, doubling its Speed and letting it outspeed opposing Diggersby and slower attackers.

Other Viable Moves

Swords Dance	Boosts Diggersby's Attack by 2 stages.
Superpower	A great alternative coverage move that lets Diggersby hit Fairy-types. It also becomes Max Steelspike during Dynamax.
Fire Punch	An alternative Fire-type coverage move that lets Diggersby hit Grass-types.
Thunder Punch	An alternative Electric-type coverage move that lets Diggersby hit Water and Flying-types.
Ice Punch	An alternative Ice-type coverage move that lets Diggersby hit Ground and Flying-types.

Swords Dance Moveset & Best Build

Nature	Adamant (+Atk, -Sp.Atk)
EV Spread	HP 4 / Atk 252 / Spd 252
Final Stat Values	HP 161 /Atk 118 / Def 97 / Sp.Def 97 / Spd 130
Ability	Huge Power
Held Item	Life Orb
Moveset	・Swords Dance ・Earthquake ・Bounce ・Giga Impact

Diggersby is easily one of the most underrated sweepers in the metagame. Its unimposing appearance masks the fact that it's an effective set-up sweepers that can decimate teams that underestimate it.

About Diggersby's Moves

Swords Dance boosts Diggersby's attack to respectable levels, allowing it to punch holes into walls and even outright KO other Pokemon with its main STAB move, Earthquake.

Bounce is a good coverage move that hits Grass-types for super effective damage. It also becomes Max Airstream during Dynamax, boosting it and its team's Speed by 1 stage.

Giga Impact is its other STAB move and is best used during Dynamax, becoming an exceptionally strong Max Strike that also lowers the opposing team's Speed by 1 stage.

About Diggersby's EV Spread

We're using a straighforward EV spread with full investment on Attack and Speed to ensure Diggersby hits hard and manages to outrun slower walls and support Pokemon. The remaining 4 EVs go to HP to round up its bulk.

About Diggersby's Ability

Huge Power is Diggersby's best ability and should always be the one used competitively. This ability doubles Diggersby's attack, allowing it to hit hard despite its rather low base attack stat.

At level 50 with the given EV spreads, Diggersby has an effective attack stat of 236!

About Diggersby's Held Item

We're giving Diggersby a Life Orb to further boost the power of its moves. Few Pokemon can switch into Diggersby once it's accumulated enough boosts and is holding a Life Orb!

Other Viable Moves

Stone Edge	A great alternative coverage move that synergizes well with Earthquake.
Iron Head	A great alternative coverage move that lets Diggersby hit Fairy-types. It also becomes Max Steelspike during Dynamax.
Quick Attack	An alternative Normal-type STAB move that lets Diggersby hit faster opposing Pokemon.
Thunder Punch	An alternative Electric-type coverage move that lets Diggersby hit Water and Flying-types.

How to Use Diggersby Effectively

Get a Swords Dance Up ASAP!

What makes Diggersby so formidable is the stat boosts it gets from Swords Dance, so make sure you get at least one up as soon as possible! Once you're facing a Pokemon that can't do anything to Diggersby, switch it in and set up a Swords Dance!

A Powerful Late-Game Sweeper

Diggersby is an excellent late-game sweeper and can easily turn the tide of the battle after its checks and counters are take care of by its teammates!

How to Build a Team with Diggersby

Diggersby faces stiff competition from other late-game and set-up sweepers, but its unique dual-typing and coveted ability allow it to fit into many teams!

A Hyper Offense Sweeper

Diggersby is an excellent candidate for late-game sweeper in offensive-oriented teams. The fact that it has an immunity to Electric-type moves make it a great teammate as it can absorb Thunder Wave - a move that can easily stop the momentum of hyper offense sweepers.

Example Hyper Offense Team

Lead Setup Sweeper	Offensive Pivot	Special Sweeper
Diggersby	Heat Rotom	Starmie

Diggersby makes a great lead setup sweeper, especially when using Dynamax as it can support its team with Max Airstream.

Heat Rotom is a good partner for Diggersby as it hits Grass and Water-types that would normally switch into Diggersby. It also appreciates the Speed boost that Diggersby can set up.

Starmie rounds off this team by providing strong special attacks. It also makes a great revenge killer thanks to its great speed.
Check out our guide below to learn how to use Diggersby in an Offensive team.

How to Build an Offensive Team | Best Hyper Offense Team

Counters for Diggersby

Weakness

Overpower it with Water and Grass-type Moves

Diggersby isn't particularly bulky and easily falls to to super effective Grass and Water-type moves.

Best Pokemon to Use

Pokemon	Description
Tapu Fini	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Easily KOs Diggersby with Hydro Pump ・High defenses lets it shrug off repeated hits from Diggersby Moveset & Best Build for Tapu Fini
Urshifu Rapid-Strike Style	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Faster than Diggersby ・Surging Strikes breaks Diggersby's Focus Sash Moveset & Best Build for Urshifu Rapid-Strike Style
Mamoswine	Ranking: ★★★★ ・Faster than Diggersby and can KO with Icicle Crash ・Can still hit Scarf Diggersby with Ice Shard Moveset & Best Build for Mamoswine
Rillaboom	Ranking: ★★★★ ・Grassy Surge sets up Grassy Terrain, which halves the damage of Diggersby's Earthquake ・Choice Band variants can easily KO Diggersby with boosted Grassy Glide Moveset & Best Build for Rillaboom

Use an Unaware Defensive Wall

As with all set-up sweepers, Diggersby is easily countered by walls that have the ability Unaware. Although this ability doesn't ignore Huge Power, it does ignore Diggersby's Swords Dance attempts!

Best Pokemon to Use

Pokemon	Description
Quagsire	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Shrugs off all of Diggersby's moves and can heal damage with Recover ・Can cripple Diggersby with a Burn using a super effective STAB Scald Moveset & Best Build for Quagsire
Clefable	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Shrugs off all of Diggersby's moves and can heal damage with Moonlight or Wish ・Can threaten Diggersby with Ice Beam or Grass Knot Moveset & Best Build for Clefable

Related Links

All Competitive Builds for Ranked Battle

Competitive Guides for Pokemon Sword and Shield

Competitive Pokemon Battle Guides
Tier List		Best Builds		Series 10 List of Contenders
Doubles Tier List		Team Building		Rental Teams

Best Builds for Returning Pokemon

Movesets & Best Builds for Returning Pokemon
Mimikyu	Wash Rotom	Gyarados
Ferrothorn	Aegislash	Excadrill
Tyranitar	Hydreigon	Heat Rotom
Arcanine	Mamoswine	Toxapex
Togekiss	Cloyster	Durant
Snorlax	Charizard	Sylveon
Lucario	Hippowdon	Umbreon
Conkeldurr	Quagsire	Gastrodon
Lapras	Whimsicott	Rhyperior
Goodra	Haxorus	Glaceon
Mow Rotom	Type: Null	Gengar
Milotic	Gardevoir	Flygon
Chandelure	Lanturn	Torkoal
Bisharp	Seismitoad	Silvally
Butterfree	Primarina	Incineroar
Blastoise	Decidueye	Venusaur
Darmanitan	Alolan Ninetales	Gothitelle
Crawdaunt	Clefable	Reuniclus
Kommo-o	Terrakion	Cobalion
Virizion	Noivern	Fan Rotom
Toxicroak	Pelipper	Jellicent
Celebi	Clefairy	Hitmontop
Diggersby	Ditto	Raichu
Hawlucha	Shiftry	Tsareena
Ludicolo