|
-
Thick Fat
- Fire- and Ice-type damage is reduced by 50%.
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Scrappy
- Can hit Ghost-types with Fighting- and Normal-type moves.
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Sap Sipper
- Grants immunity to Grass-type moves and boosts Attack by 1 stage when hit by a Grass-type move.
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Level 100 Statistics (see level 5, 50, 100)
|
Min- |
Min |
Max |
Max+ |
| HP |
95
|
- |
331 |
394 |
- |
| Atk |
80
|
176 |
196 |
259 |
284 |
| Def |
105
|
221 |
246 |
309 |
339 |
| SpA |
40
|
104 |
116 |
179 |
196 |
| SpD |
70
|
158 |
176 |
239 |
262 |
| Spe |
100
|
212 |
236 |
299 |
328 |
Overview
Not a lot has changed for Miltank since its Diamond and Pearl days; its movepool is relatively unchanged, and the only noteworthy addition is its Dream World ability, Sap Sipper. What sets Miltank apart from its other defensive counterparts is its base 100 Speed, which allows it to take on a more offensive role. That's not all, though, as moving before the opponent allows Miltank to restore its health before taking a hit, which greatly increases its survivability. Unfortunately, Miltank is weak to common Fighting-type attacks, and in a tier filled to the brim with powerful sweepers, such as Gallade and Medicham, it must be careful that it doesn't get KOed. Miltank is also blessed with Scrappy; this gives it the ability to hit Ghost-types with its STAB, which is helpful since Miltank doesn't have to waste another moveslot for type coverage. Access to Milk Drink and Heal Bell ensures that Miltank will survive throughout the match. Heal Bell also provides great team support, while Milk Drink provides Miltank with a reliable form of recovery. Finally, Miltank has a decent offensive movepool, and its base Attack is good enough to warrant an offensive set with either Curse, a Choice Band, or a Life Orb. Use Miltank correctly, and it can cause udder chaos for the opponent.
Thanks to its high HP, high defenses, access to Milk Drink, Heal Bell, and Scrappy, Miltank is an ideal candidate for a Curse set. Milk Drink provides Miltank with a reliable, single-turn recovery move, while Heal Bell ensures Miltank isn't crippled by status. Curse is an excellent choice for Miltank; not only does it have the correct stat distribution to use it, but Miltank only has one weakness, which makes it that much easier to set up. Body Slam and Return are listed as STAB moves, and whichever one you use is down to personal preference. Body Slam has a decent chance to paralyze the opponent, while Return has more immediate power. Don't worry about Miltank lacking coverage, as Scrappy ensures that any Normal-type move will hit Ghost-types; this means that the only two types that resist Miltank's Normal-type STAB moves are Rock and Steel.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
The EVs on this set maximize Miltank's Special Defense. Curse will boost Miltank's already high Defense, and since Miltank is pretty fast, it is likely to get off a Curse before many slower Pokemon in the tier can damage it. Earthquake or Hammer Arm can be used over Heal Bell to hit Rock- and Steel-types super effectively, but losing out on Heal Bell leaves it vulnerable to burn or poison. Sap Sipper can be used as an ability, but Miltank loses out on the ability to hit Ghost-types with its STAB move. If you decide to use Sap Sipper, a Pokemon who can break through Ghost-types is recommended. Drapion and Absol are good options, as they have access to Crunch and Pursuit, respectively. Rest and Sleep Talk can be used over Milk Drink and Heal Bell, but Miltank then loses the chance to support its teammates; the chances of Sleep Talk choosing the correct move is unreliable as well.
Pokemon who can switch into Fighting-types are helpful; Pokemon such as Spiritomb, Rotom, and Dusknoir are all great options. Each of these Pokemon have access to Will-O-Wisp to cripple physical attackers, decent defenses, and some form of recovery, whether it be Pain Split or Rest. Miltank can also take advantage of Toxic Spikes on the field; with its boosted Defense and access to reliable recovery, Miltank will be near-impossible to KO, and Toxic Spikes will slowly drain the opponent of HP. Be careful, though, as Pokemon with Guts can abuse Toxic Spikes and bring Miltank's fun to an end. Drapion and Omastar are excellent choices as candidates to set up Toxic Spikes thanks to their high defensive stats and good typings. Drapion also has access to Taunt and Whirlwind, while Omastar has access to Spikes and Stealth Rock.
Miltank has a decent support movepool, and this set emphasizes that. Miltank also has a great Speed stat, which allows it to set up Stealth Rock before most opponents have chance to hit it. Heal Bell is used to rid Miltank and its teammates of status, while Milk Drink is used for reliable recovery. Body Slam is used for STAB, and it also has a nice paralysis rate. Return can be used over Body Slam if you desire more power, but the chance to paralyze the opponent is usually more beneficial. Thick Fat gives Miltank resistances to Ice- and Fire-type moves, and allows it to take on threats such as Entei and Typhlosion more easily.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
On this set, Miltank uses 216 Speed EVs to outrun positive base 95s, most notably the fastest Fighting-type in the tier: Primeape. Maximum HP EVs are a given, providing Miltank with excellent bulk and survivability. The remaining EVs are placed into Miltank's already decent Defense, which allow it to take physical hits better. A more defensive spread can be used with an Impish nature, though the faster spread is preferred to set up Stealth Rock more quickly. Miltank can use Sap Sipper, which grants it an immunity to Grass-type moves, but unfortunately it's illegal with Stealth Rock, so it's not really worth it.
A spinblocker should be partnered with this set to keep Stealth Rock on the field. Rotom and Spiritomb are good choices, as they can also switch into Fighting-type moves aimed at Miltank. Uxie and Dusknoir also make great partners, as they can switch into Fighting-type moves while using their own support moves to help the team. Pokemon who benefit from Stealth Rock are also worth mentioning; powerful sweepers, such as Sceptile and Entei, benefit from easier KOs, while phazers, such as Steelix and Mandibuzz, can rack up damage with Roar and Whirlwind, respectively.
This set takes a different approach to using Miltank. Often overlooked in favor of its higher defensive stats, Miltank has a more than usable base 80 Attack stat. STAB Double-Edge is a very powerful attack, capable of severely denting anything that doesn't resist it. Scrappy also ensures that Double-Edge will hit Ghost-types, so there's no need to worry about type coverage. Return can be used over Double-Edge if you dislike the recoil damage, but there's a significant loss in power. Earthquake is listed as it's Miltank's best option against Steel- and Rock-types, and it also provides perfect neutral coverage alongside one of its STAB moves. Toxic is a decent alternative, as it allows Miltank to wear down walls it can't KO, such as Spiritomb, Dusknoir, and Uxie. Milk Drink and Heal Bell are the major benefits that come with using a Life Orb Miltank. No other physical attacker in the tier has access to such reliable recovery and an "immunity" to being crippled by status.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
Again, 216 Speed EVs are used to outpace base 95 Speed Pokemon, such as Primeape, Drapion, and Sawsbuck. Max Attack is a necessity to boost Miltank's power, and the remaining EVs are placed into HP for extra bulk. The extra EVs can be placed into Defense if you wish to make Miltank more specialized, but HP is generally a more well balanced option. A Choice Band may be used to give Miltank extra power, but this would require the use of four attacking moves, as well as the omission of Milk Drink and Heal Bell, which prevent Miltank from being able to counteract the recoil from Double-Edge, thus leading to an early demise. Leftovers should also be considered to alleviate the recoil damage from Double-Edge, but Miltank would be losing some of its power in the process. Work Up is another option to raise Miltank's Attack, though giving up either supporting move isn't worth it most of the time.
Because of this set's offensive nature, entry hazards are greatly appreciated. Ferroseed, Crustle, and Accelgor are all excellent users of Spikes, while Sandslash, Uxie, and Steelix are excellent at laying Stealth Rock. When using entry hazards on your team, it is recommended that you carry a spinblocker; Dusknoir, Rotom, and Spiritomb are a few great choices. Finally, Pokemon who can switch into Fighting-type attacks are helpful. Uxie can switch into Fighting-types with ease, set up Stealth Rock, and threaten them with its STAB moves. Similarly, Dusknoir can switch into Fighting-type moves with its immunity, cripple physical attackers with Will-O-Wisp, and proceed to hit the opponent using its decent Attack stat.
Other Options
Miltank has a surprisingly large movepool, but unfortunately, most of its options are considered gimmicky to any competitive player. Miltank has access to all of the elemental punches from Platinum (meaning they cannot be used with Sap Sipper); they all provide extra type coverage against specific threats, but are usually only good for that reason. Fire Punch can hit Ice-, Steel-, and Grass-types super effectively, Ice Punch can be used to hit Ground-types such as Rhydon and Sandslash super effectively, while ThunderPunch deals more damage to Water-types, such as Poliwrath. A set of Block, Toxic, Milk Drink, and Return can be used to trap opponents and stall them to death with Toxic, but this is fairly gimmicky. In addition, a lot of opponents are either too overpowered for Miltank to handle, or have some method of escaping the field, whether it be U-turn or Volt Switch, or phazing Miltank out. Substitute can be used in conjunction with Focus Punch, but unfortunately Miltank doesn't receive STAB on Focus Punch, not to mention it's better left to Pokemon who can create 101 HP Substitutes, such as Hariyama. Thunder Wave is a viable option to cripple physical threats, but most of the time it's better to use Body Slam, especially since it hits Ground-types as well. Zen Headbutt and Heart Stamp can be used to hit Fighting-types super effectively, but they have low Base Powers, and usually aren't worth a moveslot. Counter can be used to bounce back physical attacks, but just be sure you predict correctly, as otherwise, Miltank will meet its doom. Lastly, Miltank has access to a variety of special attacks, such as Thunderbolt, Ice Beam, and Shadow Ball, but they won't be doing much with Miltank's base 40 Special Attack stat.
Checks and Counters
Because Miltank is a Normal-type, it's only logical to pick on its only weakness: Fighting-type attacks. Bulky Fighting-types, such as Hariyama, are good counters, as they can take a hit from Return and strike Miltank for great damage. In addition to that, Hariyama also has Guts, which allows it to switch into status moves and gain a free Attack boost. Poliwrath is another good choice, as it can use Encore when Miltank attempts to use Milk Drink, and then proceed to Substitute if it switches out. Anything that carries Taunt and Encore will cause problems for Miltank, as Miltank will use a non-attacking move the majority of the time. Countering Miltank isn't so simple, because most of the time, its only goal is to set up Stealth Rock or remove status with Heal Bell. Toxic Spikes will wear Miltank down over time, but Milk Drink and Heal Bell will stop that from happening. Putting it to sleep and pummeling it with everything you have is probably your best option; without its precious Milk Drink, Miltank is nothing.
