|
-
Stench
- Increases the chance that the opponent will flinch when the wielder attacks. Decreases wild encounter rate.
-
Sticky Hold
- The wielder's item cannot be removed. Increases chance of encountering Pokemon while fishing.
-
Poison Touch
- The wielder has a 30% chance to poison the opponent when it uses a contact move.
|
Level 100 Statistics (see level 5, 50, 100)
|
Min- |
Min |
Max |
Max+ |
| HP |
105
|
- |
351 |
414 |
- |
| Atk |
105
|
221 |
246 |
309 |
339 |
| Def |
75
|
167 |
186 |
249 |
273 |
| SpA |
65
|
149 |
166 |
229 |
251 |
| SpD |
100
|
212 |
236 |
299 |
328 |
| Spe |
50
|
122 |
136 |
199 |
218 |
Overview
Muk has been around since RBY and has always been an interesting Pokemon. With great base 105 Attack and HP as well as a base 100 Special Defense, Muk can take hits and dish them out in return. Additionally, its Poison typing grants it resistance to Grass-, Fighting- and Poison-type attacks, as well as absorbing Toxic Spikes upon entry. All is not sunshine for Muk though, as its Poison typing is also a curse that inflicts it with weakness to Psychic- and Ground-type attacks. Also in a physically oriented metagame, Muk's base 75 Defense might be disappointing at times, and a base 50 Speed means that Muk will be outsped by most of the competition. However, while it has its drawbacks, Muk is one of those Pokemon that will consistently cause havoc.
A base 105 Attack boosted by Choice Band will punch a hole in anything. Gunk Shot is a 120 Base Power STAB attack that will hit even neutral Pokemon very hard, but its 70 accuracy can be very disappointing. Brick Break serves to hit the Steel-types that are immune to Gunk Shot. Ice Punch gives Muk additional coverage, hitting Pokemon such as Torterra and Altaria for super effective damage. Shadow Sneak provides priority and somewhat mitigates Muk's low Speed. On the other hand, Payback is useful because it hits the Ghost-types that have a resistance to Muk's STAB. Also, with a base 50 Speed Muk is almost always going to attack second.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
The current EV spread maximizes Muk's power and bulk, allowing it to land hard blows and take them in return. Poison Touch can be replaced with Sticky Hold, as the immunity to Trick is desirable, but Trick is not widespread enough to warrant Sticky Hold. If 52 Speed EVs are used, then Muk can outpace minimum Speed Torterra. Ice Punch could be replaced with any elemental punch, but Ice Punch offers the greatest coverage alongside Muk's other attacks. If Gunk Shot's off-putting accuracy is a hindrance, then Poison Jab is an alternate STAB option, but the decrease in power is noticeable.
Ghost-types are a problem for Muk, as they resist his STAB and aren't hit hard with any attack except Payback. For this problem, Absol and Skuntank are great partners for their ability to trap Ghost-types, as they can switch in with impunity on a predicted Psychic-type attack; however, they have to be careful of Will-O-Wisp, which will effectively cripple the spectral hunters. Absol is more fitting on an offensively oriented team, whereas Skuntank is suited more towards a balanced team. Pokemon that have trouble dealing with Amoonguss, such as Swords Dance Samurott, are good partners because Muk can easily switch in and fire off a STAB Gunk Shot. Pokemon that can switch into Gunk Shot, such as Golurk, Marowak, and Piloswine, are a problem. To remedy this, Tangela and Alomomola are good teammates because the former is a premier physical wall and can utilize Sleep Powder while the latter can help Muk with Wish and deal with Ground-types with Toxic or a Water-type attack. Golbat deserves a special mention thanks to its immunity to Ground-type attacks and ability to cause mayhem with a fast Taunt as well as Super Fang. Because this set causes many switches, having Spikes support is optimal; excellent partners are Cacturne and Omanyte, as both have a weakness that Muk can switch into and can take care of Ground-types with their respective STAB attacks. Residual damage is Muk's worst enemy, so having a Wish passer is ideal. Alomomola and Audino are good choices, as Alomomola can tank Ground-type attacks really well, and Muk can come in on Fighting-type attacks aimed at Audino. An untimely burn will render Muk useless for the rest of a match, therefore a cleric is recommended; Misdreavus and Audino are both good options as they can utilize Heal Bell to help Muk. Misdreavus is physically bulky and has Levitate, so it can tank Ground attacks for Muk, whereas Audino can tank special attacks aimed at Muk.
This set is Muk's best chance to sweep a team, as Curse boosts its Attack and Defense through the roof. The side effect of lowering Muk's Speed doesn't matter too much, as Muk already is really slow. Poison Jab is the most reliable STAB, because Gunk Shot's PP and accuracy is a letdown. Brick Break has the best coverage with Poison Jab. Shadow Sneak is useful to hit opponents when Muk is low on health and hits Ghost-types that aren't affected by Muk's other attacks. Alternatively, Rest and Chesto Berry offer Muk instant recovery and a buffer against status once it's done setting up.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
The EVs and nature maximize Muk's Special Defense, as Curse will boost its Defense so investment in that is not necessary. Gunk Shot is available as an alternative STAB, but the accuracy and low PP will be detrimental more often than not. Muk has access to all the elemental punches, but even the most useful one —Ice Punch— only notably hits Altaria and Torterra. Pain Split can be used to recover health, but its reliability is questionable.
Muk's typing naturally lends itself to this set, as it is immune to Toxic, so it can't be stalled out like other Curse users. Additionally, Sticky Hold prevents Trick users from handing over a Choice item. This set has trouble with phazers like Bastiodon as they can easily send Muk fleeing, wasting the turns spent setting up. Golurk is a major obstacle for Muk as a STAB Earthquake will easily go through multiple Curse boosts, so partners that can handle it are appreciated. Tangela, Alomomola, and Golbat fit this role, as they can easily take a STAB Earthquake and retaliate with Sleep Powder, Waterfall, and Brave Bird, respectively. Rock- and Steel-types are also a pain for Muk to take down, so Fighting-type partners are ideal. Gurdurr and Sawk fit this role as their powerful Fighting STAB attacks will easily dent anything. Ghost-types resist Muk's coverage attacks and Psychic-types can easily KO Muk with their STABs, so Dark-type partners are a natural fit for Muk. Absol and Skuntank can trap the aforementioned Pokemon and KO them. Muk can easily be worn down as the battle progresses, so a Wish user is a good partner. Audino and Alomomola are excellent at this role, as they can pass large Wishes to Muk. Alomomola can take Ground-type attacks aimed at Muk and Audino can take special attacks for it, while Muk can take Fighting-type attacks for Audino. An untimely burn will cripple Muk, so as a precaution a cleric is recommended. Misdreavus and Audino are good choices as they partner well with out Muk. Misdreavus can take physical attacks that Muk can't, while Audino can take the special attacks.
Muk has a higher base HP than the magical number needed to make 101 Substitutes, which aren't broken by Seismic Toss. The combination of Substitute and Focus Punch is an excellent way to punch holes in the opposing team and has good coverage with Muk's STAB choice. Poison Jab is a more reliable STAB with more PP, but Gunk Shot has great power despite its less than excellent accuracy and lower PP. Ice Punch is available for extra coverage, but Shadow Sneak provides important priority.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
The EVs ensure that greater than 101 HP Substitutes are made and that Muk hits as hard as possible. If Muk gets burned, then it'll be useless. For this reason Ghost-types that run Will-O-Wisp such as Misdreavus, Haunter, and Drifblim are a problem. To help with this, Dark-type Pokemon such as Absol and Skuntank are a great choice to trap the spectral entities. Clerics are also great partners because they can heal Muk of its status affliction. Misdreavus and Audino are great partners, as the former has great physical defense and Levitate to take on Ground-type Pokemon, and the latter can take on the special attackers that Muk can't handle. Steel-type Pokemon are a problem for Muk if Substitute isn't intact, as then it doesn't have a reliable Fighting-type attack. To help remedy this, Brick Break can be used in the last slot, but Muk's coverage will be reduced. Having a Fighting-type Pokemon is another option to get rid of Steel- and Rock-types; Gurdurr gets a special mention for its ability to absorb status with Guts.
Other Options
Muk has access to all the elemental punches but Ice Punch has the greatest utility, as it hits Altaria and Torterra. Muk has the ability to set up weather and use Memento, but is too slow to properly utilize the combination. Pain Split is available for an unreliable method of healing, but doesn't work too well because of Muk's high base HP. Haze is available to deal with set-up sweepers, but Muk will almost always get hit before it can use Haze. Taunt is useful to shut down walls, but Muk already takes pitiful damage from most walls anyway. Disable is an interesting option, as most teams will only have one answer to Muk, but running it will cut down heavily on coverage. Stench is an option as an ability for its flinch rate, but Muk will almost always get attacked first, making this useless.
Checks and Counters
Muk's lack of reliable recovery makes it susceptible to residual damage and means it will wear down over time. Ghost-types in general will be Muk's greatest enemy, as they resist its STAB and coverage attacks and can burn the sludge so then it won't be a threat. Misdreavus can burn Muk with Will-O-Wisp to easily tank attacks and use Taunt to prevent it from using Rest or Substitute. Similarly, Drifblim can use Will-O-Wisp to cripple Muk and set up Substitute or wear it down with Acrobatics; however, Drifblim has to watch out for Ice Punch and Shadow Sneak. Phazers are also annoying to Muk, as they can simply send it out, thus wasting Curses and setup Substitutes. Bastiodon is a great example, as its bulk allows it to take Muk's onslaught and send it fleeing. Strong Ground-type Pokemon such as Golurk, Marowak, and Golem, will easily break through Muk with their strong Earthquakes. Alomomola has to watch out for poison, but if it avoids this, it can tank the attacks from the Choice Band set. Opposing Poison-type Pokemon are great Pokemon to counter Muk, as they can take advantage of its coverage attacks. Garbodor can tank Muk's onslaught and set up Spikes. Coil Arbok can set up alongside Muk and hit it with Earthquake, while Muk has no super effective option against Arbok. Weezing takes paltry damage from Muk, can burn it with Will-O-Wisp, and can use Clear Smog to get rid of any stat boosts. Strong Psychic-types will blast through Muk with their STABs; Gardevoir and Exeggutor can use their super effective STAB to take down Muk.
