[OVERVIEW]
There are many defensive Psychic-types in the RU tier, making it difficult for Musharna to stand out compared to other Pokemon. Its defensive typing isn't as good as that of Slowking, it can't set up Stealth Rock like Bronzong and Uxie, and it doesn't have the offensive potential of Medicham, Meloetta, and Sigilyph. Musharna is also very slow, its defensive typing is mediocre at best, it can be Taunt and setup bait against more bulky attackers, and Moonlight, its only recovery move, is unreliable due to it's low PP compared to other recovery moves and weather dependancy. However, Musharna does have an advantage in its stats. Its Defense and HP allow it to take hits from powerful physical attackers, and it has pretty good Special Attack and Special Defense stats. Musharna also appreciates the strong presence of Fighting-types in the tier, as its physical bulk allows it to wall many of them. It also has access to Baton Pass and a low Speed stat, enabling it to act as an effective pivot. Musharna does not have the utility of the premier Psychic-types in the tier, but it can act as a supporting pivot or a wincon that can sweep the enemy team once its counters have been eliminated.
[SET]
name: Bulky Pivot
move 1: Baton Pass
move 2: Thunder Wave
move 3: Psyshock / Psychic
move 4: Moonlight
item: Colbur Berry / Leftovers
ability: Synchronize
nature: Bold
evs: 240 HP / 252 Def / 16 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Baton Pass allows Musharna to act as a pivot, and it can be used to escape from bad matchups or on a predicted switch to go into a counter. Thunder Wave enables you to cripple faster sweepers that love to switch in against Musharna such as Sneasel and Drapion. Psyshock can be used if you want the ability to hit special walls and more specially bulky Pokemon like Virizion, but Psychic can be run if more firepower is preferred and to hit more physically defensive Pokemon such as Gurdurr harder. Moonlight should always be run in the last slot in order to allow Musharna to act as a pivot for longer. Healing Wish can be used over Baton Pass to bring an ally up to full health, but it makes it much harder for Musharna to act as a pivot.
Set Details
========
Colbur Berry is the preferred item due to the existence of many powerful Dark-type Pokemon in the tier, as it allows Musharna to pivot around much more safely. It can also be utilized to gain an advantage by using Thunder Wave against powerful Dark-types like Sneasel and Houndoom. Colbur Berry also further helps Musharna check the tier's many Fighting-types like Sawk and Hitmonlee, which generally run Dark-type coverage moves. However, Leftovers can be used if passive recovery is preferred. Synchronize is Musharna's only viable ability and it's mostly passive and only useful against defensive walls like Alomomola that poison Musharna by poisoning them as well. Maximum Defense EVs and a Bold nature allow Musharna to take physical hits very well. 240 HP EVs allow Musharna to retain maximum recovery from Leftovers and take both physical and special hits better.
Usage Tips
========
Pivot Musharna excels at taking hits from physical attackers it walls, especially powerful Fighting-type attackers. It can also take special hits from wallbreakers like Venusaur to further support your team. Early-game, Musharna should spread paralysis against the enemy team to slow down their faster sweepers and give your team the edge in battle. Musharna does not do much late-game and can usually be sacrificed to snag momentum for your team.
Team Options
========
Musharna pairs well with Fighting-types that can take down the Dark-types it has trouble breaking through, such as Medicham, Emboar, and Hitmonlee. Any Pokemon that appreciate something that can wall physical attackers and Fighting-types greatly appreciate Musharna as a teammate. Pokemon like Sneasel, Houndoom, and Dugtrio enjoy Musharna's walling capabilities and slow Baton Pass to help them pivot in. Slower wallbreakers like Rhyperior, Choice Band Sawk, Life Orb Medicham, and Mega Camerupt appreciate Musharna's ability to cripple enemy sweepers.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
A Stored Power set with Barrier and Calm Mind sounds tempting, but it takes far too long for Musharna to set up and start attacking, and the abundance of powerful Pokemon in RU makes this set unviable in the tier. Running Heal Bell over Thunder Wave on the pivot set seems effective, but it is normally only effective on stall teams, and even then, Granbull is almost always the better choice for a cleric. Musharna has access to Calm Mind, but it isn't effective, as it is outclassed by other Psychic-type Calm Mind users that have better offensive or defensive typings such as Delphox and Slowking. A Choice Specs set that utilizes Musharna's high Special Attack and coverage moves also sounds good on paper but is overall not viable, as other Pokemon such as Sigilyph and Meloetta are much more viable offensively. Finally, Magic Coat seems effective, as it would allow Musharna to reflect status (notably Toxic) at bulky Pokemon that try to status it, but since many Pokemon that run Toxic are Steel-types or carry Refresh, this set would only really be effective on a few Pokemon.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Dark-type Pokemon**: Musharna hates the powerful Dark-type attackers in the tier such as Sneasel and Spiritomb, which can Pursuit trap it, and Drapion and Absol, which can destroy it with their strength.
**Status**: Musharna hates Toxic and burns. They make it harder to pivot in on strong attackers, as they severely reduce its longevity. It also makes it much more difficult for Musharna to shrug off strong physical attacks.
**Steel-types**: Steel-types resist both of Musharna's STAB moves. Passive Steel-types such as Registeel and Bronzong can status Musharna, while more powerful ones like Magneton and particularly Escavalier can decimate it with their powerful attacks.
**Taunt**: Pokemon like Jellicent and Spiritomb can Taunt Musharna and effectively limit its capabilities, rendering it unable to pivot or use its utility moves to support its team, effectively limiting its capabilities
**Powerful Wallbreakers**: Deadly wallbreakers such as Mega Camerupt can 2HKO or 3HKO Musharna with their strong attacks.
There are many defensive Psychic-types in the RU tier, making it difficult for Musharna to stand out compared to other Pokemon. Its defensive typing isn't as good as that of Slowking, it can't set up Stealth Rock like Bronzong and Uxie, and it doesn't have the offensive potential of Medicham, Meloetta, and Sigilyph. Musharna is also very slow, its defensive typing is mediocre at best, it can be Taunt and setup bait against more bulky attackers, and Moonlight, its only recovery move, is unreliable due to it's low PP compared to other recovery moves and weather dependancy. However, Musharna does have an advantage in its stats. Its Defense and HP allow it to take hits from powerful physical attackers, and it has pretty good Special Attack and Special Defense stats. Musharna also appreciates the strong presence of Fighting-types in the tier, as its physical bulk allows it to wall many of them. It also has access to Baton Pass and a low Speed stat, enabling it to act as an effective pivot. Musharna does not have the utility of the premier Psychic-types in the tier, but it can act as a supporting pivot or a wincon that can sweep the enemy team once its counters have been eliminated.
[SET]
name: Bulky Pivot
move 1: Baton Pass
move 2: Thunder Wave
move 3: Psyshock / Psychic
move 4: Moonlight
item: Colbur Berry / Leftovers
ability: Synchronize
nature: Bold
evs: 240 HP / 252 Def / 16 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Baton Pass allows Musharna to act as a pivot, and it can be used to escape from bad matchups or on a predicted switch to go into a counter. Thunder Wave enables you to cripple faster sweepers that love to switch in against Musharna such as Sneasel and Drapion. Psyshock can be used if you want the ability to hit special walls and more specially bulky Pokemon like Virizion, but Psychic can be run if more firepower is preferred and to hit more physically defensive Pokemon such as Gurdurr harder. Moonlight should always be run in the last slot in order to allow Musharna to act as a pivot for longer. Healing Wish can be used over Baton Pass to bring an ally up to full health, but it makes it much harder for Musharna to act as a pivot.
Set Details
========
Colbur Berry is the preferred item due to the existence of many powerful Dark-type Pokemon in the tier, as it allows Musharna to pivot around much more safely. It can also be utilized to gain an advantage by using Thunder Wave against powerful Dark-types like Sneasel and Houndoom. Colbur Berry also further helps Musharna check the tier's many Fighting-types like Sawk and Hitmonlee, which generally run Dark-type coverage moves. However, Leftovers can be used if passive recovery is preferred. Synchronize is Musharna's only viable ability and it's mostly passive and only useful against defensive walls like Alomomola that poison Musharna by poisoning them as well. Maximum Defense EVs and a Bold nature allow Musharna to take physical hits very well. 240 HP EVs allow Musharna to retain maximum recovery from Leftovers and take both physical and special hits better.
Usage Tips
========
Pivot Musharna excels at taking hits from physical attackers it walls, especially powerful Fighting-type attackers. It can also take special hits from wallbreakers like Venusaur to further support your team. Early-game, Musharna should spread paralysis against the enemy team to slow down their faster sweepers and give your team the edge in battle. Musharna does not do much late-game and can usually be sacrificed to snag momentum for your team.
Team Options
========
Musharna pairs well with Fighting-types that can take down the Dark-types it has trouble breaking through, such as Medicham, Emboar, and Hitmonlee. Any Pokemon that appreciate something that can wall physical attackers and Fighting-types greatly appreciate Musharna as a teammate. Pokemon like Sneasel, Houndoom, and Dugtrio enjoy Musharna's walling capabilities and slow Baton Pass to help them pivot in. Slower wallbreakers like Rhyperior, Choice Band Sawk, Life Orb Medicham, and Mega Camerupt appreciate Musharna's ability to cripple enemy sweepers.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
A Stored Power set with Barrier and Calm Mind sounds tempting, but it takes far too long for Musharna to set up and start attacking, and the abundance of powerful Pokemon in RU makes this set unviable in the tier. Running Heal Bell over Thunder Wave on the pivot set seems effective, but it is normally only effective on stall teams, and even then, Granbull is almost always the better choice for a cleric. Musharna has access to Calm Mind, but it isn't effective, as it is outclassed by other Psychic-type Calm Mind users that have better offensive or defensive typings such as Delphox and Slowking. A Choice Specs set that utilizes Musharna's high Special Attack and coverage moves also sounds good on paper but is overall not viable, as other Pokemon such as Sigilyph and Meloetta are much more viable offensively. Finally, Magic Coat seems effective, as it would allow Musharna to reflect status (notably Toxic) at bulky Pokemon that try to status it, but since many Pokemon that run Toxic are Steel-types or carry Refresh, this set would only really be effective on a few Pokemon.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Dark-type Pokemon**: Musharna hates the powerful Dark-type attackers in the tier such as Sneasel and Spiritomb, which can Pursuit trap it, and Drapion and Absol, which can destroy it with their strength.
**Status**: Musharna hates Toxic and burns. They make it harder to pivot in on strong attackers, as they severely reduce its longevity. It also makes it much more difficult for Musharna to shrug off strong physical attacks.
**Steel-types**: Steel-types resist both of Musharna's STAB moves. Passive Steel-types such as Registeel and Bronzong can status Musharna, while more powerful ones like Magneton and particularly Escavalier can decimate it with their powerful attacks.
**Taunt**: Pokemon like Jellicent and Spiritomb can Taunt Musharna and effectively limit its capabilities, rendering it unable to pivot or use its utility moves to support its team, effectively limiting its capabilities
**Powerful Wallbreakers**: Deadly wallbreakers such as Mega Camerupt can 2HKO or 3HKO Musharna with their strong attacks.
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