STATUS: Done
Code:
[B]QC Checks:[/B] iss, Elevator Music [B][2/2][/B]
[B]GP Checks:[/B] Fatecrashers, RayJay [B][2/2][/B][Overview]
<p>Misdreavus is the most fearsome Ghost-type in the entire Little Cup tier, and is definitely a deadly and notable force. She boasts base 19 Speed, which is absolutely amazing for Little Cup standards, outspeeding many common Pokemon such as Mienfoo, Chinchou, and Dwebble. But that's not all, as Misdreavus also packs an incredible base 85 Special Attack, which allows her to hit very hard indeed. Misdreavus's arsenal provides her with wide coverage with Shadow Ball, Hidden Power Fighting, Icy Wind, and Thunderbolt, and contains many great support moves such as Taunt, Will-O-Wisp, and Trick.</p>
<p>Misdreavus also gets access to Nasty Plot, which is a godsend for her, because Misdreavus has respectable 60 / 60 / 85 defenses. In conjunction with eviolite, amazing base 85 Special Attack, and very wide coverage, she can utilize Nasty Plot in order to wreak a lot of havoc and sweep with ease. However, Misdreavus also has her downfalls. She is prone to many priority attacks such as Sucker Punch because of her not-so-high base 60 Defense, and has no true reliable recovery besides Pain Split. That being said, Misdreavus is still a top-tier threat in the Little Cup metagame, and you should always take caution if it appears on your opponent's roster.</p>
[SET]
name: Nasty Plot
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Hidden Power Fighting
move 4: Thunderbolt / Will-O-Wisp / Taunt
item: Eviolite
nature: Timid
evs: 240 SpA / 240 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>In this set, Misdreavus utilizes Nasty Plot and her amazing coverage to become a devastating sweeper. In fact, this is probably Misdreavus's deadliest set. With great offensive stats—base 85 Speed and Special Attack—Misdreavus is a great user of Nasty Plot. After a single Nasty Plot, she reaches 38 Special Attack, which is sky-high for LC standards. Shadow Ball is here as Misdreavus's main STAB attack, as it hits the hardest after a Nasty Plot, becoming 120 Base Power factoring in STAB. Hidden Power Fighting, in conjunction with Shadow Ball, grants Misdreavus perfect coverage, and also hits the Dark- and Normal-types that threaten to stop her sweep for super effective damage.</p>
<p>Thunderbolt is the primary option in the last slot, as the coverage it grants against Water- and Flying-types is appreciated. However, if you are wishing to go for a more defensive approach, either Will-O-Wisp or Taunt make a viable choice over Thunderbolt. The former allows Misdreavus to cripple physical attackers, such as Stunky, Mienfoo, and Pawniard, which threaten her because of her low base Defense, while the latter grants immunnity to phazing and status. Taunt also ensures that the opponent will not be able to heal off damage with moves such as Roost or Recover.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Eviolite boosts Misdreavus's defenses by 1.5x, thus giving her more bulk and more opportunities to set up Nasty Plot. Misdreavus also appreciates the extra bulk in order to spend more time on the battlefield wreaking more havoc. Life Orb, however, can be used over Eviolite to hit even harder right away, though the loss of bulk is notable. Timid nature is used to maximize Misdreavus's Speed without lowering any imporant stat. The EV spread grants Misdeavus maximum offensive capabilities and allows her to sweep better. It should be noted that if Hidden Power Fighting is not used, the spread should then be changed to 36 HP / 236 SpA / 236 Spe.</p>
<p>Substitute is another option over Thunderbolt, as it allows Misdreavus to set up and scout switch-ins easier; Substitute also makes her immune to status as long she's behind it. Pain Split is Misdreavus's only form of recovery, but this move is very situational and unreliable for this set. Thus, Lickitung makes a great teammate, as it can pass 14 HP Wishes to Misdreavus, which is about 60% of Misdreavus's health. Not only that, Lickitung can also cure status problems with Heal Bell and has great defensive synergy with Misdreavus; on one hand, Lickitung is immune to Ghost-type attacks that hit Misdreavus super effectively, and on the other hand, Misdreavus is immune to Fighting-type attacks that hit Lickitung super effectively.</p>
<p>Seeing as Misdreavus causes a lot of switches, entry hazards are appreciated. Each switch-in from the opponent will weaken them, therefore making Misdreavus's sweep easier. Examples of helpful Pokemon include Bronzor or Hippopotas, as they can lay down Stealth Rock, and Ferroseed or Shelmet, as they can stack a few layers of Spikes on the opponent's field. Stunky is the biggest counter to Misdreavus, as it's very bulky, isn't hit super effectively by any move Misdreavus carries, and has super effective STAB in Pursuit, Crunch, or Sucker Punch. For this reason, Gligar, Hippopotas, Croagunk, Timburr, and Diglett all make awesome teammates, as they all can defeat Stunky handily. Magnemite can weaken Stunky with Thunderbolt, and can also defeat Bronzor that can otherwise take a +2 Shadow Ball while poisoning opposing Misdreavus with Toxic.</p>
[SET]
name: Bulky Attacker
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Will-O-Wisp
move 3: Shadow Ball
move 4: Hidden Power Fighting / Thunderbolt
item: Eviolite
nature: Timid
evs: 240 SpA / 240 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Substitute, along with Eviolite, makes Misdreavus an outstanding bulky attacker. Once she's behind a Substitute, Misdreavus can easily scout switch-ins and hit very hard with the proper move. Substitute also makes great use of Misdreavus's offensive stats and movepool, while still allowing her to have very respectable bulk due to Eviolite. Will-O-Wisp cripples any physical attacker that threatens Misdreavus because of her mediocre base 60 Defense, such as Stunky, Gligar, and Murkrow. Shadow Ball is a great STAB move, as it's accurate, powerful, and has a chance to lower the opponent's Special Defense. Hidden Power Fighting rounds off the set with non-resisted coverage, but if Water- and Flying-types, such as Frillish or Murkrow, are troublesome, Thunderbolt is definitely a good option over it.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread and Timid nature take Misdreavus's offensive capabilities to the top without lowering any important stat. However, if you choose to leave Hidden Power Fighting behind and go with Thunderbolt, the EV spread should be 36 HP / 236 SpA / 236 Spe, as there are no IV changes in this case. Eviolite makes Misdreavus an amazing bulky attacker by boosting her defenses, and also makes her Substitutes harder to break, as it will take the opponent greater damage to break them. Pain Split is a great viable option over Will-O-Wisp, as it allows Misdreavus to regain health that was used for Substitute. However, Pain Split is very unreliable, Wish support can be used instead. Lickitung excels at this job, passing 14 HP Wishes to Misdreavus, having agood synergy with her, and curing status with Heal Bell. If Ground- and Grass-types are more troublesome than Water-types, Icy Wind can be used over Thunderbolt or Hidden Power Fighting in order to hit them very hard. Icy Wind also gives Misdreavus more chances to set up with Substitute by lowering the foe's Speed by one level.</p>
<p>This set forces a lot of switches, but also scouts them with Substitute, therefore, entry hazards support is appreciated, especially Spikes. Bronzor, Hippopotas, and Gligar are prime examples of Pokemon that can lay Stealth Rock down, whereas Shelmet and Ferroseed are good Pokemon that can scatter Spikes. Stunky, yet again, spells huge trouble for this set, as it is very bulky, can trap Misdreavus with STAB Pursuit, and isn't hit super effectively by any move due to its typing. Therefore, Hippopotas, Croagunk, Diglett, Timburr, and Gligar are great partners for this set as well, as all can beat Stunky down.</p>
[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Will-O-Wisp / Substitute
move 2: Icy Wind / Pain Split / Shadow Sneak
move 3: Shadow Ball
move 4: Hidden Power Fighting
item: Eviolite
nature: Timid
evs: 36 HP / 40 Def / 80 SpA / 80 SpD / 240 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With the addition of Eviolite, Misdreavus now has even greater defensive potential. In fact, Misdreavus is probably one of the most effective special walls in the tier, as she is able to tank many powerful attacks, such as Hydro Pump from Staryu or Blizzard from Snover. Will-O-Wisp patches up Misdreavus's mediocre Defense, by crippling any physical attackers that threaten her, such as Gligar, Pawniard, or Stunky. Once again, Shadow Ball is Misdreavus's most reliable STAB attack. Hidden Power Fighting's coverage in conjunction with Shadow Ball is unresisted, which makes Misdreavus still a threat, even when using a defensive spread.</p>
<p>Icy Wind is a great move, as not only does it hits Flying- and Ground-types such as Gligar, Hippopotas, and Murkrow, it also decelerates the foe, which makes it a great support move for slower sweepers that need a turn to set up, such as Scraggy. Pain Split is Misdreavus's sole form of recovery, and thus it may be used over Icy Wind. Substitute and Shadow Sneak create a unique combination that allows Misdreavus to pick off weakened opponents by using Shadow Sneak, scout switch-ins, be immune to status, and play mind games with Sucker Punch users via Substitute.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Eviolite is the best item for this set, as Misdreavus requires the additional bulk Eviolite grants. Timid nature with 240 Speed EVs lets Misdreavus be as fast as possible, so she is able to Will-O-Wisp as many Pokemon as she can. The leftover EVs grant Misdreavus very respectable bulk; max Special Attack Staryu's Hydro Pump only has 5.06% chance to 2HKO with Stealth Rock support, while 80 EVs invested in Special Attack power up Misdreavus's attacks. 196 HP / 40 Def / 240 Spe is also a viable spread, as it still grants very respectable bulk to Misdreavus.</p>
<p>Heal Bell can be used over Will-O-Wisp or Icy Wind, as it saves Misdreavus and her teammates from status, such as Toxic poison, which Misdreavus does not enjoy at all. Thunder Wave and Toxic can be used over Will-O-Wisp if you wish to infect the opponent with other status, though this is not recommended, as Misdreavus needs the attack drops that Will-O-Wisp brings to the field. Because Pain Split is very unreliable, Wish support is recommended, and as mentioned before, Lickitung is an amazing partner, because it synergizes very well with Misdreavus and can pass a large amount of HP via Wish to Misdreavus, it can also become a cleric if running Heal Bell. If going for a more offensive approach, Scraggy makes an excellent partner, as not only does Scraggy defeat the Dark-types that Misdreavus falls against, Misdreavus in return can burn Scraggy's counters, such as Gligar and Mienfoo, allowing it to set up more easily.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Hidden Power Fighting / Thunderbolt
move 3: Icy Wind
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Timid
evs: 240 SpA / 240 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With an already great base 85 Speed, Misdreavus can use Choice Scarf to become an amazing check to set-up sweepers. In fact, Misdreavus is one of the only common Choice Scarf users in the tier that can afford to use Trick, due to its great coverage with just three attacks. In a metagame that is full of Eviolite users, the ability to gain a useful item and completely shut down the foe by locking it to a move is golden. That's one of Choice Scarf Misdreavus's greatest capabilities.</p>
<p>Shadow Ball is a great STAB move, and it is unresisted in conjunction with Hidden Power Fighting. Icy Wind is great for Flying- and Ground-types such as Gligar, Hippopotas, and Murkrow, and is also a reliable attack against Pokemon that attempt to set up Speed boosts, such as Scraggy, as Icy Wind lowers the foe's Speed by one stage. If you feel that you do not need Hidden Power Fighting, Thunderbolt is a great alternative over it as it hits Flying- and Water-types harder.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Timid nature along with the given EVs maximize Misdreavus's Speed and Special Attack, and thus give her maximum offensive capabilities. If using Thunderbolt instead of Hidden Power Fighting, the EV spread changes to 36 HP / 236 SpA / 236 Spe, because no IV has been changed. Entry hazard support is recommended, as this Misdreavus has no way to boost her Special Attack. Hippopotas, Gligar, Lileep, Shelmet, and Ferroseed are great examples of Pokemon that can bring hazards support to the field. Destiny Bond can be used over one of the aforementioned moves, as with Misdreavus's high Speed thanks to Choice Scarf, it can be used in a last ditch attempt to take the opponent down with her.</p>
<p>Any Pursuit user that resists Shadow Ball or is bulky enough to take a hit becomes a major threat. Stunky is bulky enough to take a hit and resists Shadow Ball thanks to its Dark typing while Houndour and Pawniard resist Icy Wind as well. Munchlax is bulky enough to take a few hits, and is immune to Shadow Ball. Stunky, Houndour, and Pawniard also pack super effective STAB in Crunch, Dark Pulse, and Night Slash, respectively, as well as priority STAB Sucker Punch. Hippopotas, Croagunk, Timburr, and Gligar can beat them all, though only Gligar can switch into Houndour's Fire Blast.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Misdreavus gets access to both Mean Look and Perish Song, and can thus create the famous PerishTrap combo. However, this set is done better by Murkrow due to Prankster; it's very unreliable here and will turn Misdreavus into dead weight. Calm Mind is another set-up move that Misdreavus gets access to, but Nasty Plot grants immediate brute force, whereas Calm Mind needs a few turns of setup. Charge Beam falls in the same boat as Calm Mind, but the boost from it is not guaranteed. Confuse Ray and Thunder Wave can be used as well, but these are also done better by Murkrow. If you wish to put a lot more pressure on your opponent and cripple it faster, Toxic is another status move Misdreavus gets access to, though it is not recommended because Will-O-Wisp is better for shutting down the physical attackers that threaten Misdreavus. When low on HP, Misdreavus can use Destiny Bond to take the foe down with her, though it is very situational. Hex, in conjunction with a status move, reach 150 Base Power after STAB and Hex's effect, which turns it into a very devastating attack. However, Shadow Ball reaches 120 base power after STAB, and doesn't rely on inflicting status effects. Because Misdreavus is very fast (with maximum investment and a Timid nature, it has 19 Speed, which outspeeds the vast majority of the LC tier), she can utilize Memento when on low health, which will allow a set-up sweeper teammate, such as Gligar or Scraggy, set up with ease.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Misdreavus's stats, movepool, and versatility makes her a very deadly and notable force in Little Cup, and thus she does not have many counters. The only true counter for Misdreavus would be Stunky; it is bulky enough to switch into everything Misdreavus can throw at it, and can trap her with STAB Pursuit, or hit hard with Crunch or a well-predicted Sucker Punch. Stunky will always have the upper hand against Misdreavus, as even when burned by Will-O-Wisp, Pursuit or Crunch takes less turns than Hidden Power Fighting to KO.</p>
<p>Perhaps the best way to check Misdreavus is to hit hard and hit fast. You do not want to face a Nasty Plot-boosted Misdreavus, as she is liable to break your team apart. Examples of hard-hitting moves you should use include Hydro Pump, Blizzard, Fire Blast, and Outrage. Poisoning Misdreavus puts her under a lot of pressure, and limits her lifespan. Because Misdreavus doesn't have a recovery move outside of Pain Split, which is very unreliable, being poisoned will spell the speedy demise of Misdreavus. Eviolite Houndour will never be OHKOed by a non-boosted Hidden Power Fighting even after Stealth Rock damage, is immune to Will-O-Wisp, and carries Pursuit and Dark Pulse within its arsenal. If it's switched into a predicted Will-O-Wisp, Houndour can also shoot a Flash Fire-boosted Fire Blast at Misdreavus. A healthy Scraggy can take a +2 Hidden Power Fighting, set up a Dragon Dance, and OHKO with STAB Crunch. If Scraggy gets burned by Misdreavus's Will-O-Wisp, it can easily be cured by its ability Shed Skin.</p>
<p>Normal-type special walls, such as Munchlax, Porygon, and Lickitung, handle Misdreavus very well. All three are immune to Misdreavus's STAB, pack some sort of recovery, and sometimes carry Toxic. Porygon and Munchlax can use Shadow Ball and Pursuit respectively for super effective damage, while Lickitung can set up Curse and cure a burn by using Heal Bell or Rest. 240 SpA Misdreavus only has a 0.07% chance to 2HKO a Croagunk with 212 EVs invested in HP and 116 in Special Defense after Stealth Rock damage, while Croagunk will always 2HKO offensive variants after Stealth Rock damage with Shadow Ball or Dark Pulse, and has a 5.06% chance to 2HKO defensive variants after Misdreavus switches into Stealth Rock. Croagunk also has a priotiy, super effective move against Misdreavus in Sucker Punch, which allows it to KO weakened Misdreavus. If facing an opposing Misdreavus, the one that has taken more prior damage will lose.</p>
