Endorfins
Your Worst Nightmare
[Overview]
<p>Since its introduction in RBY, Muk has always been discarded in favor of more powerful Poison-type counterparts. It suffers from a severe case of four moveslot syndrome, and a poor offensive and defensive typing only makes matters worse. However, in the fifth generation, Muk finds itself at home in the NU tier, where its comparatively high Attack, HP, and Special Defense stats allow it to function as a great special sponge that can also deal heavy damage to a wide range of threats with its decent coverage. Muk's Poison typing is also a blessing in the Toxic Spikes-infested NU tier, as it can remove the dreaded poison inducers from the field just by switching in.</p>
[SET]
name: Curse
move 1: Curse
move 2: Poison Jab
move 3: Brick Break
move 4: Ice Punch / Rest / Shadow Sneak
item: Leftovers
ability: Sticky Hold
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Curse is the only way Muk can boost its Attack stat and set up for a potential sweep; while it isn't the best boosting move, Curse complements Muk's stat spread perfectly. The reduction in Speed is irrelevant, as Muk is already as slow as molasses. However, the Attack and Defense boosts, combined with an already high Special Defense stat, make Muk an unstoppable tank after a few Curse boosts. Muk's Poison typing really lets it down when it comes to choosing a STAB move, however, as Poison-type attacks have terrible coverage. Brick Break somewhat mitigates this issue, hitting the Rock- and Steel-types that resist or are immune to Poison Jab, respectively, for heavy damage. There are three options for the last moveslot; Ice Punch destroys Dragon-types such as Altaria, Rest gives Muk a form of recovery and makes it almost unbreakable once it has obtained a few boosts, while Shadow Sneak ensures that Ghost-types don't completely wall Muk, also giving it a priority move to take out fast, frail threats with.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>If Poison Jab's low power is unappealing, then Gunk Shot can be used as an alternative STAB move with 40 extra Base Power. However, the power boost comes with a loss of accuracy and PP, which can be very detrimental on a boosting tank such as Muk. The EVs maximize Muk's ability to take special hits, with full investment in HP and Special Defense along with a Careful Nature. Leftovers is the standard item, but Black Sludge can be used if you think it sounds cooler, as with Muk's ability—Sticky Hold—there is no danger of the opponent Tricking the Black Sludge back onto a teammate. Sticky Hold should always be used as Stench's flinch chance makes little difference when Muk will be lowering its Speed with Curse. Since Muk really doesn't hit very hard before it has set up, phazers can easily switch in and remove its boosts in one fell swoop, so removing such threats can go a long way in easing up Muk's sweep. Ghost- and Psychic-types threaten Muk too, so a strong Pursuit user such as Absol makes a great partner. Muk also has good synergy with Dark-types in general, as it resists the Bug- and Fighting-type moves they are weak to. Pain Split is an option over Rest for recovery if you dislike being a sitting duck for two turns every time to want to heal off damage, but Muk's high HP stat is a liability in this case; this also means that an untimely burn will completely neuter Muk.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Poison Jab / Gunk Shot
move 2: Brick Break
move 3: Ice Punch
move 4: Shadow Sneak / Payback
item: Choice Band
ability: Sticky Hold
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Muk's high Attack stat coupled with its abysmal Speed makes it a natural fit for a Choice Band set. With a Choice Band equipped, Muk can rip holes in the opposing team, potentially allowing a teammate to sweep the remnants. Once again, Poison Jab is the primary STAB option, but this time it faces competition from the more powerful Gunk Shot. However, Gunk Shot's accuracy is a crippling flaw that often strikes at the worst times; use it only if the extra power is really necessary. Brick Break helps Muk to take down the Steel-types that love to switch into its Poison-type STAB, while Ice Punch scores a super effective hit on Flying-, Dragon-, and Ground-types. The last slot gives Muk a shot at beating Ghost- and Psychic-types with Shadow Sneak or Payback. The former bypasses Muk's low Speed to strike first, while the latter takes advantage of faster opponents to hit them hard. Prediction is a must for this set, as Muk's Poison-type STAB has poor coverage; moreover, Brick Break and Ice Punch are both quite weak, so if you predict incorrectly, they could easily give setup opportunities to Pokemon such as Misdreavus and Gorebyss.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Investing in Muk's Speed is quite pointless as it is so slow anyway, and most walls can do little back to Muk thanks to its Poison typing giving it an immunity to Toxic. As a result, the EVs are placed in HP and Attack to give Muk the best mixed bulk and make sure it can hit as hard as possible, with the Adamant nature further boosting its Attack. Pursuit users are once again very helpful partners, as although Muk has Payback or Shadow Sneak to hit Ghost-types with, the former doesn't hit hard on the switch and the latter is too weak to do much damage. Absol and Skuntank are excellent Pokemon that can trap and kill Ghost-types for Muk. Muk also makes a good teammate for powerful special sweepers such as Magmortar, as it can eliminate walls such as Amoonguss and Altaria. Entry hazards are also very helpful for this set as they turn some 2HKOs into OHKOs which is especially useful with inaccurate moves such as Gunk Shot. Cacturne can provide Spikes while also removing Ghost-types with its Dark-type STAB.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Muk can run a SubPunch set with decent success, as its poor Speed means it can almost always set up a Substitute and fire off a powerful Focus Punch, but it is walled too easily by bulky Ghost-types such as Misdreavus. It can also run a specially defensive tank set to sponge powerful special attacks, but it cannot hit hard without boosts, so sticking to the prescribed Curse and Choice Band sets is generally a better idea. As Muk often becomes setup bait for boosting sweepers, it can also run Haze to stop them in their tracks, but sweepers such as Gorebyss and Absol can 2HKO Muk even without any boosts. Explosion allows Muk to go out with a bang and provides a free switch-in for a teammate, but the nerf in its power really hurts Muk. Similarly, Memento can bring in a frail sweeper safely and give it a free turn to set up, which can potentially be game-changing.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Ghost-types such as Misdreavus and Drifblim are Muk's worst enemies; they not only resist its Poison-type STAB, but also sport immunities to Muk's main coverage move in Brick Break. While they do have to be wary of a Choice Band-boosted Payback or Shadow Sneak, they can easily take one and reply with either a debilitating burn or set up with Calm Mind. Phazers are also a problem for any Muk utilizing Curse or Substitute as Muk will often be unable to damage them severely before it gets removed from play. Taunt is equally debilitating for any non-Choice Band set, as Muk's unboosted attacks do pathetic damage. Even the Choice Band set struggles with bulky physical walls, such as Golbat, who can easily take any of Muk's moves and whittle its HP down with Brave Bird. Muk usually doesn't need dedicated counters to stop it, and most of the time, powerful physical attacks—Ground- and Psychic-type attacks in particular—will be able to shut it down.</p>
<p>Since its introduction in RBY, Muk has always been discarded in favor of more powerful Poison-type counterparts. It suffers from a severe case of four moveslot syndrome, and a poor offensive and defensive typing only makes matters worse. However, in the fifth generation, Muk finds itself at home in the NU tier, where its comparatively high Attack, HP, and Special Defense stats allow it to function as a great special sponge that can also deal heavy damage to a wide range of threats with its decent coverage. Muk's Poison typing is also a blessing in the Toxic Spikes-infested NU tier, as it can remove the dreaded poison inducers from the field just by switching in.</p>
[SET]
name: Curse
move 1: Curse
move 2: Poison Jab
move 3: Brick Break
move 4: Ice Punch / Rest / Shadow Sneak
item: Leftovers
ability: Sticky Hold
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Curse is the only way Muk can boost its Attack stat and set up for a potential sweep; while it isn't the best boosting move, Curse complements Muk's stat spread perfectly. The reduction in Speed is irrelevant, as Muk is already as slow as molasses. However, the Attack and Defense boosts, combined with an already high Special Defense stat, make Muk an unstoppable tank after a few Curse boosts. Muk's Poison typing really lets it down when it comes to choosing a STAB move, however, as Poison-type attacks have terrible coverage. Brick Break somewhat mitigates this issue, hitting the Rock- and Steel-types that resist or are immune to Poison Jab, respectively, for heavy damage. There are three options for the last moveslot; Ice Punch destroys Dragon-types such as Altaria, Rest gives Muk a form of recovery and makes it almost unbreakable once it has obtained a few boosts, while Shadow Sneak ensures that Ghost-types don't completely wall Muk, also giving it a priority move to take out fast, frail threats with.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>If Poison Jab's low power is unappealing, then Gunk Shot can be used as an alternative STAB move with 40 extra Base Power. However, the power boost comes with a loss of accuracy and PP, which can be very detrimental on a boosting tank such as Muk. The EVs maximize Muk's ability to take special hits, with full investment in HP and Special Defense along with a Careful Nature. Leftovers is the standard item, but Black Sludge can be used if you think it sounds cooler, as with Muk's ability—Sticky Hold—there is no danger of the opponent Tricking the Black Sludge back onto a teammate. Sticky Hold should always be used as Stench's flinch chance makes little difference when Muk will be lowering its Speed with Curse. Since Muk really doesn't hit very hard before it has set up, phazers can easily switch in and remove its boosts in one fell swoop, so removing such threats can go a long way in easing up Muk's sweep. Ghost- and Psychic-types threaten Muk too, so a strong Pursuit user such as Absol makes a great partner. Muk also has good synergy with Dark-types in general, as it resists the Bug- and Fighting-type moves they are weak to. Pain Split is an option over Rest for recovery if you dislike being a sitting duck for two turns every time to want to heal off damage, but Muk's high HP stat is a liability in this case; this also means that an untimely burn will completely neuter Muk.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Poison Jab / Gunk Shot
move 2: Brick Break
move 3: Ice Punch
move 4: Shadow Sneak / Payback
item: Choice Band
ability: Sticky Hold
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Muk's high Attack stat coupled with its abysmal Speed makes it a natural fit for a Choice Band set. With a Choice Band equipped, Muk can rip holes in the opposing team, potentially allowing a teammate to sweep the remnants. Once again, Poison Jab is the primary STAB option, but this time it faces competition from the more powerful Gunk Shot. However, Gunk Shot's accuracy is a crippling flaw that often strikes at the worst times; use it only if the extra power is really necessary. Brick Break helps Muk to take down the Steel-types that love to switch into its Poison-type STAB, while Ice Punch scores a super effective hit on Flying-, Dragon-, and Ground-types. The last slot gives Muk a shot at beating Ghost- and Psychic-types with Shadow Sneak or Payback. The former bypasses Muk's low Speed to strike first, while the latter takes advantage of faster opponents to hit them hard. Prediction is a must for this set, as Muk's Poison-type STAB has poor coverage; moreover, Brick Break and Ice Punch are both quite weak, so if you predict incorrectly, they could easily give setup opportunities to Pokemon such as Misdreavus and Gorebyss.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Investing in Muk's Speed is quite pointless as it is so slow anyway, and most walls can do little back to Muk thanks to its Poison typing giving it an immunity to Toxic. As a result, the EVs are placed in HP and Attack to give Muk the best mixed bulk and make sure it can hit as hard as possible, with the Adamant nature further boosting its Attack. Pursuit users are once again very helpful partners, as although Muk has Payback or Shadow Sneak to hit Ghost-types with, the former doesn't hit hard on the switch and the latter is too weak to do much damage. Absol and Skuntank are excellent Pokemon that can trap and kill Ghost-types for Muk. Muk also makes a good teammate for powerful special sweepers such as Magmortar, as it can eliminate walls such as Amoonguss and Altaria. Entry hazards are also very helpful for this set as they turn some 2HKOs into OHKOs which is especially useful with inaccurate moves such as Gunk Shot. Cacturne can provide Spikes while also removing Ghost-types with its Dark-type STAB.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Muk can run a SubPunch set with decent success, as its poor Speed means it can almost always set up a Substitute and fire off a powerful Focus Punch, but it is walled too easily by bulky Ghost-types such as Misdreavus. It can also run a specially defensive tank set to sponge powerful special attacks, but it cannot hit hard without boosts, so sticking to the prescribed Curse and Choice Band sets is generally a better idea. As Muk often becomes setup bait for boosting sweepers, it can also run Haze to stop them in their tracks, but sweepers such as Gorebyss and Absol can 2HKO Muk even without any boosts. Explosion allows Muk to go out with a bang and provides a free switch-in for a teammate, but the nerf in its power really hurts Muk. Similarly, Memento can bring in a frail sweeper safely and give it a free turn to set up, which can potentially be game-changing.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Ghost-types such as Misdreavus and Drifblim are Muk's worst enemies; they not only resist its Poison-type STAB, but also sport immunities to Muk's main coverage move in Brick Break. While they do have to be wary of a Choice Band-boosted Payback or Shadow Sneak, they can easily take one and reply with either a debilitating burn or set up with Calm Mind. Phazers are also a problem for any Muk utilizing Curse or Substitute as Muk will often be unable to damage them severely before it gets removed from play. Taunt is equally debilitating for any non-Choice Band set, as Muk's unboosted attacks do pathetic damage. Even the Choice Band set struggles with bulky physical walls, such as Golbat, who can easily take any of Muk's moves and whittle its HP down with Brave Bird. Muk usually doesn't need dedicated counters to stop it, and most of the time, powerful physical attacks—Ground- and Psychic-type attacks in particular—will be able to shut it down.</p>