Muk (GP 2/2)

Endorfins

Your Worst Nightmare
is a Contributor Alumnus
[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>
 

jrp

Banned deucer.
You say that muk has high speed on your 4th line


Anyway on the band set, I'd put gunk shot over poison jab. Like you said, it needs the power
 

Endorfins

Your Worst Nightmare
is a Contributor Alumnus
thank for pointing that out, how the hell did Special defense become Speed...
Anyway, concerning the Gunk Shot point, it already has a slash and the accuracy is terrible. Its like using Focus Miss as your main STAB
 

destinyunknown

Banned deucer.
- EVs allow Exeggutor to live a +2 Gorebyss Surf


Wtf is this?

Stockpile is not worthwile in subpunching set, and ice punch is not so good, maybe pain split is better
 

Endorfins

Your Worst Nightmare
is a Contributor Alumnus
Pain Split only works if Muk is at relly low HP as its HP is larger than most of NU. Pain Split is not very reliable. Ill slash it and let QC decide
 
Muk <3 In my past experiences with Muk, Pursuit users are amazing partners for him. Pursuit Absol, among others, can do wonders in clearing the field of bothersome pokes like Misdreavus, Exeggutor, etc., as well as luring Fighting and Bug attacks for a cleaner switch. So yeah, imo that should really be stressed, the sets itself look solid
 

Endorfins

Your Worst Nightmare
is a Contributor Alumnus
Pursuit support has been added to all sets in the AC as Muk really can't do much to Ghosts and Psychics as Payback does't hit for double on the switch and Shadow Sneak is really weak.
 

tennisace

not quite too old for this, apparently
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Pain Split to AC of the Curse set.

SubPunch looks meh to me and definitely should not be the second listed set. Can other QC members weigh in on whether it should be listed at all?

CB is fine, just put Gunk Shot in AC and mention Power vs Accuracy in the comments. Also Payback to AC since it doesn't hit for double on the switch.

The special tank set looks like a rehash of the Curse set? Idk what the difference between the two is really. I dont think it should be listed at all really.
 

jake

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Yeah, I'm kinda questioning the viability of that SubPunch set. I mean Muk is already bringing in stuff like Mesprit so... and same with the SpD set. Not sure what it has over anything else that has usable SpD.
 

Endorfins

Your Worst Nightmare
is a Contributor Alumnus
I've made the changes suggested by Tennisace as well as adding Toxic and Haze to the Specially Defensive set. Toxic has also been added to the Subpunch set as Muk can safely toxic switch-ins like Mesprit from behind a Substitute. I think that the SubPunch set can work as common switch-ins like Klinklang are hit very hard.
 
SubPunch shouldn't be a set, and neither should Specially Defensive.

Edit: I tested SubPunch last night and it was just not that good. There are plenty of other better candidates for SubPunching, and besides, SubPunching is an overrated strategy anyways. Not everything that gets SubPunch should use it.
 

Endorfins

Your Worst Nightmare
is a Contributor Alumnus
Um, maybe a bit more reasoning Omicron? I might remove them if I knew why you didn't want them. I will remove the Specially Defensive set but I don't see why the Subpunch set is that bad

Edit: Many people would disagree about Subpunching being an 'overrated' strategy. Pokemon like Breloom and Aggron can pull it off to great effect. SubPunch is especially useful for Muk as it hits many of the Pokemon that resist its STABs much harder than Brick Break. As for the better candidates that you mention, I can't really find any Pokemon in NU that can use the SubPunching strategy well.
There is a reason that the SubPunch set was a listed set in D/P and while it is a new generation, the SubPunch set still accomplishes the same thing, it hits opponents twice as hard as Brick Break and helps Muk with coverage. Also, the use of substitute is very useful on Muk as it can force quite a few switches, (eg Scarf Sawk, most grass types) and set up a Substitute protecting it from status and allowing it to fire off powerful Focus Punches. Substitute also eases prediction, especially against defensive psychics that like to switch into Muk, Mesprit and Co can be toxiced safely from behind a Substitute
 
Deletions
Additions / Corrections
Comments

[Overview]

<p>Since its introduction in the glory days of RBY, Muk has always been discarded in favour of its more powerful Poison-type counterparts. Its suffers from a severe case of the four-moveslot syndrome, and a poor offensive and defensive typing continues to turn away battlers only makes matters worse. However, with the new generation, Muk finds itself at home in the NU tier where its comparatively high Attack, HP, and Special Defense stats along with some unique moves, allow it too stand out. Muk's excellent HP and Special Defense stats allow it to function as an excellent Special sponge while its decent Attack stat makes Muk a definite threat to watch out for 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 upon switching in, it can absorb the dreaded poison inducers 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: Black Sludge
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, it Curse complements Muk's stat spread perfectly. The reduction in Speed is irrelevant considering Muk is already as slow as molasses. However, the Attack and Defense boosts, combined with Muk's an already high Special Defense stat, make Muk an unstoppable tank after a few Curse boosts. Muk's Poison typing really lets Muk it down when it comes to choosing a STAB move, however, as Poison-type attacks have terrible coverage and its best physical STAB Poison Jab only has 80 base power. His coverage options are equally unimpressive, Brick Break is his best coverage option and has decent coverage with his Poison attack. The last slot can either be given to another coverage move or Rest to heal Muk fully. Shadow Sneak is a priority move that bypasses Muk's lowered speed and hits the Ghosts that resist his other moves, while Ice Punch takes out the common Flying, Dragon, and Ground typed Pokemon in the tier. Brick Break mitigates this issue somewhat, 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 wall Muk cold, also giving it a priority move to take out fast, frail threats with.</p>
(remove excess line spaces)
[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 the a loss of accuracy and PP, which on a boosting tank like Muk, can be very detrimental on a boosting tank like 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 chance for the opponent to remove your item 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-typs 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. Phazers are Muk's worst enemy as Muk doesn't hit very hard before boosting so phazers can easily switch in and remove any boosts Muk attempts to make. Ghost- and Psychic-types also threaten Muk so a powerful Pursuit user such as Absol should be used to remove them. Muk also has good synergy with Dark-types, resisting the Bug- and Fighting-type attacks aimed at them. In the last slot, Muk can also use Pain Split for HP recovery if Rest is too inconvenient, however, Muk's high HP stat means that it will recover less HP and status such as Burn will still cripple it.</p>
(remove excess line spaces)
[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 the Choice Band equipped, Muk can start rip holes in the opposing team, and potentially allowing a teammate to sweep the remnants. Poison Jab makes a reappearnce as Muk's STAB move Once again, Poison Jab is once again the primry STAB option, but this time, it faces competition for a moveslot with from the more powerful Gunk Shot. However, Gunk Shot's accuracy is a crippling flaw that often strikes at the worst times; and means that it should only be used 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 attack 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 Poison typing isn't a great STAB to use Muk's Posion-type STAB has poor coverage. Brick Break and Ice Punch are themselves quite weak, so if you predict incorrectly, they could easily give setup opportunities to Pokemon such as Misdreavus and Gorebyss.</p>
(remove excess line spaces)
[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 in Attack to make sure it can hit as hard as possible, with the Adamant nature further boosting its Attack. An Adamant nature is the best nature for Muk as it doesnt utilize Special moves and requires as much Attack as possible to hit hard. Pursuit users are once again very helpful partners, as although Ghosts can be hit hard by Muk hasPayback 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 is an excellent wallbreaker against walls that use Special moves such as Amoonguss and Altaria as its excellent Special bulk means that they will be able to do little back to Muk. Pokemon such as Magmortar that can take advantage of these Pokemon being weakened can easily sweep afterwards 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 as well as doubling as a Ghost killer while also removing Ghost-types with its Dark-type STAB.</p>
(remove excess line spaces)
[Other Options]

<p>Muk has a very decent movepool in which to abuse. It has access to the powerful Focus Punch which in conjunction with a slow Substitute allow Muk to hit most opponents with a 150 Base Power move. Muk's high Special Defense also means that it can run a viable Tank set which can absorb Special hits and dish out decent damage. However, Muk can hit very hard without boosts so it would often be better to use Curse or Choice Band. Muk can sometimes become setup bait for a variaty of sweepers so it can utilize Haze to stop their attempts to setup. Unfortunately, most sweepers such as Gorebyss and Absol can still 2HKO Muk without boosts. Muk can choose to kill itself with either Explosion or Memento; the former allows Muk to go out with a bang, but the drop in power of Explosion really hurts Muk. The latter is an excellent way of getting a frail sweeper in safely and possibly prepare it for a sweep. 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>
(remove excess line spaces)
[Checks and Counters]

<p>Ghost-types such as Misdreavus and Drifblim are Muk's worst enemies; not only do they resist its Poison-type STAB, they are also immune to Muk's main coverage move in Brick Break. While they do have to be wary of a Choice Band Payback or Shadow Sneak, they can easily take one and reply with either a debilitating burn or set up with moves such as 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 it forces Muk to use its attacks which do pathetic damage when unboosted 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. Most of the time Muk usually doesn't need dedicated counters to stop it, as most of the time, powerful physical attacks and especially(em dash)Ground- and Psychic-type attacks in particular(em dash)will be able to shut it down.</p>


I won't lie, the prose wasn't really up to the mark, so I had to rewrite several portions of this analysis. You might want to take a look at the Spelling and Grammar Standards article and some well-written analyses on-site to get a feel of our Grammar-Prose standards, but I'm sure you will improve with practice. Good luck!



GP 1 / 2
 

Endorfins

Your Worst Nightmare
is a Contributor Alumnus
Sorry about the bad prose, I've implemented your GP check and it definitely reads smoother!
One more to go
 

Engineer Pikachu

Good morning, you bastards!
is a Contributor Alumnus
mine mine mine
[Overview]

<p>Since its introduction in RBY, Muk has always been discarded in favour of more powerful Poison-type counterparts. It suffers from a severe case of the four- moveslot syndrome, and a poor offensive and defensive typing only makes matters worse. However, with the newin 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: Black Sludge
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 considering, 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 somewhat, 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 cold, 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 thea 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 themselvesboth 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 do they resist its Poison-type STAB, they are also immunebut also sport immunities to Muk's main coverage move in Brick Break. While they do have to be wary of a Choice Band 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>


GP [2/2]
[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: Black Sludge
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 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>
 

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