[OVERVIEW]
Dark
========
* Muk's bulk and hard-hitting attack stat make it a great tanky offensive addition to Dark
* Its bulk coupled with it's typing allow it to switch into mons that usually give Dark a hard time. Specifcially it shares no weaknesses with pure darks and can take fairy- bug- and fighting-type attacks
* Knock Off cripples switch-ins and provides a dark-type STAB move
* Bulk makes it a stellar Assault Vest user and tanky utility mon.
* Poison Touch gives the added 30% chance to status opposing mons while also dishing out decent stab damage to most that do not resist it.
* However, Muk does not provide much use against steel and ground teams.
* It slow speed serves as a buffer to prevent Muk from being considered a full-out and able attacker.
* Muk lacks any recovery moves
[SET]
name: Offensive Pursuit Trapper
move 1: Pursuit
move 2: Knock Off
move 3: Poison Jab / Gunk Shot
move 4: Shadow Sneak
item: Assault Vest
ability: Poison Touch
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 HP / 244 Atk / 12 Defense
[SET COMMENTS]
*Pursuit makes Muk able to switch in on most special attackers such as Alola-Chu, Scarf Latios, Gengar, Chandelure, ect and OHKO them on the switch.
*Knock Off is the primary STAB attack, having a good amount of power with the added bonus of removing a mon's object. Can also cripple offensive threats such as Victini, Tapu Bulu, Tapu Koko ect who are severely hindered without their items.
* Poison Jab/Gunk Shot has great attack against primarily against fairy threats like Tapu Koko, Clefable, and Togekiss. Jab gives an added roll for a 30% chance to poison when coupled with Poison Touch. Gunk shot is really just a stronger poison stab in exchange for -20% accuracy. Although It's increased damage output can be useful, Poison Touch cannot activate on this move. This gives Jab the preference within the set.
* Shadow sneak is great for revenge killing/breaking those annoying sashers like Breloom and Omastar.
* Sneak can put holes in mons such as Jirachi, Alakazam, and break Mimikyu's disguise.
Set Details========
* Muk's above-average HP coupled with the Assault Vest makes it able to tank most hard-hitting special attacks from threats such as the ones listed above and then being able to counter them.
*Adamant nature is to allow Muk to KO and punch holes in potential switch-ins as well as completely cripple some of the more frail mons in the tier.
*12 EVS in Def are used to ensure that Victini does not OHKO with V-create 100% of the time.
* 244 EVs are invested into attack in order to maximize Muk's damage output
* 252 HP EVs are used in sync with it's great SpDef stat. Maxing out HP ensures Muk to be able to tank almost any unboosted special hit.
Usage Tips
========
* Muk is great tool for forcing switches and trapping/KOing glass-cannon mons such as Alolan Raichu and offensive Latios.
* Muk serves as a trapper due to its access to its ability to lock in mons such as Raichu, Latios, and Meloetta with Pursuit.
* Try not to get Muk chipped up too early or it will not be as useful later on in the battle. Be very cautious on what mons you switch Muk in on.
* Never let Muk take any strong physical attacks unless the threat is able to be trapped and neutralized.
Team Options
========
* Mandibuzz is the best physically defensive tank the Dark archetype has to offer. Rocky Helmet along with Roost neutralizes threats along with also getting in chip damage. It's immune to moves that can OHKO Muk such as Earthquake while also being able to tank almost any unboosted physical hit. Mandibuzz can be used to safely outmaneuver incoming Earthquakes along with being able to switch-in on physical set-up mons like Mega Scizor and utilize Foul Play to neutralize them. Muk can absorb most special attacks that Manibuzz cannot such as Ice Beam, Dazzling Gleam, and Thunderbolt.
*Umbreon has the WishPassing ability to help keep Muk alive. For those who do no not know, WishPassing is using Wish with a mon, switching into another, and allowing that mon gain Wish's healing effects. If Muk is near, at, or below half health, it is wise to use Umbreon to restore Muk's health. Umbreon's bulk, even when defensively invested, can usually tank one unboosted special attack and pass to Muk.
* Greninja checks threats that are dangerous to Muk such as Landorus and Terrakion. Its speed allows it to outspeed most unboosted mons in the tier. Muk resists grass moves and is hit neutral by fighting ones, making it a capable switch if Greninja is in a pinch. Greninja can also be used to bait-out and trap threats such as Raichu, Mega Alakazam, and Choice scarfed Latios. Scarf Greninja also outspeeds all of the common scarves in the tiers such as Jirachi, Victini, Tapu Bulu, Landorus-T, and Hydreigon.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Dark
--------
*Fire Blast hits switch-ins for Muk such as Scizor and Ferrothorn.
*Stone Edge is really just an insurance move for mons such as Volcarona, Charizard-Y, and Mantine.
* Muk is best suited as an Offensive Special Tank. No other niches for it are able to really compete from a competitive standpoint.
Checks and Counters (Dark)
==============
Dark
--------
**Ground Types** Most OHKO Muk with earthquake and there is not much Muk can do against them at all other than Knock Off. Poison Jab hits nothing in the ground meta at all, Shadow Sneak is too weak to do serious damage, and Pursuit does not go far when one's opponent more than likely knows you have nothing to hit them with.
**Steel Types** Has almost literally nothing to hit steel types with aside from Fire Blast. Most steel threats such as Heatran are immune to Muk's poison moves and usually KO or cripple it before it is able to get even a Knock Off attack in. Muk also has nothing to deal with Mega Scizor (unless you run Fireblast), which is why Mandibuzz is a highly recommended teammate.
**Burns** Completely neutralizes Muk aside from Knock Off utility and potentially spreading poison. Umbreon is heavily suggested for Heal Bell support. Mega-Sableye and scald users are especially annoying to deal with.
**Rock Types** Seeing as though most rock mons in the current meta are strong physical attackers with access to earthquake, Muk is not an encouraged mon to fight rock with. For exampe, Terrakion is tickled by poison moves and Shadow Sneak whereas any dark move just boosts its attack. Tyranitar also counters Muk with earthquake and stone edge. The only physically bulky mons that Muk is truly able to switch in on are slow walls such as Cradily.
Dark
========
* Muk's bulk and hard-hitting attack stat make it a great tanky offensive addition to Dark
* Its bulk coupled with it's typing allow it to switch into mons that usually give Dark a hard time. Specifcially it shares no weaknesses with pure darks and can take fairy- bug- and fighting-type attacks
* Knock Off cripples switch-ins and provides a dark-type STAB move
* Bulk makes it a stellar Assault Vest user and tanky utility mon.
* Poison Touch gives the added 30% chance to status opposing mons while also dishing out decent stab damage to most that do not resist it.
* However, Muk does not provide much use against steel and ground teams.
* It slow speed serves as a buffer to prevent Muk from being considered a full-out and able attacker.
* Muk lacks any recovery moves
[SET]
name: Offensive Pursuit Trapper
move 1: Pursuit
move 2: Knock Off
move 3: Poison Jab / Gunk Shot
move 4: Shadow Sneak
item: Assault Vest
ability: Poison Touch
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 HP / 244 Atk / 12 Defense
[SET COMMENTS]
*Pursuit makes Muk able to switch in on most special attackers such as Alola-Chu, Scarf Latios, Gengar, Chandelure, ect and OHKO them on the switch.
*Knock Off is the primary STAB attack, having a good amount of power with the added bonus of removing a mon's object. Can also cripple offensive threats such as Victini, Tapu Bulu, Tapu Koko ect who are severely hindered without their items.
* Poison Jab/Gunk Shot has great attack against primarily against fairy threats like Tapu Koko, Clefable, and Togekiss. Jab gives an added roll for a 30% chance to poison when coupled with Poison Touch. Gunk shot is really just a stronger poison stab in exchange for -20% accuracy. Although It's increased damage output can be useful, Poison Touch cannot activate on this move. This gives Jab the preference within the set.
* Shadow sneak is great for revenge killing/breaking those annoying sashers like Breloom and Omastar.
* Sneak can put holes in mons such as Jirachi, Alakazam, and break Mimikyu's disguise.
Set Details========
* Muk's above-average HP coupled with the Assault Vest makes it able to tank most hard-hitting special attacks from threats such as the ones listed above and then being able to counter them.
*Adamant nature is to allow Muk to KO and punch holes in potential switch-ins as well as completely cripple some of the more frail mons in the tier.
*12 EVS in Def are used to ensure that Victini does not OHKO with V-create 100% of the time.
* 244 EVs are invested into attack in order to maximize Muk's damage output
* 252 HP EVs are used in sync with it's great SpDef stat. Maxing out HP ensures Muk to be able to tank almost any unboosted special hit.
Usage Tips
========
* Muk is great tool for forcing switches and trapping/KOing glass-cannon mons such as Alolan Raichu and offensive Latios.
* Muk serves as a trapper due to its access to its ability to lock in mons such as Raichu, Latios, and Meloetta with Pursuit.
* Try not to get Muk chipped up too early or it will not be as useful later on in the battle. Be very cautious on what mons you switch Muk in on.
* Never let Muk take any strong physical attacks unless the threat is able to be trapped and neutralized.
Team Options
========
* Mandibuzz is the best physically defensive tank the Dark archetype has to offer. Rocky Helmet along with Roost neutralizes threats along with also getting in chip damage. It's immune to moves that can OHKO Muk such as Earthquake while also being able to tank almost any unboosted physical hit. Mandibuzz can be used to safely outmaneuver incoming Earthquakes along with being able to switch-in on physical set-up mons like Mega Scizor and utilize Foul Play to neutralize them. Muk can absorb most special attacks that Manibuzz cannot such as Ice Beam, Dazzling Gleam, and Thunderbolt.
*Umbreon has the WishPassing ability to help keep Muk alive. For those who do no not know, WishPassing is using Wish with a mon, switching into another, and allowing that mon gain Wish's healing effects. If Muk is near, at, or below half health, it is wise to use Umbreon to restore Muk's health. Umbreon's bulk, even when defensively invested, can usually tank one unboosted special attack and pass to Muk.
* Greninja checks threats that are dangerous to Muk such as Landorus and Terrakion. Its speed allows it to outspeed most unboosted mons in the tier. Muk resists grass moves and is hit neutral by fighting ones, making it a capable switch if Greninja is in a pinch. Greninja can also be used to bait-out and trap threats such as Raichu, Mega Alakazam, and Choice scarfed Latios. Scarf Greninja also outspeeds all of the common scarves in the tiers such as Jirachi, Victini, Tapu Bulu, Landorus-T, and Hydreigon.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Dark
--------
*Fire Blast hits switch-ins for Muk such as Scizor and Ferrothorn.
*Stone Edge is really just an insurance move for mons such as Volcarona, Charizard-Y, and Mantine.
* Muk is best suited as an Offensive Special Tank. No other niches for it are able to really compete from a competitive standpoint.
Checks and Counters (Dark)
==============
Dark
--------
**Ground Types** Most OHKO Muk with earthquake and there is not much Muk can do against them at all other than Knock Off. Poison Jab hits nothing in the ground meta at all, Shadow Sneak is too weak to do serious damage, and Pursuit does not go far when one's opponent more than likely knows you have nothing to hit them with.
**Steel Types** Has almost literally nothing to hit steel types with aside from Fire Blast. Most steel threats such as Heatran are immune to Muk's poison moves and usually KO or cripple it before it is able to get even a Knock Off attack in. Muk also has nothing to deal with Mega Scizor (unless you run Fireblast), which is why Mandibuzz is a highly recommended teammate.
**Burns** Completely neutralizes Muk aside from Knock Off utility and potentially spreading poison. Umbreon is heavily suggested for Heal Bell support. Mega-Sableye and scald users are especially annoying to deal with.
**Rock Types** Seeing as though most rock mons in the current meta are strong physical attackers with access to earthquake, Muk is not an encouraged mon to fight rock with. For exampe, Terrakion is tickled by poison moves and Shadow Sneak whereas any dark move just boosts its attack. Tyranitar also counters Muk with earthquake and stone edge. The only physically bulky mons that Muk is truly able to switch in on are slow walls such as Cradily.
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