I STUDY THESE SNAKES
Overview
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Despite its unimaginative name and mediocre stats, Arbok has proven itself to actually be threatening in the RU metagame. Its Poison typing allows it to absorb Toxic Spikes, making it an option for teams weak to the entry hazard. Intimidate effectively buffs Arbok's defense, making it easier for it to switch in and set up with the move that makes Arbok relevant: Coil. Coil boosts Arbok's Attack, Defense, and accuracy, and this truly allows it to wreak havoc on the opposition with STAB Gunk Shot, a move which becomes much more reliable due to Coil. However, the metagame is not completely kind to Arbok, as its aforementioned middling stats truly hinder its sweeping capabilities.
Coil
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name: Coil
move 1: Coil
move 2: Gunk Shot
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Sucker Punch
ability: Intimidate / Shed Skin
item: Leftovers
evs: 212 HP / 252 Atk / 44 Spe
nature: Adamant
Moves
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Coil makes Arbok a threatening Pokemon, allowing it to become much more potent as both an offensive weapon and a defensive tank. STAB Gunk Shot can deal massive amounts of damage to anything that doesn't resist it, especially after a Coil boost. Earthquake provides solid coverage alongside Gunk Shot, hitting Pokemon which are immune to or resistant to Arbok's STAB move, such as Cobalion and Drapion, respectively. Sucker Punch rounds out the set by allowing Arbok to hit faster threats, helping to mitigate the issues caused by its lackluster Speed stat.
Set Details
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The HP and Attack EVs maximize Arbok's durability and power, while 44 Speed EVs allow it to outrun minimum Speed Cresselia, letting it fire off a Gunk Shot before the latter can attempt to dismantle Arbok with a STAB Psychic. An alternate spread of 120 HP / 252 Atk / 136 Spe can be used in order to outpace max Speed neutral-natured Emboar, although this is usually an inferior option. Intimidate is used in order to make it much easier for Arbok to switch in on physical attackers and set up, although Shed Skin is another option; Shed Skin allows Arbok to rid itself of any annoying status afflictions that may be plaguing it, such as sleep or burn.
Usage Tips
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Arbok is not a very powerful Pokemon, so trying to sweep with it instantly will usually be very ineffective; wait until the opposition is weakened and then attempt to finish them off. Intimidate can make Arbok a good pivot, allowing it to weaken the offensive prowess of worrisome foes in the tier, such as Cobalion and Hitmonlee, so use it as such if necessary. Lastly, set up Arbok against weak physical attackers or on Pokemon that cannot hurt it too greatly, such as Aromatisse, in order to maximize the snake's effectiveness.
Team Options
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Entry hazard support is extremely useful for Arbok, as it is not very strong to begin with; this makes Pokemon such as Accelgor or suicide lead Omastar good partners. Offensive partners such as Hitmonlee and Sharpedo are also good assets to have, as they can weaken the opposition; Arbok can also support these two Pokemon in particular, being able to set up on Fairy-types, such as Aromatisse, as well as Poison-types, such as Amoonguss, which plague them. Dual screen support can also be a worthwhile addition to a team with Arbok, as dual screens make Arbok more durable as a tank; Pokemon such as Uxie, Bronzong, and Meowstic-M are good choices for this support. Finally, clerics can be good partners if Arbok is using Intimidate, making Pokemon such as Miltank good options.
Other Options
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Seed Bomb can be used over Earthquake to hit Rhyperior and Gastrodon harder, but the coverage provided by Earthquake is generally more reliable. Aqua Tail is also an option, hitting Rhyperior and Gligar, but again, the coverage provided by Earthquake is usually superior. Rest could potentially be used on Arbok in order to take advantage of Shed Skin, but this strategy is relatively unreliable. Glare is another option for Arbok, which can be used to surprise an opposing sweeper and cripple them with paralysis. Lastly, Arbok can utilize a more offensive EV spread of 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe with a Life Orb in order to maximize its offensive capabilities.
Checks & Counters
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**Strong Special Attackers**: Faster special attackers that can take Sucker Punches can annihilate Arbok, making Pokemon such as Exploud and mixed Emboar good checks.
**Burns**: Burning Arbok can effectively make it useless, so Pokemon with Will-O-Wisp or Scald can be major issues.
**Bulky Physical Walls**: Gligar can easily dismantle Arbok, walling it with its amazing defenses and destroying it with Earthquake; Golbat is in the same boat, being able to utilize Super Fang and Brave Bird to silence Arbok. Other physically bulky Pokemon such as Rhyperior and Cresselia can also take on Arbok as long as Arbok does not have too many Coil boosts.
**Very Strong Physical Attackers**: Extremely potent physical attackers such as Choice Band Braviary can massacre Arbok even after a Coil boost due to Arbok's mediocre stats.
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