Muk

[Heavyweapons Mann]

[OVERVIEW]

• Finds its place in PU as a bulky attacker, able to take hits and deal large amounts of damage back.
• Due to its good coverage and special bulk, Muk is also one of the few Pokemon in PU that can effectively use Assault Vest.
• Good special bulk also enables a curse set.
• Has slow speed, which means it can get worn down pretty quickly.
• While its large movepool gives it a lot of options, it has four-moveslot syndrome, as no matter what it runs, something can always switch in on it.

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Gunk Shot
move 2: Shadow Sneak
move 3: Fire Punch
move 4: Ice Punch
item: Choice Band
ability: Poison Touch / Sticky Hold
nature: Adamant
evs: 220 HP / 252 Atk / 36 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

• Gunk Shot is Muk's main STAB move, hitting most Pokemon that don't resist it for decent damage.
• Shadow Sneak is useful priority that can hit Psychic-types such as Grumpig and Kadabra.
• Fire Punch can hit Steel-types such as Metang, Mawile, and Pawniard.
• Ice Punch is used in the last slot to hit Ground-types such as Stunfisk, Golem, and Gabite.
• Brick Break can be used to hit Probopass and some Steel-types, such as Pawniard, harder, but Fire Punch hits hard enough anyway, along with it also covering Mawile.

Set Details
========

• 36 Speed EVs allow Muk to outspeed Gourgeist-Super, allowing Muk to damage it before getting burned with Will-O-Wisp.
• Maximum Attack and a Choice Band allows Muk to hit as hard as possible.
• The rest of the EVs go into HP, giving Muk a sizable amount of bulk.
• At the cost of bulk, 80 Speed EVs can be run to outrun 0 Speed Vullaby.
• Poison Touch can spread poison with all of its coverage moves making contact, but Sticky Hold can be used to not be weakened by Knock Off or crippled by Trick.

Usage Tips
========

• Best used as an early-game wallbreaker.
• Able to break through quite a few walls, such as defensive variants of Tangela and Mawile.
• Could be used late-game to clean up once checks and counters are removed.
• To keep it from getting worn down too much, despite its good bulk, Muk should be brought in on Pokemon it checks like Monferno and Tangela.

Team Options
========

• Late-game cleaners, such as Zebstrika and Jumpluff, appreciate Muk's ability to break down walls for them to clean up.
• Smeargle can set up Sticky Web to offset Muk's low speed. It can also provide Stealth Rock to make wallbreaking easier.

[SET]
name: Assault Vest
move 1: Gunk Shot
move 2: Shadow Sneak
move 3: Fire Punch
move 4: Ice Punch
item: Assault Vest
ability: Poison Touch / Sticky Hold
nature: Adamant
evs: 220 HP / 252 Atk / 36 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Describe what the moves on the set do.

Set Details
========

Describe the other aspects of the set such as what the EVs do and nature/item.

Usage Tips
========

Describe how to use the Pokemon in question.

Team Options
========

Describe some teammates that would be a good idea to pair with this Pokemon.

[SET]
name: Curse
move 1: Curse
move 2: Poison Jab
move 3: Rest
move 4: Sleep Talk
item: Leftovers
ability: Poison Touch
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

• Curse allows Muk to be a bulky win condition, slowly boosting its Attack and Defense for a late-game sweep.
• Poison Jab is Muk's main STAB move, and is used over Gunk Shot due to having more PP and accuracy, making it better suited to such a set.
• Rest is Muk's sole form of recovery, and Sleep Talk allows Muk to either boost or attack while asleep.

Set Details
========

• Maximum HP and maximum Special Defense EVs, along with a Careful nature give Muk as much special bulk as possible, as its Defense is already being boosted with Curse.
• Leftovers gives Muk some passive recovery, keeping it from being worn down.
• Poison Touch is the preferred ability to spread poison with Poison Jab.

Usage Tips
========

• Best used as a bulky win condition.
• Before sending Muk out, make sure all Pokemon that resist or are immune to Poison Jab are weakened or removed.
• Can set up on special attackers such as Tangela.

Team Options
========

Describe some teammates that would be a good idea to pair with this Pokemon.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

• Brick Break can be used if your team is very weak to Pawniard, or a way to hit Probopass is needed.. However, Fire Punch hits hard enough.
• Giga Drain can be used to lure Golem, and Fire Blast can be used to lure Steel-types, but the lack of power elsewhere makes these options subpar over just using the elemental punches.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Insert Threat Here**: Describe why the Pokemon is a threat.

 

[ManOfMany]

As a big Muk fan, some comments:

-I wouldn't focus the Overview around Muk being the best offensive Poison-type in the tier. While it probably is, it does seem to slight Arbok, even though Arbok is decent in its own right and occupies a totally separate niche. When you actually write the Overview, I would probably focus more about Muk's capabilities as a tank pokemon- taking many attacks but also dishing out huge damage.

-I don't know whether you talked to QC team or not about it, but I think AV Muk deserves its own set. It's very proficient for an AV user because of its huge special bulk (not even 2HKOd by Grumpig Psychic), and it can wear down its checks faster than itself gets worn down due to its high attack and ability to spread residual damage with poison. AV also allows Muk to abuse its coverage better, especially using Focus Punch on the switch because it does not have to be locked into any move.

 

[MZ]

I want to see AV and curse get their own sets for 3 distinct ones but no other qc have responded so far which is why I didn't post anything. Curse is full spdef mono attacking resttalk, av is basically the same as CB but av, don't worry about the order yet but even if av isn't distinct curse 100% needs one. I've crept 44 speed on muk for uninvested relicanth and bouffant, that's probably too much but I'd certainly add enough for gourgeist since there's very little required and why not. I also wouldn't bother slashing focus punch (why lol brick break is way safer and hits probo/pawn if you really need to so OO or moves should suffice) or poison jab because gunk is that much stronger. I've used thunderpunch, idk if it's worth a full moveslot and other people have replied with "ew" but it hits about as many things as fire punch does so just something to keep in mind. Sticky hold is also overrated since every knock user does like 35% minimum + stealth rock so I'd get poison touch on there somewhere for having mildly more utility. Once more people actually comment on what muk should be running I'll add more, but if nothing else you can start working on curse as well.

 

[Heavyweapons Mann]

Should the spread for Choice Band and AV be the same?

 

[MZ]

yes afaik

 

[Heavyweapons Mann]

Should I have Poison Touch as the sole ability, or that, but slash Sticky Hold?

 

[Magnemite]

see the other thread