Murkrow (BW2 Revamp)

Delver

I got the runs like Jagger
the quality of this writing really is unacceptable. i just went through the first paragraph and made these changes:

<p>Murkow has always been a bit of a big deal. It is the most versatile pPokemon in the tiermetagame, being able to run Weverything from wallbreaker and Sto support sets, as well as everything in between. It backs this versatility up with a bite, having some of the best offensive stats in the tiermetagame. It reaches the coveted 19 sSpeed tieir, allowing it to at worst tie with almost non-scarfevery unboosted Pokemons in LC. As if this weren't enough, it also gets Prankster - one of the best abilities made - and has access to Insomnia and Super Luck, which are good in their own right.
Its typing is another boon, as Flying is a powerful stabSTAB that wreaks havoc oin a metagame filled with fFighting -types. Its typing, although it does work as a sort of double edged sword, though as; it does give its Murkrow a debilitating weakness to rRock, making switching with sStealth rRocks upresent a costly endeavor. Coupled with mMurkrow's mediocre-at-best defensive stats, and a poorly played Murkrow can end up dead fast.</p>

you didn't seem to at least be consistent in your errors, capitalising some times and not others, as well as basic misspellings. before this gets GP checked, go through the grammar standards article, make the appropriate changes, and make sure you don't have any more basic spelling errors. you have also missed wrapping paragraphs in <p> tags (see how i added them in the example paragraph above).

edit: no, tehy, i'd rather you didn't go through it like that. delver, you really, really need to go through this thoroughly and fix every little spelling / capitalisation / grammar error, because at the moment, it's pretty much unworkable. also, lol, i didn't realise the very first word in the analysis was misspelled :|
Embarrassing at best :/ Its much worse than i thought and i suppose I probably shouldve done a draft and proof read of my own before throwing it to others.

Reviewing / rewriting now. hopefully the issues just spelling/grammar/coding issues and not actual content/readability. <-- real word.


Also this is totally a analysis for Murkow :'(

Edit: wow this is terrible. I didnt actually spell Insomnia correctly once the entire thing. Its not much of an excuse but I was rushing through this just to get it done. :/ Seriously sorry. Just finished my first runthrough. gunna look at it again in a hour before reposting so that its not utter trash.

edit2: Threw up the first draft anyways, hope its better. will edit it one more time around 1.

Edit3: Got home later than i thought but I ran through it twice now and I think I got most if not all of it.
 

Governess

A Beautiful Blossom Waiting to Bloom
is a Researcher Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnusis a Smogon Media Contributor Alumnus
Hihi, despite thae fact that I'm not official GP, I figured I'd make it more easier for them to go over.

There were a lot of errors/mistakes in here, specifically putting info in the wrong place, and spelling things such as "Jirachi" wrong (there is one paragraph I had to redo, doesnt show the specific errors. I messed up in correcting that specific paragraph, sorry in advance.)

Also, make sure you spell words out, such as "super effective" and "Hidden Power Grass". Don't abbreviate them. If you are going to use a semi colon ";" make sure you use it in the right place. Same for "–".

Additions are Blue
Removes are Red
Comments are Purple.

Delver said:
[Overview]

<p>Murkrow has always been a bit of a big deal. It is the most versatile Pokemon in the tier, being able to run everything from wallbreaker to support sets. It backs this versatility up with a bite, having some of the best offensive stats in the metagame. It reaches the coveted 19 Speed tier allowing it to at worst tie with almost every unboosted Pokemon. As if this weren't enough, it also gets Prankster, considered one of the most useful abilities, and has access to Insomnia and Super Luck, which are good in their own right.*
Its typing is another boon, as Flying is a powerful STAB that wreaks havoc in a metagame filled with Fighting-types, although it does work as a double edged sword; as it gives Murkrow a debilitating weakness to Rock, making switching with Stealth Rocks present a costly endeavor. Coupled with Murkrow's mediocre defensive stats, a poorly played Murkrow can end up dead fast. </p>

Nothing much in that opening (Thanks to Mikel). Just going to point out now, as you make this mistake often in this analysis, it's Stealth Rock, not Rocks.

[SET]
Nname: Offensive SubRoost
Mmove 1: Substitute
Mmove 2: Roost
Mmove 3: Brave Bird
Mmove 4: Sucker Punch
Iitem: Eviolite
Aability: Prankster
Nnature: Jolly
EVevs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 20 Def / 20 SpD / 188 Spe

Make sure you read the C&C Analysis Formatting Guide= http://www.smogon.com/forums/announcement.php?f=148&a=181 and follow the instructions as such. The letters are lower case.

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>The flagship set of Murkrow was once described as the most skill intensive set in the tier. Unfortunately, even with a bit of investment and an Eviolite, Murkrow's defenses barely qualify as cardboard. This can make switching into attacks difficult and consequential if done at a bad time. It lacks the coverage of other sets, but makes up for it with increased longevity, as Roost and Substitute help alleviate two things that can cripple Murkrow: residual damage and status. Brave Bird is the primary offensive move on the set, as its ridiculous base power coupled with a full investment in Attack gives it a lot of killing potential. With the support of Sucker Punch, a powerful priority move that can be used to either revenge kill some weakened sweepers, keep the set from being outsped by the few threats that can, or just hammer the opponent hard, the set can clean up a weakened enemy team very easily. Sucker Punch also has awesomegreat synergy with Substitute. The combination of the two pressures your opponent by punishing their moveaction regardless of what they choose to do. Roost is simple in effect, and is used mostly to regain HP lost from Brave Bird recoil, weather effects, or entry hazards. It can also be used in a clutch situation to remove its fFlying typing so as to avoid SE hits, due to the Prankster-gsuper effectiven priority. Unfortunately, even with a bit of investment and an Evioli hits, due to Prankste, Murkrow's defenses barely qualify as cardboard. This can make switching into attacks difficult and consequential if done at a bad timepriority. </p>

Nothing truly much here; also, remember, when listing a type, aka Flying-type, make sure the hyphen is there. You make that mistake often in here as well, along with small mistakes along those lines. To avoid these mistakes, make sure you read the Smogon Spelling and Grammar Standards, http://www.smogon.com/forums/showthread.php?t=102407 to learn the basics. Also, I moved the last sentence to the top, as that is more of an intro to the section, not an ending.

[Additional CommentsDDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EV's on the set give it 19 Speed and 18 Attack, the combination of which is superb in Little Cup. Additionally, they provide an extra point to each defensive stat before the Eviolite boost. Jolly is the preferred nature because while the 18 speed is still very fast, the extra point in Attack doesn't add anything to the damage rolls against most important threats, whereas Jolly provides the ability to Speed tie with other Murkrow and Misdreavus. Life Orb can be used over Eviolite for the added damage, but it is generally a bad idea due to the added recoil damage, which conflicts the intended longevity of the set. </p>

I seperated the long paragraph in two, as the first half should always be listing the EV, ability, item, and nature options, and the 2nd half should have the partners/specific counters. It was too long to leave as one paragraph. Also, ADDTIONAL COMMENTS should be all upper case, from the Formatting Guide.

<p>
Because this set mainly functions as a late -game sweeper, it loves residual damage. Entry hazards and damage from hail can turn many 2HKOs into OHKOs. For this reason, good teammates for Murkrow include reliable usetters of Stealth Rocks, such as Dwebble or Drilbur, and Snover due to its indefinite snowstorm. Additionally, the set, like most Murkrow sets, really enjoys rRapid sSpin support. The best spinners in the metagame are Staryu and Drilbur. Drilbur has the advantage of Mold Breaker, a powerful and accurate stabSTAB, and the ability to absorb the Electric-type attacks targeted at Murkrow. In contrast, Staryu is faster and can bait in gGrass -types to give Murkrow an opportunity to switch in. Other good partners for the set include things that can wear down the checks and counters that can switch into Murkrow's attacks. This list, though limited, includes many common Pokemon such as the majority of the sSteel -types in the metagame, Archen, and Chinchou. Drifloon is a good example of such a Pokemon, as it lures in these Pokemon and can hit them hard with Flying Gem boosted Acrobatics, or possibly remove one with a kamikaze kill via Destiny Bond.</p>*

Small mistakes, nothing much to elaborate.

[SET]
Nname: Mixkrow
Mmove 1: Brave Bird
Mmove 2: Heat Wave
Mmove 3: Sucker Punch
Mmove 4: Hidden Power Grass / Dark Pulse
Iitem: Life Orb
Aability: Insomnia
Nnature: Naive
EVevs: 240 Atk / 80 SpA / 188 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>When looking for a powerful wallbreaker, one should look no further than the monster that is Mixkrow. Unlike the SubRoost set, which has dedicated checks, few things can safely come in on Mixkrow, as it 2HKOs the just about the entire metagame. Due to its extreme power and short life, Mixkrow is best used in short stints to blow holes in the opposing team’s defensive spine. Life Orb is the item of choice to provide a substantial boost in damage without being locked into an attack. Brave Bird acts as an absurdly powerful STAB, but Drill Peck could be used if its recoil doubling with Life Orb’s seems unsavory. Sucker Punch continues to act as a powerful STAB priority that gives Murkrow some extra flexibility without sacrificing power. Heatw Wave is used to deal with pesky Steel-types that like to switch into Murkrow’s other sets such as Ferroseed, Bronzor, and Magnemite. The choice between running Hidden Power Grass or Dark Pulse lies chiefly in what your team needs. Hidden Power Grass is advantageous in giving the set extended coverage allowing it to get past opposing Chinchou. Dark Pulse can be used over Hidden Power Grass as a secondary, non-recoiling STAB move if Chinchou is covered by the rest of your team. </p>*

The explanation of Items go in the ADDITONAL COMMENTS. Same for the optional move choices. I moved them down there. Also, moves should be spelled how they are made, not "Heatwave", "Heat Wave". Common mistake in here,

[AdditionDDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Life Orb is the item of choice to provide a substanti
al Comments]
<p>B
boost in damage without being locked into an attack. However, because of Life Orb and Brave Bird recoil, Mixkrow tends to kill itself fastquickly. Its weakness to Stealth Rocks and its susceptibility to both sand and hail do little to help. To alleviate these problems, an Eviolite could be used over a Life Orb. Generally, this is not done because Life Orb provides the set with the raw power it needs for important 2HKOs. Brave Bird is the perferred STAB, however, if Brave Bird's recoil is lackluster, Drill Peck can be used in its place. Rapid Spin support in the form of Staryu or Drilbur is also appreciated, as it deals with Mixkrow’s weakness to sStealth rRocks. The EVs of the set are fairly simple. The Speed investment with a positive nature lets it hit a 19 sSpeed tier, while the heavy investment into Attack allows the set to maximize the power of its STABs. An alternate EV spread with Attack and Special Attack investment switched is possible, but is inferior since the current Special Attack investment nabs all the important 2HKOs against threats such as Magnemite, Bronzor, and Chinchou. Teammates for this set include anything that enjoys wallbreaker support. Scraggy, andlong with other set -up sweepers, for example, appreciate not needing superfluous boosts to blow through bulky walls.</p>

[SET]
Nname: Choice Scarf
Mmove 1: Brave Bird
Mmove 2: Heat Wave
Mmove 3: Sucker Punch
Mmove 4: Hidden Power Grass / Dark Pulse
Iitem: Choice Scarf
Aability: Insomnia
Nnature: Naughty / Naive
EVevs: 240 Atk / 80 SpA / 188 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Like most things with a Choice Scarf, Murkrow’s Choice Scarf set does best as a revenge killer. With it, Murkrow hits an astronomic Speed stat of 27; allowing it to outspeed many set up sweepers, such as Scraggy and every smasher not named Dwebble, after their first boost. The move set provides the best possible array of coverage and power against the most prevalent threats in the metagame. Brave Bird and Sucker Punch return performing the same roles they have on previous sets, while Heatwave and Hidden Power round out the sets type coverage. The choice of nature is largely up to preference. Naive allows for Speed ties with other scarfed Pokemon in Murkrow’s Speed tier. However, due to how specific a niche the +1 Speed provides, the extra power from Naughty is often the preferred choice. Choosing which defense to drop is also fairly arbitrary. Since the majority of troublesome priority moves are physical, moving the penalty onto Special Defense is often preferred. The set is just as frail as the Mixkrow set, with Life Orb recoil being replaced with an amplified weakness to Stealth Rocks due to the natural switching Choice sets do, and should be played cautiously; switching into attacks only when absolutely safe or necessary. </p>

<p>Like most things with a Choice Scarf, Murkrow’s Choice Scarf set functions best as a revenge killer. With it, Murkrow hits an astronomic Speed stat of 27; allowing it to outspeed many set-up sweepers, such as Scraggy, and every smasher not named Dwebble, after their first boost. However, the set is just as frail as the Mixkrow set, with Life Orb recoil being replaced with an amplified weakness to Stealth Rock due to the natural switching Choice sets do, and should be played cautiously; switching into attacks only when absolutely safe or necessary.</p>

<p>The moveset provides the best possible array of coverage and power against the most prevalent threats in the metagame. Brave Bird and Sucker Punch perform the same roles they have on previous sets, while Heat Wave and Hidden Power Grass round out the sets type coverage. </p>


This is the paragraph I accidentally took all out, sorry if you can't see the specific mistakes. :( I made the paragraph in two, took out some fluff, changed some wordings, nothing too big. Like I mentioned before, natures, EVs, and items are in ADDITIONAL COMMENTS. I took one sentence out about that, and moved it there.

[ADDITIONAL Comments]
<p>
OMMENTS
]
<p> The choice of nature is largely up to preference. Naive allows for Speed ties with other scarfed Pokemon in Murkrow’s Speed tier. However, due to how specific a niche the +1 Speed provides, the extra power from Naughty is often the preferred choice. Choosing which defense to drop is also fairly arbitrary. Since the majority of troublesome priority moves are physical, moving the penalty onto Special Defense is often preferred.
Dark Pulse is an option over Sucker Punch as being Choice locked into a Sucker Punch drains your momentum. Drill Peck can be ran over Heatw Wave, as it still answers Snover and allows you to run a secondary, non-recoiling stab;STAB, however, this will cause the set to be basically completely walled by all the sSteel -types in the game, and especially Magnemite. The EVs on the set work to maximize the offensive presence of Murkrow with full investment into Speed and Attack, and just enough in Special Attack to allow for important OHKOs. A slower EV spread that looks like 240 Atk/ 160 SpA /108 Spe canould be runused, but the extra investment in Special Attack doesn’t do all that much. </p>

<p>
Thanks to its huge Speed stat with a scarf, Murkrow can work as a late game cleansweeper, however, the most effective use of the set is as a revenge killer. As such, the set provides support more than it needs support; acting as a safety net against most sweepers in the metagame. That is not to say that it does not appreciate Rapid Spin and Stealth Rock support to minimize the damage it takes from switching while simultaneously maximizing its damage output. Drilbur and Anorith get a special mention for this as they have access to, and can often afford to, run both Stealth Rock and Rapid Spin.</p>

Mostly fluff, some words/sentences didn't need to be in there. Seperated the paragraph in two, as it was extremely long for one paragraph.


[SET]
Nname: Parafusion
Mmove 1: Thunder Wave
Mmove 2: Confuse Ray
Mmove 3: Roost
Mmove 4: Brave Bird / Drill Peck
Iitem: Eviolite
Aability: Prankster
Nnature: Careful
EVevs: 196 HP / 100 Def / 184 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>For those who thought that Paraflinch Jairachi was the pinnacle of annoying, or that the Zubats in every cave were the epitome of frustration: Murkrow decided to prove you wrong. The set, much as its name implies, intends to abuse the use of paralysis and confusion to prevent the opposing Pokemon from doing anything 62.5% of the time. The move set is pretty straight forward with this goal in mind. Confuse Ray confuses the opponent, paired with Thunder Wave to paralyzes them, and Roost elongates Murkrow’s life. Brave Bird is the STAB attack of choice because of its crazyhigh base damage and decent coverage without a secondary attack to back it up. Murkrow’s access to Prankster makes the set all the more deadly, as it essentially guarantees it to get off a paralysis.</p>

[Additional CommentsDDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>This set is notable for how easy to use it isit is to use. Murkrow comes in on something that can’t readily hurt it and begins spamming status moves, using Roosting when the opportunity arises. Prankster provides a huge cushion for the set, as it provides priority to Thunder Wave, Confuse Ray, and Roost, essentially meaning that if the opponent isn’t Ground-type, its hard -pressed not to be confused and paralyzed within the next two turns. The EVs provided maximize Murkrow’s bulk to, ensureing that this annoyer will be around for as long as possible. An investment into Attack or Speed may seem like a good move, but is largely unnecessary. The idea behind the set is to spread paralysis as deep into a team as possible. With an Eviolite and the given investments, Murkrow can comfortably survive all non-boosted priority attacks in the game, which are the only things Prankster doesn’t outspeed anyway, and a STAB Brave Bird still does absurdcceptable damage coming off of an uninvested Attack stat. An alternate move set with Confuse Ray swapped with Swagger and Brave Bird swapped forwith Swagger and Foul Play, respectively, is possible, but has a much higher risk-reward ratio than is necessary. Foul Play can hit hard using an opponent’s +2 Attack stat, but the added risk of accidently causing your team to be swept is often enough to outweigh this benefit. Additionally, Dark is a significantly worse type than Flying to run as a single attack. </p>

<p>
Due to how often confusion can cause a switch, the set appreciates hazards on the opposing side, making spikers good teammates. Dwebble, who can run both Stealth Rocks and Spikes simultaneously, makes for a good example. Other good partners include anyone who really appreciates paralysis support such as Pawniard and other slow sweepers. Additionally the set lacks a reliable answer to the bulkier Ground-types and other Pokemon that are immune to Thunder Wave, such as Drilbur, Hippopotas, and Chinchou, so a Grass-type such as Snover, Lileep, or Ferroseed can make for a good partner.</p>

Overall, just some bad wording in there, spelling Jirachi wrong, and missing commas. Nothing too big, just lots of small mistakes.


[OTHER OPTIONSther Options]

<p>On any set that runs Insomnia, Super Luck can be used instead. It is a less consistent choice, but the raised critical hit rate can be a safety net in a bad situation. The majority of the sleep inducers in the metagame are alsoften Grass-types with access to Spore like, such as Shroomish and Foongus, so if you feel like your team does not need a safe and reliable switch -in to these sleep moves, Super Luck could be a strong option to consider. Murkrow also has a lot of flexibility thanks to Prankster, and expansive offensive and support move pools. Murkrow has access to both Rain Dance and Sunny Day allowing it to perform priority weather shifts. It also has accesses to Taunt, which can guarantee that no hazards or Will-O-Wisps will cripple it. Additionally, itMurkrow has access to Mean Look and Perish Song as well. While the two are often seen in a Paerish Trap combo, Mean Look can also be used on its own as a simple trap that lets you gain momentum in a fight. Murkrow can easily run a Paerish Trap set;, however, Murkrow’s offensive sets can KO an opponent in less than 3three turns, while the more support oriented sets provide more tangible benefits to the team.</p>



Nothing big here, just some subpar wording, "Other Options" should be lower cased, btw.

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Murkrow is hailed as one of the most diverse Pokemon currently allowed in the Little Cup metagame. This does not mean that it is without answcounters. Bronzor can wall nearly every set that lacks Heatw Wave, but cannot do much in retaliation short of status itother than crippling Murkrow with Hypnosis or Toxic. Magnemite also walls non-Heatw Wave sets, and has access to STAB Electric-type attacks to clip Murkrow’s wings. Chinchou and Tirtouga get special mentions for being able to handle any set that lacks Hidden Power Grass very well, with the former also being immune to the paralysis portion of the Parafusion set. A Defensive Archen can take hits from the offensive sets fairly well and punch back with powerful, super effective Rock-type attacks. Mixkrow, despite having an answer to most common Murkrow checks, dies to most things that can outspeed it and, survive a Sucker Punch, and hit back super effectively. Additionally, priority attacks in the form of Ice Shard or Mach Punch, which bypass Murkrow’s amazing sSpeed, can make short work of a non-Eviolite Murkrow whether it still has its Flying the airyping, or lost it to Roosting. A good example of such a Pokemon is Shellder, whose innately high Defense lets it tank an attack, and abuse Skill Linked Rock Blast thanks to Skill Link for maximum damage. Additionally, Murkrow is crippled by status. Toxic poisoning prevents the Offensive SubRoost and the Parafusion sets from being able to stick around for as long as they want, while burns and paralysis takes away from Murkrow’s absurd offensive presence, with the former also putting a clock on its HP bar, and the latter preventing its movement 25% of the time.</p>

This section was just plain messy, had to fix some wordings, nothing too important, just be careful of how you word things, and remember your commas.


Hopefully, you will learn with those links I've provided for you, and you will keep making analysis for us, and improve as you go. I hope I've been an aid to you! =)
 

iss

let's play bw lc!
is a Tiering Contributoris a Top Contributoris a Forum Moderator Alumnus
The identifiers in the set should be lowercase (name:, move 1:, move 2:, etc.)
 

Delver

I got the runs like Jagger
Hihi, despite thae fact that I'm not official GP, I figured I'd make it more easier for them to go over.

There were a lot of errors/mistakes in here, specifically putting info in the wrong place, and spelling things such as "Jirachi" wrong (there is one paragraph I had to redo, doesnt show the specific errors. I messed up in correcting that specific paragraph, sorry in advance.)

Also, make sure you spell words out, such as "super effective" and "Hidden Power Grass". Don't abbreviate them. If you are going to use a semi colon ";" make sure you use it in the right place. Same for "–".

Additions are Blue
Removes are Red
Comments are Purple.



Hopefully, you will learn with those links I've provided for you, and you will keep making analysis for us, and improve as you go. I hope I've been an aid to you! =)
Even if its an amateur check I appreciate it. Also its significantly better than when i first went through it. A lot of the mistakes you caught were left over from my own edits becuase like Mikel said it was utter shit. most of the other stuff was just how i say things (ie: stealth rocks) and there for assume to be the appropriate words. I'll run some of the obvious corrections when i get the chance. Thanks again

Also what should be all caps and what shouldnt keep confusing me :'( Sorry. Will fix that too.
 

Oglemi

Borf
is a Top Contributoris a Tournament Director Alumnusis a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Researcher Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Top Smogon Media Contributor Alumnusis an Administrator Alumnusis a Top Dedicated Tournament Host Alumnus
some things before this gets a GP check:

- remove all the curly apostrophes and replace them with the ASCII straight ' and "

- it's Stealth Rock, not Stealth Rocks

- be sure to spell out most things like super effective (not SE), take a look at the grammar standards to see acceptable abbreviations
 

Delver

I got the runs like Jagger
some things before this gets a GP check:

- remove all the curly apostrophes and replace them with the ASCII straight ' and "

- it's Stealth Rock, not Stealth Rocks

- be sure to spell out most things like super effective (not SE), take a look at the grammar standards to see acceptable abbreviations
Got all instances of Stealth Rocks, should have gotten all the curly's. Pretty sure i got all the wrong abbreviations.
 

Oglemi

Borf
is a Top Contributoris a Tournament Director Alumnusis a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Researcher Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Top Smogon Media Contributor Alumnusis an Administrator Alumnusis a Top Dedicated Tournament Host Alumnus
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[Overview]

<p>Murkrow has always been a bit of a big deal. It is the most versatile Pokemon in the metagame, being able to run everything from wallbreaker to support sets. It backs this versatility up with a bite, having some of the best offensive stats in Little Cup. It reaches the coveted 19 Speed tier allowing it to at worst tie with almost every unboosted Pokemon. As if this weren't enough, it also gets Prankster, considered one of the most useful abilities, and has access to Insomnia and Super Luck, which are good in their own right.</p>

<p>Its typing is another boon, as Flying is a powerful STAB that wreaks havoc in a metagame filled with Fighting-types, although it does work as a double edged sword since it gives Murkrow a debilitating weakness to Rock, making switching with Stealth Rock present a costly endeavor. Coupled with Murkrow's mediocre defensive stats, a poorly played Murkrow can end up dead quickly.</p>

[SET]
name: Offensive SubRoost
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Roost
move 3: Brave Bird
move 4: Sucker Punch
item: Eviolite
ability: Prankster
nature: Jolly
evs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 20 Def / 20 SpD / 188 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>The flagship set of Murkrow was once described as the most skill intensive set in the tier. It lacks the coverage of other sets, but makes up for it with increased longevity, as Roost and Substitute help alleviate two things that can cripple Murkrow: residual damage and status. Brave Bird is the primary offensive move on the set as its ridiculous Base Power coupled with a full investment in Attack gives it a lot of killing potential. With the support of Sucker Punch, a powerful priority move that can be used to either revenge kill some weakened sweepers, the set is kept from being outsped by the few threats that can outspeed it, or just hammer the opponent hard, the set can clean up a weakened enemy team very easily. Sucker Punch also has awesome synergy with Substitute. The combination of the two pressures your opponent by punishing their move regardless of what they chose to do. Roost is simple in effect, and is used mostly to regain HP lost from Brave Bird recoil, weather effects, or entry hazards. It can also be used in a clutch situation to remove its Flying typing so as to avoid super effective hits, due to the Prankster-given priority. Unfortunately, even with a bit of investment and an Eviolite, Murkrow's defenses barely qualify as cardboard. This can make switching into attacks difficult and consequential if done at a bad time.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EVs on the set give it 19 Speed and 18 Attack, the combination of which is superb in Little Cup. Additionally, they provide an extra point to each defensive stat before the Eviolite boost. Jolly is the preferred nature because while the 18 Speed of Adamant is still very fast, the extra point in Attack doesn't add anything to the damage rolls against most important threats, whereas Jolly provides the ability to Speed tie with other Murkrow and Misdreavus. Life Orb can be used over Eviolite for the added damage, but it is generally a bad idea due to the added recoil damage, which conflicts with the intended longevity of the set. Because this set mainly functions as a late-game sweeper, it loves residual damage on the opponent. Entry hazards and damage from hail can turn many 2HKOs into OHKOs. For this reason, good teammates for Murkrow include reliable setters of Stealth Rock, such as Dwebble or Drilbur, and Snover due to Snow Warning. Additionally, Murkrow really enjoys Rapid Spin support. The best spinners in the metagame are Staryu and Drilbur. Drilbur has the advantage of Mold Breaker, a powerful and accurate STAB, and the ability to absorb the Electric-type attacks targeted at Murkrow. In contrast, Staryu is faster and can bait in Grass-types to give Murkrow an opportunity to switch in. Other good partners for the set include Pokemon that can wear down the checks and counters that can switch into Murkrow's attacks. This list, though limited, includes many common Pokemon such as the majority of the Steel-types in the metagame, Archen, and Chinchou. Drifloon is a good example of such a Pokemon, as it lures in these Pokemon and can hit them hard with Flying Gem-boosted Acrobatics, or possibly remove one with a kamikaze kill via Destiny Bond.</p>

[SET]
name: Mixkrow
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: Heat Wave
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Hidden Power Grass / Dark Pulse
item: Life Orb
ability: Insomnia
nature: Naive
evs: 240 Atk / 80 SpA / 188 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>When looking for a powerful wallbreaker, one should look no further than the monster that is Mixkrow. Unlike the SubRoost set, which has a few dedicated checks, few things can safely come in on Mixkrow as it 2HKOs the just about the entire metagame. Due to its extreme power and short life, Mixkrow is best used in short stints to blow holes in the opposing team's defensive spine. Life Orb is the item of choice to provide a substantial boost in damage without being locked into an attack. Brave Bird acts as an absurdly powerful STAB, but Drill Peck could be used if its recoil in combination with Life Orb's seems unsavory. Sucker Punch continues to act as a powerful STAB priority that gives Murkrow some extra flexibility without sacrificing power. Heat Wave is used to deal with pesky Steel-types that like to switch into Murkrow's other sets such as Ferroseed, Bronzor, and Magnemite. The choice between running Hidden Power Grass or Dark Pulse lies chiefly in what your team needs. Hidden Power Grass is advantageous in giving the set extended coverage, allowing it to get past opposing Chinchou. Dark Pulse can be used over Hidden Power Grass as a secondary, non-recoiling STAB if Chinchou is covered by the rest of your team.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Because of Life Orb and Brave Bird recoil, Mixkrow tends to kill itself fast. Its weakness to Stealth Rock and its susceptibility to both sand and hail do little to help. To alleviate these problems, an Eviolite could be used over a Life Orb. Generally, this is not done because Life Orb provides the set with the raw power it needs for important 2HKOs. Rapid Spin support in the form of Staryu or Drilbur is also appreciated, as it deals with Mixkrow's weakness to Stealth Rock. The EVs of the set are fairly simple. The Speed investment with a positive nature lets it hit a 19 Speed tier, while the heavy investment into Attack allows the set to maximize the power of its STABs. An alternate EV spread with Attack and Special Attack investment switched is possible, but is inferior since the current Special Attack investment nabs all the important 2HKOs against threats such as Magnemite, Bronzor, and Chinchou. Teammates for this set include anything that enjoys wallbreaker support. Scraggy and other set up sweepers, for example, appreciate not needing superfluous boosts to blow through bulky walls.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: Heat Wave
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Hidden Power Grass / Dark Pulse
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Insomnia
nature: Naughty / Naive
evs: 240 Atk / 80 SpA / 188 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Like most things with a Choice Scarf, Murkrow's Choice Scarf set does best as a revenge killer. With it, Murkrow hits an astronomic Speed stat of 27, allowing it to outspeed many set up sweepers, such as Scraggy, and every Shell Smash user not named Dwebble after their first boost. The moveset provides the best possible array of coverage and power against the most prevalent threats in the metagame. Brave Bird and Sucker Punch return performing the same roles they have on previous sets provide amazing STAB coverage, while Heat Wave and Hidden Power Grass round out the sets type coverage. The choice of nature is largely up to preference. Naive allows for Speed ties with other Choice Scarf Pokemon in Murkrow's Speed tier. However, due to how specific a niche the +1 Speed provides, the extra power from Naughty is often the preferred choice. Choosing which defense to drop is also fairly arbitrary. Since the majority of troublesome priority moves are physical, moving the penalty onto Special Defense is often preferred. The set is just as frail as the Mixkrow set, with Life Orb recoil being replaced with an amplified weakness to Stealth Rock due to the natural switching Choice sets do, and should be played cautiously; switching into attacks only when absolutely safe or necessary.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Dark Pulse is an option over Sucker Punch as being Choice locked into a Sucker Punch drains your momentum. Drill Peck can be ran over Heat Wave as it still answers Snover and allows you to run a secondary, non-recoiling stab; however this will cause the set to be basically completely walled by all the Steel-types in the game, especially Magnemite. The EVs on the set work to maximize the offensive presence of Murkrow with full investment into Speed and Attack and just enough in Special Attack to allow for important OHKOs. A slower EV spread that looks like 240 Atk / 160 SpA / 108 Spe can be run, but the extra investment in Special Attack doesn't do all that much.</p>

<p>Thanks to its huge Speed stat with a Choice Scarf, Murkrow can work as a late game cleaner. However, the most effective use of the set is as a revenge killer. As such, the set provides support more than it needs support by acting as a safety net against most sweepers in the metagame. That is not to say that it does not appreciate Rapid Spin and Stealth Rock support to minimize the damage it takes from switching while simultaneously maximizing its damage output. Drilbur and Anorith get a special mention for this as they have access to, and can often afford to, run both Stealth Rock and Rapid Spin.</p>

[SET]
name: Parafusion
move 1: Thunder Wave
move 2: Confuse Ray
move 3: Roost
move 4: Brave Bird / Drill Peck
item: Eviolite
ability: Prankster
nature: Careful
evs: 196 HP / 100 Def / 184 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>For those who thought that Paraflinch Jarachi was the pinnacle of annoying, or that the Zubats in every cave were the epitome of frustration: Murkrow decided to prove you wrong. The set, much as its name implies, intends to abuse paralysis and confusion to prevent the opposing Pokemon from doing anything 62.5% of the time. The move set is pretty straight forward with this goal in mind. Confuse Ray confuses, Thunder Wave paralyzes, and Roost elongates Murkrow's life. Brave Bird is the STAB attack of choice because of its crazy base damage and decent coverage without a secondary attack to back it up. Murkrow's access to Prankster makes the set all the more deadly as it essentially guarantees it to get off a paralysis.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>This set is notable for how easy to use it is. Murkrow comes in on something that can't readily hurt it and begins spamming status moves, Roosting when the opportunity arises. Prankster provides a huge cushion for the set, as it provides priority to Thunder Wave, Confuse Ray, and Roost – essentially meaning that if the opponent isn't Ground-type, its hard pressed not to be confused and paralyzed within the next two turns. The EVs provided maximize Murkrow's bulk to ensure that this annoyer will be around for as long as possible. An investment into Attack or Speed may seem like a good move, but is largely unnecessary. The idea behind the set is to spread paralysis as deep into a team as possible. With an Eviolite and the given investments, Murkrow can comfortably survive all non-boosted priority attacks in the game, which are the only things Prankster doesn't outspeed anyway, and a STAB Brave Bird still does absurd damage coming off of an uninvested Attack stat. An alternate move set with Confuse Ray swapped with Swagger and Brave Bird swapped for Foul Play is possible, but has a much higher risk-reward ratio than is necessary. Foul Play can hit hard using an opponent's +2 Attack stat, but the added risk of accidently causing your team to be swept is often enough to outweigh this benefit. Additionally, Dark is a significantly worse type than Flying to run as a single attack. Due to how often confusion can cause a switch, the set appreciates hazards on the opposing side, making spikers good teammates. Dwebble, who can run both Stealth Rock and Spikes simultaneously, makes for a good example. Other good partners include anyone who really appreciates paralysis support such as Pawniard and other slow sweepers. Additionally the set lacks a reliable answer to the bulkier Ground-types and other Pokemon that are immune to Thunder Wave, such as Drilbur, Hippopotas, and Chinchou – so a Grass-type such as Snover, Lileep, or Ferroseed can make for a good partner.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>On any set that runs Insomnia, Super Luck can be used instead. It is a less consistent choice, but the raised critical hit rate can be a safety net in a bad situation. The majority of the sleep inducers in the metagame are also Grass-types with access to Spore like Shroomish and Foongus, so if you feel like your team does not need a safe and reliable switch in to these sleep moves, Super Luck could be a strong option to consider. Murkrow also has a lot of flexibility thanks to Prankster and expansive offensive and support move pools. Murkrow has access to both Rain Dance and Sunny Day allowing it to perform priority weather shifts. It also accesses Taunt, which can guarantee that no hazards or Will-O-Wisps will cripple it. Additionally, it has access to Mean Look and Perish Song. While the two are often seen in a Perish Trap combo, Mean Look can also be used on its own as a simple trap that lets you gain momentum in a fight. Murkrow can easily run a Perish Trap set; however, Murkrow's offensive sets can KO an opponent in less than 3 turns, while the more support oriented sets provide more tangible benefits to the team.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Murkrow is hailed as one of the most diverse Pokemon currently allowed in the Little Cup metagame. This does not mean that it is without answers. Bronzor can wall nearly every set that lacks Heat Wave, but cannot do much in retaliation short of status it with Hypnosis or Toxic. Magnemite also walls sets that lack Heat Wave and has access to STAB Electric-type attacks to clip Murkrow's wings. Chinchou and Tirtouga get special mentions for being able to handle any set that lacks Hidden Power Grass very well, with the former also being immune to the paralysis portion of the Parafusion set. A Defensive Archen can take hits from the offensive sets fairly well and punch back with powerful, super effective Rock-type attacks. Mixkrow, despite having an answer to most common Murkrow checks, dies to most things that can outspeed it and survive a Sucker Punch and hit back super effectively. Additionally, priority attacks in the form of Ice Shard or Mach Punch which bypass Murkrow's amazing speed can make short work of a non-Eviolite Murkrow whether it is in the air or Roosting. A good example of such a Pokemon is Shellder, whose innately high Defense lets it tank an attack and abuse Skill Linked Rock Blasts for maximum damage. Additionally, Murkrow is crippled by status. Toxic poisoning prevents the Offensive SubRoost and the Parafusion sets from being able to stick around for as long as they want, while burns and paralysis take away from Murkrow's absurd offensive presence, with the former also putting a clock on its HP bar and the latter preventing its movement 25% of the time.</p>


k i was told to delay this so delay i will
 

Delver

I got the runs like Jagger
Is there a reason for the delay that i can fix to push this through quicker? It's already been a bit. doing the edits you said now.

finished edits above
 

Oglemi

Borf
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[Overview]

<p>Murkrow: a Pokemon, a teammate, a legend. Perhaps the most versatile Pokemon in all of LC, Murkrow's niche is to fill all niches. Besides boasting some of the highest mixed attacking stats in all of Little Cup (85 in both Attack and Special Attack), it has complementary offensive dual STABs—Flying and Dark—which are backed up by a fantastic offensive movepool, including Brave Bird, Sucker Punch, Heat Wave, Icy Wind, and Drill Peck. It also hits the illustrious Speed stat of 19, guaranteeing it a Speed tie with Misdreavus and Staryu, as well as the ability to outspeed all common users of Shell Smash when it dons a Choice Scarf. As if these traits were not enough, the Dream World bestowed Prankster upon it, which allows it to obtain priority Substitute, Roost, and a wealth of other options.</p>

<p>Perhaps the only factor wanting in Murkrow's overall arsenal is its unimpressive 60 / 42 / 42 defenses. Thankfully, Murkrow has FeatherDance and Calm Mind to hinder the opponent or boost itself. Unfortunately, Murkrow is not a Pokemon that works on just any team. The bird of prey itself falls prey to many of the common Choice Scarf users, including Chinchou and Shellder, and has to rely on annoying Speed ties in order to deal with other 19 Speed Pokemon. Residual damage also wears it down quickly, meaning it has to commonly use Roost—sometimes this is handy, other times a burden. Unless your team is able to handle Murkrow's few weaknesses, do not think its power will be yours to exploit.</p>

[SET]
name: Offensive SubRoost
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Roost
move 3: Brave Bird / Drill Peck
move 4: Sucker Punch
item: Eviolite / Life Orb
ability: Prankster
nature: Jolly
evs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 20 Def / 20 SpD / 188 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Although this version of Murkrow lacks the coverage provided by MixKrow, it can still serve as a late-game cleaner with its dual STABs. Substitute allows Murkrow to beat walls that try to use Toxic on it, and in conjunction with Roost, also lets it stall out Pokemon who are incapable of breaking its Substitutes. Speaking of Roost, it allows Murkrow a safe switch-in against Pokemon such as Magnemite and Chinchou, who will commonly use Volt Switch on it. What's more, both Substitute and Roost become priority moves when used alongside Prankster. As they switch out, they will hit Murkrow for only neutral damage, and then something else will have to come in to take out Murkrow. Although it creates a weakness to Bug- and Fighting-type moves for Murkrow, this is inconsequential, as it can take them out with its STAB Flying-type move of choice. Brave Bird is the preferred option for this, as Murkrow can Roost away the recoil if it gets the chance to, but Drill Peck still hits hard enough in most situations.</p>

<p>Sucker Punch works fantastically in conjunction with Substitute. Notably, Pokemon such as Slowpoke and Bronzor will be forced to attack Murkrow when it is behind a Substitute, allowing Murkrow a free hit on them even if they switch in on Murkrow. The combination of the two also enables Murkrow to handle Choice Scarf users with ease if it uses Substitute as they switch in, as it will have basically a free 2HKO provided they do not resist Sucker Punch. Furthermore, it allows Murkrow to act as a check to Clamperl and the other Shell Smash users and Misdreavus, provided none of these Pokemon are running Substitute. Unfortunately, Murkrow is not able to handle Ice Shard Shellder or Snover, as they will outspeed Murkrow if they have a Choice Scarf.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Murkrow's defenses leave something to be desired; for example, it will have a hard time switching into even Mienfoo repeatedly. Thankfully, its offenses—even unboosted—are fantastic, so it can afford to run Eviolite alongside Roost to increase longevity. Life Orb is still an option, but should be used with Drill Peck because otherwise recoil will stack up quickly. It is also notable that Murkrow's lack of bulk makes it generally difficult to find a good time to use Roost; for this reason, Murkrow should be brought in on something it can force out, set up a Substitute, then attack or Roost against the switch-in, in that order. The EVs provide a slightly bulky spread, giving a few points in HP, Defense, and Special Defense with very few EVs. A Jolly nature and 188 Speed EVs are a necessity to allow Murkrow to make the most of its fantastic Speed tier.</p>

<p>Since this Murkrow lacks the coverage of MixKrow, it needs teammates that can beat both Steel-types and bulky Rock-types. Magnemite traps Steel-types with its ability, beats Omanyte, and resists Rock-type moves. Magnemite can act as a good switch-in to Snover and Shellder as well, both of whom threaten out Murkrow. This set also loves residual damage in the form of hazards on the opposing side and weather. Dwebble, with its dual access to Stealth Rock and Spikes, makes for a good partner as well as Snover, whose damaging hail doesn't risk giving opposing Drilbur a free Speed boost. Drifloon makes for an interesting partner as it can lure in many of Murkrow's checks and hit them hard with Flying Gem-boosted Acrobatics, or remove them with a kamikaze-esque kill via Destiny Bond. </p>

[SET]
name: MixKrow
move 1: Brave Bird / Drill Peck
move 2: Heat Wave
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Hidden Power Grass / Dark Pulse
item: Life Orb / Eviolite
ability: Insomnia / Super Luck
nature: Naive
evs: 240 Atk / 80 SpA / 188 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Whereas many players expect defensive Murkrow or support Murkrow, this set beats many of its usual counters before the enemy has a chance to react. Brave Bird's sheer power makes it the preferable option for primary STAB; however, Murkrow's longevity is greatly hampered by its constant recoil. Using Drill Peck instead gives Murkrow a powerful STAB move with no repercussions that still hits Mienfoo, Croagunk, Timburr, and the many other Fighting-types in Little Cup for super effective damage. MixKrow excels due to the fact that most things that can weather a Drill Peck or Brave Bird do not enjoy being roasted by Heat Wave. Bronzor, Magnemite, and Ferroseed, three common switch-ins, will be quickly incinerated, paving the way for multiple other Pokemon, or perhaps even Murkrow itself, to sweep. Sucker Punch prevents frail Choice Scarf users, including weakened Chinchou and Snover, from picking off Murkrow prematurely.</p>

<p>The final move is more of a filler slot. Hidden Power Grass allows Murkrow to hit Chinchou for massive damage, which is especially important when facing defensive variants. Dark Pulse allows Murkrow to possess a method of dealing with bulkier walls such as Slowpoke, who otherwise are only weak to Sucker Punch, and are very physically defensive anyways. It also gets a handy STAB bonus, meaning it is a safer move that Murkrow can use alongside the more dangerous Brave Bird.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Life Orb is the primary item choice, as it reduces the number of things that can switch into Murkrow comfortably. Notably, Chinchou and Snover will not be able to reliably revenge kill Murkrow if they have taken previous damage, as Sucker Punch achieves a KO. Naive is the best option in terms of nature, as it boosts Murkrow's Speed to the vital stat of 19 without compromising either attacking stat. If you're using this set on a bulkier team, Roost can be used in the last slot along with Eviolite as an item; however, this Murkrow typically does not stick around that long anywhere, and this set does better cleaning up late-game rather than early on.</p>

<p>It is important to note that Prankster is illegal with Heat Wave. Insomnia and Super Luck are both useful abilities; Insomnia allows Murkrow to act as an even better answer to Foongus and Shroomish, while Super Luck is more useful one out of eight times. MixKrow lures in Steel-types and eliminates them, so Axew and Dratini can actually serve as good partners if you are able to eliminate Bronzor and Ferroseed. Also, most variants of this set lack Roost, so Rapid Spin support is greatly appreciated when it comes to not clipping Murkrow's wings. Staryu is the best choice for this role, as it too hits the illustrious 19 Speed and possesses good coverage and Recover. Alternatively, Drilbur is a fine choice with its access to Stealth Rock and an immunity to Electric attacks targeted at Murkrow. Additionally, Murkrow loves hazards on the other side of the field to net more KOs in conjunction with the switches it causes and Sucker Punch. Dwebble consistently sets up hazards against all leads bar those with Taunt and has passable synergy with Murkrow.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: Hidden Power Grass / Dark Pulse
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Heat Wave
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Insomnia / Super Luck
nature: Naughty
evs: 236 Atk / 76 SpA / 188 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Murkrow's blistering Speed may make it seem like an odd candidate for a Choice Scarf set, but in reality, it can act as a safeguard against set up sweepers. Murkrow's Speed stat of 18 without a boosting nature makes the jump to 27 with a Choice Scarf, which outspeeds all Shell Smash users not named Dwebble and Scraggy after a Dragon Dance. Brave Bird is preferred due to its massive damage output off of Murkrow's 19 Attack, but if there is no Rapid Spin user on the team and recoil is causing you worries, Drill Peck can be used instead. After all, either move will be able to take out Clamperl and Scraggy.</p>

<p>This set appears very similar to MixKrow, which is part of what makes it so deadly. Hidden Power Grass pummels Chinchou, who is otherwise one of the most solid Murkrow switch-ins. Dark Pulse can be used instead as a Dark-type STAB that isn't contingent on your opponent attacking if opposing Chinchou do not worry you. Sucker Punch is still useful, even on a Choice Scarf set, as it gains STAB and gets around Ice Shard Shellder and Snover even if they don a Scarf of their own. Heat Wave is helpful early-game, when Bronzor and Ferroseed may try to switch in. It is also notable for possibly allowing Murkrow to net an early kill against Choice Scarf Magnemite, who may switch in early thinking it can outspeed and KO.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Naughty is the preferred nature on this set, as Murkrow does not need to hit higher than 18 Speed. Even with a boosting nature, Murkrow can't outspeed Timid Horsea in the rain or Drilbur in the sand, which is why Sucker Punch is still useful on this set. Keep in mind that Prankster is illegal with Heat Wave and Icy Wind, so Murkrow will have to choose between Super Luck and Insomnia—but of course, all of its moves on this set are attacking moves anyway. Roost is an interesting option that allows you to also bluff MixKrow, but there's not really room for it on this set, and it is also better with Prankster.</p>

<p>Murkrow has an annoying weakness to Stealth Rock, so Rapid Spin support is much appreciated. Staryu is the best all around option for this; however, Drilbur can both Rapid Spin and lay Stealth Rock, while Tentacool can provide Rapid Spin and Toxic Spikes. Dwebble is arguably the best teammate for this set, as typical switch-ins will not be able to repeatedly soak hits while weathering entry hazard damage. Ferroseed resists Ice-, Electric-, and Rock-type moves, and can also set up Spikes, making it a good teammate. Bronzor is in much the same boat, with less resistances but the ability to take on opposing Murkrow. Both of these Pokemon can set up Stealth Rock, as can Omanyte, who also has decent synergy with Murkrow.</p>

[SET]
name: Parafusion
move 1: Thunder Wave
move 2: Confuse Ray
move 3: Roost
move 4: Brave Bird / Drill Peck
item: Eviolite
ability: Prankster
nature: Careful
evs: 196 HP / 100 Def / 184 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Although parafusion is oft considered a gimmicky strategy, if there's anyone who can run it, it's Murkrow. Prankster means Murkrow can paralyze even Choice Scarf Pokemon—with the exception of Chinchou—before they have the chance to attack. This means this set can come as a nasty surprise to Murkrow's typical counters, as they will have a hard time even getting the chance to attack.</p>

<p>Roost allows Murkrow to ditch its weaknesses to Ice- and Electric-type attacks, which means even if the opponent does manage to land a hit (the odds are against them), they will likely not KO if Murkrow is Roosting. This effect is multiplied when used alongside Drill Peck or Brave Bird, since although Roosting will make Murkrow susceptible to Fighting- and Bug-type moves, most users of these attacks, such as Mienfoo and Shelmet, are decimated by Drill Peck.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EVs and nature provide enough special bulk to allow Murkrow to wall its usual counters, including Chinchou and Magnemite, if luck is on its side. Eviolite is the only item that would be considered here, as Murkrow needs the bulk to pull off this strategy effectively. Speed is not very important on this set at all, as three of the moves rely on Prankster abuse. There is also no Attack investment, as Murkrow is already pretty strong, and if you want an offensive powerhouse you should refer to the other sets.</p>

<p>Dwebble is once again a good teammate, as Confuse Ray causes tons of switches. Dwebble consistently puts down entry hazards at the start of every match unless the opponent utilizes a Taunt lead. It is important to note that this set actually doesn't appreciate a teammate who sets up Toxic Spikes, as it prevents Murkrow from fully making use of paralysis. While the effects of Confuse Ray go away upon the opponent switching out, it is important to note that paralysis will last for the rest of the battle. This means Murkrow can be sent out early-game to cripple a portion of the opponent's team. When the opponent's team is under the effects of paralysis, slower sweepers, such as Cranidos and Aron, become much more viable due to their massive Attack stats. Setup sweepers, such as Tirtouga and Scraggy, can also capitalize on the paralysis of their typical counters. However, Thunder Wave cannot hit Ground-types, such as Drilbur and Hippopotas, and Pokemon with the Volt Absorb ability, most notably Chinchou. For this reason, a Grass-type such as Lileep or Snover could make for a good partner as well.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Taunt could be used on pretty much any set with Prankster, as it will allow Murkrow to function as an effective anti-lead. This can be useful for Pokemon such as Larvesta, who hate entry hazards on their side of the field. Murkrow also has the option to use a set consisting of Mean Look and Perish Song, which, provided it can survive a few hits from the opponent, allows it to net a cheap kill or two. Foul Play and Pluck are gimmicky moves with interesting side effects, the former based off of the opponent's Attack and the latter stealing the opponent's Oran Berry, but both are too unreliable to be consistently useful. If hitting 19 Speed is not a concern for some reason, Adamant can be used on all sets except mixed sets; these sets should use Lonely or Naughty natures. Heat Wave and Icy Wind are unfortunately illegal with Prankster. For this reason, you will have to decide between Insomnia and Super Luck. Neither is extremely useful, but they each have their own niche. Insomnia allows Murkrow to function better against Sleep Powder users such as Foongus and Spore users such as Shroomish, but neither will be able to do much to Murkrow in the first place. Super Luck doubles Murkrow's critical hit ratio; if it activates at the right time, it can turn the tides of a battle.</p>

<p>Finally, a quick word on Murkrow's Dream World ability: Prankster is a fantastic choice, and should see use on every set with only two exceptions. The first is the case of legality; Prankster cannot be used with Heat Wave or Icy Wind. The second exception is whether or not Murkrow carries any support moves; if Murkrow has all attacking moves, it should go for either Insomnia or Super Luck as Prankster will be useless.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Bronzor walls all Murkrow without Heat Wave, and can even take some hits from Heat Wave with some investment. Bronzor also always breaks Murkrow's Substitute with Flash Cannon. Murkrow unfortunately is weak to Stealth Rock, so repeated switch-ins will wear down all sets without Roost—and even if it has Roost, it doesn't have stellar defenses to merit repeated uses of it. Tirtouga and Omanyte both have high Defense and Shell Smash, allowing them to set up and KO Murkrow. Clamperl is in much the same situation, and commonly uses Substitute to deal with Murkrow trying to use Sucker Punch. However, all three Pokemon will be outsped if Murkrow opts for a Choice Scarf. Eviolite Misdreavus can come in and use Will-O-Wisp on an anticipated Sucker Punch. However, this leads to mind games if Murkrow is carrying Substitute. Magnemite resists every move in Murkrow's arsenal bar Heat Wave, and can easily KO with Thunderbolt. Chinchou doesn't resist Sucker Punch, but Eviolite versions can typically take a Sucker Punch and strike back with a super effective move. Snover and Shellder can both take a Sucker Punch, and both have super effective moves to hit Murkrow with. Alternatively, they can use Ice Shard, which will prevent Murkrow from picking them off with Sucker Punch. If you're feeling gutsy, you can have Mienfoo use a Fighting-type move on a predicted Roost; this is not recommended, however, since Murkrow can easily KO Mienfoo. If Scraggy gets a Dragon Dance boost, it will be able to beat all sets except Choice Scarf with Ice Punch. Status hampers Murkrow as well. Paralysis cripples its huge Speed stat while burns do the same to its Attack. Toxic also severely hampers the longevity of Murkrow. Luckily, few users of these status moves have an easy time getting them off, and most of the times that Murkrow will get statused will be due to switching in on things like Scald.</p>


[gp]1/2[/gp]
 

Rowan

The professor?
is a Community Leader Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnus
Why are FeatherDance and Calm Mind mentioned in the overview when they don't have a set? And shouldn't they be put in OO anyway?
I also kind of disagree with 'Murkrow is not a Pokemon that works on just any team' aswell. Murkrow is so good that basically any team benefits from its presence.

blaraedit: make these changes
 
alright, I implemented Ritter's GP check. This only needs one more and it's done!
edit: wait that's Oglemi. who else uses Purugly avatars *_*
 

Woodchuck

actual cannibal
is a Battle Simulator Admin Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnus
[Overview]

<p>Murkrow: a Pokemon, a teammate, a legend. Perhaps the most versatile Pokemon in all of LC, Murkrow's niche is to fill all niches. Besides boasting some of the highest mixed attacking stats in all of Little Cup (85 in both Attack and Special Attack), it has complementary offensive dual STABs—Flying and Dark—which are backed up by a fantastic offensive movepool, including Brave Bird, Sucker Punch, Heat Wave, Icy Wind, and Drill Peck. It also hits the illustrious Speed stat of 19, guaranteeing it a Speed tie with Misdreavus and Staryu, as well as the ability to outspeed all common users of Shell Smash when it dons a Choice Scarf. As if these traits were not enough, the Dream World bestowed Prankster upon it, which allows it to obtain priority Substitute, Roost, and a wealth of other options.</p>

<p>Perhaps the only factor wanting in Murkrow's overall arsenal is its unimpressive 60 / 42 / 42 defenses. Thankfully, Murkrow has FeatherDance and Calm Mind to hinder the opponent or boost itself. Unfortunately, Murkrow is not a Pokemon that works on just any team. The bird of prey itself falls prey to many of the common Choice Scarf users, including Chinchou and Shellder, and has to rely on annoying Speed ties in order to deal with other 19 Speed Pokemon. Residual damage also wears it down quickly, meaning it has to commonly use Roost—sometimes this is handy, other times a burden. Unless your team is able to handle Murkrow's few weaknesses, do not think its power will be yours to exploit.</p>

[SET]
name: Offensive SubRoost
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Roost
move 3: Brave Bird / Drill Peck
move 4: Sucker Punch
item: Eviolite / Life Orb
ability: Prankster
nature: Jolly
evs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 20 Def / 20 SpD / 188 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Although this version of Murkrow lacks the coverage provided by MixKrow, it can still serve as a late-game cleaner with its dual STABs. Substitute allows Murkrow to beat walls that try to use Toxic on it, and in conjunction with Roost, also lets it stall out Pokemon who are incapable of breaking its Substitutes. SpeakingRoost&mdash;with the help of Roost, the priority granted by Prankster&mdash;also allows Murkrow a safe switch-in against Pokemon such asto take advantage of Magnemite and Chinchou, who will commonly use using Volt Switch on it. What's more, both Substitute andby Roost become priority moves when used alongside Prankster. As they switch out,attack to make they willm hit Murkrow for only neutral damage, ands theny something else will have to come in to taketch out Murkrow. Although itRoosting creates a weakness to Bug- and Fighting-type moves for Murkrow, this is inconsequential, as itMurkrow can take them outout Bug- and Fighting-types with its STAB Flying-type move of choice. Brave Bird is the preferred option for this, as Murkrow can Roost away the recoil if it gets the chance to, but Drill Peck still hits hard enough in most situations.</p>

<p>Sucker Punch works fantastically in conjunction with Substitute. Notably, Pokemon such as Slowpoke and Bronzor will be forced to attack Murkrow when it is behind a Substitute, allowing Murkrow a free hit on them even if they switch in. The combination of the two also enables Murkrow to handle Choice Scarf users with ease if it uses Substitute as they switch in, as it will have basically a free 2HKO provided they do not resist Sucker Punch. Furthermore, itSucker Punch also allows Murkrow to act as a check to Clamperl and the other Shell Smash users ands well as Misdreavus, provided none of these Pokemon are running Substitute or priority. Unfortunately, Murkrow is not able to handle Ice Shard Shellder orand Snover, as they will outspeed Murkrow if they have a Choice Scarfs.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Murkrow's defenses leave something to be desired; for example, it will have a hard time switching into even Mienfoo repeatedly. Thankfully, its offenses—even unboosted—are fantastic, so it can afford to run Eviolite alongside Roost to increase longevity. Life Orb is still an option, but should be used with Drill Peck because otherwise recoil willto avoid stacking up quicklyrecoil. It is also notable that Murkrow's lack of bulk makes it generally difficult to find a good time to use Roost; for this reason, Murkrow should be brought in on something it can force out, set up a Substitute, then attack or Roost against the switch-in, in that order. The EVs provide a slightly bulky spread, giving a few points in HP, Defense, and Special Defense with very few EVs. A Jolly nature and 188 Speed EVs are a necessity to allow Murkrow to make the most of its fantastic Speed tier.</p>

<p>Since this Murkrow lacks the coverage of MixKrow, it needs teammates that can beat both Steel-types and bulky Rock-types. Magnemite traps Steel-types with its ability, beats Omanyte, and resists Rock-type moves. Magnemite can act as a good switch-in to Snover and Shellder as well, both of whom threaten out Murkrow. This set also loves residual damage in the form of hazards on the opposing side and weather. Dwebble, with its dual access to Stealth Rock and Spikes, makes for a good partner as well as. Snover, whos can provide damaging hHail that doesn't risk giving opposing Drilbur a free Speed boost. Drifloon makes for an interesting partner, as it can lure in many of Murkrow's checks and hit them hard with Flying Gem-boosted Acrobatics, or remove them with a kamikaze-esque kill via Destiny Bond. </p>

[SET]
name: MixKrow
move 1: Brave Bird / Drill Peck
move 2: Heat Wave
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Hidden Power Grass / Dark Pulse
item: Life Orb / Eviolite
ability: Insomnia / Super Luck
nature: Naive
evs: 240 Atk / 80 SpA / 188 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Whereas many players expect defensive Murkrow or support Murkrow, this set beats many of its usual counters before the enemy has a chance to react. Brave Bird's sheer power makes it the preferable option for primary STAB; however, Murkrow's longevity is greatly hampered by its constant recoil. Using Drill Peck instead gives Murkrow a powerful STAB move with no repercussions that still hits Mienfoo, Croagunk, Timburr, and the many other Fighting-types in Little Cup for super effective damage. MixKrow excels due to the fact that most things that can weather a Drill Peck or Brave Bird do not enjoy being roasted by Heat Wave. Bronzor, Magnemite, and Ferroseed, three common switch-ins, will be quickly incinerated, paving the way for multiple other Pokemon, or perhaps even Murkrow itself, to sweep. Sucker Punch prevents frail Choice Scarf users, including weakened Chinchou and Snover, from picking off Murkrow prematurely.</p>

<p>The final move is more of a filler slot. Hidden Power Grass allows Murkrow to hit Chinchou and Tirtouga for massuper effective damage, which is especially important when facing defensive variants. Dark Pulse allows Murkrow to possess a method of dealing with bulkier, physically defensive walls such as Slowpoke, who otherwise . Dare only weak to Sucker Punch, and are very physically defensive anyways. It also gets a handy STAB bonus, meaning it iserves as a safer STAB move that Murkrow can use alongside the more self-damagingerous Brave Bird.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Life Orb is the primary item choice, as it reduces the number of thingsPokemon that can switch into Murkrow comfortably. Notably, Chinchou and Snover will not be able to reliably revenge kill Murkrow if they have taken previous damage, as Sucker Punch achieves a KO. Naive is the best option in terms of nature, as it boosts Murkrow's Speed to the vital stat of 19 without compromising either attacking stat. If you're using this set on a bulkier team, Roost can be used in the last slot along with Eviolite as an item; however, this Murkrow typically does not stick around that long anywhereay, and a set withis Rooset does better cleaning up late-game rather than early on.</p>

<p>It is important to note that Prankster is illegal with Heat Wave. Insomnia and Super Luck are both useful abilities; Insomnia allows Murkrow to act as an even better answer to Foongus and Shroomish, while Super Luck is more useful one out of eight times. MixKrow lures in Steel-types and eliminates them, so Axew and Dratini can actually serve as good partners if you are able to eliminate Bronzor and Ferroseed. Also, most variants of this set lack Roost, so Rapid Spin support is greatly appreciated when it comes to not clipping Murkrow's wings. Staryu is the best choice for this role, as it too hits the illustrious 19 Speed and possesses good coverage and Recover. Alternatively, Drilbur is a fine choice with its access to Stealth Rock and an immunity to Electric attacks targeted at Murkrow. Additionally, Murkrow loves hazards on the other side of the field to net more KOs in conjunction with the switches it causes and Sucker Punch. Dwebble consistently sets up hazards against all leads bar those with Taunt and has passable synergy with Murkrow.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: Hidden Power Grass / Dark Pulse
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Heat Wave
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Insomnia / Super Luck
nature: Naughty
evs: 236 Atk / 76 SpA / 188 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Murkrow's blistering Speed may make it seem like an odd candidate for a Choice Scarf set, but in reality, it can act as a useful safeguard against set up sweepers. Murkrow's Speed stat of 18 without a boosting nature makes the jump to 27 with a Choice Scarf, which outspeeds all Shell Smash users not named Dwebble and Scraggy after a Dragon Dance. Brave Bird is preferred due to its massive damage output off of Murkrow's 19 Attack, but if there is no Rapid Spin user on the team and recoil is causing you worries, Drill Peck can be used instead. After all, either move will be able to take out Clamperl and Scraggy.</p>

<p>This set appears very similar to MixKrow, which is part of what makes it so deadly. Hidden Power Grass pummels Chinchou, who is otherwise one of the most solid Murkrow switch-ins. Dark Pulse can be used instead as a Dark-type STAB that isn't contingent on your opponent attacking if opposing Chinchou do not worry you. Sucker Punch is still useful, even on a Choice Scarf set, as it gains STAB and gets around Ice Shard Shellder and Snover even if they don aChoice Scarfs of their own. Heat Wave is helpful early-game, when Bronzor and Ferroseed may try to switch in. It is also notable for possibly allowing Murkrow to net an early kill against Choice Scarf Magnemite, who may switch in early thinking it can outspeed and KO.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Naughty is the preferred nature on this set, as Murkrow does not need to hit higher than 18 Speed. Even with a boosting nature, Murkrow can't outspeed Timid Horsea in the rain or Drilbur in the sand, which is why Sucker Punch is still useful on this set. Keep in mind that Prankster is illegal with Heat Wave and Icy Wind, so Murkrow will have to choose between Super Luck and Insomnia—but of course, all of itsthe moves on this set are attacking moves anyway. Roost is an interesting option that allows you to also bluff MixKrow, but there's not really room for it on this set, and it is also better with Prankster.</p>

<p>Murkrow has an annoying weakness to Stealth Rock, so Rapid Spin support is much appreciated. Staryu is the best all -around option for this; however, Drilbur can both Rapid Spin and lay Stealth Rock, while Tentacool can provide Rapid Spin and Toxic Spikes. Dwebble is arguably the best teammate for this set, as typical switch-ins will not be able to repeatedly soak hits while weathering entry hazard damage. Ferroseed resists Ice-, Electric-, and Rock-type moves, and can also set up Spikes, making it a good teammate. Bronzor is in much the same boat, with lessfewer resistances but the ability to take on opposing Murkrow. Both of these Pokemon can set up Stealth Rock, as can Omanyte, who also has decent synergy with Murkrow.</p>

[SET]
name: Parafusion
move 1: Thunder Wave
move 2: Confuse Ray
move 3: Roost
move 4: Brave Bird / Drill Peck
item: Eviolite
ability: Prankster
nature: Careful
evs: 196 HP / 100 Def / 184 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Although parafusion is oft considered a gimmicky strategy, if there's anyone who can run it, it's Murkrow. Prankster means Murkrow can paralyze even Choice Scarf Pokemon—with the exception of Chinchou—before they have the chance to attack. This means this set can come as a nasty surprise to Murkrow's typical counters, as they will have a hard time even getting the chance to attack.</p>

<p>Roost allows Murkrow to ditch its weaknesses to Ice- and Electric-type attacks, which means even if the opponent does manage to land a hit (the odds are against them), they will likely not KO if Murkrow is Roosting. This effect is multiplied when used alongside Drill Peck or Brave Bird, since although Roosting will make Murkrow susceptible to Fighting- and Bug-type moves, most users of these attacks, such as Mienfoo and Shelmet, are decimated by Drill Peck.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EVs and nature provide enough special bulk to allow Murkrow to wall its usual counters, including Chinchou and Magnemite, if luck is on its side. Eviolite is the only item that would be considered here, as Murkrow needs the bulk to pull off this strategy effectively. Speed is not very important on this set at all, as three of the moves rely on Prankster. There is also no Attack investment, as Murkrow is already pretty strong, and if you want an offensive powerhouse you should refer to the other sets.</p>

<p>Dwebble is once again a good teammate, as Confuse Ray causes tons of switches. Dwebble consistently puts down entry hazards at the start of every match unless the opponent utilizes a Taunt lead. It is important to note that this set actually doesn't appreciate a teammate who sets up Toxic Spikes, as it prevents Murkrow from fully making use of paralysis. While the effects of Confuse Ray go away upon the opponent switching out, it is important to note that paralysis will last for the rest of the battle. This means Murkrow can be sent out early-game to cripple a portion of the opponent's team. When the opponent's team is under the effects of paralysis, slower sweepers, such as Cranidos and Aron, become much more viable due to their massive Attack stats. Setup sweepers, such as Tirtouga and Scraggy, can also capitalize on the paralysis of their typical counters. However, Thunder Wave cannot hit Ground-types, such as Drilbur and Hippopotas, and Pokemon with the Volt Absorb ability, most notably Chinchou. For this reason, a Grass-type such as Lileep or Snover could make for a good partner as well.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Taunt could be used on pretty much any set with Prankster, as it will allow Murkrow to function as an effective anti-lead. This can be useful for Pokemon such as Larvesta, who hate entry hazards on their side of the field. Murkrow also has the option to use a set consisting of Mean Look and Perish Song, which, provided it can survive a few hits from the opponent, allows it to net a cheap kill or two. Foul Play and Pluck are gimmicky moves with interesting side effects, the former based off of the opponent's Attack and the latter stealing the opponent's Oran Berry, but both are too unreliable to be consistently useful. If hitting 19 Speed is not a concern for some reason, Adamant can be used on all sets except mixed sets; these sets should use Lonely or Naughty natures. Heat Wave and Icy Wind are unfortunately illegal with Prankster. For this reason, you will have to decide between Insomnia and Super Luck. Neither is extremely useful, but they each have their own niche. Insomnia allows Murkrow to function better against Sleep Powder users such as Foongus and Spore users such as Shroomish, but neither will be able to do much to Murkrow in the first place. Super Luck doubles Murkrow's critical hit ratio; if it activates at the right time, it can turn the tides of a battle.</p>

<p>Finally, a quick word on Murkrow's Dream World ability: Prankster is a fantastic choice, and should see use on every set with only two exceptions. The first is the case of legality; Prankster cannot be used with Heat Wave or Icy Wind. The second exception is whether or not Murkrow carries any support moves; if Murkrow has all attacking moves, it should go for either Insomnia or Super Luck as Prankster will be useless.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Bronzor walls all Murkrow without Heat Wave, and can even take some hits from Heat Wave with some investment. Bronzor also always breaks Murkrow's Substitute with Flash Cannon. Murkrow, unfortunately, is weak to Stealth Rock, so repeated switch-ins will wear down all sets without Roost—and even if it has Roost, it doesn't have stellar defenses to merit repeated uses of it. Tirtouga and Omanyte both have high Defense and Shell Smash, allowing them to set up and KO Murkrow. Clamperl is in much the same situaticannot set up on Murkrow, andbut it commonly uscarries both Substitute and Shell Smash to deal with Murkrow trying to use Sucker Punch. However, all three Pokemon will be outsped if Murkrow opts for a Choice Scarf. Eviolite Misdreavus can come in and use Will-O-Wisp on an anticipated Sucker Punch. However, this leads to mind games if Murkrow is carrying Substitute. Magnemite resists every move in Murkrow's arsenal bar Heat Wave, and can easily KO with Thunderbolt. Chinchou doesn't resist Sucker Punch, but Eviolite versions can typically take a Sucker Punch and strike back with a super effective move. Snover and Shellder can both take a Sucker Punch, and both have super effective moves to hit Murkrow with. Alternatively, they can use Ice Shard, which will prevent Murkrow from picking them off with Sucker Punch. If you're feeling gutsy, you can have Mienfoo use a Fighting-type move on a predicted Roost; this is not recommended, however, since Murkrow can easily KO Mienfoo. If Scraggy gets a Dragon Dance boost, it will be able to beat all sets except Choice Scarf with Ice Punch. Status hampers Murkrow as well. Paralysis cripples its huge Speed stat while burns do the same to its Attack. Toxic also severely hampers the longevity of Murkrow. Luckily, few users of these status moves have an easy time getting them off, and most of the times that Murkrow will get statused will be due to switching in on things like Scald.</p>

[Overview]

<p>Murkrow: a Pokemon, a teammate, a legend. Perhaps the most versatile Pokemon in all of LC, Murkrow's niche is to fill all niches. Besides boasting some of the highest mixed attacking stats in all of Little Cup (85 in both Attack and Special Attack), it has complementary offensive dual STABs—Flying and Dark—which are backed up by a fantastic offensive movepool, including Brave Bird, Sucker Punch, Heat Wave, Icy Wind, and Drill Peck. It also hits the illustrious Speed stat of 19, guaranteeing it a Speed tie with Misdreavus and Staryu, as well as the ability to outspeed all common users of Shell Smash when it dons a Choice Scarf. As if these traits were not enough, the Dream World bestowed Prankster upon it, which allows it to obtain priority Substitute, Roost, and a wealth of other options.</p>

<p>Perhaps the only factor wanting in Murkrow's overall arsenal is its unimpressive 60 / 42 / 42 defenses. Thankfully, Murkrow has FeatherDance and Calm Mind to hinder the opponent or boost itself. Unfortunately, Murkrow is not a Pokemon that works on just any team. The bird of prey itself falls prey to many common Choice Scarf users, including Chinchou and Shellder, and has to rely on annoying Speed ties in order to deal with other 19 Speed Pokemon. Residual damage also wears it down quickly, meaning it has to commonly use Roost—sometimes this is handy, other times a burden. Unless your team is able to handle Murkrow's few weaknesses, do not think its power will be yours to exploit.</p>

[SET]
name: Offensive SubRoost
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Roost
move 3: Brave Bird / Drill Peck
move 4: Sucker Punch
item: Eviolite / Life Orb
ability: Prankster
nature: Jolly
evs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 20 Def / 20 SpD / 188 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Although this version of Murkrow lacks the coverage provided by MixKrow, it can still serve as a late-game cleaner with its dual STABs. Substitute allows Murkrow to beat walls that try to use Toxic on it, and in conjunction with Roost, also lets it stall out Pokemon who are incapable of breaking its Substitutes. Roost&mdash;with the help of the priority granted by Prankster&mdash;also allows Murkrow to take advantage of Magnemite and Chinchou using Volt Switch by Roosting as they attack to make them hit Murkrow for only neutral damage as they switch out. Although Roosting creates a weakness to Bug- and Fighting-type moves for Murkrow, this is inconsequential, as Murkrow can take out Bug- and Fighting-types with its STAB Flying-type move of choice. Brave Bird is the preferred option for this, as Murkrow can Roost away the recoil if it gets the chance to, but Drill Peck still hits hard enough in most situations.</p>

<p>Sucker Punch works fantastically in conjunction with Substitute. Notably, Pokemon such as Slowpoke and Bronzor will be forced to attack Murkrow when it is behind a Substitute, allowing Murkrow a free hit on them. The combination of the two also enables Murkrow to handle Choice Scarf users with ease if it uses Substitute as they switch in, as it will have basically a free 2HKO provided they do not resist Sucker Punch. Sucker Punch also allows Murkrow to act as a check to Clamperl and other Shell Smash users as well as Misdreavus, provided none of these Pokemon are running Substitute or priority. Unfortunately, Murkrow is not able to handle Ice Shard Shellder and Snover, as they will outspeed Murkrow if they have Choice Scarfs.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Murkrow's defenses leave something to be desired; for example, it will have a hard time switching into even Mienfoo repeatedly. Thankfully, its offenses—even unboosted—are fantastic, so it can afford to run Eviolite alongside Roost to increase longevity. Life Orb is still an option, but should be used with Drill Peck to avoid stacking up recoil. It is also notable that Murkrow's lack of bulk makes it generally difficult to find a good time to use Roost; for this reason, Murkrow should be brought in on something it can force out, set up a Substitute, then attack or Roost against the switch-in, in that order. The EVs provide a slightly bulky spread, giving a few points in HP, Defense, and Special Defense with very few EVs. A Jolly nature and 188 Speed EVs are a necessity to allow Murkrow to make the most of its fantastic Speed tier.</p>

<p>Since this Murkrow lacks the coverage of MixKrow, it needs teammates that can beat both Steel-types and bulky Rock-types. Magnemite traps Steel-types with its ability, beats Omanyte, and resists Rock-type moves. Magnemite can act as a good switch-in to Snover and Shellder as well, both of whom threaten out Murkrow. This set also loves residual damage in the form of hazards on the opposing side and weather. Dwebble, with its dual access to Stealth Rock and Spikes, makes for a good partner. Snover can provide damaging Hail that doesn't risk giving opposing Drilbur a free Speed boost. Drifloon makes for an interesting partner, as it can lure in many of Murkrow's checks and hit them hard with Flying Gem-boosted Acrobatics, or remove them with a kamikaze-esque kill via Destiny Bond.</p>

[SET]
name: MixKrow
move 1: Brave Bird / Drill Peck
move 2: Heat Wave
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Hidden Power Grass / Dark Pulse
item: Life Orb / Eviolite
ability: Insomnia / Super Luck
nature: Naive
evs: 240 Atk / 80 SpA / 188 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Whereas many players expect defensive Murkrow or support Murkrow, this set beats many of its usual counters before the enemy has a chance to react. Brave Bird's sheer power makes it the preferable option for primary STAB; however, Murkrow's longevity is greatly hampered by its constant recoil. Using Drill Peck instead gives Murkrow a powerful STAB move with no repercussions that still hits Mienfoo, Croagunk, Timburr, and the many other Fighting-types in Little Cup for super effective damage. MixKrow excels due to the fact that most things that can weather a Drill Peck or Brave Bird do not enjoy being roasted by Heat Wave. Bronzor, Magnemite, and Ferroseed, three common switch-ins, will be quickly incinerated, paving the way for multiple other Pokemon, or perhaps even Murkrow itself, to sweep. Sucker Punch prevents frail Choice Scarf users, including weakened Chinchou and Snover, from picking off Murkrow prematurely.</p>

<p>The final move is more of a filler slot. Hidden Power Grass allows Murkrow to hit Chinchou and Tirtouga for super effective damage, which is especially important when facing defensive variants. Dark Pulse allows Murkrow to possess a method of dealing with bulkier, physically defensive walls such as Slowpoke. Dark Pulse also serves as a safer STAB move that Murkrow can use along the more self-damaging Brave Bird.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Life Orb is the primary item choice, as it reduces the number of Pokemon that can switch into Murkrow comfortably. Notably, Chinchou and Snover will not be able to reliably revenge kill Murkrow if they have taken previous damage, as Sucker Punch achieves a KO. Naive is the best option in terms of nature, as it boosts Murkrow's Speed to the vital stat of 19 without compromising either attacking stat. If you're using this set on a bulkier team, Roost can be used in the last slot along with Eviolite as an item; however, this Murkrow typically does not stick around that long anyway, and a set with Roost does better cleaning up late-game rather than early on.</p>

<p>It is important to note that Prankster is illegal with Heat Wave. Insomnia and Super Luck are both useful abilities; Insomnia allows Murkrow to act as an even better answer to Foongus and Shroomish, while Super Luck is more useful one out of eight times. MixKrow lures in Steel-types and eliminates them, so Axew and Dratini can actually serve as good partners if you are able to eliminate Bronzor and Ferroseed. Also, most variants of this set lack Roost, so Rapid Spin support is greatly appreciated. Staryu is the best choice for this role, as it too hits the illustrious 19 Speed and possesses good coverage and Recover. Alternatively, Drilbur is a fine choice with its access to Stealth Rock and an immunity to Electric attacks targeted at Murkrow. Additionally, Murkrow loves hazards on the other side of the field to net more KOs in conjunction with the switches it causes and Sucker Punch. Dwebble consistently sets up hazards against all leads bar those with Taunt and has passable synergy with Murkrow.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: Hidden Power Grass / Dark Pulse
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Heat Wave
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Insomnia / Super Luck
nature: Naughty
evs: 236 Atk / 76 SpA / 188 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Murkrow's blistering Speed may make it seem like an odd candidate for a Choice Scarf set, but in reality, it can act as a useful safeguard against set up sweepers. Murkrow's Speed stat of 18 without a boosting nature makes the jump to 27 with a Choice Scarf, which outspeeds all Shell Smash users not named Dwebble and Scraggy after a Dragon Dance. Brave Bird is preferred due to its massive damage output off of Murkrow's 19 Attack, but if there is no Rapid Spin user on the team and recoil is causing you worries, Drill Peck can be used instead. After all, either move will be able to take out Clamperl and Scraggy.</p>

<p>This set appears very similar to MixKrow, which is part of what makes it so deadly. Hidden Power Grass pummels Chinchou, who is otherwise one of the most solid Murkrow switch-ins. Dark Pulse can be used instead as a Dark-type STAB that isn't contingent on your opponent attacking if opposing Chinchou do not worry you. Sucker Punch is still useful, even on a Choice Scarf set, as it gains STAB and gets around Ice Shard Shellder and Snover even if they don Choice Scarfs of their own. Heat Wave is helpful early-game, when Bronzor and Ferroseed may try to switch in. It is also notable for possibly allowing Murkrow to net an early kill against Choice Scarf Magnemite, who may switch in early thinking it can outspeed and KO.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Naughty is the preferred nature on this set, as Murkrow does not need to hit higher than 18 Speed. Even with a boosting nature, Murkrow can't outspeed Timid Horsea in the rain or Drilbur in the sand, which is why Sucker Punch is still useful on this set. Keep in mind that Prankster is illegal with Heat Wave and Icy Wind, so Murkrow will have to choose between Super Luck and Insomnia—but of course, all of the moves on this set are attacking moves anyway. Roost is an interesting option that allows you to also bluff MixKrow, but there's not really room for it on this set, and it is also better with Prankster.</p>

<p>Murkrow has an annoying weakness to Stealth Rock, so Rapid Spin support is much appreciated. Staryu is the best all-around option for this; however, Drilbur can both Rapid Spin and lay Stealth Rock, while Tentacool can provide Rapid Spin and Toxic Spikes. Dwebble is arguably the best teammate for this set, as typical switch-ins will not be able to repeatedly soak hits while weathering entry hazard damage. Ferroseed resists Ice-, Electric-, and Rock-type moves, and can also set up Spikes, making it a good teammate. Bronzor is in the same boat, with fewer resistances but the ability to take on opposing Murkrow. Both of these Pokemon can set up Stealth Rock, as can Omanyte, who also has decent synergy with Murkrow.</p>

[SET]
name: Parafusion
move 1: Thunder Wave
move 2: Confuse Ray
move 3: Roost
move 4: Brave Bird / Drill Peck
item: Eviolite
ability: Prankster
nature: Careful
evs: 196 HP / 100 Def / 184 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Although parafusion is oft considered a gimmicky strategy, if there's anyone who can run it, it's Murkrow. Prankster means Murkrow can paralyze even Choice Scarf Pokemon—with the exception of Chinchou—before they have the chance to attack. This means this set can come as a nasty surprise to Murkrow's typical counters, as they will have a hard time even getting the chance to attack.</p>

<p>Roost allows Murkrow to ditch its weaknesses to Ice- and Electric-type attacks, which means even if the opponent does manage to land a hit (the odds are against them), they will likely not KO if Murkrow is Roosting. This effect is multiplied when used alongside Drill Peck or Brave Bird, since although Roosting will make Murkrow susceptible to Fighting- and Bug-type moves, most users of these attacks, such as Mienfoo and Shelmet, are decimated by Drill Peck.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EVs and nature provide enough special bulk to allow Murkrow to wall its usual counters, including Chinchou and Magnemite, if luck is on its side. Eviolite is the only item that would be considered here, as Murkrow needs the bulk to pull off this strategy effectively. Speed is not very important on this set at all, as three of the moves rely on Prankster. There is also no Attack investment, as Murkrow is already pretty strong, and if you want an offensive powerhouse you should refer to the other sets.</p>

<p>Dwebble is once again a good teammate, as Confuse Ray causes tons of switches. Dwebble consistently puts down entry hazards at the start of every match unless the opponent utilizes a Taunt lead. It is important to note that this set actually doesn't appreciate a teammate who sets up Toxic Spikes, as it prevents Murkrow from fully making use of paralysis. While the effects of Confuse Ray go away upon the opponent switching out, it is important to note that paralysis will last for the rest of the battle. This means Murkrow can be sent out early-game to cripple a portion of the opponent's team. When the opponent's team is under the effects of paralysis, slower sweepers, such as Cranidos and Aron, become much more viable due to their massive Attack stats. Setup sweepers, such as Tirtouga and Scraggy, can also capitalize on the paralysis of their typical counters. However, Thunder Wave cannot hit Ground-types, such as Drilbur and Hippopotas, and Pokemon with the Volt Absorb ability, most notably Chinchou. For this reason, a Grass-type such as Lileep or Snover could make for a good partner as well.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Taunt could be used on pretty much any set with Prankster, as it will allow Murkrow to function as an effective anti-lead. This can be useful for Pokemon such as Larvesta, who hate entry hazards on their side of the field. Murkrow also has the option to use a set consisting of Mean Look and Perish Song, which, provided it can survive a few hits from the opponent, allows it to net a cheap kill or two. Foul Play and Pluck are gimmicky moves with interesting side effects, the former based off of the opponent's Attack and the latter stealing the opponent's Oran Berry, but both are too unreliable to be consistently useful. If hitting 19 Speed is not a concern for some reason, Adamant can be used on all sets except mixed sets; these sets should use Lonely or Naughty natures. Heat Wave and Icy Wind are unfortunately illegal with Prankster. For this reason, you will have to decide between Insomnia and Super Luck. Neither is extremely useful, but they each have their own niche. Insomnia allows Murkrow to function better against Sleep Powder users such as Foongus and Spore users such as Shroomish, but neither will be able to do much to Murkrow in the first place. Super Luck doubles Murkrow's critical hit ratio; if it activates at the right time, it can turn the tide of a battle.</p>

<p>Finally, a quick word on Murkrow's Dream World ability: Prankster is a fantastic choice, and should see use on every set with only two exceptions. The first is the case of legality; Prankster cannot be used with Heat Wave or Icy Wind. The second exception is whether or not Murkrow carries any support moves; if Murkrow has all attacking moves, it should go for either Insomnia or Super Luck as Prankster will be useless.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Bronzor walls all Murkrow without Heat Wave, and can even take some hits from Heat Wave with some investment. Bronzor also always breaks Murkrow's Substitute with Flash Cannon. Murkrow, unfortunately, is weak to Stealth Rock, so repeated switch-ins will wear down all sets without Roost—and even if it has Roost, it doesn't have stellar defenses to merit repeated uses of it. Tirtouga and Omanyte both have high Defense and Shell Smash, allowing them to set up and KO Murkrow. Clamperl cannot set up on Murkrow, but it commonly carries both Substitute and Shell Smash to deal with Murkrow trying to use Sucker Punch. However, all three Pokemon will be outsped if Murkrow opts for a Choice Scarf. Eviolite Misdreavus can come in and use Will-O-Wisp on an anticipated Sucker Punch. However, this leads to mind games if Murkrow is carrying Substitute. Magnemite resists every move in Murkrow's arsenal bar Heat Wave, and can easily KO with Thunderbolt. Chinchou doesn't resist Sucker Punch, but Eviolite versions can typically take a Sucker Punch and strike back with a super effective move. Snover and Shellder can both take a Sucker Punch, and both have super effective moves to hit Murkrow with. Alternatively, they can use Ice Shard, which will prevent Murkrow from picking them off with Sucker Punch. If you're feeling gutsy, you can have Mienfoo use a Fighting-type move on a predicted Roost; this is not recommended, however, since Murkrow can easily KO Mienfoo. If Scraggy gets a Dragon Dance boost, it will be able to beat all sets except Choice Scarf with Ice Punch. Status hampers Murkrow as well. Paralysis cripples its huge Speed stat while burns do the same to its Attack. Toxic also severely hampers the longevity of Murkrow. Luckily, few users of these status moves have an easy time getting them off, and most of the times that Murkrow will get statused will be due to switching in on things like Scald.</p>

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