[Overview]
<p>To some, Musharna might just be known as "that sleeping Pokemon that isn't Snorlax." While Musharna has opened the Dream World to us, she is also a great Pokemon in competitive play, at least in the lower tiers. Sporting above-average defensive stats and a huge base 116 HP, Musharna is a very bulky Pokemon, and her base 107 Special Attack isn't too bad either. In fact, the only aspect of Musharna's stats that hold her back is her Attack and Speed, which can be played around with good support. Musharna also has a huge movepool, making her viable on a variety of playstyles. However, it's not all good news for the snoozing fetus. She lacks strong special moves and has to resort to Hidden Power Fighting to dent her worst nemeses: Dark-types. All in all, Musharna requires specific team support, but can really shine if used correctly.</p>
[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Stored Power
move 3: Rest / Moonlight
move 4: Sleep Talk / Hidden Power Fighting
item: Leftovers
ability: Synchonize
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Like every other bulky Pokemon who has a stat-boosting move as well as Rest and Sleep Talk, Musharna can run / make use of a set reminiscent of CroCune. Calm Mind serves as the aforementioned stat-boosting move and also serves to boost Stored Power. After two Calm Minds, Stored Power becomes stronger than any other Psychic-type move in Musharna's movepool. Because this set is designed to accumulate many boosts, using Stored Power over Psychic or Psyshock is strongly recommended. Rest and Sleep Talk provide recovery and pseudo-immunity to status, which is very useful to a CroCune-esque set. However, if you are afraid of opposing Dark-types, Hidden Power Fighting can be used over Sleep Talk. The use of Moonlight is recommended alongside Hidden Power Fighting, due to Rest's tendency to make the sleeping Pokemon a sitting duck for two turns, but keep in mind that this leaves Musharna vulnerable to Toxic and Toxic Spikes.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Musharna has huge problems with Dark-types, and this set only accentuates them. Her dependency on Hidden Power Fighting to touch them is crippling, and must have adequate team support, especially as this set only packs one attacking move if opting for the RestTalk strategy. Dark-types such as Honchkrow, Sharpedo, Krookodile, and even Zweilous can come in for free and fire off powerful STAB attackes or even set up. To patch up this problem, Fighting-types are recommended. Choice Scarf Primeape can come in on any Dark-type move and scare off troublesome Pokemon with the threat of a Close Combat; Durant is also a good teammate because he carries X-Scissor and Rock Slide / Stone Edge to put the obnoxious Dark-types in their place. As a bonus, both Fighting-types and Durant share defensive synergy with Musharna. However, if you find this inadequate, Hidden Power Fighting is still an option.</p>
<p>Choosing Moonlight over Rest leaves Musharna very vulnerable to status, especially Toxic. Toxic Spikes can also be a problem, so a Poison-type teammate is recommended. A cleric is a useful teammate as well, because it can wake Musharna from its Rest, or remove any harmful status the opponent has inflicted. Clefable works well in this position, as it is immune to Ghost-type moves, and Musharna resists Fighting-type moves. Steel-types are also good teammates simply for their immunity to Toxic; in addition, Durant resists all of Musharna's weaknesses, and can set up with Hone Claws and sweep.</p>
<p>On a CroCune-esque set, there is very little room for other options. Leftovers is the optimal item choice, providing recovery at the end of each turn. A Bold nature with maximal Defense investment allows for maximum bulkiness. Synchronize is preferred to hamper opposing Pokemon who try to put an expiration date on Musharna with status. Barrier can be used in the last slot along with Moonlight to make Musharna nigh impossible to OHKO, while also boosting the Base Power of Stored Power.</p>
[SET]
name: Special Attacker
move 1: Psychic / Psyshock
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Hidden Power Fighting
move 4: Moonlight
item: Life Orb
ability: Synchronize
nature: Modest
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>One ought not overlook Musharna's excellent base 107 Special Attack; she can effectively use a straightforward offensive set. Psychic or Psyshock is used for solid STAB; the former has slightly more power, while the latter prevents Munchlax from impeding your sweep. Shadow Ball provides further coverage, hitting Ghost- and Psychic-types super effectively. Hidden Power Fighting hits all Dark-types in RU at least neutrally, which is useful because Dark-types troll Musharna like a mouse trolls an elephant. Lastly, Moonlight restores HP lost to Life Orb and the wear and tear of the battle.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Despite having Hidden Power Fighting, Musharna is still bothered by Dark-types. Honchkrow is a particular thorn in her side; he is only hit neutrally by Hidden Power Fighting and is bulky enough to not take much damage from said hit. Magneton is useful to eliminate Honchkrow that lack Heat Wave, as it resists both Brave Bird and Sucker Punch. Special walls can also get in the way of a Musharna sweep. Porygon-Z makes a good teammate here due to its ability to break through special walls with its powerful Tri Attack. They also share defensive synergy with her; Porygon-Z is immune to Ghost-type moves, while Musharna resists Fighting-type moves.</p>
<p>The only thing holding Musharna back from sweeping outright is her miserable Speed. In this respect, paralysis support is appreciated, because if Musharna can't boost her Speed, then everything else should be made slower. Alternatively, Trick Room can be used over Moonlight to turn Musharna's low Speed into an advantage. As with most special attackers, Life Orb is the primary option to deal out more damage to the opposing Pokemon. A Modest nature, along with maximized Special Attack, allows her to deal out the most damage possible. Synchronize is chosen as the ability because Forewarn is just silly.</p>
[SET]
name: Baton Pass
move 1: Baton Pass
move 2: Calm Mind
move 3: Moonlight
move 4: Stored Power / Psychic
item: Leftovers
ability: Synchronize
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Normally, Musharna needs team support to function well. In this case, however, she's giving out the team support. Baton Pass is the primary move that provides the most team support. Calm Mind is used to beef up her own Special Defense as well as that of her teammate. Moonlight provides reliable recovery in this metagame with little weather. The final moveslot is so Musharna isn't Taunt bait. Because Musharna will be boosting up, Stored Power is once again the primary option. Psychic is also usable if you don't think you'll be able to nab two boosts, which would make Stored Power worth it.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Because it is pointless to invest in Musharna's Speed, the focus of this EV spread is on the defensive side. 252 HP EVs, 252 Defense EVs, and a Bold nature provide for Musharna with maximum bulk, especiallly in the light of Calm Mind boosting her Special Defense. Musharna can also Baton Pass Barrier or Curse, but they are generally not worth a moveslot. It is important to play Musharna to her strengths over Volbeat, who has access to Prankster and Tail Glow; in comparison, Musharna has better bulk, Moonlight, and a slower Baton Pass to let her teammate come in unharmed.</p>
<p>As any good Baton Passer does, Musharna needs teammates who can use a Calm Mind or two to wreak havoc. Also, because she has a slow Baton Pass, teammates who don't enjoy taking a hit on the switch work especially well here. Some examples of good teammates include Typhlosion and Charizard. As both are frail and weak to Stealth Rock, neither of them enjoys taking hits on the switch. However, they both have great special attacking potential, and furthermore resist the Bug-type attacks that Musharna tends to lure in. Porygon-Z doesn't like taking damage either, can set up an Agility, and has good synergy with Musharna. Magneton, on the other hand, can use Calm Mind boosts defensively; coupled with its high Defense and capability to use Eviolite, Magneton will practically be invulnerable if Baton Passed a boost in Special Defense. All of the teammates mentioned above are also capable of defeating Honchkrow, who can Taunt Musharna and is immune to Stored Power.</p>
[SET]
name: Dual Screens
move 1: Reflect
move 2: Light Screen
move 3: Moonlight
move 4: Psychic / Baton Pass
item: Light Clay
ability: Synchronize
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set demonstrates one of Musharna's multiple supporting capabilities. Reflect and Light Screen provide ample opportunity for teammates to switch in and have an easy setup. Moonlight sets Musharna apart from other dual screeners, giving her reliable recovery so she can switch in and set up Reflect and Light Screen multiple times. Psychic gives Musharna something to do should she be Taunted, and also allows her to deal some damage. Baton Pass can also be useful, making good use of Musharna's low Speed to get in a teammate unharmed. However, selecting Baton Pass will leave Musharna very vulnerable to Taunt.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread for Musharna is the standard defensive one; maximum Defense and HP are needed to shore up Musharna's weaker defensive side and increase her longevity. The preferred item in this case is Light Clay, because it is more beneficial to the whole team to keep Light Screen and Reflect up for eight turns instead of five. If you think that five turns is plenty enough to switch in your sweeper and set up, though, then Leftovers is an acceptable option. The reason to use Musharna over other dual screeners is her access to instant recovery, offensive presence, and slow Baton Pass to get in a teammate unharmed.</p>
<p>This set enjoys powerful boosting teammates who don't enjoy taking hits while setting up. Flame Charge Magmortar and Emboar make excellent teammates in this respect. They are both very frail yet powerful, and they can switch in on the Bug- (and Dark- for the latter) type moves that Musharna draws. Durant resists all of Musharna's weaknesses and is very frail on the special side, but appreciates any opportunity to nab a Hone Claws boost. Porygon-Z isn't very bulky and can set up with either Nasty Plot or Agility.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Musharna has quite an expansive movepool, so she has many options that aren't good enough to warrant a complete set. Musharna is quite bulky and has access to Rain Dance, so she can be a decent Rain Dance supporter, but this is inadvised due to rain reducing Moonlight recovery. Musharna also has multiple other supporting moves such as Torment, Yawn, and Hypnosis, but none of them call for a dedicated set. Musharna has nice physical moves, including Return, Gyro Ball, Zen Headbutt, and Rock Slide, but her awful Attack stat makes this a bad option. It's pointless to invest in Musharna's Speed as there's not very much that she can outspeed. Furthermore, the increase in Speed EVs would take away from her bulkiness, which is a main reason to use her over other support Pokemon. She could use Thunder Wave herself to alleviate her Speed issues. Magic Coat is also an option to defend her against status.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>In case it hasn't been mentioned enough: DARK-TYPES. Dark-type Pokemon are immune to her STAB, resist Shadow Ball, and only have Hidden Power Fighting to fear. Honchkrow stands out among the Dark-types for his neutrality to Fighting-type attacks and large bulk. Status, especially Toxic, will eventually destroy all sets without Rest. Taunt is also a general stop to Musharna. Bulky Steel-types are good checks as well, resisting all but Hidden Power Fighting. Durant is notable for his neutrality to Fighting-type moves and access to a powerful X-Scissor to put Musharna down.</p>
<p>To some, Musharna might just be known as "that sleeping Pokemon that isn't Snorlax." While Musharna has opened the Dream World to us, she is also a great Pokemon in competitive play, at least in the lower tiers. Sporting above-average defensive stats and a huge base 116 HP, Musharna is a very bulky Pokemon, and her base 107 Special Attack isn't too bad either. In fact, the only aspect of Musharna's stats that hold her back is her Attack and Speed, which can be played around with good support. Musharna also has a huge movepool, making her viable on a variety of playstyles. However, it's not all good news for the snoozing fetus. She lacks strong special moves and has to resort to Hidden Power Fighting to dent her worst nemeses: Dark-types. All in all, Musharna requires specific team support, but can really shine if used correctly.</p>
[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Stored Power
move 3: Rest / Moonlight
move 4: Sleep Talk / Hidden Power Fighting
item: Leftovers
ability: Synchonize
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Like every other bulky Pokemon who has a stat-boosting move as well as Rest and Sleep Talk, Musharna can run / make use of a set reminiscent of CroCune. Calm Mind serves as the aforementioned stat-boosting move and also serves to boost Stored Power. After two Calm Minds, Stored Power becomes stronger than any other Psychic-type move in Musharna's movepool. Because this set is designed to accumulate many boosts, using Stored Power over Psychic or Psyshock is strongly recommended. Rest and Sleep Talk provide recovery and pseudo-immunity to status, which is very useful to a CroCune-esque set. However, if you are afraid of opposing Dark-types, Hidden Power Fighting can be used over Sleep Talk. The use of Moonlight is recommended alongside Hidden Power Fighting, due to Rest's tendency to make the sleeping Pokemon a sitting duck for two turns, but keep in mind that this leaves Musharna vulnerable to Toxic and Toxic Spikes.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Musharna has huge problems with Dark-types, and this set only accentuates them. Her dependency on Hidden Power Fighting to touch them is crippling, and must have adequate team support, especially as this set only packs one attacking move if opting for the RestTalk strategy. Dark-types such as Honchkrow, Sharpedo, Krookodile, and even Zweilous can come in for free and fire off powerful STAB attackes or even set up. To patch up this problem, Fighting-types are recommended. Choice Scarf Primeape can come in on any Dark-type move and scare off troublesome Pokemon with the threat of a Close Combat; Durant is also a good teammate because he carries X-Scissor and Rock Slide / Stone Edge to put the obnoxious Dark-types in their place. As a bonus, both Fighting-types and Durant share defensive synergy with Musharna. However, if you find this inadequate, Hidden Power Fighting is still an option.</p>
<p>Choosing Moonlight over Rest leaves Musharna very vulnerable to status, especially Toxic. Toxic Spikes can also be a problem, so a Poison-type teammate is recommended. A cleric is a useful teammate as well, because it can wake Musharna from its Rest, or remove any harmful status the opponent has inflicted. Clefable works well in this position, as it is immune to Ghost-type moves, and Musharna resists Fighting-type moves. Steel-types are also good teammates simply for their immunity to Toxic; in addition, Durant resists all of Musharna's weaknesses, and can set up with Hone Claws and sweep.</p>
<p>On a CroCune-esque set, there is very little room for other options. Leftovers is the optimal item choice, providing recovery at the end of each turn. A Bold nature with maximal Defense investment allows for maximum bulkiness. Synchronize is preferred to hamper opposing Pokemon who try to put an expiration date on Musharna with status. Barrier can be used in the last slot along with Moonlight to make Musharna nigh impossible to OHKO, while also boosting the Base Power of Stored Power.</p>
[SET]
name: Special Attacker
move 1: Psychic / Psyshock
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Hidden Power Fighting
move 4: Moonlight
item: Life Orb
ability: Synchronize
nature: Modest
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>One ought not overlook Musharna's excellent base 107 Special Attack; she can effectively use a straightforward offensive set. Psychic or Psyshock is used for solid STAB; the former has slightly more power, while the latter prevents Munchlax from impeding your sweep. Shadow Ball provides further coverage, hitting Ghost- and Psychic-types super effectively. Hidden Power Fighting hits all Dark-types in RU at least neutrally, which is useful because Dark-types troll Musharna like a mouse trolls an elephant. Lastly, Moonlight restores HP lost to Life Orb and the wear and tear of the battle.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Despite having Hidden Power Fighting, Musharna is still bothered by Dark-types. Honchkrow is a particular thorn in her side; he is only hit neutrally by Hidden Power Fighting and is bulky enough to not take much damage from said hit. Magneton is useful to eliminate Honchkrow that lack Heat Wave, as it resists both Brave Bird and Sucker Punch. Special walls can also get in the way of a Musharna sweep. Porygon-Z makes a good teammate here due to its ability to break through special walls with its powerful Tri Attack. They also share defensive synergy with her; Porygon-Z is immune to Ghost-type moves, while Musharna resists Fighting-type moves.</p>
<p>The only thing holding Musharna back from sweeping outright is her miserable Speed. In this respect, paralysis support is appreciated, because if Musharna can't boost her Speed, then everything else should be made slower. Alternatively, Trick Room can be used over Moonlight to turn Musharna's low Speed into an advantage. As with most special attackers, Life Orb is the primary option to deal out more damage to the opposing Pokemon. A Modest nature, along with maximized Special Attack, allows her to deal out the most damage possible. Synchronize is chosen as the ability because Forewarn is just silly.</p>
[SET]
name: Baton Pass
move 1: Baton Pass
move 2: Calm Mind
move 3: Moonlight
move 4: Stored Power / Psychic
item: Leftovers
ability: Synchronize
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Normally, Musharna needs team support to function well. In this case, however, she's giving out the team support. Baton Pass is the primary move that provides the most team support. Calm Mind is used to beef up her own Special Defense as well as that of her teammate. Moonlight provides reliable recovery in this metagame with little weather. The final moveslot is so Musharna isn't Taunt bait. Because Musharna will be boosting up, Stored Power is once again the primary option. Psychic is also usable if you don't think you'll be able to nab two boosts, which would make Stored Power worth it.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Because it is pointless to invest in Musharna's Speed, the focus of this EV spread is on the defensive side. 252 HP EVs, 252 Defense EVs, and a Bold nature provide for Musharna with maximum bulk, especiallly in the light of Calm Mind boosting her Special Defense. Musharna can also Baton Pass Barrier or Curse, but they are generally not worth a moveslot. It is important to play Musharna to her strengths over Volbeat, who has access to Prankster and Tail Glow; in comparison, Musharna has better bulk, Moonlight, and a slower Baton Pass to let her teammate come in unharmed.</p>
<p>As any good Baton Passer does, Musharna needs teammates who can use a Calm Mind or two to wreak havoc. Also, because she has a slow Baton Pass, teammates who don't enjoy taking a hit on the switch work especially well here. Some examples of good teammates include Typhlosion and Charizard. As both are frail and weak to Stealth Rock, neither of them enjoys taking hits on the switch. However, they both have great special attacking potential, and furthermore resist the Bug-type attacks that Musharna tends to lure in. Porygon-Z doesn't like taking damage either, can set up an Agility, and has good synergy with Musharna. Magneton, on the other hand, can use Calm Mind boosts defensively; coupled with its high Defense and capability to use Eviolite, Magneton will practically be invulnerable if Baton Passed a boost in Special Defense. All of the teammates mentioned above are also capable of defeating Honchkrow, who can Taunt Musharna and is immune to Stored Power.</p>
[SET]
name: Dual Screens
move 1: Reflect
move 2: Light Screen
move 3: Moonlight
move 4: Psychic / Baton Pass
item: Light Clay
ability: Synchronize
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set demonstrates one of Musharna's multiple supporting capabilities. Reflect and Light Screen provide ample opportunity for teammates to switch in and have an easy setup. Moonlight sets Musharna apart from other dual screeners, giving her reliable recovery so she can switch in and set up Reflect and Light Screen multiple times. Psychic gives Musharna something to do should she be Taunted, and also allows her to deal some damage. Baton Pass can also be useful, making good use of Musharna's low Speed to get in a teammate unharmed. However, selecting Baton Pass will leave Musharna very vulnerable to Taunt.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread for Musharna is the standard defensive one; maximum Defense and HP are needed to shore up Musharna's weaker defensive side and increase her longevity. The preferred item in this case is Light Clay, because it is more beneficial to the whole team to keep Light Screen and Reflect up for eight turns instead of five. If you think that five turns is plenty enough to switch in your sweeper and set up, though, then Leftovers is an acceptable option. The reason to use Musharna over other dual screeners is her access to instant recovery, offensive presence, and slow Baton Pass to get in a teammate unharmed.</p>
<p>This set enjoys powerful boosting teammates who don't enjoy taking hits while setting up. Flame Charge Magmortar and Emboar make excellent teammates in this respect. They are both very frail yet powerful, and they can switch in on the Bug- (and Dark- for the latter) type moves that Musharna draws. Durant resists all of Musharna's weaknesses and is very frail on the special side, but appreciates any opportunity to nab a Hone Claws boost. Porygon-Z isn't very bulky and can set up with either Nasty Plot or Agility.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Musharna has quite an expansive movepool, so she has many options that aren't good enough to warrant a complete set. Musharna is quite bulky and has access to Rain Dance, so she can be a decent Rain Dance supporter, but this is inadvised due to rain reducing Moonlight recovery. Musharna also has multiple other supporting moves such as Torment, Yawn, and Hypnosis, but none of them call for a dedicated set. Musharna has nice physical moves, including Return, Gyro Ball, Zen Headbutt, and Rock Slide, but her awful Attack stat makes this a bad option. It's pointless to invest in Musharna's Speed as there's not very much that she can outspeed. Furthermore, the increase in Speed EVs would take away from her bulkiness, which is a main reason to use her over other support Pokemon. She could use Thunder Wave herself to alleviate her Speed issues. Magic Coat is also an option to defend her against status.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>In case it hasn't been mentioned enough: DARK-TYPES. Dark-type Pokemon are immune to her STAB, resist Shadow Ball, and only have Hidden Power Fighting to fear. Honchkrow stands out among the Dark-types for his neutrality to Fighting-type attacks and large bulk. Status, especially Toxic, will eventually destroy all sets without Rest. Taunt is also a general stop to Musharna. Bulky Steel-types are good checks as well, resisting all but Hidden Power Fighting. Durant is notable for his neutrality to Fighting-type moves and access to a powerful X-Scissor to put Musharna down.</p>