Musharna

[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>
 
I understand the tiredness thing (I've been going on 2 hours of sleep a day for the past month...), but why isn't BP the first set, to the point of not having a main mention either? With it's massive bulk in addition to access to both Curse and CM make Musharna an awesome Baton Passer. Also, I'd imagine a Mono-attacker would likely something like this:
[SET]
name: Mono-Attacker
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

Rest-talk seems a lot more ideal for it, as Synchronize won't be enough to scare pokes off from using Toxic on it. Forewarn is just a silly ability, it really should be AC at best. Blabbity blah, emphasis on Dark removal if running Rest-Talk, use the secondary options if that proves to be too much of an obstacle. However, I would think that it should be prioritized as such.

I'm personally a tad skeptical of the offensive set, it just seems like a "slap a LO on a poke and give it some attacks", but I could be wrong, and likely am. Also, I would definitely put Hp Fighting before Ice if it were viable, a neutral hit over an SE one on Honch doesn't warrant the lack of coverage v. Krawdaunt/Sharpedo/Most all Steels. Also, considering his support-based treasure trove, I'd mention Dual Screens/Torment/TWave/Hyponis/Yawn/TR/Rain Dance in the OO. Just my ideas though, do with them as u will.

lol, he gets rock slide
 

SilentVerse

Into the New World
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Yeah, I agree with slashing Baton Pass onto the first set with Barrier, since Barrier isn't amazingly useful on the first set imo. Musharna's Defense is usually good enough to sponge fairly strong physical attacks anyway, and most opponents aren't going to give enough time to set up both Barrier and Calm Mind unless they're in a position where Musharna can just boost up and sweep with Calm Mind. From my experience, Baton Pass is usually better since with it, you can have Musharna pass some Calm Minds earlier in the match, and it even allows Musharna to come in earlier in the match to soak up some hits and give a free switch in to a frailer Pokemon. You still lose to Taunt, Dark-types, and such, but you can at least Baton Pass out of them on the switch to keep momentum in your favor. I'd definitely slash it with Barrier at the very least, if not before it.
 
Slashing BP is a good idea.
There's plenty of options for a mono attacker Musharna. Having played extensively with this one, here's what i think it should be:

[SET]
name: Mono-Attacker
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Stored Power
move 3: Barrier / Sleep Talk / Baton Pass
move 4: Moonlight / Rest
item: Leftovers
ability: Synchonize
nature: Bold
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD

Pair Moonlight with Barrier or Baton Pass (or even Rest if you have guts), Rest with Sleep Talk.

About Barrier: it really comes down to preference. I've played a lot with Barrier (in fact, it was me to create that set... yes, no one cares lol) and it is really a double-edged sword. One Barrier is enough to start giving trouble to any physical poke, so you can start using CM and eventually be so bulky that almost nothing can scratch it (and Stored Power will KO through resists like nothing).
Believe me, it isn't about the opponent giving you time: one boost on either side is enough for Musharna to force one poke out because they can't do enough damage to it. Also means no easy revenge.
Shut down by Taunt/dark pokes/Toxic though, and needs prediction to get the right boost on the right time. And that's a lot.

I'm personally a tad skeptical of the offensive set, it just seems like a "slap a LO on a poke and give it some attacks", but I could be wrong, and likely am. (sorry col49)

Needs a Trick Room set too.
 
Finally got it up. If i get another vote down on the "slap a life orb on a poke" set, then I'll just remove it. I think i added in what everyone said
 

AccidentalGreed

Sweet and bitter as chocolate.
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Fitting Barrier on the boosting attacker set is way easier than you think. Way back a few monthes ago, I had the courage to try Musharna in UU, and Hidden Power Fighting proved unnecessary in many instances. With Barrier, Musharna bypasses physical attackers, and although it's stuck with one Psychic-type move, Stored Power, after many boosts, has the potential to bypass even resistances.

Yes, this does leave Musharna vulnerable to Dark-type Pokemon, but Team Preview helps eliminate them before sending Musharna in the field (Basically, a SubCM Jirachi/Gastrodon relationship). Barrier needs more than AC, and it's not even in the AC of that set.

Sets in question: Special Attacker and Trick Room (both might be performed better by Beheeyem).
 
Fitting Barrier on the boosting attacker set is way easier than you think. Way back a few monthes ago, I had the courage to try Musharna in UU, and Hidden Power Fighting proved unnecessary in many instances. With Barrier, Musharna bypasses physical attackers, and although it's stuck with one Psychic-type move, Stored Power, after many boosts, has the potential to bypass even resistances.

Yes, this does leave Musharna vulnerable to Dark-type Pokemon, but Team Preview helps eliminate them before sending Musharna in the field (Basically, a SubCM Jirachi/Gastrodon relationship). Barrier needs more than AC, and it's not even in the AC of that set.

Sets in question: Special Attacker and Trick Room (both might be performed better by Beheeyem).
barrier added in, and special attacker set removed
 
Don't remove the Special Attacker. Yes, Beheeyem has slightly better coverage and a higher special Attack, but Musharna has much more bulk than Beheeyem. I know it's not all that important in the long run, but I'd wait for QC before dismissing it out of hand.

Also, mention Magic Coat. Musharna can use it effectively thanks to its excellent bulk. It's not Magic Bounce, but it's workable and it has +4 Priority so Musharna's Speed isn't an issue.

EDIT: Mention Thunder Wave too. The current metagame is incredibly offensive, and Thunder Wave is a huge help with that.
 
Don't remove the Special Attacker. Yes, Beheeyem has slightly better coverage and a higher special Attack, but Musharna has much more bulk than Beheeyem. I know it's not all that important in the long run, but I'd wait for QC before dismissing it out of hand.

Also, mention Magic Coat. Musharna can use it effectively thanks to its excellent bulk. It's not Magic Bounce, but it's workable and it has +4 Priority so Musharna's Speed isn't an issue.

EDIT: Mention Thunder Wave too. The current metagame is incredibly offensive, and Thunder Wave is a huge help with that.
urgh. Ok. I'll wait for a qc member to tell me to ditch a set or not.
 

Oglemi

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I played with a RestTalk version of the first set, and it worked better imo due to its basic immunity to Toxic and Toxic Spikes, which normally screws Musharna over royally. Plus, Barrier isn't even needed if you play with the fetus right and its already pretty damn bulky physically.

Trick Room can actually just be mentioned in the AC of the Special Attacker set, it doesn't need to be a whole set imo

Be sure to stress that Musharna's main advantage over other Dual Screen users is its access to instant recovery, offensive presence and BP

Don't mention RestTalk on the BP set....



QC APPROVED 1/3
 
I played with a RestTalk version of the first set, and it worked better imo due to its basic immunity to Toxic and Toxic Spikes, which normally screws Musharna over royally. Plus, Barrier isn't even needed if you play with the fetus right and its already pretty damn bulky physically.

Trick Room can actually just be mentioned in the AC of the Special Attacker set, it doesn't need to be a whole set imo

Be sure to stress that Musharna's main advantage over other Dual Screen users is its access to instant recovery, offensive presence and BP

Don't mention RestTalk on the BP set....



QC APPROVED 1/3
slashed restalk as primary on the first set, put barrier in ac, mentioned trick room in ac, stressed the things that needed to be stressed, and i can't believe i actually put restalk on the bp set...
 

Windsong

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Make sure that you mention benefits of using Musharna over Duosion, who has Magic Guard, Psyshock, and reliable recovery, while Musharna has slightly more bulk, Baton Pass, and Stored Power.

QC APPROVED 3/3
 

Komodo

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[Overview]

<p>To some, Musharna might just be known as "that sleeping Pokemon that isn't Snorlax". While Musharna has opened to us the Dream World to us, she is also a great Pokemon in competitive play. Sporting better-than-average base 85 and 95 defense defensive stats coupled with and a huge base 116 HP, Musharna is a very bulky Pokemon,(comma) and,(remove comma) her base 107 Special Attack isn't too bad either. In fact, the only thing about Musharna's stats that are holding her back are her Attack and Speed, which can be played around with good support.(full stop) Musharna also has a huge movepool and has a variety of different options and ways playstyles to be used. 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: Mono-Attacker
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>If there is a bulky Pokemon who has a stat-boosting move coupled with Rest and Sleep Talk, one can expect to see a set reminiscent of CroCune on the analysis page. Musharna is no different. Calm Mind serves as the ubiquitous stat-boosting move. Stored Power is more useful in the sense of on this set over another Psychic move such as Psychic or Psyshock because of the power difference; at two Calm Minds, Stored Power becomes stronger than any other Psychic-type move in Musharna's movepool. both of the previously stated moves. Because this set is designed to boost up high, 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 set. However, if you are displeased with the ability of afraid of opposing Dark-types to switch in freely and fire off powerful STAB moves, then Hidden Power Fighting can be used over Sleep Talk. It is recommended to use Moonlight with Hidden Power Fighting, due to Rest's tendency to make the sleeping Pokemon a sitting duck for two turns. However, 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 with this set only having one attacking move. Dark-types such as Honchkrow, Sharpedo, Krookodile, and even Zweilous can come in for free and fire off powerful Crunches or even set up. Fighting-types are recommended to solve this problem. Choice Scarf Primeape can come in on any Dark-type move and scare off the troublesome Pokemon with 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. However, if you still cannot find some way to work a Pokemon to defeat Dark-types on your team, Hidden Power Fighting is still an option. It should be noted that both Fighting-types and Durant share defensive synergy with Musharna.</p>

<p>If Moonlight is chosen over Rest as recovery move of choice, then Musharna is 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, because it can wake Musharna up after Resting, or remove any harmful status the opponent has inflicted heal Musharna of Sleep from Rest or Poison from Toxic. 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. Durant resists all of Musharna's weaknesses, is immune to Toxic, and can set up a with Hone Claws and sweep.</p>

<p>On a CroCune-esque set, there is very little room for other options. Leftovers is always used to provide more Health at the end of each turn. Bold nature with maximized Defense provides for maximum bulkiness. Synchronize is used to slightly bother 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 Stored Power's Base 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 is not to overlook Musharna's excellent base 107 Special Attack; she can effectively use an immediately offensive set. Psychic or Psyshock is used for solid STAB, getting a good strong hit on a lot of Pokemon. Psyshock is an option over Psychic in case you're sick of random Munchlax springing up to stop your sweep. Shadow Ball provides further coverage, hitting Ghost- and Psychic-types super effectively. Hidden Power Fighting hits all Dark-types at least neutrally, which is useful because Dark-types troll Musharna like a cat trolls a dog. Moonlight is in the last slot to restore HP lost from Life Orb and the wear and tear of the battle.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Despite having Hidden Power Fighting, Dark-types still are a bother to Musharna. Honchkrow is especially a thorn in her side; he is only hit neutrally by Hidden Power Fighting and is bulky enough to not take much damage from the hit. Magneton is useful to eliminate Honchkrow that lack Heat Wave, resisting 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. It also shares defensive synergy with her, being immune to Ghost-type moves, while she 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 become faster, then everything else should be made slower. Or, Trick Room can be used in the last slot to use Musharna's low Speed for the better. As with most special attackers, Life Orb is the primary option to deal out more damage to the opposing Pokemon. Modest nature along with maximized Special Attack allow her to deal out the most damage. 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>While normally, Musharna needs team support to function well, in this case, she's giving out the team support. Baton Pass is the primary moveslot to support the team the most. Calm Mind is the move Musharna will be passing used to beef up her own special side and her teammate's. 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 the primary option. Psychic is also usable if you don't think you'll be able to boost high enough to 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 maximum bulk for Musharna. It also makes up for the lack of boosts to that defensive side that Musharna will be getting. Barrier or Curse are also moves that Musharna is capable of Baton Passing, but they are generally not worth a moveslot. It is important to play Musharna to its strengths over Volbeat, who has access to Prankster and Tail Glow. Musharna has better bulk, Moonlight, and a slower Baton Pass to let her teammate come in usually unharmed.</p>

<p>As any good Baton Passer does, Musharna needs teammates who can use a Baton Passed Calm Mind or two and use it to sweep. Also, because she has a slow Baton Pass, teammates who don't enjoy taking a hit on the switch work well here. Some examples of good teammates include Typhlosion and Charizard. Both Neither of them don't enjoy taking hits on the switch, especially with Stealth Rock damage added in, like while they both appreciate having Calm Minds passed to them, and resist Bug-type attacks that Musharna draws. Porygon-z also is frail and doesn't like likes not taking damage,(comma) while it can also can set up an Agility of its own and has good synergy with Musharna. Magneton likes being Baton Passed Calm Minds from the defensive standpoint of it; coupled with Magneton's high Defense and capability to use the Eviolite, it will practically live forever if Baton Passed a boost in Special Defense. All of the teammates mentioned above are also capable of defeating Murkrow, who could 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 is one of Musharna's multiple supporting opportunities. 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 allows gives Musharna something to do should she not be Taunted,(comma) fodder 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 continues to be the same as it is for the above sets excluding the Special Attacker. Maximum Defense and HP are needed to shore up Musharna's weaker defensive side and increase longevity. Light Clay is chosen as the item over Leftovers because it is more beneficial to the whole team to keep Light Screen and Reflect up for eight turns instead of five. However, if you think that five turns is plenty enough to switch in your sweeper and set up, 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 teammates who are very powerful after setting up, but don't enjoy taking hits while setting up. Magmortar or Emboar with Flame Charge make excellent teammates in this respect. They both are 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. He can switch in, set up a Hone Claws, and sweep. 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 a lot of possibilities that aren't be 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 unadvised due to Rain's side effect of lowering the amount of HP that Moonlight recovers. Musharna also has multiple other supporting moves such as Torment, Yawn, and Hypnosis, but none of them call for a set dedicated to them. If you like being a troll to others, Musharna has nice physical moves, but her awful Attack stat makes this a bad option otherwise. It's pointless to invest in Musharna's Speed;(remove semi colon)as there's not very much that she can outspeed. Plus, 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 help with her status issues.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>In case I haven't mentioned it 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 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 and powerful X-Scissor to put Musharna down.</p>


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sandshrewz

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Should the Mono-Attacker set be named as such? Since HP Fighting is slashed, I think it should be 'Calm Mind' instead. No idea which is correct though :x
 
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[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. Sporting better-than 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 thing about aspect of Musharna's stats that are holding hold her back are is her Attack and Speed, which can be played around with good support. Musharna also has a huge movepool and a variety of different options and , making her viable on a variety of playstyles semantics, but it doesn't 'have' 'playstyles' to be used. 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: Mono-Attacker
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>If there is a Like every other bulky Pokemon who has a stat-boosting move coupled with as well as Rest and Sleep Talk, one can expect to see Musharna can run / make use of a set reminiscent of CroCune on the analysis page. Musharna is no different. Calm Mind serves as the ubiquitous aforementioned stat-boosting move, and also serves to boost Stored Power is more useful on this setbecause of the power difference; at . After two Calm Minds, Stored Power becomes stronger than any other Psychic-type move in Musharna's movepool. Because this set is designed to slowly but surely optional boost up high 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, then Hidden Power Fighting can be used over Sleep Talk. It is recommended to use Moonlight The use of Moonlight is recommended with alongside Hidden Power Fighting, due to Rest's tendency to make the sleeping Pokemon a sitting duck for two turns. However, 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 with this set only having as this set only packs one attacking move. Dark-types such as Honchkrow, Sharpedo, Krookodile, and even Zweilous can come in for free and fire off powerful Crunches or even set up. To patch up this problem, Fighting-types are recommended to solve this problem. Choice Scarf Primeape can come in on any Dark-type move and scare off the troublesome Pokemon with the threat of a Close Combat; <semicolon> 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 still cannot find some way to work a Pokemon to defeat Dark-types on your team you find this inadequate, Hidden Power Fighting is still an option. It should be noted that both Fighting-types and Durant share defensive synergy with Musharna.</p>

<p>If Moonlight is chosen over Rest then Choosing Moonlight over Rest leaves Musharna is 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, because it can wake Musharna up after Resting 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, is immune to Toxic, 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 always used to the optimal item choice, providing more Health recovery at the end of each turn. A Bold nature with maximized maximal Defense investment provides allows for maximum bulkiness. Synchronize is used preferred to slightly bother 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's Base 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 is not to ought not overlook Musharna's excellent base 107 Special Attack; she can effectively use an immediately straightforward offensive set. Psychic or Psyshock is used for solid STAB, getting a good strong hit on a lot of Pokemon. Psyshock is an option over Psychic in case you're sick of random Munchlax springing up to stop your sweep ; 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 spiritomb and sableye at least neutrally, which is useful because Dark-types troll Musharna like a cat trolls a dog like a mouse trolls an elephant?. Lastly, Moonlight is in the last slot to restores HP lost from 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 still are a bother to Musharna. Honchkrow is especially 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 the said hit. Magneton is useful to eliminate Honchkrow that lack Heat Wave, resisting 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. It also shares They also share defensive synergy with her, being ; Porygon-Z is immune to Ghost-type moves, while she 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 become faster boost its Speed, then everything else should be made slower. Or Alternatively, Trick Room can be used in the last slot over Moonlight to use turn Musharna's low Speed for the better 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 yes, singular 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>While Normally, Musharna needs team support to function well. In this case, however, she's giving out the team support. Baton Pass is the primary moveto support the team the most that provides the most team support. Calm Mind is used to beef up her own special side Special Defense and , as well as that of her teammate's. 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 boost high enough to nab x 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 for Musharna. It also makes up for the lack of boosts to that defensive side that Musharna will be getting , especially in the light of Calm Mind boosting her Special Defense. Musharna can also Baton Pass Barrier or Curse are also moves that Musharna is capable of Baton Passing, but they are generally not worth a moveslot. It is important to play Musharna to its 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 usually unharmed.</p>

<p>As any good Baton Passer does, Musharna needs teammates who can use a Baton Passed Calm Mind or two and use it to sweep 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. <period> especially with Stealth Rock damage added in, while they both appreciate having Calm Minds passed to them, However, they both have great special attacking potential, and furthermore resist Bug-type attacks that Musharna draws tends to lure in. Porygon-Z is frail and another Pokemon that doesn't like<space>taking damage, while it can also can set up an Agility of its own, and has good synergy with Musharna. Magneton likes being Baton Passed Calm Minds from the defensive standpoint of it on the other hand can utilize Calm Mind boosts defensively; coupled with Magneton's its high Defense and capability to use the Eviolite, it Magneton will practically live forever be invulnerable if Baton Passed a boost in Special Defense. All of the teammates mentioned above are also capable of defeating Murkrow, who could 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 is demonstrates one of Musharna's multiple supporting opportunities 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 continues to be the same as it is for the above sets excluding the Special Attacker is her standard defensive one; maximum Defense and HP are needed to shore up Musharna's weaker defensive side and increase its longevity. However, the preferred item in this case is Light Clay, is chosen as the item over Leftovers because it is more beneficial to the whole team to keep Light Screen and Reflect up for eight turns instead of five. However, 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 are very powerful after setting up, but don't enjoy taking hits while setting up. Flame Charge Magmortar or and Emboar with Flame Charge make excellent teammates in this respect. They both 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. He can switch in, set up a Hone Claws, and sweep. 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 a lot of possibilities 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 unadvised inadvised due to Rain's side effect of lowering the amount of HP that Moonlight recovers 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 dedicated to them. If you like being a troll to others, Musharna has nice physical moves, including..?, but her awful Attack stat makes this a bad option otherwise. It's pointless to invest in Musharna's Speed a s as there's not very much that she can outspeed. Plus 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 help with her status issues defend her against status.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>In case I haven't mentioned it 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 powerful X-Scissor to put Musharna down.</p>
GP Approved (2/2)

 
Magneton on the other hand can use calm mind...
should there be commas after magneton and hand?
if you don't think you'll be able to nab x boosts
should it really be x boosts or an actual number?
As both are frail and weak to Stealth Rock, neither of them enjoys...
and i thought for subject-verb agreement (since this is plural here) it would be enjoy, not enjoys
However, the preferred item in this case is Light Clay
should this be however? it's not really contradicting or disagreeing with anything, so it just sounds weird
 
1) Magneton - preferential, whichever you feel works best

2) it's an actual number! I was lazy to pull up pages myself haha because I figured you'd probably know it offhand anyway

3) nope, pretty sure it's singular (see here)

4) it's sort of contradicting with the idea of building up its own defensive bulk - ie. the intuitive item would be leftovers? again, your preference.

for future reference, don't be afraid to override any of my changes if you have solid reasoning, or if one of my changes distorts your intended meaning or something - you're much more familiar with the pokemon than I am :)
 

AccidentalGreed

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Annoying nitpick, but I would probably change all instances of Musharns's presumably female identity before uploading this, since male Musharna exist (in other words "her" -> "it"). Neutral identity is a somewhat enforced but unspoken law.
 

Oglemi

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well Musharna is particularly feminine in appearance, so I don't see anything wrong with calling it a her even though there are male Musharna. There are plenty of analyses where the analysis uses him or her when there are genders of each Pokemon (DPP Machamp, Gardevoir, Wigglytuff, and Bellossom stick out in my memory).

anyway, will upload

EDIT: fantastic job with this one andy
 

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