Attract, Rollout, Rollout, Rollout, Rollout, Rollout, Milk Drink, Rollout, Rollout, Rollout, Rollout, Rollout, Milk Drink... <---How Whitney destroyed my childhood
Overview
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[Pros]
-Variety of supportive options
-Decent stats
-Reliable recovery
-Blessed with three great abilities in Thick Fat, Scrappy and Sap Sipper...
[Cons]
-... but generally outclassed in roles which utilize the latter two.
-Small Movepool
-Typing is a double-edged sword, depending on ability
-If it runs Thick Fat, it loses out on the benefits of Miltank's other abilities, which means that it has no best ability
-Made uglier since transition
Utility
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name: Cowbell
move 1: Heal Bell
move 2: Thunder Wave
move 3: Seismic Toss
move 4: Milk Drink
ability: Thick Fat
item: Leftovers
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
nature: Careful
Moves
========
-Heal Bell is vital as it is Miltank's biggest supportive draw.
-Thunder Wave is great as a supportive option, crippling fast sweepers on the opponent's side and aiding some slower, bulkier sweepers on your own side.
-Siesmic Toss for consistent damage.
-Milk Drink is required for recovery
-Toxic can be used to get around walls, Ghost-types and possibly Calm Mind Cressellia, but you then lose your niche in easily getting around Delphox, which is one of Miltank's main roles in RU. Furthermore, Thunder Wave's immediate effects on relevant offensive threats such as Specs Yanmega, Zoroark, Vivillon and Sharpedo make it difficult to pass up for Toxic. Besides: aren't situations where you would run Toxic over Thunder Wave what you have teammates like Drapion and Skuntank for?
-Stealth Rock can be used, but it is generally outclassed by other pokemon with more resistances in that role.
Set Details
========
-EVs are simple: maximize Miltank's special bulk.
-Careful to boost special defense
-Leftovers for the passive recovery
-Thick Fat gives Miltank resistances
-Sap Sipper can be useful on teams which despise Grass-type moves. This is especially helpful for combating Amoonguss and Tangrowth by absorbing their Spores or Sleep Powders, respectively. However, you then lose your niche in checking Delphox - specifically Calm Mind variants (something which Miltank is one of the tiny number of counters for).
Usage Tips
========
-Always be aware of the situation in the battle. Know when Miltank is absolutely required to be brought in.
-Make sure to always keep Miltank at as high HP as possible. It needs its ability to check stuff like Jynx and Delphox - as well as other stuff which tend to carry Ice- or Fire-type coverage - as long as it is alive, and it can't do that reliably at low health. This means using Milk Drink as often as possible, removing entry hazzards and Heal Belling away poison and burn with the correct prediction, but not waiting too long to do so.
-Make sure to be careful about letting Miltank and its teammates take status. Using Heal Bell is a big momentum killer, so you don't want to be forced to use it too often.
Team Options
========
-Miltank tends to work best on more defensive and bulky offensive teams. If you intend on using Miltank, build accordingly.
-Alomomola and Weezing really benefit from the Heal Bell support that Miltank provides as they are two pokemon which are weak to status.
-Steel-types like Ferroseed, Registeel and Bronzong provide good defensive synergy with Miltank.
-Ghost-types and bulky Fighting-type resists, such as Banette and Reuniclus, are good teammates to absorb hits from Miltank's sole weakness.
-Rapid Spinners and Defoggers help Miltank keep its HP stat high to check Delphox
-Physical attackers which benefit from Heal Bell clearing burn, such as Hitmonlee and Braviary, and fast, frail attackers which benefit from the clearance of paralysis, such as Haunter and Ludicolo, are great teammates for Miltank.
-SD Drapion is great for countering CM Cressellia, Ghost-types, and walls which it can easily set up on.
Other Options
########
-Not the widest movepool, but has pleanty of options to use
-Fully offensive of Return/Double Edge, Fire Punch, Earthquake/Ice Punch and Milk Drink with Sap Sipper/Scrappy
-Body Slam
-Earthquake
-Rock Slide
-Headbutt to paraflinch
-Brick Break to deal with dual screens
-Whitney's Miltank if you feel like being obnoxious for people just starting to ladder, but it is far too situational to be recommended in serious play.
Checks and Counters
########
-Fighting-types like the hitmons and Gallade can hit Miltank really hard
-Bulky Ghost-types, such as Doublade and Dusknoir, for the support set
-Opposing setup
-Taunt
-Durant outpaces and 2HKOs Miltank
-Special attackers like Haunter and Sceptile - most notably variants with Focus Blast
-Steelix laughs at everything Miltank throws at it
########
[Pros]
-Variety of supportive options
-Decent stats
-Reliable recovery
-Blessed with three great abilities in Thick Fat, Scrappy and Sap Sipper...
[Cons]
-... but generally outclassed in roles which utilize the latter two.
-Small Movepool
-Typing is a double-edged sword, depending on ability
-If it runs Thick Fat, it loses out on the benefits of Miltank's other abilities, which means that it has no best ability
-Made uglier since transition
Utility
########
name: Cowbell
move 1: Heal Bell
move 2: Thunder Wave
move 3: Seismic Toss
move 4: Milk Drink
ability: Thick Fat
item: Leftovers
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
nature: Careful
Moves
========
-Heal Bell is vital as it is Miltank's biggest supportive draw.
-Thunder Wave is great as a supportive option, crippling fast sweepers on the opponent's side and aiding some slower, bulkier sweepers on your own side.
-Siesmic Toss for consistent damage.
-Milk Drink is required for recovery
-Toxic can be used to get around walls, Ghost-types and possibly Calm Mind Cressellia, but you then lose your niche in easily getting around Delphox, which is one of Miltank's main roles in RU. Furthermore, Thunder Wave's immediate effects on relevant offensive threats such as Specs Yanmega, Zoroark, Vivillon and Sharpedo make it difficult to pass up for Toxic. Besides: aren't situations where you would run Toxic over Thunder Wave what you have teammates like Drapion and Skuntank for?
-Stealth Rock can be used, but it is generally outclassed by other pokemon with more resistances in that role.
Set Details
========
-EVs are simple: maximize Miltank's special bulk.
-Careful to boost special defense
-Leftovers for the passive recovery
-Thick Fat gives Miltank resistances
-Sap Sipper can be useful on teams which despise Grass-type moves. This is especially helpful for combating Amoonguss and Tangrowth by absorbing their Spores or Sleep Powders, respectively. However, you then lose your niche in checking Delphox - specifically Calm Mind variants (something which Miltank is one of the tiny number of counters for).
Usage Tips
========
-Always be aware of the situation in the battle. Know when Miltank is absolutely required to be brought in.
-Make sure to always keep Miltank at as high HP as possible. It needs its ability to check stuff like Jynx and Delphox - as well as other stuff which tend to carry Ice- or Fire-type coverage - as long as it is alive, and it can't do that reliably at low health. This means using Milk Drink as often as possible, removing entry hazzards and Heal Belling away poison and burn with the correct prediction, but not waiting too long to do so.
-Make sure to be careful about letting Miltank and its teammates take status. Using Heal Bell is a big momentum killer, so you don't want to be forced to use it too often.
Team Options
========
-Miltank tends to work best on more defensive and bulky offensive teams. If you intend on using Miltank, build accordingly.
-Alomomola and Weezing really benefit from the Heal Bell support that Miltank provides as they are two pokemon which are weak to status.
-Steel-types like Ferroseed, Registeel and Bronzong provide good defensive synergy with Miltank.
-Ghost-types and bulky Fighting-type resists, such as Banette and Reuniclus, are good teammates to absorb hits from Miltank's sole weakness.
-Rapid Spinners and Defoggers help Miltank keep its HP stat high to check Delphox
-Physical attackers which benefit from Heal Bell clearing burn, such as Hitmonlee and Braviary, and fast, frail attackers which benefit from the clearance of paralysis, such as Haunter and Ludicolo, are great teammates for Miltank.
-SD Drapion is great for countering CM Cressellia, Ghost-types, and walls which it can easily set up on.
Other Options
########
-Not the widest movepool, but has pleanty of options to use
-Fully offensive of Return/Double Edge, Fire Punch, Earthquake/Ice Punch and Milk Drink with Sap Sipper/Scrappy
Curse Tank
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name: Curselax Clone
move 1: Curse
move 2: Body Slam
move 3: Hammer Arm / Heal Bell
move 4: Milk Drink
ability: Scrappy
item: Leftovers
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 SpD
nature: Adamant
Moves
========
-Curse to set up to high levels of power and to turn Miltank into a monsterous tank
-Body Slam for STAB and high paralysis rate. Works well alongside Curse due to it bolstering both offenses and defenses, helping Miltank live up to its name: a tank with milk.
-Return or Double-Edge can be used if you want to be more offensive, but Miltank misses the paralysis chance of Body Slam, which is what makes it such a good attacker and supporter at the same time.
-Hammer Arm is useful for getting past Steel-types like Doublade (cortesy of Scrappy) and Registeel as Miltank is otherwise walled by them. Alternatively, Heal Bell can be used to support your team and clear away pesky toxics which would otherwise force Miltank out and burns which would weaken Miltank's attacks. This also lets Miltank support your team with much more ease.
-Milk Drink is necessary for Miltank to maintain longevity and get it back up to a point where it can keep plowing on.
Set Details
========
-The simple EV spread maximizes Miltank's attack and patches up its fairly weak special defense stat. Adamant is used to boost attack further.
-You can run 0 speed IVs and a brave nature if you plan on using it on a Trick Room team. This works especially well alongside Hammer Arm as it makes you "faster" every time it is used.
-Scrappy is used to enable Miltank to hit Ghost-types with its attacks, most notably allowing you to hit Doublade with Hammer Arm.
-Sap Sipper can be used to absorb Grass-type moves and boost your power, but this leaves you as setup fodder for Mismagius and Doublade.
-Leftovers' turnly healing really helps with Miltank's longevity.
Usage Tips
========
-Try and set up as much as possible, but don't go overboard. Setting up kills momentum and gives your opponent a free turn to do whatever they want, so be sensible about it.
-If you don't run Heal Bell, try as hard as you can to not take any status, and, as such, eliminate any obvious candidates for Leech Seed, Toxic or burns before you bring in Miltank. Miltank needs to stay in to keep its accumulated boosts as it can't afford to waste time switching out and wasting them as it is often too slow to successfully set up again, and these statuses force Miltank out as they build up (Toxic), weaken Miltank's attacks (Burn) or obnixiously heal the opponent off of your freshly-healed HP (Leech Seed). Similarly, while the speed drop doesn't faze Miltank, Paralysis' chance to immobilize Miltank is detremental to this set, and must be avoided at all costs. But if you have heal bell feel free to go nuts!
-Try and keep Miltank at high health before you plan on setting up. This means don't bring it in unnecessarily and use Milk Drink as often as required.
Team Options
========
-Rapid Spinners and Defoggers to clear hazzards away - Miltank needs to be at as high HP as possible when it comes in.
-Anything to aid Miltank in coming in without taking damage - such as slow U-turn, Volt Switch or Parting Shot users like Eelectross or Pangoro - and users of self-KO moves - like Accelgor and Uxie - are great teammates.
-Dual Screens help Miltank set up and come in with minimal damage.
-Physical attackers which benefit from Heal Bell clearing burn, such as Hitmonlee and Braviary, and fast, frail attackers which benefit from the clearance of paralysis, such as Haunter and Ludicolo, are great teammates for Miltank.
-Amoongus is a helpful supportive teammate which has supprisigly good synergy with Miltank, absorbing Spores and Toxics and ultimately creating mind games, and it is helpful for getting Miltank in scotch free.
########
name: Curselax Clone
move 1: Curse
move 2: Body Slam
move 3: Hammer Arm / Heal Bell
move 4: Milk Drink
ability: Scrappy
item: Leftovers
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 SpD
nature: Adamant
Moves
========
-Curse to set up to high levels of power and to turn Miltank into a monsterous tank
-Body Slam for STAB and high paralysis rate. Works well alongside Curse due to it bolstering both offenses and defenses, helping Miltank live up to its name: a tank with milk.
-Return or Double-Edge can be used if you want to be more offensive, but Miltank misses the paralysis chance of Body Slam, which is what makes it such a good attacker and supporter at the same time.
-Hammer Arm is useful for getting past Steel-types like Doublade (cortesy of Scrappy) and Registeel as Miltank is otherwise walled by them. Alternatively, Heal Bell can be used to support your team and clear away pesky toxics which would otherwise force Miltank out and burns which would weaken Miltank's attacks. This also lets Miltank support your team with much more ease.
-Milk Drink is necessary for Miltank to maintain longevity and get it back up to a point where it can keep plowing on.
Set Details
========
-The simple EV spread maximizes Miltank's attack and patches up its fairly weak special defense stat. Adamant is used to boost attack further.
-You can run 0 speed IVs and a brave nature if you plan on using it on a Trick Room team. This works especially well alongside Hammer Arm as it makes you "faster" every time it is used.
-Scrappy is used to enable Miltank to hit Ghost-types with its attacks, most notably allowing you to hit Doublade with Hammer Arm.
-Sap Sipper can be used to absorb Grass-type moves and boost your power, but this leaves you as setup fodder for Mismagius and Doublade.
-Leftovers' turnly healing really helps with Miltank's longevity.
Usage Tips
========
-Try and set up as much as possible, but don't go overboard. Setting up kills momentum and gives your opponent a free turn to do whatever they want, so be sensible about it.
-If you don't run Heal Bell, try as hard as you can to not take any status, and, as such, eliminate any obvious candidates for Leech Seed, Toxic or burns before you bring in Miltank. Miltank needs to stay in to keep its accumulated boosts as it can't afford to waste time switching out and wasting them as it is often too slow to successfully set up again, and these statuses force Miltank out as they build up (Toxic), weaken Miltank's attacks (Burn) or obnixiously heal the opponent off of your freshly-healed HP (Leech Seed). Similarly, while the speed drop doesn't faze Miltank, Paralysis' chance to immobilize Miltank is detremental to this set, and must be avoided at all costs. But if you have heal bell feel free to go nuts!
-Try and keep Miltank at high health before you plan on setting up. This means don't bring it in unnecessarily and use Milk Drink as often as required.
Team Options
========
-Rapid Spinners and Defoggers to clear hazzards away - Miltank needs to be at as high HP as possible when it comes in.
-Anything to aid Miltank in coming in without taking damage - such as slow U-turn, Volt Switch or Parting Shot users like Eelectross or Pangoro - and users of self-KO moves - like Accelgor and Uxie - are great teammates.
-Dual Screens help Miltank set up and come in with minimal damage.
-Physical attackers which benefit from Heal Bell clearing burn, such as Hitmonlee and Braviary, and fast, frail attackers which benefit from the clearance of paralysis, such as Haunter and Ludicolo, are great teammates for Miltank.
-Amoongus is a helpful supportive teammate which has supprisigly good synergy with Miltank, absorbing Spores and Toxics and ultimately creating mind games, and it is helpful for getting Miltank in scotch free.
-Earthquake
-Rock Slide
-Headbutt to paraflinch
-Brick Break to deal with dual screens
-Whitney's Miltank if you feel like being obnoxious for people just starting to ladder, but it is far too situational to be recommended in serious play.
Checks and Counters
########
-Fighting-types like the hitmons and Gallade can hit Miltank really hard
-Bulky Ghost-types, such as Doublade and Dusknoir, for the support set
-Opposing setup
-Taunt
-Durant outpaces and 2HKOs Miltank
-Special attackers like Haunter and Sceptile - most notably variants with Focus Blast
-Steelix laughs at everything Miltank throws at it
Overview
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Miltank is often overlooked in RU due to its stats being relatively low compared to the rest of the tier. Furthermore, it has been burdened with a rather small movepool, and although it was blessed with three great abilities to choose from, Miltank can only afford to run one in RU as it would be sacrificing its main role in the tier if it ran either of its other two abilities. If you look past the resistances provided by Thick Fat, Miltank's typing really is a double-edged sword, giving it only one weakness and an immunity, but at the cost of having no resistances. However, it does have a few redeeming qualities that make it good in RU. Firstly, Thick Fat makes it one of the few reliable checks to Delphox in the tier: a niche which is further augmented by its access to reliable recovery in Milk Drink. On the subject of Milk Drink, Miltank has a few supportive gems hidden away within its small movepool in the forms of Heal Bell and Thunder Wave; these give it a unique supportive niche which it only shares with Lanturn. Finally, its stats are certainly not unreasonable to use, giving it decent bulk and very high Speed, being the fastest uninvested wall in the tier. Although Miltank does have its flaws, it has a few redeeming qualities; therefore it should always be considered if you need a check for Delphox that you can rely on.
Utility
########
name: Cowbell
move 1: Heal Bell
move 2: Thunder Wave
move 3: Seismic Toss
move 4: Milk Drink
ability: Thick Fat
item: Leftovers
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
nature: Calm
Moves
========
Heal Bell is arguably the best move that Miltank has in its arsenal, letting it heal detrimental burns, paralysis, and poisoning from itself and its teammates. Thunder Wave lets it cripple faster threats such as Choice Specs Yanmega and Hitmonlee on the switch-in and making it easier for Miltank's teammates to deal with it. It also helps slower, bulkier sweepers to deal heavy damage to the opposing team. Seismic Toss gives Miltank a way to deal consistent damage to the opposing Pokemon. Milk Drink is a pre-requisite for Miltank as it lets it recover HP and continue supporting its team. Earthquake can be used over Seismic Toss to score a 2HKO on Delphox and to hit most Steel-types harder; however, Miltank really misses the consistent damage that Seismic Toss provides, it doesn't hit anything else notable, and, ironically, Seismic Toss does more damage on average to Registeel and Bronzong, the latter of which is completely immune to Earthquake. Toxic can be used over Thunder Wave, but Miltank has difficulty sacrificing it for Toxic as it needs Thunder Wave to cripple Delphox. Finally, Stealth Rock can be used if your team lacks an entry hazard setter, but Miltank struggles to set it up multiple times throughout a match - something which is needed more than ever since the Defog buff - and is outclassed by other Pokemon with more resistances in the role of hazard setting.
Set Details
========
The EVs are simple: maxed out Special Defense to help it check Delphox. A Calm nature boosts Miltank's Special Defense even further and reduces the damage dealt by Foul Play and rare confusion. Thick Fat helps it check Delphox by giving it a resistance to Fire-type moves, and Leftovers gives Miltank the passive healing to increase its longevity; the recovery provided by it will often make the difference between Miltank fainting or it retaining consciousness and restoring HP with Milk Drink.
Usage Tips
========
When using Miltank, always be aware of the situation in the battle and make sure that you know when it needs to be brought in. It can't afford to come in too many times if it doesn't need to. Make sure to use Heal Bell sparingly, and only use it when it is absolutely required as it is a big momentum-killer. Finally, you need to keep Miltank as healthy as possible; it needs to retain its ability to check Delphox and Jynx reliably, and it can't do that at low health. This means that you should use Milk Drink as often as possible, try to keep hazards off the field while clearing poison, burn, and Leech Seed with a well-predicted Heal Bell or switch, but not waiting any more than two or three turns at the most to do so in the case status and Leech Seed.
Team Options
========
Miltank tends to work best on more defensive and bulky offensive teams, so make sure to build accordingly if you decide to use it. Defensive Pokemon that are weak to status, such as Alomomola and Weezing, appreciate the Heal Bell support. Steel-types like Ferroseed, Registeel, and Bronzong have good defensive synergy with Miltank, although all notable ones except for Doublade and Bronzong are weak to Fighting-type moves. As such, Ghost-types and bulky Fighting-type resistances such as Reuniclus, Banette, and Doublade are great for absorbing Fighting-type attacks. Rapid Spin users such as Hitmontop and users of Defog such as Gligar, Golbat, Skuntank, and Shiftry help to keep Miltank's HP high to reliably check Delphox. Offensively, fast, frail sweepers like Ludicolo and Haunter and physical attackers like Braviary and Hitmonlee benefit from Heal Bell clearing paralysis and burns. Slower powerhouses like Clawitzer, Exploud, and Gallade benefit hugely from the Thunder Wave support that Miltank provides. Finally, Swords Dance Drapion can easily come in against opposing walls, Ghost-types, and Calm Mind Cressellia, set up Swords Dance on them and easily dispatch of them its STAB moves.
Other Options
########
Miltank has a small movepool, but it does have a few other options that it can consider. A fully offensive set with Return or Double Edge, Fire Punch, Earthquake, and Milk Drink is feasible, but it is generally outclassed by other Pokemon in this role. Similarly, it can attempt to imitate UU's Curselax with a set of Curse, Body Slam, Milk Drink, and Hammer Arm or Heal Bell, and this set works rather well on Trick Room teams. However, it suffers from the same issues as the fully offensive set. Miltank has a variety of other attacking moves which it can chose from, such as Rock Slide, Headbutt, Body Slam, and Brick Break, each with their own supportive niche. However, it generally prefers Seismic Toss or Earthquake over these options. Finally, if you feel like being obnoxious to players who are just starting to ladder, you can run use a set akin to Whitney's Miltank, but it is far too situational to be recommended in serious matches.
Checks and Counters
########
**Fighting-types**: Fighting-types such as Hitmonlee and Gallade capitalize on Miltank's sole weakness, but must be wary of Thunder Wave upon switch-in. Cobalion and Virizion commonly carry Lum Berry, giving them a safe switch-in, and can threaten it out with STAB Close Combat, Sacred Sword, or Focus Blast.
**Bulky Ghost-types**: Doublade and Cofagrigus are immune to Seismic Toss, aren't fazed by Thunder Wave, and actually use Miltank as setup fodder.
**Bulky Setup Sweepers**: Miltank is setup fodder for tanks such Swords Dance Doublade and Calm Mind Cressellia who force it out with ease.
**Taunt**: Taunt completely shuts down Miltank, forcing it either to switch out or to use Seismic Toss. Jellicent is a good Taunt user, as it is also immune to Seismic Toss.
**Durant**: Durant outpaces Miltank and sets up on it, whereas Choice Band sets have a chance to OHKO Miltank with Superpower. However, non-Lum Berry variants must be wary of Thunder Wave when switching in.
**Powerful Attackers**: Powerful special attackers such Sceptile and Haunter, most notably Focus Blast variants, can easily deal heavy damage to Miltank with their attacks, whereas physical attackers can take advantage of Miltank's uninvested Defense stat to deal heavy damage to it. Life Orb variants of Clawitzer has a considerable chance to OHKO Miltank with Aura Sphere after Stealth Rock, and Choice Specs variants can force it out should Scald burn.
**Bronzong**: Bronzong is immune to the rare Earthquake and Toxic and actually benefits from paralysis as it powers up Gyro Ball. Furthermore, Seismic Toss deals a pitiful amount of damage.
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