[OVERVIEW]
Misdreavus is a centralizing force in NFE and shapes much of the metagame around it. Its bountiful utility movepool makes it difficult to play around offensively and defensively, with its bag of tricks being complemented by good Speed and overall solid base stats, giving it overall solid matchups against most of the tier. Its Ghost typing also makes it the premier spinblocker and warps the entry hazard game around it, frustrating Quaxwell, the premier hazard remover. While Misdreavus is excellent at using utility moves, it struggles when opposing Pokemon status or use Knock Off against it, making it much easier to overwhelm. Being tasked to spinblock over the course of a game, it can find itself being worn down by pivoting moves and residual damage, with the unreliable Pain Split being its only form of recovery.
[SET]
Utility (Misdreavus) @ Eviolite
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Night Shade
- Thunder Wave / Will-O-Wisp
- Pain Split
- Taunt / Thunder Wave / Will-O-Wisp
[SET COMMENTS]
Armed with a deep movepool, great overall stats, and a beneficial typing, Misdreavus establishes itself as one of the best utility Pokemon in the metagame. Will-O-Wisp cripples physical attackers like Fraxure and Gabite and whittles down prominent walls like Tinkatuff and Quaxwell; Thunder Wave discourages faster wallbreakers like Raboot and Frogadier from trying to overwhelm Misdreavus. Night Shade's consistent damage is preferred, though Hex can be used to focus on spreading status. If Misdreavus is worn down significantly, Pain Split can discourage healthy checks from switching in on it, including high-HP targets like Dunsparce and Pignite. Taunt stops opposing entry hazards from setters like Dunsparce and Piloswine and also blocks incoming status, setup moves, and forms of recovery from Pokemon like opposing Misdreavus and Tinkatuff. If Misdreavus is needed for spreading more status, a second status move can be used.
Misdreavus's flexibility enables it to be slotted into many team compositions, from bulky to balanced to offensive builds. Entry hazard setters like Piloswine, Frogadier, and Tinkatuff work together to whittle down the opposition with residual damage, pairing well with Misdreavus's spinblocking capabilities. If Misdreavus is running Thunder Wave, powerful wallbreakers like Fraxure, Choice Band Piloswine, and Pignite greatly benefit from its paralysis-spreading capabilities, with their coverage moves—and in the latter's case, Knock Off—being able to overwhelm the opposition. Due to Misdreavus's weakness to Knock Off, absorbers of the move like Koffing and Tinkatuff can help by using their typing and bulk to reliably switch into it; Tinkatuff particularly stands out to discourage opposing Knock Offs thanks to Pickpocket stealing Eviolites. Fighting-types like Monferno and Pignite can force out Normal-types like Dunsparce and Vigoroth that Misdreavus struggles to make progress against. Faster Pokemon like Frogadier and Raboot also help deal with Girafarig, one of Misdreavus's most prominent checks. Fire-types like Monferno and Pignite are immune to Will-O-Wisp and can threaten Misdreavus back with Knock Off, so Water-types like Quaxwell and Wartortle are appreciated for forcing them out.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Thief and Trick can steal Eviolite from opposing Knock Off users, though Misdreavus struggles to fit those moves in due to its own weakness to Knock Off and its standard utility moves being preferred. Psychic Noise could be considered over Taunt to disrupt walls with recovery moves like Dunsparce and opposing Misdreavus. Nasty Plot sets have surprising power, bypassing Normal-types, having a variety of coverage moves, and potentially compressing Misdreavus's utility and an offensive threat into one Pokemon. At +2, Misdreavus is able to 2HKO typical checks like Girafarig, Hisuian Sliggoo, and physically defensive Tinkatuff with the right attacks, though its weakness to Knock Off and the noticeable drop in bulk makes it harder to fit on teams.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Normal-types**: Normal-types like Dunsparce and Vigoroth are arguably Misdreavus's worst matchups, as they are immune to Night Shade and can set up on it in return, though Vigoroth doesn't like Will-O-Wisp. Girafarig is particularly dangerous, as Misdreavus doesn't resist its Psychic-type moves.
**Status and Item Disruption**: Although Misdreavus is excellent at spreading status, it is poor at absorbing it. Thunder Wave users like Drakloak, opposing Misdreavus, and Tinkatuff can mitigate its Speed, while poison and burn spreaders like Alolan Grimer and Koffing, (comma) respectively, (comma) can limit its longevity. Knock Off users like Ivysaur and the aforementioned Tinkatuff can jeopardize Misdreavus's longevity; Trick or Switcheroo users like Girafarig and Frogadier can further hinder its walling capabilities by giving it a Choice item. If Misdreavus is not running Taunt, it can struggle progressing against bulkier threats like Clefairy and Naclstack, which can retaliate with their own utility moves and heal up with recovery.
**Fire-types**: Raboot, Pignite, and Monferno are immune to Will-O-Wisp and can heavily threaten Misdreavus back with their powerful STAB moves; the latter two also have Knock Off to further mitigate Misdreavus's defensive presence.
**Wallbreakers and Faster Pokemon**: Despite Misdreavus's good inherent bulk, it struggles with tanking hits from wallbreakers and revenge killers, with Pokemon like Thwackey, Fraxure, and Servine overwhelming it with their powerful STAB moves and coverage.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/5dots.543866/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sleid.601970/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/mirbro.451786/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/rose.511181/
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