Murkrow. Deal with it, son.
[Overview]
<p>Murkrow: a Pokemon, a teammate, a legend. Perhaps the most versatile Pokemon in all of LC, Murkrow's niche is to fill all niches. Besides boasting some of the highest mixed attacking stats in all of Little Cup (85 in both Attack and Special Attack), it has complementary offensive dual STABs—Flying and Dark—which are backed up by a fantastic offensive movepool, including Brave Bird, Sucker Punch, Heat Wave, Icy Wind, and Drill Peck. It also hits the illustrious Speed stat of 19, guaranteeing it a Speed tie with Misdreavus and Gligar, as well as the ability to outspeed all common users of Shell Smash when it dons a Choice Scarf. As if these traits were not enough, the Dream World bestowed Prankster upon it, which allows it to obtain priority Substitute, Roost, and a wealth of other options.</p>
<p>Perhaps the only factor wanting in Murkrow's overall arsenal is its unimpressive 60 / 42 / 42 defenses. Thankfully, Murkrow has FeatherDance and Calm Mind to hinder the opponent or boost itself. Unfortunately, Murkrow is not a Pokemon that works on just any team. The bird of prey itself falls prey to many of the common Choice Scarf users, including Chinchou and Shellder, and has to rely on annoying Speed ties in order to deal with other 19 Speed Pokemon, including Staryu and Acrobatics Gligar. Residual damage also wears it down quickly, meaning it has to commonly use Roost—sometimes this is handy, other times a burden. Unless your team is able to handle Murkrow's few weaknesses, do not think its power will be yours to exploit.</p>
[SET]
name: MixKrow
move 1: Drill Peck / Brave Bird
move 2: Heat Wave
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Icy Wind / Dark Pulse
item: Life Orb / Eviolite
nature: Naive
evs: 236 Atk / 76 SpA / 188 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Whereas many players expect defensive Murkrow or support Murkrow, this set beats many of its usual counters before the enemy has a chance to react. Drill Peck gives Murkrow an extremely powerful STAB move with no repercussions. Furthermore, it hits Mienfoo, Croagunk, Timburr, and the many other Fighting-types in Little Cup for super effective damage. Brave Bird's sheer power makes it sometimes a preferable option on more offensive teams; Murkrow's longevity is greatly hampered by constant recoil, however. MixKrow excels due to the fact that most things that can weather a Drill Peck or Brave Bird do not enjoy being roasted by Heat Wave. Bronzor, Magnemite, and Ferroseed, three common switch-ins, will be quickly incinerated, paving the way for multiple other Pokemon, or perhaps even Murkrow itself, to sweep. Sucker Punch prevents frail Choice Scarf users, including weakened Chinchou and Snover, from picking off Murkrow prematurely.</p>
<p>The final move is more of a filler slot. Icy Wind allows Murkrow to hit Gligar for massive damage, which is especially important when facing defensive variants. If you are willing to risk a Speed tie, it also will easily OHKO Acrobatics Gligar; however, Murkrow does not enjoy losing that tie. Dark Pulse allows Murkrow to possess a method of dealing with bulkier walls such as Slowpoke, who otherwise are only weak to Sucker Punch, and are very physically defensive anyways. It also gets a handy STAB bonus, meaning it is a safer move that Murkrow can use alongside the more dangerous Brave Bird.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Life Orb is the primary item choice, as it reduces the number of things that can switch into Murkrow comfortably. Notably, Chinchou and Snover will not be able to reliably revenge kill Murkrow if they have taken previous damage, as Sucker Punch achieves a KO. Naive is the best option in terms of nature, as it boosts Murkrow's Speed to the vital stat of 19 without compromising either attacking stat. If one is using this set on a bulkier team, Roost can be used in the last slot along with Eviolite as an item; however, Murkrow typically does not stick around that long anywhere, and this set does better cleaning up late game rather than early on.</p>
<p>It is important to note that Prankster is illegal with both Icy Wind and Heat Wave. Insomnia and Super Luck are both useful abilities; Insomnia allows Murkrow to act as an even better answer to Exeggcute and Shroomish, while Super Luck is more useful one out of eight times. MixKrow lures in Steel-types and eliminates them, so Axew and Dratini can actually serve as good partners if you are able to eliminate Bronzor and Ferroseed. Also, most variants of this set lack Roost, so Rapid Spin support is greatly appreciated when it comes to not clipping Murkrow's wings. Staryu is the best choice for this role, as it too hits the illustrious 19 Speed and possesses good coverage and Recover. Alternatively, Kabuto is a rare choice, and has Stealth Rock as well as Aqua Jet to deal with weakened Gligar. Additionally, Murkrow loves hazards on the other side of the field to net more KOs in conjunction with the switches it causes and Sucker Punch. Dwebble consistently sets up hazards against all leads bar those with Taunt, and has passable synergy with Murkrow.</p>
[SET]
name: SubRoost Offensive
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Roost
move 3: Brave Bird / Drill Peck
move 4: Sucker Punch
item: Eviolite / Life Orb
ability: Prankster
nature: Jolly
evs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 20 Def / 20 SpD / 188 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Although this version of Murkrow lacks the coverage provided by MixKrow, it can still serve as a late-game cleaner with its dual STABs. Substitute allows Murkrow to beat walls that try to use Toxic on it, and in conjunction with Roost, also lets it stall out Pokemon who are incapable of breaking its Substitutes. Speaking of Roost, it allows Murkrow a safe switch-in against Pokemon such as Magnemite and Chinchou, who will commonly use Volt Switch on it. What's more, both Substitute and Roost become priority moves when used alongside Prankster. As they switch out, they will hit Murkrow for only neutral damage, and then something else will have to come in to take out Murkrow. Although it creates a weakness to Bug- and Fighting-type moves for Murkrow, this is inconsequential, as it can take them out with its STAB Flying-type move of choice. Brave Bird is the preferred option for this, as Murkrow can Roost away the recoil if it gets the chance to, but Drill Peck still hits hard enough in most situations.</p>
<p>Sucker Punch works fantastically in conjunction with Substitute. Notably, Pokemon such as Slowpoke and Bronzor will be forced to attack Murkrow when it is behind a Substitute, allowing Murkrow a free hit on them even if they switch in on Murkrow. The combination of the two also enables Murkrow to handle Choice Scarf users with ease if it uses Substitute as they switch in, as it will have basically a free 2HKO provided they do not resist Sucker Punch. Furthermore, it allows Murkrow to act as a check to Clamperl, Gligar, and Misdreavus, provided none of these Pokemon are running Substitute. Unfortunately, Murkrow is not able to handle Ice Shard Shellder or Snover, as they will outspeed Murkrow if they have a Choice Scarf.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Murkrow's defenses leave something to be desired; for example, it will have a hard time switching into even Mienfoo repeatedly. Thankfully, its offenses—even unboosted—are fantastic, so it can afford to run Eviolite alongside Roost to increase longevity. Life Orb is still an option, but should be used with Drill Peck because otherwise, recoil will stack up quickly. It is also notable that Murkrow's lack of bulk makes it generally difficult to find a good time to Roost; for this reason, Murkrow should be brought in on something it can force out, set up a Substitute, then attack or Roost against the switch-in, in that order. The EVs provide a slightly bulky spread, giving a few points in HP, Defense, and Special Defense with very few EVs. A Jolly nature and 188 Speed EVs are a necessity to allow Murkrow to make the most of its fantastic Speed tier.</p>
<p>Since this Murkrow lacks the coverage of MixKrow, it needs teammates that can beat both Steel-types and bulky Rock-types. Magnemite traps Steel-types with its ability, beats Omanyte, and resists Rock-type moves. Magnemite can act as a good switch-in to Snover and Shellder as well, both of whom threaten out Murkrow. Unfortunately, this set cannot OHKO Gligar and has to rely on Speed ties. For this reason, something to revenge Acrobatics Gligar, such as a Shellder or Snover of your own, can be a good option if you don't trust your luck. Misdreavus sometimes runs sets with Thunderbolt and Hidden Power Fighting, meaning it can hit Murkrow for super effective damage whether it's Roosting or not. Stunky and Munchlax can thus serve as good partners to trap, weaken, or kill Misdreavus so Murkrow can have an easier time later in the game. Stunky has the added bonus of being able to use Sucker Punch on weakened Pokemon such as Gligar and Clamperl, but must look out for Substitute. Although Stunky and Murkrow are both Dark-types, they do not share any weaknesses.</p>
[SET]
name: Defensive Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: FeatherDance
move 3: Roost
move 4: Hidden Power Flying
item: Eviolite
ability: Prankster
nature: Calm / Bold
evs: 196 HP / 100 Def / 184 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>What was at one time the flagship Murkrow set is still effective with proper team support. Unfortunately, the metagame is very bulky rather than offensive at the moment, which is problematic for this Murkrow, who hates Toxic to no end. This set abuses Prankster to give Murkrow priority FeatherDance and Calm Mind, allowing it to sponge both weaker physical and special attacks. For example, a full health Murkrow can come in and check Scraggy as it uses Dragon Dance. Alternatively, the likes of Choice Scarf Misdreavus locked into Shadow Ball provides set-up fodder for Murkrow.</p>
<p>Roost is necessary on this set, as it allows Murkrow to stall indefinitely late game when the opponent's stronger Pokemon are taken out. After enough Calm Minds, it will be nigh untouchable except by a critical hit, and will deter all physical threats except for Defiant Pawniard and Hyper Cutter Gligar from switching in. Hidden Power Flying provides good coverage along with STAB, and also scares Fighting-types who try to hurt Murkrow on a predicted Roost. Finally, priority Roost has the added bonus of ditching Murkrow's weakness to Electric- and Ice-type attacks, so Murkrow will be able to answer most things that come into revenge kill it after one or two Calm Minds with relative ease.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Although Murkrow's defenses are mediocre at best, it actually has passable HP, meaning it becomes very bulky very quickly with its boosting moves. Calm is the preferred nature, as Chinchou, Snover, and Magnemite will be the biggest threats before you set up and are primarily specially based. It is also important to keep in mind that FeatherDance lowers the opponents' Attack faster than Calm Mind raises Murkrow's Special Defense. Nonetheless, Bold is an alternative choice to allow Murkrow a cushion to switch in to physical threats. This set could use Hidden Power Dark to obtain a neutral hit on Bronzor without completely sacrificing coverage, but coverage on Fighting-types will be greatly missed. Dark Pulse would be a better move, but is unfortunately illegal with Prankster.</p>
<p>This variant of Murkrow causes a lot of switches, so entry hazard support from Dwebble is much appreciated. Lileep is another good choice, as it sets up Stealth Rock while being a perfect counter to Chinchou, who can be problematic before Murkrow gets to set up. Toxic Spikes support is also appreciated, as late game, Murkrow may get the opportunity to stall out the rest of the opponent's team. Tentacool is a good choice for this, as Murkrow can switch in to Psychic-type attacks aimed at it. This set also has difficulty taking on bulkier Pokemon when they are healthy, as they will Toxic Murkrow before it gets a chance to set up, crippling Murkrow for the remainder of the match. Two good examples of such Pokemon are Bronzor or the rare Aron; both are handled by Magnemite. A status absorber, such as Staryu or Shroomish, is a good choice as well; the latter can take on Chinchou and Magnemite too. Furthermore, this set struggles against Defiant Pawniard, as well as the more common Hyper Cutter Gligar. Both are physically offensive, immune to FeatherDance, and will make quick work of Murkrow whether or not it has set up. Choice Scarf Pokemon are capable of fainting Murkrow before it amasses boosts; Misdreavus has high Special Defense to handle Chinchou, Snover, and the like while Scraggy can set up on many, many Pokemon locked into an inopportune move.</p>
[SET]
name: Bulky Support
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Roost
move 3: Haze / Torment
move 4: Drill Peck
item: Eviolite
ability: Prankster
nature: Careful
evs: 36 HP / 100 Def / 180 SpD / 188 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Although Murkrow's defensive stats have been discussed as subpar, it is still capable of pulling off a support set courtesy of Eviolite, Prankster, and useful resistances. Substitute provides Murkrow with a way to beat stall teams, which may include Pokemon such as Bronzor without Hidden Power Ice. In conjunction with Roost, these attributes make Murkrow seem bulkier than it actually is, and makes it a bulky pivot that stall teams and offensive teams both do not like facing. It possesses resistances to Ghost-types and an immunity to Ground- and Psychic-types, all of which are common offensive types. Roost changes these resistances slightly, but the only notable weakness Roost adds is to Fighting-types, which Drill Peck makes quick work of.</p>
<p>The third slot is the one that will make the Murkrow set shine on the team. Haze is useful as an answer to the multitude of set up sweepers in LC, including Gligar, Drilbur, Shell Smash users, and even Scraggy. Torment, on the other hand, handles opposing Pokemon who commonly only carry one move that can break Murkrow's Substitutes, and prevents them from being able to take Murkrow out thanks to Roost and Substitute. In the case of Choice Scarf users, it renders them completely useless.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The used EVs and a Careful nature hit even defensive stats, maximizing the boost from Eviolite. Since Speed is less important on this set, Murkrow only needs to hit 18, at worst Speed tying with Gastly and always beating Mienfoo and company. Heat Wave could be used over Drill Peck due to the somewhat more consistent coverage and nifty burn chance, but Prankster is unfortunately illegal with it. Taunt would be very useful on this set, but has a hard time finding a spot without completely sacrificing Murkrow's usefulness. There are plenty of other support moves that could work in the third slot, including Thunder Wave, if your team could use that.</p>
<p>Toxic Spikes is arguably the most important teammate to this set, especially if one opts for Torment, as they mean Murkrow's indefinite stalling actually comes to fruition. Other forms of residual damage, including sandstorm or hail—which can be provided by Hippopotas and Snover, respectively—are also useful in adding to this. This set has problems with Chinchou, Shellder, Magnemite, and Snover; a Chinchou of your own can help solve most of these problems with either Hidden Power Fire or Hidden Power Grass. Lileep too can beat all of these Pokemon except Magnemite with a set of Energy Ball and AncientPower. A Magnemite of your own can also work well, as it can trap and kill opposing Steel-types such as Bronzor and Ferroseed. Although Haze is useful in stopping Scraggy, one should still consider packing another answer to it, such as a Pokemon that can switch in to a FeatherDanced Scraggy. Mienfoo and Croagunk are both good options for this, and appreciate Murkrow's immunity to Psychic-type moves.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: Icy Wind
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Heat Wave
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Naughty
evs: 236 Atk / 76 SpA / 188 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Murkrow's blistering Speed may make it seem like an odd candidate for a Choice Scarf set, but in reality, it can act as a safe against set up sweepers. Murkrow's Speed stat of 18 without a boosting nature makes the jump to 27 with a Choice Scarf, which outspeeds all opposing Gligar (without Agility), common Shell Smash users, and Scraggy after a Dragon Dance. Brave Bird is preferred due to its massive damage output off of Murkrow's 19 Attack, but if there is no Rapid Spin user on the team and recoil is causing you worries, Drill Peck can be used instead. After all, either move will be able to take out Clamperl and Scraggy.</p>
<p>This set appears very similar to MixKrow, which is part of what makes it so deadly. Icy Wind pumps Gligar and also can act as a last stand against Dragon-types with Dragon Dance, at worst bringing them back to a normal Speed stat. Sucker Punch is still useful, even on a Choice Scarf set, as it gains STAB and gets around Ice Shard Shellder and Quick Attack Gligar. Heat Wave is helpful early game, when Bronzor and Ferroseed may try to switch in. It is also notable for possibly allowing Murkrow to net an early kill against Choice Scarf Magnemite, who may switch in early thinking it can outspeed and KO.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Naughty is the preferred nature on this set, as Murkrow does not need to hit higher than 18 Speed. Even with a boosting nature, Murkrow can't outspeed Timid Horsea in the rain or Drilbur in the sand, which is why Sucker Punch is still useful on this set. Keep in mind that Prankster is illegal with Heat Wave and Icy Wind, so Murkrow will have to choose between Super Luck and Insomnia—but of course, all of its moves on this set are attacking moves anyway. Roost is an interesting option that allows you to also bluff MixKrow, but there's not really room for it on this set, and it is also better with Prankster.</p>
<p>Murkrow has an annoying weakness to Stealth Rock, so Rapid Spin support is much appreciated. Staryu is the best all around option for this; however, Kabuto can both Rapid Spin and lay Stealth Rock, while Tentacool can provide Rapid Spin and Toxic Spikes. Dwebble is arguably the best teammate for this set, as typical switch-ins will not be able to repeatedly soak hits while weathering entry hazard damage. Ferroseed resists Ice-, Electric-, and Rock-type moves, and can also set up Spikes, making it a good teammate. Bronzor is in much the same boat, with less resistances but the ability to take on opposing Murkrow. Both of these Pokemon can set up Stealth Rock, as can Omanyte, who also has decent synergy with Murkrow.</p>
[SET]
name: Parafusion
move 1: Thunder Wave
move 2: Confuse Ray
move 3: Roost
move 4: Brave Bird / Drill Peck
item: Eviolite
ability: Prankster
nature: Careful
evs: 196 HP / 180 Def / 100 SpD / 32 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Although parafusion is oft considered a gimmicky strategy, if there's anyone who can run it, it's Murkrow. Prankster means Murkrow can paralyze even Choice Scarf Pokemon—with the exception of Chinchou—before they have the chance to attack. This means this set can come as a nasty surprise to Murkrow's typical counters, as they will have a hard time even getting the chance to attack.</p>
<p>Roost allows Murkrow to ditch its weaknesses to Ice- and Electric-type attacks, which means even if the opponent does manage to land a hit (the odds are against them), they will likely not KO if Murkrow is Roosting. This effect is multiplied when used alongside Drill Peck or Brave Bird, as although Roosting will make Murkrow susceptible to Fighting- and Bug-type moves, most users of these attacks, such as Mienfoo and Shelmet, are decimated by Drill Peck.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EVs and nature provide enough special bulk to allow Murkrow to wall its usual counters, including Chinchou and Magnemite, if luck is on its side. Eviolite is the only item that would be considered here, as Murkrow needs the bulky to pull off this strategy effectively. Speed is not very important on this set at all, as three of the moves rely on Prankster abuse. There is also no Attack investment, as Murkrow is already pretty strong, and if one wants an offensive powerhouse they should refer to the other sets.</p>
<p>Dwebble is once again a good teammate, as Confuse Ray causes tons of switches. Dwebble consistently puts down entry hazards at the start of every match unless the opponent utilizes a Taunt lead. It is important to note that this set actually doesn't appreciate a teammate who sets up Toxic Spikes, as it prevents Murkrow from fully abusing paralysis. While the effects of Confuse Ray go away upon the opponent switching out, it is important to note that paralysis will last for the rest of the battle. This means Murkrow can be sent out early-game to cripple a portion of the opponent's team. When the opponent's team is under the effects of paralysis, slower sweepers, such as Cranidos and Aron, become much more viable due to their massive Attack stats. Setup sweepers, such as Tirtouga and Scraggy, also can capitalize on the paralysis of their typical counters.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Taunt could be used on pretty much any set with Prankster, as it will allow Murkrow to function as an effective anti-lead. This can be useful for Pokemon such as Larvesta, who hate entry hazards on their side of the field. Murkrow also has the option to use a set consisting of Mean Look and Perish Song, which, provided it can live a few hits from the opponent, allows it to net a cheap kill or two. Foul Play and Pluck are gimmicky moves with interesting side effects, the former based off of the opponent's Attack and the latter stealing the opponent's Oran Berry, but both are too unreliable to be consistently useful. If hitting 19 Speed is not a concern for some reason, Adamant can be used on all sets except mixed sets; these sets should use Lonely or Naughty natures. Heat Wave and Icy Wind are unfortunately illegal with Prankster. For this reason, you will have to decide between Insomnia and Super Luck. Neither is extremely useful, but they each have their own niche. Insomnia allows Murkrow to function better against Sleep Powder users such as Exeggcute and Spore users such as Shroomish, but neither will be able to do much to Murkrow in the first place. Super Luck doubles Murkrow's critical hit ratio; if it activates at the right time, it can turn the tides of a battle.</p>
<p>Finally, a quick word on Murkrow's Dream World ability: Prankster is a fantastic choice, and should see use on every set with only two exceptions. The first is the case of legality; Prankster cannot be used with Heat Wave or Icy Wind. The second exception is whether or not Murkrow carries any support moves; if Murkrow has all attacking moves, it should go for either Insomnia or Super Luck as Prankster will be useless.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Bronzor walls all Murkrow without Heat Wave, and can even take some hits from Heat Wave with some investment. Bronzor also commonly uses Hidden Power Ice, which will deal a large sum of damage to any Murkrow not Roosting. Murkrow unfortunately is weak to Stealth Rock, so repeated switch-ins will wear down all sets without Roost—and even if it has Roost, it doesn't have stellar defenses to merit repeated uses of it. Tirtouga and Omanyte both have high Defense and Shell Smash, allowing them to set up and KO Murkrow. Clamperl is in much the same situation, and commonly uses Substitute to deal with Murkrow trying to use Sucker Punch. However, all three Pokemon will be outsped if Murkrow opts for a Choice Scarf. Eviolite Misdreavus can come in and use Will-O-Wisp on an anticipated Sucker Punch. However, this leads to mind games if Murkrow is carrying Substitute. Magnemite resists every move in Murkrow's arsenal bar Heat Wave, and can easily KO with Thunderbolt. Chinchou doesn't resist Sucker Punch, but Eviolite versions can typically take a Sucker Punch and strike back with a super effective move. Snover and Shellder can both take a Sucker Punch, and both have super effective moves to hit Murkrow with. Alternatively, they can use Ice Shard, which will prevent Murkrow from picking them off with Sucker Punch. If you're feeling gutsy, you can have Mienfoo use a Fighting-type move on a predicted Roost; this is not recommended, however, since Murkrow can easily KO Mienfoo. If Scraggy gets a Dragon Dance boost, it will be able to beat all sets except Choice Scarf, Haze, or FeatherDance sets with Ice Punch.</p>
