QC: Anty, Magnemite and Tone114
GP: Ununhexium w/ Snobalt, P Squared
[OVERVIEW]
Murkow's Dark / Flying typing lets it hit most of the metagame relatively hard with its STAB moves plus a coverage move. Murkrow can also function as a revenge killer and late-game cleaner with Sucker Punch. Its typing also gives it two immunities to common offensive types in Psychic and Ground, letting it switch in on offensive threats such as Beheeyem. On top of this, Murkrow gets access to Prankster, a rare but useful ability in PU, allowing it to paralyze many of the faster Pokemon in the metagame and stop a variety of utility moves with Taunt. However, a look at Murkrow's defensive stats reveals a big downside; its poor bulk doesn't go well with its weaknesses to common attacking types in Electric, Rock, Ice, and to a lesser extent Fairy. Common Pokemon such as Piloswine and Zebstrika can take advantage of this. Although it has good offensive stats, they are not amazing, forcing Murkrow to run Life Orb to give it the boost it needs to get some KOs. Another downside is that Murkrow is weak to Stealth Rock, and when this is combined with Life Orb recoil, Murkrow can be revenge killed quite easily. Murkrow faces competition from Dodrio, which is more potent in typing and stats, but Murkrow has Prankster as well as a much more powerful priority move, and Dodrio lacks the Special Attack that Murkrow has.
[SET]
name: Life Orb
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: Sucker Punch
move 3: Hidden Power Fighting / Hidden Power Grass
move 4: Thunder Wave / Taunt
item: Life Orb
ability: Prankster
nature: Naive
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Brave Bird is Murkrow's hardest hitting STAB move and packs quite the punch, but you should use it carefully, as the heavy recoil is nasty. Sucker Punch is a powerful STAB priority move, bypassing Murkrow's mediocre Speed and letting it pick off weakened foes. The third move is up to preference and what helps your team the most; Hidden Power Grass can hit Pokemon such as Golem really hard, while Hidden Power Fighting hits Probopass harder. Lastly, Thunder Wave can slow down offensive threats or be used as a last-ditch effort, while Taunt lets Murkrow stop bulkier Pokemon such as Grumpig and Probopass from using status moves.
Set Details
========
A spread of 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe maximizes the power of Murkrow's attacks, and enhances its Speed, allowing it to outspeed a few threats such as Mr. Mime, while a Naive nature further boosts Murkrow's Speed without hindering its Special Attack or Attack. Note that Murkrow can switch into Stealth Rock four times with this set. Life Orb allows Murkrow to get some crucial KOs, such as a guaranteed OHKO on Roselia with Brave Bird after Stealth Rock damage.
Usage Tips
========
Murkrow is a wallbreaker; it has coverage to hit common walls very hard and can outspeed a few offensive threats such as Monferno and Arbok. However, if you bring it in on a foe that it doesn't scare out or KO, it can get knocked out very easily. As Murkrow really lacks the bulk to switch in, it's best either to bring it in freely after a teammate is KOed or to Volt Switch or U-turn into it. Great options to fill this role are Probopass and Pelipper, although Pelipper shares many of Murkrow's weaknesses. Weaken the opposing team with entry hazards and constant pressure, and clean up afterwards with Sucker Punch. If you choose to run Taunt, capitalize on obvious status moves to keep forcing switches into the entry hazards. If Thunder Wave is chosen, note that you can sacrifice Murkrow if it means stopping a sweep with Thunder Wave.
Team Options
========
As you want to give Murkrow the most uses of its Life Orb, a Defog or Rapid Spin user is a good idea. Pelipper, Vibrava, and Torkoal are good options, providing support while resisting some of Murkrow's weaknesses. Piloswine and Probopass are useful teammates, as they resist some more of Murkrow's weaknesses and are able to set up Stealth Rock. Another good entry hazard setter is Roselia, which can set up Spikes and Toxic Spikes and absorb status with Natural Cure. Despite these bulkier Pokemon being suggested, a team leaning towards offense will keep up pressure and force switches with your entry hazards up, as well as give you more options for teammates. Last but not least, Volt Switch and U-turn users are important to get momentum and a free switch. Probopass and Pelipper can provide a slow Volt Switch and U-turn, respectively, and other Pokemon such as Zebstrika can also fill this role.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Any non-offensive set should be coupled with Eviolite, giving Murkrow's pitiful defensive stats a meaningful boost. Calm Mind has many checks but still sees some light in the metagame. Another set option is a Prankster set, making full use of the ability, but Murkrow is lacking a bit in bulk, is weak to Stealth Rock, and relies on constant recovery and luck. Perish trapping is more effective on Murkrow than other Pokemon due to Prankster, but it generally only works on less experienced or less cautious opponents. Another option is Torment, which is tricky to use but can mess up your opponent's plans and force out users of Choice items. Finally, Murkrow can provide support by setting up a priority Rain Dance or Sunny Day, which is important on weather teams. However, Volbeat also does this well and possibly better, as it provides Encore support, access to U-turn, and the ability to hold the respective weather rocks, which Murkrow lacks the ability to do.
Checks & Counters
===================
**Residual Damage**: Stealth Rock takes a big chunk of Murkrow's health off every time it switches in, and when it is combined with an attack from the foe, Murkrow won't be hard to knock out. Furthermore, Life Orb already puts Murkrow on a timer and gives it a set number of attacks that it can use. Similarly, status effects greatly hinder its offensive presence, and because Murkrow doesn't usually run Roost, any residual damage can be devastating.
**Defensive Pokemon**: Some Pokemon can easily take Murkrow's hits and KO it. Furthermore, a variety of Pokemon can capitalize on Murkrow's coverage depending on which Hidden Power it has. Not having Hidden Power Grass will let the likes of Golem avoid KOs, and not having Hidden Power Fighting will let Probopass wall Murkrow.
**Faster Pokemon**: Despite Murkrow's impressive Speed stat, some Pokemon are faster or carry Choice Scarf and are powerful enough to KO Murkrow, such as Sawsbuck, Simipour, and Floatzel. However, these Pokemon don't appreciate getting paralyzed, and if Murkrow can get them to below half health, Sucker Punch can pick them off.
**Electric-types**: Electric-types are immune to Thunder Wave and are usually very fast. Murkrow's only means of doing damage to them is with Sucker Punch, and most Electric-types can take this and KO back or predict this and set up. For example, Raichu can get a Nasty Plot off, but predicting this and trying to go for Taunt can just as easily get Murkrow KOed on the overprediction.
**Rock-types**: Even though Murkrow has either Hidden Power Fighting or Hidden Power Grass, Rock-types such as Armaldo can often tank these attacks and KO back with a STAB move.
GP: Ununhexium w/ Snobalt, P Squared
[OVERVIEW]
Murkow's Dark / Flying typing lets it hit most of the metagame relatively hard with its STAB moves plus a coverage move. Murkrow can also function as a revenge killer and late-game cleaner with Sucker Punch. Its typing also gives it two immunities to common offensive types in Psychic and Ground, letting it switch in on offensive threats such as Beheeyem. On top of this, Murkrow gets access to Prankster, a rare but useful ability in PU, allowing it to paralyze many of the faster Pokemon in the metagame and stop a variety of utility moves with Taunt. However, a look at Murkrow's defensive stats reveals a big downside; its poor bulk doesn't go well with its weaknesses to common attacking types in Electric, Rock, Ice, and to a lesser extent Fairy. Common Pokemon such as Piloswine and Zebstrika can take advantage of this. Although it has good offensive stats, they are not amazing, forcing Murkrow to run Life Orb to give it the boost it needs to get some KOs. Another downside is that Murkrow is weak to Stealth Rock, and when this is combined with Life Orb recoil, Murkrow can be revenge killed quite easily. Murkrow faces competition from Dodrio, which is more potent in typing and stats, but Murkrow has Prankster as well as a much more powerful priority move, and Dodrio lacks the Special Attack that Murkrow has.
[SET]
name: Life Orb
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: Sucker Punch
move 3: Hidden Power Fighting / Hidden Power Grass
move 4: Thunder Wave / Taunt
item: Life Orb
ability: Prankster
nature: Naive
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Brave Bird is Murkrow's hardest hitting STAB move and packs quite the punch, but you should use it carefully, as the heavy recoil is nasty. Sucker Punch is a powerful STAB priority move, bypassing Murkrow's mediocre Speed and letting it pick off weakened foes. The third move is up to preference and what helps your team the most; Hidden Power Grass can hit Pokemon such as Golem really hard, while Hidden Power Fighting hits Probopass harder. Lastly, Thunder Wave can slow down offensive threats or be used as a last-ditch effort, while Taunt lets Murkrow stop bulkier Pokemon such as Grumpig and Probopass from using status moves.
Set Details
========
A spread of 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe maximizes the power of Murkrow's attacks, and enhances its Speed, allowing it to outspeed a few threats such as Mr. Mime, while a Naive nature further boosts Murkrow's Speed without hindering its Special Attack or Attack. Note that Murkrow can switch into Stealth Rock four times with this set. Life Orb allows Murkrow to get some crucial KOs, such as a guaranteed OHKO on Roselia with Brave Bird after Stealth Rock damage.
Usage Tips
========
Murkrow is a wallbreaker; it has coverage to hit common walls very hard and can outspeed a few offensive threats such as Monferno and Arbok. However, if you bring it in on a foe that it doesn't scare out or KO, it can get knocked out very easily. As Murkrow really lacks the bulk to switch in, it's best either to bring it in freely after a teammate is KOed or to Volt Switch or U-turn into it. Great options to fill this role are Probopass and Pelipper, although Pelipper shares many of Murkrow's weaknesses. Weaken the opposing team with entry hazards and constant pressure, and clean up afterwards with Sucker Punch. If you choose to run Taunt, capitalize on obvious status moves to keep forcing switches into the entry hazards. If Thunder Wave is chosen, note that you can sacrifice Murkrow if it means stopping a sweep with Thunder Wave.
Team Options
========
As you want to give Murkrow the most uses of its Life Orb, a Defog or Rapid Spin user is a good idea. Pelipper, Vibrava, and Torkoal are good options, providing support while resisting some of Murkrow's weaknesses. Piloswine and Probopass are useful teammates, as they resist some more of Murkrow's weaknesses and are able to set up Stealth Rock. Another good entry hazard setter is Roselia, which can set up Spikes and Toxic Spikes and absorb status with Natural Cure. Despite these bulkier Pokemon being suggested, a team leaning towards offense will keep up pressure and force switches with your entry hazards up, as well as give you more options for teammates. Last but not least, Volt Switch and U-turn users are important to get momentum and a free switch. Probopass and Pelipper can provide a slow Volt Switch and U-turn, respectively, and other Pokemon such as Zebstrika can also fill this role.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Any non-offensive set should be coupled with Eviolite, giving Murkrow's pitiful defensive stats a meaningful boost. Calm Mind has many checks but still sees some light in the metagame. Another set option is a Prankster set, making full use of the ability, but Murkrow is lacking a bit in bulk, is weak to Stealth Rock, and relies on constant recovery and luck. Perish trapping is more effective on Murkrow than other Pokemon due to Prankster, but it generally only works on less experienced or less cautious opponents. Another option is Torment, which is tricky to use but can mess up your opponent's plans and force out users of Choice items. Finally, Murkrow can provide support by setting up a priority Rain Dance or Sunny Day, which is important on weather teams. However, Volbeat also does this well and possibly better, as it provides Encore support, access to U-turn, and the ability to hold the respective weather rocks, which Murkrow lacks the ability to do.
Checks & Counters
===================
**Residual Damage**: Stealth Rock takes a big chunk of Murkrow's health off every time it switches in, and when it is combined with an attack from the foe, Murkrow won't be hard to knock out. Furthermore, Life Orb already puts Murkrow on a timer and gives it a set number of attacks that it can use. Similarly, status effects greatly hinder its offensive presence, and because Murkrow doesn't usually run Roost, any residual damage can be devastating.
**Defensive Pokemon**: Some Pokemon can easily take Murkrow's hits and KO it. Furthermore, a variety of Pokemon can capitalize on Murkrow's coverage depending on which Hidden Power it has. Not having Hidden Power Grass will let the likes of Golem avoid KOs, and not having Hidden Power Fighting will let Probopass wall Murkrow.
**Faster Pokemon**: Despite Murkrow's impressive Speed stat, some Pokemon are faster or carry Choice Scarf and are powerful enough to KO Murkrow, such as Sawsbuck, Simipour, and Floatzel. However, these Pokemon don't appreciate getting paralyzed, and if Murkrow can get them to below half health, Sucker Punch can pick them off.
**Electric-types**: Electric-types are immune to Thunder Wave and are usually very fast. Murkrow's only means of doing damage to them is with Sucker Punch, and most Electric-types can take this and KO back or predict this and set up. For example, Raichu can get a Nasty Plot off, but predicting this and trying to go for Taunt can just as easily get Murkrow KOed on the overprediction.
**Rock-types**: Even though Murkrow has either Hidden Power Fighting or Hidden Power Grass, Rock-types such as Armaldo can often tank these attacks and KO back with a STAB move.
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