[Other Options]
- Haze, Memento, Toxic, Roar
- RestTalk
- Night Slash, Foul Play
- Stench - it's activation rate is too low, and Aftermath is more reliable. Besides, who wants their Skuntank to smell bad?
- A Choice Band set
- Fire Blast for the Grass- / Poison-types that take neutral damage from Poison Jab (Vileplume, Amoonguss ect. )
- Explosion, even though I don't like it
- Screech and Return?
- Torterra, but it takes a lot of damage from Sludge Bomb
- Quagsire beats all variatns except Hidden Power Grass ones
- Bastiodon, Probopass, Golem, Camerupt, Tangela, Alomomola, but Bastiodon and Probopass lose to Hidden Power Ground
- All three NU Fighting-types: Sawk, Gurdurr, and Throh - latter two have Guts, so Poison Jab is risky
- Vileplume and Amoonguss wall it, but can't do much back, and they only beat the mixed set
- Altaria can handle the mixed set, like other bulky Pokes that aren't weak to any of Skuntank's attacks
[Overview]
<p>After looking over its stats and typing, you might be wondering just what it is that Skuntank does. It appears to be one of the swathe of mediocre Poison-types writhing in NU at first glance, but this couldn't be further from the truth. Skuntank is a phenomenal utility Pokemon that is so useful, it's addictive. Dark and Poison might not seem like a good dual type combination, but they actually work quite well together; Skuntank resists Dark, Ghost, Poison, and Grass, and has a nifty Psychic-type immunity. These are all fairly common attacking types in NU, which gives Skuntank a good palette of resistances. A single weakness to Ground-type moves is a great boon for Skuntank's defensive capabilities. This purple skunk has a whole slew of tricks that it can use to support your team and drive your opponent up a tree, such as absorbing Toxic Spikes, finishing off weakened foes with its priority Sucker Punch, and stallbreaking with Taunt. Skuntank's Attack stat might look average, but its STAB moves pack quite a punch, and are strong enough to get the job done. This skunk is a useful, unique supporter that can patch up holes on your team; if you get one with the Aftermath ability, it won't smell bad either!</p>
[SET]
name: Bulky Attacker
move 1: Sucker Punch
move 2: Pursuit
move 3: Crunch / Poison Jab
move 4: Taunt
item: Leftovers / Dread Plate / Life Orb
ability: Aftermath
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 220 SpD / 36 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Skuntank's flagship set. This set excels in combating Ghost- and Psychic-types, and its three Dark-type STAB moves are the weapon of choice. Sucker Punch is by far the most useful, as it can easily take out foes such as Haunter and Gardevoir, which are all faster than the skunky menace. Sucker Punch is also great as a general priority move, and provides insurance against speedy foes such as Charizard, Swellow, and Cinccino. Pursuit is a deliciously diabolical move that punishes those that attempt to flee Skuntank, and pairs up with Sucker Punch to trap Ghost- and Psychic-type foes; if you predict correctly, these two moves will ensure that the victim is KOed no matter what they do. Sometimes though, Skuntank just needs a straightforward attacking move to fall back on. This is where Crunch and Poison Jab come in; these two STAB moves are powerful and reliable, and are useful for when you need a straightforward, direct attacking move. Crunch is usually the better option as it hits Misdreavus super effectively, but Poison Jab scores a super effective hit on Tangela, Torterra, and Ludicolo, which can all tank Skuntank's Dark-type moves fairly well. Taunt is an extremely useful move for Skuntank; the skunky menace is faster than almost every defensive Pokemon in NU, which allows it to block the non-attacking moves of a wide range of Pokemon. This in conjunction with its bulk allows Skuntank to break stall fairly well, prevent the setup of entry hazards, and protect itself from status moves, particularly Will-O-Wisp from Misdreavus and Weezing. </p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>An Adamant nature is used with full Attack EVs rather than a defensive nature, as Skuntank's livelihood lies in its attacking capabilities. The 32 Speed EVs allow it to outpace Misdreavus (to catch Will-O-Wisp with Taunt) and Adamant Torterra, and the rest is added to Special Defense to soften the blows of special attackers. The item choice depends on whether you prefer your Skuntank to incline offensively or defensively. Leftovers is the defensive choice, providing Skuntank with vital HP recovery; this allows it to tank hits more comfortably than it could with Life Orb, and take advantage of its excellent resistances. On the flip side, the ever-useful Life Orb gives Skuntank's attacks some oomph, powering them up enough to <EXAMPLES> Dread Plate is a much better choice than Life Orb if you're not using Poison Jab, as it provides a similar power boost without the unwanted recoil damage. The Aftermath ability is Skuntank's secret weapon, and punishes the foe that lands the finishing blow with a 25% HP penalty. This is a useful crutch that can be a lifesaver against physical sweepers that are low on HP, as Skuntank can sacrifice itself to take them down. This works well on foes such as Braviary, Sawk, and Samurott. Healthy foes can be knocked down to Aftermath range by Sucker Punch, if they're not KOed outright. </p>
<p>Skuntank can also use a Lum Berry, which will give it a safety net against status, and can be useful for foes such as Sleep Powder Tangela and Exeggutor, and Thunder Wave Probopass and Miltank. However, Life Orb and Leftovers are both extremely useful, so you might be better off just carrying a Heal Bell or Aromatherapy user on your team, such as Miltank, Lickilicky or Altaria. Speaking of teammates, Fighting-types such as Sawk and Emboar can be used to lure in Psychic- and Ghost-types for Skuntank to pounce on, effectively removing your Fighting-types' checks. Skuntank has trouble dealing with Golem, Probopass, Tangela, and Alomomola, so foes that can take out these Pokemon, such as Torterra, Emboar, Exeggutor, and Samurott, are all great teammates for the skunky menace. Entry hazard support can also go a long way towards dealing with these threats, so carrying entry hazard setters, such as Probopass, Garbodor, Tentacool, and Golem, can provide the prior damage needed for Skuntank to KO them. </p>
[SET]
name: Mixed
move 1: Sucker Punch
move 2: Crunch
move 3: Sludge Bomb
move 4: Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Ground
item: Life Orb
ability: Aftermath
nature: Lonely
evs: 252 Atk / 220 SpA / 36 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set might not be listed first, but that doesn't mean that it's a lesser option. In fact, mixed Skuntank is fast gaining popularity for its added ability to take on a number of physical walls with special attacks, including the king itself, Tangela. Sucker Punch's priority is as useful as ever, and Crunch backs it up with reliable damage. Sludge Bomb's Base Power is slightly higher than that of Poison Jab, and is extremely useful for foes such as the aforementioned Tangela, Torterra, Sawk, and Absol-all foes that a physical set would have trouble with. For the last slot, Hidden Power is used for coverage; Hidden Power Grass is the only move on this set that threatens Quagsire, which would otherwise be free to sit there and peer bemusedly at Skuntank, shrugging off all of its other attacks with Recover and retaliate with a super effective Earthquake. Hidden Power Grass also unearths Golem, but without some prior damage Golem's Sturdy ability will protect it from a OHKO, and it can then KO Skuntank in return with its powerful STAB Earthquake. Alternatively, Hidden Power Ground is a great tool for fending off Probopass, Camerupt, and Garbodor, and also gives Skuntank the upper hand if it should ever find itself butting heads with other members of its species. </p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Life Orb gives this set surprising power, and provides the strongest Sucker Punch possible, giving Skuntank an invaluable weapon for speedy foes and Choice Scarf users. Entry hazard support is great for this set, as the extra damage allows Skuntank to take out foes such as EXAMPLES Paralysis support is also useful, as Skuntank would have a lesser reliance on Sucker Punch, and could even attempt a sweep. The Speed EVs are for outpacing Adamant Torterra, which could otherwise KO Skuntank with its STAB Earthquake. Skuntank can also outspeed Misdreavus, and can KO it before it burns Skuntank with Will-O-Wisp. </p>
<p>Magmortar is a good partner for taking out Alomomola, Tangela, Vileplume, and Amoonguss.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>With a surprisingly expansive movepool, Skuntank has a good number of other options available to it. Haze is a great option that works well with Skuntank's Speed advantage; it can be an absolute lifesaver when you're faced with a boosted Gurdurr, or Absol. Thanks to its Psychic-type immunity, Skuntank can also use Haze to completely disarm foes such as Calm Mind Duosion and Musharna, which are both too bulky for Skuntank to OHKO. The Stench ability might pale in comparison to Aftermath, but it can prove quite useful. Skuntank can 2HKO a large number of NU Pokemon, and a sudden flinch can throw your foe for a spin. This is especially useful for Sucker Punch, as Skuntank is able to 2HKO most speedy Pokemon. </p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Because of Skuntank's lack of weaknesses and good mix of bulk and power, it actually has very few specific counters. Gurdurr is one Pokemon that absolutely shreds Skuntank, as it is exceedingly bulky and resists Skuntank's Dark-type moves. Even if Skuntank stays in and Taunts Bulk Up, Gurdurr is still going to win thanks to Drain Punch's recovery. Golem and Torterra are both great checks, as they can easily KO with a powerful STAB Earthquake. Choice Band Sawk is strong enough to deal grievous damage with Close Combat, and Earthquake variants are looking at a clean OHKO. Quagsire also wields a moderately powerful STAB Earthquake, and is more than bulky enough to tank Skuntank's attacks and heal away any damage with Recover. However, mixed Skuntank variants can threaten Quagsire with Hidden Power Grass. </p>
[Unreleased]
<p>Keen Eye sucks.</p>
