Arbok

[Mewsol]

Arbok
Traits: Intimidate | Shed Skin | Unnerve
60 | 85 | 69 | 65 | 79 | 80​

Looking at Arbok's base stats may turn you away from using it, but don't let that stop you. The first thing you'll notice- Arbok is able to remove Toxic Spikes, which makes it an ideal switch-in along with its Intimidate Ability. Even better, with the new moves in B/W, Arbok now has access to Coil, boosting its Attack, Defense, and Accuracy by one stage each- that accuracy boost allows Arbok to blast down physical walls with 120+STAB Gunk Shot. With the right amount of support from its teammates, Arbok can become a huge threat.

Arbok: Coil + Gunk Shot
Trait: Intimidate
EVs: 4HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Nature: Adamant
Item: Black Sludge/Life Orb

Coil
Gunk Shot
Earthquake/Aqua Tail
Sucker Punch

This is really the set that makes the most of Arbok's abilities, thanks to Coil. Arbok can enjoy some nice STAB from Gunk Shot, which gets an accuracy boost from Coil. With 120 base power, this move can break down some physical walls, giving Arbok sweeping potential. Earthquake is an alternative for Pokemon that take no damage from Gunk Shot, and it also gets a boost from Coil. Aqua Tail is an option for similar coverage. Aside from Coil and Gunk Shit, the other two spots can be filled with physical moves for the purpose of type coverage.


Any other sets that might work? I think Arbok has real potential in NU, for sure. Any ideas on possible teammates?

Discuss Arbok and give the purple snake some love?

 

[cuckoos]

Seed Bomb works well for Quagsire and Carracosta.

Quagsire has been RU for quite some time now, so I think Sucker Punch remains the most useful choice.

Arbok has the potential to do some major damage if it's given an opportunity to boost. I've used it to much success in past metas, being able to net at least one boost on Pokemon such as Alomomola and Wartortle and proceeding to pull of a sweep late-game. However, I'm beginning to think Arbok is mostly ineffective in the B2W2 metagame, and this seems to be the case with a lot of the sets I run. Ground and Psychic types such as Golurk and Gardevoir have become nearly omnipresent as late-game threats, giving fast (?) sweeper Arbok way less opportunities to switch in and boost. Even after an Intimidate on the switch in, most Golurk sets will still be able to KO Arbok with Earthquake, and Gardevoir will be able to simply maul it with Psychic. Arbok is extremely frail, specially and defensively, and most sweepers that can outspeed it will bring its coiling antics to an untimely end.

It's still usable, but it requires much more support than it did in BW three months ago. Most of the time, however, the support isn't worth it and you're much better off using a late-game sweeper that can better handle the new threats, such as Zangoose.

(Typed this on my phone, so calcs weren't provided, but I'm just speaking from experience)

 

[KryptoKrunch]

Aqua Tail definitely deserves a mention as a moveslot choice. It has good coverage along with Gunk Shot, it can surprise Golurk switch-ins and hits Golem really hard. It wouldn't hit Rock/Steel types as hard as EQ but it's still a noteworthy move. Running a SubCoil set with Gunk Shot and a coverage move can work well.

 

[Mewsol]

I agree, whatever gives more coverage helps. I think it depends on what your team needs, but you would want Arbok to cover as many types as possible as to not risk switching into possible entry hazards.

I still wonder whether Arbok could work defensively with Toxic, Glare, etc... although its typing and moovepool puts it at a disadvantage to wall effectively at all.

 

[Mewsol]

Arbok is extremely frail, specially and defensively, and most sweepers that can outspeed it will bring its coiling antics to an untimely end.

Sadly, yes. Arbok can't really fend for itself, Glare is the only thing that can stop the faster sweepers, but it'd likely get attacked first. You'd need to set up a lot before sending out Arbok, and Arbok itself would have to set up in order to make a hit with Gunk Shot. There are few options to counter the low speed, so depending on your team, Arbok just wouldn't be a good asset.

But if your team needs a way to break down slower physical walls then I suppose Arbok would work well for that purpose.

 

[Antihaxxer]

Good movepool, abilities, type, but awful stats :( Too bad for him I love Arbok !

 

[kniteowl]

Arbok @ Leftovers
Trait: Shed Skin
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 HP / 4 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Coil
- Rest
- Gunk Shot
- Suckerpunch / Aqua Tail / Eathquake

I was thinking of a set similar to Scrafty but there are just too many bulky psychics and Ground types in the tier ruining Arboks fun.

The goal of the set is switch in and set up and unleash Gunk shot, Sucker punch hits psychics, Aqua Tail hits ground types & Earthquakes gets better overall neutral coverage.

Arbok doesn't really care about status because of shed skin has a 30% of healing it off, Rest can be used to recover health and have a 30% chance of waking up early every turn.

You can run a set with more special or physical bulk at the cost of attack making Arbok more of a bulky sweeper but the Arbok stats just aren't enough to survive super effective hits and recover with rest.

I was using this in early B&W but the results weren't very good lol.

 

[Originality]

Reposting this since your last thread got locked :P

Arbok is deadly when played correctly. With a near perfect accuracy +1 Gunk Shot after one coil will seriously damage any pokemon aslong as they are not steel or Weezing. My suggested moveset and spread would be

Arbok @ Leftovers
Adamant 252 Atk/252 Spe
Intimidate
-Coil
-Gunk Shot
-Sucker Punch
-Earthquake/Bulldoze

Pros of Arbok

• Extremely powerful and accurate STAB Gunk Shot can really put a hole in even some of the bulkier pokemon in NU such as Alomomola and Amoongus, thanks to the godsend of which is Coil.
• Arbok also makes a good late game cleaner with access to a +1 attack boosted sucker punch.
• Intimidate is great for switching into a physical pokemon as Arbok will most likely be able to take two or three hits from them (watch out for choice band abusers such as Emboar).
• Earthquake hits steels with great power which are immune to gunk shot and can safely switch into a sucker punch. However Bulldoze can be used to make up for Arbok's lack luster speed however and can also cause switches allowing an additional Coil boost.
• Great overall counter to choice Sawk however make sure it's locked into anything except earthquake or else Arbok will be hit with major damage

Cons of Arbok​

• Completely walled by Weezing as levitate ensures a safe switch in.
• 80 base speed means that Arbok will be outpaced by most sweepers in the tier.
• Weak to Psychic and Ground and with Gardevoir being in the top #5 usage, Arbok will need it's team to be able to back it up. Also Earthquake can be found on about 90 % of all physical sweepers and most outspeed Arbok which are also a threat.

Some suggested team members:


Skuntank @ Life Orb
Trait: Aftermath
EVs: 36 Spd / 220 SAtk / 252 Atk
Lonely Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Fire Blast
- Sludge Bomb
- Pursuit

Skuntank gets a free switch into to a locked psychic spamming Gardevoir and can destroy her on the switch with pursuit, making Skuntank a great partner for an Arbok.

Miltank @ Leftovers
Trait: Thick Fat
Evs : 252 HP, 252 Sp.D, 4 Atk
Careful Nature
-Thunder Wave
-Heal bell
-Milk Drink
-Return

Miltank can Support Arbok in a number of ways, it can provide Thunder Wave support to get over Arbok's pretty low base speed. It can heal Arbok's status problems with Heal Bell and can Also Cause some damage in aid of Arbok with Return.

 

[marilli]

The thing about Bulldoze is that it's not quite as strong as you'd like it to be against Rock-types and/or Steel-types (which are slower than you anyways.) The thing is, Arbok isn't super fast but whatever's faster than it really can't afford to take an unboosted Gunk Shot on the switch either. Whatever's willing to switch into it is often slower than Arbok to begin with.

You need all the power you get against the likes of Golem and Regirock. The 40% power drop is not quite worth the utility.

One big utility I see is when Arbok is somewhat low on health, dont want the chance of missing when you know a revenge killer is going to switch in. The fact that common scarfers like Rotom and Braviary, though, reduces such utility.

 

[Axa]

My personal Arbok set is:

Arbok@Leftovers
Shed Skin
Jolly
252HP, 252Speed, 4Atk
~Coil
~Substitute
~Gunk Shot
~Aqua Tail/Earthquake

Allows Arbok to at worst speed tie with every Psychic in the tier except Mr. Mime and Kadabra. Extra health and Sub gives Arbok a lot more survivability and eases Coil set-up, and prevents you from being Spore/Clear Smog'd by Amoonguss. (In fact, Amoonguss is one of Arbok's favourite switch ins, barring the very rare HP Ground).

 

[Brammi]

People seem to quite often forget that Arbok is the only Poison type in the tier with an item switch. More than that, I don't think there are many Physical pokes with an item switch either in the tier.

So lets look at Arbok in the context of abusing Switcheroo.
What does it have?

- 85 Base Attack
- 80 Base Speed
- Very strong, albeit unreliable STAB in Gunk Shot
- Earthquake for coverage
- Crunch and Sucker Punch to hit it's counters hard

Now those stats aren't amazing, but they are workable.

So what else can it offer?

TSpikes absorbtion, Status absorbtion, Intimidate (Which is an underestimated ability on Arbok), and an established set that requires setup for presumption abuse.

Now the calcs are pretty terrible, even after an Intimidate Arbok is still taking a ton of damage, and Shed Skin is Iffy to rely on but it has it's merits, not a top tier threat by any means, but it has it's niche.

So

Arbok @ Choice Scarf
Intimidate / Shed Skin
Adamant
252 Att / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Switcheroo
Gunk Shot
Earthquake
Crunch/Sucker Punch

Ok, ok. It's not great, but it deals damage, outspeeds most of the unboosted tier and alot of the +1. Switcheroo works well with it's notoriety as setup fodder. I've been using it, it's not awesome but it does it's job. Not for every team, but sometimes it just fits. Checks Sawk and can royally screw Gurdurr, two great pokes in the tier. Can come in on Emboar predictions with Intimidate or come in and screw with utility pokes through Poison typing and shed skin.

Now, interesting point while I remember it. It goes well with Zangoose. Switcheroo messes up Arbok's counters. All of Zangoose's non-fighting checks/counters also counter Arbok's Coil set. Now add to that, that Arbok can deal with status fairly well without having to resort to Heal Bell and you have yourself a nice little nichey supporty best friends thingy going. And we all know that Zangoose would prefer Arbok to Seviper. Again, not awesome, but there.

So now, Choice Band.

Pretty much the same moves. But Choice Band has harder Sucker Punches and can make use of a nifty little move called Pursuit. Now I know what you're going to say, why put pursuit on something that is prey for Psychics and the best Ghost in the tier. Well my good sirs, revenging. Sucker Punch and Pursuit are really annoying and put the pressure on the opponent to read you. Choice Band Gunk Shot has some pretty nifty neutral coverage in the tier and CB Quake can help break down your Regirocks that are ruining your physical sweeper's day. Switcheroo royally messes with the rest of the physical walls.

Being able to have Switcheroo on a Physical threat is an amazing boon, especially with the kinds of things that are running around. A Weezing stuck in WoW is fodder for Emboar and Rapidash and even gives Gurdurr a free guts boost or switch-in. A Musharna stuck in Moonlight lets Braviary get in for free for example.

I can hear the Arbok has sheet for stats and I question you this. What else fills this niche? Seviper hits harder? It's slower. Same with Cacturne. Banette or Kecleon? Suffer the same problem. Arbok can't run choice because it's strong, it can run Choice because of the utility and little tidbits that make you smile as you snake your way to a technical path to victory.

Poison is a great attacking type in NU. There are very few steels and the grounds are dealable by your other pokes.

So opinions? Choice for Arbok?