What is a good moveset for Arbok?

Question

If you have a good competitive moveset for Arbok, post an answer below and upvote the best ones. Movesets for any of its pre-evolutions can also be shared on this thread.

Be sure to include full set details in your post, e.g. items, abilities, natures and EVs. Some detail, including the intended game mode for your set, is also appreciated. Access the full list of guidelines here.

Arbok Pokédex and learnset for reference.

Answer 1

Arbok (M) @ Black Sludge
Ability: Shed Skin
EVs: 64 HP / 128 Atk / 64 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Rest
- Coil
- Gunk Shot
- Crunch

---

Role: Tank
With Ev's in Special Defense plus Coil Boosts to its Regular Defense, it makes a great tank.
Rest is there because with Shed Skin, it becomes mega beast.
Gunk Shot for STAB and Crunch For Coverage.

Answer 2

Gen V

Arbok (M) @ Black Sludge
Ability: Shed Skin
EVs: 160 HP / 176 Atk / 136 Def / 36 SpD
Impish Nature
- Coil
- Earthquake
- Gunk Shot
- Rest

Coil raises Attack, Defense, and Accuracy by one stage each. This makes it into a nice little tank, especially with the EVs given. Earthquake provides type coverage. Gunk Shot is high powered STAB, which gets an accuracy boost from Coil. Rest works to keep Arbok tanking away, as Shed Skin helps wake it up. Black Sludge also provides Arbok with healing.

Answer 3

I like the following set on an Arbok to mix it up a bit:

Arbok @ Life Orb / Black Sludge
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Adamant Nature
- Coil
- Gunk Shot
- Aqua Tail
- Rock Slide / Earthquake

Move details:

• Coil: Self explanatory - Attack, Def and Accuracy boosts
• Gunk Shot: STAB + Coil = Awesome power
• Aqua Tail: for coverage + with Coil boosted
• Rock Slide / Earthquake: additional coverage, depending on what you want him to be able to counter - also good power and accuracy with Coil and even if not super effective, good chance of a nice 2HKO

Other potential moves:
Crunch (for its Psychic weakness)
Ice Fang (chance to freeze target and flinch, also a very decent coverage move)

Intimidate often forces a switch allowing for the moveset to work, but also helps Arbok take an extra non-STAB hit.
The set works well with the above EVs because you've not only given Arbok every chance of survival, but also every chance of a good kill rate. If you can get one with 5IVs (all except Special Attack), you've got a decent chance to tank and sweep most opponents it comes up against.

Answer 4

Arbok @ Black Sludge
Ability: Shed Skin
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
Impish Nature
- Coil
- Rest
- Gunk Shot
- Earthquake

Explanation: Coil is to boost Attack, Defense and Accuracy. With EVs in Special Defense, Arbok will get really bulky. Rest is to recover HP. With Shed Skin, you can cure the Sleep status. Gunk Shot is Arbok's STAB move. In addition, Gunk Shot will have decent power and accuracy due to Coil. Earthquake is for coverage, and will have decent power because of Coil. Black Sludge is to provide a little HP recovery for Arbok.

Answer 5

Gen 7 PU / ZU

Arbok @ Poisonium Z / Black Sludge
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Gunk Shot
- Earthquake
- Coil
- Sucker Punch / Crunch

Gunk Shot is STAB and can be powered up into a Acid Downpour. Earthquake is coverage. Coil is set-up and makes Arbok a decent physical wall as well as a powerful wallbreaker. Sucker Punch is priority and coverage for Psychic types, Crunch is stronger and less prediction reliant coverage for Psychic types, but it isn't priority.

Answer 6

Arbok @ Black Sludge
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Def / 4 SpA / 252 SpD
Bold Nature
- Stockpile
- Giga Drain
- Toxic
- Venoshock

A basic stockpile wall/annoyer.
Stockpile to increase your defense. Giga Drain because the foe finally gets past Stockpile boosts then get it all back with this move. Toxic is to stall, and Venoshock is a great STAB in tandem with Toxic.

Comments

Arbok has a much higher attack than sp attack.

---

this set is mainly dedicated to stockpile walling giga drain being used as when hes about to die to last a little longer really stalling is the main concern in this set

Answer 7

Gen III

Arbok (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Shed Skin
EVs: 252 Atk / 128 Def / 128 SpD
Impish Nature
- Rest
- Sludge Bomb
- Earthquake
- Stockpile

---

Shed Skin + Rest makes for great tanking, and Stock Pile increases your Defenses.
Now you have a STAB Sludge Bomb, and Earthquake coverage.

Comments

great idea because sludge bomb is phisical make use for it whal u can

---

That would be good except Stockpile doesn't increase defenses in Gen III. So basically you're just wasting a move there where you could add Ice Fang or Crunch to cover a weakness.

Answer 8

Arbok @ Leftovers
Ability: Shed Skin / Intimidate
EVs: 200 Atk / 58 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Coil
- Sucker Punch
- Earthquake
- Poison Jab

---

This is a bulky sweeper set. Coil is for boosting Defense and Attack (Acc. is boosted to but that does not help much on this set). Sucker Punch is priority and coverage. Earthquake is coverage. Poison Jab is STAB.

Answer 9

Double/Triple Battle

Arbok (M) @ Black Sludge
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 152 HP / 252 Atk / 104 Def
Adamant Nature
- Rock Slide
- Earthquake
- Coil / Protect
- Gunk Shot

Intimidate hits all the foes, so that gives Arbok some bulk. This can allow you to set up Coil, although that is still risky. So Protect can be used instead of Coil, to protect you from your team's attacks such as Earthquake or your foe's attacks such as Earthquake. Rock Slide and Earthquake are both great moves in multi-battle, and give great coverage. Gunk Shot is STAB, and if you use Coil will be made more accurate.

Answer 10

Kobra (Arbok) @ Leftovers / Black Sludge
Ability: Shed Skin
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Coil
- Rest
- Gunk Shot
- Crunch / Sucker Punch

Move details:

• Coil: Set-up move
• Rest: Recovery, sleep doesn't hurt much because it has Shed Skin
• Gunk Shot: STAB, its bad accuracy is fixed with Coil
• Crunch / Sucker Punch coverage (both), priority used to compensate for Arbok's bad Speed (Sucker Punch)

This set has almost perfect coverage only resisted by Lucario and Cobalion (correct me in comments if I'm wrong).

Expert edit: Don't comment things like "Pokémon x also resists this" because this technically correct according to the year and the generation it was posted in.

Answer 11

Arbok (M) @ Black Sludge
Ability: Shed Skin
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Coil
- Glare
- Gunk Shot
- Dragon Tail / Ice Fang / Rock Slide / Aqua Tail / Iron Tail / Wrap

Move details:

• Coil (Boost it's accuracy, attack, and defense)
• Glare (Slows down the opponent and have a chance they might not attack)
• Gunk Shot (STAB; Gunk Shot is powerful but with risky accuracy that can be fix with coil)
• Dragon Tail / Ice Fang / Rock Slide / Aqua Tail / Iron Tail / Wrap (Further Coverage)

Answer 12

Role: Annoying Stall

Arbok @ Black Sludge
Ability: Shed Skin / Intimidate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpD
Bold / Impish / Calm / Careful Nature
- Toxic
- Stockpile
- Switcheroo
- Rest / Protect

Toxic: Obvious reasons
Stockpile: Increases Defense and Special Defense by 1 stage, but can only be used 3 times.
Switcheroo: Cripple them with Black Sludge :D
Rest / Protect / Infestation: If your Arbok has Shed Skin, I recommend Rest. However, if he has Intimidate, you can give him Protect or Infestation to deal your foe extra damage.

Calm/Careful work if it has Intimidate.

---

Its best to use this set in PU or NU and even NU is pushing it. Depending if you play by Smogon tiers of course.

Answer 13

Arbok @ Black Sludge / Poison Barb
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe / 4 Def
Adamant Nature / Jolly Nature
IVs: 0 SpA
- Stockpile
- Coil
- Gunk Shot
- Crunch / Seed Bomb

Role & Tier: PU; Physical Sweeper

---

Moves:

• Stockpile (Raise defenses)
• Coil (Raise Atk, Defense, and Accuracy for Gunk Shot)
• Gunk Shot (STAB+More Power w/ Poison Barb)
• Crunch/Seed Bomb (Type Coverage)

Answer 14

Fast Physical Sweeper

Arbok @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Poison Jab
- Crunch
- Seed Bomb
- Toxic Spikes

Poison Jab - 120 Base Power with Stab, 30% chance to poison the target
Crunch - 80 Base Power, 20% chance to lower the target’s defense, coverage against Psychic and Ghost types
Seed Bomb - 80 Base Power, coverage against Water, Ground, and Rock types
Toxic Spikes - Setup, use twice in a row if possible to badly poison enemies upon switching in

Answer 15

Arbok has really grown since Gen 1. So many options now, it's a very versatile Pokemon. This set is slightly different, for the Gen 7 games.

Arbok @ Black Sludge
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 128 Def / 128 SpD
Adamant / Jolly Nature
- Poison Jab
- Stomping Tantrum
- Protect
- Seed Bomb / Crunch

Poison Jab- STAB and high chance of poisoning and good power
Stomping Tantrum- Ground type is solid coverage against Steel types and works with the next move
Protect- Good for scouting, stalling while they get hurt by poison or you recover with Black Dludge, and if your Protect fails (double Protect), it doubles Stomping Tantrum's power.
Filler- this could be whatever works for you. Seed Bomb and Crunch are good options to cover its weaknesses. Switcheroo, Coil, Dragon Tail. So many good options. I went with Seed Bomb though.

Pretty straightforward. You want to try to poison your opponent then Protect to get their health down and increase yours. If you think you need a little extra power and can survive one or two hits, go for double Protect then a super charged Stomping Tantrum.
If you run Coil, Poison Jab can be replaced with Gunk Shot because of accuracy boost. Or Swords Dance, you can even use Poison Fang because of the higher chance of badly poisoning.
Let me know what you think. Thanks!

Answer 16

Gen 4 PU

Arbok @ Choice Band
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Glare / Poison Jab
- Disable
- Switcheroo
- Pursuit

Switcheroo the Choice Band onto the opponent, locking them into a move. If it's a special attacker or supporter, the Band is useless. If it's a physical attacker, Intimidate hurts them anyways. Use Disable to force the opponent to Struggle. When your opponent tries to switch out, use Pursuit to get some extra damage in anyways. Glare is useful for extra crippling, while Poison Jab is STAB and gets a boost from the Choice Band.