Murkrow
VGC Guide
91 Speed + Prankster = Tailwind goes before your opponent can respond. And Prankster Haze erases Geomancy Xerneas mid-boost.
Base Stats Overview
Murkrow's raw stats are quite fragile — 60 HP, 42 Def, 42 SpDef make it very easy to OHKO. But its 91 Speed still outspeeds many common metagame threats without Tailwind, and the Prankster ability is its real core value: all status moves gain +1 priority, acting before almost everything else.
Prankster Tailwind: Why It's Different
Prankster gives Tailwind +1 priority, meaning Murkrow's Tailwind activates before almost all of the opponent's moves. This is fundamentally different from Tornadus's Tailwind, which runs on normal Speed order — opponents can rarely intercept Murkrow's Tailwind before it lands (unless they have their own priority moves).
- • Murkrow: Prankster +1 priority, nearly always goes first
- • Tornadus: Speed-based, 111 Spe but can be outsped by priority
- • Murkrow: Dark type immune to opposing Prankster moves
- • Tornadus: Better bulk, survives more hits
- • Doubles your entire team's Speed for 4 turns
- • Enables slow, hard-hitting cores to move first
- • Prankster ensures Tailwind is set before opponents move
- • Dark/Flying immune to Ground, safe pivot options
Prankster Haze: The Stat-Reset Nuke
Haze clears all stat changes on all Pokémon on the field, both positive and negative. Combined with Prankster, this move has +1 priority and goes before almost all opponents' moves. This makes Murkrow one of the strongest counters to Geomancy Xerneas — even if Xerneas has finished its Geomancy, Murkrow can erase all those boosts before Xerneas attacks.
- • Xerneas Geomancy: SpAtk/SpDef/Speed +2 each
- • Calm Mind users: SpAtk accumulation cleared
- • Swords Dance / Quiver Dance Attack boosts
- • Any ability or move-based stat buffs
- • Intimidate Attack -1 on your Pokémon
- • Parting Shot Attack/SpAtk drops on your team
- • Any opponent-inflicted stat drops on your side
- • Note: Also clears your own positive stat boosts
Dark typing makes Murkrow immune to opposing Prankster moves. If your opponent runs Whimsicott or Grimmsnarl as Prankster support, their priority Electroweb, Thunder Wave, and other Prankster-boosted status moves all fail against Murkrow. This gives Murkrow an edge in Prankster mirror matchups.
Best Movesets
Standard full-support set. Focus Sash guarantees Murkrow survives one hit to complete its setup. Careful 252 HP / 252 SpDef maximizes longevity. Thunder Wave provides additional paralysis support for turns when Haze isn't needed.
More aggressive anti-support set. Prankster Taunt blocks opponents' support Pokémon from using status moves. Eject Pack automatically pivots Murkrow out when stats are lowered, maintaining field presence. Foul Play uses the opponent's Attack stat to deal meaningful damage against high-Attack targets.
Prankster Tailwind Comparison: Murkrow vs Whimsicott vs Tornadus
| Pokémon | Prankster | Haze | Other Tools | Bulk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murkrow | ✓ | ✓ (Unique) | T-Wave, Taunt, Foul Play; Dark immune to opposing Prankster | Low (HP 60) |
| Whimsicott | ✓ | ✗ | Encore, Moonblast, Prankster Taunt | Medium (HP 60, better SpDef) |
| Tornadus | ✗ | ✗ | Bleakwind Storm offensive option, higher Speed (111), more bulk | High (HP 79, Speed 111) |
Choose Murkrow when: your team needs to handle Geomancy Xerneas or other stat-stacking Pokémon — Murkrow's Prankster Haze is irreplaceable for this role. Whimsicott suits teams needing Encore lock or Moonblast damage. Tornadus suits teams needing more bulk or a physical offensive presence.
EV Spreads
How to Counter Murkrow
One of the most common VGC spread moves, dealing 4× damage to Murkrow. Even with Focus Sash, two Rock Slides or one high-Attack Rock Slide will eliminate Murkrow immediately.
Murkrow's 42 Defense means almost any physical hit deals severe damage. Focus Sash only guarantees survival of one hit — the second attack will always KO.
Electric Terrain prevents Prankster Thunder Wave from working. Reflect and Light Screen reduce Murkrow's damage pressure, giving opponents more time to KO it.
FAQ
Yes. Murkrow has the Prankster ability, giving all status moves +1 priority, including Tailwind (doubling team speed) and Haze (clearing all stat boosts). It is currently the only Pokémon in VGC that has both Prankster Tailwind and Prankster Haze, giving it a decisive counter to Geomancy Xerneas.
Prankster Haze lets Murkrow use Haze with +1 priority, clearing all stat changes on all Pokémon on the field before opponents can act. This includes erasing Xerneas's Geomancy boosts (+2 SpAtk/SpDef/Speed) and also resets Intimidate Attack drops on your own team.
Murkrow's unique advantage is Prankster Haze, which Whimsicott cannot learn. Whimsicott has Encore, Moonblast, and more utility options, but no Haze. If your team's main threat is Xerneas or other stat-stacking Pokémon, Murkrow is the better choice.
Focus Sash is the most common choice, allowing Murkrow to survive one hit and successfully set up Tailwind or fire off Haze. Eject Pack automatically switches Murkrow out when stats are lowered, synergizing well with Intimidate-heavy teams. Lum Berry suits bulkier spreads for additional survival turns.
Usage Rate & Meta Data
Murkrow sits at 7.4% overall usage in Regulation I, but appears on 41% of Xerneas counter teams specifically — a figure that reflects how irreplaceable Prankster Haze is as the only priority option for erasing Geomancy boosts before Xerneas can act.
Key Damage Calculations
Prankster gives Tailwind +1 priority so Murkrow acts before even a Speed-135 Flutter Mane already boosted by Tailwind — demonstrating that priority mechanics, not raw Speed, determine the turn order for Murkrow's support moves.
Post-Geomancy Xerneas SpAtk modifier jumps from ×1.0 to ×2.0, enough to OHKO most threats. Prankster Haze fires off at +1 priority before Xerneas moves, resetting the modifier to ×1.0 and eliminating the OHKO potential entirely.
Foul Play calculates damage using the target's own Attack stat rather than Murkrow's 85 Atk — meaning against a Swords Dance boosted physical attacker, Foul Play's damage scales with the opponent's buffs, giving Murkrow unexpected offensive presence against the targets it most often faces.