Poison-typePokemonstruggled for years to find a place in the battle circuit, due to their small movepools and limited effectiveness against other types. Since the introduction ofthose valuable Fairy-typesinPokemon X and Y, however, Poison-types have risen in popularity and are in a powerful position today. Although they are strong, choosing the right attacks can be difficult. Luckily, this list will cover the best Poison-Type moves to teach your Pokemon and help you reach the top of your journey inPokemon Scarlet and Violet.
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Powerful Poison-type moves are a desired commodity now, if for no better reason than to devastate those oh-so-dangerous Fairy-types. There are also some incredibly useful Poison Status moves. Here are the very best moves the typing has to offer.
Most set-up moves in the game will increase one or two stats at a time. Only the very best, such as Quiver Dance, increase three or more with a single use. That is exactly what makes Coil so effective, as it increases the user’s Attack, Defense, and Accuracy all at once.
This move is, as logic would dictate, exclusive to more serpentine Pokemon. Seviper, Eelektross, andthe deceptively fearsome Orthwormare prime candidates for this mega stat-boosting move. If you plan on having Orthworm learn Iron Tail, then having Coil will greatly assist with its low Accuracy. The move is, essentially, Curse (when not used by Ghost-types), but with the Speed drop replaced by an Accuracy increase.
9Clear Smog
Pokemon with high Attack / Special Attack and respectable Speed stats are referred to as sweepers, as they are excellent at knocking out Pokemon in a few hits. Sweepers often need the aid of stat-boosting moves like Swords Dance and Calm Mind to function as effectively as possible, so the opponent using a move that can undo their stat-boosting efforts will be hugely helpful in resisting a sweep.
That’s where Clear Smog comes in. This attack deals only modest damage, but it also eliminates all stat changes, which is extremely valuable in a battle. Don’t rely on this move for inflicting high damage, as its effect is what makes it most useful.
8Cross Poison / Poison Tail
Critical hits can be deadly, arriving at an inopportune moment and defeating a Pokemon that would otherwise have survived to retaliate. Critical hits can win battles, and so attacks with an increased chance of dealing critical hits are incredibly useful. That’s why Cross Poison and Poison Tail made the list.
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Cross Poison and Poison Tail have the same heightened chance of landing critical hits and inflicting poison on the target, but they differ in power and accessibility. Cross Poison has 70 base power and is exclusive to Eternatus, Shroodle, and Grafaiai in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, while Poison Tail has 50 base power and can be taught to several Pokemon asit’s a Technical Machine.
7Poison Jab
Poison Jab is a physical attack with 80 base power, 100% Accuracy, and the added chance of inflicting poison on the target. This is a reliably strong attack that is good for any Poison-Type (or even non-Poison-Type) Pokemon to have in their arsenal. It’ll take down threats like Grimmsnarl and Iron Leaves.
Poison-Types have a huge advantage using this move thanks to STAB, as this increases the base damage to 120. Coupled with a 30% chance to poison the enemy, this move is a threat to any non-Steel-Type Pokemon. Be wary if you have other status-inflicting intentions for your foe, though.
6Toxic Spikes
Toxic Spikes is a hazard move that scatters spikes on the enemy’s side of the field. These spikes will inflict poison on Pokemon that switch into battle. One layer of Toxic Spikes will inflict the normal poison status, while two or more layers will inflict Toxic the target. The difference is that a Pokemon badly poisoned like this will suffer more damage after every turn.
While this does not affect Flying-, Steel-, or Poison-type Pokemon (or those with the Levitate ability), it will remain a big threat to almost all others. The best way to counter this is to switch in a Poison-type Pokemon, which will absorb the hazards, or have a Pokemon remove them via a move like Rapid Spin.
5Sludge Bomb
Sludge Bomb is another strong Special Attack with a mighty 90 base damage, 100% Accuracy, and the chance of poisoning the target. This attack is best delivered by Poison-types with high Special Attack stats, like Salazzle and Glimmora.
Poison-Types will deal 135 base damage with this attack, while non-Poison-Types will deal the regular amount. That said, this move is still one of the best Poison-type moves for type coverage, and can be taught to many Pokemon since it has its own TM. As such, it’s surprisingly splashable onto a team.
4Sludge Wave
Sludge Wave is similar to Sludge Bomb, as they are both special attacks with a secondary chance to poison and high base power. The biggest difference between the two is that Sludge Bomb will hit one Pokemon, while Sludge Wave will hit all other Pokemon on the battlefield, making it a huge threat in Double Battles.
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While this move can be used in regular battles, Sludge Bomb has the advantage there, since its chance to inflict Poison is higher than Sludge Wave (and the latter has its damage reduced like all spread moves). Be aware that this will hit your teammate in a Double Battle unless they’re a Steel-type.
Poison is a sinister status condition that will continually damage a Pokemon at the end of every turn, but if they are badly poisoned, as discussed, that damage will stack, doubling each turn. It’s the bane of stally, defensive Pokemon, as it will wear them down surprisingly quickly if they’re unable to heal themselves of the status.
Toxic will always badly poison a target if it connects. Although its 90% Accuracy could be better, it’s still fairly reliable. If a Pokemon cannot learn Toxic (it’s not nearly as widely available as it was prior to Generation 9), consider Poison Powder as a substitute, although its accuracy is worse.
2Venoshock
Venoshock is one of the few Poison-type attacks that doesn’t have a possible secondary effect of inflicting poison. However, its power lies in its ability to deal double damage to targets already poisoned. With 65 base damage, this attack can deal over 130 base damage to a poisoned target and over 180 with STAB.
This makes Venoshock one of the strongest Poison-type moves in the game. Although it does require the target to be poisoned to deliver boosted damage, most Poison-type Pokemon have access to Toxic. It can be difficult to find the time in a battle to set this up, however, so many players prefer the reliability of Sludge Bomb for special Poison damage.
1Gunk Shot
Gunk Shot is the physical Hydro Pump of Poison-type moves. They share the same base power, Accuracy, and limited amount of PP. With 120 base power (180 with STAB), Gunk Shot is the strongest Poison-type move in the game in terms of raw strength.
Not only does it pack a punch, but it also has the chance of poisoning the target. It’s a tempting addition to any physical Poison Pokemon’s moveset, but it has its shortcomings. Be mindful of its 80 Accuracy, as it does make the chance of hitting unreliable. Seviper should learn this attack, especially if it knows Coil.
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