Maushold, the Family Pokémon. They build huge nests with many rooms that are used for different purposes, such as eating and sleeping. The little ones just appeared one day. They all live together like a family, but the relationship between the three/four is still unclear. The larger pair protects the little ones during battles. When facing strong opponents, the whole group will join the fight.

Overview

Maushold is an interesting bundle of gimmicks that comes together in a rather fascinating package. Population Bomb is an absurd signature attack, able to inflict horrific damage to anything that isn’t resistant or immune to Normal despite Maushold’s less than stellar attack. Tidy Up is equally absurd, clearing Entry Hazards and Substitute while providing a Dragon Dance boost. Coupled with an impressive Base 111 Speed, it is hard to stop Maushold from clearing Hazards, being the only Pokémon that can do so in the face of Gholdengo. And Maushold has a wide enough moveset that can abuse Technician to cover for Rock, and Ghost types that otherwise are safe switches for Population Bomb.

However, Maushold’s flaws reveals the strife in the family. Poor defenses with the lackluster normal typing make it difficult for Maushold to stick around, making it difficult to setup and an undesirable trait in an Entry Hazard clearer. Furthermore, while Population Bomb is fantastic, it requires Wide Lens for the best consistency, which leaves Maushold exposed to entry hazards and does little to address its power issues. Base 75 Attack is wholly unimpressive, meaning any attack not named Population Bomb desperately requires a boost to deal significant damage. Inability to answer Steel types is another sticking point, further worsening Maushold’s offensive woes. Maushold has a lot going for it, but its frailty, and lack of power make it more niche than one would initially suspect.
Positives
Population Bomb is insane, an effective base 300 power move after STAB and can be further boosted by Technician.
Tidy Up’s hazard clearing and setup in one slot is invaluable move and role compression and leaves Maushold the only Pokémon who can clear hazards without being blocked by Gholdengo.
Base 111 Speed is great, enabling Maushold to get the jump on many opponents.
Fantastic disruptive options in Taunt and Encore, a speedy pivot in U-Turn

Negatives
Base 75 Attack is wholly underwhelming, with any attack not named Population Bomb needing a boost to do appreciable damage.
Poor defenses across the board and the wholly underwhelming normal typing leave Maushold with near non-existent defensive utility.
Inability to answer Steel types makes Maushold fairy exploitable, especially with the popularity of Steel Terastilization.

Movesets

A Maus Among Men

-Population Bomb
-Tidy Up
-Bite
-U-Turn
Ability: Technician
Item: Wide Lens
EVs and Nature:
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature

Maushold can act as a powerful revenge killer and supporter, making the most out of its impressive base speed. Come in after a KO on an opponent that can be threatened out by an unboosted Population Bomb, use Tidy Up to clear hazards and/or maim the target with Population Bomb. Bite is for Ghost types and works well between the boost from Technician and the Flinch chance synergizing with Maushold’s great speed. U-Turn rounds out the set, able to pivot Maushold out while chipping an opponent and offers a buffer against double switching, keeping momentum in your favor.

Tera Types:
Tera Normal is tantalizing offensively, pushing Population Bomb to utterly ludicrous heights, although Tera Dark to better answer Ghost types or Tera Steel and Ghost for much better defensive typings are also worth consideration.

EVs and Items:
Standard Sweeper array of Max Attack and Speed to get the jump on as many targets and do as much damage as possible. Wide Lens is key to Population Bomb, turning it into a very consistent base 300 STAB attack. Heavy Duty Boots is good if you want to utilize Maushold as a dedicated hazard clearer and speedy pivot, but Population Bomb’s reliability takes a significant hit (going down from 90% to a 34.87% chance to hit 10 times).

Partners:
Partners that can answer Steel types are invaluable to Maushold. Annihilape and Skeledirge standout, their STABs easily cleaving through Steel types while providing a soft check to opposing Ghost types. Annihilape answers Rock types while Skeledirge provides Will-o-Wisp and complementary offense. Additionally, their ability to draw Ghost attacks enables the one time Maushold can switch in safely. Magnezone, the perennial Steel type assassin also excels here. Grimmsnarl also deserves mention, greatly increasing Maushold’s survivability with Screens while providing a reliable answer to Ghost types and stopping attempts to use Maushold as setup fodder.

Other Options:
Bullet Seed: Grass coverage option that hits opposing Rock and Ghost types while not triggering direct contact. Note that even with resists, Population Bomb is about equivalent to a 3 hit Bullet Seed, so use if wary of direct contact. Encore: Punishes Steel types and Steel Teras that think they can use Maushold as setup fodder. Taunt: Shuts down bulky walls that rely on their status moves as well as block setup sweepers.

VGC & Doubles Options

Maushold’s utility in doubles goes from niche gimmick to threat you must prepare for. One of the few Pokémon to get the coveted Friend Guard ability, that alone would get Maushold consideration. Add in a fantastic support movepool including Encore, Feint, Follow Me and more turns Maushold into a viable threat, and that is even before considering Population Bomb is still very much a house of a move. Add in valuable synergies like Beat Up with Annihilape and Maushold has seen healthy play despite its poor bulk and general passivity.

Fight Together, Stay Together

-Follow Me
-Encore
-Protect
-Super Fang / Population Bomb
Ability: Friend Guard
Item: Safety Goggles
EVs and Nature:
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature

Supportive/disruptive Maushold keeps its partner alive while providing invaluable disruption. Follow Me is amazing on Maushold -drawing attacks to the relatively passive Maushold allows their more offensive partner to freely apply pressure, with Maushold’s high speed getting the jump on opposing Follow Me and Rage Powder users. Safety Goggles also pairs wonderfully with Follow Me, allowing Maushold to act as a Spore absorber for the entire team. Encore is amazing in Double Battles, as there are many common attacks that outright do nothing when forced to repeat including Fake Out, Protect/Detect, Tailwind, Screens, depriving your opponent of one or more attacks and temporarily turning a situation into a two versus one. Protect is the best move in Doubles, its utility in stalling out conditions, gathering information, punishing double targeting, etc. can not be understated, while keeping Maushold’s Friend Guard online longer. Super Fang rounds out the set, its HP halving effect working wonderfully against the many bulky targets that can take physical attacks all day like Garganacl and Dondozo.

Partners & Options:
Beat Up + Annihilape -if partnering Maushold with Annihilape, Beat Up is a must, as getting 4 free hits onto Annihilape pumping Rage Fist up to a terrifying Base 250 Power and can close out games on its own. Feint -Since Protect and Detect are everywhere, being able to answer them is invaluable in its own right, depriving your opponent of security. Taunt -stops setup and pairs well with Encore, forcing a switch and or struggle. Helping Hand -Buffs an ally to provide even more pressure when Maushold can’t supply it. Frail attackers like Flutter Mane and Iron Bundle love Maushold’s redirection and Friend Guard support.

Countering Maushold

As mentioned before, Steel types not weak to Bite fare well against Maushold, as it has no coverage to deal with them and its poor Attack matches poorly against their high Defense. Corviknight, and Kingambit are both 3HKOd by an unboosted Population Bomb and can tank a boosted one and can KO back in turn. Other Steel types lack the direct defense to switch into Population Bomb but can come in on a free switch and force out or KO Maushold that way. Iron Defense Garganacl can also perform a similar role. Ghost types like Skeledirge, Dragapult and Ceruledge can safely pivot into Population Bomb and force out Maushold that way, though Maushold does carry Bite to account for them in turn. Dragapult excels for being able to natively outspeed Maushold while Ceruledge can do so after a Weak Armor boost. Skeledirge in contrast has the physical bulk and can burn Maushold to stop it in its tracks. Faster Attackers in general deal with Maushold handily, its lackluster bulk and lack of resistances make it easy to revenge kill provided you have something that can outspeed it. Maushold’s largest Achilles heel are effects that punish direct contact. Rough Skin and Rocky Helmet are guaranteed KOs against a 10 hit Population Bomb while Flame Body and Static are incredibly likely to trigger while getting hit by Population Bomb. 

Anime Appearences

Maushold has not yet been showcased in the anime # -English Episode Name- -Jp. Episode Name- Pics 38 The SOS is from Tandemaus? The SOS Comes from Tandemaus? Pics 39 Tinkatink's Ideal Hammer Tinkatink and its Choice Hammer Pics 41 A Wild Mom Appears! Enter the Intense Mom! Pics 43 A Challenge from the Explorers A Letter of Challenge from the Explorers Pics 44 The Plan to Capture Rayquaza The Plan for Capturing Rayquaza! Pics 45 From So Far Away To Places Far Far Away Pics 49 TBC Dot & Nidothing Pics 57 TBC A Terapagos I Don't Know! Pics