Arbok

This analysis was written around the time that BW was considered the main generation. The following content may no longer be accurate about this Pokemon's place in the metagame and the BW NU metagame in general.

In a tier filled with Psychic- and Ground-type Pokemon, it is no wonder that Arbok has difficulty performing well. Arbok has subpar offensive stats, and it is rather frail, which means that just about any super effective attack—or even a strong neutral one—will OHKO it. However, it is a good setup sweeper thanks to its access to Coil, and while it isn't inherently bulky, it has a good defensive typing. Despite its Poison typing gives it weaknesses to two common offensive types, it also gives Arbok important resistances to Fighting-, Grass-, and Bug-type attacks, allowing it to set up on the likes of Roselia, Primeape, and more. Arbok also has two great abilities, Intimidate and Shed Skin, with the former allowing it to set up in against many physical attackers, and the latter letting it set up without any fear of status. On top of this, in a hazard-infested metagame, Pokemon that can absorb Toxic Spikes often have an easier time fitting onto teams. Overall, Arbok is a worthy candidate for a team, but it requires some support in order to succeed.