Is Lickitung Good?

No, Lickitung is not good for standard competitive play, but it serves as a highly viable, bulky Eviolite wall in lower tiers and a top-tier threat in Pokémon GO Great League. Its abysmal base 30 Speed and low offensive stats hold it back, requiring evolution or Eviolite to survive modern power creep.

Lickitung is a slow, passive sponge that desperately relies on Eviolite to function, making it a liability in standard main-series play but a bulky menace in niche formats.

Rating 4/10 · Tier Untiered (SV) / S-(GO Great League) · Role : Eviolite Defensive Wall / Cleric

Strengths

• Massive base 90 HP provides excellent natural bulk.
• Incredible support movepool including Heal Bell, Wish, and Knock Off.
• Scrappy ability allows Normal-type moves to hit Ghost-types.
• Eviolite boosts its defenses to genuinely frustrating levels for opponents.

Weaknesses

• Base 30 Speed guarantees it will take a hit before moving.
• Base 55 Attack means it exerts zero immediate offensive pressure.
• Extremely reliant on Eviolite; Knock Off ruins its entire defensive profile.
• Pure Normal typing offers no resistances, only a Ghost immunity.

Lickitung is defined by a stat distribution that aggressively pushes it into a singular, passive role. With a respectable base 90 HP, it immediately looks like a capable tank.

However, its base 75 Defense and 75 Special Defense are mediocre at best in modern generations like Scarlet and Violet. Without external help, it simply cannot absorb hits from today's heavy hitters.

Its offensive profile is completely nonexistent. Base 55 Attack and 60 Special Attack mean Lickitung exerts zero immediate pressure on the opponent.

Furthermore, a base 30 Speed guarantees it will take damage before it can execute any move. You are always playing from behind when Lickitung is on the field.

The Pure Normal-Type Experience

Being a pure Normal-type offers a double-edged sword for a defensive Pokémon. You gain a crucial immunity to Ghost-type attacks, which is excellent for pivoting.

You also only have one weakness: Fighting-type moves. Unfortunately, Fighting is one of the most common offensive coverage types in the game.

The lack of resistances is Lickitung's biggest typing flaw. It cannot switch into neutral hits easily because it mitigates zero damage through typing alone.

Lickitung's saving grace is an incredibly deep and versatile movepool, paired with one highly relevant ability. Scrappy is by far the optimal choice for any standard set.

Scrappy allows Normal and Fighting-type moves to hit Ghost-types. This prevents Ghost-types from switching in for free and blocking Lickitung's utility or STAB attacks.

Own Tempo (immunity to confusion) and Oblivious (immunity to Taunt and infatuation) have niche uses, particularly Oblivious for a dedicated support set.

However, the ability to paralyze Ghost-types with Body Slam via Scrappy usually outweighs the fear of Taunt.

A Cleric's Dream Movepool

If you look at Lickitung's learnset, it reads like a wishlist for a defensive cleric. It has access to everything a stall team could want.

• Wish: Provides massive delayed healing for itself or teammates.
• Heal Bell: Cures the entire team of status conditions.
• Body Slam: Reliable STAB with a crucial 30% paralysis chance.
• Knock Off: Removes enemy items, providing massive utility.

It also learns random coverage moves like Power Whip, Earthquake, and Ice Beam. Ignore these in standard battles; Lickitung lacks the stats to deal meaningful damage with them.

Lickitung does not exist in standard competitive play. It is entirely absent from Smogon's Scarlet and Violet usage stats for a reason.

To make Lickitung viable, you must play in lower tiers (like PU or NFE) and you absolutely must equip the Eviolite. This item boosts the defenses of unevolved Pokémon by 50%.

With an Eviolite, Lickitung's bulk skyrockets. It transforms from a squishy liability into a genuinely frustrating wall that can sponge neutral hits all day.

The Standard Wish Passer Set

If you are bringing Lickitung to a draft league or an NFE (Not Fully Evolved) format, there is only one optimal way to build it.

• Item: Eviolite (mandatory).
• Ability: Oblivious (to block Taunt) or Scrappy.
• EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD (Careful Nature).
• Moves: Wish / Protect / Heal Bell / Body Slam.

The strategy is simple: switch into a weak special attacker, use Wish, and either Protect to heal yourself or switch to a wounded teammate to heal them.

Body Slam is there so you aren't completely passive. The 30% paralysis chance is your only way to punish aggressive switch-ins.

While Lickitung struggles in the main series, it is an absolute monster in Pokémon GO. It has been a top-tier threat in the Great League for years.

The translation of its stats into Pokémon GO perfectly suits the CP-capped formats. Its high HP and Defense result in a massive stat product, making it incredibly bulky.

Because Attack is weighted heavily in the CP formula, Lickitung's low base Attack allows it to reach a much higher level before hitting the 1500 CP cap.

The Optimal PvP Moveset

Building a PvP Lickitung requires a massive investment of XL Candies to push it near level 50, but the result is a dominant safe-swap.

• Fast Attack: Lick (generates energy quickly and deals solid Ghost-type damage).
• Charged Attack 1: Body Slam (spammable STAB that forces shields).
• Charged Attack 2: Power Whip (crucial coverage against Water and Ground-types).

This moveset allows Lickitung to pressure almost the entire meta. It easily handles Ghost-types like Trevenant and Jellicent thanks to Lick.

Even against its counters, Lickitung's sheer bulk ensures it almost never goes down without burning an opponent's shield or dealing heavy chip damage.

When evaluating Lickitung, you must compare it to its evolution, Lickilicky. Introduced in Generation 4, Lickilicky heavily upgrades the offensive stats.

Lickilicky boasts base 110 HP, 85 Attack, and 95 Special Defense. It can actually hit back, making it far less passive than its pre-evolution.

More importantly, evolving frees up the item slot. Lickilicky can hold Leftovers for passive recovery or Heavy-Duty Boots to ignore entry hazards.

Eviolite Bulk vs. Passive Recovery

An Eviolite Lickitung actually takes less direct damage from attacks than a Lickilicky. The 50% boost to both defenses makes it mathematically bulkier.

However, Lickitung has no passive recovery. It relies entirely on Wish for healing, which takes two turns and can be easily predicted.

If Lickitung loses its Eviolite to Knock Off, it becomes completely useless. Lickilicky is generally the better choice in standard play because it isn't crippled by a single move.

Lickitung's flaws are glaring and easily exploitable by any competent opponent. Its biggest enemy is the move Knock Off.

Because it relies entirely on Eviolite for survival, losing that item instantly halves its defensive stats. Once the Eviolite is gone, Lickitung is dead weight.

Its extreme passivity is another massive issue. Base 55 Attack means opponents can freely switch in their setup sweepers without fear of taking damage.

Vulnerability to Taunt and Fighting-Types

If you aren't running the Oblivious ability, Taunt completely shuts Lickitung down. It prevents Wish, Heal Bell, and Protect, forcing it to rely on weak Body Slams.

Furthermore, the ubiquity of Fighting-type moves is a death sentence. A Close Combat from almost any physical attacker will easily secure an OHKO.

Even in in-game playthroughs, Lickitung's terrible Speed means it takes unnecessary damage in every random encounter, forcing frequent trips to the Pokémon Center.

Do not use Lickitung in any fast-paced format. It is completely unviable in VGC Doubles, where spread damage and fast offensive pressure will obliterate it.

You should also avoid Lickitung for late-game playthroughs in modern titles like Scarlet and Violet. The power level of late-game bosses will easily overwhelm its unevolved stats.

Looking ahead to Pokémon Legends: Z-A, Lickitung's viability will likely mirror its Legends: Arceus performance—slow and easily outmaneuvered by Agile Style moves.

Superior Alternatives

• Chansey: The ultimate Eviolite user. Chansey's HP and Special Defense dwarf Lickitung's, making it a far superior special wall and cleric.
• Snorlax: If you want a bulky Normal-type that can actually deal damage, Snorlax is the gold standard. It has massive HP, great Attack, and access to Curse.
• Blissey: Doesn't need Eviolite, holds Heavy-Duty Boots, and performs the exact same cleric role but better.

Ultimately, Lickitung is a niche pick for players who specifically enjoy lower-tier Eviolite stalling or Pokémon GO PvP. For everyone else, look elsewhere.