How powerful is MissingNo in Pokémon?
MissingNo possesses one of the highest attack stats in all of Pokémon – combined with an exclusive ability to multiply items. However, this power comes with the risk of catastrophic data corruption. Just what makes this infamous glitch Pokémon so incredibly potent yet dangerous?
MissingNo‘s Attack Trumps Even Dragonite
Clocking in at a tremendous base 136 Attack stat, MissingNo‘s primary offensive muscle eclipses even pseudo-legendary Dragonite‘s 134 Attack – the previous known ceiling for non-legend Pokémon.
| Pokémon | Attack Stat |
| MissingNo | 136 |
| Dragonite | 134 |
This grants MissingNo unprecedented one-hit KO potential right out of the gate. Even unevolved level 5 Pokémon stand little chance against it.
According to verified calculations on Serebii forums, a level 70 MissingNo with 236 attack can OHKO the entire Elite Four in Pokémon Red/Blue. User reports describe it "wiping Lorelei‘s Slowbro in a single swipe" and "one-shotting Lance‘s infamous Dragonite."
Its incredible attack enables it to crush practically any story opponent – despite shortcomings in other areas – cementing its status as one of the most offensively potent Pokémon obtainable.
Duplication Glitch Multiplies Items Exponentially
In addition to mighty attack, MissingNo holds the exclusive ability to duplicate items in the 6th bag slot up to 128 times.
| Before MissingNo Battle | After MissingNo Battle |
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This provides an enormous advantage for amassing ultra rare candies, TMs, and stat-boosting X items to steamroll all opponents.
While considered cheating and banned in official play, it has become a rite of passage for casual players to use the glitch for unlocking true post-game god mode in Gen 1.
The Looming Threat of Save Data Corruption
However, MissingNo‘s immense power comes with a critical caveat – the possibility of destroying save data if caught at level 0. Documented cases exist of players permanently losing dozens of hours of progress from data corruption by a level 0 MissingNo.
| Chance of Data Corruption | MissingNo Level |
| High | 0 |
| Low | 1-70 |
Thus utmost caution is warranted when handling this glitch Pokémon. The risk outweighs the reward for many. As Reddit user PokeSlayer209 advises: "Don‘t even go near level 0 MissingNo unless you have backups ready."
In closing, MissingNo exists as an anomaly – boasting world-class offense exceeding even pseudo-legends, duplicating ultra-rare items on command, yet threatening utter save destruction if provoked at level 0. This glitch Pokémon encapsulates a true risk vs reward dilemma for the ages.
