[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Hydro Pump
move 2: Psychic / Thunderbolt
move 3: Rapid Spin / Ice Beam
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Specs
ability: Natural Cure
nature: Timid / Modest
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Choice Specs makes Starmie’s Hydro Pump extremely dangerous, OHKOing variants of Tyranitar without bulk and 2HKOing even bulky ones holding a Passho Berry. Even walls such as Clefable and offensive Pokemon that resist Water like Dragonite, Gyarados, opposing Starmie, and Breloom have a decent chance to be 2HKOed by Hydro Pump. While Surf is a possible replacement, the power of Hydro Pump, especially against Tyranitar and Ghost-types, makes it the preferred choice. Psychic hits various Water-, Dragon-, and Grass-types such as Kingdra and Roserade very hard, but watch out for Tyranitar switching in to Pursuit trap it. Psychic hits neutral targets so hard it mitigates the need to run coverage moves, as Psychic has decent neutral coverage. Because of this, Starmie can run Rapid Spin to fulfill its role as a spinner on predicted switches.
However, Thunderbolt and Ice Beam still have good coverage. Thunderbolt always OHKOes Wacan Berry Gyarados after Stealth Rock, 2HKOes +1 offensive Suicune after Stealth Rock, and defeats bulkier Water-type checks such as Milotic on predicted switches. Ice Beam is Starmie's best choice to hit Latias hard, always 2HKOing it and providing a more accurate option for Flygon and Gliscor. To round out the set, Starmie can use Trick to give its Choice Specs away to walls such as Clefable, Blissey, and even defensive Latias trying to absorb Hydro Pump.
Set Details
========
Starmie needs maximum Speed investment and a Timid nature to outspeed threats such as Gengar, Latias, and Choice Scarf Magnezone and Speed tie with Azelf, opposing Starmie, and Raikou, while maximum Special Attack EVs are necessary to hit as hard as possible. Starmie has no recovery and is incredibly frail, so it should not use any bulk EVs. Starmie can use a Modest nature, as the power level is enormous, 2HKOing Clefable guaranteed and powering through offensive Water-resistant foes, but losing out on outspeeding Latias, Infernape, and Gengar is a big loss.
Usage Tips
========
Offensive Starmie should come into the game relatively early or lead to start blasting through with Hydro Pump. Starmie is extremely frail and should avoid switching in directly; getting it in via predicted switches or with U-turn is very helpful. Starmie decimates many offensive teams with soft Water resistances or easily predicted pivots, so it should be attacking as often as possible when it’s in. Before it uses Trick, Starmie should only be using Rapid Spin in an emergency, as it requires predicted switches to get in and often cannot take more than one hit. Against more defensive teams, Trick can be an excellent weapon against passive walls, and then Starmie can remove hazards more easily, but watch out for Tyranitar trying to trap it.
Starmie can get a lot out of predicted switches, as predicting Latias or Suicune with the appropriate move can be backbreaking. This also helps preserve Hydro Pump PP. However, it’s often best to just use Hydro Pump against offensive teams, as Stealth Rock and Hydro Pump are often enough to break through.
Team Options
========
Choice Specs Starmie fits best on fast-paced offense teams that both want to have an emergency spinner and can afford the loss of momentum should Starmie hit a Water-resistant Pokemon with Hydro Pump and be able to KO it on the follow up turn. As Starmie is very frail, U-turn attackers vulnerable to Spikes such as Scizor and Infernape make excellent partners. Both assist Starmie in dealing with Latias, one of the most prominent Water-resistant foes, as Infernape hits it with U-turn on the switch in, and Scizor can potentially trap it. Although Starmie can break through special walls with Trick and its raw power, supporters such as Breloom, Explosion Heatran, and Gengar are also helpful. Gengar especially enjoys Starmie blasting through Tyranitar trying to remove it. To help deal with the momentum loss of using Hydro Pump into bad targets, some good choices include utility Tyranitar, offensive Swords Dance Gliscor, and Jirachi. These Pokemon help absorb hits from various Water-, Grass-, and Dragon-types such as opposing Empoleon, Roserade, Celebi, Latias, and Dragonite. As Starmie is highly effective in blasting through soft Water-resistant Pokemon, additional Water-type sweepers are effective alongside it, such as Agility Empoleon, Dragon Dance Gyarados, offensive Calm Mind Suicune, and Rain Dance Kingdra. Some additional good partners include Swords Dance Lucario, Dragon Dance Tyranitar, and offensive Calm Mind Jirachi.
While Choice Specs Starmie can be used to support Stealth Rock-weak teammates like Zapdos, this is often difficult to pull off due to Starmie’s frailty and the unfavorableness of being locked into Rapid Spin. Remember that Choice Specs Starmie is primarily a strong attacker that can remove entry hazards in an emergency.
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Hydro Pump
move 2: Psychic / Thunderbolt
move 3: Rapid Spin / Ice Beam
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Specs
ability: Natural Cure
nature: Timid / Modest
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Choice Specs makes Starmie’s Hydro Pump extremely dangerous, OHKOing variants of Tyranitar without bulk and 2HKOing even bulky ones holding a Passho Berry. Even walls such as Clefable and offensive Pokemon that resist Water like Dragonite, Gyarados, opposing Starmie, and Breloom have a decent chance to be 2HKOed by Hydro Pump. While Surf is a possible replacement, the power of Hydro Pump, especially against Tyranitar and Ghost-types, makes it the preferred choice. Psychic hits various Water-, Dragon-, and Grass-types such as Kingdra and Roserade very hard, but watch out for Tyranitar switching in to Pursuit trap it. Psychic hits neutral targets so hard it mitigates the need to run coverage moves, as Psychic has decent neutral coverage. Because of this, Starmie can run Rapid Spin to fulfill its role as a spinner on predicted switches.
However, Thunderbolt and Ice Beam still have good coverage. Thunderbolt always OHKOes Wacan Berry Gyarados after Stealth Rock, 2HKOes +1 offensive Suicune after Stealth Rock, and defeats bulkier Water-type checks such as Milotic on predicted switches. Ice Beam is Starmie's best choice to hit Latias hard, always 2HKOing it and providing a more accurate option for Flygon and Gliscor. To round out the set, Starmie can use Trick to give its Choice Specs away to walls such as Clefable, Blissey, and even defensive Latias trying to absorb Hydro Pump.
Set Details
========
Starmie needs maximum Speed investment and a Timid nature to outspeed threats such as Gengar, Latias, and Choice Scarf Magnezone and Speed tie with Azelf, opposing Starmie, and Raikou, while maximum Special Attack EVs are necessary to hit as hard as possible. Starmie has no recovery and is incredibly frail, so it should not use any bulk EVs. Starmie can use a Modest nature, as the power level is enormous, 2HKOing Clefable guaranteed and powering through offensive Water-resistant foes, but losing out on outspeeding Latias, Infernape, and Gengar is a big loss.
Usage Tips
========
Offensive Starmie should come into the game relatively early or lead to start blasting through with Hydro Pump. Starmie is extremely frail and should avoid switching in directly; getting it in via predicted switches or with U-turn is very helpful. Starmie decimates many offensive teams with soft Water resistances or easily predicted pivots, so it should be attacking as often as possible when it’s in. Before it uses Trick, Starmie should only be using Rapid Spin in an emergency, as it requires predicted switches to get in and often cannot take more than one hit. Against more defensive teams, Trick can be an excellent weapon against passive walls, and then Starmie can remove hazards more easily, but watch out for Tyranitar trying to trap it.
Starmie can get a lot out of predicted switches, as predicting Latias or Suicune with the appropriate move can be backbreaking. This also helps preserve Hydro Pump PP. However, it’s often best to just use Hydro Pump against offensive teams, as Stealth Rock and Hydro Pump are often enough to break through.
Team Options
========
Choice Specs Starmie fits best on fast-paced offense teams that both want to have an emergency spinner and can afford the loss of momentum should Starmie hit a Water-resistant Pokemon with Hydro Pump and be able to KO it on the follow up turn. As Starmie is very frail, U-turn attackers vulnerable to Spikes such as Scizor and Infernape make excellent partners. Both assist Starmie in dealing with Latias, one of the most prominent Water-resistant foes, as Infernape hits it with U-turn on the switch in, and Scizor can potentially trap it. Although Starmie can break through special walls with Trick and its raw power, supporters such as Breloom, Explosion Heatran, and Gengar are also helpful. Gengar especially enjoys Starmie blasting through Tyranitar trying to remove it. To help deal with the momentum loss of using Hydro Pump into bad targets, some good choices include utility Tyranitar, offensive Swords Dance Gliscor, and Jirachi. These Pokemon help absorb hits from various Water-, Grass-, and Dragon-types such as opposing Empoleon, Roserade, Celebi, Latias, and Dragonite. As Starmie is highly effective in blasting through soft Water-resistant Pokemon, additional Water-type sweepers are effective alongside it, such as Agility Empoleon, Dragon Dance Gyarados, offensive Calm Mind Suicune, and Rain Dance Kingdra. Some additional good partners include Swords Dance Lucario, Dragon Dance Tyranitar, and offensive Calm Mind Jirachi.
While Choice Specs Starmie can be used to support Stealth Rock-weak teammates like Zapdos, this is often difficult to pull off due to Starmie’s frailty and the unfavorableness of being locked into Rapid Spin. Remember that Choice Specs Starmie is primarily a strong attacker that can remove entry hazards in an emergency.
Last edited:
