Well, here we go with this one...
Fuck Uxie, I'm awesome
[Overview]
<p>Mesprit is a classic example a jack of all trades. With its expansive movepool, filled with great offensive and supportive options alike, it is a versatile and unpredictable Pokemon that can surprise the opponent with many tricks. Its great all-round stats are the icing on the cake. It differentiates itself from its main competitor, Uxie, with its superior offensive stats, which allow it to pose an immediate offensive threat, while it sets itself apart from Slowking with its greater Speed and balanced bulk. Its typing also allows it to take on threats such as Gallade and Hitmonlee.</p>
<p>Despite these positive points, Mesprit isn't without its faults. Although it can fill numerous roles effectively, it faces competition from other Psychic-types as none of its stats are particularly exceptional. It also has crippling weaknesses to Dark and Bug, and with the increasing popularity of Pokemon such as Absol and Escavalier, these weaknesses become more exploitable. Finally, Mesprit lacks any reliable recovery, meaning that despite its good bulk, repeated onslaughts will eventually take their toll. Nonetheless, as long as you play Mesprit to its unique strengths, it will be a good asset to your team.</p>
[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Psychic / Psyshock
move 3: Hidden Power Fire / Thunderbolt / Grass Knot
move 4: U-turn
item: Leftovers / Lum Berry
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Stealth Rock is one of the best moves in the game, and Mesprit does a solid job at setting it up. Its good bulk and decent typing give it numerous opportunities to set up Stealth Rock, while U-turn allows it to switch out constantly to be able to set it up later. Mesprit stands out from its faster and bulkier sibling, Uxie, with its superior offensive stats, which means it can pose an offensive threat to opposing spinners such as Kabutops and Cryogonal. As stated, Stealth Rock is arguably one of the best moves in the game, and thus finds itself a solid place on this set. Psychic gives Mesprit a solid STAB move to be hitting decently hard with so that it isn't a sitting duck. Psyshock, however, is usable to hit Cryogonal, a Pokemon that could potentially remove Mesprit's Stealth Rock with Rapid Spin. Hidden Power Fire is a solid coverage move to hit Escavalier and Ferroseed for solid damage, while Thunderbolt KO's Kabutops and Omastar. Grass Knot is good only with Psyshock as it hits opposing Rhydon for heavy damage. Finally, U-turn is chosen as en escape route for Mesprit so that it can quickly resort to a teammate.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>A Timid nature is chosen here to provide Mesprit with extra Speed to outpace certain Pokemon such as Timid Magneton and to a lesser extent Smeargle and Samurott. Leftovers is the preferred item here to provide Mesprit with a consistent form of recovery. Lum Berry, however, is useful to remove status from the likes of Uxie or Slowking. A Fire Gem can be used in conjunction with Hidden Power Fire to nail Escavalier for an OHKO, but it is useless otherwise. Ice Beam is an option in the third slot over the coverage moves to surprise Druddigon, Sceptile, and Lilligant, but the coverage moves listed above provide more utility in general.</p>
<p>Drapion and Spiritomb are Mesprit's biggest worries, as they take little from any of Mesprit's attacks and can trap it with Pursuit, preventing it from repeatedly doing its job. Escavalier is in a similar boat, although it fears Hidden Power Fire. For this reason, Pokemon such as Poliwrath are great to deal with said Pokemon. Poliwrath in particular can rack up Stealth Rock damage with Circle Throw. Additionally, Magmortar or Moltres can make toast out of Escavalier should Mesprit not have Hidden Power Fire in its arsenal. Magneton is useful in this situation as well, and should Mesprit not have Hidden Power Fire, Magneton can trap Escavalier or Durant and can also Volt Switch to Mesprit.</p>
[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Psychic / Psyshock
move 3: Thunderbolt
move 4: Hidden Power Fire / Ice Beam
item: Life Orb
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Calm Mind is Mesprit's one and only boosting move, and it has just the right qualities to use this move effectively. While Psychic isn't exactly a stellar typing defensively, Mesprit's decent 80 / 105 / 105 defenses allow it to attain numerous boosts with success while its good 105 Special Attack allows it to pose enough of an offensive threat. Mesprit also boasts a movepool that packs great coverage, making it difficult to wall. Thanks to these qualities, Mesprit is a great candidate to use Calm Mind in an offensive manner.</p>
<p>Calm Mind is chosen here as the primary boosting move, boosting Mesprit's Special Attack as well as its Special Defense to formidable levels. Psychic is the STAB move of choice, hitting extremely hard after a boost. Psyshock, however, is very usable in order to pummel Cryogonal and Clefable, two Pokemon that would otherwise wall this set. Thunderbolt is the primary coverage move, chosen here to get around many threats that are unfazed by Psychic or Psyshock such as Mandibuzz, Slowking, Crawdaunt, and Sigilyph. The last move depends which STAB move is chosen. Hidden Power Fire is the primary choice in order to hit Escavalier, Steelix, and Ferroseed for serious damage. However, if Psyshock was chosen, then Ice Beam is more necessary to hit many physically defensive Pokemon that Psyshock cannot get past, including Steelix, Rhydon, and Tangrowth, while providing great coverage with Thunderbolt.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>A Timid nature maximizes Speed in order to guarantee that Mesprit will outspeed neutral-natured Gallade and Kabutops. Life Orb is the chosen item here, as it provides a notable boost in power, although Leftovers is a usable option for recovery to allow Mesprit to last longer. Signal Beam and Shadow Ball are both usable options as coverage moves to hit Uxie, but have very little utility otherwise, as Ice Beam and Thunderbolt provide more useful coverage. If there is no need for coverage in the last moveslot, Healing Wish is a phenomenal option. While this sacrifices Mesprit, the fully healing of a teammate is very useful.</p>
<p>Spiritomb and Drapion are big thorns in this set's side, as both can take any attack Mesprit throws at them comfortably while they can either trap it with Pursuit or just hit it with their Dark STAB. Escavalier can also take anything bar Hidden Power Fire and pummel Mesprit with Megahorn or trap it with Pursuit. Absol is a lesser threat that can hit Mesprit extremely hard, but cannot take any attack. Bulky Psychic-types, namely Uxie, can take numerous onslaughts from this set quite well, with Uxie being able to cripple Mesprit with Thunder Wave. Pokemon such as Absol are useful to deal with most of the above Pokemon, hitting them with powerful STAB moves. Magmortar, Entei, or Moltres can also be helpful to take on Escavalier and Spiritomb alike. Magneton is as very useful as it can trap and remove troublesome Steel-types. A Pokemon with entry hazards, such as Qwilfish, is also useful to help Mesprit attain needed KOs, such as on Druddigon and Gallade. Qwilfish in particular is good because it can check many of Mesprit's checks such as Escavalier, Durant, and Absol. Finally, a trapper such as Spiritomb or Absol is useful for the removal of Uxie and Slowking.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Psychic / Psyshock
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Thunderbolt
move 4: Trick / Hidden Power Fire
item: Choice Specs
nature: Modest
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With a Choice Specs equipped, Mesprit aims for the immediate power at the cost of not being able to switch moves. The immediate boost also patches up the fact that Mesprit sports a merely "usable" Special Attack and allows it to hit reasonably hard. Its good overall coverage is another boon to this set, and allows Mesprit to stand out from other Choice Specs users. Mesprit also has a decent Speed tier and good overall bulk, meaning it has enough to stand out from Gardevoir and Slowking.</p>
<p>Psychic serves mainly as a powerful and reliable STAB move, which Mesprit hits fairly hard with. Psyshock, on the other hand, gives Mesprit a way to hit Cryogonal and Clefable hard while still packing solid power. Ice Beam is a great coverage move to hit Sigilyph and Mandibuzz while also hitting the popular Druddigon hard. Thunderbolt complements Ice Beam well, forming the popular "BoltBeam" combo, and also provides Mesprit a viable weapon against Slowking, which would otherwise wall this set. Finally, Trick is useful to cripple defensive Pokemon such as Clefable and Steelix, making them relatively useless afterwards. However, Hidden Power Fire is a great coverage move to nail incoming Escavalier and Magneton.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Maximum EVs are invested into Special Attack and Speed to attain the needed offensive presence. A Modest nature is chosen to boost damage output, letting Mesprit utilize Choice Specs more effectively. A Timid nature is also usable to attain more speed to get the edge over Kabutops and Gallade, but the extra power provided by Modest is needed, as otherwise Mesprit is rather weak. Choice Specs is the purpose of the entire set, allowing Mesprit to hit as hard as possible and cripple foes with Trick.</p>
<p>Mesprit must be wary of locking itself into Psychic or Psyshock, as that leaves it bait for Dark-types such as Absol and Spiritomb. Pursuit and Sucker Punch are the banes of this set, forcing Mesprit into a fight-or-flight situation. This makes a Fighting-type, such as Emboar, an important teammate in order to eliminate Dark-types. Entei is also useful to pummel Spiritomb. Mesprit also appreciates entry hazard support; Scolipede, Crustle, and Smeargle are all excellent choices to do this. As with the previous sets, Magneton is a very useful teammate to trap and remove Escavalier. Dark-types such as Absol or Spiritomb themselves are also great in order to remove opposing bulky Psychic-types, such as Slowking and Uxie.</p>
[SET]
name: Offensive Trick Room
move 1: Trick Room
move 2: Psychic
move 3: Thunderbolt
move 4: Ice Beam / Healing Wish
item: Life Orb / Leftovers
nature: Quiet
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA
ivs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Although it may seem outclassed by Slowking in this regard, Mesprit is a viable candidate for setting up Trick Room. With a middling base 80 Speed stat along with respectable bulk and Special Attack, Mesprit is capable of doing this job quite well, as its Speed without investment allows it to outspeed every offensive Pokemon in RU under Trick Room while outspeeding most walls outside of it. Its overall balanced bulk allows it to survive most priority moves, bar Sucker Punch from Absol, while its lack of weaknesses to Grass- and Electric-types allow it to stand out from Slowking. The big ace in the hole that allows Mesprit to stand out, however, is Healing Wish. This phenomenal move allows Mesprit to sacrifice itself to fully heal a teammate, which can be crucial to this set's success.</p>
<p>Trick Room is the crux of the set, as providing support for a slow team is this set's main job. Psychic is the STAB move of choice, putting sizable dents on many Pokemon such as Lanturn and Gallade. Thunderbolt seriously pummels Slowking, Mandibuzz, Sigilyph, and Crawdaunt. Ice Beam forms great coverage with Thunderbolt while also dealing sizable damage to Rhydon and Steelix. Healing Wish is an option over Ice Beam in order to sacrifice Mesprit and fully heal a teammate.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>A Quiet Nature and 0 Speed IVs are chosen to maximize Special Attack while also minimizing Speed for Trick Room. Life Orb is the chosen item here to allow Mesprit to hit slightly harder, but Leftovers is an acceptable as its consistent recovery helps to set up numerous Trick Rooms during the match. U-turn is an option over Healing Wish if the healing of a teammate is unnecessary. However, the effects of Healing Wish are often too good to let go. This set pairs well with numerous slow, hard hitting Pokemon, which include Aggron, Druddigon, and Escavalier, all who have good synergy with Mesprit and can deal with many of its counters. Aggron deals with Sigilyph and can deal with many special walls, while Druddigon and Escavalier can hurt bulky Psychic-types. Emboar or Hariyama are also good teammates, packing the power to muscle through Drapion, Absol, and Escavalier.</p>
[SET]
name: Substitute + Calm Mind
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Calm Mind
move 3: Psyshock
move 4: Thunderbolt / Ice Beam
item: Leftovers
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set utilizes two moves that work well together: Substitute and Calm Mind. Thanks to a good mix of power and bulk, Mesprit can use this set very effectively to be a great bulky sweeper that can avoid status. Again, you must consider what Mesprit has over Uxie before using this set. Mesprit has higher Special Attack off the bat, allowing it to hit notably harder, which can be useful if attaining boosts is too risky. With its access to Ice Beam, Mesprit can handle some physically defensive Pokemon that Uxie will often struggle with, including Tangrowth, Steelix, Rhydon, and to a lesser extent Golurk. If dealing with these threats is necessary, then Mesprit will more than suffice.</p>
<p>Substitute and Calm Mind are the main moves of this set, granting Mesprit a boosting move as well as a shield that allows it to use Calm Mind more effectively. Psyshock is the preferred STAB in this set, allowing Mesprit to bypass Cryogonal and Clefable, two Pokemon who would otherwise take little to no damage from it otherwise, while still packing reasonable power. Thunderbolt provides solid coverage and handles threats such as Moltres and Kabutops. Ice Beam, on the other hand, handles physically defensive Pokemon that would otherwise wall this set, such as Steelix, Rhydon, and Tangrowth.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Maximum EVs are invested into Special Attack and Speed to maximize Mesprit's sweeping potential. Leftovers is the preferred item here, as it provides a consistent form of recovery that ensures Mesprit can set up more Substitutes and Calm Minds throughout the match. A Timid nature is chosen to maximize Mesprit's Speed to outpace neutral base 80s. A Modest Nature can be chosen to go for more power, however, the ability to guarantee that Mesprit will outpace neutral base 80s is missed. A bulky EV spread of 96 HP / 248 SpA / 164 Spe is usable if you wish to be tankier and still outspeed Kabutops and Gallade.</p>
<p>What counters this set mainly depends on what coverage move Mesprit is running. Magneton and Escavalier don't mind much of what this set has to offer and can retaliate with Thunderbolt and Megahorn, respectively. Cinccino can break Mesprit's Substitutes as it sets up while heavily damaging it. Dark-types also pose a problem for Mesprit—in particular Drapion—as they can make sure Mesprit cannot set up with Taunt and trap it with Pursuit. Klinklang and Crawdaunt can use this set as setup fodder and defeat Mesprit one-on-one if it is running Ice Beam. Absol makes for a great teammate, removing Slowking, Uxie, and opposing Mesprit. It also benefits from Mesprit's ability to eliminate opposing Fighting-types. Magneton, as previously stated, is useful to remove Escavalier and to a lesser extent, Durant. Moltres and Emboar can also be very helpful to deal with Drapion and Spiritomb effectively.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Psychic / Psyshock
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Trick / U-turn / Healing Wish
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Mesprit's Speed is good, but it's not exactly stellar. A Choice Scarf however patches this issue up rather well. With a decent 80 Speed stat and 105 Special Attack, Mesprit can make for a solid revenge killer. Its great coverage further complements this, as it allows it to revenge certain speedy threats such as Scolipede, Hitmonlee, and Moltres. While other Choice Scarf users, such as Gardevoir and Medicham, give it competition, Mesprit's access to U-turn is enough to stand out. That aside, Psychic is the STAB move of choice, with its power and reliability. Again, Psyshock is definitely usable to remove Cryogonal, but misses the KO on Qwilfish. Thunderbolt is chosen to get past Mandibuzz, Slowking, and Crawdaunt. Ice Beam is chosen to remove Rhydon, Tangrowth, and Sigilyph, completing the "BoltBeam" combo. This is especially useful if Psyshock is chosen as the STAB move. Finally, Trick is chosen in order to cripple walls such as Mandibuzz, Slowking, and Clefable, and rendering Absol and Lilligant almost useless. U-turn is usable to scout common switch-ins, but the move is fairly weak with no boosts or Attack investment. Healing Wish is an excellent alternative to heal a teammate and give them a second chance, sacrificing Mesprit in the process.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>A Timid nature is chosen here to outspeed Aerodactyl, Dragon Dance Feraligatr, and +2 Omastar with the boost from Choice Scarf should it not have Tricked it away. However, a Modest nature is usable to gain more power at the cost of being outsped by Aerodactyl. Hidden Power Fire is an option over Thunderbolt or Ice Beam in order to deal high damage to Escavalier, but the move hits nothing notable otherwise. Likewise, Hidden Power Ground is also an option to hit Drapion super effectively, but Drapion is not a very prominent threat.</p>
<p>As this is a Choice set, Absol and Spiritomb leave Mesprit very vulnerable; they can hit it hard with priority in Sucker Punch or simply trap it with Pursuit. Similarly, Escavalier is able to take all of Mesprit's attacks bar Hidden Power Fire and either smash it with Megahorn or trap it with Pursuit. This makes Magmortar and Emboar great teammates, with the latter being able to hit Absol and Escavalier for serious damage, while the former absorbs Will-O-Wisp from Spiritomb and incinerates Escavalier. Rhydon can potentially keep these Pokemon in check and also set up Stealth Rock. Spikes support is also appreciated; Qwilfish and Roselia are both good at this, with the former checking Absol and Escavalier, while the latter takes on Lilligant.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Zen Headbutt
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Fire Punch
move 4: Trick / ThunderPunch
item: Choice Band
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Although Mesprit is commonly seen running special sets, its often overlooked 105 Attack is perfectly capable of being put to use. Choice Band is, simply put, Mesprit's sole way of boosting its Attack, but it can utilize it well. This set functions more as a hard hitting hit-and-run attacker, simply because it lacks the raw power of the more popular Choice Band users such as Druddigon and Aggron. Zen Headbutt is Mesprit's best physical STAB, hitting with reasonable power while the flinch rate may come in handy at times. U-turn is a nice asset and allows Mesprit to stand out as a Choice Band user, as it functions to scout switch-ins, especially Dark-types hoping to Pursuit trap Mesprit. Fire Punch is a great coverage move to pummel Magneton, Ferroseed, and Escavalier. The last moveslot depends on what you desire more; Trick cripples a handful of defensive Pokemon, while ThunderPunch hits Sigilyph and Slowking for super effective damage, rounding out the coverage from the other three moves.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>An Adamant nature is chosen here to attain the highest Attack possible. A Jolly nature is usable in order to outpace neutral base 80s and the rare Jolly Absol, but then Mesprit will lose out on needed power. Ice Punch is a viable option in order to hit Sigilyph and Druddigon, but the move has little utility otherwise, and the coverage from Fire Punch is more important.</p>
<p>Unlike the previous sets, Tangrowth and Steelix take little damage from this particular one due to their high Defense. This makes a Fire-type, such as Magmortar or Moltres, vital to remove said Pokemon before Mesprit gets going. Fighting-types, such as Emboar, are also useful to remove Dark-types, especially Spiritomb and Absol. As with any offensive Pokemon, Mesprit appreciates support from entry hazards. Qwilfish excels at this as it is able to check Absol and Durant pretty well. Roselia is also useful to check Galvantula and Accelgor while handling Tangrowth. Finally, a Pursuit user such as Absol or Spiritomb should be used in order to remove bulky Psychic-types such as Slowking or Uxie.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Mesprit's amazing movepool means there are plenty of other options available for use. That being said, Thunder Wave is a decent option in order to cripple fast opponents such as Cinccino, Sceptile, and Scolipede. Sadly, Mesprit often will not find the moveslot for the move. Moreover, this move is often better utilized by Uxie thanks to its higher defenses. Shadow Ball and Signal Beam are both usable forms of coverage in order to hit Psychic-types such as Uxie and Slowking, but neither is too useful for use over Ice Beam or Thunderbolt. Blizzard is a great alternative over Ice Beam if Mesprit is being used on a hail team. Mesprit can run Rain Dance or Sunny Day to support weather teams, and also provide an offensive presence. Water Pulse is an unorthodox option for a chance to confuse your opponent. Ice Punch and ThunderPunch are both interesting options, but Mesprit will often struggle to find a moveslot for them. Knock Off can be a useful move to remove Eviolite from Ferroseed and Munchlax, but it has little utility otherwise and Trick is often better. Role Play is an interesting move to copy an ability such as Nidoqueen's Sheer Force or Sigilyph's Magic Guard; however, this is often a waste of a moveslot and Levitate is one of Mesprit's best aspects. Finally, Gravity, Magic Room, and Wonder Room can be used for certain teams built around them, but are fairly unhelpful and gimmicky.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>What Mesprit despises most are Dark-types. Drapion and Spiritomb are Mesprit's biggest counters; they take little damage from any of Mesprit's attacks and can trap it with Pursuit. Absol and Escavalier can do a severe amount of damage to Mesprit, but the two of them must be wary of U-turn and Hidden Power Fire, respectively. Scolipede, Galvantula, Accelgor, and Durant are in a similar boat, being able to outspeed and heavily damage Mesprit with Bug STAB, but also being unable to switch in on any of its attacks. Mesprit's base 80 Speed is good, but not great. This means it will be taken down by faster Pokemon such as Lilligant, Entei, and Rotom. Slowking and Mandibuzz can both come in on the odd Psychic-type attack with ease, but Thunderbolt, or even Ice Beam in the latter's case, will do a sizable amount of damage. Mesprit will frequently miss out on KO's, so a strong attacker can either KO it or use it as setup bait. Finally, Magneton is also good at dealing with Mesprit; it resists Psychic, Ice Beam, and Thunderbolt alike and can hurt back with its own Thunderbolt. However, Hidden Power Fire will result in its downfall.</p>