Analysis: http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/starmie
And before you ask: no, I'm too damn lazy to put a sprite up.
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[SET]
name: Rapid Spinner
move 1: Rapid Spin
move 2: Surf
move 3: Thunderbolt
move 4: Recover
item: Leftovers
evs: 136 HP / 156 Def / 216 Spe
ability: Natural Cure
nature: Timid
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Starmie is a fine choice for spinning away Stealth Rock and Toxic Spikes, especially with Natural Cure ridding it of burdensome Toxic status. Surf provides Starmie with a STAB attack and allows it to make short work of Infernape and Mamoswine, which Starmie outruns. Recover, with Starmie's great Speed stat, makes it tough to take down because Starmie can quickly Recover off damage before being hit again.</p>
<p>Thunderbolt is mainly for Gyarados, who Starmie can handle to an extent. However, after a Dragon Dance, a Life Orb Gyarados outspeeds and does between 73.90% and 87.12% damage with Earthquake. However, if Starmie is in excellent health, it can switch into Stealth Rock on the Dragon Dance, take the Earthquake with the given EVs, and OHKO with Thunderbolt if Gyarados was hit by Stealth Rock or has taken any prior damage. You could in theory replace Thunderbolt with Ice Beam for Salamence; however, every Salamence version either OHKOes with Outrage or Draco Meteor or just Dragon Dances on the switch. Still, if you're desperate for a revenge killer for Choice Band Outrage Salamence, feel free to run Ice Beam.</p>
<p>The premise of the set is based around utilizing Rapid Spin. Main problems for Starmie include Ghost-types and bulky Pokemon with Pursuit. Also, Starmie's attack combination is rather lackluster against certain Pokemon such as Swampert, Blissey, and Lanturn. Good Pokemon to invest in are powerful Pursuit users. Scizor, Tyranitar, and Metagross are all bulky to certain extents. Metagross and Scizor are excellent at trapping thanks to the combination of Bullet Punch and Pursuit. Tyranitar summons a sandstorm, bolstering its Special Defense while chipping health from any Pokemon not immune to the sandstorm.</p>
<p>To combat Pursuit-users, a physically bulky teammate that resists some of the Pokemon's attacks would be beneficial. Skarmory can prevent Scizor and Metagross from working very well, and faster variants can shut Tyranitar's Stone Edge down thanks to Roost negating Skarmory's Flying-type, essentially making it resist Stone Edge. Be wary of the Mixed variants, as they commonly carry Thunderbolt or Flamethrower to combat the metal bird. Magnezone is great for defeating Scizor and Metagross, especially the former. It can easily trap Choice Band variants while sporting good Defense and STAB Thunderbolt. Magnet Rise and Substitute form a powerful combination; however, the Choice Scarf variant with Hidden Power Fire is also useful. It's difficult to combat these type of Pokemon, since they'll show once Starmie is using Rapid Spin. After, they'll simply use Pursuit since the Starmie player's first instinct is to retreat from harm, when in reality they're "trapped".</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Surf / Hydro Pump
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Psychic
item: Choice Specs
nature: Timid / Modest
ability: Natural Cure
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With Starmie's excellent Speed and respectable Special Attack stats, as well as a fairly diverse movepool, Choice Specs suits Starmie perfectly. STAB Surf from Starmie threatens to 2HKO Tyranitar, making Pursuit no problem at all for a normally vulnerable Starmie. Hydro Pump can be used as well, as a 120 base power move from 492 or 448 Special Attack is very threatening, but the accuracy is off-putting. Thunderbolt and Ice Beam are fairly obvious choices. Thunderbolt nets coverage on most Water-types, especially Gyarados, and Ice Beam covers Grass and Dragon-types, particularly Salamence.</p>
<p>Psychic provides a secondary source of STAB that hits Heracross and Gengar for super effective damage (though Gengar is OHKOed by Modest Choice Specs Surf). It also does more to Tentacruel than Thunderbolt. However, a Choice-locked Psychic is Pursuit bait, so be sure to scout your opponent's team for Pursuit threats before using Psychic.</p>
<p>The choice between Timid and Modest is a simple "speed versus power" argument. If you want to revenge kill Infernape and Gengar more effectively, then go for Timid. If these Pokemon don't threaten you, use Modest as the power is definitely welcome.</p>
<p>Bulky, Special Defense oriented Pokemon such as Blissey and Snorlax can prove troublesome to this beastly set. While Trick can help offset this slightly, their presence alone puts Starmie in trouble. While powerful physical attackers are recommended, mixed attackers would work better. The reason? When a Pokemon such as Blissey is on a team, it is very possible the team is prepared for a physical combatant. By using a mixed attacker, you can assess the situation by combating both Physical and Special Defensive walls. Infernape is a perfect example of a mixed attacker: while it has shortcomings against Pokemon such as Latias and Tentacruel, it can eliminate Blissey and Snorlax with little risk of a physically defensive Pokemon following behind. Tyranitar is another good example: though it is used as a physical combatant, it can fight on either spectrum. Also, Tyranitar commonly packs Pursuit to hit fleeing Blissey, while having 101 HP Substitutes from which to fire Focus Punch.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Surf / Hydro Pump
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Thunderbolt
move 4: Trick / Grass Knot / Psychic
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Timid / Modest
ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Putting a Choice Scarf onto Starmie allows it to effectively revenge kill many of the current metagame's greatest threats, including all Gengar, Heatran, Salamence, and Gyarados, even with +1 Speed or their own Choice Scarves. This Speed combined with Starmie's good Special Attack and movepool make it a great check to all of these threats, stopping them from sweeping your team.</p>
<p>The last slot is a bit of a toss-up. Trick is an excellent option to cripple would-be counters like Blissey and Snorlax, plus it allows you to use Starmie as a late game sweeper without the burdensome Choice item. Grass Knot is largely a coverage option and is useful in scenarios where you are unsure what your opponent is going to do. For example, if you are up against a Gyarados and you know that your opponent has a Choice Band Tyranitar ready to Pursuit you; do you use Surf or Thunderbolt? This would be an ideal scenario where Grass Knot would be useful to employ.</p>
<p>Starmie has good Special Attack; however, this is weakened slightly because now Starmie is locked onto an attack, and must switch more often. Look at the Choice Specs analysis for more information on how to deal with the troubles with these things, but expand on it much more as far as weakening the opponent. This set does very well when the opponent's Pokemon are low on health and are slower than Starmie.</p>
<p>Choosing Modest over Timid nature still allows Starmie to outspeed all Salamence after a Dragon Dance. Choosing Modest also nets Starmie a significant boost in power.</p>
[SET]
name: Non-Choice Attacker
move 1: Hydro Pump / Surf
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Recover / Psychic
item: Life Orb / Expert Belt
nature: Timid
ability: Natural Cure
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Starmie's good type coverage makes it a respectable sweeper. Hydro Pump is a pretty impressive attack on this set and scores a lot of damage to anything that doesn't resist it. To give some examples: Zapdos is OHKOed after Stealth Rock damage, most Bronzong, Jirachi, and Metagross are 2HKOed, and all Cresselia and Snorlax are 3HKOed. All Tyranitar are 2HKOed by Hydro Pump, and a 32 HP Scizor is OHKOed after Stealth Rock damage, foiling their attempts to Pursuit you.</p>
<p>Hydro Pump is emphasized for STAB because it is required to get some specific kills. Ice Beam and Thunderbolt are used to hit the Pokemon that resist Water. Even though Starmie isn't using any HP EVs, with Recover it can still switch into Heatran and Infernape while also giving you a means of healing off Stealth Rock damage and Life Orb recoil. Natural Cure is a great ability on an offensive Pokemon and means that Starmie doesn't unduly fear paralysis or random burns or freezes. If you plan on using Rapid Spin, use it over Ice Beam, as it grants less coverage than Thunderbolt does. Be careful when using this as your Rapid Spinner; it is much frailer than normal and Life Orb reduces its survivability.</p>
<p>Psychic can be used in place of Recover to OHKO Heracross, as well as being Starmie's strongest option against Tentacruel and Kingdra. Life Orb is the recommended item choice, as Starmie can offset the recoil with Recover. It doesn't have the highest of Special Attack stats, so the boost is greatly appreciated even if Recover is absent. However, Expert Belt is still a viable option if you would rather not have to take the recoil at all, since Starmie often finds itself hitting for super effective damage. Because of its great coverage and high Speed, Starmie makes for a great cleaner in the late game; just make sure to remove threats such as Blissey before attempting a sweep.</p>
<p>A set utilizing Rapid Spin in the last slot over Recover makes for an effective anti-lead. Starmie's typing means it naturally resists many of the attacks used by other common leads, such as Infernape's STAB attacks, Azelf's Psychic and Fire Blast, and Metagross' Meteor Mash and Bullet Punch. Rapid Spin is a great boon to a leading set as it allows Starmie to inflict that 1 HP damage required to kill Focus Sashers after having attacked them. This makes Starmie particularly effective in dealing with suicide leads that choose to Stealth Rock on the first turn, such as Infernape, Aerodactyl, and Azelf. Grass Knot is recommended over Thunderbolt on a leading Starmie because Swampert is a common lead, and being able to get a quick OHKO on it is appreciated. The great thing about a leading Starmie used in this way is that it can become a mean sweeper later on in the game as well, and is not just limited to the leading role. Also, its spinning abilities on an offensive set are surprisingly reliable, as it has the power behind it to scare off common spin blockers such as Rotom. On offensive teams, Starmie serves as both a powerful sweeper as well a way of allowing the player to use Rock-weak heavy hitters such as Salamence and Gyarados with a lot more ease.</p>
<p>Grass Knot is an option over Thunderbolt to hit some Water-types other than Gyarados and Vaporeon harder.</p>
<p>This set is easy to use, especially if Starmie is foregoing the use of Rapid Spin. Stealth Rock support is highly recommended here, as a Pokemon that is intended for late-game sweeping should have the opponent as weakened as possible. The set would also benefit from Pokemon such as Forretress, who not only can Rapid Spin, but also can lay Stealth Rock for chipping away at flying foes, Spikes for Pokemon on the ground, and Toxic Spikes for early game damaging. Again, a physical or mixed attacker is highly recommended to combat troublesome Pokemon such as Blissey and Snorlax.</p>
[SET]
name: Reflect Support
move 1: Surf
move 2: Reflect
move 3: Recover
move 4: Rapid Spin / Thunderbolt
item: Leftovers
nature: Bold
ability: Natural Cure
evs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This is a very physically defensive Starmie whose main purpose is to assist the team with the psuedo-passing potential of Reflect, while also using the protective screen to defend itself from Tyranitar, Weavile, and various other Pursuit users.</p>
<p>The first three attacks are non-negotiable, but you can fill the final slot with whatever your team needs most. Rapid Spin and Thunderbolt are the two most helpful choices. Given the added bulk this set has over other Starmie sets, it makes an even better spinner than usual, so Rapid Spin is a fine choice. With Reflect and the extra defensive EVs, coming in on Swampert to get rid of Stealth Rock is much safer. Thunderbolt transforms Starmie into an excellent Gyarados counter, as without Life Orb, it is unlikely to score a 2HKO with a +1 Earthquake or Stone Edge.</p>
<p>If spin support is not required, or is taken care of by one of Starmie's teammates, and the role of countering Gyarados is also filled, there are some other options to consider. Ice Beam offers coverage against Salamence, although it is only really effective on faster versions, as Salamence can kill Starmie before it has a chance to attack. Psychic is a reasonable option as it hits many Water resists for neutral damage, as well as hurting Heracross and Tentacruel and OHKOing Gengar 58% of the time and always with Stealth Rock support. Status support from Toxic or Thunder Wave is also helpful; just be sure not to hit Heracross with either, as it will activate Guts.</p>
<p>The listed EVs mean that Starmie takes physical hits surprisingly well and can easily come in on Swampert to spin away Stealth Rock. A mere 16 Speed EVs gets up to 270, enough to outpace Adamant Heracross. If you require more Speed, take from Defense. The highest Speed you will need is 347 so Starmie can effectively counter Infernape, although you can bump that up to 352 if you wish to outrun Gengar. Other good benchmarks to aim for include 285 to outrun Mamoswine and Lucario, or 290 to place Starmie one stat point ahead of neutral nature Electivire. After maxing HP, all remaining EVs should go in Defense.</p>
<p>The same issues apply to the Rapid Spinner set, though not so heavily on the Pursuit-users that are dangerous to Starmie. Keep Pokemon that can combat ghosts in your party. Short and sweet, but very serious.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>Most Starmie focus on one of two things: support or offense. Keep in mind that despite Starmie being somewhat bulky due to its stats, the main reason is Recover. Natural Cure and Recover will help it stay alive, so Wish support isn't necessary. However, there are times when Starmie will take indirect damage and may not have time or access to Recover. Since most Pokemon that attempt to harm Starmie involve Electric, Dark, Bug, Ghost, or Grass-types, a Steel-type Pokemon such as Jirachi isn't a bad choice. It is neutral to at least three of the four listed types, and takes minimal damage against Grass. As for other Wish supporters, Blissey is a good alternative. While she isn't bulky on the physical side, she can take most of the Special Attacks aimed at Starmie. There are other beneficial Pokemon for both types of sets: Scizor is an excellent Pokemon to consider since one of Starmie's issues involve bulky Grass-types such as Celebi. Scizor can easily combat this provided said Celebi isn't carrying Hidden Power Fire. Tyranitar is a good option for both sets. Not only does it commonly pack Pursuit, but it has a plethora of attack and support options to choose from.</P>
<p>The support sets such as Rapid Spin and Reflect love Pokemon that eliminate one Pokemon in particular: Ghost-types. Tyranitar, Scizor, and Metagross are all capable of doing this. Thanks to access to Pursuit, these Pokemon can "trap" said Ghost-types and either force them to switch or take a deadly hit. In all honesty, the Rapid Spin sets only need ample support from these type of Pokemon. The Pursuit-weakness is difficult to combat since most Pursuit-users will not show themselves until Starmie is out.</p>
<p>Speaking of offense, there must be Pokemon that help Starmie here. Its biggest problem is defeating Pokemon that heavily invest in their Special Defense and HP stats. It has been explained many times that Snorlax and Blissey are troublesome foes; however, many other Pokemon that have good HP and Special Defense can survive a super effective hit. Even Pokemon such as Tyranitar can survive one of Starmie's deadliest Surfs with ample HP and Special Defense EVs.</p>
<p>First off, the offensive sets are going to take indirect damage quickly. It's pretty important to attempt to minimize this as much as possible. Rapid Spin support isn't highly recommended; however, it isn't a terrible option to consider. Forretress is a good combination for the offensive scenario. Not only can Forretress use Rapid Spin, but it can also lay entry hazards that help Starmie defeat its opponents faster. Toxic Spikes is good for weakening Pokemon near the beginning of the match, while Spikes and Stealth Rock nail Pokemon on the ground. Stealth Rock will hit those in the air; however, it can heavily damage Pokemon that take super effective damage from Rock. Access to paralysis is a powerful support to slow down Pokemon such as Choice Scarf users and Pokemon that are naturally faster than Starmie.</p>
<p>Although the entry hazards help take on the next threats easier, it is still Starmie's bane: Blissey and Snorlax. It is highly recommended to pack Pokemon that are mixed attackers. This cannot be stressed enough: most Blissey-users carry Pokemon that are capable of taking physical attacks. By using a mixed attacker, you can combat the combination easier thanks to not being forced to switch as often. Infernape is a perfect example of this as it is also knocks off tough threats such as Jirachi and Celebi. Obviously, Pokemon that focus on physical attacks are also recommended. Anything that isn't particularly weak to Dark, Bug, Ghost, Electric, and Grass. Tyranitar can easily approach both spectrums, though being a mixed attacker is a good option for offensive Starmie.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Reflect and Light Screen can be used in conjunction to support the team; however, make sure to combine it with Light Clay to prolong the screen's life. Thunder Wave is always a great attack for crippling switch-ins. It is especially useful on Starmie because Ground-types are deterred by the prospect of a STAB Surf, but watch out for Heracross. Toxic works for Dusknoir or Rotom formes that try and block your Rapid Spin. Hidden Power Fire's only merit is doing more damage than with Surf on Scizor, but the coverage it gives is lackluster. The reason it is a lesser option is that with Stealth Rock in play Surf will almost always 2HKO both Scizor and Metagross.</p>
<p>In early DPPt play, a "Counter" set, featuring Surf / Ice Beam / Thunderbolt / Recover, was a great option to effectively stop an opposing Garchomp, Gyarados, or Infernape. However, with the removal of Garchomp, a threat Starmie was designed to counter, this set is no longer as necessary.</p>
[EVs]
<p>For most sets, such as the Rapid Spin set, always run 216 Speed EVs to outrun Timid Gengar and Naive Infernape. 252 HP / 20 Def / 20 SpD gives Starmie the best overall defenses with 216 Speed, but in order for Starmie to effectively counter Gyarados, it needs to invest heavily in Defense. If you find that most Gengar you face hold a Choice Scarf, then you can drop down to 347 Speed (200 EVs) for Naive Infernape. If you wish to go even lower in terms of Speed, aim for 300 (neutral Salamence), 290 (Adamant Electivire), 285 (Jolly Mamoswine), or 280 (neutral Lucario). All remaining EVs should go in HP.</p>
<p>EVs on the Specs set are pretty generic, but you can drop down to 216 Speed and put 40 EVs into HP if you don't care about the Speed tie with Azelf or Raikou.</p>
[Opinion]
<p>Starmie is a very effective Rapid Spinner and counter to some of the fourth generation's greatest threats. Access to Recover, a great Speed stat, and decent defensive stats allow it to go toe-to-toe with some of the game's scarier threats, such as Dragon Dance Gyarados, and win. Access to Reflect and Rapid Spin is another huge plus. Pursuit being omnipresent in the standard metagame hurts Starmie a lot though; it has to be a bit more careful when choosing its attacks to hit Pursuit users for as much damage as possible. Additionally, everything else hitting faster and harder has somewhat weakened Starmie's countering abilities. That said, Starmie has its downsides, but it still is a very useful Pokémon for any team.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Blissey, Snorlax, and Lanturn switch in for free and all can pack super effective attacks. Snorlax also has Pursuit, which can KO a fleeing Starmie. Blissey should take caution of Trick, while Snorlax is a good receiver if it's a Choiced variant as well. Thanks to Pursuit, it can harm Starmie while it flees. Lanturn resists every attack Starmie usually carries except Grass Knot, which does very little to the light Lanturn. Lanturn also doesn't mind being Tricked Choice Specs at all. Milotic that focus on Special Defense can take two Thunderbolts, but it has some issues with Trick due to being dependant on Leftovers.</p>
<p>While most Pursuiters aren't guaranteed a safe switch-in, Pokemon such as Heracross, Tyranitar, Weavile, Metagross, and Scizor all scare Starmie with their powerful Pursuits. However, Heracross has to watch out for Psychic, Weavile has to watch out for practically any attack, and Tyranitar / Metagross / Scizor have some trouble with repeated Surfs. That said, Pursuit is often still an incredibly effective means to dispose of Starmie.</p>
<p>Latias has a huge Special Defense stat, is only weak to Starmie's Ice Beam, and frequently uses Calm Mind. If it holds Leftovers, Latias will never be 2HKOed by Starmie's Ice Beam unless Starmie is holding Choice Specs or Life Orb, which is fairly uncommon. Meanwhile, Latias can set up with Calm Mind or easily 2HKO even defensive Starmie with Thunderbolt. Additionally, Latias frequently does not mind being Tricked Choice Specs or Choice Scarf.</p>
<p>Spiritomb, Rotom-formes, and Dusknoir shut down the Rapid Spin set completely with their STAB super effective attacks and ability to block Rapid Spin. Spiritomb in particular is a problem as Sucker Punch and Pursuit put Starmie in a checkmate position.</p>
<p>Substitute / Calm Minders such as Thunderbolt Jirachi and Raikou can set up on Starmie with no problems, excluding the Choice Specs set.</p>
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I don't think I need to highlight the stuff I've added, but if necessary I can. Feel free to add more things: I'm all ears here. Anyway, you may have noticed some of the stuff is a bit... empty. It's either because I haven't used it much (the Reflect set) or that the premise is similair to another set (Choice and Late-game sweeper sets).
Hope it's alright. It's been a while since I've written one of these. >_<;
And before you ask: no, I'm too damn lazy to put a sprite up.
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[SET]
name: Rapid Spinner
move 1: Rapid Spin
move 2: Surf
move 3: Thunderbolt
move 4: Recover
item: Leftovers
evs: 136 HP / 156 Def / 216 Spe
ability: Natural Cure
nature: Timid
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Starmie is a fine choice for spinning away Stealth Rock and Toxic Spikes, especially with Natural Cure ridding it of burdensome Toxic status. Surf provides Starmie with a STAB attack and allows it to make short work of Infernape and Mamoswine, which Starmie outruns. Recover, with Starmie's great Speed stat, makes it tough to take down because Starmie can quickly Recover off damage before being hit again.</p>
<p>Thunderbolt is mainly for Gyarados, who Starmie can handle to an extent. However, after a Dragon Dance, a Life Orb Gyarados outspeeds and does between 73.90% and 87.12% damage with Earthquake. However, if Starmie is in excellent health, it can switch into Stealth Rock on the Dragon Dance, take the Earthquake with the given EVs, and OHKO with Thunderbolt if Gyarados was hit by Stealth Rock or has taken any prior damage. You could in theory replace Thunderbolt with Ice Beam for Salamence; however, every Salamence version either OHKOes with Outrage or Draco Meteor or just Dragon Dances on the switch. Still, if you're desperate for a revenge killer for Choice Band Outrage Salamence, feel free to run Ice Beam.</p>
<p>The premise of the set is based around utilizing Rapid Spin. Main problems for Starmie include Ghost-types and bulky Pokemon with Pursuit. Also, Starmie's attack combination is rather lackluster against certain Pokemon such as Swampert, Blissey, and Lanturn. Good Pokemon to invest in are powerful Pursuit users. Scizor, Tyranitar, and Metagross are all bulky to certain extents. Metagross and Scizor are excellent at trapping thanks to the combination of Bullet Punch and Pursuit. Tyranitar summons a sandstorm, bolstering its Special Defense while chipping health from any Pokemon not immune to the sandstorm.</p>
<p>To combat Pursuit-users, a physically bulky teammate that resists some of the Pokemon's attacks would be beneficial. Skarmory can prevent Scizor and Metagross from working very well, and faster variants can shut Tyranitar's Stone Edge down thanks to Roost negating Skarmory's Flying-type, essentially making it resist Stone Edge. Be wary of the Mixed variants, as they commonly carry Thunderbolt or Flamethrower to combat the metal bird. Magnezone is great for defeating Scizor and Metagross, especially the former. It can easily trap Choice Band variants while sporting good Defense and STAB Thunderbolt. Magnet Rise and Substitute form a powerful combination; however, the Choice Scarf variant with Hidden Power Fire is also useful. It's difficult to combat these type of Pokemon, since they'll show once Starmie is using Rapid Spin. After, they'll simply use Pursuit since the Starmie player's first instinct is to retreat from harm, when in reality they're "trapped".</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Surf / Hydro Pump
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Psychic
item: Choice Specs
nature: Timid / Modest
ability: Natural Cure
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With Starmie's excellent Speed and respectable Special Attack stats, as well as a fairly diverse movepool, Choice Specs suits Starmie perfectly. STAB Surf from Starmie threatens to 2HKO Tyranitar, making Pursuit no problem at all for a normally vulnerable Starmie. Hydro Pump can be used as well, as a 120 base power move from 492 or 448 Special Attack is very threatening, but the accuracy is off-putting. Thunderbolt and Ice Beam are fairly obvious choices. Thunderbolt nets coverage on most Water-types, especially Gyarados, and Ice Beam covers Grass and Dragon-types, particularly Salamence.</p>
<p>Psychic provides a secondary source of STAB that hits Heracross and Gengar for super effective damage (though Gengar is OHKOed by Modest Choice Specs Surf). It also does more to Tentacruel than Thunderbolt. However, a Choice-locked Psychic is Pursuit bait, so be sure to scout your opponent's team for Pursuit threats before using Psychic.</p>
<p>The choice between Timid and Modest is a simple "speed versus power" argument. If you want to revenge kill Infernape and Gengar more effectively, then go for Timid. If these Pokemon don't threaten you, use Modest as the power is definitely welcome.</p>
<p>Bulky, Special Defense oriented Pokemon such as Blissey and Snorlax can prove troublesome to this beastly set. While Trick can help offset this slightly, their presence alone puts Starmie in trouble. While powerful physical attackers are recommended, mixed attackers would work better. The reason? When a Pokemon such as Blissey is on a team, it is very possible the team is prepared for a physical combatant. By using a mixed attacker, you can assess the situation by combating both Physical and Special Defensive walls. Infernape is a perfect example of a mixed attacker: while it has shortcomings against Pokemon such as Latias and Tentacruel, it can eliminate Blissey and Snorlax with little risk of a physically defensive Pokemon following behind. Tyranitar is another good example: though it is used as a physical combatant, it can fight on either spectrum. Also, Tyranitar commonly packs Pursuit to hit fleeing Blissey, while having 101 HP Substitutes from which to fire Focus Punch.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Surf / Hydro Pump
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Thunderbolt
move 4: Trick / Grass Knot / Psychic
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Timid / Modest
ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Putting a Choice Scarf onto Starmie allows it to effectively revenge kill many of the current metagame's greatest threats, including all Gengar, Heatran, Salamence, and Gyarados, even with +1 Speed or their own Choice Scarves. This Speed combined with Starmie's good Special Attack and movepool make it a great check to all of these threats, stopping them from sweeping your team.</p>
<p>The last slot is a bit of a toss-up. Trick is an excellent option to cripple would-be counters like Blissey and Snorlax, plus it allows you to use Starmie as a late game sweeper without the burdensome Choice item. Grass Knot is largely a coverage option and is useful in scenarios where you are unsure what your opponent is going to do. For example, if you are up against a Gyarados and you know that your opponent has a Choice Band Tyranitar ready to Pursuit you; do you use Surf or Thunderbolt? This would be an ideal scenario where Grass Knot would be useful to employ.</p>
<p>Starmie has good Special Attack; however, this is weakened slightly because now Starmie is locked onto an attack, and must switch more often. Look at the Choice Specs analysis for more information on how to deal with the troubles with these things, but expand on it much more as far as weakening the opponent. This set does very well when the opponent's Pokemon are low on health and are slower than Starmie.</p>
<p>Choosing Modest over Timid nature still allows Starmie to outspeed all Salamence after a Dragon Dance. Choosing Modest also nets Starmie a significant boost in power.</p>
[SET]
name: Non-Choice Attacker
move 1: Hydro Pump / Surf
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Recover / Psychic
item: Life Orb / Expert Belt
nature: Timid
ability: Natural Cure
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Starmie's good type coverage makes it a respectable sweeper. Hydro Pump is a pretty impressive attack on this set and scores a lot of damage to anything that doesn't resist it. To give some examples: Zapdos is OHKOed after Stealth Rock damage, most Bronzong, Jirachi, and Metagross are 2HKOed, and all Cresselia and Snorlax are 3HKOed. All Tyranitar are 2HKOed by Hydro Pump, and a 32 HP Scizor is OHKOed after Stealth Rock damage, foiling their attempts to Pursuit you.</p>
<p>Hydro Pump is emphasized for STAB because it is required to get some specific kills. Ice Beam and Thunderbolt are used to hit the Pokemon that resist Water. Even though Starmie isn't using any HP EVs, with Recover it can still switch into Heatran and Infernape while also giving you a means of healing off Stealth Rock damage and Life Orb recoil. Natural Cure is a great ability on an offensive Pokemon and means that Starmie doesn't unduly fear paralysis or random burns or freezes. If you plan on using Rapid Spin, use it over Ice Beam, as it grants less coverage than Thunderbolt does. Be careful when using this as your Rapid Spinner; it is much frailer than normal and Life Orb reduces its survivability.</p>
<p>Psychic can be used in place of Recover to OHKO Heracross, as well as being Starmie's strongest option against Tentacruel and Kingdra. Life Orb is the recommended item choice, as Starmie can offset the recoil with Recover. It doesn't have the highest of Special Attack stats, so the boost is greatly appreciated even if Recover is absent. However, Expert Belt is still a viable option if you would rather not have to take the recoil at all, since Starmie often finds itself hitting for super effective damage. Because of its great coverage and high Speed, Starmie makes for a great cleaner in the late game; just make sure to remove threats such as Blissey before attempting a sweep.</p>
<p>A set utilizing Rapid Spin in the last slot over Recover makes for an effective anti-lead. Starmie's typing means it naturally resists many of the attacks used by other common leads, such as Infernape's STAB attacks, Azelf's Psychic and Fire Blast, and Metagross' Meteor Mash and Bullet Punch. Rapid Spin is a great boon to a leading set as it allows Starmie to inflict that 1 HP damage required to kill Focus Sashers after having attacked them. This makes Starmie particularly effective in dealing with suicide leads that choose to Stealth Rock on the first turn, such as Infernape, Aerodactyl, and Azelf. Grass Knot is recommended over Thunderbolt on a leading Starmie because Swampert is a common lead, and being able to get a quick OHKO on it is appreciated. The great thing about a leading Starmie used in this way is that it can become a mean sweeper later on in the game as well, and is not just limited to the leading role. Also, its spinning abilities on an offensive set are surprisingly reliable, as it has the power behind it to scare off common spin blockers such as Rotom. On offensive teams, Starmie serves as both a powerful sweeper as well a way of allowing the player to use Rock-weak heavy hitters such as Salamence and Gyarados with a lot more ease.</p>
<p>Grass Knot is an option over Thunderbolt to hit some Water-types other than Gyarados and Vaporeon harder.</p>
<p>This set is easy to use, especially if Starmie is foregoing the use of Rapid Spin. Stealth Rock support is highly recommended here, as a Pokemon that is intended for late-game sweeping should have the opponent as weakened as possible. The set would also benefit from Pokemon such as Forretress, who not only can Rapid Spin, but also can lay Stealth Rock for chipping away at flying foes, Spikes for Pokemon on the ground, and Toxic Spikes for early game damaging. Again, a physical or mixed attacker is highly recommended to combat troublesome Pokemon such as Blissey and Snorlax.</p>
[SET]
name: Reflect Support
move 1: Surf
move 2: Reflect
move 3: Recover
move 4: Rapid Spin / Thunderbolt
item: Leftovers
nature: Bold
ability: Natural Cure
evs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This is a very physically defensive Starmie whose main purpose is to assist the team with the psuedo-passing potential of Reflect, while also using the protective screen to defend itself from Tyranitar, Weavile, and various other Pursuit users.</p>
<p>The first three attacks are non-negotiable, but you can fill the final slot with whatever your team needs most. Rapid Spin and Thunderbolt are the two most helpful choices. Given the added bulk this set has over other Starmie sets, it makes an even better spinner than usual, so Rapid Spin is a fine choice. With Reflect and the extra defensive EVs, coming in on Swampert to get rid of Stealth Rock is much safer. Thunderbolt transforms Starmie into an excellent Gyarados counter, as without Life Orb, it is unlikely to score a 2HKO with a +1 Earthquake or Stone Edge.</p>
<p>If spin support is not required, or is taken care of by one of Starmie's teammates, and the role of countering Gyarados is also filled, there are some other options to consider. Ice Beam offers coverage against Salamence, although it is only really effective on faster versions, as Salamence can kill Starmie before it has a chance to attack. Psychic is a reasonable option as it hits many Water resists for neutral damage, as well as hurting Heracross and Tentacruel and OHKOing Gengar 58% of the time and always with Stealth Rock support. Status support from Toxic or Thunder Wave is also helpful; just be sure not to hit Heracross with either, as it will activate Guts.</p>
<p>The listed EVs mean that Starmie takes physical hits surprisingly well and can easily come in on Swampert to spin away Stealth Rock. A mere 16 Speed EVs gets up to 270, enough to outpace Adamant Heracross. If you require more Speed, take from Defense. The highest Speed you will need is 347 so Starmie can effectively counter Infernape, although you can bump that up to 352 if you wish to outrun Gengar. Other good benchmarks to aim for include 285 to outrun Mamoswine and Lucario, or 290 to place Starmie one stat point ahead of neutral nature Electivire. After maxing HP, all remaining EVs should go in Defense.</p>
<p>The same issues apply to the Rapid Spinner set, though not so heavily on the Pursuit-users that are dangerous to Starmie. Keep Pokemon that can combat ghosts in your party. Short and sweet, but very serious.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>Most Starmie focus on one of two things: support or offense. Keep in mind that despite Starmie being somewhat bulky due to its stats, the main reason is Recover. Natural Cure and Recover will help it stay alive, so Wish support isn't necessary. However, there are times when Starmie will take indirect damage and may not have time or access to Recover. Since most Pokemon that attempt to harm Starmie involve Electric, Dark, Bug, Ghost, or Grass-types, a Steel-type Pokemon such as Jirachi isn't a bad choice. It is neutral to at least three of the four listed types, and takes minimal damage against Grass. As for other Wish supporters, Blissey is a good alternative. While she isn't bulky on the physical side, she can take most of the Special Attacks aimed at Starmie. There are other beneficial Pokemon for both types of sets: Scizor is an excellent Pokemon to consider since one of Starmie's issues involve bulky Grass-types such as Celebi. Scizor can easily combat this provided said Celebi isn't carrying Hidden Power Fire. Tyranitar is a good option for both sets. Not only does it commonly pack Pursuit, but it has a plethora of attack and support options to choose from.</P>
<p>The support sets such as Rapid Spin and Reflect love Pokemon that eliminate one Pokemon in particular: Ghost-types. Tyranitar, Scizor, and Metagross are all capable of doing this. Thanks to access to Pursuit, these Pokemon can "trap" said Ghost-types and either force them to switch or take a deadly hit. In all honesty, the Rapid Spin sets only need ample support from these type of Pokemon. The Pursuit-weakness is difficult to combat since most Pursuit-users will not show themselves until Starmie is out.</p>
<p>Speaking of offense, there must be Pokemon that help Starmie here. Its biggest problem is defeating Pokemon that heavily invest in their Special Defense and HP stats. It has been explained many times that Snorlax and Blissey are troublesome foes; however, many other Pokemon that have good HP and Special Defense can survive a super effective hit. Even Pokemon such as Tyranitar can survive one of Starmie's deadliest Surfs with ample HP and Special Defense EVs.</p>
<p>First off, the offensive sets are going to take indirect damage quickly. It's pretty important to attempt to minimize this as much as possible. Rapid Spin support isn't highly recommended; however, it isn't a terrible option to consider. Forretress is a good combination for the offensive scenario. Not only can Forretress use Rapid Spin, but it can also lay entry hazards that help Starmie defeat its opponents faster. Toxic Spikes is good for weakening Pokemon near the beginning of the match, while Spikes and Stealth Rock nail Pokemon on the ground. Stealth Rock will hit those in the air; however, it can heavily damage Pokemon that take super effective damage from Rock. Access to paralysis is a powerful support to slow down Pokemon such as Choice Scarf users and Pokemon that are naturally faster than Starmie.</p>
<p>Although the entry hazards help take on the next threats easier, it is still Starmie's bane: Blissey and Snorlax. It is highly recommended to pack Pokemon that are mixed attackers. This cannot be stressed enough: most Blissey-users carry Pokemon that are capable of taking physical attacks. By using a mixed attacker, you can combat the combination easier thanks to not being forced to switch as often. Infernape is a perfect example of this as it is also knocks off tough threats such as Jirachi and Celebi. Obviously, Pokemon that focus on physical attacks are also recommended. Anything that isn't particularly weak to Dark, Bug, Ghost, Electric, and Grass. Tyranitar can easily approach both spectrums, though being a mixed attacker is a good option for offensive Starmie.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Reflect and Light Screen can be used in conjunction to support the team; however, make sure to combine it with Light Clay to prolong the screen's life. Thunder Wave is always a great attack for crippling switch-ins. It is especially useful on Starmie because Ground-types are deterred by the prospect of a STAB Surf, but watch out for Heracross. Toxic works for Dusknoir or Rotom formes that try and block your Rapid Spin. Hidden Power Fire's only merit is doing more damage than with Surf on Scizor, but the coverage it gives is lackluster. The reason it is a lesser option is that with Stealth Rock in play Surf will almost always 2HKO both Scizor and Metagross.</p>
<p>In early DPPt play, a "Counter" set, featuring Surf / Ice Beam / Thunderbolt / Recover, was a great option to effectively stop an opposing Garchomp, Gyarados, or Infernape. However, with the removal of Garchomp, a threat Starmie was designed to counter, this set is no longer as necessary.</p>
[EVs]
<p>For most sets, such as the Rapid Spin set, always run 216 Speed EVs to outrun Timid Gengar and Naive Infernape. 252 HP / 20 Def / 20 SpD gives Starmie the best overall defenses with 216 Speed, but in order for Starmie to effectively counter Gyarados, it needs to invest heavily in Defense. If you find that most Gengar you face hold a Choice Scarf, then you can drop down to 347 Speed (200 EVs) for Naive Infernape. If you wish to go even lower in terms of Speed, aim for 300 (neutral Salamence), 290 (Adamant Electivire), 285 (Jolly Mamoswine), or 280 (neutral Lucario). All remaining EVs should go in HP.</p>
<p>EVs on the Specs set are pretty generic, but you can drop down to 216 Speed and put 40 EVs into HP if you don't care about the Speed tie with Azelf or Raikou.</p>
[Opinion]
<p>Starmie is a very effective Rapid Spinner and counter to some of the fourth generation's greatest threats. Access to Recover, a great Speed stat, and decent defensive stats allow it to go toe-to-toe with some of the game's scarier threats, such as Dragon Dance Gyarados, and win. Access to Reflect and Rapid Spin is another huge plus. Pursuit being omnipresent in the standard metagame hurts Starmie a lot though; it has to be a bit more careful when choosing its attacks to hit Pursuit users for as much damage as possible. Additionally, everything else hitting faster and harder has somewhat weakened Starmie's countering abilities. That said, Starmie has its downsides, but it still is a very useful Pokémon for any team.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Blissey, Snorlax, and Lanturn switch in for free and all can pack super effective attacks. Snorlax also has Pursuit, which can KO a fleeing Starmie. Blissey should take caution of Trick, while Snorlax is a good receiver if it's a Choiced variant as well. Thanks to Pursuit, it can harm Starmie while it flees. Lanturn resists every attack Starmie usually carries except Grass Knot, which does very little to the light Lanturn. Lanturn also doesn't mind being Tricked Choice Specs at all. Milotic that focus on Special Defense can take two Thunderbolts, but it has some issues with Trick due to being dependant on Leftovers.</p>
<p>While most Pursuiters aren't guaranteed a safe switch-in, Pokemon such as Heracross, Tyranitar, Weavile, Metagross, and Scizor all scare Starmie with their powerful Pursuits. However, Heracross has to watch out for Psychic, Weavile has to watch out for practically any attack, and Tyranitar / Metagross / Scizor have some trouble with repeated Surfs. That said, Pursuit is often still an incredibly effective means to dispose of Starmie.</p>
<p>Latias has a huge Special Defense stat, is only weak to Starmie's Ice Beam, and frequently uses Calm Mind. If it holds Leftovers, Latias will never be 2HKOed by Starmie's Ice Beam unless Starmie is holding Choice Specs or Life Orb, which is fairly uncommon. Meanwhile, Latias can set up with Calm Mind or easily 2HKO even defensive Starmie with Thunderbolt. Additionally, Latias frequently does not mind being Tricked Choice Specs or Choice Scarf.</p>
<p>Spiritomb, Rotom-formes, and Dusknoir shut down the Rapid Spin set completely with their STAB super effective attacks and ability to block Rapid Spin. Spiritomb in particular is a problem as Sucker Punch and Pursuit put Starmie in a checkmate position.</p>
<p>Substitute / Calm Minders such as Thunderbolt Jirachi and Raikou can set up on Starmie with no problems, excluding the Choice Specs set.</p>
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I don't think I need to highlight the stuff I've added, but if necessary I can. Feel free to add more things: I'm all ears here. Anyway, you may have noticed some of the stuff is a bit... empty. It's either because I haven't used it much (the Reflect set) or that the premise is similair to another set (Choice and Late-game sweeper sets).
Hope it's alright. It's been a while since I've written one of these. >_<;
