Starmie (Analysis)

Ok, so slash Shed Shell on the Rapid Spin set and mention that Scarf Starmie outspeeds Deoxys-S, Modest Venusaur in sun, etc., and this is ready for GP.
 

Celestavian

Smooth
is a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnusis a Past SPL Champion
I'm going to amateur check this.

Red = Delete
Blue = Add


[Overview]

<p>Starmie's role doesn't alter much from its place in BW OU and other metagames. In fact, it is largely the same. Starmie's stat spread may not seem to be the best, nor the most powerful, but its incredible coverage and access to team support options are not to be overlooked. Starmie is one of the most offensive Spinners spinners out there, competing with Excadrill for that title, and can fulfill many roles on a team. Starmie's access to Natural Cure make makes it a great status absorber and can be used with Recover to last very long in a match highly increase its longevity. In addition, Starmie's excellent typing resists both of Keldo's Keldeo's STAB moves and its Speed let lets it outrun many dangerous threats like Thundurus and Gengar such as Thundurus, Terrakion, and Gengar. This combined with a Life Orb give gives Starmie great sweeping capabilities as well as supporting a team to augment its support capabilities.</p>

<p>Not all is well for Starmie in the Dream World metagame though. Threats like Ferrothorn, Blissey, and Chansey all wall Starmie, and Ghosts like Gengar and Jellicent can spinblock against it too non-Life Orb variants. To compile upon Starmie's grievances weaknesses, common Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Chandelure, Choice Scarf Genesect, and Latias all give Starmie troubles, threatening a sweep against it. Starmie's weaknesses do not help either, as U-turn, Pursuit, and Volt Switch are all common moves. Although Starmie faces many challenges, it can be used to great effect on a team to serve multiple roles.</p>

[SET]
name: Special Attacker
move 1: Hydro Pump / Surf
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Rapid Spin / Recover
ability: Natural Cure
item: Life Orb
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>The main goal for this set is to attack and score revenge kills, then use Rapid Spin or Recover when necessary. One may think Starmie cannot pull this off effectively, using only a with its average base 100 SpA Special Attack stat, but what makes this so effective is its Speed. Starmie can easily outspeed other Pokemon like such as Thundurus and Garchomp with ease while killing them with coverage moves. Starmie also has the advantage of coverage when being compared to Pokemon who might fill a similar role, using coverage and a STAB to score KOs left and right while outspeeding various speed tiers such as the desirable 110. Starmie's excellent coverage and Speed give it an edge over other Pokemon being considered for its role, especially with its ability to outspeed crucial Pokemon such as Terrakion and Thundurus.</p>

<p>The set's main STAB move should either be between be either Hydro Pump or Surf. This choice arouses the old accuracy-for-power debate, and it is a purely preferential decision upon what to use. Both choices provide a consistent, powerful move to help Starmie blast through walls. However, it should be noted that a Life Orb-boosted Surf cannot OHKO Gengar without Stealth Rock, so choose Hydro Pump if Gengar is problematic for your team. The next two moves on the set are practically necessary, providing the crucial coverage that makes Starmie so darn effective. Ice Beam is extremely useful for taking out Dragon-types such as Salamence, Dragonite, and Garchomp as well as getting more reliable coverage against Thundurus and hitting Breloom quite hard. Thunderbolt completes the infamous BoltBeam combo, netting KOs on Pokemon such as Gyarados and providing coverage against Water-types like such as Jellicent and Keldo Keldeo. The final move is also one of choice, as both are useful. Rapid Spin is used if one cannot find another spot for it on their team should be used if you can't fit it in another teammate's moveset, but will severely shorten Starmie's lifespan through not being able to heal residual damage. Recover is recommended if Rapid Spin is already on one's team your team already has a Rapid Spin user, as it will help Starmie greatly in the long run.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>This set's EVs are quite straightforward. Max Speed and Special Attack allow Starmie to hit as hard and fast as possible, and the extra four EVs are put in Special Defense to minimize Stealth Rock damage and prevent download Download users from getting a SpA Special Attack boost. Natural Cure is the ability of choice because it makes Starmie a great switch-in to status inducing moves, in addition to its other abilities being practically useless. Changes made to this set most common in move set. Moves like Psyshock and Hidden Power Fire are all viable. If you feel the extra coverage provided by Thunderbolt and Ice Beam are unnecessary, Starmie has a few other viable moves to replace its coverage options. Psyshock provides Starmie with a strong secondary STAB, hitting specially defensive walls such as Chansey harder. Hidden Power Fire is for breaking through Ferrothorn but will always fail to OHKO, so it can be seen as lackluster. The problem with replacing a move on Starmie's set is that it must give up either a helpful supporting move or a coverage move. As both of these are very valuable, it is best to drop what your team covers best. Another change that can be made is the item. While Life Orb provides a great power boost, Leftovers can be used to increase Starmie's longevity, but the power drop will be sorely missed severe. Expert Belt can also be used to bluff a choice set and power up Starmie's moves without recoil. To prevent a Choice Scarf Chandelure coming in and ruining Starmie's day, a Shed Shell is viable.</p>

<p>As this particular Starmie set focuses on attacking, it may have trouble breaking down walls with unboosted, non-STAB attacks. For this reason, a mixed Salamence set makes an excellent team partner, being able to break walls easily. Starmie also helps Salamence, resisting its Ice-type weakness and spinning Stealth Rock away for its entry. Antoher excellent teammate is Technician Breloom. Often Blissey, Chansey, and Ferrothorn will stop Starmie in its tracks, but Breloom's strong, Fighting-type attacks will easily break down such walls down effectively. Breloom's Mach Punch also helps against even faster threats than Starmie threats that can outspeed Starmie, such as Exacdrill Excadrill in sand or Choice Scarf users. This set also works extremely well with rain support from Politoed. The rain not only powers up Starmie's already dangerous STAB Hydro Pump, but enables it to use the vicious Thunder as a coverage move. Other general good teammates are Pokemon that can take U-turns and Volt Switches, such as Gastrodon, Terrakion, and Magnezone. When using this set one must be wary of Pokemon that can take an unboosted move from Starmie, such as the Lati twins Latios and Latias. Even though it is weak to Thunderbolt, a specially defensive Jellicent can also take repeated attacks from Starmie and retaliate with a STAB Shadow Ball.</p>

[SET]
name: Rapid Spin
move 1: Rapid Spin
move 2: Recover
move 3: Scald
move 4: Thunderbolt / Thunder Wave
ability: Natural Cure
item: Leftovers / Shed Shell
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>While the previous set's focus was primarily offense offensive, this set attempts to use both Rapid Spin and Recover to become a reliable spinner, while still maintaining a defensive presence. The crux of the set is Rapid Spin, enabling Starmie to be an excellent team supporter. Starmie's Rapid Spin can clear entry hazards for sweepers like such as Volcarona, Chandelure, Thundurus, and Dragonite. Starmie uses Recover in combination with Rapid Spin to allow it to spin many times throughout a match. This Starmie tends to use Surf and or Scald instead of Hydro Pump because of its more defensive nature. Scald give gives Starmie a good general STAB move as well as a chance to cripple a physically inclined sweeper for the rest of a match.. The final move is a coverage move Starmie can use to gain the upper hand in battle cripple certain threats. Thunderbolt is preferred due to the great general coverage it provides, but Thunder Wave is also a good option for spreading status around the opposing team. Leftovers is the item of choice on this set because it mainly focuses on Starmie's supporting abilities, rather than power. Shed Shell is also a useful item soley solely for escaping from Chandelure, a threat to any Starmie set. Natural Cure is a great ability for Starmie, not only because it lacks viable alternatives, but because it lets Starmie heal itself from Poison and Burns crippling status conditions. </p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Starmie's maximum HP Maximizing Starmie's HP stat lets it take hits much better, while still retaining its advantageous high Speed. Unlike Starmie's other set, this one has the ability to use several other supporting options in place of the final coverage move. Like the previous set, Hidden Power Fire, Psychic, and Psyshock are all viable moves for the coverage they provide. In addition to these moves Starmie can use Toxic and weather moves to aid its team. Toxic, in addition to Recover, is a good idea to stall out walls that normally plague Starmie. Weather inducing moves are an excellent defense to weather abusing teams. Starmie can utilize either Rain Dance or Hail to induce a different weather and potentially lead to an opponent's demise ruin an opponent's weather-based strategy. Great teammates for this set are one's that can truly take advantage of Starmie's spinning abilities. Pokemon that are weak to Stealth Rock, hate Spikes, or Toxic Spikes are all great partners that love the team support that Starmie gives. Defensively, Starmie enjoys Pokemon that can take handle its weaknesses to Volt Switch and U-turn such as Landorus, Thundurus, and respectively bulky Pokemon other Pokemon bulky enough to take the hit such as Ferrothorn. This set also makes a wonderful Keldeo check because it can endure repeated blows from its resisted dual STAB combination. Starmie can also hit back with either Psychic or Thunder Wave, essentially crippling Keldeo for the match. Unfortunately though, this Starmie set also has problems. Bulky spinblockers like such as Jellicent and Dusclops take advantage of Starmie's relative offensive weakness and constantly stop Starmie's Rapid Spin. Also, with its lesser power, Pokemon such as Gengar and Tyranitar can take a hit and retaliate with their powerful super-effective STAB moves. As an aside, this set also makes a wonderful Keldo check because it can endure repeated special blows from the resisted dual STAB combination. Starmie can also hit back with either Psychic or Thunder Wave, essentially crippling Keldo for the match.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice
move 1: Hydro Pump / Surf
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Thunderbolt
move 4: Trick / Hidden Power Fire / Rapid Spin
ability: Natural Cure
item: Choice Scarf / Choice Specs
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>When using equipped with a Choice item, Starmie becomes either a great revenge-killer or a powerful attacker. A Choice Scarf is a great item for Starmie due to its rare and high speed Speed tier, outspeeding crucial threats such as Scarf Terrakion, Scarf Garchomp, +1 Dragonite, Deoxys-S, Modest Venusaur in sun and +1 Salamence. On the other hand, Choice Specs give gives Starmie great breaking force a huge boost in power, as not much can stand up to a Rain-boosted Choice Specs Hydro Pump when Starmie. Hydro Pump is the move of choice for both items because of its sheer power, compensating for the Choice Scarf's set's only decent average Special Attack and making attacks coming from Specs absolutely insane ensuring maximum power for the Choice Specs set. Surf can be used for more reliability, but it is significantly less powerful. Ice Beam and Thunderbolt are special attacking staples, giving great coverage next to Starmie's STAB Water-type attacks. Trick can be used for getting rid of one's own choice item while messing with the opponent's walls, although there are other options over it. Hidden Power Fire is more so recommended a viable choice for the Choice Specs set because of its chance to OHKO Ferrothorn with entry hazards support. and Rapid Spin can be used with Choice Scarf for a quick removal of hazards, letting Pokemon like Dragonite and Volcarona set up.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EVs on this set maximize Starmie's offensive presence while taking advantage of its near-unique speed tier. Taking any EVs away from either offensive stat is not recommended, but the last 4 EVs can be used at one's leisure to determine which of Genesect's stats becomes boosted. Other move options are available for this set, but remain slim rare due to its primarily attacking nature. Psychic and Psyshock both have their merits as a secondary STAB, each hitting different threats to Starmie, although Psyshock is noted for its capabilities ability to 2HKO Blissey with hazard support and ability to hit Keldo Keldeo much harder. Thunder or Blizzard can be used over the move of the same type with either rain or hail support, respectively. The best possible teammates for this set are ones that can take Volt Switches and U-turns for Starmie, something it is extremely vulnerable to. Pokemon that exemplify this quality synergize well with Starmie are Gastrodon, Garchomp, Dragonite, and simply bulky Pokemon Pokemon that are bulky enough to take the appropriate switching move. One of the better teammates out there Another good choice is Magnezone, resisting both Volt Switch and U-turn as well as trapping Magnezone Ferrothorn, a primary wall to Starmie.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>In addition to the aforementioned sets, Starmie can also choose to run a Dual Screens run an effective Dual Screens set. Although seemingly effective with Starmie's blistering Speed, Starmie's lackluster bulk makes it undesirable for such a role. A set utilizing Gravity can be used with Blizzard, Hydro Pump, and Thunder, each gaining perfect accuracy while the condition in is in effect. The main problem with this though is its lack of general utility outside of Gravity. The item Shed Shell is viable on any Starmie set to escape the threat of Choice Scarf Chandelure, but either the recovery or power boost given by other items will be sorely missed. Hidden Power Fire is a good move on any set is if Starmie is used on a Sun team, because it defeats as it roasts many common counters such as Ferrothorn.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Even though Starmie possesses amazing tools available to little few other Pokemon, its list of checks and counters is long. VoltTurn teams tend to rip apart Starmie, usually relying on fast U-Turns U-turns and Volt Switches to destroy the enemy, in this case Starmie. Being weak to both and hitting Rotom-W only neutrally brings down lowers Starmie's usefulness in matches against these teams. Starmie also has a rough time against Sun teams, as they reduce the power of Starmie's main attack greatly. In addition, Chlororphyll sweepers such as Venusaur and Shifty Shiftry can come in on Starmie and threaten it out with Grass-type STAB moves.

<p>In addition to playstyles, several Pokemon wall Starmie. Gastrodon, although rare, is immune to both Hydro Pump and Thunderbolt and takes very little from Ice Beam. Ferrothorn resists both Starmie's STAB and Thunderbolt, while taking absolutely pathetic damage from Ice Beam. Ferrothorn can also retaliate with a super effective Power Whip. Choice Scarf Chandelure is able to trap Starmie and hit it with a super effective STAB Shadow Ball, effectively eliminating it from the game. Chandelure must be careful not to switch into a Hydro Pump though. Both Chansey and Blissey take little damage from any move in Starmie's arsenal, bar Psyshock. They can return an spam Starmie with repeated Seismic Tosses in return to wear down the Life Orb set. Rotom-W can severely dent if not OHKO Starmie using STAB Electric-type attacks like Volt Switch, Thunderbolt, and Thunder. The most Starmie can do to Rotom-W is though use Thunderbolt, although it will never OHKO Rotom-W. Jellicent and Dusclops can stop and spinning Starmie attempts Starmie's spinning attempts, but Dusclops must be wary of a strong Life Orb boosted Hydro Pump though and Jellicent cannot take too many Thunderbolts in a row. Choice Scarf using Genesect also give gives Starmie problems, as a super effective STAB Bug Buzz or U-turn will always OHKO Starmie, regardless of a Download boost. Choice Scarf Tyranitar is also an excellent check to Starmie, being able to come in after a KO and trap it with Pursuit or KO with Crunch. Finally, faster threats that can OHKO Starmie like Weavile can come in and easily OHKO Starmie with super effective moves, although they must beware of swithing switching into one of Starmie's more powerful attacks.</p>
 
Thanks guys :3
Hawkstar, I'm sorry that was so awful; definately not up to my usual standards at all. Looking back at the post, 11:40 may not have been the best time to write up a full analysis lol.
 

SkullCandy

She Bangs The Drums
is a Contributor Alumnus
[Overview]

<p>Starmie's role doesn't alter much from its place in BW OU and other metagames hasn't altered much in the transition to BW. In fact, it is largely the same. Starmie's stat spread may not seem to be the best, nor the most powerful, but its incredible coverage and access to team excellent support options are not to be overlooked. Starmie is one of the most best offensive spinners out there, competing with Excadrill for that title, and can fulfill many roles on a team. Starmie's access to Natural Cure makes it a great status absorber and can be used with Recover to highly increase its longevity. In addition, Starmie's excellent typing resists both of Keldeo's STAB moves and its Speed lets it outrun many dangerous threats such as Thundurus, Terrakion, and Gengar. This, combined with a Life Orb, gives Starmie great sweeping capabilities to augment its support capabilities.</p>

<p>Not all is well for Starmie in the Dream World metagame though. Threats like Ferrothorn, Blissey, and Chansey all wall Starmie, and Ghosts, like such as Gengar and Jellicent, can spinblock against non-Life Orb variants. To compile upon To further complicate matters, Starmie's weaknesses to, common Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Chandelure, Choice Scarf Genesect, and Latias all give Starmie troubles, threatening a sweep against it enable those Pokemon to threaten it with a sweep. Starmie's weaknesses do not help either, as U-turn, Pursuit, and Volt Switch are all common moves. Although Even though Starmie faces many challenges, it can be used to great effect on a team to serve multiple roles.</p>

[SET]
name: Special Attacker
move 1: Hydro Pump / Surf
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Rapid Spin / Recover
ability: Natural Cure
item: Life Orb
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>The main goal for this set is This set's main goal is to attack and score revenge kills, then use Rapid Spin or Recover when necessary. One may might think Starmie cannot pull this off effectively with due to its average base 100 Special Attack stat, but what makes this so effective is its Speed. Starmie can easily outspeed other Pokemon such as Thundurus and Garchomp with ease while killing and KO them with its coverage moves. Starmie's excellent coverage and Speed give it an edge over other Pokemon being considered for its role, especially with its ability to as it can outspeed crucial Pokemon such as Terrakion and Thundurus.</p>

<p>The set's main STAB move should be either Hydro Pump or Surf. This choice arouses brings back the old accuracy-for-power debate, and it is a purely preferential decision upon what to use. Both choices provide a consistent, powerful move to help Starmie blast through walls. However, it should be noted that a Life Orb-boosted Surf cannot OHKO Gengar without Stealth Rock, so choose Hydro Pump if Gengar is especially problematic for your team. The next two moves on the set are practically necessary essential, providing as they provide the crucial coverage that makes Starmie so effective. Ice Beam is extremely useful for taking out Dragon-types such as Salamence, Dragonite, and Garchomp, as well as getting more reliable coverage against Thundurus and hitting and also hits Thundurus and Breloom quite hard. Thunderbolt completes the infamous, near unresisted BoltBeam combo, netting that nets KOs on Pokemon such as Gyarados and providing provides coverage against Water-types, such as Jellicent and Keldeo. The final move is also one of choice up to you, as both are useful. Rapid Spin should be used if you can't fit it in another teammate's moveset, but will severely shorten Starmie's lifespan through not being as it won't be able to heal residual damage. Recover is recommended if your team already has a Rapid Spin user, as it will greatly help Starmie greatly in the long run.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>This set's EVs are quite straightforward. Max Speed and Special Attack allow Starmie to hit as hard and fast as possible, and the extra four EVs are put in Special Defense to minimize Stealth Rock damage and prevent Download users from getting a Special Attack boost. Natural Cure is the ability of choice because it makes Starmie a great switch-in to status inducing moves, in addition to and its other abilities being are practically useless. If you feel the extra coverage provided by Thunderbolt and Ice Beam are unnecessary, Starmie has a few other viable moves to replace its coverage options. Psyshock provides Starmie with a strong secondary STAB, hitting and hits specially defensive walls, such as Chansey, harder. Hidden Power Fire is for breaking through Ferrothorn but will always fail to OHKO, so it can be seen as is a bit lackluster. The problem with replacing a move on Starmie's set is that it must give up either a helpful supporting move or a coverage move. As both of these are very valuable, it is best to drop a move what that helps against a Pokemon that your team already covers best. Another change that can be made is the item. While Life Orb provides a great power boost, Leftovers can be used to increase Starmie's longevity and to allow you to spam Rapid Spin, but the power drop will be severe. Expert Belt can also be used to bluff a choice set and power up Starmie's moves without recoil. To prevent a Choice Scarf Chandelure coming in and ruining Starmie's day, a Shed Shell is viable.</p>

<p>As this particular Starmie set focuses on attacking, it may have trouble breaking down walls with unboosted, non-STAB attacks. For this reason, a mixed Salamence set makes an excellent team partner, being as it is able to break through walls easily. Starmie also helps Salamence, resisting it resists its Ice-type weakness and spinning can spin Stealth Rock away for its entry to enable it to switch in for free. Antoher excellent teammate is Technician Breloom. Blissey, Chansey, and Ferrothorn will all stop Starmie in its tracks, but Breloom's strong Fighting-type attacks will easily break down such walls<remove space>. Breloom's Mach Punch also helps against threats that can outspeed Starmie, such as Excadrill in sand or certain Choice Scarf users. This set also works extremely well with rain support from Politoed. The rain not only powers up Starmie's already dangerous STAB Hydro Pump, but enables it to use the vicious Thunder as a coverage move. Other general good teammates are include Pokemon that can take U-turns and Volt Switches, such as Gastrodon, Terrakion(? it takes about 40% from CB Scizor's U-turn and doesn't enjoy switching into the most common Volt Switch user: Rotom-W), and Magnezone. When using this set one must be wary of Pokemon that can take an unboosted move from Starmie, such as Latios and Latias. Even though it is weak to Thunderbolt, a specially defensive Jellicent can also take repeated attacks from Starmie and retaliate with a STAB Shadow Ball.</p>

[SET]
name: Rapid Spin
move 1: Rapid Spin
move 2: Recover
move 3: Scald
move 4: Thunderbolt / Thunder Wave
ability: Natural Cure
item: Leftovers / Shed Shell
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>While the previous set's focus was primarily offensive, This set attempts to use both Rapid Spin and Recover to become a reliable spinner, while still maintaining a defensive presence. The crux of the set is Rapid Spin,; enabling it enables Starmie to become an excellent team supporter. Starmie's Rapid Spin can clears entry hazards for sweepers such as Volcarona, Chandelure, Thundurus, and Dragonite, and enables to sweep with greater ease. Starmie uses Recover in combination with Rapid Spin to allow it to spin many times throughout a match. This Starmie tends to use Surf or Scald instead of Hydro Pump because of its more defensive nature. Scald gives Starmie a good general STAB move as well as a chance to cripple a physically inclined sweeper with a burn for the rest of a match. The final moveslot is dedicated to a coverage move for Starmie can use to cripple certain threats with. Thunderbolt is preferred due to the greater general neutral coverage it provides, but Thunder Wave is also a good option for spreading status around the opposing team. Leftovers is the item of choice on this set because it the set mainly focuses mainly on Starmie's supporting abilities, rather than its power power. Shed Shell is also a useful item solely for escaping from Chandelure, a threat to any Starmie set Starmie, no matter what set it runs. Natural Cure is a great ability for Starmie, not only because it lacks viable alternatives, but because it lets Starmie heal itself from crippling status conditions, such as poison or paralysis.<remove space></p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Maximizing Starmie's HP stat lets it take hits much better, while still retaining but still retains its advantageous high Speed. Unlike Starmie's other set, This one set has the ability to use several other supporting options in place of the final coverage move. Like the previous set, Hidden Power Fire, Psychic, and Psyshock are all viable moves for thanks to the coverage they provide. In addition to these moves Starmie can use Toxic and weather moves to aid its team. Toxic, in addition to Recover, is a good idea to can stall out walls that would normally plague give Starmie trouble, such as Chansey and Blissey. Weather inducing moves are an excellent defense to weather abusing teams. Starmie can utilize either Rain Dance or Hail to induce a different weather and potentially ruin an opponent's weather-based strategy. Great teammates for this set are one's that can truly take advantage of Starmie's spinning abilities. Pokemon that are weak to Stealth Rock, Spikes, or Toxic Spikes are all great partners that love the team support that Starmie gives provides. Defensively, Starmie enjoys Pokemon that can handle its weaknesses to Volt Switch and U-turn, such as Landorus, Thundurus, and other Pokemon bulky enough to take the hit such as Ferrothorn. This set also makes for a wonderful Keldeo check because it can endure repeated blows from its resisted dual STABs combination. Starmie can also hit back with either Psychic or Thunder Wave, essentially thus crippling Keldeo for the match. Unfortunately, this Starmie set also has its problems. Bulky spinblockers, such as Jellicent and Dusclops, can take advantage of Starmie's relative offensive weakness low damage output and constantly stop block Starmie's Rapid Spin. Also, with due to its lesser lower power, Pokemon such as Gengar and Tyranitar can take a hit and retaliate with their powerful super-effective STAB moves.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice
move 1: Hydro Pump / Surf
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Thunderbolt
move 4: Trick / Hidden Power Fire / Rapid Spin
ability: Natural Cure
item: Choice Scarf / Choice Specs
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>When equipped with a Choice item, Starmie becomes either a great revenge killer or a powerful attacker. A Choice Scarf is a great item for Starmie due thanks to its rare and high Speed tier, outspeeding which enables it to outspeed crucial threats such as Scarf Terrakion, Scarf Garchomp, +1 Dragonite, Deoxys-S, Modest Venusaur in sun, and +1 Salamence. On the other hand, Choice Specs gives Starmie a huge boost in power, as not much can stand up to a rain-boosted Choice Specs Hydro Pump. Hydro Pump is the move of choice for both items because of its sheer power, compensating which compensates for the Choice Scarf set's average Special Attack and ensuring ensures maximum power for the Choice Specs set. Surf can be used for more reliability as it is more reliable, but it is significantly less powerful. Ice Beam and Thunderbolt are special attacking staples, giving and give great coverage next to alongside Starmie's STAB Water-type attacks. Trick can be used for getting rid of one's own choice item while messing with the opponent's walls, although there are other options that can be used over in place of it. Hidden Power Fire is a viable choice for the Choice Specs set because of its as it has a chance to OHKO Ferrothorn with entry hazards support. Rapid Spin can be used with Choice Scarf for a quick removal of hazards, letting which allows Pokemon like Dragonite and Volcarona to set up.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EVs on this set maximize Starmie's offensive presence while taking and take advantage of its near-unique speed tier. Taking any EVs away from either offensive stat is not recommended, but the last 4 EVs can be used at one's leisure to determine which of Genesect's stats becomes boosted should it switch in. Other move options are available for this set, but remain rare due to its primarily attacking nature. Psychic and Psyshock both have their merits as a secondary STAB,; each hits different threats to Starmie, although Psyshock is noted for its ability to 2HKO Blissey with hazard support and ability to hit Keldeo much harder. Thunder or Blizzard can be used over the move of the same type Thunderbolt or Ice Beam, respectively, with either rain or hail support, respectively the appropriate weather support. The best possible teammates for this set are ones that can take Volt Switches and U-turns for Starmie, something both of which it is extremely vulnerable to. Pokemon that synergize well with Starmie are include Gastrodon, Garchomp, Dragonite, and any other Pokemon that are bulky enough to take the appropriate switching move. Another good choice is Magnezone,; resisting it resists both Volt Switch and U-turn as well as trapping and can trap Ferrothorn, a primary wall to Starmie.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>In addition to the aforementioned sets, Starmie can also run an effective Dual Screens set. Although seemingly this may appear effective with thanks to Starmie's blistering Speed, Starmie's its lackluster bulk makes it undesirable for such a role. A set utilizing Gravity can be used with Blizzard, Hydro Pump, and Thunder, each gaining of which gain perfect accuracy while the condition is in effect. The main problem with this, though, is its lack of general utility outside of setting up Gravity. The item Shed Shell is viable on any Starmie set in order to escape the threat of Choice Scarf Chandelure, but the HP recovery or power boost given granted by other items will be sorely missed. Hidden Power Fire is a good move on any set if Starmie is used on a Sun team, as it roasts many common counters such as Ferrothorn.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Even though Although (even though insinuates a positive outcome, although a negative one) Starmie possesses amazing tools that are available to few other Pokemon, its list of checks and counters is long. VoltTurn teams tend to rip apart Starmie apart; usually relying on fast U-turns and Volt Switches to destroy the enemy, in this case as Starmie is weak to both moves. Being weak to both and hitting only hits Rotom-W only neutrally for neutral damage, lowers Starmie's usefulness it is a lot less useful in matches against these teams. Starmie also has a rough time against Sun teams, as they reduce the power of Starmie's main attack greatly. In addition, Chlororphyll sweepers such as Venusaur and Shiftry can come in on Starmie and threaten it out with their Grass-type STAB moves.</p>

<p>In addition to certain playstyles, several Pokemon wall Starmie. Gastrodon, although rare, is immune to both Hydro Pump and Thunderbolt and takes very little from Ice Beam. Ferrothorn resists both Starmie's STAB attacks and Thunderbolt, while taking absolutely pathetic and takes little damage from Ice Beam. Ferrothorn can also retaliate with a super effective STAB Power Whip. Choice Scarf Chandelure is able to trap Starmie and hit it with a super effective STAB Shadow Ball, which effectively eliminating eliminates it from the game. Chandelure must be careful not to switch into a Hydro Pump, though. Both Chansey and Blissey take little damage from any move in Starmie's arsenal, bar Psyshock. They can spam Starmie with repeated Seismic Tosses in return to wear down the Life Orb set. Rotom-W can severely dent, if not OHKO, Starmie using with its STAB Electric-type attacks, like such as Volt Switch, Thunderbolt, and Thunder. The most Starmie can do to Rotom-W is use Thunderbolt, although and this it will never OHKO Rotom-W. Jellicent and Dusclops can stop Starmie's spinning attempts, but Dusclops must be wary of a strong Life Orb boosted Hydro Pump and Jellicent cannot take too many Thunderbolts in a row. Choice Scarf Genesect also gives Starmie problems, as a super effective STAB Bug Buzz or U-turn will always OHKO Starmie, regardless of a which stat Download boosts. Choice Scarf Tyranitar is also an excellent check to Starmie, being able to come in after a KO and trap it with Pursuit or KO it with Crunch. Finally Lastly, faster threats that can OHKO Starmie, like such as Weavile, can come in and easily OHKO Starmie with super effective moves, although they must beware of switching into one of Starmie's more powerful attacks.</p>
[Overview]

<p>Starmie's role hasn't altered much in the transition to BW. In fact, it is largely the same. Starmie's stat spread may not seem to be the best, nor the most powerful, but its incredible coverage and access to excellent support options are not to be overlooked. Starmie is one of the best offensive spinners out there, competing with Excadrill for that title, and can fulfill many roles on a team. Starmie's access to Natural Cure makes it a great status absorber and can be used with Recover to highly increase its longevity. In addition, Starmie's excellent typing resists both of Keldeo's STAB moves and its Speed lets it outrun many dangerous threats such as Thundurus, Terrakion, and Gengar. This, combined with a Life Orb, gives Starmie great sweeping capabilities to augment its support capabilities.</p>

<p>Not all is well for Starmie in the Dream World metagame though. Threats like Ferrothorn, Blissey, and Chansey all wall Starmie and Ghosts, such as Gengar and Jellicent, can spinblock against non-Life Orb variants. To further complicate matters, Starmie's weaknesses to, common Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Chandelure, Choice Scarf Genesect, and Latias enable those Pokemon to threaten it with a sweep. Starmie's weaknesses do not help either, as U-turn, Pursuit, and Volt Switch are all common moves. Even though Starmie faces many challenges, it can be used to great effect on a team to serve multiple roles.</p>

[SET]
name: Special Attacker
move 1: Hydro Pump / Surf
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Rapid Spin / Recover
ability: Natural Cure
item: Life Orb
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This set's main goal is to attack and score revenge kills, then use Rapid Spin or Recover when necessary. One might think Starmie cannot pull this off effectively due to its average base 100 Special Attack stat, but what makes this so effective is its Speed. Starmie can easily outspeed other Pokemon such as Thundurus and Garchomp and KO them with its coverage moves. Starmie's excellent coverage and Speed give it an edge over other Pokemon being considered for its role, especially as it can outspeed crucial Pokemon such as Terrakion and Thundurus.</p>

<p>The set's main STAB move should be either Hydro Pump or Surf. This choice brings back the old accuracy-for-power debate, and it is a purely preferential decision upon what to use. Both choices provide a consistent, powerful move to help Starmie blast through walls. However, it should be noted that a Life Orb-boosted Surf cannot OHKO Gengar without Stealth Rock, so choose Hydro Pump if Gengar is especially problematic for your team. The next two moves on the set are essential as they provide the crucial coverage that makes Starmie so effective. Ice Beam is extremely useful for taking out Dragon-types such as Salamence, Dragonite, and Garchomp, and also hits Thundurus and Breloom quite hard. Thunderbolt completes the infamous, near unresisted BoltBeam combo that nets KOs on Pokemon such as Gyarados and provides coverage against Water-types, such as Jellicent and Keldeo. The final move is up to you as both are useful. Rapid Spin should be used if you can't fit it in another teammate's moveset, but will severely shorten Starmie's lifespan as it won't be able to heal residual damage. Recover is recommended if your team already has a Rapid Spin user, as it will greatly help Starmie in the long run.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>This set's EVs are quite straightforward. Max Speed and Special Attack allow Starmie to hit as hard and fast as possible, and the extra four EVs are put in Special Defense to minimize Stealth Rock damage and prevent Download users from getting a Special Attack boost. Natural Cure is the ability of choice because it makes Starmie a great switch-in to status inducing moves, and its other abilities are practically useless. If you feel the extra coverage provided by Thunderbolt and Ice Beam are unnecessary, Starmie has a few other viable moves to replace its coverage options. Psyshock provides Starmie with a strong secondary STAB, and hits specially defensive walls, such as Chansey, harder. Hidden Power Fire is for breaking through Ferrothorn but will always fail to OHKO, so it is a bit lackluster. The problem with replacing a move on Starmie's set is that it must give up either a helpful supporting move or a coverage move. As both of these are very valuable, it is best to drop a move that helps against a Pokemon that your team already covers. Another change that can be made is the item. While Life Orb provides a great power boost, Leftovers can be used to increase Starmie's longevity and to allow you to spam Rapid Spin, but the power drop will be severe. Expert Belt can also be used to bluff a choice set and power up Starmie's moves without recoil. To prevent a Choice Scarf Chandelure coming in and ruining Starmie's day, a Shed Shell is viable.</p>

<p>As this particular Starmie set focuses on attacking, it may have trouble breaking down walls with unboosted, non-STAB attacks. For this reason, a mixed Salamence set makes an excellent partner as it is able to break through walls easily. Starmie also helps Salamence, it resists its Ice-type weakness and can spin Stealth Rock away to enable it to switch in for free. Antoher excellent teammate is Technician Breloom. Blissey, Chansey, and Ferrothorn all stop Starmie in its tracks, but Breloom's strong Fighting-type attacks will easily break down such walls. Breloom's Mach Punch also helps against threats that can outspeed Starmie, such as Excadrill in sand or certain Choice Scarf users. This set also works extremely well with rain support from Politoed. The rain not only powers up Starmie's already dangerous STAB Hydro Pump, but enables it to use the vicious Thunder as a coverage move. Other good teammates include Pokemon that can take U-turns and Volt Switches, such as Gastrodon, Terrakion, and Magnezone. When using this set one must be wary of Pokemon that can take an unboosted move from Starmie, such as Latios and Latias. Even though it is weak to Thunderbolt, specially defensive Jellicent can also take repeated attacks from Starmie and retaliate with a STAB Shadow Ball.</p>

[SET]
name: Rapid Spin
move 1: Rapid Spin
move 2: Recover
move 3: Scald
move 4: Thunderbolt / Thunder Wave
ability: Natural Cure
item: Leftovers / Shed Shell
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This set attempts to use both Rapid Spin and Recover to become a reliable spinner, while still maintaining a defensive presence. The crux of the set is Rapid Spin; it enables Starmie to become an excellent team supporter. Rapid Spin clears entry hazards for sweepers such as Volcarona, Chandelure, Thundurus, and Dragonite, and enables to sweep with greater ease. Starmie uses Recover in combination with Rapid Spin to allow it to spin many times throughout a match. This Starmie tends to use Surf or Scald instead of Hydro Pump because of its more defensive nature. Scald gives Starmie a good STAB move as well as a chance to cripple a physically inclined sweeper with a burn for the rest of a match. The final moveslot is dedicated to a coverage move for Starmie to cripple certain threats with. Thunderbolt is preferred due to the greater neutral coverage it provides, but Thunder Wave is also a good option for spreading status. Leftovers is the item of choice on this set because the set focuses mainly on Starmie's supporting abilities, rather than its power power. Shed Shell is also a useful item solely for escaping from Chandelure, a threat to Starmie, no matter what set it runs. Natural Cure is a great ability for Starmie, not only because it lacks viable alternatives, but because it lets Starmie heal itself from crippling status conditions, such as poison or paralysis.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Maximizing Starmie's HP stat lets it take hits much better, but still retains its high Speed. This set has the ability to use several other supporting options in place of the final coverage move. Hidden Power Fire, Psychic, and Psyshock are all viable moves thanks to the coverage they provide. In addition to these moves Starmie can use Toxic and weather moves to aid its team. Toxic, in addition to Recover, can stall out walls that would normally give Starmie trouble, such as Chansey and Blissey. Weather inducing moves are an excellent defense to weather abusing teams. Starmie can utilize either Rain Dance or Hail to induce a different weather and potentially ruin an opponent's weather-based strategy. Great teammates for this set are one's that can truly take advantage of Starmie's spinning abilities. Pokemon that are weak to Stealth Rock, Spikes, or Toxic Spikes are all great partners that love the team support that Starmie provides. Defensively, Starmie enjoys Pokemon that can handle its weaknesses to Volt Switch and U-turn, such as Landorus, Thundurus, and other Pokemon bulky enough to take the hit such as Ferrothorn. This set also makes for a wonderful Keldeo check because it can endure repeated blows from its dual STABs. Starmie can also hit back with either Psychic or Thunder Wave, thus crippling Keldeo for the match. Unfortunately, this Starmie set also has its problems. Bulky spinblockers, such as Jellicent and Dusclops, can take advantage of Starmie's low damage output and constantly block Starmie's Rapid Spin. Also, due to its lower power, Pokemon such as Gengar and Tyranitar can take a hit and retaliate with their powerful super-effective STAB moves.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice
move 1: Hydro Pump / Surf
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Thunderbolt
move 4: Trick / Hidden Power Fire / Rapid Spin
ability: Natural Cure
item: Choice Scarf / Choice Specs
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>When equipped with a Choice item, Starmie becomes either a great revenge killer or a powerful attacker. Choice Scarf is a great item for Starmie thanks to its rare and high Speed tier, which enables it to outspeed crucial threats such as Scarf Terrakion, Scarf Garchomp, +1 Dragonite, Deoxys-S, Modest Venusaur in sun, and +1 Salamence. On the other hand, Choice Specs gives Starmie a huge boost in power, as not much can stand up to a rain-boosted Choice Specs Hydro Pump. Hydro Pump is the move of choice for both items because of its sheer power, which compensates for the Choice Scarf set's average Special Attack and ensures maximum power for the Choice Specs set. Surf can be used as it is more reliable, but it is significantly less powerful. Ice Beam and Thunderbolt are special attacking staples, and give great coverage alongside Starmie's STAB Water-type attacks. Trick can be used for getting rid of one's own choice item while messing with the opponent's walls, although there are other options that can be used in place of it. Hidden Power Fire is a viable choice for the Choice Specs set as it has a chance to OHKO Ferrothorn with entry hazards support. Rapid Spin can be used with Choice Scarf for a quick removal of hazards, which allows Pokemon like Dragonite and Volcarona to set up.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EVs on this set maximize Starmie's offensive presence and take advantage of its unique speed tier. Taking any EVs away from either offensive stat is not recommended, but the last 4 EVs can be used at one's leisure to determine which of Genesect's stats becomes boosted should it switch in. Psychic and Psyshock both have their merits as a secondary STAB; each hits different threats to Starmie, although Psyshock is noted for its ability to 2HKO Blissey with hazard support and ability to hit Keldeo much harder. Thunder or Blizzard can be used over Thunderbolt or Ice Beam, respectively, with the appropriate weather support. The best possible teammates for this set are ones that can take Volt Switches and U-turns, both of which it is extremely vulnerable to. Pokemon that synergize well with Starmie include Gastrodon, Garchomp, Dragonite, and any other Pokemon that are bulky enough to take the appropriate switching move. Another good choice is Magnezone; it resists both Volt Switch and U-turn and can trap Ferrothorn, a primary wall to Starmie.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>In addition to the aforementioned sets, Starmie can also run an effective Dual Screens set. Although this may appear effective thanks to Starmie's blistering Speed, its lackluster bulk makes it undesirable for such a role. A set utilizing Gravity can be used with Blizzard, Hydro Pump, and Thunder, each of which gain perfect accuracy while the condition is in effect. The main problem with this, though, is its lack of general utility outside of setting up Gravity. Shed Shell is viable on any Starmie set in order to escape Choice Scarf Chandelure, but the HP recovery or power boost granted by other items will be sorely missed. Hidden Power Fire is a good move on any set if Starmie is used on a Sun team, as it roasts many common counters such as Ferrothorn.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Although Starmie possesses amazing tools that are available to few other Pokemon, its list of checks and counters is long. VoltTurn teams tend to rip Starmie apart; as Starmie is weak to both moves and only hits Rotom-W for neutral damage, it is a lot less useful in matches against these teams. Starmie also has a rough time against Sun teams, as they reduce the power of Starmie's main attack greatly. In addition, Chlororphyll sweepers such as Venusaur and Shiftry can come in on Starmie and threaten it out with their Grass-type STAB moves.</p>

<p>In addition to certain playstyles, several Pokemon wall Starmie. Gastrodon, although rare, is immune to both Hydro Pump and Thunderbolt and takes very little from Ice Beam. Ferrothorn resists both Starmie's STAB attacks and Thunderbolt, and takes little damage from Ice Beam. Ferrothorn can also retaliate with a super effective STAB Power Whip. Choice Scarf Chandelure is able to trap Starmie and hit it with a super effective STAB Shadow Ball, which effectively eliminates it from the game. Chandelure must be careful not to switch into a Hydro Pump, though. Both Chansey and Blissey take little damage from any move in Starmie's arsenal, bar Psyshock. They can spam Starmie with repeated Seismic Tosses in return to wear down the Life Orb set. Rotom-W can severely dent, if not OHKO, Starmie with its STAB Electric-type attacks, such as Volt Switch, Thunderbolt, and Thunder. The most Starmie can do to Rotom-W is use Thunderbolt, and this will never OHKO Rotom-W. Jellicent and Dusclops can stop Starmie's spinning attempts, but Dusclops must be wary of a strong Life Orb boosted Hydro Pump and Jellicent cannot take too many Thunderbolts in a row. Choice Scarf Genesect also gives Starmie problems, as a super effective STAB Bug Buzz or U-turn will always OHKO Starmie, regardless of which stat Download boosts. Choice Scarf Tyranitar is also an excellent check to Starmie, being able to come in after a KO and trap it with Pursuit or KO it with Crunch. Lastly, faster threats that can OHKO Starmie, such as Weavile, can come in and easily OHKO Starmie with super effective moves, although they must beware of switching into one of Starmie's more powerful attacks.</p>




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