"Baby when they look up at the sky
We'll be shooting stars just passing by
You'll be coming home with me tonight
We'll be burning up like neon lights"
[OVERVIEW]
Starmie has several valuable assets that allow it to function effectively in OU, whether it's playing a supportive or an offensive role. Access to Rapid Spin, a great move with limited distribution, coupled with a solid defensive typing and reliable recovery allows Starmie to reliably remove entry hazards against many teams due to its ability to force many switches. Such a role is further cemented by its excellent Speed stat, which allows Starmie to outpace most of the unboosted metagame. Its wide offensive and defensive movepool means it can be catered to its team's needs easily while having a limited number of switch-ins due to its wide coverage options. Starmie also has two good abilities that it can put to use, with Natural Cure being a godsend on defensive sets, reducing Starmie's vulnerability to status ailments, and Analytic giving it the power to truly threaten some of its switch-ins.
However, there are a few drawbacks to using Starmie, the chief of which is that while its typing is strong from a defensive standpoint, its actual bulk is little better than average, meaning it can struggle to take repeated punishment from common offensive Pokemon such as Keldeo, particularly if it is attempting to use Rapid Spin. A flaw to Starmie's otherwise strong typing is a Dark-type weakness, which means that Starmie is liable to being Pursuit trapped and removed from play. This can somewhat be remedied by Reflect Type, but this requires strong prediction and uses up a moveslot, thus reducing Starmie's available options.
[SET]
name: Utility
move 1: Scald
move 2: Rapid Spin
move 3: Recover
move 4: Psyshock / Reflect Type
item: Leftovers
ability: Natural Cure
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Scald is an extremely spammable STAB move that threatens anything that wants to switch into Starmie with the chance of a burn, allowing it to wear down its bulkier switch-ins and cripple physical attackers entirely. Rapid Spin is what gives Starmie its niche as a support Pokemon, allowing it to remove entry hazards while preserving its own, which can be extremely useful for balanced teams that utilize multiple hazards in order to wear the foe down. Recover gives Starmie longevity, potentially allowing it to outlast the opponent's entry hazard setters and remove their entry hazards permanently. It also allows Starmie to take on threats such as Keldeo and Mega Metagross multiple times, fulfilling an important defensive role for its team. The last slot is fairly team dependent in that it is usually decided by what role Starmie needs to fulfill for its team. Psyshock allows Starmie to comfortably switch into and beat Calm Mind Keldeo, which it would lose to otherwise, meaning it can switch into any Keldeo lacking a super effective Hidden Power comfortably. It also has decent coverage alongside Scald, hitting Poison-types such as Mega Venusaur, Dragalge, and Gengar. Hitting Gengar is particularly important, as it prevents it from attempting to spinblock Starmie. Reflect Type makes Starmie more reliable as a spinner, allowing it to evade Pursuit attempts from the likes of Bisharp and Scizor and potentially burn them with Scald. It has excellent utility in allowing Starmie to take on other Pokemon it could not before such as Magnezone, Ferrothorn, and Mega Charizard Y by copying their typing and utilizing it defensively to beat them in a one-on-one situation, as it outspeeds all variants of Magnezone, can cripple Ferrothorn with Scald, and can stall out Charizard's sun. An assortment of alternative moves can be run in the final moveslot depending on the team's needs. Ice Beam destroys defensive Garchomp while also hitting Mega Altaria, Celebi, and Lum Berry Dragonite.Thunderbolt can be used for Water-types such as Slowbro, Suicune, and opposing Starmie. It also has the advantage of hitting Keldeo for decent damage. Thunder Wave is also viable, as it lets Starmie cripples its offensive checks such as Manaphy, Mega Charizard X, and Tornadus-T on the switch.
Set Details
========
The given EVs allow Starmie to outspeed everything up to base 115 Speed Pokemon, including fast threats such as Serperior and Thundurus, as well as beating out the crowded 108 and 110 Speed tiers and Speed tying with Raikou, Mega Houndoom, and opposing Starmie. It also crucially beats Choice Scarf Magnezone by one point, allowing it to use Reflect Type to gain a resistance to both of its STAB moves and prevent it from gaining any real momentum with Volt Switch or KOing Starmie. 252 HP EVs make Starmie as bulky as possible, and the final 4 EVs are invested into Special Attack so that Psyshock is guaranteed to OHKO Gengar. Leftovers grants passive recovery, which aids Starmie tremendously in keeping it healthy. A Timid nature is also necessary, as Starmie's high base Speed of 115 is one of its main selling points, being able to outspeed threats such as Gengar and Keldeo. Natural Cure helps to heal stray Toxic and paralysis upon switching out, which is is invaluable for making sure Starmie sticks around for as long as needed.
Usage Tips
========
Starmie's primary role is keeping your side of the field clear of entry hazards, so it should be switched in as often as possible on entry hazard setters it doesn't fear, such as defensive Heatran, to clear entry hazards as they switch out. It is crucial for this set to remain healthy, as Starmie's bulk is not spectacular, and switching in on too many entry hazards will quickly put it in range of being KOed before it has done its job. Staying healthy also allow Starmie to continuously switch into the threats it takes on, such as Mega Metagross, Keldeo, and Heatran. Use Recover against Pokemon that don't pose a threat to Starmie, such as Heatran and, if using Psyshock, Keldeo. If Reflect Type is chosen, Starmie can use the opportunity after neutralizing the foe with Reflect Type to heal off any damage via Recover. Against Pursuit trappers such as Bisharp and Tyranitar and against Pokemon that cannot hurt Starmie should it copy their typing, such as Ferrothorn and Magnezone, Starmie should use Reflect Type, if applicable, in order to use Rapid Spin or Recover safely. Against Starmie's checks, such as Mega Sableye and Slowbro, using Scald to potentially cripple them on the switch is greatly encouraged. Any opportunity to wear down opposing entry hazard setters should be used to maximum effect, as the burden on Starmie and its team is greatly eased when entry hazards are removed and cannot be put back up again.
Team Options
========
This set is suited for balanced and defensive teams that utilize entry hazards to wear down the opposing team and, as such, would prefer a Rapid Spin user to a Defog user in order to maintain their own entry hazards. An excellent example of this would be a Spikes-stacking team, making Ferrothorn and Klefki strong partners. Fairy-types love Starmie's ability to switch into Mega Metagross and Heatran, so the likes of Mega Gardevoir, Togekiss, and Clefable fit well. In particular, Togekiss benefits from Starmie's Rapid Spin support and in turn deals with Grass-types, Mega Sableye, and Slowbro for Starmie. Mega Altaria lacking Earthquake also appreciates entry hazard removal and Starmie's ability to check Heatran. It goes without saying that Pokemon that appreciate entry hazards gone also benefit from Starmie's presence and can make for good teammates. Specially defensive Swords Dance Talonflame sets up on most Grass-types, beats Mega Sableye, and can wear down opposing teams with Will-O-Wisp, while Kyurem-B greatly appreciates entry hazards gone to increase its longevity and ability to wallbreak, especially with Life Orb recoil wearing it down as is. Mega Sableye is also a great partner, as between it and Starmie, they form an excellent anti-entry hazard core that preserves your own entry hazards, thanks to Mega Sableye's Magic Bounce. Defensive partners that can switch into the likes of Latios and Calm Mind Clefable, such as Ferrothorn and Heatran, are also strong partners to help Starmie out against its common switch-ins. Heatran is a great option in particular, as it can set up entry hazards of its own and Taunt these Pokemon to prevent them from using Defog. When running Psyshock over Reflect Type on Starmie, checks to potential Pursuit trappers, Knock Off users, and Dark-types in general are advised. Bulky Mega Scizor checks a great number of these while having decent synergy overall with Starmie, appreciating Starmie's ability to deal with Keldeo and Heatran.
[SET]
name: Offensive
move 1: Rapid Spin / Recover
move 2: Hydro Pump
move 3: Psychic / Thunderbolt
move 4: Ice Beam / Hidden Power Fire
item: Life Orb
ability: Analytic
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
ivs: 29 HP
Moves
========
Rapid Spin removes the opponent's entry hazards while preserving your own and takes full advantage of the many switches that this set forces. While Rapid Spin is a great selling point for using Starmie, if you already have a means of removing entry hazards on your team, Recover is a great choice for increasing Starmie's longevity and mitigating Life Orb recoil. It is also a good choice on teams not so reliant on entry hazard control. Hydro Pump is a powerful STAB move that, when combined with a potential Analytic boost, hits many switch-ins such as Clefable for good damage. Psychic allows Starmie to defeat certain Pokemon that resist Hydro Pump, such as Rotom-W, Mega Venusaur, and Suicune. Thunderbolt is also an option in this slot to hit common bulky Water-types that like to switch into Starmie, such as Manaphy, Slowbro, and Empoleon. Ice Beam allows Starmie to hit Grass- and Dragon-types such as Celebi and Dragonite while giving great coverage alongside Hydro Pump. Hidden Power Fire hits Ferrothorn, a common Starmie switch-in, for super effective damage and prevents it from resetting entry hazards that Starmie has spun away. It also hits Scizor reliably if you don't want to risk Hydro Pump missing. Psyshock is a viable option over Psychic if hitting Chansey, Blissey, Calm Mind Keldeo, and Assault Vest users such as Conkeldurr, Tornadus-T, and Raikou is more beneficial. While the slashes above may seem to signal a three-attacks-and-utility-move moveset, all-out attacking Starmie is perfectly viable if the extra coverage is needed to hit as many Pokemon as possible. With such a set, Starmie becomes a very difficult Pokemon to switch into for most teams.
Set Details
========
Starmie requires maximum Speed investment with a Timid nature to function effectively as an offensive Pokemon, as without it, Starmie loses out on outpacing many Pokemon such as Gengar, Thundurus, and Serperior, as well as Speed tying with Raikou, Mega Houndoom, and opposing Starmie. Maximum Special Attack investment in tandem with Life Orb gives Starmie a much-appreciated power boost, as its base 100 Special Attack can often be underwhelming. 29 HP IVs are used to minimize Life Orb recoil. Analytic may seem like a weird choice on a Pokemon as fast as Starmie, but Starmie really benefits from it due to the number of switches it forces, gaining KOs it wouldn't have achieved otherwise, such as with Hydro Pump on Clefable and with Psychic on Rotom-W. Natural Cure is another viable option, as the offensive teams Starmie fits on rely on Starmie to switch into the likes of Keldeo, Slowbro, and Heatran, and Natural Cure will let Starmie heal off potential burns received from switching into Scald and Lava Plume. Another perk is letting Starmie get rid of paralysis from Prankster Thunder Wave from Thundurus and Klefki.
Usage Tips
========
Offensive Starmie is more suited to offensive teams that can provide it with safe switches via Volt Switch, U-turn, or double switches. If entry hazards are present, prioritize their removal, but if there are no entry hazards that need removing, using an attacking move is generally beneficial. This Starmie set is very hard to switch into for offensive teams in particular thanks to its Speed and coverage, so it should take every opportunity it gets to launch attacks against these teams, as it can quickly rack up a lot of damage. Against more balanced teams, aim to predict potential switch-ins and hit them hard with the appropriate coverage move, wearing them down throughout the course of the battle. If Recover is chosen, Starmie should use the move mostly on forced switches against the likes of Keldeo and Heatran due to its poor natural bulk and lack of investment.
Team Options
========
Due to Rapid Spin, Starmie works best alongside Pokemon that appreciate Stealth Rock gone. The likes of Volcarona and Kyurem-B put huge offensive pressure on teams and massively appreciate not losing large amounts of health to entry hazards when they come in. Mega Charizard X not only appreciates Starmie's ability to keep entry hazards off the field, but also appreciates its ability to beat Ground-types such as Hippowdon and Landorus-T and potentially lure in Slowbro and KO it with Thunderbolt. In a similar vein, Mega Pinsir appreciates Starmie's ability to remove Stealth Rock, check the likes of Mega Diancie and Mega Metagross, and lure in Rotom-W and KO it with Psychic. With potentially no recovery and being susceptible to all entry hazards alongside Life Orb recoil, Starmie appreciates safe switches via a slow U-turn or Volt Switch. Scizor in particular is a great partner for this, as it lures in a lot of Pokemon that Starmie can threaten such as Heatran. Another potential option is Mega Manectric, which can greatly threaten offensive teams thanks to its Speed and coverage, provide momentum with Volt Switch, and check threats such as Talonflame. Fighting-types such as Breloom, Conkeldurr, and Mega Lopunny are good partners, as they can deal with Dark-types such as Weavile, Tyranitar, and Bisharp, as well as Chansey and Blissey. In particular, Breloom can spread sleep via Spore and appreciates Starmie's ability to break past Mega Venusaur and Amoonguss.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
An offensive set consisting of Rapid Spin, Recover, and two coverage moves is a viable option, as it provides utility, longevity, and offensive presence, allowing Starmie to take on attackers more easily due to Recover and still dish out powerful attacks of its own. Signal Beam hits Psychic-types such as Celebi, Slowbro, and Latios and essentially compresses the roles of Ice Beam and Thunderbolt in the event that hitting Flying-types for super effective damage is unnecessary. Toxic could be considered for the defensive set, which allows Starmie to put its bulky switch-ins, such as Slowbro and Tangrowth, on a timer. Forgoing Reflect Type or Psyshock is usually not worth it, though. Gravity is an option for the Life Orb set; setting it up on a potential switch and then using much more accurate Hydro Pumps can be devastating for offensive teams. It is best used alongside threats with powerful Ground-type moves, such as Landorus-T, thanks to Gravity negating Ground immunities. Gravity also allows Starmie to potentially use more powerful but less accurate moves such as Blizzard and Thunder. Starmie can utilize Choice sets with Trick; with Choice Specs, (AC) it gains a great deal of power, while with Choice Scarf it becomes an extremely fast revenge killer, albeit very weak. Giving up utility moves in Rapid Spin and Recover can also be unappealing, however. Starmie can also utilize Trick alongside a status Orb, usually Flame Orb due to the reluctance of Fire-types to switch in on Starmie. This allows it to cripple an opposing threat by removing its item as well as inflicting a burn. As an added bonus, Natural Cure will remove the status condition should Starmie hold on to the Orb one turn too long.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Specially Bulky Pokemon**: Specially bulky Pokemon such as Chansey, Clefable, Jirachi, and Mew are capable of switching into Starmie due to their good Special Defense and access to reliable recovery moves, meaning they can outlast offensive Starmie if need be. Calm Mind Clefable is also notable in that it uses Starmie as setup bait, especially weaker defensive variants, and can cripple offensive variants with Thunder Wave.
**Bulky Water-types**: Due to their resistance to Starmie's strongest STAB move, bulky Water-types such as Slowbro, Manaphy, Slowking, Jellicent, and Mega Gyarados are good answers to it. In particular, Slowking and Mega Gyarados also resist or are immune to Psychic, meaning they can switch into Starmie even more easily and cripple it with Thunder Wave or OHKO it with Crunch, respectively. However, Thunderbolt does quite a bit of damage to them, and Gyarados is vulnerable to Scald burns.
**Bulky Grass-types**: Bulky Grass-types such as Celebi, Ferrothorn, and Tangrowth are good answers to Starmie due to their natural bulk and resistance to Hydro Pump. Both Celebi and Ferrothorn resist Psychic too and can KO Starmie back with their Grass-type STAB moves. Tangrowth, when equipped with an Assault Vest, is bulky enough to take repeated punishment from Psychic and Ice Beam and KO back with Leaf Storm or Knock Off. However, Ferrothorn fears a 2HKO from Hidden Power Fire, and an Analytic-boosted Ice Beam does quite a number against Tangrowth.
**Pursuit Trappers**: Pursuit trappers such as Scizor, Tyranitar, Weavile, and Bisharp can predict Starmie's switch and use Pursuit to trap and KO it. In particular, Bisharp can play mindgames with Starmie with Sucker Punch and Pursuit, and Weavile outspeeds Starmie entirely and can OHKO it with Knock Off. However, none of these Pokemon can switch in safely against Starmie for fear of getting OHKOed by Hydro Pump or crippled by Scald.
**Electric-types**: Even though they cannot switch directly into Starmie's Hydro Pump or Psychic, Electric-types such as Mega Manectric, Raikou, and Rotom-W are prime checks to Starmie. In particular, Mega Manectric outspeeds Starmie and OHKOes with Thunderbolt, while Raikou, if carrying an Assault Vest, can take any hit from Starmie and OHKO back with Thunderbolt.
**Faster Offensive Pokemon**: Faster Pokemon such as Weavile, Mega Sceptile, Choice Scarf Landorus-T, Choice Scarf Kyurem-B, Tornadus-T, Hawlucha, and Mega Lopunny can outspeed and KO Starmie due to its mediocre defenses.
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