[OVERVIEW]
Starmie is a diverse presence both offensively and defensively in BDSP OU. Its high Speed, great coverage, and Analytic ability make offensive Starmie a frightening sight for offensive teams, which struggle to repeatedly handle its powerful attacks over the course of a game. Meanwhile, it can invest into its bulk to provide Rapid Spin support for threats like Weavile that hate Stealth Rock while checking foes like Heatran. While Starmie is a powerful offensive threat, its poor bulk when not given investment means that it has little defensive utility, and as a result, it cannot safely enter the field on attacks. This also means that it gets revenge killed easily by faster foes like Alakazam and Weavile and Choice Scarf users like Rotom-W, Celebi, and Garchomp. Defensive Starmie can be rather passive and gives free turns to Pokemon that don't care about its attacking moves, including Alakazam and Rotom-W; however, Starmie can threaten status that gives these foes pause. Finally, special tanks and walls like Celebi, Mew, and Blissey can shrug off Starmie's attacks and use it as an opportunity to gain momentum with U-turn, remove entry hazards with Defog, and set up Stealth Rock of their own.
[SET]
name: Offensive
move 1: Hydro Pump
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Thunderbolt / Psychic
move 4: Recover / Psychic / Rapid Spin
item: Life Orb
ability: Analytic
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
ivs: 29 HP
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Offensive Starmie uses its coverage and Speed to terrorize many offensive teams that struggle to handle it. Hydro Pump, Ice Beam, and Thunderbolt together provide excellent coverage. Life Orb Hydro Pump on the switch is so powerful that it threatens to 2HKO foes that don't resist it, including the likes of Scizor and physically defensive Clefable. Ice Beam threatens Dragon- and Grass-types like Latias and Celebi, and Thunderbolt hits Water-types like Milotic. Recover gives Starmie a means to extend its assault on the opposing team on forced switches, making it unreliable to play around it with Life Orb recoil, Psychic is its most powerful move for Rotom-W while also hitting Roserade for more damage, and Rapid Spin can be used to remove entry hazards while providing Starmie a means to outspeed revenge killers. 29 HP IVs let Starmie take less damage from Life Orb recoil.
Team Options
========
Starmie fits well on offensive and balanced teams that can shore up Starmie's poor defensive presence. Scizor and Rotom-W are excellent teammates to Starmie, as they can use pivoting moves that bring in Starmie safely. Scizor is able to check Weavile, Latias, Alakazam, and Grass-types and tends to draw in Heatran, which Starmie severely threatens. Rotom-W is able to damage Water-types like Milotic and Suicune so that Starmie can finish them off with its Thunderbolt. Fairy-types like Clefable can take Dark- and Dragon-type attacks from the likes of Weavile and Latias. Steel-types like Heatran and the aforementioned Scizor check Dragon- and Grass-types like Latias and Celebi; Heatran is able to set up Stealth Rock, which makes Starmie's attacks more difficult to handle. Grass-types take advantage of bulky Water-types that can withstand Thunderbolt at high HP; Celebi is able to pivot Starmie in with U-turn, while Roserade can spread sleep and set up Spikes, which enables Starmie even more. Walls are great at taking attacks from Choice Scarf revenge killers on balance teams; Gliscor and Tangrowth shrug off physical attacks from Choice Scarf Pokemon like Garchomp, while Blissey takes on special Choice Scarf attackers like Celebi and Latias. Offensive Starmie is vulnerable to status because it doesn't use Natural Cure, so clerics like Aromatherapy Blissey and Clefable give it recourse against them.
[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Scald
move 2: Rapid Spin
move 3: Recover
move 4: Ice Beam / Thunderbolt
item: Leftovers
ability: Natural Cure
nature: Timid
evs: 248 HP / 44 Def / 216 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Defensive Starmie is primarily a spinner that reliably denies Heatran and Garchomp from keeping Stealth Rock on its side of the field. This is further aided by the fact that Ghost-types are uncommon in BDSP OU, so when it uses Rapid Spin, entry hazards are likely to be gone. It is also a decent check to Infernape, though it should be cautious around Choice Band U-turn. Scald lets Starmie spread status that makes attackers wary of switching into it, making it less passive. Ice Beam lets it threaten Dragon- and Grass-types that would otherwise switch into Scald, including Latias, Roserade, and Celebi, while Thunderbolt lets it threaten Water-types like Milotic and opposing Starmie that aren't immediately fearful of Scald. 216 Speed EVs and a Timid nature let Starmie outspeed Latias.
Team Options
========
Defensive Starmie is a useful teammate for Pokemon weak to Stealth Rock, including Weavile, Togekiss, and Dragonite. These Pokemon also find easy entry on Celebi, which is a Stealth Rock setter that Starmie cannot reliably deny entry hazards from. Teammates that deter Grass-types like Scizor and Heatran are great Starmie teammates, as the rather weak Starmie can be exploited by these Grass-types for momentum or hazards. Because Starmie handles hazard removal, teammates that could use Defog can drop the move and adopt more threatening options; for example, bulky Scizor can drop Defog for Swords Dance, letting it threaten weakened teams more effectively. Starmie can effectively form Fire / Water / Grass cores with Heatran and Celebi, and these Pokemon provide a team stability against most threats in the metagame in conjunction with a Fairy-type like Clefable or Togekiss. Skarmory and Roserade can set Spikes and check foes that threaten Starmie; Skarmory handles Scizor, while Roserade handles Electric- and Grass-types. Starmie, in return, checks Fire-types that they struggle against. They also appreciate the fact that Starmie removes hazards that dig into them while leaving hazards that they set up unperturbed.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Thunder Wave can see use on Starmie, as it is a useful option that can slow down fast Dragon-types for slower teammates like Togekiss. However, it is hard to fit on offensive Starmie, which would prefer the extra coverage or Recover, and defensive Starmie's best switch-ins are Pokemon that don't care about paralysis, making it less effective on it.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Rotom-W**: Rotom-W resists Hydro Pump and Ice Beam and isn't scared of Thunderbolt, especially if it is specially defensive, and can use it to gain momentum with Volt Switch. However, it dislikes Life Orb Psychic on the switch.
**Bulky Water-types**: Defensive Starmie struggles to damage bulky Water-types like Milotic and Starmie without Scald burns. However, offensive Starmie can finish off weakened Water-types with its strong Thunderbolt, though Milotic can occasionally use Mirror Coat to punish this. Certain Water-types like Gastrodon and Water Absorb Quagsire don't fear Hydro Pump or Thunderbolt, though they fear a potential Life Orb Psychic and are not common choices on teams.
**Bulky Grass-types**: While they dislike switching into Ice Beam, Roserade and Celebi have the special bulk to take Starmie's hits and use it as an opportunity to set up entry hazards or threaten Starmie back with their STAB moves. Roserade dislikes taking Life Orb Psychic, however.
**Special Walls**: Blissey and specially defensive Mew shrug off even Analytic Life Orb Hydro Pump and can set up Stealth Rock or pivot out with Volt Switch. Specially defensive variants of Clefable switch in nicely to Starmie, especially if it uses Magic Guard to ignore entry hazards and Scald burns.
**Revenge Killers**: Starmie is frail, especially without any HP investment, so Pokemon that outspeed it, be it because they are naturally faster like Weavile and Alakazam or they have a Choice Scarf like Rotom-W, Celebi, and Garchomp, can threaten lethal damage to it. This also includes priority like Extreme Speed from Dragonite and Lucario and Quick Attack from offensive Scizor. However, Starmie resists other common forms of priority in Aqua Jet, Bullet Punch, and Mach Punch.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/tbolt.555379/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/igiveuponaname.593115/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/tycarter.327020/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/adorluigi.528364/
Starmie is a diverse presence both offensively and defensively in BDSP OU. Its high Speed, great coverage, and Analytic ability make offensive Starmie a frightening sight for offensive teams, which struggle to repeatedly handle its powerful attacks over the course of a game. Meanwhile, it can invest into its bulk to provide Rapid Spin support for threats like Weavile that hate Stealth Rock while checking foes like Heatran. While Starmie is a powerful offensive threat, its poor bulk when not given investment means that it has little defensive utility, and as a result, it cannot safely enter the field on attacks. This also means that it gets revenge killed easily by faster foes like Alakazam and Weavile and Choice Scarf users like Rotom-W, Celebi, and Garchomp. Defensive Starmie can be rather passive and gives free turns to Pokemon that don't care about its attacking moves, including Alakazam and Rotom-W; however, Starmie can threaten status that gives these foes pause. Finally, special tanks and walls like Celebi, Mew, and Blissey can shrug off Starmie's attacks and use it as an opportunity to gain momentum with U-turn, remove entry hazards with Defog, and set up Stealth Rock of their own.
[SET]
name: Offensive
move 1: Hydro Pump
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Thunderbolt / Psychic
move 4: Recover / Psychic / Rapid Spin
item: Life Orb
ability: Analytic
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
ivs: 29 HP
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Offensive Starmie uses its coverage and Speed to terrorize many offensive teams that struggle to handle it. Hydro Pump, Ice Beam, and Thunderbolt together provide excellent coverage. Life Orb Hydro Pump on the switch is so powerful that it threatens to 2HKO foes that don't resist it, including the likes of Scizor and physically defensive Clefable. Ice Beam threatens Dragon- and Grass-types like Latias and Celebi, and Thunderbolt hits Water-types like Milotic. Recover gives Starmie a means to extend its assault on the opposing team on forced switches, making it unreliable to play around it with Life Orb recoil, Psychic is its most powerful move for Rotom-W while also hitting Roserade for more damage, and Rapid Spin can be used to remove entry hazards while providing Starmie a means to outspeed revenge killers. 29 HP IVs let Starmie take less damage from Life Orb recoil.
Team Options
========
Starmie fits well on offensive and balanced teams that can shore up Starmie's poor defensive presence. Scizor and Rotom-W are excellent teammates to Starmie, as they can use pivoting moves that bring in Starmie safely. Scizor is able to check Weavile, Latias, Alakazam, and Grass-types and tends to draw in Heatran, which Starmie severely threatens. Rotom-W is able to damage Water-types like Milotic and Suicune so that Starmie can finish them off with its Thunderbolt. Fairy-types like Clefable can take Dark- and Dragon-type attacks from the likes of Weavile and Latias. Steel-types like Heatran and the aforementioned Scizor check Dragon- and Grass-types like Latias and Celebi; Heatran is able to set up Stealth Rock, which makes Starmie's attacks more difficult to handle. Grass-types take advantage of bulky Water-types that can withstand Thunderbolt at high HP; Celebi is able to pivot Starmie in with U-turn, while Roserade can spread sleep and set up Spikes, which enables Starmie even more. Walls are great at taking attacks from Choice Scarf revenge killers on balance teams; Gliscor and Tangrowth shrug off physical attacks from Choice Scarf Pokemon like Garchomp, while Blissey takes on special Choice Scarf attackers like Celebi and Latias. Offensive Starmie is vulnerable to status because it doesn't use Natural Cure, so clerics like Aromatherapy Blissey and Clefable give it recourse against them.
[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Scald
move 2: Rapid Spin
move 3: Recover
move 4: Ice Beam / Thunderbolt
item: Leftovers
ability: Natural Cure
nature: Timid
evs: 248 HP / 44 Def / 216 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Defensive Starmie is primarily a spinner that reliably denies Heatran and Garchomp from keeping Stealth Rock on its side of the field. This is further aided by the fact that Ghost-types are uncommon in BDSP OU, so when it uses Rapid Spin, entry hazards are likely to be gone. It is also a decent check to Infernape, though it should be cautious around Choice Band U-turn. Scald lets Starmie spread status that makes attackers wary of switching into it, making it less passive. Ice Beam lets it threaten Dragon- and Grass-types that would otherwise switch into Scald, including Latias, Roserade, and Celebi, while Thunderbolt lets it threaten Water-types like Milotic and opposing Starmie that aren't immediately fearful of Scald. 216 Speed EVs and a Timid nature let Starmie outspeed Latias.
Team Options
========
Defensive Starmie is a useful teammate for Pokemon weak to Stealth Rock, including Weavile, Togekiss, and Dragonite. These Pokemon also find easy entry on Celebi, which is a Stealth Rock setter that Starmie cannot reliably deny entry hazards from. Teammates that deter Grass-types like Scizor and Heatran are great Starmie teammates, as the rather weak Starmie can be exploited by these Grass-types for momentum or hazards. Because Starmie handles hazard removal, teammates that could use Defog can drop the move and adopt more threatening options; for example, bulky Scizor can drop Defog for Swords Dance, letting it threaten weakened teams more effectively. Starmie can effectively form Fire / Water / Grass cores with Heatran and Celebi, and these Pokemon provide a team stability against most threats in the metagame in conjunction with a Fairy-type like Clefable or Togekiss. Skarmory and Roserade can set Spikes and check foes that threaten Starmie; Skarmory handles Scizor, while Roserade handles Electric- and Grass-types. Starmie, in return, checks Fire-types that they struggle against. They also appreciate the fact that Starmie removes hazards that dig into them while leaving hazards that they set up unperturbed.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Thunder Wave can see use on Starmie, as it is a useful option that can slow down fast Dragon-types for slower teammates like Togekiss. However, it is hard to fit on offensive Starmie, which would prefer the extra coverage or Recover, and defensive Starmie's best switch-ins are Pokemon that don't care about paralysis, making it less effective on it.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Rotom-W**: Rotom-W resists Hydro Pump and Ice Beam and isn't scared of Thunderbolt, especially if it is specially defensive, and can use it to gain momentum with Volt Switch. However, it dislikes Life Orb Psychic on the switch.
**Bulky Water-types**: Defensive Starmie struggles to damage bulky Water-types like Milotic and Starmie without Scald burns. However, offensive Starmie can finish off weakened Water-types with its strong Thunderbolt, though Milotic can occasionally use Mirror Coat to punish this. Certain Water-types like Gastrodon and Water Absorb Quagsire don't fear Hydro Pump or Thunderbolt, though they fear a potential Life Orb Psychic and are not common choices on teams.
**Bulky Grass-types**: While they dislike switching into Ice Beam, Roserade and Celebi have the special bulk to take Starmie's hits and use it as an opportunity to set up entry hazards or threaten Starmie back with their STAB moves. Roserade dislikes taking Life Orb Psychic, however.
**Special Walls**: Blissey and specially defensive Mew shrug off even Analytic Life Orb Hydro Pump and can set up Stealth Rock or pivot out with Volt Switch. Specially defensive variants of Clefable switch in nicely to Starmie, especially if it uses Magic Guard to ignore entry hazards and Scald burns.
**Revenge Killers**: Starmie is frail, especially without any HP investment, so Pokemon that outspeed it, be it because they are naturally faster like Weavile and Alakazam or they have a Choice Scarf like Rotom-W, Celebi, and Garchomp, can threaten lethal damage to it. This also includes priority like Extreme Speed from Dragonite and Lucario and Quick Attack from offensive Scizor. However, Starmie resists other common forms of priority in Aqua Jet, Bullet Punch, and Mach Punch.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/tbolt.555379/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/igiveuponaname.593115/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/tycarter.327020/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/adorluigi.528364/
Last edited:
Implemented, ready for 
