What is a good moveset for Starmie?
If you have a good competitive moveset for Starmie,post an answer below and upvote the best ones. Movesets for its pre-evolutions, if any, can also be shared on this thread.
Be sure to includefull set details in your post, e.g. items, abilities, natures and EVs. Some detail, including the intended game mode for your set, is also appreciated.Access the full list of guidelines here.
Starmie Pokédex and learnsetfor reference.
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Starmie @ Leftovers
Role: Tank ( First hit recover! )
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 SDef
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
Cosmic Power Bulks up both defenses, and using Confuse raymakes setting that up easier, while Recover allows you to stay alive for a while,With natural cure you don’t have to worry about Toxic poison, and burnAnd Surf hits hard for STAB
Starmie @ Weakness PolicyAbility: AnalyticEVs: 252 HP / 100 Def / 20 SpA / 136 SpDCalm Nature- Cosmic Power- Psyshock- Ice Beam- Hydro Pump
Yeah you saw that right. Starmie makes a surprisingly decent Weakness Policy user, as it has an unexpectedly bulky side to it. The following EVs ensure that Starmie lives a Timid Mega Manectric’s Thunderbolt, as well as an unboosted Tyranitar’s Crunch (with no attack boosting nature ). After which we were left with 12 EVs, so I threw them into SpA. The reason as to why not speed it because I chose Analytic on this one.
After one Cosmic Power, Starmie is almost never OHKOd by the unboosted tier. This makes Weakness Policy an even better option, as it can live a super effective hit, and proceed to wreak havoc. The other moves are fairly basic, Thunderbolt is also a usable option instead of Psyshock.
Overall this Starmie is stupidly bulky and has caught many of my opponents off guard, even sweeping them through and through at times. Especially during those moments it lives through monster blows like a Banded Talonflame’s Brave Bird.
Gen V
Starmie @ Life Orb
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 Def / 248 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
Standard Starmie. Scald is STAb that can also burn the foe. Ice Beam and Thunderbolt provide type coverage. Recover heals you of course, so you can continue attacking the foe. If you get paralyzed or afflicted with another status condition, switch out and Natural Cure will remove the status. Life Orb gives you more power behind your attacks. Sweeping Evs, with just a tiny bit of added bulk.
Starmie @ Life Orb
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
SurfandPsychicmakes dual STAB so that’s cool.Ice Beamis for grass type weakness, covers dragon types as well.Thunderboltis for other water types, I would have put Shadow Ball here but Starmie can’t learn it.
Hit like a sac of doorknobs (choice specs)
StarmieItem: take a wild guess (if you guessed choice specs, you were correct)Evs: 4hp252spatk252spdNature:timid/modestAbility: natural cureMoves:Surf/hydro pumpThunderbolt(thunder if on rain team)Ice beam (blizzard if on hail team)Psyshock/trick
Equipped with choice specs, starmie’s decent special attack is boosted to ridiculous levels, at the cost of being able to switch attacks. Timid is the preferred nature here, because it allows Starmie to outspeed more threats. However, if you want Starmie to hit as hard as possible and being outsped by a couple things does not matter to you, modest is also acceptable. Surf and hydro pump are Starmie’s primary options. Both are viable, and whether you go for power or accuracy it will work. Unless starmie is on a rain team, thunderbolt goes in the next slot for dealing with water types. However, if starmie is given rain support, thunder, with its accuracy boosted in rain, is the best option. It should be noted that starmie loves the rain, as it allows it to run thunder and boosts its STAB moves. The third slot goes to ice beam for hitting grass and dragon types, completing the BoltBeam combo. However, Starmie is also great for a hail team, as it resist fighting, fire and steel, three of ice’s weaknesses. If used in hail, blizzard is also an attack option. For the last slot, psyshock can be used as a secondary STAB for dealing with special walls, while trick allows starmie to be free of its choice item, making it the burden of the opponent. Other options include hidden power fire for ferrothorn, hidden power fighting for tyranitar, and hidden power grass for gastrodon. Hope this helped.
Starmie @ LeftoversAbility: Natural CureEVs: 240 HP / 24 SpD / 248 SpeIVs: 0 Atk (If not using HP Fire) / 2 Atk / 30 SpA / 30 Spe (If using HP Fire)Timid Nature (+Spe, - Atk)- Scald- Reflect Type- Recover- Rapid Spin / Psyshock / Ice Beam / Hidden Power Fire
I’ve been using this Starmie set a lot lately. Its modest defenses are both beefed up through HP investment, and the rest is placed into Speed, outspeeding a large majority of the tier. Max Speed isn’t really needed, as the only Pokemon at that tier would be opposing Starmie, which don’t pose too big of a threat. Natural Cure heals status, making Starmie a great status absorber. The idea is to lure in Pokemon that would use Starmie as setup fodder or Pokemon that could knock out Starmie and use Reflect Type. Pokemon like Ferrothorn, Bisharp, and Tyranitar are instantly neutralized, as they cant do much to their own typing. This makes Starmie great for spamming Scalds afterward, scoring a few burns. Recover is needed to heal off residual damage and other chip damage that the opposing Pokemon will be doing, and the last slot is just based on preference. Rapid Spin can be used to clear hazards if you don’t have a Defogger; Psyshock can help deal with Mega Venusaur; Ice Beam deals with Dragons; HP Fire deals with Bisharp and Ferrothorn easier.
Starmie @ Choice SpecsAbility: Natural CureEVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 SpeTimid Nature- Psyshock- Thunderbolt- Ice Beam- Flip Turn
You have a BoltBeam combo plus STAB in Psyshock. Flip Turn to pivot out, and if Starmie gets statused, Natural Cure will remove the status after switching out. Psyshock is just to help beat Blissey and Chansey, but you can run Surf instead to hit Rotom-Heat, one of the few Pokemon that resist BoltBeam.
Double/Triple Battle
Starmie @ Life OrbTrait: Natural CureEVs: 4 Def / 252 SAtk / 252 SpdTimid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)- Surf- Psychic- Gravity- Blizzard
Gravity provides great team support as it raises the accuracy of attacks while also getting rid of your foe’s immunity to Ground (well, it gets rid of yours as well, but you are prepared and have Protect on your team). Surf hits multiple foes and gets STAB. Psychic is STAB. Blizzard hits multiple foes.
Role: Tank/Sweeper
Starmie@Expert Belt
Ability: Natural Cure
Evs: 252 Spd 248 Sp Atk 4 Def
Timid Nature (+Spd -Atk
•Scald=STAB and great chance of burn•Signal Beam=More type coverage•Thunderbolt=Type coverage•Psychic=STAB but that’s basically it
This is what my Starmie has in Generation VI, and I use him for Competitive Battling.
StarmieItem: Shell BellNature: Hasty (+Spd, -Def)EVs: 252 Spd, more in whatever you want, I did health.Moves:Rapid Spin (To get rid of entry hazards)Scald (To inflict a burn, STAB)Recover (To stay alive an extended amount of time)Confuse Ray (To freely be able to recover, and to help chip the enemy down)
I am considering putting a life orb on him, so as to deal as much damage as possible with scald. Also, my starmie has a perfect Spd IV, which makes him very fast.
Time for the almost-never-used-or-known-about moveset!
The REFLECT TYPER!
Starmie @ Rocky Helmet / LeftoversAbility: Natural CureEVs: 252 SAtk / 129 Def / 129 SDefModest Nature- Ice Beam- Thunder / Thunderbolt- Recover- Reflect Type
||Usefulness||
Non-DamagingReflect type is the main focus of this set. By using it strategically, you can make your Starmie tank attacks from possibly any Pokemon, not to mention Starmie’s naturally high speed will give it a good edge. And also having recover (and possibly leftovers) definitely makes it able to take some damage.Attacks
Ice-Beam and Thunder/thunderbolt both together enables Starmie to not have to worry about all of its moves not being very effective against an opponent. Also, sense Starmie isn’t going to be water type most of the time, there’s no real use in having a water type attack.MISC
Having EVs in special attack will help a LOT, and rocky helmet can be good to deal out some extra damage. You WILL have to be careful about which Pokemon you use Reflect Type on, however most people wouldn’t expect a Reflect Type moveset on starmie, which that fact alone definitely helps. All in all, this might not be the best Starmie, but it’s definitely a good one (by my experience anyways)!
One of the best spinners you could have on a team. Here’s a good Supporter Set that I use the most.Ability: Natural CureItem: LeftoversEVs: 252 Speed, 252 HP, 4 Sp.AtkNature: TimidMoves:Rapid SpinScaldRecoverThunder Wave
This set turnsAnalyticfrom a situational ability into a surefire one!
“Slowmie"AnalyticMacho Brace(or other speed-halving “Power” item)Quiet (+SPATT,-SPD)252HP/252SPATT/4SPDEF (O IVs in Speed)
Trick RoomHydro Pump/Scald/Surf/etc.Psyshock/PsychicWonder Room
This is a bulky set and a risky one, in that your0IVs/EVs in Speed still only make you move after a given foe half of the time. At level50, this Starmie will have108speed…54when halved by a “Power” item.
Basically, fire offAnalyticHydro PumpandPsyshockuntil you want to start moving first (by usingTrick Room). UseWonder Roomwhen facing off against a specially-defensive foe, which will swap all Pokemons' Defense and Special Defense stats.
Max HP is needed for bulk and surviving any super-effective/high-powered attacks. Max Special Attack is needed to hit RIDICULOUSLY hard, whether powered up byAnalyticor not. Remember, this set works best withnoIVs or EVs in Speed!
This is my Starmie:
Bright (Shiny) @ Weakness PolicyNature: CalmAbility: Analytic4 Sp. Att / 252 Def / 252 Sp. Def
Cosmic Power - Boosts both defenses.Scald - STAB with chance of burn.Psychic - STAB with chance of lowering Sp. Def.Recover - Healing.
It’s full investment in Defense and Special Defense make Cosmic Power more effective. Proper timing of Cosmic Power and Recover ensures it survives a super effective hit and stays in battle for a long time. With both defenses and attacks up this thing becomes a major threat to any team. It’s already decent speed makes it outspeed most Pokémon, but those that outspeed Bright are vulnerable to it’s ability Analytic. Finally, two powerful STAB moves to make sure it hits hard. The burn effect from Scald cripples physical attackers even more and keeps dealing damage while Bright heals or powers up.
Specs Sweeper Starmie
Starmie @ Choice SpecsAbility: Natural CureEVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpeModest Nature- Ice Beam Ice Coverage + 10% chance to freeze- Psychic Stab Psychic Coverage- Scald Stab Water Coverage + Burn Chance- Dazzling Gleam Fairy Coverage
Gen 8 NUStarmie @ Power HerbAbility: Natural CureEVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 SpeTimid NatureIVs: 0 Atk- Meteor Beam- Surf- Ice Beam- Psyshock
Gen 8 NU
Starmie @ Heavy-Duty BootsAbility: Natural CureEVs: 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 SpeTimid Nature
Scald is STAB and does a decent amount of damage, but most importantly, it has a 30% chance to burn the enemy. Rapid Spin removes hazards and boosts Starmie’s already great Speed. Recover is recovery, which most bulky Pokemon need. Pretty self explanatory if you ask me. Flip Turn allows Starmie to weave in and out of battle, scouting switch-ins as well, and completely unbothered by hazards with its Heavy-Duty Boots.
Gen 8 NU/RU
Starmie @ Choice Specs / Life Orb / Power HerbAbility: Natural CureEVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpeTimid Nature
Hydro Pump is powerful STAB. Psyshock is also STAB and hits Special walls. Thunderbolt is coverage. Ice Beam is coverage and hits Grass and Dragon types. Meteor Beam is a powerful move that boosts SpA. Don’t use it after the boost, though. Remember, 2 turns?
Starmie @ Power HerbAbility: Natural CureEVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 SpeTimid Nature- Meteor Beam- Rapid Spin- Scald- Psyshock
Scarf UtilityGen 8 NUStarmie @ Choice ScarfAbility: Natural CureEVs: 252 HP / 76 SpA / 180 SpeTimid Nature- Trick- Scald- Rapid Spin- Recover
Let me explain this set before you guys say that this isn’t a good Scarf set or whatever. This is more of a bulky scarf set. Trick is the key to this set. Trick is to force your checks like Vaporeon into being locked into one move by giving them your Choice Scarf. If you you trick the Scarf onto someone like Goodra, you should probably scout what move that Pokemon would use. Scald is for water STAB that allows you to fish for burns. Rapid Spin allows you to clear hazards on your side. Recover is for longetivity. 252 HP is to help maximize your bulk. 76 Special Attack EVs is to give Scald a little power. The rest of the EVs are invested in speed. To sum this up, this isn’t an offensive scarf set, but more of a bulky utility scarf set.
