Rapid Spinning Starmie

[Richard Lynch]

Alright, so yeah... I'm looking for a few opinions. Starmie is seeing much less use this generation due to Weavile being EVERYWHERE, but I'm a risk taker. And I love Starmie, but I use her as a Rapid Spinner. But I can't seem to get the moveset right... Recover is recommended, but I really dislike losing the BoltBeam option. Here's the standard set:

Starmie @ Leftovers
Timid Nature
EVs: 172 HP, 120 SpAtk, 216 Speed
- Surf
- Rapid Spin
- Recover
- Thunderbolt/Ice Beam

Now, it's of course possible to run Rapid Spin without Recover (thus leaving another moveslot to be filled), but it usually isn't advised (although I do actually have Wish support now, so it's not as if losing Recover becomes game-breaking). In the long run, Garchomp and Salamence threaten me more, this thing also keeps Gyarados away, who otherwise becomes fairly threatening to my team (as is any good stat-boosting sweeper against a Stall Team).

So anyone want to recommend something? I already have a way to defeat Gyarados, but it ends up crippling one of my Pokemon. But I just really like the reassurance of another move in there.

 

[sims796]

Cool! Your T-bolt can stop my Gya! I always wanted to test my Torterra's Wood Hammer. Since ya don't have Ice beam, I can test it out. Trust me, once I get Light Screen up, those Attacks won't scare him as easily.

Of course, I get quite frustrated when my Dos is ended eairly.

 

[Richard Lynch]

Cool! Your T-bolt can stop my Gya! I always wanted to test my Torterra's Wood Hammer. Since ya don't have Ice beam, I can test it out. Trust me, once I get Light Screen up, those Attacks won't scare him as easily.

Of course, I get quite frustrated when my Dos is ended eairly.

What the... hell was that.

I said in my post that Ice Beam is top priority. But without Thunderbolt, a whole range of Pokemon can come in to wall her; Gyarados and Milotic are the ones that come to mind.

 

[sims796]

Ah, speaking slightly out of frustration, I didn't explain myself fully.

With THAT paricular set, either one or another. When I see that set, I think "how will that affect my particular team". So I thought Torterra & Gya. I suppose it really can't effectivley sweep & Spin. You can keep Thunderbolt. Wipe out my Gya, which is a threat to your whole team, as you said. Or you can use Ice Beam, eliminating the threat at hand, hence my Torterra. Or teach Ice Beam to someone else.

Can't you afford to lose Recover?

 

[Richard Lynch]

Ah, speaking slightly out of frustration, I didn't explain myself fully.

With THAT paricular set, either one or another. When I see that set, I think "how will that affect my particular team". So I thought Torterra & Gya. I suppose it really can't effectivley sweep & Spin. You can keep Thunderbolt. Wipe out my Gya, which is a threat to your whole team, as you said. Or you can use Ice Beam, eliminating the threat at hand, hence my Torterra. Or teach Ice Beam to someone else.

Can't you afford to lose Recover?

I've been running Rapid Spin on Starmie without Recover since I first found out how awesome she is. So of course I can lose it, as I never really had it to begin with. haha Like I said, I have a Wish Passer, but using Recover has its obvious benefits, especially for a Rapid Spinner.

Eh, maybe I'll just pump a few EVs into HP and call it a day (as she only needs 216 Speed EVs to outrun max Speed stuff like Gengar and Garchomp).

 

[sims796]

I was about to suggest a reconfiguration of EV spread. Sorry for the snippy post. I do NOT feel like paying for new styluses. And I just bought this new green stylus. Now I gotta stay up all night searching for it. :'(

 

[Samson]

well i wouldn't lose thunderbolt. i've seen plenty bulky starmie sets and NONE have left out thunderbolt.

 

[shadow_ki6]

can't you always run a sweeping spinner...

i use starmie its in most of my teams..
heres mine:

starmie@life orb/lefties
timid nature
can't remember evs
-thunderbolt
-rapid spin
-ice beam
-surf

life orb is pwnage but then rapid spinning with it is crazy...lol
i really like my starmie because people are always under estimating her but when i hit them with an attack they start to weep

 

[sims796]

No one DARES underestimates Starmie. In fact, boltbeam-weak teams has a term; your team is Starmie weak.

 

[Dark Azelf]

Alright, so yeah... I'm looking for a few opinions. Starmie is seeing much less use this generation due to Weavile being EVERYWHERE, but I'm a risk taker. And I love Starmie, but I use her as a Rapid Spinner. But I can't seem to get the moveset right... Recover is recommended, but I really dislike losing the BoltBeam option. Here's the standard set:

Starmie @ Leftovers
Timid Nature
EVs: 172 HP, 120 SpAtk, 216 Speed
- Surf
- Rapid Spin
- Recover
- Thunderbolt/Ice Beam

Now, it's of course possible to run Rapid Spin without Recover (thus leaving another moveslot to be filled), but it usually isn't advised (although I do actually have Wish support now, so it's not as if losing Recover becomes game-breaking). In the long run, Garchomp and Salamence threaten me more, this thing also keeps Gyarados away, who otherwise becomes fairly threatening to my team (as is any good stat-boosting sweeper against a Stall Team).

So anyone want to recommend something? I already have a way to defeat Gyarados, but it ends up crippling one of my Pokemon. But I just really like the reassurance of another move in there.

Ice Beam and Surf get walled by Bulky Waters such as Milotic, Slowbro etc and you dont really want to let Slowbro or whatever stat up on you by switching out. Although you will kill Garchomp and Keep your STAB move.

Thunderbolt and Surf have great coverage, however you wont really phaze Garchomp and Slamence like you said.

You may just want to consider Ice Beam and Thunderbolt, just for the simple fact that youll now only get fully walled by Magnezone (and Shedinja and Lanturn XD).

The one move that is not expendable is Recover, it will let you Rapid Spin a few more times if you need it which is vital with Stealth Rock and Spikes floating around. You may have wish support but what happens if that dies ??

So at the end of the day its up to you whats in your team, and what you lack coverage against mostly that wrecks the rest of you team.

 

[Towlie]

I'm with Dark Azelf on this one. Thunderbolt/Rapid Spin/Recover/Ice Beam works great. Surf, you get no stab in there, but it's much better coverage than Thunderbolt/Surf or Ice Beam/Surf. Thunderbolt/Surf gets walled by Grass types and Ice Beam/Surf gets walled by bulky waters, as stated.

 

[sims796]

He said he has a Wish passer. Why not lose Recover?

 

[Dark Azelf]

He said he has a Wish passer. Why not lose Recover?

Because if his Wish passer dies and starmie needs to remove Spikes and Stealth Rock, bear in mind it doesnt resist the aforementioned very well, so it tends to die rather quickly due to the extra damage and with the amount of Stealth Rock and Spikes around, he needs Recover to get back to full health and Remove SR and Spikes repeatedly.

 

[sims796]

Ok, I understand now. Surf, while powerful, is expandable.

 

[peabobo's sexy legs]

Guess who's back!

Recover, my dear aquaintence, fails on sweepers, especially those of the special variety.

Someone's forgetting Starmie's Psychic type. It's not just there to add three extra weaknesses, mind you.

 

[sims796]

Hey, Purfugly's back! I forgot Psychic.

 

[Dark Azelf]

Guess who's back!

Recover, my dear aquaintence, fails on sweepers, especially those of the special variety.

Someone's forgetting Starmie's Psychic type. It's not just there to add three extra weaknesses, mind you.

This set isnt meant to sweep, its meant to be bulky, base 85 defenses and with EV's invested in HP lets it take more hits that you'd expect.If you are using Starmie as a Rapid Spinner, use Starmie as a Rapid Spinner; by that I mean don't let its 100 Base Special Attack, great Special movepool and the "special-attacker aura" therefore associated with it fool you.


Psychic yeah, but it doesnt really have any type coverage, Fighting and Poison.
The only poison type you ever see is weezing and thats not going to be coming in on this anyway. Fighting, maybe if you really fear Heracross, but he said he want to kill Salamence/Garchomp and Gyarados, with the old fashiond BOLT-BEAM would be best suited.