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3 votes
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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 include full 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 learnset for reference.

Sprite

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20 Answers

5 votes

Starmie @ Leftovers

Role: Tank ( First hit recover! )

Trait: Natural Cure

EVs: 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 SDef

Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)

  • Cosmic Power - Bulk up both defenses -
  • Confuse Ray - Easier setting up -
  • Recover - Heal off damage -
  • Surf - STAB -

Cosmic Power Bulks up both defenses, and using Confuse ray
makes 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 burn
And Surf hits hard for STAB

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I must admit, this does seem well thought through, what if you're up against a Dry Skin Toxicroak. Surf is the only guaranteed damage dealer you have and Toxicroak has easy access to super effective moves. You may want to throw in a move to go up against type weaknesses.
Why not hydro pump instead of surf? It deals 20 more power but has 20 less accuracy but also has stab.
5 votes

Bulky Starmie :O?!

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Starmie @ Weakness Policy
Ability: Analytic
EVs: 252 HP / 100 Def / 20 SpA / 136 SpD
Calm 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.

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Wow....... Best set on this question by far imo
Analytic makes the move powerful if you move LAST, so wouldn't the speed be bad for this set? Just a thought.
this was last year
also
this is pretty much ur question @fast snail
http://pokemondb.net/pokebase/231553/why-do-people-use-analytic-starmie-if-its-so-fast
The EVS are over 508
Whoops, typo on my part. Thanks for mentioning.
i think this set would be a little more effective if you gave Starmie Recover. That will help increase longeivity.
4 votes

Gen V

Starmie @ Life Orb

Trait: Natural Cure

EVs: 4 Def / 248 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd

Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)

  • Recover
  • Scald
  • Ice Beam
  • Thunderbolt

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.

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good moveset, my own Starmie has moves similar.
My exact moveset, works good, I just need item. I definitely agree on this because it is OP. I would definitely use this guy's, LISTEN TO TRACHY
1 vote

Starmie @ Life Orb

Trait: Natural Cure

EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd

Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)

  • Surf
  • Psychic
  • Ice Beam
  • Thunderbolt

Surf and Psychic makes dual STAB so that's cool.
Ice Beam is for grass type weakness, covers dragon types as well.
Thunderbolt is for other water types, I would have put Shadow Ball here but Starmie can't learn it.

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1 vote

Hit like a sac of doorknobs (choice specs)

Starmie
Starmie
Item: take a wild guess (if you guessed choice specs, you were correct)
Evs: 4hp252spatk252spd
Nature:timid/modest
Ability: natural cure
Moves:
Surf/hydro pump
Thunderbolt(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.

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1 vote

Starmie @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 240 HP / 24 SpD / 248 Spe
IVs: 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.

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1 vote

Starmie @ Choice Specs
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid 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.

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0 votes

Double/Triple Battle

Starmie @ Life Orb
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid 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.

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0 votes

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

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0 votes

This is what my Starmie has in Generation VI, and I use him for Competitive Battling.

Starmie
Item: Shell Bell
Nature: 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.

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0 votes

Time for the almost-never-used-or-known-about moveset!

The REFLECT TYPER!


Starmie @ Rocky Helmet / Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 SAtk / 129 Def / 129 SDef
Modest Nature
- Ice Beam
- Thunder / Thunderbolt
- Recover
- Reflect Type


||Usefulness||

Non-Damaging
Reflect 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)!

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0 votes

One of the best spinners you could have on a team. Here's a good Supporter Set that I use the most.
Ability: Natural Cure
Item: Leftovers
EVs: 252 Speed, 252 HP, 4 Sp.Atk
Nature: Timid
Moves:
Rapid Spin
Scald
Recover
Thunder Wave

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0 votes

This set turns Analytic from a situational ability into a surefire one!

"Slowmie"
Analytic
Macho Brace (or other speed-halving "Power" item)
Quiet (+SPATT,-SPD)
252HP/252SPATT/4SPDEF (O IVs in Speed)

Trick Room
Hydro Pump/Scald/Surf/etc.
Psyshock/Psychic
Wonder Room

This is a bulky set and a risky one, in that your 0 IVs/EVs in Speed still only make you move after a given foe half of the time. At level 50, this Starmie will have 108 speed...54 when halved by a "Power" item.

Basically, fire off Analytic Hydro Pump and Psyshock until you want to start moving first (by using Trick Room). Use Wonder Room when 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 by Analytic or not. Remember, this set works best with no IVs or EVs in Speed!

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0 votes

This is my Starmie:

Bright (Shiny) @ Weakness Policy
Nature: Calm
Ability: Analytic
4 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.

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0 votes

Specs Sweeper Starmie

Starmie @ Choice Specs
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Ice Beam Ice Coverage + 10% chance to freeze
- Psychic Stab Psychic Coverage
- Scald Stab Water Coverage + Burn Chance
- Dazzling Gleam Fairy Coverage

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0 votes

Gen 8 NU
Starmie
Starmie @ Power Herb
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Meteor Beam
- Surf
- Ice Beam
- Psyshock

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0 votes

Gen 8 NU


Starmie @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature

  • Scald
  • Rapid Spin
  • Recover
  • Flip Turn

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.

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0 votes

Gen 8 NU/RU


Starmie @ Choice Specs / Life Orb / Power Herb
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature

  • Hydro Pump
  • Psyshock
  • Thunderbolt
  • Ice Beam / Meteor Beam

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?

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0 votes

Starmie @ Power Herb
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Meteor Beam
- Rapid Spin
- Scald
- Psyshock

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Why agility? Rapid spin has utility, but starmie's already pretty fast. There's no point.
To outspeed Choice Scarfers. Ok, I'll remove Agility.
0 votes

Scarf Utility
Gen 8 NU

Starmie @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 76 SpA / 180 Spe
Timid 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.

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