What is a good moveset for Primarina?

Question

If you have a good competitive moveset for Primarina, 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.

Primarina Pokédex and learnset for reference.

Answer 1

Primarina @ Choice Specs / Life Orb / Assault Vest
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 168 HP / 252 SpA / 88 Spe
Modest Nature
- Hydro Pump / Scald
- Moonblast
- Blizzard / Ice Beam
- Psychic

Hydro Pump and Moonblast are powerful STAB moves, while others are coverage. They hit really hard with Choice Specs. Scald is a reliable move to lock into Choice Specs while having a great accuracy and chances to burn. Life Orb is also there to boost, but provides a little less power than Choice Specs. Assault Vest is there to allow her to be a Special Tank, taking Special moves from mons like Specs Volcanion while resisting its STAB moves. Hydro Pump is suggested with running Assault Vest, since you will lose the boosts of Life Orb and Choice Specs. EVs max out its Special attack while allowing her to outspeed most walls and slower attackers. Her high Special defence makes her a Special tank. The rest is placed in Hp to boost its bulk. Scald and Ice Beam are alternatives if you dont like Hydro Pump and Blizzard's accuracy. Also reliable moves for locking into Choice Specs as I said above. This set is suitable for single battles. For doubles, using moves like Surf, Liquid Voice Hyper Voice, Blizzard, Dazzling Gleam, are good since you can target two opponent at the same time.

Comments

Hydro Pump is very unreliable, and Blizzard is even worse. If you want to win every game, scald/surf and ice beam are much better options. Also, why put 252 in Speed? Its not going to out speed anything without scarf. The investment is better used for bulk.

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i didn put 252 EVs in speed i think you read it wrong. Thanks for suggestion

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It is noteworthy that Hydro Pump is essential if running Assault Vest to keep the damage output mildly high.
Good set otherwise.

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@ xXJashuaXx Is right in one way, Primarina doesn't have a great base speed, sitting at 60. However, let's run the math on Modest, vs Timid, and with/without a Scarf. I'm going to assume for all intents, and purposes, that the Primarina has 252 Evs in Speed, and a 31 Iv also in Speed, and is level 50.

Modest
Base 60.
Add 20 for the 31 iv.
Add 32 for 252 Evs.
112 Speed.
Add a Scarf, add 56 (50% of 112)
168 Speed.

Timid
Base 60.
Plus 6 for beneficial nature. (+10 to base stat, for a beneficial nature)
Add 20 for the 31 iv.
Add 32 for 252 evs.
118 speed.
Add a Scarf, add 59 (50% of 118).
177 Speed.

Let's compare that, to the fastest Pokmon, in Sun/Moon, Phemosa, who has a Base Speed of 150.
Top speed stat, at level 50:
Assuming 252 Evs in Speed, and a 31 iv:
Modest, 202. Affacted by Sticky Web, 133.
Timid, 217. Affected by Sticky Web, 143.

Let's see what Primarina can outspeed, in terms of base stat pokemon, in Gen 6 OU, comparing level 50 Primarina, to other level 50's. Im going to assume they are affected by Sticky Web, and neither pokemon is holding a Scarf. I'll also assume the pokemon, have a 31 iv in speed, and 252 Speed evs (Standard Sweeper sets).

Base 110 Speed Pokemon.
Beneficial Speed nature, 178.
Speed after Sticky Web, 117.

Neutral Speed nature, 162.
Speed after Sticky Web, 106.

Primarina can outspeed, a giant portion of the gen 6 OU tier, with Sticky Web affecting the opposing pokemon, and neither of them having a Scarf. With a fairly decent movepool, it can be a big threat.

If you have team Support, like a Rapid Spin Blocker, or a Pokemon with Gravity, this Primarina set gets a lot better. Remember, you have up to 6 pokemon to use to support each other. That allows creative sets.

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Let me actually repeat this again. I wrote 252 Spd, not Spe. I appreciate your feedback, but just to let you know. People may think it was a typo and I was trying to write Spe. But it's SpD.

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Dude, you need glasses. You wrote Spe.
Checking your revisions, it WAS Spd but now its Spe.

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I check the revisions before. Now it was 88 Spe because I change the set.

Answer 2

Primarina @ Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
EVs : 252 HP / 168 Def / 88 SpD
Bold Nature / Calm Nature
IVs : 0 Atk
- Protect / Moonblast
- Aqua Ring
- Scald
- Amnesia

This set focuses on Primarina's bulk to allow her to be a tank and to last longer in many battles. Leftovers together with Aqua Ring, allows Primarina to heal for HP slowly. Protect allows Primarina to heal for more HP without the opponent attacking. Scald burns the opponent. Amnesia allows it to be more a Special Tank. Using her against special attackers would be the best. However, note that taunt would be dangerous for her. Moonblast is there to deal with mons that resist Scald, but also to not allow her to be a taunt fodder.

Answer 3

Primarina @ Primarinium Z / Life Orb
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 SpD
Modest Nature
- Sparkling Aria
- Ice Beam
- Psychic
- Moonblast

• Sparkling Aria- STAB, good BP, and triggers Z-Move
• Ice Beam- Coverage, and good BP
• Psychic- Coverage, good BP
• Moonblast- STAB, good BP

Comments

Is Bp PP? ( Power points )

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@Orange Gaimer
No, base power
And i was going to involve calm mind but i cant learn it some reason

Answer 4

Primarina @ Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Relaxed Nature
- Perish Song
- Whirlpool
- Energy Ball
- Flip Turn
Strategy: This is for Gen 8 Ubers. Whirlpool is to trap the opponent so you can use Perish Song. Energy Ball is for Pokemon who have Water Absorb and Storm Drain. Flip Turn is for the last turn of Perish Song so you can attack the foe while switching out.

Comments

Ooh nice set. I'll give it an upvote

Answer 5

Special Attacker

Primarina @ Assault Vest
Ability: Torrent
EVs 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 Spe
Modest Nature
- Moonblast
- Ice Beam
- Sparking Aria / Surf / Scald
- Shadow Ball / Psychic

• Moonblast: STAB
• Ice Beam: Great coverage
• Sparking Aria / Surf / Scald: All have great accuracy & STAB
• Shadow Ball / Psychic: Great coverage

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Special Tank

Primarina @ Leftovers
Ability: Liquid Voice
EVs: 252 HP / 152 Def / 50 SpA / 50 SpD / 4 spe
Calm Nature
- Toxic
- Aqua Ring
- Moonblast / Hyper Voice
- Amnesia

Answer 6

Primarina @ Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 4 HP
Quirky Nature
- Dazzling Gleam
- Blizzard
- Scald
- Aqua Ring

The Awesome Sweeper Primarina

Here, we are going to use Primarina as a sweeper. Dazzling gleam and Blizzard attack
both of the opposing Pokemon. You can use Scald to attack and break out of being frozen and you can
use the combo of Aqua ring and Leftovers to restore a considerable amount of HP every turn.
(This is called the Awesome Primarina because this is my Primarina and my trainer name is Awesome.)

Answer 7

Primarina (F) @ Assault Vest / Wise Glasses
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA
Modest Nature
- Hydro Pump / Surf
- Moonblast
- Ice Beam
- Psychic

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Hydro Pump/Surf (STAB, coverage for fire, rock, & ground)
Moonblast (STAB, coverage for fighting, dragon, & dark)
Ice Beam (Important coverage for grass, plus flying, ground, & dragon, & freeze chance)
Psychic (Important coverage for poison, plus fighting)

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This set here is for a powerful yet bulky sweeper. The reason that I choose Surf over Sparkling Aria is because Pokemon with the ability Soundproof are unaffected by Sparkling Aria and that if you opponent had a burn, it would be healed by Sparkling Aria. This makes surf much more reliable. The Assault Vest boosts your special bulk further so you can take most electric moves, and wise glasses boosts the power of your special moves.

Answer 8

Type: Water/Fairy
Primarina @ Choice Specs / Throat Spray
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Sparkling Aria
- Moonblast
- Psychic
- Energy Ball/Ice Beam

Sparkling Aria is a reliable stab move that hits through substitute and is a sound move so you could pair this with throat spray instead if you wanted to. Moonblast is its other stab move that has good power and hits dragon, dark, and fighting types super-effectively. Psychic is there to hit bothersome poison types hard and fighting types that are neutral to Moonblast (ex. Dry Skin Toxicroak). Energy ball lets Primarina throttle other water types and bulky water ground types like storm Drain Gastrodon and Water Absorb Seismitoad, on the other hand ice beam allows you to hit grass types for super-effective damage and take out some flying types and other ground types (ex. Torterra for reference I know its not in Sword and Shield). The 252 EVs in speed allow you to outspeed slower Pokemon while being able to outspeed threats such as Amoongus and Azumarill or other Pokemon that are barely faster that don't invest in their speed stat. 252 Special Attack evs lets primarina hit things for large amounts of damage in conjunction with choice specs. Lastly the 4 Evs in defense are for slightly boosting Primarinas underwhelming defense stat.

Answer 9

Gen 9 Monotype Calm Mind (Water)

Primarina @ Leftovers
Ability: Liquid Voice
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 252 HP / 184 Def / 72 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Substitute
- Calm Mind
- Psychic Noise
- Draining Kiss

A Calm Mind set Primarina can use on Water teams in Gen 9 Monotype. This set can 1v1 Pokemon once it gets a free turn. Substitute lets Primarina scout opposing Pokemon and is useful to use against slower passive Pokemon. Calm Mind boosts Primarina's Special Attack and Special Defense, making it a potent setup sweeper should the opponent not have anything to stop it. Psychic Noise is used as a Water STAB on this set. This is possible since Liquid Voice turns any sound-based move into a Water move, and Psychic Noise is a sound based move. :D Psychic Noise having the Heal Block effect lets Primarina 1v1 Pokemon such as Toxapex, Amoonguss lacking Sludge Bomb, Gouging Fire, and Sticky Hold Gastrodon. If Primarina gets a free turn, Primarina can temporarily wall Ogerpon-Heartflame and Ogerpon-Wellspring if they only use Horn Leech as their Grass STAB. Draining Kiss is used for the Fairy STAB since it allows Primarina to recover HP. Leftovers is used to give Primarina some HP recovery each turn.

252 HP EVs are used for bulk. 72 Speed EVs give Primarina enough speed to outspeed Pokemon such as Corviknight, Kingambit, as well as Pokemon running speed to outspeed the mentioned Steel-types. The rest of the EVs are used in Defense with a Bold Nature to help Primarina take physical hits.

Answer 10

Role: Defensive

Primarina @ Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 HP / 248 Def / 8 Spe
Calm Nature
- Scald
- Moonblast / Ice beam / Roar
- Rest
- Sleep Talk

Usage: A more defensive Primarina. This set is designed to take advantage of Primarina's bulk. Upgrading its defense by giving it much needed EV's, while giving it a calm nature to make its already good special defense even better at tanking special hits. 8 speed allows it to outspeed base 60 mons that invest in 4 EV's in speed. This set also makes it useful for absorbing status.

Scald is useful for burning, complimenting your already well invested physical defense. Moon blast is useful for being your other stab move, Ice beam can be used over moon blast for good coverage, and roar can be used to stop Pokemon from setting up and its useful for racking up entry hazard damage. Rest allows it to absorb status and recover. Sleep talk allows Primarina to do something while sleeping.

Answer 11

Primarina @ Leftovers / Primarinium Z
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 6 HP
Calm Nature
- Aqua Ring
- Ice Beam / Psychic / Attract
- Sparkling Aria / Scald
- Moonblast

Aqua Ring, because Primarina's SpD is pretty good and this gives her the ability to heal herself, great when combined with Leftovers.

Attract cripples the opponent. Ice Beam and Psychic are for coverage.

Sparkling Aria is a great STAB move, which also gives you the choice of using Primarinium Z. Scald could burn your opponent, dropping their Attack also, so you may last longer in battle.

Moonblast is just a powerful STAB move.

Answer 12

Primarina @ Mystic Water / Primarium Z / Life Orb
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 122 HP / 80 Def / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Sparkling Aria
- Moonblast
- Shadow Ball
- Ice Beam

• Sparkling Aria (Z-Move to Oceanic Operetta, STAB, Stacks with Mystic water)
• Moonblast (Does not stack with Primarium Z or Mystic water, but Life Orb and STAB are saviors.)
• Shadow Ball (Deals with Decidueye)
• Ice Beam (Coverage)

In my opinion, this one is my favorite one of the 2 final evos of the starters. It has the least weaknesses out of the trio. It has terrible speed, though. That's why I chose Timid for its nature.

Comments

Well, I used only attacking moves because it can be baton passed on, C;

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Ice beam has more power, and can also deal with Decidueye, I'd switch Shadow Ball for Psychic to cover Primarinas poison weakness, and so you don't get walled out by mons like Toxapex.

Answer 13

Primarina @ Life Orb / Choice Scarf
Ability: Liquid Voice
Evs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe / 4 HP
Modest Nature / Timid Nature
- Hyper Voice
- Moonblast
- Energy Ball / Shadow Ball
- Shadow Ball / Hidden Power [Fire] / [Ground] / [Steel]

So here's the deal.

With the above spread, at level 50;
No Choice Scarf, and active Sticky Web on the opponents side;

Timid Primarina Speed ties base 110 speed Pokemon, if they have a nature boosting speed.

Modest Primarna outspeeds base 110 speed Pokemon, if they have a nature that doesn't affect speed growth, by a total of 6.

I choose not to use Hidden Power, on mine, since I use a Timid one, and the above HP types, require a speed iv, of 30.

If you use a Modest one, with my spread, you can afford to use a Hidden Power, as Modest level 50 Primarina, has 6 speed more, than any base 110 with a nature, that is neutral towards speed.

Answer 14

Primarina @ Mystic water / Primarium-Z / Rocky Helmet / Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 160 HP / 100 Atk / 100 Def
Quiet Nature
- Sparkling Aria / Hydro Pump
- Moonblast
- Sing / Hyper Voice
- Psychic / Ice Beam

With the Torrent ability, Primarina's Water-type attacks will boost when her HP is low. If you choose the Mystic Water item (Mystic Water boosts your Pokemon's water type attacks) and her HP is low, use a water type attack and it will do a lot of damage. A Primarium-Z turns Primarina's Sparkling aria into a Z-Move. If you are not interested in the Primarium-Z and/or Sparkling aria, I recommend getting rid of both of them, using Hydro pump as a move instead of Sparkling Aria and giving her another item.

Hydro pump is probably the best water type move so it is good to have. Moonblast is a good Fairy type move. I added it in the moveset because Primarina is a fairy type and it wouldn't be good just to have water moves.

Sing is a good defense move because it makes the opposing Pokemon fall asleep, more time to attack without them beating you. Hyper Voice is a good move because it hits all of the opposing Pokemon. Psychic is a good comeback against poison types; so that you have a chance to beat them before they beat you. Ice beam is good because it can make the opposing Pokemon frozen.

Now about items: I have already explained about the mystic water and Primarium-Z, now I will explain more: this Primarina is based more on attack, not defense or speed. Leftovers are a good choice because they can restore your Pokemon's HP every turn, more time to attack! A Rocky Helmet is also a good choice because it will hurt any Pokemon that hits you with a physical move. This lowers the Pokemon's hp even more! The Quiet Nature also helps because most of these moves are special, not physical.

Answer 15

Primarina is a really fun Pokemon to use because of its enormous movepool, great stats, and various ways you can use it. This is what I recommend you run.

Primarina @ Waterium Z / Primarium Z / Choice Specs / Life Orb / Assault Vest
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 172 HP / 252 SpA / 84 Spe (just to outspeed semi-slow stuff like Decidueye)
Modest Nature
- Hydro Pump / Scald / Sparkling Aria
- Moonblast
- Ice Beam
- Psychic / Energy Ball / Shadow Ball

Hydro Pump/Scald/Sparkling Aria (all great water moves for STAB, the latter triggers the glorious Z-Move, but I don't use it as it by itself is highly outclassed)
Moonblast (STAB)
Ice Beam (for easy grass coverage)
Psychic/Energy Ball/Shadow Ball (all great coverage moves for threats such as Venusaur and Rotom-W)

Answer 16

My Primarina Moveset:

Primarina @ Assault Vest / Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 SpD
Modest Nature / Sassy Nature
- Scald
- Moonblast
- Ice Beam
- Psychic

STAB: Scald / Surf and Moonblast
Coverage: Ice Beam and Psychic
Setup: Rain Dance, Protect, Aqua ring, Amenesia, Reflect, and Light Screen
My Moveset:

Scald: STAB, Decent power, has chance to burn and is reliable.
Moonblast: STAB, Good Power, can lower SpA.
Ice Beam: Decent power, deals with Grass types, has chance to freeze.
Psychic: Good power, deals with Poison types.

Answer 17

Primarina has nice SpA making it a good Specs user. Try this:

Primarina @ Choice Specs
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 SpD
Modest Nature (non TR) / Quiet Nature (for TR)
- Surf / Scald / Hydro Pump
- Moonblast
- Psychic
- Hidden Power [Ground] / Hidden Power [Fire]

Surf / Scald / Hydro Pump (depending on your risk preference). Surf would work in singles and Scald in doubles if you don't want to take the risk of missing Hydro Pump.
Moonblast.
Psychic (coverage against Poison)
Hidden Power Ground (coverage against Electric and Steel) / Hidden Power Fire (coverage against Grass and Steel)

Answer 18

Woohoo! My starter's set!
Primarina (F) @ Normalium Z
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 SpD
- Captivate
- Sleep Talk
- Scald
- Rest

It's weird, I know, but it works!
Z Captivate on first turn, raises SpD 2 stages and if you are opposite gender to enemy lowers their SpA two stages too.
Scald to deal with physical attackers.
Rest + Sleep Talk for healing.

Answer 19

Primarina @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Moonblast
- Psychic
- Ice Beam
- Surf

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Primarina @ Assault Vest
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpA
Quiet Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Aqua Jet
- Moonblast
- Ice Beam

Answer 20

Gosh, Primarina is such a pretty lil' mermaid

Primarina (F) @ Aguav Berry
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA
Bold Nature
- Energy Ball / Psychic
- Moonblast
- Scald / Sparkling Aria
- Ice Beam

Primarina's type is good for being offensive, and has some nice bulk. she get's really good physical and special moves, like priority aqua jet and acrobatics. you can switch out certain moves, but the ones that are on the left are the ones I'd use personally. Moonblast is for that fairy stab, and so is Sparkling Aria/Scald for the water stab. Ice beam is to cover her grass weakness, and energy ball is to deal with Pokemon with those 4x grass weakness. psychic is a good option too, covering her poison weakness. she can go for a bulky sweep, which is pretty nice, but don't expect to go first at all.

hope I helped!!