Whimsicott - Moveset & Best Build for Ranked Battle

This is a strategy guide for using Whimsicott in competitive play for the games Pokemon Sword and Shield. Read on for tips on the best Nature, EV spreads, Movesets, and Held Items to use with Whimsicott, as well as its strengths and weak points.

Whimsicott - Related Guides
Evolution and Learnset	Build for Ranked Battle

Basic Information for Whimsicott

Types and Abilities

Pokemon	Type 1	Type 2
Whimsicott
Abilities
Prankster	Gives priority to a status move.
Infiltrator	Passes through the foe's barrier and strikes.
Chlorophyll (Hidden)	Boosts the Pokemon's Speed in sunshine

Whimsicott Weaknesses and Resistances

	Type
Takes 4x damage
Takes 2x damage
Takes 0.5x damage
Takes 1/4x damage	-
Takes 0x damage

What is Type Effectiveness?

Base Stats

Best Nature for Whimsicott

What are Natures?

Singles Movesets for Whimsicott

Cotton Guard + Leech Seed Moveset & Best Build

This is the Whimsicott Cotton Guard + Leech Seed build feared across the metagame. With the move Cotton Guard, it can raise its Defense by a whopping three stages, while healing itself with Leech Seed and simultaneously wearing down its opponent. Thanks to its ability Prankster, it can use all moves in this build aside from Moonblast with priority, allowing it to start setting up right away.

About Whimsicott's EV Spread

The EVs in this moveset are tactically arranged to allow it to take down a Hydreigon with 252 EVs in HP in one hit with Moonblast. With its 120 Speed, it's able to outspeed a non-Choice Scarf Hydreigon with maximized Speed. Also, its HP is arranged with a 16n+1 value, meaning that it will receive the maximum possible HP each time it recovers HP with Leech Seed.

Other Viable Moves

Tailwind Support Moveset & Best Build

This Whimsicott' eschews defense for speed and special attack so it can hit as hard and as fast as possible after setting up Tailwind. Moonblast is its main STAB move while Endeavor works well with Focus Sash, allowing Whimsicott to reduce an opposing Pokemon's HP to 1 once it survives a super effective hit.

It's last move is Memento, which causes Whimsicott to faint, but reduces the opposing Pokemon's Attack and Special Attack by 2 stages. This move is best used once Whimsicott has finished setting up Tailwind.

About Whimsicott's EV Spread

This build has full investment in Speed and Special Attack so it's fast as possible and hits hard with Moonblast, with the remaining 4 EVs placed in Defense to slightly boost its bulk.

Other Viable Moves

Doubles Movesets for Whimsicott

Beat Up Support Moveset & Best Build

This Whimsicott is centered around using the move Beat Up on a partner Pokemon with the ability Justified to raise their attack. In a typical 4 vs 4 Doubles Battle, this move will hit the Justified Pokemon 4 times, essentially raising their attack by 4 stages.

Good partners for this Whimsicott include Terrakion, Lucario, and Arcanine.

Whimsicott's other moves are for team support. Tailwind is ideally used first before using Beat Up to boost team's speed, while Protect allows it to scout moves. Dazzling Gleam is its only attacking move, hitting both opponents and ensuring Whimsicott doesn't struggle when it sustains a Taunt.

About Whimsicott's EV Spread

This Whimsicott's EV spread is more straightforward as it's main role is purely to support its teammate. It will be the immediate target when your opponent realizes that it's using Beat Up so defensive EVs are a waste.

Instead, we give Whimsicott full Speed and Sp. Attack investment, with the remaining EVs on HP. This ensures it can use Tailwind and Beat Up before other Pokemon and hit hard with Dazzling Gleam.

Focus Sash is the preferred held item to ensure it can use Beat Up at least once on its turn.

To learn more about using Whimsicott in the Doubles format, take a look at our How to Build a Doubles Team article below:
How to Build a Doubles Team

Other Viable Moves

How to Use Whimsicott Effectively

Move first and set up fast

Whimsicott has both a blistering speed of 120 and the Ability Prankster, allowing it to move first automatically when using Status moves. If it does a good job setting up Cotton Guard against a Physical attacker, followed by Substitute and Leech Seed to further avoid its chances of being taken down in one hit, the opponent may become completely unable to take it down, allowing it to sweep the rest of the match.

Counters for Whimsicott

Weakness

Reflect its Status moves with Magic Bounce

The most effective strategy to counter Whimsicott is to completely nullify its ability to use Leech Seed. Without its primary healing source, Whimsicott will be limited to healing using Leftovers, its rhythm will be impeded. Also, as Pokemon with the Ability Magic Bounce, which reflects the effects of Status moves, tend to have high Special Attack, these Pokemon can frequently avoid the effects of Cotton Guard to take down Whimsicott easily.

Best Pokemon to Use

Pokemon	Description
Espeon	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Has the Ability Magic Bounce ・Its high Special Attack can take down Whimsicott Moveset & Best Build for Sylveon
Hatterene	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Has the Ability Magic Bounce ・Its high Special Attack can take down Whimsicott Moveset & Best Build for Hatterene

Nullify Leech Seed with a Grass-type Pokemon

Whimsicott is famous for stalling opponents with Leech Seed, but this move fails when facing against a Grass-type Pokemon. As such, many Grass-types can comfortably switch into Whimsicott and force it out or even heavily damage it.

Best Pokemon to Use

Pokemon	Description
Ferrothorn	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Resists Whimsicott's Fairy-type STAB ・Can threaten and heavily damage Whimsicott with Gyro Ball Moveset & Best Build for Ferrothorn
Kartana	Ranking: ★★★★ ・Resists Whimsicott's Fairy-type STAB and easily KO it with its Steel-type STAB ・Can't take repeated special attacks due to its lower Special Defense Moveset & Best Build for Kartana

Related Links

All Competitive Builds for Ranked Battle

Competitive Guides for Pokemon Sword and Shield

Competitive Pokemon Battle Guides
Tier List		Best Builds		Series 10 List of Contenders
Doubles Tier List		Team Building		Rental Teams

Best Builds for Returning Pokemon

Movesets & Best Builds for Returning Pokemon
Mimikyu	Wash Rotom	Gyarados
Ferrothorn	Aegislash	Excadrill
Tyranitar	Hydreigon	Heat Rotom
Arcanine	Mamoswine	Toxapex
Togekiss	Cloyster	Durant
Snorlax	Charizard	Sylveon
Lucario	Hippowdon	Umbreon
Conkeldurr	Quagsire	Gastrodon
Lapras	Whimsicott	Rhyperior
Goodra	Haxorus	Glaceon
Mow Rotom	Type: Null	Gengar
Milotic	Gardevoir	Flygon
Chandelure	Lanturn	Torkoal
Bisharp	Seismitoad	Silvally
Butterfree	Primarina	Incineroar
Blastoise	Decidueye	Venusaur
Darmanitan	Alolan Ninetales	Gothitelle
Crawdaunt	Clefable	Reuniclus
Kommo-o	Terrakion	Cobalion
Virizion	Noivern	Fan Rotom
Toxicroak	Pelipper	Jellicent
Celebi	Clefairy	Hitmontop
Diggersby	Ditto	Raichu
Hawlucha	Shiftry	Tsareena
Ludicolo