Pokemon Sword and Shield

Primarina - Moveset & Best Build for Ranked Battle

Primarina Banner.png
This is a strategy guide for using Primarina 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 Primarina, as well as its strengths and weak points.

Primarina - Related Guides
Pokemon SWSH - Primarina Evolution and LearnsetEvolution and Learnset Pokemon SWSH - Primarina Best BuildBuild for Ranked Battle

Basic Information for Primarina

Types and Abilities

Pokemon Type 1 Type 2
Pokemon Sword and Shield - Water Type Pokemon Sword and Shield - Fairy Type
Abilities
Torrent Powers up Water-type moves in a pinch.
Liquid Voice (Hidden) All sound-based moves become Water-type moves.

Primarina Weaknesses and Resistances

Type
Takes 4x damage
-
Takes 2x damage
Pokemon Grass Image Pokemon Electric Image
Takes 0.5x damage
Pokemon Fire Image Pokemon Water Image Pokemon Ice Image Pokemon Steel Image
Takes 1/4x damage
-
Takes 0x damage
-

What is Type Effectiveness?

Base Stats

HP Attack Defense Sp. Atk Sp. Def Speed
80 74 74 126 116 60

Best Nature for Primarina

Best Natures
Modest
(+SpAtk, -Atk)
Bold
(+Def, -Atk)

What are Natures?

Singles Movesets for Primarina

Lum Wall Breaker Moveset & Best Build

Nature Modest (+SpAtk, -Atk)
EV Spread HP 180 / Sp.Atk. 252 / Sp.Def. 4 / Spd. 72
Final Stat Values HP 178 / Def. 94 / Sp.Atk. 195 / Sp.Def. 137 / Spd. 89
Ability Torrent
Held Item Lum Berry
Moveset Scald
Psychic
Energy Ball
Moonblast

These values are from base stats and ideal EVs, excluding external factors.

Lum Wall Breaker Primarina.png

Taking advantage of its already high base stats, Primarina has the ability to break down highly defensive teams. With 72 EVs put into Speed, it can outspeed a Corviknight with 4 EVs in Speed. With its highly variable learnset, it can break some of the hardest walls in the metagame, using Energy Ball to take down the Ground-type Quagsire and Psychic to handle the Poison-type Toxapex.

Alternate Move Choices

Sparkling Aria As a Sound-based move, can break through Substitute
Encore Can limit an opponent's movement.
Perish Song Can help escape from a sticky situation.
Hydro Pump For when you want to deal more damage. An alternate choice for Calm Mind.
Ice Beam Has a small chance of inflicting Freeze. Can somewhat improve the range of opponents it can hit.
Blizzard More powerful than Ice Beam. Its low accuracy makes it high-risk, high-reward.

Chesto + Calm Mind + Rest Moveset & Best Build

Nature Modest (+SpAtk, -Atk)
EV Spread HP 252 / Def. 252 / Sp.Atk. 4
Final Stat Values HP 187 / Def. 138 / Sp.Atk. 146 / Sp.Def. 136 / Spd. 81
Ability Torrent
Held Item Chesto Berry
Moveset Scald
Moonblast
Calm Mind
Rest

These values are from base stats and ideal EVs, excluding external factors.

Chesto Calm Mind Rest Primarina.png

New in this generation, Primarina is able to learn Calm Mind to achieve a similar role that Pokemon such as Suicune, Latias, and Sylveon played in previous games. By placing EVs in its HP and Defense, it becomes a formidable Physical defender, and with Calm Mind, it can hold the line as a Special defender as well.

With Scald, it can inflict Burn to lower its opponent's Attack, and with Moonblast, it has a chance of lowering its opponent's Special Defense. Primarina can choose its moves effectively to prepare itself defensively to deal with either Physical or Special attacks.

Alternate Move Choices

Sparkling Aria As a Sound-based move, can break through Substitute
Hydro Pump For when you want to deal more damage. An alternate choice for Calm Mind.
Ice Beam Has a small chance of inflicting Freeze. Can somewhat improve the range of opponents it can hit.
Blizzard More powerful than Ice Beam. Its low accuracy makes it high-risk, high-reward.

Assault Vest Moveset & Best Build

Nature Modest (+SpAtk, -Atk)
EV Spread HP 252 / Sp. Atk. 252 / Spd. 4
Final Stat Values HP 187 / Def. 94 / Sp. Atk. 195 / Sp. Def. 136
Ability Torrent
Held Item Assault Vest
Moveset Sparkling Aria
Moonblast
Energy Ball
Aqua Jet

Letting Primarina hold Assault Vest will further boost its durability against Special Attacks, allowing it to take more hits and fight for longer.

Other Viable Moves

Psychic Super-effective against Poison-types.
Hydro Pump Alternative to Sparkling Aria. More powerful but has low accuracy.
Ice Beam Super-effective agaisnt Grass and Flying-types. Can be used as Max Hailstorm against Pokemon holding Focus Sash.

Leftovers Moveset & Best Build

Nature Bold (+Def, -Atk)
EV Spread HP 172 / Def. 236 / Spd. 100
Final Stat Values HP 177 / Def. 136 / Sp. Atk. 146 / Sp. Def. 136 / Spd. 93
Ability Torrent
Held Item Leftovers
Moveset Scald
Moonblast
Calm Mind
Substitute

This set frames Primarina to be tanky. with its EVs allocated to its HP and Defense stats, with some spent on Speed to outspeed some common threats.

Other Viable Moves

Sparkling Aria As a Sound-based move, can break through Substitute.
Aqua Jet Water-type move that is guaranteed to go first. Effective against opponents holding Focus Sash.
Ice Beam Super-effective agaisnt Grass and Flying-types. Can be used as Max Hailstorm against Pokemon holding Focus Sash.
Blizzard More powerful than Ice Beam, but less accurate.

How to Use Primarina Effectively

Great type combination and high Special Defense

Primarina can use its Special Attack to dish out damage, and its Special Defense to absorb hits. And with a combined 3 weaknesses and 7 resistences, its type combination makes it an ideal defender for a variety of situations, especially switch-heavy defensive battles. It can be switched in against a variety of opponents to lash out with super-effective attacks and lay on the pressure.

Advantageous matchups allow it to set up

As Primarina can learn Calm Mind starting in this generation, it's significantly more able to checkmate its opponent. As it can recover lost HP with Rest, it can become impossible for the opponent to faint it, allowing it to build up and wreak havoc. That said, as its Special Attack and Special Defense are strong from the start, it can also be played effectively even without using setup moves.

Counters for Primarina

Primarina
Weakness Pokemon Grass Image Pokemon Electric Image

Put on the pressure with Physical attackers

Although Primarina has high base Special Attack and Special Defense, its base Defense is a rather low 74. As long as the Primarinas you're up against are not stacked to handle Physical attacks, you won't have too much trouble bringing in a type-advantaged Physical hitter to take it down.

Best Pokemon to Use

Pokemon Description
Pokemon SWSH - Rillaboom ImageRillaboom Ranking: ★★★★★
Grassy Terrain + Grassy Glide will OHKO Primarina even if EVs are allocated in Defense and HP..
Moveset & Best Build for Rillaboom
Pokemon SWSH - Raikou ImageRaikou Ranking: ★★★★★
・Can dish out super-effective Electric moves.
Moveset & Best Build for Raikou
Pokemon SWSH - Tapu Koko ImageTapu Koko Ranking: ★★★★★
・Can dish out super-effective Electric moves.
・Increase power of said moves with Electric Terrain.
Moveset & Best Build for Tapu Koko
Pokemon SWSH - Venusaur ImageVenusaur Ranking: ★★★★★
・Has a type advantage in a one-on-one matchup.
Pokemon SWSH - Gyarados ImageGyarados Ranking: ★★★★★
・Can hit a weak point with Power Whip.
・Has a type advantage in a one-on-one matchup.
Moveset & Best Build for Gyarados
Pokemon SWSH - Ferrothorn ImageFerrothorn Ranking: ★★★★★
・Can take its attacks with reduced damage.
・Can hit its weak spots with STAB.
Moveset & Best Build for Ferrothorn
Pokemon SWSH - Zapdos ImageZapdos Ranking: ★★★★
・Can dish out super-effective Electric moves.
Be aware that Primarina can use Ice-type moves.
Moveset & Best Build for Zapdos
Pokemon SWSH - Regieleki ImageRegieleki Ranking: ★★★★
・Can dish out super-effective Electric moves.
Durability is low.
Moveset & Best Build for Regieleki

Related Links

Pokemon Sword and Shield - Best Builds for Ranked Battle

All Competitive Builds for Ranked Battle

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