Primarina - Moveset & Best Build for Ranked Battle

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
Evolution and Learnset	Build for Ranked Battle

Basic Information for Primarina

Types and Abilities

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

What is Type Effectiveness?

Base Stats

Best Nature for Primarina

What are Natures?

Singles Movesets for Primarina

Lum Wall Breaker Moveset & Best Build

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

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

Chesto + Calm Mind + Rest Moveset & Best Build

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

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

Assault Vest Moveset & Best Build

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

Leftovers Moveset & Best Build

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

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

Weakness

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

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