Mesprit - Moveset & Best Build for Ranked Battle

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

Mesprit - Related Guides
Evolution and Learnset	Build for Ranked Battle

Basic Information for Mesprit

Types and Abilities

Pokemon	Type 1	Type 2
Mesprit
Abilities
Levitate	Gives immunity to Ground type moves.

Mesprit 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 Mesprit

What are Natures?

Singles Movesets for Mesprit

Nasty Plot Moveset & Best Build

Mesprit's special movepool has plenty of good moves to choose from, making Mesprit a highly customizable Pokemon that can find a place in any team.

About Mesprit's Moves

Psychic is Mesprit's main STAB move, which can deal decent damage to Pokemon who don't resist Psychic.

Ice Beam is Mesprit's first coverage move which can hit a variety of different types for super-effective damage.

Dazzling Gleam is Mesprit's second coverage move, being resisted by only Steel and Poison-types.

Nasty Plot is the most important move of the set. Setting it up once can position Mesprit into a viable wallbreaker.

About Mesprit's EV Spread

Maximizing Speed and Special Attack lets Mesprit be as quick as it can be, and hit sa hard as possible with a Timid Nature with more emphasis on its Speed. Mesprit will be boosting its Special Attack with Nasty Plot, so focusing on Speed with a Timid Nature is more beneficial than going with a Modest Nature.
The remaining EV's are then put into Defense so that Mesprit can better take physical moves.

About Mesprit's Ability

Levitate is Mesprit's only Ability and gives it immunity to Ground-type moves, as well as grounded entry hazards such as Spikes, Toxic Spikes, and Sticky Web.

About Mesprit's Held Item

Colbur Berry gives Mesprit a chance of surviving a super-effective Dark-type attack. Alternatively, Focus Sash can ensure its survival, provided that Focus Sash is not already held by a more deserving teammate.

It is important for Mesprit to survive a turn if it is going to be able to sweep after Nasty Plot.

Other Viable Moves

Doubles Movesets for Mesprit

Skill Swap Moveset & Best Build

Mesprit's special and support movepool has plenty of good moves to choose from, making Mesprit a highly customizable Pokemon that can find a place in any team.

About Mesprit's Moves

Psychic is Mesprit's main STAB move, which can deal decent damage to Pokemon who don't resist Psychic.

Ice Beam is Mesprit's first coverage move which can hit a variety of different types for super-effective damage.

The set's main gimmick is Skill Swap, which Mesprit can use to give Levitate to a teammate or trigger an Ability another time.

And lastly, Helping Hand allows Mesprit to support its partner by boosting its offensive potential.

About Mesprit's EV Spread

Maximizing HP and Special Attack lets Mesprit be as tanky as it can be, and hit sa hard as possible. The remaining EV's are then put into Defense so that Mesprit can better take physical moves.

About Mesprit's Ability

Levitate is Mesprit's only Ability and gives it immunity to Ground-type moves, as well as grounded entry hazards such as Spikes, Toxic Spikes, and Sticky Web.

About Mesprit's Held Item

Because of its modest defenses, Focus Sash gives Mesprit some much needed survivability.

Other Viable Moves

How to Use Mesprit Effectively

Protecting Mesprit from Taunt and Fake Out will ensure that Mesprit is able to use its support moves. Protecting it from Fake Out also preserves Mesprit's Focus Sash. Building a team around Mesprit and a central strategy is a good way to learn the ins and outs of Double Battling.

How to Build a Team with Mesprit

Skill Swap Mesprit

Skill Swap is a wonderful gimmick that can make for really fun and chaotic games. There are plenty of fun interactions to be had by swapping Levitate unto teammates. Some fun interactions can happen with Abilities like Storm Drain, Flash Fire and Volt Absorb, especially when Mesprit's partner can use a STAB spread move that can also hit Mesprit, such as Lava Plume, Surf or Discharge.

Mesprit and this strategy are all very customizable. Playing with this strategy and building around it is a fun and novel way to learn about Abilities and interactions that go on in a Double Battle.

Example Skill Swap Team

Special Attacker	Support	Physical Attacker
Regieleki	Mesprit	Landorus (Therian Forme)

Though Regieleki enjoys the boost it gets from its Transistor Ability, Mesprit can grant it Levitate, eliminating Regieleki's only weakness. Mesprit can then gain Transistor and deal big damage with Thunderbolt, which Mesprit can learn.

Using Skill Swap on a Pokemon with Abilities that trigger upon entering the field like Intimidate causes the Ability to trigger once more, causing an additional Attack drop for you opponents.

Counters for Mesprit

Weakness

Counter Mesprit by Disabling its Support Options or with Super-Effective Attacks

Having a Dark-type weakness makes Mesprit easy prey for powerful and prevalent Dark-types like Yveltal. Pokemon that can stop it with Fake Out or Taunt can greatly hinder Mesprit's capability to contribute to a match.

Best Pokemon to Use

Pokemon	Description
Yveltal	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Outspeeds Mesprit ・Can knock Mesprit out with a super-effective Dark-type move. Moveset & Best Build for Yveltal
Incineroar	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Resists Mesprit's offensive moves. ・Can break Mesprit's Focus Sash with Fake Out. ・Can knock it out with a super-effective Dark-type move. Moveset & Best Build for Incineroar
Tornadus	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Can shut down Mesprit's support options with Taunt. Moveset & Best Build for Tornadus

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 The Crown Tundra Pokemon

Movesets & Best Builds for The Crown Tundra Pokemon
Galarian Articuno	Galarian Zapdos	Galarian Moltres
Raikou	Entei	Suicune
Articuno	Zapdos	Moltres
Tornadus	Thundurus	Landorus
Tapu Koko	Tapu Lele	Tapu Bulu
Tapu Fini	Regieleki	Regidrago
Latios	Latias	Heatran
Cresselia	Glastrier	Spectrier
Nidoking	Swampert	Dragonite
Salamence	Garchomp	Metagross
Galarian Slowking	Nihilego	Naganadel
Pheromosa	Buzzwole	Celesteela
Kartana	Stakataka	Blaziken
Kyogre	Yveltal	Xerneas
Necrozma (Dusk Mane)	Calyrex (Shadow Rider)	Mewtwo
Calyrex (Ice Rider)	Dialga	Lugia
Black Kyurem	Zekrom	Ho-Oh
Rayquaza	Zygarde	Reshiram
White Kyurem	Groudon	Regirock
Palkia	Regigigas	Registeel
Regice	Giratina	Solgaleo
Lunala	Kyurem	Necrozma
Uxie	Mesprit	Azelf
Calyrex