Jynx Movesets & Competitive Sets

Moves Psychic helps Jynx to threaten physical bulky Pokemon such as Gurdurr, although Psyshock is a usable albeit weaker option to deal more damage to Assault Vest Hitmonchan. Focus Blast gives Jynx coverage for Steel-types like Alolan Sandslash as well as doing more damage to bulky Normal-types such as Type: Null and Audino. In the last slot, Lovely Kiss and Trick are both single-use options to cripple foes that Choice Scarf Jynx cannot revenge kill otherwise. Trick fails versus Z-Move users such as Alolan Raichu, which can often be devastating if given free turn to set up, while Lovely Kiss does not help versus certain defensive sweepers such as Type: Null. Set Details Choice Scarf allows Jynx to outpace and revenge kill as many foes as possible. Dry Skin allows Jynx to revenge kill a +2 Carracosta without fear of Aqua Jet. Usage Tips Choice Scarf Jynx is a very straightforward revenge killer that should be brought in on slower, boosted sweepers such as Dodrio to either KO them or force them out. However, there is some surprise factor associated with the set, which can be used to Jynx's advantage. Be careful of using Psychic if the opponent has a Dark-type Pursuit trapper such as Skuntank on their team, as it can leave Jynx vulnerable. All of Jynx's moves can allow certain Pokemon to set up on it if they are aware that Jynx is Choice locked, so hiding that fact can be useful. Lovely Kiss in particular necessitates that Jynx switch out afterwards due to Sleep Clause, so be careful with its use. Make sure when using Trick to cripple foes that Jynx does not need its Choice Scarf to outpace a sweeper such as Carracosta later in the game, and also be careful of a Pokemon carrying a Z-Crystal switching in. Team Options Choice Scarf Jynx fits best on offensive or balanced teams in need of strong speed control. It keeps sweepers such as Simisear and Omastar in check for defensive Pokemon like Regirock that might otherwise be overwhelmed. Fire-type checks such as Lanturn and the aforementioned Regirock make for good partners due to Jynx's natural weakness to them. Similarly, Dark-type checks such as Gurdurr and Primeape are a good option. Jynx benefits from entry hazard removers such as Skuntank, as Stealth Rock and Spikes severely limit its switching in opportunities.

Moves Lovely Kiss puts foes to sleep to grant Jynx easier setup opportunities. Z-Lovely Kiss boosts Jynx's Speed to make it a more effective sweeper once it has set up. Psyshock is the preferred Psychic-type STAB move to hit a number of common Assault Vest users, such as Lanturn and Eelektross, all well as naturally specially bulky Pokemon such as Clefairy, but Psychic is an option to guarantee the OHKO on Gurdurr at +2 and better threaten a few other physically defensive Pokemon such as Carracosta. Set Details Normalium Z allows Jynx to use Z-Lovely Kiss, a critical part of the set. Dry Skin is useful for checking Water-types such as Floatzel and absorbing Aqua Jet from Carracosta and Kabutops. Usage Tips Jynx is typically more of a late-game sweeper; it can be used earlier to put a foe to sleep or revenge kill a slower Pokemon, but Z-Lovely Kiss's single-use nature means that Jynx should not set up until absolutely necessary. If Jynx does need to put a foe to sleep early, using regular Lovely Kiss rather than the Z-Move should be considered in order to preserve the Speed boost opportunity for later on. Try to avoid switching Jynx in while entry hazards are up, as even minimal chip damage can put Jynx in range of priority users such as Hitmonchan. Jynx will often need to set up Nasty Plot versus bulky teams, and it sets up best immediately after putting a foe to sleep. Jynx's defenses are so poor that it's generally best not to use Nasty Plot versus a foe ready to attack. However, also consider avoiding putting a foe to sleep until Jynx is faced with a Sucker Punch user such as Skuntank or Shiftry. This can allow Jynx to avoid deadly mind games in playing around Sucker Punch with Nasty Plot. Team Options Jynx fits best on offensive teams, as it's a fairly self-sufficient Pokemon that mainly requires hazard support and wallbreakers to wear away at teams before it attempts to sweep. Entry hazard removers such as Hitmonchan and Swanna are critical for keeping Jynx healthy as it switches in, while entry hazard setters such as Qwilfish and Clefairy can help chip away at Jynx's checks. Special wallbreakers such as Simisear can weaken Pokemon like Regirock and Type: Null for Jynx. Eelektross in particular is an effective partner, as it can bring Jynx in safely with its slow Volt Switch and use Knock Off to annoy Eviolite-using checks like Clefairy and the aforementioned Type: Null. Fighting-type checks such as Oricorio-G and Qwilfish can help take on Primeape and Hitmonchan, which can threaten Jynx with a Speed tie or priority, respectively.

Moves Lovely Kiss puts foes to sleep, giving Jynx the opportunity to set up a Substitute or Nasty Plot, with Substitute giving Jynx a failsafe if the opponent wakes up and making Jynx harder to revenge kill. Z-Lovely Kiss boosts Jynx's Speed, allowing it to more effectively sweep. Ice Beam is Jynx's attacking move of choice, as nothing is immune to it and it can break through most Pokemon that resist it if Jynx has enough boosts. Set Details Dry Skin provides Jynx with setup opportunities versus Pokemon such as Lanturn. Normalium Z allows Jynx to boost its Speed with Z-Lovely Kiss to more effectively sweep late-game, but Leftovers can be used for passive recovery to make up for Substitute recoil if another Z-Move user is being used. If using Leftovers, Jynx is more often oriented towards early-game wallbreaking. Usage Tips If running Normalium Z, Jynx should be used primarily as a late-game sweeper, as Ice-resistant Pokemon must be removed or weakened for maximum effectiveness. However, Leftovers sets can be effective at chipping away at checks such as Lanturn, Alolan Sandslash, and Aurorus, which more handily beat Normalium Z Jynx, throughout a match. However, if the opposing team lacks strong Ice-resistant Pokemon, Jynx may attempt to sweep or wallbreak earlier on in the match. Jynx is highly susceptible to priority and faster Pokemon due to its poor bulk, so setting up a Substitute should take priority over boosting with Nasty Plot unless no attempt to sweep is being made. Jynx can bluff a different set rather effectively before revealing Substitute, so attempt to keep it hidden for as long as possible. Getting a KO while Jynx has a Substitute set up can be an incredibly powerful position, as allowing Jynx to bypass certain checks such as Hitmonchan and Kangaskhan can easily turn the tide of a match. Avoid sending out Jynx until entry hazards have been removed, as it takes significant damage from both Stealth Rock and Spikes. If Jynx is carrying Leftovers, this may also reveal Jynx's set earlier than intended. Team Options Entry hazard removers such as Kabutops are excellent for keeping Jynx healthy as it switches in. Meanwhile, entry hazard setters like Qwilfish and Ferroseed are important partners for chipping away at common Ice-resistant Pokemon such as Lanturn. Other special wallbreakers such as Choice Specs Jellicent are also useful for wearing down Ice-resistant Pokemon, as well as other specially bulky Pokemon that may cause problems for Jynx. Knock Off users such as Absol and Eelektross can lure in many Jynx checks such as Clefairy and Hitmonchan and remove their Eviolite or Assault Vest for Jynx's convenience.

Moves Ice Beam provides Jynx with a strong, reliable STAB attack that hits a large portion of the tier for at least neutral damage. Lovely Kiss cripples what Jynx cannot otherwise beat, giving it free turns to attack or set up on the foe. Psyshock provides Jynx with excellent coverage to use alongside Ice Beam, most notably hitting Magmortar, Hariyama, and Lanturn. Alternatively, Psychic can be used in this slot to hit foes like Prinplup and Samurott harder, but Psyshock's targets are generally more useful for Jynx to hit. Focus Blast is the recommended choice for the last move, rounding out Jynx's already incredible coverage by hitting foes like Piloswine, Steelix, and Ferroseed. Alternatively, Jynx can forgo Focus Blast for Nasty Plot, which lets Jynx boost its already stellar Special Attack and take advantage of the many switches it forces, as well as letting it defeat Mega Audino and Musharna more easily. Set Details Maximum EV investment in Special Attack and Speed allows Jynx to hit as hard and move as fast as possible. Focus Sash allows Jynx to take any one hit and retaliate with an attack or Lovely Kiss to put the foe to sleep when it cannot otherwise beat it. Additionally, Jynx does an excellent job of shutting down suicide leads, putting them all, bar Archeops, to sleep before they can lay entry hazards and 2HKOing them in retaliation. Alternatively, Jynx can hold a Life Orb, turning it into an even more dangerous wallbreaker; however, because of the recoil, this power comes at the cost of furthering Jynx's issue with longevity. If Life Orb is the chosen item, Jynx should always use Focus Blast over Nasty Plot, as Life Orb Jynx vastly prefers the coverage Focus Blast provides to the ability to boost its Special Attack. Dry Skin gives Jynx a useful immunity to Water-type moves, granting it switch in opportunities against the likes of Lanturn and Mantine, as well as letting it check Samurott and Floatzel. Usage Tips When holding Focus Sash, Jynx should usually be used as a lead, as it can almost always KO the foe or at least cripple it with Lovely Kiss, letting Jynx break walls and put offensive pressure on the foe early-game. Dry Skin should typically be taken advantage of to the fullest; this means switching Jynx into Water-types such as Prinplup or Lanturn to punish their reliance on dealing damage with Scald. Due to its poor bulk, getting Jynx in on a free switch, such as after a teammate has fainted or on a slow U-turn or Volt Switch, is essential for it to optimally perform. With Jynx's incredible power and coverage, it naturally forces a lot of switches; this provides prime opportunities to set up Nasty Plot, as a boosted Jynx is incredibly difficult for any team to handle. Team Options Pokemon that appreciate Jynx's ability to dismantle defensive cores like Swellow, Lilligant, and Tauros can often clean up once the opponent's team has been weakened while also threatening the faster-paced offensive teams that Jynx isn't as threatening against. Pokemon like Rhydon and Samurott that appreciate Jynx's ability to offensively check Water-types are good partners as well; Rhydon in particular makes for an excellent partner, as it checks Kangaskhan and Fire-types, which greatly trouble Jynx, while also providing Stealth Rock support; in return, Jynx threatens the Grass- and Fighting-types that check Rhydon. Samurott also appreciates Jynx's ability to offensively check most Grass-types. As Jynx functions best with its Focus Sash intact, entry hazard control from the likes of Hitmonchan and Skuntank is recommended to maximize Jynx's efficiency. Hitmonchan in particular makes for a notable partner, as it removes both the entry hazards and Dark-types that trouble Jynx. On the other hand, Jynx appreciates having teammates than can set up entry hazards to wear down the opponent's team, making it easier for it to wallbreak. In particular, Ferroseed can lay Spikes and check Kangaskhan, and it also appreciates Jynx's ability to offensively check Fighting-types.

Moves Ice Beam is the most accurate Ice-type STAB move Jynx has access to, and it hits common Pokemon like Lilligant and Scyther. It's also a great revenge killing tool, as the only relevant Pokemon that is faster than Jynx and resists Ice is Pyroar, allowing Jynx to revenge kill a majority of Pokemon above base 100 Speed. Psyshock is the choice as the Psychic-type STAB move, being able to hit common special walls like Hariyama and Magmortar for much more damage than Jynx's other moves. Psychic is an alternative that gets alternative coverage, being able to hit more physically bulky Pokemon like Samurott for more damage. Focus Blast hits Steel-types that try to switch in on Jynx's STAB moves, like Klinklang and Steelix, as well as getting super effective coverage on Piloswine, Pyroar, Tauros, and Barbaracle. Trick is an option to cripple bulkier walls that Jynx has no real business attacking; this includes threats like Malamar, Lapras, Musharna, and Lanturn. Lovely Kiss is an option to put a check or a counter to sleep in order to ease prediction, but it's difficult to use when the opponent has a Vital Spirit user like Magmortar. Additionally, due to Sleep Clause, it forces Jynx to switch out the next turn, so be prepared with an answer to whatever is out on the field. Set Details Choice Scarf is used to revenge kill faster Pokemon Jynx can't outspeed unboosted, including Scyther, Swellow, and Tauros, while also letting it beat setup sweepers like Gorebyss and Barbaracle. Maximum Special Attack is used to hit as hard as possible, while maximum Speed is used to outspeed every unboosted Pokemon in the tier. A Timid nature is used to maximize Jynx's Speed, allowing it to outspeed Choice Scarf Rotom and to be as fast as possible after Tricking away its Choice Scarf. Dry Skin gives Jynx a key immunity to Water, which allows it to check threatening Pokemon like Samurott and Floatzel. Usage Tips Due to its high Speed with a Choice Scarf, great coverage, and STAB combination that allows it to hit most of the tier for at least neutral damage, Jynx's main role is as a revenge killer. Due to its frailty, it's best to bring it in after a Pokemon has fainted or on a predicted double switch in order to keep it as healthy as possible. Jynx is also able to be brought in on predicted Water-type moves such as Lanturn's Scald and Floatzel's Hydro Pump. Be wary of revenge killing a foe if your opponent has a Pursuit trapper such as Liepard or Skuntank, as they can trap Jynx after it has locked itself into a move like Psyshock. Trick should be used if there is an obvious switch-in to Jynx on the opposing team, such as Malamar or Lanturn, but it's also smart to use against bulkier teams, where Jynx does not need its Speed as much and would prefer switching up moves in order to get the most out of its coverage options. It can also act as an emergency stop to common setup sweepers like Rhydon with its great coverage, and it can stop a Musharna from sweeping by Tricking away its Choice Scarf or putting it to sleep. Team Options Due to Jynx's susceptibility to Pursuit trapping, Pokemon that can beat common trappers like Liepard and Skuntank are good partners; this includes Stealth Rock setters like Steelix and Rhydon, which can help Jynx guarantee the OHKO on Pokemon like Barbaracle and Floatzel. Entry hazard support is especially appreciated because Jynx does not have a boosting item or move. Slow Volt Switch and U-turn users also help Jynx get in safely; these include Pokemon like Pelipper and Lanturn. Hazard removal is also beneficial, as Jynx is weak to Stealth Rock and will normally switch in multiple times throughout the match; Pelipper and Xatu both are good picks, as they also provide a slow U-turn. Hitmonchan is another option that beats Steel- and Dark-types for Jynx while appreciating Jynx's ability to remove faster Flying-types like Archeops and Scyther. In order for Jynx to sweep late-game, powerful wallbreakers make for good partners, particularly ones that can break past bulky Steel-types, such as Rhydon and Magmortar.

Moves Substitute gives Jynx many setup opportunities, the ability to avoid Sucker Punch, and a shield from status. Nasty Plot gives Jynx significantly more power and lets it deal huge amounts of damage; for example, it can OHKO defensive Rhydon at +2. Lovely Kiss incapacitates foes, allowing Jynx to set up either Substitute or Nasty Plot and attempt to sweep. Ice Beam is the most reliable move on this set, though, as it has great neutral coverage. Psyshock is a strong STAB move that hits Ice-resistant Pokemon such as Thick Fat Hariyama and Magmortar. Set Details Maximizing Speed EVs is the best choice for Jynx due to its poor bulk and decent Speed tier, allowing it to be as fast as possible. This lets Jynx Speed tie with opposing Speed base 95s, such as Primeape, opposing Jynx, and Sawsbuck. A Timid nature is used to outspeed 90 Base Speed like Lilligant, Kangaskhan, and Rotom. Maximum Special Attack investment lets Jynx hit extremely hard. Dry Skin is the only viable ability for Jynx, as it allows it to switch safely into Water-type moves and recover some HP back. This set appreciates Leftovers recovery to alleviate the HP loss from Substitute, allowing Jynx to set it up more than four times in a single game. Usage Tips Jynx should set up Substitute against Pokemon that might use Thunder Wave, Sleep Powder, or Toxic such as Musharna, Vivillon, and Gastrodon or so that it can start setting up Nasty Plot or simply throw out an attack. Jynx can attempt to switch into Water-type attacks such as Samurott's Waterfall and Ludicolo's Scald and either put the attacker to sleep or KO it. It should watch out while switching into some of them, such as Samurott, Kabutops, and Barbaracle, due to their coverage moves dealing heavy damage. Jynx takes huge amounts of damage from all forms of priority besides Aqua Jet; therefore, it should only stay in versus priority users such as Hariyama and Hitmonchan if it is safely behind a Substitute and can KO them with Psyshock. Jynx shouldn't use Substitute while Pokemon that resist Ice such as Piloswine, Thick Fat Hariyama, and Magmortar are around if it's not using Psyshock, as it gets easily walled by those. Pokemon with sound-based moves such as Swellow, Pyroar, and Aurorus can cause many issues, since their moves bypass Substitute and the former two also outspeed Jynx, so make sure not to let it in against them. Defog Skuntank can also be a threat to Jynx, as it can not only absorb Toxic Spikes, which are usually used in conjunction with Jynx, but also easily stop its sweep attempt. Team Options Pokemon that can switch into priority users such as Hitmonchan and Hariyama are very useful. Garbodor is a solid choice, as it can sponge hits from these Fighting-types as well as set up Toxic Spikes to help Jynx sweep more easily. It's also an answer to some of Jynx's checks, such as Mega Audino and Lanturn. Pokemon that can switch into Pyroar and Swellow, such as Regirock, make for great partners, as sound-based moves revenge kill Jynx even when it's behind a Substitute. Additionally, having a teammate that KOes faster Pokemon such as Archeops, Tauros, Swellow, and Charizard is helpful. Don't forget that Jynx works very well against stall teams and defensive teams in general, so the support of anti-offense Pokemon such as Floatzel and Swellow is highly appreciated. Hazard control is important because Substitute, Stealth Rock, and Spikes damage racks up quickly for Jynx; therefore, Hitmonchan is a good partner, and it deals with Dark-type Pokemon such as Liepard, Skuntank, and Shiftry. Water-type Pokemon such as Samurott, Kabutops, and Floatzel are great partners, as they can wear done Fire-type Pokemon comfortably and help Jynx sweep. Toxic Spikes support pairs well if Jynx is running Psyshock so that it doesn't conflict with Lovely Kiss, and it's also useful for wearing down bulky targets and for stalling out with repeated Substitutes.

Thanks to her good movepool, incredible damage output, and great Speed, Jynx can effectively run a Choice Scarf. Ice Beam allows Jynx to OHKO +1 Lilligant and Choice Scarf Moltres after Stealth Rock. Psychic lets Jynx revenge kill a weakened Feraligatr and Kabutops, as both of them will be unable to touch Jynx with Aqua Jet thanks to her ability, Dry Skin. Choice Scarf Jynx is able to outspeed Cinccino, Durant, +2 Omastar, and +2 Aggron and OHKO them with Focus Blast after Stealth Rock. Trick can be used to cripple Slowking, while Lovely Kiss can put a threatening Pokemon like +2 Escavalier out of commission. The EVs maximize Jynx's Speed and Special Attack, making the most of her power. The other four EVs are put into Defense rather than HP to let Jynx switch in on Stealth Rock four times before dying. Energy Ball allows Jynx to more reliably revenge kill Feraligatr and Kabutops. Psyshock can be used to target specially defensive Pokemon like Lanturn and Cryogonal. Finally, Hidden Power Fire can be used to revenge kill Durant and Escavalier. Jynx appreciates powerful wallbreakers such as Moltres, Absol, Gallade, and Sceptile are needed in order to soften up the opposing team, allowing it to clean up fairly easily. Entry hazard support from Druddigon and Scolipede is also helpful in chipping away at the opposing team. Rapid Spin support from Cryogonal and Kabutops is useful because Jynx will not be restricted to the amount of times it can switch in. Finally, Pokemon who can get rid of priority users like Spiritomb are also good partners. Of those Pokemon, Klinklang and Aggron can use Spiritomb as setup bait.

Coalescing Jynx's pivotal attributes of Speed, power, coverage, and a reliable sleeping move, Jynx is able reach her full offensive potential with this set. Ice Beam is Jynx's most powerful reliable move, OHKOing bulky Pokemon such as Druddigon and Braviary. Psyshock targets Pokemon that Ice Beam cannot break past, namely pesky special walls such as Clefable, Cryogonal, and Lanturn. Focus Blast destroys Steel-types such as Steelix and Magneton. Due to Focus Blast's unappealing accuracy, Hidden Power Fire can be used. On top of the improved accuracy, Hidden Power Fire has the added bonus of OHKOing Durant and Escavalier. With Lovely Kiss, Jynx can potentially disable a counter for the entirety of the match; from there, Jynx can bombard the foe with attacks or let a teammate remove it. Energy Ball is a reliable option to OHKO Kabutops and to nail Slowking, who would otherwise wall Jynx. Nasty Plot and Psychic are two other options. Psychic hits physical walls such as Hariyama and Alomomola, while Nasty Plot boosts Jynx's Special Attack to terrifying levels. Finally, Jynx can use Choice Specs to boost her power without the cost of recoil. If Jynx does use Choice Specs, she should probably use Trick over Lovely Kiss, giving up a sleep move but allowing her to cripple a wall such as Slowking. Stealth Rock support is much appreciated as it allows Jynx to put more pressure on the opponent. Speaking of Stealth Rock, the pointed stones limit Jynx's switching opportunities. Thus, Kabutops partners well with Jynx, eliminating Stealth Rock and dealing with troublesome Fire-types. In return, Jynx can take out Rotom-C and Lilligant, two problematic Grass-types. Just like Kabutops, Poliwrath and Slowking can take on an array of pesky Fire-types like Typhlosion and Entei.

Jynx's poor bulk makes her vulnerable to priority attacks and faster threats. An intact Substitute mitigates this flaw. Nasty Plot is the second most important aspect of the set, as after a few boosts, Jynx will be powerful enough to 2HKO Slowking and Lanturn, Pokemon who resist her attacks. Ice Beam is the chosen attack because no Pokemon is immune to Ice-type attacks, meaning Jynx can even plow through resists after a Nasty Plot boost or two. Lovely Kiss ensures that Jynx gets to set up at least one Nasty Plot by disabling a counter or a faster revenge killer. A Life Orb can be used over Leftovers to gain a power boost, however, it will limit the amount of times Jynx can set up a Substitute and make her reliant on Wish support from either Clefable or Alomomola. Psychic or Psyshock can be used over Lovely Kiss so that Jynx isn't walled by Fire- and Water-type Pokemon, and another coverage move of choice can work as well. Do keep in mind that, without Lovely Kiss, Jynx will accumulate fewer boosts on average. Jynx appreciates entry hazard support, as well as a way to handle Cinccino and Klinklang. Ferroseed and Steelix can both set up Stealth Rock and deal with Cinccino, a troublesome Pokemon for any Substitute user. Rapid Spin support from Cryogonal and Kabutops is not necessary, however, it extends Jynx's longevity, giving her more opportunities to come in and set up. Roselia, Omastar, and Qwilfish can set up Toxic Spikes in order to break down resilient walls; they can also set up Spikes to soften up the opposing team. Offensive Grass-types such as Sceptile and Lilligant can break through bulky Water-types, letting Jynx sweep more easily. In the same vein, Fighting-types like Gallade and Fire-types such as Moltres can destroy the plethora of Steel-types that harry Jynx.

Fake Tears their counter on the switch and fire off attacks. This set is only useful with a few layers of Spikes on the field so your opponent cannot switch without penalty. Metagross is the greatest threat to this set.

This set terrorizes teams if played correctly. Substitute or Mean Look on switches, use Lovely Kiss, and Perish Song while the opponent can't touch Jynx. If they don't switch, however, Jynx is probably dead.

Jynx does not have many counters, and can cause trouble to very many teams by sleeping or eliminating Snorlax, Blissey and Steel-types, mainly Metagross and Jirachi. Calm Mind-boosted Ice Beam will hurt nearly everything else. It takes some support to work efficiently; saving Jynx until later on in the game can be rewarding in the end. The main advantage of Substitute is so Jynx can scout out Pokemon waking up. If you tried dual coverage, such as Psychic over Substitute, Pokemon that wake up unexpectedly early can hit Jynx with a strong physical attack. With a Substitute, though, after the opponent wakes up and breaks the Substitute, Jynx will have the next turn to safely try and put them back to sleep. It also helps to block status and keeps revenge killing attempts from Dugtrio and Aerodactyl at bay.

This set is for the overwhelming number of people who switch Blissey into a sleep move and expect it to shrug it off with Natural Cure. Mean Look on the switch, use Lovely Kiss, then set up with Calm Mind for the sweep. Lum Berry is for if the opponent wakes up and paralyzes Jynx before it can sweep them off with Ice Beam. Leftovers won't be doing much anyway bar mitigating sandstorm damage.

Set Description The coverage of Ice Beam and Psychic is resisted only by Starmie and Forretress in OU, neither of which commonly run Sleep Talk. Even many special walls such as Blissey and Raikou don't appreciate being put to sleep, although the latter can mitigate this by using Sleep Talk. Substitute allows Jynx to mitigate its frailty and weakness to status, as well as giving it extra turns and safety. These turns better its odds to put something to sleep and let it fish for freezes or Special Defense drops with its STAB attacks, which can allow Jynx to break through its supposed checks. Thief is commonly used over Substitute to steal Leftovers from common switch-ins such as Snorlax, Suicune, Raikou, and Blissey that attempt to wall it. This allows Jynx and its teammates to break through these Pokemon more easily and subsequently inflict sleep on a Pokemon the opponent would rather have kept free of status. Thief Jynx is often used as a lead to steal Leftovers early on, supposing the lead matchup is advantageous. Jynx threatens a lot of common leads such as non-Sleep Talk users, Exeggutor, and Nidoking. Nightmare is sometimes seen over Substitute or Thief to beat down sleeping Pokemon that Jynx cannot 3HKO like Suicune and Snorlax. It can force them into Rest loops, in which they are highly susceptible to Special Defense drops and critical hits, and also punishes Sleep Talk users by putting them at great risk if they call Rest while inflicted with Nightmare. The overall purpose of Nightmare is to force switches, which Jynx is very effective at punishing if the opponent does not have numerous Pokemon capable of taking its powerful special attacks. Team Options Jynx appreciates teammates that can keep up offensive momentum. While losing momentum occasionally is acceptable, Jynx teams commonly struggle when the opponent is aggressively playing around them rather than taking them on passively. This means using Pokemon that are very difficult to respond to passively like Cloyster, Whirlwind Zapdos, and Gengar or, if a threat requires a passive response, using Pokemon like Curse Snorlax that similarly force passive responses from the opponent rather than allowing them to gain momentum. Jynx also helps offensive teams overwhelm the opponent's defensive measures by softening up or gaining advantages against defensive Pokemon through Lovely Kiss or Thief, and Spikes support from Cloyster or Forretress helps Jynx dish out damage more effectively. Pokemon that can deal with varieties of RestTalk Snorlax complement Jynx particularly well, as it typically draws them in. Gengar is immune to the Curse set and only fears the Earthquake set or a burn from Flamethrower; it also switches into Forretress without Hidden Power Ghost to stop it from getting a Rapid Spin off against Jynx. While Golem still takes super effective damage from Earthquake and the rare Surf from Sleep Talk Snorlax, it can get a Rapid Spin off against it and shuffle the opponent's team with Roar. Pokemon that check Jynx, such as Snorlax, Tyranitar, and Umbreon, are commonly threatened by Machamp, making it a great partner. A sleeping Snorlax makes an especially great entry point for Machamp, which is typically not a Pokemon you want to give opportunities to. Jynx and Machamp together can also apply pressure on poisoned Starmie by making it switch in and take residual damage. Sweepers that appreciate Raikou being worn down, such as Vaporeon, appreciate Jynx stealing its Leftovers or gradually weakening it. Jynx still appreciates Pokemon that can reliably stomach Thunders from Raikou, though, such as Steelix and Sleep Talk Snorlax. Jynx also makes for an excellent recipient of Special Attack boosts from Baton Pass users such as Vaporeon.

Set Description Jynx's primary goal is to use Lovely Kiss and incapacitate the foe's lead such as Starmie or Alakazam. Blizzard is Jynx's strongest STAB option against certain Psychic-types such as Alakazam and nails Pokemon such as Zapdos and Exeggutor. It can also be used to fish for a potential freeze while scouting which of the opponent's Pokemon has a sleep-inducing move. Psychic rounds out Jynx's coverage, receives STAB, and hits Pokemon such as Gengar and Lapras. It also has the potential to lower a foe's Special stat, which can come in handy to more convincingly win matchups versus special attackers, notably an opposing paralyzed Chansey. Rest provides Jynx with a way of restoring its health and alleviating paralysis. While Jynx doesn't have too many opportunities to use Rest due to its lackluster physical bulk, it can use Rest and burn sleep turns on more passive foes such as Chansey, Alakazam, and Exeggutor lacking Double-Edge. Burning off sleep turns is not always easy, however, as generally speaking most teams pack anywhere from two to three solid checks to Jynx, leaving it liable to exploitation. Jynx is primarily used as a lead due to its above-average Speed tier and access to a fairly accurate sleep-inducing move. However, Jynx can also be used mid-game due to its high Special and fantastic offensive dual STAB combination of Blizzard and Psychic. Note that removing statused Pokemon such as paralyzed Alakazam and Chansey from play allows for Jynx to more freely use Lovely Kiss. The ideal way to utilize Jynx is to put one check to sleep with Lovely Kiss, potentially freeze one of Jynx's remaining checks, and then switch it into potential sleep inducers.