Mimikyu Movesets & Competitive Sets

Mimikyu has a strong niche as a Trick Room setter on Calyrex-I teams thanks to Disguise and its good bulk virtually guaranteeing that it can set Trick Room. Shadow Sneak allows Mimikyu to activate Calyrex-I's Weakness Policy and pick off weakened Pokemon. Trick Room is used to support slow teammates such as Calyrex-I and Torkoal. Will-O-Wisp cripples physical attackers such as Zacian-C, Groudon, and Urshifu-R. Play Rough gives Mimikyu ways to hit Pokemon such as both Urshifu formes and Grimmsnarl super effectively. Taunt is an alternative option to stop status moves such as Amoonguss's Spore and Incineroar's Parting Shot. Safeguard is another option that can also stop Amoonguss's and Venusaur's sleep moves, and unlike Taunt, Mimikyu doesn't need to use the move as actively to stop status; however, this disables Mimikyu from stopping Incineroar's Parting Shot and opposing Trick Room reversals. Mental Herb lets Mimikyu ignore Taunt from the likes of Incineroar and Whimsicott in order to set Trick Room. Incineroar is a great ally to basically every Pokemon, and Mimikyu isn't an exception, with Mimikyu appreciating Fake Out virtually guaranteeing that it can set Trick Room as well as Incineroar's ability to check Calyrex-S and Zacian-C. Calyrex-I has great synergy with Mimikyu, as Mimikyu can set Trick Room and activate its Weakness Policy with Shadow Sneak, making it a huge threat. As an added bonus, Mimikyu can cripple Zacian-C with Will-O-Wisp for Calyrex-I. Torkoal appreciates Mimikyu's Trick Room support, as it enables Torkoal to deal huge amounts of damage with Eruption under sun. Tapu Fini is also a fairly common Pokemon on Mimikyu compositions, as Misty Surge blocks status moves such as Amoonguss's and Venusaur's sleep moves, allowing Mimikyu to set Trick Room.

Shadow Sneak gives Mimikyu useful priority, threatening faster threats such as Gengar, Alolan Raichu, and Victini. Shadow Claw hits defensive answers like Celesteela, Galarian Corsola, Toxapex, and Slowbro much harder than any other attack. Play Rough is Mimikyu's strongest STAB move, hitting Dark- and Dragon-types like Zarude and Garchomp. Drain Punch provides perfect coverage when used alongside Shadow Claw, most notably hitting Steel-types like Ferrothorn, Heatran, and Bisharp hard. Life Orb provides Mimikyu extra power to make up for its otherwise middling offensive presence. Klefki is a mandatory partner on offensive Fairy teams, setting up dual screens to help Mimikyu set up with ease and Spikes to bring opposing teams in range of its boosted attacks. Clefable can reliably remove items with Knock Off and set Stealth Rock to help Mimikyu sweep late-game. Tapu Koko can offensively pressure many of the defensive Pokemon that wall Mimikyu, such as Toxapex and Corviknight, while potentially bringing it in with U-turn or Volt Switch. Tapu Lele pressures the Poison-types that Mimikyu struggles to break through, such as Toxapex and Amoonguss, but the Psychic Terrain it sets can block Mimikyu's own Shadow Sneak. Mimikyu appreciates wallbreaking from Tapu Bulu, which can run a similar Swords Dance set to sweep alongside it, to quickly break down defensive Pokemon like Galarian Corsola, Skarmory, and Ferrothorn. Azumarill capitalizes on dual screens much like Mimikyu and breaks down bulkier Steel- and Poison- types that give Mimikyu trouble. Tapu Fini can use sets like Taunt + Calm Mind to set up on and pressure defensive cores like Toxapex + Amoonguss + Galarian Weezing or Slowking + Pelipper + Toxapex, helping Mimikyu sweep late-game.

Play Rough is great for being able to hit Dark-types like Hydreigon, Tyranitar, and Mandibuzz. Shadow Sneak allows Mimikyu to pick off weakened Pokemon and KO faster Pokemon like Dragapult, Alolan Raichu, and Latias after a Swords Dance. Drain Punch provides valuable coverage for Mimikyu, hitting Steel-types like Ferrothorn, Bisharp, and Heatran. Shadow Claw is an option as well, hitting Tapu Lele, Nidoking, and Klefki for more damage. Life Orb is necessary to amend Mimikyu's mediocre Attack. All Ghost-types enjoy Mimikyu's ability to blanket check Dark- and Ghost-types like Hydreigon and Gengar. Dragapult's high speed allows it to check threats like Hydreigon and Excadrill and improves matchups such as Water and Fire. Galarian Corsola is a wall that checks physical attackers like Excadrill and Urshifu-R for Mimikyu while additionally providing support in Stealth Rock and Will-O-Wisp. Aegislash can run a numerous amount of sets in tandem with Mimikyu, like SubToxic and Swords Dance. Special attackers like Spectrier and Gengar help get rid of physical walls like Celesteela, Hippowdon, and Toxapex that Mimikyu struggles to get past. Spectrier is a great wincon and can beat defensive cores like Toxapex + Swampert on Water and Amoonguss + Galarian Weezing on Poison thanks to its decent bulk and Substitute + Calm Mind set. Gengar is great for absorbing Toxic Spikes, revenge killing fast Pokemon like Weavile and Choice Scarf Tapu Bulu, and alternatively, wallbreaking through Pokemon like Ferrothorn and Aegislash thanks to Choice Specs. Choice Scarf Blacephalon can outspeed and OHKO threats like Tapu Koko and Zarude with its STAB Fire Blast. It can also beat Steel-types Mimikyu struggles against even with Drain Punch.

With a high Attack donation, Mimikyu is a dangerous wallbreaker thanks to the combination of Disguise, Swords Dance, and perfect neutral STAB coverage; it also serves as an emergency check to opposing sweepers. Play Rough is its main STAB attack and threatens common foes like Yveltal, Rayquaza, and Galarian Moltres. Shadow Claw hits Fairy-resistant Pokemon like Heatran, Ferrothorn, and Excadrill, as as well as foes like Necrozma-DM, Galarian Slowking, and Slowbro super effectively. Aside from compensating for Life Orb recoil, Drain Punch is an alternative to either STAB move to dent the aforementioned Steel-types bar Necrozma-DM even harder. Shadow Sneak potentially turns Mimikyu into a late-game cleaner and can also be used to revenge kill faster threats like Mewtwo, Pheromosa, Blacephalon, and Victini after Disguise is broken. Life Orb grants the highest damage output and, after a Swords Dance boost, guarantees the OHKO on Dhelmise and Calyrex-I with Shadow Sneak and Shadow Claw, respectively. Disguise is its biggest selling point: it grants Mimikyu either a free turn to set up, especially against hard-hitters like Rayquaza, Mewtwo, Kartana, and Zygarde-10%, or an insurance to reliably revenge kill them, preventing its team from being overwhelmed by opposing offensive Pokemon. A Jolly nature is preferred to let Mimikyu outspeed threatening foes like Kyurem-B, Rayquaza, Zekrom, and Tapu Lele. Mimikyu's offensive prowess lets it fit nicely on offense and hyper offense teams. Offensive gods with high Attack like Pheromosa, Rayquaza, and Kyurem-B are great to bolster Mimikyu's offense; however, Mimikyu can still make use of lower donations from Kyurem-W and Mewtwo. Other wallbreakers such as Swords Dance Pangoro and Kartana can keep exerting offensive pressure against opposing team and overwhelm physical walls alongside Mimikyu; notably, they can cripple common defensive walls with Knock Off and threaten Unaware Quagsire and Clefable, with Kartana taking care of other physically bulky Water-types like Rotom-W and Vaporeon as well, which threaten to burn Mimikyu. Volcarona is a potent setup sweeper that can pressure Steel-types like Ferrothorn and Skarmory for Mimikyu, and, in return, Mimikyu threatens Dragon-types like Giratina, Garchomp, and Rayquaza for Volcarona to sweep easier. Dedicated leads like Shuckle and Excadrill can reliably set up Stealth Rock to chip down foes into Mimikyu's KO range, with the former also providing Sticky Web to let it outspeed faster foes like Alolan Persian and Garchomp; in return, Mimikyu can spinblock Pheromosa and Regieleki. Late-game cleaners like double dance Galarian Moltres and Dragon Dance Tyranitar appreciate Mimikyu's early-game wallbreaking for them to clean up late-game easier.

Mimikyu plays a pivotal role on Fairy teams thanks to its almost perfect coverage between its STAB moves and its unique ability in Disguise, which lets it revenge kill certain key offensive threats such as Azumarill, Victini, and Tapu Koko or freely setup Swords Dance and sweep through already weakened teams with ease. Swords Dance boosts Mimikyu's average Attack stat and, in conjunction with Disguise, allows it to act as a potent late-game wincon. Play Rough is Mimikyu's strongest attack and allows it to deal with dangerous Dragon-, Dark-, and Fighting-type threats such as Hydreigon, Greninja, and Terrakion. Shadow Claw allows Mimikyu to deal with opposing Ghost-types and Psychic-types such as Blacephalon, Gengar, Tapu Lele, and Victini. Shadow Sneak further enhances Mimikyu as a formidable late-game sweeper, being able to deal with weakened threats and OHKO threats like Gengar, Blacephalon, and Latios after a Swords Dance boost, making Mimikyu a key wincon in the Psychic- and Ghost-type matchups. Maximum Speed investment along with a Jolly nature allows Mimikyu to outspeed key threats in Tapu Lele, Nidoking and Excadrill. Life Orb helps ameliorate Mimikyu's subpar Attack stat while also ensuring Shadow Sneak does considerable damage. Klefki pairs exceptionally well with Mimikyu, as it provides dual screens support, Spikes support, and a Poison-type immunity. Spikes helps weaken foes, allowing Mimikyu to sweep late-game without much trouble, while dual screens make Mimikyu an even more reliable setup sweeper. Klefki can also provide Thunder Wave support, crippling threats that outspeed Mimikyu like Mega Aerodactyl and Mega Lopunny. Mega Diancie helps greatly in the Fire-, Flying-, and Ice-type matchups while also providing Stealth Rock support to chip down foes. Mega Diancie's Magic Bounce also blocks entry hazards such as Spike and Toxic Spikes that could easily cripple Mimikyu. Tapu Koko teams up well with Mimikyu, mostly because it deals with walls such as Skarmory, Celesteela, and Toxapex that can deal with Mimikyu without much trouble while also helping greatly in the Flying- and Water-type matchups. Tapu Bulu is able to break through Mimikyu's walls such as Hippowdon and defensive Water-types such as Toxapex and Swampert. Tapu Lele has useful wallbreaking capabilities with Choice Specs, dealing with Mimikyu's defensive checks such as Toxapex, while also aiding in the Poison matchup. Belly Drum Azumarill pairs well with Mimikyu as a secondary sweeper, mainly helping in the Steel matchup, which Mimikyu struggles in greatly. Togekiss is able to break through defensive Grass-types like Mega Venusaur and Ferrothorn for Mimikyu.

Mimikyu is an invaluable asset for Ghost teams thanks to its part-Fairy typing allowing it to act as a key wincon in the Dark, Fighting, and Dragon matchups, access to Swords Dance, and excellent coverage. Additionally, Disguise lets Mimikyu act as a potent revenge killer as well, giving it an opportunity to handle extremely threatening foes such as Hydreigon, Weavile, and boosted Kommo-o while blanket checking most other Pokemon. Swords Dance boosts Mimikyu's underwhelming damage output to high levels, and it can be used on Pokemon that it forces out such as Mega Sableye, Tyranitar, and Mandibuzz. Drain Punch hits Steel-types like Heatran, Ferrothorn, and Magnezone super effectively while providing Mimikyu with passive recovery. Shadow Claw can be used instead to deal much more damage to walls like Galarian Corsola, Aegislash, and Slowbro. After a Swords Dance boost, Shadow Sneak OHKOes faster threats like Blacephalon, Gengar, and Alolan Raichu while KOing weakened foes such as Barraskewda, Tapu Koko, and Victini. However, be cautious of using Shadow Sneak against Victini if Psychic Terrain is up. Maximum Speed investment with a Jolly nature is used to outspeed Pokemon like Kyurem, Nidoking, and Tapu Lele. Mimikyu should avoid switching into attacks in order to preserve Disguise. It is also best used as a late-game cleaner once walls are weakened. All Ghost teams appreciate Mimikyu's ability to deal with Dark- and Dragon-types and act as a potent late-game wincon. Mega Sableye and Galarian Corsola both provide a defensive backbone for Mimikyu, switching into powerful attacks for it. Mega Sableye provides a useful neutrality to Ghost and Dark, absorbs Knock Off for Mimikyu, deals with threatening attackers like Blacephalon and Nidoking, and deflects troublesome entry hazards like Spikes and Toxic Spikes with Magic Bounce. Swords Dance Aegislash is a great teammate due to its ability to deal with or weaken walls like Galarian Weezing, Porygon2, and Celesteela for Mimikyu. SubToxic Aegislash can also be used to wear down walls like Hippowdon and Porygon2 with Toxic, which Mimikyu appreciates. Choice Specs Gengar takes on physically defensive walls such as Toxapex, Galarian Weezing, and Skarmory, making it a useful teammate. Additionally, Gengar absorbs Toxic Spikes for Mimikyu. Choice Scarf Blacephalon can also take on walls like Galarian Weezing and Skarmory while revenge killing foes that pose a threat to Mimikyu like Choice Scarf Excadrill and Choice Scarf Galarian Darmanitan. While uncommon, Alolan Marowak provides a handy Electric immunity against foes like Tapu Koko and Regieleki, making it helpful.

Items Bright Powder: While unreliable, just one miss can be devestating against this Mimikyu.damage makes it even easier for Dynamax sweepers to set up. Mental Herb: If using Trick Room, Mental Herb is very helpful for getting around Taunt. Rocky Helmet: This gives a bit of extra damage against Pokemon with contact moves such as Zacian-C, which could lead to a Dynamax sweep from teammates such as Yveltal.

Items Custap Berry: Substitute can help activate Custap Berry, and let Mimikyu deliver an extra move, like Pain Split or Thunder Wave, before fainting. Bright Powder: Brought Powder isn't very reliable, but dodging one attack can make Mimikyu very difficult to deal with. Mental Herb: This will make Mimikyu immune to one use of Taunt, potentially foiling anti-leads such as Yveltal.

Mimikyu equipped with a Kee Berry and Drain Punch can beat out many slower foes that traditionally give it trouble, such as Ferrothorn and Snorlax. Play Rough is the primary STAB move of choice and grants Mimikyu immunity to status with Misty Terrain from Max Starfall. Phantom Force can be useful instead to stall opposing Dynamax turns. Shadow Sneak is obligatory so that Mimikyu can most effectively take advantage of its Disguise and Swords Dance. Drain Punch gives Mimikyu great longevity against physical attackers and helps it defeat opposing Snorlax and Ferrothorn. Drain Punch additionally becomes Max Knuckle when Dynamaxed, providing greater damage output and boosting Attack by one stage. The given EV spread maximizes Attack, gives Mimikyu the highest odds of surviving opposing Jolly Life Orb Mimikyu's Phantom Force after Disguise is broken, and also lets it survive a hit from Jolly Life Orb Dynamaxed Landorus-T after Disguise is broken.

Curse's sacrificial powers, combined with Disguise, makes it a great setter of Trick Room in the metagame. While the higher damage output of Shadow Claw may be tempting, Shadow Sneak is the better choice for picking off weakened threats. This Mimikyu set excels at checking and sapping momentum from Pokemon that boost their Speed, such as Zapdos and Galarian Moltres. Items Mental Herb ensures that Mimikyu sets up Trick Room, even if Taunt hits it. Lum Berry lets Mimikyu sacrifice itself without fear of being put to sleep by Yawn. Babiri Berry lets Mimikyu survive Mold Breaker Excadrill's Iron Head. EV Spreads 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD Impish: This spread ensures that Mimikyu will survive one Life Orb G-Max Fireball from Cinderace, assuming Stealth Rock isn't set up. 212 HP / 188 Atk / 108 Def Adamant: This spread with Babiri Berry lets it survive Adamant Excadrill's Max Steelspike assuming no Stealth Rock damage while giving Mimikyu a good amount of power.

With Swords Dance, Disguise, and access to priority attacking in Shadow Sneak, Mimikyu is a potent revenge killer and sweeper in one package. Phantom Force is useful for stalling out Dynamax turns and becoming an extra powerful Max Phantasm. However, Phantom Force's extra turn to charge up can be an issue versus Normal-type switch-ins such as Porygon2 and Snorlax. Alternatively, Shadow Claw is useful for picking off the same weakened foes that Phantom Force does, without risking the opponent being able to take advantage of the extra turn with Phantom Force. Mimikyu makes a fantastic user of Dynamax, especially with Max Starfall protecting it from status and Max Phantasm lowering the foe's Defense stat. Items Life Orb is the best choice for ensuring Mimikyu can effectively revenge kill and sweep through teams. Spell Tag makes a decent alternative if another Pokemon needs Life Orb.

Moves Swords Dance compensates for Mimikyu's otherwise average damage output, providing it with better chances to OHKO faster threats such as Latias, Celebi, and Gengar with Shadow Sneak. Play Rough is Mimikyu's most powerful Fairy-type STAB move, allowing it to beat targets such as Mega Altaria, Krookodile, and Hydreigon. Shadow Claw is its most powerful Ghost-type STAB attack and provides it with perfect neutral coverage. Shadow Sneak gives Mimikyu a priority move, compensating for its average Speed tier to revenge kill faster, weakened threats such as Latias, Terrakion, and Mega Aerodactyl. Set Details 252 EVs in Attack and Speed allows Mimikyu to hit as hard and as fast as possible. An Adamant nature helps boost Mimikyu's damage output and claim a number of KOs that a Jolly nature misses out on, such as OHKOing Krookodile with an unboosted Play Rough after Stealth Rock and OHKOing Choice Band Scizor with a +2 Shadow Claw after Stealth Rock and one layer of Spikes. On the other hand, a Jolly nature is needed for Mimikyu to outpace non-Choice Scarf Krookodile, Nidoking, and Rotom-H, which can break its Disguise if they outspeed it, potentially costing it opportunities to set up and turns on the battlefield. Life Orb provides Mimikyu with a consistent damage output, making it the preferred item. However, Ghostium Z is a nice option, as Never-Ending Nightmare can help against Pokemon that it otherwise struggles to break through, being able to OHKO Cobalion and bulky Scizor sets at +2 after Stealth Rock, as well as doing the same to Amoonguss when running an Adamant nature. However, by forgoing Life Orb, Mimikyu misses out on a number of KOs against other threats, such as KOing offensive Mega Altaria with Play Rough and potentially taking out Gengar with Shadow Sneak after Stealth Rock. Usage Tips Most of Mimikyu's utility comes from its ability Disguise, so it is optimal to avoid letting Mimikyu take any hits, especially if there are offensive threats that Mimikyu can take out such as Latias. This is also applicable when trying to use Mimikyu as a spinblocker against Tentacruel or Starmie, because if they opt to attack instead of attempting to use Rapid Spin, Mimikyu's Disguise will be busted. In earlier stages of the game, Mimikyu should be used to revenge kill slower foes with Play Rough or Shadow Claw and revenge kill faster, weakened foes with Shadow Sneak, but it can also be used to switch in on Pokemon that it can comfortably check such as Latias and force them out. Mimikyu can also prevent opposing Pokemon from sweeping teams such as by KOing a boosted Mega Altaria with Play Rough or KOing a boosted Celebi, as it is guaranteed to survive a hit thanks to its Disguise. If Mimikyu is able to avoid situations where its Disguise has been broken, it can also potentially be used as a late-game cleaner, using its Disguise as a free opportunity to boost its Attack stat with Swords Dance, allowing it to break through bulker targets such as Hippowdon more easily and to KO faster foes from full with Shadow Claw such as Latias, Celebi, and opposing Mimikyu as long as their own Disguise is busted. Team Options Mimikyu is a staple Pokemon on hazard stacking teams, as it's immune to Rapid Spin, and entry hazards allow Mimikyu to claim a number of KOs that it normally would struggle to get, leading to it often being paired with hazard setters such as Froslass and Araquanid or offensive Stealth Rock setters such as Cobalion, Mamoswine, and Terrakion. It can also be used on bulkier teams as an offensive Fairy-type, commonly in place of Mega Altaria when the Mega slot has been filled by another Pokemon, filling the role of a much-needed check to threats such as Latias and Mega Altaria. Checks to Steel-types are mandatory for teams with Mimikyu, as it struggles to break through them and is KOed by all their Steel-type attacks. Noteworthy examples of these checks are Cobalion, Infernape, and Lucario. Cobalion is also able to provide an offensive Stealth Rock setter, while Infernape and Lucario significantly improve the team's matchup against stall, as they're both able to OHKO Quagsire with All-Out Pummeling after Stealth Rock or comfortably 2HKO it with Life Orb-boosted Focus Blast. All of these are also able to improve the matchup against Dark-types such as Hydreigon and Sharpedo. Other wallbreakers that commonly find themselves on hyper offense teams tend to perform well with Mimikyu. Dragonium Z Latias pairs brilliantly with Mimikyu, as it's able to take out Quagsire due to it ignoring Latias's Special Attack drops from Draco Meteor while pressuring Blissey with Psyshock and Steel-types with Hidden Power Fire. Mega Sharpedo can act as a valuable late-game cleaner while also being able to comfortably pressure Ghost-types that Mimikyu dislikes such as Gengar and Chandelure.

Moves Trick Room gives Mimikyu a way of adequately supporting its team with speed control. Shadow Sneak is a reliable STAB priority attack and gives Mimikyu a way of picking off weakened threats. Play Rough is Mimikyu's strongest STAB attack, and it can be used to hit foes that don't resist it for fair damage. Destiny Bond is useful for when Mimikyu is close to fainting, and it can be used to both eliminate a foe and bring a teammate in safely. Set Details Maximum investment in HP allows Mimikyu to tank a hit or two thanks to its good defensive typing, which grants it an easy opportunity to set up Trick Room. Maximum Attack investment allows Mimikyu to adequately punch holes in opposing teams while supporting its own. Red Card is highly useful in conjunction with Disguise, as it gives Mimikyu the ability to act as an extremely reliable emergency stop to most setup sweepers. Usage Tips This set's main function is as a source of support for slow wallbreakers. As such, Mimikyu should try remaining healthy throughout the match, as it will likely need to set Trick Room more than once. Disguise should be taken full advantage of when setting up Trick Room, as it will almost always guarantee setup. This means that Mimikyu should typically look to use Trick Room first unless it is attempting to revenge kill a foe with Shadow Sneak. Red Card will often only be situationally useful, but it should be preserved if an opposing team has a Pokemon capable of sweeping past Mimikyu's team, as this will allow Mimikyu to act as an emergency stop to it if need be. Destiny Bond should only be used once Mimikyu is low on health, as it will completely remove a foe from play while generating some momentum for Mimikyu's team. Prior to using Destiny Bond, it is best to try wearing down opposing teams with Play Rough. Team Options Slow wallbreakers like Alolan Marowak and Hoopa heavily appreciate Mimikyu's ability to support them with Trick Room, as they will be turned into fearsome sweepers. Slow Swords Dance sweepers like Dhelmise, Doublade, and Alolan Marowak are also appreciative of Mimikyu, as they will become immensely threatening once boosted under Trick Room. Entry hazard support allows the Pokemon Mimikyu will be supporting with Trick Room to break past foes more easily, which makes Pokemon like Golurk and Froslass good partners. Pokemon that can burn foes, such as Mega Sableye and Jellicent, make good teammates as well thanks to their ability to cripple physical attackers that otherwise prevent Mimikyu from lasting long in a match. Alternative Trick Room setters like Cofagrigus and Jellicent can provide Mimikyu's team with extra turns of Trick Room if Mimikyu has fainted.

Moves Swords Dance is mandatory for boosting Mimikyu's Attack to turn it into a formidable offensive threat. Shadow Claw is a powerful Ghost-type STAB attack that aids Mimikyu in breaking past slow, bulky threats like Mega Venusaur, Jellicent, and Zapdos. With Ghostium Z, it turns into a powerful Never-Ending Nightmare that, when boosted, can even break past the likes of Celesteela, Mega Slowbro, and Ferrothorn. Play Rough offers excellent coverage alongside Shadow Claw, hitting Dark-types that otherwise heavily pressure Ghost teams for super effective damage. Shadow Sneak is a reliable STAB priority attack that, when boosted, can pick off weakened threats and OHKO potentially threatening Pokemon in Mega Alakazam and Gengar. Set Details Maximum investment in Attack is essential for giving Mimikyu as much power with a neutral nature as possible. Maximum investment in Speed alongside a Jolly nature makes Mimikyu as fast as possible, allowing it to outspeed Pokemon of base 95 Speed or lower like Porygon-Z and Kyurem-B. Ghostium Z is the preferred item, as the ability to break past Mimikyu's would-be checks in Scizor and Celesteela with a boosted Never-Ending Nightmare is invaluable. Disguise is Mimikyu's only possible ability, but it is extremely useful for providing it with an almost guaranteed setup opportunity. Usage Tips Due to Mimikyu's ability to pick off most weakened threats, it is best used as a late-game cleaner, especially considering it excels once its common checks in Avalugg and Alolan Muk are removed. Thus, Mimikyu should almost always begin setting up with Swords Dance once brought into play. It can, however, use the combination of unboosted Shadow Claw + Shadow Sneak to revenge kill a foe that wouldn't faint to a boosted Shadow Sneak. Mimikyu should never switch into any attacks whatsoever, as Disguise will deactivate and possibly compromise setup. Thus, it is best brought into play via pivot support or after a teammate has fainted. Setup opportunities are best found against Pokemon that Mimikyu forces out, like Latios and Deoxys-S, or against Pokemon that often won't do much damage to Mimikyu, like Heracross and Buzzwole. Generally passive Pokemon such as Forretress, Porygon2, and Mantine also make good setup targets, though Mimikyu should fear their potential status attacks. If Mimikyu is in danger of fainting and hasn't yet used its Z-Move, it can use Never-Ending Nightmare to deliver one final blow. One thing worth noting is that by virtue of Disguise, Mimikyu can often function as a decent emergency check to setup sweepers like Porygon-Z and Bisharp, though it will need a teammate to be sacked in order to reliably take care of them. Team Options Steel-types like Skarmory and Scizor usually prove troublesome for Mimikyu, which makes Alolan Marowak and Chandelure good partners thanks to their ability to pressure Steel-types with Fire-type STAB attacks. Alolan Marowak is also useful in that it can weaken Mimikyu's checks due to its good offensive prowess and provide Stealth Rock support. Golurk can also provide Stealth Rock support, which allows Mimikyu to secure KOs on Pokemon like Jellicent and Celesteela. Will-O-Wisp support from Mega Sableye, Jellicent, and Gourgeist-XL is useful to Mimikyu for crippling physical attackers that threaten it and easing setup. Froslass is a particularly useful partner due to its ability to provide Mimikyu with support in the forms of Will-O-Wisp, Spikes, and speed control by virtue of Icy Wind or Thunder Wave. Doublade is also a particularly useful teammate, as its fantastic physical bulk allows it to reliably tank the physical attacks that threaten Mimikyu like Azumarill's Play Rough and Breloom's Bullet Seed. It can also use Swords Dance to help break past the checks it shares with Mimikyu. Due to its frailty, Mimikyu appreciates Decidueye's ability to pivot to safely bring it into play. Lastly, special wallbreakers like Gengar and Chandelure make good teammates due to being able to break past the physically bulky threats that can trouble Mimikyu at times like Skarmory and Forretress.

Moves Play Rough is Mimikyu's most powerful STAB attack and has near-perfect offensive coverage alongside Shadow Claw. Shadow Claw is Mimikyu's strongest Ghost-type STAB attack and is useful for threatening troublesome Psychic-types for Fairy such as Mew and Celebi. Shadow Sneak is a priority move that helps Mimikyu pick off weakened Pokemon and sweep teams alongside Swords Dance late-game. Swords Dance allows Mimikyu to clean late-game with a guaranteed usage through Disguise and is necessary to compensate for Mimikyu's otherwise lackluster Attack. Set Details Maximum Speed and Attack investment allows Mimikyu to hit as fast and hard as possible. An Adamant nature is used to give Mimikyu the best odds for sweeping Psychic teams, providing enough damage output to put Mew, Mega Gallade, and Slowbro into range for KOs. Disguise is Mimikyu's only ability and absorbs one attack for Mimikyu, allowing it to blanket check offensive threats. Usage Tips Mimikyu should be used as a blanket check, utilizing Disguise to guarantee a hit against offensive threats in the metagame such as Greninja and Mega Diancie. It can also revenge kill certain threats such as Celebi and post-V-create Victini. Shadow Sneak can be used to pick off weakened Pokemon as well. Preserve Mimikyu's Disguise when it is necessary to check threats to the team, including strong setup sweepers such as Azumarill and Volcarona and offensive threats such as Sand Rush Excadrill. Because of Disguise, it can afford to be more reckless with taking chip damage from entry hazards. Take care to avoid status, especially burns and paralysis, as they greatly diminish Mimikyu's capacity as a sweeper. Mimikyu can also be used to sweep weakened teams late-game once its defensive checks have been removed, as Disguise guarantees it can use Swords Dance at least once. Remember that Mold Breaker bypasses Disguise, meaning Mimikyu cannot effectively check threats such as Choice Scarf Mold Breaker Excadrill and the rare Choice Scarf Kyurem-B. Team Options Mega Diancie is a dangerous mixed attacker that can tear open holes in opposing teams and chip switch-ins with Stealth Rock so that Mimikyu can more easily clean late-game. Clefable can offer Stealth Rock support and also serve as a sturdy check to Mega Scizor, a major threat to Fairy that can sometimes take advantage of Mimikyu to set up. Klefki provides dual screens support for Mimikyu, which can allow it to pull off a second Swords Dance even after Disguise has been exhausted. It is also able to provide Spikes support to chip down the opposing team, use Thunder Wave to cripple Mimikyu's offensive checks, and serve as a Mega Scizor check using Foul Play. Tapu Koko is a potent special attacker that can punch holes through teams and take care of walls that Mimikyu otherwise has trouble with, such as Toxapex and Skarmory. Choice Scarf Tapu Bulu is a frightening physical attacker that complements Mimikyu as a revenge killer for threats such as Landorus and Mega Charizard Y. Tapu Bulu also puts pressure on bulky Water- and Ground-types that Mimikyu struggles with, such as Hippowdon and Swampert. Ribombee provides Sticky Web for Mimikyu, allowing it to outspeed key threats such as Mega Lopunny. Belly Drum Azumarill is an exceptionally dangerous setup sweeper that can serve as a complementary cleaner alongside Mimikyu and help tremendously in the Steel matchup, where Mimikyu struggles.

Moves Swords Dance, Play Rough, and Shadow Sneak are all vital moves for variants of Mimikyu using offensively oriented sets, as Swords Dance allow Mimikyu to threaten bulky foes, Play Rough is needed to check Dragon-types, and Shadow Sneak is needed to pick off weakened foes without busting Disguise. Trick Room, however, can be used instead of Swords Dance if Mimikyu's team largely relies on Trick Room to effectively function. Curse can be used to wear down physically defensive foes like Landorus-T, Porygon2, Celesteela, and Ferrothorn, all of which Mimikyu tends to draw in often, and Curse also allows Mimikyu to preserve momentum after it has been weakened enough. Shadow Claw is a justifiable option that can be used to hit Steel- and Poison-types hard after Swords Dance boosts. Set Details The given EV spread ensures that Mimikyu will always survive Adamant Mega Blaziken's Flare Blitz and +1 Adamant Mega Gyarados's Waterfall and Crunch while almost always surviving Jolly Mega Salamence's Double-Edge. The EV spread also allows Mimikyu to take a Psyshock from Modest Tapu Lele and a Foul Play from Analytic Porygon2 when at +2. 16 EVs from Attack can be moved to HP or Defense so that Mimikyu is guaranteed to survive an unboosted attack from Jolly Mega Salamence while retaining an odd number of HP to use Curse effectively. An alternative EV spread of 228 HP / 252 Attack / 28 Defense an with Adamant nature is a viable option to maximize Mimikyu's damage output while retaining good matchup against Jolly Mega Gyarados. Even when running reduced Attack investment, Mimikyu is still strong enough to take out a good portion of offensive threats in the metagame with a combination of Let's Snuggle Forever and Shadow Sneak. This leaves Mimikium Z as the most ideal item. Usage Tips If using Swords Dance and three attacks, Mimikyu has to be kept in pristine condition so that it can effectively clean up or revenge kill setup sweepers. However, as this set is capable of surviving a number of strong attacks, Mimikyu can take more aggressive approaches to stop Mega Blaziken and even Mega Gyarados. Mimikyu can also take advantage of its increased bulk to weaken foes early-game with Curse or boosted Let's Snuggle Forever. Curse is especially useful for wearing down a foe and retaining momentum when Mimikyu has been weakened and is no longer needed. When using Trick Room, depending on the matchup, Mimikyu can be used aggressively early-game to weaken a foe and set Trick Room for its team, or it can still be preserved for revenge killing a foe that the rest of its team is not likely going to be able to keep in check. Team Options Offensive teammates like Mega Blaziken and Tapu Koko pair well with Mimikyu, as Mimikyu's ability to blanket check most offensive threats is always appreciated. Mimikyu can lure in and heavily damage physically defensive foes like Celesteela and Porygon2 for teammates like Mega Salamence to easily defeat them later. In general, most foes that attempt to combat Mimikyu, such as Landorus-T, will resort to taking a boosted Let's Snuggle Forever or getting afflicted by Curse, and many offensive teammates can take advantage of this and have easier time dealing with their weakened checks. When running Trick Room, Primarina serves as a good partner, as it is capable of dealing with problematic Pokemon like Heatran and Celesteela, both of which Mimikyu can't deal with reliably. Sparkling Aria and Encore also help the matchup against Substitute users like Aegislash and Heatran. Mega Heracross also enjoys Trick Room support and is capable of breaking down walls like Porygon2 and Ferrothorn and revenge killing Mega Gyarados. Mega Mawile serves as one of the best partners, as not only does it enjoy Trick Room support, but it also appreciates having bulky foes weakened by Curse or even receiving a free turn to set up Swords Dance while a foe afflicted by Curse is forced out.

Moves Thanks to Disguise, Mimikyu is able to reliably afflict a foe with Curse and repeatedly use Substitute to inflict sizable damage. Pain Split lets Mimikyu take advantage of bulky foes and use Curse multiple times in a match. The last move is used for Mimikyu to retain its offensive presence. Play Rough in tandem with Mimikium Z, especially with offensive investment, is capable of OHKOing many offensive foes like Mega Blaziken and Tapu Koko. Shadow Claw, while weaker, has much better coverage than Play Rough and can be used in tandem with Ghostium Z. Set Details Offensive investment is the most effective so that Mimikyu will retain its usefulness against offensive foes as much as possible, and investing in HP makes Pain Split somewhat inefficient. An Adamant nature is generally preferred to maximize Mimikyu's damage output, but a Jolly nature is also an option to outspeed Timid Tapu Lele and set up Substitute against Heatran more reliably. Mimikium Z with Play Rough gives Mimikyu access to Let's Snuggle Forever, while Ghostium Z allows Mimikyu to use either Never-Ending Nightmare with Shadow Claw or Z-Curse to fully restore its health. Usage Tips This set aims to draw in physically defensive foes and wear them down so that Mimikyu's teammates can easily defeat them later. This set is also very effective as a lead to net heavy damage on problematic foes by utilizing Curse and Pain Split. By utilizing Mimikyu's ability to force out offensive foes and draw in bulky walls, Mimikyu can set up a Substitute on forced switches, afflict a switch-in with Curse, and proceed to stall it out by using Substitute and Pain Split. This especially proves to be a great annoyance to foes like Celesteela and Ferrothorn, which lack reliable forms of recovery. This may prove ineffective against defensive Landorus-T, however, as it can safely bring in a check with U-turn. Although this set lacks Swords Dance and a secondary attacking move, Mimikyu is still powerful in its own right against offensive foes when it has not consumed its Z-Move yet. Mimikyu's Z-Move can be preserved until late-game to swiftly take out a weakened foe to prevent the rest of its team from taking excessive damage, to revenge kill a foe, or to finish a foe if it has been sufficiently weakened by Curse. Team Options Any offensive partners that appreciate Mimikyu's ability to hinder bulky foes such as Celesteela, Hippowdon, and Porygon2 are appreciated. Setup sweepers like Mega Salamence, Mega Blaziken, Mega Gyarados, and Naganadel appreciate the heavy damage dealt on these foes and can even get a turn to freely set up if foes afflicted by Curse switch out. Offensive partners also appreciate Mimikyu's ability to greatly bother defensive teams, as they are often reliant on status to check Mimikyu, and this set can take advantage of this to reliably set up Substitute and wear down defensive foes with Curse and Pain Split.

Moves Swords Dance sharply increases Mimikyu's Attack, compensating for its rather lacking damage putout and immediately turning it into an offensive threat. Thanks to Disguise, Mimikyu can easily find an opportunity to set up Swords Dance. Play Rough is Mimikyu's strongest STAB move and hits Dragon-types super effectively, letting Mimikyu check threats like Mega Salamence and Garchomp. Shadow Sneak is indispensable, as it lets Mimikyu revenge kill weakened foes without risking the loss of Disguise. Shadow Sneak also aids Mimikyu's matchup against Focus Sash users and bulkier foes, which would otherwise proceed to KO Mimikyu after busting its Disguise and surviving a hit. Shadow Claw is a stronger Ghost-type STAB move that provides Mimikyu with a stronger way to damage Tapu Lele, Cresselia, and Steel-types. Set Details Maximum Attack investment with an Adamant nature maximizes Mimikyu's damage output, and maximum Speed investment lets Mimikyu outspeed neutral-natured Tapu Lele and anything slower. Jolly nature might be an appealing option to outspeed Timid Tapu Lele, but Mimikyu desires as much power as possible, and the opportunity cost of forgoing Mimikyu's proficiency against bulky foes such as Porygon2 and the fact that Tapu Lele commonly runs Choice Scarf leaves this as an inferior option. Mimikium Z or Ghostium Z can be used, depending on which foe Mimikyu is aiming to defeat. Mimikium Z has better damage output and notably lets Mimikyu take out offensive Mega Salamence with a combination of Let's Snuggle Forever and Shadow Sneak most of the time, factoring inIntimidate. Ghostium Z allows Mimikyu to use Never-Ending Nightmare, which is weaker but has better coverage and gives Mimikyu a chance to defeat weakened Steel-types after a Swords Dance. Focus Sash trades Mimikyu's ability to swiftly take out offensive foes using a Z-Move for the ability to survive a hit from full health, essentially guarding it from two attacks as long as Mimikyu keeps its health and Disguise unharmed. Usage Tips This variant of Mimikyu should be saved until late-game in order to clean up weakened teams or revenge kill foes, as it is heavily reliant on Disguise to set up or take a hit. Although it would be hard to do so, it is the most ideal to set up on forced switches so that Mimikyu can boost its Attack while keeping its Disguise intact, making even harder to revenge kill. Against slower teams, Mimikyu with a Z-Crystal does not necessarily have to be preserved until late-game, as boosted Mimikyu's Z-Move is powerful in its own right and can heavily damage foes like Landorus-T and Porygon2 to the point where its team can pick them off. Ghostium Z variants can take advantage of Steel-types' tendency to switch into Mimikyu and heavily damage them early-game for its teammates to deal with them more easily late-game. Switching Mimikyu into any foe is usually discouraged due to how invaluable Disguise is to Mimikyu, but it can be switched in if Mimikyu's Disguise is no longer needed or if a switch-in for Normal-, Fighting-, and Dragon-type attack or a powerful Z-Move is desperately needed. Lastly, when Mimikyu is attempting to pick off a foe with Shadow Sneak, be wary of Psychic Terrain, as it prevents Mimikyu from effectively removing it while preserving Disguise. Team Options Thanks to Mimikyu's role compression as a reliable cleaner and blanket check to most setup sweepers, it can fit into essentially most offensive teams. Strong attackers like Mega Charizard X, Mega Charizard Y, and Mega Salamence are capable of causing serious damage to common defensive cores, and Mimikyu can benefit from their ability to weaken foes so that it won't be overly reliant on its Z-Move to sweep. Fire-types can threaten Steel-types that will have to be weakened or eliminated for Mimikyu to be successful. Teammates that can pivot are also useful, as they help Mimikyu reliably switch in while maintaining Disguise. Tapu Koko can threaten Celesteela while luring in and weakening Landorus-T thanks to Hidden Power Ice, while Landorus-T can provide Stealth Rock support and threaten Steel-types like Heatran. Tapu Fini checks Mega Gyarados and bulky foes like Mega Charizard X and Heatran, all of which Mimikyu does not have a favorable matchup against. Depending on the variant, it can weaken various walls like Porygon2 and Ferrothorn by utilizing either Nature's Madness or an offensive moveset employing Waterium Z and Hidden Power Fire.