Mr. Mime Movesets & Competitive Sets

Moves Focus Blast hits Steel-, Rock-, and Normal-type walls such as Alolan Sandslash, Regirock, and Type: Null that would otherwise switch into Mr. Mime. Psyshock allows Mr. Mime to hit specially defensive walls such as Eelektross, Cryogonal, and Clefairy hard without having to resort to Focus Blast or setting up more Nasty Plots. Set Details The Fightinium Z set gives Mr. Mime a chance to break through particularly pesky walls such as Type: Null and Audino or safely go for a strong Fighting-type move without the fear of missing. The Life Orb set, on the other hand, gives Mr. Mime additional firepower and immediate damage and aids in its wallbreaking potential and the ability to pick up KOs more easily, namely on Pokemon like Eelektross. Life Orb is riskier, however, and limits the number times Mr. Mime can switch or attack within the game. Soundproof is by far the best option for Mr. Mime's ability because it allows Mr. Mime to offensively check Drampa by making it immune to Hyper Voice. It can also come in on Alolan Persian and block Parting Shot, forcing a switch or a Black Hole Eclipse. Usage Tips The goal with this set is to get a Nasty Plot up and start doing damage. It is possible to sweep with it, but the more realistic goal is to break through the other team's bulkier Pokemon to make way for your other Pokemon to sweep. In the event the opposing player is running a very offensive team, Mr. Mime is strong enough to hit frail offensive Pokemon hard enough without a Special Attack boost, so just firing off attacks is the best option. The easiest way to set up a Nasty Plot is to do so on a threatened or passive Pokemon. A slow U-turn or Volt Switch from Eelektross or Lanturn can aid in getting Mr. Mime in on these Pokemon. Notable Pokemon Mr. Mime can set up on are Hitmonchan, Gurdurr, Sableye, and Lanturn. When using Life Orb, it is imperative that the player limit the use of Mr. Mime and wait until a safe opportunity to set up or attack due to the limited number of attacks that can be used. If All-Out Pummeling is not needed for a specific wall, keep in mind that it is still the strongest move in Mr. Mime's arsenal, but always be wary of the opponent's Ghost-types when using it. Team Options Mr. Mime works well with pivots such as Alolan Persian, Lanturn, and Silvally-Fairy that can use moves such as Volt Switch, U-turn, and Parting Shot to either safely get Mr. Mime in or keep momentum up on a predicted switch. A slow pivot works best so Mr. Mime can come in without taking a hit or status move. Regirock, Mudsdale, and Qwilfish are all good teammates for Mr. Mime because they provide reliable defensive switch-ins to Pokemon that threaten Mr. Mime out after it has scored a KO such as Dodrio and Floatzel. They also have good entry hazard setting options that will work with Mr. Mime's wallbreaking potential. Fighting-types like Primeape and Gurdurr appreciate the fact that Mr. Mime can pressure Pokemon like Victreebel and Musharna, clearing a way for them to punch through an opponent's team. It is a good idea to pair Mr. Mime up with fast special attackers such as Haunter and Choice Scarf Aurorus or physical attackers such as Skuntank and Kangaskhan to keep up offensive pressure and to clean up a game after the opponent's walls are gone.

Moves Psychic is a reliable and powerful STAB move that hits Fighting- and Poison-types such as Throh and Weezing for big damage while also having great coverage alongside Dazzling Gleam. Dazzling Gleam hits Dark- and Dragon-types such as Liepard and Altaria for super effective damage and also a strong neutral hit against opposing Psychic-types. It also gives Mr. Mime a reliable way of beating Malamar, which can be a problem for most other Psychic-types. Focus Blast hits Steel-types such as Steelix for big damage, and it also hits Normal-types such as Miltank, giving Mr. Mime perfect neutral coverage against most of the tier. Healing Wish is amazing on Mr. Mime to heal a teammate's HP and status, giving Mr. Mime a nice utility move to use when its job has been done. Psyshock is an option over Psychic, as it does more damage against specially defensive targets such as Assault Vest Magmortar and Assault Vest Lanturn, but it can't hit physically defensive targets such as Weezing as hard as Psychic, which Mr. Mime can take heavy damage from. Taunt can be used over Healing Wish to disrupt bulkier Pokemon by preventing them from using their recovery moves, but Mr. Mime won't be beating them one-on-one without taking a lot of damage. Set Details Maximum Special Attack and Speed investment with a Timid nature augments Mr. Mime's offensive potential, and a Life Orb is used to increase Mr. Mime's power significantly. Choice Specs can be used to further increase Mr. Mime's power at the cost of being locked into a move. Soundproof is the preferred ability in order to switch into Boomburst from Choice Specs Swellow and Chatot, and it allows Mr. Mime to switch into Aurorus and Pyroar locked into Hyper Voice, giving Mr. Mime more utility. Alternatively, Mr. Mime can opt to use Filter, decreasing the damage done by super effective moves such as Hariyama's Bullet Punch and Rotom's Shadow Ball. Usage Tips Due to Mr. Mime's frailty, it does not want to be switched into attacks, so try to bring it in after a teammate has fainted or with a pivot move such as Volt Switch or U-turn. However, with Soundproof, it is immune to sound-based moves such as Swellow's Boomburst and Aurorus's Hyper Voice, so it can easily switch in on them and take momentum if they are locked into those moves. On the other hand, it can be risky to do this at times, as Swellow and Chatot have U-turn to pivot into a potential check to Mr. Mime. Once Mr. Mime is in safely, it can use its STAB moves and coverage to damage the opposing team with its decent power. Healing Wish should only be used if Mr. Mime or its teammate is weakened or crippled and its teammate has a better matchup against the opposing team. Due to it being one-time use, it is extremely important to use this on the right Pokemon. Team Options Pokemon that utilize Volt Switch or U-turn can be valuable by bringing Mr. Mime in safely, so Pokemon such as Scyther and Rotom are good partners. Scyther also appreciates Mr. Mime breaking down Steelix with Focus Blast, and the VoltTurn users all appreciate Healing Wish recovering them back up to full health. Offensive Pokemon that appreciate being given a second chance to break the opposing team, such as Floatzel and Primeape, can make for good partners to Mr. Mime. A defensive backbone is good for Mr. Mime if it is being used on a more balanced team, as it can take the hits Mr. Mime can't, and Mr. Mime can use Healing Wish to restore its partners' HP if they're weakened; Steelix and Weezing can synergize very well with Mr. Mime. Dark-types such as Liepard and Skuntank can partner up well with Mr. Mime due to being able to break through the Psychic-types Mr. Mime can't. Mr. Mime returns the favor by checking Fighting-types like Hitmonchan. Wallbreakers such as Samurott and Kabutops can break down specially defensive walls that Mr. Mime has trouble hitting very hard, and they can benefit well from Healing Wish. Pokemon that rely on recoil moves to do damage, such as Kangaskhan and Wood Hammer Abomasnow, also make for good partners, as they get worn down easily and appreciate Healing Wish patching them up. Offensive teams with Mr. Mime want a good response to faster Pokemon such as Tauros that force Mr. Mime out, so Pokemon like Choice Scarf Rotom partner well with Mr. Mime to help out with this problem.

With a choice of two great abilities along with Baton Pass and a range of boosting moves, Mr. Mime is quite the Baton Passer. Baton Pass is a necessary and obvious move on this set, and Mr. Mime can use it to pass boosts to a teammate, as well as being able to dry-pass to maintain momentum and escape Pursuit from Skuntank, one of the premier users of Pursuit and Taunt in the tier. Keep in mind, however, that Mr. Mime will not be able to escape from pivot Liepard due to priority Encore, letting it trap Mr. Mime with Pursuit if you predict wrongly. Nasty Plot is the boosting option of choice as it allows Mr. Mime to grant an immediate +2 Special Attack boost to something that can make better use of it. Substitute is preferred to avoid status and provide an essentially free switch in for a teammate if Mr. Mime Baton Passes with the Substitute intact. Encore can be used instead to provide setup opportunities for Mr. Mime. In the last slot, Psychic is necessary to prevent Mr. Mime from becoming Taunt bait, as well as to giving Mr. Mime the option to utilize the Nasty Plot boosts itself. The given EV spread means that Mr. Mime's Substitutes cannot be broken by support Lickilicky's Dragon Tail or defensive Probopass's Power Gem, letting it set up on these Pokemon with ease. Filter is the ability of choice, as it lets Mr. Mime take super effective moves such as U-turns and Shadow Balls more effectively, the latter being especially important as Mr. Mime can 2HKO defensive Misdreavus with +2 Psychic, while Misdreavus cannot 2HKO back. Soundproof can be used instead to let Mr. Mime ignore Roar and Perish Song, both of which are irritating for a Baton Passer, but it's rather unreliable in terms of effectiveness; while it can indeed set up on some users of these moves, such as Camerupt, Bastiodon, and Eelektross, it also loses to other Pokemon such as Misdeavus, Mandibuzz, and Zweilous. Calm Mind is a fine alternative to Nasty Plot in order to let Mr. Mime set up against special attackers more easily, but Mr. Mime prefers the immediate boost from Nasty Plot most of the time, and is outclassed by Musharna in this role. While Leftovers is typically the best item in order to offset Substitute damage, Salac Berry can be used in conjunction with Substitute to boost Mr. Mime's Speed in a pinch and either Baton Pass to a teammate or sweep on its own. On a similar note, Lum Berry can be used in conjunction with Encore to shrug off status that would otherwise cripple Mr. Mime. Pokemon that can utilize said Nasty Plot boosts to sweep, such as Charizard and Kadabra, make for great partners. Fighting-type Pokemon also make for good partners, being able to defeat most of the Dark-types that give Mr. Mime trouble. Pokemon such as Ludicolo and Seismitoad can be a threatening force under rain, and even more so after being Baton Passed a Nasty Plot boost, making them excellent partners too. As Mr. Mime can Baton Pass Special Attack boosts to it, Victreebel does not need to waste a slot for Growth, and can afford to run more coverage. It is also a threatening sweeper under harsh sunlight.

This set attempts to make Mr. Mime a revenge killer, using Choice Scarf for Speed and Choice Specs for power. Trick is listed in the first slot as it allows Mr. Mime to cripple an opposing wall that could potentially be problematic. For example, a Choice Scarf will make a Pokemon such as Registeel useless, locking it into only one move and barely boosting its pathetic Speed. Psychic is used as STAB, while Thunderbolt is used to provide coverage against Water-types such as Milotic. It also hits Spiritomb, who is immune to Mr. Mime's other attacking moves. The final slot is used for extra type coverage, or in the case of Baton Pass, to allow Mr. Mime to scout the opponent's team and escape Pursuit. Baton Pass is the main reason to use Mr. Mime over Alakazam, though Filter also makes him more difficult to KO than his spoon-holding rival. Focus Blast hits Steel-types like Registeel super effectively. Shadow Ball provides coverage against Ghost- and Psychic-types such as Mismagius and Uxie. When holding a Choice Scarf, Mr. Mime becomes one of the fastest Pokemon in UU, reaching 459 Speed and outrunning everything up to and including Choice Scarf Moltres, Timid Alakazam, Electrode, and many more. 252 Speed EVs ensure that, even without a Choice Scarf, Mr. Mime still reaches 306 Speed, outrunning base 85 Pokemon like Toxicroak and slower Pokemon like Timid Milotic. Filter is the better ability in this case, as Mr. Mime isn't going to pass any stat boosts, and he needs the extra insurance against super effective hits due to his low HP and Defense stats. Spiritomb is a major threat if Mr. Mime isn't carrying Baton Pass, or is unable to use it; Pursuit against a fleeing Mr. Mime is sure to KO him. The best way to cripple Spiritomb is to set up Toxic Spikes, which will slowly drain its health. Qwilfish is a great Pokemon to set them up due to its high Speed and ability to Explode afterwards. Another way to cripple Spiritomb is to Trick a Choice item onto it; just beware that it isn't a Choice Band variant, as they usually have Trick on their own moveset. Registeel is a good counter to Spiritomb, as long as it doesn't get burned by Will-O-Wisp. Registeel's huge defenses and Steel-typing allow it to wall Spiritomb indefinitely. Chansey and Clefable can be difficult to beat, though neither of them appreciate being Tricked a Choice item, or taking repeated hits from Choice Specs Focus Blast. The best way to overcome Chansey or Clefable is by using a Fighting-type like Hitmonlee who can hit them super effectively with its STAB attacks. Dugtrio is another interesting choice as it can trap the opponent's special wall with its Arena Trap ability, then hit them with STAB Earthquake. Dugtrio is also good for dealing with Houndoom (though beware of Sucker Punch) and Registeel. If you opt for Focus Blast in the last slot, Mismagius becomes an excellent choice on your team. With Registeel and Houndoom removed from the match, Misumagius can freely set up Nasty Plot and sweep the opponent's team with boosted Shadow Ball and Hidden Power Fighting. Taunt is a good option for Mismagius as it prevents Chansey or Clefable from using healing or status moves, while Seismic Toss doesn't affect Mismagius due to its Ghost typing.

Mr. Mime makes a fine Baton Passer due to his above average Speed, great stat boosting moves (including the somewhat rare Nasty Plot), and an amazing ability. Soundproof renders Roar useless, making it harder for the opponent to remove Mr. Mime's stat boosts, although he's still affected by Whirlwind. Taunt makes it more difficult for opposing Pokemon to force Mr. Mime off the field, which is especially helpful against the common Milotic with Haze. Substitute helps Mr. Mime avoid status, and as an added bonus can be passed to other teammates, while Encore is great for crippling Pokemon who used a support move on the previous turn, such as Stealth Rock. Finally, Psychic and Charge Beam are listed so Mr. Mime isn't completely shut down by Taunt. Psychic is a reliable STAB move, and Charge Beam has a good chance to raise Mr. Mime's Special Attack, which is yet another possible boost for Mr. Mime to pass. 252 Speed EVs ensure that Mr. Mime outruns Jolly Toxicroak, Nidoking, and Hitmonlee, while outrunning Timid Milotic and tying with Timid Moltres. You may choose to run a more defensive EV spread of 252 HP / 192 SpD / 64 Spe, though this requires support from another Pokemon who can pass Mr. Mime Speed; the best choice for this is Gorebyss, as it may also pass Defense and Special Defense boosts. 64 Speed EVs ensure that Mr. Mime outruns Choice Scarf Rotom after an Agility has been passed to him. As Mr. Mime will be passing Special Attack boosts, a recipient to capitalize on these boosts is necessary. Moltres is an excellent choice, due to its high Special Attack and Speed, while its decent defenses allow it to switch in more easily, though the field must be free from Stealth Rock. Alakazam is another excellent recipient due to its massive Special Attack and Speed, though its low defenses may cause problems when switching in without a Substitute. It also shares the same typing as Mr. Mime, making it more vulnerable to a super effective move. A dual screen user may be an effective teammate, allowing Mr. Mime to accumulate more boosts before he has to use Baton Pass. Uxie is an excellent choice as it can support the team with entry hazards, paralysis support, and even Memento. Alakazam is also a fine choice as it has the Speed to set up screens before the opponent can attack; it also has Taunt to stop the opponent from setting up. Other good Pokemon for this role include Ampharos and Clefable, as both have high defenses and excellent defensive synergy with Mr. Mime.

This set uses Nasty Plot to raise Mr. Mime's Special Attack, while utilizing Encore or Baton Pass to support the team. Psychic is used as a reliable STAB move, while Thunderbolt is used to cover Steel- and Dark-types. Encore is a good choice if you wish to cripple an opponent, locking them into a support or non-attacking move, Focus Blast hits Steel-, Rock-, Normal-, and Dark-types super effectively, and Baton Pass is used to escape Pursuit users and pass Nasty Plot Boosts. This set may use both abilities, as they both have their good points. Soundproof is a good choice as it stops Pokemon with Roar from removing Mr. Mime's stat boosts, while Filter means that Mr. Mime takes less damage from super effective attacks. Soundproof is the superior choice when using Baton Pass, as this allows Mr. Mime to pass boosts to teammates without the risk of losing the boosts, while Filter is better when you use any other option as Mr. Mime doesn't have a way to escape Pursuit users, and this will weaken the blow. Chansey and Clefable cause Mr. Mime problems due to their huge HP and Special Defense stats. A Fighting-type like Hitmontop is an excellent teammate due to its high Attack stat and STAB Close Combat. Mixed sweepers like Magmortar are also great as they can catch the aforementioned special walls off guard with special moves, then hit them with a super effective Cross Chop. Again, Spiritomb walls this set well due to its huge defenses. Toxic Spikes are helpful to Mr. Mime as they drain Spiritomb's health. Qwilfish is a good lead to set these up due to its high Speed and access to Taunt and Explosion. Houndoom is usable as it resists Dark- and Ghost-type moves, and can switch into Will-O-Wisp thanks to Flash Fire. Spiritomb also has trouble getting past Chansey and Clefable due to their high defenses and access to status moves.

Set Description Despite its mediocre physical bulk, Mr. Mime can make for a decent RestTalk user with its decent Special Defense, solid coverage, and ability to threaten common Pokemon like Nidoqueen and Slowbro. Psychic and Thunder are both necessary, as they allow it to pose a substantial threat to much of the metagame, with a few notable exceptions in Magneton, Chansey, and Hypno. This Mr. Mime set has much more flexibility in terms of what it can switch into, since it fears status a lot less. Its decent special bulk alongside RestTalk makes it possible for it to check many Psychic-types such as opposing Mr. Mime, Slowbro, Slowking, and Kadabra, despite many of them utilizing status moves. It should avoid coming in on Nidoqueen's Earthquake, but it can switch into Nidoqueen's other attacks without too much to fear and threaten a 2HKO with Psychic while only being 3HKOed by Earthquake in return. However, Mr. Mime should still try to avoid picking fights with powerful physical attackers such as Granbull, Dodrio, Scyther, Pinsir, and Piloswine unless absolutely necessary. Team Options RestTalk Mr. Mime can fit on both more offensively inclined teams and more balanced teams. Offensive teams value its ability to absorb status while still having solid damage output, and balanced teams appreciate that it provides defensive support without introducing passivity to the lineup. While it provides a degree of defensive support, RestTalk Mr. Mime is not reliable at holding back powerful Pokemon such as Ampharos, nor can it handle strong physical attackers. It is therefore a good idea to bring Nidoqueen, Piloswine, or Quagsire, as these Pokemon can typically withstand attacks from Electric-types. Ground- and Rock-types such as Piloswine, Sandslash, and Kabutops can be effective at handling Scyther, which is a major threat to Mr. Mime. Rock-, Steel-, and Ghost-types such as Omastar, Magneton, and Haunter are also very much appreciated as teammates due to Mr. Mime struggling against Granbull and Dodrio. Jumpluff is a fantastic catch-all for setup sweepers that may look to take advantage of Mr. Mime's lack of control while it is asleep. Mr. Mime's offensive presence can be bolstered by Spikes support from Qwilfish, which can help it get past bulkier foes.

Set Description This set works well as a lead, getting its team off on the right foot by inflicting status on the opposing Pokemon or else directly attacking foes it has a type advantage against, such as Nidoqueen and Qwilfish. Spreading Thunder Wave is helpful for both Mr. Mime and its teammates, crippling offensive threats and bulkier Pokemon alike. Ground-types, which are immune to Thunder Wave, take hefty damage from Mr. Mime's powerful STAB Psychic. Slowbro and Slowking, two common Pokemon that resist Psychic and don't mind Thunder Wave too much, are dealt with handily by Thunder. Mr. Mime's fourth moveslot can be customized to suit one's team. One of the most useful moves is Encore, which is effective at handling the many Pokemon in the tier that attempt to set up Attack boosts thanks to Mr. Mime's high Speed and can also work as a method of creating opportunities for a teammate to switch in. It works well with Thunder Wave against Scyther, which cannot afford to risk setting up in front of Mr. Mime due to the possibility of getting paralyzed and outsped and hit by Encore the following turn. Other options Mr. Mime can use include Light Screen and Reflect, which can be useful at setting up opportunities for other sweepers. Thief is another option that can be used without an item to make some of Mr. Mime's safer counters like Hypno and Chansey a lot less durable by stealing their Leftovers. Substitute has good synergy with Mr. Mime's status moves and can protect Mr. Mime from the foe's attempts to inflict status. Lastly, although it has poor accuracy, Hypnosis can be used over Thunder Wave—or even in the fourth slot for double status—to potentially cripple an opposing Pokemon with sleep, which can be devastating if it lands on a target that doesn't have Sleep Talk. Team Options Mr. Mime tends to be best suited for offensive teams and strategies due to its stat distribution. Electric-types such as Ampharos and Magneton are often used to check Mr. Mime, so Nidoqueen can make for a good teammate. Scyther also works well because it can make good use of the opportunities Mr. Mime creates with its support moves and can hit Pokemon like Hypno and Chansey hard. Mr. Mime can sacrifice itself to lock various attackers into moves a teammate resists with Encore, for example locking Granbull into Return for Swords Dance Kabutops or Piloswine into Earthquake for Scyther or Pinsir. Using setup sweepers with useful resistances is therefore a good idea. Another strategy that can be used is to bring Mr. Mime with Thief to take the Leftovers of the opponent's check to Mr. Mime and using a Kadabra as a secondary special attacker to finish the crippled foe off. Haunter is a great choice with Mr. Mime, as it checks mono-attacking Granbull and has several checks in common with Mr. Mime, allowing it to lure in a Mr. Mime check and eliminate it with Explosion. Finally, Qwilfish's Spikes are very handy in ensuring Mr. Mime's Psychic can pose a threat to Pokemon it hits neutrally like Ampharos and Granbull.

Set Description Mr. Mime's wide array of support moves makes it one of the tier's premier Baton Pass users. Although it cannot boost its Speed, it is very good at creating opportunities for its teammates. Thunder Wave is excellent for slowing down the foe and also synergizes with Substitute to buy free turns for Mr. Mime or a teammate. When equipped with a Miracle Berry, especially if it has been passed Speed boosts from Pokemon like Girafarig, Mr. Mime can come in on a status move, set up a Substitute to block the second attempt, and lock the opposing Pokemon into the ineffective status move with Encore. Encore can also be used to get a teammate the free turn it needs to set up and sweep. For example, a Slowbro locked into Surf may provide the opportunity for Politoed to set up Belly Drum, or an Electabuzz locked into Thunder might allow Quagsire to set up. Barrier allows Mr. Mime to supplement its low Defense and reduce the damage taken from Pokemon like Nidoqueen and Granbull, which can be crucial to finding an opportunity for a Belly Drum user to set up. Hypnosis can also be used to take care of any out-of-control threat, although it relies on very shaky accuracy. In order to deter phazers, it is important to have an attacking move. Psychic hits all phazers for decent damage and offers good general coverage, whereas Thunder's coverage is not as good but hits some Haze and Roar users, such as Omastar and Blastoise, harder than Psychic. Team Options Baton Pass Mr. Mime makes for an excellent addition to a Baton Pass chain. It is important that Mr. Mime is passed a Speed boost if being used on a Baton Pass chain due to Pokemon like opposing Mr. Mime, Kadabra, and Jumpluff, which otherwise threaten to outspeed it and lock it into a move with Encore. Girafarig is perhaps the best Speed passer in the tier, having few relevant weaknesses and access to Amnesia, as well as threatening coverage moves for Haze and Roar users. Another option is Scyther, although it poses less of a threat to Haze and Roar users if it does not set up Swords Dance before setting up a Speed boost. A third option is the rare Ariados, which has the unique quality of being able to Baton Pass Spider Web along with its Speed boost and can use Protect and Disable to block strong attacks and phazing moves. Spider Web Ariados, in particular, works well with Mr. Mime's Encore. In terms of recipients, Quagsire is the best Belly Drum user in the tier and is typically seen as the recipient of choice, although Poliwrath and Politoed have the advantage of access to Lovely Kiss alongside Belly Drum and lack an exploitable 4x type weakness. Quagsire's powerful STAB Earthquake is the most important factor that separates it from the others, as it allows Quagsire to OHKO almost any Pokemon that doesn't resist it after a Belly Drum. Pokemon that can set up dual screens for the Baton Pass chain are also welcome additions; the most commonly chosen option for this is Electrode, which can use Explosion to guarantee safe entry for the first Pokemon in the Baton Pass chain. Haunter is another common choice, as it checks Curse Granbull, which can be tricky to deal with for Baton Pass teams, and it can attempt to trade itself for a threatening foe with its Explosion. Baton Pass Mr. Mime does not have to be used on a dedicated Baton Pass team; it can work as a standalone Baton Pass user and simply pass Substitute or Barrier to Pokemon that appreciate it. Flimsy but powerful Pokemon such as Dodrio, Sandslash, Haunter, and Pikachu appreciate the protection and safe entry that Mr. Mime's Substitute passing affords them. Barrier is most appreciated by receivers that use other boosting moves such as Growth + Amnesia Politoed, but it can also be of use to Pokemon with good special bulk like Ampharos in helping to overcome their usual checks.