Necrozma Movesets & Competitive Sets

Expanding Force is a decimating STAB attack under Psychic Terrain that is able to 2HKO almost the entire tier after a Special Attack boost, including threats such as Assault Vest Kyurem-B. It also has the added benefit of hitting both foes when Psychic Terrain is up, though keep in mind that it's much weaker if a different Terrain is active. Meteor Beam, in conjunction with Power Herb, boosts Necrozma's Special Attack by one stage and cripples common switch-ins such as Assault Vest Kyurem-B and Incineroar. Earth Power hits many common Psychic-resistant and -immune Pokemon such as Heatran, Metagross, and Incineroar for super effective damage. Protect shields Necrozma for a turn, letting its partner reposition, set Tailwind, or target one of Necrozma's checks. It can also be used for stalling out adverse field conditions, such as Trick Room and opposing Tailwind. Prism Armor helps keep Necrozma safe from Dragapult and Genesect's STAB moves. Notably, Necrozma can always take a Choice Specs-boosted Shadow Ball from Dragapult at full health. A Modest nature is preferred to maximize Necrozma's damage output, but Timid can be used to always outspeed Heatran. A Quiet nature, along with shifting EVs from Speed to HP and lowering its Speed IVs, can be used if Necrozma is on a Trick Room-oriented build.

Moves Photon Geyser busts through common defensive threats such as Amoonguss and ignores abilities like Unaware on Quagsire. Furthermore, when the move is powered up with Psychium Z Necrozma can defeat more specially defensive foes like Diancie and Hippowdon. Heat Wave and Signal Beam form good coverage in conjunction with Photon Geyser, hitting important Steel-types such as Scizor and Mega Aggron and Psychic- and Dark-types like Latias and Krookodile. Psyshock and Moonlight can be used over Photon Geyser and Signal Beam in order to let Necrozma serve as a more reliable sweeper late-game and beat foes such as Blissey and Suicune that shrug off Photon Geyser, but the drop in power, the fact that other Psychic-types like Reuniclus and Latias directly outclass this set, and the limiting of Necrozma's coverage can prove troublesome. Earth Power is also a viable option, hitting the likes of Empoleon and Alolan Muk for good damage, but this comes at the high cost of being unable to hit Scizor super effectively. Set Details Psychium Z turns Photon Geyser into Shattered Psyche, which breaks through walls such as Rhyperior and Sylveon when boosted with little to no chip damage needed. Wiki Berry is an alternative if your team's Z-Crystal slot is already taken, giving Necrozma a semi-reliable form of recovery. One should note the vulnerability to Knock Off when running this item, however. Prism Armor grants Necrozma the ability to take hits from Dark- and Ghost-types attempting to revenge kill it, like Gengar, Hydreigon, and Krookodile, a lot better than it otherwise would. 188 Speed EVs allow Necrozma to outspeed neutral-natured base 70 Speed Pokemon, like Bisharp and Volcanion, and Jolly Bewear. Usage Tips Necrozma's average bulk means it should set up on forced switches from Psychic-weak targets like Nidoking and weaker attackers such as Gligar. If Necrozma has Psychium Z, the item's use should be entirely dependent on the nature of the opposing team. Offensive teams more than likely won't let Necrozma set up freely, if at all, so using the Z-Move for damage on forced switches is entirely acceptable, whereas bulkier teams will more than likely let Necrozma use Calm Mind at some point, making saving the Z-Move until boosted the optimal play in most cases. One should consider opposing Dark-types potentially coming in on the Z-Move, though. Additionally, when facing bulkier teams, Necrozma can be used as an early- and mid-game wallbreaker or a late-game cleaner, with the choice being up to the player. Prism Armor's reduction of damage from super effective moves means Necrozma can stay in at higher ranges of health and punish common attackers such as Krookodile and non-Ghostium Z Gengar. The former is especially notable, as Krookodile will often try to Pursuit trap Necrozma, making staying in a good play in some scenarios. Attempt to weaken bulkier Psychic-resistant Pokemon like Mega Aggron and Slowbro with the appropriate coverage move or pressure from teammates before setting up with Necrozma. Photon Geyser's lacking PP means liberal usage can hamper any attempts to wallbreak or sweep with Necrozma, so great care has to be taken with it, especially against Pokemon with Pressure, such as Suicune, or specially defensive foes like Blissey. Take advantage of Necrozma's good power when unboosted and bulk when boosted by hitting predicted switch-ins with the appropriate coverage move and using weaker revenge killers like Choice Scarf Hydreigon as further setup fodder. Finally, this set's lack of reliable recovery means Toxic can cripple Necrozma severely, so avoid it unless you absolutely have to leave Necrozma in. Team Options Fairy-types such as Sylveon, Florges, and Klefki make for excellent partners, as they take on troublesome Dark-types, and in return, Necrozma serves as a reliable lure to Scizor. Klefki in particular fits well, as Necrozma benefits heavily from the entry hazards while being capable of pressuring most Defoggers and spinners. Sylveon and Florges can also provide Wish and Heal Bell support to keep Necrozma healthy throughout the match. Fighting-types like Terrakion and Infernape help pressure Steel-types that can take Heat Wave, such as Empoleon and Bronzong, as well as punish Dark-types looking to switch into Necrozma. VoltTurn support from pivots such as Mega Manectric and Mega Beedrill can help bring Necrozma in safely on weaker defensive threats that offer free setup opportunities. Entry hazard setters are important to get the opposing team in range of boosted attacks, so the likes of Cobalion and Empoleon are always good teammates. Pursuit users such as Mega Aerodactyl, Choice Scarf Krookodile, and Assault Vest Bisharp are great options to deal with a weakened Blissey, which, if at full HP, can shrug off any attack Necrozma uses, as well as Calm Mind Latias, which can freely switch in on Necrozma and beat it one-on-one. Teammates such as Mega Altaria and Taunt Hydreigon that can deal with Calm Mind users other than Latias, such as Suicune and Reuniclus, can fit well with Necrozma. Necrozma can also break common defensive threats like Mega Aggron and Alomomola, so teammates that can take advantage of these threats being removed, such as Scizor and Mega Sharpedo, make for very good partners.

Moves Photon Geyser is a powerful and reliable STAB attack. Earth Power allows Necrozma to chunk Steel-types that resist Photon Geyser and lets it hit Alolan Muk super effectively. Heat Wave is a good coverage move for Steel-types that take Earth Power neutrally, particularly Scizor, and it also hits Celebi. Signal Beam allows Necrozma to damage Dark- and Psychic-types, such as Hydreigon, Mega Sharpedo, Krookodile, Celebi, and Latias. Power Gem can be run to hit Pokemon like Moltres and Mandibuzz for more damage, though the former already takes a fair amount from Photon Geyser while the latter isn't particularly common. Dark Pulse is an alternative option for the fourth moveslot that lets Necrozma hit Ghost-types like Chandelure and Gengar and Psychic-types like Celebi and Latias without having to choose between Signal Beam, Heat Wave, and Earth Power. Set Details Prism Armor is Necrozma's ability and helps it survive longer by sponging some of the damage from super effective attacks, including Pursuit. Choice Specs boosts Necrozma's Special Attack immensely, allowing it to hit hard with its STAB attack and good coverage. Maximum Special Attack and Speed investment and a Modest Nature allow Necrozma to hit as hard and fast as possible. A bulkier EV spread of 68 HP / 252 SpA / 188 Spe with a Modest nature can be used for additional longevity. Usage Tips Necrozma can be used as an early-game wallbreaker with its powerful no-drawback STAB attack in Photon Geyser, as it is able to break down teams that lack a sturdy Psychic-resistant or Psychic-immune Pokemon. Necrozma should be used with good prediction, as being able to use the proper coverage moves against common switch-ins to Photon Geyser, such as Scizor, Latias, Hydreigon, and Alolan Muk, can turn the tide of a game in your favor. Necrozma often can be a good lead due to its sheer power, the unpredictability of its set, and its ability to downplay Pursuit trapping thanks to Prism Armor. Necrozma needs to be cautious of Photon Geyser's low PP, as Pokemon with Pressure, such as Suicune, Moltres, and Kyurem, can deplete it quite quickly. Team Options Pokemon that set up entry hazards, such as Gligar and Cobalion, are able to chip foes on the switch and ease Necrozma's wallbreaking. Necrozma enjoys Spikes to help chip down Pokemon like Swampert and Sylveon into OHKO and 2HKO range, respectively, so Spikes setters such as Klefki can be effective teammates. Fairy- and Fighting-type Pokemon, such as Mega Altaria, Primarina, Infernape, Terrakion, and Cobalion, are able to check Dark-types that generally threaten Necrozma. Dark- and Ghost-type teammates like Alolan Muk, Krookodile, Hydreigon, and Gengar can remove opposing Ghost- and Psychic-types for Necrozma, which it appreciates greatly. The former two can Pursuit trap many of those Pokemon as well. Necrozma also appreciates offensive pivots, such as Scizor, Infernape, and Mega Manectric, which allow Necrozma to get in safely and hit a foe hard.

Moves Stealth Rock allows Necrozma to function as an effective offensive entry hazard setter with a comfortable balance of longevity and offensive presence. Photon Geyser is a consistent and powerful Psychic-type attack that has no drawbacks. Heat Wave allows Necrozma to hit Steel-types such as Scizor, Magneton, and Klefki that resist Photon Geyser. Signal Beam can be run to threaten Dark-types such as Mega Sharpedo and Hydreigon, although is often quite weak. Earth Power and Earthquake can be used to 2HKO Empoleon and Alolan Muk, respectively, though both moves provide worse coverage than Signal Beam otherwise. Set Details Maximum Special Attack investment along with a Modest nature lets Necrozma hit as hard as possible. With the given Speed EVs, Necrozma is able to outspeed maximum Speed Scizor with an Adamant nature. Prism Armor is Necrozma's only ability and reduces damage taken from super effective attacks. Metronome allows Necrozma to more easily power through many entry hazard removers, such as Florges and Mega Altaria, while also preventing Latias from repeatedly using Roost against Signal Beam. However, Metronome will somewhat limit Necrozma's longevity. Iapapa Berry restores 50% of Necrozma's HP in a pinch, helping it stay alive longer and perform its duties more consistently. Life Orb can be run to increase Necrozma's power, but it wears Necrozma down significantly and also prevents it from coming onto the field as often. Usage Tips Necrozma should get Stealth Rock up as soon as possible to punish the many switches that it is able to force due to its threatening movepool. If using Metronome, Necrozma should be used to spam Photon Geyser to force entry hazard removers out of play before setting up Stealth Rock and put pressure on them to prevent them from using Defog. When using Iapapa Berry, be conscious of when Necrozma is low on HP to prevent it from being knocked out before its Berry activates. Carefully using residual damage from weather, status, and entry hazards to your advantage can help Necrozma activate its Berry in a controlled manner if it cannot reliably stay in on a foe's attack. Photon Geyser is powerful and should be used most of the time; however, keep in mind that it has relatively low PP. Status conditions, particularly Toxic poison, can cripple Necrozma and put it on a timer. Team Options Necrozma should be used as a Stealth Rock setter on offensive teams that appreciate its strong offensive presence. Wallbreakers that threaten Dark- and Steel-types, such as Infernape, Scizor, and Terrakion, appreciate the Stealth Rock support that Necrozma offers, since it allows them to secure some KOs they would miss out on without the chip damage. Pokemon that work well on bulky offense teams with Necrozma, such as pivots like Scizor and tanks like Mega Aggron, can be effective partners as well. Necrozma also appreciates cleric support from Pokemon like Togekiss and Sylveon. Other Pokemon that threaten Dark-types, such as Mega Altaria and Primarina, also synergize well with Necrozma.

Moves Prismatic Laser is Necrozma's hardest-hitting offensive move, OHKOing major threats in the metagame such as Mega Charizard X, Tapu Fini, and Primarina. Photon Geyser's secondary effects allows Necrozma to ignore enemy abilities, helping in matchups against Sturdy users like Crustle, Donphan, and FEAR Aron. As it doesn't come with a recharge turn, it's also helpful when playing mind games with Substitute users like bulky Landorus-T, which can attempt to avoid Prismatic Laser. Heat Wave allows Necrozma to hit Steel-type Pokemon such as Celesteela, offensive Mega Metagross, and Ferrothorn that resist its STAB moves. Signal Beam is one of Necrozma's primary coverage moves, allowing it to hit Psychic- and Dark- types that resist or are immune to Photon Geyser and Prismatic Laser, beating Greninja. Hidden Power Ice is another coverage move that Necrozma can run, allowing for a guaranteed KO on Pokemon that are 4x weak to Ice-type moves that otherwise force Substitute predictions such as Garchomp, Landorus-T, and Zygarde. Another option is Hyper Voice, allowing Necrozma to gain specific matchups against Substitute users such as Substitute + Torrent Greninja and Flail Mega Lopunny. However, the opportunity cost is usually too great, and thus it isn't seen too often. Psyshock allows Necrozma to beat Tapu Lele consistently, even if they have Z-Reflect, but is otherwise inferior to Photon Geyser. Set Details 176 HP and 100 Special Defense EVs let Necrozma tank a Choice Specs-boosted Bug Buzz from Genesect while retaining the physical bulk to beat threats like Fake Out + Giga Impact Mega Lopunny. Alternatively, a spread of 228 HP / 244 SpA / 36 SpD allows Necrozma to tank Mega Pinsir's Giga Impact and have a better matchup against Groundium Z Landorus-T, though it loses out on the Genesect matchup. 232 EVs in Special Attack with a Modest nature maximize Necrozma's attacking abilities after the bulk, letting it devastate key metagame threats like Mega Charizard X with its STAB Prismatic laser. Prism Armor improves Necrozma's bulk, allowing it to survive a Dark Pulse from Choice Specs Greninja. Usage Tips Against Substitute users like Garchomp and bulky Landorus-T, which if given a turn to set up will KO Necrozma but are eliminated by a Prismatic Laser, you must predict if they are going to use Substitute or a setup move, or use Hidden Power Ice if you are running it. Against non-Crunch Mega Gyarados, a similar prediction occurs but between whether or not they Mega Evolve. If you think they'll Mega Evolve, use Signal Beam. Otherwise, KO them with Prismatic Laser. Team Options Flyinium Z Landorus-T is a useful teammate, handling Mega Gyarados, Chansey, and Aegislash. In return, Necrozma takes care of threats to Landorus-T in the form of Greninja, Naganadel, and Primarina. Metal Sound Magnezone is also appreciated, since it breaks many of the specially bulky Pokemon that wall Necrozma like Chansey, Tapu Fini, Magearna, and Meloetta. Necrozma, meanwhile, can defeat Pokemon like Mega Charizard X, Donphan, and Mega Venusaur, which usually trouble Magnezone. Pokemon like Mega Gyarados also prove to be good teammates due to their wallbreaking capabilities, defeating Mega Sableye, Mega Slowbro, and Mega Aggron while appreciating Necrozma's assistance against Pokemon like Primarina and Mega Venusaur. Bulk Up Zeraora covers Steel- and Dark-types like Magnezone and Mega Gyarados, along with beating sleep users such as Smeargle and Jumpluff. In return, Necrozma defeats Pokemon like Donphan, Mega Altaria, Mega Charizard X, and Kommo-o that beat Electrium Z Zeraora.

Moves Calm Mind allows Necrozma to break through Pokemon that boost up like Magearna as well as defend against hard hitters like Mega Charizard Y, special Dragonite, and Normalium Z Porygon-Z as effectively as possible. Iron Defense gives Necrozma the capacity to beat physical threats like Mega Charizard X and physical Dragonite. Moonlight allows Necrozma to recover while setting up. Stored Power lets Necrozma take advantage of its boosts and even break through Pokemon that 4x resist it like Mega Metagross. Set Details 252 HP EVs maximize bulk for both defensive stats. 252 Special Defense EVs with a Calm nature allow Necrozma to tank a Blast Burn from Mega Charizard Y as well as maximize its chances against Breakneck Blitz from maximum Special Attack Porygon-Z. A pinch Berry such as Iapapa restores 50% health when Necrozma is at 25% or less, winning crucial matchups against foes like Greninja, Mega Charizard Y, Dragonite, and Choice Scarf Porygon-Z by allowing Necrozma to set up initially without worrying about recovery. Sitrus Berry can be used for a more consistent Charizard matchup, but overall it is outclassed by Iapapa Berry in almost every other matchup including against Greninja and Porygon-Z. Prism Armor is Necrozma's only ability and maximizes its bulk against super effective attackers. Usage Tips Don't send Necrozma out against Dark-types or Pokemon that use Taunt, as with the exception of some Choice item attackers like Greninja that you can PP stall, they totally shut down this set. Against Pokemon that could be either physical or special like Charizard and Dragonite, there are general strategies that can cover both variants most of the time. Against Charizard, use Calm Mind turn one if you know it's Mega Charizard Y, as this helps against both Air Slash and Blast Burn; use Iron Defense for Mega Charizard X. If you don't know what forme it is, Moonlight is a safe play, as it is helpful against all but Dragon Dance Mega Charizard X. For Dragonite, just use Iron Defense, as Necrozma beats special Dragonite most of the time anyway; on the other hand, if you don't use Iron Defense, Necrozma will lose to Dragon Dance. After Iron Defense, you can usually safely boost up, since Iapapa Berry will let Necrozma recover after two attacks. Against Pokemon that do more than 60 damage but still less than 75% of Necrozma's health, you can use Moonlight turn 1 and then use a boosting move; Iapapa Berry will be able to activate and you can successfully stall out the opponent from there. Team Options Fighting-types like Kommo-o and Terrakion complement stall Necrozma well, dealing with Dark-type threats like Mega Gyarados and Incineroar that beat it. In return, Necrozma covers common weaknesses for the other two like Dragonite and Magearna. Powerful Bug-types like Durant and Genesect can beat Dark-types as well, in addition to key Taunt users like Tapu Bulu. In exchange, Necrozma deals with many physical attackers that the former struggle with like Dragonite, Donphan, and Mega Swampert. Garchomp makes a great partner, beating Mega Charizard X and Incineroar while Necrozma handles both Dragonite and Landorus-T.

Moves Photon Geyser is Necrozma's best STAB option thanks to its power and accuracy. Earth Power is a coverage move for grounded Steel-types like Mega Metagross and Aegislash as well as for other Pokemon weak to it such as Incineroar and Victini. Calm Mind allows Necrozma to become a powerful and bulky offensive threat. Protect helps Necrozma survive strong attacks and double targets as well as scout for foes' moves. Moonlight is an option over Protect that increases Necrozma's longevity and gives it more setup opportunities. Set Details Groundium Z turns Earth Power into a strong Tectonic Rage, KOing threats like Incineroar, Mega Metagross, and Aegislash. Alternatively, Wiki Berry improves Necrozma's longevity by healing it when it's on low HP at the cost of a powerful nuke. Prism Armor is Necrozma's only ability and is a useful one, reducing damage from super effective attacks. The given EV spread and a Modest nature give Necrozma decent bulk, allowing Necrozma to outspeed Mega Manectric in Tailwind and OHKO standard non-Assault Vest Incineroar with Tectonic Rage. If you're using Necrozma on a Trick Room team, maximize HP and Special Attack EVs at the cost of Speed EVs, change its nature to Quiet, and set its Speed IV to 0. Usage Tips Use Necrozma early-game to apply offensive pressure on the opponent's team with boosted attacks and soften it up for teammates. Tectonic Rage is useful if you need to immediately destroy a foe or lure in and KO Necrozma's checks like Incineroar and Mega Metagross. Since Moonlight has low PP, don't use it too recklessly. Be careful with bringing Necrozma directly in on strong attacks from the likes of Kyurem-B and Mega Salamence because Necrozma isn't very bulky and is pretty slow. Necrozma's ability to take super effective hits well can make it seem bulkier than it actually is, so don't overestimate Necrozma's bulk, and avoid strong neutral hits. Team Options Steel-type checks like Mega Charizard Y, Zygarde, and Volcanion are nice teammates for Necrozma because they can remove Steel-types like Genesect and Celesteela that give Necrozma trouble. Mega Charizard Y is an especially notable ally because it increases Moonlight's recovery with Drought and gives Necrozma a form of speed control. Strong physical attackers like Kartana and Lurantis can scare off special walls like Chansey and Tapu Fini, which Necrozma struggles to beat. Since Necrozma is slow, it appreciates speed control like Tailwind and Icy Wind. Some Pokemon that can provide it are the aforementioned Mega Charizard Y, Kyurem-B, and Zapdos. Alternatively, you can take advantage of Necrozma's fairly low Speed by using it in a Trick Room team alongside setters such as Porygon2 and Diancie. Intimidate from the likes of Incineroar, Landorus-T, and Mega Manectric eases Necrozma's setup and lets it rely on Moonlight less, as the move has low PP. Heal Pulse from the likes of Tapu Fini and Chansey helps Necrozma set up too. Grass-types like Kartana and Tapu Bulu appreciate Necrozma's ability to lure in and KO Fire- and Steel-types like Incineroar and Mega Metagross. The former also patches up Necrozma's poor Speed with Tailwind, and the latter provides it with passive recovery from Grassy Terrain.