[overview]
**Draft Order**: Round 5 onwards
**Price Range**: 9-10 points
**Overview**: Mesprit is a reliable bulky pivot that offers a great deal of role compression and support options to a draft. Good mixed defensive and offensive stats, alongside a wide movepool, enable it to be used in a variety of ways, either as an enabler for other Pokemon on your draft or as an offensive threat itself. However, a lack of good recovery options means that Mesprit will eventually find itself overwhelmed by Pokemon it is meant to check if it's not able to deal with them in a timely manner. It is also outshined by Uxie, which plays an identical role more reliably with higher Speed and defenses.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Bulky Pivot**: By far its most common set, Mesprit has the bulk to check a wide variety of different attackers, both physical and special, and either beat them, use them as opportunity to set up Stealth Rock, or pivot out with U-turn. Mesprit generally has a lot of flexibility with its moveset, enabling it to run many different support options, such as Knock Off, Thunder Wave, and Healing Wish, as deemed necessary for the matchup.
**Setup Sweeper**: Thanks to its great bulk and respectable Special Attack, Mesprit can utilize Nasty Plot or Calm Mind to act as a bulky setup sweeper that can either work as an early- or mid-game wallbreaker to soften the opposing team for another teammate or as a late-game wincon against weakened teams. These sets generally run Draining Kiss whenever possible to increase Mesprit's longevity.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Psychic, Psyshock, Mystical Power, Psychic Noise, Future Sight, Zen Headbutt
**Setup Moves**: Calm Mind, Nasty Plot
**Utility Moves**: Stealth Rock, Knock Off, U-turn, Encore, Thunder Wave, Healing Wish, Reflect, Light Screen, Trick, Pain Split, Protect, Substitute
**Coverage**: Draining Kiss, Dazzling Gleam, Ice Beam, Thunderbolt, Blizzard, Thunder, Energy Ball, Grass Knot, Shadow Ball, Drain Punch, Play Rough, Fire Punch, Ice Punch, Thunder Punch, Iron Tail
Niche Moves
========
**Trick Room**: Mesprit can be an effective Trick Room user, having the bulk to set up Trick Room multiple times per match and the ability to pivot into your Trick Room wallbreakers through U-turn or support them with Healing Wish.
**Stored Power**: Sets running Calm Mind can opt to run Stored Power in place of another STAB move when immediate power is less necessary and Mesprit is expected to get multiple turns of setup.
**Endure**: Mesprit can utilize Endure alongside a Custap Berry to guarantee it gets an attack off against a boosted sweeper or is able to use Healing Wish to heal a teammate.
Common Items
========
**Leftovers**: Mesprit has good enough bulk, alongside protection from most entry hazards thanks to Levitate, that it is expected to survive multiple turns. Leftovers provides it with extra passive recovery, giving it more longevity in a match.
**Rocky Helmet**: Mesprit can use Rocky Helmet to punish physical attackers that cannot deal much damage to it, enabling it to get additional chip damage against these foes.
**Sitrus Berry**: In matchups where Mesprit has to tank powerful attacks, Sitrus Berry can be a more effective alternative to Leftovers by allowing it to avoid 2HKOs from the Pokemon it needs to check.
**Resistance Berries**: Mesprit can utilize resistance Berries to lure in opposing threats and either KO or cripple them with one of its moves, or it can use them as a safeguard against coverage moves from Pokemon it needs to check.
Niche Items
========
**Choice Scarf**: Mesprit can use Choice Scarf to act as a speed control option, outspeeding most of the unboosted metagame and revenge killing them or supporting a teammate with Healing Wish once Mesprit is no longer needed. Trick is another viable option for Choice Scarf sets to cripple an opposing Pokemon.
**Mental Herb**: Mental Herb can be used when foes are expected to run Taunt for Mesprit, allowing it to guarantee it can set up Stealth Rock or use another of its utility moves.
**Light Clay**: Light Clay can be used for sets running one or both of Reflect and Light Screen, extending their duration.
**Red Card**: Mesprit has the bulk to take even some boosted attacks, enabling it to run Red Card as a one-time answer to a threatening sweeper or as a way to disrupt opposing momentum.
**Eject Button**: Eject Button can be used as a way to gain momentum from switching into an attack or after setting up Stealth Rock against a slower foe.
**Custap Berry**: Custap Berry is used mainly alongside Endure to guarantee Mesprit gets an attack off against a sweeper or supports a teammate with Healing Wish.
**Weakness Policy**: Weakness Policy can be used to take advantage of Mesprit's good bulk and gain an extra boost on more offensive sets, and it pairs especially well with Stored Power sets.
Tera
========
Mesprit can be effective as your secondary Tera Captain, utilizing Tera well for both defensive and offensive purposes. With Tera, it can get a better defensive profile by running Tera types such as Tera Fairy, Water and Steel. Tera Poison and Electric also synergize well with Levitate. On setup sweeper sets, Mesprit can either utilize a defensive Tera type to give it more opportunities to set up or make it immune to certain status or use an offensive one to boost one of its coverage moves for the matchup. Tera Fairy is particularly useful for Calm Mind sets, since, besides giving it a strong defensive typing, it also gives Mesprit STAB on Draining Kiss, turning it into a powerful source of additional recovery. Tera Ghost can be useful for both defensive and offensive sets, allowing Mesprit to act as a great spinblocker and giving it a very useful offensive STAB typing.
Draft Strategy
========
Mesprit offers a good amount of role compression, enabling it to be drafted as support for many different archetypes. It works best when paired with powerful threats that it can support through its pivoting and utility moves.
**Fast Wallbreakers**: Pokemon such as Iron Valiant, Darkrai, and Chi-Yu appreciate Mesprit's ability to tank many hits directed at them and bring them in safely through a slow U-turn.
**Setup Sweepers**: Pokemon such as Gouging Fire, Raging Bolt, and Ogerpon-W appreciate Mesprit providing Stealth Rock support as well as crippling opposing threats, giving them more chances to find an opportunity to set up and sweep. Additionally, Mesprit can allow these Pokemon to be used more aggressively early- and mid-game and then utilize Healing Wish to fully heal them for a late-game sweep.
**Other Entry Hazard Users**: Having other teammates that can fill the role of entry hazard setter, especially other users of Stealth Rock such as Ting-Lu, Great Tusk, and Gliscor, gives both Mesprit and said Pokemon more flexibility with their choice of sets, allowing you to better adapt your team for each specific matchup. However, be aware that in these pairings, Mesprit generally acts as the secondary Stealth Rock user, and pairing it with other less reliable entry hazard setters is nowhere near as effective.
**Entry Hazard Removal**: While Mesprit provides a large amount of role compression, it notably has no option for entry hazard removal, so pairing it with Pokemon such as Great Tusk, Iron Treads, and Corviknight ensures that your draft will not be lacking in necessary roles.
Checks and Counters
========
**Strong Wallbreakers**: Powerful wallbreakers such as Chi-Yu, Choice Specs Iron Valiant, and Choice Band Urshifu-R have the raw power to overwhelm Mesprit, even without relying on super effective moves. Many Pokemon can also safely chip it down with a super effective U-turn, such as the aforementioned Urshifu-R and Meowscarada.
**Taunt / Encore**: More defensively-oriented Mesprit sets can be very vulnerable to Taunt, as they might lack the power necessary to threaten the Taunt user. Encore can also cripple Mesprit by locking it into an utility or setup move and giving the foe an opportunity to set up.
**Poison and Toxic**: These status effects greatly hurt Mesprit's longevity over the course of a match, and in the case of Toxic, it can completely prevent a setup Mesprit set from sweeping.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/vmnunes.613460/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/scribble.356084/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/solarbeam.470115/
**Draft Order**: Round 5 onwards
**Price Range**: 9-10 points
**Overview**: Mesprit is a reliable bulky pivot that offers a great deal of role compression and support options to a draft. Good mixed defensive and offensive stats, alongside a wide movepool, enable it to be used in a variety of ways, either as an enabler for other Pokemon on your draft or as an offensive threat itself. However, a lack of good recovery options means that Mesprit will eventually find itself overwhelmed by Pokemon it is meant to check if it's not able to deal with them in a timely manner. It is also outshined by Uxie, which plays an identical role more reliably with higher Speed and defenses.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Bulky Pivot**: By far its most common set, Mesprit has the bulk to check a wide variety of different attackers, both physical and special, and either beat them, use them as opportunity to set up Stealth Rock, or pivot out with U-turn. Mesprit generally has a lot of flexibility with its moveset, enabling it to run many different support options, such as Knock Off, Thunder Wave, and Healing Wish, as deemed necessary for the matchup.
**Setup Sweeper**: Thanks to its great bulk and respectable Special Attack, Mesprit can utilize Nasty Plot or Calm Mind to act as a bulky setup sweeper that can either work as an early- or mid-game wallbreaker to soften the opposing team for another teammate or as a late-game wincon against weakened teams. These sets generally run Draining Kiss whenever possible to increase Mesprit's longevity.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Psychic, Psyshock, Mystical Power, Psychic Noise, Future Sight, Zen Headbutt
**Setup Moves**: Calm Mind, Nasty Plot
**Utility Moves**: Stealth Rock, Knock Off, U-turn, Encore, Thunder Wave, Healing Wish, Reflect, Light Screen, Trick, Pain Split, Protect, Substitute
**Coverage**: Draining Kiss, Dazzling Gleam, Ice Beam, Thunderbolt, Blizzard, Thunder, Energy Ball, Grass Knot, Shadow Ball, Drain Punch, Play Rough, Fire Punch, Ice Punch, Thunder Punch, Iron Tail
Niche Moves
========
**Trick Room**: Mesprit can be an effective Trick Room user, having the bulk to set up Trick Room multiple times per match and the ability to pivot into your Trick Room wallbreakers through U-turn or support them with Healing Wish.
**Stored Power**: Sets running Calm Mind can opt to run Stored Power in place of another STAB move when immediate power is less necessary and Mesprit is expected to get multiple turns of setup.
**Endure**: Mesprit can utilize Endure alongside a Custap Berry to guarantee it gets an attack off against a boosted sweeper or is able to use Healing Wish to heal a teammate.
Common Items
========
**Leftovers**: Mesprit has good enough bulk, alongside protection from most entry hazards thanks to Levitate, that it is expected to survive multiple turns. Leftovers provides it with extra passive recovery, giving it more longevity in a match.
**Rocky Helmet**: Mesprit can use Rocky Helmet to punish physical attackers that cannot deal much damage to it, enabling it to get additional chip damage against these foes.
**Sitrus Berry**: In matchups where Mesprit has to tank powerful attacks, Sitrus Berry can be a more effective alternative to Leftovers by allowing it to avoid 2HKOs from the Pokemon it needs to check.
**Resistance Berries**: Mesprit can utilize resistance Berries to lure in opposing threats and either KO or cripple them with one of its moves, or it can use them as a safeguard against coverage moves from Pokemon it needs to check.
Niche Items
========
**Choice Scarf**: Mesprit can use Choice Scarf to act as a speed control option, outspeeding most of the unboosted metagame and revenge killing them or supporting a teammate with Healing Wish once Mesprit is no longer needed. Trick is another viable option for Choice Scarf sets to cripple an opposing Pokemon.
**Mental Herb**: Mental Herb can be used when foes are expected to run Taunt for Mesprit, allowing it to guarantee it can set up Stealth Rock or use another of its utility moves.
**Light Clay**: Light Clay can be used for sets running one or both of Reflect and Light Screen, extending their duration.
**Red Card**: Mesprit has the bulk to take even some boosted attacks, enabling it to run Red Card as a one-time answer to a threatening sweeper or as a way to disrupt opposing momentum.
**Eject Button**: Eject Button can be used as a way to gain momentum from switching into an attack or after setting up Stealth Rock against a slower foe.
**Custap Berry**: Custap Berry is used mainly alongside Endure to guarantee Mesprit gets an attack off against a sweeper or supports a teammate with Healing Wish.
**Weakness Policy**: Weakness Policy can be used to take advantage of Mesprit's good bulk and gain an extra boost on more offensive sets, and it pairs especially well with Stored Power sets.
Tera
========
Mesprit can be effective as your secondary Tera Captain, utilizing Tera well for both defensive and offensive purposes. With Tera, it can get a better defensive profile by running Tera types such as Tera Fairy, Water and Steel. Tera Poison and Electric also synergize well with Levitate. On setup sweeper sets, Mesprit can either utilize a defensive Tera type to give it more opportunities to set up or make it immune to certain status or use an offensive one to boost one of its coverage moves for the matchup. Tera Fairy is particularly useful for Calm Mind sets, since, besides giving it a strong defensive typing, it also gives Mesprit STAB on Draining Kiss, turning it into a powerful source of additional recovery. Tera Ghost can be useful for both defensive and offensive sets, allowing Mesprit to act as a great spinblocker and giving it a very useful offensive STAB typing.
Draft Strategy
========
Mesprit offers a good amount of role compression, enabling it to be drafted as support for many different archetypes. It works best when paired with powerful threats that it can support through its pivoting and utility moves.
**Fast Wallbreakers**: Pokemon such as Iron Valiant, Darkrai, and Chi-Yu appreciate Mesprit's ability to tank many hits directed at them and bring them in safely through a slow U-turn.
**Setup Sweepers**: Pokemon such as Gouging Fire, Raging Bolt, and Ogerpon-W appreciate Mesprit providing Stealth Rock support as well as crippling opposing threats, giving them more chances to find an opportunity to set up and sweep. Additionally, Mesprit can allow these Pokemon to be used more aggressively early- and mid-game and then utilize Healing Wish to fully heal them for a late-game sweep.
**Other Entry Hazard Users**: Having other teammates that can fill the role of entry hazard setter, especially other users of Stealth Rock such as Ting-Lu, Great Tusk, and Gliscor, gives both Mesprit and said Pokemon more flexibility with their choice of sets, allowing you to better adapt your team for each specific matchup. However, be aware that in these pairings, Mesprit generally acts as the secondary Stealth Rock user, and pairing it with other less reliable entry hazard setters is nowhere near as effective.
**Entry Hazard Removal**: While Mesprit provides a large amount of role compression, it notably has no option for entry hazard removal, so pairing it with Pokemon such as Great Tusk, Iron Treads, and Corviknight ensures that your draft will not be lacking in necessary roles.
Checks and Counters
========
**Strong Wallbreakers**: Powerful wallbreakers such as Chi-Yu, Choice Specs Iron Valiant, and Choice Band Urshifu-R have the raw power to overwhelm Mesprit, even without relying on super effective moves. Many Pokemon can also safely chip it down with a super effective U-turn, such as the aforementioned Urshifu-R and Meowscarada.
**Taunt / Encore**: More defensively-oriented Mesprit sets can be very vulnerable to Taunt, as they might lack the power necessary to threaten the Taunt user. Encore can also cripple Mesprit by locking it into an utility or setup move and giving the foe an opportunity to set up.
**Poison and Toxic**: These status effects greatly hurt Mesprit's longevity over the course of a match, and in the case of Toxic, it can completely prevent a setup Mesprit set from sweeping.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/vmnunes.613460/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/scribble.356084/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/solarbeam.470115/
Last edited:
