The principle: a competitive set as a profile
Each round shows a real competitive set, taken from the analyses published by Smogon, the worldwide reference for competitive Pokémon, for the ninth generation (Scarlet and Violet). From the start, you see three things: the set's four moves with their type icon, its nature and its EV spread (in the 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe format).
Your mission: identify the Pokémon this set was designed for, in at most six tries, by typing its name in the autocomplete field. The set never changes during a round: it is the same profile from start to finish, but it fills in, because each missed guess reveals a new hint at the bottom of the card.
Reading a set: moves, nature and EVs
The four moves are the richest clue. Most sets carry one or two moves matching their user's own type, because those benefit from STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus): a move whose type matches the Pokémon's type deals 50% more damage. The move types therefore often sketch the mystery Pokémon's type or types. The remaining moves provide coverage (hitting the Pokémon that resist the STABs) or utility: healing, stat boosts, entry hazards.
The nature and EVs tell the role. Almost every nature raises one stat by 10% and lowers another: Adamant or Jolly announce a physical attacker, Modest or Timid a special attacker. As for EVs, a Pokémon distributes 510 points, capped at 252 per stat: 252 in Attack and 252 in Speed signal a fast physical attacker, while 252 HP with beefed-up defenses betray a defensive wall or a support Pokémon.
Five hints, one per missed guess
After each missed guess, a new slot unlocks at the bottom of the card, visually highlighted:
- The tier (OU, UU, RU, NU, PU, Ubers, LC...): the division where the set is played on Smogon. It gauges the Pokémon's power level: overwhelming legendaries live in Ubers, unevolved Pokémon in LC (Little Cup).
- The set's Tera type, shown as a colored badge.
- The held item, with its sprite and name.
- The ability.
- The Pokémon's types, the most direct hint for the home stretch.
On the last tries, the whole profile is therefore visible. The fewer tries you use, the higher your score: commit to a real hypothesis before burning a guess.
The four-step deduction method
Facing an unknown set, work from the most distinctive to the most general:
- Look for the rarest move. Some moves are learned by only a handful of species, sometimes a single one: Aeroblast points to Lugia beyond debate. A signature move solves the round on the first try.
- Cross-check the move types. Two moves of different types that could both plausibly be STAB suggest a dual type. Conversely, an Earthquake in the middle of an otherwise all-Fire set reads as classic coverage, not a Ground type.
- Deduce the role. Nature plus EVs: fast physical attacker, special cannon, defensive wall? That role eliminates whole families of candidates.
- Exploit every unlocked hint. The tier bounds the power level. The item pins down the role: Leftovers for a defensive Pokémon, Choice Scarf for an attacker that needs speed, Life Orb for an all-purpose attacker, Focus Sash for a frail one. The ability is often decisive: few species share a given ability, and some abilities are exclusive to one line.
Where the sets come from
All the quiz's sets come from Smogon's strategic analyses for Scarlet and Violet: over 800 sets covering about 350 Pokémon, spread across every tier, from the heavily played OU to the Little Cup, through UU, RU, NU, PU and Ubers. Only complete sets are kept: every mystery is guaranteed to have an item, an ability, a nature and a Tera type to reveal.
When an analysis lists several options (two possible items, two natures, a move choice on one slot), the quiz picks one precise combination deterministically: in Common mode, everyone faces exactly the same set and the same combination on the same day. The draw is also balanced per species: a Pokémon with nine published sets does not appear more often than one with a single set.
Game modes and scoring
The Moveset quiz is played in Common mode (one round a day, the same for everyone) and Replay mode (a personal daily round, reserved for signed-in accounts, reset at midnight Paris time). The score rewards efficiency: one base point, one point per unused try and a speed bonus of up to three points for an answer in under ten seconds.
The format also appears in the Daily Challenge (ten sets to identify when Moveset is the day's format) and in PVP multiplayer, where the lobby host can select it. It is not part of the Sprint mix, however. Finally, reaching a streak of seven wins on the Moveset quiz unlocks the Mewtwo avatar.