How to Do a Magikarp Sweep

Last Updated: May 8, 2020

You might have seen people on YouTube defeat an entire team of strong Pokémon, often Legendaries, using a Magikarp as their main Pokémon. How do they do it? Most of the time, Magikarp sweepers do not hack, cheat, or glitch their game. If you want to be able to easily and quickly defeat any Pokémon legitimately, read on.

Steps

1
Understand what a Magikarp sweep is and why it works. Basically, a Magikarp sweep is an epic strategy used by some Pokémon trainers that defeats the entire opponents' Pokémon team using Flail when Magikarps' Attack is maximized. How does it work? When Magikarp is holding a Focus Sash, it will endure a potential OHKO. And when you switch in a Smeargle, your Smeargle will use Belly Drum and then Baton Pass to your Magikarp. Magikarp will then use flail and KO the other team. It's not as confusing as it seems!

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Prepare your Pokémon team

1
Obtain the following Pokémon with the following moves:
- A Snorlax with Belly Drum
- A Parasect with Spore
- A Girafarig with Baton Pass
- A Sentret with Substitute
- A Smeargle with Sketch
2
Enter a double battle with your Snorlax and Smeargle in the first two slots of your party. From there, have Snorlax use Belly Drum and have Smeargle Sketch the move. Defeat the trainer. Remember, you can only battle in-game trainers for this to work.
3
Fly to the Move Remembers house and Re-Teach Smeargle Sketch. You could also level it up 1 to 10 levels to teach it Sketch again.
4
Enter a in-game double battle again, but this time have Parasect and Smeargle in the first two slots of your team. Have Parasect use Spore and have Smeargle use Sketch. Then defeat the trainer and re-teach Smeargle Sketch again. Keep repeating until your Smeargle knows Belly Drum, Spore, Substitute, and Baton Pass.
5
Give your Smeargle a Salac Berry to hold during the battle.
6
Catch a Magikarp. If it is under level 30, level it up so it can learn Flail.
7
Give the Magikarp a Focus Sash to hold during the battle.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

The Battle

1
Use Splash or Tackle until your Magikarp is on 1 HP. When it is, withdraw it and send in Smeargle.
2
Have Smeargle use Spore to put the target to sleep.
3
Use Belly Drum, Substitute, and Baton Pass onto Magikarp (Magikarp will now inherit all stat changes of Smeargle). If the target stays asleep, great, but if the target wakes up, you will have a substitute to take any damage of the attacker.
4
Have Magikarp use Flail. It should result in a OHKO with every Pokémon. You win!

Community Q&A

Question

What if the substitute takes too much health from smergle and prevents it from using belly drum?

NerfLoverNumber14

Community Answer

That won't happen. Substitute will take 25% of its health and belly drum will take 50% of its health.
Question

What if the trainer has a ghost type?

Community Answer

It may take several tries to actually get a sweep with this tactic, even if you do everything correctly.
Question

What if a Pokemon a has a priority move?

Community Answer

The sub should take the hit. Most teams won't run more than one or two with priorities.