Thanks to its good special bulk and defensive typing, Primarina with an Assault Vest can function as a defensive pivot capable of checking powerful special attackers like Mega Latios, Tapu Lele lacking Psyshock, and Volcarona. It can also check some physical attackers like Urshifu-R and Zamazenta. It performs a crucial offensive role alongside its vital defensive role, being able to exert pressure on common defensive backbones like Gliscor, Ting-Lu, and Moltres. Despite Primarina's excellent special bulk, it often competes with less entry hazard-prone pivots with good longevity like Alomomola and Pecharunt, although it can exert more offensive pressure. Scald is preferred over other Water-type attacks like Surf and Hydro Pump, as it can burn physical attackers like Melmetal, Kingambit, and Mega Scizor, hindering their offensive presence. Flip Turn lets Primarina generate momentum for its teammates and pivot out of healthy checks like Galarian Slowking and Ferrothorn. Psychic Noise is a coverage move that allows Primarina to super effectively target and deny recovery for Poison-types like Pecharunt, Toxapex, and Mega Venusaur on the switch in as well as being able to prevent Alomomola from Wish passing. Torrent is the preferred ability, as it further increases Primarina's damage output and trading capabilities, allowing it to score a guaranteed OHKO on Tapu Koko and Tornadus-T after Stealth Rock. A Modest nature increases Primarina's damage output, allowing it to OHKO maximum HP Landorus-T after Stealth Rock. 176 Speed EVs ensure that Primarina outspeeds Adamant Kingambit.

Primarina fits best on offense and bulky offense teams that appreciate its ability to serve as a specially defensive blanket and pressurize the likes of Gliscor and Heatran. Potent wallbreakers like Mega Diancie and Tapu Lele appreciate Primarina's ability to muscle through the aforementioned defensive Pokemon. In return, they break common defensive backbones in Zapdos and Toxapex that Primarina struggles to force progress against. Powerful wallbreakers and sweepers such as Volcarona, Ogerpon-W, and Urshifu-R benefit from Primarina's ability to threaten Dragon-types, including Dragonite and Mega Latios. Primarina appreciates their ability to threaten Steel-types such as Melmetal and Ferrothorn in return. Primarina's glaring weakness to entry hazards means it appreciates excellent hazard removal options like Great Tusk, Terapagos, and Defog Landorus-T. Additionally, Great Tusk can switch into common physical attackers such as Kingambit and Mega Tyranitar, while Landorus-T can switch into Electric-type Pokemon like Tapu Koko lacking Hidden Power Ice and Raging Bolt, which Primarina struggles against defensively. In return, Primarina can comfortably switch into wallbreakers like Iron Valiant and Mega Latios, which the aforementioned hazard removal options in Great Tusk and Landorus-T struggle against. Viable revenge killers such as Zamazenta, Mega Lopunny, and Weavile are also appreciated, as they threaten defensive staples that Primarina cannot consistently pressurize like Ferrothorn and Galarian Slowking. As a teammate, Primarina can prevent defensive pieces that check the aforementioned revenge killers like Mega Venusaur and Pecharunt from remaining healthy. Primarina struggles against Grass-types such as Ogerpon-W and Serperior, which means that Grass-type answers such as Dragonite and Melmetal are appreciated. In return, Primarina acts as a check to certain foes that can revenge kill Dragonite, such as Urshifu-R and Tapu Lele, and Fire-types like Volcarona and Heatran, which Melmetal cannot defensively answer.