Revenge Killing — How to Pick a Comeback Switch-In
After losing a Pokémon, which one do you bring in to regain control? The basic criteria for a good revenge-kill switch. (updated: 2026-07-24)
What a "revenge kill" is
Right after one of your Pokémon faints, or right after you switch out of a bad matchup, you have to pick who comes in against whatever the opponent already has on the field. Because their Pokémon is already out, you get the advantage of choosing your response with full knowledge of its type and stats.
The three things to check
- Can it survive their attack? (check bulk on the relevant counter page)
- Does its own attack actually threaten them? (type matchup and KO count)
- Does it move first? (compare on the speed tier chart)
You rarely get all three
A switch-in that checks all three boxes is genuinely rare — most of the time you're compromising, accepting something like "survives, but the damage trade is only even" or "doesn't move first, but still wins on KO count." Combine this with thinking in damage races to decide which of the three matters most in the moment.
Decide your answers ahead of time
Rather than figuring this out under pressure mid-match, use the team selection simulator or team diagnosis tool beforehand to line up an answer for the opponent's key threats. For their scariest Pokémon in particular, it's worth having more than one backup option ready.
Denying the opponent's revenge kill
When you're the one on offense, it's just as important to avoid giving the opponent an easy, safe switch-in. Picking a move with broad coverage, or one that threatens several of their likely answers at once, narrows down where they can safely bring someone in. See the basics of mind games for more on this side of the exchange.