Thanks to its fantastic defensive typing and bulk, in conjunction with priority recovery and stat clearing with Haze, Prankster Toxapex is a great physical wall and setup deterrent. Its typing provides important resistances to Fire-, Fighting-, and Water-types, checking dangerous physical attackers like Cinderace, Terrakion, and Barraskewda. Toxapex's most significant role lies in deterring setup with Prankster Haze, which stops dangerous threats like Cosmic Power Mew and Quiver Dance Volcarona from making progress. It can also serve as an emergency check to threats it does not outright beat like Dragon Dance Power Construct Zygarde-10% and Swords Dance Garchomp by sacrificing itself to remove their boosts. Recover also benefits from Prankster, allowing Toxapex to switch in, sponge a hit, and heal off the damage before taking a second one. Knock Off provides utility by removing items, which can be especially useful against Choice Band users and defensive Pokemon that rely on utility items. The last move slot is more flexible; Scald threatens physical attackers that might consider staying in with a burn, Toxic Spikes help wear down offensive teams, and Toxic weakens potential sweepers. Black Sludge is the preferred item to provide extra recovery, while Rocky Helmet is an option to punish physical attackers, especially if Toxapex is the main Barraskewda switch-in. Maximum HP and Defense investment is necessary to repeatedly switch into dangerous physical attackers, while zero Speed IVs allow Toxapex to outspeed opponents in Trick Room; this is especially important to remove Marowak-Alola's Thick Club with Knock Off.

Toxapex is best utilized on balance and bulky offense teams that want to counter a wide range of opposing setup sweepers without devoting space to an elaborate defensive core. Toxapex is a great backstop when an attacker gets forced out; Prankster Haze removes the threat of the opponent using the free turn to set up, and Prankster Recover, plus Toxapex's great bulk, makes it difficult to KO. As such, Toxapex makes a great partner to Choice item wallbreakers such as Terrakion and Azelf. These wallbreakers also appreciate Toxapex's Knock Off and Toxic Spikes, as they wear down the opposing team even faster. Toxapex can also cover for other passive defensive partners like Blissey by denying sweepers that can set up on Blissey. Due to its Ground weakness, Toxapex is unable to check Garchomp, Landorus-T, or Zygarde-10%, so a secondary physically defensive switch-in like Intimidate Corviknight or Dauntless Shield Mew is appreciated. Toxapex is also a poor switch-in to Psychic- and Electric-type attacks, but these tend to be specially-oriented and should be handled by a special wall like Jirachi instead. Since Toxapex is heavily reliant on using Recover to stay healthy, it is vulnerable to entry hazards and opposing pivots. Reliable Defog support from Corviknight and the ability to punish pivots with entry hazard support&mdashwhich includes its own Toxic Spikes&mdash is strongly advised. Since Toxapex does not have access to a pivot move and can often be a momentum drain, it pairs well with other defensive pivots, such as Corvikinght and RegenVest Jirachi, which can generate momentum.