Manaphy is an incredibly potent wallbreaker for Water teams, making use of the highly coveted Tail Glow in tandem with its great bulk and coverage to blast through bulky Water answers. Ice Beam targets Dragon-types like Dragonite and Roaring Moon and Grass-types like Hydrapple and Sinistcha. Psychic allows Manaphy to break through many Pokemon troublesome for Water teams, such as Toxapex, Amoonguss, and Clodsire. The given defensive EVs let Manaphy use Substitute safely in front of Alolan Muk as well as other passive foes like Toxapex and Blissey. The remaining speed lets Manaphy outpace the likes of Adamant Dragonite and Mamoswine.

Manaphy's wallbreaking powers greatly aid speedy sweepers like Greninja, Urshifu-R, and Swift Swim Pokemon like Barraskewda and Kingdra, which can be slowed down by the aforementioned Water answers like Toxapex and Water Absorb Clodsire as well as other special walls like Articuno. Manaphy appreciates Electric-immune teammates like Swampert and Quagsire, both of which can set up entry hazards to support Manaphy's wallbreaking. Since Ogerpon-W can very easily pivot into Manaphy and pose a huge threat to it and its teammates, offensive checks to it are a necessity for Manaphy to succeed, such as Sludge Wave Greninja, Choice Scarf X-Scissor Hisuian Samurott, and Hurricane Pelipper. In return, Manaphy opens up holes in the opponent's defenses for these faster teammates to clean up late-game. Grass-neutral teammates like Toxapex, Tentacruel, and Ogerpon-W all help shore up Manaphy’s weaknesses as well. Tentacruel provides great hazard control with both Toxic Spikes and Rapid Spin, and with Rain Dish it can stay quite healthy in the Rain. Ogerpon-W outspeeds powerful threats to Manaphy like Landorus and Thundurus-T and can KO them with rain-boosted Ivy Cudgel. Should Manaphy be paired with Drizzle Pelipper, the Rain allows Manaphy's Hydration to shrug off status effects, making it impossible to wear down with poison or slow down with paralysis.