Kabutops: Swift Swim

Swift Swim
Speed doubles in rain.
Kabutops Battle Armor

Prevents critical hits.
Weak Armor
Boosts Speed by 1 stage and lowers Defense by 1 stage whe
Type
Rock / Water
Level 100 Statistics (see

level 5, 50, 100)
Min- Min Max Max+

HP 60 - 261 324 -
Atk 115 239 266 329 361
Def 105 221 246 309 339
SpA 65 149 166 229 251
SpD 70 158 176 239 262
Spe 80 176 196 259 284
 Rarelyused
 Underused
 Overused
 Uber
 VGC '12
Overview
In many senses of the word, Kabutops is at the pinnacle of RU. In a tier chock-full of
hazard users, Rapid Spin users are coveted, and Kabutops is the best offensive user of
the move available. Not only is Kabutops able to effectively beat every Ghost-type
Pokemon in RU switching into it with proper execution, but its respectable offensive
prowess provokes several Pokemon to switch out, giving it plenty of opportunities to
use Rapid Spin. Kabutops's interesting Water / Rock typing, on top of granting it a
STAB combination that is unresisted by most of the tier, provides useful resistances to
Fire-, Normal-, and Flying-type attacks, making it capable of switching into common
Pokemon such as Entei rather easily. Kabutops can also capitalize on these
opportunities with moves such as Swords Dance, becoming a dangerous sweeper at
the drop of a hat. Moreover, excellent abilities such as Weak Armor and Swift Swim
allow Kabutops to mitigate its somewhat low base 80 Speed stat. Similarly, access to
Aqua Jet further supports Kabutops's middling Speed, allowing it to check dangerous
Pokemon such as Entei, Moltres, and Aerodactyl rather well.
Of course, Kabutops is by no means without its faults. Common Pokemon such as
Poliwrath and Tangrowth can wall Kabutops for extended periods of time without much
trouble, and without a reasonable method of hitting fast Grass-types, Kabutops is
susceptible to being taken advantage of by dangerous Pokemon such as Sceptile and
Lilligant. What's more, weaknesses to common Electric-, Fighting-, and Ground-type
attacks severely impede Kabutops's potency against more offensive teams. However,
when all is said and done, Kabutops is an excellent Pokemon and should be considered
for almost any team.
Name Item Ability
Offensive Life Orb / Lum Berry Weak Armor

Rapid Spin
Moveset EVs
~ Rapid Spin 4 HP / 252 Atk / 25

~ Stone Edge
~ Aqua Jet
~ Swords Dance / Waterfall
Kabutops's excellent offensive capabilities and movepool allow it to serve as an

excellent user of Rapid Spin, capable of beating every conventional Ghost-type in the
tier that attempts to switch into it. Stone Edge provides a high-powered STAB move,
essential to allowing Kabutops to break through defensive Ghost-types such as Calm
Mind Spiritomb and Dusknoir, as well as knocking out Pokemon such as Sceptile that
try to switch into it and force it out. Aqua Jet is an excellent priority move for Kabutops
to have access to, as it not only allows Kabutops to handle an assortment of weakened
offensive Pokemon, but also always beats 4 HP Rotom after a Swords Dance after
Stealth Rock damage when using Life Orb, preventing Rotom from being able to block
Rapid Spin and threaten Kabutops with a powerful Thunderbolt or Volt Switch. As a
result of situations like this, Swords Dance is also a very useful move on Kabutops, as
it not only allows Kabutops the ability to effectively sweep later in a match, but also
allows it to pressure every Ghost-type in the tier, being able to OHKO both Dusknoir
and Spiritomb with Stone Edge, and OHKO Rotom with Aqua Jet after a boost with
Stealth Rock damage. On the other hand, Waterfall provides Kabutops with a
moderately powerful Water-type STAB move, allowing it to hit Fighting- and Steel-
types moderately hard without dedicating Kabutops to a sweep, which is invaluable in
early stages of a match.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
Name Item Ability
Swords Life Orb / Lum Berry Weak Armor

Dance
Moveset EVs
~ Swords Dance 4 HP / 252 Atk / 25

~ Stone Edge
~ Aqua Jet
~ Waterfall
By abandoning the pretense of Rapid Spin, Kabutops is capable of serving as an

incredibly potent and dangerous sweeper. Weak Armor compounds upon Kabutops's
potency, allowing it to switch into common attacks such as Entei's Flare Blitz to grab a
Speed boost, reaching a point where Pokemon such as Sceptile can no longer keep it in
check. Stone Edge offers Kabutops a powerful STAB move, hitting Water-, Dragon-,
and Grass-types hard and allowing Kabutops to better distinguish itself from similar
Water-type sweepers such as Feraligatr. Aqua Jet makes up for Kabutops's lack of
immediate Speed, allowing it to KO faster Pokemon such as Manectric and Primeape
that would otherwise keep Kabutops under control. Waterfall offers a more powerful
Water-type attack, allowing Kabutops to hit slower Fighting-types such as Hariyama for
respectable damage, in addition to hitting Pokemon such as Steelix and Aggron hard.
Name Item Ability
Choice Choice Band Weak Armor

Band
Moveset EVs
~ Stone Edge 4 HP / 252 Atk / 25

~ Aqua Jet
~ Waterfall
~ Superpower
Kabutops is very capable of utilizing a Choice Band to overcome some of its more
conventional checks and counters. Stone Edge offers a powerful STAB attack to hit
hard with, even being able to 2HKO bulky Pokemon such as Tangrowth with Stealth
Rock and Spikes on the field. Aqua Jet offers Kabutops a powerful priority attack,
allowing it to revenge kill speedy Pokemon such as Aerodactyl with ease. Waterfall
provides Kabutops with a more powerful Water-type STAB move, allowing it to hit
slower Fighting-types hard. Superpower rounds off Kabutops's coverage, allowing it to
hit Steel-types hard, punishing Ferroseed that would otherwise check Kabutops. This is
also Kabutops's best bet at hitting Poliwrath, dealing respectable damage to it and
forcing it to use Rest.

Other Options
Kabutops is very capable of taking advantage of its Swift Swim ability and serving as a
dangerous rain sweeper, though it should be noted that it requires serious support to
function. Similarly, a Rock Polish set can be utilized to boost Kabutops's Speed, though
it usually is an inferior option to Rain Dance, only serving to prevent opposing rain
teams from gaining advantage. Lastly, Kabutops's fairly unique typing, in addition to
access to both Stealth Rock and Rapid Spin, makes a defensive set a possibility,
though Kabutops is simply better off playing to its strengths rather than serving as a
defensive Rapid Spin user, a task Cryogonal does far better.
Checks and Counters

Kabutops's most prominent check is Poliwrath, which shrugs off all of its attacks
without too much trouble and can either cripple it with a potential Scald burn or phaze
it out with Circle Throw, dealing heavy damage in the process. Similarly, Quagsire is
capable of handling Kabutops's attacks very well, negating any possible Swords Dance
boosts with its Unaware ability and threatening Kabutops with STAB Earthquake.
Defensive Grass-types such as Tangrowth and Ferroseed also handle Kabutops well,
though Ferroseed needs to be wary of the stray Superpower. Bulky Pokemon such as
Steelix and Aggron, despite being weak to Water-type attacks, take Kabutops lacking
Waterfall and Superpower quite well, taking very little from Aqua Jet and being able to
retaliate with a STAB Earthquake. Speedy Grass-types such as Sceptile, Lilligant, and
Rotom-C can all switch in on everything but Stone Edge and Superpower without much
trouble and threaten with their STAB moves. Fast Fighting- and Electric-types are
capable of outpacing Kabutops and KOing it with their STAB attacks, though if they
allow themselves to be worn down, they will fall victim to a powerful Aqua Jet. Rotom
in particular is a very prominent example of an Electric-type, as it is also a Ghost-type,
and thus is commonly found matched up against Kabutops.
Early Bird
Reduces sleep time.
Kangaskhan Scrappy
Can hit Ghost-types with Fighting- and Normal-type mo
Inner Focus
Prevents flinching.
Type
Normal

level 5, 50, 100)
Min- Min Max Max+

level 5, 50, 100)
Min- Min Max Max+

HP 105 - 351 414 -
Atk 95 203 226 289 317
Def 80 176 196 259 284
SpA 40 104 116 179 196
SpD 80 176 196 259 284
Spe 90 194 216 279 306
 Neverused
 Rarelyused
 VGC '12
Overview
Kangaskhan is an example of a Pokemon that has several advantageous traits. Its
stats are an indication of its great balance, as it has enough power to get past multiple
foes and enough Speed to outpace the ever-dangerous Sawk and many other common
threats in NU while having a great bulk that allows it to take a multitude of hits. While
there are more powerful, faster Normal-types such as Tauros and Sawsbuck,
Kangaskhan's access to Scrappy means that Ghost-types cannot wall its STAB, giving
it near-perfect coverage with two moves and limiting the number of Pokemon that can
switch into its STAB. Kangaskhan also has a very wide physical movepool that helps it
cover many relevant threats in the metagame and gives it a bunch of priority options,
including Sucker Punch and Fake Out, allowing it to finish off weakened foes and
dangerous weather sweepers, a feat that no other Pokemon in the tier can accomplish
as easily. Despite these multiple perks and its wide movepool, however, Kangaskhan
has almost no way to get past physical walls such as Alomomola and Tangela outside
of hitting them with Toxic, and it has no way to boost its decent Attack outside of the
underwhelming Work Up. Despite these flaws, Kangaskhan can fill multiple roles
effectively and is a good addition to any team.
Name Item Ability
All-Out Silk Scarf / Life Orb Scrappy

Attacker
Moveset EVs
~ Double-Edge / Return 4 HP / 252 Atk / 25

~ Earthquake / Drain Punch
~ Fake Out
~ Sucker Punch
This set takes advantage of many of Kangaskhan's traits—its Speed tier allows it to
outpace many dangerous Pokemon, including Sawk, Pinsir, and Gardevoir, and it does
an excellent job at checking sweepers due to a few priority options, powerful moves,
above-average bulk, great coverage, and to top it off, a very useful ability that means,
unlike other Normal-types, it cannot be easily stopped by Ghosts.
Kangaskhan's Attack stat isn't monstrous on its own, but Double-Edge more than
makes up for it with its excellent 120 Base Power, and in conjunction with a boosting
item, it can do massive damage to the opposition. However, if one plans on utilizing
Kangaskhan's bulk, or just simply doesn't appreciate the massive recoil damage,
Return is a suitable replacement, though the loss in power can be noticeable.
Earthquake hits Rock- and Steel-type Pokemon for super effective damage and gives
Kangaskhan near-perfect neutral coverage. While Drain Punch is a much weaker
alternative, it hits the same Pokemon as Earthquake and can recover recoil damage
sustained from Double-Edge. Fake Out works well because it essentially gets a "free
hit" on the opponent, as nothing is immune to it at all. Finally, Sucker Punch is another
priority move Kangaskhan has access to, and a combination of it and Fake Out can
stop a sweeper if it is somewhat low on health, which is a nice tool to have just in case
a check for the said sweeper has gone down.
Name Item Ability
Choice Choice Band Scrappy

Band
Moveset EVs
~ Double-Edge 4 HP / 252 Atk / 25

~ Earthquake
~ Sucker Punch
~ Return
Though Kangaskhan may lack the raw Attack stat of Choice Band users such as
Braviary, it makes up for it in many aspects. The first is its access to Scrappy, which
ensures that nothing can switch into its main STAB without taking damage, giving it a
significant advantage over other Normal-types which must be extremely careful about
Ghost-types. Kangaskhan's base 90 Speed is also invaluable in a metagame filled with
Gardevoir, Sawk, Braviary, and Pinsir, which all sit at either base 80 or 85 Speed.
While Kangaskhan's Attack may not be quite as high as other Pokemon in the tier, it
still hits rather hard due to its access to powerful moves, and is therefore still a huge
threat.
Sitting at 120 Base Power, Double-Edge hits very hard and is the main move
Kangaskhan will be using. Earthquake hits Steel- and Rock-types for super effective
damage, and a combination of it and Double-Edge covers almost every Pokemon in the
tier. Aside from these two moves, however, Kangaskhan can also utilize Sucker Punch
to catch faster foes as a revenge killer of sorts, but be wary of using it mindlessly, as
being locked into it is dangerous due to the nature of the move. Finally, Return is
preferred for the last slot, because although Kangaskhan already has Double-Edge, it
still hits fairly hard and doesn't cause recoil.
Name Item Ability
SubPunch Leftovers Scrappy
Moveset EVs
~ Substitute 40 HP / 252 Atk / 2

~ Focus Punch
~ Sucker Punch
~ Return
At first glance, Kangaskhan looks like a generic SubPunch user, but thanks to Scrappy,
Ghost-types cannot switch into Focus Punch without taking massive amounts of
damage. Some Ghost-types such as Misdreavus may also be incapable of harming
Kangaskhan if they opt to use only their Ghost-type moves, thanks to its immunity.
Setting up a Substitute is usually not too difficult for Kangaskhan thanks to its wide
coverage and the number of switches it can force. A Substitute also helps Kangaskhan
avoid status which damages Kangaskhan's bulk or its offensive presence. Despite not
getting a STAB boost, Focus Punch hits very hard and has the advantage of hitting
Rock- and Steel-types, the only two resistors of Normal-type moves, for super
effective damage. Sucker Punch hits faster foes for a lot of damage and is useful in
conjunction with a Substitute because the foe will often be forced to attack in order to
break it, making the move always succeed. Return is used as the STAB option, which
after STAB actually is stronger than Focus Punch.
Other Options
Kangaskhan has a wide movepool, but not much of it is usable. It has two useful
moves in Body Slam and Wish, with the former's chance of paralyzing the foe adding
utility and the latter healing 50% of Kangaskhan's or its partner's HP, which goes well
with its high 105 base HP. However, both of these moves are illegal with Scrappy,
which is the huge advantage Kangaskhan has over other Normal-types, and the role of
a supporting Normal-type gets serious competition from the bulkier Lickilicky. Aqua
Tail hits Golem harder than anything else Kangaskhan has and still hits other Rock-
types hard, but its unreliable accuracy makes Earthquake the superior choice more
often than not. Kangaskhan has other Fighting-type moves to consider such as
Hammer Arm or Low Kick, but this is another case in which Earthquake generally hits
Pokemon harder (though many Rock-types are hit at maximum power by Low Kick due
to their heavy weight), and Drain Punch's recovery can be hard to pass up on. Ice
Punch is useful for Torterra and certain other switch-ins, but that is virtually it. Crunch
hits Solrock and Lunatone hard, but these two Pokemon are rare and are generally not
worth using a moveslot for. Knock Off is an interesting support move for getting rid of
Eviolite held by counters such as Gurdurr and Tangela, but Kangaskhan rarely has
room for such a weak move. Circle Throw is an interesting option for phazing, but the
lack of STAB and Kangaskhan's access to many other Fighting moves usually makes
this a mediocre choice. Finally, Early Bird isn't completely useless, as it can allow
Kangaskhan to use Rest and wake up faster than usual, but this usually isn't worth
losing Scrappy.
Checks and Counters

With Scrappy disabling Ghost-types from walling it, Kangaskhan is a bit more difficult
to counter than other Normal-types. However, Regirock stands out as the best counter,
as its massive physical bulk makes it hard to wear down, and it can heal off almost all
damage with Drain Punch or take the opportunity to set up Stealth Rock. From there,
most Pokemon that have a good physical bulk work, as Kangaskhan has very few
tricks to get past them. Gurdurr can take Kangaskhan's attacks and retaliate back with
Drain Punch or pick off a weakened Kangaskhan with Mach Punch. Alomomola's
massive physical bulk allows it to stall out Kangaskhan with Wish, Protect, and Toxic,
and thanks to its massive HP, Double-Edge recoil is much greater. Tangela's physical
bulk is also great, and it can use Leech Seed on Kangaskhan to heal its HP or just
cripple it with Sleep Powder. Its Giga Drain also always does enough to break
Kangaskhan's Substitute in case it cannot use Leech Seed. Cradily can easily counter
Kangaskhan sets without Fighting-type attacks, taking Earthquakes very well and
stalling it out with Toxic and Recover or chipping at it with Giga Drain. Metang is also a
great check to Kangaskhan and can counter it completely if Kangaskhan uses Drain
Punch over Earthquake. Metang can then hit it back with Meteor Mashes or cripple it
with Toxic. Piloswine has great physical bulk as well, but it must watch out for Focus
Punch, which can do quite a bit of damage. However, Piloswine's access to Icicle Spear
means it usually comes out on top. Primeape can outspeed and OHKO all variants of
Kangaskhan. However, it takes massive damage from Double-Edge and is rather
vulnerable to Fake Out. When Kangaskhan is locked into a Normal-type move, Steel-
types such as Probopass and Bastiodon and Rock-types such as Golem can take hits
and hit back with their own STAB moves or cripple Kangaskhan with a status move. In
general, hitting Kangaskhan with any status move makes it a lot easier to play around,
as it either loses power with a burn or Speed with paralysis, and Toxic makes it get
worn down much faster.
Kecleon Color Change

Foe's move changes the Pokemon's type.
Type
Normal
level 5, 50, 100)
Min- Min Max Max+

HP 60 - 261 324 -
Atk 90 194 216 279 306
Def 70 158 176 239 262
SpA 60 140 156 219 240
SpD 120 248 276 339 372
Spe 40 104 116 179 196
 Neverused
Overview
Kecleon is not a great Pokemon in the NU metagame. While it has great special bulk,
which allows it to take several special attacks, as well as a wide movepool that makes
it unpredictable, its ability in Color Change makes it extremely easy to play around,
letting opponents hit it for super effective damage when they normally couldn't. The
fact that its STAB is constantly changing also means that it has to rely on Foul Play to
deal consistent damage. Therefore, Kecleon really only works as a bulky Pokemon, and
not a good one at that.
Name Item Nature
Specially Leftovers Calm

Defensive
Moveset EVs
~ Stealth Rock 252 HP / 4 Def / 25

~ Recover
~ Foul Play
~ Toxic / Thunder Wave
Kecleon can make use of its above average special bulk to set up Stealth Rock in front
of special attackers. Color Change also allows it to wall several Pokemon such as
special Samurott lacking Taunt and Choice Scarf Jynx. Recover allows Kecleon to keep
itself healthy against the onslaught of special attackers. Foul Play is used as Kecleon's
attacking option, as its Attack stat is subpar and it rarely receives a STAB boost on any
move due to Color Change. Foul Play also deals heavy damage to Golurk. Kecleon can
also be a decent status spreader, with Toxic crippling walls and Thunder Wave crippling
fast opposing attackers; both can potentially pave the way for a teammate's sweep. It
should be noted that it is very easy for opponents to take advantage of Color Change
to expose Kecleon to super effective attacks. For instance, Charizard can use a
combination of Hidden Power Grass and Fire Blast to easily KO Kecleon. As such,
Kecleon should always be used with caution.
Other Options
Kecleon can support the team with various field effects, such as weather and Trick
Room. It can also carry a Choice item along with Trick to cripple opposing walls, but
due to Kecleon's lack of power and low Speed, this isn't recommended. Sucker Punch
is a powerful priority move to pick off weakened foes and somewhat mitigates
Kecleon's low Speed. Shadow Sneak can also be used, but it is much weaker. Disable
is a decent surprise move and often comes in handy by Disabling Ghost- and Dragon-
type moves and preventing the opponent from taking advantage of Color Change.
However, Kecleon's low Speed means prediction is required. Aqua Tail can be used to
defeat opposing Stealth Rock users such as Camerupt and Golem. Knock Off is an
option to cripple certain opposing Pokemon by taking away their items. Kecleon can be
used as an offensive Pokemon and has access to boosting moves such as Nasty Plot
and Hone Claws. However, Kecleon is weak and outclassed by many other offensive
Pokemon. Counter can be used to surprise physical attackers in tandem with a Focus
Sash. Kecleon also has a wide range of special attacks at its disposal, but its horrible
Special Attack stat means it can't make use of this.
Checks and Counters

Almost any Pokemon that has more than one move and isn't wielding a Choice item
can easily take advantage of Color Change by first attacking with a coverage move to
change Kecleon's type and following up with a move that is super effective. Before
Kecleon changes its typing, Fighting-type attackers, such as Sawk and Gurdurr, can
obliterate it easily, although Sawk does not enjoy switching into Thunder Wave. Unless
Kecleon is carrying Magic Coat, it is shut down entirely by Taunt, especially from a
Pokemon that does not mind Foul Play. For example, Mandibuzz and Skuntank can
easily stop Kecleon this way. Mandibuzz can then proceed to Toxic stall it to death, and
Skuntank can play around Color Change with two different STAB moves. Most Poison-
and Steel-types can defeat Kecleon as they are immune to Toxic, and Ground-types
are immune to Thunder Wave. A good example of a counter would be Probopass,
which is immune to Toxic, takes little damage from Foul Play, and can play around
Color Change using Power Gem and Earth Power. Finally, almost every physical STAB
move can at least come close to KOing Kecleon if it doesn't resist the hit because it is
very frail physically.
Keldeo Justified
Raises Attack one stage when hit by a Dark-type move.
Type
Water / Fighting

level 5, 50, 100)
Min- Min Max Max+

HP 91 - 323 386 -
Atk 72 162 180 243 267
Def 90 194 216 279 306
SpA 129 264 294 357 392
SpD 90 194 216 279 306
Spe 108 226 252 315 346
 Overused
 Uber
Overview
Keldeo may arguably be the cutest Pokemon in the OU tier, but that's not all there is
to this pretty pony! With a great base 129 Special Attack and a good base 108 Speed,
it has all the tools it needs to punch holes in opposing teams with relative ease. With
Secret Sword, it becomes one of the only special attackers in the entire metagame
capable of getting past Chansey and Blissey with ease. With all of these pros, it's hard
to imagine that there are reasons to not use Keldeo, but sadly, this is the case. While
Keldeo has great STAB coverage, especially with access to powerful moves such as
Hydro Pump and Secret Sword, it has a very shallow movepool. In fact, what walls
Keldeo is usually determined solely by the moves it runs. Keldeo is usually limited to
running its STABs and a Hidden Power of choice for coverage, but this is not a one-
trick pony. With a great boosting option in Calm Mind, the ability to run power-
boosting items such as Life Orb or Choice Specs, and the ability to speed up with
Choice Scarf, Keldeo can definitely wreak havoc on opposing teams.
Name Item Nature
All-Out Expert Belt / Life Orb Timid

Attacker
Moveset EVs
~ Hydro Pump 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 2
~ Secret Sword
~ Hidden Power Bug / Hidden Power Ghost
~ Icy Wind
While Choice sets are very effective on Keldeo, it is also excellent as an all-out
attacker. The main advantage of this set is the ability to switch moves; this is huge, as
Keldeo often needs to switch up moves in order to hit the foe for heavy damage. There
are two variants of this set—Expert Belt and Life Orb—that both play much differently.
Expert Belt allows Keldeo to bluff a Choice item and thus surprise its counters with a
super effective move, which tends to mess up the opponent via throwing off his or her
game plan. On the other hand, Life Orb gives Keldeo a significant boost in power
compared to Expert Belt, which only boosts the power of super effective moves,
meaning Hydro Pump and Secret Sword are often fired off unboosted. Life Orb boosts
the power of all of Keldeo's moves, making it a very reliable option.
Keldeo's STABs are obvious; Hydro Pump outright rips apart of all Keldeo's foes,
especially when boosted by rain, while Secret Sword allows Keldeo to nail Tyranitar,
Blissey, and Chansey. Their great coverage together can be utilized to its full potential
with this set, as the lack of a Choice item allows Keldeo to switch moves. For the
Expert Belt set, it is highly recommended to use Hidden Power Bug as Keldeo's Hidden
Power of choice. Hidden Power Bug can surprise Celebi and KO it in one hit; it also
helps against Latias and Latios, but Celebi is the number one target. It is also usable
with a Life Orb, but Hidden Power Ghost provides competition there, as it always
2HKOes non-specially defensive Jellicent after Stealth Rock damage, which is huge,
and still gets super effective coverage on the Lati twins. Icy Wind fills the last slot so
that Keldeo always has good coverage with which to hit Latios and Latias and to slow
down faster threats, such as Starmie and Tornadus. It also provides a way to KO
Landorus and Landorus-T with less risk than Hydro Pump.
Name Item Nature
Choice Choice Scarf Timid

Scarf
Moveset EVs
~ Surf 4 HP / 252 SpA / 25

~ Hydro Pump
~ Hidden Power Ice
~ Secret Sword
With a Choice Scarf equipped, Keldeo might lack the wallbreaking power of its other
sets, but instead becomes a powerful revenge killer and late-game sweeper for use on
rain teams. At 129, Keldeo has the highest base Special Attack stat of all Water-type
Pokemon available in OU; this and its excellent Speed clearly make it the best
Pokemon for the job. It's extremely satisfying to see an opponent attempt to revenge
kill Keldeo with Jolteon or Tornadus only to find that they are outrun and OHKOed by
Hydro Pump or even Surf after Stealth Rock damage. Though running both of these
STAB moves together might seem strange, Keldeo really doesn't need to use much
else, and doesn't have many other options anyway. Surf is the staple move, but often
the additional power of Hydro Pump will be required to revenge kill a specific threat.
Secret Sword is relatively weak, but it will help to deal with troublesome opponents
such as Blissey, Chansey, and Ferrothorn, 2HKOing all three. Other than that, Keldeo
has very few options besides Hidden Power. Hidden Power Ice is the best, as it allows
Keldeo to revenge kill threats such as Dragonite, which it will outrun even after two
Dragon Dances, as well as +1 Salamence. Even when super effective, Hidden Power
Ice is still not significantly more powerful than a resisted Hydro Pump in the rain, but it
will hit targets such as Breloom more accurately, and is more effective against them
outside of rain.
Name Item Nature
Choice Choice Specs Timid / Mod

Specs
Moveset EVs
~ Hydro Pump 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 2

~ Secret Sword
~ Hidden Power Ghost / Hidden Power Electric
~ Icy Wind / Surf
While Keldeo's other sets are mainly based around sweeping, Choice Specs Keldeo is
meant to break down walls. However, that's not to say it cannot sweep—if all Pokemon
on an opponent's team are slower than Keldeo, the immediate power granted by
Choice Specs certainly can allow Keldeo to smash through teams. Generally, the move
Keldeo will use most often is Hydro Pump, and Secret Sword provides a solid
secondary STAB attack that allows Keldeo to rip through Chansey, Blissey, Kyurem-B,
and other Pokemon that won't be hit for too much damage by Hydro Pump. The choice
between Hidden Power Ghost and Hidden Power Electric is dependent on what your
team needs; Hidden Power Ghost surprises Jellicent and Celebi, but Hidden Power
Electric can still hit Jellicent and take down opposing Water-types such as Politoed and
Gyarados. However, Hydro Pump hits most Water-type Pokemon hard even if they
resist it, so one should take all relevant damage outputs into account before making a
choice. Icy Wind in the last moveslot allows Keldeo to hit Latias that try and switch in
super effectively, with the added effect of lowering their Speed. Some variants of
Latias are 2HKOed, while Latios will face the same fate as long as they don't hold a
Choice Scarf. Surf provides a reliable STAB move to use in the late-game though, so
the last moveslot depends on preference.

Name Item Nature
Offensive Life Orb / Leftovers Timid
Moveset EVs
~ Calm Mind / Substitute 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 2

~ Hydro Pump / Surf
~ Secret Sword
~ Hidden Power Ghost / Hidden Power Ice
Keldeo's offensive set has two main variants—Calm Mind and Substitute. Calm Mind is
fairly straightforward—essentially, the goal is to attain enough Calm Mind boosts and
then sweep. With great STAB moves, Keldeo can often do just that. Keldeo's high
Special Attack in conjunction with its base 108 Speed allows it to outspeed every
relevant threat, bar Latios, Latias, and Starmie, and sweep with relative ease. On the
other hand, Substitute gives Keldeo protection from faster Pokemon, allowing it to
function almost like an Alakazam or Gengar. Hydro Pump has tremendous power,
especially under rain, and while Surf has less power, it is a viable alternative for its
better accuracy; the power is not necessarily needed when sweeping late-game.
However, with the protection of a Substitute, Hydro Pump should always be used, as
you will usually have at least two chances to fire it off. Secret Sword is another STAB
move, and while it lacks the power of Focus Blast, its value lies in its effect: it hits the
opponent's Defense instead of Special Defense. This allows Keldeo to bypass some
standard special walls, such as Chansey and Blissey. Both Hidden Power Ghost and
Hidden Power Ice have their uses; the former deals damage to Jellicent—who walls
Keldeo otherwise—and Latias on the switch-in, while the latter allows Keldeo to hit
Dragon-types much harder.
Name Item Nature
SubCM Leftovers Timid
Moveset EVs
~ Substitute 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 2

~ Calm Mind
~ Hydro Pump / Surf
~ Secret Sword
Keldeo's SubCM set is not very different from the Calm Mind set, but it does have
some notable pros and cons that set it apart. Substitute grants immunity to status-
inducing moves, such as Will-O-Wisp and Toxic, and also protects Keldeo from
potential revenge killers, so Keldeo can clean fairly effectively. On the other hand,
Substitute prevents Keldeo from being able to even touch Jellicent, and Keldeo's
already-limited coverage becomes even thinner. If one is willing to look past that,
though, SubCM Keldeo can be fearsome, as its limited coverage provides just enough
to hit a majority of the metagame hard. Once Keldeo is able to nab a few Calm Mind
boosts, Secret Sword and Hydro Pump (or Surf, if you like to play it safe) provide all
the tools one needs for an effective sweep.
Other Options
Keldeo's other options are almost as shallow as its movepool. While Keldeo has access
to a great boosting move in Swords Dance, its low base Attack doesn't do it many
favors. Keldeo can also use Rain Dance to change the weather instantly (without
provoking a weather war) and boost the power of Surf and Hydro Pump, though Drizzle
Politoed does a better job at this because it can simply switch in and change the
weather; not to mention Drizzle-induced rain is permanent. In short: if you aren't
using one of the above sets, there is probably a Pokemon that you should be using
instead of Keldeo.
Checks and Counters

Keldeo's counters are generally split into two groups: those that can wall it no matter
what, and those that can wall some of its sets, but not all. Perhaps the best Keldeo
counter out there is Slowking; despite its lower tier status, it remains a very effective
way to always beat Keldeo (provided it runs Psyshock). However, other options to take
down Keldeo do exist. Amoonguss does very well, and with Regenerator, it can
constantly switch out to regain health. However, should Keldeo be behind a Substitute
and have a sufficient amount of boosts to where Giga Drain will not break the
Substitute, the Amoonguss user is in bad condition. The same applies to Celebi, as
specially defensive versions with Perish Song completely shut down Keldeo; however,
Celebi is ineffective against Keldeo that use Hidden Power Bug. Latias with Psyshock
can generally switch into Keldeo, and with a 252 HP / 252 Spe spread and a Timid
nature, it won't be 2HKOed by Keldeo's Choice Specs Icy Wind. For this reason, it
remains a good check to Keldeo, but it won't be able to take on another Pokemon
reliably after the skirmish. Jellicent is in the same boat—it's a great check to Keldeo as
it is immune to both of Keldeo's STAB attacks with Water Absorb and can badly poison
Keldeo with Toxic, but Keldeo can run Hidden Power Ghost to take on Jellicent, so one
should be wary. It should be noted that Keldeo's SubCM set cannot touch Jellicent at
all, though it can attempt to stall out the jellyfish.
Keldeo has many more checks than counters, though. With a great base 108 Speed,
one probably should wonder why—this is because there are many faster Choice Scarf
Pokemon that can easily prey on our favorite pony's weaknesses, and with other faster
threats looming, Keldeo cannot always sweep as quickly as it would like. Alakazam,
Latios, and Starmie are great users of Psyshock that can get by Keldeo with ease, even
if it happens to be at +6. Additionally, Tornadus outspeeds Keldeo, and with Hurricane,
it can decimate it; Jolteon does the same with Thunder or Thunderbolt. Most dedicated
revenge killers can get by Keldeo, including, but not limited to, Thundurus-T,
Terrakion, and Rotom-W. However, one must keep in mind that most of these
Pokemon cannot switch into Keldeo, and even though many resist Keldeo's attacks,
rain-boosted, STAB, Choice Specs-boosted Hydro Pump will mercilessly annihilate all of
them. Of course, most of these Pokemon are not checks to Keldeo at all if it chooses to
carry a Choice Scarf, so one must be wary and scout out the Keldeo set before
attempting to revenge kill it.
Finally, a few more Pokemon can stand up to Keldeo's wrath. Even at +1, Roserade
can OHKO Keldeo with Leaf Storm. Swords Dance Virizion can attack Keldeo's
unboosted Defense with Leaf Blade, though Secret Sword will do a big chunk of
damage should Keldeo win the Speed tie. Tentacruel with Toxic can wear down any
Keldeo set except for SubCM set, which will actually beat Tentacruel. Similarly, Toxic
Spikes do a number to hamper Keldeo's survivability, and the setup sweeper sets find
it very hard to play through Toxic. Finally, Dragonite does well against Keldeo, but one
always needs to be wary of Hidden Power Ice; also, one should remember that even
though Dragonite resists Hydro Pump, Choice Specs and rain are two factors to keep in
mind before attempting to tank!
Swift Swim
Speed doubles in rain.
Kingdra Sniper
Critical hits do 3x damage instead of 2x.
Damp
Prevents the use of Selfdestruct or Explosion. Prevents Afterma
Type
Water / Dragon

level 5, 50, 100)
Min- Min Max Max+

HP 75 - 291 354 -
Atk 95 203 226 289 317
Def 95 203 226 289 317
SpA 95 203 226 289 317
SpD 95 203 226 289 317
Spe 85 185 206 269 295
 Underused
 Overused
 Uber
 VGC '12
 Doubles
Overview
Kingdra is a very lethal threat in the UU tier with its solid stats and unique Dragon /
Water typing (which gives it a neutrality to Grass- and Electric-type attacks that most
other Water-types are weak to). A lot of Kingdra's lethality is due to its ability to use
Rain Dance, doubling its Speed thanks to Swift Swim, as well as Dragon Dance,
boosting both Kingdra's Attack and Speed stats, two highlights in a shallow movepool.
These two moves allow Kingdra to outspeed much of the UU tier and sweep with a
powerful STAB combination resisted only by Empoleon, giving Kingdra a place as one
of the most dangerous sweepers in the tier. Kingdra is a Pokemon you must prepare
for if you want a successful UU team.
Name Item Ability
Substitute + Lum Berry / Leftovers Swift Swim / Sniper

Dragon
Dance
Moveset EVs
~ Substitute 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 2

~ Dragon Dance
~ Outrage
~ Waterfall
The staple set from DPP returns as one of Kingdra's best sets in the BW2 UU tier. With
new status inducers such as Amoonguss, and constant threats such as Sableye and
Xatu becoming increasingly popular in the tier, the use of Substitute gives Kingdra
more than enough time to set up and become a powerhouse. While behind a
Substitute, Kingdra can use Dragon Dance to increase its Attack and Speed. With the
EV distribution, two Dragon Dances will ensure that Kingdra outspeeds the entire tier,
leaving it free to smash the opponent with Waterfall or Outrage, both of which are
powerful STAB moves that gain near perfect coverage throughout the tier, with only
Empoleon and Ferroseed resisting the combination.
Name Item Ability
Rain Life Orb Swift Swim

Dance
Sweeper
Moveset EVs
~ Rain Dance 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 2
~ Hydro Pump
~ Draco Meteor
~ Dragon Pulse / Surf
Taking on a much more immediate sweeping role from a specially attacking

perspective, Kingdra also runs an effective Rain Dance set that functions well on its
own or on a Rain Dance team. Rain Dance doubles Kingdra's Speed and boosts its
Water-type STAB, giving it the ability to outspeed and 2HKO or OHKO a vast majority
of the UU tier. Hydro Pump and Draco Meteor are the STAB moves that are going to be
generally spammed, as the two of them gain near perfect coverage throughout the
tier. The last slot is useful for picking off weakened threats, and both moves are useful
in certain situations. Dragon Pulse is useful so that Kingdra does not need to
immediately suffer the sharp drop in Special Attack, and Surf is useful because it still
hits hard in rain and has better accuracy and PP than Hydro Pump.
Name Item Ability
Offensive Life Orb Swift Swim / Sniper

Dragon
Dance
Moveset EVs
~ Dragon Dance 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 2

~ Outrage
~ Waterfall
~ Rain Dance / Draco Meteor
When Kingdra opts to use both of its setup moves in Rain Dance and Dragon Dance, a
menacing sweeper is born. While setting up both moves in one match is often
unfeasible, it allows you to pick and choose which move will give you the best chance
at sweeping. In addition, this set acts as an effective lure for some Pokemon; when
Kingdra uses Rain Dance, Pokemon such as Snorlax who are sent in because they are
good checks to special Rain Dance will instead get destroyed by this set's physical
attacks. It's much more immediately powerful than other sets, especially the
ChestoRest set, but is much more vulnerable to status. The Speed boosts from both
Rain Dance and a Dragon Dance leave Kingdra nigh impossible to keep up with, and
priority moves are one of the few options for damaging this set. After a Rain Dance
and a single Dragon Dance, Waterfall becomes a very devastating move, crushing
anything that doesn't resist it. Much goes the same for Outrage, obliterating anything
that isn't a Steel-type. Draco Meteor is a viable option over Rain Dance, as even with
no investment, it will still be heavily damaging Pokemon like Slowbro or other
physically defensive Pokemon that can stomach an Outrage or two.
Name Item Ability
Choice Choice Specs Swift Swim / Sniper

Specs
Moveset EVs
~ Draco Meteor 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 2

~ Hydro Pump / Surf
~ Dragon Pulse
~ Hidden Power Electric / Surf
This variant of Kingdra puts sweeping aside for the purpose of wallbreaking,
considering not much in the tier wants to be toying around with a Choice Specs-
boosted Hydro Pump or Draco Meteor. Draco Meteor is the STAB move of choice,
removing whatever doesn't resist it or carry a large amount of special bulk from the
face of the earth. Hydro Pump functions similarly as a powerful STAB move, but
doesn't suffer from the drop in Special Attack like Draco Meteor does. Dragon Pulse is
a powerful backup STAB move that can be used to pick off weakened opponents
instead of wasting Kingdra's Special Attack stat to Draco Meteor. Hidden Power Electric
is a handy coverage move that deals considerable damage to the bulky Water-types in
the tier and the occasional Flying-type that Kingdra finds itself up against, but unless
they resist Draco Meteor, two Hidden Powers will always be outdamaged by two Draco
Meteors. Surf is an acceptable STAB option over either Hydro Pump or Hidden Power
Electric, being used much how Dragon Pulse is, which is to damage opponents while
preserving Hydro Pump's low PP or if you can't afford a miss.
Name Item Ability
ChestoRest Chesto Berry Swift Swim / Sniper
Moveset EVs
~ Rest 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 2

~ Dragon Dance
~ Outrage
~ Waterfall
With status moves being in high supply in the Underused tier, a ChestoRest set greatly
aids Kingdra in pulling off a sweep. The goal of this set is to accumulate as many
boosts as possible, use Rest to heal whatever damage or status Kingdra may have
taken, then begin smashing your opponent. This set excels late-game when most
Steel-types are weakened or removed, and other strong threats are out of play, but
can be used early on to open holes for other sweepers. Dragon Dance boosts Kingdra's
Attack and Speed stats, turning it into a very capable sweeper, outspeeding the entire
tier after two boosts. Backed by STAB, Waterfall and Outrage accumulate a lot of
power after two or more Dragon Dance boosts, proceeding to OHKO or 2HKO nearly
the entire tier. Rest, as mentioned, recovers HP and eliminates status, giving Kingdra a
new lease on a sweep.
Other Options
Hidden Power Fighting can be used over Hidden Power Electric wherever applicable to
ensure a super effective hit on Ferroseed along with a super effective hit on Empoleon.
However, Ferroseed's usage is fairly low, and should not warrant that much attention.
Ice Beam can be used to hit Grass-and Flying-types hard, but the coverage offered
alongside its Dragon-type STAB is relatively redundant. Kingdra is capable of running a
mixed set consisting of Outrage, Draco Meteor, Waterfall, and Hydro Pump, but
splitting its offenses is generally not recommended. Kingdra could run a Choice Band
set of Outrage, Waterfall, Return, and Iron Head, but Flygon is a better Choice Band
user, as its movepool supports a Choice Band better than Kingdra's does. A support set
with moves such as Yawn, Clear Smog, and Scald is possible, as Kingdra has the bulk
to pull it off, but lacks viable recovery.
Checks and Counters

Choice Scarf Flygon is one of the most capable checks to Kingdra, as it threatens
variants below +2 Speed, easily outspeeding and KOing with Outrage. Both Empoleon
and Ferroseed hard counter any sets lacking Hidden Power Electric or Fighting,
respectively, and the former can phaze Kingdra while the latter can set hazards up on
it. Toxic Spikes can limit Kingdra's staying power and force it to use Rest prematurely,
making it easier to break down; Roserade and Qwilfish can set them up. Strong attacks
from faster Pokemon, such as Superpower from Choice Scarf Darmanitan, put a hefty
dent in Kingdra's HP, making it vulnerable to priority moves. Milotic and Cofagrigus
have the bulk to take on just about anything Kingdra can throw at it while recovering
any damage taken with Recover or Pain Split, and Hazing away boosts, however the
latter will not want to be taking a Draco Meteor or Hydro Pump. Specially attacking
sets, bar the Choice Specs set to a certain extent, are shut down by the likes of
Snorlax and Porygon2. Arguably the most reliable check for a setup Kingdra, Imposter
Ditto, can use Kingdra's boosts against it, outspeed it, and revenge kill it with its own
attacks, but if Kingdra is behind a Substitute, it will die before it can KO.
Hyper Cutter
The wielder's Attack cannot be lowered.
Kingler Shell Armor

Prevents critical hits.
Sheer Force
Increases power of moves with secondary effects by 30%, but r
Type Tie
Water NU

level 5, 50, 100)
Min- Min Max Max+

HP 55 - 251 314 -
Atk 130 266 296 359 394
Def 115 239 266 329 361
SpA 50 122 136 199 218
SpD 50 122 136 199 218
Spe 75 167 186 249 273
 Neverused
 Rarelyused
 VGC '12
Overview
While Kingler's massive base 130 Attack may appear to make it one of NU's biggest
threats, Kingler unfortunately suffers from a severe imbalance of stats. Physically,
Kingler is capable of both taking hits and dishing them out with its excellent Attack and
Defense stats coupled with its access to boosting moves such as Swords Dance.
However, Kingler's terrible Special Defense leaves it exposed to almost every special
attack in the tier, and even powerful Fire- and Ice-type attacks will be able to take it
down despite its resistances to them. Kingler's Special Attack is also unsalvageable,
leaving any hope of a mixed set in the dust. Compared to Speed titans such as
Swellow and Swoobat, Kingler's base 75 Speed stat may not seem too appealing, but
with access to Agility, Kingler can double its Speed in one turn and lay waste to any
revenge killers that dare confront it. Kingler continues to be overshadowed by
Crawdaunt in the upper tiers, but in the depths of NU, Kingler is definitely the king
crab.
Name Item Ability
Agility + Life Orb Hyper Cutter

Swords
Dance
Moveset EVs
~ Agility 48 HP / 252 Atk / 2
~ Swords Dance
~ Crabhammer
~ Return
Thanks to the excellent coverage provided by its Water- and Normal-type moves,
Kingler can afford to run a very effective double dance set. Agility lets Kingler go on a
Speed-boosted sweep, taking out frailer Pokemon in one hit while outspeeding almost
every Choice Scarf holder in the tier. Swords Dance is the other boosting move that
lets Kingler lay waste to stall teams; every Pokemon in the tier is either OHKOed or
2HKOed by a +2 Kingler. Kingler rarely gets time to use both boosting moves, so the
choice of which one to use depends on the opposing team. Frail hyper offense teams
can be destroyed after an Agility, while Swords Dance should be used against stall
teams, as most of the time the extra Speed isn’t required. However, if Kingler does
manage to get to +2 in both Speed and Attack, then the chances of your opponent
winning are very slim. Crabhammer is Kingler's STAB move of choice, as Kingler
unfortunately doesn't learn the more reliable Waterfall and cannot boost its STAB move
with Sheer Force. However, Crabhammer does have a high critical hit ratio which can
come in very handy in clutch situations where an OHKO is required. Return completes
the Water- and Normal-type combo that is resisted by few in the tier.
Other Options
Kingler has few other options to abuse its mighty Attack stat with. Rock Slide is
boosted by Sheer Force but doesn't obtain any notable KOs and also has poor
accuracy. Superpower is Kingler's most powerful non-STAB move but also fails to gain
Kingler any extra coverage and lowers Kingler's best stat after every use. Toxic is a
generic move to cripple Tangela and Leafeon, but otherwise it serves little purpose,
and Kingler is better off just smashing them with a +2 X-Scissor. Substitute can be
used over Agility to assist in setting up, but usually Agility has more utility, although it
is nice for setting up on Alomomola. Other moves Kingler has to disrupt the opposition
are Knock Off and Swagger, but Kingler is better off just attacking. A Choice Band set
is viable as well, but it doesn't patch up Kingler's Speed and Kingler is better off being
able to change moves and boost its stats. Kingler has a decent special movepool which
includes Ice Beam, but its Special Attack is just too low to make a mixed set viable.
Checks and Counters

Taking advantage of Kingler's terrible Special Defense should be one's first priority
when trying to take it out. Most neutral STAB attacks, such as Misdreavus's Shadow
Ball, are easy 2HKOs on Kingler. Electric-type attacks from the likes of Raichu and
Electabuzz can easily fry Kingler, but they have to be careful switching in as
Crabhammer eliminates them and Agility lets Kingler take them out next turn. None of
Kingler's attacks can do anything to Vileplume or Alomomola who can beat Kingler with
Giga Drain or in Alomomola's case, cripple it with Toxic. Tangela and Leafeon have
been mentioned numerous times as the biggest threats to Kingler other than
Vileplume, and Alomomola with their immense physical bulk and resistance to Kingler's
STAB attacks. They can either suck Kingler dry with Giga Drain or use Leaf Blade to
turn Kingler into crab sushi. However, even they can be overpowered by a +2 X-
Scissor if they have taken some residual damage. Priority is also a decent way to take
out a weakened Kingler regardless of how many Agility boosts it has accumulated.
Kingler suffers from all forms of status, so if you can catch it with a burn or paralysis
while it tries to set up, then it will be easy pickings for the rest of your team.
Plus
If allied with a Pokemon with Plus or Minus, the wielder's Sp
Klinklang Minus
If allied with a Pokemon with Plus or Minus, the wielder's Sp
Clear Body
The wielder's stats cannot be lowered.
Type Tier
Steel RU

level 5, 50, 100)
Min- Min Max Max+

HP 60 - 261 324 -
Atk 100 212 236 299 328
Def 115 239 266 329 361
SpA 70 158 176 239 262
SpD 85 185 206 269 295
Spe 90 194 216 279 306
 Rarelyused
Overview
Klinklang has always been a very odd Pokemon. Its Steel typing and high base 115
Defense seemed to suggest a more defensive Pokemon, whereas its strong base 100
Attack and signature move Shift Gear gave it more of an offensive quality. Ultimately,
Klinklang takes advantage of both these traits to succeed. Its good defenses and
excellent typing enable it to set up Substitutes with relative ease, behind which it can
freely set up with Shift Gear. Klinklang is exceedingly difficult to revenge kill; after a
Shift Gear, there are no unboosted Pokemon in RU that can even attempt to outspeed
Klinklang. On top of this, Klinklang boasts a resistance to several common priority
moves, such as Quick Attack, Shadow Sneak, and Bullet Punch, whilst only sporting a
weakness to Mach Punch and Vacuum Wave. However, Klinklang does have its fair
share of hard counters, primarily due to its lack of coverage. Opposing Steel-types,
such as Steelix and Ferroseed, are particularly tricky to get past as they resist or are
immune to all of Klinklang's commonly used moves. Fortunately, the majority of
Klinklang's counters lack reliable recovery, and can therefore be broken past with the
help of hazards and a little prior damage. Klinklang doesn't boast much in the
movepool department, and often has to rely on Return to patch up its less than stellar
coverage. It is important when playing with Klinklang to be aware of its weaknesses
and limitations; do not expect it to OHKO a vast number of Pokemon off the bat and
without any prior set up. Klinklang works best as a late-game sweeper, cleaning up
weakened teams once it has boosted its Speed and Attack.
Name Item Ability
Shift Leftovers / Life Orb Clear Body

Gear
Moveset EVs
~ Shift Gear 100 HP / 252 Atk /

~ Gear Grind
~ Substitute / Wild Charge
~ Return / Wild Charge
The key to setting up with Klinklang is to make use of its excellent typing to set up a
Substitute, either on a predicted switch or resisted attack. Once Klinklang is sitting
safely behind its Substitute, use Shift Gear at your discretion until Klinklang has
enough Speed and power to outpace and destroy everything on the opposing team.
Gear Grind is a strong STAB move that has the additional benefit of being capable to
take down Substitute and Focus Sash users with ease. Although Wild Charge may
seem like a better choice thanks to its greater super effective coverage, Return is in
fact a better choice overall. Return still 2HKOes Slowking, as well as allowing Klinklang
to beat Qwilfish, whereas Klinklang loses to Poliwrath no matter which move you
choose to run. Wild Charge does have the benefit of beating Moltres should you be
unable keep Stealth Rock on the field, as well as enabling Klinklang to get past support
Omastar. Finally, Return lets you hit Electric-types for good damage, which are
arguably more dangerous than the couple of Pokemon you would be able to beat with
Wild Charge, ultimately making Return the better choice.
With the given moves, Klinklang hits the vast majority of types for neutral damage,
apart from Steel-types. Fortunately, thanks to Substitute, Klinklang can easily set up
on one of RU's most common Steel-types: Ferroseed. Ferroseed usually walls this set
with ease but is unable to break Klinklang's Substitutes in two or three hits—let alone
one—as well as not being able to paralyze Klinklang whilst it is behind a Substitute. On
top of this, Substitute also defends Klinklang from Leech Seed (Ferroseed's only
method of recovery) as well as all other status effects. After a Shift Gear boost
Klinklang becomes very difficult to revenge kill thanks to its extremely high Speed, as
well as its access to Gear Grind, which not only bypasses Sturdy Pokemon and
Substitute users, but also gives Klinklang more chances to score a timely critical hit.

Other Options
Unfortunately, Klinklang's useful movepool is as barren as the Sahara, so don't expect
to find many excellent suggestions here. Nevertheless, Klinklang does have some
relatively interesting options. Volt Switch can be used to maintain or grab offensive
momentum, as well as hitting Water-types hard (without Wild Charge's annoying
recoil), and enabling it to escape the occasional Magneton. However, Volt Switch has a
relatively low Base Power and also forces Klinklang to switch, which can be a pain if it
has already accumulated several Shift Gear boosts. Klinklang also has access to Trick
Room, which it can use in conjunction with Volt Switch to give frailer Pokemon the
chance to come in for free. A ChestoRest set, with Rest over Substitute, can give
Klinklang the chance to set up more than once, as well as reducing its weakness to
status. However, this set accomplishes little that Substitute variants can't, and
Substitute is a much more effective way of getting around status than Rest. Klinklang
can also make decent use of Air Balloon or the move Magnet Rise to get around its
Ground weakness. This also makes it impossible for Steelix to stop Klinklang, apart
from phazing it with Roar. In a cruel twist of fate, the Pokemon gods gave Klinklang a
surprisingly decent special movepool. Charge Beam, Flash Cannon, Thunderbolt, and
various Hidden Powers are all options for a surprise set, although Magneton is superior
in almost all cases.
Checks and Counters

The list of Klinklang's counters is highly dependent on which coverage moves it runs
(or doesn't run), as it doesn't have a huge amount of counters that can take anything
it throws at them. Steel-types make for the most reliable counters as they resist both
Steel- and Normal-type attacks, as well as possessing naturally high Defense stats.
Steelix is perhaps the best Klinklang counter out there; it resists Gear Grind and
Return, is immune to Wild Charge, and can either phaze Klinklang out with Roar—thus
robbing it of its boosts—or hit it hard with a STAB Earthquake. Magneton can trap
Klinklang with Magnet Pull and set up on it with Charge Beam. Aggron, too, has an
excellent base 180 Defense to weather Klinklang's attacks, and a great base 110
Attack that it can use to, quite literally, throw a spanner in the works. Both Aggron and
Magneton must be extremely wary of Hidden Power Ground, as it hits them on their
weaker Special Defense and for 4x the damage. Both Ferroseed and Escavalier boast
extremely high defenses and can either stall Klinklang out, or, in Escavalier's case, hit
it hard with a Choice Band-boosted Megahorn. Again, it is wise to scout whether or not
Klinklang is packing Hidden Power Fire before sending Escavalier or Ferroseed in to
wall it.
Quagsire and Poliwrath both resist Steel-type attacks and with enough investment can
easily stomach a couple of Shift Gear-boosted Returns; however, Poliwrath must look
out for Wild Charge. Rotom resists or is immune to all of Klinklang's commonly carried
moves and can set up on it with Substitute or Charge Beam. Naturally, physically
defensive Pokemon that do not necessarily pack resistances to Klinklang's attacks are
also effective. Tangrowth, Steelix, and Entei all boast high attacking stats as well as
defensive stats and therefore make for good checks. As long as it is not packing Wild
Charge, Omastar and Moltres also make for good checks thanks to their access to
powerful attacks and reasonable defenses.
Swarm
Kricketune Boosts power of Bug-type moves by 50% when at 1/3 HP
Technician
Increases the Base Power of moves with 60 or less by 50%
Type Tier
Bug NU
Level 100 Statistics (see level 5, 50, 100)
Min- Min Max Max+

HP 77 - 295 358 -
Atk 85 185 206 269 295
Def 51 124 138 201 221
SpA 55 131 146 209 229
SpD 51 124 138 201 221
Spe 65 149 166 229 251
 Neverused
Overview
No, I will not play you the world's smallest violin or a bittersweet symphony.
Name Item Ability

np Sabre Dance - Life Orb Technician
Aram
Khachaturian
Moveset EVs
~ Swords Dance 252 Atk / 4 Def / 25

~ Bug Bite
~ Brick Break
~ Return / Night Slash
Unless you use all of dual screens, Memento, and Tailwind support, Kricketune really
doesn't have a snow ball's chance in hell of sweeping. Although, a Life Orb-boosted Bug
Bite does 2HKO physically defensive Musharna and OHKOes at +2. Brick Break is for
Golem and Regirock, and Return is there for those dastardly Fire- and Flying-types. If that
doesn't suit your taste, Night Slash can be used instead to surprise Misdreavus and Golurk.
Other Options
Perish Song, Taunt, and Substitute can be used for some hilarity against exceptionally slow
defensive teams. Aerial Ace hits other Bug-types slightly harder than the rest of
Kricketune's moves. Knock Off gets a Technician boost and removes Misdreavus's Eviolite.
Checks and Counters

Please, just don't switch Musharna into Kricketune and you'll be in good shape.
Intimidate
Lowers the foe's Attack one stage. Decreases wild encoun
Krookodile Moxie
Boosts Attack by one stage if the wielder knocks out anot
Anger Point
Raises Attack to +6 if struck by a critical hit.
Type
Ground / Dark

level 5, 50, 100)
Min- Min Max Max+

HP 95 - 331 394 -
Atk 117 243 270 333 366
Def 70 158 176 239 262
SpA 65 149 166 229 251
SpD 70 158 176 239 262
Spe 92 198 220 283 311
 Underused
 VGC '11
 VGC '12
Overview
Krookodile's main selling point is its ability Moxie; combined with a unique typing
granting it great coverage and usable Attack and Speed stats, it is capable of easily
sweeping teams. With a Choice Scarf, Krookodile also functions as a great revenge
killer, checking common threats in UU such as Chandelure, Azelf, and Nidoking. Its
access to Pursuit means it is also a very useful trapper, as it can also force out the
aforementioned Pokemon. Even with these qualities, there are a number of factors that
hinder Krookodile's usefulness in UU. Its typing, while solid offensively, is mediocre
defensively, giving it a number of exploitable weaknesses, especially to Fighting. Its
moves also have major drawbacks, with many Pokemon being immune to Earthquake,
while Crunch has middling power without any boosts. Krookodile also faces notable
competition from Honchkrow and Heracross as a Moxie cleaner, both of which pack
more initial power. Nonetheless, Krookodile is still a solid choice as a late-game cleaner
and revenge killer.
Name Item Ability
Choice Choice Scarf Moxie

Scarf
Moveset EVs
~ Earthquake 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 2

~ Crunch
~ Stone Edge
~ Pursuit / Superpower
With a decent base 92 Speed stat and a solid base 117 Attack stat, Krookodile is a
great Choice Scarf user, allowing it to outspeed every unboosted Pokemon in the tier,
as well as +1 base 85 Speed Pokemon. Its ability, Moxie, also allows it to rack up
Attack boosts as it kills Pokemon, turning it into a very fast and hard-hitting sweeper.
Earthquake is Krookodile's strongest STAB move, nailing many Pokemon, such as

Chandelure and Cobalion, for heavy damage. However, due to the number of Ground
immunities throughout the tier, becoming locked into Earthquake can hamper a
potential sweep and force Krookodile out. Crunch gains decent coverage alongside
Earthquake, hitting a number of the Psychic- and Ghost-Type Pokemon such as Claydol
or Mismagius, many of which have an immunity to Ground-type attacks. Stone Edge
completes the EdgeQuake coverage, hitting the various Flying- and Ice-type Pokemon
in the tier hard. The last moveslot is between Pursuit or Superpower. Pursuit can be
used to trap Psychic- and Ghost-type Pokemon such as Azelf or Xatu, opening holes for
Krookodile's team; however, Superpower is Krookodile's best move against Pokemon
such as Scrafty and Porygon2.

Other Options
Rock Slide is an acceptable choice over Stone Edge if the lower accuracy is
unfavorable, but it will lead Krookodile to lose out on a few unboosted revenge KOes.
Bulk Up can bolster Krookodile's offense and defense, making it simultaneously
stronger and harder to kill, though it's still vulnerable to being OHKOed by it's checks
and counters in UU. Dragon Tail can damage and force out common switch ins, but its
uses are situational at best.
Checks and Counters

Hitmontop, Heracross, Gligar, Porygon2, and bulky Water-type Pokemon such as
Swampert and Milotic are the best checks to Krookodile available in the UU tier. None
of them are at any real risk of being 2HKOd by any of its moves (although Heracross
will not want to be taking an Aerial Ace) and most of them threaten Krookodile with a
STAB move. Sableye can use its Prankster ability to move before Krookodile and
render it useless with Will-O-Wisp. Faster Choice Scarf users such as Darmanitan and
Mienshao outspeed and threaten to OHKO Krookodile. Sharpedo has the ability to raise
its Speed with Speed Boost, outspeeding Krookodile after a single boost, and threaten
back with Waterfall or Surf. Priority moves such as Aqua Jet and Mach Punch also
threaten to KO Krookodile, making Azumarill and offensive variants of Hitmontop
decent checks as well.
Kyogre Drizzle
Summons permanent rain.
Type Tier
Water Uber

level 5, 50, 100)
Min- Min Max Max+

HP 100 - 341 404 -
Atk 100 212 236 299 328
Def 90 194 216 279 306
SpA 150 302 336 399 438
SpD 140 284 316 379 416
Spe 90 194 216 279 306
 Uber
Overview
Kyogre has been a defining part of Ubers since its fateful release, and this generation
is no exception. With its metagame-shifting ability Drizzle, base 150 Special Attack,
and very good bulk even by Ubers standards, it's no wonder that Kyogre continues to
be one of the most common, if not the most common, Pokemon in the metagame.
With STAB on its Water-type moves, and the additional boost due to the automatic
rain, its power reaches truly monstrous levels. In fact, thanks to Drizzle, Kyogre's
Water Spout is the strongest immediate, non-recoil attack in the game. Because of its
sheer power, there are very few reliable switch-ins to this whale; Latias, Latios, and
Grass Arceus being just about all that can muster the willpower to do so.
Kyogre's stats and abilities also make it a terrific team player. The rain that it sets up
is helpful to a wide variety of Pokemon in Ubers, notably Steel-types, Water-types, and
Thunder users. It also helps to neuter Reshiram's otherwise nuclear Blue Flare.
Nonetheless, Kyogre has its fair share of checks and revenge killers. Zekrom is one of
the most prominent of these, hitting Kyogre hard with its physical Electric-type STAB
move, Bolt Strike. Ferrothorn and Gastrodon cause similar problems, the former being
able to avoid a 2HKO from sets lacking Choice Specs, and the latter being immune to
Kyogre's STAB moves altogether. In addition, Kyogre still has its old foes from the
previous generations, such as Palkia and Shaymin-S. Despite all this, Kyogre is
definitely one of the best Pokemon in the game, and is difficult not to put into an Uber
team.
Name Item Nature
Choice Choice Scarf Modest / Ti

Scarf
Moveset EVs
~ Water Spout 4 HP / 252 SpA / 25

~ Surf
~ Thunder
~ Ice Beam
Choice Scarf Kyogre is an effective and powerful revenge killer, though it cannot boast
the absurd wallbreaking power that Choice Specs Kyogre has. It still has a very
powerful Water Spout that deals at least 79.7% to +1 Mewtwo, an OHKO after Stealth
Rock and Life Orb recoil, which is an impressive feat that other special Choice Scarf
attackers, such as Palkia and Dialga, fail to achieve. Considering that Kyogre is in the
common base 90 Speed bracket, the Speed EVs are maximized to optimize its revenge
killing capabilities, letting it tie with other base 90 Speed Choice Scarf users, such as
Dialga. A Modest nature can still be used for the extra power, however.
Name Item Nature
Choice Choice Specs Modest

Specs
Moveset EVs
~ Water Spout 252 HP / 252 SpA /

~ Surf / Hydro Pump
~ Thunder
~ Ice Beam
Choice Specs is an obvious item to put on Kyogre considering the record-setting power
of Water Spout. Almost no switch-in is safe from a 2HKO—even Chansey can be
2HKOed by Water Spout in the rain—making Kyogre an extremely dangerous
wallbreaker. Kyogre also has Thunder and Ice Beam, both of which 2HKO Palkia, so
that very few Pokemon can safely switch in at all. When Kyogre's HP drops lower, it
can use its alternative STAB move, either Surf (at 63.3% HP or lower) or Hydro Pump
(at 80% HP or lower).
Name Item Nature
Calm Mind Leftovers Modest / B

+ 3 Attacks
Moveset EVs
~ Calm Mind 252 HP / 252 SpA /

~ Surf / Scald
~ Thunder
~ Ice Beam
This is a simple bulky Calm Mind set with two coverage moves, which allows Kyogre to
attempt a sweeper role, using its power and bulk to make up for its low Speed. The
main advantage over the Choice sets is that Kyogre can take special hits from
opponents like Palkia much better due to the Calm Mind boosts. In fact, after one Calm
Mind, Palkia fails to 2HKO Kyogre with Thunder without a Life Orb or Choice Specs
boost, while Kyogre easily 2HKOes with its own Thunder. Kyogre can also be more of a
team player with Scald—since physical attackers such as Zekrom love to switch in on
Kyogre, Kyogre can potentially burn them and effectively neuter them.

Name Item Nature
Mono- Leftovers Bold

Attacker
Moveset EVs
~ Calm Mind 252 HP / 252 Def /

~ Scald / Surf
~ Rest
~ Sleep Talk
This set trades coverage moves for the ability to recover HP with Rest + Sleep Talk,
making it an extremely "heavy" sweeper that becomes hard to stop once it gets going.
This set will eventually defeat even Chansey and Blissey by healing and ridding itself of
status ailments. Thus, the set uses a heavily physically defensive EV spread to
maximize the defensive stat that Calm Mind does not boost. Scald becomes a great
STAB move here, able to burn physical attackers to make Kyogre even harder to KO,
though Surf is still well worth using. However, the opponent can exploit Kyogre's
relative vulnerability while asleep, as Sleep Talk often picks the wrong move,
essentially skipping crucial turns.
Name Item Ability
Specially Leftovers Drizzle

Defensive
Moveset EVs
~ Scald 248 HP / 8 Def / 25

~ Roar
~ Rest
~ Sleep Talk
Although most sets focus on taking advantage of Kyogre's fabulous base 150 Special
Attack combined with Drizzle and its famous Water Spout, its amazing base 140
Special Defense, which is higher than Blissey's, is often overlooked. While obviously
having a lot less HP than Blissey, Kyogre has several advantages over her as a special
wall. Kyogre brings weather support to your team and has certain resistances which
are crucial to walling extremely powerful attackers, such as Choice Specs Reshiram,
who can 2HKO even Blissey under the sun.
With a specially defensive spread, Kyogre becomes a fabulous check to several top
threats in the metagame. Kyurem-W, the hardest hitting special Dragon, might not
even 2HKO Kyogre with Choice Specs Draco Meteor.
Kyogre also becomes a great check to most Calm Mind Arceus formes bar Grass and
Electric, which are both rare in the current metagame. Even Arceus-Electric will not
enjoy repeated Scalds and potential burns on the switch, leaving Arceus-Grass as the
only Arceus forme that can beat this Kyogre without fail, though an unboosted
Judgment will not 2HKO. Kyogre can choose to either try to burn them and then Roar
them out or Roar them out immediately unless sleeping.
If you're Darkrai weak, this Kyogre is the biggest check you can think of outside of
Arceus-Fighting. Not only can it absorb sleep for your team, but it also doesn't take
much damage from Darkrai's attacks, can Roar it out or 2HKO it in its sleep with Scald,
and if Scald burns, KO it in two turns with burn damage. However, keep in mind that,
if you get really unlucky with Sleep Talk, Darkrai might 3HKO Kyogre with +2 Dark
Pulse combined with Bad Dreams.
Rest gives Kyogre a way to repeatedly switch in and check the threats it needs to deal
with. Kyogre can heal up after tanking a Draco Meteor from Reshiram, Kyurem-W,
Latias, Latios, or Dialga. This is especially useful when they try to KO with two
consecutive Draco Meteors, and if it Rests as they attack, it will wall them easily,
because it is generally slower than them with this set. Sleep Talk is Kyogre's only
chance to do something while sleeping. Surprisingly, this Kyogre is actually great at
checking Palkia, a common check to most Kyogre sets, as Thunder doesn't even 2HKO
from full health. Keep in mind, Kyogre will still lose to Palkia one-on-one and Choice
Specs versions will still 2HKO you with Thunder. Pairing this set up with Ferrothorn is a
good idea to completely wall Choiced Palkia, but beware of Lustrous Orb or mixed
variants.
Name Item Nature
Thunder Leftovers / Lum Berry Modest / Q

Wave
Moveset EVs
~ Thunder Wave 252 HP / 4 Def / 25

~ Surf / Hydro Pump
~ Ice Beam
~ Thunder
Kyogre can be useful as a lure for fast attackers and leads. It can be used as one of a
team's lead options, standing up well to many opposing leads thanks to its bulk.
Darkrai loses if Kyogre runs Lum Berry, and Groudon loses to Kyogre's STAB. Faster
leads play a risky game between laying Stealth Rock on a Thunder Wave and using
Taunt on an attack. When not leading, Kyogre can lure unsuspecting switch-ins, such
as Zekrom, Palkia, and Shaymin-S, and cripple them with Thunder Wave; many of
Kyogre's common switch-ins do not like Thunder Wave at all.
Name Item Nature
SubCM Leftovers Modest
Moveset EVs
~ Substitute 252 HP / 252 SpA /

~ Calm Mind
~ Surf / Scald
~ Ice Beam / Thunder
Substitute is a natural move to consider for a slow, bulky sweeper like Kyogre. The
ability to make 101 HP Substitutes is especially notable for allowing Kyogre to set up
on Chansey and Blissey, though Kyogre loses some coverage in exchange. Substitute
is also an effective scouting tool in general, particularly when Zekrom is on the prowl.
Speed isn't very important here due to all the setup time required to pull this set off,
so one should just invest in HP and Special Attack to hit hard. Scald is an option to
cripple physical attackers.
Name Item Nature
ChestoRest Chesto Berry Bold
Moveset EVs
~ Calm Mind 252 HP / 252 Def /

~ Rest
~ Surf / Scald
~ Ice Beam / Thunder
This set can be considered a cross between the slow mono-attacker set and other Calm
Mind sets. By using Chesto Berry for a one-time free Rest before sweeping, Kyogre
avoids the vulnerable period of sleep while retaining the ability to rid itself of status.
Since Kyogre only gets one free Rest, this set requires some care to pull off. The
Chesto Berry also provides insurance against Darkrai. The slow nature of this set
emphasizes a need to concentrate on power and overall bulk, rather than on Speed.

Other Options
Kyogre can run a mixed set with Life Orb or Mystic Water to beat Blissey with
Waterfall, but it still loses to Chansey if it lacks significant Attack investment.
Safeguard, Roar and Toxic are the only other really notable alternatives. All of them
have merit on a stall team, but Kyogre tends to perform better in a bulky sweeping
role. Toxic is slightly more plausible because it is Kyogre's only way to beat Shedinja
through its Focus Sash, but Shedinja is rare and entry hazards are more practical.
Checks and Counters

When talking about checks and counters, there is always the realization that only a few
Pokemon can switch into Choice Specs Water Spout at all, and even fewer can switch
into Water Spout and Stealth Rock repeatedly. Palkia, specially defensive Giratina,
Calm Chansey, defensive Ludicolo, and Gastrodon are the most reliable Pokemon to
switch into Water Spout; indeed, their ability to take Water Spouts alone increases
their viability significantly. Grass Arceus also takes massive damage but will
nonetheless force Kyogre out and weaken it with possible damage from entry hazards
and attacks on future switch ins. Since Water Spout weakens as HP decreases, the
number of viable switch-ins increases accordingly. Blissey and Ferrothorn can switch
into Choice Specs Surfs fairly comfortably, and, consequently, they are very good
counters to most Kyogre sets; Ferrothorn 2HKOes Kyogre before it can 2HKO back
after one Calm Mind boost. Zekrom also threatens most Kyogre sets by delivering an
easy OHKO with Bolt Strike.
The best ways to deal with Kyogre are through offensive pressure and bulky setup
sweepers. The aforementioned Ferrothorn and Zekrom deliver in this aspect; in
particular, Mixed Zekrom and Substitute + Hone Claws Zekrom can destroy Kyogre +
Ferrothorn cores. Bulk Up Dialga is also notable for its ability to set up on nearly every
Kyogre set, only really losing to the Choice Specs set. Calm Mind users are great
checks to Kyogre because Kyogre tends to lose Calm Mind wars with the many Dragon-
types in Ubers, as well as Arceus formes that resist Water. However, many Calm Mind
users are weak to Kyogre's coverage moves, which should be kept in mind. Latias,
Dragon Arceus, Giratina, and Giratina-O can set up on Kyogre that lack Ice Beam,
while Water Arceus, Manaphy, and opposing Kyogre can beat Kyogre that lack
Thunder. While Thundurus cannot switch in, it can OHKO Kyogre with Thunder after
Stealth Rock damage.
The issue with defensive tactics for dealing with Kyogre is that many Kyogre sets are
made to set up on, or just power right through, most defensive Pokemon. The few
Pokemon that can take the brutal assaults of Choice Specs Kyogre, such as Chansey,
risk giving free turns to a SubCM or mono-attacker set. Nonetheless, the fact that
Water Spout loses power as Kyogre loses HP is a great weakness for defensive
Pokemon to exploit, so that the likes of Dialga, Grass Arceus, and Giratina can wall
Kyogre completely, and even use Roar to foil setup attempts.
Groudon deserves a special mention. While it cannot switch into most of Kyogre's
attacks at all, it can still switch into Thunder or come in after a KO, and use Drought to
weaken Kyogre's STAB attacks significantly before switching right back out. Kyogre's
Water-type assaults are cut to one-third of the power that they have in the rain,
making it much easier for Groudon's various teammates to come in. Shedinja also
deserves a mention because it walls Kyogre completely, though it cannot switch into
entry hazards.
Kyurem Pressure
Enemy attacks lose one extra PP. Increases wild encounter rat
Type
Dragon / Ice

level 5, 50, 100)
Min- Min Max Max+

HP 125 - 391 454 -
Atk 130 266 296 359 394
Def 90 194 216 279 306
SpA 130 266 296 359 394
SpD 90 194 216 279 306
Spe 95 203 226 289 317
 Overused
Overview
Ever since its introduction, Kyurem has been a pretty rare sight in OU, and looking at
its stats, it's not exactly clear why; these stats are absolutely on par with those of the
many Uber legendaries. Base 130 attacking stats stand out in particular. On top of
this, Dragon and Ice are great offensive types individually, if not fantastic in
combination. So, you ask again, why? Well, Defensively, its Ice typing is a severe
liability, leaving it extremely vulnerable to entry hazards and common attacks. This
cannot be stressed enough: Kyurem hates entry hazards of all kinds, which makes
Rapid Spin support almost compulsory. This can be somewhat counteracted by
Kyurem's fantastic natural bulk, though; Kyurem's defensive stats would be considered
good for a wall, and can allow it to switch into Water-, Grass-, and Electric-types with
ease. Unfortunately, however, there is more bad news: Kyurem's Speed stat falls
agonizingly short of Hydreigon, Haxorus, and a multitude of base 100s. Despite the
extremely welcome addition of Earth Power, its movepool is rather lacking in
comparison to other Dragons in OU; Kyurem lacks a good boosting move, as well as
Earthquake and Fire-type moves. Altogether, this makes an outright sweep rather
unlikely.
So, what is Kyurem good for? What does it have over other Dragons? Well, Kyurem's
main niche is the ability to function effectively in hail, in which it can fire off monstrous
Blizzards. Additionally, Ice STAB can prove useful in eliminating Grass-types and
OHKOing Dragonite through Multiscale. Thanks to the addition of Roost from a BW2
move tutor, Pressure has become a much more valuable ability, too. Don't forget that
it has the best overall power and the best overall bulk of any OU Dragon-type (other
than Kyurem-B), and that it isn't weak to Pursuit or U-turn. Overall, Kyurem is
definitely not the best Dragon in OU, but it definitely has a niche, and with the right
support, can be very rewarding.
Name Item Nature
SubRoost Leftovers / Life Orb Modest
Moveset EVs
~ Substitute 52 HP / 220 SpA / 2

~ Roost
~ Ice Beam / Dragon Pulse
~ Earth Power / Focus Blast
Rather than focusing solely on Kyurem's massive Special Attack stat, this set utilizes
its above-average bulk, its nice set of resistances, and its Pressure ability. Substitute
eases prediction and prevents Kyurem from being crippled by status or revenge killed
easily. Kyurem can make 101 HP Substitutes, or ones that will only fade after two hits
of Seismic Toss or Night Shade. Weaker moves, such as Scald and Volt Switch, usually
won't break the Substitute either thanks to Kyurem's resistances and above-average
defenses. When combined with Roost, Substitute can even be used to stall out the
opponent's PP with Pressure, which is especially effective if only one or two moves can
break Kyurem's Substitutes. Pokemon you might expect to beat Kyurem, such as
Bronzong, can be rendered useless as their attacking PP disappears.
Though this set might be less powerful than some of the others, it should not be
forgotten that Kyurem has an impressive base 130 Special Attack stat and very good
neutral coverage. Its STAB move, Ice Beam or Dragon Pulse, will of course be its
staple attack. Ice Beam (or Blizzard if using Kyurem in hail) probably offers better
super effective coverage, but the neutral coverage of Dragon Pulse is unparalleled.
Earth Power is an excellent coverage move in either case, hitting every Steel-type but
Skarmory, which is covered by Ice Beam, and Bronzong, which can be dealt with by PP
stalling. Focus Blast might have disappointing accuracy and PP, but it has perfect
neutral coverage with Dragon Pulse, and is therefore a strong choice.
Name Item Nature
Choice Choice Scarf / Choice Specs Timid / Mod

Moveset EVs
~ Blizzard / Ice Beam 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 2

~ Draco Meteor
~ Earth Power
~ Focus Blast
Given that Kyurem's STAB moves are very powerful and resisted by fairly few
Pokemon, a Choice set is a very good option. A Choice Scarf will boost Kyurem's
slightly disappointing Speed stat to one which beats the entire unboosted metagame,
including all of the genies' Therian forms, letting it act as a revenge killer and late-
game cleaner. Choice Specs, on the other hand, allows Kyurem to smash through
defensive Pokemon with its monstrous power, but might cause it to be forced out by
faster Pokemon. Generally, spamming Blizzard in hail is Kyurem's best option, as this
move is powerful and without drawbacks. Ice Beam is significantly weaker, and so will
probably not act as Kyurem's main attacking move, but it does not necessitate hail.
Draco Meteor might be even stronger than Blizzard, but the Special Attack drops will
often force Kyurem out, which is not ideal for a Pokemon so weak to entry hazards.
Nonetheless, this hits Fire- and Water-types a lot harder than Blizzard does, and is
fairly reliable outside of hail. Steel-type Pokemon resist all of these moves, however,
so Focus Blast and Earth Power are great options for the remaining two slots. Earth
Power hits all Steel-types but Bronzong and Skarmory for at least neutral damage, and
is especially effective against Jirachi and Heatran. Focus Blast, on the other hand,
provides a good super effective hit on Tyranitar and Ferrothorn. Forgoing one of these
moves for Dragon Pulse is viable, as this move is great for late-game cleaning due to
its perfect accuracy and excellent coverage.
Name Item Nature
Special Life Orb Timid / Mo

Life Orb
Moveset EVs
~ Blizzard / Ice Beam 32 HP / 252 SpA / 2

~ Draco Meteor
~ Focus Blast / Earth Power
~ Roost / Earth Power
This set aims to make the best use of Kyurem's excellent Special Attack without
sacrificing too much of its durability or coverage. The combination of power and
flexibility offered by a Life Orb is hard to resist, and with the addition of Roost, the
additional residual damage need not be overwhelming. Blizzard is Kyurem's main STAB
move in hail, as it is very powerful, virtually drawback-free, and has decent coverage.
Ice Beam is significantly weaker, but is clearly the superior option if you are using
Kyurem outside of hail. Draco Meteor, on the other hand, is Kyurem's ace in the hole.
Offering enormous power and near-perfect coverage, it hits any Fire- or Water-type
that might attempt to take Kyurem's Blizzard. Unfortunately, its side-effect will usually
force Kyurem out, which is far from ideal for a Pokemon so weak to entry hazards.
Focus Blast and Earth Power provide coverage on Steel-types and Tyranitar. Earth
Power notably falls short against Ferrothorn and Tyranitar, but hits Jirachi much harder
and is significantly more accurate. Roost allows Kyurem to recover off damage from
Life Orb and entry hazards, and allows Kyurem to make some use of its bulk and
Pressure ability.
Name Item Nature
Mixed Life Orb Hasty / Mild
Moveset EVs
~ Draco Meteor 32 Atk / 252 SpA /

~ Blizzard / Ice Beam
~ Earth Power
~ Outrage
This set makes full use of Kyurem's monstrous attacking stats to break through walls,
opening up gaping holes in the opponent's team. Draco Meteor is phenomenally
powerful, threatening all but Steel-types and dedicated special walls with an OHKO.
Even the few Pokemon that survive will then have to contend with the possibility of
Outrage; despite the minimal Attack investment, this still hits as hard as that from a
maximum Attack neutral-natured Life Orb Flygon. Outrage will 2HKO all Blissey and
will give Kyurem a good chance to break through Chansey in hail, or with entry
hazards. Of course, both of these moves have large drawbacks, so Blizzard is a great
move to have, providing a strong, reliable move to use in hail. It also hits Grass- and
Flying-types super effectively; for example, Kyurem can easily OHKO Dragonite
through Multiscale. Ice Beam is the better move on teams without hail, though of
course this is to forgo one of Kyurem's main advantages over other Dragons. Outside
of hail, Dragonite, Salamence, Hydreigon, or Latios might prove a better choice due to
their superior Speed and typing, though they do lack Kyurem's power and bulk.
However, since it received Earth Power from a BW2 Move Tutor, Kyurem doesn't have
the same trouble with Steel-types that it used to. Earth Power completes Kyurem's
neutral coverage outside of Bronzong, and notably OHKOes Heatran and 2HKOes
specially defensive Jirachi some of the time.
All in all, this set is extremely powerful, but can be worn down rather quickly, given
the Life Orb and Kyurem's crippling weakness to entry hazards. Notably, though, it
isn't forced to switch as often as the Choice set is; this Kyurem only needs to come in
once to cause havoc.

Other Options
Although Kyurem might have a very impressive Attack stat, its physical movepool is
barren. Outrage, Dragon Claw, Dragon Tail, Zen Headbutt, and Stone Edge are pretty
much the extent of its physical attacking movepool. Hone Claws is a somewhat viable
boosting move; it can boost the power of Kyurem's physical moves and give Blizzard
respectable accuracy outside of hail. A bulky set with Substitute, Hone Claws, Protect,
and either Dragon Claw or Dragon Tail is fairly notable as it can easily dispatch
Chansey and Blissey, and can wear other problematic opponents down with residual
damage. Glaciate, Kyurem's signature move, is also viable; it can be used on the
switch to slow down opponents before hitting them with the appropriate move.
However, Substitute is usually the superior move, as it is also effective against slower
opponents, and can protect Kyurem from status moves and priority attacks. A Life Orb
set also performs fairly well in the lead position, so there is no real need to use a
"lead" set featuring Glaciate and Endeavor. The entire concept of a lead is rather
outdated anyway.
Checks and Counters

When it comes to countering Kyurem directly, its mixed and Choice Specs sets are the
most problematic. Most of Kyurem's checks are Steel-types, as they resist Blizzard and
Draco Meteor—indeed, the majority of common Steel-types can check the Choice Scarf
set. When it comes to genuine counters though, Bronzong is by far the best, as it is
also immune to Kyurem's premier coverage move, Earth Power. At full health,
however, it's worth noting that the SubRoost set can often stall Bronzong out of Gyro
Ball PP. Scizor is also a very strong check, fearing only the rare Hidden Power Fire or
Choice Specs Blizzard, and dealing 90% minimum with Choice Band-boosted Bullet
Punch. Specially defensive Jirachi is a reasonable switch-in, but a Life Orb Earth Power
has a chance to 2HKO, and with hail and entry hazards, even the SubRoost set can
present problems.
Special walls also make good checks to Kyurem. Tyranitar can take pretty much
anything but Focus Blast, although it does struggle to take Draco Meteor + Outrage
from the mixed set as well. It will remove hail too, rendering Blizzard inaccurate.
Blissey and Chansey stop the Choice sets cold, but Blissey fears a 2HKO from Outrage.
Chansey, taking 40.9-48.15%, is at risk only in hail or with entry hazards. Neither of
these can break through the SubRoost set either, with Pressure burning through their
Seismic Toss PP. However, they might be able to PP stall Kyurem out depending on the
conditions; Toxic Spikes, or hail in the case of Chansey, will usually lead to defeat.
Finally, you can exploit Kyurem's slightly disappointing Speed to revenge kill it; just be
wary of Kyurem's excellent natural bulk. A super effective STAB attack, such as
Infernape's or Terrakion's Close Combat, or a Dragon-type attack from Hydreigon,
Latios, or Haxorus, should OHKO Kyurem comfortably.
Kyurem-B Teravolt
Abilities that hinder attacks are nullified.
Type
Dragon / Ice

level 5, 50, 100)
Min- Min Max Max+

HP 125 - 391 454 -
Atk 170 338 376 439 482
Def 100 212 236 299 328
SpA 120 248 276 339 372
SpD 90 194 216 279 306
Spe 95 203 226 289 317
 Overused
 Uber
Overview
Despite having stats worthy of Ubers residency, Kyurem-B was determined by suspect
test voters to be simply OU, falling just short of its White counterpart. It all comes
down to a few reasons: average Speed and defensive typing, in addition to a less-
than-ideal offensive movepool. These combined flaws make Kyurem-B extremely
vulnerable to common super effective attacks from many faster Pokemon or priority
users in OU. Its Ice typing also makes it annoyingly weak to all forms of entry hazards,
which greatly lessens its effectiveness if not supported by entry hazard control.
Kyurem-B's worst flaw, however, is its horrible physical movepool, which is basically
limited to Fusion Bolt, Dragon Claw, and Outrage, often making it dependent on special
moves for coverage. This isn't taking into account massive competition with other
Dragon-types in OU, some of which boast a higher Speed stat and/or better movesets
than Kyurem-B.
While these very flaws constantly threaten Kyurem-B's presence in OU, it is still very
much an undeniable threat. Its typing still gives it good resistances to Water-, Electric-
, and Grass-type attacks, which are valuable in a metagame dominated by rain.
Kyurem-B is also one of the few Dragon-types not weak to Ice-type attacks, allowing it
to easily dispatch Pokemon that are normally very reliant on Ice Beam, Ice Shard, or
Hidden Power Ice for checking Dragon-types. These are all amplified by relatively good
natural bulk, which stops Kyurem-B from being easily revenge killed. Given the right
set of attacks and backed up by its amazingly massive base 170 Attack and 120
Special Attack stats, Kyurem-B can bring ruin to pretty much every Pokemon and
every type of team in OU. One can even go as far as saying Kyurem-B is the overall
most powerful and bulkiest Dragon-type in OU, and although it certainly isn't the best,
it most certainly distinguishes itself.
Name Item Nature
Substitute Leftovers / Life Orb Lonely /

Attacker
Moveset EVs
~ Substitute 56 HP / 216 Atk / 2

~ Fusion Bolt
~ Dragon Claw / Ice Beam
~ Ice Beam / Roost / Hidden Power Fire
More often than not, Kyurem-B's presence causes the village peasants to run for the
hills, only for their steel-clad cavalry, musketeers, dragons, and dragon slayers to
suddenly switch in and ruin its rampage. Using Substitute with a couple of coverage
moves, however, enables Kyurem-B to scout and bring ruin to these presumed "safe"
switch-ins and counters. Thanks to its bulk, resistances to common Electric-, Grass-,
and Water-type attacks, and a fearsome offensive presence, setting up a Substitute
should be relatively easy, especially in the face of Starmie, Politoed, Jellicent, Rotom-
W, and Celebi. Besides scouting for dangerous threats, Substitute also protects
Kyurem-B from status and otherwise dire attacks. Beware that once this strategy has
been revealed, the opponent will likely be eager to break future Substitutes, so
Kyurem-B's health might be compromised.
This set is physically-based, so Fusion Bolt and Dragon Claw are the main moves on
this set, dealing huge damage to almost every relevant OU threat, save specific Steel-
types. Ice Beam can be used over Dragon Claw or as a third attacking move to KO
physically bulky Ground-types such as Gliscor, Landorus-T, Donphan, and Hippowdon.
It also serves as a better option against Grass-types such as Celebi and Breloom,
which Dragon Claw fails to KO. For the last slot, Roost is particularly quite useful with
Life Orb, allowing Kyurem-B to hit hard while staying healthy. Hidden Power Fire is a
nice alternative to KO Scizor, Forretress, and Ferrothorn outside of the rain, and works
especially well Kyurem-B has set up a Substitute to take a Bullet Punch from Scizor. If
Kyurem-B uses a third attacking move, Leftovers is mandatory to recover health lost
from taking damage and using Substitutes.
Name Item Nature
Choice Choice Scarf Jolly / Adam

Scarf
Moveset EVs
~ Outrage 252 Atk / 4 Def / 25

~ Dragon Claw
~ Fusion Bolt
~ Ice Beam / Earth Power
Kyurem-B's average Speed often makes it vulnerable to deadly attacks from faster
Pokemon, but everybody knows the solution to such a crisis: a Choice Scarf! Thanks to
the boosted Speed and the ridiculous power behind its attacks, it can act as both a
decent revenge killer and a mid- to late-game cleaner. The main reason to use
Kyurem-B over similar and faster Choice Scarf users such as Salamence and Terrakion
is that it packs much more wallbreaking power at the start thanks to its higher base
Attack stat and Dragon-type STAB while still outrunning many relevant offensive
threats. Kyurem-B can even ignore Dragonite's Multiscale ability, OHKOing it even at
full health. With these things in mind, Kyurem-B will have little problem mowing down
both offensive and defensive teams with Steel-types out of the way.
In situations where physical Dragon-type STAB won't do the trick, Kyurem-B should
use Fusion Bolt along with either Ice Beam or Earth Power. Fusion Bolt is a no-risk
option that's stronger against Flying- or Water-types than Outrage and is also
especially useful if physical contact can be detrimental, such as against Flame Body
Volcarona. The choice between Ice Beam and Earth Power depends on which threats
are more dangerous to the team. Ice Beam is generally a better option in terms of
coverage, covering bulky Ground-, Grass-, and Flying-type threats and ensuring
Gliscor can't attempt to stall the faster Kyurem-B out with Substitute and Protect.
Because Fusion Bolt no longer has the power to 2HKO Heatran, Earth Power can
instead be used to deal a larger amount of damage to it. Keep in mind that Fusion Bolt
is still a stronger option against Jirachi, despite the fact that Jirachi is weak to Earth
Power.
Name Item Nature
Choice Choice Band Adamant /

Band
Moveset EVs
~ Outrage 252 Atk / 4 Def / 25

~ Dragon Claw
~ Fusion Bolt
~ Ice Beam / Sleep Talk
Say hello to the world's most powerful Outrage, and possibly the most powerful Choice
Band user to date in the history of Pokemon. While Kyurem-B certainly isn't the best
Choice Band user due to its decidedly average coverage, it makes up for this flaw
through pure wallbreaking power, all thanks to that legendary Attack stat. In any case,
the battle plan is simple: just click Outrage and witness destruction unfold. Even Steel-
types like Jirachi, Heatran, and Metagross find themselves 2HKOed by Outrage.
Obviously, there are situations where being locked into Outrage is very risky or
unnecessary, so Dragon Claw is a safer and more reliable alternative. If the opponent's
Steel-types are still present, Fusion Bolt should be enough to 2HKO many of them,
save Ferrothorn, while taking care of Water- and Flying-types more reliably than
Outrage overall. In the last slot, Ice Beam is used simply to KO Gliscor and Landorus-
T, both of whom might attempt to sponge and stall out physical attacks. It also
2HKOes Hippowdon, eliminating the need to use Outrage on it. Sleep Talk is an equally
useful option that allows Kyurem-B to absorb sleep from common sleep inducers such
as Venusaur, Amoonguss, Roserade, Smeargle, and Breloom, then retaliate. It should
be noted that Kyurem-B cannot be locked into Outrage when using Sleep Talk, so it
can switch out if asleep.
Name Item Nature
Substitute Leftovers Careful /

Shuffler
Moveset EVs
~ Substitute 252 HP / 64 Def / 1

~ Roost
~ Dragon Tail
~ Hone Claws / Ice Beam
Considering Kyurem-B's hyper offensive nature, it's not hard to raise an eyebrow at
this set. One shouldn't be quick to dismiss it, however; with the massive amount of
defensive and even offensive threats that have trouble hurting Kyurem-B, this set can
potentially become a major menace and annoyance, especially to stall and balanced
teams. The game plan is as follows: Kyurem-B should switch into a threat that can't
damage it heavily (preferably a Water-, Grass- or Electric-type, or a Pokemon locked
into one move), then use Substitute to prevent dire damage and status. From there,
Kyurem-B can do one of two things: use Roost to heal off damage and stall the
opposition, or set up and attack with Hone Claws and Dragon Tail. With one boost up
its sleeve, Dragon Tail becomes perfectly accurate and more deadly, despite the
negative priority and the possible presence of Steel-types. Ice Beam can be used over
Hone Claws if Substitute + Protect Gliscor proves to be a problem, and can be used as
a secondary attack if Dragon Tail's negative priority is disadvantageous. Keep in mind
that Kyurem-B is usually faster than common phazers such as Skarmory, Heatran, and
Gyarados; therefore, Kyurem-B's Dragon Tail will hit and force the opponent out first if
both parties use a phazing move on the same turn.
This Kyurem-B should always operate behind a Substitute if possible to avoid being
revenge killed or crippled by Trick or status. If the opponent successfully switches to a
check with Kyurem-B not behind a Substitute, it is highly advised to abandon the
boosts and switch out immediately. If behind one, however, simply use Dragon Tail to
phaze it, badly disrupting the other team's momentum. This is especially deadly on a
team utilizing multiple entry hazards, ensuring Kyurem-B's checks and counters won't
live very long if switched in carelessly.
Name Item Nature
Specially Life Orb / Leftovers Mild / Has

Based Mixed
Attacker
Moveset EVs
~ Ice Beam 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 2

~ Earth Power / Draco Meteor
~ Hidden Power Fire / Draco Meteor
~ Outrage / Dragon Claw
This is arguably Kyurem-B's most powerful set, capable of bringing down nearly any
threat it comes across thanks to its high offensive stats and coverage in four
moveslots. Many physical walls coming in to sponge a predicted Fusion Bolt or Dragon-
type move will find themselves getting heavily damaged—if not OHKOed—by a strong
special attack. This set doesn't need to stay on the battlefield for long; it only needs a
couple of chances to switch in and destroy any opposition, so it's almost entirely self-
reliant.
Ice Beam is the main move due to STAB and its fantastic coverage against common
Grass-, Ground-, and Dragon-types in OU. Threats that resist Ice Beam, especially
Steel-types, should be covered by Earth Power and/or Hidden Power Fire. Earth Power
is mainly for KOing Jirachi and Heatran, while Hidden Power Fire ensures Kyurem-B
can safely dispatch Ferrothorn, Forretress, and Scizor outside of the rain. Draco Meteor
is worth considering because of the massive power it offers, and using it also allows
Kyurem-B to use a Dragon-type move without resorting to Outrage. It can replace
either Earth Power or Hidden Power Fire if either is unnecessary. The last slot is
reserved for a physical Dragon-type move; Outrage powers through several specially
defensive Pokemon, especially Blissey, Chansey, and Gastrodon among others. Dragon
Claw is the next best alternative, but has notably less power against Chansey and
requires a Life Orb to make up for a loss in power.

Name Item Nature
Physically Life Orb Lonely /

Based Mixed
Attacker
Moveset EVs
~ Dragon Claw / Outrage 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 2

~ Fusion Bolt
~ Ice Beam
~ Hidden Power Fire / Roost / Earth Power
This is yet another mixed attacking set, which aims to break down a different selection
of targets with dedicated investment in Attack and a different set of moves. Thanks to
the increased power of physical attacks, Dragon Claw, Outrage, and Fusion Bolt are the
main moves, while special attacks should only be used when required. Fusion Bolt
notably 2HKOes common defensive Steel-types, especially specially defensive Jirachi
and Heatran, eliminating the need for Earth Power. Dragon Claw by itself is already
powerful enough to dent, if not OHKO, most non-Steel-types, so it is generally favored
over Outrage despite the power difference. Using Outrage allows Kyurem-B to always
net an OHKO on all Blissey, and often 2HKO some Steel-types despite their resistance
to it. This, of course, comes at the cost of freedom, leaving Kyurem-B vulnerable to
revenge killers and healthy Steel-types. As for special attacks, Ice Beam is still a
required option, because, even without investment, it OHKOes many physically
defensive Ground-types and can still muscle past all variants of Celebi.
The last slot is up to preference and team support. Since this set is physically based,
Ferrothorn and Forretress wall Kyurem-B more easily, making Hidden Power Fire a
good option to deal with them outside of the rain. With proper prediction, it also kills
off its arch-nemesis Scizor on the switch-in. This set also suffers residual damage from
Life Orb recoil and entry hazards, which Roost can easily patch up at a moment's
notice. Due to its good resistances and fearsome offensive presence, Kyurem-B can
find many opportunities to heal off damage. Finally, Earth Power is still Kyurem-B's
best weapon against Magnezone, which resists all three main attacks.
Other Options
As barren a wasteland as Kyurem-B's movepool is, its offensive and defensive stats are
good enough to find alternate uses of what is available to it. For example, Kyurem-B's
underrated base 120 Special Attack stat and fairly diverse special movepool are more
than enough to make up a dedicated special attacking set with either Life Orb or
Choice Specs. Using a purely special set also maximizes coverage, leaving little room
for Kyurem-B to get walled or stalled out thanks to any combination of Earth Power,
Focus Blast, Hidden Power Fire, and Roost. Arguably and ironically, such a set could be
pulled off better by Kyurem, which sports a slightly higher Special Attack stat, although
Kyurem-B's reputation as a deadly physical attacker can often net many surprise kills.
On the physical side, Kyurem-B has alternative physical attacks available to it,
including Stone Edge, Zen Headbutt, Iron Head, and Shadow Claw. These moves,
however, offer over-specific or redundant coverage that is purely outclassed by the
coverage given from special attacks. Since Game Freak was too stupid to give Kyurem-
B a good physical Ice-type attack, it can resort to Freeze Shock as a filler option,
although using it leaves Kyurem-B vulnerable for a turn and allows the opponent to
take advantage of this opportunity by going for a KO or setting up. Interestingly
enough, a Choice Band Freeze Shock can OHKO Ferrothorn. Kyurem-B can also use
Hone Claws to boost its physical power and the accuracy of Blizzard, but its typing and
Speed leaves it very little opportunities to set up successfully.
Checks and Counters

Saying Kyurem-B has no counters would be a dramatic exaggeration. Regardless, due
to its ridiculously high offensive stats and available coverage options, it practically has
no hard counters or switch-ins per se. Players must therefore rely on soft counters to
combat specific sets, all of which have their own set of checks and counters. The
closest thing to a complete stop are physically defensive variants of Jirachi, which
sports the overall bulk to take both special and physical attacks from Kyurem-B. In
return, Jirachi can either paralyze with Thunder Wave or Body Slam, or simply chip off
Kyurem-B's health with Iron Head or Flash Cannon. With entry hazards and hail in
effect, however, every Jirachi can get 2HKOed by either Life Orb Fusion Bolt or Earth
Power. Similarly, Ferrothorn is either resistant or neutral to Kyurem-B's main moves,
and can reply with Thunder Wave, Leech Seed, or Gyro Ball. Non-Gyro Ball variants
struggle pathetically against Substitute sets, and Kyurem-B can use either Hidden
Power Fire or Focus Blast to dispatch it quickly. Ferrothorn can also easily be worn
down from taking repeated Ice Beams, Blizzards, and other attacks from Kyurem-B's
teammates. All in all, physically defensive Steel-types (except for Skarmory due to its
weakness to Fusion Bolt) can handle physically-based sets well, although a coverage
move like Earth Power or Focus Blast can prematurely end the likes of Forretress,
Cobalion, and Metagross.
Checking Kyurem-B is a far more common and arguably more practical way of dealing
with it, as its typing and average Speed leave it vulnerable to a host of common
threats in OU. Specifically, Kyurem-B is revenge killed easily by attacks from faster
enemies; examples include Draco Meteor and Dragon Pulse from Latios, Latias, and
Hydreigon; Outrage from Haxorus and Salamence; Close Combat or Stone Edge from
the Swords of Justice; Secret Sword from Keldeo; Iron Head from Jirachi; and Focus
Blast from Tornadus and Alakazam. The secondary Ice-typing also makes it weak to
common priority moves, especially Mach Punch from Breloom and Conkeldurr and
Bullet Punch from Scizor and Metagross. If Kyurem-B mispredicts with an ineffective
move or is locked into Outrage, it becomes easy pickings for the aforementioned
attackers. These Pokemon, however, must tread carefully when it comes to the Choice
Scarf set, Substitute sets, or sets with resistance Berries, because Kyurem-B can then
ruin common checks and switch-ins.
Finally, entry hazards in general impair Kyurem's ability to sponge hits and make it
more prone to revenge killing. Even with uninvested defenses, Kyurem-B still has
enough bulk to survive random attacks at full health. Even Choice Band Scizor stands
no chance at OHKOing 4/0 Kyurem-B, managing only 82.86 - 98.2% with Bullet Punch,
while Substitute Hydreigon only stands a fair 25% chance of an OHKO with Dragon
Pulse. Laying out Stealth Rock or at least one layer of spikes ultimately makes these
OHKOes happen. Toxic Spikes also get a good mention, as they add to the amount of
residual damage offensive sets suffer and also limit the number of times Kyurem-B can
cycle between Roost and Substitute.
Kyurem-W Turboblaze
Abilities that hinder attacks are nullified.
Type
Dragon / Ice

level 5, 50, 100)
Min- Min Max Max+

HP 125 - 391 454 -
Atk 120 248 276 339 372
Def 90 194 216 279 306
SpA 170 338 376 439 482
SpD 100 212 236 299 328
Spe 95 203 226 289 317
 Uber
Overview
Once upon a time, there lived a sad third brother named Kyurem. Day and night, it
would be humiliated by its brothers Reshiram and Zekrom, the rest of the dragon tribe
of the OU metagame, and millions of Pokemon trainers around the globe. The abuse
was so horrific that the poor thing descended into UU, the land of mediocre Arcanine
and Milotic. It prayed to Arceus, asking for respite from its constant torment. With the
release of Black and White 2, the God of Pokemon answered its prayer. While the poor
third brother remains neglected, it has gained a new forme with the most
overpowering and spammable attacking stats ever. With base 170 Special Attack, it
now has the most powerful Draco Meteor in the game to take advantage of, and its
Ice-type STAB, which used to be the butt of many jokes, can smite the many walls in
the Uber tier that are weak to Ice. It does have its downsides, however. Kyurem-W is
quite poor defensively with its Ice typing, as it is weak to all forms of entry hazards
while being rather lacking in the resistances department. This doesn't detract from its
awesome attacking stats all that much, though. The ugly duckling of the Tao Trio has
not returned as a beautiful swan, but as the sacker of cities and destroyer of worlds.
The Pokemon world can now tremble in utter terror; because its name is White
Kyurem, it rhymes with endurin', which is what its victims can't do as it skewers 'em!
Name Item Nature
Choice Choice Specs Modest / Ti

Specs
Moveset EVs

~ Ice Beam
~ Focus Blast
~ Fusion Flare / Earth Power
With base 170 Special Attack and two of the best STABs in the tier, it should not take a
genius to figure out that Kyurem-W can run a Choice Specs set. With Specs attached,
Kyurem-W reaches a sky-high 723 Special Attack (assuming a Modest nature), which
means that it can obliterate virtually anything that switches in provided it picks the
correct move. Kyurem-W's Draco Meteor is so powerful that it has around an 80%
chance to OHKO 252 HP / 0 SpD Kyogre after Stealth Rock. It is even punching sizable
holes into Blissey and bulky resists. For example, Blissey takes an average of 45%
from a Modest Choice Specs Draco Meteor, and standard stallbreaker Heatran takes an
average of 41% from the same attack. STAB Ice Beam is Kyurem-W's other main
attraction. Even though it might seem redundant with Kyurem-W's Dragon STAB, Ice
Beam hits more key threats than it might appear. It easily OHKOes Lugia, with
Turboblaze negating Multiscale, and 2HKOes Ferrothorn and Ho-Oh without factoring in
entry hazards. The last two moves brush up Kyurem-W's coverage, allowing it to hit
everything that can take its STAB attacks. As inaccurate as Focus Blast is, it allows
Kyurem-W to OHKO Tyranitar, Heatran (assuming Stealth Rock), and Steel Arceus, as
well as 2HKOing Blissey after Stealth Rock damage, assuming a Modest nature. The
last move allows Kyurem-W to hit whatever is left, and depends on what weather you
are running. Fusion Flare is best used if Kyurem-W can get sun support, as it OHKOes
Jirachi and Bronzong in the sun, as well as OHKOing Steel Arceus without having to
resort to Focus Blast. Earth Power, on the other hand, is a better general move to use
if you are not using a sun team to reliably 2HKO Jirachi, Bronzong (Turboblaze negates
Levitate), and Steel Arceus.
Name Item Nature
Burning Red Life Orb / Haban Berry / Leftovers Timid / Mo

White
Kyurem
(Choice-
less)
Moveset EVs

~ Ice Beam
~ Focus Blast / Fusion Flare / Earth Power
~ Roost / Substitute / Focus Blast
While the mind-blowing power of Choice Specs might be extremely tempting, Kyurem-
W can tone down the firepower in exchange for the freedom to switch attacks. Draco
Meteor and Ice Beam are Kyurem-W's two STAB moves that maim virtually everything
that does not resist them. The last two slots are where things get interesting.
Basically, Kyurem-W has two slots to make best use of five potential moves. Focus
Blast and Roost are the most preferred as the former gives the widest coverage
(despite its horrible accuracy) and the latter lets Kyurem-W recover off its numerous
sources of residual damage. Fusion Flare and Earth Power provide more specific
coverage in the third slot against Jirachi and Bronzong in the sun and the rain,
respectively. In the final slot, Substitute is also an option for Kyurem-W to ease
prediction as well as avoid being revenge killed. Alternatively, you can run a fourth
coverage move.
Name Item Nature
Choice Choice Scarf Hasty / Tim

Scarf
Moveset EVs
~ Draco Meteor 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 2

~ Ice Beam
~ Focus Blast / Fusion Flare / Earth Power
~ Outrage / Focus Blast / Sleep Talk
Kyurem-W's overpowering base 170 Special Attack and usable base 95 Speed make it
a decent Choice Scarf user, despite its weakness to Stealth Rock. It can easily OHKO
Darkrai with Draco Meteor or even Ice Beam if Darkrai has taken some prior damage
and easily does over 60% to +1 Mewtwo, limiting its sweep. It is also an excellent
Pokemon to stick on a sun team to take out troublesome Ground Arceus, on a rain
team to deal with Grass Arceus, or on a sand team to crush Gliscor. Furthermore, while
its base 95 Speed only allows Kyurem-W to Speed tie with Dragon Dance Rayquaza at
best, it still outspeeds some of the common Uber Choice Scarf users that only have
base 90 Speed, most notably Kyogre and Zekrom. If its counters are eliminated,
Kyurem-W can easily clean up late-game by spamming Ice Beam from its 439 Special
Attack. Draco Meteor and Ice Beam are pretty much essential; the other two
moveslots are pretty much up to your tastes. Focus Blast is the preferred third move
due to its overall coverage, but Fusion Flare and Earth Power can be used to take out
Jirachi and Steel Arceus in sun and rain, respectively. Outrage is the preferred last
option, as Kyurem-W cannot OHKO Latias with a Calm Mind up without it. It might also
allow Kyurem-W to 2HKO Blissey switch-ins as well as Kyogre variants that don't run a
lot of bulk. However, Focus Blast can be used with Fusion Flare or Earth Power for
maximum coverage, while Sleep Talk can allow Kyurem-W to operate as an effective
sleep absorber against Darkrai.
Other Options
Kyurem-W's movepool is surprisingly shallow for such a ridiculously powerful Pokemon.
The most obvious move is Dragon Pulse, which can be used over Ice Beam for a
reliable STAB move. The main problem is that between Draco Meteor and Ice Beam,
you will hardly ever need Dragon Pulse. The super effective coverage granted from
STAB Ice Beam is partly why Kyurem-W is so threatening, turning would-be counters
such as Lugia into tissue paper in front of a cannon. Icy Wind can be a fun gimmick to
slow down your opponent so you can take them out next turn, but should not be used
as a serious option. Unlike its brother Kyurem-B, Kyurem-W has access to a strong
Ice-type STAB attack that works off its higher offensive stat, which makes its signature
move, Ice Burn, redundant. Endeavor can be used if you ever get Kyurem-W down to
1 HP, but is a gimmick at best.
Checks and Counters

If your team lacks a Pokemon called Chansey, good luck trying to counter Kyurem-W,
because she is the only Pokemon that isn't 2HKOed by any of Kyurem-W's attacks;
although with Stealth Rock and a bit of prior damage, even she falls. In the same vein,
Blissey can take most of Kyurem-W's attacks, but risks getting 2HKOed by Modest
Choice Specs Focus Blast after Stealth Rock damage. Rock Arceus in sandstorm is not
a bad switch-in, although it gets 2HKOed by Focus Blast and cannot OHKO in return. If
you can avoid switching into sun-boosted Fusion Flare or Earth Power, specially
defensive Jirachi can sponge attacks from Kyurem-W, paralyze it with Body Slam, and
take it out with Iron Head, all the while recovering its health with Wish. Steel Arceus is
in a similar position, although it finds itself OHKOed by Choice Specs Focus Blast.
Bronzong and Heatran work similarly to Jirachi, although their lack of recovery means
they get whittled down relatively quickly. Ho-Oh with a lot of Special Defense
investment can take hits from Kyurem-W fairly well if Stealth Rock is kept off the field
and can use Recover and Regenerator to quickly recover its health.
Apart from that, taking on Kyurem-W generally comes down to prediction, as well as
revenge killing. Getting Stealth Rock up early will limit the amount of times that
Kyurem-W can switch in and wreak havoc. Dialga is an excellent Stealth Rock user, as
most Pokemon that try to stop it will end up getting destroyed. Deoxys-S is great for
getting Stealth Rock up quickly. Groudon, Ferrothorn, and Forretress are good, bulky
options to get Stealth Rock up as well. In terms of revenge killers, anything faster than
Kyurem-W that possesses a strong super effective move should do the trick. Palkia,
Salamence, Terrakion, Garchomp, Mewtwo, Arceus formes, Latias, and Latios can all
take down Kyurem-W easily, although those without a Choice Scarf will need to watch
out for Choice Scarf variants. Excadrill in sand can outspeed and OHKO Kyurem-W with
Iron Head; Kingdra and Kabutops in the rain can do a similar job. Scizor can also strip
off copious amounts of health from Kyurem-W with Bullet Punch, should you be able to
switch it in safely.

Kabutops: Swift Swim

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Kabutops: Swift Swim

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Swift Swim

Speed doubles in rain.

Kabutops Battle Armor

Level 100 Statistics (see

Min- Min Max Max+

Name Item Ability

Offensive Life Orb / Lum Berry Weak Armor

~ Rapid Spin 4 HP / 252 Atk / 25

Kabutops's excellent offensive capabilities and movepool allow it to serve as an

Team Options & Additional Comments >>>

Name Item Ability

Swords Life Orb / Lum Berry Weak Armor

~ Swords Dance 4 HP / 252 Atk / 25

By abandoning the pretense of Rapid Spin, Kabutops is capable of serving as an

Team Options & Additional Comments >>>

Name Item Ability

Choice Choice Band Weak Armor

~ Stone Edge 4 HP / 252 Atk / 25

Team Options & Additional Comments >>>

Checks and Counters

Level 100 Statistics (see

Min- Min Max Max+

Min- Min Max Max+

Name Item Ability

All-Out Silk Scarf / Life Orb Scrappy

~ Double-Edge / Return 4 HP / 252 Atk / 25

Team Options & Additional Comments >>>

Name Item Ability

Choice Choice Band Scrappy

~ Double-Edge 4 HP / 252 Atk / 25

Team Options & Additional Comments >>>

Name Item Ability

SubPunch Leftovers Scrappy

~ Substitute 40 HP / 252 Atk / 2

Team Options & Additional Comments >>>

Checks and Counters

Kecleon Color Change

Min- Min Max Max+

Name Item Nature

Specially Leftovers Calm

~ Stealth Rock 252 HP / 4 Def / 25

Team Options & Additional Comments >>>

Checks and Counters

Level 100 Statistics (see

Min- Min Max Max+

Name Item Nature

All-Out Expert Belt / Life Orb Timid

Team Options & Additional Comments >>>

Name Item Nature

Choice Choice Scarf Timid

~ Surf 4 HP / 252 SpA / 25

Team Options & Additional Comments >>>

Name Item Nature

Choice Choice Specs Timid / Mod

~ Hydro Pump 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 2

Team Options & Additional Comments >>>

Offensive Life Orb / Leftovers Timid

~ Calm Mind / Substitute 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 2

Team Options & Additional Comments >>>

Name Item Nature

SubCM Leftovers Timid

~ Substitute 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 2

Team Options & Additional Comments >>>