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Swift Swim
- Speed doubles in rain.
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Sniper
- Critical hits do 3x damage instead of 2x.
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Damp
- Prevents the use of Selfdestruct or Explosion. Prevents Aftermath from doing damage.
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Level 100 Statistics (see 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 |
Overview
Though Kingdra is usually seen as a bulky boosting sweeper in UU, it can actually be quite the threat in Ubers. With Kyogre's Drizzle summoning infinite rain, Kingdra will frequently receive doubled Speed from Swift Swim. Its two STABs are great offensively, as they are only resisted by Empoleon, Shedinja, and Ferrothorn. Despite Kingdra's shallow movepool and the fact that it received zero viable new moves in the new generation, its movepool has everything it needs.
However, Ubers is riddled with Dragon-types, so it might be hard for Kingdra to find a team slot. Most Dragon-types in Ubers have ridiculous attacking stats, while Kingdra only has base 95 in both Attack and Special Attack. Even so, Kingdra's Speed is what sets it apart from the other Dragon-types. In addition, it has a resistance to Bullet Punch and a neutrality to Stealth Rock, two things that Rayquaza wished it had. The boost that Kyogre's Drizzle provides for Kingdra's Water-type attacks also somewhat remedies Kingdra's middling Attack and Special Attack. Dragon Dance further improves Kingdra's Attack, and allows it to outspeed everything in Ubers. If you have a rain-centralized team, definitely consider Kingdra for a team slot.
Despite the fact that Kingdra has less than base 100 in both of its attacking stats, it can still function as a very competent mixed sweeper. Because of Swift Swim and the infinite rain that Kyogre provides, Kingdra will also be a great revenge killer. With a neutral nature and maximum investment, Kingdra hits a dangerous 590 Speed, easily outpacing all of the unboosted Pokemon in the metagame. Surf is the preferred option over Hydro Pump after considering Hydro Pump's imperfect accuracy and Surf has more than sufficient power under rain. Waterfall is Kingdra's physical STAB attack, and for good reason. It has a good chance of 2HKOing Blissey in the rain, and is guaranteed to 2HKO with Stealth Rock or one layer of Spikes. It will also always 2HKO Choice Band Tyranitar in sandstorm, a major threat to almost every rain team. Outrage will do tons of damage to any Pokemon that does not have either a huge Defense stat or a resistance to Dragon-type attacks. Even without Dragon Dance to boost its Attack, Kingdra can still do a good amount of damage to most Pokemon. Finally, Draco Meteor is Kingdra's strongest attack, capable of OHKOing many Pokemon. There is a great chance that Kingdra will OHKO Choice Scarf Shaymin-S with Draco Meteor, an achievement that can be guaranteed with the help of Stealth Rock. Darkrai is also OHKOed, but Surf will do more damage because of the pseudo-double STAB that the rain provides.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
Despite the sheer immediate power this Kingdra brings to the table, it still has no way of stopping Ferrothorn. Furthermore, because Kyogre is an absolutely necessary partner to Kingdra in order for it to function properly, and the rain Kyogre summons will only make taking out Ferrothorn harder. Shaymin-S has a powerful Air Slash which can flinch Ferrothorn to death, but should the move miss or fail to flinch, Shaymin-S will most likely be taking a Thunder Wave. Since this Kingdra has no method of attaining additional boosts outside of Baton Pass, it is easily countered outside of rain. Rayquaza, though unable to switch in on Kingdra's Outrage and Draco Meteor, can OHKO Kingdra with one of its own Dragon-type STABs. Choice Scarf Jirachi is an invaluable partner to deal with Rayquaza. Not only does it resist Rayquaza's STAB attacks and ExtremeSpeed, but it also KOes with Ice Punch and outspeeds all variants at +1 Speed, so it will not have to fear Earthquake or Fire Blast. If Choice Scarf Mewtwo is a concern, Wobbuffet can come in and revenge kill it with ease.
Even in the fast-paced Ubers metagame, Kingdra won't have much trouble setting up a Dragon Dance. Although, at first glance, Kingdra might seem to be outclassed by Dragon Dance Rayquaza and its much higher attacking stats, Kingdra has some notable advantages over the green dragon. The first is Kingdra's superior typing, which leaves it with only one weakness in comparison to Rayquaza's three. Next is Kingdra's Speed in the rain, which can allow it to outspeed enemies as fast as Choice Scarf Shaymin-S even without any Dragon Dance boosts. After one Dragon Dance, Kingdra can effectively outspeed the entire Ubers metagame.
Waterfall should be Kingdra's primary attack, and with a boost from rain, it will become just as strong as its Outrage, the preferred attack in clear skies or other weather. The typing combination of Dragon and Water is almost unstoppable, with Ferrothorn being the only common Pokemon in Ubers resisting it. Because of Kingdra's blistering Speed, even before any boosts, it can also function as a competent revenge killer. Even though Kingdra will never be able to deal as much damage as Rayquaza can, the high Base Power and awesome coverage of its attacks add to create fearsome offensive abilities. Draco Meteor is just as important as Kingdra's physical attacks, since without it, Kingdra would have to rely on Outrage in order to KO Shaymin-S and other threats. With Draco Meteor, Kingdra can 2HKO Groudon and Dialga sets without heavy Special Defense investment with a combination of Draco Meteor followed by Outrage. After Stealth Rock damage, Draco Meteor also has the power to smash through and OHKO some Dragon-types, such as Palkia and Rayquaza, without having to lock itself into Outrage. Yawn is an interesting option over Draco Meteor, as it will allow Kingdra to more easily attain Dragon Dances, while still allowing Kingdra to have maximum coverage.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
Ferrothorn is a surefire counter to this set in every possible way. It has monstrous defenses and its typing allows it to resist all of Kingdra's STAB attacks. Furthermore, Ferrothorn can easily set up on Kingdra with Spikes, cripple it with Thunder Wave (though Kingdra will still move first because of Ferrothorn's lackluster Speed), sap its health via Leech Seed, or smack it with its STAB Power Whip. Because Kingdra should only be used with rain on the field, Fire-type attacks will have less of an effect on Ferrothorn. For that reason, Aura Sphere or Focus Blast users are great teammates. Dialga resists both of Ferrothorn's STABs, doesn't mind a Thunder Wave, and easily 2HKOes Ferrothorn with Aura Sphere. Mewtwo and Darkrai can OHKO Ferrothorn with Aura Sphere and Focus Blast, respectively, but they both need to be on the lookout for Thunder Wave. Choice Scarf Shaymin-S is another good teammate as it can attract Fire-type attacks, to which Kingdra has a 8x resist in the rain (though Kingdra should definitely be wary of switching into Ho-Oh's Sacred Fire because of its 50% chance of inflicting burn).
The EVs on this set will allow Kingdra to outspeed all variants of Choice Scarf Shaymin-S while still allowing Kingdra to OHKO said Shaymin-S with Draco Meteor after Stealth Rock. Because Lugia is a common switch-in to Kingdra, Tickle Wobbuffet is an invaluable teammate. With a Pursuit user such as Scizor also on the team, all Lugia lacking Whirlwind don't even stand a chance of surviving. This can pave the way for a Kingdra sweep later on in the match, provided that Kingdra hasn't already sustained a lot of damage. Again, both Mewtwo and Darkrai are great partners, this time because they are quite adept at switching in and setting up on Lugia.
Simple and effective, this set is nothing short of devastating in the right hands. While Kingdra may seem outclassed by Kyogre and Palkia as a pure Special Attacking Water-type, Kingdra carves its own niche thanks to its ridiculous 538 Speed in the rain. While a base 95 Special Attack may seem low by Ubers standards, with the Choice Specs boost, Kingdra reaches 475 Special Attack, usable enough to break down many defensive Pokemon and clean up weakened teams. While the Life Orb set may seem like a better late-game cleaner, Choice Specs powers up Kingdra enough for it to actually be threatening in the early- and mid-game too, allowing it to be a revenge killer, semi-wall breaker, and sweeper all in one. While the Life Orb set eases prediction through freedom of moves, this set eases prediction through sheer power. In such an entry hazard-rich metagame as Ubers, any attempt to minimize residual damage is welcome. The moveset is as simple as it can get. When you have a Pokemon with Kingdra's Speed and two STAB coverage, the simplest set is generally the best. While it may seem redundant to carry two moves of both STAB types, the moves themselves serve different roles. Draco Meteor and Hydro Pump are used to break apart bulkier Pokemon in the early- and mid-game, while Dragon Pulse and Surf allow Kingdra to clean up in the late-game. Kingdra hardly needs anything else, although Ice Beam can go over one of Dragon Pulse or Surf to 2HKO Grass Arceus, which is usually very problematic for rain teams.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
The EVs are extremely self-explanatory. Max Special Attack and a Modest nature are used for maximum power, while max Speed allows Kingdra to outspeed as many things as possible. Kingdra, unlike other weather dependent speed demons such as Kabutops and Venusaur, actually outspeeds Choice Scarf Terrakion without having to use a +Speed nature. However, if you are really paranoid, a Timid nature is always an option to outspeed Choice Scarf Darkrai and Shaymin-S, as well as Jolly Kabutops and +2 Blaziken. However, be aware that, without a Modest nature, there is a significant power drop. In terms of other move options, Hidden Power Fire is generally not a very good idea, since Hydro Pump in the rain does pretty much the same amount of damage to Ferrothorn anyway, although it does have some merit for being able to hit Ferrothorn a lot harder if it's sunny. Toxic can be used over one of Dragon Pulse or Surf to cripple potential Lugia and Grass Arceus switch-ins.
Kyogre is easily Kingdra's most important teammate. Without its eternal rain, Kingdra would just be an inferior Palkia in every way. Conversely, Kingdra's number one enemy is definitely Ferrothorn. For Kingdra to function effectively, you should be prudent to at least land around 40% damage onto the steel plant before trying to take it down with Kingdra. Fortunately, Ferrothorn is relatively easy to whittle away at, since it lacks reliable recovery outside of Leech Seed and is a common switch-in to many Uber threats. Pokemon such as Hone Claws mixed Kyurem-B, Choice Band Zekrom, Choice Specs Kyogre, and Palkia are all good teammates to lure in Ferrothorn and do enough to it that Kingdra can push through later in the game. Luring out other weather inducers is also extremely beneficial. Bulk Up mixed Dialga is an excellent lure for all weather inducers that threaten to take rain away. It can smash Groudon and Hippowdon with Draco Meteor, and break through Tyranitar and the rare Abomasnow with Aura Sphere, a boosted Brick Break, or Outrage. Mixed Zekrom is also relatively good at wiping Groudon and Hippowdon off the map, as is Hone Claws mixed Kyurem-B.
Other Pokemon that give Kingdra trouble are Grass Arceus, specially defensive Water Arceus, Blissey and Chansey, specially defensive Kyogre, and Rayquaza. The first five Pokemon can take hits from Kingdra all day and reply with status; Rayquaza outspeeds Kingdra due to Air Lock and KOes it with its STAB Dragon-type attacks. Defensive Dialga is a good check to the first five defensive Pokemon, as it does not mind paralysis and can easily set up Stealth Rock and force switches with Roar. Bulk Up RestTalk Dialga can also use them as set up fodder. As for Rayquaza, Lugia and defensive Arceus are excellent all-round switch-ins. Otherwise, Choice Scarf Terrakion and Jirachi can revenge kill all variants of Rayquaza, while Choice Scarf Garchomp, Salamence, and Palkia can take out Dragon Dance variants.
Apart from Rayquaza, even with Kingdra's fantastic Speed, it can still be revenge killed. Choice Scarf Darkrai and Shaymin-S, as well as Jolly Kabutops and Kingdra, can outspeed Modest Kingdra, while Choice Scarf Mewtwo can outspeed even Timid variants. A Grass Arceus of your own can easily deal with Kabutops and Kingdra, as well as bulky Dialga and Lugia. As for the Choice Scarf users, Choice Band Scizor or Choice Scarf Jirachi are decent options to deal with all three, especially since Darkrai and Mewtwo can potentially cripple walls with Trick. Apart from Rayquaza, other users of ExtremeSpeed can also revenge kill Kingdra after prior damage. These include ExtremeKiller Arceus and Deoxys-A. A bulky Steel-type such as Skarmory can easily take on Arceus, while Deoxys-A can be easily revenge killed by Giratina-O, Scizor, Choice Scarf Dialga, Jirachi, Terrakion, and Genesect, all of which can take an ExtremeSpeed without much trouble.
Other Options
Kingdra really does not have much to work with outside of the moves listed on the above sets. It has access to Yawn, and in conjunction with Substitute, can allow Kingdra to set up a Dragon Dance or two. Unfortunately, it would limit Kingdra to choose between two attack: Outrage and Waterfall, with Groudon or Palkia walling it, respectively. Kingdra also gets Scald, but its Base Power is inferior to both Surf and Hydro Pump, and Kingdra needs to inflict as much damage as possible while it is on the field. It can use a set consisting of Substitute and a pinch Berry, but the immediate power that Life Orb provides is generally better. Dragon Pulse can be used over Draco Meteor if accuracy is a concern, but the Dragon Dance set would require much more investment in Special Attack in order to supply sufficient power. Ice Beam 2HKOes Groudon and OHKOes Shaymin-S without Stealth Rock damage, but Draco Meteor gets better neutral coverage. Toxic can be used to cripple walls that lack status-clearing moves, but Kingdra is geared more toward offense, not support. If Choice Scarf Shaymin-S is not a concern, 40 Speed EVs can be shifted to either Attack or Special Attack, while still allowing Kingdra to beat up to and including Choice Scarf Terrakion. If Terrakion is also not a concern, 40 more EVs can be removed so Kingdra will still outpace threats up to and including Choice Scarf Palkia.
Checks and Counters
Kingdra is one hard nut to crack if rain is on the field. In the rain, Normal Arceus can sponge an unboosted Waterfall and 2HKO Kingdra with ExtremeSpeed. Shedinja is immune to Water and Dragon and can outstall Kingdra with either Toxic or Will-O-Wisp. Groudon ends Kyogre's rain via Drought, weakening Kingdra's Water-type attacks, is almost never 2HKOed by a +1 Outrage if carrying Leftovers, and can paralyze Kingdra with Thunder Wave or KO it outright with Earthquake. Ferrothorn, though, is a complete counter to Kingdra, provided that it hasn't already used Dragon Dance three or more times. Ferrothorn can easily sap Kingdra's health with Leech Seed, and then proceed to set up Spikes and/or Stealth Rock while Kingdra loses health to Life Orb recoil and Leech Seed each turn. In the rain, Ferrothorn becomes even more annoying since its Fire-type weakness is somewhat mitigated. Lugia is bulky enough to stave off Outrage, and can stall out Kingdra's health with Roost or Recover. It can also phaze away all of Kingdra's boosts courtesy of Whirlwind.
The best way to KO Kingdra is to take it out of its element—rain. Without the Speed boost, Kingdra becomes much easier to remove from the battle. Rayquaza's Air Lock does this well and Rayquaza can easily OHKO Kingdra with a Dragon-type attack. Outside of rain, Choice Scarf Shaymin-S outspeeds Kingdra and can flinch it to death with Air Slash, or go immediately for the jugular with Seed Flare or Leaf Storm after Stealth Rock or Life Orb recoil.
