Kadabra

[Peef Rimgar]

Overview
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• High Special attack backed by a good movepool
• Great speed tier
• Magic Guard is one of the best abilities in the game
  
• Frail as all hell

Special Attacker
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name: Special Attacker
move 1: Psychic / Psyshock
move 2: Signal Beam
move 3: Encore
move 4: Energy Ball
ability: Magic Guard
item: Focus Sash / Life Orb
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Timid

Moves
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• Psychic and Psyshock are obligatory STABs. Psychic is generally better but Psyshock hits Throh, Lickilicky, Roselia, and random AVs harder
  
• Signal Beam has great coverage against mons that resist Psychic, namely other Psychics and Darks
• Encore can force slower set up sweepers into bad situations if Kadabra outspeeds, and lets it nut on stall
  
• Energy Ball hits a lot of big targets SE, namely Carracosta
• Calm Mind is good for if you Encore a threat into a non-attack move, or if you gain free turns in general
• Dazzling is a cute option for hitting Zweilous harder, but generally has worse coverage than Signal Beam
• Shadow Ball is a good option as well that hits Mr Mime and the Gourgeists harder, but lacks Dark Type coverage that Signal Beam brings.

Set Details
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• Standard offensive EVs
• Focus Sash allows Kadabra to revenge kill offensive set up sweepers, while Life Orb can break stall mons Sash can't
• Timid is to outspeed +speed base 100s-105s, such as Simipour and Dodrio

Usage Tips
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• Assuming sash, when you're faced with a set-up sweeper that has had free turns, send it out for the quick kill
• NEVER HARD SWITCH IT IN. It's bulk is too pitiful to stomach any hit with Life Orb and its sash is too valuable to sacrifice for free
• Try to get in when something is throwing out status if possible. Kadabra's ability gives it virtual immunity to them

Team Options
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• A dark-type sponge is always nice for any psychic type
• Wish support could be useful for if its sash wasn't broken but it took damage
• Stuff to take advantage of Kadabra's switch ins, such as Poliwrath/Throh for Lickilicky

Other Options
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• Specs
  
• Scarf
• Hidden Power Fighting
• Taunt
• CounterCoat Focus Sash cheese
• Psycho Shift

Checks & Counters
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• Faster Offensive Threats
• Dark Types
• Ghost Types
• Priority (namely Sucker Punch)
• SpDef Walls

 

[trc]

You can merge Focus Sash and Life Orb into one offensive set, just state that one has better utility against offense and the other against stall.

IMO the set should be this:

Special Attacker
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name: Special Attacker
move 1: Psychic / Psyshock
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Energy Ball / Dazzling Gleam
move 4: Encore / Thunder Wave / Dazzling Gleam
ability: Magic Guard
item: Focus Sash / Life Orb
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Timid

Someone feel free to suggest where Dazzling Gleam should go but IMO it should only be slashed after Encore and Thunder Wave since it only hits Sneasel on the switch-in (which doesn't like to switch into Kadabra that much because it's kinda risky, as Energy Ball does 60.9 - 72.1% which is an easy KO after two SR switch-ins, if you're Focus Sash you still 2HKO in most cases and always with SR, while it brings you down to your sash.) Dazzling Gleam hits Zweilous but that's not too relevant and I'd almost always use Encore or Thunder Wave instead. Energy Ball is essential since it KOes the smashers though I slashed DG after since most other relevant Waters have a secondary Flying-type or get locked into a move by Encore (Simipour). Shadow Ball also isn't completely essential since it mainly hits Mr. Mime and Metang while doing something to Musharna switch-ins. Personally I think there are many arrangements of moves 2-4 but I'm not too sure of what could be used after this.

 

[Punchshroom]

One can easily save up on coverage by using Signal Beam over both Shadow Ball and Dazzling Gleam, since Signal Beam covers Psychic-types and Dark-types in one fell swoop, giving Kadabra a free slot to mess up opponents with.

 

[g]

Special Attacker
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name: Special Attacker
move 1: Psychic / Psyshock
move 2: Signal Beam
move 3: Encore
move 4: Energy Ball / Calm Mind
ability: Magic Guard
item: Focus Sash
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Timid

This is my favourite set to use with Kadabra tbh. Encore is awesome as Kadabra can easily stop status/setup moves with it and fire off a free hit or Calm Mind. Calm Mind is actually quite cool and lets Kadabra set up on stuff like Pelipper and Musharna or after using encore making it stronger but Eball is better to revenge Carracosta/Barbaracle/random Pokémon weak to Grass

 

[trc]

Signal Beam does less to Mr. Mime fwiw, but I agree with galbia.

 

[Punchshroom]

In that case, Psyshock should mention its greater damage output against Mime, 3HKOing Mime through Leftovers and 2HKOing Mime with the aid of Life Orb.

 

[Anty]

252 SpA Kadabra Psychic vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Lickilicky: 103-123 (24.2 - 29%) -- 59% chance to 4HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Kadabra Psyshock vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Lickilicky: 129-153 (30.4 - 36%) -- 42.9% chance to 3HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Life Orb Kadabra Psyshock vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Lickilicky: 168-199 (39.6 - 46.9%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery

252 SpA Kadabra Psyshock vs. 252 HP / 120 Def Eviolite Roselia: 252-296 (82.8 - 97.3%) -- 68.8% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252 SpA Kadabra Psychic vs. 252 HP / 136+ SpD Eviolite Roselia: 174-206 (57.2 - 67.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock

How ever you loose your ability to hit avalugg (from a solid 2hko, to a 4hko with signal beam) and half as much damage to carracosta. Just because of these psychic is worth using more, licky is walling you either way and roselia isnt going to stay in for long (you also hit things like ph def peliper). Im pretty sure those are they only 2 relevant enough that psyshock hits harder, definitely deserves a slash though

 

[Peef Rimgar]

This is now QC ready

 

[trc]

Change fantastic SpA to great.

I would not say Sneasel's prevalence hurts it. Yes it can switch in sometimes, but... it isn't that worthy of a mention since it gets boned by Kadabra's coverage AND the fact that it has a super-effective hit means nothing since everything OHKOes LO Kadabra and 2HKOes Sash Kadabra. I guess you could be talking about Pursuit but most Sneasel don't run Pursuit so I doubt it.

IMO move Calm Mind to Moves, I don't think it's worth the main set mention but that's just me.

No point mentioning the ability in set details, that goes to usage tips if you want to talk about its application.

Your team options is too small, add things that take advantage of Kadabra's switch ins, like Poliwrath / Throh for Lickilicky, etc.

Move Shadow Ball and Dazzling Gleam to moves, say the former hits Mr. Mime and Gourgeist-XL (and S), the latter hits Zweilous.

Actually mention some checks and counters, specifically walls first, and revenge killers second.

Tag me once done.

 

[Peef Rimgar]

TRC i think I did very thing you asked, but could you elaborate on your last point?

 

[LightningLuxray]

He means list some actual Pokemon instead of just saying "Special walls", "Dark-types", etc

 

[WhiteDMist]

Peef is inactive, he won't be working on this. Locking this, Kadabra is free for reservation!