Kingdra
[Overview]
<p>Kingdra was teased in ADV with a lack of physical STAB to use alongside Dragon Dance, but then DPP came along and made it the beast it is today. It has fallen from grace this generation due to the many faster and more powerful Dragons roaming OU at the moment, not to mention the Drizzle + Swift Swim ban, which was the final nail in the coffin. Part of the reason Kingdra is such a huge threat is because it's one of only two fully evolved Dragon-types in the tier. Kingdra is insanely diverse offensively, being able to run effective physical, special, and mixed sets thanks to its amazing STAB combo. Defensively, its typing is a blessing, granting it only a single weakness and multiple resistances. All in all, Kingdra is a true terror to face, because no matter how well-prepared you are for each individual set, you'll never know which one it's running until it's too late.<p>
[SET]
name: ChestoRest
move 1: Rest
move 2: Dragon Dance
move 3: Outrage
move 4: Waterfall
item: Chesto Berry
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Adamant
evs: 168 HP / 164 Atk / 4 SpD / 172 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Kingdra is easily one of the most dangerous late-game sweepers in the tier due to its typing, which is fantastic offensively and defensively, as well as its access to Dragon Dance. This set is best suited for offensive or balanced teams in need of a setup sweeper that isn't scared of the strong Fire-types in the tier. The goal of this set is to Dragon Dance up on weak attackers until Kingdra's health is low. After it uses Rest to fully heal itself, Chesto Berry wakes it up instantly for a sweep. Waterfall is the reliable STAB move, as it won't lock Kingdra in and confuse it after a couple of turns, but Outrage is insanely strong after a couple of Dragon Dances and will break pretty much anything that resists Waterfall.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The given EVs and nature serve quite a specific purpose: 172 Speed lets Kingdra outpace positive-natured base 120s after one Dragon Dance and all Choice Scarf base 100s after two. 168 HP EVs let Kingdra set up on a large number of Pokemon who can't 2HKO it. 4 SpD EVs prevent Download Porygon2 from getting a Special Attack boost as it comes in on Kingdra. The remainder is put into Attack and an Adamant nature is used to make Kingdra a bigger offensive threat. As an alternative, Kingdra can forgo Waterfall and run a mono-attacking Dragon Dance RestTalk set to set up on and defeat threats that it previously could not, such as Slowbro. However, it comes at the price of being at the mercy of the BW sleep mechanics, which force Kingdra to stay in for prolonged periods of time if it ever wants to wake up.</p>
<p>Being a standalone sweeper, finding suitable partners is not a difficult task. That said, there are a few things you can do in order to maximize this set's effectiveness. Entry hazard support from the likes of Deoxys-D or Roserade is appreciated, as it will help soften the physical walls that Kingdra would otherwise have a hard time getting past. Steel-types, such as Bronzong, make fantastic partners to any Kingdra set, as their mere presence makes the opposition wary of trying to attack Kingdra with Dragon-type moves. Speaking of Steel-types, their removal from the opponent's team will also greatly aid Kingdra, as it will no longer be afraid of using its most powerful move. Magneton can easily accomplish this task thanks to its ability, Magnet Pull. As this set is a dedicated late-game sweeper, it won't be wanting to switch in often early-game, so keep this is mind when you build your team.</p>
[SET]
name: Rain Dance Sweeper
move 1: Rain Dance
move 2: Hydro Pump / Surf
move 4: Dragon Pulse
move 3: Draco Meteor
item: Life Orb
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Modest
evs: 88 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 164 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set is easily one of the most fearsome sweepers in the metagame, as after a single turn of setup, Kingdra's Water-type STAB becomes incredibly powerful, and even common wielders of Choice Scarf will fail to outrun it. Rain Dance is the move that makes all this happen. Not only does it give Kingdra's Water-type moves a significant boost, but it also doubles Kingdra's Speed due to Swift Swim. The choice between Hydro Pump and Surf is the classic "power versus accuracy" conundrum; although the latter will is 100% accurate, it's significantly less powerful than Hydro Pump. Dragon Pulse is Kingdra's secondary STAB and hits most Water resists, namely Grass- and Water-types. While it might seem weird to include two Dragon-type moves on the same set, Draco Meteor serves the sole purpose of enabling Kingdra to muscle past extremely bulky Pokemon, such as Suicune and specially defensive Roserade.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The given EVs let Kingdra outrun Jolly Choice Scarf Flygon in the rain, but you can choose to maximize its Speed in order to tie with other neutral-natured base 85s, such as Nidoking and Heracross, outside of rain. Hidden Power Fighting provides super effective coverage on the two Pokemon that resist Kingdra's STAB moves, namely Empoleon and Ferroseed. Hidden Power Electric maintains super effective coverage on Empoleon while also giving Kingdra a more reliable way to damage other Water-types, such as Milotic.</p>
<p>This set appreciates entry hazard support above all else, so pairing it with Spikes Roserade, who can easily set up on the Water-types that trouble this set, is a good idea. As a bonus, upon its entry into the field, Roserade removes the Toxic Spikes that are sure to cut Kingdra's sweep short. Bronzong also makes a very good partner, as it can set up Stealth Rock and discourages the opposition from using Outrage, which makes it easier for Kingdra to enter the field. Strong Fighting-types, such as Heracross and Machamp, also make fantastic offensive partners, as they can take advantage of the few Pokemon that wall this set: Snorlax, Ferroseed, and Empoleon.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Hydro Pump / Surf
move 3: Dragon Pulse
move 4: Hidden Power Electric / Surf
item: Choice Specs
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Modest / Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Kingdra's typing, which gives it amazing STAB, plenty of switch-in opportunities, and only a single weakness, makes it one of the scariest wielders of Choice Specs in the whole tier. Draco Meteor will dent anything that doesn't resist it, while Hydro Pump provides coverage Pokemon that resist Draco Meteor and gives Kingdra a strong move that can be used continuously. Surf is a suitable replacement if you prefer accuracy over power, but keep in mind that the main draw of this set is its incredible ability to punch holes in the opposing team. Dragon Pulse is Kingdra's most reliable move and lets it clean up a battered team; it can also be used when you don't want Kingdra to switch too much. Hidden Power Electric provides coverage on Empoleon, who would otherwise wall it. In addition, it hits Water-types, such as Suicune, more reliably than anything else on this set.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The given EVs are very straightforward; they simply maximize Kingdra's offensive capabilities and ensure that Download Pokemon don't receive a Special Attack boost when they come in. A Modest nature is preferred due to the higher damage output, but if you want to ensure a tie with other base Speed 85s, such as Nidoking, Timid is the superior option. As an alternative in the fourth moveslot, Kingdra could run Hidden Power Fighting, which will maintain coverage on Empoleon and also hit Ferroseed super effectively. If, for some reason, you're more worried about OHKOing Ferroseed and don't mind losing coverage on Empoleon, Hidden Power Fire will prove useful. This will lower Kingdra's Speed though, so be careful. Kingdra's other ability, Sniper, is also worth considering, as if it manages to land a critical hit with the already powerful Draco Meteor, even previously safe switch-ins, such as Empoleon, will take a tremendous amount of damage.</p>
<p>This set pairs extremely well with Flygon, as together they form a very scary offensive core capable of plowing through nearly every team almost solely by spamming their Dragon-type STAB moves. Entry hazard removal is greatly appreciated, as Kingdra is vulnerable to all entry hazards and is sure to be switching in and out often. Hitmontop therefore makes a decent partner, as it can easily come in and threaten Snorlax, Ferroseed, and Empoleon, all of whom don't mind Kingdra's attacks. As you might have noticed, those three are very vulnerable to entry hazards themselves, particularly Spikes. Hence, it stands to reason that Spikes users such as Roserade and Deoxys-D make very good partners as well. Finally, Steel-types, such as Bronzong and Escavalier, will make your opponent wary of using Outrage to revenge kill Kingdra, because it will more than likely lead to them losing another Pokemon in return.</p>
[SET]
name: Substitute + Dragon Dance
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Dragon Dance
move 3: Waterfall
move 4: Outrage
item: Leftovers / Lum Berry
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Believe it or not, this set was the standard for Kingdra for a very long time, specifically for the greater part of the DPP metagame. The way it works is the same way any other Substitute boosting sweeper does—Substitute blocks status and occasionally provides Kingdra with free turns to set up more boosts. Dragon Dance is Kingdra's boosting move of choice, increasing both its Attack and Speed so that it can eventually sweep. Waterfall gives Kingdra a reliable no-drawback STAB move with which to hurt the opposition. On the other hand, Outrage, a secondary STAB move, hits much harder than Waterfall, but also has the negative side effect of locking Kingdra in for several turns and confusing it at the end of its rampage. Nonetheless, this confusion is not usually an issue if you opt to use Lum Berry instead of Leftovers. Conveniently enough, Kingdra's STAB combination happens to be nearly unresisted, making it a very fine choice for sweeping.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The given EV spread maximizes Kingdra's sweeping potential and avoids giving a Special Attack boost to Download Pokemon that come in on it. Due to the very clear-cut role this set plays on a team, it is strongly recommended you stick to the given moveset and EVs. That said, Kingdra doesn't necessarily need maximum Speed once it sets up, so dropping it down to 172 EVs in order to outpace Sceptile after a Dragon Dance, as well as Jolly Choice Scarf Flygon after two, is not a bad idea. This set pairs very well with Pokemon that can spread paralysis around the opposing team, as paralyzed opponents might provide Kingdra with extra free turns and hence more Dragon Dance boosts. Steel-types such as Escavalie are also good offensive partners, as they make the opposition wary of carelessly using Outrage against Kingdra. If you choose to use Leftovers instead of Lum Berry, pairing Kingdra with a grounded Poison-type, such as Nidoking, is a good idea, as it will absorb the Toxic Spikes that make this set cringe.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Kingdra's movepool is fairly average and its most effective offensive options have already been covered above, but there are a few other options worth noting. Ice Beam, albeit largely redundant coverage-wise with Dragon-type moves, gives Kingdra a stronger option against Grass-types such as Shaymin. Agility is an option if you want to double Kingdra's Speed in a single turn, but Rain Dance already does that and more, so it's fairly outclassed. Hidden Power Fire hits Ferroseed for 4x super effective damage, while Hidden Power Fighting covers both Ferroseed and Empoleon in a single move. Kingdra also has a few support moves in its repertoire, namely Yawn, Scald, Clear Smog, and Toxic, and as it's quite bulky, might be able to take a support route. A double dance set employing both Dragon Dance and Rain Dance can be used, but Kingdra usually won't have enough time to set up both and sweep effectively. A mixed Rain Dance set with Surf or Hydro Pump, Draco Meteor, and Outrage is also possible, but Kingdra's average offensive base stats means splitting EVs is usually not a good idea.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Straight-up countering Kingdra is virtually impossible due to its amazing STAB combo and incredible versatility, which means you won't know the set it's running right away. On top of that, relying on status to stop it usually isn't the best idea, as it's commonly seen with Substitute, Rest + Chesto Berry, or even Lum Berry. Once you figure out the set though, it will be much easier to play against. The most general checks are Ferroseed, Empoleon, and Milotic—the former two resist both of Kingdra's STABs and the latter has Recover, Haze, and enough bulk to take almost anything Kingdra can throw at it. A physically defensive Slowking with Dragon Tail is also a very reliable check, as it fears only a 2HKO from Choice Specs Hidden Power Electric. Dragon Dance sets are best checked by Pokemon sturdy enough to take a hit and hit back hard, such as Shaymin and Escavalier. Your other option is to beat it with a faster Choice Scarf user that can KO it, such as Flygon or Rotom-C. Special sets are best checked by all-purpose special tanks, such as Snorlax and Roserade. Just be careful of letting them take too many Draco Meteors, as they will eventually get worn down.</p>
