Counter this threat - Threat 2 : Kingdra

Kkop

Kkop

At the risk of sounding unoriginal (since it's a set featured in it's UU analysis) Slowking is a strong switchin against Kingdra, especially Specially-based variants. Keep in mind this is considered a utility counter!

Slowking @ Leftovers
Trait: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 12 Atk / 72 Def / 176 SpD
Sassy Nature
-Scald
-Dragon Tail
-Slack Off
-Thunder Wave
 

Zaon

Thanks for replies.

Silenced : Escavalier is a great check or even a counter to DD Kingdra but unfortunately not the Spec and the Rain Dancer. I will add it as a check and mention that it does really well against the DD. Thanks.

Kkop : Thanks. I will add it but as a check since it takes a lot from a +1 Outrage and mention that it is a great switch to the Rain Dancer and the Specs.
 
Ernesto

Ernesto

is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnus
Slowking is arguably the best switch-in though, since Empoleon doesn't exactly enjoy taking +1 Outrages either—it takes around 42% w/o LO, so it's much harder to keep alive throughout the match—, and is much more easily weakened without reliable recovery. I've never tried that particular spread because it sucks on the physical side against Mienshao—which it's one of the best answers to, along with Slowbro of course—, but I ran a similar spread of 248 HP / 12 Atk / 120 Def / 128 SpD Sassy which takes 75% from +1 Outrage and 63% from Specs DM. Slowking can also paralyze LO variants so that another Pokemon can revenge Kingdra, and always breaks its 0/0 Subs with Dragon Tail. The spread isn't optimized though, I aimed for King to survive two Flare Blitzes from Scarf Darm after SR iirc.
 

Zaon

Ernesto : Thanks, I'll use this spread.

lousy918 : Ditto isn't a reliable check, I won't add it. Milotic isn't good because it has competition with other bulky water so I think I won't add it.
 

Explorer

Kingdra is extremely difficult to counter due to its unpredictability, exceptional weather abuse, and great STAB combination. Pokemon that can phaze Kingdra after taking one hit are useful, so here I present a Scrafty set that has given me many rage quit victories on the UU ladder

Scrafty (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Shed Skin
EVs: 252 HP/4 Def/252 SpD
Nature: Careful
-Drain Punch
-Bulk Up
-Dragon Tail
-Rest

Bulk Up boosts Scrafty's decent attack and above-average defense, and Drain Punch is a nice STAB that recovers health. Dragon Tail can phaze out DD Kingdra, while EVs let it absorb a Draco Meteor and Rest up. Shed Skin + Rest is a beautiful combo, letting Scrafty serve as a self-cleric, erasing burns and poisons from Pokemon such as Bronzong. Scrafty can also phaze Kingdra the turn it uses Rain Dance so it cannot attempt a sweep right away. Note I STRONGLY recommend using entry hazards on another Pokemon such as Froslass or Cobalion.
 
wiithepeople

wiithepeople



Item: Leftovers
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP, 200 Def, 56 SpD
Nature: Calm
- Spore
- Giga Drain
- Stun Spore
- Clear Smog / Substitute

Amoonguss is surprisingly bulky, as we all know, and carries two different statuses that will stop cold not only Kingdra, but all Swift Swimmers commonly found in UU. Your opponent's rain also gives Amoonguss great protection against Fire-type moves.

Spore is always found on Amoonguss, and can cause a lot of switches if you are unaffected by Sleep Cause, while Stun Spore can be a huge surprise against Kingdra, effectively cutting off Swift Swim. Remember that Kingdra will still outspeed Amoonguss if it has a Dragon Dance under its belt or if it is raining. Amoonguss' Grass/Poison typing, especially under rain, is very beneficial against Kingdra lacking HP Fire (very rare on Kingdra), and helps to take away HP from Kingdra with its STAB Giga Drain, a neutral hit. It is known that on occasion Kingdra will use Dragon Dance. Because of this, Clear Smog can be used to force a reset on the boosts Kingdra has obtained. However, Substitute is of mention in the final slot to ease prediction. 108 HP Substitutes are no joke against Kingdra, able to withstand a Hydro Pump in rain. It also allows Amoonguss to potentially dodge a fatal hit from Outrage.
 
BrokenMusicBox

BrokenMusicBox

I suggest using Bronzong. Dragon Dance Kingdra guarantees 4hko Bronzong only after Stealth Rock. You can toxic it and use Gyro Ball, however it 2hkos if it is special. Spike Roserade can take Special Kingdra, however. It can take a Draco Meteor and still live with at least 30% of its health and then can Giga Drain to recover.

Bronzong
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Levitate/Heatproof
Evs: 252 HP/252 Spd/4 Def
Nature: Relaxed
- Stealth Rock
- Gyro Ball
- Toxic
- Earthquake

Roserade
Item: Black Sludge
Ability: Natural Cure
Evs: 252 HP/240 SpD/16 Spe
Nature: Calm
- Spikes
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
- Rest/Synthesis
 
mite b cool

mite b cool

Milotic is probably the most solid check, it can recover on outrages and weakened DMs while Kingdra racks up LO damage or whittle it down with Ice Beam

Bulky Shaymin is another good check. 252 HP/ Def Bold Shaymin takes around 46.04% to 54.21% from neutral nature LO DM, and under 30% from outrage. It can use Synthesis to recover (although if rain is up it's fucked), whittle it down with giga drain, seed flare or leech seed. Alternatively, Bulky Virizion is a great check to special variants

Roar Suicune takes on DD Kingra, so can Slowbro and can cripple it with T wave (or Toxic)
 

Zaon

Explorer : Thanks. Scrafty isn't a good check to Kingdra because it takes a lot from +1 Outrage, Choice Specs and Rain Dancer. I won't add it.

Whitepeople : Thanks. Amoonguss is a great answer to Kingdra, I'll add it.

BrokenMusicBox : Bronzong isn't a reliable check since it takes a lot from the Rain Dancer and can't do something to the Sub and the Chesto Rest, I won't add it. But Roserade is a good check to the Rain Dancer so I might add it. Thanks

mite b cool : Milotic is a check to Kingdra but not the best. I think Slowking is the best check because of Regenerator and its superior physical bulk but I'll add it. Shaymin is one of Kingdra's best checks, I'll add it. Suicune an Slowbro are also good checks, I'll add them. Thanks
 
SBP33

SBP33

Since chandelure tends to lure in kingdras more often than not, I've found a way to truly decimate kingdra. With modest nature and full SpAtk investment, HP dragon actually OHKO's all variants after stealth rock. Circumstantial? Yes. Crazy? Yes. Rewarding? I think so!
 
Your Hopes and Dreams

Your Hopes and Dreams

Kingdra is countered by CurseLax with good prediction.

With DD sets, whether Kingdra Outrages from the get-go or boosts, Snorlax can either 2HKO at +1, or boost alongside Kingdra until it attacks, take any attack as Snorlax boosts again, and KO it.

Rain Sweepers are 3HKO'd, while Snorlax can hit it while it sets up the rain and take 2 rain-boosted Hydro Pumps (if they aren't both max damage).

Specs set don't even hit for over half with Draco, while Snorlax 3HKOs.

CurseLax takes immense amounts of damage from the former sets, though, but Leftovers recovery slight negates this.

Rain Sweeper: 252+ SpA Life Orb Kingdra Hydro Pump vs. 188 HP / 216+ SpD Snorlax in rain: 234-277 (46.06 - 54.52%) -- 5.86% chance to 2HKO
DD sets: 252+ Atk Life Orb Kingdra Outrage vs. 188 HP / 104 Def Snorlax: 277-328 (54.52 - 64.56%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Specs: 252+ SpA Choice Specs Kingdra Draco Meteor vs. 188 HP / 216+ SpD Snorlax: 210-247 (41.33 - 48.62%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
Snorlax: 0 Atk Snorlax Body Slam vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Kingdra: 103-123 (35.39 - 42.26%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
 
W_M

W_M

Umbreon
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Inner Focus (not Waterfall flinch)
Evs: 252 HP/252 SpD/4 Def
Nature: Bold
- Wish
- Protect
- Foul Play
- Confuse Ray/Torment/Yawn/Sunny Day

*Use Wish+Protect against RainDance Kingdra.
*Specs Kingdra never 2HKOs to Umbreon.
*Use your enemy's attack with Foul Play if you are in front of a DDer Kingdra.
 
Celever

Celever

i am town
is a Community Contributor
Empoleon? Yeah, that thing?

Empoleon has steel and water typing, and so it resists both of kingdra's STABs. In fact, the set it usually runs leaves it hitting empoleon for neutral damage at best. Personally I like specs empoleon, since it can switch into kingdra to either pressurize it out or just kill it with a powerful hidden power, if you do it about twice, once if it is weakened with hazards, or you get a critical hit obviously. It beats out kingdra defensive, and it means that it also beats it out offensively and in my opinion is the best kingdra counter.
But hey, my team has a milotic as a wall as well so I have a pretty good standing against kingdra.
 

pokemonisfun

Banned deucer.
lots of these are not good counters because the best kingdra is monoattacking kingdra yup yup.

it happens like a gazillion times: "bronzong is out to set up sr. go kindgdra! my opponent thinks haha i can use toxic! i use dd on that turn. my opponent is like lol tying to set up while poisoned noob! i use dd again as they do diddly squat with whatever (except explosion!?!). my opponent begins to get worried "oh no why did i do only diddly squat i usually do at least diddly squat+10%!" but alas too late my opponent will be far down in material at least 67% of the time because i only attack with sleep talk so no chance for confusion and the best they can do is send in a flygon or something (which can be slower after 2 or 3 boosts depending on evs) and pray i don't pick outrage out of two tries. so things like bronzong and ferroseed and even empoleon (loses in last poke situations) and other bulky waters are absolutely cruddy counters to the best kingdra set. yes you can usually beat off kingdra hehehe but on the rare occasion it is actually a monokingdra you sport a large chance to get 6-0d (unless you have ditto :0).

of course its not common i think so hmmm idk :s but i would go as far to say as kingdra has no true defensive counters except for special circumstances (foul play, wow+taunt, perhaps leechy seedy) because the potency of the monoset!!!


and curselax countering kingdra?!?!?! most definitions of counter go like "i can switch into you fearlessly and force you out/badly disrupt you with little risk to myself."

snorlax switched into kingdra! kingdra used dd! kingdra used outrage. snorlax almost died! snorlax used return/bslam. kingdra is even more outraged. kingdra killed off snorlax." how did the counter scenario work?!!?!

umbreon is cool but i dunno if you should use inner focus (yes you are a better kingdra counter but synchronize is really cool to come into things like scald and wow and toxix. not worth the switch imo and sunny day is overkill).

k thanks if you read thats all!!!!
 
Vashimus

Vashimus

celever said:
Empoleon? Yeah, that thing?

Empoleon has steel and water typing, and so it resists both of kingdra's STABs. In fact, the set it usually runs leaves it hitting empoleon for neutral damage at best. Personally I like specs empoleon, since it can switch into kingdra to either pressurize it out or just kill it with a powerful hidden power, if you do it about twice, once if it is weakened with hazards, or you get a critical hit obviously. It beats out kingdra defensive, and it means that it also beats it out offensively and in my opinion is the best kingdra counter.
But hey, my team has a milotic as a wall as well so I have a pretty good standing against kingdra.
Click to expand...
Empoleon (and Ferroseed) was super obvious and already added, hence why people are thinking of other counters.
 

Pikabuster

Meh, I found that Bisharp is a kind of check towards Kingdra. Though he can't handle special variants of Kingdra at all (unless it already draco meteored once), he is pretty safe against physical or even rain dance variants as he can easily sub/sd on the set up move and X2 Sucker Punch ohkos every time. It survives Physical Kingdra's attacks pretty easily too, especially outrage
 

Cesky

@Zaon Actually Milotic is the best check (bar Empoleon) to Kingdra as far as bulky waters are concerned. With access to Haze it doesn't become set up bait to SubDance variants with Lum Berry like Slowbro and Slowking do.

Milotic (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Marvel Scale
EVs: 252 Def / 240 HP / 16 Spd
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Recover
- Scald
- Ice Beam
- Haze
 
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