lmitchell0012
Wi-Fi Blacklisted
My mistake. I didn't think you could achieve a 31 IV in speed with HP ghost. And you're right, HP ghost is better for all those reasons.
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Keldeo (Analysis) (QC 3/3) (GP 2/2)
- Thread starter Harsha
- Start date
Small nit pick here, keldeo dose not need to transform to learn secret sword as shown in black and white so a normal keldeo is not a good indicator of a keldeo w/o swords dance
Correct me if I am wrong, but... Keldeo can use Focus Miss over Secret Sword and stay in its normal form. Him being in his ordinary form does not instantly mean it is a swords dance set. But why would you not use Secret Sword?
/probably pointless tangent
These are Black and White 2 mechanics, and in that metagame, Keldeo is always in its Resolution Form if it has Secret Sword. So basically, it is a pretty good indicator.
no and this fact can still really screw with peoples heads as keldeo needs to undergo the event to transform trasfer from black and white with the move won't change his form i don't think
on showdown you select the form too
I can second this. Keldeo can have Secret Sword in both forms. The form changing is triggered by the event in Oath Woods.
EDIT: However, it has to know Secret Sword to be in its Resolute Form, so that's a give away in some fashion. Just that Ordinary Keldeo does not mean it doesn't carry Secret Sword or is some kind of physical variant. That's what he's getting at. Just need to reword that sentence is all.
EDIT: However, it has to know Secret Sword to be in its Resolute Form, so that's a give away in some fashion. Just that Ordinary Keldeo does not mean it doesn't carry Secret Sword or is some kind of physical variant. That's what he's getting at. Just need to reword that sentence is all.
I would highly consider Modest as a slash on the Specs set. TBH I did not miss the drop in speed that much but the increase in power is very noticeable. Specs Keldeo has a very hit and run nature to it and opponents will just bring in a faster Pokemon than max base 108 like Latios, Starmie, and Rotom-W to revenge it. I normally found myself coming in on slower threats like Tyranitar so the speed didn't help there either.
I would consider Focus Blast as a slash on the Specs set if it's not too late. Secret Sword's 95 BP is somewhat disappointing, and hitting on the physical side may not always be a good thing. I'd personally use both as you'll most likely only use your STABs anyway. Specs Focus Blast hits like a truck although I guess its terrible accuracy makes Secret Sword the better option most of the time.
Just a couple of things:
- all of the sets recommend rapid spinners as partners. This is silly; Keldeo is really not especially vulnerable to hazards. You should probably recommend a Toxic Spikes absorber OR a spinner on the SubCM set because Toxic Spikes do cripple it completely. Otherwise just don't mention it; "don't let the other team set up SR and three layers of spikes" is really a given.
- Could you add Signal Beam Specs Gothitelle as a partner to at least some of the sets, because it can kill Celebi, Amoonguss, Toxicroak, Breloom, Tentacruel, -2 Latios, Jellicent, Roserade that has used Sleep Powder, and Virizion.
-Scarf has been approved : http://www.smogon.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3471201. You need to remove it from OO and consider it in Checks and Counters. If you want to write the set that would also be fine.
- all of the sets recommend rapid spinners as partners. This is silly; Keldeo is really not especially vulnerable to hazards. You should probably recommend a Toxic Spikes absorber OR a spinner on the SubCM set because Toxic Spikes do cripple it completely. Otherwise just don't mention it; "don't let the other team set up SR and three layers of spikes" is really a given.
- Could you add Signal Beam Specs Gothitelle as a partner to at least some of the sets, because it can kill Celebi, Amoonguss, Toxicroak, Breloom, Tentacruel, -2 Latios, Jellicent, Roserade that has used Sleep Powder, and Virizion.
-Scarf has been approved : http://www.smogon.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3471201. You need to remove it from OO and consider it in Checks and Counters. If you want to write the set that would also be fine.
Seconded. Keldeo isn't bothered by Stealth Rock at all. The only thing is TSpikes on CM sets because of the Toxic damage, and Spikes on Choiced sets will also take its toll, although a single layer won't be too much of a problem. Obviously they are detrimental, but it's just like every other Pokemon, Keldeo doesn't NEED a spinner like, say, Dragonite, or Volcarona. Its nice, but not necessary.
How about adding Taunt and/or Reflect as other options? Maybe on a support set?
i thought scarf was taken care of separately? http://www.smogon.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3471201 idk if the order of sets was established in that thread, though
EDIT @ below: hmmm... arguable. if latias goes into a straight up CM war with keldeo, it does not have an easy time winning imo - your natural resistance is not enough to survive a heavily boosted secret sword if you go all the way up (+5 or 6 sword does a TON to latias). latias will only have an easy win if it carries roar or psyshock; granted, many latias do and those ones will always win (as long as they're smart and roar keldeo before its secret swords start doing ~50% - unboosted HP ghost admittedly only does like a third).
granted, whether or not latias beats CM keldeo is more dependent on secret sword than it is on hp ghost, so i could agree with your point in regards to that matchup
EDIT @ below: hmmm... arguable. if latias goes into a straight up CM war with keldeo, it does not have an easy time winning imo - your natural resistance is not enough to survive a heavily boosted secret sword if you go all the way up (+5 or 6 sword does a TON to latias). latias will only have an easy win if it carries roar or psyshock; granted, many latias do and those ones will always win (as long as they're smart and roar keldeo before its secret swords start doing ~50% - unboosted HP ghost admittedly only does like a third).
granted, whether or not latias beats CM keldeo is more dependent on secret sword than it is on hp ghost, so i could agree with your point in regards to that matchup
I might be missing something important, but why is Hidden Power Ghost listed as the primary option on the Calm Mind set instead of Hidden Power Electric? The way I see things, the only thing HP Ghost really helps you against is Jellicent. On the other hand, by using HP Electric, you not only hit Jellicent, but you also hit Tentacruel and Gyarados. Although the latter two are probably hit hard enough by +1 Hydro Pump in rain, if I were using Keldeo on a weatherless team and/or using Surf over Hydro Pump, I'd honestly run HP Electric over HP Ghost 100% of the time. Besides, from my experience, Keldeo still loses to Latias in the long run regardless of its Hidden Power choice.
Celebi is uncommon at the moment, and Ice is perfectly adequate against Celebi, while also hitting things like Dragonite and Salamence. Overall, I see Tentacruel and Gyarados far, far more than I see Celebi. And we're talking about strictly CM + 3 Attacks, not SubCM, who is never going to run Hidden Power.
Sry my mistake about the SubCM.
HP Ghost hits Jellicent, Latios, Latias, Starmie and Celebi.
HP Ice hits Latias, Latios, Celebi, Dragonite, Salamence.
HP Electric hits Jellicent, Gyarados, Tentacruel, Starmie.
So HP Ice and Ghost hit the most targets, but as you can see all 3 HP have their uses.
HP Ghost hits Jellicent, Latios, Latias, Starmie and Celebi.
HP Ice hits Latias, Latios, Celebi, Dragonite, Salamence.
HP Electric hits Jellicent, Gyarados, Tentacruel, Starmie.
So HP Ice and Ghost hit the most targets, but as you can see all 3 HP have their uses.
don't forget amoonguss, who is only hit SE by hp ice. hp ghost/ice really doesn't do much to latias (like a third unboosted) and if both of them get to 2 CMs secret sword starts hitting harder. they hit latios respectably though. the problem with HP ice ofc is that jellicent will absolutely destroy you (but if you don't run it, amoonguss will generally have either clear smog or stun spore to stop keldeo, and you won't be able to hit it hard enough)
I have a brilliant idea then: Slash all three Hidden Powers and explain the benefits of each. Personally I don't care about the slash order too much, I just think HP Electric should be on the set.
Scarf is being written up separately guys. I've basically written it, but I'm waiting for Harsha to write the rest of the analysis first. As for it's position, I would probably put it first too. I'm actually not a fan of Specs at all really. I would prefer to use offensive CM or LO+4 attacks, which I think needs some consideration here.
Scarf only needs to be added to checks and counters, and maybe the overview.
Scarf only needs to be added to checks and counters, and maybe the overview.
why did i agree to gp this
GP APPROVED [1/2]
[Overview]
<p>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 pony certainly isn't one-sided. 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.</p>
[INSERT CHOICE SCARF SET HERE!]
[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Hydro Pump / Surf
move 3: Secret Sword
move 4: Hidden Power Ghost / Hidden Power Ice
item: Leftovers / Life Orb
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Keldeo's Calm Mind set is fairly straightforward—essentially, the goal is to attain enough Calm Mind boosts and then sweep. With great STABs, Keldeo can often do just that. Once opposing Choice Scarf users along with standard Keldeo counters are removed, this set can go to town <this seems obvious; "once X's counters are gone X can sweep" is what this is saying>. 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. Hydro Pump has tremendous power, especially under rain, and while Surf has less power, it is a viable alternative. 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, which is invaluable to its sweeping. Both Hidden Power Ghost and Hidden Power Ice have their uses; the former deals damage to Jellicent—who walls you otherwise—and Latias on the switch-in, while the latter allows you to hit Dragon-types much harder.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EVs of the set maximize Keldeo's Special Attack and Speed, the two tools that Keldeo needs in order to sweep effectively. While Modest may seem like a decent choice as a nature, the benefits of Timid far outweigh the perks of Modest—generally, tying Terrakion, Infernape, Cobalion, and beating out Thundurus-T, Salamence, Garchomp, and other Speed demons that plague the OU metagame is a far more important job.</p>
<p>When choosing an item for Keldeo, one should always keep the advantages and drawbacks in mind for each item <isn't this kind of obvious too>. Leftovers allows Keldeo to be a sturdier sweepers—one that can take a few resisted hits without worrying too much about health—while Life Orb provides a major source of power that all Pokemon must fear, especially under the rain. If these two items don't intrigue you, Lum Berry can always be used, as it avoids Toxic from Jellicent and can nab an extra turn of setup. In order to appreciate just how powerful a +1 Life Orb Hydro Pump in the rain from Keldeo is, a few calcs may be necessary:</p>
<ul class="damage_calculation">
<li>+1 Hydro Pump (rain) vs. 4/0 Dragonite 87.96% - 103.7% (Multiscale broken)</li>
<li>+1 Hydro Pump (rain) vs. 4/0 Salamence 115.1% - 135.5%</li>
<li>+1 Hydro Pump (rain) vs. 88/0 Gyarados 80.7% - 95.2%</li>
<li>+1 Hydro Pump (rain) vs. 4/0 Garchomp 181.8% - 214.5%</li>
<li>+1 Hydro Pump (rain) vs. 252/0 Tentacruel 67.0% - 78.8%</li>
<li>+1 Hydro Pump (rain) vs. 252/0 Chansey 52.1% - 61.5%</li>
<li>+1 Hydro Pump (rain) vs. 4/252+ Blissey 51.1% - 60.4%</li>
</ul>
<p>Okay, you probably get the point now. Keldeo is super powerful. While all of these calculations are in rainy conditions, one can use Keldeo effectively on sand or hail teams as well. However, one has to be very careful when running Keldeo with a Life Orb in one of these weathers, as Life Orb and weather damage will add up quickly. Keldeo appreciates spinners a lot, as they can rid the field of Toxic Spikes and allow Keldeo to set up more easily. Keldeo also enjoys the company of Politoed, as rain support can be deadly when paired with Keldeo. Oddly enough, Tyranitar is a great partner for Keldeo as well, as it can demolish Latios, Latias, Celebi, and Jellicent, all the Pokemon that give Keldeo a hard time.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Hydro Pump
move 2: Secret Sword
move 3: Hidden Power Ghost / Hidden Power Electric
move 4: Icy Wind / Surf
item: Choice Specs
nature: Timid / Modest
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>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 you 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 Dragon-types super effectively, but it also has the added bonus of hitting Latias that try and switch in and lowering their Speed <change the wording if you're making a distinction about Latias; right now it seems like Latias isn't a dragon. idk what you're trying to do here>. Some variants of Latias are 2HKOed, while Latios will face the same fate so long as they don't hold a Choice Scarf. Surf provides a reliable STAB move to use in the late-game though, so again, the last moveslot depends on preference.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Choice Specs Keldeo's EVs are standard for any special attacker. Like always, a Timid nature and 252 Speed EVs allows Keldeo to tie all opposing base 108 Speed Pokemon and beat out anything slower. However, a Modest nature is also viable on this set because it simply allows Keldeo to pack more power—this can be important if Keldeo is the primary wallbreaker for the team. Speed isn't as necessary on this set unless one wants to sweep with it in the late-game, but the presence of Tornadus-T and other speedy Pokemon makes sweeping with Keldeo much harder.</p>
<p>Rain support really allows this set to shine, as it provides another boost to Keldeo's already-powerful STAB Hydro Pump. Even most Dragon-types that resist Water-type attacks will fall to Keldeo's onslaught. Because Keldeo will do a lot of switching as a result of being locked into one move, having a spinner to remove entry hazards is very helpful, though not always necessary as Spikes are not too common and Toxic Spikes are even less common. However, the durability of this set is greatly raised when one pairs it with a spinner, so Rapid Spin should always be considered. As far as other options go, Hidden Power Grass is viable to smite Gastrodon, but it doesn't really provide much other than that. The moveset is much looser for Choice Specs Keldeo than any other Keldeo set because it simply is supposed to break walls, so depending on the walls you need to remove, you can mix and match moves.</p>
[SET]
name: SubCM
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Calm Mind
move 3: Hydro Pump / Surf
move 4: Secret Sword
item: Leftovers
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>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.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EVs allow Keldeo to tie opposing base 108 Speed Pokemon and beat out anything slower, so it outpaces a majority of the metagame. While running a Modest nature is tempting, a Timid nature is necessary in this Speed-dependent metagame. One can attempt to edit the EV spread and allot more EVs into HP to survive Amoonguss's Giga Drain after a boost or two, but this is generally inefficient and harmful to Keldeo's sweeping ability. Leftovers is the item of choice because it allows Keldeo to heal up damage that Substitute inflicts, but more daring people can run a Life Orb. However, doing so will make Keldeo very vulnerable to weather, and it may not be able to sweep for as long as one might like.</p>
<p>Keldeo remains walled eternally by Jellicent if it runs this set. Other counters to Keldeo will also have a good time because of the lack of Hidden Power coverage. For this reason, your team needs to have a good way of removing opposing Jellicent, Celebi, Latias, and other problematic Pokemon; Choice Band Tyranitar is an excellent candidate for this job if you don't mind the weather. Scizor also does well in this role, though it's a bit less effective in removing Jellicent. If one does not want to run Tyranitar, rain support is also an option. With rain, Keldeo's Water-type STAB move will be much more powerful; however, this comes with the drawback of having even more of a Jellicent weakness. Toxic Spikes support works wonders against some of Keldeo's counters because it can calmly boost behind a Substitute while it's primary check loses a lot of health to poisoning. On the flip side, Keldeo needs to have Toxic Spikes removed because they will hamper its sweep immensely by stunting its longevity.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>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. If you aren't using one of the above sets, there is probably a Pokemon that you should be using instead of Keldeo.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>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, but with Leaf Storm, it can do much more damage. 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 many Keldeo 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.</p>
<p>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-T and Tornadus-I both outspeed Keldeo, and with Hurricane, they 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, Salamence, 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.<p>
<p>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!</p>
<p>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 pony certainly isn't one-sided. 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.</p>
[INSERT CHOICE SCARF SET HERE!]
[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Hydro Pump / Surf
move 3: Secret Sword
move 4: Hidden Power Ghost / Hidden Power Ice
item: Leftovers / Life Orb
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Keldeo's Calm Mind set is fairly straightforward—essentially, the goal is to attain enough Calm Mind boosts and then sweep. With great STABs, Keldeo can often do just that. Once opposing Choice Scarf users along with standard Keldeo counters are removed, this set can go to town <this seems obvious; "once X's counters are gone X can sweep" is what this is saying>. 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. Hydro Pump has tremendous power, especially under rain, and while Surf has less power, it is a viable alternative. 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, which is invaluable to its sweeping. Both Hidden Power Ghost and Hidden Power Ice have their uses; the former deals damage to Jellicent—who walls you otherwise—and Latias on the switch-in, while the latter allows you to hit Dragon-types much harder.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EVs of the set maximize Keldeo's Special Attack and Speed, the two tools that Keldeo needs in order to sweep effectively. While Modest may seem like a decent choice as a nature, the benefits of Timid far outweigh the perks of Modest—generally, tying Terrakion, Infernape, Cobalion, and beating out Thundurus-T, Salamence, Garchomp, and other Speed demons that plague the OU metagame is a far more important job.</p>
<p>When choosing an item for Keldeo, one should always keep the advantages and drawbacks in mind for each item <isn't this kind of obvious too>. Leftovers allows Keldeo to be a sturdier sweepers—one that can take a few resisted hits without worrying too much about health—while Life Orb provides a major source of power that all Pokemon must fear, especially under the rain. If these two items don't intrigue you, Lum Berry can always be used, as it avoids Toxic from Jellicent and can nab an extra turn of setup. In order to appreciate just how powerful a +1 Life Orb Hydro Pump in the rain from Keldeo is, a few calcs may be necessary:</p>
<ul class="damage_calculation">
<li>+1 Hydro Pump (rain) vs. 4/0 Dragonite 87.96% - 103.7% (Multiscale broken)</li>
<li>+1 Hydro Pump (rain) vs. 4/0 Salamence 115.1% - 135.5%</li>
<li>+1 Hydro Pump (rain) vs. 88/0 Gyarados 80.7% - 95.2%</li>
<li>+1 Hydro Pump (rain) vs. 4/0 Garchomp 181.8% - 214.5%</li>
<li>+1 Hydro Pump (rain) vs. 252/0 Tentacruel 67.0% - 78.8%</li>
<li>+1 Hydro Pump (rain) vs. 252/0 Chansey 52.1% - 61.5%</li>
<li>+1 Hydro Pump (rain) vs. 4/252+ Blissey 51.1% - 60.4%</li>
</ul>
<p>Okay, you probably get the point now. Keldeo is super powerful. While all of these calculations are in rainy conditions, one can use Keldeo effectively on sand or hail teams as well. However, one has to be very careful when running Keldeo with a Life Orb in one of these weathers, as Life Orb and weather damage will add up quickly. Keldeo appreciates spinners a lot, as they can rid the field of Toxic Spikes and allow Keldeo to set up more easily. Keldeo also enjoys the company of Politoed, as rain support can be deadly when paired with Keldeo. Oddly enough, Tyranitar is a great partner for Keldeo as well, as it can demolish Latios, Latias, Celebi, and Jellicent, all the Pokemon that give Keldeo a hard time.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Hydro Pump
move 2: Secret Sword
move 3: Hidden Power Ghost / Hidden Power Electric
move 4: Icy Wind / Surf
item: Choice Specs
nature: Timid / Modest
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>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 you 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 Dragon-types super effectively, but it also has the added bonus of hitting Latias that try and switch in and lowering their Speed <change the wording if you're making a distinction about Latias; right now it seems like Latias isn't a dragon. idk what you're trying to do here>. Some variants of Latias are 2HKOed, while Latios will face the same fate so long as they don't hold a Choice Scarf. Surf provides a reliable STAB move to use in the late-game though, so again, the last moveslot depends on preference.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Choice Specs Keldeo's EVs are standard for any special attacker. Like always, a Timid nature and 252 Speed EVs allows Keldeo to tie all opposing base 108 Speed Pokemon and beat out anything slower. However, a Modest nature is also viable on this set because it simply allows Keldeo to pack more power—this can be important if Keldeo is the primary wallbreaker for the team. Speed isn't as necessary on this set unless one wants to sweep with it in the late-game, but the presence of Tornadus-T and other speedy Pokemon makes sweeping with Keldeo much harder.</p>
<p>Rain support really allows this set to shine, as it provides another boost to Keldeo's already-powerful STAB Hydro Pump. Even most Dragon-types that resist Water-type attacks will fall to Keldeo's onslaught. Because Keldeo will do a lot of switching as a result of being locked into one move, having a spinner to remove entry hazards is very helpful, though not always necessary as Spikes are not too common and Toxic Spikes are even less common. However, the durability of this set is greatly raised when one pairs it with a spinner, so Rapid Spin should always be considered. As far as other options go, Hidden Power Grass is viable to smite Gastrodon, but it doesn't really provide much other than that. The moveset is much looser for Choice Specs Keldeo than any other Keldeo set because it simply is supposed to break walls, so depending on the walls you need to remove, you can mix and match moves.</p>
[SET]
name: SubCM
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Calm Mind
move 3: Hydro Pump / Surf
move 4: Secret Sword
item: Leftovers
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>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.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EVs allow Keldeo to tie opposing base 108 Speed Pokemon and beat out anything slower, so it outpaces a majority of the metagame. While running a Modest nature is tempting, a Timid nature is necessary in this Speed-dependent metagame. One can attempt to edit the EV spread and allot more EVs into HP to survive Amoonguss's Giga Drain after a boost or two, but this is generally inefficient and harmful to Keldeo's sweeping ability. Leftovers is the item of choice because it allows Keldeo to heal up damage that Substitute inflicts, but more daring people can run a Life Orb. However, doing so will make Keldeo very vulnerable to weather, and it may not be able to sweep for as long as one might like.</p>
<p>Keldeo remains walled eternally by Jellicent if it runs this set. Other counters to Keldeo will also have a good time because of the lack of Hidden Power coverage. For this reason, your team needs to have a good way of removing opposing Jellicent, Celebi, Latias, and other problematic Pokemon; Choice Band Tyranitar is an excellent candidate for this job if you don't mind the weather. Scizor also does well in this role, though it's a bit less effective in removing Jellicent. If one does not want to run Tyranitar, rain support is also an option. With rain, Keldeo's Water-type STAB move will be much more powerful; however, this comes with the drawback of having even more of a Jellicent weakness. Toxic Spikes support works wonders against some of Keldeo's counters because it can calmly boost behind a Substitute while it's primary check loses a lot of health to poisoning. On the flip side, Keldeo needs to have Toxic Spikes removed because they will hamper its sweep immensely by stunting its longevity.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>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. If you aren't using one of the above sets, there is probably a Pokemon that you should be using instead of Keldeo.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>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, but with Leaf Storm, it can do much more damage. 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 many Keldeo 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.</p>
<p>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-T and Tornadus-I both outspeed Keldeo, and with Hurricane, they 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, Salamence, 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.<p>
<p>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!</p>
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