[OVERVIEW]
Keldeo's solid Special Attack and Speed stat allow it to function as a premier revenge killer in the OU metagame. A Water / Fighting typing in conjunction with solid bulk for an offensive Pokemon allows Keldeo to check threatening Water-, Fire, Steel-, and Dark-type Pokemon such as Ash-Greninja, Heatran, Mega Scizor, and Weavile, respectively. Keldeo's STAB Secret Sword also allows it to bypass traditional checks to special attacking Water-types such as Chansey and Ferrothorn. Unfortunately, not all shines for Keldeo, as numerous Pokemon such as Toxapex, Amoonguss, and Tapu Fini are all hard counters to any Keldeo set. Keldeo also lacks any powerful coverage options and is forced to rely on weaker moves such as Hidden Power and Icy Wind.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Hydro Pump
move 2: Secret Sword
move 3: Icy Wind / Stone Edge
move 4: Scald / Surf
ability: Justified
nature: Timid / Hasty
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Hydro Pump is Keldeo's most powerful Water-type STAB move, but it is rather unreliable due to its low accuracy. Secret Sword completes Keldeo's dual STAB and complements Scald well, hitting Water-type- resistant Pokemon such as Ferrothorn, Rotom-W, and Manaphy for solid damage. Secret Sword also targets the foe's Defense stat, allowing Keldeo to break through specially defensive walls such as Chansey. Secret Sword can also be used to revenge kill Ash-Greninja and Protean Greninja after using Ice Beam or Dark Pulse. Icy Wind is used in order to hit Pokemon such as Latios, Dragonite, and Zygarde for super effective damage, but it is very weak against other targets, especially without a boosting item. Stone Edge can also be used in this slot, allowing Keldeo to properly revenge kill Pokemon such as Volcarona and Mega Charizard Y. Scald is a reliable Water-type STAB move for Keldeo with the added benefit of burning the target 30% of the time, making it trickier to switch into than Surf, as burn cripples most switch-ins to Keldeo. Scald is also very useful for revenge killing Pokemon such as Fire-type Greninja and Landorus-T that don't require Keldeo to use Hydro Pump in order to OHKO, and Scald can also unthaw Keldeo if frozen. Surf is an alternative option for this slot, trading Scald's 30% burn rate for slightly more power. Surf can also act as Keldeo's sole form of Water-type STAB if both Icy Wind and Stone Edge are required. The utility Scald provides is usually more beneficial, however. Hidden Power Electric is also helpful for smacking Gyarados for 4x super effective damage, but due to its low Base Power, it does not OHKO from full HP.
Set Details
========
Maximum Speed and Special Attack investment let Keldeo hit as hard and as fast as possible. Choice Scarf is the item of choice for this set, allowing Keldeo to outspeed and revenge kill Pokemon such as Tapu Koko and Ash Greninja. A Timid nature is necessary for outspeeding other Choice Scarf users such as Jirachi, Garchomp, and Tapu Lele. However, a Hasty nature should be used if running Stone Edge, as otherwise Keldeo cannot OHKO Volcarona. A Naive nature is sound in theory, but is suboptimal, as it hinders Keldeo's ability to check Ash-Greninja.
Usage Tips
========
Choice Scarf Keldeo best functions as a revenge killer and late-game cleaner once the opposing team has been appropriately weakened. Even if the opposing team has counters to Keldeo such as Toxapex or Mega Venusaur, it is often optimal to use Scald as they switch in anyway, as burning these foes cuts down on their longevity. Although Keldeo is a solid switch into Dark-types such as Bisharp and Weavile, it must beware of getting its Choice Scarf Knocked Off, as it usually cannot effectively preform its role as a revenge killer without it.
Team Options
========
Keldeo greatly appreciates entry hazard support from the likes of Ferrothorn, Skarmory, and Landorus-T to wear down the opposing team for it to clean late-game. Fire-types such as Heatran, Mega Charizard Y, and Volcarona all make for solid partners alongside Keldeo, as they can combat Grass-types that wall Keldeo such as Amoongus and Mega Venusaur while also wearing down bulky Water-types that take little damage from anything Keldeo can throw at them. Steel-types such as Celesteela, Skarmory, and Magearna are similarly solid partners for Keldeo, as they can switch in on the Grass-, Flying-, Fairy-, and Psychic-types that threaten Keldeo, while Keldeo can take on the Fire-types that bother these Pokemon. Powerful wallbreakers such as Ash-Greninja, Mega Metagross, and Hoopa-U greatly appreciate the revenge killing potential of Choice Scarf Keldeo. Pursuit users such as Tyranitar, Weavile, and Mega Metagross also work very well in conjunction with Keldeo, as they can trap and remove Latios and Latias, which resist Keldeo's dual STAB. In particular, Greninja makes for an excellent teammate alongside Keldeo, since it can not only set up Spikes to aid Keldeo in sweeping late-game, but it can also break through problematic Pokemon for Keldeo such as Toxapex and Amoongus with Extrasensory. Lastly, Zapdos also works well with Keldeo, being able to switch into and combat the bulky Water- and Grass-types that plague Keldeo with Disharge and Heat Wave, respectively.
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Scald
move 2: Hydro Pump
move 3: Secret Sword
move 4: Hidden Power Electric / Icy Wind / Focus Blast
item: Choice Specs
ability: Justified
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Scald is Keldeo's most reliable and spammable Water-type attack, burning the target 30% of the time. Alternatively, Hydro Pump hits incredibly hard in conjunction with Choice Specs, but it should only be used when necessary due to its less-than-stellar accuracy. Secret Sword is a moderately powerful and consistent Fighting-type STAB move with no drawbacks that also targeting the opponent's Defense stat, which aids its wallbreaking potential. Hidden Power Electric is used to hit opposing Water-types such as Gyarados, Toxapex, and Tapu Fini for super effective damage. Icy Wind can also be used in this slot in order to nail Latios and Amoonguss for super effective damage while also dropping the targets Speed stat by one stage. Focus Blast is an alternative, capable of 2HKO'ing even the bulkiest of Tangrowth variants, as well as OHKO'ing Rotom-W after Stealth Rock.
Set Details
========
Maximum Speed and Special Attack investment let Keldeo hit as hard and as fast as possible. Choice Specs boosts Keldeo's already menacing Special Attack stat to tremendous levels and allows it to wallbreak effectively. A Timid nature is used to ensure that Keldeo outspeeds Pokemon such as Manaphy, Garchomp, and Tapu Lele.
Usage Tips
========
Choice Specs Keldeo is an excellent wallbreaker, and as such should be used early- to mid-game to break through the opposing team's defensive core. Even if the opposing team has counters to Keldeo such as Tangrowth or Toxapex, clicking Scald is often beneficial, as these Pokemon struggle to continually check Keldeo when inflicted with burn. Although Keldeo is a solid switch- in to Dark-types, only allow its Choice Specs to be Knocked Off when it is no longer needed to break through the opponent's team.
Team Options
========
Keldeo greatly appreciates U-turn and Volt Switch support from the likes of Mega Scizor, Landorus-T, and Tapu Koko, respectively, as the free switch-ins provided by these moves allow Keldeo more opportunities to wallbreak. Tapu Koko makes for an excellent partner in particular, as it can break through Flying- and Water-types that bother Keldeo while also setting up Electric Terrain to boost the power of Keldeo's Hidden Power Electric. Similarly, Tapu Koko appreciates Keldeo's ability to wear down and break through Ferrothorn and bulky Ground-types that plague Tapu Koko. Stealth Rock and Spikes support from Pokemon such as Heatran, Ferrothorn, and Greninja further aid Keldeo's wallbreaking abilities. Heatran in particular works well with Keldeo, as it can switch into and remove the bulky Grass-types that wall Keldeo. The Bloom Doom set can lure in and heavily weaken bulky Water-types such as Tapu Fini and Slowbro, which take little damage from Keldeo's STAB moves. Lastly, Pursuit users such as Tyranitar and Weavile also make for excellent partners alongside Keldeo, as they can trap and remove Pokemon such as Celebi, Latias, and Latios that resist Keldeo's STAB moves.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
A Calm Mind + 3 Attack set with Hyper Beam and Normalium Z allows Keldeo to not only boost its Special Attack but to blow through traditional counters such as Toxapex and Tapu Fini with a powerful Breakneck Blitz as well. This set has only one attempt to get off its Z-Move, though, and it is very weak without a boost. Taunt or Substitute can also be used with Calm Mind, but it is still an uphill battle to break through the aforementioned Pokemon. A Substitute + Endeavor set utilizing Salac Berry is an often unexpected option that can be used as a last ditch effort to greatly weaken a troublesome wall for a teammate or for Keldeo to sweep in the later stages of a battle after activating its Salac Berry. This set is fairly niche and often unreliable, though. Toxic, while undesirable to be Choice locked into, can be useful for chipping away at Pokemon such as Tangrowth and Slowbro that take little damage from any of Keldeo's attacks but despise status ailments. Toxic fails to chip away at two of Keldeo's biggest counters, being Tapu Fini and Toxapex, however, so it is usually not worth pursuing.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Bulky Water-types**: Bulky Water-types such as Toxapex, Mantine, Tapu Fini, and Slowbro all resist Keldeo's STAB attacks and can either status Keldeo or hit it super effectively with their STAB attacks.
**Bulky Grass-types**: Bulky Grass-types such as Amoongus, Mega Venusaur, and Tangrowth all take little damage from any attack Keldeo can throw at it and in turn can hit Keldeo super effectively with STAB Grass-type attacks.
**Faster Offensive Pokemon**: Faster offensive Pokemon such as Latios, Mega Alakazam, and Tornadus-T can all outspeed non-Choice Scarf Keldeo and OHKO it with their super effective STAB moves. Assault Vest Tornadus-T can switch in comfortably to almost all of Keldeo's attacks with impunity, making it particularly troublesome.
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