Kingdra
QC: 3/3 (Bouffalant, Hikari, dodmen)
GP: 2/2 (SkarmChikora + Winry., horyzhnz)
Overview
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Kingdra's various ways to set up its offenses make it a fearsome sweeper in the UU tier. It possesses the newly-improved combination of Sniper and Focus Energy, allowing it to always land a Sniper-boosted critical hit. Despite its initial lackluster Speed, Kingdra has two reliable ways to boost its Speed, in Swift Swim and Agility. Water and Dragon make an unresisted STAB combination, with the exception of Empoleon. Kingdra possesses equally usable Attack and Special Attack, along with a great defensive typing and decent bulk, making it very well-rounded. However, Kingdra is prone to being revenge killed by Dragon-type Choice Scarf users due to its weakness to Dragon-type moves and its average Speed. Kingdra's average Speed can also make it difficult to set up a Focus Energy, Dragon Dance, or Rain Dance. Most importantly, Fairy-types make Kingdra's Dragon-type attacks much less reliable than they once were. Nonetheless, Kingdra's unpredictability makes it worthy of a spot on many offensive teams.
Critdra
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name: Critdra
move 1: Focus Energy
move 2: Draco Meteor
move 3: Hydro Pump
move 4: Agility
ability: Sniper
item: Scope Lens
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Modest / Timid
Moves
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Focus Energy is Kingdra's setup move, raising its critical hit rate to 50%. Draco Meteor is a very strong STAB attack, and critical hits will ignore the Special Attack drop from using it. Hydro Pump can hit Fairy- and Steel-types such as Florges and Mega Aggron that Draco Meteor cannot do much damage to. Agility is the best option for the fourth slot, as it can make Kingdra difficult to revenge kill, possibly allowing it to set up for a complete sweep of the opposing team.
Set Details
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Maximum Speed and Special Attack investment maximizes Kingdra's offensive presence. Modest is the preferred nature to prevent dedicated special walls such as Umbreon from PP stalling Kingdra, which is important because Draco Meteor and Hydro Pump have a very low PP count of just 8. Alternatively, a Timid nature can be used to Speed tie with Nidoking and opposing Kingdra, but the ability to stallbreak is typically preferred. Sniper raises the damage output of Kingdra's critical hits from 1.5x to 2.25x, while Scope Lens raises Kingdra's critical hit rate one stage. In combination with Focus Energy, Kingdra is guaranteed to land a critical hit on every attack.
Usage Tips
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Do not set up a Focus Energy on offensive Pokemon that hit Kingdra at least neutrally. It may have a good defensive typing and decent bulk, but it typically wants to avoid offensive pressure. Before using Focus Energy, Kingdra's damage output will be marginal with its modest base 95 Special Attack, so be sure to boost against a defensive Pokemon as soon as possible. If the opponent packs a faster Pokemon or a Choice Scarf user, particularly a Dragon-type one, either use Agility right away or keep Kingdra off of the battlefield until the faster Pokemon has been taken down.
Team Options
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Packing a Steel- or Fire-type such as Mega Aggron or Entei, respectively, will force out the Fairy-types that threaten Kingdra. Likewise, a Fairy-type such as Florges or Aromatisse will scare away the Dragon-types that Kingdra cannot set up on, particularly Hydreigon, Haxorus, and Kyurem.
Dragon Dance
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name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Outrage
move 4: Substitute
ability: Sniper
item: Lum Berry
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly
Moves
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Dragon Dance boosts Kingdra's Attack and Speed to high levels. Waterfall is Kingdra's most reliable STAB attack because of its good neutral coverage and its ability to occasionally flinch the foe. Outrage is mainly used for late-game cleaning after the opponent has lost all of their Fairy- and Steel-types. Substitute has many uses on a sweeping set, but is primarily used to allow Kingdra to gain a free Dragon Dance, and to protect it from status moves from Pokemon such as Blissey.
Set Details
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Kingdra needs its Attack and Speed maximized in order to deal damage heavily and quickly. At +1, Kingdra outspeeds Jolly Mega Aerodactyl and Speed ties with Choice Scarf Nidoking. Lum Berry prevents a Scald-induced burn from crippling Kingdra, and it will heal self-inflicted confusion from Outrage once. Sniper is the preferred ability because Kingdra is probably not going to be used on a rain team here, making Swift Swim useless.
Usage Tips
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When in doubt, scout the foe's moves with Substitute, but it's not always the best idea to boost directly after getting a Substitute up. If the opponent has a faster Choice Scarf user, or your current foe is a slower Pokemon that you can KO, attack instead of using Dragon Dance. This set is a late-game cleaner and not a bulky wallbreaker, so wait until the opposing Fairy- and Steel-types have been weakened before spamming Outrage.
Team Options
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Sticky Web support from Galvantula or Shuckle will allow Kingdra to beat most Choice Scarf users at +1, such as Darmanitan. A special setup sweeper such as Suicune will deal with the physical walls that Kingdra lures in, such as Forretress. A Steel-type such as Mega Aggron can tank the Dragon- and Fairy- type attacks that Kingdra normally cannot survive. Nidoqueen and Nidoking can make for good offensive partners to weaken opposing Fairy- and Steel-types to aid in Kingdra's sweep.
Rain Sweeper
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name: Rain Sweeper
move 1: Rain Dance
move 2: Hydro Pump
move 3: Draco Meteor
move 4: Surf / Dragon Pulse / Ice Beam
ability: Swift Swim
item: Life Orb
evs: 40 HP / 252 SpA / 216 Spe
nature: Modest
Moves
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Rain Dance is a pseudo-Agility, doubling Kingdra's Speed with Swift Swim. Hydro Pump is a powerful STAB attack that is extremely powerful in the rain. Draco Meteor is a secondary STAB move that hits the bulky Water-types that can tank a Hydro Pump. Surf is a slightly less powerful but perfectly accurate Water-type STAB attack, while Dragon Pulse OHKOes the Dragon-types of UU, such as Haxorus and Hydreigon. Alternatively, Ice Beam hits Grass-types in addition to Dragon-types, but unlike Dragon Pulse, the move fails to OHKO Dragon-types with the exception of Noivern.
Set Details
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The given EV spread and a Modest nature allow Kingdra to outspeed Choice Scarf Infernape while maximizing Kingdra's offensive power in the process. Swift Swim is a must-have in order to make use of rain, as it will double Kingdra's Speed when rain is active. Life Orb is the preferred item to allow Kingdra to dish out as much damage as possible.
Usage Tips
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Keeping Kingdra healthy is very important, as it needs a turn to set up Rain Dance before it starts attacking. Avoid setting up Rain Dance on an offensive Pokemon, or simply KO said Pokemon if it is weakened enough and slower. As this set will often be coming in on weakened Pokemon, it creates several 50/50 situations, as you must choose whether to KO the foe right there, or to predict its switch and set up a Rain Dance. Moreover, this set cannot wallbreak, so it is relegated to the role of late-game cleaner.
Team Options
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This set is highly vulnerable to bulky Water-types, particularly Suicune. A Grass- or Electric-type such as Shaymin or Mega Ampharos, respectively, can force out the Water-types that Kingdra may lure in. Florges gives this set trouble, so a Pokemon that can set up on her such as Cobalion works as an alternative win condition. This set fits very well on dedicated rain teams, so you can pair Kingdra with rain staples such as Tornadus, Toxicroak, and Mega Swampert.
Other Options
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Choice Specs makes Kingdra a powerful wallbreaker, but you must have rain on the field in order for it to work effectively. Iron Head hits Florges harder than Waterfall does and prevents her from being a reliable switch-in to an unboosted Kingdra. ChestoRest can provide one-time reliable recovery for the Dragon Dance set, but Kingdra the lacks room for the move and the item. Leftovers is an option for the Swift Swim set in order to keep Kingdra healthy enough to use Rain Dance, but it prefers the power boost from Life Orb. Damp Rock can maximize the duration of Rain Dance, but Kingdra will not ususally be around for long enough to take advantage of it. Waterfall can be used outside of the Dragon Dance set in order to hit Blissey, but it requires significant Attack investment in order to be effective.
Checks & Counters
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**Empoleon**: Empoleon can absorb any of Kingdra's attacks and force it out.
**Florges**: Though Florges cannot always switch into Kingdra, she can tank any attack (even Iron Head), physical or special, from a Kingdra that has not yet set up, and 2HKO it with STAB Moonblast.
**Choice Scarf Users**: Without Sticky Web support, most Choice Scarf users will outspeed Kingdra at +1, most notably Hydreigon, Haxorus, and Mienshao. All three aforementioned Choice Scarf users can OHKO Kingdra before it even attempts to set up.
**Special Walls**: Most dedicated special walls, such as Blissey and Umbreon, can take even a rain-boosted Hydro Pump. Fortunately, they can't do much back to Kingdra either.
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