Mafeking
channels his inner Wolverine
Cosmetic Edit:
That awkward moment when the post date of this thread is before I joined. Whoops. Anyway, Komodo asked me to take this over.
Kingler
Finished.
[Overview]
<p>Kingler, at first glance, appears to be an underrated force in the RU tier. With a gargantuan base 130 Attack stat, mediocre but usable Speed, and a great Defense stat, Kingler looks like a strong contender for a spot on any team. However, all is not perfect for this large crab, as a shallow movepool leaves it largely outclassed by Crawdaunt, who can both boost its Attack and remedy its poor Speed with Dragon Dance. To avoid playing Kingler like the poor man's Crawdaunt, one must take full advantage of its higher Speed stat. Additionally, Kingler's mono-Water typing means it is not hit super effectively by priority moves, such as Mach Punch, as well as the common U-turn—a feat that Crawdaunt is largely jealous of.</p>
[SET]
name: Boosting Sweeper
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Agility
move 3: Crabhammer
move 4: Return / X-Scissor
item: Life Orb
ability: Hyper Cutter
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Kingler has access to two very useful boosting moves: Swords Dance and Agility; both options are key elements to Kingler's success on your team, though they are not intended to be used successively. Kingler will likely not get many free turns to set up, as its low Special Defense and weakness to Grass- and Electric-type moves spell a quick demise for the crab if it fails to take advantage of the time it is given. Swords Dance is Kingler's most useful boosting move, allowing Kingler to break through physical walls that may switch in to stop a sweep. Agility, on the other hand, is very useful if Kingler needs to be utilized as a late-game cleaner. Crabhammer is Kingler's most powerful STAB option and will tear through anything that doesn't resist it, especially after a Swords Dance. Unfortunately, Double-Edge is illegal with Agility, meaning that Return is the best attacking option to provide neutral coverage with Crabhammer. If you're looking for Kingler to be self-sufficient in removing Grass-types who come in to check it, X-Scissor is a superb option. Unfortunately, the combination of Crabhammer and X-Scissor is completely walled by Qwilfish.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Kingler's naturally high Defense stat is quite a blessing, as it means that physical attackers have a difficult time stopping Kingler's sweep, especially if they can be OHKOed after a Swords Dance. The given EVs are standard for an offensive sweeper, with both Attack and Speed maximized so that Kingler will perform to the highest of its capabilities. The choice of nature depends on which boosting move you intend to use more often; Adamant is the preferred choice if Kingler is planning on frequently boosting with Agility, while Jolly is the best option for those who intend to buff Kingler up with Swords Dance. A Life Orb is Kingler's item of choice, allowing it to achieve incredible power when combined with its boosting moves. Hyper Cutter is preferred over Sheer Force as Kingler lacks powerful moves that can take advantage of the latter, while Hyper Cutter has the added benefit of blocking Qwilfish's Intimidate.</p>
<p>If having two boosting moves on one set seems like overkill, or you find yourself only using one more often than the other, a set of one boosting move and three coverage moves is quite viable. If using Swords Dance, Double-Edge can replace Return for additional firepower, though be wary of the recoil damage from both Double-Edge and Life Orb. If you stick to Agility, however, Return must be used as your Normal-type coverage move. X-Scissor is useful for the last moveslot, but options such as Brick Break and Superpower are also useful for their ability to deal heavy damage to Ferroseed. Ironically, Ferroseed is a very important partner for this Kingler as it can set up entry hazards for a Kingler boosting its Speed and provide paralysis support for a Kingler boosting its Attack. Pokemon who can set up dual screens are also excellent choices for supporting Kingler; the reduced damage gives Kingler more possibilities to set up, possibly even granting it both of its boosts. The crab's monstrous Defense will also skyrocket, while its Special Defense will highly improve as well. Uxie is an excellent partner for providing dual screens support for Kingler, as its massive defensive stats mean it can take a hit meant for Kingler.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice
move 1: Crabhammer
move 2: Double-Edge / Return
move 3: X-Scissor
move 4: Superpower
item: Choice Band
ability: Hyper Cutter
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set is more effective in distinguishing itself from Crawdaunt, as it is based entirely off of Kingler's Attack and Speed stats, both of which are higher than Crawdaunt's. Being locked into a move thanks to a Choice item isn't so bad either, as Kingler's movepool is just deep enough to provide excellent coverage in four powerful moves. Though this Kingler is not as powerful as the boosting set in the long run, the ability to hit hard right off the bat is appreciated, especially as Kingler is one of the most powerful Pokemon in the tier. Crabhammer is an obvious choice, as it is incredibly powerful, receives STAB, and has a high chance to land a critical hit against any Pokemon who try to wall Kingler. Double-Edge is both legal and much more viable on this set, as Kingler will no longer be taking Life Orb recoil as well as recoil from Double-Edge. As a Normal-type move is required for optimal coverage, Return should be used over Double-Edge if the recoil is unappealing. X-Scissor cleans up Grass- and Psychic-types that may try to exploit Kingler's lower Special Defense, while Superpower is crucial for defeating Ferroseed.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Choice Band is the preferred item for this Kingler, as it allows Kingler to function as a much more efficient wallbreaker. The EVs maximize Attack and Speed since they're crucial for a sweeper, especially one holding a Choice item. The four leftover EVs are put into Defense as allocating them to HP would make Kingler's health divisible by 16, which would round up all forms of passive damage. An alternate spread of 32 HP / 252 Atk / 224 Spe can be used to outrun neutral natured base 70s, such as Honchkrow. Adamant is the preferred nature, as usual, for its dramatic improvement to Kingler's already monstrous Attack stat. However, running Jolly will let Kingler outspeed positive natured Honchkrow, as well as neutral natured Gallade and Kabutops. However, a Choice Scarf can be used, as it can outspeed most of the tier thanks to its already decent Speed. This can turn Kingler into an effective revenge killer or late-game cleaner, but is largely outclassed by the booster set's access to Agility. Hyper Cutter is the preferred ability as Kingler lacks the options to take advantage of Sheer Force, and protection against Intimidate from the likes of Qwilfish is vital for keeping up Kingler's massive Attack.</p>
<p>As always, Kingler will appreciate entry hazards support from the likes of Ferroseed and Accelgor, both of whom resist Kingler's weakness to Grass-type moves while Kingler resists their weakness to Fire-type moves. Roselia is another fantastic partner to Kingler, resisting both Grass- and Electric-type moves and being able to set up both kinds of Spikes. Omastar and Qwilfish are both viable options, but beware of stacking Electric- and Grass-type weaknesses. Pokemon who can utilize U-turn and Volt Switch to scout are excellent partners for Kingler, as they help ease prediction. Additionally, Kingler's Attack stat may be massive, but it is not always enough to break through the premier physical walls of the tier. As such, partners like SubSplit Rotom and other specially based attackers make good offensive teammates; Rotom also happens to resist Electric-type moves.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>The first option that springs to mind for Kingler is its alternate ability, Sheer Force. Though Sheer Force eliminates Life Orb recoil and would dramatically boost the power of certain moves, the only option Kingler has to use with Sheer Force is Rock Slide. While this is certainly viable, Hyper Cutter is almost always preferred as it blocks Attack reductions from Intimidate. Hone Claws is an option for boosting Kingler's Attack and accuracy if you're concerned about missing a crucial Crabhammer, though the +1 boost is largely inferior to the +2 boost that comes from Swords Dance. Kingler also has access to defensive moves, such as Haze and Toxic, though these are largely situational at best since Kingler has a hard time giving up any of its precious moveslots on the first set. Knock Off is another option, but Crawdaunt also has access to this, making it a poor reason to choose Kingler. Unfortunately, Kingler lacks access to both Waterfall and Aqua Tail, leaving the somewhat inaccurate Crabhammer as its only reliable STAB.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Despite Hyper Cutter negating Intimidate, Qwilfish still makes a superb counter to Kingler, especially the sets that forgo Double-Edge or Return in favor of X-Scissor. Qwilfish handily resists three of Kingler's most common attacking moves, though it must be careful of the Choice Band set as either Normal-type coverage move has a high change to 2HKO it. Qwilfish will likely outspeed any non-Choice Scarf variant of Kingler and potentially poison it with Poison Jab, stop it from setting up via Taunt, or completely remove Kingler's boosts with Haze. Tangrowth is another excellent counter to Kingler, as its STAB Grass-type moves will make short work of the giant crab. Additionally, Tangrowth's huge Defense stat makes it very impenetrable, though it must be wary of a 2HKO from a Choice Band X-Scissor. Ferroseed is possibly Kingler's most effective counter; the boosting set often chooses not to run Superpower, leaving it totally helpless against Ferroseed even after boosts. The Choice Band set can wreck Ferroseed, but Kingler is heavily damaged by Leech Seed and Iron Barbs and effectively neutralized by Thunder Wave. If you can predict which move Kingler is going to use to boost up, a counter is not hard to find. Defensive Pokemon can easily halt an Agility Kingler, while faster revenge killers can take out Kingler that use Swords Dance. The Choice Band set is harder to handle, as Kingler's massive Attack stat and good coverage mean that not many things avoid a 2HKO from one of its moves, making prediction vital. Revenge killing, however, is a superb way of defeating Kingler.</p>
That awkward moment when the post date of this thread is before I joined. Whoops. Anyway, Komodo asked me to take this over.
Kingler
Finished.
[Overview]
<p>Kingler, at first glance, appears to be an underrated force in the RU tier. With a gargantuan base 130 Attack stat, mediocre but usable Speed, and a great Defense stat, Kingler looks like a strong contender for a spot on any team. However, all is not perfect for this large crab, as a shallow movepool leaves it largely outclassed by Crawdaunt, who can both boost its Attack and remedy its poor Speed with Dragon Dance. To avoid playing Kingler like the poor man's Crawdaunt, one must take full advantage of its higher Speed stat. Additionally, Kingler's mono-Water typing means it is not hit super effectively by priority moves, such as Mach Punch, as well as the common U-turn—a feat that Crawdaunt is largely jealous of.</p>
[SET]
name: Boosting Sweeper
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Agility
move 3: Crabhammer
move 4: Return / X-Scissor
item: Life Orb
ability: Hyper Cutter
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Kingler has access to two very useful boosting moves: Swords Dance and Agility; both options are key elements to Kingler's success on your team, though they are not intended to be used successively. Kingler will likely not get many free turns to set up, as its low Special Defense and weakness to Grass- and Electric-type moves spell a quick demise for the crab if it fails to take advantage of the time it is given. Swords Dance is Kingler's most useful boosting move, allowing Kingler to break through physical walls that may switch in to stop a sweep. Agility, on the other hand, is very useful if Kingler needs to be utilized as a late-game cleaner. Crabhammer is Kingler's most powerful STAB option and will tear through anything that doesn't resist it, especially after a Swords Dance. Unfortunately, Double-Edge is illegal with Agility, meaning that Return is the best attacking option to provide neutral coverage with Crabhammer. If you're looking for Kingler to be self-sufficient in removing Grass-types who come in to check it, X-Scissor is a superb option. Unfortunately, the combination of Crabhammer and X-Scissor is completely walled by Qwilfish.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Kingler's naturally high Defense stat is quite a blessing, as it means that physical attackers have a difficult time stopping Kingler's sweep, especially if they can be OHKOed after a Swords Dance. The given EVs are standard for an offensive sweeper, with both Attack and Speed maximized so that Kingler will perform to the highest of its capabilities. The choice of nature depends on which boosting move you intend to use more often; Adamant is the preferred choice if Kingler is planning on frequently boosting with Agility, while Jolly is the best option for those who intend to buff Kingler up with Swords Dance. A Life Orb is Kingler's item of choice, allowing it to achieve incredible power when combined with its boosting moves. Hyper Cutter is preferred over Sheer Force as Kingler lacks powerful moves that can take advantage of the latter, while Hyper Cutter has the added benefit of blocking Qwilfish's Intimidate.</p>
<p>If having two boosting moves on one set seems like overkill, or you find yourself only using one more often than the other, a set of one boosting move and three coverage moves is quite viable. If using Swords Dance, Double-Edge can replace Return for additional firepower, though be wary of the recoil damage from both Double-Edge and Life Orb. If you stick to Agility, however, Return must be used as your Normal-type coverage move. X-Scissor is useful for the last moveslot, but options such as Brick Break and Superpower are also useful for their ability to deal heavy damage to Ferroseed. Ironically, Ferroseed is a very important partner for this Kingler as it can set up entry hazards for a Kingler boosting its Speed and provide paralysis support for a Kingler boosting its Attack. Pokemon who can set up dual screens are also excellent choices for supporting Kingler; the reduced damage gives Kingler more possibilities to set up, possibly even granting it both of its boosts. The crab's monstrous Defense will also skyrocket, while its Special Defense will highly improve as well. Uxie is an excellent partner for providing dual screens support for Kingler, as its massive defensive stats mean it can take a hit meant for Kingler.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice
move 1: Crabhammer
move 2: Double-Edge / Return
move 3: X-Scissor
move 4: Superpower
item: Choice Band
ability: Hyper Cutter
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set is more effective in distinguishing itself from Crawdaunt, as it is based entirely off of Kingler's Attack and Speed stats, both of which are higher than Crawdaunt's. Being locked into a move thanks to a Choice item isn't so bad either, as Kingler's movepool is just deep enough to provide excellent coverage in four powerful moves. Though this Kingler is not as powerful as the boosting set in the long run, the ability to hit hard right off the bat is appreciated, especially as Kingler is one of the most powerful Pokemon in the tier. Crabhammer is an obvious choice, as it is incredibly powerful, receives STAB, and has a high chance to land a critical hit against any Pokemon who try to wall Kingler. Double-Edge is both legal and much more viable on this set, as Kingler will no longer be taking Life Orb recoil as well as recoil from Double-Edge. As a Normal-type move is required for optimal coverage, Return should be used over Double-Edge if the recoil is unappealing. X-Scissor cleans up Grass- and Psychic-types that may try to exploit Kingler's lower Special Defense, while Superpower is crucial for defeating Ferroseed.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Choice Band is the preferred item for this Kingler, as it allows Kingler to function as a much more efficient wallbreaker. The EVs maximize Attack and Speed since they're crucial for a sweeper, especially one holding a Choice item. The four leftover EVs are put into Defense as allocating them to HP would make Kingler's health divisible by 16, which would round up all forms of passive damage. An alternate spread of 32 HP / 252 Atk / 224 Spe can be used to outrun neutral natured base 70s, such as Honchkrow. Adamant is the preferred nature, as usual, for its dramatic improvement to Kingler's already monstrous Attack stat. However, running Jolly will let Kingler outspeed positive natured Honchkrow, as well as neutral natured Gallade and Kabutops. However, a Choice Scarf can be used, as it can outspeed most of the tier thanks to its already decent Speed. This can turn Kingler into an effective revenge killer or late-game cleaner, but is largely outclassed by the booster set's access to Agility. Hyper Cutter is the preferred ability as Kingler lacks the options to take advantage of Sheer Force, and protection against Intimidate from the likes of Qwilfish is vital for keeping up Kingler's massive Attack.</p>
<p>As always, Kingler will appreciate entry hazards support from the likes of Ferroseed and Accelgor, both of whom resist Kingler's weakness to Grass-type moves while Kingler resists their weakness to Fire-type moves. Roselia is another fantastic partner to Kingler, resisting both Grass- and Electric-type moves and being able to set up both kinds of Spikes. Omastar and Qwilfish are both viable options, but beware of stacking Electric- and Grass-type weaknesses. Pokemon who can utilize U-turn and Volt Switch to scout are excellent partners for Kingler, as they help ease prediction. Additionally, Kingler's Attack stat may be massive, but it is not always enough to break through the premier physical walls of the tier. As such, partners like SubSplit Rotom and other specially based attackers make good offensive teammates; Rotom also happens to resist Electric-type moves.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>The first option that springs to mind for Kingler is its alternate ability, Sheer Force. Though Sheer Force eliminates Life Orb recoil and would dramatically boost the power of certain moves, the only option Kingler has to use with Sheer Force is Rock Slide. While this is certainly viable, Hyper Cutter is almost always preferred as it blocks Attack reductions from Intimidate. Hone Claws is an option for boosting Kingler's Attack and accuracy if you're concerned about missing a crucial Crabhammer, though the +1 boost is largely inferior to the +2 boost that comes from Swords Dance. Kingler also has access to defensive moves, such as Haze and Toxic, though these are largely situational at best since Kingler has a hard time giving up any of its precious moveslots on the first set. Knock Off is another option, but Crawdaunt also has access to this, making it a poor reason to choose Kingler. Unfortunately, Kingler lacks access to both Waterfall and Aqua Tail, leaving the somewhat inaccurate Crabhammer as its only reliable STAB.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Despite Hyper Cutter negating Intimidate, Qwilfish still makes a superb counter to Kingler, especially the sets that forgo Double-Edge or Return in favor of X-Scissor. Qwilfish handily resists three of Kingler's most common attacking moves, though it must be careful of the Choice Band set as either Normal-type coverage move has a high change to 2HKO it. Qwilfish will likely outspeed any non-Choice Scarf variant of Kingler and potentially poison it with Poison Jab, stop it from setting up via Taunt, or completely remove Kingler's boosts with Haze. Tangrowth is another excellent counter to Kingler, as its STAB Grass-type moves will make short work of the giant crab. Additionally, Tangrowth's huge Defense stat makes it very impenetrable, though it must be wary of a 2HKO from a Choice Band X-Scissor. Ferroseed is possibly Kingler's most effective counter; the boosting set often chooses not to run Superpower, leaving it totally helpless against Ferroseed even after boosts. The Choice Band set can wreck Ferroseed, but Kingler is heavily damaged by Leech Seed and Iron Barbs and effectively neutralized by Thunder Wave. If you can predict which move Kingler is going to use to boost up, a counter is not hard to find. Defensive Pokemon can easily halt an Agility Kingler, while faster revenge killers can take out Kingler that use Swords Dance. The Choice Band set is harder to handle, as Kingler's massive Attack stat and good coverage mean that not many things avoid a 2HKO from one of its moves, making prediction vital. Revenge killing, however, is a superb way of defeating Kingler.</p>