OU Kyurem-B

Jukain

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Overview
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Boasting amazing stats across the board, with a ridiculous base 170 Attack, solid 120 Special Attack, decent Speed, and great bulk, Kyurem-B proves to be a force to be reckoned with in OU. It most commonly utilizes a Substitute set with Fusion Bolt / Ice Beam / Earth Power for coverage, which devastates defensive and offensive teams alike thanks to its immense power. This set alone tears apart much of common OU defensive and balanced teams with ease, but that's not all. Kyurem-B also has great versatility, as well as the strongest Outrage in OU to utilize and Roost to keep itself healthy. Kyurem-B isn't without its flaws, as it has crippling weaknesses to Stealth Rock, Fighting, Steel, Fairy, and Dragon, as well as an only decent Speed stat; however, despite all this, Kyurem-B shines as one of OU's preeminent attackers and a threat to every team.

Specially Based Mixed Attacker
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name: Specially Based Mixed Attacker
move 1: Ice Beam
move 2: Fusion Bolt
move 3: Earth Power
move 4: Roost / Outrage
item: Life Orb
nature: Mild / Rash
evs: 56 Atk / 252 SpA / 200 Spe

Moves
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Ice Beam is a devastating STAB weapon that brings many physically bulky Pokemon to their knees, especially bulky Grass- and Ground-types, achieving feats such as 2HKOing Ferrothorn. Fusion Bolt smashes apart Water-types and most Fairy-types, including Sylveon, Togekiss, Azumarill, and Mega Gardevoir. Earth Power finishes out Kyurem-B's coverage by dealing with various Fire-, Electric-, and Steel-types, most significantly Heatran and Rotom-W. Roost keeps Kyurem-B healthy, mitigating Life Orb and possible entry hazard damage, in addition to allowing it to utilize its decent hit-taking capabilities more reliably. Meanwhile, Outrage lets Kyurem-B break through Chansey, enhancing its destructive capabilities against stall teams greatly at the cost of longevity.

Hidden Power Fire can be run in the last slot if desired to OHKO Mega Scizor and Ferrothorn. Focus Blast has the same power against Ferrothorn and murders Tyranitar, a major pain for Kyurem-B in general.

Set Details
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The EVs provide enough Speed to outrun Adamant Excadrill and maximize Special Attack as it is the focus of this set, with the remaining EVs dumped into Attack for a powered-up Fusion Bolt or Outrage. Choice of power-boosting nature comes down to whether tanking special or physical attacks better is more important. An Expert Belt can be run to bluff some sort of Choice variant, which is a logical conclusion if Kyurem-B lacks a Life Orb or Leftovers, and allow Kyurem-B to surprise Pokemon that come in to resist an attack that Kyurem-B is "locked into." Then, it can surprise the foe by switching attacks, likely taking the foe out. Unfortunately, this makes it both slightly weaker against targets hit super effectively and rather weak against neutral targets, so Expert Belt is typically inferior to Life Orb. A Haban Berry to take on Dragon-type foes or Chople Berry for Fighting-type ones can work, but the loss of power hurts more than needing to switch out against such Pokemon.

Usage Tips
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The best way to get this Kyurem-B set in is by switching into resisted attacks. Switch it in whenever you find an opportunity and just throw out attacks and something will get hurt. Many opponents will attempt to scout Kyurem-B's moveset by switching around and luring various attacks. The best course of action is to predict opposing switch-ins and punish them with the appropriate attack, catching the opponent off-guard and giving you an advantage. Use Roost when Kyurem-B starts to get low on health. This makes it easier for Kyurem-B to switch in later and take on revenge killers aiming to finish it off with priority attacks.

Team Options
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Pretty much anything that appreciates a weakened team will love this Kyurem-B, which boasts excellent special coverage and power, as a teammate. Terrakion in particular enjoys its support, as Kyurem-B can remove virtually all of Terrakion's counters, including Jellicent, Hippowdon, Gliscor, Landorus-T, and Aegislash. Defog support is necessary, even with Roost, as entry hazards really put a damper on Kyurem-B's hit-taking ability and thus ease of switching in. Latios makes a stellar teammate for this purpose, as it can use Defog and aids in tearing apart teams with its powerful Draco Meteors. Alternatively, Rapid Spin Excadrill can be used as a hazard remover.

Physically Based Mixed Attacker
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name: Physically Based Mixed Attacker
move 1: Dragon Claw
move 2: Fusion Bolt
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Iron Head / Outrage
item: Life Orb
evs: 252 Atk / 56 SpA / 200 Spe
nature: Lonely / Naughty

Moves
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Dragon Claw is a reliable option for Kyurem-B to spam, possessing a large amount of power with the STAB boost and indiscriminately allowing it to deal damage to many threats. It importantly 2HKOes Chansey after Stealth Rock damage. Fusion Bolt has solid power and coverage that destroys the likes of Mandibuzz, Skarmory, Suicune, Mega Gyarados, and others. Ice Beam mainly hits Ground-types, especially Gliscor, Landorus-T, and Hippowdon, and does a good chunk to Ferrothorn. Iron Head is generally preferred in the last slot to make Kyurem-B the best wallbreaker possible, 2HKOing Clefable. Outrage meanwhile 2HKOes Chansey and provides a general nuke, though Dragon Claw gets the 2HKO on Chansey after Stealth Rock damage most of the time anyway. Earth Power has the niche of smashing Rotom-W as well as various Fire- and Steel-type Pokemon, most notably Heatran. Roost is another option in the last slot to keep Kyurem-B healthy, but it comes at the cost of threat coverage. However, both Rotom-W and Heatran are already 2HKOed, so it's not that useful of an option. Hidden Power Fire is yet another option in the last slot to OHKO Ferrothorn if desired.

Set Details
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The Speed EVs allow Kyurem-B to outrun Adamant Excadrill, and full Attack investment boosts physical power, the main focus of this set. The remaining EVs are dumped into Special Attack to strengthen Ice Beam. The choice between Lonely and Naughty for the nature is entirely based on a preference for Kyurem-B to tank special or physical attacks better. Haban Berry is a good alternative in the item slot if you want to have a fighting chance against Latios, Latias, Garchomp, and other faster Dragon-types. Chople Berry also works to take Fighting-type attacks from the likes of Keldeo and Terrakion. The major downside of both items is that they don't boost Kyurem-B's power like Life Orb does, which should always be the main priority of this set.

Usage Tips
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Basically, you'll want to get this set in on any move it resists and start firing off Dragon Claws and Fusion Bolts, the most powerful and reliable attacking options on this set. If an opposing switch-in is obvious, you might want to predict it, depending on the scenario, to take it out and prevent the foe from Life Orb stalling Kyurem-B with no repercussions. Use Kyurem-B's coverage moves as necessary. Outrage is the move to use against Blissey and Chansey, as well as in scenarios where you don't really care what faints, but want something gone. It's really that powerful against everything that's not a physically defensive Steel-type or Fairy-type.

Preserve Kyurem-B if there's any wall in particular you want to get rid of, as it can do the job most of the time. This might sound like an obvious point, but many players will sack Kyurem-B—their wallbreaker—prematurely before it has completed its goals. Kyurem-B can also clean if you remove its checks. If the opponent only has a couple blocks that prevent Kyurem-B from going on a rampage, aim to remove those and Kyurem-B will not disappoint late-game with its coverage and power.

Team Options
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Virtually anything that's a sweeper will enjoy this Kyurem-B's presence, as it is one of the best wallbreakers and hole punchers in the game. Think Lucario, Mega Tyranitar, Garchomp, etc. Special sweepers will appreciate the removal of Chansey, too, which this set can surprise with an Outrage. Growth Mega Venusaur in particular makes for an excellent partner, capitalizing on the removal of Chansey and other special walls whilst tanking Fighting-type attacks aimed at Kyurem-B with ease. Kyurem-B doesn't need much support on its own, but it definitely does require a Defog user, as entry hazards in conjunction with Life Orb damage will wear it down quickly. Mandibuzz, Latias, Latios, and Mega Scizor can fill this role handily; which one you choose depends on your team's specific needs. Alternatively, you can use Rapid Spin Excadrill.

Substitute Attacker
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name: Substitute Attacker
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Fusion Bolt
move 4: Earth Power
item: Leftovers
nature: Mild / Rash
evs: 56 HP / 252 SpA / 200 Spe

Moves
========

Substitute shields Kyurem-B from status, Leech Seed (this screws over Mega Venusaur, Trevenant, and Gourgeist), priority, and revenge killers, easing prediction immensely and making it overall more difficult for the foe to deal with Kyurem-B. Ice Beam is the strong STAB attack on this set, dishing out heavy damage to all but resisting and specially bulky foes whilst eliminating common defensive Ground-, Grass-, and Flying-type foes, even felling Mega Venusaur because Teravolt ignores Thick Fat. Fusion Bolt dispatches Water-types, such as Gyarados, Azumarill, and Manaphy, and does the most damage of any move to Sylveon and Assault Vest Conkeldurr. Earth Power rounds out the coverage by nailing Heatran, Rotom-W, Aegislash, Bisharp, and Mega Mawile, among various other Fire- and Steel-type foes.

A physically based set with Dragon Claw over Earth Power and Attack investment is an option if Chansey and Conkeldurr are of particular concern.

Set Details
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The HP EVs ensure Kyurem-B has an HP number that grants 101 HP Substitutes, which ensures that its Substitutes are not broken by Seismic Tosses from Chansey, while not causing it to take more damage from Stealth Rock. From there, it has enough Speed to outrun Adamant Excadrill with the remaining EVs maxing out its special attacking capabilities. If Mega Garchomp is of particular concern, then 232 EVs can be invested in Speed at the expense of Special Attack to outrun it. You can run a Mild nature if you'd prefer Kyurem-B to take special hits from the likes of Manaphy a bit better, or a Rash nature if attacks from Pokemon like Gyarados are of particular concern.

Usage Tips
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Getting Kyurem-B in is pretty easy; it has a number of nice resistances, including Electric, Water, and Grass, and generally has pretty good bulk. Once you get an opportunity to switch Kyurem-B in, set up a Substitute and proceed to fire off attacks as appropriate. Kyurem-B is one of the scariest attackers in the game, period. Behind a Substitute, it's just that much more difficult to deal with. You want to err on the side of caution against possible status or Leech Seed users, as getting hit with either is extremely crippling to Kyurem-B, so definitely use Substitute in those scenarios. However, don't waste them; if the opponent can simply break your Substitute after you set it up, then you've just wasted a quarter of Kyurem-B's health for nothing. It can be worth it to scout, though.

This Kyurem-B set doesn't really have the brute force to break through stall teams, struggling with common stalwarts of such teams, including Chansey and Clefable. Instead, it should focus on setting up Substitutes on forced switches when playing against offensive and balanced teams, seeking to hit their less bulky members hard with its excellent coverage.

Team Options
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Defog support is a must because entry hazards limit Kyurem-B's longevity immensely. Because of this, Latios makes an excellent partner, forming a devastating offensive duo with Kyurem-B that can ravage opposing teams. Rapid Spin Excadrill also makes for a solid choice. Running an offensive Steel-type, such as Bisharp, Iron Head Aegislash, or Scizor, helps against pesky Clefable and Sylveon. As these partner Pokemon carry powerful physical attacks, they can also threaten Blissey and Chansey, meaning they can eliminate virtually all counters to this Kyurem-B. Finally, Pokemon prone to being walled by common defensive Pokemon, such as Terrakion and Keldeo, will love the wallbreaking support Kyurem-B provides. With their counters eliminated, it is often easy for these Pokemon to overwhelm opposing teams.

Choice Scarf
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name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Outrage
move 2: Dragon Claw
move 3: Fusion Bolt
move 4: Ice Beam / Iron Head
item: Choice Scarf
evs: 252 Atk / 32 SpA / 224 Spe
nature: Naughty / Naive

Moves
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Outrage is pretty much the only move this Kyurem-B will use in many battles. Its sheer power is often needed to take out threats. Dragon Claw is a safer option in the early- and mid-game, especially when Outrage can't be risked. Fusion Bolt hits certain Pokemon like Keldeo and Mega Gyarados for good damage without resorting to Outrage. Ice Beam is filler in the last slot to OHKO Landorus-T. Iron Head is an option to 2HKO Clefable, which is otherwise a perfect counter to this set.

Set Details
========

The EVs maximize Kyurem-B's physical attacking capabilities and allow it to outrun Adamant Choice Scarf Landorus-T with the rest dumped into Special Attack to pump up Ice Beam a little bit. If Iron Head is chosen, shift those EVs into HP for a bit of bulk. A Naughty nature is best for this set to deal out actual large damage. Naive is a viable option to outrun Jolly Choice Scarf Landorus-T and Excadrill, but most importantly, +1 Adamant Mega Charizard X. Their Defense-reducing alternatives (Lonely and Hasty, respectively) can be run if a better switch-in to common Electric- and Water-types is desired, but tanking priority attacks is of more concern to this set due to its heightened Speed.

Usage Tips
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This Kyurem-B differs drastically from others in that it isn't really so much of a wallbreaker, but a revenge killer with some surprise factor to it that lets it smack a lot of faster Pokemon that try to revenge kill it with Outrage. Outrage is pretty much the only move that this set will use in most cases; the power is just too necessary to secure kills. Be wary of using it around Fairy-types, naturally, and try and hide the fact that it's a Choice Scarf variant, as this can allow for numerous surprise KOs. One way to hide Kyurem-B's Choice Scarf is to use it to revenge kill something naturally slower than it. This way, the opponent might send out a Pokemon to revenge kill Kyurem-B that winds up getting outsped. The other moves on the set are generally rather unimpressive as far as power is concerned, so they should only be used in situations where you are sure that they cannot be taken advantage of.

Team Options
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As far as teammates go, taking care of Fairy-types, most notably Clefable and Azumarill, is a must, or the Outrage spam this Kyurem-B pursues will end in disaster. Steel-types, such as Bisharp and Scizor (especially bulky Swords Dance Mega variants), are most proficient at this role. Entry hazards and powerful attackers, such as Choice Band Azumarill and Mega Pinsir, can also aid in wearing them down to the point where they are not longer threats. Opposing bulky Steel-types, such as Skarmory, Ferrothorn, and Mega Scizor, can also prove debilitating. Attackers like Keldeo and Latios can keep pressure on them. Keeping opposing entry hazards off the field is also a must; Excadrill and Latios are your best bets for this role.

Other Options
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A physically based variant of the Substitute attacker set with Dragon Claw over Earth Power can work, but the lack of Earth Power really blows coverage-wise, so you're generally better off with the given set or the physically based mixed set that boasts full coverage. Choice Band might sound like a desirable option given Kyurem-B's gargantuan Attack stat and high-powered STAB Outrage, but has difficult getting around Fairy-types and Ferrothorn, and can't utilize Kyurem-B's excellent coverage effectively. A set that has fallen from favor in BW is Substitute + Hone Claws with Roost and Dragon Tail. Firstly, Fairy-types stop this set in its tracks. More significantly, Defog users threaten to remove the entry hazards this set relies on to deal truly significant damage. These factors in combination with the lack of coverage and power make this set an inferior option this generation. An Assault Vest can be run to serve as an effective check to the likes of Greninja and Thundurus, but the lack of power is heavily noticed. A bulkier spread for the standard mixed set with Leftovers and Roost is an option to serve as a check to Greninja and various other Pokemon, mostly Electric- and Water-types, but comes at the cost of much of Kyurem-B's wallbreaking capabilities.

Checks and Counters
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**Super Effective Priority**: Bullet Punch from Mega Scizor and Mach Punch from Conkeldurr and Breloom can fell slightly weakened Kyurem-B if it's not behind a Substitute.

**Mixed walls**: Pokemon such as Chansey, Ferrothorn, Tyranitar, Assault Vest Conkeldurr, and Assault Vest Excadrill that have good mixed bulk handle the Substitute set well. However, they have to watch out for Outrage and some even Dragon Claw, and Ferrothorn with 128 Special Defense EVs cannot even be 2HKOed by Life Orb Ice Beam.

**Fast Fighting- and Dragon-types**: Latios, Latias, Terrakion, Keldeo, and Garchomp can all revenge kill Kyurem-B, forcing it out or eliminating it if it's locked into Outrage and not hiding behind a Substitute.

**Stealth Rock**: Kyurem-B's weakness to Stealth Rock means that if you can keep it up, Kyurem-B loses 25% of its HP upon switching in. This limits Kyurem-B's number of switch-in opportunities and wears it down extremely fast, making it easier to handle overall.

**Status**: Prankster Will-O-Wisp from the likes of Mega Banette and Sableye limits Kyurem-B's potency to an extent due to neutering Fusion Bolt and Outrage. Non-Prankster Will-O-Wisp users are generally KOed or would rather attack it, so they're not very significant. Toxic makes it faint extremely quickly if it stays in, wearing it down especially quickly with Life Orb and possible Stealth Rock damage. Paralysis makes it much easier to deal with, too, as it allows the large range of Pokemon outsped by Kyurem-B to hit it first.

**Fairy-types**: In particular, physically defensive Clefable and are immune to Outrage and generally handle Kyurem-B well. Both can handle the Substitute and specially based mixed sets decently, and Sylveon and Mega Gardevoir can even hit it behind its Substitute because Hyper Voice ignores it. However, Iron Head and for all but Clefable invested Fusion Bolt will send them packing.
 
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Jukain

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I really have to test out Kyurem-B a lot; these movesets are tbh just what I threw down. I will be testing each one of these sets in addition to an Assault Vest and some sort of defensive set (akin to the Sub Shuffler from last gen, and will add more as I test. This will realistically be in WIP for at least a few days, maybe less depending on how much I play, while I really make sure I know which movesets are the best. I'm just throwing this up for now.
 

Gary

Can be abrasive at times (no joke)
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I've been using the Sub Attacker a lot recently, and so far I've found that Earth Power is almost a necessity. Dragon Claw is cool because powerful STAB and all, but the ability to completely maul physically defensive Rotom-W and Heatran is just so hard to pass up on. Besides, KyuB is an incredibly good check to Rotom-W in general, and it really only cares about Will-O-Wisp (which it has Substitute for). This is the set I've been running, it's very much similar to the set that was commonly used last gen:

Kyurem-Black @ Leftovers
Ability: Teravolt
EVs: 56 HP / 216 SAtk / 236 Spd
Mild Nature / Rash
- Substitute
- Fusion Bolt
- Ice Beam
- Earth Power

Basically the same concept as last generation's Sub attacker, but with focus on its SpA stat. 56 HP is obviously for the magic Sub number so Seismic Toss and Night Shade can't break the Sub, while the Speed is to outpace things like Adamant Lucario, Offensive Rotom-W, Dragonite, etc. I'm not sure if there's any reason to invest in its Attack stat unless there's a certain OHKO or 2HKO it can achieve with Fusion Bolt, but so far I've just run Max SpA to take advantage of its retarded Mixed capabilities. Dragon Claw can be slashed after Earth Power I guess, but I really don't see much of a reason to run it outside of a decent nuetral STAB move, which really isn't doing much for it anyway. The ability to 2HKO Rotom-W and OHKO Heatran (which walls this set otherwise) is not worth the extra STAB IMO, and Dragon Claw should probably be slashed after at the very most. EP just makes it such a devastating wallbreaker, and it's an absolutely amazing partner with Talonflame because it can beat two of its most prominent switch-ins.
 
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Ash Borer

I've heard they're short of room in hell
I've been using a lot of the all out mixed attacker here's the spread I use.

100 atk / 180 satk / 228 speed naive

100 attack lets you cleanly OHKO max HP azumarill with fusion bolt
228 speed naive lets you outpace max speed lucario, this is important, it means they cant check you before evolving as BP and VW do insufficient damage. You actually also outpace base 91s, landorus-t with this spread even though that is super uncommon to have max speed lando, it was like 8 EVs more than luke so its worth it. YOu really wanna outpace shit like lando, gyarados, dragonite, gliscor regardless of their weird spreads so you definitely wanna go fast. 180 satk is what is leftover, but it lets you 2hko aegis with EP so it works. You need max investment to OHKO Sdef tran after rocks, so I dont think that is worth it. REgardless, you destroy Max HP tran.

Imo hidden power fire and iron head are decent filler on the last slot. The only thing I ever used d-claw for was chansey. Iron head lets you easily 2hko clefable who can actually take 2 fusion bolts or ice beams. HP fire is perfectly accurate against ferro and lets you destroy genesect that stay in to attack you.
 
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alexwolf

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I have not tested Scarf Kyu-B, but i can't see why it would be better than the monstrous Sub Kyu-B sets, one of the best ways to punish Rotom-W, which is everywhere. Also, when i used Kyu-B without Sub i didn't really find a 4th coverage move necessary at all, so Roost was a way better choice, providing my team with a reliable Rotom-W switch-in and a way to offset SR damage, for teams that can't afford to use Rapid Spin or Defog. Also, thanks to its excellent super effective coverage, Expert Belt should definitely be slashed with LO on the Roost set, and get a set comments mention at least on the Sub set.

Also, i agree with Gary, the Sub set should be Sub / Ice Beam / Earth Power / Fusion Bolt, with nothing slashed. All of the moves are too vital to pass up.
 
Completely agree with Gary2346 with his set. That's probably Kyurem-B's most powerful set at the moment and I got obliterated it the first time I fought it.

Also, just saying, but I really don't like Choice Scarf that much anymore. I just find it to be so easily taken advantage of nowadays and it never really satisfied me. It was better last gen, but with all of the new Pokemon and stuff I feel like it has a hard time pulling its weight. I had to replace it after some games because it just wasn't doing it.
 

Ash Borer

I've heard they're short of room in hell
agreeing with alexwolf that the 4th coverage move on all out life orb attacker instead of Roost is a very good option, the 4th move is very rarely used.
 

Jukain

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I have not tested Scarf Kyu-B, but i can't see why it would be better than the monstrous Sub Kyu-B sets, one of the best ways to punish Rotom-W, which is everywhere. Also, when i used Kyu-B without Sub i didn't really find a 4th coverage move necessary at all, so Roost was a way better choice, providing my team with a reliable Rotom-W switch-in and a way to offset SR damage, for teams that can't afford to use Rapid Spin or Defog. Also, thanks to its excellent super effective coverage, Expert Belt should definitely be slashed with LO on the Roost set, and get a set comments mention at least on the Sub set.

Also, i agree with Gary, the Sub set should be Sub / Ice Beam / Earth Power / Fusion Bolt, with nothing slashed. All of the moves are too vital to pass up.
Roost was on the top of my list of things to test to check if they were good. I'll happily add Roost, considering I loved it last gen.

Expert Belt is also awesome, that was another thing I was gonna look into. I'm concerned about its actual power on the all-out mixed attacker though, so I am gonna look into it a little more closely on that set. Set Details easily on the Sub set, I will be sure to mention it.

Changed the Sub set to Gary's.

I'm not a huge fan of your Speed EVs, porky. Lucario Mega Evolves right away pretty much all the time, as there's no reason for it not to. The spread looks decent otherwise (the Azumarill KO is nice), but I'll look for a better Speed benchmark.
 

Ash Borer

I've heard they're short of room in hell
I'm not a huge fan of your Speed EVs, porky. Lucario Mega Evolves right away pretty much all the time, as there's no reason for it not to. The spread looks decent otherwise (the Azumarill KO is nice), but I'll look for a better Speed benchmark.
the point is that if attempts to check you it will underspeed on the mega evolution turn. IT's a pretty common scenario to be honest, lucario is a bit frail and kyube likes to get work done early game so it is unlikely lucario has come into evolve yet. With roost youre likely to be well out of priority kill range considering KYube's insane defenses. That being said outspeeding a wide number of threats like lando, gliscor, excadrill, and such is also very important, and getting the jump on them no matter what puts your mind at ease.. Earth power does a real number on excadrill, and Jolly excadrill are not uncommon, at the bare minimum I would beat that out.
 

Jukain

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Okay I can live with that explanation, your spread is included.

However, I'm not entirely sold on Naive vs. Hasty. Personally, I prefer Hasty because you can take Thunderbolts from Thundurus and Water-type attacks pretty well, and Naive compromises that. Kyurem-B stands up to a good amount of special Pokemon pretty well in general, so I like Hasty.
 

Colonel M

I COULD BE BORED!
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From using Kyurem-B you want Hasty most of the time, though Naive does help checking some random Pokemon (i.e. you can check Gyarados without Stone Edge).
 

Jukain

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alright so what i've figured out: assault vest is horrible, but this set is awesome:

name: Utility Check
move 1: Ice Beam
move 2: Roost
move 3: Fusion Bolt
move 4: Dragon Tail / Earth Power / Substitute
item: Leftovers
nature: Hasty
evs: 252 HP / 20 SpA / 236 Spe

the speed of the standard sets is really good, but i was desiring more in the way of bulk. so, i kept the same awesome speed, maxed hp, put the remainder in special attack, and there you have the set. i chose to run a hasty nature, which might seem like an odd option on a bulkyish set, but i found that i'm solely using kyurem-b to check special threats. it really doesn't handle much physically well, but its typing lends it to taking on special threats pretty well. it can easily take electric/water stabs, ice beams, aegislash shadow balls, greninja dark pulses, ... though i don't think anyone was doubting kyurem-b's bulky prowess. anyways i'm gonna include this set unless someone has a significant objection.

i'm gonna look into the sub hone claws set next, probably with similar evs to this, or maybe a lower speed benchmark with extra special defense investment. seems like it could work.
 

CyclicCompound

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alright so what i've figured out: assault vest is horrible, but this set is awesome:

name: Utility Check
move 1: Ice Beam
move 2: Roost
move 3: Fusion Bolt
move 4: Dragon Tail / Earth Power / Substitute
item: Leftovers
nature: Hasty
evs: 252 HP / 20 SpA / 236 Spe

the speed of the standard sets is really good, but i was desiring more in the way of bulk. so, i kept the same awesome speed, maxed hp, put the remainder in special attack, and there you have the set. i chose to run a hasty nature, which might seem like an odd option on a bulkyish set, but i found that i'm solely using kyurem-b to check special threats. it really doesn't handle much physically well, but its typing lends it to taking on special threats pretty well. it can easily take electric/water stabs, ice beams, aegislash shadow balls, greninja dark pulses, ... though i don't think anyone was doubting kyurem-b's bulky prowess. anyways i'm gonna include this set unless someone has a significant objection.

i'm gonna look into the sub hone claws set next, probably with similar evs to this, or maybe a lower speed benchmark with extra special defense investment. seems like it could work.
I'll admit I've only tested Sub Hone Claws once this generation about a month ago, but I think it was enough for me to get an idea of how it did. I actually think it might be a good idea to put Ice Beam in front of Hone Claws in the final slot (as opposed to in Gen V where Hone Claws was favored over Ice Beam). The reason I say this is because (a) mono-Dragon coverage leaves you completely helpless against Fairies, and (b) every defensive Pokemon and their mother (mostly Ferrothorn, Skarmory, and to an extent Mandibuzz) is running Rocky Helmet for some reason. The first point is more in line with Kyurem-B's role, though. Sub Hone Claws is best early- to mid-game, when you can easily get a lot of damage on the opponent's Pokemon through boosting and shuffling, usually to facilitate for an easy late-game sweep. This means it's likely that the opponent's Fairies have not been dispatched, especially if the opponent is keeping them healthy just for Kyurem-B's sake. Therefore, I feel that Ice Beam is much more of an asset this generation, not only somewhat alleviating the Fairy problem but also allowing Kyurem-B to be far more of a nuisance to Skarm and Ferrothorn.

Of course, this still leaves Kyurem-B vulnerable to certain Fairies like Florges, Cosmic Power or Calm Mind Clefable, and Sylveon that are roadblocks to Kyurem-B regardless of whether it runs Ice Beam or not. So all in all, Kyurem-B still won't be guaranteed to be doing its job every match, and although teams without Fairies can still be severely weakened by Sub Hone Claws, what are your thoughts on the viability of this set (both with and without Ice Beam)?
 

Colonel M

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Calculation-wise, Choice Band still seems solid. Fusion Bolt 2HKOes Heatran and Scizor while Dragon Claw reliably 2HKOes Mega Venusaur (both Calm and Relaxed). It needs a Lonely nature, though. Should look like this:

- Fusion Bolt
- Ice Beam
- Dragon Claw / Outrage
- Iron Head

I find that Iron Head is too important to lose - you keep out the Fairies that otherwise wall your STAB Dragon-type attacks.
 
Actually, Iron Head doesn't look all that useful to me. Mega Mawile, Azumarill, Togekiss, and Klefki are all hit harder by Fusion Bolt anyway. 252/252+ Sylveon is still 2HKO'd on the switch anyway by Fusion Bolt (as is Florges, obviously), and Gardevoir is OHKO'd unless it has serious HP investment. Iron Head is useful for Clefable, but it's still 2HKO'd by CB Fusion Bolt on the switch a little over half the time. I honestly prefer running both Dragon Claw and Outrage for those times where you can't afford to trap Kyurem-B into Outrage and risk losing it.
 

Gary

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Completely agree with Gibbs. Iron Head provides Kyurem-B with little coverage outside of hitting Clefable, Florges, and Sylveon harder than Fusion Bolt (the latter two aren't even all that common). CB Outrage from Kyurem-B is so powerful that forgoing it for a little extra coverage against two uncommon Fairy-types is foolish IMO, and TBH I don't think I'd even consider using CB Kyurem-B if it couldn't use Outrage, cause its absolute raw power is what sets it apart from other CB Dragon's like Garchomp for example. This is the best set IMO:

Kyurem-Black @ Choice Band
Ability: Teravolt
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spd / 4 Def
Adamant Nature
- Outrage
- Fusion Bolt
- Dragon Claw
- Ice Beam

Outrage should never be slashed, nor should Ice Beam because hitting Landorus-T and Gliscor is way too hard to pass up. Iron Head should be ACed at the very most, and even then I still think it's a terrible option when you're really only using it for OHKOing Sylveon and Florges.

And yeah as Colonel M suggested, CB is still very viable. It's still amazing for punching holes into the opponent, and unlike other Choiced Dragons it can actually muscle through most Fairy-types and Skarmory.
 
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Jukain

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i'm gonna hold off on cb for a bit until i get an idea of what it's like. i'm not really a huge fan of choiced kyu-b in the first place, sub or roost typically serves it better. we'll see though.

adding the bulky set to the op.

i'm gonna oo sub hone claws. i tried a sdef spread, and it was too slow. i tried lower speed than the 236 and i still felt it was too slow, so i ended up bringing it back up the fact that it loses its awesome coverage stinks. it got a couple sweeps for me, but i found the overall utility of kyurem-b decreased.
 

Ash Borer

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a nitpick, the spread with +speed nature should have 228 EVs in speed, and the neutral speed nature has 236. The life orb set right now has over 510 EVs listed.
 
I've been using the Sub Attacker a lot recently, and so far I've found that Earth Power is almost a necessity. Dragon Claw is cool because powerful STAB and all, but the ability to completely maul physically defensive Rotom-W and Heatran is just so hard to pass up on. Besides, KyuB is an incredibly good check to Rotom-W in general, and it really only cares about Will-O-Wisp (which it has Substitute for). This is the set I've been running, it's very much similar to the set that was commonly used last gen:

Kyurem-Black @ Leftovers
Ability: Teravolt
EVs: 56 HP / 216 SAtk / 236 Spd
Mild Nature / Rash
- Substitute
- Fusion Bolt
- Ice Beam
- Earth Power

Basically the same concept as last generation's Sub attacker, but with focus on its SpA stat. 56 HP is obviously for the magic Sub number so Seismic Toss and Night Shade can't break the Sub, while the Speed is to outpace things like Adamant Lucario, Offensive Rotom-W, Dragonite, etc. I'm not sure if there's any reason to invest in its Attack stat unless there's a certain OHKO or 2HKO it can achieve with Fusion Bolt, but so far I've just run Max SpA to take advantage of its retarded Mixed capabilities. Dragon Claw can be slashed after Earth Power I guess, but I really don't see much of a reason to run it outside of a decent nuetral STAB move, which really isn't doing much for it anyway. The ability to 2HKO Rotom-W and OHKO Heatran (which walls this set otherwise) is not worth the extra STAB IMO, and Dragon Claw should probably be slashed after at the very most. EP just makes it such a devastating wallbreaker, and it's an absolutely amazing partner with Talonflame because it can beat two of its most prominent switch-ins.
"for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!” - Rev 12:12

I am not entirely convinced that Leftovers would make a good wallbreaker without Life Orb but obviously Life Orb would reduce is longevity (which is why I quoted the Bible verse). So how effective is the set without the valuable 2HKOs that Life Orb can afford? It seems that this set would be easily to wall without Life Orb.

Interestingly, with Life Orb, its Fusion Bolt is actually just as powerful as Iron Fist, Life Orb Conkeldurr's elemental punches .

0 Atk Life Orb Teravolt Kyurem-B Fusion Bolt vs. 252 HP / 232+ Def Skarmory: 172-203 (51.4 - 60.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery

252+ Atk Life Orb Iron Fist Conkeldurr Thunder Punch vs. 252 HP / 232+ Def Skarmory: 172-203 (51.4 - 60.7%) -- 91.8% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

Ice Beam actually does more damage to Skarmory than Fusion Bolt.

So, obviously, it can deal with Azumarill and Togekiss better than Conkeldurr since it has a higher speed tier. But, Fusion Bolt is used as the primary physical attack to break through Specially Defensive Fairy walls (mixed walls wall it).
 

Jukain

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You don't need LO. Fusion Bolt is just fine and powerful enough. Also, what mixed walls are you talking about? Most walls in this metagame are specialized in one defensive stat in order to properly combat the powerful threats of this metagame.

Leftovers still achieves a lot of the same stuff that Life Orb does whilst granting Kyurem-B the longevity to make more Subs and actually outlast the stall teams it alone can almost singlehandedly break in my experience. Life Orb means you die super, super fast, and limits your overall effectiveness so much that I think it's entirely nonviable.
 

CyclicCompound

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Just wondering, are 56HP EVs really all that necessary on the Sub Attacking set? I know that it lets you hit that "magic" HP number of 404, but the only commonly seen users of Seismic Toss/Night Shade are the pink blobs. Sableye no longer runs Night Shade since Foul Play and Knock Off are superior in just about every single way, and adding HP EVs isn't going to change how effective Kyurem's subs are against either of those moves. Since KyuB isn't even 3HKOing 4/252+ Blissey with Fusion Bolt, let alone Chansey, they can more than easily stall it out with a recovery move of their choice. If KyuB were to carry Outrage or Dragon Claw or something, then I'd keep the HP EVs since KyuB is much more of a threat to Blissey/Chansey and can't be stalled out as easily. But a 101 HP Sub seems rather unnecessary given the current moveset.

Someone tell me if I'm missing something here, but I would think KyuB would appreciate those EVs more if they were put in an attacking stat or Speed.
 

Jukain

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Just wondering, are 56HP EVs really all that necessary on the Sub Attacking set? I know that it lets you hit that "magic" HP number of 404, but the only commonly seen users of Seismic Toss/Night Shade are the pink blobs. Sableye no longer runs Night Shade since Foul Play and Knock Off are superior in just about every single way, and adding HP EVs isn't going to change how effective Kyurem's subs are against either of those moves. Since KyuB isn't even 3HKOing 4/252+ Blissey with Fusion Bolt, let alone Chansey, they can more than easily stall it out with a recovery move of their choice. If KyuB were to carry Outrage or Dragon Claw or something, then I'd keep the HP EVs since KyuB is much more of a threat to Blissey/Chansey and can't be stalled out as easily. But a 101 HP Sub seems rather unnecessary given the current moveset.

Someone tell me if I'm missing something here, but I would think KyuB would appreciate those EVs more if they were put in an attacking stat or Speed.
Being able to take two Seismic Tosses means you get to recover more HP after setting up the Substitute when the blobs come in, which is, IMO, worth it.

Speaking of Outrage/Dragon Claw, I've been running Outrage on the Substitute set a little bit. It's really, really surprised me. Having a Dragon-type move against bulkier Pokemon, especially special walls, is absolutely freaking excellent. I love it as a move. I would totally go ahead and slash it, but I know there's gonna be disagreement, so I won't be doing it right this minute until I can get some agreement.
 

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