Pokémon Kyurem-Black

[Liarliarpantsonfire]

Kyurem-B is actually in XY UU on PO :P I'm expecting it to be banned soon though as people are already complaining. As far as OU goes, all three sets in the OP are garbage (just saying it as it is). Here is what they should look like:

Substitute Attacker:

Kyurem (Kyurem-B) @ Leftovers
Trait: Teravolt
EVs: 56 HP / 216 Atk / 236 Spd
Lonely Nature (+Atk, -Def)
- Substitute
- Fusion Bolt
- Focus Blast/Ice Beam
- Dragon Claw

Enough speed to get past Jolly Mamoswine and Dragonite because there's literally no reason not to and the latter gets OHKO'd thanks to TeraVolt. Focus Blast has a shot of 2HKO'ing Ferrothorn, the main switchin to Kyurem-B:

0 SpA Teravolt Kyurem-B Focus Blast vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Ferrothorn: 178-210 (50.5 - 59.6%) -- 82.4% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

Some are SpDef based, but that's significant damage either way, with any prior damage that's a solid 2HKO. Other significant 2HKO's are Excadrill and Tyranitar in Sand. Ice Beam can be used to kill Landorus-T's and Gliscors more easily, but has less use otherwise. EV's for making a 101 Sub, Dragon Claw actually has a shot at 2HKO'ing Bold Blissey with maxed out defenses, so it's forced to WishProtect, it can't kill your Sub in one hit and you're getting Lefties all the time. Florges and Sylveon are 2HKO'd by Fusion Bolt with this spread, while Togekiss and Azumarill are OHKO'd after SR.

All-out Attacker:

Kyurem (Kyurem-B) @ Life Orb
Trait: Teravolt
EVs: 20 HP / 252 Atk / 236 Spd
Lonely Nature (+Atk, -Def)
- Outrage
- Fusion Bolt
- Iron Head
- Earth Power

Full investment in Outrage which is the main attraction of this set, every wall barring Steel-types is 2HKO'd. Fusion Bolt hits the bulky waters while Iron Head hits Fairies and T-tars, Earth Power hits the Rotom-W's and Heatrans. Simple enough.

Choice Band:

Kyurem (Kyurem-B) @ Choice Band
Trait: Teravolt
EVs: 252 Atk / 20 Def / 236 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Outrage
- Sleep Talk
- Fusion Bolt
- Iron Head

I would highly advise against using this set now because of Fairy-types. The Life Orb set outclasses it by a mile. EV's maximize Atk again and outspeed Jolly Dnite. The rest is dumped into defense to take priority moves slightly better. Honestly you should only use this set on MagDrag to lure in Steels, and even then you might as well use the LO set.

 

[BlackSIlk90]

Finally I've been posting about this guy for months now. I use him as part of my bulky offensive core on my rain team. I run lonely, 56 hp, 80 attack, 140 sp.atk, and 236 speed. Item is lefties with substitute, outrage, ice beam and fusion bolt. He has great synergy with CB Azumarril and my spinblocker Gengar/ Chandelure. He isn't meant to revenge kill, he is meant to deal with slow bulky walls or sweepers from behind a sub.

 

[ryan]

Kyurem-B is great right now. Sub + three attacks is definitely the best set because it can take advantage of stuff like Rotom-W, Celebi, and most bulky Water-types to get up a free Substitute and wreak havoc against the opposing team. Probably my favorite part about Kyurem-B is Teravolt, which allows it to do cool stuff like hit Rotom-W with Earth Power and break through Mega Venusaur's and Mamoswine's Thick Fat and Dragonite's Multiscale and do massive amounts of damage to or just straight up OHKO them. Specially based mixed is my favorite right now, but physically based mixed is also really good. Aside from a Stealth Rock weakness and no way of breaking through most bulky Fairy-types (other than freezing them of course!), specially based Kyurem-B is amazing and can be treacherous for a lot of defensive Pokemon.

 

[alexwolf]

Kyu-B is definitely one of the best Pokemon to break defensive cores with. As Treecko said, it's one of the few wallbreaker that has no problems against both Rotom-W and Mega Venusaur, the first of which is a bitch to any team and the second being one of the best defensive Pokemon around. Sub + 3 attacks is obviously a monster and its best set, but Roost + 3 attacks is also excellent for teams that want a sturdy Rotom-W check or can't afford anti-hazard support. I am also tempted to use a 4 attacks Assault Vest set; it's special bulk is enormous and it has pretty useful resistances on the special side, while also having huge physical bulk. A simple 252 HP / 252 SpA could work great, with either Dragon Tail to check boosting sweepers or HP Fire to deal with Ferro, Sect, and Scizor.

 

[rachet67]

Kyurem-B had to worry about scizor, breloom, terrakion, keldeo and stealth rock last gen. This gen. all four of the pokes have fallen in usage (though I expect keldeo and terrakion to regain usage), and stealth rock is much easier to clear. The only thing that really makes it life harder is the introduction of aegislash, and lucario-mega. But, honestly, what isn't threatened by mega Lucario, and hopefully it will be banned soon.

 

[Jojobobo]

Anyone got an Agility to this beast yet? With zero speed investment, you'd outspeed scarfed or +1 positive natured base 100s - plus it means you can invest in getting ferociously high attack scores. Expert belt it, or if you're a madman go for plain LO - either way with that attack things are going to die.

 

[Impy]

Kyu-B is an offensive monster, speed and weaknesses aside. A great compliment to both hyper-offense and bulky offensive cores, and a great weapon to use to end a stall war. He can fit on just about any team that needs another nuke. He's criminally underused.

 

[SomeDrunkRockLee]

Kyurem-B had to worry about scizor, breloom, terrakion, keldeo and stealth rock last gen. This gen. all four of the pokes have fallen in usage (though I expect keldeo and terrakion to regain usage), and stealth rock is much easier to clear. The only thing that really makes it life harder is the introduction of aegislash, and lucario-mega. But, honestly, what isn't threatened by mega Lucario, and hopefully it will be banned soon.

There's also mega-scizor (support or bulky sd variants), both variants of which kind of wall Kyurem-B to the moon and back and can retaliate with knock off, defog, bullet punch, or, if the latter, just setting up bunches of swords dances, especially against outrage locked. I don't have a good sixth gen calc yet, but to put this in perspective, mega-scizor is actually physically bulkier than Skarmory (70/140 bulk in comparison to skarm's 65/140) with better offensive prowess, while also lacking the electric type weakness and having much higher special defense (base 100). I kind of feel like I'm making a plug for M-Scizor now, so I'll shut up.

Main Point: M-Scizor easily walls and some (swords dance) variants set up against Kyurem-B.

However, Kyu-B should in NO WAY be UU.

 

[rachet67]

Main Point: M-Scizor easily walls and some (swords dance) variants set up against Kyurem-B.

This is true. However, mega scizor is criminally under used, as it competes with mega lucario for a spot. While mega scizor functions a little better than its standard bulky swords dance set, lucario needs its mega to be good. It also competes with genesect synergy-wise on a team, as although their purposes are different, having both compounds weakness to fire. So it seems like this isn't that big of a problem for Kyurem-B at the moment.

 

[skies]

252+ SpA Teravolt Kyurem-B Ice Beam vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Breloom: 462-546 (176.3 - 208.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 Atk Life Orb Technician Breloom Mach Punch vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Kyurem-B: 257-304 (65.5 - 77.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery

How is Breloom a counter?

 

[SomeDrunkRockLee]

This is true. However, mega scizor is criminally under used, as it competes with mega lucario for a spot. While mega scizor functions a little better than its standard bulky swords dance set, lucario needs its mega to be good. It also competes with genesect synergy-wise on a team, as although their purposes are different, having both compounds weakness to fire. So it seems like this isn't that big of a problem for Kyurem-B at the moment.

Yes, but like you say, Mega-Scizor should see more use. Especially support mega scizor, as it's the single most reliable defogger in the current metagame, and it's the only decent defogger outside of empoleon to learn knock off (and empoleon's knock off does virtually no damage anyway, so the buff is a moot point for her). I think once the metagame calms down a bit more, people are going to start realizing the use of mega-scizor and it's going to rise a ton in usage.

 

[Rotosect]

If we're talking about physically defensive Mega Scizor:

216 SpA Life Orb Teravolt Kyurem-B Hidden Power Fire vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Mega Scizor: 317-374 (92.1 - 108.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
0 Atk Technician Mega Scizor Bullet Punch vs. 4 HP / 0- Def Kyurem-B: 204-242 (52 - 61.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock

If we're talking about the standard bulky SD variant:

252+ Atk Technician Mega Scizor Bullet Punch vs. 4 HP / 0- Def Kyurem-B: 270-318 (68.8 - 81.1%) -- 50% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock

Right now M-Scizor isn't common enough to justify HP Fire on Kyu-B, but after if Genesect get banned and M-Scizor becomes more popular it may be worth considering on the LO set.

 

[WebBowser]

If we're talking about physically defensive Mega Scizor:

216 SpA Life Orb Teravolt Kyurem-B Hidden Power Fire vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Mega Scizor: 317-374 (92.1 - 108.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
0 Atk Technician Mega Scizor Bullet Punch vs. 4 HP / 0- Def Kyurem-B: 204-242 (52 - 61.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock

If we're talking about the standard bulky SD variant:

252+ Atk Technician Mega Scizor Bullet Punch vs. 4 HP / 0- Def Kyurem-B: 270-318 (68.8 - 81.1%) -- 50% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock

Right now M-Scizor isn't common enough to justify HP Fire on Kyu-B, but after if Genesect get banned and M-Scizor becomes more popular it may be worth considering on the LO set.

Why run phys defensive megazor? It's phys bulk is more then good enough to stand uninvested with roost. Try spec defensive megazor and watch it wall darn near anything that's not a fire move.

 

[The Great Gastly]

Venusaur's Thick Fat, Rotom & Gengar's Levitate, Dragonite's Multiscale, Sturdy on anything... damn I need to try out Cube. o_O

 

[Rotosect]

Why run phys defensive megazor? It's phys bulk is more then good enough to stand uninvested with roost. Try spec defensive megazor and watch it wall darn near anything that's not a fire move.

Because it often gets compared to Skarmory, usually a physically defensive pokemon.
Even if it's specially defensive:

216 SpA Life Orb Teravolt Kyurem-B Hidden Power Fire vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Mega Scizor: 229-270 (66.5 - 78.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
4 Atk Technician Mega Scizor Bullet Punch vs. 4 HP / 216- Def Kyurem-B: 168-200 (42.8 - 51%) -- 4.7% chance to 2HKO

It beats Kyu-B 1 on 1, but still doesn't counter it.

 

[rachet67]

Anyways, its so rare at the moment that its really not worth speculating HP fire.

 

[SpaceFlare]

I thought HP Fire was used for frying Ferrothorn and CB Scizor (hide behind a Sub to take the Bullet Punch and then KO back)?

I skipped out on Gen 5 so I wouldn't know.

 

[Calm_Mind_Latias]

Is this thing the Gen 6 TyraniBoah? Set up a 101 HP sub and wreak some havoc stallbreaking .

 

[LoDart210]

Funny how kyu-b is being considered more for its teravolt special attack rather than its monstrous choice band set.

Things changed a lot and quickly for this guy, though, I find that refreshing.

 

[Calm_Mind_Latias]

Funny how kyu-b is being considered more for its teravolt special attack rather than its monstrous choice band set.

Things changed a lot and quickly for this guy, though, I find that refreshing.

You cannot spam Outrage anymore due to the existence of Fairies (and in general it is bad to be locked into a move), and an 80 base power move with no super-effective coverage (besides other Dragons which are usually faster than it) would not suffice for a wallbreaker. It has no physical Ice attacks too.

The mechanics of the game favor it as a wallbreaker. Its 700 base stats give it enough speed, power, and defense to accomplish this, but against more offensive teams whose Pokemon are usually faster and have more access to attacks that Kyurem-B is weak to, these attributes mean nothing as Kyurem-B cannot inflict any blows with its power. Its typing is also valuable against stall.


Consider its 101 HP Sub. You want to run a Mild nature to boost its Special Atk, at the cost of its Defense. Its modus operandi against stall teams is to set up against a Sub against Pokemon whose attacks are resisted by it. If the sub hasn't sustained 101 HP in damage it would remain, and it is important that the Sub remains unbroken as long as possible. Its highly useable 90 base Special Defense makes its sub quite resilient against resisted and weak neutral special attacks.

A good rule of thumb is that it can withstand a STAB base 80 attack, for example Jellicent's Shadow Ball (base 85 special attack):

4 SpA Jellicent Shadow Ball vs. 56 HP / 0 SpD Kyurem-B: 84-99 (20.7 - 24.4%) -- possible 6HKO after Leftovers recovery

However, base 90 attack STABs break the Sub, such as Gastrodon's Earth Power (92 Special Attack):

4 SpA Gastrodon Earth Power vs. 56 HP / 0 SpD Kyurem-B: 100-118 (24.6 - 29.1%) -- possible 5HKO after Leftovers recovery
(100, 100, 102, 103, 105, 106, 106, 108, 109, 111, 112, 112, 114, 115, 117, 118)

The sub can take almost any uninvested neutral attack, for example the hypothetical example of an uninvested Latios (a base 130 Special Attack and most defensive Pokemon have lower special attack stats) Ice Beam (not that Latios commonly uses Ice Beam or used on stall teams):

0 SpA Latios Ice Beam vs. 56 HP / 0 SpD Kyurem-B: 89-105 (21.9 - 25.9%) -- possible 5HKO after Leftovers recovery

(89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 105)

Ironically, its Ice typing is advantageous against stall, since stall teams do not use Ice type Pokemon and use Ice Beam as a coverage move. Stall teams, of course, usually do not invest in offensive stats or use offensive Pokemon

---
Boah, boah, boah!!!!

 

[Kairyu_Gen1]

Kyurem-B confuses me. Its a complete monster in what it can do, and is viable in OU (and even ubers with the right team), but nobody seems to be using it. Now its in the lonely place of BL like its base for was last gen. He hits like a freight train, has usable bulk, and outspeeds a lot of important pokemon. Yeah his choice sets are kinda dead with fairies, but I've used his sub sets to great success. Why isn't anybody using him?

 

[Hibiki]

Kyub is a forfeit-inducing monster. Sub 3 attacks is so powerful and so anti-meta. I love it.

I thought HP Fire was used for frying Ferrothorn and CB Scizor (hide behind a Sub to take the Bullet Punch and then KO back)?

I skipped out on Gen 5 so I wouldn't know.

You don't need HP Fire for Ferro. 216 SpA Ice Beam tears through it. You even get to keep your sub if they don't have Gyro Ball.

 

[Rotosect]

Kyurem-B confuses me. Its a complete monster in what it can do, and is viable in OU (and even ubers with the right team), but nobody seems to be using it. Now its in the lonely place of BL like its base for was last gen. He hits like a freight train, has usable bulk, and outspeeds a lot of important pokemon. Yeah his choice sets are kinda dead with fairies, but I've used his sub sets to great success. Why isn't anybody using him?

It's an ice-type, so it's automatically underrated.

 

[LoDart210]

So you would run leftovers presumably?

I feel like giving this a try, I liked CB Kyu-B back in gen V but I always wondered about its neglected special attack then and now it's the most advantageous set.

 

[Hibiki]

So you would run leftovers presumably?

I feel like giving this a try, I liked CB Kyu-B back in gen V but I always wondered about its neglected special attack then and now it's the most advantageous set.

Yeah. The one thing that sucks is that without outrage, even with 101 hp subs, you can't get passed blobs.

Edit: Another thing I struggle with (through pure inexperience) is which neutral coverage move to use against threats resisting Ice Beam. I think I missed out on a 2HKO on Scizor one time because of it ~_~