[OVERVIEW]
Krilowatt acts as one of CAP's greatest special cleaners. It has excellent bulk, allowing it to switch into neutral attacks multiple times throughout the battle. Krilowatt also has great coverage with access to Electric-, Water-, Ground-, and Ice-type moves that lets it hit most of the metagame super effectively despite its low offensive stats. It also has great utility options in Heart Swap, Thunder Wave, and Toxic. It lies in a decent Speed tier, Speed tying with Mega Pinsir and outspeeding anything slower. Magic Guard is a blessing for Krilowatt, as it nullifies entry hazard damage and Life Orb recoil and allows Krilowatt to absorb status.
However, due to Krilowatt's middling Special Attack and lack of boosting moves, foes with decent Special Defense, such as Chansey, specially defensive Jirachi, and Mega Venusaur, wall it due to their natural bulk. It also has to hit foes super effectively to take them down, so foes that resist its moves, such as Ferrothorn and Pyroak, also wall it. Additionally, even though Krilowatt has wide physical coverage, its physical STAB moves are weak, making physical sets largely unviable. Despite Krilowatt's access to Earthquake and Low Kick, many of these moves' targets, like Cyclohm and Ferrothorn, have high Defense, which lowers physical Krilowatt's effectiveness.
[SET]
name: Special Cleaner
move 1: Surf
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Earth Power
move 4: Ice Beam
item: Life Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
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Surf hits Colossoil, Stratagem, Mega Diancie, Talonflame, and Cawmodore and is generally a safe move to use, as Krilowatt can follow up with Earth Power if Mollux or Plasmanta absorbs Surf with Dry Skin or Storm Drain, respectively. Thunderbolt hits Talonflame, Tornadus-T, Tomohawk, Keldeo, Mega Charizard Y, Skarmory, Slowbro, and Volkraken hard. Earth Power OHKOes Choice Scarf Mollux and 2HKOes Heatran and Mega Crucibelle. Ice Beam OHKOes Garchomp, Landorus-T, and Gliscor and 2HKOes Necturna, Latios, Serperior, and Mega Altaria. Because Krilowatt lures in Ferrothorn and Mega Scizor, which would normally wall or set up on it, Krilowatt can run Hidden Power Fire to 2HKO them, but Krilowatt struggles to find a moveslot for it. Low Kick is another option to allow Krilowatt to lure in and 2HKO Kyruem-B, even with an Attack-lowering nature. Low Kick also lands a guaranteed 2HKO on bulkier variants of Assault Vest Colossoil, while Surf has only a chance to 2HKO them.
Set Details
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252 Speed EVs and a Timid nature maximize Krilowatt's Speed, allowing it to Speed tie with Mega Pinsir and outspeed Crucibelle and Garchomp. 252 Special Attack EVs let Krilowatt hit as hard as possible with the given nature. Magic Guard nullifies Life Orb recoil, poison and burn damage, and entry hazard damage, which would otherwise wear down Krilowatt. Life Orb gives a much needed boost to the power of Krilowatt's attacks.
Usage Tips
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Krilowatt functions best as a late-gate cleaner and revenge killer, but it can switch in easily on Scald, Thunder Wave, Toxic, Will-O-Wisp, and weak neutral hits. It absorbs status well, with its Electric typing giving it an immunity to paralysis and Magic Guard nullifying poison and burn damage. Since Krilowatt is reliant on Life Orb for its damage output, it shouldn't be switching into Knock Off. Its wide coverage lets it break through type synergy cores, such as the core of Tomohawk, Colossoil, and Cyclohm, with adequate prediction.
Team Options
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Talonflame forms a great offensive core with Krilowatt, being immune to the Ground-type moves and resistant to the Grass-type moves aimed at Krilowatt and beating Jirachi, Mega Venusaur, Chansey, Pyroak, and Ferrothorn. In return, Krilowatt eliminates Electric-types and Heatran with Earth Power and Water-types with Thunderbolt. Illusion Aurumoth can disguise itself as Krilowatt effectively, as it resists Grass- and Ground-type moves and can work around some of Krilowatt's checks and counters, such as Colossoil, Ferrothorn, and Mega Venusaur. Jirachi provides Wish or Healing Wish support and can deal with Mega Venusaur and Chansey. Krilowatt appreciates wallbreakers such as offensive Swords Dance Scizor and Tail Glow Aurumoth to wear down the opposing team so that it can clean easily. Magnezone and Magneton can trap Ferrothorn, Cawmodore, and Mega Scizor and eliminate them for Krilowatt. The first hard walls Krilowatt, while the latter two can set up on it.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
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Krilowatt can run a bulky set with Discharge, Surf, Ice Beam, and a filler move and Leftovers with an EV spread of 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe, which takes advantage of Krilowatt's massive HP stat. 252 Speed EVs let it outspeed maximum Speed Garchomp and Crucibelle and Speed tie with Mega Pinsir, and 252 HP EVs max out Krilowatt's HP stat. Substitute + Toxic is also an option for this bulkier spread, as it allows Krilowatt to work around Chansey, one of its intended counters. Trace can copy some cool abilities, most notably Rotom-W's Levitate and Tornadus-T's Regenerator. However, Magic Guard is more useful in most cases. Counter and Mirror Coat can deal massive damage with Krilowatt's high HP stat and low defenses and allow Krilowatt to work around would-be checks such as Kyurem-B and Mega Venusaur, but its lack of recovery sets limits on this strategy. Thunder Wave is a good option to let Krilowatt slow down faster threats for its teammates, but Krilowatt has a hard time giving up coverage for it. Heart Swap can steal boosts from Calm Mind wincons such as Mega Slowbro and Mega Sableye. It can also steal Cawmodore's Belly Drum; to take full advantage of the massive Attack boost, Krilowatt should run Waterfall / Thunderbolt / Ice Beam / Heart Swap with an EV spread of 20 Atk / 44 Def / 192 SpA / 252 Spe and a Naive nature. However, situations where Heart Swap is useful are very uncommon.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Special Walls**: Special walls like Chansey, Clefable, Sylveon, and specially defensive Jirachi can tank anything that Krilowatt throws at them and heal off the damage with Soft-Boiled or Wish.
**Bulky Grass-types**: Mega Venusaur, Pyroak, and Ferrothorn can all tank Ice Beam with ease, although Hidden Power Fire 2HKOes Ferrothorn. Mega Venusaur and Pyroak can heal off the damage with Synthesis and retaliate with Giga Drain, while Ferrothorn can set up entry hazards and 2HKO Krilowatt with Power Whip. Necturna checks Krilowatt with Power Whip, but it gets 2HKOed with Ice Beam.
**Kyurem-B**: Kyurem-B's special bulk allows it to Roost off any damage that Krilowatt deals out and wear down Krilowatt with Fusion Bolt and Earth Power, only fearing the uncommon Low Kick.
**Faster Threats with Super Effective Coverage**: Powerful Ground-type coverage usually OHKOes Krilowatt, but most Earthquake users like Colossoil, Landorus-T, and Mega Pinsir and most Earth Power users like Tomohawk, Stratagem, Mega Diancie, and Heatran have a hard time switching into it. Colossoil, Landorus-T, and Heatran have to be Choice Scarf variants in order to outspeed it. Serperior can OHKO Krilowatt with Leaf Storm, and Mega Crucibelle can OHKO it with Wood Hammer after some prior damage; however, they have a hard time switching into Krilowatt's coverage moves.
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