Kingler
|Status: Done|
|QC Approved: [Uragg][Bluewind]|
|GP Checks: [bugmaniacbob][Fatecrashers]|
Changes I Have Made:
- Removed the Swords Dance and the Salac Flail sets
- Updated the format
- Pretty much revamped the entire analysis to better fit the current UU metagame
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[Overview]
<p>With outstanding offensive prowess, great physical bulk, coupled with access to moves such as Swords Dance and Agility, Kingler presents a formidable offensive threat to any unprepared team. The only problems truly hindering Kingler's effectiveness are its shallow movepool and its mediocre special bulk, making it very vulnerable to any kind of special attack, which is especially significant. But with the appropriate support, Kingler can quite literally crush its way through an opposing team.</p>
[SET]
name: Boosting Sweeper
move 1: Agility
move 2: Swords Dance
move 3: Crabhammer
move 4: Return
item: Life Orb
ability: Hyper Cutter
nature: Adamant
evs: 68 HP / 252 Atk / 188 Spe
[Set Comments]
<p>This set attempts to take advantage of Kingler’s great offensive versatility, allowing it to perform excellently as either a wallbreaker or a sweeper depending on the situation, by using either Swords Dance or Agility. The former option, Swords Dance, lets Kingler take on the role of a wallbreaker, abusing its sky-high base 130 Attack stat to plow through unprepared teams, allowing a second sweeper to clean up after it. The latter option, Agility, transforms Kingler into a powerful sweeper, able to clean up with its powerful attacks after its teammates have provided sufficient support for Kingler to sweep. The remaining two moveslots are given to Crabhammer, which is a reliable STAB attack, and Return, which is mainly used for coverage reasons as it can fearsomely strike Pokemon that are resistant to Kingler’s STAB.</p>
[Additional Comments]
<p>The EVs suggested are designed to reach a couple of key Speed stats; without an Agility boost, Kingler will outrun no-Speed Drapion and Jolly Torterra, while after an Agility boost, it will outrun Timid Choice Scarf Rotom and Moltres. It should be noted, though, that investing 252 EVs into Speed with a Jolly nature will allow Kingler to Speed tie with the fastest unboosted Absol, as well as being able to outspeed weather sweepers, such as Ludicolo and Victreebel, after an Agility. Both a Life Orb and an Adamant nature are recommended as they maximize Kingler’s offensive capabilities. In terms of moves, X-Scissor can be used over Swords Dance or Agility to help take down threats such as Tangrowth and Leafeon; also, Double-Edge can be used over Return for the significant increase in power. The counters for this set depend on which boost you decide to take; if you choose to go for Agility, physically inclined walls and priority attacks can be problematic, whereas if you choose the Attack boost from Swords Dance, faster Pokemon with decent Special Attack will generally become threats to Kingler’s sweep due to its mediocre Special Defense stat.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice
move 1: Crabhammer
move 2: Return
move 3: Rock Slide
move 4: Superpower / X-Scissor
item: Choice Band / Choice Scarf
ability: Hyper Cutter
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 32 HP / 252 Atk / 224 Spe
[Set Comments]
<p>Along with being a great set-up sweeper and wallbreaker, Kingler can also efficiently play the role of a devastating revenge killer; courtesy of its impressive offensive prowess and decent movepool, which allows it to dent even the most defensive of Pokemon. Crabhammer is a staple on the set as its acts as a reliable STAB attack, while Return and Rock Slide provide excellent coverage alongside Crabhammer and are generally great attacking options. The final move comes down to your personal preference – while Superpower helps against the likes of Registeel, X-Scissor can come in handy when facing Pokemon who think they can wall Kingler’s STAB; Grass-types for instance.</p>
[Additional Comments]
<p>The item to be used depends on what you want Kingler to accomplish: a Choice Band gives your attacks immense power, making Crabhammer powerful enough to occasionally KO even the most physically defensive Steelix after some residual damage, while a Choice Scarf allows you to outspeed Pokemon like Swellow and Persian in order to swiftly dispatch them. The recommended nature is dependant on which item you choose to use. Generally speaking, a Jolly nature is to be used with a Choice Band, while an Adamant nature is to be used with a Choice Scarf. However, in certain situations, this rule can be broken for the sake of extra utility. For example, although the power drop from using a Jolly nature is considerable, it is only with a Choice Scarf and a Jolly nature that Kingler can outrun positive natured base 120s such as Dugtrio, Sceptile, Alakazam, and Swellow, allowing it to revenge kill them without worrying about being outpaced.</p>
<p>As was explained previously, the Speed EVs are used to reach specific benchmarks, while the remaining EVs are invested into Attack and HP for maximum power and bulk. Since the given EVs were made specifically for the Choice Scarf set, a simple 252 Atk/ 252 Spe/ 4 HP spread can be used if you opt for a Choice Band. Also, if needed, you can use Double-Edge over Return, as the former move is significantly more powerful, but comes at the cost of recoil damage. Unlike the previous set, this one is countered much more easily as Kingler will now be locked into one move; bulky Grass- and Water-types such as Tangrowth, Leafeon, Milotic, and Slowbro are perfect checks due to their bulk and resistances, meaning they will be taking minimal damage from Kingler’s attacks, although Grass-types and Slowbro must still beware of switching into X-Scissor.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>Entry hazard support in the form of Stealth Rock and Spikes would be a good idea to use alongside Kingler, as it helps weaken Grass-types and other defensive Pokemon, including Steelix and Registeel, both of which can be 2HKOed or even OHKOed if they have taken previous damage. Pokemon who benefit from the removal of Swellow and other fast threats generally make great offensive partners; Sceptile is an excellent example of such a Pokemon, as not only does it have decent synergy with Kingler, it can also benefit from the various forms of support that Kingler provides. Lastly, Pokemon who can deal with bulky Water-types along with priority attacks also make great teammates for Kingler, as such support will prove to be helpful for its sweep. Rotom is a great choice as it nicely checks the likes of Milotic with its super effective Electric STAB, while also being immune to the likes of Vacuum Wave and Extremespeed which Kingler dislikes.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<p>Unfortunately, other than the mentioned sets, Kingler doesn’t have many other options to choose from; although sets revolving around the sole usage of Swords Dance or Agility are perfectly viable, provided you give Kingler the needed support. Also, a Substitute + Salac Berry set with Flail can be utilized, but this is not recommended due to the prevalence of priority attacks in UU. In terms of other attacking options, Kingler can use Brick Break which will help when facing defensive Steel-types.</p>
[Counters]
<p>As mentioned several times before, bulky Water-types such as Milotic and Slowbro do a remarkable job at countering most Kingler variants, courtesy of their key resistances and natural bulk. Similarly, bulky Grass-types like Leafeon and Tangrowth also do a great job at checking and eliminating Kingler with their super effective STAB attacks; although, unlike Water-types, they must watch out for X-Scissor, which will inflict a massive amount of damage to them. Also, faster opponents, as well as priority attacks, will quickly eliminate Kingler, and if the attacks being aimed at Kingler are specially based, Kingler is almost sure to faint due to its rather pitiful base Special Defense. Lastly, physically-inclined walls can easily cripple Kingler with status, and then slowly whittle away its health.</p>
