Status: Done!
QC Approval: Bloo, Setsusana
GP Checks: Zystral, jc104
Aerrow's Analysis
[Overview]
<p>With offensive stats almost rivaling those of Rayquaza, Kyurem completes the Tao Trio of Generation V. A unique Dragon / Ice typing differentiates Kyurem from other Dragon-types, and with Base 130 Attack and Special Attack, Dragon / Ice typing makes a great offensive threat. Base 95 Speed is a bit underwhelming in today's metagame, but is still enough for Kyurem to outspeed certain threats. As an added bonus, Kyurem boasts excellent bulk, with 125/90/90 base defenses.</p>
<p>However, there are reasons Kyurem failed to achieve Uber status, in spite of brilliant offenses and typing. To start, while Dragon / Ice is great offensively, it is a terrible defensive typing, offsetting Kyurem's decent bulk. Dragon-, Fighting-, Steel-, and Rock-type weaknesses make life horrible for Kyurem, in addition to Stealth Rock robbing 25% of its HP every time it switches in. It is very susceptible to common priority moves such as Mach Punch, Bullet Punch, and Vacuum Wave, making it easy prey for revenge killing. Finally, bar Hone Claws, Kyurem has no way to boost its offensive stats and is unable to boost its Speed. In spite of these shortcomings, Kyurem can still serve as an effective attacker with the proper support.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Hidden Power Fire / Dragon Pulse
item: Choice Scarf / Choice Specs
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With a Special Attack equaling those of Gengar, Espeon, Latios, Magnezone, Glaceon, and Heatran, Kyurem makes a great user of either Choice Scarf or Choice Specs. With Choice Scarf, Kyurem serves as a great revenge killer, sitting at 475 Speed with STAB Dragon- and Ice-type attacks at its disposal; meanwhile, Choice Specs powers up that great Special Attack to an impressive 538, ensuring very few will survive. The choice between a revenge killer and a powerful Special Attacker is up to the trainer, but the moveset for both remains the same. Draco Meteor tears through anything that isn't resistant or named Chansey or Blissey. Ice Beam is secondary STAB, providing an alternative to Draco Meteor to combat fellow Dragon-types, many of whom are 4x weak against Ice, without resorting to the Special Attack-decreasing Draco Meteor.</p>
<p>Focus Blast takes precedence in the third slot. As it stands, Heatran resists both Draco Meteor and Ice Beam and can wear down Kyurem with STAB Fire Blast. Focus Blast takes care of that problem, securing an OHKO with entry hazards on most versions of Heatran; if using Choice Specs, Heatran will always fall. The final slot is reserved for Hidden Power Fire or Dragon Pulse. Though Focus Blast hits Ferrothorn for super effective damage, a 4x super effective Hidden Power Fire hits Ferrothorn, Scizor, and Forretress harder. Kyurem has much to fear from those three if it doesn't KO them in time, especially Scizor, as it can usually survive a Focus Blast and proceed to KO Kyurem with Bullet Punch.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Using Hidden Power Fire means lowering Kyurem's max Speed to 316, meaning other Base 95 Speed Pokemon such as Electivire and Darmanitan can get the jump on Choice Specs Kyurem and if Darmanitan wears a Choice Scarf of its own, Choice Scarf Kyurem. For that reason, you can forgo Hidden Power Fire and instead use Dragon Pulse. This way, you don't sacrifice Kyurem's Speed and you have the ability to hit with a more consistent Dragon-type attack than Draco Meteor. This route is recommended only if you have of other ways to deal with Scizor and Bronzong though, since Focus Blast's shaky accuracy could mean the end of Kyurem.</p>
<p>Since Kyurem will be switching in and out through the match, Rapid Spin support is a must to keep Stealth Rock off the field. Starmie works as an excellent partner, taking Fighting- and Steel-type attacks decently, Recovering the damage, and battering the physically inclined with Surf. Wish support is greatly appreciated, and Jirachi makes a good partner in this case, taking Rock- and Steel-type moves while healing Kyurem in the process. Though sharing a Fighting-type weakness with Kyurem, Magnezone can trap and KO Steel-types, and Heatran can scare off Fire-and Steel-type foes. Fighting-type partners will be greatly appreciated to take care of this set's bane, Eviolite Chansey and Blissey.</p>
[SET]
name: Life Orb
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Hidden Power Fire / Dragon Pulse
item: Life Orb
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While the previous set had the choice of hitting hard or striking fast, this one has the freedom to do both. Life Orb makes Kyurem a fantastic offensive threat, sporting 466 SpA to batter opponents with. This comes at the cost of Kyurem's health, but the freedom to choose another attack should your opponent switch to a potential check or counter. Draco Meteor does not much suit switching attacks, but its power makes it too hard to pass up. Ice Beam beats the the majority of Dragon-types easily, namely Salamence, without resorting to Draco Meteor. Focus Blast makes a return to hit Steel-types, plus the possibility of a Special Defense drop helps against certain foes who switch in, such as Scizor. In the last slot, the option of hitting Ferrothorn, Forretress, and Scizor in the form of Hidden Power Fire takes precedence while Dragon Pulse is the more consistent option over Draco Meteor should you wish to retain that great Special Attack without switching out.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>With Draco Meteor cutting Kyurem's Special Attack in half, it will be hard-pressed to stay in after using it. At the cost of some power, Dragon Pulse can be used over Draco Meteor, freeing up the last slot for Hidden Power Fire. However, as mentioned earlier, with such a sky-high Special Attack, it may be inadvisable to give up something as powerful as Draco Meteor. Though this set is harder to wall because of the great coverage and the freedom to attack, Blissey and Eviolite Chansey still serve as effective counters. Specially Defensive Forretress can shrug off Focus Blast too and can KO a weakened Kyurem with Gyro Ball.</p>
<p>In addition to the problem regarding the last moveslot, the vulnerability to all forms of entry hazards, especially Stealth Rock, and the lack of recovery means this Kyurem is easily worn down, especially with Life Orb recoil. For that reason, Starmie makes a great partner, using Rapid Spin to blow away entry hazards and effectively checking most Fighting-types. Wish support is also greatly appreciated, and Jirachi makes a good partner again, since it can carry moves such as Fire Punch and Psychic to take care of Scizor and Conkledurr, respectively. Finally, Magnezone can trap bulky Steel types and KO them with Hidden Power Fire should Kyurem forgo Hidden Power Fire itself.</p>
[SET]
name: Glaciate
move 1: Glaciate
move 2: Draco Meteor
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Focus Blast / Hidden Power Fire
item: Haban Berry / Lum Berry
nature: Modest
evs: 56 HP / 236 SpA / 216 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Kyurem's signature move, Glaciate, is essentially a slightly more powerful Icy Wind. This set has a bit of a surprise factor, as Glaciate rarely makes it on any of Kyurem's sets due to its low base power. This set is effective both as a lead and as an attacker later on in the game. The idea is to come in on something that doesn't threaten Kyurem and fire off Glaciate on the switch-in. From there, depending on what comes in Kyurem can either beat it with STAB Draco Meteor, STAB Ice Beam, or Focus Blast, or switch to an appropriate teammate. The EVs are tailored to beat Pokemon with 140 base Speed that lack Choice Scarf after Glaciate takes effect. This also allows Kyurem to outrun the likes of Lucario naturally. The 56 HP EVs help Kyurem with its natural bulk, also allowing it to switch in on Stealth Rock four times before fainting.</p>
<p>The rest of the moveset is dedicated to beating what Glaciate has slowed down. Draco Meteor hitting off of 390 SpA is no laughing matter, easily KOing most Pokemon after the Glaciate. Ice Beam is the safer option on most Dragon-types, especially those with a 4x weakness to Ice-type attacks. Focus Blast once again deals with the Steel-types bound to come in on Kyurem, namely Ferrothorn.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Hidden Power Fire can go over Focus Blast to hit Bronzong, Scizor, Ferrothorn, and Forretress harder. However, this leaves you at the mercy of Heatran, who will force you out after you use Glaciate. Then again, Kyurem has fulfilled its job of slowing down Choice Scarf Heatran, so any faster partner, such as Starmie, can come in and win outright. Do note to transfer 4 EVs from Special Attack to accommodate the 30 Speed IV required for Hidden Power Fire. Again, Eviolite Chansey and Blissey take little damage from even Kyurem's massive Special Attack, so partners such as Conkledurr are greatly appreciated. Magnezone once again traps Steel-types such as Scizor and Ferrothorn, especially useful if you forego Hidden Power Fire (though Focus Blast almost assuredly KOs Ferrothorn after the Glaciate.)</p>
<p>With regard to the item choice, there are various options: Leftovers helps recover HP while Life Orb powers up Kyurem's massive Special Attack. When it comes to surviving, a type-resist berry is an excellent choice. In most situations, right after Kyurem knocks out a Pokemon, a revenge killer comes in, in the form of a Dragon-, Steel-, or Fighting-type. By using a Haban, Babiri, or Chople Berry, Kyurem can take the hit and destroy another Pokemon in the process. Lum Berry is a decent choice if you decide to use Kyurem as a lead.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Blizzard should only go over Ice Beam if you have Hail support. Hone Claws is the only way to boost Kyurem's attack power. However, there are very few physical moves which Kyurem can take advantage of, notably Outrage, Dragon Claw, Dragon Tail, and Stone Edge. It can help in a mixed set, making Blizzard a viable choice and ensuring Draco Meteor hits 100% of the time. Dragon Tail and Toxic can combine for some annoyance, but such a combo is better pulled off by more defensively oriented Pokemon. Endeavor can be used in tandem with Hail support to nab a KO. Kyurem would make a good Dual Screener if it were not for its terrible defensive typing. Substitute is an option, as it is possible for them to have greater than 101 HP, but Kyurem would prefer to attack outright. The only other Special Attack viable for Kyurem is Psychic, which batters incoming Fighting-types such as Conkledurr without having to resort to Draco Meteor. However, its usage is very limited when Draco Meteor can hit pretty much everything that Psychic would.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>With Kyurem's sky-high offenses, almost nothing is a safe switch in. However, Eviolite Chansey and Blissey are possibly the best counters to Kyurem, since most sets are specially-oriented. Even mixed sets with Outrage can be outstalled, with Chansey marginally better at doing so. A 252 HP / 252 Def Bold Eviolite Chansey takes 40.9% - 48.3% from a neutral-natured, 40 Atk LO Outrage. From there, bulky Steel-types, such as Jirachi, Bronzong, Forretress, Ferrothorn, and Specially Defensive Scizor can come in on Ice Beam or Draco Meteor. Most cannot take repeated hits from Focus Blast or Hidden Power Fire, however.</p>
<p>Kyurem, as mentioned earlier, is rather slow for a Dragon-type and carries no form of priority, so revenge killing is the best way to go. Do note however, that with its natural bulk, Kyurem can survive certain priority moves if at full health. For example, a Choice Banded Scizor using Bullet Punch deals 90.5% - 106.4% to a Timid 0 HP Kyurem; if it deals minimum damage, Scizor will lose. For this reason, and to limit the number of times Kyurem can switch in, Stealth Rock is highly recommended.</p>
