[OVERVIEW]
Kyurem is a decent wallbreaker against balance teams thanks to its high Special Attack and fantastic Ice- + Ground-type coverage, which hits a majority of the metagame hard and forces a lot of switches. Its bulk and resistances are also excellent, letting it easily set up Substitute on common defensive Pokemon like Tentacruel, Rotom-W, Politoed lacking Encore, and Ferrothorn lacking Gyro Ball. It can also take a hit from other Pokemon like Starmie and Heatran. Kyurem's Speed tier lets it outpace some offensive Pokemon, like Dragonite, Excadrill, Breloom, and Heatran. However, it's outsped by Pokemon like Keldeo, Garchomp, Latios, and Alakazam, all of which are incredibly common and hit it super effectively. Kyurem is also reliant on having Substitute up to wallbreak properly, as it's otherwise forced out or crippled by Pokemon like Jellicent, Heatran, and Politoed. By extension, it must be careful when coming in on these bulky Pokemon. It can also struggle to break through bulky offensive threats that threaten it, like Tyranitar, Reuniclus, and Volcarona. Kyurem is very vulnerable to residual damage due to not healing with Leftovers in sand and being weak to Stealth Rock, forcing it to spend turns using Roost instead of attacking. Kyurem also faces competition as a Dragon-type wallbreaker from Pokemon like Latios, Dragonite, and especially Kyurem-B, due to them more easily fitting on teams, relying less on setup to wallbreak, and having more defensive utility.
[SET]
Name: SubRoost
move 1: Ice Beam
move 2: Earth Power
move 3: Substitute
move 4: Roost
item: Leftovers
ability: Pressure
nature: Timid
evs: 56 HP / 200 SpA / 252 Spe
Moves
========
Earth Power provides near-perfect coverage alongside Ice Beam, hitting Pokemon like Jirachi, Heatran, Tyranitar, and Tentacruel super effectively while also hitting other Water-types like Politoed and Keldeo decently hard. Substitute allows Kyurem to punish switches, protect itself from common status spreaders like Rotom-W, Politoed lacking Encore, and Tentacruel, and more freely attack. It also pairs well with Pressure to PP stall attacks like Hydro Pump and Focus Blast. Roost allows Kyurem to heal off entry hazard and Substitute damage while making it a long-term check to common bulky Pokemon like Rotom-W, Heatran, and Ferrothorn lacking Gyro Ball.
Set Details
========
56 HP makes Kyurem's Substitute have 101 HP, letting it withstand one Seismic Toss or Night Shade from Chansey, Jellicent, and Xatu and survive defensive Rotom-W's Hydro Pump. A Timid nature is preferred to outspeed Pokemon like Landorus-T, Modest Thundurus-T, and Jolly Excadrill.
Team Options
========
Kyurem fits best on bulky rain teams, which best provide the support it needs and bait in Pokemon for it to set up on while appreciating it threatening sand teams. Politoed brings rain, switches into Tyranitar and Ground-types like Garchomp and Excadrill, punishes Pokemon like Calm Mind Reuniclus with Encore that'd otherwise check Kyurem decently, statuses Pokemon like opposing Politoed so Kyurem can more quickly break through them, and baits in bulky Water- and Grass-types like Tentacruel, Ferrothorn, Gastrodon, and Rotom-W for Kyurem to set up on. Tentacruel keeps entry hazards off the field and takes on Fighting-types like Keldeo and Terrakion, Volcarona, and Steel-types not as threatened by Earth Power, like Scizor and Jirachi. It also lays down Toxic Spikes to put bulky threats like Tyranitar on a timer, letting Kyurem more easily break through them and poison stall them with Substitute. Ferrothorn counters Dragon-types like Latios and Kyurem-B, as well as providing another Water resistance so Kyurem isn't forced to pivot in and use Roost as often. It also provides entry hazard support and appreciates Kyurem breaking through Pokemon like Heatran and Breloom. Landorus-T can pivot Kyurem in safely with U-turn to more easily set up Substitute while also getting Stealth Rock up and checking Ground- and Fighting-types. Choice Scarf Keldeo does well against offensive threats Kyurem struggles against, like Scizor, Volcarona, and Terrakion, while the Choice Specs set can wallbreak in tandem with it to destroy bulkier teams. Jirachi brings Wish and U-turn support to keep Kyurem healthy and pivot it in safely while also answering Psychic-types like Latios, Alakazam, and Reuniclus that threaten it. Excadrill can clear entry hazards, switch into Jirachi, and force in Ground-types like Landorus-T and Gliscor for Kyurem to threaten and set up Substitute on.
Other Options
=============
A Choice Specs set with Ice Beam, Draco Meteor, Focus Blast, and Earth Power could be used as a stronger wallbreaker with more coverage. However, it's too susceptible to residual damage and even weaker attacks as a result of lacking Roost. It's also outclassed by other Choice-item wallbreakers like Latios, Keldeo, and Kyurem-B as a result of their power, Speed, lessened prediction reliance, and defensive utility. Never-Melt Ice could be used over Leftovers to more effectively threaten pivots like Reuniclus, Rotom-W, and Tyranitar and bluff a Choice item. However, Leftovers is crucial to consistently pressure bulky teams over the course of the game and set up Substitute. Dragon Tail can phaze Volcarona and punish switches by racking up entry hazard damage. However, it's generally inferior to Substitute because it makes Kyurem vulnerable to status users and Substitute punishes switches well enough anyway.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Faster Pokemon**: Faster Pokemon that can hit Kyurem super effectively, like Latios, Alakazam, Keldeo, Volcarona, Garchomp, and Terrakion, all make it struggle to switch in, force it out, and can even set up on it. However, they struggle to switch in safely and can lose to Kyurem if Substitute is up.
**Entry Hazards**: Kyurem is very vulnerable to all entry hazards, especially Stealth Rock, since it must stay healthy to set up Substitute and take hits from the bulky Pokemon it should handle. However, it can threaten or set up on common entry hazard setters, like Ferrothorn and Heatran.
**Steel-types**: While Kyurem can threaten most Steel-types with Earth Power, Pokemon like Scizor and specially defensive Excadrill and Jirachi can take Earth Power relatively comfortably and force Kyurem out with their powerful STAB moves.
**Status**: Burn and poison ruin Kyurem's longevity and make it harder to set up and wallbreak due to needing to use Roost more often. Paralysis, on the other hand, makes it unable to outspeed anything and, therefore, properly use Substitute or pressure Pokemon that run recovery moves.
**Bulky Pokemon**: Pokemon such as Tyranitar, Reuniclus, Volcarona, and Keldeo all easily take Kyurem's hits thanks to their bulk and threaten it and set up on it. However, they can't take too many hits and are susceptible to being worn down.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Ophion, 433215], [kalifguest22, 510612]]
- Quality checked by: [[peng, 33864], [BlueBirD252, 347088]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429], [, ]]
Kyurem is a decent wallbreaker against balance teams thanks to its high Special Attack and fantastic Ice- + Ground-type coverage, which hits a majority of the metagame hard and forces a lot of switches. Its bulk and resistances are also excellent, letting it easily set up Substitute on common defensive Pokemon like Tentacruel, Rotom-W, Politoed lacking Encore, and Ferrothorn lacking Gyro Ball. It can also take a hit from other Pokemon like Starmie and Heatran. Kyurem's Speed tier lets it outpace some offensive Pokemon, like Dragonite, Excadrill, Breloom, and Heatran. However, it's outsped by Pokemon like Keldeo, Garchomp, Latios, and Alakazam, all of which are incredibly common and hit it super effectively. Kyurem is also reliant on having Substitute up to wallbreak properly, as it's otherwise forced out or crippled by Pokemon like Jellicent, Heatran, and Politoed. By extension, it must be careful when coming in on these bulky Pokemon. It can also struggle to break through bulky offensive threats that threaten it, like Tyranitar, Reuniclus, and Volcarona. Kyurem is very vulnerable to residual damage due to not healing with Leftovers in sand and being weak to Stealth Rock, forcing it to spend turns using Roost instead of attacking. Kyurem also faces competition as a Dragon-type wallbreaker from Pokemon like Latios, Dragonite, and especially Kyurem-B, due to them more easily fitting on teams, relying less on setup to wallbreak, and having more defensive utility.
[SET]
Name: SubRoost
move 1: Ice Beam
move 2: Earth Power
move 3: Substitute
move 4: Roost
item: Leftovers
ability: Pressure
nature: Timid
evs: 56 HP / 200 SpA / 252 Spe
Moves
========
Earth Power provides near-perfect coverage alongside Ice Beam, hitting Pokemon like Jirachi, Heatran, Tyranitar, and Tentacruel super effectively while also hitting other Water-types like Politoed and Keldeo decently hard. Substitute allows Kyurem to punish switches, protect itself from common status spreaders like Rotom-W, Politoed lacking Encore, and Tentacruel, and more freely attack. It also pairs well with Pressure to PP stall attacks like Hydro Pump and Focus Blast. Roost allows Kyurem to heal off entry hazard and Substitute damage while making it a long-term check to common bulky Pokemon like Rotom-W, Heatran, and Ferrothorn lacking Gyro Ball.
Set Details
========
56 HP makes Kyurem's Substitute have 101 HP, letting it withstand one Seismic Toss or Night Shade from Chansey, Jellicent, and Xatu and survive defensive Rotom-W's Hydro Pump. A Timid nature is preferred to outspeed Pokemon like Landorus-T, Modest Thundurus-T, and Jolly Excadrill.
Team Options
========
Kyurem fits best on bulky rain teams, which best provide the support it needs and bait in Pokemon for it to set up on while appreciating it threatening sand teams. Politoed brings rain, switches into Tyranitar and Ground-types like Garchomp and Excadrill, punishes Pokemon like Calm Mind Reuniclus with Encore that'd otherwise check Kyurem decently, statuses Pokemon like opposing Politoed so Kyurem can more quickly break through them, and baits in bulky Water- and Grass-types like Tentacruel, Ferrothorn, Gastrodon, and Rotom-W for Kyurem to set up on. Tentacruel keeps entry hazards off the field and takes on Fighting-types like Keldeo and Terrakion, Volcarona, and Steel-types not as threatened by Earth Power, like Scizor and Jirachi. It also lays down Toxic Spikes to put bulky threats like Tyranitar on a timer, letting Kyurem more easily break through them and poison stall them with Substitute. Ferrothorn counters Dragon-types like Latios and Kyurem-B, as well as providing another Water resistance so Kyurem isn't forced to pivot in and use Roost as often. It also provides entry hazard support and appreciates Kyurem breaking through Pokemon like Heatran and Breloom. Landorus-T can pivot Kyurem in safely with U-turn to more easily set up Substitute while also getting Stealth Rock up and checking Ground- and Fighting-types. Choice Scarf Keldeo does well against offensive threats Kyurem struggles against, like Scizor, Volcarona, and Terrakion, while the Choice Specs set can wallbreak in tandem with it to destroy bulkier teams. Jirachi brings Wish and U-turn support to keep Kyurem healthy and pivot it in safely while also answering Psychic-types like Latios, Alakazam, and Reuniclus that threaten it. Excadrill can clear entry hazards, switch into Jirachi, and force in Ground-types like Landorus-T and Gliscor for Kyurem to threaten and set up Substitute on.
Other Options
=============
A Choice Specs set with Ice Beam, Draco Meteor, Focus Blast, and Earth Power could be used as a stronger wallbreaker with more coverage. However, it's too susceptible to residual damage and even weaker attacks as a result of lacking Roost. It's also outclassed by other Choice-item wallbreakers like Latios, Keldeo, and Kyurem-B as a result of their power, Speed, lessened prediction reliance, and defensive utility. Never-Melt Ice could be used over Leftovers to more effectively threaten pivots like Reuniclus, Rotom-W, and Tyranitar and bluff a Choice item. However, Leftovers is crucial to consistently pressure bulky teams over the course of the game and set up Substitute. Dragon Tail can phaze Volcarona and punish switches by racking up entry hazard damage. However, it's generally inferior to Substitute because it makes Kyurem vulnerable to status users and Substitute punishes switches well enough anyway.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Faster Pokemon**: Faster Pokemon that can hit Kyurem super effectively, like Latios, Alakazam, Keldeo, Volcarona, Garchomp, and Terrakion, all make it struggle to switch in, force it out, and can even set up on it. However, they struggle to switch in safely and can lose to Kyurem if Substitute is up.
**Entry Hazards**: Kyurem is very vulnerable to all entry hazards, especially Stealth Rock, since it must stay healthy to set up Substitute and take hits from the bulky Pokemon it should handle. However, it can threaten or set up on common entry hazard setters, like Ferrothorn and Heatran.
**Steel-types**: While Kyurem can threaten most Steel-types with Earth Power, Pokemon like Scizor and specially defensive Excadrill and Jirachi can take Earth Power relatively comfortably and force Kyurem out with their powerful STAB moves.
**Status**: Burn and poison ruin Kyurem's longevity and make it harder to set up and wallbreak due to needing to use Roost more often. Paralysis, on the other hand, makes it unable to outspeed anything and, therefore, properly use Substitute or pressure Pokemon that run recovery moves.
**Bulky Pokemon**: Pokemon such as Tyranitar, Reuniclus, Volcarona, and Keldeo all easily take Kyurem's hits thanks to their bulk and threaten it and set up on it. However, they can't take too many hits and are susceptible to being worn down.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Ophion, 433215], [kalifguest22, 510612]]
- Quality checked by: [[peng, 33864], [BlueBirD252, 347088]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429], [, ]]
Last edited:
