[OVERVIEW]
Kyurem boasts monstrous stats, powerful attacks, and a surprisingly useful typing to act as a terrifying threat in the DOU metagame. Its STAB Ice-type attacks hit common threats and utility Pokemon alike, such as Landorus, Rillaboom, and Tornadus, for super effective damage, and Freeze-Dry forces the format's few Water-types to stay on their toes. Earth Power and Flash Cannon both serve as effective coverage moves to keep Ice- and Dragon-resistant Pokemon at bay. Meanwhile, Ice / Dragon is an excellent defensive typing when combined with Kyurem's natural bulk, allowing it to stand strong in the face of Pokemon like Ogerpon-W. Kyurem's Speed stat, while falling short of the format's faster threats, is still high enough to outrun and threaten Pokemon such as Glimmora and Gholdengo. Kyurem's biggest downfall, however, is its utter reliance on snow. Without the 50% boost to its Defense and perfect accuracy on Blizzard, Kyurem struggles to stand out compared to other juggernauts like Iron Hands and Raging Bolt. In addition, many of Kyurem's checks also have strong matchups against the snow setters of the format, turning Pokemon like Gholdengo, Diancie, and Tyranitar from annoyances into serious threats to the team.
[SET]
Snow Assault Vest (Kyurem) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Pressure
Tera Type: Steel / Fairy
EVs: 92 HP / 88 Def / 128 SpA / 4 SpD / 196 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Blizzard
- Freeze-Dry / Glaciate
- Earth Power
- Flash Cannon / Glaciate / Draco Meteor
[SET COMMENTS]
- Snow and Assault Vest's defensive boosts combine to make Kyurem a juggernaut, capable of taking multiple consecutive hits while dealing heavy damage.
- Blizzard is Kyurem's most consistent damage option in snow, threatening both powerful attackers like Landorus and Dragonite and common support Pokemon like Tornadus and Sinistcha.
- Freeze-Dry expands Kyurem's reach and lets it threaten Water-types and Tera Water users like Amoonguss and Iron Hands, hitting Ogerpon-W and Pelipper especially hard.
- Earth Power becomes necessary to threaten Pokemon that take minimal damage from Kyurem's Ice-type attacks, like Gholdengo, Incineroar, Iron Hands, and Kingambit.
- Flash Cannon is a powerful tool for hitting opposing Diancie, Alolan Ninetales, and any Pokemon that may use Tera Fairy, such as Gholdengo and Raging Bolt.
- Glaciate can slot over Freeze-Dry or Flash Cannon, providing a surprisingly powerful speed control move greatly appreciated by the likes of Iron Hands or Kingambit.
- Draco Meteor is Kyurem's most powerful single attack, though a Dragon-type move is entirely optional on this set, and Draco Meteor's Special Attack drop may make it more difficult for Kyurem to stay in and trade hits with the opposing side.
- This EV spread lets Kyurem outspeed Timid Glimmora, avoid a 3HKO from Iron Hands's Drain Punch with Aurora Veil in snow, and always 2HKO maximum HP Kingambit with Earth Power.
- Steel is a potent defensive Tera type against Gholdengo and Glimmora and can provide a power boost for Flash Cannon, but it leaves Kyurem more vulnerable to threats like Iron Hands and Landorus. Tera Fairy is a more general option that flips multiple of Kyurem's weaknesses, turning the tables on Pokemon like Iron Hands and opposing Kyurem, but maintains the Steel weakness.
- Alolan Ninetales is all but required on teams with Kyurem; Snow Warning giving both a Defense boost and an accurate Blizzard is too good to ignore, and its Aurora Veil lets Kyurem double down on its already incredible bulk.
- This set greatly appreciates partners with healing capabilities to extend its survivability. Rillaboom and Sinistcha are the most common partners for this purpose, but Pollen Puff users like Amoonguss and Mew can provide the same benefit.
[SET]
Snow Choice Specs (Kyurem) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Pressure
Tera Type: Ghost / Fairy / Ice
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid / Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Blizzard
- Freeze-Dry
- Draco Meteor
- Earth Power / Flash Cannon
[SET COMMENTS]
- Choice Specs gives Kyurem a substantial Special Attack boost that it can use to quickly and definitively end games.
- Choice Specs Blizzard is one of the strongest spread moves currently available in the format, hitting some notable KOs on foes such as Sinistcha that other items cannot.
- Freeze-Dry cleanly answers Water-type Pokemon that would want to switch in on Blizzard, and Choice Specs helps make up for its lower Base Power.
- Draco Meteor turns most offensive threats into mush and deals respectable damage to even the bulkiest Pokemon in the format such as Incineroar and Iron Hands.
- Earth Power hits Steel- and Fire-types, forcing them to make tough decisions about switching in, while Flash Cannon OHKOes Diancie.
- A Timid nature allows Kyurem to outspeed key Pokemon like Glimmora and Gholdengo, while a Modest nature sacrifices outspeeding those threats in order to maximize damage. Likewise, a little bit of Speed can be dropped from Timid Kyurem for added bulk, but these threats should be kept in mind when doing so.
- The chosen defensive Tera types enable Kyurem to continue dealing damage; Ghost provides an immunity to Fake Out from Pokemon such as Rillaboom, which is valuable on a Choice item set, but Fairy flips more weaknesses and grants an immunity to moves like Gouging Fire's Breaking Swipe and Raging Bolt's Draco Meteor.
- Tera Ice can be used to make Blizzard hurt more, and it notably allows Freeze-Dry to OHKO Terastallized Ogerpon-W.
- Alolan Ninetales is required as a teammate thanks to its Snow Warning ability, but Encore and Icy Wind are particularly useful to keep strong attacks off of Kyurem; other good teammates include Fake Out users like Incineroar and Rillaboom to create space and more offensive threats such as Landorus to capitalize on Kyurem's damage output.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Checks and Counters
====
**Incineroar:** Thanks to its natural bulk and Blizzard resistance, Incineroar is often able to switch in on Kyurem and threaten any of Fake Out, Knock Off, and Parting Shot, all of which cut into Kyurem's ability to continue dealing damage.
**Iron Hands:** Assault Vest Iron Hands is bulky enough to shrug off Blizzard and heal off the damage with Drain Punch, preventing Kyurem from using Blizzard if it wants to threaten it.
**Steel-types:** Pokemon such as Gholdengo and Kingambit can use their Blizzard resistance and STAB Steel-type attacks to force Kyurem to retreat, which grants them the opportunity to set up or deal heavy damage on their own.
**Rock-types:** Diancie and Tyranitar both have the bulk to take on Blizzard and the damage to beat Kyurem one-on-one. While it needs speed control, Glimmora can also threaten it with powerful Rock-type moves, especially Meteor Beam.
**Weather Disruption:** Because Kyurem is so reliant on snow, many teams can use their own weather to combat it. Torkoal and Tyranitar can directly threaten Kyurem, while Pelipper and Tornadus can take away snow at a crucial moment and allow a physical partner to deal full damage to Kyurem.
**Entry Hazards:** Common Stealth Rock setters like Glimmora and Ting-Lu may not beat Kyurem on their own, but Stealth Rock and Toxic Spikes can cut severely into Kyurem's health, making it less able to take on their teammates.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
Arcticblast
Quality checked by:
Schister
zee
Grammar checked by:
a blue banana
Kyurem boasts monstrous stats, powerful attacks, and a surprisingly useful typing to act as a terrifying threat in the DOU metagame. Its STAB Ice-type attacks hit common threats and utility Pokemon alike, such as Landorus, Rillaboom, and Tornadus, for super effective damage, and Freeze-Dry forces the format's few Water-types to stay on their toes. Earth Power and Flash Cannon both serve as effective coverage moves to keep Ice- and Dragon-resistant Pokemon at bay. Meanwhile, Ice / Dragon is an excellent defensive typing when combined with Kyurem's natural bulk, allowing it to stand strong in the face of Pokemon like Ogerpon-W. Kyurem's Speed stat, while falling short of the format's faster threats, is still high enough to outrun and threaten Pokemon such as Glimmora and Gholdengo. Kyurem's biggest downfall, however, is its utter reliance on snow. Without the 50% boost to its Defense and perfect accuracy on Blizzard, Kyurem struggles to stand out compared to other juggernauts like Iron Hands and Raging Bolt. In addition, many of Kyurem's checks also have strong matchups against the snow setters of the format, turning Pokemon like Gholdengo, Diancie, and Tyranitar from annoyances into serious threats to the team.
[SET]
Snow Assault Vest (Kyurem) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Pressure
Tera Type: Steel / Fairy
EVs: 92 HP / 88 Def / 128 SpA / 4 SpD / 196 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Blizzard
- Freeze-Dry / Glaciate
- Earth Power
- Flash Cannon / Glaciate / Draco Meteor
[SET COMMENTS]
- Snow and Assault Vest's defensive boosts combine to make Kyurem a juggernaut, capable of taking multiple consecutive hits while dealing heavy damage.
- Blizzard is Kyurem's most consistent damage option in snow, threatening both powerful attackers like Landorus and Dragonite and common support Pokemon like Tornadus and Sinistcha.
- Freeze-Dry expands Kyurem's reach and lets it threaten Water-types and Tera Water users like Amoonguss and Iron Hands, hitting Ogerpon-W and Pelipper especially hard.
- Earth Power becomes necessary to threaten Pokemon that take minimal damage from Kyurem's Ice-type attacks, like Gholdengo, Incineroar, Iron Hands, and Kingambit.
- Flash Cannon is a powerful tool for hitting opposing Diancie, Alolan Ninetales, and any Pokemon that may use Tera Fairy, such as Gholdengo and Raging Bolt.
- Glaciate can slot over Freeze-Dry or Flash Cannon, providing a surprisingly powerful speed control move greatly appreciated by the likes of Iron Hands or Kingambit.
- Draco Meteor is Kyurem's most powerful single attack, though a Dragon-type move is entirely optional on this set, and Draco Meteor's Special Attack drop may make it more difficult for Kyurem to stay in and trade hits with the opposing side.
- This EV spread lets Kyurem outspeed Timid Glimmora, avoid a 3HKO from Iron Hands's Drain Punch with Aurora Veil in snow, and always 2HKO maximum HP Kingambit with Earth Power.
- Steel is a potent defensive Tera type against Gholdengo and Glimmora and can provide a power boost for Flash Cannon, but it leaves Kyurem more vulnerable to threats like Iron Hands and Landorus. Tera Fairy is a more general option that flips multiple of Kyurem's weaknesses, turning the tables on Pokemon like Iron Hands and opposing Kyurem, but maintains the Steel weakness.
- Alolan Ninetales is all but required on teams with Kyurem; Snow Warning giving both a Defense boost and an accurate Blizzard is too good to ignore, and its Aurora Veil lets Kyurem double down on its already incredible bulk.
- This set greatly appreciates partners with healing capabilities to extend its survivability. Rillaboom and Sinistcha are the most common partners for this purpose, but Pollen Puff users like Amoonguss and Mew can provide the same benefit.
[SET]
Snow Choice Specs (Kyurem) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Pressure
Tera Type: Ghost / Fairy / Ice
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid / Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Blizzard
- Freeze-Dry
- Draco Meteor
- Earth Power / Flash Cannon
[SET COMMENTS]
- Choice Specs gives Kyurem a substantial Special Attack boost that it can use to quickly and definitively end games.
- Choice Specs Blizzard is one of the strongest spread moves currently available in the format, hitting some notable KOs on foes such as Sinistcha that other items cannot.
- Freeze-Dry cleanly answers Water-type Pokemon that would want to switch in on Blizzard, and Choice Specs helps make up for its lower Base Power.
- Draco Meteor turns most offensive threats into mush and deals respectable damage to even the bulkiest Pokemon in the format such as Incineroar and Iron Hands.
- Earth Power hits Steel- and Fire-types, forcing them to make tough decisions about switching in, while Flash Cannon OHKOes Diancie.
- A Timid nature allows Kyurem to outspeed key Pokemon like Glimmora and Gholdengo, while a Modest nature sacrifices outspeeding those threats in order to maximize damage. Likewise, a little bit of Speed can be dropped from Timid Kyurem for added bulk, but these threats should be kept in mind when doing so.
- The chosen defensive Tera types enable Kyurem to continue dealing damage; Ghost provides an immunity to Fake Out from Pokemon such as Rillaboom, which is valuable on a Choice item set, but Fairy flips more weaknesses and grants an immunity to moves like Gouging Fire's Breaking Swipe and Raging Bolt's Draco Meteor.
- Tera Ice can be used to make Blizzard hurt more, and it notably allows Freeze-Dry to OHKO Terastallized Ogerpon-W.
- Alolan Ninetales is required as a teammate thanks to its Snow Warning ability, but Encore and Icy Wind are particularly useful to keep strong attacks off of Kyurem; other good teammates include Fake Out users like Incineroar and Rillaboom to create space and more offensive threats such as Landorus to capitalize on Kyurem's damage output.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Checks and Counters
====
**Incineroar:** Thanks to its natural bulk and Blizzard resistance, Incineroar is often able to switch in on Kyurem and threaten any of Fake Out, Knock Off, and Parting Shot, all of which cut into Kyurem's ability to continue dealing damage.
**Iron Hands:** Assault Vest Iron Hands is bulky enough to shrug off Blizzard and heal off the damage with Drain Punch, preventing Kyurem from using Blizzard if it wants to threaten it.
**Steel-types:** Pokemon such as Gholdengo and Kingambit can use their Blizzard resistance and STAB Steel-type attacks to force Kyurem to retreat, which grants them the opportunity to set up or deal heavy damage on their own.
**Rock-types:** Diancie and Tyranitar both have the bulk to take on Blizzard and the damage to beat Kyurem one-on-one. While it needs speed control, Glimmora can also threaten it with powerful Rock-type moves, especially Meteor Beam.
**Weather Disruption:** Because Kyurem is so reliant on snow, many teams can use their own weather to combat it. Torkoal and Tyranitar can directly threaten Kyurem, while Pelipper and Tornadus can take away snow at a crucial moment and allow a physical partner to deal full damage to Kyurem.
**Entry Hazards:** Common Stealth Rock setters like Glimmora and Ting-Lu may not beat Kyurem on their own, but Stealth Rock and Toxic Spikes can cut severely into Kyurem's health, making it less able to take on their teammates.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
Arcticblast
Quality checked by:
Schister
zee
Grammar checked by:
a blue banana
Last edited:
