[overview]
**Draft Order**: Round 3 onwards
**Price Range**: 14-15 points
**Overview**: Kyurem boasts high stats befitting of its legendary status, particularly having high mixed attacking stats and HP backed up by serviceable defensive stats. This comes with a good base Speed stat too, allowing it to assume a variety of offensive roles such as wallbreaking and sweeping thanks to a powerful offensive movepool. However, its typing is a double-edged sword, providing many weaknesses to common types despite some good resistances. It also leaves it particularly vulnerable to entry hazards, which is detrimental to a Pokemon with no reliable recovery. Finally, it faces competition from other Dragon-types, whether they be more specialized such as Dragonite, who can more easily setup and sweep, or that they can more easily hit Steel-types, which Kyurem often struggles to outside of Earth Power.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Setup Sweeper**: Dragon Dance turns Kyurem into a deadly sweeper, especially when it uses Loaded Dice alongside its multi-hitting STAB moves. This can make for a powerful win condition but requires support, since its physical coverage outside of STAB moves is relatively poor. Alternatively, it can invest in its better special movepool either to create a mixed attacking or a special sweeper that takes advantage of the speed boost Dragon Dance or Scale Shot provides.
**All-out Attacker**: This set aims to deal as much damage as possible to whatever stands in its way. Kyurem has spammable STAB attacks that leaves it with few safe switches, especially if it opts to run damage boosting items like Choice Specs as opposed to Heavy-Duty Boots, which allows Kyurem more longevity to keep firing off attacks. It can easily go mixed as well, having equally high attacking stats and powerful physical STAB attacking options, limiting its number of safe switches.
**Revenge Killer**: Kyurem makes for an excellent revenge killer and potential cleaner when it fixes its mediocre Speed with a Choice Scarf. 95 Speed is a perfect benchmark that allows it to outpace super fast Pokemon such as Iron Bundle, while its spammable and high base power STAB attacks make up for the lack of boosting items or moves due to the choice lock.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Draco Meteor, Dragon Pulse, Scale Shot, Outrage, Dragon Claw, Ice Beam, Freeze-Dry, Icicle Spear
**Setup Moves**: Dragon Dance
**Utility Moves**: Dragon Tail, Roar, Breaking Swipe, Light Screen, Reflect, Substitute
**Coverage**: Earth Power, Focus Blast, Shadow Ball, Flash Cannon, Psychic, Iron Head, Zen Headbutt, Stone Edge, Rock Slide, Shadow Claw, Dual Wingbeat
Niche Moves
========
**Protect**: Since Leftovers is Kyurem's sole source of recovery outside of Rest, Protect can be used to get as much use out of it as possible. Protect also pairs well with Kyurem's ability Pressure, allowing Kyurem to more easily PP stall foes, especially if they use attacks with low PP.
**Blizzard**: Blizzard is a more powerful special Ice-type STAB move than Ice Beam that can be used when Kyurem is paired with snow, allowing it to never miss.
**Fling**: Fling is Kyurem's only Dark-type coverage move, which when combined with a Big Nugget, allows it to become a single use 130BP physical move. This can be useful for hitting specific targets such as Gholdengo and Metagross which otherwise resist all of its other physical moves.
**Weather Ball**: Combined with Drought or Sunny Day, which can be set by itself or a teammate, Kyurem gains access to a powerful Fire-type Weather Ball that can melt Steel-types that aren't struck super effectively by Earth Power.
**Rest**: Kyurem has no reliable recovery, yet has great natural bulk regardless. As a result, Rest has a small niche as a way of giving Kyurem some extra longevity. This should be used in combination with either Sleep Talk or a Chesto Berry in order to prevent Kyurem from being useless due to being forced to sleep.
Common Items
========
**Choice Specs**: Choice Specs greatly increases Kyurem's wallbreaking potential, boosting its powerful special moves such as Draco Meteor and Ice Beam and allowing it to break opposing walls and bulky cores.
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Being vulnerable to entry hazards, especially Stealth Rock, makes Heavy-Duty Boots a great item choice for Kyurem. This increases its longevity and allows it to function without relying on teammates to clear hazards for it.
**Loaded Dice**: This item is used on physical sets to ensure Icicle Spear and Scale Shot hit four to five times. This greatly increases their effective Base Power, easing Kyurem's ability to sweep while also bypassing effects such as Sturdy and Focus Sash.
**Choice Scarf**: Kyurem has decent Speed but is still outsped by many Pokemon, making it a good candidate for Choice Scarf. This increases the amount of Pokemon it can offensively check and gives it cleaning potential.
Niche Items
========
**Damage-boosting Items**: Damage-boosting items offer a less potent boost compared to Choice Specs, each having their own benefits while also allowing Kyurem to switch moves. Life Orb provides a more potent boost across all moves but leaves Kyurem worn down quickly, while other choices such as Never-Melt Ice provide more specific boosts but allow Kyurem to not KO itself so quickly.
**Leftovers**: When paired with reliable entry hazard removal, Kyurem benefits from Leftovers, giving it even greater longevity and allowing it to use its great bulk in combination with moves such as Substitute and Protect to stay healthy.
**Weakness Policy**: With great natural bulk allowing it to tank some super effective hits, Kyurem can make use of Weakness Policy to give it extra boosts when attempting to setup and sweep. This is a high risk item however, with hazard removal and screens support being recommended to more easily activate it.
**Assault Vest**: Kyurem has a few crucial resistances alongside high natural HP. These combine well with Assault Vest, allowing Kyurem to assume the role of a tank, sponging special hits while using its natural power to dish out powerful attacks. This should be paired with entry hazard removal to be used effectively.
**Eject Pack**: This item is to be used with the move Draco Meteor, which lowers Kyurem's Special Attack after being used, triggering the Eject Pack and allowing it a one time pivot.
Tera
========
Kyurem makes for an exceptionally strong Tera Captain, leading to it usually being Tera banned. If allowed, it can use Tera to power up its highly spammable Dragon- and Ice-type moves by becoming one of those types. Setup sets can use Tera Fairy or Water to allow Kyurem to obtain Dragon Dance boosts more easily. On the flip side, an offensive type such as Tera Ground can be used to give Kyurem a powerful physical coverage move with Tera Blast to break through a potential check.
Draft Strategy
========
Though Kyurem should be drafted primarily as an offensive Pokemon, it has serviceable bulk that helps make it more self-sufficient compared to frailer glass cannons. It also has flexibility in the types of offense it can throw out, widening the number of offensive partners it can pair with. However, each of its sets, especially ones without Heavy-Duty Boots, require ample support in order to get the most out of it.
**Entry Hazard Control**: Kyurems good bulk is often let down by its Stealth Rock weakness, not to mention vulnerability to other entry hazards. As such, Rapid Spin users such as Great Tusk and Terapagos should be considered to create safe conditions for Kyurem to hit the field. Additionally, Kyurem can often force switches due to its threatening power, and loves using entry hazards set by teammates such as Landorus-T and Ting-Lu to chip away at whatever switches into its attacks.
**Steel-type Counters**: Steel-types give Kyurem the most trouble, especially its physical sets, resisting its STAB combination and making it rely on coverage to hit them. Fire-types such as Chi-Yu and Fighting-types such as both Urshifu forms boast STAB moves that can hit these Pokemon super effectively and allow Kyurem to hit the rest of the opposing team.
**Speed Control**: Kyurem has a decent Speed stat, but it requires setup or a Choice Scarf to not be easily outsped. Faster Pokemon that can also viably run a Choice Scarf can outpace it further. As a result, speed control options should be considered to slow down the opposing team and allow Kyurem to excel. Examples include Thunder Wave users such as Scream Tail and Gholdengo, naturally faster Pokemon such as Darkrai and Iron Valiant, and Sticky Web users such as Araquanid.
**Snow Setters**: As an Ice-type with great natural bulk, Kyurem can be potent when snow is on the field, boosting its Defense and allowing it to slot the usually unreliable Blizzard into its moveset. Alolan Ninetales and Abomasnow can automatically set snow, but they offer little in terms of type synergy. Alternatively, both Galarian Slowking and Slowking forms are more synergistic with Kyurem and can use Chilly Reception to set snow and slowly pivot Kyurem onto the field in one fell swoop.
Checks and Counters
========
**Steel-types**: Steel-types such as Gholdengo and Scizor naturally resist Kyurem's STAB moves, allowing them to switch in and force Kyurem out by threatening it with super effective STAB attacks in return. Pokemon that can Tera into a Steel-type can also work in this vein. These Pokemon can shut down most physical variants, which usually lack powerful coverage to hit them, but they must watch out for Earth Power on special sets.
**Faster Pokemon**: Kyurem's Speed leaves it outsped by a myriad of faster offensive threats such as both Urshfu forms and Garchomp which can threaten Kyurem offensively in return. Faster Pokemon that can use a Choice Scarf or boost their own Speed, such as the examples above, can potentially also shut down Kyurem sets that boost Speed. Finally, priority users such as Iron Valiant can bypass Speed entirely and strike Kyurem even if it boosts its own Speed.
**Entry Hazards**: Without Heavy-Duty Boots or reliable hazard removal, Kyurem is at the mercy of entry hazards, being vulnerable to all of them and having a weakness to Stealth Rock to boot. Constant switching will wear Kyurem down very quickly, reducing its effectiveness, especially if it is a bulky variant.
**Phazing**: Phazing can disrupt Kyurem sets that rely on setting up. It also poses a great danger to all Kyurem variants that lack Heavy-Duty Boots, since phazing forces Kyurem to take even more entry hazard damage if hazards are up whenever it re-enters the field, greatly reducing its longevity.
**Status**: All Kyurem sets are vulnerable to at least one form of status that can reduce their effectiveness. Physical variants can be shut down by burn from moves like Will-O-Wisp, spread by Fire-types that can also resist Ice-type attacks. Paralysis slows down Kyurem and makes it even easier to outspeed. Finally, poison can combo with how easily non-Heavy Duty Boots Kyurem sets wear themselves down to put them on an even faster timer.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/deranged_lime.272077/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno6377.527276/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/olivia.620359/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/hacker.387847/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/e-man.617175/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/big-pharma.657717/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/solarbeam.470115/
**Draft Order**: Round 3 onwards
**Price Range**: 14-15 points
**Overview**: Kyurem boasts high stats befitting of its legendary status, particularly having high mixed attacking stats and HP backed up by serviceable defensive stats. This comes with a good base Speed stat too, allowing it to assume a variety of offensive roles such as wallbreaking and sweeping thanks to a powerful offensive movepool. However, its typing is a double-edged sword, providing many weaknesses to common types despite some good resistances. It also leaves it particularly vulnerable to entry hazards, which is detrimental to a Pokemon with no reliable recovery. Finally, it faces competition from other Dragon-types, whether they be more specialized such as Dragonite, who can more easily setup and sweep, or that they can more easily hit Steel-types, which Kyurem often struggles to outside of Earth Power.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Setup Sweeper**: Dragon Dance turns Kyurem into a deadly sweeper, especially when it uses Loaded Dice alongside its multi-hitting STAB moves. This can make for a powerful win condition but requires support, since its physical coverage outside of STAB moves is relatively poor. Alternatively, it can invest in its better special movepool either to create a mixed attacking or a special sweeper that takes advantage of the speed boost Dragon Dance or Scale Shot provides.
**All-out Attacker**: This set aims to deal as much damage as possible to whatever stands in its way. Kyurem has spammable STAB attacks that leaves it with few safe switches, especially if it opts to run damage boosting items like Choice Specs as opposed to Heavy-Duty Boots, which allows Kyurem more longevity to keep firing off attacks. It can easily go mixed as well, having equally high attacking stats and powerful physical STAB attacking options, limiting its number of safe switches.
**Revenge Killer**: Kyurem makes for an excellent revenge killer and potential cleaner when it fixes its mediocre Speed with a Choice Scarf. 95 Speed is a perfect benchmark that allows it to outpace super fast Pokemon such as Iron Bundle, while its spammable and high base power STAB attacks make up for the lack of boosting items or moves due to the choice lock.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Draco Meteor, Dragon Pulse, Scale Shot, Outrage, Dragon Claw, Ice Beam, Freeze-Dry, Icicle Spear
**Setup Moves**: Dragon Dance
**Utility Moves**: Dragon Tail, Roar, Breaking Swipe, Light Screen, Reflect, Substitute
**Coverage**: Earth Power, Focus Blast, Shadow Ball, Flash Cannon, Psychic, Iron Head, Zen Headbutt, Stone Edge, Rock Slide, Shadow Claw, Dual Wingbeat
Niche Moves
========
**Protect**: Since Leftovers is Kyurem's sole source of recovery outside of Rest, Protect can be used to get as much use out of it as possible. Protect also pairs well with Kyurem's ability Pressure, allowing Kyurem to more easily PP stall foes, especially if they use attacks with low PP.
**Blizzard**: Blizzard is a more powerful special Ice-type STAB move than Ice Beam that can be used when Kyurem is paired with snow, allowing it to never miss.
**Fling**: Fling is Kyurem's only Dark-type coverage move, which when combined with a Big Nugget, allows it to become a single use 130BP physical move. This can be useful for hitting specific targets such as Gholdengo and Metagross which otherwise resist all of its other physical moves.
**Weather Ball**: Combined with Drought or Sunny Day, which can be set by itself or a teammate, Kyurem gains access to a powerful Fire-type Weather Ball that can melt Steel-types that aren't struck super effectively by Earth Power.
**Rest**: Kyurem has no reliable recovery, yet has great natural bulk regardless. As a result, Rest has a small niche as a way of giving Kyurem some extra longevity. This should be used in combination with either Sleep Talk or a Chesto Berry in order to prevent Kyurem from being useless due to being forced to sleep.
Common Items
========
**Choice Specs**: Choice Specs greatly increases Kyurem's wallbreaking potential, boosting its powerful special moves such as Draco Meteor and Ice Beam and allowing it to break opposing walls and bulky cores.
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Being vulnerable to entry hazards, especially Stealth Rock, makes Heavy-Duty Boots a great item choice for Kyurem. This increases its longevity and allows it to function without relying on teammates to clear hazards for it.
**Loaded Dice**: This item is used on physical sets to ensure Icicle Spear and Scale Shot hit four to five times. This greatly increases their effective Base Power, easing Kyurem's ability to sweep while also bypassing effects such as Sturdy and Focus Sash.
**Choice Scarf**: Kyurem has decent Speed but is still outsped by many Pokemon, making it a good candidate for Choice Scarf. This increases the amount of Pokemon it can offensively check and gives it cleaning potential.
Niche Items
========
**Damage-boosting Items**: Damage-boosting items offer a less potent boost compared to Choice Specs, each having their own benefits while also allowing Kyurem to switch moves. Life Orb provides a more potent boost across all moves but leaves Kyurem worn down quickly, while other choices such as Never-Melt Ice provide more specific boosts but allow Kyurem to not KO itself so quickly.
**Leftovers**: When paired with reliable entry hazard removal, Kyurem benefits from Leftovers, giving it even greater longevity and allowing it to use its great bulk in combination with moves such as Substitute and Protect to stay healthy.
**Weakness Policy**: With great natural bulk allowing it to tank some super effective hits, Kyurem can make use of Weakness Policy to give it extra boosts when attempting to setup and sweep. This is a high risk item however, with hazard removal and screens support being recommended to more easily activate it.
**Assault Vest**: Kyurem has a few crucial resistances alongside high natural HP. These combine well with Assault Vest, allowing Kyurem to assume the role of a tank, sponging special hits while using its natural power to dish out powerful attacks. This should be paired with entry hazard removal to be used effectively.
**Eject Pack**: This item is to be used with the move Draco Meteor, which lowers Kyurem's Special Attack after being used, triggering the Eject Pack and allowing it a one time pivot.
Tera
========
Kyurem makes for an exceptionally strong Tera Captain, leading to it usually being Tera banned. If allowed, it can use Tera to power up its highly spammable Dragon- and Ice-type moves by becoming one of those types. Setup sets can use Tera Fairy or Water to allow Kyurem to obtain Dragon Dance boosts more easily. On the flip side, an offensive type such as Tera Ground can be used to give Kyurem a powerful physical coverage move with Tera Blast to break through a potential check.
Draft Strategy
========
Though Kyurem should be drafted primarily as an offensive Pokemon, it has serviceable bulk that helps make it more self-sufficient compared to frailer glass cannons. It also has flexibility in the types of offense it can throw out, widening the number of offensive partners it can pair with. However, each of its sets, especially ones without Heavy-Duty Boots, require ample support in order to get the most out of it.
**Entry Hazard Control**: Kyurems good bulk is often let down by its Stealth Rock weakness, not to mention vulnerability to other entry hazards. As such, Rapid Spin users such as Great Tusk and Terapagos should be considered to create safe conditions for Kyurem to hit the field. Additionally, Kyurem can often force switches due to its threatening power, and loves using entry hazards set by teammates such as Landorus-T and Ting-Lu to chip away at whatever switches into its attacks.
**Steel-type Counters**: Steel-types give Kyurem the most trouble, especially its physical sets, resisting its STAB combination and making it rely on coverage to hit them. Fire-types such as Chi-Yu and Fighting-types such as both Urshifu forms boast STAB moves that can hit these Pokemon super effectively and allow Kyurem to hit the rest of the opposing team.
**Speed Control**: Kyurem has a decent Speed stat, but it requires setup or a Choice Scarf to not be easily outsped. Faster Pokemon that can also viably run a Choice Scarf can outpace it further. As a result, speed control options should be considered to slow down the opposing team and allow Kyurem to excel. Examples include Thunder Wave users such as Scream Tail and Gholdengo, naturally faster Pokemon such as Darkrai and Iron Valiant, and Sticky Web users such as Araquanid.
**Snow Setters**: As an Ice-type with great natural bulk, Kyurem can be potent when snow is on the field, boosting its Defense and allowing it to slot the usually unreliable Blizzard into its moveset. Alolan Ninetales and Abomasnow can automatically set snow, but they offer little in terms of type synergy. Alternatively, both Galarian Slowking and Slowking forms are more synergistic with Kyurem and can use Chilly Reception to set snow and slowly pivot Kyurem onto the field in one fell swoop.
Checks and Counters
========
**Steel-types**: Steel-types such as Gholdengo and Scizor naturally resist Kyurem's STAB moves, allowing them to switch in and force Kyurem out by threatening it with super effective STAB attacks in return. Pokemon that can Tera into a Steel-type can also work in this vein. These Pokemon can shut down most physical variants, which usually lack powerful coverage to hit them, but they must watch out for Earth Power on special sets.
**Faster Pokemon**: Kyurem's Speed leaves it outsped by a myriad of faster offensive threats such as both Urshfu forms and Garchomp which can threaten Kyurem offensively in return. Faster Pokemon that can use a Choice Scarf or boost their own Speed, such as the examples above, can potentially also shut down Kyurem sets that boost Speed. Finally, priority users such as Iron Valiant can bypass Speed entirely and strike Kyurem even if it boosts its own Speed.
**Entry Hazards**: Without Heavy-Duty Boots or reliable hazard removal, Kyurem is at the mercy of entry hazards, being vulnerable to all of them and having a weakness to Stealth Rock to boot. Constant switching will wear Kyurem down very quickly, reducing its effectiveness, especially if it is a bulky variant.
**Phazing**: Phazing can disrupt Kyurem sets that rely on setting up. It also poses a great danger to all Kyurem variants that lack Heavy-Duty Boots, since phazing forces Kyurem to take even more entry hazard damage if hazards are up whenever it re-enters the field, greatly reducing its longevity.
**Status**: All Kyurem sets are vulnerable to at least one form of status that can reduce their effectiveness. Physical variants can be shut down by burn from moves like Will-O-Wisp, spread by Fire-types that can also resist Ice-type attacks. Paralysis slows down Kyurem and makes it even easier to outspeed. Finally, poison can combo with how easily non-Heavy Duty Boots Kyurem sets wear themselves down to put them on an even faster timer.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/deranged_lime.272077/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno6377.527276/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/olivia.620359/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/hacker.387847/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/e-man.617175/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/big-pharma.657717/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/solarbeam.470115/
Last edited:
