[SET]
Swords Dance (Kingambit) @ Dread Plate
Ability: Defiant
Tera Type: Dark / Dragon / Flying
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Kowtow Cleave
- Sucker Punch
- Protect
[SET COMMENTS]
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/zee.501951/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/ryo-yamada2001.192134/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/smudge.550367/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/bagel.608134/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-blue-banana.649096/
Swords Dance (Kingambit) @ Dread Plate
Ability: Defiant
Tera Type: Dark / Dragon / Flying
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Kowtow Cleave
- Sucker Punch
- Protect
[SET COMMENTS]
- Swords Dance, mixed with Kingambit's naturally high Attack as well as access to Defiant to scare off Intimidate users and priority in Sucker Punch, makes it one of the most effective setup sweepers in the metagame. Its respectable bulk, especially its base 120 Defense, often allows it to set up multiple Swords Dances in one match.
- Kowtow Cleave offers strong and consistent damage. It OHKOes Gholdengo and Indeedee-F without a boost and decimates bulky Pokemon like Amoonguss and Entei at +2, netting guaranteed KOs after minimal chip damage.
- Sucker Punch compensates for Kingambit's low Speed, OHKOing faster attackers such as Landorus and Ogerpon-W after a boost. It also allows Kingambit to revenge kill weakened foes when entering the field.
- Dread Plate (or Black Glasses) is vital for Kingambit to secure numerous benchmarks for OHKOs or 2HKOs on Pokemon such as Landorus with Sucker Punch and Ogerpon-W with Kowtow Cleave. Other items can be used in niche scenarios, such as Leftovers for gradual health recovery or Grassy Seed on teams with Rillaboom to become resilient to most physical attacks.
- Kingambit has a multitude of options for its Tera type. Tera Dark can be used to strengthen its attacks and reduce its weakness to Iron Hands's Fighting-type attacks to only 2x while removing its weaknesses to Incineroar's Flare Blitz, Ogerpon-H's Ivy Cudgel,and Landorus's Earth Power. Tera Dragon allows Kingambit to resist attacks from Ogerpon-H, Ogerpon-W, and Chi-Yu. Tera Flying grants an immunity to Landorus's Ground-type moves as well as another way to resist Iron Hands's attacks, but it gives Kingambit a much worse matchup against the faster Raging Bolt and Chien-Pao.
- Kingambit appreciates partners that can create space for it to set up a Swords Dance; this includes Fake Out users, such as Incineroar, Rillaboom, and Iron Hands, and redirection support from the likes of Sinistcha and Ogerpon-W. One bonus of running Incineroar is that it actually improves Kingambit's matchup against opposing Incineroar, as it can easily switch into Flare Blitz if necessary or at least reduce the damage Kingambit takes from an opposing Incineroar's Flare Blitz. Landorus fends off some of Kingambit's biggest threats like Iron Hands and Entei, while it appreciates Kingambit's ability to remove some of its threats like Ogerpon-W with a boosted Sucker Punch. Landorus is also one of Kingambit's best offensive checks due to its strong Earth Power, so Kingambit appreciates the support of Jolly Ogerpon-W and Chien-Pao to threaten it offensively.
- Kingambit's Defiant supports strong physical attackers such as Rillaboom, Ogerpon-W, and Chien-Pao by deterring opposing Intimidate users. Its Steel typing and opportunity to get a Defiant boost from Bleakwind Storm also make it one of the strongest Tornadus checks in the tier, which is appreciated by the aforementioned Grass-types. Gouging Fire can further boost Kingambit's Attack with Howl, while Kingambit deters Intimidate users, creating room for multiple turns of boosting.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/zee.501951/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/ryo-yamada2001.192134/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/smudge.550367/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/bagel.608134/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-blue-banana.649096/
Last edited by a moderator: