Jio
God is Good
it's lit
[OVERVIEW]
As the strongest Ice-type Pokemon in the game, Kyurem-W holds a unique niche in the VGC 2016 metagame as a reliable answer to bothersome Flying-type Pokemon such as Mega Salamence, Crobat, Yveltal, and Thundurus. Kyurem-W especially finds its placing on Gravity teams, where it can throw out 100% accurate Blizzards and Draco Meteors. A solid offensive movepool with moves such as Fusion Flare, Draco Meteor, and Earth Power grants Kyurem-W superb type coverage. Respectable bulk allows it to take a plethora of attacks despite usually having no extra investment. Base 95 Speed is good even without a Choice Scarf, as it can outspeed both Primals and other Legendaries, such as Ho-Oh, Zekrom, and Dialga. However, Kyurem-W doesn't enjoy fighting Xerneas both before and after a Geomancy boost. Furthermore, it has a miserable time taking on a combination of Kyogre and a Steel-type, as Primordial Sea negates Fusion Flare. Kyurem-W usually has to switch out after launching a Draco Meteor, which can kill your momentum and thus is extremely detrimental in such a volatile format.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Blizzard
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Fusion Flare
move 4: Draco Meteor / Earth Power
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Turboblaze
nature: Modest
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
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Blizzard is one of Kyurem-W's strongest STAB moves and is used best when under Gravity. Blizzard's accuracy is increased substantially under the effects of Gravity, which makes it pretty spammable, as you can launch Blizzards with perfect accuracy that can OHKO most of the Flying-types while doing significant damage to their partners. Ice Beam will be Kyurem-W's most used move outside of Gravity and is extra effective against the common support Flying-types in the format, such as Crobat. Ice Beam also has a guaranteed chance to OHKO non-bulky Yveltal, whereas Blizzard is a roll due to it being a spread move. Draco Meteor is Kyurem-W's strongest move and is good for OHKOing problematic Pokemon quickly, but it lowers Kyurem-W's Special Attack and forces you to switch most of the time. Fusion Flare is an excellent tool against Steel-types such as Ferrothorn, Scizor, Bronzong, and Mega Mawile, as it is able to OHKO or 2HKO all of them. Earth Power deals the most damage to Primal Groudon and Dialga, but being locked into a Ground-type move is troublesome with all the Flying-types and Levitate users in the metagame.
Set Details
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The spread is simple and allows Kyurem-W to outspeed the majority of the threats in the format and hit as hard as possible. Maximum Speed is essentially for Speed tying with opposing Choice Scarf Kyurem-W. You can run 4 HP / 12 Def / 252 SpAtk / 236 Spe to outspeed Mega Sceptile, which is a relevant enough threat in the format, while giving Kyurem-W an extra three points in Defense to take physical hits slightly better. Choice Scarf is the item of choice here, as it allows Kyurem-W to outspeed Crobat, Yveltal, and Mega Salamence and OHKO them all with Ice Beam. A Modest nature with maximum Special Attack EVs allows Kyurem-W to deal as much damage as possible while also getting important KOs such as the OHKO on Mega Rayquaza with Ice Beam, the OHKO on offensive Yveltal with Ice Beam, and the 2HKO on Mega Kangaskhan with Blizzard.
Usage Tips
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Kyurem-W can make a fantastic lead in order to combat the usual Flying-type leads like Crobat and Thundurus. Since Choice Scarf prevents Kyurem-W from protecting itself, make sure to keep it safe from hindrances such as Fake Out and Thunder Wave by either switching or having a partner that deflects those moves. Be careful with using Draco Meteor, as there are plenty of scary Pokemon that can take full advantage of free turns. Make sure that you have safe switch-ins on your team should Kyurem-W need to switch out. Try to avoid bringing Kyurem-W against obvious Trick Room teams because it will just be a liability. If using Gravity, make sure Kyurem-W is on the field as soon as possible when Gravity goes up, as it makes effective use of Gravity due to Blizzard. Make sure to scout for Wide Guard before you begin to fire off Blizzards as well. Late-game, Kyurem-W is a solid option that can come in and start cleaning up weakened opponents with ease.
Team Options
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Primal Groudon is a solid partner that can punch holes through teams, which lets Kyurem-W clean up with fast Ice Beams. Primal Groudon also appreciates having annoying Flying-types dealt with so that it can use Precipice Blades to its heart's content. Sableye's access to Prankster Gravity means that it can set up priority Gravity, which is ideal for Choice Scarf Kyurem-W. Sableye also has access to Feint, which is good for helping Kyurem-W break down teams by removing their ability to protect against it. Meowstic also has access to Prankster Gravity, but it also has other tools such as Safeguard to combat Dark Void and Charm to whittle down Groudon and Kangaskhan. Mega Kangaskhan also enjoys Pokemon like Mega Salamence and Crobat quickly dealt with while providing free turns and openings with Fake Out. Crobat appreciates having other Crobat taken out so it doesn't have to deal with opposing Tailwind shenanigans. It also excels at taking on Xerneas and Smeargle with Taunt and Haze, which is great for Kyurem-W, as it hates to deal with a Geomancy-boosted Xerneas and Smeargle with access to Follow Me and Wide Guard.
Other Options
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Life Orb is a viable set that lets Kyurem-W dish out incredible damage to everything in the format. However, the drawback is that Kyurem-W can get outsped by a number of threats and OHKOed by them before accomplishing much. Focus Sash is cool for guaranteeing that Kyurem-W can survive a turn in order to get off a vicious hit, but its damage output is weakened and it loses out on outspeeding faster Pokemon. Kyurem-W has the strongest Icy Wind in the format, which not only deals hefty damage but also provides much needed speed control. Dragon Pulse is an alternative to Draco Meteor if the Special Attack drops and accuracy don't suit you. Focus Blast can be used over Fusion Flare, as Gravity mitigates its low accuracy, and it hits Ferrothorn and Mega Kangaskhan hard.
Checks and Counters
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**Steel-type Pokemon**: Scizor, Ferrothorn, Bronzong, Dialga, and Mega Mawile can all shut down Kyurem-W with their respective STAB moves. However, they should each be cautious of Kyurem-W's coverage options, as Fusion Flare and Earth Power can deal massive damage in return.
**Speed Control**: Seeing that Kyurem-W relies on its Choice Scarf, opposing speed control tactics such as Thunder Wave, Icy Wind, Tailwind, and Trick Room are very detrimental.
**Xerneas**: Xerneas can withstand most of Kyurem-W's attacks and OHKO it in return with a Moonblast. Xerneas can also simply set up a Geomancy and then outspeed Kyurem-W and OHKO it.
**Primal Kyogre**: Though Primal Kyogre can't do too much damage to Kyurem-W, it can take on all of its attacks very well. Primal Kyogre can also whittle Kyurem-W down with multiple Origin Pulses, burn it with Scald, or invalidate its Choice Scarf with a paralysis from Thunder.
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