[OVERVIEW]
Kilowattrel's high Speed, great STAB combination, and access to two great abilities make it a great pivot that can benefit many teams. With how common stat-dropping moves and abilities are in NU, Kilowattrel's Competitive allows it to capitalize on Vileplume's Strength Sap and both Paldean Tauros-W's and Incineroar's Intimidate. On top of that, Kilowattrel being able to fire off a powerful Volt Switch or an unblockable U-turn helps it keep up pressure and momentum, and this aids Kilowattrel with wearing down checks like Diancie, Registeel, and Bronzong. Kilowattrel's counters aren't that common; however, whenever Kilowattrel comes across one like Bellibolt or Rotom-H, it struggles to deal with them and is forced to pivot, giving away free turns. Kilowattrel's low bulk also can be detrimental, as Choice Scarf users like Mienshao can 2HKO it with even a resisted Close Combat. Even Pokemon Kilowattrel would normally take out can beat Kilowattrel one-on-one if they have access to priority moves, like Sucker Punch Toxicroak and Aqua Jet Basculegion, due to its disappointing bulk.
[SET]
name: Offensive Pivot
move 1: Air Slash / Hurricane
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Volt Switch / U-turn / Tera Blast
move 4: Roost / Tera Blast
item: Heavy-Duty Boots / Life Orb
ability: Competitive / Volt Absorb
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
tera type: Steel / Fairy / Ground
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
====
Air Slash is preferred, as it is more accurate and can hit Wind Rider Brambleghast, but Hurricane can be used on teams that can handle it through other means. Volt Switch lets Kilowattrel take advantage of Competitive's Special Attack boosts better; however, U-turn helps it keep up momentum in the face of Ground-types like Gastrodon, Flygon, and Swampert. Tera Blast Fairy can even be used, as it lets Kilowattrel hit Flygon super effectively while blanking its Outrage and Scale Shot. On top of that, it lets Kilowattrel maintain its Fighting resistance and gives it a solid defensive typing. Tera Blast Ground is another option that lets Kilowattrel dispatch Diancie, Bellibolt, and Registeel, since they can be annoying for Kilowattrel to get past at times. Roost allows Kilowattrel to continually pivot and gain value from its Competitive, and it can help counteract Life Orb chip damage. Heavy-Duty Boots is preferred to let Kilowattrel come in safely and repeatedly during a match. Alternatively, Life Orb can by used on more offensive teamstyles that can both keep up enough pressure to prevent Stealth Rock from being set up and take advantage of the extra boost it gives Kilowattrel. Competitive allows Kilowattrel to capitalize on common Pokemon's abilities and moves like both Overqwil's and Incineroar's Intimidate as well as Vileplume's Strength Sap. On the other hand, Volt Absorb can be run to take advantage of Galvantula, Rotom-C, and opposing Competitive Kilowattrel. Tera Steel allows Kilowattrel to resist many common attacks like Cinccino's Tail Slap, Inteleon's Ice Beam, and Munkidori's Sludge Wave and Psychic.
Entry hazard setters like Klefki, Flygon, Copperajah, and Gligar are great partners for Kilowattrel, as their hazards can punish the opponent's switches, while Kilowattrel helps keep the hazards up by pressuring stray Defoggers like Scyther and Decidueye. Similarly, Kilowattrel can work with hyper offense leads like Galvantula, Araquanid, and Froslass. While Kilowattrel can pressure Defoggers, it fails to stop spinners like Brambleghast, Avalugg, and Tsareena, so pairing it with a Ghost-type like Basculegion, Brambleghast, or Hisuian Typhlosion is a good idea. Kilowattrel can pressure Water-types like Vaporeon, Milotic, and Basculegion quite easily, meaning Pokemon that struggle dealing with them or can force them in like Flygon, Incineroar, and Inteleon have good synergy. Special walls like Gastrodon, Copperajah, and Bronzong can be difficult to take down alone, so physical wallbreakers like Incineroar, Breloom, and Mienshao are great to deal with them, and Kilowattrel can form VoltTurn cores with many of them. Electric- and Rock-types like Bellibolt, Volt Absorb Kilowattrel, and Diancie are difficult for Kilowattrel to KO; because of this, Ground-type teammates like Flygon, Gastrodon, and Palossand make for good partners. Since Life Orb Kilowattrel is highly susceptible to being worn down by Stealth Rock, a hazard-removing teammate like Cinccino, Tsareena, or Brambleghast is appreciated, especially the former thanks to the offensive pressure it exerts.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
====
Kilowattrel can opt for a Choice Specs set to more easily wallbreak, but its weakness to Stealth Rock combined with how much it loves to pivot leads to it usually being worn down too quickly. Kilowattrel can run Weather Ball on rain and snow teams to hit Ground-types like Swampert, Gligar, and Flygon harder than Air Slash can, and notably, Weather Ball on snow teams lets Hurricane Kilowattrel easily dispatch Wind Rider Brambleghast. Thunder is also great for more power on rain teams, taking advantage of the weather. Tera Ghost can be used to avoid a powerful Close Combat from Choice Scarf Mienshao, Heracross, and Paldean Tauros-W; however, the defensive utility that Tera Steel gives Kilowattrel is usually preferred.
Checks and Counters
====
**Electric-types**: Bellibolt, Rotom-H, and Volt Absorb Kilowattrel all can switch into Kilowattrel, wall it repeatedly, and capitalize on their free turn by gaining momentum or, in Rotom-H's case, setting up. The former must be wary of Tera Blast Ground sets, though.
**Steel-types**: Copperajah, Bronzong, and Registeel easily switch in to Kilowattrel's Air Slash and Hurricane. Since Kilowattrel has to pivot or switch out after they switch in, they can take advantage of their free turn by setting entry hazards or, in the latter two's case, boosting their stats.
**Faster Pokemon and Priority Users**: Kilowattrel's frailty leaves it open to being quite easily revenge killed by even resisted hits from Choice Scarf users; for example, it gets 2HKOed by Mienshao's Close Combat. Neutral hits from other Choice Scarf users also extremely hurt like Munkidori's Sludge Wave and Inteleon's Hydro Pump. Additionally, priority users like Toxicroak and Mystic Water Basculegion can heavily threaten Kilowattrel, since the former can OHKO it at +2 with a Tera Dark-boosted Sucker Punch, and the latter can 2HKO it with Aqua Jet.
**Gastrodon**: Gastrodon can both block Kilowattrel's Electric-type STAB moves and can take both Air Slash and Hurricane relatively comfortably; it even has access to recovery and often runs Ice Beam. Because of this, when up against Gastrodon, Kilowattrel is either forced to use U-turn or switch out, giving it the chance to set up entry hazards.
**Rock-types**: Diancie can tank Kilowattrel's attacks quite well, and it can use it as an opportunity to set up Trick Room or set its entry hazards up. Coalossal can also soak up its attacks and set up hazards. However, they must be cautious of Tera Blast Ground variants.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/powerofmemes.583607/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/rabia.336073/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/hammer798.641404/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/autumn.384270/
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