Nixon73
Scuttlebug Jamboree
[OVERVIEW]
* Kyurem-W is one of the most powerful wallbreakers in the tier, as base 170 Special Attack backed up by Life Orb or Choice Specs allows it to OHKO or 2HKO almost everything in the metagame.
* Powerful Ice- and Dragon-type STAB moves in Ice Beam and Draco Meteor and solid coverage options such as Fusion Flare provide Kyurem-W with excellent coverage, leaving Chansey, Blissey, and bulky Water-types as its only safe switch-ins in the entire metagame.
* While Kyurem-W is fairly slow at base 95 Speed, with full investment it can outspeed crucial Pokemon such as Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre, and Necrozma-DM, and it can outspeed prominent sets on more offensive Pokemon such as Geomancy Xerneas and neutral-natured Yveltal.
* However, Kyurem-W has several weaknesses that restrict it as a wallbreaker. Kyurem-W has a terrible defensive typing and must preserve its health if it is to check faster Pokemon, so it lends almost no defensive utility to any team and is hard to bring in without dedicating it precious free switches.
* Its mediocre Speed and typing also make it incredibly vulnerable to fast revenge killers, notably Marshadow, Deoxys-A, Choice Scarf Xerneas, Yveltal, Mega Salamence, Mega Lucario, and Mega Gengar, each of which commonly carries moves that can OHKO Kyurem-W after Stealth Rock.
* Since Kyurem-W is so easily forced out, it is extremely prediction reliant, so its incredible power and coverage achieve results very inconsistently.
* A Stealth Rock weakness and possible Life Orb recoil mean Kyurem-W is very easily worn down throughout a match and requires Defog support to be effective.
* Finally, its reliance on Draco Meteor leaves its team vulnerable to devastating sweepers such as Necrozma-DM and Geomancy Xerneas following the Special Attack drop.
* Overall, Kyurem-W is very seldom used due to the ridiculous amount of team support it requires to be effective. On teams that can provide that support, however, its sheer power is almost unparalleled in the tier.
[SET]
name: Wallbreaker
move 1: Ice Beam
move 2: Draco Meteor
move 3: Fusion Flare
move 4: Roost / Earth Power
item: Life Orb / Choice Specs
ability: Turboblaze
nature: Timid / Modest
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Ice Beam is a powerful STAB move of one of the most effective attacking types in the tier.
* Draco Meteor is an even more powerful STAB option that inflicts massive damage on anything that doesn't resist it, although its use causes a sharp drop in Special Attack and is a dangerous move to get Choice-locked into.
* Fusion Flare gives Kyurem-W super effective coverage against Steel-types that resist its STAB moves, such as Necrozma-DM, Ferrothorn, and Mega Scizor.
* Roost can allow Life Orb Kyurem-W to avoid being worn down by stall teams and can even allow it to take some resisted hits from specific attackers such as physical Primal Kyogre, but it is useless against more offensive teams.
* Earth Power hits Steel-types that resist Kyurem-W's STAB attacks, notably including Magearna and Necrozma-DM. It also hits Primal Groudon harder than Ice Beam while still threatening Steel-types, which eases prediction, making it especially useful on a Choice Specs set.
Set Details
========
* Maximum Speed and Special Attack investment help Kyurem-W perform its role as a wallbreaker effectively.
* A Timid nature allows Kyurem-W to outspeed prominent Pokemon such as Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre, Geomancy Xerneas, and neutral-natured Yveltal and Speed tie with Rayquaza. While a Modest nature provides a notable boost in power, these matchups are common enough that it should not be used except on teams that can confidently switch into these threats.
* The decision between Life Orb and Choice Specs presents a significant trade-off. Life Orb allows Kyurem-W to avoid being taken advantage of by slower Steel- and Fairy-types that are neutrally hit by or resistant to some of its moves, which is particularly valuable given the popularity of Necrozma-DM. Choice Specs provides a significant boost in power but lets these bulkier Pokemon take advantage of Kyurem-W.
* Turboblaze is Kyurem-W's mandatory ability and is situationally useful against Lugia, which can be OHKOed with a Choice Specs-boosted Ice Beam. However, it notably does not allow Kyurem-W to hit through Shadow Shield or Prism Armor.
Usage Tips
========
* Kyurem-W should be brought in on almost every free switch against most teams, since its massive power makes it incredibly difficult to switch into, and it can be hard to bring in otherwise.
* Making risky predictions can be very tempting early-game, but a play that risks losing Kyurem-W is usually only a wise choice if Kyurem-W has a bad matchup or the match is going badly.
* Kyurem-W is incredibly easy to take advantage of after using Draco Meteor, so the move should generally be used only to break more annoying walls such as a weakened Arceus-Water.
* Kyurem-W can scare out some faster Pokemon such as Arceus-Ground, Yveltal, and Mega Gengar if it has enough health, so play carefully, and avoid Stealth Rock damage if such Pokemon are on the opposing team.
* Be conscious of matchup when using Kyurem-W. It is usually worth keeping alive for late-game against stall teams, which often rely on a single role-compressed wall to handle low-usage attackers such as Kyurem-W. Against balance and bulky offense, Kyurem-W's workable speed and power allow it to take advantage of bulky Pokemon such as Primal Groudon, and these teams seldom have a safe switch-in to Kyurem-W, making it a solid early- and mid-game wallbreaker.
Team Options
========
* Kyurem-W's great power is kept in check largely by its several defensive weaknesses, so it requires extensive team support to be able to work effectively.
* Kyurem-W invites a large weakness to Fairy-types such as Xerneas, so offensive checks like Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh are generally insufficient. A solid switch-in for these Pokemon such as Necrozma-DM, Mega Scizor, or Magearna is essential to stop potential sweeps. Mega Scizor and Magearna deserve a particular mention for their ability to respectively provide slow U-turns and Volt Switches for Kyurem-W, which can take advantage of them more than almost anything else in the tier.
* Kyurem-W needs entry hazard control, a role that support Arceus formes and Giratina-O can generally handle effectively, to be effective against most teams. In more offensively inclined teams, Choice Scarf Yveltal and Xerneas can effectively fill this role.
* Stealth Rock support is essential for Kyurem-W to stand a chance against the likes of Ho-Oh and Arceus-Water, so setters such as Primal Groudon, Arceus-Fairy, Necrozma-DM and Dialga are valuable partners.
* Kyurem-W also appreciates being paired with sweepers such as Mega Lucario, Mega Salamence, and Xerneas that value its ability to weaken shared checks such as Magearna, Arceus-Water, and Ho-Oh.
* Gothitelle is also a useful partner, as it can trap some of Kyurem-W's most reliable switch-ins such as Chansey and defensive Arceus formes. This combination is effective against defensive teams, although running two Pokemon with no defensive utility is difficult to compensate for when teambuilding.
* If case Kyurem-W uses Draco Meteor or is locked into the wrong move, sweepers can take advantage of it to set up. A revenge killer that can deal with them, such as Choice Scarf Yveltal or Marshadow, makes for a good teammate.
* Alternatively, offensive teams built around Sticky Web can try to rely on momentum to prevent the opponent from effectively taking advantage of Kyurem-W's weaknesses. Timid Kyurem-W outspeeds almost the entire tier under Sticky Web, including the likes of Deoxys-A and Pheromosa, making it extremely difficult to revenge kill. As such, Kyurem-W appreciates being partnered with Sticky Web setters such as Shuckle and Smeargle. Sticky Web teams are usually at an advantage against offense archetypes but struggle greatly with defensive teams, so a powerful wallbreaker like Kyurem-W goes a long way to improving this matchup.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* Most of Kyurem-W's effective options provide it with a bit more coverage to handle specific threats.
* Although it is useless against anything else, Stone Edge with a Naive nature can be used to threaten Ho-Oh, which can otherwise switch into Kyurem-W comfortably.
* Focus Blast can be used to better check Extreme Killer Arceus and Arceus-Dark. However, these Pokemon are not common enough to warrant such a coverage slot. Furthermore, Chople Berry Arceus sets are commonly used to check Marshadow, making Focus Blast ineffective in this matchup, and being Choice-locked into Focus Blast leaves Kyurem-W at the mercy of every trapper in the tier.
* Toxic can be used to cripple a wall that switches in, but the only relevant targets that wouldn't be more significantly hampered by other moves are Ho-Oh and Arceus-Water.
* While a Choice Scarf set can seem promising due to Kyurem-W's average Speed and high power, it checks nothing that Choice Scarf Lunala doesn't while having far inferior bulk and typing, making it outclassed in this role.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fairy-types**: All relevant Fairy-types can check Kyurem-W when healthy. Both Choice Scarf and Choice Specs Xerneas outspeed and OHKO Kyurem-W, and Geomancy Xerneas can set up with full HP on a Choice-locked Draco Meteor. Arceus-Fairy can outspeed Kyurem-W and threaten it with STAB Judgment or set up Stealth Rock
**Faster Attackers**: Pokemon such as Marshadow, Ultra Necrozma, Choice Scarf Lunala, Mega Gengar, Mega Lucario, Mega Salamence, Deoxys-A, and Mewtwo formes can all outspeed Kyurem-W and revenge kill it easily.
**Bulky Water-types**: Bulky Water-types such as Arceus-Water and RestTalk Primal Kyogre are among the few Pokemon that can reliably counter Kyurem-W by switching in. The only attack that can hit them meaningfully is Draco Meteor, which they can just heal off the damage from and force Kyurem-W to switch. If these Pokemon are still healthy, it is generally a good idea to not send out Kyurem-W.
**Arceus formes**: Most Arceus formes can check Kyurem-W if they are healthy. Offensive Arceus formes such as Extreme Killer Arceus and Arceus-Dark have the advantage over Kyurem-W after one boost. Many support Arceus formes can either stall out Kyurem with Toxic like Arceus-Water or threaten it with super effective Judgment like Arceus-Dragon and Arceus-Fairy. However, none of them enjoy switching into a neutral STAB move from Kyurem-W, as they are forced to use Recover and thus gain no momentum.
**Chansey and Blissey**: Kyurem-W can achieve nothing against Chansey and Blissey to the point that sending it out will just give the opponent free turns with them.
**Ho-Oh**: Unless Stone Edge is run or Stealth Rock is up, Ho-Oh can repeatedly switch into any of Kyurem-W's attacks and force it out while healing with Regenerator.
**Steel-types**: Bulky Steel-types such as Necrozma-DM, Aegislash, Mega Scizor, Ferrothorn, and Magearna threaten to OHKO or 2HKO Kyurem-W with super effective STAB moves, although none of them can switch into Fusion Flare or Earth Power. Offensive Steel-types such as Mega Lucario and Mega Metagross effectively check Kyurem-W by threatening to OHKO with their STAB moves.
* Kyurem-W is one of the most powerful wallbreakers in the tier, as base 170 Special Attack backed up by Life Orb or Choice Specs allows it to OHKO or 2HKO almost everything in the metagame.
* Powerful Ice- and Dragon-type STAB moves in Ice Beam and Draco Meteor and solid coverage options such as Fusion Flare provide Kyurem-W with excellent coverage, leaving Chansey, Blissey, and bulky Water-types as its only safe switch-ins in the entire metagame.
* While Kyurem-W is fairly slow at base 95 Speed, with full investment it can outspeed crucial Pokemon such as Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre, and Necrozma-DM, and it can outspeed prominent sets on more offensive Pokemon such as Geomancy Xerneas and neutral-natured Yveltal.
* However, Kyurem-W has several weaknesses that restrict it as a wallbreaker. Kyurem-W has a terrible defensive typing and must preserve its health if it is to check faster Pokemon, so it lends almost no defensive utility to any team and is hard to bring in without dedicating it precious free switches.
* Its mediocre Speed and typing also make it incredibly vulnerable to fast revenge killers, notably Marshadow, Deoxys-A, Choice Scarf Xerneas, Yveltal, Mega Salamence, Mega Lucario, and Mega Gengar, each of which commonly carries moves that can OHKO Kyurem-W after Stealth Rock.
* Since Kyurem-W is so easily forced out, it is extremely prediction reliant, so its incredible power and coverage achieve results very inconsistently.
* A Stealth Rock weakness and possible Life Orb recoil mean Kyurem-W is very easily worn down throughout a match and requires Defog support to be effective.
* Finally, its reliance on Draco Meteor leaves its team vulnerable to devastating sweepers such as Necrozma-DM and Geomancy Xerneas following the Special Attack drop.
* Overall, Kyurem-W is very seldom used due to the ridiculous amount of team support it requires to be effective. On teams that can provide that support, however, its sheer power is almost unparalleled in the tier.
[SET]
name: Wallbreaker
move 1: Ice Beam
move 2: Draco Meteor
move 3: Fusion Flare
move 4: Roost / Earth Power
item: Life Orb / Choice Specs
ability: Turboblaze
nature: Timid / Modest
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Ice Beam is a powerful STAB move of one of the most effective attacking types in the tier.
* Draco Meteor is an even more powerful STAB option that inflicts massive damage on anything that doesn't resist it, although its use causes a sharp drop in Special Attack and is a dangerous move to get Choice-locked into.
* Fusion Flare gives Kyurem-W super effective coverage against Steel-types that resist its STAB moves, such as Necrozma-DM, Ferrothorn, and Mega Scizor.
* Roost can allow Life Orb Kyurem-W to avoid being worn down by stall teams and can even allow it to take some resisted hits from specific attackers such as physical Primal Kyogre, but it is useless against more offensive teams.
* Earth Power hits Steel-types that resist Kyurem-W's STAB attacks, notably including Magearna and Necrozma-DM. It also hits Primal Groudon harder than Ice Beam while still threatening Steel-types, which eases prediction, making it especially useful on a Choice Specs set.
Set Details
========
* Maximum Speed and Special Attack investment help Kyurem-W perform its role as a wallbreaker effectively.
* A Timid nature allows Kyurem-W to outspeed prominent Pokemon such as Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre, Geomancy Xerneas, and neutral-natured Yveltal and Speed tie with Rayquaza. While a Modest nature provides a notable boost in power, these matchups are common enough that it should not be used except on teams that can confidently switch into these threats.
* The decision between Life Orb and Choice Specs presents a significant trade-off. Life Orb allows Kyurem-W to avoid being taken advantage of by slower Steel- and Fairy-types that are neutrally hit by or resistant to some of its moves, which is particularly valuable given the popularity of Necrozma-DM. Choice Specs provides a significant boost in power but lets these bulkier Pokemon take advantage of Kyurem-W.
* Turboblaze is Kyurem-W's mandatory ability and is situationally useful against Lugia, which can be OHKOed with a Choice Specs-boosted Ice Beam. However, it notably does not allow Kyurem-W to hit through Shadow Shield or Prism Armor.
Usage Tips
========
* Kyurem-W should be brought in on almost every free switch against most teams, since its massive power makes it incredibly difficult to switch into, and it can be hard to bring in otherwise.
* Making risky predictions can be very tempting early-game, but a play that risks losing Kyurem-W is usually only a wise choice if Kyurem-W has a bad matchup or the match is going badly.
* Kyurem-W is incredibly easy to take advantage of after using Draco Meteor, so the move should generally be used only to break more annoying walls such as a weakened Arceus-Water.
* Kyurem-W can scare out some faster Pokemon such as Arceus-Ground, Yveltal, and Mega Gengar if it has enough health, so play carefully, and avoid Stealth Rock damage if such Pokemon are on the opposing team.
* Be conscious of matchup when using Kyurem-W. It is usually worth keeping alive for late-game against stall teams, which often rely on a single role-compressed wall to handle low-usage attackers such as Kyurem-W. Against balance and bulky offense, Kyurem-W's workable speed and power allow it to take advantage of bulky Pokemon such as Primal Groudon, and these teams seldom have a safe switch-in to Kyurem-W, making it a solid early- and mid-game wallbreaker.
Team Options
========
* Kyurem-W's great power is kept in check largely by its several defensive weaknesses, so it requires extensive team support to be able to work effectively.
* Kyurem-W invites a large weakness to Fairy-types such as Xerneas, so offensive checks like Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh are generally insufficient. A solid switch-in for these Pokemon such as Necrozma-DM, Mega Scizor, or Magearna is essential to stop potential sweeps. Mega Scizor and Magearna deserve a particular mention for their ability to respectively provide slow U-turns and Volt Switches for Kyurem-W, which can take advantage of them more than almost anything else in the tier.
* Kyurem-W needs entry hazard control, a role that support Arceus formes and Giratina-O can generally handle effectively, to be effective against most teams. In more offensively inclined teams, Choice Scarf Yveltal and Xerneas can effectively fill this role.
* Stealth Rock support is essential for Kyurem-W to stand a chance against the likes of Ho-Oh and Arceus-Water, so setters such as Primal Groudon, Arceus-Fairy, Necrozma-DM and Dialga are valuable partners.
* Kyurem-W also appreciates being paired with sweepers such as Mega Lucario, Mega Salamence, and Xerneas that value its ability to weaken shared checks such as Magearna, Arceus-Water, and Ho-Oh.
* Gothitelle is also a useful partner, as it can trap some of Kyurem-W's most reliable switch-ins such as Chansey and defensive Arceus formes. This combination is effective against defensive teams, although running two Pokemon with no defensive utility is difficult to compensate for when teambuilding.
* If case Kyurem-W uses Draco Meteor or is locked into the wrong move, sweepers can take advantage of it to set up. A revenge killer that can deal with them, such as Choice Scarf Yveltal or Marshadow, makes for a good teammate.
* Alternatively, offensive teams built around Sticky Web can try to rely on momentum to prevent the opponent from effectively taking advantage of Kyurem-W's weaknesses. Timid Kyurem-W outspeeds almost the entire tier under Sticky Web, including the likes of Deoxys-A and Pheromosa, making it extremely difficult to revenge kill. As such, Kyurem-W appreciates being partnered with Sticky Web setters such as Shuckle and Smeargle. Sticky Web teams are usually at an advantage against offense archetypes but struggle greatly with defensive teams, so a powerful wallbreaker like Kyurem-W goes a long way to improving this matchup.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* Most of Kyurem-W's effective options provide it with a bit more coverage to handle specific threats.
* Although it is useless against anything else, Stone Edge with a Naive nature can be used to threaten Ho-Oh, which can otherwise switch into Kyurem-W comfortably.
* Focus Blast can be used to better check Extreme Killer Arceus and Arceus-Dark. However, these Pokemon are not common enough to warrant such a coverage slot. Furthermore, Chople Berry Arceus sets are commonly used to check Marshadow, making Focus Blast ineffective in this matchup, and being Choice-locked into Focus Blast leaves Kyurem-W at the mercy of every trapper in the tier.
* Toxic can be used to cripple a wall that switches in, but the only relevant targets that wouldn't be more significantly hampered by other moves are Ho-Oh and Arceus-Water.
* While a Choice Scarf set can seem promising due to Kyurem-W's average Speed and high power, it checks nothing that Choice Scarf Lunala doesn't while having far inferior bulk and typing, making it outclassed in this role.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fairy-types**: All relevant Fairy-types can check Kyurem-W when healthy. Both Choice Scarf and Choice Specs Xerneas outspeed and OHKO Kyurem-W, and Geomancy Xerneas can set up with full HP on a Choice-locked Draco Meteor. Arceus-Fairy can outspeed Kyurem-W and threaten it with STAB Judgment or set up Stealth Rock
**Faster Attackers**: Pokemon such as Marshadow, Ultra Necrozma, Choice Scarf Lunala, Mega Gengar, Mega Lucario, Mega Salamence, Deoxys-A, and Mewtwo formes can all outspeed Kyurem-W and revenge kill it easily.
**Bulky Water-types**: Bulky Water-types such as Arceus-Water and RestTalk Primal Kyogre are among the few Pokemon that can reliably counter Kyurem-W by switching in. The only attack that can hit them meaningfully is Draco Meteor, which they can just heal off the damage from and force Kyurem-W to switch. If these Pokemon are still healthy, it is generally a good idea to not send out Kyurem-W.
**Arceus formes**: Most Arceus formes can check Kyurem-W if they are healthy. Offensive Arceus formes such as Extreme Killer Arceus and Arceus-Dark have the advantage over Kyurem-W after one boost. Many support Arceus formes can either stall out Kyurem with Toxic like Arceus-Water or threaten it with super effective Judgment like Arceus-Dragon and Arceus-Fairy. However, none of them enjoy switching into a neutral STAB move from Kyurem-W, as they are forced to use Recover and thus gain no momentum.
**Chansey and Blissey**: Kyurem-W can achieve nothing against Chansey and Blissey to the point that sending it out will just give the opponent free turns with them.
**Ho-Oh**: Unless Stone Edge is run or Stealth Rock is up, Ho-Oh can repeatedly switch into any of Kyurem-W's attacks and force it out while healing with Regenerator.
**Steel-types**: Bulky Steel-types such as Necrozma-DM, Aegislash, Mega Scizor, Ferrothorn, and Magearna threaten to OHKO or 2HKO Kyurem-W with super effective STAB moves, although none of them can switch into Fusion Flare or Earth Power. Offensive Steel-types such as Mega Lucario and Mega Metagross effectively check Kyurem-W by threatening to OHKO with their STAB moves.
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