QC: DennisEG / PK Gaming / p2
GP: Kris
[OVERVIEW]
* Kyurem is a strong wallbreaker with great Dragon- and Ice-type STAB moves, which a number of Pokemon have difficulty switching into.
* A Dragon / Ice typing, along with great bulk, allows Kyurem to check threats such as Manaphy, Greninja, Xurkitree, Rotom-W, and Tangrowth.
* Can only viably run Choice items in comparison to its counterpart Kyurem-B, which can run many different sets, making Kyurem fairly linear in comparison; however, this does not mean that it is any less effective at its job, as Kyurem fills the role of a Choice Specs wallbreaker very well.
* Kyurem has a weakness to Stealth Rock which limits the amount of times it is able to come in throughout the match, and weaknesses to Rock, Steel and Fighting-type attacks leave it at the mercy of faster attackers such as Mega Metagross, Genesect and Pheromosa despite these threats having difficulty switching into Kyurem while also having issues with super effective priority in Breloom's Mach Punch and Mega Scizor's Bullet Punch.
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Earth Power
move 4: Hidden Power Fire / Focus Blast
item: Choice Specs
ability: Pressure
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Draco Meteor is the strongest attack that Kyurem has, and it hits a lot of threats hard, even Pokemon that resist it such as Heatran or Ferrothorn.
* Ice Beam is Kyurem's most spammable STAB move, has great coverage and is Kyurem's best option for hitting Fairy-types, such as Tapu Lele and Clefable, neutrally while also hitting other Pokemon such as Skarmory and Celesteela hard.
* Earth Power hits the Steel-types that resist Kyurem's STAB combination, such as Mega Metagross, Jirachi and Heatran, hard; it also has the benefit of being Kyurem's best move to hit Tapu Fini, which needs prior damage to 2HKO, but can be easily achievable due to Tapu Fini's lack of reliable recovery.
* Hidden Power Fire rounds out Kyurem's coverage by hitting Genesect, Ferrothorn, and mainly Mega Scizor, which take the rest of Kyurem's moves well.
* Focus Blast is a great option to still hit Steel-types and has the bonus of not requiring prediction to hit targets such as Ferrothorn, Heatran, and Rotom-W.
Set Details
========
* Maximum Speed and Special Attack EVs give Kyurem optimal wallbreaking power, allowing it to 2HKO threats such as Clefable, as well as Ferrothorn, which is 2HKOed after Stealth Rock damage.
* 4 Defense EVs are used to avoid giving Genesect an Attack boost so that it cannot throw out a strong U-turn or Iron Head against Kyurem's partners.
* Timid is the preferred nature to take advantage of Kyurem's good Speed tier to speed tie with Pokemon such as Timid Tapu Lele while still hitting the offensive benchmarks listed above; a Modest nature is also an option that still lets Kyurem outspeed threats such as Hoopa-U and maximum Speed Heatran while making Kyurem even stronger, although it gets outsped by Jolly Excadrill and Timid Tapu Lele.
Usage Tips
========
* Kyurem should be mainly played as an early to mid-game wallbreaker, as it can punch holes in opposing teams with its STAB moves.
* Draco Meteor is Kyurem's strongest STAB move, as it can dent the Pokemon that resist it hard and is good to throw out if the opponent does not have any Fairy-types on their team; otherwise, Ice Beam is probably the safer STAB move to use.
* Proper prediction is required when using Kyurem, as you need to predict the Steel-type that the opponent may have with your proper coverage move such as Earth Power or Hidden Power Fire; Ice Beam is a safe move to throw out in general, but make sure that Stealth Rock is cleared off of the field, or else you will have to play more aggressively with Kyurem with the limited turns that it has to use.
* Sending Kyurem into Water-, Grass-, and Electric-type attacks that it resists such as Manaphy's Surf, Tangrowth's Giga Drain, Xurkitree's Thunderbolt, and Toxapex's Scald is a great way to get Kyurem onto the field alongside double switches and predictions; however, keep note that sending Kyurem into these attacks limits its longevity and opportunities it has to wallbreak.
* In general, try to keep Stealth Rock off of the field as much as possible to allow Kyurem to stay alive as long as it can to allow it to continue throwing off strong attacks.
Team Options
========
* Steel-types such as Jirachi, Mega Metagross, Mega Scizor, and Excadrill pair well with Kyurem; Jirachi can set up Stealth Rock for Kyurem and get it in safely with U-Turn; Mega Scizor and Mega Metagross can both utilize Pursuit to trap faster attackers, such as Gengar, Latios, Latias, and Mega Alakazam, which can threaten Kyurem. Excadrill is a notable example, as it can help out with threats to Kyurem such as Tapu Koko, as well as being able to clear entry hazards for Kyurem and even set up Stealth Rock of its own.
* Latios and Latias can both provide Defog support for Kyurem while being able to check Pokemon such as Keldeo, which can threaten Kyurem out; in return, Kyurem also helps break down Fairy-types such as Tapu Fini and Clefable for Latios and Latias, although Kyurem should not be your primary answer to these Pokemon.
* Landorus-T can set up Stealth Rock for Kyurem to take advantage of while providing a valuable Ground immunity for the team; it is also useful for being able to provide a slow U-turn for Kyurem.
* Greninja has great synergy with Kyurem, as it can lure in and take out threats to Kyurem such as Fairy-types like Tapu Fini with Gunk Shot and Mega Scizor with Hidden Power Fire. In addition, Greninja can also set up Spikes for Kyurem to make it more difficult for Pokemon to switch into Kyurem.
* Rotom-W can bring Kyurem in safely due to Volt Switch and can break down threats for Kyurem such as Mega Scizor.
* Fairy-types such as Tapu Bulu, Tapu Lele, and Clefable can help Kyurem break down Steel-types, which check them both; Tapu Bulu can provide Grassy Terrain support to give Kyurem a bit more longevity, whereas Tapu Lele's Psychic Terrain allows Kyurem to avoid being revenge killed by Mega Scizor Bullet Punch; Tapu Fini also can provide Defog support for Kyurem as well, while Clefable can set up Stealth Rocks.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* A Substitute + Roost set that utilizes Pressure on bulkier builds helps break down more passive Pokemon such as Toxapex, which Kyurem can otherwise not break through.
* Choice Scarf is an option to allow Kyurem to outspeed Mega Alakazam, Pheromosa, and Choice Scarf Landorus-T.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Steel-types**: Mega Scizor, Mega Metagross, Jirachi, Celesteela, and Ferrothorn are all easily able to switch into Kyurem's STAB moves, and while they don't appreciate getting hit with Kyurem's proper coverage move, they can force Kyurem out by either revenge kills or by switching into Ice Beam or Draco Meteor.
**Fairy-types**: Most Fairy-types cannot switch into Ice Beam well, but Pokemon such as Tapu Lele, Clefable, Azumarill, and Tapu Fini are all able to force Kyurem out if it is locked into the wrong coverage move. Tapu Fini deserves a notable mention due to being immune to Draco Meteor while also having the bulk to take Ice Beam well.
**Chansey**: Chansey is able to take Kyurem's attacks with ease and heal off the damage and can then start setting up Stealth Rock or throwing out a status move and gain momentum on Kyurem.
**Faster Attackers**: Choice Scarf Tyranitar and Terrakion are able to revenge kill Kyurem with their super effective STAB moves despite not being easily able to switch into Kyurem's attacks; the same goes for faster attackers like Keldeo, Garchomp, and Latios, which can revenge kill Kyurem with their strong STAB attacks.
**Fighting-types**: Faster Fighting-type attackers such as Pheromosa and Keldeo can revenge kill Kyurem with their super effective STAB moves, even though Pheromosa cannot switch into Kyurem at all while Keldeo only has to avoid being hit with a STAB Draco Meteor.
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