Kadabra (UU) [QC]

[OVERVIEW]

In UU, Kadabra might be even better than Alakazam is in OU. With 105 Base Speed it outspeeds all wrappers in the meta. Combination of STAB Psychic (coming of ex-aequo 2nd highest special) and Thunder Wave allows it to either threaten to 2HKO (Cruel, Bel) or paralyse which nullifies wrapping potential. It also makes it an excellent revenge killer, probably the best one after Dugtrio. However its combo of ultra low HP and defence makes it very vulnerable to physical moves. Keep Kadabra healthy and status free and it will prove its usefulness.

[SET]

move 1: Psychic
move 2: Thunder Wave
move 3: Recover
move 4: Seismic Toss

[SET COMMENTS]

Since Kadabra has the same limited movepool Alakazam has, it comes at no surprise it utilizes pretty much the same moveset. Psychic deals solid damage to everything that doesn't resist it or isn't named Articuno, Moltres or Vaporeon. 30% to lower Special is always nice and can often change a 3HKO into a 2HKO. Combine that with Thunder Wave and you have a Pokemon that is extremely hard to switch into. Recover keeps Kadabra HP high and gives it a chance to win 1-1 against even the best special attackers that has otherwise has to rely on Rest. Seismic Toss is a standard 4th move, allows to deal any significant damage to opposinig Kadabra (3HKO) or Hypno. It also helps to spare precious pp of Psychic if you're engaged in a long, stally battle.

[USAGE TIPS]

Kadabras main utility lies in the ability to stop wrappers, Tentacruel in particular. In order to successfully do that Kadabra has to stay free from paralysis so until you manage to paralyse your opponents Tentacruel keeping Kadabra paralysis-free should be your priority (unless you also have another answer to Tentacruel like Raichu or Electabuzz). Usually you’re the best off using Psychic against Tentacruel but after Thunder Wave you will have more options to deal with the most dangerous mon in the tier. Keep in mind though that some Tentacruels run Rest.

Using Kadabra as a lead can give you a nice momentum from the start of the battle since it has very good matchups against a lot of other leads such as Tentacruel, Haunter, Venusaur, Victreebel. Keep in mind though a non-crit Psychic doesn't OHKO any of them and you may end up getting statused (also beware of Haunter Explosion). Hypno is also amongst the most popular leads and starting game with Kadabra vs Kadabra isn't uncommon either. In general leading with Kadabra makes it much harder to keep it status-free. It's somewhat of a high risk-high reward game. If you decide it is worth it your team should be ready to deal with Tentacruel while having a paralysed Kadabra.

Most of the time you shouldn’t switch-in on attacks with Kadabra, because of its low HP even special ones can do a lot of damage, and in gen1 you always have to take crits into account. This can force you to use recover early and give your opponent a free move.

Kadabra is excellent at finishing off opponents, and most of the time they don’t have to be that low on HP. Just a few examples of how much damage non-super effective Psychic deals against some of the most popular mons in the tier:
-Dodrio 46.7 - 55.1%
-Kangaskhan 45 - 53%
-Electabuzz 36.6 - 43.2%
-Raichu 36.8 - 43.6%
Kadabra outspeeds all of them apart from Electabuzz which is a speed-tie. The damage output is considerably lower when you face a bulky special mon like Vaporeon or Articuno but even against them Kadabra has some advantages: higher speed and crit rate, instant HP replenish option in form of recover, Special drops from Psychic.

[OTHER OPTIONS]

Reflect can work well to enable Kadabra to take physical attacks better when trying to sweep mid to late-game (providing opposing Hypno is out). Be aware though that almost any crit coming of a physical move will OHKO Kadabra. Other options most of the time are nothing more than a gimmick. Toxic can be used against Dragonite or bulky special mons if they don't run rest. Counter may surprise an unprepared opponent but taking any physical hits with Kadabra is a very risky game.

[CHECKS & COUNTERS]

Hypno walls Kadabra almost completely. Psychic doesn't bothers it even with Special drops, seismic toss is only a 4hko so it can heal of any damage and eventual status with rest. Also since Hypno doesn't rely on speed nearly as much as Kadabra being paralysed is not such a big deal for it. On the other hand it can paralyse Kadabra in return and with some parahax 3HKO it with seismic toss. Opposing Kadabra also deals with it pretty good but the usual effect of Kadabra vs Kadabra is that both get paralysed which nullifies most of the qualities they bring to the meta.

Kangaskhan and Dodrio have a sure OHKO with their STAB Hyper Beam, provided it doesn't miss. Dugtrio deals “only” 62.5 - 73.4% damage with Earthquake but it outspeeds Kadabra and can’t be paralysed with Thunder Wave. You cannot forget about its high crit rate either. Persian, although not nearly as popular as previously mentioned, is also faster than Kadabra and take more than ¾ of Kadabras HP with Slash (not to mention 7.7% to OHKO with Hyper Beam).

Bulky special mons such as previously mentioned Vaporeon and Legendary Birds can be troublesome to Kadabra as well, especially when faced at full HP. Psychic deals less than 30% to them while their special attacks anywhere from 34.2% (low roll Vaporeon Surf) to 56.1% (high roll STAB Blizzard/Fire Blast). Vaporeon can also paralyse Kadabra with Body Slam while Articuno/Moltres can finish off Kadabra with Hyper Beam which deals 65.3 - 77% (Articuno) or 72.4 - 85.1% (Moltres).

Gyarados and Dragonite are almost as bulky as Legendary Birds (Psychic is only a 4HKO) and OHKO it with Hyper Beam on a max roll. Dragonite sometimes run Thunder Wave instead of Agility. Neither likes getting paralysed themselves though, Dragonite in particular since it really screws up its wrap game.

PS. This is my 1st attempt to write an analysis, I tried my best but I realise it's far from perfect.

Edit: Added paragraph about Kadabra as a lead in "UT".
Mentioning toxic is down to 1 sentence in ""OO".
Added paragraph on Gyara and Nite in ""CC".
 
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[OVERVIEW]

In UU, Kadabra might be even better than Alakazam is in OU. With 105 Base Speed it outspeeds all wrappers in the meta. Combination of STAB Psychic (coming of ex-aequo 2nd highest special) and Thunder Wave allows it to either threaten to 2HKO (Cruel, Bel) or paralyse which nullifies wrapping potential. It also makes it an excellent revenge killer, probably the best one after Dugtrio. However its combo of ultra low HP and defence makes it very vulnerable to physical moves. Keep Kadabra healthy and status free and it will prove its usefulness.

[SET]

move 1: Psychic
move 2: Thunder Wave
move 3: Recover
move 4: Seismic Toss

[SET COMMENTS]

Since Kadabra has the same limited movepool Alakazam has, it comes at no surprise it utilizes pretty much the same moveset. Psychic deals solid damage to everything that doesn't resist it or isn't named Articuno, Moltres or Vaporeon. 30% to lower Specialmov is always nice and can often change a 3HKO into a 2HKO. Combine that with Thunder Wave and you have a Pokemon that is extremely hard to switch into. Recover keeps Kadabra HP high and gives it a chance to win 1-1 against even the best special attackers that has otherwise has to rely on Rest. Seismic Toss is a standard 4th move, allows to deal any significant damage to opposinig Kadabra (3HKO) or Hypno. It also helps to spare precious pp of Psychic if you're engaged in a long, stally battle.

[USAGE TIPS]

Kadabras main utility lies in the ability to stop wrappers, Tentacruel in particular. In order to successfully do that Kadabra has to stay free from paralysis so until you manage to paralyse your opponents Tentacruel keeping Kadabra paralysis-free should be your priority (unless you also have another answer to Tentacruel like Raichu or Electabuzz). Usually you’re the best off using Psychic against Tentacruel but after Thunder Wave you will have more options to deal with the most dangerous mon in the tier. Keep in mind though that some Tentacruels run Rest.

Hypno is a very common response to Kadabra and with its great bulk, resistance to psychic and rest it may cause a lot of wasted pp. Usually you don’t want to stay against it since it can cripple Kadabra with Thunder Wave.

Most of the time you shouldn’t switch-in on attacks with Kadabra, because of its low HP even special ones can do a lot of damage, and in gen1 you always have to take crits into account. This can force you to use recover early and give your opponent a free move.

Kadabra is excellent at finishing off opponents, and most of the time they don’t have to be that low on HP. Just a few examples of how much damage non-super effective Psychic deals against some of the most popular mons in the tier:
-Dodrio 46.7 - 55.1%
-Kangaskhan 45 - 53%
-Electabuzz 36.6 - 43.2%
-Raichu 36.8 - 43.6%

Kadabra outspeeds all of them apart from Electabuzz which is a speed-tie. The damage output is considerably lower when you face a bulky special mon like Vaporeon or Articuno but even against them Kadabra has some advantages: higher speed and crit rate, instant HP replenish option in form of recover, Special drops from Psychic.

[OTHER OPTIONS]

Reflect can work well to enable Kadabra to take physical attacks better when trying to sweep mid to late-game(providing opposing Hypno is out). Be aware though that almost any crit coming of a physical move will OHKO Kadabra. Other options most of the time are nothing more than a gimmick. Toxic can be used against Dragonite to shorten its wrapping time but you're usually better off paralysing it. Not to mention it's ineffective against Tentacruel and Victreebel. It can also work against bulky special mons but they usually run rest anyways. Don't forget that in gen1 bad poison reverts itself into a regular one after switching out. Counter can surprise an unprepared opponent but taking any physical hits with Kadabra is a very risky game.

[CHECKS & COUNTERS]

Hypno walls Kadabra almost completely. Psychic doesn't bothers it even with Special drops, seismic toss is only a 4hko so it can heal of any damage and eventual status with rest. Also since Hypno doesn't rely on speed nearly as much as Kadabra being paralysed is not such a big deal for it. On the other hand it can paralyse Kadabra in return and with some parahax 3HKO it with seismic toss. Opposing Kadabra also deals with it pretty good but the usual effect of Kadabra vs Kadabra is that both get paralysed which nullifies most of the qualities they bring to the meta.

Kangaskhan and Dodrio have a sure ohko with their STAB Hyper Beam, provided it doesn't miss. Dugtrio deals “only” 62.5 - 73.4% damage with Earthquake but it outspeeds Kadabra and can’t be paralysed with Thunder Wave. You cannot forget about its high crit rate either. Persian, although not nearly as popular as previously mentioned, is also faster than Kadabra and take more than ¾ of Kadabras HP with Slash (not to mention 7.7% to OHKO with hyper beam).

Bulky special mons such as previously mentioned Vaporeon and Legendary Birds can be troublesome to Kadabra as well, especially when face it at full HP. Psychic deals less than 30% to them while their special attacks anywhere from 34.2% (low roll Vaporeon Surf) to 56.1% (high roll Blizzard/Fire Blast). Vaporeon can also paralyse Kadabra with Body Slam while Articuno/Moltres can finish off Kadabra with Hyper Beam which deals 65.3 - 77% (Articuno) or 72.4 - 85.1% (Moltres).

PS. This is my 1st attempt to write an analysis, I tried my best but I realise it's far from perfect.
Hey this is pretty good overall, covers most of the points I think are important.

In the overview, maybe say something other than ex-aequo, I'd literally never heard it before and I think that would be true of most people

In usage tips I think it's a bit harsh saying that Kad shouldn't even switch in on special attacks. I agree that ideally it shouldn't be switching in, but it's definitely a viable option in an emergency, like if your primary check to Cuno or whatever is down.

I feel like you spend too much time talking about Toxic in OO. Personally I don't think I'd even mention it, so I definitely think you shouldn't spend half the paragraph discussing it.

As for C&C, maybe mention Gyarados? I think of it as being similar to the special attackers with the obvious difference being that its not as bulky and its regular attacks aren't as powerful, but its HB is really strong (OHKO on a max roll)
Gyarados Hyper Beam vs. Kadabra: 240-283 (84.8 - 100%) -- 2.6% chance to OHKO

Overall great stuff
 
Hey this is pretty good overall, covers most of the points I think are important.

In the overview, maybe say something other than ex-aequo, I'd literally never heard it before and I think that would be true of most people

In usage tips I think it's a bit harsh saying that Kad shouldn't even switch in on special attacks. I agree that ideally it shouldn't be switching in, but it's definitely a viable option in an emergency, like if your primary check to Cuno or whatever is down.

I feel like you spend too much time talking about Toxic in OO. Personally I don't think I'd even mention it, so I definitely think you shouldn't spend half the paragraph discussing it.

As for C&C, maybe mention Gyarados? I think of it as being similar to the special attackers with the obvious difference being that its not as bulky and its regular attacks aren't as powerful, but its HB is really strong (OHKO on a max roll)
Gyarados Hyper Beam vs. Kadabra: 240-283 (84.8 - 100%) -- 2.6% chance to OHKO

Overall great stuff
Thank you for your kind words as well as your remarks and constuctive criticism. I really appreciate it.

I used the term "most of the time" and in case of special attacks I mentioned crits since otherwise no special attack deals more than 40-50% to Kadabra (~50% from 120BP STAB moves of Cuno, Moltres, Cruel, Omastar). I'm open to rephrase it though. I don't want anybody to misunderstand the message here.

Yeah I guess I went to far describing toxic, that might give a wrong impression. As I said earlier most of the stuff that aren't in the standard set work only as a gimmick or novelty/surprise factor.

If we add Gyara to C&C then I guess we should include Dragonite as well. Similar bulk, considerably higher usage and even higher Attack. Not to mention sometimes it runs TWave which cripples Kadabra. On the other hand Nite wrap game gets also destroyed after getting statused.
 
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I think the analysis is pretty good overall but believe that the lead scenarios involving Kadabra should be covered more in the "Usage Tips" section.

For example, it should be mentioned that when faced with lead Tentacruel, Haunter, Victreebel, or Venusaur, Kadabra leads should stay in and use psychic or thunder wave. Then you could discuss the murky lead matchups of Kadabra v. Kadabra and Hypno v. Kadabra where it is hard to keep Kadabra away from paralysis, a primary objective you mentioned in the current Usage Tips section.
 
I updated the analysis:

Added paragraph about Kadabra as a lead in "UT".
Mentioning toxic is down to 1 sentence in ""OO".
Added paragraph on Gyara and Nite in "CC".
 

Sceptross

The words were voted out by a landslide
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I can't add much to the content itself either, it's very good. Some corrections:

"It also helps to spare precious pp PP of Psychic if you're engaged in a long, stally battle."

"Kadabra' (apostrophe) s main utility lies in the its ability to stop wrappers"

"and take more than ¾ of Kadabra' (apostrophe) s HP with Slash

"Psychic doesn't bothers it (even with Special drops), sSeismic tToss is only a 4hko 4HKO so it can heal of off any damage and eventual status with rRest."

"Gyarados and Dragonite are almost as bulky as Legendary Birds Moltres and Articuno"

(Make sure moves have their first letter capitalized, there are some other examples). Also, be careful with some Pokemon "slang" (parahax, for instance, you should say something like "untimely full paralysis").
 
Great analysis so far ! Here some toughts in a terrible english

-In the overview you compare Kadabra to Alakazam. I think they have a different role no matter how you use them. While Alakazam is more a supportive pokemon that spread paralysis trough the match and walls less powerfull specials attackers; Kabadra is designed to answer the most dominant pokémon of UU: Tentacruel aswell as specials attackers that can't spread paralysis like Haunter and pose a sinificant threat afterward when opposing psychics are gone (i like you directly mentionned the revenge kill abilities in the overview). The fact that Kadabra is much more frail than Alakazam can be in OU severaly limits is walling abilities especially against medium attackers that also spread status move like electrics and opposing Kadabra while Alakazam is willing to take paralysis most of the time and Kadabra does not (as you mentioned).
It could be interesting to directly mention in the overview that Kabadra can be used in two ways: in the lead spot for teams that need need a reliable sleep blocker/absorber as this one is willing to trade status most of the time while Kadabra outside of the lead spot relies a lot on not being statused to succesfully do his role: punish tentacruel switch ins (he's the most effective at it, with dugtrio). I feel like you mentionned non lead Kadabra much more than the lead one but it seems to me that both should be mentionned right off the bat and go further in the usage tips section to make it clear what he can/can't do under specifics circumtences


-Set and Set details is perfectly fine to me: you make it short and clear why SToss should be used over anything as his 4th move.

-Pretty good usage tips sections as you described well the two main ways to use Kadabra, i don't see much to add that i have not say in the overview section. The only thing i could say is that im not so hot on calling Kadabra a wrapper answer as he takes a ton from Dnite wraps and gets annihilated by the agility play while Victreebel runs stun spore. He have the benefit to at least to wrap spam but he soudn't be the main switch on any wrapper that isn't Tentacruel or Moltres (and both could KO with a crit from 120 base power Stab but thanks to accuracy odds remains low)

-Others options and checks and counters sections are well made, solid job and i agree with most of the stuff you mentionned. Maybe just add that hypno is best used if Rest if mean to be your main answer to opposing Kadabra (as he should, outside of the lead spot) which limits his access to hypnosis (but this is for Hypno analysis i guess). It could be mentionned somewhere that Kadabra is primary answered with the two psychics of the tier (ideally Hypno but using Lead Kadabra don't compromise your gameplan either, but SToss pressures it quite a lot) and only then, capitalize on a recover turn to get any others checks in, as otherwise they're getting severaly crippled by anything that isn't SToss.


Overall this is a good analysis especially if its your first one, and its nice to see people invested in the tier on smogon aswell ;)
 
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