roman
Banned deucer.
qc: teachable / phantom / eren
gp: cake / cryogyro
[OVERVIEW]
Kingdra's niche in RU is carved by its ability to break past Pokemon such as Cresselia and Umbreon thanks to Sniper, Focus Energy, and Scope Lens. A reasonable Speed stat allows Kingdra to outpace metagame staples such as Nidoqueen, Mega Blastoise, and Necrozma, and it can take advantage of its typing to use Pokemon like Milotic and Bronzong as setup fodder. However, Kingdra's mediocre bulk can make it difficult to set up both Focus Energy and Substitute or Agility, especially if the opponent plays wisely enough to pressure it throughout the game.
[SET]
name: CritDra
move 1: Focus Energy
move 2: Draco Meteor
move 3: Hydro Pump / Surf
move 4: Substitute
item: Scope Lens
ability: Sniper
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
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Focus Energy allows Kingdra to boost its critical hit rate. Draco Meteor is Kingdra's strongest STAB attack and synergizes well with Focus Energy and Scope Lens because critical hits ignore Draco Meteor's Special Attack drops. Hydro Pump lets Kingdra hit Fairy- and Steel-types that would otherwise wall it like Aromatisse and Registeel and OHKO Pokemon that can survive a Draco Meteor like Rhyperior. Surf is an alternative option that is more accurate than Hydro Pump but does not OHKO Pokemon like Gardevoir. Substitute lets Kingdra threaten defensive teams that might try to beat it with more passive means such as Toxic. Running Agility over Substitute allows Kingdra to improve its matchup against offensive teams.
Set Details
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Scope Lens used in conjunction with Focus Energy allows Kingdra to achieve a critical hit every time it attacks. Sniper greatly increases the power of Kingdra's critical hits. A Timid nature and 252 EVs invested in Speed let Kingdra outpace Pokemon such as Mega Blastoise and Necrozma. 252 EVs invested in Special Attack maximize Kingdra's wallbreaking potential.
Usage Tips
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Use Substitute on predicted status moves from Pokemon like Milotic in order to gain setup opportunities. Play sensibly against Choice-locked Pokemon that could potentially give you free setup opportunities. For example, if a Choice Scarf Moltres is locked into Fire Blast, Kingdra can force a switch or easily take the 4x resisted attack and set up Focus Energy or a Substitute. When utilizing Substitute, play wisely to get Kingdra positioned against Pokemon it can freely set up a Substitute against, such as Milotic and Araquanid. Many Choice Scarf users like Roserade and Meloetta threaten Kingdra’s attempts to sweep, so make sure to scout for potential Choice Scarf users and handle all of them before attempting a sweep.
Team Options
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Pokemon like Salazzle, Nidoqueen, and Mega Steelix deal with Fairy-types that Kingdra can't get around like Florges, making them great teammates. Likewise, Dragon-types like Flygon and Zygarde-10% prevent Kingdra from setting up, so Pokemon such as Mega Glalie are also good teammates. Entry hazard setters like Roserade, Nidoqueen, Mega Steelix, Mega Glalie, and Rhyperior are great teammates; the chip damage that hazards provide helps Kingdra KO Pokemon like Umbreon and Florges. Pokemon like Nidoqueen, Vanilluxe, and Moltres, which struggle with special walls like Cresselia, work great in tandem with Kingdra, as they can help each other wear down their checks and counters. Checks to Yanmega such as Snorlax and Moltres are important teammates for Kingdra, since Yanmega can bypass Kingdra's Substitute using Bug Buzz. If running Substitute, Kingdra can improve its matchup against offensive teams by partnering with a Sticky Web user like Galvantula or Ribombee.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
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Choice Specs Swift Swim Kingdra can be used on rain teams, but weather generally isn’t a good playstyle in RU. A cleaner set that utilizes a set of Draco Meteor / Hydro Pump / Rain Dance / Ice Beam and Life Orb / Dragonium Z can be used as well. However, Kingdra's power is very underwhelming, so it's usually better off running Focus Energy and Agility to retain a good match up against offensive teams while still having some use against bulky teams. Dragon Dance Kingdra can be used, but it is walled by common Pokemon like Milotic and Pyukumuku and is mostly outclassed by Feraligatr.
Checks and Counters
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**Offensive Pressure**: Choice Scarf users such as Shaymin, Roserade, Gardevoir, and Meloetta can revenge kill Kingdra. Other Pokemon like Noivern, Swellow, and Yanmega outpace and revenge kill Kingdra thanks to having moves that bypass Substitute such as Boomburst and Bug Buzz.
**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Speically defensive Pokemon like Florges, Snorlax, and Cresselia can stomach a hit from Kingdra and retaliate with their own attacks.
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