Plague von Karma
Banned deucer.
Why is the Green sprite so much better than the Blue one?
[OVERVIEW]
Kingler is the strongest Pokemon with access to the combination of Swords Dance and Hyper Beam, possessing a dizzying base 130 Attack. This gives Kingler cataclysmic wallbreaking potential, outright OHKOing Chansey given the chance. It also has exclusive access to Crabhammer, which will nearly always land a critical hit, largely making up for its mediocre Special. Kingler isn't exactly slow relative to RBY OU either, being just above Cloyster and Victreebel. This means it isn't completely reliant on paralysis support and is very capable of mowing down teams without it. Overall, while an uncommon threat, Kingler is very capable of running over weakened teams if given a mere turn to set up. Even if it doesn't get a full sweep, the holes Kingler can tear in a team can be more than enough for its teammates to finish the job.
So why isn't Kingler often seen on the big stage, fighting tooth and nail with Kanto's finest? Kingler's sweeping prospects are swiftly put down by paralysis, and this weakness often forces it out, causing it to forfeit any Swords Dance boosts it may have gained beforehand. Kingler's special bulk is also a pressing issue, with even neutral hits like Alakazam's Psychic 2HKOing it. Furthermore, its weakness to Electric-type attacks makes Pokemon like Starmie a royal pain, often causing it to be KOed even at around 75%. These factors make it deceptively difficult to find an opening for Kingler to sweep, and it therefore requires an experienced player to be successful.
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Hyper Beam
move 3: Body Slam
move 4: Crabhammer
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Swords Dance is Kingler's claim to fame, allowing it to boost its Attack and wreak havoc. Using it also allows Kingler to reapply a foe's Speed drop from paralysis, which helps if Kingler has been paralyzed itself. +2 Hyper Beam can OHKO Chansey, Jynx, Jolteon, and Alakazam. It can also OHKO Starmie and Victreebel 30.8% and 56.4% of the time, respectively. The rest of the tier isn't far behind, with foes often crumbling if even a third of their HP has been chipped off. Body Slam lets Kingler deny switch-ins by the threat of paralysis, allowing it to be more self-sufficient rather than mandating team support; if a Pokemon is paralyzed on the switch after Kingler has boosted, a +2 Hyper Beam will likely follow for the KO. Crabhammer allows Kingler to OHKO Rhydon and 3HKO Gengar, the latter of which is immune to Kingler's other attacks, making Crabhammer valuable to prevent it from repeatedly switching in. It also allows Kingler to 3HKO Snorlax 87.2% of the time, allowing it to muscle past Reflect sets. It should be noted that Crabhammer isn't just some better Slash, though; it has some very unfortunate accuracy issues, and a single miss will most likely be Kingler's undoing.
Kingler should be kept until late-game when the opposing team has been weakened or riddled with paralysis. This gives it the best chance of setting up successfully and serving as a wincon. If an entire team has been paralyzed, Kingler will happily take a hit if it means blowing the opposition away. Finding an opportunity to set up can be difficult, though; the best way is to punish a Pokemon using Rest, such as Snorlax or Jolteon. However, simply exploiting weakened, paralyzed Pokemon also gives a worthy payoff. Kingler should ideally be paired with an Electric-type like Zapdos or Jolteon, as they can beat Kingler's primary counters in opposing Electric-types, Starmie, and Slowbro. More offensively, an Electric-type is also a perfect way to lure Rhydon in for Kingler to either set up on or cleave through, which can instantly mean a win with its Electric-type ally in the back.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Generally, Kingler should never drop any move other than Body Slam, and even this is very difficult to justify. Stomp is a potential choice, allowing Kingler to take a paraflinch approach, but it mandates far more team support to work, which teams can't always afford.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Gengar**: While Kingler can deal sizable chip to Gengar with Crabhammer to prevent it from repeatedly switching in, Gengar KOes Kingler with Thunderbolt if it has taken any amount of damage. Furthermore, Gengar has ample opportunity to switch in on Kingler's Normal-type attacks and force sleep on the player's team, as it's immune to them.
**Electric-types**: Zapdos can switch into Hyper Beam or Crabhammer and subsequently OHKO Kingler with Thunderbolt; for Kingler to win, Zapdos has to have been chipped and paralyzed prior, and even then, it requires a +2 Hyper Beam. Much of the same applies to Jolteon, although it is OHKOed by a +2 Hyper Beam and takes very high damage from Body Slam. Furthermore, if Jolteon is asleep, it is nothing more than setup fodder for Kingler.
**Paralysis**: Kingler is thoroughly debilitated by paralysis, as it can no longer mow down paralyzed teams and its poor special bulk becomes much more apparent. The threat of paralysis can make setting up with Kingler quite difficult, as it's very possible for Kingler to be paralyzed on the turn that it attempts Swords Dance. Pokemon like Exeggutor and Zapdos can easily switch in and threaten it with their paralysis-inducing moves, forcing Kingler out if it can't KO them first. Paralysis from Body Slam can be a particularly depressing experience for any Kingler player, especially when attempting to wrestle down Pokemon like Snorlax and Tauros, so this warrants consideration in prolonged interactions. Pokemon like Lapras and Victreebel become much better Kingler checks if it's paralyzed, as they can outspeed and KO it with super effective hits without fear of Hyper Beam. Reflect Chansey can also be problematic, as it effectively invalidates Kingler's Swords Dance boost and threatens it with Thunder Wave.
**Faster Special Attackers**: Kingler is extremely frail specially, which makes many special attackers suitable Kingler checks, especially when attempting to revenge kill it. Switching these Pokemon in on a Swords Dance can put Kingler into a fairly awkward position as well. Alakazam and Starmie can paralyze Kingler while threatening it with 2HKOs from their strong special attacks. In fact, even Tauros and Chansey can adapt with Thunderbolt to 2HKO Kingler. However, few of these Pokemon want to actually be attacked by Kingler themselves; if they are paralyzed and Kingler has set up, with the exception of Tauros and sometimes Starmie, these Pokemon can be OHKOed by +2 Hyper Beam.
**Physically Bulky Foes**: While a +2 Hyper Beam from Kingler is strong, there are Pokemon that can handle it surprisingly well while paralyzing it in return. Slowbro can switch in and paralyze Kingler and doesn't mind stomaching a +2 Hyper Beam if it means stopping a sweep. However, a +2 Body Slam followed up by Hyper Beam has good odds to KO Slowbro. Lapras can easily take a Hyper Beam from Kingler while threatening with Thunderbolt afterward. Exeggutor can also take most hits Kingler can throw at it and threaten with status or a 2HKO from Psychic, though it can take massive damage in the process—or even get KOed if it has taken prior damage—if Kingler has boosted with Swords Dance. Finally, if push comes to shove, Cloyster can switch in and use Explosion, though it can't do anything else lest it become setup fodder.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Plague von Karma, 236353]]
- Quality checked by: [[Sceptross, 123746], [Amaranth, 265630]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429], [Estronic, 240732]]
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