I eat people OMNOMNOM
[Overview]
name: Substitute
move 1: Blizzard / Ice Beam
move 2: Earth Power / Draco Meteor
move 3: Substitute
move 4: Protect
item: Ice Gem / Leftovers / Dragon Gem
nature: Modest
EVs: 32 HP / 252 SpA / 224 Spe
[Set Comments]
[Additional Comments]
name: Choiced Attacker
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Blizzard / Ice Beam
move 3: Earth Power / Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Dragon Pulse / Hidden Power Fire
item: Choice Scarf / Choice Specs
nature: Modest
EVs: 108 HP / 252 SpA / 152 Spe
[Set Comments]
[Additional Comments]
name: Bulky Attacker
move 1: Draco Meteor / Dragon Pulse
move 2: Blizzard / Ice Beam
move 3: Earth Power / Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Protect
item: Haban Berry / Chople Berry
nature: Modest
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
[Set Comments]
[Additional Comments]
[Other Options]
[Checks & Counters]
- Solid 125/90/90 bulk backed by dual 130 offenses, held back a bit by 95 base speed
- Its Dragon- and Ice-typing is a mixed blessing; while its STAB attacks (Blizzard & Draco Meteor) are extremely potent offensively, Steel-types (such as Metagross, Scizor and Heatran) can wall them, and while its typing gives it useful Water- (gg rain teams that don't pack Kingdra) and Electric-type (nice for Rotom-W, Thundurus, Zapdos, etc) resistances and an Ice-type neutrality, it leaves it weak to a lot of common attacking types, including Fighting (Hitmontop, Conkeldurr), Steel (Metagross, Heatran, Scizor), Dragon (Hydreigon, Latios), and Rock (Tyranitar,
Pupitar) - Unfortunately, Faces stiff competition from Kyurem-Black, who has the same movepool with Fusion Bolt and higher base stats (especially attack)
- Luckily, Kyurem's higher SpA allows it to stand out from its electrical cousin
- In particular, this makes it a popular Pokemon on Hail teams; it is often regarded by many as the face of Hail offense in Doubles
name: Substitute
move 1: Blizzard / Ice Beam
move 2: Earth Power / Draco Meteor
move 3: Substitute
move 4: Protect
item: Ice Gem / Leftovers / Dragon Gem
nature: Modest
EVs: 32 HP / 252 SpA / 224 Spe
[Set Comments]
- Substitute allows Kyurem to play more flexibly around common threats, and guards it against harmful Thunder Waves, stat drops and the likes
- Blizzard is an incredibly powerful STAB attack, but since it is reliant on hail, Ice Beam stands as an option in case you are not running hail support, though the lack of hitting two opponents makes is overall far weaker an option
- Earth Power is preferred for slot 2, as it provides great coverage alongside Blizzard and can take out Steel-types and Fire-types. Draco Meteor provides Dragon-type STAB if you don't care about Steel-types
- Protect is (obviously) in slot 4, as it guards Kyurem against the many threatening attacks in the tier
[Additional Comments]
- The spread allows you to outspeed 252 EV Adamant Landorus-T (the standard Focus Sash spread), with the remaining EVs packed into HP and SpA for as much power as possible and bulkier Substitutes
- Ice Gem is the preferred option, allowing Blizzard to be all the more powerful; however, if you opt for Ice Beam, Dragon Gem becomes a preferred option, as a Dragon Gem Draco Meteor hurts things... a lot. Leftovers is also an option, as it allows you to recover lost health in order to make more Substitutes.
- Another possible item choice is NeverMeltIce, which can consistently boost the power of Blizzard, useful considering Substitute Kyurem tends to stay around for awhile
- As with the "Choiced Attacker" set, this set pairs very well with
hail supportAbomasnow, as it allows it to spam Blizzard mercilessly. This set also pairs well with Fighting-, Fire- and Ground-types that can take out Steel-types as well. A special mention goes to Hitmontop, who can use its Fake Out & Wide Guard access to help Kyurem get a Sub up. Breloom can work with it similarly, using Spore to achieve the same goal and can take out bulky Waters like Suicune and Jellicent that would otherwise give Kyurem a hard time. Rotom-W can similarly take out bulky Water-types as well. Volcarona is also a great choice, as it can decimate Steel-types with Overheat or Heat Wave, and draw attacks away from Kyurem with Rage Powder. Cresselia is also a nice teammate, tanking Fighting-type attacks and providing much appreciated Helping Hand and speed control support. Teams that struggle against rain appreciate this set's help, as it generally has little trouble setting up a Sub in front of common rain sweepers like Rotom-W (beware of Kingdra, however).
name: Choiced Attacker
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Blizzard / Ice Beam
move 3: Earth Power / Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Dragon Pulse / Hidden Power Fire
item: Choice Scarf / Choice Specs
nature: Modest
EVs: 108 HP / 252 SpA / 152 Spe
[Set Comments]
- This set aims to hit very hard, either alongside a Choice Scarf for speed, or Choice Specs for raw power
- STAB Blizzard in the hail is extremely powerful, it can OHKO everything from Latios to Yache Berry Landorus-T if you opt to use Choice Scarf, and even bulkier threats like 252/252+ Thundurus will fall to a Specs Blizzard; however, if you are not running hail support, Ice Beam can be used instead, but the loss of overall power is very notable (it technically speaking gets halved, about the same power, but it only hits one member of the opposition)
- Draco Meteor offers a powerful secondary STAB, and is capable of decimating anythign that doesn't resist it
- Hidden Power Fire allows you to OHKO Scizor, so it is preferred; however, Earth Power can be used to hurt threats like Heatran that aren't hurt by Hidden Power Fire
- Dragon Pulse rounds off the set with a Dragon-type STAB attack that can be used repeatedly without drawbacks; however, Earth Power can be used as well, so that you can reliably hit Heatran and Scizor with one set
[Additional Comments]
- The spread allows you to live a Steel Gem Bullet Punch from Adamant Scizor, and everything weaker than that (if you run HP Fire, you will need to change spread to 84 HP / 16 Def / 252 SpA / 156 Spe, since HP Fire lowers speed IV to 30), the speed allows you to outspeed positive natured 130s and below after a Scarf boost, and SpA is maximized so you can hit as hard as possible
- A simple spread of 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe can be used, as while you lose the ability to always survive powerful priority attacks, you can outspeed other Scarfers such as Rotom-W and Landorus-T
- If you opt to use Specs, a spread of 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA can be used, making the most of both bulk and power; however, the Scarf spread is preferred on it as well, since it outspeeds 252 EV Jolly base 70s with that same investment and no Scarf boost, allowing you to get the jump on Breloom, most notably
- Hidden Power Rock is an option for Volcarona if it poses a serious threat to your team, though Draco Meteor does plenty of damage anyway, and there are better ways to work around Volcarona
- This set pairs well with Abomasnow, of course, who can give Kyurem reliable Blizzards to spam (Abomasnow is more or less required for this set to function at its best). Synergy is vital for this set since it will be Choice-locked, so it pairs well with teammates that can dispatch Steel-, Rock-, Dragon-, Fire- and Fighting-types, which can deal heavy damage to Kyurem and in some cases resist its attacks. Heatran is really helpful here, as it can help against Steel-, Dragon- and Fire-types, making it a great partner for Kyurem. Landorus-T is great for dispatching Fire-, Steel- and Rock-types and can reduce the damage physical attackers do to Kyurem thanks to Intimidate. Chandelure can handle Steel-, Fire- and Fighting-type attackers very efficiently. Hitmontop can handle Steel- and Rock-types, while providing helpful Intimidate, Fake Out, Feint and Wide Guard support for Kyurem. Terrakion can handle Steel-, Rock- and Fire-types with its STAB attacks, but both Kyurem and Terrakion share similar priority weakness, so it is not the most effective partner in most cases. Rotom-W can eliminate trouble Fire- and Rock-types and also gets past bulky Water-types that can be problematic; Breloom can also get past problematic bulky Water-types (such as Suicune and Jellicent).
name: Bulky Attacker
move 1: Draco Meteor / Dragon Pulse
move 2: Blizzard / Ice Beam
move 3: Earth Power / Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Protect
item: Haban Berry / Chople Berry
nature: Modest
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
[Set Comments]
- This set aims to use both Kyurem's 125/90/90 defenses and efficient 130 SpA to tank common attacks while hitting back hard
- Draco Meteor is the favored option for slot 1, as it can deal massive damage, but since it lowers your SpA, Dragon Pulse can be used over it since it is more consistent
- Blizzard provides for a extremely potent Ice STAB; however, if you are not using hail support, Ice Beam, as usual, is preferred
- Earth Power rounds off the coverage, but Hidden Power Fire can be used in order to hit Ferrothorn and Scizor harder
- Protect guards you against dangerous attacks such as Bullet Punch and Mach Punch while your partner takes care of things
[Additional Comments]
- Chople Berry and Haban Berry will allow you to tank either a Fighting Gem Close Combat from Terrakion or a Dragon Gem Draco Meteor from Timid-natured Latios, respectively, making the most of Kyurem's bulk
- If Haban Berry is used an alternative spread of 120 HP / 252 SpA / 136 SpD and a Modest nature is an option, allowing you to survive more powerful Dragon Gem-boosted Draco Meteors, notably off of Modest Kyurem and Latios
- As usual, Abomasnow, namely the Hail support it provides, makes for a great partner, allowing Kyurem to spam its deathly lethal Blizzards. Just like the other sets, it pairs well with Chandelure, Heatran, Hitmontop, Conkeldurr, Terrakion and Landorus-T, since they can remove Steel-, Rock-, Fighting-, Fire- and Dragon-types from the field, which would otherwise give Kyurem some trouble. Volcarona gets a special mention, as it can take out Steel-types and redirect threatening attacks via Rage Powder, beware of Rock Slide though. Due to its bulkier nature, this set highly appreciates speed control, especially Tailwind and Thunder Wave. Heracross would make a great partner for it under Tailwind conditions (Thunder Wave would also be fairly sufficient); the two of them synergize extremely well offensively. It will be a nice partner for Pokemon who are either weak to Dragon-types or Fighting-types, as with the right type-resist berry it can lure in and take out those respective Pokemon. Pokemon such as Heatran and Rotom-W appreciate this support, as Kyurem can remove threats to them such as Breloom or Garchomp/Latios based on which berry it runs. Rotom-W (and Breloom) is extra useful as it can elimate bulky Water-types such as Suicune and Jellicent that couldn't otherwise care less about Kyurem.
[Other Options]
- Glaciate can provide helpful A) speed control and B) a reliable spread attack outside of hail, but Blizzard in hail support is the main reason you would use Kyurem. Glaciate is certainly an option on the bulky set though, should you be operating outside of hail conditions
- Focus Blast is a more powerful option for Steel-types, but is very unreliable, making Earth Power or Hidden Power Fire the preferred choices
- Dual Screens
- Imprison
- Life Orb (mostly for "Choiced Attacker" set)
- Hail works well alongside Blizzard and allows you to mess with opposing weather, especially Rain. Abomasnow can usually accomplish this without Kyurem having to waste a moveslot, however
- A physical set is possible thanks to Kyurem's solid base 130 attack stat, but Kyurem-Black more or less outclasses this completely due to higher attack and Fusion Bolt. It can be useful for surprise value though, as most people will expect a special attacking set when they see Kyurem.
[Checks & Counters]
- Steel-types will give it trouble, especially Shuca Berry Heatran, who laughs at the STABs, is immune to Hidden Power Fire, and can tank a Earth Power. Metagross can also tank both an Earth Power and Hidden Power Fire (no resist berries needed) and strike back with Meteor Mash (and Bullet Punch). Scizor can deal heavy damage with Bullet Punch, but the Kyurem sets can tank a Bullet Punch off of it and OHKO back with Hidden Power Fire. Bisharp is another solid option and can be extra problematic if Kyurem is running Glaciate or working alongside an Icy Wind Pokemon such as Cresselia
- Fighting-types, especially those who have Wide Guard, most notably Hitmontop, will also ruin its day. Powerful Mach Punchers, such as Breloom and Conkeldurr, will also give it a lot of trouble.
- Rock-types, like Tyranitar and Terrakion can harm Kyurem with Rock Slide, but Terrakion needs to be wary of Choice Scarf sets, which can hurt it a lot
- Fire-types, like Volcarona and Heatran (again), resist Blizzard and can hurt it with Fire-types STABs; Volcarona is also capable of Quiver Dancing, which could be a death sentence if you are Choice-locked onto Blizzard and have to switch
- Dragon-types, such as Latios and Hydreigon, can take out non-Choice Scarf and non-Haban Berry sets with faster Draco Meteors
- Bulky Water-types, particularly Jellicent and Suicune, can easily tank any of Kyurem's attacks bar a Dragon Gem-boosted Draco Meteor and proceed to heal off damage while setting up their respective Trick Room and Tailwind
- Excadrill and Kingdra, though Kingdra must watch out for Haban Berry, depending on what set Kyurem runs
- Opposing speed control, particularly Trick Room, Tailwind and Thunder Wave (Icy Wind is not as effective), can cripple it
- The Choice sets tend to be easier to deal with once Kyurem gets locked onto a move
[Overview]
<p>Kyurem is a menace to behold on the battlefield. Its immense 125/90/90 defenses are backed by equally intimidating base 130 offenses, and while base 95 speed is by no means extraordinary, it is more than enough for Kyurem to work with. Kyurem's typing also gives it a powerful offensive presence, as Ice- and Dragon-type attacks are some of the most feared in the tier. There is a downside though, as the Kyurem's Ice / Dragon typing leaves it weak to common attacking types such as Steel, Fighting, Dragon, and Rock. Fortunately, some useful Electric- and Water-type resistances help offset this somewhat, alongside Kyurem's stellar bulk.</p>
<p>However, as powerful as Kyurem might seem, Kyurem-B exists. This means the majority of Kyurem's roles are outclassed, as Kyurem-B sports higher bulk, a massive base 170 Attack, and Fusion Bolt. In fact, Kyurem's only real advantage is that it has a higher base 130 Special Attack. This is more than enough for Kyurem though, as it allows it to spam one of, if not the, most powerful Blizzards in the metagame. This makes Kyurem a very popular choice to use on hail teams. While this may not seem like much of an advantage, Kyurem has earned its place as the face of hail in Doubles for a reason; underestimate it at your own peril.</p>
[SET]
name: Substitute
move 1: Blizzard / Ice Beam
move 2: Earth Power / Draco Meteor
move 3: Substitute
move 4: Protect
item: Ice Gem / Leftovers / Dragon Gem
nature: Modest
EVs: 32 HP / 252 SpA / 224 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set aims to use Substitute to help Kyurem use its attacks with less risk, while protecting Kyurem from harmful status such as paralysis and sleep. Blizzard is the preferred STAB option, as it is an insanely powerful spread attack that hits common threats like Thundurus and Latios for OHKOes. However, it requires hail support, so on the off chance you aren't using hail, Ice Beam makes for a solid option, dealing a similar degree of damage to only one opponent at a time. Earth Power is preferred in slot 2, as Draco Meteor is fairly redundant alongside Kyurem's Ice-type STAB of choice and Earth Power is useful for hitting Steel-types such as Heatran that would otherwise wall Kyurem. Of course, Draco Meteor can still be used, as it is very powerful and hits bulky Water-types, such as Suicune and Jellicent, for heavy damage. Protect rounds off the set, protecting Kyurem and giving its partner an opportunity to take out an opponent who could otherwise KO Kyurem.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The given EV spread allows you to move before Adamant Landorus-T and the remaining EVs are packed into Special Attack and HP. Ice Gem is the preferred item, as it boosts Blizzard to massive levels of power. However, both Leftovers and Dragon Gem can be used, to allow for more Substitutes and to give Draco Meteor a boost should it be run, respectively. If you use Leftovers, an alternative spread of 36 HP / 248 SpA / 224 Spe with a Modest nature would be preferred. The 4 extra HP EVs hit a Leftovers number, allowing Leftovers to heal as much HP per turn as possible at the lost of a very small amount of power. One last option you could consider is NeverMeltIce, as it can consistently give Blizzard a 20% boost, which may prove useful since Substitute can allow Kyurem to stay around for awhile. Ice Gem is preferred most of the time for more immediate power, however.</p>
<p>This set is built to be used on with hail support, so Abomasnow is obviously a stellar choice for a partner. Apart from hail support, Abomasnow can use its Grass-type STAB attacks to help take down bulky Water-types like Suicune and Rotom-W for Kyurem. Even with Earth Power, this set still hates many common Steel-types such as Scizor among several others which can survive Earth Power. As such, teammates that can reliably handle Steel-types, such as Landorus-T, Heatran, Volcarona, Conkeldurr, Breloom, and Hitmontop, make for useful partners. Hitmontop in particular can make this set a true nuisance to work around, allowing Kyurem to get a Substitute up through the use of Fake Out while making Kyurem's Substitutes more difficult to break due to Intimidate, all which protecting Kyurem from dangerous spread attacks, particularly Rock Slide, through the use of Wide Guard. Breloom is also a useful partner, making it easier to get a Substitute up with Spore, while also taking out troublesome bulky Water-types. Volcarona is yet another very useful partner, as it can redirect Steel- and Fighting-type attacks with Rage Powder that would otherwise deal heavy damage to Kyurem, though the pair must be wary of Rock Slide. While it cannot handle Steel-types like the majority of useful partners for Kyurem can, Cresselia is a great teammate for this set. It is capable of supporting Kyurem with Icy Wind and Helping Hand while taking care of troublesome Fighting-types that could otherwise ruin Kyurem's day. Finally, this set makes a nice choice on teams that struggles against rain teams, as thanks to its Water-types resistance and efficient bulk, it can set a Substitute safely in front of many common threats that are used on rain teams.</p>
[SET]
name: Choiced Attacker
move 1: Blizzard / Ice Beam
move 2: Draco Meteor
move 3: Earth Power / Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Dragon Pulse / Hidden Power Fire
item: Choice Scarf / Choice Specs
nature: Modest
EVs: 108 HP / 252 SpA / 152 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>By equipping itself with a Choice item, Kyurem can gain a useful boost to either its sufficient Speed or its already massive Special Attack, both of which make it all the more terrifying have to deal with. Blizzard is the highlight move of the set, as with some hail support it can easily tear down unprepared teams and even with Choice Scarf OHKOs common threats like Tornadus, Landorus-T, Latios, and Hydreigon. However, Ice Beam is an option if you are not using Kyurem with hail support, as it deals about the same degree of damage to only one target at a time. Draco Meteor is Kyurem's strongest Dragon-type STAB attack and can deal massive damage to a target. It also helps Kyurem work around bulk Water-types like Suicune and Jellicent to a degree, though if you aren't running Choice Specs Jellicent will still be a challenge to work around. Earth Power is preferred in slot 3, as it hits Heatran, who otherwise throughly walls this set. However, Hidden Power Fire is an option as it can OHKO Scizor. Note that if Hidden Power Fire is used, you will need to change this set's spread to 108 HP / 248 SpA / 156 Spe, since the use of Hidden Power Fire will lower Kyurem's Speed IV to 30. Dragon Pulse is preferred in the last slot since it provides a Dragon-type STAB that won't force you to switch out; however, Hidden Power Fire is an option here as well, as running both Earth Power and Hidden Power Fire on one set ensures that you can deal solid damage to any Steel-type opponent you may run into.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Hidden Power Rock is an option against Volcarona if it poses a serious threat to your team, though Draco Meteor will still do plenty of damage regardless and Kyurem is not really the best way to counter Volcarona. The given EV spread allows you to always survive a Steel Gem-boosted Bullet Punch from Scizor, as well as any weaker attacks, which notably includes a Life Orb-boosted Mach Punch off of Breloom. The Speed EVs allow you to beat everything up to positive-natured Pokemon with a base 130 Speed, which notably includes Shaymin-S, Thundurus, Tornadus, Landorus-T, Latios, and others. The remaining EVs go into Special Attack so that Kyurem can hit as hard as possible. An alternative spread of 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe is an option, as while you lose a lot of bulk you can move before other Choice Scarf users, such as Rotom-W, Tyranitar, and Landorus-T. If Choice Specs is used, an alternative spread of 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA can be used to make Kyurem as bulky as possible, though the same spread is preferred since without Choice Scarf you still outspeed Jolly-natured Breloom.</p>
<p>Abomasnow is a vital asset to this set, as it provides much needed hail support, allowing Kyurem to spam Blizzard without risk of missing. As for other partners, this set in particular requires good offensive synergy to function, as it is going to be locked into a move and as such will often need a partner who can take out a threat that it can't. The most important threats for Kyurem's teammates to handle are the infamous Steel-types, the majority of which can withstand Kyurem's STAB attacks with little effort. Some prime choices for eliminating these aforementioned threats are Heatran, Landorus-T, Chandelure, Hitmontop, and Terrakion. Apart from eliminating Steel-types, Landorus-T is also useful for weakening the opponent's offensive presence via Intimidate. Chandelure is additionally notable for being capable of countering Trick Room with Imprison, which would otherwise ruin Kyurem's day. Hitmontop is capable of further supporting Kyurem with Fake Out, Feint, and Wide Guard. Some additional threats to cover are bulky Water-types, particularly Jellicent, who can use Trick Room to completely cripple Kyurem for the course of 5 turns if it is holding a Choice Scarf. Rotom-W and Breloom are the best options to eliminate Jellicent and other bulky Water-types such as Suicune thanks to their respective Electric- and Grass-type STAB attacks. Breloom is also capable of doing some efficient damage to Steel-types through the use of Technician Mach Punch, though only frail Steel-types will be OHKOd by the move.</p>
[SET]
name: Bulky Attacker
move 1: Draco Meteor / Dragon Pulse
move 2: Blizzard / Ice Beam
move 3: Earth Power / Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Protect
item: Haban Berry / Chople Berry
nature: Modest
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Even though Kyurem's main advantage is in its Special Attack, one must not overlook its wonderful bulk. This set aims to use that bulk to tank hits and then strike back with powerful attacks. Draco Meteor is preferred in slot one, as it gives you a ton of power, but since it means you will have to switch out, Dragon Pulse can be used for more consistency. Blizzard is Kyurem's most powerful Ice-type STAB attack, but if you don't have the room for the hail support it needs, Ice Beam is a reliable option to fall back on. Earth Power rounds off Kyurem's coverage, hitting Steel-types like Heatran and Metagross for some heavy damage. However, Hidden Power Fire can be used in Earth Power's place, as it is Kyurem's best option against Scizor, who would otherwise care very little about Kyurem's attempts to damage it. Protect rounds off the set, allowing Kyurem to guard itself from dangerous attacks and giving its ally an opportunity to take out the source of those attacks.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Haban Berry is usually the preferred item, since most Dragon-types are faster than Kyurem, making the need to tank Dragon-type attacks larger. However, Chople Berry is a great option as well, particularly for taking Fighting Gem-boosted Close Combats from the likes of Hitmontop and Terrakion. With the given spread and the proper berry mentioned above, Kyurem can always endure either a Dragon Gem-boosted Draco Meteor off of Timid Latios or a Fighting Gem-boosted Close Combat off of Terrakion. If Haban Berry is run, an alternative spread of 120 HP / 252 SpA / 136 SpD with a Modest nature is an option, allowing you to survive more powerful Dragon Gem-boosted Draco Meteors from the likes of Modest-natured Latios and Kyurem. However, this spread sacrifices a significant amount of physical bulk, not to mention Modest-natured Latios are very rare, so it is not preferred.</p>
<p>Once again Abomasnow makes an appearance as a key partner for Kyurem, providing the hail support that is necessary in order for Kyurem to operate at the peak of its potential. While this set's bulky nature allows it to get past numerable Pokemon that would normally counter it, it still appreciates allies, such as Chandelure, Terrakion, Heatran, Hitmontop, Conkeldurr, and Landorus-T, which can take out the typical Steel-types that can give Kyurem trouble. Volcarona is also a great option as it can redirect dangerous Steel- and Fighting-type attacks via Rage Powder while easily dispatching Steel-types for Kyurem, though be aware that Rock Slide will be a big problem for the duo. Due to this set's high bulk and lack of Speed, it will heavily appreciate speed control, especially Tailwind and Thunder Wave. If you run either of these, Heracross would make for a great partner, as it synergizes wonderfully alongside Kyurem offensively and the duo can OHKO a lot of common threats, including but not limited to: Landorus-T, Cresselia, Thundurus, Tornadus, and Tyranitar. Rotom-W and Breloom make for nice partners as well since they can get past bulky Water-types such as Suicune and Jellicent, which this set has trouble with. Finally, thanks to this set's ability to lure in Dragon- or Fighting-types and remove them, partners who have trouble with the aforementioned Pokemon, such as Heatran and Rotom-W, will appreciate its support. Note you can only lure out either Dragon-types or Fighting-types depending on whether Kyurem opts to run Haban Berry or Chople Berry, respectively.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>First and foremost, Glaciate is an option Kyurem has that can provide for a decent spread attack outside of hail while also providing for its own speed control. Blizzard is much more powerful and Kyurem tends to be fairly frail, unfortunately. As such, Glaciate should really be considered only on bulky sets since they can make more use of this move. Focus Blast is yet another option for hitting Steel-types, but Earth Power and Hidden Power Fire are preferred because they don't have Focus Blast's shaky 70% accuracy making them more reliable options. Light Screen and Reflect are both options for Kyurem; Light Screen in particular is great if you are using Kyurem to help against rain teams, as it really holds the power of Water-type spread attacks like Muddy Water and Surf back. Imprison is an option since it allows you to lock the opponent off of Protect and Draco Meteor, which can make Kyurem even harder to work around. Life Orb can provide for a consistent power boost that doesn't lock you into a move like Choice Specs would, but the recoil that comes with it will make you heavily susceptible to Bullet Punch and Mach Punch. Hail allows you to provide hail support without Abomasnow's help and can be used alongside Abomasnow to win weather wars, though it is difficult to find room for such an option and Abomasnow can usually beat opposing Politoed and Tyranitar, anyway. Finally, a physical set could be an option with Kyurem's base 130 Attack stat, but Kyurem-B outclasses this entirely. As such, the main merit of this set would be surprise value, though Kyurem is better off using a typical special attacker set, anyway.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Steel-types are usually the best checks to Kyurem since they can switch into Blizzard and Draco Meteor safely, though they must be played carefully due to Earth Power and Hidden Power Fire. Heatran can handle sets that run Hidden Power Fire with ease and can survive an Earth Power if it holds Shuca Berry, allowing it to hit Kyurem with Heat Wave. Metagross can tank both Earth Power and Hidden Power Fire assuming Kyurem isn't running Choice Specs and OHKO with Meteor Mash, as well as picking off weakened Kyurem with Bullet Punch. Scizor can also hit Kyurem hard with Bullet Punch, but most Kyurem are EV'd to take that attack and can strike back with Hidden Power Fire, though Occa Berry Scizor can survive this assuming Kyurem isn't running Choice Specs. Bisharp is also a solid option as with 252 HP EVs it can tank an unboosted Earth Power 81% of the time and dish out heavy damage with Iron Head.</p>
<p>Fighting-types are also a good answer to Kyurem, especially Hitmontop, who can block Blizzard by using Wide Guard. Conkeldurr and Breloom are also good answers to Kyurem as they pack powerful Mach Punches that will can KO Kyurem if it has been weakened to half of its full HP or less. Terrakion is an option, as it can move before non-Choice Scarf Kyurem and OHKO non-Chople Berry Kyurem with Close Combat. It can also do some heavy damage with Rock Slide. On a similar note, Rock-types can also check Kyurem. Tyranitar in particular can tank any of Kyurem's attacks assuming sand is up and proceed to strike back with Low Kick or Rock Slide. Fire-types can tank Blizzard and strike back with their Fire-type STAB attacks. Volcarona is especially threatening, as Quiver Dance variants can boost up while only fearing Draco Meteor, which will give them another opportunity to Quiver Dance if it is used and fails to KO. Bulky Water-types such as Jellicent and Suicune can easily tank any of Kyurem's attacks bar a Dragon Gem-boosted Draco Meteor and proceed to set up Trick Room and Tailwind, respectively.</p>
<p>While the best way to counter Kyurem is to have Pokemon that can tank its attacks, this is not always the easiest way thanks to its offensive power. Thanks to its only average base 95 Speed, an obvious way to handle Kyurem is to move before it and hammer it with powerful attacks. Faster Dragon-types, such as Latios and Hydreigon, are one of the easiest ways to do this, as a Dragon Gem-boosted Draco Meteor will OHKO every Kyurem set except those that run Haban Berry, which will still take heavy damage. Life Orb Excadrill and Kingdra can outspeed even Choice Scarf Kyurem in sand and rain, respectively. Kingdra must be wary of Haban Berry sets, however, as they can strike back for an OHKO. Finally, one of the most effective ways to move before Kyurem is by the use of speed control, as Icy Wind, Thunder Wave, Tailwind, and Trick Room will all leave Kyurem all the more easier to deal with. Thunder Wave is particularly effective, since it will not time out or be remedied by Kyurem switching out, allowing you to cripple Kyurem for the rest of the match.</p>
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